Trashionista

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 23, 2010 4:45 PM

UPCOMING RELEASE: How Did You Get This Number?

Sloane Crosley, who has written for publications including the New York Times, New York Observer and GQ, has a new series of essays that's due for release. How Did You Get This Number is out on July 1st from Portobello Books. Here's the info...

What happens when the minibus full of your fellow wedding travellers hits a bear in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness? Or you hear the voice of your high school's long lost queen bee from a bathroom cubicle? For Sloane Crosley, these are the kind of transformative experiences that define our daily struggle to connect, however reluctantly, to our fellow man. While the title "Show Me on the Doll" refers to the afternoon TV specials of the 80s and 90s, it doubles as a plea from the author for a kind of instruction manual to navigate the difficult journeys of adulthood. From a lonely excursion to a Lisbon cafe to the sometimes disorienting experience of emerging from a New York subway, Sloane's new collection of essays will focus on a range of subjects related to travel.

Find out more about Sloane Crosley by visiting her website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 23, 2010 in Book News, Non Fiction | 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)

January 25, 2010 8:54 PM

RECENT RELEASE: Shoo, Jimmy Choo!

It's coming to the end of January, which means that those of us who made resolutions ('what are those again?' some might say) will either be smiling with success, or have given up on their new year plights a couple of weeks ago. Even so, there's still time - and what with 'save more/spend less' being one of the top new year mantras, I thought I'd give you the heads-up on a rather interesting recent release...

Shoo, Jimmy Choo: The Modern Girl's Guide to Spending Less and Saving More is the new book from Catey Hill, money editor at the New York Daily News online. It promises to help you manage your finances and make way for a nice retirement. Whereas some of us have never owned a pair of Jimmy Choos (boo!) it might still make an interesting read...

Remember when Sex and the City's Carrie Bradshaw faced the brutal realization that she couldn't buy her apartment because she'd already spent her money on a closet full of Manolos? Well, if Carrie had met Catey first, she'd own her co-op and be on her way to a comfortable retirement!

Catey Hill is the online money expert for the Daily News Web site--and author of this humorous, practical "girlfriends guide" to personal finance for 20- and 30-something females. (The ones with the designer shoes...and maxed-out credit cards.) With a hip, "I've been there" voice along with worksheets and exercises, she helps women evaluate why they spend, get out of debt, and create a savings and retirement plan that even allows for the occasional splurge. Among the topics she covers: student loans, car payments, investing, saving for a home, and more.

To find out more about Catey Hill and Shoo, Jimmy Choo, check out Catey's website. 

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 25, 2010 in Book News, New Releases, Non Fiction | 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)

October 16, 2009 11:13 PM

FRIDAY FOUR: Writing Guides

We recently announced that it's almost time for NaNoWriMo, which means that aspriing novelists in their masses will be slaving away at keyboards all across the globe. So for this fortnight's Friday Four, here are some of the best writing guides out there to help NaNo challengers on their way.

No Plot, No Problem by Chris Baty

No Plot, No Problem (a 'low-stress, high-velocity guide to writing a novel in 30 days') is written by Chris Baty, the founder of the NaNoWriMo project. The book, specifically aimed at getting you through the month with a looming deadline, includes helpful information about managing your time, stop procrastinating and finally get down to writing that book, even if you ARE convinced that you're work in progress is utter rubbish. This is not necessarilly a guide to actually the novel - it's more of a motivational rulebook. And you know what? It works.

Will Write for Shoes by Cathy Yardley

This helpful writing guide by author Cathy Yardley is mainly geared towards chick lit writers. If you've ever fancied trying your hand at penning a chick lit novel but are having doubts, then this book is extremely handy. Each chapter details a different aspect of writing your book, with advice on characters, setting the scene and avoiding cliches. There's an FAQ by Cathy, and also plenty of addresses of agents and publishers who accept novels in this genre (however, the book is aimed at US readers/writers, so only US-based agents and companies are listed. Just a note to fellow Brits!) Will Write for Shoes is a fun read that's full of info to help you break into this specific genre.

See Jane Write by Sarah Mlynowski and Farrin Jacobs

See Jane Write, a Girls' Guide to Writing Chick Lit, is another guide aimed at chick-lit writers, but also contains some handy advice for when it coes to penning that potential bestseller. Whereas it does cover a lot of what's mentioned in other writing guides, the tips, quotes and anecdotes from not only the authors but also from well-known writers such as Meg Cabot and Sophie Kinsella, make this book a fantastic guide. (Again, the publisher information is targeted at those in the United States.)

Wannabe a Writer? by Jane Wenham-Jones

Wannabe a Writer? by Jane Wenham-Jones is the perfect how-to book for aspiring novelists, covering everything from starting the novel to coping with rejection and dealing with book signings. The information provided by Jane in this book is not only fun, but also highly useful, with additional quotes by writers such as Kate Long, Kate Harrion, and Jilly Cooper (to name but a few). If you're thinking of starting a book and dream of becoming a bestseller, then definitely take a look at this.

Are there any writing guides that YOU swear by? Let us know!

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 16, 2009 in NaNovember, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 19, 2009 9:24 PM

Interview with Monday Books

So, I've yet to read Catherine Sanderson's Petite Anglaise. Many a trip to Waterstones has resulted in me exiting empty-handed due to self-restraint reasons and a 'to be read' pile that rivals Everest. But I'm a sucker for the blog-to-book offerings and so it's only a matter of time before Catherine's French tale is in my hands.

Since blogging took off (rather a long time ago, now!), many popular bloggers have been offered book deals, with loads more aspiring writers hoping their daily web diaries will land them with similar luck. I got hold of Dan Collins of Monday Books, publishers of many a blog-based novel including Diary of an On-Call Girl, to ask just what perks a publisher's interest...

Hi, Dan! How many blogs has Monday Books put to print so far?

In order of appearance:

http://frankchalk.blogspot.com/ (It's Your Time You're Wasting)
http://coppersblog.blogspot.com/ (Wasting Police Time)
http://pcbloggs.blogspot.com/ (Diary of an On Call Girl)
http://theparamedicsdiary.blogspot.com/ (A Paramedic's Diary)
http://inspectorgadget.wordpress.com/ (Perverting The Course Of Justice)

Did you approach these writers?

Yes. We do get lots of approaches to us, too, but it just happens that these were all the other way.

Click over the cut to read more from Dan...

When did Monday Books start up?

Our first book appeared in August 2006. Prior to that I had been a journalist and then a sports agent (representing most of the England rugby team which won the 2003 Rugby World Cup). During my time as a sports agent, I ghost-wrote several rugby autobiographies, including that of the England captain (and now manager) Martin Johnson. After the RWC victory, we were approached to sell the business and after we did that in 2005 I had to think about what I would do next. A good friend of mine from my journalism days, Pete Walsh, runs Milo Books near Blackpool, and with some advice from him and my experience of the rugby books I decided to go into publishing full time.
 
So are you the only ones who know the true identity of EE Bloggs?

I think her parents and boyfriend know who she is, plus her sister and one close friend. And my wife.
 
Do you get many submissions from hopeful bloggers?

We get a few but although we have published a number of blog books we don't just do blog books. I'd say we get up to a dozen approaches a month.

If so, tell us some of the best (or weirdest. Your call...)

As someone who has had his own submissions rejected (back when I was a journalist), I know how painful it can be so wouldn't like to talk about those we have rejected.
Except to say that a rejection is often not a comment on the writing, in our case it has more to do with a) my subjective view as to whether I think a book will sell (and like all publishers, even major ones, I am sure I am often wrong) and b) timing, ie when the submission comes in in our business cycle.
Right now, with the recession underway and a lot of books stacked up like planes above an airport, we are rejecting pretty much everything and anything. In 12 months' time, we might suddenly be short of decent material. (Though this may well be more a function of us being a small and still relatively new and inexperienced publisher, than a situation you'd find across the board.) What I'm trying to say in a round about way is people shouldn't be disappointed if they are rejected - try, try and try again.

What do you look for when considering a blog for publication?

In this order:

Non-fiction - fiction is way too hard to get right for us.
Subject matter - is it something we believe in or find interesting? When we published Wasting Police Time, no-one had really talked about the effect of targets and bureaucracy on policing. Copperfield made it funny, revelatory and interesting. Conversely, there are lots of very interesting and well-written blogs which just wouldn't interest us (but would certainly interest other publishers).
Originality - if someone else has said it all, it's less likely that you will get interest from a publisher.
Readership - Copperfield at his height was getting 5,000 readers a day, and 100+ comments. That is a massive indication of interest and potential buyers.
Writing - it helps, obviously, if a blogger can write (though it's not essential if they don't mind being edited).
Not all can, and not all who can can write a book (there's a lot of difference, in terms of scale, scope and structure, between blogging 300 words every few days and writing a 100,000 word book which hangs together and reads coherently.)
Anonymity - is the blogger prepared at some point to reveal their ID, or risk it being revealed? Frank Chalk would never reveal his ID, even to journalists in confidence to prove his bona fides as a teacher (ie not just someone who was making it all up). We were offered a doube page spread in the Sunday Telegraph, for instance, and interviews on Simon Mayo and Newsnight. But he wouldn't do any of it because he didn't want his identity at risk. The same is true of Inspector Gadget - this week alone we have turned down the PM programme and You and Yours (both Radio 4). This obviously means less PR and therefore fewer sales.
Copperfield and Bloggs took the opposite approach - Copperfield did absolutely everything, at great risk to his job, from Newsnight, GMTV, local TV news down to national and local newspapers. As a result, we have sold not far off 100,000 copies of his book.
Stuart Gray - the Paramedic - blogs and writes under his real name, so less of an issue.
Personality - assuming you get the publicity, will the blogger be credible, articulate, amusing etc on radio or TV or in print.

Any tips for hopeful bloggers?

Don't write a blog desperate to see it published. Write it for fun, in the knowledge that if something comes of it that's great but if it doesn't that's not the end of the world. Life is a long game, which I think a lot of people forget these days.

Do you have any other upcoming projects?

A few non-blog books, one or two blogs we're interested in. Blogs are not our main focus - they just happened to come along at once at the start of the business, probably because we needed material and I had time to look around for it. The rights to WPC Bloggs' book have been bought by John Hannah's production company and we're hoping to see that as a BBC2 comedy next year. (Hoping being the operative word.) She's also working on a follow-up for us, which I will try not to ruin with the wrong cover and title as I did the first!

Thanks, Dan!

To see more from Monday Books, check out the website.

Posted by Elle Symonds on April 19, 2009 in Interviews, Non Fiction, Weblogs | Permalink | Comments (0)

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)

November 14, 2008 2:45 PM

BOOK NEWS: Girls Are Best

I've seen this book by Sandi Toksvig in various places over the last few weeks, but have been put off by the title so didn't investigate further. Yes, even though I am a girl, I also have a son so I didn't like to think of one gender being *better* than another.

However, on closer inspection I actually really like the sound of what is inside. Women have played a huge part throughout history but their contribution has largely been ignored. For example, did you know that there were actually female Gladiators - Gladiatrices? No? Neither did I. See more over the cut.

For as long as history has been recorded, girls haven't had much of a look in amongst all the great men we remember. But that doesn't mean they weren't there. And it doesn't mean that they didn't achieve great things, come up with wonderful inventions or win battles. Lots of people have heard of Joan of Arc, Boadicea and Florence Nightingale, but...Did you know that Nimkasi was the Sumerian Goddess of Beer? Or that it was Mary Jacob Phelps who invented the bra? In this book, Sandi Toksvig shows that His-tory is actually Her-story. Though they're often ignored or overlooked, women have changed the world.

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 14, 2008 in Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 10, 2008 2:44 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Sense & Sensibility - The Diaries

With Lost in Austen still fresh in my mind, I was delighted when I found this little gem in the form of Emma Thompson's Sense & Sensibility diaries. Yes the diary was published in 1996 so I am a little behind here, but as Sense & Sensibility, along with Pride & Prejudice, is a timeless classic, then when it was written is irrelevant.

This isn't some huge celebrity tome however. Rather it is a slim one hundred or so pages full of Emma's warmth and honesty, giving you a fly on the wall account of how they put the film together.

It is written in diary form, i.e Little sleep. Left early to watch line up with Tom Wilkinson, which enhances the reading pleasure and Emma's humour is very apparent from the very first page. Lindsay goes around the table and introduces everyone - making it clear that I am present in the capacity of writer rather than actress, therefore no one has to be too nice to me.

I love this book. I found it fascinating and inspiring and if you are into the film or Emma Thompson then this is an absolute must.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try The Making of Pride & Prejudice by Sue Birtwistle and Susie Conklin

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 10, 2008 in Celebrity Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 22, 2008 10:32 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Ugly Betty

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

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

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

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

Rating: 5/5

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

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

October 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 2:37 PM

The Wonderful Weekend Book

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

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

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

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

BOOK 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 29, 2008 10:09 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Cherry Cake & Ginger Beer by Jane Brocket

Some of you may remember when I raved about this book in a book news post. I couldn't have been more excited about it. Now I've got it in my hands and have read it. And I'm still excited. It is a gorgeous book.

But a recipe book? On Trashionista? Well let me explain. It isn't just recipes, it's a sumptuous treat, bringing back memories of childhood reading, with food so tantalising. Who remembers Milly-Molly-Mandy when Little-Friend-Susan came over to stay? Sitting by the fire eating Muvver's Lid Potatoes wearing a red dressing gown whilst Little-Friend-Susan wore Grandma's red shawl.

I think many of us gained our love of reading from many of the books mentioned in Cherry Cake & Ginger Beer. We have The Famous Five, obviously, as they were constantly eating enormous amounts of food. Thick slices of ham, creamy milk, freshly baked bread. Aunt Fanny's Treacly Sticky Ginger Cake is a Famous Five recipe. Then we have food from Mary Poppins, Ballet Shoes, Swallows and Amazons, midnight feasts from St.Clares, Chalet School Apple Cake, rock buns from The Secret Seven...I could go on, but it is making me very hungry.

It isn't just a list of recipes though. Jane has divided them into sections such as Proper Elevenses, The Adventurous Life and Picnic Treats and then gives us a wonderful nostalgic description of the books and the characters before going on to describe the recipes.

The book describes food in a land before fast food, turkey twizzlers and microwaves. A land of innocence, when having a friend over to sleep wasn't the regular occurrence it is now, but a major event. It doesn't include fantasy food, but the sort of food you would want to eat whilst watching for smugglers or making a base in a cave.

This is a fabulous book, I just wish I had done the research and tested the food out myself!

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Cooking for Mr Latte by Amanda Hesser

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 29, 2008 in More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 23, 2008 9:58 AM

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 16, 2008 10:53 AM

BOOK NEWS: Moan About Men

You may not already know this, but I am, in fact, pregnant. And what does pregnancy mean? Hormones. What do hormones mean? Well...bad news for my husband, certainly. So this book by Juliana Foster, a brilliantly funny take on all the things men do that make women weep with frustration - and also with mirth along with an amusing and all-encompassing rant is exactly what I need right now.

