4.5 rounded down to 4. I really can't decide if this should be a 4 or a 5!

I really liked this book, as it talked about Kreizman's learning and unlearning as time went on. I love books like this because we all have learning and unlearning to do. It can be vulnerable to highlight the areas where you used to be wrong so I always really appreciate books like this.

I really enjoyed the different areas that Kreizman covered! I'd definitely recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley for a copy of this book!

A strongly written book with a good dose of humor. It’s a challenging time for those of us paying attention and this book gets at a lot of the issues. I appreciated being able to read it so much!

A thoughtful collection by a woman who finds herself growing increasingly leftist with age, rather than the saying that as we get older we grow more conservative. Her medical conditions, experience, and sympathy continue to make her lose faith in institutions and the system. She casts her gaze on our health care system, the climate crisis, politics, feminism, and so many societal expectations and myths. Recommended.

Maris Kreizman's book is a perfect read for those of us trying to survive this post-pandemic, current-fascist moment in time. Her essays are funny, but not forced, and eminently relatable in that they say some of the long-unspoken quiet parts out loud. For example: It's OKAY not to want kids! Who says you're missing out on something that doesn't interest you? And, oh, yes, that doesn't mean you're broken.

And there's plenty more, including the radical life change that comes for a type-1 diabetic now that she wears a continuous glucose monitor. Awesome and life-giving, right? Sure, unless you doomscroll your own blood sugar and lean toward navel-gazing, in which case you run the risk of micromanaging your pancreas and walking into a pole on the street, giving yourself a subdural hematoma, and dying while binge-watching true crime. Or your glucose monitor. Figuratively, of course.

Kreizman manages to quantify the effects of climate change in terms of walking your elderly pug, and admitting that some of us now feel like elderly pugs since the air we breathe has turned on us.

There is, of course, much more, which is to say: READ THIS BOOK. And it's not just for childless cat ladies. And, for all you childless cat ladies out there, myself included, we rock. And we don't care to hear anyone say otherwise.

This book was fine. I think each essay alone was good and enjoyable, and they did flow together a little bit, but I was expecting a different feel based on the title and blurb. While she definitely talks about the end of her belief in institutions, it is not as much of a theme of the book as I had originally anticipated. The title is more of a single reference to a single essay than an overarching theme, which I think means people who pick this up might not enjoy it as much as anticipated, particularly those (like me) who were not familiar with the author prior to this book of essays.

One thing I personally enjoyed, as someone who did not come to politics until well after college, was her writing on not really being a feminist at a young age and to this day being quite un-read in Feminist theory. I feel like most feminist writers have always been feminist and took Women and Gender Studies 101 fall semester of freshman year, which makes me feel disconnected to the writing, as a cis white woman who just didn't get what all that was about until later in life. That essay made me feel seen, and I greatly appreciate that.

I also really enjoyed her chapter on Copoganda, particularly when she reveals that her brothers are cops. I would personally love her examination on her relationship with her brothers in related to this, as someone whose loved one is struggling with their family going down the Fox News path, but I also know that is not something she has to share if she doesn't want.

Thank you to Ecco and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Did not finish. I believe the main message is extremely important, but there are much better, comprehensive works on community work and mutual aid.

I loved Maris' fresh and funny essays, filled with personal warmth and political fury. Definitely relatable content for disenchanted elder millennials everywhere.

I greatly enjoyed this collection of essays. I found myself connecting with Maris and actually wanted more from her perspective from the end. I laughed at certain points while also feeling her struggle/pain in others. It was something that has helped me feel better right now that I don't feel so alone in these similar revelations and thoughts. I rated it 4.5/5 stars mostly because I just wanted more! I was sad when it ended.

Kreizman is a very likable narrator, whose most despondent moments somehow give me hope, probably because they made me feel less alone.

I enjoyed this essay collection---especially the first few. I related so much to the way the author developed in her politics. Kreizman is really good at setting you in a time period in her writing. She jumps you around through the 80s to the 2000s but really puts your feet on the ground with cultural and technological references.

The book felt a little short and the essays seemed shorter and less impactful as you moved through. Though, that may be on purpose? There were a few punchy story drops (the cringe from the fingering story! ah) that I feel would have been less impactful if they were elaborated on.

Thank you NetGalley for sending an advanced copy of this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. I had pre-ordered this book beforehand and after reading I am still looking forward to owning a copy.

Maris Kreizman is one of my favorite book reviewers,when I’m looking for something new to read she always has great suggestions.I really enjoyed reading her debut collection of essays.From her childhood her entry to the world of publishing and falling in love she is open real and I enjoyed getting to know the woman behind the reviews.#netgalley #ecco

I liked this book of essays quite a lot, but it honestly seemed too short - the notes section was so lengthy that I was surprised by the end of the book! The essays in this are thought provoking and smart, I'd just like to hear more from the author.