Book Review: Everything I Know About Love

Synopsis (taken from Goodreads):

The wildly funny, occasionally heartbreaking internationally bestselling memoir about growing up, growing older, and learning to navigate friendships, jobs, loss, and love along the ride

When it comes to the trials and triumphs of becoming an adult, journalist and former Sunday Times columnist Dolly Alderton has seen and tried it all. In her memoir, she vividly recounts falling in love, finding a job, getting drunk, getting dumped, realizing that Ivan from the corner shop might just be the only reliable man in her life, and that absolutely no one can ever compare to her best girlfriends. Everything I Know About Love is about bad dates, good friends and—above all else— realizing that you are enough.

Glittering with wit and insight, heart and humor, Dolly Alderton’s unforgettable debut weaves together personal stories, satirical observations, a series of lists, recipes, and other vignettes that will strike a chord of recognition with women of every age—making you want to pick up the phone and tell your best friends all about it. Like Bridget Jones’ Diary but all true, Everything I Know About Love is about the struggles of early adulthood in all its terrifying and hopeful uncertainty.

Everything I Know About Love: 4/5

I’m finally getting around to posting my nonfiction November reviews, and first up is Everything I Know About Love.

It’s been a long time since I related to a book on such a personal level. Alderton does a great job at describing the situation she’s in; what it feels like to be in your mid 20s and be one of the last single friends of your friend group or feeling like you’re experiencing milestone life experiences much later compared to everyone else. But what I really love about this book is that she doesn’t make it seem like something to be ashamed of. She doesn’t write about it in a self-pitying way or try to garner your sympathy. Instead, it’s a raw and honest exploration of an experience that a lot of people will never have.

I love that she encourages women not to get trapped by the idea that love can only come from a romantic relationship, especially long-term love. Love can come from lots of places, especially friendships and from yourself.

“If this is it, if this is all there is – just me and the trees and the sky and the seas – I know now that that’s enough. I am enough.”

If my description sounds appealing to you, I highly recommend you give this book a chance! I feel like I learned a lot from it 💓