Running with Scissors is one of those books that I have wanted to read for such a long time, but somehow never managed to find the book at the right moment. When I found a second-hand copy of the memoir at a second-hand book fair in Geneva, I decided to pick it up. The book … Continue reading
“Happy Fat” this summer: a review of Sofie Hagen’s book about fat activism
Finding this book has been 2019 gold for me. It has also been exceptionally fortuitous to read this book at the beginning of summer, a time for many people that singles stress and anxiety around their bodies. This book was my first deep-dive into fat activism and the fat positivity movement, and I feel like … Continue reading
Complicated families and letting go: a review of Sarah Haywood’s “The Cactus”
The Cactus is the debut novel from Sarah Haywood which is about letting go of who people want you to be and who you have made yourself become because of your past experiences. It is about family conflict, death, grief, secrets, and forgiveness. It is not your typical contemporary fiction novel for all the right … Continue reading
Roxane Gay Live at the Open Air Literatur Festival in Zurich 2019
Roxane Gay’s work has been seminal for feminist and fat liberation movements around the world. She draws on her own experiences about trauma, body image, feminist ideals, and Haitian and Black identity. Seeing her talk about her two most popular books Bad Feminist and Hunger: A memoir of (My) Body. I used Gay’s feminist text … Continue reading
5 Life Lessons from Amy Poehler’s “Yes, Please”
Most people know Amy Poehler as the hilarious comedy queen and beloved friend of Tina Fey. Her career achievements are too long to add here, but let’s just be clear that she had made some of the funniest stuff on television. I have always felt that comedy is a great way to have hard conversations … Continue reading
Stepping outside your comfort zone with “Britt-Marie Was Here”: a review of Fredrik Backman’s novel
Swedish author Fredrik Backman has become quite the buzz-worthy author of late with his books appearing all over my bookish social media feeds. His first novel, A Man Called Ove became extremely popular and soon after that his books have become a worldwide hit. The novel is set in a place called Borg, a small … Continue reading
Life Lessons from Queer Eye’s Tan France: “Naturally Tan”
Since the re-boot of Queer Eye on Netflix, I have fallen in love with each of the stars. Not too long ago I wrote a review of Karamo Brown’s memoir and was really excited to see that Tan France had also come out with one. It also fills my heart with a lot of happiness … Continue reading
Monthly Favourites: June 2019
June is usually a month for travelling. It is my birthday month and since My father died I have tried to go somewhere for every birthday. This year I got to revisit Sicily where I went on exchange when I was 14. Catania was the place that started everything for me. It showed me world … Continue reading
“Pride & Prejudice & Passports”: a review of Corrie Garrett’s immigrant retelling of Jane Austen’s classic
I’ve read some modern re-tellings of classics that have just fallen flat. Sometimes classics are named classics because they are indeed just that: stories that transcend time. They shape our culture and understanding of the past. They also help us shape our future and in particular the way authors and readers write and engage with … Continue reading
A Review of “The Lie Tree”: the power of a lie
Frances Hardinge’s The Lie Tree was the perfect read for my summer holidays in Catania last week. The book is fast paced with some good suspense and plot development. At the core of the narrative is a scientific discovery: a tree that will give you truth and knowledge through its fruits if you feed it … Continue reading
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