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Blood, Sweat and Glitter
Em Rusciano – singer, stand-up comedian and podcast maven – didn't mean to write a memoir.She meant to write something fun. Light. Maybe erotic. Instead, she bled onto the page.Blood, Sweat and Glitter charts the wild, messy, life-altering five years that changed everything, from sold-out national tours to a historic National Press Club address, a Senate Inquiry and surviving Melbourne’s lockdowns.This book contains everything Em couldn’t say at the the undiagnosed neurodivergence, the hormonal hellscape, the grief, the rage and the all-consuming, gut-punch realisation that she’d built her life by someone else’s rules.This is a reckoning. A recalibration. A renaissance. Like Eat, Pray, Love, but the perimenopause Bleed. Scream. Snap.Hilarious and candid,
Blood, Sweat and Glitter
is for anyone pretending they’re fine while quietly falling apart. Strap in – it’s a hell of a ride.
- GenresAudiobook
369 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
71 people are currently reading
111 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
October 19, 2025
“it’s the forest fire…and what grew after”
An honest memoir of “what the fk are we doing” and being a woman is exhausting.
Captivated me from page one to the very end. Being unapologetically yourself is hard to do and Em does it with grace, empathy and a-lot of blood sweat and glitter.
The community she’s built, those that turn up for her and champion her are all testament to the person she is. Who else would have Michael Paynter, Reuben Kaye, Jemma Rix (Elphaba!!) congo for her and keep her together literally and figuratively on stage.
Is it a book about neurodiversity, perimenopause, gender in equality, surviving all life throws at you…All of the above. At the core it’s about humanity, self compassion and never being less. You are enough, you are deserving, and it’s never too late to rebuild and to advocate for yourself.
An honest memoir of “what the fk are we doing” and being a woman is exhausting.
Captivated me from page one to the very end. Being unapologetically yourself is hard to do and Em does it with grace, empathy and a-lot of blood sweat and glitter.
The community she’s built, those that turn up for her and champion her are all testament to the person she is. Who else would have Michael Paynter, Reuben Kaye, Jemma Rix (Elphaba!!) congo for her and keep her together literally and figuratively on stage.
Is it a book about neurodiversity, perimenopause, gender in equality, surviving all life throws at you…All of the above. At the core it’s about humanity, self compassion and never being less. You are enough, you are deserving, and it’s never too late to rebuild and to advocate for yourself.
November 19, 2025
I don’t even know where to begin with this book, except to say: the audiobook is a full-body experience. Em tells her story with so much passion and heart that you’ll laugh, cry, sniffle unattractively, and then laugh again because of course you will. She’s magic like that.
If you’ve heard Em’s National Press Club Address, you’re already halfway obsessed but this book? It’s the director’s cut. It gives context, depth, and that quiet, aching grief you don’t realise you’ve been carrying when you get a later-in-life diagnosis. It cracked something open in me that I didn’t even know needed light.
It also reminded me (gently and powerfully) to be kinder to the people in my life navigating adult psychosocial diagnoses. And can I just say how much I adored seeing ASD framed as Autism Spectrum Condition in parts of the book? That intentional, compassionate language matters. It shifts stigma. It makes space. It feels right.
And listen… this book has basically become my unofficial handbook for when my time with the peri-peri arrives. I suddenly don’t feel terrified of the hormonal apocalypse. I feel… prepared? Or at least, prepared-adjacent. Em lays out things to ask your GP, things to look for, things to advocate for and it honestly feels like she’s walking you through it, arm-in-arm.
Now look: I don’t have enough words for how much I love seeing Em absolutely thrive. Parasocial relationships are wild like that — I’m rooting for her like she’s my bestie from way back. Every time she gets recognition I’m sitting there like a proud auntie whispering “that’s my girl.”
But also… as a chaotic side quest… this book confirmed something deep in my soul:
I cannot WAIT for the breakfast radio exposé she drops on her deathbed.
Obviously I’ll be mourning with flowers and sequins, but I will devour that tell-all faster than you can say John Peter Farnham.
Most importantly? This book reminded me loudly, fiercely, beautifully to ROAR BACK.
Fave Quote
“So I ask you all, the next time Elio or another kid comes up to you and roars: please don’t be alarmed or look around for help. Don’t treat them like there is something wrong with them. Be bigger than that, be better than that, be kinder than that. And please roar back.”
If you’ve heard Em’s National Press Club Address, you’re already halfway obsessed but this book? It’s the director’s cut. It gives context, depth, and that quiet, aching grief you don’t realise you’ve been carrying when you get a later-in-life diagnosis. It cracked something open in me that I didn’t even know needed light.
It also reminded me (gently and powerfully) to be kinder to the people in my life navigating adult psychosocial diagnoses. And can I just say how much I adored seeing ASD framed as Autism Spectrum Condition in parts of the book? That intentional, compassionate language matters. It shifts stigma. It makes space. It feels right.
And listen… this book has basically become my unofficial handbook for when my time with the peri-peri arrives. I suddenly don’t feel terrified of the hormonal apocalypse. I feel… prepared? Or at least, prepared-adjacent. Em lays out things to ask your GP, things to look for, things to advocate for and it honestly feels like she’s walking you through it, arm-in-arm.
Now look: I don’t have enough words for how much I love seeing Em absolutely thrive. Parasocial relationships are wild like that — I’m rooting for her like she’s my bestie from way back. Every time she gets recognition I’m sitting there like a proud auntie whispering “that’s my girl.”
But also… as a chaotic side quest… this book confirmed something deep in my soul:
I cannot WAIT for the breakfast radio exposé she drops on her deathbed.
Obviously I’ll be mourning with flowers and sequins, but I will devour that tell-all faster than you can say John Peter Farnham.
Most importantly? This book reminded me loudly, fiercely, beautifully to ROAR BACK.
Fave Quote
“So I ask you all, the next time Elio or another kid comes up to you and roars: please don’t be alarmed or look around for help. Don’t treat them like there is something wrong with them. Be bigger than that, be better than that, be kinder than that. And please roar back.”
November 22, 2025
Blood, Sweat and Glitter is a courageous and deeply personal memoir in which Em Rusciano gives an unflinching look at her life-changing journey through three major diagnoses: ADHD, autism, and perimenopause. With her trademark wit and raw honesty.
November 4, 2025
Well I know I’m definitely the target audience for Em‘s gut punchingly, real, hilarious, honest and raw memoir. I’m not one to usually write a review and upon finishing writing and painstakingly editing such review I then lost said review and had to start again!
This memoir chronicles the last six years of her life in her hilariously honest fashion. Blood, Sweat and Glitter is unapologetically Em Rusciano. Her voice is carried through the book on every page. No ghost writers here. It also includes mini essays contributed by people closest to her. But don’t be mistaken, the good; the bad and the ugly is included, bowel issues and all!
If you’re female, AFAB, LGBTQI+ or just appreciate a warts and all hilarious and sometimes gut wrenching read, this book is definitely for you. Written with the neurodivergent in mind the book includes different fonts, cartoons, comic strips and snappy, witty writing to keep us thoroughly engaged and entertained. I see Em’s story as a call to arms for us to show up for ourselves, allow yourself, in fact demand to be seen and heard by those in our lives that dismiss us. You may recognise parts of yourself throughout this book and like me it may motivate you to advocate for yourself in your life.
I credit Em through her advocacy and telling her story in recent years for seeing myself properly and recognising my neurodivergence. I’m now diagnosed and being unapologetically me for the first time in my life. She is a force and a bright, glittery sphere of energy that we so desperately need in 2025.
This memoir chronicles the last six years of her life in her hilariously honest fashion. Blood, Sweat and Glitter is unapologetically Em Rusciano. Her voice is carried through the book on every page. No ghost writers here. It also includes mini essays contributed by people closest to her. But don’t be mistaken, the good; the bad and the ugly is included, bowel issues and all!
If you’re female, AFAB, LGBTQI+ or just appreciate a warts and all hilarious and sometimes gut wrenching read, this book is definitely for you. Written with the neurodivergent in mind the book includes different fonts, cartoons, comic strips and snappy, witty writing to keep us thoroughly engaged and entertained. I see Em’s story as a call to arms for us to show up for ourselves, allow yourself, in fact demand to be seen and heard by those in our lives that dismiss us. You may recognise parts of yourself throughout this book and like me it may motivate you to advocate for yourself in your life.
I credit Em through her advocacy and telling her story in recent years for seeing myself properly and recognising my neurodivergence. I’m now diagnosed and being unapologetically me for the first time in my life. She is a force and a bright, glittery sphere of energy that we so desperately need in 2025.
