Being a Woman

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These aren't the only casually distasteful and problematic jokes Moran makes but these two stood out in my mind as particularly offensive. Since Moran takes a lot of time to discuss the harmful nature of the word 'fat', one would think she'd understand the damaging power of the R word and such ableist/transphobic language. I remember seeing the cover of this book and wondering: Who is this Caitlin Moran person, and why should I care about her being a woman? Rafael Santandreu El método para vivir sin miedo: Cómo miles de personas han superado la ansiedad, el TOC, la hipocondría y cualquier miedo irracional If I think of Beth Moore studies as a battlefield of her personal quirks vs the lasting story message, in this study of Esther the lasting story & message wins out. Beth opened my mind to many ways that Esther is a form of great literature. I also learned about "chiastic structure" from this study (Don't live to eat, just eat to live, etc), & turned tables, ironies, & destiny reversals. I feel I've gotten more out of this study than what work I actually put into it! Esther definitely shows that God is the Master Storyteller!

The Collected Autobiographies of Maya Angelou brings together the poet and activist’s most enduring memoirs, including I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, and approaches weighty topics like racism and abuse with lyrical beauty. Angelou’s entrancing testimony of her past tells a story of being forced to confront the ugliness of the world but still finding a way to sing a hopeful song. 12. The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World by Melinda Gates In an epic series of four books spanning sixty years, Ferrante’s Neapolitan Novels follow the friendship of the reserved Elena and brash Lila as they grow up and grow old in Italy, evoking them in all their confusions and complexities . The note-perfect quartet nails female friendship and stirs us to appreciate our relationships with all the women in our lives. 34. Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen OyeyemiI personally think this book can be used in just about any setting - individually, one-on-one, group Bible study, and even hand-in-hand with the teen version for a Mother/Daughter study. Literary biographer and award-winning author Claire Harman champions the life of Charlotte Brontë and her fierce ambition and rebellion. This is no tragic tale of a meek and helpless Victorian girl — Harman’s multi-dimensional, well-researched biography does justice to a famous but somewhat misunderstood figure of the literary canon. Just over two hundred years after Brontë’s birth, Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart reminds us why the author’s works have endured. Fiction 29. The Color Purple by Alice Walker Note: I believe that both men and women have a right to have or not have children and that women without children should not be treated as emotional cripples for it. Although I do actually feel as though Moran short-changed the joy of having children, but maybe that's what you get for being raised by a mother who was, by her own admission, absolutely desperate to have them.) But am I the only one who sees the problem with this quote? She says that "Nothing [in motherhood] is something you couldn't get from...calling your mum." I didn't notice this when I read it (I don't read that closely, dudes), but seriously? Moran has just used evidence of a would-be mother's mother/child relationship (with her own mother) as a reason why you shouldn't have children? My opinion: seriously faulty analysis. If ringing your own mother gives you such happiness, why wouldn't you want to pass that on? (God, now I sound like someone who is advocating the "all women must have babies" stance. I'm just making the point that I don't think Moran is helping her case here.

An American classic, Willa Cather’s 1918 My Ántonia is a vivid evocation of life in the Nebraska prairie. The lyrical novel is a long-enduring snapshot of the American West and the explorations of nature and growing up. Praised at the time of publication for viewing the rural lower classes as worthy of literary depiction, the book continues to wield its exalting power over readers to this day. 36. Circe by Madeline Miller Rule #5: Don't say, "I want to reclaim the phrase 'strident feminist' in the same way the hip-hop community has reclaimed the word 'nigger.'" (SHE ACTUALLY SAYS THIS.) This novel is the first in Elena Ferrante’s Neapolitan series (translated to English by Ann Goldstein). Every time I recommend it, I worry that my praise can’t possibly do it justice. Ferrante weaves a beautiful and intricate story of two girls growing up in mid-20th century Naples. Their lives are those of poverty, violence, and limitation, and a tenuous and torrid friendship ebbs and flows between them. It is the most masterful exploration of women’s lives, loves, and friendships that I have ever read.”

While it’s impossible to capture the nuances and richness of the female experience, the following 10 books present unique, moving portraits of being a woman.

