BOOKS: Summer Schoolin'

Image via Flickr/Margolove

I have forever been an obsessive reader, I graduated with a BA in English, and I read for fun all the time. But for some reason the past few months, I've had a hard time reading anything more demanding than a graphic novel or more difficult than a seventh-grade reading level. (Not knocking those, either: Fun Home by Alison Bechdel is highly recommended, and I'm always a fan of revisiting Judy Blume!) I'm going to chalk it up to it being the summertime, and me falling victim to the Beach Read ethos that seems to float about from July to September. But I'm starting to feel a little more inspired, so I went searching for alternatives to the regular Summer reads.

Which is why I was thrilled to find the San Franista Emily Goligoski's "Do Good Summer Reading List" of books that inspire action and creativity. Her suggestions sound like amazing stories of inspiring women that are also fun to read.

Emily's list also made me reconsider what books I've read lately that have really inspired me. One of my recent favorites was Michelle Goldberg's "The Means of Reproduction," and I was lucky enough to be able to interview Goldberg a few months back for a feature in Economica. The way Goldberg lays out issues of population control, reproductive health, and gender inequity is incredibly fascinating and complex. Her book illuminated for me the many challenges women around the globe continue to face in the fight for reproductive health and freedom.

If that doesn't sound like your cup of tea, though, the Economica Book List is full of great suggestions for Summer reading that is a bit more mindful than, say, the Twilight trilogy. Be sure to check it out!


What is the last thing you read that inspired you?

Do Good Summer Reading List [The San Franista]
Interview: Population Control for Whom? [Economica]
Book List [Economica]