juliwi's review against another edition
5.0
During my Bachelor I was, in certain circles, known as 'the Feminist one' of my friend group. As I've gotten older I've become more and more aware of how strong the label of Feminist actually makes me feel. When Virago approached me with the idea of a blog tour for I Call Myself A Feminist I knew I wanted to be a part of it and when I found out who was a part of this collection of essays I knew it was something that belonged on my blog! Thanks to Virago for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.
Feminism seems to be on the rise in a way that it has never been. Women (and men!) all across the world are proudly claiming the label for themselves, forming a united front against sexism on all levels of life. On the other hand there seems to be an outrage about feminism every single day, with women being pitted against each other by the media and negative body images still being predominant. I believe the whole movement is very much at a crossroads where this new wave of Feminism has to decide which way it will go. We as a group have never been more intersectional and aware of each other (although I grant a lot still has to happen on the former) and I Call Myself A Feminist couldn't be a better example of which road we should all be taking. The editors have done their best to bring together voices from all over the world, from different backgrounds and convictions. Although the essays address topics which could potentially be triggering for some, each topic is treated with kindness by its respective author. Rather than the 'preaching and aggressive'-stereotype of feminism that the media likes to portray, this collection shows feminism from its engaging and even funny side.
I absolutely loved I Call Myself A Feminist. This is the kind of collection that can introduce young girls to the new voices of feminism, the women who will be pushing this until men and women are equal on all fronts. This collection shows how varied we are, how different we are and yet how we all have a common goal. I will be giving this one to everyone who questions whether this new generation of feminist has anything to offer!
For Full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/review-i-call-myself-feminist-ed-by.html
Feminism seems to be on the rise in a way that it has never been. Women (and men!) all across the world are proudly claiming the label for themselves, forming a united front against sexism on all levels of life. On the other hand there seems to be an outrage about feminism every single day, with women being pitted against each other by the media and negative body images still being predominant. I believe the whole movement is very much at a crossroads where this new wave of Feminism has to decide which way it will go. We as a group have never been more intersectional and aware of each other (although I grant a lot still has to happen on the former) and I Call Myself A Feminist couldn't be a better example of which road we should all be taking. The editors have done their best to bring together voices from all over the world, from different backgrounds and convictions. Although the essays address topics which could potentially be triggering for some, each topic is treated with kindness by its respective author. Rather than the 'preaching and aggressive'-stereotype of feminism that the media likes to portray, this collection shows feminism from its engaging and even funny side.
I absolutely loved I Call Myself A Feminist. This is the kind of collection that can introduce young girls to the new voices of feminism, the women who will be pushing this until men and women are equal on all fronts. This collection shows how varied we are, how different we are and yet how we all have a common goal. I will be giving this one to everyone who questions whether this new generation of feminist has anything to offer!
For Full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/review-i-call-myself-feminist-ed-by.html
veelaughtland's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars.
I read this book as the very first monthly read for the Feminist Orchestra bookclub here on Goodeeads. If you are interested in reading and discussing some feminist literature, please do join up!
I Call Myself a Feminist is not going to blow your mind if you're not new to feminism, and have read essays/books on the subject before. This is very much an introductory-level book, and something to help ease people new to feminism into reading some more non-fiction on the subject. Does that mean it's not worth reading? No, definitely not.
This collection is deemed an essay collection, but I would say it's a little too informal to be considered as such. It's more a sort of mini manifesto from each contributor, generally drawing on the writers' own personal experiences and why they think feminism is an important movement to be an advocate for.
I liked the mix of subject matter in this collection - survivors, religion, the workplace, everyday sexism, and much more besides was touched on. I do say touched on because obviously, this is by no means an in-depth discussion on any of these subjects, more like tidbits from all over. I did enjoy this variety though, and I didn't expect to have vast amounts of detail so this didn't disappoint me. I liked that for the most part the book felt quite intersectional, although I will admit that the writers did all seem to come for the most part somewhat from a place of privilege. I also really enjoyed that the rights of those from the trans community were also discussed, as this topic is very often left out of the feminism discussion. And of course it must be emphasised that this book focuses on women who are all under thirty, and it was great to see the great work being done by motivated young girls still in their school years.
However, there were some things that irked me. The main one was that there were quotations scattered throughout the book, and although I did like these for the most part, I don't think all of them were particularly well chosen. There were quotations throughout that felt very irrelevant to feminism, and were put in more so for their humour, which seemed a bit pointless. Also, I felt that the book could have been edited a little better - I did notice inconsistencies within some of the essays, and I didn't feel completely engaged with every single one. And of course, I can't rate this super high because like I said, it's not treading all that much new ground if you've been reading up on feminism and what it means to different people for a while now.
Overall though I did really enjoy reading this collection. I did get me riled up about a lot of things, and angered me at times, while making me think about subtleties in the way we use language and talk about certain subjects that I might have passed over before. I'm looking forward to next month's read!
I read this book as the very first monthly read for the Feminist Orchestra bookclub here on Goodeeads. If you are interested in reading and discussing some feminist literature, please do join up!
I Call Myself a Feminist is not going to blow your mind if you're not new to feminism, and have read essays/books on the subject before. This is very much an introductory-level book, and something to help ease people new to feminism into reading some more non-fiction on the subject. Does that mean it's not worth reading? No, definitely not.
This collection is deemed an essay collection, but I would say it's a little too informal to be considered as such. It's more a sort of mini manifesto from each contributor, generally drawing on the writers' own personal experiences and why they think feminism is an important movement to be an advocate for.
I liked the mix of subject matter in this collection - survivors, religion, the workplace, everyday sexism, and much more besides was touched on. I do say touched on because obviously, this is by no means an in-depth discussion on any of these subjects, more like tidbits from all over. I did enjoy this variety though, and I didn't expect to have vast amounts of detail so this didn't disappoint me. I liked that for the most part the book felt quite intersectional, although I will admit that the writers did all seem to come for the most part somewhat from a place of privilege. I also really enjoyed that the rights of those from the trans community were also discussed, as this topic is very often left out of the feminism discussion. And of course it must be emphasised that this book focuses on women who are all under thirty, and it was great to see the great work being done by motivated young girls still in their school years.
However, there were some things that irked me. The main one was that there were quotations scattered throughout the book, and although I did like these for the most part, I don't think all of them were particularly well chosen. There were quotations throughout that felt very irrelevant to feminism, and were put in more so for their humour, which seemed a bit pointless. Also, I felt that the book could have been edited a little better - I did notice inconsistencies within some of the essays, and I didn't feel completely engaged with every single one. And of course, I can't rate this super high because like I said, it's not treading all that much new ground if you've been reading up on feminism and what it means to different people for a while now.
Overall though I did really enjoy reading this collection. I did get me riled up about a lot of things, and angered me at times, while making me think about subtleties in the way we use language and talk about certain subjects that I might have passed over before. I'm looking forward to next month's read!
katiejreads's review against another edition
5.0
This book was perfect, as a proud feminist it was everything I wanted it to be. I wish people who think "am I a feminist?" To read this book as it will make it clear YES, of course you are!
lindsayseddon's review against another edition
4.0
The blurb says "We hope there is one essay here that makes your heart beat in recognition, one that you'll want to thrust in front of your friends and family and bellow 'THIS! This is EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO SAY!'" and that is exactly what happened to me. There is so much in this book that I identify with.
It is so refreshing to read a book about feminism from the point of view of young women. I think this and the fact that none of the essays are condescending or feel like a lecture or guilt - trip makes this a worth-while read for *everyone*, whatever gender.
It is so refreshing to read a book about feminism from the point of view of young women. I think this and the fact that none of the essays are condescending or feel like a lecture or guilt - trip makes this a worth-while read for *everyone*, whatever gender.
maureensbooks89's review against another edition
5.0
‘I Call Myself a Feminist’ is a great collection of essays written by woman. And I would recommend it to everybody. Not only does it make you think about what the real meaning of the word feminism is, but also that this is something that should be important to many more people.
The essays are all written differently and all have another subjects. And what I loved most was the way these essays were all written by people from different backgrounds. It really was fun to read.
This was such a touching read that really makes you think about life. I loved reading the essays combined with many quotes from celebrities and authors. It definitely was a very inspiring read.
The essays are all written differently and all have another subjects. And what I loved most was the way these essays were all written by people from different backgrounds. It really was fun to read.
This was such a touching read that really makes you think about life. I loved reading the essays combined with many quotes from celebrities and authors. It definitely was a very inspiring read.
myliteraryshelf's review against another edition
4.0
I think this is a brilliant introduction for someone who is starting to read feminist texts and who wants to broaden their knowledge of feminist discourse. There are a wide range of topics covered from contemporary writers and activists, however the entries are more snippets, rather than essays and therefore they do not go into a lot of detail. I particularly enjoyed This is Not a Feminist Rant by Alice Stride.
beardybot's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.0
25 essays on feminism from women under thirty, with many more quotes from feminists that aren't (women under thirty).
These essays run the gamut, from horrifying to hopeful, from quietly introspective to openly rebellious. Subjects, because feminism is as broad as the human experience, include: intersectionality, FGM, media representation, Islam, assault, kindness, belonging, family.
Well worth a read, and without any obvious weak link that essay anthologies sometimes turn up.
These essays run the gamut, from horrifying to hopeful, from quietly introspective to openly rebellious. Subjects, because feminism is as broad as the human experience, include: intersectionality, FGM, media representation, Islam, assault, kindness, belonging, family.
Well worth a read, and without any obvious weak link that essay anthologies sometimes turn up.
piperbunny's review against another edition
4.0
Amazing stuff. I really enjoyed reading about feminists from all different countries and cultures and what feminism means to them. Even picking up this book from the library someone commented that I'm trying to be a "stronger" woman. Very relatable stories of things that women experience on a daily basis. This book should make people stop and challenge the way they think.