In this series, I give a brief snapshot of three unrelated books that I recently read and enjoyed. If you decide to read them too, I’d love to hear what you thought! 

The Category: Literary Fiction

The Book: The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

In Three Words: Shakespeare. Family. Relationships.

Biggest Takeaway: As a writer, I was inspired by Brown’s use of the first-person plural for the gang of three sisters. As a reader, I gloried in the frequent Shakespearean references (the father in the book is a scholar of the Bard; the three sisters are named after characters).

 

The Category: Nonfiction/Self-Improvement

The Book: The Confidence Code by Katty Kay and Claire Shipman

In Three Words: Decide. Act. Assert.

Biggest Takeaway: Women tend to second-guess a decision after the fact, worrying about whether it was the “right” decision. Men don’t worry about whether it was right- they simply decide, move on, and react to the consequences. It had honestly never occurred to me that it didn’t matter if the decision was right, as long as it was made with the best intentions and the truest sense of self, and as long as any consequences could be dealt with.

 

The Category: Humorous Fiction

The Book: Jeeves and the Wedding Bells by Sebastian Faulks

In Three Words: Brilliant Wodehouse homage.

Biggest Takeaway: It is possible to both imitate and improve upon an artist’s signature style, if one grants the artist (Wodehouse) high levels of respect and research. I was thoroughly entertained (and delighted with the growth for Bertie and Jeeves’ characters).