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A Perfectly Normal Childhood: Short Essays on Pattern Recognition, Human Behavior, and the Systems We Pretend Not to See
What if your childhood was not random? What if it was training?**
A Perfectly Normal Childhood is a funny, sharply observed memoir in thirty-three short essays about Catholic school, family arguments, neighborhood schemes, teenage logic, and adults behaving with complete confidence and limited evidence.
Jason Ramshaw built a haunted house in his parents’ basement and charged admission. He published a neighborhood newspaper nobody requested. He organized the Neighborhood Olympics, competed in them, and won. Years later, these stopped looking like isolated stories and started looking like the early installation of an operating system.
The essays move quickly, but the pattern arrives the habits we call personality often began as childhood survival, performance, ambition, or simple misinterpretation.
Funny without becoming weightless and honest without becoming sentimental, this is a memoir for anyone who has looked back at an ordinary childhood and Wait. Was everyone improvising?
Book One of the Still Noticing the evidence before the pattern and the pattern before the verdict.
A Perfectly Normal Childhood is a funny, sharply observed memoir in thirty-three short essays about Catholic school, family arguments, neighborhood schemes, teenage logic, and adults behaving with complete confidence and limited evidence.
Jason Ramshaw built a haunted house in his parents’ basement and charged admission. He published a neighborhood newspaper nobody requested. He organized the Neighborhood Olympics, competed in them, and won. Years later, these stopped looking like isolated stories and started looking like the early installation of an operating system.
The essays move quickly, but the pattern arrives the habits we call personality often began as childhood survival, performance, ambition, or simple misinterpretation.
Funny without becoming weightless and honest without becoming sentimental, this is a memoir for anyone who has looked back at an ordinary childhood and Wait. Was everyone improvising?
Book One of the Still Noticing the evidence before the pattern and the pattern before the verdict.
200 pages, Paperback
Published March 29, 2026
About the author
Jason Ramshaw
18 books6 followersJason Ramshaw is the author of A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and Other Lies I Tell Myself), Book One of the Still Noticing series.
His work blends literary humor, personal essay, anxiety, memory, and dry Midwestern observation into stories about childhood, family logic, school rules, awkward adults, church basements, neighborhood politics, and the absurd things everyone somehow agreed to call normal.
The Still Noticing series is built around one central idea: childhood was not random — it was training. Not official training, obviously. Nobody handed out a binder. But every weird rule, strange adult performance, school assembly, family argument, and social humiliation taught something.
Jason writes for readers who grew up quietly wondering, “Wait… is everyone else seeing this?” His essays are funny on the surface, but underneath they examine identity, authority, fear, social performance, and the strange operating systems we absorb before we have the words to question them.
His writing is David Sedaris-adjacent, if the Midwest made him wait in the garage.
Learn more at stillnoticingtrilogy.com.
His work blends literary humor, personal essay, anxiety, memory, and dry Midwestern observation into stories about childhood, family logic, school rules, awkward adults, church basements, neighborhood politics, and the absurd things everyone somehow agreed to call normal.
The Still Noticing series is built around one central idea: childhood was not random — it was training. Not official training, obviously. Nobody handed out a binder. But every weird rule, strange adult performance, school assembly, family argument, and social humiliation taught something.
Jason writes for readers who grew up quietly wondering, “Wait… is everyone else seeing this?” His essays are funny on the surface, but underneath they examine identity, authority, fear, social performance, and the strange operating systems we absorb before we have the words to question them.
His writing is David Sedaris-adjacent, if the Midwest made him wait in the garage.
Learn more at stillnoticingtrilogy.com.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
April 17, 2026
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I wrote this book. I'm aware that reviewing your own book is exactly the kind of behavior the book is about.
A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and Other Lies I Tell Myself) is 33 short essays about a kid from St. Louis who charged admission to a haunted house he built in his parents' basement, started a newspaper with eleven subscribers at a quarter each, won a spelling bee and treated it like a legal precedent, and performed magic shows in the living room for audiences who didn't ask — then spent the next thirty years doing increasingly sophisticated versions of all of it without realizing it was a pattern.
Each essay follows the same structure: a behavior, a replay, and a quiet realization that arrives about twenty years late. It's not a self-help book. There are no lessons. Just evidence, stacking quietly until the pile is tall enough to be a diagnosis.
The comp is David Sedaris. Comparing yourself to Sedaris in your own Goodreads review is either supreme confidence or clinical delusion, and I have been formally diagnosed with neither. I have been formally diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder — a very specific type of generalization, and I didn't appreciate being placed in the general category regarding anything.
This is Book 1 of the Still Noticing trilogy. The arc goes: evidence, pattern, verdict. This is the evidence. Everything after this is just better lighting.
📖 Book 1 of the Still Noticing trilogy 🔗 stillnoticingtrilogy.com
I wrote this book. I'm aware that reviewing your own book is exactly the kind of behavior the book is about.
A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and Other Lies I Tell Myself) is 33 short essays about a kid from St. Louis who charged admission to a haunted house he built in his parents' basement, started a newspaper with eleven subscribers at a quarter each, won a spelling bee and treated it like a legal precedent, and performed magic shows in the living room for audiences who didn't ask — then spent the next thirty years doing increasingly sophisticated versions of all of it without realizing it was a pattern.
Each essay follows the same structure: a behavior, a replay, and a quiet realization that arrives about twenty years late. It's not a self-help book. There are no lessons. Just evidence, stacking quietly until the pile is tall enough to be a diagnosis.
The comp is David Sedaris. Comparing yourself to Sedaris in your own Goodreads review is either supreme confidence or clinical delusion, and I have been formally diagnosed with neither. I have been formally diagnosed with Generalized Anxiety Disorder — a very specific type of generalization, and I didn't appreciate being placed in the general category regarding anything.
This is Book 1 of the Still Noticing trilogy. The arc goes: evidence, pattern, verdict. This is the evidence. Everything after this is just better lighting.
📖 Book 1 of the Still Noticing trilogy 🔗 stillnoticingtrilogy.com
September 2, 2026
I recently read Jason Ramshaw’s memoir, "A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and Other Lies I Tell Myself)," and I absolutely loved it. The book is a collection of 33 funny, honest stories that show what it was like growing up as a self-described "weird" kid in Missouri. What started as simple stories told at dinner parties turned into a chronological look at his life. Right from the start, Ramshaw's witty and conversational writing style made me feel like I was sitting down with a friend who has a talent for telling hilarious, slightly chaotic stories.
The first half of the book is packed with hilarious childhood and school memories that had me laughing out loud. I enjoyed reading about his early attempts at being a "Media Mogul" by typing up a neighborhood newspaper at age nine, winning a school spelling bee, and even writing a cheeky essay in high school called "Why I Deserve an A" for a class where he had a D. It is fascinating to see how these early experiences—like organizing the "Neighborhood Olympics" or learning to read rooms—actually helped him build systems that prepared him for his future career running a top steakhouse, working at the Ritz-Carlton, and eventually managing mobile home parks.
However, the book is not just about jokes and teenage trouble. It takes a very personal and dramatic turn when Ramshaw describes a life-changing bicycle accident in March 2012, when he was struck by a Toyota 4Runner while riding home from work. Lying in the hospital, his sister handed him a sealed envelope containing an ultrasound photo, revealing that he was unexpectedly going to become a father. This dramatic night completely changed his perspective on life, forcing him to stop living on autopilot and start figuring out what his soul was actually asking of him.
Ultimately, this memoir is a beautiful reminder that our lives are shaped by both our mistakes and our sudden beginnings. One of my favourite parts was the lesson his grandmother taught him after a game of Monopoly: that at the end of the day, all the houses, hotels, and money "all go back in the box". What really matters is not what we accumulate, but who we were while we were playing the game. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick, funny read that will also make them stop, listen, and think about their own life journey.
July 25, 2026
I always think it's a good sign when a book doesn't take long for me to read and I can tell you honestly that I have rattled my way through this, enjoying myself along the way. It helps that it's not a long book but it sure is packed - with wit, observations, confessions from start to finish. Its format too is designed to make the book accessible, being split into manageable chapters, all dealing with a different point, usually taken from Jason's life.
The incidents vary, some being from childhood where he showed his precocious qualities by creating a neighbourhood newspaper and his own athletic games, through to more life-defining moments like being knocked off a bike and embracing fatherhood. Each chapter is a clearly defined discussion which draws on Jason's experience, all described in Jason's own distinct voice. And this is the strength of the book, Jason's voice, because it is entertaining and funny and droll and dry and I found myself chuckling away in places at a turn of phrase or an observation and the way that it had all been put together.
There's some serious life stuff here, the nuts and bolts, like close brushes with death and other unexpected life-altering swerve balls that threaten to push even the most balanced individual to teeter on life's tightrope. It's all related with humour although this doesn't detract.
My favourite retelling is that of Miss Kelley, the music teacher and her generosity towards a pupil in giving him her coat for warmth. Of course, the focus is on the fact that she is a role model and a decent human being as teachers should be to their pupils; however, there is a twist to this tale and a lesson (excuse the pun!) to be learned and in this instance, it is not the pupil who is the recipient of the schooling! Very funny!
One thing to comment on is, in the synopsis, mention is made of undiagnosed generalized anxiety disorder being at the heart of this collection but I didn't get "anxiety" from my reading; in fact, I read the synopsis before writing the review and was notionally surprised by this. That's not to deny that to Jason Ramshaw, it is obviously one of the things that has shaped him, and whilst it may not have made his life easy, it has made it unique.
A good read.
The incidents vary, some being from childhood where he showed his precocious qualities by creating a neighbourhood newspaper and his own athletic games, through to more life-defining moments like being knocked off a bike and embracing fatherhood. Each chapter is a clearly defined discussion which draws on Jason's experience, all described in Jason's own distinct voice. And this is the strength of the book, Jason's voice, because it is entertaining and funny and droll and dry and I found myself chuckling away in places at a turn of phrase or an observation and the way that it had all been put together.
There's some serious life stuff here, the nuts and bolts, like close brushes with death and other unexpected life-altering swerve balls that threaten to push even the most balanced individual to teeter on life's tightrope. It's all related with humour although this doesn't detract.
My favourite retelling is that of Miss Kelley, the music teacher and her generosity towards a pupil in giving him her coat for warmth. Of course, the focus is on the fact that she is a role model and a decent human being as teachers should be to their pupils; however, there is a twist to this tale and a lesson (excuse the pun!) to be learned and in this instance, it is not the pupil who is the recipient of the schooling! Very funny!
One thing to comment on is, in the synopsis, mention is made of undiagnosed generalized anxiety disorder being at the heart of this collection but I didn't get "anxiety" from my reading; in fact, I read the synopsis before writing the review and was notionally surprised by this. That's not to deny that to Jason Ramshaw, it is obviously one of the things that has shaped him, and whilst it may not have made his life easy, it has made it unique.
A good read.
August 8, 2026
The Ultimate "Open Kiosk" Memoir: A Masterclass in Wit, Chaos, and Heart
If you appreciate the razor-sharp observational humor of David Sedaris mixed with a heavy dose of midwestern grit and philosophical depth, Jason Ramshaw’s A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and other lies I tell myself) is your next must-read.
Ramshaw writes with an incredibly distinctive, charismatic voice that delivers laugh-out-loud comedy alongside profound existential gut-punches. The book tracks his life through an infinite grid of suburban misadventures—from launching a neighborhood newspaper at age nine to a legendary, chaotic high school ring dance disaster, and a business career that veers wildly from elite luxury hotels to mobile home parks.
But the true brilliance of this memoir lies in its emotional pivot. When a midnight bicycle accident collided with a life-altering hospital room revelation, Ramshaw’s narrative transforms from a hilarious highlight reel of an audacious overachiever into a deeply moving meditation on single fatherhood, consciousness, and what it truly means to look for the "open kiosk" in life.
It is fast-paced, uncomfortably honest, beautifully written, and deeply relatable. You will come for the laugh-out-loud stories about rogue 8th-grade health class demonstrations, but you will stay for the raw, beautiful data of a man learning exactly what his soul is asking of him. Highly recommended!
If you appreciate the razor-sharp observational humor of David Sedaris mixed with a heavy dose of midwestern grit and philosophical depth, Jason Ramshaw’s A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and other lies I tell myself) is your next must-read.
Ramshaw writes with an incredibly distinctive, charismatic voice that delivers laugh-out-loud comedy alongside profound existential gut-punches. The book tracks his life through an infinite grid of suburban misadventures—from launching a neighborhood newspaper at age nine to a legendary, chaotic high school ring dance disaster, and a business career that veers wildly from elite luxury hotels to mobile home parks.
But the true brilliance of this memoir lies in its emotional pivot. When a midnight bicycle accident collided with a life-altering hospital room revelation, Ramshaw’s narrative transforms from a hilarious highlight reel of an audacious overachiever into a deeply moving meditation on single fatherhood, consciousness, and what it truly means to look for the "open kiosk" in life.
It is fast-paced, uncomfortably honest, beautifully written, and deeply relatable. You will come for the laugh-out-loud stories about rogue 8th-grade health class demonstrations, but you will stay for the raw, beautiful data of a man learning exactly what his soul is asking of him. Highly recommended!
July 19, 2026
A fun read of essays by the author. Author breaks the ice by starting off with humor, I enjoyed the childhood memories that sometimes mirrored my own. Then the author shares personal experiences that were inspiring at times. Enjoyed this quick read that left me with thoughts to ponder.
May 31, 2026
An enjoyable and insightful read with thoughtful observations and a unique voice. I found it engaging, relatable, and well worth the time.
May 31, 2026
A Perfectly Normal Childhood is an insightful and engaging book that offers a fresh perspective on everyday life and human behavior.
June 19, 2026
I picked up A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and Other Lies I Tell Myself) expecting a collection of humorous essays about childhood, family, and growing up. What I didn't expect was how much I would find myself reflecting on my own life while laughing at someone else's.
Jason Ramshaw has a remarkable ability to take ordinary memories and transform them into something far more meaningful. On the surface, these essays are funny stories about a kid who built businesses before he knew what a business was, charged admission to homemade attractions, started newspapers, staged performances, and approached life with the confidence that only a child can possess. But underneath the humor is something much deeper. Each story slowly reveals how our earliest behaviors often become the blueprint for the adults we eventually become.
What impressed me most was the author's talent for pattern recognition. The title itself becomes more meaningful with every chapter. This is not simply a memoir about childhood. It is an examination of the systems, habits, beliefs, and narratives that quietly shape our lives long before we realize they exist. Ramshaw looks back at seemingly random childhood experiences and uncovers connections that many of us never stop to consider in our own lives.
The writing style is one of the book's greatest strengths. It is sharp, intelligent, self-aware, and genuinely funny without ever feeling forced. There were several moments where I laughed out loud, only to find myself pausing a few paragraphs later because a particular observation hit closer to home than I expected. The humor works because it is grounded in honesty. Ramshaw is willing to make himself the joke, but he is also willing to examine why the joke exists in the first place.
I particularly enjoyed how the essays avoid becoming overly sentimental. The author clearly cares about the people and experiences he writes about, but he never tries to manufacture emotion. Instead, the emotional impact comes naturally through reflection and self-discovery. The result is a book that feels authentic from beginning to end.
Another aspect I appreciated was the structure. Each essay stands on its own, making the book easy to read in short sessions, yet together they create a larger narrative about identity, ambition, anxiety, perception, and human behavior. As the pieces accumulate, readers begin to see the patterns alongside the author. What initially feels like a collection of amusing stories gradually becomes an exploration of how personalities are formed and how people spend years trying to understand themselves.
Jason Ramshaw has a remarkable ability to take ordinary memories and transform them into something far more meaningful. On the surface, these essays are funny stories about a kid who built businesses before he knew what a business was, charged admission to homemade attractions, started newspapers, staged performances, and approached life with the confidence that only a child can possess. But underneath the humor is something much deeper. Each story slowly reveals how our earliest behaviors often become the blueprint for the adults we eventually become.
What impressed me most was the author's talent for pattern recognition. The title itself becomes more meaningful with every chapter. This is not simply a memoir about childhood. It is an examination of the systems, habits, beliefs, and narratives that quietly shape our lives long before we realize they exist. Ramshaw looks back at seemingly random childhood experiences and uncovers connections that many of us never stop to consider in our own lives.
The writing style is one of the book's greatest strengths. It is sharp, intelligent, self-aware, and genuinely funny without ever feeling forced. There were several moments where I laughed out loud, only to find myself pausing a few paragraphs later because a particular observation hit closer to home than I expected. The humor works because it is grounded in honesty. Ramshaw is willing to make himself the joke, but he is also willing to examine why the joke exists in the first place.
I particularly enjoyed how the essays avoid becoming overly sentimental. The author clearly cares about the people and experiences he writes about, but he never tries to manufacture emotion. Instead, the emotional impact comes naturally through reflection and self-discovery. The result is a book that feels authentic from beginning to end.
Another aspect I appreciated was the structure. Each essay stands on its own, making the book easy to read in short sessions, yet together they create a larger narrative about identity, ambition, anxiety, perception, and human behavior. As the pieces accumulate, readers begin to see the patterns alongside the author. What initially feels like a collection of amusing stories gradually becomes an exploration of how personalities are formed and how people spend years trying to understand themselves.
July 4, 2026
A Perfectly Normal Childhood: (and other lies I tell myself) by Jason Ramshaw is a very highly recommended, entertaining collection of 33 essays organized chronologically.
The first two parts into the third will find you laughing and smiling while reading them. The later essays are still entertaining but take a different, more thoughtful direction and pull everything together showing the patterns and systems in everyday life which emerged with more clarity as you get older. Actually observing, learning to read the room, and recognizing patterns can go a long way.
In these well-written essays Ramshaw demonstrates that he does indeed, much like David Sedaris, know how to tell a story and make it entertaining but also impactful. The collection is organized into four parts with a preface and an afterword. Part One: The Cul-de-Sac years, stories 1-9; Part Two: The High School Years, stories 10-16; Part Three: The college Years and Beyond, stories 17-25; and Part Four The Examined Life, essays 26-32.
The Cul-de-Sac years are delightful and hilarious. Ramshaw clearly demonstrates that he had the entrepreneurial spirit at an early age when, for example, at 9 years-old he started a newspaper with 11 subscribers or when he organized the Neighborhood Olympics. He showed his confidence to succeed winning the spelling bee (as someone who was out early with "vegatable" I'll admit jealousy) and writing a winning pro-life essay. Even though he may have been called "kind of annoying" along the way, he persisted, even surviving the 8th grade experiment in absurdity.
Events turn more serious and real in the worst and best day of his life. He expounds in these stories on things like his open kiosk law, which requires seeing the door no one else is walking through and considering what his soul is asking, knowing the answer may be in pieces. This leads up to The Examined Life where life lessons are shared, for example on being fully present in conversations and listening, contemplating contributors and receivers, and the importance of language. There are a couple essays on personal annoyances (handkerchiefs and singing happy birthday.) The final piece brings it all home to a satisfying conclusion.
A Perfectly Normal Childhood: (and other lies I tell myself) is an excellent choice for those who enjoy reading essays/personal stories. Thanks to Jason Ramshaw for providing me with an advance reader's copy via LibraryThing. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
The first two parts into the third will find you laughing and smiling while reading them. The later essays are still entertaining but take a different, more thoughtful direction and pull everything together showing the patterns and systems in everyday life which emerged with more clarity as you get older. Actually observing, learning to read the room, and recognizing patterns can go a long way.
In these well-written essays Ramshaw demonstrates that he does indeed, much like David Sedaris, know how to tell a story and make it entertaining but also impactful. The collection is organized into four parts with a preface and an afterword. Part One: The Cul-de-Sac years, stories 1-9; Part Two: The High School Years, stories 10-16; Part Three: The college Years and Beyond, stories 17-25; and Part Four The Examined Life, essays 26-32.
The Cul-de-Sac years are delightful and hilarious. Ramshaw clearly demonstrates that he had the entrepreneurial spirit at an early age when, for example, at 9 years-old he started a newspaper with 11 subscribers or when he organized the Neighborhood Olympics. He showed his confidence to succeed winning the spelling bee (as someone who was out early with "vegatable" I'll admit jealousy) and writing a winning pro-life essay. Even though he may have been called "kind of annoying" along the way, he persisted, even surviving the 8th grade experiment in absurdity.
Events turn more serious and real in the worst and best day of his life. He expounds in these stories on things like his open kiosk law, which requires seeing the door no one else is walking through and considering what his soul is asking, knowing the answer may be in pieces. This leads up to The Examined Life where life lessons are shared, for example on being fully present in conversations and listening, contemplating contributors and receivers, and the importance of language. There are a couple essays on personal annoyances (handkerchiefs and singing happy birthday.) The final piece brings it all home to a satisfying conclusion.
A Perfectly Normal Childhood: (and other lies I tell myself) is an excellent choice for those who enjoy reading essays/personal stories. Thanks to Jason Ramshaw for providing me with an advance reader's copy via LibraryThing. My review is voluntary and expresses my honest opinion.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2026/0...
July 13, 2026
A Perfectly Normal Childhood (And Other Lies I Tell Myself) is a collection of 32 thoughtful stories and essays drawn from Jason Ramshaw's real-life experiences. Each story connects beautifully with the next, creating an immersive reading experience that's easy to get lost in.
This is the first book I've read this year that made me stop and genuinely assess myself. I found myself pausing between chapters to ask difficult but necessary questions, and when a book can do that, you know you're reading something special.
The stories are short, and as a fast reader, I could easily have finished the book in one sitting. Instead, I found myself putting it down repeatedly—not because it was difficult to read, but because every chapter gave me something worth reflecting on.
I haven't read a book this honest in a long time. Somehow, it broadened my perspective and encouraged me to see familiar things differently. More than anything, I loved Jason's sense of humour. Reading this book felt like laughing while having a difficult conversation—a refreshing and memorable experience.
I absolutely adore Jason's writing style. I expected to spend hours dissecting every chapter, but the writing felt effortless. It was like listening to a friend share stories over coffee, making the book both engaging and deeply personal.
Jason tells each story with warmth, wit, and honesty that immediately draws you into his world. There's something fascinating about stepping into a life so different from your own that you find yourself wanting to stay there just a little longer.
My two favourite pieces were "350,000 Years of Talking and We Still Can't Listen" and "The Only Two Words That Matter." Those chapters resonated with me in a way that I know will stay with me for a long time.
Overall, this was a beautiful, thought-provoking read that I'll definitely return to in the future. Jason Ramshaw masterfully transforms childhood memories into meaningful life lessons, reminding us that experience truly is one of life's greatest teachers.
This is the first book I've read this year that made me stop and genuinely assess myself. I found myself pausing between chapters to ask difficult but necessary questions, and when a book can do that, you know you're reading something special.
The stories are short, and as a fast reader, I could easily have finished the book in one sitting. Instead, I found myself putting it down repeatedly—not because it was difficult to read, but because every chapter gave me something worth reflecting on.
I haven't read a book this honest in a long time. Somehow, it broadened my perspective and encouraged me to see familiar things differently. More than anything, I loved Jason's sense of humour. Reading this book felt like laughing while having a difficult conversation—a refreshing and memorable experience.
I absolutely adore Jason's writing style. I expected to spend hours dissecting every chapter, but the writing felt effortless. It was like listening to a friend share stories over coffee, making the book both engaging and deeply personal.
Jason tells each story with warmth, wit, and honesty that immediately draws you into his world. There's something fascinating about stepping into a life so different from your own that you find yourself wanting to stay there just a little longer.
My two favourite pieces were "350,000 Years of Talking and We Still Can't Listen" and "The Only Two Words That Matter." Those chapters resonated with me in a way that I know will stay with me for a long time.
Overall, this was a beautiful, thought-provoking read that I'll definitely return to in the future. Jason Ramshaw masterfully transforms childhood memories into meaningful life lessons, reminding us that experience truly is one of life's greatest teachers.
August 15, 2026
Excellent, Engaging, and Incredibly Relatable
A Perfectly Normal Childhood: and other lies I tell myself was an excellent read from beginning to end. Jason Ramshaw has a way of telling stories that makes you feel like you are sitting across from him listening to him reminisce about growing up. The humor, honesty, and sometimes complete absurdity of the situations kept me entertained and wanting to see what happened next. The collection moves from childhood through high school, college, and adulthood, which gives the book a natural sense of growing up alongside the author.
What I enjoyed most was how relatable so many of the stories felt. Having grown up during the same general time period, there were references, experiences, and events that immediately brought back memories of my own. There is something different about reading a story and thinking, I remember when things were like that. Even though these are Jason’s experiences, many of them capture what it felt like growing up during that era.
The writing is funny without feeling forced, but there is also more underneath the humor. As the book progresses, you begin to see how seemingly random childhood experiences helped shape the person the author eventually became. That connection between who we were as kids and who we become as adults gave the stories more meaning than I initially expected.
This was one of those books where the individual stories kept me enthralled, but together they created something even better. Funny, nostalgic, thoughtful, and genuinely entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who appreciates great storytelling, especially those who grew up during the same time period.
A Perfectly Normal Childhood: and other lies I tell myself was an excellent read from beginning to end. Jason Ramshaw has a way of telling stories that makes you feel like you are sitting across from him listening to him reminisce about growing up. The humor, honesty, and sometimes complete absurdity of the situations kept me entertained and wanting to see what happened next. The collection moves from childhood through high school, college, and adulthood, which gives the book a natural sense of growing up alongside the author.
What I enjoyed most was how relatable so many of the stories felt. Having grown up during the same general time period, there were references, experiences, and events that immediately brought back memories of my own. There is something different about reading a story and thinking, I remember when things were like that. Even though these are Jason’s experiences, many of them capture what it felt like growing up during that era.
The writing is funny without feeling forced, but there is also more underneath the humor. As the book progresses, you begin to see how seemingly random childhood experiences helped shape the person the author eventually became. That connection between who we were as kids and who we become as adults gave the stories more meaning than I initially expected.
This was one of those books where the individual stories kept me enthralled, but together they created something even better. Funny, nostalgic, thoughtful, and genuinely entertaining. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would absolutely recommend it to anyone who appreciates great storytelling, especially those who grew up during the same time period.
July 22, 2026
I just finished reading Jason Ramshaw's book, A Perfectly Normal Childhood: (and other lies I tell myself). I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed the book after thinking I wouldn't like. it. I found the Preface difficult to read, but decided, after encouragement from my partner, to read the first essay in hopes that I would want to continue reading.
I think that Jason Ramshaw knows what's important in life. His essays tell us how he got that knowledge. He tells his story with wit and humour. I wish I had known, at his age, all that he has learned. I wish I had walked to the kiosk that did not have the line waiting in front of it.
I loved some of his stories so much that it's hard to pick a favourite. If I had to it would be the one about being on his couch in his early 30's, imagining the process of being born. I was laughing and crying and filled with awe.
Jason kept the pace going from the start. I highly recommends this book.
I think that Jason Ramshaw knows what's important in life. His essays tell us how he got that knowledge. He tells his story with wit and humour. I wish I had known, at his age, all that he has learned. I wish I had walked to the kiosk that did not have the line waiting in front of it.
I loved some of his stories so much that it's hard to pick a favourite. If I had to it would be the one about being on his couch in his early 30's, imagining the process of being born. I was laughing and crying and filled with awe.
Jason kept the pace going from the start. I highly recommends this book.
September 29, 2026
Disclaimer: I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Ramshaw's essays were, at times, amusing and even profound. I imagine this collection would be excellent if featured on his podcast, or even as a stand-up routine. However, as a collection of written essays, it fell a bit flat to me. I wanted more descriptive language, more prose. I felt there were some poignant through-lines in his stories. But some did not get wrapped up - why DID he wind up writing in his parents' basement?
I also found him to be a bit arrogant and condescending. His young white male perspective did not hold his privilege in check and did not always appeal to this female minority. I also found a couple of the essays to be mildly offensive.
I wish Ramshaw well and I appreciate him taking the time to send his essay collection to me!
Ramshaw's essays were, at times, amusing and even profound. I imagine this collection would be excellent if featured on his podcast, or even as a stand-up routine. However, as a collection of written essays, it fell a bit flat to me. I wanted more descriptive language, more prose. I felt there were some poignant through-lines in his stories. But some did not get wrapped up - why DID he wind up writing in his parents' basement?
I also found him to be a bit arrogant and condescending. His young white male perspective did not hold his privilege in check and did not always appeal to this female minority. I also found a couple of the essays to be mildly offensive.
I wish Ramshaw well and I appreciate him taking the time to send his essay collection to me!
July 11, 2026
The original footage before anyone started interpreting it.
33 stories from a kid in Missouri who was building systems before he knew they were systems and running operations before he had names for them.
Each story is funny, warm and specific in the way only true things can be. But together they reveal something deeper a machine that was already running long before anyone thought to look for it.
What makes this book special is Jason's honesty. He tells you exactly what happened, exactly what he was thinking and then what he was really thinking, which was usually different.
If you grew up thinking you were the only weird one this book was written for you.
You weren't. And Jason proves it beautifully.
33 stories from a kid in Missouri who was building systems before he knew they were systems and running operations before he had names for them.
Each story is funny, warm and specific in the way only true things can be. But together they reveal something deeper a machine that was already running long before anyone thought to look for it.
What makes this book special is Jason's honesty. He tells you exactly what happened, exactly what he was thinking and then what he was really thinking, which was usually different.
If you grew up thinking you were the only weird one this book was written for you.
You weren't. And Jason proves it beautifully.
August 16, 2026
I really enjoyed reading the memories and the deep thoughts of the author. He brought back memories of my own childhood . Pool hopping and garage hopping, a teacher’s secret, an accident that could have been the end but ended up being the beginning ! His opinions and way of thinking may not be everyone’s way of thinking, but they will definitely make you think. And remember at the end of a Monopoly game, it all goes back in the box, just like life sometimes is. You give and you receive, you contribute and you retrieve. You learn from life’s mistakes and it is up to you what to do with the lessons. This book made me laugh and it made me think, so I will say that Author Jason accomplished something very important! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
July 21, 2026
Imagine yourself in an airplane lounge waiting for your flight. Suddenly someone sits down next to you and starts telling you their life story. And instead of just nodding, having lost interest after two minutes, this person actually has a story worth listening to. Jason Ramshaw has a very interesting perspective on life, which I truly enjoyed reading about. A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and Other Lies I Tell Myself) was an eye-opener, and I can honestly say I will never look at a handkerchief the same way ever again.
August 3, 2026
I’m clearly not the target market for this book. I could not relate to most of it and found it weirdly repetitive and hard to “like” the author/main character. He certainly enjoys using his large vocabulary to impress the reader, which I find tedious. The chapter discussing listening skills and putting down the phone is the only one that resonated with me. I wanted to like the book and know that many will, but not me. I like to engage with the characters and cheer them on. I just couldn’t do it. I was more interested in his unplanned daughter than him.
August 13, 2026
I enjoyed the short stories - especially the childhood shenanigans and ideas. It brought back memories of "adventures" and how differently we view life as a child. This book made me laugh out loud at times, and made me think about why we, as humans exhibit some of our peculiar behaviors, like the handkerchief story. It will make me more aware of the people around me. And of my own choices and actions. I won't be offering a handkerchief to anyone! LOL
October 13, 2026
A very amusing collection of essays covering everything from childhood onwards. Many made me chuckle, the occasional one made me roll my eyes, and others were really intriguing and left me wondering about the stories behind them.
It's an easy book to pick up and read a few essays whenever you have a bit of time, especially if you want something to dip into between books.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
It's an easy book to pick up and read a few essays whenever you have a bit of time, especially if you want something to dip into between books.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2026
LOL and not in the way you normally say it when you aren’t sure how to respond or make light of an insult or unfortunate situation. Literally, LAUGHING out loud!
Nostalgia at its finest that leaves you with a yearning for those better days!
Nostalgia at its finest that leaves you with a yearning for those better days!
April 19, 2026
A Perfectly Normal Childhood (and Other Lies I Tell Myself) is one of those books that sneaks up on you. At first, it feels like a collection of funny, sharply observed stories about childhood, family, ambition, and the strange little performances we all mistake for personality. Then somewhere along the way, you realize it’s doing something more dangerous: it’s telling the truth.
Jason Ramshaw writes with the kind of voice that makes you laugh and then immediately wonder why you’re laughing, because the joke usually has a bruise under it. The essays are witty, self-aware, and deeply human without ever becoming sentimental. He has a real gift for noticing the absurdity in ordinary life — especially the kind of absurdity we all participated in as children and then politely renamed “growing up.”
What makes this book work is the balance. It’s funny without trying too hard, reflective without becoming heavy, and honest without turning into confession for confession’s sake. There’s a David Sedaris kind of observational sharpness here, but the voice is clearly Ramshaw’s own: restless, intelligent, a little incriminating, and painfully aware of how early a person starts building the weird little systems they’ll spend adulthood pretending are normal.
This isn’t just a book about childhood. It’s a book about identity, memory, self-mythology, and the stories we tell ourselves so we can keep moving. Very funny. Very smart. Occasionally a little too revealing in the way that makes you think, “Well, now I have to examine my entire life.”
Highly recommended for readers who like humor with substance, memoir with edge, and essays that actually have something to say.
Jason Ramshaw writes with the kind of voice that makes you laugh and then immediately wonder why you’re laughing, because the joke usually has a bruise under it. The essays are witty, self-aware, and deeply human without ever becoming sentimental. He has a real gift for noticing the absurdity in ordinary life — especially the kind of absurdity we all participated in as children and then politely renamed “growing up.”
What makes this book work is the balance. It’s funny without trying too hard, reflective without becoming heavy, and honest without turning into confession for confession’s sake. There’s a David Sedaris kind of observational sharpness here, but the voice is clearly Ramshaw’s own: restless, intelligent, a little incriminating, and painfully aware of how early a person starts building the weird little systems they’ll spend adulthood pretending are normal.
This isn’t just a book about childhood. It’s a book about identity, memory, self-mythology, and the stories we tell ourselves so we can keep moving. Very funny. Very smart. Occasionally a little too revealing in the way that makes you think, “Well, now I have to examine my entire life.”
Highly recommended for readers who like humor with substance, memoir with edge, and essays that actually have something to say.
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