What I'm Reading: 'Mary Queen of Scots' by Antonia Fraser

My obsession with the CW tv show 'Reign' knows no bounds, apparently, because during the Christmas hiatus I decided to make up for the lack of teenaged Mary Stuart in my life by reading an 800 page biography of her. For those who feel they are too good for the CW --first of all, you are wrong; their programming has never been better -- 'Reign' is a sexy period drama about the young adulthood of Mary Stuart, a bit like 'The O.C.' mixed with 'The Tudors.' All of the costumes are adapted Free People items, so that should give you a pretty good flavor of it.

Needless to say, it shares very, very little in common with this tremendously great biography by Antonia Fraser, whose talents I have already espoused. I have been disappointed but not exactly surprised by how historically inaccurate the tv show has turned out to be, but that doesn't mean I'm not enjoying the book immensely. Sometimes nothing quite satisfies like a long, meaty biography, and I've read enough Antonia Fraser at this point to feel almost like I'm slipping into a very elaborate fictional universe of her creation. She has written about this period in British history pretty extensively, so each new volume I consume is just adding another layer of richness. And every time I come across a fact that appears in the show, I become very proud of and happy for the producers and their very minor success in transitioning fact into fiction.

The Bookhive List: 'Going Clear' by Lawrence Wright

I love non-fiction and I spend plenty of time reading it, especially biographies, but it's pretty rare for a work of non-fiction to crack my favorite books list. "Favorites" to me are books I absolutely loved, highly recommend to anyone who will listen, and read over again, and Going Clear has achieved two out of three and is well on its way to repeat readings in the coming years.

Rather notoriously, this book is partially to blame for the Paul Haggis break from the Church of Scientology, as well as a very controversial HBO documentary. It is as much a biography of L. Ron Hubbard as it is an exploration of the Church of Scientology, and Hubbard bios not endorsed by the Church are few and far between, making this a really essential book. It is so thoroughly researched and elegantly written and it will make you marvel at the sheer accomplishment of putting together a book this demanding.

The Bookhive List is a weekly recommendation of my all-time favorite, must-read books.

What I'm Reading: 'God'll Cut You Down' by John Safran

This book was on my radar in late 2014 and just by chance my reserved copy from the library came along at just the right time, so it's officially my first deviation from #ReadWomen2014. I have nothing profound to say about the difference between books by men and books by women; I read many great books in 2014, and I expect I will read many more in 2015, regardless of the gender of the author. What I will say is that this one reminded me of how pleasurable it can be to browse and select a random book, your long to-be-read list be damned.

This book is far from perfect -- John Safran comes across a bit as the Australian equivalent of Michael Moore, and if I had known anything about his television career, I probably wouldn't have picked this up. It is a heavy-handed as a true crime book can be, with Safran very self-consciously thinking about his role in the pantheon of true crime writers like Truman Capote. Granted, he does this with self-effacing charm, but there is a decided cuteness to the whole thing, and if you dislike Safran's personality, you'll truly hate the book because he is as large a character as anyone else.

One other complaint -- I had a hard time stomaching comments on race in America (the true crime in question is the murder of a White Supremacist in Mississippi) coming from an Australian. It's very easy to be cynical and sarcastic about race in the Deep South, which is obviously ridiculous, but I found his outsider perspective to be unwelcome. It felt like a big piece of the puzzle was missing because of Safran's inability to understand or contextualize something so deeply rooted in our national psyche, although he certainly tried. 

This sounds like I haven't enjoyed the book, which is definitely not the case. I swallowed it down in a few sittings and I couldn't really read it fast enough. I find that the characters have really stuck with me more than I ever could have anticipated, and I was surprised by how much it made me laugh. 

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy' by Karen Abbott

By the time we made it to the Civil War in my AP U.S. History class, I had already been accepted to the University of Michigan Honors Program, so to say I was unmotivated would be a very polite interpretation indeed. I was a borderline distraction to my classmates; I did not prepare for the exam in the slightest, and when I got my test score in the mail I thought it was a mistake, because it was surprisingly decent. Needless to say, Civil War history is not my "thing."

Which is why I am so appreciative of history books that are able to successfully explore a rather large, important moment in human history with a very narrow, precise lens. It is my favorite type of non-fiction, and the more minute, the better. I really am enjoying Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy thus far; all four women featured in the book are very distinct characters and their own brand of bad-ass. Obviously my favorite is the Union Soldier from Michigan who cross-dressed her way into becoming a war hero. The best detail is that she had to pretend to be much worse at sewing and cleaning than she actually was, so as not to give herself away. It almost feels like too much fun to be a Civil War history book.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Science...For Her" by Megan Amram

I put off writing about this for several weeks (it was published back in  November) because I still haven't been able to get my hands on a copy. My own library doesn't have it yet and for the first time in history, the Michigan Electronic Library system has abandoned me. I am in an endless loop of requests, followed by fulfillment notices, followed by weird e-mails regarding its current "non-circulating" status. I may just break down and buy it at this point, and then donate it to the library anyway so that no other woman has to feel my pain.

Anyway, for those not in the know, Megan Amram is a hilarious and talented writer on NBC's 'Parks and Recreation,' and has a pretty devoted following on Twitter. 'Science...For Her!' is her first book and functions as a bit of an absurdist textbook/Cosmo mash-up/parody. It is difficult to describe, but all you need to know is that she's very funny and a feminist and works with Amy Poehler. That should be more than enough to motivate you to check this out.

#ReadWomen2014: 'Words Will Break Cement: the Passion of Pussy Riot' by Masha Gessen

Pussy Riot was one of those things that arrived in the news, and suddenly everyone was behaving like it was thing that naturally, everybody already knew everything about. But I found that whenever I tried to engage anyone in a conversation about them, no one actually knew anything. It seemed like everyone would rather pretend to know about it than actually know about it, which is why I've enjoyed Russian-American journalist Masha Gessen's really in-depth look at the Pussy Riot women and their performative protests. Her exclusive and unparalleled access to the members and their families makes for a very insightful read. Nor does Gessen allow any personal bias to creep in on the narrative, which is somewhat incredible given how much time she spent in interviews and correspondence with her subjects. It reads more like the great long-form journalism we've come to expect from publications like The Atlantic or BuzzFeed.

For those especially interested in Russian culture, Gessen's previous book, The Man Without a Face: the Unlikely Rise of Putin is really, really excellent and utterly chilling.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'On Immunity' by Eula Biss

Describing On Immunity will be very difficult, but I will endeavor to express how fantastic it is, all the same. A book about vaccinations did not exactly sound thrilling to me, and I can't remember where I read a very concise review that sparked my interest, but it was serendipitous because I heard about it, read said brief but tantalizing review, and then found it on the shelf at the library, so here we are.

Greek mythology, smallpox, Jenny McCarthy, vampires, H1N1, blood, childbirth, feminism -- all elements of Biss' approach to the concept of immunity, and all given equal weight in her meditations. I adore her structure, which is so much more literary than i expected -- short chapters without titles or numbers, as she moves seamlessly from thought to thought and topic to topic, returning constantly to her personal experiences as a new mother. (A word of warning here-- I think if I were pregnant or had a toddler I would find this book impossible to read. Biss addresses and embraces the paranoia of childhood diseases and vaccinations but it might push you over the edge if you're already in that frame of mind).

It is the best kind of non-fiction in that the author establishes authority as a researcher and as a mother with constant integration of personal experiences and impressively detailed facts. Those who enjoy really detailed and foot-noted non-fiction will be frustrated by this, but those who prefer essays and novels will find it utterly readable.

There are so many interesting points she raises and incredible stories about the human body that I wish I could share, but I don't want to ruin the experience of discovery for anyone who reads it, which I highly encourage everyone to do.

#Readwomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'The Secret History of Wonder Woman' by Jill Lepore

This book is a bit on the nose for me; it's a history of a feminist comic book character whose creation is firmly grounded in the history of the American woman suffrage movement, written by a beloved New Yorker contributor, so in other words, all the things I like.

Even so, I was genuinely surprised by how much I've loved it so far; Lepore has such a knack for rhythm and storytelling, and despite the fact that it's meticulously researched and very grounded in historical fact, the narrative moves forward at a brisk, comfortable pace. It is rewarding for a ten-page stretch, and rewarding for a ten chapter stretch. For a non-fiction work of history, that is saying something, and that kind of pacing is so incredibly difficult to manage, and yet comes across so effortlessly. It is certainly buoyed by the fact that the true story of the creation of Wonder Woman is stranger than fiction. I have never read a Wonder Woman comic, and I was too young to enjoy the Linda Carter series, so she was never a character I connected with, but even so I've found Lepore's account endlessly fascinating, in large part because it focuses so tightly on the real people adjacent to the Wonder Woman character.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words'

I don't think anyone who has read this blog in the past would be surprised to hear that I'm a huge Joni Mitchell fan. Along with Margaret Atwood, Joni is up there on a pedestal for me because of my mom, who loves Joni Mitchell and played her music around our house. It's only natural to question your mother's taste in anything, but Margaret Atwood and Joni Mitchell are two women she got very, very right, and I'm very thankful that she passed it on to me.

This is a nice contrast to Just Kids by Patti Smith, which I read not too long ago, and which was a very straightforward, chronological memoir (that makes it sound less good than it was; it is exceptional). Joni Mitchell: In Her Own Words is more like a very extensive interview that took place across decades between Joni and her friend and fellow musician Malka Marom. This really makes the book a rewarding experience for fans, because the interviewer is bringing a lot of prior knowledge to the conversation, and Marom seamlessly references song lyrics, previous interviews, Joni's writing and artwork, etc. It's gotten me into a very Joni Mitchell state of mind, and I've been playing her albums all week.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Yes, Please' by Amy Poehler

I don't think this needs any endorsement or stamp of approval from me; you know you want to read this, and you're going to. I had the audiobook pre-ordered on Audible, and the narration credits include Amy Poehler, Seth Myers, Carol Burnett, Kathleen Turner and Patrick Stewart; this is one instance in which I will very strongly recommend the audio book version, because Poehler uses the medium very thoughtfully with very funny results. It's also going to be the best way to get your Amy Poehler fix while we wait a few more months for 'Parks and Rec' to return to NBC.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'The Penguin Book of Witches'by Katherine Howe

I came across this book on a recent trip to Quebec but couldn't justify paying the marked-up/exchange rated/credit card fee-inducing price, so now that I'm stateside again I can't wait to get my hands on it, and just in time for Halloween, too. Katherine Howe is a descent of no fewer than three accused Salem witches, in addition to being a talented and prolific author who has already published a popular YA book (an adaptation of The Crucible set in a Massachusetts private school) and several novels. This anthology includes a variety of primary source writing on witches and witchcraft and functions as a historical treasury for those interested in the history of witchcraft (or I should say, the accusations of witchcraft; this book doesn't explain how to do spells and whatnot). Follow it up by watching 'Hocus Pocus' and 'The Craft' and celebrate a Feminist Halloween this year.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'The Sisters' by Mary S. Lovell

A few weeks ago, the youngest Mitford sister, Deborah (aka the Duchess of Devonshire) passed away after a long and impressive life spent in dedication to the restoration of Chatsworth, an English manor house she lovingly preserved. Her life, and the lives of her five sisters, were like something straight out of Downton Abbey.

Deborah (the youngest) led arguably the most traditional life for a member of the English aristocracy, becoming a duchess while simultaneously revolutionizing the business model of the English manor. Nancy Mitford, the oldest, was a very successful fiction writer and took a French military captain for a lover, natch. Diana married a fascist party leader and spent three years imprisoned during World War II as a result. (The sisters' cousin-by-marriage Winston Churchill eventually helped her get released). Unity Mitford moved to Germany, became enamored with Third Reich culture and was even an acquaintance of Adolf Hitler. When Britain declared war on Germany she attempted suicide with a handgun in a Berlin public park. Jessica "Deca" Mitford ran away and eloped with a cousin who was fighting in the Spanish Civil War, and following his death moved to America, where she became one of the most prominent female leaders of the Communist Party. There is one more, Pamela, who didn't do much of interest.

Now explain to me why you wouldn't want to read more about these ladies?

Books by Funny Women

Lena Dunham's memoir Not That Kind of Girl follows in a long and illustrious (albeit recent) tradition of famous, funny women publishing essays and memoirs. Part of the reason she received such a publicized advance on the book was because of the incredible (and somewhat surprising) successes of her predecessors. Below are some of my favorite funny lady books, including some titles to watch for in the coming months.

Bossypants by Tina Fey -- The O.G. of books by funny ladies in the modern era. I like how seamlessly she blends autobiographical stuff with funny essays, and then somehow manages to give you really profound advice about feminism without your realizing what just happened.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling -- Another classic, which you've likely already read. If not, got on that, and also watch her show on Fox, 'The Mindy Project,' and then join me in anxiously awaiting her second memoir, which she's currently working on.

I Don't Know What You Know Me From by Judy Greer -- I cannot abide this one because she claims to be from Detroit and then reveals she actually grew up in Livonia. This is simply too much for me, but I still love her in everything, but mostly 'Arrested Development.'

 I Hate My Neck by Nora Ephron -- She's an incredible wit, a strident feminist, and a very sweet lady, whose personal voice as a writer is probably the strongest of this group. When you read her essays, you feel like you're reading something written by a friend or a very hilarious mother. This particular volume is focused on aging and womanhood, but all her writing is excellent.

