Wednesday, September 12, 2012

What I'm Reading: If It Was Easy, They'd Call the Whole Damn Thing a Honeymoon: Living with and Loving the TV-Addicted, Sex-Obsessed, Not-So-Handy Man You Married by Jenna McCarthy

My To-Be-Read (TBR) Pile is nearly as tall as I am (which, by the way, is fully in towering giantess territory), which is why it's taken me almost a year to get to this little gem. OK fine, I cheated a little by promoting it to the express lane because I've been excited to read it since I pre-ordered it last fall.

Turns out that my anticipation was fully justified. Jenna McCarthy's hilarious. I was literally laughing (yes, out loud, drawing stares in public and fully not caring) from the first page. She is irreverent, unafraid of "bad" language, and one of the most insightful, side-splitting, spot-on authors and commentators on marriage.

If you doubt me, watch her TedX presentation from December.

Some sections will appeal and apply more to some people than others. For instance, I didn't fully relate to the TV remote chapter because, if I'm brutally honest, I am the remote hog in my marriage. But even the sections that you may not think apply to you (for instance, in my case, the ones on kids didn't apply to me as I'm as-of-yet happily child-free) will still wildly entertain you (there's a scene involving two kids, adult supervision, and public urination that had me LOL yet again). For most chapters, I had to wonder if McCarthy didn't have binoculars trained on me and my house fully bugged--she was that in-tune with living with and loving the not-so-handyman I married. (I checked, she doesn't--she's safely across the country in California...or so her bio claims.)

It's a long-term habit that when I read something especially funny or awesome, I turn down that page's corner in order to share it with my hubby or other close friends. Turns out this is a dangerous practice when reading this book--there are sections in my copy where sometimes every page has been marked in this way. Sometimes the tops AND bottom corners are turned in!

I wondered if my husband would find it as funny or if this was geared toward the ladies (as the title might indicate). But I needn't have worried my pretty little head: Hubs laughed as hard or harder than me. When he wasn't laughing so hard he went silent, he managed to gasp out, "That's just like us!"

Oh good--it seems we agree on something ;)

Bottom line: I love it. I've recommended it (and will continue to do so) for everyone.

Best for: Anyone in a long-term relationship

Stars: Five, baby!

15 comments:

  1. Cool! I've been looking for something funny recently. Thanks for the rec.

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    1. Yay! Perfect timing! Report back to share your thoughts on it. :)

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  2. I'm engaged and in the midst of wedding planning (wedding next October). I'll check out her book. Thanks!

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    1. Anon: Yes, definitely get this book. It's a good sneak peek into what you're getting into! lol.

      And good luck with the wedding planning!

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  3. Sara - send your copy on over, please!

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    1. LOL. I now know what you'll be getting for your upcoming birthday. You will love this book. You will literally laugh your a$$ off. You will call me, laughing hysterically, to read me passages of this book.

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  4. I may not be handy, but I indeed felt the urge to sweep the house (and car) for bugs after Sara read aloud to me what have been most of the book. It is absolutely laugh-out-loud funny, insightful, witty, and well-written! Even to the TV-addicted and sex-obsessed male.

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  5. i am not married...or in a long term relationship...or in a short term relationship for that matter (unless you count my affair with key lime pie that i am trying desperately to rid myself of ) BUT...you crack my ass up so...if Jenna cracks your ass up, i am bound to get my ass cracked if i read this...and really who doesn't like a good ass cracking?

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    1. Rebeca, agreed! And anything written by Jenna McCarthy or associated with Jenna McCarthy will most definitely crack your ass up so get crackin' girl! :)

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  6. I am married, and I am relieved to hear that one can maintain such a long-term relationship in the face of conflicts the likes of which seem to be described by Jenna McCarthy's book. I am definitely going to check it out!

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    1. TeaToter: The conflicts will also crack your ass up (see above comment from Rebeca). Love the name, btw!

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  7. I love this review! And I love you Sara (but not in a creepy, stalk-you-from-a-van-parked-outside-your-house way, I SWEAR)!!! I hope all of your asses crack clear off when you read my book. In fact, I may have to add that to the jacket when we go to reprint: "An ass-cracking good time!" ~Sara's People

    Thanks for the love and laughs!

    ~Jenna

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    1. And I love YOU, Jenna! But, you know, also not in a creepy, stalkerish way. LOL.

      We anxiously await any and all future books/projects. Keep us posted! :)

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  8. I'm always looking for something fun and non-academic to read during the semester, thank you so much for the recommendation. I will check it out stat!

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  9. Cool! Let us know what you think!

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