1. Know My Name: A Memoir by Chanel Miller
Photo by Veri Ivanova on UnsplashOriginally known by the name of Emily Doe, Miller shares her story of being sexually assaulted on Stanford University’s campus at a fraternity party in 2015. Her assailant, former Stanford student Brock Turner received six months of jail time only to serve three of them, despite his charges requesting a minimum sentence of 14 years. Chanel shares her story of survival and coming out whole again on the other side.
Standout quotes from "Know My Name":
“This is the rule of the universe, this is the one thing in life I know to be true. No matter how awful and long your journey, I can promise you the turn, one day it will lift.”
“Awful feelings may remain the same, but my capacity to handle them has grown. I can’t tell you what happens next because I have not lived it yet. This book does not have a happy ending, the happy part is there is no ending, because I’ll always find a way to keep going.”
“When a woman is assaulted, one of the first questions people ask is, did you say no? This question assumes that the answer was always yes, and that it is her job to revoke the agreement. To defuse the bomb she was given. But why are they allowed to touch us until we physically fight them off? Why is the door open until we have to slam it shut?”
“Little girls don’t stay little forever, Kyle Stephens said. They turn into strong women who return to destroy your world.”
Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
Photo by Mohamed Nohassi on UnsplashOriginally published in 1994, "Bird by Bird" is the unofficial writer's guide to writing. Lamott's sarcastic tone and jokes will leave you laughing without a doubt. Lamott shares her story of becoming a writer and shares realistic tips and tricks on how to get there yourself.
Standout quotes from "Bird by Bird"
“You own everything that happened to you. Tell your stories. If people wanted you to write warmly about them, they should have behaved better.”
“Almost all good writing begins with terrible first efforts. You need to start somewhere.”
“One of the gifts of being a writer is that it gives you an excuse to do things, to go places and explore. Another is that writing motivates you to look closely at life as it lurches by and tramps around.”
“The world can’t give us peace. We can only find it in our hearts.’ ‘I hate that,’ I said. ‘I know. But the good news is that by the same token, the world can’t take it away.”
3. The Valediction of Being Dead by Heather B. Armstrong
Photo by Mathew MacQuarrie on UnsplashHeather B. Armstrong was suffering through a horrific bout of suicidal depression. In her book, she talks about an experimental trial she took part in where she would be put into a coma ten separate times to " reset” her brain. It ended up being successful and Heather has not felt any relapse in her depression since.
Standout quotes from "The Valediction of Being Dead":
“Depression extinguishes our purpose in life—the purpose of anything in our lives—making it quite literally impossible to handle anything. Every day and hour and minute is an obstacle course of things we are supposed to handle; most people do so without any effort, but we can’t even see around the first corner. And so we collapse. Or we sleep for days on end. Or we yell at people who don’t deserve it.”
“That’s another thing that people don’t understand about depression: we don’t want to take a shower, we don’t know why we feel this way, and even if we did, it wouldn’t make us stop feeling this way. We have lost all interest in doing anything, especially anything that once brought us joy—because that thing will not bring us joy, and we can’t bear the meaning of that. It would be too much. It would crush us.”
4. The Guineveres by Sarah Domet
Photo by NeONBRAND on UnsplashI'm not usually one to read fiction, but if I had to choose a favorite fiction book, this would be it. Four girls, all named Guinevere, find each other in an orphanage for young girls. They bond over their shared name and attempt to make a ploy to leave the orphanage. Maile Meloy with the New York Times Book Review said, "The Guineveres," Sarah Domet's deft and lovely debut, is a perfect weight, in all ways. It's suitable for a vacation, and you can describe it in one inviting line, but then it keeps unfolding and deepening, taking unexpected turns.
Standout quotes from "The Guineveres":
“Love means we keep trying. Love means never giving up.”
“Maybe that's just what nostalgia is: A willingness to embrace the pain of the past.”
“We cling to the most painful reminders of our youth, our memories or our injuries, perhaps so we can look back to our former selves, console them, and say: Keep going. I know how the story ends.”
“That’s what faith teaches us: From hopelessness springs hope. From longing, desire.”
If you like this article, check my other articles!
Photo by 
Photo by 
Photo by 
