The Right Address

Rating:
Summary: Wit with bite and heart
Review: It is common knowledge that the right address can make you...or is it? Former flight attendant,Melanie Sartomsky not only married Arthur Korn the Coffin King)she moved to Park Avenue. However, the right address is unable to insure her acceptance into society. Melanie is hobbled by the ghost of the first Mrs. Korn, Diandra, the perfect social butterfly. Oh,she can volunteer and donate and go to all the right parties. She can wear all the right "names" to her heart's content,even pointing that fact out to all around her. No matter how much
she tries, Melanie is shut out. With the help of her butler Mr. Guffey, she sets out to recreate herself in Diandra's image. A few off the cuff comments to the social writer of the Observer, and Melanie discovers how brutal popular opinion can be. She also has to decide if she really wants to become like the first Mrs. Korn, or even an accepted member of the social elite....is she willing to pay the price?Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargam admit to having spent their entire lives eavesdropping on "insane
socialites" as students of the toney Spence School on New York's posh Upper east Side. Witty,pointed and observant,"The Right Address" is a keen observer of the rarified social whirl and the presumed importance its participants take upon themselves.


Rating:
Summary: Get out the bowl of popcorn and have some fun!
Review: Carrie Karasyov and Jill Kargman tell you the story of Melanie Sartomsky Korn who learns her lesson about trying too hard to "fit in" with the wrong crowd. Melanie Sartomsky had a difficult childhood, her mother died when she was 14, and her father was an alcoholic. Melanie grew up in a trailer park in Florida and became determined to make a better life for her self. She tried her hand at many different careers. Her last job was as a flight attendant, where she met her future husband, billionaire Arthur Korn. Melanie did not realize the type of life that Arthur was a part of in New York until she was carried over the doorstep of her Fifth Avenue apartment. Melanie tries her hardest to fit in, go to parties, wear the right designer clothes, and name-drop when appropriate. The high society ladies do not want her near them. Despite generously donating to all their charities, Melanie is the woman they all love to hate. Melanie competes with the perfect image of Arthur's first wife, Diandra. Melanie tries to get help from her English butler, Mr. Guffey for clues on how to fit in. It is not until Billy Crispin from the New York Observer rakes Melanie over the coals in a scathing article about being a social climber. At first Melanie is dismayed and tries to avoid everyone connected to her social climbing dreams. She comes to her senses, realizing she only has to be herself and then things begin to change for her. There are many additional stories going on in The Right Address, about the hidden struggles of this fashionable crowd. Cordelia and Morgan Vance married for 28 years. He struggles with fidelity, and she struggles with finding a purpose in her life. Olivia Weston, supposedly is a successful author. Wendy Marshall and Joan Coddington find strength in each other while denying their own personal problems. Although there are "bumps" along the way, all these stories are nicely woven together to create a fun, easy, enjoyable weekend read.


Rating:
Summary: Worthless Drivel
Review: Don't even waste your time...this is a seriously awful, awful book. Is there a minus star rating?

Rating:
Summary: A new low for publishing
Review: How could this utter twaddle make it into print? Reading it was a complete waste of my time and money. It's sufficiently bad for me to write this, my first review. Heed the warning.

Rating:
Summary: Racist trash
Review: How low can you go? Pretty low, it seems. Try AWFULLY low. This novel is a waste of time. Utterly predictable, with no attempt at characterization, and not even a hint of style. But it is actually worse than just trash. In the end, all the rich white women get babies, and the foul-mouthed working-class Hispanic woman is murdered. That's just racist.

Rating:
Summary: Dreary
Review: I gave it three stars because it was a quick read that kept me preoccupied for a short amount of time. I find the story to be lacking in depth and perhaps that is meant to be symbolic of the lack of depth demonstrated by the characters. Overall I would recommend this book to those who like light books about the rich, New York set. If you are looking for a thought-provoking tome you should look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: better than most
Review: I liked this one. Its a bit honky at times which is unusual for this genre. I liked maneater and trading up and this one too. chic lit with a story is hard to find but I love it!!! If you liked the devil wears prada this may be a little too spirited for you.

Rating:
Summary: Sarcastic Drama Fills the Bill
Review: I loved this book - trailer trash type aspires to be part of the affluent NY society and sets out to make it happen. One part NANNIE DIARIES and one part MY FRACTURED LIFE, it is fun yet with biting commentary hidden beneath the sarcastic asides.

Rating:
Summary: Guilty Pleasure
Review: I see that this title recieved mixed reviews. I can see why but I actually enjoyed this book. I suggest that if you choose to read this do not take it seriously. If you want a serious book this isn't it. I believe the authors intention was to exaggerate things for shock value.

The lives of many characters are examined in this book but the main character is a woman named Melanie. She is the second wife of a wealthy man, but doesn't come from money herself (she was a flight attendant). Melanie lives in the most coveted apartment building in Manhattan, and while all of the women who don't live there are jealous of her, they will never admit it, only beat around the bush. All of the other upperclass NY women hate Melanie, and look down at her, and she just longs to fit in. She wants to be accepted, and in her quest to be accepted she only seems to alienate herself more.

Some of the smaller story lines included are, 1)Melanie's upstairs neighborand her husbands affair with his hispanic cleaning lady from the office. (She becomes demanding after becoming pregnant with his child, and he must cope with her wishes). 2)Jerome (a gay man who hangs out with 2 of Melanie's enemies) and his secret life. 3) Melanie's husbands attraction to a young author living up stairs and her secrets... to name a few.

This book had its funny parts and to me the story is just riviting. Very "guilty pleasure". Most of the story is "soap opera-esque" but I would suggest indulging if you aren't looking for a realistic book.

Take this one for what it's worth.

Rating:
Summary: Not even a beach book
Review: I would have given the "Nanny Diaries" 4 stars, and the "Devil Wears Prada" 3, with the understanding that we are not expecting literature from these books. This one was so formula based I could have told you the whole story after a few chapters. I thought it would at least provide a window to a different world, but it did not even accomplish that. My suggestion, don't bother.