Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion
2016 Read Harder Challenge
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Task 12: Read a Book By or About a Person Who Identifies as Transgender
Terry wrote: "I was thinking of reading Brian Karcher's Almost Perfect since several of my students read it and reacted positively to it (even the student who said it was "outside of my comfort zo..."Reading this now and am really enjoying it thus far...
I just finished George by Alex Gino and I admired it, without loving it. I'm currently reading I am J by Cris Beam.
Bea wrote: "I am continuing my quest to read books by Nicola Griffith. I am slotting Slow River here."I'm using this thread for recommendations for this category but I can't find any evidence that this author is trans. Thoughts?
Ramona wrote: "Bea wrote: "I am continuing my quest to read books by Nicola Griffith. I am slotting Slow River here."I'm using this thread for recommendations for this category but I can't find an..."
She is not trans. She self describes as a "dyke." I have never heard that she is gender fluid (also acceptable for this category), but I am not certain.
OK, I am thinking I might need more education on what transgender means. When I looked it up, the definition stated "Transgender is an umbrella term for persons whose gender identity, gender expression or behavior does not conform to that typically associated with the sex to which they were assigned at birth".To me, that is a person who was born female but identifies as a male. Is that not the "dyke" in the lesbian relationship?
Bea wrote: "...To me, that is a person who was born female but identifies as a male. Is that not the "dyke" in the lesbian relationship?"I think you've approached this from the assumption that someone in a lesbian couple takes up a "male" role. This is not necessarily the case. And even if a lesbian is more gender fluid in her appearance, that still doesn't mean she identifies as male, which means she isn't trans.
Within this thread there are a number of books either by trans authors or that expressly deal with trans issues. I hope this helps with your reading choice.
"dyke" is just a word for lesbian. It was/is a slur for lesbian, but has been reclaimed by some lesbians. I would not at all take it as a statement on a person's gender identity.
Thanks, Sarah. I find many of the terms for alternative lifestyles somewhat confusing as I do not have experience with people who identify that way. I do love Nicola Griffith's writings and was hoping to read her for this task...but, guess I am looking further.
Robin wrote: "Betsy wrote: "Would Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides qualify for this category? Please forgive my ignorance- thank you!"Absolutely, it was the first book I thought of."
Middlesex would count for the task, but it would be great if readers chose instead to read something written by an author who is transgender!
The character in Middlesex is intersex, but Eugenides is a cisgender, straight man who seemingly did little real research in terms of talking to people who are actually transgender or intersex (which aren't the same thing!).
Same goes for Annabel, by Kathleen Winter, which won a tonne of awards but which is riddled with problems, not least some serious medical inaccuracies!
These issues, and more, have been written about by a number of awesome authors who are transgender, including Casey Plett, here: http://thewalrus.ca/rise-of-the-gende....
I'm excited to see this category on the list this year, and am even more excited to see so many people engaging with this topic!
Sandra wrote: "I'm wondering if Annabel would fit here. The main character is intersex, raised as a boy, but "as Wayne grows into adulthood within the hyper-masculine hunting society of his father,..."Hi Sandra, I just replied to someone else's post and thought I'd tag my comment here for your reference!
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Sarah wrote: "I'm looking at one of these threeNevada - Imogin Binnie
A Safe Girl to Love - Casey Platt
Trans - A Memoir - Juliet Jacques
Of course, if Laverne Cox's book comes out this year it goes to the a..."
Awesome choices. I'm also super excited for Laverne Cox's book!
Cindy wrote: "After listening to the latest Book Riot podcast, I am considering, The Argonauts."The Argonauts is amazing! There's so much in there... you'll need a notebook (or Goodreads open) to keep adding new reading material to your list!
"but it would be great if readers chose instead to read something written by an author who is transgender!" Cindy, I'm curious if you have read or read about Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin? That's what I read for this challenge. Garvin is cis-gender, as am I, but I thought he did a really good job of capturing Riley, a gender fluid teen. I would be interested in your thoughts.
After reading the article you linked, I definitely see some similarities between Symptoms of Being Human. The character is a teen just learning how to navigate their gender identity, their is a sexual assault in the third quarter. However there is no back and forth with the pronouns. The author actually doesn't use any pronouns for Riley, we never find out what Riley's assigned gender is, and I really thought it was done in a way that doesn't draw attention to the lack of pronouns. It was all brought back to the fact that assigned gender doesn't matter. Riley is Riley and their gender doesn't matter except for how Riley identifies. Anyway, I dont want to go to much into it, I enjoyed the book and thought it was well written. I will be looking for some of the books mentioned in the article though. Thank you for sharing, I am always interested in other perspectives.
Megan wrote: " "but it would be great if readers chose instead to read something written by an author who is transgender!" Cindy, I'm curious if you have read or read about Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garv..."
Hi Megan, I think your comment was meant to be in response to mine, not Cindy's, so I'll jump back in here!
I'm glad you read Casey Plett's article, and thanks for the tip on Symptoms of Being Human. I hadn't heard of this book, but I'll check it out on your recommendation.
For me, one of the key things about choosing whether or not to read a book written about a marginalised group or member thereof is to see if that book has earned respect among those living that experience. So, if a book about a transgender or intersex character written by a cisgender writer comes highly recommended by someone who is trans or intersex, I'll put more weight in that recommendation! Hope that makes sense!
Yes, Leigh, I was, I knew you were Leigh, I dont know why I said Cindy! :P Thanks for your thoughts, from the author's acknowledgements, it does look like he was in communication with respected members of the LGBTQ community so that definitely made me feel better about it! I'll be on the lookout for your thoughts.
Megan wrote: "Yes, Leigh, I was, I knew you were Leigh, I dont know why I said Cindy! :P Thanks for your thoughts, from the author's acknowledgements, it does look like he was in communication with respected mem..."I just read a few of the community reviews on Goodreads and it does seem like the only complaint is about the sexual assault trope that hangs around trans characters. It seems like people are otherwise impressed with the author's portrayal of gender dysphoria etc., so that's a plus!
Leigh wrote: "I just read a few of the community reviews on Goodreads"That's good to hear, because the way he described it felt really relatable to me, as someone that deals with generalized anxiety. Of course I still don't and will never know EXACTLY how it feels to experience gender dysphoria, but it was a good start in just trying to be able to understand what other people go through.
Leigh wrote: "Sandra wrote: "I'm wondering if Annabel would fit here. The main character is intersex, raised as a boy, but "as Wayne grows into adulthood within the hyper-masculine hunting society..."Thanks - that's disappointing but helpful! Really interesting Walrus piece. For Today I Am A Boy was on my radar too but I think I'll go for The Argonauts instead.
I read All the Birds in the Sky and think it would be a great choice in this category for anyone who likes fantasy and/or sci fi. The author is a trans woman.
Ellen wrote: "I found this one: Kill Me Loudly: A Memoir of Gender Dysphoria, Music, and AddictionLaura Jane Grace is the singer for the punk band Against Me."
Did this book ever come out?
I stayed up last night starting and finishing Jennie Wood's A Boy Like Me because I could not put it down. Fabulous and highly recommended trans boy-meets-girl love story.
Nicola wrote: "I've just been given the recommendation of The Art of Being Normal ... One of the main characters from what I'm told is struggling with his emotions and his desire to become a girl ... This would c..."That would definitely count. It's YA and written by a nurse who worked with children struggling with gender identity so it is an accurate and moving portrayal of being trans. I also found it really educational as I knew nothing or very little about tans people before I read it. On top of that it was really enjoyable, I highly recommend it.
On my list: Redefining Realness by Janet Mock (nonfiction) and For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu (fiction).
I read Beautiful Music for Ugly Children and it was short but lovely. Reminded me very strongly of the film Pump Up The Volume, but with a trans boy as the main character. There's an educational essay by the author on what the trans label covers at the back of the book, too - nothing new to me but nice to see.I feel a bit guilty now though, since the author is not trans... so I won't stop here.
Brittany wrote: "On my list: Redefining Realness by Janet Mock (nonfiction) and For Today I Am a Boy by Kim Fu (fiction)."@Brittany thanks so much for the recommendation of the Kim Fu book! I am doing an iteration of Read Harder where I am reading all books by people of color, and I have been struggling to find a book for this task (I've already read Janet Mock's memoir a while back). For Today I Am a Boy looks very promising.
"Becoming Nicole", best. book. ever! included a lot of historical and political info regarding laws, etc. Great Read. :)
Sandra wrote: "I read The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson for this challenge and loved it - highly recommended!"So many people have recommended this book to me, and none said it had a trans character. Thanks!
Britta - Kitchen is maybe my favorite book of all time, so in my opinion you should definitely read it. But to me, the trans character and her experience as such aren't central enough to the book for this category. That's just my opinion, of course, and the book is pure magic, so read it regardless!
Katy wrote: "Britta - Kitchen is maybe my favorite book of all time, so in my opinion you should definitely read it. But to me, the trans character and her experience as such aren't central enough to the book f..."Thank you, and I will certainly read it anyway...
Katy wrote: "Britta - Kitchen is maybe my favorite book of all time, so in my opinion you should definitely read it. But to me, the trans character and her experience as such aren't central enough to the book f..."Thank you, and I will certainly read it anyway...
I picked Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides for this task, as it was already on my to be read list. Absolutely loved it - great family saga with some fantastic characters.
One of the characters in The Shootout Solution by Michael R. Underwood is transgender. It is briefly mentioned, but is not the focus of the book. Would this count?
Well, if it isnt by or about a transgender person, then no. If it is just briefly mentioned, i would say it wouldnt count.
I'm pleased to see George by Alex Gino from so many commenters. It's a sweet book and just right for this task
I was able to check out The Argonauts from the library (my first e-book loan). Were it not for this challenge, I would never have picked it up. I'm very glad I did. It is excellent.
Megan wrote: "Well, if it isnt by or about a transgender person, then no. If it is just briefly mentioned, i would say it wouldnt count."Thank you.
I read Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire. This book is about children after they have visited magical lands. One of the main characters is kicked out of his magical world because he is a trans-man. It effects the plot and how characters interact with each other.
I also read George. While I appreciate what the author is doing, ultimately I thought the writing was way too simplistic, even for an elementary aged audience. My review here.
Brooklyn, I hadn't heard of If I Was Your Girl. Thanks. I think it looks perfect for this challenge. Happy reading!
For this challenge I read "Becoming Nicole". It was a fantastic read! It's a true story and not only did it include the biographical aspect, but also a LOT of information about the legal process as it as developed. Having a transgender family member, I found this book to be extremely informative. would highly recommend it. I haven't seen anyone comment on this book so wanted to bring it to light.
I read Middlesex for this task. It might not completely fit the category, but it's a powerful examination of the journey of gender identity which I felt was valid enough for this category. I highly recommend this Pulitzer prize winner to everyone.
Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity (other topics)The Underground Girls of Kabul: In Search of a Hidden Resistance in Afghanistan (other topics)
Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family (other topics)
Parrotfish (other topics)
If I Was Your Girl (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Tanwi Nandini Islam (other topics)Seanan McGuire (other topics)
Michael R. Underwood (other topics)
Banana Yoshimoto (other topics)
Alex Gino (other topics)
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Hi Megan! If you look up to Comment #81, Book Riot has clarified that books dealing with gender fluidity and gender exploration can also fit this task. Hope that helps!