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Acknowledgments: Stories of Friends, Enemies and Figuring Things Out
From critically acclaimed comedian Becky Lucas comes a funny, consoling and very candid collection of stories and essays about friends, enemies and figuring it out that establishes her as one of today's most original comedy writers.
There's no such thing as a perfect life, but there are perfectly hilarious moments. The best stories are often about the lowest points in our lives - the soul-crushing jobs, the bad boyfriends, the terrible holidays, the betrayals and heartbreaks. These are the stories I tell people to make them like me, but, more importantly, they've helped me learn how to like myself. So this book is a collection of thankyous and ∗ Thank you to an ex-lover who marvelled at the fact he could get hard with me, even though I wasn't up to his usual standard. ∗ Thank you to the coked-up real estate agent who, while lecturing me and my friend about the importance of travelling, fell down a flight of stairs. ∗ Thank you to the woman who approached me after a gig and told me she hoped her daughter wouldn't end up like me. You've all taught me that you can't control who comes into your life or what happens to you, but you can decide just what it is you take from them.
There's no such thing as a perfect life, but there are perfectly hilarious moments. The best stories are often about the lowest points in our lives - the soul-crushing jobs, the bad boyfriends, the terrible holidays, the betrayals and heartbreaks. These are the stories I tell people to make them like me, but, more importantly, they've helped me learn how to like myself. So this book is a collection of thankyous and ∗ Thank you to an ex-lover who marvelled at the fact he could get hard with me, even though I wasn't up to his usual standard. ∗ Thank you to the coked-up real estate agent who, while lecturing me and my friend about the importance of travelling, fell down a flight of stairs. ∗ Thank you to the woman who approached me after a gig and told me she hoped her daughter wouldn't end up like me. You've all taught me that you can't control who comes into your life or what happens to you, but you can decide just what it is you take from them.
256 pages, Paperback
Published March 22, 2022
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321 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
February 28, 2023
After listening to Becky’s interview on The Imperfects podcast and resonating with so much of it, I decided to listen to this as an audiobook. As soon as she said that the book is targeted at young women who have a Sally Rooney book, a glasshouse candle & a bottle of melatonin on their bedside table, I knew I would enjoy it as I have all of those things. I resonated with so much of the book, especially the parts about growing up in the 90s in Australia, and the part about her obsessing over Michael Jackson. The book is full of funny stories and there’s always a valuable lesson to take away from all of them.
August 7, 2022
I listened to this one. Lots of hilarious stories. But there’s only so much I can listen to a conventionally attractive celebrity complain about not being beautiful. At times, what was served up as reflective wisdom tended to hit as unresolved insecurity. Perhaps a little more processing time is needed before the next book?
August 3, 2022
Listened to this as an audiobook
I LOVE Becky Lucas, but this just didn't hit it home for me
I LOVE Becky Lucas, but this just didn't hit it home for me
February 10, 2022
Not my jam. The drug taking, like a right of passage, a 'notch on the belt' I found tedious. The comments about a conversation with unnamed comedian who wouldn't do weed because a friend of his had taken it and then killed himself - Lucas says 'I didn't say it, but I remember thinking that the guy was probably going to kill himself anyway. The weed....had probably been one of the few thins that helped him get through the day.' Thanks Dr Lucas. (Said comedian proceeded to drink a copious amount of booze, but that wasn't the point).
There are some amusing anecdotes, but after the above clunker....I've got other books on my to be read list that need my attention.
There are some amusing anecdotes, but after the above clunker....I've got other books on my to be read list that need my attention.
June 2, 2021
Acknowledgments
I was so excited when I received Acknowledgments in the mail and I wasn’t disappointed, I really enjoy Becky Lucas’ stand ups shows after discovering her in a ‘Best of’ at the Adelaide Fringe among 3 other comedians.
A relatable and eye opening memoir that had me nodding along and saying ‘I’ve done that too! Thank god I’m not the only one’. I really enjoyed Lucas’ transparency and humour while also not being afraid to tell it like it is. Lastly, I really enjoyed how this book was set out, with each chapter ending in Lucas saying ‘thank you’ to another person/moment in her life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
A big thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia for sending me an advance copy of ‘Acknowledgments’ in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date- 2/06/2021
RRP- $29.99 AUD
Description- From critically acclaimed comedian Becky Lucas comes a funny, consoling and very candid collection of stories and essays about friends, enemies and figuring it out that establishes her as one of today's most original comedy writers.
There's no such thing as a perfect life, but there are perfectly hilarious moments. The best stories are often about the lowest points in our lives - the soul-crushing jobs, the bad boyfriends, the terrible holidays, the betrayals and heartbreaks. These are the stories I tell people to make them like me, but, more importantly, they've helped me learn how to like myself.
So this book is a collection of thankyous and acknowledgments:
* Thank you to an ex-lover who marvelled at the fact he could get hard with me, even though I wasn't up to his usual standard.
* Thank you to the coked-up real estate agent who, while lecturing me and my friend about the importance of travelling, fell down a flight of stairs.
* Thank you to the woman who approached me after a gig and told me she hoped her daughter wouldn't end up like me.
You've all taught me that you can't control who comes into your life or what happens to you, but you can decide just what it is you take from them.
I was so excited when I received Acknowledgments in the mail and I wasn’t disappointed, I really enjoy Becky Lucas’ stand ups shows after discovering her in a ‘Best of’ at the Adelaide Fringe among 3 other comedians.
A relatable and eye opening memoir that had me nodding along and saying ‘I’ve done that too! Thank god I’m not the only one’. I really enjoyed Lucas’ transparency and humour while also not being afraid to tell it like it is. Lastly, I really enjoyed how this book was set out, with each chapter ending in Lucas saying ‘thank you’ to another person/moment in her life.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
A big thank you to @harpercollinsaustralia for sending me an advance copy of ‘Acknowledgments’ in exchange for my honest review.
Publication date- 2/06/2021
RRP- $29.99 AUD
Description- From critically acclaimed comedian Becky Lucas comes a funny, consoling and very candid collection of stories and essays about friends, enemies and figuring it out that establishes her as one of today's most original comedy writers.
There's no such thing as a perfect life, but there are perfectly hilarious moments. The best stories are often about the lowest points in our lives - the soul-crushing jobs, the bad boyfriends, the terrible holidays, the betrayals and heartbreaks. These are the stories I tell people to make them like me, but, more importantly, they've helped me learn how to like myself.
So this book is a collection of thankyous and acknowledgments:
* Thank you to an ex-lover who marvelled at the fact he could get hard with me, even though I wasn't up to his usual standard.
* Thank you to the coked-up real estate agent who, while lecturing me and my friend about the importance of travelling, fell down a flight of stairs.
* Thank you to the woman who approached me after a gig and told me she hoped her daughter wouldn't end up like me.
You've all taught me that you can't control who comes into your life or what happens to you, but you can decide just what it is you take from them.
September 26, 2021
After discovering her dry humour on the Amazon Prime show ‘Last One Laughing’, I knew I had to read Becky Lucas’s memoir. You can hear her voice clearly as she narrates stories from her childhood through to her adult life. Lucas covers friendships, relationships, childhood, growing up and her journey to 'making it' as a comedian. Her comedic timing doesn’t miss a beat in print and there were many relatable moments for the young female reader.
The book is structured as individual chapters centred around a story or a person Lucas wants to acknowledge for the impact made on her outlook on life. At the end of the story/chapter, she would do a summary in the final paragraph of what she learned and how it affected her. I really like the premise, but did not like the execution of the summary paragraph. I would have preferred the reader be left to learn the lesson from the story itself, rather being told how to interpret the story in the summary.
There were some absolute gems in this book - I literally (LITERALLY) laughed out loud at the Westfield scooter couple and at beach ball man (you’ll have to read it to get what I’m talking about here). They were, as Lucas is, very funny. Another highlight was this snippet of genius: "You fell. We get to laugh. It’s the natural order of things.”
