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I’ve been kicking around a new writing project for a while now, and tracking down reference material about all aspects of MTF crossdressing. I’m casting the net wide, looking for sources of information that could be useful to all members of our community, whatever their age or situation and regardless of whether they’re a casual crossdresser who’s just starting out, someone who’s actively transitioning, or any point in between.
I began by looking for books on Amazon. As an approach, it wasn’t especially fruitful. Most of what’s there falls under the umbrella of what I’ll politely call “titillating fiction.” Hardly any of it helps the public perception of who we are.
I wasn’t really getting very far, so at the beginning of October 2023 I wrote a CDH forum post asking for help with unearthing suitable material. There was a good response, with members directing me towards a whole heap of stuff that I might not otherwise have found. Some books were still in print, or at least available second-hand through Amazon Marketplace. With others, I had to dig a bit deeper and search out copies on specialist book sites. And, of course, as so often happens when you start researching, each book pointed me towards other references, which pointed me towards even more…
I’ll cut to the chase: I now have a small library of books about crossdressing.
I know that there’s a lot more out there still to find, but I thought that I should collate some of the most useful sources for others to browse through. I’ve grouped these into sections, partly because a straightforward list would be overwhelming but also to direct readers to things of more specific interest to them and their circumstances. I’ve excluded a few titles which, when they arrived, proved to be truly awful.
I’ve also excluded ALL fiction. There’s a tremendous amount of that out there, and it would fill many, many bookshelves. Some of it is awful; some of it is rather good. All of it is easy to find without my help. If that’s your thing (and why not?), you have many happy hours of reading ahead of you.
Personal crossdressing stories
A surprising number of books fall into this category. I’ve chosen those that are particularly well-written and/or those that offer especially good insights. If you want something that you can dip into, “Head over Heels” is a collection of 30 separate accounts by the wives of crossdressers. If you're after something to connect with on a personal level then “What It Feels Like for a Girl” and “Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl” are both totally wonderful.
If you’ve come out to your wife, then having “Living with Crossdressing” and “My Husband Betty” available for her could be helpful. Both were written specifically to help couples. The first is by an MTF crossdresser and the second is by the wife of one. Taken together, they cover most of the bases. They’re ‘warts and all’ though, so make sure that you read them yourself first. Although Heidi Hansen’s book is often touted as recommended reading for SO’s, I personally would avoid it for that purpose. It doesn’t always present the husband in a particularly favourable light.
Boyd, Helen (2003). My Husband Betty: Love, Sex and Life with a Crossdresser. Seal Press.
Boyd, Helen (2007). She’s Not the Man I Married: My Life With A Transgender Husband. Seal Press.
Erhardt, Virginia (2007). Head Over Heels: Wives who stay with cross-dressers and transexuals. Routledge.
Hansen, Heidi (2023). Alice in Genderland: one wife’s journey with her transgendered husband. H3 Press.
Hauk, Savannah (2017). Living with Crossdressing: Defining a New Normal. Self-published.
Jones, Wendy (2006). Grayson Perry: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Girl. Vintage Books.
Lees, Paris (2021). What it feels like for a girl. Particular Books.
Novic, Richard J. (2005). Alice in Genderland. iUniverse.
Wylde, Vera (2018). Skirting gender. Nathaniel Wayne.
General advice for crossdressers
I was keen to discover whether there were any books of general advice for crossdressers - the kind that would cover the most commonly asked queries posted on the CDH Forums. You know the sort of thing: “What’s the best way to shave my legs?” “Where can I buy big shoes?” and, at the more serious end, “How do I come out to friends and family?”
Several such books have been written. The best, in my opinion, is “The Lazy Crossdresser.” It’s genuinely helpful, and it’s laugh-out-loud funny. It’s wonderful at giving advice on makeup, clothes, and body image. “Out & About—The Emancipated Crossdresser” is also well worth a read, as is “Miss Vera’s Finishing School for Boys Who Want To Be Girls” and its sequel “Miss Vera’s Cross-Dress for Success.”. With the advent of online publishing, a few other short books have appeared on Kindle (e.g. Olson, 2012, 2014, and 2015).
However, all of these cover much the same ground and none of them answer all the questions that a crossdresser might have. Crossdresser Heaven is excellent for that of course, but if the powers that be allow it, I’d also like to write a separate article that directs people to the best websites and blogs available. There’s a huge amount of incredibly useful information out there … but it can be difficult to know where to start.
