one of my favorite books might become one of yours
updated august 2021 🙂
non-fiction
What We Don’t Talk About When We Talk About Fat by Aubrey Gordon
Read this when: You want to learn about the ways you’ve been treating yourself and others unfairly because of the size of their bodies. I also highly recommend listening to the author’s podcast, Maintenance Phase.
Pleasure Activism by adrienne maree brown
Read this when: You’re ready to ask and answer the question “what is enough?” This is a beautiful book of essays about all the kinds of pleasure humans experience.
Eating in the Light of the Moon by Anita Johnston
Read this when: You want to consider the way you eat, not your “diet.” You have questions about the way you were taught to relate to food and to deny your body’s natural inclinations.
My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem
Read this when: You feel prepared to consider the possibility of washing someone’s feet as a step on the path to racial equality and justice.
fiction
Pretend I’m Dead by Jen Beagin
Read this when: You’re ready to enter the brain of a crazy bisexual housekeeper who takes photos in her clients’ clothes while they aren’t around. This is my favorite novel of my 20s so far.
Read this when: You want to fall into the dissociative haze of a nerdy teenager reading about life for the hyper educated.
Read this when: Some simplicity in the chaos is necessary. It brings wisdom with its calm.
Still Life with Woodpecker by Tom Robbins
Read this when: A laugh out loud fairytale for grown ups sounds appealing.
How Yoga Works by Geshe Michael Roche
Read this when: You need an emotional reset to help you refocus on what’s important in life.
Read this when: A grown-up version of Lolita with a more actualized Dolores sounds interesting to you. Not exactly a feminist text, but an excellent representation of how grooming looks.
memoir
The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
Read this when: You’re coping with grief from losing a loved one.
The Argonauts by Maggie Nelson
Read this when: You want to embrace the experience of existing in family as a modern, queer academic.
Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, translation by Franz Xaver Kappus
Read this when: Artistic inspiration strikes and you are ready to write.
This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor by Susan Wicklund
Read this when: You feel curious about the reality of accessing women’s healthcare in rural America.
Read this when: You are processing childhood memories of abuse and neglect and want to share in the mutuality of someone else’s traumatic experience.
YA
Rubyfruit Jungle by Rita Mae Brown
Read this book when: You’re thirsty for a sassy queer bilsdungsroman with the ageless rebelliousness of The Catcher in the Rye.
This Is My America by Kim Johnson
Read this book when: You feel ready to confront social justice issues and remind yourself of the humanity of racism.
No Fixed Address by Susan Nielson
Read this book when: Your heart is open. This is a beautiful story of the bond between a mother and her child despite mental health struggles and poverty. It’s absolutely delightful.
Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera
Read this book when: You want the experience of reading a teen book that’s as queer as you are. I bought this book because it was endorsed by Roxane Gay, and it did not disappoint. It’s also set in Portland!
queer comfort 