Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Bad Feminist by Roxane Gay

Review by Lauren

source: copy from e-library; all opinions are my own

Official Summary (add on Goodreads): In these funny and insightful essays, Roxane Gay takes us through the journey of her evolution as a woman of color while also taking readers on a ride through culture of the last few years and commenting on the state of feminism today. The portrait that emerges is not only one of an incredibly insightful woman continually growing to understand herself and our society, but also one of our culture.

Review: Bad Feminist is a book that I've heard a lot about, so I finally decided to check out this book of essays with an overarching theme of feminism. Gay has a good writing style, bringing in personal experience, research, and novels to make her point about various topics. While I'm not a POC of color, like the author, I could still read those essays and be empathetic toward Gay and other POC who don't get to see themselves in popular media or who are treated differently because of the color of their skin. However, I am a woman and feminism in the most simple terms is "equal rights between men and women" and that's something I could definitely relate to and understand. Despite this book being written by a female author, I think men can and should read it too. Feminism isn't anti-men, after all, and if people are anti-men and declaring themselves feminist, then they don't understand the overall goal of the movement. 

I liked that Gay states she's a bad feminist, because she doesn't always do the things she knows she should. One small example is that she likes to listen to hip hop/rap music that is very much anti-women. I think this is common for a lot of people, especially if you listen to the radio. You like the voice, the music, and yeah, the lyrics aren't great...but you can't help but nod or even sing along. It doesn't make you a bad person. Maybe it makes you a bit of a bad feminist, but nobody is perfect, and feminism isn't perfect. It's a movement for equality but not everyone follows it in the same way. This is probably the biggest reason it gets such a bad rap, from men and women. Gay talks about women who try to distance themselves from feminism, including big names in pop culture. They are asked if they are a feminist in interviews and they say no. I hate hearing this because they are letting the negative aspects of feminism keep them from saying "yes, I believe in equal rights between men and women." They shouldn't say "I hate men" or "women are better" because that's not feminism, and if they think it is, then that's kind of sad. 

Bad Feminist is a bit of an educational experience; it's full of interesting and intelligent essays. While I didn't love everything in the book, I could understand or empathize with most of it. I would certainly recommend people read it to get just one perspective on not only feminism, but inter-sectional feminism (this means you aren't a straight, white woman). 

I actually pre-ordered Gay's newest release, a memoir called Hunger, so that I could meet her and get it signed. Unfortunately, I was sick and couldn't attend, but I hadn't picked up my book so I got it from the store yesterday and while it's not personalized, it was signed, so I'm excited about that. I can't wait to read it! 

*I'm sharing this review here because the author identifies as LGBT+

Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs by Dave Holmes

Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs by Dave Holmes

Review by Lauren

source: copy from BloggingforBooks; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: Dave Holmes has spent his life on the periphery, nose pressed hopefully against the glass, wanting just one thing: to get inside. Growing up, he was the artsy son in the sporty family. At his all-boys high school and Catholic college, he was the closeted gay kid surrounded by crush-worthy straight guys. And in his twenties, in the middle of a disastrous career in advertising, he accidentally became an MTV VJ overnight when he finished second, naturally, in the Wanna Be a VJ contest, opening the door to fame, fortune, and celebrity—you know,almost. 

Review:

I watched a lot of MTV when I was younger, especially when TRL was popular (Total Request Live) where VJ's announced the top ten videos of the day and celebrities stopped by to be interviewed or play games. Despite watching TRL and other shows on MTV, I have to admit that I didn't recognize the name Dave Holmes. Maybe he wasn't on as much when I really started watching, but at any rate, he was an MTV VJ for a bit and then moved around helping out with other non-music related MTV shows. Reading his memoir was a lot of fun though because each chapter is is name of a song and it chronicles Dave's life from before MTV to afterwards, when he had left the company and moved on to something new. Holmes is a great writer and he infuses a lot of humor into most of his stories. There are some more serious tales though, like being a young worker in NYC when 9/11 happened - this was his pre-MTV days. I find these stories interesting, as someone who was alive during 9/11. We all have that story of "where were you?" As Dave is a gay man, I appreciated how he incorporated that in stories. He writes about being in the closet until college and how he tries to make it safer for other kids at his religious college to come out. He talks about his first boyfriend and others, until he tells you the story of meeting "the one" near the end of the book. This is definitely a book about Dave and his life and not just a who's who at MTV, so you should know that before you dive in. It's still an enjoyable memoir though and I appreciate it. Finally, I want to mention the little extras that Holmes includes between some of the 21 chapters. Some of these are themed song lists, while another gives you a little inside information on some MTV guests - for those of you who like the juicy Celeb stories! All in all, definitely a good one.

How To Be You by Jeffrey Marsh

How To Be You: Stop Trying to Be Someone Else and Start Living Your Life by Jeffrey Marsh

Review by Lauren

source: copy for review; all opinions are my own

Official Summary: This book is about how to finally give up on feeling bad about ourselves and discover the best person we can be.

An interactive experience, How to Be You invites you to make the book your own through activities such as coloring in charts, answering questions about how you do the things you do, and discovering patterns in your lives that may be holding you back. Through Jeffrey's own story of "growing up fabulous in a small farming town"--along with the stories of hero/ines who have transcended the stereotypes of race, age, and gender--you will discover that you are not alone, can deepen your relationship with yourself, and find the courage to take a leap that will change your life. 

Review: I've heard of Jeffrey Marsh, but I didn't know a lot about them when I was asked if I wanted to read/review this book. I immediately said yes though because I have a love for nonfiction books that are about getting to know yourself and finding the best you. I think we all need to spend more time with ourselves, finding the things we love, and learning to love who we are and who we can be. 

This nonfiction book focuses on a different topic for each chapter, ending said chapter with a fun do-it-yourself activity or assignment that helps you with the messages you just read about. For example, one chapter is about not trying to be perfect, because it doesn't exist. There is a space in the book where you write three ways you feel or treat yourself when you aren't perfect and felt you should be. At the end of the chapter, there are some questions about perfection that you are asked to answer. You can write in the actual book if you want, or grab a piece of paper and answer the questions! I like the interactive nature - I think that's good for anyone, but especially younger readers who might need these lessons a bit more than an adult who has had more time to adjust to life. Of course, there are plenty of adults who do think they should be perfect, etc. and this is great for them too! Grab a copy for yourself AND your kid. 

Marsh does a great job making sure that people realize this book is about them. They give personal stories about their life, which I appreciated, that showed what they'd been through and how they use these same "ideas and "lessons" in the book to make themselves better. But they aren't telling people to be them, they are telling everyone to be their true selves and that's a message we should all get behind!

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings

Being Jazz: My Life as a (Transgender) Teen by Jazz Jennings 

Review by Lauren

source: copy from BEA: all opinions are my own

Review: Jazz Jennings from the TLC show I Am Jazz is releasing her memoir today. It's a great look at her life so far - she's only 15 at the moment- and how she always knew she was a girl in a boy's body. I loved hearing stories from her childhood. I'm sure it was tough for her parents to deal with this news, but they seem like great people who only want the best for their children. They allowed Jazz to dress as a girl at home for awhile, and eventually in public. They were constantly learning and advocating for trans rights.

Being Jazz is an easy book to read; it's almost like Jazz is speaking to a friend. It's great how open and honest she is about a lot of different aspects in her life. I have an advanced copy that I was given to read/review, so the photos throughout are all in black and white. Each chapter starts with a new photo, which I loved. I believe the finished version will include some in color, but I can't 100% say for sure. Overall, I highly recommend this one! It's a great way to get an insider's look at what it means to be transgender.

I read this book for #ReadProud, a reading challenge author Julia Ember created for Pride Month!