Anders, Charles (2002). The Lazy Crossdresser. Greenery Press.
Hauk, Savannah (2019). Living with Crossdressing: Discovering Your True Identity. Self-published.
Leigh, Lacey (2001). Out and About—The Emancipated Crossdresser. Binary Star Press.
Olson, Carollyn (2012). Tricks of the Trade—A Beginner’s Guide to Crossdressing. Kindle eBook.
Olson, Carollyn (2014). More Tricks of the Trade—A Beginner’s Guide to Crossdressing. Kindle eBook.
Olson, Carollyn (2015). Even More Tricks of the Trade—A Beginner’s Guide to Crossdressing. Kindle eBook.
Vera, Veronica (1997). Miss Vera’s Finishing School for Boys Who Want To Be Girls. Main Street Books.
Vera, Veronica (2002). Miss Vera’s Cross-Dress For Success. Villard.
Specifically for teens
This section covers advice books for teenagers, but that shouldn’t be a barrier to adult readers. Because of the audience, the authors explain complex ideas in a very straightforward and understandable way. The “Trans Teen Survival Guide” is actually breathtakingly good. Whatever your age, if you’re trans (or even think that you might be) then I recommend that you buy a copy. The chapters on Telling the World (or Not), Being You (Whoever That Is), and Dysphoria: The Monster is worth the purchase price alone.
Dawson, Juno (2017). The Gender Games. Two Roads.
Dawson, Juno (2021). What’s the T? Wren and Rook.
Fisher, Owl & Fox (2019). Trans Teen Survival Guide. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Gender identity
Published information about gender identity is becoming increasingly easy to find, but the books aren’t always an easy read. Kate Bornstein’s book is an exception… and I managed to find a signed copy! The others are worth persevering with if you have an interest in this area.
Bornstein, Kate (1995). Gender Outlaw: On Men, Women and the Rest of Us. Vintage.
Bullough, Bonnie, Bullough, Vern L & Elias, James (1997). Gender Blending. Prometheus Books.
Iantaffi, Ale & Barker, Meg-John (2018). How to Understand Your Gender. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Transitioning
I couldn’t put a booklist together without including some on MTF transitioning. There are many, and the number is growing. All of them are welcome. These are among the best.
Boedecker, Anne L. (2011). The Transgender Guidebook; Keys to a Successful Transition. Self-published.
Celentano, Jillian (2021). Transitioning later in Life: A Personal Guide. Jessica Kingsley Publishers.
Koch, Anne L. (2019). It Never Goes Away: Gender Transition at a Mature Age. Rutgers University Press.
Zhikhareva, Natalia P. (2023). On Your Terms: Gender Transition Redefined for Adults. Self-published.
Transgender history
Transgender rights and attitudes to crossdressers are very much in the news. If you want to understand where we are now, it’s important to know where we’ve come from. This selection of titles will help with that. UK readers shouldn't be put off by the fact that Susan Stryker’s book covers only the US. It's still essential reading.
Faye, Shon (2021). The Transgender Issue: An Argument for Justice. Penguin.
Feinberg, Leslie (1996). Transgender Warriors. Beacon Press.
Heyam, Kit (2022). Before We Were Trans: A History of Gender. Basic Books.
Stryker, Susan (2017). Transgender History: The Roots of Today’s Revolution (second edition). Seal Press.
General academic texts
If you want to do some more in-depth reading, there’s a great deal of material available. Some of it is SUCH heavy going that it isn’t really suitable for a general audience, but I’ve found much of interest in the following selections. None is the sort of book to relax on the beach with, but each of them is fascinating.
Bullough, Vern L. & Bullough, Bonnie (1993). Cross Dressing, Sex and Gender. PENN (University of Pennsylvania Press).
Cremin, Ciara (2017). Man-made Woman: The Dialectics of Cross-dressing. Pluto Press.
Cremin, Ciara (2021). The Future is Feminine: Capitalism and the Masculine Disorder. Bloomsbury Academic.
So, there you have it!
This represents just a small selection of what’s available. Believe me, I have a LOT of other stuff now, but I've been selective in order to keep the article short. I hope that I‘ve included something for everyone, and I'd like to say a huge thank you to everyone who responded to my original forum post; honestly, it was so helpful.
Please contact me if you want more information about anything I've mentioned. And ... happy reading!
