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October 31, 2008 12:01 PM

Last chance to enter our Carole Matthews competition

Today's the day. The last day to enter our Carole Matthews competition. The fabulous prize is to appear as a character in Carole's next book so don't miss out, enter here! Good luck.

Posted by Keris on October 31, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: sTori Telling

I'm only really featuring this book because the title made me laugh (also because she was Donna! In 90210!). Tori Spelling's got the perfect name for a memoir, no? I haven't seen such a perfect title since Keith Chegwin's story of his alcoholism, which he wanted to call Cheggers Can't Be Boozers, but his killjoy publishers wouldn't allow it...

Anyway, in sTori Telling, Tori reveals all about "her decadent childhood birthday parties, her nose job, her fairy-tale wedding to the wrong man, her so-called feud with her mother." Sounds fabulous.

Related posts: My Booky Wook by Russell Brand | Madonna and Me by Nikki Racklin | Growing Pains by Billie Piper

Posted by Keris on October 31, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (2)

FRIDAY FLICK: The Notebook

Adapted from the book of the same name by Nicholas Sparks, The Notebook was actually one of those films that had fallen under my radar until I wrote recently about another Sparks novel going into production.

Staring Rachel McAdams as Allie and Ryan Gosling as Noah The Notebook is a simple love story.

The film starts in a nursing home where an elderly man is reading aloud from a notebook to an elderly woman. It turns out this woman is Allie and she has senile dementia. In the notebook is the preserved love story of how Noah and Allie met and we are transported back to the 1940s to see it for ourselves.

Allie is a rich girl who initially thinks Noah, a poor boy, is a bit of an idiot. But he pursues her and eventually they are inseparable. Her parents disapprove and eventually they move away.

Although I wasn't hooked immediately by about twenty minutes into the film I definitely was. Ryan and Rachel give great performances as the lead characters. The film is charming, romantic and has some beautiful scenes. It was also extremely emotional and I was happily blubbering away by the end.

Well recommended. Check out the trailer here.

Friday Flick Archives

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 31, 2008 in Friday Flick | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center

I mentioned the other day that I loved Katherine Center's The Bright Side of Disaster and I really did. It's been a couple of days since I finished reading it and I wish I hadn't. I miss it.

It's the story of Jenny who is engaged to be married and pregnant with her first child. Her fiance, Dean, doesn't seem entirely present, but Jenny thinks it's just cold feet about the wedding and the baby... until Dean takes off (leaving a note) and Jenny goes into labour.

Once her baby daugher, Maxie, arrives, Jenny decides that everything is going to be about the baby. Maxie may not have a dad, but Jenny vows to make up for it by being the best mother ever. And yet... motherhood is so much harder than she expected.

Her mother helps out when she can (despite being allergic to Jenny's cat), but her best friend has fallen in love and is MIA. Luckily there's a new neighbour who is not only kind, sympathetic and handy (and gorgeous), but is also great with the baby.

But then, inevitably, Dean comes back. And he wants to be a family again.

I know. When I read the blurb, I thought, I've read this before, but Katherine Center's writing, along with the wonderful characters, make this a memorable read. I LOVED the neighbour, Gardner and LOATHED the useless Dean. Plus Center writes about the early years of motherhood (not to mention the horror of labour) with insight and warmth. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Feels Like Maybe by Claire Allan

Posted by Keris on October 31, 2008 in American Authors, Debut Novels, Rating: 5/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (3)

50 Best Chick Lit Blogs

Yes, I know, Trashionista is *the* best chick lit blog (at least in my *cough* unbiased opinion), but there are others...

The Love Coach (with the fab tagline of "Helping nerds date since 2008") has put together a list of the 50 Best  Chick Lit Blogs and we're right there at the top. I thought that meant we were number one (Number! One!), but they're actually arranged according to subgenre with Classics, Romance, Lad Lit blogs (and more) also included.

It's a great list (we've recommended quite a few of the blogs on it ourselves) so check it out.

Posted by Keris on October 31, 2008 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 30, 2008 11:14 AM

Adopt a Word for charity

This isn't *strictly* book-related, but it's such a cool idea I had to share it with you.

Pick a word, "adopt" it for £20 and it's yours for a year (you get a certificate and everything!) and the money goes towards helping children with speech, language and communication difficulties.

Sadly, "Trashionista" has already been adopted. Pah. Find out more here.

Posted by Keris on October 30, 2008 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hurry! Don't miss the chance to be in a book!

No, I can't believe tomorrow's the last day of October either, but apparently it is and that means that it's also the last day you can enter our most exciting competition evah:

The chance to appear in a Carole Matthews book! I know!

So hop over there now and enter. Hurry. Time flies when you're having fun!

Posted by Keris on October 30, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

TELEVISION/MOVIE NEWS: Shoe Addicts Anonymous

Occasional Trashi reviewer (but frequent commenter!), Stella, enjoyed Beth Harbison's Shoe Addicts Anonymous and now I read it's going to be made into a film. Or TV series. The rights have been bought (by Galgos Entertainment), anyway. 

Galgos partners Mark Bozek and Russell Nuce will produce. Writer-actress Laurie Taylor-Williams will adapt the book for the screen. We'll let you know if it's the big screen or the small screen as soon as we know.

[via The Hollywood Reporter]

Related posts: TV & Movie News - Meg Cabot | Movie News - Getting Rid of Matthew

Posted by Keris on October 30, 2008 in Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: J K Rowling

It feels bizarre that we have never mentioned J K Rowling before as a trailblazer, but that is maybe because she never seems to be out of the headlines. Even now, with Harry Potter finished, she is still newsworthy because of The Tales of Beedle the Bard which is coming out soon.

However, now the fuss over her has died down slightly I thought now might be a good time. I probably can't tell you much that you don't already know, but we have to commemorate this woman who has got millions of children (and not to mention adults) all over the world wanting to read.

Jo Rowling (there is no middle name, the K stands for Kathleen which is her paternal grandmother's name) studied at the University of Exeter where she gained a degree in French. She really wanted to study English but felt French was more useful. She then went on to work for Amnesty International in London, before deciding to more up north to Manchester.

It was on a train journey back from Manchester to London after a flat hunting expedition that the idea of Harry Potter fell into her lap. She had no pen and paper so allowed herself to daydream about him for hours. As soon as she arrived home she began to write Philosopher's Stone. But then, tragically in 1990, her mother died. This was to have a huge impact on Harry's story.

Nine months after her mum died she moved to Portugal, taking her precious manuscript with her, thinking she might have finished it by the time she arrived back to the UK. But instead she came back in 1994 with a daughter. Moving to Edinburgh she decided it was now or never and wrote when her daughter was asleep and in the evenings.

Eventually she sent the manuscript off. The first agent replied immediately, rejecting it. The second liked it, but it took a year of rejections until they found a publisher. When she did her advance was £1500.

Thursday Trailblazer Archives

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 30, 2008 in Thursday Trailblazer | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: What's Love Got to Do with It? by Lucy Broadbent

Since coming across Little Black Dress books a few months ago, I have often been surprised and impressed by the quality of the storylines. This could sound insulting to LBD and the writers of the books and I don’t mean to be. As I have written about before, I had preconceptions before I read the books and this has led to these expectations occasionally being met or in the case of this particular book, the expectations have been well and truly surpassed.

In What’s Love Got To Do With It? By Lucy Broadbent, as with other LBD books, there is romance. And, again as other LBD books, there is a theme. The theme in this instance is gold digging. Bella Spires travels to LA, not to be an actress, or a somebody, but to marry a rich husband. Don’t look at her too badly though, as this is a gold digger with a heart. And a past.

In fact this is one of the reasons why I enjoyed the book so much - because of Bella and the impact of the past on her character. She wasn’t a 2D, paper-thin person. She had had a rough childhood with both her parents dying and a string of foster parents. It becomes clear why she wants to marry a rich man, and you can’t blame her. I believed in Bella and found her one of the strengths of this book.

The pace of the book moves fast as we cover several years from when she first goes out to LA. Because of this we are not over powered with detail, but I liked that, it avoided any predictability and also threw up a few surprises.

I suppose my only complaint about the book was the blurb on the back cover. Why they had to give the game away and say who she marries, when this doesn’t actually happen until two thirds of the way through the book, I really don’t know. This is nothing against the author however. In all I found this a great debut.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try One Night Stand by Julie Cohen

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 30, 2008 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 29, 2008 10:14 AM

BOOK NEWS: Everyone is Beautiful

I've finally read Katherine Center's debut novel, The Bright Side of Disaster and I loved it just as much as I thought I would (review coming soon). The timing is perfect, since I've also just read that her second, Everyone Is Beautiful, will be out next year.

Lanie Coates just piled everything she owns into a U-Haul and drove with her husband, Peter, and three boys (all under four) across the country. She’s left her helpful parents, her mom-friends, and the comforts of home behind—all because Peter got into graduate school. Even though Lanie wants to help him follow his dreams, she suspects that she’s ignoring her own. If only she could remember what they were.

Lanie can’t shake the feeling that important things from her pre-mom life have gone missing: her marriage, her ambitions, her body. She feels homesick, capsized by motherhood, and just dead certain that she is no longer fabulous. Not even close.

When another mom humiliates her at the park, Lanie decides it’s time to retool her life. She sets change after change in motion, hoping to recapture her lost self. But she also creates ripples that will come to threaten everything she holds dear. In the end, Lanie must figure out once and for all how to find herself without losing everything else in the process.

Related: Bright Side of Disaster covers 

Posted by Keris on October 29, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

TV News: Little Dorrit

For those of you who enjoy period dramas you will hopefully have caught the first hour episode of Little Dorrit on Sunday night (if not check out BBC iplayer). Tomorrow night (Thursday) on BBC1 at 8:30pm the series goes into half hour soap sized episodes.

There are fifteen parts to the drama. I've already named some of the actors so I won't repeat myself, but over the cut is the synopsis if you have never read this classic by Charles Dickens.

This timeless rags-to-riches story concerns the vacillating fortunes of the Dorrit family.

The kind-hearted Amy - the Little Dorrit of the title - looks after her proud father, William who is a long-term inmate of Marshalsea debtors' prison in London.

But their fate is transformed by the unexpected arrival from overseas of the benevolent Arthur Clennam who is determined to solve the mystery of his father's dying words: "Put it right, Arthur."

He is sure this phrase is in some way connected to the Dorrits' plight and sets about rectifying the situation – discovering they are sitting on a huge fortune, a fact which thrusts the family into the upper echelons of society.

As the Dorrits meet a variety of characters from poor to rich, a deep bond grows between Arthur and Amy, and a dark villain Rigaud threatens to spill a long-held family secret.

[via BBC Press Office]

Related posts: Tess of The D'Urbervilles | Based on the Novel by

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 29, 2008 in Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK COVERS: The Sisterhood

When I wrote about book covers featuring umbrellas a couple of days ago, Nell left a comment that she'd seen The Sisterhood by Emily Barr featuring about two thirds of a red umbrella.

I immediately clicked on our review and instead saw the truly dreary cover on the left. The cover Nell was referring to is the one on the right. Much better, I'm sure you'll agree. Although I wouldn't include it with the lovely umbrella covers; I think it fits more with these.

Posted by Keris on October 29, 2008 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

SPOTLIGHT: Philippa Gregory

Since reading The Other Boleyn Girl recently one of my new favourite authors is Philippa Gregory and,  subsequently, I've bought a few more of her books.

I admire Philippa not just for her writing but for the huge amount of research she undertakes for each novel. This week then, the spotlight is on her.

Philippa was born in Kenya in 1954 but then moved to England. Gaining a BA in history she went on to gain a PhD in 18th Century Literature. Her first novel, Wideacre, was written as she completed her PhD and went on to be a world wide bestseller.

Philippa has written an amazing amount of books (see here) but her fictional biography started with Earthly Joys and Virgin Earth - based on a father and son during the English civil war. This historical fiction style went on to create The Other Boleyn Girl, a huge bestseller, published in 26 countries and winning a number of awards. It was adapted for the BBC then went on to become a film. I've also heard that The Boleyn Inheritance is in production and Constant Princess is a four part drama.

Philippa contributes to newspapers and magazines, is a frequent broadcaster and regular contestant on Round Britain Quiz for Radio 4. She is also the Tudor expert for Channel Four's Time Team.

Philippa's most recent book is The Other Queen. Her next book will centre on the War of The Roses. She has started the research and it will probably be a trilogy.

Spotlight Archive

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 29, 2008 in Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 28, 2008 11:37 AM

BOOK REVIEW: City Dog by Alison Pace

Since I love books featuring dogs and I love books set in New York, I love Alison Pace's books, because they combine the two - yay!

City Dog features Pace's real dog, Carlie, on the cover and is also one of the characters and, interestingly, narrators. Yes, City Dog is narrated by 1) Amy Dodge, author of a series of children's books called Run, Carlie, Run! and featuring a West Highland Terrier; 2) Carlie, a West Highland Terrier and star of the Run, Carlie, Run! books and 3) Robert Maguire, another character from Amy's books. At first, I wasn't sure about the idea of fictional narrators (in, you know, fiction), but I should've known I was in safe hands...

Amy Dodge is trying to write the Great American Novel, but she's blocked. And depressed. And her agent and editor are pressurising her for the next Carlie book, which she's just not feeling. But then her agent tells her a TV company want to make a show - about things to do in the city with your dog - featuring both Amy and Carlie. Amy's not sure, but she thinks at the very least it'll get her out of the house (and be a good way of putting off writing either of her books), but things don't quite go to plan. Soon the TV company is more interested in Carlie than they are in Amy and Amy's losing control of the entire situation.

For her part, Amy's not at all interested in the TV show, but she is interested in Nick, the presenter of one of the company's other shows. But can she have a relationship with a real life man when she's so in love with her fictional creation, Robert Maguire? See whenever Amy thinks about having a man in her life, it's Robert she pictures. She can't seem to get past it, ridiculous as it is. And so whenever Amy has a prospect of romance, Robert turns up to narrate. I know it sounds weird, but I thought it really worked. In fact, I think I enjoyed the Robert and Carlie chapters more than the Amy chapters.

Alison Pace has quite an odd writing style. Not odd in a bad way, just unusual. I can imagine how some readers could be put off by the many tangents and diversions, but it doesn't bother me, I find it immerses me in the story, but if it did bother you, you would at least get a change of pace (ha!) with the Robert Maguire and Carlie chapters.

Anyway, I found City Dog to be an engaging and entertaining read with a truly satisfying ending and, of course, Pace writes beautifully about both the city and the dog.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Pug Hill by Alison Pace

Posted by Keris on October 28, 2008 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

Library Book Bag

Looking for something slightly different, practical and maybe even environmentally friendly for a bookish friend for Christmas? Or maybe for yourself?

Look no further. This book bag from The Bodleian Library is available from Museum Selection. A cotton bag, decorated with brightly illustrated children's book covers from the 19th and 20th century. What more could you want?

Related posts: BiblioGifts Tote Bag | Book bags | Penguin Book bags

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 28, 2008 in Bookish products | Permalink | Comments (0)

HELEN'S HEROINES: Taylor Young

Taylor Young appears in two novels by Jane Porter. Odd Mom Out and Mrs. Perfect. In the former and the beginning of the latter she appears as a supermum, impossibly well groomed whilst attending to her husband, three children and various voluntary commitments she has taken on. She worries about trivial aspects of her life. Weight, beauty, entertaining, what her friends think, book club, keeping up appearances and school stuff.

She isn't very likable.

Initially feeling sorry for herself, her self pity is apparent in sentences such as, this life, my life, looks good from the outside, but it's not so fun on the inside...On the inside it is endless stress.

But.

When her husband, Nathan, drops a bombshell she is forced to take stock of her life. She loses many material things she holds dear, starts a job for a woman she doesn't like and keeps her family together. In short, she is seriously tested, her husband is nowhere to be seen, and she comes up trumps. And without being too psycho-bably, she grows.

When Taylor attempts to clear up the mess her husband has got himself in (with a little bit of excessive spending on her part) Taylor really impresses. Good books are where the character changes, grows or learns something. I think Taylor manages all three whilst still looking after her daughters. Impressive stuff.

More Helen's Heroines

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 28, 2008 in Helen's Heroines | Permalink | Comments (0)

Comparing more than covers!

Helen really enjoyed Elise Chidley's debut, The Wrong Sort of Wife?, except for one thing: the plot hinged on an email sent by Lizzie and read by her husband and which effectively ended her marriage. Helen didn't think the email was bad enough to warrant such a response.

The book is now out in the US with a different title, a much more modern cover and a completely different email (as requested by the US editor).

Carry on over the cut to read both emails and vote on which one you think might throw a spanner in your marriage! (You can vote on the covers and the titles too.)

UK VERSION

From:   Lizzie Buckley lizbuckley@hotmail.com

Sent:   12 April       

Janie, do you ever feel you need a mini-break from being married—or is it just me? 

Lately, I’ve been fantasizing an awful lot about switching lives with a single woman. (But don’t tell Mum, whatever you do!)  I mean, things are just so much simpler when James is away on business. I can have a boiled egg for dinner with the kids, watch room makeovers and plastic surgery on TV, turn in early—oh, and not feel guilty that the main thing (the only thing) I want to do in bed these days is sleep.   

Another great thing about those business trips: if I have to get up in the night to deal with a twin while James is away, at least I’m spared the seething resentment I normally feel when I finally stagger back to bed to find that he hasn’t even surfaced out of his REM cycle. 

To be honest, I’m a bit worried, Janie. All the romance is gone. I’ve picked up too many pairs of soggy underpants off the bathroom floor, I think. (There’s obviously a gene in men that stops them from seeing clothes on the bathroom floor. Or any other floor, for that matter.)  Those evenings when James starts lighting candles and putting on mood music and giving me that come-hither look, I just have this awful, dull feeling that I really couldn’t be bothered with all that. Give me a cup of tea and a good mini-series any day.  Oh, and a box of chocolate digestives.

Maybe his mum is right. Maybe he shouldn’t have married me in the first place. Maybe I am too common-or-garden for the lofty Buckleys. I’m sure the right sort of girl would’ve breezed through pregnancy, childbirth and the never-ending fall-out without turning a hair. The right sort of girl wouldn’t have let herself go, either. She wouldn’t now be overweight and overwrought. The right sort of girl, no doubt, would be a lady at the table, a cordon bleu chef in the kitchen, and a whore in the bedroom. Frankly, I’m more the TV dinner, flannel pyjamas, bore-in-the-bedroom sort. 

Sorry to be such an old misery, but I just had to get it off my chest. Next time I’ll confine myself to pearls of sisterly wisdom about pregnancy, I promise. Good grief, look at the time, got to crack on with things before school pick-up. By the way, is the ginger working for your morning sickness?

Lots of love

Lizzie

US VERSION

From: Lizzie Buckley lizbuckley@hotmail.com

Sent: 12 April

To: Janehawthorn@yahoo.com

Subject: Blue Monday 

AAAAAARGH!

You know what, Janie? Some mornings I wake up and I’m sick, sick of it all before the day even kicks off. Then, just in case I start feeling better after my cup of tea, one of the children goes and carves out train tracks on an antique table, or throws up her Reddybrek on a priceless Persian rug. I don’t want to scare the daylights out of you when you’re pregnant, but I feel it’s my sisterly duty to warn you that this whole mumsy thing is way more difficult than people let on.

But worst of all is what the little beggars do to your marriage.

By the time James comes home from work, I’ve already HAD my fair share of physical contact (Ellie squishing my cheeks between her hands so I won’t look at Alex; Alex sitting on me to stop me from jumping up to do the laundry), not to mention body fluids (snotty noses, bloody knees, and my personal favorite, the  wee-soaked sheet) —  and frankly I’m just not up for any more.

Sorting out the sock drawer sounds like a better option to me than sex right now.

I just wish James would go away on business more, and for longer. Things are so much simpler when he’s away. I can have a boiled egg for dinner with the kids, watch room makeovers and plastic surgery on TV, and turn in early without any pressure to light the scented candles, etc.

Another great thing about those business trips: if I have to get up in the night to deal with a twin while he’s away, at least I’m spared the seething resentment I normally feel when I finally stagger back to bed to find that he hasn’t even surfaced out of his REM cycle.

You know, sometimes I think I wouldn’t miss him at all if he just disappeared. In fact, the quality of my life would probably improve. No more of those great big shoes cluttering up the closet; no more chucked-aside underpants to pick up off the bathroom floor.

I don’t know how it’s come to this, really.

I still love him, don’t get me wrong, but it’s more the way you love a comrade-in- arms, or a brother. It’s just not romantic anymore. Poor bloke, at least he doesn’t know how I feel. I’ve done a brilliant job covering up, though I say so myself. But the subterfuge is wearing me out.

All this is his fault, you know. He made me think I wanted it — marriage, children, Spode dinnerware, my own tumble dryer, those blunt little knives with fancy handles for spreading pâté. But I don’t, I don’t. I just want to be left in peace with a Sudoku and a box of chocolates — and nobody nibbling my ear at bloody midnight.

Sorry, I shouldn’t be dumping all this on you now. I’ll try to be more upbeat next time. Has the nausea stopped, by the way? Now that you’re past the first trimester, the worst should be over.

Lots of love,

Lizzie

Posted by Keris on October 28, 2008 in Book covers, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (4)

Just four days left to enter our Carole Matthews competition!

You don't want to miss the chance to actually appear in a chick lit novel, do you? Of course you don't.

So head on over here and enter our fabulous competition! What are you waiting for?

Posted by Keris on October 28, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 27, 2008 11:34 AM

GUEST BLOG: Andrew Crofts

Last week, an article in the Guardian cast aspersions on the celebrity of a book character, Steffi McBride's. Steffi's creator, Andrew Crofts, wasn't best pleased! Over to Andrew...

In the Guardian Books Blog, Linda Jones has suggested that Steffi McBride, whose rise to fame I have chronicled in The Overnight Fame of Steffi McBride, is a "D-list" celebrity – but Steffi is an A-lister from head to toe, as anyone who has seen her YouTube performance on the Steffi McBride website can see with their own eyes.

 

She makes daily appearances in everyone’s homes on The Towers soap opera and on the covers of all our favourite newspapers and magazines; she won a Bafta for goodness sake and had a Christmas number one – would Ms Jones call Kylie "D-list"?

Just because Steffi has had so many lurid and revelational stories written about and by her obviously dysfunctional friends and family, that should not in any way reflect on her status in the celebrity listings.

 

Having spent so much time with her myself I believe passionately that Ms McBride is without question an icon of our times and the story of her rise to fame is a fable of mythic proportions. She is a national treasure and I implore people to visit her website, see her talking for themselves and make their own judgements.

 

So why, people ask me, did I decide to encourage Steffi to have her own website, talk to the camera and put the result on YouTube, organise writing competitions and a celebrity quiz and then to twitter and chat on Facebook? The answer is simple – I thought it would be fun. A book like Steffi’s may have serious lessons in it about how to become famous as well as heart-breaking examples of some of the pains and perils that go along with being a much-loved household name, but above all else I wanted the book to be enjoyable for her to work on and enjoyable for readers to discover.

 

The vast majority of people buy books that they have heard of through “word-of-mouth”, but “electronic word-of mouth” vehicles like Trashionista are an even more powerful way of spreading the message to the most important people; the ones who want to know the truth about what it actually feels like to be Steffi McBride.

 

I wanted as many people as possible to hear about Steffi’s story as quickly as possible – and that means I have to ask her to network in any way she can – something, fortunately, that she is very good at.

Look out for a competition to win copies of The Overnight Fame of Steffi McBride - coming soon!

Posted by Keris on October 27, 2008 in Guest blogs | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK COVERS: Umbrella (ella ella)

I've been thinking about umbrellas since I've needed one all flippin' weekend, and then I spotted this first cover - Rain Song by Alice J Wisler - on GoodReads and it reminded me of Lani Diane Rich's A Little Ray of Sunshine (which, inexcusably, I still haven't read!). I had a look for some more, but didn't find any except for Harriet Evans's A Hopeless Romantic, which, while not *exactly* the same, has a lovely umbrella on it and is also one of my favourite ever chick lit covers.

Posted by Keris on October 27, 2008 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (3)

MOVIE NEWS: Alice In Wonderland - the cast

We've already told you that Tim Burton was shooting a film of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland, but over the last few weeks news of the cast have been announced so I thought I'd summarise.

As you might expect from a Tim Burton film, both Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter will be appearing. Johnny as the Mad Hatter and Helena as the Red Queen. The White Queen is to be played by Anne Hathaway and Matt Lucas (one half of Little Britain comedy duo) will be Tweedledee and Tweedledum. Frances de la Tour is rumoured to be Aunt Imogen and Michael Sheen also apparently starring.

Related posts: Johnny Depp Buys Books | Malice in Wonderland

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 27, 2008 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Something, Maybe

I've loved all of Elizabeth Scott's covers and this latest - for Something, Maybe - is no exception. I much prefer the hiding of the face with a hat as an alternative to just cutting off part of the head...

I don't know exactly what it is about them - I think it's just that they're so simple, but, at the same time, charming. I haven't had a book published (yet), but I'm so envious of Scott's covers. (And, of course, of her writing!)

An excerpt of  Something, Maybe can be found in the back of Perfect You, where it's called Live! Nude! Mom.

Related posts: Stealing Heaven | Bloom

Posted by Keris on October 27, 2008 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: The Crossing by James Cracknell and Ben Fogle

OK. Lets get this straight. I am not into rowing. I am also not a lover of Ben Fogle (though granted there is something about him) or endurance sports. I have no interest in sailing, in fact any water based activity (besides swimming, I love swimming). So why would I read a book about James Cracknell (Olympic Gold medal winner for rowing in 2000 and 2004) and Ben Fogle (from the BBC Castaway programme and now a TV presenter) who, rather madly, decided to row across the Atlantic Ocean in a Rowing Race?

Answer: I don't know.  But I'm very glad I did. This is a "celebrity" autobiography with a difference.

The two men (and don't be thinking that this is a men only event, women can, and do, do it too) come to the start of the race completely unprepared. They look like the amateurs they are, and the race officials only just allowed them to take part.

Once they are actually racing through, this amateurishness contrasts starkly with the intense competiveness of James and the dogged determination of Ben. The book is written by both of them and it is fascinating to see both of their personalities. Sometimes they both recount the same event, but in their own way, which serves to mark the differences between them even further.

The race is hard (understatement). It is dangerous. They capsized in the middle of the night for goodness sake. They row in shifts and have blisters in paces you wouldn't believe. They have low points, high points, times when they really don't like each other, Christmas Day in the middle of the ocean, but they pull together, united in their determination to get to the other side.

This dual autobiographical account isn't just about rowing. It is about human drama, endurance, strength (physical and mental), personalities and motivation. Two men's fight against the ocean.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, you will too if you've had your fill of fluffy celebrity memoirs and want something a bit more meaningful. I took a lot from the book but the main message I found was, anything, anything, can be achieved if you put your mind to it. I need to re-read on a regular basis.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try My Take by Gary Barlow. I know it is one of those celebrity memoirs and not an epic sea adventure, but it is a story of one young man determined to succeed.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 27, 2008 in Celebrity Authors, More On Monday, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 24, 2008 9:57 AM

GUEST BLOG: Julia Williams

Helen loved Julia Williams' Strictly Love, now hear from the author herself on how learning to dance helped her write it:

This time last year I was in deadline hell as I raced to finish Strictly Love. I was also on a steep (very steep) learning curve, and had become totally obsessed with all things dance orientated.

Being a book about ballroom dancing, it was a given that I was watching Strictly Come Dancing, but although that was good visually, there’s no substitute for the real thing.

My original inspiration from the book came from doing salsa classes, so I had a very basic knowledge of some Latin dancing, but what I really needed was to find a ballroom class. Unfortunately, as a mother of four children, I am time poor to say the least, and couldn’t find any convenient classes nearby.

So I turned to the internet. I printed off reams of instructions from various dance sites, and found myself alone trying to practice the waltz, first doing the men’s steps and then the women’s. I learnt from a laconic Texan called Hank that Cuban motion wasn’t something rude, but is a way of moving your hips required for salsa (both experiences made their way into Strictly Love, though Hank was replaced by a Colombian called Carlo).

I thought I’d done enough, but when she read the first draft, my editor (rightly) demanded more dancing. Still unable to find a dance class, I read two dancing books to help me choreograph some of the dances in the book. I learnt about cuddle holds and cha cha chas. I was back to me myself and I practising in front of a mirror, but it wasn’t enough.

Then I discovered that Izabela Hannah, a former professional on Strictly, taught privately nearby. I was instantly on the phone to book a lesson. Izabela was brilliant and took me through the basic steps of the Foxtrot, the Tango and the Rumba. I needed the latter, because I wanted two of my characters to dance the rumba in a very sensual way, and without knowing what that felt like, I didn’t think I could write it.

Once I’d got over the weirdness of dancing with a woman, I found the experience enormously helpful.  Even more helpful for writing the scene was watching an episode of Ashes to Ashes in which Keeley Hawes and Rupert Graves danced to Body Talk. Music is part of the inspirational process for me anyway, but this song really fitted the scene. By now I was blogging about all these experiences and someone very helpfully pointed me in the direction of a brilliant rumba which I watched while listening to Body Talk (I blogged the results of this particular bit of research here.       

By the time I’d finished writing the book, I was completely hooked, and apart from an obvious ambition to get onto Strictly Come Dancing – have they ever had a writer, anyone? – in the meantime I’d be content with learning how to dance properly. Perhaps when I'm not quite so time poor….

Posted by Keris on October 24, 2008 in Guest blogs | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: The Penny Pinchers' Club

I think I've mentioned before that I can't stand the phrase "the credit crunch", but I'm already seeing its influence in forthcoming books.

Mostly non-fiction*, granted, but I also spotted (in her recent newsletter), that Sarah Strohmeyer's next novel has a timely subject matter.

* Like The Credit Crunch Cookbook and         Love Food Hate Waste: A Cookbook to Help You Munch Through the Crunch

"I'm putting the finishing touches on my next book - The Penny Pinchers' Club - about a woman who stays with her husband to 'save up for a divorce' only to find their finances are so dire she has to save her family, first."

The first of many "crunch lit" books, no doubt...

Related posts: Sweet Love | The Sleeping Beauty Proposal review

Posted by Keris on October 24, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: The Miracle Girls by Anne Dayton and May Vanderbilt

Reviewed by Jill Hart

The Miracle Girls is a sweet novel about second chances. Ana Dominguez has just moved to Half Moon Bay and is doing her best to fit in to her new life. Unfortunately, Riley, the most popular girl in school, has singled Ana out for her own brand of high school torture. When Ana and Riley end up in detention together, Ana is sure things can't get any worse.

God uses this bad situation to bring Ana together with a group of girls (Riley included) who, like her, are living their second chance at life. Ana realizes that they have been brought together for a purpose, but she must now convince the other "Miracle Girls" - maybe not Riley - that their friendship is meant to be.

I really enjoyed Miracle Girls and am already looking forward to the next book in the series. This is the type of novel that is timeless, that I'll want my daughter to read when she hits her teens (or tweens). I look forward to the day when I can share my love of reading - and clean, godly books like this one - with her.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try It's All About Us by Shelley Medina

Posted by Aigua Media on October 24, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, New Releases, Rating: 3/5, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

Martine McCutcheon to publish novel

Martine McCutcheon (star of Love Actually) has finally found a publisher for her debut novel, The Mistress. Pan Books will publish Martine's book at the end of May next year. Said to be the first of a trilogy it is rumoured in The Daily Express to be directly based on her own experiences with a certain chef...

The second title is called The Actress and Martine will be writing the books herself. The book might not be out until half way through next year, but I have found the synopsis on Amazon. It's over the cut.

Mandy is turning 30 and has a lot of love to give, but that special person has so far eluded her. Then, at her birthday party with close friends at the Wolseley, Cupid strikes from across a crowded room. It's love at first sight, but Jake, the man she's fallen for, is happily married. Mandy is determined to stick to her principles and not enter into such dangerous territory, but her resistance is to prove futile. But can she make it as a mistress? Can it work for someone to love two people? A romance with a twist, "The Mistress", has an unusual, modern take on what women want. It's a warm, fun, highly commercial novel by one of Britain's best-loved actresses.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 24, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

FRIDAY FLICK: Tipping The Velvet

When writing about Sarah Waters and her new novel earlier this week, I was reminded that I still hadn't watched the BBC adaptation of Tipping The Velvet which I had bought ages ago. Needing to put my feet up for a bit, I thought the DVD provided the perfect opportunity.

I remember the controversy the programme created when it was first aired but for some reason or another (I think I was planning my wedding) I didn't watch it. I loved the novel however and was hoping the adaptation would be just as good.

In Victorian England, Nan Astley (the mesmerising Rachael Stirling) lives in Whitstable working in an oyster restaurant with her parents. When Kitty (Keeley Hawes), a music hall entertainer, comes to town Nan goes to watch her performance every night. She goes on to become her dresser and when Kitty moves to London, Nan goes with her. They become a double act and are extremely popular. For six months Nan is happy. Then she returns back to the lodgings she shares with Kitty a day early after seeing her parents, and everything falls apart.

Nan is forced to the streets and goes to extreme measures to survive. Eventually she is picked up by Diana Leatherby and so begins her life as an employed "tart".

If you have read the book (which I urge you to do before you watch the adaptation) you will know that this is a lesbian love story. But as with all of Sarah Waters' books and subsequently this adaptation, it is much more than that. There is the romance, which builds up beautifully, so when the sex scenes arrive they are very tasteful. Then there is Nan's emotional and physical journey. Rachael Stirling is endearing in her portrayal as Nan.

In fact, all the actors and actresses play their parts very well, as you might expect from a BBC adaptation. The scriptwriters, directors and producers have all got it spot on, so even the bit parts given to the likes of JohnnyVegas show a great eye for detail.

I would also like to mention Anna Chancellor who plays Diana Leatherby. She was fantastic. (I was wondering where I'd seen her before but then I realised she was Duckface in Four Weddings).

In all a brilliant adaptation. Well worth waiting for. I loved the scenery, the music, the visual metaphors. The way they interpreted the book, to me, had Sarah Waters all over it.

Friday Flick Archives

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 24, 2008 in Friday Flick | Permalink | Comments (4)

October 23, 2008 12:08 PM

BOOK COVERS: Eloisa James

Having just written about Eloisa James's latest book, I tried to find the cover and, instead, found the US covers of the two books that have been published in the UK (so far). First, Desperate Duchesses:

Now I wasn't wild about the UK cover (on the right), but that US cover? I NEVER would have picked that up. But if you think they're bad, check out the US cover of An Affair Before Christmas over the cut. 

Again, I'm not wild about the UK cover having more boobs than face, but that US cover? Looks like something my nan would have read.

What do you think? Would you pick up *any* of these books?

Posted by Keris on October 23, 2008 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (5)

Things that make us go "squeal!"

Yesterday, a book arrived that made me squeal with glee. Which reminded me that I've written that very thing on Trashionista a few times over the - gasp! - years.

So I thought I'd have a quick look at the things/authors/books that have made us go "sqeeee!" An excitement overview, if you like.

Our interview with Marian Keyes had a *squeal* in the title, but interviews with Jodi Picoult and Jenny Crusie were (almost) equally thrilling.

Books-wise, Hadley Freeman's The Meaning of Sunglasses caused excitement, but was ultimately disappointing. Far from disappointing was Jen Lancaster's Such a Pretty Fat.

So what made me squeal this time? Eloisa James's An Affair Before Christmas. And what made me squeal even more was that my review of Desperate Duchesses is quoted. Well, misquoted. You can't have everything.

Which authors or books are likely to make you squeal? And has anything on Trashionista? (I remember a certain frisson when Meg Cabot commented!)

Posted by Keris on October 23, 2008 in Opinion | Permalink | Comments (4)

BOOK NEWS: Succubus in the City

No, I don't usually like pun titles, but this one is so blatant that it made me laugh out loud!

Lily has what looks like the perfect life: a fabulous day job at a fashion magazine; a killer figure she can literally never lose; and a great group of girlfriends who are always there for her. Oh, and she also just-so-happens to be a succubus: an immortal demon who draws her power from other men's pleasure. Although working for the Devil does have it's perks, Lily's realising that serving up bad boys to the fiery pits of Hell is just getting ...well, lonely. Just once, Lily would like to wake up in the morning to something more than a pile of ashes but, contractually bound to Satan, she will only be released if someone truly loves her.

Then the devilishly handsome PI Nathan Coleman enters her life and Lily begins to wonder if he might be the man she's been waiting for. He wants to ask Lily a few questions about a missing man, but suddenly someone ? or something ? wants Lily and her demon friends dead, and Nathan seems to know more than he'll admit to. Can a sweet-talking mortal and a girl from Hell ever really find true love?

I haven't read much paranormal chick lit yet, but I think this one could be the one. Sounds very Buffy-esque, no?

Related (kind of) posts: Rex and the City by Lee Harrington | Undead and Unwed by MaryJanice Davidson

Posted by Keris on October 23, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

British Library Release Recordings Of Writers

Rare recordings of some of the greatest writers have been released by the British Library. 30 British writers and 27 American can be heard speaking and, in some cases, like Virginia Woolf, they are the only surviving recording of the writer.

The CDs also include Arthur Conan Doyle, Daphne du Maurier, F Scott Fitzgerald and Evelyn Waugh. [via BBC and The Telegraph]

To hear Virginia Woolf you can go to the BBC Website.

Related posts: Best Women Authors of All Time | Brideshead Revisted

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 23, 2008 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Happy Birthday by Christina Jones

Phoebe Bowler has been jilted. Returning to her flat some weeks after the wedding that never was, she bumps into Rocky her upstairs neighbour, who has recently been released from prison for ABH. Scared to open her windows at night because of Rocky and disliking spending time on her own she fills her time by going up to Twilights, a residential home, to do some part time hairdressing. Which is where she meets Essie.

Phoebe used to chart her entire life using astrology. According to the stars her wedding was perfect and soon to be marriage was a match made in heaven. Once she was jilted however, she ditches the astrology, believing it was all a pack of lies. However, once she meets Essie, who has Romany blood, her interest is soon reignited, particularly by the birthday-ology.

I have never read any of Christina Jones' books before, but apparently this is the fifth book about the magical Berkshire village. This doesn't mean I couldn't enjoy the book though, as it stood well enough on its own, but perhaps if I had read the others first (Hubble Bubble, Seeing Stars, Love Potions and Heaven Sent) I would have got even more out of it.

Phoebe is great as a heroine and there is a lovely romance brewing, not just for her but for someone else too. There are a few twists and turns, a predictable return of a particular someone, but in all this is a lovely, gentle read with some great characters (particularly those from Twilights).

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Filthy Rich by Wendy Holden

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 23, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 22, 2008 12:02 PM

New Sarah Waters Novel

Exciting news that I have been waiting for, for what seems like ages.

Sarah Waters is writing a new novel called The Little Stranger which will be released late in the Spring of 2009. After the critically acclaimed The Night Watch she is staying with the 1940s, setting her story in rural Warwickshire, in a crumbling country manor house haunted by a dying way of life - and perhaps by something more sinister... Ooh, Sarah is writing a ghost story, brilliant. [via Little Brown]

Related posts: Thursday Trailblazer: Sarah Waters | Fingersmith

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 22, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

SPOTLIGHT: Julie Buxbaum

I read The Opposite of Love a few weeks ago and thought it a great debut novel. I really admired Julie's writing style and I'm looking forward to her next one. As she is a debut novelist and because her book is being made into a film, I think we should know more about Julie, so this week the spotlight is on her.

Writing a book was on Julie's major life to do list, so when she quit her job as a litigation lawyer she cracked on with it straight away. Finishing work in mid-January her book was written, in rough draft, four months later.

So how did she get to this point? Well, born in 1977 she grew up in Rockland County, New York. Studying political science, philosophy and economics at university she graduated and went on to Harvard Law School. Once she had graduated from there she worked as a litigator at a large law firm in New York, working silly hours. She eventually moved to LA then decided that law wasn't for her. Or in her words she was bored out of her mind. So she quit.

In The Opposite of Love she wanted to explore the consequences of delaying grief. The book has been well received and has also been sold to 20th Century Fox with Anne Hathaway playing the lead.

Julie Buxbaum's website.

Spotlight Archives

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 22, 2008 in Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Importance of Being Married

I don't know anything about Gemma Townley, except that she's Sophie Kinsella's sister. I never see or hear anything about her books and I've always wondered why her publishers haven't given her a bigger push, considering the family connection. But her latest book, The Importance of Being Married, has a shiny new cover design, so will it be the one to propel her into the big time?

Jessica Wild isn't big on commitment. 'Don't depend on anyone' is her motto. But her friend Grace, a sweet old lady she met in her grandmother's nursing home, can't believe that Jess is truly happy on her own. Eventually Jess caves and tells Grace she's got a boyfriend: her glamorous boss, Anthony Milton.

When in time her fantasy boyfriend becomes her fantasy husband, Grace is thrilled for Jess. So much so, that she leaves Jess an inheritance. But there's a snag. It's in the name of Jessica Milton. Grace trusted Jess to look after the house she adored. If Jess is to keep that trust, it will mean turning her Little White Lie into a Big White Wedding - and getting Anthony to fall in love with her and pop the question for real.

With the help of her formidable best friend Helen and Gloria, a Russian escort experienced in the ways of men, Jess reluctantly learns the art of flirting, seduction and playing hard to get. But just when it appears that Operation Marriage is a success and Anthony is about to ask the million-dollar question, Jess wonders if it's right to say 'I do' for all the wrong reasons...

Sounds interesting, don't you think?

Posted by Keris on October 22, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (5)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Sharon Owens

I haven't yet read any of Sharon Owens' books, but Trashi fave Claire Allan *raves* about them. Sharon answers our probing questions below:

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

It Must Be Love is about a runaway bride called Sarah Quinn.

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

I write at a small desk in the corner of our bedroom because it’s quiet and cosy.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Enchanting Alice, by Anne Dunlop. I’ve just finished reviewing it for the Belfast Telegraph. A lovely story set in the countryside. A nice change from all the city-based stories.

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

Jane from Enchanting Alice was a lovely, determined yet whimsical girl. I liked her a lot.

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

Get organised! Create a pretty corner for yourself to work in, ban anyone else from using it and type out a strict work plan. Then you’ll know that if you write 10 pages or one chapter every weekend you’ll almost have a book written in 30 weeks. Oh, and get an agent to read the contract before you sign it. 

What are you reading at the moment?

Land Without Stars by the late Benedict Kiely. He was my great-uncle and a Saoi of Aosdana, which is the highest honour that can be bestowed upon any Irish author, artist or musician.

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

My new book is called The Seven Secrets of Happiness and it’s a love story between a widow called Ruby and a widower called Martin. It’ll be out in 2009.

Do you have a theme song?

My Way, as sung by Sid Vicious. I usually sing it to myself before I have to do any PR, which fills me with absolute terror. And this song takes the edge off my fear. Slightly.   

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: Did you ever imagine Nicolas Cage would option one of your novels and make it into a major, critically-acclaimed  film?

A: No, but I’m very glad he did… 

Thanks, Sharon!

Don't forget about Sharon's competition to win one of 25 gorgeous velvet bags.

Posted by Keris on October 22, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Ugly Betty

I absolutely love the TV show, Ugly Betty (although somehow I've managed to pretty much miss the entire recent series), so when I heard about this glossy companion book, I had to get it.

Designed to look like an issue of Mode magazine edited by Betty, it's full of all the usual information and pics we've come to expect from these kind of books, i.e. interviews with the cast and crew, articles about the sets and the clothes and the inevitable episode guide.

What makes this book different is just how utterly gorgeous it looks. Like the show itself, it's colourful, fun and over the top.

It would make an excellent Christmas pressie for the discerning Betty fan.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Sex and the City - the book of the movie

Posted by Keris on October 22, 2008 in Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 21, 2008 2:19 PM

Marian Keyes' Strictly backstage report

Yep, lovely Marian was on Strictly Come Dancing's It Takes Two. Again.

Related posts: Marian on Strictly (again) | Marian Keyes on Strictly Come Dancing | Marian on It Takes Two (2007)

Posted by Keris on October 21, 2008 in Marian Keyes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Just 10 days left to be in a book!

Yes, it's true. Our fabulous Carole Matthews competition gives you the chance to actually appear in a novel!

Read more about it here, but bear in mind that the closing date is 31 October and that's coming up fast!

Related: All You Need Is Love review

Posted by Keris on October 21, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle

Yes, I know, it's not Christmas yet (not long now, though, you know!), but last week the weather was so miserable and drizzly, I just felt like I needed some Christmas cheer.

And who better to bring Christmas cheer than one of my favourite YA authors, Maureen Johnson, along with John Green and Lauren Myracle?

Let It Snow is three linked stories, all taking place in the same town during the same period - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Maureen Johnson's The Jubilee Express is about Jubilee Dougal, a girl named after a house in her parents' miniature Christmas village. When her parents are arrested trying to buy the latest (limited edition, of course) Christmas building, she finds herself on a train headed to Florida to spend Christmas with her grandparents. And when that train hits an enormous snowdrift and can go no further, she finds herself in Gracetown, subject to the hospitality of a boy she meets in the Waffle House.

The characters in John Green's A Cheertastic Christmas Miracle are desperately trying to get to that same Waffle House to spend the evening with hot cheerleaders (who are also taking refuge from the stuck train). Well, two of them are interested in the cheerleaders (the boys, JP and Tobin), the girl - Angie, known as the Duke - is more interested in cheese-covered hash browns (as was I, the entire time I was reading this story). Due to the overwhelming snow, the trip to the Waffle House takes hours and is fraught with peril (not least from the other boys trying to get to the cheerleaders first), but then things take a romantic turn...

Finally, in Lauren Myracle's The Patron Saint of Pigs, we meet Addie (who we have heard of in both the previous stories). She's recently broken up with her boyfriend, Jeb, and is broken-hearted. And yet she still has a frightening early shift at Starbucks... and a teacup piglet to collect.

I really enjoyed this book. All three stories are wintery, Christmassy, funny, gripping and romantic. I enjoyed Maureen Johnson's the most, mainly because I love her humour, and Lauren Myracle's didn't quite hold my attention (there was an awful lot of chat with Starbucks customers when I just wanted to get to the romance!), but the ending more than made up for it.

I love it when characters cross over in stories and this was done in an incredibly entertaining way. One for curling up with the fairy lights on and a cup of hot chocolate to drink.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson, Looking for Alaska by John Green or How to be Bad by Lauren Myracle (and Sarah Mlynowski and E Lockhart)

Posted by Keris on October 21, 2008 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Romance, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (5)

Win! Little Black Dress Books...

...for a whole year. That's right. Every new title that LBD publish will be delivered to the winner's door every month for twelve months, starting the moment the winner is picked. 

To be in with a chance you need to come up with a Little Black Dress jingle. For more information and to enter pop over to the Little Black Dress Website.

Related posts: Trashionista Recommends: Little Black Dress | Spotlight: Julie Cohen | Book Review: Just Say Yes

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 21, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

HELEN'S HEROINES: Clara Casey

Really I could have used any one of the females from Maeve Binchy's new novel, Heart and Soul, (or in fact any novel of hers) to be this week's heroine. They aren't all confident, go getting career women. They have flaws and worries like the rest of us, but they are also determined women. Determined to do what is best for their family, to better their lives or other people's lives. But mostly just to do something.

Clara Casey is no different. A senior cardiac specialist at the soon to be opened heart clinic in Dublin she is recently divorced with two grown up daughters who still live with her. If her two daughters weren't enough to cope with, she also has an ex husband who thinks he can dance back into their lives and a new clinic to open, battling with the bureaucracy that is Frank Ennis all the way.

She also has time to give a job to a Polish girl, making her feel involved and as part of the team. She works hard at her job, even though it wasn't what she wanted and doesn't often put herself first.

If all this makes her sound like a goody goody then that is my mistake. She isn't. She is a normal, down to earth working mum, wanting the best for her daughters, even using the tough love approach when it is needed. She is trying to balance everything in her life, coming to terms with the fact her husband has someone else, is starting a new life with them, whilst at the same time, confusingly,  wanting also to be part of her life still.

To outsiders she looks super confident, someone who won't take no for an answer. But in reality, she is just trying to do her best, for her family and for her own pride, like many of us.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 21, 2008 in Helen's Heroines | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 20, 2008 5:13 PM

Sex and the City - the book of the movie

Whilst wandering through my local book store I came across this glorious book. It has been out for a few months now so I don't know how I missed it, but it's a book of the Sex and The City movie. As I flicked through I found stunning photographs from the film, some insider information and covers of Carrie's actual books (so she is real!).

There are also interviews, a delightful array of photographs of Carrie's outfits and notes from the designers. (It does contain spoilers though so make sure you've seen the film first.)

Related posts: Reading Sex and the City | Friday Flick: Sex and the City | Sex and the City: The DVD

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 20, 2008 in Movie Magic | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: All You Need Is Love by Carole Matthews

I've read some of Carole Matthew's older books and I have to be truthful here, I didn't find her to be my cup of tea. (That is actually a mild way of describing my feelings towards her books.) And this new one, All You Need Is Love, about a woman, Sally, who appears to be saved by one of two men (a rich one or a poor one) didn't exactly strike a chord with me either.

So being slightly prejudiced against the book before I'd even opened it (and don't get me started on the annoying song that came into my head everytime I looked at it) the book didn't have much of a chance.

When I eventually settled down to read it this weekend, I couldn't help but admire Carole's writing. It appears to trip effortlessly off the page, making it easy to read, but I know, from experience, how hard it is to write that way.

Set in a sink estate in Liverpool, Sally lives in a grotty flat which smells of urine and has a lift which is permanently vandalised. She has a ten year old son, Charlie, and plans for the future. She doesn't know what these plans are yet, but she has started to better herself with a computer course. Which is where she meets Spencer, the teacher of the course. He has a porche, a beautiful apartment in the city and is interested in her. Much to the hurt and annoyance of her ex, Johnny.

Sally sees Johnny as only a friend though, so he retreats back to the garage lock up where he finds solace in his painting. Paintings that Sally was extremely dismissive of when they were together. In fact, she'd never even seen one of them, believing he should be painting and decorating rather than splattering bits of paint onto canvas. This is because Sally wants their lives to improve and there is no room for dreams but good, honest work.

When Spencer comes into her life he opens her eyes. And this is the inspiration for Sally to start on a one woman quest to improve their estate.

I could write about this book for some time, which just goes to show how much I enjoyed it. My prejudices were cast aside. And Sally isn't a woman that needed to be saved. This book is fun, feel good, escapist chick lit. A cracking page turner of a book. I think that is all I need to say.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try The Accidental Wife by Rowan Coleman

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 20, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Cradle Snatcher

Tess Stimson's been around for ages - making her one of them there chick lit veterans (Soft Focus was published in 1995) - and yet I haven't read any of her books. Will The Cradle Snatcher be the one?

Clare Elian has always known the risk of being married to a rich, handsome younger man like Marc. She just never thought she'd be the one to bring the danger home. But when she gives birth to two gorgeous babies - one of each, naturally - she discovers motherhood isn't quite the cinch she'd expected.

Desperate to escape back to her chic chain of boutique flower shops, she hires Jenna, a confident, efficient nanny keen to escape a relationship that has gone horribly wrong. Before long, a deadly rivalry emerges for control of the nursery. And as events spiral out of their control, both women find themselves forced to make wrenching decisions about love, loyalty and motherhood.

Um, possibly not. What about you?

Related posts: The Adultery Club review | More book news

Posted by Keris on October 20, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

MORE ON MONDAY: All Balls and Glitter by Craig Revel Horwood

I love Craig Revel Horwood. I know he's meant to be the Mr Nasty of Strictly Come Dancing, but I find him the most consistent judge and the most consistently hilarious.

I'd read a lot about this autobiography before it was published. The papers were full of lurid tales of Craig's time as a rent boy and a drag queen, so I was expecting it to be scandalous, juicy and, since Craig is so honest on Strictly, rather indiscreet too. Yeah. It wasn't.

It was a good read, I'm not saying that, and it was certainly considerably more entertaining than Lorraine Kelly's yawnfest, but there just wasn't actually that much scandal.

Craig wasn't *really* a rent boy (he allowed an older man he wasn't actually interested in to take him travelling), being a drag queen isn't particularly shocking anyway (and judging by the photos, he was a very good one) and apart from that it was mostly about his career. Which has been solid and accomplished.

I had to stop myself skipping to the Strictly section of the book, where I thought his lips might get a little looser, but, no, it was all on-message. Everyone gets on. It's a great show to do. No, the producers don't tell him to be nasty, he just likes to tell it as it is.

Like I said, it was, in the main, an entertaining read, but it wasn't a particularly exciting one. Maybe he should have got the Mr Nasty side of his character to write it...

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try My Booky Wook by Russell Brand (much juicier)

And don't forget about my Strictly Come Dancing reviews over on TV Scoop!

Posted by Keris on October 20, 2008 in Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 18, 2008 9:12 AM

MOVIE NEWS: Marley & Me trailer II

An even shorter (but even cuter) Marley & Me trailer.

Related posts: Marley & Me review | First trailer | Marley & Me pictures

Posted by Keris on October 18, 2008 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 17, 2008 2:37 PM

The Wonderful Weekend Book

Since January this year, when we decided to get the builders in, until very recently when the last of the decorators finally finished, weekends in our family have been Hectic. Yup, Hectic with a capital H. Oh and of course, I've been pregnant for a lot of this time too. So when I saw this book, The Wonderful Weekend Book by Elspeth Thompson, on Jane Brocket's blog, I actually heard myself exhale, then relax. Why? Well, read the blurb below.

Elspeth Thompsons original and inspiring book shows we can reclaim the weekend by re-charging our batteries and relationships through enjoying the simple pleasures in life. That means no more builders! (For more see over the cut.)

For too many of us the weekend has become just another overcrowded couple of days dominated by duties, traffic jams, hassle and expense as we dash from supermarket to superstore catching up with the weeks chores. But it doesnt have to be this way. From watching the sunset and the stars, making chutney and writing proper letters to borrowing a dog, going to dance classes and using the internet inventively, The Wonderful Weekend Book is packed with ideas that will help restore the balance in our lives, reconnect us to the seasons, and quite literally not cost the earth.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 17, 2008 in Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Love Struck

How do you feel about live swap books? There've been loads now and I think I've enjoyed most of them, but do we need more? Melanie Rose's debut, Love Struck, does sound a little more interesting... because there's lightning! 

When Jessica Taylor is struck by lightning one afternoon, she has no idea how dramatically her life is going to change! Lucky to survive, Jessica wakes up in a hospital bed - but as someone else. Apparently she's now Lauren Richardson, wife and mother of four young children. No one will believe her story - she can hardly believe it herself.

Later that night, Jessica wakes up again - as herself. She quickly works out that when Lauren sleeps, she wakes up as Jessica. But when Lauren is awake, she must sleep - whatever the time of day. Needless to say, it plays havoc with her work and her blossoming relationship with Dan Brennan, the handsome stranger who saved her on the Downs that fateful day.

Jessica has no idea what has happened to her and whether she can get back to life as she knows it. Meanwhile, she must quickly get the hang of looking after four demanding children, an even more demanding husband and also learn all about the woman in whose designer shoes she now stands.But as she digs deeper into Lauren's life, she unearths some secrets, secrets which may tear the family apart...

I do think it sounds interesting, but will you be reading it? Or has the life swap book had its day?

Related posts: Life Swap by Jane Green | Another Man's Life by Greg Williams | Switchcraft by Mary Castillo

Posted by Keris on October 17, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Thin Is the New Happy by Valerie Frankel

I'd been looking forward to this book for so long. I love Valerie Frankel's novels (and her blog) and I do like a good weightloss/body image memoir, particularly when they're funny, and Thin is the New Happy didn't disappoint.

Frankel had been struggling with her weight and, more importantly, body image, since the age of 11 when her mother decided Valerie was overweight and something must be done. (She writes: “I could have food. Or I could have approval. I couldn’t have both.”) I'm constantly amazed at the terrible comments parents direct at their children in these kinds of books, but Valerie's mother's mother was even worse, so you can almost understand why she was so fat-phobic. This pattern also acted as a catalyst for Frankel to deal with her issues - she was determined not to pass them on to her own two daughters.

Frankel addresses these issues in a variety of ways. She gives up dieting. She contacts one of the boys who teased and bullied her about her weight at school. She attempts to have it out with her mother. She tackles her constant negative self-talk by buying a clicker to record just how many negative comments she makes about herself each day (the result is staggering). She has her (dull and functional) wardrobe overhauled by a style expert. She even poses naked for a national magazine.

All the while, Frankel is also relating stories from her life that relate to her body image and weight, so we learn about the death of her first husband and her subsequent relationship with her second. We learn much about her mother and sister and daughters. We learn about her time as an editor at women's magazine, Mademoiselle (not a healthy place for a woman with body issues - the chapter heading is "Ugly Valerie").

As I almost always find myself saying about memoirs, Thin Is the New Happy is brutally honest. It's also very funny. But more importantly, it's inspiring. And it left me with one image that I can't get out of my head - after deciding not to look at herself in a shop window she passes each day, Frankel instead looked down at her daughter, who smiled up at her "big and beautiful", causing her to wonder how many of these moments she'd missed "while frowning at my profile in storefront windows".  This was a wake-up call to me, as I'm sure it will be to many women.

If you've ever had any issues with body image (and I'll just bet you have), you need to read this book.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

Posted by Keris on October 17, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (2)

Spread The Word 2009

As with last year, the people behind World Book Day have compiled a list of books designed to get you talking. They have a long list of fifty titles for you to vote on, which will be reduced to a shortlist of ten. Included in the list is Julie Buxbaum's The Opposite of Love and one I particularly like the look of, The Good Plain Cook by Bethan Roberts. Last year's winner was Boy A by Jonathan Trigell.

Anyway, you should go and vote for your favourite, you could win £100 of book tokens.

Related posts: World Book Day 2008 | Ten Books You Can't Live Without

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 17, 2008 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 16, 2008 2:23 PM

BOOK NEWS: Ex-Girlfriends United

Currently riding at number ten in the Lovereading chart is honorary Trashionista, Matt Dunn, with his fourth novel, Ex-Girlfriends United, which is, in his words, a sort of sequel to The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook.

The Ex-Boyfriend's Handbook was shortlisted for the 2006 Romantic Novel of the Year Award and the Melissa Nathan Award for Romantic Comedy so a sort of sequel is very exciting news indeed. See over the cut for what it's all about.

Ever wish there was a website where you could read reviews about someone you’re thinking of dating?

Dan Davis doesn’t. Because thanks to SlateYourDate.com, Z-list TV personality and womaniser Dan isn’t having much luck with girls any more. Okay, so he’s treated a few women badly in his time, but that’s just what men like Dan do, isn’t it?

But best friend Edward Middleton thinks it’s a great idea. Dumped in the past for being the typical clueless bloke, and determined not to suffer the same fate with new girlfriend Sam, Ed sees it as the perfect place to find out how to keep Sam happy.

Faced with the prospect of a lifetime of singledom, Dan sets off on a hilarious quest to track down his ex-girlfriends to find out how he can put things right. But will a man like Dan ever truly change – especially if the biggest change means actually listening to a woman? Meanwhile, Ed’s awkward attempts to move things forward with Sam make him realise that when it comes to relationships, unless you deal with your past, you can’t have much of a future…

The boys from The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook are back. And just as hopeless.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 16, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW: Strictly Love by Julia Williams

We are all about the dancing on Trashionista at the moment, which is why I was so delighted to get my hands on Julia Williams' latest novel, Strictly Love. It is a story of marriage, romance, dentistry (oh yes) and of course, dancing.

The four main characters, Emily, Katie, Mark and Rob meet at Isabella's dance evenings. They each decide not to bring into the classes who they really are, but instead they escape real life for a while in a whirl of Ballroom and Latin.

Emily is a lawyer who works for a media law firm, defending z-listers from their illegal and tasteless shenanigans. She is frustrated as she thought she'd be doing something a little more worthwhile, but the pay at the firm is good, she has her mother's debts and a large mortgage to pay. Her friend is Katie, married to Charlie and trying to create a perfect home, marriage and family.

Then we have Mark, a dentist and all round lovely bloke. He is divorced with two children (although he doesn't tell this to the women he meets at dance class) and has a z-lister as a patient, who is about to make his life hell. Mark's friend and flat-mate is Rob. A bit of a womanizer, he is actually hiding a terrible trauma.

Throw them all together with their secrets and what do you get? A real page turner of a story that's what.

Although at the beginning I was really confused because of the amount of people I was introduced to (but that may just be my fuzzied brain at the moment) once I had got going I couldn't put it down. Julia tells a great story with enough predictability (you've got to have some) but also lots of twists and turns in order to keep me guessing, making sure I didn't finish the story in my head before I'd reached the end of the book. There was one particular bit of the plot which I did not guess, at all, which I always like.

If I had to nit pick, it would be about Emily and the legal plot between her and Mark about half way through the book. It wasn't really credible to me. But, that is nit picking and it didn't matter once I got my head around it, as this particular issue carried the rest of the book forward.

So, if you are a fan of dancing, (and even if you aren't) and missing Anton's presence in Strictly Come Dancing (I know I am) this book is great to curl up with as the nights draw in. Lovely.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 16, 2008 in New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: In Bed With...

In Bed With... is described as "a unique, sometimes humorous, often wicked and totally sizzling collection of unashamedly sexy bedtime stories by bestselling, award-winning and well-known novelists". Authors featured include Chris Manby, Adele Parks, Jane Moore, and Joanne Harris.

Interesting. But the most interesting thing is that they're writing under pseudonyms (a combination of the name of their first pet and their street). So who are Pom Pom Paradise and Minxy Malone? Tutty Monmouth or Sunset Proudfoot? Read the stories and then try and guess the author!

Related posts: Sexy Shorts for the Beach | Do the Write Thing | This Is Chick Lit

Posted by Keris on October 16, 2008 in Book News, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

Marian Keyes on It Takes Two (2008)

I told you I'd upload it as soon as I found it and here it is! Marian Keyes on Strictly Come Dancing's sister show, It Takes Two. (Plus you can read my reviews of Strictly on *our* sister site, TV Scoop.)

Related posts: Marian Keyes on It Takes Two (2007) | Marian Keyes interview

Posted by Keris on October 16, 2008 in Marian Keyes | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 15, 2008 4:04 PM

The White Tiger Wins Booker Prize

This year's Man Booker Prize winner is Aravind Adiga's debut novel, The White Tiger. Writing the kind of book he'd like to read, Aravind, a 33 year old, was the youngest writer on the shortlist.

The book is set in the India of today with Aravind describing it as revolving around the great divide between those Indians who have made it and those who have not. [via BBC]

To read more of what it is about, see over the cut.

Balram Halwai is the White Tiger - the smartest boy in his village. His family is too poor for him to afford for him to finish school and he has to work in a teashop, breaking coals and wiping tables. But Balram gets his break when a rich man hires him as a chauffeur, and takes him to live in Delhi. The city is a revelation. As he drives his master to shopping malls and call centres, Balram becomes increasingly aware of immense wealth and opportunity all around him, while knowing that he will never be able to gain access to that world. As Balram broods over his situation, he realizes that there is only one way he can become part of this glamorous new India - by murdering his master."The White Tiger" presents a raw and unromanticised India, both thrilling and shocking - from the desperate, almost lawless villages along the Ganges, to the booming Wild South of Bangalore and its technology and outsourcing centres.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 15, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Julia Williams

Helen and I were both very excited to read Julia Williams' book Strictly Love, but Helen won and I believe she's reading it right now! In the meantime, Julia's answered our author interview questions...

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Strictly Love is about four friends who meet at dancing class and all have secrets ...

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

I have a lovely office which my husband created for me. It looks out onto my garden, and is painted a lovely warm friendly yellow. It's a cosy room and I have a lovely picture of my dad laughing on one of the shelves. He died quite a while ago and I always feel he's with me when I write.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Rachel's Holiday by Marian Keyes which is brilliant and set the bar very high! I read it when I was first writing. I also love Kate Harrison's Self Preservation Society which is fabulous and tender and funny and true.

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

It's got to be Jo from the Self Preservation Society because she is a total wuss and so am I.

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

Gain a tough skin. You will have to cope with a lot of criticism, not all of it kind. You have to be tough to survive it. Other then that, take time to learn your craft, be patient, work hard and listen to good advice.

What are you reading at the moment?

Twilight by Stephanie Meyer. It's fab.

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

It's a Christmassy story, with a shepherd and possibly an angel. It's going to be alot about mothers, daughters and cooking too.

Do you have a theme song?

What for my life or my books? All my stories have theme songs. The current book has songs by the Manic Street Preachers, Mumm-Raa, KT Tunstall and Coral. But the most important theme song is Pretty Amazing Grace by Neil Diamond which is kind of the theme of the book. In Strictly Love I had several too, but the most important was Robbie Williams' Feel.

My theme song in my life would have to be You Really Got Me by the Kinks. My husband and I dance to it at every available opportunity!

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: Are any of your stories based on your own life?

A: Not really because I make up stories all the time, but as I write about domestic stuff, and with four children I have a fairly busy domestic life, some of those things do creep in from time to time. I have yet to find an opportunity to put in the story of the time one of my children stuck an umbrella in their mouth and had to go to casualty though!

Thanks, Julia!

Posted by Keris on October 15, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (1)

Can you tell what this is yet?

This is one of the cutest book products I've seen for ages.

But can you tell what it is? (I'm making you work today, aren't I?)

Answer - and more pics - over the cut.

 

Yes, it's a camera! Imported from Japan, it costs $55 from Fred Flare.

Related posts: Bookish MP3 player cases | Nancy Drew stationery

Posted by Keris on October 15, 2008 in Bookish products | Permalink | Comments (1)

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Rock Chicks

I read yesterday about Rock Chicks -  a "raw, shocking and downright sexy novel" - which is written by Ronni Cooper. Ronni Cooper is a pseudonym for "an established writer and author of a weekly newspaper column 'renowned for its biting humour and straight-talking opinions'".

It's the story of rock group The Black Spikes and three women who are closely involved with the band, "strong, sassy women who are not afraid to graft or to hold their own in a man's world, but who also love the adrenalin-pumping thrills of living on the edge in a decadent, sexy world".

The novel is apparently "inspired by a lifetime of experiences" and the author herself used to live with a successful musician.

So do you have any ideas who it might be? I think I've cracked it. See if you agree with me over the cut.

Janet Street-Porter.

Do you agree?

[via The Bookseller]

Related posts: The return of the bonkbuster? | More brand new book news

Posted by Keris on October 15, 2008 in You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (2)

SPOTLIGHT: Caroline Smailes

Is it too sensationalist or dramatic to say that Caroline Smailes is an idol of mine? Yes? OK, maybe not my idol then, but she has been a huge inspiration to me since I changed my career to being a writer nearly two years ago. She is part of a blogging group that I'm also part of and I have watched with fascination as she embarked on her journey from being a creative writing student to becoming a published novelist over the last eighteen months.  She has now just released Black Boxes, her second novel, so I thought it high time I put her in the spotlight.

Caroline studied English Literature at university and went on to specialise in Linguistics. (This knowledge of language is demonstrated in both her novels.) In 2005 she was about to embark on a PhD in Linguistics, but a chance viewing of the Richard and Judy programme changed all of that. She saw an interview about someone who described herself as a "nearly woman". Not wishing to be described as a "nearly writer," Caroline decided to change her life.

Bravely she cancelled her PhD place and enrolled on an MA in creative writing. Here she wrote her first novel, In Search of Adam, set up a blog and a website, and life, for Caroline, has never been the same since.

Her blog (an incredibly honest account of the highs and lows of being published) was discovered by The Friday Project (now an imprint of HarperCollins) and a publishing deal was offered. In the last few weeks Black Boxes, Caroline's second novel, has been released. She has also published a novella, which relates to In Search of Adam, called Disraeli Avenue, with profits going to One in Four, a charity for people who have experienced sexual abuse.

Caroline's books are hard-hitting and unflinching in the subjects she covers. In Search Of Adam talks about child abuse and Black Boxes about post-natal depression. The subject matter contrasts starkly with her beautiful and descriptive writing.

Caroline Smailes Author Interview

Bibliography

In Search of Adam

Disraeli Avenue (a novella)

Black Boxes

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 15, 2008 in Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 14, 2008 10:15 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Maggie has struggled for years to make sense of her mother's suicide. She resents the fact that she has had to make up for her mom's absence - doing the cooking, cleaning and other "motherly" tasks. She wonders what it's like to be a normal teenager.

Then her sixteenth birthday arrives. Maggie's birthday wish is that sixteen will be a great year - that she's be pretty and popular and that her brother's best friend (whom she's had a crush on forever) will notice her.

Her birthday ushers in a whole new period in her life, but it's not quite what she expected. Her father gives her a family heirloom as a gift (just the fact that he remembered her birthday is a miracle) and announces that it's time for her to meet the 'special someone' in her life. Then she makes a discovery that will change the course of her life forever.

Maggie Come Lately covers a more serious subject matter than the usual chick lit/YA that I choose. It's a coming-of-age story of a girl who is searching for her place in the world. It's dark at times and yet there is a ribbon of faith that runs through the book and helps to put her struggle in perspective. It's a story of hurt and betrayal, but also one of redemption.

Rating: 4 of 5

Like this? Try Dear Zoe by Philip Beard

Posted by Aigua Media on October 14, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK COVERS & NEWS: Husbands and Lies

I read about Susy McPhee's debut novel in The Bookseller a couple of weeks ago. I looked it up on Amazon and it featured the cover on the right. I've just looked it up again this morning and found, instead, the cover on the left.

They're not massively different, but the bright (rather than pastel) colours look much more modern to me and I'd be much more likely to pick up the book. Would you?

Covers aside, what's the book about?

There are some people you'd do anything for...For Fran that list would include her husband, Max, her daughter, and her best friend, Alison. Only Alison is now desperately ill and she needs Fran's help. She wants to find her husband a new wife, and leave her young daughter with a new mother. Fran finds the whole idea deeply uncomfortable, but it's hard to refuse your closest friend at the best of times, let alone ignore her dying wishes.

So Fran reluctantly logs on to an internet dating site, where she stumbles across a startlingly familiar profile. 'Footloose' describes himself as divorced, but his photo looks exactly like Fran's husband, Max. What's a wife to do when she suspects her husband's cheating and can't bear to confront him outright? Posing as 'Sassy', Fran sends a reply to 'Footloose' and sets out to date her own husband...But this increasingly crazy plan leads Max to start to have doubts of his own. Torn between suspicion and love, life for Fran just got very complicated - can her marriage survive?

Ooh, sounds interesting!

Related posts: The Accidental Family | Judging books by their covers | Diane Shipley on book covers (or Why I could be wrong)

Posted by Keris on October 14, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

MOVIE NEWS: Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging - the DVD

For those who missed this at the cinema (i.e. me) you will be pleased to know that Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging is coming out on DVD at the beginning of December.

Based on the book by Louise Rennison and directed by Gurinder Chadha (Bend It Like Beckham) it is a light-hearted, yet poignant look into the life of struggling teen, Georgia Nicolson.

If you can't wait, the trailer is here and you can also check out Amazon for some great stills.

Related posts: Angus, Thongs & Full Frontal Snogging news | Spotlight: Louise Rennison

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 14, 2008 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (1)

Win a bag with Sharon Owens

Lovely Irish author Sharon Owens is working on a novel (her sixth) called The Seven Secrets of Happiness. It's about a woman called Ruby O'Neill who finds love again when her husband dies in a car accident.

Since Ruby's hobby is making velvet handbags, Sharon had the idea to commission 25 unique and exclusive velvet bags and give them away via her site. Leave a message on her contact page and she'll choose a name at random each month (and, you know, send them a bag!).

[And if you're a bit of a bag fan, then check out our sister site, The Bag Lady.]

Related posts: It Must be Love by Sharon Owens review | Revenge of the Wedding Planner review

Posted by Keris on October 14, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Happy Birthday

I've not read anything by Christina Jones before, but I have her new paperback , Happy Birthday, to review (out November), so I thought I'd do a bit of research on her (including on this very site.) She sounds like an incredibly popular author, which makes me think, where have I been?

Happy Birthday is, according to Christina's website, a follow-on to the mad-village/practical-magic shenanigans in Hubble Bubble, Seeing Stars, Love Potions and Heaven Sent but it also stands alone so you don’t need to read the others first...It sounds like great escapism, so a review will be coming very soon. In the meantime see over the cut for more.

On midsummer’s day, Phoebe Bowler should have returned to her pretty garden flat as an ecstatically happy new bride. A devotee of all things astrological, Phoebe simply can’t understand what has gone wrong with her astrally-charted, tarot-planned perfect marriage. For the first time in her life, Phoebe’s forays into planetary aspects, transits and positions have let her down. Badly.

Her upstairs neighbour, the gorgeous but grumpy Rocky Lancaster, has huge problems of his own, none of which he can possibly blame on colliding planets or black stars. Avoiding one another as much as possible – after all when your life has fallen spectacularly apart there really isn’t room for anyone else’s problems – Phoebe and Rocky attempt to get their lives back on track. These tracks eventually collide when they discover they both have connections with elderly Essie Rivers and her merry band of geriatric reprobates in The Twilights Rest Home.

Essie also knows far more about astrology, personolgy, numerology – any ology you care to mention – than Phoebe has ever heard of. Entranced by these ancient arts, Phoebe attacks life with renewed vigour, and uses Essie’s folk lore – especially the secret magic of birthdays – to sort out not only her own future, but also Rocky’s and Essie’s. Can Phoebe’s amateur dabbling in this new ology really ensure that they all have a Happy Birthday to look forward to – or should she really leave well alone?

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 14, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 13, 2008 11:48 AM

Have you ever stolen a library book?

I just thought I'd ask since, apparently, library books worth £600,000 have gone missing in Wales over the last two years. [via booktrade.info]

Of course, the intention may not be to steal, it may just be that you have a library book that you haven't returned... I know I have. Years ago, we moved quite a distance and, when I unpacked at our new home, I found that my husband had packed a bag of books that should have been returned to the library. It was too far to take them back and, for a while, I kept them, but I felt guilty every time I looked at them and ended up donating them to the charity shop.

So is it just me or have you got some guilty library books hanging round your house too?

Related posts: Would you pay to borrow books from a library? | New York's library hotel | Most borrowed library books

Posted by Keris on October 13, 2008 in Book related | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW: Seduction by Gemma Holliday

You know me, the words "erotic fiction" made me a teensy bit afraid. I'm not a prude (okay, I'm a bit of a prude), but I'm always wary of reading anything described as "erotic" and I'm certainly wary of reading anything with people in their underpants on the cover.

But Geneva Holliday's latest book, Seduction, while it is indeed erotic, is also great fun. I think I read it in two sittings and I was pretty much smiling throughout.

Seduction features Mildred Johnson. She works for the managing director of an investment firm and is, by all accounts, deeply unattractive and insecure.

Tony Landry is a player. Despite still living with his mother, he sleeps with a different woman every night (and sometimes more than one at a time) and is basically a moral vacuum.

So when Tony gets a job at the company where Mildred works, the reader isn't unduly worried. I mean, Mildred's certainly not his type. But then Tony's friend tells him how he can use his new job to steal money from the company and, for that, he needs to convince Mildred that he's in love with her. And he does. And poor Mildred falls for him too. Hard. (Fnarr.)

Tony, the swine, jilts Mildred on their wedding day and nicks off to Barbados with his ill-gotten gains.

Mildred, devastated, goes to Barbados on holiday. Well, she thought it was a holiday, but it turns out her friend has sent her to a weightloss boot camp. Mildred loses weight and becomes stunningly gorgeous.

And then she bumps into Tony and sees the chance for revenge...

(I know it seems like I've given away pretty much the whole book - and I kind of have - but that's no more than it says on the back cover!)

Like I said, Seduction is great fun... as long as you don't take it too seriously. (And, to be honest, I'm not sure you could.) At the beginning, Mildred is such a dope and so insecure that I just wanted to shake her, but then she changes quite dramatically and I'm not entirely confident it's for the better (I can't say any more than that because I don't want to give the ENTIRE book away!).

But bits of it *were* pretty sexy, so it would make a rather fabulous beach read, I think. And I'll definitely be reading more Geneva Holliday books.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Amorous Woman by Donna George Storey

Posted by Keris on October 13, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release, Romance, Series | Permalink | Comments (0)

Don't forget about our fabulous Carole Matthews competition

It's our best competition evah!

And you've still got a couple of weeks to enter, so what are you waiting for?

Check it out here.

Posted by Keris on October 13, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Beautiful People

I feel like I'd only just finished reviewing Wendy Holden's last book, Filthy Rich, when her new one thudded onto my doormat the other day. I say thudded as there are nearly seven hundred pages. Filthy Rich was nearly six hundred pages long. How does she write so much so fast?

Anyway, Beautiful People (out Jnauary), what's it all about? There is badly paid actress, Darcy who receives The Call. Belle, a size zero film star who'd do anything to get back on top. Sam, a model agent, desperate to sign up the Next Big Thing and Emma, a nanny who is offered the charge of a celebrity baby. Sounds fab. Hopefully the length won't affect the pace like in Filthy Rich.

Related posts: Spotlight - Wendy Holden | Wendy Holden's Favourite Books | Musical Book Covers

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 13, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: The Boy In The Dress by David Walliams

This book is not, typically, the sort of book we review on Trashionista. After all it is a children's book (age 9+ it informs me on the back) and it is about a boy, so could be seen as a "boy's book". However. This book is written by David Walliams. One half of the comedy duo that is Little Britain and Little Britain USA. We have mentioned so many children's books written by celebrities recently but this one has been the only one I have wanted to read. Why? Well, take a look at the front cover.

Yes, one of the main reasons why I found this book so attractive is because of the illustrations by Quentin Blake. I have always been a fan of his (I myself can't draw for toffee) and in this book he doesn't disappoint. Even when you take the dust jacket off there are pictures on the actual hardback bit and the spine of the book. It is definitely one to treasure for that alone.

So what about the story? Well, it is about a boy called Dennis. He likes his football, in fact he is really good at it, he likes girls, but he also likes to read copies of Vogue to look at the dresses. He meets a girl called Lisa in detention, who is ridiculously into fashion and she encourages him to try one of her creations on, then dares him to wear it at school.

This is definitely a children's book with a difference about difference, but as David says in an interview on Amazon, he wanted to examine this idea to demonstrate that difference is something to be celebrated and embraced. Many people have assumed this book is autobiographical, after all, if you watch Little Britain you will see David does like to dress up as a lay-dee. He doesn't deny it, but also says he can identify with many of the characters in the book, in addition to Dennis.

Maybe because David Walliams is a writer as well as a performer, I found this book well written with the additional quality of hearing David's voice in it throughout. The book is different, endearing, challenging and quite emotional as well (Dennis's Dad is going through a tough time). It has some good jokes - they actually made me laugh out loud, particularly those referring to David's other job. I loved it and think boys and girls will adore it.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try well, um, I'm not so sure. You could always take a look at the other children's book we've reviewed, Allie Finkle's Rules For Girls by Meg Cabot.

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 13, 2008 in Celebrity Authors, More On Monday, New Releases, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 10, 2008 4:20 PM

BOOK NEWS: Life's Too Short To Frost a Cupcake

Being pregnant (have I mentioned that before?) my attention is grabbed by anything which has food in the title - particularly cake. Life's Too Short to Frost a Cupcake by Rosie Wilde has been mentioned on a few emails I've received today and is also number eight in the Lovereading top ten, so I thought I should take a closer look.

See over the cut for the blurb. This definitely sounds like one for me...

It should have been a normal Monday, just like any other. But if it had been, Alice would not now be standing at the airport, thinking her boyfriend was about to propose, when all he had in mind was a spreadsheet for shared expenses.

Alice has a steady job at Carmichael Music, a reliable boyfriend, a nice flat and a cleaning habit she can't just kick. But everything changes one Monday morning. Her kindly boss isn't there, but sends a mysterious text advising her to watch her back. And a new boss has arrived from the American head office: the extremely scary Phoebe Carmichael.

Alice is sure she is about to be fired in a "streamlining" exercise - instead she's offered a dream job in America. Her brief: to persuade the once massively successful, now reclusive, recovering alcoholic singer songwriter Wyatt Brown to record a new album.

So Alice is off to New York - only New York turns out to be Ohio. And when Alice finally reaches Wyatt's ranch, she mistakes the music legend for a hired hand.

When Wyatt makes it clear he has no intention of making a new album, all Alice wants to do is get the first flight out of Ohio. She certainly isn't going to stay; she isn't going to get involved in the Dairy Prize at the Ohio State Show; and she definitely won't be entering a competition for Best Cupcake Froster in Town...

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 10, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (2)

MOVIE NEWS: Another Twilight trailer

The more I hear about Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, the less I like the sound of it (sorry, Twilight fans). But I know that the film is much-anticipated and I'm nothing if not a panderer, so...

Related posts: Twilight (book) review | First trailer | Second trailer

Posted by Keris on October 10, 2008 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (9)

BOOK REVIEW: Comfort Food by Kate Jacobs

I'd been looking forward to Kate Jacobs' second book for almost a year, so earlier this week, I made myself a cup of tea, got myself a packet of dark chocolate digestives (*my* comfort food) and curled up on the sofa to indulge... (I had the book as well).

It's the story of TV chef Augusta "Gus" Simpson who learns that her long-running cookery show is getting, in the opinion of the audience and the television station, stale. I'm afraid to say I found the book stale too. (The biscuits, however, were fine.)

Gus's producer tells her that they need to liven things up and so she finds herself agreeing to a live show with special guests. The original plan, basketball stars ("Hot guests and cool food") falls through when they are delayed by the weather and the head of the station instead brings, younger, hotter (and cooler) Spanish internet chef, Carmen Vega to cook alongside Gus. Gus, of course, can't stand Carmen, but the audience loves her and so Gus and Carmen are given a show to co-present.

Meanwhile, Gus is trying to control the lives of everyone around her - her daughters, their boyfriends, her best friend and neighbour, the reclusive Hannah - while refusing to live her own life (widowed more than twenty years earlier, she hasn't dated since).

But I'm afraid I didn't really believe a word of it. I didn't warm to Gus at all. I didn't find anything that happened particularly believable, plus it was all rather cliched (why did she dislike Carmen? Because she was younger and more attractive). The storyline that Hannah was hiding out after a scandal seemed to appear from nowhere.

I know I recently complained about criticisms of chick lit as predictable, but, seriously, the love interest in this book practically arrived with a flashing "LOVE INTEREST" light show above his head. And yet I didn't find myself rooting for he and Gus to get together because I didn't care enough about either of them.

I've also complained in the past when people call a plot "contrived" because, let's face it, all plots are contrived by the author - but I got the impression reading Comfort Food that Kate Jacobs was sitting and thinking, "Hm. What should happen next? Oh yes, I know, I'll send them all on a team building course." It just didn't seem natural to me and I found myself mostly scanning the entire second half of the book.

I was particularly disappointed because I enjoyed The Friday Night Knitting Club so much. Jacobs' next book is a sequel to that one, so here's hoping it'll find her back on form.

Rating: 3/5 (I toyed with a 2, but it *is* well-written, so I've decided on a 3)

Like this? Try The Perfectly True Tales of a Perfect Size 12 by Robin Gold (a similar idea, but so much better)

Posted by Keris on October 10, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (3)

The Starter Wife - New Series for The US

The Starter Wife aired last year as a mini series in the US. Now, they have penned some brand new episodes based on the mini series. Debra Messing returns in the role as Molly Kagan and the new series is actually co written by Gigi Levangie Grazer, who penned the New York Times bestselling novel on which the miniseries was based.

It starts tonight, Friday, 9/8c on USA Network. Still no news on whether it is coming to the UK.

Related posts: US Date for The Starter Wife | Debra Messing in The Starter Wife | The Starter Wife Book Review

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 10, 2008 in Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 9, 2008 2:43 PM

Dancing Books

When I mentioned Strictly Love yesterday, it reminded me of another ballroom dancing book which I knew I'd reviewed, but couldn't remember what it was (I have pregnancy memory). Anyway whilst in the bookshop this morning I saw it, The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon, with a dancy new cover for the paperback version (on the right). It even has a quote from Arlene Phillips, It's for everyone who loves to watch dance, join in a dance and all those whose heart is in dance.

Related posts: Marian Keyes on Strictly | It's Beginning to Feel a Lot Like Christmas

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 9, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: The Opposite of Love by Julie Buxbaum

The first time I heard of Julie Buxbaum's debut, The Opposite of Love, was when I found out it was to be adapted into a film with Anne Hathaway playing the lead. When I received the book it had a quote, from Marian Keyes no less, on the front cover. "Gripping, wise and extremely refreshing. I loved it." Made into a film and Marian Keyes' endorsement. This book, I thought, must be great.

It is the story of Emily, a successful Manhattan lawyer, working for a prestigious law firm. Intelligent, well educated and in a relationship with a fabulous man, Andrew, whom she loves. After spending a great weekend together with him, she dumps him. Because she had an inkling he was about to propose. Her friends and Grandpa Jack are incredulous. They thought him perfect for her. But it seems Emily, like her friend Jess states, gets pleasure out of breaking her own heart.

We then go on an emotional journey with Emily as she is sexually harassed at work, is given a case at work that goes against every instinct in her body, faces a future with a confused Grandpa, a distant father and, also, motherless, as her mum died when she was only fourteen.

This is a book about Emily finding herself. We know the outcome of this as it is written in the prologue. But would the journey be interesting enough to keep you turning those pages? Well, I found the first one hundred pages great at first. Julie has a fresh writing style which I really admire. But it did begin to get a little dull and I was desperate for Emily to make something happen for herself. Eventually she does which keeps me reading for the rest of the book.

It was interesting to see how she puts herself back together again. As I got to the end I had a fleeting thought that maybe everything happens a little too conveniently. But I also found it powerful at times. My eyes were stinging with emotion right towards the end, then bizarrely, I also found myself skipping little bits. Again it was starting to get a little (tiny tiny) bit boring. I'm looking forward to seeing it on the big screen though and will definitely pick up her next book. I agree with Marian, it was wise and it was refreshing. I think this writer has a great future ahead of her.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 9, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: The Disengagement Ring

Clodagh Murphy - along with Claire Allan, Luisa Plaja and more - was in the same chick lit writing group as me. We're very successful! (I've got a book too! It's out in 2010! Look at me! Look at me!)

Anyway, back to Clodagh. Her debut novel, The Disengagement Ring, sounds fabulous and I love the cover (it makes me want to go on holiday). The book's not out until March next year, but it'll soon be here! Read all about it over the cut.

A summer cooking for an ultra-cool rock band sounds like the job of Kate O'Neill's dreams. So, when Will Sargent, manager of Walking Wounded, asks her to cook for the band while they record their new album in Tuscany, she jumps at the chance. Even though it means spending three months apart from her fiance Brian, it gives her a chance to get away from her interfering, eccentric family who've made it all too clear that they don't approve of her engagement.

But little does Kate know that the job is all part of a plot hatched by her mother, Grace, to scupper Kate's wedding plans. Brian, a wannabe New Age shaman, has never fit in with the larger-than-life O'Neills and Grace is convinced that Will, old family friend and unrequited love of Kate's life, could provide a change of direction for Kate's affections.

But Grace doesn't count on Will's glamorous, model girlfriend, Tina who is determined to hang on to him at all costs. As the long, hot Tuscan days drift by, temperatures in the villa start to heat up. Will Kate finally learn to stand up to her meddlesome mother or will she find her feelings for Will are stronger than ever?

Posted by Keris on October 9, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

CELEBRITY BOOK NEWS: Simon Pegg

I do love comedian and actor Simon Pegg, but I'm not entirely convinced that he's "absolutely the most talented person in the whole wide world," as his publisher has said.

But they must certainly believe it to be true because they (Hodder & Stoughton) have paid him a seven-figure sum for three books: a memoir, a "quicky humour" Christmas gift book, and a "highly illustrated, lavishly produced" title.

[via The Bookseller]

Related posts: My Booky Wook by Russell Brand review | 1.5million for Dawn French's memoirs | How to Lose Friends and Alienate People (starring Simon Pegg)

Posted by Keris on October 9, 2008 in Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 8, 2008 5:21 PM

BOOK COVER: Time of My Life

We wrote about Allison Winn Scotch's Time of My Life last December, but I just saw the cover (on GoodReads) and had to come and share it immediately.

Isn't it gorgeous? It makes me almost look forward to winter. I would *so* cross the book shop to pick this up. Would you?

Related posts: Allison Winn Scotch guest blog | The Department of Lost and Found review

Posted by Keris on October 8, 2008 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (4)

SPOTLIGHT: Julie Cohen

Julie is one of the many talented authors who write under the Little Black Dress imprint. Her book, One Night Stand, was the first LBD book I read and, as I had preconceptions about the brand (silly me), was surprised at how much I enjoyed her novel. So this week I thought it about time I shone the spotlight on Julie.

In addition to writing for the Headline Little Black Dress imprint, Julie also writes for Harlequin Mills & Boon. Growing up in Maine, Julie would sneakily read romance novels in the library and wrote her own versions of well known books, but with added romance.

With a honours degree in English from Browns University, a year at Cambridge University in the UK changed her life as she fell in love with the country (perhaps it was our weather?) and came over to live in Reading and study for her postgraduate degree in English Literature at Reading University. She now teaches English at Secondary School whilst also writing her novels.

Apparently, she also holds seminars on how to write sex scenes. For more information see her website and her blog.

Bibliography

Many Mills & Boon Modern Extra Titles

Spirit Willing Flesh Weak

One Night Stand

Honey Trap

Spotlight Archives

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 8, 2008 in Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (0)

MOVIE NEWS: Men Who Stare at Goats

No, it's not chick lit (not by any stretch of the imagination). So why am I telling you about it? Two words...

George. Clooney.

Yes, he's making yet another movie based on a book.

Details of the book over the cut.

Why are Iraqi prisoners of war being forced to listen to Barney the Purple Dinosaur's theme tune repeatedly, at top volume? Why have 100 de-bleated goats been secretly placed inside the Special Forces command centre at Fort Bragg, North Carolina? Has the US army really enlisted the help of Uri Geller? In "The Men Who Stare at Goats", Jon Ronson searches for answers to these and many other questions, revealing some of the extraordinary beliefs at the core of the War on Terror.

[via PopSugar]

Posted by Keris on October 8, 2008 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Melissa Hill

Melissa Hill has the BEST ideas for novels and (unlike another author who shall remain nameless *cough*) is actually a really good writer too. Read on for one of my favourite author interviews yet.

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Woman tries to fight memory loss by having the most unforgettable year of her life.

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

I love to write outside and if the weather’s good, I take my laptop out in the garden or down by the sea. But as I live in Ireland and not St Tropez, unfortunately most books are written inside at my desk.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

There are so many its difficult to chose just one, but I think it has to be Patricia Scanlan’s City Girls. It was the first chicklit book I ever read and it had a huge effect on me.

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

It’s actually not a chicklit heroine but one from a thriller; Amelia Sachs from Jeffery Deaver’s Lincoln Rhyme novels. She’s a real tough cookie, drives a really fast car, has an amazingly cool job (forensic cop), cover-girl looks and is shit-hot with a gun – everything I wish I could be!

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

Read as much as you can and read critically.  Study what works for you and what doesn't but don't make too many comparisons to your own writing as you are on a learning curve.  While I'm on the first draft of a novel, I will not  - under any circumstances - allow myself to read another women's fiction novel. I'll read thrillers to beat the band but nothing like I'm writing myself, otherwise, I get really disheartened despite the fact that mine is still a work-in-progress.

What are you reading at the moment?

I’ve just finished Jodi Picoult’s Songs of the Humpback Whale, which I really enjoyed. The narrative timeline is all over the place, which really shouldn’t work but somehow does. The woman is so good she could write ‘Baa Baa Black Sheep’ and make it work.

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

I’m just finished the first draft of my next book Please Forgive Me, which is about a woman who rents a house in San Francisco and stumbles across a box of letters left behind by someone else. All are signed off with the words ‘Please Forgive Me’ so she tries to find out the story behind them.

Do you have a theme song?

I think it would have to be 'Rock the Boat' (make of that what you will!)

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been?

Q: Does it bother you that your books are labelled chicklit? (can you believe I’ve never been asked that?)

A: The answer is no, it doesn’t bother me at all. I consider it a simple, snappy catchphrase that encompasses all kinds of woman’s fiction and see no reason to come over all precious  about it. The way I see it, I’m incredibly lucky to be doing a job that I absolutely love, so I’m certainly not going to start whinging about labels. The way I see it, the only label I need to worry about my books being called is ‘shite’!

Thanks, Melissa!

Posted by Keris on October 8, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK NEWS: Strictly Love

'Tis the season for Ballroom and Latin so what better book to read whilst watching Strictly Come Dancing but Strictly Love by Julia Williams. This second novel from Julia promises the foxtrot, tango, waltz and the cha-cha-cha and I can't wait to read it.

A review will be coming very soon, but in the meantime click over the cut for the blurb to whet your appetite.

Guilty feet have got plenty of rhythm! Kick off your shoes and snuggle up with this warm and witty new novel from the author of the bestselling Pastures New. Lawyer Emily promised her late father that she'd devote her life to good causes. So how comes she spends her days defending Z-listers, desperate to prolong their 15 minutes of fame? Katie is obsessed with being the perfect wife and mother - unlike her own one. In which case, why is husband Charlie permanently AWOL these days? Dentist Mark is licking his wounds after his wife walked out on him and desperately missing his kids. Can he cope with becoming a singleton again - on top of a devastating legal case against him? Meanwhile, happy-go-lucky Jack the Lad Rob is hiding a secret tragedy. Isabella's dance classes give the four the perfect opportunity to forget their troubles and re-invent themselves. They can be whoever they want to be - they'll just let their feet do the talking. Over the weeks, as they foxtrot, tango, waltz and cha-cha-cha their way into each other's lives, they discover the truth about each other - and themselves. But will they like what they learn?

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 8, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 7, 2008 12:11 PM

TV News: The Washingtonienne - the cast

Sarah Jessica Parker's new project, The Washingtonienne, based on the book by Jessica Cutler, has named the three female stars of the pilot.

Rachael Taylor (pictured), Amanda Walsh and Bitsie Tulloch star as the professional, smart and sophisticated 28-year-old girls working on the Hill in Washington. [via THR.com]

Rachael Taylor plays Jackie who works as an intern but wants to be a speech writer. Jackie's old college friend, April, (Bitsie Tulloch) is her mentor who has worked on the Hill since graduation and has a middle aged lifestyle to go with it. Then there is Laura (Amanda Walsh) a republican, constantly having to defend herself to liberal friends.

A cross between The West Wing and Sex and The City, with maybe added spice (if the pilot is anything like the book).

Related posts: TV News: The Washingtonienne | From Blog to Book

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 7, 2008 in Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Heiresses

I'm not a huge fan of the bonkbuster myself, but apparently they're back in a big way. And the latest name in bonkbusters is Lulu Taylor... (I do love the opening line of this blurb - very Judith Krantz.)

They were born to the scent of success. Now they stand to lose it all ...Fame, fashion and scandal, the Trevellyan heiresses are the height of success, glamour and style. But when it comes to ...WEALTH: Jemima's indulgent lifestyle knows no limits; Tara's one purpose in life, no matter the sacrifice, is to be financially independent of her family and husband; and Poppy wants to escape its trappings without losing the comfort their family money brings...

LUST: Jemima's obsession relieves the boredom of her marriage; while Tara's seemingly 'perfect' life doesn't allow for such indulgences; and Poppy, spoiled by attention and love throughout her life, has yet to expose herself to the thrill of really living and loving dangerously...FAMILY: it's all they've ever known, and now the legacy of their parents, a vast and ailing perfume empire, has been left in their trust. But will they be able to turn their passion into profit? And in making a fresh start, can they face their family's past?

What do you think? Will you be reading it?

Related: More bonkbusters

Posted by Keris on October 7, 2008 in Bonkbusters, Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: Audrey, Wait! by Robin Benway

I am still - and this may be unprecedented - in my book slump, but one bright light in amongst all the yawnfests was Robin Benway's debut, Audrey, Wait!

After breaking up with her rock star wannabe boyfriend, Evan, Audrey discovers that he's written a song about the break-up (not casting her in the most favourable light) and that one song projects his band to massive international stardom. Soon everyone knows the song and everyone want to know the girl who inspired it.

Suddenly Audrey is a celebrity. Newspapers are phoning for interviews, fans are turning up at school, she's being chased by the paparazzi and she really doesn't know what to make of any of it.

Inevitably, it affects her relationships - with her hilarious best friend, Victoria; the boy she works with and might really like, James; and her cool, but protective parents. Oh and of course there's a bitchy girl at school who would prefer to have the attention for herself.

Audrey, Wait! is very funny (the humour reminded me of Juno) and I really liked all of the characters. Every now and then I thought the celebrity stuff was a bit far-fetched, but then I thought about Heat and realised... not so much.

Great fun.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Posted by Keris on October 7, 2008 | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK COVERS & NEWS: The Accidental Family

Every time I have written a review about one of Rowan Coleman's books, I've mentioned the covers. I thought they were a terrible injustice to her excellent writing and her subject matters. So I am delighted to see that her new release, The Accidental Family, the sequel to The Accidental Mother, is coming out in February next year with a hugely improved design.

The Accidental Mother has also had a revamp. Click over the cut to see the before and after shots and to see what The Accidental Family is all about.

The Accidental Family (sequel to The Accidental Mother)

Six months ago, city girl Sophie Mills gave up everything to move to Cornwall. All to be with the man she thinks she loves, and his two daughters who she knows she loves. But adjusting to life as a semi-permanent mother in the countryside isn't quite as easy as Sophie imagined it would be. Designer shoes aren't nearly so readily available - not that she ever has any occasion to wear them - and her best pair of vintage Manolo's have already found their way into the girls' dressing-up box.Sometimes Sophie doesn't recognise herself; which most of the time makes her happy but every now and then scares her to death. The hardest thing of all is making that final commitment to actually move in with Louis and the girls - she's been the longest paying guest of the Avalon B&B, St Ives in the history of the establishment. And as she tries to adapt to country life, her newly adopted family and discovering more about Louis' past, she begins to wonder if she's got what it takes to make it all work...

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 7, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (3)

October 6, 2008 1:17 PM

Katie To Write Crime?

Katie Price, in the television programme, Katie & Peter: The Next Chapter, attended a book signing in Derby a while ago and nine hundred people turned up. Nine hundred?! But that isn't the big news. Whilst talking to her publisher she announced to their bemused expressions that she'd like to write a crime book as her next novel, saying, everyone knows my sick mind. [I want to include] forensics, real sadistic scenes that are so obscene... people getting chopped up...serial killers...

After seeing her "Angel" costume (pictured) to promote Angel Uncovered, what I want to know is, what will she wear to promote a crime novel?

Related posts: Angel by Katie Price review | The Ultimate Trashy Tell All: Kerry Katona on Katie Price | Crystal by Katie Price Book News

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 6, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (1)

COMPETITION: Our most exciting competition ... evah!

Oh yes. Exclusively on Trashionista, you can win the chance to be a named character in Carole  Matthews’ new novel!          

Not only will you have a character named after you, but the book will also contain a short description all about you.

To win this fantastic and unique prize all you have to do is complete this form with a short reason as to why you should be the winning entry.

And remember don’t tell us anything about yourself that you wouldn’t want to read in print!

The closing date is 31 October 2008 and entrants must be over 18 and residents of the UK and Ireland only. (Sorry about that.)

Posted by Keris on October 6, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (6)

BOOK REVIEW: Just Say Yes by Phillipa Ashley

Just Say Yes is a contemporary romance, full of up to the minute cultural references, set in both London and Cornwall. Lucy Gibson is the girlfriend of Nick Laurentis, a popular winner of the reality TV show Hotshots (thinly veiled The Apprentice). Nick proposes to Lucy live on air in the final show, Lucy says no (they hardly know each other and the L word has never been mentioned) and is subsequently hounded by the paparazzi and treated like the worst woman in Britain.

Lucy has had enough of the paps stalking her on her doorstep, so she decides to flee to Cornwall and live in her friend Fiona's cottage for a month. Whilst she's down there she meets Josh and his girlfriend Sara, feels like a gooseberry but is also, disconcertingly, extremely attracted to Josh.

Josh is the sort of man who doesn't like being lied to, who likes the truth and doesn't give any second chances. The problem is, as soon as he says this, you know Lucy isn't going to tell the truth about why she is down in Cornwall. I've spoken about this kind of frustrating misunderstanding in books before, where she is obviously not telling him the truth just for the sake of the plot so it all reaches a climax towards the end. Last week, Keris spoke of predictability in chick lit. Whilst we often know in chick lit who is going to end up with who, it is the journey of how they get there that makes a great story. I knew who Lucy would end up with straight away, but slightly infuriatingly I also guessed how they would get there.

Also, as far as I can see, she has nothing to be ashamed of. So she turned down a chap's marriage proposal. Is that such a bad thing? Surely Nick was the one who should be ashamed for putting her in that position in the first place?

With the clunky plot in mind, there were a few other aspects of the story that didn't make it flow easily. One minute it is early evening and the next it is afternoon (on the same day). Then the spiky plant. One minute she has taken it home, then towards the end of the book it is back at the office...It is just little things, but mildly infuriating when you are opening up your imagination to believe the story and the characters.

Now that I've had my moan though, I did enjoy the book. It was a pleasant, easy read. There were great descriptions of Cornwall that made me want to pack my bags and live there immediately. Josh was a heroic swooning character ideal for a romance novel and Lucy was the sort of girl who doesn't recognise her own beauty. A bit dim at first but comes up trumps in the end.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Decent Exposure by Phillipa Ashley

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 6, 2008 in Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK COVERS & NEWS: Patricia Scanlan

I haven't read any of Patricia Scanlan's novels, but I was interested to see that she's been given a new cover for her latest book, Forgive and Forget. Her first covers were bright and eyecatching, but ... meh. Her second covers were wishy-washy and a bit old-fashioned, no? Her third? Going for Jodi Picoult's audience? Again?

But, covers aside, what's the book about?

What happens when ex husbands start to fancy their first wives again? Can first wives forgive and forget when their husband has done the dirty on them? Connie Adams has to make choices. The lead up to her daughter's wedding has been utterly fraught. Debbie is absolutely adamant that she does not want her father, Barry, his glamorous second wife, Aimee or her stepsister, Melissa to attend. Barry is equally adamant that they will. But as Connie and Barry join forces to get things sorted sparks begin to fly...Few weddings go as planned especially when there is tension between families and the events that occur at this particular wedding will have far reaching repercussions that will leave their mark for years to come.

Are you a Scanlan fan? Will you be snapping this one up?

Related posts: Diane Shipley on book covers (or why I could be wrong...) | Chris Manby's covers | Jenny Colgan's covers

Posted by Keris on October 6, 2008 in Book News, Book covers | Permalink | Comments (1)

MORE ON MONDAY: Ways to Live Forever by Sally Nicholls

I'd heard a lot of good things about Sally Nicholls' Ways to Live Forever, but I was put off by the fact that it's the story of an 11-year-old boy with leukaemia. I'd tried to read Jenny Downham's Before I Die, but found it too upsetting, but I convinced myself to try Ways to Live Forever and I'm so glad I did.

Since he's being homeschooled due to his illness, Sam decides to keep “a collection of lists stories, pictures, questions and facts” as a project. Sam's voice is charming, sweet and funny and, inevitably, it's this voice, combined with the issues Sam is having to deal with that makes this book so heartbreaking.

Sam's questions are things like, “Why does God make kids get ill?” and “Does it hurt to die?” and he tries to answer them with the assistance of his fellow leukaemia sufferer and friend, Felix. The book also illuminates how his illness affects his family's relationships both with him and with each other.

It's very easy to read (in the main - some of the more painful parts are harder) and it's done with a very light touch.

Because I knew the ending was inevitable, I worried about it all through the book and was almost afraid to read it, but it's dealt with beautifully. Although that's not to say I didn't cry - clutching my mercifully healthy son - for about ten minutes after finishing it. It's incredibly moving, but also sweet, charming and funny.

Sally Nicholls was just 23 when she wrote this book. I can only imagine what she's going to come up with next.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Dear Zoe by Philip Beard

The cover above is the new UK cover (the book has been described as "Jodi Picoult for teens" so I think that's what they're going for with that cover), but which cover do you like best?

The cover on the left is the originally UK cover. Bit generic, no? The cover on the right is the US cover and my favourite.

Posted by Keris on October 6, 2008 in British Authors, More On Monday, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (4)

October 3, 2008 1:29 PM

BOOK NEWS: My Judy Garland Life

The cover of this book made me want it before I even knew what it was about. It has also popped up in a few places as highly recommended. On the front cover the blurb says, for anyone who's ever held a candle to a star. I can't say I have (unless you count my crush on Gary Barlow) but it sounds fascinating nevertheless.

Judy Garland has been an important figure in Susie Boyt's life since she was three years old, comforting, inspiring and at times disturbing her. (Continues over the cut.)

In this unique book, Boyt travels deep into the underworld of hero worship, reviewing through the prism of Judy our understanding of rescue, consolation, love, grief and fame. What does it mean to adore someone you don't know? What is the proper husbandry of a twenty-first century obsession? Boyt's journey takes in a duetting breakfast with Mickey Rooney, a Munchkin luncheon, tea with the largest collector of Garlandia, an illicit late-night spree at the Minnesota Judy Garland Museum and a breathless, semi-sacred encounter with Miss Liza Minnelli ...

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 3, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (4)

BOOK REVIEW: Call of the Highland Moon by Kendra Leigh Castle

Reviewed by Angela Richardson

Call of the Highland Moon is the first of a new paranormal series created by Kendra Leigh Castle. I have to admit that the cover of this book featuring a scantily clad man and its classification as paranormal romance didn’t really fill me with hope of a contemporary fantasy storyline. Okay I made the classic mistake and judged a book by its cover and boy was I hoping that my prejudices were going to be proved unjustified.

The first chapter introduces Gideon MacInnes in his other form as a werewolf. However, it is when Carly Silver, the owner of a specialist romance bookshop, is introduced into the story, that the book begins to take a different feel. Carly is well known for rescuing strays and when she finds a large dog near death on the steps of her shop she takes him home to patch him up ready to deliver to the vets the next morning.

She falls asleep with the dog by her side and wakes up with a handsome naked man lying next to her - some people have all the luck! However, the things that tried to kill him are still out there and since they are stuck in a snowstorm they have no choice but to wait for the enemy to strike.

The first chapter comes across as old fashioned and is not written in the same style as the rest of the book. Don’t let it put you off because as soon as Carly enters the scene in chapter two, the whole style of the book updates and humour is injected. I mean who can’t laugh at a Leigh Castle writing a heroine who owns a romance bookstore called Bodice Rippers and Baubles, she certainly doesn’t take herself too seriously. This worked in her favour as it made me immediately warm to her characters and also to Leigh Castle as a writer.

Even though this is classed as romance it also has a strong fantasy storyline that had been well thought through and is original (well except for conjuring up the occasional image of Stargate, but I loved that film so you won’t hear any complaints from me).

The chemistry between the characters was so brilliantly created, not just between Gideon and Carly, but the friends and family were drawn in such a way as to be very believable and they brought much humour with them too. I loved Carly’s overprotective brother who always seemed to spoil any chance of any romance by blundering in trying to protect his little sister.

Overall this was fresh, fun and fast paced with a strong original plot, I want to read the next in the series now.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

Posted by Keris on October 3, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 5/5, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (0)

INTERVIEW: Meg Cabot! (and competition winner)

So, as you all know, last week I had the huge privilege of meeting the wonderful Meg Cabot and asking her your questions!

Read her answers below and then, at the end, find out who is the winner of the two Meg Cabot books!

Emily: Are you still shocked by the number of fans you have?

Yes! And do you know what I'm more shocked by? The diversity. Especially here in London, I have so many fans from all different cultures and I think it's great.

Emily: Have you ever thought of setting a book in an English high school? And would you like to spend a day in my school for research purposes?

[Laughs] Well, I would need to because I don't understand anything about how they work at all. I don't think I can, because I just don't know enough about them that I would just make so many mistakes it wouldn't be believable. I'd have to spend a significant amount of time and I don't think I'd blend as a student - I'd have to be a librarian or a teacher or something. And I wouldn't want to do it in a girls' school, I'd need to go to a co-ed school so there would be potential for romance.

Andrea: Which of your characters would you say is most like you?

Well, they're all a little bit of me, but I can't say any of them are *exactly* like me. Like, Mia [from the Princess Diaries] is a vegetarian and I'm definitely not a vegetarian. Samantha Madison [from All American Girl] is in mourning for the world because she always wears black and I don't *always* wear black. And even Emerson [from Airhead]: she dresses a bit more slobbily than I do, but we have a lot in common with our attitude.

Probably the one who is most like me would be Suze from The Mediator because she likes fashion but she's also kind of a smart aleck and has a bit of a bad attitude, but she's ultimately, I think, kind to people.

Margay: How do you balance your writing between the adult and the young adult books?

Well, I write my books one at a time. Writing is my hobby and it's also my job so that when I have time off I'm, like, what shall I do? Oh, I'll write a book! That one book I've been really wanting to write, but I've never had time. But I have a publishing schedule that I have to stick to, so whatever's next on that is the one that I write.

Margay: How do you decide which story idea is better suited to which age group?

That takes some doing. I wish I knew. I actually have one right now that I'm juggling in my head and I haven't been able to figure it out. Part of it is what's on my schedule as to what's coming out next, but they really can go either way. If Margay figures it out, I would like to know, because I don't know.

Of course, some of it has to do with the sexual content, so if it's going to be a really sexy book then it should be an adult book. And part of it is, if there's going to be a dance then it's got to be a teen book cos there aren't so many dances for adults - sadly!

Charlotte: Did you ever wish you could go undercover as the characters you write about, i.e. a princess, a PI, a wedding dress refurbisher?

Oh yes! You have to fantasise that you're the character to make it believable and you get to escape your own life.

Violet: If you had to stop writing for young people or adults, which would you have to go with.

That's a really tough question. I can't say. I don't even want to think about that.

Brenda: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Read a lot, obviously. Write a lot, obviously. Get the Writers Guide to the Market and write to every person in it begging them to take your book! I had to write to every single person in there three or four times before somebody finally took me on, so don't give up. I wanted to give up a lot of times and I didn't, but if I had I wouldn't be here so that's probably the most important thing: don't give up.

Deanna: Why did you take another name - Patricia Cabot - for some of your books and not for other categories?

Those were very smutty books that I didn't want my grandmother to find out about. Sadly, she did, but she loves them actually. In fact, she had a book party for me. So it was fine.

Jennifer: What's one book you think every teen girl should read?

Apart from mine? [Laughs] I actually think every teen girl should read Jane Eyre. Or watch the movie because it's hotter.

Lizzy: Of all the books you've written, which of the main characters is your favourite and why?

I can't say that, that would hurt all the other main characters' feelings!

Lizzy: In your blog you've talked about some parents who haven't screened Princess Diaries being upset about Mia thinking about sex. What's your reaction to those parents who want to ban your books?

I'm thankful to them, because the more you tell a kid not to read a book, the more they want to read it. They'll just read them secretly behind their parents' backs. My parents never told me not to read any book because there was nothing I couldn't talk about with my parents. All that does is make the book seem more exciting, so they're actually doing the opposite of what they intend to do.

And certainly in every single school and on every single television channel they're seeing much worse than I'm writing about and I'm writing about it in a responsible way. So I will continue to write about it in a way that I believe parents should be talking about it.

Thanks, Meg and thanks to everyone for such great questions.

Meg's favourite question was "Have you ever thought of setting a book in an English high school? And would you like to spend a day in my school for research purposes?" and so the winner of Airhead and Allie Finkle's Rules for Girls: the New Girl is Emily Bloom. Congratulations, Emily!

And if that's not enough Meg for ya, check out Chicklish (Luisa from Chicklish was at the interview too).

Posted by Keris on October 3, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

TELEVISION NEWS: Marian on Strictly (again)

In a fantastic convergence of two (or even three - I love Claudia Winkleman) of my favourite things, Marian Keyes is tonight appearing on Strictly Come Dancing's sister show, It Takes Two.

It's on BBC Two at 6.30pm and if you miss it (and if you're in the UK), you'll be able to catch it on the iPlayer. (If you're elsewhere, I'll look for it on YouTube and post it if I find it.)

Related posts: Marian Keyes on Strictly Come Dancing | Marian Keyes news: She's on Strictly and on film! | Reading Strictly Come Dancing?

Posted by Keris on October 3, 2008 in Television | Permalink | Comments (3)

Ladybird Mugs

I was just wandering around town doing some Christmas shopping (don't hate me!) when I saw some fabulous mugs by Spode. They are the same design as the Ladybird notebooks we reported on earlier this year and would make a fabulous present for a book lover. They are available online from John Lewis.

Related posts: Roald Dahl Mugs | Lovely Penguin Pencils and More |Penguin Journal

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 3, 2008 in Bookish products | Permalink | Comments (0)

Another Cecelia Ahern book

Seriously. When does this woman sleep?

The Gift is, apparently, about time. In particular, a man who finds he can be in two places at once. Again, Cecelia Ahern has such good ideas, but the execution usually lets her down.

Watch a video of Cecelia talking about this book here. (And try not to bristle when she suggests, more than once, that we all buy this book for our families and friends for Christmas.)

Related posts: Cecelia Ahern plans world domination | Cecelia Ahern's television show | Thanks for the Memories by Cecelia Ahern

Posted by Keris on October 3, 2008 in Cecelia Ahern | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 2, 2008 2:01 PM

Look out for Trashionista's BIGGEST COMPETITION EVER

Oh yes.

It's like nothing else we've ever done before.

It's exciting.

And it's coming up next week!

Posted by Keris on October 2, 2008 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (2)

MOVIE NEWS: Coraline

I read Neil Gaiman's book, Coraline, a few years ago and it scared me. I should've known, because the blurb included the words "buttons for eyes" and that is *way* scary, but I went ahead and read it anyway. And now there's a movie on the way. I won't be seeing it, but it sounds good.

A young girl walks through a secret door in her new home and discovers an alternate version of her life. On the surface, this parallel reality is eerily similar to her real life – only much better - but when her adventure turns dangerous, and her counterfeit parents try to keep her forever, Coraline must count on her resourcefulness, determination, and bravery to get back home – and save her family.

It stars the ubiquitous Dakota Fanning as Coraline and Teri Hatcher, along with the voices of Dawn French and Jennifer Saunders. Interesting.

Related posts: Stardust by Neil Gaiman | Burnt Toast by Teri Hatcher | More Movie News

Posted by Keris on October 2, 2008 in Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK COVERS: Back off

Trashi reader Tami alerted me to this latest unimaginative cover trend. 

Yes, they're samey, but I quite like them. What do you think?

Related posts: BOOK NEWS - When Will There Be Good News? | Book cover snap! | Another cover 'snap'

Posted by Keris on October 2, 2008 in Book covers | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK NEWS: The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton

Catherine Alliott's name was mentioned when I asked in a previous post which female authors made you laugh out loud. Elise Chidley also said in her interview that A Crowded Marriage, Catherine's last book, made her too laugh out loud. We've not really mentioned Catherine on Trashionista before, so maybe we should check her out with her latest.

The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton, is out in January next year. The synopsis is over the cut.

Evie Hamilton has a secret. One she doesn't even know about ...yet. Evie is the wife of successful, handsome husband Ant and mother of high-achieving, accomplished daughter Anna, and her biggest worry in life is whether or not she can fit a manicure in on her way to fetch Anna from clarinet lessons. She doesn't think about much else outside her own, charmed circle. There simply isn't time. But all that is about to change. One sunny Oxford morning a letter - a ticking time-bomb - lands on Evie's immaculate doormat and up ends Evie's comfortable life.Something she could never have anticipated has been waiting in the wings to sabotage everything she holds dear, and it's not going away. She will have to reappraise everything in her carefully arranged universe. But Evie is a fighter and she will fight for what she loves. And in the process, find there is more to her than she thought, and more to her life. What will remain? What will change for ever? And can a woman's entire world really be as fragile as her best china?

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 2, 2008 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Heart & Soul by Maeve Binchy

I love Maeve Binchy. I know this is a cliche (or two), but her books are like a mug of hot chocolate, a roaring log fire, a favourite jumper, all enfolding you into a comforting embrace. Her last few books though have been a bit of a disappointment to me. Nights of Rain and Stars and Whitethorn Woods didn't have the same Maeve Magic as her earlier ones such as Tara Road, Circle of Friends and Quentins.

So, Heart and Soul. Disappointment, or a return to the Maeve I love?

Heart and Soul contains many characters. The story revolves around a specialist heart clinic in Dublin. Clara Casey is the senior cardiac specialist in charge of the clinic with two grown up daughters and an ex-husband. Declan is the doctor, a quiet unassuming man who still lives with his parents. Then there are the two nurses, Fiona and Barbara, Ania the polish girl, various patients and Father Brian Flynn. All of whom have their own little story that Maeve weaves together with such humour and warmth.

As I am writing this review I am thinking of what to say, but all I want to say is that I loved it and cannot say anything bad at all. The way Maeve brings the characters together, the way she writes as they talk, you feel right in the heart of the story like you are part of it all and not an outsider looking in.

The women are strong, independent types which I love and we are reintroduced to characters from some of her previous novels. Quentins the restaurant, of which there is a novel of the same name, appears. The main character from Evening Class is there. The caterers from Scarlett Feather. It is great to see these characters again, but if you haven't read any of her previous books you won't think you have missed out on anything.

Simply put Heart and Soul is a great story. (Do not be put off by the cover which makes it look a bit fuddy duddy.)

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try It Must Be Love by Sharon Owens

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 2, 2008 in Irish Authors, New Releases, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 1, 2008 2:17 PM

INTERVIEW: Meg Cabot Part I (and potentially big Mia news!)

Okay, I've accepted that if I don't start uploading this Meg Cabot interview bit by bit it's never going to happen (in my defence, I'm six months pregnant and am spending most of my days eating chocolate digestives, watching Strictly Come Dancing and complaining...).

But I wanted to share the first question and, more importantly, an intriguing aspect of Meg's answer:

If you could bring one of your characters to life, which would you choose?

I always think they'd punch me in the face for what I've done to them! But I think it would be okay to bring Mia to life, because she's done. [The final book in the Princess Diaries series is due out in January.]

Although I don't know if she is done, because I keep feeling like I want to bring her back for the college years... don't you think that would be great?

I adore Princess Mia so I would love to have further books in the series. But what do you think? Are you happy to leave Mia at book 10 and wish her a happy, unrecorded, life or would you too like to follow her to college?

Related posts: Princess Diaries to the Nines | Princess Diaries After Eight

Posted by Keris on October 1, 2008 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (3)

Predictable?

Okay, I'm in rant mode again...

Yesterday, after my rave review of Lisa Jewell's Thirtynothing, I checked out the Amazon reviews because I wanted to make sure everyone agreed with me (egotistical, much?). And, do you know what? They didn't. Some people didn't like it at all. Some people thought it was only okay. Some people really loved it. But pretty much every single person described it as "predictable"...

(Sort of spoiler over the cut, but only sort of...)

By predictable everyone seemed to mean that they knew, from the beginning, that Dig and Nadine would end up together. Well, of course! Isn't that how romance/chick lit novels work? And chick flicks? Did anyone sit down to watch, say, When Harry Met Sally, thinking that Harry and Sally *wouldn't* end up together?

My friend (and fabulous author) Luisa Plaja made a good point a little while ago: no-one complains that a crime novel is "predictable" because the perpetrator gets caught in the end, do they? ("I knew from page one that they'd find out whodunnit!") so why is that always a complaint about chick lit? Why?

Yes, we know that the hero and heroine will end up together (that's why they're the hero and heroine), the fun is finding out how it happens. Isn't it?

Posted by Keris on October 1, 2008 in Opinion | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK NEWS: The Boy In The Dress

David Walliams, one half of the little Britain duo, has released a children's book. Before you think, oh *yawn* another celebrity children's book, let me point out the front cover. It is illustrated by Quentin Blake, famous illustrator of the Roald Dahl books, and I think it looks great.

Speaking of the content of the book, where a boy of twelve likes to wear girl's clothes, David said, kids feel different for all manner of reasons and I want them to read the book and see it as a celebration of being different. [ See BBC Newsbeat for the full interview.]

Related posts: The Adventures of Dotty & Bluebell | Ugenia Lavender | Coleen Style Queen

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 1, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors | Permalink | Comments (0)

SPOTLIGHT: Noel Streatfeild

I don't know much about Noel Streatfeild, other than she wrote one of my favourite books of all time, which has subsequently been turned into a beautiful film, so I thought I'd shine the spotlight on her this week. And once more, as I often am by these spotlight profiles, I am amazed and impressed at how much this lady managed to achieve in her lifetime.

One fact which impressed me the most was that during World War II, when her flat was demolished and she did a huge amount of voluntary work, she still managed to write four adult novels, five children's books, nine romances and various articles and short stories.

Born on Christmas Eve in 1895, she was the daughter of a vicar. She also had another four siblings, until tragically her sister Joyce died when she was only two years old from TB. Noel was twenty when her parents gave birth to another girl. As a family they lived in Amberley in Sussex, then Eastbourne, moving around as part of her father's job.

When she left school she enrolled at The Eastbourne School of Domestic Economy. Then World War I started. She worked in the kitchens voluntarily at a hospital for wounded soldiers and also wrote two plays as part of the war effort. Then, when the war ended, she studied at the Academy of Dramatic Art. And so began her touring as part of various acting companies around the UK, South Africa and eventually Australia. At the same time she began a writing correspondence course.

By 1936 she had written five adult books and considered herself a writer of adult fiction. However a publisher asked her to write a story for children about the theatre and Ballet Shoes was the result. It was a best seller and is to this day her most popular book.

Noel died on 11 September 1986.

Her bibliography is huge.

To see a list of her children's books go here

To see a list of her adult books go here

To see a list of her romances go here

She has also written plays and autobiographies.

Spotlight archives

Posted by Helen Redfern on October 1, 2008 in Spotlight | Permalink | Comments (5)