Bad Mother: A Chronicle of Maternal Crimes, Minor Calamities, and Occasional Moments of Grace Audiobook

" I was hoping this would be more of a discussion of the Bad Mother/Good Mother labels...how they came to be, how they affect parenting styles (and therefore how my peers' children are being raised), etc. However, this book is more straightforward memoir. Waldman focuses on the portion of her adult life when she is raising four children and certainly touches on the ways that she may be considered to be a "bad" or "good" mother in the context of current views on the subject, but it is not the primary focus of the book. "

" Hilarious, thought-provoking and really grounded. I think this is a great read for anyone with kids, anyone who's thinking about having them or who is in a cohabitational relationship. "

" Love, love, loved this book. There really are parents out there like me..... "

" The book started out really strong in making me think about how we, as a society, relate to the choices which women make regarding motherhood. I felt that the author lost her focus towards the middle of the book and starting simply sharing the values that she's decided to instill in her children. "

" I really liked this book, even though i don't agree with alot of her opinions or parenting techniques. I enjoyed reading about motherhood from a fresh, real perspective. Its worth reading. "

" Like many collections of essays, this suffers some from repetition. There were some pieces I enjoyed more than others, like the one about how much she loves her son. Her tone kind of irritated me sometimes, like if you don't agree with her, you're a bitch. "

" By turns funny and touching, Bad Mother is both memoir and manual on graceful and human motherhood. "

" I seem to be on a roll of reading books written by bipolar women . . . first Carrie Fisher, then Ayelet Waldman. I wanted this to be funnier and wiser than it was. There weren't nearly enough flashes of "I have thought that myself, but never quite so eloquently." "

" It's engaging and entertaining and I didn't mind the self-indulgence so much. "

" Very well written and moving. "

" Can't agree with everything she has to say but it does make you stop and think. Not nearly as "comical" as it was touted to be. "

" Amazing glimpse into another mother's thoughts/perceptions, at times hilarious and heart wrenching. Waldman was thoroughly honest, which I enjoyed. Seems like it would be an excellent book club read, as it would offer ample opportunity for discussion. "

" The melodrama in this voice ruined the material. Too many tilted windmills. "

" I had a lot of hopes for this book in the beginning and while the sarcasm didn't fail me... the opinion and further discussion about the ultimate bad mothers that was hinted at in the beginning were never given. "

" a fantastic book about judgement and expectations - a big 'white whine' but it acknowledges that too - exceptionally well written and certainly not just for women or parents. "

" very accomplished, intelligment woman, but emotionally a little extreme and insecure. has good points but a lot of dumping of personal baggage and history. "

" I haven't read any non-fiction in awhile and this was a page turner. Ayelet made me laugh and made me cry! She invites readers to share her most private aspects of her life. She also reminds us that we are all Good Mothers and Bad Mothers or neither. "

" Not a light summer read, but I couldn't put it down. "

" I can't say I really enjoyed this book because it was tragic. I think the subject matter was covered very well and that the book really did show the life and times of the people going through this. P.S. Thanks to Goodreads for sending this one to me!! :) "

" I think this is very well written. The story line may be a bit obvious and two of the main characters rather irritating but it didn't put me off the book at all. I would read more by Waldeman. "

" This book was very slow and hard to get into. Overall it was OK. Things dod pick up in the end. "

" Not very memorable. It's annoying that the entire plot of the book is described on the book jacket. "

" Enjoyed it- even though beginning was just soooo sad!! I liked all the characters and could feel their pain. "

" I got this as one of my free books. I found this story captivating and enjoyed the life message about what matters most. "

" It is an interesting story. I like the way this author writes. "

" The books was okay, but I prefer a book with more plot. "

" I thought it was a great interpretation of the way in which death affects two totally different families and ties them together forever. I did find some of the characters annoying, but that's usually the case with real people, too. I would recommend to others to read. "