3 books to read before the November elections

'​Prequel: An American Fight Against Fascism'​ by Rachel Maddow

The nation is still reeling from the January 6, 2021 storming of the U.S. Capitol by insurrectionists supported and encouraged by Donald Trump. Eighty years earlier, far-right extremists also attempted to overthrow the government — a chapter in American history mostly forgotten but clearly due for a retelling. In Prequel, preeminent lesbian writer and journalist Rachel Maddow details the 21st-century near-coup that served as prologue to MAGA madness.

'The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism' by Tim Alberta

Speaking of Trump, it was evangelicals who elevated him to power back in 2016, disregarding his very un-Christian life. Writer Tim Alberta, a a practicing Christian and son of an evangelical pastor, chronicles how this religious movement’s ethos went from a love of God to a hatred and fear of others — especially LGBTQ+ people — and maps out its dangerous endgame.

'He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters' by Schuyler Bailar

Tragically, it’s transgender people who find themselves most targeted and scapegoated by both evangelicals and right-wingers — especially when elections roll around. Trans activist and athlete Schuyler Bailar cuts through the smears in He/She/They, explaining why gender-affirming medical care is life-saving and how trans youth playing sports benefits all kids. Bailar’s book isn’t just for the ignorant; it also serves as a bible of trans joy.