⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

Bitch: The Journey of a Word is a fun, fascinating, and powerful story that traces the history and meaning of the word.

This was a wonderful read. Filled with history and humor, the book was as entertaining as it was informative. The pacing was fast, and the content was well-researched. Karen Stollznow’s prose was sharp and thoughtful. I had an excellent time exploring the origin, history, and future of the word bitch through this empowering book. I highly recommend it!

Karen Stollznow narrated her book wonderfully. She delivered an entertaining, engaging performance, and I loved experiencing the story through her voice. I recommend the audiobook!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

A very informative guide to the emp0owering etymology of the word 'bitch'. A little repetitive in places but was a very entertaining and enlgihtening read.

So usually when you look up the meaning and background of a word it's a pretty short entry -- this entire, regular sized book really is just about the word bitch. I found that pretty impressive. The author does the audiobook, which doesn't always work, but she had an interesting accent and you could feel her passion for presenting all this information.
It isn't just about the word itself, although it's fascinating how this short word has changed in meaning over the years, but Stollznow also talks about the effects in pop culture, including classic movies. I would recommend reading this in chunks because there is so much information about one topic.

Thought this was a fun listen. I didn't know the word bitch had such a long history. It was informative and made me chuckle a bit. I enjoyed listening

What a masterful breakdown (and takedown) of the word "bitch."

Stollznow waltzes us through the history of the term, how it's been used, and what it means across different times, places, and people. Ultimately, I found this text deeply satisfying: confirming most of my held beliefs about the word and why we shouldn't use it, while also adding nuance and context that I wasn't aware of. I appreciated the intersections of class and race, as well.

I recently reviewed another book, a YA novel, where I bemoaned the use of the word. This text just cements my perspective. What great timing! "Bitch" does have its place in history and on occasion even in modern vernacular, but it's largely a deeply sexist word, and mostly we still use it that way. Here's some of my favourite exceptions: bitchin'! Nightbitch! Bad bitch (thanks Bey!) and Bitch Magazine!

The narration by the author was superb. Absolutely no complaints. Stellar delivery.