My Quick Thoughts: It was the title that caught my attention!! So insightful and so very profound – I Miss You When I Blink!!! And I am glad I picked it up. Like any collection, this book has some gems, some cool reads, some OK reads, and others that didn’t speak to me in any way at all.

As Philpott herself admits (to her credit) of the privileges and opportunities she has and has had, this book reflects the same and therefore will speak to a small fraction of the population. Though I don’t fit into the slot that Philpott is in, I could relate to some of the essays very easily; and her approach to life’s mundane details as well as finding humor in the everyday made me keep reading this book to the end. Which is how I know that the essays range from meh to gems!

So if you a reader of essays, of memoirs, of books that speak about a little of this and a bit of that around topics like motherhood, life in general, and such, then this is a light read that will work for you.

Source: Review copy from Edelweiss

I loved this book so so much! The stories are super relatable, I found myself laughing at things I knew I had done too! Witty, heartfelt and a personal connection, the author made it a really fun read!

I loved this book so much, I bought the audiobook on Libro FM after reading the first few chapters. The poignant story behind the title forms the thematic touchstone of this illuminating, relatable collection of essays on wide-ranging topics, including motherhood, creativity, marriage, and more. Philpott feels like a friend from page one, someone who gets what you're going through and can express life's daily joys and challenges with wit and tenderness. I'm sure I'm not the first reader who had to buy my sister a copy before I had even finished the book. I will read and listen again.

3.5 stars

Another one I should have reviewed a long time ago...

I listened to I Miss You When I Blink as an audio, which worked well. These are personal essays by Mary Laura Philpott. She talks about her childhood, her college years and her years as an adult with young children. There’s nothing dramatic about her life but she’s honest, which is what I appreciated most. There’s a good balance of humour and painful self-examination.

While I listened to the audio, I had received an ARC from the publisher. I definitely recommend the audio.

Collection of essays about a variety of topics. While I found most interesting overall, and the writing style enjoyable, I really couldn't relate to the strong focus on motherhood and parenting.

I Miss You When I Blink is an interesting set of essays covering a wide range of topics. I found myself nodding my head in agreement and connect with a few of them. Others were not quite as memorable for me. That tends to be my experience with essay collections. But definitely still a valuable and thought provoking read.

The motherhood and parenting aspect of this book wasn't something I was able to connect to as a young single woman, but Mary Laura Philpott's style reminded me a lot of Nora Ephron's "I Feel Bad About My Neck" -- she was funny and relatable. I tore through this book!

I can't help it - I love books of essays. I can binge read them in nearly one sitting. This book was filled with the things I love about ones like it - humour, personal antecodotes, applicable truths and a writing style that is easy to read. At times, I struggled with some of the author's profanities, but overall- this book was a good one!

It's hard to sum up this book - it's a book that just makes you feel better. Mary Laura Philpott sums up life experiences so well, so relatably. Her personal essays are witty, heartfelt, and feel truly authentic. She writes and it feels like you've known her your entire life. Her essays are real, she reminds us that not everything is perfect, and life is messy, and even sad. This collection really spoke to me.

Mary Laura Philpott is a classic Type A personality. She loves carefully cultivated to-do lists and lives for recognition of her achievements. But after hitting all the life milestones she planned, she realized that living from one accomplishment to the next doesn't necessarily bring happiness. These essays are a reflection on what it means to change your mind, to veer from the path, and to embrace imperfect moments. It's part memoir, but it's also a quiet and comforting reminder that perfection isn't all it's cracked up to be. Reading this felt like receiving meaningful and gently delivered life advice from a wise, older sister. (But what do I know? I'm an only child!) I absolutely needed to read this book, and if you've ever looked around at the life you've built and thought, "What happens now?" perhaps you do too.

Mary Laura Philpott is a real-life Carrie Bradshaw and I Miss You When I Blink is her collection of autobiographical essays. Philpott uses her X-ray vision in life’s ordinary moments to make wry observations, and in the process she shares unintentional advice about everything from marriage and work to motherhood and fulfillment. Read this when you are in the mood for warm, candid conversation with a best friend while sitting around the kitchen table and sipping wine late into the night. It is Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell meets Girl, Wash Your Face by Rachel Hollis with more than a little Nora Ephron. Best paired with chicken potpie and milkshakes. XO, Tara

I highlighted more lines from this book than I have in any other book I’ve read. I laughed and teared up, sometimes in the same short story. Mary Laura Philpott is a natural storyteller, drawing me right into her world. While some of the stories have been previously published elsewhere, I’d never read anything by her before. However, reading her stories felt like sitting in a coffee shop reminiscing with an old friend. I wholeheartedly recommend this book. Thank you to NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this book.

Author Mary Laura Philpott is highly entertaining; she has a wonderful online presence, via social media and her work for numerous publications, and I was delighted to have the opportunity to read an early copy of her memoir-in-essays. Shortly after I received a copy of I Miss You When I Blink, I discovered that she would be presenting at the 2019 Arkansas Literary Festival which moved her title to the front of my reading list.

"When I feel pressure to do the one exactly right thing - which I feel all the time because I am a human and a perfectionist - I remember all the selves I simultaneously have been, am, and will be. I miss you when I blink means I know all my selves are here with me, and I know we can do this."

While reading the first few essays, I found myself highlighting multiple passages, nodding my head and smiling (or smirking) to myself; Philpott’s tendencies toward perfectionism, lack of cardinal direction understanding (north, south, east, west…people, please give me some landmarks!) and anxiety attacks about the future were highly relatable. Even though Philpott frequently uses her identity as a mother to inform many of her stories, which can often present a challenge for me since I am childless, she also shares thoughtful reflections on other relationships that I enjoyed.

One of my favorites in this collection is titled “Sports Radio;” in it, she discusses her aversion to small talk after a gathering with several other women; she’d been looking forward to an evening of discussion about the challenges of life as a mother, wife, professional, and left feeling unfulfilled. I, too, have an aversion to small talk; it could be an occupational hazard, but why not be real and share the limited time we have with friends to support one another?

"I hate it when people give directions using phrases like, ‘Drive south for two miles,’ or ‘Go east on the highway.’ How the hell do you people know which way south and east are?"

My one complaint about this collection, which Philpott makes an effort to address, is the overwhelming presence of her privilege; many of us would not be able to afford the options she explores for handling difficult situations. For some, this will not be an issue; others, like me, may notice it more significantly; I could certainly use an opportunity to escape from my life every once in awhile but, alas, I doubt anyone is willing to financially subsidize that fantasy.

Overall, I Miss You When I Blink is a great read when you need a break, a good laugh, an escape…and it’s not so expensive that you can’t afford to get away. I’m happy that I took the time to read her latest work and will continue to follow her writing career.

There were some moments that I got a little misty eyed, some moments I laughed out loud, and some moments I could really relate. There were also some moments, few and far between, I thought were slow/redundant. The good outweighed the bad. Overall, a good read.

I Miss You When I Blink is a collection of memoir-style essays. Like with any collection of short stories or essays, I connected with some more than others. I found Philpott's writing witty and approachable and she had so many accurate descriptions of life as a middle-aged white mother who is balancing career, family and the forever pull of wondering if what we have done with our time has been worthwhile.

There is a great balance of humor and I appreciated that she was able to acknowledge her privilege while also talking about some of her own struggles in life. I found reading this book to be a similar experience to an evening catching up with old friends. If you like memoirs and short stories, this might be the right fit for you too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 Stars

I’m learning that I really like memoirs in essay form, or maybe just essays in general. Philpott fills hers with relatable anecdotes and a great mixture of humor and authenticity.

I received an advanced copy through Netgalley in return for an honest review.

I loved this essay collection. It is raw and honest and deeply moving! I loved Philpott's style and have loved discussing this book with others

Occasionally I come across a book that I just want to shove at everyone I know. That’s how I feel about I Miss You When I Blink. To all my friends who consider themselves Type-A personalities 🙋🏼‍♀️do yourself a favor and read this one...I highlighted almost every page. When you get to the part about chicken salad, know that I was laughing so hard there were tears running down my face😂

“It’s fine. We have plenty of time. Try it again, more like you.”
Mary Laura Philpott
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I have been listening to this gem for the past few days. When I heard that last line...I thought...hello, new life quote.
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This book of essays is one I will be pushing for a very long time to come. Every single chapter or errr, essay had something completely relatable. It was insanely smart. Very funny and all out fantastic. The fact that Mary Laura is southern just made me love her more. I love when southern women represent brilliance and realness all at the same time ♥️. Take time y’all. Listen or read this one. It is applicable for mom’s, middle age women, type A’s, not full out type A’s, animal lovers, wives and young women. Trust me. I’m not a fan of non fiction in general...but this book. Priceless. By the way if you are an in real life friend...there is a strong possibility this will be your Christmas gift 😂.
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Do you have a life quote? If not, you can borrow my new one 😉.

This book has made me LOL several times, want to shout “amen sister!” and had me being thankful that “someone else has felt that way before”. Mary Laura Philpott has written a vulnerable and relevant book of essays that I believe anyone who has grown up, gotten a job, been in a relationship or had kids can relate to.. Um, so that’s you! Read this book, I highly recommend it.