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Joyrider: How gratitude can help you get the life you really want
'Gratitude is your soul's superfood, but cheaper than goji berries, and twice as good for you. I like to think of it as mindfulness for cynics or the "gateway drug" to spirituality. It's a very tangible thing you can do everyday that will shift your focus to what you have rather than pining and obsessing over what you don't have. Away from a state of lack into limitless abundance...' So what happens when we stop taking things for granted and start putting some grá* into our gratitude? When we consciously turn our heads and hearts to what we have and focus on the good? In Joy Rider, television presenter and host of the podcast Thanks A Million, Angela Scanlon, presents her guide to tapping into your own natural super resource - joy. This book is an invitation to embrace the kind of gratitude that cuts through the bulls**t of life to its truth, connecting us with the present and grounding us in self. When there is so much to feel anxious about, Angela shares with readers how focusing our attention on the small, incremental positives in life can completely change it for the better. * It means love in Irish
304 pages, Paperback
Published February 2, 2023
88 people are currently reading
1007 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
December 13, 2022
I really didn't think there was much substance to this book. Found myself skipping pages and chunks of text.
May 16, 2022
Inhaled the book and loved it!
Was so lovely and chatty, I really felt like Angela was just talking to me!
It has come at the perfect time in my life and everything resonated with me. I feel I have gotten so much out of reading it!
Was so lovely and chatty, I really felt like Angela was just talking to me!
It has come at the perfect time in my life and everything resonated with me. I feel I have gotten so much out of reading it!
October 14, 2023
Reading this was indeed a joyride ♥️
July 31, 2022
Loved this. It felt like a bunch of conversations with Angela talking directly with me as I read. So cleverly written with some good advice for people who need a bit of adjustment and perspective on life.
July 8, 2023
Some lovely moments that dig in to how you see / feel / think about yourself.
July 19, 2024
(Listened to audiobook while reading)
I’m all for giving a celebrity self-help book a go, but I was a bit underwhelmed with Joyrider. Angela discusses many important topics such as gratitude, self-care and self-love, the law of attraction, meditation and breathing, and the subconscious mind, all of which I believe are really important and interesting. However this book is very much an introduction to these topics, and seems like it is for people who have no prior knowledge or have been sceptical about them in the past. It was all quite introductory and lacking a bit of substance, for example didn’t include much practical advice of how to incorporate these things into your life.
It was written in a very casual, informal, sometimes humorous and almost colloquial way, and I’m sure this is reflective of Angela’s personality, but it got a bit tiresome towards the end of the book. She uses the language “It was good. Until it wasn’t” / “It worked. Until it didn’t” WAY too much, meaning it felt repetitive in terms of how she was getting her point across. Her way of describing things is extremely informal, for example the title of Chapter 8 is (“Your subconscious is a little bitch”), and if people like this humorous tone, then they will probably enjoy this book. I didn’t mind it but I didn’t love it.
I thought she did write about her personal relationship with religion very well, which is a very complicated issue following the troubles in Ireland, and I’m sure many people will be able to relate to that complex issue of not knowing what to believe in anymore.
Overall a humourous book which makes some important points, but definitely better for beginners to the ideas of changing your life and loving yourself.
I’m all for giving a celebrity self-help book a go, but I was a bit underwhelmed with Joyrider. Angela discusses many important topics such as gratitude, self-care and self-love, the law of attraction, meditation and breathing, and the subconscious mind, all of which I believe are really important and interesting. However this book is very much an introduction to these topics, and seems like it is for people who have no prior knowledge or have been sceptical about them in the past. It was all quite introductory and lacking a bit of substance, for example didn’t include much practical advice of how to incorporate these things into your life.
It was written in a very casual, informal, sometimes humorous and almost colloquial way, and I’m sure this is reflective of Angela’s personality, but it got a bit tiresome towards the end of the book. She uses the language “It was good. Until it wasn’t” / “It worked. Until it didn’t” WAY too much, meaning it felt repetitive in terms of how she was getting her point across. Her way of describing things is extremely informal, for example the title of Chapter 8 is (“Your subconscious is a little bitch”), and if people like this humorous tone, then they will probably enjoy this book. I didn’t mind it but I didn’t love it.
I thought she did write about her personal relationship with religion very well, which is a very complicated issue following the troubles in Ireland, and I’m sure many people will be able to relate to that complex issue of not knowing what to believe in anymore.
Overall a humourous book which makes some important points, but definitely better for beginners to the ideas of changing your life and loving yourself.
May 22, 2022
As I started this book I was intrigued to have a glimpse into Angela Scanlon’s wellbeing “toolkit”. I was laughing on the first page, there are so many relatable moments about what it’s like to be a woman in the modern world. I started up my gratitude journal again after only 2 days of reading.
Super authentic and honest.
Brave and raw.
Scanlon’s philosophical, pure, good advice inspires you to re-connect with yourself and take the time to learn to listen to yours needs and wants. She reminds us that what we want and what we need is already inside us, we just have to find it. When discussing coming to terms with the voices in your head, she suggests the befriending them is good step forward. Giving them names and personalities, she approaches how to listen to them, as well as kick them down when necessary.
At times it felt like I was reading Angela’s personal diary, it was so personal and chatty that I forgot it was a book and not a private conversation. She talks about feeling disconnected from yourself and your body, and how to regain that connection. She speculates around how to listen to your specific needs and tend to them, aka performing proper self care, not #selfcaresunday.
Wholesome, funny and inspiring.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
(Was just missing a little something for me personally.)
Super authentic and honest.
Brave and raw.
Scanlon’s philosophical, pure, good advice inspires you to re-connect with yourself and take the time to learn to listen to yours needs and wants. She reminds us that what we want and what we need is already inside us, we just have to find it. When discussing coming to terms with the voices in your head, she suggests the befriending them is good step forward. Giving them names and personalities, she approaches how to listen to them, as well as kick them down when necessary.
At times it felt like I was reading Angela’s personal diary, it was so personal and chatty that I forgot it was a book and not a private conversation. She talks about feeling disconnected from yourself and your body, and how to regain that connection. She speculates around how to listen to your specific needs and tend to them, aka performing proper self care, not #selfcaresunday.
Wholesome, funny and inspiring.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
(Was just missing a little something for me personally.)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2022
Joyrider by Angela Scanlon
@angelascanlon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Overview: Author’s insight into how bringing gratitude into her life has transformed her for the better.
📖 Genre: Memoir | Self- Help
👍Likes: Light, easy reading, honest, it felt like a conversation with Angela! Uplifting and positive food overall.
👎Dislikes: No major call outs.
📘Format: Hard Copy
🤓Recommend For: Fans of Angela and anyone looking for a light, uplifting read.
📷 Favourite Quotes: In images.
#joyrider #angelascanlon #memoir #selfhelp #bookstagram #goodreads #brianasbookbreakdown #bookpicture
#bookreview #readingchallenge #booklover #readersofinstagram #bookblog #bookaddict #bookcommunity #reader #igreads #bookstagrammer #booknerd
@angelascanlon ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📚Overview: Author’s insight into how bringing gratitude into her life has transformed her for the better.
📖 Genre: Memoir | Self- Help
👍Likes: Light, easy reading, honest, it felt like a conversation with Angela! Uplifting and positive food overall.
👎Dislikes: No major call outs.
📘Format: Hard Copy
🤓Recommend For: Fans of Angela and anyone looking for a light, uplifting read.
📷 Favourite Quotes: In images.
#joyrider #angelascanlon #memoir #selfhelp #bookstagram #goodreads #brianasbookbreakdown #bookpicture
#bookreview #readingchallenge #booklover #readersofinstagram #bookblog #bookaddict #bookcommunity #reader #igreads #bookstagrammer #booknerd
November 2, 2025
Some great bits of advice, anecdotes and good habits for practicing gratitude dotted in. Things you probably know deep down but don't think about and spend enough time on. Sometimes a bit chaotically delivered, but such is Angela Scanlon's charm!
May 18, 2022
I've never read a book before that felt less like reading a book but actually felt as if I was sitting in an Irish kitchen with a cup of tea in hand while having a really open chat with a friend.
What gratitude can do to help change your life......I'll admit I'm cynical and not at all into self-improvement manuals or books offering ways to sort my life out. Maybe that's because any I've dipped into previously just didn't seem to be about me at all, they were for other people with high-falutin careers or fancy lifestyles.
Joyrider is different, it is Angela's advice, her take on what's worked for her when she's faced challenges, things she's done at the time or looking back wished she had known. Yes, she's a TV presenter, podcaster and now an author so probably qualifies as someone with one of those high-falutin careers herself but she also experienced anxieties and doubts, talks about her eating disorder and the pressures of being a working parent in an Instagram world that would have you believing everyone else has got life sorted while you're just muddling through. She's not "one of them", she's one of us. Her voice can be heard reading every line of every page which felt bizarre but also wonderful.
Joyriding is how she describes choosing to feel good about what you have, maybe even just to feel OK about it if that's all you can muster but to see the positives, the things that bring you joy, even the little things and focusing on what's working for you and not obsessing about what isn't.
Her career may have based her in the UK for a long time but her voice is intrinsically Irish, not just the accent but even her written voice. It's in the no nonsense phrases like "Chill the f^ck out" and in the humour and ease of her storytelling. It doesn't feel like you're just being spoken to, it's like a proper two way conversation, albeit one side is written, the other side is in your own head.
I feel like this is a book I will go back and read again, maybe in its entirety or just a chapter (they're wonderfully short) here and there when I need reminding that instead of pondering upon what I don't have - wealth, an endless supply of cheese or good hair - I should focus on what I do have and feel gratitude for it.
It's hugely quotable and one of my favourites is this - "Babe you're a potato with those eyes and sprouts and imperfections. You are endless possibility. You are whatever you want to be. You are limitless and loveable and f^cking amazing.....especially with butter."
I mean come on....what isn't improved by butter...that's my kinda talk right there.
What gratitude can do to help change your life......I'll admit I'm cynical and not at all into self-improvement manuals or books offering ways to sort my life out. Maybe that's because any I've dipped into previously just didn't seem to be about me at all, they were for other people with high-falutin careers or fancy lifestyles.
Joyrider is different, it is Angela's advice, her take on what's worked for her when she's faced challenges, things she's done at the time or looking back wished she had known. Yes, she's a TV presenter, podcaster and now an author so probably qualifies as someone with one of those high-falutin careers herself but she also experienced anxieties and doubts, talks about her eating disorder and the pressures of being a working parent in an Instagram world that would have you believing everyone else has got life sorted while you're just muddling through. She's not "one of them", she's one of us. Her voice can be heard reading every line of every page which felt bizarre but also wonderful.
Joyriding is how she describes choosing to feel good about what you have, maybe even just to feel OK about it if that's all you can muster but to see the positives, the things that bring you joy, even the little things and focusing on what's working for you and not obsessing about what isn't.
Her career may have based her in the UK for a long time but her voice is intrinsically Irish, not just the accent but even her written voice. It's in the no nonsense phrases like "Chill the f^ck out" and in the humour and ease of her storytelling. It doesn't feel like you're just being spoken to, it's like a proper two way conversation, albeit one side is written, the other side is in your own head.
I feel like this is a book I will go back and read again, maybe in its entirety or just a chapter (they're wonderfully short) here and there when I need reminding that instead of pondering upon what I don't have - wealth, an endless supply of cheese or good hair - I should focus on what I do have and feel gratitude for it.
It's hugely quotable and one of my favourites is this - "Babe you're a potato with those eyes and sprouts and imperfections. You are endless possibility. You are whatever you want to be. You are limitless and loveable and f^cking amazing.....especially with butter."
I mean come on....what isn't improved by butter...that's my kinda talk right there.
