Five Things I Can't Live Without
Summer Reading for Quarterlifers Everywhere!
"Almost" thirty? "Almost" ready to commit? "Almost" in that dream career? Meet Nora, your "almost" soulmate in a new novel from Holly Shumas
Did you ever think that there wasn’t anything radically good or bad in your life, and yet you were still pretty unhappy? That’s the dilemma of Nora Bishop in Holly Shumas’ upcoming release Five Things I Can’t Live Without. Nora, a lovably neurotic 29-year-old, is the typical twentysomething—working at an animal shelter, about to move in with her boyfriend of six months, and generally freaking out about the rest of her life. After a sudden guilt trip and reality check, Nora quits her job and decides to find her True Calling. When a friend asks Nora to rewrite her Internet profile, Nora taps into a hidden talent and decides to launch a career as a freelance profile writer and asks her clients to name five things they can't live without. In her new career path, Nora meets her fair share of challenging clients, puts her relationship to the test, and finds out
The Quarterlifer’s Dilemma
Nora is the typical “quarterlifer”—out of college for a few years, working but not overly passionate about a career choice, and not willing to fully commit to anything that might seem remotely difficult (job, relationship, major life-changing decisions). She speaks to many folks who kissed college goodbye a few years ago and are still having problems finding a direction. Nora is envious of her boyfriend, Dan, who is not working in a field that he’s terribly passionate about, but has adjusted to. Dan even comments to Nora that she can never just “coast” and be content in the present. She over-analyzes just about everything, a thought process she calls her “meta life”. Does this sound like anyone you might know?
Accidental Chick Lit
Holly Shumas’ foray into writing “chick lit” came about through a series of events. Following an extended trip to Miami (thanks to hurricane season), Shumas picked up a novel from the chick lit genre and was hooked. She wrote: “I wound up being delighted by my starter book. Sweet, vulnerable, funny, insightful—all the things I’d want my writing to be, if I still wrote.” A few weeks after returning home from Miami, Shumas quit her job in family therapy and set out to return to her former love—writing. For a first effort, Shumas has created a light, relatable character and a funny novel that speaks to the inner (or not so “inner”) neurotic of most soon-to-be-30-year-olds that makes for great beach reading.
