Whatever...Love Is Love

4 of 20
Whatever...Love Is Love
240 pages; Dey Street
Actress Maria Bello's gutsy memoir/manifesto advocates dispensing with the labels we use to describe our work, our mental health, our sexuality. Whatever...Love Is Love is both the title of her book and what her 12-year-old son, Jackson, said when Bello revealed she was in a romantic relationship with a woman; now those words are a mantra. The volume is rich with candid, provocative ruminations like this one reflecting on her bipolar diagnosis: "So am I damaged? Of course, I'm human. Who isn't damaged in some way? But I'm not damaged because of my bipolar disease. Now that I am being treated, I can view it more as a gift. The wiring of my brain allows me to feel deeply. I believe it helps me be less judgmental and more empathetic to others.... And besides, it is a gift I share with my father, and millions of others all over the world."
— Leigh Haber