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The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper
'So very funny' Jenny Colgan 'Endlessly inventive' Richard Ayoade 'Laugh-out-loud funny, wise as hell, touching as anything' Waterstones Staff Pick2020 was supposed to be a great year. Unfortunately, Tom Cooper, like the rest of the world, is going to be spending the next few months trapped in the middle of a pandemic. Stuck inside a small flat with sole responsibility for his two single-digit children, Tom is plunged into a world of homeschooling, supermarket feuds and alfresco workout sessions, not to mention trying to keep tabs on ageing parents who won’t stay home. Faced with the problems of cash-strapped tooth fairies, buying a rat trap online, and an NHS-supporting arms race with an elderly neighbour, Tom realises he must rise to the occasion, but when his girlfriend asks for an erotic photo of his rapidly deteriorating body, it might just be one step too far... Join Tom as he navigates lockdown in this hilarious stand-alone novel from the author of The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper. Laugh-out-loud with real heart, lockdown has never been so entertaining.
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 12, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
November 28, 2020
*I received a free ARC of this book with thanks to the author, Marotte Books and Anne Cater of Random Things Blog Tours. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
This book is the perfect antidote to lockdown blues!
Spencer Brown captures the lockdown-with-young-kids experience perfectly – anxiety-ridden shopping trips, Zoom meetings, Facetime calls with family and friends, daily exercise (bless, and curse, you, Joe Wicks!), hoarding and toilet paper shortages, home-schooling, NHS clapping and window rainbows – it’s all in there and it’s all completely relatable and yet somehow much funnier than the real experience.
Tom Cooper is a brilliant main character. He’s something of a ‘Bridget Jones’ with his constant self-doubt and wryly witty observations, and I was rooting for him from beginning to end. He needed it too! The story follows his day-to-day struggles with parenting small children in isolation whilst also trying to work, long-distance date, deal with aggravating parents/in-laws and minimise the damage to his increasingly wobbly reputation. Faced with any tricky situation the one constant is that Tom will manage to choose the course that will make him feel silly.
In addition to being literally laugh-out-loud hilarious (that kind of loud, snorting bark of a laugh that makes people stare at you), there are also some very touching moments with children and parents, that had me tearing up a bit and appreciating my own loved ones that much more. The emotional blend of humour, fear, frustration, loneliness, anxiety and hope rings perfectly true to my experience of UK lockdown. Although I’ll admit Tom did better than us at the home-schooling… I’m pretty sure my two un-learned somehow during my teaching stint!
I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick, warm and fuzzy, feel-good read and I have added The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper (Spencer Brown’s previous Tom Cooper book) to my Christmas list. With the current world-situation, it is exactly what I need to lift my spirits and remind me to look on the lighter side of life/lockdown!
It’s such a relief when I finally put the kids to bed. How long are the schools going to be shut for? This is impossible. And it’s day one. At least if I had someone else to help, I could go for a walk on my own, get some space, but instead I’m going to be with them non-stop for all their waking hours for God knows how many months. I don’t think things could get any worse.
It’s 8:30 when Boris announces we’re going into full on lockdown.
– Spencer Brown, The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
This book is the perfect antidote to lockdown blues!
Spencer Brown captures the lockdown-with-young-kids experience perfectly – anxiety-ridden shopping trips, Zoom meetings, Facetime calls with family and friends, daily exercise (bless, and curse, you, Joe Wicks!), hoarding and toilet paper shortages, home-schooling, NHS clapping and window rainbows – it’s all in there and it’s all completely relatable and yet somehow much funnier than the real experience.
Tom Cooper is a brilliant main character. He’s something of a ‘Bridget Jones’ with his constant self-doubt and wryly witty observations, and I was rooting for him from beginning to end. He needed it too! The story follows his day-to-day struggles with parenting small children in isolation whilst also trying to work, long-distance date, deal with aggravating parents/in-laws and minimise the damage to his increasingly wobbly reputation. Faced with any tricky situation the one constant is that Tom will manage to choose the course that will make him feel silly.
In addition to being literally laugh-out-loud hilarious (that kind of loud, snorting bark of a laugh that makes people stare at you), there are also some very touching moments with children and parents, that had me tearing up a bit and appreciating my own loved ones that much more. The emotional blend of humour, fear, frustration, loneliness, anxiety and hope rings perfectly true to my experience of UK lockdown. Although I’ll admit Tom did better than us at the home-schooling… I’m pretty sure my two un-learned somehow during my teaching stint!
