Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby

Ten Steps to Nanette by Hannah Gadsby, 400 p.

CW: Bullying, severe depression, mention of sexual assault

"Gadsby's unique stand-up special Nanette was a viral success that left audiences captivated by her blistering honesty and her ability to create both tension and laughter in a single moment. But while her worldwide fame might have looked like an overnight sensation, her path from open mic to the global stage was hard-fought and anything but linear.

Ten Steps to Nanette traces Gadsby's growth as a queer person from Tasmania-where homosexuality was illegal until 1997-to her ever-evolving relationship with comedy, to her struggle with late-in-life diagnoses of autism and ADHD, and finally to the backbone of Nanette - the renouncement of self-deprecation, the rejection of misogyny, and the moral significance of truth-telling. Equal parts harrowing and hilarious, Ten Steps to Nanette continues Gadsby's tradition of confounding expectations and norms, properly introducing us to one of the most explosive, formative voices of our time."--Goodreads blurb

As with most American that have come to find Gadsby, she was a complete unknown to me until her Netflix "standup" special on Netflix a few years ago. But her special, and this book, have stayed with me, with her nuggets of her truth coming up in my mind often. What a fantastic writer Gadsby is, both of standup and of her story. Her innate intelligence and thoughtfulness shine bright in her words. The life she has led has brought her to where she is, but what a difficult one. But she talks about the light in the world, too.  

 

Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu

 Brazen: Rebel Ladies Who Rocked the World by Pénélope Bagieu - 304 pages

Astronaut.  Empress.  Apache Warrior.

Throughout history and across the globe, one characteristic connects the daring women of Brazen: their indomitable spirit. Against overwhelming adversity, these remarkable women raised their voices and changed history.

With her characteristic wit and dazzling drawings, celebrated graphic novelist Pénélope Bagieu profiles the lives of these feisty female role models, some world famous, some little known. From Nellie Bly to Mae Jemison, from Josephine Baker to Naziq al-Abid, the stories in this comic biography are sure to inspire the next generation of rebel ladies.

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao

Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao - 400 pages

"The boys of Huaxia dream of pairing up with girls to pilot Chrysalises, giant transforming robots that can battle the mecha aliens that lurk beyond the Great Wall. It doesn't matter that the girls often die from the mental strain.

 
When 18-year-old Zetian offers herself up as a concubine-pilot, it's to assassinate the ace male pilot responsible for her sister's death. But she gets her vengeance in a way nobody expected—she kills him through the psychic link between pilots and emerges from the cockpit unscathed. She is labeled an Iron Widow, a much-feared and much-silenced kind of female pilot who can sacrifice boys to power up Chrysalises instead.​
 
To tame her unnerving yet invaluable mental strength, she is paired up with Li Shimin, the strongest and most controversial male pilot in Huaxia​. But now that Zetian has had a taste of power, she will not cower so easily. She will miss no opportunity to leverage their combined might and infamy to survive attempt after attempt on her life, until she can figure out exactly why the pilot system works in its misogynist way—and stop more girls from being sacrificed." 

This is a standard YA fantasy book, expect for the fact that it's technically sci-fi. It's fast-paced and mostly plot-driven with decent characters, so I was able to read it in just a few days. And that should have be that. However, the last 30 or so pages were so unexpected and exciting that it completely changed my opinion. This is going to be a duology, and I'll absolutely be reading the next book.

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett

The Grace Year by Kim Liggett, 416 pages

CW: Described violence

"In Garner County, girls are told they have the power to lure grown men from their beds, to drive women mad with jealousy. They believe their very skin emits a powerful aphrodisiac, the potent essence of youth, of a girl on the edge of womanhood. That’s why they’re banished for their sixteenth year, to release their magic into the wild so they can return purified and ready for marriage. But not all of them will make it home alive.

Sixteen-year-old Tierney James dreams of a better life—a society that doesn’t pit friend against friend or woman against woman, but as her own grace year draws near, she quickly realizes that it’s not just the brutal elements they must fear. It’s not even the poachers in the woods, men who are waiting for a chance to grab one of the girls in order to make a fortune on the black market. Their greatest threat may very well be each other.

