This.

by Kristen Cook

Former, award-winning newspaper writer Kristen Cook tackled everyday topics (confiscating her daughter's cell phone but then forgetting where she hid it, needing reading glasses but refusing to admit it) in a regular column. Her humorous musings led readers to call her "Tucson's Erma Bombeck." Now she brings her modern-day take of finding the ha-ha in the humdrum to this collection of essays about life's little moments that really aren't that little. It's a book for readers with 21st century attention spans and precious little free time but who could always use a laugh — especially at Cook's expense, like the time Bobby Flay tried to poison her or her deep hatred of throw-pillow shopping or that almost, kinda-sorta, near-death experience that actually made the carpool schedule flash before her eyes.

Genres: Essays

268 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2019

About the author

A former award-winning newspaper writer and current mother of three, Kristen Cook lives in Tucson and writes a blog — therealkristencook.com — that focuses on finding the ha-ha in the humdrum. She is the author of This. and That, nonfiction collections of humor essays about life and family and shopping for throw pillows. It's humor with heart.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 4 out of 5]

This. (her punctuation) was light reading and thoroughly enjoyable. Just what I needed for the stressful end of the year.

[Shelley Shelton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the book that got me back into reading after a long hospital stay had demolished my attention span. Told in fun little VERY relatable vignettes, it’s both lighthearted and heartfelt. I can’t wait for her next book!

[Stephanie Innes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished "This" by award-winning Tucson journalist Kristen Cook. Actually, I pretty much read the whole thing the day it came in the mail from Amazon, but I have been re-reading bits of it ever since. Like the beloved column that Kristen wrote for many years in the Arizona Daily Star, this is light, funny, but also expertly crafted and leaves you with pieces of wisdom to get through the day, the week, the year or pretty much any situation you happen to be in. "You get what you get and don't throw a fit," Kristen writes, quoting a golden rule from her kids' preschool. And from that same chapter, when you wanted a grape popscicle and you get lime, "be gracious because you get what you get."

The book is not Tucson-centric, it's universal, and it's completely lovable. And I'm not just saying that because Kristen was a fantastic and inspiring co-worker. Though she was that, too!

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are many reasons to recommend this book which I would describe as being in the vein of Erma Bombeck-meets-Sarah Silverman-meets-Fury Road: For one, it has me just busting up laughing at the unfiltered, brutally honest way her kids address parents and pop culture in the appropriately titled chapter, "Sh** My Family Says." ("What's that big guinea pig yelling about?" her number two kid asks at tender age after seeing Chewbacca on Star Wars the first time.) The chapter describing her appearance as a judge on the Throwdown with Bobby Flay alone is well worth the price of the book.

[Patty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristen's way of looking at her world - filled with kids, a husband and a job (until she quit the job) - made me smile and some of it was laugh-out-loud funny. At a time when it often feels like the world is falling apart, it was refreshing to be brought back to remember that appreciating our particular moments in a day with those we love are the important things in life.

[Jackie Bensley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This. Is written and published by my long time friend, Kristen Cook! It is a fun and charming read. A lot of it wrang true with me even though I am not a parent... But most of this book relates a lot to adulting...something we are all too familiar with! Kudos, Kristen!!!