A friend of mind introduced me to the weird and zany humor and darkness that is Jenny Lawson in her first book and I’ve been an avid blog reader ever since. I was excited for the new book, but my friend was less enthused about it so I went into it with tempered expectations.
Overall, the book worked but I think I like her more in blog form. I think this book is best enjoyed if you reads few chapters, put it down, and come back in a week or so. Rinse and repeat. She is hilarious, but off the wall in a way that becomes predictable. Like hanging out with a good friend almost, so better savored.
This woman is a beast. She lives her most authentic life by sharing her struggles with mental illness, and has created a tribe of people who strive to celebrate their weirdness, and their flaws. It is bold and heartbreaking at times, but always funny. And a raw glimpse into her world.
I think her words speak for themselves, so I’ve selected three bits to share. The first is straight humor, the second is humor/self-deprecation, and the third is, for me, earnest and honest advice, and very relatable.
“I’m not actually sure if it’s ironic or not. That Alanis Morissette song sort of fucked up irony for everyone.”
“Sometimes stunned silence is better than applause.”
“In other words, stop judging yourself against shiny people. Avoid the shiny people. The shiny people are a lie. Or get to know them enough to realize they aren’t so shiny after all. Shiny people aren’t the enemy. Sometimes we’re the enemy when we listen to our malfunctioning brains that try to tell us that we’re alone in our self-doubt, or that it’s obvious to everyone that we don’t know what the shit we’re doing.”
If any of that speaks to you or makes you smirk, then check out this book, her first book, and her blog. And welcome to the island of misfit toys.
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