Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me?
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- Create Date：2022-01-05 18:21:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Jen Mann
- ISBN：B09218DGRK
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Summary
A smart， personal， darkly funny examination of what it's like to be at the crossroads of a midlife crisis， from the New York Times bestselling author of People I Want to Punch in the Throat。
Jen Mann had what appeared to be the perfect life: a successful career as a bestselling author and award-winning blogger， a devoted husband， teenage kids who weren't total jerks， and a badass minivan。 So imagine her surprise when， at forty-seven years old， a midlife crisis kicked her straight in the ladybits。
In an attempt to deal with the resulting range of emotions and physical changes in midlife， Jen posted a completely honest now-viral post， "Anyone Else Falling Apart Or Is It Just Me？" The response was instantaneous and overwhelming。 Women from all over the country flooded the comments section， glad to see they weren't the only ones experiencing this feeling of isolation and dissatisfaction。 It was the beginning of a movement。 Midlife Bites encompasses these important conversations and observations and creates a space for women to navigate through this major point in their lives together， offering valuable insights and takeaways。
Jen shares her own story as well as advice and wisdom from the online community she built。 Please note， this is not your mother's midlife crisis。 Different from the typical self-help author， Jen tackles everything that bites about midlife， and nothing is off-limits with her no-nonsense approach。 Subjects include: raging hormones; sex （after forty）; finding your purpose; learning to make new friends （yes， even as a grown-up）; moving out of your comfort zone; having conversations that count， no more small talk; and how to deal with rogue chin hairs （and other nuisances）。
Midlife Bites is Jen Mann's call to action。 She is leading the movement to create a new space where middle-aged women can share openly and honestly with one another。 This no-BS collection of essays will help start the conversation and keep it going， because as women， we all have a right to be happy， fulfilled， and whole， no matter what stage of life。
Jen Mann had what appeared to be the perfect life: a successful career as a bestselling author and award-winning blogger， a devoted husband， teenage kids who weren't total jerks， and a badass minivan。 So imagine her surprise when， at forty-seven years old， a midlife crisis kicked her straight in the ladybits。
In an attempt to deal with the resulting range of emotions and physical changes in midlife， Jen posted a completely honest now-viral post， "Anyone Else Falling Apart Or Is It Just Me？" The response was instantaneous and overwhelming。 Women from all over the country flooded the comments section， glad to see they weren't the only ones experiencing this feeling of isolation and dissatisfaction。 It was the beginning of a movement。 Midlife Bites encompasses these important conversations and observations and creates a space for women to navigate through this major point in their lives together， offering valuable insights and takeaways。
Jen shares her own story as well as advice and wisdom from the online community she built。 Please note， this is not your mother's midlife crisis。 Different from the typical self-help author， Jen tackles everything that bites about midlife， and nothing is off-limits with her no-nonsense approach。 Subjects include: raging hormones; sex （after forty）; finding your purpose; learning to make new friends （yes， even as a grown-up）; moving out of your comfort zone; having conversations that count， no more small talk; and how to deal with rogue chin hairs （and other nuisances）。
Midlife Bites is Jen Mann's call to action。 She is leading the movement to create a new space where middle-aged women can share openly and honestly with one another。 This no-BS collection of essays will help start the conversation and keep it going， because as women， we all have a right to be happy， fulfilled， and whole， no matter what stage of life。
Reviews
Sheri P
，
Confession: I don’t really read non-fiction。 But I’ve heard Jen talk on a podcast and I follow her on FB and I like her wry humor and healthy doses of sarcasm， so I figured I would try this book。 This book made me laugh out loud， while also making me feel seen and less alone on this journey as a woman over 40。 Jen’s “nothing is off-limits” book examines many facets of navigating this uncomfortable phase of womanhood。 Her insights are witty and relatable and sprinkled with thoughtful suggestions Confession: I don’t really read non-fiction。 But I’ve heard Jen talk on a podcast and I follow her on FB and I like her wry humor and healthy doses of sarcasm， so I figured I would try this book。 This book made me laugh out loud， while also making me feel seen and less alone on this journey as a woman over 40。 Jen’s “nothing is off-limits” book examines many facets of navigating this uncomfortable phase of womanhood。 Her insights are witty and relatable and sprinkled with thoughtful suggestions for anyone struggling with this middle of life season， and let’s face it-we all struggle at some point！ 。。。more
