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[Rosielovesreading7]

Hi,

I've been on Our Shared Shelf for a while now but thought it would be nice to introduce myself. My name is 'Rosielovesreading' and I am 15. Initially, I was worried that I may be too young to join in but really it's a good idea that these views and ideas are talked about AND it actually feels great to be able to express opinions with so many people. So... I suppose I'll see you guys around:).

[Sandra]

Lena wrote: "Hello everyone,

my name is Lena and I´m from Germany. I`m 18 years old and I finished School in june 2016. Currently I´m living and working in peru, because I don´t know what I want to study yet...."

Hi Lena! Deutsche Unterstützung! Sehr cool :)

[Sandra]

Hi,

I'm Sandra and a 26 year old German girl ;) I recently finished my History and German Linguistics studies. I joined Our Shared Shelf a few weeks ago mainly because of Emma Watson (very impressive woman!). I love reading - fantasy, thriller, crime, historical fiction, sometimes romance etc. etc. - and I'm always in search of new inspirations. That's the other reason I joined the group because I really wanted to try something new. I had never read a book about feminism/feminist books before so I was thrilled about it. I started with 'The Vagina Monologues' by Eve Ensler and although I wasn't quite a fan of the book I enjoyed the play very much.
I'm looking forward to what's next!

[Britt]

Hi everyone, I'm Britt, 27 - I'm originally Dutch but I've lived in France for the past seven years. I'm a Human Resources Manager, but I've also just started a three-year course in Programming at the same time. Tough, but it's awesome!

I joined this group in December - I don't actually know why I didn't join before, because I'm a big fan of Emma Watson and especially the work she's doing for the UN and with her HeForShe project.

Anyway, I've read two books for this group so far, and I've really enjoyed both. I also love reading the discussions on here and participating in them now and then. I find it very reassuring that there are women all over the world who think and feel the same way as me about being a woman in this world.

I can't wait for the next book!

[Holly]

Hello;

My name is Holly, I am a 52 year old woman living in the midwestern U.S. I am a mother of one daughter, age 10. I am a bloodstock agent by trade and a lifelong horsewoman. I live in a small rural community where I am dedicating myself to promoting matriarchism.

[Ellen]

Hey everyone, I'm Ellen Orange and I'm from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK.

I'm 22, and have just finished 4 years of university uni, studying two English literature degrees. While this was fantastic - it was also sad that 90% of what I read was by white, straight men and considered 'canonical'.

I tried to combat this when it came to my own research - looking into feminism and representations of women for the first time in my academic career. However this wasn't enough and I'm keen to use some time now that I'm in the 'real world' to diversify my reading and I'm hoping this group will help!

While I'm working at the moment I do have aspirations to do a PHD - following on from my last research. Hopefully reading more widely will have me a stronger foundation for this.

Can't wait to start reading and chatting to you all!

[Agnes Szalkowska]

Hi Ellen Nice to meet you. Is funny I am live not far form Newcastle.

[Jo, Our Shared Shelf Moderator]

Welcome Kyle and Ellen...and everyone else!! :D x

[Tamara]

Hello Everyone,

I’m Tamara from Kansas. I grew up in England, a few miles from Hampton Court Palace and situated about 20 minutes from London. I’ve lived in the U.S. for nearly 40 years but managed to retain my British English accent—much to the embarrassment of my two boys who frequently complained when they were little: “Mom, why do you talk so funny?”

I’ve been in academia all my professional life. I was a professor of English for about 20 years, then an academic dean, then the VP for Academic Affairs. I retired 3 years ago. While I was faculty, I introduced Women’s Studies courses to the curriculum because I believe feminism to be empowering for women and men.

I have published four books. All four combine two of my passions—feminism and women in mythology. The last two are novels (one is on the Demeter/Persephone myth; the other is a re-telling of Homer’s Odyssey through the voices of women).

I saw your reading this month is Women Who Run With Wolves. I read it years ago and loved it (feminism plus mythology). I’ve been meaning to re-read it now that I have more time. I look forward to doing so with this group and to participating in the discussions.
Thanks.

