A Cup of Tea with The Wife of Bath

Let’s get classical real quick; I’m talkin’ Canterbury Tales classical. I’m sitting down with my copy of Chaucer’s works and a steaming cup of black currant lavender tea from Twinings on Fleet Street in London. (Pardon my posh-sounding situation, I was about five minutes shy of flat broke when I left Europe.)  I was fortunate enough to study abroad in London as a student at KSU during the Summer of 2014, and I got to visit Canterbury with one of my classes. I picked up this copy of Chaucer’s works at a used bookstore in Canterbury to commemorate my visit, along with a few other inexpensive (in terms of international keepsakes) keepsakes. I’m not a huge fan of Chaucer overall, but I do enjoy most of The Wife of Bath’s Tale.

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I have some photos of Canterbury Cathedral I’d like to share with y’all before I delve deep into Wife of Bath’s characteristics and her feminist themes.

Canterbury Cathedral c. Mid-July 2014 during some construction.

Getting the chance to visit the famed Canterbury Cathedral, where Thomas Becket was martyred in 1170 was quite surreal. It’s not everyday that you get to travel to the scene of a murder and get excited about it!

I had lunch at Tiny Tim’s Tea Room in Canterbury and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

I did a lot of solo exploring while I was abroad; lunchtime was no different. I decided to splurge at a cute little tea room with a literary theme. I had a plate of finger sandwiches, a pot of tea, and my first slice of Victoria’s sponge cake (which is now my absolute favorite). I really enjoyed the whole trip, and I lingered for quite a while in town before I headed home. Europe is as beautiful as people say it is, and I feel like I should share one last image of a garden I visited before I left Canterbury that day.

Like,seriously… Tell me those aren’t the most bodacious hostas you’ve ever seen.
Look at how clear that water is!
You can see the roots of the plants!

I did a lot of solo exploring while I was abroad; lunchtime was no different. I decided to splurge at a cute little tea room with a literary theme. I had a plate of finger sandwiches, a pot of tea, and my first slice of Victoria’s sponge cake (which is now my absolute favorite). I really enjoyed the whole trip, and I lingered for quite a while in town before I headed home. Europe is as beautiful as people say it is, and I feel like I should share one last image of a garden I visited before I left Canterbury that day.

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TW: RAPE

On to The Wife of Bath; In class we discussed the Wife of Bath’s character for quite some time, and one of our main points was the fact that she’s a damn good feminist character. Say hello to a woman who unashamedly enjoyed sex, remarried multiple times, and otherwise rocked modernity in a way that most of her peers on the journey frowned upon. Enter current me, cheering on her badassery with no shame whatsoever.

To give you a little background, Canterbury Tales is comprised of prologues and stories told by various people headed on a religious pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral in Canterbury, England. The prologues provide background on the character telling the following story. The characters are telling stories in an effort to pass the time on their journey.

A few facts about WoB (Wife of Bath) from her prologue:

• Her name is Alisoun (I’m cheating, it’s from the tale she tells, but still).
• She’s been married five times and views herself as an authority on marriage.
• She is religious enough to be headed on a pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral, but still questions some elements of the bible.
• She uses her sexuality as a way to earn prowess in her marriages.
• Her use of scripture in ways that don’t fit are indicative of Chaucer’s distrust  of clergymen and other higher-ups in church that used scripture to excuse their unsavory actions.
• Some scholars argue that her playing into misogyny means that she should not be described as a feminist character, but I wholeheartedly disagree.
• She was a cougar, and married a 20 y/o when she was 40. (Her fifth husband)

Delving into Alisoun’s tale, we hear of a young knight who rapes a maiden in the time of King Arthur. When the court decides that he should be put to death, Arthur’s queen asks to pick his punishment herself. She sends him on a mission and gives him one year to redeem himself. All that the night must do is find out what women want the most in the world. Should he succeed, he may keep his life.

Don’t bother to take a guess, it’s one of those riddles that is so simple that it’s nearly impossible to figure out.

I’ll skip the nifty mythological elements of the tale (old hag turns into beautiful young maiden and somehow the rapist gets a young hot wife????). I have issues with it. Large, vast issues.

What women want most in the world is to have authority and the ability to make choices for themselves. Chaucer wrote this in the 1300’s. Yes, literally 700 years ago.

