Furiously Happy: A Funny Book About Horrible Things by Jenny Lawson

Review by Cosette Elliott

Furiously Happy  is a fun beach read for someone with a quirky sense of humor. You must be okay with taxidermy and seeing the bright side of an otherwise depressing diagnosis. For example, yesterday I learned that I have contracted Lyme disease. It’s been great! I tell the kids, we can’t play outside now because the pills I have to take make me sensitive to sunburn. In addition to this, I am able to claim ongoing fatigue and inability to play with them. Most of my rest of my summer, as I see it now, will be spent lounging in bed explaining to my kids that I don’t feel well. If you can see the humor in what I just wrote, you are ready to enjoy Jenny Lawson.

By the way, this book is her second book. You can start with her first book, Let’s Pretend this Never Happened, so you understand the things she refers to in Furiously Happy. Or you could always read it second. I think special mention is the fact that Lawson informs the reader that by reading her book, you are reducing your likelihood for discovering a corpse in a bathtub. Personally, my favorite part of this book is it’s accessibility. You can put it down and pick it up later and you don’t have to remember what Amber was or where Richard was or what was the motivation for the killer that stalked Christine 20 years ago. This is a perfect read for someone who may be interrupted and might not be able to get back to reading for a while. That is, if you can handle a strange infatuation with taxidermy.

This title fits many categories for the 50 Books for 50 Years Challenge. It could easily fill the “Based entirely on the cover,” “Over 300 pages,” “Has an animal on the cover,” or “A guilty pleasure book” categories. Happy reading!

Check availability on Let’s Pretend this Never Happened

Check availability on Furiously Happy 

About the reviewer: Cosette Elliott is a Domestic Engineer that enjoys reading. You can usually find Cosette in the library picking up more books to read.