Yeah. Those are the things that make me all kinds of angry, angry, angry. And they are also reminders that as much as some people would like to believe feminism is dead, and that women's rights are said and done, that's actually not the case. And like any good bookworm, they are the kind of occurrences that send me back to my bookshelves to assemble a little stack of books by kick-ass women kicking ass:
Bossypants, by Tina Fey: Just as funny everything else Fey has ever done, but also smart and insightful. Fey narrates the audiobook herself, making it perhaps the best audiobook of all time, and doesn't shy away from what it's like to be a woman in a man's industry and how hard it is to balance her career with her family life. Proof, in case you needed it, that kick-ass feminists can be funny, too.
How to Be a Woman, by Caitlin Moran: If Fey wasn't enough proof that feminists can be funny, too, look no further than Moran, who writes candidly about everything from puberty to marriage to abortion with a sense of humor that is at once in-your-face and thought-provoking. Moran doesn't shy away from the word "feminist," and doesn't think you should, either.
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?, by Mindy Kaling: This one I haven't read (yet), but a recent Bookriot podcast equated it to Bossypants, only from a younger point-of-view (Kaling is about 10 years younger than Fey). This audiobook is also narrated by the author, and is more than on my list.
Why Have Kids?, by Jessica Valenti: Valenti's book made me think, and then think again and again and again, about motherhood and parenthood in the U.S. Since its release, works like Lean In have dominated the discussion about women "having it all," but Valenti's work lay the foundation for these conversation. Why Have Kids? pushes readers in no one direction, but encourages us to take a good hard look at motherhood in this country before diving into the debate. Or maybe to just stop debating and start supporting, instead.
Wonder Women, by Deborah Spar: Spar explores how women's lives have--and haven't--changed since the "end" of the women's lib movement. Subtitled "Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection," this is another one I haven't read but hope to get to soon.
The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood: Not all feminist writings are non-fiction, and Atwood's chilling dystopian novel is all the proof we need. Set in a not-too-distant future in which women have been turned into breeding machines and little more, it's all too believable for comfort. Audible has an audio version narrated by Claire Danes that I highly recommend, if you like audiobooks.
