I love Ross Gay (and his pal Aimee Nezhukumatathil) and believe they are both American treasures. Gay's unabashed love for the world is so big and wonderful, and I have a deep appreciation for his sense of wonder and willingness to open his heart up and let us in.

We are living in a world right now where there are a lot more stories of grief and depression and hate and loss than stories about joy. I grabbed this book because I love joyful stories that inspire and remind us that even in the midst of hardship, there can be joy! Ross Gay gives us 12 stories that show it is possible to find joy if you just look for it! His prose and writing style really kept me interested and turning the pages. I planned to read this over a month and just do a story a day but found myself not wanting to stop because I constantly had a smile on my face. This is a book that everyone should read to remind them that even through the hardship, there is joy to be found.

DNF.

I honestly thought I could read this book while my mom was (is) dying, but I've tried several times and still can't read it without suffering. I bet it's a great book and am sorry I couldn't go on reading, but I'm gonna put my own preservation first and stop trying to read this book. Sorry to the author and publisher.

DNF @ 25%. This is just too much like self help and too little of the poetry that I enjoy from Ross Gay. I'm sure other people will enjoy it — it's very emotional and not poorly written or anything — but definitely not for me.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book. What can I say except that I am absolutely in love with Ross Gay's writing. It's the most lovely and thought provoking meander through a vision of both what the world is and what it could be. I laughed and cried, legitimately. I highly recommend this book to all humans, and I also highly recommend reading the footnotes. This book is a gift, much in the same way that The Book of Delights was, but I'd argue that this one had even more depth. Wow.

Note: the Kindle version of this book was a MESS. The footnotes came at weird times and were mixed into the text.

A collection of essays about joy? YES PLEASE!! I absolutely loved this delightful collection of thoughts and musings and think it would be a great mentor text for grade 8 and up. Wonderful springboard for writing.

Reading Ross Gay is like coming home. Comforting, easy, and familiar. His words are so accessible and that makes for books that can be placed into any person's hands. Always worth a read.

2 1/2 stars. I'm a sucker for any book with the word "joy" in the title, and I enjoyed Mr. Gay's "Book of Delights." But I found this book less delightful. Although most of the essays were about topics I'm interested in, I tired of his wordy, flowery way of writing. I realize he's a poet, and for those who enjoy poetry (more than I do), this may not bother them. There were also a lot of long footnotes, which don't work well on an e-reader. Perhaps a physical book would be a better choice in this case. Many thanks to NetGalley, Mr. Gay, and Algonquin Books for the ARC of this title.

Inciting Joy is a gorgeous essay collection that examines the symbiotic nature of suffering and joy, the beauty of the mundane and how we can incite joy in all of our lives! A delight to read and another inspiring, tender piece of work from Ross Gay

This book does as the title suggests, inciting joy and wonder at each turn. The poetry of Gay's language is remarkable, and the keen eye of noticing is a delight.

I first heard of Ross Gay on NPR when he wrote The Book of Delights, and I continue to love his work. In this collection of essays on joy, Gay writes about connection and the recognition of that as a practice, and how we can grow that in our lives.

I loved this collection about bringing people together and recognizing all the ways we are connected as a practice to incite joy.

I just loved this so much. I wanted to send Ross Gay an email and ask him if he wanted to be bff's with me. I so much wanted to stay immersed in his world and in conversation with him that I read this slim volume very slowly. Highly recommend.

The essays included in Inciting Joy will have you reflecting on your life in many different ways. You will find yourself possibly paying more attention to your surroundings and the people around you. It will also help to remind you of the good things happening around us. What is your passion and how do you recognize joy in your life?

I loved his last essay collection, The Book of Delights, so I was thrilled to receive this book. However, this did not incite any joy for me. It is getting rave reviews so I’m willing to admit I’m the problem. It’s me. Hi.

Inciting Joy is a great book to read following the Book of Delights (a book I really loved reading). It helps the reader focus on finding joy in the everyday, even as the world can be difficult at times. Gay's writing is approachable and not preachy.

I was very hopeful when asked to read Inciting Joy. I had not read anything by Ross Gay, and I was intrigued by the idea of a series of essays as well as in need of some heartwarming joy.

I did find an early essay about rekindling a relationship while caring for his sick father touching. Beyond that I struggled with the verbose writing style, and the intentionally bad ARC formatting did not help. Subsequently, I didn’t find a lot of joy in reading this book of essays. I am definitely an outlier reviewer on this book, but not every book is going to appeal to every reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC digital copy. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions are my own.

I had high hopes for this book, but I just don’t believe I am I the correct reader.

3 stars out of respect for the author so as not to unintentionally skew the rating.

Inciting Joy is such a wonderful follow up to The Book of Delights. Yet, they are different books in an important and valuable way. Reading Gay’s previous work, I felt more like a witness peering into his cultivation of awe. The beauty and complexity of Inciting Joy is the implicit ask of the reader to be a more active participant in these essays, to conjure a sense of joy in their imagination as they read him. This radical invocation, this permission-giving to seek joy in a world that does not willingly give you the space to, is what makes this book a worthy read.

Review to be posted on IG and Goodreads

4.5 stars

The power of community, the healing abilities of positive growth and shared love. Inciting Joy is a collection of "feel good" that I think is the perfect balm for those struggling in these times.

Sense of joy: ★★★★★
Flow of stories: ★★★★
Writing style: ★★★★

There are some books that are both shockingly simple to describe and yet so vastly large they feel impossible to shrink down into the purposes of a review. Inciting Joy is one of those reads.

Ross Gay's essays in this collection all have a central theme—joy, of course—but each feels layered, framed through a different quirk of the lens, and reliant on different modes to convey their message. Joy, like all emotions, is a complex and ever-changing thing.

Growth and green things are a prominent note in this collection. Ideas of life and growing are no strangers to joy.

More surprising to some might be the inclusion of grief and exploration of loss as a means to receive the sharper, more poignant pieces of joy and uplifting emotional resonance.

Beautiful, sharp, soft, and layered, Inciting Joy is a unique thumbprint on a world that often focuses on the sharp and critical. Sit down with Ross Gay for a while and feel some love. It'll help... I promise.

Thank you to Algonquin Books for my copy in exchange for an honest review.

In these beautifully lyrical essays, Ross Gay explores the concept of joy, not as something that can only be found during the absence of sorrow and pain, but something that exists alongside it. From gardening to pickup basketball to dancing, Gay finds joy in community and connection to others and the earth. He's a poet, so just go in knowing that some of these essays will be a little winding and seemingly off-topic. I promise they'll come back around in the most wonderful ways.