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Complicated feelings. I enjoyed the first half a lot better than the second. The first spoke more on the trauma from growing up with an eating disorder. How that affects one‘s entire being. Second part got more sexual in a way I did not understand, nor like. Became sexual in a way where her eating disorder became linked to her libido. Felt that derailed my understanding of the book, but still had a hard time putting it down.

I was so excited to read this book bc mother issues AND food issues?????? Who can relate to that if not me?? Based on all the quotes that i related to from this book, I would say that the mother issue portion definitely spoke to me. The food issue portion also felt like it had been written by me. I wasn‘t expecting so much sex so if you‘re a prude like me beware.

“Still, I carried her inside me: her voice, her feelings, her fears, her ideas of food, bodies, the world, women and men. She had long ago implanted herself in me at the cellular level, spread into my organs- my brain, my heart- until what was hers and what was mine were indistinguishable.”- 206
“My mother had helped me build the vault. But now it was my own.”- 207

“Sometimes it seemed impossible that she had ever given birth to me at all. Other times, it made perfect sense that I had lived inside her for so long. It explained why she could only see me as an extension of herself”- pg 206

She was an infinite planet with so many different territories on which to set up camp and play. If I had eons, I‘d still never finish exploring her.

Initially, (first 50 pages or so) I found this book disturbing. But once it kicked in to gear, I actually adored it. A little odd, but it also strangely made perfect sense. And superb writing might I add! I feel like there is much more to say, but I think you should just read it!

This was a really good #audiobook read by the author. Still trying to pick off some of my older things in my library account. But this one may lead me to add some of her other titles so not exactly a net positive situation.

⭐️

Today, a friend and I went to a climbing park in the woods and I really pushed myself through it 🙌. I‘m proud of myself and my arms hurt. In the morning and afternoon, I read #MilkFed, which I really enjoyed. The main character is complicated. After years of starving, she finally finds herself & her sexual drive through food.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️,5/5

#novel #fiction #melissabroder

I‘ve borrowed this from the library like 3 times and have always returned it unread. I was perusing the “available now” section of Overdrive and thought “Why not?” This is one of those quirky, eccentric reads that either hits in just the right spots or fails spectacularly. For me it was the former. Even though I read it several weeks ago, I‘m still thinking about Miriam and Rachel. Massive CW for eating disorders.

I have some issues with this book but overall I really really liked it. It is a little too graphic for my taste but Rachel is an amazingly realistic narrator, to me, I related to the things she said a lot (too much).

A bit smutty, but there is a lot to unpack about sexual fantasies and weight in this novel. Rachel is skinny wants to stay that way. When zaftig Miriam starts working working at her fro-yo spot, Rachel becomes obsessed. She fetishizes Miriam‘s weight and projects onto her a lack of inhibition that she is determined to take as her own. She sees Miriam as her opposite and not truly a real person. Brings up interesting questions about diet culture ⬇️

Only lasted 45 pages. Decided I didn‘t care enough about the main character to follow her on her journey.

That‘s a legitimate reason to bail, right?

library haul.✨

Well, that was 😳😮😋!

I hadn‘t read Broder‘s previous novel so didn‘t really know what to expect. What I got was a lot about food, a lot of explicit sex and a lot of enjoyment from this book!

Rachel has body and eating issues, from her Jewish mother. She becomes entranced with Miriam, who loves food and has a loving family but isn‘t allowed to have a relationship with a girl.

I sped through this in almost one sitting - weird but wonderful!

It's been a while since I binge read a book... Really resonated with me, made me consider my choices, my needs, my lack of self worth...
Bloomin good writing as well as characters and story.

This is goooood. Really insightful and a good perspective. But hugely triggering...

I finished this up while doing some #audiojamming. I was dealing with some major calories while listening to Rachel obsess about calories.

As I did The Pisces, I loved Milk Fed: it‘s less weird, as graphic (but less gross), with another complicated main character dealing with major issues, and the writing is absolutely brilliant. I laughed, I cringed, I felt sad for Rachel... not sure what Broder is writing next, but I‘m here for it.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2

“It didn‘t matter where I lived — Mid-City, Mid-Wilshire or Miracle Mile. It didn‘t matter where I worked; one Hollywood bullshit factory was equal to any other. All that mattered was what I ate, when I ate , and how I ate it.”

Not for everyone, but I found this book insightful. It‘s difficult with regard to subject matter, and sometimes painful to read. The author is candid. My heart broke a lot reading this, but I was receptive to the pain of the main character, even though it was outside my own experience.
⚠️ Eating disorders, explicit sex

On the surface, this book is about sex and food. But if you dig deeper, it's about identity and the facade we often put on to please others. What happens if we peel back our layers and allow our true selves to shine? You might lose some people along the way, but chances are you'll gain so much more. This is what Milk Fed is about. Funny, pointed, and timely. The language and sex scenes might not be for everyone, but the story was really good.

Halfway through this book and loving it. Rachel is a young Jewish woman who decides to take a 90 hiatus day from her mother. She also struggles with body image and follows a strict daily regimen for eating. Then one day, her whole life is changed when she meets Miriam at the local froyo shop. This book made me laugh out loud several times. I can't wait to see where it goes. Just what I needed to get out of a slump. Sexual and explicit language.

April was full of yellow! 💛 Lots of worthwhile reads with Milk Fed being my overall favorite - and one of my top reads of the year so far! April inadvertently became the #MonthofJennyLawson as her new book prompted me to #reread her older ones, and got my buds @Cinfhen and @Megabooks doing the same! 😚

#aprilreads #aprilwrapup

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thank the gods this is not totally oversaturated with bodily functions like The Pisces. Rachel - “a very, very bad Jew” - is stuck in a dangerous self-shame spiral until one day she begrudgingly relinquishes some control. With bits of symbolism, mysticism, and intimacy, Rachel‘s true self surfaces. At the root, this is a story about the desire for every kind of love. Broder nailed it. One of my tops of 2021!

🎧🐾 Started the tagged book while walking this goof early this morning. I like it so far, but I also liked The Pisces at first. We‘ll see how it goes, @Cinfhen !

#audiowalk #dogsoflitsy

I honestly don‘t know how to review this one. It‘s strange, weird, erotic, uncomfortable, funny, cringy, Jewish, mystical, provocative, contemplative, complicated, imaginative, and perhaps gratuitous. Feel free to add other adjectives below, if you‘ve read this one. I enjoyed the author‘s narration on audio- not sure I would have managed in print. Definitely not for everyone, especially if you‘ve struggled with an eating disorder.

I had bailed on this a few weeks back, even though I had loved the first 1/3. @britt_brooke gave me the push to go back to the audio. Good call, Britt. I adjusted my lens, like you suggested and now I‘m back to enjoying this weird, imaginative, uncomfortable novel.

I liked the start of this one but found it became a different book after that, one that was a little over the top and grating. The protagonist became a bit unrelatable. Maybe the author was trying to do too much here- lots of themes that maybe didn‘t come together for me.

I keep trying to enjoy books by Melissa Broder, but the raw intensity that draws people inevitably pushes me away. The sexual situations grate on me after a while, and there‘s only so many times a beautifully written passage is thrown sideways with the inclusion of p**** or c***. I don‘t know, I‘ve read this and The Pieces, and I think she‘s just not for me. I‘m not for her shock value style of writing.

An exploration of sexuality, religion, and womanhood, MF is the story of a young Jewish woman who decides to cut off contact with her toxic mother, only to find herself projecting her ideal of femininity onto the other women in her life. Using the metaphor of the Jewish golem, MF considers how identity is malleable, but so is our perception of others. What does it mean to love something, but find out that it does not exist in the way we thought?

I can‘t anymore!!! Less than an hour left on audio and I‘m bailing....good call to skip @Megabooks I‘ll be curious to hear your thoughts if you guys DO try book/audio @KarenUK @MicheleinPhilly @britt_brooke @Kalalalatja @Reviewsbylola I‘m disappointed because I was REALLY enjoying the first half....I‘m on an #audiowalk but looks like a storm is brewing ⚡️🌪

“Well this was getting weirder by the moment”
Ummm, exactly!!! I was really down for this audiobook but it‘s entered crazy-town. I still think I like it, but the word vagina, bush, clit and wet have been used at least 9 dozen times and the analogies of evergreens, palm trees and bulls are whack!!

OMG!!! My #VacationBrain is LOVING this audiobook ❤️🎧It‘s soooo good 😌 I think this might be your jam too @britt_brooke @Reviewsbylola @KarenUK @Kalalalatja I can‘t decide if you‘re gonna love it or hate it @Megabooks but MAJOR TW **Eating Disorder** and toxic mother/ daughter relationship 🙄I love my mom BUT a lot of this book is TALKING to me 😬

I often find Broder‘s books as unnerving as they are refreshing in their realness. This one is about the complicated pull between desire and self-discipline. It‘s also about food and sex - a lot of food and a lot of sex. Throw in some religious doubt and some mother/daughter relationship problems and you have one really messed up character. I loved it. 4⭐️

I loved this book so much!!!!

Wow! this one is full of food and sex and complicated relationships. Also, complicated relationships with food and sex. And the most complicated relationship is with the MC‘s Jewish mother who actually may have instilled the complicated relationships with food and sex. Does this make sense? Expectations vs desires - coming to terms with how we‘d like to live our own lives versus how we/others think we “should”. Milk Fed is a firecracker 🧨

Up next! 😸💕📚 #catsoflitsy #littenkitten #chaplin

Book mail is the best kind of mail 😍

Personally I liked how quick pace the story flowed. There were many themes all at once and if I‘d have to critique something it would be that. Broder could have spent a bit more time elaborating on each theme. Overall though I loved the characters and the story was new yet not, if that makes any sense.

I'm still trying to gather my thoughts on this book. First of all, if you have any sensitivity around eating disorders, this is not the book for you. Just don't do it.

The novel starts with Rachel, who has controlled every calorie in her life to where that's all her life is. Her therapist is trying to help her see the connection between this control and the relationship with her mother but she doesn't want to see it....↘️ (So much more to say)

I love Melissa Broder so much, her follow-up to her debut is fantastic and does not disappoint.

http://obsessedbookaholic.com/2021/02/03/milk-fed-book-review/

Time to take a break from the awful news& read Milk Fed a novel that‘s been getting rave reviews set in my hometown New York 💕Thanks @ScribnerBooks

Rachel has eating issues in part due to her mother‘s constant body shaming. She meets a new friend who brings her into her home where her mother welcomes Rachel with the comfort of food. A wonderful novel about friends, lovers, mothers and daughters. #ARC #Edelweiss

A story about desire, body image, mothers and food. I liked Rachel's character, she was very deep and raw and troubled. I truly enjoyed her journey, I think parts of her character will be incredibly relatable and relevant to readers. I definitely recommend this book. I couldn't put it down! Broder's writes with unabashed honesty, vulnerability and vivid sexuality, and definitely has a strange sense of humor. #bookreview