Sad Desk Salad by Jessica Grose

Morning, readers! I'm a stop on the TLC tour for Jessica Grose's Sad Desk Salad today.

When Alex Lyons said she wanted to be a writer, Chick Habit wasn't exactly what she had in mind. Sure, it's fairly simple: find a topic, write a scathing and bitchy piece pertaining to said topic, then sit back and let the hits begin. But Alex doesn't necessarily like being known as a bitch. In fact, for each mean post she generates, she worries herself sick. And when a new hate blog aimed right at Chick Habit appears, Alex becomes a bit obsessed over who could be behind it. The added stress of continued demand for increasingly popular pieces is also weighing heavy on Alex. Then she gets a scoop on a huge story: the daughter of a would-be politician and self-proclaimed perfect mommy is caught snorting coke online.

Jessica Grose's debut is pretty darn hilarious. Snarky humor and sarcasm rage throughout the book. But it's also the kind of humor that makes you feel a little guilty. From the get go, Alex second guesses just about every mean thing she posts. Then when someone starts to strike back, she becomes even more guilt ridden about her job. That underlying layer of Alex's guilt seeps through giving the book more substance.

Sad Desk Salad is still a pretty light read and not a stand out in terms of originality - the whole journalist gets a conscience bit reminded me a little of Catherine McKenzie's Spin, though both books are ultimately very different. Alex's online job is what makes this one a bit unique as it provides a great behind-the-scenes look at blogging and online writing, something Grose is very familiar with herself. I have to admit that I'm not opposed to a rehashing of that sort of storyline either. In fact, I didn't mind one bit. Grose's writing is snappy, I liked Alex, and I liked her story. I would have burned her muumuu for her if I was her friend, though!

To see other stops on the tour visit the TLC tour page here.

For more on Grose, visit her official site (link above). You can also like her on Facebook and follow her on Twitter.