Getting nerdy with this one. I can't begin to express how much this book satisfied my nerdy linguist's soul. To think that such an apparently puny word has had such a long and tortuous journey to us. From purely denominational, to mostly connotational, sometimes for the better, oftentimes for the worse, this book is full of far and wide cultural references.

If you've ever been curious about the etymology of this word, its evolution from female canine to the host of meanings it takes on today, both positive and negative, this book is for you. It will surprise you as it surpsed me with its thorough research into historical sources and its ties to the various waves of feminism and women in politics. A mustread for any etymologist worth their salt or even just a dabbler, such as myself.

Thank you Netgalley for this ALC.

I recieved an audio copy from NetGalley & am leaving this review voluntarily.

I had high hopes going into the book as it seemed like a topic I usually like to learn about. I expected something similar to “wordslut” which I really enjoyed.

This focused on the history of the word, different contexts through history, some break down of the word c*nt, intersection issues facing LGBTQ+ people and people of colour.

Some topics were very done, but nearing the end this felt a bit tired. Especially topics such as the use of bitch in the media was okay but not ground breaking.

As an aside- while maybe serving a purpose in the physical copy to compare slurs, it was jarring to hear the n-word MANY times. I get she was trying to make a point, but in the audio version especially it was obvious how overused it was.

This was like reading a dictionary definition of the concept and history of a word, so if you are into historical reiterating come right this way.

I personally could have used some further cultural context to certain comparisons, and would have loved a touch of feminist theory mixed in, but I can see where if you came for the raw facts you would enjoy hearing all the highlights about the genesis of such a word without the context.

If you want to indulge on literary fun facts this one will do it for you. Now I'm off to find a pub quiz about Btch.

*3.5 stars*

I found the book a fascinating listen—especially in how it explored the history and evolution of the word “bitch” and its cultural and social implications. The audiobook narration was strong and engaging, making the dense material easier to follow.

I especially appreciated how the author linked this word to other gendered terms still prevalent today, offering insightful commentary on language, power, and perception. It really made me reflect on how much of our language is rooted in outdated biases.

That said, some sections felt a bit dry and repetitive, and I occasionally found myself tuning out. Still, if you're interested in feminist linguistics, cultural history, or gender in science and society, this is definitely worth picking up.

Thanks NetGalley and the Publisher for the ARC.

2.5/5 feels like the fairest rating I can give this book.

I have very strong opinions and feelings when it comes to this book. And because of one sentence, I really struggled to finish this at all. From about the halfway mark onward, I had to skim.

I really loved the idea of this book because I really loved Amanda Montell's Wordslut, it's one of my all-time favorite non-fiction books (if not my absolute favorite). But I would recommend Wordslut over this book any day because of one sentence/example in this book.

I loved that this book spends so much time explaining how there is no other word like "bitch." There is no male counterpart, nothing you can say to a man will have the same impact and implications as a man calling a woman a bitch. It's one of our oldest words, and has been an insult for women nearly since it became a word at all. That's all fascinating. Women have tried to take it back, but it remains near hate speech still. It really is so interesting. It's the kind of thing you already know, but having history and facts and numbers to back up what you feel is so validating.

But I am not okay with what this author said about Native Americans. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt and say it is a cultural thing. This author is Australian and therefore doesn't necessarily understand what she said, but Australia isn't the best about their indigenous people either, so I don't know. Either way, she should know better.

Now here it is, the moment that made me get the ick and struggle with the rest of the book...she starts explaining that names have been changing since words mean different things over time. Sure. She gives the example of a restaurant called "The Black Bitch," it is named after a dog, but the town thought it unsavory, so they changed it. And then she gave the example of a certain football team named after a slur for Native Americans. She says this name had to be changed because overtime that became offensive. What are you talking about?! That name has been a slur since its inception. A slur is a slur. The name only changed because enough people that do not fall under the demographic of that name got mad enough on behalf of those that did. It has always been a slur! I just can't get over that example. That term did not suddenly become a slur, it has been one. Look it up, Native Americans have always disliked and felt disrespected by that term. She did so much research on the word "bitch," but not on her examples. I found that disgusting and shameful. Do better.

I am giving this a 2.5/5 because I cannot excuse being so oblivious that you are simply being racist. But I did think that the other information in this book was great and very valuable. Maybe consider taking out that little section before publishing.

Thanks to NetGalley for the audiobook ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review! I really did like this book besides for that one section, it just gave me the ick. And I cannot excuse that. My Goodreads review is up and my TikTok (Zoe_Lipman) review will be up at the end of the month with my monthly reading wrap-up.

I was really excited about this one, but unfortunately it was disappointing in so many ways.

Although it is clearly a product of a lot of research, it feels more like a series of examples of different uses of the word bitch (and some examples that feel unrelated to the subject at all) than a nuanced discussion of the history and weight of the word.

It is super repetitive and feels poorly organized.

The audio itself in terms of quality is fine, but it was jarring in its free use of slurs (repetitive use of the N word and F slur, among others). It felt unnecessary as a comparison and to be said… multiple… times.

Massive miss for me.

I went into this expecting a thoughtful deep dive into the history, evolution, and reclamation of the word “bitch,” and in some ways, that’s what the book aimed to do. It covers a wide range of slurs and offensive language, especially those used against women, and examines how language reflects power, gender roles, and cultural norms.

But I’m from the Deep South in the U.S., and hearing a white woman with an Australian accent casually say the “n” word out loud, not once but multiple times, was incredibly jarring. It felt gratuitous and completely unnecessary. I don’t think it would have hit the same way on the page, but in audio, it stopped me cold. At a certain point, I stopped caring about the point the book was trying to make because I found myself bracing for the next time the author or narrator might drop the word again. It started to feel like certain passages were just building up to that moment.

There are many ways to talk about reclaimed slurs and misogynistic language without repeatedly using the most loaded racial slur in American history. Of all the examples the author could have chosen, that one, and the fact that it was included more than once, was a poor editorial decision, especially for an audiobook.

Narration-wise, the performance itself was fine. I listened at my usual 1.5x speed and had no issues with the pacing or clarity. But that doesn’t make up for how much the content lost me.

This book had potential, but the way it handled sensitive language completely derailed the experience for me. I can’t recommend the audiobook, and I hope future editions handle this kind of content with more care. I gave it two stars because some of it was interesting. Taboo language is the author’s niche interest so I am probably an outlier among her readers for being surprised by the slurs. YMMV

“I’m a bitch, I’m a boss, I’m a bitch and a boss and I shine like gloss” - Doja Cat
Sharp, unapologetic, and linguistically rich, Stollznow traces the evolution of “bitch” from its canine origins to its complex role in modern feminism, unpacking how a single word carries centuries of gendered power and violence. I love a feminist linguist and Stollznow manages to walk a really tight line between academia and popular culture. Moving through centuries, this is an in depth analysis of the word, and I found reasons to keep listening, finishing the book in a single day (again I LOVE this type of shit).

I have been someone who much like Doja Cat’s lyric above has attempted to take the word back. I appreciate how Stollznow is able to find the nuance in this work. Often I hear that attempting to reclaim the bitch is the same as attempting to reclaim the “n” word for Black America or Queer for the LGBTQ+ communities, Stollznow examines this closely, finding how these comparisons work, and in some contexts falls flat without judging the work of any of the affected groups.

I enjoyed this work. More academic than Montell, but with all the same punch. I appreciated the focus on a single term.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for allowing me access to an advanced audiobook.

I was browsing NetGalley when I came across this book. Obviously, the title caught my attention and I needed to investigate. I’m generally a fiction reader but I love finding books like this one!

I knew there was sexism/misogyny behind many rude terms for women but I didn’t realize how complicated the history was. The author did a fantastic job explaining the history of the word bitch as well as other negative words used against women. I learned so much listening to the book and now I want to do my own research.

I received this as an audiobook from NetGalley for review. This book was great! It’s a deep dive on how a simple word for female dog from the 1000’s became such a divisive insult today. The author takes us through the exhaustive one thousand year history of bitch and all of it’s uses and spellings. Almost from the creation of the word, it’s been used as an insult to women.

It was pretty cool listening to Australian author, Karen Stollznow, read the book in her snarky accent (the accent wasn’t snarky, the way she read was). Her narration really added to the experience for me. Several year ago, I wrote an essay on why I dislike this word, but my heart has changed a bit recently. I don’t mind it as much as a term of endearment, but I still hate it when it is used to insult women. Or even worse, insult a man by comparing him to a woman, which is incredibly insulting to women. Stollznow writes an exhaustive, yet fun history of the word and why its use is often so offensive. She also delves into the histories of many other curse words (I’m not going to list them bc algorithm) and how they relate back to bitch.

This is a really fun read. If you enjoy nonfiction feminist books, you’ll love this one. It’s about time someone wrote a history about every misogynist’s favorite word to put a woman “in her place.”

I wasn’t a huge fan of this one. It felt pretty wooden and repetitive and I never really got pulled in. I did appreciate the historical background and the evolution of the word though. Those parts were interesting and gave me a new perspective. I was interested going in, even though this is way outside my normal genre, but overall I just wish it had gone deeper or felt more engaging.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

This was an ambitious title, and while it set out ti accomplish a lot, I think it went too far. The start of this book is so repetitive. The middle fights with itself the whole time, sometimes to the point of annoyance. I found myself thinking that the recap could have been the entire story and saved us all a lot of time.

That said, if you are someone that wants the minutiae of every little thing, this may very well be for you.

This feels very hard to rate, as the research was top notch, but the book as a whole felt clunky and indigestible to me because of excessive repetition.

I honestly didn’t know what to expect going in to this book. I received an ALC on NetGalley and was interested by the title and blurb.

I learned so much and enjoyed the different stages of b\tch and the history behind it and how our society has shaped it.

This journey was b/tchn’

(5.0 Stars)

Thank you to #NetGalley for making this audiobook available for reading and review.

This book was well researched and entertaining. Narrated by the author, and performed expertly.

If you like etymology, or even just like listening to the history of "bad words", you should find this book enjoyable. The author included history, pop culture references, and adjacent related words so this is a complete look at the word as both, insult and inspiration... and everything in between.

The etymological journey of the word bitch: its origins, how it’s used against women, in favor of women (tea parties 🫖), and how its meaning has changed in different settings (LGBTQIA+ during different periods, prison, feminism). The book also addresses words used against men and discusses how they sting less than insults against women because men are rewarded for being tough. The worst insults men can get are those that allude to femininity, micropenises, or that they are gay (sissy, faggot, SDE, you know it).

My favorite discussion was when the author challenged whether women should be taking ownership of the word bitch. She explains how all the boss bitches and what’s up bitches use a word that has sexist connotations. I wish the author had chewed more on this because it was interesting, but she dropped the topic and moved on too quickly.

I found the book interesting but a little redundant at times. Nonfiction can be entertaining, and I found this one to be a little dry; I wasn’t very engaged. It started interesting discussions and dropped them before making a point. And sometimes it would go on tangents that were interesting but not really relevant to the book.

I am a woman raised in an entirely female family, and we use the word bitch in a joking/loving manner to each other. As I got older, I realized that this was not how most people took the word. Then I met my now-fiance (a cis man), who refuses to use the word because he knows of it's connotations coming from him.

This was... fine. I learned a lot. It was just, extremely straight forward about all the different ways that bitch is and was used. It was more linguistic than I would have liked, and I feel like the word bitch has so much to it, that this book could have benefitted from some sociological examination. I didn't hate it, but I did get a little bored toward the end. That all being said, it was a short read, so I did ultimately finish it.

Thank you to Dreamscape Media and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book explores the history of the word "bitch", as well as related words for comparison. Not a book I would get away with talking about casually before or after story hour at work, but I'm definately telling people about it.

I always love “a history-“ style nonfiction books so when i saw this book was coming out I had to request it! So thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an audio copy of this book. It was a quick and easy read providing a fascinating history of the word Bitch. I also liked how the word mentioned other curse words and derogatory words and how they came to be because they are all intrinsically tied together.

Talk about the history of a word and the development through out the ages. Filled with interesting facts, changes in spelling as well as how the word developed meaning and changed. Definitely full of wit and humor as well as a well researched and written book. Thank you to Karen Stollznow, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley

Karen Stollznow explores the origins and evolution of the word bitch in a surprisingly engaging and insightful way. I wasn’t expecting to learn this much about the complexity behind a word we often take at face value.

Her narration adds a great personal touch, and her Aussie voice gives the content a unique charm. A great listen and genuinely informative.