In her latest book, writer Leora Tanenbaum reveals that the sexual double standard is alive and a greater threat to today’s young women than ever before. I Am Not A Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of the Internet examines the problem facing teenage girls who are compelled to construct an identity on social media that is sexual, even if they are not sexually experienced. Some claim the word ‘slut’ only to have it used against them with destructive consequences. This is an important read for young women as Tanenbaum goes beyond analyzing the problem to offer a way forward that will shape healthy sexual development and an end to slut-shaming. (HarperCollins, February 3)
Never one to shy away from controversial subject matter, in his new work Bad Faith: When Religious Belief Undermines Modern Medicine, renowned researcher and infectious disease expert Paul Offit, M.D., exposes how children in the US are suffering and dying in the name of religion. Treatable conditions turn tragic as parents choose faith and the power of prayer over medical advice and recognized science. The problem is not exclusive to any one religious group. Through the true stories of families who followed this path with heartbreaking and preventable consequences, Offit makes a convincing case that these actions are contrary to the very best aspects inherent in religious beliefs. (Basic Books, March 10)
The Asylum: True Tales of Madness from a Life of Fashion, by author and industry insider Simon Doonan, is an entertaining romp through the eccentricities and insanities inherent in the world of haute couture. Doonan, the architect of Barneys’ legendary window displays for 20 years, and now the department store’s creative ambassador-at-large, dishes on the stylish set with tales of lunatic colleagues and off-the-wall incidents. This arbiter of style delivers his memoirs with signature sharp wit and the eye of a voyeur, spanning decades and personalities, allowing readers a glimpse into the fabulous insanity of fashion. (Blue Rider Press, February 5)
Fatima Bhutto gives the world a splendid debut novel in The Shadow of the Crescent Moon. The story begins in a small Pakistani town near the Afghan border, a place fraught with oppression and violence, the morning of the American invasion of Afghanistan. Bhutto skillfully navigates the narrative through the eyes of three brothers on life paths that seem to differ in immeasurable ways. Each devastating turn of events weaves politics, history, religion and place with the personal and private stories of those involved. The author accomplishes a rare feat—summoning beauty in the midst of brutality.(Penguin Press, March 24)
main photo credit: dailygenius.com
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