Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: The Lighter Side of Life As a Mother and Daughter

The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman #3

by Lisa Scottoline, Francesca Serritella

Scottoline, Lisa, Serritella, Francesca

Genres: Nonfiction, Humor, Audiobook, Essays, Memoir, Family, Short Stories

288 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 2011

About the author

Lisa Scottoline is a #1 bestselling and Edgar award-winning author of 33 novels. Her books are book-club favorites, and Lisa and her daughter Francesca Serritella have hosted an annual Big Book Club Party for over a thousand readers at her Pennsylvania farm, for the past twelve years. Lisa has served as President of Mystery Writers of America, and her reviews of fiction and non-fiction have appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Philadelphia Inquirer. She also writes a weekly column with her daughter for the Philadelphia Inquirer entitled Chick Wit, a witty take on life from a woman’s perspective, which have been collected in a bestselling series of humorous memoirs. Lisa graduated magna cum laude in three years from the University of Pennsylvania, with a B.A. in English, and cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania Law School, where she taught Justice and Fiction. Lisa has over 30 million copies of her books in print and is published in over 35 countries. She lives in the Philadelphia area with an array of disobedient pets and wouldn’t have it any other way.

Reviews

[Rachel Sides · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lisa Scottoline is best known for her mystery fiction, but I don't really care for mysteries. I do, however, love Lisa Scottoline's compilations of her "Chick Wit" column in the Philadelphia Inquirer, which she writes with her daughter, Francesca Serritella. The first such compilation demanded I read it because of the catchy title, Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog. How can you not pick that up! Then I listened to My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space on CD and absolutely recommend the CD versions because they are read by Lisa and Francesca. I've just listened to Best Friends, Occsional Enemies and I must say it is a great addition to the set. If you were an Erma Bombeck fan, you should try Lisa Scottoline's non-fiction titles.

[Ruth · Rating 5 out of 5]

To meet Lisa and her daughter (and Mother Mary) is to love them and my family has met them on several occasions. Yes, we were amongst those at her house. At any rate, we have read all of her books and enjoyed them. We have also read Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog and My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space. We loved them, too. But Lisa and Francesca hit this one out of the park! I can't tell you how many times I laughed at loud and had my husband ask me what was so funny. You just can't beat a book that makes you smile and laugh. The book is simply a collection of the articles that they write for the newspaper, called "Chick Wit". They write about things they experience in everyday life but somehow there is something hilarious that happens to laugh about. We can find these things in our own lives, too which is why we relate to them so well and find ourselves laughing outloud. Be sure to pick this book up and enjoy.

Lisa and Francesca thank their readers, but I hope they know that their readers thank them! Well done, Lisa and Francesca!

[Delores · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a funny and entertaining look at mother-daughter relationships. I could relate so much in my being a daughter, not a mother, yet. The humour was great and the stories delightful. They may be famous authors, but they seemed really down to earth here. I'm glad I read this.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

*Audiobook Review*

It’s no secret that I absolutely adore Lisa Scottoline and her daughter Francesca Serritella. I raved about their first book together, MY NEST ISN’T EMPTY, IT JUST HAS MORE CLOSET SPACE and I recently recapped meeting them at a signing with my mom. So getting to LISTEN to them narrate their second book together? A true treat.

I reviewed my first audiobook over the summer, and with this being my second audiobook experience, I have to say, I’m hooked! Especially now that I have a bit of a longer commute, listening to an audiobook is so much nicer than flipping back and forth from radio station to radio station.

I love Scottoline and Serritella’s writing style anyway, but getting to actually hear them narrate the stories in their own voices absolutely made this book awesome. It was like being at one of their signings, but from the comfort of my car. If you’ve never been to one of their signings, it’s basically like a mini comed y show, and this audiobook was no exception. I found myself laughing out loud in the car on more than one occasion. I can’t stress enough how awesome it was to hear the actual authors read this book; it made the experience feel so much more real.

Also, like I mentioned in my review for their first book, I absolutely love the tone of these books. You really do feel as if you’re best friends with the authors just out for a drink and chatting. I love the way they make each reader feel like they’re family. The tone of this book is extremely conversational, a little bit sarcastic and full of heart.

All mom’s and daughters will relate to this book in some way. Even the title is very relatable. What girl doesn’t consider their mom a close friend, but at times an enemy? Hearing the way the two interact absolutely reminded me of the way my mom and I act together. It also made me want to go give my mom a hug. The columns told from Lisa’s perspective truly show how much she loves and cares for her daughter, and definitely reminds me of how much I know my mom loves me.

I was especially able to relate to daughter Francesca’s columns in the book because we’re very close in age. We’ve both recently graduated from college and are both trying to juggle career, friends and dating. Not all the columns are laugh out loud funny; some are downright heartfelt. My favorite column in the book is written by Francesca about getting your hopes up when starting to date someone. The column explores the way young women act when they meet someone they’re interested in, and I found myself nodding along the entire time she was reading.

I can’t wait to see what Lisa and Francesca come up with next!

[Melissa Lee-Tammeus · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always love reading Scottoline's essays - she is honest to a fault and so refreshing. She has trouble with dog hair, duvet covers, and pines for George Clooney. What's not to love about every woman's woman? In this installment of essays, Scottoline's daughter interjects on occasion with her own spin of the younger generation. Honestly, she writes just like her mom, just younger. Cute and a great bathtub read, which I believe would actually please the authors, especially since I ate chocolate and drank wine while doing so. Kudos for a book that makes me feel simply happy.

[Lisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was bored out of my skull and didn't care at all about them and their lives.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

These books by Lisa Scottoline are just plain fun and a joy to read.

[Katie Kenig · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If I'm yelling at you, you know I love you. Because I want your chest to keep going up and down, whether you're my daughter or my mother. Or whether I'm your daughter or your mother. It's all the same emotion, which is worry. Or love!”

How did I never know about these books/columns before?

This book is the third compilations of the "Chick Wit" column that mystery author Lisa Scottoline writes with her daughter, Francesca. Now, I've read quite a few Scottoline mysteries over the years; some I've liked, some not so much. I never knew that she also wrote comedy. I chuckled my way right through this book.

This was a last-minute library grab. I was looking to fill in the category for my 2016 Reading Challenge of a book with two authors, and didn't even check to see what this was about before checking it out. Lisa Scottoline's name was enough to get me. And I was totally shocked and surprised when I started laughing on the first page - I completely wasn't expecting a book all about life as mothers and daughters in today's world.

I'm in between the ages of the authors, so I could look back wistfully on my early years on my own in the world during Francesca's essays, and ponder about times possibly to come during Lisa's. Lisa's own mother - Mother Mary in the book - is as much a character as if she wrote some of these bits and pieces herself - she's hilarious!

And those book club members were right, Lisa, you shouldn't be so hard on her. After all, you handed her the mike. (Yeah, you'll have to read the book to get that reference, but it's worth a read).

This is witty and charming, and covers everything from having to get an exterminator in your first apartment, to dealing with vet visits for beloved pets, to making ends meet, to eating too many carbs, to modern feminism. It's about life and relationships between women, and while I had one moment of indignation (seriously, foot-binding took place in China, not Japan! The Japanese actually made it illegal when they took over rule of Taiwan!) I found the book to be, overall, a good read.

This was also a very quick read for me - a few short before-bed reads and I was done. That might have been because it was so light-hearted that it went quickly. I'd recommend this for a quick pick-me-up read, and I'm looking forward to looking for the others that they've written. If you're a fan of old-school Erma Bombeck you will really enjoy this, as these ladies have a very, very similar sense of humour.

“But I hate socks.' I do, especially sleeping in them. They always come half-off in the middle of the night, and why? What kind of inferior clothing item falls off of you when you're lying still?”

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mother and daughter, Lisa and Francesca, are best friends and talented writers. An enjoyable, quick read, any mother, daughter or adult struggling through life's annoying problems will discover real-life situations common to all of us discussed with a humorous twist. Both writers see the humor and irony in everyday glitches.

Pick it up, read a few pages, put it down, pick it up again when you need a smile.

[Colleendearborn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lisa Scottoline and her daughter Francesca each write funny chapters about their relationships and lives. Excellent as an audiobook, which I got through my Libby/Overdrive app. They wrote a series of these books. When I sent one to a relative, I forgot that the content is around PG-13 or R. Oops! I do recommend them as amusing.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute essays.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy silly read about mother and daughter. A few good laughs.

[Orla Hegarty · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ugh. Gave it 25 pages. This is pure bilge.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series just makes me smile. The love these two feel for each other is such a joy to listen to.

[Neva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Listened to this audiobook on a road trip. Perfect selection, as it was light and funny and loved the narration by the authors. I felt like I had a couple of girlfriends in the car with me.

[Lauren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh. Not particularly insightful essays.

[Louie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A hilarious collection of funny essays mostly drawn from casual real life moments that this talented pair of writers turn into some of the funniest stories you've heard.

[Lynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This writer sees laughter while telling us her story. It’s light, uplifting, and brings back those wonderful memories of mother’s & their daughters. Some things never change.

[Rachel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was SO excited to get this as a birthday gift from my mom in December, in fact I even put other books I was reading on hold to start it, and I wanted to love this book so much, but it just didn't work out for me. It was a struggle to finish it - it took me about 6 months, and I normally read books in 2-3 days.

I absolutely loved Lisa's first book of stories/essays, Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman. I also enjoyed her second book of essays, My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman. I'm not sure why this one didn't do it for me. I think part of it is that I don't enjoy her daughter's writing at all. I'm so sorry Lisa, I know you love her greatly and that she is your pride and joy, and I am sure she is a wonderful person, but I just don't find her stories interesting or funny. I think the other reason I didn't enjoy this book was because the whole thing had this aww shucks/gee golly gosh type of feel to it as far as humor goes. Her other books, for me, were laugh at loud funny stories about the things women go through.

I also wonder if it is me, and maybe I need to go back and reread the first one again, and if I don't find it funny this time, I will know it's just me. Or maybe she used all of her funny up in the first 2 books? Like how sometimes an original movie is a great movie, but the sequel isn't so good? Anyway, I was really looking forward to her most recent book of essays, Meet Me at Emotional Baggage Claim, but now I'm not so sure if I should read it or not. I may try to read a free sample of it on Amazon and decide from there.

I really am sorry I couldn't enjoy this. :( But I would still recommend Why My Third Husband Will Be a Dog: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman and My Nest Isn't Empty, It Just Has More Closet Space: The Amazing Adventures of an Ordinary Woman.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was cute - observational humor essays, short ones. Most were from mom Lisa, with about a third from her daughter Francesca. I wish they had been closer to 50/50, as Lisa's essays sometimes blended together. Francesca's tended to be more serious, and the change in tone was helpful to keep my interest. I could have done with more of that. They both can be funny, although they occasionally seem to be trying a little hard. While many of the essays relate to the mother/daughter relationship, quite a few were not related to the theme. I don't know if that's a problem, exactly, but two funny and intelligent women could probably come up with a deeper, more fun book if they stuck on topic. It feels like a random collection of blog posts that an editor picked, rather than a "written book". But I would have rated this book higher if both mother and daughter didn't have the annoying habit of starting a new line for every other sentence. A sample from Lisa, as an example:
In my case, this means that everything that I should properly do in my bathroom, I do in my kitchen.
Except one thing.
Please.
I keep it classy.

And from Francesca:
That is drug abuse.
I thought the twilight years were a time for family, sage advice-giving, hobbies, relaxation--not sex.
That's what your twenties are for!
Just kidding.
Only men in their twenties have sex.
The real question is, what kind of a twenty-five-year-old woman wants to date and eighty-five-year-old man?
One that can't get ahold of her birth control pills.

On page 60, there are 22 sentences, and 13 of them are indented on a new line. Seriously, everything you ladies write is so clever and interesting that almost two-thirds of your sentences need to have paragraphs all to themselves? Ugh, it came off as pretentious and gimmicky, and actually made the physical act of reading mildly unpleasant - the lack of visual flow meant that my eyes were jumping around the page too quickly and it was actually a touch uncomfortable to read that way.
Please, Ladies.
Hit 'enter' a little less next time.
If not for my eyes, do it for the trees.
The planet and I aren't getting any younger.

[Kathleen Hagen]

Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: the Lighter Side of Mother-Daughter Relationships, by Lisa Scottoline and Francesca Scottoline Serritella, Narrated by the authors, Produced by Macmillan Audio, downloaded from audible.com.

This is another book full of the writings from their Chicklit Column for the Philadelphia Inquirer. They’re the best of friends - 99.9% of the time. They're number one
on each other's speed dial and they tell each other everything - well, almost everything. This book is one that I laughed so hard at in the middle of the night that I kept waking my partner up. Lisa on Being a Mom: "Motherhood has no expiration date. Francesca lives in
the city, and I worry about her all the time. My daughter moved out, so why am I still lactating?” Francesca on Being a Daughter: "My mother is always right.Just ask her." Lisa on Things Every Daughter Should Know: "Your mother is always thinking about you, but that's not creepy. Your mother will never forget
who did you dirty in the sixth grade, for which you can thank her. And your mother will never stop asking you if you need to go to the bathroom, before
you leave the house. Well, do you?" Francesca on Closet Wars: "My mom is a great dresser. Mostly because she's wearing my clothes." Lisa on Aging Gracefully:
"My sex drive is in reverse, I have more whiskers than my cat, and my estrogen replacement is tequila.” Francesca on Apartment Living: "When I saw a mouse,
the first person I called was Mom. She told me to call my super, but I felt bad bothering him. I hate to bother people. But I love to bother my mother." Lisa refers to everyone in the book by their relationship. Her own relationship with her mother, “Mother Mary” is hysterical. Mother Mary lives with Lisa’s brother “Brother Frank.” A very funny book. There is an interview at the end of the book with Lisa and Francesca. The interviewer can’t get a word or a question in because the mother and daughter are off and running with their own conversation.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone knows Lisa's courtroom thrillers but she is also an essayist and writes for the Philadelphia Enquirer. Once a year, she and her daughter Francesca publish a book of their essays and every year I wait patiently for the next installment. They are real life stories of mother and daughter and I cannot help but to laugh my way through them.

Growing up is not easy, whether you are the mother or daughter, but the combinations of parent/child, mother/daughter, granddaughter/grandmother, each have their insights and pitfalls. Lisa appears to be the meat that holds these sandwiches together and her humorous insight is bother endearing and laugh aloud funny.

I love checking in with this mother daughter team to relive what I have already been through or to prepare for the future challenges that I know I will face with an adult child. I would not say that Francesca is dependent on her mother, more along the lines that Lisa is dependent on her mature responsible child to help her through the normal tasks that come up – like reading boxes and ingredients or when to call the vet or tree trimming company.

This book takes on serious issues too, but in a humorous way. Life is challenging and if you are lucky enough to have a loving family that accepts your foibles, then you are all the better off because of it.

[Haley · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wasn't blown away by this collection of essays. But it grew on me over time. Authors Lisa Scottoline and her daughter, Francesca Serritella, each narrate their own chapters. Their narration style comes up just short of feeling natural, and honestly, the stories themselves also seem to stop short. Each anecdote ended right when I thought we were about to get to the point, and then I was stuck pausing and considering "oh, I guess that WAS the point." This bothered me at first, but I soon came to relate to these stories as tales of real life. These aren't the stories of people who are living fabulously glorious lives. And they're not the stories of THAT guy-the one in every group of friends- whose tales are always just a little too unbelievable. They're the kind of stories that you tell your best friends. The ones you share because, well, you tell each other everything. The small happenings that you probably read too much into, but then again, where are you supposed to find the meaning of life if not in the daily details? These are the kind of stories that are probably only funny when you tell your friend about them because you already know each other so well. And that perfectly explains why I was laughing harder and harder with each chapter, as I got to know each author better. And that's why I'll definitely be reading the other books in this collection.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lisa Scottoline is best known as a bestselling fiction author. What readers may not realize is that she is also a very talented humor writer. She recently completed a new book of essays called Best Friends, Occasional Enemies: The Lighter Side of Life as a Mother and Daughter. This is her third book of humor writing based on her Chick Wit column in the Philadelphia Inquirer, which she writes with her daughter Francesca Serritella.

In Best Friends, Occasional Enemies, Lisa and Francesca take on pets, fashion, dating, aging, and, of course, mother-daughter relationships. You’ll meet the Flying Scottolines, including Lisa’s mother (Mother Mary), her brother (Brother Frank), and Lisa’s menagerie of pets. Lisa and Francesca elaborate on topics like the hazards of changing halogen bulbs, Mother Mary’s visit to a retirement village, using smartphones, and the dangers of living in the suburbs.

Like a piece of chocolate, these short 3-5 page essays are the perfect little pick me up on a bad day. Lisa’s humorous reflections on daily life will remind readers of the legendary Erma Bombeck. The audiobook, narrated by the authors, is like sitting down for a chat with a friend, and it will make listeners feel like part of the family.

[Jennifer Crawford · Rating 4 out of 5]

I will begin by apologizing - if you don't know the relationship that I personally have with my own mother it will be hard for me to articulate why I enjoyed this book so much. Lisa and Francesca remind me so much of my mother and myself: a single mother raising her only daughter that seem to be the best of friends now that the daughter has reached adulthood. The short stories were quick and easy to get through and were full of laughs. I felt that many of the stories hit so close to home that I actually retyped them into emails to my own mother. Sometimes it's easier to let someone else express your feelings for you I suppose. At any rate, I NOW know that Lisa Scottoline is a well-known fiction writer with stories that center around more serious subjects . . . I plan to read them, eventually. In the meantime though, I am looking for another book of short stories (Empty Nest....) because I love reading about another mother/daughter pair that reminds me so much of the (beloved) relationship I have with my own mother. If you feel a close friendship with your mom/daughter you should definitely give this book a try. If not - why not? You may not understand it but it still has plenty of laughs.

[Mayda · Rating 4 out of 5]

For an honest, light-hearted look at many of life’s frustrations and confusions, look no further than this collection of short essays by the stalwart writing team of Lisa Scottoline and her daughter, Francesca Serritella. They pull no punches and hold nothing back as they regale us with their observations on such things as love, marriage, and divorce; clothes: the buying and borrowing of; pets, their quirks, and their sweaters; the sneaky nature of mice; break-downs and repairs and the time between; cellulite, exercise and eating, but mostly eating; and of course, mothers and daughters and everything related to that relationship. All of these essays are highly entertaining. Some are hilarious, some touching, and some will seem to speak directly to you. Read it; then share this book with your best friend.

[Gina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved this collection of columns written for the Philadelphia Sunday Inquirer's Arts&Entertainment section. Scottoline's columns sound like I'm talking with a friend. My first taste of her nonfiction, "Why My Third Husband Will Be A Dog," whetted my appetite and now I read her columns routinely. I also enjoy her fiction.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny series of essays but heavy on Mother Lisa and not so much on Daughter Francesca. Also, the essays don't so much reflect the mother-daughter relationship - it seems more to be a place to either rehash Lisa's previous essays or publish other ones that didn't fit in her other books. Enjoyable commentary on life, but definitely not a central focus on moms' and daughters' relationships.

[Kari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audio
Laugh out loud collection of essays by mother and daughter. Full of moments of truth of insight about mother/daughter relationships, a run on the eliptical that Lisa equates to dog years, Francesca's adventures trying to exterminate the mice from her apartment.
As I said, I think I'm now a Scottoline fan for life. In fact, I'm on my way to check out a couple more of her books!

[Doug Branscombe · Rating 4 out of 5]

an unusual choice for me, but I like Lisa Scottoline and was curious to see her writing in something other than a novel. This was very light and amusing. My 11 year old son says it must be funny since I was laughing a lot to myself. It's an exchange of stories from everyday life shared between mother and daughter, who are both published authors.