A-Z Challenge: Bright Lights, Big Ass

Bright Lights, Big Ass by Jen Lancaster

Jen Lancaster hates to burst your happy little bubble, but life in the big city isn't all it's cracked up to be. Contrary to what you see on TV and in the movies, most urbanites aren't party-hopping in slinky dresses and strappy stilettos. But lucky for us, Lancaster knows how to make the life of the lower crust mercilessly funny and infinitely entertaining.

Whether she's reporting rude neighbors to Homeland Security, harboring a crush on her grocery store clerk, or fighting-and losing-the Battle of the Stairmaster- Lancaster explores how silly, strange, and not-so-fabulous real city living can be. And if anyone doesn't like it, they can kiss her big, fat, pink, puffy down parka.

No, I'm not late to the Jen Lancaster universe, but I do adore her and most of her books. Pretty in Plaid was not her best. However, while I definitely enjoyed her first book, Bitter is the New Black, I think Bright Lights, Big Ass was a notch or two better. I have read it several times and I laugh my ass off every single time I read it. In some cases, for several minutes at a time. Sometimes may have been more like twenty minutes. Either way, a few times I wound up with tears from laughing. While reading her first memoir, I wasn't sure about her tone; if by the end of it I'd still like her snarky, sarcastic, and sometimes know-it-all tone; or that everything is all about her (seriously). Oddly, you don't. At least I didn't. I just kept laughing. Fair warning, if you have embarrassing bodily functions (like peeing yourself or farting or major snorting, etc) when you laugh too hard, it may be wise to read it in private. Just a suggestion.