A random collection of over 1910 books and audiobooks authored by or about my transgender, intersex sisters, and gender-nonconforming persons all over the world. I read some of them, and I was inspired by some of them. I met some of the authors and heroines, some of them are my best friends, and I had the pleasure and honor of interviewing some of them. If you know of any transgender biography that I have not covered yet, please let me know.
Original title: "Efecto mariposa" (Butterfly Effect) by Jedet.
"The personal diary of one of Spain's most provocative artists.
You have in your hands my diary, which I have been writing on the blog, notes from my mobile, and composed of reflections, confessions,
real and imaginary conversations that I wanted to keep,
phrases, poems and lyrics of songs that have never seen the light ...
Among these pages you will find me naked.
I want you to know some of my scars and my delusions,
I want to confess to you things that I have not shared with anyone before, and that
after reading me you love me, understand me and want to hug me, or
you hate me, judge me, and wish to spit on me. Whatever you want, whatever is born to you."
"Jedet (Polícar, 1992) is a multidisciplinary artist who sings, acts, writes and struggles every day to become the woman she always dreamed of."
Full title: "Rock ‘N’ Roll Resurrection!!! Queenage Baby & Beyond: The Authorised Biography of Jayne County" by John Wombat.
"This book presents the life and career of rock ‘n’ roll and punk music’s first-ever trans artist, the pioneering Jayne County. Growing up in a small and rigidly conservative town in Georgia, Wayne Rogers found herself welcomed into the drag scene of Atlanta before heading for New York after the trauma of being shot at by a local redneck. The underground creative scene of New York accepted Wayne, and she soon appeared onstage as part of Jackie Curtis’ play ‘Femme Fatale: The Three Faces Of Gloria’ as Wayne County. Impressing Andy Warhol with her own play ‘World - Birth Of A Nation: The Castration Of Man’, the next stop for Wayne was a part in Warhol’s stage play ‘Pork’, which enjoyed a successful run of performances in London."
2020,
English,
Jayne County,
John Wombat,
USA,
Full title: "The Spectrum of Sex" by Hida Viloria and Maria Nieto.
"This transformative guide completely breaks down our current understanding of biological sex and gender diversity.
Introducing readers to seven variations of human sex, commonly considered intersex, the book challenges the myth that sex and gender are exclusively binary and explores the inherent diversity of biological sex and its relationship to gender identity and expression, and the impact this has on society."
"Examining historical, linguistic and socio-cultural understandings of sex and gender, as well as genetic and scientific definitions, the book is an important resource for dismantling gender and sexuality-based discrimination and promoting understanding and inclusivity.
Co-written by one of the world's leading intersex activists and a highly respected scholar in biological sciences, and accompanied with detailed anatomical illustrations throughout, this pioneering text is the essential introduction to gender and sex diversity for gender studies, women's studies, biology and genetics courses, as well as professionals working with intersex and trans communities."
2020,
English,
Hida Viloria,
Maria Nieto,
USA,
Full title: "Trans-Formations: From Field Boots to Sensible Heels" by Erika Shepard.
"On a blazing summer day in Missouri, 1956, eight-year-old Richard discovers a sparkling rock on the railroad tracks near his home - and is fascinated. In that same year, he makes another unexpected discovery - an aching, forbidden desire to be a girl. A lifetime of secrecy follows until, at the edge of a cliff in remote southern Idaho, he faces a decision - to die as a man or live as a woman.
Transformations is more than a memoir of transgenderism. It reflects important crossroads we all encounter in our lives - times of self-doubt and failure, other moments of great success and joy. It is a journey all of us share, one leading to that profound question we, at some point in our lives, must ask ourselves: Who am I?"
2020,
English,
Erika Shepard,
USA,
Full title: "An American Girl" by Debbie Browne.
