It’s Audible Credit Day, which it makes it one of the best and most contentious days of the month. Wonderful because I (possibly) get to grab a new book to listen to; and contentious because my husband and I frequently race to our accounts in an attempt to use the credit before the other (we’re competitive like that). However, sometimes we negotiate and compromise to avoid strife. Last month he wanted the credit (probably for some book about surfing, or mountain biking, or something equally dangerous and anxiety-inducing); so I acquiesced on the condition that I could have this month’s credit to snag the new Jenny Lawson book Broken (in the Best Possible Way).

I’ve been a fan of Lawson’s for somewhere around a decade - after one of my friends sent me a link to her blog ( The Bloggess – Like Mother Teresa, only better. ). I should probably be a little irritated with that friend, since reading that email caused me to erupt into loud and explosive laughter that got me in a little bit of trouble with my then boss - obviously I should have been doing serious work-type things, and laughter was a sure sign that I was not following the protocol. Since then, I check in regularly with The Bloggess to see what my “friend” is up to. I put friend in quotation marks because, - although we’ve never met - she brings me great joy and laughter, we have tons in common, and (unlike some of my IRL, in the flesh friends) she wishes me a happy birthday on Facebook every year. That last one is probably automated, or done by an assistant, or at the very least one of those fancy internet concierge services that I’ve heard of before. Also, she owns an amazing independent bookstore in San Antonio, Texas; and anyone who chooses to open a bookstore in the Age of Amazon is a person I want to be friends with, most likely.

One of the reasons I find myself checking her blog regularly is that she reminds me of so many of my friends and more than a little of myself. Jenny (I’m going to drop all pretense, because OBVIOUSLY we’d be on first-name terms if ever we actually met) is open about her struggles both physical and mental, and is quick to remind her readers that struggling IS hard, but it also worth it. As I think I’ve mentioned before, I have generalized anxiety (as well as a sprinkle of OCD which has nothing to do with hand-washing or obsessively cleaning anything and a whole lot to do with figuring out all the ways the world is out to kill me while other people are just out there going about their lives with nary a hint that the universe is trying to murder them constantly) which makes some day-to-day activities more challenging for me than folks without mental health issues. It’s pretty special to read another person talk about their mental health in a way that makes you feel less alone while also giving you a case of the giggles. Now, let me say, not every blog post or book leaves me laughing. Sometimes Jenny gives me reason to worry. She is so completely open about her mental and physical issues that sometimes I want to cry with and for her. But I am constantly reassured because she reminds herself and her readers that she has a support system (both emotional and professional) for just such times. Because (I assume) she realizes that many of her readers share many of the same challenges that she faces on a regular basis, she is a loud and frequent advocate for figuring out whatever it is that keeps each of us around to fight another day.

Broken (in the Best Possible Way) comes at a time when so many people (especially those with mental health issues) need a pick-me-up more than ever. Life in the Time of Covid has been tough for everyone (EVERYONE). Well, maybe except maybe the folks who deny it exists or think that the vaccine is a government conspiracy to get us all chipped up or whatever; gosh, it has to have been hard on those folks, too, because arguing with people in line at the grocery store, and on the internet has to wear on one’s psyche, right? But I digress. Social distancing for most of the people I know has really meant social isolation. Folks seemed to figure out pretty quickly that they needed to establish a quarantine bubble fast and early. I was fortunate to have a q-crew at the jump; but I can imagine that establishing a bubble could be more than a little like picking teams for fifth-grade kickball — fraught, difficult, and rife with the possibility of retroactive regret. Broken comes at a time when so many people (regardless of mental health status) needed to feel less alone.

I am really looking forward to listening to the book (especially since it is read by The Bloggess herself).

Maybe you aren’t quite ready to dive into a heavy book that essentially deals with the essential flaws of the human psyche, maybe you want to work yourself up to that (I get it). Lawson (Jenny just didn’t feel right there) has several other books that are a bit more light-hearted for those looking to ramp up to the heavy stuff.

https://www.amazon.com/Lets-Pretend-This-Never-Happened/dp/0425261018

https://www.amazon.com/Furiously-Happy-Funny-Horrible-Things/dp/1250077028

This one is and adult coloring book for adults who like four-letter words!

https://www.amazon.com/You-Are-Here-Owners-Dangerous/dp/125011988X

So there are a few Amazon links (and I’m not getting any sort of kick-back or anything) to her earlier books. Here is a link to Broken (in the Best Possible Way).

https://www.amazon.com/Broken-best-possible-Jenny-Lawson-ebook/dp/B0879HDPXM

And just because I love y’all, here is the story that made me laugh so hard, I should’ve probably been fired: And that’s why you should learn to pick your battles. – The Bloggess