By Keri English for IndieReader
In an era where twenty-something women are told how to think, where to work, who to date, and what to wear, it's refreshing that a voice has broken the mold to empower women to do one thing--be yourself, flaws and all. In Not That Kind of Girl, Lena Dunham takes readers on a voyage of self-discovery as she successfully navigates the often-perilous facets of womanhood, from dating and friendships to self-love and careers. Through her series of essays, Dunham shares what she's learned on her path to self-awareness with a refreshing candor and raw honesty that emboldens readers. Her painfully-relatable stories of graduating from one-night stands with toxic men and dead-end jobs with no purpose, to loving relationships and a fulfilling career will leave you laughing, cringing, and sighing "me too."
If you enjoyed Dunham's raw manifesto, check out these indie adventures:
Reflections: Stories of Love, Inspiration, Remembrance and Power by Emilio IodiceEmilio Iodice's latest book resembles an elaborate painting, utilizing a broad spectrum of colors, tones, and styles that will lead you to those places you aspire to reach but rarely ever see. It is the product of collecting his shorter works, including articles, essays, stories, and lectures into one cohesive piece. Each section is designed for reading aloud, so the impact leaps from the page to inform, inspire, and enrich listeners' hearts and minds. The narrative thrust is a biographical story of two families' harrowing journey of immigration that uplifts the spirit and probes into the soul. This multi-generational saga conveys the power of blood ties, shared sorrow, and unquenchable strength.
Our Lady of West Hollywood by Susan RoetherTwo homeless teen-aged girls are "rescued" from the mean streets of Los Angeles and eagerly exploit new opportunities that turn the tables on the women who try to help them. At the end of the 20th century, some of the characters in "Our Lady of West Hollywood" are striving to gain a foothold in the film industry and some simply like to watch. All of them are prey to sexual and spiritual dilemmas which threaten to upset their precarious lifestyles. The reader is admitted inside the doors of Hollywood parties and premieres as well as kitchens and bedrooms. In the superficial but high-stakes Los Angeles fast lane, we meet people who have risen to extravagant levels of success and others who have fallen through the cracks.
Wantin by Truth Devour
Wantin is the first book in the romantic trilogy and is relentless in its pursuit of Talia Jacobs. Presented with unimaginable turns of chance, she is drawn into the depths of tragic losses then catapulted to the extraordinary heights of life's joy. Take the journey with Talia as she undergoes her sexual, social and physical metamorphosis from a vulnerable girl into a mature young seductress. Nothing in life is ever as it seems. Is she blessed or cursed? Will she ever find the man who will love her like no other, fearlessly caressing the deepest part of her being while intertwining his soul to hers in a dance that holds the unspoken promise of forever?
Awakening to the Dance: A Journey to Wholeness by Georganne SpruceWhat does it take for us to become our authentic selves? In her memoir, Georganne Spruce, a woman who chooses to define herself rather than follow society's stereotypes, searches for an authentic identity, creative expression, and a spirituality that uplifts her. On this journey, this dance of life, she learns to release her fear, express her deepest thoughts, stand strong in relationships, and find her spiritual core. She explores the mind/body connection through dance, meditation, and law of attraction principles. This book is more than one woman's story, for Georganne shares the tools, practices, dreams, and insights she has used to transform life's challenges into a life she loves.
Wanderlush by David Robert
When David, a self-proclaimed anxiety-ridden introvert, convinces himself he's dying of cancer, he invites his delightfully unpredictable, Xanax-popping, chardonnay-swilling mother on a series of international good-bye vacations. By doing so, he unwittingly opens a Pandora's Box of hilarious and humiliating events that will test just how far they are willing to go to get a laugh. David knows the trips will be anything but boring because he and his mom have been causing a scene for as long as he can remember. He describes her as a cross between Bea Arthur and Karen Walker from Will and Grace, and she is notorious for bending the rules. But nothing can prepare him for escapades that include digging his mom out of a rain gutter in Costa Rica and being dragged across the Arabian Desert by a psychotic camel named Forrest Hump.
The Quarter-Life Breakthrough by Adam Smiley PoswolskyMost books and articles about twentysomethings focus on the problem: why young people are doomed, in debt, depressed, lazy, unlucky, entitled, or addicted to Facebook. Instead, Adam Smiley Poswolsky writes about the solution, so that anyone going through a quarter-life crisis can turn a moment of being stuck into a breakthrough and find meaningful work. Insightful and inspiring; these are the stories of many twenty- (and thirty-) somethings who are discovering how to work with purpose and still pay their rent. Despite being shackled by debt, recession, and the jobs crisis--these millennials aren't motivated by money. Rather, they're driven to make the world more compassionate, innovative, and sustainable.
Memoirs that motivate, inspire and move you; strategies for life, love and beyond, stories of what it's like to encounter the bizarre world that we live in and still survive as the person you were before. No matter what you are expecting, there is likely something pleasantly unexpected for you here. Pour a big coffee, rock your Raybans and get ready to laugh, cry and live out loud.
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