October Reads

Well THIS is a tad delayed!

October was a busy month for reading, but clearly that didn’t translate into a new blog post. I’ll be honest, I was sucked into a Steve Kornacki vortex of Khaki Pants and Big Boards and basically forgot how to read. I’m not even sure I’ll have November reads to report back on.

But, let’s travel back to October when the reading was good.

In My Own Words

The first thing I did after hearing the news of RBG’s passing was look up a book to read by her. I mistook this book for an autobiography, but it’s actually a tome of her speeches, dissents, etc. The authors weave it together brilliantly and it does have a storylike quality. It just felt good to see her words on paper, remember what is possible, what she overcame. I left the book more enamored with her than when I started.

Rating: Not bedtime reading, but a worthwhile read nonetheless.

Rodham

What if Hillary never married Bill? Ok, that’s some fan-fic I can run with. What if Hillary never married Bill but we get to imagine them having sex A LOT. Hm. What I found interesting about the book was how it wove in real events, reimagined. I felt like the book ran out of steam near the end and was a bit predictable. I also had a hard time separating actual Hillary from this fictional(ish) Hillary.

Rating: Read it especially if you want to read sex scenes guaranteed not to turn you on.

The Girl with the Louding Voice

Inspirational novel by Abi Daré about a Nigerian girl and her fight for education admist a struggle for survival. Beautifully written (I don’t want to say too much in fear of spoiling it).

Rating: Read it and find your louding voice.

One to Watch

One of those “beach-type” reads that you can’t put down. A plus-sized blogger goes on a rant about a “Bachelorette” style reality show and ends up the star of the show. Author Kate Stayman-London has quite the impressive resume, having written for people from President Obama to Malala Yousafzai. It shows in the writing which is pithy, engaging, easily digestible, but decidedly smart.

Rating: Give this one the final rose..or something.

If I Had Your Face

Gorgeous novel about female tenants in the same apartment building in South Korea and how their lives intersect. Examines impossible beauty standards, the secret “saloon room girls” of Seoul and more. I honestly couldn’t put it down.

Rating: Pick it up immediately.

Looking For Miss. America

The premise of the book is a look at the evolution of the Miss. America pageant and how it intersected and diverged from the feminist movement. I learned a lot I didn’t know about the history of the pageant, but it didn’t go deep enough. I wanted something meatier, but maybe it was appropriate that a book about beauty only really skimmed the surface.

Rating: Skip it.

Happy and You Know It

Fiction book about a rich mommy group in NYC and the struggling singer/songwriter that becomes their tots’ music teacher. It is a delicious, fast-paced novel that I finished in about 36 hours. It was just that good. You’ll never guess the ending (at least I didn’t).

Rating: Read it when you have a couple hours to set aside because, trust me, you won’t want to put it down.

Godshot

I’m a sucker for any book about cults and “Godshot” is no exception. The beginning was a bit slow, but I quickly found myself hooked. There is something about the writing that mimics the ever-present through-line of a poor town in the midst of a horrible drought. You find yourself trudging along, dehydrated, yearning for cool relief that you hope will come at the end of this twisted, disturbing novel which. At its core is about the relationship between mothers and daughters.

Rating: Give it a shot.

That was a busy month! Have you read any of the above books? What did you think? What are you currently reading? Drop a comment below!