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ninasbooks57's review against another edition
5.0
Everyone who is on track to becoming a grandma must read this book! The information is invaluable!! It will make you laugh- and make you take pause. I kept reading sections to my husband 😁 !! Great book and an easy read!
mbkarapcik's review against another edition
4.0
One of my favorite authors. I have looked up to her since high school because she pretty much embodied everything I aspired to be. Some of the book seems overly idealized, very few complications are noted, but maybe that's in order to maintain good feeling among the family. Then again, this is her expression of joy about her first grandchild. A light, quick read that fans will enjoy. Perfect for a new grandmother!
serendipitysbooks's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
This book has been sitting on my TBR for five years, just waiting for the right time for me to read it. And that time has come. I’m becoming a grandmother in October - very excited! This warm hearted, thoughtful collection of essays on the joys of being a grandmother as well as some gentle but important advice on pitfalls to avoid (only offer opinions and advice when requested and remember that the parents are the ones in charge) was the perfect read as I reflect on this lovely new role I’ve been given.
nic_fish's review against another edition
4.0
Short anecdotal book with nuggets of wisdom on grandparenthood.
novelvisits's review against another edition
5.0
My Thoughts: Let me start out by saying Mother’s Day is next Sunday and Nanaville would make an absolutely perfect gift for any soon-to-be or newish grandmother. Giving this book to your mother would also be a lovely way to announce a pregnancy.
Anna Quindlen gets it right every single time. For me, with four grandkids under 6, and relatively new in the grandparenting game she beautifully summed up everything I’ve learned so far and gave me a few things to ponder. She talks about the incredible, unexpectedly deep and rapid love you feel for these little beings that came from your own children. She talks about all the simple little joys: rocking a newborn, pushing a stroller, the excitement of finding a frog, reading Goodnight Moon, and much, much more.
But, throughout Nanaville she tempered all that with something parents will also love.
“These are useful moments when we are made to understand where we rate in the topography of family, if we are smart enough to pay attention, and humble enough to accept the verdict. I know you don’t want to consider this if you’re in the same position I am and I keep hearing there are people who pay the notion no mind, but we grandparents are secondary characters, supporting actors. We are not the leads. Mama, Daddy, these are the bedrock.”
We need to understand that our opinions and suggestions are only helpful when they’re asked for. It’s a hard lesson, one I’ve learned, too, but there is also ease in simply being there, without power or control, but love in abundance. With the wisdom and humor we’ve come to love from Anna Quindlen she got right to the heart and soul of what being a grandparent should be. I highly recommend Nanaville for all grandparents, and parents, too. Grade: A
For more reviews and bookish news: https://novelvisits.com/
Anna Quindlen gets it right every single time. For me, with four grandkids under 6, and relatively new in the grandparenting game she beautifully summed up everything I’ve learned so far and gave me a few things to ponder. She talks about the incredible, unexpectedly deep and rapid love you feel for these little beings that came from your own children. She talks about all the simple little joys: rocking a newborn, pushing a stroller, the excitement of finding a frog, reading Goodnight Moon, and much, much more.
But, throughout Nanaville she tempered all that with something parents will also love.
“These are useful moments when we are made to understand where we rate in the topography of family, if we are smart enough to pay attention, and humble enough to accept the verdict. I know you don’t want to consider this if you’re in the same position I am and I keep hearing there are people who pay the notion no mind, but we grandparents are secondary characters, supporting actors. We are not the leads. Mama, Daddy, these are the bedrock.”
We need to understand that our opinions and suggestions are only helpful when they’re asked for. It’s a hard lesson, one I’ve learned, too, but there is also ease in simply being there, without power or control, but love in abundance. With the wisdom and humor we’ve come to love from Anna Quindlen she got right to the heart and soul of what being a grandparent should be. I highly recommend Nanaville for all grandparents, and parents, too. Grade: A
For more reviews and bookish news: https://novelvisits.com/
deecreatenola's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not ready for Anna Quindlen to be a grandmother. I first started reading her collections of essays 30+ years ago. Her observations on life rang so true. They were funny, smart, and definitely real, lived experiences. As a young adult eager to write and be a journalist and share my thoughts, Anna Quindlen was a mentor and guide.
I certainly haven't followed a similar path to hers, but I still see her as a guide. And I'm not ready for Nanaville! Of course, Quindlen is some 10-15 years older than I am. Maybe I'll be ready then. And she makes Nanaville not a quiet, refined retirement, but an opportunity to sorta' kinda' start over while continuing to be herself - a runner, a yoga enthusiast, and still a working writer. She talks a lot about this in Nanaville, how the lives of her own grandparents bears no resemblance to her own.
I started this book almost kicking and screaming. No. Not yet. But she won me over with what she always does. Wry observations. Thoughtful truths. Honesty. No ambivalence.
I want to go back and ready Living Out Loud and the others. And I'll tuck Nanaville away for later, for when I'm ready for Nanaville.
I am grateful to Goodreads and the publisher for my copy of this book, which I won in a contest.
I certainly haven't followed a similar path to hers, but I still see her as a guide. And I'm not ready for Nanaville! Of course, Quindlen is some 10-15 years older than I am. Maybe I'll be ready then. And she makes Nanaville not a quiet, refined retirement, but an opportunity to sorta' kinda' start over while continuing to be herself - a runner, a yoga enthusiast, and still a working writer. She talks a lot about this in Nanaville, how the lives of her own grandparents bears no resemblance to her own.
I started this book almost kicking and screaming. No. Not yet. But she won me over with what she always does. Wry observations. Thoughtful truths. Honesty. No ambivalence.
I want to go back and ready Living Out Loud and the others. And I'll tuck Nanaville away for later, for when I'm ready for Nanaville.
I am grateful to Goodreads and the publisher for my copy of this book, which I won in a contest.
pattydsf's review against another edition
4.0
“There are really only two commandments of Nanaville: love the grandchildren, and hold your tongue.”
“It's a complicated relationship, being a good grandparent, because it hinges on a series of other relationships... Because being a grandparent is determined by the relationship your child has with you, partly determined by the one a son or daughter has with his or her spouse, partly determined by the relationship you have with the person your child has chosen to have a child with.”
I am grateful to my friend Candace for recommending this book to me and to my public library for having it on the shelf when I needed an audiobook. I had a wonderful time listening to Quindlen’s thoughts on grandparenting.
I first encountered Quindlen through her essays and to be honest, I still miss them. She was always insightful and willing to share her personal convictions. It has been awhile since I read any non-fiction from Quindlen. This did not disappoint. My only wish would be that she would have read her own essay.
If you are a grandparent, or about to be one, pick this up. It is lovely and it is true.
“It's a complicated relationship, being a good grandparent, because it hinges on a series of other relationships... Because being a grandparent is determined by the relationship your child has with you, partly determined by the one a son or daughter has with his or her spouse, partly determined by the relationship you have with the person your child has chosen to have a child with.”
I am grateful to my friend Candace for recommending this book to me and to my public library for having it on the shelf when I needed an audiobook. I had a wonderful time listening to Quindlen’s thoughts on grandparenting.
I first encountered Quindlen through her essays and to be honest, I still miss them. She was always insightful and willing to share her personal convictions. It has been awhile since I read any non-fiction from Quindlen. This did not disappoint. My only wish would be that she would have read her own essay.
If you are a grandparent, or about to be one, pick this up. It is lovely and it is true.
dblake6145's review against another edition
5.0
I’ve read and loved every one of her books. This book really resonates with the milestones in my life as a new grandparent. The description of what it feels like when it is your son’s new baby boy is perfect. And the balance the grandparent should strive for —- between giving advice and “hanging back” as Ms. Quindlen suggests is on point. Also enjoyed the description of working with the DIL, advice that has come naturally for me probably because my DIL is one of the great ones. Fantastic read
askmashka's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
annebennett1957's review against another edition
4.0
Lots and lots of thoughts I need to pay attention to and experiences I have encountered. A joy.
My review: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/03/review-and-quotes-nanaville.html
My review: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2020/03/review-and-quotes-nanaville.html