likum's review
5.0
I feel like my old therapist would be thrilled I read this book. Will be coming back to it throughout the next few years FOR SURE
maddness22's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
4.25
For the fact it was mostly written by other people with all of the quotations mentioned, I really enjoyed it. I thought it made the concept of identifying emotions and emotional regulation very digestible. So many of the presented moods and scenarios were highly relatable and relevant to my own life. I've definitely learned some nuggets of wisdom from this book and related very heavily to the material.
Fair warning tho: it's very woo-woo white feminist. Not as bad as Girl Wash Your Face but it definitely has the vibes.
Fair warning tho: it's very woo-woo white feminist. Not as bad as Girl Wash Your Face but it definitely has the vibes.
laurenqt's review
2.0
Saw this title online and the pink cover and title made me take the bait. It kind of seemed like a bunch of different whining rants and then the simple way the author turned it around and realized she had a privileged life. I deal with that enough in my own head.
abrod20's review
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
At first I was obsessed with this book and read the first half in one sitting. Towards the end, it became insufferable and I really couldn’t finish it. There were some examples and anecdotes that the offer would use to explain her bad moods that I simply couldn’t be sympathetic to. And the whole chapter basically blaming Princess Diana for how she was treated because she “was in a bad mood and couldn’t apologize” one day, really ruined the book for me.
nadiamasood's review against another edition
4.0
"Most of the discomfort in our life stems from the inability to be present, to appreciate the moment for what it is while we're in it."
I had no idea I would enjoy appreciate this book so much. Several of Lauren's honest, real life anecdotes are relatable (except, perhaps, her meltdown in Bloomingdales, but then we all deal with situations differently). How the smallest, most simplest things could ruin the day, affecting her and the people around her.
"...I mean those feelings we have that we can’t explain. The suffocating feeling at the end of the day when you don’t know what you want or need but you need something to stop whatever is going on inside...I mean the horrible feeling of looking in the mirror and feeling ugly even though yesterday you thought you looked great. I mean the feeling that something is wrong when everything is right and good and as it should be. These are moods. These feelings that come up and take hold and we don’t know why or what to do about them."
Lauren honestly talks about the extremely common patterns of self-doubt, excessive worrying. mood shifts, and outbursts by sharing personal anecdotes as examples. Some may question this book, considering her privileged life, but like I said, we all react to and handle situations differently.
This is not a self-help book, nor is the author an expert in the field of "moods", but rather a memoir based on personal experiences, stories, and a collection of quotes.
Regardless, this book helped me being more aware of my moods now, and observe how they can change quickly.
I had no idea I would enjoy appreciate this book so much. Several of Lauren's honest, real life anecdotes are relatable (except, perhaps, her meltdown in Bloomingdales, but then we all deal with situations differently). How the smallest, most simplest things could ruin the day, affecting her and the people around her.
"...I mean those feelings we have that we can’t explain. The suffocating feeling at the end of the day when you don’t know what you want or need but you need something to stop whatever is going on inside...I mean the horrible feeling of looking in the mirror and feeling ugly even though yesterday you thought you looked great. I mean the feeling that something is wrong when everything is right and good and as it should be. These are moods. These feelings that come up and take hold and we don’t know why or what to do about them."
Lauren honestly talks about the extremely common patterns of self-doubt, excessive worrying. mood shifts, and outbursts by sharing personal anecdotes as examples. Some may question this book, considering her privileged life, but like I said, we all react to and handle situations differently.
This is not a self-help book, nor is the author an expert in the field of "moods", but rather a memoir based on personal experiences, stories, and a collection of quotes.
Regardless, this book helped me being more aware of my moods now, and observe how they can change quickly.
sturm220's review
3.0
I listened to this audiobook but I need a paperback version to carry around with me to consult while I’m sorting through my moods. Very relatable experiences — I had several “so it’s not just me” moments. I appreciated the honesty and great quotes shared throughout. I recommend this to anyone feeling their feelings, especially if you can listen on a legit day off and watch clouds roll by.
meganpbell's review against another edition
emotional
tense
medium-paced
2.0
From a young woman plagued by bad “moods,” this self-help/memoir offers a collection of strategies for self-management that ranges from sleep hygiene and meditation to the more problematic—like believing setbacks are always for your eventual gain.
The author writes from a very financially and racially privileged viewpoint that shows so little curiosity for why she is the way she is and little consideration for how her “moods” or behavior impact other people—only herself. I was particularly horrified with how she treated people in service or retail positions. While the author maintains that she’s changed and these strategies are the means of that change, there’s little evidence in the book that she has grown as a person, and so, while many praise her vulnerability for sharing her worst moments here, it comes across as just a series of events where she behaved poorly and suffered for it.
I don’t doubt that the author has suffered or that many of the strategies in this book are helpful, but I don’t know if they can truly change someone who isn’t curious about the root of their personal problems, more systemic and structural issues, or the world around them and how differently it impacts people who aren’t financially secure, young, white, thin, straight, cis-gendered, or conventionally attractive.
The author writes from a very financially and racially privileged viewpoint that shows so little curiosity for why she is the way she is and little consideration for how her “moods” or behavior impact other people—only herself. I was particularly horrified with how she treated people in service or retail positions. While the author maintains that she’s changed and these strategies are the means of that change, there’s little evidence in the book that she has grown as a person, and so, while many praise her vulnerability for sharing her worst moments here, it comes across as just a series of events where she behaved poorly and suffered for it.
I don’t doubt that the author has suffered or that many of the strategies in this book are helpful, but I don’t know if they can truly change someone who isn’t curious about the root of their personal problems, more systemic and structural issues, or the world around them and how differently it impacts people who aren’t financially secure, young, white, thin, straight, cis-gendered, or conventionally attractive.
Content Warnings
Minor: Classism, Body shaming, Infertility, Medical content, Toxic friendship, Mental illness, and Vomit