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Eightysixed: Life Lessons Learned
“Eightysixed is like a recipe for life and love and I feel honored to be one of the ingredients.” —Celebrity Chef Floris Versluijs Chicagoan Emily Belden has no idea what to do with her twenty-something life — particularly as it pertains to love — which is a tough problem for a hopelessly romantic half-Jew who's fresh out of a failed relationship. But if “figuring it all out” and “wanting it all” were Olympic sports, Emily would have been a gold medalist in both categories. Never one to admit defeat in the face of the enemy, Emily gets back in the dating ring again and again. But, the more she tries to make her therapist proud, the deeper down the rabbit hole she goes. While recovering the pieces of her broken heart, straight-A Emily’s dating world morphs into a mad soirée of drug addicts, embezzlers, perverts, and pimps. Just as she begins to believe that a bottle of wine might be her only shot at happiness, a chance encounter with a man she should never should have met resets Emily’s buttons. What she experience next satiates her heart, her soul, and her stomach, as she frees herself from the perils of her mid-twenties and becomes exactly who she is supposed to be.
- GenresMemoirNonfiction
484 pages, Paperback
First published February 4, 2014
13 people are currently reading
412 people want to read
About the author
Emily Belden
5 books248 followersEmily Belden is a food journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novels Hot Mess and Husband Material, and of Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. After she tiled her bedroom floor in over 60,000 pennies – all heads up for good luck – she was a guest on The Today Show and her story was covered by media outlets across the country. A Chicago native, Emily lives with her rescue dog in the West Loop, conveniently close to many of the city’s best restaurants.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 11, 2014
This was my first time reading a Memoir and wow...was I impressed. My first thought was, why would I want to read a book about someone else's life when I don't know the person? Well as soon as I began reading, I answered my own question.
Emily Belden made me laugh. She made me cry. She made me so mad I threw a pencil across the room. She put love in my heart and hope in my eyes. Her words touched me in such a way, that when I finished the book, I had to sit for a moment just to absorb all the emotions that ran through me.
So thank you Emily Belden. Thank you for sharing your life with us and thank you for writing such an amazing Memoir!!
Emily Belden made me laugh. She made me cry. She made me so mad I threw a pencil across the room. She put love in my heart and hope in my eyes. Her words touched me in such a way, that when I finished the book, I had to sit for a moment just to absorb all the emotions that ran through me.
So thank you Emily Belden. Thank you for sharing your life with us and thank you for writing such an amazing Memoir!!
March 8, 2014
A fun, sassy read. You will laugh, you might cry, but I dare you not to connect with this book. Anyone who has ever survived their twenties and been able to look back with raw honesty will love Eightysixed. There is a part of all of us who have been on this rollercoaster...
September 6, 2016
Let me say first, in plain English. Wow.
From page one I was striding through an Americanized Bridgett Jones’ Diary. I’m not particularly fond of the Diary, nor that genre in general, but as she’s a colleague and I’m one to soak up as much as I can to learn and experience, I read it.
Honestly, I didn’t know where it was going, a laundry list of failed romances and faux pas that would rattle the staunchest relationship expert in any given country. It was a tour de force for emotional failure and relationships How-Not-To-Dos. If Emily intended to write “Killing Relationships for Dummies” it was a masterpiece. Then I stopped for a moment and looked into what she had written, and more importantly, HOW it was written and a light bulb went off in my head.
My favorite movies of all time are anything to do with coming of age stories. I’m a sucker for that life lesson that waits right around the corner to slap you in the face. Perhaps it’s because of me having four children and enjoying it so much when life gives them a lesson they will always remember.
Emily Belden delivered the greatest life lesson one could learn in an amusing, though genuine way. Her character breathes, but that was to be expected as it’s her. The sheer joy of the lesson she learned and the subsequent joy of presenting the story to what should prove to be a legion of fans, came through her work like a beacon from a lighthouse on the darkest night. This learning experience she lived through is presented to her readers in a clever tapestry. Each scene or encounter builds off the last and the added list of lessons learned at the beginning of each chapter are perfectly vague as to what the story tells you.
Imagine the Chef’s menu and not knowing what the courses are and you’ll have the lessons listed in the chapter upcoming. As you would taste and savor the Chef’s course, you savor her encounter and ingest the lessons there without even really knowing it. Then she hits the payoff and suddenly, everything is right there in a perfect picture. Her epiphany is yours to hold.
Bridgett Jones…Let Emily Belden show you how its done in America.
From page one I was striding through an Americanized Bridgett Jones’ Diary. I’m not particularly fond of the Diary, nor that genre in general, but as she’s a colleague and I’m one to soak up as much as I can to learn and experience, I read it.
Honestly, I didn’t know where it was going, a laundry list of failed romances and faux pas that would rattle the staunchest relationship expert in any given country. It was a tour de force for emotional failure and relationships How-Not-To-Dos. If Emily intended to write “Killing Relationships for Dummies” it was a masterpiece. Then I stopped for a moment and looked into what she had written, and more importantly, HOW it was written and a light bulb went off in my head.
My favorite movies of all time are anything to do with coming of age stories. I’m a sucker for that life lesson that waits right around the corner to slap you in the face. Perhaps it’s because of me having four children and enjoying it so much when life gives them a lesson they will always remember.
Emily Belden delivered the greatest life lesson one could learn in an amusing, though genuine way. Her character breathes, but that was to be expected as it’s her. The sheer joy of the lesson she learned and the subsequent joy of presenting the story to what should prove to be a legion of fans, came through her work like a beacon from a lighthouse on the darkest night. This learning experience she lived through is presented to her readers in a clever tapestry. Each scene or encounter builds off the last and the added list of lessons learned at the beginning of each chapter are perfectly vague as to what the story tells you.
Imagine the Chef’s menu and not knowing what the courses are and you’ll have the lessons listed in the chapter upcoming. As you would taste and savor the Chef’s course, you savor her encounter and ingest the lessons there without even really knowing it. Then she hits the payoff and suddenly, everything is right there in a perfect picture. Her epiphany is yours to hold.
Bridgett Jones…Let Emily Belden show you how its done in America.
March 8, 2014
Eightysixed, Emily Belden’s edgy memoir, is her frank and colorful account of being twenty-something and looking for love and respect in some unusual places in the big city. Reading it is like overhearing a best friend from high school’s inner monologue as she wends her way through a difficult period of adjustment following the breakup of a during-college relationship that went nowhere:
“Trent was my “Groundhog’s Day.” No matter what I would do, the same nightmare involving him was going to replay itself day after day. With him, it was always going to be six more weeks of a cold, harsh winter.”
Belden tells of her trials and tribulations in a confusing period of her life with candor in a thoroughly relatable and entertaining way. Using a good bit of wit, self-deprecating humor, cutting satire and a singular sense for the irony in every situation she draws us into her world, showing us how much she is like any of us, seeking happiness. When she returns home - sort of – to Chicago she finds a job, moves in with friends and begins searching for the right one:
“I was simply a recovering romantic looking for someone to restore my faith in the opposite sex: someone who could relate, someone who was slightly above average, if possible.”
Eightysixed is brilliant from cover to cover letting the reader in on a few of life’s lessons learned. Belden reveals many of the bad things we unwittingly do to one another while we are busy figuring out how our gifts match up with those of others.
Review based on ARC supplied by publisher.
“Trent was my “Groundhog’s Day.” No matter what I would do, the same nightmare involving him was going to replay itself day after day. With him, it was always going to be six more weeks of a cold, harsh winter.”
Belden tells of her trials and tribulations in a confusing period of her life with candor in a thoroughly relatable and entertaining way. Using a good bit of wit, self-deprecating humor, cutting satire and a singular sense for the irony in every situation she draws us into her world, showing us how much she is like any of us, seeking happiness. When she returns home - sort of – to Chicago she finds a job, moves in with friends and begins searching for the right one:
“I was simply a recovering romantic looking for someone to restore my faith in the opposite sex: someone who could relate, someone who was slightly above average, if possible.”
Eightysixed is brilliant from cover to cover letting the reader in on a few of life’s lessons learned. Belden reveals many of the bad things we unwittingly do to one another while we are busy figuring out how our gifts match up with those of others.
Review based on ARC supplied by publisher.
September 18, 2015
Remind me not to read any more memoirs by anyone under 30 unless they've actually DONE something. Young woman trying to figure it all out? I can even relate to it but I'm still rolling my eyes. I tried and wanted to like this but could barely get past the first chapter.
January 24, 2017
The details in this book are delicately crafted. The humor is expertly placed. The pacing is soft and comfortable. It all adds up to a gradual progression that is intoxicating. Emily’s dismay at love is shared for my voyeuristic pleasure and it feels clear that she understands this transaction completely. She initially lead me down a path of fun and gossip and surprised me with a maturity at the end of the book that is fucking heartrending. I loved this book and I loved reading it.
June 8, 2017
As a girl in her 20s and from Chicago I felt like I was reading about myself. I loved this book!
January 7, 2018
Captured online dating fails and the ups and downs of your 20's very well. Suffered from editing (or lack thereof) in two places. Enjoyable read. I would go back for "Hot Mess."
August 20, 2016
Headlines of different stories of the broken hearted: twenty year old made 30 calls to her ex. Love sick twenty year old dates ex’ brother to get back at him. How many times have you been heartbroken and running crazy? When Love ends?
….
After a break up, what do you do; cut your hair? Cry? Scream? Plot all types of revenge against your ex? Well let’s ask Emily, because this funny and edgy memoir chronicles Emily’s love and lost. From the moment I started reading I settled in and was ready to go until the end, but LIFE happens.
Writing about your pain and experiences after a break up I would think is therapeutic, as you read her story you know that’s exactly what it was. Her candor in telling this story is truly relatable because at some point we all have been disrespected and have loved and lost.
Eightysixed is definitely life lessons and Belden shares them in this book, which is written in the style of a diary. The chapters are labeled as lessons 1-24, and each one will have you laughing or saying did she really just say or do that? I’m in my fifties and found this twenty something story very interesting, one of the lesson I learned from reading it is how much we all have in common no matter our age.
A complimentary copy of this eBook was provided by the publisher, in exchange for this review.
….
After a break up, what do you do; cut your hair? Cry? Scream? Plot all types of revenge against your ex? Well let’s ask Emily, because this funny and edgy memoir chronicles Emily’s love and lost. From the moment I started reading I settled in and was ready to go until the end, but LIFE happens.
Writing about your pain and experiences after a break up I would think is therapeutic, as you read her story you know that’s exactly what it was. Her candor in telling this story is truly relatable because at some point we all have been disrespected and have loved and lost.
Eightysixed is definitely life lessons and Belden shares them in this book, which is written in the style of a diary. The chapters are labeled as lessons 1-24, and each one will have you laughing or saying did she really just say or do that? I’m in my fifties and found this twenty something story very interesting, one of the lesson I learned from reading it is how much we all have in common no matter our age.
A complimentary copy of this eBook was provided by the publisher, in exchange for this review.
November 19, 2014
Is it weird to say that I sort-of knew who Emily was before I ever picked up her book? I was aware of her because of Yelp, the smallish Chicago blogging circuit and her penny floor project.
In some cases familiarity can make me not want to read a book -- if I have a preconceived notion of what a person is like, right or wrong, it can color my desire to even pick it up.
But in Emily's case I did pick it up, preconceived notions or not, and it was a good read. I appreciate bloggers and memoirists-of-a-sort who don't have a big ego. I understand the urge to make yourself look good or be very particular about your self-deprecation. Emily feels more honest.
That said, this is a snapshot, not a biography, so I don't feel like I know the whole Emily. Just a piece of her journey. But it was one worth sharing.
In some cases familiarity can make me not want to read a book -- if I have a preconceived notion of what a person is like, right or wrong, it can color my desire to even pick it up.
But in Emily's case I did pick it up, preconceived notions or not, and it was a good read. I appreciate bloggers and memoirists-of-a-sort who don't have a big ego. I understand the urge to make yourself look good or be very particular about your self-deprecation. Emily feels more honest.
That said, this is a snapshot, not a biography, so I don't feel like I know the whole Emily. Just a piece of her journey. But it was one worth sharing.
March 8, 2014
This book was just flat-out fun to read. I could tell within about 4 lines I was going to like it, just because Belden has such a quick wit and a way with words that just made each sentence enjoyable. She paints pictures of a series of unique characters and her quest of finding a great relationship, job and life. The book is often fun, sometimes sad, but always humorous and smart. If you like Sex in the City but with more relatable characters, Emily Belden's Eightsixed is a sure fire winner. It's a big book (484 pages I believe) but it reads very quick. I've already passed along recommendations to several friends about the book.
October 21, 2014
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
Initially, I thought the book was overall kind of decent and a little witty, maybe comical. As a food snob, the ending really resided with me and brought back memories about Chicago's Michelin stars. And who else fell in love with Floris besides me?! Well-written, honest, and even rough, this memoir is a visitation back to reality, even one's curiosity of the unknown. Although Belden sure has a good number of interesting friends, she definitely experienced (and described in delicious detail) all the goodies involved, as a true blogger/writer can perfectly execute. She brings everything back full circle.
Initially, I thought the book was overall kind of decent and a little witty, maybe comical. As a food snob, the ending really resided with me and brought back memories about Chicago's Michelin stars. And who else fell in love with Floris besides me?! Well-written, honest, and even rough, this memoir is a visitation back to reality, even one's curiosity of the unknown. Although Belden sure has a good number of interesting friends, she definitely experienced (and described in delicious detail) all the goodies involved, as a true blogger/writer can perfectly execute. She brings everything back full circle.
May 16, 2014
I saw a lot of reviews/tweets from others saying they couldn't put this book down, but I actually had the opposite problem at first. Knowing that this was an autobiography and was Emily's real life, I actually cringed a few times and kept thinking "That poor girl!" Luckily (from a reading perspective and for Emily) things turned around about halfway through and I was hooked to find out how it ends. This is chick-lit, but with a spin. It's one part relatable, one part a wild wide, one part true story and one part romantic comedy.
March 6, 2016
Eightysixed is a breath of fresh air to every 20-something girl who's had dating issues. Let's be honest, sometimes it seems impossible, other times it seems like we always get the bad guys, the weird guys, the seriously "what the eff was I thinking" guys but never the "right" guys. Eightysixed is a hilarious tale of one of us girls dealing with the struggles of real-life dating.
Read my full review here
Read my full review here
November 19, 2014
Fabulously talented writer (have you seen her blog? http://totalebag.wordpress.com/) - Entertaining from start to finish, honest, self-deprecating, uplifting, and will have you laughing out loud whether you're reading on the public bus or alone at night before bed. When a book gets that reaction from me, it gets a rare five-star award!
January 4, 2015
I wanted to like this book. I tried to like this book. I kinda hated this book. Ooh, you made out with a coke addict.. so edgy, so defining *makes jacking off motion*. Ooh, it's a crazy coincidence you ran into a nice guy? Is it a coincidence? I think it might be but you haven't mentioned it enough, maybe 50000 MORE times will drive the point home. Ugh, I'm glad that's over.
November 17, 2023
If you’ve written a memoir before 30, you should’ve done something like beat childhood cancer or been the youngest to summit Everest. NOT “almost” screwed a bunch of losers then had one really good meal. Vapid and self-absorbed, this chick had nothing new or interesting to say. I’ve read more absorbing graffiti on the train.
March 15, 2014
Loved this book!! I'm not really a blog follower & I haven't been a 20 something single in a few minutes. However I really enjoyed Emily's honesty as she tripped through dating, finding herself & finding her love. Awesome read!! ❤️
June 28, 2014
Eightysixed is absolutely fantastic. It is strikingly relatable for a twenty-something who just moved to Chicago. Her writing makes you feel as if you are out to brunch, lunch, or binge watching Netflix with an old friend. I highly recommend it for any person just starting out on their own.
April 6, 2015
a very good read.
I found it enlightening at times, humorous at times and sad at times. It tells of the life of a twenty- something year old women, and gives a niew of life that most men don't see.
I found it enlightening at times, humorous at times and sad at times. It tells of the life of a twenty- something year old women, and gives a niew of life that most men don't see.
April 26, 2014
Great story!
Emily's memoir was intriguing from start to finish. I loved the story of her and Floris. It made me want to visit all of the restaurants that they ate at.
Emily's memoir was intriguing from start to finish. I loved the story of her and Floris. It made me want to visit all of the restaurants that they ate at.
January 12, 2016
I read this book twice and loved it more the second time. Emily has a great voice and a pov that makes everyone giggle. The story was relatable, fun and easy to breeze through.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews