Five Things I Can't Live Without [Paperback]

Holly Shumas (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 2007

On paper, Nora's life looks perfect. She's moving in with her boyfriend Dan, she has a stable job and a great group of friends. But she's stuck in what she refers to as "meta-life," the plight of overthinking and secondguessing to the point of self-sabotage. One day at work, Nora decides to thwart her meta-life by following her instincts. In what feels like a moment of revelation, she quits her job. Immediately, her meta-life goes into overdrive: What on earth was she thinking--and what is she going to do now? Fortunately, when a friend asks Nora to rewrite her Internet dating profile, she realizes that not only is she good at it, but she really enjoys it. Billing herself as a Cyrano de Bergerac for the lovelorn, Nora finally begins to find professional success. But soon, Nora's meta-life has latched onto the question she's asked so many clients: What are the five things she can't live without? Is her flourishing business one of them? Is Dan? With each new client and each step she takes in her own relationship, she must confront her biggest demon--her self-sabotaging "meta-life." But will she be able to slay it forever?

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Nora, a non-committal 29-year-old suffering from ho-hum career and relationship angst, is the star of Shumas's rocky debut. In short order, Nora impulsively quits her job at a San Francisco animal shelter, moves in-perhaps prematurely-with boyfriend Dan (she didn't really like her roommate all that much, anyway) and ends up ghostwriting bios for Internet daters. She's also deeply involved in her "meta-life," in which she constantly (and, on many occasions, annoyingly) analyzes the way she feels about how she's feeling about what she's doing. Nora begins to learn from her clients, but her nagging uncertainty about figuring what she wants threatens to sabotage her relationship. It takes her a while, and the process isn't always riveting reading, but Nora gets herself sorted out. To her credit, Shumas extracts from Nora's self-involvement a handful of funny moments.
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Review

"Holly Shumas' debut novel, Five Things I Can't Live Without, is a delightful read." -- Bookloons.com

"Intermixing love, friendship and career prove to be a creative success for this author's debut novel." -- TheRomanceReadersConnection.com

"Not only do I LOVE the cover of Holly Shumas's debut novel, I love the concept too." -- Trashonista.com

"While this is a great summer beach read, it rises above most as a smart debut." -- LiteratureChick.com

"You might have to add it to your list of five things YOU can't live without." -- ArmChairInterviews.com

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 276 pages
• Publisher: 5 Spot; 1st pb edition (July 13, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0446699063
• ISBN-13: 978-0446699068
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.8 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,001,631 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

I'm a writer and a therapist (I never know which of those to put first, but since I'm here on Amazon, I'm going with writer.) I'm also a reader, a basketball fan, a Sagittarius (if you're into that sort of thing), and a lover of the parenthetical aside. My first novel, Five Things I Can't Live Without, was published in July 2007 and my second, Love and Other Natural Disasters, is coming in January 2009. About a woman who's eight months pregnant when she discovers her husband is having an emotional affair, it would make a great book club pick. If you're in the San Francisco area, I'd love to join you for a book club; if you're further away, I'd love to be there by phone. Please visit me over at my website for more information about my books, book clubs, and appearances, and for all the musings I can muster under "Food for Thought." It'd be great to hear from you.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous book for a lazy Sunday in bed, April 7, 2008

By 

- Kasia S. (New York City) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Five Things I Can't Live Without (Paperback)

I enjoy cheeky chick lit form time to time and have a few favorite authors such as Marian Keyes, Ann Hood, Emily Giffin, Sophie Kinsella and now Holly Shumas. Books about women and their usual mishaps with their boyfriends, horrible jobs, jealous friends and annoying mothers who always call at the wrong time can be boring but not when done in a fun, smart way that teaches me a few things about life and about myself. This novel was not only refreshingly easy to read; it was intelligent and had an actual point!

From the beginning Nora is a self saboteur living a big crazy life in her head - she would rather cut her arm off than bear some small pain on it and over analyzes catastrophic scenarios and runs constant self investigation. On a whim she quits her job as a volunteer at an animal adoption shelter because writing bios for dogs who wouldn't get adopted was not something she truly got into. Instead she decided to write mini bios for people, more accurately - making great profiles for singles that have trouble getting noticed online. From the beginning Nora's own profile - part of the job even though she's not single - is empty and meager but as she meets people and helps them find themselves she shapes up her own profile and finds herself after a very bumpy road to success. Slowly but surely Nora found her own five thing's she can't live without and it was a lot of fun seeing those ideas take shape form her decisions.

As she helps people out her own life starts to fall apart, friends and family members make her compare her own life to their and the move with her boyfriend Dan of six months couldn't be more hasty. Meeting cute strangers in cafes to work on their profiles isn't helping either as something starts to happen. I cannot say another word, this book was a breeze to read, it took me one day, but it was brimming with atmosphere and charm and the ending was the best part, about 40 pages before the final words something grandiose perspired and I was biting my nails unable to put the book down until I finished ( at 2:20 am thank you very much). I really didn't expect to adore this book so much but it really grew on me and I'm thrilled to have found a new author who makes me smile.

Charming and refreshing, this book is deeper than it seems, the more I brood over what I read the more I like it! I will definitely be getting the author's second book, out next year.

- Kasia S.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars You'll want to tell your friends about this book, July 16, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Five Things I Can't Live Without (Paperback)

Nora is 29, employed, and finally involved with a good man. Along with her height and weight, these are the things she's pretty sure she knows about herself. Howver, the things she doesn't know can, and do, fill a book. Actually, the job and the man might even be questionable if her meta-life has anything to say about it.

Meta-life is Nora's single most constant companion. It's the running commentary in her head that debates and criticizes everything she says and does. Sometimes her meta-life drives her a little bit crazy. Though that could just be the low blood sugar, sometimes it's hard to tell.

Nora's first strike against her meta-life is to quit her job at the animal shelter--the place she's been comfortably unhappy at for two years. Deciding to finally put her writing skills to good use, she turns herself into a freelance "Internet Dating Consultant." For a fee she will rewrite your profile on your Internet dating service of choice. Things seem to be going well at first, but Nora's meta-life can't be too quiet for too long.

Between career worries, boyfriend issues, friend epiphanies, salsa lessons, and timing the Mom phone calls, Nora and her meta-life are mounting a pitched battle. Winner take all.

Hilarious, biting, and painfully realistic all at once. This is the kind of book where, if you're a woman, you laugh out loud two seconds before you cringe in recognition. If you're a man and you make it two chapters into this book, you'll understand why women can't accept "Nothing" as a response when we ask what you're thinking. It will make you take a good look at yourself, and the voice in your head, in the funniest, wittiest way imaginable.

Take a break from your own meta-life and give this book a try.

Armchair Interviews says: You might have to add it to your list of five things YOU can't live without.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Quick Read, January 12, 2008

By 

J. Rogers "beach reader" (Sunset Beach, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Five Things I Can't Live Without (Paperback)

This book was a quick read and at times very entertaining. However, the main character was a little too insecure and self-centered for me to really enjoy the book. It got distracting and I kept wanting to tell her to get a grip.