Book Review : #GIRLBOSS

Sophia Amoruso, CEO and founder of Nasty Gal, built a $100+ million dollar business in seven years without borrowing a dime. She is a force to be reckoned with in both the fashion industry and the business world. Her rise to success from Subway sandwich artist to multi-millionaire was paved with misadventures in hitchhiking, shoplifting, abstaining from shaving, working dead-end jobs and ultimately a lot of hard work and creativity. Once Amoruso discovered her passion for vintage and the power of ebay there was no turning back. Nasty Gal is now an affordable, ultra-chic, vintage lover's paradise in the ecommerce world.

The book is an easy read; once I stared it I truly couldn't put it down. Amoruso starts from the beginning when she - like many of us - hated high school. Instead of attending classes she worked at Subway. Her drive to work and work hard is apparent from a very young age.  Most of her recollections are funny and insightful but others not so funny -  hitch hiking with pervy truck drivers and shoplifting obsesssively.  But AMoruso isn't embarrassed about anything; she knows that each experience shaped her and prepared her for the equally demanding and rewarding role she has now. Amoruso is funny, wise and outspoken. You can tell from reading her book that she's someone you'd love to grab a coffee with. She built an empire from nothing and is willing to share all of her experiences with her audience in order to empower other #girlbosses. Within the book Amoruso includes profiles of other strong and successful #girlbosses in different industries. Their stories fill the pages with success, hard work and good old fashioned advice.

My absolute favourite part of the book was when Amoruso reflects on the time of her life when she started Nasty Gal vintage on ebay. She spent her days searching vintage shops for finds (including amazing designer pieces like Chanel jackets), photographing models and paying them with hamburgers, and posting auctions. The prices started to soar and Nasty Gal gained a following thanks to Myspace and the birth of social media. Amoruso's is the classic do what you love story; she started Nasty Gal Vintage because she loved vintage and thanks to pure dedication the business became what it is today.

Whether it's advising other #girlsbosses to save ten percent of their income for their "oh-shit" emergency fund, or expressing that your money looks better in the bank than on your feet, Amoruso openly and honestly shares with her readers what it takes to succeed. Amoruso doesn't believe in wasting money and while she admits she now wears Saint Laurent shoes she ensures her readers that she didn't go out and spend her money the moment she got it. With one million in the bank, Nasty Gal is proof that Amoruso put her funds back into her business and grew it into an unlikely and extremely strong business. The language is frank, colloquial and written exactly how I imagine she speaks in real life. If you're looking for a little entrepreneurial inspiration and some insight into what it takes to build and run a multi-million dollar business I highly recommend you pick up #GIRLBOSS.

Book Review: The Rosie Project

WTD Rating: 3.5 stars
Quick Advice: An easy and enjoyable read despite a problematic characterization of an individual with Asberger's Syndrome.
Warning: Mild Plot Spoilers (AKA I discuss a few events in the book without ruining the ending)

The Rosie Project
Source: chrisbookarama

I feel like I heard so much about Graeme Simsion’s debut novel The Rosie Project this summer. I bought Where’d You Go Bernadette for a girlfriend’s birthday and the cashier said upon seeing my selection “have you read The Rosie Project? I think you’d like it too!” Ever since then I've been wanting to read it! I bought The Rosie Project for my mom for Christmas who read it with her book club and passed it on to me last week. At the same time she also gave me The 100 Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared. When I asked her which to read first she said “The Rosie Project is an easy read but I have to say I preferred The 100 Year Old Man”. She didn’t elaborate but my hunch is that being a retired social work professor her reaction to The Rosie Project may be in part due to what I noted as a highly problematic oversimplification of an individual with Asperger’s syndrome. 

Love this hardcover copy of the book!
Source: tea-drinkingbookloverdiary

It seems readers either loved or hated this book but the vast majority of Goodreads readers seemed to love it! Reactions range from overwhelming admiration to shameful disgust in regards to how Simsion characterized the protagonist Professor Don Tillman. Don is a Professor, researcher, excellent cook, enthusiastic drinker and karate blackbelt who lives by a strict, unflinching schedule until he realizes its time to find himself a wife and thus begins The Wife Project and the total upheaval of his structured, predictable life.

Don is an indivudual who is living with Asperger’s syndrome. I don’t have a comprehensive understanding of Asperger’s syndrome however a google search of legitimate sources explains that it is an “autism spectrum disorder (ASD) considered to be on the “high functioning” end of the spectrum” (Austism Speaks). The Mayo Clinic (a great go-to medical source) states “Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a person's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others” (The Mayo Clinic). Asperger’s is a neurological condition that is more common in males and is regarded as a developmental disorder. According to Behaviour Consultant, "idiosyncratic interests are common and may take the form of an unusual and/or highly circumscribed interest (e.g., in train schedules, snakes, the weather, deep-fry cookers, or telegraph pole insulators)" (Behaviour Consultant).  Simsion certainly integrates the social behaviours and the idiosyncratic interests into Don's character in The Rosie Project.

Don is never diagnosed with Asperger’s and never self-identifies as having the syndrome in The Rosie Project. However, Asperger’s comes up frequently in the text through Don’s research in genetics. When he finishes a presentation on Asperger’s in the beginning of the text the facilitator says pointedly to him: “remind you of anyone?”. Late in the text he does list his symptoms without coming to any concrete conclusions; he actually uses his symptoms as a method of analyzing what he needs to change in order to “get the girl”. This approach was really disappointing to me as a reader. Instead of having to change to find love I wish Don could have found love as himself. He accepts and loves Rosie despite being unsuitable for The Wife Project however he realizes that he will never be suitable to a woman without purposefully altering his social behaviour. 

Simsion’s explains his characterization of Don in an interview stating: “I didn’t want Don to be a syndrome. I wanted a living, walking character” (Library Journal).  The NY Times review states that Simsion “reminds us that people who are neurologically atypical have many of the same concerns as the rest of us: companionship, ethics, alcohol” (The New York Times). Obviously, my interpretation is completely opposite to that of Simsion and the NY Times. Where they see a normalization humanization of an "atypical" human being I see an author using stereotypical behaviour before manipulating and changing a character for the end result: love.

The Goodreads synopsis calls The Rosie Project “an international sensation, this hilarious, feel-good novel is narrated by an oddly charming and socially challenged genetics professor” (Goodreads). Truthfully, I can’t say I “felt good” after finishing it; I felt unsatisfied. Even the use of the descriptor “oddly charming” is a problematic to me. Why do we need to use language like "odd"? Instead of breaking down barriers and raising awareness Simsion deeks, ducks and avoids the critical issues raised by the book. After the first chapter I said to my boyfriend, Don is Sheldon Cooper from the Big Bang Theory. Think about it: ShelDON. We find his quirks and personality traits “funny” and laugh at him when he makes inappropriate comments in public or has a chair or spot he has to sit in. Both characters are  “weird” and unfortunately society likes to laugh at weirdness instead of trying to accept and understand. Don Tillman is the literary Sheldon Cooper who studies genetics instead of Physics and makes his own food on a strict weekly schedule instead of eating pre-determined takeout.  All I can hear in my head now is Sheldon's vhoice exclaming "on Friday nights we eat Chinese food!"

Don's Sexy Literary Look-a-Like Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck)

Despite the problematic portrayal of the main character I have to say The Rosie Project can be very endearing at times. For a novel that was supposed to be a screenplay and was written in only four weeks Simsion accomplishes a lot. The book is wildly popular and is making its rounds throughout the world. The three focal projects: The Wife Project, The Father Project and The Rosie Project are all entertaining and I thorougly enjoyed the simple structure of the book. On the surface, The Rosie Project is an easy and enjoyable read. I liked the chemistry between Don and Rosie and the adventures they experience together are funny and charming. I felt a fondness and appreciation for Don and they way he lives his life. I don’t discourage you from reading the book I simply want to re-enforce what I always enforce as an English major; read critically and always ask questions! 

PS: If you loved The Rosie Project comment or tweet us! We love a good book discussion and welcome your thoughts and feedback.

Book Review: To Whisper Her Name - Tamera Alexander

Source: Goodreads

To Whisper Her Name is a historical romance set in the South after the Civil War on a Thoroughbred breeding facility and plantation in Nashville, Tennessee. My cousin visited Belle Meade this summer while on vacation in Nashville and purchased the book as a Christmas gift for me. Her photos of the house and surrounding buildings are absolutely breathtaking and a total horse-lovers dream so I was curious to what a writer would do with a story about the place.

Before reading To Whisper Her Name I had a somewhat patchy understanding of the American Civil War. While I have studied Canadian-American history I have never had the opportunity to take any American history classes during my Academic career. The text is an excellent source for understanding the tension and the politics of the time and Alexander provides an insight into history that is reflective and thought provoking. She does an excellent job of representing the thoughts and opinions of all characters through description and dialogue. Topics including race, religion, gender roles, class status and history are all tackled effortlessly by the text.

The protagonist, Olivia Aberdeen, is the widow of a cruel and vastly disliked man who was brutally murdered by his his fellow townspeople after the war. With nothing left to her name Olivia is shunned from society and moves to Belle Meade where her Aunt and Uncle provide her with a safe place to stay. In exchange, Olivia is required to be the companion to her beloved Aunt who, as she learns upon her arrival, is dying.  Ridley Cooper, Olivia’s ruggedly handsome love interest, finds his way to Belle Meade in search of a former slave he met during the war. Cooper fought on the “wrong" side of the war (Union) and has to keep his identity a secret from the plantation owner and passionate Southerner Mr. Harding. Robert Green, the former slave, is perhaps the most intriguing character in the text. In the Afterword Alexander admits to falling slightly in love with Green while writing the text and I have to say so did I. Also known as Uncle Bob, the head-horse trainer and real-life horse-whisperer is still renowned for his amazing gift with horses today. As an equestrian, some of  my favourite passages were those that depicted Mr. Green’s philosophies and training techniques as he tries to teach impatient Cooper to work with horses.

Robert "Uncle Bob" Green
Source: Wikipedia

Despite a few cringe-worthy metaphors and never-ending descriptions, the book managed to capture my attention and I have to admit it was a nice change of pace from what I’ve been reading lately. Alexander’s characters are endearing and she manages to weave several captivating sub-plots and minor characters into what could have been a bland read as we wait for the romance between Olivia and Ridley to blossom. Despite their slow-starting, sometimes irritating romance, both hero and heroine have other (more interesting) adventures during their respective stays at Belle Meade. Olivia obtains a paid position at the plantation, teaches at a freedman school, fosters strong relationships with her Aunt, Uncle and cousins and learns about alternative medicine. Ridley desires to learn everything he can from Bob Green before moving West and devotes himself to working with horses. Ridley is well-liked by Mr. Harding for his strong spirit and is soon promoted to Foreman for his hard work and dedication.

Interestingly, Olivia is the only character in To Whisper Her Name that is hard to like; she has several character flaws which I thought would be overcome and resolved but they never are. These include a fear of horses which is mediated upon to a tiresome degree, an overly formal method of speaking and acting and a refusal to let the past go. Perhaps, hopefully, this character will experience some personal growth in the second book in the series.

At just over 430 pages, To Whisper Her Name is a long read and sometimes feels as though it simply won’t end. Luckily, I was on the beach in Cuba and so I was able to get through it quite quickly and with little distraction. I may not have enjoyed it as much otherwise but with the sun and ocean before me I was quite content with the storyline and grew fond of the characters and rich history. If historical romance is your favourite genre I highly recommend the text and if it’s not I would say it’s still a contender for a vacation read as it provides interesting insight into a very specific period of American history.

Alexander’s website has several videos that offer further insight into Belle Meade and the historical characters including the romantic hero and heroine, head hostler and the role Belle Meade had in the development of Thoroughbred history. There is also a .pdf excerpt from the book for you to browse through if you’re not sure whether or not To Whisper Her Name is for you.. I have to admit I'm looking forward to book two which is due to come out in early 2014!

Belle Meade
Source: Architecture

Tamera Alexander's website: http://www.tameraalexander.com/bellemeadeplantationnovels.html

Belle Meade Plantation website: http://bellemeadeplantation.com/