I received a great response about my first installment of this series, so I’m going to continue it on a monthly basis. In October I traveled to London and Portugal so two of my books were geared towards those geographic areas. I also continued my pursuit of stories about powerful women and other cultures.
Evita: The Life of Eva Peron
Jill Hedges
In my continued effort to learn about my actual motherland I read this biography of Eva Peron, the famous first lady of Argentina. I love biographies and Evita is a fascinating character but the writing style was a little dry. The passion that categorizes Latin America didn’t come through in the editorial. I’d read about Evita again, but this biography wouldn’t be my first recommendation.
The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner
and the Novel That Scandalized the World
Sarah Weinman
This book shook me to my core. There was a real life abduction of a preteen girl by a pedophile in the 1940s. And just like in Lolita he takes her across the country pretending she’s his daughter while sexually abusing her. It certainly didn’t inspire Lolita, Nabokov had been playing with that literary theme for years, but it seems to have impacted the novel’s details. Though disturbing, this was an incredible piece of literary detective work and fascinating to read. I highly recommend, but with the trigger warning of serious female abuse.
Historian on Hamilton
various contributors
A few weeks ago I went to an amazing panel discussion of historians commenting on the hit musical Hamilton. It was a wonderful evening of historical humor and enlightening thought. Those, and many other historians, had contributed to this book of scholarship about the musical. If you’re interested in the genuine history and analysis of Hamilton, it’s a great read. If you’re someone who just wants to enjoy Hamilton as an art piece without thinking about its problems, don’t read this book. I enjoyed the critique but I know others might feel it ruins the musical.
Death With Interruptions
Jose Saramago
I chose this book for my weekend in Portugal because Saramago is a Nobel Prize winning Portuguese author. It’s an interesting piece centered on a country where people stop dying. They don’t stop aging just dying and it causes a moral and economic crisis. In the first half the plot follows the events in the country, in the second half it follows the character of death, who has stopped doing her job. At times the runon editorial style is challenging to read, intentionally I’m sure, but this was a very thought provoking book. I will absolutely visit it again.
The Opposite House
Helen Oyeyemi
I picked this book for my trip to London and let me tell you, every line is pure poetry. The main character Maja grapples with her identity as an Afro-Cuban woman who grew up in London. She struggles to feel like a “real” Cuban because she left at such a young age and grew up the rest of the way in the UK. I related to those feelings as a half Latina who often doesn’t feel culturally legitimate. The novel blends the mythical spiritualism of Santeria and Latin American literature with the the contemporary nihilism of urban life. It’s a beautiful, beautiful book.
Empress Dowager Cixi: The Concubine Who Launched Modern China
Jung Chang
I chose this book simply because I don’t know much about the history of China, and what better way to learn than through the story of a powerful woman? I later found out it conveniently coincides with this exhibit of Chinese Empresses at the Peabody Essex Museum. I LOVE when I can further explore a book topic through exhibitions and primary sources. This biography was very engagingly written and provides excellent background about the development of China as well as Cixi’s journey.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Mark Manson
I went into this book with a false expectation, which could be why I didn’t enjoy it. I thought it would be a comedy book but it was actually a “self help” book. I was very disappointed. It’s repetitive and the author isn’t a very good writer. Not to mention the ideas are pretty standard: embrace your challenges, be grateful for what you have, care less about what other people think, etc. It might be worth it if you’re into self help books (I have no sense as I never read them) but it’s certainly not worth it in the comedy department. In summary: I just couldn’t bring myself to give a f*ck.