Taboo Topics: Things Women Should Talk About, But Don’t by Nicole Johnstone is a practical and thought-provoking exploration of the often-unspoken challenges women navigate in their daily lives.

While the book is framed largely through a US lens, many of the themes and recommendations translate effectively across contexts. The discussion around cognitive, emotional, and mental labour was particularly impactful, offering both validation and language for experiences that are frequently felt but not always articulated.

One of the book’s strengths lies in its actionable approach. Rather than simply identifying issues, Johnstone provides tangible suggestions, many of which I found relevant enough to note and consider implementing.

At times, the content may feel familiar to readers well-versed in this space, and some cultural references may not resonate universally. However, the clarity, accessibility, and practicality of the advice make it a valuable read.

Overall, I would recommend this book to women seeking to better understand and navigate the often invisible demands placed upon them, particularly those striving to balance multiple roles and responsibilities.

Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC

This book is really good for career women who feel stuck or tired at work. It gives real tips like how to protect your energy, stop doing too much extra work, and deal with unfair feedback. If you're a woman who wants to grow in your career, this book is worth reading.

This book would have been reqlly helpful in my twenties. The author covers a wide range of topics from career and making money to parenthood and body troubles. It's a good general life advice book with some good thought provoking challenges.

I liked how the book is structured into 'PMS' segments but it took a while for me to get into the swing of reading a book that jumped so easily from business topics on one page to protein intake on another. It's a great book to dip in and out of, so look for the topics that are most interesting to you in the moment and don't feel obliged to read it cover to cover like I did!
The book is focused for a US-based readership with guidance on things like investment, food labels and maternity leave, but overall that didn't detract from what I took from it. The sections on performance management at work were very interesting, and it's easy enough to skip over sections that you already know a lot about or that are not relevant to you.
The final chapter is packed full of useful, hand-me-down knowledge. A great book for younger women and early career professionals, and those in the early part of their leadership journey.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am a woman in her forties that has been in a corporate environment for almost 20 years and I can’t stress enough how important this book would have been to me when I was younger. I spent so much of my professional life trying to prove myself as a strong player but also had to deal with comments from my bosses about my looks or being called “honey” by male co-workers. I never got the kind of direction Nicole Johnston gives in Taboo Topics.

While I’m older now, much of this book was still very relevant to me. To this day I’m still called aggressive when a male counterpart would be referred to as assertive. There is always something to learn. Even if some of this is no longer relevant to me, I still value in reading it. I found myself taking note of the things my younger teammates are facing and how I can better interact and mentor them . I also have a young daughter and a lot of this I can impart on her.

The language the author uses is very approachable. If you are looking for a more serious self help book maybe stay away. Johnston user personable language making this very easy to read and often times humorous, reenforcing the fact this is great for a younger audience.

I would say that one piece of feedback I would give is that some of the taboo topics while important seemed disjointed. I think that the author has enough knowledge where she would be able to do two separate books, maybe one dedicated just to the business world and one for a woman’s personal life. That way more time can be dedicated to those individual spheres while catering to different needs and audiences.

I liked this book. It was researched and put together well and covers a variety of topics, like protein, periods, work, sexism, menopause, pregnancy, and perfectionism. It’s relatable and a bit sarcastic and funny so it was very entertaining to read. Each issue has some action steps. I would have loved to have this book earlier in life! It would make a great gift for a college graduate.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. Release date 3/25/26 available now!

“Emotional labor is the unpaid invisible work we do to keep those around us comfy and happy.”