Wedding Toasts I'll Never Give

"One of the 10 best memoirs of 2017 . . . This frank collection meditates on marriage as an ever-evolving thing, one full of failure and triumph and lots of change, tackling the whimsical idea of soulmates and "the boring parts" of being partnered up. A hilarious relief from the 'happily ever after' narrative." ― W Magazine "Ada Calhoun is the friend we all need―the one who lets us behind the curtain of her good marriage to help us better understand our own. She’s smart, funny, and, best of all, willing to bare all." ― Emma Straub, New York Times best-selling author of Modern Lovers "By turns hilariously candid, thought-provoking, and romantic, Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give gave me a richer view of the joys and challenges of marriage―especially my own marriage." ― Gretchen Rubin, New York Times best-selling author of The Happiness Project "Ada Calhoun has written the definitive meditation on marriage in all of its mystery and imperfection. It should be required reading for anyone considering it, and highly recommended for those who want to be reminded of why they did it in the first place." ― Molly Ringwald "Extremely funny and deeply insightful. With its generous spirit and breathtaking honesty, Ada Calhoun’s instruction manual of a book recalls another all-time favorite, Anne Lamott’s classic Bird by Bird . This slim volume is brimming with practical advice and should be mandatory reading for married people and anyone who’s contemplated taking the leap." ― Davy Rothbart, author of My Heart Is an Idiot "A warm, tart, corrective to the persistent conviction that a wedding is the neat end of a love story." ― Rebecca Traister, New York Times best-selling author of All the Single Ladies "Brutally honest, hilarious and unsentimental―but never unkind―this is a book for anyone who has ever had a thought (good or bad) about the institution of marriage. I devoured this gem in one sitting. I want to marry this book." ― Susannah Cahalan, New York Times best-selling author of Brain on Fire "What a witty, sexy, surprising testimony to the institution of marriage! It’s the best essay collection I’ve read in a long time, just astoundingly honest and insightful about what marriage really means. And I say that as someone who has been married 20 years." ― Karen Abbott, New York Times best-selling author of Sin in the Second City "[Calhoun’s] witty, enthusiastic, emotional, and hard-headed reflections ought to be required reading for anyone entering, experiencing, leaving or avoiding marriage." ― Jonathan Sale, Guardian "By turns funny, melancholy, and profound. A thoughtful read of the monogamous, non-monogamous, and every relationship iteration in between." ― New York Magazine "A lighthearted approach to the toils and snares of marriage…. [O]riginal, engrossing." ― Heather Havrilesky, New York Times Book Review "[A] lovely meditation on what it means to be married and faithful in this age…. I just felt a lot of affection for this book." ― John Williams, New York Times Book Review Podcast "Raise a glass to these reality-check essays that are equal parts ode to marriage… and sly acknowledgment of its challenges." ― O Magazine, "10 Titles to Pick Up Now" "A fine gift to tuck between negligees and garter belts at the more literary bride’s shower....[Calhoun’s] wry, likable voice is at its Ephronesque best." ― Lisa Zeidner, Washington Post "You really need to read this book." ― Wayne Alan Brenner, Austin Chronicle "Raw and relatable." ― Jill Sieracki, Brides " Wedding Toasts I’ll Never Give does away with the fabled ‘happily ever after’… This isn’t a manifesto against the institution; rather, Calhoun shows how challenging yet rewarding it can be." ― Stephanie Topacio Long, Bustle, Best Nonfiction Books of the Month Ada Calhoun has written for the New York Times , New York magazine, and the New York Post . Her book St. Marks Is Dead was named a New York Times Editors’ Choice and a Boston Globe Best Book of the Year.