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Minus Me
Her life turned upside down by a grim diagnosis, a small-town Maine woman sets about writing a "How To" life manual for her handsome yet hapless husband.
Annie and her devoted but comically incompetent childhood sweetheart Sam are the owners and operators of Annie's, a gourmet sandwich shop, home to the legendary Paul Bunyan Special Sandwich--their "nutritionally challenged continual source of income and marital harmony and local fame."
But into their mostly charmed marriage comes the scary medical diagnosis for Annie--and the overwhelming challenge of finding a way to help Sam go on without her. Annie decides to leave Sam step-by-step instructions for a future without her, and considers her own replacement in his heart and their bed.Her best-laid plans grind to a halt with the unexpected appearance of Ursula, Annie's Manhattan diva of a mother, who brings her own brand of chaos and disruption into their lives.
Minus Me is a poignant and hilarious novel about the bonds of marriage, the burdens of maternal love, and the courage to face mortality.
Annie and her devoted but comically incompetent childhood sweetheart Sam are the owners and operators of Annie's, a gourmet sandwich shop, home to the legendary Paul Bunyan Special Sandwich--their "nutritionally challenged continual source of income and marital harmony and local fame."
But into their mostly charmed marriage comes the scary medical diagnosis for Annie--and the overwhelming challenge of finding a way to help Sam go on without her. Annie decides to leave Sam step-by-step instructions for a future without her, and considers her own replacement in his heart and their bed.Her best-laid plans grind to a halt with the unexpected appearance of Ursula, Annie's Manhattan diva of a mother, who brings her own brand of chaos and disruption into their lives.
Minus Me is a poignant and hilarious novel about the bonds of marriage, the burdens of maternal love, and the courage to face mortality.
336 pages, Paperback
First published January 12, 2021
69 people are currently reading
5027 people want to read
About the author
Mameve Medwed
9 books114 followersMameve Medwed is the author of five novels, Mail, Host Family, The End of an Error, the 2007 Massachusetts Honor Book award-winnin How Elizabeth Browning Saved My Life, and the forthcoming Of Men and Their Mothers, pub date April 22, 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 152 reviews
January 9, 2024
Enchanting! Miraculous!
Well-developed characters wrapped in a uniquely rich and authentic writing-style, narrated in 26 chapters, of which every single one is embellished with a post-it note.
OK, in the beginning of the book I was devastated to learn some hard facts about my favorite character. It felt like Mameve Medwed kept punching me right, left and center. I had to keep on reading though, as I had already taken Annie into my heart:
37-years old Annie Steven-Strauss, happily married to her high-school sweetheart, Sam, runs their own sandwhich shop in Maine, called Annie´s Samwich Shop, which is thriving and expanding... Not so much her family though, since Annie had four pregnancies, which ended in miscarriages, and the last baby was stillborn. Now, she is vaguely diagnosed with lung cancer!!!
In the light of her medical condition, she decides to compose a manual called ´Life Minus Me: A User´s Guide´ that is solely meant for her husband to guide him through every-day-life, when she dies.
With all this pain in her life, she receives a call from her estranged mother, Ursula Marishal.
Beware, Ursula is an actress who will only travel with her own pillow and Penhaligon´s Blenheim Bouquet candles. So, you get a picture of her.
She was the character I despised most in the beginning...and loved most by the end of the story!
Following a string of incidents, Ursula will take Annie to New York to get a second opinion from a honcho in oncology. Annie, initially, plans to spend eight hours in Manhattan with Ursula. However, they end up spending there two weeks, seeing doctors and graciously taking us through culinary delights of New York!!
Excusez-moi? Did you just say we are having wild-mushroom fricassee topped by quail eggs and white asparagus tempura, followed by Dover sole, and a Crème brûlée as a dessert?
But, wait! Got that wine to go with all that? ;)
This is the most beautiful mother-daughter bonding story! Ursula will explain to Annie all the reasons for their estrangement over a bit of Courvoisier and some pastries from Fauchon.
Bottom line is ´veritas curat´ as Ursula will repeat, so the truth cured also their mother-daughter relationship.
By the end of her stay in New York, Annie feels she has to rush home to Sam, since her manual seems to get implemented while she is ALIVE!
The magical interlude of Ursula in Annie´s life will keep causing one Euroka moment after another, all for the benefit of LOVE and LIFE.🧿
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.❤️
#Thank You #Mameve Medwed #BookSirens
Well-developed characters wrapped in a uniquely rich and authentic writing-style, narrated in 26 chapters, of which every single one is embellished with a post-it note.
OK, in the beginning of the book I was devastated to learn some hard facts about my favorite character. It felt like Mameve Medwed kept punching me right, left and center. I had to keep on reading though, as I had already taken Annie into my heart:
37-years old Annie Steven-Strauss, happily married to her high-school sweetheart, Sam, runs their own sandwhich shop in Maine, called Annie´s Samwich Shop, which is thriving and expanding... Not so much her family though, since Annie had four pregnancies, which ended in miscarriages, and the last baby was stillborn. Now, she is vaguely diagnosed with lung cancer!!!
In the light of her medical condition, she decides to compose a manual called ´Life Minus Me: A User´s Guide´ that is solely meant for her husband to guide him through every-day-life, when she dies.
With all this pain in her life, she receives a call from her estranged mother, Ursula Marishal.
Beware, Ursula is an actress who will only travel with her own pillow and Penhaligon´s Blenheim Bouquet candles. So, you get a picture of her.
She was the character I despised most in the beginning...and loved most by the end of the story!
Following a string of incidents, Ursula will take Annie to New York to get a second opinion from a honcho in oncology. Annie, initially, plans to spend eight hours in Manhattan with Ursula. However, they end up spending there two weeks, seeing doctors and graciously taking us through culinary delights of New York!!
Excusez-moi? Did you just say we are having wild-mushroom fricassee topped by quail eggs and white asparagus tempura, followed by Dover sole, and a Crème brûlée as a dessert?
But, wait! Got that wine to go with all that? ;)
This is the most beautiful mother-daughter bonding story! Ursula will explain to Annie all the reasons for their estrangement over a bit of Courvoisier and some pastries from Fauchon.
Bottom line is ´veritas curat´ as Ursula will repeat, so the truth cured also their mother-daughter relationship.
By the end of her stay in New York, Annie feels she has to rush home to Sam, since her manual seems to get implemented while she is ALIVE!
The magical interlude of Ursula in Annie´s life will keep causing one Euroka moment after another, all for the benefit of LOVE and LIFE.🧿
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.❤️
#Thank You #Mameve Medwed #BookSirens
December 18, 2020
"Minus Me" by Mameve Medwed is such a sweet story!
Annie and Sam Stevens-Strauss are the owners of the successful 'Annie's Samwich', home of the famous Paul Bunyan Special, in Passamaquoddy, Maine. They are a crazy-for-each-other, childhood-through-college sweethearts, happily-married, but sadly childless, couple.
Annie is beside herself right now because she's just received a terminal diagnosis from Dr. Ambrose and she's super-worried about Sam. You see, he's a bit incompetent at so many simple things and over-the-top emotional, especially when it comes to anything 'Annie'.
She can't do it, she simply can't tell him, she can't get the words out knowing it's going to send Sam into an emotional spin. Annie's answer is to create the 'Life Minus Me: A Users Guide'. It's a 'how-to-do-everything-I-did' instruction manual for Sam to use once Annie is gone. Perfectly perfect, right?
That is until Ursula, Annie's Mom drops in for a visit and then everything starts to spin! So begins the story of how secrets are kept from those we love, how everything can change from one day to the next and how important forgiving is to ourselves as it is to those we love most.
This is such a loving and thoughtful story with a deep dive into the characters which is always a delight and preference for me. I love both Annie and Sam for their quirkiness and their solid 'AnnieandSam' relationship. Rachel and Megan are perfect mother-daughter, next-door- neighbors, best-friend and Goddaughter roles to Annie and Sam. Even Ursula, Annie's Movie-star Diva Mom, had my vote for best actress in this story! WOW, what a character! And, I love, love, love those strong backstories that hold everything together.
Although it is a quick read it does feel a bit long getting to the end at over 330 pages. It could easily be shortened by removing a bit of Sam's incompetence and a smidgen of Annie's long winded explanations and concerns about Sam.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this Women's Fiction novel and highly recommend it to those who love this genre or just enjoy a lovely sweet read! I rate it 3 1/2 stars and increased it to 4 stars for its total sweetness!
_________________________
Thank you to BookSirens, Mameve Medwed and Alcove Press for an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
Annie and Sam Stevens-Strauss are the owners of the successful 'Annie's Samwich', home of the famous Paul Bunyan Special, in Passamaquoddy, Maine. They are a crazy-for-each-other, childhood-through-college sweethearts, happily-married, but sadly childless, couple.
Annie is beside herself right now because she's just received a terminal diagnosis from Dr. Ambrose and she's super-worried about Sam. You see, he's a bit incompetent at so many simple things and over-the-top emotional, especially when it comes to anything 'Annie'.
She can't do it, she simply can't tell him, she can't get the words out knowing it's going to send Sam into an emotional spin. Annie's answer is to create the 'Life Minus Me: A Users Guide'. It's a 'how-to-do-everything-I-did' instruction manual for Sam to use once Annie is gone. Perfectly perfect, right?
That is until Ursula, Annie's Mom drops in for a visit and then everything starts to spin! So begins the story of how secrets are kept from those we love, how everything can change from one day to the next and how important forgiving is to ourselves as it is to those we love most.
This is such a loving and thoughtful story with a deep dive into the characters which is always a delight and preference for me. I love both Annie and Sam for their quirkiness and their solid 'AnnieandSam' relationship. Rachel and Megan are perfect mother-daughter, next-door- neighbors, best-friend and Goddaughter roles to Annie and Sam. Even Ursula, Annie's Movie-star Diva Mom, had my vote for best actress in this story! WOW, what a character! And, I love, love, love those strong backstories that hold everything together.
Although it is a quick read it does feel a bit long getting to the end at over 330 pages. It could easily be shortened by removing a bit of Sam's incompetence and a smidgen of Annie's long winded explanations and concerns about Sam.
All in all I thoroughly enjoyed this Women's Fiction novel and highly recommend it to those who love this genre or just enjoy a lovely sweet read! I rate it 3 1/2 stars and increased it to 4 stars for its total sweetness!
