Author: Patricia Elzie

Sol (short for Solomon) Katz is a Jewish trans man who is also an archivist and also a vampire. Most people don’t know he’s a vampire. Well, human resources at the archives where he works knows but his co-worker, Florence, doesn’t. Florence is really transphobic and every interaction she has with Sol makes me clench my jaw and shout expletives. They work at the Historical Society of Northern California.

The archives are, of course, in a basement devoid of windows so Sol is totally safe from the sun down there. He has been living in/sleeping in his office, which is totally against the rules. He is too terrified of trying and maybe failing to sun-proof an apartment so he just lives and works in the archives and sometimes goes out around town at night. He goes out at least once a week or so to get his blood transfusion. He doesn’t actually attack people. Vampires are a known entity in the world of this book and there are night clinics where they get blood that can’t be given to the living, such as blood that has viral infections.

Our other main character is Elsie. She has decided to donate her deceased wife’s papers, ephemera, etc. to the Historical Society and Sol has accepted. The deceased, Tracy, was the creator of Feet of Clay, a ’90s cult classic show that was kind of a knock-off of the X-Files. Sol was absolutely obsessed with Feet of Clay back in the ’90s and was super into the fandom.

Elsie, it seems, is super into Sol and flirting blooms into a tentative romance. More than once in the book, Sol comes out as transgender. And then as a vampire. And sometimes both at once. The book is not only told through Sol’s point of view, but from bits and pieces of Tracy’s papers that were donated, old emails, fan fiction, and scripts. It’s an intricate story about the histories of the main characters involving meditations on identity, grief, love, and empathy and it is absolutely lovely.

Our protagonist is Celeste (aka Cel). Cel has some mental health issues that are unmanaged. She has been prescribed medication that she refuses to take and she gets very sharp when her boyfriend offers any sort of help. Due to a mental health incident, maybe a panic attack, maybe a series of incidents or panic attacks, she has lost the only job she has ever had. She worked at a library and absolutely loved it. She doesn’t have a degree and library jobs are hard to get even with a degree so she worries she won’t find anything else.

Eventually she does find something that looks promising: a position as an archival assistant at the incredibly creepy Logan Museum and Library. It’s one of those places that is full of skulls, maybe some “medical oddities,” and it definitely feels like it is haunted. The museum was founded in 1934 but before that the building had been a variety of things such as a hospital, an orphanage, and a sanitorium, specifically a psychiatric hospital. The thing about such museums and exhibits is that many folks don’t often think too deeply about where the skulls and other bones and specimens come from.

Cel takes the job anyway. The job requires that she actually live on the premises in a little apartment that has no internet or cellular signal. She has to live there because she does her work of scanning and digitizing images from the archives after the museum closes and before it opens. Cel is also occasionally experiencing blackouts, which add to the creep factor when they happen at her new job because strange things are also happening. Cel doesn’t know if these strange things are actually happening or if it is because of the state of her mental health.

Wendy Darling lives in a small coastal town in Oregon at the edge of the woods. She is terrified of the woods and with good reason. At the start of the book it is her 18th birthday and around five years since she was found alone in the woods. Six months prior to that she and her two younger brothers had gone missing and only she turned back up. She remembers nothing, except that the woods terrify her.

On her 18th birthday another child went missing. Any time a child goes missing in the town, the cops want to interrogate Wendy, who clearly already has a lot of trauma. This recent abduction makes two kids currently missing (aside from her brothers lost years ago).

Wendy’s best friend Jordan is a constant support in her life and the only one that Wendy can share things with. Lately, Wendy has been unintentionally drawing things. For example, if she has a pen in her hand to make a list or sign a receipt or take notes she suddenly spaces out and when she gets her attention back, she sees that she has drawn a tree. A big, gnarly tree that she doesn’t recognize. Or that she has drawn a boy. The same boy, each time. An imaginary boy who ends up being Peter Pan.

