Staff Pick
Finally, a story about a trans women that was created for an audience of trans women. It begins with the breakdown of Maria Griffith's life — a punk lesbian struggling to live an authentic life while working retail at a New York City bookstore. After a breakup unsettles her foundation, she packs her ex-girlfriend's car and heads west, no destination in mind. Her inner monologue is presented in a counternarrative style, where she expands on feelings of dysphoria, otherness, and the complexities of navigating a world where being trans isn't embraced. Maria Griffith is a complicated, interesting character who you'll find yourself rooting for; and even if she isn't always the most sympathetic person, her plight will quickly carry you through this book. Recommended By Tehya R., Powells.com
Nevada was the first trans novel from Topside Press that started a revolution of trans lit, starring a fully human and thoroughly pissed-off trans woman not afraid to make the same kind of dubious decisions all great literary characters get to make. Imogen Binnie writes with such life that you can feel the blood pumping through every page. Recommended By Cosima C., Powells.com