Lately I've been on an essay reading kick, so I picked up a recommendation from one of my book club buddies. It's a Wonderful Lie: 26 Truths About Life in Your Twenties is a delightfully sarcastic homage to life in your twenties: finding a job and apartment, dating, drinking, and more. Some of my faves so far include Jill Kargman's "Letter to My Crappy One-Bedroom" (which inspired me to write about my adventures in urban real estate), Alison Pace's "Hired, Fired, and What I Wore" (has she been following me with hidden cameras ala TLC's What Not to Wear? it's like she's inside my closet), and Cara Lockwood's "Breaking Up (with MasterCard) Is Hard to Do." Special kudos go to Leanne Shear and Tracey Toomey for their take on post-Sex and the City feminism in "Girls Can Do Anything!." In fact, Leanne and Tracey are appearing as my featured muses this Thursday, so check that out.
The one thing I didn't like so much about the book it is the homophony of voices. After a while, the essays start to sound like the same 24-year old writer struggling to find her voice and find a boyfriend. I've been there, I get it, but can we please talk about something else? Twentysomething Essays by Twentysomething Writers reflects a much more diverse sampling of young writers and experiences. But I still love It's a Wonderful Lie, too. If you're trying to get your own essays published (and good luck to you, it's tough!), check out Allison Winn Scotch's post on that very topic. I'm pleased to report that since I started my Q & A with The Urban Muse, writers and publicists have actually started sending me galleys of their books. My primary goal has always been to further my knowledge and that of my fellow writers, but if I get to read some new books in the process, then so much the better!