Would Everybody Please Stop? Reflections on Life and Other Bad Ideas by Jenny Allen (4 out of 5)
I borrowed this one from work. Yesterday, in fact. In lieu of today’s most precious of days- a day off. I have ten million things to do today and at 11:11am, have managed to accomplish 2 million of them, and the worst of all- the elbow to the cup of coffee and Ms. Allen’s book was covered in coffee. So yes, I am buying this tomorrow when I go back to work. I don’t mind. I enjoyed it greatly. I just hate that I’m passing it on to my friend and it’s coffee-stained. Ah, well. Still an excellent collection. I ordered this in and enjoyed it. I especially loved the nod to nonsensical words and expressions that don’t make sense. She nailed a few of them. I could write a book based on some of the things I have heard coming from friends, family and co-workers in the past ten years. Elmer Fudd’s psychotherapy appointment was freaking fantastic. Her essay about being single after being part of a duo for over two decades struck a few chords (the matrimony tag attached to something doesn’t mean it can’t apply to single people. Think again!). Her essay about living with serious illness is something everyone should read, whether or not you are living with an illness. In short, the only thing that was missing in this collection is MORE awesome essays. Other than being too short (something I personally live with), it’s a great read to anyone with a lot of life’s silliness crowding up the plate of life. Have some more! Jenny’s book is available in hardback, brought to us by the folks at Farrar, Strauss, & Giroux (an affiliate of St. Martin’s Press).
