So, reading a book by a friend has an interesting quality to it, as does interviewing them.  When reading, I think “Hmmm.  That living room she is describing sounds a lot like her living room” or better yet ” I think I might know who she based that character on!”.  While interviewing Wendy I struggled not to lapse into our usual chit chat about the struggles of the day – and I didn’t jump in to admit that indeed I was the friend who went ballroom dancing with her in the name of research.

But in the name of sharing, I thought you should know.  And I also think you should know that all biases of friendship aside, the books is a page turner.  You’ll want to know what happens next.  It’s a story about women and the struggles we face at various places in our lives.  It’s also a story of secrets and lies which Wendy explains in the interview. And most of all Magnolia Wednesdays contains plenty of Wendy’s trademark humor which is aimed squarely at suburbia.

Let’s face it, any book that starts with someone getting shot in the butt is bound to make you laugh and want to keep on reading.

Enjoy the interview, and click here to check out the rest of the great authors talking about their books on our podcast!

– Dana

You can also catch the selections AND discuss the book here on the blog.

Our Latest Pick

THE ACCIDENTAL BESTSELLER by Wendy Wax

Last month I promised you a great beach read for June…so here it is.  To me a beach read is not necessarily all lightness and fluff, but rather a page turner where you care about the characters and are left feeling upbeat or hopeful at the end.  Wendy Wax’s latest doesn’t disappoint.

The Accidental Bestseller does for (or to) publishing what The Devil Wears Prada did for fashion mags:  gives you an under the covers look into a world you wouldn’t otherwise get to see.

Wendy uses the backdrop of the publishing industry to explore friendship, marriage and career and introduces us to four unique women who struggle with all of it.

Here’s a couple of questions the book brought up for me:

Does you career define you?  What would you do if you woke up one morning and it was over?

Do your friends have to know everything about you in order for them to truly be your friends?

How much would you risk to help a friend?

And here’s some trivia for you…there’s a character named after me somewhere in the book.  The first person to comment here on the blog with the page number I appear on gets a $25 gift certificate!

For more discussion questions and a tasty summer recipe, check out the book club email and feel free to leave some comments and let me know what you thought of the book!

– Dana