Jess Johnston is becoming one of my favorite writers. Her writing is warm, welcoming, and a hug for your soul. In her first solo book (she co-wrote the wildly popular I'll Be There But I'll Be Wearing Sweatpants), she covers the lies we tell ourselves that make us feel not good enough in various aspects of our life including parenting, friendship and community. Or as she likes to put it, what we tell ourselves to keep us thinking we are junior varsity adults. She breaks down the lies into chapters with helpful pep talks and ideas at the end to get us into the right headspace. The lies and stories are so relatable you'll wonder if secretly she got into your own diary. As women we are often so hard on ourselves constantly thinking, "why can't I be great at x,y,z like so and so" and Jess's writing gives us the confidence to see no one has it all figured out and we are doing just fine being ourselves. I loved her stories and learning more about her life. Thank you Convergent Books for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest review. Pub Day is Feb 4th, 2025.

I absolutely LOVE Jess Johnston!! I follow her and her "Sister, I Am With You" Facebook page and I have both of her other books that she has written with Amy Weatherly. I love their super casual and relatable writing style and how everything seems to relate to exactly how you feel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for the opportunity to read this book. It was relatable and taught how important it is to give yourself grace in not just difficult times but day-to-day.
The book centers on topics such as: perfectionism, fear of failure and rejection, belonging, connections, what it is to have a full life, and how you can't do it all. Jess Johnson gives countless personal stories throughout the book as examples.
I think because I am not a parent, I personally wasn't able to connect with as many stories. There wasn't anything wrong with this and the book. I just didn't feel like I fit into the ideal reader for it. Otherwise, I think it was a light and inspiring read.

A different kind of self help book. The writing style is bright and relatable, reminiscent of a chat with your friend. It feels less like a self help book and more like a novel. The author comes across as funny and normal, allowing you to know as the reader to know that you dont need to be perfect. It's self help but not pushy or judgy.

This was so engaging and relatable that I forgot it was a self-help book until the end of each section where it gave (actually useful) tips on how to use that information to make yourself happier. Like talking to your enlightened best friend.

Such a fun read! Highly recommend.

Many thanks to Netgalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I loved this book so much! It felt like having a conversation with an old friend who tells you things that maybe you don’t want to hear, but need to hear, but in a funny and relatable way. I found this book so touching and relevant to so many aspects of my life and would absolutely recommend It to anyone that needs some reminders of just how wonderful they are and how to be their most authentic selves 🥰

Perfect is Boring (and It Tastes Like Kale) is the hilarious book bestie all women need. I laughed myself silly at the relateable and squirmy moments that, as it turns out, are much more common to being a human than my brain would have me believe. This book encourages authenticity and ditching the picture perfect image you’ve been curating for an Instagram square (or whatever social media channels we are using these days).

Divided out into three sections, Jess Johnston tackles three areas of authentic living: finding authenticity by loving yourself as you are and where you are, finding authenticity through shared connection with others, and finding authenticity by avoiding self sabotage and having and chasing your big scary dreams.

This book was fun and funny and a perfect companion when you’re facing a new and scary chapter in life and you need a pep talk from a bestie.

I’d like to thank Convergent Books and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for an advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review!

The title is what initially drew me in, but the author's writing and relatability kept me turning the pages. I admit to having some hesitations after seeing this book under the Christian genre, because in the past I struggled with authors preaching or pushing their religious views on the reader. But Jess Johnston writes in a very accessible, respectful way, and even discusses the value of surrounding ourselves with those who have different views and beliefs.

While this book's target audience is women, and more specifically mothers, I think that the overall messages could be wonderful reminders for everyone. Part memoir, part guide, Johnston breaks it down into three parts and 14 "lies" we tell ourselves - Things that hold us back from finding connection and purpose. The humor and honesty is what makes this book so enjoyable. It didn't feel like one of those sterile, self-help books, but rather an inspiring nudge to be your authentic self. To be perfectly imperfect. When I think of all of the positive interactions and conversations I've had, they occurred when I (and the other person) shared authentically. The need to be perfect and the worry about saying the "right" things fell by the wayside. We spend too much time thinking we're not enough or focusing on our "flaws" that we might miss out on the opportunity for real connection.

I love the discussions surrounding community, empowering others, and vulnerability. You cannot find belonging by isolating and hiding your true self. We need to share our unique gifts, to speak up, and get out of our own way. I also really like and appreciate the conversations around mental health - Whether the general respectfulness and awareness or the personal struggles that the author shared.

I found myself highlighting numerous quotes and passages, as I could relate to so much of what Johnston had to say. This is a book I would love to own a physical copy of to pick up and refer back to.

I was drawn to this book because of the fantastic title and great cover. It is written in a bright ‘best friend from next door’ style which is very engaging and sort of confessional but it feels like reading a novel. As you read you very quickly connect with the author and identify with her personally - she is funny, bright, normal and urges us to believe that she is very far from perfect. However her tone and approach is perfect for a self help book and possibly unique in the genre? Not bossy but friendly and real.

Perfect Is Boring (And It Tastes Like Kale) by Jess Johnston is an absolute must read for any woman who has ever felt like she was not good enough. Imagine a book length version of America Ferrera's famous monologue from the Barbie movie written with humor. This is Jess Johnston's new book. I absolutely loved so many things about this book. The book is absolutely hilarious and pokes fun at the absurdity of the pressures that we all put on ourselves. The book is divided into three sections: Lies that keep us from loving ourselves as we are (or, becoming an imperfectionist), lies that keep us from connection (or, how to quit performing and start belonging, and lies that keep us from dreaming big and living a full life (or, how to try things without fear of failure). Each chapter is entertaining, validating and practical. At the end of the each chapter there is a "how to section implement this into your life section." While I am not usually a big fan of self help books, I felt that these sections were fantastic.

One of my favorite concepts in the book was about playing for the junior varsity team as a parent and being ok with no being on the perfectly dressed, PTO leading varsity team. There were many other thoughts that I loved just as much as this one but do not want to give away in this review.

If you want a fun, useful read that will make you laugh and feel better about life, this book is an absolute must read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Convergent Books for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.