GIRLS WITH SHARP STICKS by Suzanne Young

Girls with Sharp Sticks by Suzanne Young

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is a book that caught my eye a few weeks ago. First I noticed the cover, then the title, and by the time I'd read the blurb, I knew it was something I would be interested in.

I'm a sucker for dystopian books about girls written by women because, although these kind of tales are bleak, the characters turn the narrative into strength and love. The fear lights a fire within them, one that puts them in motion until they end up risking everything for the freedom to be what every girl and woman deserves: the ability to be themselves and be recognised as a person.

So when I found it on the shelves during the new library opening last weekend, I had to borrow it. I'm really glad I did because it's amazing.

Mena attends an exclusive all-girl private school in the middle of nowhere. It's far from town and hidden near the picturesque mountains.

Innovations Academy is run by an all-male staff, all very eager to teach these students how to be better, proper girls for their investors. The girls are happy and willing to please, until dark secrets about the school start to surface...

OMFG. This book is brilliant. Absolutely brilliant! It's as disturbing as it is interesting. As infuriating as it is intriguing. And Mena's POV, as well as the writing style, hooked me in and kept me glued to the pages.

I seriously couldn't put it down. Didn't want to.

As soon as I started reading, the air of malice surrounding these poor girls is obvious and filled me with fear, for them. Shortly followed by rage, because the more I read, the more I started figuring out what was going on. And all I wanted was to see these girls succeed in finding themselves and being able to find their own path.

This story raises a lot of other issues because it doesn't just deal with the obvious imprisonment and control of girls. But I can't go into that without giving away the shocking secrets that are better found out while reading this very cool book.

I loved the characters in this book. Especially the girls. Their sense of sisterhood, and the way they love and support each other is so awesome I loved every minute of their interactions. The way they trust one another and are willing to do whatever it takes to stay together just solidified my appreciation for this story.

There are a lot of other unexpected things that happen. For starters, it's quite violent. And very bloody. Not to mention that all of these kinds of books are horror tales of the worst kind.

I've seen this book compared to a lot of obvious titles I agree with--The Handmaid's Tale, Never Let Me Go, Westworld--but I'm going to add another one: Frankenstein. Doesn't it always come back to man's desire to control everyone? 😒

Anyway, I'm so glad I read this very disturbing, but empowering book. Can't wait to read the next one.

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FORGOTTEN WOMEN: The Artists by Zing Tsjeng

The 48 talented and influential female artists that history should never have forgotten. 

 FORGOTTEN WOMEN is a new series of books that uncover the lost herstories of influential women who have refused over hundreds of years to accept the hand they've been dealt and, as a result, have formed, shaped and changed the course of our futures. From leaders and scientists to artists and writers, the fascinating stories of these women that time forgot are now celebrated, putting their achievements firmly back on the map.

As I mentioned in my previous post, earlier this year I reviewed the first two books in this wonderful and empowering series: The Leaders and The Scientists.

They were both so nice and full of interesting lives, that I just HAD to check out the latest additions.

Just like the others, the first thing that stands out about this book is how pretty the pages are. The words within are as colourful as the illustrations, but nothing shines brighter than the actual lives and talents of so many gifted, yet forgotten, women.

I'm not very good at art, but I've always been interested in many different artistic styles and find a LOT of inspiration in artwork. So discovering so many women I didn't know about, as well as their varied styles, is something I've really enjoyed doing.

Forgotten Women: The Artists is as informative as the previous books, and stunning in its presentation. Ranging from abstract, to performance, craft, photography and design, this edition covers a broad range of artistic flair and the women who create it.

This series deserves a place on my keeper shelf, but more importantly, they're history books that everyone should read!

Forgotten Women: The Artists, September 2018, ISBN 9781788400176, Cassell

FORGOTTEN WOMEN: The Writers by Zing Tsjeng

Putting 48 pioneering and innovative female writers firmly back on the modern map. The women who shaped and were erased from our history. 

FORGOTTEN WOMEN is a new series of books that uncover the lost herstories of influential women who have refused over hundreds of years to accept the hand they've been dealt and, as a result, have formed, shaped and changed the course of our futures. From leaders and scientists to artists and writers, the fascinating stories of these women that time forgot are now celebrated, putting their achievements firmly back on the map.

Earlier this year I reviewed the first two books in this wonderful and empowering series--The Leaders and The Scientists--so, of course I was interested in checking out the next two. ☺

The first thing I have to mention is that this hardback edition is beautiful. The pages inside are thick and colourful, rich with information about each writer's life and achievements. As well as accompanied by lovely illustrations. 

