Very relatable book. I have often found myself going “I don’t want to do this” about certain social obligations and the author nailed it on the head.

I absolutely loved this book. From the start I was captivated by the writing style and stories and there were many laugh-out-loud moments for me as I read.

I am not usually a big fan of the yearlong quest genre, but even though this book loosely fits that category, to me it is much more. The main focus is on what happens when an introvert makes an effort to stretch beyond normal comfort levels and engage with people in a variety of life circumstances and using many different methods, sourced from various experts.

The author decided to spend a year doing things that put her in uncomfortable social settings to see if she could relieve her loneliness. She shares both her successes and her failures in a series of often-humorous scenarios. I appreciate the balance she offers and most importantly, I leave this book inspired to try some of her methods for myself. I am unlikely to become a standup comic but I definitely can see myself purposefully being more outgoing and really working to have deeper conversations.

Exactly what I hoped for in this book! If you're an introvert, you'll relate well to the habits and quirks of introverts ( and may take some comfort in knowing how common introversion is.) It's a formula that often works very well -- I'll spend a year doing x, and write a book about it -- and in this case it works well. This book also helped me understand the highly-introverted people in my life, as I added another layer of value to this book. This book deserves all the good buzz it's getting, and an enormous value here is getting people to think about and read about introverts. They've been misunderstood for a very long time, judged harshly in some instances, and are easy targets for being cast aside. I liked this fresh look into introversion from multiple angles and find it to be a terrific book club pick since there's so much to discuss: do you really need to 'overcome' introversion entirely? Where is the line for YOU? Maybe it's not something that needs to be fixed. Maybe pushing into discomfort a little bit is a smart choice for all aspects of your life, but if you want to be introverted at times, and you give yourself permission to be in your own peace, that can be a wonderfully healing place to be.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for the review ARC. This is a good one.

As a fellow introvert, and completely understanding where she comes from, I have to say I truly enjoyed this book. Not only was I was amazed at how many things Jessica tried during this experimental year, but I am also inspired! I laughed, I shook my head, I got a little teary towards the end. Although I liked this book a lot, there were times when it seemed to drag along. Overall this was a fun read and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read it. Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a digital arc of this book. And Jessica Pan - I want to be one of your friends and come to your next dinner party!!

I would have loved to read this book. I saw that it was not available through the Kindle app and researched alternative apps to access it. I tried all apps recommended in the help message to no avail.

I still want to read this. Please reach out to me if you can provide a paper copy for me to review and I'll be happy to do it.

whatkelreads@gmail.com

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher Andrews McMeel Publishing for a free digital version of this book to review!
Rating (on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being excellent)
Quality of writing: 4
Pace: 3
Enjoyability: 4
Insightfulness: 4
Ease of Reading: 4

Overall rating: 4 out of 5

This book is so good and light hearted thanks Netgalley and the publisher for letting me get a copy for an honest review. I thought it was light hearted a quick read. The author an introvert pushing herself to do extrovert things was a good thing for me to read because I am also an introvert and it kind of Gave me a push to try and do more extrovert activities.

I really liked this book. The author, an introvert, pushed herself to extroverted things. This was a fun, light hearted read. I did find it a bit repetitive at times. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

Overall, this was a very entertaining memoir with plenty of fun and relatable stories. I felt like Jess and I have a lot in common and she seems genuinely funny and interesting. I also like that on top of being a memoir, this book included a lot of well-researched studies and interviews from psychologists, therapists and other experts who helps Jess on her journey of extroverting. I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to other introverts and extroverts who are looking for different ways to be more extroverted and make new friends.

I wouldn't really recommend this to highly introverted and sensitive individuals though. My boyfriend, for example, is super introverted and when I told him about this book, just the thought of wandering around the subway talking to strangers made him uncomfortable and gave him anxiety. For me, doing improv and stand-up is where I draw the line but it's still interesting to read another introvert's experience in overcoming their introverted fears (besides, Jess ended up having a lot of fun doing improv and stand-up, so I'm happy for her).

Unfortunately I did not read this book because of two reasons. The first was that the book was not available to download on my kindle. And the second the author was someone who did not interest me at all. I tried to like the narrator but I could not.

Jessica Pan is an introvert and it is extremely difficult for her to make friends. She bails on engagements, is terrible at small talk, and the only friend she really has his her husband Sam.

She decides to change all of this by going out into the world and researching the best ways to connect to people and gives herself a year to really make a change.

This books takes her from Improv to learning how to have a meaningful conversation with another person.

It’s lighthearted, funny, and a bit of a self-help book. I don’t think you have to be introvert to truly appreciate this book. You can be just a human wanting to better your connections with others.

*I received an ARC of Sorry I’m Late, I Didn’t Want to Come from Andrews McMeel Publishing vía NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to Andrews McMeel Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book - Jessica Pan takes us into her world as a "shintrovert" (shy introvert) and what she experienced during a year of trying to live more like an extrovert. Her writing style is warm, witty and personable, and it's hard to believe that she really is introverted and shy. I am definitely more of an extrovert, and found hearing her side of the story very illuminating, in terms of being a better friend to introverts.

From the reviews I saw before I read the book, I understand some people thought it would be more scientific and go into mental health aspects like anxiety, panic attacks etc. and give advice on that level - and it most certainly is not, nor does it pretend to be. The author does consult various experts on how to overcome challenges (talking to strangers, networking etc.) and I liked the way she works lots of facts and statistics into the narrative without bogging it down. There is also a short bibliography included at the back, although this is not footnoted in the text of the book.

Overall - well-written and highly recommended!

I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley!!

Once I saw the word Introvert on the cover, I knew this was the book for me.
What would happen if an introvert lived like an extrovert for a year?

This is a highly relatable memoir about that exact question. As an introvert myself, I can't even imagine how difficult it was to force yourself to say yes and put yourself into the very situations you actively avoid. I applaud her for doing so AND documenting it so we can all read it and hopefully be inspired. This was a comical read, and I envy her coruage for trying.

Seriously, read it! You'll love it too.

This book spoke to my soul. As an introvert who's struggling to find good friends, Jessica Pan's year of pushing her boundaries both intrigued and terrified me. She describes each foray with honesty and humor. Though I'm not sure i could do the same it has given me motivation to put myself out there more often. This book was a pleasure to read.

Being an introvert, this book was a perfect choice for me. I loved how the author challenged herself for an entire year to live outside of her comfort zone and try to become more extroverted. Some of the chapters--like the ones about public speaking and doing stand-up comedy--made me sweat. It was so encouraging to see that she could attempt these extroverted hurdles and live to tell the tale! The author's voice is personal, never judgemental, and always funny. She was never preachy and didn't make me feel like because I am also an introvert that I needed to engage in the same kind of experiment. But I loved reading about her insight and feel that I gained some helpful advice to put myself out there a little more. This book isn't for everyone--I'm not sure that anyone who isn't an introvert would enjoy this book (hence the reason for fewer stars)--but I would highly recommend it for all of the introverts out there.

As an introvert with occasionally crippling social anxiety, I regarded Jess Pan's book warily. I saw the cover online, laughed at the icing-on-the-cake image, and then gave the subtitle a little side-eye. An introvert… saying yes… for a whole year? Say it ain't so.

Alas, Pan pulled me in with enticing  hopes of being more extroverted without it costing me my sanity, and I'm very happy I gave this one a chance.

I'll start off by saying that motivational, inspirational books like You Are a Badass and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck are my jam. I love fist pumping my way through and being completely convinced (while sitting quietly alone in my house) that I can conquer all my social-anxiety fears and do anything. And then I put the book down and happily prepare for an afternoon in peaceful solitude. The thing I feel these books have in common is that they were written by extroverts. What makes Pan's work so convincing is that the root of her perceived issues stems from her being an introvert. Yes!

After acknowledging that maybe she could use a bit more of a social life, Pan vows to spend the following year doing things well outside of her comfort zone, including going to networking events where she doesn't know anyone (gasp), meeting women from Bumble BFF for coffee or drinks in the hope of feeling the elusive friend-spark (yikes), taking an improv comedy class (please, no), traveling alone and letting a complete stranger pick the destination (you can't even use a guidebook for help making plans when you get there: double yikes), doing stand-up comedy (I'd rather die), and hosting a dinner party (I mean, at least these people already like her). 

I so totally appreciated the lengths Pan went to for this book. Instead of making bold proclamations about how totally rewarding uncomfortable social events can be (*cough* only an extrovert would say this *cough*), she goes out and does the legwork for us introverts reading with apt attention. And guess what: sometimes it really sucks. She had some really awful, panic-inducing, I'd-rather-be-anywhere-but-here moments along the way, but she stuck with it and came out with a group of unexpected new friends to invite to a dinner party. 

Pan is the introvert that acknowledges that sometimes introversion is a bit of a problem, makes the resolution to try her hand at extroversion, and faces her fears for an entire year to learn that some of the stuff she was (any many introverts are, I'm sure) afraid of really wasn't that bad. She morphs from a "shintrovert" (shy introvert) into a budding "grintrovert" (gregarious introvert) in hilarious, heartwarming fashion. 

Her story is one that will stick with me when I'm dreading a networking event or considering cancelling plans, and I'll recommend her advice to many of my introvert friends. 

Many thanks to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jessica Pan's memoir feels relatable to me in so many ways. I kept finding myself nodding along as I go through the pages. I enjoyed Jessica's humor and am thankful for the tips to be a bit more "grintovert" in life. Would definitely recommend this to my other "shintrovert" friends.

I was totally intrigued when I saw the title of this book. I am a social introvert and I enjoyed this lighthearted but relatable non-fiction book that read like an engaging novel.

As a shy introvert frequently known as a "shintrovert", Jessica Pan decided to take a year to step out of her shell and enter the "extroverted world". After a family crisis in her family turned into a light bulb moment she realized she was lacking in the friend's department. She decided to take this time to focus on connecting with new people who might just turn into the good friends she was hoping for in her own life.

She shares her trials and tribulations and also the things she learned along the way...many of which, pleasantly surprised her. This book was insightful and humorous and if this title catches your eye, you might enjoy it too!
Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Publisher for this early copy!

I connected a lot with this memoir and Pan's writing style. She went beyond the stereotypical in a great way. I will for sure be reading more of her work in the future. I recommend checking it out, it was informative and well-written. I will be posting a more detailed review soon.

This was a very interesting take on what it is like to be an introvert trying to function in the everyday world. There was some humor and a great understanding of what it is like to be an introvert that gives insight for those who are not.