W is for (Books About) Women #atozchallenge

For A to Z 2018, my theme is Books About ____. If you’re stopping by from your own A to Z blog, feel free to leave a link. If you need help with how to do that, you can look here.

If you’re someone looking to read a lot of great blogs, here’s the link for the A to Z challenge.

There are so many amazing books I could have written about that it was hard to narrow it down to only a few. But I managed. (Aren’t you impressed?)

Moxie, by Jennifer Matthieu (YA): When Vivian gets fed up with the boys at her school, she looks to her mother’s old punk rock ‘zines to inspire her to connect with the other girls at her school. I loved this book because it was girls at their best, supporting one another. It showed girls standing up for themselves in a strong and non-violent way. Plus, it was just a lot of fun.

The Female of the Species, by Mindy McGinnis (YA): When a man killed Alex’s older sister, Alex killed that man, and she doesn’t feel bad about it. She does, however, think she’s too dangerous to be around other people. When she befriends Peekay (the preacher’s kid), and Jack (the star athlete), the three of them end up in a situation that means different things to each of them. This book took me on a roller coaster ride, and I’m still thinking about it. Though I don’t advocate vigilante justice, Alex is an amazing heroine.

The Handmaid’s Tale, by Margaret Atwood (classic): Offread is a handmaid in a dystopian future where women have no rights and are merely baby-making vessels. Offread was once an independent woman with a husband and child, but she’s not that person anymore. Her voice shines through. Even in this terrible situation, she’s still an individual who wants more. So when she’s offered a chance to rebel, she takes it. The book is full of terrifying ideas.

What are your favorite books about women?

2018 Book Challenges- Week 1

Can you believe we’re a week into the year already? It’s crazy.

Here’s my progress on my various book challenges so far this year.

Popsugar Challenge

(2/50) Strong start!

1. The next book in a series you started- Voyager, by Diana Gabaldon (historical fiction and so much more!) This book is over 1000 pages, and I read it in two days. I couldn’t put it down. Every time I tried, I just wanted to know what was going on next with Claire and Jamie. I loved the first book, liked the second, but this one! This one was true love.
2. A book about feminism- Moxie, by Jennifer Mathieu (YA) I didn’t know what I was going to read for the feminism category, but I had this book because a YA book club I belong to picked it back in November. (I got a little behind in my reading.) Even though the discussion is over, I still wanted to read it because I really liked The Truth About Alice. Wow, this book was great. I think it’s a wonderful intro to feminism and non-violent protest to a problematic situation.

While I Was Reading Challenge

(0/12) No progress

Clearing Off My Shelf Reading

No progress

5 Classic Books

(0/5) No progress

Miscellaneous Reading

1. The Scar Boys, by Len Vlahos (YA) Chosen by my YA book club for January, this was an okay read. The premise is that the main character, Harry, is writing a college application that goes way over. He’s trying to tell about himself and 250 words won’t do it. As a child, he had a near miss being struck by lightning and is scarred. Then he ends up in a band. It’s a series of events with very little emotional connection between them. I think it’s supposed to be a story of friendship, but it never quite worked for me. And the whole college application premise really didn’t work for me. I would rate this as 2.5 stars, somewhere between “it was okay” and “I liked it.” It’s not a bad read, but if you have other books on your TBR, go for those first.

Have you made any progress on your TBR or book challenges?