shema's review against another edition

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5.0

The author provides really helpful advice in her essays. I think one that stood out to me was how she deconstructs the idea of overcoming your hardships and there's a happily ever after. She gives an example of how she still deals with her mental illness, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have good days.
She is positive in the book without sugar-coating anything and also acknowleging her provledge which I really respected.

sheenamy's review against another edition

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5.0

Honestly this book is amazing. It's honest and funny and well thought-through. Maybe not all essays will be relevant to you, but you'll find at least some with things you needed to be reminded of and some you've never heard of, but needed to hear. At least...this was the case with me.

jade's review against another edition

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dark emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

4.5

amlibera's review against another edition

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4.0

Probably closer to 3.5 stars but I'm always ready to give that extra half star to a book that had so many things that I enjoyed. There are probably too many things in this book. Not probably. There are too many things and a fair amount of repetition. I think that the idea of a book for creatives about having a life and a job is a really smart idea and there are lots of pieces of that book here- just a lot of other pieces of various other books about other things too. But it was soothing and funny and enjoyable to spend time in Benincasa's world and I'm glad I did.

kekeele's review against another edition

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5.0

As someone currently going through the throws of finding her foothold in adult life, reading this book was like a coach or a friend or a mentor or someone who really cares about me and my success kneeling down next to me telling me “it’s okay to cry over a scraped knee but you still gotta get back up.” Probably more like 4.5 stars but I’ll bump it up because I cried. I love you.

fiestada's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5

alison_marie's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

2.75

A very sweet and inspiring book that would be perfect for anyone in their 20s. I wish I had read it a decade ago!

endpaper's review against another edition

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1.0

The main essay has some good advice but the most of the rest of the essays are overreaching, shallow and ill considered.

techiechick's review against another edition

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This book is a collection of essays by comedian Sara Benincasa. She covers mental illness, career choices, animal adoption and more. There isn't a narrative thread through the essays, so it would be as enjoyable to dip as it would be to plough through from start to finish, in fact, it may be better to read an essay, and let the ideas "settle" before reading another.

No revolutions will be started as a result of reading this book, unless being excellent to yourself as well as to others is revolutionary. There are some ideas I will apply and some I will respectfully leave where they are. However, there are some strategies for improving life in general, and allowing your creative self to flourish (but not in the classic hippie-way that sentence makes it sound).

I found Sara's style very accessible, and the essays to be consistently enjoyable to read. She does not use a formulaic style that I was able to detect, which meant that I wasn't distracted by style over substance. Some of the content is reasonably "adult" so not appropriate for younger readers, but I'd say this collection has something educational to say to over-18s of any gender.

margotfoster's review against another edition

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4.0

For me the title essay in this collection was worth the price of admission.

The rest of the essays were good, but the thing is Sara really put herself out there and everyone is likely to find a piece in here that really resonates with their heart.

Highly recommended for artists, performers, creatives, women, the anxiety prone, the agoraphobic, really any and all of the above.