Everything I Know About Love is one of those books that completely drew me in because, being almost the same age as Dolly, I remember these things affecting me as I grew up - from MSN to the growing popularity in online dating, and everything else that so affected us 'millennials' when growing up.

I have to be honest, I wasn't really aware of Dolly Alderton before reading this, so I was coming at it as a rather ignorant reader, but turns out you in no way need to know background info the enjoy this. Sure, people who know of her or have read her column/ listened to her podcast might enjoy it even more as they can find out more about her, but it's not at all essential to the enjoyment!

The observations about life are interesting and fun to reads about, and Dolly has an engaging and very frank way of writing - she's honest about her life and mistakes, and you feel that you're getting to know her. It made a lovely break from the many crime novels I've been reading recently.

Dolly's writing is incredibly easy to read, humorous without being too 'try hard' and it contains lots of feel good messages, again without trying too hard to be a 'feel good' or 'preachy' book. There are highs and lows, dark and happy moments, and lots of entertaining situations. I raced through this and would definitely recommend this.

This was a heartwarming, TOTALLY relatable, hilarious, touching - basically a complete collercoaster of a read. You feel like you've known Dolly for years, and her complete honesty is really refreshing.

“Everything I Know About Love” is a memoir by ex-Sunday Times dating columnist Dolly Alderton who is also the co-presenter of the excellent pop culture podcast “The High Low”. This book explores her experience of love in a very intricate and visionary way, a way in which we can all relate to. A problem I feel is rarely addressed is the legitimacy of online intimacy and building that from online conversations such as MSN messenger in our teenage years to chatting to people on Facebook however this book explores that perfectly by telling real stories, the bond that can be created through texting and messaging. This is a real issue for millennials and is captured perfectly. The book balances on a fine line between the raucous flamboyance of being young and feeling liberated to fragile insecurities. There are a lot of funny stories in this novel and they are to be enjoyed and devoured but the book’s finest moments do come when the stories are more exposed. Its small moments such as realising the reality of a person don’t quite match up to expectation but then it’s beyond that when the power of real relationships conquers all.
This is a novel about the anatomy of love as a twenty something, which makes us treasure our own memories and the people we love.
Love wins but it’s the love between friends that champions the novel. The stories of when friends have to be there for one another through tragedies big and small, are devastatingly heartfelt and are what stand out in this novel.

The final book I read this month was my favourite by far. Dolly Alderton is a journalist and writer whose work I have loved for years, so when I heard she had written a memoir all about love, I knew I would adore it. I was lucky enough to get my hands on an advanced copy and devoured it in a matter of days. This book is so beautifully written – Dolly has a talent for writing in a way that makes you feel every single emotion she describes so viscerally. I laughed out loud reading it, and I sobbed too. But more than anything, I finished this book feeling full of love – for my family, for my husband, and for the friends I’ve been lucky enough to grow up alongside. If you read only one thing in February, make it Everything I Know About Love.

http://www.sophiecliff.com/2018/01/31/book-review-january-2018/

I have struggled to put into words just how amazing this book is. I read it all in one day, crying, laughing out loud and nodding along to some of Dolly's nostalgic memories. It is so beautifully written and I particularly loved her 'Life Lessons'. at different ages. I can guarantee this will be a book that you will pass on to your friends with pages turned down on the bits that you loved the most. I'm keeping my copy safe for when my sister turns 18.

Dolly's colourful memoir goes over some of her highs and lows, including cutting her hair into a mohawk because a boy said it would suit her to drunkenly getting in a cab all the way down the motorway to meet a man. She shares stories about growing up rushing home to be on MSN, men, being alone in NYC, Tinder, one disastrous New Years Eve party, renting and living with her best friends, Rod Stewart and lots more.

However, it's the tales of Dolly's friendships and her love for her friends that make this book so heartwarming - some parts are hilarious, others genuinely lump-in-the-throat sad. It makes you want to bear-hug all of your friends tightly.

I cannot recommend this book enough.

Perfect for: Nostalgic Twenty-somethings looking for relatable tales about growing up and growing older, who may be feeling a bit 'bleurgh', at a loss with dating politics in 2018
Do: Cook Dolly's Mac & Cheese! Then pass the book on to all the women in your life.
Don't: Ever think you're not enough. You are!

Everything I know about love had me laughing out loud from the first page. I found myself reliving my obsession with msn messenger and look back at it now fondly. This book is full of funny stories, recipes and little bits of information you never knew you needed to know, it’s unapologetic, hugely funny, sad and honest. Some have described Everything I know about love as the next Bridget Jones but I actually think it’s better. I throughly enjoyed reading it.

A statuesque blonde with a penchant for prosecco and an absolute adoration of Rod Stewart, journalist Dolly Alderton first came to my attention a couple of years back via a Sunday Times ‘Style’ column, in which she detailed the adventures of her colourful dating life. So wry and engaging is Dolly’s writing style that her column became a firm favourite of mine, so much so that in a newspaper of a whole lot of must-read articles, hers was the first I’d read every week. I just had to know if Dolly and her guy, the Comedian, would live happily ever after, you know. Side note: I had a similar obsession with Ali Harris’s dating column for Company magazine way back when she used to write about her love for Email Boy. Anybody remember that? Well, it just so happens that Ali and her Email Boy are now husband and wife. Dolly and her Comedian, on the other hand, did not live happily ever after.

Sadly, just like her relationship with the Comedian, Dolly’s dating column is no more, but she’s stayed on my radar via her newsletter ‘The Dolly Mail,’ and ‘The High Low,’ the weekly current affairs and pop-culture podcast she co-presents with fellow journalist Pandora Sykes. If you haven’t yet checked out The High Low, then I really recommend that you do. It’s a big favourite of mine (despite unfounded allegations against The Lighthouse Family –Joke!)

It’s not an understatement to say that I was mega-excited when I heard Dolly had signed a book deal, a book deal that has garnered, as per The Bookseller, ‘serious film and TV interest’. (Think ‘Girls’. But funnier. With characters you can actually relate to and root for). I’m also glad to report that Dolly’s memoir Everything I Know About Love is a total winner; an honest, heartfelt and very, very funny reflection on life, love, loss and everything else in between. At its core, Everything I Know About Love is a love letter to friendship, a celebration of Dolly’s close knit circle of friends who have stuck together through everything: good times, bad times, and lots and lots of wild times.

Everything I Know About Love details Dolly’s adventures in life and love from her early days as a MSN Messenger-obsessed teen (Dolly once went on date with a boy she met on MSN Messenger only for that date to end following twelve minutes of mutual insults involving a DVD of Toy Story 2 and a kilt) to her early days in London where life was all about cheap booze, communal living and Rod Stewart-themed house parties. I mean, I wouldn’t describe this as a Rod Stewart-heavy memoir per se, but he’s definitely in there. As he should be.


Recommended.

http://daisychainbookreviews.blogspot.ie/2018/01/book-review-everything-i-know-about.html

This started off quite happily but was, perhaps, overlong. Having said that, Dolly shares some happy, sad and downright crazy events from her love-life, to hanging out with friends....and what friends some of them are. Nice ending.

I am not really a fan of autobiographical books but this one looked interesting so I gave it a go. I enjoyed some of Dolly's anecdotes about her experiences in love and dating but found it very familiar to something that I have read or seen before but frustratingly cannot remember what.
Not for me if I'm honest but well-written with a nice style and lots of honesty.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for an advance copy in exchange for review.

Somehow I’d managed to get through life without coming across Dolly Alderton. Happily, that is now rectified by her memoir-cum-confessional-cum-collection Everything I Know About Love

The writing about her relationships with men and with her friends (and their relationships) is interspersed with hilarious pieces on ludicrous wedding plans, horrifying baby showers and the most annoying things people can say. There are even a couple of recipes thrown in for good measure.

