About: As summer draws to a close, check out the summer books I loved from genres including romantasy and historical fiction, all rated 4.5 stars or higher.
(more…)Dive into the Best Summer Books: 23 Unputdownable Reads
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7 Books on My September TBR
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About: My September TBR includes 7 books that I hope will get me in the mood for autumn. Included in my TBR is a recent Pulitzer Prize winner and a fun YA novel about a soccer prodigy I can’t wait to jump into!
(more…)Book Review: You’re the Only One I’ve Told: The Stories Behind Abortion by Dr Meera Shah
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Series: Standalone
Release Date: September 1, 2020
Synopsis
At a time where reproductive rights are at risk, these vital stories of diverse individuals serve as a reminder of the importance of empathy, finding community and motivating advocacy
For a long time, when people asked Dr. Meera Shah, Chief medical officer of Planned Parenthood Hudson Peconic, what she did, she would tell them she was a doctor and leave it at that. But when she started to be direct about her work as an abortion provider an interesting thing started to happen: one by one, people would confide that they’d had an abortion themselves. The refrain was often the same: You’re the only one I’ve told.
This book collects these stories as they’ve been told to Shah to humanize abortion and to combat myths that persist in the discourse that surrounds it. A wide range of ages, races, socioeconomic factors, and experiences shows that abortion always occurs in a unique context.
Today, a healthcare issue that’s so precious and foundational to reproductive, social, and economic freedom for millions of people is exploited by politicians who lack understanding or compassion about the context in which abortion occurs. Stories have the power to break down stigmas and help us to empathize with those whose experiences are unlike our own.
A portion of proceeds will be donated to promote reproductive health access.
Ending
Incredibly informative and inclusive. Ends with a chapter on Calls to Action that identifies how readers can participate in the fight for reproductive justice and reproductive healthcare access.
Representation
• Gender-inclusive language and approach to healthcare
• Written by a Gujarati Indian American author
• Written by a Gujarati Indian American author
Possible Triggers: Yes
• Abortion
• Racism
• Medical content
• Discussion of…
– miscarriage
– late-term pregnancy abortion
– grief
– parents deciding to end their pregnancy due to medical complications
– medical trauma
– r@pe
– child abuse
– gender-based violence abuse
• Racism
• Medical content
• Discussion of…
– miscarriage
– late-term pregnancy abortion
– grief
– parents deciding to end their pregnancy due to medical complications
– medical trauma
– r@pe
– child abuse
– gender-based violence abuse
Mature Themes:
• Sex is discussed
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• See Ending for HEA status.
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Hardback
Rating: 5-stars
I put off reading this book for a long time despite knowing it would be a 5-star read. It’s a hard-hitting topic that I think readers need to be in the right headspace to absorb (see Possible Triggers above). The content on reproductive justice is particularly relevant now, with the wave of abortion bans occurring in the USA. Even in Canada, some politicians have raised wanting to repeal abortion access from our Human Rights Charter.
You’re the Only One I’ve Told: the Stories Behind Abortions is impactful because it demystifies abortions. The book affirms that abortion is a medical procedure that should be contextualized within a healthcare framework rather than the moralizing typical of most abortion conversations. Dr. Meera Shah’s decision to weave facts about (the lack of) abortion rights with anecdotes from her patient’s experiences with abortion was effective. The reader came to understand how these laws and regulations around abortion – especially its moralizing – have led to material consequences for patients.
I appreciated that Dr. Meera Shah’s approach to analyzing reproductive justice in the USA applied an intersectional lens. The patient anecdotes explored how gender, race, religion, income and more impacted their access to abortion and their decision to proceed (or not) with the procedure. The author also highlights how some patients decided to terminate an unwanted pregnancy, whereas others were compelled to have an abortion for medical reasons. What struck me in the latter cases was the importance of doctors being able to put aside their personal beliefs to protect the mental and physical health of their patients (to note, this is not always the case).
The most shocking aspect of You’re the Only One I’ve Told: the Stories Behind Abortion is how the author makes clear to the reader how abortion as a medical procedure has been politicized. Dr. Meera Shah is an abortion provider who is given – depending on the state – a specific script of information she must tell the patient, most of which is medically incorrect information used to scare patients away from the procedure (e.g., the fetus will feel pain). Also, if doctors do not follow this script, they can be disbarred. The fact that politicians with an agenda (i.e., re-election) are writing these scripts and not doctors is unfathomable to me.
