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The Last Book Party
A propulsive tale of ambition and romance, set in the publishing world of 1980’s New York and the timeless beaches of Cape Cod.
In the summer of 1987, 25-year-old Eve Rosen is an aspiring writer languishing in a low-level assistant job, unable to shake the shadow of growing up with her brilliant brother. With her professional ambitions floundering, Eve jumps at the chance to attend an early summer gathering at the Cape Cod home of famed New Yorker writer Henry Grey and his poet wife, Tillie. Dazzled by the guests and her burgeoning crush on the hosts’ artistic son, Eve lands a new job as Henry Grey’s research assistant and an invitation to Henry and Tillie’s exclusive and famed "Book Party"— where attendees dress as literary characters. But by the night of the party, Eve discovers uncomfortable truths about her summer entanglements and understands that the literary world she so desperately wanted to be a part of is not at all what it seems.
A page-turning, coming-of-age story, written with a lyrical sense of place and a profound appreciation for the sustaining power of books, The Last Book Party shows what happens when youth and experience collide and what it takes to find your own voice.
In the summer of 1987, 25-year-old Eve Rosen is an aspiring writer languishing in a low-level assistant job, unable to shake the shadow of growing up with her brilliant brother. With her professional ambitions floundering, Eve jumps at the chance to attend an early summer gathering at the Cape Cod home of famed New Yorker writer Henry Grey and his poet wife, Tillie. Dazzled by the guests and her burgeoning crush on the hosts’ artistic son, Eve lands a new job as Henry Grey’s research assistant and an invitation to Henry and Tillie’s exclusive and famed "Book Party"— where attendees dress as literary characters. But by the night of the party, Eve discovers uncomfortable truths about her summer entanglements and understands that the literary world she so desperately wanted to be a part of is not at all what it seems.
A page-turning, coming-of-age story, written with a lyrical sense of place and a profound appreciation for the sustaining power of books, The Last Book Party shows what happens when youth and experience collide and what it takes to find your own voice.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 9, 2019
About the author
Karen Dukess
2 books303 followersKaren Dukess has a work history as eclectic as her taste in books. She has been a tour guide in the former Soviet Union, a newspaper reporter in Florida, a magazine publisher in Russia and, for nearly a decade, a speechwriter on gender equality for the United Nations Development Programme. She has blogged on parenting for The Huffington Post and written book reviews for USA Today. THE LAST BOOK PARTY is her first novel. She lives with her family near New York City and spends as much time as possible in Truro on Cape Cod.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,394 reviews
July 9, 2020
This was a very light and easy read for me and so nice to enjoy a book like this between so many thrillers and heavy dramas. Twenty five year old Eve Rosen wants to be a writer but lacks confidence, inspiration, and the hard work that can be necessary to write a book. She does work in a publishing house as an assistant, hoping everything about writing will rub off on her but actually is getting nowhere with her writing. When she misses out on a promotion that should have gone to her, she quits her job and takes a summer job as an assistant to famed New Yorker writer Henry Grey.
Eve has already been more than just attracted to Henry's son Franny and then once she starts working for Henry, she becomes very attached to him, too. There is also Jeremy, a very promising author being published by her old publishing company and someone who her mom seems to think has real talent, as opposed to thinking of Eve's writing as her just dabbling in a hobby.
As the summer comes to a close, these three men and others from her summer town, come together for a big book party. Deceits are revealed and truths are exposed, changing how Eve sees those around her and how she feels about herself.
Published July 9th 2019. Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for this ARC.
Eve has already been more than just attracted to Henry's son Franny and then once she starts working for Henry, she becomes very attached to him, too. There is also Jeremy, a very promising author being published by her old publishing company and someone who her mom seems to think has real talent, as opposed to thinking of Eve's writing as her just dabbling in a hobby.
As the summer comes to a close, these three men and others from her summer town, come together for a big book party. Deceits are revealed and truths are exposed, changing how Eve sees those around her and how she feels about herself.
Published July 9th 2019. Thank you to Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for this ARC.
July 1, 2019
As I was reading this book I continually had the feeling that “I’ve read this before, heard this before”. I think this would be a good beach read but there is nothing really fresh or new here. I don’t even think I would call it a coming of age book because the young woman is out of college and has been working for a while, aged 24 or 25.
The novel is about Eve who has been working as an editorial assistant at the New Yorker Magazine. She has aspirations of becoming a published writer but doesn’t have the self confidence to really put her work “out there”. She becomes increasingly bored with the work and when given a chance at being a summer intern working with Henry Grey as his research assistant, (a well known, well regarded author), she decides it would be a good change and a learning experience. She learns things alright, but not necessarily that much about the publishing industry! She lives with her parents who have a home on Cape Cod but spends a lot of her time at the Grey house. She is extremely infatuated first with Grey’s son Fanny and then with Henry.
For book lovers like me there are many, many references to different books and their characters and this was a fun part of the book.
There were some other interesting characters, I particularly liked Jeremy, whose character changes the most over the course of the book, or at least we understand him better and the choices that he has made. However even the new book that he is writing about a leper colony and a man and woman who are in love sounded a lot like a book I have read and loved, “Molokai” but in a different setting.
Since the book is entitled “The Last Book Party” I was willing to keep reading through the quite predictable book to get to that last, hopefully incredible ending! Well there were secrets revealed (most of which were actually pretty obvious) and some flashes of what could have been a better ending, but all in all, it was not really very exciting. I’m not quite sure why it was titled “The Last Book Party” unless it is referring to the couple who host the party????
If you want something light to read this is the book for you. The setting on Cape Cod is wonderfully described and gorgeous and the characters are likable enough.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
This was a Traveling Sisters read.
This novel is due to publish on July 9, 2019
The novel is about Eve who has been working as an editorial assistant at the New Yorker Magazine. She has aspirations of becoming a published writer but doesn’t have the self confidence to really put her work “out there”. She becomes increasingly bored with the work and when given a chance at being a summer intern working with Henry Grey as his research assistant, (a well known, well regarded author), she decides it would be a good change and a learning experience. She learns things alright, but not necessarily that much about the publishing industry! She lives with her parents who have a home on Cape Cod but spends a lot of her time at the Grey house. She is extremely infatuated first with Grey’s son Fanny and then with Henry.
For book lovers like me there are many, many references to different books and their characters and this was a fun part of the book.
There were some other interesting characters, I particularly liked Jeremy, whose character changes the most over the course of the book, or at least we understand him better and the choices that he has made. However even the new book that he is writing about a leper colony and a man and woman who are in love sounded a lot like a book I have read and loved, “Molokai” but in a different setting.
Since the book is entitled “The Last Book Party” I was willing to keep reading through the quite predictable book to get to that last, hopefully incredible ending! Well there were secrets revealed (most of which were actually pretty obvious) and some flashes of what could have been a better ending, but all in all, it was not really very exciting. I’m not quite sure why it was titled “The Last Book Party” unless it is referring to the couple who host the party????
If you want something light to read this is the book for you. The setting on Cape Cod is wonderfully described and gorgeous and the characters are likable enough.
