#ReadingWomenMonth • Day 12 • Short Stories

Thanks to @riverheadbooks for sending me a copy of FLORIDA! Lauren Groff is one of my favorite contemporary authors, and, naturally, her new collection of short stories is one of my most anticipated books of the year. I can‘t wait to read it. 😻

#ReadingWomenMonth • Day 10 • Pink Cover

Love this take on pregnancy, birth, and motherhood from a woman of my generation. It‘s such a realistic perspective on the topic.

Thanks to @thebookcorgi for this lovely photo bomb. 😆

#ReadingWomenMonth • Day 4 • A Book with a Number in the Title

Best of #bookmail today!! Thanks to Henry Holt for sending me a copy of NUMBER ONE CHINESE RESTAURANT. It‘s one of my most anticipated titles coming out this month. 😻

#ReadingWomenMonth • Day 3 • Indian Women Writer

I‘m cheating a little bit and posting about an Indian American writer. I went to my library and realized I need to go out and buy ALL the Indian #womenwriters.

@thebooksatchel wrote an excellent guest post for us over on @thereadingwomen‘s blog, recommending six must-read Indian women writers. I‘m going to start there and begin filling this gap in my reading life. 📚💕

#ReadingWomenMonth photo-a-day challenge • Day 2 • a book published in 2018

I loved this debut novel RAINBIRDS. You can hear my review on episode 43 of @thereadingwomen podcast! 📚🎉

I tried to take a similar shot this year, but none of them could top this photo of last year‘s grumpy party of one. 😂 🎉

Happy Birthday to @thereadingwomen and all the love and thanks to @autumnprivett for helping to make this feminist magic happen. 😻

One of my favorite myth retellings has to be #Circe by Madeline Miller. I love how Miller takes the myth of Circe and rounds it out and gives us a new look at Circe as a woman, not just the lover of a famous dude. Every since I read this book back in April, I can‘t stop thinking about how well Miller told this story and how memorable she wrote Circe as a character. I can‘t get enough.

Congrats to Sarah Beth Durst for finishing her Queens of Renthia trilogy! As soon as THE QUEEN OF SORROW released earlier this month, I dropped everything else I was reading to binge listen to this last book. I had to know how the story ended.

🌴 Beach Read 🌴

Congrats to Caroline Fraser for winning the #pulitzerprize for biography!! 🎉

I'm not really into near-future feminist novels. FUTURE HOME OF THE LIVING GOD and THE POWER both left me unsatisfied. Despite my personal preferences, I keep hoping I just haven't met the right book in this sub-genre. I hadn't intended on Reading RES CLOCKS, but I heard so many wonderful reviews. I thought, what could it hurt? Check out review on:

Instagram: https://instagram.com/p/BhiEJpdl5Bp/
#BookTube: https://youtu.be/fl72uPxmyvE

In preparation for CIRCE coming out next week, I had to read THE SONG OF ACHILLES, Madeline Miller‘s debut. As an uber nerd who loves Greek mythology, ACHILLES falls into the center of my wheelhouse, and in many ways, this novel improves the classic story of Achilles and his companion Patroclus.

Full Review: https://instagram.com/p/BhRnO7Yn2-E/

Happy #NationalPoetryMonth! 🎉

I‘ll be sharing three of my recent favorites over on @thereadingwomen #podcast, but I wanted recommend dozens more collections—there‘s so much wonderful poetry out there!

Today‘s poetry is written by Jen Campbell, the renaissance woman who‘s also authored nonfiction, short stories, and children‘s picture books. Whatever work of Jen‘s you pick up, you know it‘s going to be a delightful read.

Beard discusses how women have been silenced and denied positions of power since antiquity. Using her background in classics, Beard gives examples from Greek mythology and early Greeks plays and contrasts them with examples from the modern world. Small but mighty, WOMEN AND POWER hits home, pointing out the recurring patterns of sexism in Western culture and reminding us that in some ways society hasn't advanced as much as we like to think it has.

I can‘t wait for @thereadingwomen‘s month all about poetry! I‘m #currentlyreading Shauna Barbosa‘s debut poetry collection CAPE VERDEAN BLUES. Tune in to our episodes on poetry throughout the month April to hear more about CAPE VERDEAN BLUES and other poetry collections by or about women. Just can‘t wait. 😻

Brass features two young women‘s coming-of-age stories, one mother and one daughter each discovering her own place in the world. You can find out more about BRASS in @thereadingwomen‘s Q&A with Aliu, where she discusses some of her inspiration for the novel and the importance of featuring working-class characters.

https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/blog/2018/02/23/qa-xhenet-aliu

I put my book down and was gone for two minutes. 🙄

Best of #bookmail and just in time for me to enjoy for #FridayReads! THE GUNNERS is one of my most anticipated titles for the first half of 2018. So. Excited. 🤩

Many thanks to Counterpoint Press for sending me a copy. If you haven‘t checked out this amazing publisher, head over to their Instagram page to see their amazing titles. (They might be my favorite. 🙊)

https://www.instagram.com/counterpointpress

I loved the behind-the-scenes look into Tan's writing process. But I feel that because I haven't read more of her work, especially her most recent novel THE VALLEY OF AMAZEMENT, I missed out on a lot of the book's depth. While I enjoyed this nontraditional memoir, I would recommend reading some of her novels first. But rest assured, hardcore fans will adore all of the insights included in WHERE THE PAST BEGINS.

It took awhile for me to get into this audiobook—the narrator is not my favorite. But soon enough, the novel swept me away with its story full of undead queens, poisoned dresses, and one adorable bear. Blake knows how to keep you on edge. She throws in twist after twist, all the way up to the very end. I can't wait for the next installment of the series coming out this fall!

When we think of classic 19th-century #womenwriters, we think of Austen, the Brontes, or Edith Wharton; we think of white women. But African American women wrote during this time, too. From more famous writers like Sojourner Truth to the lesser-known writers like Ella Sheppard, these women wrote speeches, poetry, novels, memoirs, and so much more.

Nothing like a London fog and a good book.

What at first glance appears to be your stereotypical mystery novel questions turns into a full scale examination of female relationships and the complexities of human nature that lie far beneath the surface. Harper's novels don't have a lot of bells and whistles. She doesn't need them. Her skill lies with the examination of her characters and the careful plotting that isn't about the big reveal.

Full Review: https://instagram.com/p/Bf9T4KTnoJP/

ETERNAL LIFE follows Rachel, a Jewish woman who has lived for hundreds of years. When she young woman living in Jerusalem before the destruction of the temple, she traded her death to save her son's life. Now she's faced with an endless eternity. I enjoyed this deep character study into a woman who possesses eternal life, and if you're even a fraction obsessed with time and how that influences how we view the world, definitely pick up this book.

One of my favorite mysteries so far this year is, hands down, THE WIDOWS OF MALABAR HILL. Sujata Massey tells the story of Perveen Mistry, a young woman living in 1920s Bombay. Perveen is also Bombay‘s first female solicitor. I loved how this book is more than a mystery novel; it‘s a look at Perveen as character, slowly unraveling her past and how that effects her present. I can‘t wait until Sujata Massey writes the sequel. I ❤️ Perveen.

I finally finished my first Hilary Mantel! And what a way to start. WOLF HALL demands all of your attention and careful examination. But the rich story makes all the effort totally worth it. I can‘t wait to pick up BRINGING UP THE BODIES. 📚💕

I could spend paragraphs telling you about how this novel is well-written and beautifully structured. But I can‘t. I‘m still wallowing in my #bookcoma. 😭💔 Consider this my photo review. 😅😂

Many thanks to @Liberty for choosing it for #BOTM. This is why she‘s my favorite #BookoftheMonth judge. 💕

Yesterday, @autumnprivett and I met Min Jin Lee! Nothing like meeting one of your favorite authors in person. Lee is incredibly gracious and kind, and my author crush has grown exponentially. 💖

About one year ago I read the magical THE BEAR AND THE NIGHTINGALE. Now my U.K. edition of THE GIRL IN THE TOWER finally arrived! Stay tuned for more glorious female heroines smashing the medieval Russian patriarchy. ✨

I can‘t believe I didn‘t post about this phenomenal book last year when I first read it. Thi Bui‘s graphic memoir THE BEST WE COULD made the shortlist for the #ReadingWomenAward for #nonfiction and was recently nominated for the Book Critics Circle Award for autobiography.

In her Q&A with us on @thereadingwomen, Thi Bui talks about her writing process and the importance of reading and listening to refugees‘ stories.

#HappyBirthday to my darling #VirginiaWoolf. 🎂💖

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”

I worried that this novel would be a cliched story about yet another unhappy, 30-something working in a large city. Instead, I found a novel that takes a fresh look at loneliness and why our emotional and mental health are so vital to our lives. Ultimately, I found ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE to be a beautiful love letter to people who discover the courage to live their lives to fullest in face of horrible tragedy.

I‘ve read both LET‘S PRETEND THIS NEVER HAPPENED and FURIOUSLY HAPPY this month; these books were just what the doctor ordered. Jenny shares stories about her life and her experiences dealing with her various disorders in a way that makes me laugh out loud. These are funny books about horrible things. Jenny somehow commiserates with us all while simultaneously making us smile. That‘s one of the greatest talents. ❤️

Set in Australia, THE DRY is a mystery about a man returning to his hometown after being away for many years. Even though I finished this book several weeks ago, I‘m still mulling over these characters, their depth and complexity. It‘s a mystery that doesn‘t need flashy bells and whistles. THE DRY stands on its own merit and skill of the author.

Happy pub week to THE IMMORTALISTS!!

