Trying to be quick, as we’re about to head out to visit the in-laws. Forecast says 85 degrees, I’m in!
How Not to Hate your Husband After Kids, was, to be blunt, one of the worst books I’ve ever read. I feel like this author needs an intervention: Stop trying to be funny, you are not funny. This book has exactly the same terrible writing style of What to Expect When You’re Expecting, so it’s like some awful relay race thing happening. I thought this would be more like if the Gottmans had a book specifically aimed at parents, but it was instead an insufferable memoir filled to bursting with irritating, unfunny asides. Who could hate their husband when they’re busy hating this book instead?
Nowhere to go but up from there, all the way to Mars, as it turned out. The Wanderers is a great novel that you can really sink your teeth into. I had seen it billed as “What if The Martian didn’t sort of suck?” and that’s it exactly. I have a good feeling about this writer and I’m eager to see what’s next.
Broken River was a little bit of a mixed bag for me, but overall I really liked it. I usually like this author; nice writing style, and the multiple storylines are very good. I felt like the plot didn’t come together in a completely satisfying way at the end, and I didn’t love the whole “Observer” device, but this was overall pretty compelling and I definitely recommend it.
Almost Missed You started strong but in the end, I couldn’t believe that was all there was to it. It’s fast and light, so may be good for a quick summer read, but it has a few of my biggest reading pet peeves. One, there’s an unplanned pregnancy with no mention of why; that drives me crazy in fiction, like can’t you just throw in a line about a missed pill or something? I don’t know why in 2017 we still have characters acting like babies just appear out of nowhere. Anyway, a lot of the plot doesn’t make sense under any scrutiny, in fact a major plot point hinges on a Missed Connections mixup that in reality would have been cleared up over email. Then later, a major secret is revealed by an FBI agent, but there’s no reason for the FBI to have any interest in the person involved. The writing is pretty good, and it’s a good setup that falls apart in the second act, but I’m interested to see what this writer does next.
This morning I started The Heirs, and even though it feels a little disorganized, I am hooked! I’m looking forward to getting on a plane so I can keep reading. I love family sagas, and this one is about an east coast family with five kids, definitely right up my alley! So far it feels a lot like The Nest, which was a favorite of mine last year. I will of course let you know how it turns out!