Related posts: Men Are Wonderful | Love Letters of Great Men

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 16, 2008 in Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 15, 2008 11:02 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Celeb Diaries by Mark Frith

Like Miranda in Sex and the City I love to read about celebrities and gossip. As she would say "it is my thing." The only celebrity magazine I buy though is Heat. To me it is the original and the best. There are certain things that I became uncomfortable with, and even emailed them about on a few occasions expressing my outrage (though they weren't printed) but now I've read the book by Mark Frith, the ex-editor of Heat and the man responsible for it's huge sales, I can see what the intention of these features were (even if they didn't always work).

For those of you who don't know about Heat, I'll give you some background. Heat was a serious, wordy entertainment magazine that flopped as soon as it was launched. Mark Frith from Smash Hits magazine took over as editor and relaunched the magazine with a focus on celebrities. It was 1999 and that year everyone was talking about Posh and Becks' wedding. People weren't interested in a serious entertainment weekly. They wanted glamour, fashion and gossip. Heat got bigger and so did Joe Public's obsession with celebrities. Big Brother started and soon everyday people were famous just for sitting in a house for a few weeks. Put them on the front of Heat magazine and sales soared.

Mark Frith calls the last ten years the "celebrity decade" and cites its beginnings with Posh and Becks engagement. The Celeb Diaries details the magazine's growth during that time and it describes the decisions he made. In the beginning it was naive, fun, a bit mocking. Nobody took these people too seriously. But then there was a shift which Mark became uncomfortable with. Instead of tabloid photographs of Helen and Paul from Big Brother during their courtship, he was being sent pictures of Amy Whitehouse with slashes all over her arms. The world of celebrity had become darker. So he resigned as the editor of Heat.

Mark also talks about the obsession with being skinny. Whenever they put a headline on the front page saying, for example, "You are too thin" I was bothered. Why this obsession with women and the way they looked? Then from reading the book I see that Mark and his colleagues were genuinely concerned about women in the spotlight making themselves too thin, particularly in the glossy magazines and what impact this had on young girls. They even had a letter from a relieved mum whose daughter had just read the Heat article. This girl had been starving herself.

Mark writes terrifically well (and so he should as a journalist and ex editor). I don't think the world of celebrities is as shocking as we would have found it a few years ago. For "juicy gossip" there isn't really any that you don't already know. Although how celebrities react to their scoops was very insightful.

The Celeb Diaries is one man's take on a world that bemused him. I found the book absolutely fascinating, both in its description of the growth in the magazine and the growth in the celebrity culture. He is engaging but also honest. It was interesting to see that where I was "outraged" with certain features or stunts he admits that mistakes were made.

Then towards the end, we see the man who has played a large part in building up the celebrity culture, actually becoming a little ashamed by this shift to the darker side.

He summarises it all up when he is in the Maldives after the dreadful Boxing Day tsunami. The latest figures show that more than 250,000 people are dead or missing. And now I need to go to work and write about celebrities.

A great read.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Don't You Know Who I Am? by Piers Morgan

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 15, 2008 in Celebrity Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

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)

September 9, 2008 1:25 PM

BOOK NEWS: A Modern Girl's Guide To The Perfect Single Life

Yet another guide for girls (however did we manage without them?), although, er, perhaps, this one isn't for me.

A Modern Girl's Guide to the Perfect Single Life by Sarah Ivens promises tips on going to events alone, fending off exes and enjoying your freedom, as well as advice and guidance on living on your own, surviving the weekends and holidays and dating rules for the single girl.

Related posts: Jane Austen's Guide to Dating | A Girl's Guide to Modern European Philosophy | The Girl's Guide to Losing Your L-Plates

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 9, 2008 in Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 25, 2008 11:01 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: America Unchained by Dave Gorman

I started watching Dave Gorman's America Unchained documentary, but never actually finished it, so I was glad to get my hands on the book version. I've read Gorman's previous books and seen him live, and he's always very good value.

The premise of America Unchained is that Dave Gorman would drive (or attempt to drive) across America from coast to coast using only independent businesses, including hotels and gas stations. Avoiding Shell, Amoco, Best Western, Comfort Inns, etc., was always going to pose a problem, and so it proved. But that wasn't the only problem.

Because he was also making a film (this hadn't been the original plan, Gorman had just been going to do this by himself), he had a filmmaker with him, Stef. But holding the heavy camera at an awkward angle in an enclosed space (the car Gorman bought at the beginning of the journey), damaged Stef's back and so much of the early part of the journey was spent driving between chiropractors. And also garages. Gorman had bought at 1970s Ford Torino and it had a lot of problems.

For probably the first half of this book (much like the half of the documentary that I saw), I thought Gorman's plan was wrongheaded. Independents aren't necessarily good and corporations aren't necessarily evil, a fact proved by the scuzzy independent motels he stayed in and the corporate garage that rescued him from the motorway when he ran out of petrol, and didn't even charge a call-out fee (to be fair, I can't imagine that ever happening in the UK, but maybe I've been unlucky). As I continued to read though, I started to appreciate what Gorman was trying to do. No, it wasn't perfect, but who cares, it was still a noble goal.

Dave Gorman is such an interesting character. He often comes across as aggressive and combative, but there's a real sweetness and idealism underneath. It's the sweetness that is far more in evidence in this book than it was in, say, Dave Gorman's Googlewhack Adventure. The book also works as a travelogue, making me eager to take another US roadtrip (although I'll be avoiding Mississippi).

Oh and the ending made me well up. You can't ask for much more than that, can you?

Rating: 4/5 (Why not 5? Since I've just said you can't ask for more. Well, it didn't make me laugh out loud and Gorman is a comedian, after all.)

Like this? Try Not Buying It by Judith Levine

Posted by Keris on August 25, 2008 in British Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

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)

August 14, 2008 8:30 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Secret Diaries of Abigail Titmuss by Abi Titmuss

For those of you who don't know who Abi Titmuss is, well, she shot to fame as the girlfriend of a well known TV presenter in the UK (an ex of Catherine Zeta Jones) when he was arrested over rape and sex allegations. She was a nurse at the time and loyally stood by him whilst the press went mad and he was left a broken man. Because of all this press interest in her boyfriend's story, Abi herself started to get attention. Then, bizarrely, the Richard and Judy Show called her in to screen test as a presenter.

The screen test went well and she was offered a job as a roving reporter. Meanwhile she was still working as a nurse at the hospital. She did a couple of pieces for the show, then disaster struck. Someone sold pictures of her with two men and a woman (you know what I mean). Then there were drug allegations. So she was dropped from The Richard and Judy Show. In our crazy media obsessed world, however, this didn't stop the job offers. She went to work for a fantasy channel for a lot of money, FHM the men's magazine wanted to shoot some pictures of her, the tabloids were printing stories about her all the time, and she sort of *fell* into the world of glamour modeling.

This is not an autobiography. As the title suggests it is actually a diary from the date she met her TV presenter boyfriend and when she had just gone part time as a nurse in order to study acting. Unfortunately for her, with the scandal that followed and the career choices she made, her dreams of being an actress were beginning to look less and less likely. I thought the diary extremely well written, but when I read the first page or so properly I saw it had been written "with" Lucie Cave, the talented features editor from Heat Magazine.

The diary shows the world behind the headlines. What is printed versus what actually happens, staged paparazzi shots, the inordinate amount of money to be made from photographs. To me though, this is actually a sad book. When I finished it I actually felt sorry for Abi. If what is said in the book is true or even remotely true, it is a terrible example of the price of fame and the way women in particular are built up by the media, only to be torn to strips a short while later. The sadder part is, women or girls actually aspire to be like her. As Abi says in her advice, are you insane?

From the headlines and the photographs you would think Abi is having a ball and milking it for all its worth. Whilst she may be doing the latter, the former is achieved through lots of alcohol in order to make her more confident. Most women deal with self esteem, weight issues and fat days. Abi is no different. But then I think, why put yourself out there? Why go on a reality TV show? Why expose yourself in such a way? She complains that she feels violated at times so why keep on milking the cow?

Even if you aren't interested in Abi, but are interested in the celebrity media and the way it works, this gives you a small slice of behind the scenes action. As celebrity books go, it's not bad, and as it's not an autobiography but a diary - it's an easy read.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Jordan: Pushed To The Limit by Katie Price

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 14, 2008 in British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 23, 2008 8:31 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Everything I Needed to Know About Being a Girl I Learned From Judy Blume, ed. Jennifer O'Connell

I know I've been going on about Judy Blume a lot lately, but if you'd read this book, you would be too.

It's a collection of essays by “acclaimed women writers” including friends of Trashi, Meg Cabot, Megan Crane, and Shanna Swendson along with Megan McCafferty, Alison Pace, Laura Ruby, Diana Peterfreund and more. In fact, it's possibly the best line-up of writers I've ever seen in any collection (apart from the one I'm in, obviously!).

And that quality is reflected in the essays. I don't think I could choose between them, since I loved them all. Every single one. The writers write about various Blume books from Forever (of course) to Wifey, via Superfudge, Are You There, God? and Summer Sisters. The essays are honest, funny, sometimes painful and constantly reiterate how incredible and influential Judy Blume really is.

It not only made me want to go and buy all of Blume's books, it made me want to buy all the books by each of the writers included (and that's a lot of books). Even if you've never read a Judy Blume book, I'm confident you'll still enjoy this book. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Woman's Best Friend edited by Megan McMorris (nothing to do with Judy Blume, but another impressive collection)

Posted by Keris on July 23, 2008 in American Authors, Classic Novels, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

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 30, 2008 9:58 AM

BOOK NEWS: Cherry Cake and Ginger Beer by Jane Brocket

I am so excited about this book, I almost can't type fast enough. I know it isn't chick-lit and it isn't even a fictional book. But if you're like me and you like food and a bit of childhood nostalgia then you'll be excited too.

It is a recipe book of all the feel-good foods that feature so heavily in children's books. There is a recipe for Milly Molly Mandy's Treacle Tart, Famous Five Fruit Cake and St Clare's Eclairs amongst many others. The book, which is out on 10th July, is divided into High Tea Treats, Midnight Feasts and Seaside Picnics. For more information Jane has a gorgeous looking blog.

Related posts: The New Famous Five | Best Children's Books of all Time

Posted by Helen Redfern on June 30, 2008 in Book News, New Releases, Non Fiction | 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)

June 9, 2008 8:24 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Marketing Your Book by Alison Baverstock

I appreciate that this is rather a niche review, but I know we have an awful lot of authors (and future authors!) who read Trashionista and I think Alison Baverstock's Marketing Your Book would be extremely useful to them.

Marketing Your Book covers pretty much everything you could need to know about how to get your book to the biggest readership. From preparing your manuscript for submission to organising a launch event, it's all covered, along with an explanation of what marketing actually is!

With examples from the author's own experience and plenty of useful case studies, Marketing Your Book is full of practical advice written in an entertaining and accessible style.

Plus it contains the best advice you'll ever get: "Try not to act like a prat." :)

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Wannabe a Writer? by Jane Wenham-Jones

Posted by Aigua Media on June 9, 2008 in British Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (4)

June 5, 2008 10:11 AM

BOOK REVIEW: I like You: Hospitality under the Influence by Amy Sedaris

Reviewed by Diane Shipley (remember her?!)

I'd like to nominate Amy Sedaris as the anti-Martha Stewart. Although Amy has written a guide to entertaining and hospitality, it could possibly put any serious "homemakers" into an early grave. Like her brother David (who I love!) actress/author/comedian Amy is witty, intelligent... and more than a little strange.

I Like You... is made up of 29 chapters, giving advice on putting together different types of parties and get-togethers, from wakes to brunch. Plus there are recipes for quick and tasty meals for one and a number of cakes and desserts which sound positively mouth-watering. (Sedaris clearly knows her stuff: she has her own cupcake company in New York.)

Sometimes I couldn't work out whether the author was serious, such as when she talks about bringing home a group of Japanese business men she didn't know and cooking for them, or when she recommends holding impromptu twenty-five cent sales during a dinner party. But despite the sardonic tone, all of the recipes here are genuine and Sedaris is clearly enthusiastic about entertaining.

Unfortunately, the book reminded me of all the reasons I don't enjoy cooking or throwing parties (the effort, the clean-up, the small talk!) but that's a personal thing. It also made me laugh when Sedaris said she loved being a waitress, and would always rather eat at home than eat out. Reverse both those statements and you have my views exactly!

I do wonder if the wit and irony of the book might perhaps turn off people who don't realise the recipes should be taken entirely seriously. It might be better to have skipped the information on the best way to douche (!) and have made a few more concessions to conventionality... Also (picky, much?) I'd have preferred the book in an A3 format, that could have been laid flat so it was easier to follow the instructions. (I imagine...)

Despite a few reservations (and the caveat that this book is not for the easily offended!) I'd definitely recommend I Like You as a refreshingly modern guide to entertaining; an alternative to the likes of Martha Stewart and Delia Smith, who take it all too seriously for my liking.

Rating: 3/5

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

Posted by Aigua Media on June 5, 2008 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

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)

May 12, 2008 12:05 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Maeve Binchy Writers' Club

I have an abundance of how to writing books hidden under my bed. If I'm honest though and I mean really honest, I haven't actually read any of them. The ones I started to read, I didn't get past the first few pages, they just seemed so dull. When Maeve's book plopped onto my doormat however, I was excited. You see, Maeve is somewhat of a heroine of mine. I first discovered her when I was a teenager and I picked a book up on holiday that someone else had left behind. Since then I've been hooked. I have all of her books. Most of them in hardback. This woman can really tell a story. So I was interested in what she would have to say about the process of writing.

The book is composed of twenty letters written by Maeve. These letters were inspired by a course which ran for twenty weeks at the national College of Ireland. Every week Maeve would write the students a letter which included tips and advice for the students on the theme of the week. They also had guest lecturers from other authors, publishers and editors and ten of these also have contributions within the book including one by Marian Keyes.

The chapters cover themes such as how to maintain your motivation to write and deal with procrastination (this chapter really spoke to me), the road to success (hint: one percent inspiration ninety nine percent perspiration) and the writers journey.

The advice is a little obvious if you aren't a beginner, but this book is not giving you a magic formula of how to write. Instead every page of this book seemed to be telling me not to give up. It was telling me that I can do this. Because Maeve also struggled in the beginning, she used to write at 5:30 every morning before work and she used to visualise her first launch party in order to keep herself going, you feel that someone really understands everything you are going through and is willing you to succeed.

Just like her fictional work, this book is reassuring and comforting. But most of all it is encouraging and inspiring, filling me with self belief and enthusiasm for my own work in progress.

Rating: 5 out of 5

Like this? Try: Wannabe a Writer? by Jane Wenham-Jones

Posted by Helen Redfern on May 12, 2008 in Irish Authors, More On Monday, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 1, 2008 1:49 PM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Postcards From Yo Momma

Blook news! Doree Shafrir and Jessica Grose have bagged a book deal based on their blog of mom emails, Postcards from Yo Momma.

Hyperion editor Gretchen Young bought the book at auction and is planning to market it as a Mother's Day gift book.

[Via Galleycat]

Related posts: Judging panel for Blooker Prize | From blog to book

Posted by Sarah Painter on May 1, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Non Fiction, You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (11)

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 28, 2008 12:01 PM

COMPETITION & EXTRACT: Cosmo's Guide to Red-Hot Sex

The winner of The Automatic Detective was Annette Thomas of Norwich.

Today's book is Cosmo's Guide to Red-Hot Sex and I've got three copies to give away, but it's going to have to be UK only because they're really heavy. And I mean really heavy - I can barely lift the three at once.

To be in with a chance of winning, email editor @ trashionista . com (remove spaces) with "Cosmo's Guide" in the subject line (I thought putting "Red Hot Sex" in the subject line might send all your emails to the spam bin). Don't forget to include your name and address and the competition closes at 12 noon GMT tomorrow.

If you can't enter then swallow your disappointment because there's a treat over the cut. An extract on how to generate a sexy story line. Enjoy!

(I tried to write this without any double entendres, but I couldn't keep it up.)

From Cosmo’s Guide to Red-Hot Sex (Feb. 2008, Hearst books/Sterling Publishing)

How to Generate a Sexy Story Line

Frisky thoughts beget more frisky thoughts, meaning once you tap into a fantasy that makes your pulse race, naughty scenes will flood your brain. Here, ideas for how to start manufacturing those visions.

Think With Your Panties All Day

Start tracking what excites you. Let’s say you’re cruising to work when you suddenly find yourself drooling over a hot highway billboard of a guy whose manhood looks as though it’s trying to break free of his jeans. Or you spot a sexy couple making out and envision what they’ll be doing to each other later that night. Be aware of images that you find sexy or arousing and let your imagi­nation begin to percolate.

Take a Star Turn

Fantasies are like finger­prints—no two are identical. But there is one universal component: You have to be the focus of the action, whether that puts you at the center of a sizzling three­some or in full view of a sex­ual encounter being acted out for your eyes only.

“Many women like to watch and be watched,” explains Melinda Gallagher, founder of CAKE, an enter­tainment and educational company that promotes female sexual empowerment. “Start your fantasy scene simply: Think about some­one watching you undress and see where that idea leads you.”

Peruse Erotica

If you find yourself in short supply of real-world inspira­tion, try reading an erotic short story or popping in a dirty DVD. “Pornographic films serve as visual valida­tion of things we might only dream of trying,” says Gallagher. And sexy movies come in different degrees—from very tame to hard-core skin flicks. “Watch one by yourself to see what stirs you,” says Ava Cadell, PhD, author of The Pocket Idiot’s Guide to Oral Sex.

“Fantasies are about losing your inhibitions, so don’t censor your thoughts.” Let each scene wash over you, paying attention to what, in particular, pushes your hot buttons. Then put yourself in the flick, casting the guy of your choice as the male lead, says Cadell.

Posted by Keris on April 28, 2008 in Competition, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (1)

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)

April 15, 2008 1:58 PM

BOOK NEWS: Voluptuous Delights

Sophie Dahl, the model-turned-writer and granddaughter of Roald Dahl, is to follow her adult fiction debut (Playing With The Grown-ups) with a cookery book.

Dahl was first famous as a 'bigger' model and then slimmed down considerably to loud criticism from the fickle (and, dare I say it, hypocritical) press. Titled Voluptuous Delights, it marries her favourite recipes with personal stories. She says: "It's an anecdotal book about how to be slim but eat."

[Via Entertainment Weekly]

Related posts: Celebrity books and chick lit | Celebrity memoir mania

Posted by Sarah Painter on April 15, 2008 in Book News, British Authors, Celebrity Authors, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 11, 2008 6:09 PM

BOOK NEWS: I Was Told There'd Be Cake

This debut collection of snarky essays by Sloane Crosley sounds very funny indeed. Titled I Was Told There'd Be Cake,  the essays have headers like The Pony Problem and Bring-Your-Machete-To-Work Day.

Crosley has been compared to David Sedaris, recommended by Meg Cabot and the cover is great. It was published at the beginning of the month and I can't wait to get my hands on a copy.

Related posts: Non fiction archives

Posted by Sarah Painter on April 11, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Book covers, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (5)

BOOK REVIEW: How I Write by Janet Evanovich and Ina Yalof

Since I love Janet Evanovich's books so much, it was only natural that I would want to read the guide she has written to how she actually *writes* them.

How I Write is basically a glorified collection of the writing FAQs gathered from Evanovich's website, with occasional interjections from co-writer Ina Yalof and Evanovich's daughter - and webmaster - Alex, but that's not to say it's not entertaining and valuable, just a bit, well, basic. There is little writing advice that you wouldn't already be aware of had you read any sort of introduction to writing.

What makes it different is Evanovich's experience and her openness and honesty. Also, writing tutorials are illuminated with examples from the Plum books, which is really helpful.

I'm fascinated by how Evanovich came to write the Plum books (after being a relatively successful author of category romance) along with how she treats the business side of being an author and there's a lot of enlightening information on those subjects in this book. It also features details of Evanovich's writing life, which, if you're as nosy about authors' lives as I am, you'll find fascinating.

If you're looking for a general writing guide there are other books I'd recommend ahead of this one, but if you're an Evanovich fan or as interested in writers as writing, then I have no doubt you'll enjoy this book.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Wannabe a Writer by Jane Wenham-Jones

Posted by Aigua Media on April 11, 2008 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 10, 2008 3:32 PM

BOOK NEWS: Listography

I know this is outside our remit, being that it's a journal, rather than a novel, but I feel confident that at least some of you are as dorky as me and so you too will love the idea of this book!

Listography is subtitled "Your Life in Lists" and features prompts from the obvious (greatest accomplishments, best friends, favorite food), to the more obscure (guiltiest pleasures, greatest acts of kindness, personal fashion trends), and each list is accompanied by hilarious illustrations.

[via decor8]

Related posts: Tuesday Three - lists | Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal | Ladybird notebooks

Posted by Aigua Media on April 10, 2008 in Bookish products, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 7, 2008 9:10 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: In Stitches: the Highs and Lows of Life as an A&E Doctor by Dr Nick Edwards

Reviewed by author and Corrieblog editor, Sue Haasler

I picked In Stitches up by chance - I love reading about other people's lives, and as I'm a huge fan of TV medical dramas I couldn't resist. However, any hope of buckets of blood and lashings of torrid linen-cupboard action are dispelled in the introduction: "It is a bit like what you see in TV programmes such as ER," the author says, "but with less sex and more paper work."

The book started out as a blog to vent his frustrations and Dr Edwards (not his real name) hopes the book becomes a campaigning tool against the privatisation and marketisation happening to the NHS. But it's also a damn good read.

The day-to-day realities of being on the front line of hospital services is passionately, often humorously and sometimes heartbreakingly conveyed. There are the funny stories of people with mobile phones stuck in places they really shouldn't have been, and the desperately sad ones like the 14 year old girl who took an overdose and left a note asking her parents to look after her guinea pig (she survived). And there's
top advice, too. I now know not to get ill on the first Wednesday in August or the last Friday of the month. Why? You'll have to read the book.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Heat by Bill Buford (an expose of the restaurant industry)

Being a full-time doctor, Nick's having trouble getting publicity for the book, particularly as he needs to hide behind his pseudonym.  He is hoping someone reading might be able to help him with marketing the book.

If you're interested in featuring the book or Nick on your site or blog - or are able to offer any other kind of marketing assistance - please email us and we'll put you in touch with him. Thanks.

Posted by Keris on April 7, 2008 in British Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

April 4, 2008 10:42 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Always Go to Bed on an Argument by Deborah Ross

I requested a copy of Deborah Ross's Always Go to Bed on an Argument after a friend sent me a hilarious extract that I immediately forwarded to friends and family. Inevitably, that extract was the funniest thing in the whole book, but the rest is plenty entertaining too.

Subtitled 'And other useful advise from the non-domestic goddess', Always Go to Bed on an Argument is a collection of essays, columns, letters, minutes of meetings, etc., generally purporting to relate to the Non-Domestic Goddess Club (which may be a real site, but I can't tell because it's not working).

Covering everything from housework to parenting to giving up smoking, Ross is very funny and frequently open about the kind of things you generally don't admit to even your closest friends (except perhaps by emailing them an extract of this book!).

Though it's probably a better book to dip in and out of rather than read straight through - I found it a little repetitive - it's still good fun and worth a good few belly laughs ... but, oh my goodness, how bad is that cover?!

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Confessions of a Failed Grown-up by Stephanie Calman

Posted by Keris on April 4, 2008 in British Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 2, 2008 10:26 AM

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.)

Posted by Keris on April 2, 2008 in American Authors, Interviews, New Releases, Non Fiction, Self development | Permalink | Comments (6)

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 24, 2008 10:17 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: When You Eat At the Refrigerator, Pull Up A Chair by Geneen Roth

I know, I know, I'm always reviewing non-diet books, but they're such a revelation to me after years of reading actual diet books (okay, WeightWatchers magazine). Geneen Roth's When You Eat at the Refrigerator, Pull Up a Chair is a classic, given credibility in my eyes by having a foreword by Anne Lamott (who I love).

When You Eat... consists of 50 very short chapters (some are only a couple of pages in length) with titles like "Carry a chunk of chocolate everywhere" and "Remind yourself that it's already broken." Weirdly, the word that came to mind when I was typing that was "Californian" so I checked the About the Author page and discovered that Roth does indeed live in Northern California - what was my point? Oh yes, if you're not comfortable with self-development, if, like Beth Lisick, it's way outside your comfort zone and you're smirking now, I'd say read the book anyway.

I found it reassuring, funny, inspiring and frequently more down to earth than the chapter headings (and that "Californian" business) would have you believe. The subtitle is "50 ways to feel thin, gorgeous, and happy (when you feel anything but)" and that's not to be sniffed (or smirked) at, surely?

I kept it on my bedside table and read one short chapter each day. Now that I've finished it, I've turned back to the beginning to read it again until I get the chance to read another of Roth's books.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The 4-Day Win by Martha Beck

Posted by Aigua Media on March 24, 2008 in American Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 21, 2008 7:30 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Meaning of Sunglasses by Hadley Freeman

Despite having no discernable interest in fashion (I work from home, mostly in pajamas, so there's no real need), I absolutely love Hadley Freeman's Guardian newspaper column. She's so dry, funny and down to earth. I think I gave a little squeal when I heard she'd written a book.

The Meaning of Sunglasses is subtitled "A guide to almost all things fashionable" and it's certainly that. Set out in alphabetical order (which took me a shameful amount of time to work out - I kept wondering how the topics had been organised. D'oh.), the book features everything from Accessories to Yoga.

The thing I love about Ms Freeman is that she often says just what I've been afraid to admit (sometimes even to myself) about fashion (see Coats, stuck at the nexus point between dull and stressful). She's totally straightforward in her criticisms of magazines (the products are featured because the companies have paid for the advertising - I know this and yet I still always fall for those "must-have" or "products of the year" articles) and even certain designers, and she's practical about the ridiculousness of much fashion.

And yet ... I didn't enjoy this book anywhere near as much as her column. Often, either me or my husband (yes, my utterly fashion-ignorant husband loves her too) will read bits out to each other. I didn't feel the need to share any of this book with  him. Her column frequently makes me laugh out loud. The book had me smiling once or twice. Granted, I did read it straight through and it may be a better book to dip in and out of.

If you haven't read any Hadley before, I'm confident you'll enjoy it as a common sense explanation of the madness of modern fashion, but Hadley fans may be disappointed.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Fashion Babylon by Imogen Edwards-Jones

Posted by Keris on March 21, 2008 in Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 12, 2008 9:49 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Helping Me Help Myself by Beth Lisick

I am a self-confessed self-help junkie, so I was really looking forward to reading Beth Lisick's second book, particularly since I'd heard great things about her first, Everybody into the Pool.

Unlike me, Beth is a self-help skeptic, but following the realisation that, at age 37, she was sleeping in a room with plastic sheeting covering a damp patch on the wall, doing a job for which she had to dress up as a banana, and too unfit to keep up with her four-year-old son, she decides self-help can't, well, hurt and so undertakes to examine (and hopefully improve) one area of her life each month for a year.

From Jack Canfield's book The Success Principles to a Richard Simmons weightloss cruise, via (Men are From Mars author) John Gray, The Artists' Way and a parenting book entitled 1-2-3 Magic!, Lisick repeatedly steps out (way out) of her comfort zone.

I approached Helping Me Help Myself expecting to find Lisick disagreeing with or mocking every self-help method she tries, but she really doesn't. She genuinely seems to approach them all (okay, almost all) with a totally open mind. She's charming, funny, enthusiastic and self-deprecating and (and I know I always say this) by the end I felt like we were friends. So much so that I kept thinking of books to recommend to her before remembering that I don't actually know her at all.

Plus it genuinely contains good self-help information while, at the same time, cheerfully (and without malice) exposing the money-making opportunities inherent in the self-help industry. I loved it.

Self-help addict or self-help skeptic, there's something here for everyone. Oh and it'll make you look at Richard Simmons in a totally different way...

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Give it Up! by Mary Carlomagno

Posted by Keris on March 12, 2008 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 28, 2008 7:13 PM

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: The Celeb Diaries: Tears, Tantrums and Excess

Mark Frith, editor at heat magazine, has stepped down from his job in order to write a book called The Celeb Diaries: Tears, Tantrums and Excess.

Frith promises to dish the never-seen-before dirt (sorry, 'anecdotes') from celebrity culture. A behind-the-scenes peek from his days at the gossip magazine that will include the likes of Robbie Wiliams, Sharon Osbourne and the Beckhams. Cor.

[Via Bookseller]

Related posts: Poor show from celebrity memoirs | Celebrity memoir mania

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 28, 2008 in Book News, British Authors, Non Fiction, You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (4)

February 26, 2008 11:11 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Good Vibrations by Ayn Carrillo

Ayn Carrillo's Good Vibrations has been on my shelf for a little while, but I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy it. First there's the title. Then the subtitle - "One good girl's hilarious exploration of all things bad..." Funnily enough, I spotted the US version which is titled Pornology and has a much more sophisticated cover (see it over the cut). The US is often accused of dumbing down (the title of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone being changed to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone springs immediately to mind), but they're certainly winning in the chick lit cover wars!

