Abandoned by Booklikes

I have either really loved Lancaster's memoirs (Bitter is the New Black) felt meh about them (Pretty in Plaid) or just downright did not like them ( Jeneration X).

This was I felt just meh about in the end. This memoir follows Lancaster trying to cross things off her bucket list. Now age 46, Lancaster finds herself throwing herself into more things since her beloved dog Maisy passes.

Some of the things on Lancaster's list like learn a language and travel to Italy are really engrossing to read about. However some of the other bucket list items just didn't grab me (find a new hobby and discover an entirely new playlist) and maybe this is me being a jerk, but finding a new hobby and creating a playlist just didn't seem bucket list worthy.

Also this memoir really was not that funny. I don't need it to be non-stop laughter, but unlike with previous books I did not smile or laugh out loud once.

It also reads as if some other huge issues were happening with Lancaster and she alludes to it a bit, however, she says that this is not that kind of memoir so she doesn't go into it in depth at all. I don't need to read the nitty gritty of the self discovery that Lancaster went through, however, this book felt as if several chapters were left on the cutting room floor. There seems to be a sense that Lancaster is not happy with several things going on. I guessed that via some things said and unsaid in her last two books that Lancaster had a falling out with her family though they now may be reconciled. Readers are also given a hint that Lancaster has entered into therapy. I don't need to read about it. I just always find it weird in memoirs when the author leaves out key things.

Lancaster's writing felt a bit choppy too. Instead of doing the footnotes in this book she decided to keep interjecting with sidebars. Doing this broke up the flow of her writing and it distracted me while reading. I think it would have been better to just stick with the footnotes.

There were some things that Lancaster discussed that did speak to me. Such as how social media has made people more distant from each other. And I agree with her about how sometimes the internet outrage machine needs to take a day off when recounting an incident that got blown up via a post she made on Facebook. Also when she describes going to Italy I found myself reminiscing.

I have no idea what other memoir Lancaster has in her back pocket. I just hope the next one brings back some of the older magic that made her memoirs must reads for me.