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Writer's pictureMontana Houston

Growing Up Made Easy + Adulting by Kelly Williams Brown

In this post: The instructional primer you need to getting an apartment, job, into a relationship, dealing with family, handling grief, and more!


Category: Adulting


Ramiah Recommended?

Yes! I definitely recommend my favorite, A Girl's Guide, but Adulting: How To Become An Adult in 535 Easy(ish) Steps is a great general book for all gender identities.


Adulting is the most mainstream adulting book. I wouldn't be surprised if Williams Brown coined the term.


Of all the new grad booklists I read, this was recommended, without a doubt. Every. Single. Time.


Don't get me wrong, it delivers on the hype it gets. Need to know about cooking? Grocery shopping? Getting an apartment? Getting a car? Dating? Working? Exercising? Personal finance? Nutrition? Student loan repayment? Cleaning? Credit card debt? You name it and this book covers it, gracefully and humorously.


Many a reviewer has written that Williams Brown feels like an older sister giving advice, and that is indeed true. Advice is given with love and no judgment. The humor makes uncomfortable topics less so. And we read of Williams Brown's own struggle with credit card debt, car trouble, and dating, which makes reading feel more like a conversation than a lecture.


Resources are interwoven in each chapter, which is a nice touch. If you're looking for resources galore, however, A Girl's Guide is where it's at.


There's not much else to review about this book. The proof is in the pudding: it's an instructional guide. It's truly no deeper than that.


For a holistic overview of many coming-of-age topics, you can't go wrong with Adulting. You will likely want to follow up with additional books or articles on specific topics, but if you don't know where to start, this book will provide you with an excellent primer.


Ramiah Reflects

My New Favorite Life Quotes:

  • (no life quotes here)


Questions to Ask Yourself (and answer!):

  • (William Brown actually asks reflection questions at the end of each chapter! I totally recommend)


Food for Thought:

  • (no notes here, folks)


Ramiah's Re-read When

Re-read when:

  • You need to learn how to adult or forgot how to adult

  • You are about to experience one of the topics in the book for the first time (and not just reading it in advance, like me)

  • You want to laugh about how hard growing up can be

  • You're moving

  • You are getting ready for first or new job

  • You are cleaning up or maintaining your house

  • You are getting into or out of a relationship

  • You are managing other major life events (e.g. loss)


See below for my (brief) book notes:

Check out my other posts and book notes here.


Until next time!

Montana Houston

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