‘Pin Picks: Six Shall Turn It Back

OKAY, so, this time I selected a reader to suit the book. Sometimes that happens, right? You have a book you are DYING to recommend to someone, so you page through 1236 commenters to find the exact right person for your book. Please don’t feel any less special, Papaya Lily. Now, tell us about yourself! (In that telling us your favorite books is obviously a mirror to your soul.)

1. Delusions of Gender, Cordelia Fine — Well, let’s let Papaya Lily take this one.

Answering the question “how can someone who claims to not be sexist, and doesn’t say obviously sexist shit, still do sexist shit?” with _science_. (Also answers the question “are men really just more inclined towards STEM, and women towards cleaning, talking, and caring?”. Hint: not so much, no.)

Wait, wait, does this mean that Mommy Truck and Daddy Truck don’t love each other and that Mommy Truck cannot have it all? More importantly, you are interested in gender, you can tolerate nonfiction, and you’re probably sort of a pain at parties in the best, best possible way?

2. The Story of Webster’s Third: Philip Gove’s Controversial Dictionary and its Critics, Herbert C. Morton — In keeping with the ethos of ‘Pin Picks, having not previously encountered Mr. Morton’s fine-looking work of non-fiction, I have promptly ordered it. Ideally, it will spice up everyone’s ability to trot out pleasing historical anecdotes at parties! Thank you. And, of course, obviously you enjoy a little bit of goofiness with your edification.

3. No More Nice Girls, Ellen Willis — Oh, I’m so glad! Ellen Willis is really under-read, and she was such a wonderful writer, and generally a BAMF. You should all read all these various snippets on the re-release of No More Nice Girls, one of which is by yours truly. This is also the book that locked you in as the lucky recipient of….

How to Be a Woman, Caitlin Moran.

How to Be a Woman has completely and utterly torn up the UK, and is now making inroads on the good people of North America. It’s my summer jam. It’s one of the funniest things I’ve ever read. Caitlin Moran is a genius and a wordsmith and you will not regret reading this book. I am almost willing to guarantee it. It’s part memoir, part polemic, part diagnostic, part “maybe we could start a religion based on the teachings of this book” (even if you don’t agree with Moran on pubes and strip clubs). Also, since Papaya Lily loves Harry Potter, she may be drawn to Moran’s rad (and somehow sexy) Bellatrix Lestrange hair. Yes, this is the book for her.

Could all of you read it, please? And then we could talk about it, a lot.