I devoured Approval Junkie: Adventures in Caring Too Much by Faith Salie in just a few short hours.

Don’t we all crave approval?

I’m pretty tired of all the self-help books for women that proclaim that to be happy, healthy, and pretty much perfect, I must keep my house spotless, my brow hairless, my abs ripply (not jiggly), my children on that tight-rope of helicopter-tiger-freerange momness, and be Doris friggin’ Day in heels and pearls with a dinner plan.

All these Christian mommy bloggers cum authors with their Titus 2 mentoring programs, 21-days-to-a-better-something and lame parenting and marriage advice that leave me left out and scratching my head.

It’s really just all about approval.

At least Faith Salie tells it like it is.

“When it comes down to it, we all just want to hear stories.”

From someone who really tried hard to totally screw my life up, this book hit home for me. I’ve always considered myself a pleaser. I pretend to be so nonchalant and flippant, but inside I’m screaming for approval. I think most women are, so don’t let them appear holier than thou.

This is a memoir, not a self-help manual. There’s no blame or simplified fixes or get-rich-quick schemes.

I do love the last chapter to her daughter, with these last lines: I hope you’ll love yourself as much as I love you.

Salie’s insights into a failed marriage, eating disorder, miscarriages, and the death of her mother echo my own feelings with failures and tragedy, but with more humor and poetry.

I’ve been feeling a little down lately.

It’s well into April and it’s still chilly out and I long for warmth.

I’m not a good mother no matter how much kale I buy since I let them spend an entire afternoon on their iPads.

I’ve gained some weight the last few months and my clueless husband brings home a big box of chocolates so I can glare at those as I continue to feel sorry for myself while I drink lots of water and eat spinach salads.

This book is about balance.

With thoughtful irreverence, Salie reflects on why she tries so hard to please others, and herself, highlighting a phenomenon that many people—especially women—experience at home and in the workplace. Equal parts laugh-out loud funny and poignant, Approval Junkie is one woman’s journey to realizing that seeking approval from others is more than just getting them to like you—it’s challenging yourself to achieve, and survive, more than you ever thought you could.

From comedian and journalist Faith Salie, of NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! and CBS News Sunday Morning, a collection of humorous essays chronicling the author’s adventures during her lifelong quest for approval.

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On Sale April 19, 2016 – Buy at Amazon

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.