This is the type of book that does the hefty, difficult work of reframing a fundamental concept that I don’t think about too much, and does such a deft, nuanced, foundation-blasting good job that I now think about this idea All. The. Time. Much like Off the Clock, another book that might seem to be about productivity but really taught me to rethink how I look at time, Laziness Does Not Exist is about the pernicious … Continue reading Laziness Does Not Exist by Devon Price →
In case you were unaware, 2020 has sucked, and more than anything (with the possible exception of therapy), knitting has really gotten me through. I’ve knitted more this year than ever before, in part because I have more time on my hands and in part because I need the meditative comfort knitting brings me. Seasonal Slow Knitting is a book that aligns with that need for comfort through crafting perfectly. I love this book. It’s … Continue reading Seasonal Slow Knitting: Thoughtful Projects for a Handmade Year by Hannah Thiessen →
I’ve mentioned this book a few times in past features because I’ve been savoring the audiobook for weeks. I usually listen while I’m sewing or cross stitching, but this book is so thoughtful and compassionate that I needed to ponder each chapter as I finished. A lot of this book has been tossed into the long-term back-of-my-mind Crock Pot. I’ll be thinking about pieces of the book, the work it asks of its readers/listeners, and … Continue reading The Art of Showing Up by Rachel Wilkerson Miller →
Every year around the holiday season, I see people squee about Love, Actually and I’m reminded all over again how much I hate half of it and how meh I feel about the rest of it. But then I remember Lindy West’s infamous takedown of it and I don’t feel alone. So, you can imagine how thrilled I was when I heard about Shit, Actually: The Definitive, 100% Objective Guide to Modern Cinema. Its recap-style … Continue reading Shit, Actually by Lindy West →
I’ve been following Mikki Kendall for years on Twitter and appreciated all the knowledge she’s shared for free on that hellscape of a platform. So I was more than a little excited when Hood Feminism dropped earlier this year. Because I’ve been following her for so long, I don’t know that any of the concepts in it were entirely new for me, but I learned a lot because of the time and attention given to … Continue reading Hood Feminism by Mikki Kendall →
If you love Ru Paul’s Drag Race like I do, then you might have fallen in love with Trixie Mattel and Katya Zamolodchikova. Trixie, with her deep love for Dolly Parton and Barbie, and Katya, who is ultra-flexible and deeply honest about recovering from addiction, have to be two of the most popular drag queens to have graduated from RPDR. If, like me, you’re a bit of a superfan, you might have also watched their … Continue reading Trixie and Katya’s Guide to Modern Womanhood →
Girl on Film is a graphic novel memoir by Cecil Castellucci, the author of, among other things, Boy Proof, The P.L.A.I.N. Janes, and Shade, The Changing Girl, all of which I enthusiastically recommend. In this memoir, Castellucci documents her obsession with becoming a movie director, a goal she developed at a young age and pursued through her years at the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts (the high school … Continue reading Girl on Film by Cecil Castellucci →
I used to write a column for The Bitches called ‘Real Life Romance.’ Due to time constraints, that column is on indefinite hold, but those who miss it may want to check out the historical love stories books by Gill Paul. World War I Love Stories: Real-Life Romances From the War that Shook the World is a documentation of history made personal, marred by an inexcusable lack of inclusion. The same series contains the books … Continue reading World War I Love Stories by Gill Paul →
I’m familiar with Knight’s other No F*cks Given guides and have recommended a few to friends, particularly The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck. Based on the premise that boundaries are important, but setting them is half the battle and defending them with Honesty and Politeness (H&P) is the the other, each book in the series embraces the idea that you are in charge of your life, and you get to decide how it will … Continue reading F**k No! How to Stop Saying Yes, When You Can’t, You Shouldn’t, Or You Just Don’t Want To by Sarah Knight →
I’ve been reading a lot about women’s suffrage lately. Some books are dry. Some are gripping. Other Powers is the “Women’s Suffrage: All the Dirt” version. This book describes the complicated career of Victoria Woodhull, and the high-profile adultery trial of Henry Ward Beecher in which she was involved. By the end of the book, fortunes have been made and lost and made again, the women’s suffrage movement has been set back by decades, and … Continue reading Other Powers by Barbara Goldsmith →
The Woman’s Hour is an electrifying nonfiction book about women’s suffrage. It’s a big old brick of a thing so I thought it would take a long time to read, but I tore through it in three very busy days. This is a must-read for anyone interested in American politics and history. The Woman’s Hour describes the fight to get Tennessee to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. This amendment “gave” women … Continue reading The Woman’s Hour: The Great Fight to Win the Vote by Elaine Weiss →
