The Unexpected Joy of Being Single, Catherine Gray
The Unexpected Joy of Being Single, Catherine Gray
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The Unexpected Joy of Being Single
Locating happily-single serenity

Author: Catherine Gray

Narrator: Catherine Gray

Unabridged: 10 hr 29 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Aster

Published: 12/27/2018


Synopsis

* 'This refreshing, unusual book needs to exist. A culture shift which repositions a single person as someone who is relationship-free, complete, and not lacking is long overdue.' - The i *

* 'Absolutely f*cking brilliant' - Florence Given *

Having a secret single freak-out? Feeling the red, heart-shaped urgency intensify as the years roll on by? Oh hi! You're in the right place.

Over half of Brits aged 25-44 are now single. It's become the norm to remain solo until much later in life, given the average marriage ages of 35 (women) and 38 (men). Many of us are choosing never to marry at all.
But society, films, song lyrics and our parents are adamant that a happy ending has to be couple-shaped. That we're incomplete without an 'other half'*, like a bisected panto pony. Cue: single sorrow. Dating like it's a job. Spending half our lives waiting for somebody-we-fancy to text us back. Feeling haunted by the terms 'spinster' or 'confirmed bachelor.'

Catherine Gray took a whole year off dating to find single satisfaction. She lifted the lid on the reasons behind the global single revolution, explored the bizarre ways cultures single-shame, detached from 'all the good ones are gone!' panic and debunked the myth that married people are much happier.

Let's start the reverse brainwash, in order to locate - and luxuriate in - single happiness. Are you in?

*Spoiler: you're already whole

PRAISE FOR CATHERINE GRAY'S WRITING:

"Fascinating." Bryony Gordon.

"Not remotely preachy." The Times

"Jaunty, shrewd and convincing." The Telegraph

"Admirably honest, light, bubbly and remarkably rarely annoying." The Guardian

"Truthful, modern and real." Stylist

"Brave, witty and brilliantly written." Marie Claire

"Haunting, admirable and enlightening." The Pool

(p) 2018 Octopus Publishing Group

About Catherine Gray

Catherine Gray is author of five books, including The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober. She's sold over half a million books in English-speaking territories, her work has been published in the likes of Stylist, Marie Claire, The Lancet Psychiatry and the Guardian, and her books have been translated into nine languages. In 2018, Catherine founded charitable campaign Sober Spring, a three-month sabbatical from alcohol, and she now runs it with Alcohol Change UK, for whom she is an ambassador. She's been sober since 2013. Catherine lives in Hove and when not writing she enjoys falling off a paddleboard, giving her plants names like 'Cassandra' and 'Miguel', and spamming Instagram with pictures of dogs.Instagram.com/unexpectedjoyofTwitter.com/cathgraywrites


Reviews

Goodreads review by Emma on April 24, 2019

Great read for those of us “still on the shelf”! The writing style is accessible and fun to read, Catherine Gray is like your best friend throughout the book. It’s positive and upbeat and gives some good advice. I particularly found the chapters on therapy the most interesting and thought provoking.......more

Goodreads review by Sarah on January 12, 2019

This book really is a must read for anybody single and struggling to figure out how to process it. Catherine Gray is the single friend i wish i had, reassuring me that everything is more than ok. The book encourages you to re-evaluate your assumptions about singledom and find the contented single in......more

Goodreads review by Tanja on November 29, 2019

When I saw this book on the shelf at Foyle's, I immediately groaned. There are few things I hate more than people trying to convince me just how amazing being single is when I'd rather not be in this state. Nevertheless, I decided to buy it as knowledge is power and if someone can convince me that s......more

Goodreads review by Franziska on August 19, 2023

My review written 27 January 2019, Really enjoyed the joyful and positive advice. An honest account of the pros and cons of being a young-ish, single woman in today's society. A brilliant, honest, well-written guide to the positive aspects of being single drawing on the author's own life experiences a......more

Goodreads review by Eve on April 16, 2019

I really enjoyed Catherine Gray's writing style in The Unexpected Joy of Being Sober, so I read this. I’m not single, but I could be at any given time (as could we all) and there's good stuff in here about how bizarre our fixation on coupling up and reproducing are as well as how destructive these s......more


Quotes

Absolutely f*cking brilliant.

This refreshing, unusual book needs to exist. A culture shift which repositions a single person as someone who is relationship-free, complete, and not lacking is long overdue.