July 29, 2022
"You know what? I’m happy." - Droopy.
Joyrider by Angela Scanlon is beautifully written from start to finish. I never read a book that made me feel so comforting while I read the author’s advice. As I’m a fan of listening to Ms Scanlon’s Thanks A Million podcast, I can easily imagine her voice reading every line of every page, and it’s fantastic!
It’s worth noting that this is not only a self-care book; it’s also a fascinating memoir. While giving us advice, Scanlon talks about the challenges she faced. Not only is she an author, a TV presenter, journalist, podcaster and now a jewellery designer, she seems like someone with one of those highfalutin careers, BUT SHE’S NOT THAT AT ALL. She has also experienced anxieties and doubts, where she talks about her anorexia and the pressures of motherhood while living in a social media/internet culture.
Scanlon is completely relatable because her words make you feel part of her journey, and I’m so grateful she opened up to us with her life story. It’s a motivational piece when you suffer from depression. We don’t appreciate joy enough until it’s gone. Joy is not easy to be found, sort of like love...the more you search for it, the more it hides away...and like love, when you stop searching, here it comes!
May 19, 2023
I am not familiar with Scanlon's TV work - I picked this book up on a whim as I fancied a light read - so I come to it with that caveat. Fans might get more out of it.
This is part loose memoir, part self help book - although the latter is skimmed over quite superficially, it's not a book packed with practical tips to follow - with a dash of law of attraction thrown in. I found the memoir bits the most enjoyable - although not a particularly good writer, Scanlon is engaging and relatable. (Although she does tend to assume everyone had the same experience during the pandemic, which might grate to anyone who had to actually go out and keep working in the world).
The self help bits felt like a hodge podge cobbled together from other sources with little in the way of direction or coherence (while the rambling approach is part of the book's charm, it makes it frustrating at times).
Also for a 12 quid paperback from a major publisher, this feels quite shockingly cheaply put together: under-edited, badly formatted and poorly designed.
All that said, I quite enjoyed its freewheeling, breezy style.
This is part loose memoir, part self help book - although the latter is skimmed over quite superficially, it's not a book packed with practical tips to follow - with a dash of law of attraction thrown in. I found the memoir bits the most enjoyable - although not a particularly good writer, Scanlon is engaging and relatable. (Although she does tend to assume everyone had the same experience during the pandemic, which might grate to anyone who had to actually go out and keep working in the world).
The self help bits felt like a hodge podge cobbled together from other sources with little in the way of direction or coherence (while the rambling approach is part of the book's charm, it makes it frustrating at times).
Also for a 12 quid paperback from a major publisher, this feels quite shockingly cheaply put together: under-edited, badly formatted and poorly designed.
All that said, I quite enjoyed its freewheeling, breezy style.
July 24, 2022
I’m sorry I rarely post bad reviews but I believe it was much too soon for Angela to write and surprisingly get this book published.I feel there are too many publishers who only want to grab the next celebrities attempt at being an author regardless of the author or the readers feelings.
Having said that looking at the other reviews many clearly felt they got a lot out of reading this.However I felt very jumbled and confused reading it and found the best bit is when she says breath at the end,maybe she knows and realises she needs this herself?
Her thinking did remind me very much of someone I know who has Aspergers who writes which I found can make writing and reading very draining for both the all concerned
Having said that looking at the other reviews many clearly felt they got a lot out of reading this.However I felt very jumbled and confused reading it and found the best bit is when she says breath at the end,maybe she knows and realises she needs this herself?
Her thinking did remind me very much of someone I know who has Aspergers who writes which I found can make writing and reading very draining for both the all concerned
November 14, 2022
I'm not quite sure how I feel about this book. When I pre-ordered it, I felt so excited at the anticipation of its arrival. I really like Angela Scanlon, and I absolutely devoured her Thanks a Million podcast. The first half of this book I was really invested in, but the second half felt like such a slog to get through. I'm not super keen on self help books in general, and after a while, literally every sentence just felt like a mantra. There were parts that I enjoyed, and actually I was fond of, particularly the little thank yous. All in all, I'm glad I read it, however I can't say that I would recommend it to a friend, or rate it very high.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 23, 2023
Easily consumable as an audiobook. A personal memoir of embracing gratitude and compassion towards the self. Anxiety, unhappiness, being uncomfortably numb if you don’t. Faith or a version of it, meditation and manifestation (if you can visualise). Stop, be, recognise yourself and your desires to seek joy all in one compact book/mega podcast (audiobook).
March 13, 2024
I was surprised but I liked this book. I like HER and the book was on special offer. Wise and witty. I think it would be good to help someone heal.
I learned
About the characters that might inform our responses to things
That sometimes when you confront loved ones with your hurt and trauma, actually that allows them to unleash on you the hurt and trauma that YOU caused
About listing the things that bring you joy and designing your life to have more joy in it. I realised that I fucking rock at that!
I learned
About the characters that might inform our responses to things
That sometimes when you confront loved ones with your hurt and trauma, actually that allows them to unleash on you the hurt and trauma that YOU caused
About listing the things that bring you joy and designing your life to have more joy in it. I realised that I fucking rock at that!
June 3, 2024
I was thinking this was more of a book exploring the idea of joy and gratitude but I think it's more of a memoir and every so often it links back to these themes. It didn't feel like it had something new or insightful to say on gratitude or joy and I don't feel like any of it made an impression on me.
June 4, 2022
The perfect balance of witty and emotional, with a colloquial tone. Scanlon leaves sitting back and asking questions about yourself that can only lead to a positive shift. Can’t wait to share with friends.
August 21, 2023
Just what I needed. Enjoy how conversational this was, it felt like I was having a chat with a friend. Funny throughout but with good messaging. One of the better 'self helo' type books I've read.
I'm probably biased because I ❤️ AS.
I'm probably biased because I ❤️ AS.
January 28, 2024
This was really interesting and made me think about myself! I’d recommend it to any woman
It was also interesting to read about Angela Scanlon herself, as the public persona is obviously so different from the real her. I liked her before but she’s gone up in my estimation as a result of this book
It was also interesting to read about Angela Scanlon herself, as the public persona is obviously so different from the real her. I liked her before but she’s gone up in my estimation as a result of this book
November 29, 2024
Dnf - felt more like the author just talking about their life not a self help book. Made me stop reading for awhile as I just didn't want to pick this up.
Parts also made me feel she was unintentionally promoting disordered eating
Parts also made me feel she was unintentionally promoting disordered eating
June 11, 2022
Worth it for chapters -
Rest Glorious Rest
The Science Bit
Green Eyed Gift
Never Enough
Scar Tissue
Freak
Rest Glorious Rest
The Science Bit
Green Eyed Gift
Never Enough
Scar Tissue
Freak
August 14, 2022
Wow, just wow! There was a piece of me on every page, I never thought anyone could feel like I do but I do now and feel comfort in knowing I'm not alone. I highly recommend reading this if book
January 2, 2023
I enjoyed this easy read. I felt like Angela was talking to me
January 6, 2023
4.5⭐️
Nothing to do with the blurb but great nonetheless. Re-read in a year or two
Nothing to do with the blurb but great nonetheless. Re-read in a year or two
January 7, 2023
I think this book undersells itself in the subtitle, it is about much more than gratitude. It was a random pick but actually really spoke to me in a lot of ways. A lot of wisdom in this.
March 22, 2023
Read it if you're a fan of Angela! I love her ☘️ She has such a vivacity for life that is infectious 🙌🏻
Read
March 26, 2023literally could not tell u why i read this . it was cute tho, personal n very irish
February 26, 2024
I want to go 3.5 not 3 or 4.
A nice easy read. Not ground breaking advice, but a laid back approach, told with context and experiences to relate aspects of this book to
A nice easy read. Not ground breaking advice, but a laid back approach, told with context and experiences to relate aspects of this book to
September 24, 2024
Excellent
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews