Saturday, July 24, 2010

BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK-A MEMOIR: REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY

GIVEAWAY ENDED
BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK

A MEMOIR
BY HELENA ANDREWS

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Meet Helena Andrews, sassy, single, smart, and, yes, a bitch—but Tina Fey said it best, bitch is the new black!

When Helena Andrews heard this declaration on Saturday Night Live, her first reaction was How daaare you? But after a commercial break and some thought, she decided to poke at the stereotype that says "successful" and "bitch" are synonyms. Unafraid and frank, she comes to realize that being a bitch is sometimes the best way to be—except, of course, when it's not.

Bitch Is the New Black follows Andrews—sexy, single, and a self-described smart-ass—on her trip from kidnapped daughter of a lesbian to Washington, D.C., political reporter who can't remember a single senator's name. Told in Andrews's singular voice, this addictive memoir explores the roller coaster of being educated and single while trying to become an "actual adult" and find love.

In these candid yet heartfelt essays, she chronicles that ride from beginning to end: a childhood spent on an all-white island, escaping via episodes of The Cosby Show; being set up with Obama's "body guy" Reggie Love by Maureen Dowd; and the shocking suicide of a best friend. Through it all, Andrews and her gang of girlfriends urge each other to "keep it moving." But no one can stay strong all the time—not even the women we believe do so without trying.

As Andrews says, "Despite the fact that the most recognizable woman in the United States is black, popular culture still hasn't moved past the only adjective apparently meant to describe us— "strong." She is also flawed, tired, naive, greedy, gutsy, frightened, and kind: secret sides that come out in honest detail here.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

As a purveyor of all things pop culture, Washington journalist Helena Andrews has written about President Barack Obama's blackness, Secretary Hillary Clinton's pantsuits, Damien Marley's marijuana, and Dave Chapelle’s conspiracy theories. A former staff writer at Politico, Helena now writes a weekly column called “Single-Minded” on being “free, single and disengaged” for TheRoot.com, a division of The Washington Post. She also covers the nexus of pop culture and politics as a regular online and on-air contributor to PoliticsDaily.com, a division of AOL.

Her first book, a hotly anticipated collection of essays, is entitled
Bitch Is the New Black (HarperCollins). A memoir told in parts, Bitch Is the New Black chronicles Helena’s journey from the kidnapped daughter of the town lesbian to the Washington reporter who can’t remember a single senator’s name, to the girl who runs her love life on G-chat. “I’m pretty much pants-ing myself here,” says Helena about Bitch Is the New Black, “daring folks to look at the hole-ly Hanes of my life as a metaphor for the rest of the women who look like me or think like me.”

The film rights to
Bitch Is the New Black have already been optioned by Grey's Anatomy creator Shonda Rhimes, who will produce the project for Fox Searchlight Pictures. Helena will write the screenplay. Rhimes called the book “outrageously funny and heartbreakingly honest.”

On December 10th 2009,
The Washington Post published a front-page profile of Helena that was hugely popular and prompted responses from The Huffington Post, Jezebel, and Racialicious. In the article, “Single Minded Success,” Helena explained her work, life and love: “What I am trying to say about single black women is, you don't know them as well as you think you do. They may not know themselves as well as they think they do.”

Helena has appeared on ABC’s
Nightline, CBS's The Early Show, CNN, XM Radio, NPR, and NY1. She’s shared her unique perspective on The Real Housewives of Atlanta (“cray cray”), Disney’s The Princess and the Frog (magical indoctrination), and Sarah Palin’s “play” son-in-law (have a baby by me and be a millionaire) with viewers and listeners across the country.

After graduating from Columbia University in 2002, Helena scored a competitive $5.15/hour internship at
O, the Oprah magazine. (Like all good interns, she survived on ramen noodles, free break-room food, and the kindness of strangers.) She went on to earn a master's degree from the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University, providing the solid reporting foundation required to answer phones as a news assistant in the Washington bureau of the New York Times. From there she went on to cover Capitol Hill for Politico, which resulted in an allergic reaction to politics.

In 2008, Helena was included in Capitol File magazine's “Little Black Book,” an annual list of Washington’s most eligible young bachelors and bachelorettes. She thought she might get a date out of it, but not so much.

MY REVIEW:

BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK is Washington journalist Helena Andrews’ honest and frank memoir, from childhood to now, in which she pulls no punches and tells it like it is. Whether it is about being kidnapped as a child, spousal abuse, or the death of a friend, Andrews doesn’t shy away from the truth. That said, the book also includes humor and lots of laughs especially as she expounds on how she and her friends can’t help but complain about not being able to find a well educated, respectable black man!

Each chapter in the book tells a story from Andrew’s life and although not always in sequential order, they are easy to follow because of her finely developed writing skills. The title of Andrews’ memoir comes from a “Weekend Update” skit on Saturday Night Live. In it, Tina Fey supports the use of the word “bitch” to describe smart, dominant, and successful women like Hillary Clinton.

Andrews received her bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s from Northwestern University. She has worked for O: The Oprah Magazine, Politico, and the N. Y. Times. BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK is her first book and is the much talked about and sometimes controversial memoir that has already had the rights purchased by Shonda Rhimes, who created “Grey’s Anatomy”, and Ms. Andrews is set to write the screenplay.

Although not every reader, like myself, may be able to identify with some of the events of Andrews’ life, BITCH IS THE NEW BLACK offers a rational, realistic and, sometimes, very funny glimpse into the life of a successful working woman merely trying to find love in our world today.


GIVEAWAY

THANKS TO KYLE AND GOOD PEOPLE
AT HARPER COLLINS PUBLISHING,
I HAVE 3 COPIES OF THIS INTERESTING
NEW BOOK TO GIVE AWAY. HERE IS WHAT
YOU NEED TO DO TO WIN A COPY!




--U.S. RESIDENTS ONLY
--NO P. O. BOXES
---INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS
IN CASE YOU WIN!
--ALL COMMENTS MUST BE SEPARATE TO
COUNT AS MORE THAN ONE!

HOW TO ENTER:

+1 ENTRY:
COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THIS BOOK THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN AND READ THIS BOOK

+1 MORE ENTRY:
BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

+1 MORE ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING ABOUT THE AUTHOR THAT YOU FIND INTERESTING BY GOING TO THE "FUN STUFF" SECTION ABOUT HER AT THE HARPER COLLINS WEBSITE HERE.

GIVEAWAY ENDS
6 PM, EST,
AUGUST 10!

GOOD LUCK

51 comments:

Debs Desk said...

I love memoirs and think this one sounds like it would be very entertaining. Please include me in your giveaway.
Thanks
Debbie D
debdesk9(at)verizon.net

Anonymous said...

Honestly, I'm just attracted to the title. :D

headlessfowl at jteers dot net

Allison said...

The title itself makes me want to read the book.

allisonsbj3(at)gmail(dot)com

Laura said...

I am a huge fan of memoirs and would love to read this.
Laura
laura.leahj@gmail.com

Anonymous said...

Hi! I think the title of the book is very eye catching. I would be interested in reading this author's point of view on various topics. I like the fact that she writes a regular column in the paper every day. :)

Connie
connie_bryant@hotmail.com

Unknown said...

Oooh, i would LOVE to read this one.

bookventuresbookclub AT gmail DOT com

debbie said...

This sounds like a very well written memoir. I would love to read it.
twoofakind12@yahoo.com

Linda Kish said...

This sounds interesting. A little lighthearted humor along with really interesting stories.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

Linda Kish said...

She took dancing classes because they couldn't afford a sitter.

lkish77123 at gmail dot com

petite said...

Memoirs are always unforgettable and this one sounds special. thanks. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

Beverly said...

Thanks for hosting.
I enjoy memoirs and would love to read this one - thanks for the review. Please enter me in your give away. Thanks. bevsharp@desch.org

Unknown said...

Sounds interesting. Please enter me in contest. Tore923@aol.com

Benita said...

The title alone has drawn me in on this one. It's so risque and compelling, I can't resist but to read this one.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

Benita said...

I found it interesting that the author's greatest love is solitude. We certainly all need a bit more of that.

bgcchs(at)yahoo(dot)com

StephTheBookworm said...

This title totally caught my attention. It sounds really funny, and I LOVE memoirs!

stephaniet117 at yahoo dot com

traveler said...

An interesting book that appeals to me. Love hearing about her life. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

traveler said...

The author loves solitude which is something I can appreciate. rojosho(at)hotmail(dot)com

rubynreba said...

I'd like to read it because she tells it like it is!

rubynreba said...

The author's best habit is excessively checking her email.

bison61 said...

her trip from kidnapped daughter of a lesbian to Washington, D.C., political reporter who can't remember a single senator's name. this sounds very fun to read

tiramisu392 (at) yahoo.com

Erika Powell said...

+1 ENTRY: COMMENT ON SOMETHING YOU FOUND INTERESTING ABOUT THIS BOOK THAT WOULD MAKE YOU WANT TO WIN AND READ THIS BOOK
I like that Shonda Rimes optioned it, i will definitely see that

sportsDOTerikalynnATgmailDOTcom

Erika Powell said...

sportsDOTerikalynnATgmailDOTcom


+1 MORE ENTRY: BLOG OR TWEET ABOUT THIS GIVEAWAY AND LEAVE A LINK I CAN FOLLOW IN THE ENTRY

http://twitter.com/Erika_Lynn_C/status/19682451916

Colleen Turner said...

I love the title and love memoirs so would love to read this one!
Thanks,
candc320@gmail.com

Unknown said...

+4swag chirth7@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

+4swag shundelt@yahoo.com

Jeff said...

+4swag Jeff72768@yahoo.com

Jolee said...

I learned that she had a coveted internship at Oprah's O Magazine (and sure didn't get paid much! ). joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Jolee said...

I found out that she got a Bitch is the New Black T and urban outfitters....and had to pay for it. joleehamlin [at] comcast [dot] net

Shirley said...

+5swag shundelt@yshoo.com

Jeff said...

+5swag jeff72768@yahoo.com

Christine H said...

+5swag chirth7@yahoo.com

Jeff said...

+5swag jeff72768@yahoo.com

degood said...

I think this sounds like a funny book. Some things like being kidnapped as a child and being the daughter of the town lesbian seem like they are good fodder for a book.

kerrie@mayansfamily.com

degood said...

I went to her website and thought it was interesting that her book to take to a deserted island would be the bible.

kerrie@mayansfamily.com

Unknown said...

With a description like "self-described smart-ass—on her trip from kidnapped daughter of a lesbian to Washington, D.C., political reporter who can't remember a single senator's name" why wouldn't you want to read this book. lol

jrandtam[at]columbus.rr.com

Unknown said...

Tweeted

https://twitter.com/lovemy2doggies/status/20727950827

jrandtam[at]columbus.rr.com

Unknown said...

The fact that she is into 80's sitcom music is funny. Who doesn't love those themes.

jrandtam[at]columbus.rr.com

Unknown said...

https://twitter.com/Romantic73/status/20782414350

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/profile.php?id=100000641625482&v=wall&story_fbid=116901211694709

chirth72yahoo.com

Unknown said...

http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/chirth7/review/44702657/

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

http://bulletins.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&authorID=533391661&messageID=6679384197&hash

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

My one wish would be…
for student loans to be declared enemies of the state.

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

https://twitter.com/Grandmamaof10/status/20784005148

chirth7@yahoo.com

Unknown said...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001087052807&v=wall&story_fbid=144709475556642

chirth7@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

https://twitter.com/Grandmamaof10/status/20784005148

shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=100001087052807&v=wall&story_fbid=144709475556642

shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

http://www.stumbleupon.com/stumbler/shundelt45/review/44703594/

shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

http://bulletins.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=bulletin.read&authorID=540593519&messageID=6678392080&hash

shundelt@yahoo.com

Shirley said...

She dreams about...
fighting crime.

shundelt@yahoo.com

Sarah said...

I like memoirs and I think this one would be a great read:)

foxchick0323@live.com

Sarah said...

I loke that she dreams of fighting crime:)

foxchick0323@live.com

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