Peter shows up, which is already a problem because he’s not supposed to be real and asks Wendy to once again help him find and reattach his shadow. The shadow has grown beyond only mischievous and is straight up evil. Peter believes the shadow has to do with the missing children.

This book is incredibly creepy and really, really good. Content warnings for child abduction and violence against children including gun violence.

I have tried multiple times to connect with Brené Brown’s work. I’ve watched her TEDTalk, I’ve read The Gifts of Imperfection, I’ve read Dare to Lead. But as a queer Black woman, I do not have the luxury to show my vulnerability. I rarely have the privilege of safe workplaces or a safe society that allows me to be anything less than perfect, strong, and inspirational.

Tarana Burke reached out to Brené Brown to collaborate on this book to try to bridge that gap and I found it to be so much more accessible. In the introduction, Burke talks about how she would have to try to contort herself and do some wild acrobatics to try to fit into the sphere of experience covered by Brené Brown’s work. This book is an anthology of deeply personal essays by Black writers who stepped forward and laid bare their experiences with vulnerability and shame, something we are taught to never, ever do.

There are some really phenomenal voices included in this anthology: Jason Reynolds, Austin Channing Brown, Marc Lamont Hill, Luvvie Ajayi Jones, Sonya Renee Taylor, Laverne Cox, Imani Perry, and so many more. The content warnings are extensive. There are a lot of hard things talked about, from abuse and domestic violence, transphobia, drug use, houselessness, racism, and the list goes on. This is far from a light read. That being said, these are not stories of “I was vulnerable and it was the end of the world” or “my shame consumed me until I had nothing left.” These are stories about how people, Black people, found strength in their shame and how they found their truth in their vulnerability. In order to get to these places of hope and these stories of triumph we first dive deep into how the trauma inflicted on Black people in this country is ongoing. We don’t have post-traumatic stress disorder. The trauma is present and unending. The trauma is yesterday, today, and tomorrow. It is passed down intergenerationally and so is shame.

This book was so incredibly good. I’m really grateful that is out in the world so that you all can read it.

I am a big fan of this informational graphic novel series. These are small guides that can fit in a large pocket. This particular one is under 80 pages. The intention is to give an overview, dispel some myths and stereotypes, offer some advice, and have a few references at the end for further education.

This is a helpful book for people who are asexual (AKA ace), folks questioning whether they might be ace, and anyone who wants to understand a bit about asexuality. It is written and illustrated by folks who are ace themselves. While these things are not depicted in graphic detail, there are mentions of sexual violence, acephobia, depression, rejection and invalidation, and medical discrimination.

Since this is a quick and easy guide it is by no means comprehensive. Asexuality isn’t widely understood by most people in our society and this book wants to offer a positive exploration. The authors go over basic questions such as, “What is asexuality?” As with many things, asexuality is a spectrum and this book gives a bit of an overview of that, though being ace is different for everyone. I love how this book doesn’t make assumptions about what people may or may not already know.

There’s a fun cake metaphor that is used when describing different expressions of asexuality and I was happy to see it illustrated and included in this book. If you’re not familiar with the cake metaphor, then you are in for a treat (pun intended).

Along with general information, Muldoon and Hernandez also offer some personal shares about how asexuality is for them and their experiences. Learning about something academically is great but it is so helpful to ground what we learn in actual people’s lived experiences. There are sections on dating, growing up ace, and much more. The amount of information they have packed into this book is impressive. Most importantly, this book seeks to normalize asexuality and let folks know that they’re not alone.

I’m going to lead with the content warnings and there are many: sexual assault, homophobia including violent attacks, ableism, sexual molestation, more homophobia, racism, misogyny, assault, injury, isolation, suicidal ideation, fatphobia, and surely there may be some I am missing.

If you are reading this and say, “But Hannah Gadsby is a comedian, this should be funny!” it’s understandable. If you are reading this and have seen Hannah Gadsby’s special titled Nanette, then you are probably nodding your head solemnly.

