Based upon Availability: A Novel

“Like a beautifully-wrapped gift box, full of unexpected pleasures. Alix Strauss proves herself to be an astute and deeply feeling observer of human nature.”
—Dani Shapiro, author of Black & White

A stunning, wise, and witty second novel from renowned trend journalist Alix Strauss, Based Upon Availability chisels away at the exteriors of eight smart and intriguing women while delving deep inside to see what they’re truly made of. Following her Ingram Award-winning The Joy of Funerals—named Best Debut Novel by The New York Resident—Based Upon Availability is women’s literary fiction at its finest.

From the very first page of this stunning novel, readers are drawn into the lives of eight seemingly ordinary women who pass through Manhattan's swanky Four Seasons Hotel. While offering sanctuary to some, solace to others, the hotel captures their darkest moments as they grapple with family, sex, power, love, and death.

Trish obsesses over her best friend's wedding and dramatic weight loss. Robin wants revenge after a lifetime of abuse at the hands of her older sister. Anne is single, lonely, and suffering from obsessive-compulsive disorder. Drug-addicted rock star Louise needs to dry out. Southerner turned wannabe Manhattanite Franny is envious of her neighbors' lives. Sheila wants to punish her boyfriend for returning to his wife. Ellen so desperately wants children that she insists she's pregnant to her disbelieving husband. And Morgan, the hotel manager—haunted by the memory of her dead sister—is the thread that weaves these women's lives together.

“Dark, grisly, and completely fascinating. I almost felt guilty for so thoroughly enjoying this look at history’s most tormented souls.” - A.J. Jacobs, author of The Year Of Living Biblically

“Strauss is a sharp-eyed accountant of the fleeting moments that wound us.” - Elle

“This is the classic read-it-in-one-big-gulp book. Or spend several days at the beach with it; compelling from first page to last -- edgy, moving, human.” - Liz Smith, Page Six

“Stellar...Subplots play out and scenes are revisited courtesy of a number of perspectives—hotel employees, friends and family, hotel guests—creating a near mosaic with twinges of darkness....this is quite sublime. - Publishers Weekly

“Strauss has a knack for inserting the kinds of surprises that shock but also strengthen the impact of the novel. ” - Baltimore Morning Sun

“Imminently entertaining…an insightful and engrossing character study of eight women not so very different than you or I. Looking past their superficial differences, you will find yourself identifying, in at least some small measure, with each and every one of them—like it or not!” - Bookclubcheerleader.com

“Strauss has a knack for inserting the kinds of surprises that shock but also strengthen the impact of the novel. ” - More.com

“Colorful writing...Strauss takes on famed New York lodging the Four Seasons, filling the storied hostelry with colorful women characters who share a common human bond.” - New York Post

“Mesmerizing...the characters in this moving novel are achingly sympathetic, their plights eminently relatable.” - Booklist

“There’s a story behind every room at Manhattan’s famed Four Seasons Hotel, and in her engaging novel Alix Strauss weaves them together in a dark and complicated tapestry. From the seemingly put-together manager to the aging rock star, every character has a secret and nothing is what it seems.” - Shari Goldhagen, author of Family and Other Accidents

“It’s Eloise from the Plaza, now 32 and running the hotel, with a hint of the S&M of Mary Gaitskill and the elegant precision of Lorrie Moore--and the touch of Strauss’s own signature macabre that I adore.” - Jennifer Belle, author of HIGH MAINTENANCE and THE SEVEN YEAR BITCH

Alix Strauss takes my idea of the swanky Four Seasons Hotel and turns it upside down. Anything goes: ladies lunching, rooms ransacked, illicit pills taken, S&M fantasies explored -- plus fabulous spa treatments for good measure. Based On Availability is full of surprises. I could not turn the pages fast enough. - Marcy Dermansky, author of Bad Marie

“BASED UPON AVAILABILITY is like a beautifully-wrapped gift box, full of unexpected pleasures. Alix Strauss proves herself to be an astute and deeply feeling observer of human nature.” - Dani Shapiro, author of Black & White

From Strauss (stories: The Joy of Funerals, 2003, etc.), a novel concerning a Manhattan Four Seasons manager who witnesses the alarmingly bleak lives of women (herself included) confronting the loss of youth...These New York stories will remind some readers of Parker—as in Dorothy, not Sarah Jessica. - Kirkus Reviews

“This sharp and brilliant novel shows that truth cannot be seen from the outside. You’ll absorb every anecdote’s last detail as real human connection resurfaces and these women take steps to become the people they’ve always dreamed they’d be.” - Elle

PRAISE FOR THE JOY OF FUNERALS:

“A truly unique, compelling and strangely life-affirming work of literary investigation. The perfect book to get you through the night. ” - Jerry Stahl, author of Permanent Midnight

“Strauss brilliantly exposes the devilry in the details and makes the profoundly moving, self-inflicted end-days of the greats a fascinating read.” - Michael Largo, author of Genuis and Heroin

“Alix Strauss is one of the most enjoyable writers in this or any country. Based Upon Availability is fun, smart and beautiful.” - Darin Strauss, author of More Than It Hurts You