Ellie
@clarissa2 Carollyn Olson's first Kindle book ('Tricks of the Trade') contains lots of valuable information. The two follow ups were written after the success of the first. They read more like afterthoughts than fully-fledged books, but they're still interesting. There are other similar Kindle books out there, but 'Tricks' was my star pick 🙂
@clarissa2 The eternally wonderful Marg Produe has given me her physical copies of all three of Carollyn Olson's books. It's probably silly to get emotional about things like that ... but I did anyway 🙂
@ellyd22 What an incredible list, Ellie! You have really put your heart and soul into it. I do hope that you can get the list into an article on CDH so that it will be easier to find for new members. My Kindle will soon have a lot more CD books. Best, Marlene.
@marleneroberts Well ... this IS the article of which you speak, so happily it can now form part of the CDH archive.
No doubt it will quickly get buried among the 1000 or so articles already there though. There's such a wealth of material on the site!
Hugs
Ellie x
Hey Ellie,
Brilliant list, so well organised too. Many thanks.
Spurred on by your earlier Forum thread back in October, I got a Kindle copy of "Lees, Paris (2021). What it feels like for a girl." That was an amazing read, difficult to put down, in part because I grew up in Nottinghamshire and could relate very much to the ambiance of 'ucknall.
Now I am going to have to make further investments. I think "Tricks of the Trade" is likely to be my next choice. I can see puzzled Amazon Executives wondering why there is a sudden surge in the purchase of some of these titles 😮 .
Hugs, Rebecca xxx
@fembecky *Ellie looks down at her Amazon shares and smiles quietly to herself*
@satiny I hope I haven't overwhelmed you.
I've just counted them, and realised that I listed 34 books in this short selection 🙂
@ellyd22 I saw a few that piqued my interest. Thanks Ellie! This is a fantastic resource.
@emilyalt Thanks so much Emily. There are many more ... this is just the pick of the bunch at the moment. I'm maintaining a bibliography, and adding to it as I go along. It's something I'll be very happy to send out to anyone at any time, on receipt of a PM. However, as it starts to get longer that could prove more difficult ...
@ellyd22 Great article Ellie.
I think my loft is about to become a CD library as well as a CD wardrobe
You'll have to get a structural engineer in to do the necessary calculations. A couple of RSJs, properly positioned, should deal with any issues.
@ellyd22 Thank you for sharing so much of your time on this. so much valuable information. I appreciate it. RC
@river No problems. I had pretty much everything typed out anyway as part of the book I'm working on. It was really just a matter of pruning what I had down to some 'essentials' and then attempting to organise it in a reasonably accessible way.
In a few months' time I'll have unearthed a lot more resources. Maybe, at that point, it will be time for a supplementary list!
Ellie x
@ellyd22 thank you for putting this list together! I’ll pic up a few of them. Are there any lists of fiction or of films?
Lea
@leainvancouver Hi Lea
Both of these are REALLY good ideas, and both of them are things that I'd love to work on. Several people who responded to my original email DID suggest some fiction titles, so I already have a reasonable working list of these. However I might also stick up a new forum post appealing for more information.
A few kind people also gave me information about films and documentaries, AND I'd like to research an article about Casa Susanna. That's something that I've become increasingly interested in during my own research; a 1500 word summary of what I've found out would be fun to write, and maybe I'll even produce a bit of artwork to accompany it 🙂
Hugs
Ellie x
Hi again Lea 🙂
In terms of films, this existing CDH article might be a useful starting point:
Welcome to the Media Review – Crossdresser Heaven
Hugs
Ellie x
@ellyd22 thanks Ellie, I’ve been watching films on the subject and created a list if the good ones that I will share with the girls.
@ellyd22 This is great dear!
At a suggestion from a member I've added a link to your article under the 'Articles' top nav.
@ellyd22 I just got a Kindle as an early Valentine's present and loaded it up with a bunch of these... well, the ones I haven't read yet!
Thanks for putting this amazing resource together, Ellie! You're the best!
Savannah Hauk Living with Crossdressing
I thought this was a great book. I've also watched her TED talks and a few interviews she has on YouTube. I'll have to check some of the others out.
@ellyd22 What a wonderful piece of research Ellie! Impeccably referenced as well! I shall have to dig into some of these. I also enjoy reading Grayson Perry's musings on his transvestism and a couple of his books and interviews address those. I'm also interested in the academic literature on the subject - Ray Blanchard's thoughts chime with many of my feelings, although I'm aware they are controversial in some quarters. I came across a study of Australian women who'd lived with cross-dressing partners although it didn't make encouraging reading. However, this, I'm sure, is an area of research with many gaps in the literature.
