Read Across America & Women's History Month
A note from the beyond:
I initially drafted this two weeks ago, when it was actually Read Across America Week, and it sat in my drafts because of a long list of things that took my attention elsewhere, so I edited it a little but the premise is still there. Thank you for hanging on in my sporadic writing and non-existent scheduling of sharing all my exclamation points with you.
Read Across America was celebrated a few weeks ago, and for the first time, I actually spent my week reading across America during a quick work trip out to Chicago. So not the full America, but at least east of the Mississippi this go-round. Maybe next year will bring me out west or down south for the annual holiday. (*sigh* as I think about needing to plan for next year already)
While it initially launched as a nationwide celebration of Dr. Seuss' birthday, the week has become so much more than just reliving the crazy rhymes and questionable undertones of the children's book author. It is a coordinated effort to encourage reading by the youngest of minds with the hope that the energy is contagious to older generations looking to recapture their love of imagination, learning and words.
If you're new here, hi, welcome, I'm so glad you're here, I am a voracious reader. Not in the "I read 347 books a year" way, but more so in the "I have a book going at any point and my goal every year is to read 52 books" way. It is how I decompress after a long day, my method for staving off my overuse of social media, and of course how I choose to learn and expand my mind.
While it's a coincidence that Read Across America Week takes place during March alongside National Women's History Month, I choose to believe that the two have always coexisted. The opportunities that have come to women over the centuries are a result of words, literature, newspapers, community and so many things that this week represents. Whether they were letters or pamphlets or stories from the Bible, when I think of the role that literacy has had on the advancement of women's rights, I can't help but get teary eyed.
To know that a skillset learned in your earliest years can carry generations of the feminine voice forward for eternity is something special.
When choosing books to read, I often tend toward books written by women about women. It's not that I have anything against our brothers, husbands, and fathers, I just feel encouraged and intrigued about the stories that captivate a female protagonist. Even in works of fiction, much of the stories can be attributed to navigating life as a female and working to make it better for the women who come next.
In honor of Read Across America Week and Women's National History Month, I wanted to share some of my most favorite/eye-opening/entertaining/intriguing reads in the hopes you find something that piques your interest as we go through the remainder of March and enter reading-a-book-outside-in-the-sunshine season. I also encourage you to share a favorite female-centric book, series, or newsletter you've read recently -- it would be great to have more items to add to our TBR piles!
Counting the Cost by Jill Duggar Dillard and Becoming Free Indeed by Jinger Duggar Vuolo
The Duggars were on my tv screen often in high school and college. They were often the morning watch before I caught the bus, or were on while I did my homework after school. I found their lives fascinating as they navigated the world as a *very* large family, but was also incredibly inspired by the daughters' strength of faith and how they navigated the world around them. Obviously so much has come out in the past ten-ish years about the reality of the family dynamics and the impact of the teachings they followed, but I really appreciated both Jill and Jinger's perspectives on working through their own religious trauma - for lack of a better word - and how that has impacted them as wives, mothers, sisters, and now still as daughters.
Band of Sisters by Lauren Willig
I have a deep connection to my undergraduate alma mater, so when I was perusing my sister's bookshelves a few years ago for a book to bring back home with me, I saw Band of Sisters and knew I needed to read it ASAP. While it doesn’t represent my alma mater, it does touch on the value of those smaller liberal arts colleges, especially those that were created to educate women. It is a historical fiction book based on a group of young women from Smith College who performed "social work" duties ahead of the war front in Europe during World War I. It is based on a real group of Smith alumnae who were brought to France to dispense food and supplies to rural villages and refugees. Truly a story of women helping mothers and sisters during their darkest days.
Swan Dive by Georgina Pazcoguin
I rarely pre-order books, but the moment I knew that Georgina was writing a memoir/reflection piece on navigating her career as a performer and artist with the New York City Ballet and on Broadway, I had to buy it! In addition to her incredible artistry as a ballerina and as Victoria the White Cat in the revival of Cats the Musical, she is incredibly candid about her experiences during the very patriarchal and some would say toxic era of the NYCB. I really appreciated her reflections and spreading light on the biases and discrimination she has faced during her career.
Money Diaries by Lindsay Stanberry and Refinery29 and The Purse Newsletter
I will never not share this book and Linday's writing. I believe with my whole heart that upward mobility for women will only continue to be possible with transparency, communication and connection. Hearing how women make their money, spend their savings, navigate marital checking accounts, decide when to move back in with their parents ... it is both fascinating and instructive. In shoutout to The Purse, a few week's ago in the Home Economics section, she highlighted a couple who purchased two homes (theirs personally and a rental property) by cashing out their bitcoin in a stroke of luck. Cryptocurrency makes no sense to me, so to hear the contributor's perspective on it and her recommendation moving forward (don't do it) was fascinating.
Exit Interview by Kristi Coulter
I've shared this before as well, but I really appreciated Kristi's candor in recounting her time at Amazon. It was during their large web expansion and times of rapid growth. She talks a lot about the culture of the organization at the time, her perspective on being a woman within the space, and how she navigated her job movements when she realized she was burnt out and needed a change. There were many times while reading it, I said out loud, “Yes, that’s so true,” to her experiences or reflections she shared.
The Mad Girls of New York by Maya Rodale
A great historical fiction read that starts as a look at "girl stunt reporters" and the efforts they used to break into the newspaper and publishing industries. It quickly turns into an exposé on female inmates at a mental hospital. While it's fictional and there are moments of levity and romance within the story, it is an important reminder of the need to tell women's stories and about their experiences navigating life.
The Secret History of Home Economics by Danielle Dreilinger
If you enjoyed reading or watching Lessons in Chemistry, then this is right up your alley. It is a heavily researched and incredibly thoughtful piece on how home economics became a course of study at universities and an opportunity for women to pursue work outside the home. While teaching and nursing were common pursuits for women in college at the start of the 1900's, the development of home economics provided the space for women to study and pursue the sciences in a way that society deemed appropriate. While it's unfortunate that it had to be on how to bake cookies or the best chemical mixture to clean grime off a husband's work shirt, it did provide an entry for women into a field that had previously been cut off to them.
The Millicent Quibb School of Etiquette for Young Ladies of Mad Science by Kate McKinnon
And for the younger readers in your life, this is a fun one! I think Kate McKinnon is one of the funniest women in comedy and when I learned she was coming out with a book, even though it was for a younger audience, I knew I had to read it. It follows three sisters who get kicked out of their etiquette school and wind up learning from one of their town’s beloved folk characters. It’s a story about adventure, believing in yourself and each other, and going against the grain when you know it’s right.
I couldn’t round out this list of my favorites without referencing my two favorite female protagonists — Junie B. Jones and the beloved Scout Finch. I welcome you to share your favorite characters, books, and writers sharing strong stories and important narratives about women.
All my best,
Skylar