Anyway, back to Good Vibrations. When Carrillo's boyfriend accused her of being "pornophobic" she made a list - she really loves making lists - a "Porn to do list" in fact. On the list were items like "meet a porn star", "visit a strip club", "test vibrators", "check out a brothel" and more. Here's a tip: if the previous sentence offended you, you're not going to enjoy this book.

I'm not easily offended and I enjoyed this book. Carrillo has a chatty and easy writing style, in particular she's good at writing about pretty full-on stuff in a lighthearted and informative way. Having said that, even though I'm no prude and am pretty open-minded about most things, there was one bit of the book that quite literally turned my stomach. Chapter 8. Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.

As is often the case with memoir, I didn't believe bits of the book, usually bits that were meant to be funny. There's also a relationship with a man Carrillo met in a sex shop running through the book and that didn't ring true either (although, judging by the acknowledgments, the man exists, at least!). Mostly Good Vibrations is an entertaining and informative addition to the sex memoirs that have flooded the market lately. (Ew. Now I've reminded myself of Chapter 8.)

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler

Posted by Keris on February 26, 2008 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 22, 2008 2:39 PM

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

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 22, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, New Releases, Non Fiction, Self development | Permalink | Comments (2)

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 11:55 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Career & Corporate Cool by Rachel C Weingarten

I wasn't sure that Rachel C Weingarten's Career and Corporate Cool would be much use to me. I work for myself so the "corporate" doesn't apply. The book is subtitled 'How to look, dress, and act the part - at every stage of your career' and since I work from home, often in my pyjamas, I didn't think Weingarten had anything to teach me in that area either. As is often the case ... I was wrong.

This book is packed with a lot of advice that you've probably already heard if you've ever read a women's magazine, but it feels somehow much more up to date. It includes questions on how to define your own personal style and then to use this in every area of your professional life.

Containing advice on everything from dress and make-up to behaviour inside and outside the office to the differences between masculine and feminine work styles and how to gracefully handle emergencies, Weingarten covers pretty much everything you'll ever need, no matter what your job. The abundance of post-its sticking out of my copy suggest it's just as useful if you work for yourself.

It's not at all stuffy or preachy, in fact it's entertaining, often funny and a very easy read.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Career Helium by David Thompson

Posted by Keris on February 8, 2008 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 4, 2008 5:14 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Psychology of Joss Whedon: An Unauthorized Exploration of "Buffy', "Angel" and "Firefly"

Joss Whedon is the creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, it's spin-off series Angel, Firefly (another series, which sadly only ran for one season) and Serenity (a film inspired by Firefly).

There has been lots of study - both light-hearted and academic - of Whedon's worlds and the amazing characters that inhabit them.

This latest collection of critical essays delves into the psychology of Joss himself, as well taking an analytical look at his creations.

Written by a variety of authors - all of whom have strings of letters after their names -  and with frequent reference to psychological theories and methods, this book had the potential to be very hard-going indeed.

Luckily, it's very readable, and the essays are well-researched and cogent. They cover topics such as neuroscience in Firefly and Angel's relationship with his mother. My personal favourites are the essays that refer to feminism in both Buffy and Whedon's own personality (Joss often refers to himself as a 'radical feminist', just another reason he is one of my personal heroes).

A couple of words of warning, however; this book is definitely not at the 'light' end of the fan-essay-market. Although by no means impenetrable, you really do need to have an interest in psychology as well as in Whedon and his works.

Also, the essays refer widely to the episodes of Buffy, Angel and Firefly, so there are plenty of spoilers.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Serenity Found

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 4, 2008 in American Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Supernatural, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

BRAND NEW BOOK NEWS: Nothing But Good Times Ahead

Eep! I just heard that a book of academic essays on Jennifer Crusie's work is being written. Yep, it's not even got a publisher, yet; that's how new this book news is!

Titled Nothing But Good Times Ahead: The Novels of Jennifer Crusie, the book is edited by Eric Murphy Selinger and Laura Vivanco. It's going to cover topics like ageing, feminism, and symbolism in Crusie's work. We will keep you posted...

Related posts: The Crusie/Mayer writing workshop | Book Review: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 4, 2008 in American Authors, Book News, Non Fiction, You heard it here first! | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 30, 2008 11:08 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Beauty Confidential by Nadine Haobsh

I have to admit, I'm not a big beauty junkie, so I wasn't too excited about Nadine Haobsh's book, Beauty Confidential. I was, however, intrigued by the book's backstory - Nadine was a beauty editor about to start her dream job, when she was outed as the anonymous author of tell-all beauty blog, Jolie in NYC. The dream job offer was retracted ... after Nadine had left her current job. Fortunately, Jolie in NYC's popularity was such that Nadine got a book deal, plus the site is still going strong (although it's no longer anonymous).

Still, the backstory was summed up in a couple of pages and I worried the beauty stuff wouldn't hold my attention. Yep, wrong again. The thing about Beauty Confidential that distinguishes it from the generic beauty pages I flick past every month is Nadine's voice.

She's chatty, funny, down-to-earth and honest. She knows that singing the praises of Nars blush (in Orgasm) isn't going to change the world, but she also knows that if your hair looks good, your day goes better and that's not to be underestimated.

Not only did I fly through this book making mental shopping lists (and vows to spend more than one minute doing my "face"), I've actually referred back to it once or twice since finishing.

From thinking it wasn't a book for me to keeping it on my shelf as an indispensable reference book ... not bad for someone with no interest in the beauty industry. What I'm saying is, if Nadine Haobsh can fire my enthusiasm, she can fire anyone's. And if you're already a beauty junkie? Pull up a chair, pour yourself a drink and enjoy!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon

Posted by Keris on January 30, 2008 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 28, 2008 12:04 PM

MORE ON MONDAY & COMPETITION: The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World by Linda Jones

Full disclosure: Linda Jones has been one of my mentors as I changed career from administrator in corporate recovery and personal insolvency (hello? still awake?) to freelance journalist, so I knew in advance just how straight-talking, down to earth and exceedingly useful this book was going to be.

Linda's been a journalist for 20 years and has not only worked as a freelance, but also in newspapers, magazines, online media and PR, so these tips cover writing across the board and from both sides of the fence (I don't think there's a chapter about mixing metaphors, unfortunately).

Find out how you can win a copy over the cut.

This book covers everything you could need to know - from the business side of freelancing (invoicing, copyright and legal matters) to the fun stuff (interviewing, researching and actually writing).

Linda is generous with her advice, but at the same time she doesn't mollycoddle and that's what I liked the most about this book. Yes, it's encouraging and enlightening, but it's also realistic about your chances of making it as a freelancer, which, as I know from experience, will be vastly increased by learning from Linda.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Career Helium by David Thompson

For your chance to win a copy of The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World, please email us at editor @ trashionista . com (take out the spaces) with "Tips" in the subject line and your name and address in the body of the email (so we can send you the book!). Closing date 4 February 2008.

Posted by Keris on January 28, 2008 in British Authors, Competition, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 25, 2008 1:22 PM

FRIDAY FLICK: Charlie Wilson's War

Charlie Wilson's War is the kind of film that could go terribly, horribly wrong. A story about a Texas congressman's covert dealings with the rebels in Afghanistan (aiding them in combat against the Soviets), a main character with a flawed personality and a war film billed as 'funny'.

Of course, that's without banking on the screenwriter Aaron Sorkin. The man who brought us the West Wing - a series that effortlessly blends quick-witted, dialogue-heavy comedy with political drama.

Sorkin uses the same magic here and the script is every bit as good as I had hoped. It's moving, funny and thoughtful, and manages to cram a whole lot of story into 90 minutes without seeming rushed.

Of course his source material is also excellent. The film is based on George Crile's acclaimed non-fiction book - Charlie Wilson's War: The Story of the Largest Covert Operation in History.

And hats off to Mike Nichols for the direction, too. He navigates the different tones in the story smoothly and uses the A-list cast to great effect.

Amy Adams (Enchanted) is Wilson's personal aide and Julia Roberts plays against type as his socialite friend and confidente. Tom Hanks is fantastic as the playboy politician, but I adored Philip Seymour Hoffman as Gust Avrakotos, the maverick CIA agent who aids Charlie Wilson.  He has such wonderful comic timing combined with a genuine edginess.

If it's still on at your local cinema, do catch it. If not, put the DVD on pre-order now.

Related posts: Friday Flick archives

Posted by Sarah Painter on January 25, 2008 in American Authors, Book related, Friday Flick, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (6)

BOOK REVIEW: Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big by Sarah Nilsen

Reviewed by Helen Redfern

Ever been in the situation where you’ve been lying down on your side and your tummy spills over, or perhaps you catch an unflattering angle of yourself in a mirror and think ‘Right, that’s it. Enough. Diet starts tomorrow.’ You then feel utterly deprived until you perk up as you realise that you now need to go through the ‘day before ritual’ when you can eat anything and everything on sight because tomorrow (once again) is Day 1.

Sound familiar?

For Sarah Nilsen, author of ‘Does this book make my butt look big (and who cares anyway. Its my butt)’ this is quite a common occurrence for her. And to be honest for me too, because as I was reading this particular chapter I could feel myself thinking ‘oh my God, she does that too!’

‘Does this book…’ is a collection of Sarah’s memoirs of what it is like to be a woman in modern times. The embarrassment (being fitted for a bra), the pain (deciding its time to visit the gym), and the responsibility (of being a Mum and left with the puppy poo) all make for a humorous account of Sarah’s life.

This book is like sitting down and having a natter with your best mate. Talking about all the embarrassing stories you have and finding they are remarkably similar, just a few details have changed. I don’t know if it scares me or reassures me that we all share the same foibles. But it is amusing none the less.

I did have a slight problem with the book though. Sarah is American and I am English. I must stress that this isn’t a problem with other American books I read but with ‘Does this book make my butt look big?’ written as if chatting over a bottle of wine, the language is, well, chatty, with the use of American terminology, slang and brand names. This meant the flow of the writing was interrupted for me whilst I tried to work out what things were. For example she refers to ‘In Touch’ magazine.  I’m not familiar with this one (this was important as a chapter is devoted to her love of magazines). Is it the equivalent to Heat or the Economist in the UK? As I read further on I deduced what it was but for a while it bothered me.

Nevertheless even though it is American in it's tone the issues that worry women cross boundaries. The stories are engaging, honest and real with a hefty dollop of humour and tongue firmly placed in her cheek. It’s designed to show the lighter side of female life, saying what women really think instead of what they should be thinking. Obviously we do have serious thoughts and our life isn’t all shoes, spas and diets but when we do become neurotic and irrational in our behaviour it is nice to know we are not alone.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Under the Duvet by Marian Keyes

Posted by Keris on January 25, 2008 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (13)

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 4:14 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Complete Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook by Joshua Piven and David Borgenicht

The first Worst-Case scenario handbook was published back in 1999. It had a print run of just 35,000 copies, but went on to become a best-seller and spawn an entire series.

Not only is this edition a lovely strokable square-ish hardback, but it's exceptionally good value, too. It collects more than 100 of the most popular scenarios from the previous handbooks. Plus, the entire contents of all 11 books are included on a fully searchable CD. Bargain!

The advice ranges from the truly useful (like how to drive when the road is icy) to the truly bizarre (how to escape from a sofa bed), while managing to be both funny and informative.

Plus, from a writer's point of view, it makes a handy reference volume.  I will now be able to have my character escape from a sinking car, jump from building to building, and land an aeroplane with accuracy.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Damage Control

Posted by Sarah Painter on January 21, 2008 in American Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 14, 2008 11:28 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Shakespeare by Bill Bryson

I must admit I probably wouldn't have bothered reading yet another book about Shakespeare if it hadn't been written by Bill Bryson. Actually, I definitely wouldn't - I had quite enough Shakespeare at university (although I'd still love to see a really great production of my favourite play, Macbeth). But this biography - part of the Eminent Lives series - is written by Bill Bryson and so that made it a must-read.

As with all Shakespeare biographies, Bryson looks at the Bard's early life, the "missing years" when he began writing the greatest plays in history, his family life, and his death.

Of course, this all has to be put into context so Bryson also takes us on a journey to London and Stratford in the late 16th and early 17th centuries (which I never tire of reading about, since it all sounds so disgusting), the theatre scene and the monarchy.

Finally Bryson takes a gander at all those claims that Shakespeare wasn't Shakespeare at all, was, in fact, anyone from Christopher Marlowe to the Countess of Pembroke. (And points out that none of the claims have any basis in fact.)

All of which I have read about before on more than one occasion, but because Bryson is Bryson, I felt like I was reading much of it for the first time. One of the things I liked about this book was how Bryson makes it clear that barely anything we think we know about Shakespeare is fact. Even having studied him, I didn't know that practically everything I learned is actually conjecture and guesswork.

But the thing I loved the most about this book is the thing I love about all of Bill Bryson's books. And that's that infects everything he writes with his own joy and fascination in the topic. Plus, of course, he's funny. This is not the first book about Shakespeare I've read, but it's the first one that made me laugh.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson (or, if you're studying Shakespeare, The Genius of Shakespeare by Jonathan Bate, which Bryson quotes, but nowhere near as widely as I remember quoting it in my essays).

Posted by Keris on January 14, 2008 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 26, 2007 11:00 AM

Keris's favourite non-fiction books of 2007

Because I've read in the region of 150 books this year (!), I couldn't just pick a couple of favourites. I was going to do the Top 10 best books I've read this year, but I found I couldn't even narrow it down that far, so instead I've picked my favourite non-fiction, young adult and fiction. Non-fiction is

5. What Would Barbra Do? by Emma Brockes

If you’ve ever felt your heart lifted by The Surrey with the Fringe on Top or cried at Tony’s death in West Side Story (and what kind of cold-hearted creep would you be if you didn’t?) then you’ll love this book. Utterly fabulous.

4. 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? The 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.

3. The 4-Day Win by Martha Beck

Readable, fascinating and, because it's Martha Beck, hugely entertaining. Has a diet book ever made you laugh out loud before? No, me neither. (My favourite line: "Tracy and I agreed that she would try a two-pronged approach to changing her body and mind. So we got her a fork with only two prongs...")

2. Home by Julie Myerson

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

1. Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

I didn't actually review my favourite non-fiction book of 2007, Diane did (she said it was the best book she read in 2005!), but she then loaned it to me and I adored it too. Diane said, "This is one of those brilliant books that makes you wish you'd written it yourself." I couldn't agree more. It also made me want Amy Krouse Rosenthal for a best friend.

Posted by Keris on December 26, 2007 in Non Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: Creating a Charmed Life by Victoria Moran

I love inspirational self-development books. I keep them by my bed and try to read a chapter in morning and another at night. I say I try, but I usually fail, which is why it's probably taken me a year to read Victoria Moran's Creating a Charmed Life.

That's not a comment on the book - I've read a couple of Moran's other books and found them to be charming, wise and entertaining, and this one, subtitled "Sensible, Spiritual Secrets Every Busy Woman Should Know", is no exception.

Moran defines a "Charmed Life" as one "in which serendipity is commonplace and things go right an extraordinary percentage of the time" and the book is filled with tips and advice on how this can be achieved. Both by practical methods like boosting your vitality, asking for what you want or keeping a journal, and in more spiritual and emotional ways: accepting things as they are and trusting your instincts.

I'm making it sound a bit wet, I know, but it's not at all. Moran illustrates each (very short) chapter with examples from her own life, which she has transformed, and which certainly sounds charmed. In fact, her authorial voice is so strong that I was shocked to find there's no photograph of her anywhere in this book - I can picture her so perfectly!

Creating a Charmed Life is a great quick introduction to various self-development concepts. If you're not sure what works for you, read this and see what resonates. There's even a Further Reading section in the back if you want to look more deeply into specific ideas.

But even if you just followed the advice contained in this small book, I'm confident you'd notice changes.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Behind on the Laundry and Living off Chocolate by Lynette Allen

Posted by Keris on December 26, 2007 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 19, 2007 9:41 AM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Sarah Nilsen

We'll be reviewing Sarah Nilsen's memoir - Does This Book Make My Butt Look Big? (and who cares anyway, its my butt) - in the near future, but since I thought I'd introduce you to her first. So here's Sarah!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

Cheerfully neurotic essays celebrating what it means to be a woman trying to find her inner zen in today’s crazy world.

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

I usually find myself writing at the computer in my home office. Interestingly, I write most of my best work late at night (early in the morning). When I have an idea swirling around in my head, I can’t sleep until I get up and get it out on virtual paper. So most of my book was written at 3am!

Your favourite chick-lit book?

The Devil Wears Prada.  I loved that book!!  I love books that I can relate to, or that I wish I could relate to! 

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

This is a great question. Since publishing the book I am surprised by how many people have the inclination to write a book…but for whatever reason haven’t done so. I think that it isn’t so much that the passion exists to put pen to paper, as much as the fact that people want to “be heard” or otherwise get their story out there. So, my advice is to make the commitment to start the project.

Don’t allow the daunting task of the finishing the book, securing publishing and strategizing marketing deter you from the act of ever starting. If you have a story that you want to share, you should do it. As with anything in life, the very first step is equally as important as the last step. Once you have something on paper, you might be surprised what opportunities present themselves!

What are you reading at the moment?

I am reading Hollywood Car Wash by Lori Culwell and The Vixen Diaries by Karrine Steffans.

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

I am excited to report that I am working on my second book right now! It is shaping up to be a series of hilarious rants sandwiched between some rather thought provoking pieces that tackle more sentimental subjects. Laced with my signature sarcasm and written in the stream of consciousness, it will again resonate with a broad audience  looking for a good laugh!

Do you have a theme song?

“Glamorous Life” by Sheila E

I am a closet 80’s hair-band fan. What can I say? But this song still makes me toe-tap like I was 16. And…I love the message of the song!

What question have you never been asked in an interview, but think you should have been? (Tell us the question and answer it too, if you like!)

Q. What has been the best part of having my memoirs published for the world to read?

A. I love the feedback I get from readers. I love the voicemails, emails and notes from women who have read the book and feel normal! They laugh, cry and email me to let me know that they now realize that they aren’t alone in their feelings about themselves…and as a result they can let some of those feelings of confusion, inadequacy and discontent go.

I love knowing that by throwing myself under the proverbial bus, other women can lift their veils of shame and love themselves the way they are. “If Sarah’s okay the way she is, embracing her imperfections, then I must be okay as well!” I truly believe that’s a gift that the book has given to many, many women and I’ve, in turn, been blessed by that as well.

Thanks, Sarah!

Posted by Keris on December 19, 2007 in American Authors, Interviews, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 14, 2007 10:34 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Hopscotch & Handbags by Lucy Mangan

I love Lucy Mangan's columns for The Guardian newspaper, so I was keen to read her first book, Hopscotch & Handbags: The Essential Guide to Being a Girl and it was just as good as I expected.

In her typical hilariously dry style, Mangan looks at all aspects of what it means to be female. From early days at preschool, via senior school's obsessive collecting of stickers, keyrings and erasers (called "rubbers" when we were at school, but not any more), to living with a man (and explaining to him - at exhaustive length - why sausages are not actually a health food), motherhood and more.

Like sex, hair and beauty, exercise and health, friendship, working, and dealing with your mother.

Sometimes (and you'll probably already be aware of this if you've read her columns) Mangan has a tendency to be excessively verbose (she says with excessive, er, verbosity) and occasionally I found myself scanning a little to get to the point, but when I finished the book I still longed for more. Plus at least twice I literally laughed until I cried (once was in public and it was rather embarrassing).

Hopscotch & Handbags is one of those books you'll read out over the phone to your friends. Buy it for every woman you know (although, on second thoughts, maybe not your mum...).

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try How to Bring Up Your Parents by Emma Kennedy or My Fat, Mad Teenage Diary by Rae Earl

Posted by Keris on December 14, 2007 in British Authors, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 28, 2007 11:07 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Coffee At Luke's: An Unauthorized Gilmore Girls Gabfest, edited by Jennifer Crusie

I have mixed feelings about this book since I wanted to have an essay in it and they turned me down - Me! Don't they know who I am? Ahem - but, at the same time, American TV show Gilmore Girls is one of my total obsessions. In fact, I'm watching it in the corner of my screen as I'm writing this ("The Festival of Living Art" from season 4, in case you're interested).

Plus the book is edited by Jennifer Crusie and we do love Ms Crusie here at Trashionista. Like other SmartPop books including This Is Chick Lit, Flirting With Pride & Prejudice and Perfectly Plum (which I do feature in - yay me!), Coffee At Luke's is a collection of essays about Gilmore Girls by a wide range of writers and pop culture experts.

Subjects range from personal relationships (including looks at fabulous secondary characters Kirk and Paris), to parenting (with a spirited defence of Emily Gilmore), to the wonder of Stars Hollow and Gilmore fixations food, books and sex. The last section is on Gilmore Girls and the real world and that, for me, was the least successful. I don't know if I'd just had enough GG at that point (doubtful) or whether I'm just not interested in how the show relates to the real world since I'd rather pretend it's all true.

My favourite essays were Television Without Pity writer Sara Morrison's analysis of how Stars Hollow businesses would fare in the real world. It doesn't sound particularly thrilling, but it's both interesting and really good fun. I was also totally blown away by Gregory Stevenson's Dining With the Gilmores, a jaw-dropping exploration of food as metaphor in the show. I never noticed it before reading this essay, but it makes perfect sense and served to underscore the complete brilliance of Amy Sherman-Palladino's writing.

Clearly only for fans of the show - despite the glossary (Coffee At Luke-isms) at the back, if you hadn't seen Gilmore Girls you would be flummoxed by most of these essays - Coffee At Luke's is interesting, entertaining and made me both want to watch certain episodes again and made me lament the show's cancellation.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Serenity Found edited by Jane Espenson

Posted by Keris on November 28, 2007 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Television | Permalink | Comments (4)

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 19, 2007 11:39 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Justice for Jill by Scott Lomax

This is a difficult book to review since I feel so strongly about the case in question.

For those too young to remember 1999 or for anyone outside the UK who might not know of the case, Jill Dando was a popular British TV presenter who was shot dead on her front doorstep in broad daylight one morning in 1999. The public were shocked and horrified and a huge manhunt took place to find the murderer.

The hunt was hindered by the fact that Jill was incredibly popular and beloved and the police had no witnesses, murder weapon or motive. In 2001, a local man named Barry George was arrested and charged with Dando's murder. It was announced last week that Barry George is to face a retrial after his conviction was quashed by the Court of Appeal.

The reason it's difficult for me to review this book is that, having been horrified and fascinated by the case at the time, I never believed for a minute that George was guilty. The evidence was flimsy at best and it seemed to me to be a case of the police, under immense public and media pressure to solve the case, finding a local oddball and thinking he would do.

Justice for Jill isn't simply a history of the case, its author, Scott Lomax, also firmly believes that George is innocent and sets out the evidence fairly and in minute detail. It's a fascinating, compelling and deeply upsetting book.

It's not a sensationalist "true crime" style book and, as such, can get a bit dense, but it's not a book that you'd read for entertainment, obviously. If you're interested in the case, in law, in miscarriages of justice, it's a must-read. But expect to have your faith in the crimiinal justice system shaken.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Keris on November 19, 2007 in British Authors, Crime / Mystery, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (6)

November 16, 2007 11:55 AM

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

Posted by Keris on November 16, 2007 in American Authors, Fashion-Lit, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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)

November 7, 2007 11:18 AM

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

Posted by Keris on November 7, 2007 in British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 31, 2007 12:31 PM

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

Posted by Keris on October 31, 2007 in American Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 26, 2007 3:02 PM

BOOK REVIEW: How To Bring Up Your Parents by Emma Kennedy

You probably recognise Emma Kennedy from the Heat magazine TV ads, but she's an established comedian, writer and actress. How To Bring Up Your Parents is her first book and it's based on her popular (and very funny) blog.

I was a bit concerned when I started reading this book because the first section - "the science and history bit (because you're worth it)" - didn't really do much for me, but once Kennedy got onto the subject of her actual parents - Hysterical Mum Brenda (HMB) and Welsh Dad Tony (WDT) - the book really got going. 

Rather than just being a series of blog posts in book form, How To Bring Up Your Parents is arranged around "Practical Problems" such as Entertaining, Leaving Home and Sex and Other Embarrassments. Kennedy's parents do seem to be genuinely funny, but Emma's interpretation of them is utterly hilarious. It's a very affectionate portrayal too - they really seem to have an enviably close and honest relationship.

Reading this book will both make you appreciate your parents more and comfort you to learn that your parents aren't quite as mad as you always suspected (or perhaps that they are and that's okay too!).

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try The Yes Man by Danny Wallace

Posted by Keris on October 26, 2007 in British Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

October 15, 2007 12:27 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Pies and Prejudice by Stuart Maconie

I didn't know what to expect from this book. I know Stuart Maconie from TV and radio, of course, but I hadn't (knowingly) read any of his journalism and I'm a bit wary of books about "The North", you know, because that's where I come from (and still live).

Maconie's book features his travels around a random selection of northern towns, basically places he's been in the past and wanted to revisit, or places of special interest like Oldham (race riots in 2001) or Newcastle (since the north east claims to be the "True North").

Sadly, Maconie neither visits the town I grew up in, nor the one I live in now, but it's not really about me so I'll try not to hold that against him. Via Liverpool, the Lake District, Durham, Bury, Manchester, Blackpool, Barrow in Furness and more, Maconie has created a brilliant travelogue cum social history that I could hardly bear to put down. Seriously. I absolutely loved this book.

Maconie writes passionately and articulately about the people and places and manages to cram in tons of tidbits and fascinating facts and not just about the north - I'd completely forgotten that those crane arcade games used to have packets of cigs amongst the cuddly toys.

I honestly can't rave about this book enough, but I'm probably starting to sound a bit crazed (starting?) so I'll stop, but let me just say that if you're from the north you need to read this book. And if you're not from the north you need to read it and learn what you're missing.

It reminded me of how great the north can be and left me a little bit in love with Stuart Maconie. Isn't it funny what books can do?

Rating: 5/5

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

Posted by Keris on October 15, 2007 in British Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 1, 2007 10:32 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: How to Become a Famous Writer Before You're Dead by Ariel Gore

I'd never heard of Ariel Gore, but as soon as I saw the title of this book I knew I had to read it and I'm glad I'm did.

Subtitled "Your words in print and your name in lights", Ariel Gore's book is a collection of short essays, interviews with famous authors (including Marc Acito, Haruki Murakami, Ursula K Le Guin and Dave Eggers) and exercises (set by the famous authors), all designed to help you push your writing career to the next level.

It's a very easy read - most chapters are only a couple of pages long - but it packs in tons of information. From giving yourself "Lit Star Makeover" ("Develop a Superhero Alter Ego", "Choose a Good Vice") to mastering your craft, self-publishing and self-promoting ("Learn to Talk", "Stand out on the Corner in a Gorilla Mask and a Pink Tutu") there is something for you whatever stage you're at in the writing-publishing process.

It's going on my reference shelf and, if you're a writer, it should also be on yours.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty

Posted by Keris on October 1, 2007 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 26, 2007 9:51 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Perfectly Plum: unauthorized essays on the life, loves, and other disasters of Stephanie Plum, Trenton bounty hunter edited by Leah Wilson

Reviewed by Sarah Painter

Personally, I can’t get enough of Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum bounty hunter novels, so I was most excited to get my hands on Perfectly Plum. It’s an (unauthorised) essay collection all about Stephanie Plum and her adventures in Trenton, New Jersey. Okay, so I probably would have been more excited about a new Plum novel, but this is a close second. Plus, it includes offerings from novelists such as Shanna Swendson and JA Konrath and - eep - Trashionista’s very own Keris Stainton.

The essays range from pure fun to the more thoughtful, and cover topics like The Stephanie Plum Diet, Exploding the Myth of the Jersey Girl and Noir in the Plum novels.

I particularly enjoyed the investigation into Stephanie’s car insurance options and Karen Kendall’s description of Ranger as Hairy Godmother.

Naturally, there is a whole section devoted to the sticky question of Stephanie’s love life: should she choose Joe Morelli or Ranger? Or stick with her pet hamster, Rex? He’s a cheap date, after all…

If you’re a fan (and you’d really have to be to ‘get’ this collection), this is a great book to dip in and out of – preferably with a supply of Tastykakes Butterscotch Krimpets on the side.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Twelve Sharp by Janet Evanovich

Posted by Keris on September 26, 2007 in Crime / Mystery, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 12, 2007 3:45 PM

BOOK REVIEW: This Little Piggy Went to Prada by Amy Allen

This Little Piggy Went to Prada is a collection of traditional nursery rewritten for "the Blahnik Brigade". And if you find the idea irritating, wait until you hear what's inside.

This little piggy went to Prada
This little piggy went to Cannes
This little piggy went to Nobu
And this little piggy, Hakkasan
And this little piggy went "Wee wee wee wee!"
All the way home because she had a fat bottom!

No, I'm not joking, that's really one of the rhymes featured in this book. I found this book incredibly annoying. I know it's meant to be tongue in cheek and, yes, 10% of the profit from each copy sold is going to Save the Children, but still it's one of the most irritating books I've ever read.

It does have one saving grace and that's the illustrations - by Eunkyung Kung - which are stunningly beautiful.

Patronising, obnoxious and mildly offensive. Please avoid.

Rating: 2/5 (for the illustrations)

Like this? Try Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella

Posted by Keris on September 12, 2007 in British Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 2/5, Rubbish Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 10, 2007 3:53 PM

BOOK NEWS: Things I Wish my Mother had Told me About by Lucia van der Post

I’ve always wanted to write to Lucia van der Post at the Times to solve my fashion dilemmas but sadly I’ve got so many I can never decide which one to ask her about. Luckily for me her book ‘Things I Wish my Mother had Told Me’ is out in November. It’s a complete guide to what to wear and when to wear it, along with advice on relationships, entertaining and lessons on grace and elegance. I adore books like this and I’m sure this one from Lucia van der Post will have me looking amazing by Christmas.

Related Posts: How to Walk in High Heels by Camilla Morton
| Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts by Regina Thomashauer | The Joy Diet by Martha Beck

Posted by Nicola pedley on September 10, 2007 in British Authors, Non Fiction, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts by Regina Thomashauer

Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts is subtitled Using the Power of Pleasure to Have Your Way With the World. It was recommended to me, otherwise it's probably not a book I would have picked up, since it sounds like a sex manual ... but it's not. No, really, it's not.

Instead it's actually a very well-rounded guide to having more fun and pleasure in all areas of your life (and, yes, while that does include your sex life, the book's got much more to offer). With chapters on flirting, beauty and bitchiness - plus one on "owning and operating men" - Mama Gena's School of Womanly Arts is strangely old-fashioned while, at the same time, being distinctly modern.

Mama Gena uses examples from her own life and from those of the "Sister Goddesses" who have taken her course to illustrate how focussing on your own pleasure can bring you everything you want. Plus there are exercises at the end of each chapter that range from examining your lady parts (!) to keeping a scrapbook of all the fabulous things you'd like in your life.

Mae West is quoted more than once and it's that kind of witty yet sensual idea of womanhood that the book espouses. It works for me, but I appreciate that it might offend some women, while others might find it a bit old hat (Mae West's been dead for almost 30 years, after all)!

I enjoyed this book. There exercises are great both for adding pleasure to your life and learning more about yourself ... so that you can add more pleasure to your life. And I'm certainly not going to complain about that.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon

Posted by Keris on September 10, 2007 in American Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 7, 2007 11:36 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Beauty*licious by Lisa Clark

I absolutely loved Lisa Clark's first book - Think Pink - so I was keen to read her second Beauty*licious, tempered only by the fact that I don't have very much interest in beautifying myself. I skip the hair and make-up pages in magazines since I've been reading variations on the same ideas for about 25 years now!

But Beauty*licious really is different. For a start, Lisa Clark could write about anything (mortgages, pensions, Westlife) and make it entertaining. She really has got the coolest and funniest style. Plus the illustrations are so gorgeous they make you want to read every page.

Like Think Pink, the advice is given by the fabulous Lola Love and her funky friends (all with different beauty requirements: petite, curvy, afro hair, etc.). I even learned something (why didn't it occur to me that my sleep problems may just be related to the fact that I haven't done any exercise for about two years?).

Beauty*licious would make a fantastic gift for a teenage girl (Christmas is coming, you know), but it's a great read no matter how old you are.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try Think Pink by Lisa Clark

Posted by Keris on September 7, 2007 in British Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 30, 2007 10:33 AM

BOOK NEWS: Green Is the New Black

Unless you've been living under a rock, you can't have failed to notice that green issues are all the rage. But green has changed. It's not all muesli and Jesus sandals, oh no, green is now glamorous.

Our sister site, Hippyshopper, loved Tamsin Blanchard's Green Is the New Black, which features tips on everything from eco friendly holidays to recycled wedding attire along with the obligatory celeb input (including Lily Allen and Peaches Geldof).

Related posts: And now for "Eco chick lit" | Take Someone Like Me by Jayne Buxton | Sleeping With the Fishes by MaryJanice Davidson

Posted by Keris on August 30, 2007 in Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 27, 2007 4:49 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Ex Libris by Anne Fadiman

You know how much I love books, but I also really love books about books. The only thing is they can sometimes be a bit dry. I bought Anne Fadiman's Ex Libris on recommendation, but hadn't picked it up because ... I thought it looked a bit dry. Stupid me. I should know by now not to judge a book by its ... well, I don't know what I judged it by, but I was stupid. It's a gorgeous book.

A collection of essays on books and reading (it's subtitled "Confessions of a Common Reader"), Ex Libris is charming, funny and enlightening. The essays are personal, about Anne's relationship with books as fostered by her incredibly literate family and friends. I found myself nodding in recognition repeatedly.

My favourite essays were "The Joy of Sesquipedalians*" featuring "Fadiman U", her family's name for the team they formed to answer questions while watching TV quizzes (she knows it's dorky, but she doesn't care) and "Never Do That to a Book" about how different people treat their books (and which I quoted here), but it was hard to single any essays out since there was something wonderful in every single one.

Ex Libris is funny, moving, inspiring and, you know, readable. I loved it.

*Appropriately enough, Sesquipedalian means "long words". 

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson

The UK cover of Ex Libris is actually dark red rather than bright green, but otherwise the same (I couldn't find a good enough pic of it to use here). I just thought I'd share the covers of Fadiman's three non-fiction books because seen together they make me happy.

Posted by Keris on August 27, 2007 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

The £3 million book (yes, the world HAS gone mad...)

I once wrote about a really expensive book, but it was only £4,000, which is nothing these days, as it turns out!

The millionaire reader-about-town now has the option to buy a £3 MILLION book, according to the BBC. Special millionaire editions of Dancing With The Bear by British entrepreneur Roger Shashoua are made to order, and covered with 600 diamonds. The author and businessman is aiming the most expensive book in the world at super-rich Russian millionaires and billionaires, and says:

"There is so much money floating around in Russia that it seemed entirely logical to produce a book designed for the Russian market... I am just happy that conspicuous displays of consumption can now be associated with writing, rather than fashion accessories."

Personally, I think if someone has £3 million to splash on a book, it would be a lot more useful donated to a  charity than donated to a rich businessman's coffers. And almost as important, this seems like a waste of good diamonds to me...

What do you think?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 27, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (1)

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 24, 2007 12:07 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Behind Every Great Woman There's a Fabulous Gay Man by Dave Singleton

Is it just me? Does everyone in the world have a fabulous GBF (Gay Best Friend) except me... And if so, where can I get one?

Dave Singleton argues that every woman needs a GBF - that's why his book is called Behind Every Great Woman There's a Fabulous Gay Man. But luckily for those of us who don't have our very own Stanford Blatch, Dave is happy to advise us on how to "avoid the pitfalls of the dating game, live stylishly and be even more fabulous than you already are." Which is nice.

The book is essentially a love and style guide for women from a gay man's perspective, divided into two parts: Dating, Men and Relationships and Style, Straight Talk and Self-Esteem.

Dave begins by talking about the importance of a male gay best friend for every straight woman, and about how wonderful his female friends are. Which is lovely for them, but doesn't help those of us without a GBF, now does it?!

There are some really interesting ideas in the first part of the book, such as looking at the part you play in your unsuccessful relationships - finding out where your love insecurities come from, and breaking self-destructive patterns. There are also useful and more light-hearted tips on checking if a man 'plays for your team' or not... The second part of the book is about appearance, plastic surgery and the like and is more superficial - although Singleton advises thinking about whether you're having a procedure done for your looks or your self-esteem, which is certainly good advice.

But a lot of the advice in the book seemed to be stretched a bit thin - I felt it was a bit repetitive and could probably have been squashed into a long feature article as I'm not sure there was enough here to build a book on. Some of the chapters in the second half of the book in particular just seemed there to make up the numbers, and didn't provide much useful insight - why it's okay to wear a short skirt to work, for instance. (Do we need to be told? And I'm still not gonna...) Plus, I couldn't help feeling that perhaps the idea for the book was a bit outdated - I mean, SATC is over and GBFs aren't exactly news. This book was only published in the UK this year, but in the US in 2005, which explains a lot.

It's witty, if not particularly original, and does contain some useful ideas, but may be one to skim rather than use as your style and dating 'bible'.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Jane Austen's Guide to Dating by Lauren Henderson.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 24, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release, Romance, Self development | Permalink | Comments (3)

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 3:44 PM

Read Louise Doughty's 'Novel in a Year'

I've said it before and I'll say it again: I love Louise Doughty's columns in The Telegraph. Last year, she documented her progress as she  attempted to write a novel in a year, and this book, unsurprisingly called A Novel in A Year is a compilation of her weekly columns. For anyone who missed a few, or indeed missed the whole thing, this will make not only educational but entertaining reading too. I'm planning on snapping it up asap.

Incidentally, Louise Doughty's excellent columns continue but at a more relaxed pace: they're now called A Writer's Year.

Related: BOOK REVIEW: Wannabe a Writer?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 21, 2007 in Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 20, 2007 8:21 PM

BOOK NEWS: Hopscotch and Handbags by Lucy Mangan

Both Keris and I want to be Lucy Mangan when we grow up, and even more so now she's written a book. The Guardian columnist's debut, Hopscotch and Handbags is a girly guide to... well, being a girl, really.

Apparently it's a bit more grown up than The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls, and Cosmopolitan calls it "hilarious". It's out this Thursday, but you can order it online now.

I want to read it, and soon!

Related: Book news archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 20, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 14, 2007 5:33 PM

(Reluctant) BOOK NEWS: That Bitch

I wasn't sure whether to write about this or not, but I know you're a sensible enough bunch to handle the bile this book spits out without letting it get to you. So I'll just advise you to be on your guard around British bookshops from September 27, when a book called That Bitch attempts to redress the balance against all those (zillions!) of women out to trap, manipulate and mistreat men. (Hmm. Let's have a closer look at domestic violence statistics, shall we?)

The blurb for this book claims: This new book tells you how to protect yourself against nasty women by understanding: why she picked on YOU, how she weaves her web of deceit, how she uses covert attacks and other tactics to beat her unsuspecting prey. Discover what makes her different from normal women who are looking for partners not victims, and how to identify her. Because she only cares about herself. She has no conscience and is capable of ruthless retribution, even though no one has actually wronged her.

Er... bitter, much?

I'm off to wash my brain out now...

Related posts: Chore Whore | Should the word 'bitch' be banned?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 14, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rubbish Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 9, 2007 11:58 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Around the World in 80 Dates by Jennifer Cox

When Jennifer Cox's workaholism - she's a travel writer and broadcaster - meant that she never had time to meet men, she decided to travel around the world dating. Entrusting her friends to fix her up with their friends, she set up 80 dates from Sweden to New Zealand to LA.

I thought this book would be the perfect summer book - I could do some vicarious travelling *and* some vicarious dating (I've been married for 11 years...), but it didn't quite work out that way...

Considering she's a travel writer I didn't find the descriptions of the places Jennifer visited particularly engaging. The men weren't great shakes either and I found myself scanning quite a lot. Until, that is, she arrived at the Burning Man Festival and met Garry.

Now usually our rule here at Trashionista is not to mention anything that happens after the first hundred pages so as not to risk spoilerage, but I'm going to make an exception with this book. But the thing is, the spoilers are built right in! The back cover features a picture of the author looking very loved up with Garry. The book's dedication reads 'To my parents ... with love and thanks for putting up with years of my nonsense. And to G. who has all that to come'. Why, how will I ever crack that code?!

Garry is date number 55 and once Jennifer meets him, her writing (and the story) really start to sparkle. She makes the Burning Man Festival sound fascinating and wonderful (albeit a little bit scary) and Garry sounds utterly gorgeous. They fall in love. And then Jennifer has to go off and do another 25 dates. Which Garry is cool with. Really. Jennifer isn't though and, since I've spoilered* once, I may as well spoiler again - Around the World in 80 Dates is mistitled. Yes, she gives up before the end.

There are some entertaining aspects to this book, but all in all I found it disappointing. Although I am very glad Jennifer and Garry are so happy.

*it's a word!

Rating: 2/5

Like this? Try Dating Amy by Amy DeZellar

Posted by Keris on August 9, 2007 in British Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 2/5, Summer Special | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 27, 2007 1:30 PM

MOVIE NEWS: Yes Man

We wrote a while ago about how the movie rights to both of Danny Wallace's hilarious books - Yes Man and Join Me - had been snapped up and, at the time, we'd heard that Jack Black was to star in the first.

Well, we were wrong (not our fault - we got it from Danny's website!). Turns out Yes Man is now to star Jim Carrey. But don't get too excited (assuming you're excited at all), it's not due out until 2009.

Movie news archives

Posted by Aigua Media on July 27, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Movie News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

Is The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls... an insult to women's intelligence?

In The Guardian books blog, writer Melissa McClements despairs of a new book, The Great Big Glorious Book for Girls, which apparently is (according to the book's website): "... an irresistible celebration of girlhood, exquisitely illustrated, deliciously packaged and packed with exciting things to keep every girl, from eight to 80, entertained throughout the years ... It will take women back to a time when we made cup cakes with our grandmothers and a campfire with our friends, we played hopscotch, and domestic crafts were celebrated."

But are books like this undoing the good work of feminism by encouraging women and men to adopt stereotypical gender roles? Or should the liberated woman bake if she wants to? Is it patronising to have a book for 'girls' rather than 'women' and is it even more patronising to assume we all like the same traditional pursuits?

Also... is it wrong that I became very excited when I saw the website contains instructions on doing a proper french plait? (Finally!)

Related: Gloria Steinem on chick lit.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 27, 2007 in Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Girly Stuff, New Releases, Non Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 26, 2007 12:08 PM

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: Truman Capote

Yes, I know he's not a woman! But he's still a Trailblazer, and he created Holly Golightly so even though he was WRONG about Audrey Hepburn (he hated her as Holly and wanted Marilyn Monroe in the part) I forgive him.

The author of Breakfast at Tiffany's of course, he also wrote other novels, short stories, plays and a musical but his best work is probably In Cold Blood, the meticulously-researched (sometimes a bit too closely, perhaps!) work of 'faction', which inspired hundreds of writers to turn their pens to narrative non-fiction. The book is compelling, stark, brutal and perfectly evocative of the horrible murders it describes. It lives with the reader for a long time.

On a lighter note, Capote was a legendarily fabulous party host and gossip, and lifelong friend of Harper Lee, who used him as the basis for the character of Dill Harris in To Kill A Mockingbird. He was also openly gay in an era were being honest about homosexuality was much rarer than it is today.

Unfortunately in his later years, Truman descended into depression and alcoholism, dying at just 59, but his great works live on.

Thursday Trailblazer archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 26, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Classic Novels, Modern Fiction, Non Fiction, Thursday Trailblazer | 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 23, 2007 1:15 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: The Complete Polysyllabic Spree by Nick Hornby

Subtitled 'The Diary of an occasionally exasperated but ever hopeful reader", Nick Hornby's new work of non-fiction The Complete Polysyllabic Spree comprises 3 years of his What I'm Reading columns for The Believer magazine.

He starts each column with two lists: books bought that month, and books read that month, which often differ substantially! He then talks about what he read (and sometimes what he bought) that month, and why.

