Readalong Intro: How to Build a Girl by Caitlin Moran

Today marks the start of the How to Build a Girl readalong hosted by the lovely Emily at As the Crowe Flies (and Reads). Am I excited? Of course! The minute Emily announced the readalong and said British bloggers could join in, I was there, typing an email faster than my fingers usually allow. 

I love Caitlin Moran and have done for what feels like the longest time. She is beyond intelligent, amazingly witty and she has hair to die for. Her articles in The Times magazine never failed to perk me up, make me laugh, make me rail at the world or make me think 'hell yeh, feminism!'. When I was still living at home my parents would buy The Times and plonk it straight down on the kitchen table, basically ready for pillaging. I would swoop straight in and grab the magazine and the review section before either had time to blink. Occasionally I didn't get there first and I'd have to listen to my Mum chuckling her way through Moran's column before I could get my hands on it. Needless to say, I got pretty good at getting in there first.

After many years of 'have you read this week's column?' or 'listen to this quote' or 'this is so funny/true you just have to read it now', How to be a Woman was released. Clearly this was heavenly for my Mother and I. Then, following hot on its heels, came Moranthology, a collection of Moran's articles on everything under the sun. And now, NOW, we have a novel. How to Build a Girl is currently being advertised at my nearest tube station. Meaning that every day when I step out of the lift, as well as being confronted by the horrendous heat of the underground, I'm also confronted with the cover image of the novel complete with this quote: 'Imagine the Bell Jar written by Rizzo from Grease, with a soundtrack by My Bloody Valentine and The Happy Mondays.' It doesn't get better than that. 

For those of you joining in who don't know me, my name is Ellie and I am generally ridiculously over-enthusiastic about books. There is often gushing and, behind the screen, much gesticulating and fast-talking.

So for the next few Mondays I'll be posting, along with all the other lovely bloggers involved, about each section of How to Build a Girl as we read. Stick around for some feminism, fist pumping and endless giggles. 

A massive thank you to Emily and Harper Collins for organising this readalong. You can pre-order the book from The Odyssey Bookshop here (US). 

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