twenty-one truths about love

3.75 Stars

This is an entertaining book about love, fear and life truths told entirely in the form of lists.

At first I thought, surely after the first couple of chapters, the author will stop telling the story in lists. Nope. The entire book is told in the form of lists. I understand that this form may not work for everyone, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The main character is clever, witty, sometimes insightful, and clearly doesn’t have it all figured out. But who amongst us does?

Dan loves his wife Jill completely and thoroughly. But Dan is not secure in the relationship and feels that he is constantly competing with Jill’s deceased first husband. This could be completely in his head, but what if it isn’t? Dan quit his teaching job to open a bookstore, and it’s not going well. Among the many things that he lies to Jill about is the financial stability of the bookstore, and consequently, their financial circumstances. Then Jill gets pregnant. If Dan wasn’t already in a tailspin from lying to Jill about their finances, imagine how fast he’s spinning once he realizes that he’s about to become a father.

With everything else that Dan has to worry about, he is also facing an existential crisis about himself. Dan wants to do something special. He’s tired of feeling ordinary and like a failure. But how does he change his circumstances when he’s lying to his wife, nagged by his mother, and still not over the hurt and pain caused by his absentee father. So Dan makes lists, and tries to figure out how to steer his life in a better direction.

This book is a very quick and easy read. The days of the year and lists make it easy to digest in small doses. It’s a particularly good book to read when you have little snippets of time to read, like when you’re getting a mani pedi, are waiting in a long line, have 10-15 minutes before a meeting, etc. Dan’s ever-expanding “Laws of the Universe” cracked me up, and I found myself occasionally agreeing with him.

Overall, this was a unique, entertaining book that I thoroughly enjoyed. I recommend that you read it.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.