Amidst all the horrendous things that are happening in the world right now we need all we can get to keep ourselves cheerful and above it all, if that’s even possible. That’s why I’ve picked Jenny Lawson’s book Furiously Happy as the next one to recommend to you. As Jenny herself titled it, it’s a funny book about horrible things. And by no means of comparison this is exactly the kind of book we do need right now.
4 reasons you need to read Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson
It will make you feel happy (and furious)
Jenny Lawson is a mom blogger, a witty blogger, a journalist, a columnist, a woman of many trades, skills, ailments and the most beautifully crazy talent for writing her heart out on the pages of her books. She’s written a couple of other volumes which I’m most definitely keen to read after having read Furiously Happy. In this book Jenny tells you about SO.MANY.THINGS. that have happened to her in her life – or better, are happening on a daily basis. From waking up with her arms gone (they were not gone gone, read the book and you’ll see) to that one time she dressed as a koala bear in Australia. You can’t help but smile and be not so secretly envious of her silly but rewarding daily life experiences.
What’s really important in life?
Despite Jenny’s every day battle with depression, anxiety, OCD and other mental health monsters, she’s the kindest, most cheerful character you could imagine. And I must not omit her hero of a husband Victor who’s just so genuinely on board with her eccentricities it warms my heart out. The book gives you the sense that being difficult from time to time (or you know, being a huge knob head) doesn’t necessarily mean the end of the world or your relationship. We all are knob heads sometimes and it’s important to embrace it. Whether the knob head is you or your beloved one.
Rory.
I stand up and applaud the cover the of this book. Jenny originally wanted the cover to be just a raccoon’s smile so every time you picked up the book to read it, your own frown would be replaced by a manically happy raccoon. I feel like that might have been a little too scary though so the publisher eventually settled on a full manically happy raccoon instead. Which is just as good to be fair. JUST LOOK HOW HAPPY HE IS. My aim in life is to be at least a handful of times as happy as Rory, the manically happy raccoon.
It will give you a real belly laugh
Whenever I felt a little sad last month I’d pick this book up and I knew that I’d laugh out loud. Some parts gave me an actual belly ache how funny they were. And the situations themselves that Jenny is describing might not even be all that hilarious. But her way of putting it just is. So if you ever feel upset with the world, just pick up this obnoxiously happy book. I promise it won’t fail you.
Buy this book from your local bookshop (because that’s the only way how we can keep beautiful bookshops open and thriving) or if there’s no other way order it on Bookdepository right here.