cover image Daily Candy A to Z: An Insider's Guide to the Sweet Life

Daily Candy A to Z: An Insider's Guide to the Sweet Life

Dailycandy, The Editors of Dailycandy. Hyperion Books, $22.95 (224pp) ISBN 978-1-4013-0218-4

Launched in 2000, DailyCandy's emails quickly became a habit for New Yorkers looking for dish on the latest trends, gadgets, hot new restaurants and sales. This, the site's first book, is an alphabetized compilation of some of the best musings on topics ranging from how to plan a party to coping with enemies in the workplace to how to make a budget (and stick to it). Through it all, the editors maintain a crisp, clear voice with a confident undertone that's rare among lifestyle books. While their advice on men is short, it's prefaced with an admission that relationships aren't easy and that a little humility goes a long way-something you won't read in Cosmopolitan. The book encourages readers to enjoy life on one's own terms, and even goes so far as to admit it's okay to be single. Also included is tongue-in-cheek advice about dining in pretentious restaurants, how to write a good thank-you note and how to dump a friend. Creatively exploring societal niceties as well as the not-so-niceties is what the book does best, and what it lacks in page count it makes up for in content.