"We act mean to defend ourselves from boredom and from those who would chop off our breasts. We act mean to defend our clubs and institutions. We act mean because we like to laugh. Being mean to boys is fun and a second-wave feminist duty. Being rude to men who deserve it is a holy mission. Sisterhood is powerful, but being a bitch is more exhilarating. Being a bitch is spectacular."

Myriam Gurba is a queer, mixed-race Chicana who considers being mean an art form. Her memoir is marked by tragedy from the onset, dealing in sexual violence, racism, misogyny, homophobia—but she's funny, too. Her words are poetic in their reflection; a rhythm ekes out as her history unfolds. She explains matter-of-factly, with a strength that wouldn't necessarily call to mind 'vulnerability,' but there's a staggering intimacy here within Gurba's world and how she grew from a child into a young adult. The journey of her quintessential formative years are entrusted to the reader; it's a generous offering—not at all mean, you might say.

I am so sad that I let this languish on my to-read shelf for so long. If you have this lying around, I urge you to pick it up now. (Hey! It's Non-Fiction November soon, too!). I've been reading a whole lot of memoirs in the back half of this year, and I love all the shapes of how they're told and the women who offer up their voices and stories. I wouldn't miss this one!!