October Book Recap

let's go!! One book a day baby!!

This month was filled with amazing books!!

Here is a full list of the books I read this month: (scroll down to read more about each one)

1. Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux

2. Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World by Cade Metz

3. Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler

4. Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet by Taylor Lorenz

5. Disobedient Bodies: Reclaim Your Unruly Beauty by Emma Dabiri

6. Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business by Roxane Gay

7. The Power of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook by Frances Haugen

8. If My Body Could Speak by Blythe Baird

9. Escape Into Meaning: Essays on Superman, Public Benches, and Other Obsessions by Evan Puschak

10. Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke

11. Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World by Devorah Heitner

12. Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May

13. Inverse Cowgirl by Alicia Roth Weigel

14. The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson

15. PDA by PDAers: From Anxiety to Avoidance and Masking to Meltdowns by Sally Cat (DNF)

16. Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began by Leah Hazard

17. Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It by Kashmir Hill

18. Fall Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom

19. Selfless: The Social Creation of “You” by Brian Lowery

20. The Woman In Me by Britney Spears

21. The Burnout Generation by Ann Helen Petersen

22. The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography by Deborah Levy

23. The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams

24. He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters by Schuyler Bailar

25. Stay True by Hua Hsu

26. Sounds Fake But Okay: An Asexual and Aromantic Perspective on Love, Relationships, Sex, and Pretty Much Anything Else by Sarah Costello and Kayla Kasyca

27. No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

28. I, Justine: An Analog Memoir by Justine Ezarik

29. Face: One Square Foot of Skin by Justine Bateman

30. I Hate Men by Pauline Harmange (translated by Natasha Lehrer)

31. Wannabe Reckonings: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me by Aisha Harris

(bold = read the book, not bold = listened to the book)

Here are my thoughts on the books I read this month:

Number Go Up: Inside Crypto's Wild Rise and Staggering Fall by Zeke Faux

“When the bubble suddenly bursts in 2022, Faux brings readers inside SBF’s penthouse as the fallen crypto king faces his imminent arrest. Fueled by the absurd details and authoritative reporting that earned Zeke Faux the accolade “our great poet of crime” from Money Stuff columnist Matt Levine, Number Go Up is the essential chronicle, by turns harrowing and uproarious, of a $3 trillion financial delusion.” 4.5/5

Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World by Cade Metz

“Genius Makers dramatically presents the fierce conflict among national interests, shareholder value, the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and the very human concerns about privacy, security, bias, and prejudice. Like a great Victorian novel, this world of eccentric, brilliant, often unimaginably yet suddenly wealthy characters draws you into the most profound moral questions we can ask.” Interesting book though I read a few more books on AI since then that are less dense and more accessible. 3.5/5

Fake Accounts by Lauren Oyler

A novel telling the story of “a woman in a post-election tailspin [who] discovers that her boyfriend is an anonymous online conspiracy theorist in this provocative and subversive debut novel that examines social media, sex, feminism, and fiction, the connection they've all promised, and the lies they help us tell.” I quite like that author’s way of writing but did not love the actual story. 3/5

Extremely Online: The Untold Story of Fame, Influence, and Power on the Internet by Taylor Lorenz

“By tracing how the internet has changed what we want and how we go about getting it, Lorenz unearths how social platforms’ power users radically altered our expectations of content, connection, purchasing, and power. Lorenz documents how moms who started blogging were among the first to monetize their personal brands online, how bored teens who began posting selfie videos reinvented fame as we know it, and how young creators on TikTok are leveraging opportunities to opt out of the traditional career pipeline. It’s the real social history of the internet.” I had been waiting for this book all year and it was everything I hoped it would be!! 5/5

Disobedient Bodies: Reclaim Your Unruly Beauty by Emma Dabiri

“For too long, beauty has been entangled in the forces of patriarchy and objectification, shame, control, competition and consumerism. We need to find a way to do beauty differently. This radical, deeply personal and empowering essay points to ways we can all embrace our unruly beauty and enjoy our magnificent, disobedient bodies.” Incredible incredible book!!! 5/5

Opinions: A Decade of Arguments, Criticism, and Minding Other People's Business by Roxane Gay

