Looking for the next The Devil Wears Prada? Authors Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza have you covered. Their new novel The KnOriginally reviewed at Books Etc.
Looking for the next The Devil Wears Prada? Authors Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza have you covered. Their new novel The Knockoff is a hilariously addictive novel that is similar to Weisberger's but with its own twist on the world of fashion magazines. It's such a delight to read!
The Knockoff (known as Techbitch in the UK and, I think, Australia) was one of those books that I enjoyed more the more I read. I found this novel a bit hard to get into, in part, I think, because I had some issues with the way the story was being told. Imogen is the main character but every once and awhile the story is told from another character's point of view. It was a bit jarring and it threw the flow off a bit. I liked having another side of the story explored but it just kind of hopped around with no real sense of whose POV we'd see next. I also sometimes felt it was very clear there were two authors...it's hard to explain but it goes back to the flow and there were times everything just felt a little off.
I went into reading this one expecting Imogen to be like Miranda Priestly. Personality-wise, Imogen is nothing like the aforementioned Devil. She's actually a nice person, someone you want to work for not just because she's a smart, savvy businesswoman, but because she's so lovely. I totally fell in love with Imogen. I liked that Sykes and Piazza made her so relatable, even to me, a twentysomething. I couldn't relate to Eve because, well, she's a psychotic bitch (and that's kind of the whole point to Eve...she's a hilarious parody and totally nuts). Imogen tries so hard to keep up with the tech world and does pretty well for someone who had had her head in the sand. It was actually pretty fun to read as she discovered Twitter and Instagram (she fails at one and is obsessed with another) and learned how to use them properly.
The Knockoff isn't a book about romantic relationships or family. It's about careers and the workplace and I found it refreshing. Bonus: the American/Canadian cover totally nails that feeling. I would have been upset if the designers had made it light and feminine. The UK cover is a bit softer but the title, Techbitch, creates a nice contrast.
Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza have written such a fun novel. The Knockoff should be put in everyone's beach bag (or on their ereader which will then go in their beach bag) because it is a book you need to read this summer. The characters are both relatable and extreme and the glimpse into the world of fashion is awesome.
*A copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Random House of Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*...more
Originally reviewed at Books Etc. I love Jennifer Weiner. I love her as an author, as a person, and as a hilarious go-to for Bachelor/Bachelorette snarOriginally reviewed at Books Etc. I love Jennifer Weiner. I love her as an author, as a person, and as a hilarious go-to for Bachelor/Bachelorette snark. I do admit it's been a little while since I've read one of her books but when I heard about her latest, Who Do You Love , released earlier this month, I knew I had to read it right away.
Even if I wasn't in love with Weiner, I'd want to read this book. I love second chance love stories and I was intrigued about Rachel and Andy and how their story would play out over the years. And, spoiler but no spoiler, it's kind of soul-crushing. They go through so much and I really wasn't sure how their story would end. Would it end completely or would it end with a new beginning? Oh, the feels!
I found it really interesting and refreshing (in the best possible ways) how Weiner wrote her main characters. Young Rachel (and even twenties Rachel) was not a very nice person. I mean, she was nice enough but she was part of the Mean Girls crowd in high school (there's one scene that made me cringe and I imagine would be even worse for anyone who was bullied or did the bullying. So well done but so sad too.) and was in a sorority in college. Young Andy had some struggles but it's adult Andy who becomes someone you can't see yourself looking up to or maybe even associating with. I found all of this interesting because, typically, Weiner writes likeable characters. And I have a feeling she wrote Rachel and Andy the way she did in a very deliberate way. Characters don't have to be likeable and, guess what literary world, chick lit and women's fiction can have characters who aren't particularly likeable. What matters is they are interesting, layered, complex human beings who you want to keep reading about. And they definitely were.
The way the story was told took some getting used to. Each chapter alternates perspectives and takes place in a different year. What this means is you get to see what's happening in each character's life yet you don't get overlapping points of view. I sometimes felt I had missed something (and, in a way, I did: a few years between characters/chapters) but somehow it all worked together. The best way I can describe it is it was almost like interconnected short stories. I actually can't imagine the story being told any other way.
Who Do You Love is a heartbreakingly romantic, well written, engaging novel. I really enjoyed Jennifer Weiner's latest and already can't wait for what she writes next. (So, it's a good thing I have some of her backlist to work through!)
*An ARC of this novel was provided by Simon & Schuster Canada in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*...more
I've read one of Laura Dave's novels before and loved it so I was thrilled to read her latest, Eight Hundred Grapes. Originally reviewed at Books Etc.
I've read one of Laura Dave's novels before and loved it so I was thrilled to read her latest, Eight Hundred Grapes. It was released back on June 2 and since then has been tearing up the best of summer lists - for good reason. I really enjoyed reading this one!
I think my favourite thing about this book is that it's not just about Georgia. Don't get me wrong, I totally loved her, but I really liked that there were amazing secondary characters who you wanted to learn more about. This isn't just a novel about one woman's relationship, though that is what puts everything in motion. It also has a little to do with careers and a lot to do with family. It's a book about life, really. I loved that because it was realistic. It was sweet, it was funny, it was hard, and it was messy. Exactly like life.
This novel is so well written and unpredictable in the best possible way. I didn't know if Georgia would be able to forgive her fiancé and I didn't know what would happen with the family's winery. Dave kept me guessing which made me more invested in the story. I couldn't assume I knew what the end result so turning every page was a delight because I truly didn't know what would happen next.
I loved that the book was set at a vineyard. I live in one of Canada's wine regions so I've come to appreciate the land and weather that's needed to make wine. There are lots of interesting facts about wine to be found throughout the novel (I'm sure the research would have been so tough for this one!) but it's all seamlessly woven into the story. Other than making you want to have a glass or two yourself, the book should also spark more of an interest in how wine is made.
I do have one important recommendation for you for when you read this book: read it in one go if you can (or at least in a couple of large chunks). I read bits and pieces on my short lunch breaks and I never felt as invested in the story as I wanted to and I expect I would have been had I read it on a Saturday afternoon. Dave has written a story that you want to become totally immersed in and you should definitely dedicate your next free weekend to reading it.
Final sort of side note: I had the chance to meet Laura when I was at BEA last month. I had a blogger friend get me into the party for her book and I am SO glad I was able to go. It was a nice, laid back event with lots of food and wine. Plus, Laura is an absolute sweetheart.
Eight Hundred Grapes is a novel that you are going to want to read this summer. Read it on a rainy day, read it on the beach, just read it. Preferably with a glass of wine beside you! I adored Laura Dave's latest and I cannot wait for her next novel!
*An advanced copy of this novel was provided by the publisher, Simon & Schuster Canada, in exchange for review consideration. All opinions are honest and my own.*...more
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