The design of this book is simply stunning.

I'm a writer myself, and a huge reader, so I was surprised to find that I hadn't heard or read the majority of women mentioned within these pages. So it's also a great introduction to a bunch of new potential authors to look forward to.

  

Forgotten Women: The Writers is both informative and gorgeous. It's a treasure trove of information about important women in history that deserve a lot more attention than they get. Ranging from poets, to novelists, historians and journalists, this book covers a lot of very cool territory.

This is another one I'm very proud to add to my feminist keeper shelf!

Forgotten Women: The Writers, September 2018, ISBN 9781788400183, Cassell

THE NOWHERE GIRLS by Amy Reed

Who are the Nowhere Girls? They're every girl. But they start with just three:

Grace, the preacher's daughter who unwittingly moved into the old house of a victim whose pain adorns the walls.

Bold Rosina, whose heart has become hardened by all of the straight girls who broke it.

And misunderstood Erin, the girl who finds more solace in science and order than she does in people. 

They are brought together by the idea of changing the narrative of a girl they had never met, Lucy Moynihan, the victim of a sexual assault who was victimised further by people who found it easier to believe she had cried wolf than to confront what had really happened to her. A girl who, through the course of one evening, went from an excited teenager who felt wanted by a boy for the first time, to someone else entirely, with 'a voice in the darkness, giving her a new name: Slut'.

Together, they form the Nowhere Girls, and decide to avenge the rape of a girl none of them knew.

This is a book I was interested in reading since I first heard about it. Like Asking for It and Moxie, it's an important story that should be read by every girl and every woman. No matter how old we are, we were all just like these girls once. And we grew up to be the women still fighting against a very sexist system determined to oppress us.

When Lucy reported what was done to her by three popular guys, she was victimised, ostracised and labelled something she wasn't. So her family moved away from the small town of Prescott. But when Grace moves into Lucy's former home and finds some disturbing messages on the wall, she starts to wonder about the girl who put them there. 

Rosina and Erin are friends, but couldn't be more different. Rosina's part of a large Mexican family and is expected to work in the family restaurant, babysit her cousins and pretty much not have a life. Erin is on the autism spectrum and has a hard time associating with other people, keeps to her daily schedule, enjoys Star Trek: The Next Generation, and has a secret she carries with her.

Grace meets Rosina and Erin at her new school and starts asking questions about Lucy. When she hears the story, a fire is lit within Grace and together, these three friends start The Nowhere Girls. A movement that starts slow but soon sweeps over the school and spreads into the community.

But when a large group of girls rebel against the patriarchy, trouble is sure to follow...

Wow. This book is so powerful. 

It's an amazing story about three teenagers who want to get justice for a girl they don't know. A girl everyone shunned when she told the truth. A victim everyone--even other girls--decided to insult and ignore, instead of helping. Lucy didn't get the justice she deserved, so the Nowhere Girls will.

I loved the concept of starting a movement in the name of a girl who was wronged by a corrupt system we see way too often. While also trying to stop the violence from happening to someone else, and educating EVERYONE along the way.

Another aspect of this book that is totally awesome is how well everything is mixed together: the everyday teenage experience, how confusing it can be to be a girl, the many different family dynamics and faiths featured, as well as tackling something so huge. Fighting the system is always a hard thing to do and there will always be someone trying to stop them, but these girls stay strong. Even when their own principal--a woman--bows down to the pressures and tries to ruin everything.

There's nothing worse than women and girls who let the patriarchy infect and drive them to push a false narrative about gender.

The Nowhere Girls is an intriguing and addictive book that kept me glued to the pages from start to finish. I loved every raw and heartbreaking moment of what was going on, even when things got so infuriating my blood was boiling. Even when things got uncomfortable and my heart went out to these girls and their awesome cause.

This is a very important book!

The Nowhere Girls are all of us.

The Nowhere Girls, October 2017, ISBN 9780349003078, Atom

SHE: A Celebration of Renegade Women by Harriet Hall

You are cordially invited to celebrate inspirational women... 

SHE is a love letter to all the women who have thrown out the rulebook and threatened the status quo. It's a toast to the brave, bold and brilliant women who make us proud to be ladies. 

 From fashion icon Coco Chanel to Queen Cleopatra, from literary legend Jane Austen to trailblazer Michelle Obama and from kick-ass activist Malala Yousafzai to the one-and-only Beyonce, SHE honours 100 truly renegade women, from history through to present day. 

