Libertie's Staff Picks
Wow. This book was not what I was expecting but it won me over fast. Vivek Shraya's sparse yet impactful personal history gives way to a meditation on what makes masculinity so toxic. Powerfully, the author does not flatten masculinity into whiteness, straightness, or cisgenderness; nor does she speak entirely from a position of contemptuous distance from masculinity, having once identified as a man. In the end, the result is more bell hooks than Valerie Solanas.
From the moment I read the first page of this book, I was obsessed. I xeroxed copies and gave them to friends, left them in cafes, read them out loud to awkward strangers. Possibly, the most brilliant work of dead-serious political satire ever written, SCUM Manifesto is in a class of its own—the sort of polemic you put down and ask, "Where do I sign up??".
This deeply unsettling work of science fiction, just released in paperback, takes place in a dystopian future of corporate power, intellectual property, and contractual slavery that is probably not all that far away. The story features multiple protagonists -- an anti-patent activist turned pharma pirate, a homophobic bounty hunter tormented by sexual repression, a (maybe?) transgender robot who doesn't know where software ends and self begins -- each relatable but profoundly flawed. This is a novel that will almost certainly have a lasting impact on the genre.
After a week like this one, "Hansel & Gretel" is the cathartic retelling of a classic fairytale I needed. Stylistically rendered in a limited palette, this picture book explores crossed boundaries and women's anger. Illustrator Bethan Woollvin (@bethanwoollvin), doesn't tell the story of a bad witch, but a caring and generous witch. A witch who's ultimately violent actions are made understandable by the history of unappreciated labor and abuse left out of other recountings. Reading this book I couldn't help but think that Bethan has slyly done a service to the next generation of Hansels, Gretels, and witches.
Hilda is a kid who loves rocks, befriends mythical beasts, and navigates conflict with a supportive but nervous single mother. The comics are gorgeous, Miyazaki-esque productions full of cozy and enchanting details while the adventures are contemporary-feeling and lacking in pretension. Age appropriate for kids but recommended for evvveryone!
A sexy new collabs from author Sarah Mirk and artists Eva Cabrera and Claudia Aguirre, "Open Earth" is one third latinx coming of age story, one third sci-fi space drama, and one third non-monogamy teaching tool. If you woke up today needing a spanglish, body positive, trans-inclusive rom-com graphic novel... this one's for you! (And maybe, like me, you didn't know you needed such a thing until this very moment, but that's OK, welcome to the party!)
Marianne's book tells the stories of two families — one White, one Black — as they react to a police shooting in their community and explore the importance of sticking up for people who are treated unfairly. It was published by the American Psychological Association and designed as a resource for parents and educators.
Yaaaaall, these middle grade graphic novels about magic and gender and family are perfect. Not only is the adorable protagonist's desire to learn sorcery an overt metaphor for being trans, but the "big bad" turns out to be transmisogyny (though, not in so many words because Molly is writing for kiddos). Full of wonderful, racially diverse characters, this book is written with a clear eye towards children who are queer or have queer friends and family. But seriously, I can't imagine who wouldn't freak out over these gems!
