Stuck in Downward Dog

Book excerpt: Mara Brennan is about to unravel. Three days after 28th birthday, her boyfriend dumps her, leaving her with nothing but a basement apartment, a futon, and a pile of unpaid bills. On top of that, her job, working as a receptionist at a cosmetic surgery clinic, is a nightmare, her boss is a tyrant, and her friends have gotten ahead of her in the game of life. She realizes it’s time for an identity makeover and devises the OM List—a personal pathway to perfection inspired by her best friends, Olivia and Mitz. Mara hilariously tries and fails at all the things she thinks will make her the sophisticated grown-up she wants to be. Navigating the dueling worlds of yoga and cosmetic surgery, gourmet dinners and Frankenberry cereal, etiquette handbooks and too-helpful loved ones, this is an unforgettable comic debut about how to get unstuck when caught in a rut.