between 3 and 3.5 stars. i really liked this. partly it was funny in parts, partly it was showing me another option of a way to be, and partly it was showing me the nightmare of choosing that option. i do wish that this felt more like what everyone could do if they wanted to make some changes to their introvert life (which is why i read it) but i do understand that it has to be individual. it's just that not many people will speak at the moth or on stage at the fringe comedy experience in edinburgh. but i appreciated the book and her voice, for sure. ( )

Deeply relatable at some points. Also tremendously funny, interesting, and eye-opening. See my Kindle highlights for examples.
But I was put off in some moments by the amount of strong language. It was considerably more than my usual threshold. ( )

audiobook nonfiction (~9 hours, read by the author)

shy introvert (incidentally a Chinese/Jewish-American living in England) realizes she has become depressed and decides she wants to try being more extroverted, resulting in a year of horrifically embarrassing, humorous escapades, but also some significant, unexpected successes.

funny and entertaining, but also useful for introverts and extroverts alike (see chapters on charisma and networking). ( )

Journalist Jessica Pan fully embraced her introversion but suffered from crippling social anxiety that was hurting her quality of life. To remedy that, she decided to stop walling herself off from people and start living life as fully as she could, and that meant confronting some of her biggest fears as an introvert. This stunt memoir documents her "year of saying yes," which was essentially throwing herself in the deep end when she could barely swim. She participated in activities that would scare many extroverts, never mind introverts.

Pan is friendly, humble, and funny and is comfortable enough to get vulnerable in parts. Her book is less guidebook and more unique personal experience, but anyone interested in embarking on a similar year of saying yes could certainly use it as a model.

Full review on Goodreads. ( )

Jessica is tired of the negatives of being an introvert - sometimes crippling social anxiety and loneliness. In a bid to change things up, she challenges herself to live an extroverts life. With the help of mentors along the way, Jessica pushes herself out of her comfort zone and discovers some great things about making social connections. ( )