Broken (in the best possible way) – Jenny Lawson

Here's what I personally love about Jenny Lawson: She is unafraid to write about the darkest side of anxiety, ADD without the H, depression, chronic diseases, and the absolutely horrifyingly CRAPPY health care system that denies people the care they need, with absurd rules and denials. She illustrates this in ways anyone can understand and … Continue reading Broken (in the best possible way) – Jenny Lawson →

The Lost Apothecary – Sarah Penner

Eliza is 12 in 1791 London. She is in service to Mrs. Amwell, who dispatches Eliza on an errand to a hidden shop -- an apothecary-- where Nella, aging and sick, compounds death for men who betray women. Caroline flew alone to London for what was supposed to be her tenth-anniversary trip. She's left James … Continue reading The Lost Apothecary – Sarah Penner →

Buses are a Comin’: Memoir of a Freedom Rider – Charles Person with Richard Rooker

This is the single best coming-of-age memoir I have ever read. I have read and enjoyed many. It is 1961, and eighteen-year-old Charles Person needs his parents'' permission to become the youngest of the original Freedom Riders of 1961. James Farmer of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) led up the plan to test the … Continue reading Buses are a Comin’: Memoir of a Freedom Rider – Charles Person with Richard Rooker →

Unspeakable Things – Jess Lourey

It is a supreme compliment from me to say this book reminded me of Jane Smiley's work. Cassandra "Cassie" McDowell and her older sister Persephone "Sephie" are 12 and about 14 when we meet them, living on a farm and going to school in Lilydale, MN. Cassie is the narrator and her character is why … Continue reading Unspeakable Things – Jess Lourey →

When No One is Watching – Alyssa Cole

I enjoyed Cole's writing style, characters, and concept, as well as the engaging historical information about Black-owned real estate in Brooklyn with a nice little nod to Weeksville, a place HIGH on my list of NY destinations when travel starts again. Sydney's neighborhood is gentrifying a little TOO fast, in ways that seem explicitly sinister. … Continue reading When No One is Watching – Alyssa Cole →

Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 – Edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blaine

I am so glad I selected the audiobook because hearing this book spoken by the talented cast was unforgettable. (I did then research the table of contents to make sure I remember the writers and their topics since I have no print copy.) This brainchild of Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blaine, editors, is a … Continue reading Four Hundred Souls: A Community History of African America, 1619-2019 – Edited by Ibram X. Kendi and Keisha Blaine →

The Real George Eliot – Lisa Tippings

Admission: I didn't "get" why Middlemarch was considered such a classic back in 1974 when I read it for a "Women in Literature" seminar in college. I knew one had to read Eliot and I found the little I knew about her interesting. I'm sure I read an article about Eliot to supplement the novel. … Continue reading The Real George Eliot – Lisa Tippings →

Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood – Cheryl Diamond

I won an advance reading copy of this book in a Goodreads Giveaway, which I'm pleased about --because I can highly recommend this book. It feels a little mean to say this is a very entertaining read because Cheryl Diamond's life was way too chaotic -- to such an extent that she ultimately found out … Continue reading Nowhere Girl: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood – Cheryl Diamond →

Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz- Gail Crowther

Sylvia Plath and Anne Sexton are icons for those of us who grew up in the "second wave" feminist movement. I always knew who they were, their perceived impact on women's literature and that they committed suicide. I read "The Bell Jar" in 1977. But this is a must-read book for so many reasons beyond … Continue reading Three-Martini Afternoons at the Ritz- Gail Crowther →

Urban Slave and Walking on Aire – Andy Owens (An e-book; Netgalley & Kindle)

I liked these pieces, two separate stories that I would describe as "observational humor." I admit I signed on for what I figured would be the British version of Barbara Ehrenreich's "Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America," and while the social commentary is there, it's not the point of Urban Slave, the … Continue reading Urban Slave and Walking on Aire – Andy Owens (An e-book; Netgalley & Kindle) →