Review: Talking As Fast As I Can

This book got under my skin.

I don’t know how, or why, but somehow it nestled its way into my soul and made a home of its own. This doesn’t happen often. Nor do I read a ton of non-fiction. But I just had to pick up this one, mostly because of my love of Gilmore Girls. And it caused a book hangover like no other.

Some books are like that though. They touch a part of you in just the right way that, and they come along at the right time, to nudge you. They may nudge you in the right direction, or away from something, or into yourself for some self-reflection. In my case, this book did 2 of the 3 aforementioned things. Like I said, I don’t read a ton of non-fiction, not for any particular reason, but likely because there are so many amazing stories in the world to read, and my time is limited, etc. But this book may change that for me (ok, maybe if Lauren Graham writes them).

Graham is known predominantly for her work on Gilmore Girls as Lorelai Gilmore – the young, single mom of Rory (short for Lorelai). I didn’t watch this show when it aired originally in the early 2000s, but I started binge-watching it the day it hit Netflix. It caused a lot of nostalgia for my youth, and it spawned a new appreciation for my relationship with my mom (and a new understanding of her relationship with her mom).

Graham’s writing throughout the book is light, airy and intelligent – it reads much like she talks. Each chapter focuses around an anecdote and morphs into a piece of advice or revelation, which the exception of the final chapter. The last chapter of the book delves into the miniseries comeback of Gilmore Girls, which brought back the original showrunners – husband and wife team Amy Sherman-Palladino and Daniel Palladino.

In short, this book was about following your dreams, and working through the hard times that come around. You can learn to work hard, but as Graham points out – you can’t ever stop dreaming. Wait – now I sound like Cinderella. If you’re a fan of Graham’s writing (see her other book, Someday, Someday Maybe) or of Gilmore Girls, this is the book for you. This book is full of laughs, and it’s full of heart. It came along right when I needed it.