easemily's review against another edition
3.0
I guess this book was okay, but it took me awhile to even want to write a review because I was just meh about it. I liked that it gives you a glimpse into the future and then you get to see what happens leading up to it. It was also cool because there were twists that kind of weren’t expected, but by the end it was pretty obvious what was going to happen. I had heard a fair amount of hype about this book but definitely wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. Overall, it wasn’t a bad book, but it also wasn’t a good book.
hooksbookswanderlust's review against another edition
4.0
Thank you to Mameve Medwed for gifting me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
As a breast cancer survivor (5 years at the time of this post), diagnosed at age 32 when my youngest child wasn’t even a year old yet. To say I can relate to the feelings and emotions going through Annie’s head is an understatement. The feeling of the hangman’s noose around your neck and closing when you still have so much left to do, to give, to live…I get it. Imagining how your loved ones’ lives will be changed without you in them is unfathomable.
With equal parts grim resignation and wry humor, Annie begins this unimaginable task in an effort to help her hapless husband carry on when she is no longer there to help him. Her instruction manual starts out as quick thoughts on post-it notes carried in her pocket (examples of which begin each chapter and were one of my favorite things), but soon she begins a more formal format on her computer. The first entry in this manual that we get to read comes at the end of chapter 7, and I was teary-eyed and emotional after reading it.
Just when Annie thinks things can’t get any worse, she learns that her estranged, narcissistic, actress of a mother is coming into town, challenging things she thought she knew about herself, her deceased father, and her mother. And worse, she finds out Annie’s big secret.
Smart writing, relatable situations, and humor define this book about the different types of relationships we have: romantic, familial, fraternal, and the things that really matter in life. Medwed has achieved the perfect balance of depth and levity in her story with characters that aren’t always loveable but leave you cheering for them anyway. I could see this as the perfect beach read to escape from reality for a little while. Or as it just releases this month, it’s a perfect wish-you-were-on-the-beach read.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for fans of women’s fiction and book clubbers looking for a new discussion-worthy book.
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Why is such a big deal always made about the first tooth, first step, first kiss, first love? From her perspective, it’s the last of everything that holds more meaning, more power, more poignancy.
As a breast cancer survivor (5 years at the time of this post), diagnosed at age 32 when my youngest child wasn’t even a year old yet. To say I can relate to the feelings and emotions going through Annie’s head is an understatement. The feeling of the hangman’s noose around your neck and closing when you still have so much left to do, to give, to live…I get it. Imagining how your loved ones’ lives will be changed without you in them is unfathomable.
With equal parts grim resignation and wry humor, Annie begins this unimaginable task in an effort to help her hapless husband carry on when she is no longer there to help him. Her instruction manual starts out as quick thoughts on post-it notes carried in her pocket (examples of which begin each chapter and were one of my favorite things), but soon she begins a more formal format on her computer. The first entry in this manual that we get to read comes at the end of chapter 7, and I was teary-eyed and emotional after reading it.
Just when Annie thinks things can’t get any worse, she learns that her estranged, narcissistic, actress of a mother is coming into town, challenging things she thought she knew about herself, her deceased father, and her mother. And worse, she finds out Annie’s big secret.
Smart writing, relatable situations, and humor define this book about the different types of relationships we have: romantic, familial, fraternal, and the things that really matter in life. Medwed has achieved the perfect balance of depth and levity in her story with characters that aren’t always loveable but leave you cheering for them anyway. I could see this as the perfect beach read to escape from reality for a little while. Or as it just releases this month, it’s a perfect wish-you-were-on-the-beach read.
I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for fans of women’s fiction and book clubbers looking for a new discussion-worthy book.
Come hang out with me on Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Blog | Email
readyourworriesaway's review against another edition
3.0
Thank you @alcovepress for the advance copy. Minus Me comes out on 1/12!
Annie and her charming, but very incompetent high school sweetheart are owners of a gourmet sandwich shop in Maine. Annie is devastated when she receives a scary diagnosis. She decides to leave Sam a manual with step-by-step instructions on how to survive without her. Then comes Annie’s mom who brings some chaos into the mix.
I flew through this book in less than a day. I enjoyed that the author included some cute, funny moments along the way. I didn’t like that Sam was utterly helpless of being able to do things without Annie. However, their relationship works in its own, unique way. There were a couple minor things that irked me, but I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil anything. Overall, Minus Me is an enjoyable read that touches on marriage, facing death, and an over-the-top parent.
Annie and her charming, but very incompetent high school sweetheart are owners of a gourmet sandwich shop in Maine. Annie is devastated when she receives a scary diagnosis. She decides to leave Sam a manual with step-by-step instructions on how to survive without her. Then comes Annie’s mom who brings some chaos into the mix.
I flew through this book in less than a day. I enjoyed that the author included some cute, funny moments along the way. I didn’t like that Sam was utterly helpless of being able to do things without Annie. However, their relationship works in its own, unique way. There were a couple minor things that irked me, but I won’t go into detail because I don’t want to spoil anything. Overall, Minus Me is an enjoyable read that touches on marriage, facing death, and an over-the-top parent.
whimsicalyme's review against another edition
4.0
I have to say that the subject matter in this book is tough for me. Annie the main character is married to her high school sweetheart and they run a thriving sandwich shop together. Unfortunately, Annie has suffered several miscarriages and a stillborn, that alone was heartbreaking, but now she may have lung cancer.
With a grim diagnosis to face Annie decides to try to ease the pain of her husband Sam’s loss by creating a manual called “Life Minus Me.” So, cue the tears because when you’re faced with a cancer diagnosis folks, this...this is reality. My worst pain or fear has little to do with me and more to do with how my loved ones will deal once I am gone. Sam comes off as slightly inept and Annie is scared to share her diagnosis because she knows Sam will fall apart.
Annie is also estranged from her actress mother, Ursula. I wanted to despise this woman and I did....initially. Ursula ends up taking Annie to New York for a second opinion. This part of the book showcased the author’s talent in the best way. For two weeks the mother daughter duo spend their time seeing doctors but also experiencing the sights and amazing cuisine NYC is known for. These scenes were well done, I felt as if I was there seeing, smelling, and tasting everything. It was the highlight of the story for me.
Another important aspect of the trip was that Ursula took the time to explain their estrangement to Annie. The two were able to find common ground and bond again. Just so beautiful.
All in all this is a character driven story that is sweet! Its a 4 star read for sure!! If you are looking for an emotional yet beautifully written story please pick up Minus Me when it goes on sale tomorrow.
Thank you @alcovepress for my advanced copy of the book to review.
With a grim diagnosis to face Annie decides to try to ease the pain of her husband Sam’s loss by creating a manual called “Life Minus Me.” So, cue the tears because when you’re faced with a cancer diagnosis folks, this...this is reality. My worst pain or fear has little to do with me and more to do with how my loved ones will deal once I am gone. Sam comes off as slightly inept and Annie is scared to share her diagnosis because she knows Sam will fall apart.
Annie is also estranged from her actress mother, Ursula. I wanted to despise this woman and I did....initially. Ursula ends up taking Annie to New York for a second opinion. This part of the book showcased the author’s talent in the best way. For two weeks the mother daughter duo spend their time seeing doctors but also experiencing the sights and amazing cuisine NYC is known for. These scenes were well done, I felt as if I was there seeing, smelling, and tasting everything. It was the highlight of the story for me.
Another important aspect of the trip was that Ursula took the time to explain their estrangement to Annie. The two were able to find common ground and bond again. Just so beautiful.
All in all this is a character driven story that is sweet! Its a 4 star read for sure!! If you are looking for an emotional yet beautifully written story please pick up Minus Me when it goes on sale tomorrow.
Thank you @alcovepress for my advanced copy of the book to review.
raequigley's review against another edition
4.0
Review now up on DrunkOnPop:
Despite the more serious topics of the book, Minus Me was a thoroughly enjoyable read, maybe even pleasant. Mameve did a beautiful job of describing the small town of Passamaquoddy, and their famous Paul Bunyan sandwiches. Each line was beautifully written and descriptive, and I could really imagine each scene easily. The concept of the plot is interesting – a wife having a health scare and facing the fear and helplessness of a world where she would no longer exist to take care of the people and things she loves. I liked the different post-it note reminders at the start of each chapter, and I loved the idea of creating a manual in which her spouse should continue to live his life. While Annie and Sam were far more co-dependent than any relationships I know of, it made for an even more interesting dynamic when imagining a world in which Sam doesn’t have Annie to rely on.
I really enjoyed Minus Me, and my only big issue was that I felt the dialogue was unrealistic. Other than her mother, Ursula, all of the characters talked in the same voice and tone. A voice that was not how I’ve ever heard anyone speak before in casual conversation. Even Ursula, with her snobby tone and random French phrases, didn’t seem entirely genuine. All of the conversations were so serious. They all used big, SAT style words that did not sound conversational at all, and they all seemed to talk with an air of…. superiority? It didn’t matter if it was a “bad boy” character or a 16 year old girl. They all just sounded the same. It was hard to feel close to any of the characters, and then worry about what happened to them, because they just didn’t come off as real.
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These were my immediate thoughts after reading: "I’ll post a review on DOP soon. But mostly I want to say this book is gratuitous. A mostly enjoyable, easy read. While it has serious topics like cancer, miscarriage, etc it is still all mostly shallow. Which is not to say it is bad, but rather to say it is something that can be enjoyed without worrying about it being too much. A constant lesson in what not to do - be more communicative, forgive past grudges, be more understanding of your parents, and for fucks sake don’t jump to conclusions.
Also the ending.... ok."
1sarai's review against another edition
3.0
Annie owns a popular sandwich shop in Maine with her sweet yet needy husband Sam. They are an inseparable couple who hide no secrets form each other. One day Annie finds out that she may die from lung cancer and decides to put together a manual for her clueless husband to receive after her passing.
The premise of this book sounded really amazing. It was the main reason why I decided to read this book. By the time I finished reading this book however; I could say with confidence that it’s definitely not my cup of tea. The story took too long to get to the most important part. I also felt like most of the story was missing that added punch that would make similar stories like this one fly off the page. It's also notable that certain characters and scenes had no real purpose to the overall story. The only upside to the story was Annie’s mother Ursula who honestly was the only character I really enjoyed. I really wish it would have been better written story so that each scene really had a significance and focused more on developing Annie as a character and not a standby to her own life.
Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this advance read!
The premise of this book sounded really amazing. It was the main reason why I decided to read this book. By the time I finished reading this book however; I could say with confidence that it’s definitely not my cup of tea. The story took too long to get to the most important part. I also felt like most of the story was missing that added punch that would make similar stories like this one fly off the page. It's also notable that certain characters and scenes had no real purpose to the overall story. The only upside to the story was Annie’s mother Ursula who honestly was the only character I really enjoyed. I really wish it would have been better written story so that each scene really had a significance and focused more on developing Annie as a character and not a standby to her own life.
Thank you NetGalley and Alcove Press for this advance read!
maryjustine's review against another edition
2.0
Thank you to Book Sirens for allowing me to read this book in exchange for an honest review!
Sadly, as much as I liked the premise of this book, it just didn't pull me in as much as I wanted. The one thing that bothered me the most is how the main character is afraid to tell her husband because she doesn't think he can handle it, which breaks my heart honestly. In hiding something that big, you already know how that scenario will play out. This book pulled me through all the emotions, laugh, love, sadness, and most of all heartbreak. However, I really just couldn't get over the fact that Annie wouldn't tell her husband this life changing news, which made the book difficult to get through for me.
Sadly, as much as I liked the premise of this book, it just didn't pull me in as much as I wanted. The one thing that bothered me the most is how the main character is afraid to tell her husband because she doesn't think he can handle it, which breaks my heart honestly. In hiding something that big, you already know how that scenario will play out. This book pulled me through all the emotions, laugh, love, sadness, and most of all heartbreak. However, I really just couldn't get over the fact that Annie wouldn't tell her husband this life changing news, which made the book difficult to get through for me.
cdubiel's review against another edition
5.0
Just posted my review to Booklist's online portal. I really liked this book - I read it in one evening (been doing a lot of that lately...) Annie and Sam, the couple at the heart of the story, definitely have some flaws - I found it a little strange that Annie loves to take care of Sam so much, especially in a time when women carry so much of the emotional load in life. I've been reading a lot of books about how uneven this division of labor is, yet Annie seems to enjoy carrying the extra load. But perhaps this is simply one of the quirks of their marriage, especially in a story that is surprising at many points. It has the small-town cuteness of the cozy mysteries I enjoy, too.
renee_rain's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book in a long time that I have struggled to put down.
Annie has had a lot of hardship in her past. She has had too many miscarriages and a stillborn. Her famous mother, or not so mother, Ursula, has taken a backseat in her life. Her husband, Sam, is the best thing in her life, besides their sandwich shop. When Annie finds out bad news regarding her health, she does what she can to protect Sam from hurting and writes a manual on how to live life without her.
That is all I am going to tell you. It is definitely worth the read and I am going to recommend it to others in my life. Happy reading!
Annie has had a lot of hardship in her past. She has had too many miscarriages and a stillborn. Her famous mother, or not so mother, Ursula, has taken a backseat in her life. Her husband, Sam, is the best thing in her life, besides their sandwich shop. When Annie finds out bad news regarding her health, she does what she can to protect Sam from hurting and writes a manual on how to live life without her.
That is all I am going to tell you. It is definitely worth the read and I am going to recommend it to others in my life. Happy reading!