How to describe I Sleep Around? Part primer on how to retire to a life on the road with tips and tricks to make the transition to fulltime traveler, part humorous travelogue and touching memoir. Sue Ann Jaffarian will help you keep your body, sanity, and snail mail healthy while on the road for long periods of time. She can help you chose an RV of the right size, the right amount of storage, and any other options you desire. She found "Novella", her Winnebago Travato 59K, to be just perfect for her new life as a nomadic writer. When I Sleep Around takes a break from RV instruction in the first quarter of the book, Jaffarian talks about the business of writing as a professional before circling back to RV repairs. The second half detailed the places she visited along her five-year journey.
As an aside, I found it interesting that she chose to switch to RV life before officially retiring from her job as a paralegal. Juggling both the planning for a life on the road and finishing up a career must have been exhausting and emotional.
The section on RVing during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown was interesting for those of us who were housebound for that period.
Jaffarian makes the claim that travel changes you. I would have loved for her to expound on that. Tell me more about that metamorphosis. I am so curious! Another wish - I wish Jaffarian would have included a compiled list of all of the attractions she was able to take in along her journey. It would have been cool to have a directory of interesting places to visit. High on my list is the Tabasco factory. Pictures would have been cool, too. ( )

Sue Ann Jaffarian's memoir about life on the road in her RV after retirement left a little to be desired. An avid reader of memoirs and travel writing, this one left me feeling a bit bored. The first part of the book describes the author's motivation for wanting to travel in retirement and the nuts and bolts of how she came to find the perfect RV for life on the road. It would be a great resource for someone looking for advice on the lifestyle, but felt a little dry to me. The same can be said for the writing about her travels. While she gives a blow by blow for the many places she visited and does point out some great sites, it often felt too much like I list. "I went here. I saw this. It was fun. It was nice." It felt more like reading a letter than a well written book. I also didn't find the book very humorous. I like travel writing to be a little more descriptive and memories to be a little more reflective. This book would make great research for someone considering the RV or van life and wanting more practical information on what to expect. Overall it wasn't a bad book, but not what I was expecting. ( )

received as early reviewer copy

I found this book quite disappointing. It's basically a travelogue about seeing the US in a van over a number of years, with scattered bits about a writer and her life and friends. The travel part was interesting, and some of the bits about writing were as well, but they were few and far between. And while the title says this is humorous, I couldn't really find the humor in it. ( )

I normally do not get into what I would call a “biography-driven” books like this, but this one was actually VERY entertaining. I don’t know how I do it, but almost every book I have received has been a hit! Ms. Jaffarian has another hit on her hands! She has even made me want to adopt the “nomad” lifestyle. Of course, I’m not too sure I could downsize my belongings that much. Her experiences and adventures are admirable at best! Definitely a good read!! ( )

I love the idea of living life on the road while visiting the National Parks, so I was curious about RV life. The first third of the book was the best part. It is divided into chapters dedicated to good practical advice for those considering living in a mobile home. Even though I am unlikely to ever take the plunge myself, I found it interesting to learn of all the details that goes into making this major shift in lifestyle. The author covers everything from plumbing mishaps to money matters. The writing is matter of fact and light-hearted. The rest of the book is a chronological account of her experience from her first 2 years of RV life. This moves quickly but is a little boring. (There is a lot of ‘I met old friend so & so for lunch and then drove to town X’.). She must have a gazillion friends as she seemed to meet up with people in every small town in America. She also visits quirky sites, does some pet-sitting and book-signing gigs.
I was provided with an ARC (thanks to the author & publisher!) and I am voluntarily posting my honest review. ( )