Trashionista: November 2007

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November 30, 2007 6:40 PM

FRIDAY FLICK: Get Shorty

Geshorty We love Elmore Leonard here at Trashionista and the films are often as good (gasp) as the books.

In Get Shorty, John Travolta plays Chili Palmer, a Miami loan shark who's been sent to L.A. to collect on a bad debt from movie producer Harry Zimm (Gene Hackman).

Chili is also a film buff with a script idea, and he decides to become a producer. However, he's not the only mobster who wants a piece of the film action, and double-crossing fun begins.

Stuffed to the gills with Hollywood jokes, celebrity cameos, snappy dialogue and laughs, this is a great film and a very funny satire. I love Rene Russo's turn as a B-movie actress and Chili's love interest, too.

Like this? Try: Jackie Brown

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 30, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Crime / Mystery, Friday Flick | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Chinese Whispers by Marisa Mackle

Chinesewhipsers When we meet Fiona Lemon, she hates her temp job as a PA, rants about bad dates, and is need of a new flatmate after a misunderstanding with her best friend, Ellie. Yep, it's a classic chick lit opening. Unfortunately, the situation with Ellie is quite minor, and I didn't believe they wouldn't just talk about and make up... Still, I persevered with Chinese Whispers, and I'm glad I did.

Fiona lands a job as gossip columnist for Irish Femme and the hilarious insider's peek at celebrity party-life and magazine journalism is a treat.

Fiona gains a flatmate - Bunny Maguire - who is looking for a new start after a disastrous relationship. Bunny accompanies Fiona out on the town and inadvertently becomes a 'celebrity'.

Fiona has a likeable voice and the plot zings along, but there were a couple of problems for me...

First is a personal bug-bear, so feel free to ignore my ranting if you don't share it. The text is clogged with exclamation marks, which, for me, spoils a lot of the humour. For the record: if a line is funny, the exclamation mark is redundant. If the line isn't funny, the exclamation mark is irritating.

Okay. Still with me? My second problem was the handling of one plot strand. I don't want to give too much away about the ending, but it felt very out of kilter with the light-hearted feel of the book. Also, I felt that Fiona (and Bunny's) attitude to Bunny's abusive ex-partner just wasn't believeable. They simply didn't seem bothered in the way I would've expected them to be...

Still. This was a fun, quick read and I would certainly try another of Mackle's books.

Rating: 3/5

Like this: Try: Miss Understanding by Stephanie Lessing

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 30, 2007 in Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Anna Davis

Yes, I know we've already had an author interview this week, but - call it end of November madness - here's another. Anna Davis is the author of The Shoe Queen, which, if you like books and you like shoes (and, let's face it, who doesn't?) should be right up your alley. Review coming soon. (Do you know, I actually thought about writing "shoe-n" then. I need a holiday.)

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Passionate affair between a married society woman and a famous shoe designer
in 1920s Paris.

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

I would LIKE to write them in a sparsely furnished house at an exotic location with a great view of mountains, sea etc. I ACTUALLY write them in a very cluttered, dusty study that I share with my husband, while looking out the window at the hideous cladding on the house across the road.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

I don't really read chicklit. If you can include historical fiction in that, I'd say Suzannah Dunn's The Sixth Wife, which I read recently.

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

Undine Spragg in Edith Wharton's The Custom of the Country. She's a kind of Footballer's wife on the loose in the genteel society drawing rooms of early 1900s New York. She's sort of hideous but you have to love her for it.

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

One of the things that makes a really good novelist is the ability to edit and rewrite (over and over if necessary). Writing the first draft of a novel can be fun, but it's when you reach the end that the real work begins. Also, don't do it for the money - the money's usually rubbish.

What are you reading at the moment?

Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel. It's a spooky novel about a fat clairvoyant!

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

A novel set in 1920s London, about a gossip columnist (she'd be one of the earliest columnists) who meets and falls for two charismatic Americans who are sworn enemies.

Do you have a theme song?

Nah. I've always got a song on the brain and today it's Franz Ferdinand's Take Me Out. More often than not it's something my 4-year-old daughter listens to all the time, like Bob the Builder or Alice the Camel. Argghh!

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!)

Q: What's your guilty secret?
A: All of my heroines in my novels have a guilty secret. The secret lies behind and at the heart of everything and is often the reason they behave the way they do (badly). It's a question I should be asked but which I probably wouldn't answer!

Thanks, Anna!

Posted by Keris on November 30, 2007 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Agnes & The Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

A new Jennifer Crusie novel is always a treat, but lately, you don't just get Jennifer Crusie - her last three novels have been collaborations. First Don't Look Down, the first "romantic adventure" written with Bob Mayer, then The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, written with Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart and now another Bob Mayer partnership: Agnes & The Hitman. I've read so much about Agnes & The Hitman on Crusie's blog that I've been desperate to read it almost from the time they started writing it ... I finally got the chance and I wasn't disappointed.

"Cranky" Agnes Crandall is a food writer, who has just had moderate success with a book called Mob Food. She's also recently bought her dream house, in partnership with her fiance, Taylor, but part of the property agreement was that she host a wedding for the previous owner's granddaughter. Unfortunately, Brenda (the previous owner), will get the house back if the wedding doesn't happen and, since that's what she wants, she's going all out to sabotage the wedding.

When a man with a gun turns up in Agnes's kitchen (ostensibly to kidnap her dog), her friend Joey calls a hitman named Shane to come and protect Agnes. But Shane's got problem's of his own. His boss is retiring and wants Shane to take over ... and it appears before long that someone's trying to kill him too.

My head hurts from trying to explain any aspect of this story without giving something away, but it's not so complicated when you read it, honest (okay, it's a little bit complicated, but, like Janet Evanovich's books, if you don't struggle to place everyone and just let it all wash over you instead, it all becomes clear in the end). Plus - and you'll know this if you read Crusie's blog - there are flamingoes.

I liked Agnes & the Hitman even better than Don't Look Down (and I liked Don't Look Down a lot). Agnes now joins the (long) list of my favourite Crusie characters and Shane is sex on legs. The minor characters are charming, hilarious and completely barmy and it's so skillfully done that you can't see the join between Crusie and Mayer's writing (even though you know that if there's any "YEC - Yucky Emotional Crap", it's unlikely to be Bob). Still, the YEC (which is neither yucky nor crap), the guns, bombs, boats, dogs and flamingoes all come together perfectly to create a gripping, romantic and fun read.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer or any of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, starting with One for the Money

Posted by Keris on November 30, 2007 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Rating: 4/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (2)

MOVIE MAGIC: Decent Exposure

Sarah's just read and enjoyed Phillipa Ashley's Decent Exposure and Phillipa's emailed us with some exciting news.

The TV/movie the rights have been optioned by Fox, which is part of 20th Century Fox. If they go ahead with the project, Phillipa says, it seems most likely it is going to be a TV movie. A writer/producer has been assigned, but no casting news as yet.

So any suggestions? Who do you think would be good for the heroine, Emma? And what about "Mr July"?

Related posts: Phillipa Ashley's Decent Exposure wins the Joan Hessayon New Writers' Scheme Award | Wish You Were Here by Phillipa Ashley | More Movie Magic

Posted by Keris on November 30, 2007 in Movie Magic, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (8)

November 29, 2007 6:36 PM

Chick Lit Heroine Grudge Match: Suze v Isabel

It seems that last week you were ambivalent about the fate of Maggie Walsh (Angels) and Sadie Nelson (The Sweetest Taboo).

Let's see if two YA chick lit heroines can spark a discussion... May I present two seriously cool sixteen year olds; Susannah Simon(Suze) and Isabel (Belle).

Susannah Simon

The books: The Mediator series by Meg Cabot: Love You to Death, High Stakes, Mean Spirits, Young Blood, Grave Doubts and Heaven Sent.

Loves: Her ancient leather jacket, her friends.

Men: Jesse. Very hot and unfortunately dead. Haunts her bedroom.

hoe Isabel ('Belle')

The book: Let's Get Lost by Sarra Manning.

Loves: Not much. Isabel rules school with an iron fist; even her friends are scared of her.

Men: Atticus Smith. Isabel meets Smith at a party. He is lovely and seems to like her, but he's also older, and she lies to him. Lots.

Conclusion: If this was a contest based on covers, Isabel would win hands down, even though Suze has got more of them... Isabel is quite a hard character - she is not particularly likeable for the first part of the book; personally, I wouldn't like to fight her. However, Suze has lots of practice fighting ghosts (they can touch - and therefore hurt - her).

Or do you all think I should grow up and stop reading so much teenage fiction? (Don't answer that).

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 29, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Supernatural, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (4)

NaNoWriMo - I, er, missed it

So tomorrow is the last day of November and NaNoWriMo has completely passed me by. Thank goodness I wasn't trying to compete this year because no doubt I'd only have a couple of thousand words. Seriously (and I know I say this every year) where did November go?

So how did you all get on with National Novel Writing Month? Are you on course to type "The End" tomorrow? Have you finished already? Did you give up? Will you do it again next year? (I think I will. At least when I've got 1667 words to type each day, I actually *notice* November!)

Let us know.

Posted by Keris on November 29, 2007 in NaNovember | Permalink | Comments (12)

BOOK NEWS: The Smart One by Ellen Meister

I loved Ellen Meister's debut, Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA and I'm really looking forward to her next book. Sadly, it's going to be a while. The Smart One is due out in August 2008. It sounds fantastic though, listen (or, rather, read):

Inspired by the true story of a bizarre Long Island murder, The Smart One is the story of three sisters, all living very different lives. Bev, always considered the smart one, is divorced, unemployed, and has left behind her artistic ambitions to pursue a career as a school teacher. She knows she hasn't lived up to her family's expectations, and struggles with facing their disappointment that the promise of her bright future never materialized.

Clare, the pretty one, married well and is living the life of the perfect suburban housewife and mother. Joey, the wild one, has successfully completed rehab, which is enough to impress everyone, despite the fact that her fifteen minutes of fame as the lead singer for one-hit rock band has long-since fizzled.

Like most sisters, Bev, Clare and Joey have never fully resolved the old slights and jealousies from years gone by. But they aren't the only ones with issues from the past. They're shocked to discover their next-door-neighbor, Sam Waxman, has his own skeleton in the closet or, more accurately, in the industrial drum hidden beneath his house. And when Bev and her sisters open the lid and see a human hand, the journey to revealing the secrets of their owns lives begins.

Okay, that sounds even better than Ellen Meister's first book. Roll on August 2008 (yep, that's me, wishing my life away for a book).

Posted by Keris on November 29, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (46)

BOOK COVER: Snowglobes

Last week, when I was looking at Kate Atkinson's covers, I spotted this one for Not the End of the World.

Isn't it beautiful? You can't go wrong with a snowglobe, in my opinion.

Related posts: The titles that got away | Book cover: The Godmother

Posted by Keris on November 29, 2007 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Insight Edition)

Reviewed by Jill Hart

I must admit, though somewhat shyly, that though I am a huge fan of Jane Austen I had never read Pride and Prejudice. I attempted to read it once during my high school years, but the language seemed confusing and I gave up. So, when Bethany House announced their new “Insight Edition” of Pride and Prejudice I jumped at the chance to read it.

This new printing of Austen’s beloved classic includes the original text, but also adds side notes giving the reader a brief definition of certain terms, customs and history behind Austen’s words. The book also includes movie facts and other entertaining tidbits that highlight that many works of art that Pride and Prejudice has inspired such as the 2005 movie starring Kiera Knightley.

The editors at Bethany house did a fantastic job at selecting passages to expound on. For example, Austen speaks of Mrs. Bennet saying, “The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.” In today’s culture this seems a bit, well, shallow, and yet the editors include a note that explains why this would have been so important a job for Mrs Bennet.

I can freely say that I loved the book even more than the movie and I felt the Insight Edition added a whole new dimension to Austen’s work. Jane Austen’s speaks for itself and yet the editors did a wonderful job of adding information that enriched the book and made it even more appealing.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (ha ha!)

Posted by Keris on November 29, 2007 in British Authors, Classic Novels, Rating: 5/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: What Looks Like Crazy by Charlotte Hughes

Whatlookslikecrazy I know Charlotte Hughes as Janet Evanovich's friend and co-author on the Full series, but apparently she's written over 30 romance books, too.

She's got a shiny new website (Charlotte's Web) and a new book coming out in February 2008. What Looks Like Crazy is the first of a series featuring psychologist Kate Holly.

Kate is divorcing Jay, her firefighter husband, who is perfect except for his tendency to put his life on the line. She is trying to deal with her mother, eccentric secretary and psychiatrist ex-boyfriend. The latter refers clients to her in return for news on the colour of her underwear.

As if things aren't nuts enough, Kate starts getting mysterious threats that could be from just about any lunatic in Atlanta. She's treated them all...

Related posts: Book News archive

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 29, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 28, 2007 1:53 PM

The Writers' Workshop resources

Whether you've started scribbling, have completed your magnum opus, or are just thinking about the possibility of one day, maybe, writing a book, check out The Writers' Workshop; they've put up a comprehensive list of articles with all you need to know.

[Thanks Emma]

Related posts: The Crusie/Mayer workshop | Tips for new writers

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 28, 2007 in Book Websites, Book related, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pushing Daisies

Pushing_daisies01 Pushing Daisies is a romantic black comedy with a fantastic premise. It features Ned, a man with a gift; his touch brings the dead back to life. Problem is, his next touch kills them again... Permanently.

PI Emerson Cod convinces Ned to help him by bringing murder victims back to life - briefly - so that they can name their killers.

It's airing on ABC in the US at the moment and since I don't live there - and it isn't on DVD, yet - I haven't seen it. I am, however, going to go right out on a limb and recommend you look out for it.

Why? Because Jennifer Crusie loves it and that, for me, is enough.

(FYI: Things I have watched and loved on Crusie's say-so: Buffy, Angel, Firefly, 10 Things I Hate About You.)

So. There you have it.

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 28, 2007 in Television, Trashionista Recommends | Permalink | Comments (6)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Alison Kervin

Alison Kervin's novel, A Wag's Diary, was one of the most eagerly anticipated books of this year (the first time we wrote about it there was a commenting frenzy - a frenzy!). I haven't had the chance to read it yet, but now that I've read about the sequel (see below) I can't wait. Also, Alison's answers are some of the best we've ever had!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A hilarious romp through the glamorous world of the Wags. [10 words! Get in! - Keris]

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

It varies from day-to-day, and from book to book, but this one I found such fun to write that I just sat at my desk every day and wrote … that doesn’t usually happen. With most of my books, I like to be out somewhere (there’s a coffee shop at the gym where I take up residence day after day, drinking coffee while fit-looking people rush by dressed in Lycra). Wag’s Diary was a joy to write, though, I kept thinking of ideas constantly and the whole thing felt as if it ‘wrote itself’ which was a pleasant relief from the torture I normally go through!

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Oh no … I hate these ‘favourite’ questions. Now my mind is asking questions like ‘What’s chick lit? Where does it start and end?’ I think like many people, I’d go for a Marian Keyes book in this category … probably either Anybody Out There? Or The Other Side Of The Story.

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

OK … perhaps Cathy in Wuthering Heights because that’s such an incredibly forceful and clever story – narrated by someone totally outside the story and featuring characters in such distress, it has a darkness hanging over it yet still manages to be a vibrant love story. I think it’s an incredible work of fiction … one of those books that grows every time you read it. Another heroine would be Sarah from the End of the Affair. Not a conventional choice, perhaps, but the book is magical – so beautifully written that it’s quite breathtaking. Again, Sarah is a rather tragic, slightly cold figure, but her presence drives the story – everything moves around her and because of her.

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

Read loads and loads and loads, and write … just start writing. Most good stories are driven by good characters so I’d look for interesting, arresting characters in books and stories. Even in newspapers – it’s characters that will often drive news agendas. The real, human story behind a tragedy is so much more compelling than the bold facts of a breaking story. Try to work out what it is that makes characters interesting, challenging and compelling. Not all great characters would make great people, but there’s something about them that works… I think that if you can come up with a strong character, most stories grow out of them.

What are you reading at the moment?

Travel books about LA, three novels set in LA and the LA Times, LA gossip columns and everything I can find about football in LA. Wondering why??? See below…

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

The second Wags book is called Wag’s Diary in LA and Tracie Martin, my lead character from Wag’s Diary, goes off to LA to live there with her husband Dean who’s been employed as a coach at a club in LA, and daughter Paskia Rose who (to Tracie’s horror) has been signed by a team there to play ladies football (note – not women’s football. Tracie insists on describing it as laydeees football).

Do you have a theme song?

A what? No, I don’t – do other writers? It’s never occurred to me to have a theme song. Perhaps I should get one. [Ooh, you must. Everyone should have a theme song - Keris] Tracie’s favourite song is Doncha by the Pussycat Dolls.

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!)

I’ve never been asked why I write … always what I’m writing and when it’s coming out and who my favourite characters are, where I write. The one that’s missed out is why … yet I think ‘why?’ is at the centre of most good literature. Understanding character’s motivations and why they behave the way they do, and building into all the stories you write a sensible assessment of ‘why’ is crucial. So, odd that people never ask why…

Thanks, Alison.

Posted by Keris on November 28, 2007 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: Coffee At Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest, edited by Jennifer Crusie

I have mixed feelings about this book since I wanted to have an essay in it and they turned me down - Me! Don't they know who I am? Ahem - but, at the same time, American TV show Gilmore Girls is one of my total obsessions. In fact, I'm watching it in the corner of my screen as I'm writing this ("The Festival of Living Art" from season 4, in case you're interested).

Plus the book is edited by Jennifer Crusie and we do love Ms Crusie here at Trashionista. Like other SmartPop books including This Is Chick Lit, Flirting With Pride & Prejudice and Perfectly Plum (which I do feature in - yay me!), Coffee At Luke's is a collection of essays about Gilmore Girls by a wide range of writers and pop culture experts.

Subjects range from personal relationships (including looks at fabulous secondary characters Kirk and Paris), to parenting (with a spirited defence of Emily Gilmore), to the wonder of Stars Hollow and Gilmore fixations food, books and sex. The last section is on Gilmore Girls and the real world and that, for me, was the least successful. I don't know if I'd just had enough GG at that point (doubtful) or whether I'm just not interested in how the show relates to the real world since I'd rather pretend it's all true.

My favourite essays were Television Without Pity writer Sara Morrison's analysis of how Stars Hollow businesses would fare in the real world. It doesn't sound particularly thrilling, but it's both interesting and really good fun. I was also totally blown away by Gregory Stevenson's Dining With the Gilmores, a jaw-dropping exploration of food as metaphor in the show. I never noticed it before reading this essay, but it makes perfect sense and served to underscore the complete brilliance of Amy Sherman-Palladino's writing.

Clearly only for fans of the show - despite the glossary (Coffee At Luke-isms) at the back, if you hadn't seen Gilmore Girls you would be flummoxed by most of these essays - Coffee At Luke's is interesting, entertaining and made me both want to watch certain episodes again and made me lament the show's cancellation.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Serenity Found edited by Jane Espenson

Posted by Keris on November 28, 2007 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Television | Permalink | Comments (4)

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

A very straightforward Yay or Nay this week (since I'm disappointed you obviously didn't share my distaste of the OJ Simpson book).

This is the cover of the third book in Hester Browne's Little Lady series (after The Little Lady Agency and Little Lady, Big Apple). Now, I know lovely Hester reads Trashionista, so I don't want to be unduly harsh, but ... is that supposed to be Melissa Romney-Jones?! It looks more like Sarah Harding from Girls Aloud. I don't like it. At all.

But what do you think? The new Little Lady cover - Yay or Nay and Why?

[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!]

Posted by Keris on November 28, 2007 in Yay or Nay, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (9)

November 27, 2007 7:13 PM

Writers and producers resume talks

Although the WGA (Writers Guild of America) strike continues, there is hope this week that an agreement will be reached.

Yesterday, for the first time since the strike began over three weeks ago, writers and producers resumed talks. They met again today, but thanks to a media blackout, neither side gave any comment.

[Via Variety]

Related post: Screenwriters on strike

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 27, 2007 in American Authors, Movie News, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Bad Sex in Fiction Award shortlist

I do enjoy the Bad Sex in Fiction Award. Sex is difficult to write well and you were all quick to tell us your feelings about reading about it in last year's most popular Yay or Nay!

This year's shortlist is Jeanette Winterson’s The Stone Gods, Apples by Richard Milward, Ali Smith’s Girl Meets Boy, David Thewlis’s The Late Hector Kipling, The Castle in the Forest by Norman Mailer, Gary Shteyngart’s Absurdistan, Christopher Rush’s Will and The Nature of Monsters by Clare Clark.

The winner will be announced today later today, but carry on over the cut for a taster from what you can expect.

From Ali Smith's Girl Meets Boy:

“We were tangled in each other’s arms . . . Her hand opened me. Then her hand became a wing. Then everything about me became a wing . . . a bird that could sing Mozart.”

Clearly, I'm doing it wrong...

[via The Times]

Posted by Keris on November 27, 2007 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (1)

TUESDAY THREE: Fairy tales

Once upon a time (well, last week), my fellow Trashionista Sarah found a book billed as a “feel-good fairy tale” to be anything but, so I thought that for this week’s Tuesday Three I’d look at three books that might really suggest a happily ever after (if only with a novel!).

Deborah Wright's modern magical fairy tale, Under My Spell, features Cara, a 25-year- old witch who, desperate to escape the clutches of her batty mother, applies for a live-in nannying position with the Wilkins family. She’s delighted to get the position, and even more sure that this is the right move for her when she meets her gorgeous next door neighbour Sean. There’s just one thing that could go wrong…

Cara must remember all day, ever day, to act normal. If anyone finds out about her secret double life she’ll lose it all. The combination of normal world disasters and conspiracies of the magical world mean pretending to be normal is nearly a full time job in itself.

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal is Sarah Strohmeyer's second fairytale-themed fiction, following The Cinderella Pact. Despite its title, The Sleeping Beauty Proposal is a modern-day story about Genie Michaels, who has been dating university professor and newly successful author Hugh for four years. So when he proposes to her live on TV during a talk show interview, she's amazed but gratified, and can't wait to start planning her wedding. Until Hugh clarifies that while he was proposing to the love of his life, it’s not Genie.

So Genie's best friend Patty comes up with a plan: as Hugh goes back to his native England to promote his book (with his new fiancee in tow), Genie will just pretend that he did propose to her after all. It's full steam ahead to a wedding that may or may not have a groom...

In Gemma Fox’s The Cinderella Moment, Cass meets James Devlin, who seems perfect ... well, apart from being married, that is. When James becomes a missing person, suspected of running off with his fancy woman (i.e. Cass), Cass finds herself caught up in the middle of a huge misunderstanding which involves her being watched by the police and gangsters. How will she ever manage to persuade them that she is innocent of whatever they're suspecting her of? The Cinderella Moment is about what happens when a chance meeting with a gorgeous man changes your life forever.

Posted by Keris on November 27, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Kiss My Book by Jamie Michaels

I was so excited when I read the premise for young adult novel, Kiss My Book. It's the story of Ruby Crane, who sold her first book and got a movie deal at the age of 15, but is then accused of plagiarism.

The clear parallels with the Kaavya Viswanathan scandal appealed to me - in case you missed it, Viswanathan was 19 when her debut novel, How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild, and Got a Life was published and was subsequently found to contain sections bearing startling similarities to various other books - and to begin with I thought Kiss My Book was going to be great, but it then went off at a tangent and, I felt, lost the plot.

After the plagiarism accusation, Ruby runs away to her aunt's house in a small town in Upstate New York. She calls herself Georgie and decides she's never going to have anything to do with books again. She immediately makes friends with a girl named Rabbit and falls for Rabbit's cousin, Jacob, who is not only a hottie, but a big reader.

After a while, Ruby realises that she misses books and can't live without them after all, and so starts a book club in her aunt's shop. The book then becomes a sort of parable (or maybe a parody of a parable) and I found it both unrealistic and patronising. Despite the fact that the teens are all fully conversant with a range of poetry, the rest of the dimwit residents of this small town appear to have never even heard of books before and get completely overexcited. Rabbit's mother is reading romance novels and so she and Rabbit's dad start having sex again. The Single Moms Club becomes the Reading Moms Club. When Ruby's aunt's store is threatened with closure the town's residents take to the streets in protest.

Yes, Ruby has to admit that she plagiarised, but it's okay because at least, through her time in Whispering Oaks, she's learned to be honest with herself, and brought literature to the unwashed masses. I think you can tell, it irritated me no end.

There's also a subplot about what may be behind the whispering of Whispering Oaks, but this felt like it had been slotted in from an entirely different book. All in all - and despite the fact that Ruby is, most of the time, an entertaining and intelligent heroine and Jacob is a hot hero - Kiss My Book didn't live up to my expectations. A shame.

Rating: 2/5

Like this? Try The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart

Posted by Keris on November 27, 2007 in American Authors, Rating: 2/5, Romance, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

Spread The Word

The people behind World Book Day have compiled a list of 100 highly recommended books. Vote now for the one you think is most likely to get your book group talking and you'll be in for the chance to win £100 worth of book tokens. Hurrah!

Got a book you love that isn't on the list? There is a discussion area on the site, where you can spread the word...

Enter here - there will be a winner chosen every week until the end of February.

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 27, 2007 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 26, 2007 5:02 PM

International chick lit

I meant to write about this article in The New York Times (about how chick lit is emerging "From Mumbai to Milan, Gdansk to Jakarta") ages ago and I'm glad I didn't forget to because it's really interesting.

Since we most often hear that chick lit is dead, it's good to know it's actually thriving in other countries (as we know, it's far from dead in the UK and US too, but what can you do?).

Posted by Keris on November 26, 2007 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Chalet Girl by Kate Lace

The_chalet_girl Perhaps it was because I loved the Chalet School series of books by Elinor Brent Dyer when I was a girl, or perhaps it was the cute cover, but my attention was caught by this forthcoming release from Little Black Dress.

Written by Kate Lace (who has published several romance books under the name Catherine Jones), The Chalet Girl follows Millie - a new, erm, chalet girl - as she meets classic bad boy, Luke, when he comes to stay in her chalet.

It's available from 13 December in all the usual places.

Related posts: Book News archive

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 26, 2007 in Book News, British Authors, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

PS I Love You trailer

PS I Love You is the only Cecelia Ahern book I actually enjoyed, but I'm not sure about the film. I don't understand why they couldn't find an Irish actor... (I had thought Gerard Butler was Irish, but it turns out he's Scottish!).

Posted by Keris on November 26, 2007 in Cecelia Ahern, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (8)

BOOK NEWS: The Meaning of Sunglasses: A Guide to (Almost) All Things Fashionable

Despite knowing next to nothing about fashion, I love Hadley Freeman's column in The Guardian - it's full of common sense, plus she's really funny - so I was excited to hear she's got a book coming out.

The Meaning of Sunglasses is due out in February next year and features an A to Z of all that is fashionable.

Plus, did you know that Hadley "co-wrote" Victoria Beckham's book, That Extra Half An Inch?

Posted by Keris on November 26, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Before it was a film with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro, Stardust was a slim volume by Neil Gaimain.

Gaiman's Stardust is a fairy tale in the grand tradition of fairy tales. In other words, it is full of darkness and danger and love, and is suitable for adults and teenagers, not tots.

Beyond the village of Wall lies Faerie. Every nine years there is a fair, where Faerie sells its wares to the ordinary folk.

Tristin Thorne, the son of a farmer and a witch's servant, is in love with the haughty Victoria Forester. He promises to go into Faerie and bring back a fallen star, in return for her hand.

When Tristin finds the star, she is a beautiful daughter of the moon called Yvaine. The dying Lord of Stormheld threw a gem and accidentally knocked her from the sky, and Yvaine is not too thrilled about it.

Worse still, the Lord's sons are searching for the gem, and an ancient witch is searching for Yvaine; she wants to cut out her heart so that she and her sisters can be young again.

So, you have an everyman hero, a quest, a wicked witch, and a land of magic. Nothing unusual there, you may think, but Gaiman is a master story-teller and his characters are funny and true.

Stardust is a delightful book and one I urge you to seek out and devour; everybody needs magic of this kind in their lives.

Rating: 4/5

Like this only chick lit? Try: Under My Spell by Deborah Wright

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 26, 2007 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5, Supernatural, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 23, 2007 4:59 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Decent Exposure by Phillipa Ashley

Decentexposure Burned-out, Emma Tremayne leaves her high-powered PR job and moves to the Lake District for some much-needed peace and quiet.

She ends up helping out the local mountain rescue team with its fundraising by organising a tasteful nude calendar. Unfortunately, gorgeous 'Mr July' isn't too pleased...

This lovely, warm story is Phillipa Ashley's debut novel. Emma is a likeable heroine and Ashley's writing is deft, sexy and full of humour.

The plot - city girl meets rugged and handsome outdoor guy - is sprinkled with twists and misunderstandings which keep you turning the pages. The characters are well-drawn, so you keep rooting for them to sort it all out, although there were moments when I thought 'oh just speak to each other!''

Decent Exposure is a light romantic read for a rainy afternoon, with fabulous descriptions of life in a tight-knit Lake District community and a very sexy male lead.

The only bit I really disliked was the epilogue. Not a big fan, anyway, but this one (and I won't go into detail to spoil the ending) was a touch on the cheesy side.

Rating: 3/5

Like this: Try: Wish You Were Here by Phillipa Ashley

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 23, 2007 in British Authors, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

FRIDAY FLICK: The Night Listener

While Armistead Maupin is one of my favourite authors, The Night Listener is my least favourite of his books. But when I went to an author reading earlier in the year, he talked about the true story behind the book and then the movie version starring Robin Williams and Toni Colette that it made me want to watch it. I wish I'd stuck with my first instinct.

When Gabriel Noone is given a book purportedly written by a 14-year-old boy detailing the abuses he suffered at the hands of his parents, he's impressed by the story and the writing. And then the publisher gives the boy, Pete, Gabriel's number and they start talking on the phone.

