Review of "How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay: Tips And Tricks That Kept Me Alive, Happy, And Creative In Spite Of Myself" by Jenny Lawson

Jenny Lawson - born and raised in Texas - is a journalist, blogger, author, humorist, and artist who suffers from mental illness, attention deficit disorder, clinical depression, anxiety attacks, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune problems, and more. This makes Lawson's life challenging, but her medication - as well as her husband and daughter - help Jenny cope.


Author Jenny Lawson

I've previously read two of Lawson's bestselling books, Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things and Broken, in which Jenny provides encouragement to people with mental health issues.....and to everyone else whose life isn't perfect. Lawson's motivational observations are illustrated by personal anecdotes that make gentle fun of everything and everyone, including herself.

This book is a more straightforward self-help book. Lawson notes, "Over the years, I have hoarded a treasure chest of tips and tricks that help me manage my head and my heart. That's what you'll find here in 'How To Be Okay When Nothing Feels Okay.'

To get readers up to speed on her personal life, Lawson shares this brief bio: "I've been married to my long-suffering but loving husband (Victor) for decades, and we have a wonderful kid (Hailey), three demanding cats (Ferris Mewler, Hunter S. Thomcat, and Rolly), and a small neurotic dog (Dorothy Barker). Five years ago we opened a very weird but fun indie bookstore and bar in San Antonio called Nowhere Bookshop that is somehow still thriving."


From left to right: Hailey, Jenny, and Victor Lawson


Jenny Lawson's Nowhere Bookshop

In essence, this book is a series of tips - related in fun prose - to give readers a boost and help them get through bad days. Thus Jenny provides advice about how to value yourself; be more confident; not compare yourself unfavorably with other people; not beat yourself up about perceived failures; let go of irrational fears; overcome imposter syndrome; use memory aids; stave off panic attacks; deal with panic attacks; do things that bring you joy; make playlists for different moods; reach out to family, friends, and the community; do something easy if you can't do something hard; sleep, rest, and restore; get a pet; limit your doom-scrolling; if you can't do it now, assign a task to your future self; take meds if you need them; explore new horizons; don't read negative reviews (have a friend vet them); celebrate good times; and much more.

🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸



🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸



🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸



🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸



🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸



🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸🌸

Lawson personalizes the narrative with lots of stories about herself, which provide concrete examples of how to cope with depression and mental or emotional difficulties. You don't have to suffer from any of Lawson's troubles, however, to benefit from the book. There's plenty of good advice for everyone, and laughs along the way.

I'll give some examples of Lawson's entertaining anecdotes.

🌸 In the category, you haven't embarrassed yourself as badly as this: Edward de Vere - the 17th Earl of Oxford - was bowing to Queen Elizabeth when he let out an enormous fart, which he was so mortified about he left the country for seven years.



🌸 Lawson read that people in Norway sometimes respond to 'How are you?' with " “Oppe og ikke gråter" which means "Up, and not crying." She writes, "This is my new favorite response ever, especially on days when just leaving your bed can be an achievement."



🌸 Lawson is a proponent of the Irish goodbye, or leaving a social gathering without saying farewell. Jenny writes, "The famous linguist Anatoly Liberman said that the original Irish goodbye came from the English, who called it the 'French leave.' And the French were apparently not pleased and so they called ducking out quickly 'Filer à l’anglaise', which means 'To leave like the English.' In any case, it means do a runner.



🌸 Early in her career, Lawson wrote a blog about her family and was labeled a 'mommy blogger' when her male counterparts were labeled 'parenting bloggers.' Since 'mommy blogger' was deliberately demeaning, Jenny decided to pick her own label, and chose 'Princess Lawson - Superintendent of Malevolent Pomeranians.' In the book, Jenny kindly includes 'The (Incredibly) Random Title Generator' to help readers pick a label. I've chosen 'Doctor Barbara - Commissioner of Weird Diseases.'



I got some good tips from the book, which is fine for reading straight through or dipping into as needed. Recommended for anyone who sometimes needs a boost.

Thanks to Netgalley, Jenny Lawson, and Viking Penguin for an ARC of the book.

3.5 stars 

Review of "Green City Wars: A Science Fiction Thriller

Adrian Tchaikovsky's science fiction novels often contain animal characters, and this book is almost completely populated with critters. The book is set at a future time, when humanity has decided to live green. Utopian cities leave no carbon footprint, and people live in beautiful enclaves and have professional careers.



To maintain the infrastructure of the cities, scientists have genetically enhanced animals, collectively called Gerhiners. The Gerhiners include squirrels, rats, mice, raccoons, possums, turtles, birds, amphibians, and others. The critters do all the blue collar and service jobs, such as trash disposal, waste management, water reclamation, plumbing, appliance repair, cooking, cleaning, and so on.



The animals are very intelligent, have language, and are imbued with the imperative, 'Rule One: No Contact With Humans'. Thus much of the animals' work goes on underground and/or during the night.



To keep control of the animal workers, scientists built in the need for a substance called 'plantgent'. Each creature must have periodic infusions of plantgent to maintain their intelligence. Without plantgent, the critters' thinking gets fuzzy and their memory fades. Moreover, as an incentive to work, the animals' get paid in a currency called buttons.



One thing the human researchers didn't foresee was that the animals would emulate the baser instincts of humanity. Thus the beasties form gangs; set up syndicates; become criminals; run protection rackets; build weapons; have wars; and more - all without the knowledge of the people around them.



The main character in this story is a coffee-loving raccoon called Skotch, who lives under a green city called Neuwein-Grundstadt.



Skotch once worked in the trash disposal unit of the Uzco Guild, which is run by a huge snapping turtle called Benson. Skotch left Uzco to become a freelance private investigator, and his detective work has flush and fallow periods. Thus Skotch sometimes lacks buttons to buy plantgent ampoules, and he needs both as the book opens.

As luck would have it, Skotch's old boss, the snapping turtle Benson, offers the raccoon a job. Benson wants Skotch to find a mouse named Dr. Meece, and bring the little squeaker to Uzco. Benson gives Skotch an advance - plantgent and buttons - and Skotch starts his search.



Initially, the raccoon reaches out to critters who 'owe him one' to learn Dr. Meece is at a country club/restaurant that employs mice as cooks and waitstaff (a novelty situation that permits contact with humans). The mice collect all the people's leftovers, which are processed and sold to Gerhiners - and squirrel gangs take a big cut.

As it happens, Skotch arrives at the country club amidst a gang war between red squirrels and gray squirrels (distinguished by their red and gray bandanas), both of whom want the food sideline.



During the ruckus, Skotch sees Dr. Meece fleeing from a mouse-size chemistry lab in the back room and gives chase.



Dr. Meece escapes, and Skotch learns the mouse is a brilliant scientist who's being pursued by just about every group in Neuwein-Grundstadt, most of whom want to kill him. Skotch is a raccoon with a conscience, and he wants to know WHY Dr. Meece is a wanted mouse. Is the squeaker formulating a nerve poison or biological weapon to kill humanity? Or is he making something salutary?



Most of the novel follows Skotch as he has one dangerous adventure after another while trying to catch Dr. Meece AND learn what the small rodent is doing. In the course of the tale, several of Skotch's friends and acquaintances are killed and Skotch finds himself attacked with knives; pistols; bee sting guns; teeth; claws; stomping feet; etc.



Skotch's two most dangerous enemies are a weasel stoat called Szerky and an enhanced cat named Tybelle, both of whom think Skotch knows the whereabouts of Dr. Meece, and want to squeeze the information out of him.



At one point, Skotch is a hair's breadth away from being fed into a huge food processor by a cadre of animals desperate to locate the little chemist, and convinced Skotch knows more than he's telling.



Skotch does have some allies, especially a pigeon called Lulu, who belongs to a human journalist. Lulu is a researcher for the scribe, and goes around 'interviewing' the animals in Neuwein-Grundstadt for her owner's articles. Lulu makes it her mission to protect Skotch because he owes her a story about Dr. Meece. Lulu provides the story's light relief as she talks incessantly and tries to question every animal she meets, including gang members.



Besides mimicking human warmongering, the animals imitate human religion. For instance, some animal groups worship a prophet called Jeff and practice 'Jeffism', centered on community, cooperation, and self-help.



By the book's finale, we know about Dr. Meece's work and the outcome of his research, and it's a very satisfying revelation.

To me, Tchaikovsky's picture of (at least) some intelligent animals going to the dark side is realistic. Human history is rife with wars over religious and philosophical differences; territory; resources; money; hatred; bigotry; self-interest; and on and on. So why wouldn't smart critters go the same route?



The story is a relatively straightforward action thriller, but the number and variety of characters is legion, and remembering them all takes a bit of concentration. Still, I enjoyed the book, which is imaginative and fun. Highly recommended.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by John Pirhalla, who does an excellent job, especially with the different animal languages and Tchaikovsky's made-up words.

Thanks to Netgalley, Adrian Tchaikovsky, and Macmillan Audio for an ARC of the book.

Rating: 4 stars