We Should All Be Feminists: the Desk Diary 2021 | 
so-soOriginally read it on 1.2.2017. I gave it 4 stars and wrote 'Nothing new in gender theory so a basic intro to feminist thinking told in anecdotes.' Early on she writes:
Each time I try to read those books called 'classic feminist texts', I get bored, and I struggle to finish them.
This booklet, based upon a TED talk, is a primer on gender theory w/o being boring or tedious. I believe that is what she set out to do. Read more in comments.
I‘ve read this before and gave it 4 stars. I might bump it down. Just over 15 hrs in my #20in4 challenge. Finished Training School and wondering how to rank it. Finished first act of Villains which was engaging at page 1.
“…and I know that they don't intend harm, but it is one thing to know something intellectually and quite another to feel it emotionally. Each time they ignore me, I feel invisible. I feel upset. I want to tell them that I am just as human as the man, just as worthy of acknowledgement. These are little things, but sometimes it is the little things that sting the most.” (20-21)
Excellent petit pamphlet féministe. Durant ma lecture, j'ai entendu dans ma tête la voix de l'autrice : c'est en effet un livre très personnel, écrit dans une langue simple et familière.
J'ai malheureusement choisi de lire ce livre à l'écran de mon ordinateur : expérience désagréable du point de vue visuel (luminosité) et très pauvre et répétitive d'un point de vue tactile (clic-clic-clic...). J'aurais mieux fait de lire la version imprimée.
pick“What if, I‘m raising children, we focus on ABILITY, instead of gender? What if we focus on INTEREST instead of gender?” (Caps were actually italicized in book). Really enjoyed this quick read of her speech at TEDxEuston, a yearly conference focused on Africa.
Not leaving the couch today.
And yes the other day it was 65 degrees. 🤷♂️
#audiokniiting
#litsycrafters
#all4seasonsatonce
pickI think everyone should read this book irrespective of their gender. Loved the way author puts her thought in a humble way, with logic. Brilliant 5🌟
#nonfiction2021 #wintergames2021 #teamgamesleighers
pickThis was well-written, though it didn‘t really offer anything new or groundbreaking. It‘s juuuuuust slid in as a pick rather than a so-so.
pick(Not the tagged book) imagine a world where the patriarchy doesn‘t exist and in its place, a matriarchy. Where male masturbation is illegal and marriage is the highest pinnacle of success for men. Obinna, a promising poet in his University days, has long since settled into married life with a wealthy, high flying corporate wife. A visit from an old friend, who has shunned, not entirely on purpose, society‘s expectations proves very unsettling.
pickThis is basically an essay and she makes a lot of really great points. Her insight into Nigerian society is interesting but so is her view of the US from the outside.
"I have chosen to be no longer apologetic for my femininity. And I want to be respected in all my femaleness."
#feminism #feminists #women
pick⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Adapted from her TEDx talk, Adichie outlines feminism as related to personal experiences in native Nigeria, US society, and other cultures using straightforward, easy-to-understand terms. Her storytelling abilities shine through this manifesto making it all the more relatable. It‘s brief, so not all encompassing, but a fantastic, nuanced primer.
#reread #bookclub
pickI loved this little book so much. It‘s like a Ted Talk to go, in your pocket. I like the author‘s simple writing. Simple...but it packs a big punch. I did notice there wasn‘t really any gender expansive/fluid/non-conforming language, though, which was very disappointing. Things to remember: • intersectional feminism is the only feminism; • an injustice anywhere, is an injustice everywhere.
What if the parents, from the beginning, taught *both* children to cook? Cooking, by the way, is a useful and practical life skill for a boy to have. I‘ve never thought it made much sense to leave such a crucial thing – the ability to nourish oneself – in the hands of others.
We police girls. We praise girls for virginity but we don‘t praise boys for virginity (and it makes me wonder how exactly this is supposed to work out, since the loss of virginity is a process that usually involves two people of opposite genders). We teach girls shame. *Close your legs. Cover yourself*. We make them feel as though by being born female, they are already guilty of something.
The problem with gender is that it prescribes how we *should* be rather than recognizing how we are. Imagine how much happier we would be, how much freer to be our true individual selves, if we didn‘t have the weight of gender expectations.