 

Some VERY Exciting News!

Alright, expect your regularly scheduled posting later this evening or tomorrow afternoon because…

I GOT INTO GRAD SCHOOL!!!!! 

I’ll be attending Georgia College and State University in the Fall for a Master’s of Fine Arts in Poetry. 

Also, I had my license testing at 2:00 today which meant that I didn’t get to writing quite as early as I’d planned. 

BUT I GOT MY LISENCE! 

 ALSO, meet Buffy the duck. Buffy likes to get in my hair and stand on my shoulder. I’m not sure why, but I certainly don’t mind it. 

I’ll be posting about The Wife of Bath’s Tale from Canterbury Tales next. 

ReadCOLOR Easter Kindle Sale!

ReadCOLOR is having an Easter flash sale on a few Kindle books. 

  

Image Credit: Twitter 

If you didn’t catch them free the last time, go ahead and pick them up super cheap today! They are excellent books of poetry by wonderful writers. 

Book 14: Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling

I’m not a bad feminist, but I am terrible at keeping up with pop-culture/mainstream feminism. It took me way too long to pick up this book. The title drew me in, and I recall making a mental note to pick this book up when I was a college sophomore. Yet, here I am, all graduated and inhaling books like my life depends on it.

TW: transphobic language, rape jokes, comedic antisemitism, race jokes.
Also: Multiple uncomfortable Cosby references (not Kaling’s fault).

As I previously mentioned, I have Bossypants on my shelf to read this year, but my lack of knowledge on the current generation of famous feminists like Kaling and Fey makes it harder for me to pick up these books with much excitement. I stayed engaged throughout the book, but I didn’t get nearly as wrapped up in this book as I’d hoped.

I’m not in love with Kaling, but I do find her to be quite amusing. I enjoyed her ability to laugh at herself and the many blunders she’d had as a college grad trying to make it big in NYC. As a broke girl from Georgia, I lived vicariously through Kaling.

 

Image credit: Amazon.com

I’m not a comedy person, though I do enjoy a good laugh that isn’t a tasteless, cheap shot that has been taken hundreds of times before. Speaking of cheap shots, Kaling’s mention of the rape joke she and her former coworker made was… uncomfortable. Most of her humor was palatable, and her choice to poke fun at a bus route that made her uncomfortable was fine, though I didn’t enjoy her method for doing so. Most of Kaling’s humor is tasteful, and I did have some genuine laughs while reading this book.

I was NOT laughing when Kaling used transphobic language in All About the Office. I’m not one to make excuses for people, and I won’t even attempt it here. Rape jokes, not ok. Transphobic language, not ok.

My favorite section was probably the very first chapter, Chubby for Life, especially since I’m in the middle of an annoying dietary change. I adore Kaling’s body positivity, and her ability to tell her story in a way that shows younger generations of girls that bing chubby isn’t wrong, it’s normal and healthy. Her body positivity was very subtle, something that I suck at (I’m about as subtle as a gaping wound). We need more Kaling’s in that respect.

I hoped that this book would be more of a memoir, not so much a random dabbling of essays put together for comedic reasons. There were several instances in which Kaling mentioned issues in a way that was advice-like and useful, but comedy overtook the book. That’s not a definite con, I’m probably being more judgemental because of my less than comedic personality. Without the context of having seen The Office, I wasn’t in on all of the jokes (which is my fault, not Kaling’s). I do need to hop on the train and give it a watch sometime soon. I can imagine I’d have liked the book a great deal more had I been more familiar with Kaling’s style.

So, here’s a good book reviewed just in time for Good Friday. *ba-dum-tiss* Sorry, I couldn’t help myself…

Genre: Comedy/Essays

I give this book a 6/10.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)

Life Update

Alright y’all, it’s time for a new category: About Me. I’m not a popular blogger as of right now, so obviously my following is about 98% friends and family at this point, but for those of you who don’t know me personally I’ve decided to include occasional life updates on my blog.