[Nidhi]

Hi everyone! I'm Nidhi from India. I joined this group in September but never really introduced myself. I'm a great fan of Emma and her work, she inspired me to believe in feminism and it actually feel good to be the part of this. And I'm looking forward to read the books!

[Nurul]

Hi everyone,

I'm Nurul from Indonesia. I admire Emma not as an actress but also as women activist for UN. I like her thoughts and what she worked for tho. Been following Our Shared Shelf for months and really amazed with its book recommendation. It enlightens! I'm also a teacher so following this group maybe give me impact how to educate children with values in society. Thanks.

[Y]

Hello! It's so nice to read about you.

My name is Yaryna. I am 22. I live in Ukraine.
I am interested in literature and women rights protection. Feminism movement is very poor in Ukraine, though there are a lot of women and men who support the ideas of feminism and rights protection.
I have joined this group first of all to find good literature for myself and my friends, for my self-development and widening my views. Secondly I found here so many good and fruitful discussions. And the last but not the least I'd like to find here new friends, maybe pen-friends. Feel free to write me.
Thank you for reading.
Have a nice one!

[[deleted user]]

Hello, everyone! My name is Anderson Matucuma.. i'm 24 years old and i live on the Brazil.

I've joined OSS just because... I'm curious! I want to know more about this group and who knows? If i know something i would share. But i'm here more to learn about feminism.

I want more to enjoy a time here with everyone and learn at the same time.

Thanks!

[Jo, Our Shared Shelf Moderator]

Welcome Tamara, Nidhi, Nurul, Yaryna, Anderson & Keith!
It was very interesting to hear about your backgrounds and why you have joined. Hope you enjoy the books & look forward to (hopefully) seeing you in some of the discussions.
If you have any questions, please let me know ;-)

[Ashley]

Hi, everyone. I'm Ashley and I turn 30 in about a month! I'm pretty excited about it.

I joined this book club for several reasons. 1. Since graduating with my MA, I haven't been reading as much as a should/would like to. 2. I live in A semi-new city and I'm haven't been able to meet many people, this is sort of me trying to build a community. I just don't have the time/money to go out and meet new people, it seems. 3. introduction to new books I may not have found otherwise. 4. this is just a way to reconnect with me. Happy reading!

[Eva]

Hello everyone, I'm Eva. I just turned 28 and I'm from the U.S. but live in Mexico now with my husband. I teach languages and we run a B&B together. My next goal is to start doing book translation from Spanish and Japanese to English.

In the past 2 years I haven't been reading much so I want to start reading a lot more, as well as gain a deeper understanding of feminism. This seems like the perfect way to do that!

[Swapna]

Hi,

I am Swapna Rajput from India.

I love to read and write books. They are kind of stress busters and way of learning to me.

Looking forward to great discussions that will be done by this community.

[Tuuli]

My name is Tuuli, I'm 16 and I'm from Finland :)
I joined this book club, because I love to read and I want to be able to read more (this is a little difficult right now because I'm in high school, so I don't have so much time to read) but I thought that this book club could give me some ideas what to read.

[Kiira]

Hi! I'm Kiira, I'm 16 years old and I'm from Finland. I joined this bookclub because I admire Emma Watson and I am so proub of all the work she has done for the UN.
I remember when I first heard her speech for the UN and I cried. I really want to change this world into an equal place where everyone is accepted as who they are. I'm looking forward to reading new books about feminism (which I haven't done before). I hope everyone is doing great and reading as many books as possible :)

[Anna]

Hi, my name is Anna De Leon! I'm a 24 year old library assistant in Illinois!

I've always loved to read as a child; I lost that love in high school and college, and am now gaining it back!

I've always loved Emma and her work with feminism. I've never felt a calling to be a feminist myself but I wanted to expand my reading circle so I joined this club. I immediately felt a part of me awaken after reading "The Vagina Monologues" by Eve Ensler. I plan to read all the books from last year and currently am in love with our current book! I'm still new to all this so feel free to message me about anything! I'd love learning as much as I can!!d

[Kristen]

I'm Kristen! I'm 26 and am from Georgia. To address Anna above, I feel like I've always had a latent love of reading (never allowing myself, as a child to acknowledge my own love of reading), and I really found it and fell into it in high school when reading Ellen Hopkins. So we are kind of opposites. Ha!

