Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
We All Want Impossible Things
We All Want Impossible Things: A Novel | Catherine Newman
Catherine Newman sees the heartbreak and comedy of life with wisdom and unflinching compassion. The way she finds the extraordinary in the everyday is nothing short of poetry. Shes a writers writerand a humans human.New York Times bestselling author Katherine Center We All Want Impossible Things is a riotously funny and fiercely loyal love letter to female friendship. The story of Edi and Ash proves that a best friend is a gift from the gods. Newman turns her prodigious talents toward finding joy even in the friendships final days. I laughed while crying, and was left revived. Newman is a comic masterhand and a dazzling philosopher of the day-to-day.Amity Gaige, author of Sea Wife The funniest, most joyful book about dyingand livingthat I have ever read.KJ Dell'Antonia, author of the New York Times bestselling The Chicken Sisters For lovers of Meg Wolitzer, Maria Semple, and Jenny Offill comes this raucous, poignant celebration of life, love, and friendship at its imperfect and radiant best. Edith and Ashley have been best friends for over forty-two years. Theyve shared the mundane and the momentous together: trick or treating and binge drinking; Gilligans Island reruns and REM concerts; hickeys and heartbreak; surprise Scottish wakes; marriages, infertility, and children. As Ash says, Edis memory is like the back-up hard drive for mine. But now the unthinkable has happened. Edi is dying of ovarian cancer and spending her last days at a hospice near Ash, who stumbles into heartbreak surrounded by her daughters, ex(ish) husband, dear friends, a poorly chosen lover (or two), and a rotating cast of beautifully, fleetingly human hospice characters. As The Fiddler on the Roof soundtrack blasts all day long from the room next door, Edi and Ash reminisce, hold on, and try to let go. Meanwhile, Ash struggles with being an imperfect friend, wife, and parentwith life, in other words, distilled to its heartbreaking, joyful, and comedic essence. For anyone whos ever lost a friend or had one. Get ready to laugh through your tears.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
blurb
quietjenn
post image

Not entirely connecting with this, but maybe that's a good thing? It's very honest and a little messy, which seems appropriate.

51 likes1 stack add
review
Hilary427
post image
Mehso-so

I think I wanted to like this book more than I actually did. I just didn‘t connect with the main character, and I truly could not keep the J names straight in my mind (Jules, Jude, Jonah, Junior and Jelly). I enjoyed the ending though, and like a book that can make me cry! (29)
⭐️: 3/5

review
Rissreads
post image
Pickpick

This book is like life. So many things at once. Devastatingly sad and messy but so joyous too. I‘m blessed to have friends who are my family. LOVED this book! 💙🩵💛

marleed It‘s one of my favorite books! 4mo
Centique I loved this one too! 3mo
42 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
ImperfectCJ
post image
Pickpick

I found the mc pretty annoying for most of the book, the family/friends dynamic is foreign to me (I can't imagine having a friend I'm close enough with that they could be my hospice caregiver or vice versa), and I have a bias against books about people from NYC (I'm just sick of them), but even with all of those things, this is a beautifully written book. The portrayal of death, loss, and grief feel true to me. Now I need to read something light.

ImperfectCJ Photo: yep, another Zion NP picture! This one is the Virgin River near The Narrows. 6mo
BarbaraBB Love the photo 😍😍 6mo
40 likes2 comments
blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

I'm glad I left enough time to dry my eyes and blow my nose after listening to this on my ride to class today. And that I didn't decide to wear mascara today. Oof. I might wait until I get home to listen to the rest so I'm not driving and crying.

BarbaraBB Such a gorgeous, sad read! 6mo
47 likes1 comment
blurb
ImperfectCJ
post image

#motivationalmonday

1. Between paid work, volunteer work, and school work, I have SO MUCH to do. And my son has a band concert Wednesday, so that's fun.

