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How to Be Single: A Novel
 
 
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How to Be Single: A Novel [Hardcover]

Liz Tuccillo (Author)
3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)


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Book Description

June 10, 2008
It's the most annoying question and they just can't help asking you. You'll be asked it at family gatherings, weddings, and on first dates. And you'll ask yourself far too often. It's the question that has no good answer. It's the question that when people stop asking it, makes you feel even worse: Why are you single?

On a brisk October morning in New York, Julie Jenson, a single thirty-eight-yearold book publicist, is on her way to work when she gets a hysterical phone call from her friend Georgia. Reeling from her husband's announcement that he is leaving her for a samba teacher, Georgia convinces a reluctant Julie to organize a fun girls' night out with all their single friends to remind her why it is so much fun not to be tied down.

But the night, which starts with steaks and martinis and ends with a trip to the hospital, becomes a wake-up call for Julie. Because none of her friends seems to be having much fun right now: Alice, a former legal aid attorney, has recently quit her job to start dating for a living; Serena is so busy becoming a fully realized person that she can't find time to look for a mate; and Ruby, a curvy and compassionate woman, has been mourning the death of her cat for months.

So, fed up with the dysfunction and disappointments of being single in Manhattan, Julie quits her job and sets off to find out how women around the world are dealing with this dreaded phenomenon. From Paris to Rio to Sydney, Bali, Beijing, Mumbai, and Reykjavk, Julie falls in love, gets her heart broken, sees the world, and learns more than she ever dreamed possible. Back in New York, her friends are grappling with their own issues -- bad blind dates, loveless engagements, custody battles, and single motherhood. Through their journeys, all these women fight to redefine their vision of love, happiness, and a fulfilled life.

Written in Liz Tuccillo's pitch-perfect, hilarious, and relatable voice, " How to Be Single" is the ultimate novel for the adventurer in us all.



Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

The sassy coauthor of He's Just Not That into You and former executive story editor for Sex and the City stays on familiar ground for her energetic fiction debut. It follows the dating lives of five single New York women, one of whom, narrator Julie, is writing a book about how bachelorettes across the world manage. A Yahoo-sponsored trip sent Tuccillo traveling the world interviewing women in preparation for her novel; Julie embarks on a similar journey while her four friends duke it out on the New York dating scene. The subsequent stories of courtship, marriage and romantic expectations from Julie's travels are revealing and compelling, but the narrator's interviews quickly give way to her own international affair. The friends back home engage in familiar behavior: the postdivorce fling, the forbidden workplace romance, the comfortable but boring relationship and the quirky pet as substitute-boyfriend. The women's plucky points-of-view are nicely intermingled, with Julie as the woman who ties them all together in Carrie-like fashion. Occasional shifts to issues like poverty in India, however, work against the book's strengths. (June)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Tuccillo, coauthor of the enormously popular He’s Just Not That into You (2004), ventures into fictional territory that distinctly echoes Sex and the City. Julie Jensen, 38, and her friends are singletons living it up in New York, but they would all much rather be in committed relationships. On a whim, Julie decides to write a book about the experiences of single women around the world. Taking a leave of absence from her job as a publicist, she jets off for parts unknown. Her first destination is France, where she encounters the enigmatic and charming Thomas, who is in an open marriage. Even as she visits other countries, Julie can’t help but long for Thomas, who meets up with her again in Bali, jump-starting a whirlwind affair. While Julie is off seeing the world, her friends are back in New York, growing closer to each other as their lives take some disastrous twists and turns. Both entertaining and thoughtful, Tuccillo’s debut is a must-read for women navigating the sometimes treacherous dating world. --Kristine Huntley

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 368 pages
  • Publisher: Atria; 1St Edition edition (June 10, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1416534121
  • ISBN-13: 978-1416534129
  • Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.3 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
  • Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #776,259 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful
From a guy's point of view August 10, 2008
Format:Hardcover
As a guy, I read these types of books mostly to see what the other side is thinking.

Like the women in the book, I'm single and in my late thirties and even us guys hear a clock ticking if we want to marry someone our own age and start a family. So I could relate in a way to their search for love.

As for the book itself, hey, I read it, didn't I? If it wasn't any good I would have put it down a long time ago. Not the manliest book cover for a guy to be carrying around. But I gave the first few pages a chance and kept turning them.

A few points of view.

The main women in the novel bemoan their fate, but I think the fact that they are still single is a lot of times their own fault. Not to say guys are blameless, yeah, we're pretty bad.

Too much like Sex & The City. I wonder what single women in the Midwest or South go through? Or single women serving in the Armed Forces? I've seen this New York crowd so often in movies and TV, that it didn't break much ground for me. The International women were a little more interesting, but even then it was mostly city women going to bars and dancing - which is exactly where all the "great guys" are.

I didn't like that the main character slept with a married man. Guess what? You're the freaking bad guy when you do that. So I couldn't really care for her to do much of anything after that.

Do I recommend this book to single people in their 30s and 40s? Yes. Not that I agree with all the characters in the book and the decisions they make with their lives.

I also read He's Just Not That Into You, which Liz Tuccillo co-wrote. That was the main reason I picked up How To Be Single in the first place, because I enjoyed reading He's Just Not That Into You from the other side as well. What did I learn from that book? If you are into a girl...tell her!
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
From S. Krishna's Books November 17, 2008
Format:Hardcover
How to Be Single by Liz Tuccillo has a simple premise: how do women all over the world handle being single? Unfortunately for Julie, a publicist living in New York City, the answer is much more complicated than the question. After watching the unsuccessful love lives of her three closest friends, Julie decides that it is time that someone discerns the answer to this probing question. After pitching the idea of a book to her boss, Julie embarks on a quest around the world to discover how women cope with the gut-wrenching pain of being a single woman in today's society.

Back at home, Julie's three friends lead their own hectic lives. Georgia's husband, Dale, recently left her for a much younger woman, and Georgia is desperately trying to stay afloat while managing their two young children. Serena decides to join an ashram, taking a vow of celibacy, but that vow is much harder to keep than she realizes. And Ruby, poor, emotional Ruby, has decided that she can't keep investing so much in relationships that turn into nothing. As Julie's quest draws these three women closer, they, too, learn how to be single in the wide world of New York City.

Does this premise sound familiar? If it does, you aren't alone; How to Be Single is a healthy mix of Sex and the City and Eat, Pray, Love. Liz Tuccillo was the head writer and executive story editor on the HBO series Sex and the City, so it is understandable why the book resembles the show. Even the characters are reminiscent of the famous New York City women; to start with, there are four of them. Julie, like Carrie, is a writer (well, to be fair, Julie is a publicist at the beginning of the novel, then becomes a writer). Alice treats dating like Samantha treats her trysts with men; both are a full-time job. Ruby is reminiscent of over-emotional Charlotte. Serena, however, is not much like Miranda.

Julie visits France, Italy, Australia, Indonesia, India, and a few other destinations. In Liz Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love, she makes trips to Italy, Indonesia, and India. Because of this, it is sometimes easy to forget that How to Be Single is actually fiction; Tuccillo's writing style makes it seem like a memoir.

Julie's travels are fun, her experiences memorable. Considering that Tuccillo traveled extensively to many of the destinations mentioned in this book, it is interesting to hear the perspective of other women around the world on the subject of being single. It is also heart-wrenching in some places; the fear of not finding a significant other is a real and potent source of despair for many women.

In the end, of course, it has an uplifting message that is a bit unexpected, considering Julie's views throughout the book. It is safe to say that any fan of either Eat, Pray, Love or Sex and the City will enjoy How to Be Single. Though I can't say that it is a unique book, Liz Tuccillo's novel is fun and enjoyable read that any fan of chick lit should be happy to pick up.

Originally published at Curled Up With a Good Book
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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful
what a dud! July 7, 2008
Format:Hardcover
I'd read so much about this book and was excited to get it...what a dud! not nearly as funny as
'He's just not that into you.' Rent it from your library and don't waste any money!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
not supposed to uplifting, expect it to be sincere
I find it interesting the comments about how depressing this book is, because well, honestly, it isn't. Read more
Published 8 months ago by tigerswell
So easy to relate to.
This book is great, it's funny, eye opening and if you are or have been single you can totally relate to the stories. It's a great read!
Published 10 months ago by shoegal
Funny and Energetic!
I listened to the audio version of "How to be Single" and thought the book was great! Judy Greer read the book, and she was perfect for the part! Read more
Published 14 months ago by Shmmr27
Fun! Funny and Witty.
I totally had a lot of fun reading this book. It was funny, quick paced and always entertaining. A quick fun read. Read more
Published 18 months ago by abigail
The best book I have ever read!
This book is the best book I have ever read, seriously... the author did really a great job,
By describing women's feelings, actions and reactions .. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Ghada
Eat, Pray, Love but not quite
I picked up this book because I liked the cover and also found "He's Just Not That Into You" enormously helpful when going through a difficult breakup. Read more
Published 21 months ago by M. Estorge
awseome!!
The book arrived in excellent condition and w/ in a week after I placed my order. I'm very satisfied w/ my order!!
Published 22 months ago by CeCe
Great Read
I very much enjoyed this book, the writers journey through different cultures was very engaging. I highly recommend this book and have purchased it as gifts for two friends who... Read more
Published 22 months ago by D. Lawrence
Great light reading
I picked up this book to read for ironically, my honeymoon! I had never heard of this book but browsing through it in the store, it seemed to be very light and perfect for the... Read more
Published 23 months ago by JHH
Hilarious and completely relatable!
At first, I was nervous about the 400 pages, but I finished it in six days because it was that enjoyable! Read more
Published on April 5, 2010 by Diane Moore
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Inside This Book (learn more)
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
stocky guy, man drought, samba dancing
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
New York, Mark Levine, Swami Swaroop, Whole Foods, Swami Durgananda, Blue Lagoon, West Village, Thank God, Legal Aid, New Jersey, Brad Pitt, Time Out Mumbai, Hey Ruby, Easter Island, Chelsea Piers, Steven Sergati, Suzie Wong, South Pacific, Staten Island, Forbidden City, New Zealand, Doctor Gilardi
Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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