BOOKSPARKS SUMMER READING CHALLENGE: The Balance Project, by Susie Orman Schnall

Destination: Hit the streets of New York City

Synopsis: Katherine Whitney has it all. She’s married, has two daughters, is the COO of Green Goddess & Co., a multi-billion dollar health and wellness lifestyle company, and with the release of her book on work-life balance, she is not only a media darling but she is a hero to working moms everywhere. In reality, though, Katherine’s life is starting to fall apart, and her loyal assistant Lucy Cooper is the one holding most things together. But when Katherine does something unthinkable to Lucy, Lucy is faced with a difficult decision. Will she choose to change Katherine’s life forever or continue being her main champion. Her decision could change the trajectory of both of their lives. The Balance Project is a story of loyalty, choices, and most of all balance as it explores the hot-button issue that all women struggle with.

Review: I loved the synopsis of this one, and could hardly wait to start reading it. I'm so glad it was on my summer reading list!

Most women have dreamed of having it all, or even tried to make it happen. This book looks at whether or not it is actually feasible to accomplish.

While I thought the ending was a little too "happily ever after," I did enjoy the rest of the book immensely. Both Katherine and Lucy are basically likable characters, which means the reader will actually care about what's happening to them and how they are feeling. 

There are a lot of twists and turns throughout the plot, and you'll find yourself not wanting to put the book down, which could have a serious impact on your work-life balance. :)

Rating: Four stars

About the author: 

I'm the author of ON GRACE (SparkPress 2014), my debut novel about fidelity, friendship, and finding yourself. My second novel, THE BALANCE PROJECT: A NOVEL will be published in April, 2015 by Spark Press. See the blog or www.susieschnall.com for more info.

I'm also the founder of The Balance Project (http://www.susieschnall.com/the-balan... a series of relevant and refreshingly candid interviews with inspiring and accomplished women (and the occasional man!) talking about balance. Not to further glorify the tragically glorified "doing it all" craze, but more to show that everyone's making sacrifices somewhere. The Balance Project interviews are the inspiration for my second novel.

I grew up in Los Angeles (Birmingham H.S. - go Braves!) and went east for college (University of Pennsylvania) where I met my husband. We settled in New York and have three young boys.

In addition to writing fiction, I also write for magazines and websites, mostly about family life, health, and wellness. My writing has been published by The New York Times, Westchester Magazine, MindBodyGreen, Serendipity, and others.

Throughout my career I’ve done marketing, communications, and writing work for magazines, Internet companies, nonprofit organizations, and advertising and PR agencies in Los Angeles, New York, Boston, and San Francisco.

Ever since I was a child, I have found true joy in writing. From my earliest notebooks filled with poems about loves lost to my current essays documenting my journey through motherhood, I have chronicled my life in words. There’s something about an intense scrabble game, a challenging crossword puzzle, an impossible paragraph. It comes down to the words, and words are what I love.

I am also passionate about loads of other things: Friday family movie nights, very dark chocolate (especially with little crunchies in them), warm beaches, evolving, romantic comedies, Jane Austen and Jeffrey Archer, party dresses, hiking, raising resilient kids, dinner parties, punctuality, Saturday night happy hour with my husband, balance, boot camp, kale shakes, true friends, thank you notes, and optimism.