Tag Archives: books

“Eat, Pray, Love” Author Elizabeth Gilbert Takes On Marriage

Catherine StrawnAugust 21, 2009 //

Elizabeth Gilbert’s memoir, Eat, Pray, Love, was published in 2006, and her followup book was touted in the back of at least 200,000 copies of the book. Tentatively titled Weddings and Evictions, it was described as a memoir about Gilbert’s “unexpected journey into second marriage” and was supposed to hit shelves in 2009. But Gilbert scrapped her 500-page draft of the book and told her publisher she needed more time. What she had wasn’t working.

Because Eat, Pray, Love had been such a huge success, staying in the top spot on the New York Times bestseller list for 57 weeks, Viking wanted the followup to come out as quickly as possible. But her editor gave her another year, and this second draft, now called Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage will be published in January. Keep reading »

Q&A: “Commencement” Author J. Courtney Sullivan

Leonora EpsteinAugust 21, 2009 //

J. Courtney Sullivan’s debut novel, Commencement, takes place at Smith College, an all-women’s institution known for being home to the pearls and sweater-set types as well as radical lesbians. Following four unlikely friends through their years at school and beyond, the book balances the humor of ladies college life and the drama of post-grad confusion. It’s a delectable page turner, but, more importantly, touches on many issues that twenty-something women face today. We asked Sullivan about Commencement and what women can learn from being young and being together. Keep reading »

Six Word Memoirs Actually Say A Lot

Nikki DowlingAugust 18, 2009 //


Since 2006, Smith Magazine has been encouraging readers to submit memoirs told in six words. Some folks who’ve told theirs are famous while others are total unknowns, but together the result is fascinating and strangely poignant. The first book contains almost 1,000 memoirs and is called Not Quite What I was Planning: Six Word Memoirs from Writers Famous and Obscure and the second is titled Six-Word Memoirs on Love & Heartbreak. It’s only 8$ on Amazon. What would your 6-word memoir say? Keep reading »

McSweeney’s Dreams Up “The Baby-Sitters Club: The College Years”

Ami AngelowiczAugust 17, 2009 //

Were you a Baby-Sitters Club enthusiast? Come on, just admit it. Those books were the highlight of my late-elementary and early-middle school years. Oh, the ladies of Stoneybrook, Connecticut! Remember bossy, take-charge Kristy, creative and fashionable Claudia, shy and reliable Mary Anne, sophisticated and logical Stacey, and Cali girl Dawn? Remember the meetings, the diaries, and best of all … the drama? OMG, these characters were so real to me that I think I was deluded into believing that they were actual friends. I remember the empty feeling when I finished the very last Super Special. It was the end of an era.

Did you ever wonder what would have become of these girls had Ann M. Martin written about them past 8th grade? Keep reading »

Crave: “Who’s The Blonde That Married What’s-His-Name?” (Win One!)

Carrie WasterlainAugust 14, 2009 //

Who’s The Blonde That Married What’s-His-Name by Carol Boswell and Lenore Skenazy is like Mad Libs for adults. In other words, you get to fill in the blanks and give your brain a mini-workout. The book uses the “tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon” (that frustrating feeling when you can’t find the word you’re looking for) to create puzzles that are fun to solve. The pop culture-inspired brainteasers are the perfect icebreaker. Even if you’re a little old for Mad Libs, you can indulge your craving for fill-in-the-blank games with this cute little tome. [$10.15, Amazon]

We’re giving five winners a copy of Who’s The Blonde That Married What’s-His-Name? But you have to work if you want one. The five best commenters for this coming week—from today, Friday, August 14 through Thursday, August 20—will be awarded one. So, be as clever, smart, and original as you can! Click HERE to read the official rules. Keep reading »

Will Chick Lit Survive The Recession?

Catherine StrawnAugust 13, 2009 //

Chick lit just got a whole lot less expensive. No, the price of the sometimes throwaway-quality books hasn’t gone down, but many recently published and upcoming books in this genre take the recession into account. Storylines in recession chick-lit books include dealing with a husband being investigated for embezzlement, scrimping on extravagant expenses after going through a divorce, and wearing less expensive clothes. Dang! Is nothing sacred? Keep reading »

Reading Has Never Looked So Good

Lily QAugust 3, 2009 //

Having spent most of my childhood getting teased about my book dork-ery by relentlessly obnoxious brothers, I’ve developed a bit of a complex about reading. I like it and totally don’t mind spending a night in reading over a night out partying, but while a lot of new titles have awesome cover art and a general air of vague coolness, the classics are generally hopelessly dorky looking. Or they were, anyway.

Now I can tote around a tome with an amazingly illustrated image. The new covers are courtesy of Penguin Books and Ruben Toledo (husband of Michelle Obama’s favorite designer Isabel Toledo), and they’ll be gracing the covers of everything from Wuthering Heights to Pride and Prejudice in celebration of Fashion Week.

So yeah, I’m a book dork and I’m proud, not to mention ever so stylish now. [Elle UK] Keep reading »

Hollywood, Please Stop Ruining Dr. Seuss Books!

Justine FieldsAugust 1, 2009 //

Did you know that in 1954, when Life ran a report showing that kids weren’t learning to read because they found books boring, Theodore Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss) was given an assignment by his publisher to write a book using 250 words from a list of 348? Well, even if you didn’t know that obscure bit of Dr. Seuss trivia, I’m sure you’ve heard of The Cat in the Hat. This most famous children’s story was Geisel’s final product from the assignment, containing exactly 236 words from the provided list, and soaking up nine months of his life. The book launched the decades-long career of Dr. Seuss. And now, slowly but surely, modern media are destroying Dr. Seuss books, one by one.

The Broadway show, “Seussical: The Musical,” was bad enough, but did we really need awful feature film versions of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas,” “The Cat in the Hat” and “Horton Hears a Who?” Now, “The Lorax”—my most beloved of all of Dr. Seuss’s works—is being made into a 3-D flick to be released on March 2, 2012, Theodore Geisel’s birthday!!! He must be rolling over in his grave. [Variety]
Keep reading »

Jillian Harris Penning A Book About Wieners

Amelia McDonell-ParryJuly 29, 2009 //

Further proof that the book publishing industry will give everyone a book deal but people who actually deserve it … Jillian Harris, the most recent “Bachelorette,” will be writing a dating book based on hot dog toppings. You see, Jillian has this little theory that you can tell a lot about a guy based on what he puts on his hot dog. “It’s just sort of a girls guide to how to dissect a guy and how to simply ask what his hot dog topping is and then you decide whether he’s a keeper or not,” Harris told E! Online. “It’ll be short stories about different guys I’ve dated and what you can expect with a sauerkraut guy or a ketchup guy…just something fun.” Yes. Fun. So. Fun. I’m going to go stab my self with a Oscar Meyer now, thanks. [E! Online] Keep reading »

“Real Housewife” NeNe Pens An Autobiography

Justine FieldsJuly 29, 2009 //

In the downtime between the first and second season of “The Real Housewives of Atlanta,” NeNe Leakes, who you may remember as Anderson Cooper’s biggest fan, spent time writing an autobiography. The memoir, Never Make The Same Mistake Twice: Lessons on Love and Life Learned the Hard Way, hits bookshelves August 11 and is destined to be amazing. While the Amazon description is a little dry (”NeNe charts her journey from family black sheep to single mother to making good and realizing her dreams”), there is mention of juicy gossip hidden in the 240 pages. Specifically, it’s alleged that NeNe dishes on fellow “Housewife” Kim Zolciak’s stripper past! Before she became the whitest-housewife-who-is-black-on-the-inside, Kim supposedly performed in Atlantic City under the name “Barbie.” Keep reading »

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