Best for: Those looking for some inspiration in a variety of voices. In a nutshell: Leading feminist writers from diverse backgrounds share their thoughts on different aspects of what the election of Trump means. Line that sticks with me: I’m writing this while on vacation, so I don’t have my book with me. But I underlined a ton and will be keeping the book to reread some essays. Why I chose it: I saw authors I admire (Rebecca Skolnit! Jessica Valenti! Samantha Irby!) Review: It’s […]
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, […]
Good for Francophiles; for others, not so much
I hate not finishing a book. The literature student in me feels compelled to give every author his due, and there was a time when I would have slogged through anything no matter how disinterested I was. Now that I’m older and one would hope wiser, I’ve realized that life is short and there are times when I should cut my losses and move on to something that makes me happy. I’ve always had a love–meh relationship with Julian Barnes, so it surprised me at […]