The Burnout by Sophie Kinsela I have loved Sophie Kinsela and I am so saddened to hear the news about her brain cancer. I suspect this will be her last book.  Sasha is incredibly overworked and epically loses her shit at work.  To the point where the HR lady is chasing her down the street and she runs headlong into a wall and knocks herself out.  When she comes to she realizes that she’s been put on leave from work and her mom has booked her into a hotel in the seaside town where they used to vacation when she was a kid.  The hotel isn’t at all the grand place she remembers, but she stays there anyway and the cast of characters running the place are purely Sophie Kinsela.  Sasha recovers from her burnout by trying to follow a wellness plan her mom recommended, when she meets a man also staying at the hotel who is also recovering from epically losing his shit at work.  So, we have a love interest, some comedy with the weirdos working at the hotel trying to source things like kale and noni juice because Sasha’s mom ordered it, despite the fact that they are terrible tasting.  And there’s also a bit of intrigue involving the local surf shop. I really loved this book. Thank you, Sophie Kinsella, for all the years of awesome books.

 

Hot and Bothered by Jancee Dunn  I admit I am pretty clueless when it comes to menopause. And, well, I am on the verge of that someday soon. I read this book to learn more about what to expect, and let’s just say I am incredibly freaked out. I know a bit more about what to expect, and I am not psyched about it. But this is a great book that tells us everything about it, whether we like it or not.

 

BJ Knapp is the author of Beside the Music, available for purchase here. Please sign up for the Backstage with BJ Knapp mailing list to get updates on events, signings, dog pictures and so much more.