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Every Little Thing
Before there were mommy bloggers, there was Britt. San Francisco's brassy scandal queen filled her newspaper column with juicy details of her many marriages, cosmetic surgeries and everything about her only daughter, Mason.
Then Britt dies. Suddenly and in spectacularly embarrassing fashion. So Mason—now thirty-five and vehemently un-Britt-like in every way—returns home to settle her affairs….though some affairs are not so easy to settle.
Now caught in her own sordid debacle, Mason finds herself thrust back into the spotlight, and this time it's her own doing.
Struggling to define herself as anything other than Britt Junior, Mason soon discovers that Britt's intensely public life still holds some secrets. And though the overgrown teen rebel has always favored combat boots, she may yet walk a mile in her mother's shoes.
Then Britt dies. Suddenly and in spectacularly embarrassing fashion. So Mason—now thirty-five and vehemently un-Britt-like in every way—returns home to settle her affairs….though some affairs are not so easy to settle.
Now caught in her own sordid debacle, Mason finds herself thrust back into the spotlight, and this time it's her own doing.
Struggling to define herself as anything other than Britt Junior, Mason soon discovers that Britt's intensely public life still holds some secrets. And though the overgrown teen rebel has always favored combat boots, she may yet walk a mile in her mother's shoes.
256 pages, Paperback
First published January 17, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
April 18, 2011
there was nothing in this book to make me care about Mason. There was nothing connecting the different parts of the book to each other....things kept happening but the characters didn't become more filled out and the main character didn't grow as a person. This book was pretty pointless.
September 27, 2017
I liked this book well enough.
February 26, 2018
Not what I expected. Wouldn’t necessarily recommend it but I did finish it.
December 26, 2010
The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood. Life on the Refrigerator Door. The Last Time I Saw Mother. It seems like I've been gravitating to mother-daughter books lately, and here is another one. I received an ARC of this story from NetGalley and read and finished it in one sitting. The book is not that long, the story itself just below 250 pages, and I guess it was okay. Not bad, but not exactly groundbreaking. Just enough to tide you over the next read.
To understand what I'm talking about, let me tell you a little about the story first. This is about Mason MacDonald, the infamous magazine columnist Britt Castleman's daughter - a woman who loved to write about everything, good and bad, including everything about her daughter. Mason grew up despising her mother's lack of sense of privacy, broadcasting all that happens to her and especially to her daughter, that the latter ended up leaving. On Britt's death, however, Mason returns and is confronted by several problems, some of her own doing, and she discovers that though she knows she should not do the things her mother did, she might have to do some in order to cope.
I found the plot promising, which is why I really wanted to read it. The writing is good, everything's crystal clear. Some graphic sexual scenes, but still readable. The dialogue is crisp, a bit of foul language but not too much that it's difficult to read. Most of the characters are likable; however, I felt that Mason was a bit too whiny for her own good. Why does she have to bitch about everything that happens to her? Why does she have to blame everyone else except herself? Since this is a bit of a coming-of-age story, yes she does grow out of her whining but still, it was too much when she did it, like she did not want to own up to her own faults and just went on doing her goth thing so she could hate the world for what she has become. It was irritating that she had to wonder why her friends weren't paying her as much attention as she would have liked - they're grown-ups, they have jobs, of course they wouldn't have been there for her as often! It wasn't like the world revolved around her. This Mason gal should know that by now, she's past thirty already. If I did not have any idea about her age I'd make her for an early twenties girl who doesn't know any better.
But that's not just where my problem with this book ends. This story had potential, and I wouldn't have changed some parts, but those parts when she rebelled about her condition seems too made up, and even though there might be women out there who won't be afraid to stand up for whatever choices they make, what Mason does in this story is just a bit too over-the-top to be believable. But maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm just too square to accept the fact that what happened in the story is the norm, and I'm just too uptight to believe it. Read this book and be the judge.
But whiny Mason and over-the-top developments aside, I enjoyed the light vibe of this book, and though it's supposed to be about how one daughter copes with her mother's death and understanding her mother, it was not too heavy that you cannot read it without having those painful chest constrictions - you still get to enjoy the book's humor and mockery, and makes this story an easy and touching read.
To understand what I'm talking about, let me tell you a little about the story first. This is about Mason MacDonald, the infamous magazine columnist Britt Castleman's daughter - a woman who loved to write about everything, good and bad, including everything about her daughter. Mason grew up despising her mother's lack of sense of privacy, broadcasting all that happens to her and especially to her daughter, that the latter ended up leaving. On Britt's death, however, Mason returns and is confronted by several problems, some of her own doing, and she discovers that though she knows she should not do the things her mother did, she might have to do some in order to cope.
I found the plot promising, which is why I really wanted to read it. The writing is good, everything's crystal clear. Some graphic sexual scenes, but still readable. The dialogue is crisp, a bit of foul language but not too much that it's difficult to read. Most of the characters are likable; however, I felt that Mason was a bit too whiny for her own good. Why does she have to bitch about everything that happens to her? Why does she have to blame everyone else except herself? Since this is a bit of a coming-of-age story, yes she does grow out of her whining but still, it was too much when she did it, like she did not want to own up to her own faults and just went on doing her goth thing so she could hate the world for what she has become. It was irritating that she had to wonder why her friends weren't paying her as much attention as she would have liked - they're grown-ups, they have jobs, of course they wouldn't have been there for her as often! It wasn't like the world revolved around her. This Mason gal should know that by now, she's past thirty already. If I did not have any idea about her age I'd make her for an early twenties girl who doesn't know any better.
But that's not just where my problem with this book ends. This story had potential, and I wouldn't have changed some parts, but those parts when she rebelled about her condition seems too made up, and even though there might be women out there who won't be afraid to stand up for whatever choices they make, what Mason does in this story is just a bit too over-the-top to be believable. But maybe that's just me. Maybe I'm just too square to accept the fact that what happened in the story is the norm, and I'm just too uptight to believe it. Read this book and be the judge.
But whiny Mason and over-the-top developments aside, I enjoyed the light vibe of this book, and though it's supposed to be about how one daughter copes with her mother's death and understanding her mother, it was not too heavy that you cannot read it without having those painful chest constrictions - you still get to enjoy the book's humor and mockery, and makes this story an easy and touching read.
May 30, 2015
Imagine a newspaper columnist who is part Joan Rivers (RIP) and part Edina Monsoon from “Absolutely Fabulous.” Now imagine this newspaper columnist is your mother.
In Pamela Klaffke’s second novel, Every Little Thing, the protagonist, Mason McDonald, doesn’t have to imagine. Her mother was the notorious Britt Castleman, a San Francisco-based gossip columnist who ruthlessly informed her readers about the filthy rich upper-crust high-society types and their salacious scandals. She also wrote extensively about her daughter, and no detail was too juicy (or mortyifying) to reveal.
As Every Little Thing begins, Mason has returned home to San Francisco from her chosen refuge in a remote Canadian town to attend her mother’s funeral. Britt couldn’t even die like a normal mother. Instead, mommy dearest died while having plastic surgery on a rather delicate area. Mason is not glad to be back, nor is she glad to confront her mother’s past.
Facing unplanned motherhood herself, Mason becomes the subject of quite the disgrace after a chance meeting with an editor gets her an online column. Mason also gets involved with a cheesy reality TV show that focuses on different mother archetypes. Mason is the “bad” mother, and her unconventional life is quite the talk of the town — and the Internet.
Caught up in notoriety, gossip, and all-around tawdriness, Mason realizes she can’t escape her mother’s shadow. And, despite doing everything in her power to differentiate herself from her mother, Mason realizes she has ended up just like her. Maybe this will force her to finally grow up. Or maybe it won’t. All Mason knows is she’s got a lot of self-examination to do for herself and her unborn child.
Mason can be a difficult character to like. She’s self-absorbed and sour. She can’t handle her childhood friends growing up and moving beyond their rebellious high school years. She hates her friend Janet’s boyfriend simply for being a much older man. But as Every Little Thing progresses, Mason begins to mature and to accept reality. She becomes a bit more self-aware, yet still retains a snarky sense of humor. She can piss you off, but you also want to root for her.
Every Little Thing is fast-paced and engrossing with vivid characters. It’s a perfect read for anyone who is addicted to dramatic and over-the-top reality TV, who has a weird obsession from everyone who has a weird obsession with D-list stars, and who can’t make it through the day without checking for updates on TMZ or Perez Hilton.
Every Little Thing wasn’t written to transform your life. It’s here to entertain, and it achieves just that.
Originally Published at the Book Self:
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
In Pamela Klaffke’s second novel, Every Little Thing, the protagonist, Mason McDonald, doesn’t have to imagine. Her mother was the notorious Britt Castleman, a San Francisco-based gossip columnist who ruthlessly informed her readers about the filthy rich upper-crust high-society types and their salacious scandals. She also wrote extensively about her daughter, and no detail was too juicy (or mortyifying) to reveal.
As Every Little Thing begins, Mason has returned home to San Francisco from her chosen refuge in a remote Canadian town to attend her mother’s funeral. Britt couldn’t even die like a normal mother. Instead, mommy dearest died while having plastic surgery on a rather delicate area. Mason is not glad to be back, nor is she glad to confront her mother’s past.
Facing unplanned motherhood herself, Mason becomes the subject of quite the disgrace after a chance meeting with an editor gets her an online column. Mason also gets involved with a cheesy reality TV show that focuses on different mother archetypes. Mason is the “bad” mother, and her unconventional life is quite the talk of the town — and the Internet.
Caught up in notoriety, gossip, and all-around tawdriness, Mason realizes she can’t escape her mother’s shadow. And, despite doing everything in her power to differentiate herself from her mother, Mason realizes she has ended up just like her. Maybe this will force her to finally grow up. Or maybe it won’t. All Mason knows is she’s got a lot of self-examination to do for herself and her unborn child.
Mason can be a difficult character to like. She’s self-absorbed and sour. She can’t handle her childhood friends growing up and moving beyond their rebellious high school years. She hates her friend Janet’s boyfriend simply for being a much older man. But as Every Little Thing progresses, Mason begins to mature and to accept reality. She becomes a bit more self-aware, yet still retains a snarky sense of humor. She can piss you off, but you also want to root for her.
Every Little Thing is fast-paced and engrossing with vivid characters. It’s a perfect read for anyone who is addicted to dramatic and over-the-top reality TV, who has a weird obsession from everyone who has a weird obsession with D-list stars, and who can’t make it through the day without checking for updates on TMZ or Perez Hilton.
Every Little Thing wasn’t written to transform your life. It’s here to entertain, and it achieves just that.
Originally Published at the Book Self:
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
January 24, 2011
EVERY LITTLE THING by Pamela Klaffke
Published by Harlequin/ Mira Books
ISBN 13: 9780778329237 0778329232
I received an ARC-EBook Bound galley Edition from NetGalley, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (borrowed from NetGalley): If it's not one thing, it's her mother.
Before there were mommy bloggers, there was Britt. San Francisco's brassy scandal queen filled her newspaper column with juicy details of her many marriages, cosmetic surgeries and everything about her only daughter, Mason.
Then Britt dies. Suddenly and in spectacularly embarrassing fashion. So Mason-now thirty-five and vehemently un-Britt-like in every way-returns home to settle her affairs...though some affairs are not so easy to settle.
Now caught in her own sordid debacle, Mason finds herself thrust back into the spotlight, and this time it's her own doing.
Struggling to define herself as anything other than Britt Junior, Mason soon discovers that Britt's intensely public life still held some secrets. And though the overgrown teen rebel has always favored combat boots, she may yet walk a mile in her mother's shoes.
My Thoughts and Opinion: After reading the above synopsis, I thought this would be a perfect match for me to read. It was categorized as a humorous adult read and I assumed it was also going to be a "chick lit" book. When I first started accepting requests, I would read a minimum of 100 pages to decide if a book would go into a DNF pile, until an author and I had a discussion about my policy. He told me that a reader should be pulled into the story line a lot sooner than 100 pages so I changed my policy to 50 pages. I was very much looking forward to reading this book after have just completing a few in the mystery genre. However, to much disappointment, I struggled even to get to page 50. It was not at all what I thought it was going to be. For 50 pages, I was searching for what the plot was because all I was reading about were 5 adults, that were in their late twenties early thirties, and related by being step brothers and/or sisters. And in those first 50 pages what I did learn of these 5 adults was that they enjoyed drinking, where they were drinking and what they were drinking and what their actions were from drinking. Unfortunately, this book had to go in the DNF pile. It was not a book for me. Maybe if I had my old "Review Policy" of 100 pages, I would have been pulled into the story line, but the 50 page limit did not grab me. Or then maybe it is because I am not a twenty or thirty something and will leave it at that!
My Rating: 1
Published by Harlequin/ Mira Books
ISBN 13: 9780778329237 0778329232
I received an ARC-EBook Bound galley Edition from NetGalley, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (borrowed from NetGalley): If it's not one thing, it's her mother.
Before there were mommy bloggers, there was Britt. San Francisco's brassy scandal queen filled her newspaper column with juicy details of her many marriages, cosmetic surgeries and everything about her only daughter, Mason.
Then Britt dies. Suddenly and in spectacularly embarrassing fashion. So Mason-now thirty-five and vehemently un-Britt-like in every way-returns home to settle her affairs...though some affairs are not so easy to settle.
Now caught in her own sordid debacle, Mason finds herself thrust back into the spotlight, and this time it's her own doing.
Struggling to define herself as anything other than Britt Junior, Mason soon discovers that Britt's intensely public life still held some secrets. And though the overgrown teen rebel has always favored combat boots, she may yet walk a mile in her mother's shoes.
My Thoughts and Opinion: After reading the above synopsis, I thought this would be a perfect match for me to read. It was categorized as a humorous adult read and I assumed it was also going to be a "chick lit" book. When I first started accepting requests, I would read a minimum of 100 pages to decide if a book would go into a DNF pile, until an author and I had a discussion about my policy. He told me that a reader should be pulled into the story line a lot sooner than 100 pages so I changed my policy to 50 pages. I was very much looking forward to reading this book after have just completing a few in the mystery genre. However, to much disappointment, I struggled even to get to page 50. It was not at all what I thought it was going to be. For 50 pages, I was searching for what the plot was because all I was reading about were 5 adults, that were in their late twenties early thirties, and related by being step brothers and/or sisters. And in those first 50 pages what I did learn of these 5 adults was that they enjoyed drinking, where they were drinking and what they were drinking and what their actions were from drinking. Unfortunately, this book had to go in the DNF pile. It was not a book for me. Maybe if I had my old "Review Policy" of 100 pages, I would have been pulled into the story line, but the 50 page limit did not grab me. Or then maybe it is because I am not a twenty or thirty something and will leave it at that!
My Rating: 1
January 8, 2011
Kathy’s Review:
Every Little Thing by Pamela Klaffke is an entertaining novel about mother/daughter relationships. Mason McDonald’s self imposed fifteen year exile to a small Canadian town comes to an end when her famous (or should I saw infamous?) mother Britt unexpected passes away during a medical procedure. Forced to live in San Francisco until Britt’s estate is settled, Mason’s life takes many unanticipated and surprising turns.
Mason’s resentment of her mother is longstanding and well-deserved as Britt details every excruciating and often embarrassing detail from Mason’s life in her newspaper column. Mason’s quiet life working in a bookstore is the antithesis of Britt’s public life that is filled with her numerous marriage, divorces, and love affairs. Following a chance meeting with an on line magazine editor, Mason leaves behind small town living and embraces an unexpected change of careers.
Mason is a well-developed character but she is surprisingly easy to dislike. For much of the novel, she is immature and self-centered, but as events transpire, she undergoes much needed growth and transformation while maintaining most of her endearing individuality. Her relationship with childhood friends Seth and Janet provide a great deal of insight into Mason’s character. As she finds herself growing closer to Britt’s boyfriend Ron, Mason gains a new perspective and better understanding of her mother.
Every Little Thing is a thought provoking character study with true to life characters. Pamela Klaffke has a caustic wit and an amazing insight into human nature. Her writing style is vibrant and refreshingly honest. Despite the lack of a romantic element, Every Little Thing is an engrossing and enjoyable guilty pleasure read.
Rated 4 Ravens by Kathy!
Every Little Thing by Pamela Klaffke is an entertaining novel about mother/daughter relationships. Mason McDonald’s self imposed fifteen year exile to a small Canadian town comes to an end when her famous (or should I saw infamous?) mother Britt unexpected passes away during a medical procedure. Forced to live in San Francisco until Britt’s estate is settled, Mason’s life takes many unanticipated and surprising turns.
Mason’s resentment of her mother is longstanding and well-deserved as Britt details every excruciating and often embarrassing detail from Mason’s life in her newspaper column. Mason’s quiet life working in a bookstore is the antithesis of Britt’s public life that is filled with her numerous marriage, divorces, and love affairs. Following a chance meeting with an on line magazine editor, Mason leaves behind small town living and embraces an unexpected change of careers.
Mason is a well-developed character but she is surprisingly easy to dislike. For much of the novel, she is immature and self-centered, but as events transpire, she undergoes much needed growth and transformation while maintaining most of her endearing individuality. Her relationship with childhood friends Seth and Janet provide a great deal of insight into Mason’s character. As she finds herself growing closer to Britt’s boyfriend Ron, Mason gains a new perspective and better understanding of her mother.
Every Little Thing is a thought provoking character study with true to life characters. Pamela Klaffke has a caustic wit and an amazing insight into human nature. Her writing style is vibrant and refreshingly honest. Despite the lack of a romantic element, Every Little Thing is an engrossing and enjoyable guilty pleasure read.
Rated 4 Ravens by Kathy!
June 29, 2012
I enjoyed Snapped, but I was disappointed to find that this book is about a woman who is essentially the same character. Added to that apparent lack of creativity, there's nothing in this story that makes me feel much empathy toward the main character. I don't find her offensive, but the author never really provides any real justification for the characters' belief that her mother was the worst ever. Other than describing conception in one of her columns, there's no other examples that might have helped me better understand the breakdown in the mother/daughter relationship.
It also bugged me that our main character never really had that 'aha' moment when she looked in the mirror and realized why the college girl mom thought she was lucky, or why the photography staff rolled their eyes during the interview. It would have been so meaningful if the character ever Got It. But she didn't. Probably accurate to real life, but not very satisfying for a novel.
It also bugged me that our main character never really had that 'aha' moment when she looked in the mirror and realized why the college girl mom thought she was lucky, or why the photography staff rolled their eyes during the interview. It would have been so meaningful if the character ever Got It. But she didn't. Probably accurate to real life, but not very satisfying for a novel.
August 7, 2014
I always feel guilty when I dislike a book. Every author has a story to tell, and no one person's story is more valid than another's. That said, I basically read this entire book because it started out pretty badly and I was waiting for it to get better, which never happened. I felt no sympathy or connection to the main character, whose only redeeming quality for me was that, no matter what bad choices I have made in my life, I'm nowhere near as bad as she is. Which led me to wonder: did the author deliberately create a character with the intention for her readers to spend the entire book passing judgment? I can't see how that would be a positive concept. Frankly, it made me not want to read anything else the author has written.
July 27, 2011
I started reading this book just cuz I sorta liked the premise seeing as not much of a summary is given. I should have put the book down immediately after picking it up. It turned into whining and complaining almost from the start. Then in an odd turn of events the main character who is pregnant starts like smoking and drinking and then professes that her progressive pregnancy is her right and is a great thing. Idk why I kept reading but I did. If you pick this book up, put it down and back away slowly.
July 31, 2011
For me, this one was one of those train wreck reads--you don't really want to see it, but you can't look away. I wasn't sure if this was supposed to be funny, sad, or what. And the protag is one of the most annoying people I've ever read about. She was very "my life sucks, feel sorry for me" and I just didn't. I don't like whiny main characters, and I spent more time feeling sorry for the other people in her life (especially Aaron, who really got a raw deal here).
February 21, 2011
I really enjoyed reading this book. I had been struggling to read The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and finally gave up and read this on my Sony Reader. It was a really light read with some funny parts in it even though the subject matter was a little heavy. I would definitely read another book by this author.
February 23, 2016
A silly novel with a main character that is full of flaws. But what can you expect when her Mom dies from complication of vaginal rejuvenation surgery. Barely a 3 but I was on vacation and literally read it in the pool. Very light, very silly, lottsa fluff. But sometimes you need a little fluff.
April 8, 2011
Couldn't finish - why are her characters always so unlikable?
July 11, 2011
Not that impressed!
May 28, 2013
Another great story about a woman who grows...
April 28, 2014
I enjoyed the first part of this book, but was not prepared for the pregnancy (which ended up being the rest of the story).
September 12, 2016
Not exactly sure why I finished this one.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews