Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me? by Jen Mann

Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me? Reviews

• 
  Melissa (So Far Behind!)

  Jen Mann is my spirit animal. She totally and completely gets me, sometimes I feel like she has a camera hidden in my house and she just writes down everything she sees here. Honestly though, it's so helpful and hopeful for me to know that I'm not alone in this midlife struggle.
  
  "I haven't slept through the night in months thanks to my brain being an asshole."
  "No matter how ideal someone's life might look like from the outside, I promise you, no one really has their shit together. We are all muddling through this appalling clusterfuck called midlife as best we can."
  
  I've been a long time fan of Jen since her
  People I Want to Punch in the Throat: Competitive Crafters, Drop-Off Despots, and Other Suburban Scourges series, and when I saw last year that she had started a Facebook group called Midlife Bites, with content particularly geared towards women of a certain age I knew I had to join. I've found camaraderie and acceptance in that group (as well as so much laughter), and when I then saw that Jen had a book coming out, I knew that it was the book for me and begged for a review copy.
  
  There's so much to like here in this book, but the most important thing for me is to know that what I'm thinking, feeling, and experiencing is not me going slowly insane. These mixed up mental and physical "adventures" are something normal that millions of other women are experiencing as well, and that makes me feel less alone.
  
  I highly recommend this book to those women stuck in the middle of midlife and wondering what on earth is happening. Jen's straight talk, humor, and no-punches-pulled way of communication will give you just the hope you need to move forward. 4.5 stars.
  
  I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
• 
  Theresa Alan

  When Jen Mann turned 47, she began to examine her health, her marriage, her work—basically her entire life under the microscope as she wonders, “is this it?” She’ll be the first to tell you how lucky she is to have a supportive husband and generally good kids, but her husband's new business venture has taxed them financially and it’s hard to be funny—which she has made her career out of—when you’re depressed. Not clinically in-bed-all-day depressed, but difficult-to-summon-a-work-ethic depressed. When she went online asking, essentially, “am I the only middle-aged woman feeling like this?” the internet responded with a resounding, no, it’s not just you.
  
  There are some funny moments, and also some times when I thought, I haven’t faced that, am I going to have to at some point? Example: Jen is facing severe eye problems and goes to multiple doctors for treatment. When she finally gets some help from a doctor who makes her fill out an extremely detailed health history, she tells the doctor her brain is foggy from the meds and he says that’s not a side effect, she probably has perimenopause. “You have the classic symptoms. Muscle aches, weight gain, forgetfulness, difficulty concentrating, vaginal dryness, incontinence.” Goody. Sign me up.
  
  I agreed with many of her points about women being dismissed by the medical industry, and thus we really need to be our own advocates. She points to a story where her male friend got a vasectomy and was given a prescription to OxyContin and her other friend gave birth the same week and her doctor recommended Tylenol and an ice pack. “On the other hand, just about every woman who even remotely complains about anxiety has a ton of Xanax in her purse.” Xanax treats a symptom but not the cause, which means it can be prescribed indefinitely and be overprescribed and abused.
  
  “Your age isn’t what’s holding you back from accomplishing great things. It’s thinking you’re too old. Stop talking about what you might do in the future or regretting the time you wasted in the past.” Good advice!
  
• 
  Carole

  Midlife Bites: Anyone Else Falling Apart, Or Is It Just Me by Jen Mann takes you through one woman’s midlife crisis, with humour and some advice. If nothing else, this book will console women who feel like they are suffering alone through middle age. Jen Mann covers many aspects through a series of brutal details, funny anecdotes and very personal impressions. I found this book to be entertaining and informative at the same time. Midlife happens to everyone, might as well enjoy it. Highly recommended.
  
  
  
  
• 
  Kay Oliver

  Thank you Netgalley, Ballantine Books, and Author Jen Mann for this ARC.
  
  I had never heard of Jen Mann or her blog previous to reading this book. I was pleasantly surprised. She's quite funny and refreshingly real. I think this is a crucially important book for women as well. I remember puberty and no one had told me what I was to expect then either. So, to have this guide that gets personal, is part self-help, and has its moments of laugh-out-loud funny (I wish there had been more), is a big deal.
  
  I am woman, hear me roar!
• 
  Manda Nicole

  I am just slightly younger than this book is intended for, but as I am close I figured I could relate and maybe prepare for everything ahead of me. When I saw this title, Midlife Bites, I wished to read it immediately. With a title like that I knew it had to be something special. I was unfamiliar with Jen Mann and her blog/previous books when picking this up but around one third of the way in to the book I was subscribing to her newsletter and putting all her previous books on hold and in my cart on amazon!
  
  Jen Mann has taken a topic that really isn't talked about at all and given women a great guide through some of the things that come along with being midlife. Everything from did I waste my life, to sex with your partner, to admitting that heck yes, we are angry and we have every right to be. Even though I am a little younger even I am with Mann on her "no fucks given" approach to my life and the situations women deal with.
  
  Midlife Bites is an amazingly refreshing, hilarious, and one of a kind gem that women everywhere will be grateful for as we laugh out loud and "mmhmm" our way through the various topics touched upon throughout this book. It is a wonderful start to a discussion we all need to have at some point, and this book gives us a place to turn to not just for the time it takes to read the book, but we'll know what we need to do next in order to survive this crazy time in our lives.
  
  Jen Mann is brilliant and I cannot recommend this book enough. As soon as I can I am buying a copy for myself, and for every woman in my life that needs this as badly as I did.
  
  Thank you Netgalley, Jen Mann, and publishers for providing an advance e-copy in exchange for my honest, unguided opinions. Every thought expressed in the above review is honest and mine.
• 
  Mara

  Midlife Bites by Jen Mann is like a balm for the Gen X soul. As an “elder” Millennial born in the early 80s, I’m a smidge younger than the intended audience, but I immediately related to Jen Mann’s writing, as a wife and mother nearing 40. From the gate, she is completely vulnerable and honest. It’s really comforting to know that other women are going through the same struggles as me. Our lives may be seemingly on track in many ways, but we get stuck in the day-to-day and aren’t necessarily who we want to be. It’s incredibly easy to lose ourselves when constantly caring for others. There simply doesn’t seem to be enough time or energy to focus on our own needs.
  
  Each chapter focuses on an issue that is common for middle aged women to face, from heavy expectations at home to enduring relationships to professional success. Mann has put together wisdom from her own life using snark, hilarious and heartfelt examples of the issues she’s faced and what she’s done to help with them. I loved the honestly and tone of this book. There is some cursing, but it seems more natural than performative like too many self-help books these days. I was having a tough week when I started it and was immediately sucked in and felt understood. It gives tips on bettering ourselves with certain issues and embracing who you are, but isn’t heavy-handed or preachy. I’ve started to consider what changes I can make in my own life to lighten the load, assert my needs, and find motivation and confidence to be better.
  
  Thank you Random House / Ballantine Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC.
• 
  Amy Gold

  Midlife Bites by Jen Mann is a raw, authentic and brutally honest book about the challenges of aging, self-discovery and some “Gems” to help us get through. The author’s wit and transparency are so refreshing as she shares her personal experiences allowing the reader to realize we all have struggles. At the end of each chapter, Ms. Mann shares “Jen’s Gems.” I enjoyed each chapter and found myself looking forward to the summary and true “Gems” in Jen’s Gems! Thank you, Ms. Mann, for your literary gift to the universe to help us realize in a humorous, yet very real way that none of is alone. We are all on a quest to figure things out in our own unique and okay way. I appreciate the opportunity to read this advanced copy and thank Ms. Mann, NetGalley and Ballantine Books.
• 
  Cori

