Search
Laura (40 KP) rated Moxie: A Novel in Books
Oct 21, 2017
The Feminist Novel I wish I had as a teen.
Moxie, the book that I wish had been around when I was younger. The book that smashed my reading slump to smithereens. The book that I fiercely related to. Moxie is such an important read, a YA book that looks at everyday sexism, rape culture and feminism, while also telling a good story.
Something I really liked is that Vivian is not some perfect all-knowing feminist. She listens and learns to people, after the Moxie zine starts the conversation. Through these conversations between various characters, so much is discussed, taking advantage of different perspectives. There is this wonderful feeling of community, of support and safe spaces. The very concept of feminism is analysed, challenging the misconception held my many that feminism equals men hating, and exploring the stigma attached to the word ‘feminist’.
There is also a romance plotline running through the book. Vivian is attracted to new boy Seth, and she is even more interested when she realised that he is actually a nice guy, unlike so many other boys at school. He actually likes the Moxie zines, and shows his support for the movement. However he is not perfect, and sometimes he just does not get certain things. This opens the discussion that while a man can be a feminist, it is important to listen and learn about how everyday sexism effects women.
The overall message is about girls supporting each other, and Moxie being an inclusive movement for everyone. I loved that there was next to no girl hate in the novel, and that the way women and girls are pitted against each other was brought up and addressed. There are so many wonderful, empowering moments in this book, I used a lot of sticky notes to mark them all. Having said that, obviously this book deals with sexism, but it also covers sexual harassment, and sexual assault/attempted rape, which may be triggering for some readers. Please be aware of this going in, it’s addressed, there is an overall atmosphere of female empowerment and overcoming, but I don’t want anyone to get caught by surprise.
I wish this book had been around when I was in high school. I really wish it had been around for my younger sister, who had a similar experience with dress-code enforcement as shown in the book. This book is so powerful, and so important.
Something I really liked is that Vivian is not some perfect all-knowing feminist. She listens and learns to people, after the Moxie zine starts the conversation. Through these conversations between various characters, so much is discussed, taking advantage of different perspectives. There is this wonderful feeling of community, of support and safe spaces. The very concept of feminism is analysed, challenging the misconception held my many that feminism equals men hating, and exploring the stigma attached to the word ‘feminist’.
There is also a romance plotline running through the book. Vivian is attracted to new boy Seth, and she is even more interested when she realised that he is actually a nice guy, unlike so many other boys at school. He actually likes the Moxie zines, and shows his support for the movement. However he is not perfect, and sometimes he just does not get certain things. This opens the discussion that while a man can be a feminist, it is important to listen and learn about how everyday sexism effects women.
The overall message is about girls supporting each other, and Moxie being an inclusive movement for everyone. I loved that there was next to no girl hate in the novel, and that the way women and girls are pitted against each other was brought up and addressed. There are so many wonderful, empowering moments in this book, I used a lot of sticky notes to mark them all. Having said that, obviously this book deals with sexism, but it also covers sexual harassment, and sexual assault/attempted rape, which may be triggering for some readers. Please be aware of this going in, it’s addressed, there is an overall atmosphere of female empowerment and overcoming, but I don’t want anyone to get caught by surprise.
I wish this book had been around when I was in high school. I really wish it had been around for my younger sister, who had a similar experience with dress-code enforcement as shown in the book. This book is so powerful, and so important.
Sassy Brit (97 KP) rated Anatomy of a Scandal in Books
Jun 5, 2019
Anatomy of a Scandal is based around three central characters. First there’s James, the suave, charismatic family man and politician who is also good friends with the Prime Minister. He’s wealthy and over-privileged. Then we meet Kate, the young, ruthlessly ambitious prosecutor, who’s determined to see James get the guilty verdict he deserves. She’s also good at her job and made her name prosecuting the very worst sexual assault cases. Finally we meet Sophie, James’ wife who has been dating James since college and knows him better than anyone else. All have a vital part to play in this psychological, legal drama, which starts with a shocking scandal being revealed, which is then dissected in court.
James is accused of rape one of his assistants, but did he do it? While his wife Sophie is seemingly supportive on the outside, on the inside her mind is going crazy thinking about his alleged crimes and what he could in fact be capable of. Just how long can she remain loyal as the story unfolds?
We travel from the court case, back in time to Oxford in the 90s and into the current murky goings on within the privileged political world, where money, corruption and power rule the day.
This is an extremely well written and cleverly plotted, insightful story, which I can easily see adapted into a BBC drama, very much like Louise Doughty’s Apple Tree Yard.
Sarah Vaughan has mastered a treat for us with Anatomy of a Scandal, a sharp, engrossing and poignant political drama, which highlights some shocking hard-hitting facts with sensitivity and realism. Terrific!
James is accused of rape one of his assistants, but did he do it? While his wife Sophie is seemingly supportive on the outside, on the inside her mind is going crazy thinking about his alleged crimes and what he could in fact be capable of. Just how long can she remain loyal as the story unfolds?
We travel from the court case, back in time to Oxford in the 90s and into the current murky goings on within the privileged political world, where money, corruption and power rule the day.
This is an extremely well written and cleverly plotted, insightful story, which I can easily see adapted into a BBC drama, very much like Louise Doughty’s Apple Tree Yard.
Sarah Vaughan has mastered a treat for us with Anatomy of a Scandal, a sharp, engrossing and poignant political drama, which highlights some shocking hard-hitting facts with sensitivity and realism. Terrific!
What Women Want: An Agenda for the Women's Movement
6.0
Rate It
Book
What Women Want is a trenchant examination of the struggle for women's equality, and a prescription...
Human Rights After Hitler: The Lost History of Prosecuting Axis War Crimes
Dan Plesch and Benjamin B. Ferencz
Book
Human Rights after Hitler reveals thousands of forgotten US and Allied war crimes prosecutions...
A Code of Knights and Deception (Swords of Time #1)
Book
She thought it was real. She was wrong. When Sophia wakes up in 15th-century England, she expects...
Historical Time Travel Romance
Sophia (Bookwyrming Thoughts) (530 KP) rated Death by the River in Books
Jan 23, 2020
<b><i>I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.</i></b>
What the fuck did I read.
SERIOUSLY. What the fuck did I read. And why the fuck did I suffer for more pages than necessary?
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2767" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2017/08/what-the-fuck-300x149.gif"; alt="" width="300" height="149" />
<h2><strong>Contrary to all the raving reviews and praise for this book, <i>Death by the River</i> is boring as fuck (at least at the beginning). If any death occurred at the river, it was yours truly from pure boredom. 😴</strong></h2>
Beau Deveraux is the catch of a lifetime on the outside with his good looks and reputation. But on the inside, he's a psychopath, becoming obsessed with his girlfriend Dawn's twin sister, Leslie. She wants no association with Beau and warns Dawn to do the same.
<h2><strong>Good god, there is so much repetition.🙄</strong></h2>
The book nails this fact into our heads repeatedly, chapter after the chapter, and it's one of the main reasons why I couldn't stand <i>Death by the River</i>. I get it - Beau is nice and chummy but secretly evil and Leslie sees right through the facade. Everyone else is a lamb, all nice and innocent to Beau's ways.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3903" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2016/06/innocent.gif"; alt="" width="245" height="245" />
<h2><strong>Then there's pacing plus the repetition. 😣</strong></h2>
It was slowwwww. Maybe it's the writing style, but gosh, I made it to 52% and nothing really happened except:
~ Beau's obsession with Leslie
~ Leslie's uninterest in Beau
~ Everyone's awe of Beau
~ PARTAYYYYYYYY
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4110" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2016/03/1393884189450_gatsby--300x128.gif"; alt="" width="300" height="128" />
And two sexual assaults with no death actually happening except for the death of the victim's reputation, which is expected, considering the book <i>is</i> about sexual assault.
But ultimately, <i>Death by the River</i> fell flatter than a green onion pancake for me.
Just a side note, but green onion pancakes are delicious. I think I insulted them greatly. Green onion pancakes do not deserve this comparison.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/death-by-the-river-by-alexandrea-weis-and-lucas-astor/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
What the fuck did I read.
SERIOUSLY. What the fuck did I read. And why the fuck did I suffer for more pages than necessary?
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2767" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2017/08/what-the-fuck-300x149.gif"; alt="" width="300" height="149" />
<h2><strong>Contrary to all the raving reviews and praise for this book, <i>Death by the River</i> is boring as fuck (at least at the beginning). If any death occurred at the river, it was yours truly from pure boredom. 😴</strong></h2>
Beau Deveraux is the catch of a lifetime on the outside with his good looks and reputation. But on the inside, he's a psychopath, becoming obsessed with his girlfriend Dawn's twin sister, Leslie. She wants no association with Beau and warns Dawn to do the same.
