"We're Going to Need More Wine" by Gabrielle Union

When I think of Gabrielle Union, the very first thing I think of is Shawnee from the movie, Love and Basketball. I’m not sure why I remember that specific character of her’s so much, but I do. Next, I think of Isis from Bring It On- and pretty much all the other “high school” roles she has acted in over the years… But aside from her as an actor- I never really gave much thought to her as a person, as an individual- until I read her book “We’re going to Need More Wine.”

This particular book was chosen for the “Book of the Month” for a book club that I’m in, “Bunch of Women, Bunch of Books.” Starting it took me a really long time (like it was literally about 2-3 weeks in between me reading the first 5 pages, and then really getting into it and finishing it from that point.) I think this is mainly due to me wanting finish up a few other books I had already picked up, versus just initially not being interested in her book.

But once I did really dig into it- I loved it! There is a realness to it, that I really admired and enjoyed; it allowed readers (and movie watchers) like myself, to get a glimpse of who Gabrielle is as a person, as a [black] woman. In this particular book she speaks of her summers growing up and how she often had to “code-switch” which I can definitely relate to, especially during my high school years. She also details about complexion issues within the black community, enjoying as much sex as possible, touched on her rape years ago (which I had no idea about) and how she’s an advocate for women who have also been in the same situation. She talked about breakups and the process of getting over it, being a step-mom, and also losing close friends. A lot of other topics were discussed in a very easy-going manner, which made this even better to read, because I felt it is more like a “Girls Night” chit-chat, versus the typical “self-help” book. Again, this book really gave a lot of insight into her as an everyday person, not just the celebrity actress- while still giving some great advice. And having a nice glass of wine (or three) didn’t hurt to enjoy while reading it either! I would definitely recommend this for a leisure read, a choice for book club months, or just to cruise through for a little insight on a specific topic. -Nina Michelle