Mordicai read and liked Imogen's review of She's Not the Man I Married: My Life with a Transgender Husband:

"Okay, my original review was really mean, so I am editing it. Basically, I think that Helen and Betty have a phenomenally codependent relationship. I think that they also spend a lot of time in a certain crossdresser/mtf transsexual scene, like at co...more Okay, my original review was really mean, so I am editing it. Basically, I think that Helen and Betty have a phenomenally codependent relationship. I think that they also spend a lot of time in a certain crossdresser/mtf transsexual scene, like at conferences and workshops and things like that. Both of which are completely fine, right?

But Helen feels comfortable saying lots of things about trans women, and lots of things about their partners, and the things that she says don't ring true at ALL about me or any partners I've got. It's kind of infuriating for her to talk about all the problems that partners of trans women have, when what she means is, people who date someone who comes out to them as trans over the course of a relationship, and then choose to stay in that relationship. (Maybe due to a codependent tendency to prioritize the relationship over the happiness of either of the people in it?)

Look, I tried not to be dating somebody while I sorted out my own coming out and transition. Then, when I accidentally found myself in a relationship, I ended it so that I could transition. I thought, hey, if the straight girl I'm dating pre-transition wants to date me when I'm a lady post-transition, that will be unlikely but nice- but first I am transitioning and getting that sorted.

I hate that there's no consideration that that could ever possibly happen- to Helen Boyd, her experience is everybody's experience, and no, writing an introduction where you say "this is just my experience, don't generalize from it" doesn't get you off the hook for generalizing for the rest of your book.

As for partners, whatever. I'm a trans woman and I'm a lezzie and my partner is a lezzie who's not a trans woman. I met her after transitioning and she does NOT have the same angst about me being trans that Ms Boyd has about her own partner, so whenever Ms Boyd says anything about "partners of trans women," we get invisiblized.

It feels kind of gross for me to write about my partner's experience, though- it's not really my place, you know? It's unlikely but for all I know, she does have all the same angst as Helen Boyd, she just hasn't told me about it.

Which brings us to another problem: here is the premise of the book. "My partner is trans, so let me tell you about trans people, and being partners with them." It doesn't work that way! You suck at talking about my life, Helen, and I am trans.

And finally, like this review, eventually it's just rambly. On and on and on about how gender is a construct and you can't pin it down. I wonder if I'd feel this way re-reading Gender Outlaw? Dunno. But jesus. Brevity! Brevity!(less) "

Mordicai read and liked Emily's review of Thirteenth Child (Frontier Magic, #1):

"I very much enjoyed this book, but had to give it three stars to account for some of the problematic things about the narrative.

I won't go too much into it now (my HIMYM download is almost finished), but a quick summary:

This i...more I very much enjoyed this book, but had to give it three stars to account for some of the problematic things about the narrative.

I won't go too much into it now (my HIMYM download is almost finished), but a quick summary:

This is the American frontier, re-imagined. Some things are the same, and others are vastly different - namely, America is Columbia (and Europe is Avrupa, amongst other name-changes), and is a magical wilderness that was gradually tamed by magicians, and remains unpredictable and powerful beyond the Mammoth/Mississippi river.

The narrator is Eff, a supposedly unlucky thirteenth child, and twin to Lan, seventh son of a seventh son, a natural prodigy in magic. Eff's narrative and the general pace of the books does read a lot like the Little House books -- no driving plot but Eff's own characterization, and the slow realization of her own worth. Nevertheless, it is a charming and fun read, testament to Wrede's skill as an author.

The problems come more from the world-building than anything else: Columbia was devoid of humans before the Avrupans came and tamed its magical wilderness. I am not okay with the dismissal of Native America, and I'm finding this discussion on Tor.com (http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_...) to be enlightening in that regard.

However, I do recommend it as a fun read, but one to be taken with a grain of salt. The American pioneer story exists as a shiny, happy myth in our collective imagination - one full of heroics and hardships and how the enduring spirit of the American people overcomes all, exploring wilderness "untouched" by man. It fails to account for the people that were here before us, that were exploited, decimated, and forgotten by us. Wrede's story plays a little too much into the myth of what we imagine the pioneering life was like for my comfort. (But I will read the next book quite eagerly, while suspending my disbelief and wishing Wrede hadn't taken the "easy" route out.)(less) "