I thought an appropriate segue into revisiting this blog would be to discuss some of the books I’ve read recently, how I came to pick them up , and my overall reflections once I’ve finished them.
Many of these books discuss feminism, with a few of them coming onto my reading list as part of Emma Watson’s feminist book club, Our Shared Shelf. The others I mostly picked up on my own, just out of pure searching, or recommendations from others on Goodreads.
Oh, and the best part? I picked up all of these at my local library! FOR FREE! I can’t overstate the importance of libraries and how incredible they are. If you’re interested in a book and perhaps can’t afford to purchase the books, or don’t want to, your local library system is a wonderful resource! (Can you tell I work at a library?)
Without further ado – here are the books.
First up, I most recently finished bell hooks’ “All About Love: New Visions.” This was part of Our Shared Shelf, and it was interesting read, although I will admit – it took me a while to get through.
The book talks about different kinds of love, from romantic to sexual to friendship to familial, and how different stages of our lives are affected by and affect our ideas of love (such as grief, healing, etc.)
If nothing else, I have to mention my one major qualm with this book: poor editing. While most of it was fine, there were a handful of times throughout the book that I noticed words misspelled, words repeated, poor punctuation and the like.
Prior to that, I read Megan Seely’s “Fight Like a Girl: How to Be a Fearless Feminist.” I was looking for a basic primer on feminism, and I essentially found it.
It’s a little outdated, having been published in 2007 (which is now NINE (!) years ago), but nonetheless, the historical facts are still important. The book wasn’t overly complicated or dense, but it did offer some good suggestions on further actions for people to take. Not only is it a book on feminism; it’s also a book on activism.
Another one I read recently was Alice Walker’s “The Color Purple.” Again, this was read as part of Our Shared Shelf. I’m going to freely admit here: it was a tough read, partly due to the language. And at first, it was hard for me to wrap my head around what was going on in the story.
But eventually, I got it. I can’t particularly say I “enjoyed” this book, because to say that seems wrong in some way, but it was an important read. It discusses the abuse of women, hardships, racism, sexism, lesbianism, and absolutely leaves you bare.
Another book I read recently: #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso. This was very different from the others I’ve listed above, as it’s more of an autobiographical tale than anything else, but it’s also a good read on successful business women.
I also read My Life on the Road by Gloria Steinem as part of Our Shared Shelf, as well as Full Frontal Feminism: A Young Woman’s Guide to Why Feminism Matters by Jessica Valenti.
What have you read lately? Any recommendations for me?
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