Book of the Day - The Next Best Thing by Jennifer Weiner

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Author: Jennifer Weiner
ISBN:
Publisher: Atria
Rating: Highly Recommended
Purchase: Amazon.com and Barnesandnoble.com.
Jen's Cupcake Tour: http://www.jenniferweiner.com/events.htm

About the Book

For the first time since Good in Bed, Jennifer Weiner returns to a single girl narrative with THE NEXT BEST THING (Atria Books; $26.99; July 3, 2012). Told from the perspective of twenty-eight-year-old Ruth Saunders, THE NEXT BEST THING is the unforgettable story of one woman’s quest to make it as a writer in the glittering world of Hollywood.

But not all that glitters is gold. In THE NEXT BEST THING, Ruth finds herself among countless other young writers who have set their sights on Los Angeles, where she and her grandmother travel to make Ruth’s dreams come true. And Jennifer Weiner knows what she is writing about — she was the co-creator and executive producer of the ABC Family sitcom State of Georgia, which ran during the summer of 2011.

Ruth and her grandmother have been a family of two ever since a car accident killed Ruth’s parents when she was just three years old and left her with permanent facial scars. Now Ruth dreams of creating and casting the perfect sitcom, “The Next Best Thing,” based on her adventures with her grandmother, who is meanwhile building a name for herself as a television extra and finding a new husband along the way. When her sitcom is greenlit, with Ruth as showrunner, she is ecstatic, but nothing is ever easy in entertainment, and difficult actors and number-crunching network executives soon dash her aspirations. 

Set against the fascinating backdrop of LA’s television culture, with an insider’s look into writers’ rooms and on-set politics, Jennifer Weiner’s THE NEXT BEST THING is a joyride through Hollywood’s studios, a moving  story about what it’s like for a young woman to survive loss — and find love — in modern-day Los Angeles.

My Thoughts

I love Jennifer's books.  I always have.  Each new release excites me, and this one was no different.  I love the originality of the book's subject matter.  It goes hand-in-hand with Weiner's recent endeavor, the series "State of Georgia."  The novel has an even pace in the beginning, but quickly picks up, leaving the reader to soak every word in as quick as possible.  I loved the characters, the premise and the reality behind this story.  The life of a show runner-cit-com writer-is not one that is written about often.  While this book didn't take first place in my heart for Jennifer's books, it is great!  Congratulations to Ms. Weiner on her 10th book! It would be difficult for me to make a list in order of my favorite to least favorite because all of them are dazzling. If your a fan of Jen or you enjoy a good comedy or piece of women's fiction, you'll love this book.  It's a great read.