Finally sharing what I read in June! I tried to read one book every week so I only managed to read 4 books that month.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I absolutely loved this book even though it has no plot! If you enjoyed Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid, you might enjoy this book as it discusses wealth, privilege and stay at home wives.
Jenny Jackson writes about the wealthy Stockton family and their interaction with their rich circles through the POV of 3 Stockton women. Darley, the first born, decides to let go of her inheritance so that her husband does not sign a prenup. Sasha joins the Stockton family after marrying Cord, the only Stockton son. She struggles to fit in her new lifestyle as she grew up in a middle class family and feels like she will always be an outsider. Georgiana, the youngest daughter, works for an NGO and questions if anyone deserves to have extreme wealth. The real star of the book is Tilda Stockton! Tilda is the matriarch and represents your typical rich housewife obsessed with tableware, tennis, country clubs and maintaining her wealthy status.
There is no storyline and a little bit anticlimactic but it’s a very easy read if you want a little fun escape. Fun Fact: Jenny Jackson edited the novel Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. I loved that book so much and explained it here why it’s probably the best read in 2023 so far.
Talking to Strangers by Malcom Gladwell ⭐⭐⭐
I started the month by reading another Malcom Gladwell book after finishing Outliers back in January. I always prefer fiction books to non-fiction books but I’m really trying to read more non-fiction this year. This book examines our interactions with strangers and why they often go wrong. Gladwell uses several case studies like the Penn State sexual assault example to show how poor communication with strangers can lead to dire consequences.
I love that Gladwell repeatedly points out how poor communication with strangers can lead to conflict and misunderstandings that can affect one’s lives. This is common in sexual assault cases especially when assumptions are made regarding consent. I gave it 3 stars as I thought it was okay and I prefer Outliers to Talking to Strangers.
The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins ⭐⭐
This was so meh! If you enjoyed reading The Hunger Games, please skip this book! It is meant to be a prequel to the original trilogy about President Snow but lacks the excitement in the other books. I have forgotten half the plot because I thought it was simply forgettable! It was too wordy and the pacing of the story could have been better as it was so slow and very underwhelming.
I would recommend reading all the other books but not The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes as this was plain boring. There is going to be a screen adaptation later this year and the trailer looks amazing so I think that will redeem my terrible experience reading the book.
Girls & Sex: Navigating the Complicated New Landscape by Peggy Orenstein ⭐⭐⭐
This book examines girls and their experience with sex education and how that translates into their sexual lives. One thing for sure, schools need to provide better sex education that allows girls to be sexually educated, empowered and learn about the different forms of birth control. Peggy also examines how including abstinence only education disadvantages young girls leads to stigma around discussing sexual pleasure for women.