This is the kind of book that needs to land in your lap at just the right time. It is a quirky book filled with lots of different and varied life advice. It has everything from showing gratitude and chasing your dreams to managing anxiety and remembering to brush your teeth. And one chapter about getting a dog…?
So yeah, his is the kind of book that needs to land in your lap at just the right time. Sadly this was not the time for me.
I was greatly deceived by the title of this books. I read the description before I bought the book, but still thought it would have its main focus on how to live life while being an artist. Instead it was just more general life advice. Lots of stuff that I’d already learned the hard way, so the tone of the book ended up feeling slightly condescending to me.
A lot of the things in this were just a little too bland for me and a little unmemorable. Some of the essays were good and really resonated. Others seemed a bit dated and a bit…not intelligent enough. Like I’m glad you learned that…but it was not funnily written enough to keep me hooked.
Also I gotta say. The author claims to have been struggling with mental health, but she includes no content warnings in any of her chapters. One chapter that was titled “gratitude is underrated” ended up detailing very graphic scenes from her abortion. I read this chapter just before bed thinking it was another fluff piece and ended up having to DEAL instead. So yeah. Content warnings are a thing for a reason.
It’s like a bunch of medium posts wrapped into a book. It’s fine. It’s alright. But nothing I felt the need to own a physical copy of. It’s a book I’ll pass on to friends with the chapters earmarked (#declutter), but y’know. That’s kind of why we have links on the internet….sooo
I’m sorry you didn’t like it. Im a big Sara Benincasa fan (her book Agorafabulous is a great insight into her experience with mental illness). I read this book last year but don’t have any recollection of a chapter on abortion … I’ll have to go back and re-read that.
Like I said, this book is probably best if it lands in your lap at exactly the right time. I’ve just had a bit too much life advice lately ;)
And you’re right. The chapter wasn’t about abortion per se, it was about feeling grateful in a really shitty situation. However I felt she handled it very poorly. A spontaneous abortion of a pregnancy you didn’t even know you had is quite different from… other situations. She did however, very accurately and graphically describe the pain of the situation, so kudos for that. It just felt very exploitative to me.
I realize she writes a lot from her own life situation, but I would also argue that that is what makes the book weak (for me). It is too personal to be generalizing and not personal enough to just be along for the ride into another person’s life.
But, like I said, I will pass this book on. I have friends who deal with anxiety and perhaps they will get more joy from the book than me.
Word. I *love* adulting / life advice books but depending on where I am in my life (or, to be honest, my day), sometimes they just fall flat, but I know like three years earlier they might have been a good fit.
Hope you enjoy the next book on your list more!