Uplifting Trans YA, Joyful Queer Women Books… and Your Rage Reads of the Day

This is my favourite book of all time. No caveats. The author describes it as a “lesbo Victorian romp.” It follows Nan, an oyster girl from a small town who immediately falls for male impersonator Kitty when she sees her perform. Nan immediately picks up and follows her, turning the show into a double act. It’s no simple romance, though, and the story goes in some expected and steamy directions.

I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, but Sarah Waters is a master storyteller, so it doesn’t matter. This is a fun and sexy book with a surprise socialism subplot, but it has a place in my heart for its love story/stories. I don’t want to spoil anything, but when I read this as a teenager, I had a very distinct view of what love and passion looked like. This story helped me to let go of that and celebrate the many beautiful, strange, bittersweet, gentle ways to be in love.

I can’t recommend just one of hers, because while Tipping the Velvet is my favourite book of all time, I think Fingersmith is the best book I’ve ever read. It follow Sue, a “fingersmith” (pickpocket) who teams up with Gentleman to con a wealthy young woman, Maude, out of her inheritance. All Sue has to do is pose as her maid, convince her to marry Gentleman, and then he’ll have her committed and Sue will get a cut of the money. There’s just one complication: Sue has fallen in love with Maude.

I don’t want to give you any expectation spoilers going in, so I’ll just say that this is expertly plotted and really surprised me. I recommend watching the adaptation The Handmaiden by Park Chan-wook afterwards, which transposes the story to Korea under Japanese colonial rule. Some people say that it’s voyeuristic or demonstrates the male gaze, but I completely disagree and preferred it over the BBC adaptation. Putting the book and The Handmaiden in conversation is fascinating.

From the author of The Animals of Lockwood Manor (a sapphic historical fiction/gothic novel), this is an atmospheric, haunting story with a lesbian main character that alternates between two summers and two teenage girls — mother and daughter — and explores the “perils and power of being a young woman.” It’s a challenging read that combines beautiful writing and creeping unease. Content warnings for grooming and an adult-minor relationship.

This is a highly anticipated adorable YA graphic novel with a F/F romance that challenges gender norms and examines the difficulties of being an out trans girl in high school. It follows two girls on a high school cheerleader squad — one trans, one cis and an out lesbian — as they mend their friendship…and discover new feelings for reach other. I’ve been hearing buzz about this for so long that I can’t believe it’s only out now! This is a much-needed addition to the fairly small category of uplighting trans YA.

In the follow-up to Mamaskatch, McLeod shows how this childhood led to his life as a young man advocating for Indigenous people in Canada. He’s been a school principal, UN representative, jazz musician, chief treaty negotiator, and now celebrated author. It also follows his journey to embracing both his Cree identity and his queer identity.