Henry > Recent Status Updates

“It seemed to me that being in crisis was a natural reaction to being a man”

I’m not sure how many books I will read this year since I have a lot of things I want to cover and also books people have recommended to me I also would like to read. So A level books are priority, then A level related books are secondary. After that my interest in Tudor history and what people recommend me takes either 3rd or 4th priority.

This reminds me of much of my many adventures and misadventures of my late teens and early twenties. I’m glad I never descended into drugs and alcohol like the character in this book and like so many people I once knew.

I have also been wanting to read this for over a year since the main character is trans masc and so is the author. Which is so refreshing because I’m sick to death of trans male characters written by cis men. I haven’t actually read any and I really don’t want to especially from what I have heard.

I’ve found a few other books similar to ponyboy, I hope they are like this.

I’ve been cleaning my house from top to bottom and tomorrow I will be do nothing, but lounging in my pjs reading this and boot packing/leathercare.

I’m only 8 pages in and I’m hit with such a huge sense of familiarity. I have a really difficult relationship with who and what I was like pre medical transition. So many emotions, too many to describe here.

So Elizabeth does have a biographical account of her upbringing here, but it’s in far more detail compared to Mary’s and I don’t think that is down to lack of sources, since Mary became Queen when she was six days old thus immediately important and noteworthy. In comparison Elizabeth was never expected to be Queen, but the author has given far more detail for Elizabeth. I don’t agree with everything she says

Mostly so far this is a biography of Mary Queen of Scot’s childhood and adolescence. Whereas Elizabeth’s has been skipped because it’s so well known. I’m really enjoying it and learning loads that I had no clue about

Another audio book from the library.

I’m hoping to target gaps in my knowledge this year of the Tudor period, so for general reading I’m focusing on 1485-1520s then 1547-1603, as my knowledge mostly concerns Henry VIII’s later reign and then Elizabeth’s life and her time during Edward and Mary’s reigns.

Another thing to add here: the author recounts a story he read in a magazine or newspaper (can’t remember which, but probably the former) of how a straight man attended an outside event (mostly gay men where in attendance) with his family and he was groped by a man. The author doesn’t seem to realise just how fucking wrong this is, doesn’t matter if the guy thought he was gay, that should never have happened.

Not something I would usually read, but it was in my online library as an audiobook. I’m not entirely sure I will finish it, but it has been a weird experience, as the author says how he used to go to gay bars in the hope that he would be touched up and the way he describes this tells me it is the usual expectation.

I’m thankful lesbians are not like this 😭

The spine of the book stuck out to me so here we are, seems very interesting just from the little intro to it and the quote about how hardly anyone believes him that this actually happened.

Chapters are short so it’s very easy to get really stuck in

Slowly reading this but by bit as it’s so good and so detailed. I really want to take it in.

Yayyyyy, transmasc author!!! 🥳🎉

Oh dear, I have gone and picked up another book despite already reading ten.

It’s very very lesbian, we got butch, we got a seaside setting and first person narration (I feel like I am reading a memoir, just a little bit and I like that)

I definitely want to focus on reading what I am currently reading instead of starting 5 books and forgetting to pick them back up