Hi and welcome to my first ever Goodreads Monday! I am aiming to include a few more memes into my posts as a way to showcase other books rather than just the ones I am able to review. I have so many books that I want to read and share the word about!
Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme hosted by @Lauren's page turner's. To participate, choose a random book from your TBR and show it off.
This week's book that I feel deserves a mention is Life as a Unicorn: A memoir.
From a god-fearing Muslim boy enraptured with their mother, to a vocal, queer drag queen estranged from their family, this is a heart-breaking and hilarious memoir about the author’s fight to be true to themself.
‘It should be read far and wide’ Ian McKellen
Amrou knew they were gay when, aged ten, they first laid eyes on Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. It was love at first sight.
Amrou’s parents weren’t so happy…
From that moment on, Amrou began searching in all the wrong places for ways to make their divided self whole again.
Life as a Unicorn is a hilarious yet devastating story of a search for belonging, following the painful and surprising process of transforming from a god-fearing Muslim boy to a queer drag queen, strutting the stage in seven-inch heels and saying the things nobody else dares to ….
I spotted this book a while ago on Instagram and have wanted to read it ever since. After all the devastating news across the world and 'black lives matter' causes a number of books came into the foray as a way to diversify reading culture and show people different cultures in a bid to help people without a direct link to these issues understand them a little better. This was one among many that stood out for me. I have always had an interest in other religions and cultures, I find it so fascinating learning how other religions conduct their lives and the rules they follow. I felt this memoir would be an interesting read full of facts about Amrou's beliefs and the culture they grew up in.
Amrou writes about the trials and tribulations of growing up gay in a Muslim culture and the transition they made to a drag queen speaking the truth.
I feel any story that describes strength and determination of a person against the odds is a winner for me. The strength of character they must have had to fight the patriarch of their religion and be true to themself seems a world away from anything I have ever experienced myself.
I hope I manage to get a copy of this one and read it this year.
If anyone has read it already did you like it? What insights did you find?