_________________________
Thank you to BookSirens, Mameve Medwed and Alcove Press for an ARC of this book. This is my honest review.
October 12, 2020
A poignant tale of love and loss, reconciliation, and appreciating what is truly important in life. This is one of those unique stories that is such a joy to read and would make an excellent choice for book club fans – particularly those who enjoy Women’s Fiction. It’s chock full of meaningful, heart-tugging scenes that really make you think – think about how well you really know the hearts and minds of those you love – and about what it really means to forge ahead and not give up.
Annie and Sam operate Annie’s Samwich, a favorite local eatery in a small town in Maine. When Annie receives an unpleasant diagnosis from her local town doctor, she opts not to tell Sam, her husband and childhood sweetheart. Not wanting to mar the time they have left together with burdensome worry and unpleasant medical treatments, but worried about how her Sam will get on in life without her when’s she’s done, Annie sits down and starts writing him a manual called Minus Me: A User’s Guide. But then Annie’s estranged mother Ursula comes to town unexpectedly and suddenly both Annie’s and Sam’s lives are turned upside down.
What was really sweet about this novel is how much Annie and Sam love each other, and how even after a lifetime together, they still had things to learn about one another. If I had one complaint, and it’s a small one, is that the vibe I got off Annie and Sam was more that of folks in their 60’s, rather than their late 30’s, but they are traditional, down home, small town folks, so perhaps they do seem a little quaint. The ending is quite heart warming so when you put it down after that final page, it’s with a smile and sense of contentment. A congratulatory, “I really liked it”, four-star rating, Ms. Medwed – it was a pleasure spending time with your Annie and Sam.
Minus Me is available January 12, 2021 in paperback from Alcove Press, a relatively new imprint of Crooked Lane Books that launched its first offerings in Oct 2020. According to Alcove Press’s website, www.AlcovePress.com, Alcove is dedicated to publishing upmarket book club fiction that explores family, friendship, and community.
As found at mamevemedwed.com, Medwed is the author of six novels, one of which, How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life won the 2007 Massachusetts Book Award Honors in Fiction. Born in Bangor, Maine, where she is considered Bangor’s other writer (Stephen King holds the title!), she resides in Cambridge, Mass.
A big thank you to Mameve Medwed, Alcove Press, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.
#MinusMe
#MameveMedwed
#AlcovePress
#CrookedLaneBooks
#NetGalley
Annie and Sam operate Annie’s Samwich, a favorite local eatery in a small town in Maine. When Annie receives an unpleasant diagnosis from her local town doctor, she opts not to tell Sam, her husband and childhood sweetheart. Not wanting to mar the time they have left together with burdensome worry and unpleasant medical treatments, but worried about how her Sam will get on in life without her when’s she’s done, Annie sits down and starts writing him a manual called Minus Me: A User’s Guide. But then Annie’s estranged mother Ursula comes to town unexpectedly and suddenly both Annie’s and Sam’s lives are turned upside down.
What was really sweet about this novel is how much Annie and Sam love each other, and how even after a lifetime together, they still had things to learn about one another. If I had one complaint, and it’s a small one, is that the vibe I got off Annie and Sam was more that of folks in their 60’s, rather than their late 30’s, but they are traditional, down home, small town folks, so perhaps they do seem a little quaint. The ending is quite heart warming so when you put it down after that final page, it’s with a smile and sense of contentment. A congratulatory, “I really liked it”, four-star rating, Ms. Medwed – it was a pleasure spending time with your Annie and Sam.
Minus Me is available January 12, 2021 in paperback from Alcove Press, a relatively new imprint of Crooked Lane Books that launched its first offerings in Oct 2020. According to Alcove Press’s website, www.AlcovePress.com, Alcove is dedicated to publishing upmarket book club fiction that explores family, friendship, and community.
As found at mamevemedwed.com, Medwed is the author of six novels, one of which, How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life won the 2007 Massachusetts Book Award Honors in Fiction. Born in Bangor, Maine, where she is considered Bangor’s other writer (Stephen King holds the title!), she resides in Cambridge, Mass.
A big thank you to Mameve Medwed, Alcove Press, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary Advance Reader Copy in exchange for this honest review.
#MinusMe
#MameveMedwed
#AlcovePress
#CrookedLaneBooks
#NetGalley
April 18, 2022
Annie und Sams Kinderwunsch hat ihnen bisher nur Kummer gebracht, aber sie sind glücklich mit ihrem Sandwichladen in der Kleinstadt. Ein Termin beim Arzt bringt Annies Welt durcheinander und sie fürchtet, dass sie nicht mehr lange zu leben hat.
In diesem Buch geht es vor allem um Annies Beziehungen zu ihrem Mann Sam und zu ihrer Mutter Ursula, die Krankheit ist beinahe nebensächlich und eher ein Auslöser für Veränderungen. Noch mehr geht es aber darum, dass Annie sich ständig fragt, was Sam nur ohne sie tun würde, wie er sich fühlen würde und wie er zurechtkäme. Sam fand ich leider von Anfang an ziemlich nervig, musste aber akzeptieren, dass Annie ihn trotz allem liebt. Er benimmt sich oft wie ein trotziges Kind und seine Wünsche kommen auch immer an erster Stelle. Da hat es mich eigentlich auch nicht gewundert, dass Annie sich so viele Sorgen um ihn macht, weil er ziemlich hilflos wirkt.
Ich habe mich von Anfang an auf die Mutter-Tochter-Beziehung gefreut, die auch schon im Klappentext Erwähnung findet. Ursula ist eine "Mutter ohne Muttergen", wie Annie es beschreibt, sie will jung bleiben und interessiert sich mehr für Ruhm und Luxusartikel statt für das Wohl ihrer Tochter. Sie haben eigentlich kaum Kontakt und als Ursula sie für ein paar Tage besuchen kommt, stresst das Annie unglaublich. Also war ich gespannt, wie Ursula reagiert, wenn es plötzlich um Leben und Tod geht. Dabei mochte ich die manchmal etwas schrägen Gespräche der beiden und auch, wie Ursula ihrem Charakter immer treu blieb.
Während ich Annie mit ihrer Mutter noch ganz unterhaltsam fand und auch ihre Sorge um ihren Mann verstehen konnte, war mir Sam zu anstrengend, um die Beziehung der beiden wirklich verstehen zu können. Da Annies Gedanken sich meistens um ihren Ehemann drehen, störte es mich nur noch mehr und ich habe mich an Annies Stelle aufgeregt, wo sie Sams Verhalten einfach akzeptiert hat. Die Beziehung der beiden war für mich einfach frustrierend.
Fazit
Eigentlich war "Weil ich dich liebe, deine Annie" schon das, was ich erwartet habe: eine kranke Frau, die sich um ihren Mann sorgt und dazu eine wichtige Mutter-Tochter-Beziehung, die mich gut unterhalten hat. Annies Ehemann Sam allerdings fand ich einfach zu anstrengend und er hat sich zu sehr wie ein trotziges Kind verhalten.
In diesem Buch geht es vor allem um Annies Beziehungen zu ihrem Mann Sam und zu ihrer Mutter Ursula, die Krankheit ist beinahe nebensächlich und eher ein Auslöser für Veränderungen. Noch mehr geht es aber darum, dass Annie sich ständig fragt, was Sam nur ohne sie tun würde, wie er sich fühlen würde und wie er zurechtkäme. Sam fand ich leider von Anfang an ziemlich nervig, musste aber akzeptieren, dass Annie ihn trotz allem liebt. Er benimmt sich oft wie ein trotziges Kind und seine Wünsche kommen auch immer an erster Stelle. Da hat es mich eigentlich auch nicht gewundert, dass Annie sich so viele Sorgen um ihn macht, weil er ziemlich hilflos wirkt.
Ich habe mich von Anfang an auf die Mutter-Tochter-Beziehung gefreut, die auch schon im Klappentext Erwähnung findet. Ursula ist eine "Mutter ohne Muttergen", wie Annie es beschreibt, sie will jung bleiben und interessiert sich mehr für Ruhm und Luxusartikel statt für das Wohl ihrer Tochter. Sie haben eigentlich kaum Kontakt und als Ursula sie für ein paar Tage besuchen kommt, stresst das Annie unglaublich. Also war ich gespannt, wie Ursula reagiert, wenn es plötzlich um Leben und Tod geht. Dabei mochte ich die manchmal etwas schrägen Gespräche der beiden und auch, wie Ursula ihrem Charakter immer treu blieb.
Während ich Annie mit ihrer Mutter noch ganz unterhaltsam fand und auch ihre Sorge um ihren Mann verstehen konnte, war mir Sam zu anstrengend, um die Beziehung der beiden wirklich verstehen zu können. Da Annies Gedanken sich meistens um ihren Ehemann drehen, störte es mich nur noch mehr und ich habe mich an Annies Stelle aufgeregt, wo sie Sams Verhalten einfach akzeptiert hat. Die Beziehung der beiden war für mich einfach frustrierend.
Fazit
Eigentlich war "Weil ich dich liebe, deine Annie" schon das, was ich erwartet habe: eine kranke Frau, die sich um ihren Mann sorgt und dazu eine wichtige Mutter-Tochter-Beziehung, die mich gut unterhalten hat. Annies Ehemann Sam allerdings fand ich einfach zu anstrengend und er hat sich zu sehr wie ein trotziges Kind verhalten.
April 26, 2021
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Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Press for inviting me to read Minus Me by Mameve Medwed and providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
My review on Minus Me will be up on my blog Honey Roselea Reads on April 27, 2021 at 10 am CST, so go check it out!
Here is a preview of what the review will look like on my blog.
❀❀❀❀
When it comes to the toughest situation of family, health, and love, Minus Me is the perfect example of the hardships of what a person must go through. Annie shows us her life as she is diagnosed with cancer, unknown of what to do in order to prepare her husband and childhood sweetheart, Sam, with living alone.
Minus Me shows us how important love, communication, and family are a big part of ones decision when it comes to her medical conditions and the struggles of maternity and raising a family. Even through hard times, as seen on Minus Me, the connection of... [ continue reading ]
February 21, 2021
I did not like this book. Period.
Annie and Sam are high-school sweethearts, now married and running Annie’s Samwich shop at Passamaquody. She is the practical one in the family, and Sam is the lovable hare-brained one. Her mom, Ursula, is portrayed as a self-absorbed soap opera actress.
