Reviews

Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne maree brown

lmorrissey1's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

3.75

sophiasshelf's review

Go to review page

challenging emotional informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

4.0

ivocat's review against another edition

Go to review page

hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

5.0

elmagrissy's review

Go to review page

4.0

A joyous, restorative read. Not to be read linearly or quickly. Some essays really resonated and some did not, but the topics discussed are so subjective and create such a personal reaction that it’s hard to imagine uniform take-aways from the book. The overall gist offers a million and one paths to reaching transformative pleasure and there's something for everyone here.

marinasrecs's review

Go to review page

3.75

Some essays I deeply enjoyed. The rest of the book - not so much. I also felt a bit overwhelmed by the amount of references to people and organizations I've never heard about - but didn't really awake my curiosity enough to look it up. 

chenoadallen's review

Go to review page

emotional hopeful medium-paced

3.75

yikesbmg's review

Go to review page

5.0

I loved this book. I plan on revisiting it, gifting it to friends, and using parts of it for a course I’m teaching in the spring. I think I am the intended audience (queer non-binary Black person with socialist leanings) and that I read it at the right time in my life. Some of the writings didn’t resonate and were a bit of a slog to get through, but the majority of them were not. This book also includes a lot of references, books, and other ways to further investigate each topic and continue engaging in these conversations. I especially loved the piece towards the end “The Pleasure of Deep, Intentional Friendship” and would buy and read and likely gift a collection by adrienne maree brown on friendship.

On a slightly different note, I read some reviews from readers who were disappointed that it is mostly about sex. Kindly revisit the front cover and evaluate why you expected something else.

lsparrow's review

Go to review page

5.0

I loved this book. Perhaps even better because it was what I needed and gave me lots of things to think about and question in myself. I love that she includes many different voices and many different styles in the book and is very broad in her discussion of pleasure. A book I want to own and give away.

ehaigh's review

Go to review page

reflective slow-paced

4.0

kpbake427's review

Go to review page

5.0

This collection of essays simultaneously put into words things I had been pondering but couldn't articulate and busted my mind wide open with one paradigm shift after another.
Reading started a journey to liberation. I've starting to recognize what brings pleasure me and what doesn't. I am starting to give myself permission to only say yes when I mean.
It also gave me permission to be mad about injustice while also finding joy and beauty in life while we fight. ✊