Summer's almost over. *Sniff* *Sniff* And I'm hanging onto it for dear life. I've traveled back home to California multiple times and lounged by the beach and the pool (I even got in once!). I've donned all of my summer dresses and open-toed shoes. And I've read almost all of the books I promised myself I'd finish before Fall came a-knockin'. And I feel fabulous, like I've just cleaned out my closet and organized my junk drawer. I feel liberated and light and free. But mostly I feel excited to tell y'all about the great books I've devoured.
First there was Last Night At Chateau Marmont. I was lucky to get an advance reader's copy of Lauren Weisberger's fourth and, in my humble book-blogger opinion, best novel since The Devil Wears Prada. (It's out tomorrow—definitely buy a copy!) According to Lauren, "It's the classic story of overnight success but told from the perspective of the person left behind." In this case, that person is Brook Alter whose husband, Julian, is plucked from relative obscurity and goes from no one to someone in the span of twenty-four hours. Brooke had happily worked two jobs to support Julian's dream of making it in the music business, a dream they both wanted Julian to realize. But when he finally hits it big, appearing on the Today Show and the cover of Vanity Fair and is suddenly never home, Brooke misses her husband and the private life they once shared. And when Brooke and Julian become regulars in the rag mag, Last Night, and rumors of "trouble in paradise" start to swirl, Brooke begins to question the truth of her marriage. It's a definite page-turner and perfect to take to one of your last trips to the pool! (Btw, Lauren's visiting us at Chick Lit Is Not Dead today and is telling us what's on her bucket list. You should stop by!)
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake By Aimee Bender is another captivating and fascinating novel that I had the pleasure of reading. I'd seen it on the New York Time's bestseller list. I'd noticed the cover in the cover in B&N. I'd been intrigued by the title. And finally, I snatched up a copy. I absolutely fell in love with the unique concept of what happens when you can taste someone's emotions in the food they make. It's told from the perspective of Rose Edelstein, who on her ninth birthday, realizes she has this magical gift when she tastes her mother's lemon cake. Although over time, she doesn't exactly embrace the word magical to describe what she feels when she bites into food. And for the rest of her life, food becomes more of an enemy. She can taste everything from her mother's despair to the rage the guy at the bakery felt when he created his batch of cookies. And her new "talent" opens her up to things about her family she wouldn't have wanted to see otherwise. I was completely engrossed in this book because it was unlike anything I'd ever read before. And now I'm an Aimee Bender fan for life!
I also loved Second Time Around by Beth Kendrick, another author I'd never read before. It's a breezy read about answering the question "what if?" It's the story of four friends from college who have a reunion every summer. All English majors, they seem to be at a standstill in their lives, uncertain about the career choices they've made. When they inherit a million dollars with the strict orders they can use it only to start careers they are passionate about, it doesn't exactly create the lives they've dreamed of. And as they reinvent themselves from a professor, bartender, copywriter, and administrative assistant to a novelist, event planner, pastry chef, and bed-and-breakfast owner, they must face changes in their personal lives they didn't expect. I was happy to discover that Beth has written a ton of books before this one. And I can't wait to get my hands on all of them!
What have you read this summer?
Lisa Steinke, along with her best friend Liz Fenton, co-authored the chick lit novel I’ll Have Who She’s Having and co-created the popular Chick Lit blog, Chick Lit is Not Dead.