Lucas is really, genuinely, intelligently funny, and I really like her attempts to let us into some of her weirder life experiences. However, a few of the chapters were big flops for me and I think there wasn’t quite enough material to turn into a proper book. I think it could have done with another round of editing to perhaps remove or replace some chapters. Nonetheless, Lucas is a fresh young voice, a bloody talented comedian, and someone I can’t wait to go and see once we are out of lockdown in Melbourne.
The book is structured as individual chapters centred around a story or a person Lucas wants to acknowledge for the impact made on her outlook on life. At the end of the story/chapter, she would do a summary in the final paragraph of what she learned and how it affected her. I really like the premise, but did not like the execution of the summary paragraph. I would have preferred the reader be left to learn the lesson from the story itself, rather being told how to interpret the story in the summary.
There were some absolute gems in this book - I literally (LITERALLY) laughed out loud at the Westfield scooter couple and at beach ball man (you’ll have to read it to get what I’m talking about here). They were, as Lucas is, very funny. Another highlight was this snippet of genius: "You fell. We get to laugh. It’s the natural order of things.”
Lucas is really, genuinely, intelligently funny, and I really like her attempts to let us into some of her weirder life experiences. However, a few of the chapters were big flops for me and I think there wasn’t quite enough material to turn into a proper book. I think it could have done with another round of editing to perhaps remove or replace some chapters. Nonetheless, Lucas is a fresh young voice, a bloody talented comedian, and someone I can’t wait to go and see once we are out of lockdown in Melbourne.
May 29, 2022
Binge read in one go.
I saw Becky as a support act for a Josh Thomas show and found her so funny, so I decided to pick up this book.
A fun, heart warming and genuinely funny book. I actually laughed out loud several times which is rare for me. Becky's life is interesting and relatable. This book is like having a bowl of chicken soup.
I loved her thanking jack, and saying, it meant a lot that they still occasionally liked her instagram posts.
The way that she described private school boys "they're country road bags running off the fumes of their dads mercedes benz". I died.
Becky talks about how often people including herself want to pat themselves on the back for asking someone a great question rather than listen to the answer. AND i am definitely guilty of this HAHAHA.
The chapter on Sarah her school bully was interesting. I remember being in school and wondering why kids wouldn't be scared of being in trouble and it turns out its because no punishment is as bad as whats happening at home. Becky says she looks back on that time and feels lucky she didn't have a reason to be a bully herself.
Oh my god when she jumps up to reach a bar at school in front of a guy that she has a crush on and she falls and breaks both of her arms. Boy could I relate after breaking my ankle while skateboarding on a date. Becky says its better to be honest to the person than attempt an elaborate stunt and I feel very seen.
I liked the advice on that it's okay to pick up bits of people's personalities that are good and incorporate them into your own. I also enjoyed her reflections on dating, and how the waiting, the anticipation of messages, and the giddiness isn't wasted time. It's a dating experience. And finally I enjoyed visualizing her idea of what if houses had happiness ratings, like you could see a number representing how happy the people in the house were, would this be good or bad for society?
A lovely read when you're feeling down. A great pick me up.
I saw Becky as a support act for a Josh Thomas show and found her so funny, so I decided to pick up this book.
A fun, heart warming and genuinely funny book. I actually laughed out loud several times which is rare for me. Becky's life is interesting and relatable. This book is like having a bowl of chicken soup.
I loved her thanking jack, and saying, it meant a lot that they still occasionally liked her instagram posts.
The way that she described private school boys "they're country road bags running off the fumes of their dads mercedes benz". I died.
Becky talks about how often people including herself want to pat themselves on the back for asking someone a great question rather than listen to the answer. AND i am definitely guilty of this HAHAHA.
The chapter on Sarah her school bully was interesting. I remember being in school and wondering why kids wouldn't be scared of being in trouble and it turns out its because no punishment is as bad as whats happening at home. Becky says she looks back on that time and feels lucky she didn't have a reason to be a bully herself.
Oh my god when she jumps up to reach a bar at school in front of a guy that she has a crush on and she falls and breaks both of her arms. Boy could I relate after breaking my ankle while skateboarding on a date. Becky says its better to be honest to the person than attempt an elaborate stunt and I feel very seen.
I liked the advice on that it's okay to pick up bits of people's personalities that are good and incorporate them into your own. I also enjoyed her reflections on dating, and how the waiting, the anticipation of messages, and the giddiness isn't wasted time. It's a dating experience. And finally I enjoyed visualizing her idea of what if houses had happiness ratings, like you could see a number representing how happy the people in the house were, would this be good or bad for society?
A lovely read when you're feeling down. A great pick me up.
October 24, 2021
A very funny collection of stories from an awesome Australian comedian. Becky serves up melancholic anecdotes that will make you laugh and very nearly cry. The cringe in some of these tales bites pretty hard. From flying halfway around the world to rekindle a romance that wasn't meant to be, to performing sex jokes in a food court sponsored by a Mexican restaurant chain, there's something here for everyone.
Becky doesn't try to hit you hard over the head with how to live your life. This isn't a self help guide. Nor is she recovering from trauma so severe that you find it hard to understand how she could tell jokes (try reading Robert Webb's book How Not To Be A Boy). Her stories are relatable and if you like her comedy I can't recommend it enough.
I listened to this as an audio book on borrow box. Becky narrates it. If you like her stand up, audio book is the way to go.
Becky doesn't try to hit you hard over the head with how to live your life. This isn't a self help guide. Nor is she recovering from trauma so severe that you find it hard to understand how she could tell jokes (try reading Robert Webb's book How Not To Be A Boy). Her stories are relatable and if you like her comedy I can't recommend it enough.
I listened to this as an audio book on borrow box. Becky narrates it. If you like her stand up, audio book is the way to go.
July 7, 2021
Hilarious, clever, relatable and insightful?
I mean we all expected the first three - this woman is the best comedian of our generation and not surprisingly her comedy translates SEAMLESSLY to paper.
But there’s also a real big sister vibe I was was NOT expecting. Like damn the girl has layers! I’m laughing AND learning - what more could I ask for?
Will be buying copies for all the girls in my family under 25 to maybe learn a thing or two, and everyone older to laugh at all the universal fucked up experiences we have (that only Becky can make feel fun and silly!)
Love seeing Aussie talent killing it - keep going Becky! Xx
I mean we all expected the first three - this woman is the best comedian of our generation and not surprisingly her comedy translates SEAMLESSLY to paper.
But there’s also a real big sister vibe I was was NOT expecting. Like damn the girl has layers! I’m laughing AND learning - what more could I ask for?
Will be buying copies for all the girls in my family under 25 to maybe learn a thing or two, and everyone older to laugh at all the universal fucked up experiences we have (that only Becky can make feel fun and silly!)
Love seeing Aussie talent killing it - keep going Becky! Xx
April 1, 2023
Read this after hearing her interview on the Imperfects podcast and it was an entertaining ride from start to finish. I laughed out loud at many relatable/fantastical situations Lucas finds herself in and some of her wry observations that hit the bullseye.
Reads a like a bunch of stand up stories, as you’d expect from a comedian, but there is actually another level of honesty and depth you wouldn’t get in stand up. I also liked the insight into the comedian world from a female perspective.
Among my favourites were The Man Who Fell Down The Stairs and Westfield Shopping Centre, but pretty much any story from her primary school years or childhood was far too relatable.
3.5 stars.
Reads a like a bunch of stand up stories, as you’d expect from a comedian, but there is actually another level of honesty and depth you wouldn’t get in stand up. I also liked the insight into the comedian world from a female perspective.
Among my favourites were The Man Who Fell Down The Stairs and Westfield Shopping Centre, but pretty much any story from her primary school years or childhood was far too relatable.
3.5 stars.
July 20, 2022
The irony in talking about enemies and high school bullies in some of your skits and your book is quite remarkable considering that some people are actually still reliving the way you went out of your way to bully them through years worth of interactions with them. Now you make a living out of being as snarky, nasty and judgemental as you were back then too. Perhaps you should tell a full account of the story instead of the one that makes you look like the victim under certain circumstances whereas, you were actually an aggressor and a trouble maker...
February 11, 2024
This had me both howling with laughter and solemnly nodding in agreement. It isn't only the extremely relatable growing-up-in-Brisbane content, or the dead on reads, it is the bold, honest, and yet nuanced opinions Becky so eloquently espouses. There is something so empowering about the permission she gives herself and others to be honest about their flaws, and not shy away from how these flaws impact and shape our ability to relate to one another.
August 21, 2021
I wouldn’t usually pick up this book but I’m glad I did. I bought the audio book, ready by Becky herself, and thoroughly enjoyed the random stories, strange anecdotes & light hearted humour. There’s some beautiful & sad messages in this book but a great break from the current state of the world… thanks Becky!
October 29, 2022
The “acknowledgments” aspect of this memoir is flimsy, a half-arsed attempt to link a bunch of unrelated stories that contain no narrative thread and very few recurring characters. It felt lazy. The stories themselves are entertaining, as you would expect from a comedian. But every time Lukas thanked someone at the end of a chapter I got annoyed at how randomly this thanks was assigned.
March 4, 2023
Becky presents accurate insights (ok, accurate because I agree with them) of life in a comic and sometimes comically sad manner. Laughed out loud but also agreed. Had to stop myself sharing bits repeatedly with friends (ok couldn’t stop myself once but be glad I didn’t phone or photograph pages and text you!)
December 26, 2021
Funny and insightful
Not your usual structure but having a series of acknowledgements of things and people that provided life lessons works well for a light, funny and insightful read.
Not your usual structure but having a series of acknowledgements of things and people that provided life lessons works well for a light, funny and insightful read.
March 20, 2022
I loved this book thoroughly. It was an adventure, the kind of adventure I like. It had me laughing out loud and also completely zoned in on the points she was trying to make. A wonderful read and reccomend it to anyone who loves a relatable, easy going and lighthearted read. Thankyou Becky. X
March 6, 2023
I really like Becky as a stand up, this was no different. Even being a male I've seen a lot of those female interactions amongst each other in their teen through 20s and she's an astute social commentator and self aware of those silly and self conscious years
3.5/5
3.5/5
May 20, 2024
Didn’t rate this, felt really lazy like a bunch of unrelated compiled short stories were tied together with some kind of intention at a theme but it fell short. Ultimately I think Becky is awesome but I didn’t love this read.
June 6, 2021
Quick easy read. Laughed out loud lots.
June 13, 2021
I enjoy Becky's mix of honesty and snark. 4 stars.
July 8, 2021
An honest and clever review of life's lessons so far. Well told. I love her stand-up style of humour. Her book didn't disappoint.
September 2, 2021
Was this an actual memoir or just a really enjoyable book? Regardless, she is one great storyteller
September 14, 2021
Funny at first but gets very same-same rather quickly.
May 31, 2022
Hidden gem
June 15, 2022
I love Becky Lucas, she’s a hilarious comedian and great writer!
October 16, 2022
Such a loveable larrikin. Self-effacing and self-assured. This gal has got it down pat!
February 8, 2023
This was a nice, quick and easy read. It was different from everything I have read. It was clever. I was hoping it was a bit more funny (being a fan of her comedy) but it was still a good book!
March 12, 2023
Some funny stories for sure. I can see myself enjoying them more as stand up. I didn't find the stories in each 'acknowledgment' very cohesive and, for me, that detracted from the flow of the book
January 11, 2024
Love Becky Lucas. Book Becky is just as funny as real life Becky.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews