I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around

Reading a book by Ann Garvin is like having a long, long lunch with a funny, big-hearted friend who knows a lot of amusing, crippled people. It’s time well-spent, and life feels warmer and larger and more worthwhile when you finally get up from the table. In I Like You Just Fine When You’re Not Arou......more

Disappointing. I struggled with whether to give this two or three stars, whether to say it was closer to 2-1/2, or just leave it at 2. In the end, I settled for genuine over generosity. It doesn't deserve another half star. The synopsis is a little misleading. Protagonist in crisis stumbles upon a "......more

This book! It's one I wanted to hug a few times! I read an interview where the author described the book as funny, even if it includes some of life's more difficult aspects (sibling relationships, caring for an aging mother with dementia, job issues); and she was spot-on. This is a heartwarming read......more

What drew me in to Garvin’s book was the great title; what kept me reading was the likeable protagonist, Tig, and the deft, subtle ways that that Garvin writes about the complexities of relationships—between family members, boyfriends, spouses, and oneself. Tig is having a difficult time: After taki......more

Every time I see this title I laugh. "I Like You Just Fine When You're NOT Around," by Ann Wertz Garvin. I can just see a wife/girlfriend thinking this, or muttering it, about her boyfriend/husband. "When he's out the door and GONE, and I can't hear him or see him I like him a lot better!" Plus, I'm......more