Anyone who's read Fever Pitch (or per haps 31 Songs) will know how good a non-fiction writer Hornby is. After falling out with the author (admittedly it was a one-sided argument) after reading his - ugh- How to be Good I was happy to find that I could still love this author's work!

His discussion of the reasons we read the books we do, and the influences on his own reading is intelligent but always accessible: although he often enjoys what could be called 'highbrow' books, his approach to them is down-to-earth. I knew I was going to love this non-snobbish analysis when in the introduction, Hornby rails against literary snobbery. He says,

"In Britain, more than twelve million adults have a reading age of thirteen or under, and yet some clever-dick journalist still insists on telling us that unless we're reading something proper, then we might as well not bother at all... reading for enjoyment is what we should all be doing."

Hear hear!

I just have a couple of slight criticisms about this otherwise excellent book: whenever Nick reads (and abandons) a book he hates, he isn't allowed to name it in his column, as the ethos of The Believer is to not slag people off. But surely he could have elaborated in this book? Second, although the inclusion of passages of books he enjoyed is probably a good idea, for me it slowed down the narrative - I wanted to find out what Nick read next!

But I raced through this, and it only inspired me to read more. Funny, entertaining and book-related - what more could a reader want?

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try So Many Books, So Little Time by Sara Nelson.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 23, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction, Opinion, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

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)

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 17, 2007 3:54 PM

BOOK NEWS: You Never Call! You Never Write!

I may not be Jewish or have a Jewish mother (I guess those two things tend to come together) but I still think this book looks like fun.

You Never Call! You Never Write! promises to be "A mixture of stereotypes, culture and fable... told earnestly and humorously by Joyce Antler."

More information here.

Book news archives | Non fiction archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 17, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 16, 2007 4:22 PM

Maria McCarthy's writing for publication workshop

Put Saturday 8th September in your diary if you're interesting in going to Cardiff for a writing workshop with journalist and author (of The Girls' Guide to Losing Your L-Plates, which Keris loved) Maria McCarthy.

Maria says she'll be giving advice on getting fiction, non-fiction and journalism published including developing feature ideas, approaching editors, getting an agent and copyright and business matters. The workshop will be held from 2-4pm at Chapter Arts Centre, Market Road, Canton, Cardiff  and costs £10 (£8 concessions).

For more information or to book a place, check out Maria's website.

Related posts: Review: Wannabe A Writer? | Review: See Jane Write

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 16, 2007 in Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Modern Fiction, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: Mating in Captivity by Esther Perel

I was a bit wary about reading Mating in Captivity. For a start, it's called Mating in Captivity. And its subtitle is Sex, Lies and Domestic Bliss (that's in the UK; the US subtitle was Reconciling the Erotic and the Domestic). But it's actually a surprisingly readable and insightful look at sex in long-term relationships.

The author, Esther Perel's contention is that we need to look at sex in long-term relationships in a different way. She suggests that everything we've come to prize in relationships - equality, tenderness, honesty - is at odds with what we look for in sex (i.e. passion, eroticism and, you know, muckiness).

The quote on the back from the Sunday Times says, "Enormous fun," which I thought was a bit odd for a book on this subject, but it is very enjoyable and an easy read. Using case studies and anecdotal evidence, Perel looks at a number of different relationships and scenarios and her arguments are entirely convincing.

Whether out of nosiness or just because they were the more entertaining bits, I enjoyed the case studies more than Perel's analysis, but the entire book is entertaining and informative.

Much like John Gray's Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus, Mating in Captivity could change the way couples look at each other and relationships. Recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Women Who Think Too Much by Dr Susan Nolen Hoeksema

Posted by Keris on July 16, 2007 in American Authors, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 13, 2007 6:03 PM

BOOK NEWS: 'Style from A to Zoe' by a stylist to the stars

I may be a little fashionably-challenged at times, but we do love our fashion lit here at Trashionista, so we were interested to hear that Rachel Zoe, controversial stylist to the stars, is set to put her pen to paper. I say 'controversial' because she's been accused of pushing Nicole Ritchie to lose stupid amounts of weight (which she denied). I also say controversial because the young stars she dresses (including Lindsay Lohan and Misha Barton) tend to have real 'love them or hate them' wardrobes.

Anyway, whether you love her style or aren't really bothered, her book Style from A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty, & Everything Glamour will be out in October.

[Via our fabulous sister site Catwalk Queen].

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 13, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Celebrity Authors, Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 12, 2007 9:15 AM

Get a new dictionary and help a charity at Waterstones

As a child, my mum was so excited by her first dictionary that she made it her bedtime reading for weeks. Ah, the '50s '80s were a more innocent time, weren't they?

But who doesn't love a good dictionary? For writers they're pretty essential, which is why I know some of you will be interested in a Waterstones offer that not only gets you money off a brand new dictionary, but helps a charity, too!

Carry on over the cut to find out how it works.

Hand in any old dictionary at your local Waterstones book shop, and they'll give you a voucher for £15 off the new Collins dictionary - instead of £35, this mammoth volume will cost you just £20. And your old dictionary will be sent to Book Link, a charity that sends books to schools in Africa. 

(It says on the site that this ended in June, but it's been extended until August, so if you need a new dictionary you might want to buy it soon!)

Related: Donate spare books to charity.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 12, 2007 in Book Websites, Book related, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 10, 2007 4:50 PM

'How to Shop' - EXCLUSIVE Mary Portas giveaway!

The brilliantly savvy fashion/shopping expert Mary Portas, also known as Mary, Queen of Shops after her fabby BBC programme, has released a new book: How to Shop with Mary, Queen of Shops . It's a beautiful hardback, jam-packed with useful information from a mistress of retail.

And we have a copy to give away to one lucky Trashionista reader!

If you'd like to win, carry on over the cut to find out how...

To be in with a chance of winning:

Simply email us at editor@trashionista.com with your name and address and MARY in the title. Please also put 'no' in the body of the email if you wouldn't like to receive further information from Ebury/BBC books. I'm sorry, this giveaway is UK only.

And that's not your only chance to win: until the end of July there's the chance  for 5 people to win £100 Oasis vouchers over on Mary Portas's website, which is well worth a look in any case.

Good luck!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 10, 2007 in Book News, Book Websites, British Authors, Competition, Fashion-Lit, New Releases, Non Fiction, Television | 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)

July 5, 2007 2:52 PM

Like to read in the bath?

This Hot & Steamy Erotic Baths For Two is a Soapdish Edition: a series of soapdish-sized books printed on a unique waterproof, tear and stain-resistant material. I'm. Not saying. Anything.

Except that other books in the series include Tao of Bathing and Soothing Soaks and they cost £3.99 each.

Posted by Keris on July 5, 2007 in Book related, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 3, 2007 12:49 PM

Discover the New You with Kiss and Makeup's book giveaway!

Not content with giving you books for free here on Trashionista, our sister site Kiss and Makeup is in on the action too: they have 3 copies of beauty bible Discover The New You by Ceril Campbell to give away.

Says KAMU editor Charlotte: "Although beauty junkies will probably know about most of the book's product recommendations, everyone can benefit another of her tips: remember to smile! Those who aren't so handy with a make up brush will appreciate the plethora of information on all aspects of beauty - from applying false lashes to choosing a hairstyle for your face shape."

Sounds good! (Chuck me a copy, someone...)

Click here for details on how to enter.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on July 3, 2007 in American Authors, Announcements, Book related, Competition, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

TUESDAY THREE: Overboard!

When Diane mentioned the other day that we’d recently featured a couple of books with the word “Overboard” in the title, my Tuesday 3 radar went ping! (Tuesday 3 radar, £2.99, Argos. Probably.) So grab your life jacket as I splash out on three very different overboard books!

Love Overboard,  the second of the Janet Evanovich romance novel re-releases, features Ivan who is the proud owner of a two-masted schooner, and a descendant of pirates. During the holiday season he takes a charter of passengers out every week, the success of which relies on his trusted crew. Imagine his horror when, as he's preparing to take his final trip of the season, he's greeted by Stephanie - the woman he sold his beloved family home to only a matter of weeks ago.

The story chronicles the week aboard the 'Josiah T Savage' and then the aftermath, as the season draws to a close and everyone moves back onto dry land. Ivan struggles to regain his landlegs, and has to restrain himself as Stephanie refuses to return any of the approaches he makes. And then supernatural things begin to happen... what's haunting the house?

Sarah Smiley’s Going Overboard is subtitled "The misadventures of a military wife." It's a memoir of a year in the life of Sarah, 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.

Aimee Ferris’s debut YA novel Girl Overboard focusses on the aptly-named Marina, whose ambition is to be a Marine Biologist. Leaving her ski-loving boyfriend behind in Vermont, Marina sets out on a six-week study tour of the Caribbean, where she'll be given the opportunity to swim with and learn about sharks, turtles and dolphins. Along with the inevitable teen angst and snogging, there's a message about ecology and endangered species making Girl Overboard as educational as it is entertaining.

Posted by Keris on July 3, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Non Fiction, Romance, Tuesday Three, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 27, 2007 5:59 PM

YAY OR NAY WEDNESDAY

You'll now no doubt all be aware of Tina Brown's book, The Diana Chronicles, released in time for the ten-year anniversary of Princess Diana's death. (Find out what The Guardian thought of it here).

So my question to you this week is simple: do you want to read it, or not? Is it an honourable tribute, or exploitation?

Do you care?!

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, Dollymix, Corrie Blog, Catwalk Queen, Kiss and Makeup, The Bag Lady, Shoewawa and Shiny Shiny, too!]

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 27, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, New Releases, Non Fiction, Opinion, Yay or Nay? | Permalink | Comments (3)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Jen Lancaster

I'm reading Jen Lancaster's first book, Bitter Is the New Black, on Diane's recommendation and I'm loving it. Jen's latest book is Bright Lights, Big Ass.

As this is Cult Classics Week, Jen's choice of favourite chick lit book fits in perfectly. Over to Jen:

Please describe your latest book in  15 words or fewer:

A humorous look at how NOT sexy-in-the-city urban life can be.

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

I used to write in bookstores and coffee shops, but due to our home’s gravity problem, I keep dropping my laptop computers and now it’s easier (and less expensive) to use a desktop.  It’s located in the alcove off my bedroom.  It’s convenient for my dogs so they can comfortably lie on the bed and stare directly into my soul while I try to write.  (Yeah, no pressure there.) 

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Hands-down, it’s Bridget Jones’s Diary.  I’ve read it no less than twenty times and it makes me laugh with each reading.  Helen Fielding was the first author to so neatly capture and immortalize the real life of post-collegiate, but not-yet-suburban women.  In one scene, Bridget works from home in order to be more productive and ends up taking a seven-hour nap, which made me wonder if Fielding had been spying on me. 

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

I love Bridget and also Becky Bloomwood from the Shopaholic series because they’re both so delightfully real with their foibles and imperfections.  (However, when I finally grow up, I want to be Patsy and/or Edina.) 

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

Write for yourself, not an audience.  That way, you know at least one person will be happy and what ever you put down will sound so much more genuine.  Also, writing is a muscle that gets stronger the more you exercise it – so do it as much as you can and I promise you’ll see results.

What are you reading at the moment?

I have three different books going at any one time.  Right now I’m in the middle of Mary Janice Davidson’s Undead and Uneasy, Laurie Notaro’s There’s a (Slight) Chance I Might Be Going to Hell, and Christopher Buckley’s Boomsday.  Admittedly kind of a schizophrenic mix, but I’m enjoying all of them for their humor and distinctly different writer’s voices.

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

My next book comes out in May 2008 and it’s called Pretty Fat.  It’s a true story about trying to lose 50 pounds by every means possible (and despite rampant laziness and an inflated sense of self-worth.)  I’ve hated the process but am delighted with the results and hope readers are, too!
 
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!)

The question is: “Would you like to meet Vince Vaughn?”  And the answer is yes.  Yes, I would.

Thanks, Jen.

Posted by Keris on June 27, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Cult classic week, Interviews, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 20, 2007 5:30 PM

AUTHOR INTERVIEW: Kathryn Finney

I believe Kathryn Finney's first book, How to Be a Budget Fashionista should be on every woman's bookshelf, so I'm delighted she's joined the ranks of our interviewees!

Please describe your latest book in 15 words or fewer:

How to Be a Budget Fashionista: The ULTIMATE Guide to Looking Fabulous for Less

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

For some strange reason I can't sleep on airplanes, so I do most of my good writing on them. Also, can't forget my mobile office (aka Starbucks). I also like to write while watching Oprah.

Your favourite chick-lit book?

Guilty Pleasure:  The Shopaholic series.  When I want to expand my mind: Anything by Amy Tan and Jhumpari Lahri.

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

I don't have a favorite, but I tend to be drawn to characters that challenge our concept of humanity. 

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

Don't talk about it, BE about it. The difference between writers and aspiring writers is that the former writes. You  can't sell a book, if you haven't written anything down.

What are you reading at the moment?

The Barack Obama book (the first one) and Young Broke and Fabulous by Suze Orman

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

My second book which, drum roll please, will be about fashion. I have a fiction book somewhere inside of me that I will start to work on at some point.

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!)

Question: What did your mom think about the book?

Answer: She loved it.

Thanks, Kathryn!

Posted by Keris on June 20, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Interviews, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (3)

June 19, 2007 12:46 PM

Win five fab books with Shiny Shiny!

As if all the Trashionista competitions we give you aren't enough (some very exciting ones coming soon, I promise!), our sister site Shiny Shiny is giving readers the chance to win FIVE fab Friday Project books, including A Girl Called Madonna and Confessions of a Chatroom Freak.

Find out more, including how to enter, by directing your mouse in this direction.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 19, 2007 in Announcements, Book Websites, Book related, British Authors, Competition, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 14, 2007 5:38 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Big Fat Bitch Book For Girls by Kate Figes

This week, I read The Big Fat Bitch Book For Girls... or did I read The Big Fat Bitch Book for Grown-Up Girls? Yes, this is one of those confusing, split-in-half books that you turn upside down halfway through: one side is aimed at teenage girls, the other at women. And that's not the only confusing aspect of this book (but more on that later)...

The Big Fat Bitch Book... is an interesting and worthwhile idea: it's a look at the history of bitching in life and on the big and small screens as well as an exploration of the role of bitching in women's lives. Is it an important bonding experience - or a form of bullying that hurts far more than physical aggression? Kate Figes shows that bitching can be both.

Back to the confusion thing, though - the book is an odd mix of iconic bitchy quotes from stars like Bette Davis and Joan Crawford (those legendary feuders!) and films like Mean Girls and Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolf... mixed in with devastating stories of the effect truly bitchy behaviour can have on girls' and women's self esteem. This would have been better as a study of bitchery which asked us all to be a bit nicer or as a book for teenage girls (or their mothers) about how to cope with bullying bitching. OR it could have been devoted to good-natured bitching without delving into the darker side. It's hard to read about a fifteen year-old who self harms because of the bitchy remarks of girls at school and then to laugh about Katharine Hepburn slagging off Shirley Temple, for example. It seems like Kate Figes's argument is enjoy bitching... but not too much. It's a confusing message. If your moral argument is we all need to think more about what we say, don't then glorify hurtful remarks, however iconic.