Gender is not an easy conversation to have. It makes people uncomfortable, sometimes even irritable. Both men and women are resistant to talk about gender, or are quick to dismiss the problems of gender. Because thinking of changing the status quo is always uncomfortable.
‘Why does it have to be you as a woman? Why not you as a human being?‘ This type of question is a way of silencing a person‘s specific experiences. Of course I am a human being, but there are particular things that happen to me in the world because I am a woman.
pickI felt righteous indignation build up within me as I was reading this speech. I felt like saying “Spot on!“. The talk of feminism is accompanied by eye rolls, especially from the male gender, but its imperative for all of us, to not just understand but consciously take actions to mitigate gender bias that we all have at some point in our life been guilty of; be it expecting the man to pay, or expecting the woman to cook. It is a must-read for all!
pickThis was a short, insightful read. I would also recommend Adichie's TED Talk, The Danger of a Single Story.
pickYou know a book is good when you take a few screenshots of quotes!
This short narrative, based on a TEDx Talk by Adichie, addresses “feminism” and the various perceptions of the word. An excellent primer for anyone who wishes to know about the struggles in culture between gender, but really doing beyond that to look at necessary changes needed on mindsets and cultural expectations established eons ago.
Happy International Women's Day to all the strong Littens in my life. #IWD2021 #ChooseToChallenge 💜 A challenged world is an alert world. And from challenge comes change.
Love this picture by Karen Hallion 💜
“Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes.”
#FaveShortBook
#ShowSomeLove
Everyone should read this!
I suspect this is going to be one of those little books with a big punch. #weshouldallbefeminists #chimamandangoziadichie #socialjustice #blackhistorymonth
pickLoved it...it‘s a go to guide that every girl should read. Crucial conversations and I learnt a lot...even on things that we should “unlearn” as females
pickA very short but very, very impactful read. I think no one can bail on this book. Only 21 pages but brimming with quirky—and somewhat depressing—anecdotes about gender inequality. The way of writing and the inspiration of all of these thoughts and scenarios is very relatable to all the female residents of developing countries, and to some extent all of the female population on the Earth. I highly recommend reading this short book at least once.
#3books #Ihaventreadbutshould. And there are many others but Silence and The Hurley Maker‘s Son were birthday gifts from my brother last year which I should have read last year and Feminist is so short that it shouldn‘t have to wait for my attention.
pick"We should all, women and men, do better."
This tiny little 45-minute #audiobook helped me get over some scary dreams in the middle of the night ?? which were induced by my other audiobook, Mexican Gothic.
This is a perfect little essay to introduce feminist ideals. In a glorious world this audiobook would play in every high school class for a period.
📖 (as tagged)
✒️ Waugh, Evelyn
📺 White Collar
🎤 The Who
🎶 Who Wants to be a Millionaire (from High Society)
#letterw #manicmonday
@JoScho
This is something I feel like I've needed to read for awhile.
pickSooo many things to think about. I will not apologise for my femininity.
Chimamanda reads it so well.
#ChimamandaNgoziAdichie #AugustAuthors if you have never seen her TED talk it is a must watch. As all of her books are must reads.
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
#augustauthors #chimamandangoziadiche
I haven‘t read any of her fiction titles yet but I‘ve learned from and enjoyed some of her non fiction titles such as the tagged book.
Only had 2 5🌟 books for 2018. Lots of good/great/lovely books but these 2 were the standouts.
Listened to #WeShouldAllBeFeminists on audio and I loved it just as much, if not more, than I did in 2015 (gave the paperback 5🌟 as well). Gave a copy of it to several people in my life.
#DestinyDisrupted was so interesting! To read about history through the non-Western perspective was eye opening. Highly recommend it.
#DecadeofBooks
pickAs a white American who has identified as a feminist for decades, I'm not the target audience for this book. It's a short, well-written 101-level introduction to feminism from a Nigerian perspective. It's quite heteronormative and cisnormative in places.
I think it's valuable, but it wasn't written for me. I prefer Adichie's fiction.
This was my #DoubleSpin book for July. Thanks, @TheAromaofBooks!
pick“Culture does not make people, people make culture.”
Endlessly quotable & worthy of a million re-reads.
In my quest to create a “Feminist 101” reading list to go alongside the anti-racist reading list I have, I have made a list of almost 160 potential books. The goal was to keep it between 50-60. Guess I should do some culling.
