Trashionista

EXCLUSIVE 'Be Mine' giveaway!

Be Mine by Laura Kasischke might be a good option for your summer hols if you like a touch of mystery and don't mind being a bit scared on your sun-lounger.

Keris called it "thrilling, thought-provoking, exciting and erotic" (oo-er!) and we have 2 copies to give away to 2 lucky Trashionista readers.

Carry on over the cut to find out how to be in with a chance of winning...

Simply email us your name and address (so we can send you the book if you win), putting "Laura" in the title. We'll pick 2 names at random after the giveaway closes on August 1st.

MORE ON MONDAY TUESDAY: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling

Sorry, couldn't do More on Monday yesterday because I was away and the book I took with me? Yes, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Have you heard of it?

I wasn't actually as desperately excited as some people to get this book. I didn't queue up or anything - in fact I think it'd been out a few days before I casually picked it up in the supermarket - but I did want to make sure I read it before anyone ruined it for me (like my sister, who read the last page first!).

So I took it away and, at first, I was sorry I had. I'd say it took me about 200 pages to actually get into it. I love the characters so it wasn't exactly a hardship to keep reading (there are very few books I'd keep reading for 200 pages if they hadn't yet "grabbed" me) but I was waiting for something to happen... then suddenly I was engrossed and I didn't want to put it down (did you see me on Eurosport, reading it in the crowd at the final stage of the Tour de France?).

Clearly, clearly, I'm not going to tell you anything that happens, but I will say that I absolutely loved it. JK Rowling gets a lot of criticism and, while she's not a great writer (although her writing style doesn't offend me in any way) she is a great storyteller (as we know) and to keep me breathless for about 400 pages (while I was in Paris!) is a pretty impressive feat.

My memory for books is appalling, so if you remember the other books in the series clearly then this one is likely to be even more exciting and rewarding as things are clarified and loose threads tied up. It really does leave me awed as to how JK Rowling planned this out from the beginning. An enormous achievement and a wonderful book. Now, who won the Tour de France...?

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Enchanted Inc by Shanna Swendson

First chapters on your mobile

We've mentioned ICUE before and Diane's just mentioned where to find exclusive excerpts, and now I read that Borders is doing a deal with top publishers including Penguin, Random House, HarperCollins and Bloomsbury to deliver the first chapters of forthcoming books to mobile phones.

The deal will give readers the opportunity to sample up to 30 books for free every month. The chapters are to be downloaded using ICUE technology and will come with a coupon for 20% off the actual book. [via NMA.co.uk]

My phone is far too puny and feeble for it to be of interest to me, but if you've got a good enough phone will you be interested?

Related: Mills & Boon on your mobile

Summer Special Tuesday Three - Venice

Yep, I'm back from my romantic mini-break in the subject of last week's Tuesday Three - Paris - and am focussing this week on Venice.

As we've already mentioned, Belinda Jones's latest - The Love Academy - is set in Venice and is the story of journalist Kirsty Bailey who is sent by the magazine she works for to attend the much gossiped-about Love Academy. In Venice. Nice work if you can get it.

I'm currently reading Marlena de Blasi's memoir, A Thousand Days in Venice, only stopping to read a book I couldn't possibly resist (about which more later), but I've enjoyed it very much so far. It's the tale of Marlena's whirlwind romance with an Italian she met while there on business. (Nice work if you can get it!)   

Not chick lit, but wonderful all the same (!) Sally Vickers' debut novel, Miss Garnet's Angel is the story of middle-aged Julia Garnet who decides to spend six months in Venice to recover from a bereavement. She falls in love with Carlo and her life opens up in ways she never imagined.

Did you know that author Laurie Graham (who Diane rather loves) lives in Venice? She writes:

I write my books in a canal-side study in the city of Venice. The only sounds that interrupt me are the gentle throb of delivery boats and the occasional tortured singing of a passing gondolier.

Well, now I'm jealous. Read more about Laurie Graham - and her life in Venice - on her blog.

BOOK REVIEW: The Two Mrs Robinsons by Donna Hay

Reviewed by Bag Lady extraordinaire Nicola Pedley...

In Donna Hay's latest novel, The Two Mrs Robinsons, Oliver Robinson dies, leaving behind two women who love him: the ex-wife he hasn’t divorced and the girlfriend he hasn’t married. The uneasy truce that exists between the two women is stretched to the limit when Eve, the ex-wife, decides to run his restaurant while Anna, the girlfriend, thinks they should sell it.

When an unexpected turn of events forces Anna to change her mind it is soon obvious the two women will not be able to agree on how the business should be run. Anna thinks Eve is stuck in the past and Eve accuses Anna of trying to turn Oliver’s into a fast food joint. Throw in a couple of shady employees and a bit of bad advice and the restaurant soon starts to lose money, much to the women’s horror.

Desperate to turn things around the two women find they have to compromise and soon start to grow closer as they look out for each other. I enjoyed the way Donna Hay explored the grief of her characters. Eve completely falls apart, even though she and Oliver have been separated for five years, while Anna relies on pills to hold her world together. Eve’s teenage children have to cope with their mother’s grief as well as their own, and Anna’s three-year-old son, Charlie, has no concept of death and happily tells people his daddy’s dead with a big grin on his face.

This is a good read about a difficult subject – the death of a loved one and the feelings it leaves behind. The emotions are sensitively handled and joy and pain both have their place in this story of grief and recovery.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try How Will I Know? By Sheila O’Flanagan or Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes.

[Reviewed by Nicola Pedley]

BOOK REVIEW: Sleeping With The Fishes by MaryJanice Davidson

MaryJanice Davidson is back - though now her unique brand of paranormal chick-lit has taken a break from Minnesota's vampire circuit.

Yep, this time - it's mermaids. (Gotta give her credit for ori ginality!)

MJD's new novel, Sleeping With The Fishes, has recently made its way onto UK shelves and despite the slightly baffling concept of mermaid chick-lit (whatever next?) it's actually rather good.

Sleeping With the Fishes introduces Dr. Frederika Bimm (Fred for short) - a mermaid working as a marine biologist at the New England Aquarium. Daughter of a mysterious merman and earth-loving hippy Moon Bimm, blue-haired Fred is seemingly content with her life, working at the aquarium alongside her boss Dr Barb and best friend Jonas (the only one who knows that she's really a mermaid.) As her tail only appears when she's swimming, Fred's fishy trait is suspicious only to those with slightly odd mermaid obsessions (enter dreamy new coworker Thomas).

All of a sudden Fred is met by merman Artur, claiming to be the Prince of the Black Sea. Not only is he there in an attempt to sweep Fred off her feet...erm, tail... but he's also appeared to report that deadly toxins have been found in the sea and something must be done to stop it.

With two love interests, an overly-chirpy intern to deal with and poison in the water she loves so much, Fred suddenly finds she has enough on her plate to deal with. Can she find out who's reponsible for the toxins?

Sleeping With the Fishes is a pleasing yet rather short offering from MJD; not as good as the much-loved Undead series, but not as bad as Hello, Gorgeous - the tale of bionic heroine Caitlyn.

Whereas MJD has an obvious knack for writing quick, addictive reads and feisty, kick-ass characters, I can't help but thinbk this is actually part of the problem; the books are far too similar. Sure, the concepts are different but the characters are alike. Reading Fred's shouty, take-no-prisoners attitude felt exactly as though I was reading about the Undead series' Betsy, only as a mermaid this time. Whereas her books, including this one, remain action-packed and unputdownable, the heroines and their sidekicks remain a bit too samey for my liking. (Did Artur remind anyone else of Sinclair?)

MJD may gain a 10 out of 10 for her quirky, original ideas, but the downside to her work is that her characters seem to be cloned. To me, this just seems lazy. (There is only one Betsy. ONE!)

Not only that, but this book feels slightly rushed - quite like the Undead series in fact, which has caused fans to speculate over whether certain books were actually longer and split into two separate titles.

However, despite this book being of the fast-paced, light, read-in-two-hours sort, it's still good. It doesn't quite reach the standards of Betsy and pals, but it's definitely enjoyable and amusing.

After all, who can resist a mermaid?

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Girl Overboard by Aimee Ferris

Exclusive excerpts on the New York Times books site: Rules for Saying Goodbye and more

Keris has highlighted the difference between the UK and US covers of new book Rules for Saying Goodbye by Katherine Taylor before, and also talked about the fact that the author has taken offence to her book being described as chick lit. (Sigh).

Now you can see for yourself whether it seems like something you want to read (whether chick lit or not...) as The New York Times has an excerpt (the first chapter, in fact) on their website.

You can also read the first chapter of Sammy's House here and the opening of Lisa See's Peony In Love here. What a fantastic resource!

(If they ask you to sign in to read those, I'd do it - they never bug me with emails and offers).

BOOK REVIEW: Back on Blossom Street by Debbie Macomber

Reviewed by Diane Johnston of Corrieblog...

Judging from the blurb, I thought Debbie Macomber's Back on Blossom Street would be right up my alley. A group of women come together for a knitting class and we find out about their lives as they become friends. Well, um...I can't say the book lived up to my expectations. This book is the third novel set on Blossom Street, a little Seattle neighbourhood. Blossom Street is lined with little shops and the main narrator of this book, Lydia, spends a lot of time filling us in on the shop owners' past events, along with a good majority of the lives of the customers of those shops as well.

Lydia herself is the owner of the Yarn shop where the knitting classes take place. This book revolves around the current life crises of knitting students Alix, who's about to be married but whose wedding organizing has been overrun by her future mother-in-law and another friend, and Collette who is widowed but recently pregnant by her ex-employer. Lydia's sister also has a family crisis which affects her whole family. The story follows the three women's events.

I wanted to like this book but I didn't really. I like a bit of spice in my book, a bit of sex and humour. This had none of the first and not a whole lot of the second. Lydia, in particular, drove me to distraction. Even though she purported to be worried about her sister's family's problems, you never really felt that anxiety. It was all told almost off-handedly. She is supportive, understanding, reasonable, a great wife and mother, a great cook, advisor to everyone that knows her, confident, generous, and... well, you get the picture. She's perfect. To the point where I found her sanctimonious and boring. The other two women are flawed, make bad decisions for the right reasons, but it all works out in the end for them too.

The book has an overtone of Christian spirituality and forgiveness which makes me wonder if that was the main target audience. (There are, as well, two knitting patterns included for prayer shawls, which is the project that the students are knitting). That's not a criticism, it's just not my type of book, that's all. If you've already read Debbie Macomber's books and loved them, then you will like this one too. It's more of the same. Amazon.com calls it "saccharine prose" and that hits the nail on the head for me. It's not badly written, it's just too sweet and nice. The characters and the dialogue don't feel "real".

I want sex. I want bitchy repartee. I want to laugh out loud and maybe even sniff back a tear or two. I want to identify with at least one of the characters.

I didn't get any of that with this book, I'm afraid. Your mileage may vary.

Rating: 2/5

Like this? Try The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs.

Book Zone.tv

I've just discovered this website and found that the book portion is presented by an old friend of mine, Nina Sebastiane! Small world this book internet, um, world.

Anyway, Book Zone.tv has interviews with authors including Jane Moore, Belinda Jones and Kate Harrison, plus non-fiction, crime and thrillers, children's books and more (no direct links - click on Book Zone or Fiction and take it from there). [via Kate Harrison]

Related posts: Meet the Author | Expanded Books | Karyn Bosnak's new You Tube videos

Dead Good bookshelf

I saw this bookshelf in Living, etc magazine and then again on one of my favourite sites, Apartment Therapy.

It's basically just a rail with a dip in it to stop the books from falling off. Would be good for the loo, I think, if you're in the habit of reading in the loo, which I'm certainly not suggesting I am!

It's from deadgoodshop and costs £40 which is pretty expensive for what it is.

Related posts: The Self Shelf | Fold-down bookshelves | NEL's Pack of Dogs

FRIDAY FLICK: Rumour Has It

A chick flick based on a film that was based on a novel (are you still with me?) Rumour Has It takes the idea that the events of The Graduate really happened and are based on Sarah (Jennifer Aniston)'s family, something she only discovers shortly before she's due to get married to fiance Jeff (the lovely Mark Ruffalo) and which sends her into a tailspin. Because if the events of that book/film are true, then her dad isn't her real father, and she has to find the man who is...

The savaging this got from some critics lead me to believe this was going to be a total piece of trash, but it was actually a nice surprise. It might not hold up twenty years from now but I found it fun, engaging, a little silly perhaps, but I loved the conceit of the film and especially enjoyed Shirley McClaine's performance. I think Aniston is a great comic actress and this isn't great film, but it's far from a bad one. Enjoy!

Friday Flick archives.

BOOK REVIEW: Another Man's Life by Greg Williams

The concept of  Another Man's Life by Greg Williams is pretty interesting: twin men with very different lives (one is a single, hot-shot rich businessman, the other a stay-at-home-dad ever since he was made unemployed) decide to swap lives and to find out how the other half lives, if the grass is greener on the other side... and all that jazz.

So they hatch a plan to pretend to be each other for two weeks, during which Tom (the stay-at-home-dad)'s wife will be away and Sean (the single, hot-shot rich businessman) will be off work. Or that's the plan, anyway.

What could possibly go wrong?

Of course LOTS could possibly go wrong, and in fact does - Sean meets a woman he could fall in love with, but is posing as a married man; Tom is shocked to discover how little he misses family life. And both men realise that yes, in many ways the grass is greener on his twin's side of the fence.

A quote from GQ editor Dylan Jones on the front of this book calls it 'Nick Hornby with knobs on', so I was expecting big things. Unfortunately it didn't quite deliver. The brothers narrate alternating chapters but I found little to tell their voices apart, and kept having to flick to the front of a chapter to remind myself who was telling the story! While the moral implications of such a life-swap were dealt with pretty well in the narrative, the characters still came across as a bit unsympathetic at times. And it just isn't as funny and clever as it thinks it is. (Jokes are often punctuated with a "she thought I was really funny" - type comment as if to impress the reader, which doesn't work).

However, I did enjoy the concept and liked the book more as it moved towards its conclusion. I liked the happy ending but just didn't feel I'd read anything particularly special.

As it's 'lad lit', I wonder if a man would have enjoyed it more...

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Mr Nice Guy by Thomas Dowler.   

MOVIE NEWS: Yes Man

We wrote a while ago about how the movie rights to both of Danny Wallace's hilarious books - Yes Man and Join Me - had been snapped up and, at the time, we'd heard that Jack Black was to star in the first.

Well, we were wrong (not our fault - we got it from Danny's website!). Turns out Yes Man is now to star Jim Carrey. But don't get too excited (assuming you're excited at all), it's not due out until 2009.

Movie news archives

BOOK NEWS: Among Other Things, I've Taken Up Smoking by Aoibheann Sweeney

I'm not sure whether I like the cover of Aoibheann (pronounced "Even") Sweeney's debut novel. I love the idea of it, but I don't think the typeface fits...

But I do like Sweeney herself, after reading this in Galleycat:

"There's something so alive about bloggers; it's like they're writing as soon as they can put the book down, instead of trying to come up with something polished that makes them look smart."

That's so true. I don't bother to try and come up with something polished that makes me look smart ... hang on a minute! I think that's what they call one of them there backhanded compliments...

Related posts: Do you think book bloggers have as much sway as the traditional media? | From blog to book | Blogger Dooce forced to produce a book

Welsh chick lit

The stereotype of chick lit is single girl in the big city, often London or New York. While we know this isn't true, what I didn't know was that chick lit set in Wales is increasingly popular internationally.

An article by Cathryn Scott of the Western Mail featured in icWales points out that Lynne Barrett-Lee's books are predominately set in Wales and also singles out Big Cats and Kitten Heels by Claire Peate and Bells by Jo Verity, both set in around Cardiff.

Helena Earnshaw of Honno Welsh Women’s Press is quoted as saying, “The Irish definitely got in their [sic] first with Maggie O’Farrell* and Marian Keyes, but Wales is following suit.”

*no, Maggie O'Farrell's not a chick lit author and while she was born in Ireland, she actually grew up in England and Wales!

So what do you think? Could Wales threaten Ireland as chick lit central?

Related posts: The Truth About Ruby Valentine by Alison Bond | Marian Keyes interview | After You'd Gone by Maggie O'Farrell

Is The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls... an insult to women's intelligence?

In The Guardian books blog, writer Melissa McClements despairs of a new book, The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls, which apparently is (according to the book's website): "... an irresistible celebration of girlhood, exquisitely illustrated, deliciously packaged and packed with exciting things to keep every girl, from eight to 80, entertained throughout the years ... It will take women back to a time when we made cup cakes with our grandmothers and a campfire with our friends, we played hopscotch, and domestic crafts were celebrated."

But are books like this undoing the good work of feminism by encouraging women and men to adopt stereotypical gender roles? Or should the liberated woman bake if she wants to? Is it patronising to have a book for 'girls' rather than 'women' and is it even more patronising to assume we all like the same traditional pursuits?

Also... is it wrong that I became very excited when I saw the website contains instructions on doing a proper french plait? (Finally!)

Related: Gloria Steinem on chick lit.

E Lockhart and friends on YouTube

In our interview with E Lockhart yesterday, she mentioned that sometimes she likes to write in a coffee shop with novelist friends Maureen Johnson, John Green and Scott Westerfeld. What she didn't say was that some of these writing sessions have been captured on video and posted on YouTube for our enjoyment:

Related posts: YA author Maureen Johnson's book The Burmudez Triangle banned! | Looking for Alaska by John Green

Bridalwave's book giveaway

Our all-things-weddingy sister site, Bridalwave, has got a fabulous book giveaway (as have we!).

They've got five copies of Wedding Belles by Zoe Barnes and Tales from a Hen Weekend by Olivia Ryan to be won. Plus tons of excellent wedding-related info and fabulously entertaining columns (yes, okay, I write one of them).

Related: Asking for Trouble/The Wedding Date | Discworld wedding cake anyone? | Thursday Three: Marriage and Mayhem

BOOK REVIEW: Scot on the Rocks by Brenda Janowitz

Brenda Janowitz's debut novel, Scot on the Rocks, is subtitled "How I survived my ex-boyfriend's wedding with my dignity ever-so-slightly intact" and is the tale of lawyer Brooke Miller, whose boyfriend dumps her just before her ex-boyfriend's wedding, which they were supposed to attend together.

Too embarrassed to tell her ex, Trip, that she's now single (he's marrying a Hollywood superstar, after all) she convinces her friend and colleague, Jack, to accompany her and pretend to be her fiance, Douglas. Her Scottish fiance, Douglas. I feel I want to say "with hilarious consequences" here, probably because I bet you can imagine exactly what happens.

