How to be Single: A Novel

By Liz Truccillo

"A human being's desire to mate, to pair up, to be part of a couple, will never change. But the way we go about it, how badly we need it, what we are willing to sacrifice for it, most definitely is... So maybe the question isn't anymore 'Why are you single?' Maybe the question you should be asking yourself is 'How are you single?' "

When I was a little girl many years ago (thirty or so to be exact), I couldn't wait to be a teenager so I could go on dates and have boyfriends. I think I must have watched too much television or too many musicals, because I was in for a very rude awakening. When no one in high school really wanted to date me, I just figured I'd wait until college. But college boys were even less interested in having a girlfriend. And while I must confess to kissing quite a few boys, I'm almost embarrassed to admit that my husband was my first serious relationship. We didn't meet until I was twenty-four years old and I had to ask HIM out! I guess I finally learned that nothing turns out quite the way you expect.

Julie Jensen is a 38 year old New Yorker, a beautiful single woman with a great career and a posse of loyal girlfriends. But she is sick to death of being asked, "'Why are you single? You seem like an awfully nice person. And very attractive. I just don't understand it.'" Julie doesn't understand it either so she decides to travel around the world to find out how women in other countries deal with being single. She travels to amazing cities, like Paris, Rio, Sydney, Bali, Beijing, Mumbai and Reykjavik, fallling madly in love with a married man along the way. Julie discovers that men and women all over the globe are marrying later, many are divorcing more easily, and finding your soulmate is difficult no matter where you live. Julie's friends are also dealing with being single: Alice is an attorney who quit her job to spend more time dating, Serena is a chef contemplating celibacy, Ruby is depressed and seriously considering artificial insemination, and Georgia just became a single mother of two after her husband deserted her for a much younger woman.

I found How to Be Single to be a very interesting and entertaining book. Each woman's story is compelling and unpredictable, the characters are well written and surprisingly likeable. Author Liz Truccillo was a writer for Sex and the City and it shows in the best possible way; the friendships and romances feel real and believable. Reading this book is almost like watching an episode of the popular series. According to the book jacket, the author traveled all over the world to interview men and women and research this book. As an avid reader of travel magazines, I just loved reading about the different countries. The author's descriptions are so vivid, you almost feel like you're visiting these great places with her. I'd recommend How to Be Single to all women, regardless of marital status, because who couldn't relate to these tales of love and loss? I only wish that I could have read it years ago and saved myself some heartache.

The Book of Dahlia: A Novel

by Elisa Albert

Dahlia Finger is twenty-nine years old and living in Venice Beach, trying to get her life together when she is suddenly diagnosed with a brain tumor. This book has received many starred reviews and some good press, and I really wanted to like it. But I found Dahlia's character mostly whiney and self-absorbed. I couldn't get into the "stream of conscious" writing style either.

The Beach House: A Novel

By Jane Green

This is the story of a beautiful, rambling oceanfront estate in Nantucket. Many years ago, Windemere was the pristine home of one of New England's wealthiest families, the perfect setting for fabulous parties and beach vacations. Now, it belongs to one slightly eccentric, lonely old woman, who inherited the home and resides there alone with her memories.

To pay for some badly needed repairs and renovations, Nan decides to turn Windemere into a bed and breakfast. Soon, her home is once again a bustling place, full of laughter, drama and romance. Her lovely new tenants include a recently separated father on the brink of coming out of the closet, a lonely divorcee slowly rediscovering herself after many years as a wife and mother, and her son, a lifelong bachelor seeking refuge from yet another doomed love affair.
I loved this novel's Nantucket setting and its beautiful beach house Windemere. I even kind of liked Nan, a no nonsense woman who shoots from the hip and lives her life without a care as to what anyone else thinks of her. However, the other characters are entirely forgettable; the way that they all coincidentally end up at Windemere and all their problems magically disappear felt a little far fetched for me. If you're in search of a nice, sappy beach read and you don't mind suspending your disbelief, you'll probably enjoy The Beach House, but for me, it was all a little too perfect. I'd still love to visit Nantucket someday though!

LoveHampton: A Novel

By Sherri Rifkin

A modern day Cinderella story set in the Hamptons. Tori Miller’s life fell apart when her boyfriend Peter broke up with her two years ago and ever since then, her life has been all work and no play. Until her best friends stage an “intervention,” by arranging both a TV makeover show and a summer share in the Hamptons to bring some excitement back to her life. Tori reluctantly takes her pals’ advice and finds herself in a strange new world. In addition to a stylish new look and an expensive designer wardrobe, she suddenly has six new housemates, a glamorous social life, and more male attention than she can handle. But Tori’s not quite prepared for all the complications that come with her new life; making new friends, juggling men, avoiding paparazzi, & partying every night make it difficult to keep up with her old friends and build her new company. And while she loves the attention of her charming, handsome, RICH new beau George, she also finds herself attracted to one of her housemates, which is completely against house rules.
This light, breezy novel, which Publishers Weekly called “a dazzling debut,” is perfect reading for the beach or pool. If you’ve ever wondered what it’d be like to spend a summer among the rich and famous, you love Lovehampton, an entertaining and easy read.

The Garden of Last Days: A Novel

by Andre Dubus III

I first learned of this title, a new book from the author of House of Sand and Fog, in a ringing endorsement written by Stephen King for Entertainment Weekly. In his essay called "Buzz Verses Hype", King writes "...this book is so good, so damn compulsively readable, that I can hardly believe it. The brooding cover — palm trees beneath a greenish sky that suggests bad luck, trouble, storms, perhaps total disaster — promises suspense; unlike most such covers, The Garden of Last Days actually delivers." Who could resist such a glowing review?
Not that I neccessarily trust Stephen King's recommendations. He wrote a similar review for a book called The Ruins by Scott Smith; it turned out to be one of the absolute worst books I have ever read. But I enjoyed House and Sand and Fog, so I reluctantly decided to give Mr. King a chance to redeem himself.
The Garden of Last Days is set in Florida during early September 2001. A single mother named April is forced to bring her three year old daughter to work after her babysitter/landlady Jean is sent to the hospital with chest pains. The problem is that April works as a dancer at a strip club, which is obviously no place for a child. While April is dancing in a private room for a foreigner with money to burn, little Franny quietly slips out of the club in search of her mother, only to be snatched by an unstable client.
There are over 500 pages in this book and many of them are about stripping. Dubus creates an interesting character in April, a smart girl determined to create a happy home for her daughter and survive the hard, lonely life she's living right now. Too bad most of the other characters aren't as interesting. I wish the story had focused more on April and was about a hundred pages shorter. This is an interesting story at times, but House of Sand and Fog is better.

And Sometimes Why: A Novel

By Rebecca Johnson

To the McMartin family, it seems like an ordinary morning at the breakfast table. Parents Darius and Sophie are quietly observing their daughters’ argument over whose turn it is to take the car that they share. Sixteen year old Helen- popular, pretty, outgoing – wants to go break up with her boyfriend, while eighteen year old Miranda – serious, smart, quiet- must decide whether to attend her college freshmen orientation or shop for new clothes. Finally, Helen agrees to catch a ride with a friend; a seemingly minor decision that will ultimately change their family forever.

While Miranda makes friends with a few fellow classmates, Helen breaks things off with Bobby, her guitar playing, motorcycle riding boyfriend. He takes the break up surprising well, asking only for one more night together for old time’s sake. Helen agrees and they ride off together on his bike. What Helen doesn’t know is that Bobby is actually a 37 year old drug dealer with an alias and an alcohol problem; this ride will be her last.

Rebecca Johnson has created an interesting premise here and the characters of the McMartin family are well drawn. For me, problems arise when other characters, like a good looking game show host and a lonely filmmaker, take center stage. Although the characters are connected, their relationships sometimes feel tenuous and only distracted me from Helen’s story. If the author had focused more on the McMartins, I think it would be a more satisfying book. Still, And Sometimes Why is an engrossing look at one family’s tragedy and how it affects the lives of other people as well.