Books like Let's pretend this never happened (a mostly true memoir)

A wildly inappropriate, laugh-out-loud romp through the eccentricities of childhood and the chaotic beauty of being a misfit. These 12 books are the closest matches in mood, pace and themes, with what each one shares with Let's pretend this never happened (a mostly true memoir).

chaotic
manic
hilarious
tender

01
Broken
Jenny Lawson
A wildly funny, deeply vulnerable plunge into the chaotic reality of living with severe mental illness.
Shares:
- chaotic
- manic
- irreverent
- darkly comedic
02
Furiously Happy
Jenny Lawson
A wildly tangential, laugh-out-loud manifesto on fighting crippling depression with weaponized absurdity.
Shares:
- chaotic
- manic
- irreverent
- darkly comedic
03
Shrill
Lindy West
A hilarious, battle-tested manifesto for taking up space and refusing to apologize for it.
Shares:
- hilarious
- vulnerable
- radical self-acceptance
04
Lit
Mary Karr · 2009
A darkly hilarious, fiercely unsentimental plunge into the abyss of addiction and the messy, miraculous climb back out.
Shares:
- chaotic
- irreverent
- darkly comedic
- self-deprecating
05
Wishful Drinking
Carrie Fisher · 2008
A razor-sharp, laugh-out-loud survival guide to Hollywood royalty, addiction, and the absurdity of being a human action figure.
Shares:
- chaotic
- irreverent
- darkly comedic
- self-deprecating
06
The girl with the lower back tattoo
Amy Schumer
A raucous, surprisingly vulnerable late-night conversation with your funniest, messiest friend.
Shares:
- tender
- irreverent
- self-deprecating
- vulnerable
07
Bossypants
Tina Fey
A hilarious, rapid-fire masterclass in navigating life's absurdities with sharp wit and unapologetic confidence.
Shares:
- chaotic
- hilarious
- self-deprecating
08
I'm Glad My Mom Died
Jennette McCurdy
A darkly hilarious and devastatingly raw reckoning with a toxic upbringing that finds hard-won freedom in the aftermath of grief.
Shares:
- darkly comedic
- vulnerable
09
Little Weirds
Jenny Slate
A tender, surreal exploration of heartbreak and healing that feels like sitting in a sunlit garden with your weirdest, most empathetic friend.
Shares:
- tender
- vulnerable
- radical self-acceptance
10
Best of Me
David Sedaris
A masterclass in observational comedy that invites you to laugh at the absurdity of human nature before quietly breaking your heart.
Shares:
- self-deprecating
- absurd
11
We are Never Meeting in Real Life
Samantha Irby
A wildly funny, unapologetically messy romp through the indignities of adulthood and the human body.
Shares:
- chaotic
- hilarious
- irreverent
- self-deprecating
12
I might regret this
Abbi Jacobson
A funny, vulnerable road trip through the messy realities of relationships and self-discovery.
Shares:
- vulnerable

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