Friday Books: Several

I'm back! I'm reading! Hooray! It feels good to be gobbling up books again.

(1) Letter to My Daughter by Maya Angelou. Maya Angelou did not have a daughter (she had a son); this book was written to all women. It contains her thoughts on life, advice, life lessons that she would give to a daughter if she'd had one. I liked it, but I read this book two weeks ago, and it was not profound enough to stick in my memory. Therefore I guess it was not as great as I had hoped... I'd say only a 3-star book (out of five possible).

(2) After Long Silence by Helen Fremont. I found this book at a paperback sale for 50 cents. What a bargain! This book was excellent. Two grown daughters start to unravel some family secrets and discover that their parents (and therefore they) are Jewish, though they'd grown up Catholic. As they delve into the past, it becomes both uncomfortable and comforting. Knowing about one's past is healthy; knowing the awful details can be horrifying. This was an excellent book of self-discovery and the search for what family really means. 5 stars out of 5.

(3) Rethinking Normal by Katie Rain Hill. I bought this as an impulse purchase, thinking it looked interesting. It was.. and the author has a lot of good information to share. She was born in a male body but always felt female, and at the age of 15 she began the transition to female. She became a spokesperson for transgender teens (and others) and enjoys helping people understand this occurrence of being transgender. As a teenager, she's a little full of herself - typical for a teen - some of that got a little bothersome, but overall it's a pretty good source of information. I give it 3.5 stars.