 Gorgeously curated and expertly written by Stylist journalist Harriet Hall, and filled with stunning illustrations and stylish typography, SHE is a thing of beauty to be worshipped, just like the women that make up its contents. 

Wow, this hardback book is gorgeous! I love the size, and that it doesn't have a dust jacket. I even love the way the 100 renegade women are featured: a two-page spread with illustration on one side and awesome information on the other. It's so neat and crisp and to the point.

I've been reading quite a few books about women who aren't household mames, although most should be, and am continually fascinated with how powerful and strong women have been throughout history. Even though many didn't get recognition until recently, they pushed on and got things done. 

The bravery these women possessed is inspirational.

I also like the diversity in this book. Not only are there women featured of all colours and from all over the world, but also through the ages and different fields.

SHE: A Celebration of Renegade Women is much more than a reference book about kick-ass women, it's a celebration. An inspiration to encourage the rest of us to keep creating, fixing, inventing--just do what feels right for you and make a difference in a world that often tries to stop us.

This is another keeper, and it's going right next to all the other books in my growing collection.

She: A Celebration of Renegade Women, March 2018, ISBN 9781472249852, Headline Home

FORGOTTEN WOMEN: The Scientists by Zing Tsjeng

Putting 48 pioneering and innovative female scientists firmly back on the modern map.

FORGOTTEN WOMEN is a new series of books that uncover the lost herstories of influential women who have refused over hundreds of years to accept the hand they've been dealt and, as a result, have formed, shaped and changed the course of our futures. From leaders and scientists to artists and writers, the fascinating stories of these women that time forgot are now celebrated, putting their achievements firmly back on the map.

THE SCIENTISTS celebrates 48 unsung scientific heroines whose hugely important, yet broadly unacknowledged or incorrectly attributed, discoveries have transformed our understanding of the scientific world. From Mary Anning, the amateur paleontologist whose fossil findings changed scientific thinking about prehistoric life and the Earth's history to Emmy Noether dubbed "The Mighty Mathematician You've Never Heard Of" and whose theorem is still critical to modern physics - these are the stories of some truly remarkable women. Chapters including Earth & Universe; Biology & Natural Sciences; Medicine & Psychology; Physics & Chemistry; Mathematics and Technology & Inventions profile the female scientists who have defied the odds, and the opposition, to change the world around us.

The other day I posted my review for FORGOTTEN WOMEN: The Leaders, and on that same day I actually received this very awesome book!

Just like LEADERS, this edition is absolutely stunning. It's hardback and the pages inside are colourful in both illustrations and knowledge. The way everything is set out kept me turning the page, wanting to consume all the information until I reached the end.

Although there are a bunch of women I do recognise listed here, there are too many I didn't. So I'm really grateful to this book for introducing me to these intelligent and innovative women in history.

I hate that these amazing ladies were considered forgotten at any time, because they deserve to be out there in the public eye. Every single one deserves their place in the history books!

Forgotten Women: The Scientists is another outstanding addition to my feminist reference books. I love learning about these very talented women and hope this series of books expands into every field so we can discover all of the pioneers left out for no other reason than their gender.

Love this book!

Forgotten Women: The Scientists, March 2018, ISBN 9781844039838, Cassell

FORGOTTEN WOMEN: The Leaders by Zing Tsjeng

The 48 influential and rebellious female leaders that history should never have forgotten.

FORGOTTEN WOMEN is a new series of books that uncover the lost her stories of influential women who have refused over hundreds of years to accept the hand they've been dealt and, as a result, have formed, shaped and changed the course of our futures. From leaders and scientists to artists and writers, the fascinating stories of these women that time forgot are now celebrated, putting their achievements firmly back on the map. 

THE LEADERS weaves together 48 unforgettable portraits of the true pioneers and leaders who made huge yet unacknowledged contributions to history, including Grace O'Malley, the 16th century Irish pirate queen; Sylvia Rivera, who spearheaded the modern transgender rights movement; and Agent 355, the unknown rebel spy who played a pivotal role in the American Revolution. Chapters including Rebels; Warriors; Rulers; Activists and Reformers shine a light on the rebellious women who defied the odds, and the opposition, to change the world around them.

This is another book that caught my eye while checking out one of the many cool Hachette Australia catalogues I'm lucky enough to read. :)

Firstly, I want to mention how beautiful this book is. It's hardback and the cover is absolutely stunning. The pages inside are just as lovely. All the awesome (and some not-so awesome) ladies mentioned in this book are accompanied with beautiful artwork and different font sizes to highlight different facts. Plus the colours are bright and pretty!

The actual information is fascinating. There are so many strong and intelligent women from all the ages mentioned within, and every single one has their own interesting story to tell. Stories of leadership, sheer strength and determination, as well as pioneers so often kept out of the history books.

Oh gosh. I don't want to get started on how much this angers me. For so many years, history has pretended women didn't exist, so it's about time these stories got out and everyone can start reading about them.

Forgotten Women: The Leaders is another excellent book to add to my feminist book collection. It's also a book that I'll refer to many more times, and will no doubt inspire me for years to come.

So grab yourself a copy!

Forgotten Women: The Leaders, March 2018, ISBN 9781844039715, Cassell

THE WONDER DOWN UNDER by Dr. Nina Brochmann & Ellen Støkken Dahl

THE WONDER DOWN UNDER explains everything you ever wanted to know about the vagina but didn't dare ask. Learn the truth about the clitoris' inner life, the menstrual hormone dance and whether the vaginal orgasm really exists. The book helps you understand how different types of contraception work in the body, what a "normal" vulva looks like and how wearing socks can change your sex life. 

Medical students and sex educators Nina Brochmann and Ellen Stokken Dahl draw on their medical expertise to bring vagina enlightenment to the world. Their no-nonsense approach, written with great humour, makes this a must-read for women (and men!) of all ages. 

Say goodbye to the myths and misconceptions surrounding female anatomy, this is a timely and empowering book that will inspire women to make informed choices about their sexual health. 

When I spotted this title in a Hachette Australia catalogue, I was intrigued. So I asked for a review copy, and I'm glad I did.

This isn't just a very informative book featuring a bunch of stuff women are very familiar with, it's also quite funny. The illustrations alone cracked me up so much I had to show my husband. And couldn't stop cackling. 

There's a LOT of information within these pages. Ranging from normalising how important it is to get to know your own body, how to make informed choices about the many contraception options available, sexual health and how the female anatomy changes throughout a woman's life.

There's even a section about gender identity. But as the title states, this  very crafty reference book is about the vagina.

I really enjoyed it, and think that books like these should be shared with both boys and girls in school. There's too much mystery, misconceptions, and false information kept away from each gender. This creates problems, ignorance and distrust. We should be talking openly about our bodies and sex, instead of demonising everything.

But anyway, I could go on about this for ages...

The Wonder Down Under is a very cool book to have in your library because there's just so much packed inside. I'm going to file it with the rest of my feminist reference books.

Grab yourself a copy!

The Wonder Down Under: A User s Guide to the Vagina, February 2018, ISBN 9781473666900, Yellow Kite

MOXIE by Jennifer Mathieu

Vivian Carter is fed up. Fed up with her high school teachers who think the football team can do no wrong. Fed up with sexist dress codes, hallway harassment and gross comments from guys during class. But most of all, Viv Carter is fed up with always following the rules. 

Viv's mum was a tough-as-nails, punk rock Riot Grrrl in the '90s, and now Viv takes a page from her mother's past and creates Moxie, a feminist zine that she distributes anonymously to her classmates. She's just blowing off steam, but other girls respond and spread the Moxie message. As Viv forges friendships with other young women across the divides of cliques and popularity rankings, she realises that what she has started is nothing short of a girl revolution. 

TIME TO FIGHT LIKE A GIRL 

This is another book I've had on my TBR pile that I was really excited about. When I started reading it the other day, I didn't want to put it down.

Vivian Carter's a good, quiet girl who never speaks out. In East Rockport High, that's the best way to be because everyone knows that the school is run by the rowdy boys in the football team. No matter how much their sexist comments and actions anger her, she doesn't stir trouble. After all, even the faculty lets these jerks get away with doing and saying whatever the hell they want.

But Viv's had enough of the biased dress code, the disgusting T-shirts, of the groping games, and the filthy comments. 

Inspired by her mother's feminist past and their joint love for girl punk rock bands, she decides to start an anonymous zine she calls Moxie. And when Moxie starts to gain interest from other girls and the message sweeps through the school, Viv starts to realise she's started a revolution. But will everything that's going on get in the way of her need to be good and stay under the radar? Maybe it will even get in the way of her interest in the new boy in school...

This book is revolutionary and totally awesome!

Every girl needs to read this. I'm serious, grab a copy right now because you won't regret it. You also won't be able to fight the sense of pride and sisterhood this book makes you feel. Remember that feeling you got when you started watching Wonder Woman and first spotted the Amazons in Themyscira? Yep. That's what I'm talking about.

No matter how old you are, this story will sweep you away and have you nodding and cheering the characters on. Every. Step. Of. The. Way.

Viv was badass. Lucy was tough. Their friends were very cool, and real. The joint strength and loyalty they all display was fantastic. It's always great to read a story about girls who don't see each other as competition, but as equals. The competition thing is such a ridiculous habit to slip into because like the Moxie zine says, it's a tool of division the patriarchy has created to control and keep women 'in their place'.

I despise that saying. It disgusts me, always has. But I loved the way it was dealt with here.

I also really liked Seth. He was such a kind and gentle soul who tries so hard to understand Viv's experience. I loved them together, too. The fact a feminist girl who wants to support and empower other girls also wants to enjoy time with her boyfriend is tackled very well. I've always hated that bullshit about feminists hating boys/men. That's another fabrication meant to belittle our sense of belonging.

As far as the school, the assholes, and the faculty supporting and covering up all of this, they made my blood boil. Trying to hold girls responsible for how some boys behave badly and letting them run riot because they can play sport is such a pathetic excuse. I say: Fuck that! There are so many women's teams performing WAY better than men's, but they don't get the proper attention or as much money.

BTW, that's another thing that's dealt with in this brilliant book with the girls soccer team.

I also LOVED the actual Moxie zine pages added throughout the book. Not only was it an awesome addition to an already fantastic book, it also gives the reader a chance to share in the fun!

MOXIE is a feminist gem with a very powerful message wrapped up in an inspiring story. It might start out as the story of one girl in one high school, but it quickly becomes the very familiar story of every girl in every school and beyond.

I seriously LOVED this book so much I want to hug it. And you know what? I'm gonna go and draw some hearts and stars on my hands right now. 😊

#moxiegirlsfightback

Moxie, September 2017, ISBN 9781444940633, Hodder Children's Books

100 NASTY WOMEN OF HISTORY by Hannah Jewell

100 fascinating and brilliantly written stories about history's bravest, baddest but little known 'nasty' women from across the world. 

In the final debate of the 2016 US presidential election, Donald Trump leaned into the microphone as Hillary Clinton spoke about social security and called his opponent 'such a nasty woman'. The phrase has stuck around and has since become something of a badge of honour for women around the world. 

What better time than now, then, for us to look back and learn a thing or two from the 'nasty' women of the past? Compiled and written by BuzzFeed writer Hannah Jewell, 100 Nasty Women of History contains profiles of women from across every century, race and continent, united in the fact that they were all a bit 'nasty'. From 3rd-century Syrian queen Zenobia to 20th-century Nigerian women's rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, these are the women who were bold and powerful, but maybe put people (men's) backs up by being so. 

100 Nasty Women of History is an accessible, intelligent, hilarious (and sometimes sweary) guide to the history-making women whom you probably don't know - but definitely should.

As soon as I spotted this book listed in the Hachette Australia catalogue, I knew it was something I would definitely like to read. I thought it might quench my feminist heart's desire to learn as much as I can about the real history sexism has tried so hard to conceal.

I'm always interested in reading about women in history. Whenever we deal with textbooks and biographies about the people who helped shape and change our world, the focus is usually solely on men. And I find it very hard to believe that only men are responsible for absolutely everything. Well, except for senseless wars. I have no problem believing that. :P

There's a lot of historical erasure of the female species in our education system. So it's awesome to see that so many women from the past are finally being unveiled for the many important contributions and groundbreaking discoveries they made along the way.

This book focuses on some lesser known women. Some I'd never even heard of, and am now glad I have because of Hannah's research. 

The cover is eye-catching and gives the reader a sense of the book's tone instantly. There are many intriguing stories within these pages. Some about ancients, killers, geniuses and revolutionaries who dictated their own lives. The style is casual, comical and doesn't shy away from 'bad' language. 

So it's informative and fun!

100 Nasty Women of History is a nice addition to any (every, really!) woman's bookshelf. It not only informs, but also inspires and reminds us that when people say behind every great man is a great woman, they really mean: strong, clever and very capable women stand beside real men.

If you've ever wondered about some of the lesser known women--both good, bad and in-between--you'll probably want to check this out.

I'm shelving this book in my reference section, and will no doubt keep referring back to it for future research.

100 Nasty Women of History, November 2017, ISBN 9781473671263, Hodder & Stoughton