Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Title: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
Author: Mark Manson
Genres: Nonfiction, Self-help
Release Date: September 13th, 2016
Publisher: HarperOne
Pages: 210
Format: Print, Hardcover
Where to buy: Amazon

In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be "positive" all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, we've been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. "F**k positivity," Mark Manson says. "Let's be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it." In his wildly popular internet blog, Manson doesn't sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let's-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—"not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault." Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.

I really, really wanted to like this book. I wanted SO bad to enjoy it—and I think I set my expectations entirely too high, which is why I'm so irritated that I sorta-kinda hated it.

There were some really good points in the book, some "aha" moments for me. There were a few quotes that stood out to me:

• "Adversity and failure are actually useful and even necessary for developing strong-minded and successful adults." (Page 44)
• "The true measurement of self-worth is not how a person feels about her positive experiences, but rather how she feels about her negative experiences." (Page 46)

...But the rest for me was just regurgitated garbage, Eastern philosophical statements we've all heard before, and comments about existentialism that he seemed to know absolutely nothing about. Honestly, it sounded like he just read a bunch of self-help books or books on Eastern philosophy and then tried to translate the information into his own words. Blah. Not the book for me.

Oh, and page 128 about rape and false memories? What the hell? I truthfully don't even know why that was thrown into there. I won't give too much information in case any one out there is actually wanting to read it, but let me just say I wasn't impressed. Not in the least.

My rating:

One lonely little heart. Boo.

Wishlist Wednesday #1

Wishlist Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Pen to Paper where we post about one book that has been hanging out on our wishlist, whether it be a long time or not so long.

My pick this week is one that has been on my TBR list for quite some time now. It is a compilation of poetry by Brian Abbott. I'm pretty stoked to read this. I've always been a huge fan of poetry, and I love the modernized, almost 'hipster' feel of this one. I've been a huge fan of the works of High Poets Society, so I think it's wonderful that they turned it into a little book! I honestly can't WAIT to get my hands on a copy of this!

Title: High Poets Society
Author: Brian Abbott
Genres: Poetry
Release Date: July 25th, 2016
Publisher: Monarch Publishing
Pages: 177
Format: Print
Where to buy: Amazon

This is Brian Abbott's first major publication. The Boston-based writer has found his stronghold in the world of social media under the moniker of High Poets Society. His writing is most recognized for its mesmerizing rhyme scheme and clever wordplay.

Here is an example of the poetry included in the book:

Have you read this book? What's on YOUR wishlist?! Leave it in the comments below!

Beat the Backlist - 2017 Reading Challenge: My TBR

The Beat the Backlist Challenge is hosted by Austine @ NovelKnight and the main focus of it is to encourage readers to finally get through some of the titles in their TBR pile, or those that may have been pushed aside for new releases. The primary guideline for the challenge is that the books you choose must have been published prior to 2017 - simple enough, right? The challenge runs from January 1st to December 31st, 2017, so you have an entire year to work on your TBR, plus you can sign up at any time throughout the year! You can post your updates by using the hashtag #beatthebacklist. 

I've honestly never participated in a reading challenge so I'm super pumped to start this one! I know I'm a little late in the year (it's already August, yikes!), but I'm pretty confident that I'll be able to get through at least 10 books in my TBR pile. My list is absolutely out of control, so this will be perfect!

Below is my list of TBR books that I'm hoping to finish by the end of the year:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
2. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson
3. The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black
4. Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver
5. Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
6. The Summer I Wasn't Me by Jessica Verdi
7. Lies My Girlfriend Told Me by Julie Anne Peters
8. Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake
9. My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga
10. #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso

I'm only sticking to 10 books right now on my list because I'm starting late, so wish me luck! :)

I've also decided to enter the mini challenge, so the Hogwarts house I chose to represent is Slytherin! If you're interested in the challenges, check them out here!

Happy reading!

Musing Monday #1

Hosted by The Purple Booker

Musing Mondays is a weekly meme that asks you to choose one of the following prompts to answer:

I'm currently reading...

Up next I think I'll read...

I bought the following book(s) in the past week...

I'm super excited to tell you about (book/author/bookish news)...

I'm really upset by (book/author/bookish news)...

I can't wait to get a copy of...

I wish I could read ___, but...

I blogged about ___ this past week...

This week's question:

I'm super excited to tell you about...

My answer:

First off...HAPPY MONDAY! 

What I'm SUPER excited to tell all of you about is the Ninja Book Swap! Basically, its like Secret Santa except it's not at Christmas! They do book swaps several times throughout the year, but in October they run two different swaps - the original swap and the Trick or Treat swap.

For the original swap, you choose one or more books for your designated person from their wishlist, as well as a gift based on their likes. Another person will send you a similar package. :) Trick or Treat is a little bit different; you'll receive a book from a genre you don't read much of, picked by someone who loves that genre. As well as your "trick", you'll receive a "treat" in the form of one of your wishlist books and a small gift.

Sounds awesome, right?!

The identity of your pattern should be kept secret until they've received the parcel - so the best way to reveal yourself is by including a cute little note inside the parcel with your name (and social media contact info).

The swap doesn't have a minimum/maximum spend amount, but the admins of the swap will try their best to match you up with someone who is planning on sending a similar package to you. So if you want to send your partner two books and a few small gifts, they'll try to match you up with someone else willing to send that. Likewise, if you were to plan on only sending one of your partner's wishlist books, you'll be matched with someone else who is only sending one book. This ensures you don't go "all out" for someone (for lack of a better term) and then end up only getting one book in return. You must be able to spend at least the cost of a paperback book (or two for the Trick or Treat swap), a token gift which you would be happy to receive yourself, and package costs.

I've participated in the Ninja Book Swap many times and have received some pretty nifty stuff. The most recent swap, I received two books off my wishlist, A Court of Thorns and Roses and The Darkest Part of the Forest, as well as some handmade soaps and super cute kitty socks! The swap is super fun connects you with other book bloggers. I HIGHLY recommend taking part in it this October!

Here are the dates you'll need to remember:

• Sign-ups just opened yesterday, September 2nd
• Sign-ups close on September 23rd
• Partners are assigned by October 1st
• Sending deadline is October 21st

Here are the forms to sign up:

Original Swap

Trick or Treat Swap

So come on all my fellow book bloggers...sign up and enjoy!

P.S. Make sure you get your wishlist updated before filling out the form because you'll need to provide a link to it! I always use one of my Goodreads lists. :)