#ReadWomen2014: A Year in Review

2014 is over, which means #ReadWomen2014 is over (although #ReadWomen has only just begun!). It was a success for me in the objective sense, in that I exclusively read books by women (and women completely dominated my other reading, like online content), and I add a tremendous number of titles by women to my bookshelves.

It was a success in a much more abstract sense in that I enjoyed it immensely, and it proved to be the easiest "challenge" I've ever taken on. I've attempted structured, directed (pleasure) reading in the past, but it never worked. This was so effortless to stick with because there is no end to excellent literature and non-fiction written by women in every possible genre; not that I doubted this very obvious fact, but the reason I was able to stick with it is largely because I was always able to find something I was in the mood to read.

Probably the greatest takeaway from the experience though is the greater breadth of exposure to literature I feel I've gained. There were so many women authors who I always intended to read, and this year I did because I had the ideal opportunity, and no excuses. I can now speak knowledgeably about Joan Didion, when a year ago I had never read a word by her; I would even go so far as to call her one of my absolute favorites now, and someone I will keep reading for the rest of my life.

Probably the biggest failure of the experience for me has been my inability to conquer the big, definitive feminist texts. At the start of 2014 I made myself a reading list to ensure I didn't waste a year reading one Margaret Atwood book after another (JK, that's the opposite of waste, it's a sacred task). On the list were many of the landmark feminist works of the 20th century, and most of them remain unread or partially read. I was shocked and disappointed by how irrelevant I found them to be. But to keep things in perspective, I also found myself enjoying so many books this year that were distinctly feminist, if not necessarily Feminist.

If you took part in #ReadWomen2014 (in part or whole), I'd love for you to share your experiences (good or bad) in the Comments.

Bookhive's Best of 2014

So many bloggers and writers and editors will tell you how much they positively despise putting together "Best of' lists at the end of the year. Those people are lying. Making lists is incredibly fun and frankly not all that difficult. Yes, there are tons of movies and books and albums that are made each and every year, but only a small fraction of them are worth consideration for a "Best of" list and it is quite literally their job to figure out which ones. So they can get over it. 

A few caveats regarding my own list: I am not a professional literary editor or reviewer; I have a full-time job so anything I read that was published in 2014 had to be squeezed into an already busy schedule, and additionally, had to be available to me at the library or interesting enough to warrant a purchase, which is rare for new titles. I'm still not enough of a mover and shaker to warrant advance review copies, so I do my best to keep up and I have the library fines to prove it. Thus, my favorite titles published in 2014:

The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore -- Smart, well-researched, incredibly interesting and so much more than a history of a comic book character. 

On Immunity by Eula Biss -- Really hard to describe but brief and wonderful all the same. Her meditations on the nature of disease and vaccination are poetic and troubling.

Saga by Brian K. Vaughan and Fiona Staples -- This comic started a few years ago but the latest issues and an omnibus edition were published this year, so it's fair game. I am not a comic book expert, so when I say it's my favorite comic book, that probably means very little, but it's really terrific; funny, challenging, and beautiful.

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson -- Just ignore the YA-genre buzz around this short prose-poem memoir. Adults should read it, kids should read it.

Can't We Talk About Something More Pleasant by Roz Chast -- A really warm and honest and insightful graphic memoir on the aging and death of Chast's parents. I cried less than I expected.

Women in Clothes by Sheila Heti, Heidi Julavits, and Leanne Shapton -- I was surprised by how many "Best of" lists forgot about this one, because it made a huge impression on me. I still haven't removed it from the pile next to my bed because I keep going back to it. It is endlessly entertaining and makes the smallest minutiae of women's lives fascinating.

What I'm Reading: 'Men Explain Things to Me' by Rebecca Solnit

I've never read anything by Rebecca Solnit before now, aside from the occasional essay or article, and now that I've spent a few days with her, I fully intend to read her other books. I'm especially intrigued by Wanderlust, about the notion of walking and wandering, since I got around to seeing the movie 'Wild' this weekend and the idea of getting outside has been very top of mind.

