That was funny. Laugh out loud, pee your pants funny! And totally irreverent, and spot on and I have pre-ordered it to torture my elder daughter with as she is about to have my first grandchild (insert evil laugh - it’s payback baby)!

This book is in the form of a diary of one year in the life of Liz, wife of Richard and mother of 7-8 year old Thomas and 5-6 year old Evie. Thomas is painfully easygoing and unambitious, content to be mediocre at many things. Evie is a hyper intelligent snarky budding sociopath (according to her mother). Richard is, well, Richard. Liz is best friends with Fiona whose son David is in Thomas’s class. They are also friends with Celine (she is French!) and Nadia. These four form ‘the coven’ (it’s a joke) and then there’s Claire who is desperate to become a mother herself (but why?)

I can’t think of a book that made me laugh more. Except maybe the Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy, but that was so long ago it doesn’t count. Lucy Mangan clearly ‘gets’ motherhood. I found myself nodding and agreeing with so many sentiments. It would be scary if I hadn’t survived it all and can now look forward to grandparenthood with a small amount of glee! Nothing is sacred as the author mercilessly picks at all the scabs that parenthood can dish up. If you’ve been there it’s hilarious, if not …. oops!

The characters, this book is all about the characters and they were just wonderful! So accurate. I’m still leaking empathy all over the place. And don’t think of this as a ‘chick-lit’. I curate my husband’s reading, basically anything that gets 4 or 5 stars goes on his list and this one is going on his list.

I have one small, no two small reservations which is the only reason this doesn’t get the full 5 stars. Firstly - if you don’t like big and/or obscure words and shudder at sentences that may be half a page or even longer with lots of complicated punctuation - you may not enjoy this book (I loved it). Secondly I did think it was a teeny bit long. It could have done with maybe 50 pages less although I don’t know how on earth you would achieve that as it is in diary form and you can’t just skip a month or something equally dramatic. Many, many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher and the author for the much appreciated arc which I reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

4.5 stars

I found this one slightly disappointing. The characters are all just too upper middle class and not diverse enough for my liking. The kids of course are the stars, but the always are. However as someone who had kids decades ago I doubt if I'm the target audience. I loved Mangan's book about books and reading - Bookworm, and enjoy her Guardian column which is why I wanted to read this book. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read it anyway.

A fun little read - not as compelling as I wanted it to be but nonetheless it was an enjoyable read.

Are We Having Fun Yet? joins a rather familiar group of fictionalised diaries from a mother of primary schoolchildren. It is certainly fun and well written but I’m not sure it really adds anything to the genre. Gill Sims, for example, weaves a plot through her books, this is just a diary so you there is nothing to keep you turning the pages. It was a fun, light read and entertaining if you have young kids but that is as far as it goes.

Are we having fun yet? Take a sneak peek at Lucy Mangan’s new novel and trust me, the answer to that question will be a resounding YES!! You’ll have to do whatever it takes to carve out some me time so forget the husband/partner, kids, household chores and emails that constantly require your attention and focus instead on reading a book from start to finish with zero interruptions! Take this opportunity for a well earned breather and prepare to laugh your socks off as you dip into the fictionalised diary of Liz, a harried working mum whose husband Richard and children Thomas and Evie make umpteen zillion demands on her time, minute by minute, hour after hour, day after day. All she wants is five minutes (ok maybe slightly longer!!) peace but will her wish ever be granted? Probably NOT! Can Liz survive this coming year, faulty dishwasher notwithstanding, or will she be buried alive under a mounting pile of laundry, Lego and unwashed dishes?

In fact what Lucy Mangan has written puts me in mind of that classic children’s story by beloved Jill Murphy featuring the Large family. Naturally this is a longer, less innocent adult version in which the author holds nothing back regarding the realities of daily life for so many women the length and breadth of the country. She hits the nail on the head time and again with scenes that ordinarily would make you want to tear your hair out, scenes instigated by characters whom you can’t help find endearing even though they’re the cause of endless stress, resentment and frustration. It probably helps that you don’t have to live with them! Rarely does a novel make me snort out loud with laughter but Lucy Mangan’s sharp acerbic wit made me do just that. Intelligent, pithy, wickedly funny this novel is b****y brilliant. She says it how it is and makes no apologies for it. Even if your own personal circumstances don’t quite match those of Liz’s (and I sincerely hope they don’t!) plenty of these scenarios will make you feel as if you’re not alone. I gave silent thanks for the fact days like the ones Liz is stumbling through are well and truly behind me but a word of warning:it doesn’t get any better!

Liz is a woman we can all relate to. You’ll find yourself nodding your head and wincing in agreement as she manages a fine balancing act between home, work and school life with the skill of a magician, catering to every possible whim imaginable in addition to fielding endless mind bending nonsensical questions from her darling little poppets. Sleep deprivation, the manic school run, a husband who somehow manages a leisurely shower (??) but can never locate those essential items necessary for leaving the house, juggling her work for a charity, feeding the kids (burnt fish fingers anyone?) keeping them entertained and swerving the uber competitive immaculately groomed and still thin mums at the school gate who are looking for helpers for yet another PTA event is all in a day’s work for Liz. Feeling exhausted yet or shall I continue?? Then after a gruelling (my heart bleeds) day in chambers where he can work with no unnecessary distractions in walks the calm and unruffled Richard, bravely or stupidly asking why the children have been put to bed without having a bath!! How Liz doesn’t murder her undomesticated other half in his sleep ( what’s that again?) I don’t know. No wonder Liz looks wistfully at neighbours Sofia and Amrit, childless and free to do as they please. I know exactly what phrase is probably running through her mind as she contemplates another parent’s evening, a soft play date or is forced to improvise when a last minute costume is required for a school play. FML are the only three words that will suffice. Thank goodness then for the “coven square” one corner of which is occupied by Liz, the other three corners bagged by best friend Fiona along with Celine and Nadia who all save each other from insanity. Able to moan to their hearts content over every aspect of their lives from drunken au pairs to vile mother in laws their conversations are invariably fuelled by alcohol. Every working mum needs friends like these especially when it comes to avoiding the likes of “Queen cashmere bee” Savannah and her entourage whose houses resemble show homes rather than a health and safety risk and whose over achieving children are in truth ghastly little swines, saddled with ridiculous names!

The characterisation in this novel is fantastic. Ordinarily in my review I would choose a favourite but they are all utterly awesome. Thomas at nearly 8 is a sensitive day dreamer whilst five year old, competitive, sharp as a tack Evie is a sociopath in the making. She definitely rules the roost in her household, is super scary and a natural born leader. This girl takes no prisoners! Their friend David, Fiona’s only son is 8 going on 40. With his northern accent which he’s failed to lose, this young fellow had me laughing out loud at every opportunity. I loved all three of them, and the often bizarre conversations Thomas and Evie have with their dad Richard are comedy gold. What can I say about Richard (nicknamed Dick in my own head!) other than that he is surely the amalgamation of many men who fail to see how incredible their wives/partners really are, turning a blind eye to all the endless boring arduous tasks that are completed behind the scenes in order for life to run as smoothly as possible. There’s a definite upside to being single! The comings and goings of this family of four occur under the watchful eye of Liz’s taciturn next door neighbour, Scottish Mrs Bradley or Mrs Battleaxe as Richard is wont to call her. Liz might wish her current life resembled that of Sofia and Amrit’s but she aspires to be just like Mrs Bradley sometime in the future, only if she survives this year and subsequent ones intact!

The humour in this novel is right up my street. Laughter is the best medicine so I prescribe this hilarious, wry insight into modern day family life as the perfect pick me up tonic. I loved every minute of it. Highly recommend. I think this will appeal to fans of authors such as Gill Simms and Tracy Bloom to name just two.

My thanks as always to the publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

Here’s a title from my picks for 2021 I nominated in a post at the start of the year (I’m doing extremely well with these having so far read 80%). Back then it was provisionally titled “Diary Of A Suburban Lady” with an acknowledged E.M Delafield’s “Diary Of A Provincial Lady” as its inspiration.

It’s now got a snappier title and the Delafield connection would not be apparent to most readers. What we have here is a year in the life of a harassed mum of two presented in a diary form.
I always enjoy reading diaries. In fiction they can make a quick read, which is a good thing when humour is the key goal. It’s a day-to-day battle of juggling child-care arrangements, balancing work-load between the spouses (husband Richard not doing as well as he thinks here), negotiating the school run and drop-offs and bringing up placid 7 year old Thomas and precocious set-to-rule-the-world five year old Evie.

Thematically, there are parallels with the BBC TV Comedy “Motherland” which I love, especially with the parent outsiders having to fit in with the expectations of those in the PTA. As the year progresses the characters form stronger identities and I felt sorry leaving them at the end of the year. It is on occasions laugh out loud funny but a good level of smile-along humour is maintained throughout.

Lucy Mangan, columnist and TV reviewer from “The Guardian” made my end of year Top 10 last time out with her sublime non-fiction account of her childhood reading habits, "Bookworm", (I included it here within my Essential 100 Books thread), making number 3 in my 2018 Books Of The Year, so I obviously had very high expectations. It is a very commercial work, written in a genre where fans will be loyal and supportive, it feels fresh and contemporary, so it’s a shrewd move which could sell very well indeed. I’m aware I’m not the intended audience for this book but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It would make an excellent Christmas present for those too busy to cope with family life to spend time browsing in Waterstones, or for those now with the strength to look back on how they coped as well as those contemplating raising young families.

Are We Having Fun Yet will be published by Souvenir Press on 14th October 2021. Many thanks to the publishers and Netgalley for the advance review copy.

Are We Having Fun Yet?...A year in the life diary of Liz, her husband Richard and their young children Thomas and Evie. The daily grind of family life, schooling, holidays and friendships are retold with gusto and more than a few laugh out loud moments. I enjoyed it immensely and found a lot of the situations so relatable. Would welcome another instalment please.
Thank you to NetGalley the author and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest review.

"Are We Having Fun Yet?" is a 21st Century reworking of E.M. Delafield's hilarious "Diary of a Provincial Lady" series from the 1930s. I am a big fan of Lucy Mangan's writing, having loved 'Bookworm' and lots of her journalism in The Guardian, so I was very excited to read this book, even though as a childless male reader I am probably not the target audience!

As expected, this was an incredibly - frequently eye-wateringly - funny book. As a satire on modern-day marriage and motherhood, many of this book's targets will be familiar to fans of TV series like Motherland or Catastrophe, but are no less entertaining for that. Mangan has lots of fun at the expense of events like children's birthday parties, awkward playdates and PTA fayres, which are all described with her characteristic acuity and wit, with some exceptionally amusing turns of phrase.

Much of the enjoyment of reading this book comes from her narrator's persona - an introverted working mother who is just trying to get through each week and snatch a few minutes for herself whilst meeting the various demands of not just her two children but also her generally well-meaning but frequently oblivious lawyer husband. Mangan also assembles an enjoyable cast of supporting characters - I particularly loved the stoical elderly neighbour Mrs Bradley, and the the children's friend David, who adopts of the role of a preternaturally mature professional Yorkshireman.

Perhaps unfairly, I didn't expect that this book would also be rather moving, but the descriptions of some of the trials faced by some of the narrator's friends pack a genuine emotional punch - particularly one friend whose husband unexpectedly leaves her after ten years of marriage, and another who is pregnant after multiple rounds of IVF and several miscarriages. The novel offers plenty of righteous anger, and Mangan doesn't shy away from some very powerful social comment about the burden that mothers are expected to undertake and the socio-economic pressures facing families in our current society, whilst celebrating the strength and resilience of the narrator and her 'coven' of her friends. This never feels preachy or moralistic because Mangan is also frequently prepared to laugh at her alter-ego and her shortcomings. as well as giving her some moments of genuine (and well-deserved) happiness, so that overall the book feels incredibly warm and generous.

E.M. Delafield went on to write three sequels to The Diary of a Provincial Lady; I would happily read at least three more instalments from Mangan's suburban counterpart. Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for sending me an ARC of this wonderful book to review!

So relatable from juggling work, spouse and family responsibilities. Always feeling as if you are not successful at any of them. Comparisons to friends and school gate mums, other children's achievements and state of their romantic partnership.
The love, the angst, the tiredness as well as the split personality.
Enjoy I did.

I loved this book and can't wait for more from Lucy Mangan! Like a literary version of Motherland. True to life, funny and engaging.

I thoroughly enjoyed the year in the life of Liz about to turn forty and her exploits as a working Mum. I loved this famiy, they were so relatable, the parents evenings, the work/life struggle and care sandwich of children and aging parents many women face was witty and at times laugh out loud funny. I often found myself chuckling away while reading.

It was great to read about a family that loves each other and is functionally dysfunctional. Liz tries her best to juggle all the tasks put upon her and ocassionally drops a few. The worry of being a parents is described so well, like when your child is being bullied or the constant low level anxiety that something bad will hapen to them. There were so many points I was nodding my head at familiar situations.

Liz's children are great, Thomas is innocent and easily pleased happily bumbling along while his little sister Evie is described as a little sociopath. I think we all know a little Evie and she provided many of the laugh out loud moments. Her husband Richard tries to help out at home when he is there but is totally oblivous to the mental load many mothers are laden with. Their interactions were very well written and relatable.

I thoroughly recommend this novel even if you do not have children it will give an insight into why your friends/family with children are always a little frazzled. The constant juggle to provide childcare was very insightful.

The female friendships that Liz has are wonderful they support each other and keep each other sane.

This was a good read with some brilliant funny observations on middle class family life. I like the diary format which helps the reader with seasonal references. There's some insights into the lives of those around the narrator and I thought there was a missed opportunity to expand on those. I really liked that the narrator seemed like a genuinely non judgemental person, she was a pleasant change from the bitchy mum at the school gate. I'd recommend this book if you like reading about the reality of messy family life rather than enjoying some fictional escapism.

'Are We Having Fun Yet?' was exactly what I'd hoped it would be. Through the diary entries of mother Liz, the reader is given an insight into 21st century family-life. I quickly fell in love with Liz's husband Richard, who is a loving father, but has his head in the clouds. Adorable, introverted son Thomas, who has the biggest heart of them all. And little evil genius daughter Evie, who has the best lines, and the weirdest and funniest insights.
Lucy Mangan's writing style is wonderful. The book is witty, quick, relatable and laugh out loud funny. Seriously, it has been so long since a book had me laughing out loud on many, many occasions. I am not a mother myself, but found the book super relatable nonetheless. Lucy did an amazing job bringing this unique and hilarious family to life. I really hope we get a part two, I felt like I could continue reading this diary forever.

Are We Having Fun Yet? is a year with one woman as she faces all the storms of modern life (babysitters, death, threadworms) on her epic quest for that holy grail: a moment to herself .Funny and witty about everyday life as a mother of 2 children and wife.

Written in diary form, Lucy Mangan takes the reader through a full year of family life. Charity worker Liz, faces the roller-coaster of everyday living/existing with the support of lovely (if irritating) barrister husband Richard, as they wrangle their children, sensitive seven-year old Thomas and strong-minded five-year old Evie (an embryonic megalomaniac) through the minefield of infant and primary school.
This book is so well observed, it took me straight back to the days of poo jokes, impossible questions and utter exhaustion. The groups at the school gates: the perfect ‘yummy mummies’, the ‘who-gives-a-stuffs’, and the ‘we’re doing our best under bewildering circumstances (this wasn’t how we imagined parenthood)’ – the group which Liz falls into. Getting roped into the dreaded school events by the equally dreaded PTA, occasionally taking a stand, then stepping straight back off it and ticking the box offering help. Worrying about aging parents, supporting friends through the traumas of betrayals and fertility treatments and dealing with the eccentricities of a beloved pet. All the while longing for precious alone time, or a weekend away with Richard, to catch up with sleep (and possibly sex if they have the energy).
Are We Having Fun Yet made me laugh out loud, feel nostalgic for those crazy days and grateful for the quieter life I live now. Parents will recognise the people and events, and quite frankly it’s worth sending a copy to anyone considering parenthood.

I was very disappointed by this novel. I don’t know the source material but I’m a big fan of Lucy Mangan’s journalism and social media presence and I was expecting a witty dissection of modern family life. This is much more broad than that and very cliched in places - like the diarist, I turned 40 this year but I don’t know anyone with such a useless husband or whose social circle is entirely composed of other school mums. There’s an attempt to write a real feminist cri de couer here (and that would be a very interesting read) but this feels to me several years out of date and almost entirely lacking in nuance, a real missed opportunity. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

I won’t include in my public review but I have never received a proof copy with so many errors - characters change names back and forth (once in the course of a single paragraph), children change gender, the 40 year old protagonist has a younger sister born in 1977 and at one point the day changes from Thursday to Monday within a sentence. I sincerely hope these errors have been corrected by now.

I loved this! It was a joy to read a book that made me laugh out loud so many times. I found Richard's ineptitude frustrating at points but I guess that was the point. I was sad when it ended.

I was absolutely having fun reading this from the first page to the last. Recounting a year in the life of Liz, a working wife and mum of two primary age children, it tells of her struggles to hold everything together and fend off chaos. Battling a never-ending round of household chores, family crises and demands from the school PTA, she tries to snatch any brief time for herself and her equally beleagured friends, while enduring being patronised by her ridiculously young boss and the “cool mums” in the playground. Her son and daughter, referred to by her lovely but fairly clueless husband as “the fool and the sociopath,” have their own distinctive personalities rather than just being generic children as often seen in books, and all the other characters are rounded and believable. So much of it struck a chord with me, and as my children are now in their twenties I felt both nostalgic for those days and relieved that I had left them behind. The incredibly hard work, the sacrifices, the compromises and the sheer effort required to juggle everything at once is captured perfectly, and we want to kill the friend’s husband who leaves her and their kids because “it’s just not fun any more.” Most of all it is hilarious, so wittily written with many laugh-out-loud moments, but also captures that heartbreaking love you feel for your children that tears you apart when things go wrong for them. Lucy Mangan, you are a genius, and I don’t remember when I last had so much fun with a book.

Lucy Mangan was previously a newspaper columnist whose work I have greatly enjoyed reading over the years. She's witty and very clever with words but unfortunately both traits are in overdrive in this, her first novel, to the unfortunate detriment of plot, character and reader enjoyment.

'Are we having fun yet?' is essentially one long newspaper column about family life. Nothing actually happens (and I do mean nothing). Instead, over a calendar year in the life of Liz and her family, we have lengthy, sometimes funny but mostly very verbose takes on domestic labour, female friendships, school mums, work-life balance and the like.

For an author like Mangan who is renowned as a lover of literature, I found the characterisations to be thin and lacking in any emotional depth.. The heroine Liz is a stereotypical harrassed mum, but also rather charmless - she doesn't want to go anywhere or spend any money and is constantly irritated by those around her. She has these occasional bouts of sentimentality about babies' bottoms or her children's hair that I found quite nauseating. The character of the husband Richard speaks like no-one I have ever met. His verbiage 'summarily', 'eschew' 'piscatory' is meant to signal his pomposity and how much he irritates Liz but it just irritated me even more because it was lazy and there was no need for him to be so one-dimensional.

All in all a disappointment from someone who I genuinely think is funny, and can write, but has really not delivered on this occasion. I think the author needs to pay more attention to the characters, and less to the vocabulary.

Please see my review for Are We Having Fun Yet on LoveReading.co.uk. It has been chosen as a LoveReading Star Book, and Liz Pick of the Month for October.