This comic guide with a goofy, gently sarcastic sense of humor is all about gender neutral pronouns - how being misgendered feels, why pronouns matter, grammar, and examples of how to use these pronouns in real life. I was so glad the authors encouraged people to try to make their everyday language more inclusive by dropping words like ma'am, sir, guys, ladies, etc. and defaulting to "person" instead of assuming "man" or "woman" when speaking about someone you don't know. I wish the authors had addressed grammar pedants who get in a tizzy about singular they/them. They kind of allude to it when someone says "that just doesn't sound right to me", but this is such a common occurrence. I…

Did I just read a romance - that I liked? Apparently I did. At this point, I'm pretty certain Alison Evans can write anything and I'll read it. Their writing is so beautiful and natural and honestly, a true pleasure to read. Long Macchiatos and Monsters is #ownvoices with a sweet storyline and interesting main characters; a trans guy and a genderqueer person, both POC with disabilities, who are in that whirlwind "just fell in love" stage. The story is completely outside of heteronormativity and that's both refreshing and wonderful. I'm off to read Ida next! Source: I purchased a copy of this book.

I'm not really into fantasy, but I couldn't resist giving this retelling of Peter Pan a try. Technology plus a dystopian feel? That sounds more like sci-fi to me, the kind of book I reach for! Polish holds true to many of the original Peter Pan character representations and themes, but I wish it hadn't been quite as obvious as it was. Maybe in a longer work there would have been time to allow the reader to figure it out on their own. This was a fast, page-turner kind of read, but it also bordered on feeling rushed. I would have loved a longer book with more detail and more background. I had a lot of questions about the world…

Austen Hartke has an easy, conversational style whether he's inspecting Scripture and its historical and cultural contexts or sharing personal stories. Hartke includes conversations with and the experiences of other trans and nonbinary Christians, which ends up giving the book a truly intersectional lens (and that is vital when discussing about trans issues). Transforming is honest about the ways the church has failed trans and nonbinary folx and the challenges they face. Cisgender readers will gain insight and hopefully, empathy. But Hartke's infectious optimism combined with plenty of positive experiences shared give the book a hopeful, "share the good news!" tone throughout. Source: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.