Books - Everyone Worth Knowing

The Significant Seven with Lauren Weisberger
Lauren graciously agreed to answer the questions we like to ask every author.

Q: What book has had the most significant impact on your life?
A: Very tough question. For the first half of my life, it would definitely have to be Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. I worshipped that book. Recently, I'd say that it was Empire Falls by Richard Russo. Even though there's not a tremendous amount of action, the characters are brilliant. It's a hauntingly realistic depiction of small-town America. And the place descriptions are so compelling that the book is compulsively page-turning.Q: You are stranded on a desert island with only one book, one CD, and one DVD--what are they?
A: This is not the time for self-improvement, that's for sure--they'd all have to be 100% entertainment. For book it would have to be The Last of the California Girls, a random novel that I've read 2,000 times; for CD I would say Monster Ballads, the album of cheesy 80's love songs that I ordered from an 800-number, and for DVD, it would be Dirty Dancing, of course. Q: What is the worst lie you've ever told?
A: That one's easy. It goes something like this: "Hi, (insert editor's name here)! Yes, of course, it's already finished. I'm just tweaking a few sentences, and I'll have the whole draft to you by Monday, latest."Q: Describe the perfect writing environment.
A: For me, the best writing environments are all about deprivation and the removal of temptation. Therefore, anywhere on earth where there's no TV, no phone, no internet access, no friends, and no fridge is pretty much perfect. Q: If you could write your own epitaph, what would it say?
A: I really don't want to think about this one, but if I HAVE to, I hope it would include a few keywords like "brilliant," "supremely talented," and "drop-dead gorgeous." Q: Who is the one person living or dead that you would like to have dinner with?
A: I'm supposed to say Hemingway or Moses or Madonna, right? It'd probably just be my sister, Dana. We already have a lot of dinners together, so I know it's a guaranteed good laugh.Q: If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
A: The ability to be invisible! It would make all my current spying/stalking/staring SO much easier.

Lauren Weisberger's List of Books You Should Read

so80s

Marjorie Morningstar

Kissing in Manhattan

Bright Lights, Big City

Glamorama

See more recommendations from Lauren Weisberger
"An irresistible tale about what happens when a girl on the fringe enters the realm of New York's chic, party-hopping elite. On paper, Bette Robinson's life is good. At twenty-six, she's got a great deal on an apartment in Manhattan, and she's on target to become an associate at the prestigious investment bank where she works with her best friend. Her eighty-hour workweeks might keep her from socializing or dating outside her office walls -- but she's paying her dues on the well-trod path to wealth and happiness. So when Bette quits her job like the impulsive girl she's never been, she not only shocks her friends and family -- she has no idea what to do next. For months, Bette gets out and about by walking her four-pound dog around her decidedly unglamorous Murray Hill neighborhood. Then she meets Kelly, head of Manhattan's hottest PR and events planning firm, and suddenly Bette has a brand-new job where the primary requirement is to see and be seen. The work at Kelly & Company takes Bette inside the VIP rooms of the city's most exclusive nightclubs, to parties crowded with celebrities and socialites. Bette learns not to blink at the famous faces, the black Amex cards, the magnums of Cristal, or the ruthless paparazzi. Soon she's dating an infamous playboy who's great for her career but bad for her sanity -- and scaring off the one decent guy she meets. Still, as her coworkers repeatedly point out, how can you complain about a job that pays you to party? Bette has to agree -- until she begins appearing in a vicious new gossip column. That's when Bette's life on paper takes on a whole new meaning -- and she learns the line between her personal and professional lives is...invisible. "

Customer Reviews

Average Rating:

Rating:

- A Book Worth Reading...
This was definitely just a fun book to read. I didn't want to put it down because I was anxious to see what happened next. The only thing I was sad about was that it ended! Bette has to go from one extreme to the other with her job to really find out a little more about who she is and what she wants to do. As a person who is in her twenties, I definitely related to this. If you want a light, fun read with a few laughs, i recommend this book.

Rating:

- Delicious fun read
It's a paperback. It is a book of a girl rediscovering herself in NYC, the world's most glamorous city. It is cheesy in spots and it is very predictable but it is fun. It is lighthearted. It is perfect for that summer getaway even if you're not going any further than your back yard. When life gets you down, this book is fun to read and a guarantee that you will escape reality for a few hours.

Ok, if I like it so much, then why did I give it a three star? The last half of the book, especially ... Read More

Rating:

- The perfect guilty pleasure read!
Twenty-seven-year-old Bettina "Bette" (don't call her Betty) Robinson has never been much of a party girl. Sure, she and her best friend, Penelope, spend much of their time holed up in the Black Door, drinking away their woes, and reminiscing about old times. But, aside from that, Bette spends much of her time strapped to her desk at the slave-driving UBS, or curling up at home with her Yorkshire Terrier, Millington, who happens to be allergic to almost everything she comes in contact with. But when Bette ... Read More

Rating:

- Recycling is good - just not for plots
I never read The Devil Wears Prada, though I did see the movie. And from what I can tell this is just the same story wearing different Jimmy Choos. It's the same formula retold with slightly less believable characters. It was okay, but nothing new or exciting - definitely predictable, and not in a good way. I can only hope she breaks out of this mold if she writes another book, because it's getting old fast.

Rating:

- Funny but Name-dropping annoying
I really liked this book. I'm working as a receptionist part-time this summer and I read this book yesterday. It was funny and light, and I could visualize everything like it was on the movie screen. It is predictable but the tone makes it enjoyable. Although it entertained, I don't like the low moral standards of just about every character in the book but that is par for the course with chick-lit. I got sick of the constant name-dropping, I understand some was necessary but come-on already. I love her style ... Read More

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