Great Summer Reads (By My Friends)

It's impossible for me to wrap my brain around the fact that it's already May, but, indeed, life has sped forward without pause, and now that it's May, it means...spring reading! So here are a few great picks, all of which have been written by fabu writers whom I've been fortunate enough to get to know, for book clubs, your nightstand or the beach - wherever you find a second to lose yourself in a read!

1) Such a Pretty Fat: One Narcissist's Quest To Discover if Her Life Makes Her Ass LookBig, Or Why Pie is Not The Answer by Jen Lancaster. If you've read either of Jen's previous memoirs, you know that she is scathingly funny and this time, she turns the spotlight on herself as she trucks to the gym and puts herself on a diet, in an attempt to slim down. Jen sent me a copy of the book, and while I've been swamped, I've only be able to read the first few chapters, but needless to say, it is laugh-out-loud funny. Like, really laugh-out-loud funny. If you've ever wished a few pounds away, dragged your ass to the gym or tried to stuff yourself into skinny jeans, this book is for you. Check out more on Amazon.

2) The Divorce Party by Laura Dave. I'll have more with Laura next week on the blog and full disclaimer, she is a very dear friend of mine, but for a little objectivity, I picked up her first book, London is the Best City in America, before I knew her and absolutely adored it. So I am sooooooo excited for her second book, which explores love and family dynamics when one young couple gets engaged and another couple, set to celebrate their 35th anniversary, throw themselves a divorce party instead. Kate Jacobs and Marisa de los Santos have raved about this book, and did I mention how excited I am to read it and for Laura? She is one of my favorite people - generous and kind and smart and lovely - and she deserves all of her success. Check out more on the book on Amazon. (Oh and yeah, Jennifer Aniston's production company optioned the rights to the movie!)

3) Driving Sideways by Jess Riley. I met Jess through the blogosphere, and we endured the process of getting our debut novels sold and published together. So now I'm thrilled that hers is finally (almost!) here. This one, which follows the journey of Leigh Fielding, a recent recipient of a new kidney, as she treks across the country, sounds tailor-made for bookclubs and beaches reading - the perfect mix of poignant, funny and sharp. Check out more on Amazon.

4) Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp by Stephanie Klein. This one had me at the title...and then at the cover. Oh man, do I love this cover. Some of you might know Stephanie from her put-it-all-out-there blog,

Greek Tragedy, or from her first memoir, Straight Up and Dirty, which chronicled her young marriage and subsequent divorce and how she got her life back together, and she's back this time with a touching, honest and damn funny account of her lifelong struggle with her weight. But this one is more than just about losing a few pounds - I've never been to fat camp and was really sucked in by the writing and just the universal story and struggle for self-acceptance. Buy it for the cover, if nothing else. :) More about it on Amazon here.

5) Frenemies by Alexa Young. This is a must-read if you dig YA or if you have someone running around your house who digs YA. Or who watches Gossip Girl because this is sooo the literary rival to the show...or to the books, if you want to get technical. Frenemies poses that lifelong, philosophical question, "What happens when two besties become full-blown worsties?," and for the answers and all the dish, you'll have to dive into the book. Alexa is a friend of mine, and I can certify her as officially awesome, so I'm sure that you (or your teen) won't be disappointed! More about it on Amazon.

So, go ahead and share, what's on your summer reading list?