Book Style: Eating The Cheshire Cat

Eating the Cheshire Cat by Helen Ellis is the first real YA I ever remember reading that wasn't a classic. It's also the first time I read a book review in a magazine and actively sought out the book in question. Before Eating the Cheshire Cat I'd never gone to a store looking for a specific title that wasn't either a) Nancy Drew or b) assigned school reading. As a result this novel, Helen Ellis' debut, truly was my introduction to the world of making my own reading choices and developing my own unique literary taste. I love this book is what I'm saying. It's got dark comedy blended with Southern Gothic themes. It's got real teenage girls struggling to mature in the extremely homogenized and image-centric South - something I was struggling with a lot when I first read it. I clearly remember being intrigued by the Wonderland reference in the title (Alice fangirl for life!) and it's crazy to me that this book only came out in 2001 because I feel like I read it before 11th grade, which clearly is inaccurate, but this book was so momentous to me that it seems like it's been part of my life for much longer. My little sister currently has possession of my coveted copy, long overdue since I spent a good few years trying to prevent her from reading it, convinced the more adult themes would be exposed to my mother and she would try and keep me from reading more realistic YA (which is pretty crazy when you consider that the same year I was assigned Ellen Foster and The Poisonwood Bible as school assignments...). And I am now going to stop blathering on about how much I adore this dark and twisted coming of age story and how life-changing/shaping it was for me because I will just keep on talking and we'll never actually get to the discussion about the Book Style and Brandi just stop talking just type a period and start a new paragraph come on you can do this...

This is a hard, I mean hard book to Book Style. That's why, besides it's apparent nearness and dearness to me, I haven't tackled it before now. You can thank my wonderful sister for the prompt. I wanted an outfit that I could see a young woman of good social standing in the South wearing, needed it to have at least some tie-in to the book (there's not a lot of blatant symbolism that would work), and I needed to match a neon green, orange and floral cover?! All in all, I'm pleased with the result. This maxi dress is way beyond my budget reality but I will now be actively looking for a suitable lookalike. I added a light cardigan on top in "Fire" because it matched the goldfish and it also ties in to the story's fiery conclusion. "Sarina Billy" slingback heels keep the look a little dressier while referencing one of three main characters, Sarina. The "Vendetta" purse also ties into the twisted relationship between Sarina and another main character, Bitty Jack. An axe ring and earrings are another nod to Sarina, her mother, and the shocking opening to Eating the Cheshire Cat where a (deliberately) drunk sixteen year old Sarina allows her mother to smash her crooked pinkie fingers with an axe so that they will be reset straight, thus eliminating her one physical imperfection. A "Roll Tide" necklace and an Alabama necklace reference the novel's setting. The "Southern Belle" lipstick, "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" nail lacquer should be pretty obvious references - it's a book about three Southern belles after all. I tossed in some cat-eyed sunglasses because I think sunglasses are a crucial part of any wardrobe and they're catty, just like Nicole (the third main character), Sarina, and Bitty Jack. 

I wholeheartedly endorse this novel. Just don't confuse Southern Gothic with goth. For that matter you probably shouldn't confuse Gothic with goth when it comes to literature, or you, like many disgruntled reviewers, will be confused and disappointed. 

Feminist Primer

So you're digging feminism and want to find out more? Excellent! I know it seems daunting to stare into the face of women's studies literature and to come out the other side more informed and confident instead of sobbing with overwhelmed emotion, but you can do it. Just like feminism is a lot simpler than people try to make it out to be - it is, after all, only "the radical notion that women are people"* - the world of feminist non-fiction need not be over-challenging. Below are my suggestions for where to start your reading - many of these are newer titles because I personally feel like the dialog is more relevant than some of the classic feminist books and I also find them easier to read. Feel free to leave your own suggestions or questions in the comments!

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Sexy Feminism: A Girl's Guide to Love, Success, and Style by Jennifer Keishin Armstrong & Heather Wood Rudúlph

As a bonafide feminist killjoy who's into glitter, makeup and fashion, I jumped for joy at this title. There is still, yes still, a huge misconception that ALL feminists are unshaven bra-burners who hate men. None of which are actually part of the description of feminism. Believing that we're just as human as men doesn't mean we don't like traditionally feminine trappings. Sexy Feminism covers this alleged dichotomy, being a conscientious consumer and being kind to other women.

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Men Explain Things To Me (Updated Edition) by Rebecca Solnit

I mean, when the titular essay was originally published in 2008, it went viral, and the responses prompted the feminist Internet to coin the now easily recognizable portmanteau, "mansplaining". You could easily entertain yourself for hours by searching out comment threads and reading the male objections to the article, where they all manage to do exactly what the article was discussing in the first place. Men Explain Things to Me contains, of course, that first, historically important essay, along with six other perfectly matched essays. 

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Colonize This!: Young Women of Color on Today's Feminism by Daisy Hernandez (Editor), Bushra Rehman (Editor), Cherrie Moraga (Foreword by)

Did you know that women come in more colors than just white? Well, the feminist movement doesn't always appear to know. Colonize This! is important for many reasons, but giving voice to the non-white population is the most important. Mainstream feminism tends to ignore or marginalize issues of race, and that's just not cool.

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Spinster: Making a Life of One's Own by Kate Bolick

This is a new one and it's getting a ton of press for a very good reason: despite the multiple waves of feminism to sweep through the last century, a single woman is still an object of pity to too many people. This book helps break through so many preconceptions about what it means to claim your life for yourself. I think this is an important read for everyone, single, dating, married. Because, ultimately, you can't define yourself by your relationship status, and you shouldn't have to defend that status to anyone.

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We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

It's not the longest, but it makes a compelling argument. That's probably why we got Adichie's badass Tedx Talk finally printed for mass consumption and distribution. I adore Adichie's point of view because it's not specifically American or western; the fact that she hails from Nigeria helps expand the feminist conversation to the rest of the world. The problems are everywhere and we need to recognize and accept this fact if we're going to move forward.

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Excluded: Making Feminist and Queer Movements More Inclusive by Julia Serano

So here's the thing, feminism sucks if we're not including every woman in it. That means transsexual women, gay women, queer women, women of color, and straight woman. Serano is one of the leading voices in this incredibly important call to action. If your feminism isn't including and respectful of everyone I just listed and if you don't take their special circumstances into consideration, this needs to move to the top of your TBR stack, ASAP.

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Bad Feminist: Essays by Roxane Gay

This essay collection deals with the flaws in us all, especially women, and how we can fixate on what we’re doing wrong instead of embracing all that we’ve done right. Let’s be honest, I think each and every of us has lamented how bad we are at fulfilling all the ideals we claim to support and embody. Gay’s exploration of this theme is cathartic and incredibly resonant. “Bad Feminist” is also a product of a mind that follows pop culture and maintains a strong social media presence, making her inconsistencies and struggles all the more real. 

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SLUT: A Play and Guidebook for Combating Sexism and Sexual Violence by Katie Cappiello, Meg McInerney, Jennifer Baumgardner (Preface by), Carol Gilligan (Afterword)

I can honestly say that I have never spent so much time discussing, raving, sharing, dissecting, and meditating on one book before or since reading SLUT. This book contains the titular play (a must-see, watch the Talks at Google here), a background and guide for presenting the play, and several essays pertaining to the subject material. Vitally important for everyone to read, doubly so if you work with teens.

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I Am Not a Slut: Slut-Shaming in the Age of the Internet by Leora Tanenbaum

Leora Tanenbaum has been a leading voice on the topic of slut-shaming for years now. This is her newest book on the subject and it's incredible timely. The internet has radically changed the way we interact with and judge one another. Specifically, it has removed a lot of accountability people feel when dealing with others and has led to a generation of teens and young adults being threatened and verbally and emotionally assaulted online.

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Also, just go ahead and check out Feministing.com, DameMagazine.com, BUST Magazine and Bitch Magazine. Honestly, just subscribe to those last two. 

*Thank you, Marie Shear ♥