this was funny and kinda crude, but entertaining! samantha irby told some funny stories and personal anecdotes, while weaving in her experiences with mental health and poverty. 

It was decent but i didn’t love it and probably won’t read any of Irby’s other work 

this series of essays was entertaining, funny, and heartfelt. each story gives you a bit of insight into the authors life, and keeps you on your toes with a huge range of topics (starring on gossip girl, crazy neighbours, and an uncle who’s a retired porn star??) it’s wild. 

this memoir was really well written, and covers Stephanie Land’s experiences with poverty and being a single mother. 

it’s heartbreaking, and brings to light a lot of the systemic issues that exist within social structures that perpetuate the cycle of poverty.  

I really enjoyed reading this, but it’s very dense. It includes a lot of scientific evidence, which can make it read like a textbook at some points, but the points are well evidenced and thoroughly researched. 

It’s a very slow read, but it’s very worthwhile. It made me feel angry and heartbroken and appalled at the state of the world, but it also gave me hope, shared stories of resilience, and emphasized the power that women have been reclaiming. 

Early socialization, environmental influences, and differences in expectations impact how children learn to express their emotions. The gendering of characteristics begins early on and shapes how children behave and value themselves for the rest of their lives. 

This book discusses the experience of being a woman in today’s society in a way that’s really difficult to articulate, but Soraya Chemaly has done it well. Anger is a natural emotion, and is necessary to make changes in the world around us. Healthy anger sparks passion, it creates changes in unfair relationships, it impacts ones value of themselves, and it is liberating. Both personally and professionally, anger is necessary. Unfortunately, angry men and women are treated differently, and there is a lack of respect associated with angry women. As a result, a lot of women downplay their anger; they say they’re frustrated or annoyed or exhausted. They say they feel powerless. They say they feel disrespected. This book encourages women to use their anger, regardless of what others say, to create meaningful positive change. 

this takes you on a journey (literally and metaphorically) of self-exploration, soul searching and personal growth. it’s insanely honest and very reflective on both the triumphs and challenges that she’s experienced while hiking through california and oregon