Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake
- set item rating to 0.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 1 out of 5.
- set item rating to 1.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 2 out of 5.
- set item rating to 2.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 3 out of 5.
- set item rating to 3.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 4 out of 5.
- set item rating to 4.5 out of 5.
- set item rating to 5 out of 5.
Add a Comment
Add Tags
Add More
Save to a List
-
Save to a Shared List
Print
Item Details
- Description
- Full Record
- Author Notes
- Contents
- Excerpts
- Reviews
- Summary
- A\V Summary
Searching for more content…
In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead--and celebrating it all--as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more. As she did in her beloved
… More »In this irresistible memoir, the New York Times bestselling author and winner of the Pulitzer Prize Anna Quindlen writes about looking back and ahead--and celebrating it all--as she considers marriage, girlfriends, our mothers, faith, loss, all the stuff in our closets, and more. As she did in her beloved New York Times columns, and in A Short Guide to a Happy Life, Quindlen says for us here what we may wish we could have said ourselves. Using her past, present, and future to explore what matters most to women at different ages, Quindlen talks about Marriage: "A safety net of small white lies can be the bedrock of a successful marriage. You wouldn't believe how cheaply I can do a kitchen renovation." Girlfriends: "Ask any woman how she makes it through the day, and she may mention her calendar, her to-do lists, her babysitter. But if you push her on how she really makes it through her day, she will mention her girlfriends. Sometimes I will see a photo of an actress in an unflattering dress or a blouse too young for her or with a heavy-handed makeup job, and I mutter, 'She must not have any girlfriends.' " Stuff: "Here's what it comes down to, really: there is now so much stuff in my head, so many years, so many memories, that it's taken the place of primacy away from the things in the bedrooms, on the porch. My doctor says that, contrary to conventional wisdom, she doesn't believe our memories flag because of a drop in estrogen but because of how crowded it is in the drawers of our minds. Between the stuff at work and the stuff at home, the appointments and the news and the gossip and the rest, the past and the present and the plans for the future, the filing cabinets in our heads are not only full, they're overflowing." Our bodies: "I've finally recognized my body for what it is: a personality-delivery system, designed expressly to carry my character from place to place, now and in the years to come. It's like a car, and while I like a red convertible or even a Bentley as well as the next person, what I really need are four tires and an engine." Parenting: "Being a parent is not transactional. We do not get what we give. It is the ultimate pay-it-forward endeavor: We are good parents not so they will be loving enough to stay with us but so they will be strong enough to leave us." From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen's status as America's laureate of real life.
« LessCommunity Activity
Find it at OPL
Loading...
Please keep in mind that some of the content that we make available to you through this application comes from Amazon Web Services. All such content is provided to you "as is". This content and your use of it are subject to change and/or removal at any time.
Comment
Add a CommentAnna Quindlen spoke far more eloquently than I the thoughts that are in my head. It is always startling to discover I'm not the only one who feels a certain way. I experienced the same thing when I read Mennonite in a Little Black Dress.
Just finished this book. While there's no chance of this collection of essays on aging winning a Pulitzer, it was an entertaining read that I enjoyed. Not sure if a reader younger than at least 45-50 would appreciate Quindlen's reflections on her own life---I think those of us in the "shorter half" of life can relate better to the thoughts she expresses. Contemplative, reflective, funny, not depressing, optimistic but realistic, this book was written by a person who pays more attention on a daily basis than I do. Kinda jealous of her ability in that regard! Worth your time, but don't bother if you're under 45+.
At first this book started out well - a refreshing voice of someone who is enjoying aging rather than whining about it. I thoroughly enjoyed hearing about her own personal experiences. But I was somewhat put off by some of her sweeping generalizations of groups of people - as if all men think and act the same, that all atheists are really just people who are opposed to what is going on the Catholic Church or that because she doesn't think retirement would work for her, the concept of retirement is dead. And so on. It would have been much better if she just kept to her own experiences.
Love most of Quindlen's work, but she seemed a little....I don't know- full of herself?- in this one. Yeah, I know it's a memoir, but she's just so... PROUD. Yuck. However, several friends loved it, so what do I know?
Anna's writing is laugh out loud funny while current and thought provoking for any boomer headed into retirement. This is a quick, fun read that would make a great Mother's Day or birthday gift.
Having reached a ripe old age myself, I enjoyed Anna's memoir about looking back at life, the good, the bad and the ugly!
Enjoyed the book a great deal. She could be my mother, and I 100% can't relate to things she has gone through.....yet...but her wisdom and perspective was thought provoking, and relevent. I enjoyed the essays, her witty jests, and the overall compilation of the book.
Well written, thoughtful essays about life in one's 50's or 60's. I found it a bit dry and boring, Maybe it's only interesting if you're at that age.
Read several books by this author, but this was a dud.
love her writing - can really relate