This little wonder was authored by two savvy New Yorkers with the lofty ideal of writing the book they always wanted to read, the book that they should have had available to them in darker, more confusing times when they needed guidance and felt alone. A couple of years ago, whilst being vortexed into my own confusing teenage years/early twenties, this book came out and sparked my curiosity. Not having had the luxury of being out of the closet or having had a credit card back then, I could not actually get this book in hand. But I always remembered the title and, as an older, wiser being, ordered the book online – not because I struggled with my sexuality, but because I wanted a light holiday read and I enjoyed the bubbly, “magaziney” language in which it was written. Not quite incidentally, both authors worked in the publishing industry at magazines before co-authoring this book.
What I initially thought would be nothing but a fluffy, entertaining read, turned out to be a surprisingly witty, street-smart and compelling read. I sat next to the pool and read and read all the different tales from different perspectives. The authors brought together many girls’ stories from all over the US, giving a wide-angle of perspectives, including perspectives on coming out, coming out after being engaged/married to men, meeting chicks, breaking up and, hooking up with straight girls. Even though the book was originally written in 2006, the content is by and large relevant and up to date. Part-confessional and part-informational, this book was a thoroughly enjoyable read with some gems of wisdom and humour. Don’t expect too much wisdom though, it is not exactly like reading through the diaries of Buddha, or say, Tori Amos, but you might find something valuable in there for you.
Having been written by New Yorkers (peppered with words like “Upper East Side”, “Hell’s Kitchen” and remarkably often “Jewish”) the feeling one gets when reading this book is very much one of a New York landscape, a book populated entirely by New Yorkers, which is in fact not true. Although this book is written from an American perspective its message is universal and well worth it – if not from an educational point of view but an entertainment point of view.
This book is imported so don’t expect to find it at a book shop. I had to order it online (and do shop around, there can be price discrepancies). Prices range from R120 – R200.
Meet this month's featured couple, 
