What Fresh Hell Is This?

Perimenopause, Menopause, Other Indignities, and You

By: Heather Corinna

Narrated by: Heather Corinna, Aria Baci

Length: 12 hrs and 22 mins

Publisher's Summary

What to expect when you’re not expected to expect anything anymore

Did you see the title and flame-filled cover of this book, and did your weary, sweaty, confused, and exasperated soul scream, That one! That is the book for me!!? If so, I’d first like to extend my deepest sympathies, an ice pack, and some of these very helpful edibles. If it’s three in the morning as you’re reading this, as it may well be, you likely want those more than a book. But since I can’t really give you the other stuff, I can at least offer you this book....

Perimenopause and menopause experiences are as unique as all of us who move through them. While there’s no one-size-fits-all, Heather Corinna tells you what can happen and what you can do to take care of yourself, all the while busting pernicious myths, offering real self-care tips - the kind that won’t break the bank or your soul - and running the gamut from hot flashes to hormone therapy. With big-tent, practical, clear information and support, and inclusive of so many who have long been left out of the discussion - people with disabilities; queer, transgender, nonbinary, and other gender-diverse people; BIPOC; working class and other folks - What Fresh Hell Is This? is the cooling pillow and empathetic best friend to help you through the fire.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.  

©2021 Heather Corinna (P)2021 Hachette Go

Critic Reviews

“I have loved Heather Corinna's work for 20 years, and What Fresh Hell Is This is their best yet. This book feels like your best friend talking to you over drinks - if your best friend is a shit-talking, patriarchy-smashing, intersectionally feminist professor of the history of reproductive medicine and also an endocrinologist with a side hustle as a comedian. Please read this book.” (Emily Nagoski, PhD, New York Times best-selling author of Come as You Are)

Awesome.

It takes a lot to make this raging, crying, perimenopausal person laugh, and I laughed actually out loud multiple times. When Heather cracked up at one point while narrating, I almost peed my pants. Granted it's not that hard to do these days, but still. All while learning a lot of pertinent and timely stuff, and getting all the validation.

Must read!

Hallelujah! Thank the lord that Heather Corina mined and offered her personal experience along with lots of research about menopause. This book is funny, irreverent, edifying and essential reading for anyone experiencing peri menopause or menopause!

Too repetitive

I listened to this as an audible book and I had high hopes. It started strong with the writers distinct voice delivering a solid mix of science and wit to discuss the nitty gritty facts of menopause and perimenopause. But frankly it quickly became repetitive. I only made it halfway through before finally giving up because I heard “ya basics” eleventy-billion times. It slowed the whole pace down and sometimes even felt like whole sections that were copied and pasted from another previous chapter.

I was unable to finish the book fully so I can’t rate it any higher. That said, it tries to cut a wide swath giving information to every people group that could be affected by peri or menopause. There IS solid info to be found. If you are able to skim past the repetitive prose give it a shot.

Refreshing, inclusive, and affirming

So much great information here. I appreciate the honesty and inclusivity in this book. I will definitely re-listen to some parts to capture more of the specific ideas and recommendations. I will recommend this to many people!

Perfect for me!!!

I so needed this! Heather (they/their) affirmed my concerns and realities of perimenopause. They spoke to my soul about this normal event of millions of women around the world. I feel normal, validated, and understood because of this book by Heather Corinna.

PS: It's okay to skip chapter 2. It's the gruesome history of menopause and the treatments for it. They cover the concepts in less upchucking ways in other chapters.

More insufferable than menopause

Reads like a self-published book. I slogged through the author’s meandering wallow in self-pitying descriptions of her life struggles (which apparently long predated peri menopause), and many, many, many mentions of non-binary and trans people (which seemed unnecessary and gratuitous) waiting for the promised funny parts. When the author recommended self-medicating with a federally illegal drug could be the answer to sleep issues, I threw in the towel and requested a refund.