Radio Girls + Giveaway

By: Sarah-Jane Stratford
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: NAL
Pages: 382

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I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion of this book.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): The Great War is over, and change is in the air, in this novel that brings to life the exciting days of early British radio…and one woman who finds her voice while working alongside the brilliant women and men of the BBC. 

London, 1926. American-raised Maisie Musgrave is thrilled to land a job as a secretary at the upstart British Broadcasting Corporation, whose use of radio—still new, strange, and electrifying—is captivating the nation. But the hectic pace, smart young staff, and intimidating bosses only add to Maisie’s insecurity. 

Soon, she is seduced by the work—gaining confidence as she arranges broadcasts by the most famous writers, scientists, and politicians in Britain. She is also caught up in a growing conflict between her two bosses, John Reith, the formidable Director-General of the BBC, and Hilda Matheson, the extraordinary director of the hugely popular Talks programming, who each have very different visions of what radio should be. Under Hilda’s tutelage, Maisie discovers her talent, passion, and ambition. But when she unearths a shocking conspiracy, she and Hilda join forces to make their voices heard both on and off the air…and then face the dangerous consequences of telling the truth for a living.
 
                                                           First Impressions

This cover is gorgeous! It is so pretty and immediately made me want to read the summary. I wasn’t as intrigued by the summary as I was the cover, but it still sounded really interesting and different from what I’ve been reading lately.

                                                            What I thought

This book was definitely interesting!

Maisie is a young woman in the mid-1920s who is looking for work. She gets a job at the BBC as a secretary in the company’s infancy. She works under the Director General and Hilda Matheson who is the Director of the Talks department (the department that puts together different Talk segments on different topics). Soon, as a modern woman, she realizes that she would really like to work solely for Hilda and begins doing so. This story follows Maisie as she figures out whom she is in this new world and accidentally discovers information about the Fascists of Britain prior to World War 2.

What I found so interesting about this book was the different opinions on women in the mid-1920s-early 1930s. When Maisie first starts working for the BBC, her goal is to work there long enough to find a husband and then quit. She views Hilda as odd and couldn’t understand why a woman would even want to be in such a high position. While I expected this opinion from the men in the story, I was surprised that some women didn’t believe in the power of other women.

It was also fascinating to see Maisie grow over time. She really changed as a person and it was fun to follow her on her journey from a Mousey girl who wasn’t even sure who she was or if she wanted to work to someone who is confident in whom they are and love what they do. Maisie wasn’t my favorite person when the story started, so I was glad to see that she grew and matured.

Another interesting part of the book is that Hilda Matheson and other main characters in this story were real people! I didn’t expect that this book was going to use real people for characters. Hilda Matheson is a fascinating individual and even though this story involving her is completely fictional, you can tell that the author did her research on the person and she is true to character. I am fascinated by Matheson as a strong working woman in a time that this was so rare. I with this was someone that more women knew about.

One of the issues that I had with this book was the timeline. I will preface this by saying that I was reading an ebook ARC, so it very much could have been due to the format in which I was reading the book. I found that a lot of the time there were these time jumps that seemed to come out of nowhere, especially at the beginning of the story. When Maisie started working at the BBC, a lot happened and I assumed it was all within the first month of her being there. Then it mentions that it’s 6 months or a year later and I was so confused. There was nothing to indicate that that much time had passed. This happened a few times within the story and it always threw me off. The book does span 1926-1932, but I didn’t see any definition between the years. Whenever moments like that happened, I was a bit thrown off and taken out of the story.
 

Radio Girls is such a unique and interesting book. I think that is would be a great book for any woman to read as there is a strong feminist storyline with even stronger female characters. The setting of this story is also really unique and intriguing. I don’t tend to re-read historical fiction books, so wouldn’t purchase this for my shelf and therefore, give this a Borrow rating. It is truly well-written and has some wonderful characters.

The wonderful people over at Berkley/NAL publishing are offering the chance for on of you to win a finished copy of Radio Girls! 


