Customer Reviews

The Grrl Genius Guide to Sex (with Other People): A Self-Help Novel

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A grreat reading experience! The story will keep you up late, turning the pages to see what will happen next. The writing will have you laughing so hard you'll be drawing stares from anyone within earshot. And the "self-help" aspect of this, the world's first self-help novel, will fascinate you.

Author Michon is a genius, a grrl genius, who wrote the hysterical "Grrl Genius Guide to Life." Her new book isn't really about sex at all, it is about love, and hope, and a woman combating some rather unique issues as she attempts to put her life together. Along the way, she explores the separate paths of her fellow grrl geniuses, each one who faces the challenge of changing their lives for the better.

There's a reason why comic genius Carl Reiner loved this book--it's pure pleasure from the opening line to the last sentence. I was amazed by The Grrl Genius Guide to Sex (With Other People)!

Now that my marriage has blown up in my face and I'm contemplating whether or not I should just give men a miss for the rest of my life and wondering if woman can live by toy drawer alone, I've been going through self-help relationship books like pints of Ben & Jerry. Every one has seemed like the wrong fit--if women are from Venus I must be from Neptune or something. Most of the books just alienate me. This one fits and is full of heartfelt good advice along with an at turns hilarious and touching fictional autobiography. As I was reading I was laughing out loud and nodding my head saying, "Hell yes!" One of the best parts of the book is "The Grrl Genius 'A Four-Year-Old Has Better Rules than The Rules' Comparison Table, where her niece blows The Rules out of the water. And how can you not love a book celebrating the central importance of chocolate and good lingerie? Now I'm wondering how many other women out there have watched Backdraft with the sound off? I thought I was the only one. This book puts you in a place where your eyes open, and you see exactly what you have been doing wrong in your relationships, and it doesn't tell you how to change your taste in men it simply changes your taste in men, like a magic trick.

On Valentine's Day this is what I did: I bought this book. I thought I would carry it around and feel ironic and then some guy would notice me reading a book with the word "sex" in the title and then he would ask me out and we would fly on his private jet to Paris. I'm still waiting for that guy to call but in the meantime I read Michon's book and I wound up staying awake half the night. This is the tender tale of five women, the members of a chapter of the "Grrl Genius" club, who work through problems of divorce, death, love, and life, with dog custody and trying to "trap" a man into proposing and gourmet food and chocolate and fun facts about animal love. I was so, so, sorry when I finished this lovely, funny, wonderful book... and I wound up reading it again the next weekend. It's fantastic, a great read, and I recommend it to everyone who likes a fun book!

Even though Cathryn Michon lives in the dreamy world of Los Angeles, California (as opposed to Ohio where I live), she actually has the same feelings, emotions and desires as myself and my friends. The way she is able to put simple irony into words is so unlike other books I have read. I laughed out loud so many times and Oh. My. God....The Grrl Genius Crazy Sex Facts and her in-depth research of the sex-lives of other cultures and animals is so hilarious! I most definitely recommend this book!

Cathryn Michon's second book is wonderfully witty and funny. Most books in the comedy genre are cute and somewhat tired in their rehashing of old premises and have too few payoffs.
Cathryn's book reveals a woman who is vulnerable, self depricating and very good at what she does. Mining humor from the tragedy of what life has brought her. Not tragedy in the sense of personal loss, but the loss of self and the triumphant return to the beautiful, brilliant, sweet and funny woman inside. Anyone who reads this book will laugh, agree and feel for her in her battles with absurd ex's and lawyers and root for her and her Grrl Genius friends. If ever there was a TV show about REAL life begging to be made, this is it. Highly recommended. A great read. A great gift. Do yourself a favor and get this book. And fellas? Don't let the "Grrl" in the title scare you. Good stuff.

Well written, incredibly funny, and inspiring book that combines a touching (and realistic) romance with very insightful relationship tips. Cathryn Michon (the character) is so real and she had me laughing out loud through the entire book. This is a book you'll want to pass along to all your girlfriends and start a Grrl Genius club of your own. Take your first step to grrl geniusness and buy this book!

I loved Cathryn's first Grrl Genius book and her second book is just as hilarious! I couldn't stop laughing from the first page.
She makes the world of dating and finding true love seem almost fun! (Chocolate still wins out though!)
Kudos Cathryn!
Debbie Farmer, author 'Don't Put Lipstick on the Cat!'

This book is an excellent feel-good-about-yourself book jam packed with fun and true-to-life experiences that make a woman laugh out loud as she thinks, "ME TOO!!" It is also laced with some good-to-know facts about women's history, women's lives, and even the root meaning of words -- such as "bitch" - which was an honoring title signifying a courageous and strong woman, and "genius" which meant "the goddess within."

I picked up this book not knowing anything about Michon or her writing style, but it has made the perfect take-to-the-beach summmer reading book. After just 1 chapter I decided to pick up a few extra copies to give as gifts to friends (and my mother!)

This book is probably best read by women who have been-there, done-that in relationships...they would have the most laughs anyway (be they single, partnered-up, or divorced). But hey, if Michon's book can enable a 20-year-old grrl genius to avoid the relationship destruction she discusses throughout the book, that would be even better!

Cathryn Michon serves her life & loves up on a platter in this sequel to Grrl Genius Guide to life.

As a self-help novel, author includes plenty of tips for other girls to accept their Genius status -
The driving philosophy of being a Grrl Genius is one of acceptance of ones foibles, and loving oneself anyway. ..

Throughout the story, helpful learning facts are included which have been tailored for the bitter Grrls who want to break free from the mold.

One must remember, as the author advises in the introduction, the authority of these tips is often none other than "my big fat opinion".

Here's a quote I'm feeling close to:

"After ten years together, you know a person. He can say he will change, but maybe he is promising change because, in fact, he just doesn't want things to change at all.
The huge changes of divorce make the one being left desperate, willing to promise anything, and even if he could deliver, by then, your heart is dead to him. That's why you left. It's why I left, anyway."

Divorcing her soon to be ex husband Kurt, Cathryn must take the loss of her spouse, her lingere being sold in a yardsale under the noses of her posh neighbours by Kurts trashy girlfriend, and paying out $5,000 a month in maintenence to stinky & completely unlovable Kurt. (yes I emotionally invest in the book!)

As she must continue with her work and begins to date again, we get a peak into her life with friends & family.

Written in traditional novel style, deviating only for the comic inserts, botched figures, and completely scurrillous defamation of "The Rules", and occasional included emails (very sexy) all combine in what may have been a hectic and painful life but makes a very clever book.

Just a little too long, the heroine rebuilds her life and finds love, a dog, and redemption settling with what looks like a very positive ending and we hope that the Cathryn who wrote it is as happy as her character.

One speculates on use of "grrl" rather than "girl" twofold:
a) grrl is more instantly searchable and fewer results show
b) grrl sounds like growl, does this mean we're all bitches?

Buy several copies of this book - and her first one - because you will be giving them as gifts to all your favorite grrlgenius friends.

Her stories make my divorce look almost bearable in comparison. Almost.