Ron Carlson writes, “Jennifer Spiegel’s tilt on Miss Lonelyhearts is loose among us like a confession, a letter, gossip, an advice column without boundaries.”
It’s 1995. When she can, Sybil Weatherfield works as an office temp. But in her jobless hours she may be her generation’s Dorothy Parker, writing a confessional column for the alternative weekly, New York Shock. Her friends include a paper-pusher for a human rights organization and the lead singer of a local rock band called Glass Half Empty. Together, they try to find a path from their own wry inactivity to something real and lasting that can matter to them. Richly funny and wincingly specific, this cunning debut novel is a bittersweet and ironic look at what it means to be enthralled by an idea—by even the most ragged possibility of love.
Here’s a Reader’s Guide for Book Clubs and Love Slave Aficionados!
I made a “Best Books of 2012” list from Chamber Four! And then--much to my joy and astonishment--I made another “Best Books of 2012” list from the Well-Read Wife! If all of this weren’t wild enough, The Well-Readhead’s Year in Books included me!
The Washington Post writes, “If you think we’re dealing with the second coming of Carrie Bradshaw, oh baby, think again ..." For the full review, go here.
Publisher’s Weekly writes, “Spiegel's novel evokes the psychic angst of Manhattanites presumptuous enough to describe themselves as struggling artistes, yet entitled enough to melt down when they can't order breakfast in a diner after 11am...the writing is fresh and witty, and Sybil is a sympathetic character worthy of rooting for as she searches for something to believe in." You can find the full review here.
This is my new favorite site. They categorize people, books, places, etc. referenced in Love Slave. The scope of this site blows me away, and I’m very grateful that my book is included.
When Liberty talks, I listen. She identifies Love Slave as one of her favorite books of 2012!
In the “Fabulous News Department,” Lara Howard Smith names both Love Slave and The Freak Chronicles among her Best Books of 2012! Go here.
Check out this review on Muse at Highway Speeds. Very kind. And, in the author’s note, you can find the inside scoop on the origins of Sybil’s name.
Here’s a review in Chamber Four by Charles Rammelkamp, in which Socrates is quoted when discussing my book!
The Well-Read Wife liked my book a lot, and said some fabulous things about it here.
I really like this one: “Where Writers Write.” The Next Best Book Blog is showcasing where writers write. You can see my writing space, which includes some Hemingway, coffee, the cat, Ranger Rick, and Bob Dylan.
And, of course, we need the OFFICIAL PLAYLIST for the book, courtesy of Largehearted Boy. Go here for Pearl Jam, Nirvana, Lenny Kravitz, PJ Harvey, and Buffalo Springfield.
I admit to loving this piece in the popular blog, The Quivering Pen. I wrote about my first literary crush, which was on Douglas Coupland. Go here.
This review from She Knows FINALLY addresses the S-M issue. I’ve been waiting for this! Go here.
How fun is this “Self-Interview” with The Nervous Breakdown? In it, I divulge the answers to many compelling questions!
A different kind of review. On Fashion Friday, Love Slave was declared “wildly clever.” Books, as you might know, are the new black.
Another fun book review by Lara Howard Smith is here.
For photos by Don Fitzsimmons of my Love Slave reading at Changing Hands Bookstore in Tempe, AZ on Oct 13, 2012, go here.
For photos by Lara Smith (of Snotty Literati fame) of my Love Slave reading at Glendale Community College in Glendale, AZ in Feb. 13, 2013, go here.
I love this one; it’s a letter to my teen-self: “Dear Teen Me.”
Books, Personally flattered me considerably with some fine praise: "Recommended for literary fiction fans who like their characters and stories the way they like their cities: gritty and complicated." Go here for more!
A very kind review that dares to mention the tampon issue. I’m grateful for this, since I worked hard on that part and people don’t like to talk about it too much!
