My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor

Sonia’s memoir is a thoughtful reflection of Sonia’s life and career beginning with her childhood in the Bronx and her parents’ complicated relationship. One bourne out of love but had turned sour when she was 6 due to her father’s alcoholism, being poor, and the need for medicine for her diabetes.

Sonia’s tone is as measured as her case briefs as she tjjinks over the complicated feelings she held toward both parents with those childhood feeling of confusion and resentment while her adult self understands now the stress they must have been dealing with.

Anyway, this stressful relationship gave Sonia the incentive to start taking care of herself early on. Like literall learning how to give herself insulin so her parents would stop fighting over her father being too drunk to do it and her mother, a nurse, always on her shifts to do it. Thus set the pattern for Sonia’s self-disicpline which she acknowledges as her greatest strength in that it set her on the path to achieve her goals because she wasn’t going to get anything less than an A.

She is also details the rest of her extended family like her abuela’s contact with the spirits, and meeting her relatives in Puerto Rico for the first time, and just the general community of Nueroyicans in the 70s and how that tied to her interests in law as a vehicle for social justice which she continued in Princeton University where she learned to hone her debate skills and stand her ground when she felt she wasn’t getting a fair shake in job interviews.

Plus there’s plenty of legal cases to sink your teeth into like Sonia struggling with whether or not to show child porn to a jury in order to win the case, would it be effective or just push them over the edge? The heirarchy of being a newbie and the sink or swim mindset of the first few trials and of course, inevitable mistakes.

I believe it’s a well-done biography as Sonia never feels like she’s trying to tell you how to live like her but reflecting on how she got to where she is, including her mistakes with her marriage, finding common ground and unlikely friendships with the other judges to embracing singledom.

My Autobiography by Angela Davis

Written just after she was freed from being unjustly incarcerated for her connections with the Communist/Black Panther parties, Davis’ autobiography is a hard-hitting look into the mindset of a woman. Dare I say, revolutionary who is unmovable when it comes to her convictions and fight against injustice.

I’m not as intelligent as Angela Davi, so even though she lengthily expounds on the ideology and rules of her political associtions and political government classes, I felt lost. This is definately a book that requires some degree in academic thought that I was not prepared for when I entered the book.

However, I was interested in seeing how some of the ideology seemed to blind her like her praise of Fidel Castro and her insistance that her trip to Cuba, she met many Cubans who were happy with the system which painted a very different picture from those fleeing the island. Also no mention of the censorship and the execution of dissidents which I imagined Davis would stridently against considering her own experiences. Then again, it was written in 1978 so maybe the full extent of Castro and Guvera’s atrocities weren’t widely-known.

My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem

I believe this is Steinem’s third or fourth biography and narrows her focus to the benefits of travelling and the importance of it in her life starting with the wedge it drove in her parents’ marriage. Her father, once content started to yearn for adventure and thus dragged Gloria and her mother on the road to curate music acts for random clubs across the Midwest. While young Gloria enjoyed these adventures, her mother was isolated and exasperated as she felt like she lost her chance to make a life for herself, for schooling, for a job, to care for the family. They both felt they missed out and were unhappy with their choices.

Which is why Gloria resolutely chose to forge her own path which as her choice to promote the cause of feminism, abortion rights, etc. took her to India, Mexico and more.

I’m simply amazed by how Gloria’s life includes a who’s who of female icons like her frequent speaking partner, Florence Kennedy, WIlma Mankiller, Bella Azbug, Betty Friedan, and more. She even divulges in the split between Betty Friedan and the more forward thinking in the feminism movement as in the place of lgtbq rights experienced the typical one marganalized group at a time syndrome. Gloria also tackles tough issues close to her heart like how support groups for sexual assault and rape opened victims’ eyes to how they weren’t alone, Florence showing Gloria the importance of intersectionality and the impact they had on college campuses.

Just Gloria has seen a lot and done a lot, and her memoir makes you feel like you’re following along with her, it’s simply historic and we’re lucky she’s still kicking and writing down her words.

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Gay’s collection of essays are witty, humorous and informal. It feels like listening to one of your best friends as you break down your favorite guilty pleasures under the lens of feminist thought and rant about the daily annoyances. the big ones like the right to control our bodies are being taken away and small ones like how men can be so dumb when it comes to periods.

Much as the title implies, Gay isn’t a perfect person. She is a bad feminist, and by that she means she kinda hates her body, she likes pink, she likes rap music even though some of the lyrics are degrading, sometimes she just wants to watch trashy reality television with cat fights. Feminism has been commodified and polorized, and the connotations can range from being a Feminazi or the pedestal other women put on you that you have to handle it all to prove to men that women can do it.

It’s exhausting and leaves little room for one’s humanity. It’s too much pressure and it’s plain unrealistic. Gay pulls back that pressure to remind us of that levity which is good because humor is a great way of sneaking in tough topics like rape, abortion, racism, and sexualization of young girls and how the casual dismissal of such topics perpetuates such acts to continue.

She’s just a great writer as she pulls on your heartstrings and makes you laugh, pulling you to her cozy couch for some real talk.

For more Women’s History Books, where you can be like me and read one a day so you feel very educated, read a list below.

Nonfiction for Teens and Adults

Rejected Princesses and Tough Mothers by Jason Porath

100 Bad Girls Throughout History and Revolutionary Women by Ann Shen

Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee

Dead Feminists by Chandler O’Leary and Jessica Spring

Monster, She Wrote by Lisa Kröger and Melanie R. Anderson

She Represents by Caitlin Donohue

Forgotten Women: The Leaders, The Artists, The Writers and The Scientists by Zing Tsjeng

League of Extraordinarily Funny Women by Sheila Moeschen

Renegade Women in Film and TV by Elizabeth Weitzman

Modern Herstory: Stories of Women and Nonbinary People Rewriting History by Blair Imani

Dynamic Dames by Sloan DeForest

Power in Numbers: The Rebel Women of Mathematics by Talithia Williams

In Praise for Difficult Women by Karen Karbo

The Book of Gutsy Women by Hillary Clinton and Chelsea Clinton

Lawbreaking Ladies: 50 Tales of Daring, Defiant and Dangerous Women from History by Erika Own

Thrill Seekers, Idea Makers, Quake Chasers, Animal Allies, High Flyers, Film Makers, Problem Solvers, Food Stars, Music Mavens and Climate Champions by Ann McCallum Staats

She Changed Comics: The Untold Story of Women Who Changed Free Expression in Comics by Betsy Gomez, presented by The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund

Icons: 50 Heroines Who Shaped Contemporary Culture by Monica Ahanonu

Frontier Grit: The Unlikely True Stories of Daring Pioneer Women by Marianne Monson

We are Displaced by Malala Yousafzai

Extraordinary Mothers and Daughters: Stories of Ambition, Resilience and Unstoppable Love by Emily Friedenrich

Girls Who Green the World and Girls Who Run the World by Diane Knapp

Our Brave Foremothers by Rozella Kennedy

Unsung Heroines of the Holocaust by Sarah Silberstein Swartz

Original Sisters: Portraits of Tenacity and Courage by Anita Kunz

Jane Against The World: Roe v. Wade and the Fight for Reproductive Rights by Karen Blumenthal

First Ladies: Presidential Historians on the Lives of 45 Iconic American Women edited by Susan Swain

The Illustrated Feminist: 100 Years of Suffrage, Strength and Sisterhood by Aura Lewis

Bookish Broads: Women Who Wrote Themselves into History by Lauren Marino and illustrated by Alexandra Killburn

Nonfiction for Kids

Grandes Dreamers by Argelia Atilano and Anna Alvarado

Native Women Changing Their Worlds by Patricia Cutright

In the Line of Fire: Eight Women War Spies by George Sullivan

Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Francesca Cavallo and Elena Favilli

Women in Science, Women in Sports, and Women in Arts by Rachel Ignotofsky

Anathology of Amazing Women by Sandra Lawrence

She Led the Way by Joanna Johnston

Bad Girls by Jane Yolen and Heidi E.Y. Stemple

Rad Women Worldwide, Rad Women A-Z, and Rad Girls Can by Kate Schatz and Miriam Klien Stahl

Girl Squad, and Wonder Women by Sam Maggs

The Girl Who Rode a Shark: And Other Stories of Daring Women by Aisla Ross

The Book of Awesome Women by Becca Anderson

America’s First Ladies by Kathleen Krull

Women of the Pine Tree State by Andrea Murphy

Anathologies

Girlhood: Teens Around the World in Their Own Voices by Masuma Ahuja
Because I was a Girl edited by Melissa de la Cruz

Black Girls Rock edited by Beverly Bond

Our Stories, Our Voices: 21 YA Authors Get Real About Injustice, Empowerment, and Growing Up Female in America edited by Amy Reed

Yes She Can: 10 Stories of Hope and Change from Young Female Staffers of the Obama Adminstration

#NotYourPrincess edited by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale

Imagining Ourselves edited by Paula Goldman

You Too edited by Janet Gurtler

Academics

Dangerous Books for Girls: The Bad Reputation of Romance Novels Explained by Maya Rodale

Good Girls and Wicked Witches: Women in Disney’s Feature Animation by Amy Davis

Reproductive Justice by Dr. Loretta Ross

Comics

Femme Magnifique by various

Brazen by Pénélope Bagieu 

Amazons, Abolitionists and Activists by Mikki Kendall and A. D’Amico

Noisemakers: 25 Women Who Raised their Voices and Changed the World from Kazoo Magazine

YA Fiction

Moxie by Jennifer Mathieu

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

Shut In by Kody Keplinger

Does My Body Offend You by Cuevas Mayra and Marie Marquardt

Watch Us Rise by Renee Watson and Ellen Hagen

Unscripted by Nicole Kronzer

Tyranny of Petticoats and The Radical Element by various, edited by Jessica Spotswood

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Books I read this month

Wonderful Women of the World, All for One by Melissa de la Cruz, Modern Herstory, Black Girls Rock, Noisemakers, Nice Jewish Girls, Dead Feminists, Revolutionary Women by Ann Shen, Because I was a Girl edited by Melissa de La Cruz, Rad Women Worldwide, She Represent, Our Foremothers, League of Extraordinarly Funny Women, Dynamic Dames, Wonder Women and Girl Squads by Sam Maggs, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls 1-2 7 Immigrants by Elena Cavelli, Tyranny of Petticoats and The Radical Element edited by Jessica Spotswood, Renagade Women in Movies and Television, 100 Bad Girls Throughout History by Ann Shen, Shut In by Kody Keplinger, Bygone Badass Broads by Mackenzi Lee, Brazen by Penelope B, Femme Magnifique, Forgotten Women: The Leaders, The Scientists, The Writers and The Artists by, They Lead the Way by Joanna Johnston, In the Line of Fire by George Sulllivan, Monster, She Wrote, Go the Distance/Call it a Hunch by Jen Calonita, The Fashion Disaster that Changed My Life by Lauren Myracle, Igraine the Brave by Joanne Funke

Magic Tree House #1-38 by Mary Pope Osbourne

Disney Fairies #1-26, Tinkerbell and the Wings of Rani, Tinkerbell: The Perfect Fairy, Mysterious Messages

Disney Villains: Maleficent #1-5, Scar #1-4, Hades #1-5, Cruella #1-2

Lilo and Stitch #1

Jughead #138-142, 164-181

Archie’s Pal Jughead #207-212

Veronica presents Kevin Keller #1-4

Kevin Keller #1-6

Archie & Friends #147, 156-159

Veronica #196-203

Betty #179-195

Betty & Veronica #241-269, 271

The Jaguar #1 (2023)

The Darkling #1 (2023)

Betty and Veronica Friends Forever: Rock n Roll, Winterfest, Christmas Party Community Service, Spring Break, Summer Fun, Halloween Spooktacular

Archie’s Girls Betty and Veronica #274

Archie and Friends: Super Mecha Teens, Christmas Calamity, Guide to Dating, Fall Festival, Endless Summer, Sumer Vacation

Archie #597, 599-639, 641-644, 647, 650-653, 665-666, 700-704

Archie: Married Life 10th Anniversary #1-6 by Michael Usulan

Betty and Veronica: Bond of Friendship and Senior Year by Jamie Lee Rotante

Reggie and Me by Tom DeFalco

Josie and the Pussycats vol 1-2 by Marguerite Bennett

Sabrina the Teenage Witch vol 1-2 by Kelly Thompson

Fear the Funhouse, Weirder Mysteries, Love Showdown, Freshmen Year vol 1-2, Betty & Veronica: Prom Princesses, Princess Storybook vol 2, Shopping Spree, Girls Rule, Beach Party, Veronica’s Passport, Betty and Veronica meet Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy, Betty and Veroenica meet Red Sonja and Vampirella vol 1-2, Betty and Veronica: Friends Forever vol 1-2, Archie & Friends Forever vol 1, Archie Babies, Clash of the New Kids, Night at the Comic Shop, Camp Tales, Campfire Stories, Archie Comics Presents Katy Keene, sabrina the Teenage Witch: 60 Magical Stories, Archie Americana Best of 40s vol 1-2, Best of 50s vol 1-2, Best of 60s vol 1-2, Best of 70s vol 1-2, Best of 80s vol 1-2, Best of 90s vol 1-2, Betty and Veronica: Summer Fun, 80 Years 80 Stories, 75 Years 75 Stories, Best of Betty and Veronica vol 2, Archie Christmas Spectacular vol 1-4, Archie Fall Special, Archie Valentine Spectacular 1-2, Valentine Special, Best Archie Comic Ever, Sabrina the Teenage Witch Anniversary Spectacular, Past Present Future Fun, Best of Archie Comics vol 1-2