Tuesday, April 12, 2016
What are our favorite authors reading? Find out in our One Night (Book) Stand feature! Today's guest is Amy Impellizzeri, author of Lemongrass Hope.
I am often reading two or three books at the same time, but some books are so good, I stay true to them, and only them, until the end. Here are a few recent reads I could not tear myself away from—beginning to end.
BIGLAW
by Lindsay Cameron
OK, this book makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about it. BIGLAW took me right back to my decade in the trenches as an associate at the largest law firm in Manhattan. On the surface, BIGLAW appears to be a fictional tale about the Manhattan law firm scene. Only it's all true. Author Lindsay Cameron—herself a BigLaw survivor—has cast fictional heroine Mackenzie Corbett in the role of a lifetime: associate at one of the most prestigious law firms in the world, gunning for a coveted secondment assignment, but caught up in an insider trading scandal. Mackenzie's harassment and abuse at the hands of colleagues and senior partners at the firm read like an unbelievable horror story unless you've lived it. Here's the thing. I wrote a NONFICTION book about leaving BigLaw and this book is STILL the most true account of modern life at a big law firm that I've ever read.
Disgruntled
by Asali Solomon
This coming of age tale follows Kenya Curtis as she seeks to find her place and her self. First in 1980s West Philadelphia, eight-year-old Kenya —who celebrates Kwanzaa and hails from activist parents—stands out among her black classmates as different. Later, in the 1990s, when life brings Kenya and her mother to an affluent suburb and a mostly white private school, Kenya struggles with a whole new kind of otherness. A fresh, witty, and compelling story, Disgruntled surprises and grips you, with a complicated and unpredictable portrait of American racism and one young woman's struggle to transcend.
I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around
by Ann Garvin
If you are a fan of Ann Garvin like I am, you will absolutely love this story. And if you're not yet a fan of Ann Garvin (wait, why not?), you will be after you get a hold of this book. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around (lucky me!). It's available for pre-order, releasing in June 2016. Like Ann's earlier books, there is something so poignant and familiar about this story, and yet it still sneaks up on you and unfolds in a way you did not expect. The characters are colorful and flawed, complicated and relatable. The story is so moving and is paced almost too perfectly—it's impossible to find a good place to put this book down!
In Another Life
by Julie Christine Johnson
If you love historical fiction, you can't miss this stunning debut from Julie Christine Johnson. The language alone is so lush and sensual. But the story is just fabulous. Taking place in the South of France over a span of 800 years, the novel unravels a mystical mystery that will have you comparing the book to a kind of Da Vinci Code meets The Time Traveler's Wife. I absolutely loved this book!
About Amy Impellizzeri:
Amy's book:
Lemongrass Hope
I am often reading two or three books at the same time, but some books are so good, I stay true to them, and only them, until the end. Here are a few recent reads I could not tear myself away from—beginning to end.
BIGLAWby Lindsay Cameron
OK, this book makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up just thinking about it. BIGLAW took me right back to my decade in the trenches as an associate at the largest law firm in Manhattan. On the surface, BIGLAW appears to be a fictional tale about the Manhattan law firm scene. Only it's all true. Author Lindsay Cameron—herself a BigLaw survivor—has cast fictional heroine Mackenzie Corbett in the role of a lifetime: associate at one of the most prestigious law firms in the world, gunning for a coveted secondment assignment, but caught up in an insider trading scandal. Mackenzie's harassment and abuse at the hands of colleagues and senior partners at the firm read like an unbelievable horror story unless you've lived it. Here's the thing. I wrote a NONFICTION book about leaving BigLaw and this book is STILL the most true account of modern life at a big law firm that I've ever read.
Disgruntledby Asali Solomon
This coming of age tale follows Kenya Curtis as she seeks to find her place and her self. First in 1980s West Philadelphia, eight-year-old Kenya —who celebrates Kwanzaa and hails from activist parents—stands out among her black classmates as different. Later, in the 1990s, when life brings Kenya and her mother to an affluent suburb and a mostly white private school, Kenya struggles with a whole new kind of otherness. A fresh, witty, and compelling story, Disgruntled surprises and grips you, with a complicated and unpredictable portrait of American racism and one young woman's struggle to transcend.
I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Aroundby Ann Garvin
If you are a fan of Ann Garvin like I am, you will absolutely love this story. And if you're not yet a fan of Ann Garvin (wait, why not?), you will be after you get a hold of this book. I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek of I Like You Just Fine When You're Not Around (lucky me!). It's available for pre-order, releasing in June 2016. Like Ann's earlier books, there is something so poignant and familiar about this story, and yet it still sneaks up on you and unfolds in a way you did not expect. The characters are colorful and flawed, complicated and relatable. The story is so moving and is paced almost too perfectly—it's impossible to find a good place to put this book down!
In Another Lifeby Julie Christine Johnson
If you love historical fiction, you can't miss this stunning debut from Julie Christine Johnson. The language alone is so lush and sensual. But the story is just fabulous. Taking place in the South of France over a span of 800 years, the novel unravels a mystical mystery that will have you comparing the book to a kind of Da Vinci Code meets The Time Traveler's Wife. I absolutely loved this book!
Amy is a reformed corporate litigator, former start-up executive, and award-winning author of Lemongrass Hope (Wyatt-MacKenzie 2014) and Lawyer Interrupted (ABA Publishing 2015). Amy is a Tall Poppy Writer and President of the Women's Fiction Writers Association. She currently lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, three kids, and one energetic weimaraner, where she keeps up on the latest research confirming that large volumes of caffeine are indeed good for you.
Connect with Amy on social media:
Amy's book:
Lemongrass Hope
