Throwback Thursday - 12 Novels Written By Women That Are Worth The Read!!

March is Women's History Month. So for this post I've decided to do a slight twist and focus on novels (vs women's history specifically) written by women that are very much worth the read in my humble opinion.

Below are twelve novels written by women that I've read and reviewed here on my blog. Each of the novels are extremely well written. I enjoyed reading each of them and would enjoy reading them again as they're all thought provoking in one way or another.

Additionally, all of these novels would make great book club reads as I think each novel would generate loads of discussion among book club readers.

Click on the links below to read my review of each of the following novels listed should you care to read/learn more about each novel and why I liked reading it.

1. All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker

2. Juliet Takes A Breath by Gabby Rivera

3. The Giver by Lois Lowry

4. Asking For It by Louise O'Neill

5. The Vegetarian by Han Kang

6. An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

7. The Last Runaway by Tracy Chevalier

8. The Second Mrs. Hockaday by Susan Rivers

9. An Untamed State by Roxane Gay

10. Saving Ruby King by Catherine Adel King

11. The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel

12. The Familiar Dark by Amy Engel

Have you read any of the above novels? Did you like them as much as I did? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.

The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs

 

I chose to listen to the unabridged audio version of The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs after hearing the author, along with Dr. Shirley N. Weber (California Secretary of State) speak at a virtual author event earlier this month on International Women's Day. 

I was intrigued by what Anna Malaika Tubbs shared with viewers during the virtual author event and also by the title of her newly published book. Motherhood is an important topic and women do shape the lives of future generations to come. Additionally, I enjoyed the idea of learning more about how three specific mothers shaped the lives of three important American Civil Rights leaders of the 20th century. So, with this in mind, I decided to read Anna Malaika Tubbs' book, The Three Mothers, this month during Women's History Month.

I was not disappointed!! The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs is excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the lives of Berdis Baldwin, Louise Little, and Alberta King. I also enjoyed learning more about the lives of their sons and the relationship each woman had with her son, along with more information about black history and black motherhood within the USA. 

Listening time for The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs is 6 hours, 51 minutes and is narrated by the author.

Below is the summary for The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs from Audible:

Much has been written about Berdis Baldwin's son James, about Alberta King's son Martin Luther, and Louise Little's son Malcolm. But virtually nothing has been said about the extraordinary women who raised them.

In her groundbreaking and essential debut The Three Mothers, scholar Anna Malaika Tubbs celebrates Black motherhood by telling the story of the three women who raised and shaped some of America's most pivotal heroes.

Berdis Baldwin, Alberta King, and Louise Little were all born at the beginning of the 20th century and forced to contend with the prejudices of Jim Crow as Black women. These three extraordinary women passed their knowledge to their children with the hope of helping them to survive in a society that would deny their humanity from the very beginning - from Louise teaching her children about their activist roots, to Berdis encouraging James to express himself through writing, to Alberta basing all of her lessons in faith and social justice. These women used their strength and motherhood to push their children toward greatness, all with a conviction that every human being deserves dignity and respect despite the rampant discrimination they faced.

These three mothers taught resistance and a fundamental belief in the worth of Black people to their sons, even when these beliefs flew in the face of America’s racist practices and led to ramifications for all three families’ safety. The fight for equal justice and dignity came above all else for the three mothers.

These women, their similarities and differences, as individuals and as mothers, represent a piece of history left untold and a celebration of Black motherhood long overdue.

I am giving The Three Mothers: How the Mothers of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin Shaped a Nation by Anna Malaika Tubbs a rating of 5 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next post, happy reading!

The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic

                                                                                                                                       

I chose to read The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic during Women's History Month and I am glad that I did!

I received an advanced reader copy/uncorrected proof of The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic from the Goodreads Giveaway program. 

Below is my honest, unbiased review of The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic.

I enjoyed reading The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic. This nonfiction book comes with an introduction, eight chapters, and a conclusion. Topics discussed include women and friendship, women's history, motherhood/parenting, marriage for women, women in the workforce, food and body image, identity and feminine sacrifice.

I found that The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic focuses largely on how things are for women in the US currently and the history of how things came to be for women in the USA. The conclusion chapter, which was short, is just that a conclusion. It discusses the areas we need to change in order to improve the quality of life for women. 

The following is a summary for The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic from Goodreads:

What do women want? The same thing men were promised in the Declaration of Independence: happiness, or at least the freedom to pursue it. 

For women, though, pursuing happiness is a complicated endeavor, and if you head out into America and talk to women one-on-one, as Jill Filipovic has done, you'll see that happiness is indelibly shaped by the constraints of gender, the expectations of feminine sacrifice, and the myriad ways that womanhood itself differs along lines of race, class, location, and identity.

In The H-Spot, Filipovic argues that the main obstacle standing in-between women and happiness is a rigged system. In this world of unfinished feminism, men have long been able to "have it all" because of free female labor, while the bar of achievement for women has only gotten higher. Never before have women at every economic level had to work so much (whether it's to be an accomplished white-collar employee or just make ends meet). Never before have the standards of feminine perfection been so high. And never before have the requirements for being a "good mother" been so extreme. If our laws and policies made women's happiness and fulfillment a goal in and of itself, Filipovic contends, many of our country's most contentious political issues--from reproductive rights to equal pay to welfare spending--would swiftly be resolved.

Filipovic argues that it is more important than ever to prioritize women's happiness-and that doing so will make men's lives better, too. Here, she provides an outline for a feminist movement we all need and a blueprint for how policy, laws, and society can deliver on the promise of the pursuit of happiness for all.

I am giving The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness by Jill Filipovic a rating of 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Until my next posy, happy reading!

Happy Women's History Month!!

Women's History Month runs the entire month of March annually. As a woman, I enjoy learning more about women's history and enjoy learning about women's history throughout each calendar year.

Currently, I do not have any specific books slated to read during the month of March that pertain to women's history. However, during the month of March 2019, I will be reading and reviewing books here on my blog written solely by women authors.

I did listen to the unabridged audio version of The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore and reviewed here on my blog in 2016. I do recommend this book. It not only covers the history of Wonder Woman, but also touches upon the early history of 20th century feminism. Click on the above link to read my review.

Do you have any specific reading plans for Women's History Month? Do you have any favorite books that pertain to Women's History?