It's all about the ladies

Last week, as I was exploring what made up a good summer read, I came across some phrases and some genres that were fun. 

And, because I'm a librarian and librarians like to categorize and organize things, I looked up some names that I thought you'd find interesting. Starting with the Beach Read.  This category of books is pretty undefined.  It simply means a book you'd throw in your beach bag with the aim of contentedly whiling away the hours laying in the sun, on a lounge chair, hammock, or towel. It really could be any kind of book.  For today, I'm going to say beach reads are all about the ladies.
It's about escaping a little bit, but more than that, it's about the camaraderie that comes from the friendship...you know the kind...that only happens with honesty and shared experience.  There is an incredible thing that happens when women get together and form the kind of friendships I'm talking about here.  So today's reads focus on women, stories about women, stories by women, stories for women.  And our favorite categories too.

Chick Lit: ummm..yes, there is such a thing as Chick Lit.  It's actually an official Library of Congress heading, which means you can type it into a subject search in the library catalog and find books that meet this criteria.  What's chick lit?  Well, it's the written equivalent of what many of you know as a chick flick.  Taken straight from the Library of Congress' description, it is, "white girls in the big city searches for Prince Charming, all the while shopping, alternately cheating on or adhering to her diet, dodging her boss ... Details about race and class are almost always absent, except ... for the protagonist’s relentless pursuit of money, a makeover, and Mr. Right".  Think silly, light, fun...think Sex and the City, Confessions of a Shopaholic, 27 Dresses, etc. 

Sisterhood: this term has become increasingly common in the way we speak, but truly is a timeless idea.  According to theurbandictionary.com, sisterhood is "A bond between two or more [women], not always related by blood. They always tell the truth, honor each other, and love each other like sisters."  Those stories where women, related or not, find each other, form strong relationships, and weather whatever comes their way.  There is nothing more powerful than when people stand together whether to fight for something or just to hold each other up.  This form of sisterhood can be found in a myriad of books and is always profound as well as beautiful.


Empowerment:  Now there's a term we hear often, women's empowerment.  For your reading purposes, this is a collection of books about being a woman, being strong within yourself, standing up for what's good and beautiful within and standing up for other women.  Included are some incredible true stories of the journeys women have been on and how they not only made it through but succeeded.

I'm certain that you can find one or ten books on these lists that will fit perfectly into your summer reading list.

So ladies...let's get reading.