Weekly Reads: Stories I'd Tell in Bars

Stories I'd Tell in Bars is the newest book by Jen Lancaster. I used to adore Jen Lancaster. Her first 4 books were some of my favorite books I've ever read. Her last few books have been just.. meh for me. I even vowed to never read her fiction again, because I'm just not a fan. I didn't even know she had a new book out, and I'm a librarian, but it came in for a hold for my co-worker and I got her review after. She told me to give it a try, so I did.

It definitely had vintage Jen Lancaster vibes, which is great for her original fans. It's worth a read the next time you need something like and lol-worthy.

My rating: 3 stars.

Summary from Goodreads: U

nfiltered. Unapologetic. Older - but arguably not wiser - Lancaster gets back to basics in this hilarious essay collection about everything from taking community policing classes to accidentally getting stoned with her waiter after a fancy dinner. These are the tales she'd tell if she met you in a bar... if she weren't too lazy to put on pants and go to a bar. Offering advice ranging from how to remain happily married to a man who refuses to blow his damn nose already to not creating An Incident at the cheese counter during an attempt at Whole30, she's you, only louder. As she details the chaos that will surely ensue if she has to learn to operate one more television remote control, you'll want to settle in and pour yourself a tall one. Because what's more fun than hearing a friend share her favorite stories?

Weekly Reads: Tao of Martha

This week's weekly read is Jen Lancaster's new book The Tao of Martha.

Pug read (lie).  Pug approved (lie, but if she could read, she'd be enjoying it along with me).

I've loved Jen's books since the "early days" of Bright Lights, Big Ass, Bitter is the New Black, Such a Pretty Fat, and Pretty in Plaid but have to be honest when I say I haven't loved her last two books of true fiction.  For those that are unfamilar with Jen's work, she typically writes really hilarious memoirs.

I put in a purchase suggestion for this title at my library, so when we got it in, Jerbear was the first to check it out!  I flew through the first half last Tuesday and Wednesday and then class started.  And since then, and after the panicking that ensued from all of the reading I have to do (yes, still freaking out, thanks for asking), I've realized I have to put the rest of the book on hold.  WAH.

Current thoughts:  pretty hilar.  A cross between some of her earlier funny stuff and Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project.  If Gretchen Rubin had more of a foul mouth.  :)


Interesting fun fact:  It was Jen Lancaster that convinced me to get twitter a bunch of years ago.  I was a devout follower of her blog, and she posted about this twitter "thing" and said she'd follow people back on there.  And this little bird was formed.  :)