Thinky Thoughts by Gwenna Laithland

TL;DR: A great mix of reflective essays.
Source: NetGalley – Thank you to the publisher!!

Collection: The collection as a whole skipped around but that was established at the beginning which added character and didn’t bother me in the least. It did give a great picture of Gwenna and her history as well.
Readability: The writing is approachable and easy to read.
Humor: This is going to be up to the reader I think, but as a fellow millennial I was cracking up frequently.

Summary:

Before I was a mom who cusses, I was a millennial. Before I was that, I was just a kid with a brain that moved too fast. I’ve spent more time than I’m proud of getting lost in my Thinky Thoughts. They go a little something like

How has my childhood shaped my motherhood? I might have lost my phone again. Is it that big a deal if the kids call me cringe? I haven’t left the house today. Is it a problem that I don’t leave the house for days? Why does my daughter hate rollercoasters but love adzuki beans? Cranberry bog spiders. What if they rearrange the grocery store again?

Thinky Thoughts walks the line between memoir, storytelling, guided meditation, and self-help. It’s a little bit of explanation, a lot a bit of exploration, and a tiny bit of still not knowing what’s I’m supposed to be doing as an adult. It’s also being okay with not knowing.

Thinky Thoughts won’t answer life’s great questions. But it will make you feel a little better knowing you’re not alone in asking them.

Thoughts:

Just like her social media presence, Thinky Thoughts presents Gwenna Laithland as that funny, relatable Mom-friend. She’s introspective, but at times irreverent with a healthy dose of sarcasm and humor. This is the perfect mix, especially for a collection of casual essays about her own history and thoughts on how her brain works.

Ranging from stories about her father walking out on her, to the abusive relationship that setup her adult years, to Christmas as the daughter of a single mom. These all sound like that should be heavy, and at times they are, but they’re also tempered with a good dose of humor. You’ll flip between laughing and crying, and enjoy every moment.

I will say this may not work for everyone but I do think it’s worth trying. It’s introspective and it’s lessons can be carried into other lives and times. I really enjoyed my time with it, and I really recommend it for fans of reflective essays (especially those with a dash of humor just like this).