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Fashion Climbing: A Memoir by Bill Cunningham
Blurb: Fashion Climbing is the story of a young man striving to be the person he was born to be: a true original. But although he was one of the city’s most recognized and treasured figures, Bill was also one of its most guarded. Written with his infectious joy and one-of-a-kind voice, this memoir was polished, neatly typewritten, and safely stored away in his lifetime. He held off on sharing it–and himself–until his passing. Between these covers is an education in style, an effervescent tale of a bohemian world as it once was, and a final gift to the readers of one of New York’s great characters.
My Thoughts: I adored this book! I’ve been familiar with Bill Cunningham over the years, but this memoir was so insightful. It details his childhood and experience being drafted by the military during the Korean War era (which actually excited him because he got sent to Europe). I loved that Bill always marched to the beat of his own drum. During his years as a milliner, he created pieces that he loved, and didn’t care if others couldn’t understand his work. I loved that he treated everyone equally. He didn’t care what your social status was. He referred to some of his snobby, demanding clients as “star-spangled bitches,” a top-tier quip that made me chuckle. This memoir was fascinating. It’s hard to articulately summarize what I loved about it, because I enjoyed it from start to finish!
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It by Cory Doctorow
Blurb: Enshittification: It’s not just you—the internet sucks now. It’s been enshittified. That was no accident, and it’s not gonna fix itself. Here’s how we’ll disenshittify it so we can have a new, good internet.
My Thoughts: This book was incredibly interesting and equally enraging when you realize just how (intentionally) shitty everything has become. One section that stood out was when Adobe changed its policy and began requiring users to pay a subscription fee for colors. We know all about the big tech companies that have made our user experiences worse, and the author delves into that. It was pretty crazy to see just how widespread and commonplace this has become. Back in the day, a company’s goal seemed to be to create a user-friendly experience to keep customers coming back, but that just isn’t the case anymore, as we’ve become so reliant on these companies.
Also, I just love the word ‘Enshittifcation.’ It’s so perfect and fun to say. It properly encapsulates the anger and frustration we all feel these days.
That’s What Friends Are For: A Hilarious, Tender Story Based on The Golden Girls by Wade Rouse
Blurb: In this poignant and hilarious story inspired by TV’s beloved The Golden Girls, bestselling author Wade Rouse celebrates love, aging, finding your people, and the art of impeccably timed one-liners.
My Thoughts: I really enjoyed this book! I was sold when I saw it was about a group of friends who reenact The Golden Girls in Palm Springs. I’ve always wanted to visit Palm Springs, so this felt like a fun glimpse into that world. This was a wonderful blend of humor and sweetness, with a few tears sprinkled in.
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
Blurb: In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.
My Thoughts: I’ve had a physical copy of this book for probably ten years now. I started it and never finished it. It even made the move with me to New York. I gave the audiobook a listen and was finally able to finish it! I liked this book for the most part, but didn’t feel any big transformation after. I think it’s great to be reminded not to care what people think, but it’s something you have to work on every day. So in that regard, it was a nice reminder.
