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Falling Back in Love with Being Human
Falling Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls | Kai Cheng Thom
11 posts | 9 read | 9 to read
What happens when we imagine loving the peopleand the parts of ourselvesthat we do not believe are worthy of love? A transformative collection of intimate and lyrical love letters that offer a path toward compassion, forgiveness, and self-acceptance. Kai Cheng Thom grew up a Chinese Canadian transgender girl in a hostile world. As an activist, psychotherapist, conflict mediator, and spiritual healer, she's always pursued the same deeply personal mission: to embrace the revolutionary belief that every human being, no matter how hateful or horrible, is intrinsically sacred. But then Kai Cheng found herself in a crisis of faith, overwhelmed by the viciousness with which people treated one another, and barely clinging to the values and ideals she'd built her life around: justice, hope, love, and healing. Rather than succumb to despair and cynicism, she gathered all her rage and grief and took one last leap of faith: she wrote. Whether prayers or spells or poemsand whether theres a differenceshe wrote to affirm the outcasts and runaways she calls her kin. She wrote to flawed but nonetheless lovable men, to people with good intentions who harm their own, to racists and transphobes seemingly beyond saving. What emerged was a blueprint for falling back in love with being human.
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review
BookmarkTavern
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Pickpick

Letters. For in finding love and forgiveness for the worst in others, maybe we can find love and forgiveness for the worst in ourselves.

This book hit like a sucker punch. Emotional and resonant, full of anger and love and despair and joy. I need to immediately buy a copy of this to reference. #TheSealeyChallenge 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌗

BookmarkTavern CW 👇🏻 2mo
BookmarkTavern to the ones who didn‘t cry, mass shooting; to the girl trying to be a magic mirror when she is in fact a secret door, suicide attempt; to the death walkers, suicide; to the johns and to the trans exclusionary radical feminists, sexual assault; to the ones who watched, sexual assault and domestic violence 2mo
69 likes1 stack add2 comments
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monalyisha
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I‘ve been struggling a bit lately. A lot of people I love are *really* going through it. I‘m feeling burned out, candle‘s going at both ends, compassion fatigue is at an all-time high. But this morning (after getting labs done and dealing with bridesmaid responsibilities), I sat in front of my house for a brief moment in time and just listened to the birds. It helped.

Thanks to:
•The song sparrow
•Coffee
•A hermit cookie
•Fat bumblebees
•Azaleas

wanderinglynn {hugs!} I hope your people find some solace & that you are able to reset and rejuvenate yourself. 💚 (edited) 6mo
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks ❤️❤️❤️ 6mo
dabbe 💙🩵💙 6mo
See All 12 Comments
LiteraryinPA 💗💗💗 6mo
BarbaraJean Sending hugs and a wish for more of those kinds of moments, for you and the people you love. 💜 6mo
Aims42 💕💕💕💕💕 6mo
5feet.of.fury Your azaleas bloomed already? Mine is just a bush, the azaleas & big fat bumble bees are my favorite part of reading on my porch 🌺 6mo
DaveGreen7777 Sending healing energy to you and your loved ones who are going through a tough time! 💖 6mo
monalyisha @5feet.of.fury It‘s weird how being just a tiny bit more southern makes a difference! They‘ve been poppin‘ off for weeks! Still waiting for my favorite little apple tree at work to bloom, though (but see? That‘s 45 minutes north)! 6mo
Chelsea.Poole I feel this. Glad you got a moment of peace. Hope things calm down for you and yours ♥️ 6mo
82 likes12 comments
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CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian
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Pickpick

Okay, WOW WOW WOW. This collection of letters -- which sometimes take the form of poems, prayers, spells, and prompts -- is going to become my new spiritual guide to life. It's generous, fierce, sad, hopeful, inspiring, angry, loving, and incredibly powerful. Addressees of the letters range from trans femmes of colour to TERFs. This is an instant new queer classic and the kind of book that makes you feel alive, and glad to be. Dynamic #audiobook!