Heather Andrews Self Love Elevated: 19 Women share their powerful and vulnerable collection of self-love stories including 60 + lessons learned and mindset tips The book ends with a discussion of getting older and touches on things like plastic surgery. I look forward to reading Moran chronicle the second half of her life, hard-earned wrinkles and all. So did the book live up to my expectations? Not so much. The main reason is that instead of a funny feminist manifesto, the book is basically a memoir that should have been titled How to Be Caitlin Moran. Not that that is a bad thing as I still find Moran likable, but I generally do not like memoirs. I was expecting a book of ideas. And there are wide swaths of Moran's life that I simply can't relate to. Other than the chapter I Am a Feminist!, there's surprisingly little feminism in the book other than sprinkling the term "strident feminist" in some seemingly incongruous places (such as "But what am I wearing, now? As a strident feminist, how am I dressed?" [202] in the chapter I Get Into Fashion!). As though there's some sort of feminist dress code? It may be simpler to split this up into what I did and did not like about the book, so without further ado:

Motivational author Louise Hay survived childhood abuse, rape, and cervical cancer, and in the late 1980s, she led support groups for people with HIV/AIDS. She emerged from these experiences a champion of the power of positive thinking and self-love. The Power is Within You is the best-selling author’s self-help manifesto on how to nurture yourself, listen to your inner voice, and treat yourself with the kindness you deserve. 24. Very Good Lives by J.K. Rowling Character/Relationships: This book teaches you how to build relationships with your husband, your children, others, and God. *STAR* one misguidedly thinking that (Katie) Price is a good businesswoman - despite the fact that she has to rope her kids into her business to make money: something I always associate with desperate Third World families.." Let's start with the positives. Moran's storytelling, while verging closely into column territory with its style, is witty, often heartwarming and very funny, especially when discussing her quirky family and upbringing. As a child, Moran couldn't stand the idea of being pitied, even in her own diary, so would be ridiculously happy when discussing the most mundane of things. Each chapter opens with an account from Moran's life, how it moulded her feminist opinions, then moves into a rambling, colloquial chat about issues Moran considers pressing for the feminist movement, although your mileage may vary on this front. Some parts, such as her discussion on abortion which includes her own experiences, are powerful and get to the true heart of the matter. I truly appreciated this chapter and Moran for spelling out what should be obvious to all - there is nothing wrong with choosing to have an abortion and sometimes it's the easiest decision a woman can make. Also included are some shots at footballers’ wives and Katie Price, British things that made me scratch my head (although I think I can imagine their North American equivalents).

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And that does NOT make it okay for her to publish a book MARKETED AS AN INTRODUCTORY GUIDE TO FEMINISM that freely uses hate speech, inserts homophobic remarks, promotes an ableist mentality, and ignores general research to avoid making idiotic generalizations on an individual's sexual orientation. It's not quite funny enough to be a comedy, not serious enough to be a manifesto and not consistently delving enough to be a memoir (although the chapters on having children... and not... were deeply personal and extremely moving).

British Labour MP Yvette Cooper has compiled an inspirational collection of women’s speeches from across the world. In contrast to the male-dominated stereotypical lists of “best speeches,” Cooper’s selection aims to highlight the power of women’s words, and boasts a wonderful variety of voices as it ranges far and wide. From Ellen DeGeneres and Jacinda Ardern to Audre Lorde and Benazir Bhutto, She Speaks is an invaluable and stirring resource for young women. 58. No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference by Greta Thunberg Since we're on the subject of feminist legacies, let's talk about the chapter that's very much the heart of the book: the one specifically dedicated to converting people to feminism (a.k.a. An Illustration of What NOT to Do When Preaching Feminism): This Pulitzer-winning short story collection is disarmingly honest and moving in its careful simplicity. Interpreter of Maladies focuses on the lives of Indian-American characters in the USA, as well as Indian characters in Calcutta. Immersive and filled with rich cultural detail, these stories sensitively explore the challenges of romantic relationships, immigration, as well as being away from home in remarkable and lucid prose. If you’ve ever spent time away from your home or family, this masterful collection will make you feel heard. 51. Beloved by Toni MorrisonIt was when I finally accepted that I was different and worthy, exactly as I was, that the clouds started to shift and I started to own the space I occupied. Yes, I may have a lot of privilege, enough that I was able to take an "Introduction to Women's Studies" course last year at my university. The Rebel Accountant Taxtopia: How I Discovered the Injustices, Scams and Guilty Secrets of the Tax Evasion Game