This book arose from a letter to a friend. The friend had asked Adichie how to raise a feminist daughter and this book is Adichie’s answer. As books go it is fairly short, but I suppose that for a letter it is quite long. If you have read Adichie before (and if you haven’t you really should) her voice is strong and flowing in this letter and I enjoyed reading it. I wanted to buy ten copies and just throw them at anybody who’s expecting. […]
Personal account of growing up female
“We have to walk through the rest of our day knowing that our discomfort gave someone a hard-on.” Sex Object (2016) by Jessica Valenti was another book I found on NPR’s list of Best Books from 2016. The list has led me to quite a few good books, and I am usually a fan of a good feminist memoir, so I picked it up. In it, Valenti discusses details of her childhood and adult life, showing what it’s like to live when men use you first as an […]
Some Good Essays, But Many End Flat
Best for: I don’t know. Maybe new feminists looking for some decent writing? In a nutshell: Journalist Laurie Penny collects some of her greatest hits into one essay collection. Line that sticks with me: “It’s easy to criticize call-out culture, especially if the people calling you out are mean and less than merciful. It’s far harder to look into your own heart and ask if you can and should do better.” Why I chose it: I don’t know. I probably shouldn’t have, as there are […]
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This is a 4.5 star reading experience, but I’m rounding it up to five because the audiobook increased my appreciation for Lindy as a writer and overall human person. The essays in this relatively short (but not too short) book cover a range of topics, from living with a female body, period shame, abortion, a multitude of essays covering her experiences across all parts of her life as a fat person, dealing with online trolls, sexism, rape jokes in comedy, the death of a parent, […]
Realistic Exploration of Women in History
Best for: People who maybe enjoy the schadenfreud of the seeming downfall of famous women but who are also interested in maybe stopping that. In a nutshell: Author Sady Doyle examines all the ways we push women and judge them for their imperfections. Line that sticks with me: “We spend so much time pathologizing “overemotional” women that we scarcely ever ask what those women are emotional about.” Why I chose it: I’m on a bit of a roll, reading about women who fight the system, […]
“Look, I know I’ve been joking around a lot, but it’s only to keep from being sad.”
I’ve been volunteering at my local library, and shelving books has taken me into unfamiliar territory: the nonfiction section! (dun dun duuuuuuun!) Since I’ve been attempting to read stuff by non-white non-men lately anyway, when I found this on my cart to return to the shelves, I decided to keep it for myself. I’m glad I did – Phoebe is a delight. The book is organized into general essay sections, but she rambles a bit, which makes it all much more conversational and easy to […]
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