In Conclusion
You’re the Only One I’ve Told: the Stories Behind Abortion has a lot to offer readers well- and not versed in the reproductive justice fight in the USA. The book is informative but avoids being dry by grounding its research in patient experiences. I loved how Dr. Meera Shah decided to conclude the book with a chapter on how the reader can get involved in the reproductive justice movement! This included easy ways people can make a change and a list of non-profit and activist groups they could support.
Buy You’re the Only One I’ve Told
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18 Books on My May TBR
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About: My May TBR includes 18 books that I want to read in May, including four books by AAPI authors to celebrate AAPI Heritage Month!
(more…)Powerful and Motivational: The Body Is Not an Apology by Sonya Renee Taylor
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Series: Standalone
Release Date: February 9, 2021 (2nd Edition)
<strong>Synopsis</strong>
A global movement guided by love.
Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies.
The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world–for us all.
<strong>Ending:</strong> Nonfiction
Powerful & Motivational
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Fat Black queer author
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> No
• No abuse
• No overly sad parts
**Note: the book does talk about racism, fatphobia, homophobia, ableism and eating disorders. I don’t think any were talked about in a triggering way; if I’m wrong please let me know through the comment section or send me an email via my contact page.
• No overly sad parts
**Note: the book does talk about racism, fatphobia, homophobia, ableism and eating disorders. I don’t think any were talked about in a triggering way; if I’m wrong please let me know through the comment section or send me an email via my contact page.
<strong>Mature Themes:</strong> No
• Talks about safe-sex
Format: eARC
Rating: 3.75/5 stars
Note: I received The Body Is Not an Apology through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to FSB Association for the opportunity. (more…)14 New Books: My October Book Haul
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My October Book Haul includes both my hardcopy and ebook purchases I’ve made since my September book haul (click here to see). The haul totals to 14 books (including ebooks), and every book, except for two, is a book I’ve wanted to read for months! Despite October being a month dedicated to spooky reads, I’ve never been much of a mystery/thriller fan. However, I’m broadening my typical reading genres by including a mystery in this haul!
(more…)August Book Haul: Colours of the Rainbow
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My first ever book haul is covering three months of book purchases! To ensure the post doesn’t go on forever I’m going to split my hard copy and kindle purchases between this post and my August monthly wrap. In this haul, I am featuring all of the books I’ve purchased in hard copy!
(more…)Brilliant and Indispensable: What We Talk About When We Talk About Rape by Sohaila Abdulali
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Series: Standalone
Release Date: October 25, 2019
<strong>Synopsis:</strong>
Thoughtful, provocative and intelligent, this game-changing book looks at sexual assault and the global discourse on rape from the viewpoint of a survivor, writer, counsellor and activist.
Sohaila Abdulali was the first Indian rape survivor to speak out about her experience. Gang-raped as a teenager in Mumbai and indignant at the deafening silence on the issue in India, she wrote an article for a women’s magazine questioning how we perceive rape and rape victims. Thirty years later she saw the story go viral in the wake of the fatal 2012 Delhi rape and the global outcry that followed.
Drawing on three decades of grappling with the issue personally and professionally, and on her work with hundreds of other survivors, she explores what we think about rape and what we say. She also explores what we don’t say, and asks pertinent questions about who gets raped and who rapes, about consent and desire, about redemption and revenge, and about how we raise our sons. Most importantly, she asks: does rape always have to be a life-defining event, or is it possible to recover joy?
<strong>Ending:</strong> Non-Fiction
Powerful
<strong>Representation</strong>
• Author describes herself as: “A brown bisexual middle-aged atheist Muslim survivor immigrant writer without a Shame Gene”
• Discusses the rape culture of India (as well as many other non-Western countries)
• Discusses the rape culture of India (as well as many other non-Western countries)
<strong>Possible Triggers:</strong> Yes
• Discussion of rape culture
• Discussion and description of Rape including,
– Gang rape
– Child rape
– Marital rape
– Casual rape (Perpetrator wants sex)
– Damage rape (Perpetrator wants to cause pain)
• Child brides
• Suicide
• Violence
• Discussion and description of Rape including,
– Gang rape
– Child rape
– Marital rape
– Casual rape (Perpetrator wants sex)
– Damage rape (Perpetrator wants to cause pain)
• Child brides
• Suicide
• Violence
<strong>Mature Themes</strong>
• Sex work
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• BDSM
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• BDSM
• See Possible Triggers for Abuse and OTT sad parts.
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5 stars
Trigger Warning: This review discusses topics that can be triggering for some. Please read the ‘Possible Triggers’ tab above for details. (more…)
