The Guilty Feminist, and why serious books are harder to read

I'm a feminist but it took me over six months to start this book after I got it as a gift. And in case you decide to give me the benefit of the doubt, it was not for lack of reading time - I managed a whooping thirty odd novels in between.

The truth is, I find 'serious' books harder to read than fiction. They require a lot more brain power and overall engagement, and sometimes at the end of a long day you just want to get lost in a fantasy or a chicklit. Like a true guilty feminist though, I always feel like I should be educating myself more, and since I'd enjoyed binging the podcast so much last year, I thought this would be a perfect read for my enlightenment quota.

I must say, it did not disappoint. Written in a way that's accessible to both newcomers and long-time fans of the podcast, the book covers a range of feminist topics in Deborah's characteristic tone of humour mixed with sarcasm and genuine dismay. Even though some of the anecdotes included were already familiar to me, I learned a lot from the book, laughing out loud at least a few sections each chapter.

In addition to providing top notch entertainment, as is the style of The Guilty Feminist world, the book offers so much important information on key feminist topics. So far my brand of feminism has been mostly passionate outrage at real life situations that I come across, as well as big zeitgeist debates (including anything from the outrage around having a female lead on Doctor Who to the Me Too movement).

Deborah's novel offered valuable insights into areas of feminism I knew less about, including history, intersectionality and a variety of individual 'sins' women agonise over daily. It has definitely been eye-opening hearing from different parts of the feminist tribe, seeing everyday issues broken down on paper and finding out about all the ways we can bring the patriarchy down from the bottom up.

It was empowering and wrath-inducing in equal measures, and by the end of the book I felt imbued with feminist mojo, ready to fight our corner to the best of my ability. To quote the fantastic Emma Thompson, The Guilty Feminist is 'Essential reading for the planet' (especially in today's toxic climate).

5/5 stars