The Woman in Me - Brittney Spears
This book made me realize just how in the limelight Brittney Spears has been in almost my entire lifetime, because I realized I was aware of just about every aspect of her life as I read through this book despite never really being a fan. This book is heartbreaking.
Kill It With Fire - Marianne Bellotti
I bought this book solely because of the cover and identifying the dumpster fire on the cover as being the place I was working at the time. It was happenstance, but this book is really good. It provides a framework for dealing with technical debt, offering strategies to update aging systems without massive resource expenditure in a way that I could identify with personally. It addressed large technical problems/projects I have faced at work and confounded solutions and approaches to solving these problems. This book helped me land my next job and escape the dumpster fire.
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said - Phillip K Dick
I’ve read four other Phillip K Dick books and a handful of his short stories. I don’t know what I can say about this book without giving it away but this was likely my least favorite of his books that I have read so far. I'd suggest reading first Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and Ubik.
Fighting Fantasy Books - Various Authors
I came across these books when looking for solo RPG books; seeing that Steve Jackson had written and co-authored some of these got my attention. I read / played City of Thieves by Ian Livingstone and Sorcery! - The Shamutani Hills by Steve Jackson. These books are Choose Your Own Adventure books with dice rolling. At first I thought that these books were a lot more forgiving than the CYOA books, but by them time I finished them I realized the game-play is exactly the same: if you don’t make the exact right decisions in the right order, you will not win. Also like the CYOA books, these are geared towards children. I would recommend Ironsworn instead of these books.
Neuromancer - William Gibson
is the first book I’ve read since I can remember where I had to use Sparknotes to keep up with what was going on. The characters speak in a casual way to each other, similar to hard boiled detective novels which is tricky (for me) to follow. There’s a lot going on here; you can see where the Wachowskis got a lot of their inspiration from for The Matrix. It’s fascinating how Gibson hit the nail on the head in the 80s when it came to the evolution of AI and technology. It gets said a lot already but it really needs to be acknowledged just how prophetic Gibson was when it came to technology here.
The Medium is the Massage - Marshall McLuhan
The central idea of this media analysis book is that technologies are the messages, rather than the content of the communication. I know that's a heady statement to make, but that's what this book is. It mainly relies on formatting and images to convey its message. Many times while reading this book, I kept thinking of the “It insists upon itself” meme; I do think that this book insists on itself. I will also say that there are a lot of cool ideas in this book that, if you were a communications major or marketing major, you could write papers on and elaborate on. You can also chase down and explore further the many ideas that come up in this book.
She Come by It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs
- Sarah Smarsh
My friend lent me this book after I said I wanted to read more book about and by women. She Come by It Natural is a heartfelt tribute to Parton and the women who resonate with her music, but it doesn't bring much new to the table when it comes to being a biography about Parton. Smarsh's admiration for Parton is clear and her narrative is filled with personal anecdotes and reflections and the book largely reiterates well-known aspects of Parton's life and career.
I was under the impression that most of America knew of Parton and the charitable work she has done. On the subject of Parton’s Imagination Library project, the book quotes children’s author Robert Munsch saying “I thought of Dolly Parton as this singer with the really big boobs who was in the movies with, like, the really big boobs. I had no idea.” I was reading this book while riding the bus and after asking what I was reading a lady said “I used to LOVE watching Elvira on TV”. I guess if that's you're impression of Dolly Parton, maybe check this one out.
Empire of The Summer Moon - S.C. Gwynne
Gwynne's meticulous research and vivid storytelling bring to life the incredible saga of Quanah Parker, the last great Comanche chief, and his extraordinary journey from a fierce warrior to a respected leader and eventual advocate for his people. The book not only provides a comprehensive account of the Comanche's way of life but also paints a broader picture of the American West during a time of profound transformation. Gwynne's ability to blend historical facts makes this a compelling read that is both informative and captivating.
Growing up in New England and learning about the tribes that lived there versus the plains tribes which I really only first really learned about in this book was fascinating. Understanding how torture, murder, and rape were accepted parts of plains natives' lives really helps shatter the Noble Savage myth that a lot of us are taught. I've listed these books in the order in which I finished them. I read half of this book during lock-down, and recently finished it. I would recommend this book before all others on this list.