Books I read in August 2023

For some reason August was the month of memoirs and biographies. It’s potentially because I didn’t have a lot of time to sit down and read and as a result gravitated towards audio books. So here we go!

I Swear by Katie Porter

Katie Porter is that Congresswoman from Orange County who uses white boards and direct questions to put the folks she is questioning on the spot and make the lies of profiteers really easy to spot for laypeople not aware of the topic at hand. That’s the only way I knew her. However, this book goes into Katie Porter, the divorcee, single mum, woman, friend and it’s definitely a well written book that looks into her history. I am curious why now though? It seems a bit early in her public career for her to be writing a biography. I think its potentially because of the Senate bid? Nonetheless she is a great writer and listening to her read her words, made time fly by.

The Light We Carry by Michelle Obama

The Light We Carry is Michelle Obama’s “self help manual” on how to find strength in difficult times. I found the book a bit too long, and I am glad I got this via Libby. While Becoming was amazing and succint, The Light We Carry falls prey to the issue that her husband’s book did. Repetitive and too long. I am glad I was listening to as opposed to reading it as it’s definitey not one that needed my undivided attention.

Anna by Amy Odell

I came across this book on TikTok as Amy Odell the author uses the platform well to market this book by giving us a look into the book via TikTok videos. This was probably my second favourite book this month after I Swear. It’s a well researched biography of Anna Wintour the fashion queen. I enjoyed a peak behind the curtain of how Anna has made many of her decisions. It was insightful to understand how her family newspaper connections shaped her and why her family dynamics made her always see herself as an underdog. I am hoping that at some point I will get to read an autobiography of her. Obviously while this book seems well researched its not autobiographical, so you should expect an accurate look at how the fashion industry has been changed by Anna but don’t expect an accurate insight into Anna’s thinking behind each decision.