10. Ghosts from Our Past: Both Literally and Figuratively: The Study of the Paranormal by by Erin Gilbert, Abby L Yates, Andrew Shaffer (Author, Editor)
- What fun, and how interesting a movie tie-in! A real pocketbook page-turner. Read my review here, which explains all.
9. The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen: Awesome Female Characters from Comic Book History by Hope Nicholson
- Collecting the vast history of different female characters in the comic book medium, past and present. Very educational, filled with required reading recommendations for pop culture geek girls like myself. And it was in my local bookshop! Read my review here.
8. Superwomen: Gender, Power, and Representation by Carolyn Cocca
- Tons of information about pop culture's famous "strong female characters", from television, movies, and comics. A critical, feminist analysis on representation - not just of white women, but of women of colour and women on the LBGTQ spectrum, and how they are treated quite appallingly by the media compared to straight white heroines. Not that they are always written complexly and competently by predominantly straight white men either. Like The Spectacular Sisterhood, this book was made for geek girls like me, in desperate need of positive representation in our media. I'd like to see an updated sequel in the future. Read my very long review here.
7. Basic Witches: How to Summon Success, Banish Drama, and Raise Hell with Your Coven by Jaya Saxena and Jess Zimmerman
- A fun little self-help book for modern day witches, or women and girls seeking confidence, companionship and focus in such shitty times and circumstances. Feminist and daring, I adore it. Read my review here.
6. Rejected Princesses: Tales of History's Boldest Heroines, Hellions, and Heretics by Jason Porath
- History's and fairy tales' overlooked, forgotten women: Rejected Princesses educates the shit out of you where most history classes don't, because they don't care to mention any awesome, smart and brave women in human history who have in fact helped to shape our society and culture today. Another symptom of the patriarchy. But they existed, they struggled, they suffered, they survived, and they will not be forgotten about anymore. Presented like a large fairy tale book with fantastic illustrations that are funny and cartoony, be warned, this isn't for children: it gets extremely disturbing and horrifying the more you read about these women. Educational, fun and important, don't miss Rejected Princesses. Fucking inspiring. Read my review here.
5. Where Am I Now?: True Stories of Girlhood and Accidental Fame by Mara Wilson
- A sweet, honest memoir by many people's favourite child actor of the nineties, Mara Wilson. She's smart, warm, ambitious, frustrated, and utterly human. Her book is about Hollywood falseness and unbearable pressure, but mostly it's about hope, moving on, doing what you love, and loving others. It is Mara's life, told by herself in how she wants to. Where Am I Now? brings me back to my own strange, confusing, contradictory childhood in some ways, too, aside from the parts regarding fame. Read my review here.
4. Good Night Stories for Rebel Girls by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
- Rejected Princesses for younger girls. And boys. And everyone. So great, so educational, so inspiring. These stories are about real, ordinary yet extraordinary women and girls who have changed our world for the better in so many ways. An important item for every household. Read my review here.
3. Nasty Women by 404 Ink (Editor), Various
- Another raw, important feminist text that needed to exist in 2017, as hopeless and tragic as that fact is. Enough is enough, and women everywhere will not endure any 21st century toxic, fear-mongering, anti-feminist backlash and violence (and death) anymore. Nor gaslighting. What else can I say that I haven't already gone into great detail discussing here in my review? Except: Fuck you, 2016. You were the absolute fucking worst.
2. The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente (Writer), Annie Wu (Illustrator)
- This is entirely fictional. An anthology novel. But it is about a geeky and feminist pop culture subject, the Women in Refrigerators trope, so I'm including it on this list. Any excuse to include it on any fave list. I love it I love it I love it! The Refrigerator Monologues is a work of art, in need of an adult animated film adaptation. In addition, it got me to finally read The Vagina Monologues. Catherynne M. Valente is a phenomenal fantasy writer. Read my obsessively gushing review here.
1. What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton
- Vital that everybody reads it. It is raw, honest, emotional, intellectual, educational, heart-pounding, heartbreaking, tragic, and painful; political doesn't being to cover it. It is merely human. What Happened is about love, family, fleeting hope, growing and moving on - and the strength that comes from those things. It is about getting back on your feet - finding out what you can do when all else has failed, to disastrous results; finding inspiration - hell, just plain common human decency - in the darkest times. In the worst, most impossible and regressive political climate imaginable in the 21st century. Immensely readable and addictive, as well. In my opinion, What Happened and The Hate U Give are the most important, life-saving required reading of 2017 and beyond. If you feel you are ready for the truth, read Hillary's account - of herself, her life, her presidential campaign, everything - in What Happened. My review is here.
Up next, my final list of the year: my Top 30 Worst Books of 2017!
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