This was definitely a great read although the cover and the title gave me an idea that the subject was going to be something altogether different than what it presented. But I loved it and was happy that I ended up picking up the book to read it.

The author has done a wonderful task in putting her characters together, giving each and every a strong personality that not only gets together but clashes a bit. She is able to take each of their conflicts to make a beautiful story of finding that what you lose isn't always a loss but sometimes that it is a precious gain in the end. And that there can definitely be second chances in life.

A very emotional book it also has some moments when you wish that the author would just get on. It is definitely a keeper for me. ( )

I just finished reading "Tales from the Crib" by Jennifer Coburn. I must say I did not expect much from this book. I read the blurb and simply expected a light, airy, humorous read.
This book follows Lucy and Jack through an ill-timed, terrifying pregnancy and their marital troubles. Throughout this book we meet a cast of characters that can only be discribed as unique: a mother, girlfriend, a hook-up, a wacky marriage councelor and a sleezy pediatrician.
This book attempts to bring the insights of a mother to life through a variety of wacky scenarios. If you are looking for a deep, life changing book, this is not it. If you simply want a good laugh from a first time mother's persepective I highly recomend this book. ( )

Every now and then I hear snatches of the ongoing debate over whether chick lit is a genre of writing that is actually legitimate, or if instead, it’s trashy brain-candy that reduces the intelligent points of its readers. Both sides have passionate arguments, however irrelevant they may be. Because, really, it depends on the book. There is some really trashy chick lit out there, but there is literary chick lit as well. As for me, when I read chick lit (which is fairly often) I prefer it to be well-written and funny, but I also want the story to have some serious undertones. I like it when the heroine has some real-life challenges to overcome, so that I can vicariously learn from her journey. But to me the best sort of chick lit is the type that is that does all of the above without taking itself too seriously.
When I picked up a copy of Tales From The Crib, by Jennifer Coburn, at a library book sale, I wasn’t expecting it to so perfectly fit my criteria for good chick lit. My low expectations had only to do with the cover. There is a picture of a stylish and stick-skinny woman pushing a baby in a cart. None of the blurbs alluded to anything more serious than a zany story of a woman’s first year of motherhood. Since at the time I had just had my own first child, I thought, “Why not? It could be a fun read.” And it was, but I soon learned that in this case, I really couldn’t judge a book by its cover.
The story is about Lucy, a thirty-nine-year-old woman who has suffered several devastating miscarriages. The miscarriages have not only affected her emotional well-being, but also her marriage to Jack, a gallery owner and artist. For years they have suffered through disappointment and heartbreak, and while Lucy never loses her sense of humor, Jack accuses her of using laughter as a defense. Then it happens – Lucy gets pregnant again, and this time, she doesn’t miscarry. However, on the night that she tells him about her pregnancy, Jack tells her that he wants a divorce before she can break her happy news.
For several reasons, most of which have to do with money and convenience, Jack and Lucy decide to stay married, live together as friends, and raise their son. Jack starts dating other women, and Lucy deals with everything from problems nursing to sharing her son with her husband’s new girlfriend. In addition, we get to know Lucy’s family, including her eccentric mother Anjoli, and her loveable old aunts, Rita and Bernice.
I enjoyed this book so much that I had to read the sequel, The Queen Gene. (This one has an even more misleading front cover.) The story is equally good. It takes place pretty much immediately following Tales From the Crib, and all the major characters are back. Now Jack and Lucy, having patched things up (a transition written believably over the course of the entire previous book) have moved to their dream home and opened an artist’s colony. But things are not perfect; their home appears to be haunted by a spirit that injures every female who sets foot on the property, and keeps all artists, excluding Jack, from producing much of anything. In addition, Lucy’s mom, Anjoli, is constantly calling with updates about her dog and its variety of health problems.
It may sound like pure fluff, but it’s not. To be sure, these books are entertaining and light-hearted. But they cover a variety of issues, including birth and death, love and betrayal, and self-discovery and redemption. All the while, Coburn never loses her own sense of humor and while her characters remain consistent and believable, the writing never takes itself too seriously.
These books are not only good chick lit, they’re just good ( )

Lucy, the main heroine of Tales From the Crib, is speeding full ahead towards 40, and has finally gotten pregnant after several miscarriages. The problem is, her husband tells her on the same night that she plans to break the pregnancy news that he is no longer in love with her. After much discussion, it is decided that they will live together as friends and raise the child. Or at least try it for a year and see how it went.

The pregnancy itself is a nightmare for Lucy, and things don’t always go according to plan after she has the baby, either. There is her crazy and selfish mother who always has something going on; there is her husband, who decides that bringing new women into their home is OK; there are the doctors, who don’t seem to know what they are doing. Lucy somehow manages to get through it all while trying to be the best mother she could be.

I did enjoy Tales From The Crib, but not as much as I did Jennifer Coburn’s last book. What would have otherwise been a totally engrossing and hilarious novel was somewhat dampened by the unreality of it all, including Lucy’s mother Anjoli. She comes across as nothing but a spoiled, selfish and lazy woman who had far too much time and coverage in the book. I know she was supposed to be one of those quirky characters who are loved for their oddness, but it didn’t work for me, as there was not one redeeming quality about her. As much as I did love the overall story line of the novel and the main character herself, things moved along very slowly. There were, however, a couple of laugh-out-loud moments.

As always, Coburn’s writing is spunky, crisp and entertaining, and I enjoyed the overall story, but the many of the characters didn’t really do it for me this time around. However, I am sure others who enjoy wacky and quirky characters will enjoy this one.

Overall I would recommend this one to mom lit fans and to anyone who enjoys mad-cap adventures in a novel.

Great Mom Lit! I really liked this book. Coburn is hilarious. ( )