Do you know the feeling of having a really crummy day? One where you feel like everything that could go wrong went wrong, you just couldn’t make yourself understood, and you’re completely done? And, when you get home, your loved ones or best friend or favorite companion is there and profound relief just floods your system, because this is your place and these are your people. That is what reading (or listening to) Jenny Lawson‘s books is like.

Furiously Happy is a response to a series of bad news. In a moment of sheer defiant frustration, Jenny Lawson declares that she will not give in to sadness or depression; she will, instead, be furiously happy. She writes about her profound struggles with mental and physical illness in ways that make me feel admiration for her and as though my own struggles aren’t something only I face. Feeling understood–and as though you aren’t alone–is a startling relief all its own.

In addition to these sometimes serious stories, Furiously Happy is also filled with Jenny Lawson’s hilarious recounts of arguments with her husband Victor, her adventures on trips to Japan and Australia, her growing collection of taxidermied animals, and so much more. A fantastic follow-up to Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, and an instant favorite.