cover image The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up

The Daddy Diaries: The Year I Grew Up

Andy Cohen. Holt, $29.99 (288p) ISBN 978-1-2508-9092-4

In this hilarious account of the trials and triumphs of fatherhood, producer and talk show host Cohen (Superficial) proves people can still grow up in middle age. Beginning with his now-infamous drunken “good riddance” rant to Bill de Blasio during CNN’s 2022 New Year’s Eve broadcast, Cohen offers candid insight into his day-to-day life, whether he’s making appearances on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, enduring stints as the target of internet scorn, or simply going through the motions of his fast-paced, celebrity-in-Manhattan lifestyle. The best moments, though, come midway through, and—as the title suggests—are devoted to his children, toddler Ben and newborn daughter Lucy, who sends “love bombs with her eyes and smile.” Being a parent to a newborn shifts Cohen’s attitude: when Lucy enters the picture, his focus shifts almost entirely to family, whether heading to school, worrying about the children fighting, or enjoying rare quiet moments at home. While some dispatches border on mundane (“Taped a show. Lucy was so fussy all day. Looked at fabrics for the beach house tonight with Jackie,” reads one entry in its entirety), Cohen’s unfiltered approach is hugely endearing. Equal parts astute and frivolous, this is sure to satisfy Cohen’s many fans. (May)