Books are like crack for me. If libraries didn't exist I would totally have to whore myself out to support my book habit. Seriously. So imagine my complete joy when I started getting emails from publishers offering me copies of books, if I would only review them on my blog. I can only hope that it's not like those drug dealers who offer free samples to get you hooked and then start demanding outrageous payments.
I'm generally happy to read whatever kind of book the publishers want to send me, partially because I like to think of my tastes as eclectic but mostly because no one is offering me books on organic chemistry. (Thank God) A few weeks ago I got an email entitled, "Slummy Mummy". Hoping it was a book and not a personal slam, I was thrilled to find out that not only was it a book, it was one that someone wanted me to review.
The title snagged me immediately - who hasn't felt like a slummy mummy? (Er, except for you dads and non-parents, I mean) The book centers on main character Lucy Sweeney, a London (I love books set in London, they feed my fantasy of living there someday) stay-at-home mom to three sons and an over-worked husband. Lucy's intimidated by the seemingly perfect moms on the parent committee, has a crush on the cute stay-at-home dad and lives in a state of constant state of domestic crisis. In short, most of us can identify with at least one aspect of her life.
This is not a deep novel. If you're questioning your place in the universe, Slummy Mummy is not going to help. If, however, you need a good laugh at the end of the day, this is the PERFECT book. It really did make me laugh out loud in places. Other places had me groaning in sympathy. Lucy and most of the other main characters are pretty believable and engaging, even if the situations can seem a bit extreme. It reminded me of Desperate Housewives - the characters seem so real that you forget how impossible most of the plots are. And some of the lines are just terrific.
The ending stretches credibility a bit, but no more than any other great beach read. A number of reviewers have likened Lucy to Bridget Jones, which I can definitely see. (This book would be a better sequel than Edge of Reason, anyway) So if you liked Bridget Jones, I recommend reading this book. Those of you who wanted to slap Bridget, well, you should probably skip this one.
For those of you who are interested in reading Slummy Mummy by Fiona Neill, I am having my first contest. Leave a comment - preferably with a story about how you've been a slummy parent and/or person - and one commenter will be chosen to win my copy of Slummy Mummy. Comments close at midnight on Friday and I will announce the winner on Saturday. Good luck!
9 comments:
Sounds a bit like Little Children by Tom Perrotta but not so serious.
I'm sure there are countless examples of me being a slummy dad but mostly I'm guilty of feeding them entire meals that are served beneath heat lamps at the local convenience store.
does the fact that my kids are naked most of the time make me a slummy mommy
I'm not a mummy yet, but looking at the mess in our bedroom would probably prove what kind of a slummy wife I am sometimes...
I'm a Slummy Mummy once I get pulled into a great book! I'm like you... books are my crack. It's so funny, too, because I've been working on a summer reading post!
I think the fact that my children call wine "mumma's juice" makes me a slummy mummy.
Love Bridget. And, obviously, British books. When was I a slummy mummy? Almost daily when I park the kiddo in front of the tv for an hour so I can blog.
[...] you could be. If you’re Reiza from Stepping Off The Spaceship. She’s the winner of the Slummy Mummy book contest! Congrats, [...]
I'm a Slummy Mummy once I get pulled into a great book! I'm like you... books are my crack. It's so funny, too, because I've been working on a summer reading post!
does the fact that my kids are naked most of the time make me a slummy mommy
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