She's Come Undone

I have strong feelings about this book I just don't know what they are. I'm honestly kind of speechless. I think it was great? Hell, what happened? What did I read? How do you describe such a complex and... uncomplicated book? It's a coming of age story, an awakening, an odyssey of emotional and mental health. It's all over the place. It all centers around Dolores Price, a young girl who isn't the most emotionally stable. She starts off as a fragile little thing and balloons up into a fat, depressed cynic, and then spends the rest of her life roller coasting around until she finds some sort of balance. It's a discussion of women's rights, religion, mental health, family dynamics, romantic relationships, and more. She is a complex, intriguing heroine/villain/comedic actress. Honestly I can't describe this book and do it justice. It takes a little to get into, but once you do... buckle up.

All the Dirty Parts

I was definitely intrigued by this book when I realized it was written by the author of the Series of Unfortunate Events (Lemony Snicket) and it was all about sex and horny teenagers. I mean, obviously I had to give this book a shot. It wasn't great, but it wasn't bad either. I didn't know what to expect honestly. It's a bunch of short passages about a horny teenage boy discussing his love and appreciation for the female body, pornography, and sex. Cole has  bit of a reputation around his high school, he chases after the ladies, he can't help it. He just wants them all. When in between ladies, he watches porn with his best friend Alec. One day things get all hot and awkward and the two boys start fooling around. It's just innocent exploration. Until suddenly it's a little more and Cole is getting concerned. Is he gay? What does this mean? At the height of his existential crisis a new girl comes to school and the two start having crazy awesome sex, much to Alec's dismay. Is he bi? Is he in love? Is it just sex? All this book contains are the dirty parts. That and confusion. It's a quick read, and I'm not sure what I gained out of it, but I didn't hate it.

Drunks

I was expecting a more light hearted funny non fiction book about the history and plight of the American drunks, but instead got the in-depth history of drunks (starting with American Indians) trying to reform and become sober. It's my bad for not reading the complete description! Every chapter goes into detail about a different method of obtaining sobriety from gold cures to workhouses to temperance society to prohibition to the birth of AA. It's pretty interesting actually and I learned quite a lot, even if it did get a little too bogged down in details. There is a small insert with some pictures and drawings to shed light on some of the different cures and methods discussed. An interesting read, but will mostly be useful for college students, those interested in the history of alcoholism, and those trying to stay sober.

A Record of My Vinyl

This gorgeous journal is perfect for the music lover in your life. Whether they're a vinyl junkie or just starting to collect, this journal is a great way to record, organize, and mark favorites in your collection. The cover itself is beautiful, but it only gets prettier when you open it up. Inside there are tips for cleaning and maintaining your vinyl collection, lists that can be easily torn out and taken with you as you shop for more vinyl to add to your collection, loads of space to catalog your collection and room to make notes and memories of each. Overall, it's a great gift to give or receive.

Monstress

Beautifully illustrated and complex, I haven't seen a graphic novel like this in ages. Filled with beautiful illustrations, a little bit of manga, and comic art this new series is sure to attract a wide audience. The storyline can be a little hard to follow at times, but overall I think it's worth checking out. Mix horror, manga, steampunk, and fantasy and you have Monstress. It's dark, gorgeous, and twisting and I wouldn't even begin to do it justice by trying to write a summary for it. Just check it out for yourself :)

The Girls in the Picture

I adored this book. For some unknown reasons I didn't have high expectations, maybe it was the cover? Who knows, but despite my initial misgivings, I am happy to say that I was instantly hooked. The story was wonderfully crafted and the chapters alternated between Mary Pickford, America's Sweetheart, first "celebrity," and silent movie star and Frances Marion, the famed screenwriter. I had heard of Mary Pickford but I didn't really know about her or the silent film era either. Readers get a wonderful glimpse of what life was like for women in early Hollywood through the unique lens of two women who actually existed (although their narratives are in this book are fiction). The history of silent film and the birth of Hollywood is fascinating and this book offers an in depth look at not only these two women, but the men surrounding them, Charlie Chaplin, Douglas Fairbanks, studio heads and more. One of the best historical fiction reads I've read in a long while and a must read!

Changes

Wow, this book really helped tie together so much of the series. And if I'm being honest, it's one of the best ones in a while. Dresden finds out that he had a daughter with Susan and that she's been kidnapped by the red court who want to murder her to complete a blood sacrifice. So once again, stupid Susan is on my list. UGH. Obviously shit hits the fan and it takes a whole crew to help Harry out because he is in waaay too deep. It's a non-stop action ride with everyone's favorite wizard kicking ass and cracking jokes. I can't wait to read the next in the series because this one totally ended on a cliffhanger. Amazeballs!