I joined after stumbling upon this book club on Instagram; I am a feminist in a part of the country where it's especially odd to those around me. I would love to connect my feminism with my thirst for knowledge and feel empowered by the strength of other women. Thanks for having me, even though I feel late to the party!

[Claudine]

Hello everybody. My name is Claudine, I live in Somerset, UK and I love books. I was reading an interview with Emma Watson recently and found out about Our Shared Shelf. It sounded like a brilliant idea, so I joined today and I thought I'd say hello to you all. There was a reading list by Emma published with the interview so I ordered a handful of books from it and every single one of them turned up this morning. I had to reach the postman before anybody else did and spirited my pile of jiffy bags upstairs to open in peace. I'm going to start with My Life On The Road by Gloria Steinem as soon as I've finished this post. I'm very happy to have joined and I hope I get to talk to you soon. Happy reading and watch your eyesight. P.S. Well done to Emma Watson for this brilliant idea.

[Lila]

Hi,

I'm Lila. I'm 23 from Melbourne, Australia. I'm currently studying a Master of Social Work and work as a course advisor. In my spare time, I love spending time with my cat, partner, books, and tea.

I joined this club because it was promoted by Goodreads, with Emma's new movie. But more importantly, because I would love to read more literature that promotes equality, and connect with fellow readers.

Claudine, I'm sure that list will be a source of some really fantastic reads! I hope you enjoy them all, and be sure to let us know what you think of the books as you get through them. x

[Stephanie]

Hello! I'm a little late to this party, but I'm Stephanie and I'm from Chicago, IL USA.

I'm here because I have been following along reading the books on Emma's Instagram, and finally got the courage to join in on the discussion. I've never been part of a book club before and am excited to get to know more about each of you and delve deeper into the topics of feminism and equality.

[Sarah Love]

Hi I'm Sarah! 24 years old from California. I'm so happy to be here. I recently heard about Emma leaving books around places in NY and thought it was a wonderful idea so I have adopted it and am now placing books around where I am.

[Anna]

Hi! My name is Anna. I'm Russian but for the last couple of years I've been living in Pasadena, CA. That's not forever, though:) I'm 25 years old, I work as a Software Engineer, I'm happily married. Once upon a time, I even received Anita Borg scholarship so I'm not new to the theme:) I came here...well, first of all, because I love to read. I've never been a part of a book club though I think I always wanted too.
But that's not the only reason. I can't say I had a lot of problems with sexism. I met a couple of assholes on my way but sexism in their case was just a small part of a bigger problem. I was always able to make my opinion on the work/in the university heard and respected. I knew what exactly about me makes me able to achieve or not achieve certain things. So I was happy.

Until recently. When I saw my dear friend, who I love and respect, all out of sudden discriminated herself.

She made a decision which hurt her because she thought that the managers would be happier to deal with a guy instead of her. Nobody said it to her. Nobody hinted. No manager thought about it. Her colleagues love her and respect her work. She was objectively better than this guy, she was more experienced and etc. And by making this decision she referred e.g. to some hypothetical pregnancy which might decrease her work quality in some undefined future....though right now she has no boyfriend and she doesn't plan any relationships in the nearest future. And she is a damn workaholic who can combine full-time university study with full-time work so everyone is happy. I mean, nothing can stop this woman from doing her job. So it was a shock for me.

But what's more important I understood one simple fact. I've seen a lot of evidence of it but I needed to see this last piece of the puzzle. It's not the angry men who are our main problem. It's us. It's something in our minds which say that "you need to be modest", "you need to stay in the kitchen", "guys are better", "no need to be smart, just be beautiful", "you are weak", "you need a man" and on and on. If we change this opinion about ourselves, sooner or later the men will accept it. But you can't expect the men to solve your mental problems for you.

So that's why I'm here. I'm trying to understand what's wrong in our minds, how did we get here and how to get out.

And did I just write the looongest text in the Introduction section?:)

[Alicen]

Hi! My name is Alicen Stoker. I am 27 and live in Washington state. I joined this group because I enjoy reading and discussing equality and feminism. I also have seen Emma Watson speeches at the United Nations online and have great respect and admiration for her work fighting for women rights on a global scale.

[Briony]

Hey! I'm Briony, from London UK. I've been a member here for a while but only just started getting involved in discussion :)
I'm en route to becoming a lawyer but I'm also a writer, feminist and I love to travel! Excited to get to know more of you and join in more in discussions.

I'm also such a huge fan of Emma's work with the UN, and love that she's played Belle & Hermione, two of my heroes growing up!

I think she's a wonderful voice for equality ❤

[Kim]

Hello,
My name is Kim, I'm 26 years old. I was born and raised in California and now I currently live in Arizona. Not only am I new to this group but as well as this website. I came across here by video's and interview's of Emma talking about Our Shared Shelf. I'm looking forward to learn/talk more about feminism, meeting new people as well as picking up books again.

I love to read books. I probably have over a hundred haha. Last I read was about a year ago. I'm looking forward to picking up next months books and start reading. With this month almost coming to an end I wouldn't be able to finish in time. Can't wait for April to talk/read discussions and reviews, as well as meet you guys :)

[Erin (thatwritergirl)]

Hello everyone!

My name is Erin, and I'm 27. I live in Arizona, where I recently got my Master's degree in general psychology. I joined Our Shared Shelf because of my love for reading, my passion for women's rights, and my support for the work Emma is doing with the UN. It is truly inspiring.

Between my love for reading and writing, I hope to eventually publish a book that will incorporate everything I'm reading, learning and experiencing. I think this group will help me broaden my horizons and be more vocal about my beliefs. I'm truly looking forward to the future discussions!

[Manon]

Hi, I'm Manon, I'm 21 and I live in France. So, I'm sorry if my english is bad, i don't have many occasion to practice ! I'm actually in my fifth architecture year and I really love reading. I also love to watch anime and play video games.
I love reading since I was a kid ( since I can read, obviously ), and I don't have many friends who share this passion. So, when I heard that this book club existed, I join it to talk about this love and about all the things that seems important to me, feminism, tolerance, etc..
I admire Emma's work and how she can inspire all people, and all women to be more confident and become stronger. She's really an inspiration and an exemple.

I hope I will share a lot with you ( if I improve my english ) and to learn a lot of all of you !

[Anna]

Hey! My name is Anna and i live in Gothenburg, Sweden!
I love this group and I can't wait to read this books and discuss it with you guys! :)

[Vero]

¡Hola! My name is Verónica, I'm 23 years old and I'm from San Luis Potosí, México.

I've just discovered this books website and I got so exited to found a place on the web where I could find as many books as I want about everything. I love reading, the first book that I read was "The little prince" when I was 10 years old and since then I just can't stop reading.

When I knew about this book shelf "our shared shelf" by my top woman Emma Watson I immediately came to join it. I've been so interested in feminism for the past months and I thought it could be a good idea to read more about the term the way she does just to know way more about this. I can't wait to see which will be the next book to start reading it and have a interesting discussion of it.

I hope to make bookworm friends in this our shared shelf.

[Jade]

Hi I'm Jade - 19 years old from Kent, England.

I joined the group to share an interest in reading with everyone else and have recommended books as I find it hard to choose what to read. There are so many books in stores it's a little overwhelming!

I love reading when I have the time as I'm training to be a primary school teacher. I get to read lots of children's books and would like to find time to read books suited to my age. Hi Veronica, I'd like to find bookworm friends too! ❤️

[ginashbook]

Hello! i'm Gina 19 years old from Indonesia

I'm so excited to be a part of this group bc i'm a huge fan of Emma, she's my inspiration. Wish i could increase my knowledge about feminism through this amazing book club :))))

[Amber]

Hi everyone!

My name is Amber, I am soon to be 30 years old and live in Canada!

I've always had a love for reading! I was an early reader, reading what we coined "chapter books" in elementary school from the age of 5! When I found out that Emma Watson had this book club I thought "oh, wow! That's a really amazing thing she's doing!". But then to find out I could join this club myself and be part of something put together by someone whom I admire so greatly for everything she has accomplished and continues to accomplish at such a young age, I was thrilled!!

