People I Want To Punch in the Throat is a book by blogger Jen Mann. I’m not even sure what I was expecting with this book – but whatever it was, this was not what I was expecting – but I enjoyed it just the same. Jen tells about how she met her now husband, Ebenezer, on AOL back in the old chat room days. (I don’t make fun, most of my friends are from AOL chatrooms and newsgroups and I love them as much, if not more, than the friends I made in more traditional ways.) She also has 2 kids – Gomer and Adolpha. I like that she picked really ridiculous aliases for her kids but still gets asked if that is really what she named her kids.
I’m not a Mom and I’ve never really had to deal with Moms (except for at concerts – and let me tell you they are THE. WORST. there. Worse than their kids, trying to live vicariously through them, or something) but now after reading this book I am hoping if I ever do have to deal with them – that I don’t get stuck with the ones that are in Jen’s community. Yikes!
I also must applaud Jen for not doing her children’s homework, even though it seems that this is what all of the other parents are doing. I have noticed a trend lately of people unable to do their jobs. I have decided that this is because kids who never had to do anything for themselves are now out in the working world – and now have no idea how to function. THESE are some of the people *I* want to punch in the throat.
Overall, a fun read and I think if you are a parent with cliquey groups at your children’s schools you will enjoy the book even more than I did.
I received a free e-copy of this book in order to write this review. I was not otherwise compensated.
About the Book
A debut collection of witty, biting essays laced with a surprising warmth, from Jen Mann, the writer behind the popular blog People I Want to Punch in the Throat
People I want to punch in the throat:
• anyone who feels the need to bling her washer and dryer
• humblebraggers
• people who treat their pets like children
Jen Mann doesn’t have a filter, which sometimes gets her in trouble with her neighbors, her fellow PTA moms, and that one woman who tried to sell her sex toys at a home shopping party. Known for her hilariously acerbic observations on her blog, People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Mann now brings her sharp wit to bear on suburban life, marriage, and motherhood in this laugh-out-loud collection of essays. From the politics of joining a play group, to the thrill of mothers’ night out at the gun range, to the rewards of your most meaningful relationship (the one you have with your cleaning lady), nothing is sacred or off-limits. So the next time you find yourself wearing fuzzy bunny pajamas in the school carpool line or accidentally stuck at a co-worker’s swingers party, just think, What would Jen Mann do? Or better yet, buy her book.