Despite its predictability, I really enjoyed Scot on the Rocks, though I did have a few problems with it. Douglas is so, so awful that I couldn't imagine what Brooke ever saw in him, plus her attentions switch to Jack a bit too quickly to be convincing. I would have liked to have got to know both Jack and Brooke's best friend Vanessa a bit better (although I can see Vanessa having her own book in the future).

Despite the above, I enjoyed Scot on the Rocks predominantly because of Brooke's voice. She's sweet and very funny and I really enjoyed her asides to the reader. As a character, she'll stick in my mind, but I'm not sure if the book will. I'll certainly be keen to read Brenda Janowitz's next book though.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Talk Gertie to Me by Lois Winston

Look out for a big Scot on the Rocks giveaway next week

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: Truman Capote

Yes, I know he's not a woman! But he's still a Trailblazer, and he created Holly Golightly so even though he was WRONG about Audrey Hepburn (he hated her as Holly and wanted Marilyn Monroe in the part) I forgive him.

The author of Breakfast at Tiffany's of course, he also wrote other novels, short stories, plays and a musical but his best work is probably In Cold Blood, the meticulously-researched (sometimes a bit too closely, perhaps!) work of 'faction', which inspired hundreds of writers to turn their pens to narrative non-fiction. The book is compelling, stark, brutal and perfectly evocative of the horrible murders it describes. It lives with the reader for a long time.

On a lighter note, Capote was a legendarily fabulous party host and gossip, and lifelong friend of Harper Lee, who used him as the basis for the character of Dill Harris in To Kill A Mockingbird. He was also openly gay in an era were being honest about homosexuality was much rarer than it is today.

Unfortunately in his later years, Truman descended into depression and alcoholism, dying at just 59, but his great works live on.

Thursday Trailblazer archives.

Do you read in bed?

For me, the day isn't complete unless I can turn back my bed covers and turn back my book cover at the same time: I lurrrrrve to read in bed, and doing so very rarely keeps me awake - although it may occasionally keep me up past my bedtime!

According to new research, people who work in publishing have no time or energy to read in bed, however. 45% of them prefer to hop into bed and go straight to the land of nod, whereas 47% of the general public, like me, love to curl up in bed with a good book.

What about you - do you read in bed? If not, where do you do most of your reading? (If it's the loo, feel free to fib...)

Related: What's on your bedside table? 

BOOK REVIEW: Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye by Victoria Laurie

Reviewed by Bag Lady extraordinaire Nicola Pedley...

Victoria Laurie is a professional psychic who uses her gift to help police investigations. Her character, Abby Cooper, is a professional psychic who finds herself using her gift to help police investigations. Victoria Laurie lives in Massachusetts with her dachshunds, Lilly and Toby. Abby Cooper lives in Detroit with her dachshund, Eggy… Frustrated by clichéd representations of psychics as kooks and crooks, Ms. Laurie has (clearly!) drawn on her own experiences to create the character of Abby Cooper, Psychic Eye.

Abby Cooper is looking for some excitement because she feels so vanilla – she needs a bit of hot fudge topping. Most people would think that being a P.I., Psychic Intuitive, would be exciting enough but it’s not until a client winds up dead that Abby realises that hot fudge isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Despite helping solve white collar crimes Abby has never offered information to the police, and with good reason. When she inadvertently relates her visions of her clients murder to Detective Dutch Rivers she soon becomes the prime suspect. After all, there are no such things as psychics so how else could she possibly know all the details of the crime???

In most cosy mysteries the heroine solves the crime because she has an amazing run of luck and is privy to all the local gossip and by putting the two together she solves the mystery and saves the day.

Ms Laurie’s neat little twist – giving Abby visions – is, in my opinion, a nicer solution. Of course, her ability isn’t infallible and Abby often ignores her intuitions - she’d go crazy if she listened to them all the time, and the mystery would be solved about half way through the book. But with a nice supporting cast: the potential cop boyfriend, rich businesswoman older sister, and Dave the handyman, not to mention Eggy the dachshund, this is a really enjoyable read and Ms Laurie gives us an insight into being a professional psychic.

And if you really enjoy the book you can contact Ms Laurie via her website to book a reading of your own!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris or One For the Money by Janet Evanovich.

BOOK REVIEW: Queen of Broken Hearts by Cassandra King

Reviewed by Diane Johnston of Corrieblog...

Dr. Clare Ballenger is a divorce coach, helping women cope with the loss of a crumbled marraige, guiding them to start afresh and let go of the past. The only problem is, she's still recovering from a more tragic loss herself.

And she has a second chance at love with not just one man but two - but will she be able to let go of the past and move on? Can the doctor heal herself?

I've never read any of Cassandra King's work before so I opened Queen of Broken Hearts without any preconceptions. I was pleased to discover that the main character, Dr. Clare Ballenger, her best friend Dory Rogers, and both of Clare's potential lovers are my age (late 40s) or older. It's nice when you can identify with the people you meet in books. I, too, have been divorced so I can relate to that aspect of the story as well.

The book takes place in Alabama and is filled with colourful peripheral characters. The narrative is in the first person present most of the time, except when Clare takes the reader back to fill in some of the blanks that she constantly opens up. Some she fills in straight away and some take a while but be patient, they will get filled in eventually. I did find that a bit disconcerting, being left hanging at times wondering what she meant when she hinted at something that happened the previous summer or even years before.

There is a romance threading its bumpy way through the book, with all the ups and downs you might expect. The ups and downs do not include juicy sex scenes, so if you're looking for that, look the other way. In this case, the story doesn't really need it because it's not about that. It's about women rediscovering themselves as they approach middle age after their lives change completely and often traumatically. It's about women supporting each other and it's about friendship and love in all the best ways. I'm rating it a little less than perfect, though, because I did find the author's style of leaving you wondering about those blanks a bit annoying at times even though all the loose ends were tied up at the end.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try How Will I Know? By Sheila O’Flanagan.

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

I found this piece on the Guardian books blog interesting, as it reflects some of my own uncertainty about books like The Lovely Bones. Although I enjoyed that book (or found it a very good read; 'enjoyed' is probably not the right word for a novel about a murdered teenager...) the parts of the novel set in 'heaven' didn't ring true to me - how could they? No-one knows for sure what heaven is like, or if it even exists. Chris Power, who wrote the Guardian article agrees, saying that Lovely Bones is a very readable book but "Susie's narration softens the facts of her horrific death and throws open the door to mawkishness."

So what do you think: does a narration from beyond the grave give a book an added mystique? Or perhaps make the death in the book less harrowing? Or can it ruin things for the reader?

Is it a Yay or a Nay, and why?

Yay or Nay archives. - A more cheery topic next week, I promise!

[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!]

TV NEWS: Jpod

Douglas Coupland's novel about the digital generation, jPod is to be made into a TV mini-series by Canadian network CBC, reports Bookninja. Coupland (who is Canadian) also wrote the series, which will air in Canada in January 2008.

No news yet on whether it will cross over to Britain but sounds like it could be good!

More TV news: Women's Murder Club | Gentle men & Players set for TV | Chick lit on TV

BOOK REVIEW: The Washingtonienne by Jessica Cutler

Jessica Cutler is probably the most notorious of all the people to have been fired for blogging at work. Not only did she work for a senator in Washington, D.C but she wrote about the six different men she was having sex with and all of their sexual peccadilloes... and her own. She blogged anonymously, but was found out through word-of-mouth (and eventually, hard disk evidence) and unceremoniously 'let go' from her job. Instead of hiding in a dark corner, she decided to capitalise on the subsequent media attention she received, and used it to get a book deal (with a 6-figure advance). The Washingtonienne isn't her blog in book form, however; it's novel based on her experiences.

Jackie Turner is a New York transplant in America's capital, working for a senator, having her apartment paid for by two wealthy men she sleeps with, one of whom pays her for the privilege. Then she starts a blog, which causes a huge scandal.

'Semi-autobiographical' doesn't quite seem to cover it!....

I must admit there were times I forgot I wasn't reading a memoir. I always find it hard to get a handle on novels based heavily on the author's experiences - I always want to know exactly which bits are true. If the lawsuit against her is anything to go by, however, Cutler's debut is very close to the truth.

It's witty and readable but the narrator has a very dark world view and it's full of drug-taking and sordid sex (which on one occasion seemed uncomfortably close to rape to me) and the narrator's presumption that most people live like her (those that don't are stupid/boring) and that these things are what constitute 'fun'. Yet puking purple bile into bushes on the way to work and snorting drugs off - well, you'll have to read the book - doesn't sound much fun to me. Although I did feel a bit jealous that she could watch Law & Order all day...

This is definitely a novel in the anti-heroine trend, saved from being appalling by the snappy writing and (finally!) the narrator's insight into her behaviour towards the end of the book. Not everyone will enjoy reading this, some people will find it shameless, I just found it left me with a bit of a nasty taste in my mouth at times. And yet I kind of enjoyed it (she said, in horrified disbelief) and it was certainly entertaining. If anyone else has read it (perhaps for Mamapop's book club) I'd love to know what you thought.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler.

COMPETITION: Second Summer Special competition

Yes, the winner of last week's competition has been picked and the book will be on the way tomorrow. (No, really, it will.)

This week's comp is for Gwen Cooper's Diary of a South Beach Party Girl (and a review will be coming soon too).

So let's see... a question. South Beach is in Miami. Miami Sound Machine were from Miami. Name the singer of Miami Sound Machine. (My husband told me last week's question was too easy, so I've made this week's a little bit harder.)

Email us the answer, (subject line: Party Girl) along with your name and address, before midnight (GMT) next Tuesday (the 31st) and the books (we've got two this week) will be in the post on Thursday (no, really, they will).

Whatever would I do without brackets?

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: E Lockhart

We're huge fans of E Lockhart here at Trashionista - see reviews here, here and here! - so we're very excited that she's answered our questions.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

The Boy Book - Hyperverbal teenage girl. Rogue ex-boyfriends. Exploitation of hooters. Terrors of school trip. With penguins!

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

I have a tiny tiny office/closet with dark pink walls and built-in bookshelves. There are pictures pinned up  all over and stacks of papers everywhere. I have coffee and diet ginger ale and absolute silence. Although sometimes, for variety, I write in a coffee shop with my novelist friends Maureen Johnson, John Green and Scott Westerfeld.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Bridget Jones' Diary by Helen Fielding. And the sequel, Edge of Reason. Why? Because I laughed out loud. Repeatedly.  Especially at the bit about loaning out the wonderbra in prison. I love stylized prose and outrageous situations. I adore Louise Rennison's books for the same reasons.

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

Bridget Jones makes me laugh, but for a favorite character I prefer more inner steel. Jo March, from Little Women, is probably the character I think of most often in daily life. I think about her charity, her impulse for goodness, and the way it combined with her unconventionality and her love of hilarity and storytelling. She was figuring out how to be a woman, and a writer, and a good person -- all of which are things I still deal with every day.

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

Finish your book. The big difference between me and many  equally (or more) talented but unpublished writers is that I sit down every weekday and write. I finish a project, revise extensively, and begin the next one within a reasonable time frame.  It is the discipline and the finishing that make the difference, not the talent.

What are you reading at the moment?

I have approximately twenty books going at any one time, plus audiobooks. Mainly I read chick lit, literary fiction, food books, mysteries, travel writing, and humor.

Currently in my pile:  Water for Elephants (Sara Gruen), Twelve Sharp (Janet Evanovich), Home to Big Stone Gap (Adriana Trigiani) [hope she likes it better than we did], Size Twelve is Not Fat (Meg Cabot), Laughing Gas (P.G. Wodehouse), The Bookwoman's Last Fling (John Dunning), The Coffee Trader (David Liss).

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

In the UK, the novel coming out after THE BOY BOOK will be FLY ON THE WALL: HOW ONE GIRL SAW EVERYTHING. It's about a teenage girl at a New York City art school who's a collector of odd objects and a Spider-man fan. She's also very freaked by the opposite sex, and one day she wishes she could be a fly on the wall of the boys' locker room in her high school, just to see what guys talk about when girls are not around. And the next thing she knows, she is. A fly. On the wall of the boys' locker room. She sees it all -- and I mean, all. [We've read it. We loved it.]

But truthfully, that book came out in the states in 2006, so I haven't exactly been working on it. I've been finishing The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, which is a novel about a  boarding school girl who infiltrates and eventually dominates her boyfriend's all-male secret society. It was really  hard to write because I had to devise all these complicated pranks and secret society rituals, but in the end I'm quite pleased with it. It comes out in the USA in March 2008. I don't know about the UK yet!

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:  Would you like me to take you to a stylist who will give you the perfect haircut? Because really, you shouldn't be cutting your hair yourself any more, my dear, and I know you keep having bad stylist experiences.
Answer:  Yes please!

Thanks, E!

BOOK REVIEW: The Late Bloomer's Revolution by Amy Cohen

I'd never heard of Amy Cohen, but the title of her memoir - The Late Bloomer's Revolution - appealed to me. Add this to raves from Melissa Bank and O Magazine and I couldn't wait to crack it open.

Not long after her beloved mother dies of cancer, Amy gets both fired and dumped by the man she thought she was going to marry (this wasn't an idle assumption, he told her so just a week earlier), Amy has to accept that she's nowhere near where she wanted to be in her thirties. Once the hideous psychosomatic rash (on her face!) has cleared up, she starts dating again and encounters a catalogue of losers and idiots, with the occasional promising man turning out to be just another loser or idiot. (I've read this type of story in many, many books, so I guess it must be true - but what on earth would possess a man to say, "You know how I feel about you, don't you?", promise to call in ten hours and then never contact her again? What?).

I actually really enjoyed this book, but it wasn't at all as advertised. The back cover says "... the heartwarming story of how so many things came gloriously late for Amy Cohen" but they don't, not really. She learns to cook and ride a bike, she develops (following the loss of her mother) a fantastic relationship with her father, but this book was far, far more about dating than anything else and I found the ending to be a terrible cop-out - you can't spend 287 pages saying one thing and then change your mind completely on the 288th and call it a revolution.

I did love Amy though and the book was like listening to a particularly funny friend, I just wish the ending had been different.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn

BOOK REVIEW: Marked by PC Cast and Kristin Cast

Reviewed by Trashionista reader Angela Richardson...

This book is the first in the House of Night series, where P.C & Kristin Cast have created a world where vampires have always existed. For all Buffy addicts like me who have been suffering from the void of losing their favourite series… we may have been sent a form of methadone from our American friends.

Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has been Marked, to the disgust of her friends, who watch her become sicker and sicker in daylight hours. She is rushed to the House of Night, a school where she will train to become an adult vampire. That is if she survives the Change. Not all of those chosen do. It’s tough being away from all that she knows and on top of that Zoey finds that she’s no average fledging. The vampire goddess Nyx has marked her as special. When she discovers the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school’s most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must find the courage within herself to set things back to the way they should be.

Okay this is probably teen lit but I tell all you parents now, keep it for yourself and only when you finish it wrap it up as the present you intended. Parents will also be pleasantly surprised at Zoey’s moralistic side to her character that, to cut a long story short, tells teens it’s not cool to be a slut or a drunk.

The only annoying thing about this book is the similarities to Harry Potter. Zoey hates her family and gets whisked away from her horrible life to a magical school, okay it’s for vampires and not witches and wizards, but you get the point. Plus she is separated out from the other pupils as special by a different mark on her forehead… now we’re getting a bit too close to Harry’s scar. This is a shame because the plot is much better than Rowling’s over hyped books. [Ooh! - Diane]

Of course this was always going to be compared to Buffy as it is a teen novel that contains vampires, but I see this as a good thing as there are no other similarities in the plot. It’s like Buffy’s arch-enemy vampire has written a book to show the world that they aren’t all nasty blood sucking fiends, but have a gentler side too: awww!

Overall this was fast paced, funny and exciting. It held my attention all the way through and Zoey grows into a feisty heroine who’d I’d definitely want on my side. (That is if I ever got into a fight between vampires… yes I know I’ve been watching way too much sci-fi.)

Go give your self a well-needed mental holiday from all the everyday stresses and strains and read this book. I guarantee you’ll come away refreshed and ready to fight another day.

Rating: 5/5.

Like this? Try Carpe Demon by Julie Kenner.

MOVIE NEWS: The Lovely Bones

Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones is one of the most successful books of recent years (and also top of a list of books you shouldn't bother to read) and now the inevitable movie details have been announced.

Peter Jackson (Lord of the Rings, King Kong) has co-written the screenplay and will direct and Stanley Tucci (The Devil Wears Prada) is in negotiations to play killer George Harvey.

 

Susie Salmon will be played by Saoirse Ronan and Ryan Gosling and Rachel Weisz will play her parents.

[via BuzzSugar]

Related posts: New book by Alice Sebold | Books the British public just couldn't finish!

Summer Special Tuesday 3 - Paris

I thought I'd do something a bit different with the Summer Special Tuesday 3s. Each week I'm going to pick a place and feature three books set there, which we may or may not have reviewed. (And there may be more than 3...) Ooh. Controversial!

So first up is Paris, mainly because I'm going there at the end of this week. Yes, I know I said I wasn't going on holiday until September, this isn't a holiday, it's a Bridget Jones style romantic mini-break ... with cycling (we're going to see the end of the Tour de France). But back to the books...

First up is Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman. Weekend in Paris is not my favourite of Sisman's books (that would be Perfect Strangers), but it's definitely escapist. Molly is given the opportunity to accompany her boss to Paris, but then learns he plans to seduce her and so runs away to Paris on her own. She then meets a bunch of people and has a life-changingly exciting weekend. In Paris.

Diane has loaned me Kate Muir 's Left Bank to take with me this weekend, so it had better be good. It's the story of a glamorous French philosopher and a gorgeous American actress. In Paris. And it looks gorgeous.

Paris Hangover by Kirsten Lobe features Klein, a New Yorker trying to find the right man. In Paris.

Paulina Porizkova's debut novel, A Model Summer is also set in Paris  as is Julia Holden's new book, One Dance in Paris and Sabine Durrant's YA novel Ooh La La, Connie Pickles (which I loved).

If you've read any of the above, let us know what you think. And feel free to tell us about your favourite Paris novel.

Plus if you've got a pash for Paris, you should check out writer Gabrielle Luthy's site - more Paris links than you could possibly ever need!

BOOK NEWS: Fitness Kills by Helen Barer

Here's another good reason not to go to the gym: you might get murdered...

The first in a new series by Helen Barer, Fitness Kills is a mystery in the same tradition as books like Steamed.

There’s been a murder at an elite spa in Baja, California and no one is safe, especially Nora Franke, a New York food writer who came to the spa to make over its menu. But she didn’t count on murder as the main course.

