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storiesandcoffee's review against another edition
4.0
Big thanks to Grand Central Publishing for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
I can’t think of a better book to read during Women’s History month than So We Can Glow. This collection of short stories celebrates women in all stages of life, reminding us of our first love, first loss, first heartbreak, first spark of desire.
Leesa Cross-Smith writes beautiful prose, sensual and poetic in the way she describes life in the south, the lives of bored housewives, the lives of struggling mothers. You can practically taste the cherry-flavored lipgloss worn by her teenage characters. You can practically smell the beer-drenched breath of the hardened men that bring pleasure and pain to their women. You can practically picture the summer days of your youth as a hot, sticky, pink-colored time when life was as good as it was ever going to get.
So We Can Glow is an anthology that discusses all the ways women need to be set free. All the ways women need to come into their own, accept their own sexuality and desires, and admit what they really want in order to let their own light shine—in order to glow. Some of the stories were a bit too short, but I was able to really connect with the longer ones, especially the stories that were revisited later on in the book. (Here are a few of my favorites: Chateau Marmont, Champagne, Chanel, Some are Dark, Some are Light, Summer Melts, Get Rowdy and And Down We Go!)
For me, So We Can Glow felt like a conversation with Taylor Swift, Carrie Bradshaw, and Elizabeth Taylor. It was like openly discussing all the secrets you’ve always kept hidden in the walls of your mind because you were afraid of facing judgment if they were ever to be set free. So We Can Glow is an honest exploration of the fears and longing women feel but don’t always feel comfortable vocalizing.
I can’t think of a better book to read during Women’s History month than So We Can Glow. This collection of short stories celebrates women in all stages of life, reminding us of our first love, first loss, first heartbreak, first spark of desire.
Leesa Cross-Smith writes beautiful prose, sensual and poetic in the way she describes life in the south, the lives of bored housewives, the lives of struggling mothers. You can practically taste the cherry-flavored lipgloss worn by her teenage characters. You can practically smell the beer-drenched breath of the hardened men that bring pleasure and pain to their women. You can practically picture the summer days of your youth as a hot, sticky, pink-colored time when life was as good as it was ever going to get.
So We Can Glow is an anthology that discusses all the ways women need to be set free. All the ways women need to come into their own, accept their own sexuality and desires, and admit what they really want in order to let their own light shine—in order to glow. Some of the stories were a bit too short, but I was able to really connect with the longer ones, especially the stories that were revisited later on in the book. (Here are a few of my favorites: Chateau Marmont, Champagne, Chanel, Some are Dark, Some are Light, Summer Melts, Get Rowdy and And Down We Go!)
For me, So We Can Glow felt like a conversation with Taylor Swift, Carrie Bradshaw, and Elizabeth Taylor. It was like openly discussing all the secrets you’ve always kept hidden in the walls of your mind because you were afraid of facing judgment if they were ever to be set free. So We Can Glow is an honest exploration of the fears and longing women feel but don’t always feel comfortable vocalizing.
faithfullygeeky's review against another edition
"'What a relief not to be scared to death of you, here alone,' I'd tell you. 'That's why the only men I give my heart to live in my TV."
Leesa Cross-Smith's SO WE CAN GLOW is a collection of 42 stories around the concept of female desire. No matter how short the vignette, the reader is immediately pulled into the lives of these women or the emotions of the situation. Cross-Smith is a masterful storyteller, managing in even one sentence what many of us can only dream of achieving in pages of work. My personal favorite story was Girlheart Cake with Glitter Frosting, which is a list of "possible ingredients" ranging from experiences to song titles and everything in between. With that one list that had me stopping to yell "Yes!" in the middle of the living room, she won me over and I will pick up everything she writes in the future.
Thank you to Grand Central for sending me a copy of this book for review.
Content Warnings for miscarriage, cheating, and general explicit sexual content.
Leesa Cross-Smith's SO WE CAN GLOW is a collection of 42 stories around the concept of female desire. No matter how short the vignette, the reader is immediately pulled into the lives of these women or the emotions of the situation. Cross-Smith is a masterful storyteller, managing in even one sentence what many of us can only dream of achieving in pages of work. My personal favorite story was Girlheart Cake with Glitter Frosting, which is a list of "possible ingredients" ranging from experiences to song titles and everything in between. With that one list that had me stopping to yell "Yes!" in the middle of the living room, she won me over and I will pick up everything she writes in the future.
Thank you to Grand Central for sending me a copy of this book for review.
Content Warnings for miscarriage, cheating, and general explicit sexual content.
bookwormymegan's review against another edition
5.0
an ARC was provided by the publisher (my first one)!