As of right now, I am still formally unemployed. I am a freelance writer who has yet to be hired (unsurprisingly; outsourcing freelance writing jobs means a huge variance in pricing, and the size of the market makes my being inexperienced quite an achilles heel). For those of you who do know me, you’ll be aware that writing isn’t my only passion. I also spend a great deal of time with makeup. As I began my journey with makeup at the beginning of 2015, I grew a fairly large collection and constantly grew my skills through self-teaching and youtube. I am currently beginning my freelance makeup artistry career. Over the course of the last few weeks I’ve been building my kit and booking work to build my portfolio. If you are interested in my work, you can follow me on Instagram. Please refrain from spamming my email or cell. 

I’m very stressed right now, as I am not only unemployed, but I am also  awaiting a decision from Georgia College and State University for Grad school. Applications were due February first, and I had everything in early, but due to the program that I applied to, it’s a more lengthy decision process. I should find out very soon, and I am optimistic. The most stressful element is not knowing if I need to be preparing to move at the end of Summer.

Another big change in my life right now is my very late ascension into the driving world. As a 21 year old college grad, I still don’t have a driver’s license. I’ve mentioned mental illness before on this blog, and I’ve likely mentioned my anxiety, which has played a massive role in my inability to drive. I made it through college 150 miles from home with no car, but it won’t be an option in grad school or as a freelance MUA. As I’ve recently booked my first wedding and have other reasons to travel more independently, I’m currently in the process of getting more comfortable with driving. I’ve done some lately, and plan to drive through the big traffic-ridden city next week in order to feel comfortable getting my license before the month is out.

As of right now, that’s about all that I have to say for myself. I’m planning to continue towards my 52 book goal, and i’m currently reading an amusing book for Friday’s post. I owe it to myself to continue growing through reading.

I’ll update my previous posts that involve info or updates on my life, and you can expect to see more info about my in the future. Thank you all for taking the time to follow my blog and get to know me.

Book 13: The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander

Disclaimer: I have the revised edition of The New Jim Crow, any differences between the pre-revision copy and what I mention in this post is due to a difference in materials.

I picked up this book in late December, knowing that I definitely needed the credible scholarly information that Alexander intended for us to use in our arguments. Reading the introduction, I found that this makes me a member of one of her target audiences. If you choose to read this blog post, there’s a good chance you are as well.

Mass incarceration is an issue that I feel strongly about; I am very sternly against the ‘war on drugs,’ and I believe that the prison industrial complex is a means for corporate America to make a profit on cheap labor. I do not believe in the subhuman treatment of prisoners. I do believe that the criminal justice system targets people of color at alarmingly high rates, especially African American men and women. Those beliefs are quite difficult to argue without decent evidence to back it up, and that’s why I picked up this book.

The foreword by Cornel West contains a quote that I felt was extremely telling of the state of race relations in our nation today; “Martin Luther King Jr. called for us to be lovestruck with each other, not colorblind toward each other. To be lovestruck is to care, to have deep compassion, and to be concerned for each and every individual, including the poor and vulnerable.” In this quote West breaches the concept f race and the concept of class in an eloquent and easily understood manner.

Something that stands out to me as impressive is the fact that Alexander wrote this book with three young children in the house. I am grateful for the people who helped her to accomplish such a feat, and even more grateful to her for following through with such a stunning work.

This book has been highly lauded and has won the NAACP Image Award and the Constitutional Commentary Award, and I can definitely see why. Alexander had me gripped within the first few paragraphs of the introduction. Every word she wrote is pointed, useful, and fair. As with any scholarly text, The New Jim Crow is a dense read, but it is well worth the time and focus that it requires.

Image credit: Amazon.com

In the Introduction Alexander gives us the rundown on the terminology that is key to understanding the book. Mass incarceration, racial caste system versus social class system, and much more. She also gives the readers a short summary of what each chapter will address along the way, something that gives the reader more background on how the chapters will flow together.

Chapter 1, The Rebirth of Caste, “briefly reviews the history of racialized social control in the United States,”  like slavery and Jim Crow. This builds up historical background for the concept, showing readers the patterns of the birth and death of such racialized social control mechanisms. I learned quite a lot about slavery in this chapter, specifically about the premeditated intent to create a racial divide. Bacon’s rebellion led to a fear of A multi-racial allegiance against the planter elite, leading to a decline in demand for white indentured servants, and an increase in demand for African slaves. The planter elite needed people who lacked the social power that white indentured servants held. They also extended more rights to white indentured servants in an effort to forge more of a racial divide, an effort that was unfortunately successful.

I’ll avoid summarizing the entire text in hopes that you, my audience, will feel more compelled to pick this stunning work of research up and learn for yourselves.

In Chapter 6, The Fire This Time, we see Alexander calling this generation of activists to action. A social movement is key to breaking down this pattern and keeping a new form of socialized racial control from springing up later.

In turn, I would like to call white allies and activists to action; Sociologically, it is proven that poor whites and poor people of color are often pitted against each other by society; racial privilege is hard to understand when you grow up and live without the financial benefit, without the class benefit, etc. that wealthy white people benefit from. I especially appreciated Alexander’s choice to mention this early on, as it is a crucial key to understanding why social interactions between poor whites and POC have remained so tense throughout history. Keeping in mind the poor white folks who lived behind Maya Angelou’s grandmother’s house and various other narratives, we see multiple instances of that form of animosity throughout history, and I see similar examples today. As someone who grew up in the south, I’ve seen time and time again. Poor whites often through people of color under the bus, striving to remain in a social caste higher than someone, in this case POC. I’d like to specifically call to action poor white activists (or white activists who interact with poor white communities); explain to your family, your friends, and the people around you that racial privilege is not simple, but complex. Teach more white people to understand and reject their privilege. Strive to educate the people around you and make changes where they are desperately needed.

In conclusion, I am entirely pleased to have had the opportunity to read and review this book. It is one of the best purchases I have made as of late, a book that will truly stand out throughout history for its honesty and power.  

I give this book a 10/10.

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

I would recommend that everyone pick up this book. Cover price is $19.99 but Amazon lists it for $12.80 (with renting options and cheaper used options) and EBay has copies as low as $7.55. If you have the financial resources to pick up a copy, I would (again) recommend that you do. Share it, pass it on, inform the people around you of this critical issue in American society today.

Author Spotlight: Wally Lamb

Wally Lamb is an excellent writer, and he’s a man who writes excellent women. I know, women are complex and interesting just like men, but it’s not often that you find a man who writes women who are as complex and strong as Lamb’s are.

Lamb’s female characters are not all “strong women” in their physical or emotional strength. He writes flawed women, women with skeletons in their closets, and women who face a myriad of feminist issues.

Some of the issues being:
Mental Illness
Eating Disorders
Relationships (Healthy and not)
Family Conflicts
Women’s Prisons
Mass Shootings
and more…

 

Image credit: hereandnow.wbur.org

I haven’t read any statements that outright affirm that Lamb is a feminist, but you can find many of his books on feminist lists on the web. I’ve read I Know this Much is True, She’s Come Undone, and The Hour I First Believed. My favorite is definitely The Hour I First Believed, and it was my first. I read it the Summer before my senior year of highschool, and I loved Lamb’s ability to encompass so many issues and themes in one book. His books are generally lengthy, but they’re quick reads because he keeps the reader so enthralled. I love his writing, I love his ability to write such stunning characters, and I love his style.

I’m looking forward to reading We are Water and Wishin and Hopin’ as the year progresses. I’ll read Wishin’ and Hopin’ close to Christmas, but I expect to pick up We are Water much sooner.

I plan on picking up a few of his nonfiction works soon as well. He shares stories from the women of York Prison, something that sparks my interests.

If you’re interested in Lamb’s books, give the following link a click and browse his works on Amazon.

Wally Lamb

A Momentary Pause

 

10 Books I’ll Pass on to My Sisters

The responsibility of being an older sibling is something that I’ve been less than excellent with up to date. At seventeen, I moved away from home to start college in a town two and half hours away, leaving my then six and seven year old half-sisters (on my mother’s side) with no older sister to guide them. My father had four children that I didn’t know about until I was fourteen, when I reconnecting with him. Though I no longer speak with my father, his ex-wife (mother to my four half-siblings) and I keep in contact. Four sisters and two brothers, and I’m the oldest. I have six siblings, and I can’t honestly say that I’ve been the best at trying to help shape their views and thoughts, though I certainly plan to be more available in the future.

I can think of three ways I like to communicate; writing, food, and books. I am not an excellent speaker, my emotions can tend to get the better of me when I’m talking about something I feel passionately about, which is why writing is something that I prefer. I can think things out and state them eloquently when I write. With cooking, I can show that I love or care for someone through the effort I put into making them something both tasty and sustenant. Though I love to write and cook, my favorite way to show that I care is probably through books.

I learn from everything that I read. Passing on a meaningful book is something that brings me joy. My mother has passed on books that meant something to her, as have many of my friends. I’ve decided to compose a list of books that I’d like to pass on to my sisters (and brothers) in an effort to share things that I’ve learned and grown from.

1. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
   The first four books I’m going to talk about are YA novels that stuck with me; my first book choice being Speak. Speak is one of the few books that I have read and reread. Not only do I absolutely love the book, I quite enjoy the movie as well. Though Melinda is extremely traumatized throughout the book, we get the chance to see a victim come through it and eventually defend herself from a secondary attack after speaking out. Melinda is different from many victims written into rape stories, she gains an extraordinary amount of strength, and though unfortunately not all victims do, she shows victims that recovery is possible. She shows young women that there will be people on their side when they come forward. Melinda helped a much younger me through some very difficult times, and I will always keep this book on my shelves so that I can pass it on. I want all of my sisters to read this book someday.

2. Are You There God It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume
   This is probably the only Judy Blume book I read. I’m strange in that I often dislike mainstream fiction choices, and Blume’s writing was so popular that I shied away from it. Are You There God, It’s Me Margaret deals with religion. I was raised in a semi-strong Southern Baptist family, and I have had a great deal of doubt as a result. This book showed me that I wasn’t alone, and gave me a tiny bit of exposure to other religions. It’s been quite a long time since I’ve read it, but I remember feeling a little bit less like I was the only kid in the world who was skeptical of her faith. I want them to read this book in case they feel the same way.

3. The PoisonWood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
   I mentioned this book in my review of Prodigal Summer, and I stand by everything that I said about Kingsolver’s writing. She’s excellent, and she weaves a great story with a rich environmentally-based setting. This book is, as I said, an anti-white saviour tale. I see so much value in that, so much power in the beautiful descriptions of a place and people who are often painted as savage and untamed. I want my brothers and sisters to be exposed to narratives like this, things that help combat the single story of Africa that is so often taught.

4. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
   Perks is full of interesting characters, but more importantly it’s full of powerful themes. It’s one of the few books that I’ve read to portray a male victim of sexual abuse, something that is not discussed nearly as often as it should be. It also discusses topics like drugs, sex, homosexuality, and more. Chbosky writes a very powerful book that encompasses a lot of things that teens are faced with, as well as the residual issues from things that aren’t often discussed. It holds a special place in my heart, and I hope to pass it on to all of my siblings.

5. The Cider House Rules by John Irving
   Moving on to adult literature, I hope to pass The Cider House Rules on to my siblings around the time that they’re in high school or college. I read this book as a sophomore in college, and I was very thankful for the recommendation from my dear friend Carlynn. Abortion is an issue that has been widely discussed for decades, if not centuries. This book was written in 1985, and unfortunately is still entirely relevant today. This novel gives an excellent perspective on abortion, one that I view as far less biased than most conservative propaganda. I don’t want to force my views on my siblings, but I do want them to have a solid view of the pro-choice side.

6. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
   I read this book way back in high school, and it’s one that I hope to revisit this year at some point. The concept behind it is what drove me into a dystopian fiction journey back in the day. I adore Atwood’s ability to completely engross her readers in a sci-fi world that is both realistic and fantastical. Her story speaks on gender and class in a way that not many books can, and I hope to pass it on in order to encourage my sisters to really see their worth and remind them ‘nolite te bastardes carborundorum,’ as Atwood writes. (Fun fact, that quote was on my graduation cap!)

7. You Don’t Have to Like Me by Alida Nugent
   I recently reviewed this book, so you can check out my in-depth opinions here. I want to pass this beauty on because it’s an honest, hilarious intro to feminism.

8. Letter to my Daughter by Maya Angelou
   I fell madly in love with this book during my last semester in college, and I can’t think of a single reason not to share it. Angelou is a fabulous writer, and this book is like a culmination of all of her advice points from her books in one. Brief essays that get to the point are a wonderful, and she tackles a lot of important issues in this book. I want my sisters to read books that were written for them, books intended to be consumed by women to show them their (vast) value.

9. Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur
   Kaur is excellent. Her writing is strong enough to send the reader into emotional spirals; the first section of the book was like a flood of emotion that sucked me in. Her poetry addresses harsh subjects like molestation and abuse, and bright subjects like love and hope. i want my sisters to experience strong poets of color like Kaur because they speak on topics that they’ll need to know about in order to be well informed members of society. 
10. The Hour I First Believed by Wally Lamb This was the first Wally Lamb novel I read and I got through c. seven hundred pages in just a few days. Lamb’s writing is tragic in a good way, and this book goes into a cornucopia of bad situations ranging from mass shootings, PTSD, death, family secrets, and women’s prisons. Though it sounds quite bleak, it’s a rich read full of almost tangible emotion that any reader can grow from. I would like for my sisters to read it someday because it’s high on my list of damn good books.

 

I wrote this list because I wish I’d had an older sister to guide me through the hard stuff. I want to be that sister, and I hope this is my first step in the right direction.

This post is, of course, dedicated to my sisters Tara, Stella, Sophia, and Emma. I’m vowing to be a better sister than I have so far, and I love all of you.

Book 12: How to be a Bad Bitch by Amber Rose

Say hello to the book I have been excited about since last year! This baby was at the very top of my list, and my Mom obliged during a shopping spree at B.A.M.; Rose is a very public figure these days, and I’m a fan. I lover her tendency to defend herself, though I’m not quite proud of her tweet that seemed like a shot at emasculating Kanye West after he pulled her into a spat with Wiz Khalifa.

I mentioned earlier this year that I’ve been picking up more self-help books, and this is one of them. I wanted to learn from Amber Rose because her persona is what I like to call hella rad (I’m not Californian but a girl can try).

Rose’s tendency to speak out about slut-shaming is one of the things that drew me in, and I’m happy to say that she talks about it several times in the book. She speaks about agency, independence, and being strong and happy constantly, and I love that our world is becoming full of role models like her. She also addresses body-shame, speaking on how women “shouldn’t be ashamed of their size,” which sits very well with me. My absolute favorite aspects of the book were Rose’s repeated sex positive and body positive comments. Never once did she tell her readers to lose weight or say that booty calls make you a less respectable person. Though she’s flawed, she has some excellent ideologies.

Image credit: Amazon.com

Her advice on things that seem superficial (i.e. makeup and clothes) often has both realistic and metaphorical basis. Rose isn’t telling you what to wear or really how to dress, she’s giving you encouragement to dress in things that make YOU feel good. It’s the advice I wish I’d gotten sooner. What I really got from the book was that being a bad bitch isn’t about your look, it’s about your power and/or empowerment. Rose reminds readers again and again to find happiness within themselves. Right down to the lingerie for yourself tip, I’m here for that.

We all have our problematic faves, and Rose is one of mine. Aside from the emasculation on Twitter issue, she does have a photo of herself in a Native American headdress in the book, along with a short blurb about how every bad bitch needs a gay best friend (which unfortunately did reinforce the trope), and mention of the friend-zone (shudder). Rose is also very heteronormative in the book; all dating, relationship, and sex advice is directed at women in heterosexual relationships.

Most of the criticism I heard about HTBABB was about her chapters on dating and relationships, and sadly I can see why. She outlines her pattern for relationships, which can certainly be useful for some folks, but definitely not everyone. Mentioning that what you wear is up to you and you shouldn’t be ashamed in the same sentence that she says men will treat you how you dress was also vastly unimpressive. Her list of five things that guys like, again, did not impress me. Simplifying the concept of the entire population of men is offensive, and definitely not plausible.

Rose’s book was easy to read, I didn’t want to put it down. The format and style that she chose is reflective of her strong personality, and I appreciated that. The brief chapters and frequency of photos (which I am not complaining about, she’s a stunner) also make it a fairly quick read. The formatting of the book is nice; it’s almost a coffee table book, but not quite. As a mildly oversized hardcover, it’s unfortunately heavy, which makes it a little difficult to travel with, but it’s something I can definitely get past. I’m one of the rare few who prefer paperbacks, but I’m also pleased to have a pretty book that I can use as a decorative piece.

I give this book an 8.5/10.

How to Be a Bad Bitch