I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron

3 stars
R- 2
memoir/essays

Hmmm.

So, this was funny, don't get me wrong.

And some of the essays really resonated.  For example the one about hating purses (necessary evils I tell you) and the one about being in rapture over a book (no explanation necessary, right?).

But others parts I just didn't get.

I don't care overmuch about my physical appearance.  I don't do 90% of the things she lists as minimum maintenance.  I don't wear makeup.  My hair is only an inch or two longer than my son's, which means I can (and do) spend less than 10 minutes on it per week.  I don't own a blow dryer.

(Seriously, though, even if I were a big hair-doing person I still wouldn't.  Scary things happen when you blow dry my hair.  Don't believe me? Ask the college roommate who was convinced I wasn't doing it right and so insisted on doing it for me.  I was still triangle head for the rest of the day.)

Also, aging doesn't bother me.

Now I know a big part of that is probably the fact that I'm young.  I'm in my early 30s.  But I've never been excited about people thinking I'm younger than I am (partly because, hello, I have 5 kids and my oldest is now 12 and just how young do you think I started having kids?!)

I'm starting to get quite a few gray hairs, and you know what?  I kind of like them.

Maybe in 20 or 30 years I'll be able to relate more.

Anyway, overall this is a definitely amusing collection and objectively I probably enjoyed more than not, but the setup/premise focuses on the aging/body image elements in a way that leave me more focused on that too.

(Counting this as my "something borrowed"!)

Dad Is Fat by Jim Gaffigan

5 stars
book club book

Oh my gosh.

The laughter-induced tears, people!

I so enjoyed this book.  Having 5 kids myself, I could definitely relate... though how they do it in a tiny New York apartment is beyond me!  We have probably double that space and we feel like the walls are closing in!

Thankfully, I don't have the bedtime/sleep issues, and I absolutely disagree with him about Disney vacations... (we LOVE LOVE LOVE Disney vacations!!!)

But yes.  So much yes.

I wonder if my kids explain our family by saying "Five kids, Mormon" the way he always said "Six kids.  Catholic." lol

(Actually that's one thing I love about living in Utah.... it's not THAT weird to have 5 kids.)

Anyway, recommended.  Absolutely.  This is a perfect gift idea for any parent with a sense of humor on your Christmas list. :)