This book is very much like her show Nanette. While it is a memoir and the tale of how she became who she is and how Nanette came to be, the book in itself has a very similar feel. That is to say, while reading this book I could be doubled-over, absolutely choking with laughter one minute and two sentences later feel like I’ve been punched in the face. This happens repeatedly. Uncontrollable giggles then it’s like the wind was completely knocked out of me and I need to sit because I found I was suddenly trembling. Gadsby is phenomenal at what she does on stage and it has translated well to this book, which I cannot say for most other comedian memoirs that I’ve read.

Much of the book is about Gadsby’s childhood growing up in Tasmania as the youngest of five children. She intermittently provides a history lesson on homophobia in Tasmania and Australia as a whole which colored how she thought of queer folks and ultimately, herself. She also talks about being diagnosed with autism as an adult and is able to look back on her childhood through that lens, clicking together pieces of the puzzle of her life.

Gadsby also talks about how she got into stand-up comedy and her experiences in comedy leading up to Nanette. I am fascinated by her breakdown of how Nanette came to be, how it was pieced together and grew and changed and what her intention was with it and finally, why she stopped performing it.

I cannot get over how good this book is and it is certainly one of the best books I’ve read this year.

This book does an excellent job at capturing how incredibly lonely it has become for Black people who have (or had) a racially diverse group of friends. Or in my case of being mixed, a whole side of the family that is not Black. As the author learned, and as many of us have learned, we can love people and also no longer have them in our lives. Supporting white supremacy is a deal breaker and that is at the heart of this book. Over and over, the author comes to the realization that systemic racial injustice isn’t going to be solved by individual conversations with racists. The “all we need to do is love” mentality isn’t actually effective at bringing about change.

The author covers a lot of ground through his own journey of awakening. His activism is woven through his performance art and music. His writing incorporates history about the civil rights movement, both historically and present day, both violent and nonviolent means as well. He also incorporates his knowledge of the bible, having graduated from Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena.

It was painful to read about his repeated attempts to have heartfelt, honest conversations with white and other non-Black friends and loved ones and every time it was just another punch in the face. No one was interested in having a conversation, only in being right and also being able to uphold white supremacy. Over and over with “I don’t want to talk politics” when really they mean “I don’t want to acknowledge my role in your oppression so be quiet about it.”

The author posits that we don’t actually have to convince everyone that racism is wrong to achieve justice. Maybe winning over white people should not be the main goal. He offers some concrete advice for folks in the struggle such as not debating and not engaging with trolls, whether they are anonymous or people we know. Among other things, he writes about the importance of hope in this fight, not least of all because it’s so easy to lose hope.

Content warnings for anti-Black racism and graphic descriptions of police brutality.

Our main protagonist is Kian Andrews and this story is told from his point of view. Kian is a gay Black man just out of college (Northeastern) and still living in Boston. He studied journalism and fully intends to go on to be a journalist but he is currently unemployed. Kian’s best friend is Divya Evans. She is studying Law at Harvard and calls Kian on his b*llshit every single time. She doesn’t let anything slide.

Not too long before this book begins Kian’s boyfriend broke up with him and left him devastated. This is probably why right at the beginning, Divya is yelling at Kian via text. Turns out that Kian responded to a text from the ex-boyfriend asking to meet up. Kian said yes. He knows it’s probably an awful idea.

This ex is Hudson Rivers and he is from Atlanta. The Rivers family is the third richest in the South, as they are the family behind the Rivers and Valleys brand of alcohol. Hudson is gorgeous, absolutely stunning, and a really good person. Unsurprisingly, Kian is still madly in love with him.

So they meet up at the coffee shop, as Hudson asked. He wants a favor (which it’s clear he doesn’t deserve). Much to Hudson’s family’s dismay, Hudson doesn’t want to be involved with the family business at all. He actually wants to go into a grad program and become a psychologist and help people. His parents are incredibly disappointed by this decision. They were also disappointed that he went to Northeastern and not Yale. Basically, they think that every decision Hudson makes is a bad one except for the decision to date Kian. His parents think that dating Kian is the one good decision he has ever made. They do not know he broke up with Kian and they are coming to town for a visit.

