The Beauty Myth – Naomi Wolf

Over the past few years, I’ve been trying to make my way through the wide range of feminist non-fiction out there. I’ve hardly made a dent in the ever-growing list, but I can finally tick off The Beauty Myth.

I found it quite slow going, a problem I often have with non-fiction – it makes your brain work harder than fiction! But I kept at it and it was definitely worth the slog.

Published about two decades ago, it’s not surprising that the book often comes across as dated, but shockingly it is at times still very relevant. However, I found myself very torn while reading.

I didn’t like the sometimes forcible way Wolf tries to get her point across, being especially unfair to men at times. It’s not helpful to write statements such as, Continue reading

Hot Feminist – Polly Vernon

hot-feministThe title of this book was specifically chosen to cause a stir and is, in fact, what first caught my attention. I’ll be honest, my immediate reaction was to roll my eyes, but then I saw Polly Vernon at the ArchWay with Words Festival. The talk covered a lot of interesting issues and Vernon came across as very genuine. So, intrigued, I ended up purchasing a copy.

I wanted to love Hot Feminist and did enjoy reading it, but I wouldn’t recommend it to everybody. Vernon makes some good points and adds some humorous anecdotes, but nothing I haven’t heard before. The writing is  conversational, but too heavy on the capital letters and internet speech for my liking. Continue reading

We Should All Be Feminists – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

We Should All Be FeministsWe Should All Be Feminists is a modified version of Adichie’s 2012 TEDx talk fit into a small, slim book. Like the straight talking title suggests, this is a clear, simple exploration of feminism.

Everyone seems to be talking about feminism at the moment. So many women (and men) are doing their bit to change attitudes. I can’t log on to Twitter or turn on the radio without hearing yet another debate about feminist issues. And that’s great – young girls and boys should be brought up to think and talk about this, but all these discussions can often be overwhelming. Should I be a Hot Feminist like Polly Vernon? Do I want to be told How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran? Well Adichie’s essay is the perfect starting point and in my opinion should be read by everyone. Continue reading

Kissing the Witch – Emma Donoghue

Kissing the Witch

This review at Iris on Books caught my eye a few months ago and the book was added to my wish list straight away.

I read Kissing the Witch in two sittings because, although it’s a collection of short stories, I found it hard to put down. Reading this chain of stories is like opening a Russian doll. The further in you get, the more surprises you find. Each tale is connected to the one before, with the secondary character from the first telling her own story, and then passing on the pen to the next woman. The readers are kept interested because they want to learn more about the character and understand why they have become a witch, a fairy Godmother or how they came to live a secluded life in a cave. Continue reading