NUMBER: 51TITLE: The Washingtonienne
AUTHOR: Jessica Cutler
STARTED: June 8, 2006
FINISHED: June 9, 2006
PAGES: 291
GENRE: Chick Lit
FIRST SENTENCE: Just between us girls, Washington is an easy place to get laid.
SUMMARY: [From barnesandnoble.com] The blog that scandalized Washington, D.C., is not a sharp steamy, utterly unrepentant novel set against the backdrop of the nations' capital.
When Jacqueline Turner's fiancee gives her two days to move out of his apartment, she has no choice but to leave New York City and crash with her best friend in Washington, DC. (She can't be expected to keep herself in cute clothes while paying New York City rent, after all.) She needs a new, exciting life-not to mention real employment. Where better to get a fresh start than the nation's capital?
Alas, DC turns out to be a lot more buttoned-up and toned down than she'd hoped. It's a town where a girl has to make her own excitement-and Jacqueline Turner is just the woman for the job. From the married presidential appointee who gives her cash after each tryst, to the lascivious Georgetown lawyer who parades her around like something out of Pretty Woman, Jackie's roster of paramours grows so complicated her friends ask her to start a blog so they can keep up. But in a small town like Washington, the line between private and public blurs very easily. Just as one of her beaux takes a lead in the race for her heart, Jackie realizes this blog idea may be more than she bargained for.
REASON FOR READING: I've been wanting to read it for quite some time... that's what I get for reading blogs and living in DC.
THOUGHTS: I don't know what intrigues me more: the book itself, or the wondering how close to life it really is. Cutler's writing is sassy and smart, and it makes you wonder how a girl who is clearly intelligent could live (or write about) such a lazy and shallow existence. This book is rampant with unprotected casual sex, drug use, and general backstabbing between friends. It was pure genius that smashed the New York City party life with the superficial-prudishness and egotism of Washington DC. The book does a great job of revealing how hypocritical our nation's capital really is.
One reason I found this book so enjoyable was because it's real. Not only does it mirror (I still want to know how closely) Cutler's time as Hill staffer, it also incorporates the many details of the capital that make working on the Hill so unique. I once interned in a Senate office, and there was more than one time I found myself giggling or saying "Yes!" because I recognized what Cutler was talking about. Seriously people, the "Me Walls" are not necessary. Then again I'll be hanging up the picture of me with the senator once it's framed - but I ONLY HAVE ONE!
Cutler throws in just the right mix of characters, each one typifying those staffers you would find on the hill. You've got the partier, the flirt, the nerd, the suck-up, and that rare person who genuinely wants to make a difference. In not shying away from reality, Cutler has managed to create a book that is more than just readable. It's a lesson in how not do things. This book made me question my internship - it made me wonder how crazy some of my coworkers were off the job. I was the girl who was there for a college class and for the experience. But, I have no doubts that there was a Cutler or two in our office. I don't want to know who exactly, but it does make you think.
I applaud Cutler for showing how shallow, power-hungry, and image conscious Hill staffers and their bosses can be. It makes you wonder how anything gets done Congress.
MISCELLANEOUS: This book marks the half-way point of my goal of 100 reads this year.
KEEP/SHARE/CRINGE(?): PBSing
RATING: 7/10 [Very Good]
CR: Something that strikes me fancy in the next ten minutes.
RN: No idea.
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