Sorry I'm Late, I Didn't Want to Come: One Introvert's Year of Saying Yes by Jessica Pan

"Pan's sardonic wit brings real humor to her retelling of the year she threw herself out of her comfort zone by forcing herself to be extroverted. By embracing the fear and fully committing to her project, she does things she never would have imagined and her overall message of courage and hope are fun and inspiring. A fun and funny read that anyone could enjoy."

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pros: From the very first page I could tell Pan was going to be hilarious and she didn't disappoint/She's funny but she gets at the deeper/darker parts of life, depression, feeling stuck and her idea, though radical was an interesting one.

Cons: Once I got about 3/4 of the way through the book, it started to get repetitive, which is a trend in "self-help" books, at least for me.

Full Review:

Jessica is what has apparently been dubbed a "Shintrovert" or a shy introvert.

When she decides to move across the Pond to London and marry her boyfriend Sam, she falls into a depression but she doesn't even realize it. Finally she realizes that something has to change if she wants to be happy and stop letting her life pass her by. So she decides that enough is enough. This is going to be the year where she says "Yes", especially to things that push her completely out of her comfort zone.

She hadn't realized how much her knee-jerk reaction to things with an automatic, "No" was holding her back. Or, if she did, she was ok with the status quo. Until she wans't anymore. With impressive determination, she embarks on her quest.

It's exhausting work, including asking random people on the train station platform who the Queen of England is and also participating in a conference wherein you sit across from a complete stranger and play "trauma-tennis" wherein you share your biggest fears, secrets and dreams. She makes herself vulnerable and it's nerve-wracking but she realizes that after each encounter, she feels amazing, confident, like she can take on the world. She proves to herself time and again that she can do things that scare her and the world doesn't actually end.

I was impressed at her commitment to her project. And it made for a great read. It was impressive how much research she did and all the help she received from different people that she reached out to. And one of the messages, "People don't wave. But they'll always wave back" was so true. She learned a lot and in turn, helped me, a fellow Introvert, learn a lot too.

It was uplifting in a fun, saucy way though I felt like it could have ended at the 3/4 mark. It had a good message overall though and I'm glad I read it.

Comments

Animal Farm by George Orwell

"A blithe and scathing commentary on equality, power, corruption and how everyone is created equal, but...some are more equal than others. Orwell hit the nail right on the head with this novel and it's no wonder it's a staple for most high school curriculums. " 3 Stars. Pros: Benjamin the Donkey is the smartest animal on the farm and it would have done all the others a world of good if they had listened to him in the first place. Cons: The fact that societies like this actually do exist is nauseating and terrible. It's not a con, per se, it's just a gut wrenching fact. Full Review: When the overworked and mistreated Animals on Manor Farm decide to rise up and overthrow their cruel master, they're successful. They rebel and now find themselves with an entire Farm to run. They rename it Animal Farm and are intent on creating a paradise, where work and play are equal, where productivity is key but relaxation is a must and all the lives of all the animal...

Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov

"When a scientist, Benes, who has integral and world changing information attempts to defect and join our Side, he's injured. A blood clot forms in his brain and the only way to save his life is to miniaturize the crew of the Proteus and inject them into Benes' body, so they can break up the blood clot from the inside. Of course, one thing after another goes wrong and every chapter is a new catastrophe but it was definitely a fantastic voyage. 2 Stars Pros: Grant is one dry character but he's a welcome bit of amusement in an otherwise serious and scientific novel. Cons: Grant is also SUCH a man that he spends most of the mission staring at saving the one woman board, Cora./Definitely ripe with anatomical lessons and what part of the body they were in. Since I've never been great at anatomy, a lot of it was lost on me and became burdensome near the end. Full Review: As in all things, there is a good side and a bad side. This book is very vague as...

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie.

"Arnold Spirit, Jr, or "Junior" as he's known on the Rez, does something no Spokane Indian has ever done. He enrolls in Reardon High School and begins the long and often painful process off navigating not only high school and adolescence but also being an outsider. Alexie handles it all with grace, humor and honesty. This was a great read. I would recommend it to anyone." 5 Stars Pros: Alexie handles the ups and downs of not only adolescence, but tragedy and loss in a stark, honest but gut wrenchingly relatable way. Cons: Some of Junior's all-consuming guilt, though understandable was a little repetitive but it's all part of being a teenager. Full Review: It all starts when Arnold Spirit Jr, or Junior, throws a textbook across the classroom. When he opened the book he saw his mother's name, her maiden name and it enrages him. He's furious that the reservation is so poor that they're learning from thirty-year old textbooks. He doesn't...

All the Books.

Search This Blog