The experimental style--all told in lists that help main character Daniel Mayrock understand his life--takes a bit to get into, but once you do, it creates a heart-felt and often edgy story about marriage, fatherhood, and friendship. The relationship between Dan and an old guy he meets at a bingo hall presents some hilarious moments in the book, but it also is extremely touching because Bill has a huge influence on the questioning, semi-slacker, anti-hero Dan. Not for every reader, but those who stay with it, will find a lot to think about.

Happy book birthday to this incredible book!

21 things I love about this book…
1. A book written entirely in lists?? I wasn’t sure about this in the beginning but it totally worked.
2. It’s set in West Hartford, where I lived for 4 years and have fond memories of my time there.
3. Daniel is a former teacher. I work in a school and wish we had more male teachers in the world.
4. Daniel quit his job as a teacher to become a bookstore owner. SO PERFECT.
5. Frequently throughout the book, they give a list of Daniel’s bookstore’s book picks of the month. And the lists are GOOD!
6. Daniel’s baby names.
7. The cover of the book is adorable.
8. Clarence
9. Bill is the best character in the book
10. There are so many lovable characters in this book and there aren’t even that many characters!
11. Dan’s Laws of the Universe
12. I totally identify with Jill
13. Dan totally reminds me of my SO <3
14. We can all identify with some of Dan’s neuroses
15. Marcos was a pretty creative idea
16. Really fun pop culture references
17. I read this book in two sittings because it was so fantastic
18. When Dan lets out a curse, it’s just perfectly timed
19. Who doesn’t keep track of their lives in lists?
20. Steve is pretty awesome, too
21. I can’t remember the last book that I felt such a need to own.

Do yourself a favor and READ THIS BOOK. You won’t regret it.

I was so excited to read this book. I read and fell deeply in love with Matthew Dick's Memoirs of an Imaginary Friend, a truly beautiful work of literature. Seeing this available on Netgalley felt thrilling.

I started reading and was taken aback by the epistolary format, I wasn't expecting it to be entirely made of lists. Yet somehow by the end of the novel, you've grown to know and love Dan and the people in his life. At first though, Dan really made me annoyed. See you're getting a glimpse into his unfiltered thoughts, so something judgmental he might not normally say or admit to is fair game here. That made him a bit hard to handle at times. There are a LOT of things I disagree with Dan over. In the beginning he seemed whiny and self-absorbed. I'd set the book down for a time and come back only to be disappointed in his judgmental theories once again.

But then, Dan meets Bill. Bill is amazing in every way. He's a Vietnam veteran who just takes Dan under his wing and essential decides on his own their going to be friends. Along the way more and more tidbits are uncovered about Bill that make you see how resilient and amazing he is.

In the book we also meet Dan's wife, Jill. Jill is a widow and Dan always feels a bit like he's competing with a ghost that can't lose. I get that. I can absolutely see how that would be true and difficult and that Dan's allowed to feel his feelings. It was hard to read about at times though, because we don't ever get the opposite point of view through Jill and what she is going through.

There are other people in Dan's life you are "introduced to" via his multitude of lists. His list-making began as a therapeutic exercise but seemingly has become very compulsive.

Now about 3/4 of the way through this book, things started to change for me. I started to like Dan a heck of a lot more. Dan was definitely growing. He was starting to think outside himself and it was reflected in his lists and thoughts. By the end of this book, I'm a fan of Dan. I'm rooting for him and hoping he continues to grow and be the best he can be not only for Jill, but for himself too!

I'd recommend this to people who are going through this time of their life, a little bit into "adulthood" when things are starting to feel overwhelming and big and also like the ball can't stop now that it's started rolling. If you like epistolary novels, you'll probably like this. If you don't regularly read novels comprised entirely of either lists, letters, emails, etc. it may take a little getting used to, but ultimately, it's worth it. There is redemption at the end that is glorious. And Dan's list of Twenty-One Truths About Love is spot on and perfect, worth the wait.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the free review copy. All opinions are my own.

I am a list lover, so when I had the chance to review this book written entirely in lists, I knew that I had to read it. This book was so unique from anything that I have ever read, and it just worked for me. I think that even with the lists, there was depth to the story. It also made it easy for me to follow the characters and issues in the book. This book tackles some deep topics like finances, starting a family, and trying to figure out what exactly what life should look like.

I think that the format of the book definitely makes it one to be read when you’re in the mood for something a bit different. I would definitely recommend going in with an open mind, and keep in mind that the whole story is told in lists – they don’t disappear. That said, as a reader, you get an entire story from the lists. I didn’t think that the book felt disjointed at all.

This book was okay. I didn't love it, but it definitely wasn't completely awful. The one thing that I really liked was the format. It was so unique and cool that it was written entirely in lists, but that did get a little bit old after a while.
The plot was also kind of hard for me to follow (probably because of the format), and what I could follow, I didn't really love.
This is definitely a unique and fun read, and I'm sure lots of people will love it, but it wasn't my cup of tea, personally.

I was really interested in how this book was written--completely in the form of lists. I was surprised by how easy it was to catch the story just from these daily lists. Dan Mayrock is a sympathetic character. Even when he's not making the best decisions, you can't help but relate to him and sympathize. The tension is there as he tries to figure out what to do financially. We're also given a good cast or secondary characters. I especially enjoyed Bill and Steve and thought the addition of Kimberly's character added some humor. Overall, an interesting book in the way it was written but I thought the plot could have been a little stronger. 3/5

I was intrigued when I read the description for this book. Even more intrigued after I started reading this book. At first, I thought there was no way I would finish reading it as the lists were seemingly random and repetitive. The more I read though, the more I enjoyed the lists and seeing how Dan's views, feelings etc. changed over time. Such a "novel" idea that overall really worked!
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and the publisher and voluntarily chose to review it.

(3.5) This was an interesting book and a very creative way to write it. I mostly enjoyed it but at times I felt the list thing was just too much. There were some poignant moments, though, and some funny & quirky ones as well. I found myself feeling sorry for Dan at times. Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.

Rating: 2.5 stars rounded up to 3 stars

1. The author, Matthew Dicks is a brave man.
2. His new book written completely in lists.
3. I liked it a first, but I soon wanted a meatier story.
4. Told from Dan’s perspective. Dan seems to have either OCD or an anxiety disorder – or both.
5. Dan owns a bookstore. He keeps the true state of the bookstore finances from his wife.
6. Dan’s wife Jill is a widow. Dan fears that he will never measure up to Jill’s first husband.
7. Jill gets pregnant.
8. Dan still doesn’t tell her their financial situation.
9. Dan meets Bill, a crotchety Vietnam Vet at Bingo.
10. Dan and Bill become friends.
11. This book goes on and on this way.
12. It’s a quick read, but the gimmick soon became tiresome.
13. Kudos to the author for trying something new.
14. I’ve really enjoyed Mr. Dick’s previous works.
15. It just didn’t work very well for me.
16. Better luck next time.

‘Thank-You’ to NetGalley; the publisher, St Martin’s Press; and the author, Matthew Dicks; for providing a free e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 sparkling stars
Things I thought about this clever and creative book:
• It took a few pages to get into this list – a different reading flow than a book, but fun to discover
• The story unfolded through lists
• Lists were about characters (mostly Jill, wife), dad, lack of money, shopping lists, chores, you name it.
• I highlighted things that evoked smiles – there were many
• Hardest things (about owning a bookstore) – watching great books go unread and terrible books sell like hotcakes
• The author used more swear words that I would. Sometimes annoying, sometimes ‘appropriate’ to mood
• Loved subtlety of some humor like Gift ideas for Mom 1. 2.
• December list gets to reasons he fell in love with wife – charming and earthy
• Poorly named foods include: Field greens and Pupu platter
• The author’s new year resolutions are sweet.
• I see author growing and working through stuff. Others help.
• Among 12 things he didn’t know – apparently the pregnant lady hormones start early. Telling your wife that the pregnant lady hormones “apparently start early” does not go over well.
• Writer’s dad leaving has significant impact – the sad list explains and balances the ‘story’
• List writer lists books his store is promoting – fun to see what I’ve read
• I really started getting involved in the lists (see above)
• February 6 list – Things I am forever grateful for: 1. Growing up without the Internet… 4. Free refills 5.The ocean 6. Public ban on smoking 7. Vaccines 8. Bruce Springsteen 11. Lack of digital photography when I was in high school. See- you’re getting involved too!
• Thought provoking question I never thought about – is it better to eat a 250 calore Twix or a 345-calorie avocado?
• As a retired teacher, I loved My Teaching Beliefs (you’ll just have to read the book/lists)
• Book offers Advice to my future self – makes me want to write. (Actually I did start my anti-curmudgeon manifesto)
• A surprising amount of stuff, insights, etc. happen in a goofy, but normal life between November and June
• Thanks Matthew Dicks for stretching novel expectations and creativity
• Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC of this inspiring book in exchange for an honest review.

A book written entirely in lists? Yes! As a woman who enjoys making a good list: to-do lists, shopping lists, honey-do lists, and my favorite…to-be-read lists, I was more than a little intrigued to read a fiction novel written in list form.

While the originality did spark my interest, I will admit that I had a couple of concerns as I began to read this book. Would this style allow me to get to know the characters? Would the story flow well? I am happy to report that the answer to both questions is yes. With every list that Dan, the main character, wrote, I felt like I was getting better acquainted with him. I wasn’t very far into the book before I felt as though I had a pretty good understanding of Dan and his need for writing his lists.

Dan was an interesting character, although he would disagree with me. While he was essentially an average, working, married man in his thirties, his inner voice and feelings about certain topics and happenings in his own life were what made Dan, well…Dan. He was definitely laced with insecurities, fraught with worries, kept secrets, and wanted to be good man and husband. His desperation and fear were palpable throughout the novel. I think that he was, for the most part, a relatable character. His lists fluctuated from financial worries to family and marital issues to quirky, outrageous lists of his views on certain subjects and life in general. His lists went from making me feel for him and his situations to making me laugh out loud at some of his views, and I even shed a few tears.

I always say that if a book makes a reader feel something, it’s a good book. I really enjoyed my time with Twenty-one Truths About Love. It was a unique, fast-paced, touching, humorous, and entertaining reading experience. This was my first book by Matthew Dicks, but I have already added his other books to, you guessed it…my to-be-read list!

*4 Stars

A book with books on the cover has to be good, right? And Taylor Jenkins-Reid (Daisy Jones and The Six) had endorsed it. I mean, she’s just published a creatively written book so she should know one when she sees one. But you’re probably saying to yourself, “how in the world can a book written entirely in lists be interesting or have any depth?” I thought the same thing going in but I figured that a book written entirely in lists wouldn’t take long to read so it wasn’t a major commitment to give it a shot.

Guys, if I had started this book on a Friday night, I might well have stayed up all night reading it. Because, yes, in the same way that an epistolary novel sucks me in thinking I’ll just read one more letter, I kept thinking, “I’ll just read one more list.” Or one more day. Or one more month. And it’s only lists so there aren’t that many words on each page, so that helps. Still, I would have stayed up reading this book all night because I really, really liked this book. It is unique and funny and insightful and surprisingly moving.

The book is broken into monthly sections and then by the day and time each list was written. It was important to pay attention to those dates and times to really see how Dan's mind was working - sometimes there were a string of lists separated only by a few minutes. Essentially this book is the very easiest stream of consciousness book to read (and possibly the best way to write one that people will happily read). I became very attached to Dan - I so wanted him to be a good man. I won't give away the ending. Let's just say, it worked for me in all of the right ways.

You've heard of list-icles. Now meet the list-ovel... list-novel? Anyway, I didn't know how this format was going to work out in telling a story but it's been an entertaining ride. Dan, who agonises about leaving his stable teaching job to open a book store, write lists as a coping mechanism. When you list down everything, you can still tell a fairly decent story. So Dan's wife Jill got pregnant and this sends him into a secret panic mode because the book store was not making money and babies cost a lot. He had to come up with money before their child arrives. This list of a book managed to sketch out the relationship between him and Jill, his employees at the book store, and his attempts to raise cash. Pretty fun read.

This eARC of 'Twenty-one Truths About Love' is courtesy of NetGalley.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me a copy of this unique book. I'm a list-maker, but not to this extent! :) Yet Daniel's personality shines through on his many quirky lists as he tries to get his act together, first for his wife (who he is sure still loves her deceased husband more than she does him.) Then, their unborn baby is added to his list of people to fret over, people who he knows depend on him to get his life in order.
Yes, his lists can be funny. They are also heartfelt as you envision this man feeling backed into a corner financially, hoping he doesn't have to tell his wife just how dire things have become.
I enjoyed this unusual way to tell a story and thought it very clever to unfold a person's life joys and sorrows in such a unique way.

This is the second novel I have read by Matthew Dicks and it did not disappoint. It has a very unique format, essentially a series of lists & journal entries, but once I got used to it, the style became easy to read. This story follows the relationship between Dan & Jill, a married couple. It is written from Dan’s viewpoint and we quickly learn he has quit his teaching job to open a bookstore. Jill is supportive of Dan following his dreams, but she also is unaware of the secrets & stress that Dan carries. There is a definite financial burden associated with this change. Will Dan be able to make this new career work, will he find a solution to their financial crisis, will he reply to the numerous letters from his estranged father, and how will learning they are pregnant with their first child be impacted? Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have really mixed feelings about Twenty-one Truths about Love, by Matthew Dicks. On the one hand, I was impressed that a story could be told reasonably well with only a series of lists. On the other hand, the main character is hardly likable, and having an entire book written in lists quickly becomes an irritating gimmick.

What I Liked:

Story:

The lists, over time, reveal a man who is becoming desperate. His bookstore is losing money, his wife wants to start a family, and he really has no friends. His self-esteem continually takes a beating to the point where he is willing to doing anything to get money. It's actually rather sad.

What I Was Mixed About:

The Lists:

While I was surprised that a series of lists could convey so much emotion, it became too much of a gimmick. One of the reasons I didn't feel it completely work is that many of the lists are so random. Why include lists of cars? I like some lists in a book, but couldn't they be situated at the beginning of each chapter?

At times, I felt like I was reading more of an outline rather than a novel. This made me wonder if anyone would be willing to pay nearly $25 for a book outline. It really seemed like a very unfinished work, rather than a full novel.

Characters:

Dan, the main character, has such low self-esteem that he:

1. Is jealous of his wife's dead husband.

2. Lies to his wife constantly.

3. Is a poor businessman.

4. Makes many selfish decisions in an attempt to avoid facing the consequences of his actions.

5. Is a jerk!

While I did sympathize with his plight, this did not excuse his incredibly stupid behavior.

I also liked the wife, Jill, and Dan's one friend, Bill. However, I would have loved to know more about them. Again, lists can only take the story so far.

As far as books go, I think if you want to read this, wait for it to come to your local library. It did have some interesting moments, but I wouldn't want to pay money for a series of lists. Give me a novel, and I'd consider it.

When a synopsis tells me a book is about certain things, I'm generally going to be interested. Among those things is bookshops and bookshop owners, hence the reason I picked up Twenty-one Truths About Love. It being written in a list format was also intriguing, I've read books in prose before, which seemed similar, so I was interested.

However...

Twenty-one Truths was an exasperating reading experience, very nearly a DNF, and is most assuredly not a book I can recommend.

WHAT I DIDN'T ENJOY

1. Dan's constant lying to his wife, Jill, in particular regarding their finances.



2. His uncommunicativeness with Jill, again regarding their finances but especially regarding children, his feelings regarding her previous husband, etc.



3. Dan left his job as a teacher to open a bookshop which in and of itself is not a problem. However, he did so without knowing a single thing about the business, without ideas that are so simple as to be a smack in the face, and seems to blame everyone but himself for why the bookshop isn't make enough money. 



4. He never seemed to actually try to make things better in reasonable ways i.e. sales, coupons, events, pairing up with schools for summer reading until the very end which was so absurd. 



5. Actually states that he never wanted to be a boss (then WHY did you open a bookshop???).



6. This quote:

"Real reasons I quit teaching I wasn’t a good enough teacher It hurt my heart to watch kids waste so much time and ability"


I'm not sure he understood his students as well as he thought he did. They wasted their potential? Did he ever ask himself why? Question what might be going on in their lives that might be hurting or causing this? This felt like he was looking for an easy out to explain/excuse his own failings. 



7. This quote:

"Reasons I opened bookstore Love reading good books Love browsing bookstores Thought it would be easy Stupidest thought I’ve ever had Owning and operating a bookstore would be easy"

Oy vey. 🙄



8. Dan made lists of ways to keep his wife from getting pregnant (not including, you know, actually talking to his wife about not wanting children). Based on this, among a litany of other things, I swear, he's a fucking coward who can't have a grown-up conversation with his wife about why he doesn't want children, either now or at all.



9. He's entirely dismissive of his in-laws' cultural food (kugel most specifically) because:



"You can determine the objective tastiness of a food by the probability of its presence on a restaurant menu. Kugel cannot be found on your average restaurant menu, therefore it objectively sucks."



It depends on the restaurant, asshole. Dan is the type of guy who only goes to a specific rotation of restaurants and likely doesn't try anything new.



10. Dan is entirely too snooty and judgemental about books throughout Twenty-one Truths, particularly for someone in his position. Judging people for the books they buy, for asking questions that he deems stupid (like someone asking about more books in the Hunger Games trilogy which, hey, jokes on you, Dan, because there IS ANOTHER COMING).



11. This quote:

"I’m not stopping myself from being happier. It’s my checking account that’s keeping me from being happy."



BULLSHIT.



12. This quote:



"There are FIVE books in the Wrinkle in Time series now."


For someone who gets snooty & elitist about being a bookshop owner, not knowing about An Acceptable Time (1989) is SUPER weird.



13. Dan was jealous of Jill's dog because Clarence first belonged to her and her first husband, Peter (who died and left Jill a widow). Dan has a big complex about Peter throughout the book that is never really resolved, more kinda-sorta brushed aside at the end if that.



14. This quote:

"I ignore dress codes whenever possible because the only people who really care if you are conforming to the dress code are the worst possible people (the same people who expect hand-written thank you notes). Also, everyone is way too busy thinking that everyone is looking at them to worry about me. Also, you have a right to feel good about the way you look."



Dan has no sense of decorum and just when you think he can't become more of an ass... *gesticulates wildly at above quote*



15. This quote:

"When parking my car at a gas station or rest area with the sole intent of going inside to use a restroom or make a purchase, I park in front of a gas pump as if I’m also purchasing gas if no closer space is available."



By this point I've got to assume the author was actively trying to make me hate the narrator, right?



16. Throughout the book, Dan has an intense hangup about hampers and clothing being taking out of them immediately. It's such an annoying, passive aggressive trait that every time he brings it up I felt the need to scream.



17. There is a whole, literal plot where Dan is scouting different bingo games around town with the sole intention to steal the pot from them. Rather than improve his business, he thinks this is a legitimate plan.



18. He ACTUALLY GOES THROUGH WITH THIS PLAN. He ROBS a Daughters of the American Revolution bingo night, ends up having an attack of conscience, returns the money with the help of a guy he made friends with at bingo along the way, and suffers ZERO consequences for being a criminal. WHAT THE FUDGE IS THIS???



19. This quote:

"I was an average teacher. Maybe an average husband. A bad bookstore owner. A jealous brother. The worst son. Maybe this is a thing I can do well. I’m doing something that Peter could never do. I’m doing something. I feel like someone. Maybe I’ve watched too many heist movies. It feels so good to be brave."

In almost all regards to the "heist", even after the fact, he seems proud of it. He never takes responsibility for being a complete asshole, for being a thief. He undertook a heist, he was brave...NO DUDE, YOU WERE A JERK. AN ASSHOLE. You got away with it, but that's no excuse.



20. He doesn't deserve his wife or his daughter. Jill ends up undergoing a c-section, saying she'll go back to work early, that he's not stupid because he takes on a partner at the bookstore, and all I can think is that she doesn't deserve this asshole. Nor does this poor kid that was born so early.



21. The book more or less closes with:

Love makes you do the stupidest, bravest, most ridiculous and idiotic things in your life. It makes you scared and crazy and crazed and joyous. Love is all the feelings.

TO SUM IT UP

You don't get to use love as an excuse for the shitty things you do.

Twenty-one Truths About Love is a fantastic book! I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of this book. It is a quick read as the format and writing keep the story moving. This is a great story about being an adult. This is something that most of us struggle with as we get older and have to make what seems to be the best decisions for ourselves and our families. The story and thoughts of Dan were so relatable as I have felt the same ways many times in my years of marriage and parenting.
This would be a great book for the "non-reader" in your life that you wish would actually read a book. The quick pace of the story and the format, along with the relatable story makes it the perfect book.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Matthew Dicks for the opportunity to read and review this book.
I'm sure this will be a divisive read - you will probably either love it or hate it. Put me square in the love it column!

The book is written totally in lists - Daniel saw a therapist once that told him to journal his thoughts. He took that advice and started writing down all this thoughts obsessively in the form of lists. He even adds lists from other people. This steam of consciousness in the form of lists spools out Daniel's story. He was a teacher which was where he met his wife, Jill. Tired of teaching and feeling he wasn't good enough at it, he quit and opened up a bookshop. Which is now losing money. Daniel doesn't feel he's worthy of Jill and is scared of losing her. Jill is a widow; her husband, Peter, died before they met and Daniel constantly feels inadequate compared to Peter. How do you compete with a dead guy? Afraid to tell Jill of their actual financial state, especially because she is desperate to get pregnant, Daniel lies to her and tries to come up with a plan to get money to rescue him so he doesn't have to confess to Jill that his life isn't working.

So many of these lists are hilarious and so real. Even when you may not approve of Daniel's lies and thoughts about getting money, you can still relate to his feelings. And so much of what he wrote should be taken out and memorized - there are great life and parenting lessons mixed in.

It may not be for everyone, but I adored this book and highly recommend it!

I loved this book. I am a huge fan of lists, journal entries, letters, etc. Bravo to the author.
I love that there was the perfect amount of information to know everything you needed to, to connect and sympathize with the characters with just the basics. Will definitely read again.