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71st out of 199 books
—
136 voters
The Manny
What’s a Park Avenue working mom to do when her troubled son desperately needs a male role model and her husband is a power workaholic? If she’s like the gutsy heroine of Holly Peterson’s astute new comedy of manners among the ill-mannered elite, she does what every other woman on the block does. She hires herself a “manny.”
A solid middle-class girl from Middle America, Ja...more
A solid middle-class girl from Middle America, Ja...more
Hardcover, 368 pages
Published
June 19th 2007
by The Dial Press
(first published 2006)
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This book ends reading by browsing the library shelves. Back from vacation, with nothing to read, I picked this up. This is my greatest regret. I'll never be able to get the hours back that I spent with this book. After finishing, I read a number of reviews on line which sum up all that's wrong with this book (and it's 1MM advance!). Let me just share my ONE problem with this books inconsistencies.
Halfway through the book, two of the characters are in an SUV traveling to Long Island. Only when t...more
Halfway through the book, two of the characters are in an SUV traveling to Long Island. Only when t...more
This book could have been so much better! Sometimes all the lovely-dovey in chicklit novels really piss me off and I wish there could be a guy and a girl and they didn’t always have to fall in freakin’ love because the situation is just like, NO! I bet you can see where I am already going with this one. Because seriously! Manny’s are a new term and this book could have been so good, but did the women really have to fall for the manny? Agh. The conflict of her job was also annoying because who ge...more
This beach read is so light, it might just fly away. I wasn't sure what the author, daughter of billionaire Pete Peterson, was trying to say about herself and her circle. A former television journalist herself, she obviously, but Jamie came from a humble background a married rich where Holly was to the manor born. The book sometimes idealized Jamie as an outsider to the rich clique, but she often played along with all the games as much as everyone else. Perhaps Holly thought her readers would no...more
Drivel. I just did NOT dig this book. You feel sorry for the mom, but by page 50, you want to smack the shit out of her. It's so blatantly obvious by the wording of the paragraphs that she's digging on the Manny and unhappy in her marriage. Various friends in the book also point out that fact, but she denies it- then the next sentence she's clucking about how good the Manny looks in his army pants. Come on, is the reader that stupid? Not this one. She cackles on about how secretive and un-emotio...more
I was really disappointed with this book. The Manny. I mean come on! A male nanny?! There’s soooo many ways this book could be a hilarious runaway hit. But..it wasn’t. it was just one of those cliché, contrived chick lits where everything goes in favor of the protagonist (who isn’t even likeable) without even an ounce of entertainment. The lead character, Jamie Whitfield was kind of a two faced annoying, whiny bitch. She was always complaining about the women in The Grid whom she says is so supe...more
2.5 stars
It took me a while to get into this book because I can't stand the main character. Jamie Whitfield is... well for lack of a better word, a complete bitch.
In the first few pages of the book she is so incredibly horrible about the wealthy people at the school pick-up but at the same time she wasn't any different.
She has the live-in housekeeper and a nanny and a driver. Enter the Manny. And whilst she only works part-time, she still has no time for her children and feels like she needs to...more
It took me a while to get into this book because I can't stand the main character. Jamie Whitfield is... well for lack of a better word, a complete bitch.
In the first few pages of the book she is so incredibly horrible about the wealthy people at the school pick-up but at the same time she wasn't any different.
She has the live-in housekeeper and a nanny and a driver. Enter the Manny. And whilst she only works part-time, she still has no time for her children and feels like she needs to...more
I have to say that I loved Karen Ziemba's narration of this book. I might have only given it a 3 because of the abrupt ending, but the narration was excellent and I brought it up to a 4 because of this.
Loved this story of a working mom, her 3 children and her absent husband trying to live in a ritzy New York life with the assistance of a "Manny". Loved the Manny and loved Jaimee. I have to say, I even liked her absentee husband Phillip in some ways. I found him very realistic. I liked the way th...more
Loved this story of a working mom, her 3 children and her absent husband trying to live in a ritzy New York life with the assistance of a "Manny". Loved the Manny and loved Jaimee. I have to say, I even liked her absentee husband Phillip in some ways. I found him very realistic. I liked the way th...more
This book ends reading by browsing the library shelves. Back from vacation, with nothing to read, I picked this up. This is my greatest regret. I'll never be able to get the hours back that I spent with this book. After finishing, I read a number of reviews on line which sum up all that's wrong with this book (and it's 1MM advance!). Let me just share my ONE problem with this books inconsistencies.
Halfway through the book, two of the characters are in an SUV traveling to Long Island. Only when t...more
Halfway through the book, two of the characters are in an SUV traveling to Long Island. Only when t...more
This was an okay book about a couple in Manhattan who are having trouble with their 9-year-old son - apparently because of lack of attention from his all-too-busy father, so they hire a "manny" - a nanny of the male persuasion.
It is a predictable look at the upper crust society with too much money for their own good, the keeping up with the Joneses pressures with the predictable outcome of an attractive, not too much younger, and definitely attractive, male playing the father figure role. You ca...more
It is a predictable look at the upper crust society with too much money for their own good, the keeping up with the Joneses pressures with the predictable outcome of an attractive, not too much younger, and definitely attractive, male playing the father figure role. You ca...more
This was an impulse read - saw it in the library and thought, "What the heck, I'll try it". Not exactly great literature, but a fun book to read. I love books with strong female characters, and this one delivers. It was interesting to get a behind the scenes look at network news and all the pressures inherent in producing news. I was shocked by the ultra-privileged lives of the moms, each one more pretentious than the last. How could their kids ever be normal? I've never been a fan of New York C...more
Reviewed at : Mama Kucing Meow : The Manny By Holly Peterson
Reviewed on : 16 February 2011
this book tries to tackle many issues...a tad too many issues and not enough time/room to elaborate. Hence the characters and plot comes out as stiff and lacking of depth. There are so much potential in this novel but again and again a particular issue was not given the chance to develope properly before jump into another issue.
Sometimes, I think it is best not to bite more than what ones can chew.Yes, the...more
Reviewed on : 16 February 2011
this book tries to tackle many issues...a tad too many issues and not enough time/room to elaborate. Hence the characters and plot comes out as stiff and lacking of depth. There are so much potential in this novel but again and again a particular issue was not given the chance to develope properly before jump into another issue.
Sometimes, I think it is best not to bite more than what ones can chew.Yes, the...more
working mom and workaholic dad... dan ditengah2 muncul seorang pengasuh laki-laki; Manny (nama asli Peter Bailey). siapa yang butuh pengasuh sebenernya, si anak ato si ibu? hehehehe..menarik, menarik
i really enjoyed reading this book.The concept in there being a Manny to watch your children especially if they a boys is the right idea.
Jamie goes through alot: wondering if to end her marriage, falling for the Manny and problems in her workplace.
It tells of the difficulties that some go through to be part of a crowd or a community. How they have to act, how out of place they feel and how these people treat them.
How working mothers love there children but with their busy schedule they miss out...more
Jamie goes through alot: wondering if to end her marriage, falling for the Manny and problems in her workplace.
It tells of the difficulties that some go through to be part of a crowd or a community. How they have to act, how out of place they feel and how these people treat them.
How working mothers love there children but with their busy schedule they miss out...more
This was a recommendation from my sister. I don't know what my need to read about the super well to do in NYC is, but I do. I read the British Edition which is billed a little bit differently than this one. I don't think I would ever call Jamie a heroine. She's a total doormat. Her character reminds me a lot of the protaganist in Wifey. She's not happy in her life or marrige, has no idea what to do about it, so instead of listening to her dominearing husband she start's listening to her young do...more
Jamie a TV producer, married to a "never rich enough" lawyer, hires Peter as her son's Manny ( Male Nanny who acts as a father figure for kids who fathers are too busy)
Book was good however really found the interview with the author at the end interesting. She grew up in NY with extremely wealthy parents, who "worked hard for their money" Although the story is fiction, she claims minor characters, scenarios and attitudes are based on real people. Found the class difference within the rich people...more
Book was good however really found the interview with the author at the end interesting. She grew up in NY with extremely wealthy parents, who "worked hard for their money" Although the story is fiction, she claims minor characters, scenarios and attitudes are based on real people. Found the class difference within the rich people...more
I was intrigued by the cover and decided to give my current reading list a different light. I was entertained by the Manny and it had many cute twists in it. The main moral I got from this story is that money really isn't everything. All women want and need are stability and a partner that will support and help you in all aspects, especially in rearing your own children. I definitely liked how the author left the ending. Peter gave Jamie her space she needed to stand on her own and then came bac...more
Upper-class chick lit that's set in Manhattan and is written by professionally successful women who live and work there is a long-running favorite/weakness for me, and this book fit that bill. It was a fun read while I was on vacation and overall I liked it. I think the author meandered off-topic a lot, however, and the ethics behind many of the character's actions were definitely smarmy. There were some explicit scenes that pushed the book's quality level down for me. In the end it kind of all...more
I ended up reading this in one day. It was an easy read and if you're looking for something fun and mindless then this is a book for you. I have to say that while I enjoyed reading this book the main character bothered me. She couldn't make up her mind and never stood up for herself. Even at the very end when she has made the obvious decision, she remains ambiguous about her decision. The ended also left too much to the imagination. It doesn't tie things up at all. The title character was endear...more
2.5 stars. I didn't love it, I didn't hate it.
I read this book because I needed another trip to the library and couldn't make it. I had picked this up for some wild unknown reason and liked it so-so.
The main character is hard to like through most of the book, you feel sorry for her, but you don't because she has so much that is a blessing and also, she put herself in that terrible relationship with her husband.
The Manny is adorable but unrealistic.
It was a fun, quick, easy read. Not at all som...more
I read this book because I needed another trip to the library and couldn't make it. I had picked this up for some wild unknown reason and liked it so-so.
The main character is hard to like through most of the book, you feel sorry for her, but you don't because she has so much that is a blessing and also, she put herself in that terrible relationship with her husband.
The Manny is adorable but unrealistic.
It was a fun, quick, easy read. Not at all som...more
Feb 23, 2009
Merredith
rated it
2 of 5 stars
Recommends it for:
no one
Shelves:
chick-lit,
1-or-2-stars
I borrowed manny by Holly Peterson from my friend, who had read a couple chapters then got bored. I originally picked it out from the store. I thought it would be like the nanny diaries but as a guy. It wasn't. the book is from the rich woman's point of view, with the manny always telling her how ridiculous everything is, and her denying it. She didn't grow up as rich, so she thinks she's above it all, but she's obviously not. This could have been interesting, but the writing is pretty dry. You...more
My Review of The Manny by Holly Peterson
It was only a matter of time. Once The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin came out, and Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding became popular, chick lit was in full swing. It was only natural that The Manny by Holly Peterson would be written. For those who enjoyed the shoes in Beth Harbison’s Shoe Addicts Anonymous, or designer clothes in Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada, one might enjoy this VERY light beach read. Although it is a somewhat weaker...more
It was only a matter of time. Once The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin came out, and Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding became popular, chick lit was in full swing. It was only natural that The Manny by Holly Peterson would be written. For those who enjoyed the shoes in Beth Harbison’s Shoe Addicts Anonymous, or designer clothes in Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada, one might enjoy this VERY light beach read. Although it is a somewhat weaker...more
I know, I shouldn't even admit I read it, but I was desperate for something light (ok, that it was) and didn't realize I was walking into the shopaholic genre so unabashedly - it doesn't even pay to talk about how bad this book was; it would be like saying, I was reading Cosmo and you know, it was really shallow .... But I was thinking, Khay, that you and I often debate the merits of lets say, Olivia Goldsmith or even Maeve Binchy, I mean they're both very different but just in that some authors...more
love this book much!!!
sangat menghibur dan berisi.
buku yang menarik selalu membuat saya membayangkan tokohnya dan buku ini membuat saya membayang sosok Peter, sang manny-male nanny- yang berusia 29 tahun, punya gelar master untuk bidang komputer dan tergila-gila dengan 3 anak kecil dan bisa menangani mereka sebaik seorang psikolog anak, hanya karena dia jatuh cinta pada anak-anak itu.
Holly membuat saya melihat gambaran seorang ahli komputer dari sisi yang berbeda sama sekali.
4 thumbs up!!!!
sangat menghibur dan berisi.
buku yang menarik selalu membuat saya membayangkan tokohnya dan buku ini membuat saya membayang sosok Peter, sang manny-male nanny- yang berusia 29 tahun, punya gelar master untuk bidang komputer dan tergila-gila dengan 3 anak kecil dan bisa menangani mereka sebaik seorang psikolog anak, hanya karena dia jatuh cinta pada anak-anak itu.
Holly membuat saya melihat gambaran seorang ahli komputer dari sisi yang berbeda sama sekali.
4 thumbs up!!!!
It's a good beach read in that it's 100% mindless. If you are looking for simple "chick lit" with no intellectual substance, this is your book! It was predictable and seemed to follow the usual "girl meets boy, girl doesn't want to admit she likes boy, girl finally comes to terms with liking boy, boy leaves, boy and girl find each other, boy and girl get together" pattern. It's not worth buying, but if a friend loans it to you, you might as well read it.
Eine berufstätige Frau mit schicker Wohnung am Central Park und drei kleinen Kindern, engagiert einen jungen Mann als 'Kamerad' für ihren ältesten Sohn, der Angst vor dem Sportunterricht in der Schule hat. Die neue Nanny soll ihm die Freude am Sport wiedergeben und als ein Vaterersatz fungieren. Dies widerum findet der echte Papa gar nicht toll, wer mag schon ersetzt werden? Allerdings ändert er daraufhin auch nichts an seinen Arbeitszeiten und verbringt nach wie vor kaum Zeit mit seinen Kindern...more
If you are a fan of Sex and the City, this is a book for you. This book focuses on one woman's attempt to be an executive producer, while being a mom to 3 children and a loyal wife. When she hires a Manny to assist her with her son, the world she knew so well turns upside down. A great book to which the reader is able to relate. I never would have read this book, good thing a it came friend recommended.
I was in need of a good chick lit book because I hadn't been motivated to read any of my more literary books on my shelf at home. I scanned the library shelves looking for the brightest, pinkest book spine I could find. The result was The Manny. It was an escape to a ridiculous life in the Upper East Side of NYC but there was enough interest between the mom and the manny to keep me reading.
I wasn't expecting a great work of literature when I bought this book. I simply hoped to be entertained, perhaps enjoy a few laughs. Sadly, even these modest expectations were not met. The story isn't that funny; the plot is very predictable; the characters are stereotypical. Simply another disappointing I'm-so-rich-I'm-depressed-I'll-find-a-higher-calling-by-throwing-away-my-wealth story. It doesn't shed any new light on anything, and it's getting really boring seeing the portrayal of rich peop...more
This book, of course I did use the audio version- was a really fun
story and I enjoyed it very much. I can not even begin to fathom the
life-style of the people Jamie associated with.
At the end of the audio book, the author discusses where she came up
with her characters. She actually has lived in the circumstances and
hangs out with people like the ones she wrote about. She has an insiders
scoop on the lifestyle of the rich and richer!
The frivolousness was to the extreme that I can not even begin...more
story and I enjoyed it very much. I can not even begin to fathom the
life-style of the people Jamie associated with.
At the end of the audio book, the author discusses where she came up
with her characters. She actually has lived in the circumstances and
hangs out with people like the ones she wrote about. She has an insiders
scoop on the lifestyle of the rich and richer!
The frivolousness was to the extreme that I can not even begin...more
I saw this book on the shelf and it caught my eye. After reading the back, it seemed interesting so I borrowed it from the library. It was pretty good. I liked the main character and I thought the story was pretty good. The book was funny and touching at the same time and I thought it was a pretty good chick-lit book.
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Nov 09, 2011 04:49am