You Got Anything Stronger? audiobook

Gabrielle Union was able to give me another great group of short stories. As it is stated in the summary, this book picks up right where she left off in 2017 with a host of different experiences that Union has had in the past few years. She addresses different topics like having a surrogate, racism experiences abroad, aging as a Black woman, being a Black actress in Hollywood, and more. This year I want to dive a little more into memoirs and I'm happy that this is how I started that journey.You Got Anything Stronger is written in the same tone and with the same passion as her first book. Readers are given insight to Union's thought process on a variety of topics. Some of the things that she discussed were continuations from her first novel while others were new topics. I was most interested in her essays that reflected on her and Dwayne educating themselves about Zaya's identity as well as her reflection on the role she played in Bring It On. Raising a child that identifies as LGBTQIA+ in the Black community is complicated and sometimes disheartening. Even without having read this memoir, I was happy to see (via social media & various articles) the safe space that they were committed to providing Zaya. Union was adamant that she and Dwayne still have a lot to learn and are not afraid to be corrected in their learning process. To know that they are so invested in learning so much while having to protect their child from so much transphobia is heartbreaking. Union has always had an interesting perspective when it comes to being an actress. Prior to reading her first book I, like so many others, often looked at Union as the "mean" girl because those were the roles she was always cast to play. While she addresses this in the first book, I'm glad that she dived deeper in this second book and really explored what it meant for her to play Isis on Bring It On. It's no denying that the movie is a cult classic; however, Union really explores the manner in which the writers treated members of the Clovers versus the Toros. From not getting last names to the way the characters were forced to deal with their cheers being stolen, it was clear the characters were developed differently. Honestly, it made me look at the movie from a different lens. It's easy to get caught up in the enjoyment of a film without thinking about it's implications. Overall, this was another great memoir by Union and I'm looking forward to seeing what else she does in the future. She writes with such humor and sincerity that readers can't help but to connect to her many stories and lessons.

Okay Gabrielle! I see you!! I really love this writing life for Ms. Union! She is gliding into a realm that so many other actors and actresses have capitalized off of, but she’s ACTUALLY good at it! She’s giving you story, she’s giving you internal thought process, she’s giving you lessons learned and I’m here for all of it! Her viewpoints and recollections are strong and she dragged me in with how pointed, reflective and snappy each story was. I appreciate that. I felt like she threw her arm around my shoulder and said, “Girl, let me tell you about this fame ish, it ain’t all it’s cracked up to be.. but we’re here, doing what we can, supporting our Black and queer children, and some fun and some stressful things have happened along the way…” I love how much she values what time has taught her and how much effort she puts into her own growth, self-healing, marriage and more. I love how she eviscerates the media for the double standards, sexism, ageism and more that they’ve thrown on women in particular. Seeing as how she’s married a younger man, and has had a baby through surrogacy, she’s well versed in the brutality of standard media and social media and she shares those stories and how she’s managed to move through them, living the life she’s worked very hard for. I’m so proud of her for speaking her truths on the importance of building and displaying unity between Black entertainers, creatives, professionals as a means of throwing a wrench in the white supremacy that dominates Hollywood and seeks to extrapolate talent from Black folks while leaving the person behind, unrecognized and underpaid. I loved that she talked about her role as Isis in Bring It On and what that meant to people and the relevance as seen in our current world of blackfishing, stolen Tik Tok dances/trends, and cultural appropriation. She went off in that last story titled, Standards and Practices: A Tragedy in Three Acts! It’s thee story to read in this series. Powerful! Studied! I mean this book feels like an obvious money making venture, but she gives up the goods — sharing stories about all night dance battles with Bruno Mars & Serena Williams, as well as having to take a super duper dookie as a stripper grinds on you in Magic City, and the sisterhood that can be found in the most unique of places. I fully enjoyed this follow up series of stories. I feel like she’s opened up some avenues to research and discuss in the future should she wish to write another book. Petty me wishes she got up in the ass cracked of Terry Crews!!! And honestly, she did kinda did without naming names, she talked about the importance of supporting each other, but dude, I wanted more! All in all, it was a good read.

Couldn’t imagine what more GU had to share but this sophomore book was very good!!!!

This collection of essays picks up right where Gabrielle Union’s first book, [We’re Going to Need More Wine] left off. The final entry in that told the sad story of her many miscarriages. This starts with a much happier chain of events: the diagnosis of why she can’t carry a pregnancy to term (it’s not just because she’s over 40), and the surrogate birth of her daughter. This collection is a little more vehement. Not only is Gabrielle strongly invested in what the future will hold for her new baby growing up as a Black girl, she’s also stepped more firmly into parenting and advocating for Dwyane Wade’s kids, especially Zaya, who came out as trans between the previous book and this one. These essays express every emotion, and let readers see Gabrielle’s constant balancing of strength and vulnerability, despair and hope, anger and activism. She writes powerfully and passionately. I enjoyed this book as much as the first, and am looking forward to whatever she writes next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 1/2 StarsI enjoyed Gabrielle's story telling style....basically each chapter was an antidote with a relevant story attached. The book gave us something to think about, laugh with and cry to cleanse if needed...Gabrielle was fantastic on narration duty. Really a good read.

To say I've been looking forward to this newest essay collection by Gabrielle Union would be a gross understatement! Her last book, We're going to need more wine is one of my favorite celebrity memoirs and this was another incredibly moving, eloquent, compassionate and vulnerable discussion of her life.Union touches on a variety of topics including mental health, aging, infertility, surrogacy, therapy, rape, being Black in America, raising a trans child, suicidal ideation, work-life balance and the extra burden working mothers face. Along with the heavy there are also some amazing light-hearted and hilarious stories about a dance battle with Bruno Mars, having explosive bowel movements at a strip club and inside stories into creating Bring it on.This book is amazing on audio read by the author and I felt incredibly privileged to have listened to Gabrielle Union discuss such personal and relatable stories. HIGHLY recommended, especially paired with a large glass of wine!

Many valuable vignettes and vulnerable moments from Gabrielle’s life. As honest as her first memoir. Valuable listening. Covers: colorism, fame, racism (in all spaces), identity, trans/lgbtq acceptance and great!!! Parenting!!, fertility struggles, surrogacy, sexual assault PTSD, family, ageism, gender norms, societal pressures, and more! Union is witty as ever and her voice is powerful!

I received a "sample" of Gabrielle's upcoming novel. I didn't get to read her first book but I have heard so many amazing things about it. This sample was amazing as well. It gave me that inside peek and I will tell you, there are serious moments and moments where I burst out laughing. Because FUCK BALANCE! No such thing. Instead find "Grace". Definitely check this one out.

By now, having listened to Gabrielle Union read both of her books to me, I can attest that this woman can write the sh*t out of a story. Any story. You want a story about the time she went to Croatia and was confronted by Neo-Nazis? It's in this latest collection of hers. How about a story about how differently she wishes she would have portrayed Isis in "Bring It On"? Also there. Throw in a few more, some meatier than others (including an emotional glimpse into her infertility struggles and a stellar story on her experience parenting her transgender step-daughter, Zaya), and you have the making of a book that, especially on audio, goes down fast and makes you feel like you're having a heart-to-heart with an IRL girlfriend.I really hope Gabrielle keeps releasing collections like this every few years. I know, if she does, I'll be sure to pick the next one up. Related: A great companion read is this September 2021 Vanity Fair interview with Union.

Another solid personal essay collection! As with her first, there’s some tremendously heavy shit, but her openness will no doubt help others who’ve experienced the same. Union begins with an emotional retrospection on infertility. Her pain permeates the page and is especially palpable on audio. My favorite essay was about her stepdaughter Zaya, and showing unwavering parental love and support. Union is good people.