Thank you so much Little, Brown and Company for providing my free copy – all opinions are my own.
Book Description:
For most of her life (and even during her years as the host of a popular radio show), Courtenay Hameister lived in a state of near-constant dread and anxiety. She fretted about everything. Her age. Her size. Her romantic prospects. How likely it was that she would get hit by a bus on the way home. Until a couple years ago, when, in her mid-forties, she decided to fight back against her debilitating anxieties by spending a year doing little things that scared her–things that the average person might consider doing for a half second before deciding: “nope.” Things like: attending a fellatio class. She did that. She also spent an afternoon in a sensory deprivation tank, got (legally) high in the middle of a workday, had a session with a professional cuddler, braved twenty-eight first dates, and (perhaps scariest of all) actually met someone who might possibly appreciate her for who she is.
My Review:
This is a fun, intelligent memoir that motivates you to face your fears. Former host of NPR’s Live Wire, Courtenay Hameister, suffered a severe panic attack in 2013 so she set off on a new adventure by deciding to face her fears and document each experience with absolute candor and unadulterated humor. She struggles with generalized anxiety disorder, along with obsessive-compulsive disorder so you can imagine how interesting this memoir is. Over the course of a year, she takes on all types of uncomfortable scenarios such as time in a sensory deprivation tank, a visit to a sex club, dabbles in a polyamorous lifestyle, sees a professional cuddler (my worst nightmare), partakes in a little pot smoking that ends badly, and much more. She tackles online dating, body image issues (ouch the Brazilian wax), and everything in between. And she does it so well!
Her fears, anxiety, and increased heart rate all transfer to the page vividly – you feel it all. Even though this journey is about facing her fears, I also found it to be very brave as every page carries so much weight to it but with a great amount of sharp wit. She’s raw, honest, and shows a tremendous amount of vulnerability. OKAY FINE WHATEVER is such a unique, clever, and compelling memoir that you will breeze right through. It is a personal account of learning to say yes instead of no to life’s experiences.
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