Big Queer Book Club Podcast

This is our last new episode of 2021 and we're going out with a BANG! In our first erotica we spoke to author Liz Asch about her new collection of mostly queer erotica short stories in Your Salt On My Lips.   Liz is an artist, an author, and an acupuncturist and we had such a great conversation with her.  You don't want to miss this one!<book summary>Playful, explorative, taboo-smashing, and delectably liberating, Your Salt on My Lips is a mostly-queer collection of literary erotica that will leave you stimulated, satisfied, and yearning for more. At times amorous and passionate, uninhibited and unrequited, there is something for every kink and orientation. From coquettishness to masturbation, daydreaming to boundary breaking, this collection is replete with orgies, personal discoveries, anachronous adventures, and hallucinatory spins exploring love, lust, and play across the spectrum of sexuality. As both an artist and author, Asch ascends beyond everyday erotica, dancing from prurient to poetic in thirty-five scintillating shorts that will stimulate so much more than just your sex drive.https://lizasch.com

     This week we're posting the crossover episode that we did with our friends, Sarah and Persis,  over at Girl on Girl Podcast.  If you haven't subscribed to their podcast yet, what on earth are you waiting for!?       We talked to Sarah and Persis this week about several queer books that were adapted into movies.  We also chatted about a whole lot that has nothing to do with those movies.  We always have so much fun talking to these two and we really hope you enjoy this episode.  After you subscribe to their show give this episode a listen and let us know what you think! 

This is a special episode because we chat with friend and super-human person, Sam Brinton of The Trevor Project (to name only one thing they are involved with) as well as Dr. Jessie Freyermuth (spouse of 1/2 of the pod).  We all read and chatted about the book Tomorrow Will Be Different by Sarah McBride.  This book was unexpectedly sad but overwhelmingly awesome.  Sarah McBride is changing our country for the better with her work in the US Government.   <book summary>Before she became the first transgender person to speak at a national political convention in 2016 at the age of 26, Sarah McBride struggled with the decision to come out - not just to her family but to the students of American University, where she was serving as student body president. She’d known she was a girl from her earliest memories, but it wasn’t until the Facebook post announcing her truth went viral that she realized just how much impact her story could have on the country.Four years later, McBride was one of the nation’s most prominent transgender activists, walking the halls of the White House, advocating inclusive legislation, and addressing the country in the midst of a heated presidential election. She had also found her first love and future husband, Andy, a trans man and fellow activist, who complemented her in every way...until cancer tragically intervened.Informative, heartbreaking, and profoundly empowering, Tomorrow Will Be Different is McBride’s story of love and loss and a powerful entry point into the LGBTQ community’s battle for equal rights and what it means to be openly transgender. From issues like bathroom access to health care to gender in America, McBride weaves the important political and cultural milestones into a personal journey that will open hearts and change minds.As McBride urges: “We must never be a country that says there’s only one way to love, only one way to look, and only one way to live.” The fight for equality and freedom has only just begun. 

This week we chat with fresh young author Upasa Borah about their book Thick and Thin, their fan fiction, and about how they came to be a writer and a poet.  They are so talented at only 21 years old, we truly think they are going to do great things.  The audio quality is a bit subpar this episode but we promise it will be worth it.(book summary)In Raumah, a city where wealth and familial ties rule all, the four Kings walk a path seemingly paved in gold. Duante, the protector. Strong, amiable and desperate to keep his loved ones out of harm’s way. Drayden, the golden boy. Smart and resourceful, heir to the country’s largest and most influential business empire. Shohei, the celebrity. Delicate but determined, this fabulous fashion icon is the darling of Raumah. Aqil, the prodigy. Truly gifted and academically dominant, but is it earned or is it his family ties that are the key to his successes?Everything on the surface seems picture perfect, but dark secrets lie hidden behind the frame. When Duante’s past comes calling, the Kings’ world is thrown into chaos.Faced with the ghosts of his bloody past, Duante’s hard-earned freedom is put in jeopardy, just as Shohei’s love is put to the test. Drayden’s ruthless determination is usually his strength, but this time, will it blind him to what’s right? Can Aqil, the trailblazing son of the Faiz family, face his fears, before the fire burns him alive?Facing their fears is no easy task, will they bow under the pressure or come out stronger than ever?Cherry Publishing

The wait is finally over.  This is part two of our episode with D2 from Start the Wave, and in the second half we get a bit more introspective in how this book affected us personally.  We always have a great time talking to D2, no matter the subject.  After you've finished this book please join us in checking out the Start the Wave pride resource list, as it is filled with many important and incredible books.  We are slowly making our way through all of them.  Also follow Start the Wave on Instagram and at Startthewave.org to see all the incredibly amazing waves of positive change they are creating.<book summary>As a young child in North Carolina, Jacob Tobia wasn't the wrong gender, they just had too much of the stuff. Barbies? Yes. Playing with bugs? Absolutely. Getting muddy? Please. Princess dresses? You betcha. Jacob wanted it all, but because they were "a boy," they were told they could only have the masculine half. Acting feminine labelled them "a sissy" and brought social isolation. It took Jacob years to discover that being "a sissy" isn't something to be ashamed of. It's a source of pride. Following Jacob through bullying and beauty contests, from Duke University to the United Nations to the podiums of the Methodist church--not to mention the parlors of the White House--this unforgettable memoir contains multitudes. A deeply personal story of trauma and healing, a powerful reflection on gender and self-acceptance, and a hilarious guidebook for wearing tacky clip-on earrings in today's world, Sissy guarantees you'll never think about gender--both other people's and your own--the same way again.

This week is part one of another super sized episode!  Kendra and Amanda brought back D2 from Start the Wave to read and discuss the novel Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story by Jacob Tobia.  This book is on the Start the Wave resource list so we talk more about that resource list, the purpose and the content you'll find there, as well as the first book we read but didn't record an episode about.  <Summary>Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story by Jacob TobiaAs a young child in North Carolina, Jacob Tobia wasn't the wrong gender, they just had too much of the stuff. Barbies? Yes. Playing with bugs? Absolutely. Getting muddy? Please. Princess dresses? You betcha. Jacob wanted it all, but because they were "a boy," they were told they could only have the masculine half. Acting feminine labelled them "a sissy" and brought social isolation. It took Jacob years to discover that being "a sissy" isn't something to be ashamed of. It's a source of pride. Following Jacob through bullying and beauty contests, from Duke University to the United Nations to the podiums of the Methodist church--not to mention the parlors of the White House--this unforgettable memoir contains multitudes. A deeply personal story of trauma and healing, a powerful reflection on gender and self-acceptance, and a hilarious guidebook for wearing tacky clip-on earrings in today's world, Sissy guarantees you'll never think about gender--both other people's and your own--the same way again.Part 2 of this amazing discussion will be released in two weeks.

This episode we have a returning guest, wonderful queer musician, Emy Taliana!  We're coming together to discuss Untamed by queer author Glennon Doyle.  <Book Summary>     For many years, Glennon Doyle denied her discontent. Then, while speaking at a conference, she looked at a woman across the room and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There. She. Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high but soon she realised they had come to her from within. This was the voice she had buried beneath decades of numbing addictions and social conditioning. Glennon decided to let go of the world's expectations of her and reclaim her true untamed self.      Soulful and uproarious, forceful and tender, Untamed is both an intimate memoir and a galvanising wake-up call. It is the story of how one woman learned that a responsible mother is not one who slowly dies for her children, but one who shows them how to fully live. It is also the story of how each of us can begin to trust ourselves enough to set boundaries, make peace with our bodies, honour our anger and heartbreak, and unleash our truest, wildest instincts.     Untamed shows us how to be brave. And, as Glennon insists, 'The braver we are, the luckier we get.'This book has so much information, so many levels, and we just wouldn't be doing it justice if we didn't really get into it, so this will be a two part episode, with part 2 coming in one week.  Be sure to read this amazing piece of literature and share it with your friends.

If you haven't checked out the book The Salinian, stop and go read it now! This was one novella that we could NOT put down and leaves you wanting MORE! If you listen closely you will hear some exciting sequel novel news, not to mention all of the fantastic book to film exclusive info!

