Orlando: A Biography is a fantastical period piece surrounding the titular character as they traverse life. It is beautifully written in Virginia's poetic voice and focuses on sexuality, identity, and societal expectations.
I cannot express my love for this book enough. I have never read something that so poetically encapsulates my own feelings of gender. Virginia Woolf's writing is hard to read at times due to the poetic aspects as well as old English, but taking the time to understand is well worth it. It's definitely not a quick read because of that, but it's an enjoyable one nonetheless.
If you're looking for an interesting and unique piece on queer identity set in the Elizabethan period, I can't recommend this enough. Absolutely in my top 10!
A really hard-to-read must-read that will tug at your heartstrings. Maurice follows the titular characters as he understands his identity through his own perspective and other's perceptions of him.
I truly loved this book. It was amazing to read something that felt so realistic at times when it came to how Maurice was treated for being himself, as well as how he treated himself. Without spoilers, Alec saying "I know" was by far one of the most heartbreaking and heartwarming moments I have read as someone who was also closeted for a long time.
I also recommend the movie starring James Wilby, Hugh Grant, and Rupert Graves. It's a very good adaptation and stays true to the source material. If you find the book to be too slow, the movie is a good way to enjoy the story without missing too much.
A biographical look at the author's experience of coming out, it's a quick read but very emotional and realistic. It's awkward, relatable, heartwarming, sad, and a worthwhile look into the queer identity and experience.
I read it in an hour, maybe less. It was so good I couldn't put it down. There's nothing quite like seeing yourself in a person that makes a book so gripping. Maia had so many experiences that were similar to mine that I couldn't help but laugh or almost cry because saaaaaaaaaaaaame.
Definitely worth a read. A new fave on my bookshelf!
I picked up this book in the children's section at Barnes & Noble because I was looking for positive queer books that I could recommend for young readers. Especially in future education settings.
Oh my god this book is adorable.
The stories are cute & positive. There's a theme of acceptance & love throughout the entire book which helps when reading the moments where the characters are scared of being accepted, so if you're worried about reading queer stories (especially young ones) that may contain unhappy themes you'll be just fine here.
The added fantasy elements to some of the stories are amazing as well. It's great to show the idea of queer people being in all kinds of media and literature, even to younger kids.
It's a solid 4 stars since this book wasn't written for me (the recommended ages are 8 - 12), so I can't really judge the quality of some of the stories. I did still enjoy it and will absolutely recommend it in the future for young readers.
My favorite stories were the first four!
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