Welcome to Litsy!

So glad to have finally read this. I appreciate her vulnerability and honesty; so glad she is living her truth after decades of struggles. (And congrats are in order as she recently got married!)

I want a spiritual journey, clean out the trash from the corners of my brain, drop all dead psychic weight. I need transformation, to absorb, transcend, to feel alive. Forget about the past and move forward completely.

My full review of this book is up on my blog at lovelybookshelf.com but let me just say, I loved this memoir. It's perfect for Xennials, music lovers (especially punk), leftists, and trans readers. I was frustrated by cis readers who didn't think there was "enough" trans content in the book and explain more in my review.

I loved reading Laura‘s memoir. She made me laugh, she made me cringe, she made me cuss. She shares her triumphs and struggles in the music industry and her personal life, and talks about her experience learning how to live as herself and transitioning in her 30s. Her struggles with substance abuse and thoughts of suicide are also extensively discussed and may be difficult for some readers. I highly recommend this #memoir! #lgbtq #nonfiction

Driving to my parents' house to get away from locals shooting off illegal fireworks for the weekend and listening to more of Laura Jane Grace's memoir. My husband was very excited to learn about this book a while back, having recently gotten reacquainted with Against Me's music. #lgbtqauthors #lgbtqmemoir #memoir #nonfiction #lgbtq

Although J.K.Rowling‘s anti-transgender and gender queer twitter comments are not new, they‘ve inspired me to share a few bonus author highlights today! Laura Jane Grace is lead songwriter, guitarist, and song writer for the punk rock band Against Me!. Her 2016 memoir delves into her life, the indie music scene of the 90-2000‘s and her experiences being transgender. #pridemonth2020 #lgbtqvoices #lgbtq #transgender #punkrock #music

“Of course, what no one tells you when you‘re young and arrogant is that you eventually grow up to become the thing you hate.”

hey guys! was wondering if i can get some help with something. my husbands not a reader so i want to get into audio books for our long drives together. What is the best way to go about that? how do u guys listen? do u use an app or do u buy the audio book directly on your tablet? what‘s better? help me please lol🙏🏽

#24in48 prompt: favorite. My favorite is typically whatever I am currently reading. My favorite genre is memoir. My favorite music is punk. My favorite people are LGBT2SQI+ & their allies. I don‘t really have favorites, but I do enjoy all these things. I‘m not big on drugs or dangerous behaviors though because control is also my favorite, so... you know. To each their own.

This was very good. Overall it was a good memoir of a punk who also is trans.

#FeaturesAMuscian #BooksForAllies #Booked2019 #WrittenByAMuscian #PopSugarReadingChallenge #36of65 #audiobook

I‘m so excited to read Tranny. It‘s been on my TBR for a while now. #JuneTBR

The shift to outdoor reading, latte, cookie break has occurred...I guess you could say I‘m coming out in a way (pun intended, with all due respect to my trans friends)

Got my punk on and went to a Laura Jane Grace show this weekend. I just discovered her with the new album and didn‘t know any of her backstory until I was checking out the merch. Came home with a tee and her BOOK. SCORE‼️

I‘ve been wracking my brain for a Birthday gift idea for my big brother for a few weeks now. Huge shoutout and thank you to @monalyisha for posting about this book at just the right time and reminding me that I wanted to buy it for him!

Punk rock is not a particularly feminine, open, or forgiving genre. So, when the lead singer of Against Me!, Tom Gable, announced that she was transgender, would be transitioning, & wanted to be known as Laura Jane Grace - all while continuing with the band & planning to stay married (with a daughter) - it was a story I followed on tenterhooks. Getting to hear her experience told in her own words was something I was really looking forward to.👇🏻

“I bought women‘s clothes at Sears today. How embarrassing is it to be a closeted transsexual buying women‘s clothes at Sears? It‘s safe, though. No one will see me there. Who the fuck shops at Sears?”

1. Beer barn + moonlight + celebrating love = 💯
2. My husband‘s in a band called “Math the Band” & I see them pretty regularly but the last “real” show I went to was prooooooooobably “They Might Be Giants.”
3. I hit snooze a stupid amount of times in the morning. And, on a more book-related note, I dog-ear my pages.
4. Honestly...Jeopardy. 😅🤓
5. I‘m a mood reader...but I definitely see the tagged audiobook in my near future. 🔮

#humpdaypost

This was a reread for me, or re-listen is more accurate, so I obviously enjoyed this one. I love LJG‘s explanation or elaboration on the punk ethos as a whole and just how bs it is sometimes. Having Laura narrate her book was a pretty great idea, it‘s rad hearing her emphasis on certain passages and how heartfelt the book is for her. 10/10 will read again

I can‘t sleep and audiobooks are the best for insomnia. I think I‘ve read or listened to this book at least 4 times. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Against Me! was my fave as a teenager and I rediscovered them a couple of years ago. Laura Jane does such an amazing job outlining the way the band came to fruition and reminded me why I loved them so much. #teenageanarchist #laurajanegrace

Tranny by Laura Jane Grace of the band Against Me! This has been in my #tbr pile for a while, but my uncle wanted to read it first. He says he loves it, says it‘s poignant & strong. I‘m really looking forward to this read! ❤️🙌📚 #laurajanegrace #reading #books #lgbt #memoir #autobiography #inspiration #litsy

Finally starting this one, as a big fan of Against Me! and of Laura Jane Grace, I have followed her journey and story and all of her amazing work in the transgender community. I am also interested in the collaboration of this book with Dan Ozzi, who is one of my favourite music journalists.

