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Boldly Going Nowhere
How do you convince someone to love you when you can’t love yourself?
Shy, geeky, lonely and running full-speed in the fast lane to nowhere, Steven McKinnon is stuck in a rut. He hates getting out of bed in the morning. He hates being a burden on his friends and family. And he hates himself for letting life slip through his fingers.
‘Sounds like you need a girlfriend,’ says one of his mates one night down the pub. It proves to be the call to action Steven needs to get him into gear on the path towards happiness. But what happens when you embark on a journey of self-discovery and don’t like what you find? What happens when you beat the odds and actually make things worse? And even more terrifying – what do you do when you manage to convince someone to like you?
Stopping off in Prague, Gothenburg, Newcastle and the sleepy hills of rural Scotland, Boldly Going Nowhere is the hilarious and achingly honest true story of what happens when one man decides to take a stand – against himself.
Shy, geeky, lonely and running full-speed in the fast lane to nowhere, Steven McKinnon is stuck in a rut. He hates getting out of bed in the morning. He hates being a burden on his friends and family. And he hates himself for letting life slip through his fingers.
‘Sounds like you need a girlfriend,’ says one of his mates one night down the pub. It proves to be the call to action Steven needs to get him into gear on the path towards happiness. But what happens when you embark on a journey of self-discovery and don’t like what you find? What happens when you beat the odds and actually make things worse? And even more terrifying – what do you do when you manage to convince someone to like you?
Stopping off in Prague, Gothenburg, Newcastle and the sleepy hills of rural Scotland, Boldly Going Nowhere is the hilarious and achingly honest true story of what happens when one man decides to take a stand – against himself.
312 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 24, 2015
8 people are currently reading
366 people want to read
About the author
Steven McKinnon
9 books123 followersSymphony of the Wind is Steven McKinnon's first fiction novel, and is Book One of The Raincatcher's Ballad. The Fury Yet To Come is a prequel novella set in the same world.
His first book, the true-life tale Boldly Going Nowhere, was released in 2015.
Steven is 32 years old, and was born in the bathroom of a Glasgow flat in the year 1986.
He has since moved out.
To get the Raincatcher's Ballad prequel novella -- The Fury Yet To Come -- for free, sign up to the author's newsletter at http://subscribe.stevenmckinnon.net/
His first book, the true-life tale Boldly Going Nowhere, was released in 2015.
Steven is 32 years old, and was born in the bathroom of a Glasgow flat in the year 1986.
He has since moved out.
To get the Raincatcher's Ballad prequel novella -- The Fury Yet To Come -- for free, sign up to the author's newsletter at http://subscribe.stevenmckinnon.net/
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
October 10, 2015
It's strange how books sometimes come along at exactly the right moment. As I sit here struggling with various aspects of life, I have to thank Steven (note: I can't do my usual 'refer to author by surname' here as I feel I now know Steven in depth, and calling him McKinnon would be too strange) for asking me to read his book. Despite his struggles and low points, it's great to see him deal with these logically, and come out the other end, albeit slightly scathed.
We follow Steven through a few years of his life, experiencing some of the best and worst moments a man in his early twenties can go through. Failed relationships, a career slump, and seeing friends get married as he tries to coast through life was all too familiar for me, as I'm sure it'll be for many readers.
A warm and endearing voice, Steven really had me as invested in his success, and as devastated at his setbacks as he was. It doesn't read as a moany diatribe on how the world's unfair; he's understanding of others, caring, and most importantly, sincere. I particularly liked his analysis of 'Nice Guys' - those who blame women, and only women, for their lack of a romantic partner. We all know one.
The story is littered with hilarious little anecdotes, and witty remarks; these avoid the doom and gloom corners of anxiety, and make Steven's journey so relatable, you'll feel he's an old friend by the final page.
Steven sums up his novel with the most gorgeous message of positivity; if there's something you want to do, no matter how frightening this may seem to you, go out and do it. He tells you that even the smallest of steps will make you feel better, that working towards your goals can create the best feelings of achievement you can experience. His steps to success began simply by forcing himself to take them; this is inspiring to me, and something I plan to start as soon as I can.
This is a very brave account of a man's battle with life alongside mental health. He's very open and honest about his feelings and the roots of them, and I feel more of this courage from all of us could only be beneficial to the stigma attached to these types of feelings.
We follow Steven through a few years of his life, experiencing some of the best and worst moments a man in his early twenties can go through. Failed relationships, a career slump, and seeing friends get married as he tries to coast through life was all too familiar for me, as I'm sure it'll be for many readers.
A warm and endearing voice, Steven really had me as invested in his success, and as devastated at his setbacks as he was. It doesn't read as a moany diatribe on how the world's unfair; he's understanding of others, caring, and most importantly, sincere. I particularly liked his analysis of 'Nice Guys' - those who blame women, and only women, for their lack of a romantic partner. We all know one.
The story is littered with hilarious little anecdotes, and witty remarks; these avoid the doom and gloom corners of anxiety, and make Steven's journey so relatable, you'll feel he's an old friend by the final page.
Steven sums up his novel with the most gorgeous message of positivity; if there's something you want to do, no matter how frightening this may seem to you, go out and do it. He tells you that even the smallest of steps will make you feel better, that working towards your goals can create the best feelings of achievement you can experience. His steps to success began simply by forcing himself to take them; this is inspiring to me, and something I plan to start as soon as I can.
This is a very brave account of a man's battle with life alongside mental health. He's very open and honest about his feelings and the roots of them, and I feel more of this courage from all of us could only be beneficial to the stigma attached to these types of feelings.
April 10, 2016
Steven's (entirely non-fictional) story is about the time when he decided to do something about his dead-end life, and the lovely and horrible things that happened after. The author must be applauded for having the balls to talk about extremely personal aspects of his life. Thankfully, this doesn't devolve into a pity party because he is also Scottish, and everyone in the UK has self-deprecating humour which makes this a light hearted read.
When I read the book, it was like making a new friend who was telling me about their life, and despite the heart-warming Toastmasteresque message of "GO AND DO IT", it never descends into schmaltz. I kept checking how far I was in the book because I kept rooting for him for have a happy ending.
The only bad thing I can say about this book is that the ending message takes ridiculously long to explain and comes out of left field. He's talking about his friends and then BAM YOU SHOULD BE POSITIVE GO TRY THIS BECAUSE I DID. By right in a nonfiction account this is fine, but he was already so close to wrapping it up, he could have ended the story properly by extending it a wee bit further , but it just segues into the closing message as if someone told him to shut up and get on with it.
At times I related bit too closely to the story, and my only regret is that this book wasn't written earlier in my life. God knows I could've become a much better person for it. Overall, a recommended read.
(Note: I got this ebook for free because I'm in an anthology with the guy, but he wouldn't take my money. Since the back of the ebook encourages reviews...here I am.)
When I read the book, it was like making a new friend who was telling me about their life, and despite the heart-warming Toastmasteresque message of "GO AND DO IT", it never descends into schmaltz. I kept checking how far I was in the book because I kept rooting for him for have a happy ending.
The only bad thing I can say about this book is that the ending message takes ridiculously long to explain and comes out of left field. He's talking about his friends and then BAM YOU SHOULD BE POSITIVE GO TRY THIS BECAUSE I DID. By right in a nonfiction account this is fine, but he was already so close to wrapping it up, he could have ended the story properly by extending it a wee bit further , but it just segues into the closing message as if someone told him to shut up and get on with it.
At times I related bit too closely to the story, and my only regret is that this book wasn't written earlier in my life. God knows I could've become a much better person for it. Overall, a recommended read.
(Note: I got this ebook for free because I'm in an anthology with the guy, but he wouldn't take my money. Since the back of the ebook encourages reviews...here I am.)
November 9, 2015
3.5*.
Firstly, a disclaimer: I know Steven. Sort of. He was recently in an anthology which I edited, so I worked closely with him on that. But of course, as usual, that has in no way affected my review.
There were things I really loved about this book. At around the 30 or 35 percent mark I messaged a bunch of my guy friends, demanding that they read it *at once*. Steven's writing is dry, hilarious, witty, and incredibly British. Moreover, his use of dramatic tension is unparalleled. That's a big call, but man, I can't remember the last time I was (a) so completely blind-sided by a book, or (b) on such tenterhooks. A lot of barracking was going on.
So why just 3.5 stars, that no-man's-land between 'liked' and 'really liked'? The beginning of 'Boldly Going Nowhere' was brilliant, and the first half of the book was a solid 4.5 stars. But. BUT. The last third of the book (yes, we've lost a sixth somewhere) really just irritated me and made me want to throw plates at the author. Not even full plates of food because he's hungry, just plates. Greek wedding style, but a bit more targeted. Somewhere along the way, the author got lost between writing a story--albeit a true-life one--and writing for catharsis. I guess it's probably a danger when you're writing about your own life, and when it's something which is so relatively recent. I felt like the perspective that was so brilliant and so present in the first part of the book was lost, and instead it felt like I was reading pages of whining. Wow, harsh, right? It goes from wit and insight to just banging on and on and on and on about the same thing, which doesn't relate to the overall story arc. If this was a blog, fair enough. But some serious cutting of the final part of the book would have made this at least a 4.5 star.
Overall I really believe Steven has promise and is going to write the hell out of some comedy in future (not to mention just generally rock at life), but while I'm sure a lot, repeat LOT of people will enjoy Boldly Going Nowhere, it did kind of lose me. I look forward to Steven's later work.
Firstly, a disclaimer: I know Steven. Sort of. He was recently in an anthology which I edited, so I worked closely with him on that. But of course, as usual, that has in no way affected my review.
There were things I really loved about this book. At around the 30 or 35 percent mark I messaged a bunch of my guy friends, demanding that they read it *at once*. Steven's writing is dry, hilarious, witty, and incredibly British. Moreover, his use of dramatic tension is unparalleled. That's a big call, but man, I can't remember the last time I was (a) so completely blind-sided by a book, or (b) on such tenterhooks. A lot of barracking was going on.
So why just 3.5 stars, that no-man's-land between 'liked' and 'really liked'? The beginning of 'Boldly Going Nowhere' was brilliant, and the first half of the book was a solid 4.5 stars. But. BUT. The last third of the book (yes, we've lost a sixth somewhere) really just irritated me and made me want to throw plates at the author. Not even full plates of food because he's hungry, just plates. Greek wedding style, but a bit more targeted. Somewhere along the way, the author got lost between writing a story--albeit a true-life one--and writing for catharsis. I guess it's probably a danger when you're writing about your own life, and when it's something which is so relatively recent. I felt like the perspective that was so brilliant and so present in the first part of the book was lost, and instead it felt like I was reading pages of whining. Wow, harsh, right? It goes from wit and insight to just banging on and on and on and on about the same thing, which doesn't relate to the overall story arc. If this was a blog, fair enough. But some serious cutting of the final part of the book would have made this at least a 4.5 star.
Overall I really believe Steven has promise and is going to write the hell out of some comedy in future (not to mention just generally rock at life), but while I'm sure a lot, repeat LOT of people will enjoy Boldly Going Nowhere, it did kind of lose me. I look forward to Steven's later work.
May 22, 2019
Great story of growth
Really enjoyed the book, wasn't sure what to make of it at first. Once I got into it more I couldn't put it down. It's so important how we learn n grow from life n situations. Sometimes we need to let go of old friendships so we can move on in life....thank you Steven for a great book
Really enjoyed the book, wasn't sure what to make of it at first. Once I got into it more I couldn't put it down. It's so important how we learn n grow from life n situations. Sometimes we need to let go of old friendships so we can move on in life....thank you Steven for a great book
November 6, 2015
The book was hilarious and yet utterly poignant. This author captures true "British" humour by the bucket. I put "British" where I would normally say English, because actually he's Scottish. Like, Billy Connolly Scottish. He sees the every day in a way that made me snort in my coffee and have a complete stranger ask me what on earth I was reading as I choked with laughter in the Sainsburys cafe, where I was stupid enough to be reading it because I didnt want to stop halfway just for bread and milk (I'll bet good money that that stranger is reading it right now and irritating his wife by laughing at his kindle while they are supposed to be eating dinner). I don't know if you need to be British to understand half the comedy value in his perception, but I expect it helps.
Anyway, on to the plot - well, there isn't one really. It is a story of self discovery, which isn't the kind of thing I normally read, but after randomly checking the "look inside" feature on Amazon I took a chance and I'm really glad I did. Steven is a pretty average 20 something male in need of a life kickstart. His relationship with his friends and with a girl are all the sort of thing anyone could relate to, but told with such self effacing dryness and sometimes melancholia that you become completely engrossed willing it all to work out for him.
Anyway, on to the plot - well, there isn't one really. It is a story of self discovery, which isn't the kind of thing I normally read, but after randomly checking the "look inside" feature on Amazon I took a chance and I'm really glad I did. Steven is a pretty average 20 something male in need of a life kickstart. His relationship with his friends and with a girl are all the sort of thing anyone could relate to, but told with such self effacing dryness and sometimes melancholia that you become completely engrossed willing it all to work out for him.
April 2, 2016
I was surprisingly impressed with this non-fiction book. I am a devoted fiction reader, but this is written in a way that is easy to read. As the author tells you, he likes stories, and this comes through in his writing style.
The book follows Steven's journey on trying to get out of that rut that everyone feels at some time; the rut where you realise that you never thought your life would amount to so little, and that you're not really happy with your life as it is. Steven tries several methods - online dating, holidays, changing jobs and immersing himself in new experiences.
You find that you are rooting for him throughout the book and feel each disappointment as if it is your own.
It was an inspiring read that makes you feel as if you are not alone. Even if everyone around you seems to be holding it all together, you never know what is going on underneath.
The book follows Steven's journey on trying to get out of that rut that everyone feels at some time; the rut where you realise that you never thought your life would amount to so little, and that you're not really happy with your life as it is. Steven tries several methods - online dating, holidays, changing jobs and immersing himself in new experiences.
You find that you are rooting for him throughout the book and feel each disappointment as if it is your own.
It was an inspiring read that makes you feel as if you are not alone. Even if everyone around you seems to be holding it all together, you never know what is going on underneath.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 27, 2015
I found this to be a really entertaining and fun to read. I won this great book on GoodReads and like I do with most my wins I will be paying it forward by giving my win either to a friend or library to enjoy.
December 2, 2018
His life seems so boring and so he decides to try speed dating but he has never had sex so when the first girl finds out she storms off. He goes on a journey to discovery why sex is so important. What he finds may lead him to wanting to turn the clock back . What will he learn? Will be regret going out there? See if he will
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 4, 2021
I’m not quite sure how I acquired this book but I’m glad I did.
It’s an autobiography of mental growth. At the start of the book Steven appears to be crushed by shyness and awkwardness, but through a slowly building avalanche of bad experiences he passes on his story of how anything can be overcome, and not every negative has to be taken as a negative!
It’s an autobiography of mental growth. At the start of the book Steven appears to be crushed by shyness and awkwardness, but through a slowly building avalanche of bad experiences he passes on his story of how anything can be overcome, and not every negative has to be taken as a negative!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews