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Notes from the Underwire: Adventures from My Awkward and Lovely Life
"Erma Bombeck with an edge."
-- U.S.A. Today "Quinn Cummings is a master story-teller and her book is nothing short of delightful. Her insights into topics like celebrity, parenting, and cats with a taste for homicide are pithy and uproarious and not to be missed. Notes from the Underwire is charming, hilarious, and just snarky enough to be ultimately satisfying."
--Jen Lancaster, bestselling author of Bitter is the New Black and Such a Pretty Fat "I hadn't laughed out loud while reading a book for years, but Quinn Cumming's struggles nearly did me in. Although she describes herself as a woman who constantly blurts out exactly the wrong thing, she says everything exactly right in the brilliantly overwrought Notes from the Underwire."
--Bob Tarte, author of Enslaved by Ducks and Fowl Weather Meet Quinn Cummings. Former child star, mother, and modern woman, she just wants to be a good person. Quinn grew up in Los Angeles, a city whose patron saint would be a sixteen year-old with a gold card and two trips to rehab under her belt. Quinn does crossword puzzles, eats lentils without being forced, and longs to wear a scarf without looking like a Camp Fire Girl. And she tries very hard to be the Adult--the one everybody calls for a ride to the airport--but somehow she always comes up short. In Notes from the Underwire , Quinn's smart and hilarious debut, she tackles the domestic and the delightfully absurd, proving that all too-often they're one and the same. From fighting off a catnip-addled cat to mortal conflict with a sewing machine, Quinn provides insight into her often chaotic, seldom-perfect universe--a universe made even less perfect when the goofy smile of past celebrity shows its occasional fang. The book, like the author herself, is good hearted, keenly observant, and blisteringly funny. In other words, really good company.
-- U.S.A. Today "Quinn Cummings is a master story-teller and her book is nothing short of delightful. Her insights into topics like celebrity, parenting, and cats with a taste for homicide are pithy and uproarious and not to be missed. Notes from the Underwire is charming, hilarious, and just snarky enough to be ultimately satisfying."
--Jen Lancaster, bestselling author of Bitter is the New Black and Such a Pretty Fat "I hadn't laughed out loud while reading a book for years, but Quinn Cumming's struggles nearly did me in. Although she describes herself as a woman who constantly blurts out exactly the wrong thing, she says everything exactly right in the brilliantly overwrought Notes from the Underwire."
--Bob Tarte, author of Enslaved by Ducks and Fowl Weather Meet Quinn Cummings. Former child star, mother, and modern woman, she just wants to be a good person. Quinn grew up in Los Angeles, a city whose patron saint would be a sixteen year-old with a gold card and two trips to rehab under her belt. Quinn does crossword puzzles, eats lentils without being forced, and longs to wear a scarf without looking like a Camp Fire Girl. And she tries very hard to be the Adult--the one everybody calls for a ride to the airport--but somehow she always comes up short. In Notes from the Underwire , Quinn's smart and hilarious debut, she tackles the domestic and the delightfully absurd, proving that all too-often they're one and the same. From fighting off a catnip-addled cat to mortal conflict with a sewing machine, Quinn provides insight into her often chaotic, seldom-perfect universe--a universe made even less perfect when the goofy smile of past celebrity shows its occasional fang. The book, like the author herself, is good hearted, keenly observant, and blisteringly funny. In other words, really good company.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2009
46 people are currently reading
1426 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
July 19, 2011
This is truly one of the funniest books I have ever read. Like one of the top TWO funniest books I've ever read (Bill Bryson's NEITHER HERE NOR THERE is up there). Quinn's essays on life, love, childhood stardom, and family pets are nothing short of hilarious. I am dying for her to come out with a new one. Meanwhile I follow her blog, qcreport.blogspot.com
January 4, 2024
__________________________
Once you are a former child star you can’t go back to being a child star again.––Quinn Cummings
Quinn Cummings is a former child star, she says, and I believe her. But she got older––a strategic mistake on her part––and her acting career fizzled out.
This is not the story of her days as a pampered child star, sitting on a pedestal. It’s not the story of a tragic downfall––she never robbed a single bank that she admits to. It is the story of her learning to be an ordinary adult person trying to make a living and raise a family. And it’s so funnnny!
I always wanted to be a child star, but I turned 76 in November, and it may be too late now. I still have a chance to become ordinary, though. As CS Lewis once said, ““You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.”
4 stars
Once you are a former child star you can’t go back to being a child star again.––Quinn Cummings
Quinn Cummings is a former child star, she says, and I believe her. But she got older––a strategic mistake on her part––and her acting career fizzled out.
This is not the story of her days as a pampered child star, sitting on a pedestal. It’s not the story of a tragic downfall––she never robbed a single bank that she admits to. It is the story of her learning to be an ordinary adult person trying to make a living and raise a family. And it’s so funnnny!
I always wanted to be a child star, but I turned 76 in November, and it may be too late now. I still have a chance to become ordinary, though. As CS Lewis once said, ““You are never too old to set a new goal or to dream a new dream.”
4 stars
April 1, 2012
I remember a little bit about Quinn Cummings' career as a youth actor - her Academy-Award-nominated role in the movie The Goodbye Girl, her joining the cast of the TV drama Family - but she's been kind of a "whatever happened to...?" for quite a long time. She stepped out of the limelight about 20 years ago, and grew up to be an entrepreneur, a mom and a blogger who has achieved the blogger's dream - a book. I didn't know about her blog until I heard about the book, but it's a long-established one; with archives going back to 2005, she was part of the first wave of mom bloggers. And while she doesn't act any more, she does make the occasional videoblog to complement her written one.
Notes from the Underwire is Quinn's first published collection, and it's a nice mix of pieces. It has some elements of memoir, but it's episodic rather than tracing a linear narrative. A reader curious about her acting years, or who's trying to fill in the blanks between that portion of her life and how she got to where she is now, isn't going to come away with a lot of biographical information. However, that reader will get to share in some of Quinn's more memorable - and frequently embarrassing, if usually well-intentioned - experiences, and this reader was highly entertained by them.
This wasn't a fall-down-laughing book for me, but it was a reliable source of smiles and chuckles of recognition, and I came across a lot of humorous and recognizable observations that I had to read out loud and share with my husband. Discussions about home ownership, Los Angeles traffic, and common child-rearing experiences all rang bells; "Carson Has Two Mommies," which talks about addressing her daughter's questions about birth and death, was a standout (and made me feel a little better about my then-10-year-old's concerns about whether or not there's an afterlife). Also somewhat related to the topic of death are "Like a Tattoo on Your Butt," about her mother's battle with cancer, and "A Big Mean Pair of Scissors," the story of her stint as a volunteer on one of the first AIDS hotlines - but I feel the need to assure you that these pieces are not morbid. They're emotionally moving, and yes, they're also funny.
There are plenty of lighter essays as well, and while some pieces do have the feel of fleshed-out blog posts, I enjoyed the book as a whole - it's humorous and insightful, and its author isn't afraid to laugh at herself. I feel like I did get to know Quinn Cummings a little better, and while I'm looking forward to another book from her one of these days, I'll keep reading her blog in the meantime.
Notes from the Underwire is Quinn's first published collection, and it's a nice mix of pieces. It has some elements of memoir, but it's episodic rather than tracing a linear narrative. A reader curious about her acting years, or who's trying to fill in the blanks between that portion of her life and how she got to where she is now, isn't going to come away with a lot of biographical information. However, that reader will get to share in some of Quinn's more memorable - and frequently embarrassing, if usually well-intentioned - experiences, and this reader was highly entertained by them.
This wasn't a fall-down-laughing book for me, but it was a reliable source of smiles and chuckles of recognition, and I came across a lot of humorous and recognizable observations that I had to read out loud and share with my husband. Discussions about home ownership, Los Angeles traffic, and common child-rearing experiences all rang bells; "Carson Has Two Mommies," which talks about addressing her daughter's questions about birth and death, was a standout (and made me feel a little better about my then-10-year-old's concerns about whether or not there's an afterlife). Also somewhat related to the topic of death are "Like a Tattoo on Your Butt," about her mother's battle with cancer, and "A Big Mean Pair of Scissors," the story of her stint as a volunteer on one of the first AIDS hotlines - but I feel the need to assure you that these pieces are not morbid. They're emotionally moving, and yes, they're also funny.
There are plenty of lighter essays as well, and while some pieces do have the feel of fleshed-out blog posts, I enjoyed the book as a whole - it's humorous and insightful, and its author isn't afraid to laugh at herself. I feel like I did get to know Quinn Cummings a little better, and while I'm looking forward to another book from her one of these days, I'll keep reading her blog in the meantime.
August 31, 2013
Tired jokes about her kid eventually needing therapy; boring tales about how she's so helpful, yet nobody is asking her for help (and it always seems to end badly); essays about the many expensive activities her child is part of (yawn)... Plus, she uses the same uncommon words within a single paragraph (she needs a better proofreader), making for a read that is anything but seamless. On a personal note, her next-to-last story - involving the stray dog - left an incredibly sour taste in my mouth. Honestly, I didn't know who Quinn Cummings was coming in to this, and while I'm sure she's a perfectly lovely person liked by many, I'm not left with the desire to know any more about her, let alone read any more anecdotes from her life.
January 1, 2018
3 1/2 *
August 13, 2009
Quinn's book!
http://qcreport.blogspot.com/2008/11/...
Have to admit that I'm biased: I've been reading the QC Report for years, and she never fails to make me snort with laughter or tear up, often in the same post. So when I heard about the book, I was both excited and leery, since I've been disappointed by other blog-to-book experiments before (see Quiet, Please for one painful example).
But Quinn rules. Even stories that were familiar to me from the blog were still compelling and delightful to read.
She wisely front-loads all of the "former child actor"-themed tales near the beginning of the book, as if to acknowledge that most new readers are only familiar with that part of her bio.* Getting that out of the way, she then dives into the stories that make her blog worth reading. The hands-down side-splittingest is Ask for Flaco, where she visits every butcher in Los Angeles, trying to find a cow heart for her daughter to dissect. Highest on the nostalgia-scale is Dog Days. In the middle, there's one chapter, Modern Love, which doesn't seem to belong. It's a satirical guide to Hollywood relationships, which isn't based on Quinn's experience (I don't think), and is essentially three pages of sarcasm, untempered with sentiment or self-deprecation. Who knows... I'd be curious to find out if Quinn or her editor waffled over whether to include it.
Anyway - five stars! Buy it! Read it! Bookmark the blog!
*True story: I had no idea of Quinn's acting past when I started reading her blog. A year or so after I became a regular reader, I happened upon The Goodbye Girl on cable, and watched it... but felt weird the whole time, like I was snooping around in her medicine cabinet.
http://qcreport.blogspot.com/2008/11/...
Have to admit that I'm biased: I've been reading the QC Report for years, and she never fails to make me snort with laughter or tear up, often in the same post. So when I heard about the book, I was both excited and leery, since I've been disappointed by other blog-to-book experiments before (see Quiet, Please for one painful example).
But Quinn rules. Even stories that were familiar to me from the blog were still compelling and delightful to read.
She wisely front-loads all of the "former child actor"-themed tales near the beginning of the book, as if to acknowledge that most new readers are only familiar with that part of her bio.* Getting that out of the way, she then dives into the stories that make her blog worth reading. The hands-down side-splittingest is Ask for Flaco, where she visits every butcher in Los Angeles, trying to find a cow heart for her daughter to dissect. Highest on the nostalgia-scale is Dog Days. In the middle, there's one chapter, Modern Love, which doesn't seem to belong. It's a satirical guide to Hollywood relationships, which isn't based on Quinn's experience (I don't think), and is essentially three pages of sarcasm, untempered with sentiment or self-deprecation. Who knows... I'd be curious to find out if Quinn or her editor waffled over whether to include it.
Anyway - five stars! Buy it! Read it! Bookmark the blog!
*True story: I had no idea of Quinn's acting past when I started reading her blog. A year or so after I became a regular reader, I happened upon The Goodbye Girl on cable, and watched it... but felt weird the whole time, like I was snooping around in her medicine cabinet.
August 22, 2009
I love Quinn Cummings' writing style. She's snarky and funny and sarcastic. Her metaphors and use of language are beautiful. I hope to publish something this good someday. And I'm not just saying that because I interviewed her for my blog ( http://www.nannygoatsinpanties.com/20... ). I really enjoyed this memoir. In case you don't already know, Quinn Cummings played the daughter, Lucy McFadden, in The Goodbye Girl (and was nominated for an Academy Award). So we get to read about Los Angeles, how she's trying to be a good Mom, how she dislikes the term "former child actor", and what a total klutz she is.
September 19, 2009
I picked this up on a whim at the airport and ended up reading it twice. It's a pleasurable, easy read that will keep you laughing out loud; however, there's a depth to her writing that's not often found in other similar books. Writers who churn out collections of witty recounts of uncomfortable situations are a dime a dozen right now. But Cummings was able to weave together stories from her life to create an interesting, touching and humorous account that leaves the reader longing to read more.
July 21, 2009
I REALLY loved this book. Quinn's writing is hysterically funny, as well as touching. Her life is just everything you would never expect from a "former child star"-which is quite refreshing. A great book for any Mom to read...
August 23, 2009
Funny and touching essays from the Little Girl from The Goodbye Girl :grin: She's left that life behind though and the stories are very relatable -- Hey! I'm clumsy, too! Hey! I like to rescue animals, too!
September 10, 2009
This was a great book! It's been a long time since I laughed out loud while reading a book. Each chapter is a delightful experience. Hope you enjoy it as much I did. Ms. Cummings knows how to write and to entertain.
July 1, 2009
I LOVED THIS BOOK!!!!!!!!!!
July 20, 2009
I've been reading the author's blog since it began. The book is just as good -- one of the few writers who regularly makes me laugh out loud.
September 10, 2009
Very funny, smart - like reading the blog of a really smart funny friend.
September 20, 2009
Funny, thoughtful, and sometimes poignant. Wonderful read!
September 23, 2009
This book was O.K. I think Quinn Cummings has the makings to be a very witty author. I look forward to future books as she polishes her writing. I do want to check out her blog.
August 12, 2009
Awesome. Almost as good as Laurie Notaro. In some places, just as good.
September 3, 2018
I thoroughly enjoyed Quinn Cummings' Notes from the Underwire (from Hyperion). She is funny- laugh out loud funny, read aloud to the other folks in the room funny, track down the other folks in the house to read aloud funny. You get the drift. There is also some depth there. This is NOT another show biz memoir. Her career is almost like a recurring character- not really important to the story or her life, just keeps on coming up due to circumstances. I would say she is funny like Sarah Vowell, but without the political or historical themes in Vowell's work. This is all about the personal- it is a memoir but in a collected essay form rather than a sustained narrative. As a crafts impaired person I thought her essay on crafts was one of the finest chapters. Highly, highly recommended.
September 29, 2021
Such A clever writer. (Her husband's name is Consort.) I smiled through most of the book. There were a couple sad chapters thrown in and I would be curious why they were included. Her political views were not jammed down the readers throat which I really appreciate. I think I would like her for a friend except her vocabulary is too high.
January 5, 2018
Hilarious and frank, Quinn Cummings does a fantastic job of recounting tales from her life in a manner that make the reader laugh out loud. She owns up to her own quirkiness and laughs at herself. I thoroughly enjoyed this one and was pleasantly surprised.
December 26, 2019
I adore Quinn's writing, so funny, intelligent, warm and sometimes biting all at the same time ! I follow her on Twitter and desperately hope that her periodic "Small Stories" from that medium will someday be published in book format so that I can savor them over and over.
November 4, 2020
Quinn Cummings writes an amusing book filled with essays about her life and different subjects. From being a "former child actress" {a term she hates} to motherhood, taking in a stray dog, her choice in fashion. and food. a fun book to read i rather enjoyed.
September 27, 2021
Doesn't sound that unusual to me
This could be the story of a lot of people's lives...except for the part of being in a popular tv show. I remember Quinn from "Family" but never knew she'd become an author that could make me laugh so much.
This could be the story of a lot of people's lives...except for the part of being in a popular tv show. I remember Quinn from "Family" but never knew she'd become an author that could make me laugh so much.
October 21, 2021
I picked up this book ages ago, thinking it was a child star biography. But I was pleasantly surprised to discover it was more a musing on life in your thirties and forties. Quinn Cummings has an amusing voice and a fun perspective on life. I'll be checking out her blog.
April 2, 2022
Fun read
I enjoyed reading this collection of little stories. They were entertaining and kept me awake during middle of the night feedings with my newborn. Plus being little stories made it easy to stop at the end of one instead of the "just one more chapter" bit of a novel.
I enjoyed reading this collection of little stories. They were entertaining and kept me awake during middle of the night feedings with my newborn. Plus being little stories made it easy to stop at the end of one instead of the "just one more chapter" bit of a novel.
October 16, 2017
Eh. More of a book of short stories.
Read mostly at Kings Island during FC on the Town.
Read mostly at Kings Island during FC on the Town.
November 28, 2018
Delightful
January 20, 2019
Very funny but also moving at times. Exactly what I needed to start off my reading year (though I didn't know it until I picked it up).
July 14, 2019
Charming. I like her Twitter feed more.
July 22, 2020
3.75 for making me chuckle out loud. Droll and self aware, but rounded down for being rather pushy about her personal beliefs.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews