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All I'm Asking
Trade in your popcorn for pop rocks in this modern epistolary narrative for fans of “Where’d You Go, Bernadette” (Maria Semple) and “Dear Committee Members” (Julie Schumacher).
Online history teacher Naomi is doing her best. "Don't @ me."
Teacher and single mom Naomi is always biting off more than she can chew. Naomi knows what it's like to grow up in hard times and still manage a decent education, so when it comes to her online, at-promise (not "at-risk," thank you very much) high school students, she goes the extra mile.
At the rate she's going, though, she'll need the mouth of a hippo to have a shot of chewing it all, especially since her students aren't the only ones who need her. Naomi's best friend discovers her wife has a mysterious disease doctors can't figure out how to diagnose, her daughter struggles with debilitating social anxiety, and her mother calls her repeatedly. From jail. When one of Naomi's students shows up at her door, pregnant and homeless, Naomi can't help but take her in. But Naomi's hyper-involvement in her students' lives results in her alienating the people she loves most.
Wondering how she'd gotten everything wrong, Naomi seeks help and refuge with an online book club made up of sugar-addicted candy lovers who might offer the wake-up call Naomi needs.
Narrated in a series of emails, texts, discussion forums, and other forms of communication, ALL I'M ASKING delves into the bonds of friendship and family, what can test it, and how we find our way back to strengthen those ties.
Online history teacher Naomi is doing her best. "Don't @ me."
Teacher and single mom Naomi is always biting off more than she can chew. Naomi knows what it's like to grow up in hard times and still manage a decent education, so when it comes to her online, at-promise (not "at-risk," thank you very much) high school students, she goes the extra mile.
At the rate she's going, though, she'll need the mouth of a hippo to have a shot of chewing it all, especially since her students aren't the only ones who need her. Naomi's best friend discovers her wife has a mysterious disease doctors can't figure out how to diagnose, her daughter struggles with debilitating social anxiety, and her mother calls her repeatedly. From jail. When one of Naomi's students shows up at her door, pregnant and homeless, Naomi can't help but take her in. But Naomi's hyper-involvement in her students' lives results in her alienating the people she loves most.
Wondering how she'd gotten everything wrong, Naomi seeks help and refuge with an online book club made up of sugar-addicted candy lovers who might offer the wake-up call Naomi needs.
Narrated in a series of emails, texts, discussion forums, and other forms of communication, ALL I'M ASKING delves into the bonds of friendship and family, what can test it, and how we find our way back to strengthen those ties.
364 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 15, 2022
26 people are currently reading
124 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
November 30, 2021
I devoured this book. Quick-paced, witty, compassionate, and real. Rundquist has my most profound respect.
March 22, 2022
Uniquely told through text, email and chatroom format, All I’m Asking is the present day story of Naomi and Jessamine, lifelong friends who act like sisters. Naomi is a single mom to a teenager struggling with social anxiety. At the same time, she’s juggling varying levels of relationship woes, all while navigating the red tape of academia.
Jessamine is the actual sister of Jackson, aka, Jax, who also happens to be the father of Naomi’s daughter after a brief hookup years prior. She too has her own set of struggles as her wife develops a mysterious illness that puts a strain on their relationship. Throughput the book, both women remind us what true friendship is- that fine line between being the force of reason and a source of frustration.
Exploring such as issues as sexuality, race, gender, addiction, chronic illness, book clubs, teaching and (no I’m not done yet) even candy, it’s easier to say what topics this book DIDN’T tackle. If I’m being honest it was all a little too much for me and between all the issues and the confusing format, at times I had a hard time keeping up.
What I did like, and ultimately related to the most, were the parts that explored Naomi’s experience with the business of education. As a teacher myself, and one who coincidentally (or not) just lived through the added difficulty of online teaching, I can say with confidence this part of the story was 100 percent true and even, sadly accurate.
Thanks to @letstalkbookspromo for having me along for the ride for this one of a kind buddy read that truly has a little something for everyone.
Jessamine is the actual sister of Jackson, aka, Jax, who also happens to be the father of Naomi’s daughter after a brief hookup years prior. She too has her own set of struggles as her wife develops a mysterious illness that puts a strain on their relationship. Throughput the book, both women remind us what true friendship is- that fine line between being the force of reason and a source of frustration.
Exploring such as issues as sexuality, race, gender, addiction, chronic illness, book clubs, teaching and (no I’m not done yet) even candy, it’s easier to say what topics this book DIDN’T tackle. If I’m being honest it was all a little too much for me and between all the issues and the confusing format, at times I had a hard time keeping up.
What I did like, and ultimately related to the most, were the parts that explored Naomi’s experience with the business of education. As a teacher myself, and one who coincidentally (or not) just lived through the added difficulty of online teaching, I can say with confidence this part of the story was 100 percent true and even, sadly accurate.
Thanks to @letstalkbookspromo for having me along for the ride for this one of a kind buddy read that truly has a little something for everyone.
March 10, 2022
Naomi is a single mother and teacher to at risk students. Always having a full plate she bites off more than she can chew when one of her students turns up pregnant and needing help. While trying to help her student her best friend also needs her when her wife becomes ill with a mysterious illness. There is also the problems her daughter deals with and her mother who is another story. When Naomi joins a book club she meets a group of friends and is able to start really looking at her life and her mistakes. This was a fast read. A story of friendship, mothers and daughter and lessons learned.
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley
Dawnny Ruby
Novels N Latte
Hudson Valley
March 19, 2022
Emotional, heartfelt story of a thirty something single mom trying her best.