"A transgender family story. Alice Jenkins is 9 years old and she has written a book. This book. She wanted to tell her story to all her classmates about her dad. About her unconditional love and support. You see Alice discovered something different about her dad. He wants to be a girl. Her mum didn’t like that idea, or her brothers."
"Things start to go wrong in the family and Alice struggles to cope. She confides in Chelsea her doll when she is upset. The relationship with her dad becomes closer as she learns about life and why her dad is the way he is. She loves him even more but she fears for the future of her family. How will they ever be happy again?"
2020,
Debbie Browne,
English,
USA,
"Eau douce" is the French language edition of "Freshwater" by Akwaeke Emezi.
I liked Gina Maya's review a lot, so let me quote her: "Transgender narrative this may be, but it's far removed from Western, U.S.-based definitions in spite of its primary location in the U.S. The story follows the young life of Ada, a Nigerian child who travels to America to study, but her whole life involves psychical interaction with the indigenous spirits who vie for control of her. Is Ada Ogbanje too?
By the end, she appears to embrace this self-conception as an offspring of the Universal Creator Ala, visualized as cosmic python – the source of the spring from which all freshwater comes from its mouth. Yet Ada for almost the novel's entirety is also the human, engaged in an uneasy relationship with otherworldly spirits who inhabit her mind, visualized in turn as a room of marble, perhaps not unlike the Kaaba of Mecca. The most powerful, possessive, and controlling of the spirits is Asughara, occasionally presented as Ada's pernicious alpha. At times, Asughara blocks out Ada from consciousness, either to protect or punish Ada."
2020,
Akwaeke Emezi,
French,
Nigeria,
Original title: "Whipping girl: El sexismo y la demonización de la feminidad desde el punto de vista de una mujer trans" (Whipping Girl: Sexism and the demonization of femininity from the point of view of a trans woman) is the Spanish language edition of "Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity" by Julia Serano.
For centuries, feminism has been built as a movement to do justice to women, and until recently, from the female perspective. But it is an unfinished movement, which usually excludes, from some of its aspects, working, black and trans women. This book, from one of the most prominent and recognized voices of trans activism, Julia Serano, within American feminism, contributes to alleviating this absence.
2020,
Julia Serano,
Spanish,
Original title: "Mallikavasantham" by Vijayaraja Mallika.
Vijayaraja Mallika's Mallikavasantham is an extraordinary reading experience when a transgender life takes shape as an autobiography. She was Manu J till the age of thirty.
This book is a revelation of a human condition that lives as Krishna and later as Vijayaraja Malika. Vijayaraja Malika writes without any concealment. Transgender life is a conflict between the emotional experiences of a woman and a man. This is also the story of girls who have survived these hard experiences and second views of society. Vijayaraja Malika is a social activist and poet.
2020,
India,
Malayalam,
Vijayaraja Mallika,
Full title: "The Things We Remember, The Things We Forget: A Chunk of Transition" by S. Colette Zarwell.
"The Things We Remember, The Things We Forget is a window into the mind of a trans woman as she undergoes her first year of transition. S. Colette shares a candid view of the world from her perspective as everything inevitably shifts around her. Though so much is lost, what is gained is priceless and essential.
This is stream of consciousness journal, a transition timeline, an encapsulation of what it meant to transition in America in 2019. Reader beware, not every moment is sunshine in a bottle. There are stormy seas and vicious marauders, advice, prose, poetry and art, a tyrant made of gold looming over a people struggling desperately to hold onto hope. If you want to see the best and the worst of it, what it all can entail, a bit can be found here."
2020,
English,
S. Colette Zarwell,
Full title: "My Name is Philippa" by Philippa Ryder.
"My Name is Philippa: A Transgender Memoir of Love, Understanding and Transformation. Experience a heart-changing journey with Philippa Ryder as she transitions from male to female with the support of her family.
This powerful and moving story explores the physical and emotional process of transitioning and provides answers to common questions about being transgender - a must-read for anyone seeking to understand and support the global movement towards gender freedom and empowerment."
