THE MADWOMAN AND THE ROOMBA

A sequel of sorts to The Madwoman and the Volvo.

Now in her mid-50s, Atlantic contributing editor Loh returns with another lighthearted look at her life. Following her take on menopause, the author turns her attention to a period in life that is as complex—and anxiety-producing—as ever. “I’m the sort of neurotic who secretly believes my actions control the universe,” she writes. “On airplanes, I hold the plane up by clutching the armrests.” Loh jumps around quite a bit, moving in her offbeat way through a wide variety of topics: her ex-husband, a broken tooth and necessary dental care, mice in the house, the necessity of a colonoscopy, helping her daughters with their schoolwork (“Thus far, I’ve resisted being a Tiger Mom. I can’t face the pressure of parenting really gifted children”)—not to mention “Physical Update Number 301: The Flyaway Retina.” For her birthday, the author dabbled in goddess energy, purchasing tarot cards and “Pema Bollywood goddess pants” and throwing herself a party with her girlfriends, who were asked “to bring any one of ‘the three C’s’—champagne, chocolate, or cheese.” She was not pleased with her ayurvedic massage and laments that women are expected to stay fit, trim, and moisturized at age 55 and beyond. Discussing her fights with her husband over money and work, how many older women prefer to live alone, and an invitation to an Ariana Huffington party, the author injects enough wit to make the subjects entertaining. However, it often seems like Loh is unsure of how to get from point A to point B, and many of the topics receive too little exploration. Although the reading is fast-paced and sometimes funny, most of these anecdotes of the mundane are unremarkable.

A mildly amusing collection for the author’s fans.