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January 30, 2009 6:48 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Beautiful People by Wendy Holden

Trust me to make the first review after having my baby a book of nearly seven hundred pages long. It has taken me ages to read. I love a good, chunky novel, as long as the words, sentences and chapters are all gripping and don't have me skipping bits because I just want to get to the end. Which, by the way, is what I found with Filthy Rich, Wendy's last book. As Beautiful People was about 100 pages longer than Filthy Rich I didn't hold much hope.

However.

Beautiful People has a great bunch of characters. Some nice and a little naive like Darcy and Emma. Some not so nice, like Sam and some absolutely ghastly, like Belle.

Darcy is a Shakespearean actress, working for peanuts in London theatres. She is spotted by a Hollywood producer and her presence is demanded in LA for an audition. Belle is already a Hollywood actress, but one with a star that is starting to wane. To regain some good publicity she adopts an orphan, but alas, is not a natural mother. Cue Emma, the nanny. Their lives all come crashing together.

This was a great story. As I was supposed to, I disliked Belle, rooted for Darcy and Emma and couldn't care less about a few others. You know where the story is going to end up but how they bumble along getting there and interacting with each other was the fun of it all.

My only criticism I suppose would be the length. I got to the point where I didn't want to read the lovely descriptions of the Italian food, I just wanted to know what happens with Darcy and the rest of the plots. But if you like your stories about Hollywood divas, celebrities and some normal people thrown in, you'll love Beautiful People.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Holly Would Dream by Karen Quinn

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 30, 2009 in New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW: Coming Up Next by Penny Smith

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 30, 2009 in Debut Novels, Rating: 1/5, Rubbish Books | Permalink | Comments (5)

FRIDAY FLICK: Affinity

Now, I don’t know about you, but Christmas for me is all about Gothic romance.

Whether I’m curled up with a collection of Victorian ghost stories while the fog rolls outside my window, or plumped on the sofa, stuffed with cherry liqueurs, watching Mark Gatiss’ excellent Crooked House mini-series, “eldritch” and “half-glimpsed” are the buzzwords of the day.

And it was with this festive spine-tingly anticipation that I tuned into Affinity, ITV1’s adaptation of Sarah Waters’ second novel. 

Like previous TV adaptations of Waters' novels Fingersmith and Tipping the Velvet, Affinity is set in Victorian London and has a female protagonist.  Affinity's main character is Margaret Prior, played with a skilful nervy sensuality by Anna Madeley.

Margaret is an educated young woman with her own opinions and a quick mind.  She has recently lost her father and isn’t as keen on marrying as her family would like. To occupy herself, Margaret becomes a “lady visitor” to Millbank prison, talking to the female prisoners and generally giving them something to aspire to with her neat little hats and general moral uprightery.

But Margaret is quickly drawn to one prisoner in particular – notorious “spirit medium” Selena Dawes (played by Zoe Tapper), who is serving time for killing a young girl during a séance.  The prison is a bleak, stony place but somehow Selena has procured some wild flowers – she tells Margaret that the “spirits” brought them to her.

As Margaret becomes more involved with Selena, we are shown flashes of both their histories.  Margaret is so averse to marriage because she is in fact in love with a woman – once her lover, now her sister-in-law, and we learn that Selena is perhaps more opportunistic than the whispering ingénue Margaret believes her to be.

Margaret soon comes to believe that Selena is innocent of her crime (Selena puts the blame squarely on her “spirit guide”, Peter Quick) and moreover that she and Selena are soulmates.  With a lot of help from Selena – and possibly denizens of the spirit world – the story winds to its conclusion with plenty of whispered promises and bumps in the night on the way.

I really enjoyed the novel and one thing I think was missing from this adaptation is Margaret’s sparse, poetical narration.  But, apart from the hands being played a little too early,  this is a brilliantly atmospheric version, well-played, subtle, and best of all – spooky.

Affinity is now available to buy and rent on DVD.

Posted by Robyn Wilder on January 30, 2009 in Friday Flick, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 29, 2009 2:50 PM

NEWS: Costa Book of the Year

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 29, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 28, 2009 5:18 PM

The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton

We mentioned The Secret Life of Evie Hamilton back in October last year where I admitted to never having read any of Catherine's books before. If you're the same then you can read the first two chapters to see if you want to buy it or not. Brilliant.

Ooh, by the way if you're a fan of Catherine Alliott then you must check out The Telegraph for an interview and photographs of her home.

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 28, 2009 in Book Extract, Book related | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 27, 2009 6:43 PM

Romantic Novel of the Year 2009

The shortlist has been announced for the Romantic Novel of the Year by the Romantic Novelists' Association:

Thanks for the Memories - Cecelia Ahern
The Last Concubine - Lesley Downer
Star Gazing - Linda Gillard
East of the Sun - Julia Gregson
Sophia's Secret - Susanna Kearsley
Before the Storm - Judith Lennox

Anyone read any of the above? Do let us know what you thought of them if you have.

The winner will be announced in February.

Related posts: Ex-Girlfriends United | Romantic Novel of The Year 2008

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 27, 2009 in Book related, British Authors, Cecelia Ahern, Romance | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK REVIEW: What's a Ghoul to Do? by Victoria Laurie

Being a big fan of paranormal chick-lit, I came across this gem on Amazon when searching for my next fix. After falling in love with the book cover, I had to get it and see what Victoria Laurie had to offer. What's a Ghoul to Do? is the first novel in her Ghost Hunter Mystery series.

M.J. Holliday is a ghost hunter. After discovering her rather unique ability to converse with the dead as a youngster, she's put her supernatural talent to good use by co-running a business with her best friend, Gilley Gillespie. The pair speciailise in removing spirits and taking them to the other side - or of course, banishing the evil ones. But there's one rule: the pair work alone...

However, when Steven Sable, a handsome and very well-off doctor, comes looking for their help, that rule might just have to change. The sceptical Doctor Sable is convinced that his grandfather did not jump from the roof of his family lodge and that there's definitely something strange going on. When strange things begin happening at the lodge, he hires the pair to check the place out. Something's definitely amiss amongst the family, and tracking down the ghost of his dead grandfather seems the only way Doctor Sable can find out the truth about what really happened.

The doctor will only agree to hire M.J if he too can come along. And seeing as she needs the money (and, well, Steven Sable is pretty hot...), she can only agree. But soon enough, even more spooky goings-on begin to occur at the lodge, and there seems to be a lot more of a story unfolding. A little more, it seems, than the doc expected.

After reading this, I'll definitely be ordering the next one. This is a very fast-paced and witty supernatural tale that I didn't want to put down until the mysetry was solved. Laurie's Abby Cooper series may also be worth a read too - I'll keep you posted!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Blood is the New Black by Valerie Stivers.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 27, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (4)

OPINION: What do we look for in a female protagonist?

I remember reading a book years ago – I can’t remember who it was by, what it was called, or what it was even about (bear with me!). All I can really remember is that it was written in the first person, and it was about a woman who was beautiful and witty, with a great job.  All her friends were beautiful and witty, and also had great jobs.  And that was really it.  At some point the heroine found herself in mild peril, at which point it became apparent that she was not only beautiful and witty, but also brave.

Which is where I stopped reading.

There was nothing to hook me into the story – no foibles, character quirks or situations I recognised.  Everyone had razor-sharp cheekbones and “silvery” laughs – it was all was too glossy, too perfect for me to relate to.

Which has set me wondering – what do we look for in a female protagonist?  Let’s have a look at some who have proved popular so far...

1. Bridget Jones from Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding
Oh dear.  Not beautiful (at least not in her own eyes), occasionally witty.  Goodish job.  Wine-swigging, fag-smoking, calorie-counting obsessive.  Disaster magnet.  Tummy control issues.  Far too attracted to bad boys for her own good.  But we love her.

2. Maggie Walsh from Angels by Marian Keyes
Staid, sensible, “good with money” (although not to her own standards) and with a personality described by one of her sisters as “plain yoghurt at room temperature”, Maggie Walsh is no one’s idea of a wild child.  And yet we cheered her on as she jetted off to Hollywood to prove everyone wrong with her adventures, and never really thought too much, at the end of the book, about how those adventures weren’t that wild.

3. Emma Woodhouse from Emma by Jane Austen
Now, Emma is beautiful.  And rich.  And meddlesome.  And a bit of a snob, in fact.  But those characteristics only make the situation funnier when Emma’s slightly smug attempts at matchmaking spiral out of control, and she’s forced to confront her own feelings.  Plus, underneath that snobby exterior Emma is ultimately very sensitive to the feelings of the people around her, which makes her much more endearing.

So, after this whistlestop and slightly generalised tour of female literary characters, it seems we like flawed women, women who buck the trend, and women who either have to come down off their pedestals or dig themselves out of tricky situations with guts and imagination. 

Female characters have come a long way since Emma’s day – now they have to progress in their careers, raise families, have friends, find love, be occasionally fabulous and have personal lives, which means the situations are only going to get trickier and the books more interesting.

But what do you look for in a female protagonist?  Who are some of your favourites, and why?  Let us know in the comments!

Photo by DasLive, Flickr.

Posted by Robyn Wilder on January 27, 2009 in Modern Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (9)

January 26, 2009 7:22 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Secret Shoppers Unwrapped

Anyone who is a fan of Kate Harrison (like me), particularly her latest book, The Secret Shopper's Revenge, will be delighted with the recent announcement on her blog, that she is currently writing the sequel, The Secret Shoppers Unwrapped. Kate says,

It’s set over Christmas and New Year. It follows Emily trying to put all her secret shopping knowledge to good use in her new store – and facing the credit crunch head on. Meanwhile Grazia is out in the dating world, getting her share of attention from toy-boys. Sandie is struggling to juggle family and relationship dramas with running her own business (and drafting in her grandmother as the oldest mystery shopper in the UK). And the mysterious Charlie is out there somewhere, desperate to get his own back. The book also introduces a brand new secret shopper with an extremely murky past…and there are lots of great assignments, like Operation Grotto Fabulous (checking up on Santa and his elves).

Related posts: The Secret Shopper's Revenge Book Extract | The Self-Preservation Society Review

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 26, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 25, 2009 5:04 PM

New releases from Little Black Dress

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 25, 2009 | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 24, 2009 4:56 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Cesca Martin

After self-publishing her book, Agony Angel, Cesca Martin appeared in various newspapers and a double-page feature in Cosmpolitan magazine (cue the green-eyed monster from me!). She's had great reviews of her book so far, so I decided to ask Cesca what it's all about, and what it's like to be a self-published author...

When did you start writing your novel, Agony Angel?

After finising university in 2003. I worked on it in between freelance jobs in television and finally settled down to finishing it a couple of years after that. Then I spent a good year editing it which basically involved me cutting bits of it, giving it to my sister to look over and her putting them back in.

Continue below the cut to find out what Agony Angel is all about...

Tell us what the book is about.

It's a classic chick lit tale. It centres around Angel, an Agony Aunt on a teenage magazine, who's stuck in an office doling out advice to worried teens. Boyfriend troubles, sordid affairs, bullying, bodily functions - they're all seeking her help and advice. The trouble is, Angel has got problems of her own. A City slicker boyfriend who doesn't call, an unemployed flatmate, psychosomatic best friend, noises late at night, a neighbour with a pet python and a worrying case of insomnia...we follow Angel as she tries to sort out her problems before she thinks about theirs…

What made you decide to self-publish?

Various friends and friends of friends had read bits and been really positive, I wasn't getting anywhere finding an agent and I was changing career so had time to spare. I hoped it would sell, I hoped it would get good reviews and I hoped people would enjoiy it.

What writers inspire you?

I love many of the male chick-lit style writers. Danny Wallace is my hero. William Sutcliffe, Emlyn Rees/Josie Lloyd and Richard Asplin have all been brilliant reads. Genuinely amusing. Obviously you have to mention the mother of chick-lit Helen Fielding too, she's wonderful.

Is your main character, Angel, anything like you?

NO! My older sister has claimed that she is based on her. And she is (although I won't admit that to my lawyers).

Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

Stick with one idea and write that book. Don't be my Dad (18 first chapters and not a novel in sight - love you pa!!).

Are you planning on writing anything else?

Um... I'm writing two! (WHAT?!) I'm currently three-quarters of the way through my second novel 'Valentines Day Virgin' and am working on a joint book with my male best friend. He's well funny... oh and this time round I'll be seeking an agent.

Thanks, Cesca!

To read an extract of Cesca's book (and buy a copy!) visit www.agonyangel.info.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 24, 2009 in Interviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 23, 2009 12:28 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Who's That Girl? By Alexandra Potter

Having read Alexandra Potter's previous novels, Be Careful What You Wish For and Me & Mr Darcy (and loving both!) it was inevitable that her latest offering, Who's That Girl?, would be next on my list. (And trust me, when you're spending the weekend ill and resembling a really bad extra in a zombie flick, a Lemsip and a good chick-lit to get lost in is exactly what one needs.)

Anyway, Who's That Girl has proven to be, yet again, one of my favourites. Potter's heroine, Charlotte Merryweather, runs her own successful PR company with a fabulous assistant and great clients. Specialising in beauty, Charlotte's schedule is hectic with client meetings, calls to the press, and of course, time with her personal trainer. Despite Charlotte's numerous allergies and her tendency to worry just a little too much, her life is great. She's got a fantastic career, designer clothes, a seemingly wonderful boyfriend who is all set for them to buy a house together. Her dream life seems a world away from when she first moved to London as a twenty-one-year old with no money, no friends and very little fashion sense.

That is, until Charlotte heads home one day, convinced that she's seen her rusty old Beetle. THE rusty old Beetle that she drove at 21. And the girl who steps out of the familiar car is just as familiar. In fact, she's a bit TOO familiar. And after following the car back through London, Charlotte notices that the mysterious girl lives in the exact same street that she used to. In fact, the exact same house.

Which is far too much of a coincidence, right?

Obviously, Charlotte's worries and paranoia lead her to think she's suffering from some kind of mental disorder. However, after checking out the girl and her location some more, Charlotte becomes mightily certain that it's real. She is back in 1997, and the girl in her old VW is Lottie - the naive, wide-eyed, broke Charlotte from previous years who wore scrunch-dried hair and hideous PVC trousers.

Is she dreaming? Is it time-travel? Charlotte's yet to find out. But more importantly, she has some REAL work to do...

Thirtysomething Charlotte is adamant on stopping Lottie from making the same mistakes all over again. Which includes plucking eyebrows and NOT sleeping with cheating love-rat band member Billy Romani, however sexy he might look.

However, as Charlotte sets out on her quest to make her previous self see sense, she realises that maybe she doesn't have all of the answers, either. That sometimes, mistakes just have to be made...

This book is funny, sweet and not to mention addictive. For anyone who's looked at an old photo and thought, 'oh god, did I really do/wear/like that?' then after reading this, you might just think again.

You'll like this if you liked: Be Careful What you Wish For by Alexandra Potter, and Remember Me? by Sophie Kinsella.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 23, 2009 in New Releases, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (5)

FRIDAY FLICK: Twilight

The film adaptation of Stephanie Meyer’s teen vampire romance novel, Twilight, has been out in cinemas for a while now, but I've been dragging my heels about seeing it. 

I was strangely reluctant to even read Twilight (although I’ve no idea why – given that I was more than happy to follow the adventures of one boy wizard for a decade), but I’m so glad I did.  The book is beautifully, dreamily written and I was instantly hooked.

You see, the real reason I was wary of the film is because I’m now reading Breaking Dawn, the fourth book in the series, and I didn’t want the complex emotional world that Meyer had created in my head to be toppled by a dumbed-down, effects-laden Hollywood version.

Happily, Twilight isn’t like this at all.  It begins with the teenage Bella narrating, just as she does in the book, “I had never given much thought to how I would die....”, as she leaves her scatty mother in hot, dusty Phoenix, and travels to the permanently-overcast town of Forks to live with her father.

Kristen Stewart, with her haunted good looks and wry delivery, is a pitch-perfect Bella – shy, brainy and perhaps more mature than her parents.  There’s a slight cinema verité element to everything – all the dialogue and interactions feel very realistic, from Bella’s gruff reunion with her equally awkward father, to  the various jolts and discomforts of starting at a new school.

But a contrasting romantic atmosphere takes over when Bella meets the pale, enigmatic Edward (again, played to perfection by Robert Pattinson) who compounds Bella’s discomfort by seeming to think that she smells bad.

But when Edward moves at impossible speed to physically stop a van from ploughing into Bella, she decides she needs to know more.  Despite Edward’s warnings that Bella should stay away from him, he’s equally drawn to her. 

Which is when Edward confesses that he’s a vampire – one of a family of vampires who have all taken an oath to avoid human blood. Bella falls for Edward, and you can see why.  The boy can really smoulder (which I noticed despite Pattinson being several millennia my junior...). 

But since Edward thirsts uniquely for Bella’s blood – “you’re like my own personal heroin supply”, he tells Bella - can it ever really be safe to love a vampire?

Twilight is directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who brings her indie documentary-style realism from her previous films Thirteen and Lords of Dogtown, balancing it perfectly with the romance and suspense of the love story and supernatural aspects.  And it's so refreshing to see a novel adaptation that neither ignores the plot nor hamstrings itself by following the novel too faithfully.

There are a few really nice moments - at one point, Edward catches an apple Bella has dropped in lovely reflection of the cover of Meyer's book. Also, there's a scene where he plays piano - an irrational movie pet-hate of mine is when the actor clearly can't play and is just miming, but Pattinson actually plays - in fact he composed some of the music for the film.

All in all I thought it was fantastic, and I’m excited now that Meyer’s second novel in the series, New Moon, is currently in production with both leads on board.  It’s a great compliment to them that I didn’t for a minute think of Kristen Stewart as “the daughter from Panic Room” or Robert Pattinson as Cedric Diggory, because I’m usually such a film nerd.  In fact, I even forgot Pattinson was English. 

I left the cinema on a blissful cloud of gothic romance.  I asked the friend I’d dragged along what she’d thought of it.  She hadn’t read the book, and a lot of her motivation for accompanying me was around the sweets I’d bribed her with.

“Well,” she said.  “It is really a movie for fifteen year old girls.  But I loved it, because I’m a fifteen year old girl at heart.  Aren’t we all?”

My thoughts exactly.

Posted by Robyn Wilder on January 23, 2009 in American Authors, Friday Flick, Movie Magic, Rating: 5/5, Supernatural, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Do Not Disturb

With a newborn in the house sometimes you need a bit of escapism, which is why I jumped on Do Not Disturb by Tilly Bagshawe when I saw it in the book shop yesterday. Passion, adultery and revenge - not something I have the energy or inclination for at the moment - so I'll look forward to reading about it instead.

What would you give for one night in the world's most luxurious hotel? Now imagine you own it. Honor is trying to save the family hotel that shares her name. Palmers, a beautiful old jewel of a building nestled on the coast of the Hamptons, used to be the most glamorous destination in the world. Now Honor wants to restore its reputation, its glitz and its guestlist. But there's a new boy in town with a different plan. Lucas Ruiz is manager of the new hotel on the block, and wants to bring modern boutique-chic to the States. As Honor and Lucas prepare to go head to head to get the rich and famous checking in, the locals are busy checking out the backstairs gossip. Blackmail, adultery and the dirtiest of dirty tricks are all in a day's work behind the scenes of the five-star facades.

Related posts: Adored Review | Yay or Nay Wednesday | Glamour by Louise Bagshawe

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 23, 2009 in Bonkbusters, Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (1)

Richard & Judy Book Club 2009

The Richard & Judy Book Club has now begun on the Watch channel. Every Wednesday the couple will feature one book, leading to a public vote for Best Read Award in April. [via The Telegraph] I've already bought myself a copy of December by Elizabeth H Winthrop.

Has anyone read read any of them yet? What did you think?

Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman
Suspicions of Mr Whicher by Kate Summerscale
The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
When Will There Be Good News? by Kate Atkinson
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
The Bolter by Frances Osborne
Netherland by Joseph O'Neill
The Luminous Life of Lilly Aphrodite by Beatrice Colin
December by Elizabeth H Winthrop
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway

Related: More Richard & Judy Posts
 

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 23, 2009 in Book News, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (2)

Introducing Elle Symonds

My name's Elle and I'm extremely happy to be working here at Trashionista. I'm a 20-something supergeek from Wales who cant wait to bring you news and reviews from the chick-lit world. Seeing as you don't know me yet, here's a little interview. (Self-interrogation; it's all the rage, apparently!)

When did you start reading chick-lit?
I first got into chick-lit in 2004, when I picked up The Second Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare. It looked witty and interesting, so I bought it. After that? I was hooked.

What's your favourite chick-lit book?
Hmm, difficult question! I don't have a specific favourite, although there are a few that I could read again and again. One being Maria Beaumont's Marsha Mellow and Me (it's downright hilarious!) I'm also into paranormal chick-lit and rather liked Blood is the New Black by Valerie Stivers. And, of course, let's not forget the fabulous Undead series...

What are your favourite non-chicklit books?
I read a bit of everything, and I'd have to say that my favourite books out of the chicklit genre would be Alexander Cordell's Rape of the Fair Country, and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck.

Any guilty pleasures?
Ooo! Well now that you ask-

We mean book-wise, of course.
Oh. Right. Weelll...I do frequent the teen section of Waterstones. For Meg Cabot especially. Aw c'mon, who doesn't?

Do you want world peace?
Why yes. Yes I do.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 23, 2009 in Announcements | Permalink | Comments (4)

January 22, 2009 11:40 AM

COMPETITION: All This Makes Life Worth Living

Publishers Dorling Kindersley are producing a book of wonders featuring astonishing items that add something to the world we live in.

If you have an extraordinary object that makes life worth living, why not write about it in 100 words and send it into their competition. You never know, it could find its way into the book. For more details go here. You have until Wednesday 28th January. (UK residents only I'm afraid).

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 22, 2009 in Competition | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 21, 2009 11:07 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Brightest Star in the Sky

December was a bit of a busy month for me, so I missed Marian Keyes' latest newsletter. In it she excitedly says her next novel, The Brightest Star in The Sky, will be out in Ireland and UK in October 2009, in New Zealand, Australia and South Africa in December 2009 and in Canada and US in Feb 2010. At the moment she is trying to rewrite it and make it perfect and lovely, which I am sure it will be. (Thanks to Little_King for the heads up.)

Related posts: Spotlight | Marian Interview | This Charming Man Review

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 21, 2009 in Book News | Permalink | Comments (3)

January 20, 2009 9:53 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Truth About Melody Browne

I mentioned yesterday that Lisa Jewell has a new book out in April this year, and here it is with a rather beautiful looking cover. It sounds intriguing. I can't wait.

When she was nine years old, Melody Browne's house burned down, taking every toy, every photograph, every item of clothing and old Christmas card with it. But not only did the fire destroy all her possessions, it took with it all her memories - Melody Browne can remember nothing before her ninth birthday. Now in her early thirties, Melody lives in a council flat in the middle of London with her seventeen-year-old son.

She hasn't seen her parents since she left home at fifteen, but Melody doesn't mind, she's better off on her own. She's made a good life for herself and her son and she likes it that way. Until one night something extraordinary happens. Whilst attending a hypnotist show with her first date in years she faints - and when she comes round she starts to remember. At first her memories mean nothing to her but then slowly, day by day, she begins to piece together the real story of her childhood. Her journey takes her to the seaside town of Broadstairs, to oddly familiar houses in London backstreets and to meetings with strangers who love her like their own. But with every mystery she solves another one materialises, with every question she answers another appears. And Melody begins to wonder if she'll ever know the truth about her past.

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 20, 2009 in Book News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 19, 2009 4:01 PM

Introducing Robyn Wilder

Fresh from guest editing Dollymix for a month, Robyn Wilder joins Trashionista as a regular writer.  You can read all about her on her blog, Orbyn.elsewhere.

Favourite chick lit book: Watermelon by Marian Keyes.  It was my introduction into chick lit as a genre, and I’ve reread it about five times.  I love how it breaks all the rules of fiction writing (telling rather than showing; many, many adverbs!) but still manages to be heartbreaking and hilarious.

Favourite chick lit author: Marian Keyes, rather predictably. I haven’t read a single book of hers that I don’t like.  I totally buy into all her characters, and I love the way her style is still conversational and easy to read even as the stories get more complex.  This Charming Man was very ambitious (there is a particularly traumatic scene I’ll never get out of my head) but she draws you in and makes it all seem effortless.

Favourite fictional heroine: Well, I’m a geek so obviously I’m a big fan of Faith from Buffy the Vampire Slayer!  Partly because of her attitude, rebellious style and choice turns of phrase (“five by five!”).  But also because of Faith’s situation – in every generation, a vampire slayer is called, but Buffy’s still alive – still the “chosen one” – so Faith is essentially redundant, which makes for interesting psychology!  Um, yes – told you I was a geek.

Favourite non chick lit book: The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter.  My teenage discovery of “magical realism” led to countless pretentious short stories which will hopefully never see the light of day!

Do you have a theme song? The novel I wrote (and am still finishing) for NaNoWriMo is about a slightly clueless girl who discovers, amongst other things, her hidden strengths and ability to deal with what life throws at her.  In my head, the theme song for the film of the book(!) is 80s favourite Sledgehammer by Peter Gabriel.

Posted by Robyn Wilder on January 19, 2009 in Announcements | Permalink | Comments (7)

Hello (again) from Helen

Well I'm back from maternity leave after giving birth to my beautiful baby girl. She is well and lovely and everything a mother could wish for.

But enough about the baby, I hear you cry. What about the books?

Well, whilst I've been on *holiday* I've managed to read Class by Jane Beaton and The Bright Side of Disaster by Katherine Center, both of which I loved and cannot recommend enough. 

Two of my favourite authors, Meg Cabot and Tess Gerritsen both have new releases. Meg with the final Princess Mia book and Tess with a return of Jane Rizzoli and Maura Isles. Reviews of both will be coming soon. Also Lisa Jewell has a new book out in April (more about that later). So, which books are you looking forward to reading this year?

Posted by Helen Redfern on January 19, 2009 in Announcements | Permalink | Comments (10)

January 6, 2009 7:09 AM

Goodbye from Keris

I'm sure you've noticed that Trashionista's been pretty quiet lately. That's mainly because Helen and I have been brewing babies rather than reviewing books. Helen's daughter arrived five weeks ago and my little boy is due - eek! - today.

During my time off, I've actually made the very difficult decision not to return as editor of Trashionista following maternity leave. I've been with the site for more than two years and I've absolutely loved it, but I've got my own book deal now, so I could do with writing rather than reading! And there's the small matter of a new baby to take care of.

I just want to say an enormous thank you to all the lovely, talented and enthusiastic readers, authors and publishers who have made working for Trashionista an absolute breeze! I'll miss you all. Feel free to drop in on my personal blog and say hello.

(The hunt is on for a new editor, so hopefully the site will be back in action in no time.)

Posted by Keris on January 6, 2009 in Announcements | Permalink | Comments (24)