Hudson is desperate for his parents’ approval and so he asks Kian to pretend to be his boyfriend, just for the one lunch date during their visit. In return, Hudson will make a connection between Kian and the CEO of Spotlight, an online news corporation that Kian is dying to get a job at. Fake date for one lunch and be set for the rest of his life. Easy, right?

I laughed so loudly reading this book. Yes, it’s sweet and very sexy (there is definitely sex on the page) but it’s also absolutely hilarious. Every character pops. I love it so much.

Belle Marion Greener was a Black woman and J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian. Belle was very light-skinned and passed as white. She went by Belle da Costa Greene, saying the da Costa was from a Portuguese grandmother of hers, which is why she was slightly olive-skinned.

Belle’s mother and siblings were also very light-skinned. Her father was too, but he was a prominent Black man, Harvard University’s first Black student and Black graduate, and an attorney who was dean of the Howard University School of Law. He fought loudly and openly for equal rights for Black people. He’s also the one who gave Belle an appreciation for books and fine art. Belle’s mother, Genevieve, had different ideas. She decided that she and the children would pass as white to gain access to things they could not if they stayed being perceived as Black. They moved up to New York (they were from Washington, D.C.) and Belle’s parents, having very different views on what was best for them and the children, separated from each other.

Belle got a job as a librarian at Princeton University, where she met and intellectually dazzled the nephew of J. P. Morgan. J. P. Morgan already had an extensive rare books collection and had a library built to house the collection he had in hand as well as to supply a place for the collection to grow. His nephew insisted he interview Belle to be the librarian.

Needless to say, she got the job and was thrust into the world of fine art auctions and rare book dealers, which was at the time, for the most part, the realm of men. Not only was she so incredibly careful with every single thing she did so that people would not find out her true heritage, but she was also trying to make a name for herself in a world where the expectations and respect for women were so incredibly low.

The book is full of extravagance and secrets. There’s definitely some anti-Semitism and racism, so be aware of that. I really loved this book. Belle is an absolute force to be reckoned with. There’s a great historical note at the end where the authors talk about where some of the largest liberties were taken and I appreciate that.

If you didn’t recognize Quinta Brunson’s name when this book came out in June 2021, you would probably recognize her now considering her incredible success with the Emmy award-nominated sitcom Abbott Elementary. Prior to that, if you are a person who has been on the internet at all in the past half dozen years, then you’ve likely seen or heard one of Quinta Brunson’s many hilarious viral videos, many of which were from her time working at BuzzFeed.

I have a soft spot in my reading heart for memoirs by comedians. I’ve read so many of them by some of my favorite comics from Margaret Cho to Aisha Tyler to Jo Koy. I’m definitely adding Quinta Brunson’s book to this beloved list of mine. I honestly doubt she has peaked and I’m so excited to continue following her career. She’s only in her early 30s, which pops up in the book during the parts where she talks about pop culture things (films, music, etc) that are meaningful to her.

Brunson grew up in Philly and she writes a lot about her family and upbringing. Her elementary and high school experiences were really remarkable in ways that 1) don’t exist anymore and 2) ways I can’t even fathom having access to when I was in school. Her education experiences really shaped who she is and what remains important in her personal life.

One of the most relatable parts of her book is where she talks about the culture shock of moving from Philly to Los Angeles. I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area but I went to college in LA and I lived in LA for years. The scene down there is… unique. And so are the people, especially if they work in entertainment.

A big theme of this memoir is around Brunson staying true to who she is, what she stands for, and the family she came from. It makes for a strong first memoir and yes, there are definitely some moments where I’ve laughed out loud. I want to note a quick content warning for gun violence.