Thank goodness nobody was home, because when I read page fifteen, I laughed for about twenty minutes. It was the kind of laugh that turns to streaming tears and a cramped belly. I'm not going to tell you what's on page fifteen in Jenny Lawson's memoir, Let's Pretend This Never Happened, because the funny is in the reveal. There is simply no words that I can use to do justice to what is written on that page. You must check it out for yourself.

Lawson, who turned her popular blog (The Bloggess) into her first memoir, has led a very unusual life and she has a hilarious way of recounting it. This is going to sound a bit sick and twisted, but I am going for it...I totally relate to Lawson's love for animals, yet her fascination with taxidermy, particularly poorly done taxidermy. Some people collect live animals. some go for crusty gators in pirate costumes.  Like Lawson, I get pretty giddy when I come across a piece in a store or museum.

Walter Potter, nut or creative genius? A bit of both?

Lawson has a good excuse for her taxidermy obsession, her father was a taxidermist and she was raised with an usual relationship with animals. Her father often brought home wild animals that he didn't kill to be family pets. He would also bring home drifters to the dinner table. Lawson's childhood was a constant adventure, as she never quite knew what to expect. Lawson's upbringing was a complete polar opposite to mine and is a huge factor in what makes her memoir so interesting. 

The book is hilarious, providing many laugh-out-loud moments. This is not to say, that there are not some very serious topics covered in the book. Lawson has had some major issues in her life and she faces them head-on in her memoir. She does not shy away from very personal, tough issues.

As much as I enjoyed the book, as with most collected stories, some are stronger than others. Some were not quite as funny as they tried to be or not as interesting. I even found myself skimming a few. However, the ones that are well done, are completely fantastic. I love Lawson's candor and writer's voice. She is definitely someone that I would want as a friend and I look forward to reading her blog, something that I didn't know existed prior to discovering her book.