The Book Bag: Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Tuesday, April 2, 2013

Pursuing the Times by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

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. ~~ synopsis from Goodreads

My thoughts about Pursuing the Times ~~

Okay, so the first line of this book is ~

'It is a publishing truth, universally acknowledged, that anyone professionally involved in the pursuit of "Lit-e-ra-ture," must, by definition, despise Chick-Lit.'

How can that NOT make you want to read more? Chick-Lit, how ever one wants to define that genre, rocks!

'Surely, if a man wrote the same things, they wouldn't call it Dick-Lit...would they? And he'd probably get some respect right?'

I loved everything about this book! It is a hilarious look at the world of writing (chick-lit of course), publishing, reviewing and love. Mercury will stop at nothing in order to get her book reviewed by the Times, even though she despises the Editor-in-Chief.

One of the many funny parts of the book was this bit about Mercury's publisher. She does get her book published but she was hesitant to sign on with Pink Pet Press. She wasn't crazy about their logo,

'that little pink eraser on the spines of all their books. Who has an office-supply product as an icon?"

There are so many great lines throughout this book. I read the whole thing with a smile on my face; so much of it cracked me up! I am enjoying it all over again, just rereading those funny scenes.

And not only was this an extremely entertaining read, I learned a lot about writing, getting published, and ultimately getting reviewed, so that people would buy and read your book. Pursuing the Times gives the reader an inside look at the world of writers. I learned a lot and I want to take my hat off to all of those writers out there. I am so glad you all do what you do!

Like I said, this is a very entertaining story and I am so glad that I was a part of this world, even for a little bit. I am definitely going to have to read more of Lauren's books. And she has written quite a few. I checked her webpage and she has written books for adults, teens, and kids. So many books .... so little time!

About the author

Lauren grew up in Monroe, CT, where her mother and father owned a drugstore. 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 bookseller, 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.