Today I'm sharing the best book I read in March.
Of the 12 books I read this month, I had three 5-star books:
Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie
American Hookup: The New Culture of Sex on Campus by Lisa Wade
Gang Leader for a Day: A Rogue Sociologist Takes to the Streets by Sudhir Venkatesh
These were three very different books — a classic murder mystery, a newly published nonfiction book, and a reread of a memoir/nonfiction book that I nominated for book club this month. Of these, the best of the bunch was...
Lisa Wade could have taken a "kids these days" alarmist approach to the investigation of hookup culture, but instead she centered the voices of actual college students to talk about the good, bad, and ugly of hookup culture. She provided historical and sociological context for the stories and synthesized them into topic areas, but overall did a great job of keeping the students' personal experiences front and center — which also made for a better and more interesting read. She does not ignore the subset of students who are "enthusiasts" about hookup culture, but she also details the many ways in which the disadvantages women face in society at large are magnified in disturbing ways in hookups. This is worth a read for high school seniors and their parents, anyone who works with college students, and really anyone interested in how sexual mores and behaviors on campuses have changed over time.
What is the best book you read this month? Let me know in comments, or write your own post and link up below!
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