I received Bi The Way by Lois Shearing for free by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Jessica Kingsley Publishers, Lois Shearing and NetGalley for this early copy!

When I saw this on NetGalley I was instantly intrigued, I love learning new things and this was a great opportunity to learn more about bisexuality. I didn’t realise how wide of a definition ‘bisexual’ had and it was nice to know how encompassing it is as well as starting to understand the fine differences between bisexuality, pansexuality, omni/polysexual and more!

Bi The Way is a great starting resource and I liked how the author also offers more articles, essays and books to read and discover even more, I made a list as I was reading and I am very excited to learn more! Plus, I really enjoyed the testimonials throughout the book from real people, it was nice to learn from other people’s thoughts and real life experiences.

Thank you again for this early copy!

Reading Bi the Way is like looking into a window where through said window is describing what bisexuality is. This book is a little dry at times with the use of so many technical phrases but other than that it's great.

While this book is necessary/mostly welcome addition to LGBTQ+ Books and needs for Bisexual representation, it isn't perfect and should be viewed with a grain of salt.
I am Bisexual and reading this book was a new experience because it was my first non-fiction, dedicated to my sexuality and giving it a spotlight - something I haven't seen/read before. That itself is very important, especially for people & children today who have and are discovering themselves.
While there were things I appreciated, there were things I did not:

Pros: Representation of my sexuality. The history I never knew and spotlight of the bi-erasure that many face. I did discover my own, internalized stigma and thought-provoking questions that many should think of -I certainly am.

Cons: Singular narrative - I understand that this author wrote this story, but given that they themselves said everyone has different experiences with Bisexuality, I was not too fond of the lack of voices from others; gendered and non-gendered as well as disabled & POC bisexuals. It could have been a collective one, and the small stories weren't enough.
I also got a Panphobia vibe at the beginning of this book. When talking about bisexual and pansexual experience, and while for the most part, they were making points about that argument those in the community have made, I did not get the vibe the author thought differently.

I think this is a good read, to learn more about the struggle of bisexuality, I think it should be the start of LGBTQ+ (as well as other bisexual works) reading for those beginning but should not be taken without a grain of salt.

'Bi the Way' is a fantastic resource on so much about bisexuality, tackling a number of important topics surrounding this identity. What's most important is that the author is very clear on just how wide this definition is and that she's not here to gatekeep. (An important message given how much gatekeeping occurs, especially when it comes to people who identify under the Bi+ umbrella). One thing I loved in particular was the choice to include all different anecdotes by different people who identify as Bi, offering a wide range of perspectives that showed all different sides to bisexuality. A lot of times though, the book just felt like a lot of statistics and quoting of other people, which came to feel a bit repetitive and uninteresting. I don't mean for that to understate how important this data and information is, but it made reading this feel a bit more like a chore rather than anything else at times. I think it's certainly a valuable resource, but it's not really a book I'd casually pick up.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was interesting to read, but I didn't really enjoy it because it insinuated that pansexuality was formed out of biphobia and that all pan people are bi, so that makes it feel really pan phobic., but it did give a lot of information about bisexuality, so that raised it up a star. It felt really hard to read though, especially with the pan phobia, so I only recommend this if you REALLY want to know a LOT about bisexuality. Otherwise, I don't think that many people would like this.

Bi the Way is an accessible, well-written, and informative guide. This book is intended to be an introduction to bisexuality and provide information to people who are questioning or who want more information about their identity. Bi the Way covers history to present day, misconceptions, and ultimately focuses on the strength and acceptance found in community. It contains excerpts from advocates and people simply wishing to share their experience or advice. Some of the topics addressed include: biphobia, coming out, bi-erasure, dating, gender identity, intersectionality, and activism.

Extensive research was done and is cited throughout, so learning can continue long after the final page. There are a number of helpful resources ranging from mental health support to academic references. I think this guide would be helpful for anyone, from those exploring or curious, to those who already have a solid knowledge base and wish to learn more. I will definitely be referencing and recommending it! Bi the Way releases on June 21, 2021. Thank you to Lois Shearing, Jessica Kingsley Publishers, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

For publisher: My review will be posted on the publication date and I will publish it on Instagram, Goodreads, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble etc.

Bi the Way by Lois Shearing is the book I wish I'd read when I was questioning my sexuality in my 20s.

It's well researched, political while remaining accessible, razor sharp in its dismantling of misconceptions about bisexuaity and pansexuality, and a celebration of the bi+ spectrum.

A book that I definitely needed as a kid! A great and informative read that will help lots of people in their youth

I loved this book, it was incredible! As a Bi woman I really loved how deeply this looked in to both the history and the modern place of bi in the LGBTQ community and society as a whole. There were a lot of statistics with references, and the writing was incredibly enjoyable. This was the book I hadn't known I was waiting for. It made me happy, proud, frustrated, and mad in turns because it does not pull its punches. A big thank you to the author for bringing this in to the world and also for referencing so many other books and studies that I now want to look in to.

5 out of 5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Bi the Way makes my heart happy. This book educated, reassures and helps readers.

If this book existed back in high school so many things would of made more sense. I get emotional at the thought of so many people out there being hurt and discriminated against purely for who they love.

Even those just confused at what ‘label they need to have’ is crazy. We all need to remember that a label isn’t permanent and isn’t needed for you to know who you are. You are you. You love who you love. And that’s so important.

This book goes into what being bisexual means, bisexual compared to pansexual and so much more.

I cannot recommend this enough. Not just for those who identify as bisexual like myself but for everyone wanting to learn more about just being queer in general. I particularly loved going into being non-binary and what that means when being bisexual. Wow I loved this I really did. Just amazing. I’ve learnt so much.

Proud to be bisexual. Proud to be a part of the LGBTQIA+ community. Here’s to anyone who ‘breaks the normal’

Thanks to the publisher for providing an eARC of Bi The Way: The Bisexual Guide to Life in exchange for an honest review.

Bi the Way is a very thorough, informative look into a lot of aspects of what it means to be bi+. I really enjoyed the inclusion of personal stories from a diverse group of bi+ individuals and this books openness with where it got its information and the areas where it would probably be best to look into another source that covers a topic more thoroughly. I did find a few sections kind of repetitive and redundant and it occasionally bogged down the read.

This book is pretty open about how a lot of different identities fit into the bi-umbrella (a term I personally use, the book uses bi+ which is probably more widely applicable) and while it treats them all as valid, the opening of the section on pansexuality felt a little bit off. It addresses the bi/pan discourse in a way that's mostly respectful but it also frames pan as something that will go away when people get more educated on what bi means and I think framing it like that made it seem like pan readers and people are just uneducated on the actual definition of bisexuality. A lot of people who do use pan as a label are very aware that bi also includes all genders but are equally aware of the societal perception of it meaning 2 and chose to use pan to counteract that and I think it was unfair and isolating to treat pansexuality as a label that comes from the miseducation of those using it.

Bi The Way is the perfect book to answer your questions about bisexuality. Lois Shearing seamlessly blends information and research with her own and others personal experiences to create an incredibly informative and interesting manual for learning about bisexuality. The book has an academic tone and is well researched, but also conveys a sense of inclusion and community that will leave readers feeling informed and welcomed.

As a Biwoman who has just came out, I wish this was around years ago. So much good information and support for the Bi community in this.

Genre: Young Adult / LGBT / Non Fiction
Release Date: Set for release June 2021

Lois Shearing is an activist and advocate for Bisexual rights and visibility - previously having being published in a number of high-profile platforms including The Independent, Into and Openly. Lois is also the founder of the #DoBetterBiUs campaign and the Bisexual Survivors Network - so I was very interested in hearing what she had to say in her debut book release.

'Bi The Way' is the perfect reading material for anybody with questions about bisexuality, from a personal or ally perspective. Delving into all aspects of bisexual lifestyle, from trying to figure things out, coming out, dating, bisexual erasure and identity - talking openly and honestly about subjects that have been regarded as confusing and taboo in most of mainstream media.

Shearing tackles the common misconceptions and stereotypes that shroud bisexuality and smashes the way that they have been shown for far too long, offering some exeptionally good advice for people who are struggling to come to terms with their own sexuality, or just looking for a way to understand people better.

Featuring not only her own research and thoughts, but contributions from a number of writers and advocates for bisexual visibility - reading this made me feel connected to the community around me, and even left time for a little introspection.

Bi The Way reads like a series of articles - however it's very easy to read through, each section clear and concise. This does deal with some very serious issues - however it's handled in such a careful and kind way that it gives all the information as well as insight into the truths within. This book would be perfect for anybody wanting to learn more about how to combat bi-erasure and biphobia, or for anybody who wants to find out a little more about themselves in the process.

RATING: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Louis Shearing for providing with this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Please note that all opinions contained within are my own.