a lifestyle blog for book lovers
The List
Ginger says: Media is a big part of life in Washington. The press is powerful, so when 20-something Adrienne gets a chance to be on staff at the fictional Capitolist (aka the List), she knows it’s the place to be and jumps at the chance, even though that means leaving her perk-filled job at Town & Country. Working 14-hour days and breaking political scandal stories, all of this humorous contemporary fiction novel was great fun to read and very DC; my favorite part was reading about her forays back to hometown of Middleburg. Middleburg is a small and somewhat sleepy historic town just outside the Beltway, but because of the mix of hunting and horse country vibes with high-tech company proximity, it is very much a part of the power structure of DC.
About the Book
Publisher’s description:
Meet Adrienne Brown, a twenty-eight-year-old Wellesley College grad who recently left her glamorous job at Town & Country for a spot at the Capitolist. Known simply as the List to Beltway insiders, it’s the only media outlet in D.C. that’s actually on the rise. Taking the job means accepting a painful pay cut, giving up perks like free Louboutins, and moving back in with her parents, but Adrienne is certain that her new position will be the making of her career.
And it is—but not at all in the way that she expects. The Capitolist runs at an insane pace: Adrienne’s up before five in the morning, writing ten stories a day (sometimes on her BlackBerry, often during her commute), and answering every email within three minutes. Just when it seems like the frenetic workload is going to break her, she stumbles upon a juicy political affair, involving a very public senator—and her most competitive colleague. Discovering that there’s much more to the relationship than meets the eye, Adrienne realizes she’s got the scoop of a lifetime. But should she go public with the story?
Inspired by Washington insider Karin Tanabe’s experiences at Politico, The List is a riveting debut novel bursting with behind-the-scenes details about what happens when media and politics collide.