Cindy :: leavemetomybooks ::
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Review TK
Michelle Blake
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I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley。When someone asks you "How are you doing？" Do you answer "Fine？" when you really want to answer "I am losing my ever-loving mind！！！" Then this is the book for you。 Jen let's you know that you are not alone and all of these pent up feelings women are "not allowed to release" are valid and you need to release them。 I am so happy to have found her group on FB and know that if I have a question about almost literally anything - I can find the answer ther I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley。When someone asks you "How are you doing？" Do you answer "Fine？" when you really want to answer "I am losing my ever-loving mind！！！" Then this is the book for you。 Jen let's you know that you are not alone and all of these pent up feelings women are "not allowed to release" are valid and you need to release them。 I am so happy to have found her group on FB and know that if I have a question about almost literally anything - I can find the answer there。Can I give this book 6 stars？？？？ 。。。more
Monica
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4。5 stars。 Jen Mann is a force of nature。 She is genuine， hilarious and writes a compelling book that offers levity as well as advice to middle aged women so they aren't alone in feeling the unique stresses of midlife。 I could not put this book down。 Here are just a couple of quotes to illustrate my point:"No matter how ideal someone's life might look like from the outside， I promise you， no one really has their shit together。 We are all muddling through this appalling clusterfuck called midlife 4。5 stars。 Jen Mann is a force of nature。 She is genuine， hilarious and writes a compelling book that offers levity as well as advice to middle aged women so they aren't alone in feeling the unique stresses of midlife。 I could not put this book down。 Here are just a couple of quotes to illustrate my point:"No matter how ideal someone's life might look like from the outside， I promise you， no one really has their shit together。 We are all muddling through this appalling clusterfuck called midlife as best we can。""I realized that the happiest people I knew had purpose in their life。 Without a purpose we tend to drift through life rather than living it。" "I'd like to go ahead and offer my apologies to the makers of Fla-Vor-Ice Freezer Pops for the unspeakable things we contemplated doing with your fine product。 In our defense， 2019 was a very hot summer。。。"I really enjoy her blog too which I only learned about in the book。 It's a supportive group that she created on facebook; the posts both bring a smile to my face and make me realize I can post about anything on this site if I so choose。 It's a great space to vent。 I highly recommend this book to anyone in their 40s-50s whether struggling with the sandwich issues of raising kids and taking care of parents， or dealing with other midlife issues。 Mann is straightforward， humorous， and doesn't hold back which may be just what you need to help you get through the rough years。 Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the copy in exchange for a review。 #MidlifeBites #JenMann #NetGalley 。。。more
Julia Richardson
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Jen Mann is the author of a blog and one day decided to get brutally honest。 This book is a true look inside the life of a woman in their midlife。 She is brutal。 She is real。 Her language may offend some， but she tells it how it is。 Enjoyed reading this and had quite a few laughs！
Tina
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Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart or Is It Just Me？ by Jen Mann #ninetyfifthbookof2021 #arc CW: discussion of divorce， financial abuse， sex， and health and body changes。 This is a collection of personal essays from Jen Mann， who was responsible for a viral post several years ago about the Elf on a Shelf。 I have no memory of seeing it but I don’t have kids， so it wouldn’t have been on my radar。 This helped Mann get her start and now she’s written several books。 This latest is about her sel Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart or Is It Just Me？ by Jen Mann #ninetyfifthbookof2021 #arc CW: discussion of divorce， financial abuse， sex， and health and body changes。 This is a collection of personal essays from Jen Mann， who was responsible for a viral post several years ago about the Elf on a Shelf。 I have no memory of seeing it but I don’t have kids， so it wouldn’t have been on my radar。 This helped Mann get her start and now she’s written several books。 This latest is about her self diagnosed midlife crisis and includes essays titled “Who Are You Calling Crazy？” and “You Will Pee Your Pants。” While I am the target audience for this book （I’m the right age with a predisposition for foul language）， I wasn’t super impressed by it either。 I didn’t take much away from it， I’ve read funnier collections， and it isn’t something I’ll remember in a day or so。 I mean， it’s fine。 In my opinion， her best essay is the last one called “I’m Not Everyone’s Cup of Tea” and her attitude about not caring what others think of her is one thing I wish I could emulate。 But the rest of the book was just meh for me。 Thank you to @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse #BallantineBooks for the advance copy。 （Pub date 1/4/22） #humor #selfhelp 。。。more
Karen
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I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I think I may be too old for this book。 I lost interest in the stories， and couldn't finish。。Sorry！ I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review。I think I may be too old for this book。 I lost interest in the stories， and couldn't finish。。Sorry！ 。。。more
Trijntje
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It's a little hard to not draw similarities between this book and Jenny Lawson's other books， but I'll try be fair to Jen Mann， since this is the first I've read from her （no， I wasn't even aware of her blog）。I liked it！ Of course， it spoke to me， even though she's more than 10 years younger than I am。 Every thing （almost） she describes almost every woman has or will experience， or has a close girlfriend who did/will。 In that sense， the book accomplishes her goal of making us not feel alone， in It's a little hard to not draw similarities between this book and Jenny Lawson's other books， but I'll try be fair to Jen Mann， since this is the first I've read from her （no， I wasn't even aware of her blog）。I liked it！ Of course， it spoke to me， even though she's more than 10 years younger than I am。 Every thing （almost） she describes almost every woman has or will experience， or has a close girlfriend who did/will。 In that sense， the book accomplishes her goal of making us not feel alone， in spades。 Of course， our own experiences are all different - her Hubs is different than mine， her kids aren't the same， etc。， and yet。。。 she manages to stress the universal aspects of all the weirdness of passing through middle age。 It's a fast read， and made me feel just a little more "whole" after it was over。 She's not like me （I almost never don't wear pants）， but I think we could be friends。 She gets it: either your priorities lean in the same direction as hers， or they absolutely don't。 She knows who she is talking to。 Men would likely be bored or lost or not get the point here， which isn't to say they shouldn't give this book a try， but know that it's not making excuses and she's not whining: this really is what it feels like to be us at this point in our lives， and it's a mess。 。。。more
Erica Robbin
，
Hilarious and relatable。 I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program。 I’d recommend it to anyone who feels they may think they can relate to the cover for self-assessment， anyone looking for a good laugh， as well as a book club pick as it would be a fun one to read alongside with others。The StoryI was not familiar with the history of the blog or previous writings but Hilarious and relatable。 I would like to thank Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for providing me with an advance readers copy via access to the galley for free through the NetGalley program。 I’d recommend it to anyone who feels they may think they can relate to the cover for self-assessment， anyone looking for a good laugh， as well as a book club pick as it would be a fun one to read alongside with others。The StoryI was not familiar with the history of the blog or previous writings but the title is what grabbed me and was not disappointed。It’s not an exhaustive or clinical perspective self-help type book， which was the strong appeal for me in reading this book and staying engaged with it because offers a bit of more relatable appeal with sass and humor that makes for a play on characterization， exaggeration， but with preciseness to make the point all the much more accurate。Love the Jen’s Gems， great for a kitchen table discussion amongst friends or a book club。Shares enough redemptive qualities that are relatable as well as failures that are equally relatable。 Ups and downs of life depicted in a nonjudgmental but comparable asking of yourself of the same， if that makes sense？I think of course every woman goes through these sorts of changes and what makes this book unique is that it speaks to this generation of now with references of how it relates to the mental， emotional， social， physical changes along the way in this day and age。Some language was a bit crass for my taste， swearing like a sailor， a drunken one at that but I appreciated the humor that came across。The WritingIt's very straightforward， casual， yet self-reflective enough without being aloof or dismissive in the details。 A great story teller in that way。I would look forward to a future book， an approach of the elderly， because here we come！Blog post 。。。more
Emi Yoshida
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I think I would have enjoyed Blogger Jen Mann more had I not read her right after finishing Broken by Jenny Lawson。 Jenny has a way more varied and creative potty mouth than Jen does， but I guess that's like comparing inhibitionless apples to blocked oranges。 All that being said， Midlife Bites is an honest and funny take on the female midlife crisis， on "feelings of loneliness， fear， inadequacy， bankruptcy， or whatever"。 I didn't feel like the disconnected time line really worked here， it was fi I think I would have enjoyed Blogger Jen Mann more had I not read her right after finishing Broken by Jenny Lawson。 Jenny has a way more varied and creative potty mouth than Jen does， but I guess that's like comparing inhibitionless apples to blocked oranges。 All that being said， Midlife Bites is an honest and funny take on the female midlife crisis， on "feelings of loneliness， fear， inadequacy， bankruptcy， or whatever"。 I didn't feel like the disconnected time line really worked here， it was fine starting with her mid-breakdown and then going back to the lead-up but from that point on I got a little confused about what order things were happening in， and distracted by her hating people talking about the weather and claiming that she personally never talked about the weather herself and then averring she would never talk about the weather ever again going forward， or not attend a yoga class regularly because that "would require putting on a bra and pants， leaving my house， and making mindless small talk with people about the weather。" But Midlife Bites makes a lot of really good points， and I was cheering for Jen's progress all through this book。 I especially loved the point she made about her ophthalmologist and rheumatologist having spent over twice the time talking with her about perimenopause and menopause than her primary care doctor or gynecologist ever had。 。。。more
Amy
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Jen Mann's Midlife Bites was extremely refreshing， especially at this middle point in my life。 Mann's writing is concise and understandable， and while she gives plenty of advice， she is extremely empathetic， being among the middle-aged， too。 I loved this book for a number of reasons。 First， Mann is exceptionally funny， adding so much humor to a time of life that is not necessarily amusing。 Second， Mann's personal stories are so relatable， but， yet， so absurd， that they make the reader want to ke Jen Mann's Midlife Bites was extremely refreshing， especially at this middle point in my life。 Mann's writing is concise and understandable， and while she gives plenty of advice， she is extremely empathetic， being among the middle-aged， too。 I loved this book for a number of reasons。 First， Mann is exceptionally funny， adding so much humor to a time of life that is not necessarily amusing。 Second， Mann's personal stories are so relatable， but， yet， so absurd， that they make the reader want to keep reading， nodding along in agreement and/or laughing at the crazy situations Mann finds herself in with friends and neighbors。 Third， Mann doles out excellent advice in this book， ranging from finding one's purpose in life to trying new things， and she points out that nobody cares as much about you as you think they do， which is always outstanding advice。 Fourth， Mann tackles the harder subjects like peri-menopause/menopause， changing bodies， potential changing relationships （divorce）， and faith with grace and， again， humor， such that you will want， in the end， to be her friend。 Honestly， Mann is like the big sister that I never had。 Finally， there are so， so many good chapters in this book， but "You Will Pee Your Pants" was probably one of my favorites， with the best soliloquy on mid-life that I've ever read， one that perfectly describes how I， and many of my friends， are feeling right now。 Truly， I cannot recommend this book highly enough。 Thank you， Jen Mann！ 。。。more
Melissa （LifeFullyBooked）
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Happy Release Day！ Jen Mann is my spirit animal。 She totally and completely gets me， sometimes I feel like she has a camera hidden in my house and she just writes down everything she sees here。 Honestly though， it's so helpful and hopeful for me to know that I'm not alone in this midlife struggle。"I haven't slept through the night in months thanks to my brain being an asshole。" "No matter how ideal someone's life might look like from the outside， I promise you， no one really has their shit toget Happy Release Day！ Jen Mann is my spirit animal。 She totally and completely gets me， sometimes I feel like she has a camera hidden in my house and she just writes down everything she sees here。 Honestly though， it's so helpful and hopeful for me to know that I'm not alone in this midlife struggle。"I haven't slept through the night in months thanks to my brain being an asshole。" "No matter how ideal someone's life might look like from the outside， I promise you， no one really has their shit together。 We are all muddling through this appalling clusterfuck called midlife as best we can。"I've been a long time fan of Jen since her People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters， Drop-Off Despots， and Other Suburban Scourges series， and when I saw last year that she had started a Facebook group called Midlife Bites， with content particularly geared towards women of a certain age I knew I had to join。 I've found camaraderie and acceptance in that group （as well as so much laughter）， and when I then saw that Jen had a book coming out， I knew that it was the book for me and begged for a review copy。 There's so much to like here in this book， but the most important thing for me is to know that what I'm thinking， feeling， and experiencing is not me going slowly insane。 These mixed up mental and physical "adventures" are something normal that millions of other women are experiencing as well， and that makes me feel less alone。 I highly recommend this book to those women stuck in the middle of midlife and wondering what on earth is happening。 Jen's straight talk， humor， and no-punches-pulled way of communication will give you just the hope you need to move forward。 4。5 stars。I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book， all opinions are my own。 。。。more
