I’m a big fan of Gemma Correll’s work, so I was excited to see her new book, The Worrier’s Guide to Life, available on Netgalley. Even better, it was a read now, meaning there was no agonizing wait period to find out if I’d been approved! So I settled into bed with a cat on my lap and probably spent a total of 30 or 45 minutes flipping through this book.
And it’s like she’s inside my head. I mean, I guess I already knew that, since I’ve seen so many of her drawings floating around Tumblr and Facebook. She gets what it’s like to be introverted. To worry that everybody’s judging you. To sometimes prefer the company of animals to the company of humans. It’s like she captured every neurotic, ridiculous thought I’ve ever had, given it a cute illustration, and published it.
My favorites? The disease-a-day calendar – I work in a medical office, and I would love to have that at my desk. The reward stickers for grown-ups – can I get a sticker for finishing my taxes, too? The map of the introvert’s heart was shockingly accurate as well. What I look like when exercising? I’d prefer not to admit how much I relate to that one.
The only thing I’d prefer is more new illustrations. Because despite the fact that this book isn’t even out yet, I’d probably seen a quarter or more of the content previously, just by casually browsing online. For a free book, I was fine with this. Had I paid for it, I might be upset.
But nevertheless, The Worrier’s Guide to Life is highly recommended for anybody who needs a little pick-me-up.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy.
Final rating: ★★★☆☆
The Bibliophagist 