Trashionista

BOOK REVIEW: Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane

I remember reading a review of one of Lisa Jewell's books that described it as "emotionally intelligent" and that's what I kept thinking as I was reading Megan Crane's fourth book, Names My Sisters Call Me.

The story of three sisters - Norah, Raine and Courtney - I found it intelligent, emotional and wise, but that's not to suggest it's a serious read, it's also extremely entertaining and I found it hard to put down.

The book begins with the youngest, Courtney's, lovely boyfriend Lucas proposing. Thrilled, Courtney realises she wants her middle sister, Raine - who neither she nor the eldest, Norah, have seen since Raine disgraced herself at Norah's wedding - at her wedding.

So Courtney travels to San Francisco to reconcile with Raine. Of course, there's also the small fact that, before Raine ran away, Courtney was dating - and madly in love with - Raine's friend Matt, who went to San Francisco with her. Is it Raine Courtney wants to reconcile with - or is it Matt?

I've enjoyed each of Megan Crane's books more than the last and Names My Sisters Call Me was no exception. The relationships between the three sisters are perfectly drawn and emotional and infuriating in equal measure.

Fabulous.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Three Wishes by Liane Moriarty

BOOK REVIEW: Addition by Toni Jordan

Reviewed by Sarah Hague

We all have our little foibles; certain obsessions such as keeping an immaculate house, cleanliness, football, celebrities' private lives, rescuing cats. Sometimes these obsessions take over, but at what point do they become an OCD?

Grace Lisa Vandenburg is obsessed with numbers. She counts. Everything. Her whole life is regimented by a strict routine based around numbers, but her obsession is also part of her, an integral part. It's just that it has taken her over to the point where she can no longer function in the real world. She doesn't believe she has a problem though, because her hero Nikola Tesla was also obsessed with numbers and he was a genius. She keeps a photo of him next to her single bed.

When she meets Seamus, however, he encourages her to accept that she would be better off, and happier after going through treatment for her OCD. This includes taking powerful drugs and joining a therapy group of 'Germophobics'.

As we join Grace on her journey through her treatment, we discover that it's not that simple removing an integral part of oneself. Normality is a relative issue.

Addition is full of humour and charm. It takes a tender look at the way people suffer from OCDs but does not descend into whimsy. Grace is an intelligent former teacher with a sharp tongue. Her observations are witty, although the tragedy of her obsession at its height is also thought-provoking.

Love and regimented routines are rarely compatible. Will Grace succumb to the strictures of her OCD and lose Seamus forever?

A lovely read.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Miss Understanding by Stephanie Lessing

BOOK REVIEW: Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily

Lisa Daily is a relationships expert and columnist and Fifteen Minutes of Shame is her first novel. I was strangely put off by her day job since I assumed - incorrectly as it turned out - that Daily would simply transmit her nonfiction knowledge to a novel. In fact, Fifteen Minutes of Shame is fun, funny, gripping and moving.

Darby Vaughn - "America's favourite TV dating expert" - is happily married to Will, the love of her life and father to the other loves of her life - his two children from a previous marriage, Lilly and Aidan. Of  course, when I say Darby is happily married, what I mean is that she thought she was happily married but, as the book begins, we learn that Will is not so happy. In fact, Darby suspects that he's cheating and learns that she was right ... on national TV.

Humiliated, heartbroken and at risk of losing everything - not just her husband, but her kids, her house and her career - Darby retreats to stay with a friend and employs a divorce lawyer. A gorgeous divorce lawyer named, Holt. Yes, Holt.

Glossing over the name (Holt?), I loved Fifteen Minutes of Shame. I felt for Darby every second - her shock at Will's betrayal, her attempts to rebuild her life and career, and the pain of being separated from the children she loved, was raising and had come to think of as her own.

(The book raised a serious, and heartbreaking, point I'd never even thought of before - that of step-parents' rights. They don't have any, so you could feasibly spend years raising and loving children, split from their "natural" parent and not even have any right of visitation, let alone hope of any kind of custody.)

Some bits of the book didn't ring entirely true - I could have done without Darby's foray into reality show dating - but that was more than made up for by the character of Darby, who I felt like I knew. And then there's Holt - name aside, the man's a fox.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Marshmallows for Breakfast by Dorothy Koomson

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Carrie & Danielle

If you've been reading Trashionista for a while, you may have picked up on the fact that I have a somewhat obsessive personality. When I discover a book or author I love I become kind of evangelical about it and won't rest until everyone shares my opinion (bend to my will!). One such obsession is Carrie & Danielle's Style Statement.

I discovered the company a while ago, began reading their Friday Focus emails and have been waiting impatiently for the Style Statement book. Well, it's out in less than a month (1 May) and not only have Carrie and Danielle answered our questions, they've given us a copy to give away.

Carry on over the cut for the interview and your chance to win a copy.

The Style Statement is such a fabulous idea. How did you come up with it?

Thanks! Carrie was an interior designer and wanted to create a more meaningful approach to designing people's homes; design based on authenticity rather than dictatorship. So she began Style Statement as a simple questionnaire about what people loved in their living space. The process has since evolved into a deep and playful inquiry that covers every area of life-from your living room to your relationships, your career and your wellness plan!

How have your own Style Statements made a different in your life?

Carrie: My Style Statement is Refined Treasure, and it is my compass in everything I do. It reminds me to Treasure myself, my body, my time, and the people around me. It's a great filter for how I shop and what I bring into my home...and my whole life. The focus of it creates so much ease for me.

Danielle: I'm Sacred Dramatic. Style Statement works on the 80/20 principle: the first word represents your 80%, your foundation, the 2nd words is the 20%---your creative edge. In this way, mine really helps me to bring all of me to what I do-to embrace my contradictions. Things have got to be meaningful and impactful. I'm and introvert who feels at home on stage, a soul-seeking philosopher who loves trashy magazines and disco.

What can we expect from the book? Are readers going to be able to define our own Style Statements?

Yes! The book, Style Statement Live By Your Own Design, is a Discover-It-Yourself process. Guided by our Life Style Map, you'll ask yourself questions you've never asked yourself before. This is the place where you get to consider your choices in shoes, lovers, and careers!

Everything matters when you're taking your authentic self into consideration. You'll see patterns in what's working and not working for you in your wardrobe and your life at large, and with our Style Vocabulary as a jumping off point, you'll distill all of that down the two words that most meaningfully describe your genuine self. The book is an experience - a chance to define yourself on your own terms.

And...it's simply GORGEOUS!

Can you tell me more about your forthcoming e-magazine, CARRIE & DANIELLE?

Our e-magazine, www.CarrieandDanielle.com (launching in April) is really unique in that it's going to be an interactive newsletter. So, while we're offering inspiration and recommendations on everything from everyday Buddhism to eco-friendly jeans, we'll also be asking our subscribers what they recommend and desire and what inspires them. Of course, this is the beginning of an incredibly cool social site...watch out!

Do you get a chance to read? What are you reading at the moment?

Carrie: Eckhart Tolle's book, A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose is possibly the best book I've ever read. It's all about the space to "be." It's a lovely clear message - Accept Awake Aware - and I can feel myself expanding with it. I'm impressed that Oprah has created the seminar series (I just signed up). I want Eckhart to be my new best friend!

Danielle: Magazines are like an essential food group to me, and with all of the action around our book and new site launch, mags are where it's at for me this season. My essentials: Dwell, Fast Company and Inc., O, and Marie Claire can be smart. A friend just gave me Abigail Thomas' A Three Dog Life - it's waiting for my next holiday.

Who is your favourite fictional heroine and are you able to define her Style Statement?

Danielle: My favourite fictional heroine...Scout Finch from To Kill A Mockingbird. She was a little badass with a big heart and her daddy's integrity. Inspiring. As for her Style Statement...we never, ever dare to guess. Seriously.

Carrie: Nancy Drew - she's young, strong, independent and kind.

Do you have a theme song?

Carrie: "Let It Be" by the Beatles, but I absolutely love the version by Carol Woods from the film Across the Universe.

Danielle: it's a cross between Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah and The Commodore's Brick House << owww! >

Thanks so much, Carrie and Danielle!

For the chance to win a copy of Style Statement (and I'd recommend it because it really is gorgeous), just email us at editor @ trashionista . com (remove spaces) with your name and address and the words "Style Statement" in the subject line. Closing date is 30 April and it's UK contestants only, I'm afraid (it's really heavy!).

(Don't worry, this isn't today's competition, there'll be another one - open to all - along later.)

Anne of Green Gables is 100

We all seem agree that the Famous Five update isn't a good idea, but what about  prequels to classic novels? How do you feel about those? And what if the prequels aren't written by the original author? Still in favour?

To commemorate the 100th anniversary of Anne of Green Gables, Puffin has published Before Green Gables, written by Canadian author Budge Wilson, who was chosen from hundreds of writers.

[via The Puffin Blog]

Related: Five books

BOOK REVIEW: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

I first read about Joshilyn Jackson's The Girl Who Stopped Swimming when we interviewed her in August 2006 and I've been keen to read it since. I loved Jackson's first book gods in Alabama and former Trashionista co-editor Diane adored her second, Between, Georgia (it's been on my bookshelf for over a year).

It's an inspired idea - Laurel wakes up one night with a ghost beside her bed. It's her 13-year-old daughter's best friend, Mollly, and she shows Laurel her body, floating in Laurel's swimming pool.

The police rule it as an accidental death, but Laurel's not so sure. Didn't she see a shadow in the garden just before finding Molly's body? And wasn't that the hair of local oddball, Stan Webelow, she glimpsed as the police arrived? She's also concerned about her own daughter, Shelby's, evasive behaviour.

And then there's the family's houseguest, Bet, who has come to stay from DeLop, a beyond-depressed and depressing former mining town where Laurel's mother grew up and got away from.

To get to the bottom of everything - and particularly to stop Shelby becoming a suspect - Laurel needs her sister, Thalia, but she and Thalia are no longer speaking. Neither approves of the other's lifestyle and any attempts at finding common ground always seem to end in misery. Inevitably, Thalia's visit results in the exposing of family secrets that Laurel, not to mention her mother, have been trying to deny for years.

I could barely put The Girl Who Stopped Swimming down, although it would be hard to say I enjoyed it. I found it such a sad book on a number of levels. Pretty much every relationship in the book is painful and strained. It's beautifully written and evocatively imagined, which is probably why, by the ending, I felt utterly drained.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Be Mine by Laura Kasischke

BOOK NEWS: No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson

No Good Girls is the debut novel of Jean Marie Pierson. It started life as a screenplay (Pierson has a degree in film and video production) and focuses on four best friends in New York.

I'm not in love with the cover, but the book trailer is fantastic. Take a look here, I promise you won't regret it.

Related posts: Book Trailerpark | Book Video Awards 2008

BOOK REVIEW: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

I loved Elizabeth Scott's Bloom and, following my review, Trashi reader Little Willow commented that Perfect You is even better so I could barely wait to read it. I didn't actually prefer Perfect You to Bloom, but I loved it almost as much and that saying a lot (because I really loved Bloom!).

Kate's father has given up his job to sell Perfect You vitamins in the mall. While it may be his dream job, it's not going at all well. So badly, in fact, that the family is in danger of losing their home. Kate's older brother living on the sofa and failing to find a job isn't helping either.

Kate's not thrilled to be working for her dad on a failing mall stall, but since her best friend Anna lost a load of weight, dyed her hair and started hanging around with the popular crowd - dropping Kate like a sandbag - it's not like she's got anything better to do.

Until, that is, Will starts meeting her in the supply closet to make out. It can't be more than that, because she can't stand Will and there's no way he's interested in her. Is he?

I sympathised with Kate throughout because everyone around her was so irritating. (Irritating in a good way, I mean - realistically irritating, rather than irritatingly written!) Her grandmother is condescending and rude. Her father, inconsiderate and unrealistic. Her former friend, Anna, well, I wanted to wring her neck. I loved Will and I loved the banter Kate had with him, but he wasn't quite as sexy as Bloom's Evan.

I found Kate's mother - trying to stay positive and support her husband, while simultaneously wanting the best for her family - the most poignant character (possibly because this is a YA book and, depressingly, I'm closer in age to her than to Kate).

But really I just loved Perfect You. And I'm so thrilled to have discovered Elizabeth Scott's books.

Rating: 4/5 (I would like to give it 4.5, but I can't)

Like this? Try Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

BOOK REVIEW: It Must Be Love by Sharon Owens

Reviewed by Claire Allan

Belfast writer Sharon Owen's fifth book It Must Be Love is shamelessly romantic and girlie. Focusing on budding romances, broken hearts and the kind of friendships best formed when people are down on their luck, It Must Be Love is a delightfully upbeat read.

The book tells the story of professional photographer Sarah Quinn who is all set to get married to the eligible Mackenzie Campbell on Christmas Eve. But as the wedding draws nearer she overhears a conversation which leaves her running away from her life to set up a new life for herself in the quaint seaside town of Redstone.

As she rebuilds her life, we are introduced to a host of new characters and their lives. We meet Miriam who is desperate for a baby, at it seems any cost. We also meet writer and journalist Gemma, who's daughter finds herself in a whole heap of trouble in New York. And we meet Aurora, the stylish owner of the local bookshop who is nursing a broken heart, as well as a bruised ego, herself.

What Sharon Owens does wonderfully is create a sense of place. The cottage where Sarah escapes to sounds like a dream place and as for the Miriam's pink kitchen - be still my beating heart!

But it is the warmth of the characters and the strength of their friendships - mixed with a healthy dose of Owens' trademark humour that makes this book a joyful read.

Yes, it touches on many serious issues - bereavement, addiction and infertility - but never in a way that drags the reader down. What comes across most strongly in the book is not the tragedy touching everyone's lives, but their strength of character.

Dare I say, Owens paints such a nice picture that I almost wish I had a Redstone, and a Rose Cottage, to run away to myself - not to mention the hunky love interest in the form of the delectable Ethan.

Where the book falls down is that you want to know more. It rattles along at a great pace but I would have liked the story to continue on just that little bit - to see how life pans out for all the characters who I got to know so well.

We leave them feeling as if they are on the brink of something great. However, it might just be the mark of a good book that when it is done you are longing to know more.

This book doesn't require a great deal of effort and would be best read in front of a roaring fire with a cup of tea in your hand. It's smart, funny and heartwarming and sure to win Owens an even bigger following.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Fortune Quilt by Lani Diane Rich

BOOK REVIEW: Bright Lights & Promises by Pauline McLynn

Reviewed by Fionnuala Kearney

When I realised the author of this book was accomplished actress Pauline McLynn of Father Ted fame (“Go wan, Go wan”), I have to admit I was surprised. Not only is she the author of this book but several others too – some people have all the talent eh?

Bright Lights and Promises is a lovely read introducing sassy main character Susie Vine, a deal making agent with successful London Theatrical agency Arland and Shaw. Susie’s already busy life is further complicated when her mother Valerie, recently separated from her father arrives in London – to stay. Her mother living with her, the demise of her love life, her teenage hormone fuelled son Milo, and the arrival of an old flame all add to a story that’s easy to read and introduces many interesting characters.

These range in age and gender from thirteen to eighty and each one is well drawn and immediately draws the reader in to the glitzy world Pauline McLynn has created. There’s John Forbes, the hunky successful star with a heart, his elderly father Reg, also an actor in his twilight years. I think though that she succeeds particularly with her main character. Just for a while, I thought I was Susie Vine. I lived her life, felt her love and pain, and yeah even cried her tears. No mean feat.

If I had to be picky, I think the book was a little too long and without offering spoilers, could perhaps have got to the love bits a little sooner – but that’s being picky! I really enjoyed the read and will definitely keep an eye out for some of her other books. Red this book – Go wan, go wan!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes

BOOK REVIEW: The Sisterhood by Emily Barr

Reviewed by Deborah Riccio

The Sisterhood surprised me in many ways. Not least the way in which teacher, Liz Greene's long-standing boyfriend leaves her and heralds the first shocker right at the start. Confused and incredibly hurt, she embarks on a one-night stand and finds herself pregnant. This, rather unexpectedly, doesn't tip her over the edge but makes her realise that it might be what she needs and so sets out to deal with it. On her own.

Meanwhile in a chateau in France, the privileged Helen discovers a secret her mother has been keeping from her - she has a sister she never knew existed and she lives in England. This, Helen believes, is the reason for the restlessness throughout her own life. If she brings her sister back, she is certain she will earn the love and pride she so desperately craves from her mother. So she leaves for England with nothing but her father's credit card.

Helen's search leads her to Liz and the story follows their lives as separate people becoming united by the strangest, measured means.

The twists are subtle, surprising and multi-faceted. Reading it makes you realise things are never entirely what they seem - that nobody's life is as straightforward as it appears or sounds and we only get to see what is portrayed to us by others. And the ending is as inspired as the beginning. A cracking good read that made me want to read more by Ms Barr.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try A Tale of Two Sisters by Anna Maxted

PREVIEW REVIEW: Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson

You know how much I love Maureen Johnson - I've raved about her often enough - so I'm sure you appreciate how much I was looking forward to reading Suite Scarlett. So much that I was almost afraid to open it in case it wasn't as good as I thought it would be. I needn't have worried.

15-year-old Scarlett Martin lives, with her family, in New York's Hopewell Hotel. The hotel has been in the Martin family for generations, but things aren't going quite so well. Due to money worries, all of the staff has been let go and so it's down to Scarlett, her sister Lola, brother Spencer and their parents to do everything: from manning the reception desk to cooking, cleaning and looking after guests. The Martins' youngest child, Marlene, doesn't have to do anything - a brush with cancer has left her with a bratty sense of entitlement.

Martin family tradition states that at age 15 each family member is given their own suite, complete with guest, to look after. The jewel in the Hopewell's crown, the Empire Suite, is now Scarlett's responsibility ... as is its latest guest, who plans to stay for the entire summer, Mrs Amy Amberson.

With Lola trying to maintain a relationship with her boyfriend, Chip, in the face of his rich friends' distain; Marlene keeping engagements with the "Powerkids", a group of fellow childhood cancer sufferers; and Spencer getting his last chance at becoming a professional actor before having to give it all up for catering college ... oh and the fact that all of Scarlett's friends are off doing improving activities for the summer ... Scarlett's feeling rather alone.

Luckily (or perhaps not) the formidable Mrs Amberson takes a shine to Scarlett and Scarlett soon finds herself working as her assistant, which involves taking the notes on Mrs Amberson's life story and, um, setting up a fake audition to get revenge on one of her former rivals.

And then there's Eric, who's working with Spencer on an off- (far, far off-) Broadway production of Hamlet and who might just be the most amazing boy Scarlett has ever met.

There's so much more, but my fingers are getting tired and I don't want to spoil anything anyway. Suffice it to say that I absolutely loved Suite Scarlett. The characters are so real, charming and funny. The setting (of course) is wonderful and evocative. I didn't want it to end, but I couldn't stop reading it. I can't wait to read the next book in the series.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try The Bermudez Triangle by Maureen Johnson

BOOK COVER: Change Of Heart

When we interviewed Jodi Picoult, she told us about her latest book (at the time she had just finished writing it). Well, it's called Change Of Heart and is out in the US this month, April in the UK.

I just saw the UK cover and I find it utterly haunting. I love the blue eggs, but the way they are all broken at the child's feet... I'm guessing that's the way it's supposed to make me feel. Good job.

And, for once I prefer it to the US cover. Carry on over the cut to see if you agree.

Here's the US version. It's certainly in keeping with Picoult's previous covers, but it lacks the atmosphere and impact of the UK one.

Related posts: Book Covers archives

BOOK REVIEW: The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon

Reviewed by Helen Redfern

I was very excited when I received ‘The Ballroom Class’ by Lucy Dillon for two reasons. 1) I love Strictly Come Dancing (who doesn’t – even my Dad is a massive fan) 2) like the character Lauren in the book I too dragged my husband-to-be to dance lessons for our wedding (we learned the rumba to ‘I’ve had (the time of my life)’ – ahh).

This is a story about couples forming friendships and repairing relationships on and off the dance floor. Katie believes her husband Ross has become more like a brother to her. She is a working Mum and he a stay at home Dad. She can’t help working late – her boss demands it – so would it hurt him too much to put the Hoover around during the day?

Lauren, the bride to be, is having increasingly ambitious plans for her wedding day extravaganza, encouraged by her mother-in-law to be. Lauren’s mother, Bridget, is having sleepless nights over the sheer cost of it all. Angelica has returned to the town where she grew up, where her past is about to catch up with her. As an ex professional dancer (with fake tan, caked on make up – the lot) she decides to set up weekly dance lessons in the local dance hall.

Whilst learning rock ‘n’ roll, the foxtrot and the tango relationships start to unravel. Can the dancing eventually put them back together?

Sometimes when you are really excited by a new film or a new book you can end up disappointed. Not in the case of ‘The Ballroom Class’. The relationships are intense and real. There are no superficial characters out of a large cast. Ross and Katie’s relationship was one which I could completely empathise. As a fan of ballroom dancing I can imagine what they are doing on the dance floor but you don’t have to be a fan of dancing to enjoy this book. If you enjoy reading about relationships and all the complexities that go with it then this is for you. The Ballroom Dancing is the entertaining scenery.

About three quarters of the way through though I did feel the plot lost its pace which was a little frustrating. This is what is stopping me from giving this fine debut novel a five out of five. (But it is a high four.)

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Dancing With Mules by Morag Prunty

PREVIEW REVIEW: Split By A Kiss by Luisa Plaja

Occasional Trashionista reviewer Luisa Plaja's first novel is out at the beginning of March (on the 6th, World Book Day, in fact). Luisa was my first crit partner a few years ago and while I'm still beavering away on the same book, Luisa's gone and got published. But I'm not bitter. No, I'm really not. Because Luisa is lovely and Split by a Kiss is wonderful.

It's the story of Jo who moves to America with her mum and soon finds herself kissing the school hunk during a session of Seven Minutes in Heaven. When Jo has mixed feelings about Jake's attentions - on the one hand he's hot and he seems to like her, on the other he's groping her and he barely knows her - she splits into two: Josie the Cool and Jo the Nerd.

The rest of the book alternates between Josie's and Jo's experiences. While Jo befriends school misfits, Rachel and David, Josie is sucked into the cool crowd, led by Chelsea, but the beauty of this book is that neither Josie nor Jo are stereotypes. Both of their paths show that there's no "right" way to be. Except for being yourself, that is.

But will Jo ever get to be herself again? You'll have to read it to find out. And, since Split by a Kiss is funny, inspiring, original, moving and sweet, you're in for a treat.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Me vs Me by Sarah Mlynowski

BOOK NEWS: Helping Me Help Myself

Similar in scope to The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin, Beth Lisick's Helping Me Help Myself is about the year she spent following the advice of different self-help gurus.

It's just come out in hardback (Rubin might be a little gutted, as her book isn't out until 2009), and  Beth has made some promotional book trailers. Hop over here to see them.

Related posts: The Joy Diet | Career Helium

BOOK NEWS: Mummy Said The F-Word

Fiona Gibson has a hugely successful career as a magazine journalist. She used to edit More and Just Seventeen, and has written for Marie Claire, The Observer, Red, New Woman and Eve, amongst many others.

In addition to a non-fiction book on parenting (The Fish Finger Years), Fiona has written four novels. The latest, Mummy Said The F-Word, is out in hardback this week.

Firmly planted in the Mum Lit camp, it features Cait, a chaotic single mother of three.

Cait finds work as an agony aunt for a glossy parenting magazine and tries to balance parenthood with keeping up with her polished colleagues. Then she starts to correspond with a mysterious single dad, who signs his emails with the letter 'R'.

Is 'R' simply a fan, or is there something more brewing?

Related posts: Thursday Three: Busy Single Mums | What comes after "mommy lit"?

BOOK REVIEW: An Offer You Can't Refuse by Jill Mansell

As I've said before, when I was a bookseller Jill Mansell was the author most recommended to me by customers, but somehow I've managed to go years and years without reading any of her books. Finally - finally! - I read one, her latest, An Offer You Can't Refuse, and I'm happy to report that all those customers were right.

It's the story of Lola Malone who, at the age of 17, is offered £10,000 to break up with her boyfriend ... by his mother. Lola is horrified. She is in love with Dougie and believes they'll be together forever. But then she learns a family secret, which forces her to take the money, leaving just a letter for her boyfriend.

After being forced to dump Dougie, Lola moved to Spain, but now she's back, working in a London bookshop and happy with her job and her friends, but, inevitably, she soon bumps into her ex ... and, unsurprisingly really, he has neither forgiven nor forgotten. Lola hasn't forgotten him either - and he's even foxier now he's that bit more mature - but can Lola convince him to give her another chance?

Well, if anyone can, Lola can. I loved Lola. She's bright, spunky, funny, honest and she doesn't take no for an answer. I also loved the secondary characters: Lola's best friend, Gabe, and Dougie's sister, Sally, but my favourite character was EJ, with his fabulously dry sense of humour.

Some aspects of the plot weren't entirely convincing, but the characters and the exuberance of the writing more than made up for it.

I'll definitely be reading more Jill Mansell in the future. My customers used to recommend Maeve Binchy too. Maybe I should give her a go...

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Solo by Jill Mansell

BOOK REVIEW: Seeing Me Naked by Liza Palmer

I've already mentioned how much I love the US cover (shown) of Liza Palmer's Seeing Me Naked, so you can imagine how excited I was to receive the US version for review (it's not out in the UK until 20 March).

Elisabeth Page lives in the shadow of her legendary novelist father, Ben Page, and hip literary adonis brother, Rascal.

Trying desperately to avoid comparisons with her stellar family, she carves her own successful career as a head pastry chef at a top LA restaurant. Naturally, this isn't up to her father's exacting standards, and even Elisabeth has started to wonder what happened to her five-year-plan to start her own patisserie.

Elisabeth feels both trapped and safe in a life that she orders with military precision. Still, there isn't enough routine in the world to protect Elisabeth from herself and she finds that fearing her father and craving his approval is a hangover from childhood that just won't go away.

Then, she meets Daniel Sullivan. A beer-drinking basketball coach who, most certainly, will not meet her family's expectations. Can she let herself fall for this kind, loving man? Can she drop the smart-talking, hyper-critical Elisabeth and let Daniel know - and love - the real her?

Sharp, witty and with a convincing, captivating, cast of characters, Seeing Me Naked is a fantastic read. I hope Liza Palmer is a workaholic like Elisabeth, as I can't wait to read her next book...

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try: Heartburn by Nora Ephron

BOOK REVIEW: Earthly Pleasures by Karen Neches

Karen Neches' Earthly Pleasures begins in Heaven, where Skye Sebring is a hospitality greeter. She meets Ryan Blaine, who has a brush with death following a motorbike accident. Unbeknownst to him, Ryan is one of the stars of Heaven's soap opera, Earthly Pleasures, and, after meeting him, Skye is more than intrigued.

Is that not a completely brilliant idea? I love everything about it ... but there's more. When Skye starts training to return to earth, all of life's lessons are contained in the lyrics of Beatles songs. Fabulous, no? Oh yes, there's more...

Down on earth, Ryan is struggling with  his marriage. Following a near-fatal accident of her own, his wife Susan has changed almost beyond all recognition. He's not in love with her anymore, but how can he tell her?

Also on earth, care home resident Caroline gets a new roommate: Emily is in a coma she's never expected to recover from, but from which Caroline is determined to retrieve her.

I don't want to say much more because I'm scared of giving anything away. Not only is this book full of surprises (and some shocks), it's funny, moving, sad, thrilling and inspiring.

It would have been 5/5 but I was very slightly disappointed with the ending. If I could have given it 4.5/5 I would. I really, really loved it.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try If Only It Were True by Marc Levy, filmed as Just Like Heaven

BOOK NEWS: Screen Plays: How 25 Scripts Made It to a Theater Near You - for Better or Worse

Interested in how films are made? Polishing your own screenplay as we speak? David Cohen's new book describes the process of taking an idea for a film from the first concept, to the script and - finally - the screen.

Cohen interviews Hollywood screen writers and looks at the fortunes of 25 movies including Erin Brockovich, Lost in Translation and Monster's Ball.

Aimed at aspiring screen writers, the book is also packed with advice on how to sell your script - and how to protect it once you have. It's out in the US next week, but I haven't managed to find a UK release date yet...

Related posts: The Crusie/Mayer writing workshop | Screenwriters on strike!

BOOK REVIEW: Tell No Lies by Julie Compton

Julie Compton was a trial attorney for the US Department of Justice. Now she's a writer and stay-at-home mother. Tell No Lies is her first novel and it employs her legal background to great effect. 

Jack Hilliard is a 35-year-old assistant DA who loves his wife, Claire, and enjoys his job. He gets on well with his boss and is never asked to trial cases which compromise his moral integrity.

Jack comes across as a stand-up guy, and it takes a skillful author to make the reader believe in his fall from grace. Luckily, Julie Compton is just such a writer.

Earl (Jack's boss) decides to leave and he asks Jack to run for office (to take his place as the DA). On the same day, a flirtation with his lawyer friend, Jenny, gets rather more serious.

Compton takes us through Jack's dilemma - he wants the promotion, but will never get it if he is publically honest about his views on the death penalty. He is against it - under any circumstances.

Jenny, with whom he is increasingly obsessed, convinces him to misprepresent his position to secure the top job. Then, just over half-way through the book, when I was beginning to think 'okay, how is this going to get spun out for another 200 pages?', Jenny is accused of murder.

This is an excellent psychological thriller and an extremely polished debut. I will watch Julie Compton's new career with interest...

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

BOOK REVIEW: Princess Diaries To the Nines by Meg Cabot

I opened the cover of To the Nines - the ninth (unsurprisingly) book in The Princess Diaries series - and read "Oh, and Michael, the love of [Mia's] life, has dumped her." Noooooooo! I was so devastated that I almost didn't want to read the book. Of course that feeling lasted all of five seconds and soon I was as engrossed in Mia's life as ever.

If you remember, at the end of After Eight, Michael headed off to Japan to work on a research project, leaving Mia devastated. The loss of her first love has sent Mia into a depression and matters aren't helped by the fact that her best friend (and Michael's sister) Lilly, isn't speaking to her. Mia's not stuck for friends, of course - she's got Tina Hakim Baba and, inexplicably, Lana Weingarten also wants to hang out with her. No Michael or Lilly? Hanging out with Lana? It's like Bizarro World!

On top of her personal struggles, Mia has to deal with the prospect of giving a Grandmere-mandated speech to a secretive and all-powerful women's group and deal with the cowboy (literally) therapist her father is making her visit. All this while she's missing Michael terribly. Of course, there's always JP (aka The Guy Who Hates It When They Put Corn In the Chilli) to make her feel a little better about everything...

I loved this book, of course. Mia is forced to address some issues about herself and her friends and to grow up a bit. I don't want her to grow up, because the sooner she does, the sooner this glorious series will come to an end (in fact, the next book is the last - nooooooo!), but Cabot handles all of Mia's challenges so brilliantly that you can't complain.

This book, with its focus on depression and, fabulously, the differences between a constitutional and absolute monarchy (which I didn't understand until reading this book - what did they teach me at school anyway?!), is the most mature and feminist Princess Diaries book so far.

Like the Harry Potter series, I can see how events in this book foreshadow what's going to happen in the last and I can't wait to read it (except that I don't want to since then there won't be any more ... it's a hard life, being a booklover...).

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try The Boy Book by E Lockhart

BOOK REVIEW: This Is How It Happened by Jo Barrett

Sarah wrote about Jo Barrett's second novel, This Is How It Happened, earlier this month and featured the UK cover, but I read the US edition and I much prefer the US cover, so that's the one I've used here.

This enormously entertaining book begins with Madeline Piatro baking poisoned brownies, which she plans to give (anonymously) to her ex-fiancee, Carlton. Unfortunately, Maddy can't resist trying the brownies herself (well, who could?) and, rather than delivering them to the intended recipient, spends the rest of the day throwing up.

So why does Maddy want Carlton dead?

For many, many reasons which Barrett releases gradually throughout the book and, believe me, by halfway through you'll want to kill him too.

In fact, that was the only reason this book gets a 4 rather than a 5. Carlton was so awful, that I really felt Maddy - intelligent, independent, confident - should have worked out what an utter sleaze he was much, much sooner than she did. Having said that, his sleaziness is entertaining and frequently made me want to reach into the book and throttle him (and give Maddy a "wake up to yourself!" slap too!).

I haven't yet read Jo Barrett's debut, The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom, but I'll be rushing to read it now. (The movie rights to that book have been bought by Hugh Jackman and I can totally see this book as a film too. Definitely Matthew McConaughey for Carlton and, despite the fact that Maddy's Italian, I think it could be a good one for a repairing with Kate Hudson.)

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

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

BOOK REVIEW: Bitter Chocolate by Lesley Lokko

Previous Trashionista editors Gemma and Jenni loved Lesley Lokko's first two books, Sundowners and Saffron Skies, so I was keen to read her third, Bitter Chocolate, although slightly concerned because it's over 500 pages long!

Spanning decades and continents, it's the story of three women: Ameline, Laure and Melanie. Laure and Ameline have grown up together in Haiti, while Melanie was raised in London, the financially spoiled but emotionally neglected daughter of an aging rock star.

Ameline was taken into Laure's family as a "reste avec" - literally "stay with" - a poor child kept by a rich family as a companion to their own child (i.e. Laure). Now the girls are grown up, Ameline is little better than a servant to Laure's grandmother, but she and Laure love each other like sisters. Laure's mother, Belle, is living in Chicago, apparently in disgrace after giving birth to the dark-skinned Laure (skin shade being important in the Haiti society to which they belong).

When Laure herself becomes pregnant she is sent to the US to her mother, where she finds that her fantasies of Belle (whom she barely remembers) are painfully and dramatically far from the reality...

Once Laure has gone, Ameline realises there's no reason for her to stay and gets a job in a crumbling hotel. There she meets British travel writer, Iain who is fascinated by this strong and plucky foreigner, who neither knows her age nor even her surname. When Haiti's social and political problems reach fever pitch, Iain passes Ameline off as his wife and takes her home to Malvern...

And Melanie? After trying to seduce her stepfather, she is banished to LA where she falls in love with a major league drug dealer. Clearly, that's never going to end well...

I don't want to say anything more about the plot because I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but suffice to say the above is probably less than a quarter of the book. The women travel between England, the US, Haiti and Ghana, their paths crossing and their lives changing frequently and dramatically.

I loved all of the characters and found it incredibly difficult to put the book down. It was the kind of book that I couldn't stop reading, but didn't want to end. It's intelligent, moving, gripping, warm and brilliantly written. I know the characters - particular Laure and Ameline - will stay with me and I'm now desperate to read Lesley Lokko's other two books. (A great start to the year's reading!)

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Sundowners by Lesley Lokko

BOOK REVIEW: The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose by Diana Janney

The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose is a funny book. Not so much funny ha ha (although it is), but more funny peculiar. Written by supermodel-turned-philosopher (surely the *only* supermodel-turned-philosopher) Diana Janney, it's (apparently) an adult book that looks and sounds more like a young adult book.

Harriet Rose is a schoolgirl philosopher. Intelligent and precocious she takes herself - and the "Meditations" she writes - extremely seriously. When she tells her mother and Nana she doesn't want anything for her fourteenth birthday (requesting that they donate to charity instead) they present her with a published copy of her collected meditations and a plan to promote and publicise the book (of which they've had 1000 copies printed).

Before long, due both to her own, strangely fascinating, nature, and the efforts of her mother and Nana, Harriet's appearing in newspapers, magazines and on TV. Her schoolmates, not too enamoured with her at the best of times, are less than impressed. But Harriet doesn't care. Until she meets the wise and handsome (and French) Jean Claude and finds that, although he's interested in her, he also seems to be attracted to her petite, airhead schoolmate, Charlotte.

Harriet doesn't exactly try to win Jean Claude from Charlotte - instead she believes that if he's interested in a twerp like Charlotte, he can't be worthy of her ... but she's still fourteen after all...

...except she rarely sounds fourteen. The back of this book claims it's in the tradition of Adrian Mole or The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time. It reminded me a lot of Adrian Mole, less of the Mark Haddon book. Like Adrian Mole, Harriet is unaware of her limitations and much of the book's humour is at her expense. Unlike Adrian Mole, I didn't find it laugh-out-loud funny, more gently amusing. Apart from a teenage protagonist, I didn't think it had anything in common with The Curious Incident... and I feel that was only mentioned to try and cash in on that book's crossover appeal.

Although she's irritating, I did like Harriet and some of her meditations (particularly those relating to her father's death) were surprisingly moving, but rather than having "cross generational appeal" as the press release suggests, I'm worried that The Infinite Wisdom of Harriet Rose will be too YA to appeal to adults and too adult to appeal to teens.

Still, it's definitely well-written and good fun, so I'll certainly be reading whatever Diana Janney writes next.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl

BOOK REVIEW: Truffles By the Sea by Julie Carobini

Reviewed by Jill Hart

I liked Julie Carobini’s first novel, Chocolate Beach, but her sophomore release, Truffles By The Sea, greatly surpasses it. I thoroughly enjoyed Carobini’s second book and felt her writing was much stronger throughout. The characters are deeper and yet funnier – a great combination.

Readers met Gaby Flores, in Chocolate Beach, but she takes center stage this time around. The story begins as Gaby moves in to a new apartment (by the sea). She’s had a rough year. She’s lost her apartment in a fire, her business in floundering due to a thieving former employee and that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Gaby isn’t sure how much more she can take.

The downward spiral that is Gaby’s life continues when Gaby is faced with a lawsuit. Top that with the aging of her mother and her new “helpful” neighbors and Gaby is ready to throw in the towel. Gaby is determined to make the best of what she has left, but how much will she have to lose before things turn around? Can she ever get her life back together or will she call it quits – in business and in love?

Truffles By The Sea will be released in February 2008. It’s a great read for a cold winter day – you can curl up with the book, a nice fire and pretend you’re the one by the sea.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Chocolate Beach!

BOOK COVER: Pastures New

Pastures New is the debut novel of Julia Williams, and it follows Amy Nicolson and her young son as they swap London life for country living.

Now, it could be because I'm getting in the festive mood and the illustration looks very much like a Christmas card, but I rather like this cover.

Related posts: Does a book cover matter? | Musical book covers

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BOOK NEWS: Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovich

The roaringly successful (and Trashionista-favourite) series of Stephanie Plum novels are numbered for easy ordering.

However, Janet Evanovich also treats her fans to the occasional 'between the numbers' novella to keep us going between the main events...  We've had Visions of Sugar Plums and Plum Lovin' and now - Plum Lucky.

In Plum Lucky, Grandma Mazur has high-tailed it to Atlantic City with a winnebago and a bag of stolen money and Stephanie needs to get her back. It's out on 8 January 2008 and looks like a good way to chase away the post-New-Year-blues.

Related posts: One for the Money | Two for the Dough | Twelve Sharp

BOOK NEWS: The Chalet Girl by Kate Lace

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

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

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

Related posts: Book News archive

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 3/5

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

Movie News: Brick Lane

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

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

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

Related post: Yay or Nay Wednesday: film adaptations

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

BOOK REVIEW: Slam by Nick Hornby

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try: Millions by Frank Cottrell Boyce

BOOK REVIEW: Froth on the Cappuccino by Maeve Haran

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Joy Diet by Martha Beck

BOOK REVIEW: Carpool Confidential by Jessica Benson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

Book News: Smart Girls Like Me

Remember the pre-Y2K madness? Remember Blooks?

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

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

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

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

BOOK REVIEW: Rex and the City by Lee Harrington

I've never owned a dog, but I do love reading about people who do, particularly if they write as well as Lee Harrington.

Rex and the City began as a column for The Bark magazine (which author Alison Pace has also written for) but it doesn't read like a series of columns, it's firmly a memoir and is as much about Harrington's relationship with her boyfriend, Ted, as it is about her relationship with her dog. Plus the "and the City" of the title isn't just an awful pun, New York - in particular Harrington's Lower East Side neighbourhood - is practially another character in the book.

Ted and Lee adopt Rex (who was, in reality, named Wallace) from a shelter primarily because of his beauty, but they soon believe they've taken on more they can chew. It's clear that Rex was badly mistreated, but the shelter won't give them any details. Rex is antisocial, frightened, untrusting and occasionally violent. But Lee and Ted decide not to give up on him and, eventually, he learns to trust them and they, in turn, learn to trust each other.

Like Marley & Me, Rex and the City is the story of a family being changed by a dog, but it's not as sweet as John Grogan's book. I suppose I'd describe it as less endearing and more "urban", which seems fair given the title. Harrington writes beautifully and the book is full of wisdom about relationships, both human and canine, but she never claims to have all the answers (in fact, I believe there's a second volume on the way, so she couldn't, could she).

I found Rex and the City totally engrossing and it made me both more determined to adopt a dog and more aware of the issues that involves.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Marley & Me by John Grogan

BOOK REVIEW: The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

"When all is said and done, killing my mother came easily."

Nothing like an eye-popping opening line to draw a reader into a story, and man did that one draw me in! The Almost Moon is a very different book from Alice Sebold's last novel, The Lovely Bones, but I predict it will make as much of a stir. While Lovely Bones traded on our fears about child murder, abduction and paedophilia, The Almost Moon tackles the difficulties of aging, divorce, and parents with dementia. It's a more mature book, with a less sympathetic narrator, but it's no less compelling. When this was offered to me for review back in July, I didn't care that it wouldn't be out until October, I grabbed it and dug straight in.

The opening chapters were pacy, tense and very dramatic, with an almost palpable tension. But then... things tailed off a little as Helen, our narrator (and mother-killer) reflected on her past. The story slowed down and I was in danger of becoming bored. Thankfully, the pace picked up again, and I was drawn into this dark (yet somehow not depressing) story.

It's all set in a twenty-four hour period, but with flashbacks to Helen's childhood which explain her relationship with her mother, her father's death, and the strange life her mother has been leading for many years. We also start to realise that Helen's moment of madness when she kills her mother is not isolated: she's been slowly unravelling for some time. Although this isn't a murder mystery, there is a sense of mystery and uncertainty: what will happen to Helen, will she cope, will she maybe even get away with what she's done? She somehow becomes a sympathetic character and Sebold's writing about people's private motivations and strange thought processes is brilliantly evocative - a real class act. I am now convinced that Alice Sebold will be writing hit books for a long time to come.

However... the ending of the book still disappointed me a touch, as I felt the author pulled her punches. But maybe she's just more forgiving and humane than I am! Either way, this book is hard to forget.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver.

**PS: I've just seen what looks to be the final, UK cover - here.  Hmm. What do you think?**

BOOK REVIEW: Don't Make a Scene by Valerie Block

Reviewed by Tvor of Corrieblog

Valerie Block's third novel focuses on the world of classic cinema and a love story that's less conventional than usual. I liked the book a lot. It has elements of politics, it has the escapism of the movies, it shows the ups and downs of living in New York, highlights how relationships evolve and change and finally, it's about finding your home. Keris has been looking forward to reading this book. I think she'll like it, too!

Diane Kurasik is nearly 40, never been married, and newly homeless. She runs a successful art theatre in New York City but her life seems to be at a standstill. In the process of renovating the theatre, she meets a good looking but surly architect called Vladimir Padrón, a Cuban expatriate who is still vehemently immersed in the politics of his former country.

Diane spends the next few months struggling to find a new home while camping out on the couches and beds of various friends, family, hotels and grubby sublets. She grapples with her relationship with the volatile Cuban who also happens to have a wife and a 17-year-old son, neither of whom he's seen in 12 years. Over a hot, sticky summer and into the fall we follow Diane's life but also the journey of Vladimir and his son Javier through one setback after another. We also see some scenes from their pasts and get to know a few of the people in their lives as the story weaves them all into the fabric of the book.

The story centres around a cinema that shows classic movies from around the world. Diane's whole world revolves around movies and every situation she finds herself in, every person she meets, every reaction, every observation is peppered with a comparison to a scene from a classic movie or with an anecdote from the life of one of the actors or directors from the silver screen. I kept thinking that this woman might be more successful finding a man or understanding why her life seems to be at a dead end if she stopped comparing everything to the all too perfect stories on screen or the larger than life personalities behind the moving