Loose End

Author: Ivan E. Coyote

First line: Every Saturday morning all summer long, the parking lot across the street from me is transformed.

Why you should read this book: Coyote is a consummate storyteller, and this book presents a series of short slice-of-life vignettes, recalling her experiences as a gender-fluid, chain-smoking writer in Vancouver, through quiet, humorous prose. Whether she's recovering from a gay-bashing, applauding her godson for his taste in fancy dresses, or untangling family dynamics from her Yukon upbringing, her sense of observation remains keen and uplifting, revelatory without hitting the reader in the head with a moral. Fast, easy, brilliant stories to open your eyes and your heart.

Why you shouldn't read this book: I really liked this one. Nobody gets a pass.