I definitely recommend this book for anyone looking for a quick, warm and fuzzy, feel-good read and I have added The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper (Spencer Brown’s previous Tom Cooper book) to my Christmas list. With the current world-situation, it is exactly what I need to lift my spirits and remind me to look on the lighter side of life/lockdown!
It’s such a relief when I finally put the kids to bed. How long are the schools going to be shut for? This is impossible. And it’s day one. At least if I had someone else to help, I could go for a walk on my own, get some space, but instead I’m going to be with them non-stop for all their waking hours for God knows how many months. I don’t think things could get any worse.
It’s 8:30 when Boris announces we’re going into full on lockdown.
– Spencer Brown, The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpres...
February 12, 2021
Not badly written but full of lockdown clichés which were a bit groansome. Not as funny as the cover quotes lead me to believe. Very easy to read although it sort of came to a very abrupt end. Although advertised as a 'standalone' novel it probably would have helped to have read the other book first as there are spoilers.
November 17, 2020
I'll be honest I was a bit iffy about reading this one, I didn't know how the subject of the pandemic and lockdown could be made into a "hilarious stand-alone novel" Plus, I haven't read The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper, so I didn't really know Spencer Browns writing style. But, I wanted to see if it could be achieved.
My main worry was that the whole lockdown experience would be made a mockery of. Turns out my worries were very short-lived. I was in stitches reading the escapades of Tom Cooper who was attempting to work from home, whilst homeschooling two young children. (Note to self I now need to buy The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper and check out Spencer Browns comedy work. He's quite good at it it seems 😊)
We have all experienced the highs and lows of lockdown. And, reading this bought a light hearted look at what was (and still is in some places) of what we went through. It bought back some of the feelings and experiences that I went through, and I'm sure we can all relate to some of all of what Tom is going through.
I had the joys of homeschooling and I loved how Brown wrote about the children. Their innocence and their full on truthfulness that gets Tom into a lot of scrapes. I loved it and I giggled my way through chapters.
There's so many funny scenes in the book that I could write about, but that would basically be me retelling the story? And, that is defeating the object. Because, you should read this yourselves and get joy put into your lives.
Now don't think that Spencer Brown has just sat there and wrote a full on joke book. Interspersed among the laughs and giggles there is a nod to how hard lockdown was. There is the emotional tug of the heart about how we worried what the future held. It highlights the importance of friendship and family in darker times.
The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper is a light-hearted account that will lift your spirits. Just the right tonic needed really in these times of uncertainty.
My main worry was that the whole lockdown experience would be made a mockery of. Turns out my worries were very short-lived. I was in stitches reading the escapades of Tom Cooper who was attempting to work from home, whilst homeschooling two young children. (Note to self I now need to buy The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper and check out Spencer Browns comedy work. He's quite good at it it seems 😊)
We have all experienced the highs and lows of lockdown. And, reading this bought a light hearted look at what was (and still is in some places) of what we went through. It bought back some of the feelings and experiences that I went through, and I'm sure we can all relate to some of all of what Tom is going through.
I had the joys of homeschooling and I loved how Brown wrote about the children. Their innocence and their full on truthfulness that gets Tom into a lot of scrapes. I loved it and I giggled my way through chapters.
There's so many funny scenes in the book that I could write about, but that would basically be me retelling the story? And, that is defeating the object. Because, you should read this yourselves and get joy put into your lives.
Now don't think that Spencer Brown has just sat there and wrote a full on joke book. Interspersed among the laughs and giggles there is a nod to how hard lockdown was. There is the emotional tug of the heart about how we worried what the future held. It highlights the importance of friendship and family in darker times.
The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper is a light-hearted account that will lift your spirits. Just the right tonic needed really in these times of uncertainty.
January 2, 2022
I thought this was funny and well-written, a balanced mixture of humorous and touching moments. The only real complaint I have is that this book was riddled with typos, grammatical errors and sometimes missing words (like a Facebook comment that's super concise and well-written, except for that one obvious word that always seems to be missing because you typed it fast and on your phone). I would most definitely recommend giving it a read though. It'll take you back to the early days of lockdown, in a fun way, not a depressing way, ha.
November 9, 2020
This was exactly the book I needed to read right now. With England now in some kind of lockdown at the moment, it was brilliant timing for me to read a book that made me laugh all about....well...being in lock down!
The author; Spencer Brown manages to write exactly how it feels to be stuck in a flat with two young children day in and day out and all the trials and tribulations of juggling working from home and homeschooling. Then dealing with competitive neighbours and people not following the rules.
I really did love the character of Tom. The hilarious situations that he got himself into really made me snort with laughter. The joy of zoom calls and shopping in lockdown was written perfectly and I think most readers will find this story so relatable as after all we have all been through this crazy year and we still have no idea when the end will be in sight.
However, the story has such a sweet side showing the importance of family and friends in these uncertain times. It really did touch me, especially with some of the conversations he had with his young children as it made me think of my two girls.
If you want a book that will make you smile then I highly recommend this hilarious but also heart warming story.
The author; Spencer Brown manages to write exactly how it feels to be stuck in a flat with two young children day in and day out and all the trials and tribulations of juggling working from home and homeschooling. Then dealing with competitive neighbours and people not following the rules.
I really did love the character of Tom. The hilarious situations that he got himself into really made me snort with laughter. The joy of zoom calls and shopping in lockdown was written perfectly and I think most readers will find this story so relatable as after all we have all been through this crazy year and we still have no idea when the end will be in sight.
However, the story has such a sweet side showing the importance of family and friends in these uncertain times. It really did touch me, especially with some of the conversations he had with his young children as it made me think of my two girls.
If you want a book that will make you smile then I highly recommend this hilarious but also heart warming story.
November 23, 2020
To be honest I was a little worried about reading this at the start of a second lockdown but this was a thoroughly enjoyable look at lock down from the perspective of a single parent. I really liked seeing all the parts I didn't see from living in the country side and I especially enjoyed the observations of how different lockdown was for the rich vs the poor as (not knowing any very rich people) was something I was curious about.
This book is more about the challenges and joys of raising children and all the hilarious situations they put us in and is one I would recommend to all if you want a fun, light hearted read. That being said it did have some very tender and real moments that had me welling up!
I didn't realise this was the second book when I signed up for the tour but I am glad of that as I might not have said yes had I know and it read absolutely fine as a stand alone. I will definitely be on the look out for book one!
This book is more about the challenges and joys of raising children and all the hilarious situations they put us in and is one I would recommend to all if you want a fun, light hearted read. That being said it did have some very tender and real moments that had me welling up!
I didn't realise this was the second book when I signed up for the tour but I am glad of that as I might not have said yes had I know and it read absolutely fine as a stand alone. I will definitely be on the look out for book one!
May 20, 2021
Spot on with every thing that happened and still happening in lockdown.A laugh a minute.
Read it in no time at all.
Read it in no time at all.
August 19, 2021
Good read which gives you a view of life in lockdown...some funny and relatable moments. Even though this was a standalone book I felt it would have been better to read the first one before as it would have given me an idea of Tom's background story.
November 17, 2020
Oh this book was absolutely hilarious and just brilliant!
It’s a book we can all relate to and the author does a great job of picking up on the things that I think we all experienced during lockdown, although have been slightly exaggerated for the book obviously. My favourite moment being the NHS support competition he had with his neighbour as bigger and better rainbows were added to the windows!
It’s not all fun and games though as it does also look at the tougher times of lockdown, from the character not being able to see his girlfriend, right up to the moment where his mum catches covid and ends up in hospital.
I’ve read a few books now which either featured or focussed on the lockdown situation as I think, although it’s been a strange and rubbish year, it’s something that we need to look back on and definitely make light of some of the situations we’ve all been in.
Overall it is completely relatable, with plenty of moments where you will be nodding your head saying ‘I did that!’ and I guarantee it will have you laughing out loud!
It’s a book we can all relate to and the author does a great job of picking up on the things that I think we all experienced during lockdown, although have been slightly exaggerated for the book obviously. My favourite moment being the NHS support competition he had with his neighbour as bigger and better rainbows were added to the windows!
It’s not all fun and games though as it does also look at the tougher times of lockdown, from the character not being able to see his girlfriend, right up to the moment where his mum catches covid and ends up in hospital.
I’ve read a few books now which either featured or focussed on the lockdown situation as I think, although it’s been a strange and rubbish year, it’s something that we need to look back on and definitely make light of some of the situations we’ve all been in.
Overall it is completely relatable, with plenty of moments where you will be nodding your head saying ‘I did that!’ and I guarantee it will have you laughing out loud!
January 8, 2021
The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper is exactly as it the title suggests and it perfectly captures life at the beginning of the pandemic - anyone else get paranoid people thought you were hoarding when you just needed every time of food possible because you were working from home/eating yourself out of house and home? 😂
I actually laughed out loud reading this and phoned my mum to give her a one-liner! Obviously, as it’s about lockdown there’s an emotional subplot but it was so funny I was genuinely shocked when it happened. I did feel bad for Tom Cooper because everything that could happen in a lockdown seemed to happen to him but who wants to read about someone with a fantastic lockdown experience?! 😂
I actually laughed out loud reading this and phoned my mum to give her a one-liner! Obviously, as it’s about lockdown there’s an emotional subplot but it was so funny I was genuinely shocked when it happened. I did feel bad for Tom Cooper because everything that could happen in a lockdown seemed to happen to him but who wants to read about someone with a fantastic lockdown experience?! 😂
April 6, 2021
A book which is set in real time, funny and shows how we are not alone and no one has it easy during lockdown! A fantastic read.
November 15, 2020
Title: The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper
Author: Spencer Brown
Pages: 211
Publisher: Marotte Books
Rating: 4/5
A huge thank you to Spencer Brown, Marotte books and Random Things Tours for letting me be part of the blog tour.
Synopsis:
2020 was supposed to be Tom Cooper’s year, but like the rest of the world, the next few months will be spent in lockdown, in his small flat, trying to keep his children safe from the dreaded Coronavirus. Tom has no option but to juggle child care, home schooling, work, work outs and his rebellious parents. He thinks things can’t get any worse after dealing with an unwanted visitor, a cash-strapped tooth fairy and a competitive elderly neighbour. This is until his girlfriend asks him for an erotic photo, putting Tom into full panic mode. Taking a picture of his deteriorating dad bod is a step too far and is about to push him over the edge.
Review:
The description of this read definitely intrigued me as it relevant to current situation we are currently in and anything that could bring a little humour to this pandemic was most certainly a welcome read. This is the first book I have read by Spencer Brown and as I hadn’t read any reviews before reading, I was looking forward to diving in with an open mind.
The tone was instantly light hearted and I was able to connect with the easy-going writing style straight away. It instantly felt real, relevant and very relatable too which I liked as this meant the connection was there straight away.
Particular favourite parts of this read for me was the shopping trips, because it really highlighted how bonkers people were with this at the start of lockdown. I genuine understood and felt Tom’s frustrations when it came to trying to find toilet roll, pasta, facing the hoarders and having to pay over the top of essentials. In fact, this read shows you how lock down can bring the crazy out in you in a very humorous way.
I loved Tom’s children and how they had no filter what’s so ever, scenes with them were fun and full of comedy. I also found it funny how Tom just couldn’t catch a break, I really felt for him but his misfortune was highly entertaining.
As for Tom, I just loved him. He was a real character and his reactions to lockdown were sometimes very relevant to my own, for example pigging out on food! I also really enjoyed how Tom wasn’t your typical macho man, he was real with his feelings which made him very likeable and realistic. It was also nice to have a male lead for a change, especially a male lead who was raising children and carrying out home duties, it breaks down that stereotypical thinking.
There was a perfect balance between humour and serious and those serious scenes did a fantastic job at touching on how lockdown can affect you mentally and how important it is just to keep going, even those little steps make a difference.
The pace of this read was perfect, it was long enough so you are able to fully get stuck into the story but not too long that reading about lock down hits too close to home and gets you down. Some scenes were funny and some were really sweets, everything was balanced and I caught myself smiling a few times whilst reading as a result.
The lockdown dairy of Tom Cooper genuinely brings some lightness to this pandemic, so a huge thank you and welldone to the author for this!
Author: Spencer Brown
Pages: 211
Publisher: Marotte Books
Rating: 4/5
A huge thank you to Spencer Brown, Marotte books and Random Things Tours for letting me be part of the blog tour.
Synopsis:
2020 was supposed to be Tom Cooper’s year, but like the rest of the world, the next few months will be spent in lockdown, in his small flat, trying to keep his children safe from the dreaded Coronavirus. Tom has no option but to juggle child care, home schooling, work, work outs and his rebellious parents. He thinks things can’t get any worse after dealing with an unwanted visitor, a cash-strapped tooth fairy and a competitive elderly neighbour. This is until his girlfriend asks him for an erotic photo, putting Tom into full panic mode. Taking a picture of his deteriorating dad bod is a step too far and is about to push him over the edge.
Review:
The description of this read definitely intrigued me as it relevant to current situation we are currently in and anything that could bring a little humour to this pandemic was most certainly a welcome read. This is the first book I have read by Spencer Brown and as I hadn’t read any reviews before reading, I was looking forward to diving in with an open mind.
The tone was instantly light hearted and I was able to connect with the easy-going writing style straight away. It instantly felt real, relevant and very relatable too which I liked as this meant the connection was there straight away.
Particular favourite parts of this read for me was the shopping trips, because it really highlighted how bonkers people were with this at the start of lockdown. I genuine understood and felt Tom’s frustrations when it came to trying to find toilet roll, pasta, facing the hoarders and having to pay over the top of essentials. In fact, this read shows you how lock down can bring the crazy out in you in a very humorous way.
I loved Tom’s children and how they had no filter what’s so ever, scenes with them were fun and full of comedy. I also found it funny how Tom just couldn’t catch a break, I really felt for him but his misfortune was highly entertaining.
As for Tom, I just loved him. He was a real character and his reactions to lockdown were sometimes very relevant to my own, for example pigging out on food! I also really enjoyed how Tom wasn’t your typical macho man, he was real with his feelings which made him very likeable and realistic. It was also nice to have a male lead for a change, especially a male lead who was raising children and carrying out home duties, it breaks down that stereotypical thinking.
There was a perfect balance between humour and serious and those serious scenes did a fantastic job at touching on how lockdown can affect you mentally and how important it is just to keep going, even those little steps make a difference.
The pace of this read was perfect, it was long enough so you are able to fully get stuck into the story but not too long that reading about lock down hits too close to home and gets you down. Some scenes were funny and some were really sweets, everything was balanced and I caught myself smiling a few times whilst reading as a result.
The lockdown dairy of Tom Cooper genuinely brings some lightness to this pandemic, so a huge thank you and welldone to the author for this!
November 13, 2020
Writing this review at the beginning of a second full lockdown, it’s already surreal to look back on the characteristics of the first one, as Spencer Brown does in the hilarious The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper. You can’t help but feel as though, if this book was pitched in the old times speculating ‘what if British people were forced to stay at home to avoid getting sick?’, it would be dismissed as too far-fetched, yet here we are!
Brown takes tensions in supermarkets, competitive NHS appreciation and Zoom disasters to funny and absurd conclusions as hapless middle-aged dad Tom tries to help several elderly neighbours but gets judged by other shoppers who think he’s stockpiling, covers his windows with so many coloured-in rainbows that there’s no natural light in his flat, shows colleagues aspects of his home life he didn’t mean to, and much more.
This book brings home (no pun intended) how weird it was that we were expected to try to carry on as normally as possible without going out, and how the restrictions made previously straightforward tasks so difficult. It also reminded me how strangely illicit it felt to go outside during this period, even though it was within the guidelines!
Tom gets off pretty lightly in terms of disruption from his four- and seven-year-old children, who don’t seem to need constant supervision or be prone to interrupting at inopportune moments, and come out with some adorable and hilarious things. Nonetheless, he doesn’t get much sympathy or slack from his employers, culminating in an excruciating exercise in filming a sofa advert over Zoom. When son Arthur’s first tooth falls out, Tom panics because he only has a £10 note and no way of breaking it into change, then finds himself in a rib-tickling spiralling exchange of letters with him in the guise of a slightly inappropriately-named tooth fairy.
It’s not all comedy disasters, though - there are some really tender and tense sections as relationships are tested to their limits and the characters are reminded of the reason for the lockdown: a virus that could take away their loved ones. We see Tom’s friends’ strong marriage shaken as they can’t escape from one another, Tom worries whether his budding romance with Amanda can survive as they’re stuck apart, and he painfully regrets being snippy with his mum when she falls ill. You can forgive the characters for their behaviour when they’re under so much pressure, and hope they’ll make it through okay.
The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper is a very humorous take on a strange time in all our lives. I hadn’t read the previous book in the series, The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper, but I’ve bought it and will be reading it to bring some much-needed humour and lightness to this new lockdown.
Brown takes tensions in supermarkets, competitive NHS appreciation and Zoom disasters to funny and absurd conclusions as hapless middle-aged dad Tom tries to help several elderly neighbours but gets judged by other shoppers who think he’s stockpiling, covers his windows with so many coloured-in rainbows that there’s no natural light in his flat, shows colleagues aspects of his home life he didn’t mean to, and much more.
This book brings home (no pun intended) how weird it was that we were expected to try to carry on as normally as possible without going out, and how the restrictions made previously straightforward tasks so difficult. It also reminded me how strangely illicit it felt to go outside during this period, even though it was within the guidelines!
Tom gets off pretty lightly in terms of disruption from his four- and seven-year-old children, who don’t seem to need constant supervision or be prone to interrupting at inopportune moments, and come out with some adorable and hilarious things. Nonetheless, he doesn’t get much sympathy or slack from his employers, culminating in an excruciating exercise in filming a sofa advert over Zoom. When son Arthur’s first tooth falls out, Tom panics because he only has a £10 note and no way of breaking it into change, then finds himself in a rib-tickling spiralling exchange of letters with him in the guise of a slightly inappropriately-named tooth fairy.
It’s not all comedy disasters, though - there are some really tender and tense sections as relationships are tested to their limits and the characters are reminded of the reason for the lockdown: a virus that could take away their loved ones. We see Tom’s friends’ strong marriage shaken as they can’t escape from one another, Tom worries whether his budding romance with Amanda can survive as they’re stuck apart, and he painfully regrets being snippy with his mum when she falls ill. You can forgive the characters for their behaviour when they’re under so much pressure, and hope they’ll make it through okay.
The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper is a very humorous take on a strange time in all our lives. I hadn’t read the previous book in the series, The Rebuilding of Tom Cooper, but I’ve bought it and will be reading it to bring some much-needed humour and lightness to this new lockdown.
January 2, 2021
Reality can be hilarious
Tom Cooper is a single dad to 2 young kids. His ex is miles away and Boris just made his life a lot harder. Spanning the first few weeks of lockdown, we get to see how Tom copes with the challenge.
Lockdown has been hard for everyone, I know my midweek drinking has gone up, but this book really helped me see the plight of the single parent. Tom Cooper is just a normal guy with a decent job who's life takes a bit of a turn as coronavirus hits. He has to figure out how to juggle childcare, home schooling, a job, dating, and clapping for the NHS all from the comfort of his own home.
I love the way Tom interacts with his kids. If you ever saw Outnumbered, it reminded me of that a lot. He wants to be their friend, but he has to be their father.
This is my first time reading Spencer Brown, but not my last. The light, almost rom-com style of the writing makes it easy to read what is actually a really traumatic series of events. He keeps it funny and upbeat even though Tom is probably on the verge of a breakdown the whole time.
As you probably know, I'm all about the font and formatting. Bad formatting equals a bad time, but @marottebooks really knocked it out the park with this book.
This is a perfect read to look back on 2020 fondly, remembering that we all made it through, somehow. I've been a bit weary of reading covid-themed books because I get enough of it on the news. However, I really enjoyed this story and it made me reminisce about those simpler times in March when we thought this would all blow over by Easter.
Tom Cooper is a single dad to 2 young kids. His ex is miles away and Boris just made his life a lot harder. Spanning the first few weeks of lockdown, we get to see how Tom copes with the challenge.
Lockdown has been hard for everyone, I know my midweek drinking has gone up, but this book really helped me see the plight of the single parent. Tom Cooper is just a normal guy with a decent job who's life takes a bit of a turn as coronavirus hits. He has to figure out how to juggle childcare, home schooling, a job, dating, and clapping for the NHS all from the comfort of his own home.
I love the way Tom interacts with his kids. If you ever saw Outnumbered, it reminded me of that a lot. He wants to be their friend, but he has to be their father.
This is my first time reading Spencer Brown, but not my last. The light, almost rom-com style of the writing makes it easy to read what is actually a really traumatic series of events. He keeps it funny and upbeat even though Tom is probably on the verge of a breakdown the whole time.
As you probably know, I'm all about the font and formatting. Bad formatting equals a bad time, but @marottebooks really knocked it out the park with this book.
This is a perfect read to look back on 2020 fondly, remembering that we all made it through, somehow. I've been a bit weary of reading covid-themed books because I get enough of it on the news. However, I really enjoyed this story and it made me reminisce about those simpler times in March when we thought this would all blow over by Easter.
November 9, 2020
A truly laugh out loud read. It’s the beginning of lockdown and single parent Tom now has his “ single digit aged two children '' Carrie and Arthur at home to cope with as well as his job as an advertising executive. I wasn’t sure how I would take to this as we all remember the anxiety and panic many of us went through in the early days and I hoped that it would make me smile- I wasn't disappointed- it made me laugh so many times. Tom buying hair dye when everyone else wanted pasta and then wondering how many loo rolls a day him and the kids would get through. ( A day??) . Fending off competition from a neighbour for rainbow support for the NHS posters and dealing with the idiots in the supermarket. To look back even now and realise that others saw the world the same during lockdown (idiots and madness) is not only reassuring but done in a humorous way perhaps brings it all down to earth that little bit more. A wonderful read that I highly recommend and one we will look back on in a few years to remind ourselves what it was like and how we reacted. A brilliant read.
November 18, 2020
A 4.5 star read
If someone had told me back in March or April 2020 that I would enjoy reading a book about being in the UK lockdown part 1, I would probably have laughed at them (from a socially distanced position, of course). However, I have now read a lockdown diary and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As you may have noticed from the synopsis above, this is the second book about Tom Cooper. However this is the first one I have read, and I was able to enjoy it without having read book one. At the start of the book, the UK is getting ready to enter lockdown part 1 (I read this at the start of lockdown part 2). Tom is a single dad of two primary school children, who suddenly finds himself working from home whilst home schooling his children.
The diary looks at how Tom stays in touch with his girlfriend Amanda via zoom (loved the description of the first one), copes with queuing to buy essentials at the supermarket with the children whilst hunting daily for an online grocery slot, takes part in the clap for NHS carers and copes with a shortage of toilet rolls and competent work colleagues.
The book is full of laugh out loud moments, especially when Tom has epic failures with technology, the tooth fairy and a rat, but is also thought provoking in places, as the reality of someone catching Covid-19 is discussed. I enjoyed the humour and the story, and I’m happy to recommend this book.
If someone had told me back in March or April 2020 that I would enjoy reading a book about being in the UK lockdown part 1, I would probably have laughed at them (from a socially distanced position, of course). However, I have now read a lockdown diary and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
As you may have noticed from the synopsis above, this is the second book about Tom Cooper. However this is the first one I have read, and I was able to enjoy it without having read book one. At the start of the book, the UK is getting ready to enter lockdown part 1 (I read this at the start of lockdown part 2). Tom is a single dad of two primary school children, who suddenly finds himself working from home whilst home schooling his children.
The diary looks at how Tom stays in touch with his girlfriend Amanda via zoom (loved the description of the first one), copes with queuing to buy essentials at the supermarket with the children whilst hunting daily for an online grocery slot, takes part in the clap for NHS carers and copes with a shortage of toilet rolls and competent work colleagues.
The book is full of laugh out loud moments, especially when Tom has epic failures with technology, the tooth fairy and a rat, but is also thought provoking in places, as the reality of someone catching Covid-19 is discussed. I enjoyed the humour and the story, and I’m happy to recommend this book.
November 22, 2020
For loveable loser Tom, Lockdown is like being in a situation comedy with no script, and his attempts to ad-lib his way through it are hilarious. Trapped in a torture chamber of home-schooling, overwhelmed by his girlfriend’s knack for home-made soft porn, he rants about, amongst other things, online quizzes, schools, exercise gurus, Zoom and, notably, senior citizens. Elderly relatives, his own or other people’s, can really wind Tom up. However, when his cage is not being rattled, he is philosophical. At one point, he reflects on the nature of parenthood down the generations. ‘No parents, no children – just caretakers for….love….’
The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper will make a perfect gift for the parents of young families. Don’t, under any circumstances, give it to your child’s teacher, who is likely to sue, and please be aware that it may throw anyone over sixty into an existential crisis. Nevertheless, I was blown away by Spencer Brown’s creativity, under challenging circumstances.
The Lockdown Diary of Tom Cooper will make a perfect gift for the parents of young families. Don’t, under any circumstances, give it to your child’s teacher, who is likely to sue, and please be aware that it may throw anyone over sixty into an existential crisis. Nevertheless, I was blown away by Spencer Brown’s creativity, under challenging circumstances.
January 28, 2021
Oh my goodness I absolutely loved this book. It made me cry with laughter. Tom is a single Dad of 2 when lockdown begins he wonders how he is going to manage homeschooling Arthur and Carrie while working from home. He has recently started a relationship with Amanda but now all
Of their communications take place via Zoom. As a mother who has experienced the joys of homeschooling this was so accurate and funny and really nice to read it from a Dad’s perspective. The book covers the toilet roll shortage, the joys of Zoom meetings and sexting! The part where Tom is asked to send a sexy picture to Amanda had me laughing out loud. The ending gave me all the feels which is exactly what’s needed during lockdown 3.0
Of their communications take place via Zoom. As a mother who has experienced the joys of homeschooling this was so accurate and funny and really nice to read it from a Dad’s perspective. The book covers the toilet roll shortage, the joys of Zoom meetings and sexting! The part where Tom is asked to send a sexy picture to Amanda had me laughing out loud. The ending gave me all the feels which is exactly what’s needed during lockdown 3.0
January 30, 2021
Realistic expectations
I enjoyed the characters in this follow up story.
They each had a different perspective of what each new day of the virus would bring .Story delved into working from home, home schooling and dealing with the uncertainty of keeping a job , finances and family .Our thoughts the contents were handled sensitively and kindly
Think everyone who reads this book can find something relatable in it .I look forward to new titles from this author .
I enjoyed the characters in this follow up story.
They each had a different perspective of what each new day of the virus would bring .Story delved into working from home, home schooling and dealing with the uncertainty of keeping a job , finances and family .Our thoughts the contents were handled sensitively and kindly
Think everyone who reads this book can find something relatable in it .I look forward to new titles from this author .
April 17, 2021
Would have given a 4 but typos are a bit distracting.
Some real lighthearted moments. Moments that are so relatable and felt a connection to some of the feelings and thoughts expressed during these strange times. Who hasn’t thought ‘do the lockdown rules only apply to me!’?
Working from home, internet dropouts, toilet roll shortage, empty shelves, clapping for heroes, no touching ... seems so surreal, but we’ve lived it...
Fingers crossed we will hold hands and hug again soon.
Some real lighthearted moments. Moments that are so relatable and felt a connection to some of the feelings and thoughts expressed during these strange times. Who hasn’t thought ‘do the lockdown rules only apply to me!’?
Working from home, internet dropouts, toilet roll shortage, empty shelves, clapping for heroes, no touching ... seems so surreal, but we’ve lived it...
Fingers crossed we will hold hands and hug again soon.
May 5, 2021
Lockdown dreary
If you are a single parent juggling home schooling , working from home and running the house, and if you don't mind what used to be called 'four-letter' words on every page , then you will love this book.
If you're none of the above then save your time and money.
Sorry to be negative, but I couldn't relate to this and gave up reading a quarter of the way through. Hopefully other readers will be more forgiving.
If you are a single parent juggling home schooling , working from home and running the house, and if you don't mind what used to be called 'four-letter' words on every page , then you will love this book.
If you're none of the above then save your time and money.
Sorry to be negative, but I couldn't relate to this and gave up reading a quarter of the way through. Hopefully other readers will be more forgiving.
January 19, 2021
Excellent!
A well written book of life in the time of COVID. I laughed - a lot - and teared up a couple of times. The description of the rat in the box - no spoilers, but my husband had to come close the door of my room because I was laughing so loudly it was disturbing his meeting. Well done!
A well written book of life in the time of COVID. I laughed - a lot - and teared up a couple of times. The description of the rat in the box - no spoilers, but my husband had to come close the door of my room because I was laughing so loudly it was disturbing his meeting. Well done!
February 19, 2021
Great idea to base this from the perspective of a single dad! Some laugh out loud moments as well as reminders of the surreal feelings we all had during the first weeks of the pandemic. I emphasised with Tom, I especially loved that he encountered the same issues as women ( no spoilers!) but gave me a chuckle as he tries to deal with matters. A lighthearted insight of lockdown 2020.
June 15, 2021
Brilliantly funny, this is so real, it makes you realise we were in this together. Life as a single parent, primary age kids, parents and a new relationship, and working at home with zoom. Battle for loo rolls pasta so real. Clapping for NHS. This touches home what we have been through. Could easily read more of Tom Cooper and his family. Plenty to laugh out loud about.
August 13, 2021
Right so this whole time I was thinking ‘ah this is nice to reminisce on the start of lockdown where everything was a bit of a novelty’. But it’s not even a real diary?!?!? I mean it’s fairly obvious now I’m saying it but I was really imagining this to be real and now I’m angry because I feel like my lockdown suffering has been exploited.
November 24, 2020
I don't usually read comedic novels because they usually don't seem as funny as the author intended. However, this novel managed to be amusing while conveying the stress of the "now times". I even giggled out loud a couple of times.
January 28, 2021
Fresh funny and a welcome escape.
Loved this book. I found it so engaging and loved the characters. Despite it being about lockdown it was such a joy to escape for a few hours. Very relatable and different from anything else I have read for a long time. Enjoyed it immensely.
Loved this book. I found it so engaging and loved the characters. Despite it being about lockdown it was such a joy to escape for a few hours. Very relatable and different from anything else I have read for a long time. Enjoyed it immensely.
February 25, 2021
Funny novel about a single dad in lockdown with his 2 children . Some laugh out loud recognisable moments we can all relate to .Also moving when discussing parents and the generation gap .If you want a light funny read then is for you .
May 15, 2021
Overall it’s a ok book, not what I would normally read so that’s why I have marked it a 3.
Few spelling mistakes make it harder to grasp.
However parts of it made me chuckle and parts nearly brought me to tears.
I do think that if you like this type of book you would mark it higher
Few spelling mistakes make it harder to grasp.
However parts of it made me chuckle and parts nearly brought me to tears.
I do think that if you like this type of book you would mark it higher
June 21, 2021
Funny little look at a very relatable story
This could well be a memoir, very relatable and believable. Anyone who had to juggle job/kids/relationships during the 2020 lockdowns can empathize with this character.
This could well be a memoir, very relatable and believable. Anyone who had to juggle job/kids/relationships during the 2020 lockdowns can empathize with this character.
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