Saturday 7 May 2016

Book ~ "People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges" (2014) Jen Mann

From GoodreadsJen Mann doesn’t have a filter, which sometimes gets her in trouble with her neighbors, her fellow PTA moms and that one woman who tried to sell her sex toys at a home shopping party. 

Known for her observations on her blog, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Mann now brings her wit to bear on suburban life, marriage and motherhood in this collection of essays. 

From the politics of joining a play group, to the thrill of mothers’ night out at the gun range, to the rewards of your most meaningful relationship (the one you have with your cleaning lady), nothing is sacred or off-limits. So the next time you find yourself wearing fuzzy bunny pajamas in the school carpool line or accidentally stuck at a co-worker’s swingers party, just think, "What would Jen Mann do?" Or better yet, buy her book. 

Jen is from Kansas and her husband is from New York.  They met online years ago, bought a house in Kansas, got married and had a couple kids.  This book is a collection of essays about their lives including how to deal with a young female bully, the relationship they have with their cleaning lady, realizing their three-year-old son might be a racist, discovering her co-worker is a swinger and getting their son into the right play group.

I hadn't heard of Mann before reading this book.  The title caught my eye and I hoped it would be funny ... and it was.  I liked the writing style and despite not having kids, I did enjoy most of the stories, which are exaggerated for comedic effect (at least I hope they are).  I liked her sense of humour.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

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