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Harebrained: It seemed like a good idea at the time
Winner of the gold medal in humor from the Independent Publisher Book Awards, this collection of humorous slice-of-life essays explores motherhood, marriage, education and life's ups and downs. Wander through the reflections of Meg, a college professor, a wife and a mother of two strong-willed daughters. This insightful, irreverent, and candid book contains more than thirty bite-sized chapters about the successes, the failures, and the opportunities for laughter in the life of a modern woman.
- GenresHumor
262 pages, Paperback
First published June 22, 2015
7 people are currently reading
115 people want to read
About the author
Meg Myers Morgan
6 books38 followersMeg Myers Morgan is a best-selling and award-winning author whose books speak to the nuances of womanhood, motherhood, and self-worth. Her collection of essays, Harebrained: It seemed like a good idea at the time (Gem Publishing, 2015), won the gold medal from the Independent Publishers Book Awards. Her career development book, Everything is Negotiable: The Five Tactics to Get What You Want in Life, Love, and Work (Seal Press/Hachette, 2018) is a bestseller and has been translated in multiple languages. The Inconvenient Unraveling of Gemma Sinclair (GFB, 2025) is Meg's debut novel. Meg earned her degree in Creative Writing with Honors in English from Drury University, and her masters and PhD from the University of Oklahoma. She is currently an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma. Meg, her husband, and her two daughters are all citizens of the Cherokee Nation and live in Tulsa.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
August 10, 2015
Great read!
The essays in this collection are so heartwarming. As a mother, I could relate to many of the parenting moments - some made me laugh, some made me want to cry. I almost did cry when I finished the book.
Meg's writing style is so very personal, and she makes you feel like you're a part of her family. She is very witty, and there is definitely never a dull moment in this book.
Meg, please continue writing. I can't wait to read more of your books!
The essays in this collection are so heartwarming. As a mother, I could relate to many of the parenting moments - some made me laugh, some made me want to cry. I almost did cry when I finished the book.
Meg's writing style is so very personal, and she makes you feel like you're a part of her family. She is very witty, and there is definitely never a dull moment in this book.
Meg, please continue writing. I can't wait to read more of your books!
July 14, 2015
Maybe you should know I knew Meg Myers Morgan nearly eleven years ago—we were English majors and worked together in our university's writing center. When we weren't reading and editing student papers, we were talking, though I now remember our conversations focused on my worrying about boys and classes and college and what to do after, and Meg giving me fabulous advice. She's incredibly smart, candid, and funny, and, I am not surprised at all to discover, so is her first book of essays. The collection is adventurous in form—Meg confidently weaves together prose, poetry, and a three-act play—and is divided into thirty-seven short-short chapters ("The Loch Ness Monster," "Fear Itself"), which feel like topics of conversation you might stumble onto with a close friend, particularly if said friend happens to be incredibly eloquent and insightful. In each chapter, Meg investigates seemingly disparate, fleeting everyday moments and reveals them as small but shimmering possibilities for transformation—in marriage, motherhood, work, and life.
July 31, 2015
I first met Meg as a freshman in college; she was an orientation leader for my introductory class. Though I didn't know her well, I was happy to come across her blog almost a decade later. I was struck by her honesty and immediately devoured the entire blog.
In her book of personal essays, as in her blog, she is honest, funny, irreverent, and has a distinct, unique voice. The choices and wishes she has for her life are often vastly different from mine, but the themes in her writing - work, family, womanhood, insecurities, successes - are imminently relatable. I look forward to reading her future work.
In her book of personal essays, as in her blog, she is honest, funny, irreverent, and has a distinct, unique voice. The choices and wishes she has for her life are often vastly different from mine, but the themes in her writing - work, family, womanhood, insecurities, successes - are imminently relatable. I look forward to reading her future work.
October 28, 2015
This book is probably targeted at parents, which I'm not, but I enjoyed it all the same. The author wrote a quirky funny book about life experiences. We all love to hear that everyone has their own set of challenges, and we love to see people meet those challenges head on and persevere. Stories flowed from one to the other so that you feel like you are living this life you are reading about. It's engaging and entertaining. It's fun to hear someone poke fun at their own life without an undertone of pleading or bitterness. I love the tone and the pacing; I recommend this book to parents and non-parents alike.
September 7, 2015
An Interesting and Fun Read
As a woman, I was able to identify with the author's story. I felt as though I knew her, and was sharing her observations on a personal level. I would recommend this to any woman who has doubts about her future, especially of her role as a female in this day and age.
As a woman, I was able to identify with the author's story. I felt as though I knew her, and was sharing her observations on a personal level. I would recommend this to any woman who has doubts about her future, especially of her role as a female in this day and age.
July 6, 2015
I just finished reading this before work this morning and I really wish I could look forward to going home and reading more of it! Meg promises that she is working on the sequel and I can hardly wait! Fun, insightful and inspiring essays.
December 2, 2015
Meg and I went to college together and I feel like we had a chance to catch up after all of these years through this wonderful book! She's honest, funny, and inspiring! I'm ready for the next one!
September 15, 2018
I loved this. It was an easy read. It had me cracking up in parts and had many lessons and insight that only children can provide. I loved this read and hope to read more by Meg. I loved being able to read about the girls and be able to picture them throughout this book. I also love that now I have an image of Chasey Boom. I never knew how to imagine him.
May 7, 2017
There are very few times in life I have laughed so hard that my drink disgustingly spewed out my nose, and this book did just that. Meg Myers Morgan somehow embraces the messy human moments of life and shapes them into magical memorable moments. Her wit is perfectly timed, but in her humor, there is a serious kernel of truth. Despite being flawed humans, let's acknowledge our individual gifts and celebrate the unique gifts of others.
“I still have a fairly refined palate; I can distinguish between white and red wine by sight and taste alone.” - Meg Myers Morgan
Even if our talents are correctly discerning between red and white wines, let's have a toast to this beautiful, chaotic thing called life.
“I still have a fairly refined palate; I can distinguish between white and red wine by sight and taste alone.” - Meg Myers Morgan
Even if our talents are correctly discerning between red and white wines, let's have a toast to this beautiful, chaotic thing called life.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews