svenseven's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
5.0
Enjoyable tour of famous girl groups either inspiring a nation or fighting the patriarchy. These were just long enough for a quick read. The author inserting her own personality and humor added to the enjoyment. I especially loves the Japanese volleyball team and the all girl Afghan orchestra.
smol_charlie's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.75
cmbohn's review
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
3.25
This was fun and interesting, but I would have enjoyed it more in print. The audiobook was a little over the top. I'm glad I read it though.
niche's review against another edition
2.0
Mixed
This was tricky. I loved the information, but hated the writing style. It had the informal tone of a personal blog that I found grating and would break my reading flow.
This was tricky. I loved the information, but hated the writing style. It had the informal tone of a personal blog that I found grating and would break my reading flow.
sarahball47's review against another edition
3.0
This book was so empowering and exciting. It was really cool to learn about different friendships around the world and across time. I’ve been really loving the female friendship trend out there lately so this book was perfect. Definitely recommend!
Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy!
Thanks NetGalley for the advanced copy!
jennms_qkw's review against another edition
This was inspiring and fun with 20 chapters in 5? sections and a bibliography for this. Sports, war, music, etc.
tiffmas's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
4.5
theverbalthing's review against another edition
4.0
I received an advanced egalley of Girl Squads through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. You can read that review in full on my blog, or read an excerpt below.
***
Give me a book that explores historical figures in short, illustrated essay format, and I’m so there. There are a number of books that do this really poorly, it’s true, but the ones that get it right get it really, really right. Luckily, Sam Maggs’ new book, Girl Squads: 20 Female Friendships That Changed History, illustrated by the incomparable Jenn Woodall, is one of the latter.
As someone who isn’t a particularly dedicated student of history, I enjoy books like Girl Squads because they present historical figures in a digestible way that holds my interest. In this case, Girl Squads starts with “Athlete Squads”, a section I didn’t expect to love nearly as much as I did (because Sports are generally Not My Thing), then jumped into “Political & Activist Squads,” followed by “Warrior Squads, then “Scientist Squads,” then my personal favorite, “Artist Squads.” Each section features essays written in Maggs’ informative-but-approachable style, showcasing the contributions of various women in history—and their teammates, siblings, friends, or any combination thereof—to their various areas of expertise.
...
I most enjoyed the essays about individual friendships, I think, but the historical research in this book has sparked my interest in a big way. I love how Maggs explores the connection between women who were actively friends and women who teamed up to fight for a common cause, even if their individual relationships weren’t necessarily publicized or well-known. The balance of these different stories is great, and it makes the book flow really well.
The pacing of this book is absolutely fabulous; Maggs writes as if she’s telling you a really interesting story at a party. I didn’t want to put this book down and neither, I think, will you. Whether you’re interested in history or just stories about badass women, check out Girl Squads: 20 Female Friendships That Changed History. I think you’ll enjoy the read.
***
Give me a book that explores historical figures in short, illustrated essay format, and I’m so there. There are a number of books that do this really poorly, it’s true, but the ones that get it right get it really, really right. Luckily, Sam Maggs’ new book, Girl Squads: 20 Female Friendships That Changed History, illustrated by the incomparable Jenn Woodall, is one of the latter.
As someone who isn’t a particularly dedicated student of history, I enjoy books like Girl Squads because they present historical figures in a digestible way that holds my interest. In this case, Girl Squads starts with “Athlete Squads”, a section I didn’t expect to love nearly as much as I did (because Sports are generally Not My Thing), then jumped into “Political & Activist Squads,” followed by “Warrior Squads, then “Scientist Squads,” then my personal favorite, “Artist Squads.” Each section features essays written in Maggs’ informative-but-approachable style, showcasing the contributions of various women in history—and their teammates, siblings, friends, or any combination thereof—to their various areas of expertise.
...
I most enjoyed the essays about individual friendships, I think, but the historical research in this book has sparked my interest in a big way. I love how Maggs explores the connection between women who were actively friends and women who teamed up to fight for a common cause, even if their individual relationships weren’t necessarily publicized or well-known. The balance of these different stories is great, and it makes the book flow really well.
The pacing of this book is absolutely fabulous; Maggs writes as if she’s telling you a really interesting story at a party. I didn’t want to put this book down and neither, I think, will you. Whether you’re interested in history or just stories about badass women, check out Girl Squads: 20 Female Friendships That Changed History. I think you’ll enjoy the read.
paperbackd's review against another edition
5.0
In her follow up to the brilliant Wonder Women Sam Maggs introduces readers to 20 girl squads that redefined art, science, sports, war and politics throughout history.
Written in a colloquial, accessible tone, each chapter of Girl Squads tells a familiar story - one of women fighting to be recognised in their field (whether that’s piracy or tennis) and supporting each other through thick and thin. One thing I loved about Girl Squads was the emphasis on how revolutionary and enduring female friendships can be. The media may like to perpetuate the idea that all women are secretly catty and jealous of each others’ success, but history tells a different story.
The best part about Girl Squads is that each story can be read in whatever order you chose. I started off reading about the Haenyeo (fearless free-diving women from Korea) then skipped to the chapter on the Edinburgh Seven, then flipped back again to learn about the Patriotic Women’s League of Iran. I pride myself on my knowledge of history, but the majority of the women mentioned in this book were people I’d never heard of, and discovering them for the first time in a book that prioritised their achievements (rather than just mentioned them in passing while focusing on their male colleagues) was a blessing.
With such a diverse range of stories packed into one book, you’d be forgiven for thinking that some of these ladies had absolutely nothing in common with each other; it was lovely to see that despite their different cultures, beliefs and strengths the same themes of justice, talent and women lifting each other up kept cropping up over and over again.
Many thanks to Quirk Books for providing a copy of Girl Squads. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Quirk Books
Rating: 5 stars | ★★★ ★★
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews
Written in a colloquial, accessible tone, each chapter of Girl Squads tells a familiar story - one of women fighting to be recognised in their field (whether that’s piracy or tennis) and supporting each other through thick and thin. One thing I loved about Girl Squads was the emphasis on how revolutionary and enduring female friendships can be. The media may like to perpetuate the idea that all women are secretly catty and jealous of each others’ success, but history tells a different story.
The best part about Girl Squads is that each story can be read in whatever order you chose. I started off reading about the Haenyeo (fearless free-diving women from Korea) then skipped to the chapter on the Edinburgh Seven, then flipped back again to learn about the Patriotic Women’s League of Iran. I pride myself on my knowledge of history, but the majority of the women mentioned in this book were people I’d never heard of, and discovering them for the first time in a book that prioritised their achievements (rather than just mentioned them in passing while focusing on their male colleagues) was a blessing.
With such a diverse range of stories packed into one book, you’d be forgiven for thinking that some of these ladies had absolutely nothing in common with each other; it was lovely to see that despite their different cultures, beliefs and strengths the same themes of justice, talent and women lifting each other up kept cropping up over and over again.
Many thanks to Quirk Books for providing a copy of Girl Squads. The opinions expressed in this review are my own.
Publisher: Quirk Books
Rating: 5 stars | ★★★ ★★
Review cross-posted to Paperback'd Reviews