“Opinions is a collection of Roxane Gay’s best nonfiction pieces from the past ten years. Covering a wide range of topics—politics, feminism, the culture wars, civil rights, and much more—with an all-new introduction in which she reflects on the past decade in America, this sharp, thought-provoking anthology will delight Roxane Gay’s devotees and draw new readers to this inimitable talent.” I always love Roxane Gay’s nonfiction work and loved this essay collection as much as her other stuff, I just wish it had original pieces that weren’t just repurposed from past publications. 4/5

The Power of One: How I Found the Strength to Tell the Truth and Why I Blew the Whistle on Facebook by Frances Haugen

“The Power of One is equally inspiring—the story of a woman who went against the grain, again and again, and changed the world—and horrifying, as the culture and practices of Facebook are brought into the bright light of day, for the first time.” As someone deeply interested in how social media platforms operate hearing a first-hand account from the whistleblower who released the Facebook Files the Wall Street Journal published last year was very exciting! 4/5

If My Body Could Speak by Blythe Baird

“In poems that dig deep into sexuality, acceptance of the body, survival of trauma, and learning to love yourself in spite of everything telling you not to, Baird's voice is a rich addition to her generation. Searing, soaring, and heartbreaking, If My Body Could Speak balances the softness of femininity with the sharpness that girls are forced to become.” I don’t usually read poems but these felt very accessible and truly touched me. They were also deeply relatable. 5/5

Escape Into Meaning: Essays on Superman, Public Benches, and Other Obsessions by Evan Puschak

“As YouTube’s The Nerdwriter, Evan Puschak plays the polymath, posing questions and providing answers across a wide range of fields—from the power of a split diopter shot in Toy Story 4 to the political dangers of schadenfreude. Now, he brings that same insatiable curiosity and striking wit to this engaging and unputdownable essay collection.” 4/5

Bitch: On the Female of the Species by Lucy Cooke

“Since Charles Darwin, evolutionary biologists have been convinced that the males of the animal kingdom are the interesting ones - dominating and promiscuous, while females are dull, passive, and devoted. In Bitch, Cooke tells a new story. Whether investigating same-sex female albatross couples that raise chicks, murderous mother meerkats, or the titanic battle of the sexes waged by ducks, Cooke shows us a new evolutionary biology, one where females can be as dynamic as any male. This isn‘t your grandfather’s evolutionary biology. It’s more inclusive, truer to life, and, simply, more fun.” This was a very fun and informative read!! 4/5

Growing Up in Public: Coming of Age in a Digital World by Devorah Heitner

“Drawing on her extensive work with parents and schools as well as hundreds of interviews with kids, parents, educators, clinicians, and scholars, Heitner offers strategies for parenting our kids in an always-connected world. With relatable stories and research-backed advice, Growing Up in Public empowers parents to cut through the overwhelm to connect with their kids, recognize how to support them, and help them figure out who they are when everyone is watching.” I am very interested in our relationship with technology and found the book quite insightful both as a parent (even though my kids are far from an age where they spend time online) but also as a user of those technologies and platforms myself. 4.5/5

Enchantment: Awakening Wonder in an Anxious Age by Katherine May

“In Enchantment, May invites the reader to come with her on a journey to reawaken our innate sense of wonder and awe. With humor, candor, and warmth, she shares stories of her own struggles with work, family, and the aftereffects of pandemic, particularly feelings of overwhelm as the world rushes to reopen. Craving a different way to live, May begins to explore the restorative properties of the natural world, moving through the elements of earth, water, fire, and air and identifying the quiet traces of magic that can be found only when we look for them. Through deliberate attention and ritual, she unearths the potency and nourishment that come from quiet reconnection with our immediate environment. Blending lyricism and storytelling, sensitivity and empathy, Enchantment invites each of us to open the door to human experience in all its sensual complexity, and to find the beauty waiting for us there.” 4/5

Inverse Cowgirl by Alicia Roth Weigel

“In this book, Alicia boldly speaks out about working as a change agent in a state that actively attempts to pass legislation that would erase her existence, explores how we can reclaim bodily autonomy, and encourages us to amplify our voices to be heard. Disarming, funny, charming, and powerful, this is a vital account of personal accomplishment that will open eyes and change minds.” This book was such a great opportunity to highlight and amplify the voice of a community that is often forgotten and ignored, the intersex community. It was both funny and deeply insightful. 5/5

The Wreckage of My Presence by Casey Wilson

“Laugh-out-loud, deeply insightful, and emotion-filled essays from multi-talented actress, comedian, podcaster, and writer Casey Wilson.” I had no prior knowledge of Casey Wilson so I came at it with little idea of what I was going to get. I quite enjoyed the book. 3.5/5

PDA by PDAers: From Anxiety to Avoidance and Masking to Meltdowns by Sally Cat (DNF)

“Sally Cat, an adult with PDA, has successfully captured the essence of a popular online support group in book form, making the valuable insights available to a wider audience, and creating a much-needed resource for individuals and professionals. Candid discussions cover issues ranging from overload and meltdowns, to work, relationships and parenting. This is a fascinating and sometimes very moving read.” I was deeply interested in learning more about Pathological Demand Avoidance after learning about it from the YouTube channel I’m Autistic Now What, but the format of this book was absolutely unreadable to me. I know that in the introduction the author explains her choices but I just could not finish the book. 2/5

Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began by Leah Hazard

“A groundbreaking, triumphant investigation of the uterus--from birth to death, in sickness and in health, throughout history and into our possible future--from midwife and acclaimed writer Leah Hazard”. I really enjoyed the book and the fresh perspective it brought to our bodies. 5/5

Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup's Quest to End Privacy as We Know It by Kashmir Hill

“Your Face Belongs to Us is a gripping true story about the rise of a technological superpower and an urgent warning that, in the absence of vigilance and government regulation, Clearview AI is one of many new technologies that challenge what Supreme Court Justice Louis Brandeis once called “the right to be let alone.”" This was a very interesting and captivating read although also alarming since it highlights so much potential for abuse with facial recognition technologies and just how far they already are in developing those technologies. 4/5

Fall Back in Love with Being Human: Letters to Lost Souls by Kai Cheng Thom

“Kai Cheng Thom grew up a Chinese Canadian transgender girl in a hostile world. As an activist, psychotherapist, conflict mediator, and spiritual healer, she's always pursued the same deeply personal mission: to embrace the revolutionary belief that every human being, no matter how hateful or horrible, is intrinsically sacred.” Not quite what I was in the mood for but won’t penalize the author for my choices, it was still a nice book.

Selfless: The Social Creation of “You” by Brian Lowery

“Social psychologist and Stanford professor Brian Lowery presents a provocative, powerful theory of identity, arguing that there is no essential "self"—our selves are social creations of those with whom we interact —exploring what that means for who we can be and who we allow others to be. There’s nothing we spend more time with, but understand less, than ourselves. You’ve been with yourself every waking moment of your life. But who—or, rather, what—are you? In Selfless , Brian Lowery argues for the radical idea that the “self” as we know it—that “voice in your head”—is a social construct, created in our relationships and social interactions. We are unique because our individual pattern of relationships is unique. We change because our relationships change.” This was quite a thought-provoking read! 4/5

The Woman In Me by Britney Spears

“Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.” Definitely a contender for memoir of the year. I appreciated that the story was written in her voice, as opposed to some other celebrity memoirs that have clearly been heavily edited or straight-up ghostwritten. It was a very moving read. 5/5

The Burnout Generation by Ann Helen Petersen

“The conversations that comprise The Burnout Generation cover everything from debt to social media to the blurred boundaries between our professional and personal lives. In this illuminating and intimate audio project, listeners learn how and why this generation has been conditioned to "optimize" every aspect of our lives (Meal prep for the week! Find a side hustle! But practice self-care! And answer emails in bed!), and most importantly, how the consequences of this phenomenon play out in day-to-day life.” I believe this is an Audible Original so it has no written counterpart. It was alright but I wasn’t a huge fan of the interview style since I expected a book. 3/5

The Cost of Living: A Working Autobiography by Deborah Levy

“The Cost of Living explores the subtle erasure of women's names, spaces, and stories in the modern everyday. In this “living autobiography” infused with warmth and humor, Deborah Levy critiques the roles that society assigns to us, and reflects on the politics of breaking with the usual gendered rituals. What does it cost a woman to unsettle old boundaries and collapse the social hierarchies that make her a minor character in a world not arranged to her advantage?” This was part of the SYSCA book club so I decided to read it but I don’t think I was able to fully grasp it entirely in audio form and I would like to take the time to read it in the future. 4/5

The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative by Florence Williams

