I Hate Everyone, Except You by Clinton Kelly

Clinton Kelly perhaps best known for all things fashion on What Not to Wear and co-host of the The Chew, is back with an all new book filled with candid, hilarious, and often snarky essays on nearly everything under the sun. From his somewhat awkward childhood to his feud with Paula Deen over whether or not it's acceptable to eat a chicken wing with a fork on TV to what was supposed to a relaxing spa day with his best friend that turned into a muddy fiasco, Kelly isn't afraid to tell it like it is. While known for his TV persona, I Hate Everyone, Except You is an unapologetic, honest, humorous look at Kelly's life; one that we don't always see on TV.

Hungry Heart: Adventures in Life, Love, and Writing by Jennifer Weiner

Jennifer Weiner, most well-known for her popular chick-lit novels like Good In Bed, In Her Shoes, and Who Do You Love, takes a big jump into the world of non-fiction in this hilarious collection of essays. With no holds barred she takes raw, personal stuff from her own life and offers the reader a glimpse into her world. Starting with her lonely childhood, Weiner writes of the desertion she grappled with when her father left her family and just exactly what if felt like to be the "Lane Bryant outtake in an Abercrombie & Fitch photo shoot." Moving from her childhood to adolescence to life as a twenty-something, Weiner writes about her first job as a journalist to publishing her first novel Good In Bed to having her book adapted for a movie. Along the way, Weiner candidly writes about life as a wife, mother, and writer.

With candor and humility, Weiner's Hungry Heart doesn't stray from topics like feminism, sex, marriage (and divorce), body image, her mother's recent lesbianism, and everything in between. With parts that are literally laugh out loud funny and others that are extremely touching, it's easy to see Weiner's personality shining through this book like it does in her works of fiction.

My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff

In 1996 Joanna Rakoff left her graduate studies in London, moved to New York and took a job as an assistant to a literary agent at a well-respected company. But the job was not the literary dream job she had expected. Rather than reading manuscripts and hobnobbing with authors, her duties consisted mainly of typing form letters on an old electric typewriter. In the mid 1990’s, working in an office that refused to use computers, her primary job was to type the same form letter over and over again and mail them to the fans of The Agency’s most famous author, J.D. Salinger. Salinger, a recluse who had not published an original work since 1965, refused to accept the large amount of fan mail he received daily.  Hence, it was Ms. Rakoff’s duty to read and answer each letter. And, no matter how plaintive the message, she was to send the same typed form letter. This was a directive she eventually felt compelled to ignore. Feeling compassion for some of the letter writers, she broke the rules and responded with heartfelt sympathy and some good advice.

She could have used some sympathy and good advice in her personal life.  She lived with her inconsiderate, self-absorbed boyfriend in an apartment that had neither heat nor a kitchen sink. (No problem! They had a bathtub and sweaters.) Poorly paid, she was not able to stretch her salary to cover all her expenses. Her boyfriend expected her to shoulder the entire responsibility for the rent so he could work on his novel. And her well-to-do father surprised her with the bills for student loans she had not known had been taken out in her name.

However her life was not all stress and struggle. She loved living in New York and her descriptions of the city are quite enticing. She adjusted to working at The Agency and eventually was assigned more interesting work. Her descriptions of an office and agents that seem to have come right out of a 1940’s comedy film are amusing. She spoke to Salinger on the phone and met him once. She eventually came to love his books as much as the writers of the fan mail she answered. And she developed the self-confidence to leave the job and the boyfriend and move on to a more fulfilling life. My Salinger Year by Joanna Rakoff is an account of a young woman maturing, helped into adulthood by the creator of Holden Caufield, the eternal teenager.

Check out My Salinger Year @ the library!