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Lauren Mechling

Goodreads Author

Born

in New York, The United States

Twitter

laurenmechling

Member Since

March 2007

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/laurenmechling

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Hello there! I'm the author of many novels — and not only that but many kinds of novels, from a YA detective series and a proper literary novel about the ups and downs of female friendship to an interactive vampire thriller that ran as a serialization in an online magazine that the New York Times called “brilliant.” Not sure about that, but it was definitely bananas. I am especially fond of my latest work, The Memo, co-written with my dear friend Rachel Dodes. It’s a book about a woman who has a crushing sense that she never got the memo—and it turns out she is right. There was a memo she didn’t get. Literally. When Jenny shows up at her 15th college reunion, her old career counselor tracks her down and hands over the magic set of instructi Hello there! I'm the author of many novels — and not only that but many kinds of novels, from a YA detective series and a proper literary novel about the ups and downs of female friendship to an interactive vampire thriller that ran as a serialization in an online magazine that the New York Times called “brilliant.” Not sure about that, but it was definitely bananas. I am especially fond of my latest work, The Memo, co-written with my dear friend Rachel Dodes. It’s a book about a woman who has a crushing sense that she never got the memo—and it turns out she is right. There was a memo she didn’t get. Literally. When Jenny shows up at her 15th college reunion, her old career counselor tracks her down and hands over the magic set of instructions and gives her a chance to do over her past mistakes.
What can I say? It’s a personal fantasy. I have always been plagued with indecision and a sense of “what if?” I’d hand over all my worldly possessions to have a guardian angel (or, in this case, bespoke document) to tell me what invitations to say yes to or what books not to bother reading (since it knows I’ll end up not finishing them) or what to serve myself from the buffet at the office Christmas party (how was I to know the cod fritters would make me sick?). My memo would have told 22 year old me to figure out a way to borrow money and buy an abandoned Brooklyn parking lot whose value would skyrocket and that I could eventually sell to a real estate developer for a fortune. It would have told 37 year old me to call in sick on the day a friend and I had lunch and got into the blowout fight that ended our relationship (I still miss her!). It definitely would have mandated that I get Beyonce’s phone number when I interviewed her for a newspaper story zillions of years ago (too many years ago for my memo to tell me to take a selfie with an iPhone).
It probably would have had less to say about my career choices, as I have had a very rewarding work life. I spent the year after college as an “editorial assistant” which was late-90s speak for sitting around Manhattan offices and answering men’s telephones. I was restless and really wanted to be a writer, so I wrote a letter to an upstart newspaper in Canada, and offered my services. I was offered an internship that turned into a job, and I spent three glorious years as a newspaper reporter in Toronto, reviewing movies and hanging out for very short periods of time (seven minutes was the typical allowance) with the likes of Lionel Richie, one of the Rolling Stones, and Beyonce along with the two other members of Destiny’s Child. It was the best, but I missed New York, where I grew up, so I came back with a portfolio of clips (that’s industry speak for published stories) and I started working at local newspapers. One of my assignments was to interview the author of a scandalous book called Gossip Girl, and it got me thinking: Maybe I could write a funny and fast-paced book for young readers? I floated this idea by my friend, the brilliant Laura Moser, and we began the draft of what would become The Rise and Fall of a 10th Grade Social Climber.
Writing is an addictive habit, and I kept at it. As I got older, the themes that colored my young adult books (friendship, ambition, the bonds of love) made their way to material for people who felt a little more age-appropriate. If you ask me how I'd describe my books I'd say I want them to delight, occasionally shock, and and make you feel like somebody is reading your mind and has said the thing you never dared put into words. Speaking of words, I’d be happy to hear from you! I’m on the platform formerly known as Twitter as @laurenmechling and on Instagram at @laurenomics (I made that up when Freakonomics came out, and here we are a century later). Take care, and happy reading, Lauren x ...more

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Average rating: 3.04 · 6,456 ratings · 837 reviews · 2 distinct works • Similar authors

	How Could She 2.83 avg rating — 3,915 ratings — published 2019 — 6 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Memo by Rachel Dodes (Goodreads Author), Lauren Mechling (Goodreads Author) 3.36 avg rating — 2,579 ratings — published 2024 — 9 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman know the radical life-changing power of a good friendship. The two launched their hit podcast Call Your...

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