Josephine Baker and Orlando

 Josephine Baker by José-Louis Bocquet with art by Catel (2017) 568 pages

I like that this writer/artist pair make hefty graphic bios. I previously read their graphic biography about Alice Guy. They are able to include so many details and episodes from Josephine's life. I've previously read the biography about Josephine's espionage work for the British and French Resistance during WWII. This graphic book provides a lot more depth about her early life and her work as an entertainer. The WWII period, by contrast, is quite brief. Her later life related to her raising the "Rainbow Tribe" of orphans was fascinating too. The biographical notes at the end on secondary historical figures that crossed paths with Josephine are extensive. In fact, I thought some did not need to be included, since they barely played a role in her story.

Orlando adapted by Susanne Kuhlendahl (2026) 224 pages

I really enjoyed Sally Potter's movie version of Orlando. And this is one of two graphic novel adaptations of Virginia Woolf's queer story coming out this year. I had not read any Woolf novels in school, so it is only through recent Wiki research that I learned Woolf is part of the Modernist literary movement with "stream of consciousness" passages. Kuhlendahl's adaptation definitely keeps this style front and center. However, instead of Orlando breaking the fourth wall like in the movie, Woolf, the "biographer," is present on the page and comments on being a biographer of this character. There is no scientific or magical explanation for how Orlando is able to live more than 300 years, nor for how Orlando transforms from a man into a woman. We are simply asked to ponder "what if" this is true. The story is episodic with changing art styles. It is full of commentary on gender, poetry, love and life, and changing fashions. I thought the chapter set in the Victorian 19th century was the weakest part and the finale set in the early 20th century (Woolf's era), while things truly move at a faster pace, still felt rushed after the depth of the earlier historical periods.

A Gentleman's Gentleman

A Gentleman's Gentleman by T.J. Alexander, 336 pages

Lord Christopher Eden lives the quiet life at his country estate with just a couple of longtime servants to keep him company. He's a bit eccentric, as he chooses to dress himself and has no interest in marrying. However, if he wants to keep his family fortune and estate, his father's will dictates that he must marry by the end of the upcoming Season — which means Lord Eden must also journey to London, hire new staff (including the dreaded valet), and he must court the women he has zero interest in marrying. His newly hired handsome valet, James Harding, has a few suggestions on who to court (AKA who might be willing to enter a marriage in name only to avoid marrying someone reprehensible). And while both lord and valet are drawn to one another, neither feels quite comfortable enough to fully trust the other with his feelings.

Many times, it's hard to combine a historical romance with LGBTQIA main characters, as they either come across as either too modern socially or too educational, scattered with explanatory lectures explaining queer identities in very unrealistic conversations. This one, however, manages to hit the bullseye as a historical queer romance. The worries and slow burn and slow reveal feel completely realistic to both the era and the characters, and the happy ending is as satisfying as they come. An excellent queer historical romance that I'd recommend to anyone!

Volatile Memory

Volatile Memory by Seth Haddon, 176 pages

When Wylla receives a strange transmission promising a big payout to scavengers, she knows she has to be the one to grab the prize, an ultra-rare mask that has the ability to modify its wearer's abilities to some unknown quantity. Other types of masks that do the same thing are much more common — Wylla has a Rabbit mask that increases her situational awareness; someone she encounters has an Ox mask that makes him super strong — but this is one that Wylla has never heard of. And when she gets it, she soon realize there's a reason for that — this mask has a person's thoughts and memories and emotions trapped inside it, making it an odd amalgamation of human and machine. Once Wylla comes to terms with her discovery, she and the woman in the mask, Sable, embark upon a revenge-fueled quest to destroy those responsible for putting Sable in this condition.

For a pretty short book, the worldbuilding in this story is phenomenal, and left me wanting more in the best possible way. Wylla is a trans-woman and her existence paired with Sable's not-quite-human-anymore existence (and Sable's incredible abilities with the mask) brings up an excellent examination of autonomy, identity, and consent, all while taking the reader on a rollicking adventure. A word of warning to readers: the book is told from Sable's point-of-view as she's speaking to Wylla, so much of the book is in second person. It takes a minute to get used to that, but makes sense for the story, and is well worth the read.

*This book will be published July 22, 2025.

Another selection of graphic novels read in Mar.

 Are You My Mother? A Comic Drama by Alison Bechdel (2012) 290 pages

Unfortunately, I liked this one, the third I've read by Bechdel, the least. She has a hard time deciding how to start this book about her relationship with her mother, with what memory. She spends more time describing her psycho-analysis therapy sessions than showing us memories with her mother. There are a lot of big psychology concepts about parents and children, objects and subjects, plus quoting Virginia Woolf. I could not understand it all. I enjoyed her memories of life with her mother, some of it was relatable. I think the biggest flaw was the structure. I could not find the thread of the story as she jumps around from writing Fun Home to writing this book, from going on a promotional tour for Fun Home to moving away to college memories, from teenage memories to childhood memories, from one therapist to another, from one girlfriend to another, and from her mother as a widow in recent years to back when she was newly a widow and still doing theater. Dream analysis and certain phone conversations with her mother sometimes are revealing, but too often don't connect. Oh, and the ebook of this on Hoopla had the margin cut off too high across the bottom. Some text was cut off.

Berlin by Jason Lutes (2018) 580 pages

Epic! Three books bound into one. I loved this historical fiction about the Weimar Republic, the years between WWI and WWII in the title city. The characters are so well developed. Such a wide range of perspectives like in life. Such diversity like in life. There is a trans character, so this could count if you are participating in a trans rights readathon through trans visibility day on March 31. So timely with the politics currently happening in America. The nightmare of the rise of Fascism and their efforts to eliminate dissent and diversity has happened before and we must learn from history. Jason Lutes has crafted a story and art that is incredibly full of life!

Bad Dream: A Dreamer Story by Nicole Maines with art by Rye Hickman (2024) 205 pages

My wife and I enjoyed streaming the CW's Supergirl series. When I saw that the actress who played Dreamer, Nicole Maines, was writing a comics origin story of her trans superhero character, I was excited to read it. I've also read Jadzia Axelrod's Galaxy: The Prettiest Star graphic novel with a handful of land of Oz references, and a couple characters from that crossover in this story. This is promoted as a DC YA crossover. Rye Hickman's art has a YA feel, not too gritty, brightly colored with plenty of pink and blue, and not too realistic. Nia's dreams, especially before she embraces her Dreamer powers, which includes this entire prequel adventure before the events of the TV series, are topsy-turvy and hard to interpret. While some would accuse it of woke-ness, as if that is a bad thing, there are plot points exploring the way alien refugees are treated and how families sometimes disown their queer children. This would also count if you are participating in a trans rights readathon through trans visibility day on March 31.

The Woods All Black

The Woods All Black by Lee Mandelo, 160 pages

Before I get into the summary of this book, please scroll and check out the tags on this post. Then tell me if you think those elements don't have the potential to be 1000% terrifying.

OK, onto the summary. It's 1929, and Leslie has been sent by the Frontier Nurse Service to the small Appalachian town of Spar Creek, where he is to administer vaccinations and assist with childbirth and other women's health issues. We learn from the first page that Leslie is transgender (or an invert, as he refers to himself in the language of the day), and while the fire-and-brimstone preacher isn't too excited about modern medicine reaching into the town, he's particularly upset by Leslie's "determination to not be a proper lady." Turns out there's another young trans man in town, and Leslie's arrival doesn't seem to be helping his own survival prospects. Oh, and there's a vicious supernatural creature prowling the woods behind the town, which further sets everyone on edge.

The first two-thirds of this novella ratchet up the realistic tension and terror of close-minded people in powerful positions physically and psychologically torturing these trans characters. But the final third of the book takes a turn that's...well, I'm not sure how well it sits with me. Without going into detail, I'm not sure the author's intention of revenge plays out exactly how he wanted it to. And there's definitely a scene that was disturbing in a not-great way. So as much as I was looking forward to this book (Mandelo's Summer Sons was EXCELLENT), I can't say I particularly enjoyed it when all is said and done.

*This book will be published March 19, 2024.

Full Fathom Five

 Full Fathom Five by Max Gladstone, 382 pages.

It's hard to even begin describing the premise of this novel, which takes place in the same world as Three Parts Dead. The priests on the island of Kavekana make idols, because there haven't been gods on the island since theirs sailed away during the god wars. The idols aren't like gods, and they essentially function as safe repositories of faith untouchable by foreign gods or deathless kings (a significant part of this book is about fantasy off-shore banking). They can't think or speak, and they aren't sentient. Which makes it a real problem when some of them seem to be spontaneously doing some of those things. Kai, who builds idols, is determined to get to the bottom of the mystery, no matter the consequences. Kai is only one of the protagonists, but it would take even longer to explain the street kid/priestess of dead gods, so I'll leave that element a mystery.

I know that synopsis was a lot, but this book is really good! It's twisty and complex, and I had a hard time putting it down for the whole final third. Although this series is designed to be read in pretty much any order, I still feel like I maybe should have read some of the earlier chronological books first, just to appreciate everything. These books are refreshingly weird, and I'm definitely still excited to read more of them.

Hell Followed With Us

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White, 416 pages.

Benji is sixteen, trans, and on the run from the fundamentalist cult that raised him, caused the apocalypse, and infected him with a virus that is slowly turning him into a monster. Benji is found and taken in by the ALC, the remnants of the Acheson LGBTQ+ Center, who are now banding together to try and survive the apocalypse and the cult that is trying to finish the job that the plague they unleashed started. A job that Benji was made to help them complete. But he figures that if he's being transformed into a monster anyway, he may as well make them suffer for it. 

For a debut novel this is pretty strong. If this was Kara's book club I would definitely have some items in the "Don't buy it" category, but it overall read very smoothly and was genuinely spooky and/or deeply disturbing in a lot of places. It's also, fair warning, very gross. There's a whole lot of body horror in this novel, and I would definitely say it's not for the squeamish. 

Side Note: this cover is so cool, I love the flat style and colors