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

funny inspiring lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

I knew of Nichole Perkins from her fantastic podcast Thirst Kit, so I sort of knew what I was in for when picking up her essay collection Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be. This is a delightful, empowering take on her journey as a Black woman in the dating world. In it, she provides examples of good and bad experiences, but I appreciated her putting her sexuality out there, and how she grew into the woman she is today. Growing up in the South, girls had to always be careful and dress conservatively. Many young women she grew up with became pregnant at a young age. It takes some time to reconcile the internalized body shame from the community and present herself to the world as an independent woman with wants and needs. She explores the world of domination, tries to keep things casual at times with men, and has good and bad experiences with men- some quite frightening. But this was a lovely read, and I thoroughly enjoyed Perkins' unapologetic stance on love and sex. You go girl. Now, bring back Thirst Aid Kit!