Archive for the ‘Memoirs’ Category
November 1st, 2011 by Indigene / 368 views
Title: Playing By The Rules 
Author: Justin Crockett Elzie
Publisher: Rebel Satori Press
Length: Novel, 260 pages
Buy the book: Publisher (print), Amazon (print and ebook)
BLURB
The military has lots of rules and they are all expected to be followed. United States Marine Corps Sergeant Justin Elzie, wanting to make a difference, followed a rule of integrity and came out publicly on ABC Evening World News in January 1993. He became the first Marine discharged under Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and later reinstated, becoming the first Marine to challenge Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell with a federal court case and went on to serve four years openly gay.
In Playing By The Rules, Justin Elzie takes you on a journey of self-discovery from his early years growing up on a farm in Wyoming to joining the Marine Corps and finding an underground gay subculture within the military.
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Posted in 3 stars, Gay, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Reviews | 3 Comments »
September 13th, 2011 by Oddmonster / 370 views
Title: Nina Here Nor There: My Journey Beyond Gender 
Author: Nick Krieger
Publisher: Beacon Press
Length: 202 pages
Buy the book: Publisher| Amazon
Blurb:
Ambitious, sporty, feminine “capital-L lesbians” had been Nina Krieger’s type, for friends that is. She hadn’t dated in seven years, a period of non-stop traveling — searching for what or avoiding what, she didn’t know. When she lands in San Francisco’s Castro neighborhood, her roommates introduce her to a whole new world, full of people who identify as queer, who modify their bodies and blur the line between woman and man, who defy everything Nina thought she knew about gender and identity. Despite herself, Nina is drawn to the people she once considered freaks, and before long, she is forging a path that is neither man nor woman, here nor there. This candid and humorous memoir of gender awakening brings readers into the world of the next generation of transgender warriors and tells a classic tale of first love and self-discovery. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in 3 stars, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Orientation, Queer, Ratings, Reviews, Transgender | No Comments »
May 16th, 2011 by Book Utopia Mom / 481 views
Title: Unavailable: One Lesbian’s Struggle with the Bisexuality of Other Women 
Author: Angela Kelly
Publisher: JMS Books
Length: Novella (34k/118 pgs)
Buy the book: Publisher
Blurb:
Welcome to the world of “the unsures,” Angela Kelly’s affectionate term for women falling at various points on the in-between scale of gay and straight.
Meet Liza, the single mother from an under privileged background, used to finding partners who will give her a sense of security. Then there’s Jennifer, the stripper who really does have a heart of gold. Sandy is the direly sexy friend Angela chased for years before winning over. Annie presents herself as a teacher and mentor but proves to be a manipulative narcissist. These and the other characters present a rich tapestry of love, lust, obsession and, finally, redemption.
Threaded between these stories of failed romance you will find self-discovery and a coming of age and awareness. Join Angela Kelly as she learns about her own issues, dysfunction, addictions, and interpersonal dynamics that contribute to her attraction to unavailable women … and their attraction to her.
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Posted in 4 stars, Lesbian, Memoirs, Reviews | 1 Comment »
February 23rd, 2011 by Oddmonster / 1,701 views
Title: Maverick Men: The True Story Behind the Videos 
Author: Cole Maverick, Hunter, Anthony diFiore
Publisher: inGroup Press
Length: 334 pages
Buy the book: Amazon
Blurb:
“In the most anticipated erotica title this year, the story of Xtube.com’s most popular porn couple is told by the two guys who lived it. Sparing no detail, the Maverick Men recount the steamy circumstances of how they met, fell in love, and transformed themselves from two regular guys into Internet celebrities. Along with hot sex and funny vignettes, we learn who these guys really are, and what their secret to success has been.”
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Posted in 2 stars, Biography, Erotica, Gay, Memoirs, Reviews | 6 Comments »
November 29th, 2010 by Oddmonster / 541 views
Title: Tales from the Sexual Underground 
Author: Rick R. Reed
Publisher: ManLoveRomance Press
Length: 188 pages
Buy the book: Publisher
Blurb:
“I wanted to write about people who were not just out, but out there, people who lived their sexual lives in ways most of us could only imagine…and for whom the flavor vanilla had absolutely no appeal. I interviewed porn stars, prostitutes, self-proclaimed sex pigs, and delved into bizarre sexual practices. It was eye-opening, arousing, and a lot of fun (but never, never good clean fun). I also include here my favorite dirty stories. They all explore a side of life that exists not in the twilight zone, but in my favorite destination…the sexual underground.”