All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read, and a delight to spend time with.

Honest, hilarious and moving, Dolly Alderton's memoir is a roller coaster ride through the highs and lows of growing up. Loosely framed around how her understanding of love has changed throughout her life, the book is made up of humorous vignettes, satirical observations, lists and even recipes, which makes it perfect for reading in short chunks.

Dolly Alderton is a journalist and podcaster. She is perhaps most known for her time as a dating columnist for The Sunday Times Style and as the co-host of The High Low Show, a weekly pop culture and current affairs podcast. I hadn't read her work before, but found Everything I Know About Love to be witty and easy to read.

Starting with her teen years, chatting to boys on MSN, and moving on to navigating the turbulent waters of early adulthood, we see Dolly grow up and start to understand who she is. I struggled through the 'party girl' sections of the book, in part because I couldn't relate to them, but primarily because the drunken antics stopped being funny as soon as I realised how they weren't in any way making her happy. It was incredibly difficult to read about her self-loathing, anxiety and dependence on drunken nights out.

Dolly tells stories of her brief, intense relationships - from a stranger proposing to her at JFK to a middle-aged guru asking to fly her out to France to spend a week with him - and explains how she came to the conclusion that she had always confused intensity for intimacy. But really, it is the love she knows through friendship that was the best to read in this book. I had so much respect for Dolly's best friend Farly by the end of the book, thanks to Dolly writing about her with such love and admiration. It is a real celebration of friendship.

Some of the most interesting and moving parts of the book came as Dolly talked about her personal therapy and the tragic death of Farly's sister. I found myself in tears as Dolly described her best friend's grief and then laughing again within minutes as she moved on to another topic. This memoir is funny, sad and fast-paced, just as life often is.

[This review will be posted on the link provided on 26 January.]

I will be talking about this book on my YouTube channel

I was immediately hooked by the nostalgic coverage of teenage MSN messenger etiquette and relationships. As a 30-something, this was painfully familiar and made me laugh the most out of everything covered in the book. And this book does cover a huge amount of topics and themes.

I related to a lot of the situations in this book, which is just what I wanted from this memoir. There were more poignant moments amidst all the dry wit and humour which gives depth to the story. I felt the honesty throughout the book.
There were a few paragraphs I skipped - I wasn't really interested in the recipe bits, even with the little bits of life commentary that went with them. I thought this distracted from the overall narrative.

Overall I enjoyed it, and related to a lot of the subject matter. I would happily read another book by the same author.

This review will be a little shorter than the average one, as there isn't much I can say about Everything I Know About Love as a non-fiction, without giving spoilers etc.

The biggest highlight of this read for me, aside from the amazing, sometimes hilarious, heartwarming, smart messages and stories, was the writing, because damn can Dolly Alderton write. Everything I Know About Love is written perfectly eloquently, and could almost spark any kind of emotion from the reader, ranging from angst, to heartbreak, to humour. It was just amazing.

In terms of the stories and messages throughout, this book covered so many reactions from me. There were parts were I was visibly sad, but more often than not, it was the humour I found within the story. So much of what Alderton has written was completely relatable and made you reflect on your own life and own stories, sometimes more serious aspects and sometimes more lighthearted, like remembering how MSN dominated your life when you were a young teen. My favourite parts of the book, however, were definitely the lists, of what Dolly knew about love at different ages and stages, which were scattered throughout the book!

Before reading Everything I Know About Love, I knew a little about Dolly Alderton, knowing her from her Sunday Times column and her podcast. However, I knew that I wanted to check this memoir out, as it sounded charming and smart. I was not disappointed and would highly recommend this if you're a fan of Dolly's or of memoirs/non-fiction with similar messages.

I received this E-Arc in exchange for an honest review and would like to say thank-you to Penguin for providing me with an advanced-readers-copy of this book.

Full Review on my blog: https://thereadingruby.blogspot.com/2018/01/book-review-everything-i-know-about.html

Just finished reading a review copy of Everything I Know About Love. I don't know whether to silently weep or bear hug my girlfriends, but I know I loved every witty, uplifting and smart word written. Unfailingly honest and totally relatable.

I'm a little older than Dolly so, despite this book being hyped up on social media, I was quite apprehensive about reading the diary of a twentysomething. I still don't think it's necessarily my thing, but we do have quite a few shared experiences, which was nice to see.
The life before social media is something that I remember very well and I enjoyed her mentions of Messenger (the ONLY form of communication when I was at school) and the preconceptions she had about romance when she was a teenager. Something I really didn't like was the recipes - there's really no need for them and they seem oddly placed.
I imagine this is quite a tedious book if you haven't had the same kind of experiences as Dolly, so it's certainly not for everyone.
All in all, a light, fluffy read - nothing too taxing, but a nice trip down memory lane.

Not really a book for me. I started reading it but did not enjoy this at all.

I wasn't enthralled with this book. Perhaps I had misconceptions about it before I started. I'm not really a huge fan of this style of book, but I'm sure it will appeal to some readers. It isn't poorly written, and she does make some funny/interesting points, but it's just not my kind of thing!

I am a HUGE fan of Dolly Alderton, I first discovered her writing via her dating column in The Sunday Times Style Magazine and I used to pour over it every week (I still haven’t forgiven my husband for interrupting me reading her final column to tell me something about a football match he was watching – spoiler alert, somebody kicked a ball at a net). It used to make me laugh, it used to make me cry and it used to make think. When I saw that she had written a memoir titled, Everything I Know About Love, I knew I had to read it.

I was a little worried at the beginning as I realised that I am a little older than Dolly, have had a vastly different upbringing, didn’t battle my way through my 20s dating and I have never been on Tinder in my life. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to relate but I soon realised that Everything I Know About Love is far-reaching and all-encompassing and, no matter your age or relationship situation is an entirely relatable read.

This is a hugely brave book, Dolly is unapologetically honest about her life, the mistakes she has made, the decisions that she has come to, the paths that she has taken and the ones she has ignored. I was blown away by the sincerity of her writing and felt like a voyeur at times peeking into her innermost thoughts and fears.

There are laugh out loud moments where I cackled – her observations of modern life, friendships, becoming an adult, growing up (two very different things) and the nuances of modern life are perfectly judged. I defy anybody who has been invited on a hen weekend or baby shower to not nod along and laugh at the satirical e-mails she has created (I am pretty sure that the invitation to celebrate with a bride to be is one that I have received before). It is rare to read something that I felt spoke to me and made me feel a little less alone. I really felt at times that this book was written for me, some passages felt so personal that I couldn’t tear my eyes away from it.

Then, there are moments of extreme sadness. Utter despair and heartbreaking incidents that made me sob. Her writing is so wonderful that these events affect you, her friends are your friends too and I felt utterly bereft and inconsolable at times. I loved the bonds that Dolly, Farley, India et al have. There is pure love, support and kicks up the bum when needed.

This is a funny, moving, emotional, insightful, honest, brave and wonderful read. I have highlighted so many passages to re-read at times when I need to feel restored and to remind me to be kind myself. Many thanks to NetGalley and Penguin Books for an advanced copy of Everything I Know About Love in return for an honest review, it was my absolute pleasure.

Many thanks for the copy of this wonderful book, I will be posting a full review on my blog around publication date and will promote via Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I will also post reviews on Goodreads and Amazon,

This book is funny. Not all funny, with recipes and advice and sad-times thrown in there. But it shows that we don't all follow the same path and that love is never easy. The ending is nice in that it focuses more on the love of friends, a group of girlfriends, who, as shown in this book, stick together through pretty much everything. A wonderful read for those in their twenties or even those not.