I received an ARC of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley.
This was a Traveling Sisters read.
This novel is due to publish on July 9, 2019
June 16, 2019
Absolutely mesmerizing and engaging. I loved every page of this novel.
This book made me yearn for a place I've never been to, and a time in the publishing industry I did not live (I was alive at the time, just not there, you know what I mean).
It's emotional and easy to read, the pages flew by. I did not care as much about the plot as I did about the characters. Think late 1980s, New York, Cape Cod, summer, publishing, books, and growing up. Romance? maybe but this is much more than that.
Absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.
Received ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
This book made me yearn for a place I've never been to, and a time in the publishing industry I did not live (I was alive at the time, just not there, you know what I mean).
It's emotional and easy to read, the pages flew by. I did not care as much about the plot as I did about the characters. Think late 1980s, New York, Cape Cod, summer, publishing, books, and growing up. Romance? maybe but this is much more than that.
Absolutely loved it and highly recommend it.
Received ARC from the publisher via Netgalley
August 4, 2019
I'm between 4 and 4.5 stars.
"But how could you live and have no story to tell?"
This quote from Fyodor Dostoevsky is the epigraph to Karen Dukess' terrific debut novel, The Last Book Party , and it couldn't be more appropriate. Dukess' book is both a coming-of-age story and a look at the loss of idealism, the siren song of art and those who create it, and an exploration of the always fascinating dynamics of families and their relationships.
In the summer of 1987, Eve Rosen has a fairly boring job as an editorial assistant at a publishing house, not quite the way her parents envisioned her using her degree from Brown. Despite the fact that she does little more than type her boss' correspondence and deal with those authors he is avoiding, the job represents an opportunity to be exposed to writers and their craft, something that as an aspiring writer, she hopes will rub off on her.
Unfortunately, however, she can't seem to get anywhere with her writing, and is envious of those she views as talented and lucky enough to get their work published.
When she is invited to a party at the Cape Cod home of once-renowned writer Henry Grey and his poet wife, Tillie, she jumps at the chance to do something utterly out of character for her. The Greys have a summer home in the same town as Eve's parents, yet the two couldn't be more different.
"Henry and Tillie and the rest of the older set looked loose and happy in a way that made them seem not only younger than my own parents, though they were ostensibly the same age, but ageless, as if being artists and writers freed them from anything as conventional as growing old."
She is drawn to Franny, the Greys' handsome, artistic son, but he leaves Cape Cod for the remainder of the summer. Exhausted by the dead-end nature of her editorial job, she agrees to spend the rest of the summer working as Henry's research assistant, a task she hopes will finally serve as the creative catalyst she needs to get her writing going again.
But the more time she spends at the Greys', and as she gets to know a young writer slated for a bright future, the more she realizes that it isn't someone else who inspires you to succeed—it's you who needs to inspire yourself. She also discovers that her perspectives on relationships—both parental and romantic—are shaped by far more factors than she ever considered possible.
As the summer draws to a close, and the Greys' famed "Book Party," where the guests dress as literary characters, arrives, Eve sees how easy it is to make decisions on what you see rather than what you know, and she realizes that she is the only one who can chart the course for her future. It's a sobering lesson in the midst of a summer she thought was magical, but comes to realize that perhaps she just didn't look closely enough.
I really enjoyed The Last Book Party . Dukess did a great job creating some fascinating characters and drawing you into their universe much as the Greys did Eve. There were certainly some familiar elements to this story but Dukess threw in some of her own twists, and I like the way she explored the juxtaposition between the dynamics of Eve's family with the Greys.
Interestingly enough, I saw some similarities between Eve and myself, in that I know how easy it is to find excuses not to pursue your dreams but yet wax poetic about how if only things were easier, maybe you'd accomplish what you dreamed of. I also understand that when you dream of writing it's far too easy to give up when the words or ideas don't flow, but that is precisely when you should push yourself, although that's easier said than done.
Dukess accurately captured the time period of the story without making it feel too heavy-handed, and she added enough drama without making the story campy. This really was such an enjoyable book and a quick read, one I'd definitely recommend.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
"But how could you live and have no story to tell?"
This quote from Fyodor Dostoevsky is the epigraph to Karen Dukess' terrific debut novel, The Last Book Party , and it couldn't be more appropriate. Dukess' book is both a coming-of-age story and a look at the loss of idealism, the siren song of art and those who create it, and an exploration of the always fascinating dynamics of families and their relationships.
In the summer of 1987, Eve Rosen has a fairly boring job as an editorial assistant at a publishing house, not quite the way her parents envisioned her using her degree from Brown. Despite the fact that she does little more than type her boss' correspondence and deal with those authors he is avoiding, the job represents an opportunity to be exposed to writers and their craft, something that as an aspiring writer, she hopes will rub off on her.
Unfortunately, however, she can't seem to get anywhere with her writing, and is envious of those she views as talented and lucky enough to get their work published.
When she is invited to a party at the Cape Cod home of once-renowned writer Henry Grey and his poet wife, Tillie, she jumps at the chance to do something utterly out of character for her. The Greys have a summer home in the same town as Eve's parents, yet the two couldn't be more different.
"Henry and Tillie and the rest of the older set looked loose and happy in a way that made them seem not only younger than my own parents, though they were ostensibly the same age, but ageless, as if being artists and writers freed them from anything as conventional as growing old."
She is drawn to Franny, the Greys' handsome, artistic son, but he leaves Cape Cod for the remainder of the summer. Exhausted by the dead-end nature of her editorial job, she agrees to spend the rest of the summer working as Henry's research assistant, a task she hopes will finally serve as the creative catalyst she needs to get her writing going again.
But the more time she spends at the Greys', and as she gets to know a young writer slated for a bright future, the more she realizes that it isn't someone else who inspires you to succeed—it's you who needs to inspire yourself. She also discovers that her perspectives on relationships—both parental and romantic—are shaped by far more factors than she ever considered possible.
As the summer draws to a close, and the Greys' famed "Book Party," where the guests dress as literary characters, arrives, Eve sees how easy it is to make decisions on what you see rather than what you know, and she realizes that she is the only one who can chart the course for her future. It's a sobering lesson in the midst of a summer she thought was magical, but comes to realize that perhaps she just didn't look closely enough.
I really enjoyed The Last Book Party . Dukess did a great job creating some fascinating characters and drawing you into their universe much as the Greys did Eve. There were certainly some familiar elements to this story but Dukess threw in some of her own twists, and I like the way she explored the juxtaposition between the dynamics of Eve's family with the Greys.
Interestingly enough, I saw some similarities between Eve and myself, in that I know how easy it is to find excuses not to pursue your dreams but yet wax poetic about how if only things were easier, maybe you'd accomplish what you dreamed of. I also understand that when you dream of writing it's far too easy to give up when the words or ideas don't flow, but that is precisely when you should push yourself, although that's easier said than done.
Dukess accurately captured the time period of the story without making it feel too heavy-handed, and she added enough drama without making the story campy. This really was such an enjoyable book and a quick read, one I'd definitely recommend.
