Broken

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Though I winced at the torture it described, it's also loaded with hard-bitten wisdom: "He once wrecked— wrecked —an entire crew of bubbas who came down from Baton Rouge and got rude in Sweeny’s, Jimmy’s neighborhood bar. In the last two pages of “Broken (In the Best Possible Way),” Jenny Lawson explains that the cover illustration was done by an artist named Omar Rayyan.

Long-time fans of Winslow's work will recognize some familiar characters, most notably weed growers Ben, Chon and O, who first appeared in 2012 in The Kings of Cool. Definitely my favorite of the lot and the one most likely to spawn a recurring role by the character of Chris, and possibly Champ the Chimp. I also liked the sections where she talks openly about mental health and chronic pain, because those are things that should be normalized, and the more people do that, the more natural it seems.

She even describes how difficult book signings are for her but how worthwhile she finds meeting her fans. So, when I read in the New York Times that Don Winslow has released a book of short novellas, I was all over it. Then there is “Sunset,” which brings protagonists from two of Winslow’s early series together in an unforgettable tale about a wild hunt through San Diego for a fugitive from justice. The book contains dedications to the crime fictions heavyweights Elmore Leonard and Raymond Chandler. And as always, like I wrote above, her musings on anxiety and depression made my heart hurt but also strangely soothed me because it's comforting to know other people struggle too as messed up as that sounds.

The book gets off to a roaring start, stalls, picks up again and ends with insights worth considering. Lawson will make you laugh with a hilarious story and then talk openly about her loneliness and depression. How incredibly cool is it for Don Winslow to revive those unforgettable characters from past books like Bobby Z, Ben, Chon, O and Boone Daniels and the Dawn Patrol.And of course, Jenny’s long-suffering husband Victor―the Ricky to Jenny’s Lucille Ball―is present throughout. For those familiar with her writing, its recommended and for those who want a good laugh, skip the chapters about anxiety. Broken by Jenny Lawson oscillates between a real heart-wrenching picture of what it's like to live with depression and anxiety and an uproariously funny collection of observational and awkward humor. And I actually liked it a lot better than Savages, and really showcased Winslow's knack for spinning great action. Jenny also talks about contracting tuberculosis because she takes immunosuppressant drugs for her rheumatoid arthritis; getting panic attacks; having childhood anxiety attacks that were so frequent her mother had to change jobs to work in her school; having regular suicidal thoughts; and experiencing extended periods of depression.