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Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent's Guide to Raising Flawless Children
Ungovernable: The Victorian Parent's Guide to Raising Flawless Children | Therese Oneill
From the author of the "hysterically funny and unsettlingly fascinating"* New York Times bestseller Unmentionable, a hilarious illustrated guide to the secrets of Victorian child-rearing [*Jenny Lawson] Feminist historian Therese Oneill is back, to educate you on what to expect when you're expecting . . . a Victorian baby! In Ungovernable, Oneill conducts an unforgettable tour through the backwards, pseudoscientific, downright bizarre parenting fashions of the Victorians, advising us on: - How to be sure you're not too ugly, sickly, or stupid to breed - What positions and room decor will help you conceive a son - How much beer, wine, cyanide and heroin to consume while pregnant - How to select the best peasant teat for your child - Which foods won't turn your children into sexual deviants - And so much more Endlessly surprising, wickedly funny, and filled with juicy historical tidbits and images, Ungovernable provides much-needed perspective on -- and comic relief from -- the age-old struggle to bring up baby.
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Reviewsbylola
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Annoyed that I didn‘t realize this existed. 😂

mdemanatee Oooh I didn‘t know about this one either! 4y
LeahBergen Oh! I really liked her first book! 4y
63 likes2 comments
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LauraBrook
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Pickpick

This was honestly educational and it made me laugh too! Covering all parts of the lives of children, from getting pregnant in the first place, all the way through the teenage years. The Q & A format made it easy to read and I really appreciated the humor throughout. I liked this much better than her first book (which got too repetitive in the second half). Recommended! #deweysoct book 7
P.s. I forgot about dillweed as a burn. My new fave insult!

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xxjenadanxx
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Mehso-so

I grabbed this one randomly at the library after reading and loving Unmentionable but I didn't enjoy this one as much. Perhaps it was the Q&A format but for me it felt like the author was trying too hard to live up to the first one. It was still enjoyable, especially the photo captions, but if you can only read one skip this one and read Unmentionable instead.

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xxjenadanxx
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Apparently modern medicine has been doing it all wrong.

Smrloomis 😱 this book looks hysterical! Does it live up to the description? 5y
Reagan 😳 5y
xxjenadanxx @Smrloomis I‘m about half way in so far and it is pretty entertaining! I will be honest and say I prefer her “Unmentionable” book to this one but that one was just right up my alley! I would recommend them both definitely! 5y
54 likes1 stack add3 comments
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MoniqueReads305
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Triple tasking at the laundromat: breakfast, laundry, and reading. Ungovernable is a fun #nonfiction read about raising children according to the standards of the Victorians. Told in a humorous manner, Ungovernable is entertaining and enlightening.

#currentlyreading

Megabooks I thought it was fun, too! 5y
MoniqueReads305 @Megabooks I'm only two chapters in and it's already been one of the funnier books I read this year. 5y
29 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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RoxyWilde
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Panpan

I was disappointed in this book. I disliked the question/answer format. Sad because I loved her first book.

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Megabooks
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Pickpick

This book is so much fun! Like her first book, Unmentionable, It delves into Victorian times, but this time she looks at raising children. The #audiobook is a fun and peppy dialogue between the narrator and a modern mother. 4⭐️ #24in48 book 1 (working on 3-4 others 😉)

#bfcr2 book 19/28 #goteam 🎉

wanderinglynn Way to go! 🙌🏻 5y
Megabooks @wanderinglynn Thanks!! 😊😊 5y
95 likes4 stack adds2 comments
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Megabooks
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Almost bright enough to talk an #audiowalk before it gets too hot!!

#bfc #bfcr2 #bookfitnesschallenge #goteam

Emilymdxn I will never understand how people cope in the heat! I‘m lucky with drizzly London 5y
Lindy @Emilymdxn Trying to feel lucky over here in the rain and 11 C at this moment in Edmonton. 🇨🇦 5y
Megabooks @Emilymdxn I grew up playing tennis 6 hours a day all but 3 weeks of the summer from 5-15 years old. I can‘t imagine doing now. I think I‘ve become less tolerant of the heat! 5y
See All 19 Comments
Megabooks @Lindy 52 degrees just for even one night sounds so nice!! I understand why people summer in New England/Canada. 5y
KathyWheeler I don‘t mind the 80 degree temps, especially if there‘s a breeze. It‘s when it gets up in the 90s and 100s that I can‘t stand it. 5y
Megabooks @KathyWheeler I don‘t mind 80 degrees running errands and such, but I prefer it to be below 80 for exercise, especially since it‘s so humid here!! It‘ll be up to 93 by this afternoon. 5y
wanderinglynn Enjoy your walk & stay cool today! 5y
Megabooks @wanderinglynn Thanks!! I‘m ready for fall and summer just started! 🤦🏻‍♀️ 5y
cobwebmoth I hope you were able to get out. This humid weather has made it difficult to get my walking done this week. 5y
Megabooks @cobwebmoth fortunately, I did! I was able to get in a 45 minute walk before 7:30! I‘m sorry you‘re having trouble. So damn hot! (edited) 5y
cobwebmoth Oh good, I'm glad you got out! Yes, I like warm weather, but this is a bit much for me. 5y
cewilf Glad you got a walk in!! The title of the book is hilarious 😂 5y
TheEllieMo Phew, that‘s warm! We‘ve had it so humid here recently, I‘ve hated it! It‘s a bit cooler today, thankfully 5y
Megabooks @TheEllieMo That‘s good!! The humidity is worse than the heat, IMO! 5y
cewilf @Megabooks I haven‘t read that one either! 5y
rockpools Woah. Think I‘ll stay put in soggy England- I certainly couldn‘t cope with those temperatures at that time of day 🥵 5y
Megabooks @RachelO I went to Edinburgh and London about this time 10 years ago, and it was so nice to have a break from the southern heat!! 5y
96 likes19 comments
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Megabooks
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#audiowalk this morning and already have all my steps in!! 💃🏻💃🏻 Maybe it was the three loads of laundry overnight, too. 🤷🏻‍♀️😁

I saw this interesting backyard cemetery that I had never noticed. 😎

#bfc #bfcr2 #bookfitnesschallenge

Emilymdxn You‘re on fire with the steps! So impressed! 5y
Megabooks @Emilymdxn Thanks!!! 😊😊😊 5y
TheSpineView Good job! 5y
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wanderinglynn Way to go! 🙌🏻 5y
cobwebmoth You're doing great with your walking! 5y
Megabooks @TheSpineView Thank you! 👍🏻 5y
Megabooks @wanderinglynn Thanks!! 😊 5y
Megabooks @cobwebmoth Thank you!! 😘 5y
KathyWheeler The cemetery Pat Conroy is buried in is not much larger than this one. Great job with your walking! 5y
Megabooks @KathyWheeler Really?!? That‘s fascinating! And thank you! 😊 5y
britt_brooke Excellent!! 🙌🏻 5y
Megabooks @britt_brooke Thank you!! 💕 5y
kspenmoll Fantastic 🙌🏻 5y
Megabooks @kspenmoll thanks! 👍🏻 5y
80 likes14 comments
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NotCool
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Pickpick

An interesting use of the socratic method. Both characters in this dialogue on child-rearing got on my nerves. But you have to respect the glee the authority on the Victorian Era showed while discussing ass milk, no matter how much the modern woman objected.

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LauraJ
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Pickpick

This wasn‘t as good as Unmentionable because ONeill didn‘t have as much material to work with. Often, the topics were only tangentially related to raising children. The audiobook is well produced. Hoping ONeill will take on Victorians and death next. 🤞🏼

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LauraJ
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My coworker is pregnant, so I‘m hoping to be able to offer her some solid parenting advice!

LauraJ @Megabooks I'm 1/3rd of the way in and no children have been born yet. 5y
40 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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tracy.anne8
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A picture of my #bookhaul the last couple of weeks. The top picture is from today from B&N. Everyone managed to find a book, even the twins😊. The Christopher Moore book is my husband's. I'm most looking forward to the tagged book. I loved her previous book. She has great wit & humor.Also as a new mom & history lover, I'm curious to know how childrearing was in the 1800s.

The bottom picture is from a few weeks ago from a local used book store.

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Gina
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Erie
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Pickpick

I had a fantastic time speeding through this. I was very much on-board with the q&a format, it was nice to have someone to scoff with throughout the horrors. After how much Unmentionable made me want to fight the entirety of Victorian society I was expecting to leave this raring to go, but honestly parts of it made me more deeply sad than anything. I'll definitely be keeping an eye out for the next time Oneill releases anything, her work is lovely

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Stacking! I loved Unmentionable too! 5y
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BookishMarginalia
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I highly recommend the audiobook, as the two narrators bring to life the satirical dialogue between the oh-so-helpful “author” and the frazzled modern mom who just can‘t wrap her head around the childrearing tips of Victorian-era “experts.” I actually found this more entertaining than Unmentionable.

Swe_Eva I just gave a copy of this book to a coworker who‘s going on maternity leave in two weeks. It was a big hit! 5y
118 likes10 stack adds1 comment
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Librarybelle
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Colleagues looked at me strangely as I giggled happily when this was processed today...

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Dorianna
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Pickpick

Therese O‘Neill‘s books are always a fun glimpse into the disturbing world of Victorian history. This round I learned about the evils of pickles, how to select a wet nurse, and how much Strychnine to give your sick child.

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Dorianna
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My weekend of reading and TV begins now with endpapers depicting Victorian childhood and Bob‘s Burgers.

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Megabooks
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Pickpick

While not as engaging as her first book, Unmentionable, this book is still pretty good. The #audiobook is well narrated. It‘s a conversation between a modern parent and the same narrator from Unmentionable. Both actors really engaging, but I didn‘t find the bones of the story as interesting. 3.5⭐️

#newin2019 #booked2019 #fall #audible

Megabooks Can I ask a question booked 2019 ladies? What exactly does genrebusting mean in this context? Can someone give me an example? 5y
Cinfhen GenreBusting is a category of books that can‘t be defined or limited to a single genre ~ examples used so far are Geek Love, The Fact of a Body, Heavy Bear, Carrying Albert Home, In the Distance, and (edited) 5y
Megabooks @Cinfhen Thank you! 😘😘 That‘s very helpful. 5y
Cinfhen For YOU... anything 💕 5y
Megabooks @Cinfhen 🥰🥰🥰 5y
72 likes1 stack add5 comments
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parasolofdoom
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Started listening to this earlier and was laughing so hard, I couldn't actually do exercises properly. If it's the same narrator I want to revisit Unmentionable in audio

LauraJ I need to check this out. 5y
13 likes1 comment