[GoneGirl]

I just finished reading "Whipping Girl" by Julia Serano. It was well-written and very informative on transgender/transsexual issues with a strong slant on how femininity is devalued in our culture. I like that she is an advocate and activist for transgender people of all types with the goal of breaking down the binary gender model the society imposes on us all. Whether you agree with her views or not, it's an impressive piece of work, and worth a look.

CK

[sfem]

Since we are mentioning books related to our topic, I recently read Trans-sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian and found it an interesting read.

[JustEmily]

When I was searching for books as I found myself, I first read My Husband Betty, then She's Not the Man I Married, by Helen Boyd.

I found them to be kind of disturbing... informative and good "get your feet wet" books, but still... I felt sorta dirty after reading them, almost like I should apologize to my wife a lot for being who I am.

She seems very angry in more than a few parts.

They've got a website, too and they've been around the block a few thousand more times than I have... great trans advocates... still scary reads for someone alone and finally discovering that this is the thing that has been nagging from the dark for their entire life.

[GoneGirl]

Since we are mentioning books related to our topic, I recently read Trans-sister Radio by Chris Bohjalian and found it an interesting read.

Decent reviews for Trans-sister Radio on Amazon. Thanks, Sfem, I think I'll order it.

When I was searching for books as I found myself, I first read My Husband Betty, then She's Not the Man I Married, by Helen Boyd.

I found them to be kind of disturbing... informative and good "get your feet wet" books, but still... I felt sorta dirty after reading them, almost like I should apologize to my wife a lot for being who I am.

She seems very angry in more than a few parts.

They've got a website, too and they've been around the block a few thousand more times than I have... great trans advocates... still scary reads for someone alone and finally discovering that this is the thing that has been nagging from the dark for their entire life.

I think My Husband Wears My Clothes is a more sympathetic piece of writing on cross gender identity (MtF) with a focus on cross dressing as its chief manifestation. It's a good read for the spouse of a cross dresser who may be having serious difficulty accepting her husbands gender variant behavior.

CK

[GoneGirl]

Prompted my Sfem's mention of the book as an interesting read, I purchased and read "Trans-sister Radio" by Chris Bohjalian.

It's a work of fiction, and I liked it. I thought it gave a credible portrayal of the pitfalls, problems, and rewards of transitioning male to female. I appreciated the detail that the author included concerning SRS. I also thought that the book realistically dealt with the problem of acceptance not only by an employer and the community, but also of close relations. In fact, the novel is as much about the acceptance of a spouse or partner as it is about the trials of the transsexual herself. It deals thoroughly with the sexual life of a transsexual (got your attention yet? ). I cared about the main characters in the book and hoped for a happy ending. You'll have to read the book yourself to learn that.

It appears that the author researched the subject very well. I didn't encounter obvious mistakes or mischaracterizations. Of course, what do I know, really? If anyone has read it, feel free to give us your review. I recommend it.

Clara Kay

[GoneGirl]

One of the side benefits of obtaining and reading books on cross gender subjects is that my wife has chosen to read some of them, too. No, I don't pressure her to do so. The benefit is that she is learning about the gender variant condition without my having to explain everything to her. We do have discussions about the books we've read which also helps with our mutual understanding of where things are going. If one thing is true, it's that my embracing of the feminine side of my personality is not a static condition. It's evolving every day. It's a moving train bound to an unknown destination. At least, we are both on that train.

Clara Kay

[Missed Miss]

Well, they aren't books, but they ARE stories written in various magazines. One from Penthouse in the late `70's was about a guy who lived our dream!! He went to bed one night and woke up the next morning as a fully functional woman!! At first, his friend, who was also his Dr., had no clue why he changed over night. Then other cases popped up. Before the end of the story, thousands of men were changing into women over night!! But, as it happens, natural born women looked down on them and, in those days of women's rights, made these new women deal with all the shit they've had to deal with for centuries: cleaning the house, washing the dishes and laundry, doing all the cooking and all the other drudgeries women have been oppressed with over the millennia.

Another story in Hustler at that time deals with a guy who has become a warlock and has to deal with succubi and incubi, at least one of which has the ability to change sex at will. Another of our dreams!

And, lastly, "Stacked Like Me", a story Chris Miller (the author of "Animal House") wrote in national Lampoon about a newspaper man in the women's rights era deciding to write an article about what it's really like to be a woman, so he seeks out a Dr. friend of his and talks him into giving him silicone injections in his chest (remember those?) to give him HUGE tits, and then he'd dress up and try as much as possible to look like a woman so he could live like a woman and experience it first hand instead of asking one what it's like.

As far as I know, I don't know of ANY books about being transgendered. At least none that I've read.

[GoneGirl]

Yeah, there's a ton of transgender fiction out there on the internet. I guess it's another way guys and gals deal with the crossgender condition when transitioning, cross dressing, role switching, etc. is not possible or desirable. I never wrote any trans stories myself. Heck, I was practically 50 when the internet came to life which is when it all took off. So have you got a favorite trans/erotic literature site, MM? tgstorytime.com, asstr.org and literotica.com come to mind.

Clara

[Samantha Rogers]

Mea culpa...tee hee...love Literotica! Though my interest in video of an... explicit...nature is now almost gone entirely, I do stll enjoy a well written story. Do you think that is a more feminine characteristic? I feel as though men are more likely to favor visuals while most women, who have discussed this with me at least, are likely to reject that form ( sometimes fiercely), but still enjoy the imagination aspect of erotic fiction. Hence the appeal of those "Shades of gray" books from recently. I suppose, of course, it could also be that women are conditioned to behave that way and to act as though visual porn is repugnant (unladylike) regardless of true feelings.

[GoneGirl]

Sammie, I think you're right, statistically speaking. My interest in the visual has dropped to the floor, but I like to read about personal relationships with sexual overtones. It's amazing, truly, how one part of my brain has been shut off, while another part turned on. And it's not just I. PM does that to just about everyone if the dosage is high enough.

BTW, I'm in day 6 of my PM break and I've been in male sex-on-the-brain mode all day. I even checked out the plumbing. Works fine.

I'm going to end the break a day early. Yay!

Clara