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I always love Jen Lancaster's books. Its like reading a good friends blog. I LOL'ed many times!
Need a fluffy book in between my depressing reads, and this book fit the bill. Entertaining account of her "Jenissance" where she tries to go out and get more culture instead of binging on reality shows. I think it being set in Chicago helped a bit.
This is the latest installment in Jen Lancaster's LOL memoirs. In this one, she searches for meaning in her life and tries to become more culturally sophisticated and undertakes a "Jenaissance". What ensues is a hilarious diatribe about art galleries, theatre-going, wine & cheese tasting, and an expedition to try the world's cuisine. Followers of her blog (www.Jennsylvania.com) will find some repeated material here. I liked this better than "Pretty in Plaid", her previous book, but this one is good for some laughs.
I love how Jen Lancaster's style of writing makes the reader feel like they are having an actual conversation with her.
Entertaining, but I was slightly disappointed. I've been blown away by Jen's previous memoirs and my expectations of her writing are rather high. Although there were parts that really made me snort out loud (and I totally teared up when she recalls putting her kitty down and her pup being diagnosed with cancer), much of this book felt a little "phoned in," like she was just satisfying a publisher's contract. I know that writers often sell a block of books to publishers, before those books are actually written, but especially in a memoir, I want to feel that the writing and story is inspired by life...not a contractual obligation. Maybe this feeling was reinforced by Jen's occasional reference to her "writing season," and the fact that certain times of the year, she will be writing a new book, like clockwork. Boo. I guess I want to maintain my illusion that writers write because their stories are too wonderful to contain, not because there's cold, hard, cash involved.
Not my favorite of her books, at all. This was really a bit of a let down for me, I didn't even bother finishing it. Felt like it was the same ol' same ol' too bad because I love her and was really looking forward to it - but Jen seemed to have lost a bit of her laugh-out-loud effect, at leaste for me.
I have read all of Lancaster's books. I enjoy them. However, this latest book was my least favorite. She's still entertaining and I enjoy her wit and sarcasm. I think the reason I didn't enjoy this one as much is that many of the culture references flew over my head because I'm not a reality tv fan. I watch a few but non of the ones that she referred to.
inspiring
medium-paced