How to Be Single

This book was a decent read. It was hard to get into but the idea of the book was a good one. Basically a woman in her late-30's decides to figure out how single women all over the world handled being single. She visited France, Australia, India, and a few other places. It was a good idea. Along the way, you also get updates on her friends back in New York (this is where the book was a little thin and harder to read) and their problems with their singledom. If this sounds familiar it is because Liz Tuccillo is one of the writers of the book He's Just Not that into You and also a writer for the show Sex in the City. Her writing is good, there are just parts of the book I did not find entertaining.

Author Website: http://www.howtobesinglethebook.com/

I wanted to love this book, I really did, but I didn't in the end. I do love the premise and wished I'd researched and written the book myself. A single woman decides to travel around the world interviewing single women in countries including France, Italy, Brazil, Australia, Iceland, China, etc. to find out what it's like to be single in different cultures. There were some good points made about what it's like to live as a single person but the book did not do it for me. The characters were unbelievable and I wasn't inspired. ( )

Chick-lit with travel.

The abreviated audio CD was read by Judy Greer in a rather twee voice that grated at times, but my expectation of chick-lit was somewhat tempered by the travel aspect.

Thirty-something Julie decides to travel around the world with a view to writing a book about how single women deal with their situation in various countries.
She leaves her four single friends, with all their various problems, and travels from Paris to Rome, India to China, Brazil to Iceland, interviewing single women (very small samples, it must be said!). She manages to fall in love with a married man, experience varied highs and lows during the journey, and returns to New York in a slightly better mental position than when she left.

The author did travel a fair bit before writing this novel so the travel aspect should be reasonably accurate, reflecting her own experiences. I fear that the main content that was abridged from my audiobook was possibly a fair chunk of the travel detail, which would have been a shame. However, although I enjoyed listening to this while driving, it's not a book that I shall be in a hurry to read in full. ( )

Maybe because I have never really been single, I just found this trite. From the perspective of being married, I want to tell these thirty something women to grow up and get over the princess in waiting attitude. I feel like most of the women have completely unrealitic expectations of what love and commitment are. Really if the reason Julie can't get a guy is because she is only a size 6 and has celluite - then how does that explain the hordes of happily coupled/married size 12 and up women?Julie in particular is shallow and unlikeable, even before she decides that her true love lies in an already married man (no matter how open his marriage may be). I mean, really? I am wondering why she even bothered leaving her hotel when "researching" - somehow I think speaking to less than a dozen people in an entire country does not count as thorough investigation.The girls who are left at home are much more interesting - Georgia falling apart in the wake of her husband leaving her, Ruby contemplating single motherhood, Serena acting like a total flake and Alice holding on to an ideal in the face of reality.There were moments in this book - warm and humourous, but overall I think this book is irritating and I am not the least bit suprised that Julie remains single. ( )

Reading it now. It's ok. It has some funny moments. ( )