Wendi Aarons is a blogger, humorist, mom, and unabashed woman over 50. The recently published memoir, I’m Wearing Tunics Now: On Growing Older, Better, and a Hell of a Lot Louder, is an excursion into her Austin, Texas, life. It’s also laugh-out-loud funny, especially if you’re a woman “of a certain age,” like me.

Aarons tells stories about her brief stint in Hollywood during her 20s after growing up in North Dakota and Carson City, Nevada. She describes the challenges of moving to a Southern town where other women said they “already had enough friends.” And then, she shares the triumphs and travails of motherhood, career, and, most importantly, meeting the group of women she considers her friends.

Every moment of this book is a story with jokes. Along the way, though, Aarons includes poignant moments and plenty of self-discovery. As an early Gen-Xer, I relate completely to her story, despite our differences. Aarons reminded me of how fraught the 1980s were for young women. And she managed to do so while making me laugh at the memories.

My conclusions
Had I met Aarons at BlogHer or another Internet-connected function during the early days of the Internet, I imagine we would’ve had commonalities. As an early adopter of blogging, I relate to how it connected women without the ever-present duck faces of today’s Instagram. But even if you weren’t online until the days of Facebook or Twitter, Aarons’s story of self-actualization is relatable.

Every story has universal truths about things like being the new mom in town or realizing that your knees now creak every time you stand up. Despite each decade of her life offering new challenges, Aarons zips joyously through each one while skewering those snobby ladies who spurned her “back in the day.”

Listening to the audiobook, read by the author, I spent all seven hours with a smile on my face. And, of course, I broke into plenty of laughs as well. Generally, I prefer professional narrators for my audiobooks, but Aarons’s speaking experience allows her to carry this off relatively well. It’s too personal to turn over this particular memoir to another narrator.

If you’re a woman over 40, this book is a fast-paced choice that will leave you inspired. It’s a great book club choice as well.

Acknowledgments
Thanks to NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Audio, Andrews McMeel Publishing, and the author for a digital advanced reader’s copy in exchange for this honest review.

I'm Wearing Tunics Now is a great story of what it is like to get older in America. It was very funny and filled with so many relatable things. But I am also in my 40s so I have hit that wonderful age where I am also going through the things the author is. A lot of fun to listen to.

4 stars

A delightful memoir about how women age, written by Wendi Aarons (narrated by Wendi Aarons). Wendi is in her mid-50s but I felt like this was a text thread between my 40-something friends. I chuckled quite a bit and found myself nodding a few times. Some of it may have been a little past me (her kids are grown) but I enjoyed it. However, nothing I haven't heard before.

Format: audiobook ~ Narrator: Wendi Aarons
Content: 3 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars

I'm Wearing Tunics Now is Wendi Aarons' memoir. I must admit that I didn’t know the author before reading. She is a writer and humorist. Her works appeared in McSweeney's and the New Yorker. The author included in this memoir different themes, from raising children to aging. Here and there is also some political opinion.

For me, some things are relatable, and others aren’t. I liked the first part better than the rest of the audiobook. I don’t agree with all the views and actions. But hey, this is Wendi Aarons’ memoir, not mine. I’m Wearing Tunics Now will be interesting for some 50+ female readers. It could be relatable also for a bit younger readers.

Thanks to the Andrews McMeel Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

Incredibly funny and honest, I'm Wearing Tunics Now is a memoir on aging, growth, and acceptance. It tackles topics like motherhood, loneliness, finding friends as an adult, fashion, finding your voice, and so much more. Wendi's voice is what really makes this story shine, and I would highly recommend the audiobook (as I would with most memoirs)!

I'm Wearing Tunics Now is a humorous memoir that describes how aging humbles and inspires Wendi Aarons. Throughout the book, she grapples with aging but lauds its benefits. Her goal is to get readers to relate, speak up, speak out, and see growing old as a badge of honor.

The fact that a museum employee refers to Aarons as a senior citizen makes her appalled. She is in her early 50s. The event blew her ego, especially since she was wearing trendy attire. However, this initial scene initiates a profound reflection on aging. She contemplates how aging has helped her to grow into the person she's always wanted to become despite some ego-related setbacks.

Aarons first encounter with aging is in her 30s. She believed she was officially old. However, she now realizes how much her choices and relationships shaped her into the person she is now, especially since she became a mother. As Aarons proceeds through the decade, she shares the challenges of giving up a career in film production to be a stay-at-home mom and blending in with the school moms. "I loved being a mother, but I hated that my only identity now was mother," she gripes. Very relatable. Even though she enjoyed being edgy at the "vanilla" schools her kids attended, her efforts to assimilate through volunteering were to ensure her kids could fit in and have friends.

As Aarons enters her 40s, she becomes a celebrated mommy blogger, which helped her become seen, heard, and more vocal. Yet, she was facing a style identity crisis. Aarons was trying to move away from the mom hair-dos and twinsets to reflect her renewed sense of self. As she progressed into her 50s, she was more outspoken, political, and a full-blown feminist. Again, however, she encountered an identity crisis. Her children were more independent, her husband was busier, and her face showed wrinkles, so she started job hunting, began a new career, and took Botox.

Throughout each decade, she demonstrated her self-identity and level of self-comfort in her attire. Now, at the crossroads between being old and young, she claims victory over her adversities because she's developed her self-confidence and inner strength. She credits other women who fight to make a change as her inspiration.

I listened to the audiobook to enjoy a good laugh, especially when discussing the ebbs and flows of aging and 80s culture. However, after listening to the audiobook via NetGalley, I found that even though the book has many relatable and understandable stories, it appeals mostly to middle-aged suburban wives and moms. I also noticed that the narrator read in such a monotone style that some jokes became even more hilarious. At times, I found myself bursting out in laughter with comments like, "I knew for a fact my look was in style because I saw a least a few 10-year-old girls wearing the exact same outfit earlier in the day." However, it needed to be clarified at times if the narrator intended for the monotone style to come off solemn or sarcastic. Other than that, it was good book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing for #gifting me with an #ALC of Wendi Aarons hilarious memoir, I’m Wearing Tunics now. In exchange I offer my unbiased review.

Wendi Aarons is not an asshole; she’ s actually “in the years between being hip and breaking one”; a 50+ year old, straight talking, middle age woman who dishes on aging, sexism, motherhood, the workplace, friendship, marriage, menopause, Barry Manilow and the joys of wearing tunics 😂 I loved this memoir in essays. Listening to Wendi read her memoir added to the humor and snark of being an outspoken, often overlooked woman of a certain age. This book/audio would make a fabulous gift for all your besties.
Available for purchase November 15, 2022. Perfect for Christmas and Hanukkah gifts!!!

I love reading books by kindred spirits.

This memoir reminded me of Glennon Doyle's 'Untamed' but way more snarky. Wendi Aarons tackles topics like being a SAHM, mom groups, re-entering the job market after 40, Botox, and menopause.

Wendi is relatable and comforting through her antidotes and humor. She could be too foul-mouthed for some but it was the right amount for me.

Thank you to NetGalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Wendi Aarons for providing me with an audio ARC of this book. This is a memoir by Austin, Texas based humorist Wendi Aarons detailing the travails of a midlife mom and all that aging as a woman entails. She covers the serious as well as lighter aspects of aging in a youth oriented culture. The author narrates the book, her voice is pleasant and the narration flows smoothly. I think when the author does the narration it is generally an added bonus as the reader/listener gets to know the author a bit. That is very much the case here. The book was not quite as light as I expected but definitely real and relatable for readers of a “certain age”. This would be an excellent choice for a book club!

"I'm Wearing Tunics Now" was allegedly supposed to be "an honest and hilarious memoir about second acts, self-acceptance, and chasing one's dreams".

Unfortunately, I did not find this late bloomer's struggles with life to be entertaining or funny.

Instead, I found myself listening to a narcissistic author who possessed an elevated opinion of herself.

But it was the author's political commentaries that prompted me to push the "stop" button when I was 40% into the book.

When I selected this book, I had been promised humor and inspiration.

"Toxicity" was not in the publisher's blurb and, therefore, I was ill-prepared to listen to this author ridicule political figures who did not share her beliefs.

Please note that I respect this author's political views and beliefs.

However, I dislike it when authors interject their own political views in a book without warning readers upfront.

I listened to the audiobook read by the author.

TO SUM UP: I liked the book's title and premise.

Everything else about the book was NOT FOR ME.

Special thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Easily the funniest book I have ever read -- I cried more than once from laughing so hard. It didn't hurt that the author is about my age, lives in the same area, and comments on life experiences I have been thinking about a lot.


Review copy provided by publisher.

tries too hard…this is, in my opinion is due to the narrator. perhaps reading the book would be more enjoyable but the narrator didn’t sound old enough to pull off this book….