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The question, for Reese: Were married men just desperately attractive to her?

#firstlinefridays

Interesting and full of drama. Definitely for a mature audience who can handle more than the standard sex scenes. It also touches upon a lot of transgender topics - maybe even too many. At times, I felt like the author was cramming in too much. I found myself agreeing with a lot, but also opposed some view points.

And there‘s parts I don‘t know how to feel about. I‘m looking forward to my book clubs discussion (as long as everyone is respectful)

I missed the book club discussion about this one and I really wish I hadn't because there is a lot to unpack! It is interesting, informative and all heart.

Photo taken from a hill across from the picnic house in Prospect Park.

This was a very intense read. One I didn‘t always look forward to reading but was gripped by once I picked it up. A story of love, friendship and motherhood amidst the trans community; it made me uncomfortable at times, but feeling uncomfortable reading about something that is not your own experience is no bad thing.

I can see why this has divided opinion, but I really enjoyed it! Some really fascinating insights…

This is a fascinating book. The characters are both likeable and at times infuriating. It gets very messy. A really well written exploration of gender, motherhood and life not turning out how you wanted or expected.

Penned by a trans author, the novel is thought provoking and complex. Reese, a trans woman, breaks up with her girlfriend Amy, another trans woman, who is now detransitioning to a cis-male under the new name Ames. Complicating the situation is Ames impregnating his lover Katrina which changes the dynamic of family, love, sex, and relationships for everyone.

I‘m not sure I can find the words to adequately describe how much I love this book and the effect it had on me. Parts of it made me laugh, parts of it made me cry, and parts of it made me question things I have been taught all my life about gender and relationships. I‘m glad I read this. In addition to being absorbed in and entertained by the story, I learned a lot. This novel is going to stay with me. Moving, thought provoking, outstanding!

The protagonist of this book, Reese, is one of those characters that I early on decided I would do anything for. I identified deeply and viscerally with Reese and her desire to be a mother, especially as I have recently become one. Peters' writing is brilliant: brutal honesty, keen insights, sharp jokes, nuanced characters, and thoughtful explorations of its themes of motherhood and trans community. This novel also has a perfect ending, IMHO.

I have done absolutely nothing today except stay in bed and read this entire book. Once I started, I couldn't stop.

Reese, Ames, and Katrina have taught me so much. My heart broke for each of them in different ways as they struggle with what being a woman, and what being a mother, means to them.

I'm thankful to authors like Torrey Peters who are brave enough to write books like this one.

"Heterosexual cis people, while willfully ignoring it, have staked their whole sexuality on a bet that each other's genders are real. If only cis heterosexuals would realize that, like trans women, the activity in which they are indulging is a big self-pleasuring lie" ???
#QueerBooks #LGBTQBooks #TransBooks

#ReadHarder challenge 3: any book from the Women‘s Prize shortlist/longlist/winner list

I love starting a new book that I'm really excited about
#QueerBooks #LGBTQBooks #TransBooks

#top21of2021

My girls know me so well, I‘m blessed with the best 🥰 #grammaslibrary #cozychristmas

This is the epitome of a so-so read for me. There were times I loved it and times I hated it. It is messy and chaotic and sometimes confusing. I‘m glad that I read it and that it forced to me reckon with discomfort in a lot of ways but I‘m glad it is over.

Sometimes an online author conversation has an intimate magic that isn‘t conceivable as a live onstage event. That‘s what the Calgary Wordfest event with Torrey Peters and Casey Plett was like: two trans women talking about craft, nurturing trans creativity, and about why they write work intended primarily for trans readers.

This book is a beautiful conversation on queerness, transsexuality, fluidity, womanhood and motherhood. While I didn‘t love all portrayals in this book, I think it was an important narrative that trans people don‘t owe the world anything, they can be flawed, they can make bad choices, and they can choose to live as their authentic selves or not like everyone else. Not a plot driven book but very much worth a read. Pls look up trigger warnings.

Good! Was really interesting and a deep look into an area of fiction that hasn‘t gotten wide stream attention. I liked that the ending was open to interpretation. I also really appreciated the frank discussions on motherhood and pregnancy

Just in case anyone wants to hop on the VSC zoom call. October 14.

Detransition, Baby blew me away. It‘s an authentically, genuinely voice novel that explores notions of gender, our relationships with motherhood, and the way these intensely personal parts of identity are so enmeshed in our social interactions and relationships. I really appreciated how this novel helped me to better understand how identities different than my own battle with the experience of motherhood, without presenting this in a didactic way.

“The past is past to everyone but ghosts”

Lots of books here I‘ve been meaning to read for a while. I started with Detransition, Baby. Very excited to have this paired down list to choose from this fall. Although, I did just start the Broken Earth trilogy— oops 😅 #fallreading #readinglist

Just not my cuppa. Not enough plot and all over the place. I rarely DNF a book even when I should, but I have too many other great books I‘m reading right now to spend more time on this one.

Mixed feelings... There are several facets of queer and trans identities that are explored in this book and it gave me PLENTY to chew on. The book is unapologetically queer in every way. But the writing, the structure, the lack of plot, the shifts in tone - it was just all over the place. It felt like the book was mostly an opportunity for Peters to espouse any ideas or opinions that interested her. Worth reading but didn‘t quite work for me.

So good!

My favorite book of the year so far. What a gloriously queer and millennial piece of writing. I remember listening to an interview with comedian Cameron Esposito and she said that there are some things that can only be written by people of a certain experience because “they‘re specific”, and the SPECIFICITY of this book to me was breathtaking. Adored it.

This is a tough book to review & sum up, but I'm very glad I read it. From the initial pages I felt it reach into my mind & shake things up in there in terms of my perspectives on gender presentation, feminism, & sexuality. My main issue is that the writing was sometimes awkward & overdetermined, & in the second half Katrina & Ames seemed like vessels for Peters' ideas instead of fully-fleshed characters. But I understand why, on one level.

Reese wants to be a mother more than anything, but knows that as a trans woman she will never have her own children. One day her ex, Amy, calls. The ex is now calling himself Ames and he tells Reese that he and his girlfriend are expecting a child. Ames suggests that Reese raise the kid with them.

A book about motherhood and wanting your own kids. The book also tells about being trans and the trans community and gave me plenty to think about.

We‘ve said a lot about Detransition, Baby last week that goes for the book as a whole. If you have thoughts about the second half, please share them!

It‘s time to vote for our June winner in our own #CampToB. The official June winner will be announced next week. Please vote in the comments!

Next week we‘ll discuss the first half of Klara and the Sun, a book I‘ve personally been looking forward to!

That sounds like some hug

How little did I know about trans feminine culture? I learned so much reading this book about gender and the vulnerability of trans women. The eye opening makes this book a pick for me, but the plot didn‘t add much to be honest. #CampToB

So, I loved this book. It is funny, brave, acerbic in all the best ways, and made me (it felt, anyway) a smarter person by the end of it. For the assured voice and deft and insightful characterization it reminded me of THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD by Claire Lombardo, and you won‘t get much higher praise for me. One of the best novels I‘ve read this year.

#curiouscovers #pink
One of my favorite books so far this year.

@eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

#CampToB

Detransition, Baby is the story of Reese, a trans woman who wants a child; Ames, Reese‘s former partner who detransitioned; and Katrina, a cis woman who knows nothing at first about Ames‘s history.

The book shares a lot of intimate details about what life is like for its trans community and we all probably can connect to one of them in one way or another. What did you think so far of the book (the first half)?

Late to the party here, but yes, this novel is as great as everyone says, especially about gender and womanhood and family and parenthood.

I wasn't sure I was going to like this book, but I binge-listened to the entire 13-hr audiobook in 2 days! It includes a lot of detailed conversation regarding sex and sexually,so I'd warn that the audio is pretty NSFW.But the interpersonal dynamics between the characters were amazingly well done.And it covers a topic I had never thought about:one of the main characters was a trans woman, but found it too hard to live that way, and detransitioned.

I thought this was a really good story and it makes for a good #audiobook. Ultimately, I felt sort of unfulfilled by it. I might be in a bit of a mood lately.

#BookSpinBingo square 4
@TheAromaofBooks

#UnPopularOpinion
Similar to Luster, where everyone adored the author‘s fresh perspective and tone, I was put off by the slickness and MFA haughtiness. Here too, for lack of a better word, I found the writing crude and provocative. I applaud Torrey Peters for penning her truth but for me this story fell short. #CampToB21 @BarbaraBB

My library hold arrived today 🙌🏻I‘ve seen loads of praise for this book but two of my very favorite trusted readers were iffy about Detransition, Baby so I‘m curious to see where I‘ll land. #CampToB21 @BarbaraBB I should also say a few of my fabulous friends & equally trusted for their reading expertise loved this book❣️❣️ I‘ve read about 40 pages so far and im not in the loving camp just yet.

Books like these are making me realize I might need to revise my "not a fan of contemporary fiction" stance to "not a fan of contemporary cishet fiction" because I couldn't put this down. I keep seeing reviews from folks saying they learned a lot but didn't find the funny or compelling and I wonder if they have never spent time in queer spaces before. The ending left me desperate for more. I need a sequel.

Not what I expected but fantastic so far.

I learned a lot by reading this book. The sex is blunt and at times made me uncomfortable.

Current read

#dogsoflitsy

A ground breaking novel about transgender life experience that pushes the boundaries of who is included in motherhood. Not perfect technically, but a worthwhile book for expanding your point of view.

I had to really push myself to get through this one. It was informative, for sure, and that made it worth reading. But I was never fully invested in the outcome of the pregnancy and the angst involved with the decision of how to organize a family.

#CampToB

I didn‘t love it. The writing is good and I learned a lot, which is always a good thing.
I read reviews that called it a social comedy, I didn‘t laugh once so I‘m guessing it‘s me.

Our latest episode of Books On The Go is up: take a listen to me and Annie raving about this book. 🌈🎧

I was hesitant to read this book, until I realized it is an #OwnVoices story by a trans author, and the detransition in question happens out of fear & difficulty living in a transphobic society, rather than feeling it was a mistake.

A story of three women navigating queer parenthood. It‘s messy and complex, just like real life. Cis folks are not centered, the reader is dropped into the character‘s trans community with no footnotes ⬇️⬇️