Naomi is struggling - and it made me feel so normal. As a single mom trying to do it all - I totally got it.
She teaches for an online academy - most enrolled students are struggling with life: taking care of younger siblings, working full time jobs, removed from their school. At risk students trying to get their high school diploma. Naomi could not love them more. Due to their Director taking a leave of absence for the school year, a new interim is appointed as well as a new Department Chair.
Naomi tries - doing research for current educational trends and suggested tactics; constantly reinforcing the student population's reality, their continuous struggle to submit work on time let alone at all.
During this tumultuous time, Naomi's daughter tries to verbalize her own struggle with school, consistently asking to be enrolled in an online school. Naomi and Jax, Jeyanna's dad, reject her requests, leading to a tumultuous relationship with her daughter.
Not to mention her closest friend's wife gets devastating news about her health.
Through the use of email, texts, school boards - everyday media, Naomi shares her life, her struggles and her humanity. Great read.
Naomi is struggling - and it made me feel so normal. As a single mom trying to do it all - I totally got it.
She teaches for an online academy - most enrolled students are struggling with life: taking care of younger siblings, working full time jobs, removed from their school. At risk students trying to get their high school diploma. Naomi could not love them more. Due to their Director taking a leave of absence for the school year, a new interim is appointed as well as a new Department Chair.
Naomi tries - doing research for current educational trends and suggested tactics; constantly reinforcing the student population's reality, their continuous struggle to submit work on time let alone at all.
During this tumultuous time, Naomi's daughter tries to verbalize her own struggle with school, consistently asking to be enrolled in an online school. Naomi and Jax, Jeyanna's dad, reject her requests, leading to a tumultuous relationship with her daughter.
Not to mention her closest friend's wife gets devastating news about her health.
Through the use of email, texts, school boards - everyday media, Naomi shares her life, her struggles and her humanity. Great read.
February 21, 2022
Refreshing and honest and empathetic. I loved it.
April 2, 2022
The format of this book is interesting and fun to read! It touches on a variety of tough topics: racism, teen pregnancy, education issues, and gender identification as mostly seen through the eyes of a harried teacher and her best friend. I chose to read this book because, as a teacher, I knew I would identify with some of her problems. Read this if you enjoy women’s fiction where the main character struggles to do the right thing while overcoming her difficulties.
My sincere thanks to the author, J. Marie Rundquist, the publisher, Book, Ink, and NetGalley for my gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.
My sincere thanks to the author, J. Marie Rundquist, the publisher, Book, Ink, and NetGalley for my gifted copy. My thoughts are my own.
February 2, 2022
In All I'm Asking, the author takes on a superb technical challenge as a writer—telling her tale in an epistolary format (through letters and communication). In a modern day twist, rather the novel is entirely composed of electronic communication — emails back and forth between the main character, Naomi, and her friend Jessamine, along with online education forums (Naomi is a teacher), text messages, and an online book club. Rundquist tackles the epistolary format with gusto—successfully engaging the reader in the story and the characters.
This approach gives the novel an almost a voyeuristic appeal. As a reader, I felt like I was taking a sneak peek inside someone’s life. And what a messed-up life it is. Naomi is overly involved with her students (because she cares), and she's crossing all kinds of boundaries. She's also not paying attention to her own daughter, who has her own challenges.
When her best friend’s wife falls sick, Naomi’s school job gets more challenging, and her daughter withdraws, the novel poses a key question. When you’ve let yourself become overextended, what does it take to get life back on track?
I appreciated the themes of found family woven through the story. Naomi’s own family background would be hazardous to anyone's mental well-being (a drug using mother in and out of jail and an absent father). Nonetheless, she has found her people. Whether it’s the book club, her daughter’s highly engaged baby daddy, or her friend Jessamine’s family, Naomi has all the support she needs—if she’ll just listen to their advice and let them help her.
I appreciated the diversity of the characters and their life situations. (For once, not an all white straight cast of characters). I’ve also never read a novel set in the remote learning environment (from the point of view of the teacher), which was interesting, to be brought into that world, how it works and its stressors.
This novel taught me that we can each form our own happy ending, family is whoever you want, and sometimes the people we need the most are already in our lives.
This approach gives the novel an almost a voyeuristic appeal. As a reader, I felt like I was taking a sneak peek inside someone’s life. And what a messed-up life it is. Naomi is overly involved with her students (because she cares), and she's crossing all kinds of boundaries. She's also not paying attention to her own daughter, who has her own challenges.
When her best friend’s wife falls sick, Naomi’s school job gets more challenging, and her daughter withdraws, the novel poses a key question. When you’ve let yourself become overextended, what does it take to get life back on track?
I appreciated the themes of found family woven through the story. Naomi’s own family background would be hazardous to anyone's mental well-being (a drug using mother in and out of jail and an absent father). Nonetheless, she has found her people. Whether it’s the book club, her daughter’s highly engaged baby daddy, or her friend Jessamine’s family, Naomi has all the support she needs—if she’ll just listen to their advice and let them help her.
I appreciated the diversity of the characters and their life situations. (For once, not an all white straight cast of characters). I’ve also never read a novel set in the remote learning environment (from the point of view of the teacher), which was interesting, to be brought into that world, how it works and its stressors.
This novel taught me that we can each form our own happy ending, family is whoever you want, and sometimes the people we need the most are already in our lives.
March 19, 2022
Naomi's story was so easy to relate to. She's a teacher at an online academy for kids who have difficulty succeeding in a traditional classroom environment...these kids are struggling in so many ways. Some are pregnant, some are having to work full-time jobs to help their families, but they all want to get a diploma. Naomi is a dedicated teacher who does everything she can to help.
Told entirely in text messages and e-mails, I was unsure about this format at first. But as Naomi's life becomes increasingly more harried, not just with school, but with her daughter, her dysfunctional mom, her best friend, and navigating the ever-changing policies at school, it became clear why this format worked so well. When a person is pulled in as many directions as Naomi is, quick bursts of messages is all you have time for.
There were many serious topics that this book explored with ease, and I think this book will appeal to a wide audience.
Told entirely in text messages and e-mails, I was unsure about this format at first. But as Naomi's life becomes increasingly more harried, not just with school, but with her daughter, her dysfunctional mom, her best friend, and navigating the ever-changing policies at school, it became clear why this format worked so well. When a person is pulled in as many directions as Naomi is, quick bursts of messages is all you have time for.
There were many serious topics that this book explored with ease, and I think this book will appeal to a wide audience.
December 8, 2021
All I’m Asking by J. Marie Rundquist hits on humanity's most challenging topics: friendship, lost love, mother-daughter drama, education, racism, adoption, unplanned pregnancy, same-sex marriage, transsexuality, and a little-known disease that leaves the patient with more questions than answers. And an online book club made up of sugar-addicted strangers that will make you both laugh out loud but also write down the names of the books the members read so you can catch up if you need to.
Rundquist brilliantly tells this story through a series of emails and texts between best friends Jessamine and Naomi with humor and empathy.
I was honored to receive an Advanced Readers Copy of All I’m Asking.
Rundquist brilliantly tells this story through a series of emails and texts between best friends Jessamine and Naomi with humor and empathy.
I was honored to receive an Advanced Readers Copy of All I’m Asking.
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January 1, 2025If you have not heard of an epistolary novel, I need to start by explaining what that is. Picture trying to tell a story only by sharing text messages, e-mail exchanges, forum conversations, letters. Think of anything that is or could be a document. There is no feeling conveyed unless it is “vocalized” in what the person is writing in the text, e-mail or in the online forum etc. It is a very difficult way to tell a story and piecing it together is no easy task. And just like that, we have Runquist’s All I’m Asking”.
Our protagonist is Naomi, who is a teacher in Alternative Education (aka an online school). The students are in Alt Ed for a reason and in Naomi’s heart, she wants to help them all. However, does she do so at the risk of neglecting her own child and friends? I think this book could really appeal to teachers in general as Rundquist reveals some of the eye-opening issues that come from the competing priorities between the teachers and administration as each tries to do what they think is right.
There are so many things in this book: we read about a debilitating illness, teenage pregnancy, adoption, a suicide attempt, life as a teacher, being a manager in retail, having a drug addicted mother, social anxiety, racism, and an online book club. Rundquist gives voices and representation through various characters who are members of the LGBT community without implying that any one voice represents them all. The tapestry of characters is diverse and unique.
As complicated as it may sound, there was a simplicity of sorts as well. I loved the sweet and funny story (actually, it was more of a retelling a memory, due to the epistolary style) of bringing home a kiddy pool from a yard sale on top of the car. I imaging the author had a lot of fun writing the sections from the various folks in the book club and my heart went out for Maxine.
In the end, does it all work out? It always does. Congratulations to Rundquist on her debut novel and I look forward to reading her next release…. “As Though You Were Mine”!
Our protagonist is Naomi, who is a teacher in Alternative Education (aka an online school). The students are in Alt Ed for a reason and in Naomi’s heart, she wants to help them all. However, does she do so at the risk of neglecting her own child and friends? I think this book could really appeal to teachers in general as Rundquist reveals some of the eye-opening issues that come from the competing priorities between the teachers and administration as each tries to do what they think is right.
There are so many things in this book: we read about a debilitating illness, teenage pregnancy, adoption, a suicide attempt, life as a teacher, being a manager in retail, having a drug addicted mother, social anxiety, racism, and an online book club. Rundquist gives voices and representation through various characters who are members of the LGBT community without implying that any one voice represents them all. The tapestry of characters is diverse and unique.
As complicated as it may sound, there was a simplicity of sorts as well. I loved the sweet and funny story (actually, it was more of a retelling a memory, due to the epistolary style) of bringing home a kiddy pool from a yard sale on top of the car. I imaging the author had a lot of fun writing the sections from the various folks in the book club and my heart went out for Maxine.
In the end, does it all work out? It always does. Congratulations to Rundquist on her debut novel and I look forward to reading her next release…. “As Though You Were Mine”!
March 23, 2022
Thank you to Suzanne at @suzyapprovedbooktours and J. Marie Rundquist for having me on this tour of All I’m Asking.
All I’m Asking is a novel written entirely in emails, texts, voicemails, and IMs. Told mainly from the perspective of Naomi, we get to know this online high school teacher more and more as she enters the new school year. She’s a dedicated teacher, perhaps a little too dedicated, as she begins to push out her friends and family for her students. She’s also involved in a new book club, which takes up a large chunk of her time as well. As the months progress, she runs into trouble with her daughter, her best friend, and the father of her daughter. Full of introspection, love, and lots of mistakes, All I’m Asking is contemporary fiction for today.
I enjoyed the way this story was told. I don’t see too many novels written from this type of perspective, so it was really fun. I also really needed to see how it would all play out. I really loved the way everything came together at the end, but it felt a tad rushed. It seemed like things were going downhill and just a week or two changed everything with not a lot of explanation. Still, it was a fast paced read with a lot of heart!
All I’m Asking is a novel written entirely in emails, texts, voicemails, and IMs. Told mainly from the perspective of Naomi, we get to know this online high school teacher more and more as she enters the new school year. She’s a dedicated teacher, perhaps a little too dedicated, as she begins to push out her friends and family for her students. She’s also involved in a new book club, which takes up a large chunk of her time as well. As the months progress, she runs into trouble with her daughter, her best friend, and the father of her daughter. Full of introspection, love, and lots of mistakes, All I’m Asking is contemporary fiction for today.
I enjoyed the way this story was told. I don’t see too many novels written from this type of perspective, so it was really fun. I also really needed to see how it would all play out. I really loved the way everything came together at the end, but it felt a tad rushed. It seemed like things were going downhill and just a week or two changed everything with not a lot of explanation. Still, it was a fast paced read with a lot of heart!
March 20, 2022
This book was amazing, and as one of the characters mentions, sometimes you find a book at the right time.
This is a book about listening. About listening too hard, about not listening at all. This is a book about doing the wrong things for all the right reasons. It's about found family, love, and the perils of "trying to fix/love/complete all the things" that a lot of us (especially us white women) fall into, especially when it comes to moments of white saviorism, especially when it's been trained into us to be innocuous. I loved the disability representation, the LGBTQ+ representation, the racial and ethnic diversity, and the representation of a non-traditional family raising a child (meaning Naiomi and Jackson, who are not together, but co-parent).
There are small things I wish had been edited, but nothing as far as the writing and story itself. I'm still giving it a 5 because it was That Good, and not because I know the author.
Also, I need to know Grant's "long story" about how he met his daughter, more about Maxine and her neighbor, and honestly, all of the characters.
This is a book about listening. About listening too hard, about not listening at all. This is a book about doing the wrong things for all the right reasons. It's about found family, love, and the perils of "trying to fix/love/complete all the things" that a lot of us (especially us white women) fall into, especially when it comes to moments of white saviorism, especially when it's been trained into us to be innocuous. I loved the disability representation, the LGBTQ+ representation, the racial and ethnic diversity, and the representation of a non-traditional family raising a child (meaning Naiomi and Jackson, who are not together, but co-parent).
There are small things I wish had been edited, but nothing as far as the writing and story itself. I'm still giving it a 5 because it was That Good, and not because I know the author.
Also, I need to know Grant's "long story" about how he met his daughter, more about Maxine and her neighbor, and honestly, all of the characters.
March 27, 2022
The perfect novel for a Sunday afternoon in the sunshine. I love an epistolary novel, and All I’m Asking delivers on that. It’s told through a series of emails, text messages and discussion board excerpts. I loved, loved the relationships in this novel, particularly the central friendship. Can’t recommend highly enough!
April 3, 2022
Engaging characters and fun reading! Enjoyed very much!
April 1, 2022
I enjoyed the format of this book written through emails, hand written notes,texts, discussion boards and assignments. The only complaint I had was that the handwritten notes between two characters were a little small to read for someone who now has to wear progressive lenses! Also the emoji’s came out very light in the printing of the text. Otherwise, I thought the formatting was very creative and made for an excellent delivery.
Naomi is a single mom with a thirteen year- old daughter. She teaches classes online to at risk students. Her best friend, Jessica, who is also her father’s sister lives out of state and they communicate daily through email. The father of her child, Jackson and she have a really good relationship and have shared parenting down to a science. Naomi has a meet cute at the local coffee shop with a cute Asian that becomes a romantic interest through some of the book.
Things seem to be going okay for Naomi until they’re not. All of a sudden her daughter is struggling to go to school. She’s having trouble with the new administration at her school and Jessica’s wife is struggling with an unknown disease. Naomi feels things are spiraling out of control.
What I liked:
I loved what a compassionate teacher Naomi was ! She was such an advocate for her students and her only fault was caring too much! As an educator myself, I could sympathize with her struggles. I also really enjoyed the camaraderie she found from her online book club. It reminded me of the connections I’ve made on Boostagram.
This book touched on many themes such as social anxiety, LGBTQ relationships, addiction and at-risk youth. I absolutely adore the colorful cover and I’m so mad at myself for misplacing the pop rocks that came with it!
Another book to go with my purple sleeve….swoon!
What’s your favorite candy or ice cream?
Naomi is a single mom with a thirteen year- old daughter. She teaches classes online to at risk students. Her best friend, Jessica, who is also her father’s sister lives out of state and they communicate daily through email. The father of her child, Jackson and she have a really good relationship and have shared parenting down to a science. Naomi has a meet cute at the local coffee shop with a cute Asian that becomes a romantic interest through some of the book.
Things seem to be going okay for Naomi until they’re not. All of a sudden her daughter is struggling to go to school. She’s having trouble with the new administration at her school and Jessica’s wife is struggling with an unknown disease. Naomi feels things are spiraling out of control.
What I liked:
I loved what a compassionate teacher Naomi was ! She was such an advocate for her students and her only fault was caring too much! As an educator myself, I could sympathize with her struggles. I also really enjoyed the camaraderie she found from her online book club. It reminded me of the connections I’ve made on Boostagram.
This book touched on many themes such as social anxiety, LGBTQ relationships, addiction and at-risk youth. I absolutely adore the colorful cover and I’m so mad at myself for misplacing the pop rocks that came with it!
Another book to go with my purple sleeve….swoon!
What’s your favorite candy or ice cream?
April 3, 2022
All I'm Asking
Author, J. Marie Rundquist
Pub date: 3.15.22
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @profejmarie for having me on tour and for my signed and gifted copy, candy, and bookmark! All of which go so perfectly and thoughtfully with this special book.
With a modern twist, All I'm Asking, is written in epistolary format, but not with letters: rather, in emails, texts, discussion forums, and various other forms of communication. In this way, All I'm Asking, is a quick. witty, and insightful read that I thought was so unique!
Naomi is an online History school teacher and single mom, who deeply cares for the people in her life- her pre- teen daughter, who battles with anxiety, her best friend Jessamine (her daughter's black father's sister), whose wife had a recent injury and is now mysteriously suffering from chronic pain, her mother, who suffers from addiction and is in constant need, and her students, who have a myriad of struggles, not to mention the one who shows up pregnant and homeless on her doorstep. But the level of involvement that Naomi allows herself to have with her students' lives causes her to jeopardize the relationships with those she loves the most, and also to lose sight of most importantly, herself.
Trying to figure out how it all got so complicated, Naomi joins an online book club and learns a little bit more about herself with the help from her new sugar- addicted friends. And their book discussions are hilarious! I mean, they decide to forgo Melville's complicated Moby Dick and analyze Zeppelin's version instead while simultaneously discussing candy preferences! The wit, language, and humor made me laugh out loud multiple times!
And All I'm Asking offers even more- diversity and representation throughout, family- both those we are born into and those we choose- friendship, self- care, books, and love.
Author, J. Marie Rundquist
Pub date: 3.15.22
Thank you @suzyapprovedbooktours and @profejmarie for having me on tour and for my signed and gifted copy, candy, and bookmark! All of which go so perfectly and thoughtfully with this special book.
With a modern twist, All I'm Asking, is written in epistolary format, but not with letters: rather, in emails, texts, discussion forums, and various other forms of communication. In this way, All I'm Asking, is a quick. witty, and insightful read that I thought was so unique!
Naomi is an online History school teacher and single mom, who deeply cares for the people in her life- her pre- teen daughter, who battles with anxiety, her best friend Jessamine (her daughter's black father's sister), whose wife had a recent injury and is now mysteriously suffering from chronic pain, her mother, who suffers from addiction and is in constant need, and her students, who have a myriad of struggles, not to mention the one who shows up pregnant and homeless on her doorstep. But the level of involvement that Naomi allows herself to have with her students' lives causes her to jeopardize the relationships with those she loves the most, and also to lose sight of most importantly, herself.
Trying to figure out how it all got so complicated, Naomi joins an online book club and learns a little bit more about herself with the help from her new sugar- addicted friends. And their book discussions are hilarious! I mean, they decide to forgo Melville's complicated Moby Dick and analyze Zeppelin's version instead while simultaneously discussing candy preferences! The wit, language, and humor made me laugh out loud multiple times!
And All I'm Asking offers even more- diversity and representation throughout, family- both those we are born into and those we choose- friendship, self- care, books, and love.
July 16, 2024
"All I'm Asking" by J. Marie Rundquist is an accomplished debut novel that showcases Rundquist's talent for creating distinct character voices and exploring complex family dynamics. Through an inventive epistolary format composed of emails, texts, and online posts, the story delves into the lives of Naomi, an online teacher and single-ish mom, and her daughter, friends, colleagues, students, and family. And book club members. :)
I marveled at the author's ability to create such distinctive characters—everyone from the protagonist's best friend to the neighbor of one of the protagonist's book club members was believable and unique. Rundquist handles sensitive topics such as teenage pregnancy, chronic illness, and diverse family make-ups with empathy and depth.
Given the world's recent experience with COVID and the massive rollout of online learning, I loved the way the author sensitively handled some of the emotional challenges teenagers might be facing as school becomes more in-person again. The novel provides a heartfelt portrayal of how individuals navigate their personal struggles while maintaining their professional and familial responsibilities.
Plus: the depiction of the terrible, capital T, terrible manager adds a layer of realism to the narrative. People should look to his management style and do the opposite to get their leadership lesson. Overall, "All I'm Asking" is a beautifully crafted narrative that combines humour and emotional insight, making it a truly engaging read.
(And, as someone in her sixth decade of life, I appreciate learning more about the meaning of emojis. I'm going to up my emoji-game, especially when talking with younger folks -- recognizing that this 21st-century communication style add an emotional depth that might otherwise be missed in fast-paced text conversations.)
I marveled at the author's ability to create such distinctive characters—everyone from the protagonist's best friend to the neighbor of one of the protagonist's book club members was believable and unique. Rundquist handles sensitive topics such as teenage pregnancy, chronic illness, and diverse family make-ups with empathy and depth.
Given the world's recent experience with COVID and the massive rollout of online learning, I loved the way the author sensitively handled some of the emotional challenges teenagers might be facing as school becomes more in-person again. The novel provides a heartfelt portrayal of how individuals navigate their personal struggles while maintaining their professional and familial responsibilities.
Plus: the depiction of the terrible, capital T, terrible manager adds a layer of realism to the narrative. People should look to his management style and do the opposite to get their leadership lesson. Overall, "All I'm Asking" is a beautifully crafted narrative that combines humour and emotional insight, making it a truly engaging read.
(And, as someone in her sixth decade of life, I appreciate learning more about the meaning of emojis. I'm going to up my emoji-game, especially when talking with younger folks -- recognizing that this 21st-century communication style add an emotional depth that might otherwise be missed in fast-paced text conversations.)
March 16, 2022
This book is narrated through a very unique format — mostly via email exchanges, sometimes text messages, other times through message forums. At first, I was a bit confused but after a while, I was able to get used to the format and follow along with ease.
Naomi is a single mom and a very compassionate teacher. She shares custody of her daughter Leyanna with baby daddy Jax. They have a very functional relationship despite living separately. Naomi’s teaching online studies to high school students who can’t physically attend school for a lot of reasons (i.e. pregnant, needing to take care of siblings, being bullied, etc). Naomi goes out of her way to help them, sometimes forgetting herself and neglecting to notice her own daughter’s personal issues. Throughout all these, she updates and vents her frustrations to her best friend Jessamine, who’s also Jax’s sister. Their email exchanges are long, but it reminded me of my own emails with my bff, who lives across the globe. I really liked Naomi because she represents most of us. She’s trying to give her 110%, juggling family life and career in the best way she knows how.
As we read through the communication exchanges, we also get to know other characters that are quirky and endearing. I especially liked the book club chat and the letters between Maxine and her neighbor. I love that they all sort of become family to one another in the end.
Kudos too to the author for effortlessly including adequate representation in this book! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Mental health issues, sexual orientation, unplanned pregancy, racism, educational system and even rare disease were all discussed here! Overall, it’s an entertaining and heartwarming story, one that we can all relate to and learn a lot from. Definitely add to your tbr!
Naomi is a single mom and a very compassionate teacher. She shares custody of her daughter Leyanna with baby daddy Jax. They have a very functional relationship despite living separately. Naomi’s teaching online studies to high school students who can’t physically attend school for a lot of reasons (i.e. pregnant, needing to take care of siblings, being bullied, etc). Naomi goes out of her way to help them, sometimes forgetting herself and neglecting to notice her own daughter’s personal issues. Throughout all these, she updates and vents her frustrations to her best friend Jessamine, who’s also Jax’s sister. Their email exchanges are long, but it reminded me of my own emails with my bff, who lives across the globe. I really liked Naomi because she represents most of us. She’s trying to give her 110%, juggling family life and career in the best way she knows how.
As we read through the communication exchanges, we also get to know other characters that are quirky and endearing. I especially liked the book club chat and the letters between Maxine and her neighbor. I love that they all sort of become family to one another in the end.
Kudos too to the author for effortlessly including adequate representation in this book! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 Mental health issues, sexual orientation, unplanned pregancy, racism, educational system and even rare disease were all discussed here! Overall, it’s an entertaining and heartwarming story, one that we can all relate to and learn a lot from. Definitely add to your tbr!
March 21, 2022
Did you ever think about how much reading we actually do every day? Not just books, but these Instagram posts, emails, text messages, snail mail, etc. Did you ever think a story could be derived simply from a compilation of your emails and texts?
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That is what we get with All I’m Asking by J. Marie Rundquist. I really enjoyed it! This story was told from emails between two best friends, voice mail transcripts, text messages, chat rooms and meeting minutes, and it told the story fully. Correspondence is often very personal so we get the good, the bad and the ugly of these diverse characters’ lives all in a very candid and honest way,
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The MC, Naomi, a very bookish academic I really enjoyed, joins a book club spurned off of an old fashioned candy lovers group. While candy isn’t the central focus of the story, the occasional reference to cherry jellies, pop rocks, and sno caps really made me smile. The central focus of the book seems to be the family you make, and the family you keep in spite of work issues, health issues, dating successes and fails, etc.
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I really enjoyed this peak into the lives of the characters. A side story about the online book club shows the members caring about each other’s lives behind the current book, meeting in real life and helping each other out really hit home. I like that because it reminded me of this community and how we genuinely care about each other.
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That is what we get with All I’m Asking by J. Marie Rundquist. I really enjoyed it! This story was told from emails between two best friends, voice mail transcripts, text messages, chat rooms and meeting minutes, and it told the story fully. Correspondence is often very personal so we get the good, the bad and the ugly of these diverse characters’ lives all in a very candid and honest way,
⠀
The MC, Naomi, a very bookish academic I really enjoyed, joins a book club spurned off of an old fashioned candy lovers group. While candy isn’t the central focus of the story, the occasional reference to cherry jellies, pop rocks, and sno caps really made me smile. The central focus of the book seems to be the family you make, and the family you keep in spite of work issues, health issues, dating successes and fails, etc.
⠀
I really enjoyed this peak into the lives of the characters. A side story about the online book club shows the members caring about each other’s lives behind the current book, meeting in real life and helping each other out really hit home. I like that because it reminded me of this community and how we genuinely care about each other.
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March 15, 2022
I’ve gotta say, this was such a fun book!! I was pretty skeptical when I started it and realized that it’s written entirely in emails, texts, and so on. I haven’t read a book like that since I was in middle school, so I assumed the format would make it seem juvenile. But overall, I really enjoyed the story and the format made it a quick and entertaining read.
As someone who is hoping to be a teacher one day, reading a plot full of the problems a teacher faces did not exactly make me eager to run on into that career field. Naomi is the main focus of this book, and she teaches online classes at an alternative learning school. The book unfolds and we learn about the issues with her job, misunderstandings with her daughter, and the drama that seems to seep out of everyone she knows (which of course is pretty accurate because we all have our stuff, don’t we?).
There was so much representation in this story and I think that was my favourite aspect! Naomi is pansexual and I feel SEEN! The topic of race is front and centre through the eyes of Naomi’s best friend Jessamine, who is a Black woman, as well as Jessamine’s entire family (who is pretty much Naomi’s family as well). There were so many more stories included of those who are often underrepresented and I appreciated that so much. I would recommend this book for that reason alone.
I had such a blast reading this one!
As someone who is hoping to be a teacher one day, reading a plot full of the problems a teacher faces did not exactly make me eager to run on into that career field. Naomi is the main focus of this book, and she teaches online classes at an alternative learning school. The book unfolds and we learn about the issues with her job, misunderstandings with her daughter, and the drama that seems to seep out of everyone she knows (which of course is pretty accurate because we all have our stuff, don’t we?).
There was so much representation in this story and I think that was my favourite aspect! Naomi is pansexual and I feel SEEN! The topic of race is front and centre through the eyes of Naomi’s best friend Jessamine, who is a Black woman, as well as Jessamine’s entire family (who is pretty much Naomi’s family as well). There were so many more stories included of those who are often underrepresented and I appreciated that so much. I would recommend this book for that reason alone.
I had such a blast reading this one!
March 18, 2022
This book is written in email/text message/online chat formatting, so it made it a breeze to read this book in two short sittings. As a teacher, I really connected to the main character's struggles. During the pandemic, we all became online teachers. However, I had been teaching one online class a day in addition to my in person classes well before the pandemic. A lot of the emails back and forth with students made me laugh, because they were so realistic. I just emailed a student today and told him how he should have written his email so there was no confusion!
I also liked how the author incorporated conflicts in the main character's life that are outside of the school. Now that it is so easy to email teachers and we have that online component, a lot of teachers have to create boundaries. I know a lot of my colleagues and I talked about this at the beginning of the year. With email access on our phones, parents and students expect responses within 5 minutes at all times of day. This is not realistic. In addition, we are not always able to give our best self due to what we have going on in our lives. Everyone needs compassion and to understand, we all---students and teachers----have a home life and that home life cam impact the school life.
This book goes beyond the teacher life, for those of you who are not caught up in that like me. There is friendship, relationships, dealing with aging parents, and illness. It pretty much runs the gamut. Thanks so much to Suzy Approved Book Tours for a gifted copy!
I also liked how the author incorporated conflicts in the main character's life that are outside of the school. Now that it is so easy to email teachers and we have that online component, a lot of teachers have to create boundaries. I know a lot of my colleagues and I talked about this at the beginning of the year. With email access on our phones, parents and students expect responses within 5 minutes at all times of day. This is not realistic. In addition, we are not always able to give our best self due to what we have going on in our lives. Everyone needs compassion and to understand, we all---students and teachers----have a home life and that home life cam impact the school life.
This book goes beyond the teacher life, for those of you who are not caught up in that like me. There is friendship, relationships, dealing with aging parents, and illness. It pretty much runs the gamut. Thanks so much to Suzy Approved Book Tours for a gifted copy!
March 10, 2022
This book discusses so much about life in the here and now.. racial and gender stereotypes, parenting, families, virtual schools, anxiety, forming connections online as well as in real life, and maintaining friendships in a whirlwind world.
It does a beautiful job of showcasing family, love, and friendship in whatever form it may look like for individuals.
I feel like it shares so much about the way many of us feel. We just want to do the right thing for ourselves and for others. It’s also a tribute to teachers which I loved.
This is all done in such a unique and entertaining way. This book is told through emails, texts, virtual school test prompt answers, online bookclub discussions, and even police reports.
The timeline of this book is basically one school year. Naomi teaches online high school Society and History Studies. She has a daughter that just started middle school. Naomi co-parents with her child’s father even though they have never had a real romantic relationship.
Naomi’s tells about what’s going on in her world while exchanging emails with her childhood best friend, Jessamine.
We get a glimpse at what is going on with Jessamine’s life as well during this book.
This book is engaging, entertaining, and engrossing.
It does a beautiful job of showcasing family, love, and friendship in whatever form it may look like for individuals.
I feel like it shares so much about the way many of us feel. We just want to do the right thing for ourselves and for others. It’s also a tribute to teachers which I loved.
This is all done in such a unique and entertaining way. This book is told through emails, texts, virtual school test prompt answers, online bookclub discussions, and even police reports.
The timeline of this book is basically one school year. Naomi teaches online high school Society and History Studies. She has a daughter that just started middle school. Naomi co-parents with her child’s father even though they have never had a real romantic relationship.
Naomi’s tells about what’s going on in her world while exchanging emails with her childhood best friend, Jessamine.
We get a glimpse at what is going on with Jessamine’s life as well during this book.
This book is engaging, entertaining, and engrossing.
April 1, 2022
Naomi is an online teacher with a daughter about to start middle school. We learn about Naomi and her best friend Jess as the two write emails back and forth.
This book is written in a unique format: emails, texts, discussion board posts, and other correspondences. Through these, we hear about the struggles that both Naomi and Jess must deal with at work, at home, and in their relationships.
I loved Naomi and her book club discussions - seriously, I think these may have been my favorite sections. They were so fun yet insightful, and somehow candy is involved. I found that I could relate to both Naomi and Jess on certain topics. Both women carry a lot on their shoulders, they have big hearts, and they care for those around them—Naomi with her students and her anxious daughter; Jess with her rogue mother and her hurting wife.
Highly recommend this for lovers of books, friendship fiction, and those with a sweet tooth! 🍬
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @ProfeJMarie for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.
This book is written in a unique format: emails, texts, discussion board posts, and other correspondences. Through these, we hear about the struggles that both Naomi and Jess must deal with at work, at home, and in their relationships.
I loved Naomi and her book club discussions - seriously, I think these may have been my favorite sections. They were so fun yet insightful, and somehow candy is involved. I found that I could relate to both Naomi and Jess on certain topics. Both women carry a lot on their shoulders, they have big hearts, and they care for those around them—Naomi with her students and her anxious daughter; Jess with her rogue mother and her hurting wife.
Highly recommend this for lovers of books, friendship fiction, and those with a sweet tooth! 🍬
Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours and @ProfeJMarie for a spot on tour and a gifted copy.
May 17, 2022
ALL I'M ASKING is an Epistolary book which tells the story in the form of emails, texts, virtual school lessons and Book Club discussions. This story moved quickly.
I liked the Minnesotans for Come Back Candy Book Club. They discussed Candy and argued over the members more than discussed the book.
Naomi had her hands full. She co parents her daughter Leyanna with Jackson who is Naomi’s best friends brother. She is an online Society and History teacher who is continually being made to adhere to new curriculums. She has taken in one of her pregnant students who is helping Leyanna be more social.
One of the most interesting things I learned from this story was CRPS Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Her best friend's wife develops this painful Syndrome after breaking her arm.
This book discuss what is happening now with racial and gender stereotypes. It is about family, friendships, virtual school and parenting. Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours for the #gifted book and including me on this tour.
I liked the Minnesotans for Come Back Candy Book Club. They discussed Candy and argued over the members more than discussed the book.
Naomi had her hands full. She co parents her daughter Leyanna with Jackson who is Naomi’s best friends brother. She is an online Society and History teacher who is continually being made to adhere to new curriculums. She has taken in one of her pregnant students who is helping Leyanna be more social.
One of the most interesting things I learned from this story was CRPS Complex Regional Pain Syndrome Her best friend's wife develops this painful Syndrome after breaking her arm.
This book discuss what is happening now with racial and gender stereotypes. It is about family, friendships, virtual school and parenting. Thank you to @suzyapprovedbooktours for the #gifted book and including me on this tour.
March 6, 2022
Naomi, a single mom, teaches classes online, belongs to a book club for candy lovers, and begins dating someone new. The whole book is told through emails, message board postings, text messages, online class assignments, etc., which sometimes works in a book but really didn't for this one, in my opinion. There was too much of two best friends sharing information they both already knew in order to fill in the reader. "Remember how your family took me in when my addict mother was too unreliable" type of stuff. Like, yes, of course you both remember this. Emails between friends was not the best way of getting backstory across in this case. While I didn't really like the book, I didn't actively dislike it either; I just think I maybe wasn't the target audience for it for a lot of reasons. 2.5 stars rounded to 3.
May 27, 2023
All I'm Asking explores the complexities of long-distance friendships and parenthood, and the intersectionality of education (both teaching and learning) and real life (both students and teacher). Written in a most creative and refreshing way, through emails, texts, and other non-verbal communication, author J. Marie Rundquist keeps readers on their toes as she deftly introduces a host of relatable characters. Who hasn't had a frustrating boss or wondered about that neighbor who seems to never leave their house? Children or parents who you think aren't listening (but are)? All I'm Asking also asks readers to consider how non-verbal communication impacts what we perceive through reading vs the intentions of the writer. Definitely worth a second read to catch all the subtle details.
March 18, 2022
I really enjoyed the unique writing style of this book. Because our lives are consumed with emails, texts, and social media I found it very relatable. Also, having went to school to become a teacher (only student teaching left to graduate) and having been in many of these situations, I found this book incredible and also nostalgic to me.
Naomi just basically wants to help everyone and is a YES woman. So of course she gets into way more than she handle. Her students need help, her best friend, and of course her own daughter.
This book is a wonderfully and uniquely written book about family, friendship, and the need to help others. Highly recommend checking it out!
Naomi just basically wants to help everyone and is a YES woman. So of course she gets into way more than she handle. Her students need help, her best friend, and of course her own daughter.
This book is a wonderfully and uniquely written book about family, friendship, and the need to help others. Highly recommend checking it out!
March 11, 2022
Thank you Net Galley for the advanced copy of this book!
Overall, I was thoroughly entertained and invested the entire way through. I have never read a book with this writing style but it did not disappoint.
I loved learning about Naomi and her devotion to being a great mom and a caring educator to her students. Seeing the parenting dynamic between her and Jackson was a breath of fresh air.
There were some difficult relationship and family topics that I feel were addressed in a great way. Overall, a great read!
Overall, I was thoroughly entertained and invested the entire way through. I have never read a book with this writing style but it did not disappoint.
I loved learning about Naomi and her devotion to being a great mom and a caring educator to her students. Seeing the parenting dynamic between her and Jackson was a breath of fresh air.
There were some difficult relationship and family topics that I feel were addressed in a great way. Overall, a great read!
February 15, 2023
A book of letters
I've never read a book told in letters before. I really liked the way I had to work out what was going on in between because there was no narrative, and the way I was just plunked into the culture of the characters, so some of the time I didn't know what was going on because my culture is different. There was something to learn. The characters are complex and real in terms of being fallible. Great book. Read it.
I've never read a book told in letters before. I really liked the way I had to work out what was going on in between because there was no narrative, and the way I was just plunked into the culture of the characters, so some of the time I didn't know what was going on because my culture is different. There was something to learn. The characters are complex and real in terms of being fallible. Great book. Read it.
April 30, 2024
This story called to me on multiple levels. I was a single parent, and I am also a middle school teacher. Plus, I remember the joys and angst of being a teenager in a divorced family. Angst? Sure, but there is also joy, hilarity and wisdom here. It took me about five pages to realize the story would be told through emails, texts, and social media messaging, a brave choice for the author, but it works. Clever as hell, and truly well done. Rundquist has a new fan.
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