Scan barcode
bobonnie's review
3.0
All in all a quick, fun read. There were a couple of her essays that I didn't really enjoy as much as the others, but most of them were really entertaining and funny. If you're a woman, over 30 and looking for a light, playful read that's easy to read quickly or in short "spurts" then this is a great choice!
cyberbosanka's review
4.0
Nora wrote this book at age 64. I am glad to read it at my (almost) 39 because I know what is important in life. Of course, I know it even without reading this book, but it is good to remember yourself from time to time.
Funny, inspiring and very important book.
Funny, inspiring and very important book.
tex2flo's review
4.0
I haven't yet reached the point where all her points are specific to me, but i adore her outlook. And, a couple of times, she reminded me fiercely of friends.
uncommongrace25's review
4.0
When this book came out in 2006, I remember hearing about it but I was only 30 so I didn't read it. I saw it on the shelf at the library, and now that I am 40 I decided to give it a go. It was funny and true, and while I can't totally empathize with her New York lifestyle, I can appreciate the essays in a way I would not have been able to in 2006. Short...read it in a hour or two. Worth the time for the smiles .
itszoe's review
3.0
Reminded me a bit of Dolly Alderton, if Dolly was born in 1941, came of age in the 1960s, and focused on what it was like being a 60+ year old woman in the early-mid aughts...
aschwartau's review
3.0
I wanted so much more from this and thought I would like it way more than I did. It was short, so I guess there's that?
She's a good writer and a natural-born storyteller, with a distinct voice full of wit. But all of the essays were soooo superficial and lacking substance that I just. did. not. care.
A lot of it felt dated. So many of the essays focused on tired ideas of what it is to be a woman. She wastes so much energy complaining about shallow shit, lamenting fashion trends and hair dye upkeep and skincare. With her background in journalism and her years working in the film industry, you know she must have MANY stories about being the only woman in the writer's room, about the uphill battle a female reporter faced, about what drew her to so-called female films and romcoms, tales to add to the #metoo cannon.
BUT NO. It was all so surface level. I do not care about the lines around your eyes; I want to know what you've seen and lived and learned.
I did really like the one essay about her fears and anxieties about the elderly years and death. It felt far more raw and vulnerable and honest. I relate strongly to those fears and anxieties, getting old scares the hell out of me, and I found many of her observations and insights rather moving. It was a really lovely essay.
And then the book ended.
Alas.
She's a good writer and a natural-born storyteller, with a distinct voice full of wit. But all of the essays were soooo superficial and lacking substance that I just. did. not. care.
A lot of it felt dated. So many of the essays focused on tired ideas of what it is to be a woman. She wastes so much energy complaining about shallow shit, lamenting fashion trends and hair dye upkeep and skincare. With her background in journalism and her years working in the film industry, you know she must have MANY stories about being the only woman in the writer's room, about the uphill battle a female reporter faced, about what drew her to so-called female films and romcoms, tales to add to the #metoo cannon.
BUT NO. It was all so surface level. I do not care about the lines around your eyes; I want to know what you've seen and lived and learned.
I did really like the one essay about her fears and anxieties about the elderly years and death. It felt far more raw and vulnerable and honest. I relate strongly to those fears and anxieties, getting old scares the hell out of me, and I found many of her observations and insights rather moving. It was a really lovely essay.
And then the book ended.
Alas.
kate_albers's review
5.0
I love Nora Ephron. I want to be her friend, although I realize that is impossible now. This short story collection, which is read by the author, had me in stitches. She is so smart, so observant. It's a must read for any Nora Ephron fan and, for anyone who feels, as I do, that you can't choose cremation because there is the chance that it will affect you if there is reincarnation - even though you know there is no reincarnation.
denisestewart's review
4.0
Loved reading these little essays by Nora Ephron....always loved reading what she wrote...and loved listening to her when she would be on talking panels or a guest on a talk show.....completely relatable and readable......(took me a bit longer than it should have as it was nearing Christmas as I was reading this and so it was getting busy around me and reading time began to be lagging).
becki_bee's review
4.0
Short, mildly amusing vignettes about the author's life in NYC. I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would, but it was quick so I finished it off!
.
.