I love Curtis Sittenfeld. In my mind, she can do no wrong. This collection of short stories is no exception. While there are certainly some characters I'd gladly sit with for an entire book, reading this book was pure joy from start to finish.

This collection of stories was well written and arranged in a way that keeps you reading. I'm not usually a short stories fan, but I enjoyed You Think It, I'll Say It. I think you will too!

I loved Curtis Sittenfeld’s novel Elgible! It is one of my favourite Pride and Prejudice adaptations. So I was excited to read her new collection of short stories.

I really enjoyed these stories. The stories all give the same message at the end: people are often misjudged, either by ourselves or others. This was more obvious in some of the stories than others. This message became clear in the second story entitled “The World Has Many Butterflies.” In that story a man and woman play a game which they call “I’ll Think It, You Say It,” where the woman judges people nearby, presumably saying what the man thinks about them. After that story, I understood the point of the collection.

Some of the stories were so detailed and hooked me right away, so I was left wanting more. I loved “Plausible Deniability.” It had a great twist that I didn’t see coming. “A Regular Couple” was also good, and kept me holding my breath to see how it would end. These stories could be expanded into great novels.

I liked this collection! It is clever and entertaining.

This book is great reminder of Curtis Sittenfeld's sharp storytelling which she first displayed in Prep. While I don't think I would teach the entire book, I might consider using a few of the stories in the future.

A brilliant collection of stories that give such a perfect view of being willing/able to say what everyone else may only be willing to think.

Similar to Curtis Sittenfeld's other books, she hooks you in with her writing and keeps you wanting more. These short stories are as the title suggests, experiences and thoughts we have had but didn't want to talk about. We read the inner monologue of the main characters and because of that, find ourselves either relating to the experience or perhaps feeling glad someone else has had similar feelings and worries.

I’m normally not the biggest fan of short stories. Whenever I read one, I always think of it as a teaser for a full-fledged novel that I’d rather be reading. Just when I’m starting to get to know and become invested in character, boom, the story’s over. I’m a big fan of Curtis Sittenfeld’s writing, however, so when I heard she had written You Think It, I’ll Say It, a collection of ten short stories, I decided to give them a try, figuring that if any writer out there could change my mind about short stories, it would be Sittenfeld.

What appealed to me the most as I was reading each of these stories is the same thing that always appeals to me when I read anything from Curtis Sittenfeld and that’s the way she is able to get inside of a character’s head and convey everything they’re thinking in such a way that I then can’t get her characters out of my head. They just always leave me with so much to think about, and all 10 main characters in this collection did exactly that. Sittenfeld presents each of these characters’ stories from their individual perspectives so that we’re getting an ongoing internal dialogue from each main character as we’re watching the events of the stories play out. In doing so, Sittenfeld is able to weave several important messages and themes throughout all ten stories so as to make it a cohesive collection.

These themes, in addition to the characters themselves, are what truly kept me engaged. The central theme of the collection is basically that we’re all human and we all mess up, especially when it comes to our relationships with other equally fallible humans. All of Sittenfeld’s characters tend to make assumptions about people, maybe based on how they look or how they act, and more often than not, their assumptions end up being not only wrong, but also flat-out unfair. Her characters are also prone to misinterpreting signals they think other people are giving off, which leads to awkward and embarrassing situations. There were times when I found myself judging them as well, but then a few pages later, I’d think “I could see myself doing the same thing this character has done, so maybe I’ll just shut up and not judge them.” In that sense, even though Sittenfeld soundly criticizes these characters for their erroneous snap judgments, she also makes them sympathetic and relatable. I liked that balance, which she is able to successfully strike with each story.

I also liked that the stories all felt very modern and timely and were filled with Sittenfeld’s trademark insightful social commentary and satire. There’s mention of the Trump administration in at least one of them, gender inequality factors in at times, there is at least one story that focuses on LGBTQ issues, and one that focuses on the challenges of being a working mother.

I won’t go through all ten stories in detail, but I will say that I don’t think there’s a weak story in the entire collection. I definitely had my favorites though, including ‘The Prairie Wife,” where an unhappy housewife, Kirsten, is obsessed with Lucy, a popular celebrity. Kirsten recognizes Lucy, a Martha Stewart-type who is now married with two children and living a conservative lifestyle, as someone she worked with, and had a sexual relationship with, at a summer camp many years ago. Everything about Lucy’s life infuriates Kirsten because she thinks Lucy is now living a lie and Kirsten dreams of using the knowledge she has about her to destroy her. This was such an intense and riveting story and I absolutely loved the unexpected twist at the end.

Another favorite was “The World Has Many Butterflies,” which contains the title of the actual short story collection, “You Think It, I’ll Say It” in it. It turns out “You Think It, I’ll Say It” is the name of a gossip-driven game that two people – Graham and Julie – play every time they see each other. Julie misinterprets why Graham has started playing this game with her and all kinds of awkwardness ensues. I felt secondhand embarrassment for Julie while I was reading this one!

My only issue with this collection was exactly what I feared it might be, that I would become invested enough in the main character from each story, that I would want to hear more from them. Each story is well-crafted and conveys an interesting and relevant theme, but I couldn’t help but think by the end that I would rather have 10 novels from Sittenfeld about these characters than these brief, although beautiful, snippets. I’m going to classify that as a “me” problem though. It has nothing to do with the stories themselves or with Sittenfeld’s writing. She is just such a gifted storyteller that I’ll always want more.

While I can’t say that Curtis Sittenfeld has completely changed my mind about short stories overall, I would still highly recommend this very solid collection of stories to anyone who is interested in reading stories filled with messy and unforgettable characters as well as insightful social commentary about how people read and misread each other. I’d recommend this collection both to those who are new to Curtis Sittenfeld and to those who are long-time fans.

I am definitely not a short story reader, and yet I found myself completely absorbed by this collection of ten stories about people leading ordinary lives filled with vague dissatisfaction, missed opportunities, and regret. The stories are sharp and clever, and just real enough to feel relatable. Highly recommended.

My review will go live 5/3/2018 at the link provided.

I'm slowly making more progress on my ARC/Galleys. It's been a while since I last read a collection of short stories, last summer I read a couple of collections, but they're not something I seek out very often. So when the publisher reached out about this one I figured why not.*

I've enjoyed Sittenfeld's writing, Prep, from way before I started this blog and more recently Eligible, her retelling of Pride and Prejudice as part of the now (seemingly?) defunct The Austen Project. The downside of this collection in particular, is because I enjoy Sittenfeld's writing, I had already read at least three, if not five of the previously published short stories of the ten, but I'll talk more about this later.

Overall, I was underwhelmed with the collection. There were definitely gems in it, but as I was reading it felt all too familiar to me. Again, part of this could be from having read at least three of these pieces previously, but that definitely wasn't all of it. I think Sittenfeld's themes are interesting (the midwest, gender norms, LGBT lives, bored married couples with children, without children, with money dynamics), but I think in this tight of a format they become rote very fast, at least for me.

But I will say, she does them well. This quote from A Regular Couple hit so many nails on the head that I stopped to read it multiple times. Perhaps it's me over-identifying with her characters, but I think it's her ability to create universal truths (like that Austen P&P reference?) that speak to many people for many reasons.

"I wonder, of course—it's my deepest secret, and would likely be guessable to even a distant acquaintance—if Jason married me for my money. Not only for my money, but if my income nudged me into some category of desirability I might not otherwise have attained. Jason is for the little guy, yes, but he has quietly expensive tastes. He spends more on clothes than I do—on Italian leather loafers or simple crewneck sweaters that, lo and behold, are cashmere—and he enjoys a good steak and a nice cocktail. Whereas my own enjoyment of these things is always accompanied by an uneasiness—I still can't order a thirty-dollar entrée without thinking, Holy shit, thirty dollars for an entrée?" (emphasis mine)

I think by far the best piece for me, was The Prairie Wife, because of what Sittenfeld did with naming conventions and heteronormativity and when I realized what she did WAY later than I should have I was like WHOOP GO YOU! Make me question, and honestly momentarily be ashamed, of my assumptions! If you read any from this collection, this is the one to read. I won't say much more as I don't want to give it away, even though I already have basically.

The other story that was really enjoyable was Do-Over, the timeliness of it, dealing specifically with the election of Donald Trump as President and the world as it is now. Sittenfeld did a great job capturing a large portion of the US's despair and depression from the election, but at the same time shows how a normal everyday person is coping with the fall out.

"In general, I have no desire to ever have another conversation about Hillary Clinton, to debate the role her gender played. I'm not sure I want to have any conversation about sexism. If someone doesn't see that gender played a huge role, why would I waste my time trying to convince them?" (Do-Over)

I pulled the most quotes from Gender Studies, and how could I not with this gem leading it off close to the start,

"She is a professor of gender and women's studies, but outside academia it's often easier not to get into it." (Gender Studies)

Seriously, preach! My degree is in gender, sexuality, and queer theory and I drop it to gender studies when I first tell people about it, it's just easier. And then she just kept going with great references and one-offs

"Is this how the heroines of romance novels feel? They have, in air quotes, no choice but to submit; they are absolved of responsibility by extenuating circumstances. (Semi-relatedly, Nell was once the first author on a paper titled: 'Booty Call: Norms of Restricted and Unrestricted Sociosexuality in Hookup Culture,' a paper that, when she lats checked Google Scholar, which was yesterday, had been cited thirty-one times.)" (Gender Studies)

Writing this though I'm wondering if I was unfair on my Goodreads rating. They're usually gut instinct ratings as I finish and I gave this 3 stars. I think because I felt so underwhelmed having read so many of them or feeling as if I'd read most of them. I doubt I'll change it, but I hope that my review shows that it really is a good collection of stories.

Recommendation: Read it. This is a solid collection of short stories, most of which entertain and teach which is incredible in this type of format. I find Sittenfeld's writing to be truthful and even universal at some points. Although I think it may have been the goal of the novel, it's a little stifled in the breath and depth of the characters, or it could be how I read it. Overall, though it failed to impress me, I think readers new to Sittenfeld will thoroughly enjoy this collection.

*I received a copy of You Think It, I'll Say It from the publisher via NetGalley in return for my honest opinion. No goods or cash were received.

This is a collection of ten short stories about how we often judge people too quickly. The characters judge other people and it soon turns out they were mistaken. In one story, a woman in love with her husband’s colleague thinks he loves her, too. In another, a woman on her honeymoon meets someone from her past. Two former classmates meet twenty-five years later and reminisce about their school days. A woman finds out that a new celebrity is the same girl she had a fling with during summer camp. A shy student idolises one of her college friends only to find out that she is nothing special. But my favourite is “Off The Record” in which a single mother and freelance journalist interviews an actress who is about to win an Oscar - someone she had met a few years earlier when she was just starting her career.

I became a fan of Curtis Sittenfeld when I first read American Wife and I loved Eligible, her modern retelling of Pride and Prejudice, so I have been really looking forward to this collection of stories. Her writing style is so distinctive and so good that I could easily visualise each scene. The characters are realistic and flawed but their stories are immersive. There is a lot of nostalgia for the past, the characters contemplating what they could have done differently. I loved each of these sharp and enthralling stories, some more than others, but I never wanted them to end.

Short story collections are usually a toss-up. I always expect to read a few I enjoy, a few I kind of enjoy, and a few I wish I'd never set eyes on. Curtis Sittenfeld's collection is the exception. I thoroughly enjoyed each and every story. I don't know how she did it, but within a few sentences the speaker's voice was clear and their character established. I found myself sad to see each story ending, but eager to read the next one. And each story was so different, with a variety of people, diverse and flawed. I will be eager to read more from Ms. Sittenfeld!

The two stories book-ending Curtis Sittenfeld’s new short story collection, You Think It, I'll Say It, feature Trump as a point of contention between the respective couples. In the first, ‘Gender Studies’, a professor, Nell, has recently separated from her cheating husband and has a sexual encounter with her Trump-supporting airport shuttle driver despite her lack of attraction to him. Things do not go well and later, as the election cycle plays out with primaries and debates, she keeps remembering the earnest young man along with with thoughts of what she could have done differently. In the last, ‘Do-Over’, a forty-something divorced man, Clay, goes to dinner with a visiting high school friend. When their conversation veers to Trump and the growing awareness about everyday sexism, Clay confesses that the election has made him see things in his past life differently, including the school election he won against her..

In both of the above, the past — recent for one, and distant for the other — is far from pleasant. The weight and shape of the memories revealed by the protagonists also depend on their conflicted and evolving self-identities in the present, where significant internal and external upheavals are occurring.

The same could be said for the other eight stories here: the past does not so much haunt them as they haunt the past, recollecting select details and re-experiencing negative emotions.

[This is a partial review to be published next week at PopMatters. I will add the link once it is up.]

I am a big fan of Curtis Sittenfeld and have read everything she has written (Prep, Eligible, American Wife to name some of my favorites). So, naturally, I was thrilled to hear about her new collection of short stories. (I am also a fan of short stories.)

This collection, You Think It, I’ll Say It, is a wonderful collection of short stories that can be read in short bursts of time. Each story stands alone, which is a big plus for those in a hurry. But, this does not mean they are without depth. Each story does what Sittenfeld does best - makes us look hard at the things we feel but don’t want to acknowledge. (Hence the title of this collection.) She’ll make you judge, and then squirm, and then feel judged yourself.

Ultimately, as with all short story collections, there are some stories I liked more than others. For instance, the story I actually liked the least “Gender Studies” was the first story in the collection. I’m glad I pressed forward because it ended up being my least favorite.

I did notice a common theme throughout the stories. In several stories, the main character is confronted by the past – such as seeing old classmates in present time. The characters must come to terms with what they felt in the past and what they feel in the present. Plus, an understanding of how things change and stay the same. The stories cover a wide variety of women – high profile jobs to stay-at-home-moms, which I also appreciated.

Overall, I enjoyed the collection, and I think every fan of her previous novels will as well.

Curtis Sittenfeld is an auto-read author for me. I didn't even read the blurb from the publisher until just now and, yes, You Think It, I'll Say It is all of the above. She is MASTERFUL. I think this just tied with Prep for my favorite of her books.
Short stories are not usually my jam. I love great plot, and I feel that short stories can be unsatisfying in that regard and oftentimes abrupt. Leave it to Sittenfeld to change my tune about short story collections. Each story is certainly self contained, yet there is an underlying similarity that underpins them all. She examines the minutiae of everyday life and our inner turmoils and turns the ordinary into extraordinary with her unique brand of crazy storytelling. Most of the narratives revolve around women in their early 40s (my and Sittenfeld's age) and are so identifiable to me, but should really be to anyone. She tells some stories from the man's perspective, reminisces about high school love and politics, newlywed dynamics, first babies, and even a trip to summer camp run the gamut of experiences that will probably spark a feeling of empathy from any reader. Until they are NOT empathetic - characters id's and ego's start to go off the rails and she examines them in a deliciously scandalous way. I couldn't put it down! From stories about college friends, one night stands, social media woes, mommy wars, she touches on all things we can relate to and then takes them in such unexpected ways.
I am praying that she comes to Seattle on book tour so that I can get myself a signed copy and ask how many ideas germinated from real life experiences. Though the stories are completely strange, they appear to fall into the stranger than fiction category. Did she meet a lifelong friend in a lactation group? 'Bad Latch' was one of my favorites and I love how the dynamic of female friendship felt so real. Did she ever interview a celebrity ingenue? 'Off the Record' seems like a celebrity blind story. Does she know something about The Pioneer Woman that we don't know? 'The Prairie Wife' feels like a fun and shocking fictional take of such a celebrity.
If I haven't made it abundantly clear, this book is phenomenal and you should run right out and get it for some stellar summer reading. Thank you SO MUCH to Random House and NetGalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!

I was not a major fan of Curtis Sittenfeld before, though I did read American Wife. This short story collection blew me away, however. I found the stories witty and piercing, and often surprising. It is one of my favorite reads of the last few months, and I've already recommended it to my book club. The title story in particular made me feel both uncomfortable and amused- and it made me ponder what it means to have a voice if what we use that voice for is not in our own best interests or fair to others. The power of speech, and who has that ability to speak, even in perceived privacy, is one thing. But when you add gender to the mix, it's a whole separate issue. I revisited the book again this week, a few months after reading it initially and in time with its publication, and find that I'm still struck by the smooth language and pointed themes.

Sittenfeld’s collection of stories, many about moms at various stages of their lives, speak to me of the disconnect between who we are, who we think we should be, and the complications introduced by our perceptions of others.

In “You Think It, I’ll Say It,” Sittenfeld writes a story that leaves me squirming uncomfortably as I remember the feeling of extreme embarrassment, when one’s "internal organs liquify and collapse." Julie’s desire to be the young, attractive, version of herself that she remembers, without the loss of the experience and family that she has gained, is like her youngest child’s belief in Santa Claus, superficially charming but untenable.

“A Regular Couple” is a masterpiece. It had me alternately cringing and laughing, as we listen to the voice in the narrator’s head and what she actually says out loud (not always from the same script).

“Volunteers Are Shining Stars” is another favorite, as it asks the question of "who’s the crazy one here”.

Sittenfeld is a great story teller, and I’ll read anything she writes.

I'm a huge fan of Sittenfeld's books and I really enjoyed this one as well. Although I'm not usually a fan of short story collections, there literally wasn't any in here that I disliked, though I enjoyed some more than others.

Curtis Sittenfeld is a darling in my eyes (her writing, I mean...I haven't actually met her, although I have no doubt she is lovely). I requested a review copy of her new book of short stories, You Think It, I'll Say It, with high hopes. I was not disappointed.

A newly single woman attends an academic conference only to make a decision that seemed like a good idea at the time. A happily married woman decides to have an affair with a family friend. A college student chooses a new friend unwisely. A new mom experiences the superiority of the perfectly coiffed pregnant goddess in her yoga class. An emotionally distant man enjoys single life save for the one secret woman he electronically communicates with about their shared love of classical music. A former magazine writer takes her new baby across the country with her to interview a celebrity, only to realize that her old dreams don't fit with her new life. A married mother despises the celebrity chef who used to sleep with her at camp years ago, who knows a secret that she longs to share with the world.

Short stories are hit and miss with me. Sometimes they miss the mark; sometimes they are absolutely everything. I have found that I particularly prefer female short story writers, and Sittenfeld fits into this mold. I was completely taken with this lot of stories and Sittenfeld's ever changing literary voice. She has a knack for finding the exact tone for her characters regardless of their age or gender, and it took practically no time for me to completely buy in to the plots of the individual stories. Reading her work was like eating a lemon cake with buttercream frosting -- it was light enough that I could eat three pieces, but rich enough that I could savor every bite while wondering how on earth something could taste so good. (This is also one of my highest complements, as this dessert combination is my life.)

There is so much I want to talk to you about each individual story, but I don't want to give you any spoilers because it's such a lovely book that you need to read it yourself. I found myself laughing out loud because Sittenfeld knows people at their basest human needs and desires, and she writes her characters and her stories to evoke this understanding. I think that's what makes her writing so accessible while still being something that you feel pleased to be given. There is a twist at the end of "The Prairie Wife," the story of the celebrity chef, that is so subtle that it was solidly brilliant. Not just good -- seamless. I found myself enraptured by "Off the Record," and the journalist who goes to interview a now-famous actress for a second time only to find herself with leaking boobs and losing the scoop. In "Volunteers Are Shining Stars," I loved the narrator although she was a terribly unlikable person. It was astounding, really, that I pulled for her even as she is jealously trying to ruin another person.

I often can't decide whether or not I like having an end to my short stories, because I love the ambiguity of a lack of ending but at the same time I want to punch someone for not knowing what happens to the characters. The most incredible part of Sittenfeld's stories was that I never got an official ending to anyone's story, but ultimately it doesn't matter because it was clear to me that I was just taking a small peek into these characters' lives for a small snippet of time. Even though I felt that I knew them deeply and intimately by the time I was halfway through their snippets, it didn't matter that I would never know what came before and what would come next. It reminds me of the question we ask in so many ways for so many reasons -- what makes today different than any other day? Sittenfeld takes just a moment from these lives and gives it to us to tell us why today is different than any other day in their lives, and their lives only. So when the stories end, they just end. I didn't feel like I needed more -- I finished very satisfied -- but by no means were ends wrapped up. Their lives would move on, and I will meet them again someday. (Right? RIGHT, CURTIS?)

Sittenfeld is one hell of a short story writer, and I would love to see more of this out of her. I love the rest of her work as well, and I may actually pull Prep now to read it earlier than I had planned, but I think this may very well be my favorite piece of her work. I'm completely blown away and in love with this collection.

You know when you are talking to yourself in your head and no one else is listening but you keep talking anyway? Well, that is the vibe I got when I read most of these short stories and I loved it!

I normally don't gravitate towards short stories, but something about the cover made me look into this book. After I read the first two chapters I knew I liked them, but since it wasn't an ongoing story I felt something was holding me back. But, as I started whipping through each story within 20 - 40 minutes, I realized I craved the next. I kept asking: where is author, Curtis Sittenfeld, going to go to next?

To me, the overall theme was that each character was in their own head. They were concerned with what they thought outside perceptions would expect (or sometimes outcomes they were hoping for) that they completely misread situations. Some would come to realize that, some would not.

The writing was authentic and relatable. Although the stories were short they packed the necessary punch to keep you engaged. After I finished each story I would think of each character "I wonder where they are now?" The cool thing about this book is that I can create the answer to that question in my own head; since aren't we all in our own heads...see what I did there?! Is it still funny if I must point it out? Don't answer that.

This is the first Curtis Sittenfeld book I have read and certainly not the last.

I received an arc of this book from NetGalley for my honest review.

This book chronicles the often misinterpretations that arise between men and women. The author shows how seemingly innocent encounters or games or interactions between men and women are misconstrued. Sometimes a women feels she is in love only to find that the man isn’t onboard. Or the man thinks he has an innocent relationship where the woman wants more. Each story is different and well worth the read. So sit down an enjoy the mystery of the sexes. Highly recommended.