Books of 2019- Installment #4

16. Poisoned Apples: Poems for You, My Pretty by Christine Heppermann
This is a great poetry collection that has it's inspiration in fairy tales!

17. Alif the Unseen by G.Willow Wilson
I don't remember where I heard about this book, but when I heard that jinn are an important part of this story, I was in!! I love reading about jinn and this book really deepened my understanding of jinn, which is fantastic. But this story is also about the Arab Spring, which is also really interesting and important. I really look forward to reading more by G. Willow Wilson. I hope to read something by her told by a female narrator.

18. The Armored Saint by Myke Cole
This book is not really for me even though it was really well-written and is a fight against tyranny- all good things. I'm just looking for a lack of tyranny in my life right now!

19. Fox 8 by George Saunders
This was a moving tale told by a fox. I loooooved it!!! It's so short I don't want to give anything away, but I loved it!!!

20. Ways to Hide in Winter by Sarah St. Vincent
I have no memory of how this book made it onto my library holds list, but I am oh so happy it did!!!! Set in winter in rural Pennsylvania, it centers around a young woman working in an oh so quiet store near a pair of old defunct quarries. I love the writing! It's so beautiful and the tone it creates!! Love it!

I've read 20 books so far and 14 were by women, 5 by men, and 1 by mostly women. My year of reading lots of women is still going strong!!

Books of 2019- Installment #3

11. Summoned to the Thirteenth Grave by Darynda Jones
I was so excited to read this book and so sad! Excited because I love Darynda and Charley, sad because it is the last Charley Davidson book!!!

12. Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
When I was younger, I worked in Waldenbooks in NH, and this book was super popular then. I always thought I would read it, and then awhile back I saw a copy in a free little library around town. I picked it up and read it. Wow! What an amazing read! It is essentially a really lyrical look at different theories on time. It's amazing! Seriously a great read!! And really reminds me of Ursula K. Le Guin!

13. Ambiguity Machines: And Other Stories by Vandana Singh
This is a book I wanted to read after hearing about it on Geek's Guide to the Galaxy. I absolutely fell in love with Vandana Singh while listening to this interview. She is an amazing woman!!! I had read several of the stories in this collection immediately after this interview because they are online. So I tried to get her book The Woman Who Thought She was a Planet because holy crap! What a title!! However, it was and is currently listed as costing $594 on Amazon! I tried to get it from my local bookstore, Avid, but it's the same deal. So I eventually bought this book to read and reread her stories! I think my favorite was Requiem.

14. All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane Anders
This book got rave reviews and was on my TBR list for ages and ages (translation: about 2 years), and I never managed to get it off my TBR and into my hands until I got a free copy. Well, it is awesome! I'm so glad I finally read it!!!

15. Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
I loved The Time Traveler's Wife when it came out and snatched up a copy of this book when it was new, and then never read it. Well, my resolution this year is to read what I own and haven't read and it's a ghost story, so this was an obvious choice!! However, I can't say I loved this book.

Fifteen books so far and 11 were by women, 3 by men, and 1 by mostly women. My year of reading lots of women is still going strong!!

When I first started using this picture, I didn't know where it came from. (A hazard of the Internet!!) Now I know it's from a fantastic podcast!! Check them out- they are super cool!!!