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Eightysixed: Life Lessons Learned
by
“Eightysixed is like a recipe for life and love and I feel honored to be one of the ingredients.” —Celebrity Chef Floris Versluijs Chicagoan Emily Belden has no idea what to do with her twenty-something life — particularly as it pertains to love — which is a tough problem for a hopelessly romantic half-Jew who's fresh out of a failed relationship. But if “figuring it all o
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Paperback, 484 pages
Published
February 5th 2014
by Pandamoon Publishing
(first published February 4th 2014)
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This was my first time reading a Memoir and wow...was I impressed. My first thought was, why would I want to read a book about someone else's life when I don't know the person? Well as soon as I began reading, I answered my own question.
Emily Belden made me laugh. She made me cry. She made me so mad I threw a pencil across the room. She put love in my heart and hope in my eyes. Her words touched me in such a way, that when I finished the book, I had to sit for a moment just to absorb all the emo ...more
Emily Belden made me laugh. She made me cry. She made me so mad I threw a pencil across the room. She put love in my heart and hope in my eyes. Her words touched me in such a way, that when I finished the book, I had to sit for a moment just to absorb all the emo ...more
A fun, sassy read. You will laugh, you might cry, but I dare you not to connect with this book. Anyone who has ever survived their twenties and been able to look back with raw honesty will love Eightysixed. There is a part of all of us who have been on this rollercoaster...
Let me say first, in plain English. Wow.
From page one I was striding through an Americanized Bridgett Jones’ Diary. I’m not particularly fond of the Diary, nor that genre in general, but as she’s a colleague and I’m one to soak up as much as I can to learn and experience, I read it.
Honestly, I didn’t know where it was going, a laundry list of failed romances and faux pas that would rattle the staunchest relationship expert in any given country. It was a tour de force for emotional failure and re ...more
From page one I was striding through an Americanized Bridgett Jones’ Diary. I’m not particularly fond of the Diary, nor that genre in general, but as she’s a colleague and I’m one to soak up as much as I can to learn and experience, I read it.
Honestly, I didn’t know where it was going, a laundry list of failed romances and faux pas that would rattle the staunchest relationship expert in any given country. It was a tour de force for emotional failure and re ...more
Eightysixed, Emily Belden’s edgy memoir, is her frank and colorful account of being twenty-something and looking for love and respect in some unusual places in the big city. Reading it is like overhearing a best friend from high school’s inner monologue as she wends her way through a difficult period of adjustment following the breakup of a during-college relationship that went nowhere:
“Trent was my “Groundhog’s Day.” No matter what I would do, the same nightmare involving him was going to repla ...more
“Trent was my “Groundhog’s Day.” No matter what I would do, the same nightmare involving him was going to repla ...more
The details in this book are delicately crafted. The humor is expertly placed. The pacing is soft and comfortable. It all adds up to a gradual progression that is intoxicating. Emily’s dismay at love is shared for my voyeuristic pleasure and it feels clear that she understands this transaction completely. She initially lead me down a path of fun and gossip and surprised me with a maturity at the end of the book that is fucking heartrending. I loved this book and I loved reading it.
As a girl in her 20s and from Chicago I felt like I was reading about myself. I loved this book!
Captured online dating fails and the ups and downs of your 20's very well. Suffered from editing (or lack thereof) in two places. Enjoyable read. I would go back for "Hot Mess."
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Headlines of different stories of the broken hearted: twenty year old made 30 calls to her ex. Love sick twenty year old dates ex’ brother to get back at him. How many times have you been heartbroken and running crazy? When Love ends?
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After a break up, what do you do; cut your hair? Cry? Scream? Plot all types of revenge against your ex? Well let’s ask Emily, because this funny and edgy memoir chronicles Emily’s love and lost. From the moment I started reading I settled in and was ready to go u ...more
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After a break up, what do you do; cut your hair? Cry? Scream? Plot all types of revenge against your ex? Well let’s ask Emily, because this funny and edgy memoir chronicles Emily’s love and lost. From the moment I started reading I settled in and was ready to go u ...more
Is it weird to say that I sort-of knew who Emily was before I ever picked up her book? I was aware of her because of Yelp, the smallish Chicago blogging circuit and her penny floor project.
In some cases familiarity can make me not want to read a book -- if I have a preconceived notion of what a person is like, right or wrong, it can color my desire to even pick it up.
But in Emily's case I did pick it up, preconceived notions or not, and it was a good read. I appreciate bloggers and memoirists-of ...more
In some cases familiarity can make me not want to read a book -- if I have a preconceived notion of what a person is like, right or wrong, it can color my desire to even pick it up.
