if i were to write a book, it would most definitely be of this ilk. a funny, feminist, pop-cultural analysis of women and the things they love. definitely recommend.

3.5

This book took me back to when I was friends with a boy at school because we both had pet mice.
And then, of course, people expected us to kiss behind the toilet block, and everything changed.
I have spent forever hiding my interests and obsessions - it is only recently that I have become so open about it (which is why everyone knows 101 facts about pelagic birds).
The advice I would like to take from this book is to create a list of the people whose opinions I actually care about, and stop trying to convince everyone else that I am interesting and worthy of love.

I am shocked by how many times I teared up, laughed out loud, or thought to myself, Wow that’s totally me! while reading this book. In all honesty, I do love Benedict Cumberbatch, but I didn’t expect the raw truths (and deeply researched journalism) to hit me so hard! I absolutely loved this treasure of a book and how strongly it encourages readers to find their joy and pursue it shamelessly. I want every woman to read it and then tear down the patriarchy!

Real score 4.25. It’s absolutely correct. It’s not. Well, not really. I don’t want to put anyone off by using the ‘f’ word, but it really is an exploration of some of what it means to be in the f side of the gender curve, or identify that way. And about what we do to ourselves, and gets done to us, in the formation of our selves in a world where the girl birds don’t sing. You’ll have to read this book to know what I mean. Hint: they do. Many of them anyway.