My Library Volume I: Female Memoirs & Biographies
Over the next year or so, I will randomly publish a post that focuses on an aspect of my growing library and reading list.
My Library, Volume I: Female Memoirs and Biographies
I've always loved to read. Many a summer afternoon has been spent reading a book from beginning to end, always in a sunny spot with a soft breeze coming through. My taste in books hasn't changed much since childhood. The criteria has remained steadfast; my favorite books have at least one strong central female character who overcomes challenges using her intellect and innate sense of creativity.
Even as a young reader, many of these books were non-fiction. By age 10, I had read every Jackie O. biography in the Wauwatosa Library. I was also obsessed with Caddie Woodlawn, a real Midwestern heroine ala Laura Ingalls. So naturally, many of my current favorite books are true accounts of female life.
Most of the books below I have read more than once and sometimes successively after just finishing it the first time. All of the books reveal moments of individual enlightenment as well as realities of directionless soul searching and encompassing darkness. These books have brought me to tears but they have also filled my heart with joy, inspiration, and hope.
1. Wild, Cheryl Strayed: A 26 year-old's journey on the Pacific Crest Trail following her mother's death. This book provoked me to write this blog post; I finished it two days ago and I am ready to read it again. Truly, Cheryl Strayed is heart-wrenchingly brave and eloquent as she describes her journey both on and off the trail. Oprah loves Cheryl too.
2. Truth and Beauty, Ann Patchett: Ann's years at Iowa Writer's Workshop and her growing friendship with poet, Lucy Grealy. I have given this book to several of my best girlfriends. This is a story about relationships inspiring art as well as the heartache and triumphs of really loving someone.
3. Blood, Bones, and Butter, Gabrielle Hamilton: Mike always finds the best books for me. He spots them instantly and either buys them for me or tells me that I should go buy it for myself. He knew I would love this book because it is about food and women and a trip to Italy. Ha. Clearly, he knows my criteria. Mike didn't know, however, that the first chapter pinpoints why I want to have a big family one day. Read the first chapter and you'll get it.
4. The Glass Castle (and sequel, Half Broke Horses), Jeannette Walls: This one is a tear jerker but its strength lies in Walls' honesty as she describes her parents and her childhood. As a reader, I am both enthralled and appalled by her do-it-yourself bohemian parents (and that's probably the result of Walls' own mixed feelings).
5. Virginia Woolf: A Biography, Quentin Bell: This biography is dense. Bell (Virginia's nephew) starts with her birth and ends with her tragic death, but it is the little details that he includes that strike my imagination. For instance, Virginia's saloon with her brother and sister in London, and the fact that her future husband (Leonard) rented the third floor of their house and he had to check off whether he wanted lunch sent to his room on the weekly menu housed in the basement kitchen. And then later, Virginia goes off to live in the country with Leonard and Vita comes to visit and stays in the guest house and, according to a series of love letters exchanged, it is highly likely that Virginia stayed in the guest house too! And let's not forget, tea time!
6. Lit, Mary Karr
An honest account of an intelligent and creative woman's battle with alcoholism. Although its hard to stomach the many times that Karr hits rock bottom, she also demonstrates that anything is possible with faith. Her dark sense of humor lingers in the background throughout the book making reading it bearable.
7. Loving Frank, Nancy Horan
This book might be classified as historical fiction, but I think it could also be considered a memoir. Although Frank (as in Frank Lloyd Wright) is the title character, Maman is the woman who loves him and the book's pivotal character. Set in the turn-of-the-century, Maman leaves her family for the independence that her affair with Frank affords her. Although society doesn't forgive Maman, readers are left to form their opinion thanks to Horan's feminist gaze on her subject.
8. My Life In France, Julia Childs
Another period piece (this time set in the McCarthy era), Julia Childs' biography caught my eye because of the title, My Life In France. Memoir? Check. Europe? Check. One could also reasonably assume there would be food involved. It wasn't until I started reading that I fell in love with Julia. (Also, please note that I read this book BEFORE even learning about the film/blog/book "Julie and Julia." Thank you very much.) Like Virginia's biography, this memoir captures the anecdotal details of Julia's everyday life.
9. Travelling Mercies, Anne Lamott
This is one of the first female memoirs that I read. My parents (or, maybe it was my dad specifically) gave me this book before college. It's funny because reading it now, I realize how much of the book is about Anne's salvation from an addictive lifestyle through religion. God's a central character in this book. Like Lit, Travelling Mercies exposes the power of prayer paired with a sense of humor.
10. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
Okay, I admit, I just needed a number 10. Still, every female reader I've discussed this book with (I actually don't think I have met any guys who have read this book) has her favorite section depending on whether she's a foodie, a meditator, or one passionate lady. I like this book because...well...there's at least one strong central female character who overcomes challenges using her intellect and innate sense of creativity. :)
My Library, Volume I: Female Memoirs and Biographies
I've always loved to read. Many a summer afternoon has been spent reading a book from beginning to end, always in a sunny spot with a soft breeze coming through. My taste in books hasn't changed much since childhood. The criteria has remained steadfast; my favorite books have at least one strong central female character who overcomes challenges using her intellect and innate sense of creativity.
Even as a young reader, many of these books were non-fiction. By age 10, I had read every Jackie O. biography in the Wauwatosa Library. I was also obsessed with Caddie Woodlawn, a real Midwestern heroine ala Laura Ingalls. So naturally, many of my current favorite books are true accounts of female life.
Most of the books below I have read more than once and sometimes successively after just finishing it the first time. All of the books reveal moments of individual enlightenment as well as realities of directionless soul searching and encompassing darkness. These books have brought me to tears but they have also filled my heart with joy, inspiration, and hope.
1. Wild, Cheryl Strayed: A 26 year-old's journey on the Pacific Crest Trail following her mother's death. This book provoked me to write this blog post; I finished it two days ago and I am ready to read it again. Truly, Cheryl Strayed is heart-wrenchingly brave and eloquent as she describes her journey both on and off the trail. Oprah loves Cheryl too.
2. Truth and Beauty, Ann Patchett: Ann's years at Iowa Writer's Workshop and her growing friendship with poet, Lucy Grealy. I have given this book to several of my best girlfriends. This is a story about relationships inspiring art as well as the heartache and triumphs of really loving someone.
3. Blood, Bones, and Butter, Gabrielle Hamilton: Mike always finds the best books for me. He spots them instantly and either buys them for me or tells me that I should go buy it for myself. He knew I would love this book because it is about food and women and a trip to Italy. Ha. Clearly, he knows my criteria. Mike didn't know, however, that the first chapter pinpoints why I want to have a big family one day. Read the first chapter and you'll get it.
4. The Glass Castle (and sequel, Half Broke Horses), Jeannette Walls: This one is a tear jerker but its strength lies in Walls' honesty as she describes her parents and her childhood. As a reader, I am both enthralled and appalled by her do-it-yourself bohemian parents (and that's probably the result of Walls' own mixed feelings).
5. Virginia Woolf: A Biography, Quentin Bell: This biography is dense. Bell (Virginia's nephew) starts with her birth and ends with her tragic death, but it is the little details that he includes that strike my imagination. For instance, Virginia's saloon with her brother and sister in London, and the fact that her future husband (Leonard) rented the third floor of their house and he had to check off whether he wanted lunch sent to his room on the weekly menu housed in the basement kitchen. And then later, Virginia goes off to live in the country with Leonard and Vita comes to visit and stays in the guest house and, according to a series of love letters exchanged, it is highly likely that Virginia stayed in the guest house too! And let's not forget, tea time!
6. Lit, Mary Karr
An honest account of an intelligent and creative woman's battle with alcoholism. Although its hard to stomach the many times that Karr hits rock bottom, she also demonstrates that anything is possible with faith. Her dark sense of humor lingers in the background throughout the book making reading it bearable.
7. Loving Frank, Nancy Horan
This book might be classified as historical fiction, but I think it could also be considered a memoir. Although Frank (as in Frank Lloyd Wright) is the title character, Maman is the woman who loves him and the book's pivotal character. Set in the turn-of-the-century, Maman leaves her family for the independence that her affair with Frank affords her. Although society doesn't forgive Maman, readers are left to form their opinion thanks to Horan's feminist gaze on her subject.
8. My Life In France, Julia Childs
Another period piece (this time set in the McCarthy era), Julia Childs' biography caught my eye because of the title, My Life In France. Memoir? Check. Europe? Check. One could also reasonably assume there would be food involved. It wasn't until I started reading that I fell in love with Julia. (Also, please note that I read this book BEFORE even learning about the film/blog/book "Julie and Julia." Thank you very much.) Like Virginia's biography, this memoir captures the anecdotal details of Julia's everyday life.
9. Travelling Mercies, Anne Lamott
This is one of the first female memoirs that I read. My parents (or, maybe it was my dad specifically) gave me this book before college. It's funny because reading it now, I realize how much of the book is about Anne's salvation from an addictive lifestyle through religion. God's a central character in this book. Like Lit, Travelling Mercies exposes the power of prayer paired with a sense of humor.
10. Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert
Okay, I admit, I just needed a number 10. Still, every female reader I've discussed this book with (I actually don't think I have met any guys who have read this book) has her favorite section depending on whether she's a foodie, a meditator, or one passionate lady. I like this book because...well...there's at least one strong central female character who overcomes challenges using her intellect and innate sense of creativity. :)
Molly! I have SO many comments right now, but I will perhaps leave them in an email.
ReplyDeleteFor female memoirs, perhaps to replace number 10 on your list, I'd suggest a really beautiful book called The Chronology of Water. It's a little graphic and dark, but a wonderful read if I do say so myself. The author is Lidia Yuknavitch, and she actually is in a writing group with Cheryl Strayed, the author of Wild. I found this quite amusing when I read the credits.
But, onto more exciting and wonderful things than books - little Vasiches! So excited to see this news on your blog and SO happy for you and Mike. You will be great parents! I'll send an email soon - I want to hear more! Love, Kat