Naomi Wood’s This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things is a sharp, audacious, and deeply insightful collection of short stories that explores the complex lives of women navigating the expectations of modern society. Through a series of vignettes featuring women in moments of frustration, rebellion, and introspection, Wood exposes the often messy and untamed reality of female experiences, shattering the conventional ideals of ‘the good woman’ and ‘the perfect life.’

The stories in this collection are united by their focus on women who are dissatisfied with the roles society has assigned to them. From a corporate therapy session where a woman’s outburst challenges the norms of working motherhood, to a film director plotting revenge on the actress who betrayed her, Wood deftly weaves together the tensions and contradictions that exist within relationships, careers, and identity.

Wood excels at portraying the dark humor and complexity of her characters. The women in these stories are anything but one-dimensional—they are messy, flawed, sometimes malicious, but always human. These women act out in ways that are subversive and rebellious, pushing against the suffocating boundaries of what society deems acceptable for women. The result is a collection that feels raw and honest, peeling back the layers of convention to reveal the darker, untapped parts of the human experience.

The title itself is a nod to the underlying theme of the collection: that when women refuse to conform to expectations or try to embrace their own agency, they often face consequences—whether it’s a shattered relationship, a scorned career, or a fractured sense of identity. The stories never shy away from these consequences, making the collection feel incredibly honest in its portrayal of the complexity and consequences of non-conformity.

What makes This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things especially compelling is Wood’s ability to balance dark, biting humor with moments of tenderness and vulnerability. It’s not just a critique of societal norms—it’s also a meditation on the human condition, exploring how we negotiate our desires and disappointments, our love and hate, our power and submission.

Each story in this collection offers a unique perspective on the experience of being a woman today, from navigating motherhood to dealing with betrayal in personal and professional realms. The tales are sharp, witty, and, at times, heartbreaking—capturing the complexity of relationships, the struggles of self-identity, and the desire for agency in a world that often demands compliance.

In conclusion, This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things is a remarkable and thought-provoking collection that showcases Naomi Wood’s talent for exploring the lives of women in all their complexity. It’s bold, unapologetic, and empowering, as it pulls back the curtain on the hidden, messy lives women lead when they choose to refuse society's restrictions. A must-read for fans of feminist literature, dark humor, and anyone interested in exploring the depths of the human experience.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for an advanced copy to honestly review.

I am so thankful to Mariner Books, Naomi Wood, and Netgalley for granting me access to this collection of essays and hilarious prose before this book hit shelves on November 26, 2024.

Unfortunately, this was one of the weakest short story collections I've read. The writing comes from a place of wanting to be very poignant and "ha, gotcha!" but flounders under the assumption of where the reader is coming from. The book assumes that readers are there to agree rather than observe the stories. Kind of like trying to get people to rally behind something without checking to see who the audience actually is. When you clam that something is about WOMEN, for WOMEN, relating to WOMEN, that's a broad general category. It's on the writer to connect the two.

Womanhood is not the same as motherhood, and vice versa. They exist as different concepts. The standing thesis of this short story collection relies on the reader to not agree with that.

And truly, I am begging publishers to take a BIG step back from the Taylor Swift lyrics. I'm sure that the author had a title that actually felt like it FIT with the collection.

I enjoyed this book of short stories and I couldn't resist the title. Wood makes some sharp observations about life and I found it a great book to dip in and out of while I was reading a novel. I look forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to @netgalley and @marinerbooks for the advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

A collection of short stories for fans of weird girl litfic. Each story features a woman and her struggles with life, motherhood, work, and how no one has it together. I enjoy a good unhinged book to make me feel not quite so alone on this hot mess express of life and motherhood.

Thank you to NetGalley and Mariner Books for an eARCcopy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review! While I am not the target audience for this short story collection, I could see how readers would be able to connect to these stories. This collection showcases the thoughts of women that society often does not want to hear. The vengeful, self-conscious, self-preserving thoughts that we all think about, but are likely magnified when women are no longer seen as individuals, but as mothers. This collection is very short, and easy to listen to on audio.

Ended up not being for me… was a DNF because I didn’t connect with the content. Might be for someone else though!

This was an interesting story collection that I really enjoyed. I just wish I got more of a few of the stories. There were several that I felt could be full length novels that I would absolutely gobble up.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing this eARC.

This Is Why we Can't Have Nice Things offers nine stories which explore womanhood -- and motherhood in particular -- from the perspectives of a variety of largely different women.

This collection has its ups and downs, to be sure. Many of the stories were hard to get into, or hard to get through, but each time I finished one, I found myself thinking about it more than I would have otherwise expected. Naomi Wood is an excellent writer, sharp and clever and excellent at wrapping up a story at just the right place and time. This was my first time reading any of Wood's work, but it certainly won't be my last!

These short stories are about contemporary women making their way in the world. Unfortunately, for me, they were unremarkable and I cannot remember a single one shortly after reading the collection. For some reason, I just could not connect with the narratives or the characters.

I went into this book perhaps expecting something a bit different. I would say that the stories primarily focus on motherhood and pregnancy and I think I expected a bit more variety in terms of the feminine experience. The stories didn't quite hit home for me for the most part, but I did particularly enjoy the last story in the book which was the most unique, being set against a reality show for women and mothers in a world of dinosaurs. Overall they were well written, just not exactly to my tastes.

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things by Naomi Wood offers insight into the messiness of relationships and the struggle for self-identity after becoming a parent through several short stories. The premise is engaging, and Wood’s writing captures small, relatable moments with sharp wit. However, some of the stories end too abruptly while some parts of other stories drag. The characters are flawed and human, but sometimes lack the depth needed to make their journeys fully resonate. To me, the collection of short stories was enjoyable but forgettable. I’m giving it three stars for its relatability and thoughtful themes and the fact that it’s a quick, simple read. I think it would be a good palette cleanser between books. Thank you to Mariner Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Naomi is a gorgeous writer and is very thought provoking. However, I think this book in reality was a bit different than what I expected. The majority of the stories were around pregnancy and motherhood; which I don't, and don't plan to, relate to. I think I was expecting a bit more rage and angst, but the book was enticing and well written.

I enjoyed these stories. Each one features a female protagonist behaving in unlikeable ways and is designed to make you think about society’s expectations of women. Themes explored include motherhood, family, and the pandemic. Lovely writing in this funny, sharp, and thought-provoking collection! Thank you Mariner Books and NetGalley for the eARC.

I wanted to enjoy this but after the first two stories we’re complaining about motherhood I realized I would be disappointed. I feel like every “smart” book for women that comes out is just whining about motherhood, and as a single woman I have so little interest or patience in the schtick anymore.

This was not for me. I'm not the target audience and couldn't relate to the characters. The blurb sounded amazing but was Definitely misleading as to the book's tone. Also, I was confused most of the time.

Happy Publication Day to this unique collection of short stories.
This collection explores motherhood, mental health, and the feminine experience in a subtle, searing way. Not all of the stories hit me but the ones that did were great.
A/A/A/A and Wedding Day were 5/5 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley and Mariner Books for an advanced copy.

This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things.

Naomi Wood’s debut short story collection looks at the intricate messy reality of being a mom. The stories during Covid were strong and sadly relatable.

Some standout stories in the collection felt incredibly raw, especially the first and last one (Lesley, in Therapy & Dino Moms). Others didn’t land as strongly for me, and I am having trouble recalling them now because I wasn’t quite excited - BUT they still showcased Wood’s talent for crafting compelling characters and settings. If you’re a fan of contemporary fiction with an edge — this collection is worth picking up.

This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things is a collection of short stories on family, motherhood, love, and COVID. I'm not a huge fan of time specific stories like using COVID to place the time of the story wasn't really a hit for me. There were some that were really compelling and Wood's writing is compelling with well thought out characters.

Glib and quick little stories that feel very of-the-moment, but that I don't think will age particularly well.