“From forest trails in Korea, to islands in Finland, to groves of eucalyptus in California, Williams investigates the science at the confluence of environment, mood, health, and creativity. Delving into completely new research, she uncovers the powers of the natural world to improve health, promote reflection and innovation, and ultimately strengthen our relationships. As our modern lives shift dramatically indoors, these ideas—and the answers they yield—are more urgent than ever.” Super interesting listen while walking and hiking in the woods!! 5/5

He/She/They: How We Talk About Gender and Why It Matters by Schuyler Bailar

“Go‑to expert on gender identity, Schuyler Bailar, offers an essential, urgent guide that changes the conversation. Anti-transgender legislation is being introduced in state governments around the United States in record-breaking numbers. Trans people are under attack in sports, healthcare, school curriculum, bathrooms, bars, and nearly every walk of life.  He/She/They clearly and compassionately addresses fundamental topics, from why being transgender is not a choice and why pronouns are important, to more complex issues including how gender-affirming healthcare can be lifesaving and why allowing trans youth to play sports is good for all kids. With a relatable narrative rooted in facts, science, and history, Schuyler helps restore common sense and humanity to a discussion that continues to be divisively coopted and deceptively politicized.” This was a book that was definitely needed to educate people on transgender issues. 4/5/5

Stay True by Hua Hsu

“From the New Yorker staff writer Hua Hsu, a gripping memoir on friendship, grief, the search for self, and the solace that can be found through art.” 3.5/5

Sounds Fake But Okay: An Asexual and Aromantic Perspective on Love, Relationships, Sex, and Pretty Much Anything Else by Sarah Costello and Kayla Kasyca

“Drawing on their personal stories, and those of aspec friends all over the world, prepare to explore your microlabels, investigate different models of partnership, delve into the intersection of gender norms and compulsory sexuality and reconsider the meaning of sex - when allosexual attraction is out of the equation.” 4/5

No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood

“Fragmentary and omniscient, incisive and sincere, No One Is Talking About This is at once a love letter to the endless scroll and a profound, modern meditation on love, language, and human connection from a singular voice in American literature.” Similarly to Lauren Oyler’s book earlier, I really enjoyed the author’s writing style but struggled a bit the actual story. I also found the first half very difficult to listen through despite the disjointedness being intentional. 3/5

I, Justine: An Analog Memoir by Justine Ezarik

“Justine Ezarik has been tech-obsessed since unboxing her family’s first Apple computer. By sixth grade she had built her first website. A decade later, she became one of the Internet’s first—and most popular—“lifecasters,” inviting people around the world to watch her every move, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. But it was a one-minute video about an itemized AT&T bill that gave Justine her first taste of viral success: Within ten days of release, her “300-page iPhone bill” had garnered more than 3 million views and international media attention. These days, iJustine is a one-woman new media phenomenon: The popular techie, gamer, vlogger, and digital influencer has an army of nearly 3.5 million subscribers across multiple YouTube channels, with total views approaching half a billion.” It was fun to hear more about one of the OG successful Youtubers! 4/5

Face: One Square Foot of Skin by Justine Bateman

“[Face:] Square Foot of Skin is a collection of fictional short stories told from the perspectives of women of all ages and professions; with it, she aims to correct the popular idea that you need to stop what you're doing and start staving off any signs of aging in the face." —W Magazine” This was a good book, but I do wish it had a bit more of the academic side that she decided to scrap out. 4/5

I Hate Men by Pauline Harmange (translated by Natasha Lehrer)

“In this sparkling essay, as mischievous and provocative as it is urgent and serious, Pauline Harmange interrogates modern attitudes to feminism and makes a rallying cry for women to find a greater love for each other - and themselves.'“ Loved it, just wish it was longer!! 4/5

Wannabe: Reckonings with the Pop Culture That Shapes Me by Aisha Harris

“In the opening essay, an interaction with Chance the Rapper prompts an investigation into the origin myth of her name. Elsewhere, Aisha traces the evolution of the "Black Friend" trope from its Twainian origins through to the heyday of the Spice Girls, teen comedies like Clueless, and sitcoms of the New Girl variety. And she examines the overlap of taste and identity in this era, rejecting the patriarchal ethos that you are what you like. Whatever the subject, sitting down with her book feels like hanging out with your smart, hilarious, pop culture-obsessed friend--and it's a delight.” I did not know of Aisha Harris before reading her book, but I am obsessed with her mind and have binged a lot of her podcast episodes on NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour and just love the ideas she brings! 5/5 and will be re-reading for sure!!

That’s it for October, quite a productive month :p