Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center / A touching romance in the unlikeliest places

BOOK REVIEW: Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

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Ever since reading How To Walk Away I was impressed with Katherine Center’s writing. Her story telling is just wonderful, and that can especially be seen in her 2018 novel. Whereas Happiness for Beginners is one of the author’s earlier novels, a 2015 release, but it is actually connected to her latest novel What You Wish For.

A year after getting divorced, Helen Carpenter, thirty-two, lets her annoying, ten years younger brother talk her into signing up for a wilderness survival course. It’s supposed to be a chance for her to pull herself together again, but when she discovers that her brother’s even-more-annoying best friend is also coming on the trip, she can’t imagine how it will be anything other than a disaster. Thus begins the strangest adventure of Helen’s well-behaved life: three weeks in the remotest wilderness of a mountain range in Wyoming where she will survive mosquito infestations, a surprise summer blizzard, and a group of sorority girls.

Yet, despite everything, the vast wilderness has a way of making Helen’s own little life seem bigger, too. And, somehow the people who annoy her the most start teaching her the very things she needs to learn. Like how to stand up for herself. And how being scared can make you brave. And how sometimes you just have to get really, really lost before you can even have a hope of being found.

BOOK REVIEW: Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

MY THOUGHTS

I received this gorgeous new edition of Happiness for Beginners from the publisher. When I read the book earlier this year it still had its old cover. But now with the new cover, it matches her other three books. And I just love how pretty they all look together.

When I picked up the audiobook Happiness for Beginners, I didn’t get far. Not because it was bad, it just wasn’t the right time for the book and me to connect. But then I found out that Happiness for Beginners was actually connected to the author’s new 2020 release, What you Wish For. And that was reason enough to bump it up on my tbr, and give it another try.

And I’m glad I did!

A couple years ago I read Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail and really enjoyed the topic. After I was finished with the book I actually wanted to hike the PCT. Which is quite ironic because I hate hiking. But I REALLY enjoyed the hiking and survival part of the story. And while reading Happiness for Beginners I felt the same way again. It was probably my favorite part of the story.

Of course the book is not just about being in the wilderness. It’s about a personal journey, how to believe in oneself, giving the best, but also stepping out of comfort zones, and trying something new and taunting.

Helen goes through it all, and her growth is visible. Every step. Every experience is getting her closer to finding herself.

Helen isn’t alone in her quest. Jake, her brother’s best friend, and someone with his own hurdles to overcome is with her, every step on the way.

As always the author did a wonderful job balancing it all. The emotional, the hilarious, and the touching scenes. For me Happiness for Beginners was a solid performance by the author, maybe not as good as her two latest books (2018 & 2019). Nevertheless I’m very happy that I gave the book a second chance.

Also, the book fit my Popsugar Reading Challenge category “A book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision)” and it has an older heroine.

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BOOK REVIEW: Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center