This is a tough one to review, even as a fan. The feelings are raw and real but the book itself seems unfinished, the writing style rushed. I wish it had been written later, so that more time had passed to reflect. It did capture a really unique, in-the-moment snapshot of turmoil. I've found myself thinking very similar things when struggling with identity.

Also lots of Against Me! history for those who like the band!

#transbooks #music #memoir

I was a huge fan of Against Me! before Laura Jane transitioned and have become an even bigger fan afterwards. Been looking forward to starting this for a while.

#lgbtq #transbooks #trans #memoir #againtme #music #punk #NonfictionNovember

I don't know how, but this book got buried in my TBR pile. So excited to dig into it now.

A fascinating window into being in a successful band that got its start in anti-establishment circles. It reminded me of Carrie Brownstein's memoir. It's not your average transition memoir, since the bulk of the material has to do with Against Me before she came out. It's only really in the epilogue that she talks about being trans. There's an interesting essay by her defending the title: if you're curious it's pinned to her Twitter profile.

This was an intresting audiobook listen.

I'm relatively newbie to Laura Jane Grace and her band, Against Me! But after hearing her interview on NPR, I became interested in her memoir. Listening to the audio book now.

This book wasn't what I expected but I did enjoy it. Laura Jane's very much the punk frontman that she always was and reading the story of her becoming herself was interesting. The story telling feels disjointed at times and I wasn't always sure the order of events occurring but with all the drugs and alcohol I'm not sure Laura Jane herself was either. So it works. I def recommend it. It adds a lot of depth to Against ME's music as well.

My current read. #library #librarybooks.

Loved this memoir! Raw, gritty, honest. Also brought me back to my punk teen years (without the drugs, because I was just a poser 😉)

Laura tells her story so honestly; I found myself drawn to her and her story in so many ways that I couldn't even begin to imagine. A must read for any teenage anarchists like me.

Thanks to my insomnia I read this in one sitting. I heard about this book when I saw Laura Jane Grace on The Daily Show. I had been familiar with the band Against Me! Years ago but unfortunately hadn't followed the band for some time. I found much of this book to be heartbreaking to read about how much she was suffering right in front of everyone and nobody knowing. Sex drugs rock n roll and a journey to self acceptance. Very good read!⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

"There‘s a whole big world full of sensible balanced people, what‘s so goddamn inspiring about any of them? "

I'm on p272 and I decide that after 170 pages for the day,I can't bear the idea of finishing this book today.
Fast forward to day after,I'm about to finish my first beer and pick up the book again.
P287 and I already teared upped ones,I need another beer.
P291,I decide that I need a break..
3 beers in,I finish the book.
Record time for me - 3 days only.
I try to prolong it a bit by reading the "Acknowledgments"chapter, but it's only 2 pages long.

Those remind me of myself 12 years ago, I just met a guy that is now my husband.
We were both in school, completely submerged in to art,music and each other. Trying hard not to disappoint.

"Just before she fell asleep in my arms,I whispered in her ear that I hoped I would never stop exciting her."

"She told me that Neurosis was the best show she‘s ever seen and that Lungfish is her favorite band. I will now commit every Lungfish song to memory"

"That's the punk mentality, always shooting yourself in the foot before even taking the first step. "

- In photo : Blackbird Raum, 2016. [Take note of the legendary AMPLIFIED WASHBOARD!!!]

"I'll go there because I have nowhere and no one else to go to.
I'll leave because it will not be where I belong.
What once felt so right will now feel all wrong. "

"Show spaces were supposed to be open to everyone regardless of age, race, class, sex or sexual preference, but for the most part it was just white kids oblivious to the privilege they came from."

*About 'Smells like teen spirit'*

"...Frontman Kurt Cobain singlehandedly calloused a whole generation of tiny fingers with those opening notes..."

It was 1985 and I was five years old, still young enough to think the lyrics to Madonna's song "Material Girl" were "I am a Cheerio girl."

FINALLY ☻👯💚

Today's #bookhaul ! The picture books and We Should All Be Feminists are gifts. I like to give that one out to my new mom friends!

#prisma #recentnonfictionread I had offered some Against Me! tunes for my parents to hear; not happening yet for any interest, but worth steps for tries. It was best not to show the book title, now back at the library. - My life ponders do feel eased by wisdom in books and music (also, Mina Caputo 🎸) well on track with our #transbooks aware and supportive times. #marchintoreading

I didn't know the band or Laura Jane Grace but You don't need to, to enjoy this book. A fantastic, heart felt and honest story. Following her struggles of growing up as a boy, delinquency, drug use while trying to become a successful punk band (against the back lash of militant punks that considered them sellouts) whilst fundamentally dealing with a lifetime of gender dysphoria. A remarkable story!

Laura's story is hearty and heartbreaking, on feminine strengths, in a very masculine world of punk rock, with greater complications than how things can appear, such as pressures for showing success while reality is a constant weight. I can't say enough how great it is to see Laura so open and speaking for the much needed support in *Trans awareness, helping youth avoid drugs and dangers. Emotionally heavy, but then lighter unburdened. #transbooks