Book reviews and more!

Posts tagged with ‘Women’s Issues’

MAY I BE HAPPY, by Cyndi Lee

May 20, 2013

A YOGA TEACHER, BUDDHIST practitioner shares thoughts for women on making peace with body and mind. Candid!

Grade: B MINUS

MAY I BE HAPPY: A MEMOIR OF LOVE, YOGA, AND CHANGING MY MIND
Dutton
2013

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SKIRT STEAK, by Charlotte Druckman

March 11, 2013

PLAYFUL, ABSORBING DISQUISITION on women as chefs, with lots of interviews, lots of chefs’ perspectives.

Grade: B PLUS

SKIRT STEAK: WOMEN CHEFS ON STANDING THE HEAT AND STAYING IN THE KITCHEN
Chronicle Books
2012

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MA, HE SOLD ME FOR A FEW CIGARETTES, by Martha Long

March 7, 2013

A HORRIFYING CHILDHOOD OF desperate poverty and abuse in 1950s Dublin, vividly recalled.  Harsh, compelling.

Grade: B PLUS

MA, HE SOLD ME FOR A FEW CIGARETTES: A MEMOIR OF DUBLIN IN THE 1950S
Seven Stories Press
2012

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THE PINECONE, by Jenny Uglow

February 13, 2013

ENGAGING BIOGRAPHY OF architect, artist, antiquarian Sarah Losh, whose 1840s church in Wreay still delights.

Grade: B PLUS

THE PINECONE: THE STORY OF SARAH LOSH, FORGOTTEN ROMANTIC HEROINE---ANTIQUARIAN, ARCHITECT, AND VISIONARY
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
2013

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CONSTANCE, by Franny Moyle

January 25, 2013

ABSORBING BIOGRAPHY OF Oscar Wilde’s wife Constance reveals her as fascinating and talented in her own right.

Grade: B PLUS

CONSTANCE: THE TRAGIC AND SCANDALOUS LIFE OF MRS. OSCAR WILDE
Pegasus
2012

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THE QUEEN OF KATWE, by Tim Crothers

January 19, 2013

INSPIRING TRUE STORY of a young prodigy and her chess coach, both from one of Uganda’s most impoverished slums.

Grade: SOLID B

THE QUEEN OF KATWE: A STORY OF LIFE, CHESS, AND ONE EXTRAORDINARY GIRL'S DREAM OF BECOMING A GRANDMASTER
Scribner
2012

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THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LUCILLE CLIFTON, 1965-2010

December 23, 2012

I don’t review poetry here, but I cannot help taking a minute to rave about the new collection of poems by the late, great Lucille Clifton.  The poems are beautifully curated, the book design is clear and readable, and the foreword by Toni Morrison was touching in its recognition of Clifton’s gifts.  Do think about buying this if you’re a poetry fan—or maybe even if you aren’t!  Clifton was a strong and distinctive voice, and the power of her work cannot be denied.

THE COLLECTED POEMS OF LUCILLE CLIFTON, 1965-2010
BOA Editions
2012

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RIDING FURY HOME, by Chana Wilson

A MOTHER/DAUGHTER relationship, fractured by addiction and depression, is healed by feminism and by coming out.

Grade: SOLID B

RIDING FURY HOME: A MEMOIR
Seal Press
2012

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ARE YOU MY MOTHER? by Alison Bechdel

November 27, 2012

ALISON BECHDEL IS SIMPLY a national treasure! Her latest memoir in graphic novel form is thoughtful and wise.

Grade: A MINUS

ARE YOU MY MOTHER? A COMIC DRAMA
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
2012

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WHY BE HAPPY WHEN YOU COULD BE NORMAL? by Jeanette Winterson

July 19, 2012

NOVELIST JEANETTE WINTERSON’S lyrical memoir testifies to her faith in love despite her grueling childhood.

Grade: SOLID A

WHY BE HAPPY WHEN YOU COULD BE NORMAL?
Grove Press
2012

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