@sunnyday Thanks Alli
CDH articles have a 1500 word limit; I could have written a LOT more 🙂
*Ellie gives a sidelong glance to her groaning bookshelves*
I didn't include Blanchard's work (or more specifically, J Michael Bailey's 2003 book 'The Man who would be Queen', which presented it to a wider audience) precisely BECAUSE of that controversy. It has lots of interesting elements but there are also serious concerns about the methodology. As someone with a scientific background I consider it a good example of confirmation bias. Blanchard seems to have come up with a theory and then selected only the facts which support it, while ignoring all those other inconvenient bits of contradictory evidence.
There's definitely a significant body of literature out there which deals with wives who have seriously struggled with their partner's crossdressing, and which should be read alongside the books by Boyd, Hauk and Hansen. However, it's also definitely true that this whole area is more than a little patchy.
Hugs
Ellie x
@ellyd22 Thank you for compiling this reference list, Ellie. I have managed a few compilations such as this and I know what kind of time and effort it takes to make one.
Don't worry about length. Completeness is important. If there is a book that can help someone, include it. 😉
There were many more books that I could have put on the list, but because there's a word limit on articles I had to make a selection of the most useful, based on the information I had at the time.
It may be possible to do an extended list in future, but the danger then is that it could become so densely packed with information that no-one will actually read it!
Nevertheless, every time someone responds with the title of a book that I haven't yet heard of, I'm taking careful note ...
Ellie x
@ellyd22 As you collate more information, you can extend the top post by linking new posts with more listings. The organization takes place in the top post and readers can pick and choose what they want to read by topics without being overwhelmed. Everything is kept in the one thread. It's just spread out a bit, but it is all there.
As you collate more information, you can extend the top post by linking new posts with more listings
Sadly I can't 🙁
Although all of these replies are appearing as responses to a forum thread, the opening post is actually the text of an article ... and that can't be altered or extended.
@lizk and I have been looking at ways of structuring the 'Reading List' into a more comprehensive resource, perhaps with non-fiction AND fiction sections. If that happens it could incorporate many of the additional titles suggested by members 🙂
Ellie x
OooO! I didn't anticipate that restriction. That is one upgrade that would be worth requesting. If member levels had editing rights, members could maintain link posts like this. This is very unfortunate and a real limitation.
Which CMS is being used here?
@harriette Source:-
What CMS Is This Site Using?
| Category | Software | Version |
| Blog, CMS | WordPress | 6.0.2 |
| Landing Page Builder, CMS | Elementor | 3.23.4 |
| Programming Language | PHP | |
| Database | MySQL | |
| CDN |
Cloudflare |
@leslienix Thanks, Leslie. It is surprising that they don't allow editing articles.
@harriette One of them things hun, some people have admin privileges to remove and alter the web pages content.
@leslienix Yes, but the CMSes that I know can allow original posters to edit their own posts. I did it for years. I don't remember any fallout from doing this, either. Europe has different laws, so I believe that editing rights time-out there after a certain amount. The advantage is members get encouraged to create great content of their own.
@When you joined CDH you ticked the terms and conditions box hun, But I know what you are saying Blogger gives you the freedom to create and change your posts, because you are the admin.
Is it actually that surprising though?
If an article was accepted for publication in a newspaper or magazine rather than a website, wouldn't it seem odd if the author was then able to go back and edit it, post-publication?
The ability to edit would give authors the power to materially alter what they had written after people had already started to respond to the content.
I understand why, in the case of factual pieces such as my 'Reading List', future amendments might seem desirable ... and yet I can also fully appreciate the need for published articles to remain set in stone.
Ellie x
Is it actually that surprising though?
In my experience, yes. For nearly 15 years I was an MVP member on a very large, popular game web site with some subs getting over well 100,000 uniques per month. While I did have elevated permissions, everyone could edit their own posts indefinitely. I am aware of what can be done, of what can work as intended.
If an article was accepted for publication in a newspaper or magazine rather than a website, wouldn't it seem odd if the author was then able to go back and edit it, post-publication?
Except this is not a magazine or newspaper. A web site has other advanced abilities, such as updating older content without recreating it in a new thread. Original magazine articles need to be republished as updates. A web post can be updated indefinitely as corrections or new content are added over the years. New replacement posts are not required as they would only add duplication and confusion with old information.
The multiple crossdressing movie threads here are examples of that. The top post would be indefinitely updated by the OP/author with new movie titles and be linked to the new comment describing each additional movie. This keeps the top link post up-to-date and more useful, more efficient.
With character count limits, a single thread can have posts which contain additional divisions of the whole topic of the thread. So, regarding movies, for example, different genres could be in their own posts within the same thread. If organised well, all of these divisions could all be right below the top post. How this is done can be left up to each author, since style guides really shouldn't be necessary (unless someone gets unruly or obnoxious).
A very impressive body of member created crossdressing content, an archive if you will, could be built here with the right vision. It would draw in untold new members, too.
The ability to edit would give authors the power to materially alter what they had written after people had already started to respond to the content.
Your book content, for example, is not a "normal" post or article, though. It is linked content, a list if you will. The whole purpose of a post like yours is to make sure that it is up-to-date, accurate, well organised, complete. Editing permissions allow the original poster to edit it properly to achieve this goal, in her own time.
Other members could offer additional materials to be added or make corrections that can update the information, too, so, in effect, a top post like yours can be a communal effort, as evidenced by the comments to yours already.
I understand why, in the case of factual pieces such as my 'Reading List', future amendments might seem desirable ... and yet I can also fully appreciate the need for published articles to remain set in stone.
It is absolutely desirable, for the reasons given above.
For example, let's say an author wants to make a tutorial of crossdressing tips or make-up techniques. Are you certain that every author is going to get 100% of them posted and organized properly on her first try? I couldn't nor would I expect anyone else to be able do that, either. Editing in more information and correcting mistakes or typos makes her post more and more valuable or desirable over time because the author respects her own work and should make it more accurate, with less B.S. & less disinformation, and be a gold mine to more readers.
If anyone gets out of control, there are admins and mods who can take away editing rights, or more, so the incentive is for the author to do her best job possible, to respect CDH and it's members, to gain as many views as possible, to help as many members as possible based on the experience of the author or the research that she did.
I managed one reference list, in the same post, for over ten years, probably ~12 years. It was so popular and influential that it was emulated at other web sites. It would be great if members could do something similar not only for all of the great, hidden, buried, older information here. The more members who manage their own new ideas in this way, the more valuable CDH will become. But it takes time, diligence, effort, determination, selflessness, personal interest... and permission, so only a small number of motivated authors are going to participate. You might be surprised, though.
The more popular, important or useful top posts can also be pinned in a README FIRST post for all visiting and new members to find and peruse CDH's archive quickly, too. That way the first page here is less cluttered and helps the members to be more efficient in their searches.
Hi Harriette
I hope you don't mind, but I've tagged Liz K into your post as I think that what you've written will interest her immensely 🙂
We're always looking for ways to develop the site, and detailed input like yours is absolutely invaluable.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write such a detailed and useful post.
Ellie x
Whoa 😮
I deal in strokes of oil paint and real words.
These are just ... squiggles.
Swoooooooosh.
Who even are you?
LOL
Ellie x
Computers don't understand words or numbers the way humans do. Modern software allows the end user to ignore this, but at the lowest levels of your computer, everything is represented by a binary electrical signal that registers in one of two states: on or off. To make sense of complicated data, your computer has to encode it in binary.
Binary is a base 2 number system. Base 2 means there are only two digits---1 and 0---which correspond to the on and off states your computer can understand. You're probably familiar with base 10---the decimal system. Decimal makes use of ten digits that range from 0 to 9, and then wraps around to form two-digit numbers, with each digit being worth ten times more than the last (1, 10, 100, etc.). Binary is similar, with each digit being worth two times more than the last.
1 & 0 = world wide web
Hi Leslie
Thank you.
My PhD is in Geochemistry and I only did two years of Maths during my first degree, so my binary is a little rusty 🙂
As the saying goes, “There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary and those who don’t.”
In my case (to paraphrase Jay-Z) I’ve got 1100011 problems but binary ain't one.
Ellie x
@ellyd22 Didn't know what geochemistry was, so I had to go look it up Ellie, interesting, gets used for many different things, you would be learning new things all the time, constantly evolving....
Which CMS is being used here?
*Ellie watches helplessly as this sails straight over her head*
Um ... it's in WordPress?
*Looks around frantically for technical support*
You're always helpful Harriette 🙂
I know several people whose job it is to work with computers and I find that once they really start talking enthusiastically about what they do I have to sit with a technical dictionary open in front of me. It's the only way I have any real hope of understanding what they're saying.
At times I find it more convenient to simply nod and smile politely.
Ellie x
@ellyd22 I hope that what I described was illuminating and encouraging. If you have any questions or need some explanations, Elly, please send me a PM.
Thank you so much Ellie for taking the time and effort to put together this article 🙂 Being only recently embarked upon this journey, well-qualified reading recommendations for better understanding of what's happening with me are most timely, and they're much appreciated. Some of those titles definitely need to find their way onto my bookshelves, including those to give to the OH come the day of The Talk. While our situation currently allows me to keep Fiona away from her quite easily, I have a feeling it's more a case of 'when' rather than 'if', and it will be very good to have some backup to hand to say the things that I quite possibly wouldn't be able to articulate. Thank you again 🤗
@finallyfiona You're very welcome 🙂
When people first started responding to my original request for information it quickly became clear just how MUCH printed material is out there. Collating at least some of the titles like this is one way for me to say a big thank you to everyone who replied.
Ellie x
@ellyd22 Amazon should be dropping off a parcel to me later 🙂 Both the Savannah Hauk titles, Miss Vera's Finishing School, My Husband Betty. The Lazy Crossdresser is also on order for delivery sometime in February. Thank you again 🙂
Fiona xxx
@finallyfiona I have to say ... that's a REALLY well-chosen starter pack:)
I'm reading 'My Husband Betty' at the moment. The further I get into it, the more I love it. Helen Boyd is an inspirational writer; her account of her life with Betty is non-judgmental and empathetic, but it doesn't pull any punches about her feelings as the wife of a crossdresser. It's also VERY intelligently written and well-researched.
Crossdressers who invest in this book may not always like what they read, since the material in it is predominantly aimed at their wives, but I would suggest that they DO need to read it.
Five stars.
Ellie x
What an amazing article, and a fabulous list! Thank you, Ellie, for compiling it. I think it ought to be made a permanent section of CDH so that, in time to come, members can find it more easily.
@jacquelinelarkspur Thanks so much Jacqueline 🙂
It's nice to think that you consider the article valuable enough to be worth keeping. There are many more titles that I could have added, but I didn't want the whole thing to end up reading like a library catalogue.
Hugs
Ellie x
A list like this - or to be more specific, this list - is an essential starting point for any crossdresser, and deserves to be given prominence on CDH.
The Lazy Crossdresser sounds brilliant, unfortunately not available on Kindle. The three Carrolyn Olson books are on Kindle, however, and likely to be finding their way to my device very soon.
Much hugs
Jacqueline
x
@jacquelinelarkspur The first Carollyn Olson Book, the original 'Tricks of the Trade' is by far the best of the three 'Tricks' books ... and Lacey Leigh's 'Out and About - The Emancipated Crossdresser' is also available on Kindle 🙂
@jacquelinelarkspur However, if you CAN find a copy of 'The Lazy Crossdresser', do. Helen Boyd is really sniffy about it in 'My Husband Betty', but of course she was approaching it as the wife of a crossdresser.
If you actually are the crossdresser then much of it will resonate with you. Very few other books (other than ones by Terry Pratchett ... @melodeescarlet I'm looking at YOU here) have made me laugh so much, so loudly, recently. It's very tongue in cheek, but I genuinely loved it.
Ellie x
I'll be sure to check the book section of the charity shops when I go dress shopping in future...
That would be a definite Pink Flag for the cashier 🙂
It's currently £14.56 including p&p on Amazon Marketplace, and £13.10 inc p&p on Abe Books 🙂
Ahem...and just where is the Discworld section, miss? 🤨
Otherwise a delightfully extensive and helpful list! 😊
What ... what? There are crossdressers on Discworld? That could be a whole new article in itself.
*Having written this, Ellie thinks "Are there, though?" and starts trying to Google this information*
@melodeescarlet You know very well that you can't just say 'Jingo' and walk away from the conversation, no matter how many winky faces you include.
I need to know more ...
Jingo - the 21st Discworld novel.
To help blend in, Vetinari, Nobby and Fred Colon get hold of some Klatchian clothing, though Nobby ends up wearing the costume of a dancing girl and gets in touch with his feminine side.
OK that does it ... I will have to add Jingo to my purchase list. But do I read it before or after Tricks of the Trade.
@melodeescarlet OK. When the Second Edition of the article is published ('A Crossdresser's Reading List -Director's Cut') I promise that there will be a Discworld section 🙂
@ellyd22 you two are so funny even to a “hillbilly girl” from the Green Mountains who has no idea of what discworld is.
@shadowqueen *Shocked*
@melodeescarlet Melodee ... AnnaBeth needs to be educated forthwith/fifthwith.
Hypothetically speaking, if someone were entirely new to Discworld ... and let's say that they were called ... oh... I don't know ... *picks a name at random* 'AnnaBeth' ... what book would you suggest that they start with?
@ellyd22 Wyrd Sisters. Or Guards Guards if you eventually want to get to Jingo. Or the Color of Magic if you want to start with the very beginning of the canon.
@ellyd22 I personally suggest either Going Postal, Hogfather, or Thief of Time as they're my favorites and sort of one-offs. However, if the plan is to work to Jingo, then Guards, Guards is a good place, too. 😉
@melodeescarlet @esmewthrwx Thank you ... I've invested 🙂
I started reading the Discworld books way back when, reading the first four as they came out. I don't know where those copies are now ... I think a nephew may have stolen them ... so I'm essentially going to just start again and dive in at a different point.
Hugs
Ellie x
@ellyd22 You won't regret it Ellie! Did you hear that Melodee? Another lady for the fan club!
@esmewthrwx @elyd22 was already a fan, she just forgot 😉 Luckily she has us around!
@melodeescarlet Yes ... an existing fan who just happens to be 37 books behind everyone else.
@melodeescarlet @esmewthrwx Four Discworld novels, all from eBay and purchased at miraculously low prices, are making their way to me as I type.
All of them are hardback. I don't deal in any of this mass-produced paperback nonsense.
Ellie x
@melodeescarlet @esmewthrwx For the record, I've bought:
Going Postal
Hogfather
Thief of Time
Guards, Guards
Each cost less than £4 and one of them is signed 🙂
I LOVE eBay.
@ellyd22 Now you have to immediately read all of them and tell @melodeescarlet and what you think.
@ellyd22 My first read of Hogfather, I read a specific section that blew my mind. I must have re-read that single section immediately 3 or 4 more times - it was so eye opening. I quote that scene ALL the time. I recall quoting it to Carole and her wife at dinner one night (I forget why now, but any chance to quote Sir Terry, yes?)
A signed copy, nice! I think I gave away all my signed copies. I'm a heavy STP proselytizer lol
REACTION !: You're going to wait until I've read it and see whether I can spot that particular section, aren't you?
REACTION 2: YOU GAVE AWAY YOUR SIGNED COPIES????????
REACTION 3: *Ellie sets aside a couple of hours to research the phrase 'STP proselytizer', having found that a quick Google Search was seriously unhelpful*
- Well...it'd be mean of me to spoil it, right? Plus, you will absolutely know it when you read it.
- Of course! I mean to people I felt were worthy of having them. I'm not here to hoard things. Plus I think I only had two - Interesting Times and Making Money. I gave away a pennant signed by the 1985 Kansas City Royals to people I knew were big fans and would appreciate it much more than I. I've got the story of getting the autographs (both Sir Terry's and the Royals), that's enough for me. 🙂
- n. One who continually preaches the good word of the amazing writings of one Sir Terry Pratchett, OBE.
@melodeescarlet Of course!
'Standard Temperature and Pressure' didn't seem right at all *takes out notebook and crosses this out*
'Going Postal' and 'Thief of Time' were waiting for me when I got home from work today 🙂
Thank you Ellie for taking the time to put this together, a list which will be used by many here at CDH. Just wondering, do you sleep much?
Thats an amazing list Ellie! Thanks so much for collecting it and publishing it for everyone. I have a lot of bookstore browsing to do.
@lauren114 Thankfully, much of it is still in print and is readily available, so happy hunting 🙂
Thanks for sharing all this great research of yours with everyone Ellie!! 👍💋
@kayo I had fun putting it all together ... but most of the 'research' was a collaborative effort with CDH members. Everyone who suggested a title was involved in writing the article 🙂
thank you for providing the great list of reading materials I have a number of them
in general many of them had a lot of great perspective and insight along with confirmation of what I had been thinking/feeling for a long time
There's definitely some wonderful stuff out there. One thing that I've especially enjoyed is reading books by crossdressers' wives, and trying to understand their perspectives. It can be a real eye-opener.
I agree, I also enjoy hearing form the GG wives and GF's on how the perceive and feel about our dressing and what challenges they have, how they became exposed to cross dressing, what their reactions first were, and if it is a sexual turn on for them
@leah63 I'd love to see a summary of what you have found to be typical responses of wives. Do many find i a sexual turnon?? I would bet that for every one who does there are ten others for whom it would be a sexual turnOFF! What a great relationship it would be if it were a turnON!
That's a great list Ellie. Over the years I have read many articles and seen quite a bit on the old telly box but rarely sat down and read a proper book. That's the way I seem to work in anything I do except where it is a precondition or necessity such as school and career.
My preference has been to do the reality, experience first hand and deal with it. Maybe I should write a book........
@ab123 As I type this I'm SURROUNDED by books. There are *counts them* nine floor to ceiling bookshelves in this room alone, and none of them have any gaps. I have two other rooms in the house that are similarly full of books (I'm typing this in the reference section).
I would DIE without my books.
Then again, it's entirely possible that the upstairs floors of my cottage will collapse under the sheer weight and I'll die BECAUSE of my books.
Ellie x
That's one heck of a lot of books Elle and I would want you in my pub quiz team...
@ab123 My specialist subjects are Impressionism, 20th century Art, English Literature, American Literature (1930-1970, especially Steinbeck and Hemingway), Crossdressing Literature (unlikely to come up in a pub quiz), Classical Music, Geography, Science and Natural History 🙂
There was a "Confessions of" style book I was loaned when at school (70's) about a boy who was in an all girls high school and had to dress as one of the gils to get in. Not strictly a crossdressing book but it at the time excited me as to the possibility of dressing with the other girls purly just for the dressing reasons. But I must admidt the real story line was quite good too for a boy of my age then.
I have never seen or found it since. Has anybody got any ideas of the title? I have searched the web with variations but never found this exact storyline to date.
This article is something I wish was available to me a longtime ago. Thanks so much for providing us with a potential library of books and information that will help all of the CD, and Trans community.
@sweetmelissa Thanks Melissa. As my research continues I'm maintaining a general bibliography which I can add to as I find out about more titles. It's already gone way beyond the ones that I've been able to include here 🙂
Thank you for taking the time to share these titles with us Ellie.
@patches Thank you Patches. It's great to have a platform like this on which to share 🙂
hello. thank you for posting a list of recommended reading. I would like to add to your list. I very highly recommend any one of the several books by Jennifer Finny Boylan. she has written several books, but my favorite is "She's Not There". It is her first book and recounts the arduous journey that she had to embark on to finally be her true self. it is extremely well written, very interesting, and very insightful.
Just my 2 cents worth on the subject.....
@jerriekaye Thanks for this Jerrie. I've just been looking at Jennifer Finney Boylan's Wikipedia entry, and 'She's Not There' is a definite must-have for my library 🙂
Hopefully I'll receive a few other suggestions too.
Hugs
Ellie x
I think it will be well worth your time to read all of Jenny’s books. She is a very talented and insightful writer. Let me know what you think.
Hugs jk
Thank you so much for tipping me off about her. I'm surprised that her name hasn't come up sooner!
Hi Ellie, Thanks for this very complete list. I have or have read most of the titles that you mentioned. I've been away from my CPU while I spent the last 2 entire days dealing with snow, ice, cranky machines and -13F here on the farm. So, many years ago I got all 3 of Carollyn Olson's books directly from her. In those days she was selling them herself and she signed all the copies for me. She was always a classy lady and befriended me several times. Sadly she died not long ago after suffering several bouts of cancer. I remember her as always being willing to help out and encouraged me and others to always pay it forward. She would be most excited to hear about your sharing here. Thanks for carrying on a legacy. Marg
@margprodue Thanks Marg. I'm going to try and source a physical copy of Carollyn Olson's first book. I'd much rather have things on the shelf than on the screen 🙂
You've also made me realise that I don't know very much at all about some of the authors that I listed. I'd love, for example, to know a little more background about Lacey Leigh and Charles (Julia) Anders.
Hugs
Ellie
I have found books like the lazy cross dresser quite expensive!
Surprisingly so.
I'd rather buy a new skirt or dress with same 💰 money.
😊
@tubbydullard Faced with the choice of a dress that I love, or a book that I love, I would actually always buy the book.
Having said that, I would then live solely on dust and water for a week so that I could afford to buy the dress as well.
