Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson (9781250077004): Flatiron Books (2015)

Jenny Lawson has been entertaining folks on the internet with her delightfully askew view of life through her blog as “The Bloggess” and off the grid with her first collection of essays Let’s Pretend This Never Happened. Furiously Happy is her second book and focuses on her new philosophy, that when the universe decides to be a complete asshat, respond by being completely, vehemently, furiously, happy–out of spite.

The subtitle of the book notes that it is “A Funny Book About Horrible Things”–which is true. Lawson suffers from several mental illnesses and is candid about her struggles with them–hilariously candid about them. The book is a collection of vignettes–mostly misadventures–with her CPA, her therapists, her best friends, her long-suffering husband Victor, all detailing her attempts to grab life by the cajones and live up to her new mantra. One highlight of the book is the trip to Australia she takes with a friend and the attempts to take a picture with a koala while wearing a koala suit.

While the book is hilarious, her struggle with mental illness is very real and poignant. Especially touching is the book’s epilogue. As someone who struggles with depression, I found it particularly touching and real.

In conclusion, if you haven’t checked out Jenny Lawson, you really should. Check out her blog. Read her books. Be ready to laugh and have your perspective changed for the better.