Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be

By: Nichole Perkins

Narrated by: Nichole Perkins

Length: 7 hrs and 2 mins

Publisher's summary

“Hear the dark liquor of her laughter rippling behind her sentences” in this magnetic memoir as it explores a journalist’s obsession with pop culture and the difficulty of navigating relationships as a Black woman through fanfiction, feminism, and Southern mores (Saeed Jones).

A Roxane Gay Audacious Bookclub November Pick

Named "Most Anticipated Books of 2021" by Buzzfeed and LitHub

Pop culture is the Pandora’s box of our lives. Racism, wealth, poverty, beauty, inclusion, exclusion, and hope - all of these intractable and unavoidable features course through the media we consume. Examining pop culture’s impact on her life, Nichole Perkins takes listeners on a rollicking trip through the last 20 years of music, media, and the internet from the perspective of one Southern Black woman. She explores her experience with mental illness and how the TV series Frasier served as a crutch, how her role as mistress led her to certain internet message boards that prepared her for current-day social media, and what it means to figure out desire and sexuality and Prince in a world where marriage is the only acceptable goal for women.

Combining her sharp wit, stellar pop-culture sensibility, and trademark spirited storytelling, Nichole boldly tackles the damage done to women, especially Black women, by society’s failure to confront the myths and misogyny at its heart, and her efforts to stop the various cycles that limit confidence within herself. By using her own life and loves as a unique vantage point, Nichole humorously and powerfully illuminates how to take the best pop culture has to offer and discard the harmful bits, offering a mirror into our own lives.

©2021 Nichole Perkins (P)2021 Grand Central Publishing

Critic reviews

"In these sharp, uncompromising essays, Nichole Perkins probes the intersections between her blackness, hailing from the South, her womanhood, and her sexuality. There is an appealing self-awareness in these essay - a willingness to examine her flaws as much as her strengths. The book gets stronger and stronger and the final few essays are clarion calls to naming things as they are, claiming the power you desire, and embracing yourself unapologetically." (Roxane Gay, New York Times best-selling author of Bad Feminist)

"Nichole’s work is necessary, urgent, and so beautiful. At turns surprising and familiar, tender and brutal, the entire collection is a love letter to the black girls we were, to the black women we are, and to the brave, new beings we are growing up to be." (Jesmyn Ward, National Book Award-winning author of Sing, Unburied, Sing)

“It is not easy to be open with reflections on sexuality, intimacy, pleasure, religion, race, and class, but Nichole does so with such intellect, thoughtfulness, and levity. Sometimes I Trip On How Happy We Could Be is not only another welcomed contribution because of the sharp, funny, and focused voice Nichole Perkins brings to those issues and others, but that she brings a working class southern Black perspective that more of America needs to hear from.” (Michael Arceneaux, New York Times best-selling author of I Can’t Date Jesus: Love, Sex, Family, Race, and Other Reasons I’ve Put My Faith in Beyoncé and I Don’t Want to Die)

Loved It!

I’m usually not big on essays but I enjoyed every moment of this. And I’m so glad it was read by the author. So relatable. Lots of laughs. A few tears. Some “let me sit and marinate on that” moments. Greatly appreciate the vulnerability.

GREAT Storytelling!!!

This book was such an easy listen. I'm giving an overall 4 because I wanted more of a conclusion, but I guess that's how life is-ongoing, to be continued. I had to repeat some chapters because of the relatability; even as a millennial 😉 Thank you for sharing yourself Nichole Perkins.

Book club favorite

Best book we’ve read this far! Definitely relatable and gives book club readers something to talk about!

Amazingly honest

I often listen to audiobooks while i work on the ambulance or at my firestation. I am a 40 year old heterosexual black man. This book poped up in my suggestions. I figured i would listen to a bit and move on because i didn’t think i would enjoy the story. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I instantly felt like i was talking to the author and i got a perspective from a black woman that i would have never imagined. This was the most interesting read for me this year. To the author i would like to say thank you .

Challenged my thoughts

I definately loved the book, and being Gen X the aurthor is relateble. She explained so many things thru the lens of a woman of colors perspective that it really opened my eyes. I do feel we should have more open dialogs btwn women, I think men have "told us our thoughts" too long and I hope that women like this writer keep speaking up and help us all to come forward. think all women should read this book

A great read

I truly enjoyed listening to this book. I identified, laughed, and wondered throughout. It was both fun and interesting. I have somethings to tryout.

Nothing dull about it!

This author kept me on my toes. It’s like she knew me personally. From the sexy times down to the let’s tackle stereotypes moments she nailed it. Someone ask her when she’s gonna drop another one and put it in Audible format. I will be buying!!!

A great read!!

I love this book!
The story line is so good and keeps you very entertained !

Keeping It Real Goes Right

This is a great, honest new adult reading book. This is for young Black women, who are dating. The ideas, thoughts and perception of the main character was very realistic and vulnerable. The title, being a lyric from Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s Bonnie and Clyde song, caught my attention. I’m glad I gave this book my time.

Open, honest, and amazing

Prior to this book, I hadn’t heard of Nichole Perkins’ work, but another author I follow shared that Nichole just released a book. After a little research, I decided to grab a copy. I love reading books from a wide range of non-fiction authors to get a variety of perspectives and experiences, and this was definitely different compared to a lot of the books I’ve been reading lately. Once I started the book, I couldn’t put it down. The first thing that’s incredibly apparent is that Nichole is a phenomenal writer. Books that are a collection of personal essays can be hit or miss for me, but Nichole’s style of writing is incredible.

Although I’m a half Black/half White man who is just a few years younger than Nichole, I could relate a lot of what she wrote when it came to music and pop culture from the 90s and 2000s. As the child of an alcoholic mother, I could relate to some of Nichole’s stories about her father, and I was really impressed with how open, honest, and vulnerable she was throughout the book. Writers like Nichole inspire me to be a better writer and content creator because she’s authentic throughout the book about everything from her thoughts and emotions to sexual experiences. Not being familiar with Nichole’s work, I thought when she wrote about her sex life, I’d be pretty uncomfortable, but personally, I wasn’t at all. Maybe it’s because I grew up here in Las Vegas with many of my best friends being women, but reading Nichole’s book just felt like she was another one of my female friends who I grew up with.

Nicholes’s essays had a great blend of touching on topics of being a woman, being a Black woman, and being a person trying to figure life out just like the rest of us. I loved this book and finished it within a few days of launch, and I’d absolutely recommend it to anyone who enjoys the personal essay style of books.