Trans Rights Readathon starts: 11 books to read, from romance to nonfiction
Trans Rights Readathon starts: 11 books to read, from romance to nonfiction
Every day is one you can support and read trans authors, but readers have a special excuse to pick up new books this week.
It's the third annual Trans Rights Readathon, a yearly call to action and reading challenge that ends on Trans Day of Visibility. This year, the challenge goes from March 21-31.
The creators recommend booklovers participate by reading and reviewing works by trans, nonbinary, 2Spirit and gender nonconforming authors, as well as supporting the community by donating to local or national organizations. In 2023, the Trans Rights Readathon raised over $234,000 for trans-supporting organizations and recorded over 2,600 participants.
11 books to read for the Trans Rights Readathon
If you're looking to add some titles to your TBR for this year's Trans Rights Readathon, we have suggestions for books written by trans and nonbinary authors. They range from romance to sci-fi, literary fiction to fantasy. Some are recent releases and others are oldies-but-goodies.
'Stag Dance' by Torrey Peters
'Stag Dance' is a collection of one novel and three stories from the bestselling author of 'Detransition, Baby.' In the titular novel, restless lumberjacks plan a dance under the condition that some of them will attend as women. In 'an astonishing vision of gender and transition,' the publisher writes, the axmen are caught up in a strange rivalry, jealousy and obsession. The other short stories feature a gender apocalypse, a secret romance between Quaker boarding school roommates and a party weekend on the Las Vegas strip that turns dark.
'Woodworking' by Emily St. James
Released earlier this month, 'Woodworking' is about a 35-year-old recently divorced teacher who comes out as trans in small-town South Dakota. As she grapples with her transition, she finds an unlikely friend in 17-year-old Abigail, the only trans girl at Mitchell High School. Abigail reluctantly agrees to help Erica through her transition, remembering the loneliness she experienced when she was going through the same.
'Before We Were Trans' by Kit Heyam
'Before We Were Trans: A New History of Gender' is the kind of nonfiction read that's so narrative it feels like fiction. Stories of gender nonconforming fashion, wartime stage performance and the untold identities of famous historical people portray the complexity of gender across time and throughout the world, pushing back against the notion that people fit neatly into the categories of male or female.
'Model Home' by Rivers Solomon
'Model Home' is billed as a 'new kind of haunted-house novel' interrogating the legacy of segregation and racism in suburban America. The story follows the three Maxwell siblings who grew up as the only Black family in a gated Dallas neighborhood, also tormented by strange and unexplainable demonic happenings in their house. When their parents' death forces the now-adult siblings to return, they begin to uncover the supernatural forces at play.
'Paper Doll' by Dylan Mulvaney
The actress and content creator's debut memoir gives readers a more intimate glimpse behind her 'Days of Girlhood' social media series and transition. Mulvaney unpacks the transphobia, backlash, acceptance and, ultimately, joy in this reflection of her pre- and post-transition life.
'A Gentleman's Gentleman' by TJ Alexander
Wish 'Bridgerton' was more queer? This newly released trans Regency-era romance is for you. 'A Gentleman's Gentleman' follows the eccentric recluse Lord Christopher Eden who receives abrupt word that, to keep his family fortune, he must take a wife by the end of the courting season. First on the list of his many problems? He isn't attracted to women. Second? He has to move to London. And then he meets James Harding, the distractingly handsome new valet, whose presence threatens to upend it all.
'Bellies' by Nicola Dinan
'Bellies' follows a young couple, Tom and Ming, as they move in and out of each other's lives in early adulthood. Tom has recently come out as gay and is quickly drawn to Ming, a magnetic playwright. But shortly after they move in together, Ming announces her intention to transition. It changes the dynamics of both their relationship and their broader friendship circle. Together and apart, Ming and Tom must navigate new questions around identity, gender, relationships, intimacy and heartbreak.
'Pet' by Akwaeke Emezi
From the award-winning author of 'You Make a Fool of Death with Your Beauty,' Emezi's genre-expansive debut follows two best friends who grow up in a city that touts the fact that there are no monsters anymore. But when they meet Pet, a horned, clawed, multicolored creature, the friends must reckon with what they've been taught and how to protect each other in a society in denial.
'The Prospects' by KT Hoffman
In this baseball romance, Gene is proud of the quiet, underdog career he's built as the first openly trans professional baseball player. But when his former teammate and current rival Luis is traded to the Beavers, it dampens the once-perfect outlook he had. They can't put their differences aside – on or off the field. After a curveball twist, the pair finds themselves spending more and more time together, realizing the tension between them might be something more than loathing.
