My Rating: ★★★★★
Genre(s): Fiction, Contemporary, Romance
Publisher: Washington Square Press
Year: 2012
Amazon | Goodreads | Author Website
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“Taking care of yourself is one of the hardest jobs -- don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. It's much easier to take care of others.”
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Of the handful of friends I have outside of social media, only one of them has a love of books that is equal to mine - even if the types of books we enjoy are incredibly different. This friend gave me a copy of Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway that was an advanced reader’s copy from over five years ago. I don’t remember the story of how she got it - from another friend, I believe - but she said it had been collecting dust on her shelf and she gave it to me. In all honesty, I was a little wary of it because of the title alone; it sounds a little too teen magazine for my tastes. I’m glad I can tell you that I was pleasantly surprised.
Dawn West is a recent college graduate trying to make it in New York City. Dawn dreams of being a writer but has only gotten as far as writing an online lawn care advice column. It seems like her dream is getting pushed further and further from her sights until - through a connection with an ex-boyfriend she can’t seem to shake - she lands a job for Charm. Dawn gets to hunt down past winners of a contest called “Ten Girls to Watch” that highlights amazing women and their accomplishments. She can’t believe her luck - getting paid to interview hundreds of women who are riveting beyond belief.
Honestly, there were so many things about Ten Girls to Watch that I absolutely adored, that kept me wanting to read and read until there was nothing left. Instead of listing every single reason I have, I’m only going to focus on two specific things for this review. First, everything about this book felt so real. The characters were unbelievably relatable, especially Dawn. At first, I kind of expected that Dawn was going to be the type of character that was basically handed everything in a completely unrealistic way. In reality, Dawn was a hot mess who just barely had a grasp on her life. Even though she technically had a little boost to land the job (from her ex-boyfriend’s new girlfriend), she worked so hard to prove that she was the one who deserved it. In so many ways, I saw myself in her. Holding on by a thread but still pushing forward.
Secondly, the plot was different than all of the ideas I had in my head when I first started reading. I was expecting piles and piles of cheese with a dash of cliches here and there. And while it did have it’s moments, this was a story about growth and the importance of self realization. And most importantly, it was a story about female relationships (which is my absolute weakness). Dawn wasn’t just a vehicle to tell the stories of the women she interviewed. She became friends with each and every one of them by being accepting, sincere and willing to learn from them. The friendships that were formed and showcased were probably my favourite part about the book.
Despite the questionable parts (that were decidedly sporadic), Ten Girls to Watch was an overall great read. It comes with a very high recommendation from me, especially for those of you who enjoy strong and multi-dimensional female characters as well as stories about personal growth. Once you get into it, you won’t be able to stop. You will find yourself feeling attached to each and every girl that is featured in the inserts or that Dawn takes the time to get to know and you won’t want to put it down. Those are the best kinds of books.
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Rachelle Lefevre Biography, Age, Weight, Height, Movies, Net Worth, Scandal, Boyfriend, Family, Body Measurement & More
Rachelle Lefevre Biography, Age, Weight, Height, Movies, Net Worth, Scandal, Boyfriend, Family, Body Measurement & More. Rachelle Marie Lefevre was born February 1, 1979) is a Canadian actress. She has starred in the television series Big Wolf on Campus and had recurring roles in What About Brian, Boston Legal, and Swingtown. She played the vampire Victoria Sutherland in the first two films of the Twilight saga. In 2011, she starred in the ABC medical drama Off the Map, followed by the CBS series A Gifted Man(2011–2012) and Under the Dome (2013–2015).
Rachelle Lefevre Biography, Age, Weight, Height, Movies, Net Worth, Scandal, Boyfriend, Family, Body Measurement & More
Rachelle Lefevre Biography:
Birth Name
Rachelle Lefevre
Nick Name
Not Known
Age
39 Years Old
Profession
Film Actress
Birth Date
1 February 1979
Birth Place
Montreal, Quebec
Birth Sign
Aquarius
Nationality
Canada
Ethnicity
UNKNOWN
Religion
UNKNOWN
Rachelle Lefevre Body Measurement:
Body Build
UNKNOWN
Orientation
Straight
Measurements
Not Available
Shoe Size
N/A
Dress Size
N/A
Eye Color
N/A
Hair Color
N/A
Rachelle Lefevre Net Worth:
Net Worth: $1.5 million Dollars.
Rachelle Lefevre Movies:
Year
Title
Role
Notes
2016
Edge of Winter
Karen
also known as Backcountry
2016
Hollow in the Land
Charlene
2014
Reclaim
Shannon
2013
White House Down
Melanie
2013
Pawn Shop Chronicles
Sandy
2013
Homefront
Susan Hetch
2013
The Legend of Sarila
Apik
Voice role
2012
Omertà
Sophie
Also known as Omertà: The Movie
2012
The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 2
Victoria Sutherland
Archive Footage
2011
The Pool Boys
Laura
Is Also known as American Summer
2011
The Caller
Mary Kee
2010
Barney's Version
Clara
Nominated — ACTRA Montreal Award for Outstanding Performance - Female
2010
Casino Jack
Emily Miller
Also known as Bagman
2009
The Twilight Saga: New Moon
Victoria Sutherland
Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Villain
2008
Prom Wars
Sabina
2008
Twilight
Victoria Sutherland
2007
Suffering Man's Charity
Elaine
Rachelle Lefevre Tv Shows:
Year
Title
Role
Notes
2018
Mary Kills People
Olivia Bloom
6 episodes
2017
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit
Nadine Lachere
Episode: "Chasing Theo"
2017
Philip K. Dick's Electric Dreams
Katie
Episode: "Real Life"
2017
Battle of the Network Stars
Herself
Episode: "Doctors vs. Famous TV Families"
2015
King of the Nerds
Herself
Episode: "Nuclear Nerd Games"
2013 – 2015
Under The Dome
Julia Shumway
Main role (39 episodes)
2011
Off the Map
Dr. Ryan Clark
Main role (13 episodes)
2011
Reconstruction
Anna
Movie
2011 – 2012
A Gifted Man
Dr. Kate Sykora
Main role (14 episodes)
2010
The Deep End
Katie Campbell
2 episodes
Rachelle Lefevre Pictures:
Dress by @blessed_are_the_meek. I felt blessed. I didn’t feel meek. 👗 @rebeccatoddstyle 💄 @loritaylordavis 💇♀️ @stevenmasonlife 💍@amandapearl 👛 @tylerellisofficial 👠 @ysl 📺 @innocentonfox 🎥 @foxtv
A post shared by Rachelle Lefevre (@rachellelefevre) on May 25, 2018 at 2:28pm PDT
“It’s cool, I’ll just be here casually chalking the pool cue...” Sorry @wowcouture_usa, only 18,000 people asked me who made my dress last night 😉 👗 @rebeccatoddstyle 💄 @michellecoursey 💇♀️ @tak8133
A post shared by Rachelle Lefevre (@rachellelefevre) on May 16, 2018 at 9:11am PDT
Thank you my gorgeous friend/incredible make up artist @makeupbylusine for painting me before the @pkdamazon screening & panel @lacma last night. Show premiers Jan. 12th on @amazon prime! #ElectricDreams
A post shared by Rachelle Lefevre (@rachellelefevre) on Jan 5, 2018 at 7:32am PST
Thank you so much to these beautiful ladies for smoothing & painting me yesterday 😘
A post shared by Rachelle Lefevre (@rachellelefevre) on Apr 28, 2017 at 10:23am PDT
Rachelle Lefevre Instgram:
Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/rachellelefevre/
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“Taking care of yourself is one of the hardest jobs — don’t ever let anyone tell you otherwise. It’s much easier to take care of others.”
Charity Shumway
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Some people are creators. That's their thrill. I've got a whiter streak. I jus want to uncover what's there, I just want to marvel at what's beneath my feet, this whole time is been there, just waiting for me to fun it. That's me. I think a lot of times people think explorers are the wild and crazy ones, but I don't think so. We're actually more reserved. We jus want to find things and treasure them"
Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway
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In one of the lawn care books I'd checked out from the library, I'd learned something about soil. If you work it too much, you can kill it....If you break up all the clumps, if you rake it and turn it and rake it and turn it some more, eventually, instead of a tidy, tended-to plot, you end up with desolate earth. Thoughts of Robert were dirt I'd turned over and over. And now, even with whatever it was with Elliot flitting about in the air, Robert was still the territory my mind turned to in its loneliness. In fact, if anything, Elliot made me think of Robert even more. Robert and Lily. I wanted what I felt between Robert and me to be lifeless. I fantasized that if I turned it over one more time, if I raked my fingers through it, if I rubbed it between my hands into finer and finer grains, at last it would lose its power.
Ten Girls to Watch by Charity Shumway
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I do feel like the belief of “things are going to be OK” is something that is really hard to have when you don’t have enough experience yet to be certain of that. It's something that people say all the time when you’re like 23 and they think your problems are cute. One of the feelings I had after college is that nobody feels bad for you. Like, “You’re a college graduate. Get your act together. There are people who have real problems in the world.” And you know what? That’s true. But at the same time, life is actually hard! I hope people who are in that phase of life will realize it doesn’t mean it’s gonna suck forever, and it doesn’t mean you have to feel bad about it sucking.
Charity Shumway
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Review: Ten Girls to Watch by @CharityShumway
Book- Ten Girls to Watch
Author- Charity Shumway
Publisher- Simon and Schuster
Published- July 31, 2012
[rating=5]
Summary-Dawn West is trying to make her way in New York City. Sheâs got an ex-boyfriend she canât quite stop seeing, a writing career thatâs gotten about as far as penning an online lawn care advice column, and a small hometown in Oregon thatâs her last recourse if she canât make next monthâs rent.
So when Dawn lands a job tracking down the past winners of Charm magazineâs "Ten Girls to Watch" contest, sheâs thrilled. Not only is she being paid to interview hundreds of fascinating women, but sheâs also sharing office space with "Secret Agent Romance," Charmâs resident dating columnist, and he just happens to be giving her butterflies.
As Dawn gets to know the life stories of these former winners, sheâll discover that success, love, and friendship can be found in the most unexpected of places. And even more importantly, sheâll find that though those who have gone before us can be role models, ultimately, we each have to find our own way.
Review- This book left me all smiles when I was done. You know that moment when you finish a book and you think, but I donât want it to end! I want to know more about what happens to her! Thatâs how I felt.
Letâs begin with Dawn West; recent college graduate- and recent being roughly eight months post diploma. Sheâs from the Midwest but lives in a not so trendy apartment in Brooklyn. I know nothing about New York living other than what Sex and the City taught me. And letâs be honest, that kind of New York life doesnât happen for the every day girl from Oregon.
She lives with a roommate, Sylvia, who is just that. A roommate found on Craigslist. The apartment has sloping floors, which according to Dawn, only adds to its eccentric charm.
After the breakup with her former college boyfriend, Robert- the pretzel heir- Dawn is invited to his families annual summer party in the Hamptons. Along with his current girlfriend Lily.
Now typically youâd think, oh no. Who would show up to a party with the ex and his new flame? Apparently Dawn. Itâs honestly not as bad as one might think. Itâs here at this party that things actually start to maybe turn around for Dawn in the employment department. Seems even magazine editors read the weekly column on lawn care. And so, through Lily, the replacement girlfriend you canât not hate because sheâs so genuine, Dawn finds herself a job with Charm Magazine. At first glance, the "charm" of the job isnât her office. Which consists of a cage of sorts in the basement of the archives. The charm is the actual job. Dawn is in charge of locating all the past winners of the magazineâs yearly, Ten Girls to Watch issue. The magazine is celebrating fifty years and with that, Dawn has to locate fifty women, and eventually bring them all together for a celebration honoring the magazines big achievement.
While trying to impress Regina, the editor in chief whom she met at Robertâs party, she also tries to impress her direct boss, ZADI- and yes, the woman capitalizes her whole name. Through all of this, Dawn tracks down woman after woman. Luckily for her, one of the past winners happened to be an old college professor turned mentor. But the woman all range from doctors, lawyers, political figures, musical prodigies, and website creators.
What I loved most about this story was the heartwarming tales each woman told Dawn. And more so than the tales, but the down to Earth nature of each woman. The reflections of what it was like to be the winner, from whatever decade they hailed from, but each winner had some sort of valuable advice to pass on to Dawn.
At some point, during her phone interviews, Dawn questions the circumstances. Each woman is so gracious and friendly speaking to her that Dawn has to wonder, if it wasnât for the fact that she was calling on behalf of Charm Magazine, would these woman still be as open to her if she had called as Dawn West, girl from Oregon? I myself questioned this at one point also.
But then there is more. Dawn goes through ups and downs of life in general throughout the story. Secret Agent Romance? A building fire? A flaky roommate? By the end of the story, I was rooting so hard for Dawn and for good things to come her way. And you know what? The advice and guidance from all fifty woman, some of whom Dawn considers real friends by the end of the book, make her truly see that passing on law school and doing what she loves might have been the best decision she ever made. And that with each revolving door, new opportunities await.
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