January 15, 2026
What a beautifully written and presented summary of the last few years of Em’s life. I follow her and listen to her podcast weekly and yet still learnt more from this book and the audiobook just made it even more special. I’ve of course got the physical book too!
December 3, 2025
I utterly adored this, Em has opened herself up and given us everything. A privilege to read.
December 2, 2025
Absolutely loved this book.
November 26, 2025
An honest, though provoking book about Em’s mid life awakening. Learning about and accepting her neurodivergence and perimenopause, we hear how these and other experiences have shaped and altered her perception of life and more importantly, herself. Amusing, heart wrenching and inspiring.
November 25, 2025
Emotional raw, brutally honest and still sparkling, Em Rusiano provides insight into her experiences with her adult diagnosis of ADHD and autism all while in the grasp of the raging perimenopause beast. Funny and heartbreaking all at the same time, it was a super engaging read.
November 26, 2025
Brilliant.
Em’s words are a war cry to the hormonally imbalance peri women. Thankyou for this life altering story and for breaking yourself open for us to live the experiences with you.
Em’s words are a war cry to the hormonally imbalance peri women. Thankyou for this life altering story and for breaking yourself open for us to live the experiences with you.
November 18, 2025
An emotional and real account of Em's journey into a new nurodivergent menopausal world. Full of all the love, energy, and emotion you would expect from this magnificent Australian entertainer. For us nurotypical lot there are some important learnings and ahha moments and all the perimenopause bits struck a nerve for sure. I laughed and cried and stayed up way too late as I couldn't hit pause!
November 17, 2025
This book is for every woman, every man that loves a woman and fabulous people who love a bit of camp! You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll feel seen. The stories cover divas, nearly sh!tting yourself, perimenopause, motherhood, work high and lows, female power, vulnerability, neaurodivergance (sp?) and remind you of your value. Read it in two days.
November 20, 2025
Adored this book, would happily recommend it to others.
November 15, 2025
Raw, engaging, emotional and educational. I listened to the audiobook and my god, what a listen it was. This book has given me a better understanding of Neurodivergency and perimenopause. I have been an avid follower of em since the 7pm project metro whip around and been a fan ever since, following her career. this book ties everything nicely together to where she is in her life now and the experiences she has had, which many of us can or will relate to. Highly recommend.
November 16, 2025
Wow just incredible I feel prepared and informed about the next stages of my life, but also just a touch heartbroken she has been through so much and she is never given the credit she truely deserves. Well done Em it’s absolutely stunning
November 16, 2025
I absolutely LOVED this book. I listened to the audio book and I think it's the only way to do. Em's personality comes out in it so much and I think it's just amazing, If i could rate this 6 stars I would.
November 17, 2025
I listened to most of this unfold on the podcast, attended the shows and watched the reels, and yet it still brought something new. I could hear your voice Em, and while you may not feel strong now, the strength is shining through.
November 18, 2025
Amazing. Fabulous. Legend.
I'll be sure to save it for when I get to perimenopause to use as a life line.
Em, You did it.
I'll be sure to save it for when I get to perimenopause to use as a life line.
Em, You did it.
November 20, 2025
Absolutely loved this book. Highly recommend!!! What a ride - highs, lows and in between. So much to relate to and admire. I listened to the audiobook and it felt like a long chat with a good friend. 10 out of 10. No notes.
November 14, 2025
excellent! very easy to read, relatable and motivating
November 1, 2025
I’m not much of a book reviewer. I’m never really sure what exactly needs to go into one? I am however a prolific reader and a speedy one at that. I made Em’s book my evening ritual over the past few nights since it arrived. A giant mug of tea, a pile of bickies and me in my cosy bed, fairy lights glowing. For the ambiance.
Reading through Em’s story left me laughing, crying, standing on that stage with her, sitting beside her in doctor’s offices, cheering her on, and sending her ghost hugs (cos no touchy).
I absolutely loved the special touches through the book. The comic strip? Genius. The photos? Beautiful. The reflections by Michael and Lucy? Tears (of both kinds).
Thank you Em for sharing yourself in all your vulnerability. I feel less alone as a 37yo late-diagnosed autistic woman (and let’s face it, probably also ADHD but that requires more of me than I have to give right now to find out…), heading straight towards perimenopause, dragging my ND family along for the…ride, seems like the wrong word. Journey? Hmm, no. Chaos! That’s the one. Perpetual chaos.
