Email a friendLife’s a Beach
Life’s a Beach is a June 2007 Book Sense pick!
Life’s a bit of a beach these days for Ginger Walsh, who finds herself single at forty-one and back home living in the family FROG (Finished Room Over Garage) in the fictional town of Marshbury, with only her paper-shredding, neurotic cat for company. She’s hoping for a more fulfilling life as a sea glass artist, but mostly she’s babysitting for her sister’s kids and sharing overnights with Noah, her on-again, off-again sexy glassblower boyfriend with commitment issues and a dog Ginger’s cat isn’t too crazy about.
As if things aren’t challenging enough, Ginger’s BlackBerry-addicted married-with-children older sister Geri is pestering her to grow up, ditch Noah and find a real mate. Geri thinks Ginger should hurry up before it’s too late to have kids of her own.
Then again, Geri’s facing the big 5-0, and all her birthday angst is threatening to send her over the deep end (possibly dragging Ginger with her.) Toss in a dump-picking pack rat father, a Kama Sutra t-shirt wearing mother, plus a couple of Red Hat realtors with a disappearing St. Christopher statue, and hilarity ensues.
When a shark movie comes to town, everyone is clamoring for a close-up. Turns out Ginger’s precocious nephew, Riley, is exactly what the director’s looking for. Before long, Ginger’s hanging out on the set, too, as Riley’s guardian, and also flirting with one very cute gaffer who might just give Noah a run for his money.
With her love life in hyper drive and her parents threatening to sell her FROG out from over her, Ginger is forced to make some unexpected changes in her life, and surprises everyone, especially herself, in the process.
Reminiscent of her bestseller Must Love Dogs in all the right ways, yet very much its own animal, Life’s a Beach sparkles with warmth, wit, and wisdom—and a real understanding of what it takes to move forward at any stage in life.
Life’s a bit of a beach
“Laugh out loud”
—Good Housekeeping
“Dive into this gleefully quirky coming-of-age story centered on… a 41-year-old. With the help of her hippie parents, Boyfriend the cat, and a shark-crazy movie crew, Ginger Walsh is finally growing up — and there's no escaping a few growing pains.”
—Redbook
“Midlife love, laughter, sibling rivalry and self-discovery…Goes down as easy as it sounds.”
—People
“perfect-for-the-beach summer novel… a bumpy delight.”
—Boston Common
“In this lighthearted, breezy read, Cook displays a wry sense of humor and knows how to write realistic characters.”
—Library Journal
“Claire Cook's wit and unflagging heart…”
—Publishers Weekly
"…funny page turner…"
—Ft. Worth Star Telegram
“Humorous, light, and at times touching. Cook once again hits the mark.”
—Fresh Fiction
“a book brimming with wit and heart.”
—Cape Cod Times
“I loved Life’s a Beach! I found it funny, engaging, and hard to pull away from. What a fun read!”
—Jackie Blem, Tattered Cover, Denver, CO
“Two sisters who both live in a trendy beachfront community couldn’t be more different. Ginger is still living above her parents’ garage, making jewelry and dating a glass blower, but that relationship is a bit, well, cracked. Geri supposedly has it altogether—marriage, kids, career, the works. A film crew comes to town; their lives are shaken up. The results are both fun and funny. Readers will see a bit of themselves in each sister. What more could you want for summer?”
—Nancy Quinn, Harry W. Schwartz Bookshops, Milwaukee, WI
“Perfect for a day at the beach, pool, or patio! Claire Cook, the author of Must Love Dogs, has written another delightful comedy. Sisters Geri and Ginger are struggling with life (like all of us!). Geri is turning fifty and unclear how and why to celebrate. Ginger is 40 something, living with her cat Boyfriend in her parent’s garage apartment. When the movies come to their small coastal town and Geri’s adorable young son is given a small role, everyone is thrown into turmoil. Cook’s pitch-perfect timing made me smile and then laugh out loud, mostly at the parts that remind me of me and my sisters.”
—Valerie Koehler, Blue Willow Bookshop, Houston, TX
“This is a delightful, insightful look at life, love, growing up, and turning 50. Meet the Walsh family: Ginger—still looking for herself at 41; Geri—her BlackBerry obsessed sister who is turning 50; Dad—the take-it-or-leave-it dump diver; and Mom—a Kama Sutra T-shirt wearing parent. You will love them all.”
—Janet Bollum, The Muse Book Shop, DeLand, FL
“Claire Cook’s Life’s A Beach is the answer to this summer’s beach read. There’s not a more delightful author with whom to go to the beach. So spread out your towel, lather on the suntan lotion, sip that ice tea and join Claire’s very funny characters.”
—Pam Giovannini, Front Street Book Shop, Scituate, MA
“It’s easy to love Claire Cook’s characters because they're the people you've loved all your life—the snarky sister, the nutty father, the mom who mortified you as a teen (and sometimes still can), and the you the world sees as successful and self-possessed but you know is really just a scaredy-cat putting on a brave front. Yeah, so your Life’s a Beach…get over it, break out the flip flops and join the crowd!”
—Jill Miner, Saturn Booksellers, Gaylord, MI
“I picked up a bound copy of Claire Cook’s Life’s a Beach at NEIBA and wanted to be the first to recommend it for a Book Sense pick for June 2007. The timing of the release and the subject matter will make this book a beach ‘must read’. I really found myself escaping to the Cape. I feel like I became part of the family dynamics and fell in love with precocious Riley. The characters (both the wonderful and the exasperating) are fabulous and I hated for the book to end. Get out the lemonade and beach chair and enjoy!”
—Sharon Duran, Edgartown Books
“Just finished Claire Cook’s latest novel scheduled for publication in summer 2007 by Hyperion. Once again, Claire has created a quirky, warm, witty pair of sisters who don’t always agree but are always there for each other. Add in two bickering parents, three rambunctious children, and a cat named Boyfriend and the scene is set for a rollicking good time. A Hollywood film crew, fake shark and all, will make this Cape Cod tale a guaranteed hot summertime read. Grab your towel, beach bag, and Claire Cook’s latest novel before you head to the shore and remember—Life's a Beach!”
—Dawn Donovan, Armchair Bookstore, Dennis, MA
“Life's a Beach… What a wonderful book!! It is funny, touching and a thoroughly wonderful read—I laughed out loud! As a (still) single woman surrounded by a wonderful and close family, I really relate to your books! I know the book will sell well at our shop this summer.”
—Vicky Uminowicz, Titcomb's Bookshop, Sandwich, MA
“Life’s a Beach is filled with hilarity, sister love and sister hate, juicy arguments and hard-won reconciliations, but most of all, heart.”
—Adriana Trigiani, author of Return to Big Stone Gap
“If I had a sister, I’d want her to be Claire Cook. And if I could follow up the wry, wacky poignancy of Must Love Dogs with any book, it would be Life’s a Beach. Claire Cook is wicked good!”
—Jacqueline Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean
“I devoured this slice of family life served up in Claire Cook’s inimitably warm and witty style. Tender, touching, and terribly, terribly, funny!”
—Mary Kay Andrews, author of Savannah Breeze
"In "Life's a Beach," Claire Cook paints a seascape of a novel glittering with quirky characters and the deeper complexities of change, ageing and a hilarious discovery of self. Forty-one year old Ginger Walsh is on a quest for the next big thing in her art of sea glass jewelry, while dipping in and out of love with her hippy, glassblower boyfriend and taking her artistic feline, aptly named Boyfriend, for meandering strolls in his kitty perambulator. Add to the mix, a dump addicted packrat father with a penchant for mismatched socks, a yoga toned free spirited mother who wants to sell the house out from under her, a nephew cast in a movie about a stranded shark and a Blackberry obsessed sister on the verge of turning fifty and you've got a delightful unfolding of familial love and purpose. Watching Ginger come of age and finally find the next big thing in her life is satisfying and poignant as she tumbles into situations that make you laugh and almost want to cry. This is a beach read that is as vibrant as the ocean, as refreshing as a cold glass of lemonade on a hot day and funny as hell."
—Kmd626
“Enjoyed this read…and reminded me why I love my sister so much!? You can't miss reading this one or any of Claire Cook's books!”
—Sandee60
"One can be just as lost in love and life at 40 as one often is in the 20s, and 'Life's a Beach' is a case in point. Claire Cook's latest is light, witty and paced just right for a day on the beach ... but that's not the reason for the title. Her heroine, Ginger, can't settle on a career, or a man, or even a place to live by herself. Taking the big step takes a mother willing to give her the gentle boot, a sister cranky enough to give her the boundaries of where she doesn't want to go, and a couple of men sufficiently interested in finding out what makes Ginger tick. You'll enjoy watching it unfold at a Cape Cod beach movie shoot."
—Ann Frantz
"As always, Claire Cook delivers with each new book she writes. I love them all, but Summer Blowout kept me turning pages, and laughing out loud so much. Her characters are wonderfully hilarious, as well as down-to-earth and reminded me of a friend who passed away years ago. She was Italian, and could be Bella reincarnated! The storyline is so believable, and I thoroughly enjoyed every word of it. Loved the lipstick names and Cannoli! I can't wait for the next book. I usually get so engrossed in books I read, and think about real people as I'm reading to fit the characters in the book. If you haven't read this book...you simply must. You'll definately enjoy it. A great book to carry with you to the beach or anywhere for that matter."
—Muzzley56
"This was the perfect book to take to Myrtle Beach and read while watching my granddaughter swim. It was fun and oh so funny. Thanks, Claire Cook. I'll be reading more of what you write!"
—NancyLou U.
