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August 31, 2006 1:37 PM

New women's imprint (but it's not for us)

Publishers Hyperion have announced a new imprint - Voice - for women 35 and over, which will, they claim, have 'a resolutely anti-chick-lit bent'. Instead it will 'offer books that answer today’s women’s needs to dream, to learn, to reconnect and to recharge their lives ... that explores our own day-to-day experiences or transports us to another time and place entirely ...' Sounds like chick lit to me.

An article in the New York Times says, 'To help Voice pinpoint what women want, [the founders] have recruited a panel of 10 professional women to meet twice a year. Members include Subha Barry, a vice president in charge of global diversity for Merrill Lynch; Ellen Levine, editorial director of Hearst Magazines; and Candace Bushnell, a novelist.'

I know what you're thinking - Candace Bushnell?! But it's okay, because apparently Candace Bushnell has 'evolved from writing chick lit' (according to one of Voice's founders).

If only publishers would evolve from using chick lit bashing as a marketing tool.

Posted by Keris on August 31, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (1)

Waterstone's Chick Lit Book of the Month

My favourite book shop, Waterstone's (well, I did used to work there), has a new website (it used to partner with Amazon) which features a Chick Lit Book of the Month!

August's is Trashionista fave Jenny Colgan's latest, West End Girls. Read all about it (and add your own two pennorth/cents) here.

Posted by Keris on August 31, 2006 in Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Girly Stuff, New Releases, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reading Alias

Alias is yet another popular series I've never managed to catch. It's about Sydney Bristow (played by Jennifer Garner) an international spy recruited out of college and trained for espionage and self-defense. [via link] There's more, but I didn't understand any of it!

The essays in Alias Assumed: Sex, Lies and SD-6 include one by Parenting guru Britta Coleman on why shooting your first born just may be the best parenting decision you’ll ever make, which definitely has me intrigued!

The official companion is Alias Declassified and includes the usual stuff: episode guide, storyboards, cast quotes, etc.

Of course, there're also a couple of unofficial guides: Uncovering Alias includes 'a map of Rambaldi artefacts uncovered by the operatives' and Authorized Personnel Only features 'a mission-by-mission analysis of the series and a catalogue of the agents' personal histories and psychological profiles'.

Like, Charmed, there's a series of Alias novelisations including Namesake which has just come out and Recruited, a prequel to the TV show.

Posted by Keris on August 31, 2006 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Non Fiction, Series, Television | Permalink | Comments (4)

Jennifer Weiner reads from The Guy Not Taken... and there's more!

You've read the review (haven't you?!) and now you too can have a sneak peek at The Guy Not Taken before it's released.

Jennifer Weiner is reading an exclusive extract of one of her stories from the book, "Swim", here  (scroll down). You can also catch it here, along with a Book Clubs Q&A (with audio clips of Jennifer answering questions about her books) and first chapters of all her novels. Her jam-packed site's also running a competition where you can win the chance to have Jennifer visit your book club- U.S residents only, I'm afraid!

Finally, watch the ad for The Guy Not Taken here.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 31, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

THURSDAY THREE: Cooking Good!

I hope you're not feeling too hungry because today's Thursday Three is about hard-to-resist recipes and their place in some of our favourite fiction!

Heartburn by Nora Ephron is the story of Rachel, a food journalist who finds out her husband is cheating on her... while she's pregnant. Funny, poignant and based on the author's real-life experiences, it's a must for anyone who loves quick-witted humour and wants to know how to make the best mashed potatoes (for when you're feeling down; important tip: use lots of butter) or a great Key Lime Pie (for throwing, of course!)

More overtly food-themed is Cooking for Mr Right by Susan Volland, about a sous-chef called Kate who discovers her ex-boyfriend is getting married, and becomes determined to win him back- with her cooking...

Carry on across the cut to find out which smash hit bestseller is the third book.

A HUGE bestseller back in the early '90s (my mum refused to buy me a copy because it was too raunchy*) Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is the sensuous Mexican-set story of Tita, whose recipes are threaded around a story of passion and magical realism.  It was also made into a film (and I didn't get to see that either!)

What are your favourite books that mix food and love?

*I should point out that I was in my early teens, not a grown woman!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 31, 2006 in American Authors, Classic Novels, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

PREVIEW REVIEW: The Guy Not Taken by Jennifer Weiner

Yep, it's not even out yet and already we have a review for you- how good are we to you ? (Clue: very). The Guy Not Taken is out next Tuesday in the U.S (September 30 via Amazon in the UK), and... I highly recommend it!  A collection of stories formerly stuffed into shopping bags in Jennifer Weiner's spare room(!) her agent suggested she might want to think about maybe... publishing them. (After a little updating, of course!)

And thank goodness she did!  They're full of Jennifer Weiner's trademark humour, warmth and poignancy and the majority are very real and entertaining.

The collection opens with a trilogy about the Krystal family at different times of their lives, the first of which was written while Weiner was at university, the last very recently to tie up the loose ends.  It's fascinating to see the threads of her novels in the earlier two stories- I noticed aspects of both In Her Shoes and Good In Bed.  There's also a story (called Good Men) about Bruce and Cannie, the main characters of Good In Bed, which is told from Bruce's point of view.  I loved this insight into the author's creative process, and the fact that she's sharing these steps in the development of her writing.  There were one or two stories I didn't feel would stand alone as narratives, however...

Dora on the Beach seemed very unlikely and quite silly and the eponymous heroine is weedy to say the least- 62 is too young to be acting like a little old lady! Some of the stories are slices of life where nothing much happens and I can see that they'd be better suited to being part of a novel, although they're still very well-written.  The best two stories in the book are Oranges From Florida, a very moving story of divorce from a father's perspective which is gently heartbreaking, and The Mother's Hour- a pacey and slightly shocking tale.

Despite some stories being stronger than others, the book works as a whole and is very entertaining.  It's a treat for Jennifer Weiner fans who love her previous work, but newbies would get a lot out of it, too.  Although I raced through (er, I mean savoured slowly!) the stories, my favourite part of the book was actually the "Notes on Stories" at the back of the book, sharing some of the gossip behind the writing process.  I'd love to have read even more of this and would like to formally suggest to JW's publishers that her next between-novels project be a work of non-fiction essays about her life and writing (they don't even have to pay me for the idea!)  It's certainly whetted by appetite for her next novel, and left me wondering if any of the ideas from her more recent stories will be showing up in her future work... you can bet I'll keep reading to find out.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank, In Her Shoes by Jennifer Weiner.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 31, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (7)

August 30, 2006 11:43 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Hester Browne

We've loved both of Hester Browne's books, The Little Lady Agency and Little Lady, Big Apple here at Trashionista, so we were very excited when she agreed to be our second interview victim. I mean, subject.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer: Supernanny-for-singletons Melissa tackles Manhattan’s men and manners – but will alter-ego Honey stay in London?

Argh. That’s very hard with this book! It’s a good exercise, though, for pitching an idea – you should be able to sum up your novel in one tantalising line. Most novels are pitched to the sales department as [popular Richard Curtis film] meets [latest internet blogging sensation] starring [current Hollywood hot actress] in [New York/London/wherever Kate Moss has just bought a house]. I’m a chronic overwriter, even for magazine copy which is even more word-count specific than novels, so I’ve got into the habit of hyphenating everything and claiming it as one word. I know. It’s cheating.

Continue over the cut for the rest of the interview.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)? I generally go out in the mornings and write or plan out scenes in a café, then come back and try to turn that buzz of ideas in to proper writing in the afternoons. What usually happens, though, is that I distract myself with eBay or email most of the day, then write 1500 words in an hour before I go to bed at midnight. Do not get Sim City or any sort of strategy game if you’re trying to write a book, is my advice.

Your favourite chick-lit book? Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes - sexy hero, hilarious heroine, brilliant supporting cast and although it seems light-as-a-feather, it's cleverly plotted, and very moving. And you can read it and re-read it and it’s still funny, which is the mark of a great book.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why? Becky Bloomwood. Isn't she everyone's favourite heroine? I even forgave her when her mean long-lost sister turned out to be from the Lake District like me – Bank of West Cumbria, indeed...

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers? You have to write what you enjoy reading - don't try to be anyone other than yourself. The more you write, the more you'll develop your own distinctive style, and that's what publishers love to discover. Read, read, read too, and analyse why you loved a book, or why you didn't quite feel it worked. It's tricky to put your finger on why someone's style draws you in, but you can see when the plot doesn't hang together, or when the pacing's off.

Though writing’s a wonderful job, to the point of not feeling like a job sometimes, it’s more usually very hard work. You have to develop a pretty thick skin to put up with constant editing, ‘suggestions’ about characters you feel you know best, and the inevitable set-backs and changes of plan that occur to every publication process. Deadlines are tough. So are snarky Amazon reviews. But having said that, there’s always room for fresh talent! Don’t feel you have to revise your work to absolute perfection before you send it out to an agent; there comes a point where you should just take the plunge and see what they think. Good agents will spot potential and help you work with it; good editors will often lift it up another level still – and though it can be painful it’s worth it, in the same way a personal trainer wrings the best out of you in the gym. (Or, um, so I am reliably informed.)

And, in short: always try to get an agent rather than sending direct to publishers; never sign up with an agent who charges you money before they’ve sold anything; phone books and local papers are great for ‘real sounding’ names; never use your novel to get your own back on the girl you hated at school because she won’t read it but everyone else you know will and will assume it’s them you’re getting at; and take a notebook with you because you will forget that brilliant idea between falling asleep and waking up again.

What are you reading at the moment? One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson; Fashion Victim by Sam Baker; Hollywood Babylon by Kenneth Anger; Rough Guide to Paris.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!) The third and final Honey book: there are princes, nightclubs, unexpected babies, sea sickness, Parisian apartments, Melissa’s barking family being even more monstrous than ever, but lots and lots of romance, and a super-happy ending!

Posted by Keris on August 30, 2006 in Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Girly Stuff, Interviews, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Romance, Series | Permalink | Comments (6)

BOOK REVIEW: Husbands by Adele Parks

Adele Parks makes her characters very difficult to like. In fact this is the main reason I gave up entirely on Playing Away, as I actively despised Corinne, who seemed to have no redeeming features, and was cheating on her self-professed 'perfect' husband for no apparent reason.

Husbands still has its fair share of women you might not want to be closest chums with, namely Bella, who has committed bigamy by being married to both her best friend's boyfriend, and her current husband, at the same time. But obviously none of them know it yet.

Luckily the other characters in Husbands are its redeeming quality. Laura, still hurt from a nasty break up, is a quietly determined single mother who falls head over heels with a busker she meets on the tube. It's just unfortunate he also happens to be married to Bella. Then there's Bella's mate Amelie, who despite being recently widowed, is by far the most optimistic character of the book. The cast is completed by Phillip, Bella's doting older man, and her second, non-legitimate husband.

The book charts some fairly major coincidences as the lives of Bella, her two husbands, and Laura become rather too entwined for comfort. They end up at an Elvis convention in Las Vegas, where most of the book is set, and we get a whistle stop tour round the sites of the city while Bella tries to decide which husband she likes best. Eventually Bella starts to display some more attractive qualities, and I actually started to enjoy Husbands.

I'm not sure I'll be rushing out to read another of her books, but this has convinced me that I can finish one, and it was a vast improvement on Playing Away. The sort of dilemmas Parks' characters face are the kind that give you that sinking feeling in the pit of your stomach the moment you wake up, and personally I'd rather read something that lifted my spirits rather than bringing them down. Recommended for days when you can't stand to read another happy ever after and you're sick of flawless characters with sugar coated lives. [Charlotte Howells]

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Other Women by Kirsty Crawford.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 30, 2006 in British Authors, Modern Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

There are some Yay or Nay days when I want nothing more than an easy and harmonious life, so I'm asking a question I suspect I already know the answer to (although feel free to prove me wrong!)

My Sister's Keeper was a huge hit for Jodi Picoult, launching her popularity in the UK after it was picked for the first Richard and Judy Book Club.  It's had very, very few detractors (although if you're one, I'd love to hear why).  Tell us: is it a Yay or a Nay, and why?

[Don't forget to vote Yay or Nay at Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 30, 2006 in Yay or Nay, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (5)

The Sunday Night Book Club

I always love books that help a good cause, but The Sunday Night Book Club sounds like it would be a great short story collection even if it wasn't raising money for Breast Cancer Care.

Featuring stories by Wendy Holden, Cathy Kelly, Adriana Trigiani and lone man Alexander McCall Smith, the book is sponsored by Woman and Home magazine and promises to be a popular addition to Christmas stockings this year.

(Sorry- when I see September on the horizon I become obsessed with Xmas, I'll try to rein myself in now until November at least!)

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 30, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, British Authors, Irish Authors, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

EJ Knapp Can Keep His Car!

Remember when we brought you this news about author EJ Knapp?

Well, thanks to the generosity of his writing friends who donated stories, and of everyone who bought a story (I know at least one or two of our readers did, so good on you!) he not only raised all the money he needed- but a little bit extra.   Meaning: he can keep his car and pay for petrol, too! For all we hear about the dangers of the internet, it's great to hear a heart-warming story like this. (Although of course anyone who'd read Save Karyn already knows how generous strangers can be!)

Drive safely, EJ...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 30, 2006 in American Authors, Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Which Brings Me To You by Steve Almond & Julianna Baggott

I was so excited about this book after reading Steve Almond's Candyfreak. It's written by both Almond and Julianna Baggott and is a series of alternating letters written by John and Jane after they meet - and almost have sex - at a wedding. They decide instead to get to know each other first by writing confessional letters about their relationship histories to see if they might have a chance at more than a coatroom fumble. Sounds great, right? Read on to see if it was.

This book reminded me a lot of Melissa Bank's The Wonder Spot. Basically the majority of John and Jane's letters serve as a complete story about one of their past relationships, all of which - like Sophie's in The Wonder Spot - both end badly and serve to give us background on the characters. So we learn that not only did John used to be a "surf dude", he also, further along the line, worked in an advertising agency and voted Republican. We learn that Jane worked in a bookstore and had a relationship with both members of a married couple.

The problem with the book for me was that I never really warmed to John and Jane. Partly I think it's because, even though the book was written by two authors, John and Jane's voices seem very similar - occasionally I would start reading a letter thinking it had been written by the other character. For this book to have really worked, for me, I would have wanted to be desperate for them to get together at the end, convinced that they were soulmates. I didn't get that feeling - rather, as my mother-in-law says, at least they won't spoil two houses.

Having said all that - it is an extremely well-written and entertaining book. It's a good read, really. It just seemed to me to be an unfortunately cold read too.

(I have to also mention the fact that the back cover blurb says 'But they live on opposite sides of the country'. John lives in New York and Jane lives in Philadelphia. Not only are they on the same side of the country, but there's less than 100 miles between them. I know I'm pedantic, but that kind of thing annoys me.)

If you like this, try The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank (for a similar story) or Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie & Bob Mayer (for a book written by duelling authors)

Posted by Keris on August 30, 2006 in American Authors, Modern Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release, Romance | Permalink | Comments (1)

Movie News: The Interruption of Everything

Oprah has apparently bought the movie rights to Terry 'Waiting to Exhale' McMillan's latest book, The Interruption of Everything.

Apparently when the author appeared on the Oprah show recently to talk about her acrimonious divorce from Jonathan Plummer (who was the inspiration for How Stella Got Her Groove Back), Oprah mentioned that she loved McMillan's latest book so much she bought the film rights. Just that brief mention sent the book scurrying up Amazon's best-seller list. [via]

Oprah has a fairly good record of turning books into movies, being executive producer of Amy & Isabelle, Tuesdays With Morrie and Beloved amongst others. She has also recently brought the classic novel The Color Purple to the Broadway stage as a musical!

Posted by Keris on August 30, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 29, 2006 6:16 PM

Bridget Jones's baby

Please excuse me if this is old news and I'm the last to know, but I've just found out that earlier this year Bridget Jones had a baby. The final entry in the revived Independent column read: "Have never been so happy in entire life. Have given birth to baby who is sweetest little creature ever seen."

Bridget's creator, Helen Fielding, also gave birth to a child (her second) in June, at the age of 48. A (rather snarky) article (don't read if you don't want Bridget spoilers) in The Daily Mail suggests there will be no more columns, instead the last bunch will be collected into a third book.

So do we want more Bridget? Or were we happier with the way things were left at the end of The Edge of Reason?

Posted by Keris on August 29, 2006 in Book related, British Authors, Girly Stuff | Permalink | Comments (12)

BOOK REVIEW: Mr Starlight by Laurie Graham

Laurie Graham used to write about ordinary working-class folk with wit, humour and pathos (Dog Days, Glen Miller Nights being a wonderful and sadly out-of-print example) but now she's carved out a new and very successful niche: Brits in America.  Mr Starlight is a typical example- the story of Liberace, if Liberace had a touch of the Des O' Connors about him and was raised in a townhouse in Birmingham, that is... 

Self-styled 'Mr Starlight' and king of the working men's clubs, singer Selywn Boff is determined to make it big- and that means America.  Dragging his reluctant piano player/older brother Cledwyn behind him, the Boff brothers begin to make their mark on the States- but not quite as fast as Sel would like.  He decides Cled is holding him back- and Cled decides he can do without his bossy upstart of a brother- it's not as if Sel's ever going to make it really big!

Is he?

Well, a good-looking man with charisma, an exotic (well, to Americans!) accent and whose crooning drives the girls crazy is never going to be down on his luck for long- let's put it that way!

This is a wonderful book, with great dialogue, vividly-drawn characters and a great pace.  Although what happens to Sel is beyond the dreams of most people who grew up with a tin bath and an absent father in the Midlands circa World War Two, Sel's rise to fame seems realistic within the context of this novel.  The surrounding characters are kept reassuringly down to earth, for example when Cledwyn returns home after five years away, his 'mam' is in a bad mood because he didn't let them know he'd be coming: "You'll have to have shop bought biscuits," she strops, with, as his sister says, "a face like a trod chip."

The book is told from Cledwyn's point of view, which makes for added irony, as he's not quite the reliable narrator. Completely oblivious to Sel's secret sexual preferences (well, the spangly suits and non-existent girlfriends weren't really a clue, were they?!) and in denial about his own talent and popularity with women, he's spent his life in Selwyn's shadow.

The book roves from 1928 up to the early 1990s, and kept me hooked throughout.  The ending is funny, sad and poignant and I'm not ashamed to say I shed a tear.  I almost felt like Mr Starlight was real, and he's one of those few characters who'll stay with me long after I've finished the book. I highly recommend you let him charm you, too.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try The Prizewinner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 29, 2006 in British Authors, Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bookmark This!

You know those freebie bookmarks with writing on that bookshops give away? Well, a couple of months ago, I picked one up and it was advertising the Every Object Tells a Story competition.  It asked: if you could borrow any item from literature, what would it be? Entrants were asked to send in a story on the topic- and the winning one would be printed on bookmarks given away in shops throughout the country!

Answers ranged from Ma Ramotswe's redbush tea to Tolkein's ring (you know the one!) but the winning writer was Max Porter, who chose to borrow a bike from Flann O'Brien's novel The Third Policeman.  His story, I want to ride my bicycle can be seen on bookmarks in shops throughout the country, and you can read the other submissions here.

So... what object would you choose, and why?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 29, 2006 in Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Girl with a One Track Mind by Abby Lee

What kind of girl keeps a sachet of lubricant in her handbag in case she needs to give a hand job? A girl with a one track mind.

Abby Lee is the no longer anonymous (she was recently unmasked as London-based Zoe Margolis) author of the award winning blog Girl with a One Track Mind which records her search for satisfying, adventurous sex. The book charts one year in her life in which she tries everything from one night stands to swingers evenings  via domination and lesbian encounters...

Abby Lee is a woman of contradictions. She wants a loving relationship but picks up men in bars and on the internet and then seems surprised when all they want is a one night stand. She thinks her ex-boyfriend is emotionally immature because he’s found a woman he wants to spend time with and be faithful to, rather than taking Abby to a swingers evening.

Despite thinking of herself as adventurous Abby Lee has a very blinkered view of sex. She describes sex as being either vanilla (plain) or BDSM (bondage domination sado-masochism) and can’t see anything in between. She thinks her friends are stuck in sexually boring monogamous relationships yet as her sexual searching doesn’t even produce sex once a month at times, I’d guess that her friends are having far more sex than she is!

Unfortunately this book doesn’t work as a story or a memoir. The main character is not likeable enough and the supporting cast are easily forgotten as most only appear for one night. The details of her sexual encounters are wholly un-erotic. We are given cold hard facts - what she did, who she did it with and how many times she orgasmed - but there is no passion behind her words, no real enjoyment. And I was glad when she finally had sex for the first time that year as I was very bored reading about her tedious masturbation sessions.

I can see why this works as a blog (let’s face it most things are better than working and that’s when people would read it, as a work substitute) but it just doesn’t cut it as a sexual memoir. If you want erotic memoirs go for Anais Nin. If you want deeply disturbing then read The Story of O. If you want annoying and dull then read this. [Nicola Pedley]

Rating: 2 out of 5

Like this? Try Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl by Tracy Quan.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 29, 2006 in Bonkbusters, Book Websites, British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 2/5, Rubbish Books | Permalink | Comments (12)

New This Is Chick Lit site

We've talked about it here and here, you can read a defence of it here (don't read the comments unless you want to be infuriated) and now you can learn more about it here. There's a discussion forum, special offers and info about the contributors.

Posted by Keris on August 29, 2006 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Girly Stuff, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

SPOTLIGHT: Meg Cabot

This week's spotlight's on the incredibly prolific Meg Cabot.

After completing a fine arts degree at Indiana University, Meg moved to New York and got a job as the assistant manager of an undergraduate dormitory at New York University (like the character in this book). Her first published book was a historical romance written under a pen name - Patricia Cabot - because she didn't want her grandmother to read the rude bits. She's also written as Jenny Carroll and Meggin Cabot.

She really made her name with The Princess Diaries series for teens and has now published almost forty novels for both adults and teens. She also wrote early versions of the screenplay for the Disney film, Ice Princess.

Following September 11th she moved from New York to Key West with her husband and their one-eyed cat, Henrietta.

Continue over the cut for her bibliography (and, trust me, you really want to see this one!).

Adult chick lit

The Boy Next Door
She Went All the Way
Boy Meets Girl
Every Boy’s Got One
Size 12 Is Not Fat
Queen of Babble (review coming soon!)

Adult historical romances

Where Roses Grow Wild
Portrait of My Heart
An Improper Proposal
A Little Scandal
A Season in the Highlands
Lady of Skye
Educating Caroline
Kiss the Bride

The Princess Diaries - teen series

The Princess Diaries
Take Two
Third Time Lucky
Mia Goes Fourth
Gimme Five
Sixsational
Seventh Heaven

Mediator - teen series

Love You To Death
High Stakes
Mean Spirits
Young Blood
Grave Doubts
Heaven Sent

Missing - teen series

When Lightning Strikes
Code Name Cassandra
Safe House
Sanctuary

Teen historical romances

Nicola and the Viscount
Victoria and the Rogue

Teen chick lit

All-American Girl
Ready or Not: An All-American Girl Novel
Teen Idol
Avalon High
How to Be Popular

Did you know?
Meg's plans for world domination now include branching into manga. The sequel to Avalon High will be released as a three-book manga series, called Avalon High: Coronation.

Posted by Keris on August 29, 2006 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Romance, Series, Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 28, 2006 4:43 PM

Gossip Girl: the series

I've only read the first in the controversial Gossip Girl series by Cecily Von Ziegesar, but it was one of those books that you go on reading even though you think you shouldn't. That's because Gossip Girl is a series for teens, but with sex and drugs and, you know, shopping.

Feminist critic Naomi Wolf took exception with the series here (I hope you can see it, it's not loading on my computer), but now Josh Schwartz, creator and producer of The O.C. is bringing the spoilt brats to the small screen. [via]

Posted by Keris on August 28, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Series, Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

Reading Chick Flicks

I love reading (of course) and I love chick flicks so how excited was I to find this site which features feminist critiques of chick flicks? (And it helps that it looks gorgeous too.)

In their introduction to these essays, Beth Gilligan and Jenny Jediny assert that "Within popular film criticism, the chick flick has yet to gain recognition beyond the glib and dismissive jargon reviewers of both sexes typically attach to this much-maligned subcategory." They then go on to review chick faves such as When Harry Met Sally, Pretty Woman and Bridget Jones's Diary from a feminist perspective.

Not only is it interesting, it's given me some great ideas for forthcoming Friday Flicks!

Posted by Keris on August 28, 2006 in Book related, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: The Bachelorette Party by Karen McCullah Lutz

Karen McCullah Lutz has form: she's the co-author of the movies Legally Blonde and 10 Things I Hate About You, so if anyone should know how to appeal to a chick-lit, chick-flick lovin' audience, it's her.  Her debut novel The Bachelorette Party is about Zadie, who was recently dumped by her soap opera star fiance on the day of her wedding and now has to cope with the fact that her best male friend is marrying her straight-laced cousin Helen- and Zadie's going on the Hen Night, the last place on earth she wants to be...

For starters, can I just say that Bachelorette Party is a much more glamourous term than Hen Party?!  Although this one leaves a little something to be desired... after yoga and a vist to a juice bar, Zadie manages to persuade the girls to go a little wild, and soon she's learning that Helen might not be quite as uptight as she seems...

When I picked up this book, I thought "a whole novel about a hen night?!" and to some extent I stand by that- although it's well-written and very pacey, how much can you really say about one party?  Good job the author is so skilled at action and dialogue (I guess that's the advantage of polishing your craft on scripts first).  This is a fun read with several hard-to-predict plot twists, but there were a few things I didn't like about it...

For one, the main character is cynical almost to the point of clinical depression- rarely have you seen a blacker worldview from someone with a good job and all their limbs, living in sunny L.A.  Not only is she coarse for no good reason (I'm not a prude, but this seemed forced) she's self-pitying and very judgemental (hating anyone who does yoga, sneering at girls with the wrong manicure... and if I saw the words 'slutty whore' or 'whory bitch' one more time I was going to throw the book across the room!)  Through Zadie, the author promotes the idea that everyone should be getting drunk and having sex with strangers- or you're just no fun. (Make sure the strangers are single though, or you're a slutty... !)  Sure enough, rather than therapy the answer to Zadie's problems turn out to be drink and meeting a new man.  If only everything in life was this simple!

I think my main problem was the author was trying to hard to impress and make her book stand out by being outrageous- if she had a more relaxed style I might have warmed to the characters more.  However, if you can take this book a little less seriously than me and accept that you have to let some of the book's 'lessons' sail straight over your head, then you could find this book good escapism, with moments of humour and zest.  But in future I'll be sticking to authors who do this kind of stuff ten times better.

Rating: 2 out of 5.

Like this? Try  Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie, One for the Money by Janet Evanovich. [They're much better!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 28, 2006 in American Authors, Debut Novels, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Rating: 2/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

FlapArt's Tasteless Titles

Ever read a book that you'd prefer not to be seen with in public? (Like maybe this? or even this?!)  Or maybe you just enjoy messing with people's minds?

Then you'll love FlapArt!  The company manufactures book covers to slip over the reading material of your choice.  Giving good taste a bypass, fake titles include Do it Yourself Liposuction, Coroner by Correspondence, and How to Overcome Nymphomania (there's also How to Cheat Your Way through College, for those of a milder disposition). 

The company ships worldwide and their covers are also on sale in the U.K  via The Dog House website.  I predict a huge surge in revenue from teenage boys...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 28, 2006 in Book Websites, Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reverse Book Tokens

Aside from diamonds or a trip to Hawaii, a book token is the best present anyone could ever get me, so when I heard about Book Aid International's Reverse Book Token scheme, I was intrigued.  You simply donate £10 to the charity, and you get a voucher to send to your friend or family member letting them know that 8 books (bargain!) have been sent to people in the developing world on their behalf. 

If you're interested, email tokens@bookaid.org to request a voucher and once it arrives, make a donation.  If you want to make a more regular commitment join the Reverse Book Club which involves giving £5 every month. (Slogan: "4 books for £5 - and you never receive a single one of them!")

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 28, 2006 in Book Websites, Book related | Permalink | Comments (1)

MORE ON MONDAY: Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

Blue Shoes and Happiness is the seventh in Alexander McCall Smith's enormously popular No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency series. I have read and loved each of the previous books even though once I've read them I find I don't remember much about them, except an urge to smile every time I think about the world of Mma Ramotswe, Mma Makutsi and Mr JLB Matekoni. If you haven't yet discovered the series, well, you've got a treat in store. If you have then read on to see if this latest story meets expectations.

Mma Ramotswe is a "traditionally built" (i.e. large) woman who runs the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency (Botswana's only ladies' detective agency). Her assistant, Mma Makutsi graduated with 97% from Bostwana Secretarial College and her husband, Mr JLB Matekoni owns Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors and tries to control his two apprentices.

In Blue Shoes and Happiness there's a crisis for Mma Makutsi when she reveals to her fiance that she is in fact a feminist, a doctor tampers with his patients blood pressure measurements, a cook sneaks government food out to feed her husband, and Mma Ramotswe starts to think she might be too traditionally built and should, perhaps, go on a diet!

The cases brought to the detective agency are usually very mild and don't take much detecting (as Mma Makutsi points out in this book, most of them are solved by Mma Ramotswe asking someone a direct question), but you don't read these books for the intrigue, more for the descriptions of Botswana and the gentle humour and charm of the stories.

I enjoyed this book as I have enjoyed them all. They're perfect books for curling up with and just drifting away to another place.

Posted by Keris on August 28, 2006 in British Authors, Crime / Mystery, Modern Fiction, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Series | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 25, 2006 11:23 AM

Pages magazine online

Pages magazine is a funky American books mag that's both fun and educational- not dry and stuffy like some more traditional publications (mentioning no names!)  And the best thing is you don't even need to buy a copy to enjoy the articles on offer, such as this piece on chick-lit fave Emily Giffin and this article on Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter (shades of Buffy?) author Laurel K. Hamilton.   There's also news on new releases and classic re-issues.

Thanks Pages, for giving another me yet another don't-miss books website! I'll be spending all day on the internet at this rate... not that I'm complaining.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 25, 2006 in Book Websites, Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman

Elinor Lipman is one of my all-time favourite authors and The Inn at Lake Devine is probably her best book. It begins in 1962, when Natalie Marx's parents send out a query about accommodation prices to a small inn in Vermont.  They receive a surprising letter in return, which informs them in polite but anti-semitic terms that they would not feel at home there.  "It was not complicated, and as my mother pointed out, not even personal. They had a hotel; they didn't want Jews; we were Jews."

Her parents are willing to let it lie, but Natalie is enraged- and thus her fascination with The Inn at Lake Devine begins...

The fascination only grows when she infiltrates the inn by making friends with Robin, a girl she considers boring, in order to wangle an invitation on her family's summer vacation to the Inn.  Slowly, and over a series of several years, she finds herself becoming more involved in the lives of the family who run the place, the Berrys- and is determined to one day confront Ingrid, the writer of the letter, exposing her for the hateful racist she is.

If all of that sounds very cloak and dagger, then it's in the politest possible way.  Elinor Lipman has often been compared to a modern-day Jane Austen and she shares the same subtle wit and sly intelligence. This is by no means a revenge thriller- Lipman is more subtle and stylish than that.

You'll have to read the book to see what happens, but trust me when I tell you it's moving, sad, funny and finally hopeful.  The fact that Lipman's mother really did receive a "no Jews, thank you" letter- and remembered the exact wording thirty-five years later- adds extra poignancy.  (But with this wonderful book, I think Lipman gets to have the last laugh).

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 25, 2006 in American Authors, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

Mr Nice Guy gives away his novel

Thomas Dowler kept getting "close but no cigar" rejection letters from publishers, which frustrated him.  So he decided to take matters into his own hands: he's releasing his first book, Mr Nice Guy, as a free e-book and podcast.*  The story sounds suitably Mike Gayle-esque to me: a man is devastated when he's dumped by his girlfriend for being "too nice". 

Dowler's hoping this project will gather enough momentum to get him a nice publishing deal for his second novel, Jealous Guy. The author briefly had interest in a screenplay of his first novel but if this project works, he could be writing the screenplay of his own life. Maybe.

*If downloading's not your thing, you can also purchase the Print-on-Demand paperback here.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 25, 2006 in Book News, Book Websites, British Authors, Modern Fiction, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (2)

Chick Lit for little chicks

The Philadelphia Inquirer's piece about the crossover appeal of young adult fiction [via Bookslut] reminded me of the numerous chick lit authors branching out into writing for young adults. It seems like every time I go into a bookshop I find another YA book by an established adult author (both Marian Keyes and Jennifer Weiner have expressed an interest in writing YA at some point.)

It's a natural progression: chick lit was originally about women trying to find their way in the world and that journey begins - often horribly, but also hilariously (with retrospect) - as a teenager. Read on for some YA chick lit recommendations.

The adult and teen combo poster-girl must surely be Meg Cabot, who writes for both at an exhausting rate, though she has been criticised lately for her adult books sounding too "teen". But I recently read an interesting interview with Cabot's friend Michele Jaffe in Writing magazine in which she said the only difference in writing YA is that the characters are teenagers - claiming the mistake you can make is to write for teenagers instead of about them and risk being condescending. I haven't read any of her adult books, but I really loved Bad Kitty so I'm happy to agree.

Sue Limb's Girl, 15, Charming But Insane is hilarious and I enjoyed Tyne O'Connell's Pulling Princes. I'm looking forward to Melissa Senate's Theodora Twist and Valerie Frankel's Fringe Girl, but I wasn't over-excited by Rowan Coleman's Ruby Parker Hits the Small Time (though I did love her adult debut, Growing Up Twice). And, of course, there's Sarah Mlynowski's hugely successful All About Rachel series (and a review of Mlynowski's See Jane Write: A Girl's Guide to Writing Chick Lit is coming soon). I can't wait to read Ally Carter's I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You and Lauren Baratz-Logsted's forthcoming YA debut Angel's Choice.

Don't be put off by the shelving of these books in the children's section (you can always pretend you're buying them for someone else if it makes you feel better). As Meg Cabot has proven, YA fiction can be equally, if not more, enjoyable than more 'grown-up' chick lit!

(In the interest of full-disclosure (and, um, self-promotion) I should mention that I also edit a fledgling YA chick lit site: Chicklet.)

Posted by Keris on August 25, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, British Authors, Girly Stuff, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (3)

Avon Fan Lit begins

The Avon Fan Lit comp I told you about here has kicked off and runs until October 27th.

Sadly, it's not open to UK residents (I checked), but all you US readers should start sharpening your pencils. Or rather, polishing your keyboards.

There's also a daily blog featuring insights and writing tips from (Avon authors, unsurprisingly) Cathy Maxwell and Jenna Petersen.

Posted by Keris on August 25, 2006 in Book related, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

FRIDAY FLICK: Under the Tuscan Sun

Adapted from Frances Mayes' enormously successful memoir/travelogue, Under the Tuscan Sun stars Diane Lane who, following a bitter divorce, heads to Italy to try and learn how to be happy again. (I'm sensing a theme here.) I haven't read the book, so I don't know how faithful an adaptation this is (though a disclaimer at the end of the film would suggest not very) but is it a good film? Read on and find out.

I should probably admit at this point that I have quite low standards when it comes to movies. I'm not interested in cinematography or direction or any other technical bells and whistles, all I want is a film that entertains me, featuring characters I care about, and Under the Tuscan Sun absolutely delivers this.

It helps, of course, that Diane Lane is a wonderful actress (and annoyingly gorgeous) and that screen-time isn't wasted on the end of her marriage; we're pretty much thrown right into her heartbreak. (She moves into a short-term apartment complex populated by divorced, unhappy people. The landlord tells her everyone has different skills and when she tells him she's a writer he says she can help the other tenants with their suicide notes.)

Before long we're in Italy (which looks, of course, stunning). Frances is only supposed to be there on holiday, but she falls for a run-down house and buys it on the spot. As you do. And you know the rest. She charms the locals, makes friends, walls fall down, things/hearts break, etc. We've seen it many times. But I never stopped wanting it to work out and I never doubted for a moment that it would. There's a great supporting cast too: Sandra Oh (from Grey's Anatomy and Sideways), Lindsay Duncan and Vincent Riotta (who I totally fell in love with).

The perfect film for a Friday night with a bowl of pasta and a bottle of red wine.

Posted by Keris on August 25, 2006 in American Authors, Friday Flick, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Romance | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 24, 2006 6:58 PM

Susannah Clarke too ill to Tour

Susannah Clarke, author of last year's smash hit Harry Potter-for-grown-ups, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell (Seth was reading it on The OC, season three!) has revealed she is suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS), also known as M.E.  She's had to cancel the publicity tour for her latest book, a short story collection called The Ladies of Grace Adieu, as a result.

Other authors with the neurological illness include Laura Hillenbrand, Clare Francis and now-recovered two-time Booker nominee Ali Smith.  As Galleycat reports, "the effects are nothing short of debilitating".

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 24, 2006 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

THURSDAY THREE: Unceremonious Dumpings

As the episode where Berger dumped Carrie Bradshaw via post-it note shows, unceremonious dumpings are both fascinating and horrifying.  So it's not surprising that so many authors use the horrific dumping scene to draw us in to their novel... hopefully not basing it on their real-life experiences!

One of the classics of the genre is Jennifer Weiner's first novel.  The man who main character Cannie still thinks of as her boyfriend not only disses her in print and reveals he's got a new girlfriend now... but he talks about her weight (and oh, boy, not in a good way!), in his new newspaper column, Good in Bed.

In The Bachelorette Party by Karen McCullah Lutz, Zadie is planning to marry handsome and sexy Jack, a soap opera star, and love him forever. It's not until she's waiting for him to arrive at their wedding that she realises he's not coming... and doesn't know know whether to be humiliated, or furious!

What will the third book be? Carry on across the cut to find out!

The Year of Yes by Maria Headley is a non-fiction account of a single, twenty-something woman's quest to find true love, by saying yes to everyone who asks her out.  Despite this surfeit of willing men, there's still plenty of room for her to suffer not one but several unceremonious ditchings- but thankfully, she gives out one or two of her own to redress the balance!

What are your favourite cringe-worthy dumpings in fiction (or non-fiction for that matter)?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 24, 2006 in American Authors, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

Ring ring: Books calling

If you don't fancy the idea of reading from a screen, even if the screen is book-sized, how do you feel about reading from your mobile? A company called ICUE has come up with a way to download books direct to your phone. They say:

"You can select the text to appear one word at a time, in phrases, or to flow across the screen from right to left. Either way, the text appears automatically – at a size and speed that you determine. That means no more endless scrolling down the page. And no more squinting at small text."

If you like the sound of that, your phone needs to be WAP enabled and apparently the typical cost is less than £5 per book. At the moment the books available lean towards Classics (presumably because they're out of copyright), but they do have a good selection of YA including Meg Cabot and Jaclyn Moriarty. [via e-luv]

Posted by Keris on August 24, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

Judging books by their covers

I've been really enjoying the official Penguin Books blog and yesterday they had some interesting insights into book covers. I also recently discovered this site focusing on cover art. Then a few days ago I saw the cover of A Hopeless Romantic, Harriet Evans's follow-up to Going Home, in The Bookseller and gasped at its gorgeousness.

So it got me to wondering what attracts me about a cover. Continue over the cut to find out (and for more purty covers).

I've mentioned before that a sniff of New York and I'm easy so this one was a shoe-in.

I bought Lisa Jewell's Thirtynothing on the basis of the cover despite the fact that I hadn't been that impressed by Ralph's Party (I know, I need to re-read it).

And this one - cherry blossom and New York! - just makes me sigh with longing.

Apparently, I too am a hopeless romantic. But what does it for you? What kind of cover do you cross a bookstore for? (I'm guessing it's not feet.)

Posted by Keris on August 24, 2006 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Girly Stuff, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (7)

BOOK REVIEW: Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert

When her horrendous divorce is followed by a devastating break-up, Elizabeth Gilbert decides to take a year out just for herself. She comes up with a plan to spend the year pursuing three very different things in three very different countries: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India and balance in Indonesia. The fact that the countries all being with "I" is coincidental, but, Gilbert thinks, a good sign. Can she recover from her past and find herself and her future all in the space of a year? Read on and see.

In Italy Elizabeth learns the language, makes friends, eats tons of pasta, and gains 23 pounds, but her depression and loneliness have followed her there and she's afraid she'll never be able to leave them behind. The Indian part of the book, i.e. the "Pray" of the title, was the part I was a bit worried about - I'm not religious and I thought reading about someone's experiences on an Ashram would be a bit much, but Gilbert never loses her sense of humour and that, combined with the vivid descriptions of the characters she meets there make this section completely different from, but just as enchanting as, the first third of the book. But it's in Indonesia that Elizabeth really starts to recover and find what she was looking for all along.

I loved this book. Gilbert writes beautifully and the book is threaded through with gorgeous description (I need to go to Italy - the food!) and self-deprecating humour. Like this (about the devastating post-divorce break-up):

His withdrawal only made me more needy, and my neediness only advanced his withdrawals, until soon he was retreating under fire of my weeping pleas of, "Where are you going? What happened to us?" (Dating tip: Men LOVE this.)

If you've ever wanted to take a year off, if you've ever wondered if there's more to life than this, if you've ever had to recover from a bad break-up - surely that covers everyone? - you'll enjoy this book.

Like this? Try The Year of Yes by Maria Headley

Posted by Keris on August 24, 2006 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 23, 2006 9:44 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

This book is the first in the Sookie Stackhouse series. Charlaine Harris’s books are popular in the US, rating on the New York Times Best Sellers List and so they should do.

Dead until Dark introduces Sookie, a character I really identify with. She is beautiful and thin (okay I don’t identify with that bit), but she’s a freak who finds it impossible to relate to people (that’s the bit like me) because she’s psychic and can read every lecherous and nasty thought that people have about her. That is until she meets a vampire (they’ve just been made legal citizens in America you know).

Bill must be the most unglamorously named vampire in the kingdom, but to Sookie he is irresistible as his thoughts are completely blocked from her and so the romance and adventure begin.

I loved this book because the characters were so real (apart from all the blood drinking of course). They made me feel as though this world could really exist. It was quite a shock not to see bottles of O negative (or A positive for the adventurous) in my fridge. Or perhaps that was just me!

This is a great book and just the thing for a fantasy virgin.

Like this? Try Bitten by Kelley Armstrong.

[Angela Richardson]

Posted by Keris on August 23, 2006 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

It's official: reading is sexy

I have coveted one of these T-shirts since I saw Rory wearing one on Gilmore Girls and I've finally found you can buy them here along with other "Reading is Sexy" stuff, such as badges (buttons if you're American) and bags.

If ever a slogan encapsulated the spirit of Trashionista, that'd be it!

Posted by Keris on August 23, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (3)

Book soundtracks

Perhaps inspired by Diane's music post of earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal has been looking at books that come with their own soundtracks. "The idea is that as they read, people can listen to music that matches the mood of the books. In some cases, the songs are mentioned in the books themselves; in others, the lyrics mirror themes or plot points."

Great idea, no? Meg Cabot recently created an iTunes playlist for one of the characters in How To Be Popular and you can read the song list for Jennifer Crusie's Faking It here. I would love it if more authors did the same.

Posted by Keris on August 23, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fabulous New Shiny Newsletter!

Want even more great stuff from Trashionista? Here's how to get it!

Sign up for our new mailing list (at the top right of the page, where it says 'Mailout') and you'll receive exclusive news via email about the hottest new books as well as tips and snippets from our fantastic sister sites in the Shiny network- including Shoewawa, Kiss and Makeup and Catwalk Queen. (Want to look good while you're reading, don't you?) And that's not all- there will be giveaways, discount coupons and lots of other special member benefits. It's just our way of showing you how much we appreciate you.

I don't want to be so tacky as to say "miss it and miss out!"

But I might be thinking it...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 23, 2006 in Announcements | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Joshilyn Jackson

Welcome to our exciting new series on Trashionista: exclusive author interviews! First up is Joshilyn Jackson, author of the prizewinning gods in Alabama and Between, Georgia (review coming soon), as well as the wonderful blog Faster than Kudzu. 

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer Wow! Fifteen words huh? Do I have to count the part that says "Between Georgia tells the story of? Or can I assume that part and simply count the words in this fragment?

"A Southern Juliette, her redneck Romeo, and the feud that blows up Georgia's smallest town"  There, 15 exactly! 

Continue over the cut for the rest of the interview. 

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)? In my office which is in my house. It is in a constant state of chaos and I like my peaceful trash piles to grow and grow until the carpet's color is a distant memory. I know where everything is. I don't like other people to come in and touch things. On the wall I have a SIGNED! limited edition print of a work by my favorite surrealist. It's a puffy cat and a skinny, melting cat riding a spaceship with boobs across an olive green wasteland. I love it. My husband loves it. Everyone else thinks we must be sprinkling hallucinogens onto our salads like bacon-bits...But when I get stuck I can always look at it and get centered.                         

Your favourite chick-lit book? Hrm -- I think probably Lani Diane Rich's Ex and the Single Girl.

Your favorite female heroine ever (if different from above)? Scout in To Kill a Mockingbird. PERIOD. I also love Scarlet O'Hara.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?  Writers write, so BIC,HOK.  It's the advice I give myself on lazy days when I want to go watch all 100 episodes of CRIMINAL INTENT I have Tivo'd. (Vincent Donofrio is PRETTY!) It's pronounced BICK-HOCK, and it stands for, "Butt in chair, hands on keyboard." I did NOT make that up, but am not sure who did. I heard it on a writer's list, and it's useful to me still.

Don't put ANY emotion into the publishing end. You have no control over that. Just send out your queries and forget them. Focus on the thing you can control...the work. How much craft you learn. Revising and improving and WRITING every day. Publishing is heartbreaking and exhausting and breaking in takes years. Do the time, but don't put your heart in it. Put your heart into the work, love the work so much that you would want to make it perfect whether you were pursuing publication or not. The work will fill you up if you let it.

What are you reading at the moment? The Vanishing Point, by Mary Sharratt. I am REALLY digging it so far. Speaking of strong heroines! Sharratt's Hannah Powers is a girl after my own heart.

What are you working on now? (Give us a hint!)It's called THE GIRL WHO STOPPED SWIMMING. It's about Laurel Gray Hawthorne...a woman who can't help but make things pretty.  Coming from a family with a literal skeleton in their closet, she's developed this talent all her life, whether helping her willful mother to smooth over the reality of her family's ugly past, or elevating humble scraps of unwanted fabric into nationally acclaimed art quilts.  Her wayward sister Thalia, an impoverished Actress with a capital A, is her polar opposite, and prides herself in exposing the lurid truth lurking behind life's everyday niceties. And while Laurel’s life was neatly on track—a passionate marriage, a treasured daughter, and a dream home in lovely suburban Victoriana—everything she holds dear is thrown into question the night she is visited by an apparition in her bedroom.  The ghost appears to be her 14-year-old neighbor Molly Dufresne, and when Laurel follows this ghost out back, she finds the real Molly floating lifeless in her swimming pool.  While the community writes the tragedy off as an accident, Laurel can't.  Reluctantly enlisting Thalia’s aid, Laurel sets out on a life-altering investigation that triggers startling revelations about her own guarded past, the true state of her marriage, and the truth about the girl who stopped swimming.

Oh. Wait. Was that supposed to be 15 words, too? Hrm.

Dead girl! Closet Skeletons! Hot Husband! Trampy Actress Sister! Sex on the dryer! Secrets revealed!

There, 15 exactly. *grin*

Thanks Joshilyn- you're fabulous!

[Author photo © Elizabeth Osbourne].

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 23, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Interviews, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Prize Winners, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (5)

Reading Charmed

I've never actually seen Charmed - it's on my list if I ever finish Buffy (and Angel) - but it's recommended to me so often it must be good. The show "chronicles the conflicts and the love among three vastly different sisters and their need to come together to fulfill an ancient witchcraft prophecy" [via The WB].

First up is the Jennifer Crusie-edited Totally Charmed: Demons, Whitelighters and the Power of Three featuring essays including Will the Real Phoebe Please Stand Up? by Jennifer Dunne and “Witch-Lit” - A Season of Romance by Catherine Spangler. You can read an extract here.

The official guide is The Book of Three by Constance Burge which contains The Beginners Book of Wicca: a discussion of the basic tenets of Wicca and how they relate to the show; The Book of Shadows: a compilation of the spells used on each show; and The Book of Evil: a complete who's who of the various demons that appear in the show. And there's a second volume too.

There is, of course, also an unofficial and unauthorised guide: Triquetra by Keith Topping, containing the usual episode guides, mistakes and extras.

On the fiction side there is a series of novelisations of the show long enough to keep you going for months. The Power of Three: Being Enchanted Has Its Price by Constance Burge appears to be the first.

And if watching the ladies at work has given you a taste for all things Wiccan, you could try Charmed: The Book of Love Spells.

Posted by Keris on August 23, 2006 in American Authors | Permalink | Comments (15)

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

The Ivy Chronicles is an in-depth/somewhat farce-like look at the highly competitive schools application process in New York City.  It was also Karen Quinn's debut novel (her second, Wife in the Fast Lane, was released last month).

It was a massive hit last year, especially after being picked for Richard and Judy's Summer Reads 2005, but did it live up to the hype?  Get it off your chest- did you love it or hate it?

Is it a Yay or a Nay? And why?