See all of my reviews at itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com.
Check out my list of the best books I read in 2018 at https://itseithersadnessoreuphoria.blogspot.com/2019/01/the-best-books-i-read-in-2018.html.
You can follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/the.bookishworld.of.yrralh/.
March 8, 2020
The Last Book Party is a quick, seasonal read about Eve, a recent college graduate and aspiring writer, who takes a temporary job in Cape Cod, where her family spends their summers, working as an assistant to writer, Henry Grey.
Eve is fascinated by the unconventional lifestyle of Henry and his wife, Tillie, a poet. In her quest to achieve the artistic lifestyle, Eve learns more about herself during this summer, feeling bolder and uninhibited. This could be considered a coming-of-age story.
The Greys host a large book party each Labor Day weekend where guests must dress as literary characters. At the highly anticipated event this year, truths reveal themselves, reminding everyone, including Eve, that all may not be as it seems.
The Last Book Party wasn’t necessarily a new concept, and I found some of the characters’ choices questionable, but it kept me interested and I enjoyed the story.
Eve is fascinated by the unconventional lifestyle of Henry and his wife, Tillie, a poet. In her quest to achieve the artistic lifestyle, Eve learns more about herself during this summer, feeling bolder and uninhibited. This could be considered a coming-of-age story.
The Greys host a large book party each Labor Day weekend where guests must dress as literary characters. At the highly anticipated event this year, truths reveal themselves, reminding everyone, including Eve, that all may not be as it seems.
The Last Book Party wasn’t necessarily a new concept, and I found some of the characters’ choices questionable, but it kept me interested and I enjoyed the story.
September 8, 2019
Eve Rosen is a terrible person. What I thought would be a story celebrating a love for storytelling while showcasing the grittier side of publishing and what it takes to create stories turned out to be a terrible coming-of-age story full of garbage, selfish characters and a plot that left me bored and angered.
Eve, in simplest terms, can fall for a man at the drop of a hat.
First it was Franny (what type of name is THAT), a shallow, rich Cape Cod man whom she slept with and then found out had a girlfriend.
Then, she moved onto Franny’s family friend, Jeremy, another pompous writer who created this “”””innovative and evocative”””” story about a teenage girl in Nepal who is a leper, the exact story a rich, privileged man shouldn’t write because we all know it’ll be a poorly researched story that can’t even begin to understand the complexities of being a teenage girl living in another country with a fatal disease.
After she moves on from Jeremy, she falls for her employer, Franny’s dad, Henry. Oh, and did I mention? He’s married.
Eve is the type of girl who I wish would just love herself, value her worth, and realize that when a man gives you an ounce of attention that doesn’t mean he’s the love of your life. Also, these men BARELY ever asked about her life, career, dreams, etc. throughout the whole story. Nope, instead, they spoke about their woes and their careers nonstop and she catered to their every need, but at least they were breathing near her, so it MUST be love. And so, this woman moves on from one man to the next in this close-knit group and family, wrecking havoc, relationship-wise, and then she has the audacity to make it seem as though she is the victim going through soooo much in her messy life.
What really got me was her relationship with Henry. What woman sleeps with a man, finds out he has a girlfriend and thinks, “Hmm, you know who would be a better man to move onto? His married father who is twice my age and is probably the same age as my own dad.” Just her internal monologue when having an affair with Henry was laughable when she claimed she could love him more than his wife can, and since Henry’s wife doesn’t pay enough attention to him, Eve doesn’t feel bad about fucking him. Um, that’s called being a home-wrecker. Girl, find a job and stop ruining households.
I mostly got through this novel because I was too far in to quit, and I wanted to add it to my Goodreads collection, but honestly, what a waste of time. Eve is a terrible person who wrecks families and relationship, idolizes men the moment they look at her for longer than 10 seconds, and she barely even grows as a person because she STILL isn’t working on or finishing a novel she’s wanted to write her whole life. She’s learned nothing from being around these arrogant authors who think they’re writing the next Great American Novel. God, I’m glad she isn’t a real person because I’d stay far from her toxic ass.
Eve, in simplest terms, can fall for a man at the drop of a hat.
First it was Franny (what type of name is THAT), a shallow, rich Cape Cod man whom she slept with and then found out had a girlfriend.
Then, she moved onto Franny’s family friend, Jeremy, another pompous writer who created this “”””innovative and evocative”””” story about a teenage girl in Nepal who is a leper, the exact story a rich, privileged man shouldn’t write because we all know it’ll be a poorly researched story that can’t even begin to understand the complexities of being a teenage girl living in another country with a fatal disease.
After she moves on from Jeremy, she falls for her employer, Franny’s dad, Henry. Oh, and did I mention? He’s married.
Eve is the type of girl who I wish would just love herself, value her worth, and realize that when a man gives you an ounce of attention that doesn’t mean he’s the love of your life. Also, these men BARELY ever asked about her life, career, dreams, etc. throughout the whole story. Nope, instead, they spoke about their woes and their careers nonstop and she catered to their every need, but at least they were breathing near her, so it MUST be love. And so, this woman moves on from one man to the next in this close-knit group and family, wrecking havoc, relationship-wise, and then she has the audacity to make it seem as though she is the victim going through soooo much in her messy life.
What really got me was her relationship with Henry. What woman sleeps with a man, finds out he has a girlfriend and thinks, “Hmm, you know who would be a better man to move onto? His married father who is twice my age and is probably the same age as my own dad.” Just her internal monologue when having an affair with Henry was laughable when she claimed she could love him more than his wife can, and since Henry’s wife doesn’t pay enough attention to him, Eve doesn’t feel bad about fucking him. Um, that’s called being a home-wrecker. Girl, find a job and stop ruining households.
I mostly got through this novel because I was too far in to quit, and I wanted to add it to my Goodreads collection, but honestly, what a waste of time. Eve is a terrible person who wrecks families and relationship, idolizes men the moment they look at her for longer than 10 seconds, and she barely even grows as a person because she STILL isn’t working on or finishing a novel she’s wanted to write her whole life. She’s learned nothing from being around these arrogant authors who think they’re writing the next Great American Novel. God, I’m glad she isn’t a real person because I’d stay far from her toxic ass.
July 25, 2019
3.5 Stars → Loved that this novel was about books, writing, and publishing, set in the late 1980s. During a summer on Cape Cod, 25-year old Eve Rosen takes a job as research assistant to New Yorker writer Henry Grey. Eve's view of herself & her life's ambitions change when she becomes wrapped up in Henry's family & literary circle. A breezy summer read.
October 13, 2019
In the publishing world of the 1980s, Eve Rosen is stuck as an editorial assistant while yearning for her own writing career. Hoping that literary genius will rub off on her, she jumps at an invitation to a Cape Cod summer party hosted by New Yorker writer, Henry Grey, and his enigmatic poet wife, Tillie. At a summer home in the same town as her parents’, Eve begins to explore another world, full of artists, writers, and creatives.
Upon returning to the city and her normal life, Eve receives a rude awakening when she is passed up for a promotion. Driven by this rejection and her drive for something more, she agrees to work as Henry Grey’s research assistant for the rest of the summer. Relishing the chance to work alongside a writer she admires and break out of her mold, Eve becomes an intimate observer of the Grey’s house of literary acclaim. As the summer comes to a close, Eve and the rest of those close to the Grey’s look forward to the famed Book Party, where the exclusive guest list dress as famous or obscure literary characters. However, the night does not unfold as expected, and secrets and truths about the publishing world and Eve’s relationships come to light.
The Last Book Party is the debut novel of Karen Dukess and delivers a coming-of-age narrative any book lover will enjoy. The expressive use of place immerses you in Cape Cod, and the behind the scenes of publishing will keep the pages turning. This book is an exploration of what happens when ambition, experience, and youth collide.
Upon returning to the city and her normal life, Eve receives a rude awakening when she is passed up for a promotion. Driven by this rejection and her drive for something more, she agrees to work as Henry Grey’s research assistant for the rest of the summer. Relishing the chance to work alongside a writer she admires and break out of her mold, Eve becomes an intimate observer of the Grey’s house of literary acclaim. As the summer comes to a close, Eve and the rest of those close to the Grey’s look forward to the famed Book Party, where the exclusive guest list dress as famous or obscure literary characters. However, the night does not unfold as expected, and secrets and truths about the publishing world and Eve’s relationships come to light.
The Last Book Party is the debut novel of Karen Dukess and delivers a coming-of-age narrative any book lover will enjoy. The expressive use of place immerses you in Cape Cod, and the behind the scenes of publishing will keep the pages turning. This book is an exploration of what happens when ambition, experience, and youth collide.
March 17, 2019
As a serious book lover with endless nostalgia for the 1980s, I completely lost myself in this beautiful book. It's a joy!
June 30, 2019
3 stars to this great summer read!
The Last Book Party is the perfect summer read. It doesn't take itself too seriously, yet there is enough substance to keep the pages turning. It's characterized as "coming of age", which I am unsure about, but it definitely deals with a young, twenty something woman who works in the publishing industry, trying to find a direction. It's debatable if she ultimately reaches one, but I think that's open to interpretation.
Book lovers will really appreciate the behind the scenes look of the publishing industry and all the bookish references. I think another positive aspect is that this book took place in the late 80's, but it really could be relatable to any time period. Yes, there is an absence of social media and cell phones, but that can be easily overlooked. If you're looking for a lot of action or something big to happen, this isn't the story for you, but for the length (this clocks in at a little over 200 pages, it's paced perfectly and keeps your interest just fine). If you just read a very heavy book and you feel stuck in a book coma, I would highly suggest picking this up! The writing is good and overall, this is a great debut.
Thank you to Netgalley, Henry Holt & Co., and Karen Dukess for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book!
Review Date: 6/29/19
Publication Date: 7/9/19
The Last Book Party is the perfect summer read. It doesn't take itself too seriously, yet there is enough substance to keep the pages turning. It's characterized as "coming of age", which I am unsure about, but it definitely deals with a young, twenty something woman who works in the publishing industry, trying to find a direction. It's debatable if she ultimately reaches one, but I think that's open to interpretation.
Book lovers will really appreciate the behind the scenes look of the publishing industry and all the bookish references. I think another positive aspect is that this book took place in the late 80's, but it really could be relatable to any time period. Yes, there is an absence of social media and cell phones, but that can be easily overlooked. If you're looking for a lot of action or something big to happen, this isn't the story for you, but for the length (this clocks in at a little over 200 pages, it's paced perfectly and keeps your interest just fine). If you just read a very heavy book and you feel stuck in a book coma, I would highly suggest picking this up! The writing is good and overall, this is a great debut.
Thank you to Netgalley, Henry Holt & Co., and Karen Dukess for the opportunity to read and provide an honest review of this book!
Review Date: 6/29/19
Publication Date: 7/9/19
October 6, 2019
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5
The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess was such a fun novel, and one that I greatly enjoyed reading!
What it's about: 25-year-old Eve Rosen wants to be a writer but is currently stuck in a less-than-stellar job at a publishing company. When she is invited to a party at the Cape Cod home of a famous New Yorker writer, Henry Grey, she ends up also landing a job as his assistant for the summer. She moves back in with her parents and starts work for Henry. Summer is to end with his and his wife's famous 'Book Party' but before that happens, things for Eve are about to get interesting.
The Last Book Party was a lot of fun to read and would certainly make for the perfect beach read. Set in the '80s as opposed to being a contemporary novel also gave it a certain something for me and I was very intrigued by that choice. The build up to Henry Grey's 'Book Party' made for very interesting and salacious reading! Eve was quite the character, and while I didn't approve of all her decisions, I couldn't help but like her. This is not a book about sex though, this is definitely a coming-of-age story that focuses on reading, books, and the power of the choices we make.
It was also nice that The Last Book Party was such a short book, I was able to read it in just over 3 hours which is like a day at the beach! I loved the Cape Cod setting but I didn't think the scenery overpowered the plot of the book. I almost wish I could have had even more detail about the setting, but I was still very happy with what I got. There is a gorgeous map on the inside cover of the book and that was a great touch.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics
Final Thought: The Last Book Party is a lovely, whimsical novel that made me laugh out loud a few times. If you are looking for a break from heavier books this would be a great one to pick up. I read it as the weather is getting cooler and it was no longer beach weather, but this transported me to somewhere nicer... and beautiful! I fell in love with Dukess' writing and will be looking forward to reading all the books from her.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess was such a fun novel, and one that I greatly enjoyed reading!
What it's about: 25-year-old Eve Rosen wants to be a writer but is currently stuck in a less-than-stellar job at a publishing company. When she is invited to a party at the Cape Cod home of a famous New Yorker writer, Henry Grey, she ends up also landing a job as his assistant for the summer. She moves back in with her parents and starts work for Henry. Summer is to end with his and his wife's famous 'Book Party' but before that happens, things for Eve are about to get interesting.
The Last Book Party was a lot of fun to read and would certainly make for the perfect beach read. Set in the '80s as opposed to being a contemporary novel also gave it a certain something for me and I was very intrigued by that choice. The build up to Henry Grey's 'Book Party' made for very interesting and salacious reading! Eve was quite the character, and while I didn't approve of all her decisions, I couldn't help but like her. This is not a book about sex though, this is definitely a coming-of-age story that focuses on reading, books, and the power of the choices we make.
It was also nice that The Last Book Party was such a short book, I was able to read it in just over 3 hours which is like a day at the beach! I loved the Cape Cod setting but I didn't think the scenery overpowered the plot of the book. I almost wish I could have had even more detail about the setting, but I was still very happy with what I got. There is a gorgeous map on the inside cover of the book and that was a great touch.
Song/s the book brought to mind: Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) by Eurythmics
Final Thought: The Last Book Party is a lovely, whimsical novel that made me laugh out loud a few times. If you are looking for a break from heavier books this would be a great one to pick up. I read it as the weather is getting cooler and it was no longer beach weather, but this transported me to somewhere nicer... and beautiful! I fell in love with Dukess' writing and will be looking forward to reading all the books from her.
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an advance review copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
July 11, 2019
4 summer reading stars
For me, this was a perfect summer read, a refreshing break from thrillers and historical fiction. Much is set on Cape Cod, a favorite summer location for me and the author does a great job of putting us in the setting. We meet Eve in the late 1980s as she’s toiling away as an assistant in a publishing house in New York. This was a fascinating look at life working in publishing, another dream of mine. Eve is an aspiring writer but can’t quite bring herself to write anything. Eve’s older brother is considered the genius of the family and this doesn’t help her self-confidence.
She ends up meeting a glamorous Cape Cod literary family and decides to work for the author for the summer. There’s some summer love and betrayal in the story and Eve gets entangled in some complicated issues. Per the title, the Book Party hosted by the artistic family each summer is the big culmination of the storyline.
I did enjoy how Eve did a lot of growing in the late part of the book and I enjoyed another character, Jeremy, a young author, as well. This is my first read from this author and I will definitely read more from Karen Dukess.
Thank you to the author, Henry Holt & Co., and NetGalley for an early copy of the book to read.
For me, this was a perfect summer read, a refreshing break from thrillers and historical fiction. Much is set on Cape Cod, a favorite summer location for me and the author does a great job of putting us in the setting. We meet Eve in the late 1980s as she’s toiling away as an assistant in a publishing house in New York. This was a fascinating look at life working in publishing, another dream of mine. Eve is an aspiring writer but can’t quite bring herself to write anything. Eve’s older brother is considered the genius of the family and this doesn’t help her self-confidence.
She ends up meeting a glamorous Cape Cod literary family and decides to work for the author for the summer. There’s some summer love and betrayal in the story and Eve gets entangled in some complicated issues. Per the title, the Book Party hosted by the artistic family each summer is the big culmination of the storyline.
I did enjoy how Eve did a lot of growing in the late part of the book and I enjoyed another character, Jeremy, a young author, as well. This is my first read from this author and I will definitely read more from Karen Dukess.
Thank you to the author, Henry Holt & Co., and NetGalley for an early copy of the book to read.
July 14, 2019
2.5 stars
I loved the parts of this book that had to do with books, publishing, and reading. Those parts were so few and far between. It mostly seems like a book about some love affairs, but even those were tedious, yet not even thoroughly developed at the same time. I just did not care about it. Eve and Franny are together for part of a chapter, and then they meet again at the end, there's nothing really to make me believe that they had any connection at all besides a brief physical one.
It was a fast read, but wasn't compelling to me in the way I hoped it would be. The writing is good, but I didn't care about any of the characters, I just felt nothing about Eve. I even kept forgetting her name and had to look at the back cover when another character would mention it because I couldn't remember who Eve was.
I grew up in the 80s, graduated from high school in 87, wanted more nostalgia from the times and didn't get what I was hoping for there either. This is a quick summer read, sure to appeal to those looking for a book for the beach bag.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
I loved the parts of this book that had to do with books, publishing, and reading. Those parts were so few and far between. It mostly seems like a book about some love affairs, but even those were tedious, yet not even thoroughly developed at the same time. I just did not care about it. Eve and Franny are together for part of a chapter, and then they meet again at the end, there's nothing really to make me believe that they had any connection at all besides a brief physical one.
It was a fast read, but wasn't compelling to me in the way I hoped it would be. The writing is good, but I didn't care about any of the characters, I just felt nothing about Eve. I even kept forgetting her name and had to look at the back cover when another character would mention it because I couldn't remember who Eve was.
I grew up in the 80s, graduated from high school in 87, wanted more nostalgia from the times and didn't get what I was hoping for there either. This is a quick summer read, sure to appeal to those looking for a book for the beach bag.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book, all opinions are my own.
June 29, 2019
I absolutely adore this book! That cover of course, and the luscious writing, the engaging coming of age story of Eve, a publishing house assistant in the literary garden of 1987.
CASHMERE THROW
Enveloped me like a cashmere throw, as I lost hours in the tale of this charming twentysomething’s transition to assistant to a renown Cape Cod writer. The beach, the books, the blow out party thrown by the author and his wife, both artistic luminaries in a storied world.
LITERARY LOVE
Made me long for youth, a simpler time, a crazed creative tribe despite Eve’s complicated relationships and sobering truths learned. My TBR pile now groans with the many titles mentioned, as the author woos us with her literary love. 5 of 5 Glittering Stars!
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Dukess’ backstory compels as well: Tour guide in the former Soviet Union, magazine publisher in Russia, UN speechwriter on gender equality, degree in Russian Studies from Brown and a Master’s in Journalism from Columbia. Whew!
Pub Date 09 Jul 2019.
Thanks to Karen Dukess, Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#TheLastBookParty #NetGalley
CASHMERE THROW
Enveloped me like a cashmere throw, as I lost hours in the tale of this charming twentysomething’s transition to assistant to a renown Cape Cod writer. The beach, the books, the blow out party thrown by the author and his wife, both artistic luminaries in a storied world.
LITERARY LOVE
Made me long for youth, a simpler time, a crazed creative tribe despite Eve’s complicated relationships and sobering truths learned. My TBR pile now groans with the many titles mentioned, as the author woos us with her literary love. 5 of 5 Glittering Stars!
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Dukess’ backstory compels as well: Tour guide in the former Soviet Union, magazine publisher in Russia, UN speechwriter on gender equality, degree in Russian Studies from Brown and a Master’s in Journalism from Columbia. Whew!
Pub Date 09 Jul 2019.
Thanks to Karen Dukess, Henry Holt & Company and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.
#TheLastBookParty #NetGalley
May 31, 2019
(free review copy) 4.5 stars. Bookish, nostalgic, fabulous timeless narrator and setting. Highly recommended for anyone who loves to read about writing and the publishing industry, and for anyone who adores books set in beach towns as much as I do.
July 8, 2019
The Last Book Party is a fun, light read which I totally enjoyed and would recommend for a beach read. Eve is working as an assistant in a publishing house and has dreams of becoming a writer, but she hasn't been writing anything for awhile. When passed over for a promotion the thought she deserved she quits her job and moves back to Cape Code and takes a summer job working for an established author, Henry Grey, as his assistant. Eve makes some bad choices over the summer during her interactions with the Grey family. At the end of the summer there is a costume book party every year where everyone gathers at the Grey beach house to mark the end of summer. Secrets unravel and some lives are forever changed.
Totally recommend this enjoyable read! Karen Dukes definitely has a talent for writing entrancing prose.
Thanks to Karen Dukes and Henry Holt & Company through Netgalley for an advance copy.
Totally recommend this enjoyable read! Karen Dukes definitely has a talent for writing entrancing prose.
Thanks to Karen Dukes and Henry Holt & Company through Netgalley for an advance copy.
July 11, 2019
A delightful summer escape! A solid 4 stars!
We meet 25-year-old assistant, Eve Rosen. She works in a publishing house in New York and has aspirations of becoming a writer one day. Things don't go as she hopes with her job, so she quits and takes a summer job as an assistant to a well-known writer Henry Grey, who writes for the New Yorker. She is immediately attracted to Henry's son, Franny, who is close in age.
"I took his damp glove. Bits of oyster shell dug into my fingers as he clasped my hand. His eyes were an arresting green." But, Franny has another love interest we soon learn about and Eve becomes confused about what his intentions are.
Henry's wife explains to Eve, "Every Labor Day weekend, to mark their wedding anniversary, she and Henry threw a big costume party for which everyone must dress up as a character from a book. Over the years, Henry turned the costumes into a competition, insisting that a prize be given to the first person to identify all of the characters at the party. "
As the summer unfolds we find Eve becomes involved with the handsome and charismatic Henry, while his wife, Tillie, might have other interests of her own. I loved the setting the most...making this a perfect summertime beach read. Lots of book references...some I have read and loved. For instance..I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Growing pains, as well as various romances, are involved. I don 't usually find myself reading this kind of book...typically more interested in suspense or a psychological thriller. This was such an entertaining read and break away from my usual fare. I will add more by this talented debut author. I smiled all the way through it.
Many thanks to the publisher who provided me a digital copy to read for review. I also enjoyed this read with some friends in the Traveling Sisters Group.
We meet 25-year-old assistant, Eve Rosen. She works in a publishing house in New York and has aspirations of becoming a writer one day. Things don't go as she hopes with her job, so she quits and takes a summer job as an assistant to a well-known writer Henry Grey, who writes for the New Yorker. She is immediately attracted to Henry's son, Franny, who is close in age.
"I took his damp glove. Bits of oyster shell dug into my fingers as he clasped my hand. His eyes were an arresting green." But, Franny has another love interest we soon learn about and Eve becomes confused about what his intentions are.
Henry's wife explains to Eve, "Every Labor Day weekend, to mark their wedding anniversary, she and Henry threw a big costume party for which everyone must dress up as a character from a book. Over the years, Henry turned the costumes into a competition, insisting that a prize be given to the first person to identify all of the characters at the party. "
As the summer unfolds we find Eve becomes involved with the handsome and charismatic Henry, while his wife, Tillie, might have other interests of her own. I loved the setting the most...making this a perfect summertime beach read. Lots of book references...some I have read and loved. For instance..I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith. Growing pains, as well as various romances, are involved. I don 't usually find myself reading this kind of book...typically more interested in suspense or a psychological thriller. This was such an entertaining read and break away from my usual fare. I will add more by this talented debut author. I smiled all the way through it.
Many thanks to the publisher who provided me a digital copy to read for review. I also enjoyed this read with some friends in the Traveling Sisters Group.
July 15, 2019
The Last Book Party is a coming of age story about Eve Rosen, who is "stuck" in a position as an assistant to an editor at a book publishing company. When she is passed up for a promotion, which was given to a man, she begins to rethink her future as well as her past.
Since middle school Eve has wanted to write stories...short stories and novels. But unfortunately her fear of failure has always gotten in her way and with her brother who is a math genius and who has always been cheered on by her parents, she is afraid of not being able to live up to what she perceives are their expectations for her.
Then by chance she is invited to a party on Cape Cod where her parents summer and is introduced to renowned writer Henry Grey, his wife, a famous poet named Tillie and their handsome son Eric. And her life is changed. She quits her job and becomes Henry's assistant as he tries to complete his memoir. She becomes obsessed with their lives and their writings while always feeling she could never be as good a writer as Henry or Tillie. Seeing them only superficially and from the outside.
As she assists them in planning their annual end of summer "Book Party" where everyone dresses as book characters, secrets begin to become exposed and Eve has the realization she has not been living her life as an adult, but as a girl who has barely grown up. Always living in her brother's shadow and having no confidence in herself she sees that everyone has flaws and she is not as alone as she thought.
Thank you #NetGalley #HenryHoltandCo #KarenDukess #TheLastBookParty for the advanced copy. The book is out now.
Since middle school Eve has wanted to write stories...short stories and novels. But unfortunately her fear of failure has always gotten in her way and with her brother who is a math genius and who has always been cheered on by her parents, she is afraid of not being able to live up to what she perceives are their expectations for her.
Then by chance she is invited to a party on Cape Cod where her parents summer and is introduced to renowned writer Henry Grey, his wife, a famous poet named Tillie and their handsome son Eric. And her life is changed. She quits her job and becomes Henry's assistant as he tries to complete his memoir. She becomes obsessed with their lives and their writings while always feeling she could never be as good a writer as Henry or Tillie. Seeing them only superficially and from the outside.
As she assists them in planning their annual end of summer "Book Party" where everyone dresses as book characters, secrets begin to become exposed and Eve has the realization she has not been living her life as an adult, but as a girl who has barely grown up. Always living in her brother's shadow and having no confidence in herself she sees that everyone has flaws and she is not as alone as she thought.
Thank you #NetGalley #HenryHoltandCo #KarenDukess #TheLastBookParty for the advanced copy. The book is out now.
July 25, 2019
"I looked beyond the display to the tall bookshelves ringing the room, every inch of them filled with books, thick and slim, their spines shimmering in hues of brown and gold, blue and dusty red, black and green. In those books were more stories than could be counted - not just the stories on the pages, but the stories that had spurred someone to find the words and write them down. To bring to life imaginary people that, over time, had become as good as real."
Another book about books set in 1980s New York and Cape Cod, The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess is a coming of age novel, focused around an aspiring writer, twenty five year old Eve and the quest to find her footing in the literary world.
As she interns for a famous writer in Cape Cod during summer, Eve uncovers some uncomfortable secrets about her employer and in turn discovers a lot about her own personal and professional ambitions. With plenty of book talk, lyrical prose and a delicious summer scandal this was an entertaining read.
I raced through it in a couple of days and would recommend it if you're looking for a quick light read focused around books and set at the gorgeous location of Cape Cod.
"A free finished copy was provided by Booksparks as part of their Summer Reading Challenge #SRC2019. All opinions are my own."
Another book about books set in 1980s New York and Cape Cod, The Last Book Party by Karen Dukess is a coming of age novel, focused around an aspiring writer, twenty five year old Eve and the quest to find her footing in the literary world.
As she interns for a famous writer in Cape Cod during summer, Eve uncovers some uncomfortable secrets about her employer and in turn discovers a lot about her own personal and professional ambitions. With plenty of book talk, lyrical prose and a delicious summer scandal this was an entertaining read.
I raced through it in a couple of days and would recommend it if you're looking for a quick light read focused around books and set at the gorgeous location of Cape Cod.
"A free finished copy was provided by Booksparks as part of their Summer Reading Challenge #SRC2019. All opinions are my own."
Read
May 24, 2020
Many thanks to Henry Holt for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review
Okay. So.
I've actually tried to read this about five times and I am now surrendering.
