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mslenakay's review against another edition
3.0
2.5-3 stars. Read like a diary that was sectioned off by themes. It wasn't bad but it wasn't impressive either.
mschrock8's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed teh snippets & her creativity. Did not enjoy the dogs.
artist_lace's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Recommended by a friend, this memoir immediately drew me in. I enjoy the way the author describes her relationships, her life experiences, her passions.
This book isn’t what I was expecting, but exactly what I felt like reading all at the same time.
auroraboringallofus's review against another edition
3.0
I'm rounding down on my rating. Parts were brilliant.
margaretmechinus's review against another edition
4.0
I could be her at 70. Writing, painting, dealing with messy family situations the best I can, enjoying the grandkids, but enjoying most of all naps with my dogs.
mango123's review against another edition
3.0
2.5/5 rounded to 3. I had no idea who Abigail Thomas was or what this book was about before picking it up. Having read it, I can safely say I still have no idea what it was about. But, I liked listening to it; Abigail Thomas has a calming voice.
traciotr's review against another edition
2.0
*I received a copy of this book thanks to a Goodreads First Reads giveaway.
I am finally getting around to doing a review of [b:What Comes Next and How to Like It: A Memoir|22609326|What Comes Next and How to Like It A Memoir|Abigail Thomas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1427161113s/22609326.jpg|42099149] after receiving it several months ago. I was really hoping to like it much more, but found it lacking the usual emotion and feeling of a memoir. Instead, it seemed more of a series of snippets of various experiences, in no particular order. I thought the description by another reviewer was very fitting, as she called them "stream-of-consciousness vignettes".
There were a few recurring themes throughout, that of the author's long-term friendship with a man named Chuck, and of aging in general. However, I didn't feel that Thomas delved very deeply into anything, and the book read more like blog or diary entries. It almost seemed as if she was simply detailing many events as an impartial observer, rather than actually living through the events. Also, due to the title, I thought that she would certainly be relating how she coped after her husband's accident and eventual death. Oddly enough, she mentions her husband only a few times and simply refers to him being hit by a car and never being the same.
Overall, if I could give partial stars, I'd rate this a 2.5, but this just wasn't a book that spoke to me. Again, I'm definitely in the minority, as it has many more 4 and 5 star ratings than lower ratings. I'll just chalk it up to the fact that everyone is different, and we aren't all going to feel exactly the same about a particular book and that's what makes sites such as Goodreads interesting. :)
I am finally getting around to doing a review of [b:What Comes Next and How to Like It: A Memoir|22609326|What Comes Next and How to Like It A Memoir|Abigail Thomas|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1427161113s/22609326.jpg|42099149] after receiving it several months ago. I was really hoping to like it much more, but found it lacking the usual emotion and feeling of a memoir. Instead, it seemed more of a series of snippets of various experiences, in no particular order. I thought the description by another reviewer was very fitting, as she called them "stream-of-consciousness vignettes".
There were a few recurring themes throughout, that of the author's long-term friendship with a man named Chuck, and of aging in general. However, I didn't feel that Thomas delved very deeply into anything, and the book read more like blog or diary entries. It almost seemed as if she was simply detailing many events as an impartial observer, rather than actually living through the events. Also, due to the title, I thought that she would certainly be relating how she coped after her husband's accident and eventual death. Oddly enough, she mentions her husband only a few times and simply refers to him being hit by a car and never being the same.
Overall, if I could give partial stars, I'd rate this a 2.5, but this just wasn't a book that spoke to me. Again, I'm definitely in the minority, as it has many more 4 and 5 star ratings than lower ratings. I'll just chalk it up to the fact that everyone is different, and we aren't all going to feel exactly the same about a particular book and that's what makes sites such as Goodreads interesting. :)
literallykalasin's review against another edition
3.0
At about the midway point of this memoir about family and friendship, Abigail Thomas admits she hates chronological order. The layout of this very quick book would agree with that statement; this memoir doesn't so much tell a story as it instead lays out brief vignettes of everyday life. Some recount big events, like her daughter's cancer, and some are quiet moments -- making food, recounting a dream, painting in her shed. It recounts a life lived, and children raised, a friend made and kept for 35 years, but at the end of the book, I felt no more enlightened or moved than at the beginning.
The writing is pleasant and the format is brief and breezy. It is certainly a cosy little read. At the same time, I can't see myself coming back to this as a book with a plot that I can recount. It's the reading equivalent of cotton candy; sweet and pleasant, eventually fading into nothing.
The writing is pleasant and the format is brief and breezy. It is certainly a cosy little read. At the same time, I can't see myself coming back to this as a book with a plot that I can recount. It's the reading equivalent of cotton candy; sweet and pleasant, eventually fading into nothing.