This is a mishmash of book genres if I ever saw one. Let’s get into them!
Listed in the order I read them and linked here.
The Big Letdown: How Medicine, Big Business, and Feminism Undermine Breastfeeding. Nonfiction, parenting. I love a good docu-anything and this book was incredibly interesting, especially through the lens of our fertility journey. My favorite line to say to people who would listen: “Did you know that Big Pharma controls the breast formula industry???” Worth reading if you’re interested in any of the three things listed in the sub-title.
Swamp Story by Dave Barry. Humor. I used to have a solid newspaper reading routine and always looked forward to the Lifestyle section with its more lighthearted, humorous stuff. Dave Barry was a go-to author for this type of article and that name recognition is why I picked this up. Truth be told, I almost quit the book two chapters in. I persevered and it turned out to be a quick, fairly funny read - as long as you’re into a bit of over the top, slap stick style funny.
First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston. Thriller. I have a love/hate relationship with the thriller genre as I usually find them to be both page turners and a bit surface level when it comes to plot and/or characters. This one kept me turning the pages and felt innovative. So far, best thriller of the year for me.
Will to Wild: Adventures Great and Small to Change Your Life by Shelby Stanger. Self-help book (oops). I really liked this one. I can’t help it. Books that share people doing cool stuff and living their dreams is like catnip to me. Some of these outdoor folks were familiar to me and others were a fun new introduction. The through lines of this book were: 1) just go on the adventure and see what happens along the way and 2) if you’re feeling stuck, always choose adventure. Words to live by.
The Hunter by Tana French. Mystery. Me and Tana go way back. Well, me reading her books anyway. I’ve been with her since her first debut in 2007. This is a follow up novel to characters she introduced in 2020 and it’s always fun to pick back up in a story. French is one of those authors that just feels good and solid, you know what you’re getting and it’s always good.
The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon. Historical fiction. Okay, this is a genre I do not read. I am not a history person. I don’t really care about it. I don’t care to read things set in before times. Give me a made up, fantasy time any day. But this turned out to be quite the page turner. Maybe I was drawn into the main character being a midwife, or the mystery of it all, or the based in true facts (I do like a based in true life story, but they tend towards things like this).
Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi. Speculative sci-fi / cyber punk. Over the past year, I’ve found myself reading more and more short stories, something I never used to read. But, it seems short stories are a favorite format for my beloved sci-fi/fantasy authors and they have been a fun way to find new to me people. This collection was a fun one because each story centered around the rapidly changing role of technology (ChatGPT what?) in our lives and how that intersects with human nature.
Press Start to Play by Daniel H. Wilson. Science fiction. Another round of short stories, this one inspired by video games (laugh out loud) and the ideas of what they can be or what they can become. I am not a gamer, but again, my beloved authors are (surprise! there’s overlap between sci-fi and gamers, who knew!). I appreciated how each author wove that theme into their stories - anywhere from setting the story into games, writing the story like a game, or having video games otherwise feature in. This collection featured one of my Top 5 Authors of All Time (Seanan McGuire) and provided me a list of new names to check out (Nicole Feldringer, Django Wexler, S.R. Mastrantone).
Book I Loved the Most:
Convergence Problems by Wole Talabi. It’s a sci-fi book, I’ve gotta give it to it! It’s just such an inventive and creative genre that continues to amaze me with where authors take their ideas.
Book I Would Add to My Collection:
Will to Wild: Adventures Great and Small to Change Your Life by Shelby Stanger. Any book that shares stories of people doing cool things beyond what they thought were possible for them is inspiring. I like the idea of being able to revisit those stories for my own inspo.
Honorable Mention:
I’m gonna hand it to The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon for making me like historical fiction.
What to see what else I’ve read so far in 2020? Check out:
YOUR TURN: What did you read this month?
I was on a podcast.
My friend Miranda reached out to me to chat about personal taste vs. personal style on her podcast Practically Happy. We had a really fun convo about how I feel about trends and how you can start to cultivate your own personal taste. Thank you Miranda!
STYLE LAB is underway.
I’m so excited for the women that are in the program. Stay tuned for more information on the next round. ✌️ In the mean time, you can check out my style coaching programs here: https://www.chicstripes.com/stylingservices