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Rookie Mistakes: A Grown-Up's Field Guide for Getting Your Act Together
In her highly anticipated nonfiction debut, comedian Kelly Bandas uses her trademark humor to recount stories of growing up and becoming a semifunctional adult in a dysfunctional world. Raised in a devoutly Catholic home, Kelly Bandas spent her entire childhood trying hard not to tick off “the man” or the Lord. And for the most part, she crushed it. But as she got older and began to navigate what it looked like to truly live in a world where gender roles, race, and politics weren’t always so black and white, Kelly realized that her former worldview was beginning to feel like that pair of Forever 21 jeans that used to glide effortlessly over her hips but now required a lot of stretching and acrobatic maneuvering to shimmy into place. And she’s not alone. In Rookie Mistakes, Kelly shares stories of growing up in a church-centered, male-dominated society and how those experiences shaped and primed her for a new chapter of life. In this debut collection of essays, Kelly Kelly shares everything from laugh-out-loud accounts of Oregon Trail-themed first kisses to heartfelt insights gleaned from navigating life as a Christian feminist doing her best not to screw up being a parent of a child with a disability, in a trans-racial family. Rookie Mistakes is the call-to-action millennial women everywhere have been waiting for.
288 pages, Paperback
Published July 19, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
July 20, 2022
I laughed so hard as I read each essay. The author has an enjoyable way of sharing a story that makes you laugh and ponder deep truths at the same time. What a gift! As the parent of seven children including three children through international adoption with disabilities, I enjoyed hearing her family's adoption journey in parts of the book. She does a fabulous job here!
In Rookie Mistakes the author shares her struggles, stories, and faith in a relatable way that speaks humorously to women. This is a quick read with insight and truth that I greatly recommend.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
In Rookie Mistakes the author shares her struggles, stories, and faith in a relatable way that speaks humorously to women. This is a quick read with insight and truth that I greatly recommend.
I was given a copy by the publisher and not required to write a positive review.
May 20, 2022
Thank you Netgalley and Thomas Nelson for the gifted book!
"Equally un-new is our desire to share our own stories and make our experiences known and heard by the people around us. One might argue that's the entire reason social media and books like this one even exist--because there's really no more powerful tool than sharing our stories with each other to help us feel connected with one another."
Going into this book, I knew that Kelly is funny on Instagram, but you never know how well that will translate to a book. I'm here to tell you that Kelly is hilarious in book form too. I flew through this delight of a book. It was chock full of funny stories paired with poignant observations, plus the best placed interjections in the form of informative or hilarious footnotes. Plus she writes in such a vivid manner that I feel like I'm watching the VHS tapes of her throughout the years. You are plopped into the story and get to experience her emotions along with her. You will laugh, maybe cry, and most definitely be entertained by this read.
One time on my personal instagram I tagged Kelly in a post saying that I thought we could be real life friends and then she followed me, so I can say as Kelly's personal friend, I'm so proud of her and can't wait for you all to get your hands on this gem of a memoir.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
"Equally un-new is our desire to share our own stories and make our experiences known and heard by the people around us. One might argue that's the entire reason social media and books like this one even exist--because there's really no more powerful tool than sharing our stories with each other to help us feel connected with one another."
Going into this book, I knew that Kelly is funny on Instagram, but you never know how well that will translate to a book. I'm here to tell you that Kelly is hilarious in book form too. I flew through this delight of a book. It was chock full of funny stories paired with poignant observations, plus the best placed interjections in the form of informative or hilarious footnotes. Plus she writes in such a vivid manner that I feel like I'm watching the VHS tapes of her throughout the years. You are plopped into the story and get to experience her emotions along with her. You will laugh, maybe cry, and most definitely be entertained by this read.
One time on my personal instagram I tagged Kelly in a post saying that I thought we could be real life friends and then she followed me, so I can say as Kelly's personal friend, I'm so proud of her and can't wait for you all to get your hands on this gem of a memoir.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
August 3, 2022
I'm not sure that I am the target audience for this book. I read a few of the essays and they were fine. I am not a millennial (Gen-X here), so maybe that is why I didn't connect with the stories. I'm also not Catholic, so those essays didn't mean much to me. Having said that, I do think that for the right audience, this book will be a hit. I encourage you to check it out.
August 2, 2022
We all make mistakes; this book helps us learn to laugh at the mistakes and learn from them so we can have the best life possible.
Kelly Bandas is a comedian that uses her humor to help others by learning from the mistakes she has made and our own at trying to become a functional adult in this crazy world we live in. She was raised in a catholic home and all throughout her childhood Kelly was afraid to upset God, that she would never be good enough. As she grew, she tried to learn what it was like to live in a world that was cruel and hard at times and even though she felt alone, she was never alone. Each story that Kelly shares brings laughter and a sense of head nodding readers can agree with and feel connected to someone in ways they might not have expected.