Giveaway ends June 17th 2016 at 12:00am CST. Open to residents of the US only. Winner will be selected using Rafflecopter and will be notified by email. Winner has 48 hour to respond before a new winner is selected. The product offered is free of charge, no purchase necessary. 

-The Giveaway is now over!

Flawed

By: Cecelia Ahern
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Pages: 336

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Celestine North lives a perfect life. She’s a model daughter and sister, she’s well-liked by her classmates and teachers, and she’s dating the impossibly charming Art Crevan.

But then Celestine encounters a situation where she makes an instinctive decision. She breaks a rule and now faces life-changing repercussions. She could be imprisoned. She could be branded. She could be found flawed.

In her breathtaking young adult debut, bestselling author Cecelia Ahern depicts a society where perfection is paramount and flaws lead to punishment. And where one young woman decides to take a stand that could cost her everything.

                                                         First Impressions

The cover caught my eye because it was white, but if it wasn’t by Cecelia Ahern I would not have picked it up. It is very obviously a dystopian cover and I’ve been a bit burned out on them, so I think that’s why put me off a bit. My very first impression was “Yay! Cecelia Ahern is writing a YA novel! Not only am I super excited but this will also count towards the Debut Author’s Challenge!”

                                                           What I thought

Cecilia Ahern can do no wrong in my world.

Flawed is a dystopian novel in which a government funded group called the Guild has created a system in which they make people as Flawed in order to keep society pure and perfect. If you are branded (literally, branded with a symbol) as Flawed, not only do you have a set of rules you have to follow (such as curfew), but you cannot ever hold a position of power. Celestine has strived for her entire life to be perfection, but one day that changes. She aids a Flawed man, who reminds her of her Grandfather and, as a result, ends up on trial as being Flawed herself.

There are five different brandings that are given to the Flawed. You can receive a branding on your heart/chest for a betrayal to society, on your tongue for lying, on your temple for bad judgement, your foot for walking with the Flawed (aiding them), and on your hand for a reason which escapes me at the moment.

The interesting thing about the setting for this novel is that it seems more modern than some other dystopian novels in that it is set in a time very similar to the present. I also thought it was interesting that the Flawed/Guild system is very much stated as something that is only occurring in the country the novel occurs in. The characters mention that Judge Crevan (the bad guy) wants to bring the Guild and Flawed system to other countries, so obviously the entire world has not adopted this reality.

 I did like Celistine, even though I could see a lot of people being annoyed with her. She is a very logical person who has always been perfect until that moment on the bus. She still holds a lot of that logic after she becomes Flawed, but the annoying thing is that she magically says all the right things. I enjoyed that she is reluctant from the beginning to be any kind of leader or martyr. She knows where she stands and doesn’t trust anyone easily.

The one aspect that irritated me so much was the love triangle. Ugh, whhhhyyyy???? It is not a rule that dystopian novels need love triangles. She is already dating the Judge’s only son which in and of itself is drama. The love triangle was so undeveloped and felt very shoved down my throat.

The concept of the Flawed does bring up a lot of interesting questions. What Celestine does is seen as compassionate, and at the same time is seen as Flawed. How can someone with positive qualities be seen so negatively? How can people who are passing such harsh judgement be seen as perfect? Who gets to decide what perfection is? Can a government ever not be corrupted? 
 

While this isn’t the most creative story in that it follows a lot of dystopian stereotypes, the world is unique and the writing is strong. I enjoyed the pace of the story greatly and found myself not only unable to put the book down, but yelling at it the majority of the time. I definitely would give this more of a 3.5 than a 3, but I did struggle a little bit with how similar it was with other dystopian novels and a bit of the irritation with the love triangle. If you love dystopian novels, you should definitely pick this up. I am looking forward to the next book in the series, and it seems as though it’s a duology which is nice since that means I won’t have to wait even longer to finish the story.  
 

