That is awesome. Sounds like her novels helped you in a lot of ways. Gave you knowledge, insight and a sense of your own personal power! Too cool.
If you go to my profile and look at my pics you will see what I look like as a man. I actually went to a drag show in drag lol and no-one knew I was not a man. The way people treated me was fascinating to say the least.

@CreativelyMe That’s amazing. Well you make a handsome male so no wonder they couldn’t tell. I tend to be tomboyish in most of my everyday life. I mean I grew up with brothers right? Climbed trees, rocks, roofs. I don’t like being told this is boy stuff, this is girl stuff. We can all learn, do, like the same things, and we can all and work together. not!!!

@CreativelyMe I saw those pictures and was going to ask you about them but was afraid to put my foot in my mouth so I didn't Glad you clarify here.

@jujuofthesea Please feel free to ask anything you want. I am an open book and do not get offended by much.

@graceylou I am a big tomboy myself and gave all the children dolls to play with. I too hate the social labels that try to dictate what we should like based on anything except what we like lol

@CreativelyMe I call myself a tomboy who loves makeup and the colour pink!!! As a kid I played with toy cars and airplanes just as much as I did with tea sets and doll houses. I took piano lessons and kung fu lessons. I loved chasing my brothers on the roofs while wearing my pink party dress. LOL. Still today I prefer to remain undefined.

I've never known anyone who read her novels.

I'm intrigued because a book I'm reading now mentions George Sand. What do you think of them?

@Ellatynemouth It’s been awhile since I read them but I remember them as more social and political statements than actual novels. Of course I read the English translations since my French isn’t good enough to read entire novels.

Anything that stands out, a quote or something? What is the subject matter you are avoiding?

@CreativelyMe

Something that stood out for me recently was a book review.

Sometimes book reviews are mini works of art in themselves. As Dickens once said about ships: they are "a world within", and so too are some book reviews. This particular one struck me because it was well written and passionate. It turned out the author of the review was also a published author in her own right.

The subject matter of the book I'm trying to avoid, yet feel compelled to read, is the Holocaust and the title of the book is 'If This Is A Man', written by Primo Levi.

The book chronicles his experience at Auschwitz. He survived, but some say only physically; such was the ordeal.

@Ellatynemouth A commercial was what impacted me the most as a child so I am not at all surprised that a book review had an impact on you. It really does not take quantity just quality and I suppose our state of mind at the time. I can see why you are having a difficult time reading the book. I would too.

Very good choices. Anything particular that stands out?

@CreativelyMe
The Meditations, Tao Te Ching, The Art of War, ... almost forgot about The Prince - Machiavelli, Aristotle - Meta Physics.

Anything particularly memorable?

@CreativelyMe the way that the way men are affects women (even if the book was written by a man)

@Davethecrow That is interesting.