2. The dusty table and chairs on my back patio.

3. Southern California. Kind of chilly for April, but reasonably sunny.

4. I'm not really liking this one.

@Cupcake12

Cupcake12 Thanks for joining in and good luck with your busy week xx 6mo
ImperfectCJ @Cupcake12 Thank you! I took a break and took a walk, and even though I still have a lot to do, it feels less overwhelming, at least at the moment 6mo
31 likes2 comments
review
Jas16
post image
Pickpick

A woman caring for her lifelong best friend while she is in hospice. While this book does not hold back on the tears and grief there is also laughter and the general messiness of life. As much as Ash frustrated me at times I still found myself wishing for a friend like her. Great on audio,

review
fredthemoose
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Novel written as the memoir of a middle aged woman caring for her best friend as she‘s in hospice dying of cancer. Overall really enjoyed it. Got exasperated with the MC 2/3 through but her dying friend telling her that yes, she WAS judging the MC for some of her questionable behavior helped.

blurb
LeslieO
post image

Hello Beautiful got knocked out early but actually was one of my favs of the year along with the top two. #yearinreview

Deblovestoread Loved your winner! 9mo
LeslieO @Deblovestoread So good! Read it in March and nothing beat it. 9mo
43 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
AileenRR
post image
Pickpick

Another one I had to listen to twice because I had difficulty keeping track of who was who the first time around. Jonah/Jude/Jules. Tough in an audiobook.
I did like the story though. I love reading about friends and family banding together in difficult situations; love details and the nitty gritty about people‘s daily lives; love inside jokes 💖

Hilary427 Junior and Jelly, too 😝 too many Js!!! 3mo
AileenRR @Hilary427 Seriously! 3mo
15 likes2 comments
review
JillR
post image
Pickpick

You know this isn‘t going to be an easy read from the start. But it is also sweet, funny, snarky, and really quite lovely. There‘s a lot more about life in this little book than you‘d perhaps expect. There‘s also the privileged-New-Yorker-self-absorption which should be annoying yet I always fall for. But, your heart will break; proceed with caution if you need to be gentle with yourself regarding grief. And do not read on the train 😳

BarbaraBB A beautiful book 💔 10mo
squirrelbrain I loved this one. 💔 10mo
34 likes2 comments
blurb
LeslieO
post image

1. No Two Persons
2. The Bullet that Missed
3. The Last Ranger by Peter Heller
4. The new Angie Kim
5. It Ends With Us
6. The Drift 5⭐️
7. New to me - Erica Bauermeister
8. Will from Hello Beautiful
9. We All Want Impossible Things
10. The Windsor Knot
11. Beautiful cover? I‘ll say The Wishing Game
12. More series for my #SeriesLove2023 goal.
#MidYearBookFreakOut
@TheSpineView

TheSpineView 💙📖📘📚📚 1y
Prairiegirl_reading I just got No Two Persons! I‘m excited for it. I read The School of Essential Ingredients and the sequel a while back and loved those. If you haven‘t read those yet they are both very good, the sequel not quite as good as the first. 1y
LeslieO @Prairiegirl_reading I have School of Essential Ingredients in my TBR but I didn‘t know there was a sequel. I did read House Lessons, her memoir and loved it. 1y
29 likes1 stack add3 comments
review
Centique
post image
Pickpick

Thank you for putting this book on my radar @Cinfhen I read it in one day and it was so astoundingly perfect.
I have a friend going through this, it‘s the last days now and I‘ve had my final visit with her (didn‘t know it was the final visit at the time😢) Time for the family to gather around her. I really needed to think about it and have a cry and so on and I‘d just had this book turn up at the library. It was messy and real and perfect. ⬇️

