book reviews
Must-read books for and about women, including thought-provoking novels, business books, memoirs and feminist histories.
'The Handmaid's Tale' Analysis: Chapters 9-11
Chapter Nine Offred acknowledges the room as hers, which is a possible sign that her indoctrination is winning over her desire to rebel. She characterizes the room as different parts of a house based off the function the room is currently serving. For example, when she is waiting, it is a waiting room. When she’s sleeping, it’s a bedroom. She suspects that someone has lived in the room before her, due to the empty facet in the ceiling where a light fixture would hang.
By CT Idlehouse7 years ago in Viva
10 Books About Feminism Every Guy Should Read
There seems to be a toxic mindset about gender roles in our society today—one that makes a lot of men full of rage, disdain, and hatred towards women. It's an attitude that makes men think that they understand the entirety of the problems that women face.
By Mackenzie Z. Kennedy7 years ago in Viva
Book Review: 'Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race'
Welcome, Book Readers!! My name is Michael Reynoso and this is “Writer’s Harmony.” Today, I will be doing a book review, which is called Hidden Figures: The True Story of Four Black Women and the Space Race, by Margot Lee Shetterly with Winifred Conkling.
By Michael Reynoso8 years ago in Viva
Text Analysis of a Play by Henrik Ibsen
The play explores a young mother’s realization that her life has been spent in a paternalistic environment, passed on to her like a doll from her father’s house to her husband’s. That is, being encouraged to be helpless rather than to think for herself.
By Rose Sours8 years ago in Viva
'The Handmaid's Tale' Analysis: Chapters 6-8
Chapter 6 Offred often describes Ofglen as pious and deliberates on whether it’s sincere or for show. In her inner monologue, she talks of her wings which she calls “blinkers.” Handmaids wear the wings to “keep them from seeing, and also from being seen.” This is Gilead’s approach to eliminating sexual harassment of Handmaids while they do their chores. The wings are also symbolic of the tightly defined space the Handmaids are allowed to roam. Their vision is limited, as is their understanding of the outside world.
By CT Idlehouse8 years ago in Viva
'A Lotus Grows in the Mud' - A Book You Must Read!
I recently reread A Lotus Grows in the Mud, the 2005 book by Hollywood legend Goldie Hawn. I enjoyed it as much as I did the first time I read it, and it's a book truly worthy of recommendation. So I want to tell you about this incredible read, and why it is a must to read.
By Hayley Dodwell8 years ago in Viva
The 10 Best Books for Feminist Friends
In the words of Queen Bey, "Who run the world? Girls!" There are so many excellent books for feminist friends on the market today because feminism is taking the world by storm. Young women everywhere (as well as men) are realizing that women are powerful and deserve to be treated as equals in society. It’s important when reading about feminism to take in perspectives from a wide range of authors, both modern and classic. Some of the greatest feminist writers of all time came from decades past, such as Margaret Atwood and Virginia Woolf, however, 21st century women have written amazing feminist books with plenty to say. Their words will surely inspire you and your feminist friends.
By Morgan E. Westling8 years ago in Viva
'The Handmaid's Tale' Analysis: Chapters 3-5
Link to 1st part. Chapter 3 One motif you’ll see recurring throughout the novel is Offred’s descriptive prose about Serena Joy’s garden, specifically her flowers. The Commander’s Wife dutifully dotes on her garden, which symbolizes her desperate want for a child. The flowers are her children, the only life she can fertilize and raise to adulthood. Note also of Serena Joy’s introduction, that she is the Commander’s Wife, not her own identity. This represents that even elite women of Gilead are oppressed and owned by men. Offred is reminded of how she also had a garden in the past, a way to pass time, something she isn’t permitted now.
By CT Idlehouse8 years ago in Viva
'We're Going to Need More Wine' - Gabrielle Union
Before I begin the book review, I would like to say a couple of things: I listened to the audiobook on Audible narrated by Gabrielle Union.I still plan on buying the hard cover copy.I hope more than anything, I properly write this review giving it all the justice and glory it deserves.
By Ayanna Colon8 years ago in Viva
"The Handmaid's Tale" Analysis: Intro, Pt. I, Chapters 1 & 2
Is it healthy to have an obsession with such a depressing dystopian novel? I guess it’s no more depressing than the political news of today. What is this morbid fascination with disturbing alternate futures that attracts us? Well, in the case of The Handmaid’s Tale, it is definitely the succinct, intricate weaving of narrative and subtle reflections of the real world’s problems. Too many dystopian works these days are written as polemics and agendas, or are cliché and uninspired. But The Handmaid’s Tale is a classic work of literature that builds its plot around one singular character, knowing only what she’s told of the world she lives in, whether it’s word-of-mouth, propaganda, or both. Because if you did live a life like Offred’s, in which the act of reading anything is a crime, you would only have your wits and memories at hand.
By CT Idlehouse8 years ago in Viva
10 Classic Feminist Books You Should Read. Top Story - September 2018.
In the 20th and 21st century, women writers have begun to speak up and truly make their voices heard. Classic feminist books have won the Pulitzer Prize and become bestsellers across the United States as both men and women have embraced the women’s movement and sexual politics as a whole. Young women, women of color, and women writers of all races and backgrounds are taking the stage and letting their creativity flow. Some of the most notable feminist literary authors such as Mary Wollstonecraft, Alice Walker, Kate Millett, and Simone de Beauvoir paved the way for more recent generations of feminist writers. There is an endless list of excellent literary works out there, but here are some of our favorite classic feminist books we think you should read!
By Morgan E. Westling8 years ago in Viva
