Even after living in NYC for 5 years, those days still come along that feel like a New York fairytale. They’re the days that I literally dreamed of as a little girl. And a few weeks ago, I got to experience one of those days while celebrating the release of the new novel Everybody Rise by Stephanie Clifford.
The day started when I headed uptown to DryBar in the Le Parker Meridien. I had heard rave reviews about DryBar before but had yet to try it myself, so I was excited for the experience. A handful of other bloggers (including Jessi, yay!) and I were greeted with cookies, coffee and mimosas, followed by being pampered with a great hair wash and blowout.
I loved DryBar and would definitely recommend it, especially before a special event or night out.
After DryBar we all headed around the corner to The Plaza Hotel. Yes…THEE Plaza Hotel.
I had only been to The Plaza twice before but only for their spa, so I was pretty thrilled when I found out we’d be doing the classic tea/lunch there.
It was pretty much a girly girl’s (AKA me) dream. Adorable tea sandwiches, mini desserts, and of course delicious tea.
We were joined by author Stephanie Clifford, and it was such a pleasure to get the opportunity to talk to her about the new book. It was casual and relaxed, and she was so easygoing and fun to talk to. We asked her more questions about the book (which we had all previously read) as well as her inspiration, her background (as a NY Times reporter!), etc.
To give you a brief idea of the story, here’s a synopsis in author Stephanie Clifford’s own words from our lunch.
Everybody Rise is a book about fitting in and figuring out who you are…it follows a 26-year-old named Evelyn. She’s from Maryland, she moves to New York and is trying to find her place here. She ends up thinking she’s found it when she falls in with this old, money-set driven job. In order to fit in there, she begins lying-she changes the way she dresses, she changes the makeup she wears, she changes her hair. The lies quickly get bigger and bigger until she has to reckon with the sort of made-up life she’s come up with.
It was important to me have a heroine who wasn’t redeemed or rescued by a man. She gets herself into a ton of trouble, and she’s the one who has to scrape herself out of it in the end. It’s also a story of mothers and daughters. It’s sort of fitting with having tea at the plaza because one of my favorite scenes in the book is Evelyn at age 10 visiting New York with her mom for the first time. Her mom is there to revisit her own glory days, and at tea Evelyn can’t do anything right. Her mom is like, “No. No. No. No lemon in there. Cream in there. Don’t hold it like that, Evelyn.” That sort of anxiousness in wanting to please her mom builds a lot of what happens later on, 16 years later when she’s a young woman in New York. She’s still trying to gain acceptance, still trying to be seen because she was never quite seen by her mom.
I must admit that I’m typically not the biggest fan of fiction novels. But I’ve got to say that I seriously loved Everybody Rise. It was a fun summer read, which was much-needed since I’ve been traveling so much over the past few months. I loved the storyline, especially since I could relate to the whole “newbie in NYC” aspect of it.
If you’re looking for a new read, you should definitely check it out. You can also enter to win a copy of Everybody Rise of your own by leaving a comment below! Tell me the best book you’ve read lately. I’ll choose a winner on Monday 8/31 at 5pm EST and contact them directly. Open to U.S. residents only, ages 18+.
Good luck! 🙂
*** Congrats Janel - you’re the winner! I just emailed you for your mailing address 🙂 ***
How fun! I think The Plaza hotel is so stinkin’ beautiful! I have to walk in there every time I’m in the city. It’s pretty much a dream to have tea there!
I’m in the middle of reading Aziz Ansari’s book “Modern Romance”….by no means is it anything earth shattering, but it’s entertaining and has some good points regarding online dating and how our generation approaches dating in general!
That sounds like such an awesome day, and your hair looks fabulous!
Where’d You Go, Bernadette was hilarious and so entertaining!
Everybody Rise definitely sounds like a worthy read. The best book that I have read lately is Bram Stoker’s Dracula. A true classic that I wanted to reread and enjoy.
I really enjoyed girl on the train
I just finished Carry On Warrior, and it was just what I needed! Always up for a new book!
That sounds like my kind of book. I would love to win a copy! What a fun day that sounds like 🙂
The best book I’ve read lately is the newest book in the Kate Burkholder series by Linda Castillo called After The Storm.
I really want to read this book and would love to win it. Thanks for hosting this giveaway!!
I just finished Set Up in SoHo, which was every bit as chick lit-y as it sounds. It was a fun, harmless read, though, even if I wouldn’t recommend it for intellectual stimulation 😛
the best book i’ve read recently is a classic - jane austen’s persuasion. it’s timeless!
Best book I’ve read lately is Dark Places by Gillian Flynn
I read “Who Do You Love” last week on vacation- the newest one by Jennifer weiner. So good!!!
wow, this looks like such an incredible, truly NYC experience! love everything about this day, especially the Plaza tea. so lovely! hmm the best book i’ve read lately…gah i’ve read so many i enjoyed. this post made me think of The Beautiful & the Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald, which i read this winter, and details life of young, frivolous socialites in NYC during the jazz age. definitely worth reading if you like F. Scott, or the glamour and glitz of NYC in that period.
The best book I have read recently was Confessions of a Shopaholic! Such a fun and entertaining read. It was perfect for my beach vacation!
Sounds like an interesting book! I’m currently reading All You Could Ask For by Mike Greenberg and I like it so far.
Flight Behavior was the best book I’ve read recently and now I need a good late-summer read 🙂
I read “In the Unlikely Event”- the new Judy Blume book. She was a childhood favorite, too.
Sounds like a fun read! I enjoyed watching Gossip Girl, and Everybody Rise sounds similar
Unlikely Event”- the new Judy Blume book.
All of that food looks delicious! (not to mention perfect feet on those macaroons… what flavor were they?) I always seem to have my nose in at least one book, but during the month of August I always re-read my favorite story. Its called “Scribbler of Dreams” Its a young read but it is so original and always leaves me with the feeling that love will always find a way through honesty and faith in yourself. I found it in 2001 and thats about when I started writing so the title itself speaks to me, and isnt that what great works of art are supposed to do?
I just finished Gillian Flynn’s novels and am getting ready to start on the Game of Thrones series - yay!
Laura Bailey says
That sounds like a day that would be my dream come true too! Meeting an author, time spent in NYC, and tea sandwiches….I’m so there! I just finished Where We Belong by Emily Giffin. I’m not the biggest fan of non-fiction either, but Emily Giffin just speaks to me. I feel like we know each other when I read her books. Based on the synopsis of Stephanie’s book, it sounds like it could be similarly appealing.
Read an interesting fiction book called The Engagements - it was inspired by the history of how the advertising industry turned engagement rings into the shabang it is now.
I’m a sucker for sweet, quick reads - especially in the summer.
I just read Big Little Lies and The Hypnotist’s Lover and both were excellent!!
I just finished reading Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin.
I’m on the waiting list at the library for this book but I’m soooooo far down- I’d love to win a copy!