Recommendations based on "Cultivating a Life of Character Judges/Ruth"

Named a Most Anticipated Book of 2023 by the New York Times, The Week, Vulture, Elle, and The MillionsA piercing blend of memoir, criticism, and biography examining how women writers across the centuries carved out intellectual freedom for themselves—and how others might do the sameI took off my wedding ring for the last time—a gold band with half a line of “Morning Song” by Sylvia Plath etched inside—and for weeks afterwards, my thumb would involuntarily reach across my palm for the warm bright circle that had gone. I didn’t fling the ring into the long grass, like women do in the movies, but a feeling began bubbling up nevertheless, from my stomach to my throat: it could fling my arms out. I was free. . . .A few years into her marriage and feeling societal pressure to surrender to domesticity, Joanna Biggs found herself longing for a different kind of existence. Was this all there was? She divorced without knowing what would come next.Newly untethered, Joanna returned to the free-spirited writers of her youth and was soon reading in a fever—desperately searching for evidence of lives that looked more like her own, for the messiness and freedom, for a possible blueprint for intellectual fulfillment.In A Life of One’s Own, Mary Wollstonecraft, George Eliot, Zora Neale Hurston, Virginia Woolf, Simone de Beauvoir, Sylvia Plath, Toni Morrison, and Elena Ferrante are all taken down from their pedestals, their work and lives seen in a new light. Joanna wanted to learn more about the conditions these women needed to write their best work, and how they addressed the questions she herself was struggling with: Is domesticity a trap? Is life worth living if you have lost faith in the traditional goals of a woman? Why is it so important for women to read one another?This is a radical and intimate examination of the unconventional paths these women took—their pursuits and achievements but also their disappointments and hardships. And in exploring the things that gave their lives the most meaning, we find fuel for our own singular intellectual paths.

Is it possible to be a Christian and a feminist?The hot topic of feminism has been well documented and debated in mainstream media and yet, as Christians we come to the conversation from a slightly different vantage point. For starters, we have the benefit of a personal relationship with our creator plus the ultimate handbook in the Bible to work out what is right and just when it comes to equality. So why do many Christians feel the Bible presents a barrier rather than a boost when it comes to championing equality between the sexes?Lauren Windle draws upon her years as a journalist to weave together a wide range of voices on a subject that society has been wrestling with but, in the Church, few are brave enough to probe too deeply for fear of what they might find. This book isn't here to tell you what to think. The views it presents are intended to inform, not form, your opinion on key topics, including: defining feminism, the lessons we teach boys, female preachers, a woman's place in the household, beauty standards and #ChurchToo.Notes On Feminism features contributions from several high-profile women:- Writer and model Katie Piper on true beauty- Olympian Abigail Irozuru on women's bodies- Comedian Cassandra Maria on why people think women aren't funny- Author Tiffany Bluhm on why people don't believe women- Journalist Delphine Chui on why she isn't a feminist.If feminist stirrings feel like a barrier to your faith, let Notes on Feminism help you unpick the confusion and ongoing debate, while keeping God at the centre.

Renaissance writer Laura Cereta (1469–1499) presents feminist issues in a predominantly male venue—the humanist autobiography in the form of personal letters. Cereta's works circulated widely in Italy during the early modern era, but her complete letters have never before been published in English. In her public lectures and essays, Cereta explores the history of women's contributions to the intellectual and political life of Europe. She argues against the slavery of women in marriage and for the rights of women to higher education, the same issues that have occupied feminist thinkers of later centuries.Yet these letters also furnish a detailed portrait of an early modern woman’s private experience, for Cereta addressed many letters to a close circle of family and friends, discussing highly personal concerns such as her difficult relationships with her mother and her husband. Taken together, these letters are a testament both to an individual woman and to enduring feminist concerns.

Blending the journalistic rigor of Masha Gessen with the call to action of We Should All Be Feminists, a searing denunciation of Putin’s Russia, revealing how modern Russia’s history of weaponizing sexual violence against women plays a crucial role in its strategy to retain political influence and dominanceOn March 22, 2023, the Swedish Academy organized a conference on threats to freedom of expression and democracy, featuring a roster of stellar speakers, including Arundhati Roy, Timothy Snyder, and Sofi Oksanen. Oksanen’s address—“Putin's War on Women”—generated such interest that the acclaimed Finnish writer used it as the basis for a larger, in-depth look at Putin’s threat to women. The result is Same River, Twice, a devastating expose that builds on the themes and arguments introduced in Oksanen’s urgent and incisive speech.During the Soviet occupation of Estonia, Oksanen's great aunt was arrested and brutally interrogated—a terrifying experience that permanently traumatized her, leaving her silent for the rest of her life. Same River, Twice uses this family story to illustrate the systematic crimes perpetrated by Russian soldiers and the Russian government for nearly a century. From the Russian military's entry into Berlin in 1945 to its modern invasion of Ukraine, Russia has continually employed violence against women when fighting its enemies—including using rape as an instrument of war. But as Oksanen reveals, such violence has never before been used on such a widespread scale. Life for women in Putin's Russia is little better; gender equality is in decline, women are silenced by the legal system, and rape is used to humiliate victims, especially women in media.Oksanen's sober analysis exposes how, under Putin, genocide and misogyny are inextricably linked: misogyny undergirds Russia’s international alliances, threatening the rights of women and minorities worldwide. As Oksanen ominously reminds us, “In Ukraine, sexual violence is an integral part of genocide. In domestic politics, misogyny is a tool used by the Kremlin to prevent women from rising to power. In international politics, it is a tool of Russian imperialism.”As the threats to democracy grow stronger around the globe, this powerful and timely book is a warning that must not be ignored.Translated from the Finnish by Owen F. Witesman

Then It Was Done. After Staying Silent, I’d Had My Say. At No Time Did I Feel Worked Up Or Hotly Angry. I Felt Strong, Measured, Controlled. Yet Emotion Did Play Its Role In The Energy Of The Speech. The Frustration That Sexism And Misogyny Could Still Be So Bad In The Twenty-first Century. The Toll Of Not Pointing It Out. On 9 October 2012, Prime Minister Julia Gillard Stood Up And Proceeded To Make All Present In Parliament House That Day Pay Attention – And Left Many Of Them Squirming In Their Seats. The Incisive ‘misogyny Speech’, As Her Words Came To Be Known, Continues To Energise And Motivate Women Who Need To Stare Down Sexism And Misogyny In Their Own Lives. With Contributions From Mary Beard, Jess Hill, Jennifer Palmieri, Katharine Murphy And Members Of The Global Institute For Women’s Leadership, Julia Gillard Explores The History And Culture Of Misogyny, Tools In The Patriarchy’s Toolbox, Intersectionality, And Gender And Misogyny In The Media And Politics. Kathy Lette Looks At How The Speech Has Gained A New Life On Tiktok, As Well As Inspiring Other Tributes And Hand-made Products, And We Hear Recollections From Wayne Swan, Anne Summers, Cate Blanchett, Brittany Higgins And Others Of Where They Were And How They First Encountered The Speech. While Behaviours May Have Improved Since The Misogyny Speech, There Remains A Way To Go And Julia Gillard Explores The Roadmap For The Future With Next-generation Feminists Sally Scales, Chanel Contos And Caitlin Figueiredo To Motivate Us With That Rallying Cry: Not Now, Not Ever! Proceeds From The Book Will Go To The Global Institute For Women’s Leadership (giwl).

A Good Morning America Book Pick The author of the international bestseller How to Be a Woman returns with another "hilarious neo-feminist manifesto" (NPR) in which she reflects on parenting, middle-age, marriage, existential crises--and, of course, feminism. A decade ago, Caitlin Moran burst onto the scene with her instant bestseller, How to Be a Woman, a hilarious and resonant take on feminism, the patriarchy, and all things womanhood. Moran's seminal book followed her from her terrible 13th birthday through adolescence, the workplace, strip-clubs, love, and beyond--and is considered the inaugural work of the irreverent confessional feminist memoir genre that continues to occupy a major place in the cultural landscape. Since that publication, it's been a glorious ten years for young women: Barack Obama loves Fleabag, and Dior make "FEMINIST" t-shirts. However, middle-aged women still have some nagging, unanswered questions: Can feminists have Botox? Why isn't there such a thing as "Mum Bod"? Why do hangovers suddenly hurt so much? Is the camel-toe the new erogenous zone? Why do all your clothes suddenly hate you? Has feminism gone too far? Will your To Do List ever end? And WHO'S LOOKING AFTER THE CHILDREN? As timely as it is hysterically funny, this memoir/manifesto will have readers laughing out loud, blinking back tears, and redefining their views on feminism and the patriarchy. More Than a Woman is a brutally honest, scathingly funny, and absolutely necessary take on the life of the modern woman--and one that only Caitlin Moran can provide.

