Women and Power – Mary Beard
This was a sophisticated but great read! Beard can never do wrong in my eyes and has dedicated her life to researching the ancient world. Women and Power uncovers how women were treated through history. It shows how misogyny has formed over time. Although I have never been a keen historian, this book taught me so much about the struggles even the most powerful of women faced. Every feminist should read this book.
Reclaiming the F-word – Catherine Redfern & Kristin Aune
The new edition of this book was a hard read and took me many months to complete. However, that is its purpose. It provides so much information about studies on the opinion of the word ‘feminism’ which was the main inspiration for my dissertation. It shows how our generation are fighting the stigma attached to feminism and pushing the movement forward. An excellent read for academic purposes.
Wordslut – Amanda Montell
This may be the best book I have ever read. Montell uses her intelligence and wit to provide everything one may need to know about the English language and feminism. It uncovers shocking truths about how so many words we use every day have deep routed sexism in them. This book really opened my eyes! It gives examples of how womxn have begun to take back words which were initially created to oppress us, which is a huge part of the new feminist movement. Amanda Montell is BRILLIANT and actually had me feeling positive about the future of feminism.
My Thoughts Exactly – Lily Allen
Anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge fan of Lily, so I wasted no time in pre-ordering her book and reading the whole thing in two days. It did not disappoint. Allen has been so misunderstood throughout her time in the public eye and this book really exposes that. She gets personal about her stillborn child, sex life, sleeping with prostitutes and ruining her own marriage. This book hits differently, it is so raw and emotional but also hilarious and shocking. She is truly a feminist icon, everyone should read her autobiography!
The Colour Purple – Alice Walker
I am usually not a novel kinda girl. However, I was recommended this book by a friend and it did not disappoint. It is a slow burner and it did take me a while to realise who anyone was or what was going on – but maybe that’s an issue on my part. It shows the journey of two sisters who parted and how their lives progressed. It celebrates women, blackness and LOVE. This story will stay with me forever and remain one of my faves! Also a word of warning… you WILL cry.
Women Don’t Owe you Pretty – Florence Given
After the hype that was given to this book I had to invest. And sorry to any Florence stans out there, I was disappointed! I found the wording often a little too preachy and almost like offensive. I understand we must take accountability for our actions (or if we have ever been a bitch to our friends or mums or partners) but I found Florence Given a little judgey and on a high horse at some points. However, she did make some great points and address some hard topics. I would say that this book is worth the read and there are some strong parts! Also I felt like it was a very basic introduction to feminist issues. Sorry Flo!
Feminism Interrupted – Distributing Power – Lola Olufemi
This book is fantastic – a real eyeopener into the world of intersectional feminism which we so desperately need to embrace! It documents the things which traditional feminism has ignored & how to use our privilege to do good. It discusses some uncomfortable subjects and reveals the sad reality of the system and how women are never the benefiters – especially doubly marginalised women. A great read which I would recommend if you are wanting to broaden your reading into intersectional feminism. 5 stars for Lola Olufemi!
We Should all be Feminists – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This short but sweet manifesto is a great take on feminism and why we should all participate actively in the movement! It highlights a very important issue about why feminism is for everyone – men included, which is often not appreciated by our male allies. This is a great little book for a well rounded introduction to feminist issues and is packed with quotes and ideas. I need more from her – I loved this so much I just wish it was longer!
Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud – Anne Helen Peterson
This collection of essays put together by Anne Helen Peterson is a great insight into the troubles even celebrities face due to being a woman. I particularly enjoyed Melissa McCartney’s and Serena Williams’ chapters. It gives us reality of how women really are scrutinised even in their own field/career. The only part I disagreed with was how Caitlin Jenner’s chapter was labelled ‘Too Queer’. I would disagree as in my opinion she does not interact with the LGBT community at all. Regardless, I loved this book!
Inferior – Angela Saini
I really enjoyed this book about the leading research about women in science. It covers research and academia from all different times and places, explaining the shocking differences between success in the science industry and its correlation with sex and gender. However, this is not an easy book to read. I struggled with this and it probably took the best part of 6 months to read. I read this alongside a couple of other books as I found it too heavy and dense to read quickly and found it difficult to commit to it. Nevertheless I enjoyed it and would recommend it, especially to anyone studying or writing dissertations on similar topics.
the female says 