Book Review: Liz Tuccillo - How to be single, 2008

Written on 1 October 2015

Edited on 27 June 2018

Rate: 9/10

As I was on my quest to find some books to read I came across 100 Books to Read Before They're Movies from Popsugar. How to be single. The name caught my attention. It sounded like another great chick-lit. Also, Lily Collins was said to star in the movie adaptation (but I wonder what character? She looks too young to be any of the main characters) and "Drew Barrymore has signed on to produce and direct" so I was definitely going to read it.

When I started reading the book I was surprised and annoyed. It was too similar to the book I just read before this one, "No Sex in the City". Even they shared a same name Ruby (good that they had different number of main characters or else I would have given up reading immediately). How to be single was published earlier so I was annoyed at the author of "No Sex in the City". I could have enjoyed this book much more if they weren't this similar! Anyways, I decided to continue reading for the sake of finishing a book and I'm so glad I've done that.

Although the number of main characters were slightly overwhelming, and how Julie chose her next country seemed unreasonable (going to Bali because a one-night stand suddenly tells you to come?) I enjoyed the author's realistic portrayal of the characters during their break-up and how they were able to overcome the rejections and the difficult times.

Ruby's transformation into a swami was very interesting. I never paid attention to swamis before. Can swami just quit? Nuns and priests could have that kind of relationship? (obviously it's a sin but I never thought there was even a chance)

Quotes that resonated with me

".. but I figured out. Until a woman is around thirty, thirty-two, she has all the power. We hit on them, we fight over them, we chase after them. Then, around thirty-two, thirty-three, it all shifts. We get the power and they're the ones fighting and chasing after us." (pg. 161)

"Never let anyone see you at worst. because someday you might want that person's sperm or to date their brother, so you can't ever let them see you crazy or sad or ugly". (pg. 212)

"She was reminded just how short life is and how you shouldn't be wasting any of it" (pg. 334)

"I am definitely not alone. And you know what else? Miracle happens every day." (pg. 354)

Love yourself

Julie said, if you combine all the self-help book the answer would be to "love yourself". I mean the definition of self-help gives it away but, in life, everything does go back to loving yourself. That is the foundation. - 2018

"We have to aggressively love ourselves. We practically have to stalk ourselves, that's how much energy we need to put into this. We really do have to discover our inner Viking and wear our shining armour and love ourselves as bravely as we ever thought possible. so yes, I guess we fucking do have to love ourselves." (pg. 353)

Marriage

"It was only now that she (Alice) truly understood what it meant to settle. She wasn't just making the decision, 'You know what, by golly, this is good enough.' She was saying, This is the level of happiness I'm willing to stop at. Forever. (pg. 251)

"Marriage must be composed of three things: you must be emotionally compatible, intellectually compatible and physically compatible." (pg. 307) 

Movie Adaptation

I'm a bit worried that the actresses may not pull this off as well as the book did because:

• "Books are always better than the movie adaptations" (really, I don't remember any movie that's better than the book).

• This book seems pretty hard to act out and to convey the full message in a limited time period because the book is truly meaningful and deep. Yes, deep. I was surprised. Honestly, when I started reading the book I wasn't engaged for the most part (maybe because I thought it would be the same as "No Sex in the City"). Around third-quarter of the book (when Julie went to Sydney to research on single women) I was fully engaged. And when I finished the book it hit me hard. They all built up and I felt like I've learned so much spiritually.