As I read this book, I found so many of the stories relatable and made me feel better as a parent and person in this crazy life. We all make mistakes, every single day, but if we can learn from the mistakes and learn to do better without judging ourselves or others too harshly for it life will be better. If we can learn from our Rookie Mistakes and not keeping making the same ones over and over, maybe it will all be worth it.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
Kelly Bandas is a comedian that uses her humor to help others by learning from the mistakes she has made and our own at trying to become a functional adult in this crazy world we live in. She was raised in a catholic home and all throughout her childhood Kelly was afraid to upset God, that she would never be good enough. As she grew, she tried to learn what it was like to live in a world that was cruel and hard at times and even though she felt alone, she was never alone. Each story that Kelly shares brings laughter and a sense of head nodding readers can agree with and feel connected to someone in ways they might not have expected.
As I read this book, I found so many of the stories relatable and made me feel better as a parent and person in this crazy life. We all make mistakes, every single day, but if we can learn from the mistakes and learn to do better without judging ourselves or others too harshly for it life will be better. If we can learn from our Rookie Mistakes and not keeping making the same ones over and over, maybe it will all be worth it.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from the publisher. The views and opinions expressed within are my own.
July 19, 2022
If I could recommend a book to read in 2022, this would be it! I'm guilty of looking back at my rookie mistakes with regret and embarrassment at my many bad choices. One of the most significant stumbling blocks for me on my healing journey has not been forgiving those who've hurt me but forgiving myself. I found this book to be a breath of fresh air, as it offers you the chance to look back at your younger self with kindness, grace, and a little more humor as you learn to look at yourself and your past differently. I found this book to be relatable and laughable, and it gives you 90's nostalgia as you remember your past through a different lens. We all have a history that has shaped us into the valuable people we are today. I highly recommend this book if you need some encouragement and an awkward laughable remembrance down memory lane. I think it's just the prescription you need to gracefully learn from, move on, forgive yourself, and put that airplane hand out the window as you gracefully cruise down the road and lean into who you are right now.
March 23, 2022
I received an advance copy of Rookie Mistakes courtesy of the publisher.
Please stop what you're doing and read this book immediately. I'll wait . . .
Wow, that was super fast! And wasn't it amazing?
In all seriousness, this will absolutely go down as a favorite read of 2022. Kelly Bandas's debut collection of essays is an ode to the things "I thought I was doing right, until I realized I wasn't." Her reflection on these "rookie mistakes" was so insightful I cried, so hilarious I snort laughed, and so relatable that I did both simultaneously (a pretty sick emotional roller coaster for this Enneagram 4, let me tell you). Her candidness is the breath of fresh air this not-quite-yet-post-COVID-world needs. Also, I'd really like to be her new best friend.
But in lieu of lifelong friendship, this Goodreads review is my thank-you note to Kelly for reminding me that it's okay to not be "impervious to mistake-making," that there's always room to grow, and that, at the end of the day, making it to semifunctional adulthood is, in and of itself, proof that we're doing a pretty good job.
Please stop what you're doing and read this book immediately. I'll wait . . .
Wow, that was super fast! And wasn't it amazing?
In all seriousness, this will absolutely go down as a favorite read of 2022. Kelly Bandas's debut collection of essays is an ode to the things "I thought I was doing right, until I realized I wasn't." Her reflection on these "rookie mistakes" was so insightful I cried, so hilarious I snort laughed, and so relatable that I did both simultaneously (a pretty sick emotional roller coaster for this Enneagram 4, let me tell you). Her candidness is the breath of fresh air this not-quite-yet-post-COVID-world needs. Also, I'd really like to be her new best friend.
But in lieu of lifelong friendship, this Goodreads review is my thank-you note to Kelly for reminding me that it's okay to not be "impervious to mistake-making," that there's always room to grow, and that, at the end of the day, making it to semifunctional adulthood is, in and of itself, proof that we're doing a pretty good job.
March 28, 2022
The blurb for this book says something about it being meant for or aimed at Christian feminist millennials (which I am not), and TBH, if I had seen that prior to opening to Page One, I would have immediately hit DELETE to get it off my Kindle ASAP. Good thing I didn't read that though, because this was pretty damn funny (can I say "damn" if this is a Christian book???).
Anyway, it was truly entertaining and I actually laughed out loud at several spots, which was refreshing. When the author talked about being Catholic/Christian and her faith, I thought, "Oh no, here we go..." and got ready to jump ship. However, she never got preachy or religious at all, to my surprise. It was simply a part of her story, and what a funny one it is.
