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Weird but Normal

Essays

Audiobook
1 of 1 copy available
1 of 1 copy available

Birth control. Body hair removal cream. Boobs. It's all weird, but also pretty normal.

Navigating racial identity, gender roles, workplace dynamics, and beauty standards, Mia Mercado's hilarious essay collection explores the contradictions of being a millennial woman, which usually means being kind of a weirdo. Whether it's spending $30 on a candle that smells like an ocean that doesn't exist, offering advice on how to ask about someone's race (spoiler: just don't, please?), quitting a job that makes you need shots of whiskey on your lunch break, or finding a more religious experience in the skincare aisle at Target than your hometown Catholic church, Mia brilliantly unpacks what it means to be a professional, absurdly beautiful, horny, cute, gross human. Essays include:

  • Depression Isn't a Competition but Why Aren't I Winning?

  • My Dog Explains My Weekly Schedule

  • Mustache Lady

  • White Friend Confessional

  • Treating Objects Like Women

    With sharp humor and wit, Mia shares the awkward, uncomfortable, surprisingly ordinary parts of life, and shows us why it's strange to feel fine and fine to feel strange.

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      • AudioFile Magazine
        Humorist Mia Mercado's debut collection of self-deprecating, insightful essays drawn from her personal experiences is a must-listen for anyone wondering if their perceived idiosyncrasies are "normal." Suitable pauses between essays transition listeners through sections dedicated to various modes of being that millennials will find relatable. Mercado's essays combine humor and social commentary on growing up and adulting in the Midwest as a biracial Filipino. Her conversational pacing and playful tone are engaging throughout open discussions of such phenomena as awkward preteen beauty pageants, online dating, body image and mental health issues, and confessional blogs from the early 2000s. Additional selections feature a satirical new-employee orientation, delivered by Mercado in the chipper voice of a commercial announcer, and a cat's eye view of her life. J.R.T. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2020, Portland, Maine
      • Booklist

        May 1, 2020
        Mercado grew up biracial in the very white Midwest, and she has thoughts on asking people about their race: in short, don't. She also hilariously recounts the mental gymnastics of allegedly well-meaning friends as they try to get a different answer out of her. This is a pretty good summary of Mercado's first collection of essays: wry, cutting, often silly takes on serious topics like racism, mental health, and the patriarchy. She is more often the subject of her own derision, poking fun at her attempts to live in a racist, sexist world while battling crippling depression, an inferiority complex, and an insidious mustache. She explores the evolution of her online presence via AIM usernames, regrets quitting a boring-but-reliable job, and is proudly ashamed of her devotion to Bath & Body Works. Standout essays cover her brief experience with the National American Miss Jr. Pre-Teen Wisconsin pageant and a prayer to birth control that reveals her own sexual history. Fans of Samantha Irby and Sloane Crosley will want to take a look at this feminist, millennial, and comedic delight.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2020, American Library Association.)

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    • OverDrive Listen audiobook

    Languages

    • English

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