Bad Habits by Jenny McCarthy

Bad Habits by Jenny McCarthy is a candid account of Jenny’s relationship with religion. She was raised as a Catholic and actually wanted to be a nun when she grew up. She wanted Jesus like girls now want Justin Beiber, and she shares all of it with us in this hilarious account of her life as a Catholic.

Book Description

“Dearest Reader,

By now you might be wondering: Jenny McCarthy has more to say?! After six New York Times bestsellers,* I’ve talked about pregnancy, autism, and motherhood. I hope you’ve enjoyed it. I hope it’s made you laugh and cry and all those things that bestselling books about such topics by funny people are supposed to do.

But this book is about something entirely new—a subject that has pervaded my life since birth and confused the f*ck out of me for about the same time: Catholicism. As I enter into adulthood (play along, thanks), I think I may have finally figured out this faith thing. And what it means to me. But first, I had to reflect on my life. And my memoir, Bad Habits, is the fruit (not the Eve’s apple kind) of that labor.

Bad Habits is my journey from aspiring nun at an all-girls Catholic school in the suburbs of Chicago, to Playmate of the Year, to autism awareness activist, to bestselling author, to host of my very own talk show … and all the Hail Marys in between. After reading this book, you’ll know why you should wear underwear to church, why Jesus was my Justin Bieber (he’s totally hawt!), and why I had to give up giving shit up for Lent.

Bad Habits is also my personal examination of faith and how it turns out to surprise us at the most unexpected moments. It is a book of confessions about confession! I’ve tried to be brutally honest, though it might read as more like embarrassingly entertaining, and I’m always outlandish so that’s in here too. But truly, this book is sinfully hilarious.*

Bless you my children,

Jenny

* My publisher made me say this.” – Bad Habits

My Thoughts

Bad Habits is a sinfully funny read. I started reading it with only the intention of reading it for around 15 minutes that night, but I ended up staying up late and finishing it. The time flew by, and before I knew it I was done. So with fair warning, if you plan on reading this book, be prepared to be sucked in and possibly reading it in one evening, too.

Jenny McCarthy writes like she talks, and doesn’t care if this is a touchy subject matter that could (and will) piss people off with her humor. As someone who also grew up as a Catholic, I wasn’t embarrassed, offended, or angry with anything she wrote in it. I’m sure some fellow Catholics (and probably other Christians) will be highly offended by what she wrote in it, but who cares? This is who Jenny is, and she doesn’t make apologies for it. You know what you are getting when you go to read one of her books, so if you don’t like it, don’t read it.

This is a highly entertaining, funny, and honest read. If you can handle her sense of humor and like Jenny McCarthy, I highly suggest reading this book, perhaps with a glass of wine while you wear the rosary.

* Thank you to the publisher of Bad Habits, Hyperion, for providing me with a copy of this book for review. All opinions expressed are my own.