September 2019 Book Reviews and Recommendations

I’ve definitely been reading some interesting books lately. Even though I haven’t loved all of them, I’ve enjoyed the variety and selecting books I wouldn’t normally have picked for myself. It’s always good to branch out and try new things. Maybe in my September recommendations below you’ll find one to try out of your typical reading comfort zone.

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A Woman Is No Man

A Woman Is No Man is an interesting fictional story about a culture I don’t know much about. A teenager in Palentisine weds a man she doesn’t know and travels back with him to his home in New York City. Living with his parents, two brothers and one sister she is expected to cook and clean all day. Not exactly the future she had hoped for.

Shifting back and forth between time we also read about her teenage daughter being raised by her grandparents. She wants to go to college but the cycle of marrying young looks to continue as suitors begin arriving. Will she have the strength to push back against her culture? Meanwhile, details about her parents’ deaths emerge that make her question everything in her life.

I enjoyed this book although it made me sad to think about how so many women in this world still have very few rights and ways to gain independence. The story is well written and easy to follow.

Three Women

This non-fiction book had an interesting concept but I didn’t enjoy the actual stories. In Three Women, sexual desires, relationships, and love are explored through the narratives of three very different women.

One woman reflects back to a few years ago when her high school teacher engaged in a very inappropriate relationship with her. Now that she is taking him to court it seems no one believes her and the majority of the evidence is long gone. Now he is North Dakota’s teacher of the year and she is in therapy.

A second woman yearns to be touched and kissed by her husband. When she doesn’t get any physical contact from her spouse she turns to an old boyfriend and begins an affair. Her feelings are clearly stronger than his. She waits for his text messages, begs him to meet her, and tries anything to keep him interested.

Lastly, a wealthy restauranter is in a seemingly perfect marriage with her chef husband. But he enjoys it when she is with other men or couples as long as he knows about it and/or can watch. The problem is that she is mostly partaking in these acts for her husband. Is she weird? Is she submissive? Who should take the blame when another couple’s relationship implodes because of them?

I struggled with how pathetic all three of these women seemed throughout the book. They didn’t seem to be able to have the strength to speak up and take action when needed. Many sexual acts are described in detail but trust me, it’s not a turn on. The end brought no conclusions for me.

The Almost Sisters

I liked this book right from the start and all the way to the end (which is rare!). The Almost Sisters features a superstar in the comic world who’s life is about to get a little messy. With a grandma going off the deep end and a surprise pregnancy by “Batman,” her plate is a little full. To make matters worse, her perfect sister is having a crisis and family secrets start coming out of the woodwork.

This book is funny with slight undercurrents of race and class issues in the deep south. The comic the main character writes and illustrates is described in detail which I personally don’t care for but it didn’t detract from my enjoyment. In fact, the comic helped wrap everything up in the end.

The Age of Light

Historical fiction based on real people and events – yes, please. The Age of Light is a fascinating story about Lee Miller, a model turned photographer in the ’30s. The story focuses on her time in Paris working and living with the famous artist and photographer Man Ray.

The book describes how she became Man Ray’s muse. But then he took credit for some of her work and even a new photography technique that she discovered. Ultimately, she becomes a war correspondent for Vogue which leaves her with PTSD.

The story bounces back and forth between time periods a little bit so the reader learns what ultimately happens to both Man Ray and his muse. If you are a prudish person this book may not be the one for you. I liked learning about a historical artist I had never heard about before.