The Bookish Life of Vivian Jenna Wilson

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You may or may not immediately recognize the name Vivian Jenna Wilson. If you do, you’re likely already itching to get to the book recommendations portion of this piece. If you don’t, you’ll want a little backstory before you find yourself scrolling so fast you give yourself fingerburn.

Vivian Jenna Wilson is the 20-year-old estranged trans daughter of current unelected “Senior Advisor to the President” Elon Musk. She’s made a name for herself speaking out against the way her father has treated her, about how the media treats trans kids like her, and more. Just recently, she was featured on on the cover of Teen Vogue Magazine. In that stellar profile, Wilson talks at length about her relationship with her famously anti-trans father, about the need to protect young trans people, and about how she’s come to troll some of the most awful corners of the far-right on the internet.

It comes as little surprise to discover through her social media that Wilson is also a book lover. Wilson, like many of her peers, has curated her feeds, meaning that some of what she’s posted in the past is no longer publish. That makes it difficult to give a nice deep dive into her reading life, but have no fear. The books Wilson has talked about and shared online showcase precisely the inclusive literary life one might expect of her–as well as excited any reader itching to get their hands on some of the best LGBTQ+ books out there. These books are also, not surprisingly, also among those so frequently targeted by followers of her father’s political cult for book bans.

Find here the books recommended and highlighted by Wilson across social media. Where it’s possible, I’ve included her explanations for why they’re worth picking up. This isn’t a huge list, but it is a damn good one featuring an array of genres, voices, and both new and backlist reads.

Hell Followed With Us by Andrew Joseph White

“‪I just finished Hell Followed With Us and I wanna talk about it because this is what? My bsky account

tl;dr it’s really fucking good and I highly suggest it” – via BlueSky

Wilson went on to share a lengthy thread about how much she loved this book, which you can read in full here. One pull quote: “This book has been hailed as having some of the best trans representation in recent years and it’s for very good reason. This book is one of the most unapologetically queer/trans pieces of fiction I have ever read and I am HERE FOR IT.”

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

“I just finished Iron Widow and this genuinely might be my favorite book I’ve ever read, bar none. It is AMAZING” – via BlueSky

The Market of Monsters series by Rebecca Schaeffer, beginning with Not Even Bones

“The Market of Monsters series by Rebecca Schaeffer is absolutely amazing” – via BlueSky

The Sunbearer Trials by Aiden Thomas

This one hasn’t been reviewed, per se, by Wilson. But you can peep it on the small pile of books in this video posted to TikTok and Instagram.

Sunrise on the Reaping by Suzanne Collins

“Suzanne Collins is not playing around with the policial symbolism and messaging and I’m here for it. The quotes at the beginning, the reaping day being July 4th, the queer and indigenous representation. This book is incredible so far. I appreciate subtlety, but I will always adore Suzanne Collins just hitting the audience over the head with themes of her novels” – via Threads