Anne Lamott's son is almost precisely a year younger than I am.

Somehow, the manner in which she writes about motherhood is astonishingly true to my own experience, even after 30-some years have passed. It is both terrifying and beautiful.

The way she describes the joys and challenges, the uncertainties and the profound love, it all resonates deeply within me.

It makes me realize that motherhood is a universal journey, filled with common emotions and experiences that transcend time and generations.

Her words paint a vivid picture of the chaos and the order, the sacrifices and the rewards, that come with being a mother.

It is a reminder that we are all part of this wonderful and sometimes overwhelming adventure called motherhood.

And it is a testament to the power of writing to capture and convey the essence of such a complex and precious experience.

Anne Lamott is truly a remarkable author. She has this unique ability to touch upon the most serious and often sad aspects of life, yet still manage to make me burst out laughing.

Her writing style is so engaging and her perspective is so refreshing. It's as if she is able to find the humor and light in the darkest of situations.

Whether she is writing about her own personal experiences or about the human condition in general, she does it with such authenticity and wit.

Reading her work is like having a conversation with a dear friend who is able to make you see the world in a whole new way.

Anne Lamott, thank you for your wonderful writing and for making me laugh even when dealing with the toughest of topics.

As a new mom, I found some parts of this book to be very relatable. This is my first encounter with Anne Lamott's writing, and in certain aspects, she does possess a certain charm. However, more often than not, she can be quite annoying.

Since this is a journal, my inclination is to be a bit more lenient than I would be with a regular book. But still, she chose to publish it and expose it to the world, so here we are.

She gives me the impression of a liberal white woman who is overly pleased with herself. She frequently labels her friends in a rather off-putting way, such as "my gay friend" or "my friend ___, who is a lesbian," even when their sexuality has no relevance to the story she is about to share.

Moreover, she mentions that her church is a Black church approximately 100 times, and even goes as far as referring to a few people in the book as "very black" and "so black," which is a major red flag for me. There are simply too many issues with this work for my liking.

I hope that in future writings, she can be more mindful of these aspects and present a more inclusive and respectful perspective.

I read this after reading Some Assembly Required and hating it. Reviewers had sworn up and down that even if I thought Anne Lamott was an ape-shit mother-in-law, I'd like her as a mom. So, I gave her writing a second chance. However, I do not like her at all. In fact, I dislike her more than I did before reading this.

In theory, I should like her. Like me, she is a female writer, a mother, a liberal, and a Christian. Every negative review I found for this book was someone complaining about her political and religious views. But that was not my problem with this book. Instead, I found countless other things about it to be problematic.

For example, she seems to be a closet racist. It was evident in the book about her grandson and even more so in this one. She goes on and on about how some friend or acquaintance of hers is gay or "very black" - whatever that means. She clearly wants everyone to know how liberal and open-minded she thinks she is. But she never mentions anyone as her straight, Caucasian friend. I guess she thinks that goes without saying and doesn't need to be pointed out. She also talks twice about her hair being nappy, like black people's, and how she's so glad her son got white people's hair. This made me very uncomfortable to read, just like all her stereotypes about her Mexican daughter-in-law in Some Assembly Required.

Her comments about uncircumcised penises were absolutely disgusting. Especially the part where she makes a joke about how hard an uncut baby penis would be to clean - proving that she has no idea what she's talking about and is also kind of a bitch. I found it creepy that she decides to get her son's genitals cut based on her own sexual preference. Unless she was planning on having incest with her son, I can't see how that's relevant.

She is also extremely whiny. She spent the entire book complaining about not having a partner to raise her son with, even though she knew that beforehand. The father made it very clear that he would not be in the picture. In fact, he wanted her to abort. She chose to raise the baby on her own. She wasn't blindsided like moms who have their husbands abandon them and their children one day. She constantly talks about how hard it is to be a single mom, but she has a huge support system! She has countless friends, family, and church members, as well as a babysitter. They do everything for her - bring her food, do her laundry, clean her house, watch her kid, and give her baby items. A lot of single welfare moms, or even married women, don't have that kind of help. Not to mention the fact that she has a career as a published author. Teen moms can't say that.

The way she talked about her son truly repulsed me. She'd use vulgar language to describe him, say she hated him, and admit to fantasizing about physically abusing him. This is an innocent and helpless infant she was talking about. He didn't understand why he was in pain. He didn't have the ability to process those emotions or do anything to make himself feel better. He didn't even have a way to communicate except to cry. And she admits that his gas pains were caused by her diet while breastfeeding. I have no idea why she'd have so much anger towards her baby. Even on the worst days with my son, when he screams for hours and I'm completely alone with my husband deployed and no friends or family for thousands of miles, I don't feel nasty towards him. I just want to comfort him somehow. Then again, she is your typical privileged white woman. She's never had to think of anyone but herself her entire life, so a baby is an annoying inconvenience. He gets in the way of her "me time" and neurotic self-pitying uselessness.

I could not believe how immature she was. She was 35, not 15. She acted like a child, wanting God to wipe her ass for her. I guess that's why she used to be a coke head. Some people can't handle life, even if their life is relatively easy.

This entire book was one simile after another. Everything was like some show she saw or poem she read, or moonlight or stars. I'm not exaggerating.

The only reason I finished this book was because I was mildly entertained by it. She's such a train wreck. This was the literary equivalent of trash TV, like watching Jerry Springer.

After stopping reading because I'd started when I first got pregnant and stopped when I had my first miscarriage, I finally picked this up today almost two years later to decide about getting rid of it.

My place was still marked, so I polished it off this afternoon. It was a good read, but is so very baby-centric that you should only read it if you are a new mother yourself, pregnant at a safe late stage, or never want to be a parent.

Lamott was writing this journal only for herself, which shows, because she just blurts it all out, the good, the bad and the horrific. This is about her friendships as well as her own little miracle baby, her faith in god and her doubt in herself.

Sad and happy, I laughed and cried variously. Look out for the journal entry that leads to probably her most famous book, Bird by Bird.

Moreover, the book provides a raw and honest perspective on the joys and challenges of motherhood. It doesn't sugarcoat anything, but rather presents a realistic portrayal of what it's like to bring a new life into the world.

While it may not be for everyone, those who can relate to Lamott's experiences will find it to be a comforting and inspiring read. It reminds us that we're not alone in our struggles and that there is always hope and love to be found, even in the darkest of times.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in motherhood, or who simply wants to read a beautifully written and thought-provoking journal.

Reading Anne Lamott is not the kind of thing I can talk about, like almost at all.

The Beatles' song "Honey Pie"? For years I thought they were saying "Holy man." I sing this song when I read Anne Lamott.

I feel about her the way Catholics feel about Mary, maybe. That sources of overwhelming goodness exist, AND are accessible to me.

Which is hands-down utterly exquisitely bafflingly wonderful, to believe that for a minute or two here and there.

Utterly utterly holy.

Anne Lamott's words have a profound impact on me. Her writing seems to touch a part of my soul that I didn't know existed.

When I read her books, I am transported to a world of beauty, truth, and inspiration.

It's as if she is sharing her deepest secrets and experiences with me, and I am able to learn from them and grow as a person.

I am constantly amazed by her ability to write so beautifully and truthfully about the human condition.

Her words have the power to heal, to comfort, and to inspire.

Reading Anne Lamott is truly a spiritual experience for me, and I am grateful to have discovered her work.

I teach at Creighton University, and like most instructors, I was appalled when Lamott was "disinvited." But my reaction deepened after I read this book.

It has been a long time since I laughed out loud while reading a book. And it has been even longer since a book has provoked not only guffaws (seriously, hearty laughter) but also reflection, revelation, and grief.

"Honest" is the perfect word to describe this book. Lamott bravely presents the concept that being a mother isn't always about being 100% in love with your child. It isn't always the most blissful experience. Sometimes, mothers do wish they could make their babies disappear.

Yet, there is such tenderness in the way she repeatedly begs God to let her son outlive her. She uses an image that always触动 me: baby turtles just born, struggling across the beach to the water, being picked off one by one by circling birds.

This is a woman who confronts the truth head-on in her prose. As a reader, I often felt the impact resonate through me. I'm not a mother, and I don't know much about the whole God thing. But wow, this book really made me stop and think about life. It arrested my movement and gave me many things to ponder.

This was an absolutely wonderful book to read during my maternity leave.

I simply can't recommend it highly enough to anyone who has a baby or is expecting one.

Lamott's writing is truly remarkable. She provides precise, strange, and completely true descriptions of babyhood that are both perfect and hilarious.

I found myself regularly reading passages out loud to my husband, and we both couldn't stop laughing.

As seems to be Lamott's style, the book is refreshingly raw in its honesty.

It doesn't sugarcoat the challenges and joys of raising a baby.

And while the majority of the book is focused on the early days and months of a baby's life, it takes an unexpected turn in the last third.

This turn adds a layer of grief that broadens the scope of the story and makes it even more poignant.

Overall, this is a must-read for any new parent.

Annie Lamott is truly amazing.

This is perhaps my favorite among her books. It is a funny, honest, wry, and heartwrenching work of non-fiction. It delves into the first year of her son's life, which, surprisingly, also turns out to be the last year of her best friend's life.

If you have kids, you will surely relate to the joys and challenges she describes. If you love kids, you will be touched by her experiences. Even if you have a best friend, you can understand the complex emotions she goes through. And if you simply enjoy writing by smart, honest, self-critical, and slightly neurotic authors, then Anne Lamott is a must-read for you.

Her writing style is engaging and captivating, making it easy for the reader to get lost in her story. So, don't hesitate to check out this wonderful book and discover the magic of Annie Lamott's words.

Twisted, Slightly Tortured Journey of Faith

I don't think I would have a desire to meet Ms. Lamott. There are numerous aspects about her that I don't find appealing. She can come across as shallow, overly opinionated, and superficial. Her political views seem rather reactive. I can make such a claim because I was exactly the same at her age. I believe that when you reach 40, you begin to understand that life isn't so black and white.

She is a woman with profound faith, yet she doesn't seem to fully recognize it, which makes it all the more alarmingly sincere. This isn't a book for those who are righteous and morally pure. It描绘了一个女人在生死之间、在成瘾与稳定之中理解信仰的历程。信仰不仅仅在纯净中成长，而是像莲花一样，在生活的泥泞中绽放。这是人类生活的泥泞，是不完美的泥泞。

This book was also like a mirror for me, and I'm sure others will concur if they challenge themselves. Much of what I disliked about her, I can see in myself. We are all deeply flawed characters, especially when viewed from a detached perspective.

Also, like Ms. Lamott, I was left of center without being a communist. I was in that position for years. There was a time when I probably said the same things against a Bush. But now that I'm less political, I winced when reading her political diatribes. To be honest, they were completely superfluous and unnecessary. The story would have been more fluid and universal without them.

Lastly, some critics have been outraged by her violent fantasies about her baby. To those people, I would suggest that they've never been a parent. She was simply expressing what nearly all parents have felt at some point. When you've had only 4 hours of sleep in two days while working and it's 3 in the morning and you have a child who sounds like a slaughtered pig, strange thoughts do cross your mind.

I commend Ms. Lamott's courage in writing this book. It takes a great deal of bravery to share such personal and often uncomfortable experiences with the world. Her honesty and openness make this book a unique and valuable read.

Lamott is unassailably a talented and accomplished author. Her book, "Operating Instructions," is engaging and definitely well-written.

I felt that I should have liked it. Especially since, when I was a mother myself, I can clearly remember going through my son's endless first year. (Or would be able to remember it well, had I not felt so exhausted, depressed, and utterly lacking in Mom skills.)

For so many reasons, I should have liked "Operating Instructions." I kept waiting to like it, kept reading while I waited for the part when I would finally feel that the author was comfortably relatable. But it never happened.

Hey, sometimes we just don't hit it off with people, and the same goes for memoirists. It's not her fault as an author!

Usually, I fall in love with writers. But with this book, by contrast, I felt nothing of the kind. It's definitely not the fault of Annie Lamott, nor of me.

Still, this last part might be worth mentioning, maybe, since it's a Goodreads book review, not me having a dream that I'm reviewing for The New York Times. Reviewing here, I feel as though I'm among my family of readers.

So I'll say it bluntly: To me, this felt like a masked memoir.

What makes this book truly remarkable? It's the writing, without a doubt. Her outstanding sense of humor shines through, along with her honest depiction of the first year as a mother. She bravely shares her experience of having a baby without a father, her grief over her friend's diagnosis, and her passionate rants about Republicans. The support she receives from so many is heartwarming, and her deep and true belief in a loving God, despite its contrast with her own identity, is fascinating to observe as it ebbs and flows.

However, there are also some aspects that are not so great. The language can be excessive at times, to the point where it actually detracts from the enjoyment of the book. Additionally, she focuses mainly on raising her son during the first year. While this was interesting and I could relate to her to some extent, I also felt a bit like I had already been through that phase. Life has its ups and downs, and it goes on. I would have preferred to see more of the other sides of her life that sounded so interesting. It felt a bit like just reading a baby journal. In fact, I was almost relieved when her son's first birthday arrived.

That being said, she is an AMAZING writer. Her work is funny, witty, honest, and truly genius. I'm eager to read other things she has written. Does anyone have any suggestions? If you've just had your first baby, I think you'll absolutely love this book. Overall, I would rate it about a 3.5.