Favourite read of June – Doing it by Hannah Witton

Somehow June is almost over despite it feeling like it’s been all of three days since May 31st. I don’t know what is up with time at the moment but sometimes it drags by and other days (most days in my case) zoom past with no regard for speed limits. Either way, the month is coming to a close and I thought now would be a great time to have a good ramble about my favourite read of the month, Doing it by Hannah Witton. It’s a book all about sex… yeah that awkward topic.

Lets get one thing straight, if I’m talking you all about a book that’s main topic is sex, you know it’s a good book because if it wasn’t I’d be saving myself the embarrassment. Not going to lie I’m as easily embarrassed as people get. I don’t care that I’m 21, I’m squeamish and think everything in that department is gross. So, if I of ALL people, am happy and comfortable discussing this book with you, then you know it has to be good. I wouldn’t put myself in this position if I didn’t think this book was incredible and worth a read.

Not going to lie, I never expected to like Doing it, like I said I’m easily embarrassed. However, I believe in supporting the creators I love, what means that if they have a book, I’m going to buy it and give it a read. In this case it turned out to be a fantastic idea as it turned out to be my favourite read of the month.

For those of you who don’t know Hanna Witton is a YouTuber who mainly does sex ed videos. She’s all about talking about the things your teachers didn’t tell you, healthy relationships and disability. Also, she’s one of the most genuine and positive people on YouTube. I came across her by her second channel, More Hannah, that’s more lifestyle, work and career based (this is the channel I mainly watch her on because like I said… easily embarrassed) what is something that I enjoy watching.

I was watching some of her older videos when she mentioned that she had a book, and after some quick searching I’d got it on my Kindle and was ready to read. I knew I wasn’t the target age range, it’s 14+ (although you can read this book at any age), and it wasn’t on a topic that I was interested in due to not believing in sex before marriage. But like I said, I really believe in supporting creators you enjoy, so I brought the book anyway and braced myself.

Guys… this book was flipping fantastic!

Doing it has to be one of the most informative, honest, respectful and funny books out there that talk about sex. It does so much more than just talk about sex too, there’s chapters on healthy relationships, LGBTQ+, consent, contraception, and STIs. This is one comprehensive book.

Hannah was so respectful throughout it all, not only did her own lovely personal voice shine through, but she didn’t let her ego get in the way. If she didn’t have experience to talk about a certain subject matters, she didn’t pretend to know what it felt like. Instead, she called in other people with real life experience to share their own stories.

In the past I’ve spoken about how frustrated I’ve been when authors talk about topics like overcoming abuse or eating disorders when they themselves have never experienced it. It does my head in and I find it very disrespectful because often it’s done incorrectly and can be very damaging for the survivor who may be reading the book. Hannah doesn’t do this. She acknowledged that some areas for example, LQBTQ+, she doesn’t have experience in. But that doesn’t stop her from covering it, she just got people who had experience to share their stories. When the topic of the male body and issues that guys might face came up she got a guy to talk about it. I have such a respect for her for that.

Another aspect of the book I found to be super important was the start. It wasn’t a case of jumping into things and bombarding the reader with information. The groundwork was done first. Chapter one was all about healthy relationships. She discussed what a good, healthy relationship was and red flags to look for when it comes to unhealthy relationships. She didn’t shy away from talking about abuse and covered all kinds of it too (most people only stick to talking about physical and don’t ever mention physiological abuse). The chapter was correctly placed in the book so even if the reader didn’t go further than chapter one, they would have taken away some of the most important information away with them.

The book was also vulnerable at points what really made you connect with the author, the chapter on breakups was written when Hannah had just been through a breakup. Not to mention it was a pretty inclusive book. Guys, there was a little section on consent when you’re in a relationship with a deaf person! I live with people who are deaf and since living with them it’s been a real eye-opener for me to struggles I never knew existed. It was nice to see someone talking about disabilities and sex in a respectful manner.

I was pleasantly surprised by this book, I read it in a day, so it confidently takes the slot of my favourite book of the month. I know this isn’t a ‘proper’ book review, it’s more of a quick overview and fangirl off me, but I’d really recommend this book if you’re in the 14 – 22 age range. The book looks like it’s for mid teen girls, but you don’t need to be part of that demographic to read this book. It’s not gendered, sexuality or age elusive by any means, so do give this book a go. If you’re easily embarrassed like me just remember that if I can read it without blushing, I’m sure you can too!

If there’s anything to take away from this post it’s take a risk with books (Doing it was not a book I’d pick up normally but I thought it was amazing), support the creators you like and go into things with an open mind.