Book Review: Bitter is the New Black

I requested this book a while ago from my library and was more than excited when it finally arrived. I had only heard great things about the famous blogger Jen Lancaster and her hilarious books so I was more than intrigued to read Bitter is the New Black: Confessions of a Condescending, Egomanical, Self-Centered, Smartass, or why You Should Never Carry a Prada Bag to the Unemployment Office.

The story chronicles Jen, a haughty former sorority girl (as she mentions multiple times), as she goes from earning half a million dollars a year and living in designer heaven to almost being evicted from an apartment in the ghetto.

I think reading Jen's story now is even more amazing as so many people are experiencing similar occurrences in light of this awful economy. Jen was laid off right after 9/11 when so many companies were freaking out so to read her memoir was almost like reading it as if it was happening to her now. And as much as I am not a designer girl I still felt bad for. Yeah I laughed my ass off, but part of me thought "what would happen to me if I got laid off?" and it wasn't pretty.

However, Jen's story doesn't solely focus on her losing and trying to find a job it also focuses on her every day life with her boyfriend turned husband Fletch and her blog (well her first blog and then jennsylvania came next) and how it developed and helped lead to her writing career. I love Fletch. Seriously by the way she describes him, Fletch is perfect for Jen and she is perfect for him. For some of the stuff they go through together it's no wonder they're together. I especially loved his proposal to her, one of the funniest parts in the book I thought, so cute and too funny. Aside from Fletch, of course I loved the blog entries and emails Jen received, I'm a blogger how could I not? Seriously her responses were so witty and hilarious, I really wish I could even begin to be that funny sometimes.

Not only was the story itself hilarious, but the footnotes oh the footnotes. Every other page had at least one if not more footnotes that had me laughing out loud (or chuckling to myself, whatever). Jen can you write my next paper? Wait I don't write papers anymore, nevermind that then. But yes, the footnotes made the book even funnier and Jen seem even more real (and sarcastic, which I love) to me.

All in all I thought this book was great and I'm pretty positive I'll be picking up another one of Jen's books as soon as my library can send it to me (apparently there's a waiting list or something, pish posh!) and I recommend you do the same.