I am currently reading "Scrappy Little Nobody" by Anna Kendrick and have this terrible habit that I am trying very hard to reign in of having several books on the go at once, so before I can pick up any of the books we're reading here, I am insisting to myself that I finish this one first!

I have been wanting to get involved with a book club for a while and this seemed like the best way to do it since it isn't set up to meet to discuss the books, but rather, have a discussion here about them instead! Works out perfectly for my very busy lifestyle!

I cannot wait to jump in and join in!

[Natalie]

Hello! :)

My name is Natalie. I'm 24 years old from Cincinnati, Ohio. I'm a huge supporter in the arts, I have my B.M. in Music Performance (flute) and I currently work in marketing for a local orchestra.

I used to love reading in school and lately I've drifted away from doing all of the things I love now that I work and am focusing on going back to school to get my masters. I'm really trying to devote sometime each day to reading. I thought joining a book club would be a great way to meet new people, share ideas and discover new books. I joined this particular group because I admire Emma Watson, both as an actress and an activist for equality and feminism and I looking forward to being a part of this amazing group! :)

[Hannah]

Hi there!

My name is Hannah. As of right now, I'm a 24-year-old finishing up my Bachelors in Mathematics and will later be getting a Masters. Originally, reading hasn't been a thing for me. As a child, I never thought of reading being important to me. Part of this was because I deduced that I thought reading would never be a part of life and numbers was the only thing that I needed to focus on. I even tried to avoid reading by finding whatever kind of math equations I could get my hands on. Another part of this was because of a learning disability I have towards reading comprehension. It wasn't until I became a crazy fantatic in books until I was about 15. Since then, reading has been a part of my life. It proves and gives me the courage to show individuals, of all ages, that just because you have a learning disability towards reading or anything, in any combination, that you can read if you just give a chance. It also comes down to finding the right book with the genre you are so desperately looking for!

When I heard Emma created a group, I just had to join! I knew Emma first as Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series and it was Hermione that encouraged me to keep pursuing my studies. Emma just being Emma has given me someone to look up to as a woman and a person, in general :)

[Claudine]

I've just been reading some of the introductions and I'm so pleased that I joined. People from all over the world being brought together by a shared love of books. How good is that?

[Áine]

Hello,

I have loved reading all of your introductions, you all sound like such lovely humans!

My name is Áine and I am 19, originally from Somerset in the South West of England, now studying contemporary dance at a conservatoire in London. Although I love my studies, I have found that its demanding nature (both physically and mentally), has left me at times feeling constricted and somewhat defined by my art form.

Before studying vocationally, I had many differing interests and hobbies beyond the realm of dance, reading being one of them.
The art world is a small one, and factors such as long hours within the studio, living with fellow dancers and therefore socialising with majority dancers, leaves me often longing for interactions with other people, personalities and opinions.

Joining this group (very recently) has excited me greatly and I am throughly enjoying both reading the content and getting to know you all. Recently, I have found that I have been swept off my feet with my studies, forgetting to pause for a minute and re-evaluate my current status, what I believe in and who I want to be.

One thing that I AM sure of, is that I am a feminist!
AND, that I look forward to reading, learning and discussing it more with people who are equally as passionate! xx

[Brittanee]

Hello!

I'm Brittanee! I'm a 24-year-old college student residing in Denton, Texas, finishing up my (last) senior year of school. I'm a Christian, vegan, yogi, writer, photographer, designer, world-wanderer, and aspiring health coach and restaurateur.

And I just really enjoy reading. And knitting. And people-watching. And, occasionally, putting birds on things.

It's nice to meet everyone and be a part of this wonderful community! Much love and many hugs to y'all :)

[Edward]

Sorry; it never occurred to me to introduce myself; I simply joined, and left it at that. - I am someone always probing deeper into sides and depths and dimensions of life that others insist cannot be explained. Then I write literary fiction / visionary fiction / largely theosophical / magic realism novels for those caught in the dregs of life who feel they need some sort of connection to something richer and more meaningful; who may not have time or interest in joining study groups; but who can truly enjoy a richly told tale at the end of the day. - I travel to experience ancient mounds and haunted castles, and whatever, trying to tap in on any lingering spirit(s) there. - To tell you the truth, I have only seen one Harry Potter film, but for some reason was drawn to recent magazine interviews with Emma Watson, was inspired by her courage, perceptions, and stands. So I just thought I'd tag along for a while.

