Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath

Rejected Princesses:  Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath - 384 pages

Blending the iconoclastic feminism of The Notorious RBG and the confident irreverence of Go the F**ck to Sleep, a brazen and empowering illustrated collection that celebrates inspirational badass women throughout history, based on the popular Tumblr blog.

Well-behaved women seldom make history. Good thing these women are far from well behaved . . .

Illustrated in a contemporary animation style, Rejected Princesses turns the ubiquitous "pretty pink princess" stereotype portrayed in movies, and on endless toys, books, and tutus on its head, paying homage instead to an awesome collection of strong, fierce, and yes, sometimes weird, women: warrior queens, soldiers, villains, spies, revolutionaries, and more who refused to behave and meekly accept their place.

An entertaining mix of biography, imagery, and humor written in a fresh, young, and riotous voice, this thoroughly researched exploration salutes these awesome women drawn from both historical and fantastical realms, including real life, literature, mythology, and folklore. Each profile features an eye-catching image of both heroic and villainous women in command from across history and around the world, from a princess-cum-pirate in fifth century Denmark, to a rebel preacher in 1630s Boston, to a bloodthirsty Hungarian countess, and a former prostitute who commanded a fleet of more than 70,000 men on China’s seas.

Women of the Blue & Gray: True Civil War Stories of Mothers, Medics, Soldiers, and Spies by Marianne Monson

Women of the Blue & Gray: True Civil War Stories of Mothers, Medics, Soldiers, and Spies by Marianne Monson-230 pages

I read this for the Non-fiction challenge this month. I also happen to be very interested in Civil War history. I learned quite a bit about women in the Civil War. Some women disguised themselves as men and enlisted and others followed husbands or brothers into enlistment. One woman, Jennie Hodgers, took the identity of a man named Albert D. J. Cashier to enlist and went by that name and dressed as a man for nearly 50 years after the Civil War before she was discovered. Many women served as spies, nurses, and doctors during the war, also. Although, it would take many years and much cajoling for many of the women who served in these capacities to be paid for their service. Women had to volunteer (and not get paid) as nurses or doctors to start the war. Women such as Lydia Maria Child, Harriet Tubman, Susie Baker King Taylor, Clara Barton, the Grimke sisters, Mother Bickerdyke, Dr. Mary Walker, Ellen Orbison Harris, Mary Ann Shadd Cary, Harriet Jacobs, Cornelia Peake McDonald, and Virginia Mason McLean (who had the distinction of witnessing both the first real battle and the surrender of Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia near her house) are discussed in various detail, along with many others. I found this to be an informative, enlightening read.

Who is Hilary Clinton? by Heather Alexander

Who is Hilary Clinton? by Heather Alexander - 106 pages

At age fourteen, Hillary Clinton thought it would be thrilling to become an astronaut, so she sent an application to NASA. The reply was a flat out rejection: the space program didn't take women. It was a critical moment for the young girl, one that made her realize the world she lived in needed changing and that she had better try to make those changes happen. Clinton's life has been a thrilling series of firsts—First Lady of the US, then first First Lady to become a US Senator, Secretary of State, and possibly the first woman to run as the Democratic candidate for President. 

I loved the way this juvenile book summed up her life so perfectly.

Who Was Jacqueline Kennedy by Bonnie Bader

Who Was Jacqueline Kennedy by Bonnie Bader - 108 pages

Private and bookish, Jackie Kennedy found herself thrust into the world spotlight as the young and glamorous wife of the President John F. Kennedy.  As First Lady she restored the once neglected rooms of the White House to their former glory, and through her charm and elegance became a style icon whose influence is still felt even today. 

Nice, easy reading.

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly - 543 pages

The phenomenal true story of the black female mathematicians at NASA at the leading edge of the feminist and civil rights movement, whose calculations helped fuel some of America’s greatest achievements in space—a powerful, revelatory contribution that is as essential to our understanding of race, discrimination, and achievement in modern America as Between the World and Me and The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. Soon to be a major motion picture starring Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monae, Kirsten Dunst, and Kevin Costner.

Before John Glenn orbited the earth, or Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of dedicated female mathematicians known as “human computers” used pencils, slide rules and adding machines to calculate the numbers that would launch rockets, and astronauts, into space.

Among these problem-solvers were a group of exceptionally talented African American women, some of the brightest minds of their generation. Originally relegated to teaching math in the South’s segregated public schools, they were called into service during the labor shortages of World War II, when America’s aeronautics industry was in dire need of anyone who had the right stuff. Suddenly, these overlooked math whizzes had a shot at jobs worthy of their skills, and they answered Uncle Sam’s call, moving to Hampton, Virginia and the fascinating, high-energy world of the Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory.

Even as Virginia’s Jim Crow laws required them to be segregated from their white counterparts, the women of Langley’s all-black “West Computing” group helped America achieve one of the things it desired most: a decisive victory over the Soviet Union in the Cold War, and complete domination of the heavens.

Starting in World War II and moving through to the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement and the Space Race, Hidden Figures follows the interwoven accounts of Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, Katherine Johnson and Christine Darden, four African American women who participated in some of NASA’s greatest successes. It chronicles their careers over nearly three decades they faced challenges, forged alliances and used their intellect to change their own lives, and their country’s future.

Ruth’s Journey: the Authorized Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind

Ruth’s Journey: the Authorized Novel of Mammy from Margaret Mitchell’s Gone with the Wind

By Donald McCaig

374 pages

Any admirer of Gone with the Wind, will greatly enjoy this fictional account of Scarlett O’Hara Mammy Ruth’s life, which began in St. Domingue.  As a young adult, Ruth experiences love and loss along with some unexpected turns. The story leads to Scarlett O’Hara and her mischief as a child and teenager.   

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"

by Lena Dunham. 288 pages.

