#izzy wasserstein

[lgbtqreads]

Happy (Upcoming) Trans Day of Visibility 2024!

March 31st is Trans Day of Visibility, and we’re celebrating as we do by highlighting a whole bunch of wonderful trans books! For even more recs, check out previous years’ posts.  Books to Read Now Middle Grade Magical Princess Harriet by Leiah Moser “To put it simply, Harris Baumgartner was late to school on the first day of the seventh grade because something he saw in the abandoned lot at the…

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[wildereader]

Another ✨library haul✨

Sooo I may have gone a bit overboard this time…

FIFTEEN BOOKS!!! And this isn’t counting the 8 or so I got before these and still have… guess I really gotta get reading!

The themes that are emerging here are trans women, lesbians, and sci-fi—all things I am always loving 😌 I’m particularly excited about These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein, a new release that I specifically requested our collection developer to buy and put on hold for me, the Monk & Robot duology by Becky Chambers (A Psalm for the Wild Built and A Prayer for the Crown Shy), and (almost) all of the books in Martha Wells’ Murderbot Diaries series—I’m still waiting on the second one to come back!

I’m very excited to get around to these, but more than anything, I’m grateful my library has such a great collection for so many of the books I’ve been wanting to read for so long and for newer releases too :)

[transbookoftheday]

These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

In this queer, noir technothriller of fractured identity and corporate intrigue, a trans woman confronts her greatest fears of losing her community, while her past chases her with familiar faces.

In mid-21st century Kansas City, Dora lived on the streets. Then she sheltered in a commune, where she transitioned and became a security expert. But furious over a lack of protective measures, she’d left her community behind.

When Dora’s ex-girlfriend Kay is murdered, everyone at the commune is a potential suspect. As Dora investigates, she discovers the murder is only one of several terrible incidents. A strange new drug is circulating. People are disappearing. And Dora is being attacked by assailants with her own face from the past.

What looks like a war between major corporations is looming, and Dora’s neighborhood is the battleground. Now she must uncover a twisted conspiracy while navigating a deeply meaningful new relationship.

[solreads]

These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart - Review

Title: These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart

Author: Izzy Wasserstein

Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller

Audience: Adult

Format: Novella

Representation: Trans woman POV character

  Trans side characters

Summary: Dora, a trans woman and security consultant, returns to the anarchist commune she cut ties with years ago to investigate her ex-girlfriend’s murder. In doing so, she stirs up the argument that led to her departure before — what security measures are acceptable to keep the community safe? What freedoms can be curtailed for the sake of the community?

At the same time, she deals with attacks from clones of her pre-transition self whose mysterious origins and purpose may hold the key to discovering why her former community is under attack. When she captures one of these clones, they join her in the investigation and begin to explore their own identity beyond what they were created for. 

Reflections: More than the mystery itself, what stood out and made this book enjoyable was the exploration of how self-identity is impacted by experience and the friction between freedom and security. These themes are hashed out through the protagonist’s relationships with her former community and the clone sent to kill her.

The clone — designated Blue — and Dora’s messy relationship and complicated feelings towards each other, as well as Blue’s growth as a character, were some of the best parts of the novel. The combination of seeing themselves in each other (positively and negatively) and as different people on different journeys to understanding themselves was insightful and showing this with a trans character added to it. 

Warnings: Depictions of transphobia, misgendering, and deadnaming.

Notes on Rep: MC identifies on-page as a transgender woman.

[tachyonpub]

THIS SATURDAY 2/10 7PM Meet Izzy Wassertein, author of the acclaimed THESE FRAGILE GRACES, THIS FUGITIVE HEART Raven Book Store in Lawrence, KS

[lgbtqreads]

New Releases: March 2024

Tempting Olivia by Clare Ashton (1st) Olivia Sachdeva’s life is flawless. With a first from Oxford and as the youngest partner at Bentley lawyers, she expects high standards from everyone. Her only indulgences are eating iced desserts and repeat watching romcoms, especially those featuring Kate Laurence – pure escapism and cinematic perfection. But, when the actor walks into Olivia’s office with…

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[lgbtqreads]

Exclusive Cover Reveal: These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart by Izzy Wasserstein

You probably know Izzy Wasserstein from her short fiction, but today I’m thrilled to have her on the site to reveal the cover of her very first novella, These Fragile Graces, This Fugitive Heart, releasing March 12, 2024 from Tachyon Publications! Here’s the story: In a queer, noir technothriller of fractured identity and corporate intrigue, a trans woman faces her fear of losing her community as…

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[tachyonpub]

The exciting THESE FRAGILE GRACES, THIS FUGITIVE HEART marks Izzy Wasserstein as a writer to watch - Tachyon Publications

With some two months until publication, Izzy Wasserstein’s debut novella THESE FRAGILE GRACES, THIS FUGITIVE HEART is creating excitement as