This book was an emotional ride of the best kind. Just as I found myself wondering “yes Em, me too…but what do I do next?!” I’d turn the page and find a list of helpful information, of facts and figures that gave me confidence to trust myself.
If you’re a human, you should read this book. Five stars. No notes.
P.S. no golden peen.
Reading through Em’s story left me laughing, crying, standing on that stage with her, sitting beside her in doctor’s offices, cheering her on, and sending her ghost hugs (cos no touchy).
I absolutely loved the special touches through the book. The comic strip? Genius. The photos? Beautiful. The reflections by Michael and Lucy? Tears (of both kinds).
Thank you Em for sharing yourself in all your vulnerability. I feel less alone as a 37yo late-diagnosed autistic woman (and let’s face it, probably also ADHD but that requires more of me than I have to give right now to find out…), heading straight towards perimenopause, dragging my ND family along for the…ride, seems like the wrong word. Journey? Hmm, no. Chaos! That’s the one. Perpetual chaos.
This book was an emotional ride of the best kind. Just as I found myself wondering “yes Em, me too…but what do I do next?!” I’d turn the page and find a list of helpful information, of facts and figures that gave me confidence to trust myself.
If you’re a human, you should read this book. Five stars. No notes.
P.S. no golden peen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 11, 2025
As I read this I wondered how many copies I need to buy to share. Spoiler - A LOT! There is something for everyone - we can all see ourselves or someone we love in the pages.
November 7, 2025
So utterly disappointed to have finished this amazing book….do I just start reading it again now? Such a roller coaster of a journey and so relatable. I literally laughed and cried while reading this. Yes Em, I feel it too!
Highly recommend everyone read this book, gift it to the women and AFAB people in your life, we all have something meaningful to take away from Blood, Sweat and Glitter.
P.S. I could have used the reminder about the cold cup of tea a few pages earlier though!
Highly recommend everyone read this book, gift it to the women and AFAB people in your life, we all have something meaningful to take away from Blood, Sweat and Glitter.
P.S. I could have used the reminder about the cold cup of tea a few pages earlier though!
November 8, 2025
Laughed. Cried. Learnt A LOT. This is book is magic essential reading. (And the cover art photoshoot is inspirational)
December 5, 2025
This book made me laugh, cry and I’d touched my soul. With two children diagnosed with autism and adhd Em gives me hope that our world can become a more understanding and inclusive place for all neurodivergents. That they will feel seen, feel accepted and not as outsiders trying to keep up in a world not designed for them. I have adored Em for years and she has done this community justice with love and grace with her amazing words that have come to life. Highly recommended this for not only the neurodivergent community but for everyone. So that we can all be more understanding and can all support each other. When my 9 year old daughter is older I will get her to listen to this because I know how much it will impact her.
Em thank you for being to vulnerable and raw. For being the amazing human you are, for being the most real version of yourself. Putting out your journey would have been scary and overwhelming, specially with the hell of a time you’ve been going through lately. I will forever feel grateful, forever feel seen and always be in admiration for the bloody amazing human you are. Keep being real, keep sharing your glitter, more people like you are needed because you are pure love
Em thank you for being to vulnerable and raw. For being the amazing human you are, for being the most real version of yourself. Putting out your journey would have been scary and overwhelming, specially with the hell of a time you’ve been going through lately. I will forever feel grateful, forever feel seen and always be in admiration for the bloody amazing human you are. Keep being real, keep sharing your glitter, more people like you are needed because you are pure love
December 20, 2025
Glorious! 10 out of 10! No notes.
Whilst I may not have devoured it in one sitting, like so many have, this book was written in such a way that you could enjoy it in morsels, take a bite, put it down, forget you’re reading it (oh hey ADHD), and grab it a week later like a glorious surprise and pick up where you left off so easily.
Em has a way of writing like you’re listening to her on her podcast, it’s raw,conversational, inclusive. It’s a beautiful read, spoke right to my heart, mind and soul. I’ve been on this journey since 2019 (actually before but I feel this was when she pierced my soul) and I’ve been traversing this time in her life adjacent to her. Call it parasocial (probably), but I too have been diagnosed ADHD in my early 40s with a smothering of perimenopause and I feel viscerally what Em has written in this spectacular book.
