3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars

This is a little book of personal essays that I chose on a whim. I’m glad I did. Mary Laura Philpott writes in a very relatable way. Reading her stories are like chatting with a good friend. She is not afraid to let us in on her inner fears and worries and share how she grapples with living with them. She laces heavy subjects such as illness, disability, and loss with just the right amount of gentle, yet sometimes laugh out loud, humor to make this an enjoyable insightful read.

Life is hard. Life is unpredictable. Life is good and life is disastrous. Overall though, life is a gift to be cherished in all its forms. Traveling along with Ms. Philpott on her journey to navigating the challenges of life is both thought-provoking and satisfying. It is also joyful. I could see a lot of myself in Ms. Philpott.

In the reviews I’ve read there are many positive comments about her previous book “I Miss You When I Blink”; I definitely want to track that one down. If you are looking for something inspiring to start off the new year in a positive fashion, I recommend you pick up a copy of Bomb Shelter. As of this writing, it is currently available for request on Net Galley.

This was my first Mary Laura Philpott book. I thought the connected essay format worked for this book, each essay was just long enough to convey the message without being overly sentimental. I really liked the turtle stories and they weaved through the whole book, same with the “bomb shelter” references.

If you liked her first book, you’ll love this just as much, maybe more. Philpott is a local-to-me author, and though I don’t know her personally, her writing makes me feel like a friend. When she said she’s always “waiting for worry to materialize,” that hit hard. These stories carry the common thread of parenthood, anxiety, and inevitable change. Heavy, but Philpott is a funny storyteller, so it’s a good vibe. Very relatable collection!

Mary Laura Philpott has the uncanny ability to tell a story in a personable, intimate way. It's like talking to your best friend, casual but elegant, and full of meaning. As she nears middle age and her kids are becoming more independent, a medical emergency in the middle of the night emphasizes the fragility of life and how we can't take anything for granted. Philpott expounds upon her thoughts and fears about the passage of time, the gravity of loss, and the crazy journey of life. She brings humor and emotion and showcases the importance of empathy and humanity in every situation. Her musings on life at this stage of her life are sentimental and relatable. Through the essays, Philpott comes across as warm and thoughtful, weaving an invisible thread connecting all of the chapters and stories.

This is an essay collection that found its way into my life at the exact perfect time. This is an essay collection that primarily focuses on the author's experience in two ways - First, there is her role as a parent. She talks about the struggles, challenges, realities and loves of what it means to do this. Second, she just talks about what it means to navigate the emotions of being human. This is just the most masterful exploration of the author's life told in such a real and honest way. As a new parent, her reflections especially resonated with me. Thanks to NetGalley for the early look at this masterful and beautiful collection.

I was lucky to receive an advance copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest reviews and opinions. This is the first book I've read by Mary Laura Philpott and I wasn't sure if I would like it or not but after a few pages in I felt like I could relate to many of the essays! She manages to take our thoughts in our head and put them into a book to describe the ordinary happiness, sadness, and everyday thoughts and occurrences that most everyone can relate to.

I found the book intriguing but sometimes I had trouble following her wandering ruminations. I am greatly impressed that she is able to share her soul with all of her readers. She has a wonderful willingness to allow all of us to see her, her strength and her foibles. And. of course she is a beautiful writer.. while I struggled to get through some of her compulsive endeavors regarding her health, I would very much like to read about the next phase of her family’s life.

I simply loved this book. Her voice is captivating and poignant. We are at a similar age and life stage so almost every chapter had me nodding my head thinking, “Yes! Exactly.” Her worries are the kinds of worries in my head when I go to sleep at night. (I think I need to try meditation again!) She is funny, optimistic, anxious, nurturing, articulate and thoughtful. She reminds me of Kelly Corrigan - one of my favorites - and I read this book so fast that I was sad to see it end. She tackles big issues in this lovely memoir-in-essays with a perfect balance of humor, fear, grace and hope. Highly recommend! Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for this ARC which will be published April 12, 2021.

ARC sent to me, happy to read and give review

Essays on varying subjects: some funny tidbits and more reality

I liked the reminder of watching "After School Specials" in the 80s
I really liked her thoughts/feelings on Birthdays!
Since my cancer diagnosis, I celebrate birthdays - not just mine - everyone around me!
I want my name in lights, I want a whole restaurant to sing to me, and streamers in the kitchen ...
all saying "YAY! we are alive!"

I met Mary Laura Philpott at the Mississippi Book Festival and I TRULY believe that we are best friends as a result. Her new book cements those feelings! Her commentary about mothering teens, the keeping and care of turtles & frogs, her deepest desire for telekinesis, feeding a dog on a hunger strike...I love this book and I didn't want it to end because I love it so much! I am laughing, I am crying, I am nodding in agreement - and if anyone else in the room sees me reading this book...well, they are baffled by my crazy reactions to the written word. I have ignored countless other books to review so that I can jump into this one. And I don't regret it!

Loved this book so much. You will laugh, you will cry, you will relate.
Mary Laura Philpott is a wonderful balm for our souls.

Discussed on Episode 146 of the Book Cougars podcast.

www.bookcougars.com

https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2022/episode146

Anxious by nature, Mary Laura Philpott has always prepared for the worst yet still managed to look at the bright side of life. Then, when her teenage son has a middle-of-the-night seizure and is diagnosed with epilepsy, Philpott's sunny disposition turned dark: If this happened, what else could happen?

Philpott's memoir in essays is a balancing act of anxiety and optimism, showing both the dark and the light sides of life. Philpott is an excellent writer, relatable in both her humor and her worries. Having read I Miss You When I Blink made this memoir even more poignant to me. Yet, although I enjoyed Bomb Shelter, I didn't gain any great insights or feel like the book had any grand message to impart.

This book has revealed to me an important value for my life: I should read everything that this author writes. Simultaneously astute, funny, and heart wrenching, Bomb Shelter is the kind of book that can make you feel seen, make you laugh and cry, and make you highlight tidbits of wisdom that you can’t risk forgetting. The author’s description of human relationship and the joy and dread that accompany real love is a gift to the reader. This was a delightful and poignant read that I know will stay with me for a long time.

Pros: Mary Laura Philpott feels like a kindred spirit to me and my type-A, anxious, grammar-loving friends. I very much related to her discussion of personality tests—I just knew she must test as an Enneagram One! Although her life events aren’t always relatable, her approach to life is: her need for control and to understand and to plan and to know what will happen; her wanting people to be better than they are; and her efforts to untangle her sense of self-worth from tangible proof of success.

Much of the book explores living with chronic health situations. I don’t want to give anything away, but the callback to the title of the author’s first book—I Miss You When I Blink—was powerful.

Cons: This isn’t a con, but some readers might want to know that Covid-19/the pandemic is discussed in several of the essays in this book.

4.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the opportunity to read this book.

I’ve shared this review on Goodreads and StoryGraph and will share it on Amazon when it is published.
https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/608bfbeb-e114-486a-b39c-536be846a6d9

Mary Laura Philpott has written such a beautiful book that describes all my feelings so earnestly it’s as if she called me up and interviewed me to write this book. I loved reading about her life and her feelings on loss, fear, worry, love, parenting, and anxiety. Truly meaningful.

I received an ARC for this book and at first was not sure if I would be up for reading it. I generally try to stay away from anything that deals with health issues or any darkness (as well as a book of essays...personal preference). I was pleasantly surprised and this book helped me shift my perspective.

Mary Laura does it again as she takes the words out of brain and onto the page to describe the ordinary happiness, sadness, and everyday thoughts and occurrences that most everyone can relate to. Still one of my favorite authors!

Thank you #netgalley for the advanced copy!

I really struggled with this book, which felt like a collection of disjointed essays. Some parts were relatable, but I had a hard time staying engaged.

Bomb Shelter is a wonderful recounting of the author's family life. Philpott's captivating style draws you closer and closer as they navigate good times and bad. Thoroughly relatable, this book had me smiling, crying and laughing out loud.

I loved this memoir about the author's discovery that her son has an epileptic disorder. She weaves in stories of her own life and the concerns that arise about her son.