Finding My Badass Self: A Year of Truths and Dares

by Sherry Stanfa-Stanley

Fighting midlife inertia, Sherry Stanfa-Stanley stares down fear through The 52/52 Project: a year of weekly new experiences designed to push her far outside her comfort zone. Her escapades range from visiting a nude beach with her seventy-five-year-old mother in tow to going on a raid with a vice squad and SWAT team to crashing a wedding (where she accidentally catches the bouquet). While finding her courage in the most unlikely of circumstances, Sherry ultimately finds herself.
For midlifers, fatigued parents, and anyone who may be discontent with their life and looking to shake things up, try new things, or just escape, Finding My Badass Self is proof it's never too late to reinvent yourself--and that the best bucket list of all may be an unbucket list.

Genres: Humor, Memoir, Nonfiction

225 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2017

About the author

Sherry Stanfa-Stanley is a writer, humorist, and squeamish adventurer. She writes about her midlife escapades and other topics on Facebook (The 52 at 52 Project) and also blogs at www.sherrystanfa-stanley.com. Her writing has been featured on The Rumpus, Midlife Boulevard, and The Huffington Post.

By day, Sherry attempts to respectably represent her alma mater as a communication director at The University of Toledo. An empty nester after raising Son #1 and Son #2, she now indulges a menagerie of badly behaved pets.

Reviews

[Kirsty ❤️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'd never heard of the 52/52 Project until I read this book although I have heard of quite a few different versions of the idea. Sherry tries to be more adventurous after finding herself as a late singleton so she makes up a list at age 52 of 52 new things to try; one a week for a year. I enjoyed the book. Not sure that I'd want to try some of the things she's done but more power to her for having a go. It's a fun, inspiring book

Free arc from netgalley

[Cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time that I have heard of the 52/52 Project. Yet, after reading this book, I plan to follow Sherry 's Facebook group for the 52 at 52 Project. OMG. This book is funny. Sherry makes me want to break out of my shell and try some new experiences. Although, I have been to an adult shop. However, never have I had the wealth of knowledge that the author got when she visited the trucker style shop in "Of Bunnies and Batteries". I think I will avoid trying an Brazilian wax in "The Woes of Waxing, Not So Poetic". Than there is the trip to the nude beach in "Baring It at the Beach". Also, I can't forget the "Dining in the Dark". Sherry's "My Big Fat Greek Party".

There are many more funny stories to be had in this book. Every time that I thought I was done laughing, I would find myself laughing some more. You could tell that the author really enjoyed every moment of her experiences. Sherry inspires you to find your inner badass self!

[Valerity (Val) · Rating 3 out of 5]

(3.5 stars out of 5 stars) This book turned out to be pretty entertaining and funny, especially when the author took her elderly mother to the Haulover nude beach in Florida. She tries to be more outgoing and adventurous so she makes up a list at age 52, of 52 new things to try weekly for a year and then posts online about how she does. I was glad I read it, now I'm inspired to try a few of the things she did. Ziplining here I come. Maybe haha. My thanks to NetGalley, She Writes Press, and Sherry Stanfa-Stanley for providing me with an eARC for review.

[Slone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Writing with humor, humility and truth, the author decides to make her midlife anything but mundane with a series of personal challenges from the silly to the terrifying, from the introspective to the hysterical — and finds that life can be so much more when you open yourself up to the unexpected.

[Daria Zeoli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was unfamiliar with the author or her 52/52 Project prior to reading this book, but I think I'll be checking it out now. Stanfa-Stanley writes of her year of doing things outside her comfort zone with humor and a conversational tone that makes her story accessible.

I often wonder what my life would look like if I did more things that scared me. This book is a reminder that sometimes, our biggest obstacle is ourselves. While I don't think I'll ever be badass enough to do half the things discussed in this book, it has me thinking again about the stories we tell ourselves, and how nothing is impossible.

Thanks to NetGalley for a review copy.

