A fun meandering book that focuses on identity and being a writer and is both fun and fearless in its approach. Clear and incisive writing and a lovely book structure.

DNF at 32% - couldn’t get into this one, I found the reflections on the importance of reading to writing (having something to chew on, good as nutrition) great, but otherwise found it slow going.

this is a book by a writer for writers. it’s about pounding the pavement and hustling and begging and dreaming. it’s about feeling seen but also scared. it’s about home, and what that means, and how we find it. i’m a huge fan of jami attenberg, and I relished the chance to get a glimpse inside her world. she is brave and bold and wonderful.

TikTok review to come!

Thanks to Netgalley and Ecco for the ebook. The author gives you such an interesting glimpse into the life of the writer by giving you her life and anxieties about her life and not the breakdowns or eureka moments of the actual books she wrote (she refers to the third book as that, never giving you the title). But the everything else is so interesting. Coming from a modest midwestern family, the author lives on the margins of life for so many years with no safety net except for the extraordinary friends she makes along the way. She has such a need for movement. When things get secure at a job she quits. When she’s in a city too long, she moves. You get the feeling that she’s going to be one of those people who was the most talented writer in her MFA class, but then never does much after that. But then she sells a book and then another and on and on until she is a person who can actually make a living as a writer. It’s lovely, after all these struggles, to see her successful and to find a home for herself in New Orleans.

I had never heard of this author before II read her book. She is around my age and I am very familiar with the area of the Midwest where she spent her childhood. Her theme in this book is her roving lifestyle. She has lived many different places and finds inspiration from her surroundings for her writings. She has lived an unconventional lifestyle, but it seems to work for her.

Jami Attenberg was a hard worker. She worked the cash register at a pharmacy, waitressed, worked at a library. And eventually, she sold words in the form of books. This memoir shows the author finding her own voice as a writer and as a woman. She revisits growing up in the suburbs of Chicago and how she found home in the pages of books such as Laura van den Berg’s I Hold a Wolf by the Ears and Just Kids by Patti Smith. Her transient life on the road as a writer takes a toll has Attenberg questioning, what should a person be willing to risk for their creativity? Fans of Attenberg’s writing and readers interested in what life as an author can be like will enjoy this book. Thank you to Ecco and to NetGalley for the advanced review copy of this book.

I love Jami Attenberg and her ability to paint a picture so accurately. I will read any book that she writes; I am a life long reader.

This engaging memoir takes readers into the world of a writer navigating the highs and lows of a career as a novelist. At the same time, it offers a frank portrayal of a woman who follows her own path and refuses to settle for a life dictated by societal conventions.

Everyone knows that the creative life isn't easy. This is why our parents tell us to study computer science or business instead of art. Most people would probably choose a useful, practical vocation over the demanding, intrusive call of artistic endeavor, but some people have no choice. Those people, the ones with no choice, will recognize the drive, struggle and joy of Jami Attenberg's artistic life. I definitely did. With her Gen X attitude, love of travel and need for the "curative effect" of writing, she feels like a kindred spirit.

Jami Attenberg's memoir is more thematic than chronological. And while my preference tends toward chronological memoirs, I understand the rationale behind her thematic approach, though, at times, the bouncing timelines did strike me as somewhat disjointed.

Dividing her book into 3 sections (1. Take Off - The Long and Winding Runway, 2. Brief and Dire Spasms of Turbulence, and 3. A Landing, of a Kind), Attenberg shares her experiences as well as her reflections on life knowing that writing has always been her stabilizing force and the one part of her life where she feels most connected to who she is.

The analogy that life is a little bit like an airplane ride was not lost on me since Attenberg (the daughter of a traveling salesman) has spent most of her adult life on the road traveling to various book events..
Her writing is honest and at times, raw, but entertaining. An enjoyable read.

I would like to thank #NetGalley and the publisher for providing #Icameallthiswaytomeetyou eARC.

Reading this was a mixed experience. On one hand, this is a brave book - Jami Attenberg pulls no punches, sharing candidly about her peripatetic life in which she has forged her own way again and again. It’s gripping, and at times harrowing. But I also spent a good bit of time confused - by the jumping timelines, by her claim that relationships were the most important thing she collected in those years (after which I realized she’d described almost none of the people she’d mentioned with as much specificity as the furniture in one of her squalid apartments), and with how she suddenly left her nomadic life in NY/LA to settle down in New Orleans. Huge things just happened with little prelude or examination, while small details are drawn out to the point of obsession. A complicated book.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy of this book.

I loved Jami Attenberg's novels All Grown Up and Sainte Mazie, so I was keen to read her memoir. This book provides really interesting insight into the life of a struggling writer trying to make it as a novelist - from couch-surfing in friends' home across the country to odd jobs and more. It never grabbed me the way her novels did but I still appreciated a peek into the writer's life. Best for fans or for wanna-be writers. And if you liked this, definitely try her novels too.

I remember after reading “All Grown Up,” seeing Attenberg tweeting about how people kept saying the main character was unlikable. And I was surprised, because it never occurred to me. Andrea just seemed real—flawed, as we all are. Why do people immediately resort to this criticism, and why is it typically only reserved for women?

What I loved about this book is that Attenberg presents the full picture of herself, warts and all. And if you’re a book underliner, as I am, get those pencils ready. Jami is self-deprecating, but she does admit to being a great writer, and she’s right.

Generous, big-hearted, and perfect for fans of Attenberg's weekly newsletter. She talks a lot about the editing process for this memoir in the newsletter, so if you're a writer and like those geeky, nitty-gritty insights, be sure to check out the winter 2020/2021 months in Craft Talk on substack.

I really gave this an honest shot, but it was ultimately not for me. I ignorantly assumed it was going to be more essay-based than memoir.

I was given an advanced readers' copy in exchange for an honest review.

Five easy stars.. I flew through the pages devouring her experiences. While I love this author, I am not usually a fan of this genre, but she made it seem more like a story and less like a memoir. We are lucky to be living and reading in the same times as Jami Attenberg.

First of all, thank you to Netgalley and Ecco books for providing me with a free review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I have loved Jami Attenberg's work since I first read ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS when it came out. Since I heard about her memoir coming out, I have been waiting with baited breath for the chance to read it. I was not disappointed.

This book follows Jami's life from her childhood with her parents all the way to present day, lingering on the memorable events in her life that have shaped her into the writer and woman she is today. Her ability to recall and then paint for the reader those memories in such sharp, exacting detail is masterful at least and astounding at best. Every scene from her life plants the reader in the moment, leading them gently by the hand as a good friend would through a crowded street. At times, you feel as if she is sitting beside you, telling you the story as the two of you share drinks and food and a cool, shady spot, a relief from the sun. I laughed at times and cried at others, and the combination of the two kept me enthralled throughout the experience.

I would happily (and most likely will) read this memoir again, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a funny and fierce take on friendship, passion, and life.

Job Well Done goes out to Jami Attenberg for her moving midlife memoir #ICameAllThisWayToMeetYou. Primarily, the book chronicles Ms. Attenberg’s life through her 20’s, 30’s and 40’s in her quest to become a well respected author. We meet someone who is constantly on the move, both figuratively and literally, while she hones her talents. Throughout, Attenberg is anchored by her many friendships and goes any distance, be it around the block or around the world to maintain these relationships. Ultimately, however, it is her writing itself which gives her solace while navigating her life’s ups and downs. Told frankly with a journalistic narrative that never flags, #ICameAllThisWayToMeetYou is so honest that by its conclusion I felt like I was a friend with Ms. Attenberg and wanted to share my 72 years with her. Good work, Jami.

Seriously, this is one of the most entertaining and inspiring memoirs of the trials and tribulations and triumphs of the life of the modern writer that I have ever read. And I wish amazing author Jami Attenberg was here to edit my overlong sentence of praise. For anyone who has ever felt defeated and morose while trying to create something, read this book now!

I am a fan of Jami Attenbergs novels and really enjoyed reading about the women behind the books.Jamie’s writing is stream of consciousness thoughts ideas memories that pour out,Her struggles, travels, love life.The daily grind of being an author even a bestselling one.A book I will be recommending perfect for book clubs.#netgalley#ecco