This week as part of Non-Fiction November the prompt set by Katie at Doing Dewey is to Be the Expert / Ask the Expert / Become the Expert. I’ve decided to go with Become the Expert as there is a topic that I’ve bought a few books on but have yet to read any of them.
I want to learn more about gender as it seems there is more and more in the media about this and I feel like I don’t know as much as I would like to. I often think back to my own childhood as a girl with brothers and I feel like back then we all played with dolls and tractors. Lego was made in primary colours and for everyone. But when I look back at photos I’m always wearing pretty dresses and my brothers wore more practical clothes.
So these are the books I’d like to read in the coming months:
The Gender Agenda by Ros Ball and James Millar
I think this book would be a good place for me to start as it’s a book compiled from tweets and blogs that the parents kept as their children were growing up. It feels like it will be an accessible and fairly quick read that will give me an overview of how society views boys and girls differently, and how stereotypes keep being reinforced (even when we perhaps try not to do this).
Delusions of Gender by Cordelia Fine
This book looks at gender from the angle of neuroscience and psychology to see whether men and women’s brains are wired differently, and to further understand what role the way we are brought up has on our adult lives. I’m fascinated to read this book, I think it will be one that really gives me much more understanding on the subject of gender.
Girls Will Be Girls by Emer O’Toole
This book is slightly different in that it looks at gender but more specifically at women and how we dress and perform in order to fit society’s norms. I think the author is trying to challenge the stereotypes and to re-write the agenda. This book sounds so interesting to me and is one I’ve wanted to read for ages.
The Gender Games by Juno Dawson
I had to add this book to my quest to understand more about gender as the sub-title to this book is ‘The Problem with Men and Women, from Someone Who Has Been Both’. Juno is a trans-woman so she is able to bring another perspective to my learning about gender. I’ve had this book on my TBR for a year now and haven’t managed to get to it but in putting this post together it’s reminded me how much I want to read it.
Do you have any recommendations of more books on gender that might give me further insight and understanding? I’d love to add to my TBR on this subject.
RatherTooFondofBooks 
These all sound like very interesting books, Hayley. And I do like the idea of ‘becoming an expert’ and reading closely on one topic. I’ll be especially interested to find out what you learn from your reading.
This topic look really interesting!! The Gender Agenda is going on my list for sure!
I hope you enjoy it, it does sound like such a good read.
What a fantastic topic! These all sound really intriguing.
Thank you so much 🙂
It was very different when I grew up than it is now. I wish I could recommend something.
It really is so different, things have changed so much since I was a child.
That one, The Gender Games, sounds like a very interesting one as literally showing both sides of the story.
I’m really keen to get to The Gender Games, it sounds fascinating.
Delusions of Gender sounds like the one for me too. I like to get the science, anatomy, biology stuff sorted out before tackling the psychology.
I think Delusions of Gender is probably the book I’ll start with, it sounds like such an interesting read.
Great topic! I definitely think more and more books like these will be coming out as the idea of gender fluidity becomes more accepted.
Thank you!
These look great, and definitely a topic that is worth learning more about.
Thank you, I’m keen to start reading these books soon.
What an interesting selection of books – I have a specific reason for needing more information on this subject, too, so I have found this a really helpful article. Thank you, Hayley!
Thank you, I hope you find these books helpful.
As you probably know I’m going to recommend “There’s a Good Girl” by Marianne Grabrucker as the book that inspired “The Gender Agenda”. I need to read the Juno Dawson so adding that to my wishlist.
I meant to link to your review in this post and forgot all about it, apologies for that. It also meant that I forgot the book you mentioned with it so I’m so glad you commented, I’m making a note of it now and I’ll definitely get a copy.
I LOVED Sissy by Jacob Tobia. It’s their memoir on gender nonconformity and it is so good! Also, for a fiction recommendation, This Is How It Always Is was so good!
Thank you so much for the recommendation of Sissy, I’ve not heard of this book before but it sounds like it’s a perfect addition to my list of books on gender. I think I have This Is How It Always Is on my TBR so I’ll put it to read with the non-fiction, thanks for reminding me of it.
I hope you enjoy them!
I LOVED Sissy bu Jacob Tobia. It’s their memoir on gender nonconformity. Also, for a fiction recommendation, This Is How It Always Is was so good!
What a great topic to become an expert on! I haven’t read anything on gender, so I’m glad to have your list!
Apart from anything else, these books have such clever titles!
This sounds like a good topic to broaden your reading horizon with – very prevalent too, as you say. I hope you enjoy these reads.
All four of these have piqued my interest, thanks for sharing.
You might be interested in The Underground Girls of Kabul by Jenny Nordberg. It’s an interesting look at gender construction.
Please stop by to see my NonFicNov: Become The Expert
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Great list! I really enjoyed Delusions of Gender and the other books on your list all sound fascinating.
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