Monday, March 12, 2018

"Why I Hate Green Beans" by Lincee Ray

I can't remember exactly when I discovered Lincee Ray. I think it was sometime around 2011 (I know this because I remember where I sat as I read and laughed over her recaps, and it was in a house I lived in from 2011-2013), and I don't know if I found her first or if it was one of my Bachelor-loving friends. Either way, we all loved the Bachelor recaps on her I Hate Green Beans blog.

Eventually, I stopped watching The Bachelor, and I kind of forgot about Lincee ... until I got an invitation to review her new book, Why I Hate Green Beans.



Insecurity. As women, we all struggle with it. Our skinny jeans mock us. Our age-defying serums with flecks of gold refuse to erase our crow's feet. Our social media feeds taunt us with everyone else's picture-perfect lives. If you've ever felt uninteresting, unlovable, or unattractive, you're ready for Lincee Ray's particular brand of hilarious (and hard-hitting) self-reflection. 

Like a trustworthy friend, she shows us that the fastest way to happiness is to embrace ourselves in all our imperfection and trust that God knew what He was doing when He made us. From maneuvering the muffin top to navigating the sketchy waters of singleness to walking the judgmental halls of the workplace, Lincee's laugh-out-loud look at real life reveals many of the key truths she's learned about her identity:

Yoga pants are your friend, Jesus sees you, and green-bean diets are never the answer.



Why I Hate Green Beans is a memoir composed of essays grouped into sections. Each section speaks to a different insecurity/struggle: appearance, work, a failed relationship, motherhood, and dating. Some of these sections I loved (as a single girl who was horribly insecure about her appearance in high school, the first and last sections were speaking my language), while others I didn't really connect with at all.

The essays I enjoyed the most were straightforward and real (and about topics that interest me), like the ones about her marriage and divorce, her Bachelor and Entertainment Weekly recaps, and her appendectomy. The ones I didn't really connect with weren't bad, they just didn't really draw me in.

Overall, I enjoyed this deeper look into Lincee Ray's life. I'm not sure how much people who aren't familiar with her through her blog or Entertainment Weekly recaps will enjoy it, but I liked it quite a bit. 3-1/2 stars.

Buy the book.




Lincee Ray is an accidental blogging superstar who now writes for Entertainment Weekly and the Associated Press. An active speaker, she can be found at her popular website www.ihategreenbeans.com, where she makes it clear that she believes it's important to tell your story--even if it makes you seem a little crazy. She lives in Texas.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Revell through the Revell Reads program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

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