In addition to all the things I read for my two challenges, I also had time to read all these (mostly) awesome things:
My Not So Perfect Life was an advanced reader's copy I received. I have read nearly all of Sophie Kinsella's stand-alone books, and I have pretty much adored them all. There is a predictability about her writing that also has an element of surprise. This one focused on Katie, a woman working in branding who ends up working on her family's farm on a vacation venture after being unexpectedly fired. There are added layers of plot when her ex-boss shows up, as well as a romance throughout. I loved this one because it had lots of twists and turns I didn't quite see coming even though I also totally knew how the romantic component would end. I also really, really liked and related to Katie as a character trying to figure life out. I highly recommend picking this one up when it is released in a few weeks.
With A Little Luck is a book by one of my favorite authors from my twenties - Caprice Crane. As I am now in my mid-thirties, I've realized when I read books like this that my taste has changed. However, I can also clearly read a book and say, "I would have loved this in the late 00's!" This was one of those books. I still enjoyed the story, and it was a great book to read on a day of travel. If you're a fan of a rom-com in a book, this one is worth checking out.
The Paris Wife is a book about Ernest Hemingway's first wife. I was really into Hemingway in high school which yes, in retrospect, was weird. Anyway, I liked that it was a different view of Hemingway. For a fictional read, it did a good job of painting the real life picture of young love and how Hemingway developed for better or for worse. It was intriguing - Not my favorite, but intriguing.
Tribal Leadership was phenomenal. I heard about this book on a webinar, and I was so excited about it that I went out that afternoon to the library where it was at, checked it out and read it all in one night. The leadership concepts it explains were done in a way I'd never considered. After finishing it, I recommended it to two more people at work. It's already made me think differently about how I work.
Midwives was a book loan from my friend Kristen. It was absolutely fantastic. It's an older book, and I'm bummed I'm just now welcoming it into my reading world. The book kept me captivated until the last paragraph. 10/10. Highly recommend.
Girls In The Moon was my first book from my Book of The Month subscription via Groupon. The book has two stories. The story of a 17 year old girl trying to figure life out, and the story of her parents - rock stars who've fallen out of love. Phoebe's story moves forward, and her parents goes further and further back in time. This one was a fun read. It ties in New York and rock 'n roll and young love in all the best ways.
Here We Are: Feminism For The Real World was an advanced reading copy I received. Y'all, I wish I would have had this book when I was a teenager. I was always a feminist whether I knew it or not, and it was wonderful to see a YA book focus on the topic from an intersectional lens. The book has 44 unique authors on this topic from a variety of identities and lenses. The way this book looked at the topic was phenomenal on all levels. There were pieces from folks I adore (Wendy Davis and Mindy Kaling) and lots of folks I'm now glad that I know, and it was just wonderful feminist beauty all around. It's definitely worth the read for teens, adults, and all the people.