In this episode Kendra and Amanda speak with author and poet Betsy Bonner about her memoir The Book of Atlantis Black: The Search For A Sister Gone Missing, along with special guest Leah Jackson, ex-girlfriend of Atlantis Black.<book summary>For Grace Bonner, the bond of sisterhood is an exquisite, painful thing. In The Book of Atlantis Black, Bonner unravels the mystery of her sister and what happened in the final months before her disappearance, alleged overdose, and death.With access to Atlantis's email and social media accounts, Bonner attempts to decipher and construct a narrative around the circumstances surrounding her probable death: Frantic and unintelligible notes on Facebook, alarming images of Atlantis with a handgun tucked in the waistband of her pants, Craigslist companionship ads, DEA agent testimony, video surveillance, police reports, and various phone calls and moments-in-the-flesh conjured from memory.Through the construction and deconstruction of these materials and the history only she and Atlantis shared, Bonner finds questions that lead to only more questions, red flags that point in no particular direction, leaving her to decide how far she will go to understand a sister who, like the mythical island she renamed herself for, might prove impossible to find.<end summary>Bonus musical intermission featuring Atlantis singing her song I Want To Go Home.  Check out her Spotify page for a full catalog of her music.https://open.spotify.com/artist/6dFmR5UvCVDUh034NJ9esO?si=yiNUfhHRRlq-bQc3rYLFFw

We explore the journey of childhood trauma, sexuality, and spirituality with author, yogi and meditation teacher Johnson Chong.  Book Summary: Follow his journey through the pangs of youth, to growing self-awareness and life-changing lessons in India and abroad. This is a courageous story of shifting old attachments of self-rejection and shame into a new paradigm of peace and unconditional love. It is about embracing our emotional fumbles and self-deprecating tendencies as opportunities for growth, instead of sweeping them under the rug. A unique blend of spirituality and inspirational memoir, Sage Sapien is a universal story of an outcast who steps into his authentic expression.Check this book out if you haven't already! It's an eye opener!https://johnsonchong.comhttps://www.facebook.com/johnsonchongcoaching/

Kendra and Amanda talk to author David Rabadi about his memoir How I Lost My Mind and Found Myself.  David is the first gay Jordanian to come out in Yonkers.<Book Summary>The sentence for being gay and Arab is death-even when the punishment is self-inflicted. Living a closeted life in a Middle-Eastern culture is brutal-and potentially deadly. Add to the mix mental illness and your odds of survival drop to near zero. How I Lost My Mind and Found Myself is the true story of how one man lived to tell the tale. Gay Arab, David Rabadi, had been taught from a very young age that there are no genies and no gay Arabs. But while David might accept the fact that genies might not exist, he knew from a young age there was at least one gay Arab and it was, in fact, him. The fear of losing the love and respect of his family kept David in the closet for more than twenty years, but living with undiagnosed mental illness kept him a prisoner in his own head for what seemed an eternity. How I Lost My Mind and Found Myself is a touching, sometimes funny story of David's struggles and eventual triumph in overcoming not one but two stigmas still judged, misjudged, and misunderstood in today's society. 

Dress Codes for Small Towns  by Courtney StevensWe thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and discussing it with D2 from Start the Wave!Have a listen as we discuss the book, coming of age as queer folks and the wonderful organization Start the Wave!

In this episode Kendra and Amanda talk with queer author Catie Disabato about her new book, U Up?  They also chat about her first book, The Ghost Network, her writing and creative process, Los Angeles, and ghosts.  U Up? - book summary - Eve has a carefully curated online life, works occasionally, and texts constantly with her best friend, Ezra. Basically, she is an archetypal L.A. millennial. She has also been carrying on a year-long conversation with her deceased friend Miggy over text. But when Ezra goes missing on the anniversary weekend of Miggy's death, Eve feels like her world is shattering.Over a frantic weekend Eve investigates Ezra's disappearance, scouring social media for clues, while drowning her anger and anxiety in drinks, drugs, and spiritual cleansing. Eve starts to spiral as her friends try to convince her that she's overreacting, and ghosts--both real and metaphorical--continue to haunt her. When she uncovers clues to a life Ezra kept hidden, Eve starts to question how much she really knows about her best friend...and herself.Catie Disabato is on IG and Twitter @CatieAlertBig Queer Book Club Podcast is on IG @bigqueerbookclubpod and Twitter @bookqueer

