Standalone Sunday is a fun feature created by Megan at Bookslayerreads where each Sunday you feature a standalone book (not part of a series) that you loved or would recommend. There’s so much focus on books that are part of a series… she thought it’d be nice to focus on some standalone novels, too!
Feel free to join in on this weekly feature by creating your own Standalone Sunday post! And be sure to check out Megan’s very creative blog and leave a link in her Standalone Sunday comments section so she can add your blog to the list
My Standalone Pick is:
Published August 2009 by Orion
My Rating: 5 Stars
The death of Judd Foxman’s father marks the first time that the entire Foxman family—including Judd’s mother, brothers, and sister—have been together in years. Conspicuously absent: Judd’s wife, Jen, whose fourteen-month affair with Judd’s radio-shock-jock boss has recently become painfully public.
Simultaneously mourning the death of his father and the demise of his marriage, Judd joins the rest of the Foxmans as they reluctantly submit to their patriarch’s dying request: to spend the seven days following the funeral together. In the same house. Like a family.
As the week quickly spins out of control, longstanding grudges resurface, secrets are revealed, and old passions reawakened. For Judd, it’s a weeklong attempt to make sense of the mess his life has become while trying in vain not to get sucked into the regressive battles of his madly dysfunctional family. All of which would be hard enough without the bomb Jen dropped the day Judd’s father died: She’s pregnant.
This Is Where I Leave You is Jonathan Tropper’s most accomplished work to date, a riotously funny, emotionally raw novel about love, marriage, divorce, family, and the ties that bind—whether we like it or not.
******
This book gets the award for the only book I’ve ever read that made me laugh so hard I cried! There’s lots of hysterical movies out there that have made me laugh that hard but for a BOOK to do that, that’s some outstanding writing in my opinion. I’ve already re-read this book once and probably will again in the future when I need a good pick me up. In regards to the movie based on this book, while I loved Jason Bateman as Judd, I don’t think the movie came close to being as good as the book. Isn’t that usually the case though? If you’re in the mood to laugh but also be touched by this crazy family, give this book a try.
Has anyone else read this one? I’d love to hear your thoughts as well as any books you’ve all read that made you laugh
I love the Standalone Sunday and Throwback Thursday features because I usually happen upon books I want to read, only to find that I already had them on my TBR. This one I’ve had on there since April 2015; it sounded good back then, it sounds even better now.
People spending time together after a funeral reminds me of one of my all-time-favorite movies, The Big Chill. I love how individuals that live (have made) their own proper lives apart are forced to interact for extended periods of time with family/friends they are no longer close to. Group dynamics is fascinating to me.
Having said this I could not do this whole 7 days thing. Sorry. I love my family in bite-sized pieces. One, two days max. After that, I’m stealing car keys or hot-wiring a car and getting out of dodge.
Thanks Renee, you had me “made me laugh so hard I cried!”
Thanks for commenting about the features, I’ve always loved sharing book recommendations of the books I love so that was a blogging goal when I started a couple months ago. I just hope I don’t run out of books for each feature…I need to read faster I think:) I’ve never seen the Big Chill, I’ll be checking Netflix and Amazon video to see if it’s available. I agree, family dynamics can be so interesting, that’s why I loved this book and I hope you bump it up to the top of your list:) Let me know what you think after you’ve finished
I like the sound of this.I’ve never really read a book that made me laugh,movies..yes but books,not really so I’m interested in this one.Thanks for sharing.
I really loved this one, it’s a one sit read and really cracked me up!
I enjoyed the film quite a bit, so the book has to be amazing. I will add this to my list. This is shamefully, one that I was not aware was a book! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks for commenting, I hope you like the book as much as the movie! I forgot to mention Jane Fonda but I thought she was great as the mother also
She was, but I have no comparison. 🙂
Once again, I watched the film, but didn’t read the book. I love when a book manages to make you laugh <3
Great post! I love books that make me laugh, but there aren’t many of them around! This one sounds really good, with a mix of everything a big on the family drama, things that make for a good reading time.
I really enjoyed it, I had never read his books before so I had no expectations which made it more enjoyable I think
Interesting to see this made you laugh, because I read the book a couple years back and I could not remember that for the life of me. I may have read it after watching the movie though, so that always kind of falsifies the experience. Does that make sense?
yes, I didn’t laugh at the movie, I think already knowing everything that happened made it less funny for sure
I can’t believe I haven’t seen this book around! It sounds great! I really need a book in my life that will make me laugh so hard I’ll cry. Lol! Thanks for the recommendation.
Sure! I hope you like it if you give it a try:)
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I’ve never heard of this one! The last book that made me laugh hysterically was Jenny Lawson’s book Furiously Happy… it is definitely more inappropriate/crude humor lol