[Don't forget to vote Yay or Nay at Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 23, 2006 in Yay or Nay, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: Confessions of Supermom by Melanie Lynne Hauser

At first, I thought this book was Confessions of A Supermom- a tongue in cheek look at the stress of motherhood.  Nothing so down to earth!  Confessions of Supermom is Melanie Lynne Hauser's attempt to create the first superhero with two teenage kids, a nasty ex-husband and a job in a supermarket... 

Birdie Lee is a downtrodden mother feeling unappreciated and stressed out.  One day she's cleaning the bathroom before work, pouring every noxious cleaning fluid she has onto a stubborn stain, when she falls into unconsciousness.  When she wakes up about eight hours later, she feels drained and woozy at first.  But before long, she's feeling...well, super!

She has the ability to clean with the power of 10,00 Swiffers, sense when children are in danger and run to save them- and of course, for bad boys and girls there's the penetrating glare and "super time-out".  If all this sounds pretty silly- it is.  And I haven't even mentioned the ultra-strong cleaning fluid that shoots out of her wrists, Spiderman's-web style. 

In order to become a proper super-hero, Supermom must defeat an evil empire (of course!) and alter-ego Birdie's also hoping to kick-start her love life with a certain single dad from the PTA...

It's a fun book, but you do have to suspend disbelief and buy into the concept while you're reading it.  I enjoyed the parts about Supermom- especially when she tries to fly, chooses her costume and saves kids from danger.  The snippets of faux-newspaper coverage are also hilarious.  The author clearly has a lot of wit, intelligence, and a knowledge of superheroes that could rival a teenage boy!

What lets the book down is that Birdie is a little... boring.  Melanie Lynne Hauser has great things to say about under-appreciated mothers, but couldn't the pre-Supermom Birdie have had something in her life besides her children, one friend and a mundane job?  The great thing about Superman is that yes, Clark Kent's a geek- but a geek with an interesting career!  The parts with Supermom raced along, but the parts with Birdie dragged a little.  Also, the feminist in me was screaming, "Why is Supermom conforming so neatly to gender stereotypes?!" (Or words to that effect...)

If you want some escapism and a warning of the dangers of mixing bleach and other fluids, Confessions of Supermom is a good light read. 

But super? Not really.

Rating: 3 out of 5.

Like this? Try Wife in the Fast Lane by Karen Quinn.

*Did you know? This is the first book in the Supermom series, with the next installment, Supermom saves the World, due in 2007.*

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 23, 2006 in American Authors, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 22, 2006 11:28 AM

Chick Lit Roundtable

I've just discovered this excellent chick lit discussion on the Authors on the Web site.

It's a "Chick Lit Author Roundtable" featuring such Trashionista faves as Meg Cabot, Marian Keyes and Jennifer Weiner.

It's a bit out of date (check out the Meg Cabot author photo), but includes plenty of insights into excellent questions like 'What makes a book chick lit?' and 'Is there a value to Chick Lit other than escapism or entertainment?'

Posted by Keris on August 22, 2006 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Irish Authors, Marian Keyes, Modern Fiction | Permalink | Comments (2)

From Book to Song

Has reading ever made you want to break out into song?  Nah, me neither.  But then I'm not a composer...  Artists for Literacy lists songs that have been inspired by books and there's a searchable database of 300 SIBLs (songs inspired by literature, silly!)

Did you know that Clocks by Coldplay is based on Wilhelm Tell? Or that Iron Maiden were inspired by Lord of The Flies?  Just think of what could learn/stun your friends with!

Oh, and if there's a song they've missed, let them know.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 22, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Ex and the Single Girl by Lani Diane Rich

Although I've ranted about punning titles before and this one's a doozy (though not quite as bad as Valerie Frankel's Hex and the Single Girl), I love Lani Diane Rich's books so I'll forgive it (just this once).

When Portia Fallon's boyfriend, Peter, dumps her via a handwritten note on the title page of his own unsuccessful novel, it sends her into an understandable decline. So she's in a weakened state when her mother phones and begs her to come home to Georgia and help her and the other Miz Fallons (her aunt Vera and grandmother Bev) with the family bookstore. But when Portia gets there she finds that she's not really needed - the Miz Fallons have a plan.

Getting Portia home was just a scam to fix her up with Ian, a British novelist who is in town working on his latest book. The Miz Fallons think he's perfect for a fling (or a "Flyer" in their vernacular) to help her get over Peter; Portia's not so sure Ian couldn't be more, but she's afraid that she (and the other Miz Fallons) are "Penis Teflon", i.e. men don't stick.

Like Jennifer Crusie, Lani Diane Rich is fabulous at the quirky characters and Ex and the Single Girl is full of them. Portia is funny and real and Ian is sexy (though why American authors think all British men are called Ian - there's British Ians in Alison Pace's If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend and Melissa Bank's The Wonder Spot - is beyond me). Still Ex and the Single Girl is a fun and fast read about following your heart and finding your place in the world.

Like this? Try Jennifer Crusie's Welcome to Temptation

Posted by Keris on August 22, 2006 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Mermaid Chair Movie

Good news for Sue Monk Kidd fans among you.  Her second book, The Mermaid Chair is to be made into a TV movie/mini-series, starring Kim Basinger and Debra Mooney (who plays grandma/army sergeant Edna on Everwood; ITV1, 2pm- watch it for great teen angst!) 

Currently in pre-production, The Mermaid Chair tells the story of a married woman who falls in love with a Benedictine monk(!)

[Via Imdb].

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 22, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Movie News, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

More (Almost) Free Books- Bookmooch

A few weeks ago we told you about Read, It Swap It and now we bring you news of the American version: Bookmooch.  The same principles apply: list the books you have and the books you want, and swap with others.  It's not for you if you like to keep a tight reign on your book collection, as readers can choose to de-list and keep books they love- even if they were once yours.  But if you want to expand your reading horizons for the cost of a few stamps, then go for it!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 22, 2006 in Book Websites, Book related | Permalink | Comments (1)

SPOTLIGHT: Anna Maxted

This week's spotlight is on Anna Maxted.

Anna has a degree in English from Cambridge and started out as a reporter for the Jewish Chronicle. She became a freelancer, writing for various publications, notably Cosmopolitan and FHM, for whom she wrote a sex column (like one of the main characters in her latest book - A Tale of Two Sisters).

Following the sudden death of her father, Anna wrote a piece about her grief. It received an overwhelming response and Anna was approached by agents and publishers to write a novel. This novel was the wonderful Getting Over It. She has since written four more novels combining chick lit humour and serious issues such as rape and anorexia.

Anna now lives in London with her husband, Phil, and their two sons.

See a specs-less Anna talking about Being Committed here.

Continue over the cut for Anna's bibliography.

Getting Over It
Running In Heels
Behaving Like Adults
Being Committed
A Tale of Two Sisters

Did you know Anna has also written three non-fiction books including How to Have Him Begging for More: 100 Ways to Drive Your Man Wild in Bed!

Posted by Keris on August 22, 2006 in British Authors, Modern Fiction, Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 21, 2006 11:37 AM

Curtis Sittenfeld - chick lit author?

I was going to title this post Curtis Chickenfeld, but it doesn't quite work!

It seems Curtis Sittenfeld's changed her mind about chick lit. In an interview with fab blog The Old Hag she says,

"I don’t have control over where it’s categorized–that’s something other people do–but I don’t worry about it very much. I would not consider it chick lit by my own definition (and I’ve realized that there’s no larger consensus about what the definition of chick lit is) but obviously, if my greatest fear was that people would see my book as chick lit, I wouldn’t have chosen this title."

Just in case you're interested the title is shared with a Harlequin Super Romance, a supernatural romance collection, a regency romance, a gay romance novella collection, another gay collection and - finally! - one with a question mark!

Posted by Keris on August 21, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Modern Fiction, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (6)

Campaigning to be on Oprah

I'm sure you all know how huge the Oprah book club has been in the states- and can imagine the effect on sales for the lucky chosen authors! But did you know some authors are now actively campaigning to be chosen by Oprah, with websites devoted to just that?

How long before similar sites are started for Richard and Judy's book club? Or are we Brits too shy and retiring to do this type of thing...?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 21, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ebooks: The future of reading?

There's been a lot of hoo-ha about e-book readers lately. Sony launched its Portable Reader System in the US earlier this year and expects it to be available in the UK before Christmas (costing around £200). Smaller than an average paperback, it has the capacity to hold 160 books.

There are even rumours that the next generation iPod may be e-book friendly (i.e. have a bigger screen). Tech-blog Engadget claims publishers have been sending content to Apple for conversion to e-book format.

Some claim this will be the end of books, others think these readers will be a dismal failure. I think anything that enables me to take 160 books on holiday, and still have space for my shoes, can only be a good thing.

Posted by Keris on August 21, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (4)

Books and Feet!

On her fabulous Snarkspot blog recently, Jennifer Weiner shared her excitement that unlike her previous book covers [and they're all lovely], The Guy Not Taken doesn't feature legs, feet, shoes or some combination of the above.  I know what she means- it seems to have become the biggest woman writer cover cliche of all time, as this article points out.  [via mimi smartypants].

I mean come on book cover designers, we do sometimes have other things on our mind besides shoes! (I said 'sometimes', don't worry Shoewawa ladies!)

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 21, 2006 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Girly Stuff, New Releases, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young

How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is a hilarious book, which makes you root for the author- but find him frequently annoying and offensive, too!  Toby Young moved to New York when he got the cream of journalism assignments: contributing editor at Vanity Fair.  Unfortunately, he chose to interpret the 'smart-casual' dress code as meaning 'turn up in old jeans and a Keanu Reeves t-shirt with a lewd slogan on the front'.

And thus the alienation began...

This is car-crash reading: even someone who knows nothing about journalism or American society shouldn't make the  kind of career-suicide mistakes that Young does.  And so it's not surprising that things don't quite work out for him on the other side of the pond.  He's brazen, lecherous, inappropriate at every turn- and doesn't really work that hard.  Why does he squander the biggest opportunity of his life like this?  I'm not sure he even knows himself.

Clearly, although it didn't work out for him in at Vanity Fair, it has worked out for him in the publishing world, as this gossipy memoir was a big hit both here and in the U.S (they love laughing at us crazy Brits!)  Reading this book, you've got to admire Toby Young's shamelessness and ability to laugh at himself- if I'd made half this number of stupid mistakes, I wouldn't even tell my closest friends; he tells the world.

If you're interested in America, the magazine world, or crazy Brits behaving badly, then you'll love this book... although the behaviour of its author might well baffle you!

*Watch a 'meet the author' video of Toby Young talking about this book and its sequel, The Sound of No Hands Clapping. *

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Marry Me by Carey Marx.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 21, 2006 in British Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW: Little Lady, Big Apple by Hester Browne

Gemma really loved Hester Browne's debut novel The Little Lady Agency so I jumped at the chance to read the sequel: Little Lady, Big Apple. Of course, me being me, I had to read the first book first so off I went to the library (where it was shelved, inexplicably, in Crime).

For those like me who haven't read it, The Little Lady Agency is about uber-efficient secretary Melissa who is made redundant and sets up her own etiquette and grooming agency. She isn't confident enough to run it herself so she creates a much stricter, sexier, alter-ego named Honey (with the assistance of foxy underwear and a blonde wig). But when she finds herself falling for her favourite client, American real estate hotshot, Jonathan, she has to retire Honey for the good of their relationship. Like Gemma, I loved it. So I fully expected to love Little Lady, Big Apple too. Read on to see if I did.

Little Lady, Big Apple finds Melissa, not surprisingly, in New York. Jonathan's returned to New York for a promotion and Melissa's flatmate Nelson's gone off to sea and is getting his apartment remodelled, so Jonathan invites Melissa over for a holiday. But stuck in New York while Jonathan works all hours and with only his friends and the spectre of his evil/perfect ex-wife for company (oh and a small dog named Braveheart) - and with her bolshy sister and scatty best-friend in charge of her beloved agency - Melissa finds it harder than she expected to leave Honey behind.

Sequels are tricky and I realised a little too late that it may have been better for me not to have read the first to see if this works on its own. I'm pretty sure it does. Browne manages to bring us up to date with what's been happening in Melissa's life without repeating great chunks of the first book, a difficult thing to do.

There were just a couple of sour notes for me: I felt Melissa let everyone walk all over her for far too long - I found myself shouting at her to grow a spine; and, like Bridget's Mark Darcy and Becky Bloomwood's Luke, Jonathan (and, for that matter, Nelson) both treats and talks to Melissa as if she's a child ("I'm really not going to tell you again.") And what's worse is that, not only does she not seem to notice, she actually responds to it.

But those concerns aside I really did enjoy this. It's a testament to the strength and charm of the characters that when I sat down to read I felt I was catching up with old friends (even though I only read the first book last week). It's fun, funny and sweet and with Melissa, her friends and her family, Hester Browne has created a crowd of memorable characters of whom I hope we'll be seeing more.

If you like this, try The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Posted by Keris on August 21, 2006 in British Authors, Girly Stuff, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Romance, Series | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 18, 2006 5:28 PM

Re-telling Emma

Now, I'd take Mr Knightley over Darcy any day, so I think this is an exciting prospect: Emma, told from the man's point of view.

Mr Knightley's Diary by Amanda Grange is out here at the end of the month (in the U.S, you'll have to wait until October I'm afraid, but there's an excerpt there on the site).  Nothing could be quite as enjoyable as opening a crisp new Austen, but as they're unlikely to discover any more, perhaps this is the next best thing...

Ooh, and while I was researching it, I came across Austenblog- how fab!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 18, 2006 in Book News, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

Waterproof book covers

Don't you hate it when you're on holiday and your book gets covered in suntan lotion. Or ice cream. Or Pimms. Well lovely Martha Stewart has the solution: waterproof book covers to make yourself.

You can read the instructions here, but I can summarise it for you: cover a book with some waterproof fabric.

Posted by Keris on August 18, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

The curse of the second novel

What do Citizen Girl, Everyone Worth Knowing and The Debutante Divorcee have in common? All are second novels that were considerably less successful/popular than the authors' debut books.

This great Newsday article examines the "sophomore slump" - just how hard is it to write a second book? Read on to find out more.

The piece includes insights from Carolyn Parkhurst (whose book, The Dogs of Babel, was called Lorelei's Secret in the UK), Janet Fitch and Sue Monk Kidd - who laments the woman who told her 'I don't see how you can ever write another novel that good' causing her to throw out everything she wrote for the next two weeks - as well as revealing that Amy Tan gave up on six novels before finally publishing The Kitchen God's Wife.

It's a really interesting article, but it's worth a read just to learn that there's a "support group for second novelists" in Los Angeles (where else?).

Posted by Keris on August 18, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Debut Novels, Devil Wears Prada | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Girls' Poker Night by Jill A. Davis

Because I've always loved that Friends episode where the girls learn to thrash the boys at poker, and the weekly poker game is where the Desperate Housewives dish their girlie gossip, the premise of Girls' Poker Night really appealed to me.

Ruby Capote moves to New York to work as a newspaper columnist, adjust to life as a singleton- and start the tradition of a weekly poker night with her three best friends...

I especially liked the fact that none of the women knew how to play poker, so at first they played with an instruction book in front of them (I'd have to do that!) It made me think this is a tradition I'd like to start with my friends.  But I like my friends a lot more than I liked the characters in this book...

What this novel really needed was some serious editing- and a lot more heart.  The realisations the main character has are pretty superficial- and the friendships between the girls are on the bitchy side.  (You know the kind of thing- you're feeling miserable and someone tells you your hair needs a re-style, that's the kind of good friends these gals are).

It's not organised into chapters but instead has different headings- I think these are supposed to be quirky and profound, but it reads like one long ramble and a disjointed one at that.  I don't think writers should veer from the conventional chapter structure unless there's good reason- or they really know what they're doing!

Having said that, it's a light, fast read with some witty moments.  I always appreciate books about New York writers but despite the cool poker concept of this one, I've read a lot better.  It's not an awful book, but it is unsatisfying.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison, The Dog Walker by Leslie Schnur.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 18, 2006 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Your guide to POD

With internet companies like Lulu making publishing on demand (POD) easier than ever (and free!) combined with a downturn in the number of new authors taken on by publishing houses, it's no longer true that print-on-demand titles will be a load of old rubbish- some of them will be very good indeed.  But how do you know which ones?  Well, POD-dy Mouth (get it?!): published writer, teacher and inveterate reader, is the reader's friend (and the writer's friend too- books recommended by PM have had interest from the film world!)  She sorts the wheat from the chaff, the*insert bad author here* from the Shakespeare...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 18, 2006 in Book Websites, Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

FRIDAY FLICK: Hanging Up

Diane loved Delia Ephron's book so much that I was inspired to watch the film based on it.

Meg Ryan is Eve who finds herself stuck with taking care of her dying father while her older sister Georgia (Diane Keaton) is busy running her own magazine and her younger sister Maddy (Lisa Kudrow) stars in a Joey Tribbiani-style daytime soap. Add to that her job as a party planner, her penchant for crashing cars, a husband who's away more than he's home and an unwanted spell of dogsitting and Eve is at breaking point.

I wasn't expecting much (I remember it getting poor reviews) but I really loved this film. I found it both funny and sad (some parts were almost painful to watch) and I loved the interaction between the sisters (and they're all such fab actresses) and their father (played by Walter Matthau). Recommended.

Posted by Keris on August 18, 2006 in Friday Flick | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 17, 2006 12:06 PM

SECOND CHANCE BOOK REVIEW: Fashion Victim by Sam Baker

It looks like Fashion Victim gets the double thumbs up! Camilla liked it,and just for confirmation here's what Danielle has to say...

With the pink cute-to-boot cover and title suggestive of the usual (and totally addictive, let's not forget that!) chick lit, Sam Baker's debut novel Fashion Victim appears to be a shout-out to all those who love their fashion stories. Well we do, right? We've all read The Devil Wears Prada, but this? This is ten times better....

It’s not every day I come across a book like this (though I may be biased seeing as the heroine is a journalist). With a gripping mystery and a down-to-earth yet sassy heroine, coupled with the realities of the fashion industry, Cosmopolitan editor Sam Baker is definitely one to watch in the world of women's fiction.

Fashion Victim chronicles the life of journalist Annie Anderson as she switches from hard-hitting correspondent of a newspaper to fashion editor at top magazine Handbag. Shoved mercilessly into the midst of New York’s fashion elite, Annie is just getting to grips with her new role when famous fashion designer Mark Mailer, who Annie just happens to be doing a piece on, is shot dead in a restaurant.

It appears to be the usual robbery, but somehow Annie is far from convinced. There's something amiss about the whole situation, and being a renowned investigative journalist, it's up to her to solve it. Especially as this isn't the first time a tragedy has happened in her presence...

As Annie tries to piece together the Mark Mailer puzzle whilst also having to deal with his equally-intriguing ex Patty, she is putting herself in danger of being the next fashion victim. Literally.

Straying slightly from the usual chick-lit style of office-bound girls and their humorous lives, Baker stands out with her murder mystery that's quite frankly guaranteed to keep you hooked. It's a whodunnit and sassy tale rolled into one, with suspense that'll make you not want to leave your chair. Trust me, I've been there.

So, for a more serious spin on career-girl chic; give this one a read. Bring on the next one, Sam!

If you liked this, try One For The Money by Janet Evanovich.

Posted by Danielle Symonds-Yemm on August 17, 2006 in Crime / Mystery, Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

THURSDAY THREE: Busy Single Mums

A couple of months ago we looked at new-mum lit and here's a variation on the theme: what happens when the little blighters- I mean darlings!- have grown up a bit, and their mum is on her own? Well, judging by these three books the answer is: she copes, but not without some problems along the way...

The Only Boy for Me by Gil McNeil is  the story of Annie Baker and her 'only boy', her son Charlie (one of the cutest kids in literature) who live together happily in a small village outside Kent.  Things get complicated when Annie meets  charismatic divorced dad Mac through work, and they find themselves juggling their two households, and trying to have a love life...

Hens Dancing by Raffaela Barker is very similar- it's about a single mum (although the Dad is still around, and has a new partner- leading to even more dilemmas!) coping this time with three kids and living in Norfolk. Written in diary format, it's very funny, touching and evocative of summer.  Venetia Summers is a countrified Bridget-Jones-with-kids.

Carry on across the cut for the third book, which is a bit different...

The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn is about Ivy Ames, newly-single mother of two living in New York, who has to make ends meet when her rich husband kicks her out and she loses her job on the same day.  So she begins a business getting children into prestigious NYC schools, and discovers parents are willing to pay her a premium... but her integrity is tested to the limit.  Much more of a farce than the other two, this had great success last year as one of the Richard and Judy 2005 Summer Reads.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 17, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tips for New Writers!

We know that many Trashionista readers are aspiring authors too- and that even those who aren't are often fascinated by the process of creating a chick-lit classic. 

Luckily for you (and for us!) chick-lit author Apostilina (Hazing Meri Sugarman, Meri Strikes Back- both of which look GREAT) has offered to share her top tips for writing a book with us!

Carry on across the cut to read her excellent advice.

"So you have decided to write a book. Yipeee! You have carved out time in your life that makes sense, either one day a week, or another plan that is realistic, one that allows you to work or go to school and have a social life, too. And you have at least a general idea for a story. How do you begin?

1) Outline
You really should outline your entire story before you begin to actually write your novel. Even if you make changes, small or big, as you write your novel, your outline will serve as your blueprint and save you lots of time and frustration along the way.

2) Research Like outlining, it will save you lots of time and frustration when you are writing your novel, because you will not have to stop the flow to get information...  It is also a good idea to research character elements or traits that may be unfamiliar to you. For example, I have one character who becomes addicted to crystal methamphetamines, something that I knew very little about. But I researched it very thoroughly, and again, the reality was a useful jumping off point, giving me a basis in reality that I could exaggerate for my purposes.

3) Character Descriptions
Not everyone does this, but I have found it to be very useful. After I have outlined and done my research, I write one page on each character in my story and break it down into short paragraphs as follows: Personality, Unusual Traits, Relationship to Main Character, Objective and Conclusion.

Remember, the above steps may seem very technical and unglamorous and dry and somewhat boring. And guess what? They are. At least part of the time. But you cannot drive a snazzy new car if you do not have an engine, and you cannot drink a fabulous cocktail unless you have all the right ingredients ready to mix. Right?

Of course, if you try the above steps, you may find that some of them work for you, and some of them do not, and you may discover other ways that are better. Great! Whatever prepares you the most in terms of knowing your storyline and your characters before you start writing your novel is going to help you big-time!"

[Excerpted with kind permission from the author's Myspace page].  Apostilina's newest novel, Dark Cindy will be out in December.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 17, 2006 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction | Permalink | Comments (2)

Reading Lost

Last month a novel called Bad Twin knocked The Da Vinci Code off the top of Amazon's bestseller list. Amazon's author information gives us a clue why that might be the case:

"Bad Twin is the highly-anticipated new novel by acclaimed mystery writer Gary Troup. Bad Twin was delivered to Hyperion just days before Troup boarded Oceanic Flight 815, which was lost in flight from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles in September 2004. He remains missing and is presumed dead."

In Lost series two the manuscript was found in the wreckage by Hurley and then passed to Sawyer. Gary Troup is an anagram of purgatory and the book was ghostwritten by the novelist and essayist Laurence Shames.

There are more straightforward Lost novels though featuring new characters and original adventures that cross with the characters and events from the show. The first is Endangered Species by Cathy Hapka.

On the non-fiction front you could try The "Lost" Chronicles featuring the usual mix of cast interviews and behind the scenes info, but with the added bonus of an hour long outtakes DVD.

Unlocking the Meaning of Lost is an unauthorised guide focussing on the show's themes, including Second Chances, The Nature of Faith, Facing Fear and Loss, and Finding One's True Path.

Finally there's the snappily-titled Getting Lost: Survival, Baggage and Starting Over in J. J. Abrams' Lost, a collection of essays (edited by science fiction writer Orson Scott Card) and including an essay by Trashionista fave Lani Diane Rich.

Posted by Keris on August 17, 2006 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, New Releases, Non Fiction, Series | Permalink | Comments (0)

Musical book covers

No, not literally (not yet anyway). Yesterday when I wrote about Magic's competition to win Daisy Waugh's latest book, I realised that every time I'd seen that book on the shelves, I'd assumed it was Wendy Holden's latest.

Here's Daisy Waugh's:

Check out Wendy Holden's across the cut.

Wendy Holden's Wives of Bath:

Wendy's not only got new covers

but a pun-free book title too.

Has she passed her illustrator and her pun generator on to Daisy Waugh?

Posted by Keris on August 17, 2006 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 16, 2006 12:54 PM

Win books with Magic 105.4

London radio station Magic 105.4 is running a competition to win Daisy Waugh's latest book Bordeaux Housewives. All you need to do is click here and fill in your name, email and phone number. Easy peasy.

Posted by Keris on August 16, 2006 in Book related, Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani

Adriana Trigiani is probably best-known for her much-loved Big Stone Gap series (there's a fourth book on the way) set in the mountains of Virginia, but Lucia, Lucia is a bit of a departure in that it's set in New York in 1950. So does it match up to the earlier books?

Lucia Sartori is beautiful and eligible but more interested in her career in the fashion department of a Fifth Avenue department store than in getting married, even breaking off her engagement when she learns she's expected to give up work. But when she meets John Talbot - a man who reminds her of her beloved father - she falls hard. So hard that she takes a risk that changes everything.

I love this book. The descriptions of Lucia's job (and her colleagues Delmarr and Ruth) are beautiful and evocative of a more glamorous time. Her descriptions of New York not only make me want to live there (no change there), but make me want to live there in the 1950s!

This is a gorgeously old-fashioned book, but funny, page-turning and heartbreaking at the same time. I insist you read it!

Like this? Try Love Walked In by Marissa de los Santos

Posted by Keris on August 16, 2006 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (7)

Reading Sex and the City's Samantha

When I ran through the books for Sex and the City fans, I completely forgot about the fabulous Kim Cattrall's own oeuvre!

Written with her then-husband, Mark Levinson (and containing what you may consider to be too much information about their intimate relationship), Kim's first book bears the Samantha-esque title of Satisfaction: The Art of the Female Orgasm (when I worked in Waterstone's only one customer ever asked for this and I don't know which of us blushed harder).

After splitting with her husband, Kim followed Satisfaction up with Sexual Intelligence, a sort of historical and cultural study of sexuality.

She's now bringing her not inconsiderable expertise to teens with Being a Girl: Navigating the Ups and Downs of Teen Life out at the end of September.

Posted by Keris on August 16, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Celebrity Authors, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

Author Joshilyn Jackson arrested!

Looks law-abiding enough, doesn't she? And writing prize-winning fiction certainly isn't a crime... But none the less, Atlanta author Joshilyn Jackson found herself spending an afternoon in the slammer last week, missing out on a TV appearance to promote her latest book, Between, Georgia...

Joshilyn didn't actually do anything wrong but became part of a huge admin mix-up at the Department of Motor Vehicles over her married name and maiden name (Jackson), meaning she had unknowingly been driving without a valid license for almost a year.  So she had to spend a few hours in jail, watching Gigli and scratching "mom graffiti" (please wash your hands) into the wall, waiting for her friend to come and bail her out...

"Me: Dude, I'm in jail. I need you to come get me.
Her: Dude, I know you are feeling pressure with this DEADLINE, but it is NOT jail okay? If you need to step away, come over and we'll have lunch.
Me: DUDE, I AM IN PRISON! If I can't get bailed out within four hours they transfer me to BIG GIRL JAIL. I CANNOT GO TO BIG GIRL JAIL Her: Oh poodle, it feels that way NOW, but the work is paying off! I am reading your new chapter four now, and you NAILED the part where----
Me: DUDE! PRISON! ME! COME! GET!"

I'm sure it was an awful experience, but it made for some wonderfully entertaining blogging (scroll down).

*Look out for an interview with Joshilyn and a review of Between, Georgia in coming weeks!*.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 16, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Modern Fiction, Prize Winners, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

Controversy alert!  The lovely Jenni (Hi, Jenni!) gave Salem Falls a glowing review, and of course it's been another bestseller for Trashionista fave Jodi Picoult.

But *draws a deep breath for courage*... I just wasn't that impressed.  I guessed the 'twists' at the end of the book, and I found the Picoult 'formula' (multiple, constantly changing viewpoints, similar themes in every book) started to grate.  We need a decider- perhaps you guys can help! Tell us: is it a Yay, or a Nay? And Why?

[Don't forget to vote at Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny too!]   

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 16, 2006 in American Authors, Recent Release, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 15, 2006 1:52 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Postcards From The Edge by Carrie Fisher

Carrie Fisher is a former Hollywood actress and former alcoholic and drug addict with a famous (and famously pushy) mother.  Postcards From The Edge is her novel about a Hollywood actress who's a recovering alcoholic and drug addict with a famous... well, you get the idea!  Suzanne Vale has accidentally overdosed on drugs  and realises that this might be a good time to reassess her life- but starting out clean and sober takes some getting used to: working on small-time films where she has to take a drugs test every day and listen to everyone's opinions of her work is almost as little fun as dating without the help of alcohol... 

The book begins with a fast paced, black-humoured first-person tense rehab diary ("maybe I shouldn't have given the guy who pumped my stomach my phone number, but who cares?") then switches to third person narrative as Suzanne gets out of rehab and starts over.  I admire writers who play about with form, it keeps me guessing, and in this case, it isn't hard to keep track of. The scholar in me (who knew?!) thinks it also serves a literary purpose and shows how disconnected Suzanne feels from those around her and even her own body, now there's nothing more toxic than diet coke in her system.

Postcards is a cult classic- a book to be read and re-read, gawped at and laughed over.  It's also full of eminently quotable conversations such as  Suzanne and her friend Lucy discussing their lethargy:

"...Maybe it is food allergies, maybe my mom's right.  Maybe this is all tuna"...

"Could we be having a nervous breakdown- a controlled nervous breakdown?"

"I don't know... I'm not that nervous, and it's not really a breakdown.  It's more of a backdown, or a backing off.  A pit stop... that's what we're having, a not-so-nervous pit stop."

Clearly a lot of material here is based on Carrie's own experiences, and if you've seen Ms Fisher interviewed you'll know the voice of Suzanne- so sharp and clever- is a thinly veiled version of the author.  But they say "write what you know" for a reason: this is a fantastic look at addiction that (as Tom Robbins says on the back of the book) "shows us what despair is like when it refuse to take itself seriously." 

James Frey could take more than a few lessons...

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try Hanging Up by Nora Ephron, Delusions of Grandma by Carrie Fisher.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 15, 2006 in American Authors, Celebrity Authors, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (20)

SPOTLIGHT: Belinda Jones

This week's spotlight is on a real Trashionista fave: Belinda Jones.

Belinda's first job in journalism was on the Postman Pat comic. She went on to spend four years at "more!" magazine which included co-presenting the "Mr more! 94" male model contest. After turning freelance she wrote for magazines including Elle, FHM, Cosmopolitan and For Women (remember that?!).

In 1997 she moved to Los Angeles and in 2001 her first novel Divas Las Vegas was published to great success. She now lives in Las Vegas, but spends much of her time travelling to research her fabulous books (and to find men which you can read about in On The Road To Mr Right). She is currently researching her sixth novel - The Love Academy - for which she's returning to Italy, only this time to Venice and "George Clooney-adjacent Como". Honestly, she's got the best job.

Continue over the cut for Belinda's bibliography

Divas Las Vegas
I Love Capri
The California Club
On The Road To Mr Right
The Paradise Room
Cafe Tropicana

Did you know ... Belinda also wrote Peter Andre's official biography and a Peter Andre Annual?

Posted by Keris on August 15, 2006 in British Authors, Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (3)

Rory Gilmore's Book Club

Gilmore Girls is a smart, sharp and very funny American drama/comedy* series about the lives of Lorelei and Rory Gilmore- mother and daughter and best of friends.  Anyone who loves intelligent, funny TV should be watching, despite the fact that it's been criminally neglected by terrestrial TV. (You can catch it on Hallmark at midday, but I'd start at the beginning with the DVDs -usually available at online hire places like Lovefilm, too).  Lorelei is the young, hip mother and Rory her studious, bookworm -but incredibly cool- daughter.  I can't decide if I idolise Rory or Lorelei (I think both) but now we can all get closer to being Rory: she has her own book club!  By the age of sixteen, she'd read everything from Proust to histories of punk, so there's no better fictional character to get tips from.  There's hundreds of recommended titles and the best thing is, they come in two categories: old favourites and new reads.  New Reads include The Kite Runner and My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult , as well as some new titles you may not have heard of... Older recommendations include Little Women and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.  Sign up to the newsletter if you'd like regular suggestions in your inbox- and go watch the series if you've been missing out (run!)

*I refuse to resort to 'dramedy'.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 15, 2006 in Book related, Classic Novels, Girly Stuff, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

Latina Lit

It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind and despite my irritation at the neverending list of chick lit subgenres here's another - fans of Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez's book The Dirty Girls Social Group will be interested to know that Latina Lit (or Chica Lit) is predicted to be the next big thing in chick lit.

The US Latino community - which includes Mexican-Americans and Cuban-Americans - is over 40 million strong, and is a previously untapped chick lit audience.

But authors such as Mary Castillo and books like Caridad Ferrer's Adios To My Old Life are proving so popular a boom is inevitable.

A great way to find new authors in this sub-genre is to try the chica lit anthology, Friday Night Chicas.

Posted by Keris on August 15, 2006 in Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

Bridget's best in bed

The moment when Renee Zellweger answers the telephone with the words, "Bridget Jones, wanton sex goddess" has been voted Britain's favourite bed scene (?) in a survey commissioned by bed manufacturer Silentnight (oh, I see). See what we thought of the movie here.

Other faves were Austin Powers' revolving bed, Misery (ouch!) and the Pink Ladies singalong in Grease. After watching Solaris last night, mine would have to be George Clooney's bare behind (sigh).

Posted by Keris on August 15, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 14, 2006 4:30 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Faking It by Jennifer Crusie

I've always considered "Welcome to Temptation" to be Jennifer Crusie's best book, so I was very interested in reading the sort-of sequel, Faking It.  Taking up with the life and career (if you can call theft a career option) of Davy Dempsey, the charming scoundrel from Welcome... Faking It is the story of struggling artist Tilda Goodnight and her family.  She's not struggling in the usual sense of starving in a garret- rather she's struggling to keep her artistic and personal integrity in the face of family pressures.  She desperately needs cash to pay the mortgage on the family art gallery so she's selling her soul copying famous paintings onto rich people's walls- but has a basement full of art that she can't sell for mysterious reasons...  When her niece accidentally sells one of the forbidden artworks, things seem to be getting worse and worse.  Tilda's bored, tired and put upon, so the last thing she needs is to bump into Davy Dempsey in a darkened cupboard when they're both trying to steal the same painting. 

Things get even more complicated as Tilda and Davy's paths keep crossing, and she becomes suspicious of his motives- is he trying to discover her dark secrets? Is he hiding something of his own? Are they really attracted to each other- or is one of them Faking It? 

You know I'm not going to tell you the answers!  But I will tell you what a GREAT book this is.  It's not up there with Temptation, but it's close- and fans of that book will love the way Crusie's fleshed out the character of Davy.  As you expect from this author, there's love, sex (oh yes! - and no-one writes it better than Crusie), excitement, scandal and lots of dastardly double-dealings along the way to a happy ending.   She excels at creating offbeat characters with hearts of gold, and there's plenty of them here: from a precocious teen with a Lucille Ball fixation to a cross-dressing brother in law.  But they're just part of the fun!  Crusie's wit and the heat between Davy and Tilda (short for Matilda, if you're wondering) make this a fabulous read for summer- or any other time.  If you're a Crusie fan, if you wanted to know more about Davy after Welcome to Temptation, or if you just like intelligent, fast-paced, funny and sexy women's fiction (and if you don't...?) you'll really like this book.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie, Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Meyer.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 14, 2006 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: The Journal of Mortifying Moments by Robyn Harding

There aren’t many of us who could raise our hands to the heavens and say, ‘I don’t like a bit of gossip.’ If given the opportunity to read someone else’s diary, would you? If it was right there in front of you, covered in a sweet jacket of bright pink and emblazoned with those delicious words, ‘The Journal of Mortifying Moments’, how could you resist?

I couldn’t. Okay, so it isn’t the scandalous diary of a best friend who has clearly been up to all sorts but instead is the debut novel from author Robyn Harding.

It’s just one of those books that has to be read. You see it, you want it. Anything with a title like that is a must-read, right? Well, I had a peek, and let’s just say it's one heck of a brilliant read.

Ad-agency worker Kerry Spence is stuck in a boring job, put down by her mother on countless occasions, and is basically having trouble with finding the perfect man. Oh, what’s a girl to do? A bit of shopping, maybe? Brunch with friends? Pfft, nope. Why do that when you can simply visit a therapist?

Kerry’s therapist has set her a task. “A diary of past encounters with men that may be contributing to your current negative and dysfunctional relationship.” A task alternatively titled The Journal of Mortifying Moments.

The journal is kept a secret is Kerry’s desk and ONLY comes out when it has to – for Kerry to jot down some well and truly embarrassing encounters. As she battles through her daily life and some downright disastrous dates, Kerry begins to gain some more memoirs to add to her horrifying collection.

The Journal of Mortifying Moments is an amusing, witty take on single thirty-something life with some highly embarrassing twists. Kerry is the knowledgable yet often silly character that a lot of us can relate to. Let’s face it, we’ve all put our foot in it somewhere along the line!

However, whilst there are some fabulous moments to make you cringe, I had expected more in the way of laughs. Don’t get me wrong, this is a great read, but it’s not as hilarious as the blurb makes out. (Then again, I could just be spoilt from reading too much Sophie Kinsella. You’ve been warned!)

If you’re looking for something gossipy and cute, go for this. It’s not a heart-warming tale of love and marriage, but who needs that when you have a diary full of morbidly embarrassing situations?

Do I even have to ask that?

If you like this, try: The Secret Dreamworld Of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Posted by Danielle Symonds-Yemm on August 14, 2006 in American Authors, Debut Novels, Girly Stuff, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: My Life So Far by Jane Fonda

I was more familiar with Jane Fonda as workout queen than anything else so I probably wouldn't have picked this book up, but I read a preview and was hooked. Fonda has had an incredible life (so far). From enormously successful actress to (enormously successful) exercise instructor to (enormously successful) activist, she is an inspiration.

Much more than a movie star memoir, My Life So Far covers everything from Fonda's mother's suicide and her lonely childhood to her three marriages, two children, and the scandal surrounding her anti-Vietnam War campaigning. Of course, her painful relationship with her father is threaded throughout as is her own growth and development as a person (and a woman). Occasionally a bit of ego creeps through - I wonder if the guests at her 60th birthday party were as delighted with the gift of a 20 minute video of her life as she imagined - but with someone as famous Jane Fonda you can't really complain.

Not only is this book enthralling and inspiring, it's also brilliantly written (I don't know if it's ghostwritten, but from what I've just read I wouldn't put it past her to have written the whole thing herself). This is a wonderful book everyone should read.

Posted by Keris on August 14, 2006 in American Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is Fratire Chick-Lit for Men?

Despite good efforts by the likes of Mike Gayle, Nick Hornby and Tony Parsons, there's never really been a strong male equivalent to chick-lit.  But that could change: recently there's been a lot of buzz in the American media (which means there's about to be a lot of buzz here) about "fratire", which has been touted as chick-lit for men- a new genre focused on young men's issues (the 'frat' of the title referring to fraternity houses).

Sound interesting? Well, I guess it could be... if all the books falling under this new heading didn't just seem to be about getting drunk and having one-night stands.  Come on, American (and British) men- you must have more interesting issues on your minds than this!  I know chick-lit often deals with finding or losing love (often both) but it also deals with all manner of modern relationship and life dilemmas... in other words, apart from a few exceptions, girls still do it better!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 14, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

How about some gay romance?

If you enjoyed the movie Brokeback Mountain (and I don't mean for the great acting), you may like Romentics. Yes, gay romance novels. And with titles including Razor Burn and Hot Sauce, who could possibly resist?

Romentics is the brainchild of gay couple Scott and Scott (yes, really), one of whom (um, I don't know which; let's say Scott!) had this to say to help you choose:

"The books are very different to appeal to different people's tastes with all kinds of men and settings. "Razor Burn" does have a secondary straight love development between friends. However, it tends to be preferred by the macho guy who love corporate espionage, amnesia and lots of car chases. "Spare Parts" is a universal favorite of those who like blue-collar mechanics (with brains) and overcoming small-town homophobia. "Nick of Time" is for those who love the city mouse in the country, with a rural Maine setting, strapping stonemason and bitchy dancer from New York. So take your pick!"

They're available from Amazon or can be downloaded as e-books here.

Posted by Keris on August 14, 2006 in Romance | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 11, 2006 1:07 PM

Isabel Losada's Reasons to be Glad

An upcoming release by Isabel Losada looks like just the thing to perk us up at the end of summer: 100 Reasons to be Glad is out next month and available to order on Amazon and other sites now. Or you could order it from your local bookshop- the author is hugely keen on supporting local, independent bookshops so you might want to follow her lead just this once...?

In the past, Losada has written about personal fulfillment and saving the world in a down-to-earth, funny and touching way, so she seems the ideal person to encourage us to appreciate the little things in life- in fact the book is based on the popular 100 reasons to be glad section of her website, where you can also read her "occasional blog".

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 11, 2006 in Book News, British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd

The Secret Life of Bees isn't really about bees, but it is about secrets- and much more besides.  Fourteen year-old Lily has grown up bowed by the secret knowledge that she killed her mother when she was four, and she longs for forgiveness and a way out of her horrible home life with her strict yet neglectful father.  Her only friend in the world is the family's maid, Rosaleen, the one person who will tell her about her mother.  But in the American deep south in 1964, white teenage girls and their black maids aren't supposed to be friends- or even seen together in public.  So when Rosaleen gets beaten up by a gang of white men and fears for her life and Lily decides to go with her on a dangerous flight of passage, they need to find somewhere safe to run to- and quickly...

After some nights on the road (literally- this is an escape on foot!) they finally find refuge with a trio of eccentric bee-keeping sisters, who let them stay and work for them for a while, teaching them about bee-keeping and introducing them to the legend of the Black Madonna, who adorns their jars of honey.  Can Lily and Rosaleen stay here safely- and for how long?  And what was the significance of the Black Madonna honey label that Lily's mother kept in her secret box of mementos?

I just adored this book: it's so evocative of the sixties, and of South Carolina- and really made me think about what life was like then in the deep south.  We all know about the horrific racist abuse and murder, the Ku Klux Klan etc.  But this book reminded me that white people who were appalled by bigotry were almost as attacked and oppressed as the black people around them.

But there's hope in the book too- we see the possibility of change in characters like Lily, who won't grown up to be like her father.

Lily is a fantastic narrator- awful things happen to her but she never loses her hope or sense of humour.  I loved the other characters too:  Rosaleen and the bee-keeping sisters and their collection of oddball friends.  And the spiritual aspect of the book was very powerful too, although I don't think you need to be religious to appreciate it.  Despite dealing with some heavy topics, The Secret Life of Bees is never depressing- and that's an impressive feat.  It's the ideal summer read- escapism that makes you think, a hopeful but never unrealistic story of sorrow, forgiveness and finding peace... and simply wonderful writing. 

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try The Prize Winner Of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan, Divine Secrets of the Ya Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 11, 2006 in American Authors, Debut Novels, Modern Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: The Dog Walker by Leslie Schnur

Last time I was in New York, the tour guide mentioned that dog walkers can earn up to $125,000 per year. Since that was considerably (considerably) more than I was earning at the time and since I would rather have been picking up doggie "messages" than doing the job I was actually doing, I was a bit put out. So when I saw this book endorsed by no less than Jennifer Weiner, I had to buy it.

Nina Shepard is a dog walker by day and a sculptor of found objects by night. She's not rich, but she does have an apartment with a terrace and a dog she loves. She is also in love with Daniel before she even meets him. He's the owner of one of her canine charges and each day when she lets herself in to his apartment to collect his dog, she lingers. And snoops. When they do meet she's not disappointed, but Daniel isn't quite who (or what) he appears, but then neither's Nina - she's only covering the dog-walking for a friend after being sacked from her much flashier job in publishing. So how can Nina and Daniel really fall in love when neither is who they seem?

I absolutely loved this book. Leslie Schnur writes about New York (and dogs) beautifully and I totally believed in Nina and Daniel from the beginning. The kind of book that makes you feel warm inside. (And makes you want to go to New York. Again.)

If you like this, try Pug Hill and Anyone But You

Posted by Keris on August 11, 2006 in American Authors, Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

FRIDAY FLICK: Alex & Emma

I'm afraid I'm cheating with this week's Friday Flick - it's not a film adapted from a novel, it's a romantic comedy about a novelist. Luke Wilson plays Alex whose first novel was extremely successful, but who is struggling to begin his second. His writer's block isn't helped by the fact that he owes $100,000 to loan sharks and needs to write this novel to get the advance (which is, conveniently, $125,000) to pay them off or .. they'll kill him.

He hires Emma (Kate Hudson), a stenographer (!), to transcribe his thoughts. At first she's understandably unsure, but soon she finds herself getting interested and involved in the plot of his book. And when I say involved, I mean involved. We see Alex's intentionally (I hope) dreadful book performed by, yes, Luke Wilson and Kate Hudson. So it's sort of a film within a film type of thing. Except that the bits with Alex's book are played quite farcically (Kate Hudson's character changes from Swedish to German to Spanish and then finally American) and so I didn't really care about the outcome.

The problem I found with this film is that I didn't really care about the outcome for Alex and Emma either. I thought Kate Hudson was wonderful - charming, sweet, funny and totally believable. Luke Wilson was .. the same as always (I really don't get Luke Wilson. Now Owen Wilson I get!), but there was zero chemistry between them. It would pass a couple of hours on a flight (now that there's nothing else to do) but it's nothing special.

Posted by Keris on August 11, 2006 in Friday Flick | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 10, 2006 4:33 PM

THURSDAY THREE: In The Club

...And I mean that literally.  This week's Thursday Three looks at three books featuring... book clubs! How self-referential of them.  Everyone from Richard and Judy to my local library has a book club so I guess it's not surprising that authors have caught on to the idea. 

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler is, as the name suggests, very Jane-Austen themed! Not only does the book read a different Austen novel each month but each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of the members of the club- telling a story based on one of Jane Austen's six books. This works better with some chapters than others but the quality of writing is top-notch, and any Austen-ite will love it.  There's even additional information about Jane and questions for book groups to consider (very post-modern!) at the back.

The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble on the other hand, focuses on a wider selection of books, from Roddy Doyle to Nora Ephron (both of whom I love- the selection they read is great).  There's some discussion of most of each of the twelve books here, interspersed between chapters from the different viewpoints of each member of the group.  Weirdly, this is a book that turns out to be more about the different choices women make about children than about books or reading... But it will make you want to go book shopping, I can almost guarantee it!

Finally, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi is a bit of a departure from the genre- a true story, it's the memoir of a woman who quit her job at an oppressive Iranian university and set up a secret book club sharing (mostly banned) Western books with seven of her best female students.  A moving story and a reminder of the power of books- and how lucky we are to be able to read them freely (even those ones we don't really enjoy!)  One to slow down with.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 10, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

MOVIE NEWS: The Other Boleyn Girl

Philippa Gregory's historical novel - which I haven't actually read, but about which I've heard raves from none other than Marian Keyes and my Aunty Barb - is to be turned into a movie starring Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson and Eric Bana. It's currently in pre-production with Peter Morgan writing the screenplay and Justin Chadwick directing.

Posted by Keris on August 10, 2006 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (2)

Chick Lit on Top

Warring anthologies "This Is Chick Lit" and "This Is Not Chick Lit" (which you can read about here) are reviewed jointly in the current issue of the completely fabulous Bust magazine and, perhaps surprisingly (though not to Trashionistas), "This Is Chick Lit" comes out on top.

After calling Elizabeth Merrick’s introduction to the allegedly more literary anthology "condescending", reviewer Priya Jain writes, "Like a lot of snotty literary types, I have often sneered at chick lit … I’m here to tell you: I was wrong. These stories, which take chick lit beyond its Bridget Jonesian beginnings, show that it’s time to take this maturing genre a little more seriously. In this round of the culture wars, at least, the point goes to the chick-lit girls."

via Karin Gillespie

Posted by Keris on August 10, 2006 in Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Chick Lit Calendar!

I know it's a little early to be thinking about 2007 or even*whisper it* potential Christmas presents, but this little item looked too good not to share- don't make me wait until next year to tell you about it!

The Chick-Lit calendar is filled with quotes from iconic chick-lit classics by writers including Jennifer Weiner, Candace Bushnell, Sophie Kinsella, and Helen Fielding.  Perfect for Trashionistas!  The downside is it's American, so the the significant dates will all be a little different (fancy celebrating Labor Day, anyone?)  but that seems a small price to pay for a chick lit-filled year. Order yours here (or pray that they bring out a British version by January!)

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 10, 2006 in Book related, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Sophie Kinsella | Permalink | Comments (5)

August 9, 2006 6:08 PM

RICHARD AND JUDY SUMMER READS : The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

This week sees the final book of Richard and Judy's Summer Reads feature, 'The Historian' by Elizabeth Kostova.

The book is a new take on an old tale - the legend of Dracula. It is inspired heavily by Bram Stoker's work, particularly in considering that Dracula is still wandering freely among us, and that he holds an historical significance wider than many of us have realised. The book is a set of sroties within stories - almost like a literary russian doll. The story is begun by a teenage girl who finds a mysterious book in her father's library. This contains letters bequeathed to her father (Paul) by his dissertation supervisor (Rossi) many years ago. The structure is a mixture of the girl's first person account of events interspersed with a packet of letters left by her father, which also give the content of the letters written by Rossi. All three protaganists are in search of one being - Dracula, Rossi searches alone whilst Paul is accompanied by Helen (who happens to be Rossi's estranged duaghter), and the girl is accompanied by a student she met at Oxford.

Carry on across the cut to see what I thought of the book.

I am loathe to admit that on a number of occasions I became tempted to throw this book across the room - it really was that frustrating a read. The first 100 or so pages dragged horribly, but sure that it must get better I persevered. I haven't made my mind up yet whether I'm glad I did.

The plot was very intricatly planned, with the three stories lying comfortably on one another - though at times these did veer a little too far from the believable (yes even for a book about vampires). I also found myself diasppointed that Kostova spent so little time on the vampires themselves - having read more books on vampires than I probably should have I did expect a little more fangy business.

The characters were a mixed bunch really. I found the three protaganists a little dull if I'm perfectly honest - Paul particularly was far too whingy for my liking. The characters met by Paul and Helen on their travels were far more vibrant, and the combination of these and the descriptions of many Eastern Eurpoean countries were one of the saving features of this book.

I'm not going to give the ending away to you, but I will say this - I ended up feeling like I still didn't know half of what I expected to know at the end. There was an incident with about 40 pages to go that was dealt with far too quickly, and there were far too many unanswered questions.

All in all I was pretty disappointed with this book. It wasn't a bad book, I just wanted it to be better than it was.

Rating : 3 out of 5

Posted by Jenni on August 9, 2006 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Debut Novels, Modern Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK REVIEW: Marry Me by Carey Marx

When, at the start of 2005, comedian Carey Marx decided  he was going to make it his goal to get married by the end of the Edinburgh Festival in August, his friends, not surprisingly, thought he was having a laugh. After all, he didn't even have a girlfriend- how was he going to meet the woman of his dreams, fall in love and get married in just eight months?  Not to mention write his comedy show-"the show where you can laugh, applaud and marry the performer"- and a book about the whole experience!  Marry Me explains all...

First the author signed up to several internet dating agencies and started chatting online with lots of different women (too many for him to keep track of, in fact!)  He also asked his friends to find him dates, chatted up women after his comedy gigs and generally tried to cram years of dating into one tiny time-frame.  Along the way he sent thousands of emails, lost days of sleep and even got his friends to fake a viral outbreak and dress up as zombies to impress two potential soulmates.  (You'll have to read the book for an explanation!) During his search for love,  several of his friends bypassed him and got engaged, and Carey met a hell of a lot of women- several of whom offered to marry him on the spot!  But his quest wasn't just to find a wife- he was looking for true long-lasting love: so did he find it? Read the book to find out, you won't be sorry you did.

"Marry Me" is hilarious- especially the email exchanges between Marx and his prospective dates.  I stayed up late into the night reading it, laughing out loud and wondering what crazy thing would happen next.  More seriously, I also loved the fact that the desperate search for love was from a man's perspective for a change, and I enjoyed the message of the book: that sometimes you have to take big risks to get what you want- and even if you fail, it's still worth trying. 

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try The Year of Yes by Maria Headley, I'm Celibate, Get Me Out of Here! by Jo Elliot.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 9, 2006 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

We've polled you on Bridget Jones's Diary (not a single nay- and nor should there be!), and its sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason (hmm, you clammed up about that one) so today we want to know what you thought about Helen Fielding's attempt to create a new female heroine: Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination.  What do you think: a fab and funny 'Jane' Bond for the new millennium- or a sad little spoof?

Call it like you see it: Yay or Nay- and WHY?

[Don't forget to vote at Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny too!]   

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 9, 2006 in Yay or Nay, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (7)

How To Be A Romantic Heroine

Years ago I used to write stories for my friends featuring them in, ahem, romantic situations with their current heartthrob. Donnie from New Kids on the Block. Matt Goss from Bros. That kind of thing. Little did I know I could have turned a slightly disturbing hobby into a profitable business (instead of an embarrassing anecdote)!

Torrid Romance will write you and your partner into a romance novel. You provide them with "nearly thirty personalized details" and they use that info to make you and your special someone into "characters whose lives will be filled with torrid passion, adventure, humor and sensual pleasures".

You can choose from five different books: "Knights of Passion", "Allure of the Cowboy", "Beauty and the Bodyguard", "Taming the Tycoon" and "Strangers in Paris". And if you've managed to read those titles without sniggering, you're a better woman than me. Now, anyone want to commission me to write "Allure of the Clooney"?

Posted by Keris on August 9, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (3)

TRASHIONISTA RECOMMENDS: Meet the Author

Ever find yourself reading a book and wondering what the author looks like .. or sounds like (especially if there's no author photo - what are they trying to hide, eh?)? Well thanks to the magic of the internet you can now check out your favourite authors in all their bad-haired, shiny-faced glory (although, to be fair, most of them look great).

From Sophie Kinsella talking about "Can You Keep A Secret?" via Jill Mansell and Katie Fforde to Alan Titchmarsh (go on, you know you want to), plenty of Trashionista faves are represented.

Now you never need wonder if your favourite romance author is really a six-foot bloke.

Posted by Keris on August 9, 2006 in Book Websites | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 8, 2006 4:17 PM

SPOTLIGHT: Lisa Jewell

This week the spotlight shines on Lisa Jewell.

Lisa wrote her first novel as a bet. In 1993 she was made redundant from her job in the fashion industry and found herself unemployed for ten months before her redundancy money ran out and she had to take a job as a receptionist. After a few months in that job, Lisa decided to take evening classes in Creative Writing at her local Adult Education College. She found that she absolutely loved it.

Soon afterwards while on holiday with friends, the conversation turned to Nick Hornby's book "High Fidelity" and how easy it must have been to write (Lisa now accepts that probably wasn't the case!). When a friend asked her what she really wanted to do with her life, she confessed that she'd like to write a female version of "High Fidelity". Her friend promised to take her out to her favourite restaurant if she did it so she started the book that became "Ralph's Party".

Carry on across the cut for Lisa's bibliography.

Ralph's Party
Thirtynothing
One Hit Wonder
A Friend of the Family
Vince & Joy

Posted by Keris on August 8, 2006 in British Authors, Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW: A Tale of Two Sisters by Anna Maxted

One night when I was pregnant I got up to go to the loo, started reading Anna Maxted's book "Being Committed" and found myself staying up reading it all night. The reason I'm oversharing is to make it clear how much I love Anna Maxted's books. So you can imagine how excited I was to get her new one. Would it live up to previous offerings? At first I wasn't sure ...

The first fifty pages I found to be a bit unfocussed and waffly. Not much was going on and there were quite a few lines that I knew were meant to be jokes, but that I didn't get and couldn't work out why not. But then by page fifty-five I was crying and then I was hooked.

Like many books about siblings, Lizbet and Cassie are total opposites. Lizbet's more relaxed (read: overweight) and Cassie's ambitious (read: a bit of a bitch) but they're best friends, united in their dislike of their parents. But then things start to go horribly wrong for both of them and they find themselves falling out in a big way .. repeatedly.

"A Tale of Two Sisters" is a sweet, intelligent and funny book. Throughout the twists and turns of Lizbet and Cassie's relationship, the story remains entirely believable and - although I can't believe I'm about to use this expression - emotionally intelligent (sorry). Plus there are some fabulously drawn supporting characters. I would've liked to have seen a bit more of Lizbet's husband Tim, but the lightness of that character was more than made up for with Cassie's in-laws The Hershlags who are fabulous and hilarious.

If you've never read any Anna Maxted, I wouldn't start with this one (try "Getting Over It" instead), but if you're a fan you won't be disappointed.

If you like this, try "In Her Shoes" by Jennifer Weiner.

Posted by Keris on August 8, 2006 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (4)

Why MySpace?

There's a great article on Mediabistro on how authors are using MySpace both to promote their books and connect with readers. Rachel Kramer Bussel writes:

MySpace's recently-launched Books area currently ranks 551 books by popularity (read: number of MySpace blog links) under "Top Books"—at the time of this article's publication, Danse Macabre (Anita Blake Vampire Hunter) by Laurell K. Hamilton and Lauren Weisberger's The Devil Wears Prada were tied at first place with 32 links each. Titles ranked on MySpace link to Amazon (via its affiliate program), while the Books area also boasts a featured book blog, highlights three genre-based book groups, and showcases five featured titles—with unattributed reviews, as well as reader comments—on the Books page.

Read the full article here.

Trashionista faves such as Meg Cabot, Karyn Bosnak and Emily Giffin have pages and now would probably be a good time to tell you that we've got one too!

Posted by Keris on August 8, 2006 in Announcements | Permalink | Comments (0)

Trashionista Recommends: LibraryThing

All the cool kids (if book obsessives have a "cool kids" section) are joining LibraryThing- an easy to use, online way of keeping track of your book collection.  You can list up to 200 of your books for free, or pay $10 for a year's membership, $25 for lifetime membership (which works out at about £13- bargain!)  Keep your list private, or get a link (with or without pictures) for your blog, Myspace page, etc.

When you've added your books to the site, it will look a little something like this- although presumably with a few more interesting titles!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 8, 2006 in Book related, Trashionista Recommends | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 7, 2006 9:42 PM

BOOK REVIEW: So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson

As someone who has 117 items on her Amazon wishlist and an entire separate bookcase (three shelves) for as-yet-unread books, I was never going to be able to resist a book entitled "So Many Books, So Little Time". It's the non-fiction account of fellow "readaholic" Sara Nelson's experiences following her decision to read a book per week for a year.

Intertwined both with memoir and stories from Sara's daily life, Sara describes how she chooses to read the books she reads. She meditates on the experience of reading, why we read, how we read and why some people can't get enough of books.

"So Many Books, So Little Time" is funny, interesting, wise and inspiring. Plus, of course, it will make you want to read more books and there's nothing wrong with that!

If you like this, try Book Lust or Bibliotherapy: The Girl's Guide to Books for Every Phase of Our Lives

Posted by Keris on August 7, 2006 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Jodi Picoult's New Book- a sneak peek!

Jodi Picoult has one of the best author websites I've ever seen- great design and lots of content (she even has her own podcast!) so it's not surprising that she's offering yet another great extra for visitors to the site: an exclusive sneak peek  inside her next book, Nineteen Minutes. Visit the site for this and more...

No news on when Nineteen Minutes is available, but you can buy her latest release Mercy from 10th August.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 7, 2006 in American Authors, Book related | Permalink | Comments (4)

MORE ON MONDAY: The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

This week's More on Monday is even more of a departure than usual: not only is it not chick-lit, it's not even fiction- and it's written by (gasp!) a man, albeit one with a reassuringly funky afro hairdo.

"The Tipping Point" refers to the moment in time when an idea grabs hold of the public consciousness: when something becomes a trend, or a popular behaviour, or a best-selling book.  How and why these things happen is of course partly due to media hype, but how does the media know what to hype?  Why do some ideas take off and not others- and how can this be accurately predicted?  The Tipping Point answers all of these questions and more and its revelations will challenge your long-standing beliefs and turn some popular misconceptions on their head...  For example, did you know that environment has a huge influence on behaviour, that suicide can be catching, or that Blue's Clues is the most educational TV show ever?   You soon will...

Subtitled how the little things can make a big difference, that's exactly what this book sets out to prove.  Using examples from popular culture and real life, Malcolm Gladwell shows that the best way to consider word-of-mouth, fashion trends and even human behaviour is to think of them as epidemics, and then consider how they are spread.  He looks at the different personality types that facilitate these 'epidemics' (connectors, mavens and salesmen) and the set of circumstances that have to be in place (the 'stickiness factor' and the law of context) in order for them to spread.  He also explains how using this information has helped clothing companies stay in business, New York City reduce its levels of crime and why teenage smoking will always be a problem unless Tipping Point-type principles are used to help combat it.

I always thought that Sesame Street held kids captivated, that suicide was only the province of the seriously mental ill and that teenage behaviour could usually be blamed on the parents... but it turns out I was wrong about all of that and more- and Gladwell has the case studies to prove it.

If you'd told me that a book that talks about principles of science, sociology, epidemiology (!) and economics would be fun, interesting and downright unputdownable, I'd have found it hard to believe- but The Tipping Point IS that book!  It's a book that everyone should read, so powerful and interesting are the ideas it contains.  It's not just a book of ideas though- it's written with warmth and humour, and in a general interest style, aimed at everyone, rather than a dry thesis just for academics.  Perhaps the review from The Telegraph puts it best: A wonderfully offbeat study of that little-understood phenomenon, the social epidemic ... THE TIPPING POINT is a very subtle piece of work, coming out with ideas -not necessarily his own -that make conventional solutions to social problems seem criminally naïve ...

You'll even learn why the well-known game should be changed to "Six Degrees of Rod Steiger", instead of Kevin Bacon... and if that's not worth the cover price,  then frankly, I don't know what is.

For more info, check out Malcolm Gladwell's website.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try The Kite Runner by Khaled Hossieni, Blink by Malcolm Gladwell.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 7, 2006 in American Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

Whatever next?

First there was chick lit. Then lad lit, hen lit, mommy lit, chick lit mystery, paranormal chick lit .. the list goes on. Now, according to the New York Observer, there's Ivy League Chick Lit.

But how many books does it take to create a sub-genre? Read on and find out.

The article only mentions three: Kaavya Viswanathan’s "How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life", Diana Peterfreund's "Secret Society Girl: An Ivy League Novel" and Robin Hazelwood’s "Model Student". If you expanded the idea to include college in general (i.e. not just Ivy League), you'd have Lauren Barnholdt's recent "Reality Chick", Sarah Mlynowski's "Monkey Business" and more.

By this token, we could herald a new sub-genre every Thursday! London Lit! Sister Lit! Country to City Lit (and Back Again .. Lit!).

It did make me wonder, though .. I can't think of any chick lit books set in British universities. Can you?

Posted by Keris on August 7, 2006 in Opinion | Permalink | Comments (24)

1500 stories, 20 days and a writer who won't give up

When author E.J Knapp got into serious financial trouble as the result of bad luck and disability, he put his house on the market- but wasn't willing to let go of his car.  He needs it to get around, or his freedom and access to healthcare is pretty much over.  But he can't actually afford to keep his car...  So instead of feeling sorry for himself, he came up with an imaginative way to make the money he needs: he's selling stories.  Selling 1500 stories, in 20 days will make him the money he needs before his car gets repossessed.

Knapp has refused money from his writer friends, but asked them all to contribute a story to help his plight, which he'll then sell for two dollars each on his site (he's trusting that people will pay to read them, and by giving out the link, I am too).  Writers including Martha O' Connor  and Lauren Baratz-Logsted (contributor to/editor of This is Chick Lit) responded, so this project provides a rare opportunity to improve someone's quality of life, whilst paying a very small price for some great quality reading material: it's win-win-win! Interested? Buy a story here.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 7, 2006 in American Authors, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chick flicks online!

Like chick lit? Like chick flicks? I'd imagine you must do or you wouldn't be here! Well now you can watch a combination of the two online. On The Leesh Productions is a New York based film company and one of their projects is an online serial entitled "The In-Betweens Of Holly Malone".

Holly Malone is in-between boyfriends, apartments, bra sizes, menstrual cycles, shades of lipstick and other experiences both monumental and mundane. When she meets Dimitri while buying a wedding present at The Pleasure Chest, she thinks she just might be over her in-betweens.

Sounds fab, yes? You can watch Holly's misadventures here or you can subscribe via iTunes.

Posted by Keris on August 7, 2006 | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 5, 2006 6:03 PM

BOOK REVIEW- Burnt Toast by Teri Hatcher

I spent a lot of time in the '90s wanting to be Teri Hatcher- or rather, wanting to be her incarnation of Lois Lane- plus I've never missed a Desperate Housewives, so I was interested to read her new book, Burnt Toast.  Part memoir, part self-help guide, Teri uses the ups and downs of her own life to illustrate the importance of being good to yourself.  She thinks that too many women "eat the burnt toast"- that is, don't value themselves enough to make a new slice of toast when they burn some, always putting their needs last in every area of life, however big or small.  It's a good message, and is delivered with lots of warmth and humour.  But for me, there was a little something missing...

Teri's clearly an intelligent and witty woman, and I liked the ethos of this book, but I couldn't help wondering why she'd chosen to write a book that's only half-memoir...  She actually doesn't reveal very much of herself, and maybe that was the idea.   What she chooses to reveal is very selective, and at times, where she draws the line is mystifying: we learn (several times!) that she just loves her nipples (yep!) that she had no sex on her honeymoon, and that she's very insecure, especially around men...  But she doesn't share why her marriage fell apart, or what her Housewives audition involved, or more seriously, make any mention of the child abuse she suffered for several years.   I can understand her not wanting to go into any detail about the latter, but it seems strange not to mention it, or even allude to it, in a book purporting to share yourself and your most intimate feelings. 

Maybe the paradox in the book illustrates a paradox about Teri: she has a lot to share, but seems to think we'd only be interested if she dressed it up with humour and self-help lessons so it's not all about her.  At root, she comes across someone with very low self-esteem, and at times I couldn't work out if she was lying to herself or simply being disingenuous: she talks about her love of coupons and the free stuff actresses are given- doesn't she realise that comes across as spoilt and a little obscene when you're already a millionaire? (I think she genuinely doesn't see herself as a rich and powerful woman, but we all do!)   Also, she insists she hasn't lost weight since her New Adventures of Superman days, but anyone can see she has- maybe her scales are broken...

Having said that, I admire Teri Hatcher's bravery in sharing the feelings she does write about, and I certainly found her book enjoyable and entertaining, heartfelt and (mostly) honest.  But maybe she could have cared a little bit less about what people thought, and really dared to bare her soul. 

(Oh and be warned- you'll be constantly craving hot, buttered toast throughout the book!)

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 5, 2006 in American Authors, Celebrity Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW- Something Beginning With by Sarah Salway

Something Beginning With is a book with a unique concept: it's a novel, told in encyclopaedia format.  Alphabetised entries tell the story of Verity Bell, a young woman dealing with a tricky boss, a troubled love life, and life alone after the death of her parents a few years earlier.  It's a great idea, and very well-written, but would the concept turn out to be too gimmicky to really tell a good story?

Well, yes and no.  Sarah Salway's use of the alphabet is a gimmick, but it's not just used for that reason- it does actually enhance the story:  at the end of most entries is a short list of other entries that illustrate the same point- which can be used to cement a point the narrator is making, or to undercut it in order to make the reader laugh.  It allows for a lot more fluidity than a traditional approach and the fact that each entry can be taken as a work in itself means that the quality of writing is excellent.  Sarah Salway usually writes poetry and the succinctness of her language is probably a reflection of this.   However, although it is possible to flick backwards and forwards throughout the book, I'd still recommend reading it from front to back, or you'll spoil the story for yourself (and probably get very confused!)   If you truly could move back and forwards through the book like a real encyclopaedia, I don't think it would make a good novel, as there would be no story at all.

In fact, that was what disappointed me about this novel: it's very short, and I felt the story was a bit flimsy.  It's also rather depressing- a young woman is very isolated, for no particular reason.  Yes, she had rather unsupportive parents, who are now dead, but nothing much seems to be happening in her life, and I wasn't sure why.  She didn't seem sad enough to be clinically depressed, and yet she had no confidence or 'get up and go'.   The type of modern women's writing that I (and I think most of you) enjoy best is when women overcome obstacles, or grow in confidence, or achieve something. This story was instead very downbeat and pedestrian, and there was just something missing- it had no heart or vibrancy and reading it was a bit of a hollow experience.

Sarah Salway is an extremely skilled stylist, but her next book really needs more substance.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Conversations with the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 5, 2006 in British Authors, Debut Novels, Modern Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 3, 2006 3:56 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Debutante Divorcee by Plum Sykes

Since my reaction to Bergdorf Blondes was lukewarm, my instincts told me to give Plum Sykes' follow-up novel a wide berth. However, it landed on my doormat regardless! It doesn't really cover any new ground, sitting comfortably in the Manhattan socialite world yet again, though this time our ladies are wives and divorcees instead of single girls searching for love. Think of it as 'Sex & The City: When Carrie Married Big' and you're halfway there...

I know Plum Sykes is probably fed up to the back teeth of the Sex & The City comparisons and constant mentions of the fact she's an ex Voguette with a contacts book any fashionista would kill for. But let's face it, she's selling a lot of books because of that, and we do love to scoff over these part fact / part fiction New York women and read all about the designer clothes they wear.

The story begins when new bride Sylvie meets 'it' girl Lauren while the two are on their honeymoons. The twist? Sylvie might be on a real honeymoon (sans husband - it's a long story) but Lauren is on her 'divorce honeymoon', celebrating her singledom and making plans to make out with random men. Sylvie and Lauren become instant best friends in a way only these superficial New York women can, and the rest of the book is a whirl of parties, fashion, secrets, misunderstandings and mysterious men.

With Sylvie working for a fashion designer and Lauren a rich socialite, there's plenty of scope for exotic locations, gorgeous clothes and plenty of trashy frivolity. This is a book you read in disbelief, unsure whether this stuff actually happens. Designer labels and 'it' names are spattered across the pages throughout (as well as a lot of talk of fur when our girls end up in Russia).

Plot-wise, it skips along quite nicely, though you won't win any prizes for guessing what's going to happen. It's most entertaining because you'll read the second half knowing exactly what's going to happen, trying to stop yourself from tearing at the pages in desperation that the characters haven't worked it out yet.

Overall, while I was expecting to hate this, I found myself enjoying the escapism. It gets a four our of five for entertaining me for a couple of evenings, but it comes with a 'complete trash' warning. This is a book to dip into and enjoy when you don't want anything too taxing. Don't read it to educate yourself unless you're planning to go millionnaire-nabbing in Manhattan! [Gemma]

If you liked this, why not try Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

Posted by Gemma on August 3, 2006 in British Authors, Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Reading Sex and the City

For some reason, it took me a long time to get into Sex and the City, but once I finally did I was hooked. (So hooked in fact that there's a lost weekend of DVD box sets and Bailey's.) And now, I miss it. I really miss it. So maybe it's time to immerse myself back in the world of Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte with the following books.

First of all, of course, is "Sex and the City" by Candace Bushnell. I read it before I ever watched it and I didn't like it at all and I'm not alone. Worth a read if you're really desperate.

Then there's "Sex and the City: Kiss and Tell" , the official book of the series featuring behind the scenes gossip and loads of lovely photos. Probably the place to go for pics of Mr Big (there are some terrible photos of him online ..).

If you worried you may have missed something while watching the show (maybe you were drunk on a certain Irish liqueur or something ..) then "Manhattan Dating Game: An Unofficial and Unauthorised Guide to Every Episode of Sex and the City" should be able to help you out.

Finally there's "Reading Sex and the City" which is not only a cultural and feminist critique of the show, but also features reports from the "Sex and the City" Manhattan tour and a map of "Sex and the City" New York.

Posted by Keris on August 3, 2006 in American Authors, Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff | Permalink | Comments (1)

Trashionista Recommends: Powell's

I know I'm always banging on about American online bookshops, but that's because they're just so good! And here's another one... Powell's bookshop has a brilliant website.  You can buy books there (if you really want to be that conventional!) or you can explore some of the other options on the site: Author interviews and Q & As with authors including Melissa Bank and Suzanne Hansen, daily reviews culled from all over the American media, and a blog written by a different author each week.  My favourite feature is either the original, exclusive author essays or the bookshop's mascot: Fup the cat (who has his own picture album and blog- of course!)

So if you're ever in Portland, Oregon, stop in to the real Powell's- one of the biggest in the world... but if not, this site makes a brilliant substitute!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 3, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 2, 2006 6:05 PM

RICHARD AND JUDY SUMMER READS : The Abortionist's Daughter by Elisabeth Hyde

The book featured in this week's Richard and Judy's Summer Reads is "The Abortionist's Daughter" by Elisabeth Hyde.

Megan is shocked when her father phones to tell her that her mother, Diana, is dead. Frank (that's her father) found Diana face down in their swimming pool when he got home from work. The police are suspecting foul play though, she has bruising that suggests her death was at somebody else's hands. The suspect is long, particularly considering her work as the Director of the Center for Reproductive Choice. She spent her life campaigning for women's right to choice and this made her a national hate figure for some. Withing their own family life hasn't always been the smoothest, since her younger brother died her parents have never been the same - but surely her father couldn't have finally snapped... could he?

I thought this book was well written, and dealt with a sensitive topic in a reasonable manner. Hyde looks at the concept of abortion from a number of perspectives, but in making the book a murder mystery allows herself to escape the need to come down on one side of the debate. The characters are well created around this subject, but it did feel at times like the book was lacking a little in the way it evaded the real nitty-gritty you may expect.

The plot is well created, I found myself fairly surprised by the ending when the killer is revealed, though afterwards when I looked back at the book I could see the writing was on the wall - just in very faint chalk! I found myself gripped by the book, but felt at times I wanted to know a little more about Diana - I think I'd have cared even more about the outcome if I'd known more about the woman.

This is a well written book that will keep you reading. It is perhaps a little weaker than some of the previous novels in the series, but is still well worth a read.

Rating : 4 out of 5

Posted by Jenni on August 2, 2006 in American Authors, Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (2)

Read it and Eat!

The American version of Amazon is now selling groceries- soon there'll be nothing you can't buy via their website! (Other things they sell include clothes, tools and even garden furniture...)Focusing on cereal, canned goods, and everything you need to snack on while you read, (as well as toiletries, "diapers" and washing powder) Amazon Grocery ships all over the US, but not in the UK... yet. 

The Guardian suggests some cereal with your Proust but I prefer a lighter diet: some chickpeas with your chick-lit, perhaps?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 2, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie

I first discovered Jennifer Crusie with her book "Crazy For You" and since then not only has she written a number of great books (including the recent collaboration with Bob Mayer), but her old Harlequin romances have gradually been reissued. "Anyone But You" is one of of these and was originally issued in 1996. So does it stand up to her recent stand-alone titles?

Nina has recently turned 40 and divorced a doctor. Finding herself living alone for the first time in years she decides to get a puppy. But when she goes to the pound she falls for Fred, an aged, depressed half-beagle, half-basset hound. ER doctor Alex is about to turn 30 and has no interest in growing up or settling down. But when Fred climbs through his window and leads him to Nina ... well, you can imagine. And that's pretty much it.

The amazing thing about this book is it's completely predictable - you know from the back cover blurb just what's going to happen, or rather, how it's going to turn out, because barely anything happens at all. There's very little conflict or excitement or anything (though, as with all Crusies, there is some good sex), but despite that it's a lovely, charming, sweet and romantic book. I loved it. And I really loved Alex, daffy duck shorts and all. Sigh.

Rating : 5 out of 5

Like this? Try 'Ralph's Party' by Lisa Jewell

Posted by Keris on August 2, 2006 in American Authors, Rating: 5/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: The Next Big Thing by Sara Caspian

After spying this book in the local bookstore (cutesy covers most certainly do it for me!) I just had to give it a whirl. Sara Caspian's debut novel, 'The Next Big Thing', seemed by the blurb to be a usual tale of chic career rivalry in the high-flying world of advertising - but you know what? I was mistaken. Totally mistaken, in actual fact...

Tierney Marshall is employed by Cool Hunting; a top firm that's dedicated to seeking out what the general public thinks is 'cool'. Tierney's job focuses on what's hot and what's not; from celebrities to clothing trends. So when Matt, Tierney's gorgeous boss, decides to offer her a long-awaited promotion, she jumps at the chance. However, there's just one thing she has to do beforehand - find a girl for the newest, hippest upcoming ad campaign yet.

Its sounds like an easy task – but it’s definitely not. With the ad campaign being for the latest ‘girly’ alcoholic drink, it’s essential that the girl is perfect. But with sassy, snide Cool Hunting rival Vanita hot on Tierney’s heels for the same promotion, it’s only a matter of time before things start to go awry.

Caspian’s smart heroine Tierney proves to be the likeable sort of girl who even gets to experience a slice of fame. As her job becomes a race against time to find the perfect girl before her chance of promotion flies out of the window, her life is about to become just a little more complicated. Especially as the scheming Vanita is prepared to use any means whatsoever to push herself up the career ladder.

The Next Big Thing is Sara Caspian’s debut, and to be perfectly honest; it’s a good one. It’s a fast-paced, well-written offering that’s quite frankly unputdownable. With a host of fun characters, unexpected twists, turns and wonderful sub-plots that make it a lot more enjoyable than a lot of chick-lit tales, this author is definitely one to watch out for (Sleeping Cutie is already on my wishlist!)

Rating : 4 out of 5

Posted by Danielle Symonds-Yemm on August 2, 2006 in British Authors, Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

Last week you were unanimous in voting Nay for books 'written' by celebrities, with most of you feeling very sympathetic toward the ghostwriters who remain in the background after doing all of the hard work. This week I'm reverting to type, and I'm going to ask you about a book. After the news earlier in the week that 'Can You Keep A Secret?' is giong to hit the big screen, I want to know what you think of the book. Did you love Sophie Kinsella's first book away from the 'Shopaholic' series or hate it? You know what to do, just comment Yay or Nay, and Why?

[Don't forget to vote at Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny too!]

Posted by Jenni on August 2, 2006 in Yay or Nay, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (5)

August 1, 2006 10:20 AM

Pa-pa, pahhhhh...pa!

That's the end of the Pearl & Dean theme tune, in case you didn't recognise it (and, frankly, I'd be worried if you did). What's that got to do with books? Well books are getting their own trailers. They're called Vidlits and they're becoming increasingly popular.

They generally feature flash animation relevant to the content of the book, together with a chatty blurb-style voiceover. So far they've seen success as viral marketing campaigns, but since Amazon.com has shown an interest, it can only be a matter of time before they're as ubiquitous as all other types of advertising.

Watch Meg Cabot's Vidlit here or the trailer for Marc Acito's fabulous book How I Paid For College here.

Posted by Keris on August 1, 2006 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (1)

The New SJP?

Since Sex and the City ended in 2003, a million new shows have been touted as "the new SATC"- and none have lived up to the promise!  But the current issue of Glamour reports on something that might have real potential: a new TV show based on Candace Bushnell's Lipstick Jungle.  Melissa George (formerly of Alias, Friends and before that, tragic Angel in Home and Away) has been busy filming the pilot in L.A.   (She's Australian but has proven she can give good accent)... Also starring is Scott Cohen, who played Max Medina in the fabulous Gilmore Girls.

Obviously no-one could replace Carrie and Big, but maybe they'll be worthy successors? (Fingers crossed!)  If you've read the book, let us know what you think: will it make good TV? What do you think of the casting?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 1, 2006 in American Authors, Announcements, Book related, Girly Stuff | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW - The Cinderella Moment by Gemma Fox

What happens when a chance meeting with a gorgeous man changes your life forever? It all depends on fate to be perfectly honest - will it be a simple happy ever after, or will fate be cruel and send you on a terrifying rollercoaster ride? This is exactly the problem facing Cass who meets the lovely James on the train. He seems perfect... or is he?

Cass is a bit down on her look. Her husband has decided to leave her (she's too irresponsible apparently) so now she must stop painting and get a job that will pay enough to support herself and her son Danny. Every city job she's applied for has ended in rejection - its bad enough she has to apply for these jobs, the least they could do is employ her! her next door neighbour, and closest thing to family, Jake has an alternative suggestion. A friend of his is looking for an assistant to help him to get back on his feet after surgery. The work wouldn't be taxing - general PA style duties plus some time helping out... in his art gallery! Life seems to be looking up at long last.

Then on the train Cass meets James Devlin. He is annoyingly nice, pretty close to perfect in fact. When he leaves his mobile behind Cass rings him to arrange for him to collect it. Unfortunately it is his wife who answers - maybe he wasn't so perfect after all. When James becomes a missing person, suspected of running off with his fancy woman (yup thats what his wife thinks of Cass) the book takes on a whole new direction. Cass finds herself caught up in the middle of a huge misunderstanding which involves her being watched by the police and gangsters. How will she ever manage to persuade them that she is innocent of anything they're suspecting her of?

The plot of this book is cleverly intertwined without becoming confusing (apart from when you try to describe it to someone else). Fox allows the story to unfold in front of you so that you feel a step ahead of the characters throughout the book. The story is well paced, and offers some laugh out loud moments. It just about keeps on the right side of believable - though it veers dangerously close to the line at times.

The characters are all well written - whilst Cass can at times come across as a little wet I found I didn't mind this because of the richness of the rest of the characters. I'd be hard pushed to pick a favourite, though I might have to go with Jake and Barney.

This is a light hearted enjoyable read that would be good for the beach or the commute.

Rating : 3 out of 5

Like this? Try 'How Was It For You?' by Carmen Reid

Posted by Jenni on August 1, 2006 in British Authors, Girly Stuff, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)