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THE FEMININE TAKE
Our summer biblio of great reads by, and for, women
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We know that a lot of you were happy to see us toss the male readers a bone earlier this week (and we promise there are more to come). But, today, we wanted to offer the ladies a quick heads up on some diverse yet equally compelling reads that we think are perfect for the beach, the plane, or a featured spot in feminine-leaning book clubs.
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MENu Dating
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To relationship guru and author (and our friend) Tristan Coopersmith, dating is a lot like scanning a menu and selecting which tasty treat you want that night - will it be the Romantic, the Forbidden Fruit, or the way Older Man than you type? This isn't the kind of hole-in-the-wall neighborhood restaurant where you order the same dish every day out of fear that trying something different will leave you worse for the wear. Instead, picture this rich, a la carte menu as one filled with international delights and complex fusions, each one worth ordering at least once until you find the perfect dish. What makes MENu Dating different from those other dating books collecting dust under your sofa is that, instead of trying to teach you how to play into the "game" or learn the female equivalent of negging, Coopersmith and her co-author/best guy friend, Todd Johnson, empower their readers to take control by ordering whatever dish delights your palate. Because listening to your mother and always ordering the organic Community Activist will never satisfy you if all you really wanted was a spicy Bad Boy. So, what does it say about us that we always order the cheeseburger?
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Perfect Life
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Jessica Shattuck has been labeled the female counterpart to wry humorist John Cheever ever since her 2003 novel, The Hazards of Good Breeding. Her subject matter (Connecticut WASPs and their manicured lawns) and noir-laced narratives masterfully evoke issues such as entitlement and the peculiarity of 'good' breeding. Her new novel, Perfect Life, explores the challenges and intersections of four central characters as they each take a path down the extremely complicated modern road of family, love and, ultimately, happiness. Readers will not only be drawn into the winding lives of the main characters, they will end up asking themselves tough questions about their own choices and peace of mind.
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Shelf Discovery
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Remember that tingling feeling you got in your stomach while you read Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret. under the covers with a flashlight so your mom wouldn't yell at you about it being "lights out" time? Author Lizzie Skurnick accurately recounts this feeling and many more juvenile explorations in her book of essays, Shelf Discovery. Skrunick's essays on young adult novels fill you with a deep longing for a time when your biggest concern was that pimple that refused to vacate your left cheek. Not only is her writing evocative of our experiences, but the breadth of her YA knowledge will impress even those of us who spent most of our childhood tuned into TV. We think this book would make a great book club choice as it's sure to lead to some heartfelt discussion and laughter about how it feels to be a teenage girl.
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* trendcentral articles are designed to be trend reports, not endorsements * The Intelligence Group is a trend-forecasting and marketing Consultancy focused on Gen X, Gen Y and Tweens. For more information on our services, or to subscribe to our syndicated studies, The Cassandra Report, Tween Intelligence, Latino Intelligence, and Mom Intelligence, contact Alina Goncalves at 212-277-5299 or via email at agoncalves@intelg.com.
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