Oooh, L.A.

I wanted something light to read while I was away. I just needed a book that I could escape into before bed, to take my mind off work and stresses, so I decided to pick up my girl Lauren Conrad's first book, "L.A. Candy" last week. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but I figured since I heart LC and The Hills, plus the fact that it spent some time at the top of the New York Times bestseller list, it was worth a shot.

"L.A. Candy" is loosely based on the reality star turned designer turned best selling author's life. It tells the story of a young girl named Jane Roberts who moves to L.A. and unexpectedly becomes the star of a reality television show. Was it deeply thought provoking or absolutely brilliant? Not exactly. But it certainly was entertaining. I totally enjoyed it and I'll admit, I'm pretty pumped for the sequel. Lauren is currently working on the second installment of her series. "It picks up where the first left off, " she says. " I signed a three-book deal, so this is all part of the same story. The second book will be more dramatic than the first. It’s a relief, because I didn’t have to worry about character introductions."

Art definitely imitates life. "Some of the characters may symbolize people in my life," LC has said, "but it is in no way calling anyone out." I don't know. It really felt to me like it was a glimpse behind the scenes of Laguna Beach and The Hills. I think that's why I got so into it. Adds the star, "I've always loved books that I could lose myself in, ones that would transport me to another place, but had characters I could relate to. So, I'm so excited to have this opportunity to write books like that for other readers." That's what we all love about Lauren, I think- we can relate to her. She's someone you'd want to be friends with and hang out with. Well, at least I would. It's her "realness" that we're attracted to. “Imperfection is relatable,” Lauren explains. “If you look at the show, there are a lot of skinny girls with big boobs, and they’re always perfect. I don’t think perfect is relatable. I’ve screwed up a lot.” Indeed, she has screwed up so often, she wanted to publish a book titled How Not to Date “and basically write down every mistake I’ve ever made.” Ha, I would read that too.

LC has had the last five years of her life documented on national television. Since she only turned 23 in February, this means that nearly 22 percent of LC’s time on earth has been transmitted to homes around the world. And that’s not including the countless tabloid articles chronicling her anxieties about her work (at Teen Vogue and fashion-public-relations firm People’s Revolution), her friends (Whitney Port, Audrina Patridge, and Lo Bosworth among them), her frenemies (Heidi Pratt), and, of course, her love life. Her novel does seem to be a peek at what happens on the other side of the reality show, and the line between what is shown on camera and what happens when the cameras aren't rolling.

Word on the web this week is that LC's book could be made into a feature film, if the pieces fall into place. If that happens, I'm quite sure I'll be able to twist Mel's arm to join me at the theatre on opening night.


I encourage you to pick up the book if you're a fan of Lauren's, it's a fantastic summer read.

**Photos are not property of Work In Progress. They have been taken from various websites. If your photo has not been credited and you would like it to be, please e-mail me.**