Happy July 4th! It’s gloomy already in Austin, and the chances of outdoor activity are looking grim… and those were my BIG staycation plans! I bought a ticket for paddle boarding under the fireworks, buuuut I’ve already gotten the obligatory email saying if it rains and the fireworks get cancelled, then you’ll get refunded.
Ugh.
Secondary, indoor holiday plans? Binging on “The OC” season 3? We’ll see.
Meanwhile, I finished reading “Sociable” by Rebecca Harrington – it’s the latest read from Blanche’s Book Club… and I think you guys are going to like this one. Here’s the description from Amazon:
When Elinor Tomlinson moved to New York with a degree in journalism she had visions of writing witty opinion pieces, marrying her journalist boyfriend, and attending glamorous parties with famously perverted writers. Instead, Elinor finds herself nannying for two small children who speak in short, high screams, sleeping on a foam pad in a weird apartment, and attending terrible parties with Harper’s interns wearing shapeless smocks and clogs. So when Elinor is offered a job at Journalism.ly, the digital media brainchild of a Silicon Valley celebrity, she jumps at the chance. Sure, her boyfriend is writing long think pieces about the electoral college for a real website while Elinor writes lists about sneakers and people at parties give her pitying glances when she reveals her employer, but at Journalism.ly Elinor discovers her true gift: She has a preternatural ability for writing sharable content. She is an overnight viral sensation! But Elinor’s success is not without cost. Elinor’s boyfriend dumps her, two male colleagues insist on “mentoring” her, and a piece she writes about her personal life lands her on local television. Destitute, single, and consigned to move to a fifth-floor walkup, Elinor must ask herself: Is this the creative life she dreamed of? Can new love be found on Coffee Meets Bagel? And should she start wearing clogs? With wry humor and sharp intelligence that skewers everyone from grand dame newspaper columnists to content farm overlords to peacoat-wearing lit bros, Sociable is a hilarious tale of one young woman’s search for happiness.
It’s probably best to start by saying, this book is not meant to be taken seriously. It took me about 30 pages to understand that this is supposed to be light and funny – and then I whizzed right through it, and found myself laughing out loud in several parts.
In real life, a person like Elinor would be annoying, but I think there’s at least small parts of her that are relatable on some levels: she wants to be a successful journalist in New York City; her bosses are pressuring her to create viral content overnight (I relate to this SO hard); she posts much of her life on social media; she wants her ex to miss her; and she’s constantly wondering how to spend her last dollars – on an Uber, a latte, or a new pair of underwear to make her feel empowered.
This book had mixed reviews on Amazon, but I felt it was refreshing – I hardly ever laugh while reading, and it was a welcome change. It’s the perfect picture of life in the digital age – even if it’s a bit annoying and hard to understand at times.
I’m recommending this book to anyone who loves satire, if you love Chad Kultgen’s books, and if you’re looking for a good laugh at today’s society – this one’s for you!
Also, I’m looking into the other books that Harrington has written: “I’ll Have What She’s Having: My Adventures In Celebrity Dating” (A look at how the fit and famous eat; apparently Harrington herself tries celeb diets) and “Penelope” (a fictional story about a girl heading to Harvard).
The next book Blanche’s Book Club will be reading is “The High Season” by Judy Blundell. If you’re following me on SnapChat and/or Instagram (both @OrangeJulius7), I’m trying to get better at posting my latest reads and short reviews as soon as I’m finished.
I’m going to HOPE that my paddle boarding plans don’t get washed out – and I hope you all have a fun, and safe, Fourth of July! Cheers!
The Bitter Lemon 