I'm starting a bookring for this book, due to popular request! Personally, although I enjoyed reading very frank material about a taboo subject, I felt that for some reason, it just didn't peg my experience very well. Also, I felt sometimes that Ensler was writing a bit extravagantly, just for shock value. At any rate, I think it is good "starter" material for people interested in the subject. A good companion bookring to this one is Breasts, started by skcreader. PM her if you are interested in hearing about the "other" half of our bodies. :)

Here are the participants for the bookring. Once you are finished, PM the next person for their address, so you can send it off to them.




lennonchick78, MO
skcreader, VA
pgsahm, VA
PHC, VA
summermarie, VA
dayofthedolphin,PA
soccermom11s, MASS
JPandJo, MASS
guinneth, NH
MNgirl, MN
squirrel818, MN
16stepper, AZ < -- currently in possession.
marinaw, TX
wandeca, CAN
cestmoi, CAN
wicked-lady, CAN
shelbycat, UK
fflloorr, PORT
Esofista, PORT
witchie, PORT
jcleto, PORT
Scrawler, POL
hawkette, AUS
kangu, AUS
luckaye, AUS
kslittle575, NE
Firegirl, AZ
Lobodyke, KY
xicyx, IL
tnelson99, MO
mrsordonez, MO

I just recieved this book as part of a book ring...I will journal again once I've read it.

Released on Wednesday, June 04, 2003 at Released to fellow bookcrosser in Raonoke, Virginia USA.

Released to skcreader as part of bookring

Some parts of this book were rather difficult to read...only because the stories were so heart-breaking. I actually turned my head away from the pages at one point because the story was so vivid...and so horrid. I did re-read the story...a part of me felt if I didn't it would be the same as pretending it didn't happen...burying my head and all that...there were a few key points that I re-read as well...

One thing I didn't didn't like about the book is that the author dedicated a whole chapter to a word I despise. I understood her reasoning for doing so...but I can't stand the word...to me it's the equivalant to someone scratching their nails down a chalkboard...it just makes me want to screw my face up...even if it didn't have the negative conontations that it does...it just sounds hard...and sour...and bitter...

Outside of that...I got a kick out of what people said they're vaginas would say and wear. On the whole a good book...that I would recommend to others...

thank you for starting this bookring - looks to be a quick read!

quick read that is both enterrtaining and thought provoking - now if I could just ask my friends " If your vagina got dressed, what would it wear?"....sending on to pgsahm...

The whole "what would your vagina wear?" chapter seems to be very popular among everyone I know who has read the book. I, personally, don't really get it. I guess I'm too literal about it. I hate dogs that are dressed up like it's Halloween, I don't like teddy bears that wear t-shirts or other apparel... maybe I'm just weird. But I just can't picture a leather dominatrix "outfit" strapped on a vagina (though I'm sure it has to exist...), much less a ballerina costume. Ugh! My respects to those who enjoyed it, however. To each her own. .02

Thanks for starting this bookray! I have a few bookrays I am currently reading so I will get to this as soon as I can.

I had finished up Year of Wonders, another bookray book, the other night and decided last night that I would read a few pages of this one. An hour later I was done! This is a very short book with some deep thoughts.

I did not really know what to expect from the book as I have not been caught up in the whole Vagina Monologues frenzy that seemed to be going around a while back. But I will say that I was not as impressed as what I'd hoped to be. I found the intro by Gloria Steinem meatier than the actual book. Don't get me wrong -- I liked the book but I didn't love it like I'd hoped to.

I have to agree with mrso on this one... I didn't get the whole 'what would your vagina wear' thing. Maybe I'm boring or something... LOL I did agree with a lot of the way Ensler reminds the reader that a woman's body is sacred yet a hush hush subject. And I loved the chapter on getting your first period. It brought back plenty of memories!

In addition to this book I would recommend Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler. This is my Bible. Not only does it have great information on fertility but it is a constant reminder of how we are told as young girls that our periods were start our womanhood, but then not much else was mentioned. There is so much about my body that I did not know until I read TCOYF.

Anyhow, this was another eye opening book and I will be passing it on to PHC soon!

I received this in the mail yesterday.
thanks!

Released on Saturday, July 26, 2003 at Bookring/ray in USPS, postal release USA.

It took me longer to get to the post office than I'd planned, but this is finally off to summermarie today.

Recieved this as a bookring from PHC and cannot wait to read...Thanks!

Alright, I have to agree with all the others, the most captivating and entertaining question in this book is most definitely the "what would your vagina wear?" question. Mine would wear a white cotton ruffled nightgown and black leather panties. I am sure you all did not want to know that, but hey, I was in the moment! LOL I do understand however where the other journalers were coming from about not being able to grasp this question...i am of the opinion it is more of a figuative question that literal and what Ms. Ensler is perhaps wanting women to ask themselves is "What are you truly like? Are you cotton or silk? Do you have a leather side?" and that she has only used the vagina to fascilitate this question. Maybe it is a question about our souls. Is the vagina connected to our souls? I do not know, but it wouldn't be a huge stretch to imagine that it is. After all, our vagina is indeed what makes us a woman, different than a man, and it is where life begins. I am not saying that I believe this, it is just something to ponder about...

I am not really sure about this book. I really liked it on one hand because it made you think and I was kinda squeamish on the other, but I think that this was simply because it really is a taboo subject. I think that my Christian upbringing got in the way of a little bit of it also.

I will however say that I have recommended it to other women because I feel that women should indeed be more in touch with themselves and their femininity. I believe that in this day and time of competing with men for equality, it is very easy for a woman to forget that they are indeed a woman and all that that incompasses. This even happens to us mothers, who often forget that we were women first and mothers second. God Bless Eve Ensler for reminding us that we are different than men.

Also, bless Eve Ensler for trying to make a difference in the battle of ignorance to the fact that rape and sexual abuse is indeed evil and should be squashed. In the world we live in today, there is truly no excuse for either of these maladies to exsist and the only way to conquer them is though the education of all women thoughout this nation and the world. If teaching our girls about their vaginas will help end the suffering, then I am all for it!

So I am passing this book on in the hopes that the next person learns and teaches her daughters also...this coming from the mommy of two little girls...

To learn more about this "The Vagina Chronicles" and Eve Ensler, click here, to visit the official website.

Released on Wednesday, November 05, 2003 the "The Vagina Chronicles" Bookring in Virginia, USA through USPS.

I am placing this book in the mail to DAYOFTHEDOLPHIN in Philadelphia as she is the next person on the list. I hope you enjoy!

I received this book (The Vagina Monologues) in the mail yesterday from Summermarie as part of a bookring. I'll try and read this as quickly as I can. Thanks!

I am mailing this book (as part of a bookring) to Soccermom11s in Upton, MA.

Received this book as part of the bookring. Looks like a quick read. I've already started it and find it interesting so far. I will post more when I'm done.

This was o.k. reading - it had its moments. I am sending it onto Guinneth as JPAndJo asked to be skipped. Enjoy!

I received this last night and began to page through it...then I simply sat down and read the whole thing.

I enjoyed it very much, and I agree with summermarie about the figurative nature of the "what would yours wear?" question. In fact, I really liked summermarie's entire thoughtful commentary. The possible connection between our vaginas, our souls and our selves really gave me pause. I hope that I can teach my children - male or female - to love and respect their bodies and themselves. I also hope that if I have sons, I can teach them to love and respect women's bodies as well.

This one really makes you think!

The section of the book that touched me the most was the one dedicated to Bosnian rape victims. It was heartbreaking and beautifully written.

Thanks for sharing this, mrsordonez.

Sending this on to MNgirl.

This is going out today - sorry for the delay!

Received this book as part of a bookring last week. Will pass on Squirrel818 once I get an address.

Released on Tuesday, May 25, 2004 at in the mail in Bookring, A Bookring Controlled Releases.

sent to Squirrel818 about a week ago.

I am so sorry. I thought I had mailed this book awhile back, but I just realized I still had it. I dropped it off at the post office yesterday. I feel really bad about this. I'm usually so much better at getting books in the mail as soon as I'm finished with it. MY SINCERE APOLOGIES FOR HOLDING THIS RING UP.

Mngirl

this was forwarded to me from my old address in mn. i read it and honestly i'm not sure what to think. woman certainly need to be empowered and unashamed of their bodies but i felt a little like this book tried to hard to be racey. on to the next reader. thanks for sharing!

RELEASE NOTES:

Received as part of a bookray. Been looking forward to this one. It has to go into my stack o' rays.

Quick read, very enlightening. I appreciate the honesty of the women. I cried with some of the stories. The girl who was born without a vagina whose father told her he'd get her the best one money could buy really touched me. The stories of rape and brutality awoke old wounds, but in a way that helped them heal.

For the record, I believe my vagina is a nudist and wouldn't wear anything. As for smell, I suspect it varies with the mood.

A while ago I took back the word "bitch". Now when anyone calls me that, I tell them thank you. I recognize that it's an acknowledgement of a power I have that is threatening to them because they can't control it. I must now focus on taking back the word "cunt". I'm not too sure how I feel about that, but life is a journey of discovery.

Am awaiting a PM from marinaw, and hope to release this to her on Monday.

Released on Monday, November 29, 2004 at about 1:00:00 PM BX time (GMT-06:00) Central Time (US & Canada) at Bookring in Bookring, A Bookring Controlled Releases.

RELEASE NOTES:

Sending off to Marinaw. Enjoy!

This ring seems to be stuck, so KleptoKitty has been kind enough to invite everyone to join her ring.

Kleptokitty's ring