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Average at Best: A memoir from the creator of Pub Choir®
Astrid Jorgensen is on a mission to teach the world to sing. But she’s not promising to make anybody better at singing – she simply wants people to feel less ashamed of whatever voice they have.
By its very nature, ‘best’ is rare and you’re not going to get much of it in life. And I sure don’t want to miss out on deeply experiencing the fullness of my one precious existence, searching for the sliver of ‘best’.
Average At Best is a powerful, funny, and deeply honest memoir about embracing mediocrity if you want to get anything done. As the creator of Pub Choir® – a global phenomenon that unites complete strangers to connect, laugh, and make beautiful music – Astrid takes you behind the curtain as she unflinchingly stares down her dizzying highs, her crushing lows, and everything in between.
Astrid has performed on stages around the world, rubbed shoulders with Prime Ministers and celebrities, and has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to work together in literal harmony. Along the way, she low-key became the best at something, while sometimes feeling the worst. Is that … balance?
From almost becoming a nun (seriously) to committing unspeakable crimes against a chip packet, this joyful, inspired debut traverses the divide between confidence and doubt, performance and authenticity. Because most things happen between the extremes. This is an imperfect perfectionist’s account of how all of it counts in the end.
By its very nature, ‘best’ is rare and you’re not going to get much of it in life. And I sure don’t want to miss out on deeply experiencing the fullness of my one precious existence, searching for the sliver of ‘best’.
Average At Best is a powerful, funny, and deeply honest memoir about embracing mediocrity if you want to get anything done. As the creator of Pub Choir® – a global phenomenon that unites complete strangers to connect, laugh, and make beautiful music – Astrid takes you behind the curtain as she unflinchingly stares down her dizzying highs, her crushing lows, and everything in between.
Astrid has performed on stages around the world, rubbed shoulders with Prime Ministers and celebrities, and has taught hundreds of thousands of people how to work together in literal harmony. Along the way, she low-key became the best at something, while sometimes feeling the worst. Is that … balance?
From almost becoming a nun (seriously) to committing unspeakable crimes against a chip packet, this joyful, inspired debut traverses the divide between confidence and doubt, performance and authenticity. Because most things happen between the extremes. This is an imperfect perfectionist’s account of how all of it counts in the end.
- GenresNonfictionAudiobook
256 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 30, 2025
34 people are currently reading
382 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 1, 2025
My husband did a dangerous thing this week… he bought me a book.
My rude and ungrateful response was “Don’t you know that I hate it when someone buys me an unsolicited book?” I am a big reader and I have a long and carefully curated TBR, and if that book isn’t on that list, I’ve just been given a job to do! No thank you, that’s an obligation read!
Well, I am eating my hat because this was actually really great.
You might not know the name Astrid Jorgensen but you’ve probably heard of her brainchild Pub Choir. She and her small team travel the world doing gigs where she teaches a venue full of people, with no presumed musical talent or knowledge, how to sing a popular song from start to finish. You learn it together over the course of an hour, sing it together once or twice, and then leave with a smile on your face and your heart full of joy.
This book is a memoir of sorts, about her early life and the creation of Pub Choir. It was a light, quick read, clever and interesting and honestly laugh-out-loud funny.
I was fascinated to read about how Astrid’s brain works - she has no inner monologue, but it’s like she can visualise music, and this has helped her to create the unique way she teaches a song to us amateur enthusiasts. She also HATES noise, and loves silence, which was an interesting tidbit for someone who has made a career around music!
Trigger warning - there is a chapter on disordered eating. It’s not a deep dive and is written from a place of recovery. But could be confronting.
Thanks hubby, and sorry I was so ungrateful! This book is a gem.
If you haven’t been to a Pub Choir yet, you’ve been missing out! It’s so fun, and Astrid is just fantastic.
My rude and ungrateful response was “Don’t you know that I hate it when someone buys me an unsolicited book?” I am a big reader and I have a long and carefully curated TBR, and if that book isn’t on that list, I’ve just been given a job to do! No thank you, that’s an obligation read!
Well, I am eating my hat because this was actually really great.
You might not know the name Astrid Jorgensen but you’ve probably heard of her brainchild Pub Choir. She and her small team travel the world doing gigs where she teaches a venue full of people, with no presumed musical talent or knowledge, how to sing a popular song from start to finish. You learn it together over the course of an hour, sing it together once or twice, and then leave with a smile on your face and your heart full of joy.
This book is a memoir of sorts, about her early life and the creation of Pub Choir. It was a light, quick read, clever and interesting and honestly laugh-out-loud funny.
I was fascinated to read about how Astrid’s brain works - she has no inner monologue, but it’s like she can visualise music, and this has helped her to create the unique way she teaches a song to us amateur enthusiasts. She also HATES noise, and loves silence, which was an interesting tidbit for someone who has made a career around music!
Trigger warning - there is a chapter on disordered eating. It’s not a deep dive and is written from a place of recovery. But could be confronting.
Thanks hubby, and sorry I was so ungrateful! This book is a gem.
If you haven’t been to a Pub Choir yet, you’ve been missing out! It’s so fun, and Astrid is just fantastic.
October 3, 2025
maybe biased because I adore Astrid and have been attending Pub Choir since 2018? maybe.
however, this is the first book I have read in a day in years. Astrid's earnest, funny and inspirational nature is so perfectly captured by her words and story. championing that the arts are for everyone and making space for it to be accessible for all is such a near and dear topic. reading this made me want to start creating again. I hope I do.
however, this is the first book I have read in a day in years. Astrid's earnest, funny and inspirational nature is so perfectly captured by her words and story. championing that the arts are for everyone and making space for it to be accessible for all is such a near and dear topic. reading this made me want to start creating again. I hope I do.
October 15, 2025
Cute, quirky memoir.
October 12, 2025
Loveddd this book! Astrid’s sense of humor for the crazy things she’s been through made me laugh out loud at times. The way she’s developed Pub Choir is such an inspiration, and it was nice to hear the long story of it. Highly recommend, super quick read!
October 9, 2025
This book was funny, honest, and full of Astrid’s quick wit. So glad Astrid read it herself. Astrid’s storytelling offers a joyful glimpse into her life beyond the microphone and I physically laughed out loud.
October 10, 2025
This memoir is funny and inspiring. Now I really want to attend a Pub Choir event myself!
October 8, 2025
Astrid is as captivating on the page as she is on stage. Unputdownable, I laughed my way through to the final chapter, where I inevitably cried my way through a beautiful love story. Thank you Astrid for sharing your stories of singing, scissor lifts, and shit. Incredible work.
October 7, 2025
Absolutely loved this book!
It's clever, chaotic in the best way, and somehow both deeply relatable and totally unexpected.
It's clever, chaotic in the best way, and somehow both deeply relatable and totally unexpected.
October 6, 2025
On stage, Astrid Jorgensen transforms from introverted music nerd into a choral colossus. In these pages, she is revealed as a beautiful writer who blends heart, wit and insight with rare skill.
October 11, 2025
I LOVED this book!!!
I loved this book for so many reasons.
1. Astrid talks about her very quirky self with honesty. We can hear the way she thinks all over the place. Lots of people are embarrassed about their quirks. But Astrid just tells it like it is. I admire anyone who can do that.
2. What a relief to hear someone say average is okay. Astrid says who is amazing at everything. If you take the sum of all the best parts of someone and the sum of all the worst parts of someone, then, they'll come out average at best.
3. It is interesting to hear how she got to where she is now.
4. It's a great read.
I loved this book for so many reasons.
1. Astrid talks about her very quirky self with honesty. We can hear the way she thinks all over the place. Lots of people are embarrassed about their quirks. But Astrid just tells it like it is. I admire anyone who can do that.
2. What a relief to hear someone say average is okay. Astrid says who is amazing at everything. If you take the sum of all the best parts of someone and the sum of all the worst parts of someone, then, they'll come out average at best.
3. It is interesting to hear how she got to where she is now.
4. It's a great read.
November 7, 2025
Had never heard of Pub Choir, but this book was a fun listen. Read by the author, she is not too proud to describe some pretty cringy things that happened on her way to creating this highly successful company that brings singing and joy to the masses. And the audiobook has some of her group's singing which is gorgeous.
October 2, 2025
Utterly delightful. Astrid, creator of pub choir, is quirky, introverted and instantly relatable. Her story of career, chaos, odd jobs and finding her way feels like a pep talk from your funniest friend.
Read by Juz
Read by Juz
October 16, 2025
This is an awesome read! I attended my first Pub Choir last week (Bucket List ✅️) and to read the history behind it and Astrid has been thoroughly enjoyable. An easy to read memoir with lots of serious stuff as well as comedic goodness! Well done, Astrid! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
October 17, 2025
I laughed myself silly with this Aussie gem. Hilarious and meaningful and even with my voice that makes "out of tune" sound like Sinatra, I would love to try her Pub Choir show.
October 18, 2025
Please read this book!
I laughed out loud and I cried tears of understanding, joy and …love?
Fantastic story telling by an amazing and not at all average award winning performer and boss!
I laughed out loud and I cried tears of understanding, joy and …love?
Fantastic story telling by an amazing and not at all average award winning performer and boss!
October 18, 2025
Fuck yeah Astrid. You are so awesome <3
October 31, 2025
Very enjoyable - Astrid’s voice and personality shine through. The toileting anecdote towards the end had me laughing out loud!
November 1, 2025
So uplifting!!! Astrid is full of life and so is her book! 100%
November 2, 2025
Very enjoyable, lots of lol moments
October 29, 2025
I listened to the audio of this book on Libro.fm and loved that it was narrated by the author - listening to her read her story felt like a breath of fresh air.
The book itself was so entertaining. Astrid's way of storytelling is so engaging and she has the BEST dry humor. I found that listening to her story felt like a one-on-one conversation as she continued to address the reader. It was much more engaging than many audiobooks I've listened to. One other thing that stood out to me was the creative use of chapter titles. The choir singing the most ridiculous chapter names were hilarious! It was such a unique and fun addition to an already entertaining read.
The story of pub choir is absolutely fascinating. As a singer, myself, I would love an event like this and couldn't believe I had never heard of it! It was interesting to see the trials and tribulations that took place before Pub Choir was a well-rounded event. Astrid put such care and effort into her functions, and consistently changed her ways in order to accommodate those who attended. It says a lot about her character to admit and publish her mistakes so openly. In this way, she allows herself to be vulnerable, and therefor relatable to so many of her readers.
I really loved this book and had the best time listening to it on Libro! I flew through it and would definitely read more from this author.
The book itself was so entertaining. Astrid's way of storytelling is so engaging and she has the BEST dry humor. I found that listening to her story felt like a one-on-one conversation as she continued to address the reader. It was much more engaging than many audiobooks I've listened to. One other thing that stood out to me was the creative use of chapter titles. The choir singing the most ridiculous chapter names were hilarious! It was such a unique and fun addition to an already entertaining read.
The story of pub choir is absolutely fascinating. As a singer, myself, I would love an event like this and couldn't believe I had never heard of it! It was interesting to see the trials and tribulations that took place before Pub Choir was a well-rounded event. Astrid put such care and effort into her functions, and consistently changed her ways in order to accommodate those who attended. It says a lot about her character to admit and publish her mistakes so openly. In this way, she allows herself to be vulnerable, and therefor relatable to so many of her readers.
I really loved this book and had the best time listening to it on Libro! I flew through it and would definitely read more from this author.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews