Trashionista

August 26, 2010 8:48 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Real Me Is Thin

Last week I came across an interesting article by British actress and writer Arabella Weir, in which she told of her constant battle with weight and self image, which began during childhood. Arabella, who wrote the wonderfully funny novel Does My Bum Look Big in This? In the 90s, is back - and this time, with a memoir. The Real Me is Thin is due for release on September 2^nd, and is set to be a funny yet frank account of life involving watching what you eat.

 

The hapless and hilarious tale of a life lived under the constant and ruthless reign of a chocolate biscuit...

Lumped into 'the too fat for potatoes group' by her mother, carefree eating isn't something Arabella Weir had much experience of growing up.

 

Written with startling frankness, Arabella unravels her own eating history in this humorous appraisal of our attitudes towards eating disorders and obesity. Not easy for someone who still can't be alone unsupervised in a room with a packet of chocolate biscuits.

 

Charting Arabella's neurotic relationship with food, from prolonged abstinence to binge eating, this humorous memoir recreates a childhood besieged with battles over food. Subjected to her mother's capricious feeding regime and taught early on that food was her enemy, happiness meant being allowed to eat what she liked - or more importantly, what everyone else was eating.

 

Recounting stories of unhinged mothers and callous doctors, mystery-meat suppers, and egg custard battles with calculating boyfriends' mothers, this candid memoir vividly recreates a childhood and adolescence marred by the social embarrassment of being marked as different simply due to your weight.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 26, 2010 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 26, 2010 1:36 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Tabloid Girl by Sharon Marshall

We recently posted about the release of Tabloid Girl - the memoir about working as tabloid reporter by Sharon Marshall. Sharon worked as a journalist for ten years, moving from various departments until she landed in Showbiz. Tabloid Girl documents her career in newspapers from starting out as a fresh-faced shifter to fighting her way to the top, finding herself in numerous odd situations (such as rifling through Simon Cowell's underwear drawer) and times of stress in order to get the story.

 

I love these tell-all memoirs and previously enjoyed Wicked Whispers (Jessica Callan's account of being one of the Mirror's 3am Girls) and Piers Morgan's The Insider. Both offered a fabulous insight into the world of red-top reporting. And Sharon's offering is equally as pleasing.

 

Sharon gained her first job at a London paper by bringing in beer and refusing to move until she spoke to the editor, who let her join the next day. Starting out in journalism is difficult enough - even harder when you're after a highly coveted job at a London-based, national tabloid. But Sharon makes it in. Due t her offering of alcohol, she's given a job as a 'shifter' - one of many wannabe hacks drafted in for casual work, and like a rather cruel game of Big Brother, fight for their jobs until a staff vacancy arises - or until they're dismissed. The shifters are sent on all manner of jobs (such as going to Jeremy Paxman's house to try and ask him about his alleged affair...) and if the scoop is not delivered, they're out. Needless to say, Sharon is willing to do whatever it takes to stay in her dream job, rather than face heading back to Lancashire a failure, dealing with her mothers' questions about her lack of a future husband. Job it is. But is working as a tabloid hack really everything she thought it would be?

 

What Sharon has to do over the coming months (and years) during her stint in the tabloids is shocking to say the least. Donning rubber dresses to hang out at fetish parties is all a normal part of the day job for Sharon and her colleagues. It's no wonder she's unlucky in the boyfriend department. Let's face it, 'what did you do at work today?' conversations don't always go down too well. But for a trainee tabloid girl, hookers, fake husbands, swinger parties and investigations seemingly worthy of MI5 (albeit in fancy dress) are all regular aspects of the job role.

 

Couple this with her annoying flatmate, angry boss and overly-ambitious colleagues to deal with...

 

Sharon details the truths and tricks behind the newspaper trade, such as how far celebrities actually go to get themselves into the pages, how to kidnap interviewees, how to get the best scoops and of course, what to do when drunk on the job...

 

Tabloid Girl dispels the myth that showbiz journalism is one glitzy affair full of celebrity parties and champagne. It's a hard job, complete with rivalry, lack of a social life, and constant 'bollockings' from the boss.

 

Having always been interested in what goes on behind some of the nation's favourite red-tops, I read this book with interest and amazement, realising just how hard it can actually be. Tabloid Girl is a witty, insightful book packed with some great stories and revelations about the hard-hitting world of journalism.

 

Sadly, Sharon doesn't reveal the names of the celebs in her tales, but they'll definitely keep you wondering. My only complaint about Sharon Marshall's book? I wish she'd told us more!

 

Rating: 5/5

 

Try this if you liked: Wicked Whispers by Jessica Callan

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 26, 2010 in Memoirs, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 22, 2010 10:40 PM

CELEB READ (Kind of!): Tabloid Girl

Telling tales on celebrities almost always make a good read. Piers' Morgan's The Insider books, along with Jessica Callan's Wicked Whispers lifted the lid on life in tabloid journalism with their scandalous memoirs. And February saw the release of another interesting title in a similar vein. Tabloid Girl follows the life of showbiz reporter Sharon Marshall and dishes the dirt on what life is really like working for a tabloid.

'I didn't know I was starting a life where I'd be asked to do three impossible things before breakfast, and be sworn at by four celebrities by lunch. I just thought, hey, I've got a job on a tabloid.' Sharon Marshall was a tabloid reporter for ten years. Along the way she saw and did some Very Bad Things. She also had a spectacularly lousy love life. It took the entire decade to realise the two may be connected. In her hilariously honest memoirs she reveals what really goes on behind the scenes at a major tabloid newspaper. What lengths will a tabloid hack go to, just to get the story? What do celebrities (secretly) do to get into the headlines? And can a job which involves fighting with popstars, pretending to be a swinger and provoking a fuming Jeremy Paxman ever make you marriage material?  

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 22, 2010 in Book related, Books, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 30, 2010 10:12 PM

BOOK REVIEW: How Did You Get This Number by Sloane Crosley

For some reason, I've been attracted to rather a few non-fiction books recently. I'm not entirely sure why this strange yearning for memoirs has come about, resulting in re-reading some old favourites - perhaps it's the fact that there have been a few new additions to the genre which Trashionista has had the pleasure of sampling. One of them being Sloane Crosley's latest book, How Did You Get This Number?

Having not read any of Sloane Crosley's work before (her previous collection of essays, I Was Told There'd Be Cake, was released in 2008) I was unsure of what to expect. But the synopsis looked fun, and I couldn't wait to start. Sloane is a journalist whose credits include the New York Times, Playboy and GQ, so I was already in awe.

How Did You Get This Number is a collection of essays which focus mainly on the theme of travel. Sloane ventures back into aspects of her life as a twenty-something, beginning with a tale of her trip to Lisbon, finding her way around and meeting some rather peculiar people.

Sloane delves into her past to write about not only her travels, but her youth, and what it's like to live in New York (oh, and Alaska!). Her essays are engaging, funny and extremely witty and to be blatantly honest, I felt a twinge of envy at not only Sloane's adventures but her writing style that I wish was my own! My personal favourite of all the essays was the one about New York apartment-hunting. Sloane is funny and insightful and has a natural wit that's conveyed in each of her stories.

After reading How Did You Get This Number, Sloane's previous essay collection is now on the wishlist. So if you're looking for something a little different (and true!) to read this summer, then be sure to check this one out!

Rating: 5/5

You might like this if you liked: Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster, Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 30, 2010 in Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 17, 2010 2:52 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Mousetrapped by Catherine Ryan Howard

At the beginning of June, Trashionista interviewed Catherine Ryan Howard, author of newly released non-fiction book, Mousetrapped. The only memoir about working at Disney's Magic Kingdom, Mousetrapped documents Catherine's adventures from her homeland of Cork to, apparently, the happiest place on earth.' But is working in a constant fairytale land all it's cracked up to be?

 

Catherine's story begins with her childhood dreams of becoming a top virologist, after becoming interested in the Ebola virus. It's the most normal of career choices, but Catherine already has her heart set on working towards making a name for herself in her chosen field. But of course, childhood ambitions can sometimes fall by the wayside when real life kicks in, and when Catherine reaches her twenties, she's forced to realise that maybe being a world-renowned virologist isn't the easiest of options.

 

One day, having become tired of her life and wanting to fulfil at least SOME of her dreams, Catherine decides to apply for work at Disneyland - and with a bit of luck, the job is hers. Surely she'll find happiness in the happiest place on the planet, right?

 

Not exactly...

 

Fast forward a few months, and Catherine, full of excitement at reaching her dream destination, finds herself in her hotel room at the Magic Kingdom, ready to embark at her new role at the front desk. But it's not long before disaster strikes. With a short time in which to find an apartment, Catherine manages to snare some new accommodation, only to find that it's far from the luxury of her hotel room, and comes complete with dodgy flatmates.

 

If that isn't enough, Catherine's thrown into the deep end at work on the busiest day of the year, and is forced to deal with angry customers, hair disasters and social inadequacy in the form of a lack of driving license.

 

Determined, Catherine sets out on her quest to finally get behind the wheel, and begins lessons with a new-found friends. Soon enough, she's making friends, is on the hunt for a better apartment and starting to live the Disney dream. But how long will it all last?

 

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first received Mousetrapped, but as a lover of memoirs I couldn't wait to get my hands on this one. It's a unique book by a brilliantly witty, instantly loveable author and I couldn't put it down. I could relate to Catherine's career issues and childhood dreams and despite the negative aspects of her adventures, I still felt envious of Catherine's life in Orlando. Anyone who has ever been there will instantly remember some of the scenery that Catherine writes about, and her hilarious account of the Small World ride brought back some memories.

 

Catherine Ryan Howard is highly talented and has the ability to make the most dire of situations sound funny. Her account of working abroad is an absolutely wonderful read and if this is her memoir, then I really, really can't wait for her novel!

 

Rating: 5/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 17, 2010 in Memoirs, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 7, 2010 10:23 PM

BOOK NEWS: Different For Girls

With so much great new fiction coming out this summer, it was also delighting to receive two new non-fiction releases in the mail this week: Catherine Ryan Howard's Mousetrapped and Different For Girls, a memoir focusing on the music world.

Different For Girls: A Girl's Own True-Life Adventures in Pop was penned by Louise Wener, lead singer of 90s band Sleeper. Sleeper disbanded in 1998, but Louise has since written four novels. Here's more information about the memoir, which is released on June 10th:

This is a story of an ordinary girl's transformation from awkward 80s suburban pop geek to 90s jet-set pop goddess. It's about the embarrassments of growing up and experimenting with who you are and how pop music is both the comic and life-affirming soundtrack that runs through it all. "Different for Girls" is for anyone who ever sang into a hairbrush and slow-danced to Spandau Ballet's "True". It's about growing up with "Look-In" and "Jackie" magazine and daubing your hair with poster paint to look more like Toyah Wilcox. It's about bad perms, bad boyfriends and the nagging feeling that no man will quite measure up to Nick Heyward from Haircut One Hundred. It's also about the journey from bad band to great band, from gigs in toilets to gigs in stadiums with all the mistakes, joys, disappointments and successes in between. It's a journey which starts with a 12-year-old perfecting her dance routine to Kate Bush's "Wuthering Heights" in front of TOTPs and ends, almost 20 years later, with the same girl having REM's Michael Stipe sing happy birthday to her on a warm summer's evening accompanied by 70,000 strangers. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 7, 2010 in Book News, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 4, 2010 10:40 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Catherine Ryan Howard

Last month we posted about Mousetrapped, Catherine Ryan Howard's new memoir about living the dream of working in Disneyland. Mousetrapped sounds like a brilliant read, so we interviewed Catherine about her move to Disneyland, self-publishing and of course, how it all started...

Please describe your book in 15 words or fewer.
Mousetrapped is a travel memoir about searching for happiness in the happiest place on earth. (I hope I get bonus points for it being exactly 15!) 

What inspired you to write Mousetrapped?
I'd always wanted to be a writer since a very young age, but I struggled with the time and discipline needed to write a novel. (I also, crucially, didn't have any good ideas for one!) Before I left for Florida one of my friends joked about how I could write a book about the experience and call it 'Mousetrapped', and when my Disney dream took a few wrong turns to begin with, I started writing it all down. Over time, Mousetrapped began to take shape. I never intended to write non-fiction in a million years, but now it's looking like it all might work out for the best.

Was moving to Disney World a lifelong dream, or was it a last-minute decision?
Somewhere in between. I wanted to do it for years but I didn't know how - citizens of the Irish Republic can't apply to Disney World's International program, whereas UK citizens (among others) can. I ended up applying for something called the American Cultural Resort program which could have landed me in a resort anywhere in the US, but luckily they happened to find me a position in Walt Disney World. I got the job in May 2006 and then had (what felt like) a long wait until I started that September. 

Where do you do most of your writing?
I was lucky enough to spend two months writing the first draft of my novel by myself in a lovely little holiday home by the sea, but that was most definitely an exception. While I, ahem, pursue my published writer dreams (my mum calls it 'being unemployed'), I'm back living with my parents in Ireland, so all my writing gets done at a desk in my tiny bedroom. (Imagine three phone boxes strung together.) It's not so bad, really. The rent's free and there's very few distractions! 

What is your favourite book?
I can't do better than a Top 10, but for the purposes of this interview I'll pick one at random... Okay. Let's go with One Day by David Nicholls. I wasn't expecting to love it but I did, and it's very rare a book actually makes me cry. The relationships in it were so honest and true-to-life; it wasn't a happy ever after story but typical of the twists and turns that real life takes.


What part of Mousetrapped was most fun to write?
You mean other than 'THE END'? That's the most fun part of any book to write, for me. (!) It was probably the two chapters that deal with my favourite subject, NASA and its manned exploration of space. The chapter 'Mission Space' is about my first visit to my favourite place in the world, Kennedy Space Centre, and 'Go for Launch' is about realising my lifelong dream of seeing a Space Shuttle launch up close. One of my goals in life is to make everyone else as astronuts as me and I think it's working - readers have told me that those are their favourite chapters. I hope one day to write a book solely about space. 

Do you have any tips for readers who are looking to become published authors?
I've always ignored the statistics. You know, those horrible ones that say less than one percent of one percent of one percent, etc. etc. of all books written get published. That's probably true, but it includes all the bad books, the confused synopses, the misspelled query letters and the people who don't even try to published in the first place. I'm sure the  published percentage of great books written by sane, determined people who know how to pursue publication professionally and persist at it is a lot greater and, at the end of the day, someone has to get published. Right? 

And what about those who dream of working in the Magic Kingdom?
It's easier to get there than you think, and it'll be the experience of a lifetime. Certain countries can apply to work directly for Disney via their International and College Programs (https://www.disneyinternationalprograms.com) and the regional recruiter for the UK and Ireland is the wonderfully helpful Yummy Jobs of London (http://www.yummyjobs.com). Prepare to smile a lot though - even when you don't feel like it - and see fireworks on your way home from work every night. It's sounds like a cliché, but working there can be truly magical. (Sometimes!) 

What made you decide to self-publish Mousetrapped?
The realisation that no one else ever would. Mousetrapped did the rounds of a few agents and some Irish publishers, but they all said the same thing: they really liked it, but they didn't feel there was enough of a market for it. After about a year's worth of rejection letter's, I started to explore other options. I found that using a Print on Demand service (I used CreateSpace) was perfect for a book like Mousetrapped, and then I used outlets like blogging, Twitter and Facebook to promote it. 

What are you currently reading?
I'm having a crime spree at the moment, reading-wise. I discovered Karin Slaughter last week after picking up Genesis, so at the moment I'm working my way through her earlier books. I also read Evil at Heart by Chelsea Cain - which I probably shouldn't have, because it was the third in the series - which is the first novel I've ever read featuring a female serial killer. It was quite gory, but really good. 

On your blog, you mention that you've been snapped up by an agent for your novel. Can you tell us more about this?

Thanks, Catherine!

You can find out more about Catherine and Mousetrapped by visiting Catherine's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 4, 2010 in Interviews, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 25, 2010 11:16 AM

NON-FICTION RELEASE: Mousetrapped

Recently I stumbled upon the blog of Catherine Ryan Howard, author of Mousetrapped. With the summer on its way and the UK being sunny for once, many will be dreaming of heading off abroad to somewhere hot and exciting, and of course, many won't want to leave. And with Disneyland being dubbed the happiest place on earth, who WOULDN'T want to move there? Well, 29-year-old Catherine from Cork did exactly that. In Mousetrapped, her memoir, Catherine tells all about her move to paradise which isn't exactly as happy as it seems...

When Catherine Ryan Howard decides to swap the grey clouds of Ireland for the clear skies of the Sunshine State, she thinks all of her dreams - working in Walt Disney World, living in the United States, seeing a Space Shuttle launch - are about to come true. Ahead of her she sees weekends at the beach, mornings by the pool and an inexplicably skinnier version of herself skipping around Magic Kingdom.

But not long into her first day on Disney soil - and not long after a breakfast of Mickey-shaped pancakes - Catherine's Disney bubble bursts and soon it seems that among Orlando's baked highways, monotonous mall clusters and world famous theme-parks, pixie dust is hard to find and hair is downright impossible to straighten.

The only memoir about working in Walt Disney World, Space Shuttle launches, the town that Disney built, religious theme parks, Bruce Willis, humidity-challenged hair and the Ebola virus, MOUSETRAPPED is the hilarious story of what happened when one Irish girl went searching for happiness in the happiest place on Earth.

View the Mousetrapped book trailer here, or check out view Catherine Ryan Howard's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 25, 2010 in Book Extract, Book News, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 10, 2010 6:40 PM

IN THE NEWS: Sarah Silverman autobiography

American comic Sarah Silverman delights many and offends an equal amount! And now she's written an autobiography that has 'wowed' the critics, according to the Guardian.

39-year-old Sarah's book, The Bedwetter: Stories of Courage, Redemption and Pee, was released in hardback in April and is already gaining quite a bit of attention. The article states:

"Race and sex have been hot-button topics within the male-dominated comic world for decades. Silverman is cutting-edge because she is one of the few women to be openly offensive and make a name for themselves," said Ashley Dos Santos, a celebrity expert at Crosby Volmer International Communications.

But now Silverman has done, perhaps, the most unexpected and outrageous thing yet: she has written a heart-warming and revealing book that has critics swooning at its portrayal of the real Silverman behind the TV persona. It has also offered an intensely personal look at a comic who has zealously guarded her private life and revealed little about how her true personality differs from her potty-mouthed stage creation.

To read the full article, click here. Below is the synopsis of Silverman's autobiography (via Amazon):

Demonstrating that her penchant for swearing began at an early age, comedian Silverman begins her hilarious memoir by describing how, at age three, she gleefully responded to her grandmother's offer of brownies with shove 'em up your ass. Growing up in New Hampshire (where cows are well done and Jews are rare), Silverman naturally gravitated toward performing and moved to New York, where she attended and eventually dropped out of New York University to pursue a standup comedy career. Mixing show business moments (she wrote for Saturday Night Live for one season, but none of her sketches made it past dress rehearsal) with stories of her childhood and adolescence (punctuated by a persistent bedwetting problem), Silverman never shies away from poking fun at her own expense. Though she's best known for sexually explicit jokes, Silverman is able to address more serious subjects in the book without losing her edge, particularly her teenage struggle with depression and that her often abrasive public persona allowed her to say what I didn't mean, even preach the opposite of what I believed.... It was a funny way of being sincere.

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 10, 2010 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 7, 2010 12:03 AM

BOOK NEWS: My Fair Lazy

Trashionista has always been a big fan of Jen Lancaster, ever since her first book, Bitter is the New Black, in which she chronicled her experiences of being unemployed. Jen's honest and witty memoirs seem to keep getting better (memoirs include Bright Lights, Big Ass, Such a Pretty Fat and Pretty in Plaid) so we were delighted to hear that her latest book is now available.

My Fair Lazy was released on 4th May, and looks set to become yet another great book from Jen, who also writes the amusing Jennsylvania blog. Here's a little bit more about the book:

Readers have followed Jen Lancaster through job loss, sucky city living, weight loss attempts, and 1980s nostalgia. Now Jen chronicles her efforts to achieve cultural enlightenment, with some hilarious missteps and genuine moments of inspiration along the way. And she does so by any means necessary: reading canonical literature, viewing classic films, attending the opera, researching artisan cheeses, and even enrolling in etiquette classes to improve her social graces.

In Jen's corner is a crack team of experts, including Page Six socialites, gourmet chefs, an opera aficionado, and a master sommelier. She may discover that well-regarded, high-priced stinky cheese tastes exactly as bad as it smells, and that her love for Kraft American Singles is forever. But one thing's for certain: Eliza Doolittle's got nothing on Jen Lancaster-and failure is an option. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 7, 2010 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 23, 2010 12:27 PM

MOVIE NEWS: Eat, Pray, Love

The trailer for Eat, Pray, Love - the big screen adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert's memoir - has finally been released!

The movie will star Julia Roberts as a journalist who sets out to change her life after a divorce. You can view the trailer here (and find out more about the movie) at the official movie website.

Leave a comment and let us know what you think!

If you aren't familiar with Eat, Pray, Love, here's the synopsis of the book:

It's 3 a.m. and Elizabeth Gilbert is sobbing on the bathroom floor. She's in her thirties, she has a husband, a house, they're trying for a baby - and she doesn't want any of it. A bitter divorce and a turbulent love affair later, she emerges battered and bewildered and realises it is time to pursue her own journey in search of three things she has been missing: pleasure, devotion and balance. So she travels to Rome, where she learns Italian from handsome, brown-eyed identical twins and gains twenty-five pounds, an ashram in India, where she finds that enlightenment entails getting up in the middle of the night to scrub the temple floor, and Bali where a toothless medicine man of indeterminate age offers her a new path to peace: simply sit still and smile. And slowly happiness begins to creep up on her.

(Thanks to Five Minutes Peace for this news!)

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 23, 2010 in Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 19, 2010 11:47 PM

NEWS: Dannii Minogue memoir set for autumn

After the news of Cheryl Cole's sky-high auction for her life story and countless other celebrity biographies for sale, we thought there couldn't possibly be many more...but we were wrong! Publishers Simon & Schuster has recently won the auction for X Factor judge Dannii Minogue's memoir.

According to The Bookseller, the book will be published in the autumn of this year, and will be written by both Minogue and songwriter and author Terry Ronald. The memoir will contain stories from Dannii's childhood, her teenage work on Australian soap Home and Away, life with superstar suster Kylie and her role as a judge on the X Factor.

To read the full article, click here.

 

 

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 19, 2010 in Book News, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 1, 2010 7:37 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Isobella Jade

We recently posted about Isobella Jade's new modeling memoir, Almost 5'4". Trashionista spoke to Isobella about her modeling dreams, her graphic novel and aspirations. Isobella also offers some tips for not only authors but aspiring models as well - read on for more!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer.
A short girl's turbulent journey of striving as a model and overcoming the odds.

Tell us a little more about yourself.
The way to my heart is high heels, and I could climb a tree in high heels. However there was a time when I was pulling my running shoe out of the mud on the X-Country trail. I love mascara and grill cheese, movies of the 1940 and 50's, one-of-a-kind jewelry and limited edition art, and Anthony John Gray's oils intrigue me. I am a crazy history buff; and fascinated by stories of the 1800's and early 1900's and how things were made and done then. Seabiscuit is my hero. I love my iPhone. And although I am very tech savvy, I still use a pen every single day. I am a coffee addict. When I meet someone I don't ask "what do you do?" I ask "what do you like to do." I'd rather eat dessert before dinner. Want to buy me dessert?

When did you start writing Almost 5'4"?
I started writing the memoir in the fall 2005. I was really broke and since I was already using the Apple store as a place to check my email; and as an office, I figured it would be a perfect place to write. I decided to include that experience in the book as well. By March 2006, I had a manuscript, and I told the store manager what I had done in an urge to thank someone for letting me use the store and wear it out. The result was being asked to do a reading in the store. It wasn't until I had about 300 pages and a reading at the Apple store, that I thought, "Maybe this could be a published book."

I first wrote it as a source of therapy, I guess, and relied on my journals as a sequential timeline and reference.  Looking at my older photos also helped. I'd look at a photo and write about that experience, or I'd see a certain date and location scribbled in my journal and the details of that experience would come alive again and I'd write.  I was writing about a lot of not so glamorous modeling experiences that I hadn't told anyone about, and things I even hid from my family and friends. So although the book is now one of my greatest achievements, at the time of writing it it was a way to move on from my modeling mistakes. Get it off my chest. I felt that by writing I was putting some gritty things I had encountered in the past. Like a period at the end of a sentence.  While writing I found that there was an inspirational message in the book about not giving up even when others doubt you, which wasn't obvious to me when I started writing it, but now that message IS the purpose of the book for me.

What made you decide to be a model?
My journey as a model was at first a curiosity and something for my ego.  After first Googling the word model and making a lot of mistakes in front of the wrong lens, I spent years striving to work with good agencies, photographers, products, magazines and brands. At the beginning, the idea of "calling myself a model" was appealing and the first part of Almost 5'4" is about this mindset, but calling yourself one doesn't mean you truly are one. After I realized modeling is about "modeling something," I started to notice that models are not all tall, and although I might be the tiniest girl out there, if I marketed what I did have, I could make my own opportunities. It has been a day by day process, year by year growth.  Being a model when you are a short girl is really based on the person's want to be one, and the will to try. There was no guarantee I'd find any of the success I eventually found, but I thrived on the chase and the challenge of it. I was willing to do the work, and accept the rejection.

Every product out there needs a model and height isn't everything. But you do have to have professional photography that highlights your assets, you do need a marketing mindset and you do need to be realistic.  Only a small percent of working models are tall giraffe Supermodels, but most models in ads and in TV commercials are not fashion height, and no one talks about that, so I started blogging, podcasting and writing about it.

You have a graphic novel out about your modeling life - tell us more!
While writing Almost 5'4"I had a lot of visuals come to me, so putting an illustrated book out there that was inspired by my adventures as a short model made sense. Also I noticed how there weren't many graphic novels with a female heroine, I thought bringing the fashion world and a model character to the graphic novel world would be a trendy way to inspire girls of all shapes and sizes about the highs and lows of being a model.  What developed was my fashion illustrated graphic novel called Model Life: The Journey of a Pint-Size Fashion Warrior.

I worked aside illustrator Jazmin Ruotolo, who I reached out to because of her background in fashion illustration. Model Life is a mixed media graphic novel. It involves photography and hand written journals and there are many Internet-age elements in the graphic novel. Communication between characters is done mostly through email, text messages, and social media is a big part of the story for the reader to engage in.

Where do you write your books?
I write everywhere. Inspiration is everywhere. The start of my writing normally happens in my journal. I will write down ideas, a concept, a plot, an experience, and then evolve it in front of my computer at home. I write at night usually.

Also, I sleep next to my journal and my phone. Often after a long day if I am too tired to hold a pen I text myself the words, sentence, or thought.  I write all the time and everywhere, there is not a certain hour that I write, it is an all the time thing, whether it be on street corners, inside retail stores, on airplanes.

What is your favourite book?   
I Pass Like Night, by Jonathan Ames. I love books that are not afraid to be honest, he does that well.

Do you have any tips for readers who would like to become published authors?
Yes, the more you know what is interesting about you or your book and why a newspaper, magazine, radio or television show would like it, the better. I think an author has to wear many hats, especially at the start of the marketing that goes into getting an agent, a publisher and selling a book, especially in this Internet-age. I think the more of a marketer the author is the better. The world has become one. It's based on connectivity, and communicating and self promotion is a major asset for an author.

What about models? Do you have any advice for those who want to get into modeling?
My biggest advice is to skip the Internet. For modeling, what's on the Internet is mainly amateur-ville. It is best, hence the experiences I share in Almost 5'4", to not rely on a model site, or social site or website as a launch pad to be discovered as a model. Most of the people who linger on these sites are amateur. Anna Wintour of Vogue and Sarah Doukas of Storm Models are not looking for models on amateur modeling websites.   In many ways the old fashion way is still the way. And for a shorter model it comes down to snail mailing print modeling agencies your comp card.  Mainly, you have to know what is marketable about yourself and ask yourself "how does what I have translate into modeling products and for ad campaigns," and "what products and ads could I realistically model for?" You have to be realistic, and you have to understand that a shorter girl has to do a lot more hands-on work behind the scenes than a fashion model. A shorter model can find opportunities working with a commercial print modeling agency or talent agency, however getting in the door involves her making her marketing material; comp cards and portfolio.

What are you currently reading?
On my iPhone I am reading Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I mainly read non-fiction or biographies; I usually don't get excited about fiction. I look at and buy a lot of coffee table photography books. I also read a lot of newspapers including The Wall Street Journal, WWD, and tons of magazines. Also I read through my Google stats often.

Are you working on anything else at the moment, and if so, can you tell us?
I am working on a how-to-model book, and planning to turn Model Life into a series, along with some screenwriting as well. The beat goes on.

Thanks, Isobella!

You can find out more about Isobella Jade and her books by visiting Isobella's website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 1, 2010 in Interviews, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 29, 2010 9:43 PM

NEWS: Celebrity memoirs are here to stay, apparently

Just when you thought you'd seen enough of them over the Christmas period, it seems as though celebrity memoirs will not be going away anytime soon. According to The Bookseller, publishers believe that the memoir market is 'here to stay', despite poor sales last year.

Books from celebrity favourites such as Ant and Dec and Peter Kay will continue to grace the shelves, with some new additions in 2010. Michael McIntyre, Michael Parkinson, Russell Brand and Keith Richards will all each have memoirs released later this year.

Non-fiction director of publisher Hodder & Stoughton, Rowena Webb, told The Bookseller: "We certainly do think the celebrity memoir is here to stay . . . people are looking for strong stories, big careers and very often people who can write themselves. Those people who span the generations, books that the whole family can gather around and listen to."

And Katie Price, aka Jordan, will be releasing yet another memoir - entitled I'm Still Standing - pretty soon. (Like we didn't see THAT one coming.)

To view the full article, click here.

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 29, 2010 in Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 19, 2009 10:29 PM

BOOK REVIEW: For Hire by Luke Bradbury

When Belle du Jour's explicit memoirs hit the bookstores, they quickly became bestsellers. The tell-all of London prostitute Belle were read the world over and it wasn't long before other sex workers came forward with their own books revealing all about the industry (Confessions of a Working Girl, Diary of a Manhattan Call Girl, and lets not forget Girl With a One-Track Mind, to name a few). However, there's a new sexy memoir on the shleves, and this time, it's written by a guy.

Yep, For Hire is written by Luke Bradbury - a male gigolo.

I was quite excited to receive this book as having read Belle's books, along with a few others of a similar nature, I was interested to see how such an industry would be portrayed by a male. (Not that I'm looking for a career in escorting anytime soon, but I'm curious!) And I wasn't disappointed.

For Hire tells the story of 25-year-old Luke who, after moving to the UK from Australia, decides to become a male gigolo. With good money and a steady list of female clients, it seems as though nothing can go wrong. But as Luke's friends consider moving back to Australia and finding jobs, Luke realises that he needs to change, and fast. Working shifts doesn't see to cover the huge gap in his CV, and even though being a highly successful male escort is helping him to rake in the cash, it's just not going to cut it when it comes to hunting for that real (and normal) job.

And it isn't long before Luke's secret job is uncovered by his female flatmates. When Luke finally gets a girlfriend, it's only a matter of time before all is revealed, and so he has to make the decision - to remain an escort or give up the profession for good?

Basically, the book is packed with stories from Luke's 'adventures' as a gigolo, and having to hide his job from his flatmates. It doesn't take much to guess what happens and is quite similar to other escort memoirs, although Luke does have a fantastic writing style and the book flows well. If you're looking for a raunchy read then Luke's sexy recollections certainly won't disappoint. Sure, it's graphic - but fun at the same time, and if you're a fan of Belle du Jour, Girl with a One-Track Mind etc, then you'll love this.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on November 19, 2009 in Memoirs, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 23, 2009 11:43 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Checkout by Anna Sam

I love memoirs, especially blogs-turned-books. And it turns out I really love this one. Anna Sam, a blogger from France who spent eight years working on a checkout, got her book break this year with her witty memoir, Checkout: A life on the Tills.

It's a book about working...well, on a checkout. Admittedly, it's somewhat refreshing to read from the point of view of someone in a 'normal' job - after all, some great stories can be gained from such work (heck, I've got some classics from my former job in a tech support call centre). Needless to say, I was pleased and curious, and just had to read this book.

Based on Anna's blog and translated from the original French, Checkout is a tell-all book about working as a supermarket cashier. Anna hilariously describes the array of customers, from the charming to the downright annoying. Anna, who intended to go into publishing though stayed on in her supermarket job, lets us in on the world of supermarket work with funny stories about the people she encounters and the perks (and frustrations) of the job.

The downside? It's a short book (174 pages) and took me less than an hour to read it. So I was disappointed, as I would have loved to have read more of Anna's checkout tales. In addition, I felt that it could have been funnier - and there was plenty of room for more funny customer stories. It's fantastic, but does feel kind of rushed.

However, Anna perfectly conveys both the humour and irritation of having to work with the less pleasant (and less hygeinic!) members of the public, and so needless to say, Checkout makes for a fantastic read. Anyone, checkout staff or not, who has ever been forced to deal with customers on a daily basis will relate to this book!

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 23, 2009 in Debut Novels, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 11, 2009 2:47 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Diary of an On-Call Girl by WPC E.E. Bloggs

We previously had a look at some of the top career non-fiction , and frankly, Diary of an On-Call Girl just had to be featured on this list.

You guessed it - this isn't about everyone's favourite call-girl Belle, but instead an anonymous female police officer named WPC Ellie Bloggs. Based on her blog, A Twenty-First Century Police Officer, Ellie's hilarious memoir focuses on life in the Force and why sometimes, it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Based in the town of Blandmore in the county of Blandshire (could it be my town? Hmm...) PC Bloggs goes up against some of the town's bad guys on a daily basis. And we'll use that term loosely, because sometimes the criminals aren't as scary as they seem. Going from the lesser domestic disputes to the more serious, Ellie describes exactly what happens when there's a public emergency. But even though you'll probably be laughing at her police tales, some of it can shock you!

Diary of an On-Call Girl: True Stories from the Front Line is written in diary format, similar to the blog. But it's funnier. For anyone who's ever been curious as to what life as a police officer is like, this is a must-read.

Ellie tells of her day-to-day work, from the serious issues to the...well, not so serious. And there are plenty of the latter. As Ellie deals with man troubles and collegaues, she's out trying to catch the criminals which can somehow be a bit tiresome what with all the paperwork that's involved. And despite most of Ellie's anecdotes being laugh-out-loud funny, there's a darker side to the story - the truth about modern policing.

WPC Bloggs is a brilliantly witty writer who spills the beans on the profession perfectly.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 11, 2009 in Memoirs, Rating: 4/5, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 24, 2009 11:56 AM

BOOK NEWS: The Tent, the Bucket and Me

I was just having a wander through Amazon, when I came across this book by Emma Kennedy (actress and writer from Goodness Gracious Me, The Smoking Room and The Now Show). It resonated so much with me that I just had to write about it on here. It's about holidays in a time before Center Parcs when all you had was a tent (or a caravan in our case) a bucket and went off to Wales or France to create your own adventures. It has just been released and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

Click over the cut for the blurb.

Growing up in the Seventies, we were on the brink of the modern age. But despite a brave new world of Casio hand-held calculators and digital watches, one thing remained the same: the family holiday. For the Seventies child, summer holidays didn't mean the joy of Center Parcs or the sophistication of a Tuscan villa. They meant being crammed into a car with Grandma and heading to the coast. With just a tent for a home and a bucket for the necessities, we would set off on new adventures each year stoically resolving to enjoy ourselves.For Emma Kennedy, and her mum and dad, disaster always came along for the ride no matter where they went. Whether it was swept away by a force ten gale on the Welsh coast or suffering copious amounts of food poisoning on a brave trip to the south of France, family holidays always left them battered and bruised. But they never gave up. Emma's memoir, "The Tent, the Bucket and Me", is a painfully funny reminder of just what it was like to spend your summer holidays cold, damp but with sand between your toes.

Posted by Helen Redfern on March 24, 2009 in Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 18, 2009 9:03 PM

BOOK NEWS: Air Confidential and top tell-all career books...

Wicked Whispers: Confessions of a Gossip Queen

Former 3am girl Jessica Callan released her tell-tale book in 2007, detailing life as a showbiz journalist. Jessica dished the dirt on both the nice celebrities, and...well, the not so nice ones. Working as one of the most renowned showbiz journos in the country, Jessica and the 3am girls were subject to a vast array of celebrity shenanigans...and so, she penned this scandalous diary.

Tabloid Love

What are your favourites?

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 18, 2009 in Book News, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 11, 2009 7:18 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Are you there, Vodka? It's me, Chelsea by Chelsea Handler

I’m a big fan of memoirs, particularly the funny, short-story sort (see: Jen Lancaster, Laurie Notaro, Marian Keyes…) So I was delighted to stumble across Are you there, Vodka…?, a memoir by American actress and comedienne Chelsea Handler.

 

Admittedly, I haven’t seen much of Chelsea's TV work, what with being in the UK and all. But after reading this book, I’ll tell you one thing: I love her.

 

Are you there, Vodka? Is a selection of short non-fiction stories, in which Chelsea shares some amusing anecdotes from her life. Starting at childhood, where she lies to classmates about starring in a movie with Goldie Hawn as a no-homework excuse to her first DUI, Chelsea’s essays discuss life with her family and friends and some of her hilarious antics, including the time she got dumped by a guy she didn’t even like in the first place...because of his hair.

 

Chelsea is hilariously witty and admittedly, had me laughing all the way through, particularly seeing as she’s very blunt. Granted, she can be a bit crude at times (so be warned: this book is not for the very easily offended!) but not afraid to say what she thinks!

I'm now going to check out her other book, My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands. Consider me a new fan of Chelsea Handler because I got through Vodka in a day and already can't wait to read more! Chelsea has a fantastic writing style and the ability to portray some of life's awkward moments in the funniest way possible.

And that is why I love her.

Rating: 5/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on March 11, 2009 in American Authors, Memoirs, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (5)

November 21, 2008 2:23 PM

Jo Brand's Memoirs

Jo Brand has signed a two book deal with Headline for her memoirs. The comedian has already written a couple of novels, including It's Different For Girls, and has another novel, The More You Ignore Me, out in May next year.

Her autobiographies will cover her life working as a psychiatric nurse, before hitting the road as a burgeoning stand- up, as well as her marriage and children. The first one will be out in October 2009 with the second released the following year. [via The Bookseller]

Related posts: £1.5 million for Dawn French's Memoirs | It's Beginning To Feel A Lot Like Christmas

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 21, 2008 in Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 31, 2008 11:22 AM

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)

October 20, 2008 10:16 AM

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 17, 2008 12:56 PM

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)

September 23, 2008 12:02 PM

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...

There are an abundance of autobiographies beginning their journey towards Christmas by making an appearance on chat shows. We have already reviewed The Celeb Diaries and Lorraine Kelly and told you about Dear Fatty by Dawn French. So who else might you find in your Christmas stocking?

Julie Walters, Jonny Wilkinson, Alan Carr, Paul O'Grady, Michael Parkinson, both Craig Revel Horwood and Len Goodman from Strictly Come Dancing, My Word is My Bond by Roger Moore (great title!), Fern Britton, Girls Aloud, Christopher Biggins, Richard Madeley and Frank Skinner are just some of the personalities to release books in the next few months.

Related posts: Yet Another Jordan "autobiography" | Yay or Nay Ghostwritten Books | The Return of Jade Goody

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 23, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Extreme Motherhood by Jackie Clune

I'm very sorry to have to tell you that I'm going through a bit of a book slump at the moment (it happens every now and then...). So this book - Jackie Clune's memoir of having twins - would probably ordinarily be a More on Monday, but if I don't review it today I'd have nothing - nothing!

It might just be permissible anyway, since Clune *has* previously written a chick lit novel, Man of the Month Club, which I, um, didn't like very much. But, thankfully, I LOVED Extreme Motherhood!

Unexpectedly pregnant - and with a daughter under a year old - Jackie Clune discovered that she was carrying natural triplets. (Even though I've read the book, I still came out in goosebumps when I typed that!) At first she is, perhaps understandably, horrified and devastated, but a combination of her practical nature and protective feelings for her unborn babies soon change her mind entirely.

Extreme Motherhood covers the period from the scan to the triplets' first birthday and it is, indeed, a rollercoaster of emotion. Jackie is fiercely protective of her babies and horrified at the insensitive comments strangers always feel the need to make, which range from the ubiquitous, "You've got your hands full" to how she's ruined her life. (Reading this, I felt furious on her behalf!)

But, like so many "mommy memoirs", Jackie is brutally honest. No, it's not easy having four children under two (obviously). Yes, sometimes she wants to run away and wishes she could have her old life back. Yes, it puts a massive strain on her relationship (so much that at one point I had to stop reading and Google her to make sure she and Rich actually made it - they have, phew!).

I found this book emotional, entertaining, inspirational and, now that I've finished it, I miss her. The triplets are three now. Can we have an update, Jackie, please?

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Waiting for Birdy by Catherine Newman

Posted by Keris on September 23, 2008 in British Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 22, 2008 2:08 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Wife In The North by Judith O'Reilly

I have been looking forward to reading Wife In The North, the book of the blog, for some time. I had been reading excerpts from her website and was intrigued and wanted to know more. Wife In The North is the creation of Judith O'Reilly, a freelance journalist, who moves from London to Northumberland because that is where her husband wants to live. At the beginning she has two sons, is pregnant with another child and she really really really doesn't want to go.

The blog becomes her place to vent her frustrations with living away from her old home and trying to fit into her new one.

The book is in diary format and starts with Judith and her husband deciding they would move up from London to Northumberland, giving it two years to see if it worked. Judith then goes on to describe the loneliness, trying to fit in, builders, her son being bullied and living with an absent husband. Because even though it was his decision to live in the north he spends weeks at a time living in London. I couldn't get my head around this. I also wondered why she would stay up north if she hates it so much. Every time I opened the book I would feel slightly depressed when reading it. When describing something beautiful there would always be a pessimistic slant.

But as I read more I started to understand more. People may sneer at her for wanting to return to London, but London represents so much for her. Friends, the younger person she was before children, her career. Yes they also have good coffee but I think you'll find this in the Wife's sense of humour.

She mentions about a third of the way in that she has started her blog. After this, even though she still missed London, her tone seemed to become slightly more optimistic, as though the blog and the act of writing was helping her.

From doing a bit of research I see Judith has gained many fans but also has had more than her fair share of critics. She has been accused of being selfish. I don't see how she can be. After all she has sacrificed her own career and life in London because of her husband's wishes. She has been accused of being wealthy, middle class and having a nanny and therefore not allowed to complain about her emotional experiences after having children. Well excuse me. Depression, being low, feeling alienated crosses all boundaries. It is a feeling many new mothers can relate to. I certainly can which is maybe why I found the book hard going at times. Then when she describes the tragedy at the end which happened before their move up north, I was struck dumb.To have gone through all of that...well, I have nothing but sorrow and also admiration for her.

Her writing is beautiful, almost poetic at times. The way she describes Northumberland, with a stranger's eyes, makes me want to live there. I didn't find it detrimental about the north or Northumberland, but more feeling like a fish out of water, unable to cope, unable to call on someone when she feels unable to cope and putting a brave face on things. The book has been described as "funny". I didn't find that. I found it sad, poignant, real, and honest. Why the publishers gave it a cartoony front cover is beyond me.

Rating: 4/5

Like this?  Try Petite Anglaise by Catherine Sanderson

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 22, 2008 in Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 10, 2008 10:35 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Between You and Me by Lorraine Kelly

Everyone loves Lorraine Kelly, don't they. Don't they? I've always thought she seemed like a lovely woman, but, I must admit, when this autobiography came out I did wonder what exciting revelations it may contain. I mean, as far as I was concerned, Lorraine worked as a journalist, got a job on GMTV and then... stayed there.

But the press release promised it would be "mischievous" and the book itself claimed it was "a little bit naughty" so I was expecting, well, some entertainment...

Let's look at the inside cover of the book:

"From growing up in one of Glasgow's toughest areas..."

Well, yes, she did, but she had a lovely, comfortable upbringing and the family wasn't there long.

"To her early career as a journalist during which she covered such heartbreaking tragedies as Lockerbie and Dunblane..."

Well, yes, she did. But she didn't really have anything interesting to add about either situation. In fact, she says that there are no words to describe them. Plus the Dunblane chapter in particular is a good example of something that drove me slightly mad about this book. Much like Lorraine's GMTV show, serious subjects are immediately followed by more frivolous issues. So the Dunblane chapter ends "I hope that the monster who killed them is suffering all the torments of hell" and the following chatper begins "I love radio... you can sit there in your tracksuit, dipping HobNobs into your tea and no one will ever know."

Lorraine also seems to have led a rather lovely life and at times she reminded me of that old Fast Show character, "which was nice". Everyone is lovely and friendly and warm. Even people with a bad reputation like Elton John. Yes, people say he's a diva, but he "couldn't have been nicer" to Lorraine and her family.

So is there any shocking showbiz gossip at all? Well, apparently Anthea Turner and Eamonn Holmes didn't get on (yawn), but they're fine now. And then there's George Clooney and Will Smith. Both lovely and professional.

In fact, the only thing that could be described as "naughty" or "mischievous" in this book is the very last line and that's such a hackneyed joke it actually made me grown in horror.

So, yes, Lorraine does seem like a lovely woman, but why someone has paid her money to write an autobiography - and why that autobiography is currently in the Top 5 of various book charts - is utterly beyond me.

Rating: 2/5

Like this? Try My Take by Gary Barlow

Posted by Keris on September 10, 2008 in British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 2/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 27, 2008 12:51 PM

BOOK(S) REVIEW: A Round-Heeled Woman and Unaccompanied Women by Jane Juska

I bought Jane Juska's memoir so long ago that, although the Waterstone's receipt was still stuck in the front cover, everything but the company name had faded away (I hate when that happens; how much better would that money have been in *my* bank account!).

Anyway, I finally started reading it and, after three chapters, loved it so much that I had to put it to one side so I could take it away with me. I loved Jane Juska's voice - wry, self-deprecating, honest - and I was desperate to read more about her adventures, but I am also always keen to have a good book to read on a plane, so I had to wait.

In case you've never heard of it, A Round-Heeled Woman is a memoir written after Juska decided to place the following advert in the New York Review of Books:

Before I turn 67 - next March - I would like to have a lot of sex with a man I like. If you want to talk first, Trollope works for me.

Incredibly brave, don't you think? Or, as Juska herself points out, foolish. I wanted her to find intelligent, entertaining, kind men and have, as she wished, lots of sex (great sex, in fact). This didn't exactly happen.

Juska's "sexploits" aren't the only focus of the book, though, she's also led an interesting life, teaching in high schools and San Quentin Prison and we learn a lot about this too, plus her family background, education in the fifties, marriage and problems with her son.

Of course, the dates with the advert's respondents and any subsequent sex are the bits that stick in the mind... actually, I'm not certain that's true. Some of the sex parts stick in the mind (ew), but I find myself thinking more about the way the men treated her. She falls in love (which she didn't intend to) with more than one of them and it doesn't work out well.

That was my problem with the book, really - and it's my problem, not the book's. I was hoping for a life-affirming memoir. I wanted Juska to get everything she wanted and more and she doesn't. In fact, she gets her heart-broken more than once. I found, as I read on, I was feeling sadder and sadder.

But not so sad that I didn't leap at the chance to read the follow-up - Unaccompanied Women - in which she's still looking for that elusive mate and, at the same time, somewhere secure to live. In fact, security is a major issue in both books, which made me worry for Juska even more. Security - financial and emotional - is one of my major driving forces and I'm "only" 37. I hate the idea that I will still feel the same in another 37 years.

I didn't enjoy Unaccompanied Women quite as much as A Round-Heeled Woman, simply because Juska reports the stories of a number of other women and I didn't find them quite as interesting as her own. Having read the books, though, I feel quite protective of Juska and hopes she gets at least some of what she really wants.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try I Feel Bad About My Neck by Nora Ephron (for wittily written essays on ageing) or My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler (for a sex memoir)

Posted by Keris on August 27, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 20, 2008 4:19 PM

BOOK NEWS: Dear Fatty

We wrote a while ago about the fact that Dawn French was being paid in the region of £1.5million for her autobiography and now I've seen the title and the cover. (It's out in October.)

I have to say, I'm not wild about the title - Dear Fatty. We all know she's on the large side, no need to flog it. She looks beautiful on the cover though, don't you think?

Related posts: Growing Pains by Billie Piper | Multi-million pound advances - yay or nay?

Posted by Keris on August 20, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (7)

August 18, 2008 11:20 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Mother Shock by Andrea Buchanan

I think I'd had this book - which is subtitled "Loving every (other) minute of it" - on my Amazon Wishlist since I was pregnant with my son, who is now 4. I'm now pregnant with my second child and finally got around to buying it. And I'm so glad I did.

This book is a collection of essays examinining Buchanan's experience, mostly of the first year of motherhood. She learned early on, that the transition to motherhood has much in common with the culture shock experienced when you move to another country and each section begins with direct comparisons, which are startling in their accuracy.

Buchanan then goes on to write about, as you would expect, her pregnancy, her daughter's birth, ambivalence (and fear) about having another child, miscarriage and more. Before she was a writer, she was a professional pianist and there's a beautiful essay about her daughter's burgeoning interest in the piano.

I'm constantly amazed and impressed by the honesty in these "mommy memoirs" and this one is no exception. Buchanan admits things in writing that I have barely even admitted to myself in my head. It's incredibly brave and incredibly comforting.

I actually loved *every* minute of it and would wholeheartedly recommend it both to new mothers and not-so-new mothers alike.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Making Babies by Anne Enright

Posted by Keris on August 18, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 21, 2008 10:10 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: My Booky Wook by Russell Brand

I'd been hearing such great things about this book for such a long time, that I planned to read it even though I'd never actually seen Russell Brand in action. Of course, I was aware of him - he's impossible to miss - but I'd never actually seen his stand up until a couple of weeks ago... and I thought he was hilarious so bought the book the very next time I was in a bookshop.

I started reading it on the train and was worried I would have to put it down because more than once I did those snorting laughs that cause people to turn around to see what you're reading (or consider moving seats).

In case you're unfamiliar with Mr Brand, he's a TV presenter, stand-up comedian and actor who used to be alcoholic and addicted to both heroin and sex. The book begins actually with his manager sending him to a clinic to recover from his sex addiction, but then we go back to childhood and the rest of the book is fairly chronological.

As you may guess from the title, My Booky Wook is written in an extremely conversational style, which feels as if Brand is talking to you (I generally read it in his voice, which was quite entertaining). It's extremely honest, often disgusting and frequently funny. I also found it inspirational since he originally set out wanting to be a comedian and actor, but kept sabotaging himself (he was sacked from practically every single job he ever got), but once he got clean he's managed to achieve those ambitions in a relatively short time. It just shows that however many mistakes you make, there's always the chance that you can pull your socks up (or, in Brand's case, your pants down) and get another chance.

Once I'd finished it, I searched my email so I could tell one of the people I thought had recommended it to me how much I enjoyed it. I found their email. It said, "Don't read Russell Brand's book, it'll make you feel dirty." And I'd taken that as a recommendation! And it did make me feel a tiny bit dirty, but it also made me happy and I was sorry to finish reading it.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Frank by Frank Skinner (THE best celebrity autobiography ever, in my opinion)

Posted by Keris on July 21, 2008 in British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 9, 2008 11:16 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Moose by Stephanie Klein

When I featured the video trailer for this book, I warned that it would make you cry... well, if you're anything like me, you'll find the book even more upsetting.

Subtitled, "a memoir of fat camp", it's exactly that - there's a little about Stephanie now at the beginning and end of the book, but the rest of it is about Stephanie's overweight childhood and summer spent at Camp Yanisin. The title refers to the fact that in eighth grade, boys at school started calling her "Moose". But not just Moose, a long, drawn-out, moose-call type of "Moooooooossse". I can't think about that without feeling utterly furious, so you can imagine how I felt when Stephanie reported that her father thought it was funny...

The book is filled with that kind of thing - Stephanie actually feels popular and relatively at home at fat camp, despite the fact that the camp itself sounds ridiculous and pointless (and that's assuming you don't find the very idea of fat camp offensive). The thing I found so depressing about this book was the relentless focus on Stephanie's weight - both by herself and her family. Yes, I know that's what the book's about, but it's just such a miserable thing for a child to have to spend her time worrying about.

Of course, it's certainly possible that I found this book so upsetting because I identified with it so much, but I've recently read two other weight memoirs - Shauna Reid's The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl and Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster - and, although I identified with those books too, I also found them amusing and entertaining (as well as poignant and inspiring); Moose made me sad and angry.

It's very well written and brutally honest (wincingly honest sometimes), but I was glad to finish it.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

Posted by Aigua Media on July 9, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 23, 2008 11:33 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Making Babies by Anne Enright

I don't particularly want to read Anne Enright's Booker winning The Gathering - sounds way too bleak for me - but I've had her pregnancy and parenting memoir, Making Babies on the shelf for a while now so I finally read it. And I loved it. (Oh and apologies that both reviews these days are motherhood-y - just a coincidence!)

Enright is brutally honest and very funny as she writes about how pushing a buggy makes you look (um, rough), how much breast-feeding hurts (plenty), how babies are born knowing everything, how she fitted her writing life into her parenting life, how lonely parenting is, basically everything you could want to know about the subtitle, Stumbling into Motherhood.

Enright is utterly aware of how universal these things are, but, at the same time, how specific and personal they are. I marked pages thinking "I thought I was the only one who felt like that!" I laughed, I sympathised, I empathised and I cried (I always, always cry reading parenting memoirs).

And - just as you'd expect from a Booker Prize winner - the writing is gorgeous:

Yesterday, it was warm, and I took off her socks and stood her on the grass. She loved this, but maybe not so much as I did - her first experience of grass. For her, this green stuff was just as different and as delicious as everything else - the 'first' was all mine. Sometimes, I feel as though I am introducing her to my own nostalgia for the world.

Highly recommended if you're considering motherhood or, indeed, stumbling into motherhood yourself (although bear in mind that it's not pretty!).

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Waiting for Birdy by Catherine Newman

Posted by Aigua Media on June 23, 2008 in Irish Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 10, 2008 8:04 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Such a Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

I absolutely loved Jen Lancaster's first two books, so much so that, when this, her latest, arrived, I gave a little squeal, did a happy dance, started it immediately and pretty much didn't look up again until I'd finished.

Such a Pretty Fat is, as the title suggests, a memoir of Jen's attempted weightloss. Because she has such a healthy ego, Jen's weight has never really been a problem for her, but when she realises that it's possibly becoming a problem for her health (and also, of course, when an author friend suggests it might be a good subject to write about, she decides it's time to step away from the pie and step onto a treadmill.

Because Jen is Jen, of course things don't go smoothly, but that's good, because the book is even funnier the more honest Jen is about her failures and struggles with eating less and moving more.

Jen Lancaster is one of those writers that you feel like you know. I loved Such a Pretty Fat and will certainly be passing it on to all my friends. I just can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

(I just read on Jen's blog that her next book is to be called Pretty in Plaid. But what's it about, Jen? What's it about?!)

 

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl by Shauna Reid

Posted by Aigua Media on June 10, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (4)

May 30, 2008 9:03 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Bringing Home the Birkin by Michael Tonello

Even though I also write for our sister site, The Bag Lady, I must admit I knew very little about the Hermes Birkin bag before reading Michael Tonello's book. I knew it was an "It" bag, with a waiting list. I knew that Victoria Beckham has loads of them. I knewLogan bought one for Rory in Gilmore Girls. And ... that's it.

Michael Tonello knew even less about them than me, but it didn't stop him becoming an enormously successful Birkin reseller, managing to get hundreds of the bags without joining any waiting list. How? 

Well ... after moving to Barcelona, Tonello's job fell through. Stuck in Spain with no work permit, he had to find a way to work for himself. Trying to make some fast cash, he sold some of his stuff on ebay and was surprised to find how much he could get for Hermes gear in particular. Starting with scarves, he trawled Barcelona's Hermes stores for old stock, i.e. collectables, and was amazed to find he was making a huge profit.

Through those sales he made contact with a number of Hermes collectors who advised him on what to look out for and before long he was travelling all over Europe and selling Hermes on ebay full time. Since he'd developed wish lists for his clients, Tonello had begun to learn about the mythic Birkin bag and, after a while, decided to try and get his hands on one.

At first his requests were met with rudeness, but soon he developed a (ridiculously simple) formula and the Birkins started coming thick and fast. (One of the photo captions states that Hermes claim to only make 100 Birkins per year: "If that were truly the case it would mean that I bought the entire annual production that year - and then some!" comments Michael.)

Despite being unfamiliar with the Birkin, I found this book a hugely entertaining read. Tonello is a funny and charming writer and his Birkin-gathering life was so glamorous I got completely caught up in it (and enormously envious of the fabulous hotels he stayed in, the incredible food he ate, the amazing wine he drank... sigh). It's the kind of book that's so accessible, you miss the author when you've finished reading.

It's not just about a bag, it's about taking chances, seizing the moment, truly living your life. I loved it. (But it hasn't made me want a Birkin. I prefer the Chloe Bay...)

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try The Shops by India Knight (nothing like it, really, but still great)

Posted by Aigua Media on May 30, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 27, 2008 12:44 PM

BOOK REVIEW: All That Glitters by Pearl Lowe

The trouble with addiction memoirs is that they tend to be quite repetitive: doing lots of drugs, realising they've got a problem, vowing to give up, giving up, falling off the wagon, doing lots of drugs ... and so on.

Pearl Lowe's All That Glitters is no exception. Pearl Lowe was in a vaguely successful band in the indie decade, the '90s. She had a child, she got married, she got divorced. She met Danny Goffey from Supergrass and they fell madly in love. And she did loads and loads of drugs. And then she didn't. And then she did again.

I found All That Glitters veered between incredibly boring and strangely compelling. Each time Pearl fell off the wagon, it followed the same pattern and I found myself scanning pages. The bits that I found compelling were mainly either because I was so horrified by Pearl's behaviour (or the behaviour of those around her) or because I just didn't believe her.

I can't really be specific about the bits I didn't believe (we've got a no spoilers policy here), but I'm sure, if you read it, you would also doubt their veracity. I didn't exactly feel that Pearl was lying, more that she was being disingenuous, both about actual experiences and her motivations. (One thing I will say is that her behaviour towards Gavin Rossdale - who turned out to be the father of Pearl's eldest daughter, Daisy - was just horrendous.)

The main thing that disturbed me about this book, though, was that Pearl never seems to get to the bottom of her addiction and she constantly seems on the verge of another relapse, particularly since her friends and even her partner, Danny, continue to take drugs around her.

Rather than being "ultimately uplifting" as Cosmopolitan called it, I found the whole thing depressing.

Rating: 2/5

Like this? Try Drugs are Nice by Lisa Crystal Carver

Posted by Aigua Media on May 27, 2008 in Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 2/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 15, 2008 1:08 PM

BOOK REVIEW: A Walk With Jane Austen by Lori Smith

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Part history, part armchair travel-guide, and part memoir, A Walk With Jane Austen by Lori Smith put my travel bug in overdrive. Being a big Jane Austen fan, I can easily imagine what it might be like to walk where she once lived. A Walk With Jane Austin gave me a glimpse of the UK from the comfort of my couch (well, LoveSac actually).

When Smith decided to travel to Britain, she was looking for a change of scenery and a chance of pace from her hectic life. Smith heads 'across the pond', and begins her journey in Oxford. She continues on to London, Winchester, Bath and beyond. Throughout the trip, she shares thoughts and feelings straight from her heart.

In Oxford she meets Jack, who she finds intriguing and charming. In London, she visits an old friend and writes about the terrorism that is all over the news these days. In each chapter she shares how she's processing her journey and how her faith is being stretched, expanded and deepened.

Mixed in amongst her experiences, Smith shares the parts of Austen's life that took place in each location. She notes that in Oxford, where her journey began, was also where it's thought that George and Cassandra Austen, Jane's parents, met. In Steventon, Smith discusses that this, or something nearby, is Jane Austen's birthplace. The story intermingles with Austen history and it's a fun walk through time. The book also has a deeper dimension, where Smith shares her inmost thoughts and feelings.

Smith's book began as a blog where she wrote about her experiences. In the preface, she mentions that on the blog she often received questions from readers as to whether the entries were fictional or not. She makes mention that it's very much a work of non-fiction, although having been written after the trip from her extensive journaling, she may have added some additional perspective in hindsight.

Put altogether, the book does read like a novel and knowing that it's not makes it an ever better read in my opinion. I identified with Smith in many ways and found myself wishing I had been traveling along with her. Maybe she'll take another trip and invite me along? Hey, a girl can dream...

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Madonna and Me by Nikki Racklin

Posted by Aigua Media on May 15, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 29, 2008 11:41 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Candy Girl by Diablo Cody

I had to read Candy Girl after watching and completely ADORING the movie Juno, the screenplay of which was written by Diablo Cody.

Candy Girl is subtitled "a year in the life of an unlikely stripper" and does exactly what it says on the tin. After moving to Minneapolis, Cody was working in an advertising agency and living with a musician she met on the internet. Bored at work and passing a strip club one day, she wonders what it would be like to strip. And so she volunteers for amateur night.

Cody finds her first experience of stripping both terrifying and exhilarating and soon she's stripping regularly. From stripping she moves on to lapdancing, poledancing and more, eventually working in the Dollhouse, a revolting-sounding peepshow.

Cody's writing is enormously honest and entertaining, but even a couple of weeks after finishing the book, I haven't been able to work out what Cody got out of stripping. She suggests that she did it to challenge and frighten herself, but I didn't find that reasoning entirely convincing.

As I read the book, I argued with myself about whether I was for or against stripping - vacillating between it being a valid way to earn a good living by taking advantage of men's perversions and being, you know, a misogynist and patriarchal disgrace. By the end of Candy Girl I was totally resolved that it's a blight on society and no right-thinking woman should do it willingly. But, of course, I might be wrong.

Oh and remember when I read Good Vibrations and said there was one section that made me sick to my stomach? Well there's a bit in Candy Girl that's (arguably) even worse.

So Candy Girl is absolutely not for the faint-hearted, but it's a thought-provoking and entertaining read.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Good Vibrations by Ayn Carrillo

Posted by Aigua Media on April 29, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

April 17, 2008 8:19 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Further Under The Duvet by Marian Keyes

We adored Marian's first collection of non-fiction essays, Under The Duvet, and I'm pleased to report that Further Under the Duvet is just as warm and funny.

Whether she is talking about her well-documented alcoholism, charity work, feminism, her love of Prada or the Irish air-guitar-playing championships, Marian is adroit and lovely.

As well as journalism (previously published in places like the Guardian and Marie Claire), Further Under Duvet has a small collection of short stories (two of which are previously unpublished) and Mammy Walsh's Problem Page.

A lovely warm hug of a read.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try: Under The Duvet (of course!) by Marian Keyes

Posted by Sarah Painter on April 17, 2008 in Marian Keyes, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Short Story Collections | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 31, 2008 10:13 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Lucky by Alice Sebold

Alice Sebold's memoir of the brutal rape and beating she suffered as an eighteen-year-old college student is something I have been meaning to read for a long time. Knowing it was going to be tough, I kept putting it off, but I am so glad I got round to it in the end...

Yes, it is very hard to read in places, but the majority of the book is about Sebold's (interesting - and a little crazy) family and her triumphant battle to convict the man who raped her.

Sebold writes with amazing honesty and insight. The account of her horrifying attack  is given with terrifying, startling candour and I can only imagine how hard it must have been for Sebold to write it.

She is amazingly brave, not just for the account of the attack, but for honestly recounting the reactions of people to her after the event and her slow recovery.

Lucky is also a book of hope. Sebold survives. She wins against the man in a rape trial and she wins against him by healing and by going on to help others with this important book. Having read and adored The Lovely Bones, I already thought Sebold was an amazing writer - now I believe she is an amazing person, too.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

Posted by Sarah Painter on March 31, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 4, 2008 1:45 PM

Another false memoir...

Best-selling Holocaust autobiography, Misha: A Memoir of the Holocaust Years, turns out to be false.

Released over ten years ago, the story tells how the six-year-old Misha went looking for her parents (who had been taken to Auschwitz), and was saved from starvation by a pack of wolves, who accepted her as part of their family.

Now, after being presented with irrefutable evidence, Misha (real name, Monique De Wael) has admitted to making the whole thing up.

Monique claims that "it is not the true reality, but it is my reality." Huh?

Here's an idea; why  not just label it 'fiction' in the first place and avoid the nasty tarnish to your karma?

[Via Independent]

Related posts: And in hoax news... | Yay or Nay: misery memoirs

Posted by Sarah Painter on March 4, 2008 in Book News, Memoirs, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 19, 2008 2:01 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Waiting for Birdy by Catherine Newman

Have you ever fallen in love with a book? So in love that you just couldn't stop reading it. Or, if you had to stop, you'd be thinking about it and rushing to get things done so you could get back to it? That was me with Catherine Newman's Waiting for Birdy last weekend. (In fact, my husband was getting annoyed that I was talking more about Catherine's son, Ben, than our own son!)

Taken from Catherine's Babycentre blog, it's the story of gorgeous 3-year-old Ben and Catherine's mixed feelings about being pregnant with her second child, Birdy (don't worry, they didn't christen her that). Nothing dramatic or tragic (thankfully) happens, it's just the story of a family or, as the cover puts it "a year of frantic tedium, neurotic angst, and the wild magic of growing a family".

It's just a gorgeous book. It made me cry (repeatedly). It made me laugh (a lot). And sometimes it made me laugh until I cried.

Later that evening, we were all in the car together and a Cole Porter song came on. After we told him that it was called " 'S Wonderful" and that it was Ella Fitzgerald singing, Ben was silent for a while. "Like at the zoo?" he finally ventured, and Michael shot me a questioning look. "Like what?" I asked. "Like at the zoo. Like Elephants Gerald?"

Catherine articulates every single thing I've ever felt about motherhood. How joyful it is. How painful it is. How everything - everything - is bittersweet.

And the best thing is that, now I've finished the book, I've still got years' worth of blog posts to read! Highly, highly, recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Mama Lama Ding Dong by Ayun Halliday

Posted by Keris on February 19, 2008 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 8, 2008 4:38 PM

Jamelia to write autobiography

It seems publishers still love a celeb autobiography and, as ever, having lived a long and interesting life is not a requirement. Orion has signed 27-year-old pop star Jamelia to write an "inspirational account" of her rise to success.

Okay, perhaps I am being a little harsh... Apparently Jamelia will explain how “others can escape from difficult circumstances to achieve their dreams”. So that's nice.

[Via Bookseller]

Related posts: Celebrity memoir mania | George Michael signs book deal

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 8, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 22, 2008 1:06 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl by Shauna Reid

I've only just started reading Shauna Reid's wonderful blog - The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl - so I was keen to read the book version and catch up on everything I'd missed over the past seven years!

In 2001, after seeing a gigantic pair of her knickers on the washing line, Shauna decided it was time to go to WeightWatchers ... where she discovered to her horror that her weight had crept up to 25 stone. Knowing that she really needed to lose a significant amount of weight, Shauna came up with an online fat-busting alter-ego  ... Dietgirl!

For years, Shauna kept her identity a secret, while blogging about dieting, exercising, her struggle with depression and, eventually, travelling with her sister from Australian to Scotland, where her life was to change even more dramatically.

By the end of the book I felt like I knew Shauna and I was so proud of what she'd achieved, not just physically, but emotionally too. This book is a real journey and I didn't want it to end (although I'm glad it did, for Shauna's sake!).

Shauna writes honestly and movingly about her struggles, but she's also very funny. I think you'd enjoy this book even if you've never had any problem with your weight, but if you do have weight issues, I have no doubt you'll find it incredibly motivating and inspiring. I've been losing and regaining the same two stone for about fifteen years now, but Shauna has definitely changed the way I think about weightloss (for the better - just to be clear!).

I loved this book so much that I really can't recommend it highly enough.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster (when it comes out!)

Posted by Keris on January 22, 2008 in Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Self development | Permalink | Comments (4)

January 21, 2008 10:19 AM

George Michael signs book deal

This one's for Keris...

George Michael has signed an allegedy huge deal (the figure $7 million is being thrown about) with HarperCollins for his memoir. Scheduled for an Autumn 2009 release, Michael has promised a 'no holds barred' account of his life.

[Via Yahoo]

Related posts: Celebrity memoir mania | Top ten non-fiction chick lit

Posted by Sarah Painter on January 21, 2008 in Book News, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (4)

January 16, 2008 11:23 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Madonna and Me by Nikki Racklin

I wrote about Nikki Racklin's Madonna and Me back in November and I finally got a chance to read it ... and I loved it just as much as I thought I would.

I expected Nikki to be American, but only a couple of pages in I realised she's actually English and, funnily enough, it sort of changed my whole perception of the book.

I was anticipating a kind of "growth" memoir - how I grew up and realised that Madonna is Madonna and I'm me kind of a thing, but instead Madonna and Me is more of a snarky where did it all go wrong? what was I thinking? book.

Nikki began her music career at the same time as Madonna, but where Madonna's career quickly went stratospheric, Nikki's stalled ... for about twenty years. She wasn't unsuccessful - she toured, she made a record, she had a lot of fun - but she never got a record deal and she certainly didn't come close to Madonna's level of fame. Throughout the book, Nikki compares her career with Madonna's and always comes out second best, often with very funny results.

What I loved about this book was that Nikki is under no illusions as to why Madonna made it while she didn't - star quality, charisma, the X factor. Plus she (Nikki, I'm not sure about Madonna) can laugh at herself (since she performed on French TV wearing a man's vest and boxer shorts that she'd decorated herself, that's a good job) and she's very down to earth about her career.

In fact, she's a little bit too self-deprecating at times - she can't have been as poor as she says since she was sought out by more successful musicians and worked as a session singer (which I used to think I wanted to be - despite not being able to sing - and I can remember reading about how hard it is and how good you have to be).

Madonna and Me is much more about Nikki Racklin than it is about Madonna, but that's okay - there are thousands of books about Madonna already and I doubt very many of them are as entertaining as this one.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn

Posted by Keris on January 16, 2008 in British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 2, 2008 11:43 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Growing Pains by Billie Piper

Yes, I know it's ridiculous a 23-year-old writing an autobiography, but Billie Piper has packed more into her 23 years than many people do in a lifetime.

In case you don't know her, Billie became a pop star at age 15. The record company wanted her to be a British Madonna and, while that didn't quite work out, she did have three very successful and, according to this book, gruelling years as a popstar.

I'd be lying if I said that, before picking this book up, I wasn't mostly interested to read about her marriage to Chris Evans (a British TV presenter and DJ who Billie married when she was 18 and he was 34), but I found the whole rise to fame section and even the chapters about her childhood (which can sometimes be a bit tedious *cough*Gary Barlow*cough*) absolutely fascinating. Clearly precocious, Billie was still forced to grow up too fast (once she signed her record deal, she lived alone in a London hotel - aged 15!).

Reading the book, I was thrilled when Chris Evans turned up because I knew that Billie's life was about to become considerably better. Suffering from anorexia, exhaustion and, by the sound of it, a bit of a drug issue too (which she, oddly considering the honesty of the rest of the book, glosses over), she met Chris and, before they'd even been on an official date, he turned up at her door with (famously) the keys to a Ferrari filled with roses and a marriage proposal.

From then on, Billie's next few years passed in marital bliss. They (again, famously) travelled the world together (getting drunk, gaining weight and barely bothering even to brush their hair) and then moved into Chris's cottage. At which point, I became quite envious. Their life just sounded gorgeous. Baking cakes, hanging out, travelling whenever they wanted to, and never having to worry about work. But, of course, that couldn't last.

Billie wanted to try acting, which had always been her first love and, once she got the part of Rose Tyler in the newly revived (and now incredibly successful) Dr Who, her marriage broke down and her "third act" - as an actress (first was "singer", second was "wife") began. (If you keep up with celebrity gossip - and you know I do - you'll know that on New Year's Eve Billie married again.)

As you might be able to tell from my slightly over-excited review, reading this book I fell completely in love with Billie. She's funny, honest, sensible, charming and inspiring. And she's still only 23. Good grief. It is a cracking good read though. I read it on a seven hour car journey to London (don't worry, I wasn't driving!) and was extremely put out when it got too dark to read with only a couple of chapters to go. Put your preconceived notions aside and give it a go. Highly recommended!

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try My Take by Gary Barlow

Posted by Keris on January 2, 2008 in British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 24, 2007 10:20 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Save Karyn by Karyn Bosnak

I read Save Karyn a couple of years ago and I really loved it. I loved it so much, in fact, that when I realised we hadn't reviewed it for Trashionista, I decided to read it again.

In case you don't know the story (and, if not, where've you been?) Karyn Bosnak was a TV producer who moved to New York to find herself and ended up with $20,000 of debt. Basically, she was trying to support a New York lifestyle, but she wasn't yet earning New York money. She thought she had it all under control, but then she lost her job and it all fell apart. But then - after realising that if four rich people gave her $5000 or if twenty people gave her $1000 ... or if 20,000 people gave her $1, she'd be fine - she had the brilliant idea to set up a website asking people to help. The website was called SaveKaryn.com and it became a worldwide phenomenon, getting, eventually, over two million hits and enabling Karyn to pay off her debt in five months.

The book begins with Karyn's move to New York and how she got into so much debt - buying clothes, bags, shoes, cosmetics and using credit to pay for day to day living expenses like food and transport. (This is easily done - when I moved to London I did the same thing. Luckily because it was 1989 and credit wasn't the terrifying behemoth it is now, my Barclaycard limit was only £400. Still took me about five years to pay it off though...) Each chapter begins with her American Express and, later, other credit card, statements and, perhaps because I've been there, I actually found watching the debt rising quite stressful.

Luckily for me (and other nervous nellies), it's not long before Karyn hits rock bottom and then has her big idea and I got to see the debt coming down instead. Karyn's website was a success partly because of her honesty, but also because of her humour. She's very funny (which you'll know if you've read her blog or her first novel, Twenty Times A Lady) and she's also brutally honest. She's not afraid to reveal her frivolous purchases (which most of them were) and she also includes information about other websites that were set up to slag her off, plus the hate mail she received (and continues to receive).

I didn't enjoy Save Karyn quite as much the second time, but that's probably par for the course. Still, I'm in agreement with Marian Keyes whose cover quote says, "Funny, sweet, downright scary... and ultimately so uplifting." It really is. If you've ever been in debt, read this book and identify and if you've just got your first credit card, read this book as a warning!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella or Twenty Times A Lady by Karyn Bosnak

Posted by Keris on December 24, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 3, 2007 10:56 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: My Take by Gary Barlow

I was recently in the position of having to be on a train for a total of ten hours (it was only a five hour journey, but travelling on the weekend doubled the time!). I wanted to take a guaranteed good read. A book that would see me through both the journey and any additional delays. Along with four other books (I wouldn't want to be caught short, would I?), I decided on Gary Barlow's autobiography.

I was (let's face it, still am) a huge Take That fan and, while Gary wasn't my favourite, his speedy fall from grace following the band's split, along with the feud with Robbie, of course, meant I knew this book would be fascinating. And it was. From his childhood in Frodsham, Cheshire, we're quickly launched into Gary's passion for music and his early years entertaining in working men's clubs. While interesting, this part soon got old, but luckily Gary's Take That audition arrived to liven things up.

Gary took his (self-made) demo tape to Nigel Martin-Smith's management company. Nigel loved Gary's songs (his looks, less so) and decided he'd be perfect for the boy band he was forming to compete with New Kids on the Block. Gary was introduced to Robbie, Mark, Jason and Howard and the rest is pop history.

Gary is brutally honest in his treatment of Nigel Martin-Smith and Martin-Smith himself sounds like a fascinating character, both genius and control freak. Gary is also honest about his own control freak tendencies, but he's not quite as hard on himself as he is on Nigel. Of course, he was young when Take That started and he does admit that he gave Robbie a hard time, but he claims he was clueless about it all, which I'm not sure is true. He does, however, include a telling conversation with Jason following the band's break-up, in which Jason told him what a nightmare he was.

The book's been fully updated since the reunion and towards the end, I started to feel very warm towards Gary (no, not like that; I save that for Jason). Gary loves his family, is mad about his wife and kids, and thrilled to be given a second chance at stardom. No, it's not the way he wanted things to go, but he's more than making the best of it. Plus he's traded in his ridiculous Elton-style mansion for a 3-bed semi, bless him. How could you not love that?

It's a gripping read and Gary's also got an entertainingly dry sense of humour, but it's probably for Take That fans only.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Feel by Chris Heath

Posted by Keris on December 3, 2007 in British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 20, 2007 1:00 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Liz Jones's Diary by Liz Jones

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

She's actually real.

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

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

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

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

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

Liz Jones herself.

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

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

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

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

Rating: 2/5

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

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

November 15, 2007 11:53 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Hungry by Allen Zadoff

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

September 6, 2007 12:10 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Mommies Who Drink by Brett Paesel

I had a bit of a confusing time with this book, Mommies Who Drink by Brett Paesel. (This cover pic and that link are to the UK version released on 1 November, but you can buy the US version on Amazon UK now).

Anyway, back to my confusion over this book: I received it for review in unbound format - basically just a sheaf (a big sheaf!) of papers. I thought it was a work of fiction, and was reading it in that frame of mind when a few chapters in I realised it... might actually be real. I checked on Amazon and yep, it was. Oops! So I had to re-adjust my feelings about the book in the light of it being true (I couldn't think "why would the character say that?" anymore...)

So! Despite the irresponsible, shock-value title, Mommies Who Drink is not about alcoholics who loll in the gutter leaving their children unattended. It's about Brett and her group of gal pals who meet up every Friday for beers/wine/cocktails (sometimes all three) to discuss their lives and give the moms among them the chance to let their hair down after a week of play-doh and nappy changes. And er, that's it.

I know this isn't a novel so I can't really be critical of the lack of story progression, but even the best memoirs usually follow some storytelling conventions. The problem I had with this book is that it jumps about too much - it's a series of anecdotes and stories and observations that aren't really tied together by anything. There's one particular story, where the author is scared to death of flying, which is written up to a dramatic crescendo... and then just stops and we're onto the next thing. The weekly meet-ups are supposed to give some kind of sense of time passing but there really isn't any story progression. I found it a bit disappointing.

But! I did like the authorial voice, most of the time. It's good to hear from a woman making motherhood work whilst also making cynicism work nicely for her! (Even if sometimes there might be a bit too much cynicism...) And the female friendships were very well portrayed.

I just can't help wondering if turning this into a novel after all might have been the best idea...

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Motherland by Maria Beaumont.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on September 6, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 5, 2007 11:49 AM

PREVIEW REVIEW: Laid Bare by Gail Porter

Out tomorrow, this book just manages to squeeze in as a Preview Review... (and yes, I am leaving, I just have a few loose ends to tie up first!)

Most people (in the UK at least) know Gail Porter. Or know of her, anyway. Short, bouncy, blonde Scottish TV presenter who married a rock star, had his baby, went through a bitter divorce and lost all her hair from the stress. After all that (not to mention an overdose that nearly killed her, years of self-harm, anorexia and undiagnosed bipolar disease and a difficult relationship with her dad) it was probably inevitable that Gail write a book about her experiences. Laid Bare is that book, and there's the inevitable reference to hair loss in the title, although it could have been a lot worse...

I was fairly interested to read this but really hoping that it wouldn't be a self-indulgent wallow. Because, to be honest, if I'd been through a lot of this stuff, it probably would have been!

Luckily, Gail is a charming and charismatic narrator as she tells the story of her first fascination with the entertainment business (an obsession with the first Star Wars film) right up to... well, I won't give it away, but the book ends on a poignant note.

She writes about her days at school (she was a super-swot, who became a black belt at Karate - and so was never really picked on!) and college (in Watford, which she didn't find very exciting...) and her early jobs in TV, including a lot of time as a runner/general dogsbody. What comes across is a strong work ethic, a lot of determination and the ability to bounce back from any rejection. I was impressed. After getting to know TV production inside and out, Gail realised that her dream job was to be in front of the camera, so she made a show reel dressed as Wonder Woman (of course) and started auditioning. Soon (after a few ups and downs along the way) she was presenting Scottish kids' TV, then national kids' TV in London, then iconic programmes like Top of the Pops, where she met her husband, Dan Hipgrave of (former) band Toploader.

When she writes about her relationship with Dan, it's clear that their marriage was a whirlwind mistake, and that there's no love lost between them! She is however, grateful to him for their daughter Honey (although her post-birth pain, which lasted for months, made me seriously wince). It seems that Gail has never done things the easy way, even when she sometimes could have done. She seems to have barreled her way through life without thinking too much about her actions. When she's diagnosed with bipolar and a thyroid problem, and admits to her anorexia and self-harm, it comes as almost as much of a relief to the reader as it must have to Gail herself. However, contrary to my fears, she doesn't wallow. In fact, she sometimes could do with wallowing a bit more, and with asking for help - as it doesn't come across that she's fully dealt with her problems and I was a bit disappointed with that although maybe that's more about my own control freakery than the book itself! It's also a shame that the book ends on the aforementioned poignant note, but it is also a sweet ending, and a realistic one.

I can't see any mention of a ghostwriter anywhere, so am choosing to believe Gail wrote this herself. In which case, she has talent as a writer, as the reader definitely becomes involved in her experiences. I found this a quick read, but not a dumb one, and I learned a thing or two about someone who's been in the news a lot.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn. 

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on September 5, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 27, 2007 12:28 PM

TRASHIONISTA RECOMMENDS: Some lad-lit blogs

How could I not know that Nick Hornby had a blog? Perhaps because it's fairly new - that's my excuse anyway... If you're as in the dark as I was, read it for yourself here. He hasn't updated in a little while, but the rest of his website is a worthwhile browse, and hopefully he'll blog more soon...

Non-fic lad lit fave Dave Gorman, on the other hand, has been updating like billy-o (as my mum would say). Read his blog here, and find out all about what he's been up to, the music on Homes Under The Hammer and the deterioration in quality of a well-known chocolate egg. It's good stuff.

Finally, sometime Gorman collaborator Danny Wallace has a website, where he doesn't blog, but does post occasional news and... 'titbits' might be the right word. There's also the chance to download some video podcasts of the author/TV presenter/head of the Karma Army...

Related posts: Top 10 lad lit | From book to blog. 

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 27, 2007 in Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Non Fiction, Technology, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 23, 2007 9:59 AM

BOOK REVIEW: My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl

When I first heard about this book (it was excerpted in The Guardian's weekend magazine) I thought, Oh, big deal, I've got a fat, mad teenage diary and no-one's interested in publishing that! And then I read it. And it's great.

Rae is a normal 17-year-old girl. She lives in Leicester and attends public school (on a scholarship). She's overweight and insecure and obsessed with the things 17-year-olds were obsessed with at the end of the eighties: the charts, Nuclear war, raves, prawn cocktail crisps...

She has problems with her mother, with the boy(s) she likes, a bitchy best-friend ... you know, the usual teenage angst stuff. She's also recently spent time in a psychiatric hospital, but that's really glossed over in this book - it's less about serious mental illness and more about the random mental trauma we all go through as a teenager.

This is apparently Rae Earl's actual diary. If that's true  - and after reading it I do believe it is - then she has my utmost admiration. The contents of this diary are so similar to the contents of my own teen diary, that I was often hot with embarrassment while reading it.

It's compulsive reading and highly entertaining. If you were a teenager in the late eighties there is so much in here you'll identify with. Unless, of course, you were popular, thin and not mad as a teenager, in which case, get away from me.

Oh and the reason my diary hasn't been published? Because I destroyed it in the early nineties. The shame.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn

Can I just point out that the cover says "If Adrian Mole had a sister..." but Adrian Mole did have a sister (Rosie). And, yes, I know I'm a dork.

Posted by Keris on August 23, 2007 in British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 21, 2007 10:33 AM

MOVIE NEWS: Marley & Me

Me and Diane both loved John Grogan's Marley & Me (even though I didn't cry) and I've just read that it's being made into a movie with ... wait for it ... Jennifer Aniston and Owen Wilson. (David Frankel, director of The Devil Wears Prada, will direct.) [via BuzzSugar]

I saw John Grogan as more David Duchovny than Owen Wilson (although Owen Wilson would be great as Marley!), but still I think this could be good.

Posted by Keris on August 21, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 14, 2007 5:10 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Men! by Isabel Losada

Isabel Losada has written non-fiction books on the inner lives of nuns, finding enlightenment and saving the world. (As well as Reasons to be Glad). Her latest release is a little more down-to-earth: ‘Men!’ she exclaims. ‘Where the **** are they?’

She believes there is a national shortage of interesting, available men over the age of 35. For the purposes of the book, her definition of an interesting man is: ‘One who when you meet them you’d like to have dinner with them and, having had dinner with them you are glad that you had dinner with them and would like to see them again.’ Available means emotionally available as well as single (and married men who tell women they’re separated don’t count!) The interesting, available man should also have travelled, be independent and free from addictions and other emotional problems. Is such a man so elusive? The evidence of her own love life and those of her friends suggests he is, so Losada embarks on a nine-month quest to find out where all the interesting and available men are, and to net one for herself in the process, if she can...

To find out where the eligible men are hiding, Losada visits some all-male environments on our behalf. She attends a Harley Davidson ‘ride out’ and a weekend plumbing course before spending two weeks working as the only woman on a building site. Dispiritingly, she finds that men are often quite literally hiding from women as they prefer to spend leisure time in the company of other men. The motorbike club is mostly a chance for men to drink copiously and tell sexist and homophobic jokes. The plumbing course is not set up for women although Losada copes admirably well and the building site workers treat her as one of them (after some initiation rituals) but their views on life and love are enlightening in all the wrong ways.

So Losada vows to try more new things. She attends lectures all over London, learns to drive a motorbike and goes on a diving holiday in Egypt. She also falls for two men, neither of whom is technically ‘available’…  She’s endearingly open and frank about her romantic missteps, admitting that getting over one of these men is so hard that she wouldn’t be interested in a new relationship anyway – so her experiment is flawed on a personal level. At the end of the quest, Losada confirms her hypothesis: as she suspected, there is a lack of interesting, available men for independent, intelligent women over 35. Our author claims she was hoping to be proved wrong but the words ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’ don’t seem out of place here - throughout the book it’s more apparent that she wants to prove herself right.

However she does have suggestions for changing the situation she says she has uncovered. First, women seeking men should take a new approach: ‘Doing radical and exciting things with our lives is one solution’, and something that is never a bad idea! Losada also encourages us to look at the bigger picture, postulating that the reason so many marriages are unhappy is that people lack the courage to be honest with each other and to leave without fear of recrimination when a relationship is no longer working. If more people were honest when a relationship stops working, this would mean more available men let loose.

The author claims she’s not scared to be a single woman forever if she can’t find Mr Right. But her vision of ageing single women, though (I hope) tongue in cheek, is offensive and lazy: ‘I have so many wonderful female friends… we could all move into a house together that would become a glorious celebration of being old batty females. We’d all have to wear purple. And have lots of cats… pretend to be witches and have big bonfires and make strange sounds to frighten the local schoolchildren.’ If that’s what happens to single women of a certain age it’s no wonder Losada wants a man!

At times I couldn’t help having the un-sisterly thought that perhaps her standards are too high. If a man has different views to her, she’s not interested. If he enjoys spectator sports, she’s not interested. And yet she falls for two unavailable men in the space of nine months. Wouldn’t a football fan have been better?

Also, although she talks repeatedly about not needing a man she frequently presents being alone as the third-rate option. During her research mission, Losada goes on her first dive and absolutely loves it. She comments that it’s a shame she’s on her own as it would be ideal to share the experience with a partner or friend. Is an experience only worth having if you’re with someone else?

Although intelligently-written and well-considered with a spiritual angle not often found in books about love, ‘Men!’ isn’t as new and subversive as it wants to be. It is after all another book about how women can find men (isn’t it time they found us for a change?!) While part of me found it sad that a vibrant, intelligent and (not that it should matter, but it probably does) attractive woman like Isabel Losada finds it so hard to find a lasting relationship, a larger part of me thought, ‘So?’

Still, I found the author charming and frank and her look at love has more depth than other books of its ilk.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Dating Amy by Amy DeZellar.

Read this review in full at The F Word.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 14, 2007 in British Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Romance, Self development | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 13, 2007 6:43 PM

And in blook news...

Yes, I'm on about blooks (blogs-to-books) again - I will shut up about them soon, promise. For now allow me to indulge myself with a round up of happenings in the world of blooks...

- Excellent online feminist 'zine The F Word has an interview with notorious sex-blooker Abby Lee, aka: Girl With a One-Track Mind. Provides a different perspective on the controversial author than our review... one I can't quite get behind, but interesting all the same.

- Something I found about a while ago via our sister site Dollymix (and was saving for - er, no apparent reason): Rudely-named and very popular blog My Boyfriend is a Tw*t has been turned into a book, out now. My co-ed Keris interviews a different woman blogger each week for the site's fab Women Who Blog series - well worth a read!

More news/linkage over the cut...

- A slightly old but still interesting thingummy about blooks from The Blog Herald.

- Voracious blogger, journalist of much repute and sometime Trashionista reviewer Linda Jones has an upcoming release all about freelance writing, to tie in with her popular blog. It's tongue-in-cheekily called The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World.

- Finally, a little while ago, I wrote this. I'm still waiting for my blook deal, however...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 13, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 6, 2007 8:37 PM

BOOK NEWS: Damage Control

This new non-fiction anthology sounds like a book most women will be able to relate to! Unless you've never had a disaster at the hands of a hairdresser, waxer, physiotherapist, plain ol' therapist...? (If so, I just might hate you!)

Damage Control is about all the things that can go wrong when you put your body/mind/life into someone else's hands...

Contributors include British author Emma Forrest and UK-to-LA transplant Minnie Driver. The success of Driver's essay has lead to talk of her being offered her own book deal, apparently... [Via Galleycat]

Related: BOOK NEWS: 21 Proms.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 6, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: By Jack Rosenthal by Jack Rosenthal

No, I haven't gone mad! By Jack Rosenthal is a book... By Jack Rosenthal. Are you still with me?

Legendary TV and film scriptwriter (and husband of Maureen Lipman) Jack Rosenthal had been asked many times to write his autobiography, but he  felt he wouldn't know where to start filling a book about himself. And then he hit upon the idea of writing the whole thing as a script, divided into the decades of his life: from his parents' marriage to the present day.

Unfortunately, due to cancer, Jack died before he could complete the last decade, so in a very literal Postscript Maureen finishes it for him.

At first, it's hard to get into the swing of reading a book in script form. I've never enjoyed reading plays, and I struggled a little at the start, trying to picture what was happening and follow the story. (I don't think a career as a playwright - or an actress! - will ever be my calling I'm afraid...)

But about a third of the way through the book I got used to the format and the abbreviations, and was able to focus on the story of Rosenthal's life from World War Two evacuee to university student, Coronation Street scriptwriter to colleague of Barbra Streisand, and finally loving husband and father. Rosenthal writes with honesty, warmth, compassion and good humour and comes across as completely charming. His life story is an ordinary one with occasional incredible starry moments, which never seem to affect his down-to-earth nature.

Although I'm sad that Jack never got to write about the last decade or so of his life, and that he died of such a horrible illness, I am glad that Maureen got to write the closing chapter as she gives a closer, more personal insight into the man the reader has got to know and her chapter is incredibly moving. It conveys just how much the couple loved each other, and is poignant without being maudlin. Like the rest of the book, it's fab.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try About Alice by Calvin Trillin.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 6, 2007 in Book related, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 25, 2007 10:07 AM

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn

Posted by Keris on July 25, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 20, 2007 2:44 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Nine Summers by Rina Huber

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

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

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

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

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

A really lovely book.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Summer At Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

Posted by Keris on July 20, 2007 in Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 19, 2007 12:26 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Wicked Whispers by Jessica Callan

Wicked Whispers is the new book by Jessica Callan who, if you don't know the name, was one third of the original 3am girls from The Mirror's much-copied gossip column. 3am was set up to be something completely new in the world of journalism: instead of begging PRs for the right to cover stars and being discreet about what they said, 3am laid it all bare. The 3 3am girls - or rather, women - tricked and cajoled stars into giving them photographs and quotes, hid in odd places (quite often public toilets) to get stories and mingled with the stars, placing themselves firmly in the story in a style that drew many imitators. Callan stayed at the column for 5 years, becoming 'head girl' before stepping down in 2005 to catch her breath (and presumably detox her liver...)

This memoir is her recollections of five fun-filled years of gossip. But does it make wicked reading?

Of course it does! It's not a book that dishes huge amounts of dirt on major celebrities, but there's enough goss here to surprise all but the most hardened celeb-spotter (even if she keeps some things to herself!) and I loved the insight into this style of journalism and the lifestyle (and the dilemmas) involved.

Callan shows that gathering gossip at glitzy parties isn't always as much fun as it sounds and lifts the lid on how the celeb PR game works, as well as telling a few tales on some celebrities who frankly, deserve it.

The one little thing that annoyed me was that there was at times a bit too much exposition through dialogue (and we don't like that) - for example, one conversation runs something like:

"You know that bloke John Hurt?"

"Yes, he was in --- and now he's starring in --- ... what about him?"

The author should trust her audience to either know who she's talking about or know how to look it up!

Still, I didn't have many complaints about this book: I found this a light and addictive read and raced through it, longing for more!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 19, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou is one of the American greats. Her first book of autobiography, I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings presents a vivid, shocking but also hopeful portrait of life as a black girl in the American deep South of the 1930s. Her five other works of memoir are just as compelling.

The author of many books including some wonderful poetry, Angelou is a distinguished literary professor and was chosen to be Bill Clinton's inauguration poet, only the second poet ever to read at a President's inauguration. She's been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize and The National Book Award and is great pals with and mentor to Oprah Winfrey. She's even won a Grammy! (For a spoken-word album of her poetry, but still...)

She has to be one of the best examples of someone overcoming great obstacles to achieve her dreams: abandoned at a young age by her parents, she was later sexually abused and became mute for several years after the man who raped her was beaten to death. She spent time homeless, became a single mother at 16 and worked as a singer, a prostitute and a madam as she tried to support herself and her son. Her life was never straightforward, but her optimism was rewarded with the publication of Caged Bird in 1969.

[Image: Santa Clara University; some addictional info from Wikipedia]

Trailblazer archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 19, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Thursday Trailblazer | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 18, 2007 4:58 PM

First Summer Special competition!

Okay, so here's how it's going to go. Every Wednesday throughout the summer I will be posting a competition. The competition will only be open until the following Tuesday and the book will be sent on to the winner on the Thursday (giving me Wednesday to find an envelope).

To win a copy of this week's book - Jancee Dunn's fabulous memoir, But Enough About Me - all you need to do is name that well-endowed woman there on the cover (not Madonna, they're just cones stuck on the front of the corset).

Send your answer along with your name and address to the usual email address (subject line: But Enough About Me) before midnight (GMT) on Tuesday 24th July and a copy could be winging its way to you in a matter of hours.

Posted by Keris on July 18, 2007 in Competition, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 9, 2007 10:18 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Smoking Diaries by Simon Gray

If you live in England you might have heard just about enough about the smoking ban that came into force last week and occupied the media's attention for months.

Well, Simon Gray's memoir The Smoking Diaries provides a very non-PC alternative perspective to the anti-smoking lobby: the man loves smoking. He knows it's not good for him, and he does (kind of) try to give up (a bit) but mostly he just enjoys his filthy habit and finds it enhances his life. This very entertaining book documents a year in his life in which a few things happen, both good and bad (trying not to give anything away here!) and a lot of cigarettes are smoked...

I actually bought this book for my Dad, thinking he would relate. As an ex-nicotine addict himself and self-confessed 'grumpy old man' who loves going to the theatre, how could he not enjoy the memoir of a grumpy male playwright who smokes a lot? But although my Dad enjoyed it, I think I liked it even more. I'm not sure why: maybe because Gray's writing is so good, or because despite his curmudgeonly persona, he's completely charming. He's unexpectedly enthusiastic too, such as when he talks in great detail about why he loves the film Species, which is very entertaining.

This book is surprising, funny and (when he reflects on his younger brother's fate) also heartbreakingly poignant. In short, it's a great read, no matter what your personal relationship with nicotine may be.

Be warned though: despite Gray's horrible addiction to cigarettes, this book almost makes smoking seem appealing, so it may actually be harmful to your health...

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 9, 2007 in British Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (11)

June 25, 2007 7:25 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby

Nick Hornby came to most women's attention (sorry to be gender biased, but I think that's true!) with High Fidelity, his excellent lad lit novel about a music obsessive and his estranged girlfriend.

But if you haven't read Fever Pitch, you've missed a trick. The memoir of Hornby's obsession with Arsenal might be a bit much if you're a mad-keen Chelsea or Man Utd. supporter, or if you're American and think football's called soccer...(I tease!) but even if you're not a fan of the 'beautiful game', there's still a lot to enjoy in this book. It's a raw and touching story abut the power of sport to transform the emotions and the sense of belonging and bonding that football can provide. Even if you don't like sport, it's hard not to be won over by Hornby's enthusiasm and the excitement and tension at the end of the book is palpable.

I admit, I wouldn't ahve picked this book up had I not loved High Fideltity, or if it wasn't handy on my Dad's bookshelf. But I'm so very, very glad I did.

It's a cult classic of the footie field and beyond!

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 25, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Cult classic week, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Prize Winners, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 15, 2007 2:18 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why It Often Sucks in The City, or Who Are These Idiots and Why Do They All Live Next Door to Me? by Jen Lancaster

Wow, who could resist a subtitle like that? Not me, so I didn't.

Bright Lights, Big Ass is Jen Lancaster's follow-up memoir* to Bitter is the New Black, the story of her descent from rich dot-commer to almost-starving author, and the life lessons she learned along the way. In the new book, Jen's new favourite shops are Target and Ikea, she uses the library and public transport instead of bookshops and cabs and she even faces up to her phobia of gynae exams (in a hilarious chapter inolving a cautionary tale about hospital paper gowns). Lancaster is such an engaging and entertaining author with a bubbly personality that you can't help but warm to her and enjoy spending time absorbing her life.

But I didn't enjoy this book quite as much as Bitter is the New Black...

I wanted to know what happened between the time Jen decided to work on her book and the start of the new book, I wanted to know about the book stuff like meetings with Jen's editors and agent and what the marketing strategy was and... OK, I'm a book geek. But other readers might be curious too. I also felt (hey, let's make it three in a row) - it could have been a bit more... (say it with me, people:) cohesive! There isn't a definite trajectory in this book as there was in the first: Jen focuses on her more minor ups and downs (awful neighbours, having to temp for a while, transportation 'issues')and does so very well, but there isn't the tension of the first book. Which is good, as I don't want Lancaster to go through anything awful... but it makes slightly less interesting reading and is a collection of funny and random events more than a narrative.

It's still fun, fab and very worth reading, though and I can't wait for the next one!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Bitter is the New Black by Jen Lancaster.

*Huh - I haven't reviewed one work of fiction this week! Next week I will, promise...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 15, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids

I don't know what would tempt me to read this memoir/advice book more: the refreshingly honest and funny title...

...or the gorgeously yummy-looking front cover. (Go see).

And I don't even have kids!

Watch a video from the authors if you'd like to know more.

Related posts: The Hot Moms Handbook | Confessions of a Failed Grown-up by Stephanie Calman

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 15, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Self development, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 13, 2007 10:32 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Forty Camel Girl: Letters from Turkey by E. Grace Beyler

Shiny Shiny's deputy ed, the lovely Alex Roumbas, reviews a recent read she thinks Trashionista readers will enjoy: Forty Camel Girl is available to buy from the website (above), and Alex highly recommends that you do so - read on to find out why...

In 1969, at the age of twenty six, E. Grace Beyler found herself bound for Turkey with her fiance, Hakan, ready to live with his family while he completed mandatory army service. Not yet speaking a word of the language and full of the independence of her American upbringing, she faithfully wrote home to her parents in the United States chronicling her experiences. Beyler has now drawn on these letters to create a funny, moving diary of this pivotal period in her life in Forty Camel Girl: Letters from Turkey.

Beyler's letters describe not only a turning point in her own life, but that of the nation she adopts as her temporary home. Describing the westernisation of Turkey and the enduring legacy of Ataturk, Grace is also forced to examine international attitudes to US foreign policy which remain strikingly relevant nearly forty years later. Beyler's alternately moving and hilarious accounts of learning to love and communicate with her new extended family take place against the backdrop of the shifting place of Turkish women in society and news from home such as the imminent deployment of her brother, Bill, to Vietnam. Written with passion and humour, Forty Camel Girl: Letters from Turkey is a highly readable personal memoir definitely worth missing your tube stop for.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Dork Whore by Iris Bahr.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 13, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 12, 2007 7:36 PM

BOOK REVIEW: What The Dog Did by Emily Yoffe

Temporarily taking over Keris's mantle as animal-themed book reviewer (pigs, dogs, monkeys, birds, she reads about them all), I decided to read What The Dog Did. The book is Slate agony aunt/writer Emily Yoffe's memoir about her beagle Sasha, and how she turned Emily's family life upside down.

A "formerly reluctant dog owner", Yoffe had always been more of a 'cat person', but when her young daughter became desperate for a dog, and her husband wanted one too, she caved in. What she didn't expect was to become a lifelong convert to the canine cause - not only becoming Sasha's main carer, but a doggie foster carer too.

I really enjoyed this book although some of the pieces have formerly been published as essays in Slate and I think it didn't have a cohesive feel as a result. It's well-written, entertaining and very informative, though - and has given me a soft spot for beagles for life.

Although it's definitely made me realise that it's important to think once, twice, three hundred times before you take on the responsibility of a dog. If you get one like Sasha, your life will no longer be your own! Thank goodness, for Yoffe, it's worth it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Marley and Me by John Grogan.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 12, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 11, 2007 3:58 PM

What's your "Judy Blume moment of truth"?

In honour of the release of the fabby-looking Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned from Judy Blume, Beth Kendrick of  The Literary Chicks.com is asking the above question. (Your moment might be that "that all the really cute, sporty boys preferred your busty, bubbly best friend to you, just because you were a freakishly flat-chested introvert who preferred Sylvia Plath to Seventeen,"  says Kendrick). Read more here.

Did you grow up with Judy Blume? I loved Starring Sally J. Freedman as Herself and Are You There, God? It's Me, Margaret. Blume created teenage characters with real concerns that girls could relate (and sometimes aspire) to...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 11, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK NEWS: Pretty Fat by Jen Lancaster

I loved Bitter is the New Black and will be reviewing her latest, Bright Lights, Big Ass soon, so I was excited to hear about Jen Lancaster's next book, which she's currently both writing and losing weight for:

Called Pretty Fat, the book has another of Lancaster's trademark subtitles: One Narcissist's Quest to Discover If Her Life Makes Her Ass Look Big; Or, Why Pie Is Not the Answer, and is "the story of the heretofore-unabashedly-plus-sized Jen's quest to lose fifty pounds in six months by any means possible", according to her website.

Book news archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 11, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 8, 2007 2:10 PM

FRIDAY FLICK: Riding in Cars with Boys

Based on Beverly Donofrio's first memoir of the same name, Riding in Cars with Boys stars Drew Barrymore as Beverly, following her journey from rebellious 1960s teen to... well, I'm not going to spoil the plot but suffice it to say she has a few ups and downs along the way to becoming a successful author, not least of which is falling pregnant while still in high school and agreeing to marry the father, an unreliable stoner (played well by Steve Zahn). The excellent Brittany Murphy plays Beverly's best friend Fay who is in the same situation, and the two girls struggle to get used to marriage and motherhood while Beverly, independent and unconventional, wonders if there'll ever be more to life.

Drew Barrymore is always heartfelt and emotionally honest, and this is at times a heartbreaking film. She portrays Beverly very honestly as flawed but well-meaning and helps this rise above the standard teenage-mum movie. This is a good film with a happy ending that might make you (me) shed a tear or two along the way.

Like this: (well, a teeny bit): Girl, Interrupted.

Friday Flick archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 8, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Friday Flick, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 6, 2007 12:03 PM

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

Last week, I asked if you were excited about the swathe of upcoming Hillary Clinton biographies. Most of you said NAY, but my co-ed Keris admitted she'd be intrigued if they raked up new dirt. (Me too!)

This week: from one betrayed woman to several more - The Other Woman is a new collection of real-life stories from women about love and betrayal. Authors include Mary Jo Eustace, whose husband Dean McDermott left her (and their children) for 90210 star Tori Spelling. She spills all the details of her husband's betrayal - but should she? Is it a great form of revenge, or a little undignified perhaps?  [Via Mamapop]

And would you want to read this book?

Tell it to us straight: Yay or Nay - and why?

Yay or Nay archives.

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Dollymix, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 6, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Television, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK REVIEW: Two Lipsticks and a Lover by Helena Frith Powell

When Helena Frith Powell moved to France from England she found that the difference between her and the French women around her was glaringly obvious: they all looked effortlessly stylish - and she didn't.

So in Two Lipsticks and a Lover she sets out to find out what is it that gives the French their certain Je Ne Sais Quoi, covering topics from fashion to affairs to the French attitude to sex (much more intellectual than the British one, apparently) .

iI found this a really enjoyable read. What could have been a very superficial book is made more interesting by the inclusion of just the right amount of facts about French food, culture and history. However I couldn't help feeling that maybe Frith Powell buys into the beauty myth a bit too much, being very disparaging about a woman she sees with unshaved armpits. (After all, there's no law that says we have to defuzz all over and spend hundreds of euros a year on face creams, is there? - If there was I might be writing this from the slammer!)

Take it all with a pinch of salt, however, and you might learn something and perhaps even, as the cover promises, 'Unlock your inner French woman...'

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 6, 2007 in British Authors, Fashion-Lit, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 4, 2007 4:15 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion

When Joan Didion's writer husband John Gregory Dunne dropped dead at their dining room table on December 30, 2003, she went into shock. Their daughter was seriously ill in hospital and although her friends rallied round, Didion didn't know how she'd cope. To record her feelings and try to make sense of them, she began keeping a diary of the year that followed: The Year of Magical Thinking.

Didion is one of America's most-respected modern novelists, even if she may not exactly be a household name over here. This book is the memoir of one year of her life, and how she coped with the loss of her husband and the perilous health situation of her daughter. Emotional and moving, the book is sentimental without being mawkish and dares you not to cry.

Although very emotionally raw, I think it could be very useful to anyone going through a similar loss, and even comforting to those who haven't: it shows that grief isn't easy, but it is possible to start to heal.

However, I can't help thinking that Calvin Trillin's book about the loss of his wife has ruined other grief memoirs for me forever. Short, sweet, restrained and totally lacking in self-pity whilst at the same time one of the most moving things I've ever read, that book was pitch-perfect. Joan Didion's book has a more literary tone which occasionally veers into self-indulgence (not that I blame her, I'm sure I'd be ten times worse!) and a lack of understanding that she's in a position of high privilege: able to afford to stay in expensive Hollywood hotels and have only the best doctors for her daughter, for example. At one point she says she doesn't know when she'll be able to work again, which will sound incredible to all the millions of people who have no choice but to return to work after the loss of a loved one, and try to manage the best they can. This aspect of the book can be a tad difficult to relate to, although I certainly don't begrudge Didion her time off.

I still found this a very good read, and a book that's extremely difficult to put down.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try About Alice by Calvin Trillin or My Life So Far by Jane Fonda

PS:  I said I would read this book, and I did! (Eventually).

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 4, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 1, 2007 4:56 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Give It Up! by Mary Carlomagno

I first heard of Mary Carlomagno's book when the lovely Keris told me about her plans to emulate the concept of Give It Up! Which is: to give up one thing you love, per month, for a year.

It's an interesting prospect although (as with so many things) I decided I'd rather read about it than actually try it myself, so that's what I did.

Mary has an epiphany when she's looking  for something in her wardrobe one day, and is hit on the head by a barrage of shoe boxes. Her life is getting out of control: she's spending too much, accumulating too much, going on drunken nights out too much. So why not try a month without alcohol, then one without shopping, then one without elevators, newspapers... and so on.

I enjoyed reading about Mary's challenge and the things she learned but was disappointed this book didn't dig a little deeper: unlike Not Buying It , the author doesn't question or really look into the consumerist values of western society. And it didn't tell me enough about Mary's feelings and insights to qualify as a memoir, either.

Give It Up! is really more of a guide to streamlining your life than anything else, with suggestions on how and why to give things up. (Which is appropriate as that's now Mary's job - she's founded a company to help people streamline their lives, based on her own experience).

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Not Buying It by Judith Levine or The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 1, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 30, 2007 5:47 PM

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

As election fever hots up in the US, a lot of attention has turned to the most famous prospective Presidential candidate, Hillary Clinton. Galleycat reports that at least three H. Clinton biographies will be rushed out this summer (does that mean publishers don't think she'll get the democratic nomination?) so what I want to know is this: after her own (admittedly tepid) memoir, Bill's autobiography, and eight years of seeing and hearing from her as First Lady...

Do you want to read any more about Hillary? Is there more to learn, anything you specifically want to know? Or aren't you that bothered?

Tell us Yay or Nay - and why!

Yay or Nay archives.

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Dollymix, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 30, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (5)

Read 'Cancer Vixen' online at The First Post

I was surprised (in a happy way) to learn that daily news website The First Post is featuring Marisa Acochella Marchetto's Cancer Vixen online, for everyone to read (yay!) 

I'd still recommend buying the book but you can now see why it's so good by clicking here.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 30, 2007 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 28, 2007 4:50 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Marley & Me by John Grogan

I'm not sure whether it's because of the cute pup on the cover, but Marley & Me has the dubious honour of being the book I've most frequently picked up and put down again without buying of the past year (do you think they should make that a category in the next British Book Awards?). So when my sister-in-law offered me her copy, I almost bit her hand off.

John and Jenny are young and in love and decide to get a dog. Partly because they both have fond memories of their own dogs growing up and partly because they think it will be good practice for the children they hope to have. They pick Marley from a litter after meeting his sweet and placid mother. Apparently it's important to check out a dog's parentage before buying and the Grogans realise why when Marley's father rounds the house like a demented wild animal.

Reading up on the subject later, they discover that labrador retrievers are a particularly  demented breed and Marley's a good example. He eats everything - all and any food, paychecks, a gold necklace - later, horribly, cat poo. He escapes one day and returns with a pair of knickers in his mouth. He's neurotic too - terrified of thunderstorms to the point of trying to dig his way through the wood and concrete of the garage (and succeeding to a point). Despite all his faults the Grogans love him. Until the babies come along and his destructive behaviour threatens their marriage.

Marley & Me isn't just about the dog or the family's relationship with a dog, it's also the story of the Grogans themselves. Babies, jobs, miscarriages, depression, loving and living. It's beautifully written, sometimes very funny and it even made me cry. Well worth waiting for.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this, try The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery

Posted by Keris on May 28, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (10)

May 24, 2007 10:16 AM

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: Bernice Rubens

Bernice Rubens was a class act, even if the same couldn't always be said for her characters! (See the suicidal woman whose life is turned around by her diary in A Five Year Sentence for an example).

Rubens died in 2004, aged 76, having just completed her autobiography (great timing! - see, classy). Like Marian Keyes, she began writing at the age of 30 (having worked as a teacher and then a film-maker first) but then threw herself into it, writing twenty four novels plus her memoir, When I Grow Up. She won the Booker Prize in 1970 for her book The Elected Member, which established her as one of the best writers of her generation.

She was simply a great writer, with the capacity to create memorable if often odd characters and fascinating scenarios. She was also rather opinionated, laying into Martin Amis for writing a novel about the Holocaust that she found inappropriate. She described her writing as "Better than most, not as good as some." And she was probably right.

Read this: Madame Sousatzka (which appears to be shamefully out of print).

SUGGEST A TRAILBLAZER! Who would you like to see here next Thursday? Leave a comment and let us know - or if you're shy email us instead.

Trailblazer archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 24, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Classic Novels, Memoirs, Thursday Trailblazer | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 23, 2007 7:06 PM

MOVIE NEWS: Persepolis

I was fascinated by Marjane Satrapi's graphic novel, Persepolis and I knew there was a movie in the pipeline, but didn't have any hard info ... until now. The animated film, co-directed by Satrapi, will debut at the Cannes Film Festival. [via Galleycat]

Posted by Keris on May 23, 2007 in Book related, Memoirs, Movie News, Non Fiction, Prize Winners | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Summer At Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

Honestly, it's some time since I've been as excited about a book as I was about Summer at Tiffany. New York? The forties? That cover? 83-year-old Marjorie Hart's memoir of the 1945 summer she spent working for the famous and glamorous store almost seemed as if it was designed with me in mind.

Along with her college friend Marty, Marjorie got a job as a Page at Tiffany, making the two of them the first women to work on the shop floor. Customers included Judy Garland and Marlene Dietrich and the job was wonderful, but poorly paid. Marjorie and Marty shared an apartment, which was used as a weekend city base for their other college friends as they enjoyed New York's sights and nightlife.

I loved this book just as much as I thought I would. Adriana Trigiani's comment on the cover, "Charming and delicious..." is spot on (and Trigiani's novel of working in a department store in '50s New York, Lucia Lucia, is equally charming and delicious). I loved all the details: joining two million people in Times Square to read the announcement of Victory in Japan, lunch from the Automat (which you may remember from That Touch of Mink), getting sunburned at the beach...

It seems like another (and despite the war, much more civilised) world. Summer of Tiffany is a book I can see myself rereading when modern life gets to be just too much.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try Lucia Lucia by Adriana Trigiani

Posted by Keris on May 23, 2007 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: Going Overboard by Sarah Smiley

Subtitled "The misadventures of a military wife" Going Overboard sounded very intriguing...

It's a memoir of a year in the life of Sarah Smiley, whose husband Dustin is in the navy and, in this perilous political climate, often abroad in rather dangerous situations. Which means that Sarah is home alone with their two young boys, alternately worrying herself sick and cursing her husband for having joined up in the first place.

I read a review of this which suggested that the U.S Navy and Secretary of Defence would be quaking in their boots at the revelations herein, so was looking forward to some real insider intrigue from the front lines of war... but that wasn't what this book was like at all. It's about how hard it can be to be a military dependant, something Smiley has been all her life, as her Dad was in the Navy too.

I found the insights into military life interesting, and have to admire the strength of wives (and husbands, of course) in Sarah's position. But most of the book is about the ups and downs of her time alone, and these would be true of any long-distance relationship. (I know, I've been there - never again!) Sarah struggles with her attraction to another man, long-distance arguments with Dustin, and feelings of loneliness and overwhelm. She writes about all of this very honestly, and is very open about her own flaws and frustrations, which makes her a very likeable narrator. She's also very funny, if at times frustratingly helpless! I raced through this book and enjoyed every minute, but I think I would have liked to have read something to make the Secretary of Defence quake at least a little bit!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Job Hopper by Ayun Holliday.

Related: TV NEWS: Going Overboard | More memoirs.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 23, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 21, 2007 12:59 PM

MOVIE NEWS: A Mighty Heart

Based on the Marianne Pearl's memoir about her husband Daniel's abduction and murder by Pakistani militants in 2002 (while she was pregnant with their first child), A Mighty Heart is sure to be a heartbreaking adaptation. Angelina Jolie stars along with (weirdly) two of the former cast of Judging Amy: Jillian Armenante co-stars and and Dan Futterman (who also co-wrote the Oscar-nominated biopic Capote) plays Daniel.

It will be released in the UK on 28 September.

Update: Gratutitous link to some gorgeous pics of Jolie and her partner Brad Pitt, who produced the film, in Cannes this weekend.

More Movie News.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 21, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Movie News | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: Never Have Your Dog Stuffed by Alan Alda

Never Have Your Dog Stuffed is one of veteran actor Alan Alda's life philosophies. When he was young, his favourite dog died and he was devastated. So his dad had the dog stuffed, as a kind of consolation. But the expression on the dog's face was all wrong, and instead of comforting, he was just scary. It taught Alda an important lesson: you can't go back and change the past, and if you try to, you'll just create a horrifying, upsetting mess.

In this book, Alda shares his other life philosophies, and tells the story of his life - from his childhood growing up among the stars of vaudeville (one of whom was his father) to his marriage, his acting roles, and his near-death experience whilst filming in a very remote part of the world...

I hadn't realised that as well as being an actor, Alan Alda is an acclaimed writer, director and producer - and a highly intelligent and reflective person, too. He hasn't had an easy life: his mother was severely mentally ill and he had a difficult, competitive relationship with his father. Although Alda desperately wanted to be an actor, and started acting at a young age, his success was by no means guaranteed until he was lucky enough to be offered his iconic role as Hawkeye in M*A*S*H.

Books by celebrities are a dime (or rather £1.25 million) a dozen, but this one is a bit different, and digs a bit deeper. It's a chronological history of Alda's life,  but it's also a reflection on what he's learned. And he's learned a lot. NHYDS is an entertaining, heart-breaking and very intelligent read. I loved it.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try My Life So Far by Jane Fonda

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 21, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 16, 2007 5:00 PM

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

If you're a long-time Trashionista reader, you'll know by now what a 'blook' is, but if you're new (hello and welcome!) you might not, so I'll explain: it's just a blog turned into a book.

The annual Blooker Prize for the best blook of the year has just been announced, and the winner (netting himself a nice wad with the $10,000 prize) is Colby Buzzell, whose memoir My War: Killing Time in Iraq most impressed the judging panel. But should it have?

From now on, US soldiers will not be allowed to write 'mili-blogs' about their time in Iraq or any other part of the world. Do you agree this is for the best? Is it okay if their time in the military is over, or is it always too dangerous a compromise to national security? Will more soldiers be traumatised if they can't set down their thoughts? Is it okay to write it all down as long as it's not published, or is it always too risky? Is freedom of expression too important to be censored in this way - or is the military right? That's a lot of questions, but it all boils down to just one:

Should soldiers be allowed to write blogs, books or blooks about their experiences? Tell us: Yay or Nay - and WHY?

Yay or Nay archives.

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Dollymix, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 16, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs, Opinion, Recent Release, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (4)

May 15, 2007 12:58 PM

TRASHIONISTA RECOMMENDS: Snowbooks

We don't usually recommend particular publishers, but Snowbooks is definitely worthy of a special mention. They're a small press, so turn out just a handful of books each year - but they're all of very good quality. So far we've reviewed Taking The Plunge, Drugs are Nice, Mama Lama Ding Dong and one of my favourite books of last year, Plotting for Beginners.

Not only that, but Snowbooks have a beautifully designed website, with a very interesting blog.

And you can catch up with them on Myspace and Twitter, too!

Related: Literature... on Twitter? | Trashionista Recommends.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 15, 2007 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Recent Release, Trashionista Recommends | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 11, 2007 12:11 PM

Karyn Bosnak on Radio Scotland

Yes, Trashionista favourite Karyn Bosnak was interviewed not in Scotland, but by BBC Radio Scotland - almost as good!

You can listen to it here via their archives. (It's the one called Fortune Tellers and should start playing straight away...)  [Via Pretty* in The City]

Related: Karyn Bosnak's favourite bookshop | Karyn Bosnak, internet superstar

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 11, 2007 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs, Technology | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 4, 2007 2:34 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Home by Julie Myerson

I knew from the moment I first heard about it that I would love Julie Myerson's book, Home. The story of everyone who ever lived in her house? Who wouldn't want to know that? And I know, from reading one of her novels, Something Might Happen, what an amazing writer she is. So I sat down to read Home with anticipation and, if I hadn't had responsibilities, I wouldn't have got up again until I'd finished it.

Home is not just the story of everyone who lived in the Myersons' Victorian house, it's also Julie's story and the story of how books like this come to be written. So we learn about the residents - their fascinating and sometimes incredible stories - and we learn how Julie researched it all, how she chose to expand on the facts she found. All the little details that add up to make this book completely fascinating.

Researching the history of her own home also piqued Julie's interest in the homes she'd had in the past and so she goes back to visit them and, in doing so, reveals her own history and how homes shape memories (and, I suppose, memories shape homes).

It's an incredible, joyful, inspiring and life-affirming book. I couldn't read it quick enough but also didn't want it to end.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn

Posted by Keris on May 4, 2007 in British Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

FRIDAY FLICK: Iris

This week's Friday Flick is inspired by yesterday's Trailblazer, Iris Murdoch. Yes, it's Iris: the film.

Based on the first in John Bayley's trilogy of books about his late wife, Iris covers Murdoch's life from university (where she met John) to her descent into Alzheimer's. Although moving, it stops short of being depressing, and is instead a great tribute to the author - illustrating what a talented, vibrant woman she once was. Kate Winslet plays her wonderfully. As she becomes older, and more ill, she's played by Judi Dench, who looks astonishingly like Iris and portrays her with brilliant subtlety. There are moments of great humour, even in her illness, and very touching times with John, too.

In short, it's a very good, absorbing, moving film.

But carry on over the cut for my one slight beef about it...

For some reason, Hugh Bonneville, who plays the young John, didn't get as much recognition as the older John, Jim Broadbent, who won an Oscar (Dench and Winslet were also nominated), but he's very good. Perhaps that's because the male actors, despite not looking that alike, blend so well into each other. Perhaps his name could be added to the next version of the DVD cover...?

Like this (in that it also won Oscars): The English Patient.

Friday Flick archives. - We'll have something a bit more frivolous next week, I promise!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 4, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Friday Flick, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 18, 2007 9:42 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Drugs Are Nice by Lisa Crystal Carver

Moving right away from Austen for a while, let's look at a lifestyle Jane could never have imagined in a million years...

I have to be honest, I'm not sure how to describe this book - but I'll try. Drugs Are Nice is a memoir, but a very unconventional one because Lisa Crystal Carver has had a very unconventional life. The book begins when Lisa's father tells her, age six, that he's going to prison. She describes the next few years as uneventful, but she lives alone with her mother, who has major health problems which entail regular surgeries. Lisa is home alone during her mother's hospital stays, and often the sole carer as her mother recovers. Understandably, this puts a strain on their relationship, and as a teenager Lisa moves across the country to live with her now-released dad for a while. But his violent and verbally abusive style of communication means she moves back home with her still-ailing mum after about a year, and finds sanctuary in her intense friendship with best friend Rachel, with whom Lisa forms the band Suckdog. Touring with Suckdog seems to entail meeting some very disturbed people and having very little vocal talent, but the girls persevere...

The next few years involve Lisa getting into more and more weird forms of performance art (pretending to poo on people, actually urinating on people, writing and performing plays on all manner of disturbing subjects) and forming relationships (both platonic and sexual) with some very weird people - including her much older French husband, who she admits looks like a weasel and acts very oddly, with whom she has an open relationship.

At times, this book is a really uncomfortable read, and I couldn't understand why Lisa, clearly intelligent and talented (more at writing than singing/performing, perhaps) was choosing to live in this way. Finally, at the end of the book, Lisa shows some insight into her behaviour, looking into her past and talking about her need to live outside of the constraints of 'civilised' society. This part of the book is the most interesting and thought-provoking bit but doesn't last as long as I would have liked! It's a very well-written read, and a book that makes a huge impression, but it's not a book you 'enjoy' as such, and it's definitely not for the faint-hearted.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 18, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 16, 2007 1:18 PM

Blogger's quest to read only celebrity biographies for a whole YEAR

Now this is an interesting proposition: we've all read a celebrity autobiography or two, haven't we? (And some of us - even I! - may have read a ghostwritten one...)

But Mark Farley, blogger at Bookseller to the Stars has taken things one further, by challenging himself to read nothing but  celebrity memoirs for one whole year, from March 1 2007 onwards... Why? Well, read more about it here and find out!

Have you ever attempted any type of year-long reading quest? Are you tempted to?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 16, 2007 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (5)

April 12, 2007 4:53 PM

Sophie Dahl devotes herself to writing (again)

The lovely Kim, editor of our sister site Catwalk Queen, informs me that Sophie Dahl, model-turned-author-turned-model... is to turn author again, with two new books on the horizon - a novel and a food memoir. (Of the latter, Kim adds: 'I'm curious; will it be a book on how to avoid eating food? Miaow!')

Well, someone had to say it...

Celebrity authors archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 12, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Modern Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 11, 2007 4:15 PM

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

Last week, we talked about acknowledgements - and acknowledged that most of us love reading them, although not everyone agreed... click over there to find out more! Sad confession: I love to mentally draft and re-draft mine - for that book I haven't written. (Yet). Moving on...

Last week we were talking about the HUGE advance likely to be paid British funny woman Dawn French for her memoirs. This week, it turns out all predictions were under the mark: her story is  actually apparently worth £2 million. But what do you think: is anyone's life worth that much? Do you dream of a big advance one day (most authors won't get near it) or do you begrudge the fact that big-name authors get huge amounts of money thrown at them, while most writers toil in garrets? Should publishers be investing that cash in a wide range of authors, instead? Or do the famous people make it all back (some of the time) so it shouldn't matter? Is a huge advance more justifiable if (as in Dawn's case, I think) there's no ghostwriter?

So many questions! But it all boils down to one: big advances (especially for famous people) - is it a Yay or a Nay, and why?

Yay or Nay archives.

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 11, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Opinion, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (10)

BOOK REVIEW: Bitter Is The New Black by Jen Lancaster

Jen Lancaster fully admits that at the height of the dot-com boom (heck, in the years leading up to it, too) she was rather a demanding beyotch.

But after the American economy took a nose dive in the early '00s she and her husband Fletch both lost their well-paid jobs and had to downsize their life until they were living almost at the breadline, not knowing how they would pay their rent. Jen decided to blog about their troubles (yes, she's a blooker) and eventually this book was born...

Bitter Is The New Black describes their riches to rags story, and has to have the best subtitle of all time... (Are you ready? Take a breath):  Confessions of a condescending, egomaniacal, self-centred smart-ass, or why you should never carry a Prada bag to the unemployment office.

OK, I admit it: I didn't exactly warm to Jen at first - her sense of entitlement coupled with her arrogance wasn't exactly a winning combination. (Plus, y'know, she's a staunch Republican...) But over the course of the book she shows both her human side and her inner strength and I really came to enjoy her story, and to hope her situation would turn around. Most of all, this book is full of cynical humour (is there any better kind?) that often had me in stitches, and I really admire the way Lancaster is so open about her flaws and sometimes skewy motivations.

If you're anything like me, you'll start off hating her, and end up loving her. Roll on her next book: Bright Lights, Big Ass: A Self-Indulgent, Surly, Ex-Sorority Girl's Guide to Why It Often Sucks in The City, or Who Are These Idiots and Why Do They Live Next Door To Me?

Hee.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try Queen of the Oddballs by Hillary Carlip

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 11, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

From Starbucks to Starbooks: buy a book with your cappuccino

Starbucks, the fave coffee chain of, ooh - Keris and I (among many others!) is to begin selling books in its UK shops  starting on 21st May, after a successful scheme in the US. The first book on sale will be Ishmael Beah's A Long Way Gone. [Via Galleycat]

And with Costa Coffee taking over sponsorship of the formerly-Whitbread Book Awards, coffee and books is clearly a winning combination. As is chocolate and books, of course...

'Book related' archives

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 11, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 10, 2007 6:37 PM

Lionel Shriver loves Nora Ephron, too

First we brought you the breaking news that Lionel Shriver likes snooker (ha! 'breaking' - geddit?!) Now we bring you the news that she loved Nora Ephron's latest - just like us.

Although I still think the US cover is far nicer...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 10, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 9, 2007 8:46 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Sound Of No Hands Clapping by Toby Young

Toby Young's memoir How to Lose Friends and Alienate People is the best example of what could be called self-sabotage lit.

Here is the sequel, The Sound of No Hands Clapping, in which Toby attempts to crack Hollywood, with not one but two screenplay attempts - including one for an uber-producer whose identity is kept hidden (make your own mind up)...

Although this memoir is enjoyable, it's a bit fragmented - we go from his first meeting with the producer to  reading about one of Toby's terribly misjudged best man's speeches. Then back to his writing, then off to an argument with his wife, etc. I think the simple truth is that, much as he would like us to believe he's still making stupid mistakes and getting things all wrong, Young has clearly grown up and moved on from his days of stupidity in New York. He still misjudges situations and makes bad decisions, but is a lot more self-aware, and his relationship with his wife and kids proves he's not the ignorant fool of his first book.

Perhaps all that is why I didn't find this book quite as enjoyable as the first - in that book, Toby was making a right old hash of everything from his love life to his friendships to his career. In this one, he seems more settled, happier, and as though he's working harder to dredge up instances of shoddy judgement. Which is probably much better for Young as a person - but not quite as interesting to read about!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Watch the author talk about the book.

Like this? Try How to Lose Friends and Alienate People by Toby Young or The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 9, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 6, 2007 4:30 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Dork Whore by Iris Bahr

Iris Bahr's memoir Dork Whore (yup) is about, as the subtitle has it: "My travels through Asia as a twenty-year old pseudo-virgin".

Hmm. Now to describe a "pseudo-virgin"... well, you're probably better off reading the book for a full explanation as I'm far too nice to tell you in any detail! Let's just say Iris was very sexually inexperienced and hoping/desperately looking to improve her sex life. So at the age of twenty and after three years in the Israeli army, she decided to travel around Asia with her friend Boaz. Unfortunately, Boaz hated Bangkok and hopped on the next flight to Paris after just one day, leaving Iris alone and desperate (in more ways than one...)

Okay, so we all know that sex sells, but in this book it really wasn't necessary. Bahr is a witty talented writer and comes across as flawed and insecure but essentially very likeable. I would have much rather read a straightforward account of her travels, or perhaps of her childhood and what it's like to be transplanted from Brooklyn to Israel at the age of twelve. We get a bit of that, but not enough - and it would have been far more interesting than learning about just how many times a week Iris likes to... um.. "pleasure herself". The sex stuff is on the lewd side and seems like the author's trying too hard to give the book an interesting angle.

When she writes about other aspects of her trip however, the book's a really good read. And I love the cover! [DS]

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler.

Posted by Aigua Media on April 6, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 5, 2007 12:30 PM

More on the Madonna nanny book

Despite the Madonna's nanny tell-all being canned, it's still the story that refuses to die. Legendary American gossip blog Gawker has got its sticky little hands on the book proposal (all 75 pages of it) and has posted sections of it on the site. So if you want the teensiest of gossip, you may still find something to sate your interest, or at least laugh at (Mary Poppins clip art?!)

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 5, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 4, 2007 11:30 AM

BOOK NEWS: Girl with Glasses: My Optic History by Marissa Walsh

Here's a book I first read about in a very sneering post on books blog Bookslut a few weeks ago - but to me it sounds interesting, fun and a bit quirky - and there's nothing wrong with that!

You may not know this but your two Trashionista eds (Keris and myself, for the uninitiated) are a pair of astigmatic glasses-wearers with nary a decent eye between us, so obviously we weren't going to let the publication of Girl with Glasses: My Optic History slip past without a mention! It's more memoir than 'history of a glasses wearer' though, I think - and those with 20/20 vision (show offs) can read it too...

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 4, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 3, 2007 4:31 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Job Hopper by Ayun Holliday

Job Hopper is the third of Ayun Holliday's books we've reviewed (check out what we said about her others here and here).

As the title would suggest, it's about her inability to hold down employment for long, a history of her time flitting from one low-paid job to another in the time before she became a mum (and a writer). The subtitle says it all: The checkered career of a down-market dilettante.

I always enjoy Ayun's books. She comes across as such a fun, likeable and quirky character and her love of life is obvious. If I wrote about my stints working in a high-street shop and an Essex cafe, they wouldn't make half as enjoyable a read - the fact that she finds joy in, and even misses this type of low-paid work is testament to her ability to make the most of every experience. Which isn't to say I understand why anyone would miss waitressing (I know I don't!) Describing her time working as a museum security guard, a masseuse without the necessary paperwork and what has to be the world's worst temp, among other jobs, this book held my interest and made me laugh.

However... I didn't like it as much as Mama Lama Ding Dong. The stories here were clearly written separately and then made into a book later, making it a little disconnected, with no real narrative tension. And seeing as the book is all about how (as a busy stay-at-home mother) she can no longer do that kind of work, learning more about how her 'career' ended would have been appropriate.

Still, it's a good read, and I'd especially recommend it to anyone in low-paid work in need of tips to make life more interesting!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try You'll Never Nanny in this Town Again by Suzanne Hansen

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 3, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

£1.5 million for Dawn French's memoirs

Yes, apparently that's what the life story of the famous funny lady is worth. Despite celeb memoirs in general not selling as well as expected, Peter Kay's book, The Sound of Laughter sold brilliantly over Christmas and has clearly inspired publishers to fight over Ms French: she's apparently being paid £1.25m just to discuss her book proposal. [Via The Times]

Interesting side note: did you know that Kirstie Alley is lined up to play Dawn's role in the US version of The Vicar of Dibley? (Although it won't actually be set in Dibley, of course...) [More TV news over at TV Scoop].

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 3, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Television | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 29, 2007 11:34 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Alligators, Old Mink and New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing by Alison Houtte and Melissa Houtte

Alligators, Old Mink and New Money: One Woman's Adventures in Vintage Clothing by Alison Houtte and Melissa Houtte is a memoir/fashion advice book based on Alison's experiences as a model and later owner of a vintage clothes shop in Brooklyn, Hooti couture.

Each chapter begins with a recollection of a much-loved vintage clothing item, and its importance in Alison's life. The chapters then progress in a mostly chronological order, detailing Alison's journey from a clothes-obsessed teen to a model in Germany, Paris and New York and her later adventures opening a shop. It's a treat for any fan of vintage clothing (which I am, big time) and I loved reading Alison's memories of customising clothes and finding bargainous second-hand finds. It made me want to take a tour of my local charity shops (or even better, her local charity shops) post-haste. But I did have a little problem with this book...

Perhaps naively, despite the title I hadn't actually realised that Alison had no problem with buying, selling and indeed wearing vintage fur coats and alligator skin bags, which is not something I want to do - or read about. I read these sections of the book thinking "no, no, no" and hoping they'd be over quickly! But that's just a small part of an overall very enjoyable read. I also understand that not everyone shares my views on fur, and some think that vintage fur/skin is acceptable as the animal has already died (but...yuk). So although I give the author 0 out of 5 for her stance on animal products, I didn't let that tarnish my reading expereince too much (as I said, it is a very small part of the book!) - we don't all have to think the same, after all.

Moving on, the appendices at the back of the book, which include what to look out for in vintage shops/markets, and the best internet resources, are packed with detail and very useful (although understandably American-oriented, this being an American book).

All in all a good read (just don't tell PETA I said so).

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try It's Vintage, Darling! By Christa Weil

Fashion lit archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on March 29, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 26, 2007 5:11 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: About Alice by Calvin Trillin

"I wrote this for Alice. Actually, I wrote everything for Alice."

That was the poignant dedication at the front of Tepper Isn't Going Out - the last book Calvin Trillin wrote before the death of his wife Alice in 2001. Alice had been the star of many of Trillin's autobiographical stories and articles, his muse and mentor, as well as the mother of his two children and a brilliant writer and teacher in her own right.

About Alice is his tribute to his much-loved and much-missed wife, friend and partner, and it's just as poignant and heartbreaking as that dedication.

Which isn't to say that it's sentimental; it isn't. Everything about this book is understated, from the plain cover to the emotional tone to the length (it's just over 77 pages). Trillin chooses not to dwell on the details of Alice's death, which was caused by heart problems brought on by chemotherapy from lung cancer - although she was never a smoker - many years earlier.

Instead he writes with great humour, love and restraint about their life together, Alice's tenacity and intelligence, the support she gave him and their life together. It's wonderful to read this account of a truly happy marriage, and sad to realise it's over. Thankfully, this book made me laugh, but it also made me cry, not least at the end. I won't spoil it by quoting any more of Trillin's words for you now, but read them yourself - you won't be sorry.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

*DID YOU KNOW?* Calvin Trillin is one of Sara Nelson's most favourite authors, although the book of his she loves best, Floater, is sadly out of print.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on March 26, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 22, 2007 12:08 PM

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: Sylvia Plath

Yes, she was a depressive who killed herself, and I'm not suggesting that action should pave the way for other female authors, but it's a shame the way Sylvia Plath died has come to overshadow her wonderful writing.

I'm sure you'll have heard of her first and only novel, The Bell Jar, the story of one young woman's summer in New York, working as an intern at a magazine, and the mental breakdown that follows... It's not a happy story, but it's well-written and evocative and sadly, many young women can relate to that kind of depression - reading this book they'll know they've not alone. Plath was also a very talented (if often bleak) poet, with her collection Ariel probably her best-known and most-respected work. Her diaries are also published and show more of the inner workings of her mind. Perhaps most surprising is that Plath also wrote a children's book, Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams. Let's try to remember her for her writing, and not for how she died...

Read this: The Bell Jar

Who's your favourite trailblazer?

Thursday Trailblazer archives

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on March 22, 2007 in American Authors, Classic Novels, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Thursday Trailblazer | Permalink | Comments (7)

March 21, 2007 5:57 PM

Win a book on Corrieblog!

Yep, news of another competition! Celeb autobiography and Corrie fans should be interested in this one: a chance to win a copy of Julie Goodyear's (apparently rather sensational) life story, newly released in paperback.

Simply click on this link to find out how to enter.

Good luck!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on March 21, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Competition, Memoirs, New Releases, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 19, 2007 9:00 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Heat by Bill Buford

Heat is, according to the subtitle, 'an amateur's adventures as a kitchen slave, line cook, pasta-maker, and apprentice to a Dante-quoting butcher in Tuscany'. And for a quick precis of the book, you couldn't really ask for a better description. What the subtitle leaves out, however, is that the book also covers the author's disenchantment with his day job, his love affair with most things edible, and pedantic obsessions with points of food history.

The first 50 pages of Heat were dull, dull, dull. Buford makes friends with and begins to work for Manhattan celebrity chef Mario Batali, hero of the Food Network and the man behind a restaurant empire headed up by the legendary Babbo's. The problem is, the beginning of the book is in essence a potted history of Batali's relationship with food, and while the relevance of this is made evident later, at first I was left wondering why I was reading the biography of a chef instead of the memoirs of the author.

Once Buford takes over the narration of the book, however, things improve rapidly. We follow him as he learns to hear and smell the kitchen, and cook by instinct. We watch his progress through the kitchen, see him falling in love with food as a professional, not an amateur, and travel with him as his growing passion for Italian food takes him on several trips to the country, making tortelli in Emilia-Romagna, and butchering in Chianti.

Buford is a likeable narrator, and the descriptions of the food he eats and learns to cook border on the erotic. Erotic, not pornographic. This is food writing by a sensualist who considers the textures, colours, and smells of food to be as important as the flavour, and whose total immersion in the food he's cooking becomes a love affair in itself.

But Heat is not just a book about food. It's a book about consistency, and history, about the relationship between where people live and the food they eat, the way they choose to cook it, and the importance it has in their lives. In amongst the sentiment - which comes across as natural, not forced - there are a number of academic asides about the history and progress of Italian food, making Heat a book that makes you hungry, feeds your brain, and fills you with a sense of continuity and history. Brilliant, once the Batali biography is out of the way.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try:  The Nasty Bits, by Anthony Bourdain

Posted by Aigua Media on March 19, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 16, 2007 3:23 PM

Billie Piper's book adaptations

If you're in the UK, don't forget ITV's Jane Austen season starts this Sunday with Mansfield Park starring Billie Piper.

Thanks to our sister site, TV Scoop, we also learned that Billie is to star in an adaptation of Belle De Jour's Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl.

Posted by Keris on March 16, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Classic Novels, Memoirs, Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Shaggy Blog Stories

As everyone in the UK will know, it's Comic Relief this evening. (If you're not in the UK and have no idea what I'm on about, click here for all the info).

Anyway! Blogger troubled-diva decided to set up an ambitious project to raise money for Comic Relief:  he put together in just one week a book of 100 amusing blog entries from British bloggers, with profits going to Comic Relief. Called Shaggy Blog Stories, you can buy a copy from Lulu.com and benefit a great cause.

With my declared penchant for bloggy books, I'm definitely going to snap one up!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on March 16, 2007 in Book News, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (5)

March 15, 2007 2:38 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

Not long ago, if you’d told me I would find myself gripped by a graphic novel memoir of a childhood in Iran, I would’ve been, well, surprised to say the least. But I was utterly gripped by Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis.

For the majority of Marjane’s childhood Iran was at war with Iraq. She saw many friends and family members arrested, injured and killed, both in the war and by the fundamentalist Iranian regime. At the age of 14 her parents sent her to Austria alone to finish her education, but, desperately unhappy, she got into more and more trouble, which culminated in her living on the streets.

I found Persepolis absolutely fascinating. I didn’t know very much about Iran before, but as I’m around the same age as Marjane and remember news reports of the war during my own childhood, to read such a book and understand what someone my age was dealing with on a day to day basis at a time when all I had to worry about was whether my leg warmers matched is sobering.

Marjane was brave in a way we’d struggle to comprehend. Stopped by the police for running because “When you run your behind makes movements that are ... obscene”, Marjane responded, “Well then don’t look at my ass!” Her subsequent comment that “I yelled so loudly they didn’t even arrest me” highlights the kind of world she was living in.

I’m a graphic novel novice and I found Persepolis much harder work than Marisa Acocella Marchetto’s Cancer Vixen but it certainly rewards the attention. An amazing book.

N.B. This edition includes  two volumes: The Story of a Childhood and The Story of a Return

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto or Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi

Posted by Keris on March 15, 2007 in Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 12, 2007 3:54 PM

BOOK NEWS: Live to Tell by... Madonna's ex-Nanny

Madonna's former nanny Melissa Dumas has obviously been influenced by the success of The Nanny Diaries (now being made into a film) and You'll Never Nanny in this Town Again (which she might find to be true) - she's got a book deal for the September '07 release of her memoir, Live to Tell. No exact details of the contract are available yet but according to Galleycat, she'll get at least a $500, 000 advance.

But should nannies be allowed to tell all? And can't employees prevent it? On one hand, I don't really agree with dishing the dirt on your past employer (if they treated you well, anyway - which begs some questions...), but on the other, I'm as intrigued as anyone else to find out all about the inner workings of the Ritchie household! Should be interesting...

What do you think?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on March 12, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (4)

MORE ON MONDAY: Sweet and Low by Rich Cohen

Rich Cohen's maternal grandfather was Ben Eisenstadt. That name might not ring a bell, but his most popular invention certainly will: Sweet n' Low, those popular pink packets of sugar substitute sent everywhere from England to Israel from a packing plant on a small Brooklyn street. The story of an artificial sweetener isn't necessarily the makings of a great story, but the clue to Sweet and Low's appeal is the subtitle: A Family Story. Taking in disinherited relatives (Cohen's side of the family), mafia connections, strange relatives (a lot of them!) and young Ben's abandonment in the big city as a young teenager, this book is a personal look at how big business affects a family - and tears it apart.

This book wasn't really what I expected, though. I thought it would be, frankly, a slimmer volume, all about Rich Cohen's family and nothing else. It's actually more in-depth and far less lightweight than I would have guessed (don't you hate it when you have to concentrate?!) I learned about everything from accountancy practices (kosher and dodgy - I'm ready to launder money now... not really, FBI!) as well as the history of Brooklyn since its early settlement. Oh yes, and the history of sugar and its alternatives is covered in some detail too. The book is well-researched, very thorough and very well-written.

However, at times I would have preferred a more family-centric chronicle of events, with some of Cohen's research weaved in and worn a little more lightly, rather than entire chapters of history. But I guess that would be a completely different book. I was hooked nonetheless, and there's no doubt it's an interesting, informative and personal (if not always personal enough) read. And if it doesn't make you want to run out and do your own taste test of different alternatives to sugar... well, maybe that's just me!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try The Nasty Bits by Anthony Bourdain.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on March 12, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 5, 2007 9:45 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Good Good Pig by Sy Montgomery

I must admit, when a publisher sent me Sy Montgomery’s The Good, Good Pig, I laughed. A memoir about raising a pig? Not exactly my kind of thing. How wrong I was.

When Sy and her husband Howard’s friends asked them to adopt the “runt of runts” of one of their pigs’ litters, they had no idea how much they would come to love him or what he’d mean to them. Tiny and sickly and cute, they named him Christopher Hogwood and built him a makeshift pen. Almost immediately they noticed he was special. Everyone who saw him loved him and, as he got healthier, he began to show signs of prodigious intelligence (pigs are very intellligent animals - who knew?).

Christopher loved his food and, with the assistance of slops and leftovers provided by practically everyone in the neighbourhood, got bigger and bigger, finally topping out at 750 pounds (that’s over 50 stone!). Local children came to feed him and bathe him. He was photographed for national newspapers and “interviewed” for TV and his loving, accepting and joyful personality profoundly affected those who got to know him.

Despite my originaly misgivings, after hearing Sy Montgomery interviewed on To the Best of Our Knowledge I knew I’d love this book and I was right. Montgomery writes delightfully about the joys of Christopher’s life and the joy he brought to her life. As an award-winning naturalist, Montgomery enthusiastically conveys inforrmation about the lives of pigs and other animals in such a manner as to make me think about the place of animals in our world in a completely different way.

This book made me cry, laugh out loud, look at the world in a different way and want a pig of my own. And there are not many books you can say that about.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try Woman's Best Friend edited by Megan McMorris

Posted by Keris on March 5, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 12, 2007 9:32 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Child of the North by Josephine Cox

I’ve never read a Josephine Cox book. I read an extract of one as part of my English degree and I really didn’t enjoy it at all, so why did I read Child of the North? Because it’s not a Josephine Cox novel, it’s written by Piers Dudgeon with Josephine Cox for a start and it’s more the story of Josephine’s childhood in Lancashire, very near to where I live now.

Josephine Cox grew up as one of ten children in an extremely poor family in Blackburn. Her mother worked in a cotton mill. Strangely - since at school we seemed to study the Industrial Revolution to the exclusion of almost everything else - I’m still pretty interested in the subject and Piers Dudgeon (with Josephine Cox) writes extremely evocatively about the industry and related hardships.

The main problem with this book is that Josephine’s memories are illustrated with extracts from her novels, which are generally sentimental and overblown (if you’ve never read any of her novels, just the titles should give you an idea of what to expect: Angels Cry Sometimes, Her Father’s Sins, Cradle of Thorns). Even the memoir bits suffer from this - Josephine talks about how times were hard but “we made our own fun,” even about how she once received an orange for Christmas. It’s a bit like listening to your grandma after a couple of sweet sherries.

Having said that, I did enjoy the historical aspect of the book and it’s quite entertaining to walk past our local florists and say, “Josephine Cox lived there.”

Rating: 2 out of 5

Like this? Try The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

Posted by Keris on February 12, 2007 in British Authors, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 2/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 26, 2007 5:09 PM

Oprah’s latest bookclub choice

Is The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier.

While this is I’m sure an interesting and well-written memoir, I’m kind of put off by the fact that Sidney Poitier is one of Oprah’s closest friends, but should I be? What do you think?

Posted by Keris on January 26, 2007 in Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Opinion, Television | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 21, 2007 11:55 AM

BOOK NEWS: Don't Chew Jesus!

Okay, you HAVE to admit that title's got you intrigued!

You remember we enjoyed Welcome to Wisteria Lane, This is Chick Lit and Flirting with Pride and Prejudice? Well, the publishers of those great titles have a new book with a more... religious (sacrilegious?) theme: Don't Chew Jesus. It's about people's experiences of Catholic education - sad, odd or just plain funny, such as the nun who told one contributor during mass, "Don't chew Jesus! Suck on him instead..." 

Okay then.

Read an excerpt here.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 21, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 19, 2007 12:57 PM

Dawn Annandale: another author bends the truth

Well, who'd have thought it?! Another day, another "non-fiction" writer's truth-telling credentials called into question...

Dawn Annandale, author of the sensational memoir, or rather 'memoir' Call Me Elizabeth (about her time working as a prostitute in order to get out of debt), has admitted that she lied to police about a rape charge in an attempt to delay court proceedings against her.  A nifty trick which cost the taxpayer a cool £15,000...

Annandale's next book, Call Me Madam, is out later this year and will apparently not surprisingly now be marketed as FICTION.

Related: Augusten Burroughs latest author to face accusations of lying   

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 19, 2007 in Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Recent Release | Permalink

BOOK NEWS: Isabel Losada's 'Men!'

Non-fiction author Isabel Losada, who normally concerns herself with global issues, self improvement and reasons to be glad has a new, more romantically-themed book due for release here at the end of April.

Called 'Men!' her working subtitle was 'Where the **** are they?!' but she's now settled on 'Forget the fiction! Where are the interesting and available men?' (Answers on a postcard, please...)

On her blog she discusses the vexed issue of covers, and why she picked red rather than white (less self help-looking, apparently).

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 19, 2007 in Book News, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Romance, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Mommy Confidential by Melinda Roberts

Mindy Roberts began her blog to record the lives, escapades and hilarious remarks of her three young children. Before long she was blogging about her great, but incredibly stressful and exhausting job, her difficult relationship with her husband of twelve years, illness, ant and rat infestations and much much more.

Mindy’s blog, The Mommy Blog, is one of the longest-running and most popular “mommy blogs” on the net (and, yes, she’s still writing it). Unlike many mommy bloggers, Mindy can really write - she’s self-deprecating, funny, brutally honest, intelligent and entertaining. And her children sound adorable.

Still I do have a couple of criticisms of Mommy Confidential. The first is that, at 500 pages, it’s too long. The trouble with blogs is that there is a tendency to write pretty indiscriminately and though things may be interesting at the time they are taking place, they’re really not so interesting after the fact. There are memes and quizzes included in this book and random anecdotes about Mindy’s history and friendships which, while mildly interesting, don’t hold with the theme of the book and didn’t really need to be included.

The second is that, as the back cover blurb has it, “Mindy began to write about her life and children in the sleepless hours in an effort to capture her young family’s world in real time.” While that’s fine for a blog, it didn’t really work for me as a book. I think it would have been better to restructure the narrative as a straightforward memoir, but as it is, it really does just read as a blog in book form.

Having said all that, I did enjoy this book. Mindy is not only a wonderful writer, she’s also an incredibly strong woman. Honest about the challenges of work, marriage, motherhood and balancing all three, she is inspirational as well as entertaining and I found myself wanting to get back to the book to find out how she was coping with each crisis. I also found myself reading chunks of the book out to my husband and my friends.

Mommy Confidential is a good book, but I think with a bit of restructuring and a lot of editing, it could have been a great book.

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Mama Lama Ding Dong by Ayun Halliday

Posted by Keris on January 19, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (4)

January 17, 2007 10:38 AM

Book clubs - not just for books?

Anyone who knows me will laugh/nod their head in recognition when I say that I'm far too much of a control freak to be in a book club and have other people set my reading list. Plus, I have way too many books lined up to review! But there's no denying their popularity, and I have enjoyed some of the books about book clubs. (This one more than this one, which I found shocking in its pro-life propaganda - but that's anther story!) And if it's good enough for Rory Gilmore, it can't be a bad idea...

But a recent post on the Galleycat book blog suggested that book clubs are more about gossiping, or wine-drinking, or problem solving than actually talking about books! I can see that might be the case if you're with a group of good girl friends, but perhaps not so much if you're part of a group at say, your local library... Apparently clubs are now evolving to include meals, movie adaptations and other social activities (so more of a get-together than a 'book club' then...)

Are you part of a book club? Do you actually read and discuss the books, or does your attention wander? We'd love to know!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 17, 2007 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (3)

January 16, 2007 11:29 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I have not survived against all odds.

I have not lived to tell.

I have not witnessed the extraordinary.

This is my story.

So begins this wonderful book.

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life is Amy Krouse Rosenthal's autobiography - kind of. It's an alphabetised account of her experiences and thoughts on life, large and small, interspersed with a chronology of her life experiences, from how she came up with the idea of the book ('evolution of this moment') to why she could never concentrate during Laverne and Shirley...

I love the odd touches throughout the book: from the photocopied documentation of Amy's attempts to get out of a parking ticket on the grounds of karma (read the book to find out if it worked) to the reader's agreement that begins with a standard 'you agree not to reproduce, replicate or reprint...' and continues to 'at the end of each page you agree to thrust your arms upward and emit a loud, staccato hey!') But although it's a very funny book it's not a superficial or silly one - Amy shares some very personal facts and difficult experiences, including unexpected deaths of loved ones. It's a completely absorbing read.

Although this was without doubt the best book I read in 2005, I've hesitated in reviewing in for this long because I wasn't sure I could do it justice. The only way to really grasp how great it is is to read it, but you can read excerpts on the book's own site. It's definitely quirky and might not be to everybody's taste, but I think most people will appreciate the witty chronicling, the dry humour, the superb writing and the occasional moments of real sadness and poignancy.

This is one of those brilliant books that makes you wish you'd written it yourself.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto.

DID YOU KNOW? In a lovely gesture, if you read the book and love it, you can email the author via the site and tell her so - and she promises to write back individually and thank you (I've done this, and she's fab).

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 16, 2007 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 15, 2007 10:56 AM

The Year of Magical Thinking on Broadway

Looks like Keris was right: The Play IS the thing. Fresh from the disaster of High Fidelity  Broadway is bouncing back with another book adaptation, this one a little less unconventional. Veteran author Joan Didion has adapted her hit book The Year of Magical Thinking into a monologue, to be performed by Vanessa Redgrave. The book (and play) is about how Didion coped with the sudden death of her husband and the terminal illness of her daughter in the same few months, so it's not exactly cheery, but is meditative rather than self-pitying. (Or so I hear - I've had my copy since October but haven't cracked the cover quite yet... it looks great though!) [Via Vanity Fair].

Related: The Glass Castle on stage

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 15, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 12, 2007 3:46 PM

Can I offer you some Seduction, for free?

Ha - bet that title woke you up on a dreary Friday afternoon (if not, nothing will...)!

I loved Catherine Gildiner's very funny memoir of her unusual Canadian childhood Too Close to the Falls, and now she's written a novel, called Seduction, which for some CRAZY reason isn't available in the UK yet. But you can read an excerpt on this website here, and I think it reads a bit like a Jennifer Crusie novel... which can only be a good thing.

Let's hope it hits these shores shortly!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 12, 2007 in Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Non Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 11, 2007 6:40 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Dating Amy by Amy DeZellar

Amy DeZellar's Dating Amy is a memoir of, as the subtitle says, "50 True Confessions of a serial dater".

Amy went on fifty dates (although not with fifty men!) and chronicled her adventures on her website, datingamy.com. Her goal was to get some paid writing work, maybe publish a book... and perhaps even find love, too.

And we know it worked at least partly, as here's the book of the experience, which she adapted from her dating blog...

Amy goes out with men she meets via internet dating sites, meets at parties or bars, and men her friends set her up with. Sometimes I wasn't clear why she was going on a second date with some of these men, as the first one had gone so horribly! It all makes for interesting reading though. (Could that be why...?)

The book looks at some perennial dating questions: is it nicer for a man to say he doesn't want to date you again after just one date - or better to ignore you forever more? Why are some men so great on paper and a let-down in real life? And are men really all about sex and women all about commitment?

There's nothing hugely original about the concept, we've had a raft of similar books, both fiction and non-fiction, about serial daters. But this book is an enjoyable addition to the genre, and although I sometimes felt frustrated with Amy's choice of man (!) and the fact that she often said she couldn't get any paid writing work (had she sent out freelance ideas? Anything? We never find out) I'm still glad she wrote this book, and even more glad Amy dated all those men... so no-one else has to!

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try The Year of Yes by Maria Headley.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 11, 2007 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (1)

NON-FICTION AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Hillary Carlip

Finally! The chance to sit down and speak to (okay, email with!) the very funny and talented Hillary Carlip in our second non-fiction author interview! (Find the first one here). Over to Hillary...

How would you summarise your book?

Well, let’s just say it took a lot of work with my publishers to come up with the summary on the back cover of the book. And it’s always easier to have someone else toot your horn rather than yourself! So here it is:

A hilariously offbeat memoir about an adventurous young woman's escapades as she defies conventions and transforms an ordinary Los Angeles life into a star-studded, extraordinary miracle of self-discovery. Queen of the Oddballs: And Other True Stories from a Life Unaccording to Plan forms a chronology of Hillary Carlip's habitual straying from roads more traveled -- from a wisecracking third-grader suspended from school for smoking (while imitating Holly Golightly), to a headline-making teen activist, juggler and fire eater, friend (NOT "fan") of Carly Simon and Carole King, grand prize-winning Gong Show contestant, cult rock star, and seeker of spiritual and romantic truths that definitely defy expectations. Illustrated with ephemera -- from diary entries and photographs to a handwritten letter from Carly Simon -- Queen of the Oddballs presents a virtual time capsule of pop culture's last four decades and celebrates a creative life lived to the hilt.

More from my favourite memoirist of 2006 over the cut!

What do you enjoy about writing non-fiction?

It’s important to me that whatever I write has the potential to inspire people – to live their lives more fully and creatively, and to embrace who they are. It feels easier for me to do that with non-fiction.

What's an average writing day like? (briefly!)

I personally need to flit. I prefer to focus for some time, then go do something else, then return to writing. It’s like when I learned how to juggle when I was a teenager. If you continue doing it for too long at one time, you’ll just start dropping everything. But if you leave and come back, there’s more focus.

What's your favourite novel by a woman?

As you may be able to tell by the stories in Queen of the Oddballs, I don’t like limiting myself, or narrowing anything down!! So it’s incredibly hard to pick one piece of writing as my favourite when there are countless books and authors I adore.

Who is your favourite female character (fictional or real), and why?

Same as the last question. Impossible to pick just one! However, I will name one female character I definitely related to as a child, and is included in my book. Holly Golightly from Breakfast at Tiffany’s. Daring and darling, she shoplifted and had only one friend, her cat named Cat. She was strong and independent, saying things like: “You don't have to worry. I've taken care of myself for a long time," and had such a unique sense of style.

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

I’m working on several projects. One is a top-secret novel, the other is an anthology book of personal essays from my literary site, Fresh Yarn.

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!)

THIS ONE! For the last six months I have been doing scores of TV, radio, print, and web interviews. I can’t think of one question that’s not been asked… until yours. So, good job! Very original! :)

Thanks Hillary! (And that was Keris's idea!)

Interview archives / Non-fiction archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 11, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Interviews, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

THURSDAY THREE: Desperate measures

As I mentioned last week, critics of chick lit think it’s all about finding a man and that’s just not true. Except that sometimes it is. Earlier this week we showed you the trailer for Lorelei Mathias’s Step On It, Cupid, in which the main character, Amelie, decides to try out speed-dating. It made me wonder what other lengths characters had gone to to find that elusive perfect man.

In Chris Manby’s Getting Personal single friends Ruby, Lou and Martin are fed up of failed relationships and decide to place personal ads for each other with mixed results.

The Last Available Man by Cindy Blake features follows step-sisters Georgina and Jessica, who, sick of ending up on dates with no future, decide to put their skills as head hunters - along with their lengthy client list - into action to find themselves some real romantic prospects.

Carry on over the cut for the final - and most impressive - book of the three.

It's a non-fiction book - Maria Headley’s The Year of Yes. In the bravest (or maddest) idea of the three, Maria decided to say yay to everyone who asked her for a date: the homeless, the chronically weird and - despite being straight - women, too. Now that’s dedication.

Posted by Keris on January 11, 2007 in British Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Romance, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 8, 2007 2:23 PM

Plum Sykes's brother publishes book... about his alcoholism

Yes, glam as former assistant to Vogue editor Anna Wintour and author of Bergdorf Blondes  and The Debutante Divorcee Plum Sykes's life may seem, for her brother Tom, the past few years have been a different story as he battled alcoholism.

Now recovered, he too has written a book, an aptly-named memoir of his experiences: What Did I Do Last Night?: A Drunkard's Tale. It's out in paperback on the 11th.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 8, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 5, 2007 6:21 PM

Richard & Judy bookclub 2007

Yes, they've been announced! The titles of the books that are going to be flying off the shelves for the rest of this year:

The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld
The Testament of Gideon Mack by James Robertson
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
This Book Will Save Your Life by A M Homes
Restless by William Boyd
Love in the Present Tense by Catherine Ryan Hyde
The Girls by Lori Lansens
Semi-Detached by Griff Rhys Jones

They'll be officially announced on Richard & Judy's UK TV show on 31 January and you'll be able to buy them from the website. [via Galleycat]

I've only heard of two of the books and three of the authors, so I have to disagree with Mark Lawson's assertion that the couple choose books that would have done well without their help.

So what do you think? Is it a good list? Have you read any of them? Do you want to read any of them?

[Richard and Judy archives]

Posted by Keris on January 5, 2007 in American Authors, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Crime / Mystery, Debut Novels, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Non Fiction, Recent Release, Richard and Judy, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

FRIDAY FLICK: Girl, Interrrupted

Aka: the film that won Angelina Jolie an Oscar (remember when she kissed her brother slightly incestuously to celebrate? Good times).

Girl Interrupted is adapted from Susanna Kaysen's memoir of the same name and is the story of her time in a mental institution in 1967. She "accidentally" downed a bottle of painkillers and more than a little alcohol and so has to have her stomach pumped and be institutionalised with a group of young women, all of whom seem considerably more disturbed than she is.

I found the book moving, funny and touching. But what about the film?

Well, the film is good too, and stands up on its own - it's more than just an adaptation, it's a story in its own right. I wouldn't say it's a movie you enjoy exactly, but considering it's about depression, more severe mental illness, the changing role of women, family issues and the start of Vietnam, it has great moments of humour and isn't bleak. There are some fabulous performances here - a pre-scandal Winona Ryder is overshadowed by Jolie (she's overwhelming at times, but seriously deserved the Oscar for best supporting actress) and a thoroughly disturbing Brittany Murphy (who's much better at serious stuff than the fluff she sometimes leans towards).

I believe it's on TV soon, and I'd recommend trying to catch it if you haven't seen it already. As our TV guide has sprouted legs yet again, I'm afraid I can't tell you when it's on (anyone know?) but keep your eyes out, 'cos it's definitely worth a watch.

DID YOU KNOW? Kaysen's follow-up, a book about her vaginal-health problems, was far less of a success - and thankfully, hasn't been made into a film! (Yet).

Friday Flick archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 5, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Friday Flick, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Prize Winners | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 4, 2007 6:39 PM

Augusten Burroughs latest author to face accusations of lying

Yep, another day, another hoax/faux-memoir accusation! Now Augusten Burroughs, whose autobiographical (or so he says) Running with Scissors divulged details of the weird and sometimes sordid time he spent living with his mother's psychiatrist and his family is facing a lawsuit from said family, who say his allegations have caused them stress, illness and irreparable harm to their reputations. They also say he lied. A lot. There's conflicting evidence and so it looks like we'll have to wait for the courts to decide on this one... Honestly. It's enough to make me swear off memoirs...

Well... almost!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 4, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 2, 2007 6:03 PM

BOOK REVIEW: My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler

Maybe because I'm such a good, sweet innocent young woman (stop laughing at the back!) but I love reading about people who are totally politically incorrect and absolutely shameless, and comedian-turned-author Chelsea Handler certainly fits that bill. In her memoir of one-night stands, My Horizontal Life, she wants to dispel the myths around one-night stands: that they're something to be ashamed of, make you a bad person, or that only slutty people have them. They're something to be re-joiced in, laughed at and looked forward to, she says...

Despite the theme of the book, it's actually not sexually explicit. We learn a lot about Chelsea's family, her upbringing and her friends, and we learn perhaps more than we need to about some aspects of her life (do NOT ask her how she got RSI!) But she never gets down to the real sex stuff nitty-gritty, and for that I was grateful! Her book is more about her encounters than the actual sex itself, which stays behind closed doors. Trust me, the men she meets and situations she gets into are weird enough, we don't need to know more...

This book made me laugh, but was at times very mean-spirited (she hates and mocks her former roommate for being a virgin at 28, and frequently lies to men). I don't think I'd want Chelsea for a friend (finding out she likes to try to make her friends pee themselves in their sleep confirmed that for me) but as an author she's entertaining and I admire her self-confidence and lack of hang-ups and the fact that she offers a new perspective on sexual mores.

But her romantic life -and her everyday life, too-  seems a little shallow, and at times I had to stop reading because she was just being too mean or annoying! Definitely an improvement on Girl with a One-Track Mind-type tell-alls though, and a fast and fun read, if you can cope with a dose of attitude and more than a little superficiality...

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 2, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: Dirty Sugar Cookies by Ayun Halliday

Dirty Sugar Cookies is an example of the increasingly popular food memoir. In other words, Ayun Halliday writes about her life via memories of meals she’s eaten and cooked. We learn about the New Boys and Girls Cookbook with such delights as Enchanted Castle and Bunny Salad, how Ayun’s relationship with her mother and grandmother is processed through food, plus we hear all about boyfriends, jobs, even the birth of her second child (this was my favourite chapter).

I did enjoy this book, but I found it a little hard to read. Ayun has a very particular writing style with a lot of diversions and if I didn’t concentrate I lost my thread, but it’s interesting - and often very funny - reading. Plus each chapter ends with a recipe, written in Ayun’s irreverent style. Examples include Monkey Brain Tartare (which is actually delicious-sounding shrimp sandwiches), Post-coital Pancakes, and, um, Quiche. My favourite instruction “drink the remaining butter.” You don’t get that from Delia Smith!

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Mama Lama Ding Dong by Ayun Halliday

Posted by Aigua Media on January 2, 2007 in American Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

January 1, 2007 1:37 PM

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to all our wonderful readers and a huge THANK YOU for all your comments and contributions this year - you make this site what it is and we couldn't do it without you! We hope you had a great festive season and wish you a fabulous year to come!

We hope you'll stick around in 2007, as we have plans to make Trashionista bigger and better than ever. This week alone, expect a movie news round up, more on memoir scandals, chick lit book updates... and review after review after review!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on January 1, 2007 in Announcements, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Movie News, New Releases | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 26, 2006 12:00 PM

NON-FICTION AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Robert Rave and Jane Rave

This is an exciting first for Trashionista, so of course we had to save it for Super Interview month: our first non-fiction interview!

We spoke exclusively (via internet) to Robert Rave and Jane Rave, the mother-son team behind entertaining memoir/advice book Conversations and Cosmopolitans.

How did the idea for this book come about?

Robert: It was about sharing our story really. Coming out stories aren’t really anything new, and when my mom and I discussed writing this together we wanted to tell some of the conversations and situations we encountered over my process of coming out which even today continues to evolve. We wanted these stories to be told in a way that could open up a dialogue between families through both the funny and sometimes sad stories we tell.

Did you enjoy working together on the project?

Robert: She was probably the most difficult person I’ve ever worked with in my entire life, a real witch.

Only kidding! It was incredible. How many people can really say they truly know their parents. I feel fortunate to say that I do.

Jane: Yes, we had a lot of fun, but we also really laid a lot out there because we thought being authentic was the only way people gay or straight, teenager or adult, would be able to relate to us. During the writing process we both laughed a lot, and each of us probably silently cried for the other one.

Did Robert's infamous "gay letter" bring you closer?

Robert: That letter was either going to bring us closer or set the stage for a very expensive therapy bill!

Carry on over the cut for Jane's answer, and more from the Raves...

Jane: We were close already. However, I think through that letter Robert was opening a door to my husband and me, and not seizing that opportunity wasn’t an option.

What advice would you give to anyone in the same position as you guys at the start of the book- a parent and gay son or daughter who's just come out- and who might not be quite as comfortable talking to each other as you are?

Jane: I think as a parent, you have to first realize you love your child unconditionally. I know it sounds so simple, but so many parents forget that. Don’t be afraid to tell your kids that your love has no conditions and more importantly make them feel it. Let them open up slowly, and don’t be afraid to ask questions that’s how a dialogue begins. Or just give them a copy of our book- and after you finish-you’ll be able to decide what to do or in some cases what not to do.

Robert: It’s important to feel the situation out. I know wholeheartedly that not every parent wants to hear about waxing, dating, and body images issues whether gay or straight. It’s all about finding your “in” to bring up the topic. Trust me, I hate confrontation—I wrote a letter to come out to my parents! Take it a day at a time. It’s a good idea to also keep a healthy supply of cosmopolitans nearby in case of emergencies.

What's in this book for people who just want a darn good read? Robert: It has sex, booze, family drama, and body image issues- it sounds like a typical episode of “Footballer’s Wives” to me, so what’s not to like?

What are some of your favourite books? What are you reading now?

Jane: I like all sorts of books. I just finished A Perfect Evil, and that was so intense that I had nightmares from it. I picked up the book by Nora Ephron, I Feel Bad About My Neck, and it gave me a good laugh which I needed after A Perfect Evil.

Robert: Lately, I’m really into memoirs. I’m a HUGE fan of Josh Kilmer Purcell’s book I Am Not Myself These Days. I can’t wait to read more from him. I enjoyed Jen Lancaster’s Bitter Is the New Black as well. I’ve also read everything written by David Sedaris and Augusten Burroughs.

Thanks guys!

Interview archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on December 26, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Interviews, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (2)

December 18, 2006 12:13 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Feel by Chris Heath

A few years ago I read Literally, a biography of The Pet Shop Boys by Chris Heath. It was utterly compelling, brilliantly written and totally transporting. So I was excited to see that Chris Heath had written a biography of Robbie Williams, whom I lurve.

I was a bit worried it wouldn’t meet the high standard set by Literally, but Feel is everything I expected and more. It's not just a biography of a star, it's a meditation on - and expose of - celebrity and modern culture. And it's really very funny.

Chris Heath got to know Robbie extremely well and has captured brilliantly the contradictions that, in my opinion, make Robbie such a fascinating character. For example, if Robbie values his privacy as highly as he claims, why did he agree to a journalist spending a year with him and writing a book which includes intensely private moments and emotions? You don’t get any answers (well, not many), just more questions about why anyone would choose to be famous in this age of total celebrity obsession.

Feel is a brilliantly written, thought-provoking, gripping, funny book. Whether you love, like, hate, or are indifferent to Robbie Williams, I highly recommend you read it.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn

More on Monday archives

Posted by Keris on December 18, 2006 in British Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (4)

December 7, 2006 9:21 PM

The Glass Castle on stage

While we’re on the subject of non-fic chick lit, Jeannette Walls’ huge-selling (more than 1 million copies in print) memoir, The Glass Castle, has been turned into a one-woman stage show.

The book - about Walls' poverty-filled and dysfunctional childhood - was selected for the American Place Theater's Literature to Life programme, which aims to give students a new way to access literature by bringing books to life. After a performance in New York, the show will travel to schools around the US.

Previous Literature to Life adaptations include The Secret Life of Bees and The Kite Runner. [via Publishers Weekly]

Related posts: The play’s the thing (apparently)

Posted by Keris on December 7, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (4)

Top ten non-fiction chick lit

Continuing Trashionista's Top 100 Extravaganza, we bring you....

The top 10 non-fiction chick-lit books! After all, there's nothing to say that chick lit has to be fiction, is there? And we've reviewed some fabulous non-fiction chick lit since Trashionista's incarnation. But what were our favourites? (And why?) Read on for the Top 10 Non-Fic Chick Lit, and what we said about it - in quotes, below - and find out!

10. You'll Never Nanny in this Town Again by Suzanne Hansen. Aka: The book that spilled the beans on nannying for the Hollywood elite... truly jaw-dropping.

"I'd definitely recommend it to anyone else who loved The Nanny Diaries, for a real-life perspective (truth really is stranger than fiction)."

9. Conversations and Cosmopolitans by Robert Rave and Jane Rave. A gay man and his mother write alternate chapters about their lives and experiences after Robert gave out as gay via a typo-strewn letter. Cute, funny, and surprisingly  moving:

"I'm a sucker for a good memoir, and this is a very good one. It made me cry in a couple of places, and some of Jane's experiences showed that sometimes straight people are looked down on for their sexuality too- which was a very interesting and unexpected angle... But mostly, it made me laugh and kept me hooked."

8. But Enough About Me by Jancee Dunn. Rock chick / journalist Dunn dishes about interviewing famous stars, dodgy boyfriends and an unfortunate cocaine episode... oh, and journalism too, of course!

"If you're at all interested in music or journalism or even if you remember the Eighties (although if you can remember the Eighties you weren't really there, right?), you'll love this charming and funny book."

7. Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison. The story of a British journo looking for love in New York - a real life Bridget/Carrie hybrid!

"I found her story particularly fascinating being a frustrated Lois Lane myself, but you don't need to be a journalist-wannabe to enjoy this book: if you like reading about big cities, love, and the ups and downs of a modern woman making it on her own (and if none of those things interest you, what are you doing here?!) then you'll love this memoir."

6. Mama Lama Ding Dong by Ayun Halliday. A wonderful and unconventional mothering memoir!

"Mama Lama... is a feel good story about being yourself and having fun- even if you have children or are on the verge of giving birth! Ayun and her family are loving and happy, but far from conventional- they dress their little boy in girls' clothes if they fit him and look cute and their little girl was born with an extra thumb! Plus, their ultra-aggressive cat has an embarrassing sexual fetish..."

Carry on over the cut for our top 5 non-fic chick lit books, and to see if you agree!

5. I'm Celibate, Get me Out of Here! A true-life venture into the world of internet dating... with hilarious results.

"This book is witty, fast-paced and highly entertaining. You really feel the roller coaster sense that is associated with the search for Mr Right - at the end of the day we're all either doing it or have done it. The anecdotes are hugely amusing at times, but Elliott never feels the need to be downright rude about any of the men she came across. The idea for the book is very original, who knows it may join the likes of Adrian Mole and Bridget in years to come."

4. Mixed by Angela Nissel. Full of warmth and laughs, but tackles some serious race-related stuff too. My only complaint? It's not long enough!

"This book made me think, while entertaining me, making me laugh and just generally being a joy to read. That's not an easy feat so I can't wait to see what Ms Nissel writes about next..."

3. Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto.  Bit of a departure, this one: a chick-lit memoir in graphic novel form! But if you're not into comics, don't be put off... or you'll miss out, big time.

"There are some sad moments, of course. There's a moving interlude about Marisa's experience of 9/11 and something that happens as a result of her [cancer] treatment actually made me sob, but in the main this book is hilarious, uplifting and, yes, unputdownable. Read it."

2. Queen of the Oddballs by Hillary Carlip.

"I simply loved this book... Hillary really is an interesting and unique individual who's taken an inspiring yet down-to-earth "Oddball" journey through life. And I'm so happy she decided to write about it!"

And now for number 1! Can you guess what it is yet? Drumroll please...

It's...

1. Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes! Yes, it has to be, didn't it? Arise, Queen Marian of Keyes, goddess of chick lit - fictional or not! The book that made us discuss kidnapping an author for the very first time (see the comments...) We also said:

"Can she be as successful in non-fiction as she is in fiction? Course she can, silly! This is Marian Keyes we're talking about! The signature humour, warmth and poignancy that we love in her novels is all here as she talks about her real life... If you want a book to curl up with, laugh at and just generally cherish (particularly if you're having a 'duvet day' yourself) then you can't go far wrong with this. And if you've only ever read Marian Keyes's fiction, then you're missing a treat!"

Trashionista Top 100 archives / Non-fiction archives / Memoir archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on December 7, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Top 100 Extravaganza! | Permalink | Comments (2)

December 4, 2006 12:58 PM

BOOK NEWS: The Hot Mom's Handbook

A new book, The Hot Mom's Handbook seeks to unify hot mothers everywhere! Erm... how nice for them. Actually, despite the throwaway title, it's not a bad idea: the aim is to shatter mothering stereotypes, and show women that motherhood can be fun, and doesn't mean you have to lose your identity, be frumpy or have no life (unless you want to...) But author Jessica Denay does of course have to start off this promotional video by telling us that people often say she's "too hot" to be a mom. I can't help thinking that confession alone would have Lynette Scavo throwing rocks at her PC!

Related: Confessions of a Naughty Mommy by Heidi Raykeil / Book Trailerpark / Confessions of a Failed Grown-up by Stephanie Calman / Technology archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on December 4, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Technology | Permalink | Comments (11)

November 30, 2006 8:00 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Marriage and mayhem

Almost everyone I know is getting married lately, and it got me thinking about the number of books devoted to the subject of weddings- especially the ones with madness and mayhem involved! Here are three picks of the bunch- but feel free to read on and suggest your own...

Laura Wolf's Diary of a Mad Bride is a "will there be a wedding disaster or won't there?" classic. Amy vows that when she gets married, she'll be far more level-headed than her taffeta-obsessed engaged girlfriends. But when her boyfriend proposes, she finds she's just as bad as everyone else: "Marriages are made in heaven - but weddings are made in hell...What is it about getting married that can turn a sophisticated, level-headed woman into an obsessed wreck?" A great fast and funny farce- just don't use Amy as your role model...!

Carry on over the cut for more wedding fun...

The next book is about a sister of the bride, rather than a mad bride... If you hated the Debra Messing film The Wedding Date (everyone I know who's seen it does!) then don't be put off by the book it's based on- they're nothing alike! Liz Young's Asking for Trouble is about Sophy, who doesn't have a date for her sister's wedding, so asks an attractive escort to accompany her... of course, things don't go quite to plan!

Finally, Marry Me by Carey Marx is the true-life story of a comedian's quest to find true love and get married... within six months! It's very, very funny- but you'll have to read it to see if he achieves his goal...

What are your favourite marriage/wedding themed books?

Thursday Three archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 30, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Non Fiction, Recent Release, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 29, 2006 8:09 PM

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

Hi, Yay or Nayers! Last week you were pretty much agreed that it's OK if your partner doesn't read your writing... better than him/her reading it and making lukewarm/disparaging comments, at any rate! (But I think I'd want my boyfriend to read and love my masterpieces - if I had a boyfriend. Or any masterpieces.)

This week, the question is simple, if controversial. (And in several parts...) You may have heard all the outcry about the proposed OJ Simpson book (worst taste idea of the year), which has now thankfully been dropped by the publisher. Found not guilty in criminal court of the murders of his ex-wife and her boyfriend, OJ was nevertheless found guilty in a civil trial. And although he's not in the same league, disgraced ex-politician Jeffrey Archer has a new book deal (oh joy) and indeed released a book from prison. Great! On the other hand, this prison diary is one of the best books I've ever read.

So what I want to know is this: should books by convicted criminals ever be published, and should they receive money for them? Does it depend on whether the book draws on a crime they've been found guilty of? Is it only okay once they've served their time? Should it be taken on a case by case basis (eg. Jeffrey Archer - bad writer but not in bad taste, OJ - bad to the bone *allegedly*?) What do you think?

To answer all or any of that(!), tell us: is it a Yay or a Nay... and Why?

Yay or Nay archives.

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 29, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, British Authors, Crime / Mystery, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Opinion, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (8)

Poor show from celebrity memoirs

Remember how we told you this Christmas we'd be facing Celebrity Memoir Mania in our bookshops with an estimated 60 books to choose from? Well it looks like the bubble may have burst.

An article in The Independent focusses on the high-profile celebrity books that failed to earn back the advances. The worst example is that of former Home Secretary David Blunkett, whose book, for which he was paid £400,000, has sold around 1,000 copies! Rupert Everett (£1million; 15,000 copies), Ashley Cole (£250,000; 4,000 copies) and Chantelle's (£300,000; 4,000 copies) books haven't done too well either.

The frenzy was apparently started by Jordan (yep, blame Jordan) who was paid £10,000 for her book, Being Jordan, after a number of publishers turned it down. It went on to sell 900,000 copies. [via Galleycat]

Posted by Keris on November 29, 2006 in Book related, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (4)

November 27, 2006 9:56 AM

TV News: Going Overboard

Yep, normally it's movie news, or play news (news about plays, rather than pretend news, that is!) around here so I thought it was about time for some TV-themed book goss.

Kelsey Grammar, TV producer (of lots of stuff, including a big fave of mine, Medium) and ex-Frasier, is helping turn American author Sarah Smiley's memoir, Going Overboard (subtitle: The Misadventures of a Military Wife) into a sitcom for American network CBS.

[Via SarahSmiley.com]

DID YOU KNOW? Jennifer Weiner's Good in Bed was optioned to be made into a TV series by HBO (makers of SATC, of course) but sadly nothing came of it... boo. Get Kelsey on the case!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 27, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 15, 2006 8:00 PM

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

Well, last week you were pretty unanimous: you hate the idea of novels which turn real people's lives into fiction (in that case, Jackie Kennedy into a spy). I think Shanna had the best idea- why not loosely base it on a famous person (i.e make it a book about a famously stylish president's widow)? Seems classier, somehow...

Anyway! Today's Yay or Nay isn't about a moral dilemma, more a book world bust-up: the literary community is divided over whether graphic novels should be included in the running for major lit prizes. Some call it sacrilege, some call it progress... Before reading the wonderful Cancer Vixen I would have been very against the idea, but now I'm not so sure...

But what do you think: is it a Yay or a Nay- and Why?

Related: Yay or Nay archives / Manga Romance / Wuthering Heights gets graphic! / Jodi Picoult, Wonder Woman? / Movie News: Cancer Vixen / Book Review: Cancer Vixen

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 15, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 14, 2006 11:39 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Under The Duvet by Marian Keyes

Show me a chick-lit fan, and I'll show you a woman who loves Marian Keyes (at least 99% of the time). Her book Under The Duvet was a bit of a departure for Marian though. It's a collection of pieces of journalism, opinion pieces and slices of autobiography- some previously published, some published only in Ireland and some that had never before seen the light of day. First published in 2001 (and with a sequel, Further Under the Duvet released in paperback this autumn) it seems about time we reviewed it. We 'Yay or Nay'-ed you on whether you wanted La Keyes to just stick to fiction, and the answer was a unanimous no, even from those who hadn't read about any of her Under The Duvet experiences (um, so to speak!)

So can she be as successful in non-fiction as she is in fiction? Carry on over the cut to find out.

Course she can, silly! This is Marian Keyes we're talking about! The signature humour, warmth and poignancy that we love in her novels is all here as she talks about her real life. She sets the record straight about what life as a writer is like, letting fans into her daily routine (lots of typing and banana-eating in bed, apparently!) talks about her research trips and travel experiences and why she can never get enough shoes. But this isn't just a cosy romp through chick-lit subjects. Marian comes across as intelligent and astute, very kind and very appreciative of her good fortune. She also handles more serious subjects than those I've just described, telling the story of her alcoholism, her recovery, and how she came to be a writer as a result- which is extremely moving.

If you want a book to curl up with, laugh at and just generally cherish (particularly if you're having a 'duvet day' yourself) then you can't go far wrong with this. And if you've only ever read Marian Keyes's fiction, then you're missing a treat! When I told my co-ed Keris I was reviewing this she said, "LOVE it. Doesn't it make you just want to move to Ireland, hunt her down and force her to be your best friend?" Much as that makes us sound like stalkers, it's true.

(My one complaint is that more women writers don't try this type of non-fiction collection!)

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try Anybody Out There? by Marian Keyes.

Marian Keyes archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 14, 2006 in Book related, Girly Stuff, Irish Authors, Marian Keyes, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Opinion, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

November 9, 2006 12:23 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Breast Cancer Vixens

Yeah, I know, last month was breast cancer awareness month, so this might have been more appropriate then... but deal with it! (Sorry to be bossy, but today's Thursday Three is about three butt-kicking women who dealt with breast cancer and still kept their senses of humour...)

First up, of course, is Cancer Vixen, the wonderful memoir by Marisa Acocella Marchetto which explodes the myth that graphic novels can't be moving, interesting, poignant pieces of work. Marisa writes about her diagnosis, chemo and radiotherapy (and the problems this causes) in such a way that anyone can relate- and anyone whose been through it will appreciate. She goes through some hard stuff, but comes out of it a vixen, not a victim.

Carry on over the cut for more vixens...

When it comes to surviving breast cancer, Tania Katan is something of an expert. In her memoir, My One-Night Stand With Cancer, she talks about what it's like to be a two-times breast cancer survivor after she's diagnosed first at the age of 21, and then again ten years later. She goes through not only biopsies and chemotherapy but two mastectomies. She's angry and upset by her experience- but uses it as a way to express herself creatively too, and ends up finding someone who truly loves and accepts her, so she has a happy ending.

Of course, not everyone survives breast cancer, no matter how hard they fight or how well they write about their experience. Another graphic novelist, Miriam Engelberg, the author of Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person, had initial success with treatment but sadly died on October 17th this year. A memorial will be held for her on November 19th.

Related: My (So-Called) Normal Life by Erin Zammett / Thursday Three archives.

Breast Cancer Care UK.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 9, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (5)

HILLARY CARLIP ON... Being an oddball

In a guest essay for Trashionista, one of my favourite memoirists of all time, Hillary Carlip, author of the fabulous Queen of the Oddballs, talks about why it's good to be odd...

What is an Oddball?

A lot of people keep asking.

To me an oddball is someone who's on the sunny side of weird. Its someone who's an eccentric, a trailblazer, somewhat mistrustful of the tasteful and the restrained; has an irresistible impulse to gild lilies, act forty-five when they're thirteen and thirteen when they're forty-five, travels off the beaten path. Its anyone who's ever been called an iconoclast or a cock-eyed optimist, and those who are not afraid to do things unaccording to plan.

I've been on the road for the past several months for my Queen of the Oddballs book tour, and my suspicions have been confirmed -- there are major oddballs everywhere! It's been so incredible hearing that my specific and unique escapades and adventures are so universal, touching a nerve in those who at one time or another have felt like an outsider -- like they didn't belong. That's what Queen of the Oddballs is really about. It's not only a fun-filled romp through a creative live lived to the hilt, and true stories of my growing up on the fringe of celebrity, it's also about coming to terms with feeling different and actually taking that a step further by embracing that, going for it fully, and celebrating your inner oddball!

It means the world to me to hear from people who have been entertained and inspired by the book, and are giving their oddballness a chance to thrive.

Remember: Be an oddball! Rebel, reinvent, creatively express. Commit random acts of oddness, and let your freak flag fly. Do things unaccording to plan. I hope you enjoy my book!

ps: There are a few mo' dates added to my tour! If you're in LA, Pittsburgh, Chicago, or Sioux Falls South Dakota, I'd love to meet you! (OH, and I might be doing an event with my Memoirists Collective peeps in NYC in October -- stay tuned!) And lots o' news and fresh new video clips on my website www.queenoftheoddballs.com.

Thanks Hillary!

Excerpted with kind permission from Hillary's Myspace page. (Make us your friend, too!)

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 9, 2006 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 7, 2006 10:47 AM

Dirty Blonde- Courtney Love's new book

As Keris just mentioned, Courtney Love "allegedly" made off with a copy of  Stupid and Contagious recently, without you know, paying.

Now she's released a book of her own: out this week, Dirty Blonde is a collection of diary entries, poetry, song lyrics and photographs from the singer/actress/alleged book thief. Perhaps she'll offer Caprice Crane a free copy...?

[Via Bookslut].

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 7, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Debut Novels, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 3, 2006 1:17 PM

BOOK REVIEW: My One Night Stand With Cancer by Tania Katan

By the time Tania Katan was 31, she'd had breast cancer twice- the first time at 21- and a double mastectomy. My One Night Stand with Cancer explores what it's like to be faced with a life-threatening illness, twice! and also tells the story of Tania's family life, her upbringing, her work to make it as a writer and her struggle to find a good, healthy relationship.

At times, I found the narrative a bit confusing, as the action moves from Tania's first bout with cancer to her second so it's very choppy at times. She's living in different cities and has different (both awful!) girlfriends but I still forgot which decade I was in occasionally! However, it's not that hard to catch up and I can see that organising things this way helps show the parallels between the two diagnoses but for me a chronological explanation would have worked better.

Still, I found the story completely absorbing, scary, full of emotion and at times very funny and I had a lot of respect for Katan at the end of it. Not because she survived breast cancer twice but because she's so brave about being herself and demanding that others accept her for who she is. For example, she refuses reconstructive surgery because she wants to accept her new body, and for others to do the same, and when they do it's one of the most poignant parts of the book (yes, I cried).

I can see that this memoir probably isn't everyone's cup of tea- Katan is very upfront about her feelings, her sexuality (in some detail- although nothing too crude!) and her inner struggles. Anyone from the "keep-it-to-yourself-stiff-upper-lip" school of thought might not appreciate her approach! But it works for her: she survived cancer times two, found happiness and inner peace- and I really enjoyed reading about it.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto; Queen of the Oddballs by Hillary Carlip.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 3, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 1, 2006 6:07 PM

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

Last week, we discovered that most of you have nothing against a nice novelisation, with one lone dissenter who'd prefer authors left  well enough alone. This week, I want to know what you think about a different genre altogether: misery memoirs, also known as 'grit lit'. With JT Leroy and James Frey exposed as fraudsters and questions raised about the authenticity of  other authors' recollections, the genre has been under scrutiny as never before.

Since the popularity of A Child Called It, there's always one of these books in the top ten lists every week. You can recognise them by the black and white picture of a sad looking child, and the handwriting font of the title, and some people specifically look for that type of book. But should they? Is it interesting and helpful to read memoirs of abject misery, or is it intrusive and gruesome? Are vulnerable people being exploited, or causing themselves more pain and misery, by writing this type of book- or is it healing and cathartic? Do you enjoy reading them, or not?

Basically... is it a Yay or a Nay- and why?

Yay or Nay archives.

[Don't forget it's Yay or Nay day at Hippyshopper, Bridalwave, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 1, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Memoirs, Non Fiction, Opinion, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (5)

Win books on Corrieblog!

We're a little late mentioning it but yesterday our wonderful sister site Corrieblog turned one- Happy Birthday Corrieblog! I can't imagine the blogging world without you- what a sad place it must have been...

Anyway, to celebrate, they have three signed copies of Julie Goodyear's autobiography to give away on the site- click here to find out more about the book and how to enter!

Related: Celebrity Memoir Mania / Ghost writers are in the money / Posh is a signing sensation.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 1, 2006 in Announcements, Book News, Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Competition, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Television | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 30, 2006 11:03 AM

More Richard and Judy book news

What's the best gift book to get your mum, dad, boyfriend or best friend? Well, as you should already know, Richard and Judy will be helping you make that choice on December 9th, and we now know (thanks to Bookseller.com) that Rupert Everett, Billie Piper, Gordon Ramsay and the Little Britain boys Matt Lucas and Matt Walliams will also be there to help decide on the best books for Xmas 06.  Discover the top picks on Saturday 9th December.

And! Over on the 4 Radio website you can download discussions of this year's R & J book club picks (or the first four of them, anyway: Arthur & George, Empress Orchid, The Farm and Moondust). The new Richard and Judy book club will be coming up early next year (I'm excited!)

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on October 30, 2006 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Richard and Judy, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 27, 2006 6:05 PM

Ghost writers are in the money

We've talked about ghost-written books before, mostly agreeing we feel a bit sorry for the authors who don't get credited for what they've written, whilst celebrities like Jordan get lots of cash and are hailed as "authors". (Of course, if writers want to take on that kind of writing gig, that's their lookout). This week The Scotsman reported that ghostwriters are now earning a hefty chunk of those huge advances paid to celebrity "authors" (as they should, right? Or will that encouarge the trend to continue?)

[Via Galleycat].

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on October 27, 2006 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

MOVIE NEWS: A Guide to Recognising Your Saints

Based on the book by Dito Montiel, which gives an autobiographical account of growing up in Queens, New York in the 1980s,  A Guide to Recognising Your Saints is a new film starring Robert Downey Junior and Rosario Dawson. (It was also co-produced by Sting). It was released on 13 October in the US, and is coming to the UK on 23 February. Watch a trailer here.

[Via The Ellen Degeneres Show, Amazon and Allocine].

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on October 27, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, Movie News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 24, 2006 2:31 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Cancer Vixen by Marisa Acocella Marchetto

We recently told you that Marisa Acocella Marchetto's Cancer Vixen is to be made into a film starring Cate Blancett.

I was desperate to read it from the minute I heard about it and I got the chance last weekend. The word 'unputdownable' is overused in book reviews. I mean, it's not true, is it? There's no book that you literally can't put down, but there are some books that once you start reading you don't want to stop and, for me, Cancer Vixen was one of those books. I've never read any graphic novels so I opened the book not knowing quite what to expect, but it sucked me in from the very first page. Carry on over the cut to find out why.

Marisa was a successful New York cartoonist and about to get married - quite late in life, it has to be said - when she found a lump in her breast. We find out that it's cancer on page 2 and from there we're thrown straight into her reaction, and that of her family and friends. Plus how is she going to tell her fiance? And how's she going to pay for the treatment? She's freelance and she's let her insurance lapse.

Luckily Marisa's friends, family and fiance are all wonderful and she keeps her spirits up by working and making sure she wears the most fabulous shoes to all her chemo and radiotherapy appointments.

It sound stressful and sad, doesn't it? But Marisa's very funny and her illustrations add to the humour. Her drawing of 'angry' cancer cells 'magnified 3 gazillion times' giving the finger with their tongues stuck out made me laugh out loud. There are some sad moments, of course. There's a moving interlude about Marisa's experience of 9/11 and something that happens as a result of her treatment actually made me sob, but in the main this book is hilarious, uplifting and, yes, unputdownable. Read it.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try My (So-Called) Normal Life by Erin Zammett

Posted by Keris on October 24, 2006 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (5)

October 23, 2006 4:07 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim by David Sedaris

American David Sedaris is well-known across the pond for his humorous essays about his eccentric family and the strange things that happen to him, but he's a lot less well-known over here, despite the fact that he lives in Europe (in France). Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim is his most recent book, published last year. After loving one of his earlier offerings, Me Talk Pretty One Day (click that link to read an extract), I was a little disappointed by his other books Barrel Fever and Naked, which I found a bit patchy. Thankfully, with Dress... Sedaris is back on very funny form.

The autobiographical stories/essays in this collection span from Sedaris's childhood- taking in his weird neighbours, rich old relatives and childhood bullies-  to the modern day and the problems of how to get rid of mice in your French farmhouse (drown them on your front doorstep?) There's some very unusual characters here but most entertaining are David and his family, which includes his chain-smoking mother and perma-swearing brother Paul, and his sister Tiffany, who likes to chat whilst on the toilet... they're an odd, colourful bunch, and an endless source of amusement. Not because we're laughing at them, but with them (and maybe feeling a little bit better about ourselves in the process...) David is also endearingly honest about his somewhat obsessive-compulsive tendencies and those odd thoughts that most of us tend to keep to ourselves!

It's hard for me to believe, but I know not everyone loves this type of humour. If Woody Allen's films leave you cold and you think Oscar Wilde, Dorothy Parker and Carrie Fisher are over-rated hags (what?!), you probably won't enjoy this book. Likewise, if you're offended by swearing and sexual innuendo (not to mention mouse-drowning) there's moments here that will make you cringe. But if you like a book to make you laugh and reading about someone else's problems makes you feel better, this book is a dream.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Conversations and Cosmopolitans by Robert Rave and Jane Rave; Queen of the Oddballs by Hillary Carlip.

More on Monday archives.

Posted by Aigua Media on October 23, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 18, 2006 5:35 PM