White Feminism: From the Suffragettes to Influencers and Who They Leave Behind by Koa Beck (★★★★☆)
Audiobook • Spotify • Nonfiction • 2021
Short synopsis: Mainstream feminism has long been defined by parameters dictated and sanctioned by the white women they most benefit. In White Feminism, Koa Beck details the conventions that marginalized genders have needed to adopt to be recognized and exposes how they have been overlooked to champion a different feminist narrative.
I really enjoyed this book. It’s both a history of feminism and a call to action, reminding us of all the ways white women have failed to recognize the plight of our BIPOC community when standing up for feminist causes. I felt convicted at times and astounded at others, and feel a renewed vigor to have an intersectional worldview especially when it comes to feminism. I really appreciate Koa Beck for writing this book and being so brutally honest about white feminism and the danger it can pose. It’s not an easy read, but it was an important one for me to read.
This Time Next Year by Sophie Cousens (★★★☆☆)
Print • Library • Contemporary Fiction • 2020
Short synopsis: Quinn and Minnie are born on New Year’s Eve, in the same hospital, one minute apart. Their lives may begin together, but their worlds couldn’t be more different. Thirty years later they find themselves together again in the same place, at the same time. What if fate is trying to bring them together?
We picked this book for our January book club and I was really looking forward to it. It had a cute premise, so I settled in for a sweet, romantic story. Unfortunately, that’s not what I got. Instead, the story was slow and hard to follow at times because we kept dipping back and forth in time. I did love the characterization of Minnie and being in a place where she feels like a disappointment and keeps trying to move forward in life, only to keep falling backward. She was so relatable to me. I thought Quinn was one-dimensional and, quite frankly, a bit of a jerk and Minnie deserved better. It’s not a book I’d recommend, but I was the contrarian opinion in book club so you may enjoy it as much as they did!
The Honest Enneagram: Know Your Type, Embrace Your Challenges, Embrace Your Growth by Sarajane Case (★★★★☆)
Print • Owned (Amazon) • Nonfiction • 2020
Short synopsis: Find a way to bring out the best in yourself with this heartfelt, informative, and approachable guide to all things Enneagram.
Learning everything I can about the Enneagram is a niche interest of mine, so I bought Sarajane Case’s book on a whim and finally cracked it open this month. It’s a beautiful book filled with gorgeous illustrations and really simple explanations of each Enneagram type. She goes into the characteristics of each type, their wings and lines and subtypes, and then talks you through some of the ways you can better embrace who you are and find ways to grow by knowing your Enneagram type. I found it an approachable, easy to digest collection, and if you want to know more about the Enneagram, (or even just your type specifically!), pick up this book.
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