American Girls About Town

Rating: 3 out of 5 horses

Pages: 386

Challenges: Short Stories, 20 in 2009, Support your local Library,

Synopsis (and picture from BN.com)
Born in the U.S.A....
American gals are taking liberties — and pursuing happiness on their own terms — in this star-studded story collection featuring the nation's red-hot women writers.
They've declared their independence!

Jennifer Weiner (In Her Shoes) learns "The Truth About Nigel" — and the trouble with falling for an incognito Hollywood actor. Lauren Weisberger (The Devil Wears Prada) sends a single New Yorker on a backpacking trip halfway around the world — where she sees her love life back home with new eyes — in "The Bamboo Confessions." A harried mom with a hit novel crosses the pond in "My Great Brit Book Tour" by Adriana Trigiani (Lucia, Lucia), and turns a crumbling talk show appearance into a sweet success.

Review

I picked up this book because I was wanting to read Adriana Trigiani's story (I love her Big Stone Gap series). I enjoyed this collection a lot - so much I got the Irish Girl collection. It is contemporary short stories by today's popular authors. I was surprised that it was called American Girls and the main characters were American Girls, but the stories weren't necessarily set in the US and the ladies in the story didn't necessarily date American, but that is just something I wish I knew going into it to set my expectations.

Here are the stories in the collection and what I thought of them...

My Great Brit Book Tour - Adriana Trigiani (4)
Five - Julianna Baggot (2)
Leaving a Light On - Claire LaZebnik (3)
Moving Day - Cindy Chupack (3)
Yoga Baby - Lauren Henderson (1)
The Truth about Nigel - Jennifer Weiner (4)
Voodoo Dolls, C-Cups and Eminem - Melissa Senate (3)
The Bamboo Confessions - Lauren Weisberger (4)
Amore - Laura Wolf (2)
Andromeda on the Street of Ducklings - Judi Hendricks (5)
Bad manners - Chris Manby (3)
The Two-Month Itch - Sarah Mlynowski (3)
I know a Woman - Quinn Dalton (4.5)
Just Visiting - Nancy Starling (5)
Forty Days - Jill Smolinski (4)
The Uncertainty Principle - Lynda Curnyn (4)
Small Worlds - Gretchen Laskas (3)

Let me know what you think of the collection!

My Great Brit Book Tour (Short Story) - Adrinana Trigiani

Short Story Title: A Day in the Life of My Great Brit Book Tour

Autor: Adrinana Trigiani

Book: American Girls About Town

Rating: 4 out of 5 horses

In honor of Andria Trigiani's new book coming out next week I read one of her shorts!

This is a story about an author who is going to Britain on a book tour with her husband and small baby. She has visions that the tour is going to be wonderful an wildly successful. After a harrowing plane ride where her daughter wanted to be held but only for 15 minute intervals she deplanes and breaks a tooth. Her PR manager is shuttling her to a TV interview, where no one can understand her. Here is my favorite quote:

"It's our first day of the book tour and I have already learned a big lesson: let go. Let go of the perfect picture and embrace the moment because the moment is extraordinary."

I need to remember this quote on a daily basis!

I highly recommend the Big Stone Gap series by Adriana Trigiani. Keep watching here I am chomping at the bit to read her new book and plan to do it soon -possibly in the hospital after I have my new addition.

Take a look at The Book Mine Set for more Short Stories Monday's.