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Posted in 3 stars, Anthology, Biography, Erotica, Gay, Horror, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Reviews | 3 Comments »
August 3rd, 2010 by Oddmonster / 1,277 views
Title: Love, West Hollywood: Reflections of Los Angeles 
Editors: Chris Freeman and James J. Berg
Publisher: Alyson Books
Length: anthology / 338 pages
Buy the book: Publisher
Blurb:
From New Orleans (Love, Bourbon Street) to San Francisco (Love, Castro Street), Alyson’s richly detailed, highly acclaimed series finds its way to the sun-dappled land of Southern California. The story of Los Angeles’ gay history is often overshadowed by the mystique of Hollywood, as well as the notion that the gay community was centered in the City by the Bay or the Big Apple. Now, Los Angeles’ rich literary and cultural heritage is revealed in these thoughtful, humorous, and insightful essays.
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Posted in 5 stars, Anthology, Gay, Lesbian, Memoirs, Reviews, Transgender | 1 Comment »
June 10th, 2010 by Oddmonster / 2,502 views
Title: Transparent: Love, Family and Living the T with Transgender Teenagers 
Author: Cris Beam
Publisher: Harcourt, Inc
Length: Novel, 323 pages
Buy the book: Powells
Blurb:
When Cris Beam first moved to Los Angeles, she thought she might put in just a few hours volunteering at a school for gay and transgender kids while she got settled. Instead, she found herself drawn, more deeply than she could ever have imagined, into the pained and powerful group of transgirls she discovered.
In Transparent she introduces four of them – Christina, Dominique, Foxxjazell, and Ariel. As she earns their trust she shows us their world, a dizzying mix of familiar teenage cliques and crushes with far less familiar challenges like how to morph your body on a few dollars a day. Funny, heartbreaking, defiant, and sometimes defeated, the girls form a singular community. But they struggle valiantly to resolve the gap between the way they feel inside and the way the world sees them – and who among us can’t identify with that?
Beam’s astute reporting, sensitive writing, and passionate engagement with her characters place this book in the ranks of the very best narrative nonfiction.
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Posted in 5 stars, Biography, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Ratings, Reviews, Transgender | 1 Comment »
May 3rd, 2010 by Oddmonster / 3,370 views
Title: Jocks: True stories of America’s gay male athletes 
Author: Dan Woog
Publisher: Alyson Books
Length: 230 pages, paperback
Buy this book: Amazon
Blurb:
What happens when the final closet door–that of men in sports–finally swings open?
Is there life for gay athletes after coming out to their teammates? Is there life before coming out? And how does being in the closet affect athletic performance? As gay athletes and coaches openly move onto the playing fields, many are still grappling with the subtle messages they received while growing up: that homosexuality is something to be mocked, avoided or feared and is completely incompatible with athletics. Journalist Dan Woog, himself an openly gay soccer coach, interviewed dozens of gay jocks and offers up over twenty-five inspiring stories of men who are truly today’s champions.
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Posted in 3.5 stars, Anthology, Biography, Gay, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Reviews | 3 Comments »
April 8th, 2010 by Emily / 1,517 views
Title: Not Quite the Same
Author: Sheila Morris
Publisher: Red Letter Press
Length:: Novel / 179 pages
Buy the book: Amazon
Blurb:
GCLS Literary Awards winner Sheila Morris continues her engaging stories as she leaves her Texas home breaking free from the ties of her childhood. Her travels take her from Seattle to South Carolina, and from youthful longings to grownup passions. Along the way, she unearths and understands herself, but rarely the women she loves.
From no-holds-barred workplace discrimination against women in the 60s to the deliberate deception of corporate America against lesbians in the 21st century, she survives and tells the stories that need to be told. She speaks honestly, but with humor that spices the narrative.
Finally, she hears the voices of her past calling her home again in her memories. They remind us all that we never really leave home or the people we love.
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Posted in 3.5 stars, Lesbian, Memoirs, Non-Fiction, Reviews | No Comments »
