May 2009, Riding With The Queen, by Jennie Shortridge

April 26, 2009 by thinkhappy

BOOK CLUB  NEWS!!!

Summary:

Tallie Beck is a 34-year-old washed-up, self-centered, rock-n-roll singer who has never grown up. Now she has to go home and face the music on several fronts. Her career is in tatters, her bank account is nonexistent, and the only job her agent can offer is in a piano bar in Denver, her hometown. Scornful but desperate, she buckles down--albeit with frequent rebellions--to a job where limits are set but where, paradoxically, she has the opportunity to grow. Meanwhile, she is also coping with family matters: a bipolar mother with a same-s*x partner who happens to be Tallie's boss, an alienated sister, and a preteen niece looking for a role model. In the process, she reevaluates herself and those around her, learning to see them through more charitable and mature eyes. Painful to read but compelling, Shortridge's book chronicles the growing-up process from Tallie's perspective, providing a haunting inside look at the world of musicians on the edge between success and failure. Lynne Welch
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Review
A poignant, riveting adventure full of moments that are touching and insightful, but never predictable. A fresh, unique character. -- Caren Lissner, author of

Full of insight and dead-on wit, [Shortridge] morphs everyday language into something richly poetic. Sexy, edgy, and written with grace… -- Statesman Journal, November 16, 2003

Like the novel she inhabits, Tallie Beck is funny, sexy, smart, and heartbreakingly real. A wonderful debut. -- Louise Redd, author of

Tenderly and without ever blinking, Shortridge evokes the psychic damage of childhood--and the will to survive. A life-affirming must-read. -- Caroline Hwang, author of

Witty, engaging, Shortridge writes with an easy grace and a quiet authority…Keep an eye on this writer. -- Summer Wood

Permalink