Trashionista

FRIDAY FLICK: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes

Who doesn't love a bit of Marilyn Monroe on a Friday afternoon? (Or anytime, in fact!?) I know our ed-in-chief Gemma is a big fan (if you ask nicely she might show you the pics of her dressed as Lorelei, Marilyn's character in this film... or she might not! Sorry, Gemma...)

Anyway! In Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Marilyn and Jane Russell (Dorothy, the sensible brunette - of course) go on a cruise to have fun and meet men, and succeed in doing both, though not without the odd scrape along the way, and of course, they have to sing as they go...

It's not the best movie starring either of these iconic actresses, but it is a bit of fun, and based on Anita Loos's cult classic novel. It also features "Diamonds are a Girls Best Friend", a number that's dazzling in more ways than one... (and was the inspiration for Madonna's Material Girl video, of course).

Carry on over the cut for a clip!

Friday Flick archives.

BOOK REVIEW: Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York by Gail Parent

I'd wanted to read Gail Parent's 1972 novel Sheila Levine is Dead and Living in New York for some time, ever since Jennifer Weiner classed it as her favourite chick lit novel on her blog, in fact. It could certainly be called a cult classic: those who know of it seem to love it, but it's out-of-print (though available second-hand on Amazon) and pretty under-appreciated.

Our eponymous heroine Sheila has moved to New York after graduation and is pretty much living the Sex and the City dream: working, partying, young free and single... but she's desperately unhappy. Not only is she a touch chunky, she's - wait for it - she's single. The SHAME. And in fact, never having heard of feminism, she's so depressed by the fact that she has no hubby to take care of her, that she's planning her funeral already. For when she commits suicide. Yeah - that'll show 'em!

You might think that the storyline of the book is entirely satirical, and at first I thought so too - but then I read the quotes from reviews at the start of the book, calling it "real" and "sad but true", as if all single women in their twenties are so desperate for a man and kids that they'll kill themselves rather than get it. I can't imagine reading this book in the early 70s - I imagine the black comedic feel was probably a revelation back then but reading it in 2007 was a strange experience and I found I didn't relate to the novel at all. Sheila is too self-deprecating to be releatable and the only sad thing here is how much she hates herself.

Rather than the chick lit novel I expected, Sheila Levine's sense of humour is re-he-ally dark. There's no denying this book is funny and that Gail Parent is a very talented writer with a quick wit. But I wish she'd put it to another use instead and never even suggested that women of her era felt this way.

I expected a good laugh, an interesting plot and a dash of nostalgia. I was disappointed: I got a character who hated herself for no good reason and a book that left me with a bit of a nasty taste in my mouth.

Mainly for the quality of Parent's writing, I'd give it..

Rating: 3 out of 5

But I'd rather read a Weiner!

Like this? Try Postcards from the Edge by Carrie Fisher or Girl, Interrupted.

No more Literary Chicks

Ever-fabulous group chick lit author blog Literary Chicks has closed down. Nooooooo!

The blog - which featured Michelle Cunnah, Whitney Gaskell, Alesia Holliday, Beth Kendrick, Eileen Rendahl and Lani Diane Rich, along with various guest bloggers - has been going since August 04, but the chicks have decided to say goodbye.

The archives are still there, though, so if you've never visited, stop by and laugh until you cry. And then cry a little bit cos it's over. Sniff.

Related posts: Will Write for Wine | Dogs & Goddesses | Heart of Tartness book club

Me and Bridget Jones: Then and Now

AKA: Why I'm feeling nostalgic now cult classic week is drawing to a close, by Diane...

I remember hearing the buzz about Bridget Jones's Diary almost a decade ago.

In the autumn of 1997, I was a fledgling student of English Language and Bridget Jones, the paperback, had landed in the bestseller charts (not for the last time). "Hmm," I thought, "I might like to read that..." so, cheapo student that I was, I asked for it for Christmas. I loved that it started at Christmas/New Year, with Bridget bemoaning the exact post-Xmas anticlimax I was experiencing. I may never have tasted a sip of Chardonnay (still don't like it), been to Cafe Rouge (I finally made it last year!) or had the pleasure of Una Alconbury's turkey curry buffet (!), but I identified with Bridget, even as I knew she was exaggerated: a satirical version of all women's insecurities.

Most of all, BJ made me feel better about myself. Like her, I'd often woken up fuzzy-headed from a hangover with all my clean tights in my washing basket and the good looking but smarmy men never took ME seriously either... (but good riddance!)

Re-reading BJD recently, I was full of trepidation: would I enjoy it as much a decade on?

Thank goodness, I did. I'd forgotten how funny Helen Fielding really is (Olivia Joules put me off her for a while!) and what a charmingly confused character Bridget is. And I hated Daniel and loved Mark's Darcy-ness all over again. I read it whilst in the grip of a horrible virus, and it was the perfect pick-me-up. It was also a big nostalgia-fest: full of pop culture references from the late '90s, a time I remember very fondly. Remember when the lottery was shown during Blind date? In fact, remember Blind Date?! And Gladiators (ugh - Bridget didn't like it either).

It didn't seem like it then, but it really was a more innocent time, and we were all full of optimism abut the new government and the future of Britain.

I wonder when we'll recapture that again - and what Bridget would think of Gordon Brown...

WIN! Your copy of the book here.

Fabulous Little Black Dress competition!

Not only is it cult classic week, not only is it a year since Keris and I started at Trashionista, it's a year since the fabulous chick lit publishing imprint Little Black Dress came into existence! Such perfect synchronicity warrants a giveaway don't you think?

We do, too! That's why the lovely kind people at Little Black Dress are offering four Trashionista readers a wonderful prize: four readers will win a selection of five LBD titles.

It's a mystery (ooh!) what you'll receive, but LBD books that we've loved include The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, Singletini , Pick Me Up and The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom, so we're sure there'll be something you'll enjoy.

To enter, simply email us the answer to this question: name one of the Little Black Dress books that we've loved. Put LBD in the subject line, and your name and address in the body of the email. Again, I'm afraid this is UK only. Good luck!

And don't forget our Bridget Jones's Diary giveaway too - she's been around a while, but she's still VERY worth (re)reading!

Three Lives & Company bookstore

It's been a while since I've waffled about an independent book shop, but when I saw this picture I couldn't resist. Situated in New York's Greenwich Village, Three Lives & Company describes itself as follows:

THREE LIVES is an anachronism.
It is the shop around the corner.
A touchstone in a neighborhood.
A place with a human face and a cast of characters.
84 Charing Cross Road colored by the time and place.
A haven for people who read.

Who could resist? [via Karin Gillespie]

Related posts: Virtual bookshops | Karyn Bosnak's favourite bookshop | UK's only gay bookshop under threat

Jenny Crusie merchandise

Wow. Jenny Crusie's web presence is increasing every day. She's got numerous sites, forums and blogs and now her own merchandise range!

The range includes items to promote Jenny's next book with Bob Mayer, Agnes & the Hitman (the apron is from the Cranky Agnes Promos), Crusie Mayer Writing Workshop kit and Cherry Gear ("cherries" is the collective name for Jenny Crusie fans).

I love this apron ($16.99), not just because, as we know, Cranky Agnes looks like me, but also because I love the tagline for Agnes's Mob cooking book: "Leave the gun. Make the cannoli." Genius.

Related posts: Don't Look Down review | Jenny Crusie interview

MOVIE NEWS: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day

Following my review of this wonderful book earlier today, Phillipa left a comment asking if rumours of a film are true. And they are!

Due for release next year, the screenplay has been written by David Magee who wrote Finding Neverland and Simon Beaufoy who wrote The Full Monty, so it's in pretty safe hands!

Carry on over the cut for the - possibly controversial - casting news. 

Dunebug's Amy Adams is to play Miss LaFosse and Frances 'Fargo' McDormand is Miss Pettigrew.

Yep, they're both American and I'm not sure how I feel about that. They're both great actresses, but still, weren't there any British actresses available? Or doesn't it matter?

(There are some British cast-members, including Stephanie Cole, Ciaran Hinds and Shirley Henderson.)

Underrated cult classics

You know those cult classics that a small band of people love and a lot of others haven't even heard of? Well I'm making it my duty today to share with you some well-loved books that deserve an even wider audience. They could all be described as chick lit, so don't let the fact that none of them were written in the last 50 years hold you back from picking one up and having a darn good read!

Carry on over the cut to see my selection (and suggest your own!)

In Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. No-one can satirise the upper classes like Nancy Mitford, and this tongue-in-cheek portrayal of an eccentric aristocratic family during World War Two is very witty and unexpectedly moving - a brilliant read.

Diary of a Provincial Lady by E.M Delafield. Before Bridget Jones and prior to mum-lit, the Provincial Lady kept a 1930s diary featuring her absent-minded husband, unruly children and her own shoddy housekeeping. Tongue in cheek and very well-written, don't let the perhaps stuffy-sounding title put you off, this is a great book (with lots of sequels if you really like it!)

The Dud Avocado by Elaine Dundy. This will disabuse you of the fact that the past was a much more innocent era, and fast.  Sally, the American heroine of Dundy's debut novel dies her hair pink, stays out all night drinking and smoking (and avoiding drugs) and generally living the debauched, bohemian lifestyle... in the 1950s. Fab, fun and definitely chick lit-ish, this is a great summer read that a LOT more people should have read.

What do you think?

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Maggie Leffler

Written during her medical residency, Maggie Leffler's book, The Diagnosis of Love, received a rave from no less than Elinor Lipman! Maggie answers our questions below. (Two author interviews this week - we're spoiling you!)

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A young woman physician runs away to England to start her life over.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I love to write in coffee shops or sitting outside when the weather is nice, a rare thing in Pittsburgh.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

The Wonder Spot by Melissa Bank

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

Oh, that's a hard question, because there are so many to choose from! I love Sophie Applebaum, the main character in The Wonder Spot, and I also love Sophie Stanton, the main character in Good Grief [called Sophie's Bakery for the Broken-Hearted in the UK], because both women are strong, wise, hysterically funny and utterly recognizable.

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Join a writers group if you can.  It's a great way to get feedback. And don't give up!

What are you reading at the moment?

The Whole World Over by Julia Glass.  I loved her first book Three Junes so much that I had to pick this up.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

Another novel about two women who were in the "supporting cast" of The Diagnosis of Love.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

After rewriting the same novel so many times over the course of seven years, did your family and close friends ever doubt that The Diagnosis of Love would be published? 

They may have doubted it, and I don't blame them!  But for the most part, everyone was supportive of the process, even as they agonized alongside me.

Thanks, Maggie.

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: Dodie Smith

I've been meaning to "do" Dodie for some time, and as it's cult classic week on Trashionista, what better time to honour the author of one of the first, and most fabulous YA/crossover novels: I Capture The Castle. A favourite of many modern authors (as Rachel Johnson will testify), ICTC is the charming, funny and sometimes emotionally raw tale of Cassandra, a romantic 17-year old who can't wait for her first love... but who finds things don't always work out the way you expect.

Of course it's The Hundred and One Dalmatians for which Dodie became famous (and she apparently got very cross if people spelt 'dalmatian' wrongly so I checked I'd got it right!) but she yearned to be a more 'serious' writer than her best-known works would suggest. She was a huge fan of Henry James and championed many modern novelists she admired, among them a young Julian Barnes. Smith also wrote plays (best known is Dear Octopus) and was passionate about the theatre. But her talent was for more lighthearted (but very well-constructed) fiction - and there's nothing wrong with that!