[Nichole · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to pick just one book to share with all of my girlfriends, a book that was a surefire way to kick them in the panties and spawn some inspiration for living, truly living, life - this is it.
I laughed, I cringed, and I laughed a whole lot more.
Sherry Stanfa-Stanley is not only "badass", she is a fabulous story-teller. Her experiences are not just; she wraps each one up beautifully and delivers them to the reader like a fabulous gift. Because that is what they are. Experiences of all kinds are gifts and Sherry is reminding us of that in this incredible read.
I know, I know. I am fangirling. What can I say? I AM a new fan and I want to follow along as Sherry continues to push herself to try new things. AND I want to push myself to try new things, too!
Each chapter is a new, wonderful retelling of one of Sherry's 52 experiences at age 52. And if she has the gusto to hit a nude beach, crash weddings and go zip-lining - just imagine what other incredible gems are tucked away in this book.
If you need a laugh, a bit of inspiration, and a book that feels like a friend - this is definitely for you. This book is easy to read when you are short on time. Take a chapter or two when you've got a few minutes to spare. You will be glad you did.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the opportunity to review this book and to provide my honest feedback. All comments and opinions are my own.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about 52 weeks, 52 new experiences at the age of 52 - otherwise known as The 52/52 project. All of the adventures are outside of Sherry Stanfa-Stanley's comfort zone. Some of them more so than others, but all providing a somewhat different experience and perspective on life. All designed to get her out of the rut or "crater" as she puts it, that she found herself in in her 50s as a divorced empty-nester. And she wondered, would this be "opening the door to an exciting new life or opening Pandora's Box. Turns out the two are not mutually exclusive."

She begins with belly dancing which leads to more adventures such as an audition for "Survivor", eating chocolate covered bugs, going to a nude beach with her mother in tow, getting a drastic haircut, going without electronics for a week, singing with a band, and so much more.

I admire her courage as she faces the challenges she has chosen for herself. And the smarts she shows when she backs down from one challenge. It's a wiser decision than going through with it.

The book is designed with each experience making up a short chapter. She shares her mistakes and her successes humbly and with humor. The one thing that remains consistent is that she is a winner for trying all of these things whether she is successful at them or not.

I give the book overall a 4 out of 5 stars. It's well written. The challenges are interesting as are her take on them. And there is humor to the tales she tells.

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book through NetGalley from the publisher. All opinions are my own and freely given.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

Popcorn and Diet Coke, that’s all you’re going to need to enjoy “FINDING MY BADASS SELF” written by Sherry Stanfa-Stanley. While I’m not a fan of diet coke after reading this memoir you will get where I’m coming from. I would like to give a huge thank you to Booksparks for allowing me to be apart of another pop UP blog tour. You, Booksparks and Sherry Stanfa-Stanley, do not disappoint.


Sherry captured me from the very beginning with her 52/52 project, 52 challenges in 52 weeks. Not only did she capture me but she has inspired me to even do my own challenge, I’m thinking 30/30 project.

Many chapters in “FINDING MY BADASS SELF” had me laughing out loud while a few had my lip curled out from being touched by Sherry’s genuine self. Sherry’s 52/52 project diffidently proved her of being said BADASS,the one that proved that the most to me was chapter 11 which will also leave you in tears.
Honestly, I can not say enough good things about this book. Also, I will give nothing away and only tell you that this is a must read. Prepare to be left planning your very own project. Oh and lastly, Sherry, you owe me a Bloody Mary.

[Sue Fernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and She Writes Press for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. I usually pick up on new groups/trends early on, but I hadn't heard of the 52/52 project. In a way I'm glad I went in NOT knowing about it. Sherry made me laugh out loud (in the night) and made me think about the things I don't do, and how I get caught in my own bubble. I need to start moving out of that, and this book helped me see that. Honestly....loved this. It's not preachy, it's funny and it might just inspire you. There are many more funny stories to be had in this book. Every time that I thought I was done laughing, I would find myself laughing some more. You could tell that the author really enjoyed every moment of her experiences. Sherry inspires you to find your inner badass self!

[Adrienne Amborski · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finding My Badass Self: A Year of Truths and Dares was the book I needed as I approached the last year of my 40's. Sherry Stanfa-Stanley on the cusp of her 52nd birthday decides to undertake 52 challenges on her "unbucket list." Laugh out loud funny and inspirational, this collection of challenges ranges from a pizza eating contest to jumping on the first plane available to an unplanned destination. I read this cover to cover never boring of Sherry's adventures. Sherry has earned her spot in one of my favorite genres...funny writers that prove fact is ALWAYS stranger than fiction.

[Teena in Toronto · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sherry is divorced mother of two 20-somethings sons and in her mid-50s. According to her web page, she's a "writer, humorist and squeamish adventurer". A couple years ago when she was 52, she decided to push herself outside of her comfort zone and start the 52/52 Project ... for a year she would do something she'd never done before every week (so for a total of 52 new adventures). This book is the compilation of those experiences.


