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How to Party with an Infant
Raising Ellie as a single mom in San Francisco, Mele Bart navigates the mommy minefields to the best of her ability. She’s found her parent group – Annie, Barrett, Georgia, and Henry – who have meaningful playground conversations and complain about the parents who try too hard.
Then Bobby returns with the news he’s getting married and wants Ellie to be the flower girl. Plagued by her obsession over Bobbie and his cheese-making, Napa-residing, ever-so-perfect fiancée, Male seeks a distraction and finds it in a cookbook-writing contest sponsored by the San Francisco Mommy Club. She interviews members of her parenting group for inspiration – the results and explosively, hilariously honest. Mele doesn’t expect to ignite long-latent appetites, both culinary and romantic.
From the author whose work has been lauded as “funny, insightful, and unsentimental” (People); “gorgeous sand smart” (San Francisco Chronicle); “sad and exhilarating” (Chicago Tribune) and who strikes “an enviable balance of humour and gravitas” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), How to Party with an Infant is a poignant and piercing journey through the helicopter parenting of the twenty-first century, guided by the unforgettable Male Bart.
Then Bobby returns with the news he’s getting married and wants Ellie to be the flower girl. Plagued by her obsession over Bobbie and his cheese-making, Napa-residing, ever-so-perfect fiancée, Male seeks a distraction and finds it in a cookbook-writing contest sponsored by the San Francisco Mommy Club. She interviews members of her parenting group for inspiration – the results and explosively, hilariously honest. Mele doesn’t expect to ignite long-latent appetites, both culinary and romantic.
From the author whose work has been lauded as “funny, insightful, and unsentimental” (People); “gorgeous sand smart” (San Francisco Chronicle); “sad and exhilarating” (Chicago Tribune) and who strikes “an enviable balance of humour and gravitas” (St. Louis Post-Dispatch), How to Party with an Infant is a poignant and piercing journey through the helicopter parenting of the twenty-first century, guided by the unforgettable Male Bart.
227 pages, Hardcover
First published August 9, 2016
78 people are currently reading
3914 people want to read
About the author
Kaui Hart Hemmings
10 books517 followersI'm the author of The Descendants, House of Thieves, The Possibilities and Juniors, a YA novel. My next novel, How to Party with an Infant will be published August 9 2016. Visit my website:
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 377 reviews
September 19, 2016
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
3.5 Stars
A few months ago my friend Sarah’s review of How To Party With An Infant popped up on my feed. Sarah’s one of those people who doesn’t say a whole lot, so when she does I try to listen – and that’s just what I did here. After an infinite wait for a library copy, I discovered that the author of this book was also the author of The Descendants, which in case you aren’t familiar, gave us this gem in the field of giffery . . . .
Once again this was a book that really shouldn’t have worked for me at all. How To Party With An Infant was about a woman who found herself knocked up by a dude who turned out to be engaged to someone else. Although single, our leading lady Mele manages to be a stay-at-home mom due to writing a fairly successful foodie type of blog and is able to afford a lifestyle in San Francisco that includes being a member of a play group. Seriously???? People do this?????
Mele decides to try and find a little of her former self-worth by submitting an application to a local recipe contest in hopes of winning a book deal. Sounds horrible, right? Not to mention this bitch is soooooooo not like me. I am not hip. I live in flyover country. I am married to my college sweetheart and my only pregnancy scare was what made us finally start thinking about having kids after being married for years. I write a blog, but it pays me in pennies and I have to go to a real turd of a 9 to 5er every day in order to pay the bills. And most importantly, the idea of paying a membership fee for me to hang out with other parents and their demon offspring makes me want to commit hara-kiri.
So what happened???? Well, to be real blunt about it – THIS . . . . .
Holy fuckface, all thoughts disappeared. She placed a strip on my (God I hate this word) labia and pulled – rip! – and holy Whitney Houston I was angry at this woman. I wanted a retro bush to be “in” so she’d be shit out of a job!
That was the equivalent of a “you had me at hello” moment. My feelings were solidified with . . . .
I swear motherhood leads to alcoholism. I never used to drink like this.
Along with . . . .
Caillou (such a pussy of a boy).
^^^^Is she right or is she right???
By the time we got around to this part about reading fairytales to her daughter . . . .
In regard to the prince whisking off these chicks with their shy laughter and porn bodies, I asked: “How does she know she’ll even like him? They never spoke to each other. He could be a total loser. He could be like, ‘Hi, wanna ride my horse.’”
“I want to ride his horse,” [Ellie the daughter] said.
I decided if my husband ever leaves me I need to track down Mele and make her my wife . . . and I also might have pee laughed a little.
If you’re the type of mother who occasionally asks yourself . . . .
Or dreads the day your tiny human will begin to speak because it means stories like this can no longer be read at bedtime . . . . .
This might be the book for you.
One thing we can alllllllllllllllll be sure of. We’re a better mother than at least one person . . .
3.5 Stars
A few months ago my friend Sarah’s review of How To Party With An Infant popped up on my feed. Sarah’s one of those people who doesn’t say a whole lot, so when she does I try to listen – and that’s just what I did here. After an infinite wait for a library copy, I discovered that the author of this book was also the author of The Descendants, which in case you aren’t familiar, gave us this gem in the field of giffery . . . .
