Being home for winter break is always a relaxing hiatus away from the BC bubble. Waking up late, watching movies, seeing family and high school friends, and having time to do what you want to do, and read what you want to read. Although I do enjoy many of the books I read in class as an English major, I never have time to read New York Times best sellers or silly pleasure reads during the school year.
They say never to judge a book by its cover. Confession: I always do. In walking through a local bookstore during break, I saw this great artistic cover: girly, sweet, and enticing. I read the back of the book quickly and purchased it. It seemed like a quick and fun read for a college age girl. It was also a national best seller and recommended by the New York Times, Vanity Fair, Marie Claire, and Redbook. I was sold.
The next day, I opened the quirky cover and read the first page with information about the author. Get this: “She is a graduate of Boston College.” I decided, without reading any fictional content, that I already loved this book. Well, I didn’t love it because that would be completely biased, wouldn’t it? However, I can say I was rooting for Close to give me a girly, addictive novel that I couldn’t put down. She succeeded.
The story follows spunky, independent and reflective protagonist Isabella and her best friends through their adventures and misadventures in New York City. Each chapter offers a back-story on each character. Isabella and her friends feel as if every one of her friends is getting engaged, married, or pregnant as they get older. When Isabella meets her dream man, she’s afraid that everything will fall apart as quickly as she fell in love. Meanwhile, Lauren moonlights as a waitress trying to make sense of her ambitions and professional dreams. Abby, coming home to her dysfunctional family in Vermont, realizes that there is nowhere like home. Following the girls through their relationships and career follies, I felt like I was reading about all my crazy girlfriends. The novel is extremely relatable and Close’s voice is fresh and fun. BC is even mentioned in one chapter when Isabella goes back to visit her alma mater.
A random pick off the shelf quickly became a great book to read in my favorite sweat pants with a hot cup of tea by my side. Although winter break can be relaxing, it can also get a little boring in a small town. If there is nowhere to be, you can always get lost in a great book (especially if that book is written by a BC alum).