Bingo Chart Review: How To Be A Woman - Caitlin Moran

I read this book because it was Emma Watson’s pick for the “Our Shared Shelf” book club for one of the past months (I’m behind, I know) and I thought it would do well for my “read a feminist book” part of my reading challenge this year. 




I must confess I didn’t really know too much about Caitlin Moran before I read this book, but I think she is wonderful and I will definitely be checking out more of her work. 

This book is a memoir/debate book about Moran’s experiences growing up as a female and working in media. She speaks openly about her experiences with boys, sex, pregnancy, drugs, bad and good relationships, the pressures of being a woman, sexism and getting tangled up in expectations and how she untangled herself again. 

I really enjoyed this book. I could relate to a whole lot of her experiences and thoughts, although there were some that I couldn’t really relate directly to. But I think that most of her experiences are almost universal for women. Who hasn’t tried to wear something utterly uncomfortable because it was the current trend and expected of you? Who hasn’t had degrading comments about pretty much anything concerning their body, personality, style, ability to perform at work etc.? Moran calls out this behavior for what it really is, sexism and not “jokes” or “banter” and show us how to not be cowed by it, but how to stand strong and call it out too. 

Moran tells about her experiences with humor, but she drives home her points unequivocally, and I really appreciate that.  I also like that she stresses that all women are different and if you WANT to wear those uncomfortable high heels, then go for it! As long as you are doing it for you, and not because you feel it is expected. 

Some think feminism is all about burning bras, wearing orthopedic shoes, ditching make-up and sitting around in circles hating men. But it’s not. Feminism is just about equality. For all! Essentially, in my opinion, it is about not letting anyone tell you what you should or should not be doing. Men shouldn’t be telling women what to do, but women shouldn’t be telling other women what to do either. What’s right for you, might not be right for everybody. Maybe you like your boobs to roam free, but your sister may like a little support in her chest area, and that’s alright. In the same vein, some women might like to wear loads of makeup and/or excruciatingly high heels. Feminism is just about realizing that it’s not your place to judge someone else. Whoever you are! 


I gave this book 5 stars out of 5 on Goodreads and I would definitely recommend it to everyone. 

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