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This was soooooo good! I saw @ItsAnotherJen review and read the synopsis. Page turner for sure.

What a beautiful story. There is a lot more I could say about it, but there just is not enough space for it here. So many lovely and heartbreaking moments.
4.5 stars

So educational and well-written. I hope everyone reads this book to find some understanding about the trans community where they might not have before. Poppy is so lucky to have the support system she does as many don‘t.

Many books have changed my point of view about something. This book gave me some insight into what it‘s like going through life with an uncertain gender identity. My heart broke as they described the fear and anxiety they felt over something as ordinary as using a public bathroom. #sundayfunday

Soooo many emotions throughout this book. I‘m not sure if things are ever quite this simple in terms of transgender children but I still loved the story. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Rosie,a medical doctor and her husband Penn, a writer live in Wisconsin and have five boys. Their youngest, five year old Claude, wants to be a girl when he grows up. So,Claude starts to wear dresses and “the secret”begins. When the truth is discovered, Rosie takes Claude with her to Thailand, where she is working at a clinic. A whole new world of acceptance, beauty and understanding opens up to both of them. I loved this book. #pridemonth

Current audiobook. #pridemonth

This book is powerful, beautiful, heartbreaking and incredibly important! I am so grateful that I read this book and strive to be the safe space for all who need it!

Books 50, 51, 52 of the year.

A brand new shiny library 😍😍😍😍

This was an absolutely beautiful book. I'm sad that I left it so long to read but I think it came into my life at the perfect time. As the mom of a gender-fluid kid this book spoke to me in so many ways. I cannot recommend it enough! 5/5 stars

A bit saccharine at times, this sweet and charming novel follows a family navigating life with a transgender child. Claude identifies as female early in her childhood and is quickly accepted by the family as Poppy. A lot of safe choices are made: a thoroughly supportive and loving family, understanding school administrators, neighbors, etc. Though often painfully unrealistic, I loved living in a world where this is how it always is. 4⭐️

Pleased with my #AwesomeApril reading results! I‘m having a run on great books lately, so that is exciting! I‘ll be finishing TIHIAI tonight a day late, but I‘ll take the partial credit. 😀 Thanks @Andrew65 and see you for May‘s readathon!

#readingbracket @chasjjlee

Because I have to make things harder (or easier?) I am doing a fiction and a nonfiction bracket.

This Is How It Always Is was fantastic and my favorite story from January.

I loved this messy, heartwarming, beautifully written book. 4.5/5

But first, Roo was born

#FirstLineFriday @ShyBookOwl

Got the best gift today! One of the girls in my bookclub dropped off this adorable ornament with all the books we read together this year! I‘m so grateful for this little group of reading friends and our monthly meetings 😊

“… you never know. You only guess. This is how it always is. You have to make these huge decisions on behalf of your kid, this tiny human whose fate and future is entirely in your hands, who trusts you to know what‘s good and right and then to be able to make that happen. You never have enough information. You don‘t get to see the future. And if you screw up… your child‘s… happiness is at stake…it‘s heartbreaking…” p84

My first thought after finishing this story is how refreshing it is to read a book about a close family with strong morals and unconditional love. This is the story of Rosie and Penn and their family. Their youngest, born Claude, identifies as Poppy and how Poppy affects their family, friends, and lifestyle and how, in the end, it all comes down to family, love and embracing who you are ❤️ I‘m looking forward to discussing this one at book club!

The story of a family of five boys until it was not. A story of a family with a secret. More importantly the story of a family that loves each other unconditionally, no matter what that might look like. This was my first Laurie Frankel novel but it won't be my last. "Story is the best magic there is." 4+?

Ready for #BookSpinBingo once again. I still haven‘t got my Litsy mojo back, so I‘m relatively inactive here at the moment 😔 @TheAromaofBooks

Another book that I have no idea how it came to me, but glad it did. Penn and Rosie have a bunch of sons, but the youngest - brilliant Claude wants to dress like a girl and play with girls. Clause becomes Poppy and the whole family keeps the child‘s biological gender a secret (which we know will be exposed). My favorite part is the sub plot of the ongoing fairy tell Penn tells his sons for many years. What would we do in their shoes?

