A review by blondereader
Did I Say That Out Loud?: Midlife Indignities and How to Survive Them by Kristin Van Ogtrop

hopeful medium-paced

2.0

I didn't think this book was all that funny. Early on there seemed to be a twenty-year discrepancy in the author's age reported in the book, where in one place she seemed to be in her thirties and in another, sixty. Somewhere else, it said 54. That caused me to feel disconnected from the start. And since this book is about age, the author's age matters. And is 54 middle aged? Will most of us, or any of us, live to be 108? This author became a mother later in life so her status isn't like many of her age, with youngish children in tow. She also talks a lot about being a dog owner, and since I'm a cat person, those large sections didn't resonate with me at all. She also refers several times to never washing her car, whereas keeping a clean car is very important to me. None of this means there's anything wrong with her life, or that I can't relate to a life that isn't exactly like mine. What it does mean is this book is most relatable to people who share the author's interests. I found the parts about the author's career in publishing more interesting than the rest of the book. While the author herself seems likeable enough, this isn't a book I'd necessarily seek out or highly recommend.