Sally Franson Orden de los libros

A charming, wise, and laugh-out-loud funny novel follows an American woman competing on a Swedish reality show to discover her roots. Paulie Johansson, content with her long-term boyfriend Declan and best friend Jemma, is convinced she doesn’t need more. However, after a night of fun, Jemma persuades her to audition for a Swedish TV show where Swedish-Americans compete for a reunion with their relatives. To her surprise, Paulie’s drunken submission wins her a spot, and despite Declan’s concerns, she decides to participate. Equipped with her Polaroid camera, a worn copy of Pippi Longstocking, and an adventurous spirit, Paulie heads to Sweden to compete alongside seven other Americans, all under the scrutiny of a camera crew. Initially, she believes they share little beyond their passports and views their fierce ambitions with skepticism. Yet, as they face increasingly absurd challenges—like rowing from Denmark to Sweden in freezing rain and participating in a pickled herring eating contest—Paulie begins to rethink her judgments about her fellow competitors. As her connection to her Swedish roots grows, so does her determination to win. Navigating her feelings about family, friendship, and love, especially for a handsome Swedish cameraman, Paulie starts to reflect on her past and what she truly desires for the future. This fish-out-of-water tale is filled with warmth, optimism, and wit, celebrating love for family, friends, c

An ambitious young woman navigates the slippery world of advertising—and the equally slippery question of who she wants to be. Once a book-loving English major, Casey Pendergast has channeled her storytelling talent into a thriving career at a top ad agency. When her demanding boss assigns her to a secret campaign pairing literary authors with corporations, Casey is excited to merge her passions. Traveling across America to woo her literary idols, she creates unexpected partnerships: an Internet-famous poet promoting Italian athletic wear, a short-story writer crafting a campaign for a plus-size clothing chain, and a reclusive nature writer signing away her work to a granola bar manufacturer. While her best friend Susan views her as a sellout, Casey is driven by ambition and champagne tastes, ignoring her doubts until she falls for one of her authors and confronts the human cost of her success. As the year’s biggest book festival approaches, Casey must muster all her strength to navigate the complexities of her choices. With a plucky and razor-sharp voice, this story explores the contradictions of modern culture and Casey's journey back to her first love: literature. It’s a tale of ambition, love, and the struggle to stay true to oneself amidst the temptations of success.