If you are looking for some light reading to do while you are on spring break, whether that be on a beach or in your childhood room, here are a couple of books to check out. All of these books are non-fiction works by amazing women. They read fast and leave you with a warm feeling of empowerment. These books have all personally inspired and motivated me in my own life, and I hope they do the same for you. Happy reading!
Bossypants by Tina Fey
Tina Fey, besides being my biggest role model and inspiration in life, is also a wonderful writer. She is best known for acting on Saturday Night Live and starring in the movies Baby Mama and Sisters. A lot of people don’t know that she was the first female head-writing on Saturday Night Live in Chicago and wrote Mean Girls, the most classic sleepover movie ever. Her autobiography is witty and smart. She talks a lot about her childhood and life before getting famous, but also touches on her time at Saturday Night Life and more well-known roles. I have always been a huge fan of Tina Fey, but what I enjoyed most about this book was seeing how behind the fame, Fey is just a woman with insecurities and quirks. Reading this book made me feel ready to take on the world. (Also, if you like this book, check out Mindy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) and Why Not Me, and Amy Poehler’s Yes Please.)
Brain on Fire by Susannah Cahalan
This novel was actually assigned to me for a class, but I instantly fell in love with the novel and the author, and I finished the book way before it was due. When Cahalan was in her twenties and working at the New York Post, she started experiencing some odd symptoms. It started with mood swings and paranoia, and progressively got worse as she started getting seizures and having hallucinations. This book describes her crazy journey of being diagnosed as well as her recovery and integration back to a normal life. If you are into interesting medical stories (think of an episode of House), or if you like reading about strong women, you will love this book. Last year, it was adapted into a movie titled Brain on Fire starring Cholë Grace Moretz, which is pretty cool!
My Life with the Chimpanzees by Jane Goodall
When I was very little, I wanted to be a zookeeper. Then I changed my mind and wanted to be a vet, and then after discovering my fear of needles, I turned to other types of animal sciences. Jane Goodall is a primatologist who spent years of her life living in the wild with chimpanzees. Now I have abandoned a career with animals and am currently an English Writing major, but I am still a big fan of Jane Goodall and her autobiography. She discovered a lot about chimpanzees, including their ability to use tools and a lot about their family and social structures. While this book is filled with science and cool chimpanzee knowledge, it is also an incredible story about a woman who dedicated her life to science.