A collection of Elliot Page’s favourite books
The career of Elliot Page is brimming with success. He has received an Academy Award nomination and two BAFTA Awards for his excellent acting in films and TV shows as varied as Trailer Park Boys, Juno, Hard Candy, Super and Inception. Page also holds the distinction of being the only openly trans man to appear on the cover of Time magazine.
Discussing his favourite thing to do to get the perfect day off to a good start, Page told Esquire: “For me, euphoria is simply the act of waking up, making my coffee, and sitting down with a book and being able to read.” In light of that, let’s take a look at some of the actor’s favourite reads.
Page admitted that one book he loves to read is In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado, a memoir detailing the horrors of domestic abuse. Machado examines abuse through the lenses of fairy tale, erotica and ever Star Trek. Page said the book is “one of my favourite books ever”.
Another memoir close to Page’s heart is Ashley C. Ford’s Somebody’s Daughter, in which she tells of her difficult upbringing in Indiana and her troublesome relationship with her violent and abusive mother. The book is dripping in vulnerability, and Page thinks it is “fantastic”.
Page said of Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq: “It’s one of the best things I’ve ever read. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. The last two pages of her book are just this whole beautiful piece about: I don’t want to forgive. But I forgive myself. I’ll pick it up every once in a while just to read that.” Tagaq’s novel tells of an Inuit teenager coming of age in the harsh Arctic landscape.
Elsewhere, we find books from the likes of Brian Broome, Alexander Chee and Brandon Taylor. Check out the full list below.
Elliot Page’s favourite books:
- In the Dream House – Carmen Maria Machado
- Somebody’s Daughter – Ashley C. Ford
- Punch Me Up to the Gods – Brian Broome
- How to Write an Autobiographical Novel – Alexander Chee
- Real Life – Brandon Taylor
- Split Tooth – Tanya Tagaq
- Amateur – Thomas Page McBee
Yet another memoir that Page admires is Thomas Page McBee’s Amateur, which tells of him becoming the first trans man to fight a cis man in a boxing match at the Madison Square Garden. Page said of the book, “Amateur is a beautiful and powerful book written by the superbly talented Thomas Page McBee, who I was lucky to work with on the new season of Umbrella Academy. This memoir is such an important piece of trans literature to support and one that spoke to me deeply.”
