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Oink: My Life with Mini-Pigs
by
Matt Whyman (Goodreads Author)
An unforgettable, slapstick story of what happens when two tiny porkers move in on family life.
Paris Hilton carries one around like a Chihuahua, while Posh and Becks own a pair. The mini-pig, for reasons unknown, has become the latest celebrity accessory, but what’s it really like to invite little livestock into the living room?
Matt Whyman, a successful novelist, enjoys...more
Matt Whyman, a successful novelist, enjoys...more
Hardcover, 336 pages
Published
September 20th 2011
by Simon & Schuster
(first published January 1st 2011)
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Community Reviews
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1-30
of
645)
Oct 14, 2012
Julie Luekenga
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
couldn-t-finish
Generally, my favorite genre of books to read are memoir type books. I checked this one out twice because, on surface, it seemed to be the kind of book I'd enjoy for a light read. The topic sounded fun: A stay-at-home writer/husband/father whose career wife decides their full household of children, cats, dogs, and chickens needs a couple of mini pigs after one of their cats is struck by a car and killed. I didn't read much the first time I checked it out and chalked it up to a my mood-- sometime...more
Cannot. Resist. The. Mini-Piggies.
The book Oink: My Life With Mini-Pigs written by Matt Whyman, was a heartwarming story of a family with two adopted miniature pigs. The story tells of how the family struggled to find the perfect pet. Then when the wife discovers the existence of mini-pigs, the decision was hazy at first, but with some persuasion it became clear.
The Whyman family is a large group of kids and animals. Matt Whyman, the author of this book, married his wife knowing her desire for a large family but did not reali...more
The Whyman family is a large group of kids and animals. Matt Whyman, the author of this book, married his wife knowing her desire for a large family but did not reali...more
Anyone who has toyed with the idea of buying a cute mini pig should read this book first ! These pigs bring havoc to the authors family, as they try to fit in with a wolf like dog, a spaced out cat, traumatized chicken, later replaced by 4 aggresive ex battery hens, 4 rabbits and 4 children. I did not realise how destructive pigs can be and how noisy, at first the pigs are house pigs but that does not work out , then they go into the garden, where they landscape it to their liking!! .Neighbours...more
Sep 30, 2011
Jackie
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
pleasure-reading,
work-review-related-reading
This book is about a British family who adopts a pair of mini-pigs, and honestly it is as much about the family dynamics and politics as it is about the critters. Matt and his wife Emma have radically different ideas of what constitutes "acceptable" when it comes to household chaos, especially since Matt works at home and Emma does not. Then there are kids--two teenagers and two kids in the very early primary grades, which makes for some chaos all by itself. Add to that a huge Canadian Shepherd...more
What a wonderful book!
If you like books about animals then you have got to read this book. There are a ton of books out there about dogs and cats, but I have never read a book about pet mini-pigs.
The author, Matt Whyman, does a great job telling this story. It was so informative and humorous. I absolutely loved the humor in this book!
The story talks about what led his family to acquire the mini-pigs, their adjustment to living with them, the ups and the downs and then trying to breed them.
To me,...more
If you like books about animals then you have got to read this book. There are a ton of books out there about dogs and cats, but I have never read a book about pet mini-pigs.
The author, Matt Whyman, does a great job telling this story. It was so informative and humorous. I absolutely loved the humor in this book!
The story talks about what led his family to acquire the mini-pigs, their adjustment to living with them, the ups and the downs and then trying to breed them.
To me,...more
At ALA this year, I set a rule to spare my aching back and my overburdened suitcase: no adult ARCs.
I broke that rule for four books: 1) Barnheart, 2) Chuck Palahniuk's newest (for Mike, then me), 3) Jacques Pepin's new cookbook (also for Mike, who I love enough to carry around a book that has 700 pages and a generous trim size), and 4) this book.
What do the books that I chose for myself have in common? They are memoirs about keeping livestock. LIVESTOCK! MINIPIGS!
Look, this book wasn't totall...more
I broke that rule for four books: 1) Barnheart, 2) Chuck Palahniuk's newest (for Mike, then me), 3) Jacques Pepin's new cookbook (also for Mike, who I love enough to carry around a book that has 700 pages and a generous trim size), and 4) this book.
What do the books that I chose for myself have in common? They are memoirs about keeping livestock. LIVESTOCK! MINIPIGS!
Look, this book wasn't totall...more
I bought this book because I was hoping to learn more about mini-pigs. I didn't learn much about mini-pigs because Mr. Whyman himself doesn't really know much about them. However Oink: My Life with Mini Pigs proved to be a delightful read.
I found myself laughing out loud, and could relate very well to Matt Whyman the at home dad, who attempts to mix working from home while raising mini-pigs, that stretch the word mini to extreme,four
rough hens, a spaced out cat, and a feirce dog that is far too...more
I found myself laughing out loud, and could relate very well to Matt Whyman the at home dad, who attempts to mix working from home while raising mini-pigs, that stretch the word mini to extreme,four
rough hens, a spaced out cat, and a feirce dog that is far too...more
I really loved this book. It had me laughing out loud many times. Matt Whyman brought the characters to life, and his writing style made this book a pleasure to read. As an animal lover, I was very tempted to add mini pigs to my animal list, but after reading the antics and effects these characters can do to a garden, I've made the informed decision, these are not a pet for a garden lover like me. I thank Matt Whyman for his informative and enjoyable read, that this cute and highly intelligent p...more
Nov 07, 2012
Blue
rated it
4 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction,
giveaways-won
Thanks Goodreads for the First Reads giveaway.
Well, that settles it: We're never getting mini-pigs!
It's rather difficult to understand the choices some people make, like having four children, a dog, a cat (two cats), rabbits, and mini-pigs, but that's partly what makes this book fun to read. It's reality TV, in a way. Whyman has a knack for humorous panic and often he is able to express it with the language to match. One thing I did not like in his writing was the descriptions of him contemplati...more
Well, that settles it: We're never getting mini-pigs!
It's rather difficult to understand the choices some people make, like having four children, a dog, a cat (two cats), rabbits, and mini-pigs, but that's partly what makes this book fun to read. It's reality TV, in a way. Whyman has a knack for humorous panic and often he is able to express it with the language to match. One thing I did not like in his writing was the descriptions of him contemplati...more
Feb 17, 2013
Michele Svehla
rated it
5 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
non-fiction-animals
Loved this book, very heartwarming & hilarious as he*l............Matt tells it like it is about keeping mini-pigs as pets, he doesn't romanticize the idea & actually deterred me from EVER entertaining the idea to procure a couple of these little guys, yeah they are cute and smart and fun and funky BUT a handful!!! So if you are thinking about keeping mini-pigs you definitely should read this first as you will find out many of these "mini's" wind up not being so "mini" afterall. If you'r...more
I was excited to read this book becasue I dream of owning a house trained miniature pig. But my ending opinion of this book? It was ok. I just couldn't get into it....I found that the author was a little dramatic and it wasn't all that funny to me....maybe it's because I know animals are animals and things happen (in a very mild example; I once came home and found our setter had gotten into the oatmeal and had the tube/package thing stuck on her head and was hiding upstairs in a bedroom)...I liv...more
This book was one of the few out there that truthfully details what it is like to own a pig. From the day it enters you life, until you realize that it's become your life in the best possible way. There were times when reading that I cried, or laughed, or had to run to the nearest person and tell them all about what just happened. It is a book that truthfully makes my heart pound with excitement and intrigue. Matt Whyman truly has a gift with connecting his words to his readers. Thank you for sh...more
There is much charm to this humorous British memoir, but as a talking book it went a wee bit long for me. I found myself getting annoyed with the author's efforts to appease his rather demanding wife and children. Really, if in order to raise your family's opinion of you you've doused yourself with boar scent in preparation for artificially inseminating the family pig, it might be time for the man of the house to grow a pair of his own. The narrator excellently portrays all the characters, parti...more
2.5 stars
I was so excited to receive Oink: My Life with Mini-Pigs in a goodreads giveaway, and couldn't wait to read it. My best friend grew up with a pet pig and has shared numerous funny pig stories over the years, so I expected this book would have no shortage of humorous anecdotes. While Matt Whyman does share funny stories about his pigs and the mischief they cause, this book lacks the loving tone that makes pet owner books enjoyable. For the majority of the book he seems to genuinely hate...more
I was so excited to receive Oink: My Life with Mini-Pigs in a goodreads giveaway, and couldn't wait to read it. My best friend grew up with a pet pig and has shared numerous funny pig stories over the years, so I expected this book would have no shortage of humorous anecdotes. While Matt Whyman does share funny stories about his pigs and the mischief they cause, this book lacks the loving tone that makes pet owner books enjoyable. For the majority of the book he seems to genuinely hate...more
At this point many of you are wondering, why is a book with two pigs on the cover something a Chick Lit reader would want to pick up? Most likely many of us love animals and how many Chick Lit covers have you seen with a dog on the cover? So why not pigs too? That’s exactly what Matt Whyman’s wife Emma told him after the death of their sweet kitty Misty left an hole in their family of pets. Not only did they have a Canadian Shepherd, another kitty named Miso and a chicken in the backyard but Emm...more
A heart warming tale about a large English family who decide to adopt two mini pigs. At first the mum and kids want the porkers to live inside but this does Matt (the dad's) head in - especially when the pigs chew up his remote control, TV cables etc and pee everywhere. Eventually he decides to grow some balls and shifts the dynamic pig duo outside where more adventures ensure. It is an adorable tale but it makes me realise I don't want to be an owner of mini pigs as they are very mischievous!
This book was entertaining and easy to read, but at the end it was hard to feel sympathy for anyone in that family. As far as memoirs go, the author does a decent job at portraying his life since the arrival of mini-pigs to his house, but he comes out as a whinny person in the end.
If anything, I want a memoir written by Tom, his best friend and handyman.
One last comment, this book reiterated my opinion that we (my wife and I) will never have mini-pigs.
If anything, I want a memoir written by Tom, his best friend and handyman.
One last comment, this book reiterated my opinion that we (my wife and I) will never have mini-pigs.
It was cute, and I enjoyed reading it, especially the stuff about the cat that had to be tranquilized to its gills in order to put up with a houseful of mini-pigs. But it wasn't as laugh out-loud funny as the jacket blurbs thought it was. If you are thinking about getting a mini-pig, though, I think this book probably should be a must read. Cavet emptor! (or however that is spelled).
This was a story about family dynamics. I found it to be a quick read with substories that I wanted to see how they worked themselves out.
The characters were appealing. You found yourself rooting for this family while at times shaking your head.
I recommend this book be read before one adds a new pet to the family. As the author states, however it works out a pet is a family member for life.
The characters were appealing. You found yourself rooting for this family while at times shaking your head.
I recommend this book be read before one adds a new pet to the family. As the author states, however it works out a pet is a family member for life.
Dec 10, 2011
Marguarite Markley
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
adult-nonfiction
Mini-pigs are the hot new thing, everyone has one! When Matt Whyman's wife and children decide to buy two new pet mini pigs, they become HIS newfound responsibility since he works as a children's illustrator from home. Full of humor with touches of emotion sprinkled throughout, this book will keep you reading to find out what happens with this family and their "not-so-mini" mini-pigs.
I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads and was quite excited because i have always wanted a mini pig , along with many other ridiculous house pet choices. But this book definitely changed my opinion on getting one ! My Mother in law has even toyed with the idea of purchasing one and i will have to pass this book onto her to change her mind and save her from the havoc Matt and his wife experienced! It was a funny roller coaster ride of a book. Perfect if you want a comical, l...more
I really enjoyed reading this book! Minipigs aren't something I could see myself owning, but the author makes them seem like such funny, independent characters. I read a fair few animal books, but I've never read one about any kind of pig before. Both for this unique factor, and for the brilliant storytelling, this book deserves five stars!
Goodreads Giveaway
This book was an entertaining memoir about a British family in which the wife decides she wants to have mini-pigs as pets. However, the most interesting person in the book was their neighbor, Tom, who was enlisted to help find solutions to the many problems caused by the mini-pigs.
This book was an entertaining memoir about a British family in which the wife decides she wants to have mini-pigs as pets. However, the most interesting person in the book was their neighbor, Tom, who was enlisted to help find solutions to the many problems caused by the mini-pigs.
I'm not the biggest fan of nonfiction, so I'm a little bit biased here. The premise is funny and there were some laugh-out-loud funny stories, but overall, the book didn't seem to have much of a point to me. I did like the author's writing style a lot, though--very dry British humor funny.
I really enjoyed this book: Matt Whymans writing style is very clear and funny. He loses points for the same reasons though, at times I found myself skimming the page, feeling the literary lover inside me sink deeper and deeper into language-choice-boredom. I'm just picky.
But! Let's just face it... even in Herman Melville write about minipigs... it'd be utterly hilarious and compelling.
Whyman tries to incorperate some universal themes of family; but really, as a reader... we just want to know wh...more
But! Let's just face it... even in Herman Melville write about minipigs... it'd be utterly hilarious and compelling.
Whyman tries to incorperate some universal themes of family; but really, as a reader... we just want to know wh...more
GOOD GRIEF, COULD THIS BE CUTER? Wonderful and engaging writing style - I laughed out loud many times - and marvelous family + pet adventures. I even liked his kids! That is a true feat of accomplishment when it comes to pet memoirs that also star people.
The adventures of a family who bring a pair of mini pigs into their life. The author (and stay-at-home dad/writer) provides great insight into the care and feeding - and more - of these petite porcines. A delightful read ... but I think I'll stick to dogs!
Cute, but not terribly interesting.
A children's book author and his family adopt two mini-pigs and hilarity ensues. The pigs catch thieves, get drunk on the neighbors apples and raise all sorts of ruckus.
A children's book author and his family adopt two mini-pigs and hilarity ensues. The pigs catch thieves, get drunk on the neighbors apples and raise all sorts of ruckus.
Very funny. I am so glad I read this book, for in weak moments when seeing how sweet these little piglets are, I will forever stay strong thanks to Mr. Whyman.
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Matt Whyman is a bestselling author, also known for his work as an advice columnist for numerous teenage magazines.
He has written two novels for adults, Man or Mouse and Columbia Road, as well as both fiction and non-fiction for teenagers, including Superhuman, XY, Boy Kills Man, XY:100, The Wild, the So Below trilogy, Inside the Cage,Goldstrike and The Savages.
His most recent books, Oink! My Lif...more
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Apr 21, 2012 04:22pm