Once again this was a book that really shouldn’t have worked for me at all. How To Party With An Infant was about a woman who found herself knocked up by a dude who turned out to be engaged to someone else. Although single, our leading lady Mele manages to be a stay-at-home mom due to writing a fairly successful foodie type of blog and is able to afford a lifestyle in San Francisco that includes being a member of a play group. Seriously???? People do this?????
Mele decides to try and find a little of her former self-worth by submitting an application to a local recipe contest in hopes of winning a book deal. Sounds horrible, right? Not to mention this bitch is soooooooo not like me. I am not hip. I live in flyover country. I am married to my college sweetheart and my only pregnancy scare was what made us finally start thinking about having kids after being married for years. I write a blog, but it pays me in pennies and I have to go to a real turd of a 9 to 5er every day in order to pay the bills. And most importantly, the idea of paying a membership fee for me to hang out with other parents and their demon offspring makes me want to commit hara-kiri.
So what happened???? Well, to be real blunt about it – THIS . . . . .
Holy fuckface, all thoughts disappeared. She placed a strip on my (God I hate this word) labia and pulled – rip! – and holy Whitney Houston I was angry at this woman. I wanted a retro bush to be “in” so she’d be shit out of a job!
That was the equivalent of a “you had me at hello” moment. My feelings were solidified with . . . .
I swear motherhood leads to alcoholism. I never used to drink like this.
Along with . . . .
Caillou (such a pussy of a boy).
^^^^Is she right or is she right???
By the time we got around to this part about reading fairytales to her daughter . . . .
In regard to the prince whisking off these chicks with their shy laughter and porn bodies, I asked: “How does she know she’ll even like him? They never spoke to each other. He could be a total loser. He could be like, ‘Hi, wanna ride my horse.’”
“I want to ride his horse,” [Ellie the daughter] said.
I decided if my husband ever leaves me I need to track down Mele and make her my wife . . . and I also might have pee laughed a little.
If you’re the type of mother who occasionally asks yourself . . . .
Or dreads the day your tiny human will begin to speak because it means stories like this can no longer be read at bedtime . . . . .
This might be the book for you.
One thing we can alllllllllllllllll be sure of. We’re a better mother than at least one person . . .
May 19, 2017
Mele, a single Mom in San Francisco, is seeking a play group for her young daughter. She turns to the San Francisco Mother's Group to pair her with with other Mothers with whom she can develop friendships. After a few disasterous matches, she lucks out with Annie, Barrett, Georgia and Henry.
Mele's story and that of Annie, Barrett, Georgia and Henry is told through the stories they share with Mele for the cookbook she is writing for a contest sponsored by the San Francisco Mother's Group.
The book is a hilarious, satirical look at the competitiveness between Mother's and the perils of raising children.
I listened to this as an audiobook and often found myself laughing out loud at the antics of Mele, her friends and their children.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
Mele's story and that of Annie, Barrett, Georgia and Henry is told through the stories they share with Mele for the cookbook she is writing for a contest sponsored by the San Francisco Mother's Group.
The book is a hilarious, satirical look at the competitiveness between Mother's and the perils of raising children.
I listened to this as an audiobook and often found myself laughing out loud at the antics of Mele, her friends and their children.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
September 12, 2016
The early days of parenting are rough. You are such a weirdo. You need your friends to reign you in. Otherwise it's crazytown. I remember running by the microwave when I was pregnant. My parents joke that all three of our babies were not put down the first 6 months of their lives. I overthought every single decision no matter how big or small. Good G*d. The mania of it all.
I enjoyed reading about these parents. How to Party with an Infant was a bit over the top but the feelings of trying to figure it all out, trying to fit in, and wondering if your thoughts and body will ever be yours alone again were spot on. Also, there were parts that were funny as hell.
Read
September 28, 2016This made me laugh the way Where’d You Go, Bernadette? did—quite a bit of ridiculous behavior. Mele is a single mom who is filling out a questionnaire for a contest with a possible cookbook deal. Except, she’s not going about the answers the way everyone else is, she’s basically airing her dirty laundry and venting out hilarious stories—including the recipes she creates out of these life events—as she tries to come to terms with her daughter’s father inviting them to his wedding. If you’re looking for a funny, entertaining novel, with some absurd behavior balanced with real life this is a perfect choice.
–Jamie Canaves
from The Best Books We Read In August 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/08/31/riot-r...
–Jamie Canaves
from The Best Books We Read In August 2016: http://bookriot.com/2016/08/31/riot-r...
November 19, 2019
I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I liked the format and thought that framing the book using questions from the mothers' club cookbook contest was clever. The characters and dialogue seemed realistic, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this book was for upper middle class (white) women. Sure, the main character, Mele, is described as somewhat ethnic (Hawaiian and a little Chinese) and is the least affluent of her group, but she's still able to live in the Bay Area, which is one of the most expensive places to live in the US. The ethnicities of the other characters aren't discussed, but I couldn't imagine them as anything but Caucasian. I understand that this book's purpose is, in part, to poke fun at/vilify/skewer privileged women who when faced with full time motherhood, overwork and over manage every single aspect of their children's lives because it's the only thing that makes them feel productive and important. Still, I wasn't sad when I finished this book as its not a world I really care to revisit.
I liked the format and thought that framing the book using questions from the mothers' club cookbook contest was clever. The characters and dialogue seemed realistic, but I couldn't shake the feeling that this book was for upper middle class (white) women. Sure, the main character, Mele, is described as somewhat ethnic (Hawaiian and a little Chinese) and is the least affluent of her group, but she's still able to live in the Bay Area, which is one of the most expensive places to live in the US. The ethnicities of the other characters aren't discussed, but I couldn't imagine them as anything but Caucasian. I understand that this book's purpose is, in part, to poke fun at/vilify/skewer privileged women who when faced with full time motherhood, overwork and over manage every single aspect of their children's lives because it's the only thing that makes them feel productive and important. Still, I wasn't sad when I finished this book as its not a world I really care to revisit.
February 8, 2017
I started this book for a review, and for the first 20ish (e-reader) pages, I was in love. It was funny, I was laughing out loud at the gym and getting crazy looks from those around me. Yep, it was crazy.
Granted it is an adult contemporary fiction, which are hit or miss for me, and language was not really my thing. However, I try to not hold that against the author - I ignore it when possible. So that was a minor point against this book.
Then it started jumping on perspectives of the characters. It was a little much. I never even got attached to the main character, Mele, and suddenly she's jumping us into other people's lives... I was just not into it. I wasn't getting attached to any characters, the language, and the whining was just too much.
So after about getting to 39% of the book I was done. I'm sorry! I know some people really love this one. But it just wasn't for me.
Granted it is an adult contemporary fiction, which are hit or miss for me, and language was not really my thing. However, I try to not hold that against the author - I ignore it when possible. So that was a minor point against this book.
Then it started jumping on perspectives of the characters. It was a little much. I never even got attached to the main character, Mele, and suddenly she's jumping us into other people's lives... I was just not into it. I wasn't getting attached to any characters, the language, and the whining was just too much.
So after about getting to 39% of the book I was done. I'm sorry! I know some people really love this one. But it just wasn't for me.
July 28, 2016
How to Party with an Infant is about a down-to-earth single mother named Mele. I loved the dynamic of this story, as it’s not just your typical romance novel. Of course, in essence it’s a single parent who was left by her baby daddy and has found new love in someone she didn’t quite expect, but there is so much more to it than that.
Mostly all of the book revolves around an application for a cook book deal within Mele’s San Fransisco Mom’s Club. I loved how each character was drawn out piece by piece and everybody got a fair share of the cake, it wasn’t necessarily all about just the one single parent, because let’s be honest, there is not just one type of parent.
It reminded me of the last novel in the Bridget Jones series, About The Boy, mainly because that was also about the struggles within single-parenthood. I think the comparison comes because the main character is very relatable. However, I must stress this, you do not have to be a parent to enjoy this novel. Yes, it has a lot of humour that is parent related, but it is enjoyable in its own right.
I had no prejudice of this author, having never read her previous novels including “The Descendants”. I was definitely not disappointed, and this will not be the last book of Kaui Hart Hemmings I will be reading.
With excellent characters as ingredients, an already tried and tested writing technique and a plot cooked up with love, “How to Party with an Infant” is a recipe for success.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mostly all of the book revolves around an application for a cook book deal within Mele’s San Fransisco Mom’s Club. I loved how each character was drawn out piece by piece and everybody got a fair share of the cake, it wasn’t necessarily all about just the one single parent, because let’s be honest, there is not just one type of parent.
It reminded me of the last novel in the Bridget Jones series, About The Boy, mainly because that was also about the struggles within single-parenthood. I think the comparison comes because the main character is very relatable. However, I must stress this, you do not have to be a parent to enjoy this novel. Yes, it has a lot of humour that is parent related, but it is enjoyable in its own right.
I had no prejudice of this author, having never read her previous novels including “The Descendants”. I was definitely not disappointed, and this will not be the last book of Kaui Hart Hemmings I will be reading.
With excellent characters as ingredients, an already tried and tested writing technique and a plot cooked up with love, “How to Party with an Infant” is a recipe for success.
I would like to thank NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2016
I give this book 2.75 stars. Parts of it I enjoyed. I liked the idea of a cookbook competition but when I read it really wasn't part of the story, just a segue into providing glimpses of the characters. I love sarcasm but some of the mom's stories were not compelling nor did it delve into the characters enough to really love or hate them. Just didn't grab my attention and didn't have enough character development for me.
August 9, 2016
Full review on www.novelgossip.com
I really wish Mele were real and not a fictional character because I would find her and become her friend. Yes, she’s been dealt a pretty crappy blow. She didn’t know Bobby was engaged to someone else when they began their relationship but when she found out she was pregnant she decided to go it alone. She has some help from Bobby, but the majority of child rearing falls on her shoulders. Instead of wallowing in self pity, she makes the best of the life that she has. I admire that and love her kick ass, fighting spirit.
The format of this book is cool. Mele decides to enter a cookbook contest hosted by the San Francisco mommy group she’s a member of. The book is her filling out the application for the contest, which sounds boring. Except it’s Mele who is writing it and she is anything but boring. She’s funny, brutally honest, and carefree. In between answering the questions for the contest there are personal stories from each of her friends from her parenting group; Annie, Henry, Georgia and Barrett. These tidbits are authentic and candid and add so much to this story.
Clearly Hart Hemmings has participated in mommy groups as well as online parenting message boards because she nails it! They are full of cattiness, competitive parents constantly trying to outdo each other, and bickering about the most asinine things. Mele’s tales of trying to find a group to join before finally finding people that she actually wants to spend time with are wickedly funny and accurate. If you’ve ever joined a parenting forum you’ll know exactly what I mean.
I haven’t laughed this much while reading a book in a long time. Seriously, I’m not just saying that like I chuckled underneath my breath. I’m talking full blown cracking up laughter. Mele is not afraid to air her dirty laundry or the dirty laundry of her friends and this makes for some highly entertaining and hysterical scenes.
The ending did feel a little bit rushed after all of the build up to, should Mele go or not go to her exes wedding? But I would like to think that’s because Hart Hemmings was making the point that Mele didn’t need Bobby anymore and that he isn’t significant enough to take up more time in her story.
I really wish Mele were real and not a fictional character because I would find her and become her friend. Yes, she’s been dealt a pretty crappy blow. She didn’t know Bobby was engaged to someone else when they began their relationship but when she found out she was pregnant she decided to go it alone. She has some help from Bobby, but the majority of child rearing falls on her shoulders. Instead of wallowing in self pity, she makes the best of the life that she has. I admire that and love her kick ass, fighting spirit.
The format of this book is cool. Mele decides to enter a cookbook contest hosted by the San Francisco mommy group she’s a member of. The book is her filling out the application for the contest, which sounds boring. Except it’s Mele who is writing it and she is anything but boring. She’s funny, brutally honest, and carefree. In between answering the questions for the contest there are personal stories from each of her friends from her parenting group; Annie, Henry, Georgia and Barrett. These tidbits are authentic and candid and add so much to this story.
Clearly Hart Hemmings has participated in mommy groups as well as online parenting message boards because she nails it! They are full of cattiness, competitive parents constantly trying to outdo each other, and bickering about the most asinine things. Mele’s tales of trying to find a group to join before finally finding people that she actually wants to spend time with are wickedly funny and accurate. If you’ve ever joined a parenting forum you’ll know exactly what I mean.
I haven’t laughed this much while reading a book in a long time. Seriously, I’m not just saying that like I chuckled underneath my breath. I’m talking full blown cracking up laughter. Mele is not afraid to air her dirty laundry or the dirty laundry of her friends and this makes for some highly entertaining and hysterical scenes.
The ending did feel a little bit rushed after all of the build up to, should Mele go or not go to her exes wedding? But I would like to think that’s because Hart Hemmings was making the point that Mele didn’t need Bobby anymore and that he isn’t significant enough to take up more time in her story.
April 26, 2016
Having loved "The Descendants", I was really happy to get my hands on the latest novel by Kaui Hart Hemmings. This time around, the action takes place in San Francisco and centres around Mele Bart, who on telling her boyfriend that she's pregnant finds out he's engaged to someone else.
Mele joins the San Francisco Mommy Club to find some new friends, and initially ends up with a group of Nob Hill snobs with whom she has very little in common. Eventually she find a group of "her" people - Annie, Barrett, Georgia and Henry. She decides to enter the SFMC cookery book writing competition and as her friends share their stories with her, she takes inspiration from them, turning them into recipes for her book.
Meanwhile her former boyfriend, Bobby, the father of her child, Ellie, is finally getting married to his fiancee. The wedding got somewhat delayed when she found out he was going to be a Dad with someone else. Bobby is keen for his daughter to be a flower girl, and invites Mele along as well - should she go and see the man she loved marry someone who isn't her? Or should she run as far as possible in the opposite direction to the upcoming nuptials? Well you'll have to read the story to find out!
The is an intricately plotted novel, with multiple storylines all woven together to form this wonderfully cohesive whole.
Hemmings delivers just the right amount of detail and background to each character to make them come alive from the page. From the Nob Hill momtourage to the cheese-making bride-to-be, all life is gathered here, and the book is all the richer for it. Highly recommended.
Mele joins the San Francisco Mommy Club to find some new friends, and initially ends up with a group of Nob Hill snobs with whom she has very little in common. Eventually she find a group of "her" people - Annie, Barrett, Georgia and Henry. She decides to enter the SFMC cookery book writing competition and as her friends share their stories with her, she takes inspiration from them, turning them into recipes for her book.
Meanwhile her former boyfriend, Bobby, the father of her child, Ellie, is finally getting married to his fiancee. The wedding got somewhat delayed when she found out he was going to be a Dad with someone else. Bobby is keen for his daughter to be a flower girl, and invites Mele along as well - should she go and see the man she loved marry someone who isn't her? Or should she run as far as possible in the opposite direction to the upcoming nuptials? Well you'll have to read the story to find out!
The is an intricately plotted novel, with multiple storylines all woven together to form this wonderfully cohesive whole.
Hemmings delivers just the right amount of detail and background to each character to make them come alive from the page. From the Nob Hill momtourage to the cheese-making bride-to-be, all life is gathered here, and the book is all the richer for it. Highly recommended.
September 2, 2016
This might be a love-it-or-hate-it book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It is so snarky (which I guiltily admit I loved), but I would argue it is not without heart.
Maybe not the best character development ever, but the author brilliantly captures certain mother "types" and the sometimes wacky culture of modern parenting.
P.S. Very very funny. Laughed out loud many times!
Maybe not the best character development ever, but the author brilliantly captures certain mother "types" and the sometimes wacky culture of modern parenting.
P.S. Very very funny. Laughed out loud many times!
November 22, 2016
Ugh, I'm hating everything lately. I would say it must be me, but I was never going to like this book. One thing that drives me nuts is when an author doesn't seem to realize that her main character sucks. She is supposedly skewering the catty, judgmental, cliquey kind of moms, but she actually is just as catty and judgmental and cliquey herself. This is the kind of person who assumes that when people don't like her, they must be jealous, when actually it's probably because she sucks. Not as funny as Big Little Lies and not as awesome as After Birth.
August 13, 2016
This is too much about parenting to be a broadly funny or approachable book, and I still don't understand the cover art. Is it a bra? Bottle nipples? A bunny mask? None of them make any sense to me, and I feel grumpy.
August 14, 2016
How to Party With an Infant by Kaui Hart Hemmings is a highly recommended humorous, yet moving account of being a parent and a person.
Mele Bart is a single mom living in San Fransisco. After a few failed attempts at meeting other moms, she's managed to find a mother's support group where she fits in with the members. Her group joined the official San Francisco Mommy Club. Now SFMC is having a cookbook competition and Mele is filling out the entry form. Actually, the whole book is Mele filling out the form and telling corresponding stories about those in her support group while finding the perfect recipe based on the story shared. Mele is also trying to deal with her daughter Ellie's father, Bobby, and his upcoming wedding. He wants Ellie to be a flower girl.
Mele and her friends are dealing with their feelings of inadequacy and failure, so their stories reflect this fact. In between the story telling, Mele is very candid about her life and experiences, including those she's had with other SFMC groups and her ex. Interspersed in the entry form stories are excerpts from an online message board. Seriously, the mommy wars rage as people express their firm beliefs about one thing or another, while one member is wonderfully funny and satirical.
This is a great selection for anyone who can relate to Mele's search for like-minded moms:
"She smiles to herself, remembering those early days, when she was one of those friendless parents - the ones that smile too eagerly at other moms and apologize if their babies sneeze. The ones who use lame pickup lines like "I like your burp cloth" or "How do you like your Britax Roundabout?" Mele would hit up all the hot spots - Gymboree, Day One, Music Together, playgrounds, parks, and museums - hoping to meet someone. She’d see other mothers in groups, laughing on polka-dot throw mats and think: Where do I find them? And how do I act once I do?"
I found How to Party With an Infant a wonderfully entertaining light read, which I need every now and then. It is very well written and the stories are funny, poignant, touching, and hopeful. If you have ever struggled to find or fit in with a mommy group, you will understand Mele's situation. Or if you've ever experienced a part of the mommy wars, you'll find yourself laughing and commiserating with Mele. The fact that she found a group of such diverse individuals with stories that are sometimes raw and heartbreaking to share is heartening. Mele is very honest in what she writes for the cookbook entry, both in her feelings and observations and her friend's stories.
Disclosure: My advanced reading copy was courtesy of the publisher for review purposes.
July 15, 2016
I loved this book. The writing, the characters, everything just worked. I found myself smiling and chuckling throughout the whole time while reading it. One of those moments was when Mele got waxed for the first timed and was horrified at the results because she thought she looked like Mr. Bigglesworth, the hairless cat. Then when her daughter starts screaming Dora at the park because she is convinced a Mexican nanny is in fact the Explorer. Barrett's son wanted to have his birthday party at home and invite twenty kids over and eat KFC. They would hangout downstairs, listen to music and maybe dance. Barrett is horrified when she sees them dancing and finds out it's a hood party. There's just so many examples of smiling inducing moments or laughing ot loud, but my last one is when Mele is on a preschool tour and she realizes there is something stuck in the leg of her jeans, normally this would be a sock or dryer sheet, but instead it's dirty underwear.
Mele was dating a man for months when she finds out that she is pregnant. His first words aren't Yay! I'm going to be a father, but instead I'm already engaged. So this is where Mele finds herself a single parent. Mele decides to enter the cookbook contest of the Mommy Club she belongs to and uses a story from each of her friends to create a recipe. I loved reading the story that Henry, Annie, Georgia and Barrett each told Mele.
There was just something about this book. Not only was it humorous but the characters talked about how you can love being a mother but not always want to watch your child play with blocks. I loved The Descendants and look forward to reading more books by Kaui Hart Hemmings
Mele was dating a man for months when she finds out that she is pregnant. His first words aren't Yay! I'm going to be a father, but instead I'm already engaged. So this is where Mele finds herself a single parent. Mele decides to enter the cookbook contest of the Mommy Club she belongs to and uses a story from each of her friends to create a recipe. I loved reading the story that Henry, Annie, Georgia and Barrett each told Mele.
There was just something about this book. Not only was it humorous but the characters talked about how you can love being a mother but not always want to watch your child play with blocks. I loved The Descendants and look forward to reading more books by Kaui Hart Hemmings
August 1, 2016
There are lines and scenes in this book that had me laughing out loud. Kaui Hart Jennings is witty and real in this story that is formatted as a cookbook entry questionnaire. Mele, the main character, chooses a story from each of her mommy group friends and slyly assigns a recipe to represent their story. Some of the scenarios are funny, heartbreaking, scary, cringeworthy or a combination thereof. You will probably recognize some of your own parenting style somewhere in there. There is adultery, class wars, swearing, sexual innuendo, racism and a lot of cooking. I loved it and read it in one sitting.
Copy provided by Publisher and NetGalley
Copy provided by Publisher and NetGalley
March 5, 2017
I either have less patience or I've been reading some "difficult" books lately.
If I had to use a dish to describe this book it would be Steamed Okra. For one, its not for everyone, some will love it while some hate it. For those of us who dislike it its an acquired taste, you pretty much want to quit throughout the entire meal but you stick with it because someone of influence recommended it. When you're done you can't believe you actually ate it all; however, its forgettable, doesn't leave a taste on your tongue and so you forget the experience and move on.
But you've learned your lesson, there won't be a next time.
If I had to use a dish to describe this book it would be Steamed Okra. For one, its not for everyone, some will love it while some hate it. For those of us who dislike it its an acquired taste, you pretty much want to quit throughout the entire meal but you stick with it because someone of influence recommended it. When you're done you can't believe you actually ate it all; however, its forgettable, doesn't leave a taste on your tongue and so you forget the experience and move on.
But you've learned your lesson, there won't be a next time.
November 3, 2016
Really not impressed...the book didn't have a unique view just a lot of complaining about rich people by rich people. And complaints about SF. Heard it all before. Boring.
November 28, 2016
Every character in this book needs to down a bottle of Xanax and pull the giant sticks out of their asses.
August 29, 2016
Slicker, sharper and less sentimental than other books I’ve read by Kaui Hart Hemmings, her latest, How to Party With an Infant, makes for entertaining reading.
Recipe blogger, Mele Bart, is single mum to two-year-old Ellie. When she was pregnant, Mele’s boyfriend, Bobby, announced his engagement – to another woman (an artisan cheese-maker from the Napa valley). Bobby wants Ellie to be the flower-girl in his wedding and Mele reluctantly agrees.
To take her mind off the upcoming nuptials, Mele enters a recipe competition run by the San Francisco Mother’s Club. She uses cooking as therapy – for both herself and her own circle of ‘mummy friends’. As her friend Annie says, “Mele’s going to take your despair and turn it into cupcakes.”
There were laugh out loud moments in this book –
“God you look so good!” Maggie says. “Did you get divorced?” she asks in an exaggeratedly sardonic, drag queen sort of way.
“”No, no. I’ve been doing Pilates. It’s such a good workout…”
and
“They have organic cane,” I said. “That’s just a fancy way of saying sugar. It’s sugar in disguise.” The room was silent. A baby coughed. It was like I had offered a bunch of anorexics a hoagie.
As well as plenty of bits that I’m not ashamed to say I identified with –
“These meetings are two Tuesdays a month, and you are expected to attend every one.”
I quickly scanned my brain to think of what TV shows were on Tuesday night. It was a slow night, thank God, but then I thought of spring. American Idol auditions!
This book isn’t perfect – the structure is clumsy and I’m not entirely convinced it works (the story is told through Mele’s anecdotal responses to questions on the cookery competition entry form) – but the humour is on point and Hemmings gives you enough identifiable parenting-moments that endear you to Mele –
I used to like going to movies, having sex, shopping, but now, as you know, I have a baby. My current interests are crosswords, heavy snacking in front of the television after Ellie goes to bed, thinking of possible Saturday Night Live skits, hunting for the best soda fridges in town, strolling in grocery stores… I am also interested in television and not in an ironic way. Certain shows on Bravo make me say out loud: “My God, I love America.”
3.5/5 The foodie element gave the mum-lit an edge.
I received my copy of How to Party With an Infant from the publisher, Simon & Schuster via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
Recipe blogger, Mele Bart, is single mum to two-year-old Ellie. When she was pregnant, Mele’s boyfriend, Bobby, announced his engagement – to another woman (an artisan cheese-maker from the Napa valley). Bobby wants Ellie to be the flower-girl in his wedding and Mele reluctantly agrees.
To take her mind off the upcoming nuptials, Mele enters a recipe competition run by the San Francisco Mother’s Club. She uses cooking as therapy – for both herself and her own circle of ‘mummy friends’. As her friend Annie says, “Mele’s going to take your despair and turn it into cupcakes.”
There were laugh out loud moments in this book –
“God you look so good!” Maggie says. “Did you get divorced?” she asks in an exaggeratedly sardonic, drag queen sort of way.
“”No, no. I’ve been doing Pilates. It’s such a good workout…”
and
“They have organic cane,” I said. “That’s just a fancy way of saying sugar. It’s sugar in disguise.” The room was silent. A baby coughed. It was like I had offered a bunch of anorexics a hoagie.
As well as plenty of bits that I’m not ashamed to say I identified with –
“These meetings are two Tuesdays a month, and you are expected to attend every one.”
I quickly scanned my brain to think of what TV shows were on Tuesday night. It was a slow night, thank God, but then I thought of spring. American Idol auditions!
This book isn’t perfect – the structure is clumsy and I’m not entirely convinced it works (the story is told through Mele’s anecdotal responses to questions on the cookery competition entry form) – but the humour is on point and Hemmings gives you enough identifiable parenting-moments that endear you to Mele –
I used to like going to movies, having sex, shopping, but now, as you know, I have a baby. My current interests are crosswords, heavy snacking in front of the television after Ellie goes to bed, thinking of possible Saturday Night Live skits, hunting for the best soda fridges in town, strolling in grocery stores… I am also interested in television and not in an ironic way. Certain shows on Bravo make me say out loud: “My God, I love America.”
3.5/5 The foodie element gave the mum-lit an edge.
I received my copy of How to Party With an Infant from the publisher, Simon & Schuster via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2016
I loved this! Kaui Hart Hemmings had me at the Descendants and then her short stories were just as entertaining and then her The Possibilities was a great straight up novel and then she had a YA book that I have but haven't read yet because YA is something I only do once in a while but this, when I saw it on Netgalley I had to get it because this time around she's writing about being a young single mom. I'm not young or single but I am a mom and if you have children, esp young ones her writing about being a mom and trying to fit in and dealing with that all encompassing love juxtaposed with the sense of losing your original self is just awesome. Hemmings writes so smartly, it's very subtle how she describes feelings and thoughts that are way deeper than they seem.
Mele is woman with an almost 3 year old daughter. She had a relationship with Bobby but turns out Bobby was engaged to someone else, something he told her AFTER she told him that she was pregnant. The usual, right? Right. But it's so much more than that. Mele is also trying to write a cookbook. IT's a contest held by the San Franscisco Mother's Club and Mele thinks that this might be a start for her, to try to win and then maybe publish an actual book so the books structure is set up as part of the book contest's questionnaire. different chapters have a question that she answers that shapes the book such as how she feeds her daughter and what the group has helped her with. Male is wickedly honest and it's so refreshing and funny.
Definitely a summertime read. Light, but intelligent.
Mele is woman with an almost 3 year old daughter. She had a relationship with Bobby but turns out Bobby was engaged to someone else, something he told her AFTER she told him that she was pregnant. The usual, right? Right. But it's so much more than that. Mele is also trying to write a cookbook. IT's a contest held by the San Franscisco Mother's Club and Mele thinks that this might be a start for her, to try to win and then maybe publish an actual book so the books structure is set up as part of the book contest's questionnaire. different chapters have a question that she answers that shapes the book such as how she feeds her daughter and what the group has helped her with. Male is wickedly honest and it's so refreshing and funny.
Definitely a summertime read. Light, but intelligent.
April 26, 2016
Thank you to NetGalley.com and to the publisher for the ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.
What a delight to read - I had enjoyed Ms. Hart Hemming’s previous work and was super excited for the opportunity to read hew new novel. To find friendship and love in a cold city such as San Francisco is a gift to be cherished. What makes San Francisco a cold city? Cold temperature, ritzy people, city life – c’mon you’ve watched an episode of Million Dollar Listing San Francisco..don’t tell me its warm and fuzzy. Annie, Barrett, Georgia and Henry make for the best mommy’s group/playgroup around. It makes me wish I had one of those when my child was young.
What I loved: Anyone who shares my thought that Caillou is the most horrible children’s character (what a little crybaby!) gets a positive vote. Seriously – I really liked how Mele was answering a questionnaire throughout the entire tale and that she was honest (sometimes brutally so) with who she is as a person and how she mothers her child. Too many times, we’re more concerned about presenting the proper outer shell to everyone else than being true to who we are on the inside.
What I didn’t love: All the talk of a cookbook, creating recipes, eating and no actual recipes??? I felt slighted …
What I learned: Friends are a good thing to have – misfits or not.
Overall Grade: B+
www.fsam15.wix.com/fluffsmutandmurder
May 16, 2016
"If they want to pretend that Ellie materialized like a fairy, so be it."
When you tell your boyfriend you are pregnant and his response is that he isn't really yours at all and he is, in fact, already engaged- you know it can't get much worse. Or can it? With that dirty little truth released into her life, Mele Bart realizes she can't yearn for Bobby like some lunatic. We jump ahead and now, Bobby and his darling, perfect fiance want Ellie (love child) to be a flower girl in their wedding. But how can she allow this when she isn't over him?
Time to get on with things, she joins a group, writes a cookbook and the reader is plunged into the lives and stories of Annie, Barrett, Georgia, and Henry. There will be laughter, humiliation, and biting wit. I spent a lot of time reminiscing (sourly) about the snobbery of the Mommy/Daddy set. My kids are 18 and 20 but let's face it, the game never really changes. High school is said to never end, there is evidence that it just spills over into parenting cliques (that's my belief and I'm sticking to it). Here is a story for all you eye rolling folks that never could stomach the self-importance of others. To all those men and women that never could submit to snobbery, who needed to find like-minded people who were genuine if imperfect- this book is for you...
The ending is just right, as it should be. Yes, yes- read this.
When you tell your boyfriend you are pregnant and his response is that he isn't really yours at all and he is, in fact, already engaged- you know it can't get much worse. Or can it? With that dirty little truth released into her life, Mele Bart realizes she can't yearn for Bobby like some lunatic. We jump ahead and now, Bobby and his darling, perfect fiance want Ellie (love child) to be a flower girl in their wedding. But how can she allow this when she isn't over him?
Time to get on with things, she joins a group, writes a cookbook and the reader is plunged into the lives and stories of Annie, Barrett, Georgia, and Henry. There will be laughter, humiliation, and biting wit. I spent a lot of time reminiscing (sourly) about the snobbery of the Mommy/Daddy set. My kids are 18 and 20 but let's face it, the game never really changes. High school is said to never end, there is evidence that it just spills over into parenting cliques (that's my belief and I'm sticking to it). Here is a story for all you eye rolling folks that never could stomach the self-importance of others. To all those men and women that never could submit to snobbery, who needed to find like-minded people who were genuine if imperfect- this book is for you...
The ending is just right, as it should be. Yes, yes- read this.
May 14, 2016
I picked up this book only because I am a new mother to an amazing 19 month old and the title made me laugh out loud. This book did not disappoint! Mele Bart is a single mother, who is trying to co-parent with her ex who just so happens to be getting married to another woman. To help with some of the anxiety Mele is feeling about having her child in her ex's wedding, she enters a cookbook writing contest. As Mele begins to find inspriation from her friends for the recipes, she also learns about herself, parenting and love along the way.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it had me laughing out loud in several spots. Mele's attempts at finding a group of like minded parents that you could actually get along with had me snorting I was laughing so hard...simply because it reminds me of all the cliques new moms have and just how flipping hard it is to find some people that you just want to spend time with! Any new mother, hell any mother, can relate to any of the characters in this book!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it had me laughing out loud in several spots. Mele's attempts at finding a group of like minded parents that you could actually get along with had me snorting I was laughing so hard...simply because it reminds me of all the cliques new moms have and just how flipping hard it is to find some people that you just want to spend time with! Any new mother, hell any mother, can relate to any of the characters in this book!
Thanks to Simon & Schuster for the ARC!
September 11, 2016
I had trouble getting into this book and ended up skimming it. Much of Mele's narration is actually from answers to a cookbook contest she enters. In these responses, she overshares to a ridiculous extent. When relating her friends' stories -- which inspire her recipes -- we only get brief glimpses of each person. Most of the characters are pretty unlikeable (including a mom making up crazy lies to her teenage son to get him to like her).
October 31, 2016
The premise is a bit thin (telling a story about each friend in her mom group, and finding recipes to pair with each... in order to enter a cookbook contest?) and the ending is somewhat predictable. However, this book had some lovable characters and very funny moments. The style reminded me of "Where'd you go, Bernadette?"
May 25, 2017
More important to me than whether or not this is a good book (it is) is my emotional response to it and how I happened to read it at the exact right time. My best friend who saved me from the crippling loneliness of being a stay-at-home mom to babies and toddlers is moving in two days, so I read this book in a whirlwind of escapist reading and then cried into a dish towel in the kitchen. The book is hilarious, with real honesty in the characters and their experiences. Did I relate to how horrible it is to try to make friends with other moms and laugh about it, even as I know I have to work on that again? Yes! And please see above note about crying into a dishtowel.
Let's just end this with a quote from the last chapter:
"Time not only lessens pain and recolors it; time reveals life's abundance, its ability to astonish, give, and take away."
Let's just end this with a quote from the last chapter:
"Time not only lessens pain and recolors it; time reveals life's abundance, its ability to astonish, give, and take away."
August 29, 2021
A while ago I read The Descendants by Hawaiian novelist Kaui Hart Hemings. It was haunting, heart breaking, and still managed to be occasionally funny. (Yes, it’s the book the George Clooney film was based on.) Since I’d read it on my Kindle, every time I opened my Kindle up afterward it would ask me if I wanted to read How to Party with an Infant. Over and over. I finally gave in to the suggestive selling.
I figured it would be geared to a much younger audience, but I actually had been a single parent myself as a young woman, and navigating single life with a baby was something I thought I’d be able to relate to.
This book is about a young single parent in San Francisco who enters a cookbook contest hoping to get published. Each recipe is based on a story one of her affluent play group friends tells her, so the book is essentially a series of short stories focusing on a poignant moment in the life of the characters’ often less than stellar friends. The book indeed targets a younger audience: than myself: it’s gritty and edgy, sometimes vulgar and sarcastic. Still, Hemings is very good at telling a story and helping us find the humanity in people.
I figured it would be geared to a much younger audience, but I actually had been a single parent myself as a young woman, and navigating single life with a baby was something I thought I’d be able to relate to.
This book is about a young single parent in San Francisco who enters a cookbook contest hoping to get published. Each recipe is based on a story one of her affluent play group friends tells her, so the book is essentially a series of short stories focusing on a poignant moment in the life of the characters’ often less than stellar friends. The book indeed targets a younger audience: than myself: it’s gritty and edgy, sometimes vulgar and sarcastic. Still, Hemings is very good at telling a story and helping us find the humanity in people.
July 1, 2018
I noticed book plot lines that weave cooking or recipes into them work well together.
The idea of making meals or recipes based on a moment of time to tell a story is a great idea.
The mom Georgia that was pushed around by her son Chris, I really wanted her to stand up for herself. The way her son spoke to her was disgusting.
The idea of making meals or recipes based on a moment of time to tell a story is a great idea.
The mom Georgia that was pushed around by her son Chris, I really wanted her to stand up for herself. The way her son spoke to her was disgusting.
July 9, 2019
This book was a really fun, enjoyable read. The characters seemed real and relatable, which made it even better. The ending was satisfying, not like one of those books you spend all of your time on just to be disappointed by the ending. Overall, this book was great and I’m so glad I chose it to read.
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