This is a fascinating and innovative look at women's psychology. Jungian analyst Jean Shinoda Bolen examines the seven archetypal goddesses, or personality types, that exist within the female psyche and how identifying them can provide the key to self-knowledge.

Some of the most acclaimed books of the twenty-first century are autobiographical comics by women. Aline Kominsky-Crumb is a pioneer of the autobiographical form, showing women's everyday lives, especially through the lens of the body. Phoebe Gloeckner places teenage sexuality at the center of her work, while Lynda Barry uses collage and the empty spaces between frames to capture the process of memory. Marjane Satrapi's Persepolis experiments with visual witness to frame her personal and historical narrative, and Alison Bechdel's Fun Home meticulously incorporates family documents by hand to re-present the author's past. These five cartoonists move the art of autobiography and graphic storytelling in new directions, particularly through the depiction of sex, gender, and lived experience. Hillary L. Chute explores their verbal and visual techniques, which have transformed autobiographical narrative and contemporary comics. Through the interplay of words and images, and the counterpoint of presence and absence, they express difficult, even traumatic stories while engaging with the workings of memory. Intertwining aesthetics and politics, these women both rewrite and redesign the parameters of acceptable discourse.

FINALIST FOR THE NATIONAL BOOK AWARDNAMED ONE OF THE 10 BEST BOOKS OF 2025 BY THE WASHINGTON POSTNAMED ONE OF THE 100 NOTABLE BOOKS OF 2025 BY THE NEW YORK TIMESNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF FALL 2025 BY ELLEONE OF CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY'S MUST-READ BOOKS OF 2025 Acclaimed journalist Julia Ioffe tells the story of modern Russia through the history of its women, from revolution to utopia to autocracy.In 1990, seven-year-old Julia Ioffe and her family fled the Soviet Union. Nearly twenty years later, Ioffe returned to Moscow—only to discover just how much Russian society had changed while she had been living in America. The Soviet women she had known growing up—doctors, engineers, scientists—seemed to have been replaced by women desperate to marry rich and become stay-at-home moms. How had Russia gone from portraying itself as the vanguard of world feminism to becoming a bastion of conservative Christian values?In Motherland, Ioffe turns modern Russian history on its head, telling it exclusively through the stories of its women. From her own physician great-grandmothers to Lenin’s lover, a feminist revolutionary; from the hundreds of thousands of Soviet girls who fought in World War II to the millions of single mothers who rebuilt and repopulated a devastated country; from the members of Pussy Riot to Yulia Navalnaya, the wife of opposition leader Alexey Navalny, Ioffe chronicles one of the most audacious social experiments in history and documents how it failed the very women it was meant to liberate—and how that failure paved the way for the revanche of Vladimir Putin.Part memoir, part journalistic exploration, part history, Motherland paints a portrait of modern Russia through the women who shaped it. With deep emotion, Ioffe reveals what it means to live through the cataclysms of revolution, war, idealism, and heartbreak—and how the story of Russia today is inextricably tied to the sacrifices of its women.

A raw and lyrical exploration of the confining expectations of womanhood and, if we dare, what lies beyond those limitations--from a writer Roxane Gay calls "vibrant and thoughtful." Gorgeous, badass, and practically waiting to pounce, Good Woman: A Reckoning is acclaimed essayist Savala Nolan's follow-up to her "standout collection" (New York Times Book Review) Don't Let It Get You Down. A lifetime of playing by the rules of female social conditioning is not what it's cracked up to be for Nolan. The years of making herself smaller (literally and metaphorically); the sexual advances that led to more than she wanted; the bad marriage she fought like hell to keep; all the ways others questioned her identity or choices and she let it slide to keep the peace; her silence when requested; her body when desired--none of it worked. None of it protected her the way it was advertised to. Nolan noticed the same was true for the women around her and the women in history she read about. Across time and location, they were raised to be agreeable and "good." Hyper-visible as sexual objects but invisible as full people. Living in a physical world created by men for men. Taking on the ultimate role of birth-giver and caretaker, yet seeing it remain an unsung act, even as it's a God-like endeavor. Only in midlife did Nolan begin to realize she was capable of living outside these cages of conditioning so slyly insidious that they're nearly invisible. Good Woman elegantly probes the knotty conditions themselves, the costs of adhering to them, and what happens when one refuses to comply. The twelve stunning and unforgettable essays blend memoir, reportage, and history to create a collection that is alternately bold, brash, and explosive ... and ravishingly tender, sensual, and joyous. Nolan takes aim at big and old ideas, and she does not miss. Hers is a testimony to witness and to savor.