I’m Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol is a bold, joyful, and deeply resonant memoir about reclaiming pleasure, independence, and self-worth in midlife. In August 2021, after 16 isolating months alone in her Manhattan apartment, MacNicol heads to a nearly tourist-free Paris, determined to embrace life on her own terms. What follows is a heady mix of late-night swims, empty museum wanderings, riverside dancing, friendships, romance, and unapologetic indulgence.

MacNicol writes with clarity, wit, and emotional honesty, pushing back against the narrative that women’s value fades with age or is defined by marriage and children. As a childfree, single woman myself, I felt an immediate kinship with her reflections on freedom, friendships, and forging a life that doesn’t seek permission. This book is not just a memoir—it’s a manifesto for living fully and on your own terms.

Read more at The Secret Book Review.

Absolutely loved this joyful romp through my favorite city - such a sensual, sensuous read that I would recommend to all women!

I mostly enjoyed this book but was hoping for it to be a bit more exciting if I'm totally honest, however, it was refreshing to hear about someone empowering themselves and trying out a freer, looser life in one of the best cities in the world and actually having a wonderful time.

I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself was an enjoyable read, well written and informative, however I felt like I had read it all before. Although I enjoyed the writing style and premise I was hoping for more...

I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this book! As a woman who is freshly turned 40, I found the author’s observations on aging as a woman leading an “unconventional” life to be familiar, comforting, and refreshing. It’s good to know I’m not alone in this. I look forward to reading more from her!

Oh, I loved this. MacNicol's voice is always a pleasure to read and I love how she challenges so much of the narrative of what it means to be a woman. Her last book dealt with the ramifications of choosing to be single and childless. Here we meet her in Paris after lockdown where she decides to explore not just Paris but her own desires. Sex, food and friendship are the three main drivers of this unapologetically glorious book. I loved how the descriptions of the things she ate were more sexy than her descriptions of the hookups she had. A woman with the right priorities, clearly. This is magnificent.

I'm Mostly Here to Enjoy Myself by Glynnis MacNicol is an empowering read that will enjoyed by anyone interested in women's issues and travel memoirs.