[Ari]

Hello everyone. I'm Ari from NYC. Nice to meet you all. I like to become friends with you on the Goodreads.
I'm also a writer want-to-be.
Thanks.

[Briony]

Áine wrote: "Hello,

I have loved reading all of your introductions, you all sound like such lovely humans!

My name is Áine and I am 19, originally from Somerset in the South West of England, now studying cont..."

Ahh I'm from Somerset originally too! And my sister dances for a South West dance company too!

Nice to 'meet' you haha. I love this group, it's really opened up so much discussion, I feel like I've learned loads, and it's nice because I know what you mean about sometimes feeling like you're defined by what you do!

[Haden]

Hi!
My name is Haden. I'm 23, currently residing in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, finishing up my Master's degree in English literature. I am fairly new to the world of feminism; I finally declared myself a feminist about two years ago. Growing up in the South and in the Christian faith, I thought that being a "feminist" was a bad thing. Feminists are very much looked down upon in the conservative American South. But after watching Emma's UN speech in 2014, I realized that, whether I labeled myself or not, my beliefs about gender equality lined up with the core beliefs of feminism. So I figured I might as well start calling a spade a spade, and I now proudly claim the "feminist" title. :)

Because I'm still new-ish to this ideology, I have a lot of questions and am excited to get to talk to people from all over about what they think about them! I'm always up for book recommendations as well, particularly about the foundations of feminism.

Anyway, I'm glad this community exists! Happy to join all of you!

[Karen]

My name is Karen. I'm 33 and I live in the South. I am a feminist, plain and simple. I adore Miss Watson and her body of work- both with feminism and her acting career. My beliefs are simple. Everyone gets the same chance. The same pay. Treated the same way. It's all equal. Equity for everyone!

(It never occurred to me to introduce myself. I see I'm not alone in that, so I feel a bit better. )

[Natasha]

Hi! My name is Faith. I'm 14 and I live in the United States of America. I joined this book club because I believe it is the best place to share my beliefs. At me school and in real life not many people I know share my thoughts. Therefore, I joined OSS so I could say what I believe and people would actually make meaningful comments and share their beliefs. I have only been on OSS for a couple of months, but since the day I signed up people have been so welcoming and I am loving being ab,e to freely share my beliefs.

[Emma]

Hello, my name is Emma and I'm from Derbyshire in the UK.

I've joined because after years of getting involved with marches and protests for equal rights & animal rights, I've lost that passion and confidence after going through a difficult time.

I'm hoping that reading these books and connecting with like minded people will help me find that part of myself again. Plus who doesn't love curling up with a good book and a warm drink after a long day!

[Stacey]

Hi, everyone! My name is Stacey. I'm from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. I decided to join this book club for a couple of reasons, at least. One being that Emma Watson had started a Feminist book club. I completely agree and love what she stands for. I'm glad that she has set up this book club. May I add, I do follow her career as she is as much of a talented actress, as well.

[Paul]

Hello, Fellow Readers. My Name is Paul from Michigan U.S.A and I am a Book-Holic. I have love reading Books since Second Grade. Through-Out School Years and after I was a Regular Bookworm. I also perfered a Good Book then T.V. I have never tried a Online Book Club so this was a first to me. Most of the Books I own range from Comics to Sci-Fi and Fantasy. Most are about the Human Condition, Good Vs Evil. Then Last Week I read about Emma Watson and what she stood for and had a Book Club with this Site so I was interested in it. Mostly I wanted to understand what Feminism is really about and like a true Bookworm I read. So this a first for me. I have a couple Fantasy Books about Women who are the Heroes and I loved the Symbolism of Women's Strength over Adversity but I wanted more. So here I am to learn. As a Wise Man/Women said "You are never to Old to learn Something New"