'Light from Uncommon Stars' by Ryka Aoki
Called 'dark but ultimately hopeful' by Publishers Weekly, this speculative story starts with a deal with the devil – Shizuka Satomi has promised to sell the souls of seven violin prodigies before she can escape damnation. And she's found her final candidate in the form of a talented young transgender runaway. But Shizuka's plans to lift the curse come to a screeching halt when she becomes infatuated with an interstellar refugee and retired starship captain that catches her attention.
'Felix Ever After' by Kacen Callender
This YA romance novel centers on Felix Love who, despite the last name, has never been in love. He wonders if happily-ever-afters apply to him as he grapples with his identity as a Black, queer, transgender teen, all while an anonymous student begins sending him threatening and transphobic messages. But when a revenge plan goes awry, Felix finds himself in something of a love triangle that catapults him on a journey of self-discovery.
Looking for your next great read? USA TODAY has you covered.
Taste is subjective, and USA TODAY Books has plenty of genres to recommend. Check out the 15 new releases we're most excited about in 2025. Is dystopian your thing? Check out these books that are similar to 'The Hunger Games' and '1984.' Or if you want something with lower stakes and loveable characters, see if a "cozy mystery" or "cozy fantasy" book is for you. If you want the most popular titles, check out USA TODAY's Best-selling Booklist.
Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY's Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, subscribe to our weekly Books newsletter or tell her what you're reading at cmulroy@usatoday.com.
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Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Yahoo
Mitchell High School honors graduating seniors at awards, recognition ceremony
May 8—MITCHELL — The Mitchell High School Class of 2025 is ready to wrap up their high school experience. With graduation around the corner next week, many are finalizing plans for the next stage of their lives, be it as part of the workforce, college or military service. Many of those seniors were celebrated Wednesday night at the Mitchell Performing Arts Center during the Mitchell School District's annual Senior Awards Night, an event that sees the graduating students acknowledged for their scholarly accomplishments, including honors for academic excellence and scholarships received. "You have strived to graduate from high school, and that is a goal that you have met and to be proud of. Some students will start a post-secondary journey to a technical college or university, and others will join our armed forces or enter the workforce," Kim Max, counselor at Mitchell High School who served as emcee for the evening, told the assembled seniors. "All of you are to be celebrated in every way." Many awards and recognitions were presented, including scholarships from dozens of civic organizations, such as the local Kiwanis and Exchange clubs, as well colleges and technical schools. Students came to the stage as their names were announced to receive their certificates and awards, with warm rounds of applause rising from the audience of friends, family and well-wishers. The event was also a chance to hear from a former Mitchell High School graduate who was already out making his way in the world. Carson Max, a 2019 Mitchell graduate and a 2023 South Dakota State University graduate who was recently commissioned a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force, is currently attending the University of South Dakota for medical school. He took the stage after being introduced by his mother, Kim Max, and urged the graduating seniors to look inward as they look to step outward to the next phase of their life in an address titled Who Am I? "You're all about to cross a huge milestone, and the typical message is — you finished high school. Now what? It's a valid question, but it can feel a little overused. Usually it's followed by a variation of — find your dream, work hard and you'll achieve it," Carson Max said. "While it does have some validity, sometimes you forget about all the steps along the process." Citing himself as an example, he noted that the path forward in life is not always smooth or clearly marked. His own journey in college was not what he expected, he said. As a younger student, he shared the dream of many, wanting to become a professional athlete. But as he got older, he embraced the reality that the NFL would be a difficult goal to achieve with him being "5-foot-10, 200 pounds and not very fast." 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Those are all important in knowing your identity, but he encouraged the seniors to dig deeper as he once did, asking himself difficult questions about why he chose to work hard toward his goals and why he chose to approach those goals the way he did. Within his experience as a medical student, he cited how he approached working with patients and conveying to them that he was there to do everything he could to help them with their problem. He also said meeting his wife while in college changed his perspective, allowing him to embrace his shortcomings and work to overcome them. He offered three ways for students to begin the process of knowing themselves: self awareness, self regulation and humility. Self awareness covers the ability to know one's faults. Self regulation allows one to determine what to do with those feelings and to realize that doubts are part of a complex process of self-realization. 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San Francisco Chronicle
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- San Francisco Chronicle
Book Review: Nate Bargatze tries to bring his comedy from screen to page with 'Big Dumb Eyes'
It's a rite of passage for all comedians: Work like crazy on the stand-up circuit, hit it big, record live specials for a streaming platform, and then write a book that can never quite measure up to your live act. Consider 'Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind' by Nate Bargatze. I laughed so hard I cried during parts of his Netflix special 'Your Friend, Nate Bargatze.' But I can count on two hands the laugh-out-loud moments I experienced as I read 'Big Dumb Eyes.' That's not because Mr. Bargatze isn't funny. Books just aren't the funniest mediums for stand-up comics. Bargatze's live act flows from his droll, self-deprecating delivery. And while he tries right there in the book's subtitle — 'Stories from a Simpler Mind' — the humor just doesn't have the same impact on the page as it does the screen. Bargatze seems to realize this, writing in his introduction that he is 'very on the record about not liking to read books.' Alas, the publisher, and good ol' fashioned capitalism, apparently convinced him that he should write one. All that said, for super fans or anyone who would rather read funny stories than watch Bargatze tell them on TV, 'Big Dumb Eyes' is a quick read. There are even grainy, black and white photos of Bargatze through the years with his family. If you haven't already watched his specials, you'll learn a lot about his upbringing — from the sense of humor and theatrical nature he inherited from his father, the greatest clown and magician to ever work in Old Hickory, Tennessee, to the role his decade-younger sister, Abigail, played in keeping him from being completely self-centered growing up. My favorite chapter, the one with the most LOL moments, is called 'My Sister the Alien' and recounts the time when Nate, his brother Derrick and their dad forgot to bring Abigail home from church one Wednesday night. They all realize when they get home that Abigail isn't with them and dad's first words are 'Do not tell your mother.' When they drive back to the church, Abigail is with a couple, who found her in the church cemetery 'passing from tombstone to tombstone communing with the dead like the devil's phantasm.' Bargatze tells quite a few stories about his wife, Laura, as well, and near the end Laura even chimes in via footnotes, as if she's reading the book along with you. 'Obviously I knew about this, too. Now that I think about it, go ahead and tell Nate. I can't wait to see the look on his face,' reads one after Nate shares how he had to ask his parents to pay for her engagement ring. At the end, in a two-page 'Conclusion,' Nate offers his congrats to readers who make it that far, scolding anyone who got through all 222 pages in one sitting. 'You should probably move around some more. Or sprinkle in some other healthier activities, like watching TV,' he writes. It's good advice. I suggest 'Your Friend, Nate Bargatze.'
Hamilton Spectator
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- Hamilton Spectator
Book Review: Nate Bargatze tries to bring his comedy from screen to page with ‘Big Dumb Eyes'
It's a rite of passage for all comedians: Work like crazy on the stand-up circuit, hit it big, record live specials for a streaming platform, and then write a book that can never quite measure up to your live act. Consider 'Big Dumb Eyes: Stories from a Simpler Mind' by Nate Bargatze. I laughed so hard I cried during parts of his Netflix special 'Your Friend, Nate Bargatze.' But I can count on two hands the laugh-out-loud moments I experienced as I read 'Big Dumb Eyes.' That's not because Mr. Bargatze isn't funny. Books just aren't the funniest mediums for stand-up comics. Bargatze's live act flows from his droll, self-deprecating delivery. And while he tries right there in the book's subtitle — 'Stories from a Simpler Mind' — the humor just doesn't have the same impact on the page as it does the screen. Bargatze seems to realize this, writing in his introduction that he is 'very on the record about not liking to read books.' Alas, the publisher, and good ol' fashioned capitalism, apparently convinced him that he should write one. All that said, for super fans or anyone who would rather read funny stories than watch Bargatze tell them on TV, 'Big Dumb Eyes' is a quick read. There are even grainy, black and white photos of Bargatze through the years with his family. If you haven't already watched his specials, you'll learn a lot about his upbringing — from the sense of humor and theatrical nature he inherited from his father, the greatest clown and magician to ever work in Old Hickory, Tennessee, to the role his decade-younger sister, Abigail, played in keeping him from being completely self-centered growing up. My favorite chapter, the one with the most LOL moments, is called 'My Sister the Alien' and recounts the time when Nate, his brother Derrick and their dad forgot to bring Abigail home from church one Wednesday night. They all realize when they get home that Abigail isn't with them and dad's first words are 'Do not tell your mother.' When they drive back to the church, Abigail is with a couple, who found her in the church cemetery 'passing from tombstone to tombstone communing with the dead like the devil's phantasm.' Bargatze tells quite a few stories about his wife, Laura, as well, and near the end Laura even chimes in via footnotes, as if she's reading the book along with you. 'Obviously I knew about this, too. Now that I think about it, go ahead and tell Nate. I can't wait to see the look on his face,' reads one after Nate shares how he had to ask his parents to pay for her engagement ring. At the end, in a two-page 'Conclusion,' Nate offers his congrats to readers who make it that far, scolding anyone who got through all 222 pages in one sitting. 'You should probably move around some more. Or sprinkle in some other healthier activities, like watching TV,' he writes. It's good advice. I suggest 'Your Friend, Nate Bargatze.' ___ AP book reviews:
