Trashionista

FRIDAY FLICK: Get Shorty

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

BOOK REVIEW: Chinese Whispers by Marisa Mackle

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

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!

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

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

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).

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.

Related posts: Kay Sexton's NaNoWriMo | Jenny Gardiner does NaNo | And they're off! NaNo starts today

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).

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

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!)

BOOK NEWS: What Looks Like Crazy by Charlotte Hughes

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

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

Pushing Daisies

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.

Related posts: Chick Lit author's favourite TV | Reading Buffy the Vampire Slayer

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.

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

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!]

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

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]

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.

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

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.

Related posts: World Book Day's Ten Books | World Book Day Quick Reads

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?).

Related posts: How I know chick lit is not dead | Old-timey chick lit bashing | Chick lit is a feminist issue

BOOK NEWS: The Chalet Girl by Kate Lace

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

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!).

Related posts: Is anyone watching Samantha Who? | Hilary Swank injured in filming

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?

Related posts: How to Walk in High Heels by Camilla Morton | Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones

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

BOOK REVIEW: Decent Exposure by Phillipa Ashley

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

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.

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.

Related posts: Penguin book bags | Penguin Celebrations' bestsellers | Lovely Penguin pencils and more

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

Book Cover: This Charming Man

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...

Related posts: Book cover archive

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?

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? 

      

Related posts: The titles that got away | (Long) longlist for lucrative literary prize

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.

Related posts: Sarah Waters TV news | Cecelia Ahern's Samantha Who? | Lipstick Jungle coming to Living

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

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.

Related posts: Booker prize predictions wrong again | Orange Prize shortlist

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

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!]

SPOTLIGHT: Rachel Gibson

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

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.

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!

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

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)!

Movie News: The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly

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

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.

Related posts: JK honoured with Blue Peter special | Guardian disses JK Rowling | Harry Potter stamps

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]

Related posts: Books the British public just couldn't finish | Screenwriters on strike!

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

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

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...

Book Review: Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter

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

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