Hello and happy (last day of) pride month!
Please note that I did not mean to send two newsletters in one day, but due to the fact that I have absolutely no idea what day it is at any given moment, I did not realize that I was out of June days. Woops! What even is time?
It is the end of the month and though I read a lot of queer stuff all the time, I leaned especially hard into it this month. This was easy to do, considering there were *two* new releases from two absolute faves (Kristen Arnett and Casey McQuiston), plus a few others that I’ve been meaning to read.
Lemme tell you, it was a GREAT book month for me, wow! I absolutely love reading LGBTQ content and I love that some *very* gay books are getting super mainstream popularity lately!
Also, in the spirit of Pride, lemme take this moment to remind y’all that just a person is in a hetero (or hetero-passing) relationship does not mean that they are straight :) hehe!
This is a long one (apologies), so let me just list out the books covered in this newsletter so you can scroll at your leisure to the ones you might most care about, ha:
Detransition, Baby, by Torrey Peters
We are Okay, by Nina LaCour
The Girls I’ve Been, by Tess Sharpe
Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo
With Teeth, by Kristen Arnett
One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston
I HAD A BUSY MONTH! Let’s get into it:
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
I was on the library wait list for this one forEVER. If you follow really any major book publications or have even the most remote interest in the book world, you’ve probably heard (good) things about this one—it’s been reviewed basically everywhere that publishes book reviews, haha. I was stoked to finally get my hands on it the first week of this most appropriate month, and having now read it, I can definitely see why it has been such a buzzy, popular book.
Let me say this: I liked it, but it is definitely a character-driven novel (vs plot-driven, which I tend to prefer in general). I probably should have guessed this would be the case, but alas. The story follows 2 main characters (and 1 minor character?) as they navigate queerness, trans identities, sexuality, relationships, pregnancy, and parenthood.
The characters are: Reese, a trans-woman who wants more than anything to be a mother. She has had a series of bad relationships (often she finds herself the secret mistress of cis-men with cis-wives). She almost found domestic bliss when she was dating Amy, another trans-woman with whom she had begun to build a life. Until a combination of Reese’s self-sabotaging and Amy’s decision to detransition upended their relationship.
This brings me to Amy/Ames—once a trans-woman who “detransitioned” to a man, thinking life would be easier that way. When this results in the end of his relationship with Reese, he’s heartbroken. We first meet Ames years after the breakup, when we discover he’s gotten his new partner, a cis-woman named Katrina, pregnant. The pregnancy triggers a bit of gender dysphoria in Ames, who still does not feel quite like a man, but does not want to live as a woman, either. He isn’t sure if he is ready to adopt the role of “father” because of the maleness of it. The action of the book starts when Ames gets the idea that bringing Reese back into his life as a co-parent (alongside Katrina) might be the thing he needs to be a good parent--and to get Reese back into his life. He pitches this triad-family idea to Katrina and Reese--and that’s where the story really begins.
The book is chaotic, messy, and provocative--lots of reviews that I've seen call this a "polarizing" book, and I super understand why. I personally loved that the author did not shy away from difficult, complicated subject matter, but I can certainly see how it could cause a whole lot of pearl-clutching for some readers. Still, imo I think that the driving force behind the popularity of this one is probably the brutal honesty of it.
I appreciated that the author wrote the characters with such care, honesty, and nuance, and I think my favorite part of the book was that it focused on the idea of a family that is very much outside of the traditional "nuclear" family dynamic. I also love that this book, which is SO queer (and centered on trans characters!) is getting such mainstream popularity.
We are Okay, by Nina LaCour
This one has been on my list for a while, so when I saw the audiobook up for grabs at the library, I was excited to snag it. I got through it pretty quickly, and to be honest, I have mixed feelings.
It is a good book, beautifully written--but it is SO sad. It is a book about grief and heartache and loneliness. When I say that loneliness, I mean a loneliness so profound that I honestly felt suffocated by it while I was reading this one, phew.
Marin is the main character. In short, she lost her mom as a kid and was raised by her grandfather, who passes away (not a spoiler). In her grief, she leaves behind her whole life—including her best friend, Mabel—who was almost a more-than-friend (I don’t think this is a spoiler either as it was pretty obvious to me immediately?). The story follows Marin through her grief and her heartache. It is a story about learning that the people you love are flawed, and sometimes they are not the people you think (or want) them to be. It is a story about queer love, and about how sometimes being queer can itself make you feel lonely. It is a story about loss, healing, and moving on.
I feel like this book was unrelenting in the way it made me feel so bummed out. I just...felt so sad, for every minute up to the very end. Weirdly, it was the (happy-ish) ending that made me cry the most. It’s not a bad book, but I would not recommend reading it unless you really want to be in your feelings, haha.
The Girls I’ve Been, by Tess Sharpe
Technically I finished this at the end of May/not in June, but I’m including it in the Pride Month reads because I *love* bisexual representation. Also, I have heard rumors that this book is being made into a netflix movie (or miniseries?) staring Milly Bobbie Brown as Nora (the main character), which is very exciting.
