Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Small Beauty
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
40 posts | 13 read | 61 to read
Small Beauty tells the story of Mei, who in coping with the death of her cousin abandons her life in the city to live in his now empty house in a small town. There she connects with his history as well as her own, learns about her aunts long-term secret relationship, and reflects on the trans women she left behind. She also brushes up against some local trans mysteries and gets advice from departed loved ones with a lot to say.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
Pick icon
100%
blurb
Graciouswarriorprincess
Small Beauty | jiaqing wilson-yang
post image

Supporting #durhampridemonth with a bookclub sponsored by @queenysdurham and @lettersbookshop this afternoon.

Enjoying a sour beer in the meeting.

#sourbeer #bookclub #localbusinesses #booknerd #booklover #librarian

review
xicanti
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

SMALL BEAUTY lives up to its name. In only 160 pages, it offers up an affecting portrait of one woman‘s grief for all she‘s lost and all she‘s survived. These days, I dip in and out of things more often than not, but I read this in two sittings. Highly recommended. #gaymay

blurb
xicanti
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

I ate some soy sauce noodles, then dove into SMALL BEAUTY. It‘s off to a very promising start. I‘m excited to sink into it this afternoon.

review
broughtyoubooks
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

A beautiful but heartbreaking novel centring a Chinese Canadian trans woman, largely dealing with the deaths of family - both blood and found - in her life, as well as converging identities.

70 likes1 stack add
review
ReadingEnvy
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

Coping with the death of her cousin, Mei abandons her life in the city to live in his now empty house in a small town. There she connects with his history as well as her own, and reflects on the trans women she has left behind.

I'm always on the hunt for books about small lives with meaning and found it in this quiet novel. There are no big revelations and no Hallmark movie moments, just daily struggle and tiny victories, like leaving the house.

73 likes1 stack add
review
Jabberwocky
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

So I devoured this one whole, in a single (albeit long) sitting. The prose is lovely. Sparse, poetic and lovely. I found the narrative to be engaging was quickly paced enough for me. I would also say it‘s left a melancholy tone in my heart- something deeply sad about how my own experiences relate to the book. All in all 4/5 stars. #queerbooks #transbooks #catsoflitsy #lastpostofthenight

makayladanielle Flat out thought that was Lucille and was deeply confused why her fur was different. 🙄😂 7y
32 likes4 stack adds1 comment
quote
Jabberwocky
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

It felt cruel, a landscape brutalized but surviving, thriving in some parts but left with the damage, and these new plants selected for a job that was impossible to do but forced here because they really had no other choice. #queerbooks #transbooks #quotsy #quotes

blurb
Jabberwocky
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

So excited to dig into this lovely #halloweengoespostal gift from @Bibliogeekery 🏳️‍🌈🦆 #queerbooks #transbooks #canadianbooks #beautifulbooks

bookloo This is beautiful! Can‘t wait to see what you think of it. 🤓 7y
Bibliogeekery Yay!!! It's so great! 7y
28 likes3 stack adds2 comments
quote
Betty
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

A page from my #Persephone 2017 Diary. It was my Christmas gift to myself when I saw @BooksForYears post about hers. I wrote these quotes back in April when I read @Bibliogeekery 's #QGP1 book. My Persephone diary keeps track of book swaps such as #summersantagoespostal, #covertocover rounds, #ssgp and other Litsy things. The puppy chewed a corner of the diary, but still many many pages left to use throughout 2018.

readordierachel Are those quotes all the from the tagged book? 7y
Betty @ReadOrDieRachel yes indeed! 7y
See All 6 Comments
BooksForYears This is so beautiful! 💕💕 7y
Mdargusch So nice! 7y
62 likes6 comments
blurb
Jabberwocky
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Midnight, at last! The witching hour, if you will. 👻 @Bibliogeekery, I am beyond touched. All three of the books sound amazing, and I've not read any of them! I was just saying the other day that I need more #queerbooks on my shelves. I'm in love with the tattoos and I don't know if I can bear to use them, they are so beautiful! Thank you for making my first bookswap such a success. 🎃🎃 #halloweengoespostal #fallbookexchange @BookishMarginalia

Jabberwocky Also note the sleepy partner in the background. 😂 She's had a hard week. 💛 7y
Cinfhen 💝 7y
LeahBergen 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 7y
Bibliogeekery So glad you like them!! I was cleaning out my bag yesterday and found a couple of little wrapped gifty things in the bottom that were supposed to have gone in your package! Must have missed them at the post office. I'll throw them in the mail - sorry about that! 7y
Jabberwocky @Bibliogeekery That's so sweet of you 💛 The package was perfect so I can't imagine what else you could add to it 🎃 7y
56 likes5 comments
quote
Lindy
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

“People question too much about me, Sandy. I don‘t need them asking around if you are my son.”
“Ma. We were the only Asians in Herbertsville when I was born. Even if we were as unrelated as Amy Tan and Margaret Cho, they would have thought I was your son.”

(Internet photos of Cho and Tan.)

Yellowpigeon I love this book 7y
42 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Lindy
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

This slim novel documents a Canadian mixed race trans woman‘s interior journey from grief & isolation towards community. It unfolds in brief, nonlinear scenes grouped in 3 sections: guidance, bridges & wisdom. A light touch with metaphor—a Canada goose, access to a large body of water, the health of a potted plant—makes for graceful inclusion of big subjects: intersectionality, gender identity, closeted older & rural queers, & Chinese diaspora. ❤️

Andrea4 Haha this pic is a good representation of the park by my house at pretty much any day of the year! 7y
Lindy @Andrea4 😄I took the photo at English Bay when I was in Vancouver for the Writers Fest. 7y
Andrea4 Well I'm all the way in Ontario but, Canada is Canada 😁 geese don't care! 7y
Lindy @Andrea4 True. And Canada geese have memorable cameos in this book. 7y
63 likes1 stack add5 comments
quote
Lindy
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Mei picks up a drawing of the house, Bernadette, Sandy and Jinhou, the dog. The teacher had circled Jinhou‘s name and written ‘spelling?‘ underneath the word. Sandy had been so excited about Jinhou, about having a dog, but by the time Jinhou died, he was exhausted by having to explain his name to everyone they met. He said the next dog he got would have a white name so he could get on with walking it.

46 likes1 stack add
blurb
Bibliogeekery
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Re-visiting this gorgeous book in preparation for my queer bookclub meeting tomorrow. Can't say enough good about this book!!! 😍📚💕 #transbooks

Lindy I'm looking forward to reading this for the first time later this month. 😊 7y
tojuxtapose Nice presentation. 7y
kalinichta Lovely photo. 7y
ReadingEnvy I really want to read this one! 7y
65 likes1 stack add4 comments
blurb
Bibliogeekery
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

My dear friend reading a book I deeply love - in the treehouse! 🏠🌲📚😍

merelybookish Lovely! 7y
JSW 😍😍😍 love everything about this picture! 7y
64 likes3 comments
blurb
Yellowpigeon
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Can I say how much I love this book?!?! Wish it was wider available in the states. Pepe is enjoying the first day it's cool enough to read on the balcony. #litsypartyofone @Bibliogeekery

Bibliogeekery Isn't it such a lovely book? 7y
Alicia Yay! I bought it from the publisher, will have to bump it up on the TBR! 7y
Yellowpigeon @Bibliogeekery, her voice is so amazing. I could read her describing a phone book. I'm now following her on both Facebook and goodreads, so I can nab her next book the second it is released. @Alicia, clear your schedule and read it today. I sobbed and giggled on the same page. 7y
35 likes3 stack adds3 comments
quote
Yellowpigeon
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

I'm finally one of the cool kids who gets to understand the untranslated parts of the books. My professor would be so pleased this is how I'm using my Chinese minor. 😆

We read Last of the Mohicans in high school. I swear half that book was in French and all I know in French is cheeses and wines. I finally feel like one of the cool kids

blurb
shawnmooney
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

I've wanted to get my hands on this novel by a transgendered Asian-Canadian writer ever since I first laid eyes on its gorgeous cover! (My only quibble with this latest printing is the addition of the lit award badges—imprinted, not peelable stickers—which clutter up the cover design a bit.) Can't wait to read it!

