Girly Drinks

I actually learned a lot from this book and not just about women and booze - I learned a lot about the history of alcohol and was super intrigued throughout the whole book. Mallory O'Meara does an excellent job of giving readers the history of women and booze while also highlighting some extremely influential women along the way. There were so many interesting tid bits about how alcohol was made - where customs and laws came from - and of course - how women got the short end of the stick time and time again. Women do not get nearly enough credit for their impact and are even now still overshadowed by their male counterpoints. I think this book is important for anyone who likes learning about history and drinking. A fun and extremely enlightening read!

The Lady From the Black Lagoon

I adored this book! I quickly learned how little I actually knew about Hollywood and its classic monsters and how much more I WANTED to learn. Boss babe, Mallory O'Meara (I seriously need to be friends with this chick), had always been enamored with the creature from the black lagoon and as a young goth and film industry worker she set out to learn more about the woman who created the iconic monster. Researching the woman behind the monster became an obsession and it led Mallory on a chase through old Hollywood, its sexism, horror tropes, and double standards. Milicent Patrick was a woman ahead of her time who got hardly any credit for her work as an artist. She created countless monsters, portraits, and even worked as an animator for Disney, but men always took credit for her work. Little is know about her, but O'Meara spends years putting together the bigger picture and attempts to give Milicent the credit and fame that she's owed. Witty, fascinating, and hard to put down. A book that horror nerds, Hollywood fans, and feminists will enjoy.