Title: “Pursuing
the Times”
Author: Lauren
Baratz-Logsted
Publisher: TKA
Distribution
Publication Date: August
24, 2012
Genre: Literature,
Humor
Reviewed by: Ellen
Fritz
Source: Received
from author for review
Ellen’s star rating: 5/5
SUMMARY
All that popular Chick-Lit author Mercury
Lauren wants is to have one of her books reviewed by the New York Times Book
Review - just one - and she'll do almost anything to get it. In this
contemporary romantic comedy, with a nod toward Pride and Prejudice she crosses
swords and hearts with the Editor-in-Chief of the NYTBR in a madcap adventure
that takes her from her home in Westport to a yoga retreat to a golf course in
Florida. Will she get what she wants and will she finally be happy if she does?
Only one thing's for certain: nothing will stop her from Pursuing the Times.
REVIEW
I thoroughly
enjoyed reading Pursuing the Times.
When I wasn't laughing out loud, I was sitting with a permanent smile fixed to
my face. Mercury Lauren will do anything to get her books reviewed by the New
York Times. When she meets Frank D’Arcangelo, editor-in-chief of the New York
Times Book Review, she targets him to review her next book. Such a pity then that
the man wants nothing to do with chick-lit. From gate-crashing a yoga retreat
to discuss Frank with her editor, Angel, to attempting to play golf at an exclusive
golf course in order to make an impression on Frank, she will stop at nothing
to get the desired review. One just wonders, is it the review or the reviewer
being pursued?
The
clever, witty and most of the time downright hilarious way in which the book is
written captivated me from the start. Mercury, the main character, with her
mercurial impulsiveness and sometimes sweet gullibility, endeared herself to me
from the word go. Her amusing and often wise thoughts and inner dialogue is
what makes this book such an outstanding read. Along her way to getting that
much-desired review, she meets new people; some who become friends for life and
some whose code of ethics prove to be extremely sick and twisted.
Mercury's
family is also not exactly your run of the mill type and her disagreements with
her brother, Ralph - no not the designer, is extremely funny. To make this book
absolutely perfect, there is a bit of tastefully written romance to warm your
heart.
Full of
interesting facts about the publishing world and the ongoing dispute between
literary and commercial fiction, Pursuing
the Times is a fascinating read fully deserving of the five stars I give
it.
EXERPT
Literary and commercial fiction had been
throwing spitballs at one another ever since man first got the idea into his
head to tell made-up stories. The spitball dialogue went something like this:
Commercial: “I get no respect.”
Literary: “I get no sales.”
Commercial: “I’d really like some respect.”
Literary: “Then try writing something with
deeper meaning.”
Commercial: “My books do have meaning!”
Literary: “I’d really like some money.”
Commercial: “Then try paying attention to
plot for once.”
Literary: “No wonder you get no respect.”
Both sides of the debate of course ignored
the fact that most books don’t fall neatly into one category or the other. Most
books fall somewhere in the middle and the only reason a lot of books fall into
literary rather than commercial is because they’re non-genre – meaning they’re
not romance, horror, mystery etc – so nobody knows what the hell else to call
them.
READ more REVIEWS
Pursuing the Times by Lauren
Baratz-Logsted has 24 reviews on Goodreads. Read it here.
PURCHASE LINKS
ABOUT the AUTHOR
Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her father
owned a drugstore at which her mother was the pharmacist. She is a graduate of
the University of Connecticut at Storrs, where she majored in psychology. She
also has what she calls her “half-Masters” in English from Western Connecticut
State University (five courses down, another five to go…someday!).
Throughout college, she worked semester breaks as a doughnut salesperson, a job that she swears gave her white lung disease from all the powdered sugar she breathed.
Upon graduation, she began work at the venerable independent spacebookseller, now sadly defunct as such, Klein’s of Westport. There, she bought and sold for the better part of 11 years.
In November 1994, Lauren left the bookstore to finally take a chance on herself as a writer. Success did not happen over night. Between 1994 and May 2002 – when Red Dress Ink called with an offer to buy THE THIN PINK LINE – Lauren worked as a book reviewer, a freelance editor and writer, and a window washer, making her arguably the only woman in the world who has ever both hosted a book signing party and washed the windows of the late best-selling novelist Robert Ludlum.
Since Red Dress Ink’s call in 2002, Lauren has been kept very busy with writing more novels and checking her Amazon ranking on a daily basis. She still lives in Danbury, with her husband and daughter, where she has lived since 1991.
In addition to writing, Lauren’s daughter keeps her busy, accounting for the rest of her time.
Lauren’s favorite color is green.
Lauren’s favorite non-cat animals are penguins.
Lauren wants you to know that, however you are pronouncing her last name, you are probably pronouncing it wrong.
AUTHOR LINKS
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