Thank you Em for sharing it all, for trusting your community with all the bits and being so generous with your life and expertise. You’re truly remarkable.
Ps. This book is fabulous! Highly recommend.
Whilst I may not have devoured it in one sitting, like so many have, this book was written in such a way that you could enjoy it in morsels, take a bite, put it down, forget you’re reading it (oh hey ADHD), and grab it a week later like a glorious surprise and pick up where you left off so easily.
Em has a way of writing like you’re listening to her on her podcast, it’s raw,conversational, inclusive. It’s a beautiful read, spoke right to my heart, mind and soul. I’ve been on this journey since 2019 (actually before but I feel this was when she pierced my soul) and I’ve been traversing this time in her life adjacent to her. Call it parasocial (probably), but I too have been diagnosed ADHD in my early 40s with a smothering of perimenopause and I feel viscerally what Em has written in this spectacular book.
Thank you Em for sharing it all, for trusting your community with all the bits and being so generous with your life and expertise. You’re truly remarkable.
Ps. This book is fabulous! Highly recommend.
January 1, 2026
Some books entertain you. Some make you think. And then there are the rare ones that feel like they reach straight into your chest and sit there with you long after you’ve closed the cover. Blood, Sweat & Glitter was that book for me.
From the very first pages, I felt an immediate and deep connection to Em Rusciano’s voice. Her honesty is confronting in the best possible way—raw, funny, painful, and fiercely human. I laughed out loud, I cried real tears, and at times I had to put the book down just to breathe. Em’s ability to hold humour and heartbreak in the same breath is remarkable.
What stood out most was her openness and vulnerability. There’s no glossing over, no performance of perfection—just truth. She owns her mistakes, her growth, her anger, her softness, and her survival. That level of vulnerability is rare, and it made me feel seen, understood, and less alone.
The final chapter absolutely broke me. I was in tears—overwhelmed with gratitude for her courage in telling her story so honestly and so completely. It felt like a release, not just for her, but for us all.
From the very first pages, I felt an immediate and deep connection to Em Rusciano’s voice. Her honesty is confronting in the best possible way—raw, funny, painful, and fiercely human. I laughed out loud, I cried real tears, and at times I had to put the book down just to breathe. Em’s ability to hold humour and heartbreak in the same breath is remarkable.
What stood out most was her openness and vulnerability. There’s no glossing over, no performance of perfection—just truth. She owns her mistakes, her growth, her anger, her softness, and her survival. That level of vulnerability is rare, and it made me feel seen, understood, and less alone.
The final chapter absolutely broke me. I was in tears—overwhelmed with gratitude for her courage in telling her story so honestly and so completely. It felt like a release, not just for her, but for us all.
November 1, 2025
This was a highly anticipated book for me , being a big fan of Em's and Emsolation , and it did not disappoint. Raw, honest, bold , funny and full of information and pop culture references I appreciated , I give this 5 stars. I read it in 2 days. I learned a lot about neurodivergence and menopause and I liked the perspective about what its like to be a woman in this world. Em's message to lead with compassion , advocate for yourself no matter the obstacles and to be yourself are something to be admired. Honestly one of my favourite reads of 2025 !
January 1, 2026
Em writes as though you are listening to her podcast, she has a way of drawing you in and making it seem like you’re listening to her speak or watching her on a screen. Normally this ‘I am watching a movie’ feeling is reserved for fiction books.
There is something to be said for the fact I read both the epilogue and the acknowledgments which is uncharted territory for me in any book I’ve read before.
I even drew a little penis in the back ( I wasn’t bored but with the pages there I felt necessary and I think Em would be proud)
Thank you for sharing your story Em, you are brilliant!
There is something to be said for the fact I read both the epilogue and the acknowledgments which is uncharted territory for me in any book I’ve read before.
I even drew a little penis in the back ( I wasn’t bored but with the pages there I felt necessary and I think Em would be proud)
Thank you for sharing your story Em, you are brilliant!
November 5, 2025
Laughed, cried, and I STILL can't get this book out of my head. It is a wild wide full of deep insights into the human condition, what it is to be neurodivergent, what it is to be a parent and mostly, what it is to be a woman. I learned a lot about others, but more about myself. I also loved the unconventional literary journey. Em has turned the traditional autobiographical format on its head and I, for one, am here for it. Ten out of ten would recommend, no notes.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews