Book ~ "I Was Told It Would Get Easier" (2020) Abbi Waxman

From Goodreads ~ Jessica and Emily Burnstein have very different ideas of how this college tour should go.

For Emily, it's a preview of freedom, exploring the possibility of her new and more exciting future. Not that she's sure she even wants to go to college but let's ignore that for now. And maybe the other kids on the tour will like her more than the ones at school. They have to, right?

For Jessica, it's a chance to bond with the daughter she seems to have lost. They used to be so close, but then Goldfish crackers and Play-Doh were no longer enough of a draw. She isn't even sure if Emily likes her anymore. To be honest, Jessica isn't sure she likes herself.

Together with a dozen strangers - and two familiar enemies - Jessica and Emily travel the East Coast, meeting up with family and old friends along the way. Surprises and secrets threaten their relationship and, in the end, change it forever.

Jessica is a busy partner in a law firm. She is also the single mother of Emily, her sixteen-year-old daughter. Jessica only wants what's best for Emily and that means going to college, getting an education so she can get a good job. Emily isn't sure what she wants to do with her life or even if she wants to go to university but doesn't know how to tell her mother. Jessica books them on an organized weeklong tour of eastern U.S. universities. Because of how busy she is, Jessica doesn't get to spend a lot of time with Emily, she's looking forward to their week together. Emily, though, is resentful and jealous of the time her mother spends with her work colleagues and isn't going to make it an easy week.

I wasn't crazy about this book. I found both Jessica and Emily annoying and unlikable. Jessica works a lot so has a nanny to take care of the household. As soon as her work phone rings, regardless of where she is, what she's doing or who she is with, she answers it. No wonder Emily feels neglected and is pissed at her. Jessica works hard as a single mother to provide the best for Emily ... private schools, the latest iPhone, apparently Uber on demand ... but Emily seemed unappreciative, a spoiled brat and disrespectful. Their constant bickering was tiresome.

It was written in first person perspective in Jessica and Emily's voices ... it switches back and forth often and is labeled. It was written during or after the college cheating scandal and this is included in the story, though I could have done with out it as I didn't think it added much.

Book ~ "The Garden of Small Beginnings" (2017) Abbi Waxman

From Goodreads ~ Lilian Girvan has been a single mother for three years - ever since her husband died in a car accident. One mental breakdown and some random suicidal thoughts later, she's just starting to get the hang of this widow thing. She can now get her two girls to school, show up to work and watch TV like a pro. The only problem is she's becoming overwhelmed with being underwhelmed.

At least her textbook illustrating job has some perks - like actually being called upon to draw whale genitalia. Oh, and there's that vegetable-gardening class her boss signed her up for. Apparently, being the chosen illustrator for a series of boutique vegetable guides means getting your hands dirty, literally. Wallowing around in compost on a Saturday morning can't be much worse than wallowing around in pajamas and self-pity.

After recruiting her kids and insanely supportive sister to join her, Lilian shows up at the Los Angeles botanical garden feeling out of her element. But what she'll soon discover - with the help of a patient instructor and a quirky group of gardeners - is that into every life a little sun must shine, whether you want it to or not.

Three years ago, Lilian witnessed her husband, Dan, get killed in an accident.  Since then, she has been trying deal with her sadness and get on with her life and taking care of her two young daughters.  Lilian is an illustrator for a publishing company, which is hired to design a gardening book for a client.  To give her some background, her boss signs her up to take a six week gardening course.  Since the course is free, her daughters and sister join her.

For the next six Saturdays, not only does the class garden grow and nurture but so do the friendships of the people in the class.  Each are different and have their own stories.  There is an attraction between Lilian and Edward, their instructor, but Lilian has to figure out if she's ready to let go of the past and move on with her future.

This is the third book I've read by this author and I liked it.  It was written in first person perspective in Lilian's voice.  Despite the subject matter, I found the writing amusing.  As a head's up, there is swearing.

Book ~ "Other People's Houses" (2018) Abbi Waxman

From Goodreads ~ As the longtime local carpool mom, Frances Bloom is sometimes an unwilling witness to her neighbors' private lives. She knows her cousin is hiding her desire for another baby from her spouse, Bill Horton's wife is mysteriously missing, and now this.

After the shock of seeing Anne Porter in all her extramarital glory, Frances vows to stay in her own lane. But that's a notion easier said than done when Anne's husband throws her out a couple of days later. The repercussions of the affair reverberate through the four carpool families - and Frances finds herself navigating a moral minefield that could make or break a marriage. 

Frances is in her mid-forties, married to Michael and the mother of three.  She is a busy stay-at-home mom and carpools some of the kids on her street, including her own, to their schools.  Her neighbours include Anne and Charlie and their two kids, Bill and his son, and Iris (Frances' cousin) and Sara and their son.

There's a lot going on in the neighbourhood!  One day Frances walks in on Anne having "relations" on her living room floor with a man younger than her.  Breaking up the guy, Anne figures she can move on with her husband and family but Charlie finds out and kicks her out of the house.  Bill's wife, Julie, has suddenly disappeared and everyone in the 'hood assumes the worst ... she's left Bill for someone else.  Iris and Sara have a son and Iris would like another child but is nervous about bringing it up to Sara who is focusing on her career as an actress.

This is the second book I've read by this author and I liked it.  It was written in third person perspective from the different characters' points of view.  I found the writing amusing.  As a head's up, there is swearing (the F-bomb is used a lot).

Book ~ "The Bookish Life of Nina Hill" (2019) Abbi Waxman

From Goodreads ~ The only child of a single mother, Nina has her life just as she wants it: a job in a bookstore, a kick-butt trivia team, a world-class planner and a cat named Phil. If she sometimes suspects there might be more to life than reading, she just shrugs and picks up a new book.

When the father Nina never knew existed suddenly dies, leaving behind innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, Nina is horrified. They all live close by! They're all - or mostly all - excited to meet her! She'll have to Speak. To. Strangers. It's a disaster! And as if that wasn't enough, Tom, her trivia nemesis, has turned out to be cute, funny and deeply interested in getting to know her. Doesn't he realize what a terrible idea that is?

Nina considers her options.

1. Completely change her name and appearance (too drastic, plus she likes her hair)
2. Flee to a deserted island (hard pass, see: coffee)
3. Hide in a corner of her apartment and rock back and forth (already doing it.)

It's time for Nina to come out of her comfortable shell but she isn't convinced real life could ever live up to fiction. It's going to take a brand-new family, a persistent suitor and the combined effects of ice cream and trivia to make her turn her own fresh page. 

Nina works in a bookstore and loves her job.  She has a cat named Phil and a couple friends.  She's on a competitive trivia team.  She enjoys reading and her alone time.  She is extremely organized.  Her life is fine as it is.

Nina's mother had had a fling with an older married man almost thirty years ago.  She broke up with the man, found out she was pregnant and had the man sign away any rights he had to the child and agree to never contact her.  That man was Nina's father and Nina was that baby.  Her mother wasn't one to settle down so Nina was raised by her beloved live-in nanny while her mother traveled the world as a photographer and was rarely home.

One day a lawyer comes into the bookstore to let Nina know that her father who she never knew has passed away and she has a brother and sisters and is an aunt and even a great aunt.  After having basically no family, she now has a large one ... some welcome her into the fold, while others aren't as happy.

While she's dealing with this, she becomes attracted to Tom, the captain of a rival trivia team ... and the feeling is mutual.  They are both awkward, though, and it takes a while for them to even speak to each other.

This is the first book I've read by this author and I thought it was okay.  It was written in third person perspective from Nina and Tom's points of view.  I found the writing amusing at times.  The writing style reminded me of narration sometimes ... I was hearing the narrator from the 2006 film The Holiday in my head.  As a head's up, there is some swearing and adult activity.

Nina is an book loving introvert who spouts out trivia all the time ... I found it made her a bit annoying and a know-it-all.  She's odd but once you got to know her I suppose you wouldn't notice as you would accept her as she is.  Nina doesn't seem to have any resentment towards her mother but I guess you don't miss what you never had.  It's a good thing she had/has the support and guidance of her nanny because her mother sounds awful and selfish.

I was surprised that the title of the book focuses in on her being a book lover rather than on the trivia part, since she seems to spend more time being into trivia than reading ... during the trivia contests we actually get a play-by-play of what's going on.