Content Note: This book’s subtitle is literally “Dispatches from Rape Culture.” Best for: Those looking for some reassurance and reminders that yes, it really is that bad. In a nutshell: Editor Roxane Gay brings together essays from 30 people (mostly women), all of which address some part of rape culture. Worth quoting: “The part I wanted them to understand is that these equations can implode, constricting your whole life, until one day you’re sitting in a locked steel box breathing through an airhole with a […]
Not What I Was Expecting, But Still Interesting
Best for: Those looking for a Victorian-set novel about England that isn’t happy and (spoiler alert) doesn’t end in a happy romance. In a nutshell: Alex Chase is miserable and cannot find a way to be happy. Worth quoting: “The despair that invades an undeveloped being is the blackest in the world, because of its utter want of perspective.” “What do girls want to write to one another for? They can’t have anything to say.” “One suffered until one could bear no more, and then […]
I Quit Facebook This Week (Sort Of)
Best for: People looking for a push to consider leaving social media. In a nutshell: Silicon Valley veteran (seriously, he worked on internet stuffs in the early 80s) attempts to make the case that social media — in its current form — is harming us and society, and tried to get us to quit. Mixed results follow. Worth quoting: “Yes, being able to quit is a privilege; many genuinely can’t. But if you have the latitude to quit and don’t, you are not supporting the […]
We Can Get There, But It’ll Take Some Work
Best for: People who know that there’s a deeper problem with the police than most of our society will acknowledge, but don’t have all the evidence at their fingertips. In a nutshell: Sociology professor Vitale offers a logical and thorough examination of the many different areas where police are seen as necessary but are, in reality, making things worse. And, more importantly, offers alternatives to police involvement in those areas. Worth quoting: “At root, they fail to appreciate that the basic nature of the law […]