Milk & Honey delves into self awareness by exploring feelings of femininity, hurt, love, loss and self acceptance through striking and powerful poetry and art. This introspective novel is split into four sections, each of which is a different stage of emotions experienced by breakout author Rupi Kaur.
Read MoreTODAY WILL BE DIFFERENT
Eleanor Flood -- wife, mother and cartoon artist -- feels exhausted and overwhelmed by her negative habits and thoughts about the world. This novel by Maria Semple starts when Eleanor decides to dedicate today to living better, being kinder to those she loves, accepting her flaws and being the woman she's always wanted to be.
Her manifesto goes a little something like this:
Today will be different. Today I will be present. Today, anyone I’m speaking to, I will look them in the eye and listen deeply... Today I will take pride in my appearance. I'll shower, get dressed in proper clothes and change into yoga clothes only for yoga, which today I will actually attend. Today I won't swear. I won't talk about money. Today there will be an ease about me. My face will be relaxed, its resting place a smile. Today I will radiate calm. Kindness and self-control will abound. Today I will buy local. Today I will be my best self, the person I’m capable of being. Today will be different.
That's easier said than done in this crazy thing we call life. Semple perfectly illustrates the internal struggle of becoming who we want to be in the pages of Today Will be Different, planting a seed of commonality between readers and Eleanor from page one.
Eleanor's character, who seems to be the embodiment of all the struggles a woman can face, is one readers can easily connect with. They get to experience her successes and shortcomings as if each one was their own; Eleanor's streams of thoughts sometimes fragmented, sometimes deep, allowing readers to tie moments in her day to moments in their own life. The spectrum of emotions explored in this novel is wide and vibrant, exploring themes such as struggling through parenthood, navigating a dulled relationship and taking time to achieve personal desires as well.
This novel is for anyone who has ever experienced the deep yearning to be better as a person, mother, lover, pet owner, acquaintance, professional or friend. In the pages of Semple's third book she gives solace to any woman who feels she may not be good enough and offers hope to those who want to make a change to be better.
MUSLIM GIRL: A COMING OF AGE
You know a book is going to be good when the author dedicates it to "all the little girls who have cried alone in the dark". Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age is no different.
Written by Amani Al-Khatahtbeh, this autobiography explores the ups and, more specifically, the downs of growing up as a Muslim girl in the wake of 9/11 and waves of Islamophobia following. After realizing there was not yet a platform specifically connecting young millennial Muslim women looking to share their stories, Al-Khatahtbeh started MuslimGirl, an online lifestyle website geared toward Muslim women living in America. The website gained traction in 2015, seeing more than 100 million visitors and putting it on the map as a premiere space for conversation among young Muslim women.
The mission statement of MuslimGirl is as follows (so you can get a better idea of Al-Khatahtbeh's purpose):
We write articles that relate to young modern women all over the globe and kickstart an open honest dialogue about Islam in today’s society. Here at MuslimGirl we like to talk about things that might be a little too embarrassing for mom, to bridge the gap between different religions through the spirit of sisterhood, and to host interfaith discussion to combat growing stereotypes within our society and tackle social issues that may otherwise be shied away from.
Inspiring a sense of empowerment among readers, Al-Khatahtbeh details her journey from college student starting a community forum online for Muslim women struggling with modern questions about their faith to her turning down an Al Jazeera internship to monetize the blog. Her story of entrepreneurship and hard-earned success will make you feel like you have the means to go start your own business venture to better the world.
Deep familiarity with Islam isn't necessary when reading this book, but an open mind is essential. Al-Khatahtbeh does a fantastic job of including facts and insight about everything from the foundations of Islam to current events and occurrences, but will occasionally throw in some Arabic or religious phrases. If you aren't familiar with Islam or the Arabic language, don't fret -- it's all a part of the story and should be enjoyed as-is.
I would recommend Muslim Girl: A Coming of Age to my friends wanting a more accurate depiction of what life in America is like for Muslim Millennials, to my friends who hold preconceived notions about Islam itself and to those simply wanting to read about the experiences of someone with a different culture. It's a small book that reads with a strong voice and leaves you feeling a little more inspired than before you picked it up.
Ready to read? Buy it here!
THE GIRL WITH THE LOWER BACK TATTOO
After graduating from stand up comic to screenwriter, Amy Schumer is trying her hand at writing for bookshelves with her witty book The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo.
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