June 2.0

The Woman They Could Not Silence: One Woman, Her Incredible Fight for Freedom, and the Men Who

Tried to Make Her Disappear by Kate Moore 

How many times have you been accused of being ‘crazy,’ when you are fighting for your voice to be heard, your rights to be respected, your body to be your own to do with as you will? This is a book about a woman, Elizabeth Packard, who said enough is enough. When her husband had her imprisoned in an insane asylum, when authorities acquiesced to his decisions about her wellbeing, when doctors lied and made up diagnoses, Elizabeth never backed down. And I mean never. This non-fiction book, from the author of Radium Girls, has done the impossible - written not only another powerhouse book about women vs. authority, but in my opinion, it is even better than Radium Girls. This time in history, the late 19th century, was essential in the genesis of the fight for  women’s equality; it is a time in history that has been ignored too long. Thanks to this book and its author Kate Moore, Elizabeth Packard should be a name we ALL know, admire, and can find inspiration within. Is this book long? Yep, at 500 pages it sure is. But wow, it reads fast as you won’t be able to put it down, trust. me.

“So in the end, this is a book about power. Who wields it. Who owns it. And the methods they use. And above all, it’s about fighting back.” 

The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

No one else could have written this book. No one. A former publishing world employee, Ms. Harris knows her setting, knows her voice, knows her audience, and knows how to connect. Damn. I picked this book up in the afternoon and finished it the next day, resentful that I actually had to sleep. A wicked tale of race in America, the story is set in an NYC office where Nella, a young Black woman, works as an assistant to an editor. Then one day, in walks Hazel, the Other Black Girl. And now I've said enough on the plot because this is a mind-bending trip down a dark, creepy hole, full of all the stupid shit white people say and do, the misperceptions that get turned into facts, the f-ed way the publishing world keeps Black writers and editors looking through the windows instead of being part of the solution, oh damn, just so much meat on this bone to chew over with your book club. One of the most provocative reads of 2021, do not miss this book.

Olympus, Texas by Stacey Swann

If you know me, you know I'm a sucker for anything steeped in mythology. So, even tho I firmly believe Romany mythology is crap (I mean, they just stole every god from Greece and renamed them using Latin), I could roll with this story. Just think Dallas (the TV show - I know, I'm dating myself) set in Olympus, Texas where every character represents a god-like critter. I mean, the patriarch of the family cheats with every woman that breathes (Hi, Zeus), his long-suffering wife likes to take revenge on the poor women (Hello, Hera), one kid builds stuff out of metal, is unattractive, and has a hot wife (Yep, you guessed it, Hephaestus and Aphrodite). Throw in the twins and a nasty sibling with a bad temper, and you've got yourself a helluva story along with a plethora of allusions. Feel free to ignore the mythology and just enjoy the melodrama - it's pretty dark, and some wicked fun literature.

The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave

You know when you just need some mindless entertainment and you want a thriller that actually works?! This book is it. Read it in a day, turned pages obsessively, couldn't put it down. The premise...Hannah's husband is a hotshot tech guy, waiting for the big IPO offering to hit. Yet scandal hits instead, the husband goes AWOL, and Hannah is left with the daughter to find out wtf is happening. Just rollicking good entertainment!

Punch Me Up to the Gods: A Memoir by Brian Broome

As an'aged' heterosexual white woman who lives in one of the whitest towns in America, it is books like this that are so important for me to pick up. Brian Broome's story of his life as a Black gay man is like visiting another universe for me; it opened my eyes in powerful and profound ways. His childhood in Ohio, his move to Pittsburgh, his relationship with his parents and siblings, Brian took me into his world and allowed me to see that world through his eyes. Interspersed through Brian's own childhood and youth, is the tale of Tuan, a young Black child he first sees on the playground. Tuan shows us the societal constructs that create a Black boy in America, that turns boys into people to be feared years before they are even grown, that shows the power of parenting, and how influential stereotypes, biases, and long-held false beliefs can shape a child. Broome reminded me how far we have come in our LGBTQIA views and actions in America, and yet how far we have to go. I won't forget this book anytime soon, the perfect way to begin my Pride month reading.

The Maidens by Alex Michaelides

Yikes, this one is hard for me to review. I loved his debut novel, The Silent Patient; it was a brilliant, dark, psychological thriller that would be hard to surpass. I went into this one trying to lower my expectations, knowing it was a ridiculously high bar. Tho it had potential (college campus murder, female therapist involved in solving whodunnit, weird cult-like crew), it sadly lived down to all my fears. All kinds of literary references and mythology allusions should have made my heart sing, yet the high melodrama and implausibility factor got to me, as did the misogyny and sexist tropes used. And the finale which used some offensive 'blame the victim' bs, blech blech and blech. It went off the rails fast and just never came back.

One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston

Another Pride month read for me, I had high hopes for this one as well. I adored Red, White and Royal Blue, which was a sweet romantic story of two gay sons of world leaders, trying to make their romance work. This one didn't hit the same mark for me. And yet McQuiston gets high marks for using such a wide cast of diverse, LGBTQIA characters - honestly, one of the best I've seen. The plot line is also unique (a girl stuck in time on a subway, not able to leave the Q-Line for over forty years, and new NYC girl August falls in love). However, I think I was not the target audience as I just found all these twenty-somethings annoying and silly. I suspect thousands of other readers will fall in love with this diverse, eclectic crew!