Title: Questions to Ask Straight Relatives Author: Benjamin Law In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 4.5 (Amazing, but not quite perfect) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Contemporary, LGBTQI Dates read: 17th July 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: “Why?”
Those questions that we all like to ask people who are a little bit “different”. Well, what if they start questioning things you think are normal? Maybe it isn’t as simple and normal as you thought it was…
I picked this up at a fantastic time. It was a short story that I read as I was reading my psych textbook – a chapter about gender and the assumptions that we make. So reading a short story which was more like an essay and focused on the assumptions we make about “normalcy”… it was just fantastic, karmic, worldly timing. That I thoroughly enjoyed.
Not only does Law’s writing force you to think about assumptions around gender and sexuality. But there are also many issues of race and culture that are bought up too. In a way that makes it completely obvious that Law himself is constantly battling these multitudes of identity throughout his life. It left me questioning all of the assumptions that I make. Well, about everything…
Not only am I completely in love with this short story. But it also rounded out the Kindred collection perfectly. The whole journey in this collection was about making you think more deeply about others, or at least, it was to me. But after reading this, it also made me question many of the assumptions in my own life…
Title: One Small Step… Author: Amie Kaufman In: Begin, End, Begin (Danielle Binks) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Aliens, Australian authors, LGBTQI, Science fiction, Young adult Dates read: 30th June 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Year: 2017 5th sentence, 74th page: Only a few people have ever returned from Mars to Earth, but it’s possible, just very expensive.
She’s the first born Martian. And rightly famous for it. But what if what she wants isn’t the life that has been mapped out for her? How can she figure out how to take that first, small step into her own future?
This was such an amazingly cute, engaging and brilliant short story. It also perfectly encompassed the theme of “beginning” which is featured in the Begin, End, Begin collection. After all, it is about a girl on the precipice of adulthood, trying to decide what she wants to do with her life and her future. The fact that she was the first person born on Mars and is somewhat of a celebrity just helps to add to the potency of the storyline.
There are two coming-of-age battles that are fought and dwelt upon beautifully in this short story. The first is the decision about whether or not to go to college on earth. What one wants to actually do with their lives in the future. And, ultimately, how much of this decision is based upon your own needs, and how much is based upon the desires of those who love you. I know that it was a battle that I constantly had to fight when I was trying to make decisions about my future.
Secondly, there is the little fact that the lead narrator is actually LGBTQI+. Her constant battle with not knowing how to reveal this fact and desire to do so… it’s kind of precipice-feeling. And so, when she finally makes a decision about her life at the end, you are just so damn happy. It really made my heart swell two more sizes.
This is a fantastic, perfect coming-of-age story that takes you to that precipice of the future. That will either make you think of your own potential future, or those moments like this that feel so important and all powerful… just ready for you too to jump of that cliff and start your own reality.
Title: Stormlines Author: Alison Evans In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Dystopia, LGBTQI Dates read: 29th June 2020 Pace: Slow Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: New touches my arm.
Marling has been swept way, way, way out to see. To a mangrove forest where New lives and life is completely different to what they expected.
I really loved the use of gender-neutral language used throughout this story. It’s interesting, because I constantly wondered what gender both Marling and New identified as. Yet, it really isn’t important. It had absolutely no bearing on the story and had no interest points for the greater storyline. Yet, that use of gender-neutral language was something that both drew me in and completely intrigued me. It was an interesting point that was made.
There was a great post-apocalyptic feel to this story. Unlike many of the other stories I’ve read which feature a nuclear apocalypse, or disease, or even magic, as the vector to the end of the world as we know it… this one used the rising waters and climate change. Something that is, scarily, not completely out of bounds of imagination. Yet, somehow, this world was really pretty and somehow intriguing.
I love that even though this is set in a post-apocalyptic world, it is still set in Australia. In a bit of a round-about way. The use of the coast of Queensland and Mangroves helped to make this even more familiar and eerie. In the most beautiful of ways. All in all, I really have no words for how fun and enjoyable I found this story.
Title: An Arab Werewolf in Liverpool Author: Omar Sakr In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, LGBTQI, Werewolves Dates read: 18th June 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: He drifted to his knees, kissing Noah’s belly, driven by surging instinct to this, his own opening.
He’s never really fit in in his family. And he’s never really fit in in his neighbourhood. But something is about to change as he grows into his true self and goes on the hunt…
I really liked this short story. Although, one of the things that I found kind of confusing about it was the fact that I seriously couldn’t tell whether or not the werewolf was a symbol or a fact. There were moments in which I completely believed that there was an Arab werewolf running free. And then other moments when I didn’t quite know what to believe…
I did like the confusion that the whole Arab werewolf lent to the story though. It echoed the confusion that the lead boy must’ve felt in his self as he realised his sexuality. And it highlighted the strains which must have been felt in his life – coming from a conservative culture and family, but being somewhat not conservative in his preferences.
