Jenny Lawson (aka “The Bloggess”), has had an interesting existence. In fact, her life has been so fantastic, it almost sounds made up…but it’s not!

With a wacky taxidermist father who gifts her dead stuffed things, shoes made of bread bags and neighbors who invite Jenny and her sister over to swim in water used for cleaning pigs, embarrassing moments abound. I mean anyone who has a Grandma who says Hitler was just a sad little man who wasn’t hugged enough… no really, according to Lawson this actually occurred!

Lawson uses all the literary ammo she has collected from years and years of shame-filled moments when she undoubtedly applied her book’s title to real life. She also discovered that the insanity she experienced while growing up made her the person she is today. This is the bonus of it all, self-discovery!

If you loved Let’s Pretend This Never Happened as much as we did, check out some of these awesome indies!

Grade A Baby Eggs is the true story of author Victoria Hopewell’s quest to have a child in her forties. After she marries Gabriel, they begin trying to have a baby. With two daughters from her previous marriage looking on disapprovingly, Victoria begins her journey. With Gabriel’s parents in their nineties, and Victoria’s eggs in their forties, you can see how there may be a bit of pressure on the couple. Hopewell tells her story from start to finish with poise and spirit…and lots of needles (ouch!) In the end, the unexpected outcome is well worth all the poking and prodding, injecting and inserting. Happiness comes in all shapes and sizes and Hopewell’s story is worth the trip.

In Leave Me Alone: Memoirs of an Exmormon, B.E. Hewson tells a story of breaking away from the church that will grab you, shake you and then do it again. Compared to Salinger and Steinbeck, young Hewson is faithless and wants out. This is the journey she takes and all the chaos along the way. From Amazon:  “Through many characters and many speakers, an overall consciousness emerges that speaks to the fornication and fortification of faith and femininity. Let the rebellion begin.” If that doesn’t convince you this is a rollicking ride, the price will—free to download! What are you waiting for?

Hippie Boy: A Girl’s Story by Ingrid Ricks is another dysfunctional Mormon tale. With an absentee, whimsical father, and overly religious mother, not to mention a stepfather who attempts to cast Satan out of her, Rick’s story is wacky and fascinating at once. Desperate to escape the oppression of the zealots, at thirteen, Ricks finally is free to be on the road during summers with her dad selling tools—gypsy style. But when her dad encounters trouble with the law, it is up to Ingrid to save herself in a whole new way. Powerful yet somehow relatable—just like Jenny Lawson’s life.

Written from the ages of 4 to 17, Overlay- A Tale of One Girl’s Life in 1970s Las Vegas introduces Marlayna Glynn Brown. Homeless by 14, after being moved from one home to another, Marlayna knows what it means to be self-contained. She is resourceful and experiences things beyond her years, yet shows a level of resilience that most adults don’t even possess. Like Lawson’s this is a journey of self-discovery. Marlayna had been through turbulent times at a very young age and lived with alcoholism, abandonment and cruel twists of fate. Readers will see her when they close their eyes, and remember her long after the last page is read for the strength this young woman embodies.

Big White Panties (I know—hysterical already!) is a collection of essays about relationships. Dale Alderman has been married to Starla for twenty plus years but admits that he knows nothing about women whatsoever. These are the stories he uses to back up his statement. Trumped for its honesty and for the glimpse at what men are really thinking, this book will make you laugh. The author suggests reading Big White Panties with your soul mate and a big box of wine. Is that a perfect tagline or what? Alderman is an award winning author who will crack you up.

If you loved Let’s Pretend This Never Happened and think The Bloggess imparts something awesome to us by sharing her whirlwind life story, then check out these titles. You are bound to find one that you just don’t want to end!