Carry on over the cut to find out more...

Nora’s life is in desperate need of a change and when the opportunity arises to become a menu consultant at a ritzy fitness spa she jumps at the chance to get out of town. Nursing a broken heart and hoping to drop 30 pounds in the process, Nora heads off full of hope. When a spa guest is found dead, she realizes she got more than she bargained for.

Unless she can solve the mystery of who’s behind the death of two of the guests, Nora might just be the next victim. As Nora digs into the spa, its history, and its curious guests, she finds more than she expected on her plate, including a second guest who dies right in front of her eyes. Then, when her ex-lover comes to her rescue, she knows she needs to solve this mystery – or die trying.

Read an excerpt here.

Related: Book news archives.

BOOK REVIEW: Second Chance by Jane Green

It's funny, I mentioned in the introduction to our interview with Jane Green that she's one of the most divisive chick lit authors: you either love her or hate her. Um, except that I didn't love her or hate her. I hated Straight Talking and loved Bookends and wasn't that fussed on Babyville. So I guess that would put me in the "meh" category. But still I thought I had a strong sense of what Jane Green's novels were like and I felt (without having read most of them...) that I didn't like them (which, yes, I now appreciate was stupid, but these things happen). So I approached Second Chance with trepidation...

When Tom is killed in a terrorist attack, his old school friends (who, over the years, haven't kept in touch with each other, but did all keep in touch with Tom) meet for his memorial service and find themselves, for various reasons, enjoying being back in each other's lives again. Holly is stuck in a loveless marriage, but finds herself becoming attracted to Tom's brother, Will. Paul and Anna have been trying to have a baby, but with cycle after cycle of IVF failing, are beginning to become disheartened. Alcoholic actress Saffron is having an affair with a married Hollywood superstar. Olivia is trying to get back on her feet after the end of the relationship she assumed was forever. Plus, of course, they've all got their grief and shock at losing Tom to deal with.

You probably won't be surprised to hear that I was surprised at how much I enjoyed Second Chance. Funnily enough, since Jane Green was one of the original chick litters, it's much more "women's fiction" than chick lit (is this inevitable as chick lit authors get older, married and have children? Probably). The characters are fairly stereotypical, but they're also believable and warm, particularly Holly whose story is more central than the others - I really liked her.

One complaint would be that all (or at least most) of the characters call each other "my darling". Doesn't matter if they're British, American or Swedish, it's all "my darling" all the time. (Plus there was the small matter of Holly - who lives in the UK - going off to Barnes & Noble, which we don't have in the UK...)

But that's just nitpicking, really. I found that the more I read Second Chance, the more I wanted to spend time with these character, the more I wanted everything to work out for them, and the more I realised how wrong I'd been about Jane Green.

Remember those adverts - "You know more Crowded House songs than you think you do"? You might find you like Jane Green more than you thought you would. Give her a second chance. (God, I didn't even plan that - I'm brilliant!)

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try 21 Dream Street by Lisa Jewell

More summer beach read giveaways from Bookreporter.com

Continuing our summer special-theme, "It wouldn't be summer without sun, surf and sizzling reading," says Bookreporter. So they're offering one reader a week the chance to win a beach bag of goodies, including a great summer read each week until August 24th.

The current book choice is Second Choice by Jane Green, and past books include The Manny and Anybody Out There? So you could find some great reading recommendations over the next few weeks, whether you win or not!

And don't forget we'll be giving books away every week for the rest of the summer, too!

The best days to sell books?

You might think that the day the new (last) Harry Potter was released would be a bad day to try and get readers interested in buying any other kind of book, but you would be wrong.

That's according to Elaine Viets of The Lipstick Chronicles blog. In a recent post, she explains why Harry Potter nights can be one of the very best days to sell books.

Find out more here (and don't forget to check out the rest of this excellent blog!

Related: Book websites archive.

Blair Underwood on BookVideos.tv

Last week we told you about Blair Underwood's first novel and here he is having an interesting discussion on BookVideos.tv. And, yes, looking scrumptious.

What's your favourite beach read?

Well, the weather's gone bad again here in the UK, but I haven't forgotten our Summer Special. Last week I asked about your holiday reading style and this week I'd like recommendations for your favourite beach read.

Which book is most likely to make your flight, well, fly by? Which paperback should we all be sure to pack?

And don't forget you've still got one day to enter our first Summer Special competition. Good luck.

Hugh Jackman loves chick lit

We've previously featured a number of Hollywood stars who are big fans of book-to-movie adaptations (see "Related posts" below) and Hugh Jackman is no exception. The difference with Hugh is that he seems to be chick lit mad.

He appeared in Someone Like You/Animal Attraction, based on the novel by Laura Zigman. He's currently got If You Could See Me Now (based on Cecelia Ahern's book) in development.

Plus, he appeared, as we've already mentioned, in Paperback Hero (while not based on a chick lit book, is about a romance author).

I wonder if it's Mrs Jackman giving him book recommendations or if he's just in touch with his feminine side.

(This post was in no way an excuse to feature this photo of a shirtless Hugh Jackman and I resent any such suggestion!)

Related posts: George Clooney | Brad Pitt | Kirsten Dunst | Scarlett Johanssen

MORE ON MONDAY: The Complete Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby

Subtitled 'The Diary of an occasionally exasperated but ever hopeful reader", Nick Hornby's new work of non-fiction The Complete Polysyllabic Spree comprises 3 years of his What I'm Reading columns for The Believer magazine.

He starts each column with two lists: books bought that month, and books read that month, which often differ substantially! He then talks about what he read (and sometimes what he bought) that month, and why.

Anyone who's read Fever Pitch (or per haps 31 Songs) will know how good a non-fiction writer Hornby is. After falling out with the author (admittedly it was a one-sided argument) after reading his - ugh- How to be Good I was happy to find that I could still love this author's work!

His discussion of the reasons we read the books we do, and the influences on his own reading is intelligent but always accessible: although he often enjoys what could be called 'highbrow' books, his approach to them is down-to-earth. I knew I was going to love this non-snobbish analysis when in the introduction, Hornby rails against literary snobbery. He says,

"In Britain, more than twelve million adults have a reading age of thirteen or under, and yet some clever-dick journalist still insists on telling us that unless we're reading something proper, then we might as well not bother at all... reading for enjoyment is what we should all be doing."

Hear hear!

