Recent Reads

46. Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions
“The knowledge of cooking does not come pre-installed in a vagina.”

This essay/manifesto is a quick, yet thought provoking read. The premise of this slim volume is that a friend asked Adichie advice on how to raise a feminist daughter, and this letter was her response.

As a feminist and an Adichie fangirl I knew I'd like this one. It would be an excellent primer for parents of all genders, and a good refresher for everyone else, however, there wasn't much new in here for me. Adichie does what she does best, which is put into simple, easy to understand language concepts that many shy away from, and for that alone this is worth a read. Rating: 3 stars.

47. Today Will Be Different
After reading several books that addressed tough subject matter I was in the mood for something lighter, and this seemed like just the ticket. Unfortunately, it didn't work for me. I liked the premise of the story, and the start was promising, but after 66 pages I find myself bored with all that upper-middle-class-white American angst. I do appreciate that the narrator makes fun of just that, but there just isn't enough depth in this story to keep my interest. So onto the DNF pile it goes. Rating: 1 star.

48. The Gunslinger (The Dark Tower #1)
Sailing season is almost upon us, so continued my seasonal tradition of picking up a King book. I listened to the audiobook which is superbly narrated by George Guidall.

"The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed."

This is the first book in The Dark Tower series, considered to be King's magnum opus, and that first line is essentially the plot of the entire book. Unlike most other King books I didn't love this one immediately, and there are entire sequences that felt dream like - hazy and out of focus. It read like a mash up of an old school Western, fantasy, and a contemporary Dystopian story, and I'm just not sure how I feel about it. There are sections I loved, and others that had me scratching my head. The writing and dialogue is also inconsistent through this one, but as it's one of his shorter books, I got through it pretty quickly.

I have the next couple of books on audio, but am unsure if I should continue. For those who did, should I bother? Rating: 3 stars.