Yes, Please by Amy Poehler -- Forthcoming in October! She earns the very high praise of being worth saving my next Audible credit for, as I'm hopeful she'll be the reader in her own audio book version. She's talented and funny and if her presence in Bossypants is any indication, she has plenty of sage feminist wisdom to dispense with as well. Additionally, if you're not already enjoying her incredible media empire that is 'Smart Girls at the Party,' go remedy that.

#Readwomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Not That Kind of Girl' by Lena Dunham

Do you really need me to tell you that this book drops today? You shouldn't. It's arguably the biggest book release of the year, and quite famously, resulted in one of the biggest book advances on record. It's crass to talk about money, but it bothered me enormously when so many people made a stink about it; why does anyone begrudge a talented young woman for her successes? This seems to be a recurring theme for Dunham, who so many people hate for really unfair or arbitrary reasons. Her publisher gave her a huge advance because she is a proven, critically-acclaimed writer, a very hard worker, and worth every damn cent of it.

Moving on, excerpts and previews from this collection of essays have been circulating for a few weeks now, along with plenty of positive reviews. There is now a well-formed genre of smart, funny women writing memoir/essay collections (more on that tomorrow), and this will certainly take its place in that pantheon. Particular kudos to Dunham, however, for earning the coveted text-only cover; this might have something to do with the constant public debate over Dunham's physical appearance, but I choose to take it as a sign that famous women won't always have to splash their faces on their covers. I've enjoyed Dunham's contributions to the New Yorker for quite awhile now, and I'm a devotee of Girls, frustrating as it can be at times, so I'm really looking forward to digging in to this. If you live in a major city, look up her book touring schedule, because she's doing really major events at huge venues with other funny, talented women, and they look awesome. I was so disappointed that she was making so few stops in the Midwest.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Just Kids' by Patti Smith

Musical memoirs and biographies are not my cup of tea, in part because so many of them celebrate eras in music that are of greater interest to Baby Boomers than to me. When someone publishes a 1,000 page unauthorized biography of Destiny's Child, I'll change my tune (no pun intended).

What I really love about Patti Smith's memoir Just Kids, however, is the way she is able to completely transcend the specifics of her life and her relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe in order to write a memoir that is simultaneously revealing and universal. It feels like you are getting glimpses into the otherwise private, closed-off lives of two extraordinary artists, but at the same time you really don't need to be a huge fan in order to find the story compelling. There is very little of the usual post-revisionist memoir life "moments," i.e. the events that in the opinion of the writer, were significant in their lives and coincidentally, can be concisely and effectively described in prose. What Just Kids manages to accomplish is a really intimate portrait of the life of an artist and writer, and in no way does it come across as the memoir of a famous person who is conscious of their image or brand.

I've really fallen in love with the audio book version of this, which is read by Patti Smith herself. Her gravelly voice and Jersey accent enhance every line and something about it has felt so perfect as the days are getting shorter and colder. Maybe it's that I'm wearing black jeans and boots again, so hearing her voice in my head just enhances the mood I'm already in.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Bad Feminist' by Roxane Gay

Bad Feminist: Essays

By Roxane Gay

Roxane Gay's book of hilarious and incredible essays drops TODAY so get thee to the bookstore! Some of it has been previously published and circulated on the Internet, so if you're unsure about committing to the whole book, you can dip you your toes in the free content. However, I advocate strongly for just purchasing and reading the whole damn book because there is plenty of new stuff and it's just good.

While she touches on feminism and politics, most of the essays are her pop culture writing, which is some of her absolute best stuff, imho. I am not ashamed to admit that I got into Roxane Gay's writing via her live-tweeting of The Bachelor ( a surprising number of very respected literary authors engage in this), and I'm most looking forward to reading her essay on HBO's Girls, which I somehow missed the first time around.

If you happen to be in the Detroit area, Gay is doing a reading from Bad Feminist  at Literati in Ann Arbor on Thursday, August 7, so you can get a signed copy and support a local independent bookstore.

#ReadWomen2014 Non-Fiction: 'Out of Africa' by Isak Dinesen

I have made so many fruitless attempts to read this book, and I think it's finally sticking because I've made it well past the mid-way point. The reason I think I always stumbled over it in the past is that Dinesen's style is only loosely narrative. I guess my younger self had no patience for her very anecdotal retelling of her life on a coffee plantation in Kenya. Each chapter seems randomly divided and each story only vaguely segues into the next. But taken as a whole, she creates a beautiful mood and if you're able to push through the structural frustrations, it manages to paint a really clear picture of her experiences.

Next week I have another non-fiction recommendation for #ReadWomen2014 that is Out of Africa's spiritual twin.