Whatever…Love Is Love audiobook

I am going to give Whatever… Love is Love: Questioning the Labels We Give Ourselves five stars. I would give it an endless universe of them if I could, to be honest, for I believe this book is the beginning of something.Maria Bello is a writer as we all are, whether using words or not, whether using physical sheets of paper or not. She has been writing her own story, as we all have, and she has taken one hell of a brave step, one that I am extremely grateful for. She has given us, with Whatever… Love is Love, a backstage pass to her unfinished script of life.Maria Bello dares to question everything. I believe that shows nothing but strength. The fact that she decided to share her journey into self-loving and self-understanding with the world? That’s courage. You see, we are all far from being perfect, we have all made mistakes and taken wrong turns at some point, and most of us are well and consciously aware of this. Still, when in social context, when amongst strangers, this is not something we proclaim. Why? For a thousand and different reasons. Maria Bello goes after those reasons, after those whys. Should we even be comparing ourselves to perfection? What does perfection even mean? What does it look like? Why do I have to be perfect? Do I want to be perfect? Do I feel comfortable with perfection? Should I?This is one of the reasons why I absolutely loved Whatever… Love is Love. While Maria questions herself, one can’t help but wonder. This is why I believe this book is the beginning of something, something that could be tremendously good. This book opens doors, it allows people to think these questions over. And if you don’t feel ready to put yourself out there and expose, question, your own beliefs, Maria Bello lends you hers and discusses them with you. She doesn’t ask you to accept them, she doesn’t ask for anything, really. Instead, she is giving us, the readers, a way in without having to go out. I think that publishing this book was truly a beautiful gesture. This is not, in my opinion, about being narcissistic, far from it, actually. This is about being human and caring. This is hope.We are all constantly becomingI adore how she talks about these labels, how she makes them fit her and not the other way around. She wears the ones that make her comfortable and gets rid of the ones that cause her pain. It’s still a work in progress, of course, as we all are, till the very moment of our deaths, or even beyond. As humans, we are fluid. Not having found a path, the path, is not a sign of failure, but of hope.We are not defined by our sexuality, we are not defined by our religion, we are not defined by the way we look or dress, we are not defined by anything or anyone but ourselves… and if there’s one thing we need to accept is that we are a work in progress. We are a raw, unfinished, indefinable, beautiful work of art.Sending golden shoes to you and all whom you love, Maria.And to you, Maria, a very honest thank you. Here's to being a whatever and proud!

I listened to this book on audible and I recommend that everyone experience it that way. Maria Bello sounds like an old friend talking. This book is deceptively simple - I say that it because the questions she covers are hardly new: Am I enough? Am I broken? This is the stuff of many a self help book. What made this book special, at least in my mind, is Bello's willingness to answer yes - even to the tough stuff. Her ultimate message is that yes - we are broken but we are also enough, we are artists and lovers, we are WHATEVER (her son's famous answer to her revelation that she was in a relationship with a woman). I love how she encourages us to abandon not the question but any answer that would label us. Perhaps not the most original message but one most of us need to hear often and she presents it in a way that's compassionate and easy to listen to.

I went into this with an excitement that I haven't had in a while. I love Maria Bello, I love her spunk and her attitude and I was really surprised by her "coming out" a few years ago. And this was such a refreshing look at how one deals with those questions that we ask ourselves. With this book, Maria dives into the hardest, darkest parts of ourselves and she does it so honestly that you can't help but get swept into it. Thank you for writing your story Maria. I was honored to read it.

So much more than LBGT issues...This book is a great choice for anyone who wants to know they are *not alone* within their quest to understand spirituality, love and connectedness in a constantly changing world. I found Maria's revelations about her life inspiring. Young, old and in between will find humor and inspiration in this wonderful book. De-Stigmatized SO MANY labels: becoming a "whatever"!

May I start off by saying this is in the Top 3 Books I Have Ever Read? It is. Jut wow. I am all for breaking out of molds people try to put me in. But Maria has a better idea. Put me in a box, but I determine what label goes on it. As a published author (and a Goodreads author at that), does that MAKE me an author? I write poetry as well? Am I a poet? According to Maria, it's what is in my heart, not on my W2. So yes, I am unconventional. I believe you can have a soul mate and not necessarily be married to them (see her part about partners), I believe in fate, but only to the fact that what happens is what is meant to happen based on the choices we make. The section about being Catholic.... I'm not catholic, I'm protestant. But does that even matter? I have friends that are openly gay. Does being friends with them make me a bad Christian? Before you answer that, remember that Jesus ate with both tax collectors and lepers (the outright horror, right?!) Maybe it's not within "church doctrine", but I do believe by being friends with all manner of people, you are actively demonstrating God's love. And, of course, the question every woman asks....Am I Enough?If she set out to write a book to make people think, then I say Brava!!, Maria Bello. I have not had a book make me think so much before. And quite possibly never again. What do people call ME? An author, a woman, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a friend, a poet, a lover?? Some day, hopefully, I will be lucky enough to be called a Whatever. And I will wear that title with utmost pride.

Maria Bello is indeed a writer. Her voice is pure, honest, real. Her messages of compassion, finding meaning in life, dealing with the merits and God too, all spoke to me with profound grace. She would have been a great lawyer but I am glad she is "whatever" she is. I have always been in awe of her physical beauty. Her acting has always been so believably profound. This book explains why she can evoke so much on the screen. She is the real deal in her self examination. She has done the work to be her best with an amazing group of angels guiding her on the rocky road so she can help us all be more of what her mentors (those Angels) want us all to aspire to be.

This book was a great refresher. I have been going through a lot of self discovery lately and I found it inspirational to hear Maria's struggles and successes. It featured many great life lessons and I hope to utilize some of her mantras in my everyday life. Thank you for writing such an thought provoking and honest book, Maria. I bought this book on a whim at the Los Angeles Times Book Festival. I had only known Maria as an actor from some of my favorite movies (Coyote Ugly and Secret Window), so I thought I would stick around to listen to her interview on stage. I was very moved by her words during the interview and loved her story about the golden shoe she found as a sign to keep going when she was struggling. After the interview, I was debating on missing another lecture I wanted to go to so I could buy a copy of her book and have her sign it. Something inside of me was telling me that I needed to stay, so I did. I eagerly waited in line and introduced myself to her complimenting her on her film work and asking her opinion on Stephen King since she worked on an adaptation of one of his books (Secret Window). She had read his memoir and enjoyed his stories. This I took as a sign that I did make the right decision to stay since I had just read his memoir the week before. Getting to meet her was the highlight of my day and she was so excited to be there meeting her fans. Even though we only talked for a mere 30 seconds, after reading her book I know that it means the world to her to leave an insightful impact on the people she meets, and in my case that day has impacted my life for the better because this book has joined my collection.

I know this book gets quite a lot of criticism for what's seen as indulging in narcissism but any autobiography or memoir can be criticised for that by its very nature. I came into this expecting to hate it for yet another celebrity telling people to drop labels (which for many people are a symbol of defiance and bring people together) but I was completely wrong. Bello isn't anti label - she's against people being simplified to such an extent they can only fit in a couple of tiny boxes we've created for them. Bello is very pro nuance, pro fluidity and pro people being able to self identify and live how they want. It's a very important message in a world that seeks to define us in binary terms such as gay or straight, man or women etc. What shines through is that she's met so many diverse and wonderful people whose lives couldn't possibly be forced into these boxes that society seems to live by. If you want a book that really analyses labels, how they've been used and their future in our society and politics then this will leave you lacking satisfaction. This isn't a sociological essay but just the story of one woman and her own reflections on identity through her own experiences. If you're looking for a good, quick read which at times is beautiful and challenging and could prompt you to think in a different way then I definitely recommend it.

Cover to Cover in Six HoursThat is how I read Whatever...Love Is Love. It arrived in my Kindle, and I couldn't put it down! I was moved to tears. I literally "lol'd". Maria Bello's words are thought provoking, emotion invoking, and love promoting. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has ever questioned themselves, their beliefs, their hearts... So, basically, I highly recommend Whatever...Love Is Love to everyone!!

I'm giving this book five stars... It's honest, poignant and her story is one that resonates deep within me. Struggled for years with the idea of finding a label to fit me... With the same questions that Maria asks of herself in this book. I found strength in her words... And I do love the rediscovery of the fact that, truly, love is love...

Thought-provoking and honest.

Months ago, my husband went to an entertainment industry event, where he received a copy of Maria Bello's Whatever...Love is Love: Questioning The Labels We Give Ourselves. As the bookworm in the family, the book was given to me, and added to my towering TBR pile.Fast forward to Saturday, two weekends ago. My husband is in the kitchen and I hear a loud yelp. Uh oh. He had stabbed himself in the hand with a sharp knife. As a former caregiver, I've spent many, many hours in emergency rooms. I know the drill. Blood was gushing, so I didn't have time to consider my book options. Whatever...Love is Love was the first book to catch my eye, so I grabbed it, and off we went to the ER.Half a book, four hours, and one stitch ( sans anesthesia, my husband's tough) later, we headed home. PLOT- Maria Bello examines the various labels that are given to us by society, others, and even ourselves. LIKE- Prior to reading Whatever...Love is Love, I didn't know much about Maria Bello. I knew that she is an actress, but I could only remember seeing her in Coyote Ugly. I had not read her New York Times article for the Modern Love column, which formed the title for this book. In what would become one of the top ten most popular Modern Love articles, Bello writes about coming-out to her twelve year old son, Jackson, and his response of, "Whatever...Love is Love". Taking from his response, Bello uses her memoir to examine other labels in her life. The best aspect of Bello's writing, is her candid, frank approach to difficult topics. She doesn't shy away from discussing her father's abuse and alcoholism, or her mother's cancer diagnosis. Bello discusses her own relationships, her infidelity and rejections. She is imperfect and relatable. She doesn't try to have all of the answers and is okay with her flaws. She owns her actions.A memorable story is one regarding Bello's gold shoes. Looking for symbolism and "signs" has been a Bello family trait and following tradition, she found a gold high heel when she was down and out as a struggling actress in New York. It was a perfect fit and she kept the heel for many years. When her career took off, she left the shoe and letter outside of a hotel in NY. Her cab driver told her that the act of letting go of the shoe, would come back to her. Since leaving the heel, she has had encounters with other gold shoes found in improbable places, including a gold ballet shoe and gold sneakers. I love the idea of finding a lucky symbol and then setting it free for another person to find. Luck multiplies. DISLIKE- Overall, I enjoyed Bello's writing and hearing her take on life. This is not the type of book that I would have likely picked on my own, so maybe like the gold heel, it was serendipitous that it found its way to my TBR pile. The only minor complaint, is occasionally Bello's tone felt a little precious. I think that she was just enthusiastic about things and people that she loves, but it was a touch overbearing. She has a very open heart. RECOMMEND- Yes. Ultimately, my take-away from Whatever...Love is Love, was a feeling of reflection and optimism. I think most readers would find portions (if not all) of Bello's memoir to be relatable to their own lives, including their fears, concerns, and the questions that they ask of themselves. Like my review? Check out my blog!

oh, maria bello. you look so beautiful on the cover of this book. and i really liked the book itself as well. in 2013 she wrote an article for the new york times that many have called her "coming out story," which doesn’t sit well with her. this book is a kind of attempt to dive further into what she was getting at in that article. when asked about her sexuality she says she is a "whatever." she’s dated mostly men in her life but is currently dating and in love with a woman. she wasn’t coming out as a lesbian, she was just saying "here i am, here is my life." she also addresses a lot of other aspects of life in which people label themselves: partner, mother, perfect, good mom, etc. the thing i really liked about her writing is that she says upfront that she’s not a doctor, scientist, or therapist, simply someone "asking really good questions about all these labels in the world" in an attempt to come up with some good answers on how to change them. i liked her writing and the things she questioned. i often ask myself too, "am i good enough?" "am i damaged?" etc. and for a lot of things i think there are no labels that can say what level of good enough or brave enough or resilient enough you are. for me though, one label i am comfortable giving myself is lesbian. i’m not the type of person that could be happy with identifying as a "whatever." but i think maria is right, everyone is different and so "whatever" is definitely something we could stand to be more tolerant on as a society. this was a good quick read and i’d definitely recommend picking it up when you’re feeling introspective.

Actress Maria Bello is indeed a writer!! In her new book, Whatever Love is Love, Maria reveals an impressive body of work that is both honest and unapologetic. The book consists of fourteen chapters (excluding the prologue and epilogue) that ask fourteen specific questions. Questions like; Am I forgiving? Am I enough? Am I resilient? The questions are not directed at the reader per se, rather Maria utilizes her past experiences to reflect on each one. As a reader, I commend Maria on her ability to simply question, rather than have direct answers. Sometimes there are no direct answers to the questions we ask ourselves in this life. Maybe, it’s just about the asking, seeking, learning, and reflection.The book transcends on a more profound level, as it also seeks to challenge societal norms, specifically looking at societal labels placed on individuals. In the prologue of the book, Maria discusses her New York Times Modern Day love piece entitled Coming Out as a Modern Family. This book is an expansion of that poignant piece. If you haven’t read it yet, please do!! In the post Maria discusses her modern family, which consists of herself, her son Jackson, Jackson’s dad/Maria’s ex Dan, and her girlfriend Clare. An unconventional family to some? Maybe. To me most families are unconventional, but families none the less.Read our full review up on our blog http://www.screamloudly.com/2015/07/b...