"A prominent LGBTQ+ activist, a passionate, inclusive feminist and human rights speaker. Philippa is COO of Under the Rainbow, a workplace wellness, diversity and inclusion company that provides information and support for people to build the confidence to be themselves by educating, informing and encouraging companies and state bodies to embrace Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging."
2020,
English,
Interview,
Ireland,
Philippa Ryder,
Full title: "Farm Boy, City Girl: From Gene to Miss Gina" by John "Gene" E. Dawson.
"Farm Boy, City Girl: From Gene to Miss Gina details John "Gene" E. Dawson's life growing up in Depression-era Iowa in a poor farming Irish-Catholic family and his adult years spent living on the LGBTQ cultural edge in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and St. Louis. The book offers a rare glimpse into the Mid-20th Century history of both rural Iowa and of LGBTQ individuals in Middle America--told by one who was there."
"Part One, Farm Boy 1931-1949: Gene recounts his years growing up in the Great Depression, moving with his family from rental farm to rental farm until his parents could afford to purchase their own land and home. Life was difficult and often brutal for anyone during this time, but especially so for a gender-fluid gay child/teenager."
2020,
English,
John "Gene" E. Dawson,
USA,
Full title: "Outrageous Misfits: Female Impersonator Craig Russell and His Wife, Lori Russell Eadie" by Brian Bradley.
"Craig Russell was an internationally admired entertainer and actor, known for his outrageous impersonations of some of Hollywood's greatest female celebrities: Mae West, Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Carol Channing, and Judy Garland, to name a few. Lori Russell Eadie, a shy theatre lover, was Craig's No. 1 fan and, eventually, his wife.
Together they were fun, fabulous, and eschewed convention. But behind the curtains, Craig and Lori's lives were troubled by their mental health, drug addiction, sexual assault, and abuse.
Through nearly one hundred interviews and extensive research, Outrageous Misfits reveals the life and legacy of one of the world's most popular female impersonators and his biggest fan."
2020,
Brian Bradley,
Craig Russell,
English,
Full title: "Stranger in the Mirror: The Search For Me" by Erin LeBlanc.
"This memoir provides amplified inspiration of resilience for anyone moving through adversity. Erin LeBlanc describes the highs and lows of her journey of self-discovery, putting the pieces of the puzzle that is her life together to form her authentic self. She shares knowledge, tools, and practices as an emotional survival guide based on her experience for those living with Gender Dysphoria, their family and friends, supporters and allies, and the transgender and LGBTQ+ community. As a human advocate, Erin shows the world how to take the stigma out of transitioning while showing up committing to living life as her authentic self."
2020,
Canada,
English,
Erin LeBlanc,
Original title: "Transformatie in een relatie" (Transformation in a relationship) by Marlies de Koster and Marian de Koster.
This autobiography shows how the two completely different worlds of Paul and Marlies come together in one person. After years of secrecy, Marlies is no longer able to suppress her feelings. She decides to tell her wife and children that she feels like a woman. They go into transition together.
In addition, Marian, Marlies' wife, gives a glimpse into her life in the period before and after the revelation. The transition puts the family on a rollercoaster of emotions. They face difficult, life-defining choices.
2020,
Dutch,
Marian de Koster,
Marlies de Koster,
Original title: "Emma" by Emma Ellingsen and Kaja Storrøsten.
Emma Ellingsen was born as Tobias, but always knew she was a girl. She grew up in an ordinary family in Tønsberg with a twin brother and two older siblings. While his twin brother was into football, Tobias would rather dance and dress in girls' clothes. It'll pass, Mom and Dad thought.
By the time the two brothers started 5th grade, they had become brother and sister. At the age of 19, Emma tells her very special story about what it's like to be born in the wrong body.
