Bitter is the New Black - Jen Lancaster

On a hot lazy afternoon, there is nothing better than lying on the couch with a cold drink and a chick-lit novel. My friend Raz, thankfully, has kept me well stocked with the latest books from aging sorority girls dressed in Chanel and sipping Cosmos. This one is a memoir - from Jen Lancaster - living high on the hog during the dotcom sucess day. She relishes her VP title and instead of saving for the future she can't fathom with ever come, she spends her afternoons getting manicures and telling off her minions. And then, suddenly the bubble bursts, and Jen finds herself struggling to pay her rent and wondering how she could possibly be so overqualified for so many jobs. Unlike most chick-lit, I found Lancaster's writing pretty good - she's witty and seemingly well-read, though she is so self-absorbed, I couldn't help but wonder how she had any friends, much less a boyfriend (Fletch) for 7-years who actually wants to spend the rest of his life with her. She mostly presents Fletch as an especially patient saintly individual, which given her penchance for spending the utility money on Prada shoes, I can only imagine is a colossal exaggeration intended to hide some major personality flaw on his part. Despite Jen's larger than life (read: irritating) personality, she clearly has a sense of humor about it all, and reading about her employment search and eventual decision to focus on her writing, I found myself rooting for her. I understand that since this book, she has had two more memoirs published. I look forward to reading them on a day when I want to have a couple laughs and give my brain a rest.