Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title The Female Brain [author] author Brizendine, Louann [isbn] isbn 0767920104 [isbn13] isbn13 9780767920100 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 187 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.79 [num ratings] num ratings 7,234 [date pub] date pub 2006 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Aug 07, 2007 [rating] Veronica's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review I stopped reading this book on page 68. It's amazing I made it that far. Part of me thinks I should finish the book because I should know what is insid I stopped reading this book on page 68. It's amazing I made it that far. Part of me thinks I should finish the book because I should know what is inside. People not only like to come to me for gender advice, but also test my boundaries on "gender roles." A friend loaned me this book, I believe as a way to see what my expert opinion of it would be. I have no idea how she feels about it. It frightens me to think this was a NY Times Best Seller. Oh, the masses who read this and loved it! You know what made me finally put this book down? *It wasn't her pointing out that female and male brains work in different ways. *It wasn't her stating on page 8 that a female engineer quit her work to be in a more people-oriented career, thus giving more credibility to the idea that engineers don't work with people or for people. *It wasn't even when she dug up the old "I gave my daughter a truck and she treated it like a baby" cliché. *It was almost when she says men look for visual clues (plump lips, smooth skin) to ensure fertility when looking for women to date. It was her slut shaming. In the chapter about how the female brain works in the areas of love and trust, she states: (Warning, put that cup down and swallow that bite) "Social reputation is often a factor in male assessment, since the most reproductively successful males also need to pick women who will mate only with them. Men want to ensure their paternity but also to be able to count on a woman's mothers skills to make sure that their offspring thrive. If Melissa had immediately gone to bed with Rob or showed off to him about all the guys she has had, his Stone Age brain might have judged that she would be unfaithful or had a bad reputation." Go ahead, read that passage again. Yes, you read it correctly. Cave men don't want slutty women to hook up with. There's a lot of research in here and a lot of medical terms that aren't clearly explained. But from all the things on gender that I have learned from reading outside and inside the classroom and the science background I have, I have to say that this person takes facts and uses a huge rubber band to tie it to normative behavior. Instead of this book, pick up Pink Brain, Blue Brain. Sure it's 2-3 times longer, but it doesn't traffic in stereotypes and certainly believes that we have evolved from the Stone Age. A reader suggested Cordelia Fine's "Delusion of Gender" as another alternative to "The Female Brain." http://www.cordeliafine.com/delusions... Have other suggestions? Keep them coming! ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 8 [votes] votes 23 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jul 14, 2011 [date read] date read Jul 30, 2011 [date added] date added Jul 14, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Frontlines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture [author] author Orenstein, Peggy [isbn] isbn 0061711527 [isbn13] isbn13 9780061711527 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 244 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.64 [num ratings] num ratings 9,965 [date pub] date pub Jan 25, 2011 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jan 25, 2011 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review "How did you get through the princess stage?" That is in the top 5 questions I get asked by other moms, especially those I truly believe are turning t "How did you get through the princess stage?" That is in the top 5 questions I get asked by other moms, especially those I truly believe are turning to me as a feminist to guide them through the forest of pink. So it intrigued me to learn that even the famed Peggy Orenstein struggles with the princess phase. Orenstein's book School Girls was pivotal in my growth as a young feminist. It detailed the trials of being a middle school girl with such genius that if she was a mom at my daughter's school, I would have totally turned to her for guidance. So why is the princess phase such a challenge for moms today? If it's a phase, can't we just sit back and wait it out? In her new book, Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the New Girlie-Girl Culture, Orenstein reveals why this phase isn't as innocent as the glitter makes it appear. Orenstein talks to the moms of her daughter's classmates to find that they also have rules about princesses in their homes. Only costumes - for imagination/play sake. No movies though. Yet the girls still know the plots and have their favorite princesses. She attends toys trade shows to talk to the toys peddlers themselves. "Pink is what girls want," is the official line. But how much choice do girls have in the first place if everyone buys into the "If it's not pink, it won't sell" line? Orenstein even gives us a quick historical view of how baby dolls became a girl toy -- let's say that the feminist movement seems older than the baby doll conspiracy. As parents we are told to expect our girls to want to play with just girls and our boys to play with just boys after the age of about two or three. "It's natural," they say, "Watch." Orenstein talks with an expert who explains why allowing our kids to self-select into single-sex groups is not something to encourage. If we allow our kids to "naturally" only know how to play with the same sex at 4 and all the way up, how the hell do we expect them to communicate with each other as teens who are dating? Working together? Leading Student Council? We shouldn't. And the princess thing helps to divide our kids into BOY and GIRL buckets. Which is why experts say if you see the same sex play divide happen, force interaction. Orenstein points out our hypocrisies, such as gasping in horror when we see young girls dancing to suggestive music, but not thinking twice when we take them to children's movies that include those songs. Are "not too skanky" dolls really worthy to be in our daughters' rooms? Do we really need to buy hundred dollar dolls so our girls can play with a doll that looks like a girl and not a college student? At one point of the book, Orenstein reflects on the challenge of buying a gift for another girl. Not just a friend's daughter, but a princess-loving-pinkified girl. Oh, I know that feeling. You want to buy her something she'll love, but loathe the idea of buying something you would never buy your own daughter. And your feminist credentials are TOTALLY on the line too. If you select a bad toy, it will reflect on the whole community. This by the way, would make an excellent game show. Orenstein doesn't get it all right. She misses the mark on 1990s feminism or "girlie feminism" by fusing the reclamation of feminine trades like sewing and knitting to women who feel that being sexy is empowering. They emerged at the same time, but are from two different camps. Early in the book Orenstein talks about the evolution of girlhood and how 2/3 of women today classified themselves as being tomboys as children. Yet only 1/3 of girls today would classify themselves as tomboys. This confuses her. Are women today over emphasizing their tomboy status? Rather I contend that tomboy is a label from the past. My daughter asked me what a tomboy was about a year ago. "Tomboy was a name people use to use for girls who were sporty, liked to climb trees because not a lot of girls did those things. Now we don't need to use it because so many girls are athletic." So if you asked my daughter, she might say she's not a tomboy. I even got her a shirt that said, "I'm not a tomboy, I'm an athlete." It's not a bad word to use, but I think it's a relic of a time long gone, pre-Mia, pre-Williams sisters. And that's where we are. In a world where girls can look up to Mia Hamm and the Williams sisters. They can go out every morning and practice their sport. Yet the media will still take time to evaluate who looked the best during the opening rounds of a Grand Slam tournament or ponder who is pregnant. That's the world our girls are growing up in and we not only need to figure our own way through this forest of pink princesses, but we need to guide them through it too. Not only are our girls faced with being girly and sporty, but Orenstein takes a moment to link the academic pressure our children, girls and boys, are under. The pressure to be super academic early on can and often does alienate them from the joy of learning. Friends know that I fear this for my own smartypants daughter. Orenstein offers few solid solutions, but what she does is walk herself through the challenges and asks us to come with her. She does answer the "How did we get here?" question in respect to dolls, clothes, sexiness and pink. There is also a MUST READ section on children's websites/social networks. While they may be safe from dirty old men, they are NOT safe from the pressure of commercialization. I know some of you poo-poo my anti-commercialization rants, but please, please, if you read this book, you will know why the intense commercialization our children are living in is robbing them of the childhood we experienced. I hope it's not a surprise that I'm highly recommending this book. Seriously go get this book, read it and let's get back to raising our daughters instead of the marketers doing it. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 4 [votes] votes 10 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Nov 24, 2010 [date read] date read Dec 25, 2010 [date added] date added Nov 24, 2010 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Odd Girl Out: The Hidden Culture of Aggression in Girls [author] author Simmons, Rachel * [isbn] isbn 0156027348 [isbn13] isbn13 9780156027342 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 320 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.82 [num ratings] num ratings 3,652 [date pub] date pub Dec 31, 2001 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Apr 01, 2003 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review The newly revised and updated edition of Odd Girl Out is a must have for every person who is parenting or educating a girl. This was the first book I g The newly revised and updated edition of Odd Girl Out is a must have for every person who is parenting or educating a girl. This was the first book I grabbed once my fall classes were over. Why? I think it's because I have a daughter. She's eight and in the 3rd grade and we've already had two incidents involving bullying. The first was in preschool and the second was last year. Both incidents were handled by teachers are administrators in a manner that Simmons suggests in Chapter 12: the road ahead for teachers and administrators. That chapter gives some wonderful suggestions on how to set up a school or even a classroom to be as bully-proof as possible. Obviously no place can be bully-proof, but one thing that Simmons points out is that one way to address bullying is to have a transparent and predictable system of consequences. If a student knows that Sally and Maria are the teacher's favorite and nothing they do gets them in real trouble, that student feels disempowered to act and report bullying she may be experiencing or witnessing. Having a consistent system of consequences also sends a clear message to students who bully that it will not be tolerated. Simmons doesn't advocate for a zero-tolerance policy that gets 7-year-olds expelled, rather a zero-tolerance policy that is just that, zero-tolerance for bullying a classmate. Three themes really struck me as key things to remember from this book. One is that schools have relied on girls to maintain a certain peace for years. And second is that this peace that we see in girls is really silence. Society teaches girls to silence their feelings in order to "be good." Bullying is not just how girls are. Not if we decide that it ends today. HERE. NOW. When we teach our girls to get over it, that "that's how life is, wait until your boss is a bully," we are teaching our girls to ignore that voice in their head and heart that says, "This is wrong. Walk away." The last theme is one that a friend and I were discussing a few weeks ago. Why are women afraid to promote themselves? I know that I can look back at my childhood and know that being "all that" was frowned upon. Pride in one's work could only be taken so far. Simmons really digs into how promoting oneself breaks one of the cardinal rules of being a girl -- fit in. You can't fit in if you let people know how awesome you are. Simmons updated her book to include a great chapter on cyberbullying. If you don't have time to read the whole book, skip right to chapter four: bff 2.0: cyberbullying and cyberdrama and chapter nine: parents speak. But you really should read the whole thing. Warning women reading this will experience flashbacks to high school. Men who read this may have a lot of WTF moments Read the full review at my blog, Viva la Feminista. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 2 [votes] votes 7 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Dec 30, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title The Book of Jezebel: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of Lady Things [author] author Holmes, Anna [isbn] isbn 1455502804 [isbn13] isbn13 9781455502806 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 304 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.63 [num ratings] num ratings 240 [date pub] date pub Jan 01, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Oct 22, 2013 [rating] Veronica's rating 2 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review This is a truncated version of my full review [ http://www.vivalafeminista.com/2013/1... ]. The Book of Jezebel has been called a feminist text/coffee This is a truncated version of my full review [ http://www.vivalafeminista.com/2013/1... ]. The Book of Jezebel has been called a feminist text/coffee table book that will be on the coffee table of every third-wave feminist. NPR suggests you choose it over the latest Bridget Jones book! I suggest that you should instead send the $27 to your local abortion fund, Planned Parenthood or other fave feminist organization. Basically, "We can do better feminism." Admittedly, as a critic of Jezebel, I went in wanting to not like the book. I tried to talk myself into being fair, especially after I saw that Kate Harding was a lead writer on it. As a disclaimer, Kate & I went to high school together, have hung out a few times since reconnecting at a Shakesville meet-up and she's bought Girl Scout cookies from my daughter. I also admire her brilliance. So the book can't be that bad, right? I went right for my personal music moment in the book...To the L's! WHAT?! No Lilith Fair? OK, they covered it under Sarah McLachlan then...WHATTHEFUCK?! After cryptically posting to my FB page about this egregious error, I was told that an online second edition would be created and this error would be corrected. And it has. While I won't spend time outlining every person or idea I feel was left out, I will say that I do not think those left out on purpose, but as editor Anna Holmes points out in an interview with the Washington Post, "just were not thought of." Thus began my journey to read the book in order, cover to cover. Come on with me as I Frodo this book... It starts off strong with a full-page photo of Bella Abzug. Then I read the first entry on Aaliyah. Oh, my...I was not a huge fan of Aaliyah, so for me to read it and think, "This does not do justice to her legacy," says a lot. So let's move on my precious...We get to a pretty good entry on Abigail Adams. Jezebel defines her as "the baller behind President John Adams who was the real brains behind the American Revolution (p 6)." I chuckle. Then I hit "adoption" and I throw the book like Frodo tosses the ring: "If you're pregnant and cannot raise the child yourself, antichoicers would have you believe this is a relatively easy process and morally superior alternative to abortion, even thought it means enduring forty weeks of pregnancy, labor, and any complications that might arise from those, then handing the baby over to stranger while you're physically exhausted and maximally hormonal (p 6-7)" Now I've written about adoption before and the idea that feminists are best suited to look after the birth mother. I think everyone should read, "The Girls Who Went Away," before saying adoption is the best choice for an unwanted/planned pregnancy. But this description is offensive and not just in the normal Jezebel offensive manner. OK, deep breath...let's keep moving. Overall I did end up pretty "meh" about the whole book. There are some excellent entries (A League of Their Own, Buffy Summers, Venus & Serena Williams, and Princess Diana), but also some low points such as summing up Deidre McCloskey's awesomeness with this entry: "As far as we know, the first out trans woman who's also a famous economist (p 179)." For me, she's important to know because lately she's been calling into question the idea of "statistical significance" and I think as feminists, we like people who question science in a manner that ensures that good science prevails. I asked a few #NoJez folks what they would look up in "The Book of Jezebel," and the most requested idea was cis/transgender. I will say that I think their entries on these terms are fairly good despite the McCloskey entry. But overall, the "meh" feeling came from a sense that some entries were just super shortchanged. That some individuals received well-rounded entries and others did not. I know not every entry can be perfect, but some glaring omissions did occur. I also feel that the time and energy given to riot grrrl over all other musical genres was short-sighted, to say the least of the amazing feminist work in hip-hop, country and rap, not to mention the aforementioned Sarah McLachlan and her contemporaries. There were also entries that were rightly critical of the person or idea (Helen Thomas, Naomi Wolf), but others did not get that same critical eye (Gloria Steinem, SlutWalk). Overall, "The Book of Jezebel" is uneven in how it treats lady things, presents some ideas in too snarkastic of a light and overall is just ok. It's not a terrible book, but if you are looking for something to give a young woman who might need a nudge towards claiming the feminist label there are plenty of other gift ideas. full review at http://www.vivalafeminista.com/2013/1... ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 5 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Oct 27, 2013 [date read] date read Dec 16, 2013 [date added] date added Oct 22, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Reading Women: How the Great Books of Feminism Changed My Life [author] author Staal, Stephanie * [isbn] isbn 1586488724 [isbn13] isbn13 9781586488727 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 275 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.68 [num ratings] num ratings 431 [date pub] date pub Jan 31, 2011 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Feb 22, 2011 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review In Reading Women: How the Great Books of Feminism Changed My Life, Stephanie Staal confronts the all-too-familiar reality of finding yourself disconne In Reading Women: How the Great Books of Feminism Changed My Life, Stephanie Staal confronts the all-too-familiar reality of finding yourself disconnected from your beloved college courses and their content. What prompts Staal to become disconnected is not so much leaving college and entering adulthood, but her journey into marriage and motherhood. In order to reconnect, Staal audits a series of courses she took at Barnard as an undergrad. So there's that privilege to content with here. This memoir/analysis of the women's studies canon is not an indictment of marriage or motherhood. Rather it is an honest examination of what happens when feminism smashes into domestic life. On top of that, her husband and Staal flee NYC after the birth of their daughter and the 2001 terrorist attacks for suburbia. So yeah, this is a bit of an indictment on suburbia and how Stepford some moms can become with their obsession over themes for children's rooms. Staal uses the revisiting of classics like "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "Fear of Flying" to not add to the feminist critique of motherhood and marriage, but to critique the critique. Staal often makes mention of having years of life experience added to her view of classic texts. She talks about being a part of a generation who were raised by feminist mothers or with feminist messages who have now found themselves in a weird situation that is reminiscent to a 1950s housewife. She also uses this opportunity to do some intergenerational thinking (it's unclear how much Staal added to any of the conversations in class) between GenX and Millennials. While most intergenerational issues seem to be pegged on Second Wavers versus Millennials, it was great to see a Gen Xer take it on like this. There is a lot in this book for just about everyone who has ever read a women's studies book. You won't agree with all her conclusions. I certainly didn't appreciate her criticism of working-outside-the-home moms and her recollection of being a latch-key kid. But you will appreciate how she makes you want to go dig out your copy of that favorite book from undergrad. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 3 [votes] votes 5 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jan 02, 2011 [date read] date read Jan 07, 2011 [date added] date added Jan 02, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Divergent (Divergent, #1) [author] author Roth, Veronica * [isbn] isbn 0062024035 [isbn13] isbn13 9780062024039 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 487 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.30 [num ratings] num ratings 1,525,133 [date pub] date pub Jan 01, 2011 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Feb 28, 2012 [rating] Veronica's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review This book started off with a bang! I just got around to picking up because of the local connection (book is set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago), the au This book started off with a bang! I just got around to picking up because of the local connection (book is set in a post-apocalyptic Chicago), the author is a Veronica and there's a movie coming out soon with Kate Winslet! While the book moves at a pretty good pace, I felt the ending was more meh than the rest of the book. This is the one time I hope the screenwriters take a bit of liberty to spiff up the conclusion. The final scenes just seemed to trite and predictable. That said, I do want to read the next book! ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 4 [votes] votes 4 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Aug 04, 2013 [date read] date read Aug 14, 2013 [date added] date added Aug 04, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique & American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s [author] author Coontz, Stephanie [isbn] isbn 0465022324 [isbn13] isbn13 9780465022328 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 248 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.64 [num ratings] num ratings 365 [date pub] date pub Jun 30, 2008 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jan 01, 2011 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review I've described A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique & American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s by Stephanie Coontz to others as a historical l I've described A Strange Stirring: The Feminine Mystique & American Women at the Dawn of the 1960s by Stephanie Coontz to others as a historical look at the women who read The Feminine Mystique, the impact of the book on their lives and a look at the myth of Betty Friedan. For a women's history nerd like me, this book was awesome. Admittedly, the semester took it's toll on how quickly, or rather how slowly, I read this book as this review was supposed to be included in Girl w/Pen's salon back in February. I also have to admit that I've never read The Feminine Mystique. I know, I know...but Coontz also talked to women who didn't read the book either! The mythology surrounding TFM is so strong that it has touched most of our lives whether we have read it or not. I believe the mythology of TFM is simply put that Betty Friedan, a 1950s housewife, wrote a book about how she discovered that her boredom of caring for the kids and cleaning the house lead her to single-handedly revive the feminist movement in the USA. This includes founding the National Organization for Women. The critiques focus on how the book and the mainstream feminist movement (NOW) were too focused on middle-class white women. Coontz painstakingly proves and disproves these myths. She also puts all the realities into historical perspective. Coontz is a historian and while some may think she is making excuses for how Friedan frames the issues in the book as well as tweaks Friedan made to her own backstory. Coontz outlines the often ignored/hidden feminist movement of the post-WW II era before the second wave officially begins with facts such as: ...by 1955, a higher percentage of women worked for ages than ever had during the war. In fact, women's employment rate grew four times faster than men's during the 1950s.The employment of wives tripled and the employment of mothers increased fourfold. (page 59) The emotion that Friedan tapped into with TFM, according to Coontz, wasn't that being married and a mom was a terrible thing, but that by having marriage & motherhood as THE goal in life, for most women in the 1950s, their life goals were achieved by 25. "..a few years after having children [they] found that they had no compelling goal left to pursue. As Cam Stivers said, it felt as if her life was already over (page 86)." The myth that Friedan was anti-marriage was explored and Coontz finds evidence that yes, some of the women who read TFM eventually divorced. But she also found that many of those women remarried and loved their second marriages. Coontz also talked with men who had read the book. Those men recounted how it helped them reframe how they saw marriage as more of a partnership. As for the whiteness of TFM, Coontz acknowledges this fact. She spends one chapter to answer this critique directly while educating readers on the often unacknowledged history of African-American women in the civil rights movement as well as their leadership in "balancing" work and family. Coontz interviewed African-American women who wrote to Friedan who were upset that Friedan thought working would solve housewives problems as well as those who said it steeled them against the "prejudices in graduate school or medical school (126)." I loved the chapter where Coontz lets Ruth Rosen's working class critique take center stage. So many white working class women wrote to Friedan with essentially a "wah..wah..wah..." message. Women who were working their butts off at the office and at home and did not feel liberated. And the even-handedness of Coontz also shows us working-class women who used TFM as their only ally in their quest to attend college and postpone the marriage & baby carriage. Coontz ends the book with a look at how women are faring today. Did feminism kill marriage? Nope. The more education a woman gets, the more likely they are to marry. Did feminism kill sexiness? Nope. The more men contribute to housework, the happier they are in the bedroom! It's not all fun and roses, but it's not the gloom and doom that anti-feminists want us to believe. And lastly, does feminism hate mothers? Hell no! Coontz wrote an excellent op-ed in the NYTimes for Mother's Day outlining how feminism has helped mothers by pushing for women to make their own choice about staying home with the kids, working outside the home or both depending on the family's need. Most pressure on women to be a certain kind of mother usually comes from non-feminist talking heads. I really hope that everyone who has any opinion of what TFM did to our culture will read this book. It won't convert those who fiercely opposes feminism, but those who hold moderate views or hesitate to call themselves feminists based on any of the myths this books debunks, will be moved to reexamine those beliefs. It will also allow for a re-examination of Friedan herself. For those of us who are fiercely feminist, this is a must read book. One who doesn't know her history is bound to repeat it. And we all know how that turns out in the feminist movement. *wink* Disclaimers: I requested a copy from the author and am a big fan of her previous work. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 4 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jan 23, 2011 [date read] date read May 07, 2011 [date added] date added Jan 23, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format ebook

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Daring Spectacle: Adventures in Deviant Journalism [author] author Morford, Mark [isbn] isbn 098429970X [isbn13] isbn13 9780984299706 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 346 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.10 [num ratings] num ratings 81 [date pub] date pub Mar 01, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Mar 01, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review The Daring Spectacle: Adventures in Deviant Journalism by Mark Morford is a collection of Morford's "best" essays over the past decade. It's not a boo The Daring Spectacle: Adventures in Deviant Journalism by Mark Morford is a collection of Morford's "best" essays over the past decade. It's not a book that you need to sit down and read all at once. Rather this is one of those books you keep handy when you think you are the only rational person left on earth. Not that Morford exhibits rationality, but his ability to skewer those who leave you with a WTF look on your face will make you laugh and shake your head. I just picked up the book to find my favorite essay, alas how can one pick a favorite when Morford tackles subjects from George W. Bush, the Duggers to designer vaginas? You just can't. And that's the beauty of this book. Just when you think you have Morford figured out, he goes on a topic and leaves your head spinning...and you'll also be shaking your head in agreement. Of course you won't always agree with Morford, but if you did, it wouldn't be that fun, now would it? ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 3 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Dec 24, 2010 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title This Is Not A Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education [author] author Vilson, Jose * [isbn] isbn 1608463702 [isbn13] isbn13 9781608463701 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 220 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.31 [num ratings] num ratings 108 [date pub] date pub Mar 19, 2014 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition May 27, 2014 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review Teachers have always been my champions and that is why I requested a copy of “This is Not a Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education” by Jo Teachers have always been my champions and that is why I requested a copy of “This is Not a Test: A New Narrative on Race, Class, and Education” by José Vilson for review. I have followed José’s banter on Twitter for some years now. He has said things that I have agreed with and other things that challenged how I view our education system. The same thing happened as I read his edu-memoir. Clearly something is wrong with our collective public education system. Rather, as Vilson points out, the way we manage our public education system is deeply flawed. Like an onion, there are many layers to “the problem.” Where Vilson shines is, obviously by the subtitle of the book, peeling back the layers to the race and class challenges our public school system faces. Far too many people still believe that the biggest problem with inner city students of color is that they are headed by a single mother and/or parents are not engaged. Vilson deftly points out that by seeing these as challenges, we are imposing middle-class values on working class or poor families. And the problem with this is that we then ignore the values the students and families bring to the classroom. “When we assume poor kids behave as they do just because of their poverty and not as a manifestation of their frustration with poverty, we do an injustice to their humanity (p 86).” Ever been grouchy when you have to skip breakfast? Imagine if you had little to eat for dinner and then breakfast? No wonder some of our kids are hellions by the time they get to their desks. For the full review, please visit my blog. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 1 [votes] votes 3 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started May 08, 2014 [date read] date read May 17, 2014 [date added] date added May 08, 2014 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Do It Anyway: The New Generation of Activists [author] author Martin, Courtney E. [isbn] isbn 0807000477 [isbn13] isbn13 9780807000472 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 224 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.76 [num ratings] num ratings 201 [date pub] date pub Jan 01, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Sep 07, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review In order to show that GenY isn't just a bunch of me-me-me individuals, but rather full of people creating positive changes in their community, Martin In order to show that GenY isn't just a bunch of me-me-me individuals, but rather full of people creating positive changes in their community, Martin profiles eight people who are doing some amazing things. The shortcoming is is that Martin stuck to the coasts to find her people. Thankfully she acknowledges this right away. As a Midwesterner, I'm obviously miffed at that shortcoming. Sadly Martin even misses her home state of Colorado. But the people she does profile will engage and suck you in. She opens the book with a profile of Rachel Corrie which is brilliant as Rachel is such a lightening rod for activists. I learned more about Rachel from this profile than my years of reading bits here and there in news pieces. On one hand, Rachel seemed too idealistic. On the other she seemed like a privileged white kid who got in too deep. Martin's profiles are rich and will require some tissues here and there. Luckily she wrote in a way that keeps you turning the pages at the same time you stop to shake your head at some of the people's lives (Diaz and Guzman). Her most troubling profile was of Tyrone Boucher, described as a radical philanthropist. A very rich kid rebels against his privilege and upon learning that he will gain access to $400,000 at the age of 21 decides he's going to give it all away. To this working class kid it made my stomach turn. Martin does try to get him to address this contradiction of life. Of a kid with access to the best schools scoffing at his educational opportunities when so many of us would cherish that access. But what really got my goat was that it wasn't clear where Boucher ends up giving his money away to. He is still working out all the issues of having a lot of money, not liking the weight of it and how to do the best one can with that kind of power. Martin does a brilliant job at showing us that struggle. "Do It Anyway" could have used some stats sprinkled in between the stories or even within to give a larger context of how much good stuff her generation is doing. Because while the stories are moving and awesome, they are still just eight people. That said, this would be a great book for a twenty-something who is struggling with what to do with their lives that will make a difference. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 3 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read Dec 24, 2010 [date added] date added Nov 24, 2010 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Impossible Motherhood: Testimony of an Abortion Addict [author] author Vilar, Irene * [isbn] isbn 1590513207 [isbn13] isbn13 9781590513200 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 240 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.40 [num ratings] num ratings 253 [date pub] date pub Jul 23, 1996 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Oct 06, 2009 [rating] Veronica's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review The book is traumatic with a capital, bold T. At one part about 1/3 of the way thru, I threw the book down in disgust and decided I was done. You are The book is traumatic with a capital, bold T. At one part about 1/3 of the way thru, I threw the book down in disgust and decided I was done. You are warned. Impossible Motherhood by Irene Vilar has received a lot of press and been a topic of debate on many a listserv due to the subtitle "Testimony of an Abortion Addict." When I first found out about this book my first thought was "Oh shit." Many people, including Vilar, believe that this book will be used by anti-abortion activists as proof of women using abortion as birth control and thus a reason for the procedure to be banned outright. But if you read Impossible Motherhood, you'll soon discover that abortion is the hook not the heart of the story. Rather you find a sad story of a young woman thrust into an adult world and quickly found herself in a situation most of us would probably fall apart in as well. Depression soon engulfed her life, althou it was most likely merely lurking in Vilar's life after her mother's suicide. While Vilar's life is more dramatic than most reality shows and it sometimes hard to believe, it does make you stop and wonder what you would do in her situations, especially as each abortion occurs. She falls in love with a bully 34 years older than her who "enlightens" her that children and family weigh you down, so a free and independent woman must remain child-free and thus is her excuse for multiple abortions. Interestingly Vilar claims the label of feminist. She reads feminist authors and talks about them. She finds some strength in them, but talks about how feminism had no answer for her. And honestly I believe she is correct. What I took away from this book was that while so many of us will fight to the death for abortion rights, many of us would shun Vilar from the movement due to having 15 abortions. She turns to the same people in her life. Would you stand by her abortion after abortion? I honestly don't know. One or two we can support, but after that many of us start to blame the woman for not taking care of themselves, not protecting themselves, etc. Another interesting aspect of this book is that this is Vilar's second memoir to cover the years she spent with her ex-husband (the bully). In her first, she talks says it was the happiest time of her life. Obviously in this one she takes a difference view of her marriage. With the number of memoirs being written by younger people (anyone under 50, I'd say) I think there is a lot that could change. Perhaps not as dramatic as Vilar, but think about how you looked at your 20s at age 30 then perhaps 10, 20 years later. Do I think you should read this book? I'm not sure. It made me think and made me furious. The abuse she suffered in her marriage is what sticks with me far more than her abortions. Politically you should read this book because I believe it makes a great case of why abortion can't be stopped by legality, if a woman wants one, she will get one. I also think the anti's will use this book and we should be aware of what Vilar actually says. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read Nov 15, 2009 [date added] date added Oct 21, 2009 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Men and Feminism: Seal Studies [author] author Tarrant, Shira [isbn] isbn 1580052584 [isbn13] isbn13 9781580052580 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 208 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.83 [num ratings] num ratings 122 [date pub] date pub Jan 01, 2009 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition May 12, 2009 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review First off, when you see the cover of the book you'll notice that this book is part of the Seal Press Studies series. But DO NOT FREAK OUT! While this First off, when you see the cover of the book you'll notice that this book is part of the Seal Press Studies series. But DO NOT FREAK OUT! While this book can easily be in a Gender & Women's Studies course syllabus, I also believe this is an excellent book for anyone to pick up in order to know more about how men have fit into the feminist movement. What's that? You don't think that men have been a part of the feminist movement? Oh how mistaken you are! But it's not your fault that you believe that, first of all, our history classes don't teach women's history and when we take it upon ourselves we do focus on the accomplishments of kick ass women like Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Dolores Huerta. In fact men have been supportive of the movement all along, not as many as we would want, but that's where Tarrant really gets into the question of men & feminism. Tarrant goes thru the history of the (mostly American) women's movement and reveals the men behind the amazing women, but also reveals some of their contradictions including how their public voice did not match their private lives or how men used motherhood as a way to push for women's rights. But I felt that the gem of this book was how Tarrant wrestled with trans and gay issues within the context of feminism and masculinity. She showed us how the fear of being labeled a sissy keeps even the most feminist of men silent thus complacent in continuing our sexist and homophobic society. She walks us thru how ignoring or being ignorant of trans-issues keeps us focused on the false binary of boy-girl, masculine-feminine and thus keeping all of us in gendered boxes. As close friends know, I believe my feminism can connect almost any issue and Tarrant does a brilliant job at showing us how we must pay attention to the plight of boys and men under patriarchy in order to bring out a more just world. I wish I had had this book a few years ago when I was trying to create a men's issues committee for a feminist org I use to work with. I was shot down loudly and quickly. Tarrant also has a great chapter on male privilege. It's an easy read in terms of vocabulary, althou it might be hard for anyone to totally grasp. Essentially Tarrant says "Great, you're a great guy. You might love a feminist woman, never hit her and even support her work. But unless you are taking progressive steps to call out others on their sexism there's still work to be done." It's not finger-pointing or male-bashing at all. Rather it's a straight forward call to action for all the "I'm not a feminist but..." men in our lives who really need to walk all that talk. This would be an excellent present for a feminist dad/husband in training. It's 150 pages of the feminist manliness. If you're a nrrd like me, it's great summer reading too. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 1 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read May 24, 2009 [date added] date added May 17, 2009 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are [author] author Brown, Brené * [isbn] isbn 159285849X [isbn13] isbn13 9781592858491 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 138 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.14 [num ratings] num ratings 25,961 [date pub] date pub Jan 01, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Aug 27, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review Figured this would be a good thing to read as I prepare for my 2nd year of my PhD. [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 3 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read Dec 18, 2011 [date added] date added Jul 21, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Understanding Judith Butler [author] author Brady, Anita [isbn] isbn 1847876080 [isbn13] isbn13 9781847876089 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 152 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.33 [num ratings] num ratings 6 [date pub] date pub Jan 01, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Dec 08, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review First sign of graduate school withdrawal...ordering a book on Judith Butler. [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 0 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Dec 05, 2014 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Son (The Giver Quartet, #4) [author] author Lowry, Lois * [isbn] isbn 0547887205 [isbn13] isbn13 9780547887203 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 393 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.96 [num ratings] num ratings 42,235 [date pub] date pub Oct 02, 2012 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Oct 02, 2012 [rating] Veronica's rating 3 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review I've never read a book about adoption, but I kept thinking about adoption stories. The premise of the book is that in a far-off Earth, one community d I've never read a book about adoption, but I kept thinking about adoption stories. The premise of the book is that in a far-off Earth, one community does all it can to breed the best humans. Girls who have no other redeeming qualities are birthmothers. One finds herself actually loving her son -- this community has chemically/hormonally removed love from humans. After some chaos, she sets off into the world to find him. This is the slowest moving of the 4 books and I am sure I would have given up except that I HAD TO KNOW how it ended. It was a bit of a cheesy ending too. Taken as a whole, this series was great. It has left me with a lot to think about, especially in my dreamscape. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 04, 2013 [date read] date read Aug 19, 2013 [date added] date added Jun 04, 2013 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Beautiful You: A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance [author] author Molinary, Rosie * [isbn] isbn 1580053319 [isbn13] isbn13 9781580053310 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 440 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.86 [num ratings] num ratings 102 [date pub] date pub Oct 05, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Oct 05, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review "A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance" is exactly what this book is. You get 365 life-prompts. Sometimes they are for your journal, sometimes thin "A Daily Guide to Radical Self-Acceptance" is exactly what this book is. You get 365 life-prompts. Sometimes they are for your journal, sometimes things to do or things to not do (stop apologizing!). I didn't read every page as I think part of the fun of a book like this should be to discover your next step. I plan to start using this book later this year when I have time to commit to it. Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 2 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Sep 28, 2010 [date read] date read Oct 24, 2010 [date added] date added Sep 28, 2010 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title When Big Issues Happen to Little Girls: How to Prepare, React, and Manage Your Emotions So You Can Best Support Your Daughter [author] author Munroe, Erin [isbn] isbn 0757315321 [isbn13] isbn13 9780757315329 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 268 pp [avg rating] avg rating 2.75 [num ratings] num ratings 4 [date pub] date pub Oct 26, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Dec 01, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review My daughter is 7 1/2 and in the second grade. This book couldn't have hit me harder in so many ways. Big Issues Happen to Little Girls: How to Prepare My daughter is 7 1/2 and in the second grade. This book couldn't have hit me harder in so many ways. Big Issues Happen to Little Girls: How to Prepare, React, and Manage Your Emotions So You Can Best Support Your Daughter by Erin Munroe is a must read for every mother and father of a girl. Munroe gives the world a great handbook on how to handle challenges and issues of raising a girl in today's world. From puberty to using drugs, Monroe walks us through case studies that exhibit how and how NOT to react to things that happen to our girls. One criticism I had with the book was that it presents itself as something for parents, yet I felt that it was written for moms. There are subtle things about how she presents suggestions for parents that feels like she's talking to moms. This book will challenge you. It will challenge you to revisit how you see issues (recreational drug use, teenage sex, the drive for success) not just by what you hope your daughter will do, but also how you did it and your fears for how she might go through it. Munroe uses not just parenting fails, but also parenting fails that were done with the best intentions. Case in point a couple who didn't want to tell their 8-year-old that they were considering a divorce. She totally picked up on the body cues, the fact that Dad was sleeping on the couch and a world of other things her parents thought were going over her head. And that's the biggest take home message. Our girls are not dumb. They see things in our world that we hope they don't. They hear us mock our bodies. They see us come home buzzed and drop the car keys on the table. They feel our pushes to be perfect at school and on the playing field. They see how we view other women in the world. They know that we expect them to be good, respectful in the face of frenemies. Our girls are growing up in a different world than we did. Not better. Not worse. Different. I say, "We're in the second grade," because it is a family effort. One to two hours of homework, monthly class projects that require more parental involvement than I think is appropriate and a pressure to score high enough on standardized tests to ensure a good school rating, teacher bonus and entrance into a prep high school...Yup, that's a team effort alright. Second grade is vastly different than my experience where my biggest issue was choosing between Chad and Corey, keeping my desk clean and beating the-other-Chad to end of our math workbook. Oh yeah...way different. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Nov 19, 2010 [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Nov 19, 2010 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Feminist Mothering [author] author O'Reilly, Andrea [isbn] isbn 0791475581 [isbn13] isbn13 9780791475584 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 287 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.15 [num ratings] num ratings 20 [date pub] date pub Sep 01, 2008 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Sep 01, 2008 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review I like to call myself a feminist mom blogger, but after reading Feminist Mothering I find myself questioning that label. Mostly I find myself question I like to call myself a feminist mom blogger, but after reading Feminist Mothering I find myself questioning that label. Mostly I find myself questioning how I see feminist mothering and what that means to me. If asked to give a definition of feminist mothering before reading this text, I would have told you that it was about raising a feminist child, empowering that child and helping them rise above or thru the sexist ways of the world. Or something like that. Yes, it would have included being a good role model, but this text has helped me realize that feminist mothering is much more or should be much more than that. This is a text book not a feminist Dr. Spock or guide to feminist mothering, rather it is a collection of fifteen thoughts on what is feminist mothering, how can it be done, and what does that mean for the world. It is moving, thought-provoking and a must read for any mother and any woman. It is empowering for both the woman and child, if not more for the woman. O'Reilly offers this definition in the introduction: "Feminist mothering functions as a counterpratice that seeks to challenge and change the many ways that patriarchal motherhood is oppressive to women (p 10)." Feminist mothering is much more than raising empowered daughters or thoughtful son. It is about breaking down patriarchy thru the way we raise children. It is more than making sure our daughters know that clothes come in something other than pink, it is showing her that being a woman can be a strength in this sexist society. **This is an excerpt from my longer review on my blog** ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 3 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read Feb 17, 2009 [date added] date added Nov 20, 2008 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title If Sons, Then Heirs: A Novel [author] author Cary, Lorene [isbn] isbn 145161022X [isbn13] isbn13 9781451610222 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 320 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.56 [num ratings] num ratings 266 [date pub] date pub Apr 12, 2011 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Apr 19, 2011 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review If Sons, then Heirs by Lorene Cary broke my heart by page 5. This was an especially bad thing to do since I was just peeking at the book. It showed up If Sons, then Heirs by Lorene Cary broke my heart by page 5. This was an especially bad thing to do since I was just peeking at the book. It showed up in my post office box near the end of the semester and I knew I wouldn't be able to touch it for weeks. It taunted me on my bookshelf. The first time in a long time a book called out to be read. When I finally got a chance to start reading it, I devoured it. The story begins with 30-year-old Rayne searching for the mother who put him on a train to his grandfather's house at age 7 and then never had him return. The story plays out as if Rayne was adopted by strangers rather than his grandfather and great-grandmother, Nana Stella. Adoption is a major thread in the story as if that quest of "Who am I?" To ensure a secure retirement for his great-grandmother, he ends up having to dig up past tragedies, secrets and face the fact that his own sad tale springs from one fateful day long before his mother was even born. The story centers on what is called "heir property," a term used for the plot of land given to one of the ancestors by their former slave master. Thus I got quite a lesson in life during Reconstruction and the Jim Crow South. Don't get me wrong, I knew facts, but what Cary does here is place those facts into lives. She makes the facts live, love and die. She makes them human. Rayne recollects the first time he heard a lynching story. His Uncle Jones tells it to him over Nana Stella's objections. "Jones didn't tell Rayne this story to cripple him, but only to let him know not to believe how things look on the surface; people lie." The harsh reality of life for African-Americans in the South is on almost every page. It's not presented as if they are victims. Rather this family is strong, hella strong. Cary crafts a beautiful tale of love, family and forgiveness. The characters she created jump off the page, even Nana Stella shuffling along with her walker.And she turns phrases that are just delicate and powerful, like a ballerina taking a leap of faith. By the end of the book, you will feel a part of the Needham family. I should also warn you that the last third to quarter of the book is a whole box of tissues. I warn because I read the last bits of the book in coffee houses and took all my strength to not bawl like a baby at points. And I was crying the good cry. But there are sad cries too. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started May 16, 2011 [date read] date read Jun 09, 2011 [date added] date added May 04, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Rosie Revere, Engineer [author] author Beaty, Andrea * [isbn] isbn 1419708457 [isbn13] isbn13 9781419708459 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 32 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.49 [num ratings] num ratings 1,744 [date pub] date pub Sep 03, 2013 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Sep 03, 2013 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review I just read this in the bookstore & started crying. It is perfect. Every kid needs this book. The message is about the success we gain thru failin I just read this in the bookstore & started crying. It is perfect. Every kid needs this book. The message is about the success we gain thru failing. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 3 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Apr 17, 2014 [date read] date read Apr 17, 2014 [date added] date added Apr 17, 2014 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment [author] author Collins, Patricia Hill [isbn] isbn 0415964725 [isbn13] isbn13 9780415964722 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 357 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.28 [num ratings] num ratings 2,901 [date pub] date pub 1990 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Oct 01, 2008 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review What I loved the most about this book is that it is an academic text, but PCH doesn't waste time with jargon. If she uses it, she defines it almost im What I loved the most about this book is that it is an academic text, but PCH doesn't waste time with jargon. If she uses it, she defines it almost immediately. There is also a glossary in the back of the book. A book that I will use a lot. So happy I was pushed to revisit this text. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Feb 05, 2011 [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Jan 03, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title This Common Secret: My Journey as an Abortion Doctor [author] author Wicklund, Susan [isbn] isbn 158648480X [isbn13] isbn13 9781586484804 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 288 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.17 [num ratings] num ratings 1,266 [date pub] date pub Dec 07, 2007 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Dec 31, 2007 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review This is an amazing book. Everyone in the pro-choice community should read this. If you're open-minded enough, those who are against abortion should al This is an amazing book. Everyone in the pro-choice community should read this. If you're open-minded enough, those who are against abortion should also read this book to gain an insight into what the radical anti-abortion forces are doing to the lives of providers. My full review is on my site. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 1 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read Aug 07, 2008 [date added] date added Feb 03, 2008 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title On the Line [author] author Williams, Serena [isbn] isbn 0446553662 [isbn13] isbn13 9780446553667 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 272 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.56 [num ratings] num ratings 225 [date pub] date pub Sep 01, 2009 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Sep 01, 2009 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review I love everything about the U.S. Open except the line calls. ~ Serena Williams I experienced this past U.S. Open upset of Serena Williams with a differ I love everything about the U.S. Open except the line calls. ~ Serena Williams I experienced this past U.S. Open upset of Serena Williams with a different perspective than if I hadn't read her memoir "On the Line." The book is written in Serena's voice. It's personal, it's conversational, and that's why I like it. I enjoyed her reflection on her life thus far. I have to say that Serena is a spoiled brat, but that observation comes from her directly. She tells stories that curled this big sister's toes of scheming to get her way, cheating, and destroying her sisters' property. In looking back at all that peeking thru her fingers, I respect Serena for her honesty and self-criticism, and I agree with her judgment that she was a horrible little sister! Serena spends a lot of time defending her father from the criticism he still receives about his coaching style. While her mom was pregnant with Venus, Serena admits her father decided that they would raise two tennis champions, and well, they did. He and Serena's mom taught themselves the game by playing and watching videos then he taught his daughters while they were living in Compton by playing on public courts. Even if the man is a controlling jerk, as some said early in the Williams Sisters career, you have to admit there's no country club pedigree here! Serena digs deep to tackle the class and racial privilege they smacked into when Venus hit the tennis scene in a chapter on the 2001 Indian Wells tournament. Clearly, the girls were raised with a keen sense of history, especially civil rights history, and I've always admired Venus and Serena both for the way they play and for their tip of the hat to those who came before them. Serena has a clear sense of racial and gender justice. Not only does Serena spend time discussing race and class, but she addresses all the fat comments she has received over the years. Positive body image is big with her. She understands that, as an internationally known tennis player and someone with more money than most of us will ever know, she has a responsibility to others on many fronts. I didn't follow all the Oprah criticism when the star built a school in Africa, but Serena gives the best response to that criticism I've ever seen by wrapping her justification around a touching story of visiting difference countries in Africa and wanting to do something. She also lets us in on how much fashion has always played a key part of her and Venus' game. They weren't strong women athletes who "discovered" fashion as a way to sell themselves to the media or fans. They are savvy business women who aren't afraid of taking chances. Along with her sister, Serena will continue to blaze a path for herself and for others. Even if you aren't a tennis fan or even someone who follows the players closely, we all know that there are some players who make a splash and then disappear or even worse, publicly self-destruct. Pressure and age are often pointed to as the factors as well as pushy parents. It's clear from this memoir that Serena and Venus couldn't have been "The Williams Sisters" without each other. Serena Williams has it all and survives. She did it despite a battle with depression, which she outlines with grace. Serena haters won't like this book at all, but if you are truly interested in finding out what makes this powerful woman tick, pick up this memoir. It reminds me that Serena's been counted out far too many times and has always come back. She dug herself a hole, but I have faith that she'll redeem herself and silence the critics... again. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 2 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read Sep 10, 2009 [date added] date added Sep 08, 2009 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title The Everything Cast-Iron Cookbook [author] author Cooper, Cinnamon * [isbn] isbn 1440502250 [isbn13] isbn13 9781440502255 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 291 pp [avg rating] avg rating 4.34 [num ratings] num ratings 29 [date pub] date pub May 18, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 18, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review Cinnamon held many test-dinners over the summer, so I can already tell you that there are some awesome recipes in here. Pre-order today! [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Dec 29, 2009 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title A Bad Day for Pretty (Bad Day #2) [author] author Littlefield, Sophie * [isbn] isbn 0312559755 [isbn13] isbn13 9780312559755 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 304 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.63 [num ratings] num ratings 682 [date pub] date pub Jun 08, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jun 08, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review Stella looks like and usually acts like your run of the mill grandma. But she has a secret that is protected not just by her, but also by the women sh Stella looks like and usually acts like your run of the mill grandma. But she has a secret that is protected not just by her, but also by the women she helps. Stella spent years in an abusive marriage and busted out of it in the most literal sense. Now she dedicates her life to busting other women out of abusive relationships. A Bad Day for Pretty by Sophie Littlefield held my attention like no other mystery novel. Not only did I want to learn the conclusion of the murder mystery, but I also wanted to know more about Stella. I wish we all had a Stella in our lives and not just because she kicks ass. I want to share a beer with her. I give this book a big thumbs up! It was fun, smart and a quick read. Disclosure: I received this book though the publisher. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 03, 2010 [date read] date read Jun 10, 2010 [date added] date added Jun 03, 2010 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Aftertime (Aftertime, #1) [author] author Littlefield, Sophie * [isbn] isbn 0373803362 [isbn13] isbn13 9780373803361 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 384 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.57 [num ratings] num ratings 2,683 [date pub] date pub Feb 22, 2011 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Feb 22, 2011 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review Sophie Littlefield has worked her way onto my list of favorite authors. Last year I read A Bad Day for Pretty and was impressed with her story telling Sophie Littlefield has worked her way onto my list of favorite authors. Last year I read A Bad Day for Pretty and was impressed with her story telling and the strong lead character Stella. Quick disclosure, while Littlefield links to my review from last year and I'm blurbed in the praise section of Aftertime, I had no idea when I agreed to review the book. I did however know this while reading the book. Littlefield does not waste time setting up Aftertime, she throws you right into a dystopian California sometime in the not-to-far future as our protagonist, Cass, tries to piece together what the hell just happened to her. Cass quickly realizes that she use to be a zombie! But that is the least of her worries. Cass needs to begin the long journey to her hometown in search of her daughter. The daughter she had just reunited with her before the whole zombie thing. As a recovered zombie, Cass presents to other humans as an infected human who will soon become a zombie or someone who is being abused or cutting herself. These assumptions force Cass to come to grip with her past life as an abused young woman who did put herself into situations where she allowed men to continue to "punish" her. This is how she first lost her daughter. Cass is a deeply flawed character and while not as strong as Littlefield's Stella, I want to believe she is trying her best to be strong. She relies, I think too much, on Smoke, a cowboyish character who is still a mystery by the end of the book. But the story will suck you in and despite any flaws in the characters, you will be desperate to know if Cass finds her daughter or not. There is a sequel and I knew this, so I kept thinking up until the very end, will she or won't she? And of course, now I need to get my grubby hands on the sequel. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started Jun 19, 2011 [date read] date read Jun 27, 2011 [date added] date added Jun 19, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title No Excuses: 9 Ways Women Can Change How We Think about Power [author] author Feldt, Gloria * [isbn] isbn 1580053289 [isbn13] isbn13 9781580053280 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 384 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.93 [num ratings] num ratings 67 [date pub] date pub Jan 01, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Sep 28, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review review coming soon [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started May 16, 2011 [date read] date read Jun 04, 2011 [date added] date added May 16, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title A Stolen Life [author] author Dugard, Jaycee [isbn] isbn 1451629184 [isbn13] isbn13 9781451629187 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 273 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.86 [num ratings] num ratings 64,619 [date pub] date pub 2011 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Jul 12, 2011 [rating] Veronica's rating 0 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review The people who have read it say that this is a book of hope. I'm gonna trust in them. [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 0 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read not set [date added] date added Jul 25, 2011 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music [author] author Meltzer, Marisa [isbn] isbn 0865479798 [isbn13] isbn13 9780865479791 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 176 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.52 [num ratings] num ratings 563 [date pub] date pub Feb 02, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Feb 02, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 4 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review I am totally unqualified to review this book as I totally missed the Riot Grrrl moment. On the other hand, I totally dove into the Lilith Fair moment, I am totally unqualified to review this book as I totally missed the Riot Grrrl moment. On the other hand, I totally dove into the Lilith Fair moment, so I think that I could write the rebuttal or sequel to Girl Power: The Nineties Revolution in Music by Marisa Meltzer, as Meltzer says she never attended Lilith Fair. But I don't hold that against her. Girl Power is a quick read. In fact I dare say that it's a must have on your summer 2010 reading list. It's not fluffy, but at only 145 pages, it delves thru the 1990s women's music scene quickly and in fairly accessible language. In other words, Meltzer doesn't compare Avril to Courtney by using uber-academic jargon. Because of that, I'd also say that this would make an awesome book group selection. I can only imagine the music throw downs at the Women & Children First Feminist book group. As someone who missed the Riot Grrrl moment, I really appreciated reading about how it came about, got popular and then essentially killed itself thru a media boycott. Meltzer ponders if that would have been conceivable in today's media soaked culture. I concur. But what I found most intriguing about the book was how Meltzer outlines how a group of feminists grabbed guitars, drums and the mic and launched a very real music revolution and then how that revolution was so successful that it is quickly evolved into what we typically think of as "Girl Power" music. From Alanis to the Spice Girls, few pop "Girl Power" acts are left un-examined as to how well they stay true to feminism and the benchmark of Riot Grrrl. Meltzer also looks at how some Riot Grrrl acts moved into the mainstream and how that impacted their music. One could use this book to examine just about any grassroots, indie movement to see how it evolves into something vastly different in a short amount of time. I didn't agree with many of Meltzer's conclusions such as grouping P!nk with Avril as bullies. She points to "Stupid Girls" as being problematic by calling out specific "stupid girls" instead of calling out society. I think that's exactly what P!nk does by calling out "tiny dog" accessorizing celebs. Maybe I'm just still reeling from Meltzer making a great case as to why the Spice Girls were a good thing and not P!nk. And reeling in the sense that I think it's an excellent case and one we should all reexamine. Girl Power also made me stop and consider how do we want girls to discover feminism. Or more to the point, how do we think we can get them to discover feminism? My daughter has taken a liking to this book solely due to the title. The kid has asked me how I have liked the book, what it's about and tried to read over my shoulder. This is a book I do plan to leave on a shelf for her to have easy access to when she's around 10. Maybe a bit sooner, but 6 is still too soon for me to discuss rape with her. But the thing is that she knows "girl power" and what it means to her. I asked her and she said, "That girls can play soccer, girls can play chess and girls can play guitars!" Then she laughed and confessed that she cribbed that response from the cover of Girl Studies. I tell ya, she's a smart cookie. But if even 75% of girls her age know "girl power" as a slogan that translated into "Of course, I can do X!" then isn't that a good thing? I guess it can be a not-good thing if the girl in question doesn't have someone in her life to build upon that feeling and reinforce it. Hopefully you get that the bottom line of this review is that it was a good read, a fast read and one that did make me ponder if it's feminist to "go down in a movie theater" or not. Disclaimer: The only payment I received for this review was the copy of the book. I met Marisa years ago when she was with Bitch magazine, but I highly doubt that it is why when I asked for a review copy, her peeps sent one. ...more [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read Feb 13, 2010 [date added] date added Oct 12, 2009 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view (with text) [format]

Output: format Paperback

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [0] checkbox [#] position [cover] cover [title] title Whistling Vivaldi: And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us [author] author Steele, Claude M. [isbn] isbn 039306249X [isbn13] isbn13 9780393062496 [asin] asin [num pages] num pages 242 pp [avg rating] avg rating 3.84 [num ratings] num ratings 1,301 [date pub] date pub Apr 12, 2010 [date pub (ed.)] date pub edition Apr 12, 2010 [rating] Veronica's rating 5 of 5 stars [my rating] my rating 1 of 5 stars2 of 5 stars3 of 5 stars4 of 5 stars5 of 5 stars add to shelves [review] review None [notes] notes Notes are private! [recommender] recommender none [comments] comments 0 [votes] votes 1 [read count] # times read 1 [date started] date started not set [date read] date read Sep 11, 2012 [date added] date added Jul 26, 2012 [date purchased] date purchased [owned] owned [purchase location] purchase location [condition] condition [29] actions view [format]

Output: format Hardcover

Veronica's bookshelf: all (showing 1-30 of 763) (sorted by: votes)


Input: [First Word Definition] An abbreviation for advertisement [Second Word Definition]

Output: To find the sum of


Input: [First Word Definition] A customary food intake [Second Word Definition]

Output: A flat piece of metal, often a disk issued to commemorate a person, action, or event


Input: [First Word Definition] Any of the plantigrade, carnivorous or omnivorous mammals of the family Ursidae, having massive bodies, coarse heavy fur, relatively short limbs, and almost rudimentary tails. [Second Word Definition]

Output: The growth of hair on the face of an adult man, often including a mustache.


Input: [First Word Definition] To feel sorrow over; repent of [Second Word Definition]

Output: Discourteous or impolite


Input: [First Word Definition] Male swine [Second Word Definition]

Output: A flat slab of wood or other material for some specific purpose


Input: [First Word Definition] To tear or rend apart [Second Word Definition]

Output: To cause and guide the movement of


Input: [First Word Definition] An opening made by splitting, cleaving, etc. [Second Word Definition]

Output: To wander aimlessly


Input: [First Word Definition] Informal word for father [Second Word Definition]

Output: A cushionlike mass of soft material used for comfort, protection, or stuffing


Input: [First Word Definition] An alcoholic liquor or spirit distilled from molasses or some other fermented sugar-cane product [Second Word Definition]

Output: A musical percussion instrument consisting of a hollow, usually cylindrical, body


Input: [First Word Definition] Superiority, mastery, or victory [Second Word Definition]

Output: Excessive or rapacious desire for wealth or possessions


Input: [1] Achebe, Chinua [2] First published in 1958, just two years before Nigeria declared independence from Great Britain, the book eschews the obvious temptation of depicting pre-colonial life as a kind of Eden. Instead, Achebe sketches a world in which violence, war, and suffering exist, but are balanced by a strong sense of tradition, ritual, and social coherence. [Fiction]

Output: Things Fall Apart


Input: [1] Albom, Mitch [2] One morning in the small town of Coldwater, Michigan, the phones start ringing. The voices say they are calling from heaven. Is it the greatest miracle ever? Or some cruel hoax? As news of these strange calls spreads, outsiders flock to Coldwater to be a part of it. As the calls increase, and proof of an afterlife begins to surface, the town—and the world—transforms. [Fiction]

Output: The First Phone Call From Heaven


Input: [1] Allen, Sarah Addison [2] Take a pinch of marigold to stimulate affection, add a dash of snapdragon to repel evil influences, finish with a generous helping of rose petals to encourage love, then stand back and let nature take its course. It may be the recipe for Claire Waverley's successful catering business, but when it comes to working its magic on her own love life, she seems to be immune to the charms found only in the plants that have always grown behind the Waverley mansion. [Fiction]

Output: Garden Spells


Input: [1] Barbery, Muriel [2] In a bourgeois apartment building in Paris, we encounter Renée, an intelligent, philosophical, and cultured concierge who masks herself as the stereotypical uneducated “super” to avoid suspicion from the building’s pretentious inhabitants. Also living in the building is Paloma, the adolescent daughter of a parliamentarian, who has decided to commit suicide on her thirteenth birthday because she cannot bear to live among the rich. Although they are passing strangers, it is through Renée’s observations and Paloma’s journal entries that The Elegance of the Hedgehog reveals the absurd lives of the wealthy. That is until a Japanese businessman moves into the building and brings the two characters together. [Fiction]

Output: The Elegance of the Hedgehog


Input: [1] Barnes, Julian [2] This intense novel follows Tony Webster, a middle-aged man, as he contends with a past he never thought much about—until his closest childhood friends return with a vengeance: one of them from the grave, another maddeningly present. Tony thought he left this all behind as he built a life for himself, and his career has provided him with a secure retirement and an amicable relationship with his ex-wife and daughter, who now has a family of her own. But when he is presented with a mysterious legacy, he is forced to revise his estimation of his own nature and place in the world. [Fiction]

Output: The Sense of an Ending


Input: [1] Barry, Brunonia [2] Towner Whitney, the self-confessed unreliable narrator of The Lace Reader, hails from a family of Salem women who can read the future in the patterns in lace, and who have guarded a history of secrets going back generations, but the disappearance of two women brings Towner home to Salem and the truth about the death of her twin sister to light. The Lace Reader is a mesmerizing tale that spirals into a world of secrets, confused identities, lies, and half-truths in which the reader quickly finds it's nearly impossible to separate fact from fiction, but as Towner Whitney points out early on in the novel, "There are no accidents." [Fiction]

Output: The Lace Reader


Input: [1] Barry, Brunonia [2] A respected Boston psychotherapist, Zee Finch has come a long way from a motherless childhood spent stealing boats. But the actions of a patient throw Zee into emotional chaos and take her back to places she though she'd left behind. [Fiction]

Output: The Map of True Places


Input: [1] Benjamin, Melanie [2] Despite her own major achievements--she becomes the first licensed female glider pilot in the United States--Anne Morrow Lindbergh is viewed merely as Charles Lindbergh's wife. The fairy-tale life she once longed for will bring heartbreak and hardships, ultimately pushing her to reconcile her need for love and her desire for independence, and to embrace, at last, life's infinite possibilities for change and happiness. [Fiction]

Output: The Aviator's Wife


Input: [1] Coelho, Paulo [2] An Andalusian shepherd boy named Santiago travels from his homeland in Spain to the Egyptian desert in search of a treasure buried in the Pyramids. Along the way he meets a Gypsy woman, a man who calls himself king, and an alchemist, all of whom point Santiago in the direction of his quest. What starts out as a journey to find worldly goods turns into a discovery of the treasures found within. [Fiction]

Output: The Alchemist


Input: [1] Conklin, Tara [2] Lina Sparrow, an ambitious first-year associate in a Manhattan law firm, searches for the perfect plaintiff to lead a historic class-action lawsuit worth trillions of dollars in reparations for descendants of American slaves. [Fiction]

Output: The House Girl


Input: [1] Edwards, Kim [2] On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. [Fiction]

Output: The Memory Keeper's Daughter


Input: [1] Enger, Leif [2] In "lyrical, openhearted prose" (Michael Glitz, "The New York Post"), Enger tells the story of 11-year-old Reuben Land, an asthmatic boy who has reason to believe in miracles. [Fiction]

Output: Peace Like a River


Input: [1] Eugenides, Jeffrey [2] Spanning eight decades--and one unusually awkward adolescence- Jeffrey Eugenides's novel is a grand, utterly original fable of crossed bloodlines, the intricacies of gender, and the deep, untidy promptings of desire. [Fiction]

Output: Middlesex


Input: [1] Gaiman, Neil [2] A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse where she once lived, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy. [Fiction]

Output: Ocean at the End of the Lane


Input: [1] Gibbons, Kaye [2] An unforgettable tale of unconditional love, and of a family's desperate search for normalcy in the midst of mental illness. It is the story of the relationship between Hattie Barnes and her emotionally elusive mother, Maggie, known by their neighbors as "that Barnes woman with all the problems." [Fiction]

Output: Sights Unseen


Input: [1] Golden, Arthur [2] Speaking to us with the wisdom of age and in a voice at once haunting and startlingly immediate, Nitta Sayuri tells the story of her life as a geisha. [Fiction]

Output: Memoirs of a Geisha: a novel


Input: [1] Greene, Graham [2] Into the intrigue and violence of Indo-China comes Pyle, a young idealistic American sent to promote democracy through a mysterious “Third Force.” As his naïve optimism starts to cause bloodshed, his friend Fowler, a cynical foreign correspondent, finds it hard to stand aside and watch. But even as he intervenes he wonders why: for the sake of politics, or for love. [Fiction]

Output: The Quiet American


Input: [1] Grissom, Kathleen [2] When a white servant girl violates the order of plantation society, she unleashes a tragedy that exposes the worst and best in the people she has come to call her family. [Fiction]

Output: The Kitchen House


Input: [1] Gruen, Sara [2] Told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski, the novel recounts the wild and wonderful period he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joined during the Great Depression. [Fiction]

Output: Water for Elephants


Input: [1] Harbach, Chad [2] At Westish College, baseball star Henry Skrimshander seems destined for big league until a routine throw goes disastrously off course. In the aftermath of his error, the fates of five people are upended. [Fiction]

Output: The Art of Fielding


Input: [1] Harris, Joanne [2] When Framboise Simon returns to a small village on the banks of the Loire, the locals do not recognize her as the daughter of the infamous woman they hold responsible for a tragedy during the German occupation years ago. But the past and present are inextricably entwined, particularly in a scrapbook of recipes and memories that Framboise has inherited from her mother. [Fiction]

Output: Five Quarters of the Orange


Input: [1] Hepinstall, Kathy [2] Put on trial by her slaveholder husband and convicted of madness by a Virginia judge, Iris Dunleavy is sent to Sanibel Asylum to be restored to a good wife. But Iris knows her husband is the true criminal; she is no lunatic, only guilty of violating Southern notions of property. A pompous superintendent heads this asylum populated by wonderful characters, including his self-diagnosing twelve-year-old son, a woman who swallows anything in sight, and Ambrose Weller, a Confederate soldier whose memories terrorize him into wild fits that can only be calmed by the color blue, but whose gentleness and dark eyes beckon to Iris. The institution calls itself modern, but Iris is skeptical of its methods, particularly the dreaded "water treatment." In this isolated place, she finds love with Ambrose. But can she take him with her if she escapes? Will there be anything for them to make a life from, back home? This novel is the story of a spirited woman, a wounded soldier, their impossible love, and the call of freedom. [Fiction]

Output: Blue Asylum


Input: [1] Hurston, Zora Neale [2] An enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, it is the story of fair-skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford, and her evolving selfhood through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose. [Fiction]

Output: Their Eyes Were Watching God


Input: [1] Johnson, Adam [2] The son of an influential father who runs an orphan work camp, Pak Jun Do rises to prominence using instinctive talents and eventually becomes a professional kidnapper and romantic rival to Kim Jong Il. [Fiction]

Output: The Orphan Master's Son