4.5 stars, rounded up.

Jenny Lawson, AKA The Bloggess, has a new book out, and I do believe it’s my favorite. My thanks go to Net Galley and Henry Holt for the review copy. This book is for sale now.

Lawson bucks a somewhat disquieting trend, and I am so glad. The trend is to make the first three chapters—most likely what sells the book—sterling, and then fill the rest with mediocre, highly missable prose. In contrast, the earliest part of this memoir is good, but it’s not great. She starts slow and then builds toward most of her best material, leaving me smiling as the book concludes.

But let’s go back to the material at the start, which I find to be random in a way that yearns for the hand of a high profile editor. I’m throwing my hands up, wondering just why a professional writer would blather on like this. Can she write a coherent sentence, and then end it when it’s over? Of course, I continued reading and loved the essays in the middle, and as we draw near the end, she refers to the challenges she encounters in writing, citing her inclination to overwrite, and the resultant paragraphs that contain “a run-on sentence that would make an English teacher cut herself,” and I howled, because that’s it, exactly. Almost exactly, I mean; I was moaning, but I hadn’t reached for anything sharp.

What is it about depression and humor, and the connection between them? It’s hard to tease apart all of the components that make Lawson’s writing so compelling; to a certain extent, it’s alchemy of the human spirit, I suppose, combined with skill at self-expression. But there are other components much easier to spot. One is her disarming frankness; for example, she mentions that people, remarking on her twentieth wedding anniversary, ask about her secrets for a long and happy marriage, and she tells us that actually, not all of those years have been happy. There are good periods, and there are bad periods. And then she adds, not entirely jokingly, that part of the reason she is still married is that there are things in her marriage that she doesn’t write about.

But even more compelling is her level of perception, and her ability to understand the subtext of just about everything.

I’ll mention my favorite parts, but I am not giving up any more humorous quotes, because that’s a crappy thing to do to a humor writer. There’s a funny part having to do with shoes, and the kayaking trip from hell, which she dubs “Divorce Creek.” The chapter about Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, which is a serious bit for the purpose of informing us, is interesting and may be of help to a number of readers. (However, the searing honesty about her suicidal impulses might actually be a trigger for a profoundly depressed reader.) And the infuriating experiences she has had dealing with insurance makes me want to throw things, but it is important that she includes them here.

If you’re a fan of The Bloggess’s writing, you have to get this book. If you are new to her work, you can dive into this memoir without reading her previous ones. Highly recommended.

The whole thing is laugh-out-loud, snort-till-you-can't-breathe fantastic, but HOLY SHIT, that letter to her health insurance company? WOW.

Bless and keep Jenny Lawson. She continues to be such a charming light in the darkness.

The self deprecating, irreverent humor queen, Jenny Lawson, has a new release - and sign me up. I find Lawson's writing insightful and relatable as someone who also suffers from anxiety and I highlighted large chunks of the book as it spoke to my anxious mind. For example, in one chapter Jenny describes looking out the window of her hotel room in NYC "at locations that might as well have been on Mars. I got dressed and decided to go outside, if only for a minute. But I couldn't. I stood at my hotel door, and it might have been a brick wall.. It's not even something you can complain about without feeling stupid. I was being given such an amazing opportunity and I was losing it and there was nothing I could do about it."

Lawson's brand of humor is anecdotal, meandering, undeniably quirky and it strikes me as genuine - but I think it's important to acknowledge that her writing style might not appeal to all readers. Luckily, you can tell from chapter one if this book is for you, and if it is, you're good people - and if it's not, you're still good people.

I don't know if I've ever finished reading a book and wanted to immediately start reading it all over again, but with this one, I do.

It's full of Lawson's signature sense of humor, overflowing with the hilarity of excess and the unusual. It's also full of real, deep-seated, feel-it-in-your-gut truths. That's a hard line to balance, but Lawson has made it her brand. Hard lived heart with a cup of hearty sarcasm. Perhaps the best medicine for anyone who's ever battled mental health issues is a book by someone who knows exactly what they're talking about, with the courage to still laugh.

You don't need me to tell you read it, just go on and read it. You'll thank yourself. But also, and seriously, let's thank Jenny Lawson.

