The Librarians Suggest

Like last year, one of Sarah's resolutions was to read more. This year, she's expanding upon that trying to read more diversely, not just across genres but cultures and authors as well. Having a fascination with Indian culture and religion as a young girl, Sarah was immediately drawn to the graphics of Pashmina . Realizing it was a graphic novel, made it all the better. Pashmina   is a beautifully illustrated tween coming of age story intertwined with clashing cultures and mythology. With gorgeous graphics, Sarah is excited for this debut author! 

In the likeness of Jade's reading goals, Sarah is also trying to read a graphic novel a week. Ever since Sarah fell in love with LUMBERJANES first written and illustrated by Noelle Stevenson, Nimona was an obvious first graphic novel choice for this year. What graphic novels have you been reading lately? 

Sarah first started reading Outwitting the Gestapo  as required reading in a college history course. Given that Sarah favored the humanities over the sciences, the reading list was endless and alas she never finished Lucie's story . But her intention to read it this year for one of her eight reading challenges , she's almost sure she'll fall head over heels with Lucie Aubrac . What we know is that Lucie was a French history teacher and member of the French Resistance during World War II. A prominent figure in the resistance, in 1944 Charles de Gaulle appointed a consultative assembly, in which Lucie  joined as a resistance representative. This made her the first woman to sit in a French parliamentary assembly. In 1945 she went on to write the first short history of the French Resistance . This book,   Outwitting The Gestapo   is a semi-fictional version of Lucie's wartime diaries and is an important piece of history and women's history. 

First read of the year. Also, Charlotte Perkins Gilman is a mad and tragic genius.  After reading the much talked about New Yorker piece,  'Cat Person,'  I found  The Yellow Wallpaper   at my local library and read it in one sitting. A masterpiece and clearly a relevant work of fiction that speaks to women even today, I cannot say enough how much I loved this story. Not even kidding, I spent the next week finding ways to bring it up in conversation whether with coworkers or family members. Drawn heavily from the writer's own experience,  The Yellow Wallpaper  is a must for every woman. Also, the reference to The Yellow Wallpaper in Darren Aronofsky latest film, Mother was spot on.