But in Emily's case I did pick it up, preconceived notions or not, and it was a good read. I appreciate bloggers and memoirists-of ...more
I received this book through Goodreads First Reads.
Initially, I thought the book was overall kind of decent and a little witty, maybe comical. As a food snob, the ending really resided with me and brought back memories about Chicago's Michelin stars. And who else fell in love with Floris besides me?! Well-written, honest, and even rough, this memoir is a visitation back to reality, even one's curiosity of the unknown. Although Belden sure has a good number of interesting friends, she definitely ...more
Initially, I thought the book was overall kind of decent and a little witty, maybe comical. As a food snob, the ending really resided with me and brought back memories about Chicago's Michelin stars. And who else fell in love with Floris besides me?! Well-written, honest, and even rough, this memoir is a visitation back to reality, even one's curiosity of the unknown. Although Belden sure has a good number of interesting friends, she definitely ...more
This book was just flat-out fun to read. I could tell within about 4 lines I was going to like it, just because Belden has such a quick wit and a way with words that just made each sentence enjoyable. She paints pictures of a series of unique characters and her quest of finding a great relationship, job and life. The book is often fun, sometimes sad, but always humorous and smart. If you like Sex in the City but with more relatable characters, Emily Belden's Eightsixed is a sure fire winner. It'
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I saw a lot of reviews/tweets from others saying they couldn't put this book down, but I actually had the opposite problem at first. Knowing that this was an autobiography and was Emily's real life, I actually cringed a few times and kept thinking "That poor girl!" Luckily (from a reading perspective and for Emily) things turned around about halfway through and I was hooked to find out how it ends. This is chick-lit, but with a spin. It's one part relatable, one part a wild wide, one part true s
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Eightysixed is a breath of fresh air to every 20-something girl who's had dating issues. Let's be honest, sometimes it seems impossible, other times it seems like we always get the bad guys, the weird guys, the seriously "what the eff was I thinking" guys but never the "right" guys. Eightysixed is a hilarious tale of one of us girls dealing with the struggles of real-life dating.
Read my full review here ...more
Read my full review here ...more
I wanted to like this book. I tried to like this book. I kinda hated this book. Ooh, you made out with a coke addict.. so edgy, so defining *makes jacking off motion*. Ooh, it's a crazy coincidence you ran into a nice guy? Is it a coincidence? I think it might be but you haven't mentioned it enough, maybe 50000 MORE times will drive the point home. Ugh, I'm glad that's over.
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Fabulously talented writer (have you seen her blog? http://totalebag.wordpress.com/) - Entertaining from start to finish, honest, self-deprecating, uplifting, and will have you laughing out loud whether you're reading on the public bus or alone at night before bed. When a book gets that reaction from me, it gets a rare five-star award!
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Loved this book!! I'm not really a blog follower & I haven't been a 20 something single in a few minutes. However I really enjoyed Emily's honesty as she tripped through dating, finding herself & finding her love. Awesome read!! ❤️
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a very good read.
I found it enlightening at times, humorous at times and sad at times. It tells of the life of a twenty- something year old women, and gives a niew of life that most men don't see. ...more
I found it enlightening at times, humorous at times and sad at times. It tells of the life of a twenty- something year old women, and gives a niew of life that most men don't see. ...more
Eightysixed is absolutely fantastic. It is strikingly relatable for a twenty-something who just moved to Chicago. Her writing makes you feel as if you are out to brunch, lunch, or binge watching Netflix with an old friend. I highly recommend it for any person just starting out on their own.
Remind me not to read any more memoirs by anyone under 30 unless they've actually DONE something. Young woman trying to figure it all out? I can even relate to it but I'm still rolling my eyes. I tried and wanted to like this but could barely get past the first chapter.
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Great story!
Emily's memoir was intriguing from start to finish. I loved the story of her and Floris. It made me want to visit all of the restaurants that they ate at. ...more
Emily's memoir was intriguing from start to finish. I loved the story of her and Floris. It made me want to visit all of the restaurants that they ate at. ...more
I read this book twice and loved it more the second time. Emily has a great voice and a pov that makes everyone giggle. The story was relatable, fun and easy to breeze through.
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Emily Belden is a food journalist, social media marketer, and storyteller. She is the author of the novels Hot Mess and Husband Material, and of Eightysixed: A Memoir about Unforgettable Men, Mistakes, and Meals. After she tiled her bedroom floor in over 60,000 pennies – all heads up for good luck – she was a guest on The Today Show and her story was covered by media outlets across the country. A ...more
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