Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me access to this book in exchange for a review.

I went in not knowing what to expect but I think it's safe to say, whatever expectations I might have had, this book would've exceeded them all.

I'm not much caught up on American classic movies or any movies at all to be honest as I prefer to read in my free time. Hence, I didn't have any opinions on the women, the movies, the directors and all that the author talks about in the book. Which helped since I probably would've gotten bored in the instances when the author described any particular movie. It also helped me view the book and read the author's opinions and judgements without my own clouding any. Not that I think I would've thought any differently because I absolutely loved Malone's views!

I like that she acknowledges the white privilege and how it plays a role. The talks about inclusivity regarding queer people and non-white people was also commendable but I would've liked to have more on that. Although, I do realize that being a classic movie fanatic, this might have been tough (especially about queer people) to include more widely.

All the themes regarding the male gaze, the flesh touch, how women are viewed and used in Hollywood and just in general, about women, were very relatable and something that needs to be talked more of. Especially the personal choices about marrying, having kids and all that. Although, I liked all the parts, these were my favorite.

The deep dives into Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, Ingrid and other women in Hollywood were also very eye-opening. I didn't know much about these famous actresses personal life and the way the author writes about them was very interesting and well-researched.

It took some time to get used to the narrator but it was okay after a little while!

I'll definitely recommend this book to everyone and I'm already looking into other works from Malone because I absolutely adored this one!

Actual rating; 4.5⭐

Girls on Film by Turner Classic Movies host Alicia Malone walks a fine line between a film criticism book and a memoir, blending Malone’s thoughts on classic films seamlessly into scenes from her own life. She is critical of the flaws of older films in light of modern understanding of the treatment of women and acknowledges that even on this topic, she speaks from a position of white privilege. What’s more, she is able to do all of this without losing sight of her love of these films and how they shaped her life from early childhood to her career as a film host.

I heard echoes of myself in a lot of Malone’s struggles and joys, though she is 13 years my senior and has chosen a very different career path from my own. She speaks plainly about the expectations for women in society, and the feelings and treatment that come along with rejecting those expectations through film, history, and her own personal anecdotes. The book ends with reflection on how COVID has affected the movie industry and movie theaters in general—and Malone’s decision to try to save and run an independent cinema near her new home in a time when such institutions are struggling worldwide.

As someone who also visits theaters in foreign countries, has a favorite seat in my local indie, and ran to the movies as soon as theaters reopened last year, I found myself thinking of how much I share with Alicia, beyond our first names. I hope I get to visit her cinema some day.

Overall, this book felt made for me, in particular. My one regret was that it is not read by the author, but narrator Brigid Lohrey does an excellent job in her stead.

I would highly recommend to any other girls who would rather be sequestered into a cinema than anywhere else, and to film lovers more generally. I would also recommend it to people interested in a feminist critique of modern media. Overall, an excellent read, and one of my favorite nonfiction choices of the year so far.

I don't care which subject or topic that is, just listening to someone who is incredibly passionate and good about what they do is always a joy to experience for me. In this case, it's Alicia Malone and her love for movies!

This book is equally fascinating, eye-opening and inspiring. It gives such joy to learn about these information from Ms. Malone's exhaustive knowledge of films, from behind the scene facts down to the media gossips, she got it covered. I learned a great deal about the movie industry and their issues, the origin of many film tropes and women representation in film. Many women pushed the boundaries of the male-dominated film industry and shaped the business as we see it today. I must say that I found a new appreciation for classic films.

The audiobook was nicely done. I had a little problem with the pacing so I listened to it at 1.5x.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the audiobook. I enjoyed it greatly.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audiobook before the release date.

This book is the story of women through the cinema. I love a good film and thanks to this books I learned a lot about cinema and woman history. I loved Alicia Malone way to tell us her story and the story of a lot other powerful women and a lot of issues in the cinematic universe.

This book really hooked me from the beginning eager to learn more about this world.

This book was okay but the narrator was awful. I struggled to listen to the entire thing which is a shame because the content and writing was interesting. I would be interested in reading a physical copy of this book or hearing it with another narrator.

I went into Girls on Film without much knowledge and I came out with an appreciation for women in male dominated fields. Personally, I'm not the biggest movie buff out there, so as the book started, I struggled to really get into it at first. However, as the movie references lessened (and perhaps I started recognizing more movies mentioned such as Grease and Legally Blonde) and the story about Alicia Malone's career became more prominent, I really enjoyed the journey.

Girls on Film is a great inspirational story about Alicia Malone's career, and how fearless she attacks her dreams and passions,

I enjoyed Girls on Film by Alicia Malone. As someone who has a degree in film, it was fun to listen to someone go over certain film histories and how it impacted their life. I really could relate to it. I think people who have a lighter interest in film/movies would also enjoy this as it covers topics in a very entertaining way.

I didn't mind the narrator so much but I did find certain parts a little grating for some reason but that might have just been me.