Eligible

By: Curtis Sittenfeld
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 492

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): A Modern Retelling of Pride and Prejudice

This version of the Bennet family—and Mr. Darcy—is one that you have and haven’t met before: Liz is a magazine writer in her late thirties who, like her yoga instructor older sister, Jane, lives in New York City. When their father has a health scare, they return to their childhood home in Cincinnati to help—and discover that the sprawling Tudor they grew up in is crumbling and the family is in disarray.

Youngest sisters Kitty and Lydia are too busy with their CrossFit workouts and Paleo diets to get jobs. Mary, the middle sister, is earning her third online master’s degree and barely leaves her room, except for those mysterious Tuesday-night outings she won’t discuss. And Mrs. Bennet has one thing on her mind: how to marry off her daughters, especially as Jane’s fortieth birthday fast approaches.

Enter Chip Bingley, a handsome new-in-town doctor who recently appeared on the juggernaut reality TV dating show Eligible. At a Fourth of July barbecue, Chip takes an immediate interest in Jane, but Chip’s friend neurosurgeon Fitzwilliam Darcy reveals himself to Liz to be much less charming. . . .

And yet, first impressions can be deceiving.

                                                             First Impressions

Beautiful cover! This immediately made me want to read this book. Then when I saw it was a Pride and Prejudice retelling I was even more intrigued. Those two things were all I needed to know to know I wanted to read this book.

                                                              What I thought

This book markets itself as a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice and it is definitely modern! I really enjoyed this book and found myself unable to put it down once I got into it.

One of the aspects that make this book different from the original story, besides the fact that it’s set in present day, is that the Bennett sisters are a lot older. Jane is almost 40, Liz is 38, Mary is also in her 30s, Kitty is 26 and Lydia is 23. I liked this twist because it definitely made the book feel more modern. Another interesting twist is that a lot of modern attitudes and lifestyles are a major part of this book. For example, Liz, when she moves back home, is seeing a married man and Jane is trying to get pregnant through a sperm donor. I really liked that these new storylines were added because it made it feel like a fresh story instead of just a retelling of a classic.

It was refreshing that Sittenfeld didn’t just think that moving the story to present day was enough to create a modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice. She didn’t just move the story, add some cell phones, texting, and other technology and say it was a modern story. She truly transported the original characters into a modern lifestyle and she did it wonderfully.

Another aspect that I greatly enjoyed was the short chapters. Some of the chapters were as short as a half a page and I think the longest chapter was maybe 5 pages long. This kept the story moving and definitely made it harder for me to put the book down. There was never a dull moment and I really enjoyed Sittenfeld’s style of writing. I also found this book to be funnier than I expected it to be.

As with the original Pride and Prejudice, Darcy and Lizzie aren’t the most likeable of characters but somehow the reader enjoys them anyway. I liked that the characters still had their core characteristics, making the books still have the same heart that the original had. 
 

I will preface this by saying I’m not a hard core Pride and Prejudice fan who has read the original multiple times, but I think Sittenfeld did a wonderful job writing this retelling. It is an interesting story in and of itself and even if you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice, I think it’s different enough that it stands on its own. I would definitely read this book again and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys romance or Pride and Prejudice (obviously). 

Flight Patterns

By: Karen White
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: NAL
Pages: 416

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I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This in no way shape or form influenced my opinion.

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Georgia Chambers has spent her life sifting through other people’s pasts while trying to forget her own. But then her work as an expert of fine china—especially of Limoges—requires her to return to the one place she swore she’d never revisit...

It’s been thirteen years since Georgia left her family home on the coast of Florida, and nothing much has changed, except that there are fewer oysters and more tourists. She finds solace seeing her grandfather still toiling away in the apiary where she spent much of her childhood, but encountering her estranged mother and sister leaves her rattled. 

Seeing them after all this time makes Georgia realize that something has been missing—and unless she finds a way to heal these rifts, she will forever be living vicariously through other people’s remnants. To embrace her own life—mistakes and all—she will have to find the courage to confront the ghosts of her past and the secrets she was forced to keep...

                                                             First Impressions

The cover of this book reminded me of summertime and I definitely wanted to pick it up. It looked like it would be a fun light book. The summary also sounded interesting with a main character who was returning to her family after thirteen years away.

                                                               What I thought

The cover for this book totally does not fit the actual story. As much as I love how pretty t is, it is completely deceiving. Based on the cover alone, you would get the impression that this book is going to be a light chick-lit. It is definitely so much more and darker than I ever would have thought it would be. I feel like it’s going to miss some of the market that would enjoy it because they won’t realize how much mystery there is to this story just by glancing at the cover.

In Flight Patterns, Georgie Chambers returns to her hometown after 13 years away to find a piece of china that she remembered seeing years ago. She works for a firm that valuates old items and estates and she specializes in china. James Graf comes from New York with his grandmother’s china set, sparking the search for a piece of matching china Georgia remembers from her childhood home. Heading back she has to face a sister who she hasn’t talked to in 13 years, a mother who hasn’t spoken in 10, a niece who she hasn’t seen since she was a baby, and her Grandfather the beekeeper.

Oddly enough, one of my favorite parts of this book was the beekeeping. The beginning of each chapter had a piece of information about bees taken from the Grandfather’s beekeeper journal. It was obvious that White did a lot of research on bees and beekeeping and I enjoyed all of the interesting facts about the bees.

I also felt like the alternating chapters worked very nicely. It was helpful to be able to see two parts of the arguments and history. White also included chapters from Birdie’s (the mom who had a mental breakdown) point of view. It was a unique perspective because it showed home sometimes what a person is hiding inside of their head is so different from what they show.

While on the surface this book seems like it would be a cute romance with some family drama, there is a lot of depth to the characters and what they go through. There is mystery in how James Graf’s grandmother’s china ended up with the Chambers as well as some family relations. While I was able to predict some of the twists, there were a few (darker) ones that I definitely did not predict! 
 

This book was enjoyable and the characters very strongly developed. However, the overall story oved a bit slowly for my tastes. I also wish there had a little bit more of the romance, since I had expected more. If you’re looking for a book that straddle chick-lit with contemporary fiction with a bit of mystery this book is for you. It is well written and enjoyable and I never felt like I didn’t want to read it. I don’t think I would read it again or purchase it for myself, but I would recommend it if someone picked it up!

Edit- This is a book that has stayed with me weeks after reading it. I have found myself thinking about parts of the story line and the characters. Because of this, I bumped up my original rating. Originally I had this book at a Borrow, but because it left such an impression I felt like I needed to move it up to a Borrow-Beloved.

The Crown (Selection #5)

By: Kiera Cass
Published Year: 2016
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 279

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Summary (Provided by Goodreads): When Eadlyn became the first princess of Illéa to hold her own Selection, she didn’t think she would fall in love with any of her thirty-five suitors. She spent the first few weeks of the competition counting down the days until she could send them all home. But as events at the palace force Eadlyn even further into the spotlight, she realizes that she might not be content remaining alone.

Eadlyn still isn’t sure she’ll find the fairytale ending her parents did twenty years ago. But sometimes the heart has a way of surprising you…and soon Eadlyn must make a choice that feels more impossible—and more important—than she ever imagined.

                                                          First Impression

I was so excited about this final book coming out! I thought the series was ending with book 3, and then finding out I had to wait for two more books I thought I was going to die. The cover is just as beautiful as the others.

                                                          What I thought

This series is perfection. While it has its issues here and there, overall it is great. I do not dislike a single one of the books in the series which is pretty impressive.

The Crown picks up where The Heir left off. Eadlyn is still in the middle of her Selection and America is recovering from a heart attack. Ahern has recently eloped to Paris and has yet to contact Eadlyn. The weight of the country is on Eadlyn’s shoulders and The Crown follows her as she figures it out.

I definitely liked Eadlyn a lot more in this book than in The Heir. In The Heir she was an unlikeable spoiled brat who was hard to root for. Towards the end, she began to change and become more likable and that continued in this book. Her growth as a character was very well rounded and, while it did seem a little bit quick, it wasn’t unbelievable.

