Well, This Is Exhausting

From Bustle columnist and Twitter sensation Sophia Benoit, this memoir-in-essays explores the ins and outs of modern womanhood — from finding feminism, the power of pop culture, and how to navigate life’s constant double standards.

Like so many women, Sophia spent her formative years struggling to do the “right” thing — to make others comfortable, to take minimal and calculated risks, to live up to society’s expectations — only to realize that there was so little payoff to this tiresome balancing act. Tired of trying so hard, Sophia finally let go of the crushing pressure to be perfect.

She navigates the highs and lows of the dating world (being a beta tester for Bumble; hastily shaving her legs before a hotel hookup and getting blood all over the sheets), and walks the line between being a “chill” girl and making sure her boyfriend’s nonchalance about altitude sickness doesn’t get him killed. She learns what it means to be a feminist, how to embrace her own voice, and when to listen to women who have been through more and have been doing the work longer.

With topics ranging from how to be the life of the party (even when you have crippling anxiety), to an ill-fated consultation with a dietician who deemed Sophia’s overindulgence in ketchup a serious health risk, to a defense of having an encyclopedic knowledge of reality TV, Well, This Is Exhausting examines modern womanhood with sharp humor.

Perfect for fans of Shrill and PEN15.

Endorsements

“Charming and often laugh-out-loud funny” — Vogue

“One of the funniest books you’ll read this year, but it’s also one of the most important” — Shondaland