Welcome to Litsy!

Unfortunately I had to continue my DNFing streak on my recent non-fiction reads, and this one wasn‘t spared. I tried to get into this one, but I found it hard to keep my attention and found it simply “okay”.

Yep.

#essays

This is something I've been felt a lot over the past couple years. A few things I appreciate about this presentation:

1. It follows an essay about mental health that describes times when just surviving was hard work

2. "Doing the thing" is an opportunity to do research, put in work, and do the thing RIGHT, not waltz in and half-ass it

3. "You must tell people exactly what you want from them if you have any hope that they will give it to you."

I didn't hate the book by any stretch, but I was left with the feeling that a little Sara goes a long way. And I was disappointed that so little of the book had to do with the title "Real Artists Have Day Jobs." Had I read the structure of the title/subtitle more carefully, I would've understood that this was a collection of essays, only one of which was really going to be about that topic.

After spending the evening with my pal Zeke Russell's chapbooks last night, it's on to this one tonight.

I'm starting to feel as if this book is what I needed Big Magic to be.

The perfect night to sit and read in Bryant Park.

Up next...

I can't find any books on my actual shelves that have text only covers, so throwback to a book I loved reading a few months ago. #booktober

I'm a writer and a wannabe novelist, but my day job is in marketing. These are books suggested by or given to me by my boss. I have 3 other people on my content team. When you're often overloaded and stressed out, it's easy to forget about coaching and mentoring, so that's something our management team is currently focusing on. I'm grateful to work for an organization that values development and culture! #workbooks #septphotochallenge

Recent used book haul--loving Real Artists Have Day Jobs! Can't wait to start the other two. 📚📖👍🏽

Day 1 of 31: My August TBR. These are all #library #books that I need to read. I have no illusions about getting to them all this month and, well, this isn't even all of them. At least they're free!
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#trybeforeyoubuy #lilbookishaugust #tbr #augusttbr #bookstagram #bookobsessed #bookaddict #bookworm #adultlit #yalit #mglit #nonfiction #graphicnovel #ireadya

So far, this book is worth it just for those paragraphs that stick, the ones that you can chew on during the day until you're back to reading it again. Not every chapter is a winner, but it's easy enough to skim those chapters.

I want to pick this book 800 times. It's funny, real, honest and packed with self-help information that anyone of any age can use and she gives it in such a noncondescending way that you feel empowered after you read it. Sara says that she loves Amy Poehler; this book reminds me of Yes Please. Personal stories intertwined with life lessons and almost no ego or braggadocio. I'm almost out of characters so to sum up, fucking read this book.

Barkley thinks everyone should read this book. (He's right, too).

One for the "smart books by smart ladies" shelf. This is a chick I could totally go for drinks with.

Exciting Friday night over here, folks. Ice cream & a book of essays. Maybe, just maybe, I might add some Netflix to this mix, but let's not get too crazy. 🍧 #ReadWomen

Taken from her essay titled "How to Read a Book"--this is a powerful description of how books & reading can comfort & empower you, particularly as therapy when recuperating from debilitating mental illness. (For background, Benincasa has Panic Disorder, and from first hand experience, it sucks.) #ReadWomen #BookQuotes

Little library haul: Between You and Me and Real Artists Have Day Jobs. Which should I read first?

Infinitely quotable. Filled with wisdom. I'm going to go forth and happily take all of Sara's advice.

You have to love yourself for what you are: a work in progress.

I'll likely fall on my ass and start laughing at myself, because sometimes life is hilarious even when it hurts.

I hope you treat yourself like the treasure you are and take good care of your emotional needs as well as your physical desires.

Because you deserve all the money, all the orgasms, and all the fries.

I didn't love every essay in this collection, but there were definitely moments like this one! Sara Benincasa is spot on about rainbows 😊🌈

Everything is not alright, and that's alright.

This book package was just the nicest thing to find in my mailbox today! I can't wait to read Rob Spillman and Sara Benincasa's latest for some writerly inspiration.

Yessssss!

I hope you ask for exactly what you want, whether in the boardroom or the bedroom or in the line at McDonald's. Because you deserve all the money, all the orgasms, and all the fries.

Just what I need for a rainy day when I'm stuck behind the register!

Look, I can get down with a book that has bourbon and iced tea in the opening pages.