"All the Lives I Want" by Alana Massey

FTC Disclosure: I received an e-ARC from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

I requested this book based on its subtitle - "Essays about My Best Friends Who Happen to be Famous Strangers." Essay collections are great to begin with -- add some pop culture commentary about people that are in my fairly limited scope of reference, and I am in!

Massey unpacks the way society views female celebrities like Britney Spears, Amber Rose, and Anjelica Huston. Writing about Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj, she looks at the feud between the two and explores how the two were pushed into a beef they may not have necessarily wanted, forced to confront an artificial notion that there could only be one widely-recognizable female rapper. She looks at the ways Sylvia Plath has been idolized by young women and the precedent set for today's social media, explaining "Sylvia was an early literary manifestation of a young woman who takes endless selfies and posts them with vicious captions calling herself fat and ugly...The ongoing act of self-documentation in a world that punishes female experience (that doesn't aspire to maleness) is a radical declaration that women are within our rights to contribute to the story of what it means to be human."

Massey's book stands out most because she pairs these views with insights and experiences from her own life. She explores what Amber Rose means to her as a former stripper, and how she relates to Britney Spears' having to deal with incessant media coverage owing to her own struggle with an eating disorder. In each essay, Massey looks at how society is reacting to and consuming female celebrities and characters, how culture re-writes their stories and proscribes new personalities and meaning to them. She ultimately begins to look at how women can re-claim their icons and recognize these women for their varied strengths and dignities. She starts with what they mean to her.

Verdict: Affirmed. Whether you're a fan of pop culture looking for a deep but fresh take, or looking for new, honest writing about one woman's experiences, this essay collection is a great read.

"All the Lives I Want" by Alana Massey, published February 7, 2017 by Grand Central Publishing.

"How to be a Woman" by Caitlin Moran

 I'd overlooked and then resisted this title for a while. I'd heard Moran's views on feminism were controversial, and she presented them in a particularly crass manner. Crass humor is not typically my thing & I know this, so I try to avoid it so as not to ruin it or complain about things other people are enjoying. But then I heard Moran's talk at Politics & Prose on her new book, "Moranifesto," chuckled and nodded along, and decided it was time to give her work a try.

It was a great decision. "How to be a Woman" is both Moran's memoir and a feminist text, discussing her life story along side her views on shaving, masturbation, weddings, abortion, and Lady Gaga.  Her views are controversial. But they're worth reckoning with. Do I agree with everything she says? Absolutely not. But I am a better feminist for considering her viewpoints and articulating where I find flaws in it. 

There are flaws, some of which Roxane Gay describes well. Casual, caustic use of the word "retarded" and an uniformed discussion of the N-word are insensitive and disappointing; it is important to recognize and criticize these flaws. I don't think, though, that these flaws invalidate Moran's larger message. Her mission to articulate her view of feminism and its importance is successful, if set back by language and references that could have been better chosen.

Moran also does her own audiobook narration, and her conversational tone fits the text well. I look forward to reading or listening to more of Moran's work, though I sincerely hope that she has learned or will learn to choose her words more carefully and consider the plight of those in different positions than her when choosing how to best express herself and her views. 

Verdict: Affirmed, for those looking for a text they can engage with and criticize as appropriate. If you want to laugh at the misadventures of a young British journalist at the start of her career, or have your feminism challenged or complicated, read this book.

"How to Be a Woman" by Caitlin Moran, published June 16, 2011 by Ebury Press, republished October 11, 2016 by Harper Perennial. Audio narration by Caitlin Moran, published February 24, 2012 by Random House Audiobooks.

"Spinster" by Kate Bolick

FTC disclosure: I received a copy of this book through Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. I checked out the audiobook from my library through Overdrive.

Back in July I read & loved Rebecca Traister's "All the Single Ladies." Craving more reflective, feminist non-fiction, I decided it was finally time to get back to "Spinster," a book I had requested from Blogging for Books when it originally came out. I unfortunately got waylaid at the time with school and work and such, and then stupidly left the book in DC when I went back to NYC. Luckily, my hold came in on the audiobook just as I found the print copy, and good reading times were had by all.

Kate Bolick reflects on her own life and her great literary influencers in "Spinster." The novel is mostly memoir with some literary criticism thrown in. She structures her reflections on her life around discussions of the great literary women who have shaped her personal development - Neith Boyce, Maeve Brennan, Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and Edith Wharton. If you're only a little familiar with these ladies, or maybe even haven't heard of them, don't be scared off. Bolick does a great job contextualizing them in both their own time and her own life, quoting from their work, sharing their biographies, and basically making sure readers understand why and how they impacted her.

At the heart of the book, though, is Bolick's gradual decision to reclaim spinsterhood, and revel in being an unmarried woman. Along the way she gives readers an intimately personal look all aspects of her life - personal and professional, and how various encounters and milestones shaped her outlook. Skimming the reviews on Goodreads, it seems the people who were disappointed with this book expected it to be something that it's not. Bolick's book is deeply personal, reflective, with a literary frame. If you're looking for broader cultural discussions, turn to "All the Single Ladies." If you'd like a more introspective examination of one woman's decision on how to live her own life, this is an excellent memoir.

Verdict: Jury's out - Just make sure you know what you're getting into. If you're not interested in learning about historical literary ladies alongside deep introspection, this isn't going to be a book for you. If that sounds like your feminist cup of tea, though, this is an excellent book.

"Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own" by Kate Bolick, published April 21, 2015 by Crown. Audio narration by Kate Bolick, published April 21, 2015 by Random House Audio.