10 books for Mother's Day (that aren't pink)
Mother’s Day is the time of year when everything suddenly turns very PINK. Pink flowers, pink cards, pink wrapping, pink slippers, pink books… We ourselves love the colour pink, but we know its not for everyone. And so, in celebration of all things blue, and black, and red, and white – here are 10 Mother’s Day gift ideas that aren’t pink.
The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo
The result of the 2016 presidential election was widely thought to be a foregone conclusion: an historic victory for an extraordinarily well-qualified, experienced and admired candidate against an opponent seen as not just unelectable, but unfit for office. As we know, it didn’t work out like that. The Destruction of Hillary Clinton is an essential guide to understanding the most controversial presidential election in American history.
See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt
On 4 August 1892 Andrew and Abby Borden were murdered in their home in Fall River, Massachusetts. During the inquest into the deaths, Lizzie Borden was arrested and charged with the murder of her father and her stepmother. In her debut novel, Sarah Schmidt imagines this iconic true story for modern readers, and asks what really happened that day in Fall River.
Insomniac City by Bill Hayes
Bill Hayes came to New York City in 2009 at 48 years old, grieving over the death of his partner. But he quickly discovered the profound consolations of the city, and unexpectedly fell in love again, with his friend and neighbour, the writer and neurologist Oliver Sacks, whose exuberance is captured in funny and touching vignettes throughout. Both a meditation on grief and a celebration of life, Insomniac City is a love song to New York City.
The Rules Do Not Apply by Ariel Levy
Ariel Levy’s earlier book, Female Chauvinist Pigs, was an influential feminist work on raunch culture and the sexualisation of women. Her new memoir, The Rules Do Not Apply, looks set to be equally important for readers. Our reviewer writes that it will ‘appeal to fans of Jenny Offill, Rachel Cusk, or Elena Ferrante’. Read the full review here.
Gone by Min Kym
Min Kym was born in South Korea, raised in the UK, and started playing violin aged six. At seven, she was a prodigy: the youngest-ever pupil at the Purcell School of Music. And at 13, she was playing with the Berlin Philharmonic. This major literary memoir explores what happens when you lose your life’s driving passion. Kym’s beloved rare 1696 Stradivarius violin – found after years of searching for ‘the one’ – was stolen from a train station cafe, precipitating a creative and personal collapse.
Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
Illustrated by 60 female artists from every corner of the globe, Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls introduces us to 100 remarkable women and their extraordinary lives – from Ada Lovelace to Malala, from Elizabeth I to Serena Williams. Empowering, moving and inspirational, these are true fairy tales for heroines who definitely don’t need rescuing. This book is perfect for mothers and children to read together, and really, for anyone wanting to read stories of inspiring women.
Jean Harley Was Here by Heather Taylor Johnson
A woman opens her car door, knocking a passing cyclist into the path of an oncoming van. The cyclist is Jean Harley. But this is not Jean’s story, nor is it the story of her death. It is the stories of the people she leaves behind. Heather Taylor Johnson’s debut novel has become a firm favourite with Readings staff, and comes highly recommended.
Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
Anything is Possible is a stunning collection of stories that can be read independently or as a companion to Elizabeth Strout’s earlier novel, My Name Is Lucy Barton. In these masterfully crafted stories, Strout illuminates the lives of people who call rural, dusty town of Amgash, Illinois with an endless well of empathy.
The Idiot by Elif Batuman
Elif Batuman won the hard-to-crack hearts of the literary establishment (and readers) with her ridiculously clever, funny and bookish memoir, The Possessed. Her long-awaited debut novel follows Selin, a Turkish-American Harvard first-year determined to decipher the mysteries of language and to become a writer. In between studying psycholinguistics and the philosophy of language, teaching ESL to a Costa Rican plumber, and befriending her classmate Svetlana, Selin falls for a Hungarian maths student in her Russian class.
Just Cool It by David Suzuki and Ian Hanington
Climate change is the most important crisis humanity has faced. In the current political climate, solving it seems more urgent and less achievable than ever. What can we do? Is there hope for humanity? The problem is complex, and there’s no single solution. But by understanding the barriers to resolving global warming and by employing a wide range of solutions, we can get the world back on track. David Suzuki takes a comprehensive look at the current state of climate science and knowledge, and the many ways to resolve the climate crisis.