I just have a couple of slight criticisms about this otherwise excellent book: whenever Nick reads (and abandons) a book he hates, he isn't allowed to name it in his column, as the ethos of The Believer is to not slag people off. But surely he could have elaborated in this book? Second, although the inclusion of passages of books he enjoyed is probably a good idea, for me it slowed down the narrative - I wanted to find out what Nick read next!

But I raced through this, and it only inspired me to read more. Funny, entertaining and book-related - what more could a reader want?

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson.

BOOK REVIEW: An Absolute Scandal by Penny Vincenzi

Reviewed by freelance writer and Trashionista fan Hannah Davies...

Coming in at 768 pages in the hardback edition, and set amidst the complex financial dealings of the City in the Eighties, Penny Vincenzi's latest novel An Absolute Scandal seems a daunting prospect. Potential readers should bear in mind, however, that this is less than half the size of War and Peace. More importantly, An Absolute Scandal is a very good read overall.

All the classic Vincenzi ingredients are here: a glittering backdrop of wealth and privilege, a large and diverse cast, some energetic sex and, well, plenty of scandal. An Absolute Scandal introduces the characters as they enjoy the kind of material success that, for some, typifies the early Eighties. As disaster strikes in the form of increasing debt to Lloyds Bank, the families are drawn together by their mutual monetary woes. This device is extremely well-handled: the explanations of the financial complexities are clear and accessible, and never take precedence over the gripping human drama. The plot skips lightly from Alice bands and Ferraris in London to well-heeled Americans in Boston, the savage beauty of the Welsh coastline and the glitzy world of the celebrity hairdresser, yet never loses its hold on the reader.

The main weakness is the sudden promotion of 'feisty' housewife Debbie to prominence during the second third of the novel. Although she is clearly intended to be an 'everywoman' counterbalance to the assorted wealthy Sloanes, her character fails to convince, and her struggle to balance the duties of family with the demands of career flirts at times with tedium.

In addition, after a long and intense build-up, the ending feels rushed and somehow not entirely satisfying. Nevertheless, with its addictive plot and stylish narrative, I'd recommend this as a great holiday read. Even if you feel that it is not quite up to the standard of Penny Vincenzi's previous books, you can always use this hefty tome for impromptu arm-toning exercises by the pool. However, be prepared to take less sarongs and sandals than usual, or you might end up paying excess baggage charges!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Adored by Tilly Bagshawe.

But what about Christmas? *hides*

We may be firmly in summer mode right now (despite the weather) but the publishing industry is apparently now turning its attention to Christmas.

It seems unlikely that the new Harry Potter (yes, we'll shut up about it soon) will account for a large percentage of seasonal sales (everyone who wants one will surely have read a copy by then) so Publisher's News asks independent sellers who they tip as the big Christmas sellers.

Carry on over the cut for their ideas...

Predictions include high hopes for The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls and children's story The Nativity Story by Geraldine McCaughrean and Sophy Williams. Read more here.

Harriet Klausner: the speediest reviewer of all time... or a total con artist? Discuss.

Debate is raging is some corners of the bookish blogosphere about reader and reviewer Harriet Klausner's claims to have written over 12,000 reviews since the year 2000. (Makes my wrists seize up just thinking about typing that much!) That breaks down to 4 books a day, 7 days a week.

So is she a freakishly book-obsessed speed reading talent? Or a book blagger rather than a blogger, who's only pretending to have read some of the books she writes about and who makes things up based on the blurbs on the back of books? The fact that her reviews are almost always 4- and 5- starred has also raised suspicion.

Read more about this whole controversy over at Bloggasm...

Related: So Many Books, So Little Time | Top 10 burning book questions.

BOOK REVIEW: Nine Summers by Rina Huber

I've never sailed. I've never actually had much interest in sailing. But I am interested in travelling around the Mediterranean, so I expected Nine Summers to be a vicarious travel treat. I wasn't disappointed, but it's more than that too.

When Felix Huber is diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, he and his wife Rina decide to retire and spend however many years they have left sailing around the Mediterranean. Starting in France, they spend the next nine summers sailing their yacht Galatea from Italy to Greece to Turkey, even Israel. 

On the way, they have numerous, significant problems - Felix suffers a stroke practically before they've set off, Rina contracts breast cancer and also has to have a potentially paralysing back operation, and then Felix has a heart attack - but their positive attitude, lovely natures and deep love for each other carry them through everything.

I loved Nine Summers. It's not just a travel memoir, but a memoir of a relationship. The sections about Rina' childhood in Israel and Italy following her mother's death are moving, but it's Rina and Felix's relationship that really shines through. Married for 50 years, they were still best friends who were happy - in fact more than happy - to spend 24 hours a day together in a very enclosed space.

By the end of the book I'd fallen in love with both of them. It didn't make me want to sail, but it did make me want to go and hug my husband.

A really lovely book.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Summer At Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

Fancy a bookswapping party?

Bethanne Patrick of Publishers Weekly writes about a bookswapping party she recently attended:

The rules were, and remain, elegantly simple: bring any books in good condition that you're finished owning. You can take the same number as you bring (although by each bookswapping night's end, this rule is usually broken). We pile the books in a central location, pour wine and beer, and grab plates of nosh.

It was easy, it was fun, and everyone went home with something new. (There are always books left over, and it's up to the evening's host to scoop them all up and keep them, or give them to a library... the latter always wins. After all, we need room for the new ones we've collected.)

Sounds great, yes? If any of my friends actually lived anywhere near me, I'd so be doing this! Has anyone actually had one of these parties or attended one?

Related posts: Tuesday Three: In the Club | Jen Lancaster launches MamaPop's book club | Book clubs - not just for books?

WIN! A beach read with Dorothy Perkins

100 copies of The Seven Year Itch, out now in paperback, are up for giveaway in a Dorothy Perkins beach read prize draw.

The latest book from husband-wife writing team/phenomenon Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees, The Seven Year Itch is about, well... that fabled seven year itch of course. According to the Dotty P website:

It's seven years since Jack and Amy got married, they're still in love, they've got a son, they're happy... except, the grass is beginning to look a little greener on the other side. Witty and honest, The Seven Year Itch is the perfect beach read for anyone who's ever asked: "Is this it"?

Carry on over the cut to find out how to win a copy.

Simply click here, fill in your details, and cross your fingers - good luck! Entries close 1st Augus