Hi folks! It’s that time of week again to have a look through what I’ve been reading.

Vox has a similar but different premise to The Handmaid’s Tale. In this world women have not only lost their positions of power, but all of their rights, including their right to speak. Every female (anyone who is trans or non binary or otherwise part of the LGBTQIA+ family has been put into a prison farm) no matter what age wears a counter. Females get 100 words per day and if they go over that they receive powerful electric shocks.

This was an interesting premise and done really well.

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Sleeps Standing was my last Aussies Rule read for this year. This little book is a blend of fiction and nonfiction about the Maori/European battle that happened at Orakau. With his usual brilliance, Ihimaera tells the story of sixteen year old Moetu (Sleeps Standing) who looked after the children who were present at the battle.

There are also accounts from Maori survivors of the battle. Some of these accounts and Ihimaera’s story are both in English and the Maori language. There are also many photos.

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This book has been on my TBR for a while, but I was really keen to get my hands on it after hearing Mona Eltahawy in conversation with Fatima Bhutto during one of the Wheeler Centre events last month. (The Wheeler Centre has a lot of their talks available as podcasts if, like me, you aren’t a local.)

Headscarves and Hymens is very well written and researched, and is also deeply disturbing. Eltahawy tackles so many difficult subjects, including her own experience, from sexual assault at religious events, to genital mutilation, to issues for the LGBTQIA+ community in these countries. This was eye opening for me and I’m very glad to have read it.

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I’ve also been reading for the Queer in Space Readathon, but I’ll update you on that probably Sunday.

Enjoy the rest of your week!

Cheers,