The boys were just as fun in this book than in the previous one, but I did feel like there wasn’t as much of them as in the previous book. As a result, the final choice at the end seemed a bit rushed. I know that I might’ve felt differently if I had read the books concurrently, but I do wish the second book had been just a little bit longer to flesh some more thing out.

Now, don’t get me wrong, this did not affect my opinion of this book in any way! This book wrapped up everything that I wanted it to. I was happy with the ending and who Eadlyn ended up with. I often feel disappointed by final books in trilogies, and even though this series did not end up being a trilogy, I was not disappointed in a single one of these books. I know that this review is short, but I don’t know how to review this book without talking about the series as a whole. 

The Crown and The Selection series overall are amazing. If you are looking for a new fun series to pick up then you need to pick this one up. It is one of my favorite series and I highly recommend it. It has been described as The Bachelor combined with The Hunger Games. It’s definitely not as intense as The Hunger Games, but there is a bit of conflict that happens through the series. 
 

Play! By Sephora May 2016

Play! By Sephora is a new monthly subscription box b Sephora. It costs $10 a month and you received 5 beauty and skincare samples plus a perfume sample each month. Previously, you needed to put yourself onto a wait-list and wait to receive an email before you could subscribe, as they were rolling it out to limited quantities. However, I think that as of the month of May it is now completely open to the public.

In addition to the products, Sephora includes a booklet that includes information about the product, the brand, and then tips of how to use the products. Also at the back of the book is a Play! PASS. This Pass gives you a complimentary one-on-one session with a Sephora artist as well as an extra 50 Beauty Insider points when you scan the pass at the register with any purchase. If you have the Sephora app, you can also scan the images of the products to learn more about them.

One of the differences between this box and other boxes is that it is not personalized. Everyone who signs up for this subscription receives the same products. The theme changes each month and the products follow that theme. This month’s theme was The Forces of Nature, featuring natural products.

As a heads up, the boxes are a little bit larger and will not fit into a small apartment sized mailbox. For reference, a Birchbox box is able to fit almost perfectly into my mailbox, but this one has no chance. Therefore, I’ve had to go to the post office both months to pick up my box.

The products I received this month were as follows:
 

Atelier Cologne in Orange Sanguine (Full-size $120)- This perfume has notes of blood orange, bitter orange, jasmine, geranium, amber woods, tonka beans, and sandalwood. It’s a very nice citrus smell that is a bit masculine. I feel like this could almost be a unisex scent. When I first smelled it I wasn’t quite sure about it, but once I put it on I liked it. It definitely has a cologne scent as opposed to a perfume and I enjoyed it. It is a bit expensive though.

Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Deep Conditioning Mask (Full-size $28)- This product is a nutrient-rich repair treatment that is meant to strengthen, restore moisture, repair split ends, and increase elasticity. It is an overnight treatment which kind of confuses me, but is neat. You are meant to massage it in and then wash it out in the morning. I am not a morning shower person, so I don’t know how often I will use this but I will try to give it a try at least once.

TARTE Tartiest Lip Crayon in Latergram (Full-size $18)- This Lip Crayon is a two-in-one lip liner that works as both a liner and a lip primer. The color itself is a bit brown for my tastes, though I might have a lipstick that it matches. I also didn’t find it to be smooth when I used it on my hand. It felt like I needed to use a lot of force to get a decent line. It is hard to get off though so it should las a while!

Left Swatch-TARTE in Latergram Right Swatch- Bite in Kimchi

Bite Beauty Amuse Bouche in Kimchi (Full-size $26)- Bite Beauty is a brand that makes lipsticks with all edible ingredients. Their lipsticks are known to be highly pigmented as well as nourishing. I currently own a lipstick of theirs and I really like it. The pigment is great, it doesn’t feel drying, and they last and wear really nicely. This color is no different. Even though it’s matte, it never felt like my lips were dry. I was also able to eat dinner and was left with a nice stain of color on my lips. I’m really excited to have this bright pink for summer!

