This Is The One Book You Need To Read To Learn How To Be A Functioning Adult

With summer on your mind, you might be gazing at your bookshelf and thinking, "I need something great to read, like, ASAP." After all, beach weekends and road trips with your besties aren't complete without a lighthearted novel about love, or a hilarious memoir from one of your favorite female comedians. But, you're struggling to find just the right read. Truth is, you're looking for a book that will teach you how to adult and make you feel so understood. Let me put Guac Is Extra But So Am I on your radar, then, OK?

You see, like you, I'm a millennial who's searching looking for answers to life's deepest questions like, "What do you want to do for the rest of your life?" and "Where do you see yourself living in five years?" (To be frank, I have zero clue. Next question — or better yet, no further questions, please.) I'm also roaming down bookstore aisles, hoping to come across a fun read that'll alter my everyday routines and habits in the most beautiful way.

Is that possible? Up until recently, I had my doubts. But then somebody put Guac Is Extra But So Am I: The Reluctant Adult's Handbook on my radar, and I found exactly what I was searching for. I found a book that I can wholeheartedly love from cover to cover, and that can be taken with me on all of my #adulting adventures.

I interviewed the author, Sarah Solomon, to learn more about the book, and all of its amazing advice. Here's what you need to know before picking up a copy for yourself and turning to page one.

What's the scoop on Guac Is Extra But So Am I by Sarah Solomon?

When you first grab this book off the shelf or out of the box that was delivered to your front door, you'll flip through it. You'll notice that every page looks a little different, with design elements and illustrations that make reading, well, much more fun.

You'll see frogs holding cellphones and potted plants with quotes on the side. It'll be hard to not drop everything and start reading right then and there. I don't blame you. This adulting handbook is very catchy from beginning to end.

Essentially, Solomon's Guac Is Extra But So Am I: The Reluctant Adult's Handbook is just that — a handbook. It's a guide to the realities you'll face in the next decade or so of your life, from relationships, to skincare products, to the hard truths you have to learn on your own. Its heartwarming advice for the challenges you might endure, and the expectations that nobody really gives you the 411 on.

The best part? It'll teach you each lesson through illustrations, hilarious commentary, and a thoughtful balance of the good news and the struggles that come with adulting. Solomon comments on the style of the book, telling me that she illustrated it herself. "I often forget that I went to school for design, and I really missed painting."

Solomon also notes that she was very conscious of the tone and wants readers to get use out of it. "I also made sure that the book’s overarching tonality wasn’t condescending or spoke down to the reader, because no one needs to deal with that." I couldn't agree more, and I think you'll draw a ton of inspiration from this read, too.

What inspired Solomon to write this book?

Aside from being inspired to illustrate her book because she hadn't painted in a while, Solomon says that she was motivated to write this witty piece of work because of her own life experiences. "Younger friends and colleagues would ask for my advice and were more often grateful than not when I was realistic with them," she says. "I thought, why not put the trash fire of my twenties to good use and write a helpful guidebook?"

"We’re pioneers of this new and often terrible digital frontier," Solomon continues. "It’s up to us to navigate it with as much empathy and compassion as we can." Long story short: She understands your millennials struggles, and wanted to write a book that's going to make you feel heard. (I'd say, mission accomplished.)

Even if the "real world" feels difficult to navigate sometimes — because paying your rent check on time can be a real struggle — you know it's still possible. It's possible to get the extra guac on your burrito and live your #bestlife, even if things didn't go quite according to plan.

Just take it from Solomon: "Time is on your side even if other aspects of your life aren’t. You can turn things around, and everything gets easier and better as you get older." That's comforting to hear, huh?

How can you purchase this book for yourself?

So, how can you get your own two hands on this book? Well, it's pretty simple. Grab your laptop and your credit card, and head over to Amazon. Add Solomon's Guac Is Extra But So Am I to your cart, and go through the checkout process. A hardcover copy costs $16.48 (which is an amazing deal if you ask me).

You can also hop in the car and go to your local Barnes and Noble store to pick up this hilarious and relatable adulting guide, or shop it online from this retailer for $17.47. Check ahead of time to make sure it's in stock, though. Something tells me this book is going to get bought off the shelves — and fast.

What can millennials take away from this book, its illustrations, and its lessons on how to be a functioning adult in our world?

To sum everything up, you'll get a lot out of Guac Is Extra But So Am I. Every illustration, piece of advice, and funny quote will speak to your soul. "I was trolling myself pretty hard with, 'I've really gotten into urban farming,'" Solomon notes. In addition, she mentions some of her favorite quotes from the book from Mad Money's Jim Cramer to Myka Meier of Beaumont Etiquette — all of which you'll soak up under the sun or during your next adulting adventure.

You'll probably laugh a lot, and learn how to laugh at some of the struggles, relatable moments, and big decisions you've already made along the way. You definitely won't be staring at your bookshelf anymore and thinking, "Wow, I need a good book ASAP." To that, I say you're welcome — and a huge thank you to Sarah Solomon.