I think the reason that I wanted to read My Mess is a Bit of a Life by Georgia Pritchett is because there are times when I felt just the same. I think we all have at some point and so there is a comfort in having someone - even someone who you don't personally know - acknowledge this. It makes us feel less alone. Less like a failure. Just less than the mess we are. So for that reason alone we should all salute Georgia Pritchett for being brave enough to be this honest.

My Mess is a Bit of a Life is a memoir that packs a punch. It deals with feminist issues, suppression of women in the workplace, sexuality, mental health, death, autism. All of it is discussed with humour and grace but without losing the impact of what Georgia Pritchett is trying to say. It is in this quality that we see what a powerhouse of a writer she is.

My Mess is a Bit of a Life by Georgia Pritchett is available now.

For more information regarding Georgia Pritchett (@georgiapudding) please visit her Twitter page.

For more information regarding Faber & Faber (@FaberBooks) please visit www.faber.co.uk.

I enjoyed this - I had no idea who the author was, and at each revelation I was more in awe of her writing talent, and her sense of humour. Her life living with anxiety and presumably on the autism spectrum herself, was really well relayed. No name dropping, which I have seen in similar books, just facts and the author's thoughts. Easy to read and fascinating. Thank you for sharing so openly. #netgalley #mymessisabitofalife

Told in a series of anecdotes, which range from hilarious to heartbreaking, this is a memoir that I won't forget in a hurry. Insightful, very funny in places, and incredibly relatable.

I enjoyed this witty and relatable memoir about Georgia's experiences of life with anxiety. Though I don't have the successful career she has had, a lot of it resonated as she talked about her childhood, family, school, college, personal relationships and professional career and anxiety weaving its way through all of those.

I liked the anecdotal style as I felt it was reflective of an anxious overthinking brain so it felt right. I enjoyed learning about her world, and how the anxiety seemed to take over at times. As an anxious person with a love of writing myself, I found it really inspiring that Georgia used the medium to write down her experiences and find some respite from the struggles. I'm sure it was a cathartic experience and hope she knows that she will help many people with anxiety who read this, despite this not being a self help book as such- it's not about advice but it was insightful nonetheless.

A great book showing an insight into the turmoiled mind of someone with anxiety.
A series of short memories/thoughts/experiences from Georgia who is navigating her way through life one episode at a time.
Funny and relatable.

Because of the very episodic structure, I immediately thought, “What’s this, I can’t deal with this,” but then got drawn in to “just one more bit, just one more bit” and then the book was over in a couple of hours. So it’s obviously an engaging, funny, self-deprecating read, and it shows what a jumble of anxieties can live in just about anybody’s head. There are tender moments and the odd gross one, it’s unusual, but it works.

My full review on my blog here: https://librofulltime.wordpress.com/2021/07/18/book-review-georgia-pritchett-my-mess-is-a-bit-of-a-life/

This is book 7 of my 20 Books of Summer 2021.

This was such a fun, insightful read, chronicling the authors' struggle with anxiety and being unable to speak her issues, she found it easier to write it all down and what we get to read is a wonderful mix of all those weird and wonderful things that make our lives stressful, joyful, memorable and everything in between!

I could totally relate to the seemingly silly, little irrational things that can plague your brain and the events in your life that stand out as memorable for all the right or wrong reasons!

This isn't a self help book, it's not full of tips to help you deal with anxiety, but it is a great little behind the scenes look at someone else dealing with anxiety, whilst having a very successful career - I loved all the behind the scenes showbiz stuff - many of it was hilarious, some of it was horrifying! - and she also looks back at school, growing up and the responsibilities forced on you in adulthood!

I enjoyed a glimpse into her world, and how the anxiety often felt suffocating to her but she seemed to get respite by writing her thoughts down - that might be a lesson for us all to take on!

What a book. So funny, even in the midst of some terrible happenings. I nearly choked when I read about the 'hymns' that were sung at her school. Deary me, I've tittered over that for days. Outstanding from start to finish.

A lively and engaging collection of vignettes and mini essays exploring the author’s anxieties and life experiences. It took a little while to get into because it’s an unusual method, but it’s very well written and I enjoyed the tone.

This book was a refreshing read. Despite the difficult and sensitive topics, Georgia dealt with them in a wonderfully light and engrossing way. The book was filled with humour and personality.

The structure of the book came through in evidencing her panic and anxiety, when she was faced with extremely difficult and emotive experiences throughout her life. Some parts were quite jarring, but I do feel that was a deliberate goal of hers.

I enjoyed the book and read it so quickly, but it didn’t captivate me like some recent books have. The book for me personally was 3.5, but I can certainly see why so many others have rated it higher.

I struggled a little initially with the very short nature of the stories / observations in this book but I’m glad I stuck with it. It made me laugh out loud at times and plenty of the thoughts and processes of the author were familiar.

I wasn't sure what yo expect from this book and I wasn't sure what I had read when I finished. However I enjoyed the anecdotes throughout and the way each part was expressed was funny and relatable. Only when I finished the book did I understand that this is effectively what Georgia used as her therapy.

I think this is a great idea for other people to follow if they are struggling to explain how they are feeling.

Very quick read and interesting stories, enjoyed the book.

I was gifted a copy of this to read via netgalley. This is my own, honest views. I was drawn to this book due to it being linked to anxiety, something i experience on a daily basis. Unfortunately i never finished this book as the style just wasn't for me. This isn't to say it isn't someone else style, i did look at reviews and the author and style are popular. I always think it is good to give new style books a try.

My Mess is a Bit of a Life is written by award-winning writer and producer Georgia Pritchett. She shares her lifelong experiences with anxiety through a collection of thoughts and stories.

The writing was incredible, and it was fast-paced and definitely kept me turning the pages. However, I felt that because of this it lacked structure and flow and I struggled to connect. Overall, although the collection of writings accurately represented what it’s often like in an anxious brain, it just wasn’t for me.

I loved the style of this book- which possibly says a lot about my attention span! Short, sharp little tales ,stories and memories. These anecdotes are as funny as they are frantic and I simply loved the book from start to finish

A funny, heartfelt and quick read, but ultimately the writing style didn't quite grip me unfortunately.

I absolutely adored the layout of this book. It made it so easy to read. Could relate to so much of Georgia’s experiences. I also had an action man (a bungee jump one!) as a child. Loved how serious topics were covered without you even realising. 5* An absolute must read.

Told in little vignettes, writer Georgia Pritchett looks back on her life so far - and the neuroses and anxieties that came with it. Best known for her work on shows like Veep, Succession, The Thick of It and - as I discovered through reading - a whole host of incredibly funny women like Mel & Sue, Joe Brand and Miranda Hart. The stories veer from the hilariously odd to heartbreakingly sad, and there's no real distinction between either of them. Her stories of childhood worries rub shoulders with infertility issues, health concerns sit next to stories of visiting the White House and meeting Michelle Obama.

Pritchett writes with humour and wit - as you would expect - addressing masses of topics in the short little chapters. I particularly enjoyed her writing about writing and the experience of being a working television and film writer. I had no idea she'd worked on the script for the cult classic 'Spice World'.

It's a great book full of wit, wisdom and worry. It's audiobook, narrated by Katherine Parkinson, is also well worth a listen.

I’m really struggling with rating this title; not only did my enjoyment of it fluctuate (from nearly putting it down to almost crying), but its overall worth is in no way based on my own opinion of it. (I say, like that isn’t true for every book.) I will start by admitting that I didn’t know who Georgia Pritchett was, and her author bio wasn’t much help - I’ve never watched any of the shows she is known for past a few episodes, due to not finding them funny. That might explain why I failed to get on with the humour in this book, which also wasn’t my thing. Having evidently forgotten the definition of the word ‘vignette’, I was expecting more of a traditional, anecdotal-yet-still-detailed memoir, and therefore resented the brevity and simplicity of each “chapter” (ie. half-page). It lacked flow and made it difficult for me to engage with Pritchett; additionally, although I suffer from anxiety myself, I think we experience it in very different, almost opposing ways. Unlike other reviews I have read, I probably enjoyed the latter half of the book the most, where important and oft-ignored issues such as (spoiler alert!) infertility, child loss, and neurodiversity are explored. It’s a very quick read, so if you have any attachments to these topics - or you have enjoyed Pritchett’s TV work, perhaps - then it may be worth giving it a go. 2.5 stars.

I must confess that I had no idea who Georgia Pritchett was before I picked up this book, but the title really resonated so I thought I'd give it a go. Turns out she's a script writer who's worked on shows like Veep, In the Thick of It, Smack the Pony, and many more. So if the title hadn't already clued you in, expect large amounts of wit and humour.

The first surprise, though, is that this isn't a cohesive narrative. Instead, it's a series of very short anecdotes, which skip over some of the high - or perhaps low - lights of the author's life. This actually really worked for me. I'm not sure I could have appreciated it so much if this had been a book covering the topics of anxiety and such in a more in-depth or serious way.

And yet, the episodic nature is also a bit of a weak point, especially as the book continues. Towards the end, the 'snippets' are getting longer and longer, as these become less 'amusing' vignettes from childhood or years ago, and more the author's current struggles.

And oh, does it get dark. From a childhood overshadowed with every anxiety - and this was something I felt I could relate to a lot - Pritchett's early working life was marred with a great deal of sexism. She tells these stories that make young adult life seem adventurous, but that actually, when you look through the joke, is actually really dreadful. Through all of it, the self-deprecating humour becomes darker and darker, and I did find myself wanting to shout at her and her imposter syndrome, or the repeat visits to 'healers' instead of real doctors - argh!

Even as success starts to mount - I mean, the whole story about working at the White House is amazing! - the anxiety only grew worse. Marriage and motherhood pile on more and more issues, and I must admit that while still readable, by this point it wasn't really resonating with me so much - I don't really like reading about parenting and all its issues, I guess. The humour is a little strained, but the pathos grows instead, and there are a lot of very moving things said - to the point it's all the more shocking when you loop back to that opening statement.

Overall, it's an incredibly honest memoir, told in an interesting way. I'm not really sure what I take from it, though. That outward success hides a lot of pain? Knew that. That anxious kids can turn into suicidal adults? Yeah, not really a message I wanted to hear. That writing it all down helped, in a way therapy did not. Okay, there's that. I hope Ms Pritchett's life can be less anxious and a lot happier now!