An enthusiastic 5 STARS for this wonderfully hilarious and vulnerable book by Jenny Lawson. I have loved everything she has written and she remains an important voice in bringing honesty, knowledge, and humor to the world of living with and accepting one's mental health. This book not only reflected my own struggles with Depression, but helped me greatly in having a better understanding of my daughter's Acute Generalized Anxiety Disorder. This is a book that EVERYONE should read as we work towards a greater understanding and acceptance of mental health awareness.

In Jenny Lawson's newest book, she returns with more adventures with wild animals, mental illness, and fights with her husband Victor. While reading her previous two books, Let's Pretend This Never Happened and Furiously Happy, I laughed until I cried multiple times. This book was no exception. Lawson is able to relay stories of depression, anxiety, and treatment plans and problems in a way that not only can readers relate, but that they will laugh as they say "Me too!". Fans of Lawson's previous books will not be disappointed by this installment and new readers will eagerly look to find previous books after finishing this one. I am recommending it to everyone I know.

This week we are moving into a mixed genre of Autobiography and Humor. I seem to be on quite a roll here with changing genres each week.

Once again like Historical Fiction, which I seem to end up reading a lot of when I don’t mean to, I do not generally read Autobiographies. There isn’t a great reason why I don’t but somehow, they don’t seem to rise to the top of my TBR pile.

BUT… I will always make an exception for Jenny Lawson. I realize it is very possible that you have never heard of Jenny Lawson. Or is it just that I think that no one else’s mind works the same way as mine? Anyway…. I think that I first heard about Jenny Lawson at a convention for bloggers. Yes, there is such a thing, and I went once. Jenny Lawson is The Blogress. (https://thebloggess.com/) and she is funny. Her first book, Let’s Pretend It Never Happened was hysterical. It came out in 2012 and I still remember some of the funny parts. This is saying a lot because I have read many books since 2012.


In Broken, Jenny Lawson blends very funny stories with her own story of depression and anxiety. The book seesaws between laugh out loud funny– I did laugh out loud and would read parts to Silent Sam who didn’t seem to appreciate the humor as much as I did – and parts where you just want to help her through her bad times. She is honest about her bad times and what she has done to try and help herself. She is under a doctor’s care and in the book, you follow her problems with side effects and fighting the insurance company. The book is a look into her world and how debilitating and funny it can be. The stories she tells about herself will make you feel better about every time you have said the wrong thing. (It is a wonder that her husband ever takes a conference call at home.)

The most succinct way I can sum up the book is to say that it will break your heart while you are laughing. Her perspective is her own. She is obviously very intelligent – her mind makes leaps that frequently seem completely different than where my mind would go in a particular instance, but her leaps do make sense when you read them.

At the end of the book, there is a section called “A Note about the Cover”. In it, she talks about how she ran across the artwork of Omar Rayyan. In his artwork, he has

“…strange and whimsical paintings of people carrying their own baffling little monsters, dangerous looking creatures that were wild and untamed and often happily destroying everything around them. I suspect I’m projecting, but I’ve never seen a collection of art that more perfectly encapsulated how I felt about my own battle with depression and anxiety and the monsters in my head…”

She goes on to talk about her personal “beasties” and how they are terrible but there is something about our personal beasts that is wonderful and unique to each of us.

“Embrace your beasties. Love your awkwardness. Enjoy yourself. Celebrate the bizarreness that is you because, I assure you, you are more wondrous than you can possibly imagine… monsters and all.”

And that is her message to all of us. We are all wonderful in our own way. And after reading her story, it is moving that her desire is to build you up while it is such a struggle for her.

Yes, Yes, Yes, I recommend this book. It is not easy and not fun all the way but it is beautiful in its own way. (And I was given a ARC of the book in exchange for my honest review.)

Thanks for reading.

This may be my favorite Jenny Lawson book yet. I could not stop laughing listening to this. I definitely recommend listening to the audiobook for her books because she narrates them and it's always hilarious. I will pick up anything she writes!

I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for. an honest review.

Jenny Lawson is a treasure. After 2020, I’ve been obsessed with books that can make me laugh out loud because we all need a few extra laughs! This book did that for me.

Please reread those last two words, “for me.” While I found her humor amusing, I don’t know if it would be for everyone. I would suggest giving it a try if you’re a fan on hers! Or, if you enjoy a mix of hilarious stories and serious topics, this could be for you too.

Her biggest topic throughout the more series stories is mental illness. While I related to a few stories, I absolutely think this book helps spin the negative stigma on mental illness. She explains how much she enjoys life while living with her illness and I think more people need to read these firsthand stories more often.

Since I had the opportunity to read and listen to the audiobook, I preferred the audiobook since it was narrated by Lawson herself! So! If you are picking between the two, I would suggest the audio.

Big thank you for the ARC

Broken (in the Best Possible Way

I Picked Up This Book Because: I enjoy the author’s work.

Media Type: Digital
Source: Netgalley
Dates Read: 3/11/21 - 4/7/21
Stars: 4.5Stars

The Story:

Here we are again entering the mind of my favorite mad woman, Jenny Lawson. A deep feeling soul with a very strange way of thinking. Fortunately her strange fits and makes her books so enjoyable. Ms Lawson had perfected the art of taking us on a journey through REAL but with such grace, humor and gentleness that we can almost forget a lot of her writing is sparked from the lowest points of human experience. While she speaks of depression and the difficulties of getting proper treatment here in the U.S. she also entertains us with stories as if we were just friends sitting around a firepit with a glass of wine and time to just enjoy each other's company.

I did receive this book as an advanced copy but I will soon be picking up the audio version because I missed her voice/tone/inflections throughout her tales and I also hear her cat makes cameos throughout the book because she had to record it at home.


The Random Thoughts:



Challenges:

TBR 20 in 21 - From/set in a country you’re from

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt and Co. for a copy in exchange for my honest review.

Jenny Lawson is back with her current essay collection, Broken (in the best possible way). Jenny highlights her mental health struggles in many of the essays. As someone you battles with anxiety I felt seen in some of her writing. We've started talking more about mental health, especially with the pandemic, but it's something Jenny Lawson has never shied away from. Jenny also discusses her battles with her health insurance which is something I think almost everyone can commiserate with. Our health insurance companies shouldn't be the ones to dictate what is best for our health when our doctors want to do something different. I can't count the number of times my doctors and I have fought with my insurance to get arthritis medication that would work best for me.

A theme highlighted throughout Jenny Lawson's collection is although you may feel alone you aren't. There is someone going through a similar journey although you may not know it. Don't let the demons win but try to persevere because you are wanted.

There were quite a few laugh out loud moments while reading. My husband got to hear quite a bit back as I read portions to him. Thank you Jenny Lawson for being a bright beacon in this messed up world we live in.

If you haven’t read a book by Jenny Lawson then you are absolutely missing out. I know that some people are thrown by her covers. She explains them and it’s so perfect. It makes absolute sense! For example, in this book she talks about the illustrator that did this, has a lot of “people carrying their own baffling little monsters” in his collection. She says, “I take mine out in the sun and try to appreciate that the flowers it rips up from the garden can sometimes be just as lovely when stuck in the teeth of its terrible mouth.”

Jenny is brilliant at making you laugh, mostly at her expense, and then getting really real with you. She is so honest and unfiltered. A lot of her thoughts start in one direction but then has these long tangents. Honestly, sometimes it’s the best part! I’ve learned so much about her, her thinking process, and her mental health. I love how real she is and doesn’t shy away from the uglier side of things. She lays it all out there. She tackles some sensitive and hard things but can bring the humor too.

This book really does kind of pull you in a lot of directions, emotionally. There are some really serious things she talks about. For example, a chapter is a letter written to her insurance company. It’s not funny and it’s so sad but very true. She opens up a lot about her therapy and treatments. Not only that but all the diseases she has and medications she’s taking that cause other side effects. It’s not funny at all but I’m so glad that she sheds a light on these things. She does it in a way that doesn’t say, “feel sorry for me” but it’s just what it is.

I highly recommend the audio version. It give it so much more and I really enjoyed it. I listened while I read along and it made it all the better. If you are looking for a great audiobook/book then I highly recommend this one.

Thank you to Henry Holt & Company for sending me a copy of Broken (in the best possible way) by Jenny Lawson via Netgalley.

I love Jenny Lawson and if we both didn't have such an aversion to people, I would want us to be friends. Broken is more like a collection of essays even though there are threads that may link the chapters. Some are hilarious. Some are serious. Some take you deep into mental health issues. Some are just crazy adventures, usually with animals. I found myself highlighting almost every passage, so I had to stop. What good are highlights if they cover the whole book????

I found her letter to her health insurance company especially poignant because it encapsulated all my feelings about health care in the United States. It's infuriating. But of course, my favorite stories are about Jenny and animals. When it comes to animal rescue, I have found my kindred spirit in Jenny. I too have rescued a rat, and not even a nice feeder rat, but a street rat in an unfortunate predicament. Also, I would like Jenny to name all my pets because she does come up with the best names.

If you need a laugh, read this book!

I was sent an advanced read copy of this book from the publisher though all thoughts are my own and I'm so very grateful to have a copy to cherish!

Jenny talks about her struggles with depression, anxiety and other mental health issues, chronic illnesses with rheumatoid arthritis being among them along with the struggles to get the right medication while fighting with her insurance, being a mother, wife and her sense of humor. I haven't laughed so hard reading a book in a long time which was such a wonderful feeling and was well worth the odd looks I'd get while reading this book in public.

She mentions her struggles with leaving the house, days where her depression leaves her in a fog and her memory is not very good so often she'll forget what she's doing or the conversations that she's had. I found myself cheering for Jenny when she was able to go on a vacation with her family and what a natural high it brought her because it's something she was able to do for herself as well as her family.

I found myself laughing about some aspects especially her list of why she shouldn't to go parties, the whole chapter that was titled "Awkwarding Brings Us Together" and other awkward moments she's encountered that I can relate to in a number of ways. It really is a struggle to sometimes have a regular conversation with someone without feeling like you're being an odd duck to so speak. Much of what she talked about in the last chapter really hit a chord though I won't go into details because that involved spoilers but will stay with me for some time and gives a glimpse into just how important it is to be nice to each other because you never know what things some one may be going through. I related to this book in a number of different ways as I struggle with my own mental health and I'm so glad that this book exists because it's important to talk more about mental health and to be able to laugh about some aspects of it while also riding the roller coaster so to speak of life.

One of my favorite quotes by her that I will hold close and brought tears to my eyes (in a good way): Forgive yourself for being broken. For being you. For thinking those are things you need forgiveness for.

Whether you have read any previous books by Jenny or read her blogs or not, I highly recommend checking out this book as it is well worth a read. She has quickly become one of my favorite authors and I will happily read anything she writes.

I received an e-ARC of this book, but to the surprise of almost no one, I actually wound up listening to it on audio and let me tell you, that was the way to go. Jenny Lawson is unsurprisingly brilliant at narrating her own story, but like, truly, the way all of the emotions shine through. Her stories are wild and ridiculous and hilarious and sometimes so heart wrenching. As with any essay collection, some of the essays worked better for me than others, but, as with all essay collections, I actually have no idea how to review it. So... Here goes, I guess.

Jenny Lawson has a lot of illnesses that have all sorts of impacts on her life. She also has tremendous social anxiety, generalized anxiety, OCD, and depression. She's married and has a daughter. There are stories in here related to basically all of those things and wow, the horror of thinking through the fact that the medicine that is saving you in many ways is also killing you was... intense. She has chronic pain and briefly touches on going to the hospital and having people call her a drug seeker, which is a really negative thing I know many people with chronic pain have dealt with.

Her stories about her arguments with her husband delighted me though because they have some of the most hilarious arguments. I thought MY brain and mouth connection meant that I have a stream of consciousness thing that happens sometimes, when I'm over tired, but it turns out I had no idea. She is so funny and open about the things that come through her head and I was so delighted to find out that this is normal. (In at least that other people do it too.)

There were multiple chapters where I would have to pause the audiobook because I was laughing too hard to hear it. But, there were also chapters that were heavier and made me tear up. Her grandmother had dementia and the entire chapter was so poignant and I just really loved hearing from her perspective.

All in all, I'm so grateful to Netgalley and the publisher for approving me for the e-ARC, sorry I wound up purchasing and listening instead? Definitely worth it though. This book was marvelous.

Broken started off great, with some extremely funny, laugh out loud essays. But then it got really sad. I totally understand how she is trying to normalize depression and anxiety and share what she goes through, but it was too much for me and I ended up just skimming those chapters. But the funny half of the book was very entertaining, other than the Shark Tank essay, which fell flat for me.

Jenny has done it again. Her essays are witty, funny, and make you think. I caught myself laughing out loud as I did with her other books. Even those unfamiliar with Jenny or her blog will find her essays funny. Those that don't understand sarcasm may want to stay away from Jenny's books. Overall I enjoyed Broken, and can't wait to see what Jenny does next.

Thanks to the Jenny Lawson, Henry Holt and Co., and NetGalley for a digital copy of this book.

Jenny Lawson never disappoints! Her openness with her struggle and never-ending battle with mental illness, her candor, wit and humor make her such a brilliant author (and person, I bet!) and Broken is just more proof of that. I enjoyed how the chapters seemed to go from funny and ridiculous to introspective and soft in a well-balanced way, with her well-known unfiltered sense of humor ever present. Highly recommend it!

Jenny Lawson's Broken made my cry, made me laugh, and often both at the same time. Her straight forward approach to talking about her struggle with mental illness is both relatable and inspiring. Mix in her hilarious brand of humor, and you have a wonderful book filled with laughter and heartfelt honesty. I can't recommend this book and her other titles enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review Broken.

I was worried at work this afternoon. I was on my break, reading a chapter of Jenny Lawson’s Broken (in the best possible way) on my phone, and I can only imagine what it would have looked like had someone walked by. They’d probably have thought I was having a seizure, since I was quietly trying to control the loud snorts I wanted to make, grabbing tissues to catch the tears coming from eyes. And had Lawson herself been there, she’d been high-fiving me. (Or maybe, she’d try to but miss and accidentally slap me, but that would only make us laugh harder. She’s that kind of awkward, and I am completely all in for it!)

That is how funny this book is—it will make you look like you’re having a seizure because you’re laughing so hard. Lawson will tell you stories about attic vampires and vaginal lasers and that time leprechauns were in her house, and you will laugh so hard that you will stop caring how you look to others.

And you will need those moments, because not all the chapters are like that. Some of the chapters are about Lawson’s fighting to stay sane despite depression and anxiety, fighting to stay healthy despite a host of autoimmune disorders, fighting with her insurance company to get some relief from all of that and to have them cover the cost or even just part of the cost. When she’s not achingly hilarious, she’s frustrated and angry, having to deal with a health insurance system that fights against her almost as much as her own body does.

Anyone dealing with chronic physical or mental illness will understand her struggles—trying to get a diagnosis, trying to get the right treatment, sometimes just trying to be heard. There is a chapter called An Open Letter to My Health Insurance Company that I think should be a downloadable file with certain phrases left open, so that others can fill it in like a personal health-related Mad Lib and print it out and send it to for-profit health insurance companies, Congresspersons, pharmaceutical companies, and anyone else who might be in a position to help patients get access to the treatments that their doctors are recommending. (She actually did send it to her insurance company, and it convinced them finally to let her try a different treatment for her depression, and that worked wonders for her).

And that’s how it is in Broken. Lawson takes you into her confidence about her health issues, and then she shares stories of social awkwardness that spread throughout the internet so thoroughly that you can actually pull a muscle laughing because the time you accidentally said, “Thanks, love you,” to the cashier at the drugstore is just a starting point for the long list of awkward encounters that people are willing to share.

And that’s what hope feels like. It’s struggling and then embarrassing yourself and then laughing until you cry. It’s fighting with your significant other and thinking about breaking up with them and then realizing just how much time and energy it would take just to finish the paperwork, much less do the actual moving of things, and realizing that you’re too lazy to break up and so you stay together until you get back to that point where you love each other and can’t live without the other. It’s just life. It’s good and then it’s difficult and then you laugh or you cry or maybe both and then it all goes back to good again. Because that’s not just what hope feels like. It’s also what love feels like, and it’s what life feels like.

Do I really need to say how much I loved this book? Lawson’s honesty and genuinely unique perspective on life combine in crazy ways to create stories that make you snort laugh, cringe, shake your head, nod in agreement, and consider befriending an owl and naming it Owly McBeal, because isn’t that adorable? Even if maybe she does drop a squirrel onto your head.

I feel like I’ve gotten off-topic. I think this book is ideal for anyone who is struggling with mental illness, chronic illness, depression, frustration, loneliness, buttworms, cellulite, or vampires using emails to try to sell you immortality. It would also make a perfect gift for anyone on the list above or for your best friend, so you can laugh together at all the funny parts.

Broken (in the best possible way) is a celebration of what us makes us unique, funny, interesting, sad, angry, and human. It’s a judgment-free zone filled with friendship and fellowship for anyone who knows what it is to struggle. In short: it’s for humans. It’s for us all. I just hope that you are broken enough to enjoy this book as much as I did.

Egalleys for Broken (in the best possible way) were provided by Henry Holt & Company through NetGalley, with many thanks.