So, the book: Nora grew up the daughter of a con-artist mother. Her mother would change their identities to con men out of their money--so over the years, Nora has assumed many identities. When Nora’s mom is eventually caught, Nora goes to live with her sister and lives a relatively normal life for a few years. Until she walks into a bank one day with her girlfriend (and her ex-boyfriend) (awkward) in tow, and right after they enter the bank, two guys start to rob it.
In order to survive the ordeal, Nora has to tap into her past—which might have some big implications for her present.
I can’t say much more without spoiling it, but this book was so fun! Definitely action packed and kept me guessing. The story flicks back and forth in time--the “present day” section mostly takes place over the course of a few hours in the bank, while the “past” sections cover much of Nora’s life growing up over the course of years. The main theme of this one is Survival, which can be heavy, but the author does a good job at balancing out some of the darker subject matter with humor and wit. I really, really loved Nora as a character and I am super excited to see this one on screen!
Last Night at the Telegraph Club, by Malinda Lo
The story is about Lily Hu, a 17 year old Chinese-American girl living in San Francisco's Chinatown in the 1950s, at the height of the Red Scare (aka, the government thinks everyone is a communist). Lily loves math/science and dreams of going to space—or at least getting a degree and working in a jet propulsion laboratory, where she’d be building rocket ships—so she makes sure she’s on top of her math/science courses in high school. She ends up falling for Kathleen (aka Kath), the only other female student in her advanced math class. Kath introduces Lily to The Telegraph Club, a night club for lesbians. Over the course of the nights they spend there, Lily ends up meeting a bunch of other queer women who she admires and looks up to for being so comfortable/open about their identities. Obviously the 1950's is a rough time to be gay, with the compounded issues of being a PoC and a woman.
Let me just say it: I didn’t love this one as much as I expected. Basically this is a sapphic love story set in the 1950s from a non-white perspective, which SEEMS like something I would be very into. However, the execution left a lil to be desired—for me!
Obviously intersectional issues are super important, but I kind of felt like the author was trying to do too much (lesbian culture, the political climate, the difficulties for Chinese immigrants at this time, homophobia, racism, etc) in a way hurt the story overall. At times, writing style at times did not rly click for me. I especially did not like that the author kept doing flashback moments, to glimpses of Lily's family in previous years (when her parents first met, for example). I guess the author wanted to give background/context, which is fine, but I just personally didn't really feel like these flashbacks added anything much to the plot and did not really advance Lily’s story/narrative—I was confused by why these flashbacks were included, honestly.
I would have been more interested if the flashbacks gave us insight into Kath! What was her life like? How was she introduced to the Telegraph club? Her friendship with Janet (her lesbian bff)? Kath as a character felt a little flat to me, for sure.
I also generally felt like the book got much more interesting towards the end, with the first 70% or so of the book being a really slow burn where not much happened. I kind of wish that the stuff covered in the epilogue was actually the bulk of the story, because the last bit of the book was so interesting and I feel like I did not get the resolution I hoped for.
I don't want to be overly negative though, because there were definitely things I liked about this book:
+It's clear that the author put a lot of research and care into this book to make it historically and culturally accurate.
+It is unique in that it is told from the perspective of a Chinese-American queer girl in the 1950s. I can't think of any other books with this specific narrator (which could be just my ignorance, I admit!)
+Lily being in STEM was so cool! Women are underrepresented in STEM still today,so obviously even moreso in the 50s. I liked how dedicated Lily was to her career goals.
+Very real representation of homophobia and of a family having a negative reaction to coming-out, as well as intersectional issues of being gay in a family of Asian immigrants.
+V interesting depictions of lesbian culture of the 50s
+The depiction of the 1950s was not super romanticized, which I feel like often happens in stories set during this time. The 50s has cool fashion and pinups and fun music and whatever, and everyone loves a vintage moment, but it was also a time period not without it’s issues (especially if you’re not straight, not white, not a man)—this book definitely was honest about that.
+I enjoy the concept of "found family" and I really liked that Lily was able to find community with other queer women via the Telegraph Club.
+I did like Lily and Kath's relationship, and was rooting for them for sure. The portrayal of their relationship was very cute and I think the author did a good job at capturing what it is like to be a teenager/in love for the first time and just absolutely obsessed with that person.
Overall, for me this book was not outstanding, but I enjoyed some aspects of it well enough. Bearing in mind that I am a white girl, I do realize that this book will probably be really important and resonate a lot more for some folks, so I don’t want to undermine that with my dumb opinions!
With Teeth, by Kristen Arnett
The first review I read about this book called it a “perfect baby shower gift for someone you hate,” and wow, that is accurate.
I have sooo many feelings about this book! This is such an amazing character study and an unflinching portrayal of queer domestic chaos. Definitely character driven (vs plot driven—not much really happens?) and I am obsessed with how totally messy, flawed, and absolutely unlikeable every single character is.
The main character is Sammie, a stay-at-home mom to Samson (her son) and wife to Monika, the bread-winning business woman. The story follows Sammie over the course of Samsons life, from the time he is a toddler to the time he leaves home to go to college. In the course of that time, Sammie gets progressively more depressed and unhappy with her life circumstances—her relationship with Monika falls apart, she struggles to make real connections with other women (lots of failed dating attempts etc), and most of all, she finds herself really struggling with parenting Samson.
On top of not being the daughter that Sammie secretly hoped for, Samson is an objectively difficult kid. He has behavioral issues, he acts out, he is impossible to connect with, he’s defiant, he gets into trouble constantly. Sammie is mostly at a loss for how to manage him, and though it is obvious that she loves her son, it’s equally obvious that she does not like him.
I think the most interesting part of this book was the reader is mostly led through the story from Sammie’s perspective—except for in-between every chapter, there is a brief snippet of a perspective from one of the minor characters, giving us glimpses into how the events as-told-by-Sammie are perhaps not the full truth. It’s was really interesting to step out of Sammie’s world-view and have momentary glimpses into how Sammie’s perception of her own shitty situation may not be accurate at all—or at least not the full picture—and how other people perceive Sammie vs how she perceives herself.
Sammie is fascinating as a character because she is so incredibly flawed. She feels trapped by her circumstances, but you also get the sense that she feels like everything is happening to her—like she’s not an active agent in her own life, despite the fact that we see her making frustrating, dumb, BAD decisions over and over again. We also see her lamenting the way that Samson acts and how she doesn’t like the type of person he’s turning into, and yet she never stops to wonder whether she—his parent—has played an active role in his formative development. A lot of moments reading this were painful for me because I was so reminded of my own mom/childhood—which is a whole separate thing, but phewwww, got me right in my feelings.
This isn’t a fun book—it is sad, it is anxiety provoking (for me anyway), it is frustrating. I have a lot of fears about ever having my own kids because I feel pretty certain I’d fuck ‘em up or be fucked up by them, and wow, this book triggered some emotions. That aside, it is very queer, very messy, and super interesting—would recommend and would love to discuss if anyone reads it!
One Last Stop, by Casey McQuiston
CASEY MCQUISTON DOES IT AGAIN, FOLKS.
I was wholly obsessed with Red, White, and Royal Blue last year. I laughed, I cried, I found out Casey was writing another book and I immediately preordered that shiz.
And y’all, I was not disappointed. Wowee. I’m calling it now, this is easily going to be a top book of the year for me. I loved it So. Hecking. Much.
Basically the plot follows August--a 23 year old newbie to New York City—who meets Jane, a gorgeous, mysterious, punk rock gal on the Q train, and instantly falls for her. August bumps into Jane every time she’s on the train, and decides they must have a similar schedule. They run into each other on the train so often that it quickly becomes the best part of August’s day.
The main problem with August’s subway crush? She’s trapped on the train because she’s displaced in time from the 1970s. That’s right guys, we have a sapphic love story with a time travel twist. INCREDIBLE.
Jane doesn’t remember most of her life story prior to being on the train, nor does she know how or why she got trapped there. Cue August embarking on a detective mission to figure out who Jane used to be and more importantly, how to get her unstuck from her train time-warp. At first, August wants to help get Jane back to her own timeline—but as their feelings for each other intensify, August hopes to be able to help Jane time-travel permanently to 2020.
There is...so much I loved about this book that I cannot fit it into one review. Apart from Jane and August, there are a lot of minor characters that I loved! At the start of the book, August moves into an apartment with a couple of roomies who are strangers at first, but quickly become her found-family. She gets a job at a diner, where she makes fast friends with her co-workers. There are drag queens. There’s a poodle named noodles. I just...aaaah! Even the minor characters are amazing and well-written and I loved all of them.
Like Red, White, and Royal Blue, the whole story is just so heartwarming and fuzzy and horny (in the best way). I wasn’t sure how I’d feel about a time-travelly book because I don’t always enjoy sci-fi elements. However, it was super well done—which for me means, not over-done, if that makes sense? Like, while there is discussion about time travel and how that might be theoretically possible, the physics/science of it is not like...overwhelming or too nerdy.
Mostly the story is about August and Jane being disgustingly in love, and I LOVED it. I really liked how August and Jane are really different from each other (August is cautious, quiet, over-analytical, focused on details, a bit of an introvert...whereas Jane is loud, lively, extroverted, and down for any adventure) but they complimented each other so well. I also feel like the author really captured the joy of being totally caught up and in love for the first time—you get the sense that August and Jane really are made for each other. They are each other’s person, and it is just absolutely such a joy to experience.
I feel like I cannot do justice to how good this book is, but I absolutely loved it and whole-heartedly recommend it. It is my favorite of the books on this list.
Alright y’all! Normally I add some other fun stuff at the end of my newsletters but I feel like this is long enough, so I am gonna leave it here.
I will say this: After all this cute queer love stuff, I am in the mood for a change of pace, so I think July I’m gonna go for a ~spooky~ moment and do a few horror/thriller books. I am obviously most looking forward to Grady Hendrix’s The Final Girl Support Group, which comes out next month (already on preorder OBVI). I have a few other creepy ones that have been on my to-read pile for a while as well, so I am looking forward to chatting about those!
Until next time…
Amy