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You Goddess!: Lessons in Being Legendary from Awesome Immortals
"What a boost this book is: if these amazing women did it, we certainly can." - Olivia Colman, on What Would Boudicca Do?
***
The much-loved authors of What Would Boudicca Do? channel the feminist power of mythical goddesses in this witty, inspirational gift.
Want to break free from what's holding you back?
Channel the Norse warrior goddess Freyja
Feeling stressed?
Turn the playful Japanese goddess Uzume for a superheroine superboost
Tired of being nice?
Meet the Irish goddess The Morrigan, a regal renegade who doesn't care what anyone thinks of her.
Why settle for mere mortal excellence when you could be living like a goddess?
E. Foley and B. Coates show how the tales of these deities have been depicted by men over the centuries, revealing the ancient roots of toxic female stereotypes (the damsel in distress, the selfless mother, the tempting harlot). Now it's time to reclaim their female powers for a new generation;
You Goddess! takes us on a colourful tour of ancient deities and legends through the prism of female power, sharing the mythical stories of 25 goddesses from every corner of the globe. In this irreverent guide these fierce and fantastic deities will help you to stop apologising, keep your cool, embrace your body and get what you are owed. Divinely illustrated by Georgia Perry, You Goddess! will help you conquer today's world.
***
The much-loved authors of What Would Boudicca Do? channel the feminist power of mythical goddesses in this witty, inspirational gift.
Want to break free from what's holding you back?
Channel the Norse warrior goddess Freyja
Feeling stressed?
Turn the playful Japanese goddess Uzume for a superheroine superboost
Tired of being nice?
Meet the Irish goddess The Morrigan, a regal renegade who doesn't care what anyone thinks of her.
Why settle for mere mortal excellence when you could be living like a goddess?
E. Foley and B. Coates show how the tales of these deities have been depicted by men over the centuries, revealing the ancient roots of toxic female stereotypes (the damsel in distress, the selfless mother, the tempting harlot). Now it's time to reclaim their female powers for a new generation;
You Goddess! takes us on a colourful tour of ancient deities and legends through the prism of female power, sharing the mythical stories of 25 goddesses from every corner of the globe. In this irreverent guide these fierce and fantastic deities will help you to stop apologising, keep your cool, embrace your body and get what you are owed. Divinely illustrated by Georgia Perry, You Goddess! will help you conquer today's world.
249 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 2020
23 people are currently reading
342 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
February 24, 2021
Quest'opera della Sonzogno ci ricorda come da sempre le donne abbiano avuto nella storia un ruolo importante seppur costantemente denigrate e sottovalutate.
Con simpatia ogni pagina ci presenta una diversa divinità che ci viene narrata nella sua storia con pregi e difetti ma ricordandoci sempre quanto il loro intelletto, nel bene o nel male, abbia fatto grandi cose.
È anche considerabile come una guida per comprendere sé stessi tramite la divinità che nella lettura sentiamo più vicina.
Non per niente il sottotitolo del libro è: lezioni di vita dalle nostre sorelle immortali.
Io da sempre ho avuto un amore viscerale per Athena e leggendo questo libro ne sono sempre più convinta, seppur conoscendone bene ogni sfaccettatura della sua mitologia, tante scelte fatte sono davvero discutibili.
Vi lascio, quindi, un pezzo della narrazione sulla mia adorata dea delle Arti e della Guerra:
"Atena, essere una donna forte. Conosciuta anche come Pallade o Minerva."
‘ Atena è una fra le dee più famose del mondo occidentale. Fa parte della famiglia di divinità olimpiche venerate nell'antica Grecia già nel secondo millennio a.C.
Gli dèi dell'Olimpo erano protagonisti di imprese d'ogni genere, eroiche o terribili, di solito a discapito dei mortali, trattati alla stregua di animali domestici.
La nostra dea nacque in modo piuttosto anomalo, cosa che condizionò poi il resto della sua vita.
Suo padre, il re degli dèi Zeus, mise incinta e poi ingoiò sua madre Metis, dopo averla convinta con l'inganno a trasformarsi in una mosca. Quest'azione così drastica era dovuta a una profezia, secondo la quale i figli avuti con Metis sarebbero potuti diventare più potenti di lui.
Atena compì la sua gestazione dentro Zeus, e alla fine gli provocò un mal di testa così tremendo che, al posto di prendersi un po' di paracetamolo, il re degli dèi si fece aprire la testa in due con un'ascia. Neonata alquanto insolita, la nostra dea saltò fuori già del tutto cresciuta e vestita in armatura. ’
Avete capito il tipo di lettura ironica e importante con questa piccola citazione? Spero di sì.
Sono felice di aver scoperto questo libro, l'ho divorato in pochissime ore, tant'ero presa.
La narrazione delle varie divinità è fluida, semplice e veloce da leggere, ma al tempo stesso mostra tutto l'impegno e lo studio che c'è dietro a questo progetto narrativo.
Cinque stelle più che meritate, assolutamente!
Con simpatia ogni pagina ci presenta una diversa divinità che ci viene narrata nella sua storia con pregi e difetti ma ricordandoci sempre quanto il loro intelletto, nel bene o nel male, abbia fatto grandi cose.
È anche considerabile come una guida per comprendere sé stessi tramite la divinità che nella lettura sentiamo più vicina.
Non per niente il sottotitolo del libro è: lezioni di vita dalle nostre sorelle immortali.
Io da sempre ho avuto un amore viscerale per Athena e leggendo questo libro ne sono sempre più convinta, seppur conoscendone bene ogni sfaccettatura della sua mitologia, tante scelte fatte sono davvero discutibili.
Vi lascio, quindi, un pezzo della narrazione sulla mia adorata dea delle Arti e della Guerra:
"Atena, essere una donna forte. Conosciuta anche come Pallade o Minerva."
‘ Atena è una fra le dee più famose del mondo occidentale. Fa parte della famiglia di divinità olimpiche venerate nell'antica Grecia già nel secondo millennio a.C.
Gli dèi dell'Olimpo erano protagonisti di imprese d'ogni genere, eroiche o terribili, di solito a discapito dei mortali, trattati alla stregua di animali domestici.
La nostra dea nacque in modo piuttosto anomalo, cosa che condizionò poi il resto della sua vita.
Suo padre, il re degli dèi Zeus, mise incinta e poi ingoiò sua madre Metis, dopo averla convinta con l'inganno a trasformarsi in una mosca. Quest'azione così drastica era dovuta a una profezia, secondo la quale i figli avuti con Metis sarebbero potuti diventare più potenti di lui.
Atena compì la sua gestazione dentro Zeus, e alla fine gli provocò un mal di testa così tremendo che, al posto di prendersi un po' di paracetamolo, il re degli dèi si fece aprire la testa in due con un'ascia. Neonata alquanto insolita, la nostra dea saltò fuori già del tutto cresciuta e vestita in armatura. ’
Avete capito il tipo di lettura ironica e importante con questa piccola citazione? Spero di sì.
Sono felice di aver scoperto questo libro, l'ho divorato in pochissime ore, tant'ero presa.
La narrazione delle varie divinità è fluida, semplice e veloce da leggere, ma al tempo stesso mostra tutto l'impegno e lo studio che c'è dietro a questo progetto narrativo.
Cinque stelle più che meritate, assolutamente!
March 11, 2021
"La dea che è in te" è un volumetto che si rivolge al femminile presente in ognuno di noi...
https://www.piegodilibri.it/saggistic...
https://www.piegodilibri.it/saggistic...
November 8, 2025
L'idea delle autrici è super carina, ma hanno fatto il passo più lungo della gamba: troppe divinità e poca varietà nei temi delle "lezioni di vita", a volte è sembrato ripetitivo. È interessante immaginare che tutte queste dee possano esserci di ispirazione, nel bene e nel male, ma alcune non hanno semplicemente niente di nuovo da dire, e volere affibbiare loro un messaggio da trasmettere per forza non serve granché la causa femminista, perché non tutte le donne desiderano essere di ispirazione. Alcune donne possono semplicemente voler condurre un'esistenza tranquilla senza che un riflettore venga puntato loro addosso.
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Per altre recensioni, mi trovi su instagram @bibliotecamentale 📚
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Per altre recensioni, mi trovi su instagram @bibliotecamentale 📚
March 9, 2021
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fantastic, mind-blowing, witty.
Have you ever considered why most goddesses are related to fertility? or if not, what was the reason? This is the book where you can find all the answers and relations from a feminist perspective. Exceptionally good and unlike many others it’s not boring on the contrary fun. It’s surprising since almost all goddesses are narrated by men, yet again nearly all of them stand against their pre-description.
From Athena to Baba Yaga, not all but the most significant goddesses have considerable space in this book. Also, even if all of the goddesses mentioned in the book, considered to be lived a hundred years ago, their stance and acts reflect a mirror to our today’s life. And how come they’re the proof that they’re beyond their times and how much we have to learn from them.
All I want to say I couldn’t stop underlining almost all sentences in the book. I learned many things like Remus is the reason the name of the city became Rome, or Athena has been born from Zeus’s headache, and many more...
'No' is a definitive term from de word go: it's one of the first words humans learn....
...But it's also one of the key things we're taught not to say from a very young age, especially if we have been brought up as girls. Girls are conditioned to be compliant, to be considerate of others' feelings; we're taught that saying no is rude. This is why a lot of women find it hard to say no in later life, and why you can find yourself agreeing to all sorts of mad shit simply because you're avoiding answering in the negative (laser-tag hen do in the outer Hebrides, anyone?).
Fantastic, mind-blowing, witty.
Have you ever considered why most goddesses are related to fertility? or if not, what was the reason? This is the book where you can find all the answers and relations from a feminist perspective. Exceptionally good and unlike many others it’s not boring on the contrary fun. It’s surprising since almost all goddesses are narrated by men, yet again nearly all of them stand against their pre-description.
From Athena to Baba Yaga, not all but the most significant goddesses have considerable space in this book. Also, even if all of the goddesses mentioned in the book, considered to be lived a hundred years ago, their stance and acts reflect a mirror to our today’s life. And how come they’re the proof that they’re beyond their times and how much we have to learn from them.
All I want to say I couldn’t stop underlining almost all sentences in the book. I learned many things like Remus is the reason the name of the city became Rome, or Athena has been born from Zeus’s headache, and many more...
'No' is a definitive term from de word go: it's one of the first words humans learn....
...But it's also one of the key things we're taught not to say from a very young age, especially if we have been brought up as girls. Girls are conditioned to be compliant, to be considerate of others' feelings; we're taught that saying no is rude. This is why a lot of women find it hard to say no in later life, and why you can find yourself agreeing to all sorts of mad shit simply because you're avoiding answering in the negative (laser-tag hen do in the outer Hebrides, anyone?).
October 27, 2022
The stories told over the goddesses were the most intriguing for me and I got exposed to so many that keeping up with the goddesses were almost impossible. Did re-read a few stories as they are complex, not surprisingly wild and imaginative. There is a lot of drawing on qualities from these goddesses for women in modern times. This made sense from some stories that clearly demonstrated those qualities but other stories did not demonstrate this at all which the authors pointed to men as the authors of the stories which seems like a fair point. In these instances they extrapolated what good qualities they saw in those stories and also pointed out the weaknesses also which is a nice balance.
All in all a fun and entertaining book if you like myths and legends in general.
All in all a fun and entertaining book if you like myths and legends in general.
September 11, 2023
Pretty damn awesome, actually. Designed to be read from cover to cover or to pick a goddess and learn about her. From Athena and Bastet to The Wawilak Sisters and Kali to Green Tara and Lilith and more. So much interesting knowledge the history and foundations of so many goddess we know (and some we may not).
A great read, and something I think I needed of late “Remember, no matter how bad things can seem, the world keeps turning, rolling through the seasons, and although winter is always coming, the sun also rises” (Beaivi and taking care of you your mental health)
Four stars.
A great read, and something I think I needed of late “Remember, no matter how bad things can seem, the world keeps turning, rolling through the seasons, and although winter is always coming, the sun also rises” (Beaivi and taking care of you your mental health)
Four stars.
February 23, 2024
May be good to read as an actual book, but I really didn't enjoy it as an audiobook and had to stop reading it after an hour. The information given isn't really told in a story sort of way and instead feels like word vomit being thrown at you by the narrator. It was like bullet points of information that she was just stating, and my mind was having trouble to even connect with in the end!
I may look into the book itself, as I find it a shame not liking it as I do love learning about God and goddesses.
I may look into the book itself, as I find it a shame not liking it as I do love learning about God and goddesses.
May 6, 2023
Didn't land for me the same way What Would Boudicca Do did, probably because we're dealing with mythological and/or supernatural figures rather than historical ones so it's a little harder to connect.
Still, once again we have a great range of places and cultures represented, which is always encouraging.
Still, once again we have a great range of places and cultures represented, which is always encouraging.
November 25, 2021
Una raccolta unica nel suo genere che mi ha dato l'opportunità di imparare tantissime cose riguardo a mitologie e culture a me lontane! Peccato però per la bassa qualità della traduzione italiana: troppi errori di sintassi e calchi dall'inglese che rendono alcuni passi davvero indecifrabili.
June 28, 2023
i i didn’t really like the writing style ‘their sexy cousin’ (uhhh). ended up skipping and skimming through goddesses i wasn’t familiar with but overall the writing style threw me off to the point where i wanted it over with tbh
September 22, 2020
3.5 stars
December 15, 2020
Just a bunch of brief essays on some goddesses. Lacks depth. Just an average book.
November 17, 2021
2.5/5 ⭐
March 27, 2022
Cawpile: 4* 7.50
July 14, 2022
Fun legendary stories of women! Pretty much everyone I’d never heard of! Wonderful!!
September 7, 2022
It was pretty good but definitely not the type of book I'm used to, so I didn't enjoy it as much as its intended audience probably
April 26, 2023
Brilliant read. Hilariously funny in places & it’s definitely made me goddess curious. I think Selkie Wife is my fave. Great book
September 5, 2023
A lot of fun and a good (brief) introduction to some legends we may not have heard before.
January 4, 2024
Storie di dee, pensavo più interessante.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 15, 2022
I enjoyed it, very inspiring and loved what we can take from each goddess as women, very empowering too and a great look into women of every culture across the world!
September 26, 2022
4.5 So much girlpower!
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October 19, 2023A fun, snappy, easy read. Also quite considerately written. Liked it 👍
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews