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Reckless Years: A Diary of Love and Madness
In this page-turning memoir, a woman tries to reinvent her life after divorce and discovers that sometimes finding yourself is not all it’s cracked up to be.
Trapped in a dissatisfying marriage for nearly a decade, New York journalist Heather Chaplin finally summons the courage to leave. On her own, she finds herself intoxicatingly free, pursuing adventure, and juggling romance on two continents in multiple cities. She contemplates the meaning of life; she falls for a handsome Irishman.
But as the adventures progress, Chaplin’s own reckless choices send her spiraling downward—and toward a reckoning she’s avoided all her life. Pulled from Chaplin’s own diaries, Reckless Years is a raw, propulsive unfailingly profound and impossible to put down.
Trapped in a dissatisfying marriage for nearly a decade, New York journalist Heather Chaplin finally summons the courage to leave. On her own, she finds herself intoxicatingly free, pursuing adventure, and juggling romance on two continents in multiple cities. She contemplates the meaning of life; she falls for a handsome Irishman.
But as the adventures progress, Chaplin’s own reckless choices send her spiraling downward—and toward a reckoning she’s avoided all her life. Pulled from Chaplin’s own diaries, Reckless Years is a raw, propulsive unfailingly profound and impossible to put down.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published July 11, 2017
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1098 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews
July 7, 2017
Based on notebooks she kept between April 2006 and July 2008, Journalist Heather Chaplin chronicles this period of her life in an impressively open and brutal manner. Having felt trapped in a frustrating marriage for over ten years, she finally decides enough is enough and forces a separation from her husband whom she resents deeply by now. Setting out on a journey of self-discovery which also takes her to Dublin, she re-invents herself as a free and single person, falls for an Irishman, and discovers a lot about love, relationships, memories, gardening, and the value of friendships, amongst other things. As her free-spirited life spirals increasingly out of control, darkness and depression set in and she has to face up to some uncomfortable truths.
At times, this made me laugh out loud. At times, it made me cringe. At times, it was very sad and emotional. Being inside the mind of a woman who became increasingly out of control and was suffering, was a very intense reading experience. A very brave and unique memoir that I would definitely recommend.
Contains strong language and sexual content.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
At times, this made me laugh out loud. At times, it made me cringe. At times, it was very sad and emotional. Being inside the mind of a woman who became increasingly out of control and was suffering, was a very intense reading experience. A very brave and unique memoir that I would definitely recommend.
Contains strong language and sexual content.
I received an ARC via NetGalley.
April 27, 2017
Author Heather Chaplin holds back nothing in this stunning memoir. She recounts the ugly dissolution of her marriage and how she attempted to reinvent herself as a single woman, often to destructive results. This is a raw, vulnerable look into how marriages fail and the emotional baggage that weighs us down. This is destined to be an instant classic.
I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
I read an advance copy and was not compensated.
June 9, 2017
Shocking. A greased bullet. Expertly crafted. Completely unique. Truth serum.
June 29, 2017
Heather Chaplin is a masterful storyteller. I could not put this book down. RECKLESS YEARS is deeply moving. I laughed and I cried. Not just cute, quiet little teardrops. At times, I couldn't see through my tears and I would have to take a break from weeping. Other times, SEVERAL other times I laughed out loud so loudly that I was positive that I would wake up my husband sleeping next to me.
RECKLESS YEARS is a work of art. It's the kind of treasure that stops you in your tracks and makes you think and feel about how f-ed up and painful yet how extraordinarily beautiful life can be. I didn't want it to end. I'm definitely going to reread it.
If you like stories about smart, interesting, complicated and brave people — written with humor, honesty and grace, then you will thoroughly enjoy RECKLESS YEARS and you will brag to your friends that you read this book before it became a household name and was adapted into an award-winning film. Just saying...
RECKLESS YEARS is a work of art. It's the kind of treasure that stops you in your tracks and makes you think and feel about how f-ed up and painful yet how extraordinarily beautiful life can be. I didn't want it to end. I'm definitely going to reread it.
If you like stories about smart, interesting, complicated and brave people — written with humor, honesty and grace, then you will thoroughly enjoy RECKLESS YEARS and you will brag to your friends that you read this book before it became a household name and was adapted into an award-winning film. Just saying...
November 18, 2017
I dunno. The book was honest and compelling at times but I just found it to be such a big downer, and unleavened by any flashes of humour or self-awareness and sooo negative. I do realize that the author obviously is intelligent and had really terrible parents who treated her and her brother very badly but the whole story seemed so bleak and disturbing. I am glad she has found happiness now but I can see how her best friend got tired of her drama and terrible choices. Really, it was draining and I usually like a bit of a harrowing memoir.
September 12, 2017
I LOVE THIS BOOK.
I'm typically pretty neutral on diary-entry format. Don't love it, don't hate it. In this book, it is so perfect, raw, and real. Heather is such a gifted writer, and opens up in such a beautiful way. The way she describes joy, depression, love, excitement, pretty much anything - it's so relatable, so lovely. I found myself going "YES, YES!!!" during certain passages. She really nails the ups and downs of life. I could have read her entries over 10 years!! Definitely recommend.
I'm typically pretty neutral on diary-entry format. Don't love it, don't hate it. In this book, it is so perfect, raw, and real. Heather is such a gifted writer, and opens up in such a beautiful way. The way she describes joy, depression, love, excitement, pretty much anything - it's so relatable, so lovely. I found myself going "YES, YES!!!" during certain passages. She really nails the ups and downs of life. I could have read her entries over 10 years!! Definitely recommend.
September 14, 2017
The author shares her emotional journey after she comes to the heart wrenching decision to end an unhappy marriage . Her adventures are taken from pages of a diary that she kept for over two years.
Heather Chaplin exposes her deepest fears and memories which lead her to make reckless decisions while she tries to transform herself into the person she feels she should be. Her brutal honesty is totally compelling , revealing her inner self.
This book had me hooked from the first page with its beautiful prose. All of the author's feelings during this time in her life are revealed as she takes the reader on a wild journey.
I received this ARC from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended!!
Heather Chaplin exposes her deepest fears and memories which lead her to make reckless decisions while she tries to transform herself into the person she feels she should be. Her brutal honesty is totally compelling , revealing her inner self.
This book had me hooked from the first page with its beautiful prose. All of the author's feelings during this time in her life are revealed as she takes the reader on a wild journey.
I received this ARC from Goodreads in exchange for an honest review. Highly recommended!!
October 11, 2017
This year I got out of a 9-year relationship, and it was strange and also exciting to see my experience captured so precisely in someone else's memoir. There are very specific emotions that happen that Heather described so well, and following her roller coaster of emotions was relatable, too. Taking a step back from the feels, I do think this could have been a little better edited. She says in the intro that she made some of her friends into composites but I think she could have made even more friends into composites! Overall though I really enjoyed this book and working my way through Heather's experience with her.
March 28, 2017
Interesting story of life and the turns we take.
July 12, 2017
*4.5 stars*
This is one of the most unique memoirs I’ve read to date. Author Heather Chaplin tells her story through the Moleskine journals she started keeping the day she realized she no longer loved her husband. After finding the courage to leave her unhappy marriage, she is free to experience one adventure after another, and she lives life vivaciously but also at times recklessly. I admire the things she shared about herself and the details she did not hold back. Not many people would share their inner voices with the world without a fair amount of sugar-coating. But this brave and remarkable woman does just that. I could tell you a bit about what happens within these pages and try to keep it spoiler-free, but why would I when Heather does such a remarkable job of telling you herself? The settings are fantastic, my favorite being her visit to Dublin; and her encounters throughout the book are fascinating. This autobiography is utterly absorbing and sometimes heartbreaking – but ultimately, inspiring. Her garden epiphany made me sob and then smile. Ms. Chaplin’s writing is beautiful; it is so honest, her story so authentic, that I was incapable of putting it down, and I implore you to pick it up.
A huge thank-you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Review originally posted at A Belle's Tales.
This is one of the most unique memoirs I’ve read to date. Author Heather Chaplin tells her story through the Moleskine journals she started keeping the day she realized she no longer loved her husband. After finding the courage to leave her unhappy marriage, she is free to experience one adventure after another, and she lives life vivaciously but also at times recklessly. I admire the things she shared about herself and the details she did not hold back. Not many people would share their inner voices with the world without a fair amount of sugar-coating. But this brave and remarkable woman does just that. I could tell you a bit about what happens within these pages and try to keep it spoiler-free, but why would I when Heather does such a remarkable job of telling you herself? The settings are fantastic, my favorite being her visit to Dublin; and her encounters throughout the book are fascinating. This autobiography is utterly absorbing and sometimes heartbreaking – but ultimately, inspiring. Her garden epiphany made me sob and then smile. Ms. Chaplin’s writing is beautiful; it is so honest, her story so authentic, that I was incapable of putting it down, and I implore you to pick it up.
A huge thank-you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Review originally posted at A Belle's Tales.
August 16, 2017
Entertaining in the way that a melodramatic, over the top TV show can be entertaining. A very quick (but often eye roll inducing) read. A lot of the book felt exaggerated-sort of like the quote from Emily Dickinson-"Tell all the Truth but tell it slant." One example-Ms. Chaplin describes a part of Baltimore as a "lousy neighborhood." I've lived in the Baltimore area for many years and the area that she describes as "lousy" (for those of you familiar with Baltimore, it's the York Road/Senator Theatre/Belvedere Square area) is not. Maybe a bit marginal back in 2006/2007 (the time of the memoir) but not anywhere as bleak as she depicts. Even then there were some thriving restaurants in that area. Yeah, if you drive a half mile south it's "lousy" but drive a half mile north and it's nice. Anyway, I'm going off on a tangent-that's just one minor example. The intensity is just a bit much (Devastatingly handsome men! Fascinating people and places! Crazy, drunk encounters!). Then again, I believe that's how she experienced things-Ms. Chaplin seems like a very intense person and as she herself states in the Author's Note the truth can be a "slippery business." She seems like the type of person who's interesting and lots of fun while at the same time exhausting and very frustrating.
September 27, 2017
Out of love with her morose husband, the passion long since killed, Heather Chaplin changes her life, and finally separates from him. But while it’s her choice, and she may expect to be able to sail on happily, she finds that she spirals downward into a vortex of confusion, fear, and lust and love for a stranger across the seas in Ireland. This memoir is fast-paced, compelling – a reckless journey indeed, and one many of us embark on at some or other point in our lives. Chaplin’s writing is wonderfully readable, and her observations pithy, witty and sometimes sadly so.
“Do you realize— that you have the most beautiful face. Do you realize— that everyone you know, someday, will die.”
“Why is it that happiness remembered feels like despair?”
“It’s funny, isn’t it. At the end of the day, there really is nothing that will save you— no man, no medicine. Just the moments as they tick by.”
Highly recommended.
“Do you realize— that you have the most beautiful face. Do you realize— that everyone you know, someday, will die.”
“Why is it that happiness remembered feels like despair?”
“It’s funny, isn’t it. At the end of the day, there really is nothing that will save you— no man, no medicine. Just the moments as they tick by.”
Highly recommended.
August 7, 2017
WOW. This is one of the most powerful memoirs I've ever read, in no small part because of how similar Heather and I are and how much I relate to her. Full review to come shortly.
June 8, 2017
I loved this book.
From the very first page I was drawn in to Heather Chaplin's extremely relatable situation. She begins by describing her disastrous marriage and subsequent isolation from her once compatible husband ( fairly scathing , I wouldn't want to be described in that light !) and then goes on to tell the story of her divorce, single life, and the mental issues that she couldn't avoid dealing with any longer. I read this book in one day simply because it was so engrossing. I was up until 2 am just wanting to finish it! The writing is fresh and easy to read. I would absolutely recommend this book! I don't know if authors ever read these but if so- Heather , you did a great job and I loved your book! I can't wait to read your next one !
From the very first page I was drawn in to Heather Chaplin's extremely relatable situation. She begins by describing her disastrous marriage and subsequent isolation from her once compatible husband ( fairly scathing , I wouldn't want to be described in that light !) and then goes on to tell the story of her divorce, single life, and the mental issues that she couldn't avoid dealing with any longer. I read this book in one day simply because it was so engrossing. I was up until 2 am just wanting to finish it! The writing is fresh and easy to read. I would absolutely recommend this book! I don't know if authors ever read these but if so- Heather , you did a great job and I loved your book! I can't wait to read your next one !
August 20, 2017
4.5 stars....Started reading this book and didn't want to put it down. Based on Heather's personal journals. She is raw, unfiltered and brutally honest about her emotions through her seperation, divorce and facing her past and the pain that shaped her life. The words flow on the pages and you feel her emotions. Parts where she thought she was living adventures (which she was just some scary situations) and the reality of what she faced when she sobered up make you think about how some memories can scar us for a lifetime. I really enjoyed this book and was happy for Heather in the end to find her peace in life and love. Will be looking for more from this author as I am curious what else she writes. I won this book in a goodreads giveaway thank you!
September 2, 2017
I didn't realize when I bought the book it was in diary form Upon opening and seeing that was in fact the case, (w/ information gathered from other means as well) I felt a little bummed. I don't typically like stories in diary form. But I had already bought the book. Once I started reading, it flowed just beautifully despite lapses in time not documented. I actually felt her love and despair as if it were me going through it. At first I didn't really know where the story was going but as I kept reading it was a wonderful and wild ride. I love stories that talk about the human condition and it's frailties and then how to move past and on to brilliance. I loved this book! Thank you, Heather for sharing you innermost self with the readers! Roar lioness, ROAR!
September 19, 2017
This book was a real life story about the author, Heather Chaplin. and her troubling life after her divorce with her husband. Heather wrote this directly from her diary and let us into her thoughts to feel what she was feeling at the end of each tragic event. Heather finds it hard to be happy with her marriage and does not feel like living the life of lies anymore. She walks us through her divorce and how each time she is left with no money. Also, how people have helped her by giving her money and introducing her to the good side of life. Once reality struck Heather Chaplin, she couldn't run from it and had to face it.
August 8, 2017
I expect that I will be thinking about this book for a while now that I have finished it. The beginning, most likely, would hold a mirror up to many who , like the author, have kicked over the traces in order to end a relationship with an ill matched spouse or obsessed over the desire for a new (and quite possibly also ill matched) love. Feeling something of a sisterhood with the author is just the beginning of a whirlwind trip into a vortex of depression bordering on madness that leaves you pulling for her recovery.
August 18, 2017
This was a Goodreads giveaway that I was so lucky to win. Thank you to Simon & Shuster and Goodreads for selecting me. My unbiased opinion? I LOVED this book. It lived up to the promise on the description. Intensely personal, emotional, moving and unputdownable. My favorite kind of read: a memoir with emotional honesty, clear prose and heart. I chose not to read the reviews because I did not want any prior knowledge of what happens. It was, as described, a roller coaster and I did not see certain details coming. Highly recommended.
July 26, 2017
This was such a raw emotional book ,looking at her life and what abuse causes you to feel and be is moving.Having the courage to bare it all and show who you are is hard and she did it in a way that makes you really take a hard look at how we see people and what their reality is.I wish all the best for Heather and hope she continues to find her way and keeps her family and friends close for support.I received this book free as part of goodreads giveaways.
September 21, 2017
This is one of the best books of memoir I have ever read. It was hard to put down once I started it. Heather Chaplin is a New York journalist who writes a very honest book about her dissolving marriage with a verbally abusive man. After leaving the marriage, she pursues romance and adventure on two continents.
This is another wonderful book offered in the contest by Goodreads. I am so happy that they offer these quality books.
This is another wonderful book offered in the contest by Goodreads. I am so happy that they offer these quality books.
June 26, 2018
I received this book from a Goodreads giveaway. I just could not relate to this and I felt like it was extremely slow. I think the writer has a great skill for description, but I found the writing inaccessible. If it is a diary, and these are direct excerpts, I just find it very hard to believe that this is the exact product. I just had a hard time getting into her story and having any type of feeling toward her situation.
August 18, 2017
Singlehandedly redefines the art of memoir writing. Reading it made my insides feel like tenderized meat. Chaplin's vulnerability and pain pulses off every page with excruciating (and strangely beautiful) clarity.
July 14, 2017
I read this book in 2 nights straight. I couldn't put it down. And I rarely read books that fast now that I have young kids. It's a true page turner.
August 13, 2017
Yet another Eat, Pray, Love of self-absorption and importance. And the goofy phrases to describe feelings and events. No thanks.
February 5, 2018
Wow, this book was hard to read. Not because it's poorly written (it's not), nor because it's not interesting (it is), but because it just makes the reader feel SUPER uncomfortable. Knowing that this is a true story, watching Chaplin's descent into madness is awful. At first, I mostly felt annoyed by her behavior - her inability (or unwillingness?) to recognize her issues and deal with them resulted in her treating people close to her pretty badly. Then I started to feel alternately embarrassed for and genuinely sad for her, as she started to vacillate wildly between manic highs and REALLY low lows. Finally, I could feel her terror as she full-on had psychotic breaks with reality and finally acknowledged the trauma that had happened to her and set off this spiraling mental anguish for her whole life. This was an incredibly powerful story, told through Chaplin's actual diary entries from this time in her life, and she's incredibly brave for putting it all out there. But this is not for the faint of heart.
*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
*Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC, provided by the author and/or the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
June 10, 2017
I received an ARC compliments of Goodreads Firstreads Giveaway and appreciated the opportunity.
This memoir shares the journal entries of author Heather Chaplin's life in a snippet of time during 2006-2008. Her story feels like a train wreck, an out of control, speeding train headed straight for a wall. After leaving an unhealthy marriage, the author ascends on a journey of self-discovery which leads her through much crisis and despair.
I did not love the book and I did not love the author, but I was intrigued by her story. The pace is akin to that of a psychological thriller, only this is real life. (or so meant to be portrayed as such). I believe it is a brave action to put yourself, your raw thoughts and experiences out there for the world to see. A diary is a very private and sacred possession, sharing it with others is a risk. In this case, the author affirms that her life has been a unique and complex journey, to which I'm sure some readers will relate and to which some will not. It did evoke my empathy and a greater appreciation for one's vulnerability. 3/5 stars
This memoir shares the journal entries of author Heather Chaplin's life in a snippet of time during 2006-2008. Her story feels like a train wreck, an out of control, speeding train headed straight for a wall. After leaving an unhealthy marriage, the author ascends on a journey of self-discovery which leads her through much crisis and despair.
I did not love the book and I did not love the author, but I was intrigued by her story. The pace is akin to that of a psychological thriller, only this is real life. (or so meant to be portrayed as such). I believe it is a brave action to put yourself, your raw thoughts and experiences out there for the world to see. A diary is a very private and sacred possession, sharing it with others is a risk. In this case, the author affirms that her life has been a unique and complex journey, to which I'm sure some readers will relate and to which some will not. It did evoke my empathy and a greater appreciation for one's vulnerability. 3/5 stars
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August 3, 2017This book... did not go in the direction I expected. It reminded me of reading a work of fiction with an unreliable narrator. Other reviewers have described the experience of reading what is essentially Chaplin's diary during a chaotic, rather bizarre time in her life, as "intense" and "like watching a train wreck," and I would definitely agree. She's honest to a painful, embarrassing degree--but not always self-aware. I kept wishing there were a chapter written by an outsider, to explain what they thought of her behavior during this point in time. In a brief youtube video, Chaplin says of herself, "When I look back now, I think I must've been the most maddening person in the world," and that seems fairly accurate.
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Nbv...)
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2Nbv...)
July 19, 2021
A difficult one to sort through when you’re already not okay though I raced through it without meaning to. I liked the vulnerability and the fear and the brimming hope throughout. I don’t think I was supposed to feel hopeful at times but I did anyway and that helped master this dark book. I liked the specks of learnings thrown throughout the book, like the idea of every particle being interconnected or that flowers search for the sun in patches of shade, just like any other living being. I like thinking about that a lot. It’s more comforting than I thought. Ultimately, I liked the work though I don’t think I would recommend it
June 24, 2020
I enjoyed this book! I have only read a few autobiography/memoirs, and this was unlike them entirely. First of all, it is much more scandalous and raw than that of a politician or historical figure. Second, it is sort of a real-life fairy tale. The writing is alright, and the plot is nothing too special, but Chaplin has what it takes to write a memoir- a good story, and the ability to be vulnerable. She is a woman in her mid-30's going through a divorce, and the book details her experience, emotional recovery, and search for new love.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 57 reviews