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Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House: A Memoir

Description:

The “funny, charming, and shocking” true story (The New York Times Book Review) of one woman’s quest for the four perfect walls to call home.

In this laugh-out-loud personal journey, acclaimed author Meghan Daum explores the perils and pleasures of believing that only a house can make you whole. From her teenage apartment fantasies and her mother’s decorating manias to her own “hidden room” dreams and the bungalow she eventually buys on her own, Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House “[chronicles] an obsession that threatens to upend sanity and bank accounts…. Daum has a rare gift in her ability to keep readers laughing through her own tears” (
The New York Times Book Review).


Editorial Reviews

Review

“Funny, charming and shocking. . . . [Chronicles] an obsession that threatens to upend sanity and bank accounts. . . . Daum has a rare gift in her ability to keep readers laughing through her own tears. . . . Her spirit is generous, her writing is buoyant, and her heart is open to all the ways in which a house holds the key to happiness. Perfection has nothing to do with it.”
The New York Times Book Review

“Wonderful. . . . Like having a long, glorious, no-holds-barred conversation with your smartest, funniest friend about all the juicy topics: real estate, class envy, bad dates, family identity, and the discrepancies between the lives we aspire to and the lives we lead. I’m awed by Daum’s honesty and talent.”
—Curtis Sittenfeld

“A delightful dissection of the real estate obsession that’s a hallmark of our age, recession or no.”
O, The Oprah Magazine
 
“Self-deprecatingly funny. . . . Daum uses her lifelong obsession with finding the ideal living space to probe domestic desire, a deeper restlessness than the search for quick profits.”
The Wall Street Journal

“Honest and endearing . . . richly drawn. . . . Daum captures the now-gone moment when real estate became a national obsession, chronicling the shared madness of those who could only take breaks from watching HGTV to discuss closing costs. . . . As she moves from coast to coast and in between, Daum is consistently relatable.”
Los Angeles Times Book Review
 
“Suffused with humor and desire. . . . Alternately whimsical, philosophical and psychologically probing. . . . [An] enchanting, compelling memoir on the impossibility of resisting an irresistible object of desire.”
The Miami Herald
 
“Daum tackles real estate—or, more pointedly, the fixation, anxiety and magical thinking that often accompany it—with wit and a gift for self-parody. . . . Her prose has smarts, style and personality, but never turns pretentious. . . . It’s a pleasure to read this author as she revisits comic misadventures and wrangles with a hot-button topic.”
Time Out New York
 
“Vividly described. . . . Daum exposes the modern real-estate-mad female underground, where open houses (visited in rabid two-women teams) are a seasonal blood sport, Zillow is a verb, and where remodeling a collapsing farmhouse into a writer’s retreat could instantly, we imagine, transform us into the George Plimpton of the prairie.”
The Atlantic Monthly
 
“Entertaining. . . . Like a romantic comedy in which Daum always seems to rent Mr. Wrong. . . . Don’t be surprised if you race through
Life Would Be Perfect in a single night.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch
 
“Daum is the essential Generation X-er. . . . She radiates the eternal youthfulness and the fear of commitment that define her cohort. . . .
Life Would Be Perfect is the memoir of how the wandering Ms. Daum finally put down some roots. . . . A great book.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
 
“Timely. . . . Daum [is] a fine writer—candid, reflective, stylish, fun and a bit prickly. Throughout the book, she offers an unflinching portrayal of her anxieties and her aspirations. . . . When she finally realizes that a house is not what will make her whole, you can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.”
—Associated Press
 
“In this funny, horrifying (she came this close to buying a place near a roaring interstate because she was smitten with a landing), achingly honest memoir, Daum explores the way we wrap our identities in our surroundings, at one point wondering, ‘Did the house look sexy on me?’ Home truths, indeed.”
More

About the Author

MEGHAN DAUM is the author of the essay collection My Misspent Youth and the novel The Quality of Life Report, a New York Times Notable Book. Her column on political, cultural, and social affairs appears weekly in the Los Angeles Times and is distributed nationally through theMcClatchy news service. She has contributed to public radio’s Morning Edition, Marketplace, and This American Life, and has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, GQ, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and The New York Times Book Review. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why Hasn't Anyone Explained this Before?

I.A. · May 7, 2010

Sometimes I get a feeling that feels so unique, I think that it would be impossible to ever put it into words, like the compulsion to buy all new "clean" makeup after a successful second date, the need to buy new underwear after getting a promotion, or the desire to clean my car after I get in a fight with a friend. This book explains those feelings, all processed through real estate. I can't count anymore how many times I've rearranged furniture in my life - including heavy dorm furniture. In fact, I went out to dinner with an exceptionally skinny friend the other night, and then promptly went home and ordered all new, white lampshades.But I digress. "Life Would be Perfect if I Live in that House" captures this phenomenon perfectly. The feeling that everything will be okay if there were just some wainscotting around. The notion that everything will never be okay if the furniture is out of proportion. I marvel at the folks who don't have these concerns - are they even out there? But the truth is that for those of us who do, who "break up" with the Restoration Hardware catalog, only to come crawling back when your relationship with the Rose Bowl flea market has tanked, will love this book. And those folks who don't have this obsession/quirk will find it a hilarious anthropological read. Actually, I laughed so hard at a few points that my dog freaked out a little.Buy and keep.

4.0 out of 5 stars I could not put it down!

J.C. · October 11, 2016

It was a diagnosis for me...I am forever on realtor.com. I am now in a 1938 renovated farmhouse on almost an acre and it has swallowed me whole. When people ask me about his unique and potentially really wonderful house ( and huge land)..I often reply..."Be Careful what you wish for). I love it and I have to remind myself...this is what I wanted. But, it is an unfinished symphony..at least a work in progress. And I can barely find the rest of my life in here because it deserves and demand so much.I like books and I like reading books. I enjoyed the swift moving prose, the colorful and intimate details...the discovery of a porcelain tile in the bathroom, the color changed in the walls, the times of just wanting to be home and on the bed. This could have been such a boring book. It wasn't boring at all. Entertaining and it made me pause snit in my plans for possibly moving again.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for me, but well written

S.K.M. · July 21, 2010

Your enjoyment of this book will depend on the type of reader you are and what kind of story you're looking for. I quit reading about a third of the way through (unusual for me) because I had thought (after hearing the author interviewed on NPR) that the book was about house hunting. It is... a little. It's a lot about her life. I'm not saying her life isn't interesting; isn't everyone's to some degree? At any rate, it just wasn't what I was looking for, but the writing is solid and it is a bit witty.

5.0 out of 5 stars A life you can relate to--even if you don't want to admit it

A. · January 19, 2015

My search is always for the perfect next book--and this was one of them. Meghan Daum connects to the reader below the surface. In this world of form over substance, this book is like a Facebook page with pictures of a successful life but with an honest, introspective, often humerous note attached to each that says, "Now let me tell you the real story behind this one."After reading each of her books (I've already preordered her next), I come away feeling a bit saner and hopefully a bit more compassionate toward that hidden side to us all.

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK IS SO VERY FUNNY I LOVED IT. ALOT.

V.T. · July 22, 2015

I LOV ED THIS BOOK SHE IS SO FUNNY FOR THE PERSON WHO CALLED IT DARK HUMOE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT HUMOR HAS A COLOR. I FOUND IT DELIGHTFUL HILARIOUS BUT NOT DARK AT ALL A BIT SAD TOWARD THE END BUT MOSTLY FUNNY. ASO FOR ALL THE TASTELESS READERS WHO CAN'T EVER FIND ANYTHING TO SAY. ABOUT ANY GOOD HUMOROUS BOOKS THAT YOU READ HERES A TIP STOP READING BOOKS ALL TOGETHER, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY TO WRITE A BOOK. ITS HARD WORK, SO SHUT UP AND TRY TO BE NICE I LOVED THIS HILARIOUS WARM BOOK AND I REALLY AM GLAD I FINALLY READ IT. ITS TRULY FUNNY AND FUN TO READ.

4.0 out of 5 stars Life Would be Perfect _____ Fill in the Blanks

K.U. · May 12, 2010

While not rollicking humor, this book will make you chuckle. I wondered at the lengths she went to fulfill her life fantasies about finding and living in a "perfect house." It certainly kept me reading.But it also can lead the reader to examine his or her own fantasies. What would make my life "perfect, " or what did I imagine would create a perfect life for me, only to find out it that really wasn't the issue in the first place. I figured that out before I began reading the book, partly because a dear friend and I had recently had a conversation regarding the fantasies we had each built about marriage and how different the realities can turn out to be.Good read. I recommend it.

2.0 out of 5 stars So Underwhelmed!

G. · September 8, 2010

I was so excited to read this book. I saved it for my vacation to read it without any distractions. What a mistake! I am a Realtor and was thinking it would be really fun to read a book from another point of view. This book was a mess. It was such a slow read and I just could not get into Daum's thought process. I have my obsession with houses and thought I'd be able to indentify with her....nope. I have been trying to force myself to finish this book - I have actually challenged myself.So bummed that it was soooo not what I anticipated. Based on the other reviews I think I must be the one that is not getting this or I am truding through a different book.I have never written a review (I am sure that is obvious) but felt strongly enough about this one to post one.

5.0 out of 5 stars Life would be perfect if I had another book like this one

K.C. · April 28, 2020

This is a wonderful memoir! I enjoyed the wit, the honesty, the insights--and could relate to all of them . Daum has a true sense of the feminine psyche. It's so pleasant to read about a woman you really like. I'd like more books just like this one!

Five Stars

Y. · January 26, 2017

I really enjoy reading this book.

super book

S.S. · January 29, 2021

An amazing book about the obsession of house hunting. Very much relatable for me

Four Stars

a.r. · April 16, 2015

A fascinating study of obsession, this gripping book cast HGTV in a whole new light for me.

Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House: A Memoir

Product ID: U0307454843
Condition: New

4.1

AED9538

Price includes VAT & Import Duties
Type: Paperback
Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

|

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.

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Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.

Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.

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All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.

While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.

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Similar items from “Business & Industry”

Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House: A Memoir

Product ID: U0307454843
Condition: New

4.1

Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House: A Memoir-0
Type: Paperback

AED9538

Price includes VAT & Import Duties
Availability: In Stock

Quantity:

|

Order today to get by 7-14 business days

Delivery fee of AED 20. Free for orders above AED 200.

Returns & Warranty policies

Imported From: United States

At BOLO, we work hard to ensure the products you receive are new, genuine, and sourced from reputable suppliers.

BOLO is not an authorized or official retailer for most brands, nor are we affiliated with manufacturers unless specifically stated on a product page. Instead, we source verified sellers, authorized distributors or directly from the manufacturer.

Each product undergoes thorough inspection and verification at our consolidation and fulfilment centers to ensure it meets our strict authenticity and quality standards before being shipped and delivered to you.

If you ever have concerns regarding the authenticity of a product purchased from us, please contact Bolo Support. We will review your inquiry promptly and, if necessary, provide documentation verifying authenticity or offer a suitable resolution.

Your trust is our top priority, and we are committed to maintaining transparency and integrity in every transaction.

All product information, images, descriptions, and reviews originate from the manufacturer or from trusted sellers overseas. BOLO is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or an authorized retailer for most brands listed on our website unless stated otherwise.

While we strive to display accurate information, variations in packaging, labeling, instructions, or formulation may occasionally occur due to regional differences or supplier updates. For detailed or manufacturer-specific information, please contact the brand directly or reach out to BOLO Support for assistance.

Unless otherwise stated, all prices displayed on the product page include applicable taxes and import duties.

BOLO operates in accordance with the laws and regulations of United Arab Emirates. Any items found to be restricted or prohibited for sale within the UAE will be cancelled prior to shipment. We take proactive measures to ensure that only products permitted for sale in United Arab Emirates are listed on our website.

All items are shipped by air, and any products classified as “Dangerous Goods (DG)” under IATA regulations will be removed from the order and cancelled.

All orders are processed manually, and we make every effort to process them promptly once confirmed. Products cancelled due to the above reasons will be permanently removed from listings across the website.

Description:

The “funny, charming, and shocking” true story (The New York Times Book Review) of one woman’s quest for the four perfect walls to call home.

In this laugh-out-loud personal journey, acclaimed author Meghan Daum explores the perils and pleasures of believing that only a house can make you whole. From her teenage apartment fantasies and her mother’s decorating manias to her own “hidden room” dreams and the bungalow she eventually buys on her own, Life Would Be Perfect If I Lived in That House “[chronicles] an obsession that threatens to upend sanity and bank accounts…. Daum has a rare gift in her ability to keep readers laughing through her own tears” (
The New York Times Book Review).


Editorial Reviews

Review

“Funny, charming and shocking. . . . [Chronicles] an obsession that threatens to upend sanity and bank accounts. . . . Daum has a rare gift in her ability to keep readers laughing through her own tears. . . . Her spirit is generous, her writing is buoyant, and her heart is open to all the ways in which a house holds the key to happiness. Perfection has nothing to do with it.”
The New York Times Book Review

“Wonderful. . . . Like having a long, glorious, no-holds-barred conversation with your smartest, funniest friend about all the juicy topics: real estate, class envy, bad dates, family identity, and the discrepancies between the lives we aspire to and the lives we lead. I’m awed by Daum’s honesty and talent.”
—Curtis Sittenfeld

“A delightful dissection of the real estate obsession that’s a hallmark of our age, recession or no.”
O, The Oprah Magazine
 
“Self-deprecatingly funny. . . . Daum uses her lifelong obsession with finding the ideal living space to probe domestic desire, a deeper restlessness than the search for quick profits.”
The Wall Street Journal

“Honest and endearing . . . richly drawn. . . . Daum captures the now-gone moment when real estate became a national obsession, chronicling the shared madness of those who could only take breaks from watching HGTV to discuss closing costs. . . . As she moves from coast to coast and in between, Daum is consistently relatable.”
Los Angeles Times Book Review
 
“Suffused with humor and desire. . . . Alternately whimsical, philosophical and psychologically probing. . . . [An] enchanting, compelling memoir on the impossibility of resisting an irresistible object of desire.”
The Miami Herald
 
“Daum tackles real estate—or, more pointedly, the fixation, anxiety and magical thinking that often accompany it—with wit and a gift for self-parody. . . . Her prose has smarts, style and personality, but never turns pretentious. . . . It’s a pleasure to read this author as she revisits comic misadventures and wrangles with a hot-button topic.”
Time Out New York
 
“Vividly described. . . . Daum exposes the modern real-estate-mad female underground, where open houses (visited in rabid two-women teams) are a seasonal blood sport, Zillow is a verb, and where remodeling a collapsing farmhouse into a writer’s retreat could instantly, we imagine, transform us into the George Plimpton of the prairie.”
The Atlantic Monthly
 
“Entertaining. . . . Like a romantic comedy in which Daum always seems to rent Mr. Wrong. . . . Don’t be surprised if you race through
Life Would Be Perfect in a single night.”
Richmond Times-Dispatch
 
“Daum is the essential Generation X-er. . . . She radiates the eternal youthfulness and the fear of commitment that define her cohort. . . .
Life Would Be Perfect is the memoir of how the wandering Ms. Daum finally put down some roots. . . . A great book.”
The Philadelphia Inquirer
 
“Timely. . . . Daum [is] a fine writer—candid, reflective, stylish, fun and a bit prickly. Throughout the book, she offers an unflinching portrayal of her anxieties and her aspirations. . . . When she finally realizes that a house is not what will make her whole, you can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief.”
—Associated Press
 
“In this funny, horrifying (she came this close to buying a place near a roaring interstate because she was smitten with a landing), achingly honest memoir, Daum explores the way we wrap our identities in our surroundings, at one point wondering, ‘Did the house look sexy on me?’ Home truths, indeed.”
More

About the Author

MEGHAN DAUM is the author of the essay collection My Misspent Youth and the novel The Quality of Life Report, a New York Times Notable Book. Her column on political, cultural, and social affairs appears weekly in the Los Angeles Times and is distributed nationally through theMcClatchy news service. She has contributed to public radio’s Morning Edition, Marketplace, and This American Life, and has written for numerous publications, including The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, GQ, Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and The New York Times Book Review. She lives in Los Angeles.

Reviews:

5.0 out of 5 stars Why Hasn't Anyone Explained this Before?

I.A. · May 7, 2010

Sometimes I get a feeling that feels so unique, I think that it would be impossible to ever put it into words, like the compulsion to buy all new "clean" makeup after a successful second date, the need to buy new underwear after getting a promotion, or the desire to clean my car after I get in a fight with a friend. This book explains those feelings, all processed through real estate. I can't count anymore how many times I've rearranged furniture in my life - including heavy dorm furniture. In fact, I went out to dinner with an exceptionally skinny friend the other night, and then promptly went home and ordered all new, white lampshades.But I digress. "Life Would be Perfect if I Live in that House" captures this phenomenon perfectly. The feeling that everything will be okay if there were just some wainscotting around. The notion that everything will never be okay if the furniture is out of proportion. I marvel at the folks who don't have these concerns - are they even out there? But the truth is that for those of us who do, who "break up" with the Restoration Hardware catalog, only to come crawling back when your relationship with the Rose Bowl flea market has tanked, will love this book. And those folks who don't have this obsession/quirk will find it a hilarious anthropological read. Actually, I laughed so hard at a few points that my dog freaked out a little.Buy and keep.

4.0 out of 5 stars I could not put it down!

J.C. · October 11, 2016

It was a diagnosis for me...I am forever on realtor.com. I am now in a 1938 renovated farmhouse on almost an acre and it has swallowed me whole. When people ask me about his unique and potentially really wonderful house ( and huge land)..I often reply..."Be Careful what you wish for). I love it and I have to remind myself...this is what I wanted. But, it is an unfinished symphony..at least a work in progress. And I can barely find the rest of my life in here because it deserves and demand so much.I like books and I like reading books. I enjoyed the swift moving prose, the colorful and intimate details...the discovery of a porcelain tile in the bathroom, the color changed in the walls, the times of just wanting to be home and on the bed. This could have been such a boring book. It wasn't boring at all. Entertaining and it made me pause snit in my plans for possibly moving again.

3.0 out of 5 stars Not for me, but well written

S.K.M. · July 21, 2010

Your enjoyment of this book will depend on the type of reader you are and what kind of story you're looking for. I quit reading about a third of the way through (unusual for me) because I had thought (after hearing the author interviewed on NPR) that the book was about house hunting. It is... a little. It's a lot about her life. I'm not saying her life isn't interesting; isn't everyone's to some degree? At any rate, it just wasn't what I was looking for, but the writing is solid and it is a bit witty.

5.0 out of 5 stars A life you can relate to--even if you don't want to admit it

A. · January 19, 2015

My search is always for the perfect next book--and this was one of them. Meghan Daum connects to the reader below the surface. In this world of form over substance, this book is like a Facebook page with pictures of a successful life but with an honest, introspective, often humerous note attached to each that says, "Now let me tell you the real story behind this one."After reading each of her books (I've already preordered her next), I come away feeling a bit saner and hopefully a bit more compassionate toward that hidden side to us all.

5.0 out of 5 stars THIS BOOK IS SO VERY FUNNY I LOVED IT. ALOT.

V.T. · July 22, 2015

I LOV ED THIS BOOK SHE IS SO FUNNY FOR THE PERSON WHO CALLED IT DARK HUMOE I DIDN'T KNOW THAT HUMOR HAS A COLOR. I FOUND IT DELIGHTFUL HILARIOUS BUT NOT DARK AT ALL A BIT SAD TOWARD THE END BUT MOSTLY FUNNY. ASO FOR ALL THE TASTELESS READERS WHO CAN'T EVER FIND ANYTHING TO SAY. ABOUT ANY GOOD HUMOROUS BOOKS THAT YOU READ HERES A TIP STOP READING BOOKS ALL TOGETHER, I WOULD LIKE TO SEE YOU TRY TO WRITE A BOOK. ITS HARD WORK, SO SHUT UP AND TRY TO BE NICE I LOVED THIS HILARIOUS WARM BOOK AND I REALLY AM GLAD I FINALLY READ IT. ITS TRULY FUNNY AND FUN TO READ.

4.0 out of 5 stars Life Would be Perfect _____ Fill in the Blanks

K.U. · May 12, 2010

While not rollicking humor, this book will make you chuckle. I wondered at the lengths she went to fulfill her life fantasies about finding and living in a "perfect house." It certainly kept me reading.But it also can lead the reader to examine his or her own fantasies. What would make my life "perfect, " or what did I imagine would create a perfect life for me, only to find out it that really wasn't the issue in the first place. I figured that out before I began reading the book, partly because a dear friend and I had recently had a conversation regarding the fantasies we had each built about marriage and how different the realities can turn out to be.Good read. I recommend it.

2.0 out of 5 stars So Underwhelmed!

G. · September 8, 2010

I was so excited to read this book. I saved it for my vacation to read it without any distractions. What a mistake! I am a Realtor and was thinking it would be really fun to read a book from another point of view. This book was a mess. It was such a slow read and I just could not get into Daum's thought process. I have my obsession with houses and thought I'd be able to indentify with her....nope. I have been trying to force myself to finish this book - I have actually challenged myself.So bummed that it was soooo not what I anticipated. Based on the other reviews I think I must be the one that is not getting this or I am truding through a different book.I have never written a review (I am sure that is obvious) but felt strongly enough about this one to post one.

5.0 out of 5 stars Life would be perfect if I had another book like this one

K.C. · April 28, 2020

This is a wonderful memoir! I enjoyed the wit, the honesty, the insights--and could relate to all of them . Daum has a true sense of the feminine psyche. It's so pleasant to read about a woman you really like. I'd like more books just like this one!

Five Stars

Y. · January 26, 2017

I really enjoy reading this book.

super book

S.S. · January 29, 2021

An amazing book about the obsession of house hunting. Very much relatable for me

Four Stars

a.r. · April 16, 2015

A fascinating study of obsession, this gripping book cast HGTV in a whole new light for me.

More from this brand

Similar items from “Business & Industry”