In Stereo Where Available

by Becky Anderson and Aamna Qureshi

Phoebe Kassner didn't set out to become a 29-year-old virgin, but she is, and, having just been dumped by her boyfriend, she doesn't see that situation changing anytime soon. Meanwhile, her twin... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1933836202
• ISBN13: 9781933836201
• Release Date: November 2007
• Publisher: Medallion Press
• Length: 324 Pages
• Weight: 0.73 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 5.0" x 8.0"

Customer Reviews

Twins..but Oh-so different

I read this book because my son told me his friend's wife had just published a novel...Some call this chic-lit...almost scared me off. However I bought a copy and settled down for the ride of my life---er 2 nights worth of out loud laughs...Seriously, this is one well written story of two twins who are so opposite..well it is like reading two separate stories. One twin Phoebe answers a wrong number on her cell, while also playing the dating game ala dating services. The other twin is Madison (aka Grace) who wants to be the "Belle of Gergia". So---we are dealing with a Reality TV show dating process that is hillarious and the dating scene/ wrong number that is also funny. The book brings all lives full circle with interesting results. I don't believe anyone could pick this book up and put it down unfinished. Becky--what are you writing about next? I can't wait!!!

More than a funny chick lit novel

With its opening scenes Becky Anderson's book In Stereo Where Available fools you into believing it's just another funny chick lit novel, but it offers a lot more. What starts as a parody of Reality TV turns into the emotional growing up of inexperienced Phoebe. In her professional life she's a very down-to-earth first-grade English teacher, while her identical twin pursues an acting career at all costs. In search of love in the jungle of internet dating and TV matchmaking Phoebe goes for the man who touches her in the most old-fashioned way: with a poem. The only problem is he wrote it for another woman. Becky Anderson breaks with the conventions of the genre as Phoebe sets out and conquers the man she wants. Set against the background of the fake reality TV romance of her twin sister, Phoebe forges a strong relationship with Jerry, the geeky highschool English teacher with some rough edges. Of course, their love will be tested in ways Phoebe never expected. Despite the light-hearted humor, In Stereo Where Available is a serious - if funny - book about illusions and delusions in the dating game and after. The mix of humor and tragedy is another unusual feature of this novel about love and silly notions of romance, which might not be so silly after all when it's the right guy.

Witty satire makes chick-lit novel a delight

There is a lot more than sweet romance to Becky Anderson's debut novel, In Stereo Where Available. While the complicated developing relationship between two strongly delineated characters is absorbing, Anderson's finely written send-up of modern society is brilliant. Virgin-at-twenty-nine Phoebe gets advice from an internet dating guru roommate whose outrageous experiences do not for a second shake her conviction that the right guy is out there in cyberspace somewhere. Phoebe's flamboyant twin sister is determined to find true love and fortune by competing for the love of a millionaire on The Belle of Georgia, a Civil War "reality" TV show. Phoebe herself feels sheepish and silly when she responds to a romantic wrong number message pretending to be the sought-after woman, but she is drawn to the high-school teacher who made the blunder. The shenanigans of Phoebe's associates are wickedly amusing, but Phoebe's struggle to find a meaningful relationship in this shallow world has depth and pathos. Anderson's deft writing and sharp satirical eye keep you caring and chortling in equal measure: an unusual feat. I eagerly await her next novel

Tender. Smile Provoking. Real

When 29 year old Phoebe Kastner's cell phone rings, she lets the message unit pick up. It's a wrong number, some guy asking for someone named Karen. When the same thing happens again a few days later, she realizes the poor guy has been given a fake number. After agonizing over whether she should or not, she finally calls him - just to say who he's actually been calling. He has a nice voice - and is clearly so happy it's Karen calling back - Phoebe hasn't the heart to reveal the truth. He asks for her e-mail. E-mail would make telling him much easier. She gives him the address. A few seconds later, a short note arrives, attached to a sweet little poem. He's sensitive. Phoebe is impressed, and more than a little interested. So begins the central plot of this honest and almost painfully realistic portrayal of a woman who's reached a turning point. Every effort Phoebe has made to build a lasting relationship has fallen short. She's almost ready to give up, can hardly bear another failure, but slowly, inch by inch, she tries again and the journey makes absorbing and heartrending reading. After critiquing a few million words by some wonderful writers, I know the polished prose of a professional writer when I see it. This is the real stuff. Author Anderson is flawless in the mechanics and at her strongest in the characterizations she builds. The players on stage feel and act like real people. I picked this one up because my daughter said it was great. Despite being male, over 65, and a writer of adventure novels, which means I'm not part of the normal audience this story will attract, I found myself rooting hard for Phoebe and Jerry to make it. So much so that I stayed up late last night to push on toward the denouement, which by the way, contained a charming little surprise. Mark my words: Rebecca Anderson will be adored by many. Read this novel and you'll understand why. Art Tirrell is the author ofThe Secret Ever Keeps

Fabulous!

Becky Anderson has crafted a fine first novel. "In Stereo Where Available" is a fun, well-written satire about the increasingly crazy world of dating and reality TV. The networks need to take notice and make "Belle of Georgia" into their next series; I don't think reality TV could be funnier. While Phoebe navigates her way through the realities of a serious relationship with Jerry, and Madison careens through quasi-stardom, the reader is free to sit back and enjoy the story, which is full of hilarious dialogue, memorable characters, and very sharp observations about our culture's obsession with media, fame, and, of course, finding the perfect mate. Highly recommended, and I can't wait to see what this author is going to come out with next.