Mike Gayle is known for his fiction writing, but he takes a foray into non-fiction here, and from my personal point of view, it’s a great success. Having finally decided it’s time to become a fully fledged grown-up, Gayle makes a to-do list which ends up with 1277 items (!) and gives himself a year to complete it. Some of the items are the kind of thing we will all be familiar with (such as sort out the drawer which is full of takeaway menus), and then there are a few more unusual items, one of which involves him flying to New York to buy a mug!

The book gives an insight into Gayle’s personal life, and his marriage to his lovely wife Claire. He comes across as likeable, genuine, and the sort of person who you would want to be friends with. I also felt a ripple of pleasure as Gayle lives in Birmingham, which is local to me, and there are several mentions of Wolverhampton, which is my home town.

If you are a fan of Mike Gayle’s fiction – or if you just like an amusing and daft story – then I highly recommend that you give this a go. Lots of laughs, and plenty of relatable moments make this a hugely enjoyable read. ( )

Monotonous.

Having read and enjoyed Mike Gayle's, Dinner For Two, I had expected a similar light read from The To-Do List. I hadn't expected exactly what the title had warned me - a book about a 30-something guy, attempting to complete a 1277 item to-do list. (Which he must have repeated at least 1,277 times!). The first third of the book was not even about said list - it was about trying to find reasons why he shouldn't actually attempt the list at all!

This was another book that I would have abandoned if I hadn't been listening to an audible version, expertly read by Dave John. Dave just about kept me listening until Mike finally decided he would attempt the list and the book became slightly more interesting.
Assuming that the family members were Mike's true family, then I was left in supreme awe of his wife Claire, who must be the most long-suffering wife on the planet. She put up with her husband's irratic, frustrating, idiotic behaviour with never more than a rolling of the eyes!

On the positive side, the book is a happy book, upbeat, which seems to be a rare enough quality in literature these days. I was also very relieved that he managed to lose his list at one point - because I have never yet to write a list that didn't get lost before completion!
I would consider reading another book by this author, but I'd check that it was a book of fiction before embarking on it. ( )

This is such a fun read, and a unique idea for a book. Author Mike Gayle decides to make a list of all the things that he has been meaning to do for ages. Unfortunately, his list gets rather large (1,277 items) and he sets out on a quest to tick off all the items.

There are many twists and turns along the way, as Mike struggles with certain aspects, and almost gives up more than once, but this is an uplifting book showing what people can achieve when they put their mind to it.

It's also really funny, and had me laughing out loud on several occasions. I wasn't sure how much I would enjoy this book, as I tend to read mostly fiction, but this is just as good as Mike Gayle's novels and is a very entertaining read. It also reminded me how much I like a good to-do list (and the pleasure of crossing off items on it)! Highly recommended. ( )

Borrowed from Becky

A non-fiction from the Birmingham-based "lad lit" novelist, this is the story of what happened when Gayle decided to try to grow up (he thinks it's time now he's got a mortgage, a wife, one child and one on the way!) and go through all the things on a to-do list he's had in his head for some time. When he writes it down, he discovers there are over 1,200 items on it, but he decides to try to get them all done in a year. From "make a will" to "find out what happened at the end of the x-files", from keeping in touch with old friends to finally unsticking that window he painted shut 3 years ago... well we all have these things don't we (hanging the pictures we moved with in 2005 is one of ours...) and it's a hilarious and sometimes touching read as he works his way doggedly through them. Helped by a motley crew of friends from his Sunday Night Pub Club and tolerated by his wife, he gives us hysterically funny diaries (I particularly enjoyed the "drink more water" one) and longer discursions. He even does some unofficial BookCrossing at one point.

Hilarious but meaningful, read-out-loud funny and highly recommended. ( )

Really enjoyed this book.

Having read most of Mike Gayle's books I was unsure about his first venture into non-fiction but it really works. If you like his fiction then you will love this. The style is the same, full of relatable humour his struggles and hopes chime in very much with your own.

He desribes his year long to do list, ranging from meeting up with old friends to doing the gardening and you get a slice of Gayle life which is really interesting. It's not preachy or a self help book but you still come away thinking about your life and most importantly the people in it.

I raced through it as I did with most of his books. More please! ( )