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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
emotional
hopeful
informative
fast-paced
If I attempted to include all of the critical phrases and passages from this book -- you know, the things that REALLY spoke to me -- this "review" would be a multipage essay. Suffice it to say, Matt Haig has penned a vitally important primer on how to keep your sanity in truly insane times. From his brilliant way of describing our overworked and anxious minds in these times ("mind spam") to his oh-so-exhaustive list of 40 things he tells himself when things get too much (my favorite: #5 -- "Never be cool. Never try to be cool. Never worry what the cool people think. Head for the warm people. Life is warmth. You'll be cool when you're dead."), I found myself reading this book with a highlighter and a complete inability to be judicious in choosing only a couple of pages to dog-ear for future reference. In short, this book spoke to my heart and my soul at a very deep level, and while nothing here was Earth shattering, the frank way he deals with his own mental health struggles and the comprehensive nature of his beseeching of the reader to go outside, look at the sky, and stop scrolling social media were no less than a necessary reminder of our humanity. I don't know why I decided to pick up this book this week, but I confess I'm left wondering whether it was just especially relevant right this moment, or whether it would have felt that way literally at any other time, too. I'll never know. But I'm OH so glad I read it now. You should do the same. Now.
3.75 stars*
Although some topics were quite difficult to read about & hit close to home for me, I did enjoy this & definitely took a lot away from each chapter - there was humour, honesty, statistics & research and care woven into each sentence and I felt like I was on the same page as the author. Everything was explained delicately - I did find that the shorter sections (e.g. one paragraph) stuck with me more than the longer, more detailed sections but I enjoyed them both. The novel definitely put a lot of topics into perspective - including health, sleep, social media, work, relationships, day to day life and the world as a whole which gave a well rounded look in detail.
I just think my expectations were a little higher as I thought this was more of a self-help tip book. I was expecting to find step by step tips on how to feel less anxious etc but these facts were more woven into the chapters throughout the whole book. This isn’t a bad thing at all - it helped the book flow better but I think it was an error on my part, thinking the novel would be more of a guide book.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone who needs a little encouragement in their life & wants some practical guidance and support through the author’s narrative. Definitely worth the read and I found the writing style easy to follow along with!
Although some topics were quite difficult to read about & hit close to home for me, I did enjoy this & definitely took a lot away from each chapter - there was humour, honesty, statistics & research and care woven into each sentence and I felt like I was on the same page as the author. Everything was explained delicately - I did find that the shorter sections (e.g. one paragraph) stuck with me more than the longer, more detailed sections but I enjoyed them both. The novel definitely put a lot of topics into perspective - including health, sleep, social media, work, relationships, day to day life and the world as a whole which gave a well rounded look in detail.
I just think my expectations were a little higher as I thought this was more of a self-help tip book. I was expecting to find step by step tips on how to feel less anxious etc but these facts were more woven into the chapters throughout the whole book. This isn’t a bad thing at all - it helped the book flow better but I think it was an error on my part, thinking the novel would be more of a guide book.
I definitely recommend this book to everyone who needs a little encouragement in their life & wants some practical guidance and support through the author’s narrative. Definitely worth the read and I found the writing style easy to follow along with!
I deleted twitter after only reading a couple of pages and feel so much better. So much less drama 😀
Honestly. I don't know what else to say except: go read this as soon as possible. Love, love LOVE this book and this author so much. Especially his honesty. It's refreshing and inspiring. Can't recommend his work enough. GO READ THIS.
This might not be for everyone, but as someone whose anxiety sounds a lot like Matt Haig's anxiety it felt incredibly comforting to listen to him talk about the same fears I have it made me feel a little less alone.
I think this book works best as an audiobook, it feels more heartfelt and personal that way.
I think this book works best as an audiobook, it feels more heartfelt and personal that way.
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
I wanted to start my new year, new decade off with some non-fiction that would help push me in the right direction, so I'm really glad that I picked this up. If I'd picked it up at a different time or in a different mindset, I could see myself really not liking this book or just end up getting more anxious from reading it. But as it is, I found a lot of good notes (ha) in here that I've tabbed and will reference and think back on for a long time.
It’s no secret that Matt Haig is one of my favourite writers. Reasons to Stay Alive came into my life at a very important stage in my life. I could not wait for this, the ‘follow-up’ of sorts. How to stay calm in a nervous world is a question this book tries to answer. We are consumed by our phones, by the television, by the colours and chaos of our consumer culture catapulting our consciousness and a catrillion miles an hour. Even writing this, I am aware of the time I have spend tapping away at my phone today. This book reminds us to breath, to take life at our place, and to remember to make time for ourselves. There are things we can all learn from this novel, in taking on board the small changes we can make in our lives and the attitudes we can begin to alter. We are not designed to sprint all our lives. It’s okay to take your time. The planet will keep spinning, even if you need to stop and take in the view and to breathe.
I love everything Matt Haig writes, and this book was no exception to that. To be honest I thought he would be talking more about his own personal experiences with anxiety, kind of like how he did with depression in Reasons to Stay Alive. However he talked more about the anxious world we live in and how to live in it better, and I needed that more than I thought I did.
He has a brilliant mind, and I’m glad he’s sharing it with us through his writing.
He has a brilliant mind, and I’m glad he’s sharing it with us through his writing.