Autumn Book Picks: 4 Inspiring Reads by Real-life Heroines
September 21, 2015
We spent the summer plowing through books on the beach, and now that fall is here, we’re craving something inspiring to curl up with. Here are a few non-fiction favorites—all written by real-life heroines—that we can’t wait to read this season.
1. Blue Nights by Joan Didion
Written in 2011, Joan Didion’s latest memoir is not new. But her account of losing her beloved 39-year-old daughter Quintana Roo transcends time, and the wisdom imparted will resonate with anyone who has experienced a loss. As one of the most celebrated writers of her generation, Didion has the capacity to make us contemplate love and life from a whole new perspective.
Read when: You’re feeling pensive about life and the passage of time.
2. Why Not Me? By Mindy Kaling
We loved Mindy Kaling’s debut book Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? Now, the beloved comedienne is back with this new collection of essays, in which she moves effortlessly between sarcasm and sincerity, self-deprecation and self-affirmation. But according to The Atlantic, “the book is, at its core, a defense of work. It is a defense of striving, and wanting, and thirsting.” And as if we weren’t already hooked, Kaling also dishes on her tryst with a White House staffer.
Read when: You’re feeling up for a night with your BFFs but are too comfortable to leave the couch.
3. Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
Susannah Cahalan is a professional writer, which is why her book Brain on Fire reads more like a fictional thriller than a first-hand account of a young woman’s harrowing medical journey. The premise: When Cahalan, then a reporter for the New York Post, was in her twenties, she was diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease that caused her to experience symptoms of psychosis. So began a winding road through the medical profession that led to misdiagnoses and ultimately, an answer that led to her recovery.
Read when: You’re ready to tackle a mind-bending medical mystery.
4. Gabby by Gabrielle Giffords
In this moving account, former Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords discusses her remarkable recovery following a 2011 assassination attempt that nearly took her life. Giffords and her husband, astronaut Mark Kelly, have channeled their experience with gun violence into action, and today remain staunch advocates for sensible gun control. This book also fits the bill if you’re in the mood for a love story: The devotion between Giffords and Kelly is legendary.
Read when: You’re feeling empowered to take a stand.