Bite Amuse Bouche in Kimchi

KORRES Wild Rose + Vitamin C Sleeping Facial (Full-size  $48)- While I may not be able to get behind an overnight hair mask, I can definitely get behind an overnight face mask! This mask is said to even skin tone and improve skin texture. Vitamin C helps to brighten skin and the ingredient imperata cylindrical extract is meant to release moisture. I really like the KORRES brand so I’m looking forward to trying this product. During the night is when your skin works its hardest, so night creams, serums, and masks are very important.

Origins Maskimizer Skin-Optimizing Mask Primer (Full-size $22)- This is a new product that is meant to prime and optimize your skin for masks. It claims to improve speadability and rinseability of masks. It sounds a bit gimmicky to me but seems like it could be fun. It does mention that it is not good to use with peel off masks, so if that’s the kind you use, this isn’t going to be for you.

BONUS- Origins Clear Improvement Masks- With the Maskimizer, Origins sent two masks to try. I’ve only ever heard good things about their masks but have never tried them. One of the masks is a charcoal mask, which is meant to help clear pores. The other is the Drink Up Intensive overnight mask that is meant to hydrate. I am so excited about both of these bonuses! Now I have not only one, but two overnight masks to try.

This box is great! I am excited about almost every one of these products with the exception of the hair mask and the TARTE lip crayon. This box is a great value and if you’re looking for a new beauty box I would highly recommend it. For only $10 you receive some high end brands that you wouldn’t receive in boxes of the same price. 
 

Top Ten TBR for Summer 2016

I definitely have a specific taste of books that I love to read in the summer. Because of that, I sometimes find myself saving books specifically to read during the summer months. Usually these are books with pretty, summery colors that are pretty light/easy to read.  While cleaning out my to-be-read (TBR) list I started to get excited by a bunch of books I had on my list that knew I wanted to read over the summer, prompting me to make this list!
 

Open Road Summer By: Emery Lord- When this book first came out a few years ago I had no desire to read it. Yes, everyone was raving about it, but for some reason it didn’t appeal to me. Hen for book club we read The Start of My and You which I really enjoyed. Between the cover and knowing that Lord is an author I enjoyed, I know this will be a great summer read!

The Unexpected Everything By: Morgan Matson- Oh my goodness you guys, I am so excited for this book! Last summer I devoured all of Matson’s books. When I found out she was coming out with a new one in May, I knew I wanted to save it for my summer reading. Her books always have great characters as well as great covers. Plus, she’s the first author to ever make me cry!

The List By: Siobhan Vivian- This book ended up on my TBR for Summer list mostly because it has been on my Goodreads TBR list for a long time. I want to make it a goal to knock off a few books because otherwise why are they still on there? This book looks cute and I think it’s going to be a good light book that I will whip through in a day at the pool. I also listened to Siobhan on a panel at BookCon and she seems so great! If I ever needed persuading to read one of her books, listening to her speak was all I needed!

Emmy & Oliver By: Robin Begay- Another book that’s been on my TBR list for a while that I’m going to finally read. It’s one of those books that’s maybe a little darker than what I usually read in the summer but every time I see it on my list I want to read it but get distracted by other books.

The Summer After You and Me By: Jennifer Salvato Doktorski- This is one of those books that got added to the list based on cover and title alone. Add to the fact that this is about a girl who lives on the Jersey Shore and starts a romance with a tourist there for the summer? Sold! This is exactly the kind of book I love to read in the summer that just seems to not fit during the rest of the year.
 

The Life Intended By: Kristen Harmed- Another BEAUTIFUL cover (sense a theme?). This book has been popping up all over the place for me for some reason and I think I’m going to settle down and read it this summer. This book is a little heavier that most of the other books on this list, but it is nice to break things up a bit. Life Intended follows a woman who lost her husband 10 years ago and is about to get remarried when her first husband starts to show up in her dreams. There’s a definite possibility this will be a tear jerker!

First & Then By: Emma Mills- This book ended up on my TBR from the Debut Author Challenge last year. Unfortunately, with all of the wedding prep it got lost. This story is about a high schooler with a love of football. While it may seem more like something I’d read during the fall (because I tend to love my summer books taking place in the summer), I think it will be fun to read.

Boys of Summer By: Jessica Brody- While the cover may make this book look like everything else on this list, it’s definitely different and I’m excited! This book is actually told from the perspective of three boys! I haven’t read a summer novel that is solely told from the guys’ perspective so I’m really excited to read this one and switch things up.

Love & Gelato By: Jenna Evans Welch- This book is a Debut Author Challenge book for this year! The main character gets to spend the summer in Italy. Who doesn’t want to read a book about Italy, romance, and gelato during the summer?

1984 By: George Orwell- In addition to spending my summers reading light, fun, summer romance novels, I like to take time to read books that would take too much brain power to read during the school year when I have so much else I’m focusing on. This summer I’m going to finally tackle 1984! It’s a classic that I’ve wanted to read for a while and I’ve always felt like I didn’t have the energy. Hopefully this summer I will!

Do you have any books on your must read list for this summer?
 

Our Shared Self May 2016: How to be a Woman

By: Caitlin Moran
Published Year:
Publisher: Ebury Press
Pages: 312

Amazon Barnes & Noble

Summary (Provided by Goodreads): Though they have the vote and the Pill and haven't been burned as witches since 1727, life isn't exactly a stroll down the catwalk for modern women. They are beset by uncertainties and questions: Why are they supposed to get Brazilians? Why do bras hurt? Why the incessant talk about babies? And do men secretly hate them? Caitlin Moran interweaves provocative observations on women's lives with laugh-out-loud funny scenes from her own, from adolescence to her development as a writer, wife, and mother.




Our Shared Shelf is an online book club started by Emma Watson. You can join the group on Goodreads and take part in the discussions as well. I don’t take part in the discussions, but I do like reading the books because they take me out of my comfort zone.

                                                           First Impressions

I have seen this book around and have never been inspired to pick it up. I just never felt like Caitlin Moran would be someone that I would connect with. The cover makes her seem a lot harder/edgier than I am. I was a little nervous when this book came up, but I was excited to see if I would like it as much as the Gloria Steinem book.

                                                            What I thought

I think my first impression was pretty spot on. While I enjoyed more of the book than I thought I would, Caitlin Moran was a bit hard for me to connect with.

This memoir starts with Caitlin Moran at age 13 and follows her pretty much until current day. I will say that this book starts off a bit more, um, graphic(?) than I thought it would be. I don’t want to say that I’m a prude, but I’m not as vocal about my sexuality as Moran seems to be. At times this made me a little uncomfortable because I didn’t see the necessity of it. It definitely bordered on the edge of vulgar and I just didn’t like it.

I almost gave up on the book after the first few chapters, but decided to stick with it and I’m glad that I did. There were definitely views that Moran had on feminism that I thought were very interesting. I liked that she pretty much stated that if you are a woman, you are a feminist. She expressed that being a feminist does not mean you have to be a granola crunching, bra burning, man hating female. She explained that feminism is believing that all people, man and woman, are just human and that is where the need for equality comes from.

I think that her voice gives a very modern breath to feminism that would be wonderful for younger generations to read. While there were some chapters I could’ve done without, I think the overall

While I don’t feel as passionately about this book as I did the Gloria Steinem book, I think it has a great message and I would gladly recommend it to anyone who picks it up. I think that it’s a bit fresher and more relatable for younger girls/women than the Steinem novel. It expresses a lot of common opinions and then says “that is feminism. That thing that you believe that you didn’t think is feminism? Well it is.” I think this is definitely necessary in our world and I appreciated it. Moran’s voice wasn’t exactly my cup of tea, but I’m glad I stuck with it.