<h2><strong>Good god, there is so much repetition.🙄</strong></h2>
The book nails this fact into our heads repeatedly, chapter after the chapter, and it's one of the main reasons why I couldn't stand <i>Death by the River</i>. I get it - Beau is nice and chummy but secretly evil and Leslie sees right through the facade. Everyone else is a lamb, all nice and innocent to Beau's ways.
<img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3903" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2016/06/innocent.gif"; alt="" width="245" height="245" />
<h2><strong>Then there's pacing plus the repetition. 😣</strong></h2>
It was slowwwww. Maybe it's the writing style, but gosh, I made it to 52% and nothing really happened except:
~ Beau's obsession with Leslie
~ Leslie's uninterest in Beau
~ Everyone's awe of Beau
~ PARTAYYYYYYYY
<img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-4110" src="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/317/2016/03/1393884189450_gatsby--300x128.gif"; alt="" width="300" height="128" />
And two sexual assaults with no death actually happening except for the death of the victim's reputation, which is expected, considering the book <i>is</i> about sexual assault.
But ultimately, <i>Death by the River</i> fell flatter than a green onion pancake for me.
Just a side note, but green onion pancakes are delicious. I think I insulted them greatly. Green onion pancakes do not deserve this comparison.
<a href="https://bookwyrmingthoughts.com/death-by-the-river-by-alexandrea-weis-and-lucas-astor/"; target="_blank">This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts</a>
Goddess in the Stacks (553 KP) rated Royals in Books
May 3, 2019
Delightful romance.
So I’ll admit. The only reason I picked this book up is because the second book in the series, Her Royal Highness, looks like an adorable lesbian romance and I thought I should start at the beginning of the series. I’m glad I did, because Royals is a delight. Daisy is a spirited, no-nonsense teenager who doesn’t get the appeal of all this “royal” stuff, and she’s not one to mince words for the sake of appearances. As you can imagine, that ruffles a LOT of royal feathers! Add in a posse of noble ne’er-do-wells trying to get in trouble, and you’re in for some fun.
Interestingly, I’m torn now on whether to read the second book! Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic writer, so I have no doubt she’ll write a great second book, but the love interest in the next book, Princess Flora, did not make a great impression on me in this book. I was glad she only made a short appearance. It doesn’t sound like the next book is told from her point of view, though, so maybe it will be okay. The series definitely has a lot of potential, as there’s still several members of the Prince’s posse to tell stories about!
I do enjoy a good royal romance, and these are interesting in that they’re contemporary, so the royals are concerned with their reputation, and treated like massive celebrities, but have lost a lot of their intimidation factor and power when it comes to normal people. Daisy sees it more as an inconvenience than anything else, it seems.
One content warning – there was a scene with an unasked-for kiss that could have been called sexual assault if Daisy had been less charitable about it. It wasn’t malicious. But it was questionable. So beware if that’s something you want to avoid.
Interestingly, I’m torn now on whether to read the second book! Rachel Hawkins is a fantastic writer, so I have no doubt she’ll write a great second book, but the love interest in the next book, Princess Flora, did not make a great impression on me in this book. I was glad she only made a short appearance. It doesn’t sound like the next book is told from her point of view, though, so maybe it will be okay. The series definitely has a lot of potential, as there’s still several members of the Prince’s posse to tell stories about!
I do enjoy a good royal romance, and these are interesting in that they’re contemporary, so the royals are concerned with their reputation, and treated like massive celebrities, but have lost a lot of their intimidation factor and power when it comes to normal people. Daisy sees it more as an inconvenience than anything else, it seems.
One content warning – there was a scene with an unasked-for kiss that could have been called sexual assault if Daisy had been less charitable about it. It wasn’t malicious. But it was questionable. So beware if that’s something you want to avoid.
ClareR (5879 KP) rated Not That Bad: Dispatches from Rape Culture in Books
Nov 23, 2018
This is an important book.
This is such an important book. Most of the contributions are from women who have experienced sexual assault, but there are contributions from men, and trans women as well. Some are terrible, life changing stories, some are stories of numerous occurrences that chip away at the writers self confidence and feelings of safety. Actually, the upshot is that a vast majority of women do not feel safe anymore.
As I began reading this, I thought that I was one of the lucky that had never experienced any of these things, but as I read on, I realised that I actually had. I think that the cat-calling, touching and looks are something that we don't so much expect as that we are just used to them. The fact that in my younger years I was very outspoken and told someone who touched me to keep their hands to themselves, or told a commenter to keep their mouths shut, probably meant that I was more lucky than effective when they backed down or apologised. And I also think that British culture was very different 20 years ago, as was I.
What saddens me, is that the people who should really read this probably won't. And if they do, they'll probably brush it off as women who exaggerate or are out to attack men, are men haters. But these are all genuine experiences. This isn't fiction. It's heart breaking, raw and something that shouldn't have any place in our modern world. I've never understood the need of some people to control, manipulate and hurt others, but I think I'm probably naive. Or hopeful, perhaps. Somehow, we need to stop this cycle of abuse and hurt, and until then, stories like this will continue.
As I began reading this, I thought that I was one of the lucky that had never experienced any of these things, but as I read on, I realised that I actually had. I think that the cat-calling, touching and looks are something that we don't so much expect as that we are just used to them. The fact that in my younger years I was very outspoken and told someone who touched me to keep their hands to themselves, or told a commenter to keep their mouths shut, probably meant that I was more lucky than effective when they backed down or apologised. And I also think that British culture was very different 20 years ago, as was I.
What saddens me, is that the people who should really read this probably won't. And if they do, they'll probably brush it off as women who exaggerate or are out to attack men, are men haters. But these are all genuine experiences. This isn't fiction. It's heart breaking, raw and something that shouldn't have any place in our modern world. I've never understood the need of some people to control, manipulate and hurt others, but I think I'm probably naive. Or hopeful, perhaps. Somehow, we need to stop this cycle of abuse and hurt, and until then, stories like this will continue.
After-all-this-time? (11 KP) rated 13 Reasons Why - Season 1 in TV
Dec 30, 2018 (Updated Dec 30, 2018)
Very gripping (3 more)
Thought provoking
Emotional
Relatable cast
Contains spoilers, click to show
I was gripped from episode 1 of 13 Reasons. The cast of young actors and actresses are brilliant, and they made it a really gripping show.
The show not only touches upon, but runs head long into some very serious, hard hitting subjects, including sexual assault and rape, bullying, sexuality, drink driving, peer pressure and, of course, mental health and suicide. So, definitely not one for the easily upset. It portrays all of them in a very honest, very graphic way. It can definitely be upsetting, but is very thought provoking and helps you see things from several different perspectives. It was great seeing mental health finally being spoken about and highlighted in such a mainstream way, without it being belittled.
The storyline follows Clay, a teenage boy, who has recently suffered a bereavement in the form if the suicide of his friend and love interest, Hannah. Some time after Hannah's death, a package containing several tapes is delivered to Clay's house, with instructions for him to listen to them. Every side of each tape describes how each of the 13 people the tapes are intended for contributed to Hannah feeling as she did. Not only does she explain her feelings and why she committed suicide, but also how their actions have had repercussions for other people. They reveal, deep, dark and dangerous secrets about a large number of peoole at their High School, and the revelation of the tapes to the public has the potential to destroy multiple lives, and sees multiple people getting hurt, physically and emotionally.
How far will Clay listen? Can he change things to make things right for others? Can he get restitution for Hannah? And what dark secrets is he going to reveal along the way? Hit play, and find out! You won't regret it.
The show not only touches upon, but runs head long into some very serious, hard hitting subjects, including sexual assault and rape, bullying, sexuality, drink driving, peer pressure and, of course, mental health and suicide. So, definitely not one for the easily upset. It portrays all of them in a very honest, very graphic way. It can definitely be upsetting, but is very thought provoking and helps you see things from several different perspectives. It was great seeing mental health finally being spoken about and highlighted in such a mainstream way, without it being belittled.
The storyline follows Clay, a teenage boy, who has recently suffered a bereavement in the form if the suicide of his friend and love interest, Hannah. Some time after Hannah's death, a package containing several tapes is delivered to Clay's house, with instructions for him to listen to them. Every side of each tape describes how each of the 13 people the tapes are intended for contributed to Hannah feeling as she did. Not only does she explain her feelings and why she committed suicide, but also how their actions have had repercussions for other people. They reveal, deep, dark and dangerous secrets about a large number of peoole at their High School, and the revelation of the tapes to the public has the potential to destroy multiple lives, and sees multiple people getting hurt, physically and emotionally.
How far will Clay listen? Can he change things to make things right for others? Can he get restitution for Hannah? And what dark secrets is he going to reveal along the way? Hit play, and find out! You won't regret it.
Girl in the Woods: A Memoir
Book
Girl in the Woods is Aspen Matis's exhilarating true-life adventure of hiking from Mexico to...