SheReads: mmmetropolis' Melanie

SheReads looks at the reading lists of cool chicks. If you want to be featured, send an email to uptown.literati@gmail.com.

Lately by Sara Pritchard

"I love this book because it is both hilarious and sad. Pritchard populates her fictional Cook County with strong, unconventional characters, who look back over their lives and wonder at how it deviated from what they expected. There’s Maggie, whose “divorce party” is the subject of one story, Jack, whose house is filled with paint-by-number illustrations of the last supper and Fanny, whose father may or may not have left her family to join the circus. Lately is a short story cycle, so each story is linked to the others, which means you get the pleasure of figuring out how the various characters are connected as you move through the stories. Reading this book has made me want to track down anything and everything else Pritchard has written – it’s that good!"

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

"I love all of Salinger’s work, but especially this book, which shows the author at his best – written after The Catcher in the Rye and before his later, longer, more digression prone stories. The book’s two stories complement each other beautifully and illustrate some Salinger's main concerns, particularly, the problem of getting along in the world while maintaining one's ideals and sensitivity. There's a number of endearing details in this book, particularly Franny and Zooey’s father, Les, who tries to help Franny recover from her nervous breakdown by serving her a tangerine."

Masked Men: Masculinity and the Movies in the 50s by Steven Cohan

"I was assigned this book a few years ago for a class, but found myself unable to put it down. Cohan’s book is an examination of masculinity in 1950s American films, but despite the academic subject matter, the book is very readable. I see it as a smarter alternative to other books on movies from that era – which tend to be light on substance. A highlight is the chapter on the rise of boyish rebel stars like James Dean and Montgomery Clift, who became popular as a reaction to the uncomplicated WWII hero types who previously dominated the screen. Another chapter that stands out is called “The Age of the Chest,” discussing the era’s obsession with male chests on film and in movie posters. If you have an interest in old movies, I highly recommend this one."

Melanie lives and works in Washington, D.C. She writes mmmetropolis, a blog about books and food.

SheReads: Bessie, The Fabulous Do-Gooder

SheReads looks at the reading lists of cool chicks. If you want to be featured, send an email to uptown.literati@gmail.com.

We are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For: Inner Light in a Time of Darkness by Alice Walker. "This book is a beautiful collection of essays and speeches by Walker that reflects wisdom, compassion, and social activism. This book took me on a journey with Alice Walker as she wrote about everything from childbirth, to love, to womanism, sexism, and life."

When Chicken Heads Come Home to Roost: A Hip Hop Feminist Breaks It Down by Joan Morgan. "I read this book in college but I still pick it up and read it every now and then, that is how much of an impact this book has had on my life. This book speaks on the reality of being an African-American woman and touched on male-female relationships in the African-American community. I was definitely able to see myself in several of the chapters."

A Piece of Cake by Cupcake Brown. "This book about redemption chronicles the life of the author as she goes through abuse, neglect, prostitution, and then on to college and law school to become a successful lawyer and, now, author. I love stories of redemption, because in life we will all enter a season that will end in redemption at one point or another."

Bessie is an Atlanta-based young women's advocate and social entrepreneur who's equal parts fabulous and philanthropic. Catch up with her at Twitter.com/FabDoGooder or via her Web site, TheFabulousDoGooder.com.

SheReads: Christina: Not-So-Mad Scientist

SheReads looks at the reading lists of cool chicks. If you want to be featured, send an email to uptown.literati@gmail.com.

Christina's favorites...

Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk

“Give me anything in this whole fu*king world that is exactly what it looks like. Flash.” Chuck Palahniuk is one of my all time favorite authors; I am strangely attracted to dark comedies where nothing is as it seems at first glance and nothing is as it should be. Invisible Monsters definitely fits this description. This freak show features a horribly disfigured fashion model, a transsexual who is one operation away from becoming a “real woman” and a two-faced pedophile police officer. Together, they embark on a road trip through the U.S. …let the fun begin!"

• Delaying the Real World: A Twentysomething’s Guide to Seeking Adventure by Colleen Kinder

"I have to hide this book on my bookshelf because otherwise I end up flipping through the pages and daydreaming of adventures in faraway places, rather than doing anything I am actually supposed to be doing. Consisting of practical advice, organization and program resources and inspirational stories from others, it’s the perfect book to read if you just graduated from college, are not going straight on to a professional job or grad school and everybody in your life is asking 'So, what are you doing now?'"

• Less than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis

"'I want to see the worst.' If you thought Catcher in the Rye was depressing, then you must have never read Less Than Zero. The novel follows Clay, the young protagonist, as he returns home from college to L.A. for the winter holidays. All his rich and spoiled friends and former classmates are on drugs, having lots of risky sex and generally up to no good. As the days drag on, Clay is faced with several decisions about getting back together with his girlfriend, rekindling old friendships and continuing his education. Even though I am not as wealthy as Clay and his friends, I experienced many similar thoughts, feelings and situations upon returning home from school."

..and her current reads:

• Secrets of the Model Dorm by Amanda Kerlin and Phil Oh

"Drama, drama, drama! Basically, this book is America’s Next Top Model in literary form. I am more than slightly embarrassed to be listing this book as one of my current reads, but it is a welcome escape from the monotony that has become my life as of late."

• On the Road by Jack Kerouac

"Okay, so I admit it… I lost this book in the midst of cleaning my room. I started reading it when I began planning my escape to London. I loved the endless adventure that the group of friends experienced and it made me long for simpler times (before I was born) when our country (and the world, for that matter) seemed like a less dangerous place."

• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

"Being a huge Vonnegut fan, it may seem odd that I have not read this particular book yet, but I was too lazy to request it at the library (their copy was always checked out) and too broke to pay more than a few dollars for it. Finally, I had a bit of luck finding it at Half Price Books."

Christina is a twenty-something grad school hopeful (she wants to study public health and psychology) who obsesses over her growing hair, daydreaming about far-off places, rediscovering her sewing machine and pomegranates. She can be found at Last.fm.

SheReads: Toni: Reader, Writer, Sewer

SheReads looks at the reading lists of cool chicks. If you want to be featured, send an email to uptown.literati@gmail.com.

Feminista by Erica Kennedy

"At first glance, you might think this is another chick-lit book, but upon closer inspection you realize this is much more. The main character, Sydney, already has it all: a well-paying seemingly glamorous job, access to the hottest clothes & celebrities. But she wants more - deeper relationships and a more meaningful career. Along the way she works to reconcile her feminist side with that of her fashionista side. Hence Feminista!"

Daughters of the Stone by Dahlma Llanos-Figueroa

"Beautifully written saga of five generations of Afro-Puerto Rican descent that shows all of their power, resilience and vulnerability. The stone in the title, along with some powers of magic are passed along from female to female among the descendants of Fela, an African women sold into slavery in Puerto Rico. Relationships between mothers and daughters are fully explored here with all the complications that entails. While some turn their back on the magic and "old ways" of their ancestors, the stories and the stone always endure and the generations are brought full circle in their journey."

Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey

"Great book by a first time novelist. Wife of The Gods is a mystery set in a small village in Ghana. A young female med student is murdered in Ketanu on her way home from distributing information about AIDS. Her murder is pinned on a local boy widely thought to be a troublemaker. Darko Dawson, an investigator in Accra, is called in from the big city to help solve the crime. When the Chief of Police, who resents having him there, is convinced that it is an open and shut case, Dawson must continue to pursue the truth on his own. If you like The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency, you will like this also."

The Island of Eternal Love by Daina Chaviano

"I love any and all things Cuban and am always on the lookout for fiction about the island. I initially picked up this book at work because the cover was so pretty! Cecilia is a Cuban-born Miami resident who still hasn't made peace with her new home. Longing for her past in Cuba, she befriends an old woman in a bar in Little Havana. The woman enthralls her with stories of their homeland that wind through history and weave in all of the cultures, African, Spanish & Chinese, that make up the people there. These stories also hold a clue to Cecilia's restlessness."

On the nightstand now...The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown

"He is not the greatest writer, and I thought I was done with him after The Da Vinci Code. But this book takes place in D.C. and that's my hometown, so I feel kind of obligated to read it."

Toni is a an avid reader, blogger, Twitterer and all around fab chick. Check her out on her site, Sew Transformed , on GoodReads and at Twitter.com/mshoni.

--Whitney Teal

SheReads: Annemarie, Travel Goddess

SheReads looks at the reading lists of cool chicks. If you want to be featured, send an email to uptown.literati@gmail.com.

"Books featuring plucky girls making it in the Big City never appealed to me. When you’ve already snuck into NYC’s hottest clubs and pulled all nighters at Grey’s Papaya by age 17, you fantasize about the exact opposite: jetting out of town on a whim. Maybe that’s why I love travel so much…

These four books all agree. So, whether you live on the quiet farm and yearn for New York, or were born a hard-edged city kid who needs a break, these books present the ultimate fantasy of running away and finding yourself."

A Cook’s Tour by Anthony Bourdain: "Bourdain is an animal; a glutton. He doesn’t see the world through fanny packs full of maps, bus tokens, or recommendations from a top-notch Four Seasons concierge. In A Cook’s Tour, Bourdain brings us along as he just figures it out. It’s almost tragic, totally exciting, and always hectic, and with each stop on the No Reservations tour, the glutton becomes less animal and more complete man."

Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: "After a messy divorce, Gilbert leaves to experience the world through three different cities. She finds life in hot young men and gelato in
Rome; meditates in India; and gives up her heart in Indonesia. It’s funny and comforting to experience this type of dream getaway honestly, both the good and the bad, while Gilbert slowly rebuilds her life with better understanding of self."

Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer: "Learning about our future through our past. In this Safran Foer book, our lead character does just that. In the search for a woman who saved his families life during World War II, he hops a plane to a near desolate section of the Ukraine and is led on a goose chase by a boy and his 'seeing eye bitch, Sammy Davis Jr., Jr.' On their many mishaps, our boy finds himself through ancestry and the religion he thought he gave up years ago."

[See UL's review of the book]

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella: "What happens when the big city life you’ve devoted your entire soul to blows up in your face and leaves you with nothing? You learn how to bake pies. After making a horrific mistake at her job, Samantha Sweeting walks out of her office terrified, hops on a train to the countryside, and takes residence as a housekeeper. Without BlackBerry Messenger, she finds a tanner, healthier, happier version of herself who can truly survive in either country or city."

Annemarie is a budget travel maven, and she has the awesome blog, FrillSeekerDiary.com, to prove it. She produces Web sites to pay the bills, often wears awesome hipster glasses and does a little lifecasting at Twitter.com/TravelingAnna.

--Whitney Teal

SheReads: Miss Melissa, Do-Gooder-in-Training

SheReads looks at the reading lists of cool chicks. If you want to be featured, send an email to uptown.literati@gmail.com.

The Ditchdigger's Daughters by Yvonne S. Thornton: "I heard this one on tape (yes, as in cassette) many moons ago, then it was made into a movie. As usual, I still love the book and it really makes me want to write a book about my family too. Synopsis: Man, a ditch digger in fact, has family of six daughters who all grow to be professionals including two doctors and a lawyer."

Big Girls Don't Cry by Connie Briscoe: "One of those books I can just keep re-reading. In this book, we watch Naomi mature and find her best personal and professional life. I felt like I was right there living, loving, being lost, being found. This is a great story you may not be able to put it down either!"

Veronika Decides to Die by Paolo Cuelho: "Just that. She decides to die and attempts suicided but suddenly she wants to live more than ever. Really makes you appreciate life."

Must Reads ("I hope to get to these before the year 2011, if life every slows down!")

• The Alchemist by Paolo Cuelho: "The first book my boyfriend read and enjoyed. Ever. I want to see what it's about one of these days."
• 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene and Joost Elffers: "I want to be powerful, what can I say?"
• Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison: "A classic. I've started and hope to finish."
• Seen it All and Done the Rest by Pearl Cleage: "I LOVE Pearl Cleage. Ever since I read What Looks like Crazy on an Ordinary Day we've been together. This is her only one I have yet to read. Yippee!"

Miss Melissa is a do-gooder-in-training in Cleveland (literally; she's studying to receive a Master's in Non-Profit Organizations). Besides helping the world, she enjoys reminiscing about the glory days of smooth R&B, meeting other non-profit visionaries and reading. Catch her hilarious take on life, in 140 characters or less, at Twitter.com/MissLissa08.

--Whitney Teal

SheReads: Mademoiselle Mitchell

SheReads looks at the reading lists of cool chicks. If you want to be featured, send an email to uptown.literati@gmail.com.

Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert: "I can't say that I've read many books that have moved me emotionally and inspired me. In this memoir my heart latched onto the author. I cried and laughed with her throughout her journey to find peace with herself while traveling to Italy, where she fell in love with food; India, where she fell in love with prayer; and Bali, where she fell back in love with love."

• Plum Lovin' by Janet Evanovich: "This is one of the "between-the-numbers" of the Stephanie Plum series and a huge disappointment. As an avid reader of this series, I expected to be laughing to tears but I hardly received an embarrassing glance from any strangers on the train while reading about my favorite character's crazy bounty hunting adventures. I'm not one to spread rumors... but it leads me to believe Evanovich didn't really write this one."
  
  

• Sushi for Beginners: A Novel by Marian Keys: "Written for those who enjoy books like The Devil Wears Prada, this book mostly covers the lives of two vastly different women. Although one falls hopelessly into the world of fashion magazines and the other is out to climb the corporate ladder in magazines, they ironically find themselves connected in their search for true friendship love and happiness. Of course I'm sure you guessed sushi is involved, but I wont say how!"

• The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet: "I was skeptical about all the hype before reading this book despite both Oprah's and my mother's raving recommendations (two women who never get it wrong it seems). Upon reading the first chapter, I was hooked. I was Immediately wrapped up in the intricate plot that slowly weaved together the lives of its many characters in a way that left my heart pounding and constantly in want of more. While reading this book, time seemed to fly. Let's just say I missed my train stop on many occasions."
  

Mademoiselle Mitchell is a fabulous twentysomething in Washington, D.C. She also happens to be a rising star at a big-name business corporation, a zealous reader (peep her Goodreads profile for proof) and an original contributor to Uptown Literati. Check her out at Twitter.com/MlleMitchell.


--Whitney Teal