The Librarians Suggest

Five books that every women should read. Full of inspiration, contemplation, self loathing and self love, and gaining perspective from women of all backgrounds. My particular favorite is Mindy Kaling's book,  Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?   Need help finding your voice or motivation to change something in your life, these books offer different perspectives on life and hopefully will encourage you to live a better and happier one.  (images via  amazon )

Five Things to Know About Cynthia Rylant:  1. Graduated from the University of Charleston and went on to pursue graduate work at Marshall University in English Literature in 1975. 2. Winner of both a  Newbery Honor Award  and   two  Caldecott Honors,  Rylant is celebrated as a master of writing Children's Literature. ( Newbery: Missing May  and Caldecott:  When I was Young in the Mountains  and  The Relatives Came ) 3.   Before getting her start in writing children's books, she started working as a waitress and eventually became a librarian at the public library in Huntington, West Virginia. 4. In the late seventies, she started teaching English Literature part time at her alma mater, Marshall University when she wrote her first book,  When I Was Young in the Mountains- her very first published work won a Caldecott, pretty impressive!!) 5. Rylant has written over a hundred books during her career includin...

In an effort to discuss books widely, (and the fact there are three of us contributing to the blog) we will try our best to stick to the monthly schedule of topics we would like to dive deeper into, starting off with TV Tuesday. This will include television shows that are loosely based on books or shows we just really like but we'll try keeping it bookish related. I became infatuated with Damon  from The Vampire Diaries (the show) and the twisted teen hit, Pretty Little Liars . Both of which are based on popular young adult series. My sister is trying to get me started on Riverdale (from the Archie Comics ) , but I can't binge twelve different shows at one time. Side Note: how does The WB capture teen life so well ?! They've been doing it for twenty years and every single show nails it! Which leads us to our first heroine on this Tuesday, do you have a favorite television character that is actually based on a character from a book?  A few weeks ago I came ac...

The Vogue goddess and Queen Bee herself,  Majorie Hillis  wrote two books that defined her writing career, an etiquette/how-to/guide to life for the single woman in  Live Alone and Like It   and Orchids On Your Budget .  While giggling in bed as I was reading this, I found myself rushing through my nightly routine so I could get back in bed and finish where I had left off the night before. I found myself  seriously taking notes on how to live my life to the fullest and how to embrace my life as it is. Majorie became an icon and guru of sorts to single women all over American and I for one, a thirty-something in 2018 am one of those woman who holds her words to be sacred. The newest book by Joanna Scutts, The Extra Woman , dives deeper into the culture of single ladies of the 20 and beyond.  Her follow up,  Orchids on Your Budget by Majorie Hillis :  Majorie Hillis , also became an instant success. Sarah discovered her first book, ...

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. 

As one of the hottest books right now, this is one is at the top of the lists to order. Who says you can't live alone and be happy. I swear by this author. 

Another great set of stories from Megan Mayhew Bergman! 

Bitch Planet  by Kelly Sue DeConnick: The first book in a series of adult graphic novels,  Bitch Planet  focuses on exploitation and women in an off-planet prison. The narrative moves back and forth through time, so we learn how each character is arrested and their experience within the prison. Although I quit after a few seasons, it's basically  Orange is the New Black  but infinitely better.  

Hooray for Friday! Today’s book of the day is Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng! Check out her second novel about secrets, the danger of thinking “following the rules can avert disaster,” and town feuds. What will you be reading this weekend? 

Today's book of the day is The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy. Read this breathtaking memoir as "Levy chronicles the adventure and heartbreak of being, in her own words​, "a woman who is free to do whatever she chooses."

"Everyone has their own personal velocity." Check out today's book of the day about six women, at various stages in their lives who struggle with their sexuality, motherhood, fate and their will to survive. The stories are raw, beautifully written and will leave you wanting more. 

Happy Friday! Today's book of the day is Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner. It's about a woman who rejects society's standards for a single woman and escapes to find her freedom and even makes some unexpected alliances along the way. We can't wait to read this! What will you be reading over the long weekend? 

Today's book of the day is Emerald City by Jennifer Egan! It's a beautiful and haunting collection of characters looking for more in their lives. What are you reading this weekend? Also who is ready for the #gameofthrones season finale today?!?!? We cannot wait.

This week's book of the week! Looking for some #nonfiction to read? Check out Sloane Crosley's essay collection in I Was told There'd Be Cake! 

The Lottery by Shirley Jackson   Given that this  story  is only ten pages and was written in the forties (and written by a woman), it certainly gives a lasting impression. Think  Leave It To Beaver  meets  The Hunger Games  meets  The Stoning of Soraya M . It's horrifying, you'll be screaming at the book by the end. 

Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman is a really interesting collection of short stories based on real women. Most of whom Jade had never even heard of! Don't expect happy endings in these tales but expect to find strong-willed and vivacious women.  Further reading! (As seen in the Author's Note) The Queen of Whale Cay -  Kate Summerscale www.britishpathe.com/search/query/carstairs Not So Quiet: Stepdaughters of War - Helen Zenna Smith Savage Beauty  - Nancy Milford The Women of Provincetown - Cheryl Black What Lips My Lips Have Kissed  - Daniel Mark Epstein Collected Poetry -  Edna St. Vincent Millay Collected Letters  - edited by Allan Ross MacDougall (Edna St. Vincent Millay) Wild Heart  - Suzanne Rodriguez Sylvia Beach and the Lost Generation  - Noel Riley Fitch Between Life and Me  - Meryle Secrest (out of print bio, might be hard to find!) Amazons in the Drawing Room - Whitney Chadwick Byr...

Hi there! Sorry we've been a bit behind on posting for the blog! We have finally had a chance to sit down and make a plan for things so we promise to be better about getting content up. For our second episode, we discussed Eleven Hours  by Pamela Erens. The title refers to the time span that readers spend with the two main characters, Lore and Franckline, as Lore goes through labor. Lore arrives alone at the hospital and Franckline is her nurse; both are pregnant. During these eleven hours, they each try to come to terms with their pasts that make them uneasy about bringing a child into their worlds. It's a very raw read but a rather interesting read! See you in the stacks! Here are some other reviews if you're still on the fence about it: http://www.theliteraryreview.org/book-review/a-review-of-eleven-hours-by-pamela-erens/ https://chireviewofbooks.com/2016/05/06/a-raw-look-at-childbirth-eleven-hours-pamela-erens-review/ http://www.themillions.com/20...