In her personal life, she was a survivor: a bit of a loner, she would escape to her school's library and find company in books. Orphaned by the age of 18, she struggled at first to support herself, but clearly she survived in the end, although struggled for money in her later years, after the death of her husband Alec Beesley with whom she had a very loving (if, it is thought, purely platonic) relationship for many years.

Read this: I Capture The Castle. Plus, if you're interested in learning more about this unconventional and opinionated writer, I highly recommend Valerie Grove's wonderfully entertaining biography Dear Dodie, which is easy-to-read yet very well researched.

Trailblazer archives.

[Picture via BBC]

BOOK REVIEW: Size 14 is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot

Heather Wells is back! Finally! I would jump for joy - in public - but that'd just look silly. For those of you who don't already know (or those who are not fans of the fabulous Meg Cabot - if so, HOW COULD YOU NOT BE? Gawd!) Heather Wells is the heroine of Meg's Size 12 Is Not Fat and this brilliant sequel: Size 14 Is Not Fat Either.

Heather, former teen pop princess turned investigator, is back where she left off in Size 12..., at New York College, where she works as a dorm - sorry, residence hall - advisor for Fischer Hall. Dealing with irate freshmen with constant room-related problems is irritating at the best of times, but Heather still loves her job. Plus, working at the famed 'Death Dorm' owing to last year's murders (which, of course, Heather solved) will give her the chance to get the college degree she's always wanted.

Still secretly in love with private investigator housemate Cooper - older brother of her ex-finance, boyband star Jordan Cartwright - Heather is trying to the best of her ability to get him to notice her. Because surely it's about time he realised they'd be perfect together?

However, when the head of New York College's most well-loved cheerleader is found in a simmering pot in the school cafeteria, it's obvious that Death Dorm is back and Heather's personal life has to come second in her list of priorities. Nobody's safe in Fischer Hall until the killer is found - and with police not too bothered about working quickly to catch the culprit, there's only one thing that Heather can do.

She has to solve the case.

After all, there's no-one better for the job than someone who's dealt with students' constant whining on a personal level, right?

Unsurprisingly, Meg has blessed us with another must-read. Whereas I enjoyed the first in the Heather Wells series, this one is better. 29-year-old Heather's immature ways and unfortunate trait of talking like a tween (the only thing that annoyed me about the last one) seem to have died down a bit in this. It's fast-paced, funny, and never one to disappoint, Meg gets straight into the action within the first chapter.

For all of those who love a cute murder-mystery with a unique, fatty-food-loving heroine (I do!) then this one should be right at the top of your reading list. Of course, you should really read Size 12 first, but even if you don't, the story so far should be easy to catch up on.

The only downside to this book?

You won't want to put it down until the mystery's solved.

Please, Meg - we want some more!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try After Eight by Meg Cabot.

BJD TV: What would Bridget watch?

All is revealed (thanks to the power of conjecture) over on TV Scoop!

Related:  Review: Bridget Jones's Diary | WIN! Bridget Jones's Diary.

BOOK REVIEW: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson

Persephone Books reprints forgotten classics by twentieth-century (mostly women) writers, making them perfect for Cult Classics Week.

Written in 1938, Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day is the story of downtrodden middle-aged governess Miss Pettigrew, who is on the brink of homelessness. When her employment agency accidentally sends her to the home of a young woman seeking a new maid, Miss Pettigrew gets caught up in a day that changes her life forever.

The woman, glamorous cabaret singer Miss LaFosse, is Miss Pettigrew's complete opposite, so they really shouldn't get on, but they do. Under Miss LaFosse's influence, Miss Pettigrew's finds herself doing things she's never done before: wearing make-up and fancy clothes, drinking cocktails, dancing at a nightclub and really living for the first time.

With each chapter divided into hourly time periods you find yourself not wanting the day to end.

In her wonderful book, The Shops, India Knight called Miss Pettigrew "the sweetest grown-up book in the world" and she was right. It's a lovely, charming book and a quick and easy read. Perfect for a plane journey, if you're off on your hols.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try The Little Lady Agency by Hester Browne

WIN! A copy of Bridget Jones's Diary

You've read the review (haven't you?!), you've probably seen the film and read (and watched) the sequel, but would you like to win a brand spanking new movie tie-in version? Yes? That's good, 'cos we have five to give away thanks to the lovely people at Picador!

Here's what to do to be in with a chance of winning: just send us an email with "Bridget" in the title, and your name and address in the body of the email (so we can send you a book if you win). Sorry, UK only.

Look out for more fabulous giveaways in the next few days - there's something for everyone, coming up on Trashionista! 

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

You'll now no doubt all be aware of Tina Brown's book, The Diana Chronicles, released in time for the ten-year anniversary of Princess Diana's death. (Find out what The Guardian thought of it here).

So my question to you this week is simple: do you want to read it, or not? Is it an honourable tribute, or exploitation?

Do you care?!

Basically: is it a Yay or a Nay - and why?

Yay or Nay archives.

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Dollymix, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

BOOK REVIEW: Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

You may have heard of this one... can anyone reading Trashionista not have read this book (if so, why?)

Although Marian Keyes's Watermelon was technically the first chick-lit book, Bridget Jones's Diary (BJD) started as a column in the Independent a year before Watermelon was published. Helen Fielding's modern (cult) classic captured the zeitgeist of a generation, introducing us to Mark Darcy, Daniel Cleaver, Una Alconbury, the concept of f***wittage and the importance of Chardonnay.

Plus it introduced us to one of the literary heroine of the nineties: Miss Bridget Jones...

In case you don't know the storyline, a quick reminder: Bridget Jones keeps a diary of her year, which starts with her being introduced to a snobbish man she instantly hates, Mark Darcy, progresses via disastrous dinner dates, job humiliations and bad boyfriends like Daniel Cleaver until she ends up with the man who was right for her all along...

I re-read the book for this review, so I could give it a fair rating and check that nostalgia hadn't made me remember it as better than it was. Not only was it at least as good as I'd remembered, it's actually got better with time: the cultural references may not be as relevant, but Bridget's insecurities and observations may be even truer now than back when this was published. (Women seem to go to even greater lengths to try to please men, for a start...) None of us know what classic s will still be in print (if we still have print books) in a hundred years time. But BJD definitely deserves to be one of them. It's a cult and a classic.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try Cause Celeb by Helen Fielding.

What do you think of Tankbooks?

With timing perfect both for the UK smoking ban and our own Cult Classics Week, Tankbooks are literary classics miniaturised to fit into an authentic-looking cigarette packet (with flip-top lid, cellophane wrap and foil insert).

Books available include Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness, Rudyard Kipling's The Man who would be King, and Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Unsurprisingly, they go on sale as the smoking ban comes in on July 1st and you can pick them up for £6.99 from various book shops, along with Selfridges, Urban Outfitters and Paul Smith. [via Retro To Go]

But what do you think? Are they brilliantly designed and entertainingly tongue-in-cheek, or tasteless (and, presumably, tricky to read)? (Between Tankbooks and Karin Slaughter, this could also be Bad Taste Week!)

What Bridget Jones taught us...

To whet your appetite for my review of Bridget Jones's Diary and a very special cult classic week competition, I thought I'd share: What I learned from Bridget Jones.

Here's just a few of the lessons the cult heroine shared with us. From her failures, we all can learn...

That mini-breaks are the height of romance/the ultimate test for a relationship.

Never to take fancy dress invitations too literally.

The older generation conducts extra-marital affairs via department store coffee shops.

Never wrap meat in blue string.

Always check for post under the interior doormat.

1471 is not your friend.

Lotto scratch cards, smoothies, cigarettes, mini pizzas and alcohol can all be extremely addictive...

The man called Darcy is always the hero.

Are there any  I've missed?

BOOK REVIEW: Rainy Days & Tuesdays by Claire Allan

For the last few months, debut author Claire Allan has been writing guest blogs for us about the road to publication. Her novel, Rainy Days & Tuesdays, was finally released last week and I got to read it straight away.

Once again, in the interests of full disclosure, Claire was (and is!) another member of the chick lit writing group  I host (happily, we're a pretty successful bunch), so if I hadn't liked Rainy Days, I would've given it to someone else to review (I'm brave like that). Luckily I loved it.

Since having her first child Grace Adams has more than lost her mojo. Now Parenting Editor at the same magazine where she used to be Health & Beauty Editor, and with hair, make-up and fashion no longer a priority, she feels like her glamorous days are far behind her.

But when the new Health & Beauty Editor suggests Grace might like to feature in the magazine's ultimate make-over, something cracks and Grace finds herself having a "wee breakdown". Following rows with both her husband and best friend, Grace realises professional help is needed and after consulting with "Dr Dishy" agrees to the makeover, but on her terms.

Yes, Rainy Days & Tuesdays is another Mummy Lit book, but there's a reason they're so popular: they're true. I identified with Grace from the first page, but even if you've never had any mummy-related loss of identity issues yourself, Claire's writing style is so friendly and accessible that it would still be an incredibly enjoyable and satisfying read.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Motherland by Maria Beaumont

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jen Lancaster

I'm reading Jen Lancaster's first book, Bitter Is the New Black, on Diane's recommendation and I'm loving it. Jen's latest book is Bright Lights, Big Ass.

As this is Cult Classics Week, Jen's choice of favourite chick lit book fits in perfectly. Over to Jen:

Please describe your latest book in  15 words or fewer:

A humorous look at how NOT sexy-in-the-city urban life can be.

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

I used to write in bookstores and coffee shops, but due to our home’s gravity problem, I keep dropping my laptop computers and now it’s easier (and less expensive) to use a desktop.  It’s located in the alcove off my bedroom.  It’s convenient for my dogs so they can comfortably lie on the bed and stare directly into my soul while I try to write.  (Yeah, no pressure there.) 

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Hands-down, it’s Bridget Jones’s Diary.  I’ve read it no less than twenty times and it makes me laugh with each reading.  Helen Fielding was the first author to so neatly capture and immortalize the real life of post-collegiate, but not-yet-suburban women.  In one scene, Bridget works from home in order to be more productive and ends up taking a seven-hour nap, which made me wonder if Fielding had been spying on me. 

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

I love Bridget and also Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic series because they’re both so delightfully real with their foibles and imperfections.  (However, when I finally grow up, I want to be Patsy and/or Edina.) 

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Write for yourself, not an audience.  That way, you know at least one person will be happy and what ever you put down will sound so much more genuine.  Also, writing is a muscle that gets stronger the more you exercise it – so do it as much as you can and I promise you’ll see results.

What are you reading at the moment?

I have three different books going at any one time.  Right now I’m in the middle of Mary Janice Davidson’s Undead and Uneasy, Laurie Notaro’s There’s a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell, and Christopher Buckley’s Boomsday.  Admittedly kind of a schizophrenic mix, but I’m enjoying all of them for their humor and distinctly different writer’s voices.

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

My next book comes out in May 2008 and it’s called Pretty Fat.  It’s a true story about trying to lose 50 pounds by every means possible (and despite rampant laziness and an inflated sense of self-worth.)  I’ve hated the process but am delighted with the results and hope readers are, too!
 
What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

The question is: “Would you like to meet Vince Vaughn?”  And the answer is yes.  Yes, I would.

Thanks, Jen.

Karin Slaughter's knitting contest

We've talked about Knit Lit on Trashionista before, but crime author Karin Slaughter's taken it to a whole new (and creepy) level.

Having commissioned patterns for a Ted Bundy Knit Hat and a Jeffrey Dahmer Boiled Wool Book Bag, she's running a competition on her website for the best versions of each. Great prizes, but I think it's in pretty poor taste.

What do you think?

Related post: Karin Slaughter latest writer to get graphic with her next novel

TUESDAY THREE: Future classics

As you know, it's Cult Classics week at Trashionista this week (although it's slightly on hold since poor Diane currently has no electricity thanks to the inclement weather!) So for this week's Tuesday Three, I'm looking at future chick lit classics.

Since Jennifer Weiner is the chick lit author most likely to cross-over, her debut novel, Good In Bed, is destined to be a future classic. It's is the story of Cannie, who finds out her boyfriend Bruce has left her for another woman by reading about it in his new magazine column. Weiner's debut addresses issues of family, self-image and love in a way we hadn't seen in chick-lit before. Cannie isn't a Bridget Jones style diet-obsessive - she has phases where she's unhappy with her body, but generally she likes being a larger lady. And she is, we're assured, very good in bed...

Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper perhaps suffered a bit for being a Richard & Judy bookclub choice. While being picked by the twosome is a huge boost for earnings and profile, it pretty much guarantees you a critical mauling. Jodi Picoult's books, though, are brilliantly written, topical, moving and entertaining and surely this will be recognised at some point in the future.

Thirteen year-old Anna is a human pincushion, who's been through countless invasive surgeries and blood transfusions to help save her sister Kate, who has leukaemia. She was never given a choice in this - in fact she was born for this very purpose. But now she's had enough. She's taking her parents to court to ask that they stop harvesting her body to help her sister. As you can imagine, this tears an already disparate (and desperate) family apart...

We haven't actually reviewed the final book in the three - Rachel's Holiday - but I couldn't possibly leave it out, since, as the chick lit readers' and writers' favourite, it's surely a future classic. Marian Keyes' third book is the story of Rachel Walsh, whose love of a good time lands her in Ireland's answer to the Betty Ford Clinic. Rachel is hopeful, expecting spa treatments and celebrities, instead, she finds a lot of group therapy, which leads her, against her will, to some important self-knowledge and a man who might actually be good for her.

Which books do you think are classics of the future?

BOOK REVIEW: Heading South by Luke Bitmead and Catherine Richards

I love the idea of books written by a man and woman together - Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees, Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer - you generally get both perspectives (male and female, that is) convincingly. Heading South is different. While it's written by a man and woman, Luke Bitmead and Catherine Richards conceived the idea to see if they could write convincingly as the opposite sex, i.e. Luke wrote as Cassie and Catherine as Nick. Luke and Catherine met via an online writing forum, but had never met in person when Luke tragically died last October, aged just 34.

Heading South doesn't have an enormous amount of plot. Basically Cassie is an artist, living in the Gloucestershire countryside with a menagerie of animals. She loves her life and her friends, but she hasn't yet found the right man. Nick lives in Sheffield and is nursing a broken heart. He's been unceremoniously dumped by his fiance and he's lost his job. But when a friend looks him up and invites himself to visit his family and new business in Gloucestershire, Nick finds himself heading south...

To begin with I didn't think I was going to be able to keep reading this book. Cassie is the most incredibly twee character I've read for a long time. I did like her, but she's so desperately, painfully sweet that I really struggled to identify with her (her pets are named after the AA Milne stories: a dog called Pooh, pheasant named Eeyore, even a horse called Christopher Robin). I found Nick more convincing than Cassie, but not particularly special. I liked him, but I didn't fall in love with him.

I never would have guessed that each character had been written by the author of the opposite sex, though, so Richards and Bitmead were certainly successful in their endeavour. 

Heading South is nothing new, but it was a bit like an old-fashioned respite from the real world. During the day, I found myself looking forward to getting back to it and losing myself in a world where women say "Crumbs!"

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Come Together by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees

MORE ON MONDAY: Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby came to most women's attention (sorry to be gender biased, but I think that's true!) with High Fidelity, his excellent lad lit novel about a music obsessive and his estranged girlfriend.

But if you haven't read Fever Pitch, you've missed a trick. The memoir of Hornby's obsession with Arsenal might be a bit much if you're a mad-keen Chelsea or Man Utd. supporter, or if you're American and think football's called soccer...(I tease!) but even if you're not a fan of the 'beautiful game', there's still a lot to enjoy in this book. It's a raw and touching story abut the power of sport to transform the emotions and the sense of belonging and bonding that football can provide. Even if you don't like sport, it's hard not to be won over by Hornby's enthusiasm and the excitement and tension at the end of the book is palpable.

I admit, I wouldn't ahve picked this book up had I not loved High Fideltity, or if it wasn't handy on my Dad's bookshelf. But I'm so very, very glad I did.

It's a cult classic of the footie field and beyond!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby.

NEL's Pack of Dogs

This bookshelf makes me rather stupidly happy.

Designed by NEL, there are a few different pieces, all based roughly on the shape of a dog, and available in different sizes and positions. They can apparently work as a side table, stool, bench, bookshelf, magazine rack, newspaper holder, bookends, etc.

Check out The Style Files for more (the dog lying on its back is rather fab too).

Related posts: What the Dog Did review | Booklamps |  The Self Shelf

BOOK NEWS: Five Things I Can't Live Without by Holly Shumas

Not only do I LOVE the cover of Holly Shumas's debut novel, I love the concept too. (Read the blurb over the cut.)

But more importantly, it alerted me to a trend. Along with Five Things I Can't Live Without, there's Jill Smolinski's The Next Thing on My List and Kris Radish's The Sunday List of Dreams.

I now declare the lastest chick lit sub-genre Life List Lit!

Five Things I Can't Live Without by Holly Shumas

Nora's stuck in what she refers to as "meta-life," the plight of overthinking and second guessing to the point of self-sabotage. One day at work, Nora decides to thwart her meta-life by following her instincts. She quits her job and immediately her meta-life goes into overdrive.

What on earth was she thinking - and what is she going to do now? Fortunately, when a friend asks Nora to rewrite her Internet dating profile, she realizes that not only is she good at it, but she really enjoys it. Billing herself as a Cyrano de Bergerac for the lovelorn, Nora finally begins to find professional success.

But soon, Nora's meta-life has latched onto the question she's asked so many clients: What are the five things she can't live without? Is her flourishing business one of them? Is her boyfriend? With each new client and each step she takes in her own relationship, she must confront her biggest demon - her self-sabotaging "meta-life." But will she be able to slay it forever? [via Amazon]

Welcome to Cult Classic Week on Trashionista!

Cult classics are not the classics of old (although we like those too - remember Jane Austen week?) but the classics of the not-too-distant past that instantly resonate with readers and that we know (or we hope) will be around for a long time. They may not be critically acclaimed (although sometimes they are) but readers love them.

This next week on Trashionista is officially Cult Classic Week, so you can look out for tips on chick lit classics of the future, reviews of books you already love and the unearthing of some cult classics that are a little too culty - undeservedly under-rated reads we think you'll love.

And of course, my friends, there will be competitions - oh yes! Some of our best giveaways yet., in fact. All of which is a lovely way to celebrate the fact that this week is the one-year anniversary of Keris and my induction into the Trashionista gang. What a great year it's been!

Let the cult classics roll....

Jennifer Crusie's tagline competition

Jennifer Crusie is asking for help from her readers for the sequel to Don't Look Down.

The book within the next Agnes book needs a catchy tagline: can you think one up? (I can't,  slogans fox me - I'd be terrible in advertising!)

If you think you can help the great Ms Crusie with your brilliant word power, click here to find out more. [Via Nicola Pedley]

Jen Lancaster launches Mamapop's book club

I know, I can't seem to shut up about Jen Lancaster or Mamapop lately (maybe next week...?) but this I had to share: Jen Lancaster, Mamapop.com's resident author/avid reader, has just launched their book club with the inaugural (little political pun intended!) read: The Washingtonienne, Jessica Cutler's infamous blook.

If I wasn't on a book buying ban (I've got too many!), I'd be tempted to join in myself... Perhaps it's a choice for you if Richard and Judy's picks for this summer don't appeal?

FRIDAY FLICK: Jackie Brown

How I loooove Jackie Brown. Based on Elmore Leonard's book Rum Punch (which is now often re-labeled Jackie Brown), it's the story of... would you believe, Jackie Brown?

She's a stewardess who gets mixed up with a dangerous crowd when she becomes a drug runner for extra cash. Samuel L Jackson plays Ordell, the bad guy out to shut her up while Robert Forster's career got a revival when he was cast as Max Cherry, bail bondsmen and all-round good guy who's fallen hard for our eponymous heroine. But what are Jackie's plans? Is she taking the infatuated Max for a ride and can she outwit Ordell?

Director Quentin Tarantino made this an iconic film of the late '90s, popularising Kangol hats in the process! I may have seen it two or five times, and it's still a great watch - Pam Grier is perfect as Jackie. *DID YOU KNOW?* Jackie Brown is Tarantino's homage to the '70s cinema movement known as Blaxploitation (Shaft etc.) and he changed Jackie's surname from Burke to Brown in honour of Pam Grier's portrayal of Blaxploitation heroine Foxy Brown.

Like this, but with George Clooney: Out of Sight.

Friday Flick archives.

BOOK REVIEW: Fly On The Wall By E Lockhart

Fly On The Wall is one of my favourite YA books, and just about the only one of E Lockhart's novels that we haven't reviewed! The subtitle, How One Girl Saw Everything, gives a clue that the title might actually be literal - and it is. Gretchen is studying Franz Kafka's classic story of alienation, The Metamorphosis, for her English class and thinking that it might not be so bad to be a bug for a while and get a different perspective on her boring (yet typically teenage-angsty) life. Her wish is granted, and she gets the chance to be a LITERAL fly on the wall of the boys' locker room. Where yes, she does see everything... and learns a lot about the opposite sex, and about the things she appreciates about her life in the process.

It takes a great author to carry off such a far-fetched storyline, and E Lockhart is that author. I liked this book even more than her 'earthbound' novels, with its echoes of Kafka, myths and superhero storylines as well as the realistic portrayal of the daughter of separated parents. This is another book that both teenagers and adults will love - and you don't have to be a fly on the wall to see that.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart.

Carnegie Medal winners announced

Meg Rosoff has won Britain's most prestigious children's literature prize with her second novel, Just In Case.

Philip Pullman's Northern Lights has won the vote for the best Carnegie book of all time, the Carnegie of Carnegies.

Related posts: Phillipa Ashley's Decent Exposure wins the Joan Hessayon New Writers' Scheme award | Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi scoops the Orange Prize

BOOK REVIEW: Girl Overboard by Aimee Ferris

Before reviewing YA novel Girl Overboard, I'd better admit to an interest - Aimee Ferris used to be a member of the online chick lit writing group I host. Reading a book by someone you know (albeit not in person) is always a bit of a worry - reviewing it is even scarier - but luckily Girl Overboard was just as good as I expected it to be.

Part of Penguin's Students Across the Seven Seas (SASS) series, Girl Overboard focusses on the aptly-named Marina, whose ambition is to be a Marine Biologist. Leaving her ski-loving boyfriend behind in Vermont, Marina sets out on a six-week study tour of the Caribbean, where she'll be given the opportunity to swim with and learn about sharks, turtles and dolphins.

Also on the boat are (inevitably) a new best friend (Jeannette), a mean girl (Rhee) and a hot boy (Link). While the characters may be predictable, the situations and settings aren't. Aimee worked with marine life in the Caribbean herself and her knowledge and passion for the subject shines through.

The thing I loved about this book was that while there was teen angst and (yes) snogging, there's also a message about ecology and endangered species that's even more convincing for being woven into the story. It's never heavy-handed or preachy.

Plus it's nice to read about a teen who is honest and acts with maturity and integrity, while still being cool and cute.

Girl Overboard is as educational as it is entertaining and that's a rare blend.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Dramarama by E Lockhart

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: You tell us!

Yep, call it a cop-out or call it (more accurately of course) gauging mass opinion, this week I'm asking you, the reader to tell us: who's your favourite Trailblazer? By Trailblazer, we mean someone who did something new and exciting, left their mark on the literary world. I've got lots of ideas for future weeks but this week, I want to hear from you.

It could be a chick lit author, a "classics" type, or even a man(!)... or it could be someone we've already featured (scroll down to see them all). It could even be a few people!

Tell us who your Trailblazer is...

Just (don't?) help yourself! - How self-help books could sabotage your love life...

I'm not someone who believes in judging people by their choice of reading matter. (Actually in all honesty that's probably not true: I just don't like to be judged myself!) Anyway, this entertaining article in Nerve.com is all about the problems that being a regular visitor to the self-help section can cause when you're looking for love.

What do you think: should self-help books be hidden at the start (or even during) a relationship? Or if you really like someone, doesn't it matter? Or (say it ain't so!) have you never even read one and don't really care?

PREVIEW REVIEW: Dedication by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin

I approached Dedication, the new novel by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin (release date 2 July), with a mixture of excitement and trepidation: excitement, because I loved their first book, The Nanny Diaries. Trepidation, because I hated their second, Citizen Girl.

Dedication features a slightly older heroine than those two novels, and the storyline runs a little deeper this time, too. It's the story of 30-year old Kate, whose high-school boyfriend and love of her life Jake left town without a word just before the prom... and then became one of the biggest recording artists of his generation, with a series of songs about their relationship. When Kate's best friend from home Laura calls to tell her Jake's home filming a TV hometown special, Kate seizes the chance she's been waiting twelve years for, and goes back to confront him.

I loved the premise of this novel, and found Kate very relateable. The book switches between the present day and the past, as we find out about Laura and Kate's high-school experience and how Kate and Jake got together. The depictions of being a teenager in the 90s rings very true, and the re-creation of school days is excellent: just that little bit nicer than school days really are, so it reads as nostalgic and bittersweet. I was gripped, and often a little disappointed to have to come back to the present day, as the parts of the novel set in the past are definitely stronger - up until the end, and the confrontation, when I was gripped again.

Dedication is very different to both of Kraus and McLaughlin's previous books, so whatever your opinion of those, I recommend putting it aside and giving Dedication a whirl.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try The Department of Lost and Found by Allison Winn Scotch.

Win books from the Strand Bookstore

How I love New York's Strand Bookstore. It's got 18 miles of books. 18 miles! (Hey, I'm doing a 13 mile walk in New York; maybe I can do it in the Strand!)

To celebrate its 80th birthday this year, the Strand has a competition: nominate your top 5 books of all time and win the 80 books with the most votes. It's only open to US residents, but feel free to let us know your top 5 books of all time, won't you. [via sk*rt]

Related posts: Booksellers on MySpace | Virtual bookshops 

If you don't read chick lit, you shouldn't really criticise it

Yep, I'm cross again. One of my biggest pet peeves is people criticising chick lit when they quite clearly haven't read any (or at least not much).

In Rachel Kramer Bussel's Huffington Post interview with Anna David, author of Party Girl, David says,

To me, chick lit describes the kind of book that focuses on a girl with very simple and superficial needs─there doesn't tend to be a great deal of subtext, the characters don't seem very nuanced and the biggest lesson is often that a girl is much happier when she has a guy.

Here I wrote a book about the most important and profound experience I'd ever had─getting and staying sober─and it's being categorized among books about wearing Manolo Blahniks while trying to land a guy?

Do you want to send her a copy of Rachel's Holiday or shall I?

Related posts: If it's good it can't be chick lit | Does chick lit "undermine the women's movement"? | Anyone read any Kris Radish?

BOOK NEWS: Sammy's House by Kristin Gore

Remember how I complained about the later cover for Kristin Gore's first book, Sammy's Hill?

Well, Gore's written a sequel and, thankfully, the cover is a continuation of the original Sammy's Hill cover and all the better for it.

Look out for a review of Sammy's Hill, coming soon.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Kathryn Finney

I believe Kathryn Finney's first book, How to Be a Budget Fashionista should be on every woman's bookshelf, so I'm delighted she's joined the ranks of our interviewees!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

How to Be a Budget Fashionista: The ULTIMATE Guide to Looking Fabulous for Less

Where do you like to write your books (in bed, a coffee shop, an office)?

For some strange reason I can't sleep on airplanes, so I do most of my good writing on them. Also, can't forget my mobile office (aka Starbucks). I also like to write while watching Oprah.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Guilty Pleasure:  The Shopaholic series.  When I want to expand my mind: Anything by Amy Tan and Jhumpari Lahri.

Your favourite female heroine (if different from above!), and why?

I don't have a favorite, but I tend to be drawn to characters that challenge our concept of humanity. 

What tips would you give to any of our readers who want to become writers?

Don't talk about it, BE about it. The difference between writers and aspiring writers is that the former writes. You  can't sell a book, if you haven't written anything down.

What are you reading at the moment?

The Barack Obama book (the first one) and Young Broke and Fabulous by Suze Orman

What are you working on now? (If you can give us a hint!)

My second book which, drum roll please, will be about fashion. I have a fiction book somewhere inside of me that I will start to work on at some point.

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Question: What did your mom think about the book?

Answer: She loved it.

Thanks, Kathryn!

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

Now, I think a hardback book makes a lovely present, especially if it has a gorgeous cover, like this one.

But Henrietta Clancy in The Guardian books blog puts forward the opinion that a paperback is better: more portable, easier to read and who cares about the pretty?!

So I'd like to know what you think: in the hardback vs paperback wars, who wins?

Hardback books: is it a Yay or a Nay... and why?

And! I nearly forgot... I said I'd give my opinion of women-only prizes like the Orange this week. Well... I love 'em. The Orange consistently shortlists books that sound 10 times more appealing to me than those that win, say, The Booker, And most literary prizes still favour men, so I think it's still needed, too!

Yay or Nay archives.

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Dollymix, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Richard & Judy's Summer Reads 2007

Oddly, announcements of Richard & Judy's book club picks are usually everywhere, but this one seemed to sneak out with nary a squeak! I had to check a few times to make sure it was actually a new list!

Now that I've established that it is indeed 2007, yes it is summer, and I'm not telling you something you already know (hopefully), you'll find the full list over the cut.

Week 1
Wednesday 4th July 2007
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

Week 2
Wednesday 11th July 2007
Relentless by Simon Kernick

Week 3
Wednesday 18th July 2007
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton

Week 4
Wednesday 25th July 2007
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen by Paul Torday

Week 5
Wednesday 1st August 2007
Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon
(We've read it and loved it!)

Week 6
Wednesday 8th August 2007
The Savage Garden by Mark Mills
(I started reading this a while ago, but it reminded me too much of another R&J book club pick - The Shadow of the Wind - so I stopped.)

Week 7
Wednesday 15th August 2007
How to talk to a Widower by Jonathan Tropper
(I've heard great things about Jonathan Tropper, so I'm most intrigued by this one.)

Week 8
Wednesday 22nd August 2007
The Other Side of The Bridge by Mary Lawson

More details on the book club site.

BOOK REVIEW: Late Night Talking by Leslie Schnur

Lesley Schnur's debut novel, The Dog Walker, is one of my favourite chick lit books of all time, so I couldn't wait to read her second book, Late Night Talking. Also because its heroine, Jeannie Sterling, is obsessed with people's rude behaviour. Having ranted about littering and bad drivers many times myself, I knew it would be right up my street.

Jeannie presents a late night radio talk show, Sterling Behaviour, about all those thoughtless little things people do that drive other people mad: from leaving wet towels on the benches at the gym, to adults riding bikes on the pavement. With her producer and best friend, Luce, Jeannie takes calls from people reporting rudeness and discusses what should be done.

Meanwhile Jeannie's friend Thomas comes back from his journalist adventures in dangerous destinations. Jeannie's long harboured a fantasy that they might get together and when it turns out that Thomas has had the same idea, it finally seems like Jeannie's personal life might be as successful as her professional life.

When one night she calls a man she sees talking on his cellphone while also driving a Hummer of all things, she yells at him and he gets out of the car, resulting in a discussion that's as much flirtation as it is confrontation. The man turns out to be multi-millionaire businessman Nicholas Moss who, hearing Jeannie criticising him on the radio decides to get his revenge by buying the radio station...

Add a visit from Jeannie's unreliable father - along with his untrainable dog - and things might not be quite as ordered as they originally seemed.

Late Night Talking is an extremely entertaining and thought-provoking book. Jeannie is wonderful and her spats with Moss made me think of old Cary Grant movies (okay, they weren't quite that good - how about George Clooney and Catherine Zeta Jones in Intolerable Cruelty?). In fact, the entire book has a very filmic quality. I found myself obsessing over who I would cast in the movie (Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham as Jeannie, George Clooney as Moss (natch), Matthew McConaughey for Thomas, Kristin Davies as Luce...).

The book has genuinely interesting things to say about personal and moral responsibility without being preachy or po-faced. Also, Lesley Schnur writes about New York beautifully (but I said that last time).

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as The Dog Walker, but it's still a wonderful book.

Rating: 4/5

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

Incidentally, the cover above is the US cover and it reminds me a lot of the covers of Karen Quinn's first two books, particularly The Ivy Chronicles, see:

The UK cover of Late Night Talking is completely different. Which do you prefer?

The Manny's trailer generates a lot of buzz...

That's according to Galleycat, who have all the news on the trailer of Holly Peterson's debut novel, The Manny.

It may just be one of the most disturbing things I've ever seen...

Carry on over the cut to see it! Let us know what you think.

Jen Lancaster's summer read recommendations

Hot on the heels of The Philadelphia Inquirer's recommending beach reading, the very funny and fab Jen Lancaster gives her selection of great summer reads, and hints at what she'll be talking about next. (Here's one clue).

You can find out more from this post at great pop culture blog Mamapop.com (You don't have to be a mama to love it, I'm a biiiiig fan.)

Penguin books in hairdressers

Publisher Penguin has unveiled a new partnership with hair salon Toni&Guy, which will see the publisher place a range of titles in 30 London salons. The books - including new titles by Marian Keyes, Lisa Jewell, Adele Parks and Jane Green - will be available to borrow and read during appointments and will be replaced on a monthly basis.

Penguin General marketing executive Ruth Spencer said: "It provides Penguin with a new channel with which to reach readers. As well as picking up a magazine to flick through during their appointment, clients will also have a choice of books. We know that books are seen as a way for women to wind down and relax, but with the wealth of entertainment options currently available to consumers coupled with increasingly hectic social schedules, making time to pamper yourself, is difficult." [via The Bookseller]

Related posts: