Life is so much better when it's shared with a friend, until it isn't. This story touches so many pieces of the life stories of each of us, then suddenly slams a door that can never be opened again.

For the third year in a row, I finished all the books I was reading on the last day of the year, leaving January 1st for a new batch. Satisfying. Less satisfying was this novel. On paper, it had all the elements of something I’d love – two friends, living their best author-ly lives in New York, set in the nineties… so many pop-culture references that spoke to me, so much to reminisce about. However, the main characters, Rose and Charlotte, who begin as work-rivals and then become best friends, are not at all convincing. Their friendship – the time they spend together, their codependency, their dialogue – is that of adolescents, not women in their twenties. The story progresses until the women are in their forties and we see the highs and lows of their relationship. Of course there’s a betrayal (I found it a bit ick) and although Rose and Charlotte’s stories continue, the whole thing felt one dimensional.

I received my copy of Girls They Write Songs About from the publisher, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.

2.5/5

I received this book in exchange for an honest review from Netgalley.

Unfortunately, at about 10% in I decided to abandon this book. The first two chapters seemed more lien vignettes than a story with plot, and I just couldn’t get into it. Thank for for the opportunity to review.

This was a great coming-of-age story of female ambition — something I haven't read nearly enough about. I loved the parts set in the girls' twenties; New York was vibrant and bustling and their lives were filled with sparkle and magic. I didn't love the second half as much but it was still a good read overall. I recommend!

One of my favourite reads of the summer, which takes place in New York City in the 90s. Engaging and witty characters. Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for the opportunity to review an advanced copy

A lovely piece of writing ruminating on female friendship, ambition, and independence.

I love a character driven friendship novel, especially if it’s well written, and this one certainly meets that criteria. Though it’s not particularly action-driven, the book hums along smoothly in terms of pacing and has enough writerly panache to carry it through the fact that this is, well, an extremely low stakes story by novelistic standards.

There is no great tragedy or cataclysmic event anywhere in this book. The wins and losses for the protagonists are measured in something closer to real life events. I’m not sure I necessarily found these characters relatable as one does with the best New Adult books, but certainly their existence, their thoughts, and their actions had a kind of intriguing plausibility.

I rather liked the main character, though it seems many reviewers disagree with me on that point. I didn’t mind Rose either, though she holds less appeal. The story could have used a touch more humor and perhaps a more conclusive ending, but Bauer’s writing was a pleasure to experience.

This is one of a well written coming-of-age novel I’d ever read. Very written as if there were so many memories and other things through these two friendships. Both these friends have experienced so much.

Charlotte and Rose’s life are inseparable. See their lives as the years go by. By their time when they're employed, by their relationships and so on. Also, there are so many mentions on the writing and even their favorite things they would like to do. That's one of my favorite parts of the book.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read the book in exchange for a review.

Such a well-written novel about female friendship and their later-in-life coming of age.
While this book started a bit slow, I’m happy I pushed on and dug through the first few chapters to get to the gold.

Written about two women struggling to make it as writers in New York, Charlotte and Rose were the closest of friends who found themselves drifting apart from each other, only to find out that the world was cruel without the one person that truly understood you.

As they continue to follow their own paths, will their friendship remain strong enough through marriages, children, and divorce? Or will they accept that some things are better left in the past?

Overall this book was so much more than this short review. I fell in love with the characters from the start and couldn’t imagine a more beautiful and heartbreaking book.

The publisher provided ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

So many times, reading this book, a wave of emotion, so intense, hit me in my throat, and really hit me hard. It's been a while since I have read such beautiful prose in such a fine literary way. This isn't just a novel, or even a memoir, it's a work of literature. Beautifully written with incredible passion and reverence, it's the story of two really good friends, two writers, two of the same. It really reminded me of living in NYC with my best friends and the crazy, crazy times we had. The novel is intense, but so real! It's one of the best books I've read this year. NY Times nailed their review and I totally agree. This is an amazing book. Thank you to Carlene Bauer, Author, and to Netgalley as well as to Farrar, Straus, and Giroux Publishing for the arc.

I wanted to love this but the second half of the book felt a bit disjointed. Thank you netgalley & the publisher for the opportunity to receive an arc, in exchange for an honest review.

I hate to start this way, but this was a disappointment, not sure why I finished it. Two young women in NYC in the 1990's, working in the music industry, the premise sounded good. The friends go through a lot through 20 or so years. For some reason it just did not draw me in. #girlstheywritesongsabout #bookstagram #booklover #bookblog #booksbooksbooks #lovetoread #readerscommunity #booksaremagic #readallday #readingismagic #readersofinstagram #bookloversofinstagram #takeapagefrommybook #netgalley

This book set me back on my heels, shaking my head. What the hell??? By the end of it, I was head over heels in love with it, with the author, with the 110% truth of it. This is the truth of girls. Overwhelming, underwhelming, weird, unpredictable, wonky, brilliant, hate 'em, love 'em girls. By the end, I was completely won. No doubt about it.

It is uncomfortable reading, often. Punctuation, mostly on the fly, or missing. It is hundreds of pages of free association, right to the very last sentence. Wearying, whiny, lyrical, breathtaking, laugh-out-loud funny it is so SPOT ON. . . .tear spilling in places it is so SPOT ON. . .all those hard decisions that slap a girl upside her life as she's living it and daring her to make the right choice . . . whatever that is. . . .

Men are there, as they are in our world. Important. This just isn't about them.

Girls. A book long definition of girls friending (or not) girls. . . .but it never forgets that girls come from girls, and we love those first girls in our lives, we form our whole future dreams on those first girls who take care of us and love us (or don't), and our dearest wishes are for the girls that come from our bodies, our efforts and life alliances, the girls we love and for whom we'd die in a moment - we want for them to have some of those same precious slices of girl-happiness we had once upon a time. . . .

Absolutely.loved.this.book.

A sincere thanks to Carlene Bauer, Farrar, Straus and Giroux and NetGalley for an ARC to read and review. #GirlsTheyWriteSongsAbout #NetGalley

Rose and Charlotte meet at a music magazine where they both work, and after a bit of a rough start, they become very close friends - the kind you spend all your time with and share everything with. The story is written in first person, and it follows the girls as they grow and grow apart. I loved the first part of this book -the writing was zippy and the friendship interesting, and I highlighted some passages I especially wanted to remember. I"m not sure what happened after that - the second half of the book or so read like it was written by a completely different author. The whole book meandered a bit - but the second half didn't really have much of a plot at all. There was a lot of stream-of-consciousness going on there. The ending didn't fit the rest of the book, either. I'm sure there was a message there somewhere, but it didn't fit in the with the parts (or the writing) that really made the book sing. Many thanks to NetGalley, Ms. Bauer, and Farrar, Straus, and Giroux for the ARC of this title.

𝐆𝐈𝐑𝐋𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝗪𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐆𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 by Carlene Bauer is a story of the enduring friendship between two young women, Charlotte and Rose, who meet while working at an NYC music magazine in 1997. After a bumpy start, the two become almost inseparable, fully occupying each other’s lives, sharing a wholly feminist outlook on life, and an unwavering determination to make it as writers. Their youth and their twin outlooks on life sustain their friendship for many years, but as they get older, a gap between them slowly begins to grow.⁣
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I really loved the first half of this book, as Charlotte and Rose were living life on their own terms and, despite some setbacks, enjoying every minute. ⁣
Theirs was the sort of friendship other women long for and that was so fun to read about, as was the early 2000’s era and the New York setting. The second half of the book grew a little tedious for me, but not because the two drifted apart. That’s to be expected as people grow older. Instead, what bothered me was the rigidity of one of the characters, and her unwillingness to accept change, even as doing so made her miserable. Though such an outlook is not unusual, it put a damper on the overall story. Thus, a ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 rating of a book I initially thought I’d be rating much higher.⁣
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Thanks to @fsgbooks for an electronic ARC of #girlstheywritesongsabout.

Beautifully written, heart-wrenching novel about two young women living in New York City in 1997. A defining portrait of Gen X friendship, bittersweet, funny, and moving.

A novel beginning in the late 1990’s in NYC and unfolding as a life story. More of a character study rather than a plot driven story.

New York City in the 90's, being a twentysomething and dreaming of a big life, friendship through thick and thin, and of course, the music and magazine world. This is a good read, not a light read--it's very character driven, so you get to know these characters in depth, you feel their angst and drive and worry and love through these pages.

This is one of the most beautiful things about female friendship I've ever read. It is sad and bleak at times, but it is also wonderful. Highly recommend!

I was immediately interested in the summary of this one - touted as a "power ballad of female friendships", between two friends, working as magazine editors in 1997 NYC. Need I say more?

What unfolded was much deeper than a flippant, entertainment read and instead explored the depths of female friendship and the critical role female relationships have in our lives. Rose & Charlotte, two pretty, too-smart-for-their-own-good and adventurous friends, encounter flings, relationships, jobs, opportunities, children, marriage, heartbreak, true love and loss in this epic tale. While their lives ebb and flow, their friendship remains a constant (and at times, challenging) source of energy. This one was both fun and insightful, and a great summer read!

Girls They Write Songs about is a book about two friends in New York City over the course of 20 years. While their goals are the same to start, they diverge over time, leading to their friendship fizzling out. I liked the author’s writing style, it feels a lot like a friend telling you a story. Overall the book felt very plotless, in fact I struggled to think of a way to sum up the plot for this review. I kept waiting for the point of the book which never came. Still an interesting read and I will read more of this author in the future.

Thanks to NetGalley and Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.