Posted under
Chick Lit by Catherine on June 19th, 2008 5:05 pm
A couple of months ago I stumbled upon a used book sale at my former local library. I was not expecting much in the way of chick lit books there for sale but I was pleasantly surprised. One of the gems I happened to find was Burning the Map by Lauren Caldwell. Burning the Map is a story about Casey Evers, a recent law school graduate, who apparently is set. She has a steady boyfriend, a law degree, has passed the bar, and has a job her classmates are envious for waiting for her after her vacation. But while everything seems good on paper, is Casey really happy? Is this the life Casey imagined for herself? As you read the book, you find yourself experiencing the ups and downs along with Casey and wanting to throw caution to the wind and follow your dreams. So how does it turn out? I won’t say. You have to read the book.
My overall opinion of the book: A+. I really enjoyed this book because I could relate to it. Not too long ago I was graduating college and everything seemed right on paper but it wasn’t. I too took some difficult roads and struggled along the way. I did have many highs to counterbalance the lows so that it all wasn’t so bad and I had a lot of fun. Basically, if you have experience the quarter-life crisis or feel like you might be entering your own, pick up this book as you will soon realize that this is normal and everyone experiences it. While this is just a fictional book, reading Casey and her experiences is uplifting and reaffirms that life works in strange ways and you will get where you need to be at the end.
I also liked Lauren Caldwell’s writing style. She wasn’t in your face chick lit like other authors. She used standard fictional language if that makes sense. She also kept away from getting too graphic in the “love interest” scenes which I always appreciate. The book kept you reading wanting to know how it ended and didn’t give away many clues as you read it (ie wasn’t too predictable).
So here is the cover. Check your local library for a copy or Amazon.com has copies available for $11!
Posted under
Chick Lit by Catherine on June 16th, 2008 10:56 am
I wanted to post an update to the Chick Lit series I started not too long ago.
This week I plan on reviewing the book I finished up last week Burning the Map by Lauren Caldwell. I thought this book was a great book for any 20-something to read and definitely a book that most of us can relate to at one point in our lives. It was a good, quick read in that the plot was interesting and kept drawing you in until you sat down and finally finished the book. One other thing I’d like to point out is that while it is a Chick Lit book and part of the Red Dress Ink Publishing Series, it did not read like normal chick lit does. The characters had a bit more depth and the language was normal everyday language - not a book laced with slang or “chicky” words. It also refrained from being too graphic which I appreciated. I hate nothing more than too graphic books - call me prudish I guess. So if you haven’t picked the book up yet, I highly recommend getting a start on it and then coming back and reading my review later this week and discussing with me. 
This week I am rereading Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger. Lauren is the author of The Devil Wears Prada and writes pretty fun chick lit books. I enjoyed reading this book last summer and wanted to see if I still would enjoy it a second time around. Lauren also just released a 3rd book Chasing Harry Winston which I am ordering from Amazon.com today so I can start it next week. So same as before, pick up the books and get started and let’s discuss in the upcoming reviews!
If you have a book you’d like to recommend and discuss please drop a comment and I’ll be sure to check it out. I am always looking for a new book to read.
Posted under
Chick Lit by Catherine on May 14th, 2008 10:00 pm
I wrote about a month ago how I wanted to start reviewing/discussing chick lit novels as I have yet to find a blog or forum that fills that niche and is active. I recently sat down and read Pink Slip Party by Cara Lockwood. I found this book at my library book sale for $1 and the tag line seemed cute: When you lose your job, can your mind be far behind? so I figured let’s go.
Pink Slip Party is a book about Jane McGregor, BA art, who recently loses her job designing my favorite office supply - post it notes. Not only does she get laid off but she also gets dumped by her boyfriend/Company VP on the same exact day. This book follows Jane as she goes through the process of finding herself, a job she enjoys, and love again. In between, we see Jane and her friends plot an office break in to wreck havoc on their former employer, Jane get arrested on drug charges, her apartment over taken by her friends, coworkers, ex-boyfriend and groupies, as well as see her trying to build a relationship with the least expected guy.
In total honesty, I thought this book was just ok. I enjoyed the author’s humor which was used throughout the book. I thought the story was a little weak and the characters were hard to like. I would have liked to see Jane stand up for herself more instead of being the pushover that she was but then again that was a major part of her character development - going from a pushover to a stronger person like her mother did in the book. I felt that there were some loose ends that never really got resolved. What happened to the charges against her? Where did Missy go? Why didn’t anyone turn Missy in? Why didn’t anyone enroll in drug rehab? Each of these would have made me feel better ending the book but I will say I was pleased with the way it ended. We saw Jane find a job she loved as well as a new boyfriend. Jane started to take control over her life and seemed to be heading in the right direction.
Overall I’d give this book 3 out of 5 stars and would recommend it to others for a light read and possibly reread it at a later date. I’d probably recommend reading it before reading the other well-known (and well-loved) books like Confessions of a Shopaholic or The Devil Wears Prada.
