It is nothing new that trans voices have often been pushed aside, forgotten, and oppressed in societies across the globe. The fact that they confuse societal norms about gender binaries and gender-stasis make them terrifying to those who do not understand or prescribe to gender fluidity. This, paired with the flip side of people using … Continue reading
Author Archives: Hope Lee
Why can’t we just believe women? Seriously though…: A review of Abby Norman’s “Ask Me About My Uterus”
Disclaimer: unapologetic discussions about periods and diarrhea ahead. As soon as I saw this book appear as a new release in Goodreads, I put it on my TBR straight away. As someone who identifies as a woman who also has a uterus, this book spoke to me. I’ve struggled with painful and irregular periods my … Continue reading
When algorithms hurt: social media struggles
It has been a decent amount of time since Instagram changed the way it organises its feeds and hashtags. It has been a daunting task for a tiny blogger like me who once loved Instagram because it was a lot freer than Facebook. Since the changes, my engagement with followers and the potential to have … Continue reading
Learning How to Accept Gifts: a review of Lisa Dempster’s travel memoir “Neon Pilgrim”
Gifts are complicated things. The simple premise of giving someone something they need, love, or want is what actually complicates the definition of a gift. Gifts, before anything else, function like a contract that requires the exchange of goods and/or services until someone dies, or decides to break off the relationship with the gift giver. … Continue reading
The importance of geography when having conversations about race: a review of Reni Eddo-Lodge’s text on intersectionality
Talking about race is exhausting. It is emotionally draining, stressful, awkward, painful, scary, and sometimes really dangerous. To have a conversation about race, or any hard topics like gender, sexuality, and class, requires a level of vulnerability that demands patience and practice. People from different sides of the spectrum often come to the table with … Continue reading
Getting outside
Some of the biggest stereotypes I hear about people who love books is that we are all shy, we love sitting at home and reading, we don’t like sports, we don’t like going out, and we are all introverted. Yet, like every community built on a common interest or love, there is beautiful diversity. Whilst … Continue reading
What do we call the memory we know we have forgotten: “Idaho” review
I am not going to lie, the decision I made to read this book was heavily based on the cover. What is that old saying again? Anyway, I found myself drawn to the strong yellows and greens and I had also seen this book everywhere. It was popping up in book stores, in my library, … Continue reading
Asian Invisibility In Western Literature: a review of Ann Y. K. Choi’s “Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety”
I am going to cut to the chase on this review. Like the title suggests, there is a problem with the way that Asian literature is represented, or to be more precise its lack of representation, in the Western world. Many scholars and teachers have suggested to me over the years that Asian literature cannot … Continue reading
Easy and cheap ways for self-care with a book flair
Self care was a buzzword for 2017 with a lot of articles floating around on social media talking about ways to look after yourself ranging from tips on meditation to weekly manicures. Self care has both emotional and medical aspects to it. Self care is ultimately about making time to put yourself first. However, there … Continue reading
“Sleeping Beauties”: a feminist look at this father/son written novel
First of all, let me start by saying this book is long. Over 700 pages long. It is not something for the faint-hearted, however, I will say that in audiobook form this novel is still long (25+hrs of listening time), but digestible. This was the first Stephen King and/or Owen King novel that I have … Continue reading