My (extra)Ordinary Life by Rebecca Ryan Published by Simon & Schuster UK on 5th January 2023
Genres: Chicklit, Contemporary, Women's Literary Fiction
Pages: 445
Format: eARC
Source: from Netgalley
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The Average UK Woman…
Has brown hairIs 5’4Eats meatDoesn’t live in LondonWill fall in love before they're 30…Emily knows how she measures up. How do you?
When watching a documentary on the average human experience, Emily realises she's the epitome of the typical woman. Her name, her height, her occupation… even her blood group. The only thing unusual about her is that she’s a twin. But her twin died when they were only 8 and Emily can't help but think maybe her sister was meant to live instead of her. Secretly she suspects her sister would have done a better job at life... better than average anyway. So Emily writes a list committing her to live a more extraordinary life… she’ll become a vegan, run a marathon and bungee jump.
But the one thing she knows she can’t do though is fall in love… because according to the stats this is the perfect time for her to meet the person she’ll marry. And normal just won’t do.
This is Rebecca Ryan’s debut book and well you wouldn’t think so. She writes like a seasoned author
Emily is very relatable. Without being too obvious she is just your average person. She has an average job and lives what she perceives as a very boring life. I think we have all been there thinking that we should be more than we are. Emily has the added pressure that she believes her twin sister would have had an amazing life had she not passed away when they were 8 years old. Emily’s life list made me laugh so much. The tough mudder scenes were some of my favourites. I had to stop reading to catch my breath because I was giggling so much.
This book shows us how grief can keep affecting us even 20 years down the line. My mum passed away when I was 9 years old and even now at 33 grief can, at times, overwhelm me. I completely understand how Emily was feeling with a big anniversary looming and her family dealing with their grief differently to her. It can be easier to bury your head in the sand.
This book was laugh out loud funny while also being very poignant. This is a beautiful book about life and grief but peppered with some of the funniest scenes I have ever read. An excellent debut and I cannot wait for more from Rebecca.
About Rebecca Ryan
Anyway, I’m Rebecca, (or Becs if I’m not in trouble with my mum), author of My (extra) Ordinary Life which is being published in January 2023 by Simon and Schuster.
I honestly never thought that writing a book was something someone like me could do, even though I’d had a kernel of an idea for one since I was 12. However, I finally sat down to write it in lockdown number one, pregnant with my third baby. Now I fill my days writing (how lucky am I?), getting my kids snacks, and trying, mostly in vain to keep on top of the washing. It’s not the most exciting of existences, but it’s mine and I’m pretty happy with it.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
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