If the category of the book is romance, it’s time for a real guilty pleasure for me. This love even reflects on the content I watch, I can’t help but love it. I came across Ali Hazelwood’s books while browsing Kindle books on Amazon with the desire to read a Romcom book. After taking a glance at the reviews and the summary of the book, I honestly wanted to give Below Zero a chance.
I think what I like most is that there is a female lead character in the STEM world in this story; Below Zero. The fact that the book includes science, technology, and engineering (especially after my Ph.D.) and the world of science warmed me up. Despite the feeling of empathy created by reading about many problems that could be experienced during my doctorate, I also had pleasant moments because the problem was not mine. Frankly, I read all the pages on my Kindle with a sense of pleasure, comfort, and sympathy.
The third and final book in The STEMinist Novellas series by Ali Hazelwood is a story of miscommunication in general terms. The story of Hannah from three friends; tells the story of a woman who can’t & doesn’t want relationships, and dreams of working at NASA. Ian, on the other hand, is the most pompous part of that dream job and it is exactly the part that concerns Hannah. Below Zero is about the cute and nerdy love story of two scientists who love space, especially Mars.
Steminism & Feminism and Below Zero
I also had the silly misfortune of reading the last book in the series first. But in fact, the stories are independent, of course, they have a chronological flow, but it does not affect the reading. The series has two features that I love. One is the story of three female friends’ devotion, and the other is the emphasis on steminism. If I say that the author carries this from his own life to the books, I guess it’s not surprising for you too. Our author is a scientist with a Ph.D. in neuroscience. Every woman who tries to hold on in the world of science and makes an effort is always applauded wholeheartedly!
After reading the book, it stopped being a romance comedy for me, it started to make me think about different things from other perspectives. The fact that women above all should always support all women. I believe that we should not forget that this is the case unquestionably and unconditionally. I realized that every woman should be a feminist first and then we should not ignore the importance of steminism.
The term STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) refers to an education and career field that encompasses these four disciplines. STEM is traditionally considered a male-dominated field. No matter how advanced times and technology are, women still face various challenges in getting their place, representation, and equal opportunities in this field.
As we all know, feminism is a movement that aims to prevent gender inequality and gender-based discrimination. So, what happens when these two terms come together? Considered together, it opens up an area where it provides more support to women in education and career. I would like to see gender stereotypes breaking down more and more, women’s self-confidence is increasing, and of course, their contribution to providing equality of opportunity in the STEM field is increasing. Where else could I go from a romance book? Let’s see 🙂
Feminism And Globalization
I think that a woman’s disdain for her character, things that are unique to her, especially her thoughts and features that “make me who I am” is one of the things that I don’t like at the top of the list. I don’t like it, but sometimes I do it to myself, unfortunately. There comes a day when I remind myself of my worth over and over. That’s why I don’t think we should even talk about the fact that not all women are feminists. Even the existence of another woman who does not support the struggle for women’s equality in society, political, economic, and cultural in all fields seems strange to me when I think about it. And which one of us might not have fought gender-based discrimination in some area of our lives so that we don’t support each other?
Globalization is a somewhat chameleon-like concept that makes its presence felt in political, economic, cultural, and technological fields. It directly or indirectly affects the life of the individual and society. There is also an important relationship between feminism and globalization. Perhaps globalization most profoundly affects women’s lives and experiences. Since the beginning of the globalization process, women’s participation in the workforce and the economy has been encouraged and job opportunities have become more accessible.
But in fact, this is only the sweet surface that appears at first glance. Globalization has brought to the surface the difficulties and inequalities faced by women. We expect feminism and globalization to enable women to make their voices heard on international platforms, support social transformation, establish global networks of solidarity, and promote political changes for women’s rights. It also needs to contribute to the empowerment of women, the advancement of gender equality, and the creation of a more just world.
We should never forget how precious every field is where women are at the forefront. Books with heroines! And Steminst women!
Hannah & Ian – Cute and Nerdy
Hannah has dreamed of working for NASA since childhood, ever since she saw the rover landing on Mars. She worked hard to achieve her dreams by constantly striving to achieve them, with the right lessons and the proper steps. When a Ph.D. assignment required her to interview someone in her desired field of study, Hannah’s friend Mara set her up for an interview with her cousin Ian. The story begins to take shape here. They both warm up to each other immediately, but it doesn’t take long for them to realize that they want different things. Their conversation culminates in a heated moment, late at night, with both of them thinking excitedly.
Until Hannah finally gets her dream job at NASA, their paths cross once again. Below Zero is a novella about two space-loving scientists falling in love with each other. These two are a sweet duo working on Mars rovers development and trying to get their relationship somewhere on “miscommunication”.
Well, we are all used to reading stories written with the physical characteristics of the characters. Sometimes especially their physical differences. If these details are very important to you, this story will also interest you in that part. On the other hand, when I read the comments “it’s great to have a ginger male character” while browsing Goodreads after reading the book, I thought, oh was that so? I usually forget the looks of the character. I even go back and google how it was a lot. Of course, interesting characters also interest me. But I guess it takes a short time, I forget and immerse myself in the flow of the story.
Anyway, long story short, Below Zero puts a smile on your face. This story is a sweet novella that flows without too much expectation.
Self-compassion is;
What you see in this chapter is what I underlined while reading the Below Zero. I think being human comes first among the things that people have difficulty with. First of all, you should be your best friend. Also, we should be gentle and sensitive to ourselves. Think briefly about your childhood, especially when you are burdened with yourself. If you had the opportunity to meet your childhood, would her dreams, expectations or happiness be unimportant to you?
“I had this feeling, my entire life, that I was never going to be enough.”
So, what has changed, just because you’ve gotten a little older and grown, why do you do this whenever you can? Why do you ruthlessly believe that you are inadequate? If you saw yourself as a child, wouldn’t you hug her tenderly? Then at least stop looking for opportunities to criticize yourself. Aren’t you already doing the best you can? Can being “sufficient” be measured by the money you earn, and the school you attend? Or your relationship with your car, and many other things that can be said under this heading? You are sufficient with your existing self, your evolving and changing being. Of course, we should not skip continuing to develop. Well, we are human 🙂
“That I cruised through school my entire life in a constant effort to overachieve.“
Also, if you have an “overachiever” like Hannah&me please be careful. It will never be something that makes you happy or something that makes you feel okay or enough one day. Because there is always something possible that could be “more”. In this time when being a woman is complex even in the most educated field, never compromise yourself to feel like you belong somewhere or to be accepted. Look, at Hannah’s excellent education, and outstanding job. Maybe she has reached a place that some people can’t get by working and caring. However, it is impossible not to see how hard she is during her journey with her inner world and relationships.
Yes, these characters may be fiction, but they have something from all of us. When I go back and think about the books I’ve read. I guess I like to discuss them from a place that can be useful to people.
So is this the place? Below Zero?
So, are young adult romance books the place for this? Sorry but who cares, if I think and write like that, I think it is all matters. Ali Hazelwood’s number three The STEMinist Novella Below Zero reminded me once again that I want to live in a world where women’s rights do not need to be specified separately. Where every woman finds her rightful place, and where the difficulty of being a woman is getting less and less. Look at Hannah & Ian, they managed to become a couple by getting their lives on track somehow. As someone who is aware of the power of women in the scientific world and everywhere, I have one last sentence. Be aware of yourself, and your worth, and always follow your wishes & dreams!
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