A review by bookedandfrizzy
Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be by Nichole Perkins


I think I’m really starting to get into essays. Nichole has a way of making you relate to things that you didn’t think you related to. This book is raw. It’s vulnerable. It’s honest. Its funny. It’s human. I was first introduced to Nichole by listening to her podcast-Thirst Aid Kit. My friend sent me the link and said “Jas, this is you in podcast form” 😂It’s still one of my favorite podcasts today. 

There’s something really beautiful about vulnerability. Nichole doesn’t tell us everything of course, but she gives us just enough that it feels like we’re on this journey of self discovery with her. She does not shy away from her experiences. She shares the good and the bad. I found myself giving grace as she gives herself grace. Some essays made me uncomfortable, which isn’t a bad thing. Hell, I hope to be this liberated one day. Some made me laugh out loud. Others made me gasp in unbelief (Scandalous). Many made sit in the quiet (Don’t Take Roses Away From Me). 

This is the first memoir I’ve read that’s in essay form. My one complaint about most memoirs is that they don’t come off as cohesive. The essay format really works here.

Some of my favorite parts are when Nichole talks about her family and upbringing. I love how we get glimpses of those she clearly cares for. I also how pop culture topics are woven into the different essays. There’s something both affirming and challenging within the pages. 

Please check for CW and TW. 

4⭐️

Favorite Essays:
A Woman Who Shouts
Prince’s Girl
HBCUs Taught Me
My Kameelah-Ass List


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