Having recently broken up with his long-term boyfriend, Gabriel is lonely and finds himself talking to Pete and his foster mum, Donna, on a regular basis. And then Gabriel's ex suggests that Donna and Pete have the same voice and Gabriel sets off to their home town in Wisconsin to find out the truth. Which is where, for me, the film totally lost the plot...

Part of the reason I didn't enjoy the book was its dark and claustrophobic atmosphere, which is just personal taste, but in the film I found it really didn't work. Once Gabriel reaches Wisconsin, The Night Listener seems to want to be a traditional thriller, so there are loads of scenes of Gabriel sneaking around in the dark and a really terrible scene in a hospital. Gabriel's behaviour becomes increasingly ridiculous and unbelievable. Frankly, he got right on my wick.

Although the acting is excellent - both Williams and, of course, Toni Collette - I found it way too heavy-handed and it lost all the subtlety of the book. A real shame.

Posted by Keris on November 23, 2007 in Friday Flick | Permalink | Comments (0)

Penguin's Great Big Christmas Giveaway

Penguin Books is giving new subscribers to their newsletter the chance to win one of 1,000 advanced proof copies of Crossed Bones by Jane Johnson, which is described as a romantic Labyrinth crossed with Pirates of the Caribbean. Sounds great!

All you have to do is log onto www.penguin.co.uk/crossedbones and sign up to the Penguin newsletter before 7th January 2008.

Posted by Keris on November 23, 2007 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

I used to read Marie Phillips' blog, Struggling Author (now invitation only), and so I was familiar with Gods Behaving Badly before it even had a publisher. I always thought it sounded great (and I'd read the enthusiastic comments of industry bigwigs) so I was keen to read it.

As an idea, it's what Hollywood calls "high concept" - the gods behaving badly are Greek Gods, living in modern-day London. So we meet Apollo who is using his psychic ability to front a TV show, Aphrodite is working in phone sex, Dionysus runs a nightclub between Euston and Kings Cross and Eros has become a Christian. They all live together in a run-down house with a secret on the top floor.

Into this dysfunctional family comes Alice, an intelligent but timid cleaner who is in love with her best friend, Neil. Neil's in love with Alice too, but can't bring himself to tell her. When they go together to see Apollo's TV show, an unfortunate series of events finds their fate inextricably linked with that of not only the gods, but the entire world...

I enjoyed this book just as much as I thought I would. It's great fun. The Gods are hilariously narcissistic and Phillips fits them into the 21st century seamlessly. It's exciting, funny and features imaginative leaps that made me think of the Harry Potter series (I loved Angel tube station being the portal to the underworld).

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Venus Envy by Shannon McKelden

Posted by Keris on November 23, 2007 in British Authors, Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (4)

Book Cover: This Charming Man

Thischarmingman Yippee! I've just seen the cover for the new Marian Keyes - This Charming Man (out in hardback, May 2008).

Look! Purple! Pretty! With a toaster!

I'm off for a little lie down...

November 22, 2007 5:19 PM

Chick Lit Heroine Grudge Match: Maggie Walsh v Sadie Nelson

Last time we agreed that Claire Walsh (with Mammy Walsh in attendance) would kick Madeline Wolfe's behind.

This week, I'm testing the power of Mammy Walsh yet again. Our heroines are both from Chick Lit Big Hitters, and both high-tailed it to LA for a spell of non-fat food, sunshine and Hollywood glamour. Put your hands together for... Maggie Walsh and Sadie Nelson.

Maggie Walsh

The book: Angels by Marian Keyes. Maggie, the only sensible Walsh sister, leaves her husband (shocking her family almost as much as herself). An invitation from her best friend, Emily, leads her to LA where she embarks on a whole new life.

The men: Husband Garv, LA-crush Troy.

Sadie Nelson

The book: The Sweetest Taboo by Carole Matthews. This is a delicious fantasy book in which Sadie gets whisked to LA by a suitor. There she finds her feet - and another man. The only question is; which will she pick?

The men: Gill McGann - the Hollywood producer who flew Sadie from rain-soaked London to LA in order to impress her, and struggling actor Tavis Jones.

Conclusion: Both girls have two men to choose from and both experience emotional growth (man) under the Californian sun. I'm not sure I can call it... Any help, people?

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 22, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Marian Keyes | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK COVER: Case Histories

I loved Kate Atkinson's novel, Case Histories, but I didn't love the cover (the one on the left). The paperback cover (the brown one) was even worse, but I love the American cover on the right. I also think it's the most atmospheric and captures the plot the best. What do you think?

Posted by Keris on November 22, 2007 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

TV NEWS: How to Kill Your Husband

Kathy Lette's novel (no, it's not an instruction manual) How to Kill Your Husband (and Other Handy Household Hints), has been optioned by Andy Harries, producer of The Queen. Apparently it's going to be a series for ITV.

"I am driving around town with a casting couch strapped to my roof rack," Kathy Lette told The Guardian's Browser column, "Would you like a lie-down part?"

I've only read one of Kathy Lette's books (and I didn't love it), but she's certainly an entertaining character.

Posted by Keris on November 22, 2007 in Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: Sushi for One? by Camy Tang

Reviewed by Jill Hart

I knew this was going to be a great book when the crazy grandmother showed up in chapter one. Camy Tang’s first book, Sushi For One?, is a great start to a budding career. We don’t see a whole lot of Asian chick-lit, so this book, while maintaining what we love about chick-lit, gives a taste of something new and different.

The main character, Lex, is on the verge of becoming the oldest single female cousin in her family. With her older cousin, Mariko, getting married, Lex knows that her family will soon be on her case about getting married. It starts sooner than she thinks, though, when her grandmother corners her even before Mariko’s wedding and lets Lex know that she better have a date – a real date – for the wedding….or else.

Hilarity ensues with Lex making a fool out of herself in a number of ways and places. The lengthy list of qualifications her dates must meet keeps her far from finding anyone to fit the bill. She may just have to settle for what’s available – if she can convince him. Or is it Lex that needs convincing – to trust new people and open her heart to new possibilities?

Tang delivers a fresh outlook on the single life and gives her readers a glimpse of life in the Asian community. This first book in the Sushi Series will leave readers giggling and looking forward to book two.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Wedding Date by Liz Young

Posted by Keris on November 22, 2007 in Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

Costa Book Awards shortlist

Last year we were shocked (and depressed) to report that the shortlist for the Costa Book Awards didn't contain a single title by a female author.

The shortlist is looking a great deal more balanced this time around, with eleven out of the twenty written by women. Phew!

The list includes Scottish writer-turned-stand-up-comic A.L. Kennedy, Meg Rosoff, Marcus Sedgwick and Catherine O'Flynn.

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 22, 2007 in Book News, Book related, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 21, 2007 6:09 PM

Kindle e-book reader

Now, I'm quite a techy kind of a gal but, thus far, I've utterly failed to get excited over the e-book revolution. Frankly, I'm just too in love with the printed word.

However, for those of you who happily live in 2007, Amazon has created an e-book reader and named it Kindle.

It's about the size of a trade paperback, costs $400 (currently only available in the US) and, like Sony's reader, isn't back-lit. This means you need decent lighting to read it (just like a real book), but it avoids the eye-strain associated with reading on-screen.

The Kindle can store around 200 books and has a wireless doo-hickey (told you I was techy) to access t'interweb.

[Via CNET]

Related post: The future of reading

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 21, 2007 in Bookish products, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

We've asked your opinion of this book before, but so much has changed since then, I thought I'd ask again.

In case you're unaware, OJ Simpson wrote a book called If I Did It, suggesting how, if he had killed his wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ron Goldman, he might have done it. There was, understandably, an outcry and it was dropped by the publisher.

Then, the family of Ron Goldman was awarded the rights to the book, along with 90% of the profits, to partially satisfy an unpaid civil judgment. (The Goldman family were awarded $33.5 million in a civil case against Simpson, but this remains unpaid.)

Waiting in the airport recently, I read the "confession" chapter and Simpson basically says that he was having a row with his wife and Goldman and the next thing he knew Nicole Brown and Ron Goldman were dead and he was covered in blood, but he doesn't know how it happened. This chapter is described as fiction.

So what am I asking? Okay. A couple of things. First of all, do you think the book should have been published at all? I must admit, I'm not comfortable with the fact that there was outrage at its publication when Simpson was getting the money from it, but it's okay as long as the profits are going to the family of the victim. I think it would be better all round if this book wasn't out there at all.

The other thing I have a problem with is the covers. Both the UK cover (top) and the US cover (right) have made the "If" of the title considerably less prominent, so at first glance the book's title seems to be "I Did It" (and is subtitled "Confessions of the Killer" in the US). Not only is this misleading to the consumer, it's also unfair to OJ Simpson, surely. (No, I don't have any sympathy towards him, but he was found innocent, so I'm trying to be at least relatively objective!)

So to sum up. If I Did It - Yay or Nay and Why?

[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!]

Posted by Keris on November 21, 2007 in Yay or Nay, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (2)

SPOTLIGHT: Rachel Gibson

Rachelg Rachel Gibson is a New York Times bestselling author. She writes contemporary romances for Avon Books and Little Black Dress (in the UK).

Four of her novels were named among the Top Ten Favorite Books of the Year by Romance Writers of America and she has won numerous awards, including Border’s Bestselling Romantic Comedy and the RITA Award for the Best Single Title Contemporary of the Year.

When she's not writing, Rachel likes shopping for shoes, boating with her family and - her guilty 'secret' - watching Judge Judy with her cat.

Rachel says she doesn't have a choice about being a writer, it is just something she has to do: "Like a lemming jumping into the sea."

Carry on over the cut for Rachel's bibliography.

Simply Irresistible
Sex, Lies and Online Dating
Secrets of a Perfect Night (anthology with Stephanie Laurens and Victoria Alexander)
I'm in No Mood for Love
See Jane Score
Lola Carlyle Reveals All
The Trouble with valentines Day
Daisy's Back in Town
True Confessions
Truly Madly Yours
It Must Be Love
Tangled up in You

Did you know? Rachel writes a weekly blog here.

Stop Press! Rachel's next book is 100 Bad Dates and it will be out in the Spring of 2008.

Related posts: Spotlight archive

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 21, 2007 in American Authors, Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (0)

Win a 6-month internship with the UK's leading video blogging team

The LG Video Media Talent Award is a competition to find two interns to train with Shiny Media’s top video blogging team and develop skills in presenting or filming/editing.

Hoping to start a career in the video media industry? Fancy an all expenses paid trip to Barcelona to cover the 3GSM World Congress? How about a brand new LG Viewty mobile phone to help you on your path to shooting video on the go?

Then enter now! You've got until 14 December. Good luck!

Even if you don't fancy entering, you can still get involved by voting and commenting on the entries in the YouTube group.

Posted by Keris on November 21, 2007 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jane Porter

We mentioned Jane Porter's book Flirting With Forty in our Tuesday Three on books featuring single mothers and now Jane answers our Wednesday questions!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Odd Mom Out is the story of an unconventional single mother and a daughter who just wants to fit in.

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

Mostly in my office but when the business side of writing starts to intrude, I head to the nearest Starbucks or Tully’s Coffee for an hour or two of solid, creative writing.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

The first chick-lit book I ever read was Jemima J by Jane Green and it got me hooked, but my all-time favorite is probably Marian Keyes' debut novel, Watermelon. I loved it. I still do. That book made me laugh so hard, but it was also painful and poignant. She's brilliant.

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

My favorite type of heroine would be someone who takes risks, fights for what she believes in, stands by those she loves and never gives up, even when life gets really tough. A woman who embraces life and recognizes change , as difficult as it is.

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

Never give up. Do the very thing you’re afraid to do. Take risks. Listen to yourself, trust your gut and write the stories you're dying to tell.

What are you reading at the moment?

I've got an arc of The Pulpwood Queen's Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life by Kathy Patrick and I'm so enjoying it. Kathy's a joyous, compassionate, witty Texan and she just inspires me.

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

I’m just finishing up Alpha Mom, the sequel to Odd Mom Out. Alpha Mom tells the story of Taylor Young, one of the secondary characters in Odd Mom Out and will be released in May 2008.

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!)

I think I should be asked what I can cook really well. And then I could answer that I make one mean hot fudge sundae sauce. My mom taught me how and I'm just now starting to teach my boys. It's important to pass these family traditions on.

Thanks, Jane!

Posted by Keris on November 21, 2007 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Serenity Found

Reviewed by Stacey Taylor

First things first, I'm a huge Joss Whedon fan. I didn't think anything could top my love for his cult shows Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, but then in 2002 along came Firefly - a Western set in Space.

Shortlived but much loved, the series was unceremoniously cancelled and only fourteen episodes made, but it has enjoyed increasing popularity over the years thanks to its release on DVD. In 2005 Joss Whedon followed up the TV show with the feature length film Serenity which continued the Firefly story.

With me? OK. Edited by popular TV script writer Jane Espenson*, Serenity Found is the second unauthorised collection of essays on the Firefly universe.

*Don't forget we've got an interview with Jane Espenson coming up in the first week of December.

With contributors as diverse as science fiction author Orson Scott Card and chick lit faves Shanna Swendson and Lani Diane Rich, there are plenty of interesting thoughts on the show and movie and plenty of things to agree and disagree with.

My personal favourite essay was Girls, Guns, Gags by British comedian Natalie Haynes, although I have to admit when I first starting reading the book I went straight for the essay penned by Firefly star Nathan Fillion, who played the lead role of Captain Malcolm Reynolds. In his essay: I, Malcolm, Fillion's enthusiasm for the role he played really shines through and it's unusual to find an actor so knowledgeable about their character and show. Judging by his essay, I'm sure he could take on any fan in a Firefly pub quiz, and comfortably win.

Of course if you haven't seen Firefly or Serenity most of the essays will be lost on you, but if you do get this book then it's a good excuse to get the Firefly box set and catch up. A must for any Firefly or Joss Whedon fan.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Perfectly Plum ed. Leah Wilson

Posted by Keris on November 21, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Marian Keyes on It Takes Two (2007)

Remember how I moaned about missing Marian Keyes on Strictly Come Dancing's sister show, It Takes Two? Well I forgot about YouTube! Hurrah! Those of you who get Marian's wonderful newsletter and have been wondering about her haircut (which she said was a "disaster"), you won't be surprised to find ... it's lovely.

Related: Marian on Strictly It Takes Two (2006)!

Posted by Keris on November 21, 2007 in Marian Keyes, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 20, 2007 6:21 PM

Movie News: The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly

Thedivingbellandthebutterfly_galler Okay, nobody laugh, but I only just realised that a film had been made of The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly by Jean-Dominique Bauby.

Anyhoo, it's out at the end of November.

Bauby's memoir was written after he suffered a massive stroke, aged 42, which left him with 'locked-in syndrome'. His only method of communication was through blinking his left eyelid, but he managed to dictate this book.

Anyone else think it will be very difficult to do justice to this incredible story?

Related posts: Movie News archive

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 20, 2007 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

JK Rowling's £40,000 book

The Tales of Beedle the Bard (yes, the book that featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows) is to be put up for a charity auction in Sotheby's next month.

The unique book contains all-new stories, handwritten by JK, and is bound in leather, with silver and moonstones. It is expected to fetch up to £40,000 for The Children's Voice; a charity that campaigns on behalf of institutionalised children.

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 20, 2007 in Book News, British Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

MOVIE NEWS: Angels & Demons

Let me tell you a little story. Once upon a time I worked at Waterstone's bookstore and customers would sometimes ask for recommendations. Whenever they asked us to recommend a crime novel, we always told them to read Angels & Demons by a little-known author named Dan Brown.

We booksellers would often wonder why Dan Brown wasn't more famous since Angels & Demons was such a flat-out fabulous book. And then along came The Da Vinci Code... and we all lived happily ever after (or at least, Dan Brown did).

Anyway. My point is that I didn't like The Da Vinci Code book and so haven't watched the movie, but I was excited to hear that a movie is being made of Angels & Demons. Except that it's become the first movie casualty of the Hollywood writers' strike; it's had to be delayed because the script needs more work and there are no writers around to do it. Shame. [via booktrade.info]

Posted by Keris on November 20, 2007 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (1)

Oprah's latest pick

What is Oprah Winfrey's problem?! I mean, I love her, I do (seriously, I can see about 80 copies of her magazine - six years' worth - from this very desk), but her book club picks are really starting to wind me up. The latest? Ken Follett's The Pillars of the Earth.

Yes, another already massively popular white male. What's the deal, Oprah? Pick a woman. A black author. A young author. A debut author. Just stop making me shake my head in disappointment. Because I love you. I do.

Related posts: Oprah chooses The Road | Oprah's book news | Campaigning to be on Oprah

Posted by Keris on November 20, 2007 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: Liz Jones's Diary by Liz Jones

For anyone who doesn't know already, Liz Jones is the raven-haired columnist whose personal and marital exploits usually grace the Mail on Sunday's You magazine on a weekly basis. Now to tell you the truth, I (and many others) assumed that her column was fake; a fictional Bridget-like heroine who's nearing forty and has an obsession with organic groceries. But lo and behold, it's not.

She's actually real.

Pardon my stupidity here, but there was naive little me thinking that no real woman would openly divulge the details of her life and marriage to the entire nation in a column. Oops, I was wrong. So when I saw Liz Jones's book (aptly named Liz Jones's Diary), I was both curious and worried.

Let me just say that I LOVE girly memoirs - non-fiction offerings from authors, columnists and, well, bloggers-turned-authors. They all get my vote. And this one? This one is hard, because I love it...

...yet at the same time, I hate it. Trust me, it's odd.

Liz Jones's Diary (How One Single Girl Got Married) is basically a collection of her columns in diary form, from her days as a singleton to her first date with her (now ex) husband Nirpal. It's not THAT interesting, especially as the majority of the book seems to focus on her cats, yet I can't help but adore her writing style.

But there's one major problem about this book and the You columns that really gets to me.

Liz Jones herself.

Throughout the book, Liz comes across as a selfish, bossy, argumentative...well, to put it bluntly, bitch. Her entries tell of treating her younger boyfriend like a child, telling him off for small things and worse still, talking as though this is something ALL women do. Her excessive name-dropping really started to grate on my nerves shortly after starting the book, but no more than the overuse of 'organic' items. It seems as though poor Lizzie is unable to eat or drink anything unless it's organic and has great pleasure in telling us about a thousand times.

Don't get me wrong, she is a talented writer, and this book isn't at all a rubbish read. But sadly it's more scary than entertaining; this is no regular couple. Liz is fussy, snobby and treats her cats better than she treats her husband, and only comes across as more desperate, sad and seemingly frightened of aging what with the excessive amount of beauty products she uses (don't worry, she lists the prices of everything, too!) than stylish.

Is she like this in real life, or is it simply a case of over-exaggeration? I'm hoping the latter, but I guess we'll never know.

One thing I DO know though? Liz will never be Bridget.

Rating: 2/5

Like this? Try The Late Bloomer's Revolution by Amy Cohen

Posted by Danielle Symonds-Yemm on November 20, 2007 in British Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 2/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

TUESDAY THREE: Frenemies

You know what a frenemy is, right? (And if you don’t, Megan Crane explains it here.) Of course, I had to start with Megan’s book, Frenemies, obviously!

Frenemies features Augusta "Gus" Curtis who is on track to having everything she wants: a great job, a gorgeous boyfriend, wonderful friends. That is, until, she walks in on her boyfriend, Nate, kissing her friend, Helen. Gus can't believe Nate would do that to her, but she's actually more upset about Helen's betrayal, especially since Helen won't leave her alone and seems to be doing everything in her power to drive Gus round the twist.

Sara Shepard's first novel, Pretty Little Liars, is the story of Aria, Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Ali, who are the best of friends in the same way many teenage girls are friends, i.e. they know each other's secrets and have a tendency to use them against each other. Particularly Ali, the leader of the pack. So when Ali disappears the girls are of course horrified, but also a little bit relieved. Understandably, they drift apart. Three years later they've all changed a lot and then they start getting messages signed by 'A'. Not only does the mysterious 'A' know their past secrets, he or she knows exactly what they're up to now too...

In The Myth of You And Me by Leah Stewart the teenage Cameron moves to a new town and meets Sonia. Sonia literally saves her life, and the two quickly become the best of friends, with a close, unshakeable bond they assume will last forever. But then Sonia does something that Cameron can't forgive, and she abandons Sonia and their friendship, never to return. Until ... Cameron's boss, the reclusive elderly author Oliver Doucet, whom she lives with and cares for, suddenly dies. With no more ties in the world, and a present that Oliver posthumously asks Cameron to give to Sonia, Cameron sets out on a reluctant road trip...

Posted by Keris on November 20, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 19, 2007 4:28 PM

Book Review: Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter

Meandmrdarcy_3 Oh dear. I don't relish the task ahead of me. Frankly, looking at somebody's creative effort and saying; 'I can see what you've tried to do here, but you've failed' feels desperately distasteful. But, dear reader, I cannot lie to you, and that's exactly what I have to say.

Actually, to save us both the unpleasantness of a book-assassination, feel free to stop reading this review now. Just don't, whatever you do, go and read Me and Mr Darcy.

Emily Albright has given up on modern men. Instead of going man-hunting in Mexico with her best friend, she books a guided tour of Jane Austen country, determined to immerse herself in the world of her favourite novelist.

Fine. While there, she meets - and starts to date - Mr Darcy. Yep. The Mr Darcy.

Okay, I'll admit, I wasn't in love with this concept to begin with, but I could see that it had potential.

It is, however, the kind of idea that needs to be handled with originality and grace, not flimsy characters and painful over-writing. Every nuance, emotion, and thought is spelled-out in great detail, the effect of which is like being mugged - very slowly - by an elf wielding a dictionary filled with adverbs.

The passages from Pride and Prejudice were shoe-horned into the narrative with all the subtlety of an ice-cold speculum, despite which, the heroine remained blissfully unaware of the parallels between events in her life and the book she supposedly adores. The only possible conclusion being that she is an imbecile.

In fact, the heroine's 'voice' made me want to scratch my own eyes out, which is particularly tiresome in a first-person narrative. Emily Albright is supposed to be American. However, despite continually making reference to this fact, she uses so many British words and phrases, that it was impossible to believe that she had spent more than a handful of nights in the US.

And, while we are on the subject of disbelief, a book billed as a 'feel-good fairy tale' is unlikely to be chock-a-block with gritty realism, but I do expect it to be believable within the confines of the story.

Unfortunately, I didn't believe in Potter's version of Mr Darcy (who sounded nothing like Austen's creation), I didn't believe in the painfully-pedestrian sub-plots, and I didn't believe in the heroine.

Rating: 1/5

Like this only non-fiction and non-rubbish? Try: Flirting with Pride and Prejudice

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 19, 2007 in Rating: 1/5, Rubbish Books | Permalink | Comments (11)

MORE ON MONDAY: Justice for Jill by Scott Lomax

This is a difficult book to review since I feel so strongly about the case in question.

For those too young to remember 1999 or for anyone outside the UK who might not know of the case, Jill Dando was a popular British TV presenter who was shot dead on her front doorstep in broad daylight one morning in 1999. The public were shocked and horrified and a huge manhunt took place to find the murderer.

The hunt was hindered by the fact that Jill was incredibly popular and beloved and the police had no witnesses, murder weapon or motive. In 2001, a local man named Barry George was arrested and charged with Dando's murder. It was announced last week that Barry George is to face a retrial after his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal.

The reason it's difficult for me to review this book is that, having been horrified and fascinated by the case at the time, I never believed for a minute that George was guilty. The evidence was flimsy at best and it seemed to me to be a case of the police, under immense public and media pressure to solve the case, finding a local oddball and thinking he would do.

Justice for Jill isn't simply a history of the case, its author, Scott Lomax, also firmly believes that George is innocent and sets out the evidence fairly and in minute detail. It's a fascinating, compelling and deeply upsetting book.

It's not a sensationalist "true crime" style book and, as such, can get a bit dense, but it's not a book that you'd read for entertainment, obviously. If you're interested in the case, in law, in miscarriages of justice, it's a must-read. But expect to have your faith in the crimiinal justice system shaken.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Keris on November 19, 2007 in British Authors, Crime / Mystery, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (6)

Help capture the spirit and style of the UK and win an LG Viewty Mobile Phone!

I'm a complete spod where mobile phones are concerned, but I love the name of the new phone from LG - the Viewty. If you know more about phones than me (and it probably wouldn't be possible to know less) then here's your chance to win one.

We've teamed up with www.cityclickers.eu - a moblog about capturing the style of five European countries with mobile phone cameras.

We’re looking for two UK photo bloggers to take portrait snaps of people you think best reflect the true essence and style of the UK. Send us a photo before 25 November for the chance to become one of the 10 bloggers who will be contributing to the site. If you're one of the snappers chosen, a brand new LG Viewty phone will be yours. Plus your phone bill will be paid for two months.

To find out how to enter and to see what other people have photographed, click here.

Posted by Keris on November 19, 2007 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

Little Women interpreted by Meg Cabot

Y'all know how much I love Meg Cabot, yes? Well, thanks to this video in which she reinterprets Little Women, I now also know she is completely barking mad. (And that's a good thing. Obviously.)

Can I just ask - is this really what happens in Little Women? Because I know I accidentally read the heavily edited children's version, but I didn't know about any of this!

Posted by Keris on November 19, 2007 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (4)

Movie News: More casting news for My Sister's Keeper

Here at Trashionista, we were traumatised to hear that the so-wrong-it's-not-funny Cameron Diaz had been cast as the mother, Sara, in the film of Jodi Picoult's bestselling My Sister's Keeper.

However, I just read (on Jodi's website) that real-life sisters Dakota and Elle Fanning have been cast as Kate and Anna Fitzgerald.

Now, I don't know anything about Elle, but Dakota is lovely. Very talented, utterly adorable and, I reckon, a good choice for the part. What do you think?

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 19, 2007 in Book related, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (3)

November 16, 2007 1:38 PM

Book Review: The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell

Distancebetweenus Maggie O'Farrell writes intelligently about human relationships and families, but is also unashamedly emotional. She writes with intensity and truth about love and loss and desire, and crafts characters you care about.

I loved After You'd Gone, My Lover's Lover, and her latest, The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox, but The Distance Between Us is still my favourite. In fact, it would be on my list of top ten books ever, if I had such a thing.

In Hong Kong, Jake finds himself caught in a crush during Chinese New Year celebrations; the events that unfold lead to an ill-advised marriage and a return to England.

Meanwhile, Stella has a chance encounter that sparks a traumatic memory and sends to a location in Scotland, the significance of which only her sister, Nina, will understand.

The book dodges back and forth in time and between the characters; Stella and her sister, their parents, Jake and his mother, taking in themes of parallel lives, displaced identies and sibling rivalry.

This may sound confusing and in the hands of a less-skilled author, it would be, but O'Farrell deftly weaves the separate narrative strands together as we hurtle, inexorably, towards the point when Jake and Stella will actually meet.

Beautifully written and absorbingly romantic.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 16, 2007 in British Authors, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW: Star Von Bunny, A Model Tale by Kym Canter

I have absolutely no idea what this book is all about. You can watch a little film about Star Von Bunny here, but don't expect it to help (although it's worth watching for the use of the word "inspirate").

Star is a toy rabbit who wants to be a model. This is her story. From moving to New York, to changing to an all-white diet (including marshmallows and vanilla ice-cream), to working out with Christy Turlington and eventually moving to LA to become a MAW (Model-Actress-Whatever), Star's journey is accompanied by numerous photographs and one illustration that made me laugh out loud.

The book is written by Kym Canter, a former fashion and style reporter (she was Special Projects Editor at Elle), currently Creative Director for ultra-luxury fashion house J. Mendel. A portion of the profits is going to Doctors Without Borders.

I read it in about 10 minutes. That's not to say I didn't like it because I kind of did. I just don't really know who it's *for*. I guess it's one of those stocking fillers that you read on Christmas Day and then give to the charity shop. If you're in the fashion industry, perhaps you'll find it hilarious. I'm fashion-challenged, so I just found it cute and charming, if a little pointless, but it didn't make me want to punch people like a certain other charity fashion book.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try This Little Piggy Went To Prada by Amy Allen

Posted by Keris on November 16, 2007 in American Authors, Fashion-Lit, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK COVER: Elizabeth Scott's covers

I'm still being positive this week (well, I was in New York last weekend, how could I not be positive?) and YA novelist Elizabeth Scott has the nicest covers I've seen for a long time. I haven't even had a book published (yet!), but I have total cover envy.

Posted by Keris on November 16, 2007 in Book covers, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

Friday Flick: Dracula

Draculadvd_2 Sumptuous, compelling, visually-stunning and strangely-romantic, Francis Ford Coppola's take on Bram Stoker's Dracula is a triumph.

The casting is brilliant. Gary Oldman as Dracula is a stroke of genius. Anthony Hopkins plays the eccentric Professor Van Helsing with his usual aplomb, and Winona Ryder is perfect as Mina, the object of Dracula's desire. Even Keanu-stiff-as-a-post Reeves, works well as Jonathan-stiff-as-a-post Harker.

Francis Ford Coppola filters the myth of Dracula through his own unique vision, creating a classic gothic-fantasy with a heady, sensual feel.

I was shocked when I realised this film came out fifteen years ago. Apart from the obvious, unpleasant reminder that I'm definitely getting old, this version of Dracula has really stood the test of time.

Plus, the two-disc collector's edition has just been released, so it's the perfect time to add it to your collection.

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 16, 2007 in Friday Flick | Permalink | Comments (4)

BOOK NEWS: My Secret Garden Shed

I admit I'm only featuring this book because the title made me laugh out loud. We're all women of the world here, so I'm betting we've all at least flicked through Nancy Friday's classic book of female fantasies, My Secret Garden, at one time or another.

I've just spotted the male alternative: My Secret Garden Shed (edited by Paul Scott). Genius.

Related: Book news archives

Posted by Keris on November 16, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 15, 2007 11:19 PM

Chick Lit Heroine Grudge Match: Madeline Wolfe v Claire Walsh

The last match saw Kate Klein make an easy win over Heather Wells.

This week I'm putting two wronged women in the ring. I know. I'm all heart. Both of these heroines discover a little too late (ie. after the pregnancy test has turned blue) that their men are schmucks.

Madeline Wolfe

The book: Kathy Lette's Foetal Attraction. Aussie Madeline Wolfe falls hard for Alex. So hard that she leaves her home and her boogie board, and crosses the world to live with him. She even tries to fit in with his stuck-up friends - who make her feel about as welcome as a fart in the bathtub. By the time Madeline realises that "Alex is the kind of man who goes through the Tunnel of Love holding his own hand," she's pregnant.

The cad: Famous zoologist Alexander Drake. He woos her with his spectacular punnilingus (he likes punning and... Well. The other thing.)

Claire Walsh

The book: Watermelon by Marian Keyes. Claire's husband James leaves her on the day that she gives birth to their first child. Shattered, she returns home to Dublin and, with the help of her mad-but-lovely family, puts herself back together again.

The cad: James. Her husband. And no, he doesn't deserve a second chance.

Conclusion: If you're a fan of Pun Lit, Madeline Wolfe is going to win you over - the woman fires out one-liners like a demented stand-up comedian - but, for my money, Claire's got to be the winner. After all, she's got Mammy Walsh on her side and you don't want to mess with her...

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 15, 2007 in Book related, Marian Keyes | Permalink | Comments (3)

Movie News: Brick Lane

Brick_lane_02 The controversial film adaptation of Monica Ali's Brick Lane is out on general release tomorrow.

Despite a brouhaha during filming (residents of the real Brick Lane protested), the film has gone on to win two awards at the Dinard Film Festival in northern France and a screening at The London Film Festival.

So, will you be rushing to the cinema to watch it? I have to confess, I haven't actually read the book yet...

Related post: Yay or Nay Wednesday: film adaptations

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 15, 2007 in Book related, Movie News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: Hungry by Allen Zadoff

As you know, I was attracted to this book because of the fabulous cover and, as it turns out, you can't judge a book by the cover, because Hungry isn't at all the book I was expecting. The back cover describes it as "laugh-out-loud funny" as do many of the reviews on Amazon US.

I found it sad, wise, inspiring and interesting, but not funny (I think I might have smiled once or twice...).

Allen Zadoff was overweight from a young age and was, quite literally, killing himself with food. At 350lbs and just before a McDonalds binge, he decided to get some help. Now this is not a diet book - Zadoff explains what worked for him (cutting out trigger foods, sticking rigidly to three meals a day and therapy), but you won't find eating plans or exercises.

What it is is a memoir of an addiction just as damaging as drug addiction or alcoholism, but not yet recognised as such by society. I'm making it sound quite dry, I know - and while it's certainly not hilarious, it is entertaining. Zadoff is a brutally honest and engaging writer and I flew through the book (stopping at one point to eat an Aero ... sigh).

Zadoff also says Hungry isn't a self-help book, but I imagine it could be of enormous help to someone with an eating disorder or even to a self-diagnosed "problem eater" like myself.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Keris on November 15, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Celebrity books and chick lit "a turn off"

Another survey - this one by book swap site Read It Swap It - has found that what you're seen reading in public can affect your chances with the opposite sex.

44% of men said there is no way they would view a woman reading The Secret Dreamworld Of A Shopaholic as attractive, and in fact they would find it "a real turn-off".

Meanwhile, over a third of women said they would actually be physically repulsed by a man they saw reading The World According To Clarkson in public.

But then both of those books have negative connotations outside simply "chick lit" or "lad lit" definitions (for example, a man might think a woman reading a shopaholic book is a gold digger, hell bent on spending his money; a woman seeing a man reading Clarkson might think he was a reactionary moron ... and she'd be right).

But that's not all!

Two-thirds of British people perceive readers of celebrity autobiographies to be physically unattractive.

Yep, you read that right. The results show 66% of adults make negative judgments about the appearance of a person they see reading Being Jordan or Beckham: My World in public.

Imagine how hideous Jeremy Clarkson would look reading Beckham: My World... *shudder*

So what do you think? Do you make judgements about people based on what they're reading? What would put you off? What would attract you and make you want to talk to someone?

Posted by Keris on November 15, 2007 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (9)

GUEST BLOG: Lola Jaye

One of the (many) things I love about Trashionista is how many of our readers are also writers. It gives us a great opportunity to learn more about the publishing process or, as we called it when Claire Allan guest blogged for us, the road to publication...

So may I introduce Lola, whose novel, By The Time You Read This, is out August 2008, with the first of her monthly updates.

By The Time I Write This…

….I’ll be another step closer to becoming a published author.

Okay, in and around August 2008, but who’s counting? Well me, actually. The months, the weeks, minutes and hours. Because contrary to those "I got published within an hour of starting the novel!" stories, it can be a long process. In my case, it took years for an agent to actually usher me in for a meeting, then another wait (a book or so later in fact) to get a Yess! from a publisher and will take a year from that yes to actually getting it published!

But unlike previous waits, I just love this one. The tiniest of developments thrill me these days (like, seeing the pre-order on Amazon for the first time). Another little nugget in the mulberry bush was being asked to write a monthly blog for Trashionista! How cool is that? So here I am, letting you in on my road to publication. [Ha! Told you! - Keris]

So how did I arrive here?

Aged eleven, I wrote a series of short serials and created an array of adulterous, shoulder padded characters for my "radio soap opera" The Wilsons– which ironically stopped me from being labelled "quite weird" whilst keeping me out of mischief.

After my degrees (I did two) I put finger to keyboard once again, but instead of a debate on Psychoanalysis Vs Person Centred Therapy, I wrote a story. A novel about a girl not looking for love. Great! I’ll be published within a week! (see above). So, here I am, older, wiser and with better shaped eyebrows (thanks to threading).

Friends, family and imaginary friends ask: “So how does it feel to be a writer?”

And after explaining the vast differences between mine and JK Rowling’s bank balances, I then become mute as I internally ask myself the same question.

"How does it feel…?"

I’m first to admit the next statement’s ultra dodgy considering I’m soon to be a published writer, but I am unable to describe the feeling of knowing my book will soon be on the bookshelves and possibly in my local library. Elation? Jubilance? Butterflies salsering around my guts? All of the above. But to look at me, you’d never quite notice. For example, when I got THAT CALL from my agent, there were no leaps for joy, no partying, just quiet acceptance and baked sea bream for dinner. Very low key, one would say. But I’ll hold onto the threat of champagne, balloons and victory dances – because they will happen. Praps when I see the first book proof in a few weeks; or the first cover design; or the first review; or someone reading it on the train, shaking their head and wondering just HOW this managed to get into print.

Having signed the publishing contract about five months ago, things are now moving at a steady pace. I’ve just finished the edits and the manuscript’s now with a copy editor, I hope will understand my sarf London twang and references to '90s London. And whilst participating in my usual life that includes a full time job and a bag fetish, I’m also supposed to be starting a new novel…

For now, I remain as happy as anything but without the hoopla. I suppose, having already been through such a rollercoaster of emotions over the past few years, I feel a bit used up on that front … oh okay, a few days after the call, I let out an excitable, loonyfied YESS!!!! On the platform of the Bakerloo line, punching the air like a total moron as a couple of commuters ignored me. And to totally obliterate any ounce of remaining street cred, I’ll now end this piece on an ultra luvvie, cringe worthy, but true note:

Being a writer’s not just what I do – it’s who I am.

If you don’t want to wait for next month’s instalment, log onto www.upadiary.blogspot.com for more silly comments and exclamation marks!

Posted by Keris on November 15, 2007 in Guest blogs | Permalink | Comments (4)

November 14, 2007 5:49 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Fitness Kills by Helen Barer

Reviewed by Angela Richardson

Fitness Kills is Helen Barer’s first in a series of cosy Nora Franke mysteries about a series of murders and mysterious ‘accidents’ that occur at a luxury spa.

Nora Franke is a New York food writer stuck in a rut. Hoping to get rid of a broken heart and a few extra pounds she signs up as a menu consultant at an elite fitness ranch in Baja. With any luck she’ll shed the weight, make some friends, and maybe even get over her ex. However, Nora soon finds there’s more than just yoga, hikes and liquid fasts on the menu, someone’s added murder. Unless she can solve the mystery of who’s behind the death of two of the guests, Nora may find that she’s the next victim.

Despite the fact that this was a murder mystery I found this a very relaxing read. The description of the spa and its exotic scenery are very compelling and the main character, Nora, is likeable and interesting. It was a nice read and great for curling up with just before bed. Unfortunately it was a bit too relaxing as it didn’t really have enough of a plot hook to make you want to know what was going to happen next. I know I shouldn’t be mentioning the ending, but this book just stopped. I found myself flipping through the blank pages at the end to check for another chapter. But then maybe that’s Barer’s plan – to keep us all wondering so we’ll buy the next in the series.

If you like cosy little murder mysteries that will relax you at bed time then this is the perfect read. If you like a tense page-turner then this is definitely not the book for you.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Steamed by Jessica Conant-Park and Susan Conant

Posted by Keris on November 14, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

I thought I'd go for something a bit simpler this week after last week's (well, week before last's, since I forgot last week) moral and political conundrum (well, you know, sort of).

The movie version of The Jane Austen Book Club is out this very Friday in the UK (it's already been released in the US - anyone seen it?) and the novel has been reissued with a movie tie-in cover. You know how I feel about book covers, so you probably won't be surprised to hear that I'm not a fan of the movie tie-in cover. (I'll give my reasons in the comments.)

But what do you think? Harmless bit of marketing or shameless imagination sappers?

Movie tie-in book covers: Yay or Nay and Why?

[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!]

Posted by Keris on November 14, 2007 in Book covers, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (4)

BOOK NEWS: Madonna and Me

I love Madonna. In fact, I've loved her for more than 20 years now (how can that be?) and my love was never stronger than in the '80s (when, yes, I also thought I was going to be a pop star, despite having no discernible talent whatsoever), so Madonna and Me by Nikki Racklin sounds right up my street.

For twenty years singer/songwriter/bass-player Nikki Racklin sat poised on the fringes of the music industry, breathlessly expecting stardom to come calling. During this time, an intriguingly-named Italian-American singer dressed in sardonic baby doll lace went from obscurity to iconic status. This witty and amusing memoir charts Nikki’s odyssey and will resonate with anyone who’s ever had a dream.

Posted by Keris on November 14, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hay Festival Winter Weekend

Haywinter For those of us who managed to miss the main festival at Hay-on-Wye this year, there is a second-chance of a sort... The Hay Festival Winter Weekend.

It runs from November 30 to December 2 and guests include Jonathan Coe, Posy Simmonds, Jenny Valentine, Marcus Sedgwick, and Rob Penn.

Plus, on the Saturday night there's a Christmas Happy Hour with discounts, drinks and Christmas cheer at all participating shops.

Related posts: Best of Hay-on-Sky | Hay-on-Wye Festival's relay story

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 14, 2007 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Anna Blundy

I absolutely adored Anna Blundy's novel, Neat Vodka, so I'm thrilled she's answered our questions (even if it did take me a little while to put them on the site ... ahem).

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

A murder story in Moscow past and present – hangovers, past and present lovers, frozen chicken.

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

I’d love to write them at home in Italy with a bottle of wine, but I usually do most of it at the gym with two different radio stations and news tv blaring.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Does Jane Eyre count? Anna Karenina? [Um ... I'd say no - Keris]

Otherwise I like the big fat old ones – Jackie Collins and Pearls (who wrote that?). [Celia Brayfield - Keris]

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

Oh, Scarlett O’ Hara, no question. She reminds me of Russian women today – tough, pragmatic, a survivor. And beautiful, if played by Vivien Leigh. I’m also in love with Eloise, the little girl who lived at the Plaza. I spent a lot of time in flashy hotels by myself when I was little (staying with my war correspondent father) and I remember going up and down in the lifts all day long like Eloise and pretending it was important. Both Scarlett and Eloise are fundamentally alone but they’re not going to let it get them down.

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

Don’t pretend to be someone else when you’re writing. I find a lot of people think you have to write differently to how you speak or, at least, think. It ends up pompous and strange.

What are you reading at the moment?

A lot of Freud for an M.A. I’m starting in September, actually! [Told you this interview was late! Hope it's going well, Anna! - Keris] And The Wandering Jews by Joseph Roth and Ian McEwan’s Amsterdam. And, honestly, Anna Karenina in Russian and something by Banana Yashimoto translated into Italian – La Cucina. Crazy but all true.

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

A television series about Russians in London called Londongrad. And a big, sexy chick-lit thing also about rich Russians – The Oligarch’s Wife. A novel.

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!)

Well, I spend a lot of time thinking about the huge questions – God, love and death. I used to be an evangelical atheist but you get cleverer as you get older and I now think that absolute certainty about anything is pretty naïve.

Thanks, Anna!

Posted by Keris on November 14, 2007 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

Wuthering Heights first edition smashes estimate

A first edition of Wuthering Heights sold for £114,000 - double its estimated sale price - at Bonhams yesterday.

Wuthering Heights is Emily Bronte's only novel, and it wasn't recognised as a classic of English Literature until after she died from consumption, aged 30.

The tale of doomed love between Heathcliff and Cathy was first published in 1847. Emily Bronte used a male alis, Ellis Bell, because she feared prejudice as a female author. Thank goodness times have changed. Ah-hem.

[Via BBC]

Related posts: Classic Novels archive

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 14, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Classic Novels | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 13, 2007 4:36 PM

Book News: Sorcery and the Single Girl by Mindy Klasky

Sorceryandthesinglegirl Paranormal chick lit is still going from strength to strength - in the US, at any rate - and here's the proof; another witchy-heroine from Red Dress Ink.

Newly-fledged witch, Jane Madison, is struggling to find her feet. She feels like a magical misfit, and her powers aren't much help with her everyday-problems, either.

Then the exclusive Washington Coven invites her to join up. It could be a whole new start for Jane - or the most humiliating experience of her life.

We loved Mindy Klasky's debut, Girl's Guide to Witchcraft, which introduced Jane Madison, so I have high hopes for this one.

Related posts: Book News archive

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 13, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Romance, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (0)

Penguin book bags

Penguinbookbag We've told you about Penguin Classics mugs, tea towels, and pencils, before, but there's always room for another item emblazoned with the iconic artwork.

Especially when it's a handy oilcloth (wipe clean!) book bag. Say goodbye to ugly, environmentally-unfriendly carriers and bag yourself one of these beauties.

Related posts: Lovely Penguin pencils | Book bags | Reading is sexy

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 13, 2007 in Bookish products | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Slam by Nick Hornby

Slam is Nick Hornby's first book for young adults and he's made a great job of it. Closer to the populist style of High Fidelity, rather than his more literary (and, in my opinion, less successful) novels, like How To Be Good and A Long Way Down.

Every preview I've read of this book describes it as being about, Sam, 15, who talks to his poster of skateboarding hero, Tony Hawk ... and the poster talks back. But that's really not what it's about at all. When Sam meets Alicia, they become very serious very quickly. Alicia's parents don't think Sam's good enough (mainly due to the fact that his mum had him at 16) and Sam's mum thinks things are happening too fast. And then Alicia tells Sam she's late...

Sam's reaction isn't ideal, but it is natural - and that was the thing I loved most about this book. Sam makes loads of mistakes, but he's such a charming and believable character that you want things to work out for him.

The Tony Hawk thing is an interesting and entertaining device - Hawk doesn't really talk back, Sam just hears relevant (most of the time) soundbites from Hawk's autobiography, which Sam claims to have read thousands of times. Having had my own celebrity obsessions as a teen (I've no interest now, of course... *cough*), I appreciated how any pronouncement by the object of your obsession can take on an importance out of all proportion and I thought it worked brilliantly in this book.

Of course, being Hornby, it's very well-written and it's also very funny and incredibly touching. I found myself near to tears a lot of the time. I'd never really thought about how teenage pregnancy could affect the baby's father before (silly, I know) and this book was a great insight into the subject. Plus it's just a really good read.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try: Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce

Posted by Keris on November 13, 2007 in British Authors, New Releases, Rating: 5/5, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

TUESDAY THREE: Music was my first love...

Ah, who hasn’t had a crush on a musician? I know I have. From Shakin’ Stevens to Barry Manilow, I’ve loved ‘em all (what?). And so, apparently, do chick lit writers. Looking for a dangerous, sexy hero? A musician’s your man!

Dedication, the new novel by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin (whose first The Nanny Diaries is a Trashionista favourite and whose second, Citizen Girl, received Trashi’s Worst Ever Review), is 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.

Kathleen Tessaro’s second novel, Innocence, is the story of Evie Garlick, who leaves smalltown Ohio at the age of eighteen to follow her dream. She travels across the Atlantic to London, to study acting and soon finds herself best friends with fellow American actress wannabes Robbie and Imogene. The three girls live together, study together and get drunk together until Jack, a struggling rock musician, comes into Evie’s world and pulls her friendships apart.

But it’s not just men who can be sexy musos, you know - oh no. Heather Wells, heroine of Meg Cabot’s Size 12 Is Not Fat, is a 28-year-old ex-pop star who, after having discovered her boy band fiancée doing the dirty with upcoming star Tania Trace and seeing her mother flee the country with her manager and life savings, is forced to take a job as a dormitory – sorry, residence hall –assistant, overseeing students at nearby New York College. Despite her troubled past, as well as a complimentary weight gain, life isn't all that bad – especially as Heather has lovely private-investigator housemate Cooper to lust after.

However, when two female students are suddenly found dead in what appear to be tragic dares-gone-wrong, Heather is certainly not convinced. Because, quite frankly, 'girls don't elevator surf'. Cue a vital desire to solve the mystery of Fischer Hall, which appears to land Heather in a bit more trouble than she actually expects. But with her pop career having taken a nose-dive and no man in tow, surely it's time for the former Queen of Teen to stop reminiscing and start concentrating on the present?

Posted by Keris on November 13, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 12, 2007 4:36 PM

Book News: Richard & Judy Book Club to continue

Richard_and_judy_4_1 Recently, Richard and Judy announced that their Channel Four teatime chat show would end next year.

If you just felt a slight breeze upon your cheek, that was the collective sigh of relief from the book trade on the news that R&J intend to carry on with their hugely successful book club.

Also, Cactus TV, the producers of Richard & Judy, have stepped forward to say that not only will the book club continue "in some form", but that they are keen to work with the publishing industry on new book-related TV programmes. That's good, then.

[Via PublishingNews]

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 12, 2007 in Book News, Richard and Judy, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen

Sickpuppy When I'm in the mood for something smart and satirical and insanely funny, I know just the man to turn to... Florida journalist Carl Hiaasen.

In honour of his latest novel - Nature Girl - being released in paperback, I thought I would revisit one of my old favourites, Sick Puppy.

Eco-warrior Twilly Spree spots someone in a Range Rover dropping litter and decides to teach him a lesson. His target turns out to be none other than Palmer Stoat - one of Florida's most powerful political fixers, and a man who's crimes against nature are far worse than litter-bugging...

Twilly steals Palmer Stoat's dog and hooks up with Skink, an infamous ex-governer who lives in the wild and eats roadkill.

Plotted with crazy ingenuity, Sick Puppy defies summarisation. Safe to say, however, it keeps you laughing while you turn the pages.

It's quintessential Hiaasen; the situation is exagerated and the humour a little twisted, but justice prevails. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen (it's my second favourite).

Related posts: More on Monday

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 12, 2007 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Messages

I haven't read Messages by Lynne Rees and Sarah Salway, but it sounds like an incredible undertaking. The book consists of 300, 300 word pieces of writing that Lynne and Sarah wrote over the course of eighteen months. Each piece was completed and returned within seventy-two hours.

To celebrate the launch of the second edition of Messages the authors are inviting other writers to carry on where they left off. Each day during November (sorry I'm so late in telling you about this!), Lynne and Sarah will be uploading a message from the book onto their website - Yourmessages.org - and writers will be encouraged to write a response to it for publication on the site. The Responses must be exactly 300 words in length and produced within 24 hours.

At the end of November Lynne and Sarah will select their favourite responses, which will be published in a new book to be called Your Messages in early 2008. All profits from the book will go to charity and all the writers included will be invited to read their message at a special London event. [via Caroline Smailes]

Related posts: The Neverending Story | Write the "End of This World"

Posted by Aigua Media on November 12, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kay Sexton's NaNoWriMo

How's this for a biography?

Kay Sexton writes for the UK's premier sustainability journal, Green Futures. In the four years she has been writing, Kay’s fiction has been chosen for over twenty anthologies. She was a finalist in the 2007 University of Hertfordshire Writing Award and was runner-up in the 2004 Guardian short fiction contest judged by Dave Eggers. Her novel, Gatekeeper, is currently with an agent and she is working on a second novel about pornography and rivers in 1920s Hampshire.

"Pornography and rivers in 1920s Hampshire"? This is a book I need to read! Read what Kay's writing for NaNoWriMo over the cut (it's even more interesting than her bio).

This is my fifth year of NaNo which I do entirely for fun – I’ve hit the target every year and last year’s erotic novel was serialised at the online erotica site, Ruthie’s Club! This year I’m writing a science fiction novel: The Jayne Project

Imagine a world where we our minds are being read - by a middle-aged woman from Beckenham who is kept in a dome in Texas by a combined US/UK task force. She is Jayne and she finds terrorists and criminals who are picked off by SWAT teams. Around her is The Jayne Project - the people whose minds she fills with the knowledge she pulls from the heads of America's most wanted - and around them is the security that keeps Jayne safe.

But something has gone wrong. A terrorist infiltrates the dome and The Jayne Project is wiped out by a lethal bacterium - all except Donny who was outside the dome, looking for his cat. So he goes home to England, and tries to work out what happened.

But all is not as it seems; there’s a twelve year old girl who keeps finding needles and knives in the strangest places and Donny can’t help feeling that Jayne is still out there, infiltrating. And one day he realises that Jayne was never in the dome at all …”

If you'd like to tell us what you're writing for NaNoWriMo, drop us an email at the usual address.

Posted by Keris on November 12, 2007 in NaNovember | Permalink | Comments (1)

Book News: The Virago Book of the Joy of Shopping

Joyofshopping The Virago Book of the Joy of Shopping by Jill Foulston sounds rather fun.

It promises a romp through the literary history of shopping, with facts about authors and characters and their attitude to shopping, lists and finding just the right thing.

Better still, with its pretty duck egg blue cover, this hardback is positively covetable.

Related posts: The Shops | Shop til you drop | Penguin gorgeous covers

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 12, 2007 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: A Bad Bride's Tale by Polly Williams

Reviewed by Helen Redfern

A Bad Bride’s Tale is Polly Williams’ second book after the successful The Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy. Rather confusingly A Bad Bride’s Tale was also known as The Egg Race in hardback. The Egg Race is not a brilliant title but I think A Bad Bride’s Tale as a title is misleading. Yes she’s a bride, but bad? Hmm.

Stevie Jonson is getting married to Jez. Everything is organised for the big day. But there is a problem. Stevie just isn’t physically attracted to her fiancé anymore. He is also a bit self absorbed and manipulative. However, she is thirty four, she can hear the tick, tick, tick of her biological clock and feels this man is the last chance she’ll have to have a baby. Thus ‘The Egg Race’.

To cause further confusion for Stevie, Sam, her childhood friend and one time crush, returns from France two weeks before she says ‘I do’. Her doubts before the big day, however, are pushed to the back of her mind after a crisis in the family of her soon to be in laws. On their honeymoon, they bump into Katy, an ex of Sam’s. Katy is hoping her current boyfriend Seb will be proposing any day now.

This book is a page turner. The proof of this is that I sneaked away from my family on Sunday to keep reading it. I like Williams’ writing style. She is vivid with her words and sets the scene really well. But I feel certain things let the book down.

On one level it is a straightforward romantic comedy. On another Williams raises deeper issues regarding declining fertility and the modern working woman. To cover such a complex and important issue, with such a one dimensional, weak character does not do the subject justice. Frustratingly, Stevie is incredibly reliant on a man and does not voice her own wants at all. Whilst in reality there are women like this, for this story and plot to work I needed a character I could empathise with more.

Then there is Katy, the secondary female character. I felt she was such a media cliché of a woman wanting to get married and have babies before her ovaries shrivel up, it made me want to weep and this interrupted the flow of the story.

Marian Keyes produces contemporary novels covering serious issues with strong, rounded female leads. I think there is promise here, but with A Bad Bride's Tale, Williams hasn’t yet managed to achieve the same high level.

Rating: 2/5

Like this? Try Baby Proof by Emily Giffin

Posted by Keris on November 12, 2007 in British Authors, Rating: 2/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 9, 2007 3:39 PM

Rereading - are you in on the craze?

According to a new survey quoted in the Guardian 77% of UK readers revisit books they've enjoyed, with 17% saying they have read a favourite book more than five times.

In my life pre-children (and most especially when I was a child/teenager myself), I used to reread books regularly. Now... Not so much.

There simply aren't enough hours in the day for all the new books I want to read (let alone the ones I need to read for review or research), but I do miss the habit. What about you? Do you still/have you ever reread your old favourites?

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 9, 2007 in Book related, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (3)

TV News: Sarah Waters

I loved the BBC adaptation of Sarah Waters' Tipping the Velvet, completely missed Fingersmith (my favourite of her books - how did I miss that?!) and now I hear that Affinity and The Night Watch will both be on TV next year.

Scheduled to be shown on ITV in April 2008, Affinity's screenplay is by Andrew Davies (Pride & Prejudice ... and loads more) and the cast includes Anna Massey and Julia McKenzie.

BBC2 are adapting Sarah's latest book, The Night Watch, for screening in March.

Posted by Keris on November 9, 2007 in Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Midnight Brunch by Marta Acosta

Reviewed by Angela Richardson

Midnight Brunch is Marta Acosta’s sequel to Happy Hour at Casa Dracula about a young woman who finds her heart’s desire in the least likely of places – with a family of vampires.

Latina Ivy League grad Milagro de Los Santos thinks she’s finally found love and a home at the California ranch of fabulous Oswald Grant and his urbane relatives, who have a rare genetic disorder that some call vampirism. But Milagro is bewildered when she’s excluded from an ancient and mysterious midnight ceremony whose participants include Oswald’s unfriendly parents, a creepy family elder, and Milagro’s ex-lover, the powerful and decadent Ian Ducharme. What skeletons are the vampires keeping from her?

When a rogue family member threatens Milagro, she flees to the desert to hide. Instead of solitude, she encounters an egomaniacal actor, a partying heiress, a sly tabloid reporter, and a lavish spa full of dark secrets.

Having read the first of this series I was really looking forward to this book. Acosta’s skill of creating believable characters that capture the heart of the reader is still as great as ever. However, I was slightly disappointed as this book just didn’t have the same flow or fast pace as Happy Hour at Casa Dracula.

That said it is still a very good read and gives the story of Milagro a completeness that was never fulfilled in the first book. Although Milagro is still likeable some of her childish actions in this book turned my sympathies against her somewhat, but she does turn things around in the end. Acosta’s humour is still great and makes this book light hearted and funny. It’s a must read for anyone who’s read the first as it will satisfy all the questions that Happy Hour at Casa Dracula raised.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson.

Posted by Aigua Media on November 9, 2007 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Friday Flick: Out of Sight

Outofsight Mmm... Delectable. I'm afraid that is the only way to describe Clooney in this film. And, frankly, the scene in the boot of the car is one of the hottest things I have ever seen. Keris agrees with me, too. Look.

Anyway. Hotness-aside, this adaptation of the fabulous Elmore Leonard book just plain works. Jennifer Lopez and George Clooney have fantastic on-screen chemistry (oops, I'm back to the hotness again, aren't I?) and the direction is classic Steven Soderberbergh - clever and slick.

Do yourself a favour this Friday night and snuggle up with George.

Like this? Try: Jackie Brown

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 9, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Crime / Mystery, Friday Flick | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay

Elizabeth Hay's Late Nights on Air, which details the loves and rivalries of a cast of eccentric characters at a small radio station in Yellowknife, near Canada's Arctic, has won the 2007 Scotiabank Giller Prize, Canada's most lucrative and prestigious prize for fiction. [via Booktrade.info]

I haven't read a huge amount of Canadian fiction - just Margaret Atwood, Jennifer McCartney's Afloat and Mary Lawson's Crow Lake, in fact - but Late Nights on Air sounds wonderful, so it's going on my list.

Related: Late Night Talking by Leslie Schnur

Posted by Aigua Media on November 9, 2007 in Book News, Prize Winners | Permalink | Comments (1)

Book News: Crazy in Love by Lani Diane Rich

Crazyinlove_2 Lani Diane Rich has come a long way since she wrote Time Off for Good Behaviour for NaNoWriMo 2002, but that doesn't stop her taking part this year. Gotta love a girl that remembers her roots.

This month sees the UK release of her sixth book, Crazy in Love.

Flynn Daly is turning 30 and she has been guilt-marched into joining the family business. That may not sound so bad, but her first job involves leaving the city to run an inn, left by a deceased aunt, in the middle of the country. On the plus side, there's a sexy bartender called Jake, on the other, her dead aunt is haunting her dreams.

Look out for a Trashionista review coming soon.

Related Posts: Book news archives

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 9, 2007 in American Authors, Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 8, 2007 5:30 PM

Book Review: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Betme Gentle reader, I have a spot of advice...

The next time you have one of those days. When you feel uncomfortable so you reach for your 'fat' jeans only to discover you're already wearing them, when you forget bin day for the third week running, when you have a dentist's appointment and you collect a parking ticket while you're there, when, in short, fate spits in your eye and doesn't offer you a hanky, may I make a suggestion?

Read this book. Bet Me is pure escapist loveliness with typically-wonderful Crusie characters and a hero yummier than ten bars of Galaxy.

Minnerva Dobbs is a no-nonsense woman who believes in risk management over fairy-tale happy-endings. Calvin Morrisey is a gorgeous businessman who never makes a bet he won't win. But Min and Cal are meant for each other and Fate will go to any lengths to make them see it.

Bet Me is an unapologetic traditional romance, but it's also a Crusie. Hence the Krispy Kremes, chaos theory, intelligent cat, off-balance psychologist, snarky-best-friend, and outrageous shoes.

This book is balm for the soul and I love it. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've had a rough day...

Like this? Try: Faking It by Jennifer Crusie

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 8, 2007 in American Authors, Rating: 5/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (5)

Chick Lit Heroine Grudge Match: Heather Wells v Kate Klein

In the last grudge match, Elizabeth Bennett effortlessly batted away young contender, Bridget Jones.

This week, it's the turn of amateur sleuths Heather Wells and Kate Klein.

Size12isnotfat Heather Wells

The books: Size 12 is Not Fat and Size 14 is Not Fat Either by Meg Cabot. Heather is an ex-teen-pop-star and current assistant director at a New York college residence hall. When deaths occur in the dorm and the police seem to be dragging their heels, Heather steps in...

Loves: Snacks.

Men: Mmm... Cooper. Housemate, brother of her ex-fiance and PI.

Goodnightnobody Kate Klein

The book: Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner. Kate Klein has her heart broken and then, while on the rebound, manages to get married and have three children very, very quickly. Before she's caught her breath, Kate finds herself in stultifying Upchurch, Connecticut, wondering what the heck happened to her life. Frankly, a death in the neighbourhood is almost a welcome diversion...

Loves: Comfortable clothes, New York, her best friend Janie Segal and her super-lovely Dad. And her three children, of course, but that goes without saying, right?

Men: Evan McKenna. PI. And the man who broke her heart. Ben. Husband. The man she's not entirely sure she should've married, let alone had three children with. Oops.

Conclusion: Two fabulous heroines from two of my favourite writers. It's a tricky one. Heather is carrying a series (the third book, Size Doesn't Matter, is out in December), but I admire Kate's guts and determination. Plus, she has to be a super-sleuth while being a mummy - that earns points, right?

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 8, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Crime / Mystery | Permalink | Comments (2)

Jenny Gardiner does NaNoWriMo

Thanks in part to Trashionista readers (or, at least, I like to think so!), Jenny Gardiner won the American Title-III contest and, as a result, her novel, Sleeping With Ward Cleaver will be published early next year (and features a cover quote from Meg Cabot, no less!). Jenny's working on her next book during NaNoWriMo.

Called Mary Kate Goes Over the Falls, its about a woman trapped in an abusive marriage who goes out to pick up her husband's dry cleaning and instead picks up a hitchhiker (the lure of whom reminds her of the lip of Niagara Falls, which is said to tempt people to jump in) and they impulsively set off on a road trip of self-discovery, peeling away layers of their dark pasts, en route to Niagara Falls.

Read more about Jenny Gardiner at her own site or at The Debutante Ball, a blog dedicated to first time authors (hence the name).

If you'd like to share what you're writing for NaNo, just drop us an email at the usual address (which you'll find over there on the right).

Related: NaNovember archives

Posted by Keris on November 8, 2007 in NaNovember | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: The Motherhood Walk of Fame by Shari Low

The Motherhood Walk of Fame, Shari Low's fourth book, is the story of Carly Cooper, an author and journalist, happily married to her childhood sweetheart and with two lovely sons. The problem is, she's bored. And not just with her sex life (that's less boring and more none-existent).

When she gets a phonecall from her ex, Sam - one of the (six!) men she was engaged to before marrying Mark* - everything changes. Mark has given Carly's first novel to his agent and he's lined up meetings for Carly with Hollywood studios.

*And you can read all about them in Shari Low's first book, ~~Why Not?~~ What If?, which also features Carly.

Completely overexcited, both at the thought of livening up her life and possibly taking Hollywood by storm - Carly books tickets to LA for the whole family. There's only one problem, Mark refuses to go. Determined not to miss out on the chance of a lifetime, Carly and the kids go anyway, leaving a disgruntled Mark home alone.

Out in LA, things are great. Possibly too great. Carly not only loves the lifestyle, she finds herself remembering all too clearly what she used to love about Sam.

So Carly has to choose. Between LA and the UK. Writing for the movies or writing for Family Values magazine. Between her husband, Mark and her ex, Sam (who, by the way, used to be a high class gigolo). In other words, between real life and a dream life.

I enjoyed The Motherhood Walk of Fame. Shari Low is very funny and I'd laughed out loud a few times in just the first few pages. The kids are very cute and the Hollywood experience is entertaining, but I felt the book sagged a bit in the middle. There wasn't really enough plot to keep my interest. Having said that, I loved the ending.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Rainy Days & Tuesdays by Claire Allan

Posted by Keris on November 8, 2007 in British Authors, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release, Series | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK COVER: Snap!

A couple of weeks ago I was sent the book on the left: The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose by Diana Janney (it sounds great and I'll be reading and reviewing it soon).

Yesterday I was in a book shop (okay, WH Smiths) and I thought, "Oh, there's that book!" But it wasn't. It was the book on the right: Finding Violet Park by Jenny Valentine (which won the Guardian children's fiction prize).

Uncanny, eh?

Related posts: Snap! | Another cover 'snap'! | More book cover snap

Posted by Keris on November 8, 2007 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 7, 2007 12:33 PM

Book News: The Daring Book for Girls

Daringbookforgirls HarperCollins is hoping to follow the success of The Dangerous Book for Boys with this, The Daring Book for Girls.

With the same retro-styling as the Boy book, the hardback is careful to avoid stereotypical activities. Instead it offers "adventure, excitement, and just as much danger as the boys." Hurrah, then.

It's out now in the US - this is the minty-looking US cover. Take a peek at the UK one over the cut.

Daringbookuk So, what do you think of the UK cover? It uses pink (so cleverly avoided in the US version), but I like the silhouette dangling (daringly?) from the D.

Anyhoo, it's released in the UK on 18 February 2008.

Related posts: UK versus US covers | Does a book cover matter?

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 7, 2007 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Summer Night, Winter Moon by Jane Huxley

Jane Huxley's Summer Night, Winter Moon has had great reviews and on this Friday (9 November) if you buy the book along with a copy of Peter Carvell's Silver Wolf, you get a bunch of great extras including L.K. Bennett 10% discount card (woo!) and a 10% discount on life coach sessions with Peter Carvell.

To order, go to www.delanceypress.co.uk and once there: click on www.amazon.co.uk, scroll down to “Perfect Partner” and press “Buy both Now".
Could make a good gift (I've said it before and I'll say it again, Christmas is coming!).

Related posts: Book news archives

Posted by Keris on November 7, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW & COMPETITION: Sophie King

Sophie King is the pen name for journalist Jane Bidder. She is the author of the best-selling novels The School Run and Mums @ Home. As Jane Bidder, she has written for numerous national publications. Her latest book is Second Time Lucky and you can win one of the four copies we've got to give away (see the end of the interview to find out how).

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Second Time Lucky is about four people starting again after life-changing experiences. They're neighbours so they help (and hinder) each other.

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

In my summer house at the bottom of the garden, which had to be sawn in half to get through my side gate. (I moved it from the bigger house I used to live in, before my husband and I split up.) In the winter, I have a tiny study which is next to my teenage son's bedroom so is very noisy...

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Catherine Alliott's A Crowded Marriage, because she's a great friend of mine.

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

Jane Eyre. I identified with her at the age of 13 when I sat in the window on the top floor at school and discovered another world (more meaningful than the real one).

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

Write every day about something you feel passionate about. Draw real characters which dictate the plot.

What are you reading at the moment?

Ian McEwan's On Chesil Beach

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

My new book (due out next year) which is called The Supper Club. It's about four friends who have regular supper parties. As the year progresses, their lives change.

Do you have a theme song?

I Will Survive.

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!)

Q: Where would you like to be in ten years time?

A: Number one with someone with I love.

Thanks, Jane.

To be in with a chance of winning a copy of Second Time Lucky, email us (editor @ trashionista . com [remove spaces]) with your name and address (subject line: "Second Time Lucky") before midnight GMT on Tuesday, 13 November.

Posted by Keris on November 7, 2007 in Competition, Interviews | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: Froth on the Cappuccino by Maeve Haran

I love books like Maeve Haran's Froth on the Cappuccino. Subtitled "How small pleasures can save your life" it's one of those books about how all the joys of life are right there in front of us and how we so often take this for granted.

Things like the titular froth on the cappuccino ("Can there be anything more delicious than sprinkling fresh chocolate onto your cappucciino and eating the froth, slowly and sensuously, as befits its amazing wondrousness?"), freshly baked bread, a cool pillow, watching the dawn come up, painting your toenails and tons more.

Yes, it's basically just short thoughts on each topic, but I found it compulsive reading.

Granted, at times Haran's tone can be a bit twee and I found myself thinking "Yeah, yeah, baking with children is delightful, blah blah," but that's probably partly due to my own cynicism and partly because I read the book in great chunks rather than dipping in and out of it. Oh and the chapter on "Scrunchy hair ties" seemed a bit out of date. "So this humble yet irreplaceable device is destined for a long and happy future" - tell that to Carrie Bradshaw!

But they're very small complaints. As a book to keep by the bed (or the loo) and dip in and out of, it would be both charming and inspiring. It would also make a good Christmas gift for someone who's finding life a bit joyless.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Joy Diet by Martha Beck

Posted by Keris on November 7, 2007 in British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (2)

(Long) Longlist for lucrative literary prize

Mybestfriend The longlist for the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize has a whopping 137 books and, as you might guess, is heavy on the lit fic.

A shortlist of ten will be announced in Spring 2008 and the winner will walk off with 100,000 euros. Nice.

Chick lit gets a look-in with Dorothy Koomson's My Best Friends Girl. Also listed are two of my favourites, One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson and The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox by Maggie O'Farrell.

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 7, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 6, 2007 5:34 PM

Screenwriters on strike!

Meg Cabot and Neil Gaiman are among those who have laid down their pens this week for the Writers Guild of America strike.

The action only affects screenwriting and concerns the residual payment made to writers for internet distribution and the sale of DVDs. Knowing how much money the television and film industry makes and how little most writers get paid, I can't see a problem. Can you?

FYI, the last time Hollywood writers went on strike was in 1988. It lasted for 22 weeks and cost the industry $500 million.

[Via AOL]

Related post: A little bit of politics

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 6, 2007 in American Authors, Movie News, Television | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: Carpool Confidential by Jessica Benson

From the moment I heard about Carpool Confidential I was dying to read it (for reasons that will become clear...). Also Meg Cabot highly recommended it on her blog recently and we always listen to Meg!

After 11 years of marriage, Cassie and Rick have an apparently idyllic life that includes two gorgeous kids, a Brooklyn apartment with breathtaking views of Manhattan and a holiday home in Nantucket. But then out of the blue, Rick announces that he's unhappy with the way his life has turned out and he's leaving Cassie to go and find himself ... and work on a Barry Manilow retrospective. I love Barry Manilow - and not even ironically - so this was right up my alley.

Cassie is flabbergasted since Rick has always been dependable, even a bit boring, and has never shown the slightest interest in any sort of Easy Listening music. But off Rick goes, without telling Cassie exactly where he's going, how long he'll be away or whether he's coming back. He doesn't even give her a contact number, saying instead that he'll get in touch with her.

At first Cassie's in total denial, but soon she realises she has to take care of herself, which is when she learns not only that Rick has been planning this escapade for quite some time, but also that he's left her and their sons financially insecure and may have been less than honest about a number of other aspects of his life.

Before giving it all up to have kids, Cassie was a journalist, and an old friend and contact suggests she blog about her experiences for a New York magazine. The blog becomes extremely popular very quickly, but while Cassie finds writing about what she's going through cathartic, she also has the additional worry that her fellow PTA moms will work out the real identity of the blog's author.

Cassie is witty and charming and I warmed to her immediately. Rick is an utter sleaze and I wanted to wring his neck. Plus the supporting characters - Cassie's friends, mother-in-law, niece and sons - are great fun and admirably avoid cliche. The other PTA moms *are* rather cliched, but all the more fun for that somehow.

Plus the chapter headings are Barry Manilow song titles. What's not to love?

There was one aspect of the plot that I absolutely didn't buy, but this is Jessica Benson's first chick lit novel* so I'll forgive her. I can't wait to see what she writes next. Highly recommended.

* Benson has previously written historical romances. I've never read any, but when I do I'll start with one of Benson's.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Secret Confessions of the Applewood PTA by Ellen Meister

Posted by Keris on November 6, 2007 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

TUESDAY THREE: Quilt lit?

Quilting is a great metaphor for story-telling - or not even a metaphor; quilts tell stories of their own - and, as such, is often featured in women’s fiction to great effect.

Trashionista fave, Lani Diane Rich’s latest book, The Fortune Quilt, sees TV producer Carly McKay going to interview a psychic quiltmaker, Brandywine Seaver. Brandywine gives Carly a reading on a quilt she's made for her and it changes Carly’s life completely. Carly doesn’t believe in psychics, but when her TV show closes down, her runaway mother returns after 17 years and her best (male) friend tells her he’s been in love with her for years, she returns to the arty town of Bilby to ask Brandy what the hell’s going on.

Partly due to the town's charms (not least sexy neighbour, Will) and partly because she's afraid to go home, Carly finds herself making a life in Bilby, but when the quilt inspires her to make things right and get back what she’s lost, Carly's forced to risk everything she’s found.

The Wedding Ring by Emilie Richards - the first story in a trilogy - features Tessa and her mother, Nancy, who are summoned to Helen's (that's Tessa's grandmother, Nancy's mother) home by a concerned neighbour. When Tessa and Nancy reach Helen's mountainside house they are shocked by the level of disarray it has fallen into. Helen has been hoarding anything and everything - refusing to leave the old way of life in which you didn't throw away anything that might be useful.

They begin to clear through the piles whilst Helen hides away, resentful of their presence in her home. Each woman is caught up in her own troubles, each has something they are trying to run away from. Living in close quarters however they start to lern to live with each other, a process that is aided by the discovery of the quilts Helen has spent her life creating. Each one contains stories and memories, and as these are shared the women begin to open up.

Diane raved about each of Joshilyn Jackson’s first two books, gods in Alabama and Between, Georgia
and her new book - due out in March 08 - is called The Girl Who Stopped Swimming and is the story of Laurel Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother make sure the very literal family skeleton stays buried or turning scraps of fabric into nationally acclaimed art quilts...

Posted by Keris on November 6, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: New covers for Virago classics

Following the success of Penguin's Designer Classics series, women's fiction imprint, Virago, has commissioned a series of new covers by textile designers to celebrate its 30th birthday.

Orla Kiely is creating a new cover for Barbara Pym's Excellent Women, Cath Kidston will jazz up Diary of a Provincial Lady by EM Delafield and Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki has given the enviable task of redoing Valley of the Dolls by Jacqueline Susann. [via The Guardian]

They'll be available next May ... just in time for *my* birthday.

Posted by Keris on November 6, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Book News: Smart Girls Like Me

Smartgirls_2 Remember the pre-Y2K madness? Remember Blooks?

Well, Diane Vadino's debut novel is not exactly a blog-to-book, but it is a book from a blogger (bunnyshop.org). And, according to everything I've read, it brilliantly captures the flavour of the last few months of 1999.

The heroine, Betsy Nilssen, is twenty-four and working for an online fashion site. Her best friend is getting married and the trauma of 'losing' her soul mate makes Betsy realise it's time to grow up. Only she's not at all certain they are going to survive New Year...

Smart Girls Like Me has already garnered high praise and it's got a good cover, so I will have to check it out ASAP. Watch this space!

Related posts: And In Blook News | Shaggy Blog stories | Upcoming bloggy book

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 6, 2007 in Book News, Debut Novels, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 5, 2007 5:49 PM

Publishers Weekly annouces the best books of 2007

Publishers Weekly snatches a lead on the inevitable slew of end-of-year lists by releasing its 'best books of 2007' at the beginning of November.

From the 3000 books published daily in the US (over 6000 of which PW has reviewed), staff writers chose the best fiction, non-fiction, poetry, childrens, religion and comic-books, giving them a whopping 150 books.

Check it out here. Have they got it right?

Related post: Books of the year lists

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 5, 2007 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

Book Review: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

Leanmeanthirteen_3 I'm a huge fan of Janet Evanovich, so it pains me to say this... The Stephanie Plum series may be running out of steam.

Your enjoyment of Lean Mean Thirteen will be enhanced by having read a couple of the earlier books, so that you know the full background to Stephanie's ex-husband Dickie Orr. However, if, like me, you have devoured all twelve of the previous novels, you may find Evanovich's latest a little... Samey.

The plot is enticing enough - Dickie Orr has gone missing and Stephanie is the Trenton police's prime suspect - and there is the usual assortment of hilarious rogues. This time, Stephanie is trying to apprehend a taxidermist with a penchant for exploding animals and a grave-robber. Plus, she has Morelli trying to keep her safe (fat chance, Joe) and her nemesis Joyce Bernhardt following her every move.

I think the main problem for me was one of character development. There wasn't any. Stephanie still loses her skips by going to their front door while they escape out the back, Lula still adds (more) slapstick, and absolutely nothing changes in the Ranger/Morelli situation.

As the characters felt more like parodies of themselves, I found I wasn't as emotionally-involved as usual. I struggled to believe that Stephanie was a true suspect in Dickie's disappearance and hardly batted an eyelid at the nut job with a flame thrower. Which doesn't seem right.

However, Evanovich is still a very funny writer and Lean Mean Thirteen had me laughing out loud more than once. I'm giving it a four out of five, as I would hate to put anyone off trying this series, but long-time readers consider yourselves warned...

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 5, 2007 in Crime / Mystery, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

How to take a book off a shelf

I know how to do that, I hear you cry, I'm not an idiot!

Would it help if I told you the advice wasn't coming from me, but from Martha Stewart? There, I thought so.

"Rather than tug books off the shelf by the upper lip of their binding, risking damage, try this: Push in the books on each side of the volume you want, then pull it out by grasping both sides of its spine. You'll also know where to return it. Look for the two books that are pushed out of place."

Honestly, what would we do without her (and, yes, it is "sarcastic Monday")?

Posted by Keris on November 5, 2007 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marian Keyes on It Takes Two

It's a source of great happiness to me that each year I get to enjoy two of my favourite things - Marian Keyes and Strictly Come Dancing at the same time. This year, Marian is appearing on Strictly's sister show, It Takes Two (presented by the marvellous Claudia Winkleman), on Thursday 8th November (i.e. this Thursday).

Of course, I won't get to see it because I'll be on a plane, but I hope you all enjoy it (no, I'm not bitter).

Posted by Keris on November 5, 2007 in Marian Keyes, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

MOVIE NEWS: Julie & Julia

I was already excited about the movie adaptation of Julie Powell's non-fiction book, Julie & Julia, because my hero, Nora Ephron, is writing the screenplay and directing. But now I've heard some casting news, I'm even more excited: Meryl Streep as Julia Child and Amy Adams as Julie Powell. [via Variety]

It's going to be so good. (Or, at least, it had better be!)

Related posts: From blog to book | Lulu Blooker prize shortlist

Posted by Keris on November 5, 2007 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: Imagine This by Sade Adeniran

Reviewed by Belinda Whitehead

Imagine This is a beautifully written coming of age tale about Lola Ogunwole, a young girl whose father relocates her and her elder brother Adebola to their native Nigeria from England without so much as an explanation for his actions. Sent to live in a remote village with her aunt, and surrounded by a whole host of relatives she has never met before, Lola struggles to settle into her new life in Idogun.

Adebola, meanwhile, is himself suffering at the hands of his cruel uncle Joseph, and through their correspondence the two children dream of running away together to a better life.

Unable to come to terms with her abandonment, Lola starts acting up in school as a ploy to force her father to come and get her, but succeeds only in getting herself into more trouble with her relatives and provoking her father’s anger. When things eventually come to a head, Lola finds that even when it seems life can’t get any worse, it does.

This book does more than just tell a story, it takes the reader on a journey of discovery, provoking empathy towards Lola as she endures the many hurdles life throws her way, coming to terms with life, love and, the hardest thing of all, loss.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

Posted by Keris on November 5, 2007 in Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 2, 2007 4:18 PM

TV News: A Room With A View

Aroomwithaview Yep, it's another classic novel plundered for our televisional delight. Just how many period dramas does it take to fill a television schedule, anyway? It's a good thing there are a lot of classics... Which begs another question; why choose a book that has already been made into a successful Merchant Ivory film?

Anyhoo. This two-hour ITV adaptation of E.M. Forster's comedy-of-manners stars Elaine Cassidy, Sophie Thomson and Timothy Spall and is on Sunday night at 9pm.

So, what do you think? Another adaptation can only be a good thing? Or not so much...

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 2, 2007 in Classic Novels, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

More book banning madness

Princeoftides Okay, Pat Conroy is not a chick and his books aren't chick lit (although The Prince of Tides was made into a very emotional film with Nick Nolte and Barbra Streisand), but his reaction to book banning at a West Virginia High School was just too good not to reproduce.

I'm sure Maureen Johnson, no stranger to book-banning insanity, will be proud.

In response to the school board that stopped students at Nitro High Schol from discussing The Prince of Tides and Beach Music in class, Conroy said: "Because you banned my books, every kid in that county will read them, every single one of them. Because book banners are invariably idiots, they don't know how the world works - but writers and English teachers do."
Go Pat!

[Via Galleycat]

Related post: The Burmudez Triangle banned

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 2, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Angus, Thongs & Full-Frontal Snogging

We've written about this before, but I've just seen some casting news and I'm very excited. Georgia herself is to be played by an actress named Georgia Groome, who I don't know, but in this picture looks exactly - exactly - as I imagined the character of Georgia Nicolson!

Georgia's dad is being played by Alan Davies (love him) and her mum by comedian Karen Taylor. You might not know Karen Taylor, but I recently enjoyed her sketch show, Touch Me, I'm Karen Taylor, and I think she'll be perfect too. With a great cast and Bend It Like Beckham's Gurinder Chadha directing (and she's written the screenplay), this one's going to be big.

Posted by Keris on November 2, 2007 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

Laura Zigman blogging on breast cancer

One of the original creators of chick lit, Laura Zigman, is to write a weekly blog for a breast cancer website.

Zigman, a breast cancer survivor, is writing the blog "with the goal of making life with cancer approachable and, at times, even funny". She's also going to appear as a comic strip character, "living out her cancer experience in a bright, visual format".

Since I love Zigman's books and I loved Marisa Acocella Marchetto's graphic novel Cancer Vixen, this sounds like one to add to the (already overloaded) blog reader. [via Earth Times]

Posted by Keris on November 2, 2007 in American Authors | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW: The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

I loved the premise of Lisa Lutz's debut novel, The Spellman files: a family of private investigators who just can't resist investigating each other.

Isabel Spellman has been working for the family business since the age of 14, but lately she's started to realise that having your parents tailing you and undertaking surveillance in order to find out who you're dating is, well, not normal.

Isabel's older brother, David, got out while the going was good, but her younger sister, Rae, is not only obsessed with the business, she's got even less sense of personal privacy than their parents.

When Isabel meets Daniel and decides she's going to leave the business, her parents give her one last job - a ancient missing person case that was closed years ago. Her parents see it as a wild goose chase to keep Isabel busy long enough that she decides not to leave after all. But Isabel finds plenty of clues that had been overlooked in the original investigation and the case begins to take over her life. Until, that is, her sister goes missing...

I was hooked by this book from the first page. Isabel's voice is distinctive, dry and very funny. The idea is original and inventive and so are the secondary characters - Rae is great: infuriating and impressive; Isabel's parents are calmly demented and her uncle Ray is believably tragic. The only character that didn't work for me was Daniel, who I never felt I really got to know.

Before writing this novel, Lisa Lutz wrote a screenplay and The Spellman Files is very filmic. I was mentally casting it all the way through and I would love it to be turned into a movie. I do know there's going to be a sequel and, frankly, I can't wait.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Posted by Keris on November 2, 2007 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 1, 2007 4:41 PM

Book Review: Names I Call My Sister by Mary Castillo, Berta Platas, Sofia Quintero and Lynda Sandoval

Namesicallmysister_2 Names I Call My Sister had two strikes against it when I picked it up for review. First, it isn't a novel, it's four novellas, and I am notoriously impatient when it comes to short fiction, and secondly, the cover is a little dull. Which is a real shame, because the quick-fire, funny reads inside are anything but.

The novellas are linked by the theme of sisterhood, and cover topics such as sharing secrets, running away from your husband (briefly), and S&M (not as naughty as it sounds, apparently).

Till Death Do Us Part is from Switchcraft-author Mary Castillo. I hadn't read Castillo before, but knew she was a hot writer of Latina Lit and that Keris loved her third book In Between Men. Unfortunately, perhaps as a result of my high expectations, this was my least favourite of the novellas. It follows sisters Dori and Sela as they live up to their reputation as 'those wild Orihuela girls' at their brother's wedding. It's suitably fast-paced with some wonderful one-liners, but somehow the characters left me cold. Castillo gives us both Dori and Sela's points-of-view, but their voices just weren't distinct enough and I found them confusing rather than enlightening.

What Stays in Vegas by Bertas Platas. The heroine, Anita, is snarky and fun and the plot takes us to Vegas to retrieve Anita's usually-sensible sister Susu. Platas's style reminded me a little of Janet Evanovich, and I will certainly be looking out for more of her work.

Sofia Quintero's Whipped introduced me to another new (to me) writer. Michelle Saez is straighter-than-a-ruler by day, but at night she lives a double life in leather as Madame Michelina. When her attorney sister, Jennifer, starts running for office, Michelle's secret becomes a problem. Although sexy, Whipped doesn't quite live up to the premise, but it's a fun, quick read.

And finally, my favourite from the collection; Diss-Connected by Lynda Sandoval. Cristy's world is turned upside down when her blabbermouth sister, Marisol, lets slip her dark secret live on radio. I loved these characters and the setting (Christy runs a yarn-shop and cafe which I would love to visit - yes, I know it isn't real) and I am in awe of how Sandoval managed to pack so much into 127 pages without ever seeming rushed. Although, and this is where my short-fiction gripe comes back, I really didn't want it to end...

Rating: 3/5

Like this?: Try Santa, Baby by Jennifer Crusie, Lori Foster and Carly Phillips

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 1, 2007 in Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jane Espenson guest blogs

Buffy

Screenwriting Wonder Woman Jane Espenson will be here, answering author Shanna Swendon's questions, on Wednesday, 4th December. Yay!

In the meantime, you can find her doing a guest blog over at Jennifer Crusie's place, Argh Ink.

Espenson wrote some of the funniest episodes in Buffy (remember when Xander got syphilis? Perhaps you had to be there...), as well as working on Gilmore Girls and Battlestar Galactica.

Plus, and this is the best bit, it gives me an excuse to illustrate my very first Trashionista post with a picture of Buffy; kick-ass chick heroine extraordinaire.

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 1, 2007 in Guest blogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling by Neta Jackson

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Neta Jackson and the Yada Yadas are at it again. In The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling, Jodi Baxter and the rest of the gang are back for a whole new batch of adventure. A lot has changed since the Yada Yada Prayer Group was formed after being pushed together during a women’s conference a year and half prior. Each Yada has their own struggles, but they come together for support, encouragement and most importantly, prayer.

When a fire destroys the a building that is near and dear to many of them, the Yada Yada’s and the Uptown-New Morning Church step in to aid the residents. When Avis learns that her daughter has contracted a serious disease, the Yada Yada’s rally around her. As Ruth and Ben struggle with their newborn twins, and as Yo-Yo begins to withdraw from the group, they strive to help out in any way possible.

Still, many questions remain. How will Jodi put together an important performance in less than two weeks time? Will the lottery money change Chanda? Will Florida’s son end up in a juvenile detention center?

Neta Jackson’s Yada Yada books have sold more than 600,000 copies worldwide.

This sixth book in this award-winning series is one of the best yet. Every reader will relate to one (or more) of the Yadas. The characters have a hard to achieve depth, especially if you’ve read the other books in the series and know each character’s background. The book is an exciting read. Every time you turn a page, something new happens.

Rating: 4 out of 5

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

Posted by Keris on November 1, 2007 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (0)

And they're off! NaNoWriMo starts today!

How can it be November already? I'm not ready!

For those of you who don't know, NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month. During the month of November, thousands of demented individuals (and I can say that because, for the last three years, I've been one of them) undertake a challenge to write 50,000 words in just 30 days. It's not too late to start and you can find out all about it by clicking the link above.

Last year we had a NaNovember Extravaganza here at Trashi and while we won't be quite so NaNo focussed this year (mainly because I haven't been organised enough to sort anything out) we will be keeping you updated with how people are getting on. Carry on over the cut to find out how you can let us know all about your NaNo experience.

If you're taking part and you'd like to tell us all about it, either leave a comment or email us and we'll feature you here on Trashionista!

As for me, I'm doing a modified NaNo this year, i.e. I'm not following the rules. I don't want to start another book when I've got so many unfinished manuscripts, so I'm using this month and applying the NaNo rules to finishing an old book rather than starting a new one. Yes, I know that's cheating, but I'm only cheating myself (so that's okay, isn't it?).

Good luck, have fun and write fast!

Posted by Keris on November 1, 2007 in NaNovember | Permalink | Comments (6)

BOOK COVER: Hungry

No comparisons this week, just a cover that I absolutely love. I've learned lately that if you take a pretty colour and stick on a simple item (an egg box, a wishbone, a Custard Cream ... see over the cut) then I am lost.

As for the book, it's Hungry by Allen Zadoff, subtitled "lessons learned on the journey from fat to thin", and it sounds wonderful. Anyone read it?

Posted by Keris on November 1, 2007 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (0)

MOVIE NEWS: Karen Quinn

The studios obviously haven't been put off by the failure of The Nanny Diaries (or else they were encouraged by the success of The Devil Wears Prada) since the film rights of chick lit books are still being snapped up!

In the latest issue of her very entertaining email newsletter, Karen Quinn announced that an offer has been made to turn her second novel, Wife in the Fast Lane, into a film.

She also said that she's read the script for The Ivy Chronicles and she loves it. There's no information about this movie on IMDb, apart from a release date of 2010 (is it just me, or does that year seem startlingly futuristic?).

Posted by Keris on November 1, 2007 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)