Mostly, I just loved the imagery and the power of this story. It was brilliant, difficult to forget and seriously enjoyable. I loved this and I would be intrigued to see what other stories Omar Sakr has written…
In a time and place not so different to our own, an Indigenous activist find that maybe her life and that of her lover are about to be irrevocably changed.
It turns out that I accidentally picked this up to read at a kind of perfect time – a time when the world is seriously starting to think (hopefully) about Black Lives Matter. So, reading a short story in which the focus in the lives and importance of equality and an acknowledgement of our privilege sat perfectly with me. Granted, this is in a world that is somewhat ahead of our time, and there are certain aspect which are both terrifying and intriguing. But definitely the perfect time for short stories like this to take centre stage.
This was a very powerful short story. It actually made me want to cry towards the end. I’m not entirely sure why, because it wasn’t as tragic as some of the other stories that I’ve read that have actually made me cry. It was powerful and intense. A reminder that it would be so easy to further marginalise those who are already living on the margins. And the traumas that this can inflict. Not just being part of a minority, but also the ways in which people can be governed due to this fact.
To further that feeling of wow and power that this short story lends, I found that the first person POV worked perfectly. It sunk you into the understanding and experiences of the narrative. You didn’t have to wonder about the feelings of marginalisation and fear that were being experienced – you experienced them alongside the narrative voice. Leaving you with this amazing, powerful and just… wow feeling once you turn that final page.
Title: Laura Nyro at the Wedding Author: Christos Tsiolkas In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, Contemporary romance, Family, LGBTQI Dates read: 3rd June 2020 Pace: Medium Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: We’re thinking somehwere in Mordialloc, maybe summer so we can get married on the beach.
Pat and Jack want to get married. But it’s brining up all sorts of history for Jack… history concerning his Dad and the horrible things he did…
I found this short story really sweet. It starts with two men. Happy, in love and comfortable in each other’s presence. And then it begins to make you think. Think about things such as “what constitutes a marriage?” “what shows true love?” “when is forgiveness necessary, or even okay?”. All questions that I frequently ask myself, and were very well answered in this small literary journey.
Although this is a nice little romance, it is also very much about family and forgiveness. The horrors of the past can linger in our present, and this story focuses on the ways in which you can move on from that. The ways in which you can find a way to forgive the past, and move on towards a better future.
The ending really wasn’t what I expected. It was one in which the outcome was not anticipated, but definitely very much appreciated. I actually really enjoyed the way in which this ended – it was unexpected, but somehow made much more sense than the ending I was expecting.
Title: Waiting Author: Jen Wilde In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Contemporary, LGBTQI Dates read: 2nd June 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: I feel myself sinking into my shell, like I always do around him.
Waiting in line at a comi-con with her best friend, a young, bisexual girl starts to discover the true meaning of friendship and who she wants to be.
This was a bit of a first in the Kindred collection – it wasn’t a romance. The lead character was Neurodiverse and LGBTQI. But there was no romance. It wasn’t about finding a romantic connection at all for that matter. Rather, it was all about finding a friendship that works for you. And honestly, it seriously made me think about the friendships we find ourselves in. And what makes them healthy and good. And what makes them toxic.
Although this is an LGBTQI story, there isn’t a focus on that. Or, really, a Neurodiverse identity. Rather, it is about that moment when you find a new friend. A person that you can get along with and has similar interests. I love that there is a Brooklyn Nine-Nine reference and this whole story takes place in the line for comi-con.
All throughout this story, I absolutely hated the “best friend”. So I was super glad when the girl FINALLY decided to stand up for herself. It made me realise that maybe sometimes I should do the same…
Title: I Hope You Get This Message Author: Farah Naz Rishi Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Contemporary, LGBTQI, Science fiction, Young adult Dates read: 23rd – 27th May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Novel Publisher: Harper Teen Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: Derek had been crushing on Mia Jimenez – a junior and the current president of the Video Game Club – since day one of their freshman year.
Seven days. Seven days. The Earth might end in seven days.
When news stations start reporting that Earth has been contacted by a planet named Alma, the world is abuzz with rumors that the alien entity is giving mankind only few days to live before they hit the kill switch on civilization.
For high school truant Jesse Hewitt, though, nothing has ever felt permanent. Not the guys he hooks up with. Not the jobs his underpaid mom works so hard to hold down. Life has dealt him one bad blow after another — so what does it matter if it all ends now? Cate Collins, on the other hand, is desperate to use this time to find the father she’s never met, the man she grew up hearing wild stories about, most of which she didn’t believe. And then there’s Adeem Khan. While coding and computer programming have always come easily to him, forgiveness doesn’t. He can’t seem to forgive his sister for leaving, even though it’s his last chance.
With only seven days to face their truths and right their wrongs, Jesse, Cate, and Adeem’s paths collide even as their worlds are pulled apart.
Holy crap. This book was amazing. It was brilliant, funny and completely impossible to put down! I absolutely adored this novel. And just. Wow. At first I was actually kind of pissed off at the open-ended nature of the ending. But, the more I’ve thought about it, the most I’ve realised just how amazing it truly is.
I really loved the idea that we are not actually the dominant race in the universe – that really, we’re just a genetic experiment. Kind of like sheep. Or cattle. Or something else that we figure is just something to play with and watch. Without really wondering too much about our hopes, dreams and desires. It kind of helps to put you in your place and remind you that the universe is filled with mysteries – of which we know nothing about.
There aren’t many stories that so seamlessly follow the lives of three separate characters. Yes, they eventually all join up and you find the common threads (like the common threads we constantly find in our own lives). But it’s the fact that even when they are completely separate, the characters are each so beautifully distinct and unique. It is impossible to get any mixed up and you fall completely under the spell of each and every one of them. They are all just so wonderful and intense, with their own somewhat difficult and tragic battles to face.
This is a fantastic story that you just won’t be able to put down. There is a great SciFi aspect to it that is enthralling – the transcripts from Alma that are the discussion of our continuation. But there is also the beauty in humanity. There are the absolute best of humanity throughout this story, and the total dickheads, Rishi doesn’t try and pretend that humanity is filled with the good… but rather a mix of both good and bad. This is a wonderful story that still kind of made me hope at the end. And it’s definitely a fantastic book to be reading at this time in the world… with all of the insanity surrounding us.
Title: Light Bulb Author: Nevo Zisin In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 4 (Really good read!) My Bookshelves:LGBTQI, Mental health Dates read: 24th May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: I started holding it in.
Most people are afraid of the dark. But for some, it is the dark that welcomes them. That helps them feel the things that they’ve kept hidden inside.
I’ve never read a story about a gender-fluid person. Or someone who isn’t quite sure of their gender. Except for the Magnus Chase series – that has Alex who changes their gender identity according to their needs and drives. Which, of course, I loved. But, I digress. Alex’s experience is one that feels mostly positive. This story is a much darker and more heart-wrenching version of coming to terms with a gender identity that doesn’t fit into the binary expectations.
Reading a few horror stories lately meant that I was expecting something quite tragic at the beginning of this story. After all, it is a tale which starts with a child loving the dark. Not wanting to be in the light. And this constant imagery of a light bulb switching on and off. It makes for an incredibly dark beginning to the story. And a very symbolic imagery when you realise what is happening in the mind of the narrator.
Aside from the great symbolism, this story somehow really drove home the confusion and feeling of marginalisation that comes with being gender fluid, or not of a gender binary. This whole story had me on an intense and uncontrollable emotional roller coaster ride. One that made me feel so much sympathy for those who are in this situation…
Title: Sweet Author: Claire G Coleman In: Kindred (Michael Earp) Rating Out of 5: 5 (I will read this again and again and again) My Bookshelves:Australian authors, Gender, LGBTQI Dates read: 22nd May 2020 Pace: Fast Format: Short story Publisher: Walker Books Year: 2019 5th sentence, 74th page: No school could teach me what I needed to learn.
In a world of no gender identity, what will happen when one girl figures out that she’s a she, not a they?
I’ve read a novel by Coleman not long ago. And what struck me most about her writing was the fact that she was able to take issues which are constantly occurring in our daily lives, flip them on our head and make you see things from a totally different perspective. The fact that she did that in this short story, all based around gender, made me literally clap my hands in joy.
I love that this is a world in which there is NO gender. It drives towards this idea that we have – that gender completely defines who we are. And that there are only two options; male or female. I may identify as a woman myself, but I don’t think that that completely defines me. Completely removing all identifications of gender throughout this story was a great stroke of brilliance. It made you think a little bit more about what makes a person a person, rather than how gender makes a person…
The other thing that removing all gender in this world did was remind us what prejudice against those who don’t fit into our schemes does. Instead of being attacked and hunted because the characters don’t fit a binary gender – they become attacked and hunted because they do. We’d like to think that this doesn’t happen anymore in today’s society. But that most certainly isn’t the case and this was a great reminder of that.
Earth and Skye 