This Is Where We Live tells the story of Claudia and Jeremy, a young married couple (she’s an aspiring filmmaker, he’s an indie musician) who are on the verge of making it. Her first film was a sensation at Sundance and is about to have its theatrical release, he’s assembled a new band and is a few songs shy of an album. They’ve recently purchased their first home—an adorable mid-century bungalow with a breathtaking view of the city of Los Angeles—with the magical assistance of an adjustable-rate mortgage. But a series of seismic events—the tanking of Claudia’s film, the return of Jeremy’s ex-girlfriend, and the staggering adjustment of their monthly mortgage payments—deal a crushing blow to their dreams of the bohemian life and their professional aspirations and make them question their values and their shared vision of the future. This Is Where We Live is a novel about the crucible of this economic moment—the way these times play with our hopes, compel us to reckon with our ambition, test our capacity for reinvention, and ask us to question the very things we love.
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"I finished this book in a couple of days, a couple of months ago, after my friend Janelle Brown (best to just put that out there) sent me a galley. If I didn't love it - which I did -- I'd just tell her "It was good" and/or avoid her for as long as possible (and not bother with a review). Janelle, as her fan base knows, is a fluid, fun, writer. Her story is about an arty couple in LA who have what's best described as "good problems" (how to be artful and make money and not drive drunk in Los Angeles too often). They're the type of irresistible characters so many of us know, and all like than we probably should, in both real life and in fiction. And there's one character, the crazy ex-girlfriend, who I'm sure a whole bunch of actors are drooling over right now. If you like Nick Hornby.... well... you get the point."
— Larry (5 out of 5 stars)
" It was pretty good...not my favorite, but interesting. "
— Ashton, 2/19/2014" I found this book addictive, I really couldn't stop reading it. I guess it spoke to me, being a newlywed and a prospective homebuyer. The ending was okay, not terrible but not the best. "
— Josie, 2/7/2014" Really interesting -about finances, home ownership, finding your self. Loved the characters and the complexity "
— Denise, 2/4/2014" Overall I liked this book. It was relatable with real life problems with a touch of "glamour" as the main characters are a musician and movie director in LA. It was refreshing to read about the economy tanking instead of pretending it didnt happen and have the character continue to lead charmed lives. The husband/wife dynamic in this book was somewhat relatable, although I found Jeremy, the husband, to be more and more reprehensible and selfish as the book went along. Thankfully I can't relate to that. However, the divide in their goals struck a chord with me. I don't know I would have made some of the same decisions as the characters, but then I am not a risky person. I don't want to give the ending away, but as a wife I would not have made the same decision as Claudia at the end. "
— Tara, 2/2/2014" I loved her writing style and was completely taken by turns of phrase fairly often, but the story was BORING. This book is about the financial and marital problems that so many people are having right now, only they reside in an artistic couple in L.A. who spent a lot of money on a house banking on the fact that their talents would make them successful in Hollywood. Really? You're supposed to feel sorry for them throughout the book because things don't work out with their big breaks and they can't pay for their houses and they're selfish and don't really communicate. It's about every failed marriage/financial situation you know just set in So Cal. Probably pass. "
— Wendy, 1/28/2014" Great book. Very enjoyable read. "
— Froggy, 12/12/2013" I couldn't find anything to like about this. The main characters were shallow and immature. I hate that I wasted my time on this one. "
— Karen, 10/27/2013" Waivered between being really annoyed with the characters (grow up, already!) and findings parts to be really moving. Dragged on a bit at parts, but this is the first novel I've seen take a go at the housing crisis, and Brown tackles it deftly. "
— Liza, 10/17/2013" It took me a while to get into this one. When I did I found I wasn't very fond of the main characters...but they grew on me over time. Turns out I'm glad I read it. I'll be thinking about this one for awhile. "
— Wilsonc, 10/7/2013" The characters just kept making bad choices. I stuck with them for a long while, but eventually gave up on them. "
— Joelle, 9/29/2013" No closure at the end, ruining what I thought was a good book. "
— Bridget, 1/17/2013" I liked Janelle Brown's first book, so wanted to get this one from the library as soon as it was released. It was a huge disappointment. I ended up skimming the first half hoping it would get better. And then I skimmed the second half thinking I'd find a point to the book. "
— Kathleen, 1/2/2013" Like her earlier book "All We Ever Wanted Was Everything", Brown seems to torture her characters, to the point where I found the book painful. "
— Pattie, 12/31/2012" A great novel on the X generation who dreams big and lives beyond their means. A married couple comes to terms with their failed dreams of making it as a musician and filmaker, to the realty of foreclosure and the struggles of married life. "
— Jennifer, 10/11/2012" The writing was kind of overblown in spots and some of the characters' decisions were unrealistic, but darned if I didn't polish it off in two days. What can I say, it was a fun read and it's summer. "
— Nette, 9/29/2012" The beginning of this book was really good, but the last one-third or so dragged a bit, and the ending was a little blah (at least in my opinion). However, I would definitely read more by this author. "
— Dana, 7/22/2012" I really enjoyed this book. It was a little predictable at times and I wouldn't call it a great American novel which is why I gave it a 4 instead of a 5, but overall, I really enjoyed the book. It was the perfect book for me to take on vacation :) "
— Bonnie, 7/7/2012" This book was riveting - raw, emotional, topical and an intense look at lives that are falling apart. "
— Jen, 10/26/2011" A bit depressing. "
— Katrina, 8/17/2011" Not bad. I thought it was going to be a cheap easy read but was surprised by some complex characters. Also one of the first books I've read that addressed the mortgage crisis of 2008 which was interesting. "
— Sara, 4/6/2011" The characters just kept making bad choices. I stuck with them for a long while, but eventually gave up on them. "
— Joelle, 4/1/2011" I found this book ok, but I did have to make myself complete it. Interesting themes and subject matter, and I would definitely read other books by this author, but I wouldn't re-read this - I think my main problem was not being able to connect with any of the characters. "
— Lynsay, 3/7/2011" Didn't really care about these characters. "
— Karen, 2/28/2011" It was pretty hard for me to rate this one. The first half was s-l-o-w. So slow, I almost just put it down. But when I got to about the halfway point I totally could not stop reading. Guess that leaves me with 3 stars. "
— Gayle, 2/22/2011" Nothing fantastic but a decent enough read. Not bad for just choosing it based on its cover! "
— Tasha, 2/4/2011" Like her first novel, this book really fascinated me. It was sort of embarassing how much I couldn't wait to get back to reading this at the end of the day. I could really relate to the characters sense of impending doom -- the economy, the anxiety -- A very compelling book! <br/> "
— Deena, 1/21/2011" The beginning of this book was really good, but the last one-third or so dragged a bit, and the ending was a little blah (at least in my opinion). However, I would definitely read more by this author. "
— Dana, 1/18/2011Janelle Brown is the author of This Is Where We Live and All We Ever Wanted Was Everything. She is also an essayist and journalist whose writing has appeared in Vogue, the New York Times, Elle, Wired, Self, Los Angeles Times, Salon, and numerous other publications.
Erik Davies is an accomplished audiobook narrator and voice-over actor. His stage credits include G.R. Point, Unpublished Letters, and Flats Fixed. Some of his television and film appearances include ER, Third Watch, and a starring role in the hit indie comedy High Society: A Pot Boiler. His audiobook narration has won three AudioFile Earphones Awards.