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We're Going to Need More Wine

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SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR GABRIELLE UNION! In the spirit of Amy Poehler's Yes Please, Lena Dunham's Not That Kind of Girl, and Roxane Gay's Bad Feminist, a powerful collection of essays about gender, sexuality, race, beauty, Hollywood, and what it means to be a modern woman. One month before the release of the highly anticipated film The Birth of a Nation, actress Gabrielle Union shook the world with a vulnerable and impassioned editorial in which she urged our society to have compassion for victims of sexual violence. In the wake of rape allegations made against director and actor Nate Parker, Union--a forty-four-year-old actress who launched her career with roles in iconic '90s movies--instantly became the insightful, outspoken actress that Hollywood has been desperately awaiting. With honesty and heartbreaking wisdom, she revealed her own trauma as a victim of sexual assault: "It is for you that I am speaking. This is real. We are real." In this moving collection of thought provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic, and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support.

Hardcover

First published October 17, 2017

2322 people are currently reading
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About the author

Gabrielle Union

14 books780 followers
Gabrielle Monique Union-Wade (born October 29, 1972) is an American actress, activist, and author. She began her career in the 1990s, appearing on television sitcoms, before landing supporting roles in teenage comedic films She's All That and 10 Things I Hate About You (1999).

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,344 reviews
Profile Image for Tiffany Tyler.
689 reviews1 follower
October 19, 2017
I was kind of surprised by how honest and transparent Gabrielle was in this collection of essays. It is important to note that these are essays so don't expect a full memoir, and with that being said, not all details of her life were given and some things were completely left out. Some essays are hysterical, some are heartbreaking, and others hit close to home. We're Going to Need More Wine is the perfect title as this book touched on a number of topics from growing up black in a predominantly white community, relationships, sex, racism, the pressure of dealing with public perception, friendships, and most importantly, the freedom one can feel when they decide to truly be themselves.
Profile Image for Erin .
1,587 reviews1,514 followers
November 12, 2017
I love Gabrielle Union!

I love her movies, I love her show, I loved this book, and I love her as a person.

Gabrielle or Nickie as her her friends and family know her, has been my friend in my head for years. I obviously don't know her in real life but I've always felt that if I met her I would like her. This book has confirmed it.

We're Going To Need More Wine is honest, funny as hell, raw, and smart just like the woman herself. This isn't a memoir or autobiography so if that's what interests you this isn't your book. We're Going To Need More Wine is a collection of essays that touch on pivotal moments in her life. I prefer essays over memoirs, because honestly I don't care about where you we're born or what elementary school you attended unless its a supercool story(its usually not).

So if you love Gabrielle Union,

Read this book.

If you love books written by strong women about strong women,

Read this book.

If you just enjoy hilarious and honest storytelling,

Read this book.

Basically

READ THIS BOOK!
Profile Image for Brina.
1,238 reviews4 followers
March 1, 2019
My earliest independent reading memories involve biographies and memoirs. In second grade I got to take home a rolled up timeline because I read the most biographies of anyone in my class. There are large volumes that require much of my time, but in the last few months I have noticed that celebrity written memoirs have replaced mysteries as my go to genre that I enjoy in between denser reads. I enjoy reading about the person away from the glitz and the glamor and find out what he or she is about in real life. One of the members of the nonfiction book club had mentioned reading We’re Going to Need More Wine, and my curiosity was whetted. I follow both the author and her husband on social media, so with this recommendation in hand, I ventured to discover the Gabrielle Union off camera.

Gabrielle Union is the current title character of Being Mary Jane, a devoted wife, stepmother, and mother, and a spokesperson for rape and domestic abuse victims as well as for the Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Awareness Fund. One could say that she has cracked the mythical glass ceiling and has it made, but she came from humble roots and still appears at least on paper to be the same person after achieving fame and fortune. Union, who went by the moniker Nickie, grew up in the predominately white town of Pleasanton, California. She could count on both hands the number of people of color in her inner circles of friends, and at a certain point, she ceased to be “black” to her white friends because she acted “normal.” To counter becoming too white, Union spent her teenage summer vacations at her maternal grandmother’s home in North Omaha, Nebraska. There she stayed on the cutting edge of African American culture, yet also came face to face with the gang membership and drug usage plaguing the teens of her community. Determined not to be another statistic, the summer visits eventually stopped but not before Union saw the schism between black and white teens for herself.

