scgbean's review against another edition
I'm really disappointed in this book, especially since Jane had praise from Amy Poehler and A. J. Jacobs. While the book provided insight into two very different worlds, I didn't laugh once.
judyward's review against another edition
3.0
So how do you adjust being brought up in a huge, emotionally engaged Southern family, going to a boarding school in Virginia and college at Chapel Hill, and then you move to New York City? Jane Borden tells the story of such a life and it's highly amusing. For example, she thought that she had a medical condition when she first moved to New York because her face hurt so much. Then she realized that she was trying to smile at every person she encountered while walking down a crowded New York Street. Trying to reconcile her "upbringing" with the reality of New York City living, ignore the constant stream of warnings that are being delivered to her about the dangers of big city living, and embrace her new life while constantly being tugged back towards North Carolina makes for a charming and often hysterical memoir.
rachelini's review against another edition
2.0
I'm having a bit of a hard time with the rating system - when I first joined Goodreads, I generally used the 3 stars for anything I was meh on, and 2 for things I didn't much like. But then I found I needed the 3 for things I liked but didn't love, so meh moved to 2, which feels low. All of this to say that 2 stars feels like I'm being quite negative about a book that I was perfectly happy to finish, but that I wouldn't recommend to anyone.
About the book: I thought it was going to be one of those quirky funny anecdotal memoirs that are so popular right now. And I think the author thought that too. But it was unfocused, less funny and more introspective so that the Southern girl in New York stories seemed almost intrusive. The author can write, but I felt like she didn't know what exactly she was writing here.
About the book: I thought it was going to be one of those quirky funny anecdotal memoirs that are so popular right now. And I think the author thought that too. But it was unfocused, less funny and more introspective so that the Southern girl in New York stories seemed almost intrusive. The author can write, but I felt like she didn't know what exactly she was writing here.
meaganmart's review against another edition
3.0
A friend of mine gave me this book out of the blue, and told me to read it because Jane reminded them a lot of me. After reading her book, I'm not sure if I should be flattered or not. As a sorority girl at UNC-Chapel Hill, and also as a girl who has been "reared" in the South by a "proper" Southern family, I can relate to many of the stories that Jane tells in her book. You might think that many of the anecdotes about the South are untrue or exaggerated, but I can promise that they are not. I differ with Jane, however, because I have no desire to leave the South. I love this quirky place and the charms that come with it. Leaving the South would be akin to refusing to help an older woman to her car with groceries, which as Jane tells in the book you just don't do . Jane wrestles with her love for New York and her lingering affection for the South in this witty, amusing book. You're in for a ride if you pick this up, and I can only hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.
drlove2018's review against another edition
4.0
I can't actually remember how long ago I read this, but I received an ARC for it that I took months to get around to reading. While the back cover gave me a slightly creepy "someone who's not me wrote the story of my life" feeling, the actual book didn't feel as similar to my experiences as I thought it would. I did laugh at loud at a number of things that are probably only mildly amusing unless you grew up in the South and have lived in NYC. All in all I found it to be a light, entertaining read that made me appreciate both my Southern roots and NYC branches in new ways.
santhealana's review against another edition
4.0
Absolutely hilarious creative nonfiction. I actually had to close the book a couple of times while reading it in public because I was suppressing a laughing fit. Jane Borden is delightful and a wonderful writer.
lauren_salsa's review against another edition
3.0
Three-and-a-half stars. A breezy airplane read. Borden is immensely likable and you end up rooting for her throughout. I sometimes get tired of "life in New York" books but her descriptions felt fresh and I related to experiences about moving to a big city (the hive mind section was one of my favorites--"Gorilla? Gorilla? Gorilla?").
I liked her writing best when she was describing a moments or characters, and less so when she was getting philosophical. Perhaps the problem was that the "should I/shouldn't I move" angle felt a little shoe-horned in. I think the book might have worked better if this was a more obvious frame and used from beginning to end.
I liked her writing best when she was describing a moments or characters, and less so when she was getting philosophical. Perhaps the problem was that the "should I/shouldn't I move" angle felt a little shoe-horned in. I think the book might have worked better if this was a more obvious frame and used from beginning to end.
sohnesorge's review against another edition
Very light, reminiscent of David Sedaris or David Rakoff. Borden is very funny and has a pleasant voice and style, but I felt her keeping the reader at a distance. The incongruities between who she claimed to be and her actions felt curious and, somehow, dishonest. Overall, though, I would recommend it for the funny bits, and look forward to reading more of her work in the future.
kristenbritt's review against another edition
5.0
Hilarious essays about not being or doing what's expected.