Click

Click Edited by Courtney E. Martin and J. Courtney Sullivan
Seal Press, 2010
226 pages
Non-fiction; Feminism
3/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: A collection of essays from some well-known feminists describing the "click" that made them know they were feminists.

Thoughts: I saw several reviews of this and I was really looking forward to it.  While all of the essays were readable, none of them worked for me.

I saw many commonalities across the essays: women who rebelled against gender constraints, women supported by other women in the feminist movement, women proud of being a feminist, women who are outspoken and confident.

But I didn't feel any connection to the stories.  I didn't see my "click" moment represented.  Now that's partly because I'm not entirely sure when that was and I know that I would be unable to write something as well as these feminists.  But I think I wanted to find someone very similar to me with whom I could identify and I didn't.

Overall: Some good stories, all well-written, but none that "clicked" with me.

Cover: I really like the colors but it's nothing exceptional.

Full Frontal Feminism

Full Frontal Feminism by Jessica Valenti
Seal Press
248 pages
Non-fiction; Feminism
2.5/5 stars

Source: Library

Summary: A blunt book about why you might already be a feminist but deny it and why feminism still matters.

Thoughts: At first I was really excited because this seemed like a very readable book.  And it was.  But it was readable like a blog where I expect less cogent writing than in books. I also didn't like the language, which is full of curse words.  I know people talk like that but it doesn't mean they need to write like that.  Valenti is also found of big sweeping statements but doesn't find it always necessary to support them.

I read some reviews that thought it was very focused on white upper/middle class straight women but I thought Valenti did a decent job of addressing the differences in perspective for nonwhite, nonstraight women and highlighting that as a part of feminism that needs improvement.  I mean, that we need to recognize the different backgrounds from which we come and not pretend it doesn't matter.

Overall: Just not very good.

Cover: It's okay.