MB KARAPCIK
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Remember how you couldn't wait to be an adult and all the excitement it entailed？ Well， once you started aging， you realized it was not fun， games， and no rules。 But that's okay， right， but no， Jen Mann is hear to tell you that Midlife Bites。 Jen's new entry into her pantheon of books for venting about parenting， politics， and pop culture tackles the aging process and midlife crises in particular。 I've calculated that I must be about the same age as Jen， and I've read some of her blog posts abou Remember how you couldn't wait to be an adult and all the excitement it entailed？ Well， once you started aging， you realized it was not fun， games， and no rules。 But that's okay， right， but no， Jen Mann is hear to tell you that Midlife Bites。 Jen's new entry into her pantheon of books for venting about parenting， politics， and pop culture tackles the aging process and midlife crises in particular。 I've calculated that I must be about the same age as Jen， and I've read some of her blog posts about parenting。 She's snarky and brilliant。 This book stemmed from a post she wrote that defied her usual fare in that she truthfully discussed how unhappy she was and how she felt guilty about it。 Does anyone care that women of a certain age feel miserable even if they appear to have it all？ She goes over all the areas that middle-aged women feel nervous or unsettled about their lives and lets you know that you're not alone。Although some areas of my life really suck right now beyond typical midlife， Jen puts it all into perspective with her signature wit。 Whether you're changing careers， experiencing empty nest， or developing health problems due to age， she's there for you to relate to and see how you can conquer these areas and more of your life。 She's a champion of our age group， and even though it's been a battle， she keeps striving to make her life better。 She knows that you can， too， if you just take a look at her quick chapters and see how you can make your own life better and fight for your midlife years and sanity。 Her own epiphanies may spring your own， and， if nothing else， give you a little kick to make these years just as good， if not better， than any other decade than before。Even if you don't think Midlife Bites， you'll get something out of this book even if it's just a few laughs or an introduction to the woman who formerly wanted to punch people in the throat。 Well， maybe she still does， but she's still a hero to many and a new one for anyone griping about midlife。Thank you Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine， Ballantine Books for an advanced reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review！ It was a pleasure！ 。。。more
Brianna
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When Jen Mann said “I get through the day with tons of caffeine， screaming into the void， and rage-crying，” I knew I was in the right place。 I may not be quite the target age demographic for this book， but I still found it highly relatable， funny， and full of good advice。 Mann is open and honest about the struggles of midlife for women: marriage struggles， menopause， juggling the demands of a successful career and a family， friendships （or lack thereof） and the never ending to-do list for each o When Jen Mann said “I get through the day with tons of caffeine， screaming into the void， and rage-crying，” I knew I was in the right place。 I may not be quite the target age demographic for this book， but I still found it highly relatable， funny， and full of good advice。 Mann is open and honest about the struggles of midlife for women: marriage struggles， menopause， juggling the demands of a successful career and a family， friendships （or lack thereof） and the never ending to-do list for each of those categories。 Her stories are peppered with her comedic and acerbic observations and many an F bomb （prudish reader beware）。 I appreciated her openness and style。I feel like I have to admit， I hadn’t actually heard of Mann’s wildly popular blog or other books until I received this galley， so you don’t need to be familiar with her previous works to enjoy Midlife Bites。 I’m a fan now though and look forward to reading more of her backlist！Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback 。。。more
J。 Greenwood
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Beyond being laugh-out-loud funny， MIDLIFE BITES is a raw， honest exploration of the things that haunt many women at midlife。 Mann asks hard questions of herself， "did I follow my dreams？ is this all there is？ what happened to my body？ who is this person I married？" and so much more。 Mann is excellent at the turn of phrase， and her quips make even the toughest subjects funny and relatable。 Men should read this book， by the way， and Generation X women， in particular， will find this book accessibl Beyond being laugh-out-loud funny， MIDLIFE BITES is a raw， honest exploration of the things that haunt many women at midlife。 Mann asks hard questions of herself， "did I follow my dreams？ is this all there is？ what happened to my body？ who is this person I married？" and so much more。 Mann is excellent at the turn of phrase， and her quips make even the toughest subjects funny and relatable。 Men should read this book， by the way， and Generation X women， in particular， will find this book accessible， funny， and helpful as they wonder about what their lives are， what's around the corner， and what might have been。 —Alex Greenwood， host and producer， MYSTERIOUS GOINGS ON podcast 。。。more