I'm a fan of Dunham's HBO series, GIRLS, and her early film "Tiny Furniture", so I was looking forward to diving into her new book.  I was a little skeptical when I discovered that it was actually a memoir (being written by someone in only her late twenties), but I expected at the very least that it capture Dunham's strange humor and leave me satisfied.  Unfortunately, I was left feeling a little disappointed.  Overwhelmingly, Dunham discussed her relationships with men and little else.  What little glimpse we caught of her relationship with her family or friends in her life was somewhat shallow.  Dunham is viewed as feminist icon for the Millennial Generation, so I was surprised that she had so few insightful or relevant things to say throughout her book.

Oh well.  I can always watch reruns of her show.

Balancing It All by Candace Cameron Bure with Dana Wilkerson

Balancing It All by Candace Cameron Bure with Dana Wilkerson, 226 pages

Candace is probably most famous for her role as DJ Tanner on the television show Full House.  Most recently, she is a contestant on Dancing with the Stars.  This is Candace's second book. Candace's life seems too good to be true.  But, she does emphasize the key to her life has been balance between work, family, friends, and religion.  She does admit to her life not being balanced during her first years of marriage.  She discusses growing up, her years on Full House, as well as her eating disorder, bulimia.  She stresses the three keys to a healthy marriage: sex, putting our partner higher than ourselves, and prayer.  The key to her life success has been the power of prayer and leading a Christian lifestyle.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein - 368 pages

I had a friend who raved about how good this book was and she pushed me to read it.  I had my doubts at the beginning because of the narrator's unique rambling voice but I was quickly drawn in by the richness of the story.  This is one of those books that you can't describe the plot beyond broad strokes so you don't ruin the experience for others.  Basically two young girls meet under unlikely circumstances during World War II era England and they both serve the war effort in their own ways with their paths crossing numerous times.  I really enjoyed this book even though it made me cry.  It is truly the story of an amazing friendship that shines brightly in some of the worst times imaginable.

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman- 298 pgs.

This book is getting a lot of buzz right now because of the TV show based off it airing on Netflix.  Because of that and a recommendation by a friend, I decided to give it a shot.  During an adventurous time in her life, Piper Kerman became tangled with a woman who involved Kerman in the drug world.  After delivering a large amount of cash for a drug payment, Kerman got scared and left the world of drugs  and started to live a normal life. Or so she thought.  10 years later, she was arrested and sentenced to a year in federal prison.  She learned a lot about herself and others during this stay.  This was a fast and enjoyable read.  It is a very good example of how your past can come back to haunt you.

One Thousand White Women: the Journals of May Dodd, by Jim Fergus

One Thousand White Women: the Journals of May Dodd, by Jim Fergus, 304 pages

Here is the premise: historically, an American Indian chief really did request from President Grant that the government provide 1000 white women in exchange for 1000 horses, and that such an exchange would help integrate the natives into American society.  In real life, that never happened (obvs), but in Fergus' piece of fiction, women are recruited and secretly sent to the Cheyenne in Wyoming.  The main character, May Dodd, writes these journals to describe her time with the Cheyenne.  I really did not care for this book- the tone of the main character felt unrealistic and the characterization, in general, was annoying and obvious.  Just don't tell my mother-in-law that I said that- she loved this book and that is why I read it.

Orange is the New Black, by Piper Kerman

Orange is the New Black, by Piper Kerman, 298 pages

The subtitle for this book is "My year in a women's prison."  I found this a fascinating read, and I usually hate those "my year doing a thing" books.  Piper made some bad choices after college- mainly the one time she smuggled a large amount of drug money past airport customs.  But after ten years pass by, she is indicted for that one big mistake and sentenced to over a year in prison.   This comes as a shock to Piper, her fiancee, and begins her long journey of self-realization and education about the US prison system.  Pretty good, as far as memoirs go.

Embroideries, by Marjane Satrapi

Embroideries, by Marjane Satrapi, 144 pages

This short graphic novel allows the reader to sit in with Marjane and the women of her Iranian family, as they partake of tea and talk about love, sex, and men.  Some of the stories are funny, some sound like urban legends you've already heard, and a couple are a bit sad.  Worth reading if you liked Persepolis.

Delicate Edible Birds, by Lauren Groff

Delicate Edible Birds, by Lauren Groff, 306 pages

This was a collection of short stories that I grabbed solely based on the cover art.  As is usually the case with short stories, some were just alright, while others were quite touching.  Each story revolves around the life of a woman.  "Lucky Chow Fun" is about a teenager preparing for college; "L. Debard and Aliette" is a bittersweet love story that takes place after WWI, but during the Spanish Flu outbreak; "Majorette" was a story I found especially touching, about a girl who grows up, becomes a mother, and reflects on life as a female in America; "Blythe" is a story about outgrowing your friendships; "The Wife of the Dictator" is about an American woman who marries a Latin American dictator (and that can only end one way); "Sir Fleeting" is about life and love, and realizing that people are not just the collection of our memories of them; "Watershed" is about love and marriage that literally made me cry; and the titular story takes place during the fall of France in WWII and how friends can turn on each other.

Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, by Jillian Lauren

Some Girls: My Life in a Harem, by Jillian Lauren, 352 pages

While the title sounds like the book would be a gratuitous play by play of a scandalous life, it was actually a really well-written and thought-provoking story.  At times, it could have been the story of any other woman's life.  With the major difference being this woman was offered a place in the harem of the Prince of Brunei.  Lauren found herself alone in New York City at age 19, trying to make it as an actress and only finding success as a sex worker.  This opened the door to serving at the court of Brunei, where Lauren realized that money isn't everything, and she has more to offer than a pretty face.  My only objection was that the narrative tends to jump around chronologically, but I found alot to identify with the author about.