Brave | 
Overall Rating 3⭐|Narration😀=Good
While I found this both interesting and enlightening, especially the taking down of Weinstein and Co. I still have some mixed feelings about this. Namely, the manner in which this ended, which left me feeling brow-beaten and even preached to. Which when coupled with the beginning, with all the talk about religion and cults and what‘s makes a cult, it felt like that shouldn‘t have been what she was going for?
pickSo I decided to read this book after listening to an interview with Rose McGowan and I guess there‘s controversy over her as a person and I figured I would at least listen to the book to form my own opinion. I found the book to be well thought out it was a good memoir of her life and her traumas in the film industry. I personally did not care for her advertising her make up or music she put into the book. But some of her messages were good. ⬇️
pickBrave is the perfect title for this memoir. About 2007, at the height of the paparazzi craze, fashion police, etc., I thought this is nuts. Why would a woman want to be an actress if she has to go through this? I think this memoir explains that women didn‘t have a choice and in many cases still don‘t have a choice but to be exploited by the male gaze. Rose talks openly about her experiences in the industry and the price she‘s paid for honesty.
pickSuch a strong story! I really enjoyed reading this! She has gone through a lot and you can hear it from her language. I feel like she is indeed strong and brave but also suffered a lot. The end part of this book got me thinking if she is really over all she has gone through. I felt like she is still in the process of getting over things. It showed a bit in the form of bitterness but ofcourse she has the right to be bitter.
I've never thought it this way but I can totally recognize the problem. Now that I think of it. I think I have this same congitioning. There have been situations where I've had to contemplate whether to be polite or make my safety the priority and chosen politeness. 🤔
pickI‘ve really admired Rose for her strength and not being afraid to speak her truth or stand up for what‘s right. This memoir certainly didn‘t hold any punches. It was emotional, relatable and inspiring. I highlighted so many passages. This is definitely one I will go back to in the future.
@TheAromaofBooks I got my first bingo! With only a week left I think I‘m gonna take a break from this list and read one of my BOTM books next.
#BookSpinBingo
I love how strong and unapologetic Rose is. I‘ve had this book laying around since December and I‘m finally getting around to it. I feel like by the end the whole thing is gonna be highlighted lol
pickMy June #BookSpin is complete!
After reading ‘Catch & Kill‘ by Ronan Farrow earlier this year, I knew I wanted to hear directly from one of his sources. Much of this memoir felt like a gut punch - often I‘d feel myself saying internally “so dramatic” or “why‘d didn‘t she walk away”. This type of programming is exactly what she‘s speaking about tho - this is so familiar to women, we almost excuse it and fault her for not knowing better. 💪🏻
pickHonest & unapologetically truthful! Rose is so searingly honest and raw about her childhood in a cult, later homelessness, and abuse, and that‘s before she falls victim to the cult of personality in Hollywood with its silencing tactics and coverups. It‘s truly a Brave story to tell, and I‘m so glad she refound her voice to tell it and the ability to move on to greater things... hopefully this book will help others to do the same.
(Cont. Below)
⬆️ Exactly....exactly this. Both Cosby and Weinstein (who she carefully never mentions by name in her book((and I can see why after reading Catch and Kill)) ) had a whole system of people who had to be aiding and abetting, for literally decades, to leave behind the path of destruction they did.
(...) “I got an email from my agent, saying they were firing me.
For about ten seconds I was gripped with a paralyzing fear. I thought, Oh shit, it‘s happening again. I‘m going to be blacklisted all over again. I could feel myself shaking. But then I realized—
The agency honchos thought they could fire me and it would stay private. Big mistake. They thought I was going to protect them, because like I said, Hollywood works like a Mafia.” ....⤵️
The old be the “Good girl”... boy that‘s led to so much heartache and silence. Even more than I ever guessed before the #MeToo movement and scandals of the last few years.
Being polite keeps us silent, don‘t want to rock the boat, and the silence keeps us thinking it‘s only us or all in our head.
She‘s done a great job here highlighting a bunch of other more technical books I‘ve read in the last year.
She is very honest about her relationships in this book, and I think these real-life descriptions, sparing nothing, will probably help a lot of people to see they are not alone and put names to things that they couldn‘t before.
Listen, everyone‘s untitled to whatever turns them on...but why would you tell that to someone you just meet...and then repeat it every time you saw them, unless your intention was to watch them squirm a little and be uncomfortable. Why would you “share” that private business of yours with someone who is in reality a stranger...and later your co-worker. 🤢
Sadly I‘ve heard that other places....like when Kaley Cuoco cut her hair on the Big Bang Theory or Felicity....because obviously if we love an actress in a role that she plays great, it will all be ruined because of a hair cut.
Sounds like another excuse to misbehave...and she‘s right, I‘ve never read anything about a female method actor.
My #WeeklyForecast or #BookReport
Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming 🐠
pickJust finished listening to the audiobook. This is between a pick and a so-so for me. Her story is incredible - I don‘t know how she lived through as many horrible things as she did. And her message to stand up and speak out - to take the steps to change Hollywood and the world was nice. There was something about the tone of the book that didn‘t always hit me the right way. It was an interesting listen but that opening song was crazy 😂
This is my #somethingnew for #selfimprovementsept since I just started the audiobook today. I have to say that song or whatever at the very beginning…😬🤨 Not entirely sure what I got myself into 😂
@Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @OriginalCyn620
I tried really hard but when she said it was a sacrifice to work on tv, I just lost any ability to identify with her.
pickI really enjoyed this. There was a great line at the end that I should have written down but basically she said she might not always be right but at least she was honest (desperately hoping I got the gist of that) and I loved it. I don‘t necessarily agree with her 100% of the time but I believe her and I love her confidence and her unwillingness to be put down. I think she is an inspiration and we could all take a lesson from her openness.
You and me both sister. I‘m having trouble finding a readable book but this one jumped out at me. So far, so good.
so-soI am in no way going to diminish what is obviously a raw and personal tale, and it certainly packs the wallop that those words would bring. I just didn't know how to get to grips with that emotion as a book. Perhaps given the topic that's how it's supposed to be.
My #25in5 count is probably closer to 16 hours, since I don‘t run my timer during pre-bedtime reading, just in case I fall asleep. I think today will be slow at work, so I‘m hoping to make some progress! Starting by finishing the tagged book, then moving on to GHOST STORY for #hgpbc #teamlestat
How is your readathon going? Think you‘ll hit 25 hours?
pickI have a lot to say about this book, and Hollywood, and media, and being a member of the audience. More then I could write here. So let me just say, this was a good book about a difficult topic, written by someone who is dismissed by our culture but who has valuable knowledge and experience.
pickThis one was so good. I highly recommend it you can see my full thoughts by following my reviews on Goodreads.
The #MeToo movement has been a long time coming for survivors and women in general. Rose‘s story is one that seems unreal - but isn‘t. It‘s riveting to read and I pray for the healing and the bravery for all. #respectall
#currentlyreading Brave by Rose McGowan
This book has got a lot of swearing in it! not that I mind but I thought it was her story about surviving cancer but she calls it a break up with her hair.
I'm not a big fan of this woman but my friend recommended it to me. the only thing I new she was in was charmed which was...... Awful!
#WTF #cults #religion #Hollywood #reallifestories #breakingfree #goyourownway #books #reading #stories 📚
pickI love Rose so much. She's been through so much in her life and yet she is stronger for it. She makes me want to be as brave as she is and stand up to all the indignities in life.
I've been so excited to read this since I heard this was coming out. I used to love Rose McGowan when she played Paige Hallowell in Charmed. I don't usually read biographies/memoirs, generally I stick to fiction but I want to challenge myself a little with this book. I snatched it is while I was at my internship, here goes nothing :)
As I was reading this book, I heard the news about Weinstein. Enjoy jail, asshole.
pickSuch a powerful book.
She's the voice in your head that screams "you can do it! Fuck other people" and you can feel that she gives you that power.
so-soI will give Rose McGowan that she is brave for telling her story of abuse, mistreatment and rape. I get her anger. I really don‘t want to talk this book down, but it did feel a bit too much at times, almost a bit arrogant. Like McGowan‘s way is the only way. But everyone deals with trauma in their own way, so I really don‘t feel justified in judging Rose on how she does it. I would just have liked more nuance.
#MemoirMonday #ReadingResolutions
pick#booksandvinyl it had to be the Julie ruin to pair with this. This is raw and you can feel the rage and urgency to get this out. After reading trainwreck this was the perfect example of someone taking back her narrative after people tried to portray her a certain way and she does that. Rose is someone who will probably make you uncomfortable but she says her intentions are pure. I believe her. Continued
pickBeyond 5 stars for this. Everyone should read this. Rose McGowan gives a voice to those who don‘t have one or have had theirs taken from them and it is a very unique voice. She doesn‘t comply and she doesn‘t lower herself to the level of those who have done wrong. She is an inspiration and a role model.
so-so#45 for 2018
Part autobiographical Part rant about her days in Hollywood, I have no doubt it is all true but this is quite raw and unfiltered/censored writing. FYI should have a trigger warning.
My #overdrive hold came in! I am about 10% in and it is...something. I am not sure what though.
#nonfiction2018
pickJust finished this one in time to call it a “March Book”. Look, Ms. McGowan comes off a little unhinged in this book, and some facts, figures, and details seem to not add up or sound contradictory. However, the overall message of thinking for yourself and standing up for marginalized people—being brave—is an important one. Because of that and its high readability, it‘s a pick for me.
My next Libby hold is available. Time to see how this one is..
so-soI read this in one sitting last night. On one hand, Rose has been through a lot of crap and I definitely feel for her. On the other hand, the whole book comes off as an angry rant with almost nothing positive at all about it. I commend her for speaking out against sexual abuse, and I'm all for women's equality, but it seems that if you don't do things exactly the way she likes, you're doing it wrong. This book made me sad. 2.5⭐️
#memoir
I grabbed this from the library a couple of weeks ago, ready to dive in! Please ignore the laundry basket in the background! 😅😆😅
#catsoflitsy
#Marnie
#memoir
#autobiography
