You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
funny
sad
I thought this book was really funny, but the asides were annoying. Like a female David Sedaris.
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
I find Jenny Lawson to be an incredibly entertaining individual. She makes me feel normalized, seen, and maybe a human with more sanity than I give myself credit for.
Yes, it's her memoir, but it helped me in so many ways aside from the sheer entertainment value.
Yes, it's her memoir, but it helped me in so many ways aside from the sheer entertainment value.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Mental illness, Miscarriage
Yeah, I know, I'm supposed to be hip deep in pirate sodomy that book on pirate sodomy, but this arrived today and I just can't help myself.
Several chapters in now and it's not only piss-your-pants funny, but it reads much like I'd expect a tell-all by Hagrid's daughter to read. Just replace 'Texas' with 'Hogwarts', and 'jumbo quail' with 'dragons', and you're there.
Several chapters in now and it's not only piss-your-pants funny, but it reads much like I'd expect a tell-all by Hagrid's daughter to read. Just replace 'Texas' with 'Hogwarts', and 'jumbo quail' with 'dragons', and you're there.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Jenny Lawson always knew her family was different, and, at an early age, she decided it was futile to pretend otherwise. Somewhere between her first arson episode at the age of three and the time her childhood pet duck, Daffodil, was eaten by homeless people, Lawson realized how to embrace the craziness and move forward.
In some respects, Lawson had experiences in her childhood that people can relate to, like performing household chores and being embarrassed by your parents in front of your classmates. But not everyone can say their chores included sorting chickens into filing cabinets in the garage; or that a turkey named Jenkins was more obnoxious and curious about her friends than her father.
Most of the stories at the beginning of the book feature her taxidermist father and his love for bringing home animals he found on the side of the road (both dead and alive). Stanley the Magical Talking Squirrel and the brief about the raccoon named Rambo were some of my favorite stories with some memorable moments-- “You never think to turn your pet raccoon into a tiny butler until it’s too late.”
As the book moves on, Lawson tells more of her transition into adulthood, how her husband proposed (“There’s nothing more romantic than a proposal that ends with you needing a tetanus shot”), and how the way her family relates to one another evolves over the years.
The book is mainly chronological, each chapter a different story or topic, but Lawson often flashes back to her unusual childhood to provide context for events that happen later in her life.
The writing style is funny and conversational, though at first I found parts of it distracting. There is some playful banter between Lawson and the book editor, which interrupted the flow of the stories and seemed too forced to be funny. Though, as the book went on, those dialogues became less frequent or I got used to it.
Always toeing the line between hilarity and horror (many of the stories are so funny because they didn’t happen to you) Lawson doesn’t shy away from more serious topics as well. I love how she has faced all her experiences and used personal stories to produce an entertaining and heartwarming collection of tales.
It really is a must-read, though be prepared if you decide to read in public-- you can’t help laughing aloud.
In some respects, Lawson had experiences in her childhood that people can relate to, like performing household chores and being embarrassed by your parents in front of your classmates. But not everyone can say their chores included sorting chickens into filing cabinets in the garage; or that a turkey named Jenkins was more obnoxious and curious about her friends than her father.
Most of the stories at the beginning of the book feature her taxidermist father and his love for bringing home animals he found on the side of the road (both dead and alive). Stanley the Magical Talking Squirrel and the brief about the raccoon named Rambo were some of my favorite stories with some memorable moments-- “You never think to turn your pet raccoon into a tiny butler until it’s too late.”
As the book moves on, Lawson tells more of her transition into adulthood, how her husband proposed (“There’s nothing more romantic than a proposal that ends with you needing a tetanus shot”), and how the way her family relates to one another evolves over the years.
The book is mainly chronological, each chapter a different story or topic, but Lawson often flashes back to her unusual childhood to provide context for events that happen later in her life.
The writing style is funny and conversational, though at first I found parts of it distracting. There is some playful banter between Lawson and the book editor, which interrupted the flow of the stories and seemed too forced to be funny. Though, as the book went on, those dialogues became less frequent or I got used to it.
Always toeing the line between hilarity and horror (many of the stories are so funny because they didn’t happen to you) Lawson doesn’t shy away from more serious topics as well. I love how she has faced all her experiences and used personal stories to produce an entertaining and heartwarming collection of tales.
It really is a must-read, though be prepared if you decide to read in public-- you can’t help laughing aloud.
I laughed, I cried, I felt slightly less like a freak. A great read I will be recommending to all my friends (and some family too).
So, my 3-week loan of this library book ends tomorrow, and I'm only on page 70. There's a wait list for the book, so no renewals allowed. It's a sign...