Party Like It’s 2044 and Finding Meaning in the Mundane (+ GIVEAWAY)

Party Like It's 2044 book cover against a colorful purple heavy background

I’m a big fan of memoirs. Whether a celebrity authors their cash grab at the end of a fame cycle or a grieving woman documents her day-by-day adventure on the John Muir Trail, I love reading how people define their lives. It’s always so compelling to me how people choose to tell the story of their life and how that narrative is presented to the world. When I read a memoir, I always feel like not only am I enjoying an incredible story, but I also get a chance to peek into how others lead their lives in a more grounded environment than what occurs in fiction.

“Party Like It’s 2044” by Joni B. Cole is a memoir presented in a collection of humorous essays focusing on topics from bathrobes to the proactive effort required for anti-racism to friendships and so much more. What appealed to me the most while reading this book was how Joni B. Cole pulled so much meaning from seemingly mundane and every day situations. There’s an entire essay about how a new bathrobe triggered a series of memories with her father, including grieving his final moments. It’s an incredible feat of writing to be able to take the every day moments that anyone can encounter and creating a compelling narrative that can be connected to a larger picture.

It’s also incredible how authentic Joni B. Cole remains in her writing. Not only is she unafraid to write about the mundane and create magic from the every day moments encountered in life, but she also remains human in her reactions to the mundane moments. Sometimes she’s displeased with a church sign she drives past and sometimes she’s annoyed that a GPS advised her to drive northeast, when that is clearly the least user friendly direction to be given. These are all incredibly human and authentic reactions to hold in common every day life and not only does she show the ability to feature them in her essays, but she also has the capacity to reflect profoundly on these moments while providing a humorous tone to her observations. There is no mask presented in her writing. Joni B. Cole remains authentic and true to her character within these essays reflecting on the mundane moments of her life.

There’s magic in the mundane, especially if an artist is able to accurately capture the emotions and experience connected to the in-between moments of life not associated with the big events. Yes we all like to hear about and experience how the girl gets the guy, the miracles that happen around the holidays, the feel-good joyous events like birthdays and weddings that we create scrapbooks from, and the big adventures we all take to make our lives a little more special. But the mundane is where most of life is lived. The mundane is where Joni B. Cole finally finds a bathrobe she likes that allows her to re-live memories with her dad. The mundane is where this blogger finds the time to write this book review while watching crappy Christmas rom-coms on Hulu and letting her dog snuggle at her side after a long day of sending unanswered emails and completing chores. There’s magic and meaning in the mundane too and it takes a great talent to capture those fleeting moments that we take for granted while searching for the next big thing to make memories from.

If you’re interested in a series of essays reflecting on these mundane moments in a light-hearted capacity that still remains authentic to its core, I recommend “Party Like It’s 2044” by Joni B. Cole. The link for the giveaway and information for the remaining stops on the blog tour for this book are available down below.

We have 3 copies to give away of the hilarious essay collection, Party Like it's 2044 by Joni B. Cole for US based readers! Fill out the Rafflecopter form for a chance to win. The giveaway ends December 18th at 11:59 pm CT. We will choose three winners the next day and announce in the widget and follow up via email. Good luck!

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