happyThe Writing Class includes a cast of familiar characters - the jock, the know-it-all, the kiss up, the murderer. Yup, that's
Jincy Willett presents a quirky tale in which a writing class is harassed by "The Sniper," and even though things turn deadly, the class breaks from typical mystery convention, wanting to keep meeting, regardless of the danger in their midst. The mystery is well told, and I was happily surprised by the identity of "The Sniper."
I enjoyed this book, not only for its originality, but also because it offers a lot of writing ideas. Anyone who wants to learn how to write well or improve upon his/her craft can read this, not just for the plot, but also to get some great pointers. I recommend this fun book, giving it a pretty darn good four out of five red herrings.
#46 - Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a condescending, egomaniacal, self-centered smart-ass, or why you should never carry a Prada bag to the unemployment office by Jen Lancaster (2006, 400 pages)
I had previously read Jen Lancaster's second book - Bright Lights, Big Ass - which alluded to Bitter is the New Black, and based upon how much I absolutely loved Bright Lights, I knew that I would have to read Bitter, along with her other books.
This memoir focuses on how Lancaster went from being at the top of the world, making more money than she knew what to do with, to the unemployment line following 9/11. She is brutally honest about her attitude and her situation at the time, and even though I know she manages to rise from the ashes of her former career and self, I cannot help but feel for her on her fall.
Adding to my enjoyment of this book is Lancaster's self-admitted smart-assedness. She's sarcastic, and that only makes her more endearing to me. I absolutely cannot get enough of her writing, which of course, is why this book gets a very strong five out of five trips to Saks.
Total Books Read: 46 / 50 (92 percent)
Total Pages Read: 13,369 / 15,000 (89 percent)