There isn't anything wrong with this book. Not at all. Sometimes, a book just isn't working for me so I have to say goodbye.
But I definitely recommend you give this a try! It's bookish and a pretty lighthearted read!
-------------
Me: *Hears the word "books"*
Me: GIVEITTOMENOW
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July 15, 2019
☀️🌊 The Last Book Party is a quick S U M M E R Y novel giving you all the feels of the Cape’s picturesque sand dunes, beaches and sea. It centers on post-graduate Eve Rosen who’s in the process of finding her true self during time spent as the famed New Yorker writer Henry Grey’s assistant. We also learn of another side of 1980’s Cape Cod (unknown to Eve and her family that reside there) which is of the writer and artsy variety.
Eve is in her 20’s and desperately wants a change from her dead end job in the city, she’s also an aspiring writer who’s frustrated over her current inability to write and she’s behaving badly with promiscuity. Eve’s trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life or even whom she wants to do it with. She’s a real mess but I found her easily likable, flaws and all - including the new slightly dishonest writer Jeremy who’s also Jewish but keeps it hidden by changing his last name.
I enjoyed the many mentions of wonderful classic and fictional books, the library with knowledgeable librarian Alva (adore her), and loved the idea of a unique “Book Party” where people arrive dressed as book characters (held annually at Henry and Tillie’s Cape Cod home.) The evening of the much anticipated Book Party is when all the character’s stories come to a head with crushing results ending friendships (and something more, hence the book titles name.)
Karen Dukass’s first novel is well-written with an imaginative storyline and many intriguing characters all being less than perfect which I loved. I read this in one afternoon. I made a note to keep an eye out for her future novels.
Eve is in her 20’s and desperately wants a change from her dead end job in the city, she’s also an aspiring writer who’s frustrated over her current inability to write and she’s behaving badly with promiscuity. Eve’s trying to figure out what she wants to do with her life or even whom she wants to do it with. She’s a real mess but I found her easily likable, flaws and all - including the new slightly dishonest writer Jeremy who’s also Jewish but keeps it hidden by changing his last name.
I enjoyed the many mentions of wonderful classic and fictional books, the library with knowledgeable librarian Alva (adore her), and loved the idea of a unique “Book Party” where people arrive dressed as book characters (held annually at Henry and Tillie’s Cape Cod home.) The evening of the much anticipated Book Party is when all the character’s stories come to a head with crushing results ending friendships (and something more, hence the book titles name.)
Karen Dukass’s first novel is well-written with an imaginative storyline and many intriguing characters all being less than perfect which I loved. I read this in one afternoon. I made a note to keep an eye out for her future novels.
May 7, 2019
4.5 stars
Oops… I did not mean to finish this book in one sitting and let alone to like it so much either.
The Last Book Party is like a bad drug that you shouldn’t dabble with, but you will try anyways because it sounded SOO good. I do not really read romance and they are not really my genre, but this sucked me right in and I wanted to know how is it like for people in their 20’s to grow up in the 80’s.
The story was narrated by Eve Rosen – a 25-year-old booklover and works for publishing industry in New York – who made bad decisions with men and other life choices. Her entanglement with the series of men she chose along with her family problems led her to alter her dreams and to start anew.
On the first few chapters, I had a problem with the character as she was weak, lost and somewhat helpless in her mid-twenties. But I had to remind myself that this was way back in the late eighties and women were different back then. But her choices in life is so relatable how people make mistakes after mistakes and I wondered what she’s going to do next.
Karen Dukess did a wonderful job with this novel as she showed real-life experiences and how people go back up and how to face the world again. Highly recommended for summer’s reading.
If you're looking for something addicting and somewhat satisfying, this book must be for you.
Oops… I did not mean to finish this book in one sitting and let alone to like it so much either.
The Last Book Party is like a bad drug that you shouldn’t dabble with, but you will try anyways because it sounded SOO good. I do not really read romance and they are not really my genre, but this sucked me right in and I wanted to know how is it like for people in their 20’s to grow up in the 80’s.
The story was narrated by Eve Rosen – a 25-year-old booklover and works for publishing industry in New York – who made bad decisions with men and other life choices. Her entanglement with the series of men she chose along with her family problems led her to alter her dreams and to start anew.
On the first few chapters, I had a problem with the character as she was weak, lost and somewhat helpless in her mid-twenties. But I had to remind myself that this was way back in the late eighties and women were different back then. But her choices in life is so relatable how people make mistakes after mistakes and I wondered what she’s going to do next.
Karen Dukess did a wonderful job with this novel as she showed real-life experiences and how people go back up and how to face the world again. Highly recommended for summer’s reading.
If you're looking for something addicting and somewhat satisfying, this book must be for you.
Again, Ooops… I didn’t mean to like this book.
Thank you to NetGalley and Publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.
February 19, 2019
In simple and elegant prose that literally flies on the page, The Last Book Party offers a realistic and enchanting insider look at the high-powered world of publishing and writing. Set in Cape Cod and NYC in the late 1980’s, this coming-of age story is told through the eyes of 25-year old aspiring writer, Eve Rosen. Smart and ambitious yet impressionable and unaware of her potential, Eve looks up to successful writers, young and old, and mostly male, for insight about the craft and approval of her skills as a writer. She soon discovers, not without heartache, that behind the glamorous façade of literary success there’s a heavy dose of self-doubt, disappointment, and deceit. Mainly though, and perhaps the most valuable lesson that she learns, is that writing doesn’t just happen by magic, and that it takes much more than inspiration and talent to write a book. I loved the vivid sense of place of the novel, the descriptions of the Cape Cod beaches and the landscape are majestic, and for me set the emotional tone of the story, and I particularly enjoyed the references to classic books: “On Monday, after discussing the book with Henry, who adored Dorothea as much as I did, he handed me what he called “a palate cleanser,” a novel called Zuleika Dobson by Max Beerbohm.” One of the sentences that really resonated with me because it evokes Eve’s journey, is her former boss’s opinion towards the end of the novel about newspaper writing vs. fiction writing: “The truths of the world are not captured in the who-what-when-where-why of an inverted pyramid.”
Want to read
February 22, 2019I was drawn to The Last Book Party because it's a story about books. Eve loves book and wants to work in the publishing industry. She takes a job as an assistant for a famous writer. The job is an eye opener. The writer's life is not as great as Eve thought. The story portrays a time when Eve is trying to figure out who she is. She wants approval from her family, a mistake in my opinion. She is lost in her search for identity and makes some bad decisions. Live and learn and all that. The story is well written and does talk about books. It's predictable at times but still engaging enough to keep you reading until the end. It's a good read overall, especially for book lovers. Thanks to NetGalley for an arc in exchange for an honest review.
March 18, 2019
I tore through this novel in a single night. Intensely charming, intelligent, sexy, and specific, THE LAST BOOK PARTY immerses us in the incestuous world of the 1980s literary elite, from boozy publicist-thrown parties in Manhattan to the writing nooks of a New Yorker staff writer on Cape Cod. The novel's narrator, Eve, has all the insecurities and doubts of any 25-year-old aspiring writer but doesn't let those stop her from being a compelling, bold, active heroine in charge of her own life. This is the summer's most delicious and intelligent beach read.
July 30, 2020
Hasta el 80 % tuvo material para ⭐⭐⭐⭐ : Cálido,sutil,entretenido,ambientado en el verano en la playa...
Pero la fiesta (momento cumbre)lo echó a perder,muchos misterios solucionados juntos y sin ninguna sutileza.Luego del momento cumbre que no lo fue ,termina bien.Resumen,una lectura entretenida que pudo ser un poco más.
Pero la fiesta (momento cumbre)lo echó a perder,muchos misterios solucionados juntos y sin ninguna sutileza.Luego del momento cumbre que no lo fue ,termina bien.Resumen,una lectura entretenida que pudo ser un poco más.
July 13, 2019
*3.5 stars rounded up. This is the perfect kind of novel for summer reading: easy, quick and entertaining--especially for book lovers. And aren't we all that here??
In June of 1987, Eve Rosen, aspiring writer and assistant to publishing editor Malcolm Wing, at Hodder, Strike, and Perch, attends a party on Cape Cod given by Henry Grey, one of the authors with whom she corresponds, a man who has written a column for the New Yorker for many years. She immediately falls in lust over Henry's handsome son Franny and they have a brief affair.
When Eve is passed over for promotion at work, she decides to take Henry up on his offer to become his research assistant for the summer on Cape Cod. As she gets to know Henry and his rather standoffish wife, Tillie, she finds them to be a strange, mismatched couple: he, 'a fact-heavy journalist with a taste for light satire' and she, a rather distant person who is 'a serious, obscure poet.' Could she also be just a bit anti-Semitic?
Things develop as you might expect (hence the deduction of a half-star in the rating) and events finally come to a head on the night of the Grey's big book party over the Labor Day weekend. Guests are expected to dress as a literary character and Henry does his best to guess each one. It is also a night when many secrets will be revealed.
I enjoyed this story very much, especially the literary discussions that Eve and Henry have while working together. Eve's family is a bit dysfunctional and it's interesting how she deals with being the less 'brilliant' child in the family. Sometimes it's better not to be noticed.
I received an arc of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.
In June of 1987, Eve Rosen, aspiring writer and assistant to publishing editor Malcolm Wing, at Hodder, Strike, and Perch, attends a party on Cape Cod given by Henry Grey, one of the authors with whom she corresponds, a man who has written a column for the New Yorker for many years. She immediately falls in lust over Henry's handsome son Franny and they have a brief affair.
When Eve is passed over for promotion at work, she decides to take Henry up on his offer to become his research assistant for the summer on Cape Cod. As she gets to know Henry and his rather standoffish wife, Tillie, she finds them to be a strange, mismatched couple: he, 'a fact-heavy journalist with a taste for light satire' and she, a rather distant person who is 'a serious, obscure poet.' Could she also be just a bit anti-Semitic?
Things develop as you might expect (hence the deduction of a half-star in the rating) and events finally come to a head on the night of the Grey's big book party over the Labor Day weekend. Guests are expected to dress as a literary character and Henry does his best to guess each one. It is also a night when many secrets will be revealed.
I enjoyed this story very much, especially the literary discussions that Eve and Henry have while working together. Eve's family is a bit dysfunctional and it's interesting how she deals with being the less 'brilliant' child in the family. Sometimes it's better not to be noticed.
I received an arc of this novel from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. Many thanks for the opportunity.
March 26, 2020
It's 1987, feminism is burgeoning, opportunities for women are opening up and people are finding greater freedom to express themselves. For 25 year old Eve Rosen she is looking to break from the norms set by her conservative parents. She dreams of writing, but is stuck in a middling assistant job at a publishing house, and lacks the confidence to pursue her dream of writing her own novel. When an opportunity to attend a party at the Cape Cod home of Henry Grey, a writer for the New Yorker, and his wife Tillie, a renowned poet, she is thrilled. Eve's enchanted by the Grey's and when passed up for a promotion decides to take Henry's offer to be his research assistant. As the summer progresses Eve feels a growing closeness to Henry, bonding over books they both enjoy. She is excited to be invited to their famous "Book Party" where guests dress as their favorite literary characters. Leading up to and at the "Book Party" though Eve discovers some uncomfortable and honest truths about the literary world and herself.
A wonderful coming of age story that celebrates the power of books and the written word.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
A wonderful coming of age story that celebrates the power of books and the written word.
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
July 2, 2019
3.5 rounded up. This book felt like a memoir of someone working in the publishing industry. But it is not. Dukess addresses the challenges of writing like an industry insider in this fictional story told from the perspective of a bookish girl. Dukess’s characters don’t often do what is right, yet I felt human vulnerability. Her title-dropping of books throughout the story was a great touch.
An enjoyable summer read set against a literary landscape. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
An enjoyable summer read set against a literary landscape. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 21, 2019
I feel so fortunate being among the first to review this extraordinary novel. I was unable to put the book down for a moment.
Eve Rosen works for a publisher, dreaming of becoming a writer. It is a visit to a party among the literary elite in Truro that changes the course of her life. Rather than inspiration, Eve becomes entangled in the lives of the Grey family. It is in the few summer months, following the party that she learns difficult life lessons. . The story is not a typical coming of age saga, rather a beautifully written novel about the maturation of a young woman and very well drawn studies of the people who change the course of her life.
So many of the characters don’t do what is expected, nor are they who we assume. Every page brings exciting revelations that propel the plot and engage the reader.
The author uses foreshadowing, in a nuanced and intelligent way, preventing the book from becoming trite or predictable. Eve expects life lessons but on the night of THE LAST BOOK PARTY, Eve’s world is upended.
I loved the way it was written, Karen Dukess is a writer who will have a fabulous future walking in the footsteps of other great female authors. I eagerly look forward to her next novel.
I know that my book groups and seminar will love reading and discussing Eve’s struggles and the actual process of becoming a writer.
Thank you Netgalley for this privilege!
Eve Rosen works for a publisher, dreaming of becoming a writer. It is a visit to a party among the literary elite in Truro that changes the course of her life. Rather than inspiration, Eve becomes entangled in the lives of the Grey family. It is in the few summer months, following the party that she learns difficult life lessons. . The story is not a typical coming of age saga, rather a beautifully written novel about the maturation of a young woman and very well drawn studies of the people who change the course of her life.
So many of the characters don’t do what is expected, nor are they who we assume. Every page brings exciting revelations that propel the plot and engage the reader.
The author uses foreshadowing, in a nuanced and intelligent way, preventing the book from becoming trite or predictable. Eve expects life lessons but on the night of THE LAST BOOK PARTY, Eve’s world is upended.
I loved the way it was written, Karen Dukess is a writer who will have a fabulous future walking in the footsteps of other great female authors. I eagerly look forward to her next novel.
I know that my book groups and seminar will love reading and discussing Eve’s struggles and the actual process of becoming a writer.
Thank you Netgalley for this privilege!
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