I originally requested this book because I think I have a slightly-higher-than-normal amount of anxiety and wanted to hear what this experience is like for others. Then I was afraid to read this book, because I didn't want to find out I was too anxious. It's not the textbook definition of ironic, but it's right up there with the fine I had to pay for temporarily losing a library book on home organization because I couldn't find it in my house.

I listened to the audiobook, read the author. Her narrative voice, especially the very dry delivery and self-deprecation, will be enjoyed by listeners who like Sarah Vowell. I think there have been a few books about challenging yourself to more experiences (a la this and The Year of Yes). I don't think that's for me, but it's helpful to remember that social discomfort or embarrassment aren't going to kill you.

Recommended for humor-ish audiobook listeners.

I ended up giving this book 3.5 or 3.75 stars out of 5. I liked it a lot! Courtenay Hameister was very relatable, as someone who also has anxiety. However, I couldn't really relate to a lot of the experiences in this book themselves, as a mid-20s lesbian millennial. Nonetheless, I really enjoyed reading Hameister's voice throughout this book- she's hilarious, and a great story-teller, that's for sure. I'd recommend this book.

This book about Hameister’s experience with anxiety had a lot of potential. I loved how it started, but it soon started to become hyper focused on the author’s dating life. I don’t inherently have any issues with that, but when picking up a book about anxiety, I’m interested in reading about her experience with the mental illness. A handful of stories about dating while having GAD would have been interesting, but it became a major focal point of the book. Hameister is a talented and hilarious author — I just think this book could have been marketed in a way that made its contents more clear.

I was not aware that a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder existed. I am grateful to the author for her bravery, honesty and of course, her humor, about what seems to be massively debilitating. The book is written quite conversationally and matter of fact. I'll admit to some cringeworthy reactions at times, Ms. Hameister explores some very adult subjects. I would suggest a sample might be in order, or a look inside Okay, Fine Whatever in order to make sure your sense of humor jives with the author's. I was prone to reading in the small chunks mode. I'd read other essays from Ms. Hameister for sure.

3.5

I actually did find this book to be laugh out loud funny at times. More importantly, I enjoyed reading about someone who decided to challenge themselves to face their fears and to do it with a sense of humor. Not to be cliché, but they do say laughter is the best medicine and this book really exemplifies that. This was a great example of how we should all push ourselves to do something that scares us. Who knows where that could lead!

I received this book from Little, Brown & Company via Netgalley.

Each day, many of us are forced to face our fears—our big fears and our little ones—in order to go about our daily tasks. For author Courtenay Hameister, every day was once an endless cycle of fear and anxiety—until she decided to face up to her fears and write about her adventures in Okay Fine Whatever: The Year I Went from Being Afraid of Everything to Only Being Afraid of Most Things...

Review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

Okay Fine Whatever is a funny, unflinchingly honest, and deeply relatable collection of essays by Courtenay Hameister about the year she decided to look her anxiety in the eye and basically tell it to fuck off, as she embarks on challenge after adventurous challenge.

Most of her challenges end up being in her romantic life, and linked to her body image issues. Hameister's stories, about losing her virginity in her 30s, then making up for lost time by diving into online dating (meeting dozens of men and keeping track of them on a spreadsheet) and experimenting with a variety of sexual adventures all the way into her 40s, are a welcome addition to the bookshelf. Most books about romance and dating tend to feature only women in their 20s, or older women who've already been married and had kids, and very rarely are they plus-size. So I found Hameister's adventures -- and her courage in pursuing them -- inspiring, and I love her candour in sharing her experiences.

Beyond the stories about dating and sex, Hameister also talks about her career, and the difficult decision she made to move on from being the host of her show. I love these chapters, because they're an important alternative perspective on how to be successful in our careers. So often, we're taught to go for the big promotion and go for whatever helps us make the biggest splash in our industry. And while there's nothing wrong with that, there's also nothing wrong with what Hameister realizes -- that because of her anxiety, she was actually miserable being in the public eye, and would be much happier behind the scenes. And later, when she realizes she's no longer quite the right fit for what the show has become, she makes what I consider a truly brave decision -- to pursue a new career path. Again, I found her experience to be inspirational, and I'm glad she shared these with us.

More than the impact of her experiences is the fact that her essays are just plain entertaining and fun to read. Hameister has a clever writing style that somehow pokes fun at herself without ever being fully self-deprecating. I think I was expecting more about anxiety itself in the book, but perhaps that's a sign of my own biases that, because I haven't myself been diagnosed with anxiety, I didn't expect the book to be so relatable. Yet it is.

The book isn't perfect. Some parts dragged, and even the dating adventures felt a bit drawn out after a while, and I began to wish she'd move on to other topics. But overall, it was a good book, and I think Hameister's experiences will likely resonate with a lot of readers.

+

Thank you to Hachette Book Group Canada for an e-galley of this book in exchange for an honest review.

+

This review will be posted on my blog Oct 12, 2018.

While it wasn't really a book that I personally found enlightening, I know patrons will really enjoy it. I've ordered several copies for my library.

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars. Okay Fine Whatever is an accurate portrayal of what it's like to live with generalized anxiety disorder. Hameister embarks on a year and a halfish of adventures that she would ordinarily say no to due to anxiety, but instead decides to say "okay, fine, whatever" and give them a try. The tasks range wildly from going in a float tank to visiting a sex club. Along the way, she realizes what many of us anxiety sufferers have learned, which is that most things are a lot less scary than they seem once you've done them, but it also takes a few times to really feel comfortable doing something new.

I appreciated her honestly and humor as she shared very personal stories to also push her outside of her comfort zone. I imagine this was not an easy book to write when suffering from GAD, but also an important one to write. I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, Fine, Whatever was SO much more than just okay, fine, whatever. The author's engaging, humorous, and no-holds-barred storytelling style made reading this memoir a joy.

Former host of NPR's Live Wire, Courtenay Hameister, suffers from crippling anxiety. I never would have guessed. As part of a year(ish) -long project, Hameister sets out to purposely do things that make her uncomfortable.

This leads her to visit a professional cuddler, date some polyamorous dudes, spend time in a sensory deprivation tank, get high at work, visit a sex club, and more. Hameister reflects on how each of these experiences went for her, whether they eased or increased her anxiety, and, by book's end, she's even made it through the hellscape of online dating to find someone that really cares for her.

As a heavier woman, Hameister also writes about some of the struggles she has faced with her size, taking care to note that she is well aware of body positivity and the detrimental effects of fat-shaming, but that all of this knowledge has not served to make her one-hundred percent comfortable in her own body. I wish she hadn't had to include the disclaimers, but understand why she did. I think the candor with which she writes about anxiety regarding her size would have been even more effective without those asides - but it's still impressive even with them.

As I neared the end of this, I thought it seemed like a perfect summer read and only regretted that I had accessed it via NetGalley and not read it in the pool on a hot July day.

I received access to this title via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was DELIGHTFUL,

Normally, I'm not one for memoirs of this type, nor for books written by so-called comedians, as I often find their humour doesn't translate well to the page. However, colour me impressed with Courtenay Hameister's 'Okay Fine Whatever', which I think is a laugh-out-loud (literally - I actually audibly snort-laughed many times), moving, emotionally resonant and intelligent take on anxiety, weight, growing up, and transitioning from someone who fears everything, to someone who only fears some things.

'Okay Fine Whatever' is Courtenay's pledge to spend a year doing things that scare her. I don't mean like, skydiving with a flock of pigeons. I mean, stuff like... dating. Floating in a sensory deprivation tank. Quitting her job. It's fascinating, watching her stumble through what most people would call regular life, or things that wouldn't send chills of fear through our hearts. And she tells the story with a lot of wit, charm and an underlying edge of raw pain, that lends an emotional heft to the narrative.

While a lot of the book contends with dating, I found the strongest bits were to do with her struggles with weight (we've all been there), the demands of her job, and the emotional work of opening yourself up to disappointment and heartache. A truly great book that deserves attention and accolades. Thanks so much for the chance to read and review!