Double Time: How I Survived%E2%80%94and Mostly Thrived%E2%80%94Through the First Three Years Mothering Twins

In this addition to the "momoir" subgenre, Roper recounts the ups and downs of raising twins while coping with depression. In 2011, Roper%E2%80%94author of the Baby Squared blog on the hip parenting website Babble.com%E2%80%94published her debut novel, Eden Lake, whose gestation also features prominently in the memoir. Her honest and funny take on an often frantic life with twins ("Outside the confines of your home, you will almost always need someone else with you, to play man-on-baby defense.") make the slog of raising babies amusing and memorable. Quotidian activities like grocery shopping, nursing, play dates and placating epic tantrums%E2%80%94each obfuscated by a factor of two%E2%80%94become exercises in endurance for Roper and her singer/songwriter husband. Interspersed with the expected trials and triumphs are vivid descriptions of Roper's depression (of which she has a long history), and various attempts at treatment, providing a sobering contrast to her entertaining descriptions of her twin's antics. Though she occasionally lapses into lazy language (e.g., "And sure, a baby clips everyone's wings. But mine felt clipped-er."), Roper ultimately succeeds in making the story of a new mom feel fresh and engaging. (May)