The things she did included spending time at a nude beach (with her mom nearby), online dating, hot air ballooning, heading to the airport and jumping on the first flight flying domestically, babysitting quadruplets, unplugging from electronics, going to the grocery store in her pajamas, auditioning for Survivor and more. Some adventures were successful and she enjoyed them ... others she was glad she did but would never do again ... and there were just a couple where she said no way.

I gave her props for doing the 5km marathon. I've always wanted to be a runner but I've never been one. Runners make it look so easy! I've been trying to do a 5km program (I have an app on my phone) since the spring and it's HARD ... I don't know if I'll ever be able to run (walking briskly is no problem, though). I've already done some of the things which was a new adventure for me. It was interesting to read her experiences doing a float and high ropes course ... I love floats and I'm with her re the high ropes course.

I enjoyed this book and found it a fun read. Sherry is my age and I could relate to her, though I think anyone any age could. I liked the writing style. It was amusing and conversational. I bet Sherry would be a fun and friendly person to hang out with. As a heads up, there is some swearing.

Blog review post: http://www.teenaintoronto.com/2017/08...

[Jenn Belden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutally honest, a bit self-deprecating and funny as hell, author Sherry Stanfa-Stanley's tales of her year of adventures and escapades will leave you laughing out loud,  cringing in solidarity - and inspired to take on a few adventurous challenges yourself.

From the seemingly mundane (painting her condo or unplugging from technology for a week) to the outrageous (visiting a nude beach with her 75 year old mother) to the downright terrifying (going on a ride along - and a drug bust - with the police, which I equate right up there with caring for quadruplets), each tale is wonderfully written in a  conversational style dosed with a sprinkle of tongue-in-cheek humor.  While each challenge gets its own chapter, this book is perfect to consume in short bites - but I bet you won't be able to put it down.

I love it for its honesty and her ability to laugh at herself. Some of her experiences achieve more successful outcome than others but all attest to what we can gain when we push ourselves just a wee bit outside our comfort zone. This book just might serve as inspiration to recover one's own lost bit of "badass".  Looking down the nose of 50, I'm making my own list now.

Many thanks to She Writes Press and the author for an advance reader copy of the book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

She Writes Press and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Finding My Badass Self: A Year of Truths and Dares. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.

Sherry Stanfa-Stanley, a 52 year old divorced empty nester, felt that she was in a rut in her everyday life. Thus was born the 52/52 project, Sherry's year of 52 weekly adventures designed to push boundaries and change her outlook on life.

From belly dancing, to wedding crashing; from a pizza eating contest, to a police ride along, the author dared herself to try new experiences, despite any fear or trepidation on her part. Readers will be inspired to try their own version of the 52/52 project, as Finding My Badass Self gives plenty of possible challenges to face. This project took courage, especially when it came to challenges that were out of Sherry's comfort zone. The author came away from this project feeling great about the changes she saw in herself, so readers can be encouraged to change their lives as well. I would recommend Finding My Badass Self to other readers and hope to read more by author Sherry Stanfa-Stanley in the future.

[April Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was given to me as an ARC by NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and opinions. I loved everything about this book! I was laughing from the very beginning when the author apologized to her sons for the embarrassment she caused. The book is based on a project the author calls The 52/52 project. She woke up one day and realized that her life was pretty "vanilla" and she wanted to shake it u a bit. She then decides that each week for a whole year she will try one new thing outside her comfort zone. This kind of project requires a good sense of humor which the author fortunately has. Each chapter is a new experience and the names are just as funny as the actual story. I particularly loved the chapters titled " Bunnies and Batteries" and "Much a Doo-Doo About Nothing". This book is so worth buying. I actually plan to buy a copy or two myself for some family members.

[Vnunez-Ms_luv2read · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!!! What an inspiring read.Congrats to the author for doing what she wanted to do. So many of us want to do things outside our comfort zone but for personal reasons we do not. This book made me want to make my own project. I laughed out loud, (the Brazilian Wax, the police ride-a-long which sounded like fun)!!!! Great book and I give the author kudos for letting us live vicariously through her. First time reading this author but I hope not my last. Thanks to NetGalley the author and the publisher for the ARC of this book in return for my honest review

[Cindy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Sherry Stanfa-Stanley takes a perfectly innocuous birthday and turns it into a year long adventure where she faces challenges, risks embarrassment, has many laughs, and finds herself. As I read I thought I could do that or I would not be caught dead doing this, making me question if my 'badass self' was just under the surface or buried deeper than I ever imagined. Sherry provides the reader with an education on the utter desirability of letting go, so we can grab on to the life we have with both hands and wring out every bit of emotion and life, down to the absolute last drop.

[Betsy Harloff · Rating 5 out of 5]

Funny, motivating, and a light easy read. One thing that made this book so great is that you could easily pick it up and read a chapter (each of the 52 experiences are chapters) in just a few minutes which was so nice for a busy mom of 5. She makes you laugh out loud quite often and leaves you with a an urge to break out of your own shell and try new experiences, especially those we are intimidated by. We are never too old to try something new. I was lucky enough to meet this author in person and she is a blast! READ this BOOK!

[Toni Karrick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this hilarious read! Sherry bares her butt and her soul for an entire year. She is a brave woman and has inspired me to get out of my comfort zone. I would love to see this on the big screen. Maybe I could audition to play the lead. That would definitely be a step out of my box!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about this book is that it is by turns poignant, and snort-coffee-out-of-my-nose hilarious. Another thing I love about this book is that you can savor it, reading each of Sherry's adventures one at a time. Returning to the book in fits and starts won't lessen your enjoyment of each chapter. Or, like me, you can keep turning the pages, wanting to find out what happens NEXT, happily devouring the book in a sitting or two. I don't want to say that "Finding My Badass Self" is ONLY relevant to women of a certain age because I do think the author's brand of humor and fine writing can be enjoyed by anyone. But - if you ARE a woman of a certain age - the book's premise of reaching a point in life where you want to jump (or at least tip-toe) out of your comfort zone and take some risks before we all end up in assisted living facilities, then this book will not only entertain, but very possibly inspire you to dare yourself just a bit. I can think of a couple of buddies who will enjoy this as a Christmas present from me this year. Highly recommended!

[Mary Northrup · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this! The author, celebrating her 52nd year, embarked on The 52/52 Project in which she tried 52 new things. Everything from taking a belly dancing class to visiting a nude beach to being a mime to taking the polar plunge on New Year's Day, and much more. She writes about her family and friends, too, who support her in her adventures. Some of the experiences are touching, but most are funny, at least the way she writes about them. This book will make you laugh . . . and you will want Sherry as your new friend.

[Carrie Dadey · Rating 4 out of 5]

My suggestion for my mom’s book club. This is the every-woman’s version of self-discovery...like Eat, Pray, Love, but more attainable for those of us who cannot simply travel the world for a year and get paid to do so. Sherry spends her 52nd year challenging herself to try 52 new things; some funny, some absurd (bikini waxing!), some thrilling, but all challenges are approached with a remarkable sense of humor and charm. This book feels very much part of the zeitgeist now where people are finding meaning in adventures and connections to others instead of in accumulating things. My husband does not read for fun very often, and he kept stealing this book off my nightstand and laughing at Sherry’s adventures and misadventures. One reason he enjoyed it is that the chapters and adventures are short, high interest and the heroine is very real and relatable (because she is a real actual person). We also loved that the book is set in our city of Toledo. This was a fun read and inspired me to say yes more to the adventures that present themselves in my own life.

[Christina · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED this book club selection, which now has me looking at what I can do in my life to push me outside my comfort zone more! Full review to come.

[Beth M Denny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mostly funny, a little thought provoking

[Diane Pomerantz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick-paced, quick-witted with some good under-lying insight about living one's life! This is a great summer read!

[Stacey James · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cute book! I recommend it to anyone wanting to physically laugh out loud!

[Sharon Lippincott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Want a fun read? An inspiring one? A brilliantly written one? Then Finding My Badass Self is just the book for you. When Sherry Stanfa-Stanley turned 52, she undertook a personal challenge to do 52 things, one per week, that pushed the boundaries of her comfort zone. Some of them may seem low-key, like eating vegan for seven full days. But how many of you would normally do that? Others, like exfoliating a rhino who got an erection in the process? That's wild.

Though each chapter can stand on its own, their salting of humor is addictive. Sherry's gift for poking fun at herself made the book sound like she's my next-door neighbor, and I didn’t want her to leave. I can't wait for her next volume, whatever it is. IMO, in today's world, we need to spend more time laughing to fend off despair. Finding My Badass Self will help you do that, and it may inspire you to uncover a bit of badass in yourself.

[Megan Fritz · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Sherry Stanfa turned 52, she decided to take 52 risks with her unbucket list. She spent the year doing all sorts of things that she had never experienced before. We're talking everything from a colonoscopy to past life regression to a hot air balloon ride.

The book reads like what it is, a collection of blog posts chronicling the different adventures that the author went on. Some are only a couple pages long and some are a few times that length. Some are deeply moving, some are pretty corny ( the 2 page colonoscopy chapter would have been about 10 words if not for the poop pun after poop pun), most are a barrel of laughs.

This was an enjoyable, light hearted, and inspiring book. It was a reminder that life is meant to be enjoyed, and doesn't last forever. I hope I don't wait until I'm in my 50s to take some risks and make new friends wherever life takes me.

[Lori Duff · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given an ‘advance reader copy’ of “Finding My Badass Self: A Year of Truths and Dares” by Sherry Stanfa-Stanley in exchange for an honest review. I do this kind of thing often, mostly because my desire for free books outweighs my desire for, say, oxygen, and, to be honest, more often than not I am disappointed.
Not so here.

The premise is just delightful – Sherry turns 52 and has a bit of a midlife crisis. Her life is peaceful and ordinary, she’s an empty-nester with a solid job she likes. There’s nothing wrong with her life, but it is unsatisfying, somehow. So she sets out to make her life a little less peaceful and more extraordinary. She ‘dares’ herself to do something that pushes her boundaries once a week during her 52nd year. She calls it the 52/52 project. This book is a description of her adventures. 52 chapters for 52 weeks containing 52 adventures in her 52nd year. Each chapter could stand independently as a story, but they work better as a unit.

The adventures range from the truly daring to the relatively mild, and demonstrate a genuine creativity. Her writing style is light and breezy. It feels more like sitting down with a friend over a glass of wine (or a bloody Mary) and hearing her stories than reading a book. Her style is a good bit like mine, I think. If you like my books and my blog, odds are you will like this book. In fact, one of her adventures is a ghost tour. Around the time I was reading this book, but before I got to that chapter, I went on my own ghost tour and wrote about it. Sherry and I used almost exactly the same joke in the closing line, completely independent of each other.

Sherry is a better writer than me, however, in that what she writes has a point and actually makes you think a little. I find myself thinking about her as opportunities present themselves and thinking about the value of pushing one’s own comfortable boundaries.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Sherry Stanfa-Stanley seems like she would be a lot of fun, and in this book she takes on some adventures I probably wouldn't and after reading about them, I can say I definitely will not. The stories were amusing, and I had never seen the blog that the majority of this book seems to be pulled from. I can see where this would make a really great blog, but I am not sure if it translates to an equally good book. After reading the book I looked up her blog, and some of the chapters seem to be directly pulled from her blog - but one thing the blog has that the e-book I read didn't have was pictures...and the pictures added something to the stories that I was missing from the e-book.

The other thing about these blog posts being combined into a book is that each chapter is a distinctly different experience, and there is nothing really tying any of them together. I guess I was looking for the author to explain a little more about her journey on the way, or maybe how things changed her outlook, or even some continuity from one chapter to the next.

I feel pretty lukewarm about this as a book, but I think I may check out the author's blog from time to time.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

As Sherry Stanfa-Stanely states, "Life is full of hurdles, but the biggest obstacle is our decision to stop at a bump or a crossroad, fearful to move on. What's most important is to take that first step and, if we stumble, to just keep on going." That is the underlying theme of this touching and humorous book -- try something new and just keep going! In Finding My Badass Self, the author reminisces about her adventures and misadventures in her quest to try something new every week for a year. The anecdotes are often very amusing and occasionally touching but always worthwhile. The writing style is breezy and light and it is the kind of book that you can pick up and put down and pick up again as you have the time for or are in need of a smile. Congratulations to Sherry Stanfa-Stanley for taking the bull by the horns (one challenge she did not yet try) and living life to the fullest. And, thank you for sharing your thoughts and deeds (and misdeeds) with the rest of us. You have inspired some of us who are perhaps looking down the other side of the hill to lift our feet off the pedals and ride!

Thank you to Sherry Stanfa-Stanley and She Writes Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.