  I don’t know who all follows #jenmann but if you aren’t. You need too. She makes me giggle. She’s relatable. She has a few books. #peopleidliketopunch which uh if you’re that person you’re my person 😂🙈 her new book #midlifebites which thanks #netgalley is superbly written for us woman. Why don’t we have the books or the talks about our lives and what we are going through? It’s “normal” for men to have a mode life crisis but why aren’t we mentioning ours? Jen is here to normalize this shizz and she’s gonna put it on blast. You will laugh and cry because it is all of us. We have been there. Will be there. Treat yo self and get this. I promise you’ll love it. #ballantine #randomhousepublishing #netgalleyreview #bookstagram #midlife #humor #readwithme #readersofinstagram
• 
  Rachel

  Remember how Are You There God, It's Me Margaret told you all of the things to expect when it comes to puberty? Well, Midlife Bites is that book for me as a woman in my early midlife years. Jen Mann delivers the news so well that I'm almost looking forward to the things I'm not experiencing yet. Okay, maybe I wouldn't go quite that far, but after reading this book I definitely won't feel so alone or abnormal when it does happen. This book is hilarious, but it's also empowering and touches on so many things I have already experienced just because I am a woman. It made me laugh out loud, helped me to better understand the best ways to navigate midlife, and let me know I am not alone in my experiences. That's a book trifecta!
• 
  Shannon Rochester

  Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my digital copy in exchange for an honest review. I requested this book basically because I love memoirs/biographies and I love funny stories...add in the fact that I am in midlife and it certainly does bite and you have a hilarious book full of stories you can 100% relate to. Things you thought nobody else was going through because people just don't talk about it. Well, this woman is not afraid to talk about anything...I would recommend this book to any woman basically...if she's not IN midlife, she is on her way or already dealt with this stuff...
• 
  Melanie Johnson

  Oh, Jen, you are totally reading my mind with this book. After you get to a certain age, you really do feel liberated to be able to say what you feel and to do what you want. Jen explores so many topics that are relevant to women in middle age. I really identified with the chapter about friendships because I too feel lonely sometimes, now that my kids are grown and my lifelong friends don’t live near me. This book wasn’t all serious though. There were lots of laugh out loud moments, just like her other books. Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy!
• 
  Key

  i truly enjoyed reading this book. This book was me and what I am currently experiencing. From feeling unfulfilled in life, feeling like a bad mom etc I kept wondering if I was going through a mid life crisis because as she stated no one knows what it is from a female prospective. She confirmed that yes I am indeed starting ..well at least according to her thoughts.
  
  I enjoyed reading because for a brief moment I felt like I was being heard and what I was feeling was not uncommon and that i am not alone.
  
  Overall a great read and I recommend.
• 
  Rachel

  Midlife Bites by Jen Mann is a wonderful memoir/self-reflection/guide to the turbulent years that can be associated with the “second awakening” that can take place during the “middle ages”. I loved it!
  
  I am always a fan of wit, sarcasm, sassy-ness, and being cheeky, so when that is used to help dispel some of the murky waters of the middle age years that take place in a woman’s life to help let us all know that we are not alone, well I am all for it. Granted I have not reached 40 yet, it will not be long till I can truly experience all of these issues and not just tipping my toes as were at the moment.
  
  So many of these concepts of identity crisis, emotional changes, second-guessing, self-searching, physical changes, and relationship alterations are never discussed as if they are some sort of dirty secret, and that needs to change. I am so glad Ms. Mann had the courage to fly this flag and let us all know we are not alone and we can figure this all out together!
  
  Excellent!
  
  5/5 stars
  
  Thank you NG and Random House Publishing Group/Ballantine for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.
  
  I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication.
• 
  Zibby Owens

  This book is a collection of original essays that discusses what it’s like to be a woman at the crossroads of a midlife crisis. The author's personal essays offer valuable insights, takeaways, and productive ways through a mid-life crisis. She covers topics around hormones, sex, stepping out of your box, having meaningful talks, and how to deal with rogue chin hairs and sagging boobs.
  
  Each essay was very raw and personal but still very funny. I loved the author's inner monologue. There was one passage when she talked about her age where she wrote, "I popped a handful of drugs plus my daily Aleve into my mouth and muttered when the hell did this happen? I looked at my phone as if Google might have an answer for me. Instead, I saw my overstuffed calendar mocking me with a message in all caps announcing my forty-seventh birthday just a few days away. Forty-seven already? It hit me that I was in the middle of my life, probably even past the middle if I wanted to get really depressing, and when I took stock of all the things I'd accomplished and accumulated over those forty-seven years, I felt incredibly underwhelmed. Half my life was over in a blink, and what did I have to show for it? Is this all there is?" Hilarious and so true!
  
  To listen to my interview with the author, go you my podcast at:
  
  https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jen...
• 
  Rachel | What’s Rachel Reading

  Midlife Bites is absolutely fantastic. Having never read anything by Jen Mann before, I wasn’t exactly sure what I would get. I assumed it would contain some of the typical self-help narration. I was wrong. Midlife Bites is far superior because of her blunt, no-BS tone.
  
  Midlife Bites is a collection of essays gives the reader some insights in her midlife crisis journey. Each chapter has advice and what worked and what did not work for her. What sets this book apart from other self help books is in the topic. We all have heard about midlife crisis in men but women? Mann wants to be sure this topic doesn’t get swept aside or hidden. Midlife Bites is hilariously honest, authentic, and powerful and one every woman should read.
  
  Thank you to Ballantine for the gifted copy
• 
  Jennifer

  This non-fiction book is part humor, part memoir, part self-help book, about being a woman in your mid to late 40s or older. While her advice is good, it also all seemed pretty basic/obvious to me, and she definitely comes off as a little whiny sometimes. There definitely were some VERY funny and relatable lines though.
  
  I had never heard of Jen Mann before this but she is apparently a very popular blogger/writer/social media person. Rather, I picked this one up because a friend raved about it. But perhaps if I was already a fan of Mann’s I would have liked it more? I did enjoy it, it just was nothing particularly special to me. 3.5 stars.
  
  Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  dessertcomes1st

  As a middle-aged woman, this is a book that spoke directly to my own personal 40-something crises. I chuckled and laughed out loud, and raised my eyes to the heavens: yes! I am not alone!
  From hot flashes to doing something that scares you, and yes, long-term marriages are hard, Mann treats each subject with equal parts of seriousness and humor. This is the book for you if you’re in your 40s (or are almost there).
  
  PS: listen to the audiobook because it’s narrated by the author and is 10x funnier.
• 
  Katie

  If you are a woman of a "certain age", you will definitely enjoy this book. I wasn't familiar with Jen Mann or her blog People I Want to Punch in the Throat, but after reading this book she feels like a friend. She is just so funny, real and relatable. It's part personal and part self-help book, but the best parts of the book is when she just writes about her life. She makes the mundane seem hysterical.
  If you're in need of a laugh, and what middle aged woman isn't, pick up this book.
• 
  Lee-ann

  Thank you to netgalley for providing an e-galley for review. Midlife Bites by Jenn Mann is an unflinchingly honest look at what happens when women "reach a certain age". Instead of being told to just deal with it and it'll pass in 10-15 years (!) Jenn does what she does best and takes to her blog and asks the best and hardest questions about life, love and relationships.
• 
  Michelle Lane

  Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I felt so much of this book. I laughed and cried on the same page, I found a new podcast and Facebook group all while reading it. I love how open and honest the author is about midlife and family relationships during that time. I felt like I was having a conversation with an old friend.
• 
  Amy Prosenjak

  Hilarious. Some highlights: “I’d finally learned that when you’re a woman of a certain age, traveling with “just enough” pairs of underwear is not a good plan.” Peezing- You will pee your pants and not in a good way. Next life, no men chapter. 😜
• 
  Lisa

  I am 100% the target audience for this book.
• 
  Vanessa

  Omg this is exactly what I needed to listen to while dealing with my 40th birthday. I listened to the audio book from the library so it took awhile to listen to, but well worth it. I am definitely going to buy the book myself. Also I highly recommend the FB group.
• 
  Kim Bongiorno

  I'm pretty sure there is a very big yet specific group of people who are going to hug the crap out of this book once they finish it: Gen Xers who are in the thick of Sandwich Generation (taking care of both growing kids and aging parents) logistics while dealing with the time of their life when they reflect on/worry about who they are and what they've done both personally and professionally while dealing with the many physical changes of perimenopause/menopause while dealing with the exhaustion of just everything every single frigging thing coming to a head all at once life like a big ole Midlife Bomb KABOOM that they need to either catch (ouchouchouch) or clean up after (uuuugh not another messsss).
  
  Jen lost her sh*t online in a blog post about falling apart, and it was exactly the vitamin that thousands of readers--in particular, women ages 40(ish) to 60(ish)--needed. (Including me.) It made us feel SEEN. It made Jen feel HEARD. So she kept going.
  
  This book breaks down how she was feeling and what she did about it. How she got there, and where she wanted to be. It's introspective and funny, moving and connective, filled with engaging stories and quick tips we're going to want to hang on our fridge.
  
  So many Gen Xers have this ingrained mindset to just plow through things, figure it out, go go go and get sh*t done without complaint, so when midlife hits hard from every direction at once in an overwhelming way that not even superhumans can handle? It's disorienting. It can genuinely rock you to the core.
  
  If you, too, are FEELING the Midlife Bomb, this book will make you feel seen, too. But it won't stop there: it'll also give you words to cling to, to hold your hand as you navigate your way because it wants you to understand, above all, that you are not alone in this.
• 
  Brianna

  When Jen Mann said “I get through the day with tons of caffeine, screaming into the void, and rage-crying,” I knew I was in the right place. I may not be quite the target age demographic for this book, but I still found it highly relatable, funny, and full of good advice. Mann is open and honest about the struggles of midlife for women: marriage struggles, menopause, juggling the demands of a successful career and a family, friendships (or lack thereof) and the never ending to-do list for each of those categories. Her stories are peppered with her comedic and acerbic observations and many an F bomb (prudish reader beware). I appreciated her openness and style.
  
  I feel like I have to admit, I hadn’t actually heard of Mann’s wildly popular blog or other books until I received this galley, so you don’t need to be familiar with her previous works to enjoy Midlife Bites. I’m a fan now though and look forward to reading more of her backlist!
  
  Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest feedback
• 
  Ali Bunke

  I wasn’t familiar with Jen Mann or her blog before reading Midlife Bites but I was drawn in by the incredibly interesting premise of this Memoir. I enjoy a “tell it like it is” narrative and the author delivered. She is so honest and open. Midlife covers lots of real topics but in such a way that had me shaking my head in agreement or laughing out loud. I liked that not only does she talk about problems faced by women in midlife, but also what she has done personally to address the issue. Reading this book caused me to think about issues that I have just accepted as part of life and what I can do as well to make some changes for the better.
  
  I understand why her blog was so well received because Jen Mann is an engaging writer. I will be happily recommending this book to many woman.
  
  Thank you Netgalley and Random House/ Ballantine for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
• 
  Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition

  Jen is f_ing mad and she's not taking s__t from anyone, anymore!
  If colorful language offends you, you may want to pass on this one.
  I personally find Jen Mann hilarious, she reminds me of my foul mouthed best friend who always cuts to the chase with brutally honest, heartfelt advice.
  The author disects every aspect of middle age, specifically menopause, for women:
  Hormones (or lack of), relationships with friends and significant others, dealing with adult children & declining parents, careers and trying to achieve fulfillment and satisfaction in your life without feeling guilty about expressing your feelings about it.
  
  Highly recommended - this was a quick read for me and I will probably buy this book for my sister.
• 
  Sharon Naylor Toris

  I loved it! It can be so difficult to find a relatable title like this when you don't fit into the usual life trajectories, but Jen Mann strikes the perfect chord of observation and humor....without delving into any cliche or whining at all. I found bright bits of wisdom and relatability throughout the book, and I'm buying a copy so that I can dip back into this title any time. This is the kind of book that delights you upon first read, and then when you go back to feel that connected feeling again, you find lots more to love. Well done, Jen Mann, and thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this review copy.