A nice quick enjoyable read. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
Anyway, it was truly entertaining and I actually laughed out loud at several spots, which was refreshing. When the author talked about being Catholic/Christian and her faith, I thought, "Oh no, here we go..." and got ready to jump ship. However, she never got preachy or religious at all, to my surprise. It was simply a part of her story, and what a funny one it is.
A nice quick enjoyable read. Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC.
June 5, 2022
This book was unexpected! The parallels I felt to the author with a catholic upbringing and uncertainty for the next phase of life made this a relatable story for millennial moms in todays America
January 3, 2023
First book of 2023
Hmmm. I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I did enjoy it. She's probably in her late 30's so I appreciated the 90's flashbacks presented when the author writes about her high school and college years. While I'm not a sports person I do know something about rooting for a losing team so I was with Bandas as she watches the Red Sox compete in the World Series. The fact that she was able to get into the away games despite not having a ticket delves into what I call Forrest Gump territory.
What I don't get is why we need another book of essays by another white woman of faith. Doesn't the publishing word have enough? Nothing against Kelly Bandas but her life isn't interesting enough to warrant a book deal. It's frustrating to read this book of "rookie mistakes" and know that my friends have far better "rookie mistake" moments and don't trot them out for a paycheck. All of us make "rookie mistakes" and those are the stories we swap while drinking or hanging out. We don't write a book about them, especially when they're as tame as the author's (I got pregnant before marriage, I adopted an orphan from a foreign country, I found Jesus). Fuck. I might be harsh but I'm tired of reading about white women that really haven't done anything other than marry and have children, something that happens to women all over the world any given day of the week.
Hmmm. I'm not sure how I feel about this book. I did enjoy it. She's probably in her late 30's so I appreciated the 90's flashbacks presented when the author writes about her high school and college years. While I'm not a sports person I do know something about rooting for a losing team so I was with Bandas as she watches the Red Sox compete in the World Series. The fact that she was able to get into the away games despite not having a ticket delves into what I call Forrest Gump territory.
What I don't get is why we need another book of essays by another white woman of faith. Doesn't the publishing word have enough? Nothing against Kelly Bandas but her life isn't interesting enough to warrant a book deal. It's frustrating to read this book of "rookie mistakes" and know that my friends have far better "rookie mistake" moments and don't trot them out for a paycheck. All of us make "rookie mistakes" and those are the stories we swap while drinking or hanging out. We don't write a book about them, especially when they're as tame as the author's (I got pregnant before marriage, I adopted an orphan from a foreign country, I found Jesus). Fuck. I might be harsh but I'm tired of reading about white women that really haven't done anything other than marry and have children, something that happens to women all over the world any given day of the week.
July 31, 2022
My favorite book so far this year. What a funny, thoughtful, and amazingly relatable book that looks back at the author's "rookie mistakes" from her younger days with insight, humor, and grace. Who of us hasn't looked back and dwelled on our mistakes, only to dread those memories and push them away? Kelly embraces these "mistakes" with a light-hearted and delightful humor and shows that you can 100% learn and grow from each bump in the road. I flew through this book laughing (out loud) and nodding along with each story, but then left feeling so uplifted by Kelly's fresh perspective as she reflects on each experience with love and humor. This is most certainly a book I will revisit again and again when I need a big laugh, a bit of grace, and a dose of amazing 90s/2000s nostalgia.
September 29, 2022
This was decent. I liked that it was comical and I could relate to her references. I liked that Kelly talked about a variety of areas in her life that she made “rookie mistakes” and she owned them in her recounting- no excuses. I liked that she talked about their adoption process, her mental illness and coping during the pandemic.
I was sorry that her religious experience seems to have effected her negatively. I think that this book would have rated better for me if there was at least one other point of view included.
In all, it was a average audio book. I don’t feel connected to her or overwhelmingly connected to her story. More details would have rounded it out more. It was light and airy and like I said before, comical.
I was sorry that her religious experience seems to have effected her negatively. I think that this book would have rated better for me if there was at least one other point of view included.
In all, it was a average audio book. I don’t feel connected to her or overwhelmingly connected to her story. More details would have rounded it out more. It was light and airy and like I said before, comical.
March 14, 2022
Thank you #Netgalley for the advanced copy!
This was a fun read following the personal essays of Kelly and her progression into adulthood, marriage and becoming a parent. I appreciated her raw honesty, sometimes awkward, hilarious and real. Loved the stories of her Catholic upbringing, her need to share her negative thoughts with her mother. Such a fun read that went by so quickly! I look forward to more from Kelly, especially with her journey during covid, her time at home all while adopting a son from another country. So much to balance! A few favorites: the first kiss, first pet, getting pregnant.
This was a fun read following the personal essays of Kelly and her progression into adulthood, marriage and becoming a parent. I appreciated her raw honesty, sometimes awkward, hilarious and real. Loved the stories of her Catholic upbringing, her need to share her negative thoughts with her mother. Such a fun read that went by so quickly! I look forward to more from Kelly, especially with her journey during covid, her time at home all while adopting a son from another country. So much to balance! A few favorites: the first kiss, first pet, getting pregnant.
March 5, 2023
Oh I loved this book so much! I had a credit for my audiobook subscription & had seen this book recommended somewhere. Knowing nothing about Kelly, I gave it a shot. And oh my goodness I’m glad I did! It’s one of those audiobooks that I’m so sad to be done with. Kelly writes about things that matter & have depth but in a way that doesn’t make the world feel so heavy & broken. I LOVED every pop culture reminder of my childhood. Graduating high school around the same time as Kelly, it was so fun to be reminded of so many things! I’ll miss having Kelly in my earbuds now that the book is done. It’s tempting to get back on social media just to follow Kelly.
September 25, 2023
I hope Kelly Bandas keeps writing books. Her stories somehow tumble out effortlessly like she’s telling them to you while holding a mug of hot cocoa as you both look into your fire pit. At the same time, her turns of phrase reveal a writer’s scalpel. One of my favorite aspects of these essays is her collection of fantastic closing sentences. Each one seems to amalgamate a callback, a pithy principle, and a succinct simplicity that inspired me as a writer and enveloped me as a reader.
August 16, 2022
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book from a #goodreadsgiveaway and it was exactly what I needed. With the covid pandemic continuing to charge forward and the monkeypox waiting for its chance, this light and fun read about real life happenings was perfect. Definitely felt most of these chapters in my millennial heart.
August 21, 2022
3.75 ⭐️. I took one star off for chapter 3 (Guinea pigs are not “training” pets to teach kids responsibility! They are living creatures who need to be loved just as much as a dog or cat. Goodness.) And then .25 off just because there were some chapters I wasn’t fully invested in, but since Kelly and I are near the same age, I definitely related to a lot of things she has experienced!
September 26, 2022
The essays in this book strike that perfect combination of humor and relatability, without being too self indulgent. It’s a quick read that will have you nodding your head on n both nostalgia and empathy with your own “rookie mistakes.” Looking forward to more from this author. Nice to have an online influencer whose work actually shows intelligence.
December 14, 2022
This book is an absolute delight. Kelly is a witty and engaging storyteller, and I laughed through the stories. I spit my coffee out at Purity Culture Carl - subnotes are alive! But the last section of the book also caught me in tears a few times. It’s a welcome dose of nostalgia, laughter, and heartfelt lessons. Did I mention it’s funny?
July 18, 2022
I smiled from the first page to the very last. An absolute gem. Packed with wisdom, humor, and plenty of charm— plus any geriatric millennial will appreciate the various 90’s/early 2000s references. 😉
July 23, 2022
This book is so GOOD! And so FUNNY!! Kelly’s wit, transparency, and charm make her a fabulous storyteller. This book is a collection of essays that are a great mix of humor and heart, with some really solid life lessons sprinkled in. Good stuff and Highly recommend!!! 🎉
August 15, 2022
This one was just fun, I really enjoyed this. As an 80s baby, 90s raised me adult, so much of these was easy for me to connect to. Not just that, but her stories of motherhood are really so similar to lots of mine, so I found myself nodding along. Plus, who doesn't love a memoir full of humor?
September 5, 2022
I can't remember where I heard about this book or what prompted me to add it to my goodreads list, but I enjoyed this book of essays (and went and looked at the authors Instagram profile, finding her videos fairly cute and funny).
September 9, 2022
I totally picked this one to listen to because of the guinea pig on the cover... spoiler alert, the poor squiggum has a halo not for good behavior but for unfortunate demise. But as long as you learn something, you're growing as a person.
January 7, 2023
A creative and extremely real book. However, I believe it is written for a certain stage of life ~ young adult/young married/young parent. The author writes in a very real conversational manner but is a bit too real for my taste The author is humorous.
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August 30, 2022This one just wasn't for me. I didn't finish it.i got through over half, but so many others are waiting to be read.
September 24, 2022
Loved this! Such a fun and candid journey with Kelly. Lighthearted and fun with a splash of wisdom. 10/10 would recommend!
November 17, 2022
While I usually don’t rate memoirs or personal essays, Rookie Mistakes is my friend’s book and it felt like I was having a conversation with her over coffee.
December 31, 2022
Contains lots of funny comedy. But that’s all. Not for serious kind of readers.
February 1, 2023
This was a great memoir of short stories. It's hard to really rate people's memoirs but I did enjoy it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews