by Sophie
The American Women’s Club of Amsterdam (AWCA) is a vibrant and diverse group of over 300 women, ranging from newcomers to long-time residents of the Netherlands. They embrace life abroad while staying true to their American roots, and strengthen the bond between the Netherlands and the United States through public outreach, activities, and cultural events.
One such activity is reading, and lots of it! Every month the AWCA plans to highlight several books around a central theme, which we’ll share with you right here on the ABC blog as AWCA Page Turners. Because we love it when people are passionate about their reads, and no one’s TBR is ever big enough!
August theme: Clocking In!
Everything is Negotiable: The 5 Tactics to Get What You Want in Life, Love, and Work by Meg Myers Morgan
A fun and practical guide to knowing your worth and getting what you want, inspired by a conversation with one of her daughters, who was six at the time. Meg is the tough best friend who wants you to understand the value she sees in you (and every woman). Filled with practical lessons and humor, this is one of those books you will devour, then return to often for inspiration. – AWCA member Mercedes M.
Daily Rituals Women at Work: How Great Women Make Time, Find Inspiration, and Get to Work by Mason Currey
Read this book for inspiration or procrastination – you’ll love it either way! Daily Rituals: How Great Women Make Time, Find Inspiration, and Get to Work by Mason Currey is the ultimate comfort read for anyone trying to figure out how to balance real life with the urge to create. By pulling back the curtain on the daily routines of legendary writers, artists, and thinkers, Currey shows how the real work of genius isn’t waiting for some kind of divine inspiration… it’s the simple, sometimes messy discipline of showing up, again and again and again. – AWCA member Jill D.
The Radium Girls by Kate Moore
“Radium girls” refers to the young factory girls employed during WWI to paint watches and military equipment with a luminous substance made from radium. The life was so glamorous at first: the pay was good and the girls literally glittered from the paint dust. They were told it was harmless, even as the companies employing them learned more and more about how dangerous it was.
This book sits at the intersection of labor, medicine, gender, class, and power and there is a lot to think about. But I love it because Moore focuses on the lives of these girls themselves. I really got to know them. Rare book indeed. – AWCA member Jana B.
Generation X by Douglas Coupland
Generation X by Douglas Coupland resonated with me when it came out in 1991 because it was commenting on the life I was living. The book’s humorous but thoughtful look at corporate life made me reflect on what really matters. Instead of encouraging people to chase wealth and recognition, it emphasizes the value of meaningful relationships, personal freedom, and finding purpose in everyday life. To me, Generation X is a reminder that true success comes from living authentically and creating a life that is fulfilling, rather than simply meeting society’s expectations. – AWCA Sherryl S.
