Rookie Mistakes: A Grown-Up's Field Guide for Getting Your Act Together

   ~ I received no compensation and opinions are 100% my own or my family. ~

Synopsis:  

In her highly anticipated nonfiction debut, comedian Kelly Bandas uses her trademark humor to recount stories of growing up and becoming a semifunctional adult in a dysfunctional world.

Raised in a devoutly Catholic home, Kelly Bandas spent her entire childhood trying hard not to tick off “the man” or the Lord. And for the most part, she crushed it. But as she got older and began to navigate what it looked like to truly live in a world where gender roles, race, and politics weren’t always so black and white, Kelly realized that her former worldview was beginning to feel like that pair of Forever 21 jeans that used to glide effortlessly over her hips but now required a lot of stretching and acrobatic maneuvering to shimmy into place. And she’s not alone. 

In Rookie Mistakes, Kelly shares stories of growing up in a church-centered, male-dominated society and how those experiences shaped and primed her for a new chapter of life. In this debut collection of essays, Kelly shares:

• Funny, fast-paced, and uplifting stories 
• Encouragement for women who are tired of feeling like they will never measure up—and kind of don’t want to anyway
• Inspiration to find your voice, your power, and your people

 

Kelly shares everything from laugh-out-loud accounts of Oregon Trail-themed first kisses to heartfelt insights gleaned from navigating life as a Christian feminist doing her best not to screw up being a parent of a child with a disability, in a trans-racial family.

Rookie Mistakes is the call-to-action millennial women everywhere have been waiting for. 

One (or more) Sentence Summary:  Rookie Mistakes has a lot of short stories that are very related and pretty funny.  The first part, The Kid Part (Dying of a Guilty Conscience and Other Totally Normal Childhood Fears) has a chapter Osh Kosh M'gosh which brought back all sorts of memories for me. Not only did I have a pair, but I lived in them too! My grandfather gave them to me and I loved them. 

Another section I really related to was part three, The Getting-Your-Act-Together Part (I'm Not a Regular Mom, I'm LIT (Really Going to Make Sure I Get This Parenting Stuff Right)). I have three kids 21 months apart, work full-time (which is more like 60 hours a week), teach a college class or two, travel for work and kids sports and NEVER feel I have the parenting stuff right. The Things We Carried chapter had me in stitches.  It also reminded me of the a magazine spread that features a celebrity "spilling their purse" and listing their favorite things.  I always loved that two page spread! What do the things we carry in our bag say about us? Mine shouts just how unorganized I really am! 

Rookie Mistakes will have you laughing out loud and thinking back to different parts of your own life in a nice reflection sort of way and realizing it is okay to laugh at the things we used to do (or may still do).  

TLC Book Tours:  Make sure you check out other Features and Reviews.

Features:

Sunday, July 17th: @nurse_bookie

Monday, July 18th: @the.caffeinated.reader

Tuesday, July 19th: @megsbookclub

Wednesday, July 20th: @msanniecathryn

Thursday, July 21st: @amysbooknook8

Monday, July 25th: @shobizreads

Wednesday, July 27th: @girlsinbooks

Thursday, July 28th: @books_with_bethany

Friday, July 29th: @that.bookmom

Friday, July 29th: @mommaleighellensbooknook

Tuesday, August 10th: @booksandcoffeemx

TBD: Sunday, July 24th: @cozy.coffee.reads

Reviews:

Saturday, July 16th: @just_another_mother_with_books

Tuesday, July 19th: Cats in the Cradle Blog

Friday, July 22nd: @jenniaahava

Monday, July 25th: @bookshelfmomma

Wednesday, July 27th: From the TBR Pile

Thursday, July 28th: @kristens.reading.nook

Friday, July 29th: @everything.is.words

Friday, July 29th: @beckys_bookshelves

Monday, August 1st: @lyon.brit.andthebookshelf

Tuesday, August 2nd: Write Read Life

Wednesday, August 3rd: @thecalicobooks

Thursday, August 4th: @kristinandthebooks

Friday, August 5th: @abduliacoffeebookaddict23

Friday, August 5th: The Bookish Dilettante

Saturday, August 6th: Stranded in Chaos and @sarastrand9438

Monday, August 8th: Seaside Book Nook

Kelly Bandas is a writer and comedian best known for her popular Instagram and TikTok videos satirizing everything from millennial motherhood to social media culture. Her work can be found literally anywhere you have an internet signal (if your internet isn’t working, try turning off the wifi and then turning it back on again... or honestly, it could be your router.) Whether she’s hosting her not-at-all dorky Outlander support group or speaking up about things that really matter, Kelly’s mission is to always empower and lift up other women through community, inclusivity, and laughter.

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