Are We Having Fun Yet? by Lucy Mangan

Guardian TV columnist Lucy Mangan’s debut novel is written in diary form over the course of a year, seeing Liz deal with her 40th birthday, a dishwasher on the fritz, the potential break-up of a friend’s marriage and the perils of motherhood – along with a lawyer husband who truly thinks he pulls his weight. Liz battles a young boss, her nemesis in the PTA and her own self-doubt while nurturing her children: self-possessed and potential sociopath Evie, five, and sweet Thomas, seven. Her eternal goal is for a little peace and quiet. Mothers will smile with recognition at the dilemmas, rotas and pitfalls of modern parenting. Mangan’s trademark wit runs through the book.