May was a reading slump, partly because some of the books I read last month were not great. Regardless, I managed to read 4 books in May, one was a reread, one tiny non-fiction, one modern fiction, and one classic fiction.

Here is a short list of the books I read this month, along with excerpts from my reviews of them.

1. The Problem that Has No Name by Betty Friedan – 2018

Midnight’s Children is a novel about Saleem Sinai, a boy born at midnight on August 15, 1947, the exact moment that India gained independence from the British Empire. The novel brings together Saleem’s personal history with the history of India and explores themes of identity, memory, and history.

2. The Problem that Has No Name by Betty Friedan – 2018

A groundbreaking feminist work that explores the deep-rooted dissatisfaction and unfulfillment experienced by many American women in the mid-20th century. Published in 1963 as part of Friedan’s iconic book “The Feminine Mystique,” this edition includes only two chapters first chapters. The first chapter delves into the profound but often invisible struggles faced by women in their roles as wives and mothers. The second chapter gives a glorious nod to the first feminist wave and the Suffragette movement which paved the way for Friedan’s generation of what is known as the second wave of feminism.

3. Passing by Nella Larson – 1929

A powerful and thought-provoking novel that explores themes of racial identity, class, and the complexities of human relationships in early 20th-century America. Published in 1929, it remains a significant work in literature. So significant, I’ve now read it twice.

4. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis – 1954

The third book in The Chronicles of Narnia series was published in 1954, and could very well be the most random story of the series. Set in the magical world of Narnia, this story introduces new characters and sheds light on the events surrounding the reign of the Pevensie siblings (not really, though!)