36 likes3 stack adds1 comment
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MatchlessMarie
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Pickpick

Finished my 2nd book for #AuldLangSpine. This one is short but was so moving and powerful. It feels heavy but in the way that a weighted blanket feels. I can see myself recommending this one a lot. Reads as a poetry memoir of sorts with lots of self-healing. I think anyone would benefit from reading it, but perhaps especially those who have experienced their own crisis of faith. ⛪️🏳️‍⚧️ #ReadAway2024

MatchlessMarie Also the transition tone on the audio reminded me of the intro to Infinitely Ordinary by The Wrecks which kind of fits in with the tone of the book. Check it out 💜 https://open.spotify.com/track/2IWWOWS7n00wpz1ewqEC8w?si=I-ygH9xMQRWgX0pA6YJ0Zw 9mo
DieAReader 🥳Great! 9mo
BennettBookworm I‘m so happy you felt this way! I couldn‘t agree more with everything you said. Such a powerful and unique book. ❤️ 9mo
55 likes1 stack add3 comments
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underground_bks
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Pickpick

What do you do when the world threatens your belief that all beings are worthy of love? Here, Kai Cheng Thom, a Chinese Canadian transwoman, writes to reclaim her love of being human through tender, intense letters to: former johns, J. K. Rowling, Jesus Christ, fellow trans femmes, “the church of social justice,” compulsive caregivers, & more, each followed by an action, my favorite being to send a poetry book to someone you‘d rather see punished.

everlocalwest I loved this one too! 💙💙 11mo
underground_bks @everlocalwest you know it‘s a good sign when every single review on its Litsy page is by someone you already follow! 11mo
28 likes2 comments
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BekaReid
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Started listening to this one today, and it's so good!

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BennettBookworm
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Pickpick

HIGHLY recommend this audio read by the author. It was like spoken word. Gorgeous, melodic, heart-wrenching. These letters/poems center largely on trans women and sex workers, and it really felt like a gift to hear the author share so vulnerably. Now I need the print edition; each poem ends with a suggested activity, and I want to do them all!

THANK YOU to the Litten who posted the bookriot quiz, “find your perfect autumnal read” - this was mine!

50 likes1 stack add1 comment
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Chelsea.Poole
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Mehso-so

Listened to this audiobook, (loved hearing the author‘s voice and inflection) but it would have been better as a physical book to use for reflection. Tasks are assigned throughout for self awareness and mindful meditation on one‘s worth and experiences. These types typically don‘t appeal to me. This would be better suited for “lost souls” as the subtitle suggests, and I‘m not in that place right now. It‘s not you, book, it‘s me!

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xicanti
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Wee Allie helped me finish Kai Cheng Thom‘s FALLING BACK IN LOVE WITH BEING HUMAN this morning. There‘s a lot to reflect on here, both in terms of self-love and of social interaction with people who try to steal it away. Her letter to J.K. Rowling hit me especially hard.

TheSpineView Adorable fur baby!💜🐶 1y
dabbe Hello, Awesome Allie! 🖤🐾🖤 1y
xicanti @TheSpineView @dabbe she‘s a major sweetie, this one. 1y
BookNAround Allie is precious! 1y
xicanti @BookNAround the way her beard drapes and her eyebrows arch makes it look like she‘s always smiling. 1y
49 likes2 stack adds5 comments
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xicanti
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I made my library haul ahead of schedule so I had an excuse to squeeze in a bike ride before the heat moves in this afternoon. Alas, I missed the heat but not the wind. The way there was MISERABLE.

At least I‘ve got a bunch of books to console me. I‘m especially excited for Kai Cheng Thom‘s latest. It‘s so small and beautiful!

Bkwrm7 That Fake Dates and Mooncakes looks super cute! 1y
xicanti @Bkwrm7 I grabbed it off the New Releases display because I recognized it from Litsy! 1y
Kenyazero A great hail almost makes up for a windy ride! 🚲 1y
40 likes4 comments
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everlocalwest
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Pickpick

An absolutely beautiful collection of letters, poems, and calls to action - each letter ends with an ask that begs the reader dive deeper into the work and their own interior life.