Grand Central Publishing was kind enough to provide ARCs of this short story collection when my class visited Hachette Book Group’s headquarters in NYC. I was immediately smitten- not only is the book gorgeous (I love the diner theme on the cover, and the neon lights really complete the aesthetic while at the same time mirroring the content of the stories). Plus! It’s a short story collection! I love short stories because you can read, but you can also take long pauses between each one, and not forget something important. They’re perfect for those busy times, and as a college student, I have a lot of busy days.
Read the rest of my review on Megan's Book Stacks: https://megansbookstacks.wordpress.com/2020/03/07/my-first-arc-so-we-can-glow-review/
Grand Central Publishing was kind enough to provide ARCs of this short story collection when my class visited Hachette Book Group’s headquarters in NYC. I was immediately smitten- not only is the book gorgeous (I love the diner theme on the cover, and the neon lights really complete the aesthetic while at the same time mirroring the content of the stories). Plus! It’s a short story collection! I love short stories because you can read, but you can also take long pauses between each one, and not forget something important. They’re perfect for those busy times, and as a college student, I have a lot of busy days.
Read the rest of my review on Megan's Book Stacks: https://megansbookstacks.wordpress.com/2020/03/07/my-first-arc-so-we-can-glow-review/
swikp's review against another edition
1.0
dnf, not for me, so disinterested and disengaged with each short story.
lisas's review against another edition
4.0
Exquisite. Many (most) short story collections are uneven, but with each new gem, I was left thinking, "This. This one is my favorite." Until the next one began. And every now and then, and unexpected gift when Cross-Smith revisits a story from another person, or years later (or earlier), just adding that much more depth and richness to her characters and their lives.
Cross-Smith deftly and unapologetically handles the complexities of being a woman, and left me with such nostalgia for being a woman on the cusp of the rest of my life, splayed out before me in mystery to make my own way.
Oh, and my favorite-favorite? It was the romance blossoming in the produce section. Or maybe it was the woman who stalks the TV biologist. Or was it the exchange of emails between the mother and her well-loved daughter? Yes. That was it.
Cross-Smith deftly and unapologetically handles the complexities of being a woman, and left me with such nostalgia for being a woman on the cusp of the rest of my life, splayed out before me in mystery to make my own way.
Oh, and my favorite-favorite? It was the romance blossoming in the produce section. Or maybe it was the woman who stalks the TV biologist. Or was it the exchange of emails between the mother and her well-loved daughter? Yes. That was it.
cordeliamendez's review against another edition
5.0
A sticky lusty summer read, like a teenager’s diary and innermost fantasies exploded and then matured into a book of short stories.
mikolee's review against another edition
3.0
A collection of stories about women. Some of the tales are evocative and really captured my attention. A tale of a musician being jealous of her actor husband while covering her band mate felt very real. Some of the stories I just couldn’t get into. Audiobook had various readers which have a nice kind of flow to distinguish the voices.
neverwithoutabook's review against another edition
4.0
These stories vary in length and center on women, love, friendship, sex, and loyalty. Cross-Smith has really surprised me with her storytelling abilities with this collection. I highly recommend.
wherescoco's review against another edition
5.0
I'M OBSESSED WITH THIS COLLECTION. I'm buying 10 more copies just to keep them in every place that I may need to read in a pinch. Almost every one of these stories resonated with me, and despite these stories being so short, I spent an extra long time finishing each one so I could savor every word. This is exactly what I want from light romance (but never corny, never cringey), and it's such a perfect summertime-nostalgia fantasy that brings me back to every stage of life, teen to present day, that I've felt passion, desire, lust, flirtation, intimacy... Leesa Cross-Smith, I need a Volume 2 PLEASE.
cortingbooks's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
My favorites in this collection are:
We, Moons: Soulful & Poetic
The Great Barrier Reef Is Dying And So Are We: this story had me holding my breath
Chateau Marmont , Champagne, Chanel: Felt indulgent and decadent. Felt like I was watching it play out on screen but not in color. Only black and white would do.
Some Are Dark, Some Are Light, Summer Melts:
So poignant. Brought tears to my eyes.
And Down We Go!: So cute! I wish this one was a full novel.
Crepuscular: this story was hilarious.
Cloud Report: heartwarming and beautiful
My favorites in this collection are:
We, Moons: Soulful & Poetic
The Great Barrier Reef Is Dying And So Are We: this story had me holding my breath
Chateau Marmont , Champagne, Chanel: Felt indulgent and decadent. Felt like I was watching it play out on screen but not in color. Only black and white would do.
Some Are Dark, Some Are Light, Summer Melts:
So poignant. Brought tears to my eyes.
And Down We Go!: So cute! I wish this one was a full novel.
Crepuscular: this story was hilarious.
Cloud Report: heartwarming and beautiful