At the beginning of quarantine, I was watching hours of television a day, thinking that life would return to normal soon. But when I realized that wasn't going to happen, I told myself I better start reading, otherwise I was going to be embarrassed that I spent MONTHS stuck at home and hadn't read a single book. I had to refuse to spend every hour of free time watching television and having my brain turn to mush (No offense, Netflix and Amazon Prime). I realize the COVID-19 pandemic isn't over, and that social distancing (i.e. staying mostly at home) is still a thing. But I figure this blog post can't go on forever (which this pandemic may), so I'm going to post now.
I didn't do this on purpose (at first), but I ended up reading all books written by women, many of which were autobiographies/memoirs/personal essays (i.e. non-fiction). Girl power!
Here are the books I added to my "read" bookshelf on Goodreads*. There are spoilers, so keep that in mind!
This is such a funny book! A fun read for any woman, especially young, independent women. As a Dartmouth graduate, I was hoping for some more college stories from Mindy, but I did enjoy the tidbits she included. I really liked the "Romance and Guys" section; Mindy and I are on the same page when it comes to needing an emotional connection for sex, being "pals" with your partner, dating men instead of boys, and not understanding why men must sit down to put on their shoes. And any woman can relate to her "Evan" story: the guy you have a great date with it, and then he decides he doesn't like you anymore. I think Mindy Kaling is my soul sister, hands down.
I knew who Malala was, but I enjoyed learning more about her background and her life, both before and after her tragedy (but all in a pretty positive, hopeful light!). I was certainly impressed by her bravery, courage, and perseverance to bring education to all children everywhere. When I got the book, I didn't realize I had received the young reader's edition, but I am hoping it is similar to the original.
I read this book because so many people were talking about it and the TV show it inspired. But I ended up being a little disappointed. It was interesting enough that I wanted to continue reading it and find out more about the characters and their lives and backgrounds. But the writing itself wasn't particularly impressive, and in the end, you are still left with questions (which leads to believe that it's a set-up for a sequel). I feel like it had good ideas in it, but the story could have been executed in a better way. I didn't feel as much closure as I wanted, which left me with a "meh" feeling about the whole book.
I had read several of Amy Tan's books, but I didn't know much about her life. I didn't realize how much of her families' stories inspired her writings, especially The Joy Luck Club. Her life and background is so interesting that reading this memoir almost felt like reading one of her fiction novels. The only part I found a little dull was the collection of emails to and from her editor, although even those did have some humorous bits. Tan not only is a fantastic writer, but she is thoroughly a very interesting person.
I could not put this book down! I read it in less than a week, reading between 50 and 100 pages every day until I was finished. It reminded me of The Girls of Atomic City, another book about the "untold story" of the women who helped win WWII. I couldn't help but imagine what it would have been like if I were a senior at a women's college in the 1940's who had been recruited for a government job (knowing nothing about the position) only to find out I was helping crack Japanese and German codes to help the war effort. Throughout the book, women are quoted as seeing the work as "exciting," and loving the opportunity to move to Washington, D.C. and have a meaningful job to "bring the boys home." As an independent woman with a job in our nation's capital, I could relate to the ambition and self-determination of these "G-girls." I could also relate to the sentiments of the many women who became housewives and mothers after they left their jobs (which the government encouraged); reading those stories was like reading The Feminine Mystique all over again, a book that has only confirmed my belief that a life with no purpose other than procreating would feel empty and not as meaningful as working. It was encouraging to read how many of these smart, independent women enjoyed the single, working lifestyle, and it almost gives me permission, more than 70 years later, that it's okay for me to be happy with my current lifestyle, too. This book was so good I even read the acknowledgements and the notes at the end. Five stars for sure!
I read this book in a span of 24 hours because I had to know what happened! This psychological thriller starts out slow: I was annoyed by how meek and pathetic the female protagonist was. But as the story goes on, you learn how she became that way (and in the end, that she's not like that at all). The chapters alternate between the past and the present, creating a jumbled timeline that drops hints as you're reading. I was hooked and had to know how the story ended as soon as I could.
I really enjoyed this book! Since I had read one of Mindy Kaling's books, I was familiar with this format: short autobiographical stories written in a very funny way by a hilarious woman. I loved that I could relate to some of Fey's specific stories; I myself have climbed Old Rag in the Shenandoah (although not in the dark!). She writes about one of my favorite SNL skits, the one where she impersonates Sarah Palin and Amy Poehler is Hillary Clinton as they address the issues of sexism in politics; it's a hilarious skit, and that was the first time Tina Fey played Palin! See for yourself how amazing Tina Fey is:
This book was like the movie Revolutionary Road except with a mostly Asian family and without Kate Winslet or Leonardo DiCaprio. The unhappiness of the characters, especially that of the mother Marilyn, could have been easily avoided. Essentially her story is this: Marilyn's mother wanted her to get married and be a housewife, but Marilyn dreamed of becoming a doctor, even if it was just the 1950's; in the end, she ends up right where her mother wanted her, married to a Harvard grad with whom she has three kids. Marilyn runs away from her family mid-book because she's so unhappy where life has led her. But it's her own fault! She didn't have to kiss her professor in his office (so cliché); she didn't have to get knocked up unexpectedly (twice!). She brought her own misery onto herself, and in doing so pushed it upon her husband and children. Her story is intermingled with the bleak stories of the other family members: her husband who has never felt like he belonged because of his race; her middle daughter Lydia who is drowning (no pun intended...you'll see) in the pressure of her parents to be the perfect child; her other two children feeling less-than compared to their sister. So the book is really just a depressing story of how life doesn't end up how you want, and how some people just can't handle mistakes or sadness (their own or that of their loved ones). Maybe if the characters actually talked to each other for real and shared their true feelings, they wouldn't end up in such a mess. Not much is redeeming about this story, and the writing itself didn't save it for me.
As a nature lover, I loved this book. The author's use of imagery throughout the story really makes you feel as if you can see, touch, and smell the marshes where the story is set. The author flips between past and future, almost like "Pulp Fiction," in which events happen within a jumbled (although labeled) timeline; this adds to the suspense related to the crime mystery woven into the tale. I also admired the protagonist's independence and perseverance, especially as a young woman. We need more female characters like her!
Another fictional read. The book follows two stories, the chapters flipping between the two: a young woman of today traveling to Cuba to spread her grandmother's ashes, and her young grandmother living in Cuba just before Castro came into power. I enjoyed seeing Havana through the two different perspectives, as well as reading about their own love stories with men who dream of a better, freer Cuba. I liked the title especially; it made me think of the Passover seder, when we say, "Next year in Jerusalem." Our ancestors and their homes are always a part of us, and this is a beautiful book about just that.
I continued my fiction trend with Alice Hoffman's The Ice Queen. I am assuming this is a book my sister read in high school; it was randomly on a shelf in my parents' house. I wasn't a big fan. It's about a young girl who loses her mother at a young age and blames herself, so she essentially sees and acts like an ice queen. So the protagonist is not a very likable character, even if she begins to "melt" in the end. Mostly a waste of time, but it's a short book, so not too big a waste.
I saw Sarah Hurwitz give a book talk at Sixth & I Historic Synagogue several years ago, and I bought the book. But I never got around to reading it until now. I loved it! I think it's a great introduction to learning about Judaism, from holiday rituals to ideas of who God is. Her writing is very down-to-earth, and you feel like you're having a conversation with a friend. Throughout, I would think, "Yes, that's how I feel, too!" I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about religion, whether you are Jewish or not. Definitely a new favorite!
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