Disability and Ace rep.

This was recommended to me by a coworker. I am often skeptical of recommendations having had many an unhelpful “life hack” from people who do not have neurodivergence or mental illness. The book ended up being more helpful than I anticipated. There were a few helpful metaphors that i am stealing (our working memory is like post it’s that have lost their sticky). However, I can’t help but compare it to other books I’ve read, namely Unmasking Autism. The biggest issue I have with this book is this: I have never once been able to combat my harmful thought patterns and habits without first changing the environment in which I am thinking and living. This books does not offer any way to change environment. Though it does attempt to help you accept the ways I’m which you brain works differently, that is incredibly hard to do when the world is not set up for you. Sometimes a fundamental shift in how our environment operates is vital to improving our conditions. I don’t think you can discuss improving mental health without looping in social justice. And I’m not sure this author had a sense of that at all. 

A collection of short essays and poems that give voice to the pain and joy of trans-womaness, of a Chinese woman, of a person still searching for love and hope at the end of the world. It is a critique of kindness towards the queer community, and a hope for what it could be.

I had the immense pleasure of beta reading this. I can barely fathom that it’s a real book now! GAHH! I love this book so much. It’s wickedly funny, and aching heartfelt. A nice little f-u to the status quo. Also sapphic badassery and sweetness:):):):):):). I’ll go to my grave claiming that frank and bill have nothing in Aaron and the Captain. (And they’re just the background art here). There’s henchmen who unionize. What’s not to love about this book?? Radley is a stunning author and this is a story I’m going to carry with me for a very long time.