Men Explain Things to Me is a short collection of recent essays, with a decided feminist slant, and the titular essay is one many of you have likely already encountered online. Solnit did not coin the term 'mansplaining,' but it seems likely that her essay inspired it. If you haven't taken a moment in #ReadWomen2014 to dive into a feminist text, I highly recommend this one for its timeliness, brevity, and relevance to the current state of feminism. I struggled with several feminist "classics" this year, and it was such a relief to set those aside and read something that I could understand and relate to.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy' by Karen Abbott

By the time we made it to the Civil War in my AP U.S. History class, I had already been accepted to the University of Michigan Honors Program, so to say I was unmotivated would be a very polite interpretation indeed. I was a borderline distraction to my classmates; I did not prepare for the exam in the slightest, and when I got my test score in the mail I thought it was a mistake, because it was surprisingly decent. Needless to say, Civil War history is not my "thing."

Which is why I am so appreciative of history books that are able to successfully explore a rather large, important moment in human history with a very narrow, precise lens. It is my favorite type of non-fiction, and the more minute, the better. I really am enjoying Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy thus far; all four women featured in the book are very distinct characters and their own brand of bad-ass. Obviously my favorite is the Union Soldier from Michigan who cross-dressed her way into becoming a war hero. The best detail is that she had to pretend to be much worse at sewing and cleaning than she actually was, so as not to give herself away. It almost feels like too much fun to be a Civil War history book.

#ReadWomen2014: Sarah Waters

For the second time, I'm recommending you read an author who I haven't had the time to read yet (but in my defense, several of her books are on my shelf, waiting for the Christmas vacation to be consumed).  As Wikipedia says, "She is best known for her novels set in Victorian society and featuring lesbian protagonists." So, there you go.

I became aware of Sarah Waters via NPR's Barrie Hardymon. At this point, our tastes have aligned so closely that I will read anything she recommends, and she has been one of Sarah Waters' most vocal supporters in 2014. The Paying Guests was her big novel of the year, and has been included on many year-end lists (including NPR's Book Concierge, where you can read a review by Barrie herself).

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Science...For Her" by Megan Amram

I put off writing about this for several weeks (it was published back in  November) because I still haven't been able to get my hands on a copy. My own library doesn't have it yet and for the first time in history, the Michigan Electronic Library system has abandoned me. I am in an endless loop of requests, followed by fulfillment notices, followed by weird e-mails regarding its current "non-circulating" status. I may just break down and buy it at this point, and then donate it to the library anyway so that no other woman has to feel my pain.

Anyway, for those not in the know, Megan Amram is a hilarious and talented writer on NBC's 'Parks and Recreation,' and has a pretty devoted following on Twitter. 'Science...For Her!' is her first book and functions as a bit of an absurdist textbook/Cosmo mash-up/parody. It is difficult to describe, but all you need to know is that she's very funny and a feminist and works with Amy Poehler. That should be more than enough to motivate you to check this out.

#ReadWomen2014: Judy Blume

Everyone read Judy Blume as a kid/pre-teen; I have always thought of her as more faux-controversial than actually controversial, because it was always through public school that her books crossed my path, and we actually read some of them (like the truly awful Frecklejuice) as a class assignment. The rest I sought out on my own -- even as a kid I realized they were dated as they all had a very crusty, 70s vibe that I found weird. So much had changed for women in girls in the era of Blume's career, so even a book about menstruation could feel outdated (Pads on belts? Whaaa...?) But despite those limitations, there is something so incredibly timeless about them and her ability to capture the emotional tenor of early adolescence is remarkable.

The problem with a prolific author like Judy Blume is that she made such a name for herself as an author for children that her adult books easily found their ways into classrooms and junior high libraries -- thus, my fling with Summer Sisters, which was surreptitiously passed around and dog-eared by my group of friends, for whom it was the pinnacle of erotic fiction (we did not try very hard to seek out erotic fiction). As an adult, this is still one of my favorite guilty pleasure books; it was clearly written to be read at the beach, and as heavy as the sexual content is, I think it's one of the best books on female friendship ever written.

If you haven't taken the time to keep up with Judy Blume since you were 13, read this dialogue between Blume and a young writer she has a had a tremendous influence on, Lena Dunham.

#ReadWomen2014: 'Words Will Break Cement: the Passion of Pussy Riot' by Masha Gessen

Pussy Riot was one of those things that arrived in the news, and suddenly everyone was behaving like it was thing that naturally, everybody already knew everything about. But I found that whenever I tried to engage anyone in a conversation about them, no one actually knew anything. It seemed like everyone would rather pretend to know about it than actually know about it, which is why I've enjoyed Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen's really in-depth look at the Pussy Riot women and their performative protests. Her exclusive and unparalleled access to the members and their families makes for a very insightful read. Nor does Gessen allow any personal bias to creep in on the narrative, which is somewhat incredible given how much time she spent in interviews and correspondence with her subjects. It reads more like the great long-form journalism we've come to expect from publications like The Atlantic or BuzzFeed.

For those especially interested in Russian culture, Gessen's previous book, The Man Without a Face: the Unlikely Rise of Putin is really, really excellent and utterly chilling.

#ReadWomen2014: Sylvia Plath

I don't go around name-dropping Sylvia Plath as a write I enjoy; it's too loaded a statement, and I definitely did enough of that in 7th grade. As a pre-teen, I consumed her writing, including her fiction, letters and diaries, and poetry, and I felt pretty awesome about it -- probably comparable to an Ayn Rand phase. Plath was only 32 when she committed suicide, so in many ways she is a perpetual and eternal young adult, making her writing all the more appealing to the adolescent mind. 

By the time I graduated from high school I was very over Sylvia Plath and she seemed immature and melodramatic. It wasn't until a recent re-reading of Ariel that I remembered why I enjoyed her writing so much in the first place. I still wouldn't go so far as call her a favorite author, but I'm also over my cynical late teens/early 20s phase of denouncing everything I used to genuinely enjoy. I have a feeling that Sylvia Plath is an author I'm going to be revisiting, again and again, as I age, and my response to her writing will probably change many more times before I'm done.

What I'm Reading: 'Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?' by Lorrie Moore

Here is a pearl of reading wisdom for you: when trying to get into a new author, read their shortest book first. This will often give you an idea of whether or not you enjoy their work in the most efficient way possible. This method saved me probably months of struggle with Thomas Pynchon, because I had the wisdom to read The Crying of Lot 49 (maybe 100 pages total), instead of one of his doorstop books. I realized I hated Thomas Pynchon, and had only wasted an hour of my life.

This principle guided my decision to read Who Will Run the Frog Hospital, although in all honesty I very much expect to enjoy Lorrie Moore and read more of her books. There is something very satisfying though, about discovering and experiencing a new writer in the course of an afternoon. She is another author on my #ReadWomen2014 list, someone whose work I hoped to become familiar with over the course of the year, so it's also helpful to have a very slim novel to read in these final weeks of 2014.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'On Immunity' by Eula Biss

Describing On Immunity will be very difficult, but I will endeavor to express how fantastic it is, all the same. A book about vaccinations did not exactly sound thrilling to me, and I can't remember where I read a very concise review that sparked my interest, but it was serendipitous because I heard about it, read said brief but tantalizing review, and then found it on the shelf at the library, so here we are.

Greek mythology, smallpox, Jenny McCarthy, vampires, H1N1, blood, childbirth, feminism -- all elements of Biss' approach to the concept of immunity, and all given equal weight in her meditations. I adore her structure, which is so much more literary than i expected -- short chapters without titles or numbers, as she moves seamlessly from thought to thought and topic to topic, returning constantly to her personal experiences as a new mother. (A word of warning here-- I think if I were pregnant or had a toddler I would find this book impossible to read. Biss addresses and embraces the paranoia of childhood diseases and vaccinations but it might push you over the edge if you're already in that frame of mind).

It is the best kind of non-fiction in that the author establishes authority as a researcher and as a mother with constant integration of personal experiences and impressively detailed facts. Those who enjoy really detailed and foot-noted non-fiction will be frustrated by this, but those who prefer essays and novels will find it utterly readable.

There are so many interesting points she raises and incredible stories about the human body that I wish I could share, but I don't want to ruin the experience of discovery for anyone who reads it, which I highly encourage everyone to do.

#ReadWomen2014: Ursual K. LeGuin

I wish I could tell you all about the many Usual K. LeGuin books I've read and loved, but I am woefully behind on her work. She was an author I specifically intended to get know through the #ReadWomen2014 experience, and I have failed miserably, but I won't let that stop me from recommending her.

Her work is often described as science fiction or fantasy, but she is a genre fiction writer who defies and transcends her own genres on a regular basis. Most of her major novels fall into two series, but it isn't necessary to read them in any kind of special order; the series define the fictional universe in which the short stories/novels take place, but there is no need to feel bogged down or intimidated by some kind of massive and demanding commitment to a book series. If you have read more of her work than me (i.e. any of her work), leave your impressions in the Comments.

#Readwomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'The Secret History of Wonder Woman' by Jill Lepore

This book is a bit on the nose for me; it's a history of a feminist comic book character whose creation is firmly grounded in the history of the American woman suffrage movement, written by a beloved New Yorker contributor, so in other words, all the things I like.

Even so, I was genuinely surprised by how much I've loved it so far; Lepore has such a knack for rhythm and storytelling, and despite the fact that it's meticulously researched and very grounded in historical fact, the narrative moves forward at a brisk, comfortable pace. It is rewarding for a ten-page stretch, and rewarding for a ten chapter stretch. For a non-fiction work of history, that is saying something, and that kind of pacing is so incredibly difficult to manage, and yet comes across so effortlessly. It is certainly buoyed by the fact that the true story of the creation of Wonder Woman is stranger than fiction. I have never read a Wonder Woman comic, and I was too young to enjoy the Linda Carter series, so she was never a character I connected with, but even so I've found Lepore's account endlessly fascinating, in large part because it focuses so tightly on the real people adjacent to the Wonder Woman character.

#ReadWomen2014: J.K. Rowling

Almost everyone on Earth has already read the Harry Potter series, which is fine. I encourage it. But it upsets me greatly when people who haven't read the Harry Potter series dismiss J.K. Rowling as yet another YA author who is too famous for her own good and whose writing career is motivated by a desire to pen the next cash cow franchise. I doubt very much that Rowling ever could have imagined the eventual pop culture saturation of her series, and its popularity in no way diminishes her incredible skills as a writer and storyteller.

The Casual Vacancy, her first non-HP novel (and her only novel for adults (published under her own name)) was so highly anticipated when it was finally published that it was naturally dragged pretty thoroughly by critics. The bad reviews became the only thing anyone knew or remembered about the book, which was especially disappointing to me because I read it and although it was far from perfect (especially the ending, which is pretty rocky), I really enjoyed the experience of reading it. That is to say, it suffers from some bad narrative points and plotlines, but it is incredibly well-written and the character development is stellar. I felt like I could have continued to read about these characters doing really mundane things for hours. It is not the greatest book I've ever read, and it is nowhere near as strong as the HP books, but it really is pretty good and didn't get a fair shake.

Thus, the Robert Galbraith books, aka the J.K. Rowling books published under a pseudonym and very well-reviewed. Thriller/spy novels fall into a distinctly guilty pleasure reading category for me, so I haven't read these yet and I'm waiting for the perfect opportunity, like a long flight, to finally get into them, but everything I've heard about them is overwhelmingly positive.

And for those who just can't get enough of the HP stuff, Rowling recently published a series of short stories on her website Pottermore that expand on existing characters. Along with several spin-off movies she's writing and the Tales of Beedle the Bard (a companion book she published as a fundraiser for her favorite charity), she clearly isn't ready to leave the HP universe behind, which is fine with me.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words'

I don't think anyone who has read this blog in the past would be surprised to hear that I'm a huge Joni Mitchell fan. Along with Margaret Atwood, Joni is up there on a pedestal for me because of my mom, who loves Joni Mitchell and played her music around our house. It's only natural to question your mother's taste in anything, but Margaret Atwood and Joni Mitchell are two women she got very, very right, and I'm very thankful that she passed it on to me.

This is a nice contrast to Just Kids by Patti Smith, which I read not too long ago, and which was a very straightforward, chronological memoir (that makes it sound less good than it was; it is exceptional). Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words is more like a very extensive interview that took place across decades between Joni and her friend and fellow musician Malka Marom. This really makes the book a rewarding experience for fans, because the interviewer is bringing a lot of prior knowledge to the conversation, and Marom seamlessly references song lyrics, previous interviews, Joni's writing and artwork, etc. It's gotten me into a very Joni Mitchell state of mind, and I've been playing her albums all week.

#ReadWomen2014: Mallory Ortberg

I have been recommending Mallory Ortberg's writing sneakily for many months now, mostly tucked away in 'This Week in Books' posts. Anything excellent and literary and funny via The Toast is written by Mallory, and reading through her backlog of content is a very good way to spend an afternoon, or two, or ten. She is one of those writers of the Internet Age who demonstrates the value of a medium like Twitter and whose fantastic body of work is largely archived and available for free at any time. I've added The Toast to my RSS reader and my quality of life has increased significantly. 

For those who prefer their witty entertainments in book format, Mallory has a new book, out this week, that is the hard-copy version of her very popular 'Texts From Jane Eyre' series. She added tons of new content and includes texts from lots of literary characters, both fictional and non. I'm hopeful this is only the first of her many hilarious books.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Yes, Please' by Amy Poehler

I don't think this needs any endorsement or stamp of approval from me; you know you want to read this, and you're going to. I had the audiobook pre-ordered on Audible, and the narration credits include Amy Poehler, Seth Myers, Carol Burnett, Kathleen Turner and Patrick Stewart; this is one instance in which I will very strongly recommend the audio book version, because Poehler uses the medium very thoughtfully with very funny results. It's also going to be the best way to get your Amy Poehler fix while we wait a few more months for 'Parks and Rec' to return to NBC.

What I'm Reading: 'A Thousand Acres' by Jane Smiley

A Thousand Acres has been on my radar since high school when an English teacher recommended it as a companion to King Lear, as it's loosely based on the play.  I saw a really terrific production of Lear this summer at the Stratford Festival, which reminded me to check it out, so finally, over ten years later, I've gotten around to reading it.

Jane Smiley is head of the Iowa Writer's Workshop (arguably the best writing MFA program in the country) and it will probably surprise no one that most of her fiction takes place in the Great Plains. A Thousand Acres is a re-imagining of Lear in a mid-twentieth century farming community, with the family patriarch dividing his very profitable land among his three daughters at the start of the novel. The stand-in for Goneril serves as our narrator, though she is significantly more sympathetic than her literary ancestor. I'm really enjoying it so far, and the Lear connection is obvious enough but doesn't bog things down. Regardless of its source material, it is a very well-constructed novel (and a Pulitzer Prize winner).

If you've made it this far in life without having read Lear, cross that off your list first, and then dive in to A Thousand Acres, which provides a much slower, subtler, feminine perspective on the same story.