Sex and the Single Woman audiobook

Helen Gurley Brown’s proto-feminist, how-to classic, Sex and the Single Girl came screaming into existence in 1962. So did I. That means that both of us, that book/this body, will turn 60 this year. Trust me when I say this, neither of us has aged well. I won’t go into the details of how homophobic, fat phobic and horrifically racist Brown’s book actually is (there’s a link to THAT review at the end of THIS review). But I will say that those who rated it five stars either A) never read it, or B) don’t remember the details of it, or C) are horrible, horrible people. That said, this 2022 reimagining of Brown’s shallow homage to skinny, privileged, heterosexual, white women is a breath of rarified air. Herein are twenty-four essays from all those demographics that Brown either minimized, dismissed, insulted or completely ignored. If your life doesn’t revolve around the plasticine imagery of ‘Housewife Gazette,’ or you weigh more than 8 stones (112 lbs), or your skin tone is something other than alabaster, or you happen to prefer the company of same sex housemates—read this [Sex and the Single Woman] and skip that [Sex and the Single Girl]. _________________________________A few of my favorite quotes“”You need to look glamorous every minute,” writes Helen Gurley Brown, in a siren song from beyond the grave. I’m sure wherever she is now, she’s perfectly turned out: face spackled with Max Factor Pan-Cake makeup, wig sleek and glossy, Chanel suit tailored close to the bone, hunger pangs ignored, even in the afterlife.” ~Briallen Hopper (pg 116)“Once, I dated a Pentecostal white guy. He said it was crucial that I was baptized again with only the name of Jesus. Not the trinity, or I wouldn’t get into heaven. He performed my second baptism, pushing me under the water, and then a few days later we f**ked in a sh*tty motel room near the interstate.” ~Tiana Clark (pg 170)“Sex workers aren’t killed because sex work is inherently dangerous. A culture of shame and violent policing is what makes sex work dangerous. If a client had decided to rape me or force me to do things I didn’t permit, he would likely face no consequences. Because reporting it to the police would mean I would be arrested, or worse, assaulted again—by the police.” ~Xoài Pham (pg 206)“I don’t know if I sleep better when I’m alone, but when I’m alone, I’m free to sleep poorly.” ~Seema Reza (pg 217)__________________________________https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Firstly, thank you @harperperennial for sending me this ARC.This book shares some powerful essays from 24 writers. It shares topics that Helen Gurley Brown wouldn't/couldn't talk about. This book was an informative and shared story that these authors went through and it was truly special to hear their stories. Overall, this book did a great job of talking about the outdated ways that Helen tried to advertise. Although this book had great chapters, some did get lost with following/tieing together with the topic. This book can definitely be worth a read!

you love to see a feminist book that acknowledges and highlights the complexities/fluidity of gender & sexuality + the intersections of race & socioeconomic status

"I can't be my full self with any of the options in my contact list; I'm never as soft or caring as I really am because I don't want them to mistake human decency for feelings. It's not that I'm lying; I simply don't want to be misunderstood--and too often, men think far too highly of themselves. I don't want a scrub thinking I've fallen for him just because I asked about his day." Truth serum with lots of laughs and even more heart.

“60 years ago, Helen Gurley Brown wrote Sex and the Single Girl, setting off shock waves, selling more than 2 million copies in 3 weeks. Her message was radical for its time: marriage was not essential for women to lead rich, meaningful lives.”Fast forward to today, and things have changed drastically. This book features 24, incredibly written pieces, from a diverse group of individuals on what it really means to live a rich and meaningful life today. Everything from IVF, celibacy, menstruation, consent, sex work, and queer and trans womanhood; every piece has something you can take from it. You don’t have to have read the original book to read this one; this book is independent and highlights SO MUCH GOOD STUFF. An essential read for everyone - no matter how you identify, what your relationship status is, what your career is. Just read it. Thank you @bibliolifestyle and @harperperennial for this book. I will cherish it for a long time.

Thank you to harperperennial for sending me this book. #gifted This book contains so much depth within its pages. To go into a little background; in 1962, Helen Gurley Brown’s Sex and the single girl was published. Even though I have not read it, it is said that it contains some outdated advice whi

Ease of Reading: 5✨Substantiality: 5✨Impactfulness: 5✨Writing: 5✨Overall: 5✨Format: Audiovisual Month Read: June 22Recommend: YessThis is a collection of beautifully written essays that are definitely not just for the single woman. They are explorative and enlightening and please just read them!There are so many perspectives from different ages, races, queerness that no matter your background you will hopefully learn like I did. And also hopefully be inspired like I was too.The book is based on a book written in the 60s, with a very modern take and discussion. It introduced me to 24 new writers that I’m sure I’ll read more of. What a book.

An amazing anthology covering so many aspects of singlehood- loneliness, dating, sexuality, having kids, abortion, the choice to get married, masturbation, etc. I found myself especially moved by Natalie Lima, Laura Bogart, Seema Reza, and Melissa Faliveno’s essays.

I picked up this book immediately after reading Morgan Parker's "Confessions of a Perpetually Single Woman" in Elle. (It was so achingly resonant). (I've recommended it to everyone). I'm not sure what I was expecting the remaining 23 essays to encapsulate (in fact I didn't think much about it at all), but I was wonderfully and pleasantly surprised. The subtitle, "24 Writers Reimagine Helen Gurley Brown's Cult Classic," does little to convey the breadth and depth of these essays. There are entries by transwomen, by other queer people, by sex workers, by women in their late sixties, by disabled women. They talk about love affairs and being virgins and the glory of having your own apartment (and the vulnerability of sharing an apartment). There are women who are mothers, women on IVF, women who never want to have children in their lives. Women who are happy to be single, women who are no longer single, women who are desperately lonely and vulnerable enough to share that. All of these essays written by amazing, fantastic writers including Nichole Perkins, Keah Brown, and Kristen Arnett.I feel confident saying there's a little something in here for everyone (and it's definitely worth the read!). (Or at the very least, please read Morgan Parker's essay, for the love of god!!)

I plan to recommend this book to all the single ladies and non-binary people in my life! As with any essay collection, some resonated more with me than others, but unlike other essay collections, I was able to find something of value in every single one I read. I loved how “real” the writers were. Most of the writers didn’t sugarcoat their feelings or their situation. At times, I felt sad and heartbroken with them, but I think that’s what makes this anthology beautiful. I saw it as a reality check, and I took it as a reminder that regardless of what happens in my journey to forever partnership or eternal singledom, it will all be fine.I appreciated the diversity of the writers and their stories. I suspect everyone who reads it will find at least one person whose essay they can relate to, which I think is especially valuable given that this collection is a reimagining of a dated and homogeneous book. The editors’ goal was to represent single women in as many different ways as they could, and they succeeded.The length of the essays varied — I wished some were longer while I wished others were shorter. But overall, the writers were generally able to keep my attention. Some of the styles were a bit more poetic, which I didn’t necessarily expect or enjoy as much, but I’m not in the business of gatekeeping how others tell their stories.

First of all, I just have to say that I am thankful for both Harper Perennial and Bibliolifestyle for sending me this finished copy of Sex and the Single Woman before its publishing day of May 17, 2022.Helen Gurley Brown's original book titled "Sex and the Single Girl" detailed the importance of women/girls exploring their sexual identities before they chose to marry, or without the marriage happening at all. The books was ridiculed by many and thought to be "Taboo" for women weren't to act so independently, especially not in a sexual manner for those activities were to be practiced with their spouse and intimately. Flash forward 60 years, and 24 different female authors/writers have come together under Harper Perennial to reimagine this overarching message and tell the non-fiction/essay formatted tales of women who've come to relish, hate, and live their single lifetimes. Everyone should pick up a copy of this book and appreciate it for the themes it conveys -- the aptitude that all women should be allotted their sexual freedoms and abilities to discover who we are, throughout every age in our existences. 5/5

This book is a very unique take on Helen Gurley Browns legacy Sex and the Single Girl- affected for the modern age. This book starts out with a treatise on Helen Gurley Brown from her modern day biographer- then descents into stories of sexuality, as told through mothers, lesbians, women of color, fat women, queer folks- all in the purposes of telling stories of love and individuality, of making do with what you have and trying to find your own way. This is in line with Helen Gurley Brown and her work, which is debated heavily in this age as to whether or not she should viewed as a feminist icon or an enemy.I think that the first essay sets the readers up well- she is a woman who tried to help other women win the proverbial "game" in the 1960s, when women didnt have any upper hands. Overall the book is an interesting treatise on simply being a woman- or more female-identified- in 2022, in the myriad of ways that means. Not to mention, the cover is exquisite. Thanks to Netgalley and Harper Perennial for my ARC!

A timely and interesting rework of the Helen Gurley Brown classic which has been lost to the sands of time. HGB was an important pathfinder for women, even though her Sex and the Single Girl seems very outdated and astoundingly non-feminist. She was, however, ahead of her time in so many ways in addressing issues that others would not. Now a selection of writers have taken on the charge to write about things she did not. This isn't light reading (although some of the essays might make you smile) but the essays span everything from dating with disabilities to consent to abortion to coming out to queer love. Not all of them sparkle and you might find yourself less thrilled with others but treat this as a collection-read them one at a time. I wasn't familiar with many of the authors so this introduction to them was an added benefit. Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC.

I enjoyed this anthology overall, though some of the essays resonated more with me than others. I really enjoyed the works by Rosemary Donahue, Samantha Allen, and Vanessa Friedman. Some essays I wish had been pushed a little further or given more time; Kristen Arnett's essay on boundaries in queer spaces, for example, really intrigued me, but I felt like it only scratched the surface. I noticed basically all of the contributors are popular online, and while I get it, I also wonder what the book might have looked like if these writers weren't (somewhat) relying on what's already known about them/their personas to fill in the skeletons of some of these pieces. Overall though, I appreciate that care went into making sure this book isn't only for/by cis, white, straight women, and that it explored some more traditionally taboo topics, like masturbation, celibacy, and polyamory.