Annie is diagnosed with a lung disorder and has a little time left. Though the doctor keeps telling her to inform her husband and mother, she refuses, and then sets off on a mission to write 'life instructions’ for Sam minus her. The way she tries to let her husband know of impending doom is comical - she tells him they have to have a will in place. Obviously, he tells her they are healthy and in their 30s, and there is no need to start thinking such dire thoughts and refuses to entertain any more gloomy talks. And she stops telling him.
From hereon, I was pretty annoyed with the book and its characters. It felt like a book written for the sake of writing something on the topic. And the manner in which Annie’s thoughts keep darting from one to another - I get it, thats how a person thinks, there are lots of thoughts in someone’s brain at any point in time. But, this is a not a stream-of-consciousness novel - its supposed to be a proper book with a beginning and ending. So, no that too.
The ending was sweet - they discover the diagnosis was a false alarm and…wait for it…there was some disorder that prevented her from haing kids that could be treated very easily… and they then go on to have twins who are the lights of their lives. Now it thoroughly feels like a Hallmark movie.
I’d rather have the book ending with her death and Sam realising that life does not revolve only around him, and beginning anew.
Annie and Sam are high-school sweethearts, now married and running Annie’s Samwich shop at Passamaquody. She is the practical one in the family, and Sam is the lovable hare-brained one. Her mom, Ursula, is portrayed as a self-absorbed soap opera actress.
Annie is diagnosed with a lung disorder and has a little time left. Though the doctor keeps telling her to inform her husband and mother, she refuses, and then sets off on a mission to write 'life instructions’ for Sam minus her. The way she tries to let her husband know of impending doom is comical - she tells him they have to have a will in place. Obviously, he tells her they are healthy and in their 30s, and there is no need to start thinking such dire thoughts and refuses to entertain any more gloomy talks. And she stops telling him.
From hereon, I was pretty annoyed with the book and its characters. It felt like a book written for the sake of writing something on the topic. And the manner in which Annie’s thoughts keep darting from one to another - I get it, thats how a person thinks, there are lots of thoughts in someone’s brain at any point in time. But, this is a not a stream-of-consciousness novel - its supposed to be a proper book with a beginning and ending. So, no that too.
The ending was sweet - they discover the diagnosis was a false alarm and…wait for it…there was some disorder that prevented her from haing kids that could be treated very easily… and they then go on to have twins who are the lights of their lives. Now it thoroughly feels like a Hallmark movie.
I’d rather have the book ending with her death and Sam realising that life does not revolve only around him, and beginning anew.
December 29, 2020
Well I have never read this author before and I can't wait to read more of her work. I felt so connected to the characters and the story although it was hard and heart tugging was done very well.
If you are looking for a relatable and realistic read this is it. You are sure to devour it in one sitting like I did.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own
If you are looking for a relatable and realistic read this is it. You are sure to devour it in one sitting like I did.
The Mary Reader received this book from the publisher for review. A favorable review was not required and all views expressed are our own
February 2, 2021
I got this eARC from Netgalley in exhange for a honest review
I thought it was going to be a funny uplifting sort of story... but it fell flat to me. I didn`t like the characters, the epilouge were nice. We got a happy ending, and that was a plus.
I thought it was going to be a funny uplifting sort of story... but it fell flat to me. I didn`t like the characters, the epilouge were nice. We got a happy ending, and that was a plus.
January 18, 2022
Minus me was a good audio book. I really enjoyed the characters. The person doing the audio was well spoken. The ending was very good. A must listen to by anyone who likes fiction
May 30, 2023
In diesem Buch läuft so viel schief.. Kommunikationsskills bei gefühlt allen: 0/10
Die „schreckliche“ Mutter fand ich tatsächlich von allen Charakteren am besten.
Die „schreckliche“ Mutter fand ich tatsächlich von allen Charakteren am besten.
April 14, 2022
Annie erhält die schreckliche Nachricht, dass sie eine unheilbare Krankheit hat und beschließt ihrem Mann Sam zunächst nichts davon zu erzählen, ihm aber einen Ratgeber für das Leben nach ihrem Tod zu hinterlassen. Als ihre ungeliebte Mutter zu Besuch kommt, erfährt sie von der Krankheit und beginnt gemeinsam mit Annie und für sie zu kämpfen. Wird sich die Beziehung zwischen den beiden verändern? Wird sie es Sam rechtzeitig sagen und wie wird dieser reagieren?
Das Buch habe ich vor einigen Tagen beendet und wollte es erst einmal sacken lassen, bevor ich die Bewertung schreibe. Aber irgendwie weiß ich immer noch nicht so genau, was ich schreiben soll.
Annie hat mich wahnsinnig gemacht… Ok, fairerweise muss ich sagen, zum Glück habe ich mich noch nie in so einer Situation befunden, aber ich glaube ich könnte es nicht für mich behalten. Den Ratgeber fand ich wundervoll. Aber ihre Handlungen kann ich nicht nachvollziehen.
Aber auch Sam kann ich nicht verstehen… er verhält sich durchgehend wie ein kleines, trotziges Kind.
Annies Mutter hingegen wurde für mich vom beschriebenen Drachen zum Engel. Ich mag sie.
Insgesamt war das Buch wirklich leicht geschrieben und ich konnte es zügig durchlesen. Lediglich der Anfang war für mich etwas holprig, weil ich verwirrt von den ganzen, seltsam klingenden Namen war. Aufgrund des Klappentextes habe ich etwas völlig anderes erwartet.
Nach Abschluss des Buches, habe ich erfahren, dass die Autorin nach der Veröffentlichung des Buches verstorben ist. Aufgrund dieses Wissens, bin ich dem Buch gegenüber etwas versöhnlicher gestimmt. Ich kann nun einige Aspekte des Buches besser verstehen.
⭐️ Von mir bekommt das Buch 3 Sterne!
Das Buch habe ich vor einigen Tagen beendet und wollte es erst einmal sacken lassen, bevor ich die Bewertung schreibe. Aber irgendwie weiß ich immer noch nicht so genau, was ich schreiben soll.
Annie hat mich wahnsinnig gemacht… Ok, fairerweise muss ich sagen, zum Glück habe ich mich noch nie in so einer Situation befunden, aber ich glaube ich könnte es nicht für mich behalten. Den Ratgeber fand ich wundervoll. Aber ihre Handlungen kann ich nicht nachvollziehen.
Aber auch Sam kann ich nicht verstehen… er verhält sich durchgehend wie ein kleines, trotziges Kind.
Annies Mutter hingegen wurde für mich vom beschriebenen Drachen zum Engel. Ich mag sie.
Insgesamt war das Buch wirklich leicht geschrieben und ich konnte es zügig durchlesen. Lediglich der Anfang war für mich etwas holprig, weil ich verwirrt von den ganzen, seltsam klingenden Namen war. Aufgrund des Klappentextes habe ich etwas völlig anderes erwartet.
Nach Abschluss des Buches, habe ich erfahren, dass die Autorin nach der Veröffentlichung des Buches verstorben ist. Aufgrund dieses Wissens, bin ich dem Buch gegenüber etwas versöhnlicher gestimmt. Ich kann nun einige Aspekte des Buches besser verstehen.
⭐️ Von mir bekommt das Buch 3 Sterne!
February 2, 2021
I have to say that the subject matter in this book is tough for me. Annie the main character is married to her high school sweetheart and they run a thriving sandwich shop together. Unfortunately, Annie has suffered several miscarriages and a stillborn, that alone was heartbreaking, but now she may have lung cancer.
With a grim diagnosis to face Annie decides to try to ease the pain of her husband Sam’s loss by creating a manual called “Life Minus Me.” So, cue the tears because when you’re faced with a cancer diagnosis folks, this...this is reality. My worst pain or fear has little to do with me and more to do with how my loved ones will deal once I am gone. Sam comes off as slightly inept and Annie is scared to share her diagnosis because she knows Sam will fall apart.
Annie is also estranged from her actress mother, Ursula. I wanted to despise this woman and I did....initially. Ursula ends up taking Annie to New York for a second opinion. This part of the book showcased the author’s talent in the best way. For two weeks the mother daughter duo spend their time seeing doctors but also experiencing the sights and amazing cuisine NYC is known for. These scenes were well done, I felt as if I was there seeing, smelling, and tasting everything. It was the highlight of the story for me.
Another important aspect of the trip was that Ursula took the time to explain their estrangement to Annie. The two were able to find common ground and bond again. Just so beautiful.
All in all this is a character driven story that is sweet! Its a 4 star read for sure!! If you are looking for an emotional yet beautifully written story please pick up Minus Me when it goes on sale tomorrow.
Thank you @alcovepress for my advanced copy of the book to review.
With a grim diagnosis to face Annie decides to try to ease the pain of her husband Sam’s loss by creating a manual called “Life Minus Me.” So, cue the tears because when you’re faced with a cancer diagnosis folks, this...this is reality. My worst pain or fear has little to do with me and more to do with how my loved ones will deal once I am gone. Sam comes off as slightly inept and Annie is scared to share her diagnosis because she knows Sam will fall apart.
Annie is also estranged from her actress mother, Ursula. I wanted to despise this woman and I did....initially. Ursula ends up taking Annie to New York for a second opinion. This part of the book showcased the author’s talent in the best way. For two weeks the mother daughter duo spend their time seeing doctors but also experiencing the sights and amazing cuisine NYC is known for. These scenes were well done, I felt as if I was there seeing, smelling, and tasting everything. It was the highlight of the story for me.
Another important aspect of the trip was that Ursula took the time to explain their estrangement to Annie. The two were able to find common ground and bond again. Just so beautiful.
All in all this is a character driven story that is sweet! Its a 4 star read for sure!! If you are looking for an emotional yet beautifully written story please pick up Minus Me when it goes on sale tomorrow.
Thank you @alcovepress for my advanced copy of the book to review.
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November 10, 2020This is just the sweetest and satisfying book for anyone who needs a life distraction or a pick-me-up. The characters are all relatable and mostly lovable and the setting is a lot of fun. This book starts out with news that should be depressing, but as the main character tackles it, we get to know her life and what is really important to her. The writing is solid and smooth. I recommend this to anyone who needs an escape from their own life.
September 10, 2020
I loved the premise of this book: Annie is living the dream life with her "comically" incompetent husband, Sam. Owners of a famous Maine sandwich shop, their marriage seems unshakable. Until Annie gets a terrible diagnosis and sets about creating a manual for Sam. One that he will use to move on with his life without her.
I expected tears. Unfortunately, the book fell a little flat for me. This was mostly because of characters I couldn't connect with and a plot too neatly tied up with a bow.
At first I was annoyed with Annie's constant treating Sam like an overgrown child. By the end of the book he deserved nothing more. How many times does Annie try to open up to him and he "doesn't want to hear it." His petulance wore on my nerves. But Annie was no better. Huge red marriage flag when you want to keep the fact that you may be dying from your husband. And likewise when you start meeting with cancer specialists and fertility doctors without him. Then we get to Ursula, who speaks like she's the queen and of course just happens to be able to solve all of Annie's problems. It's all a bit too much.
The writing was good and I loved the simplicity of the cover. I really wanted to like book as well. It just wasn't the one for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Books for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel for review.
I expected tears. Unfortunately, the book fell a little flat for me. This was mostly because of characters I couldn't connect with and a plot too neatly tied up with a bow.
At first I was annoyed with Annie's constant treating Sam like an overgrown child. By the end of the book he deserved nothing more. How many times does Annie try to open up to him and he "doesn't want to hear it." His petulance wore on my nerves. But Annie was no better. Huge red marriage flag when you want to keep the fact that you may be dying from your husband. And likewise when you start meeting with cancer specialists and fertility doctors without him. Then we get to Ursula, who speaks like she's the queen and of course just happens to be able to solve all of Annie's problems. It's all a bit too much.
The writing was good and I loved the simplicity of the cover. I really wanted to like book as well. It just wasn't the one for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and Alcove Books for allowing me to read an advance copy of this novel for review.
January 12, 2021
This was a really cute book! The synopsis grabbed me and I was not disappointed. The book took a turn that I was not expecting, and the ending was a little predictable -- but the story had a sweet message to it and makes you wonder what you would do in that situation. Recommended! Thank you, Netgalley, for this arc.
February 1, 2022
Really sweet view into the mind of a woman who has to face an early death. Got a little Hallmarky near the end with a misunderstanding that went on way too long. But overall, well written, insightful and uplifting.
May 17, 2022
Annie und Sam sind seit ihrer Jugend beinahe durchgehend unzertrennlich. Sie führen eine glückliche Ehe, einen recht erfolgreichen Sandwichladen und ein harmonisches Leben in Passamaquoody, Maine.
Alles scheint, auf den ersten Blick zumindest, perfekt, bis zu dem Tag, an dem Annie eine harte Diagnose bekommt. Wie soll sie Sam beibringen, dass sie vielleicht nicht mehr lange leben wird ? Wo ihr hypochondrischer Mann doch auch gar nicht zuhören will, als sie das Thema Testament als Einstieg anschneidet ? Sam wehrt sich kategorisch auf ihre Gesprächsversuche einzugehen, als würde er ahnen, dass sie ihm etwas Schlimmes zu sagen versucht.
Weil sie Sam aber so sehr liebt und weiß, wie unbeholfen er ist, entschließt sie sich einen Leidfaden für das Leben ohne Sie zu schreiben. Den sie in ihrer Schublade versteckt und den ausgerechnet Ursula, ihre Mutter zu der sie kein gutes Verhältnis hat, findet als sie zu Besuch kommt. Anstatt Sam jedoch reinen Wein einzuschenken, hält Ursula dicht und beginnt um das Annies Leben zu kämpfen...
Ich mochte den sehr leichten und beschwingten Ton in dem die Autorin hier Annies Geschichte erzählt sehr und war so auch recht zügig mit dem Lesen fertig. Trotz der vielen ernsten Thematiken, die sie hier anspricht und mit denen Annie sich konfrontiert sieht, war die Stimmung nie drückend.
Auch Handlung und Charaktere haben mir gefallen, zumindest bis zum letzten Drittel, aber darauf komme ich gleich noch. Annie und Sam sind die jeweils große Liebe des Anderen und es gibt sie fast ausschließlich im Doppelpack. Man merk schnell, dass Annie eine ziemlich taffe Frau ist, während Sam einen sehr sehr unbeholfenen Eindruck macht. Annie neigt dazu, ihm die meisten alltäglichen Dinge abzunehmen und sein Leben für ihn zu organisieren. Manchmal hatte ich den Eindruck, dass sie gar nicht sieht, wie sehr sie ihn "bemuttert" und wie abhängig sie deshalb voneinander sind. Als sie nun eine vorläufige Diagnose erhält erkennt sie schlagartig, dass sie Dam dabei helfen muss, sein Leben weiterzuleben und zu organieren, wenn sie nicht mehr da ist.
Hinzu kommt die schwierige Mutter-Tochter-Beziehung zu Ursula, der sich Annie stellen muss. Ursula ist eine gefeierte Schauspielerin und hatte, zumindest in Annies Augen, immer wenig für ihre Tochter übrig. Als Ursula beim Besuch auf Annies Leitfaden stößt und diesen natürlich ungefragt liest, da wendet sich das Blatt. Ursula beginnt um das Leben ihrer Tochter zu kämpfen und die Frauen verbringen so ungewohnt viel Zeit miteinander. Zeit, in der sie Unausgesprochenes und Verganges aufarbeiten.
Nun kommt der Punkt, der mir die Geschichte ein kleines bisschen madig gemacht hat: das letzte Drittel.
Hier passieren Dinge, die wohl nur in Romanen so passieren können, damit die Leserschaft am Ende mit einem guten Gefühl und zufrieden aus einer so tragischen und herzzereißenden Geschichte rausgeht. Und das ist total in Ordnung, war hier aber für meinen Geschmack zu viel des Guten. Denn hier wird nicht nur ein Problem gelöst, sondern gleich mehrere, was auf mich überbordend und auch ein wenig platt wirkte. Zudem kann ich Sam einen Großteil des letzten Drittels aufgrund seiner unglaublichen Bockigkeit nicht mehr besonders gut leiden und er bekommt auch leider nicht wirklich die Chance die Sympathiepunkte nochmal aufzufüllen.
Dennoch hatte die Geschichte wirklich schöne, lebensbejahende und amüsante Aspekte und konnte mich sehr gut unterhalten.
Alles scheint, auf den ersten Blick zumindest, perfekt, bis zu dem Tag, an dem Annie eine harte Diagnose bekommt. Wie soll sie Sam beibringen, dass sie vielleicht nicht mehr lange leben wird ? Wo ihr hypochondrischer Mann doch auch gar nicht zuhören will, als sie das Thema Testament als Einstieg anschneidet ? Sam wehrt sich kategorisch auf ihre Gesprächsversuche einzugehen, als würde er ahnen, dass sie ihm etwas Schlimmes zu sagen versucht.
Weil sie Sam aber so sehr liebt und weiß, wie unbeholfen er ist, entschließt sie sich einen Leidfaden für das Leben ohne Sie zu schreiben. Den sie in ihrer Schublade versteckt und den ausgerechnet Ursula, ihre Mutter zu der sie kein gutes Verhältnis hat, findet als sie zu Besuch kommt. Anstatt Sam jedoch reinen Wein einzuschenken, hält Ursula dicht und beginnt um das Annies Leben zu kämpfen...
Ich mochte den sehr leichten und beschwingten Ton in dem die Autorin hier Annies Geschichte erzählt sehr und war so auch recht zügig mit dem Lesen fertig. Trotz der vielen ernsten Thematiken, die sie hier anspricht und mit denen Annie sich konfrontiert sieht, war die Stimmung nie drückend.
Auch Handlung und Charaktere haben mir gefallen, zumindest bis zum letzten Drittel, aber darauf komme ich gleich noch. Annie und Sam sind die jeweils große Liebe des Anderen und es gibt sie fast ausschließlich im Doppelpack. Man merk schnell, dass Annie eine ziemlich taffe Frau ist, während Sam einen sehr sehr unbeholfenen Eindruck macht. Annie neigt dazu, ihm die meisten alltäglichen Dinge abzunehmen und sein Leben für ihn zu organisieren. Manchmal hatte ich den Eindruck, dass sie gar nicht sieht, wie sehr sie ihn "bemuttert" und wie abhängig sie deshalb voneinander sind. Als sie nun eine vorläufige Diagnose erhält erkennt sie schlagartig, dass sie Dam dabei helfen muss, sein Leben weiterzuleben und zu organieren, wenn sie nicht mehr da ist.
Hinzu kommt die schwierige Mutter-Tochter-Beziehung zu Ursula, der sich Annie stellen muss. Ursula ist eine gefeierte Schauspielerin und hatte, zumindest in Annies Augen, immer wenig für ihre Tochter übrig. Als Ursula beim Besuch auf Annies Leitfaden stößt und diesen natürlich ungefragt liest, da wendet sich das Blatt. Ursula beginnt um das Leben ihrer Tochter zu kämpfen und die Frauen verbringen so ungewohnt viel Zeit miteinander. Zeit, in der sie Unausgesprochenes und Verganges aufarbeiten.
Nun kommt der Punkt, der mir die Geschichte ein kleines bisschen madig gemacht hat: das letzte Drittel.
Hier passieren Dinge, die wohl nur in Romanen so passieren können, damit die Leserschaft am Ende mit einem guten Gefühl und zufrieden aus einer so tragischen und herzzereißenden Geschichte rausgeht. Und das ist total in Ordnung, war hier aber für meinen Geschmack zu viel des Guten. Denn hier wird nicht nur ein Problem gelöst, sondern gleich mehrere, was auf mich überbordend und auch ein wenig platt wirkte. Zudem kann ich Sam einen Großteil des letzten Drittels aufgrund seiner unglaublichen Bockigkeit nicht mehr besonders gut leiden und er bekommt auch leider nicht wirklich die Chance die Sympathiepunkte nochmal aufzufüllen.
Dennoch hatte die Geschichte wirklich schöne, lebensbejahende und amüsante Aspekte und konnte mich sehr gut unterhalten.
February 21, 2021
Review now up on DrunkOnPop:
Despite the more serious topics of the book, Minus Me was a thoroughly enjoyable read, maybe even pleasant. Mameve did a beautiful job of describing the small town of Passamaquoddy, and their famous Paul Bunyan sandwiches. Each line was beautifully written and descriptive, and I could really imagine each scene easily. The concept of the plot is interesting – a wife having a health scare and facing the fear and helplessness of a world where she would no longer exist to take care of the people and things she loves. I liked the different post-it note reminders at the start of each chapter, and I loved the idea of creating a manual in which her spouse should continue to live his life. While Annie and Sam were far more co-dependent than any relationships I know of, it made for an even more interesting dynamic when imagining a world in which Sam doesn’t have Annie to rely on.
I really enjoyed Minus Me, and my only big issue was that I felt the dialogue was unrealistic. Other than her mother, Ursula, all of the characters talked in the same voice and tone. A voice that was not how I’ve ever heard anyone speak before in casual conversation. Even Ursula, with her snobby tone and random French phrases, didn’t seem entirely genuine. All of the conversations were so serious. They all used big, SAT style words that did not sound conversational at all, and they all seemed to talk with an air of…. superiority? It didn’t matter if it was a “bad boy” character or a 16 year old girl. They all just sounded the same. It was hard to feel close to any of the characters, and then worry about what happened to them, because they just didn’t come off as real.
.....
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These were my immediate thoughts after reading: "I’ll post a review on DOP soon. But mostly I want to say this book is gratuitous. A mostly enjoyable, easy read. While it has serious topics like cancer, miscarriage, etc it is still all mostly shallow. Which is not to say it is bad, but rather to say it is something that can be enjoyed without worrying about it being too much. A constant lesson in what not to do - be more communicative, forgive past grudges, be more understanding of your parents, and for fucks sake don’t jump to conclusions.
Also the ending.... ok."
August 17, 2020
A new release from the author of the delightful How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life, Minus Me is the story of Annie’s health scare and what it does to her relationship with her mother and her husband. Sam and Annie are a cute couple who hasn’t quite figured it out yet (has anyone?), but when Annie thinks she’s dying, she writes Sam a manual for how to get along without her, hence the title of the book. Her life-minus-me handbook makes for some really charming, clever reading, but the bigger problem (than, well, dying) is that these two really don’t know or trust each other well enough for either of them to a) communicate this information to each other, and b) succeed in life if they continue on like this.
When Annie is whisked off to New York to see specialists by her difficult mother, a famous actress, they leave Sam completely in the dark. Marriage red flag here—if you can’t tell your husband that your doctor thinks you’re dying and you need a lung biopsy, you have big problems. I got a little frustrated with Annie here, I mean, come on, this is Marriage 101. But as Annie takes us on her journey, we get to know and like her mother better, and while Sam and Annie’s popularity falls with me for a while, they figure it out and become a better couple for it. They’re journey is just that, a journey, not an ending, and I like that.
When Annie is whisked off to New York to see specialists by her difficult mother, a famous actress, they leave Sam completely in the dark. Marriage red flag here—if you can’t tell your husband that your doctor thinks you’re dying and you need a lung biopsy, you have big problems. I got a little frustrated with Annie here, I mean, come on, this is Marriage 101. But as Annie takes us on her journey, we get to know and like her mother better, and while Sam and Annie’s popularity falls with me for a while, they figure it out and become a better couple for it. They’re journey is just that, a journey, not an ending, and I like that.
September 29, 2020
Minus Me is a delightful little book that had a good mix of humor, tragedy, and a timely reminder of how brief life maybe. Loved it from the start.
Annie owns a popular sandwich shop in Maine with her husband Sam. They are an inseparable couple who hide no secrets from each other. When Annie receives a devastating diagnosis that she may die of lung cancer, she goes about writing a manual to help Sam carry on life without her.
The characters were engaging and easy to relate to. The storyline was not complicated and enjoyable.
Summary: A lovely afternoon read, that keeps you entertained with a good mix of everything that u may be looking for.
Annie owns a popular sandwich shop in Maine with her husband Sam. They are an inseparable couple who hide no secrets from each other. When Annie receives a devastating diagnosis that she may die of lung cancer, she goes about writing a manual to help Sam carry on life without her.
The characters were engaging and easy to relate to. The storyline was not complicated and enjoyable.
Summary: A lovely afternoon read, that keeps you entertained with a good mix of everything that u may be looking for.
August 31, 2022
3.5. Some good parts stuck between long drawn out parts.
January 11, 2021
This was a fun read and a great distraction from the current news. I loved the directions Annie wrote for Sam - they were funny and real and heartbreaking all at once. It was a novel way to help the reader understand their relationship. The author has a wonderful sense of humor and draws colorful characters you can't help but love. I looked forward to sitting down with this story every day, and enjoyed the setting, the clever descriptions, and the tidy endings to not just the main storyline but the subplots. Funny, endearing, and clever read.
December 10, 2024
Everyone sucks here
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May 5, 2021If you’ve ever found yourself craving life in a small New England town, or craving an unhealthy-but-delicious salami sandwich, then put Minus Me by Mameve Medwed high on your TBR list. Medwed captures the feel of small-town life in the fictional Passamaquoddy, Maine and the taste of the “Paul Bunyan” – a sandwich so famous (in real life) that tourists come from miles around to stand in line at (the fictional) Annie’s Samwich Shop – the establishment owned by Annie and Sam, the married couple in the story. An ominous medical diagnosis sets Annie on a path of trying to protect her fragile and hapless husband from the truth. Instead, she begins a survival manual for when she’s gone. When Annie’s overbearing mother Ursula steps in, Annie and Sam’s happy marriage is thrown into disarray. Minus Me is a pleasurable escape into unforgettable settings, an unusual marriage, and an endearing cast of characters you grow to love.
I know you grew up in Maine. Is this your first novel set there?
I’ve had a couple of other ones set in Maine. Part of Mail (Mameve’s first novel) was set in Maine, and my character goes back to Maine. So, it’s sort of like, Maine and Cambridge – those are my two obsessions.
You really captured life in a small town in Maine. Do you have any secret longing to live in a small town like the one in the book?
I lived in Bangor, which was the third largest city, with about 30,000 people. But [for the book] I was thinking of maybe Skowhegan or Waterville, a kind of unlovely place not near the coast. I have absolutely no secret desire to live in a town like that.
Which is more fun for you to write about – Cambridge or Maine?
Probably Cambridge because I’ve been here for so long. And all the town and gown stuff, the academic stuff. It’s a pretty fascinating place.
The novel features the famous Maine sandwich, the Paul Bunyan. Is that a real Maine thing?
It’s the real thing. There was this sandwich shop in Bangor, called the Coffee Pot, and it had this sandwich. I have a photograph of it on my website … It was fantastic. My mother used to come and visit and fill her car with them and they absolutely stank. And they were so un-artisinal – cheap bread, salami, and there was nothing better, oh my God, they were so good!
Did you grow up going to the Coffee Pot and eating them?
Oh yes, and there was always a line, at all hours. And I actually wrote an op-ed for the Globe about the last day of the Coffee Pot.
Do they still make them?
The guy died and somebody took over, but everybody tells me it’s absolutely not the same.
I’ve had the pleasure of being in your home (pre-Covid) and I adore your faux food collection. Do you have an unusual relationship to food? Maybe a secret desire to run a restaurant like the one in your book?
No, absolutely not. But I started the collection because of two things: my favorite store, Joie de Vivre, that’s now closed. I went in there once and they had these coasters that were in the shape of luncheon meat, like bologna and salami, American cheese. And they reminded me of the Coffee Pot, of course, those ingredients, so I bought those. And the other thing is, [my son] Daniel went to Japan, and we went to visit him, and they have all that fake food in the windows of Japanese restaurants and I just fell in love with that stuff and got some of it. And now, as you know since you’ve been in my kitchen, there’s no place to slice an onion, it’s just covered with fake food.
Do you ever mistake the fake food for real food?
People came for the day after Thanksgiving, and I had my coasters out and somebody took some turkey and rubber American cheese and put it on top. I said, “you’d better stop…”
Let’s talk about the mother character in your book, Ursula. I love her. She’s a great character, quite the force. Is she based on anyone, like your own mother?
She’s based on my grandmother, who was a very dramatic woman who had been in Germany and had wanted to be an actress. Max Reinhardt, who had discovered Marlena Dietrich, wanted her to join his company. And her family said that being an actress was horrible, so she wasn’t allowed to. My grandfather went to Europe and met her and brought her home to Bangor, Maine. She’d been living in London at the time, so that was quite a shock. And she had exotic clothes and a black cigarette holder, and I think she was quite shocking to the neighbors. And she was extremely dramatic and very demanding. When I was 18, she took me to Europe, and it was kind of a mixed blessing because she was tough! She was hard, but she was wonderful and kind of exciting, very glamorous.
Did she escape Maine the way Ursula did?
She did. At one point, my grandparents moved to New York, which was a much more suitable place for them. She was much happier there.
Was the upscale New York City lifestyle and the apartment in the book based on theirs?
It wasn’t quite so fancy. They lived in a residential hotel called The Seymour. In fact, she was quite frugal – extravagant and frugal at the same time. The Hotel Seymour had all these sheets and towels with the name on them. My father’s name was Harry Stern and she used to remove the “otel” and the “eymour” and send him these towels and sheets with an “H” over to the left and an “S” over to the right, so we had these monogrammed things. It was very funny.
I couldn’t help thinking of you and Howard when reading about Annie and Sam, the couple in the novel. Like them, you two met in nursery school.
You know, I wrote this way before Howard died, and that wasn’t even on the horizon, so it feels a little prophetic. Howard and I met in nursery school and were together forever, so it was that kind of a marriage. And Howard was also, I wouldn’t say incompetent, but he did go off to work with his coffee on the roof of the car, drove off with it up there. And he did lose his keys all the time, which drove me crazy. So, there are certain parts of him, as there are in all of my characters, in all of my books.
What prompted you to write this book? Were you inspired by anything in particular?
I don’t think so. It’s always the “what if” of a writer. I thought of this couple and they were never apart, and then I thought, how would one cope if the other went off on a trip? And I remembered going off on a trip, on a book tour or whatever, and leaving household instructions and then I thought, well what if somebody were really going off permanently, and that was kind of the idea.
Your writing is so funny and crisp. I love how you write dialogue. Your humor really comes out. Do you work hard at developing a sense of humor in your writing or does it just come naturally?
Thanks. It just comes out that way. I sit down and I’m very serious, I don’t intend to be funny at all and it just comes out that way. I feel as if, people who write humor get a bum rap because they’re always made to sit at the children’s table. I feel that those of us who write humor deal with life, death, marriage, bad politics, tragedy – everything else – the same way the heavy hitters do, just with a bit of a comic twist.
What’s your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I don’t plot anything, and I don’t write an outline and I’m just about two sentences ahead of myself. It just makes it more interesting for me not to know where I’m going.
Did the turn the novel took surprise you?
Yes, it did. At some point. I knew I had to do something, something had to happen. I always knew, because I write romantic comedy, that there would be a happy ending. That, I knew. But other than that, I didn’t know who the other characters were, who was going to come in, what was going to happen.
The ideas just come when you’re writing? Lucky!
Yes, but not easily, as you know, it’s not easy. But it makes it interesting for me because there are surprises along the way. If I knew exactly what I was going to do, I think it would just feel less organic and more mechanical. But everybody has a different method.
This is a difficult time to be publishing a novel. How has the pandemic impacted your journey to publication?
Oh, it’s horrible. One of the things is they were originally going to bring it out in hardbound and then they realized because of the pandemic and everybody was at home, people would not want to spend $27.95. They thought it would be more successful to bring it out in paperback. And I’ve always had book tours and stuff, and this was very, very different. I did a lot of Zooms and interviews. But it was fine. It’s been so hard for all the authors to bring books out now.
Has there been any silver lining, like people could join your Zooms that might not have been able to come to an in-person event?
Yes, people across the country, my old high school friends. That was really fun. And the traveling gets old fast. It’s exhausting and it’s hard to fly to Denver and then there are ten people in a gigantic room. So, it keeps the humiliation at bay, too.
Do you think this might be the wave of the future?
I do, don’t you? I don’t think publishers are going to pay. When I first started out, they sent cars for you. They’d pick you up, you got flowers, you stayed at these great hotels. That even started to change and you had to be responsible to get there on your own. So, I think it probably will change. You don’t have to worry about babysitters or parking, or bad weather. I remember being in, I don’t know, Wisconsin, in a snowstorm in February. This way, I think it’s really good.
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I know you grew up in Maine. Is this your first novel set there?
I’ve had a couple of other ones set in Maine. Part of Mail (Mameve’s first novel) was set in Maine, and my character goes back to Maine. So, it’s sort of like, Maine and Cambridge – those are my two obsessions.
You really captured life in a small town in Maine. Do you have any secret longing to live in a small town like the one in the book?
I lived in Bangor, which was the third largest city, with about 30,000 people. But [for the book] I was thinking of maybe Skowhegan or Waterville, a kind of unlovely place not near the coast. I have absolutely no secret desire to live in a town like that.
Which is more fun for you to write about – Cambridge or Maine?
Probably Cambridge because I’ve been here for so long. And all the town and gown stuff, the academic stuff. It’s a pretty fascinating place.
The novel features the famous Maine sandwich, the Paul Bunyan. Is that a real Maine thing?
It’s the real thing. There was this sandwich shop in Bangor, called the Coffee Pot, and it had this sandwich. I have a photograph of it on my website … It was fantastic. My mother used to come and visit and fill her car with them and they absolutely stank. And they were so un-artisinal – cheap bread, salami, and there was nothing better, oh my God, they were so good!
Did you grow up going to the Coffee Pot and eating them?
Oh yes, and there was always a line, at all hours. And I actually wrote an op-ed for the Globe about the last day of the Coffee Pot.
Do they still make them?
The guy died and somebody took over, but everybody tells me it’s absolutely not the same.
I’ve had the pleasure of being in your home (pre-Covid) and I adore your faux food collection. Do you have an unusual relationship to food? Maybe a secret desire to run a restaurant like the one in your book?
No, absolutely not. But I started the collection because of two things: my favorite store, Joie de Vivre, that’s now closed. I went in there once and they had these coasters that were in the shape of luncheon meat, like bologna and salami, American cheese. And they reminded me of the Coffee Pot, of course, those ingredients, so I bought those. And the other thing is, [my son] Daniel went to Japan, and we went to visit him, and they have all that fake food in the windows of Japanese restaurants and I just fell in love with that stuff and got some of it. And now, as you know since you’ve been in my kitchen, there’s no place to slice an onion, it’s just covered with fake food.
Do you ever mistake the fake food for real food?
People came for the day after Thanksgiving, and I had my coasters out and somebody took some turkey and rubber American cheese and put it on top. I said, “you’d better stop…”
Let’s talk about the mother character in your book, Ursula. I love her. She’s a great character, quite the force. Is she based on anyone, like your own mother?
She’s based on my grandmother, who was a very dramatic woman who had been in Germany and had wanted to be an actress. Max Reinhardt, who had discovered Marlena Dietrich, wanted her to join his company. And her family said that being an actress was horrible, so she wasn’t allowed to. My grandfather went to Europe and met her and brought her home to Bangor, Maine. She’d been living in London at the time, so that was quite a shock. And she had exotic clothes and a black cigarette holder, and I think she was quite shocking to the neighbors. And she was extremely dramatic and very demanding. When I was 18, she took me to Europe, and it was kind of a mixed blessing because she was tough! She was hard, but she was wonderful and kind of exciting, very glamorous.
Did she escape Maine the way Ursula did?
She did. At one point, my grandparents moved to New York, which was a much more suitable place for them. She was much happier there.
Was the upscale New York City lifestyle and the apartment in the book based on theirs?
It wasn’t quite so fancy. They lived in a residential hotel called The Seymour. In fact, she was quite frugal – extravagant and frugal at the same time. The Hotel Seymour had all these sheets and towels with the name on them. My father’s name was Harry Stern and she used to remove the “otel” and the “eymour” and send him these towels and sheets with an “H” over to the left and an “S” over to the right, so we had these monogrammed things. It was very funny.
I couldn’t help thinking of you and Howard when reading about Annie and Sam, the couple in the novel. Like them, you two met in nursery school.
You know, I wrote this way before Howard died, and that wasn’t even on the horizon, so it feels a little prophetic. Howard and I met in nursery school and were together forever, so it was that kind of a marriage. And Howard was also, I wouldn’t say incompetent, but he did go off to work with his coffee on the roof of the car, drove off with it up there. And he did lose his keys all the time, which drove me crazy. So, there are certain parts of him, as there are in all of my characters, in all of my books.
What prompted you to write this book? Were you inspired by anything in particular?
I don’t think so. It’s always the “what if” of a writer. I thought of this couple and they were never apart, and then I thought, how would one cope if the other went off on a trip? And I remembered going off on a trip, on a book tour or whatever, and leaving household instructions and then I thought, well what if somebody were really going off permanently, and that was kind of the idea.
Your writing is so funny and crisp. I love how you write dialogue. Your humor really comes out. Do you work hard at developing a sense of humor in your writing or does it just come naturally?
Thanks. It just comes out that way. I sit down and I’m very serious, I don’t intend to be funny at all and it just comes out that way. I feel as if, people who write humor get a bum rap because they’re always made to sit at the children’s table. I feel that those of us who write humor deal with life, death, marriage, bad politics, tragedy – everything else – the same way the heavy hitters do, just with a bit of a comic twist.
What’s your writing process like? Are you a plotter or a pantser?
I don’t plot anything, and I don’t write an outline and I’m just about two sentences ahead of myself. It just makes it more interesting for me not to know where I’m going.
Did the turn the novel took surprise you?
Yes, it did. At some point. I knew I had to do something, something had to happen. I always knew, because I write romantic comedy, that there would be a happy ending. That, I knew. But other than that, I didn’t know who the other characters were, who was going to come in, what was going to happen.
The ideas just come when you’re writing? Lucky!
Yes, but not easily, as you know, it’s not easy. But it makes it interesting for me because there are surprises along the way. If I knew exactly what I was going to do, I think it would just feel less organic and more mechanical. But everybody has a different method.
This is a difficult time to be publishing a novel. How has the pandemic impacted your journey to publication?
Oh, it’s horrible. One of the things is they were originally going to bring it out in hardbound and then they realized because of the pandemic and everybody was at home, people would not want to spend $27.95. They thought it would be more successful to bring it out in paperback. And I’ve always had book tours and stuff, and this was very, very different. I did a lot of Zooms and interviews. But it was fine. It’s been so hard for all the authors to bring books out now.
Has there been any silver lining, like people could join your Zooms that might not have been able to come to an in-person event?
Yes, people across the country, my old high school friends. That was really fun. And the traveling gets old fast. It’s exhausting and it’s hard to fly to Denver and then there are ten people in a gigantic room. So, it keeps the humiliation at bay, too.
Do you think this might be the wave of the future?
I do, don’t you? I don’t think publishers are going to pay. When I first started out, they sent cars for you. They’d pick you up, you got flowers, you stayed at these great hotels. That even started to change and you had to be responsible to get there on your own. So, I think it probably will change. You don’t have to worry about babysitters or parking, or bad weather. I remember being in, I don’t know, Wisconsin, in a snowstorm in February. This way, I think it’s really good.
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January 2, 2024
I absolutely loved this book. It was sweet and simple and after the intensity of the last couple of books I’ve read, this one was so welcomed.
Annie receives some bad news. She’s going to die. What she worries about most, though, is her husband of 17 years, Sam. They were meant to find each other and grow old together, they both agree. Besides, Sam is hopeless at looking after himself - what will he do without her? Annie decides to write Sam a manual for how to live after she’s gone. It’s full of all the practical day to day things - how to dos, what to dos, where to dos, etc. and most importantly, to fall in love again.
It was so charming and full of love. I so enjoyed this book and am so thankful for the advanced copy to read and review. It was delightful and a pleasure to read! If you’re after an easy read that ties itself up nice and neatly at the end, I’d definitely recommend this one!
Annie receives some bad news. She’s going to die. What she worries about most, though, is her husband of 17 years, Sam. They were meant to find each other and grow old together, they both agree. Besides, Sam is hopeless at looking after himself - what will he do without her? Annie decides to write Sam a manual for how to live after she’s gone. It’s full of all the practical day to day things - how to dos, what to dos, where to dos, etc. and most importantly, to fall in love again.
It was so charming and full of love. I so enjoyed this book and am so thankful for the advanced copy to read and review. It was delightful and a pleasure to read! If you’re after an easy read that ties itself up nice and neatly at the end, I’d definitely recommend this one!
February 13, 2022
Ugh. Could have been a good story. Instead it was a frustrating romp through a dreary woman's mind. Everything was about her, no one else has a clue in her world - but I continued because I'm just that dumb.
She lies and lies and lies some more, then 300 pages in casually mentions her wedding vows and how she promised that no matter what she would always tell her husband the truth. And tells herself at one point that what she should have done was just tell him... and yet she continues to make excuses and indulge her self centered micromanaging of everyone's lives.
There's more but I have to stop because then her husband magically finds all her garbage acceptable and ... barf. Just don't.
She lies and lies and lies some more, then 300 pages in casually mentions her wedding vows and how she promised that no matter what she would always tell her husband the truth. And tells herself at one point that what she should have done was just tell him... and yet she continues to make excuses and indulge her self centered micromanaging of everyone's lives.
There's more but I have to stop because then her husband magically finds all her garbage acceptable and ... barf. Just don't.
December 15, 2020
What would your next steps be after getting a grim medical diagnosis? This novel sets out to show one woman’s journey to what happens after she receives some terrible news and how she moves forward. Annie Stevens-Strauss seemingly has it all with a thriving business and a seemingly perfect marriage. She lives in small town Maine and owns her own sandwich shop that she shares with her husband Sam called Annie’s Samwich. Her husband is a little clueless about life and Annie wouldn’t have it any other way. Now with her news in her mind, she now has to determine just how will he and the business get by if one day she is not there.
This book attempts to take a humor approach to a subject that typically would be tear-inducing as a loved one might have to face the world without their romantic partner. It was an amazing premise that attracted me to read this novel and unfortunately it just didn’t quite sit right as I didn’t like either main character. No matter how hard I tried, Annie annoyed me and Sam just never fully came together and grew as a character how I would have expected. The novel explicitly states that Annie’s marriage is perfect (to her) and that there are no faults to be found, but within less than a chapter there are tons of red flags regarding their communication with each other. It’s as if Annie has never watched a movie, read a book, or has become aware of the fact that nothing good as ever come from keeping information from their loved ones for the sake of protecting them.
To aid Sam into the possibility of getting through the rest of his life without her, Annie sets out to write a manual that includes all the random pieces of information that she thinks will be relevant along with instructions of the next steps. She has ideas for him to move on with the business and his love life. The light-heartedness of the manual’s entries were very entertaining as it makes the reader start to wonder what they would include in their own version of a life manual for those they leave behind in case anything happens to them. Sure, there are wills, but that’s not for how to move forward with the day to day. It was a fantastic concept that drew me to read this book, but it gets overshadowed a lot by the characters and their faults.
After visiting her daughter, Annie’s mother Ursula (a famous actress) makes her appearance and becomes a major character as she whisks Annie off to New York to see different specialists using her connections (this made me envious as I wish I had those kind of connections if I ever needed them in the future). Not only does Annie get a chance to visit with a new medical team to further explore her diagnosis, she also gets a chance to explore the high life that her mother leads while sight-seeing and playing tourist in New York. It was nice to see Annie and her mom grow as a mother-daughter team as their relationship is portrayed as strained when told through Annie’s perspective. I honestly could not see how Ursula was a “bad” parent and warranted Annie not fully being on board with her mother. Sure, her mother was over-the-top and went 100-miles-per-minute, but there were no indications that she had any negative traits so it was hard to fully grasp any strain in her and Annie’s relationship (other readers might interpret it differently as this is just how I read the story). I get that Annie had lower self-esteem, but it seems at some point you need to sort of get over it, especially when it’s against your own mother and you also have so many good things going on in your own life (again other readers might think differently).
Overall, it’s a very easy to read novel that flows well from the time of the diagnosis to the ending. The events are believable and the thought process behind everything is relatable as some people would act like these characters, even if it’s not exactly how other readers would (myself included). The author wraps up everything nicely so you’re not left with too many unanswered questions at the end. Although, there were many pieces that weren’t my cup of tea, I still enjoyed reading this novel and got through it relatively quickly. As others might interpret the characters and relationships a little differently, I would encourage other readers to give this novel a try and to formulate their own opinions.
**Thank you to BookSirens and Alcove Press for an ARC to read and enjoy. Opinions expressed are completely my own.**
Check out my other reviews: Chonky Books Review
This book attempts to take a humor approach to a subject that typically would be tear-inducing as a loved one might have to face the world without their romantic partner. It was an amazing premise that attracted me to read this novel and unfortunately it just didn’t quite sit right as I didn’t like either main character. No matter how hard I tried, Annie annoyed me and Sam just never fully came together and grew as a character how I would have expected. The novel explicitly states that Annie’s marriage is perfect (to her) and that there are no faults to be found, but within less than a chapter there are tons of red flags regarding their communication with each other. It’s as if Annie has never watched a movie, read a book, or has become aware of the fact that nothing good as ever come from keeping information from their loved ones for the sake of protecting them.
To aid Sam into the possibility of getting through the rest of his life without her, Annie sets out to write a manual that includes all the random pieces of information that she thinks will be relevant along with instructions of the next steps. She has ideas for him to move on with the business and his love life. The light-heartedness of the manual’s entries were very entertaining as it makes the reader start to wonder what they would include in their own version of a life manual for those they leave behind in case anything happens to them. Sure, there are wills, but that’s not for how to move forward with the day to day. It was a fantastic concept that drew me to read this book, but it gets overshadowed a lot by the characters and their faults.
After visiting her daughter, Annie’s mother Ursula (a famous actress) makes her appearance and becomes a major character as she whisks Annie off to New York to see different specialists using her connections (this made me envious as I wish I had those kind of connections if I ever needed them in the future). Not only does Annie get a chance to visit with a new medical team to further explore her diagnosis, she also gets a chance to explore the high life that her mother leads while sight-seeing and playing tourist in New York. It was nice to see Annie and her mom grow as a mother-daughter team as their relationship is portrayed as strained when told through Annie’s perspective. I honestly could not see how Ursula was a “bad” parent and warranted Annie not fully being on board with her mother. Sure, her mother was over-the-top and went 100-miles-per-minute, but there were no indications that she had any negative traits so it was hard to fully grasp any strain in her and Annie’s relationship (other readers might interpret it differently as this is just how I read the story). I get that Annie had lower self-esteem, but it seems at some point you need to sort of get over it, especially when it’s against your own mother and you also have so many good things going on in your own life (again other readers might think differently).
Overall, it’s a very easy to read novel that flows well from the time of the diagnosis to the ending. The events are believable and the thought process behind everything is relatable as some people would act like these characters, even if it’s not exactly how other readers would (myself included). The author wraps up everything nicely so you’re not left with too many unanswered questions at the end. Although, there were many pieces that weren’t my cup of tea, I still enjoyed reading this novel and got through it relatively quickly. As others might interpret the characters and relationships a little differently, I would encourage other readers to give this novel a try and to formulate their own opinions.
**Thank you to BookSirens and Alcove Press for an ARC to read and enjoy. Opinions expressed are completely my own.**
Check out my other reviews: Chonky Books Review
July 18, 2022
Stell dir vor, du hast deine große Liebe schon in der Schule kennengelernt, bis auf einen Sommer wart ihr immer unzertrennlich, ihr führt zusammen einen Sandwichladen und seid seit zwei Jahrzehnten glücklich verheiratet. Ihr musstet mit einigen Schicksalsschlägen und anderen Problemen kämpfen, aber gemeinsam habt ihr bisher alles überstanden.
Und nun stell dir vor, dass du die Diagnose Krebs erhältst und euer gemeinsames Glück nicht mehr lange exisiteren wird. Wie würdest du damit umgehen? Würdest du es deiner/m Partner*in sagen?
Annie entscheidet sich dagegen Sam von ihrer Diagnose zu berichten, um ihn zu schonen, stattdessen schreibt sie ihm einen Leitfaden mit allerhand praktischen Tipps für sein Leben nach ihrem Tod.
Zuerst einmal möchte ich betonen, dass ich das Buch nicht schlecht fand, ich habe das Lesen sehr genossen, aber anhand des Klappentextes habe ich einfach etwas ganz anderes erwartet.
Ich habe mit einer tragischen, herzzerreißenden Liebesgeschichte gerechnet, doch stattdessen habe ich vor allem die Aufarbeitung der Mutter-Tochter Beziehung zwischen Annie und ihrer Mutter Ursula bekommen.
Das war auch sehr schön zu lesen, besonders weil Ursula, eine berühmte Schauspielerin, so ein einzigartiger, erfrischender Charakter ist und einen Gegenpol zu Annie darstellt.
Die Grundidee mit dem Leitfaden für Sam hat mir gut gefallen und wurde auch schön umgesetzt, auch wenn das Ende des Buches für mich insgesamt ziemlich enttäuschend und vorhersehbar war. Vielleicht würde ich das auch ganz anders sehen, wenn ich nicht etwas völlig anderes erwartet hätte.
Der Schreibstil war poetisch und anschaulich, es gab aber leider einige Längen in dem Buch und einige Entwicklungen waren für mich nicht nachvollziehbar weil sie nur schwammig erklärt worden sind.
Die Charaktere waren für mich auch etwas wiedersprüchlich, egal ob Annie, die ihre Mutter jahrelang gehasst hat, sich dann aber plötzlich großartig mit ihr versteht, oder Sam, der als ruhig und liebenswert beschrieben wird, aber dann eine Mitarbeiterin anbrüllt. Auch die Beziehung der beiden fand ich komisch, da es dort, auch nach 20 Ehejahren, noch gewaltige Kommunikations- und Vertrauensprobleme gab.
Nur Ursula fand ich tatsächlich stimmig, da sie zwar eine aufbrausende, herrische Schauspielerin ist, die sich gerne in den Mittelpunkt stellt, aber sie ist sich dessen bewusst und steht dazu, und kann auch liebevoll und fürsorglich sein, wenn es darauf ankommt.
Insgesamt bin ich bei dem Buch sehr zwiegespalten, da, wie gesagt, meine Erwartungen ganz andere waren und mein Eindruck von dieser Enttäuschung auch stark beeinflusst wurde.
Und nun stell dir vor, dass du die Diagnose Krebs erhältst und euer gemeinsames Glück nicht mehr lange exisiteren wird. Wie würdest du damit umgehen? Würdest du es deiner/m Partner*in sagen?
Annie entscheidet sich dagegen Sam von ihrer Diagnose zu berichten, um ihn zu schonen, stattdessen schreibt sie ihm einen Leitfaden mit allerhand praktischen Tipps für sein Leben nach ihrem Tod.
Zuerst einmal möchte ich betonen, dass ich das Buch nicht schlecht fand, ich habe das Lesen sehr genossen, aber anhand des Klappentextes habe ich einfach etwas ganz anderes erwartet.
Ich habe mit einer tragischen, herzzerreißenden Liebesgeschichte gerechnet, doch stattdessen habe ich vor allem die Aufarbeitung der Mutter-Tochter Beziehung zwischen Annie und ihrer Mutter Ursula bekommen.
Das war auch sehr schön zu lesen, besonders weil Ursula, eine berühmte Schauspielerin, so ein einzigartiger, erfrischender Charakter ist und einen Gegenpol zu Annie darstellt.
Die Grundidee mit dem Leitfaden für Sam hat mir gut gefallen und wurde auch schön umgesetzt, auch wenn das Ende des Buches für mich insgesamt ziemlich enttäuschend und vorhersehbar war. Vielleicht würde ich das auch ganz anders sehen, wenn ich nicht etwas völlig anderes erwartet hätte.
Der Schreibstil war poetisch und anschaulich, es gab aber leider einige Längen in dem Buch und einige Entwicklungen waren für mich nicht nachvollziehbar weil sie nur schwammig erklärt worden sind.
Die Charaktere waren für mich auch etwas wiedersprüchlich, egal ob Annie, die ihre Mutter jahrelang gehasst hat, sich dann aber plötzlich großartig mit ihr versteht, oder Sam, der als ruhig und liebenswert beschrieben wird, aber dann eine Mitarbeiterin anbrüllt. Auch die Beziehung der beiden fand ich komisch, da es dort, auch nach 20 Ehejahren, noch gewaltige Kommunikations- und Vertrauensprobleme gab.
Nur Ursula fand ich tatsächlich stimmig, da sie zwar eine aufbrausende, herrische Schauspielerin ist, die sich gerne in den Mittelpunkt stellt, aber sie ist sich dessen bewusst und steht dazu, und kann auch liebevoll und fürsorglich sein, wenn es darauf ankommt.
Insgesamt bin ich bei dem Buch sehr zwiegespalten, da, wie gesagt, meine Erwartungen ganz andere waren und mein Eindruck von dieser Enttäuschung auch stark beeinflusst wurde.
December 2, 2020
Annie Stevens-Strauss is happy in her small-town life, running her small business alongside her loving but kind of clueless husband Sam. Everything seems to be going alright in life, despite some obstacles and annoyances which the reader gets to discover as they read along, until a scary medical diagnoses comes her way out of the blue. So begins Annie's journey to facing her mortality, breaking out of her comfort zone, and rediscovering what family and love means to her... all the while trying not to spill the beans to those she loves.
This isn't the type of book I have taken to reading in recent times, but reading the summary about Minus Me made me think of another book all about love, loss, and moving on that I adored. So I had to give it a go! Thank you to Alcove Press for the e-ARC!
I really enjoyed the lightheartedness of the storytelling despite the more serious and somber core dilemma at hand, and the story got some laughs out of me as I read Annie's internal thoughts. At the beginning of the story, I liked Annie, Rachel, and Sam (despite also feeling a bit annoyed at how dependent he seemed) and appreciated that there was definite character growth between Annie and Sam. The best characters in Minus Me (in my opinion) are Ursula and Rachel, however. Mameve Medwed did a fantastic job bringing to life such energetic and hilarious personalities! Overall, the story was generally believable and makes for good "slice of life"/"happy-feels" relaxing reading. It also made me think about how life can really turn on you quick and you never know how you would react in those moments.
There were some parts of the story that were somewhat frustrating, but definitely did not make Minus Me difficult to read or unenjoyable. Annie's stubbornness, how unbending Sam was at crucial times, and also some of the comments from Annie about her life did make me roll my eyes a little at these characters. Some of her reactions to trying/discovering new things/places also were mildly frustrating and jumped out at me. But these are supposed to be relatable, flawed characters so definitely not major hindrances to the story.
In general, I think this is a funny, quirky, and heartwarming book. An easy, chill read for times when you just want to have a laugh, sigh along with the drama and happy moments, and enjoy something sweet.
This isn't the type of book I have taken to reading in recent times, but reading the summary about Minus Me made me think of another book all about love, loss, and moving on that I adored. So I had to give it a go! Thank you to Alcove Press for the e-ARC!
I really enjoyed the lightheartedness of the storytelling despite the more serious and somber core dilemma at hand, and the story got some laughs out of me as I read Annie's internal thoughts. At the beginning of the story, I liked Annie, Rachel, and Sam (despite also feeling a bit annoyed at how dependent he seemed) and appreciated that there was definite character growth between Annie and Sam. The best characters in Minus Me (in my opinion) are Ursula and Rachel, however. Mameve Medwed did a fantastic job bringing to life such energetic and hilarious personalities! Overall, the story was generally believable and makes for good "slice of life"/"happy-feels" relaxing reading. It also made me think about how life can really turn on you quick and you never know how you would react in those moments.
There were some parts of the story that were somewhat frustrating, but definitely did not make Minus Me difficult to read or unenjoyable. Annie's stubbornness, how unbending Sam was at crucial times, and also some of the comments from Annie about her life did make me roll my eyes a little at these characters. Some of her reactions to trying/discovering new things/places also were mildly frustrating and jumped out at me. But these are supposed to be relatable, flawed characters so definitely not major hindrances to the story.
In general, I think this is a funny, quirky, and heartwarming book. An easy, chill read for times when you just want to have a laugh, sigh along with the drama and happy moments, and enjoy something sweet.
May 19, 2022
„Weil ich dich liebe, deine Annie“ von Mameve Medwed hatte ich eigentlich gar nicht auf dem Radar und bin praktisch nur durch Zufall über das Buch gestolpert. Da die Kurzbeschreibung ansprechend klingt, wollte ich dem Buch somit eine Chance geben, allerdings hat mich die Geschichte dann doch zwiegespalten zurück gelassen.
Einerseits mochte ich den Schreibstil von Mameve Medwed, der sehr ruhig ist und das Thema „unheilbare Krankheit“ gut in den Vordergrund stellt, anderseits liest sich die Geschichte leider auch oftmals sehr holprig und unrund, was doch eher schade ist. Besonders schön ist allerdings, wie an jedem Kapitelbeginn eine Art Ratschlag für Annies Mann Sam hinterlassen ist. Da die Geschichte aus der Sicht von Annie erzählt wird, lernt man sie, ihre Gedanken und Ängste gut kennen und erlebt mit ihr eine Reise zu sich selbst, eine kaputte Mutter-Kind-Beziehung und die Angst, was passiert, wenn man nicht mehr da ist.
Annie erhält die Diagnose, dass sie unheilbar krank ist. Für sie zerbricht die Welt, gleichzeitig möchte sie aber für ihren Ehemann Sam stark sein, der noch nichts von ihrer Diagnose weiß und den sie so lange es geht vor der Wahrheit schützen möchte. Annies größte Sorge ist dabei, dass Sam alleine nicht klar kommt, denn dieser ist oftmals sehr unselbständig, im Verhalten noch sehr kindlich und oftmals auch sehr trotzig. Annie beschließt somit ihm eine Art Ratgeber zu schreiben, der ihm dabei helfen soll, bestmöglich ohne sie zu leben. Vollkommen überraschend erhält Annie dabei Unterstützung von ihrer Mutter, zu der sie bereits seit Jahren kein gutes Verhältnis hat.
An sich klingt das alles nach einer schönen, melancholischen und intensiven Geschichte. Dennoch hatte ich mit „Weil ich dich liebe, deine Annie“ einige Probleme. So wurde ich mit Annies Ehemann Sam überhaupt nicht warm, weil dieser sehr kindlich, trotzig und anstrengend wirkt. Auch finde ich es ein wenig schade, dass man die Beziehung zwischen Annie und ihrer Mutter nicht noch mehr in den Vordergrund gestellt hat, denn dies ist meiner Meinung nach der interessanteste Part in dem Buch.
Somit ist „Weil ich dich liebe, deine Annie“ insgesamt zwar eine sehr nachdenklich stimmende und interessante Geschichte, die allerdings immer hinter ihren Erwartungen zurückbleibt, da man nicht das komplette Potenzial genutzt hat. Gut, aber kein Highlight.
Einerseits mochte ich den Schreibstil von Mameve Medwed, der sehr ruhig ist und das Thema „unheilbare Krankheit“ gut in den Vordergrund stellt, anderseits liest sich die Geschichte leider auch oftmals sehr holprig und unrund, was doch eher schade ist. Besonders schön ist allerdings, wie an jedem Kapitelbeginn eine Art Ratschlag für Annies Mann Sam hinterlassen ist. Da die Geschichte aus der Sicht von Annie erzählt wird, lernt man sie, ihre Gedanken und Ängste gut kennen und erlebt mit ihr eine Reise zu sich selbst, eine kaputte Mutter-Kind-Beziehung und die Angst, was passiert, wenn man nicht mehr da ist.
Annie erhält die Diagnose, dass sie unheilbar krank ist. Für sie zerbricht die Welt, gleichzeitig möchte sie aber für ihren Ehemann Sam stark sein, der noch nichts von ihrer Diagnose weiß und den sie so lange es geht vor der Wahrheit schützen möchte. Annies größte Sorge ist dabei, dass Sam alleine nicht klar kommt, denn dieser ist oftmals sehr unselbständig, im Verhalten noch sehr kindlich und oftmals auch sehr trotzig. Annie beschließt somit ihm eine Art Ratgeber zu schreiben, der ihm dabei helfen soll, bestmöglich ohne sie zu leben. Vollkommen überraschend erhält Annie dabei Unterstützung von ihrer Mutter, zu der sie bereits seit Jahren kein gutes Verhältnis hat.
An sich klingt das alles nach einer schönen, melancholischen und intensiven Geschichte. Dennoch hatte ich mit „Weil ich dich liebe, deine Annie“ einige Probleme. So wurde ich mit Annies Ehemann Sam überhaupt nicht warm, weil dieser sehr kindlich, trotzig und anstrengend wirkt. Auch finde ich es ein wenig schade, dass man die Beziehung zwischen Annie und ihrer Mutter nicht noch mehr in den Vordergrund gestellt hat, denn dies ist meiner Meinung nach der interessanteste Part in dem Buch.
Somit ist „Weil ich dich liebe, deine Annie“ insgesamt zwar eine sehr nachdenklich stimmende und interessante Geschichte, die allerdings immer hinter ihren Erwartungen zurückbleibt, da man nicht das komplette Potenzial genutzt hat. Gut, aber kein Highlight.
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