@autumnprivett and interviewed Chloe over on @thereadingwomen #podcast. Def have a listen!

https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/blog/interview-with-chloe-benjamin

@samwinchester90 and I just finished #JeanetteWinterson‘s CHRISTMAS DAYS while heading back home. I love Jeanette‘s Christmas stories that feel like modern fairytales full of mystery and magic. Between each story, Jeanette includes one of her favorite holiday recipes. Everything about this book is just delightful. Definitely one of my new favorite Christmas story collections. 🎄

I don‘t read a lot of YA, but when I heard about I AM NOT YOUR PERFECT MEXICAN DAUGHTER, I knew it was for me. And good thing I picked it up! This book became one of my favorite young adult novels of 2017. For my full review, check out pt. 1 of my December wrap up over on my #BookTube channel. Prepare for lots of gushing and lots of love for this wonderful debut!
https://youtu.be/h_F-N2vIJwQ

Tonight was the annual book club party! One of my favorite parts is our blind date book exchange. Naturally, I HAD to bring PACHINKO.

My hint was: “Through time, oceans, and wars, the ball drops. If you are willing to take the chance, choose me and play the game. 496 prizes await.”

Would you have guessed it was PACHINKO?

I have to give a shoutout to Durst and her fantastic female protagonists. In THE RELUCTANT QUEEN, the protagonist is a single mom just trying to take care of her kids. But then she discovers the kingdom needs her, and her amazing magical abilities. So off she goes, her children in tow. Many books act like a woman‘s life ends at motherhood. But Durst tackles that fallacy head on, giving us a protagonist who is a full-time mom.

Hey Litsy fam! Here‘s a public service announcement for U.S. residents: @thereadingwomen are giving away a finished, hardback copy of JADE CITY by Fonda Lee!! 💫😱
To enter, head over to the Reading Women website and tell us about some of your favorite fantasy books this year. There are only a few entries at this point, so your odds are looking good!

https://t.co/46SwgXVjcZ

I wrote a blog post for @thereadingwomen about my favorite fantasy books of 2017! One of them is Kristin Cashore‘s latest novel, JANE, UNLIMITED. At first I didn‘t know what to make of this quirky choose your own adventure book. But Cashore quickly won me over with her creativity and orchestration of all the different timelines in JANE. I will never doubt her ever again.

You can check out my other favorites over on readingwomenpodcast.com/blog .

I loved returning to this much beloved universe. This book is much more the slow burn than Pullman‘s other novels. We aren‘t quite sure where it‘s going or how it even relates to the original story we all know and love. Yes, there‘s Lyra, but what is she even doing there? How is this connected to the first trilogy?

I‘m interested in how Pullman is going to approach the next two volumes of this trilogy. I‘m more than happy to wait to find out

@thereadingwomen have a reading challenge for 2018!! We had a lot of fun creating this list. Hope you all have as much fun with this as we are going to!

Check out the extra info over on Reading Women‘s website: https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/reading-women-challenge-2018

Please repost and share this challenge with your friends!

#readingwomenchallenge

I found Shamsie's modern spin on Antigone relevant and intriguing and loved all the intricacies of Home Fire as it retold the familiar tale. The novel can stand on its own, but I have to wonder if readers who haven't read Antigone would pick up on the details Shamsie has woven into the story. Either way, Home Fire is a great read.

MANHATTAN is well researched and incredibly atmospheric. You can feel the heart and soul of WWII Brooklyn on every page. But I kept looking for Egan‘s famous innovative style. Though her characters are well-rounded and fascinating, the whole book feels very traditional. I probably should have started with GOON SQUAD. But now we know. 🤷‍♀️

I recently finished Morgan Jerkins‘ debut essay collection THIS WILL BE MY UNDOING. What a thought provoking book! You can find my full review of it over on my #BookTube channel. Definitely was a great choice for #NonfictionNovember.

https://youtu.be/tCMY_LzbmuQ

This book is about 500 pages, but I couldn‘t put it down. The story is fresh and captivating, and I adored the world the author has created. In some fantasy novels, the world building can be a bit much, cumbersome, and overwhelming. But Chakraborty takes the time to open up the world from the inside out, revealing just enough to keep us reading.
500 pages wasn‘t enough. Ah! I can‘t wait until the next one comes out.

I just had to have more Ali Smith this month. This short story collection is Ali‘s love letter to libraries. 💌📚

My latest #NonfictionNovember read is THE BRIGHT HOUR by Nina Riggs. After Nina was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she decided to write a memoir about her experience. Sadly, Nina passed away in 2017, but her memoir is full beautiful insights on life and living, making the most of each moment that we are given.

I love Ali‘s style, which reminds me so much of Virginia Woolf. What‘s more, I felt like Ali took themes from TO THE LIGHT HOUSE and rewrote them into a totally new story. I could spend hours talking about this book (I already have, actually 🙊), but I will just say here that I love Ali Smith. And while this book isn‘t my favorite of hers, it‘s def one of the most thought-provoking books I‘ve read this year.