With sharp prose and gritty realism, The Grace Year examines the complex and sometimes twisted relationships between girls, the women they eventually become, and the difficult decisions they make in-between."--Amazon blurb

This was a great standalone book. Had some very hard scenes and graphic violence, but was an interesting storyline. This is a wild combination of The Hunger Games and A Handmaid's Tale. 

Women in Science by Rachel Ignotofsky

Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky - 128 pages

It’s a scientific fact: Women rock!

A charmingly illustrated and educational book, Women in Science highlights the contributions of fifty notable women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) from the ancient to the modern world. Full of striking, singular art, this fascinating collection also contains infographics about relevant topics such as lab equipment, rates of women currently working in STEM fields, and an illustrated scientific glossary. The trailblazing women profiled include well-known figures like primatologist Jane Goodall, as well as lesser-known pioneers such as Katherine Johnson, the African-American physicist and mathematician who calculated the trajectory of the 1969 Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

Women in Science celebrates the achievements of the intrepid women who have paved the way for the next generation of female engineers, biologists, mathematicians, doctors, astronauts, physicists, and more!

Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath

Rejected Princesses:  Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath - 384 pages

Blending the iconoclastic feminism of The Notorious RBG and the confident irreverence of Go the F**ck to Sleep, a brazen and empowering illustrated collection that celebrates inspirational badass women throughout history, based on the popular Tumblr blog.

Well-behaved women seldom make history. Good thing these women are far from well behaved . . .

Illustrated in a contemporary animation style, Rejected Princesses turns the ubiquitous "pretty pink princess" stereotype portrayed in movies, and on endless toys, books, and tutus on its head, paying homage instead to an awesome collection of strong, fierce, and yes, sometimes weird, women: warrior queens, soldiers, villains, spies, revolutionaries, and more who refused to behave and meekly accept their place.

An entertaining mix of biography, imagery, and humor written in a fresh, young, and riotous voice, this thoroughly researched exploration salutes these awesome women drawn from both historical and fantastical realms, including real life, literature, mythology, and folklore. Each profile features an eye-catching image of both heroic and villainous women in command from across history and around the world, from a princess-cum-pirate in fifth century Denmark, to a rebel preacher in 1630s Boston, to a bloodthirsty Hungarian countess, and a former prostitute who commanded a fleet of more than 70,000 men on China’s seas.

Bygone Badass Broads: 52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World by Mackenzie Lee

Bygone Badass Broads:  52 Forgotten Women Who Changed the World by Mackenzie Lee - 176 pages

Based on Mackenzi Lee’s popular weekly Twitter series of the same name, Bygone Badass Broads features 52 remarkable and forgotten trailblazing women from all over the world. With tales of heroism and cunning, in-depth bios and witty storytelling, Bygone Badass Broads gives new life to these historic female pioneers. Starting in the fifth century BC and continuing to the present, the book takes a closer look at bold and inspiring women who dared to step outside the traditional gender roles of their time. Coupled with riveting illustrations and Lee’s humorous and conversational storytelling style, this book is an outright celebration of the badass women who paved the way for the rest of us.

Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chimanda Ngozi Adichie

Dear Ijeawele, or a Feminist Manifesto in Fifteen Suggestions by Chiamana Ngozi Adichie, 63 pages

This was a very insightful book.  Written by the author to her friends newborn daughter, it is a guide on how to raise a feminist.  The book touches on self reliance.  She also suggests girls not only play with girl toys but also with boy toys such as helicopters and cars.  She encourages girls to ask questions.  The book's message is how to raise strong, independent daughters which in today's society is very relevant.

The Geek Feminist Revolution - Kameron Hurley

The Geek Feminist Revolution - Kameron Hurley - 272 pages

This book is a collection of essays and blog posts by the author about a wide variety of topics, most of which carry a common theme of inclusivity, feminism, and geekdom.  Specifically, she discusses the representation of women, various sexual orientations, races, and economic statuses in the realm of gaming, sci-fi/fantasy, and fandoms.

This collection is a clarion call to awareness and responsibility for members of all communities, not just the geeks.  Because she is so stylistically strident, I had to pace myself more than I usually would as I was reading my way through this book for a couple of reasons; first, after reading two or three chapters, the essay presentation started to feel formulaic and that lessened the impact of her otherwise pointed observations, but also just because there's a lot to absorb here.  At times, it also seemed a little like an advertisement for her other fictional works and herself (near the end of the book is an entire chapter about how it feels for her to be "the man," or the accomplished author that's made it, and her tone of humility seemed too strained to be convincing to me), but she also gets very personal about events in her personal life that brought her to this most recent presentation of how she feels about the modern feminist movement.  And that is kind of the overall point here: marginalized persons moving to de-marginalize themselves by ripping the veil of complicity off of the words and attitudes we exhibit as a society every day.  This book is going to open your metaphorical peepers, whether you agree with every point or not.

Feminist Fairy Tales by Barbara Walker

256 pps.

Barbara Walker retells some of the most beloved fairy tales ever told from a feminist perspective. Many of her retellings are of particular interest to anyone interested in Pagan and Wiccan symbols, as they feature frequently in her her new stories. While not perfect by any means (with a lack of diversity and one story that was startlingly transphobic in nature), it's a good starting point for anyone interested in reading about women in fairy tales.

Not That Kind of Girl: A Young Woman Tells You What She's "Learned"

by Lena Dunham. 288 pages.

I'm a fan of Dunham's HBO series, GIRLS, and her early film "Tiny Furniture", so I was looking forward to diving into her new book.  I was a little skeptical when I discovered that it was actually a memoir (being written by someone in only her late twenties), but I expected at the very least that it capture Dunham's strange humor and leave me satisfied.  Unfortunately, I was left feeling a little disappointed.  Overwhelmingly, Dunham discussed her relationships with men and little else.  What little glimpse we caught of her relationship with her family or friends in her life was somewhat shallow.  Dunham is viewed as feminist icon for the Millennial Generation, so I was surprised that she had so few insightful or relevant things to say throughout her book.

Oh well.  I can always watch reruns of her show.

A Little F'd Up: Why Feminism is Not a Dirty Word by Julie Zeilinger

272 pp.

This book is an excellent beginner's guide to feminist thought and history, with the emphasis on teaching younger women and men exactly what feminism is and isn't. It doesn't shy away from the movement's faults, but offers ideas on how the younger generation can possibly fix what she calls the movement's "PR problem". Includes a list of feminist websites, books, and organizations for further reading. Occasionally she strays into stereotypical images of a typical teenage girl, but usually it's to prove some kind of point. Excellent for anyone interested in the history of feminism and social activism.

The Purity Myth by Jessica Valenti, 272 pp.

The Purity Myth is a dissection of the American view of virginity and sexual purity, along with an analysis of how abstinence-only sex education is hurting American teens by spreading dangerous misinformation about sexual health and pregnancy. Truly excellent research and arguments.

Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 176 pages

Herland, by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, 176 pages

This is a pretty awesome feminist work of fiction from the early 20th century.  Three explorers set out to find an undiscovered land- and what they find is a society comprised solely of women.  Not only is the society functioning, but it is thriving.  For being written in 1915, this does not really shy away from questions of sex, femininity, masculinity, and gender roles, in general.  It is part of a trilogy, so it has a sort of abrupt, "huh?" ending, but as a piece of historical literature and part of the feminist canon, I really enjoyed it.

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan

When She Woke, by Hillary Jordan, 341 pages

This book is sort of an adaptation of The Scarlet Letter, but set in a dystopian future America run by fundamentalist Christians.  When Hannah Payne is discovered to have had an abortion, she is forced to wear red.  But in this world, "criminals" like her are genetically altered so that their entire body turns the new shade and then let out into the world to survive.  Hannah must find her way in a society that knows her crime at a glance and shuns her for it.  She must also learn to resolve her feelings towards her ex-lover, Aidan Dale, Secretary of Faith and revered pastor.  This book is aimed at adults, but could also be of interest to some young adults.  The themes of religion and politics, modern feminism, and prejudice of every kind sound like they would be oppressive, but they make it a thoroughly thought-provoking read.