December was an insane work month but thanks to the perpetually defunct MBTA (and the associated wait times) I still managed to get some reading in. True to this year’s theme I stuck primarily with female authors and authors of color.
The Hairdresser of Harare
Tendai Huchu
This was a light enjoyable read about a single mother hairdresser in Zimbabwe with dreams of opening her own salon. The only issue I had with it was that one of the male characters was gay and the protagonist didn’t realize (even though it was insanely obvious) for pretty much the whole book. Even taking cultural differences into account I didn’t think the protagonist was getting enough credit.
The Invisible Life of Euridice Guasmo
Martha Batalha
The Invisible Life of Euridice Guasmo is a great story about a woman trapped in a loveless marriage and in the confines of her role as a woman. There’s a lot of other drama with her family and friends but ultimately it’s about Euridice trying to make a life for herself beyond her duties as a mother and housekeeper. I enjoyed it.
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Lisa See
This book follows two friends in 19th century China as they navigate growing into adult women, dealing with foot binding, marriage, revolution, and female relationships. I learned a lot about Chinese culture and it was a very engaging read. It’s a good stepping stone to the biography of Empress Cixi that I read a few months ago.
Crazy Rich Asians
Kevin Kwan
I’ve been on the wait list for this book for months (pretty much since the movie came out) and finally got my hands on it! It was a light, funny read and actually a lot more involved than the movie. As you know I’m typically more into literary fiction than popular fiction but this was a nice diversion. I would definitely recommend it if you’ve seen the movie, it makes for a fun comparison.
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
George Higgins
This was my book club book this month so I didn’t choose it. It’s a crime novel set in Boston. Though very far from my usual fare it was an interesting and quick read. The author was a former journalist which really comes through in the punchy, concise text and the way the sources tell most of the story.
Death Comes in Through the Kitchen
Teresa Dovalpage
Death Comes in Through the Kitchen follows a writer who travels to Cuba to see his “girlfriend” and finds her dead. He becomes involved in the investigation to find the killer. I enjoyed this book, it was a mystery that went very quickly, easy reading. That said, the protagonist in this novel SUCKS. He met this girl once and consistently refers to her as his fiancé even though they weren’t even remotely engaged and he actually doesn’t know anything about her. So be warned about him but otherwise it’s a fun book.
The Anna Karenina Fix
Viv Groskop
Vivi Groskop’s memoir/treatise on Russian literature is every Russophile’s dream. It’s a hilarious romp through her discovery of Russian lit and the lessons she learned from it. As someone who has long loved Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and the crew, I loved it. I will say this does require some knowledge of the authors and their works to fully appreciate, it won’t be as funny if you don’t know the stories.
The House on Mango Street
Sandra Cisneros
This is one of the classic Latina Literature books I mentioned in my post about the genre. I recently re-read it. It’s a very quick book made up of short, poetic vignettes about life as a young Latina in the United States. It’s beautifully written and gives a little peak into the immigrant experience through a fictional lens.
Dearest of Geniuses: A Life of Theodate Pope Riddle
Sandra L. Katz
When my mom and I traveled to West Hartford we visited Hill-Stead, Theodate Pope’s house and my mom bought her biography for me. It’s been FASCINATING. Not only was she one of the first formal female architects in the United States, she survived the Lusitania bombing and was basically an all around badass. I can’t recommend this book enough, it’s very easy to read and it’s chock full of cool, historical stories.