Jennie Goodrich

Let's pretend this never happened (a mostly true memoir)

If you were already a big fan of Jenny Lawson's writing and had been following her blog before this book came out in 2012, you probably would've loved it. But for me, even though her quirky humour initially hooked me, it just didn't keep me interested all the way through. There were some funny moments and some heartfelt ones, but overall, the storytelling felt all over the place, and it relied too much on trying to shock you. It's the sort of book you might enjoy if you're already a fan, but if you're new to her stuff or looking for an engaging read, it might not hit the spot.

taryn

part audio/part physical read

If you were already a big fan of Jenny Lawson's writing and had been following her blog before this book came out in 2012, you probably would've loved it. But for me, even though her quirky humour initially hooked me, it just didn't keep me interested all the way through. There were some funny moments and some heartfelt ones, but overall, the storytelling felt all over the place, and it relied too much on trying to shock you. It's the sort of book you might enjoy if you're already a fan, but if you're new to her stuff or looking for an engaging read, it might not hit the spot.

Aubrey Hicks

Jenny Lawson makes me feel like everything will be alright. I haven't laughed or cried so hard at a book in a long while.

Midori Kobayashi

2/5stars


You should just accept who you are, flaws and all, because if you try to be someone you aren't, then eventually some turkey is going to shit all over your well-crafted facade, so you might as well save yourself the effort and enjoy your zombie books.

I had read Furiously Happy by the author last year and really liked the bizarreness of it (review here- https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...) but this one was just not it. I mean it felt very forced and overdone and while i did chuckle a few times, that's the most of it sadly. 

And the whole subplot of her having a "wild west" lifestyle (which I guess was supposed to be quirky and special and unique) was just very normal and everyday stuff for me (and I am sure for other people outside America, too)

So, while there are a lot of "controversial" jokes and "witty" one-liners, this just didn't work as much for me. 

If someone asked me to pick out my own vagina’s mug shot out of a lineup of vaginas, I’d be helpless. And probably concerned about what exactly my vagina had been doing that constituted a need for its own mug shot.

^yupp, this book should have been called a Memoir of my Vagina maybe :P (considering the number of times Jenny mentions her vagina)

Izza

I am getting mad at all the poor ratings I'm seeing on here cause that book is SO FREAKING GOOD. 

back with an actual review

Marisel 

I so admire anyone who has ever put in the effort and commitment to write a book, that no matter how awful the final product turns out to be, I would never give them anything less than a 2 star review. If it weren’t for that, I would have given this book 1 star (for effort). I gave this book the 20 pg reading trial, then jumped around reading random chapters in hope of redemption. It was REALLY difficult to get through those pages! I honestly could/ Should have stopped at pg 3 (end of the introduction) and no love lost. I was hoping for a fun read, as there were so many reviews lauding its worth as comedic. I was hopeful and really looking forward to it, but was sorely disappointed. From the onset I immediately found the attempts at humor so grossly over the top that it was more annoying than anything else. I’m sure that the actual events which prompted the author to write the book would have probably, if better written, been very compelling, but I just wasn’t drawn to care. The thing was completely illegible. The author was working so hard at being humorous (unsuccessfully) at the expense of any integrity or coherence. It felt desperate and akin to written slapstick. So if you enjoy that, I’m happy to pass on my brand new copy that I ordered for the sole purpose of taking it on summer vacation. My loss is your gain. Insert rolling eye emoji here. Yeah, I tried to read this, and let’s pretend That never happened.

Pavonini

I finished it, hence 2 stars. I would have given 1 if I had given up. I did delete it from my kindle after reading and won't read again. My indifference towards it was compounded by being in pain throughout my entire read, so take that into account.

some of the funniest writing i’ve seen. 

maddi rimer 

Marius Masalar

This is a ridiculous book.

Jenny Lawson's blogging career is a pale curtain disguising a life so breathtakingly wild that even with the suspicion that much of this book is exaggerated, the fact remains that she's lived a magnificently hilarious life. Reading about it is a consistently compelling experience.

Also, be aware that you will likely split your sides laughing, because the stream-of-consciousness tangents and improbable anecdotes paint the picture of a person so bizarre and off the wall that we find her effortlessly charming in ways that are familiar to all introverts, nerds, and socially awkward people.

Highly recommended.

Amanda Kordeliski

I read this several years ago and just listened to the audio as our vacation road trip book. Still just as funny

Susan Forsythe

I rarely laugh out loud when I read but this book was literally laugh out loud funny. Hilarious!

Robin M Cabana

If you are a female with a kind of high voice and you are listening to the audio version of this book, you might want to remember to hit pause on your ipod while you go to a drive through or lower your window to get gas. Every time I was in my car and had to communicate with another person, that's when Jenny Lawson inevitably would say vagina or dildo or something else that would get me strange looks from the attendant or server.

So that's my PSA about this book, which is really hilarious. Jenny Lawson is kind of crazy, but also adorable. I always think I am a lunatic, but I feel like much less of one after reading her stories. She is the kind of person I want to be friends with on Twitter and I really loved her very casual, rambling style. She writes the way I think I must sound sometimes. I think we'd be good Twitter friends. 

I especially love her stories about growing up in West Texas, where her father's hobby was bringing home wild animals (dead or alive), and her disagreements with her husband. It is very funny, but also touching.

Kerry Gibbons

Jenny Lawson never disappoints. Would’ve maybe been nice to have read her books in order, but it doesn’t make much difference I think. Love her audiobook reading!

Tannie Davidson

Jeni Enjaian

I enjoyed this book and Lawson's lighthearted storytelling. I just wish that she did not use the f word as if it were the word "the." By that I refer to how often she uses the word, not how she used the word semantically.

I think many people would enjoy this book. However, if you are not a fan of foul language, I would not pick up this book.

Chelsea Breher

I love Jenny Lawson, and once again she did not disappoint. I laughted until I cried and just truly loved this book!!

Chelsea White

Fun, witty, quick read. I enjoyed the book and a fair amount of the stories Jenny Lawson writes about will definitely stick with me for s long time to come. I highly recommend for fans of Tina Fey because the two women have similar story telling styles. Overall a good, entertaining book!

Grace Gaswick

This book was kind of exhausting to read. There was a lot of wild rambling (which I started to understand once she talked about her anxiety) but still, so much nonsensical rambling. Also a lot of annoying semi-made-up arguments with her husband which were not cute or funny. Still giving it three stars because when she wasn’t talking about random shit for two paragraphs, there were some funny and touching stories in here.

Let's pretend this never happened (a mostly true memoir)

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