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allhaildemi_'s review
4.0
Started off a little slow but I enjoyed hearing about her experiences. Later in the book it gets surprisingly spicy! Those parts were throughly enjoyable. Overall good read. Upset it took me so long to finish.
stitching_ghost's review
It was a pretty solid read, Perkins has a very pleasant prose and she comes across as honest, vulnerable in her own way, intelligent and fun.
I had to smile when she said that white men's skin feels like Playdoh because while I wouldn't put it quite like that I know exactly what she means and that's actually something I find endearing.
This book isn't about pop culture in the way that a lot of recent/semi-recent collections of essays are, this one is way more personal and I think its treatment of pop culture comes across as more organic to how we experience pop culture when talking about it isn't our job.
There's a fair amount of talk about sex and descriptions of intimate moment, not a bad thing just something to be aware of (at least for some of us). There's also a little bit about religion and about the author's autistic brother and her relationship with him (it's not done in a woe is me I have an autistic in my life but Perkins does describe the period in time where she, as a child, prayed for her brother to be made normal, so again just something to be aware of).
Part essays collection and part memoir, no rating because I don't rate memoirs.
I had to smile when she said that white men's skin feels like Playdoh because while I wouldn't put it quite like that I know exactly what she means and that's actually something I find endearing.
This book isn't about pop culture in the way that a lot of recent/semi-recent collections of essays are, this one is way more personal and I think its treatment of pop culture comes across as more organic to how we experience pop culture when talking about it isn't our job.
There's a fair amount of talk about sex and descriptions of intimate moment, not a bad thing just something to be aware of (at least for some of us). There's also a little bit about religion and about the author's autistic brother and her relationship with him (it's not done in a woe is me I have an autistic in my life but Perkins does describe the period in time where she, as a child, prayed for her brother to be made normal, so again just something to be aware of).
Part essays collection and part memoir, no rating because I don't rate memoirs.
bootman's review
5.0
Prior to this book, I hadn’t heard of Nichole Perkins’ work, but another author I follow shared that Nichole just released a book. After a little research, I decided to grab a copy. I love reading books from a wide range of non-fiction authors to get a variety of perspectives and experiences, and this was definitely different compared to a lot of the books I’ve been reading lately. Once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down. The first thing that’s incredibly apparent is that Nichole is a phenomenal writer. Books that are a collection of personal essays can be hit or miss for me, but Nichole’s style of writing is incredible.
Although I’m a half Black/half White man who is just a few years younger than Nichole, I could relate a lot of what she wrote when it came to music and pop culture from the 90s and 2000s. As the child of an alcoholic mother, I could relate to some of Nichole’s stories about her father, and I was really impressed with how open, honest, and vulnerable she was throughout the book. Writers like Nichole inspire me to be a better writer and content creator because she’s authentic throughout the book about everything from her thoughts and emotions to sexual experiences. Not being familiar with Nichole’s work, I thought when she wrote about her sex life, I’d be pretty uncomfortable, but personally, I wasn’t at all. Maybe it’s because I grew up here in Las Vegas with many of my best friends being women, but reading Nichole’s book just felt like she was another one of my female friends who I grew up with.
Nicholes’s essays had a great blend of touching on topics of being a woman, being a Black woman, and being a person trying to figure life out just like the rest of us. I loved this book and finished it within a few days of launch, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the personal essay style of books.
Although I’m a half Black/half White man who is just a few years younger than Nichole, I could relate a lot of what she wrote when it came to music and pop culture from the 90s and 2000s. As the child of an alcoholic mother, I could relate to some of Nichole’s stories about her father, and I was really impressed with how open, honest, and vulnerable she was throughout the book. Writers like Nichole inspire me to be a better writer and content creator because she’s authentic throughout the book about everything from her thoughts and emotions to sexual experiences. Not being familiar with Nichole’s work, I thought when she wrote about her sex life, I’d be pretty uncomfortable, but personally, I wasn’t at all. Maybe it’s because I grew up here in Las Vegas with many of my best friends being women, but reading Nichole’s book just felt like she was another one of my female friends who I grew up with.
Nicholes’s essays had a great blend of touching on topics of being a woman, being a Black woman, and being a person trying to figure life out just like the rest of us. I loved this book and finished it within a few days of launch, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the personal essay style of books.
shakehreereads's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
5.0
🎵: Adore by Prince
Aside from the romance genre, one of my fav genres is essays/memoirs, specifically those written by black women. I’m in awe of women’s experience and perspectives on life, love, womanhood, and relationships. I’m really just in awe of black women PERIODT, but I like hearing their tales of coming of age, their take on pop culture, and their tales of how they made it through some of their darkest times (and most with the ability to remain soft in a world that tries to harden us every day). And Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be is one of those stories.
Okay, so boom. First, I borrowed this book from the library and IMMEDIATELY regretted not having purchased my own copy so I could annotate. It was so many passages I reread and came so close to highlighting (because we’ve all “forgot” to return a book or two 👀).
This book was personable, relatable, and had me laughing out loud so many times. There are so many similarities between me and the author that I kept asking “is this me?” Our love for TV shows like Fraiser and Bones, especiallynow realizing that I, too, watched Bones while depressed. It was like hearing myself out loud for the first time.
The author spilled herself onto these pages and I’m grateful. I definitely be purchasing my own copy (😉) and returning to these pages.
My favorite essays:
Fast
My brother the superhero
I love Niles Crane
The life of a succubus
tariqah's review
2.0
Nichole Perkins' "Sometimes I Trip on How Happy We Could Be" was like reading a bad day in a coming-of-age journal entry.
There was never a shift in attitude or an optimistic moment. Perkins' basically said, "This is it and that's all," regarding her dating, social and sex life. Though I understand it to be the reality of many, at times it was depressing.
I wish there was some constructiveness in discussing our bad/not-so-great experiences because regardless of how bad something was, a lesson was born. Though Perkins' scores on relatability, I think a lesson to the reader would have balanced the read out.
I hope Perkins' eventually finds what she is looking for as well as others that can relate to her story. Or perhaps her and others will be able to move forward and find contentment in their lives.
There was never a shift in attitude or an optimistic moment. Perkins' basically said, "This is it and that's all," regarding her dating, social and sex life. Though I understand it to be the reality of many, at times it was depressing.
I wish there was some constructiveness in discussing our bad/not-so-great experiences because regardless of how bad something was, a lesson was born. Though Perkins' scores on relatability, I think a lesson to the reader would have balanced the read out.
I hope Perkins' eventually finds what she is looking for as well as others that can relate to her story. Or perhaps her and others will be able to move forward and find contentment in their lives.
desidancer83's review
5.0
This was a book I didn't know I needed. I even whipped out the highlighter and pen!!
cinderblockk's review
4.0
I always loved books that are a collection of essays/short stories especially coming of age & exploring sexuality. Most of the ones I’ve read have been from white woman authors so I enjoyed this being from a black woman bc it was way more relatable. There were also a lot of gems I was able to pick up on throughout her stories. Really enjoyed this!
nic55's review against another edition
This was one of those books I enjoyed objectively but didn't totally connect with emotionally. I am always here for Black women boldly embracing their sexuality, especially after growing up with the church, so that aspect of this book was great. Her discussions about her family, particularly the one about her brother, were some of my favorites. I also appreciated her essay about her journey with dating White men, and the parts about relationships were mostly entertaining. But I don't think this book will ultimately stick with me. I enjoyed the listen though!
jwelchreads's review
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
The way I identified with so many different parts of this book was a little scary to me. I will probably make this an annual read, I loved it THAT much.