As a red-headed Jewish girl with a pixie-like face, Susan Orlean always stood out. That she has been able to write about people (and animals) of all types and stripes from every social strata is also a testament to how well she blends in. Her secret weapon: engaged curiosity. Orlean is drawn to two kinds of stories—“who knew?” and “hiding in plain sight.” In her 2018 bestseller “The Library Book,” she found both: the arson fire in the Los Angeles Public Library on April 29, 1986, was the largest and most destructive inferno in the history of public libraries, but it went relatively unnoticed due to something else in the news—Chernobyl. In her latest, “Joyride,” Orlean turns her highly observant internal camera lens on her own life and work, charting her personal odyssey as a writer and fellow human being navigating life. While struggling with a troubled marriage during the 1980s, Orlean joined the ranks of the New Journalists she idolized—Joan Didion, Tom Wolfe, Gay Talese, Hunter S. Thompson—publishing pieces in “Vogue,” “Esquire,” “Rolling Stone,” and “The New Yorker” (eventually becoming a staff writer). She was catapulted into fame with her 1998 book “The Orchid Thief,” which was adapted into the delightfully bonkers film “Adaptation.” According to Orlean, her life has been a “joyride,” and she takes readers along with her on a warts-and-all jaunt that also features many funny moments, including when she became a viral sensation after tweeting the word “Drunk” (with follow-ups) one uncharacteristically inebriated night. What drives Orlean is the ever-present hope that she will meet someone who will tell her something amazing. And we see this play out here in behind-the-scenes looks at the genesis of her books, including “Saturday Night,” “Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend,” and “On Animals.” This intimate memoir will be catnip to fans, while her hard-earned insights into writing and publishing are sure to be appreciated by scribblers everywhere. Thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital advance reader copy.

In the final chapter, Orlean writes about how uncomfortable she was writing a memoir. That uncomfortableness is evident in the first third of this book when she writes about her complicated relationship with her parents and her early days as a writer. But then she starts writing about her non-fiction work, and the Orlean that I love shines through with anecdotes and offshoots of factoids about her subjects, including herself.

This book is great for Orlean fans, nonfiction writers, want-to-be writers, or anyone interested in the horrific world of book publishing.

Thank you to Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

My life is always better when there’s a new Susan Orlean book to be savored, and this book continues that tradition. It’s very different from her other books in that while it is also nonfiction and it also delves into a theme, the theme here is Orlean’s own life. She traces her personal history along with discussing her experiences writing the various stories and books for which she is best known. This could sound like dry stuff, but Orlean brings her specific thoughtful and curious voice to the endeavor and reveals the fascinating workings of her writing mind as far as she understands it. Her tenacity in creating her own distinctive career and the specific process by which she works (no writing until all the research is done….) are fascinating to read about. This book is aptly titled—the title is meant to describe Orlean’s writing life from her own perspective, but reading this book is a joyride as well, and I was sorry to finish because I wanted still more.

A Joyride indeed! I loved this memoir and found it to be a beautiful testament to always being true to yourself and to always being curious. It also gave an interesting peek into what a career in writing could look like. I also appreciated that the book features articles from over the course of the year. My only wish is that there was a mention of her podcast Crybabies, which was my introdcution to her and her work.

Joyride shows how Susan Orlean used grit and determination to become an internationally recognized nonfiction writer. She tells the story of her career and personal life, and offers writers advice on how to persevere in the competitive writing market to find story ideas. Joyride is an excellent reading choice for high school and college students who want to write and publish their works. It is also recommended for fans of Joan Didion. Orlean got her start when print magazines were popular, so, in some ways, the book also shows the rise and fall of print journalism. As a bonus, several of the stories Orlean features in the book are included for the readers convenience.

I love Susan Orleans writing her book about libraries is one I have given to friends.I enjoyed Joyride from beginning to end .A memoir that shares how the author found her inspiration and zest for writing.a wonderful guide.#NetGalley #joyride

To use the author’s own words about what story telling should be, her life story kept me “pinned to the page.” Orlean’s description of writing about the ordinary is more of an invitation to, than a lecture about, curiosity. If I was mentoring a younger person with a passion for writing, I would recommend this book as an encouraging voice to not only write about what you know, but learn about what piques your interest, then write your story! Her excitement as her writing career developed is contagious.
Thank you to #NetGalley and #SimonandSchuster, publisher, for providing a complimentary eARC in exchange for an objective review.