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Not Working
Not Working | Lisa Owens
In the tradition of Helen Fielding s "Bridget Jones s Diary "and Jennifer Close s "Girls in White Dresses "comes a sparkling debut told in vignettes that speak to a new generation not trying to "have" it all but hoping to make "sense" of it all. A pin-sharp, utterly addictive debut. "Vogue" (U.K.) Full of crackling, voice-of-a-generation observations. "Glamour" (U.K.) A deadpan comic debut for the procrastination generation. "The Guardian" Claire Flannery has just quit her office job, hoping to take some time to discover her real passion. The problem is, she s not exactly sure how to go about finding it. Without the distractions of a regular routine, Claire confronts the best and worst parts of herself: the generous, attentive part that visits her grandmother for tea and cooks special meals for her boyfriend, Luke, and the part that she feels will never measure up and makes regrettable comments after too many glasses of wine. What emerges is a candid, moving portrait of a clear-eyed heroine trying to forge her own way, a wholly relatable character whose imperfections and uncanny observations highlight what makes us all different and yet inescapably linked. Praise for "Not Working" Lots of people say they laugh out loud when they read a book they love. But in the case of "Not Working, " I really "did" laugh out loud, often and raucously. Claire Flannery is quite simply the most charming lost soul I ve ever met. If you ve ever felt like an impostor in your own life, been driven crazy by your mother, or worried that you were out of step with your friends, "Not Working" is your next great read. Elisabeth Egan, author of "A Window Opens" Lisa Owens s eye for life s mundane details makes for a novel that is hilarious, sharp, and true. "Not Working" is simply delicious. Kaui Hart Hemmings, author of "The Descendants "and "The Possibilities" "Not Working" is as close to the tenderness and funniness and uniqueness of real life as books get. It makes me feel like I did when I found Adrian Mole decades ago like I know this person on the page or, in a way, "am" them. It s really very rare, and very special. David Whitehouse, author of "Mobile Library" "Not Working" is absolutely "brilliant, " insanely funny, but also moving and true. Lisa Owens is one of those writers on whom nothing is lost. Nathan Filer, Costa Award winning author of "The Shock of the Fall" I loved Lisa Owens s "Not Working, " abright, funny novel of daily life suffused with real melancholy. Marie Phillips, author of "Gods Behaving Badly" and "The Table of Less Valued Knights" Lisa Owens is a comedy genius and a serious, skillful, and beautiful writer. "Not Working" is so clever and original, pithy and poignant, capturing the voice of a bright, lost generation. It s not often you find a kindred spirit in a book, but I found one here. Emma Jane Unsworth, author of "Animals" Owens has a natural warmth and wit that leap off the pages. . . . Sharp, incisive and laugh-out-loud funny. "The Observer" Owens deploys a deft sense of humor to help us laugh at the incongruities of contemporary upper-middle-class crisis. " Kirkus Reviews""
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blurb
Blueberry
Not Working | Lisa Owens

Anyone else having trouble with the Litsy app today? I can use the website but the app keeps shutting down on me. Saying “Litsy stopped working “. No info on Litsy facebook.

BookishMarginalia All ok so far for me. 5y
Freespirit Good for me 5y
Suet624 Good on my end. 5y
34 likes3 comments
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Vik
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Pickpick

I liked this precisely because it sometimes hit a little too close too home. Claire is a funny anti-heroine of a narrator, looking at relationships and life in London through the (vicious and astute) lens of a quarter-life crisis

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GirlWellRead
Not Working | Lisa Owens
Panpan

Claire Flannery, is in her late 20s and lives with her boyfriend in London. She quits her job in the hopes that she will discover what she wants to do with/in her life. There really wasn't much of a story here, and the small choppy sub-titled sections didn't do the narrative any favours-this staccato rhythm was distracting and didn't help me engage with the characters. Claire comes off as selfish, shallow, and spoiled. She is unlikable, and dull.

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Kempfme
Not Working | Lisa Owens
Pickpick

This is the first read by Owens, but will probably won‘t be the last. I enjoyed the balance of humor and seriousness in the tale of a woman trying to find her purpose.

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Laru79
Not Working | Lisa Owens
Pickpick

I really enjoyed this! Claire was such a real character, flawed, funny and brave to take the time to figure out what she wanted to do, even if she did have days of watching daft videos mixed into her search!! It made me laugh and remember the frustrations of being in your 20s and having to make big decisions! I too left a job I hated and then thought ‘what the hell do I do now?‘ so maybe that‘s why I liked it so much!

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Laru79
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Just started this and already love it for this wine line alone 😂😂 🍷🍷🍷

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read.run.travel
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Pickpick

Well, that was fast 😜
Loved this book! The writing style was incredibly funny, I laughed out loud many times. And the story was so so relatable.
Glad I bought this on a whim! 🙃

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read.run.travel
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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A woman quits her job to find the purpose of life? Um yes please.
This hits very close to home for me. I haven‘t quit my job, but I‘m currently going through a little quarter-life-crisis trying to find my calling.
I spontaneously discovered this in my local bookstore today and bought it right away. I‘m excited to read this and I‘ll let you know what I think 🙂

LiteraryinPA Sounds very relatable. Hope it lives up to its premise! 7y
10 likes1 comment
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Quatrionaa
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Pickpick

Finishing Not Working today and planning on beginning Are You Somebody by Nuala O'Faolain are my entire plans for the afternoon. 🌝

1 like1 comment
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Quatrionaa
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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I've been keeping a list on my phone of business ideas, should I chance upon an adventurous millionaire. So far it reads:

1. Black milk (for goths?)

TrishB I'd so go for some black milk 😀 7y
Quatrionaa @TrishB 😂 I think it's a great idea! 7y
2 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Passion_and_Pages
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Pickpick

This is not just a telling of how Claire quits her job and tries to find a new one. It's somehow poetic. Written in diary-style, her attitude and growing insecurity, her despair and listlessness is not only shown through her actions, but through the way she sees the world, how marginal things get into her focus and she pushes the decision away. What if it will be wrong, and she'll be unhappy after all? In the end, she learns what really matters.

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itsabbe
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Bathrobe: ✔️
Book: ✔️
Bedtime: ✔️

4 likes1 stack add
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Sfox414
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Mehso-so

I found Claire to be a very relatable protagonist, but the book bogged down a bit in the middle and I wasn't satisfied with the ending. It's very Bridget Jones Diary, but not as focused on romance and not quite as funny.

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geekyjojo
Not Working | Lisa Owens
Pickpick

A quirky and amusing read. Weirdly saw a little of myself in the ramblings of the main character Claire, I'm sure my other half would agree! 3⭐️⭐️⭐️

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Mellowbeing
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Pickpick

Such a nice and light read. She's also an only child and figuring out what to do next... It was very familiar feeling. I liked it :) Finished this book part of the #24in48 readathon!

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indubitablyzara
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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My first book for the #24in48 readathon! Starting a little late (CT) because my meal prep for tomorrow ran a little long.

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Bookhound1
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Mehso-so

Everyone encourages Claire. It seems she has good friends & lovely boyfriend but she pushes them away at times by being over sensitive and worse, not holding her tongue when she drinks too much. This isn‘t a format I love when reading a book but I did find it humorous and finished the book.

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BookishTrish
Not Working | Lisa Owens
Mehso-so

Owens' makes astute observations about everyday minutiae and relationships, but I feel it should have added up to more.

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BookishTrish
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Thankfully there's Serial Reader to help us balance Moby Dick and gainful employment.

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Echo
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Yes. 😳😐🤔

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Echo
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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"It's absolute madness not to hold something back: that's just common sense."

21 likes1 stack add
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Echo
Not Working | Lisa Owens

"Three women opposite talk about the weather as if it's a friend they don't much like."
??☔️☀️

17 likes1 stack add
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Madeline
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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Mehso-so

Funny and witty, with just the right amount of Floundering London Girl. The end felt a little meh to me though, which was disappointing.

Laura317 Floundering London girl. 😂😂 8y
Madeline It's totally a thing right?! 8y
3 likes2 comments
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Echo
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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I won a READ IT FORWARD giveaway!! Weee!! 📚🤓🎉🎈📦 Happy mail!!

Donna_sBookMinute Yayyyy!! 9y
Trav Woohoo! 8y
30 likes2 comments
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Madeline
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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"Dawn to Dusk

Coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, wine, wine wine."

Ambam This sounds like my mantra. 😉 #spiritanimal 9y
Madeline Yes! It certainly struck a chord with me! 9y
8 likes1 stack add2 comments
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AmiGreko
Not Working | Lisa Owens
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If you've read Bot Working, you'll get what a nice touch the wasabi peas are in this display.

6 likes1 stack add