3 Must-Reads During Trans Rights Readathon
March 20 - 27 is Trans Rights Readathon! The goal is to read as many books written by trans authors and/or centering around trans narratives in one week. Even for those of us who knew about it the whole time (me, for example), probably didn’t get through more than one, but if you didn’t know about it, it’s never too late to support the trans community! (Especially with all these book bans going on…Oh - but that’s a different blog post!)
Here are three Must Reads written by trans authors that will be around even after March 27th!
1. The Thirty Names of Night by Zeyn Joukhadar. This amazing book centers around a closeted Syrian American trans boy who lost his mother in a mysterious fire five years ago. He loves to paint, but as his mother’s ghost seems to visit him, he can’t - except when he slips out at night to paint beautiful murals around the Little Syria neighborhood in Manhattan. One evening, he finds the tattered journal of a Syrian American artist named Laila Z., a woman who seems to be intertwined with his family’s past in ways he never expected. With a touch of magical realism, and a deep dive into what it means to be who you really are - within yourself and your family - this award-winning novel should definitely be on every shelf!
2. Felix Ever After by Calden Kallendar. Like YA? I do! Felix is a trans teen who goes to an art-centered high school in NYC. He is struggling with his summer program, trying to figure out how to get a scholarship to Brown instead of the cocky, preppy white kid who (Felix has to admit) seems to have never-ending talent. But, when Felix walks into his school one morning to find pictures of his pre-transitioned self plastered all over the lobby exhibit area, all bearing his dead name, he is transformed into a teen on a mission: he thinks he knows who the culprit is - his arch nemesis and biggest competitor - but how can he prove it? It’s a touching YA novel, with the ups and downs, misunderstandings and missteps, that we all experience and can relate to long after we grow past being a YA. One of my favorite books this year!
3. Gender Queer: A Memoir by Maia Kobabe. TBH, I haven’t read this one, but I love graphic novels for adults! This is next on my TBR list, and will be my second Trans Rights Readathon book this week.
Don’t have time to read this week, but still want to support Trans Rights? Here are some places below to donate - just give the amount you would spend on a paperback and you’ve done it!
Resources
Tony’s Place: Houston-based shelter for LGBTQ+ youth
Montrose Center: Houston LGBTQ+ community center
Q Center: The largest LGBTQ+ center in the Pacific Northwest
The Trevor Project: Providing mental health support 24/7 and many more programs for LGBTQ+ youth!
Shondaland: Gives a list of 24 LGBTQ+ organizations that you can help ranging from The Human Rights Campaign to The National Center for Transgender Equality and more!
