My 2018 Summer Reading List
As usual, I like to do some extra reading over the Summer because I have more free time to do it, like when I’m sitting on the beach and unplugged from my phone.
First on the list is The Gutsy Girl Handbook: Your Manifesto for Success by the gutsy girl herself — Kate White. I discovered this hot read at a New York Women in Communications (NYWICI) event, where Kate White (in the flesh) spoke about her book and the journey that has led her to her dream job today. I was even lucky enough to win a signed copy in a raffle and have a quick chat with her. I recommend this book for any young ladies just starting out in their career and in need of a confidence boost when it comes to negotiating salaries or making moves in your industry.
And the next book on this list was also one that I discovered through NYWICI. 90s Bitch was actually a NYWICI book club read. 90s Bitch: Media, Culture, and the Failed Promise of Gender Equality was a good read about — yea, you guessed it — the word "b*tch." Now, when I say it was good, that is exactly what I mean. It’s just good, but not necessarily something I would recommend for your next book club meeting. It almost seemed like a college senior thesis that someone turned into a book, so very essay-ish with lots of interesting references and citations. But, indeed, this is a great read for feminist learning as it covers the history of the word b*tch and its meaning as well as the true reason for its offensive nature.
Remember last Summer's top seller, The Girl on the Train? Well, that was back in 2015 and then a year later came the movie, which I obsessed over in last Summer’s reading list. One of my favorite parts about reading is when that book has also been made into a movie, so I can compare and contrast. The book provides insight into three different women about relationship troubles and alcoholism, or what the author might argue is simply binge drinking, while the movie focuses more on the perspective of the commuter (aka the “girl on the train”) who is able to solve the murder of another young woman from the small glimpses of a seemingly happy couple on their balcony that she can remember from her daily drunken commute into “work.” If you really want to channel your inner commuter vibe, read The Girl on the Train while taking a train into New York City, or wherever your local city is. And Paula Hawkins is at it again with Into the Water, another awesome psychological thriller novel about the mysterious murder of a single mother and the aftermath that her daughter deals with following the death of her mother. I highly recommend reading both of these books!
And last but not least, The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics was a good historical read that caught my eye on a Barnes & Noble bestsellers table. While I spend so much time reading fictional romance novels, psychological thrillers, and murder mysteries, I’ve gotta dedicate a little bit of time to some educational reading. This is the story of an unlikely success for the American rowing team at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, during the role of Adolf Hitler, where they defeated the German rowing team.