Centique This gets my wholehearted recc for anyone to read even if this strikes you as being very sad. There‘s a lot of joy and humour in this book as well. A lot of light. Definite 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 1y
Crazeedi Definitely adding, it sounds beautiful 1y
Cinfhen I‘m so sorry to hear about your friend💔I can totally see how this book would both break and heal your heart. It‘s perfect xxxx sending love 💕 1y
See All 20 Comments
SamAnne I keep picking this up and putting it down. But it sounds like a great book. I have a friend who is terminal, and I‘m in remission. Might be too close to home, but also perhaps the perfect read. 1y
willaful I'm so sorry. I went through my best friend's cancer 30 years ago, and it's still hard to read about, though we were tremendously lucky and she survived. (Never truly recovered though. 😢) 1y
sarahbarnes I agree, this was so good. I‘m so sorry about your friend. 💙 1y
Centique @Crazeedi I hope you love it too 1y
Centique @SamAnne I had cancer back in my 30s, so I empathise. For a long time I couldn‘t pick up a book like this. I think it helps that this one starts at moving into hospice - so there‘s no diagnosis scene etc. Still so sad but sometimes it‘s good to feel seen, that somebody has captured this experience (from the viewpoint of being the friend alongside) Much love and best wishes to you and your friend 💕 1y
Centique @willaful best friends are so precious 💕 Wonderful that she survived but I‘m sorry to hear that she didn‘t recover fully 😢 Best wishes to you both 1y
Centique @sarahbarnes thank you Sarah. I never got her onto Litsy unfortunately but she is a retired librarian and an amazing crafter so this place would have been a wonderful fit for her 💕 1y
Bookzombie I‘m so sorry to hear about your friend. Sending love. 💕 1y
Reggie Oh, Paula, I‘m so sorry. 1y
Centique @Reggie thank you lovely. She passed yesterday. Hard to believe. I don‘t think it‘ll seem real until I visit her house and she‘s not there. We weren‘t super close but she was kind of my role model - the kind of person i want to emulate - just a lovely bookish lady whose home has been this peaceful recuperative space for all her neighbours and her English language and dyslexic students. 💕 1y
tpixie @Centique I‘m sorry for your loss. Your friend sounds lovely and that she made a great impact on those who knew her! Great review of this book. It sounds heavy, but beautiful 🤩 1y
Centique @tpixie thank you so much Teri Ann 💕 1y
tpixie @Centique 💗💗💗 1y
Rissreads I‘m sad for you Paula. Although you too are a lovely bookish lady who gives us Littens so much joy. X 1y
Suet624 Oh gosh, how sad. I‘m so sorry for your loss. 1y
Centique @Suet624 thank you Sue - it has been a bit of a year of watching/supporting friends and family grapple with hospitals and end of life. This is a good book for such a time though 💕 1y
77 likes8 stack adds20 comments
blurb
BarbaraBB
post image

#BookReport 18/23

I didn‘t enjoy Gospel much but the other three were really good. So I had a wonderful week!

TrishB Great week 👍🏻 I loved the tagged one, felt very genuine. 1y
AnneCecilie I loved The Strays too. 1y
Cinfhen Glad you had an overall great reading week 😁 1y
63 likes3 comments
review
BarbaraBB
post image
Pickpick

This book broke my heart but it‘s also a super loving tribute to love and friendship. Edi is dying in a hospice and her friends and family are taking care of her there. Ash is her best friend and she has such a hard time. Reminiscing, supporting, grieving, laughing. It‘s messy and beautiful and I loved the dynamics of Ash and her daughters - or her people as she calls them.

(Pic: Les Tuileries, Paris)

BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Thanks for the recommendation Cindy, just what I needed 💔❣️ 1y
sarahbarnes I‘m so glad you liked it too. 💔♥️ 1y
HeatherBookNerd Loved this book 1y
See All 10 Comments
Cinfhen Fabulous review! This book was so moving. Love your photo. Hope you‘re having a wonderful time. XX 1y
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I did, of course! You did and Cindy and @squirrelbrain so I was pretty sure I would too 🩵 1y
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen So moving! I was in and out of Paris in two days for work but it was still wonderful to be there! 1y
Cinfhen I knew you went for work but I thought you were staying for the weekend??!! 1y
BarbaraBB @Cinfhen No I am back already! But it‘s finally sunny here too so I‘m fine! 1y
BarbaraBB @HeatherBookNerd It is so moving and yet so heartwarming and funny. I loved it too! 1y
Cinfhen Yay, Sun 🌞 Have a lovely weekend 😘 1y
85 likes2 stack adds10 comments
review
Cinfhen
post image
Pickpick

