Fair warning I listened to this book to fill a reading challenge requirement. Overall I enjoyed it, and I enjoyed the author reading her own work. But if I am being honest, if I was reading this I would never have finished. I too am a big woman. I’m still a Lane Bryant size (which is a thing in the book), but still. I have felt some of the things she has felt. You would think I would have liked the book better but I didn’t. And it has nothing to do with her story, or her writing, or what happens in its pages. It was very real and life altering, and I get that, it’s just not my type of story.

I did become more interested when she talked about living in what i consider my home town. She was a faculty member at my alma mater, and working there around the time I has also just moved back home from Denver. Her descriptions of the places were so vivid, I know exactly what apartment complex she lived (even if I don’t know the apartment). I was so shocked because it is small town america and the university only has between 8,000-10,000 students. No one knows where EIU is (except for some very dedicated sports fans who remember we made the NCAA playoffs once).

As the book progressed I enjoyed it more and more. As it became more about her life in general instead of mostly focused on her weight or her rape. I enjoyed the book more as she herself aged and learn to like herself more. I can very easily see, as her timeline progresses, how she goes from dread and hating herself, to dread, and even possibly love. The more she liked herself, the more I liked her book.

And while, to be honest, I will probably never read a Roxanne Gay book, I think I just might be interested in listening to Bad Feminist.

#booked2018