Born to be Mild by Rob Temple

Note: Some of my initial reviews published here will be short and sweet, as they are taken from brief synopses I wrote for myself in my reading diary that I am now sharing. I will be writing longer reviews and opinion pieces soon!

Rob Temple is well known for his witty yet relatable Very British Problems Twitter and books. Born to be Mild takes the same lighthearted, but astute observational wit approach to every day experiences through the eyes of the perpetually anxious.

As a fellow member of the OverThinkers Anonymous club, and fellow anxious person, this was a pretty accurate representation of my own knotted thought patterns; wanting to try things and be a happy and confident part of society but rapidly becoming overwhelmed with all the potential (usually doom, or extreme shame, laden) scenarios that may occur.

It’s somehow a relief to see the absurdity that untamed anxiety of our minds can bring to the things most people seem to do for pleasure, relaxation even — yoga anyone?

Born to be Mild is a fun read, despite the serious subject matter. And whilst I wouldn’t wish severe anxiety on anyone, it was comforting to feel everso slightly less alone with the utterly irrational behaviour of my own mind (safely indoors, with my cat and my kindle for company of course).

Pixie Reads rating 9/10

Available at (Hardcopy) Bookshop.org and (eBook) Hive.co.uk, supporting independent bookshops and all major bookshops.