I was going to write a long list of the books I’ve read this year and which ones I’d recommend and for whom… but there is only so much time in the day. So I decided to narrow it down to a few books, though I realize they’ll probably only appeal to about half of you (sorry guys, maybe next year you’ll get your own list). For fresh takes on puberty, periods, self-esteem, and passion, I give you:

All The Wrong People Have Self-Esteem: An Inappropriate Book for Young Ladies – To give you a sense of what’s in store, the author runs a workshop in NYC called “Mistakes on Purpose,” believes “Collage is a way of life” and this is her website. Her premise? “interesting people are full of doubt. People who are totally sure their way is the only way are always wrong. I think self-esteem is a myth perpetrated by psychologists, movie stars, magazines, and the pharmaceutical industry. They want you to think something’s wrong with you because you don’t have self-esteem like you ‘should.’ Oh, please! georgia o’keeffe, beethoven, and mark twain all had their doubts, but managed to get a few things done, and so can you.” 

Flow: The Cultural Story of Menstruation – This glorious book is chock-full of fabulous images and factoids. For instance, did you know that in 1985, Courtney Cox Arquette was the first person to use the word “period” in a TV commercial? Or that douching with Lysol was once considered a healthy way to make your vagina smell nicer? Um, ouch.

Eat Mangos Naked – Reading a SARK book is like happening upon a friend’s treasured journal – her books are written in her own hand and adorned with her quirky, colorful drawings. But this is no junior-high diary – this is the life-wisdom of a Succulent Wild Woman who exclaims “let’s loosen our clothes, and practice illuminated decadence and conscious luxury.” That’s an idea more women need to latch onto.

The Care & Keeping of You: The Body Book for Girls — My 9-year-old daughter wasn’t too impressed with this book when she received it for her birthday last fall (after all, she asked for a puppy), but since then she’s been reading it on her own and recently told me “I like it. It helps calm me down and makes me not feel so bad about myself.” If you have had a fourth-grader, you probably know that this is the age when kids start getting more self-conscious about their bodies, and also when they need more information about hygiene and impending puberty. While giving your daughter this book doesn’t mean you can chicken out of talking to her about those issues, it does serve as a handy reinforcement.

More book reviews coming in 2010. I’ve been a lot better about reading books for pleasure this year (SARK would be so proud), but I haven’t been very good about writing reviews. I hope to change that in the coming year.