I had been reading a lot of heavy things when I picked up Madeleine George’s queer YA novel The Difference Between You and Me and it pretty much fulfilled every expectation I had; in fact, it was actually deceptively complex, despite the fact that it’s a quick read. The Difference Between You and Me isRead More
Casey reviews Excluded by Julia Serano
I was pretty eager when I picked up writer, performer, and activist Julia Serano’s latest book, Excluded: Making Queer and Feminist Movements More Inclusive. I had read her first book, Whipping Girl: A Transsexual Woman on Sexism and the Scapegoating of Femininity back when it came out, and thought it was totally mind-blowing and soRead More
Casey reviews Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write About Leaving Men for Women edited by Candace Walsh and Laura Andre
I had heard a lot of praise for Dear John, I Love Jane: Women Write About Leaving Men for Women (edited by Candace Walsh and Laura Andre) by the time I finally picked it up. So, I was expecting good things. This book, however, managed to actually exceed my expectations. It was so refreshing toRead More
Casey reviews Nevada by Imogen Binnie
I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to get to reading Nevada by Imogen Binnie! I finished it a few days before Christmas and am still feeling the impact of this powerful, thought-provoking novel. Nevada follows the life of a queer trans woman named Maria. She’s in her late twenties, she’s living in BrooklynRead More
Casey reviews She Rises by Kate Worsley
I’m not sure how to begin this review. I have two options: 1) I can tell you I loved this book and urge you to get your hands on it right away; 2) I can warn you that it’s very difficult for me to discuss this book in any depth without revealing GIANT SPOILERS. YouRead More
Casey reviews Mermaid in Chelsea Creek by Michelle Tea
I feel a bit like a terrible literary queer when I say that I haven’t read much of Michelle Tea—I actually saw the film version of Valencia when it was recently at Vancouver’s queer film festival, and I haven’t read the book yet! While Michelle Tea was in town for the screening, though, I hadRead More
Casey reviews Le Bleu est un Couleur Chaude (Blue is the Warmest Colour) by Julie Maroh
I had admittedly never heard of French author and graphic artist Julie Maroh’s graphic novel, Le Bleu est un Couleur Chaude (it’s being translated as Blue is the Warmest Colour, although the title more literally says “blue is a warm colour”) until I read about the film version’s win of the Palme D’Or—the top prize—atRead More
Casey reviews The Chronology of Water by Lidia Yuknavitch
I heard many, many good things about Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir before I picked it up. On the one hand, many readers who are also great writers (Ivan E Coyote and Alex Leslie among them) had recommended it, so I thought it should be a sure bet. On the other hand, it’s always a bit dangerousRead More
Casey reviews Silhouette of a Sparrow by Molly Beth Griffin
I think Molly Beth Griffin’s novel Silhouette of a Sparrow might just be the best lesbian young adult novel I’ve ever read. I don’t say that lightly. It has everything I could hope for: effortless yet beautiful writing, an authentic and lovable young heroine, a subtle and moving romance, an environmentalist sub-plot—honestly, what more couldRead More
Casey reviews Wildthorn by Jane Eagland
A nineteenth-century insane asylum seems hardly an appropriate place for a teenage lesbian romance. Jane Eagland, though, manages to make this both believable and exciting in her young adult novel, Wildthorn. This historical tale is not just a romance, though that was my favourite part; in fact, a larger portion of the book is dedicatedRead More