This might be the funniest saddest book I‘ve ever read! As her best friend enters hospice, Ash vows to make Edi‘s final days as joyous as possible because that‘s what a best friend does despite the fact that Ash seems to be having a mini midlife crises. This story is a powerful nod to female friendship & facing death with love, laughter and bravery. MUST HAVE TISSUES!!! Narration was fantastic. 5 ⭐️

robinb Sounds good. I just finished one about a death doula. Sounds a bit similar. 😊 (edited) 1y
Cinfhen I just read a book synopsis and it was definitely about a death doula @robinb but I can‘t remember the book title?!!! 1y
robinb @Cinfhen was it this one? I just finished it. 1y
See All 11 Comments
TrishB Loved this one ♥️ 1y
squirrelbrain I loved this one too! 1y
BarbaraBB Ordered my copy - while I promised myself to wait for #CampLitsy 🤦🏻‍♀️ 1y
Cinfhen Yesssssss thanks @robinb xxxx 1y
Cinfhen You won‘t regret your decision @BarbaraBB it was such a good book - loved it too @TrishB @squirrelbrain now I‘m curious about the book @robinb tagged!!!! 1y
BarbaraBB I‘m sure I won‘t regret it! It‘s on its way lol along with all the other books I want to read thanks to CampLitsy23 and the international Booker prize 🤦🏻‍♀️ 1y
robinb @Cinfhen I‘ve just finished it and need to post my review. It‘s good! 1y
Cinfhen I‘ll look for it @robinb 🤩 1y
82 likes3 stack adds11 comments
blurb
Cinfhen
post image

OMG! THIS BOOK! It‘s so achingly beautiful and sad and yet humorous- a lot like life. Best friends since childhood, Edi & Ash -one faces death while the other has to face what living without your best friend looks like. Narration is near perfection 🙌🏻

sarahbarnes Omg yes. I just read this and cried so many times. And laughed too. It‘s fantastic. ♥️ 1y
Cathythoughts I have this one. Must get to it 👍🏻❤️ 1y
Cinfhen It‘s gonna be a 5 star read for me @Cathythoughts @sarahbarnes 😭😭😭 1y
See All 8 Comments
Itchyfeetreader Well this sounds like my sort of thing. Stacking 1y
BarbaraBB A five star read for you and @sarahbarnes ? I have no choice then… 1y
marleed I love every inch of this book! 1y
Megabooks Oooo!! Maybe I‘ll have to get this one. I‘ve been on and off about it. 1y
Cinfhen It‘s REALLY SAD but also SO FUNNY. It‘s excellent @Megabooks 1y
69 likes6 stack adds8 comments
review
mjtwo
post image
Pickpick

5-9 Apr 23 (audiobook)
Heartbreaking and endearing, this is the story of Ash as she supports the woman who has been her best friend since pre-school through palliative care. Newman manages to imbue her story with humour, fleshed-out supporting characters and real pathos, plus many grotesque details of dying. Both Ash and Edi have magnificent husbands and wonderful children and a truly beautiful friendship.
Not as miserable as it sounds.

11 likes1 stack add
blurb
Cathythoughts
post image

Thanks Trish. Loving the look of these books. This tagged book is one I‘ve been watching for awhile now 💛💛 Thankyou 😘 @TrishB

TrishB Great pic 👍🏻 have a wonderful day Cathy and enjoy your reading 😘 2y
Cathythoughts @TrishB Thankyou ♥️ 2y
Blaire Oh nice! I really like Catherine Newman. I used to read her blog back in the day.. 1y
56 likes3 comments
review
jdiehr
post image
Pickpick

This is a sad book about a woman whose best friend is in hospice.

Sounds awfully depressing, right?

At one point, the main character says it's the saddest and happiest she's ever been.

I can relate. When my mom was dying, I was so sad, but also so happy that my family (dad, brother, sister) was able to come together and spend an extended amount of time with mom.

We laughed, cried, and prayed together.

And it was such a blessing to be there.

Suet624 I know what you mean. 💕 2y
31 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
suvata
post image
Pickpick

#StoryGraph: fiction contemporary emotional reflective sad
217 pages • first pub 2022

Edi and Ash have been best friends for over forty years. When Edi is diagnosed with terminal cancer, Ash's world reshapes around the rhythms of Edi's care. Yes, this is a very sad book, but it‘s worth the read for all the emotions.

blurb
LeslieO
post image

NovelTea with book quotes, Meyer lemon cookies and a 5⭐️ book all curtesy of the wonderful @LaraReads and #muglove23. The book is sad but also heartwarming and funny.

LeahBergen Look at those pretty teacups! 2y
LeslieO @LeahBergen Don‘t you just love a pretty tea cup? 💜 2y
LaraReads Lovely! 🫖 💕 I‘m so glad to hear you enjoyed it, even if it was sad. 2y
See All 6 Comments
TrishB I enjoyed this one too. 2y
kspenmoll Lovely tea cups! 2y
marleed Love, love, love this book! 2y
47 likes6 comments
review
LaLove
Pickpick

If you can have a book set in hospice with a happy ending, this was it. So sad, but somehow also feel good.

review
TrishB
post image
Pickpick

Much as it seems a bit weird to say I really enjoyed a book that is essentially about someone dying (not a spoiler- in the blurb!), I really did. I think because it felt very real. I have done this bedside vigilance and it‘s difficult and you find life, humour and support where you can.

RaeLovesToRead Is this for #TBRtarot? 😊 2y
squirrelbrain It is weird to say isn‘t it, but it is such a good book. 💛 2y
sarahbarnes This is on my list - Great review. 2y
See All 16 Comments
Cinfhen Sounds deeply moving💗 2y
Megabooks Lovely review 💜 2y
TrishB @RaeLovesToRead no I‘m not doing that challenge (I can only manage one!) I did see it was yellow books though 😁 2y
TrishB @squirrelbrain yes definitely! 2y
TrishB @sarahbarnes hope you enjoy when you get there. 2y
TrishB @Cinfhen it is moving, and ordinary in some ways 🤷‍♀️ 2y
TrishB @Megabooks thank you 😘 2y
Reggie Well, I did Our Short History, I can do this. Great review and stacked. 2y
TrishB @Reggie it‘s good in the same way! 2y
Cathythoughts Lovely review ❤️stacking x 2y
TrishB @Cathythoughts hope you enjoy when you get to it ❤️ 2y
Bookbuyingaddict It‘s going on my huge towering TBR 😆 2y
TrishB @Karons1 hope you like when you get to it. 2y
105 likes8 stack adds16 comments
blurb
TrishB
post image

#bookmail
Looking forward to these!

Megabooks I‘m interested in the Newman. I‘ve read good things about it. 2y
Mel Just started The Drift yesterday! 2y
squirrelbrain Oof, Impossible Things is tough, but so good! 💛 2y
See All 7 Comments
TrishB @Megabooks @squirrelbrain I‘m anticipating sad so I won‘t take on my work trip this week! Crying on the train with work colleagues is not a good thing! 2y
Megabooks No, definitely not! 2y
BarbaraBB Looking forward to your review of The Drift, I enjoyed 2y
TrishB @BarbaraBB I enjoyed that one too. 2y
95 likes1 stack add7 comments
review
AvidReader25
post image
Mehso-so

This is a strange book. Part grief, part midlife crisis & part celebration of life‘s small moments. At first I wasn‘t a fan. Ash is helping her friend Edi through hospice care & seems so unmoored & selfish. But the farther I got into the book the more I connected with it. We all deal w/loss in different ways. It‘s easy for 1 person to hold everyone they love tighter & for another to wonder what they‘ve done w/their life & toss it all to the wind.

AvidReader25 Continued….It‘s certainly not a perfect read and it‘s full of irksome moments, but I was left with a feeling of connection rather than frustration. I hated the overall arching hopelessness of the book though. 2y
32 likes1 comment
review
squirrelbrain
post image
Pickpick

This was a book I #meanttoreadin2022 #pop23 but, despite knowing that it‘s about Ash‘s best friend Edi, who has terminal cancer and is in hospice care, I found it too much to start with so hibernated it. However, it ended up being heartwarming as well as heartbreaking. It‘s more about Ash, who is hilarious and a hot mess, but learns about herself through caring for Edi.

#netgalley - published next week in the UK

#tripledip

squirrelbrain It‘s no spoiler, given the subject matter, to say that this book #includesafuneral #52books23. And I‘m using this for #booked2023 #titlestartswithvorw 2y
squirrelbrain Oh, and it‘s my #doublespin too! 😁 @TheAromaofBooks 2y
Deblovestoread Quadruple play! 🙌🏼 2y
See All 6 Comments
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
Megabooks This sat in my Amazon cart for months, then I took it out. Perhaps I should put it back… Great review! I also have to be in the right mood for hospice reads. 💜💜💜 2y
Cinfhen I recently bought this as a #DailyKindleDeal @Megabooks 2y
86 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
HeatherBookNerd
post image
Pickpick

Edi and Ash have been best friends for over 40 years. When Edi is diagnosed with cancer, it is Ash who walks her through her last weeks. While it is about death, it is not at all depressing or overly heavy. Instead, the focus is on the memories of their friendship and the sacred, confusing, often beautiful process of saying goodbye. Such a lovely book.

squirrelbrain I just read this too..need to review it on here. (I liked it too!) 2y
marleed I just love this book and all the characters! 2y
HeatherBookNerd @squirrelbrain @marleed I just loved. Interesting that a book about death felt so life affirming. It was just beautiful. 2y
36 likes2 stack adds3 comments
blurb
marleed
post image

This grid took a while to build - intact it expands across two years (haha). I did take a bit of a reading break last week to evaluate my end-of-year reading stats. Two stand out books and my favorite is tagged!

5* = Loved It, want to shout out loud about this book! I do/will own/keep a physical copy. A+
4*= I liked it, would love to discuss. Solid B
3*=Meh, no need to discuss. Average C
2*=Nope D
1*=DNF F

IndoorDame Thanks for posting your rating system! I‘m trying to be more consistent with my ratings this year, so I love seeing how everyone else thinks about it. What makes you give out half and quarter stars? 2y
marleed @IndoorDame I adjusted my very subjective rating for a long time before deciding I rate best with a traditional A+ to F rating system with A+ = 5, A = 4.75, A- = 4.25 …. If you count down, 3.5 and 3.25 both garner a C+ (I wanted B=4 and C=3). The difference is that 3.5 almost, but didn‘t quite get to a B rating, and 3.25 solidly fell in a C rating - this 3.5 thing is a big help for me! It‘s still mood driven, but it works for me. 2y
IndoorDame I love that! Thank you for sharing 😊 definitely going to have to incorporate this into my thinking. 2y
marleed @IndoorDame I hope it helps! 2y
54 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
marleed
post image
Pickpick

It‘s such an honor (sad as it is) to sit hospice with a loved one, and this book honors that experience so well. This is really Ash‘s story as she sits with her lifelong bestie, Edi. She admits her own flaws while highlighting the goodness on the wonderful friends checking in on her and Edi. Honey, Ash‘s sort of ex-husband, is a dream and Belle is a hoot, but I loved that the author let us love Ash, too, flaws and all.

Cinfhen Great review 💜 2y
Librariana Fabulous review! Stacked 😊 2y
marleed @Cinfhen @librarianna It‘s a beautiful story, and I loved it. I was not expecting to add to my favorite books of 2022 at this point in the year. 2y
See All 10 Comments
Cinfhen I have it stacked for 2023🪄💜🎉 2y
marleed @Cinfhen I hope you love it! 2y
sarahbarnes A friend of mine just recommended this to me! 2y
marleed @sarahbarnes oh I hope you read it. It‘s a beautiful story! 2y
CarolynM I just received this from my always reliable subscription service. Sounds good🙂 2y
marleed @CarolynM I‘m so curious to read what you think of it! 2y
CarolynM Stay tuned😆 2y
64 likes2 stack adds10 comments