My 3rd book this month: This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel. Ever heard of Gender Dysphoria? This book is about it and how it plays in the lives of an ordinary family living in an unforgiving, sometimes ignorant, and terrifying world where being different, being non-binary, being queer is not tolerated. Gender Dysphoria, simply put, is that strong desire to be of another gender. You are born a boy 👇

This will be an unpopular opinion, and while I think it is still a good book for a club discussion, I still found this a bit of a slog. Affirming and feel-good, yes. And that was the problem—not enough tension or conflict to keep me interested, with several plot events which didn‘t feel quite authentic. Curious what others thought.

Ready for #BookSpinBingo. #Bookspin is #13 Thirteen Doorways Wolves Behind Them All April‘s #YABuddyRead and #DoubleSpin is #7 Some Places More Than Others #MGBuddyRead. I finished #12 on my list in March so it‘s now Parable of the Sower. April is all about challenge prompts and buddy reads. Wishing everyone an awesome reading month!

4.5 stars

Read this book with my books@work group and loved the discussion we had surrounding the book.

Laurie Frankel took from her actual life and wrote a magical book filled with daily life intertwined fairy tales. She skips over some of the dirtier parts of life, which is a let down at some point during the story, but I think she was trying to stick the theme of real life can be a fairy tale.

What a beautiful and touching story about family, transgender and learning about how to be in the world. Such a beautiful and heartfelt story. Families who learn to love and grow together as they change and adapt.

This weekend read. While waiting for the snow.

So good. Emotionally drained. ❤️❤️❤️❤️ Audiobook is amazing!!

Re read this for my book club. It truly is one of my favorites. It speaks to me as a parent and a human. Learning to be true to yourself and allowing others to do so.

Incredible, beautiful story of a family navigating a complicated world.

I really enjoyed the audio version of this book - and you won‘t hear me say that all too often. This family‘s journey as they navigate their son‘s desire to be a girl was very well done.

I‘m early on in this story about a 5 year old boy who, at this point in the story, is asking to wear dresses to school. This seems like the perfect time to share this recent photo of Captain Adorable. He loves to dress up if his sister asks him too. One of the things the boy in the story does is wear barrettes to school on his first day. The Captain did as well. I remember having the same feeling the parents in this story had. 🔽

“If only one tiny stupid part of you is a boy, you can never be a girl.” 😔 #BrokenHearted #TransQueer

Had to steal this from a friend! #nosleepforreaders

Delightful, heartfelt, sweet book that explores gender norms, childhood, bullying, and how hard it can be to be male or female or anything in-between.

First of all I am LOVING this book!!! And I stayed in a hotel with my hubby last night, just for fun. Can you imagine a more perfect place for some morning reading?!

My favorite book in a long time!! Loved the story, loved the family, loved the writing! ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is a story to love! I enjoyed this family‘s ups and downs, so much relates to great parenting but yet the truth is bad stuff happens. 💕💕💕

Today‘s card is: Two of Diamonds; ADAPTABILITY

“Charlotte makes the best of her choices by marrying Mr. Collins to avoid becoming a financial burden on her parents”

This makes me think of the family in the tagged book. As the family grows and they start to realize how different their children are from one another and how different their needs are, they are endlessly adaptable.

What does this make you think of? Comment below!

What a heartwarming book about a family navigating their daughter becoming her true self, even if she was born with male genitalia. I highly recommend this read!

Current read for one of my book clubs.

A lovely narrative about family, gender, expression, parental love, and finding yourself. #bookclubreads

This book was beautiful- I listened to it on audio. I found it really moving and really helpful. There‘s a lot I don‘t understand about the T in LGBTQ but this was a big help. I loved the utterly realistic view of parenting and marriage, too. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

#integrateyourshelf I am looking forward to everyone‘s recommendations of transgender books and memoirs. I‘d recommend the tagged novel about raising a transgender child. The language is a bit too self-aware at times, but it really looks at how transitioning impacts a whole family - even one that is wholly accepting. I‘d also recommend the podcast “how to be a girl” about raising a transgender child. The short episodes are impactful.

Favourite read of 2019. This book has really stayed with me. 5⭐