Recently I’ve had the pleasure of reading three books that surprised me with a common theme: strong women. I didn’t see that coming when I picked up 1) a Pop Star’s memoir, 2) a fiction book about the Vietnam War, and 3) another memoir about working in an Asian Antiques Shop.
And while I haven’t reviewed any books on the blog in a bit, I felt a tug to share my thoughts on these recent reads.
The Woman in Me
In case you’ve been visiting Jupiter and haven’t heard, The Woman in Me is the title of Britney Spears’ memoir. I’m not an uber fan of Britney, but I do like her music in general and she is an iconic pop culture figure.
Reading her memoir was interesting and kinda icky. Her life—from hustling to make it as a child star to her assorted marriages to her Las Vegas residencies —is a cautionary tale against thinking that fame and fortune bring eternal happiness.
I didn’t have strong feelings about her father or his role in her conservatorship, but after reading this book I do think Britney was taken advantage of by her family.
I’m pulling for her!
The Woman in Me is a quick, fascinating read.
The Women
Did you know that my favorite genre to read is cozy mysteries, where there’s a plucky heroine and not a lot of blood or sadness?
My second favorite genre is historical women’s fiction, of which Kristin Hannah’s The Women fits. But this book also contained a lot of blood and sadness. Yikes.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I highly recommend it.
The Women tells the story of Frankie McGrath, a young woman who enlists as a nurse in the Army to serve her country during the Vietnam War. She wants to make her family proud.
The reality of being a female nurse for two tours in Vietnam and the anti-war sentiment she encounters once she returns home tell a powerful tale.
I found the historical details so interesting, and the story had me hooked with just enough hope to keep me going through the sad parts.
I gifted this book to my mom for her birthday, as the protagonist would be the same age as my mom and I thought she might be riveted relieving that era through Frankie’s eyes.
Never, Never, Hardly Ever
Finally, I end with a FROG.
No, not THAT kind of FROG.
FROG stands for Frankie Robinson Oriental Gallery. The gallery is front and center in the book Never, Never, Hardly Ever featuring another strong woman, Frankie Robinson (yup, another heroine named Frankie!)
Written by Frankie’s daughter Kelly McKenzie, the book details the duo’s hilarious, heartwarming escapades working together for over a decade in a high-end Asian antiques shop in Vancouver.
Now, I know nothing about Asian antiques, so I thought I might be lost when I started reading. But I DO know about mother-daughter relationships and that’s what this book is really about.
If you need a laugh, check it out! I’m partial to the retellings of their trips abroad, including impromptu bathing suits, and the wide range of characters they encounter at the gallery.
You can also follow the delightful author on her blog, kellylmckenzie.com
There you have it, my hearty recommendations for The Woman in Me, The Women, and Never, Ever, Hardly, Ever. What are you reading these days?
Katy!
What a treat to pop by and see NNHE featured! I am honored to be mentioned alongside these other authors. Thank you so very much. It’s funny two books feature women named Frankie. As you likely learned while reading NNHE, Mom often got called Jackie. I didn’t mention that I often got either Tracy or Shelly. Okay – Shelly, I understand but Tracy? Not so much.
Wishing you a very happy Mother’s Day! You’ve made mine.
Thank you, Tracy! Happy Mother’s Day to you, too.
Sincerely,
Kathy or Katty 🙂