Phoebe's Diary

 Phoebe's Diary by Phoebe Wahl (2023), 464 pages

If you read my previous post about Little Witch Hazel, you know that Phoebe Wahl is a favorite artist of mine. This is her somewhat true, somewhat fictionalized teenage diary. Wahl very much captures teenage angst and coming of age. It reminds me a lot of the risqué Judy Blume books we all read too young and hoped that our parents didn't know what was actually in them. Do people still read Judy Blume? I am aging myself, but I am not sure what the current equivalent would be. I suspect a lot of teenage girls would relate to this novel. If you are a parent to teenagers, you might want to wait until they are adults before diving in. 

Gender Queer

 Gender Queer: a memoir / Maia Kababe, 239 pgs.

This memoir takes us on a journey with the author who is confused by gender and sexuality.  Why did the "girl" stuff not feel right but neither did the "boy" stuff?  How do you refer to yourself when "she" or "he" doesn't seem correct?  How do you discover truths about your identity when you don't seem to fit in anywhere?  This is a sweet and gentle memoir about self discovery in areas where most of us don't have as many questions.  I was taken by the author's honesty and the struggle for the resolution.

Vanishing twins

Vanishing twins / Leah Dieterich, 295 pgs.

The idea of vanishing twins...that many of us are in utero with a twin early on but as time goes on, one "twin" disappears or is absorbed back into the mother.  Dieterich feels like she has been missing a twin her whole life.  Aside from this, this is a memoir of her early life and marriage to a man she feels connected to like a twin. During her marriage, she and her husband decide to be "open" and she embarks on some relationships with other woman...ostensibly at first to become a threesome but as time goes on, it obvious these women are not interested in this arrangement and really, neither is she. The exploration of the relationships, the author's sexuality and the limits of her relationship with her husband is interesting.  I also enjoyed the relationship with her co-worker.  Her team at work (advertising) whom she has a close sibling like relationship testing the limits of the professional situation at the office.  On the one hand, she seems to have so many people that she is "twinning" with, she seems to find the lost twin (if it even existed). Of course, there is always drama when relationship limits are tested although it seems remarkably subtle to me.  Dieterich is a lovely writer and I found myself lost in this book.

Mrs. Fletcher

Mrs. Fletcher by Tom Perrotta (2017) 307 pages

Mrs. Fletcher is a novel for those times when one isn't in need of deep meaning or strong characters. The point of view shifts, switching mostly between that of Eve Fletcher, a 46 year-old divorcee who is sending her only son off to college, and Brendan Fletcher, her son, who is not ready to take his college education seriously.  Peripheral characters include a trans woman who is teaching a course Eve is taking at her local community college; Amanda, a young woman working to present programs at the senior center that Eve directs; Julian, a high school classmate of Brendan's who was traumatized by an event right before his senior year started; and Amber, a student at Brendan's university who, like him, has an autistic sibling.

Eve spends a lot of time trying to explore her sexuality by visiting porn sites and studying videos to learn how to interact with potential partners. Brendan, who was hoping to find a smorgasbord of sexual offerings at college, finds himself isolated and feeling outcast. The story takes us along to see how their decisions pan out.

Masters of sex

Masers of sex: the life and times of William Masters and Virginia Johnson, the couple who taught America how to love / Thomas Maier 411 pgs.

This biography of the "sexologists" Masters and Johnson that lead to the hit tv series of the same name.  It was interesting to learn more about their groundbreaking research and life in St. Louis.  Equally interesting is their personal lives...before they became "Masters and Johnson" and eventually a married couple who may have been more focused on their professional life than their private life.

Even though some of their purported research was faulty, they still made huge steps forward understanding the actual biology of sex and take away the discomfort of talking about it, making sure people realize what an important role it plays in relationships.

I thought the book did a good job covering both people but was a little disappointed in the end where the focus seemed to be a little heavy on Johnson being alone and bitter.  Oh well, not saying it isn't accurate, just not sure if it should define her.

Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy

Screw Everyone: Sleeping My Way to Monogamy by Ophira Eisenberg, 286 pages.

Everytime I listen to Ask Me Another on NPR on Saturday afternoon, I like it more. At first, it was just the show that was on after Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me, but now I frequently look forward to hearing Eisenberg's fun and witty quiz show as well.
Eisenberg's memoir is an above average comedian memoir. I used to read memoirs by comedians and comedy writers assuming they would be funny. Usually they are, for a small portion of the book, and then they run dry. So now I read them hoping they will be funny, and they usually are for a short while, and then. . .
Ophira Eisenberg is pretty funny throughout her memoir, overall the book is funnier than it is raunchy; all the sex that is implied in the title comes across as fairly tame in the book itself. I enjoyed it and will continue to enjoy her radio show.
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The Color of Heaven

The Color of Heaven by Kim Dong Hwa  320 pp.

This is book three in Kim's Color Trilogy. Ehwa is now 17 and lovesick over her young man, Duksam's departure at the end of the second book. Ehwa and her mother are spending their days waiting for the men in their lives to return. In the mean time, Ehwa's precocious best friend, Bongsoon, introduces her innocent friend to the facts of life. The arrival of both the traveling painter, and a young man carrying a message from Duksam lightens the women's moods. Eventually the first snow brings the arrival of Duksam who asks for Ehwa's hand in marriage. The hold a traditional Korean wedding with explanations of some of the more unusual traditions. Ehwa and Duksam leave to travel to their new home on his parent's farm. Ehwa's mother is left to ponder her new life as a woman alone when the painter returns and decides to give up his travels to stay with her. The arrival of the young lovers sparks a humorously renewed interest in romance between Duksam's parents as the young lovers are finally able to consummate their love.

The Color of Water

The Color of Water by Kim Dong Hwa  318 pp.

This is the second book in Kim's "color trilogy." In the first book we are introduced to Ehwa and her beautiful and wise mother. In this volume Ehwa is growing into a young woman. She has moved beyond her girlhood crushes on a young Buddhist monk and the orchard owner's son. A humorous, chance meeting with Duksam, a new young man in the area starts Ehwa on first experience with true love. While this is going on, her mother continues her relationship with the traveling painter and counsels her daughter on the ways of life and love. The young lovers experience heartbreak when Duksam's elderly master connives to buy Ehwa to be his own wife. The young lovers part in the end leaving the story open for the third book.

The Color of Earth

The Color of Earth by Kim Dong Hwa  319 pp.

I decided to read this book after reading this article from the CBLDF (Comic Book Legal Defense Fund). I wanted to find out what the fuss was about. I'm glad I did. This is a beautifully crafted graphic novel by a Korean author. It is the story of a girl's maturing and sexual awakening and her relationship with her widowed mother who finds love again in a traveling artist whose infrequent visits change their lives. Love is symbolized by different flowers that are featured in the story: gourd flowers for the mother's love of the artist, tiger lilies and hollyhocks for the girl's love for a young monk and the orchard owner's son. The topic of the girl's sexual maturation is handled with surprising gentleness, sensitivity, and honesty by the male author. The story is continued in two more books in the series.