Jokila Ooh yeah I agree -- STUNNING cover ✨ but you should be able to remove the medals! 7y
ReadingEnvy That episode of Can Lit with Kai Cheng Thom mentioned this. 7y
56 likes4 stack adds2 comments
blurb
Yellowpigeon
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

#bookmail is the best mail. #qgp1

Bibliogeekery Yay!!! 7y
JSW Omg enjoy this one! So good! 7y
33 likes2 comments
review
amckiereads
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

A beautiful novel by a mixed race trans writer about a mixed race trans character. A quiet exploration of life and community and dealing with loss.

review
Redjewel_7734
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

Loved this. The language and imagery was so beautiful-it flowed like water & I felt fortunate to swim along with it. It is a story of an intersectional life. We watch as Mei deals with life as Chinese trans woman grieving her family while discovering who they are & consequently who she is. What I like is this is her as just that-life. There is no embroidering it with mystique & glamour-that's the point she's a person living a life, as we do.

Bibliogeekery Beautiful review of a beautiful book! ❤️ 7y
Redjewel_7734 @Bibliogeekery thank you 😊 This book really touched me. I will be thinking about it for a while. 7y
91 likes1 stack add3 comments
blurb
Redjewel_7734
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Again & again wilson-yang's use of language silences me with its beauty.

Bibliogeekery Gorgeous! 😍 #transbooks 7y
Redjewel_7734 @Bibliogeekery this book really is a treasure. 7y
65 likes2 comments
blurb
Redjewel_7734
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

I know this...

74 likes2 comments
blurb
Redjewel_7734
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Had never really thought about sci-fi like that, though it doesn't take much thought to see it. Why do we work so hard to other people? Why can't we just appreciate one another for we are? Humanity makes me sad.

Bibliogeekery Such a powerful take on science fiction and the other! #transbooks 7y
Redjewel_7734 @Bibliogeekery it really is. It will definitely make me think about science fiction more deeply. I will continue to love it, but I will see it more deeply now. 7y
65 likes2 comments
blurb
Redjewel_7734
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Again, just beautiful imagery. Wilson-Yang's language has a very liquid feel to it. I love it 😍

Yellowpigeon Ugh you're making me want to move it to the top of my list... 7y
Bibliogeekery This page it's my favourite! Can't wait to read it again! #transbooks 7y
Redjewel_7734 @Yellowpigeon it is sooo good 😊 7y
Redjewel_7734 @Bibliogeekery 😍she really has a magic touch with language. 7y
55 likes4 comments
blurb
Redjewel_7734
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

I love this imagery

Books88 👏👏👏❤ 7y
Redjewel_7734 @AJBowers 🙌🏻😍 7y
Abrabookish Love this 💙 7y
See All 6 Comments
Bibliogeekery Such a gorgeous passage! 7y
Redjewel_7734 @Bibliogeekery it truly is 😍 7y
77 likes1 stack add6 comments
blurb
Bibliogeekery
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

So happy that jia qing wilson-yang won the 2017 Lambda award for Transgender Fiction last night at the Lammys. Small Beauty is such a gorgeous book! Check it out if you haven't already. #transbooks

batsy Gorgeous cover 7y
45 likes3 stack adds1 comment
quote
Betty
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Description of anger.

Louise Oh, that's good! 8y
Bibliogeekery Great quote!! #transbooks 8y
kspenmoll 👏 8y
51 likes3 comments
review
Yamich49
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

Beautiful, meditative book about the experiences of Mei, a mixed-race Canadian trans woman. This story gives the reader the opportunity to spend some quiet time with Mei as she is dealing with past and present grief and trauma. The mostly rural setting of the book provides beautiful imagery as a backdrop to haunting scenes of loneliness and loss. 💓 #transbooks #queerbooks

TrishB Great review 😀 8y
shawnmooney Lovely - you just moved this two books higher up on my TBR! 8y
Yamich49 @TrishB Thanks! 😊 It's such a great book! 8y
See All 7 Comments
Yamich49 @shawnmooney It's sooo good! You won't regret it! 8y
Cinfhen Nice review 💚 8y
Bibliogeekery Glad you liked it! It's so great, isn't it? 8y
Yamich49 @Bibliogeekery SOOO GREAT! Thanks for the opportunity to read it! 💗 8y
61 likes7 stack adds7 comments
quote
Yamich49
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang

"She took care of me. You wouldn't get it. How amazing it is to meet someone like you who's older, when you've been living with the idea that no one like you ever gets to be older. How incredible and terrifying it is. All at once."

??? THIS BOOK

Bibliogeekery ❤️❤️❤️ 8y
38 likes1 stack add1 comment
blurb
Yamich49
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Despite being unable to take part in a large scale demonstration today, I found small ways to celebrate International Women's Day. This includes starting this beautiful novel by trans author jia wing wilson-yang. Only 30 pages in and I'm already in love with her writing. 💓

CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian Isn't it beautiful?? 8y
BookishFeminist Sometimes the best resistance is self care 👍🏼 8y
ramyasbookshelf Sounds like an amazing book! I want to read this now :) 8y
See All 6 Comments
Yamich49 @BookishFeminist Agreed! 🙌🏽 8y
Yamich49 @ramyasbookshelf It's fantastic! Highly recommend. 👍🏽 8y
61 likes8 stack adds6 comments
blurb
shawnmooney
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

@CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian has already glowingly reviewed this – I read her review without paying too much attention to the gorgeous cover – now that I've properly gazed upon it, I am hopelessly smitten… I would buy a book with this cover no matter who wrote it or what it was about – the fact that it's by and about a mixed-race Canadian trans woman makes it all the more intriguing!

Bibliogeekery This is such a great book! I know the author. The cover IS do gorgeous 😍! 8y
SusanInTiburon Stunning 😍 8y
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian I was delighted when a goose makes an important appearance in the book to go with the cover too! 8y
32 likes3 stack adds3 comments
review
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

This was an unassuming gem of a book that I would heartily recommend. It's a quiet, meditative, authentic story of Mei, a young queer trans woman dealing with the death of her cousin and learning some family secrets after leaving the city to spend some time in a small town where the house she's inherited is. While she's there, she also reflects a lot on who she is, especially as a mixed race person with Chinese background. #TransBooks #QueerBooks

28 likes3 stack adds
blurb
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

I really love how this book doesn't explain anything (Chinese food, transmisogyny, Mandarin words, how characters are related to the protagonist). It feels like real life. #TransBooks #QueerBooks

35 likes3 stack adds
blurb
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Eating dinner (sun-dried tomato pesto pasta) and trying to decide which one of my review books for my blog I should read next. I've accumulated quite a backlog! Any suggestions?
#QueerBooks

Megabooks I want to read Tomboy. 8y
CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian @Ebooksandcooks It's gonna be great, I know! 8y
30 likes1 stack add2 comments
blurb
Bibliogeekery
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

I constantly lose bookmarks, so I tend to use business cards, receipts and whatever else is at hand. I haven't lost this one yet though! I don't know if you can read it, but it says "keeping gay book lovers satisfied" ❤️ #booktober #bookmarks #queerbooks @RealLifeReading

Marchpane Metonymy Press is a fantastic name too! 8y
90 likes2 comments
blurb
Bibliogeekery
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

I visited one of my favourite independent bookstores: Another Story Bookshop! #getindie

quote
Bibliogeekery
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

"Where she had been engulfed in the landscape as a child, she is now caught in her body's reaction to it." ?

14 likes1 comment
quote
Bibliogeekery
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image

Gorgeous imagery! I want to be in that boat!

11 likes1 comment
review
Bibliogeekery
Small Beauty | jia qing wilson-yang
post image
Pickpick

This book was so beautiful! Someone on goodreads said that it "is more than a novel, it's a blueprint for survival." It's the story of a trans woman dealing with grief, intrgenerational trauma, belonging and healing. It's so well written I was sad when it was finished. I definitely recommend it!

25 likes7 stack adds1 comment