I'll admit I didn't expect this one to be so much a blow-by-blow account of the author's life/the times spent when her partner sustained a severe head injury. I'd imagined it would be more about conclusions and advice being passed through... Felt to me that the 'advice' would be more visible/easier to grasp on a second read of the book, once you got past the 'all this was happening' part that seems to be the pace of this whole expose.
Still, reading between the lines, there is advice and tips to be gleaned. Just know going in it is very much a memoir and not really a book about strategies and such
*review copy received via Netgalley - all opinions are honestly my own*

A fun book, but I think too light and close to self help to use in an academic classroom. However I did enjoy the writing and the author's fresh perspective.

LOVED loved loved this book.

The writing had me captivated from the start to finish, and I found myself reading it almost straight through one sitting. I look forward to reading more by this author.

Thanks to Netgalley for an electronic ARC of this title.

Butter Side Up is Jane Enright's memoir of a year in which she experienced great loss and change, and how she made it through. Much of the story is told in emails she sent to friends and family. Given the seriousness of her story, I found it to be a quick read that left me with a lot to ponder about life and how we handle what comes our way. This may be too serious for some book groups but would serve as a springboard for much discussion.

It's very encouraging to read how other people turned something that could have brought them down into something beautiful. This book came into my life at a time where I was really struggling. I enjoyed the way that the author included letters she had sent to family and friends. This was a beautiful and quick read.

Thank you for Netgalley for giving me a free ARC of this book.

I was interested in this memoir because personally I have been through a lot of dififcult stuff in my health life, and I needed some inspiration or "success stories" from other people going through something similar. Knowing of course, that everyone's journey is different, I think reading about the positive side of something bad is always a good way to change your perspective on your own life.

It's awfully incredible how many shitty things happened to our writer Jane. Starting off with her husband's accident, causing him to have medical issues with his brain and having to stay for weeks in the hospital. Then following her own personal problems and later on the death of a loved one. Not one person should ever suffer all the series of events that she had to suffer. And I have such high respect and adoration for her to go through that and actually be able to look at the glass half full.

But the book actually talks also about what happens afterwards, then later on I found out that this book was written based off the author's blog as she travels to create her super awesome life, as she states in her title.

I felt like the writing was a bit too casual for me, which sort of makes sense knowing that this is really a blog-post style of writing. I do like the conversational feel of it. And one of my favourite parts of the book were the emails in between the parts of the book. These were written by her during the difficult times of her caring for her husband in the hospital, sending the updates to their friends and family while also keeping the tone light and fun. Again, Jane's glass half full perspective definitely is something that not everyone can do and I admire her deeply for that.

I really enjoyed this book overall, and I liked her tips of being more mindful, and finding joy in life no matter how difficult it gets. Her philosophy really resonates with my own and it gives me more strength to go through my own problems, and if in the future I will experience unlucky or shitty things, I will look up to her and take her advices that she mentions in this book.

Overall a quick read, very inspiring memoir. Just too casual and unfortunately didn't really get me in the feels.

Although I found the author’s personal story interesting, I found the real value in this book to be the last 30%. Well laid out and easy to read tips and resources for people looking to have a more positive mindset and resilience for getting through tough times. Full review posted to Instagram.

Butter Side Up is a beautifully written memoir following Jane as she faces tragedy, health issues and loss. She inspires you to move ahead and not let change and difficult times get in the way of life.

I found myself loving the format of the book which included letters she was sending to friends and family during the year. This book covers heavy life topics and change, yet still left me with so much hope.

This was a quick read but still filled with substance.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Friesen Press for providing me an ARC.

This would be a great book for people who are new to the ideas of self-care and gratitude. It's part memoir and part guidebook, directed at those who are dealing with unplanned change in life, particularly due to trauma. She has a chapter at the end that specifically applies the concepts of the book to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was smart and very useful.

We get the author's story of what she calls her "most terrible year" of injuries to herself and her partner. We get the play by play as she faces those challenges and makes decisions about how to do what is best for herself through it all. It's interesting and I wanted to know how things turned out. However I found the writing simple and repetitive, and I didn't feel an emotional connection to the author.

Anyone who wants to pursue a super awesome life should read this book. Despite numerous setbacks that many would find impossible to move forward, Jane used them as lessons as to what is truly important and what she needed to do in order to make herself happy. She evaluated every situation with faith, gratitude and affirmations. As she said, life is change. Powerful and insightful.

This book is about the three unplanned changes that affected Jane Enright’s life and how she developed a strategy to thrive in the face of adversity.

Enright developed a traumatic brain injury while attending a sports event with her son. A volleyball was launched into the stands, striking and severely injuring her. As she was still healing, her partner experienced two consecutive traumatic brain injuries in quick succession from a car accident and a fall. The third unplanned change was the sudden death of a loved one.

The bulk of the book involves Enright’s journey of supporting her partner in the midst of dealing with significant issues within her own life, including her two sons moving out of her house to work in another country. Most chapters begin with an inspirational quote and end with a correspondence where she updates her friends and family. Her tools include acceptance, outside-in thinking, mindfulness, and gratitude. Also included are a list of resources for further reading, an addendum, two epilogues, and a list of book club discussion questions. The first epilogue provides a look into her volunteer activities at a kindergarten class and the second one revisits her relationship with her partner.

I found Enright’s voice upbeat and engaging as she shares the changes she made in her own life such as creating a website and podcast based around her experiences and philosophy. I was a little put off in that everything from the name of the book to her approach to her podcast has been trademarked. In the book, she discusses how she assumed the title of CEO of Everything to take change and advocate for her own care and that of her partner. She has owned her own company in the past and likely has a particular spin on intellectual property, which is fine yet odd when much of her ideas are based on those of others.

One of my favorite things about the book is how, in the Addendum, Enright discusses the COVID-19 pandemic as an example of unplanned change, making the a great point about the insidiousness of unplanned changes.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to NetGalley and FriesenPress for providing an Advance Reader Copy.

I could not put this book down and ended up reading it from start to finish in one sitting. This was a very inspiring book and it helped me think more clearly on my current life situation(especially on how everything is with the pandemic). Many of the things Jane talked about were very relatable. The book talks about unexpected change and also mentions loss which both honestly, hit too close to home. However, I really enjoyed reading about how she dealt with everything and it made me think about what I would have done in her situation. I really loved her OMG concept and I hope to interpret it into my life. Overall, this was incredible.

This book was just too sad and I was not able to finish it in 2020. I think that you need to be in a really good "head-space" in order to finish and read this book.

It was just a whim that made me hit the Net Galley green button for “Butter Side Up.” I have been enjoying some intriguing psychological memoirs in recent months such as Susan Cain’s outstanding “Quiet”, Lori Gottlieb’s “Maybe You Should Talk to Someone”, and Catherine Gildiner’s “Good Morning, Monster” (co-book of 2020 for me along with “Us Against You”). I enjoyed these so much that the blurb of Butter Side Up enticed me. And before I forget, kudos to whoever came up with the unique and engaging title and cover for the book.

This book (closer to a “nonfiction novella” if there were such a thing) takes place over about a year (from hell) when the author is hit with not one, not two, but three devastating life events. Most people would likely go over the edge if tsunamied like this; but Ms. Enright, just a regular person, not a celebrity, not a psychologist, decided she was going to do everything she could not to let that happen to her. And this is her story.

This is a fast read. The author takes us through the phases of her reaction to the unthinkable crises that hit her essentially all at once. Along the way, she comes upon her mantra, “OMG.” “O” stands for “outside-in” or objectiveness, vs. “inside-out”, which can open the way for a flood of incapacitating emotions. “M” stands for “mindfulness” or staying in the present time. Mindfulness helps prevent derailment by persistent thoughts of the past and the future, which can lead to depression or crippling anxiety, respectively. Then there is “G”, which stands for gratitude. In these circumstances, people who practice gratitude on a regular basis cope much better than those who do not.

The memoir ends at 71%. After that, Ms. Enright enriches us with practical details regarding how to incorporate OMG in life-changing circumstances. She also passes along links to other sources if one wishes to explore information and tips on a similar topic from other writers

This book made me think. How would I react if it were me in Ms. Enright’s situation? Would I have the tools to segue from a devastating year of negative life events to not only a “superawesome” (author’s word) year but a “superawesome” life like Ms.Enright did? It appears to be possible if you can effectively use the tools described. It’s not easy, but possible. From this memoir I will take away some helpful basics to try in times of unwanted change or loss. I also have a well-highlighted reference to turn to the next time I do find myself in this type of situation. It’s great to see how a regular person can make life-altering changes in her life. It takes some work, no doubt about it, but isn’t it worth it?

Many thanks to Net Galley, Friesen Press, and Ms. Jane Enright for an advanced copy of Butter Side Up. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.

What do you do when something bad happens? Jane experiences first-hand when her partner suffers a seizure, ends up with a traumatic brain injury, and lands in the hospital. While her tips are helpful, currently I am going through a rough personal time with my mom’s cancer diagnosis and treatment. I am not in the right mental headspace to fully process and apply her advice. I think if I reread a year later from now, I will more than likely find the book much more helpful.

Butter Side Up by Jane Enright is the inspiring story of how the author turned a year of tragedy and unexpected change into something positive, eventually opening the door to new opportunities and embracing gratitude. The inclusion of resources for further reading are a thoughtful addition, although I felt that the author could have delved a little deeper in sharing the process of navigating her grief and personal challenges. 3.5 stars

Many thanks to NetGalley and Friesen Press for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

A terrific book an emotional read I read it in one day.The author shares how to look at the bright side no matter how dark life gets.I will be recommending this excellent book and really appreciate the resource list at the end,#netgalley#friesenbooks

I read this in one sitting it was that good. Read with plenty of tissues. The front cover was genius, and it truly makes you think. Great read.

Thanks to author, publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book. While I got the book for free it had no bearing on the rating I gave it.

Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!

I appreciated Jane's honesty of her emotions during a difficult year. She experienced many life alteriing events all in one year. But Jane tries to focus on the positives and how she tries to stay focused on the good things. I enjoyed Jane putting resources at the end of the book on meditation and how to better take care of yourself, especially during this pandemic.

I received an advance copy of, Butter Side Up, by Jane Enright. I thought this book was good. It was informative and easy to read. We have all pretty much seen tragedy in our lives and others. This is one womens story.