Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge discussion

This thread is for dropping ideas, questions, resources, comments, and discussion about Task 12: Read a Book By or About a Person Who Identifies as Transgender.

A few resources to get you started:

http://bookriot.com/2015/02/01/trans-...

http://bookriot.com/2015/01/07/3-ya-t...

http://bookriot.com/2014/07/17/lgbtq-...

I am continuing my quest to read books by Nicola Griffith. I am slotting Slow River here.

My pick for this one will be Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More. I have completed this task. I enjoyed this book.

3/24 tasks completed.

I'm reading Becoming Nicole: the Transformation of an American Family by Amy Ellis Nutt for this task.

I am going to read . done

George

I am going to read something by Natasha Troop.

I will read Smile as They Bow, which can also be applied to Southeast Asian author task.

Very much drawn to Virginia Woolf's Orlando for this task

LGBTQ+ Book Recommendations by Jen Campbell is also a really good place to find some suggestions for this task :)

I'm thinking about reading All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders for this challenge task. She's the editor of a blog I really like that has great book recommendations, and her new book sounds like a really interesting mix of scifi and fantasy.

I thought Stone Butch Blues looked interesting. I may give that a read.

I had She's Not There recommended to me, and it seems like it will be a worthwhile read, so that's what I've got written down.

Dom wrote: "George"

I am also going to go with George as it was recommended in a few of the other threads.

Would the underground girls of Kabul by Jenny nordberg count for this task? I'm not sure how many of them are doing it for freedom or because they're transgender. If anyone knows that would be a great help as I really want to read it anyway

YA novel, If I Was Your Girl by Meredith Russo...

Im reading Some Assembly Required: The Not-So-Secret Life of a Transgender Teen

I plan to finish Revolutionary by Alex Myers.

Rainey wrote: "My pick for this one will be Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More"

Mine too. I'm reading it for a book club selection, so it's perfect.

Would Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides qualify for this category? Please forgive my ignorance- thank you!

My pick is Luna

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.

I hadn't realized until yesterday that The Drowning Girl would qualify in this category, and I've been wanting to read it for quite a while now. I'm torn between continuing with my plan to read She's Not There (a book outside of my "usual") and switching to The Drowning Girl (more firmly within my literary wheelhouse). The spirit of the challenge would suggest I go for She's Not There, but it's so tempting to use the challenge as an excuse to read something I already wanted to.

Shortlist:

Becoming Nicole: The Transformation of an American Family
George
Being Emily
Stone Butch Blues

Sean wrote: "I hadn't realized until yesterday that The Drowning Girl would qualify in this category, and I've been wanting to read it for quite a while now. I'm torn between continuing with my ..."

The Drowning Girl sounds like it would also qualify for the "mental illness" category, so maybe you can have your codex and read it. :)

Betsy wrote: "Would Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides qualify for this category? Please forgive my ignorance- thank you!"

That is about an intersex person, not a trans person (it's an excellent book!)

I've selected Hedwig and the Angry Inch by John Cameron Mitchell. I'm also interested in reading I Am My Own Wife: The True Story of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, but I'm not aware of whether the author identified as transgender.

I found this one: Kill Me Loudly: A Memoir of Gender Dysphoria, Music, and Addiction

Laura Jane Grace is the singer for the punk band Against Me.

Don't know if it only applies in the UK but Verso have got 90% off all ebooks at the moment, including Trans: a Memoir
http://www.versobooks.com/books/1975-...

Considering Parrotfish by Ellen Wittlinger for this

Leaning towards Orlando.

I'm going with George

Reading Middlesex for this one

Cheryl wrote: "I am going to read ."

This is one I am thinking about reading as well. Either that or .

Dom wrote: "Sean wrote: "I hadn't realized until yesterday that The Drowning Girl would qualify in this category, and I've been wanting to read it for quite a while now. I'm torn between contin..."

How does it fit into the category? Book sounds interesting --

After listening to the latest Book Riot podcast, I am considering, The Argonauts.

Redefining Realness: My Path to Womanhood, Identity, Love & So Much More - by Janet Mock
Nevada - by Imogen Binnie
She's Not There: A Life in Two Genders - by Jennifer Finney Boylan
Transgender Warriors: Making History from Joan of Arc to Dennis Rodman- by Leslie Feinberg

I think I'm going to read The Danish Girl and check off this box as well as the book/movie category! Has anyone else read it?

I'll be reading George. Parrotfish was excellent for those considering it.

is this category strictly adhering to the notion of transition within the binary or are people who do not identify with gender, such as S. Bear Bergman, included?

Beautiful Music for Ugly Children for me.

I pick Man Alive by Thomas Page McBee. I read about the rave.

Think I will pick something from either Poppy Z. Brite or Rachel Pollack for this one.

Andrea wrote: "I think I'm going to read The Danish Girl and check off this box as well as the book/movie category! Has anyone else read it?"

I'm planning to read that one, as my list on Goodreads shows I own it , and I even remember buying it, but so far I haven't been able to track it down in my shelves and stacks of unread books!

Jaleenajo wrote: "I'm thinking about reading All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders for this challenge task. She's the editor of a blog I really like that has great book rec..."

Thanks for that suggestion. I think that is the one I am going to go with. Sounds really interesting.

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, his shadow-self, a girl he thinks of as "Annabel," is never entirely extinguished" (from the book description).

Possibilities: Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out, Rethinking Normal: A Memoir in Transition

I'm looking at one of these three
Nevada - 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 absolute top of my list... ;)

I've been interested in Beautiful Music for Ugly Children, mentioned in one of the BR posts linked above, for quite a while! Has anyone read this one?

I'm really looking forward to this category. I've chosen George