Title: Life Honestly

Author: The Pool

Genre: Essay Collection/Non-Fiction

Publisher: Pan Macmillan

Cover:

Summary: from Amazon

Life Honestly is a complete guide to modern life from some of today’s most talented and insightful writers including Bryony Gordon, Dolly Alderton, Natasha Devon, Lauren Laverne and Yomi Adegoke.

Within these pages you’ll find an un-airbrushed selection of advice, comment and opinion. These are intimate stories from bad sex to bad boys, from workplace inequality to the sheer joy of learning something new, that will spark hope, triumph and occasionally outrage. In Life Honestly you will find fresh perspectives on everything from age milestones and friendship, motherhood and weddings, and why you should always, always, tell someone when you like their earrings. This book will make you feel empowered, supported and more prepared than ever to take on anything life has to offer because, honestly, we’re all in this together.

Featuring an introduction by co-founder Sam Baker, this fabulous collection is full of articles to inspire you. The pieces vary in length, which makes this a perfect collection to dip into for a few minutes while you wait for the kettle to boil, or something meatier for your morning commute. Some are long and some are short but they all pack a punch. From Sali Hughes on blended families to Viv Groskop offering fresh perspectives on daily problems, Life Honestly is a collection of advice, comment and opinion that acts as a complete guide to modern life.

Review:

I went into reading Life Honestly never having heard of The Pool which is an online platform for women with a great deal of relevant and timely content. It’s contributors are a wide range of women from all walks of life and Life Honestly is a collection of short essays on a myriad of topics from the women of The Pool. I’m so glad I now know about this group and I found reading their book both educational and interesting.

I genuinely found every essay in Life Honestly relevant to today’s society and to me personally as a 26 year old woman. The essays are split into different broad topics like work, friendship, style and money. They are all short enough to feel snappy and to the point but also don’t feel rushed at all. The women writing for The Pool all lead such different lives and have variable experiences so there is a real wealth of accumulated knowledge between them. I could relate to all of their stories because they feel like the sort of women I know and encounter all the time. The essays on topics like gender politics and women’s health felt incredibly timely and intelligently written. I really enjoyed reading the ideas and opinions of these women and it gave me a great deal of food for thought. In addition, I have to say that even the topics which did not directly apply to me personally like parenting were still of interest to me. It was fascinating to read about the experiences of women who are in a stage of their lives that I could conceivably be in in a few years time. I always think the best way for women to gain true equality is for women to support each other completely and this book feels like a big step in the right direction.

All in all, I found Life Honestly to be a smart and coherent collection of honest and genuine stories from real women. I will definitely be keeping up with content that is created by The Pool as it feels like exactly the kind of information and opinions that I would like to inform the choices I make in my life.

Life Honestly will be published on September 20th 2018.

I received this e-arc from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.