Bad Feminist | 
pickThis was my first book from the author. The library had it on display for Women‘s History Month, and I quickly grabbed it because it had long been on my TBR. This book feels old now but her words are just as important. Reading some of what she said reminded me that perhaps I too, am sometimes a ‘bad feminist‘…but this is a collective fight and we all must be in it together, or we will not survive it.
Shown: my pink roses, just for her.
No matter what issues I have with feminism, I am a feminist. I cannot and will not deny the importance and absolute necessity of feminism. Like most people, I‘m full of contradictions, but I also don‘t want to be treated like shit for being a woman. I am a bad feminist. I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all.
Feminism is a choice, and if a woman does not want to be a feminist, that is her right, but it is still my responsibility to fight for her rights. I believe feminism is grounded in supporting the choices of women, even if we wouldn‘t make certain choices for ourselves. I believe women not just in the United States but throughout the world deserve equality and freedom but know I am in no position to tell women of other cultures what that equality⬇️
pickAs with any collection, some of these essays are better than others. A few of them didn‘t age particularly well, but most are spot on. I did the audio version, narrated by Banhi Turpin, and it was mostly well done but with a handful of words she mispronounced so wildly that I lost the whole sentence trying to parse it. I‘m glad I finally read it, and I‘ll probably read more of Gay‘s work at some point, but I‘m not racing to do so.
February‘s choice for #AuthorAMonth is Roxane Gay and this is the book I chose. I‘m not finished with it yet but I‘m learning so much that I‘m taking it slow. I just started the section on Race & Entertainment and the first essay is extremely challenging. It‘s making me take a good look at myself and ponder my own prejudices. As someone who considers herself anti-racist, this is a hard but enlightening lesson. I hope I never stop (cont)⬇️
Still learning a lot from reading an essay a day from my selection for February‘s #AuthorAMonth. Today‘s essay is about trigger warnings, and whether or not they are effective in preventing people from being triggered. As a survivor, she is not affected by possible triggers, because the triggers are nothing compared to the actual trauma. As a writer, she does not believe in including trigger warnings. An interesting perspective.
pick"Somewhere along the line we started misinterpreting the First Amendment and this idea of the freedom of speech the amendment grants us. We are free to speak as we choose without fear of prosecution or persecution, but we are not free to speak as we choose without consequence."
Lots of gems in this one! I didn't agree with everything she wrote but it gave me a lot to think about, much of which is still unfortunately relevant in today's society
pickI liked this a lot more than Difficult Women, which I read a few years ago. I especially enjoyed her literary criticism essays. It was interesting to read this more than a decade after it was written, and it was a little heartbreaking to read her cautious optimism about the direction we were heading, knowing how far we've actually regressed since then. This my February #AuthorAMonth pick. @Soubhiville
pick#Read2025
I finally read this one thanks to #AuthorAMonth It‘s been in my TBR for ages & it‘s my 2nd Roxane Gay (I read Hunger in 2017). I had hoped to finish Not That Bad too but I ran out of time. Although some of the cultural references are dated (it was written 12 years ago), the fact that so little has changed is pretty telling & sobering. Some essays were better (or at least I connected with them more) than others but overall, a good read.
pickThis was my first Roxanne Gay read and I quite enjoyed it. Her opinions were relatable and, even if I didn‘t agree, she broke them down in such a way that I could still appreciate her viewpoint.
#authoramonth @Soubhiville
pickThis book made me laugh out loud a couple of times, but more importantly, it made me think. A lot. Roxane Gay‘s down-to-Earth writing style is so approachable. Even when I didn‘t agree with her opinions, she helped me focus on what my own opinions are. In the end, I realized that, like her, I am a Bad Feminist. But that‘s better than not being a feminist at all.
#authoramonth @Soubhiville
#MonthlyNonfiction2025
I finally got around to reading Roxane Gay thanks to #authoramonth hosted by @Soubhiville . I forgot I had this one on my kindle so I‘m diving in. I doubt I‘ll finish it before Friday though.
Back to the usual Hilo day trip for meetings. Finishing up this one for February‘s #AuthorAMonth.
#AuthorAMonth I‘m learning a great deal from Roxane Gay. But I‘m not planning to finish this book this month. There‘s too much to take in and I don‘t want to miss a thing.
pickFinished these two for #AuthorAMonth
I flew through these powerful stories.
“I believe feminism is grounded in supporting the choices of women even if we wouldn‘t make certain choices for ourselves.” ~ Bad Feminist
repost for @Soubhiville:
It‘s February #AuthorAMonth readers. This month we‘ll be celebrating Roxane Gay. What are you planning to read?
I haven‘t gotten to this year‘s Google form yet. I will try to do that by my mid month post so you can start recording what you‘ve read. In the meantime, if you use StoryGraph here‘s the link to the challenge there:
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reading_challenges/3fd3a3c4-e3eb-4846-b89e-b9024ac...
I‘m posting one book a day from my massive collection. No description, no reason for why I want to read it (some I‘ve had so long I don‘t even remember why!). Feel free to join in!
#ABookADay2024
pickAn intriguing collection of Gay‘s personal essays ranging in topics across feminism, talking about race, sexuality, reproductive rights, sexual violence, & police brutality.
Such an intense read, that I had to take in small chunks, especially the section Gender & Sexuality. I found myself highlighting a lot. It‘s fascinating to see how feminism has evolved in the last 10 years, & yet how we are still fighting the same goddamned fights. 🌕🌕🌕🌕🌑
pickWhat a great exploration of feminism, intersectionality, and pop culture. At times, I wish she would have explored some topics just a little deeper, but overall this was both entertaining and informative. If you're just beginning your anti-racism journey, this is a good start.
I really thought I had posted this already, but I guess I was about as good at posting in October as I was at reading. Since I finished a big, fat zero books during my favorite month (and because I‘m feeling super into sugar skulls right now - check out my Paint & Sip creation from last Saturday!), I‘m sticking with a spooky/Dia de los Muertos theme for November. Thanksgiving is just gonna have to wait. #Roll100
Obsessed 🤩 with this metallic pink 10th anniversary edition that we got at the library today!
pickI've been meaning to read this book for so long and finally managed to. And to say it is a must read, would be an understatement. Although I didn't like a few chapters and it got deviated a lot from the actual topic. I would pick a book on Black history if I wanted to read so much of that.
Keeping that aside, it's a great book. Roxane did a wonderful job and I would definitely be picking more from her.
4/5🌟
Went to see Barbie yesterday. Absolutely loved it. Has me thinking about books, pink(ish) books about feminism and the patriarchy.
A nonfiction list:
Shrill by Lindy West
Bad Feminist Roxane Gay
Make Trouble Cecile Richards
Eloquent Rage Brittney Cooper
Feminasty Erin Gibson
All About Love bell hooks
Difficult Women Roxane Gay
#WomensHistoryMonth
#Recommendations 1of31
There was an article in The Guardian this week about Gay "I'll always be a bad feminist". Just in time for Women's History Month!
When this first came out I think I did not understand intersectionality as well as I should have and it took me a few readings of the essays to really understand. Gay's writing is immaculate so rereading over and over is a pleasure.
A great book for struggling feminists!
pickMore heartbroken than angry at the moment.
Awed by how few pages this writer needs to make a well reasoned argument. I appreciate Gay's perspective, her candor, her incisive way of getting to the heart of the issues, often encapsulating uncomfortable truths and navigating trauma.
That being said, big, BIG warnings for SA, and some internalized fatphobia.
Reminder that this was published in 2014, watch out for gender binary and Cosby references.
A welcome reminder to save the struggle to categorize for the library shelf.
Int👏🏻er👏🏼sec👏🏽tion👏🏾al👏🏿.
Got a feeling I'm going to be doing a LOOOOT of highlighting...
#pridebookrec #nonfiction week
Not just one book but any book by Roxane Gay. Amazing writing with common sense criticism and powerful stories. Here are some of her nonfiction reads
pick*please check TW first, which is ironic as she discusses trigger warnings as helpful but also not to assume what people need protecting from*
“I believe feminism is grounded in supporting the choices of women even if we wouldn‘t make certain choices for ourselves.”
“I would rather be a bad feminist than no feminist at all”
“It‘s hard to be told to lighten up because if you lighten up any more, you‘re going to float the fuck away.”
so-soI like her. And this collection of essays gave me things to think about. 100% would debate her over wine and a game of scrabble on if I really WAS too hard on Sheryl Sandberg. The media criticisms were among my favorite topics.
a major complaint tho, in the comment w/
⚠️Trigger Warning: rape/sexual assault of a minor -
I‘m putting this TW because Gay “doesn‘t believe in them” “life doesn‘t have TW” “a TW will not keep you safe”
So, I haven‘t been enthralled by this book, chapters about scrabble, reality TV, Sweet Valley High. but this chapter is talking about how we judge women in books. People will review an unlikable female protag negatively as, “someone that I wouldn‘t want to be friends with” while no one says that of iconic male “antiheroes”… it‘s interesting.
Do you feel you have to “be friends” with the narrator? I love to hate some of these bitches. Honestly.