Union openly tells readers about her trials and tribulations of adolescence: her changing body, dating, both the relationships she had as well as encouraging safe intercourse for teenagers. The event that she would not let her define herself by occurred on a summer home from college working at a Payless Shoes store. One night, she was raped, leading to years of post traumatic stress and therapy. Rather than becoming known as a victim, Union uses every speaking opportunity she has to speak out against rape and encourages survivors to report the violence to police as well as seek treatment for themselves. Although Union did discover much later the importance of advocating for herself first, she has through her platform advised women to look out for themselves first, which is noble in her role as both an advocate and mentor.

As a member of black Hollywood, Union moves in rarefied air. She got her break in movies “Ten Things I Hate About You” and “Bring It On.” Both movies are considered cult classics today, especially Bring It On, about rival high school cheerleading squads vying for a state championship trophy, which I admit to watching many times the year it came out. These movies, however, were primarily for white audiences; mainstream Hollywood remains a lily white community. For black actors and actresses to achieve, Union advocates mentorship, leading to more roles and leadership positions for people who look like them. Judging from the recent success of films like “If Beale Street Could Talk” and “Green Book,” it seems as though the members of Union’s Hollywood circle have empowered a younger generation of actors to achieve more than stardom in black cult movies. Hopefully, that divide will crack more in coming years as Hollywood becomes more and more color blind.

Today Union and basketball player Dwayne Wade make up a power couple visible to millions on social media circles. This was not always the case for either of them as they both suffered through messy first marriages and a myriad of bad relationships before finding each as soul mates. In her role as a stepmother to black teenagers, Union has advised her boys how to navigate America, even as much as quoting Ta-Nahisi Coates’ “Between the World and Me” to the boys’ school principal in an attempt to have him see the world from her shoes. Even though Union and Wade and their children are in the public eye, they are still African American. While many are color blind, unfortunately, there are many people in this world who are not color blind to crime. Yet, the Union-Wade family is doing their part to help break down these barriers.

After years of failed fertility treatments, Gabrielle Union is now a proud mother to Kaavia James Wade. If you have seen her pictures on social media, she is a cute one, and her mother and father are doting parents. With crazy schedules and social media watching their every move, Union and Wade both try to stay as grounded as possible. From the outside looking in, this seems evident to me by the way they are raising their children to advocate for themselves, to be aware of themselves as African American males growing up in the United States. Union has taken her Hollywood platform to great heights as an advocate, mentor, and spokesperson for various causes. It has been eye opening and enlightening to read her memoir, and I wish her nothing but the best in the years to come.

4 stars
Profile Image for Sher❤ The Fabulous BookLover.
940 reviews584 followers
January 10, 2018
4 Stars:)
*Audiobook Review*

I’ve never really known what to think of Gabrielle Union. I loved her in Bring it On and Being Mary Jane, but I didn’t know what to think since I've never really been crazy about her. We’re Going To Need More Wine is a collection of stories that are so transparent and real, from stories about infertility, rape to racism and Hollywood. I was surprised by how candid she is. There’s heartbreaking moments, funny moments and moments where you can just relate. Love the title, I love cover and it’s definitely plus that she’s the audio narrator. She’s smart, funny, talented and I’m honestly glad I gave this a chance.
Profile Image for Luvvie.
Author 10 books1,436 followers
December 10, 2017
I just read this whole book in 4 hours in 1 sitting. It was so honest. So vulnerable. So real. Also funny. Could not have been easy to write cuz she really puts herself on the stand. This is so good. Loved it. Gabby did that!
Profile Image for Thomas.
1,828 reviews11.7k followers
February 23, 2023
Celebrity memoirs have a reputation for surface-level writing, though Gabrielle Union’s We’re Going to Need More Wine felt both sincere and deep. She’s real about her life, including her internalized colorism as a child, the faults of her first marriage, feeling competition with younger Black women in Hollywood, and more. She also shares courageously about topics such as her experience of sexual assault in her young adulthood and people’s intrusive probing about her fertility as an older adult. She reflects on these topics with the wisdom of someone who’s both had enough time to process and who’s unafraid to delve deeper into her initial thoughts and emotions about a situation. I particularly appreciated when she shared about mistakes she made (e.g., perpetuating homophobia in her young adulthood) and what she learned.

While there were a couple of topics I felt she could analyzed a bit more rigorously (e.g., beauty standards, like Tressie McMillan Cottom in Thick ), I still enjoyed Union’s book. Her writing is engaging and entertaining and I’d recommend this collection for those who want a read that feels both light and deep at the same time.
Profile Image for Read In Colour.
290 reviews516 followers
August 23, 2017
Very open & honest, Gabrielle Union is not just a pretty face. She's really smart and really funny and now I want to be her BFF.
Profile Image for Michael.
1,274 reviews121 followers
October 30, 2017
Gabrielle Union had me laughing so loud reading this memoir. I knew that she was a talented actress, but I had no idea that was so funny and had a rough life. Usually when you see people in Hollywood, the perception that you have of them are that they are 'perfect' without flaws. However this book unveiled a lot of things about Union life that I had no prior knowledge of. Things such as being discriminated based on the color of her skin, bullying, and other acts that will have you surprised. I was impressed with how this book read like a conversation with friends. I liked how she was so blunt with her language, never being afraid to use explicit words when necessary.

There were many highlights in this book, but I don't want to spoil anything. It is a very witty and memorable book that will have you laughing so loud, whether it was intentional or not. I did not really like the ending but because I was immersed in every chapter, I rounded it up to five stars.

Really good memoir, trust me after reading this, you are going to need more wine!
Profile Image for Holly.
1,523 reviews1,577 followers
August 13, 2018
When I think 'Gabrielle Union' I think 'gorgeous woman and talented actress'. This book was not the light fluffy memoir I expected based on my superficial perception, instead it delves into topics such as rape, death, infertility, racism, and divorce. Now, it's not all a downer, there's a good mix of fun in there too to lighten it all up including Prince and some funny high school high jinks. My only complaint, much like with Trevor Noah's Born a Crime, is that there is no insight given into how she went from high school basketball player to famous actress. But then again, I think a Hollywood actress focusing on Hollywood isn't nearly as interesting or insightful as what Union reveals here. This is definitely one of the better 'famous person' memoirs I have read. She narrates the audiobook, and does a fantastic job of it (of course). If she writes anything more, I say 'bring it on' (sorry, couldn't help myself).
Profile Image for Monica **can't read fast enough**.
1,033 reviews371 followers
March 1, 2019
Gabrielle Union doesn't hold anything back in this memoir and hearing her experiences in her own voice makes her story even more engaging. I knew very little about Gabrielle's personal life before listening to We're Going to Need More Wine, and she is definitely a woman to admire. She embraces her weaknesses and her strengths and is unapologetic in her honesty. Union addresses sexual assault and how it impacted her into her adulthood and relationships. She addresses the idea of competition and identity as well as what it takes to survive in the entertainment industry as an African American woman.

She looks at body image, sexuality, and the notion that if you don't even know your own body, how can you expect to have positive body image or derive any real pleasure from it? Union goes on to tackle what it means to be a successful woman both professionally and personally in American society today. The most surprising aspect of Union's memoir for me is her approach to parenting. She discusses the need to drop 'black bombs' on her step sons for their own safety. Although I am not the mother of boys, I am the mother of two young black women and the way she addresses the need for her boys to behave differently than their white friends in many situations is exceptionally relatable.

Union delivered so much more than I expected in this honest and forthcoming memoir and with everything that is happening in American society today much of it is reflected in this memoir. It's one that I would recommend to any reader over 18. We're Going To Need More Wine was one of my favorite reads of 2017 for all of the reasons above. If you are interested in reading this one, I highly recommend getting this on audio. Gabrielle Union narrating feels like listening to a friend talk about things that I can relate to personally.


Where You can find me:
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Profile Image for Eliza.
Author 16 books147 followers
October 23, 2017
(3.5) I wanted to give this four stars but...I’ll be honest: if you weren’t that crazy about Gabrielle Union before, this book probably won’t help. Overall, this was a more honest read than I was expecting. There were times I literally laughed out loud and what she says about raising Black sons is spot on.

It’s clear by the end of the book that there were certain topics she wasn’t going to speak on (and that’s 100% her right). I felt it did a disservice to the reader to omit those items, but - beyond that - this read will solidify your opinion either way about the actress.
Profile Image for Trish.
1,417 reviews2,704 followers
December 30, 2017
Celebrity memoirs are a special breed of animal. Considering how much speculation goes on around celebrity lives in the tabloids, it must be nice to be able to steer the conversation, and admit or deny things of which they have been accused. Gabriela Union keeps it lively; to my sensibility she appears fearless. Forty-five years old now, I suppose it is not too early for her to tell all. She is happily married, her work is widely admired and keeps her in demand, and she has figured out there is little time for regret.

But I probably wouldn’t have been so explicit about the sex. I don’t really care who she decides to sleep with, but even if one is a celebrity, one is not required to explain one's sexual preferences or positions. Why is her experience with multiple partners so different from that of other people? I didn't understand that part. Union writes about growing up in a white culture in California, and it may be the California part, or the celebrity part, or the movie part that feels distant to me. I’ll take her word for it what she describes is white California culture. It could be another universe from a strict white New England Yankee upbringing. White can’t be the operative word here. It’s something else.

The movie industry in California is all about appearances so it shouldn’t surprise me to find someone in the industry concerned with appearances. The discussion about hair is just interesting. As high school students we all obsessed about hair, but because Union is in the movies, she needs to continue to think about this stuff.

I’m just gonna state for the record that I would not put all that effort into hair, acting a role aside. I like black hair. I like the hair of NYTimes analyst and reporter Yamiche Alcindor. She wears it natural. It is interesting and it changes day to day, depending on humidity, I guess. It’s sculptural, and is a relief among Washington people who primp to excess. And yeah, it looks touchable. Isn’t that what guys always said they liked?

What Union does really well in this memoir is show us how minority actors are treated in majority white culture, how overlooked their talents often are, and how so few film companies are interested in minority stories or leading roles. This seems such a big mistake to me…is it really true the great films featuring black or other minority actors in major roles don't recoup their investments? I find that difficult to believe, frankly.

The other thing Union does really well is demonstrate that no matter how famous a black person is, they are treated differently by the public and by law enforcement. She explains that buying a house in a fancy neighborhood may invite more scrutiny and suspicion, and even going for a walk in one’s own neighborhood is not as straightforward as it should be. The American dream is nothing without the presumption of innocence.

I haven’t seen enough films with black leads. I remember Union’s performance in Bring It On as being exceptional, considering…everything about that film. I’d like to see her in more things. I’d also like to see again a female lead I saw in a Turkish soap opera once. I want to see the great actors no matter what color they are or what language they speak. It is pitiful that they don't have the same opportunity to develop their talent as do the least talented white actors.


There are some harrowing experiences in this book that Union is willing to share. I suppose when one’s life is under a microscope all the time with fans, one becomes accustomed to sharing with the world. She is generous.
Profile Image for Obsidian.
3,191 reviews1,125 followers
January 27, 2018
I recall this came out last year. A friend of mine went to a book signing by Gabrielle Union and was raving over this book. I was hesitant to read cause I'm heard on memoirs and always feel guilty when I don't like them. Cause if you don't like the memoir, you don't like the person. If it's ghostwritten though all bets are off.

I know of Gabrielle Union. I'm an African American woman and have been watching and obsessing over her since I was a teen. She's been in so many movies (Bring it On, 10 Things I Hate About You, Daddy's Little Girls, Bad Boys II, Good Deeds, etc.) and she stars in one of my favorite shows, Being Mary Jane (yeah I get rowdy about that show on Twitter). I always feel weirdly proud when an African American woman kicks ass in any field. As Union says at one point, we are taught since we're small we have to be better than everyone else to even be looked at as the same. A Super Negro can spot their own.

Union begins her memoir in chronological manner before she jumps back and forth between her first marriage (my butt didn't even know she was married before Dwayne Wade) and second marriage. She talks about hearing the "n" word as a kid and doing her best to walk between two world's at school and with her family during her summers away. And she's painfully honest about doing what she could to be found "cute" since her dark skin was not seen as attractive with so many boys she was growing up with.

One of my favorite sections is when Union discusses colorism in the African American community in a very great way. I know our community still hasn't addressed it and there's still the lingering shame of being "too dark" or "too light" and you think we be over it as adults, and we're not. Hell people still trying to hide Lupita away on screen which is why I'm so happy to see her fully out and gorgeous in Black Panther.

Another favorite section is when Union recounts when she was raped and how it affected and still affects her. I remember her clapping back at Mayim Bialik and her terrible op-ed going into how if women dressed more conservative they would be less likely to be sexually assaulted. I have never wanted to reach through my phone so much in my life.

Gabrielle shares her thoughts on being a stepmother, helping to raise young black men in America, and what drove her to support Planned Parenthood and other initiatives dealing with women's health.

I will say there are also some sections that will make you howl with laughter. My favorites have to be her reminiscing about a bully looking to beat her butt, her period and not understanding tampons, and when she tried some homeopathic (I guess I can call them that) to cure a yeast infection. She's also pretty upfront about sex and owning her sexuality.

As I said in my update, I laughed, I cried, I loved it.
Profile Image for Evette.
Author 11 books119 followers
November 21, 2017
I thought I was done reading celebrity memoirs. I've read Gabourey Sidibe's, Shonda Rhimes', Phoebe Robinson's and countless others, and all of them were good, but I thought I'd had my fill. Gabrielle Union proved me wrong. Her memoir in essays is absolutely incredible. It's bitingly funny, but also sobering as Union delves into so many different subjects, including rape, PTSD, racism, colorism, and metastatic breast cancer. By far, "We're Going to Need More Wine" is one of the best books of 2018.
Profile Image for Ezi Chinny.
2,658 reviews534 followers
December 13, 2017

Gabrielle was rather honest about where she is from, where she's been, and where she hopes she is headed. Some of it is funny, some were sad but all of it was candid.
I feel like most of Being Miss Jane is based loosely on Gabrielle's life. It is a reminder that celebrities are just humans who have all the same tragedies, work places struggles, and need for privacy like everyone. I enjoyed it and wish her all the success in her life.
Profile Image for La Crosse County Library.
573 reviews198 followers
August 15, 2022
We’re going to Need More Wine by Gabrielle Union, a 2017 book, but still very timely, is a collection of essays. Not so much a memoir, which turned out to be just fine in this case.

I never knew much about Gabrielle Union other than she is an actress on shows I mostly didn’t watch. After reading We’re Going to Need More Wine, I have decided I need to know more about Gabrielle!

Her essays were so smartly written and had me laughing, tearing up, and everything in between! I would refer to Gabrielle as an intuitive empath. She’s been through “stuff” and is therefore able to extend her empathy and understanding to far reaches, without projecting judgment. I’m always pleased when a smart, strong woman writes about things I think are relevant. We need more!

Gabrielle is open and honest about her upbringing and happenings along the way, which made her essays impressionable. I will follow this bright star to see where she is headed. I should mention I listened to this book in audio format. I would highly recommend that, as it is read by Gabrielle herself! A very well-done audio book!

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Profile Image for Mariah Roze.
1,056 reviews1,056 followers
May 30, 2019
This was such a great, easy read that I finished it in one day. I had never heard of Gabrielle Union before deciding to read her book. I was honestly interested because I love autobiographies and I loved her title, so I assumed it had to be good. The book turned out to be really great. I enjoyed reading it and she shared some really powerful stories. She never dragged on and the book "flew by."

"A powerful collection of essays about gender, sexuality, race, beauty, Hollywood, and what it means to be a modern woman.
One month before the release of the highly anticipated film The Birth of a Nation, actress Gabrielle Union shook the world with a vulnerable and impassioned editorial in which she urged our society to have compassion for victims of sexual violence. In the wake of rape allegations made against director and actor Nate Parker, Union—a forty-four-year-old actress who launched her career with roles in iconic ’90s movies—instantly became the insightful, outspoken actress that Hollywood has been desperately awaiting. With honesty and heartbreaking wisdom, she revealed her own trauma as a victim of sexual assault: "It is for you that I am speaking. This is real. We are real."
In this moving collection of thought provoking essays infused with her unique wisdom and deep humor, Union uses that same fearlessness to tell astonishingly personal and true stories about power, color, gender, feminism, and fame. Union tackles a range of experiences, including bullying, beauty standards, and competition between women in Hollywood, growing up in white California suburbia and then spending summers with her black relatives in Nebraska, coping with crushes, puberty, and the divorce of her parents. Genuine and perceptive, Union bravely lays herself bare, uncovering a complex and courageous life of self-doubt and self-discovery with incredible poise and brutal honesty. Throughout, she compels us to be ethical and empathetic, and reminds us of the importance of confidence, self-awareness, and the power of sharing truth, laughter, and support."
Profile Image for Lorraine.
518 reviews157 followers
August 2, 2018
What an honest and candid conversation. I was left open-mouthed most times and other times, I was like, yass...girl, you are the one.

My experience with Gabriele Union has been through the movie or tv roles she played and I only started paying attention to her a few years ago. Her characters always appeared so in control of everything: their emotions, careers and love lives. I was always in awe of the women she was playing.

Reading this book felt like I was having a conversation with her. Such a candid account of her life. There are some parts which she kept out of the book, I guess if you are interested in those, you can always find them online.

We Are Going To Need More Wine is a loaded title. Catchy with a pull factor but the contents were not eye-poppin'. More every-lackk-woman navigating through this made called life. Gabrielle walked us through her struggles as a black teenager growing up in an affluent suburb and going back to the hood to visit family over holidays and immersed herself in all things black only to shrug these off like a frayed jersey when she got back home. We've had those moments. A lot of them. I certainly had them when I was in high school. Trying to appear a little less black at school but when I got home, I was the anomaly. The girl who was gaped at. Pointed at. Really shreds your already waning self-esteem.

Back to the book. The writing is okay, after all, English is a very subjective language. American- English takes a getting used to but what surprised me was how it sounded to me. The way she spoke. Tone and the languaging. I wasn't expecting that. Gabrielle is so prim and preppy, at least the one I saw on television. The intersectionality of class and language runs deep. There's no getting away from it.

I enjoyed reading it. I resonated so much with her struggles and celebrated her wins. We all make mistakes on our journeys and I am glad that she found herself. The self she is comfortable in.

Her guilt about being a working mom. That will resonate with every working mother the world over but she is blessed to have a support system. Husband and nannies/housekeeper. Equality of the sexes never catered for the average black woman. The one who works twice as hard as a man, takes home way less but still gets home and works some more. The ones who have to pay more for daycare. This world, is skewed to ensure that the man keeps on winning ALL THE TIME.

Her advocacy work is commendable. A bit sad that it had to take a traumatic experience to propel her but she is working tirelessly, especially for the marginalised to ensure that they get the care that they deserve. This brought Zinzi Clemmons' autofiction "What We Loose" to mind.

I enjoyed this book. It read like a conversation between best friends. A perfect book club read. So many discussion points arose.

4 stars.
Profile Image for Mirjana **DTR - Down to Read**.
1,473 reviews805 followers
February 29, 2020

***5 Stars***

I loved this conversational selection of stories. It seriously feels like you're just sitting across from Gabrielle Union while she talks about her life, her heartbreak, her thoughts on various social issues, relationships, and just life in general.

It's an open and honest look at various moments in her life through the lens of someone who's struggled with trying to fit in. Whether it was about her personal life or Hollywood, Gabrielle Union did not hold back. Highs and lows are treated with the same realness as anything in between.

When I closed this book, besides thinking how damn strong this woman is, the next thought that went through my head was....damn she's hilarious as hell!!



***Also, a content warning for readers, this book has mention of rape. Both the act itself and the after effects. And as is Gabrielle Union's style in this book, she deals with it head-on.
29 reviews
December 17, 2017
I listened to the audiobook, which the author read herself. Most of the time her reading felt like an amateur overacting, instead of a girl friend sharing her story over a bottle of wine….that’s what I was expecting based on the title, a good “Girl, let me tell you!!!!!.....” type of tell all, personal book. This could have been a good read if it were really as personal as the title suggests. Except for the story about the rape at Payless, most of it was quite superficial. A lot of it was high school rehashing, which really wasn’t too interesting. Many of us, including myself, were the only blacks or one of a couple in our class in school, so the retelling of the racism is relatable. It should have been included, but there was too much of it vis a vis high school. It began to sound preachy. She didn’t really get into how and why she became an actor. She sorts of jumps to “being famous” and tells some stories about her experiences, but it all seems like just surface info. At times, the stories seem whiny, self-centered and frankly, boring…..I found myself asking, “so what?…..” She makes some good points about the struggles of being black and dark skinned in America, and she hints at the issues black actors have in Hollywood, all good to start the discussion. The book ends with the story of her friend who died from cancer. I was shocked and disappointed. I was feeling like, “that’s all?” I wasn’t sure I understood her goal in writing the book, other than the race conversation. It was a “Mehhhh……..” Glad I borrowed it from the library instead of using my Audible credit.
Profile Image for Kristy.
1,397 reviews179 followers
May 14, 2023
3.5 Stars

While I certainly enjoyed Union’s comedic side, it was her serious, passionate moments that really stood out to me.
Profile Image for Book of the Month.
317 reviews17.2k followers
Read
December 1, 2017
With We’re Going to Need More Wine, the talented, superbly cool actress Gabrielle Union gets real in a collection of true-life tales that is as wise as it is unfiltered. Beginning with her childhood in a predominantly white Californian suburb, Union takes us through the mishaps and triumphs of a bright career, from cagily finding success in Hollywood to overcoming professional disappointment to assuming––and excelling at––a role as an advocate for victims of sexual abuse. Heroic and hilarious, Union’s voice rings true whether she’s recounting an impromptu party thrown by Prince or describing the importance of mentoring young black actresses. Pour one out for us, please.

Read more at https://www.bookofthemonth.com/were-g...
Profile Image for Andre(Read-A-Lot).
672 reviews263 followers
August 23, 2017
If you are looking for a memoir in the strictest sense, this is not that book. If you are seeking a book of essays in the sense of argument presentation, again this is not that book. And that's a good thing, because what this is, as the subtitle states are stories from the accomplished Gabrielle Union, which works out absolutely fine. And these stories run the gamut from the personal to the professional. She tells stories about race, gender, feeling inadequate, hair, colorism, homophobia, Hollywood, sexuality, school, college, step-parenting, marriage, divorce and even rape. She manages to tell these stories with a fearlessness that entertains as well as informs. Like a high-wire act with no safety net.

Gabrielle comes across as a very thoughtful, likable, brave and funny woman, one that I think readers would indeed enjoy a glass of wine with. There are of course elements of memoir, as she takes us through her school years growing up in the suburbs of California, one of the few Black girls in her schools of Pleasanton, CA. There are also elements of essay, like the chapter called Mittens which deals with how Blacks are perceived and policed, and how we often go out of our way to make accommodations to those perceptions. In reference to this she says, "Worse, I am told that people don’t want to hear these stories, but the reality is we experience life in a never-ending loop in which we are told that if we just “make it,” we will enjoy the fruits of our labor: assimilation."

But what makes this book special are the stories and the way she tells them. And digesting the stories on the whole, we see her blossom into the confident audacious and vivacious woman she is presently. She wasn't always the beautiful woman we think of, when we hear the name Gabrielle Union. In fact she describes herself at an early age,"I was so thin that I looked like a black daddy longlegs spider with buckteeth. This is not overly earnest, false-humility celebrity speak, I swear."It is those type of self-deprecating comments along with the willingness to bare it all that portends an air of authenticity. If you are a fan, you will become a bigger fan and if you're not than surely you will become one after reading these stories from Gabrielle Union. Thanks to Edelweiss and Dey St. books for an advanced ebook. Book drops 10/17/17.
Profile Image for Brandice.
1,210 reviews
February 18, 2018
I’ve been a fan of Gabrielle Union for many years, and I enjoyed this book. It’s a collection of stories from her life, not in any particular order, but I appreciated the relatively informal tone throughout the book. It felt relatable, like reminiscing with or catching up with an old friend. She touches on race, class and gender, from her own experiences in work and in life. Some chapters were more relatable than others, and some more enjoyable than others. Overall, it was a quick read and one that I liked - I think most Gabrielle Union fans would also like it.
Profile Image for Cynthia.
90 reviews37 followers
September 15, 2019
So I'll admit I have never been a big fan of Gabrielle Union. Something about her screams "mean girl" to me, and this collection of essays did not really contradict that. She seems like the type of friend who would encourage your bad decisions and then gossip about you behind your back. These essays are superficially very personal and raw, but I came away from many of them feeling like she had not said anything real. On the other hand, she is hilarious and definitely knows how to tell a good story. You will laugh out loud while reading this collection.
Profile Image for Britany.
1,141 reviews492 followers
July 4, 2022
This was incredible on audio. It was like I was in a room with Nikki listening to her speak. I could listen to her for hours. She had so many great anecdotes and stories, heartbreaking and triumphant. Things I could relate to and other things I cannot, I teared up listening to her assault story and how hard it must be to continue to move forward when the world is standing on your back. I also appreciated the tiny threads weaved throughout all the essays about fans interrupting her life during the absolute worst parts, taking from her over and over again. We never truly understand what someone else is going through and it's best to remember that. My only tiny complaint was that I wished these essays went in some kind of order-- or connected in some way. They just jumped around to different topics.
Profile Image for Tamara McKinney.
400 reviews19 followers
October 29, 2017
While she read beautifully and her stories could be funny I felt her heart wasn't fully involved. It allowed us into her life but not into the wrinkles of it. While it read like a 4 it's a 3 because it's missing that soulful heart. Yes she shared some personal aspects of her life, but She needed to do a better job of being personable. The most authentic part was when she spoke about her trauma at Payless. It was heartfelt and I could feel the honest raw emotions of what she went through. But the rest of it was too......pretty? ....too well thought out? ......Too neat? My last issue was how the book ended. her book ending issue is important and I really appreciate the awareness being shared but didn't like that the book ended there on that story.
Profile Image for Jen.
468 reviews64 followers
July 26, 2018
3.75

I've liked Gabrielle Union since I was a young teenager, even though I've never really known that much about her.

This book - a series of chapters detailing varying moments in her life from childhood, to her present day adulthood and celebrity status - helped to confirm that I had been right all along. She is a fierce.

Written in a comfortable conversational tone, it's almost as if Gabrielle sat down to write to me personally. To tell me about growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood and fighting to assimilate with her peers. Her relationships, her marriages, her struggles all became that of my own as I easily and willingly became sucked in.

A brutally honest, funny, shocking and occasionally heartbreaking peek into the life and times of Gabrielle Union.
Profile Image for Christine.
7,186 reviews560 followers
March 6, 2018
I really wish that Lena Dunham's name would stop being dropped when talking about feminist books. I haven't read Dunham's book because everytime she opens her mouth, she shows me that she isn't a feminist. Why she is consider the standard I have no friggin idea.

If you want a book that is really by a feminist and someone with a brain, this is the book for you. I can't say that I have seen every movie or tv show in Union's body of work, but she is one of those actors who I always seriously consider seeing a film simply because she is in it. Quite frankly, Deliver Us From Eva is the only version of Taming of the Shrew that ties with Moonlight's. But more importantly, Union has long had my respect simply for her vocal support and work in women's issues. She has been speaking about rape, for example, long before the #MeToo movement took Hollywood.

This book is reall a collection of essays about her life. Union is honest; she doesn't always come off well in these stories - for instance there is the bit about the imatation crab and, more importantly, when she writes about her use of the word "faggot".

What Union does is use her personal experience, in many cases, to make larger comments about society or about Hollywood. Her story about parties with Prince is really about how important networking is, why Hollywood is so inclusive and why Prince's networking was so important. She mourns Prince but also makes larger points. Her essay about raising her stepchildren deals with raising young, tall black men in a majority rich, white neighborhood. Her passage about the family's home in Chicago is really wonderful.

At times the stories are funny - like her story about the teen who wanted to beat her up - at times they are horrible and sad - she details her rape and a death of a friend. They are always interesting highlighting differences in places, cultures, how people view drugs, and why everyone seems to care about a woman's utereus (and why they shouldn't).

Honesty, how can you not want to read a book that includes an oath with Judy Blume in it?

I would especially reccomend this book if you enjoyed Carrie Fisher's books. Union and Fisher have much in common.
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