August was (no surprise) a busy month, but I found time for a few books.
I will say, my first book of the month was a very ambitious undertaking that took me most of the month to get through.
(As a reminder: I always track my reading on Goodreads.)
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Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez
Recommend
This book took me all month to get through because it enraged me so much to the point I had to take frequent breaks to prevent myself from throwing my Kindle across the room. This book focuses on the global lack of woman-centric data and the concept that men are seen as the “default” and women are seen as “other,” despite the fact that women make up, yunno, HALF the world’s population. I learned so many fun things (seatbelts are designed for MEN! Viagra could reduce period cramping in women, but who knows, because drug side effects are tested for MEN! Even lab study test mice? MALE!) that made me want to scream. Everyone should read this book. It was very heavy with facts, statistics and citations, and it was a bit of a slog to get through, but it was definitely very well-researched and very enlightening.
Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell
Maybe Recommend
“Invisible Women” was so data-heavy and fact-driven that I needed a break midway through reading, and this was that break. It’s a popcorn thriller focused on the disappearance of a teenage girl. The plot was pretty fucked up (I think the author uses the word “bizarre” to describe it), so maybe avoid if you’re triggered by sexual assault. I didn’t love this book, I didn’t hate this book. I saw the ending coming from a mile away and there are no surprises, but it was a quick and distracting read.
The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson
Recommend
This multigenerational novel shares the narrative of four Dakota women, each with a strong connection to the Minnesota land and the plants it nourishes. As indigenous protagonist Rosalie contents with the death of her white farmer husband and the looming estrangement of her only son, she finds herself pulled back to her roots in the woods of Dakota land, searching for remnants of her long-lost family; the long-left lessons her father imparted on her before his death. This book was written by an indigenous author, and I could feel the love and learning of her own life in the writing. I devoured this book. The writing was beautiful and the lessons were profound.
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