Cynda Hollenbeak
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Lol hilarious。 Jen really impresses me the way she is able to put all of her midlife troubles out there for us fans to laugh with her。 This is a must read。 I love the Jen Gems。
Carey’s Reviews
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4 Stars！ Get ready to LOL！！ I had never heard of this author or her blog but I’m so glad I finally found her！ This book made me feel like I’m not alone in the way I think and feel。 She had me laughing and nodding my head in solidarity。 Every woman over 30 should read this book。 If not for the self help tips， than for a few good laughs！ The author comes off as relatable and really funny。 She puts into words the way I’ve been feeling， that I haven’t been able to explain， but Jen Mann explains perf 4 Stars！ Get ready to LOL！！ I had never heard of this author or her blog but I’m so glad I finally found her！ This book made me feel like I’m not alone in the way I think and feel。 She had me laughing and nodding my head in solidarity。 Every woman over 30 should read this book。 If not for the self help tips， than for a few good laughs！ The author comes off as relatable and really funny。 She puts into words the way I’ve been feeling， that I haven’t been able to explain， but Jen Mann explains perfectly。 Definitely worth the read！*I received this book at no charge & I voluntarily left this review。* 。。。more
Sharon Naylor Toris
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I loved it！ It can be so difficult to find a relatable title like this when you don't fit into the usual life trajectories， but Jen Mann strikes the perfect chord of observation and humor。。。。without delving into any cliche or whining at all。 I found bright bits of wisdom and relatability throughout the book， and I'm buying a copy so that I can dip back into this title any time。 This is the kind of book that delights you upon first read， and then when you go back to feel that connected feeling ag I loved it！ It can be so difficult to find a relatable title like this when you don't fit into the usual life trajectories， but Jen Mann strikes the perfect chord of observation and humor。。。。without delving into any cliche or whining at all。 I found bright bits of wisdom and relatability throughout the book， and I'm buying a copy so that I can dip back into this title any time。 This is the kind of book that delights you upon first read， and then when you go back to feel that connected feeling again， you find lots more to love。 Well done， Jen Mann， and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy。 。。。more
Emily
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Was looking forward to this book as I've just entered my 40s。 But， I didn't love Jen's perspective on aging。 To quote Amy Poehler: "Good for you。 Not for me。"ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley， but the opinions are my own。 Was looking forward to this book as I've just entered my 40s。 But， I didn't love Jen's perspective on aging。 To quote Amy Poehler: "Good for you。 Not for me。"ARC provided by the publisher via NetGalley， but the opinions are my own。 。。。more
Julie
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Jenn Mann is the popular author of the "People I Want to Punch in the Throat" series， which I LOVE。 When I saw that she had a new book out I had to get a copy。 In MIdlife Bites， Jenn discusses the issues that middle age women face with both honesty and humor。 I also learned new things about aging that I'm probably not ready to know （why older women like mumus）， but am glad that I do。 She also touched on thoughtful topics， such as finding happiness when your kids leave the house and you feel that Jenn Mann is the popular author of the "People I Want to Punch in the Throat" series， which I LOVE。 When I saw that she had a new book out I had to get a copy。 In MIdlife Bites， Jenn discusses the issues that middle age women face with both honesty and humor。 I also learned new things about aging that I'm probably not ready to know （why older women like mumus）， but am glad that I do。 She also touched on thoughtful topics， such as finding happiness when your kids leave the house and you feel that you are starting over。 And she discussed the power of finding your tribe and not being afraid to have honest conversations with those around you （she has evolved past conversation starters on the weather and so should we。。。）。 Her wisdom on sharing our feelings with our friends really hit home and made sense--how often do we really have real conversations with friends about the topics that really matter？In addition to the feel good， Jenn also shared a bit of her personal challenges in her marriage and her life as a traveling blogger。 Her writing style always makes you feel as though you are having a really fun conversation with a friend （and Jenn， if you read reviews I'm sending a virtual hug！）。She also told insightful， yet humorous stories on discovering yoga and crystals。 Plus， she shared her experience as an accidental participant in stand-up。 Her book will make you laugh and smile。 In fact， I plan to make it required meeting at my next book club and recommend it to all my middle-aged friends。 I can't get enough of this author。 Highly recommend。 。。。more
Christine Lussier
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Jen Mann once again is telling it like it is。 If you aren't used to her books， note there is profanity-she calls it as she sees it！ Spot on， middle age living from someone going through it。 A fun， quick， witty read。Thanks to NetGalley & Random House/Ballantine Books for the preview in exchange for an honest review Jen Mann once again is telling it like it is。 If you aren't used to her books， note there is profanity-she calls it as she sees it！ Spot on， middle age living from someone going through it。 A fun， quick， witty read。Thanks to NetGalley & Random House/Ballantine Books for the preview in exchange for an honest review 。。。more
Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition
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Jen is f_ing mad and she's not taking s__t from anyone， anymore！If colorful language offends you， you may want to pass on this one。I personally find Jen Mann hilarious， she reminds me of my foul mouthed best friend who always cuts to the chase with brutally honest， heartfelt advice。The author disects every aspect of middle age， specifically menopause， for women:Hormones （or lack of）， relationships with friends and significant others， dealing with adult children & declining parents， careers and t Jen is f_ing mad and she's not taking s__t from anyone， anymore！If colorful language offends you， you may want to pass on this one。I personally find Jen Mann hilarious， she reminds me of my foul mouthed best friend who always cuts to the chase with brutally honest， heartfelt advice。The author disects every aspect of middle age， specifically menopause， for women:Hormones （or lack of）， relationships with friends and significant others， dealing with adult children & declining parents， careers and trying to achieve fulfillment and satisfaction in your life without feeling guilty about expressing your feelings about it。Highly recommended - this was a quick read for me and I will probably buy this book for my sister。 。。。more
Allison H
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This book was very entertaining and gave me lots of laughs。 Heads up， the author is crude and uses profanity throughout the book but she does state that she is a no nonsense kind of woman。 She tells it all and doesn’t care what others think。 I could relate to a lot of her funny stores about mid-life， kids， and marriage。 I give this one 3。5 stars and recommend it to any middleaged woman who wants a good laugh。 Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book。
Kelly Long
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Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。Jen Mann always says exactly what's on her mind。 I really like that about her。 She's honest and real。 I've read other books by her so I knew what to expect。 This book tends to go deeper than the others。 Her views on middle age are relatable and she makes the battles of life pretty darn funny。 Not everyone will appreciate her sense of humor but I think most people can certainly relate and find humor Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review。Jen Mann always says exactly what's on her mind。 I really like that about her。 She's honest and real。 I've read other books by her so I knew what to expect。 This book tends to go deeper than the others。 Her views on middle age are relatable and she makes the battles of life pretty darn funny。 Not everyone will appreciate her sense of humor but I think most people can certainly relate and find humor in mid life。 。。。more
Jodi Gallegos
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How have I gone this long without having Jen Mann in my life？ Several months ago I saw a book entitled Midlife Bites on Netgalley。 As someone who is in that particular time of life—and has discovered it can indeed bite—I requested it immediately。 Admittedly I sometimes request ARCs based on title alone only to be disappointed， but this is a resounding case of it working out in my favor。 First， in case you don’t know of Jen Mann， she authors a blog called People I Want to Punch in the Throat （and How have I gone this long without having Jen Mann in my life？ Several months ago I saw a book entitled Midlife Bites on Netgalley。 As someone who is in that particular time of life—and has discovered it can indeed bite—I requested it immediately。 Admittedly I sometimes request ARCs based on title alone only to be disappointed， but this is a resounding case of it working out in my favor。 First， in case you don’t know of Jen Mann， she authors a blog called People I Want to Punch in the Throat （and had I only known that I would also be a fan of her）。 In one particular blog post Mann laid bare some of the struggles she was having and found that they were resoundingly shared by her readers。 Midlife Bites is a bit of an extension of that blog post， tacking all the things women generally don’t talk about with regards to aging and the act of living and being women。 While Mann’s viewpoint may seem harsh to some， it’s truthful， bold， non-nonsense， and so freaking funny！ Mann writes in a way that’s engaging， honest， and makes even the most heart-breaking and mortifying topics seem survivable。 Midlife Bites will be released January 4， 2022， and I highly recommend it。 。。。more
Allison Glasgow
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Such a fun read！ Considering my age， I found this so relatable！！ Almost as if every chapter had been written for me！ Jen is in her midlife and writes about the myriad of changes， to body and life， and makes the readers feel less alone in this journey even though we may not talk about all the things/changes going on。The stories and advice in this book are raw， very real and so funny！ You will walk away feeling less alone， maybe a little "normal" and a little lighter！ I really loved this honest ta Such a fun read！ Considering my age， I found this so relatable！！ Almost as if every chapter had been written for me！ Jen is in her midlife and writes about the myriad of changes， to body and life， and makes the readers feel less alone in this journey even though we may not talk about all the things/changes going on。The stories and advice in this book are raw， very real and so funny！ You will walk away feeling less alone， maybe a little "normal" and a little lighter！ I really loved this honest take on midlife！ Thank you to NetGalley， the author， and publisher for my ARC in return for an honest review。 。。。more
Gail O'Connor
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I'm sure this is a delightful book。 It just didn't keep my interest。 I know others will love it。 I needed an uplifting story。 I'm sure this is a delightful book。 It just didn't keep my interest。 I know others will love it。 I needed an uplifting story。 。。。more
Janall
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Thanks to the Publisher and Net Gallery for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。Remember when you met your soulmate？ No， not that ONE。 I’m talking about that time maybe grade school or college， or at employer when you met the ONE， the girl who got you。 The one who laughed at all your jokes， the one that never stabbed you in the back？ You instantly became besties in the truest sense of the word。 I feel like Jen Mann is that for me。 Like every one of her chapters was wri Thanks to the Publisher and Net Gallery for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review。Remember when you met your soulmate？ No， not that ONE。 I’m talking about that time maybe grade school or college， or at employer when you met the ONE， the girl who got you。 The one who laughed at all your jokes， the one that never stabbed you in the back？ You instantly became besties in the truest sense of the word。 I feel like Jen Mann is that for me。 Like every one of her chapters was written for me。 And you know what- seems like there are a lot of us out there， a lost tribe of women wandering around thinking these same thoughts， thinking they were alone。 Women at middle age， who are saying- “now what”？ Kids mostly raised， husbands/ boyfriends are sort of ‘ meh， love ‘em but some day can take em or leave em。’ Instead I’m longing for friends， a connection， a purpose for spending the next 40-50 years。 I am terrible with self-help books。 Because they are NON- Fiction， I always feel like I should be taking notes， and doing something with information。 Like a college class in a required subject， I often get bored and wander away。 This book however was the exact opposite。 I joined the midlife bites Facebook group。 （Great group of women there）。 Even better， though I took action， and did a couple of brave things because of her advice and encouragement。 I put myself at risk for rejection。 I reached out to some old friends that I haven’t talked to in 25 years。 We have had some really good chats。 I reached out to my ‘Facebook Friends’ and asked how they were。 （ So far， I just got one thumbs up 🤦♀️， but will see how that goes） and I reached out to start a play group for my dog。 Im going to stop waiting for people to invite me ， and invite them instead。 Big scary moves for me。 But I’m going to keep trying。 I also have an inkling of what I want to do when I retire。 Nothing firm， but at least no longer a blank page。 If you are over 35， and feeling sort of blah and lonely and a bit sad about your life。 And guilty for feeling that way。 Jen’s stories and advice is real and raw， and funny。 This book had me laughing so much I woke up my husband， jiggling the bed。 He farted and went back to sleep。 I laughed some more。 Highly recommend ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️My ask for Jen， when this book publishes， maybe start a Facebook chat about each chapter- sort of a book club。 I would love to discuss some of the topics more at length。 。。。more
Beth
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A very funny and entertaining read。 Not a title I’d buy for my high school library but an entertaining read for this almost mid-life librarian。
Michelle Fairchild
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