Must Love Books: The perfect uplifting debut novel for book lovers by Shauna RobinsonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
Nora has worked at Parsons Press for five years. Originally she was bright eyed and bushy tailed (metaphorically speaking), eager to progress and become a fully-fledged editor. Now her dreams are in tatters, her San Francisco division deals mainly in non-fiction, self-help style books, the editorial staff has been cut numerous times so that she is doing the job of three people for no extra pay, and to cap it all she has now been told that Head Office have decreed a 15% pay cut. Already struggling to make rent on her dingy flatshare, Nora is desperate to find another job. However, the only thing she is offered is a freelance position with a rival publisher for six months, with potential to become permanent. Since she can't live on either 'salary' Nora decides the easiest option would be to do both jobs, she thinks she can fit in the freelance work around her work at Parsons Press.
One of Parsons Press' few rising stars is Andrew Santos, who co-authored the umpteenth edition of an old stalwart and made it fresh and vibrant. After the original author died, Andrew wil author all future editions and Parsons is eager to get him to sign a new contract for future books. After initially almost sending Andrew into anaphylactic shock by getting his food order wrong, Nora runs into him again at a conference where he is hte keynote speaker and she is selling books in the lobby. Andrew and Nora strike up a connection, but Nora is conflicted. Her boss at Parsons has told her that if she can help land Santos' contract there is a strong probability of a promotion and a payrise. However, Nora is also aware that if she could introduce Andrew to the rival, much smaller, publisher it would greatly enhance her chances of securing a permanent position.
Watch as Nora tries to juggle two jobs, balance her conflicting professional desires with her burgeoning relationship with Andrew, and battle her own depression/suicidal thoughts.
Can I say I liked it, but I didn't love it? Much is made of the fact that Nora and Andrew are both people of colour in the blurb but honestly aside from a couple of minor references I didn't get that feeling, I guess what I'm trying to say is that those references could have been to Nora coming from Wyoming or Australia, I didn't really feel that sense of 'other' in a predominantly white world/industry. Nora's issues seems more of her generation and the decline in the print industry than of her ethnicity.
Also, I had the feeling that Nora (and this may be linked to what I have diagnosed as her depression) wasn't a very good friend. It seemed as though the people she deemed friends were always there for her, always inviting her to places/things but she only reciprocated when she wanted something, eg her flatmate often asked if she wanted to binge-watch their favourite baking show together but Nora brushed her off, for no good reason as far as I can tell.
So, drum-roll, I liked it, but I didn't love it.
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