This episode we discuss the book Boy Erased: A Memoir by Gerard Conley, with our outstanding guest, the musician Adaline.  This episode comes with a trigger warning as it discusses religious trauma and conversion therapy.  The son of a Baptist pastor and deeply embedded in church life in small town Arkansas, as a young man Garrard Conley was terrified and conflicted about his sexuality.  When Garrard was a nineteen-year-old college student, he was outed to his parents, and was forced to make a life-changing decision: either agree to attend a church-supported conversion therapy program that promised to “cure” him of homosexuality; or risk losing family, friends, and the God he had prayed to every day of his life. Through an institutionalized Twelve-Step Program heavy on Bible study, he was supposed to emerge heterosexual, ex-gay, cleansed of impure urges and stronger in his faith in God for his brush with sin. Instead, even when faced with a harrowing and brutal journey, Garrard found the strength and understanding to break out in search of his true self and forgiveness. Adaline also hosts a podcast called Bad Believers in which people on the queer spectrum explore and challenge traditional religious views.  Her experience as a queer person and the daughter of pastor gave her a unique perspective when discussing the book. Intro and outro music is an original song by Kansas City based queer musician Nicole Springer.Adaline - webpage: adalinemusic.com,  Instagram and Twitter: @Adalinemusic and @BadBelieverPodcast on Instagram and @BadBeliever_ on TwitterMusic by Nicole Springer - webpage nicolespringersings.com, Facebook: Nicole Springer, and Instagram: @nicolespringersings As always Big Queer Book Club Podcast can be found on Instagram: @bigqueerbookclubpod, Twitter: @bookqueer, Facebook: Big Queer Book Club Podcast

We are joined by Nicole and Lauren from Coming Out Podcast! If you haven't heard them then you should definitely check them out (after you listen to this episode, of course)!We discuss the teenage coming of age book Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz!Enjoy!

In this episode we talk to queer author Tina Kakadelis about her dog, the Gilmore Girls, Bruce Springsteen, One Direction, and Dolly Parton.  Oh, and her YA queer novel series, The Carly Allen Trilogy.  Specifically we talk about the first book in the series, Burn Before Reading.  It is a YA novel about heart break, young queer love, deciding which college to attend, and trying to survive until graduation.  Tina is an incredible young author and we most definitely recommend this YA queer trilogy to all humans ages 9-99!

If you've listened to this podcast before then you've probably heard us mention Fried Green Tomatoes at LEAST once!Well we are finally getting to discuss it with the incredibly wonderful, incredibly talented musician Emy Taliana!

In this SUPERSIZED episode Kendra and Amanda talk to queer actor Mandahla Rose about the book Juliet Takes a Breath by Gabby Rivera.  In this amazing young adult novel, nineteen-year-old Juliet Palante writes a you-changed-my-life letter to her favorite feminist author and is granted a summer internship at the author's home in Portland, OR. Leaving her loving Puerto Rican family in the Bronx is difficult, but Juliet also welcomes the chance to enter a new environment: her mother has been communicating with her through closed doors ever since Juliet told her that she is a lesbian and has a girlfriend. In Portland, Juliet discovers a new world—gay, artsy, "crunchy," hippie types who welcome her with open arms and offer her marijuana. She falls in love, her heroes fall, her family supports her, and her friends save her. Juliet also discovers women of color writing science fiction, hot library paraprofessionals, and her own self-esteem. At the end of the summer, Juliet reflects, "I'm a messy, over-emotional, book nerd, weirdo, chubby brown human and I needed to learn how to love myself, even the shameful bits."  Listen as the group chats about queer representation, how topical this book is with current events, and their answers to the question, "would you rather live 10 lifetimes and live to 100 years old in each one, or live one lifetime and live to be 1000 years old?"

The lovely Harvey Guillen discusses the book Under the Rainbow by Celia Laskey. This one hits close to home, since it takes place in a (fictional) town in Kansas, where Amanda and Kendra live!Trigger warning: there is violence against lgbtq+ in the book, though it is not discussed in depth in the episode. 

In this episode we discuss the book Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic by Alison Bechdel (Mariner Books) with the Leigh Holmes Foster and Ellie Brigida of the Lez Hang Out Podcast.  Trigger warning for suicide as the book does discuss this topic so we talk a bit about it.  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/lez-hang-out-a-lesbian-podcast/id1296938673