Here are seven female scientists in fiction. They shouldn’t have been this hard to find.
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Whether you are in a relationship or not, Valentine's Day can be rough. It's a holiday that inevitably makes you question your life choices. One day you're happily single, the next, you're hiding in the office bathroom because your coworker's desk is covered with flowers. Your heart could be bursting with love after receiving a painted macaroni necklace from your child—until you scroll through Instagram and discover your bestie got diamonds from her new beau. It's a total racket. So this year, bring on the heartache, but make it on your own terms.
Here are the five most heartbreaking novels chosen by Silent Book Club members. They're guaranteed to take you on an emotional rollercoaster, but the beauty of fiction is that it's not real life. There's something wonderfully cathartic about a good ugly cry, so enjoy the ride. Happy Valentine's Day!
Never Let Me Go
by Kazuo Ishiguro
The best advice I was given about this book was to read nothing about it before I started, in order to avoid serious spoilers. So, with that in mind, I will only tell you that this is the story of four children who attend an exclusive and mysterious boarding school in the English countryside. As adults, three of the characters reconnect to piece together their past and discover what it was that made them—and their school—so special.
A Little Life
by Hanya Yanagihara
This is an epic and haunting story of four friends who move to New York after college. Over the decades, we observe their relationships deepen and fray, as the dark forces of addiction, success, pride, and trauma take their toll. As one Silent Book Club member wrote, "A Little Life broke me in so many ways. It broke my heart, my mind, my spirit, my eyes..." Brace yourself and clear your calendar. You're going to need some recovery time from this one.
Me Before You
by Jojo Moyes
On a lighter note, while Jojo Moyes' Me Before You isn't exactly uplifting, it is a love story that will give you all the feels. Louisa Clark is a small town girl who takes a much-needed job caring for wheelchair-bound Will Traynor. Before his accident, Will was a golden boy—extreme sports, world travel, power broker, the works. Now he can no longer see the point of living, and Louisa has to convince him otherwise.
The Fault in Our Stars
by John Green
Dying teenagers in love. I mean, that's been a winning formula since Shakespeare conceived of Romeo and Juliet, so we're not covering new territory here. But John Green has such a knack for character development and dialogue that you feel like you are reading about star-crossed lovers for the first time all over again. The movie didn't make me cry. The book? OMG. Floods of tears. Park a box of tissues nearby.
The Time Traveler's Wife
by Audrey Niffenegger
And then there's The Time Traveler's Wife. This book took the prize in our poll for the most heart-breaking love story of them all. One reader commented that she was crying so hard in bed her husband thought something terrible had happened. Another dubbed it NSFPT (Not Safe for Public Transit). But it's so, so good. If I could read it again for the first time I would sign up for this sob fest in a heartbeat. Clare and Henry fall in love, but there's a catch. Henry has Chrono-Displacement Disorder—his genetic clock randomly resets and he travels through time to different points in his own life. His disappearances are spontaneous and unpredictable, so Clare and Henry must cling to the time they share together. Now if you'll excuse me, I think I have something in my eye.
*This post originally appeared in the Read it Forward newsletter.
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It’s the most wonderful time of the year...for book lists. Everyone from independent booksellers to editors at national newspapers are sharing their picks for the best reads of 2016, and now Silent Book Club is weighing in. SBC members from all over the country shared their favorite books of the year with us on Facebook, and here are the top five that our readers recommend. Pair any of these with a bottle of bubbly and you'll be everyone's favorite gift-giver this year.
Homegoing
by Yaa Gyasi
This beautifully written debut novel by Yaa Gyasi is the single most powerful work of fiction we read this year. Narrated from the perspective of one family member per generation over the span of 300 years and two continents, no other book has made the legacy of slavery feel so profoundly personal and immediate. I'm gifting this, in hardcover, to everyone on my list who hasn't read it yet. Recommended reading for America.
Shrill: Notes from a Loud Woman
by Lindy West
This memoir by self-proclaimed "loud woman" Lindy West is a must-read rallying cry for the world we, unfortunately, find ourselves living in at the close of 2016. West is a whip-smart culture writer for GQ magazine and The Guardian, who is unafraid to take society to task for its entrenched sexism. Shrill proves beyond a doubt that feminists can be funny. More of this in 2017, please.
The Girls
by Emma Cline
By far the darkest novel on the list, The Girls takes the prize for the most controversial book of the year. Readers were divided on this coming-of-age tale about the cult of young women lured by Charles Manson to commit horrific acts of violence in the 1960s. Several people nominated itas their best book of the year while others found it too unsettling to enjoy. Full disclosure: I didn't read it myself—I was afraid it would be too disturbing.
Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay
by Elena Ferrante
Hands down, the most recommended series of the year was Elena Ferrante's epic four-volume tale of friendship, betrayal, love, and loss in post-war Italy. SBC members had a serious case of #FerranteFever in 2016—these were the most talked about books on our Facebook page. While My Brilliant Friend made more appearances at meet-ups across the country than any other book on the list, I must admit that my favorite was book three, Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay.
American Housewife
by Helen Ellis
This is the book I'm giving to my best, snarkiest girlfriends. Helen Ellis is wickedly funny as she skewers the myth of the perfect housewife in a collection of short stories that will leave you clutching your pearls and bursting with laughter from one page to the next. Her "grown-ass" ladies have run out of damns to give as they wage war over foyer décor, dumpster dive on reality TV, and gauge the fertility of a young book club recruit. Serve this with eggnog and make sure it's spiked.
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Safe to say that this election season has been exhausting for all of us. With one more week to go, we asked Silent Book Club members to share some uplifting reads to carry us through the last stretch. (Or, heaven help us, beyond.) Below, SBC readers recommend the books that make them happy.
Jackie recommends: As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, by Cary Elwes. Natasha also chimed in, "This was definitely a very positive feel good book. It's obvious that the whole cast still adores each other."
Emily recommends: My Mrs. Brown, by William Norwich. A modern day fairy tale about one woman's quest for a simple dress that represents so much more.
Penny recommends: Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman. A hilarious take on Armageddon and the Antichrist for fans of satire. Often compared to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which now that I think about it, is also a pretty uplifting read.
Suzanne recommends: The Hating Game, by Sally Thorne. "Slightly smutty chick lit that's smarter than most." Sounds like this would be a great read for all the nasty women out there. ;)
Rachael recommends: Straight Man, by Richard Russo. "Usually does the trick for me!"
Caitlin recommends: The Undomestic Goddess, by Sophie Kinsella. "A super light read that is really entertaining." Sometimes when the world is going bonkers, you just want to escape into some chick lit. And that's totally fine.
Erin recommends: A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving. This is a tough one. I agree with Erin that this is an excellent book, but it's also heartbreaking. I'm not sure I would personally categorize it as uplifting, but that's why I love getting recommendations from Silent Book Club members—everyone has different opinions.
Sherri recommends: The Invoice, by Jonas Karlsson. "Quick read with a great message."
Louise recommends: American Housewife: Stories by Helen Ellis. "Not exactly a happy read, but lots of satirical, over-the-top fun." Totally agree. If you like dark humor, this one's a must.
Cindy recommends: Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton. I haven't read this memoir by the blogger behind the Momastery blog, but I did enjoy her previous book, Carry On, Warrior. There's a hefty dose of religion in her writing, which might be off-putting to some (I have to admit it got a little too heavy for my atheist self at times), but I love her compassion and views on parenting.
Laura recommends: Bossypants by Tina Fey and Yes, Please by Amy Poehler. I highly recommend listening to the audio book versions of these. Hearing these kick-ass ladies discuss their successes and their failures in their own words is incredibly empowering. Also? Hilarious.
Julie M. recommends: "Michael Strahan's book on being happy was fantastic for me!"
Julie K. recommends: A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. "Such a great book...our book group read it last month and everyone agreed, for once, that they loved the book."
Amber recommends: "Anything by Lianne Moriarty." Big Little Lies and The Husband's Secret were both deliciously fun reads, so I can't wait to pick up her latest, Truly Madly Guilty.
Jasmine and Karen recommend: Where'd You Go Bernadette? by Maria Semple. "So bloody funny!"
Abbe recommends: The Wangs vs The World by Jade Chang. Hold on, Abbe. Didn't this book make you cry? "Well, yes, but in a very good, satisfying, only-at-the-end way!" OK, then. We're sold.
Guinevere recommends: Wonder, by R. J. Palacio. I have thought about this powerful book SO many times over the past year as we have watched politicians and their supporters put down not only their opponents but also entire nationalities, races, genders, and identities. So much of the progress that we as parents, teachers, and communities made over the past few years to combat bullying in schools and online feels like it has been wiped out by the vile and hateful language spewing forth from Trump and his supporters. Wonder may not have made me profoundly happy, which is what I set out to accomplish in compiling this list, but it made me think deeply about how we and our children treat others. And I believe it should be required reading for everyone in this country as we come through this election, battered and bruised. The lesson in this book is simple: Kindness is a choice we make every day. It is something we must fight for. Vote, vote, vote on Tuesday. And please, choose kind.
What book do you turn to when you need a pick-me-up? Share your recommendations here on Facebook.
Featured photo by Abbe Wright
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This month we're taking a road trip across the heartland of the United States, where we have just launched 10 new Silent Book Club chapters. Our literary travels take us through Ohio, Michigan, Kansas, Iowa, and Arizona—with a quick jaunt to New York City. (Just pretend we hopped on Bill Paley's private jet for that one.) In each of these novels, the setting plays a central role in the narrative, and even becomes a character of its own. Come along for the ride!
Curated by Silent Book Club founder Guinevere de la Mare
Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
"Lydia is dead." With this revelation in the opening line of Celeste Ng's incredible debut novel, a Chinese American family living in 1970s small-town Ohio must reckon with the loss of their beloved sixteen-year-old daughter. As the story unfolds from the point of view of each character, we discover that a tangled web of secrets, hopes, fears and truths can knit a family together—and tear it apart.
The Virgin Suicides by Jeffery Eugenides
In a quiet Michigan suburb outside of Detroit, five teenage sisters commit suicide, one by one, over the course of a year. Can you even imagine? Neither can the neighborhood boys, who collectively narrate the book from the distance of adulthood. Some twenty years later, these men are still haunted by the deaths and grapple with their inability to comprehend what drove these beautiful, enigmatic girls to kill themselves.
The Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin
Okay, we're kind of cheating with this one. But wait for it. This delicious novel imagines what it was like to be part of Truman Capote's circle in New York City during the 1960s. The story follows Capote's rise to fame with the publication of his masterpiece, In Cold Blood, still one of the most famous books ever to be set in Kansas. (See what we did there?) It's a complex portrait of an often caricatured author and the socialites he enchanted—and and was enchanted by—during the dying days of Manhattan society.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
This Pulitzer Prize-winning novel set in Iowa is structured as a series of letters that John Ames, and elderly pastor, is writing to his seven-year-old son. Ames has a heart condition and knows that time with his young wife and son is limited, so he tries to impart as much wisdom, spiritual guidance, family history, and thoughts on life as he can during his remaining days. (Read this with a box of tissues handy.)
Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver
In Barbara Kingsolver's writing, place is a character unto itself. In Animal Dreams, a woman returns to her hometown, a tiny canyon village in Arizona, to care for her ailing father. Weaving together flashbacks, dreams, and Native American legends from the Southwest, Kingsolver masterfully explores the interconnectedness of love, family, and our ties to the land.
*This post originally appeared in the Read it Forward newsletter.
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When I saw this post from Rainbow Rowell asking readers to help defend her book, Eleanor & Park, from censorship, I was surprised. My first reaction was, "Wait, they still do that?" And during Banned Books Week, of all times? Of course this was naive, and once I thought more about it I realized that when I think about banned books, I always frame it historically in my mind. Catcher in the Rye, Brave New World, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Color Purple, Go Ask Alice—these titles always appear on lists of banned books, and somehow that made it easy for me to dismiss this kind of censorship as a thing of the past.
When I stop to think about it, though, I can remember religious groups being up in arms about Harry Potter because MAGIC, and parents getting riled up about John Green because OMG TEENS AND SEX. I rolled my eyes over the outrage surrounding Twilight because THE OCCULT. Really? We're worried about our kids becoming sparkly vampires? Come on, they're joking, right?
I owe librarians and authors an apology. I haven't been taking them seriously enough in their fight to protect our right to read. I've spent most of my career making books and getting them into the hands of as many readers as possible. Books are my passion. It's more than what I DO, it's who I am. Until today, Banned Books Week for me has been an endcap at a bookstore, a poster at my library, and a hashtag on Twitter. I didn't realize there was anything I could—or should—do about it.
But I can, and you can, too. We can email the National Coalition on Censorship and help them defend Eleanor & Park, and every other book on the list. They have an email address: ncac@ncac.org. They use testimonials from readers to mount their defense of challenged books. If there's ever been a time to stand up for diversity, and tolerance, and minority voices, it is now. I encourage you to read Rainbow Rowell's post. It opened my eyes and made me realize that I am accountable for my privilege to read.
—guinevere
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