2020,
Emma Ellingsen,
Kaja Storrøsten,
Norwegian,
"Loše djevojke" (Bad Girls) is the Croatian language edition of "Las malas" (The Bad Girls) published in Argentina in 2019 by Camila Sosa Villada.
From the Argentine author Camila Sosa Villada, a book of love and affection: when we finish the last page, we want the whole world to read it too! When she arrived in the city of Córdoba to study at the university, Argentine author Camila Sosa Villada decided to go to Parque Sarmiento during the night. She was scared to death, thinking that the brutal verdict she had heard from her father could come to fruition at any moment: "One day they will knock on this door to warn me that they found you dead, thrown into a ditch." For him, this was the only possible destination for a boy who dressed as a woman.
2020,
Argentina,
Camila Sosa Villada,
Croatian,
Full title: "The Art of Drag" by Jake Hall.
Before RuPaul's Drag Race propelled the cultural phenomenon into the global spotlight, drag had been around for thousands of years. Immerse yourself in the rich history of drag in this lusciously illustrated guide, brimming with dazzling colors and fabulous facts, all held together with a unique Swiss binding that lets each spread lay flat so that you can experience this book in all its trailblazing glory!
The history of drag has been formed by many intersections: fashion, theatre, sexuality and politics--all coming together to create the show stopping entertainment millions witness today. In this extensive work, Jake Hall delves deep into the ancient beginnings of drag, to present day and beyond. Vibrant illustrations enhance the rich history from Kabuki theatre to Shakespearean, the revolutionary Stonewall riots to the still thriving New York ballroom scene. Nothing will go undocumented in this must-have documentation of all things drag.
2020,
Drag queen,
English,
Jake Hall,
Full title: "Secret Tear: Beginning Stage of Life" by Basilia Loren.
My promise to "Jesus" and understanding my message. I realize the Lord has allowed me to experience, endure and witness a great deal by protecting me all these years. My message is to enlighten society by using my past as an example of belief, faith, and wisdom.
The greatness of good is a gift from God. Evil is a powerful force of nature.
Society will use the phrase, "It's human nature" as an excuse for any wrongdoings towards anyone who has an identity crisis. But, is it human nature or just an evil act of malice behavior depending on the person?
My opinion is goodness in people's hearts is being de-sanitized by the strength of evil only if allowed. Be "real" to yourself by being yourself. Having faith will carry you through the challenges of life.
Remember, "An anger mind is the devil's workshop". I always say, "Great people who represent good may pay the ultimate price on earth. But, the Lord's reward is life everlasting spirit in heaven". - Silia Loren-
2020,
Basilia Loren,
English,
USA,
Original title: "Trilogie des Transgenres et Travestis célèbres" (Trilogy of Famous Transgender and Transvestites) by Katia Coen.
Today, we are no longer taught, transsexuality has existed since the dawn of time. What if we talked about sex change and psychological effects on transsexual people in a few lines. Because the subject is so vast that it would represent pages and pages of exciting information etc.
Gender change hides and reinforces psychological problems from top to bottom. And this is why it amounts to saying that the origins of the transgender movement, could strongly influence a certain number of transsexuals to have most often resorted to a final sex change surgery often very heavy.
2020,
French,
Katia Coen,
Full title: "Sex Work Is Work, O Poveste Transgen" by Antonella Lerca Duda.
"Having spent 11 years in Italy, I could see that trans women are not represented in Romania, so I decided to come back to my home country and fight for the rights of my trans sisters and brothers. Since then I have been trying to be visible and vocal everywhere in Romania, supporting the transgender Roma community and sex workers."
"Activism is only one chapter of my life. In the book, I reveal everything by presenting my relationship with my family, schoolmates, loved ones, and co-workers in Italy. It is a story about being a migrant worker, about building solidarity in a world of economic inequality, transphobia, and racism. It is the story of my gender transition, which coincides with the transition of Romania to capitalism and phobias related to class, race, and gender."
2020,
Antonella Lerca Duda,
Romanian,