I also didn't like the two books in one deal - I think it meant some of the material was repeated and while it's a fun gimmick, again, it meant the book wasn't very (my watchword of the week!) cohesive.

While I may seem very criticial, I did for the most part enjoy this book, even as I found its messages more than mixed. (But I mean that in the kindest possible way...)

Rating: 3 out of 5

Like this? Try Watching the English by Kate Fox

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 14, 2007 in British Authors, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Opinion, Rating: 3/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK NEWS: Sleeping Around by Catherine Townsend

Yesterday when we featured the book trailer for Sleeping Around, Sheila asked incredulously, "This is a book?!!"

Why yes, it certainly is. In fact, it's released today. Like "Sex and the City meets Girl With A One Track Mind", it's sprung from Catherine Townsend's column in the Independent, but the book contains "all new content".

You can read more here.

Posted by Keris on June 14, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (1)

June 13, 2007 3:14 PM

Book trailer for Sleeping Around

This trailer left a bit of a nasty taste in my mouth - no (really disgusting) pun intended. I'm not sure yet how I feel about all these promiscuity memoirs that seem to be appearing, particularly following the popularity of so-called call-girl lit. On the one hand, yes, I'm fine with women expressing their sexuality, etc., on the other hand isn't it just exploitation (even if the women are exploiting themselves)? But most of all, I just find this trailer pretty tacky. What do you think?


Related posts: Two takes on call-girl lit - is it sexy or squalid? | Dork Whore by Irish Bahr | My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler

Posted by Keris on June 13, 2007 in Book related, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (5)

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)

Knocked Up author sues Knocked up director

Canadian author Rebecca Eckler is suing Universal Pictures and director Judd Apatow alleging that the story for the hit movie "Knocked Up" was taken directly from her non-fiction book of the same name.

Apart from the title, Eckler claims the book and movie's similarities include the fact that the Katherine Heigl character is an up-and-coming television reporter, and the main character in Eckler's book is an up-and-coming newspaper reporter. She also says that the movie and book have a secondary female character in common (to whom both main characters go to for advice) and that both of the secondary characters have screaming children.

I haven't read the book or seen the film (though I've heard better things about the film than the book). If anyone's familiar with both, let us know what you think.

Related posts: How Opal Mehta Got Kissed, Got Wild and Got A Life | Reading Grey's Anatomy | Movie news archives

Posted by Keris on June 11, 2007 in Book News, Movie News, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 8, 2007 6:04 PM

Oprah's book news - a new book club pick and a traitorous relative

After much speculation, Oprah has picked the not-exactly-new (but critically acclaimed) Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides as her next book club pick. Anyone read it? I hear great things...

Also, you may have heard this already but it bears repeating: Oprah's Dad is writing a book. About Oprah. That he "forgot" to tell her about. Nice man. [Via Galleycat].

Related: Oprah chooses The Road.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 8, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, Modern Fiction, Non Fiction, Television | Permalink | Comments (7)

June 7, 2007 4:42 PM

THURSDAY TRAILBLAZER: Nora Ephron

Back in the early '80s, before anyone else thought to put together food-themed semi-fictional novels, Nora Ephron brought out the irresistible Heartburn, about a betrayed pregnant wife who cooks to stay sane. It's very funny, even over twenty years later.

Nora was always something of a pioneer: she was an early feminist and wrote on this and other hard-hitting topics for Esquire magazine as well as writing lighter articles on a range of subjects, which later were turned into essay collections including Crazy Salad and Scribble, Scribble.

She's also fiercely funny and clever, the screenwriter of my favourite film When Harry Met Sally, mother of two boys, an excellent non-fiction writer and blogger and a big player in Hollywood. What more could you ask for in a Trailblazer?

Read this: Heartburn.

Watch this: When Harry Met Sally.

Don't mention this: Bewitched.

Trailblazer archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on June 7, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Classic Novels, Debut Novels, Modern Fiction, Non Fiction, Thursday Trailblazer | 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)

BOOK REVIEW: Wannabe a Writer? by Jane Wenham-Jones

The book also has a website.

[Luisa Plaja]

Posted by Keris on May 30, 2007 in British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

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 5:11 PM

BOOK NEWS: Non-fiction from Lisa Alther

Our fabulous Guest Blog by Levi Asher on 1970s chick lit highlighted the importance of Lisa Alther's iconic novel Kinflicks to the genre.

Alther hasn't had a novel out since 1995's Five Minutes in Heaven, but her first nonfiction work, Kinfolks: Falling Off the Family Tree - The Search for My Melungeon Ancestors, is out now and getting great reviews.

Related posts: Top 10 chick lit precursors | Best women authors of all time

Posted by Keris on May 28, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

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)

Posh's new read asks - do you want to be a 'Skinny Bitch'?

Journalist Ursula Hirschkorn in the Daily Mail says no: not if it involves reading books like diet tome Skinny Bitch by Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, which is apparently a fave of her thinness,  Mrs Victoria Beckham.

Since Posh was seen reading (yes!) the book, it's been doing big business, which is a bit sad really, considering one of the recipes involves making a 'pretend' fried egg... Just say no, kids.  [Diane]

Non-fiction archives.

Posted by Aigua Media on May 28, 2007 in Book related, Non Fiction, Opinion | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 12:50 PM

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 18, 2007 10:00 AM

FRIDAY FLICK: Adaptation

Adaptation has to be the weirdest Friday Flick yet. It's both an adaptation of Susan Orlean's non-fiction book The Orchid Thief (a fascinating study of a not-always-legal orchid collector's world) and a fictional film about... adapting Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief for the big screen.

Confused yet? You will be... Nicholas Cage plays writer twins Donald (who doesn't exist in real life) and Charlie Kaufman (who actually did write the Adaptation script). In the film, Charlie is trying to do justice to Orlean's book and struggling, whilst  his brother, who has far less writing talent but boundless enthusiasm, is racking up huge success with a pulpy thriller. So Charlie decides that the only thing to do is ratchet up the tension in his script, even if it means deviating from the truth of the book...

As this is happening, we see the events he writes about with Orlean and her subject John Laroche portrayed brilliantly by Meryl Streep and Chris Cooper, who throughly deserved his Oscar win for supporting actor.

I really enjoyed this film, although I think it might an acquired taste as it's definitely very odd. And it's important to remember that the ridiculous escalation of events at the end of the movie is satirical, and not meant to be taken seriously - but it's lucky Susan Orlean has a sense of humour!

Like this (kind of): Stranger Than Fiction.

Friday Flick archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 18, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Friday Flick, Non Fiction, Prize Winners | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 17, 2007 2:01 PM

Reading Cagney & Lacey

It's been a while since we've looked at television books so, inspired by my column about them on our sister site, DollyMix, I thought I'd see what's out there on the subject of '80s American cop show Cagney & Lacey.

The book on the left - Cagney & Lacey and Me - is written by Hollywood producer and husband of Sharon Gless (Cagney) and is getting rave reviews. Subtitled "An inside Hollywood story OR How I learned to stop worrying and love the blonde" it's his chronicle of the rise and fall of the show.

Defining Women: Television and the Case of Cagney & Lacey "explores the social and cultural construction of gender and the meanings of woman, women, and femininity as they were negotiated in the pioneering television series."

And that appears to be it. Huh.

Related posts: Reading 24 | Chick lit authors' favourite TV shows | What Would Murphy Brown Do? review

Posted by Keris on May 17, 2007 in Non Fiction, Television | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 16, 2007 11:02 AM

BOOK REVIEW: How To Be A Budget Fashionista by Kathryn Finney

I’m no fashionista, budget or otherwise. I can’t stand most of my clothes, have no idea what suits me and can never find anything to fit, so I wouldn’t have bothered reading this book if I hadn’t been reviewing it ... and that would have been a big mistake.

How to be a Budget Fashionista is full of good, common-sense and practical advice about finding your style, streamlining your wardrobe, shopping for new clothes and getting rid of old. It’s aimed at an American audience and so many of the links to shops, references to discounts and coupons are no good to anyone outside the US, but there is plenty of other information that Brits - or anyone interested in fashion or interested in becoming interested in fashion - can make good use of.

With chapters on budgeting (of course),finding your own personal style (this was a great one for me) and everything from undergarments to accessories, outlet stores to department stores, this book will arm you with everything you need to create both a basic wardrobe and a signature style and build on it as time goes on.

I’ll certainly be using its tips as I scrap the entire contents of my wardrobe (well, I say wardrobe, most of my clothes live in a pile in the corner of the room) and start from scratch, but even if you’re an established fashionista there should still be plenty here for you too.

How to be a Budget Fashionista manages to be practical and personable without being at all patronising. Recommended. (As is Finney's website, The Budget Fashionista.)

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try The Goddess Guide by Gisele Scanlon

Posted by Aigua Media on May 16, 2007 in American Authors, Girly Stuff, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 15, 2007 12:34 PM

Wannabe a Writer? Head to Charing Cross Road this Saturday

Where better to launch a new book called Wannabe a Writer? than London's most literary address, Charing Cross Road?

Fiction author Jane Wenham-Jones will be signing copies of her new non-fiction book, and also giving out a bit of advice to aspiring writers. Other authors who have contributed to the book will also be there, including Maria McCarthy.

Head to Borders on Charing Cross Road this coming Saturday between 12-4 if you're interested.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 15, 2007 in Book News, Book related, British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 14, 2007 12:45 PM

Upcoming bloggy book from Fussy and Finslippy

Two of the wittiest women in the blogosphere, Eden Kennedy of Fussy and Alice Bradley of Finslippy are currently at work on a new joint book about... well, they're not saying. But I can't wait to find out!

And uber-blogger Dooce is now at work on her (court-ordered) book too.

If you're a blook fan like me, this is the mother lode.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 14, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Book related, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 10, 2007 9:36 AM

Grammar Girl Mignon Fogarty's quick and dirty audiobook!

As a podcast fan, I've been aware of the Grammar Girl phenomenon for some time. If you're not, here's the scoop: it's a hugely popular website and podcast where grammar expert Mignon Fogarty (yes) gives her "quick and dirty tips for better writing". There's actually nothing dirty about it, it's just good grammar sense, delivered in a fun and intelligent way.

Which is probably why Oprah recently had Mignon on her show to explain the accept/except and lie/lay distinctions, among other points of English. According to Galleycat, the Oprah experience has created huge demand for the book Fogarty will release next year. To take advantage, she's mixed an audio version herself in super-fast time and it's available now via her site.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 10, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book Websites, Book related, New Releases, Non Fiction, Podcasts, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 8, 2007 10:59 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Lists

I do love a good list and this week's three books use lists in different, but equally entertaining, ways.

E Lockhart’s The Boyfriend List is the story of Ruby Oliver, a 15-year-old girl who's been referred to a psychiatrist after suffering a series of panic attacks. Ruby's psychiatrist notices that she's talking about boys quite a lot, so asks her to make a "boyfriend list", listing every boy she's ever had any kind of romantic liaison with, however insignificant. Most of the chapters of this wonderful book are named after one of the boys on the list, and Ruby narrates the story of what happens with each boy within each chapter, allowing the narrative to switch around, and also feeding in information about her family, her rift with her best friend and the causes of her anxiety.

Karen Bosnak’s Twenty Times a Lady is a novel about that most sensitive of sexual subjects: your "number".  You know, THAT number. Delilah Darling has just been made redundant. Even worse (in her eyes): she wakes up after a particularly  regrettable one-night stand and realizes she's now slept with 20 men. She's shocked, especially as she's just read that the average girl's number is half that... so she vows that she won't sleep with another man. Ever.

This leaves her with a bit of a problem really, as she's hoping to get married and have children eventually. So she takes her redundancy payment, her hire car and her Blackberry and sets off on a journey across America to track down her lost loves. After all, she reasons, surely one of her ex-lovers must be the right guy for her... her romantic instincts can't be that bad. Can they?

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 to why she could never concentrate during Laverne and Shirley. 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.

Posted by Keris on May 8, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Debut Novels, Non Fiction, Tuesday Three, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

See some stylish book reviews over on Catwalk Queen

I say 'see' rather than 'read' because lovely CQ editor Kim and her (and our) ed-in-chief Gemma have made a video in which they review some fashionable releases.

The books include The Goddess Guide and The Cheap Date Guide to Style and you'll have to watch it to see what they think.

I'm just glad no-one's asked me to make a video yet...

Fashion Lit archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 8, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff, New Releases, Non Fiction, Technology | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 7, 2007 2:00 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Not Buying It by Judith Levine

Could you go a whole year without buying anything? No clothes, no books (argh!), no cinema tickets or meals out?

What would you do if you weren't part of the consumer economy and only bought the barest of essentials?

And how would other people react?

To answer all those questions and more, Judith Levine (along with her partner, Paul) took on a mammoth challenge: a year of Not Buying It.

Told in chronological order, I found it really interesting reading about Judith's fluctuating attitude to the project, her occasion slips and loopholes and the conclusions she and Paul drew by the end of the year. I find it hard to go a week without buying a book, so I particularly applaud her efforts in that respect, especially when she was trying to navigate the impoverished New York library system. Also interesting was the different issues the experiment brought up in the two areas of the country the author lives: Vermont and New York.

This book was more wide-ranging than I expected: I thought it would be a personal journey, but it looks at issues of world economics, environmental concerns and social responsibility and in this sense is enlightening, if a bit depressing at times! It's a very thought-provoking read, and I can't imagine that anyone who reads it will ever forget some of the lessons of the book.  There really is something for every consumer here...

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Sweet and Low by Rich Cohen, or my co-ed Keris's Dollymix column Giving Up...

More on Monday archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 7, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, More On Monday, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Self development | 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)

May 3, 2007 12:50 PM

BOOK NEWS: How Sassy Changed My Life

Being British, I never read Sassy magazine, but I did have a love affair with Just Seventeen, and later adored Seventeen, its glossier American equivalent. In fact, I've been addicted to buying and reading all sorts of magazines for as long as I can remember, so if you're anything like me, you'll know how great this book sounds...

How Sassy Changed My Life: A Love Letter to the Greatest Teen Magazine of All Time is by by Kara Jesella and Marisa Meltzer and out now in the US.

Non-fiction archives | More book news.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on May 3, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, Book related, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 25, 2007 10:35 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Women Who Think Too Much by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema

A while ago I asked my husband how he copes with the constant chatter in his head. He looked at me blankly. I gave him some examples of the arguing I do with myself, going round and round on the same topic and ended saying, “You know?” He didn’t know. He had no idea what I was talking about. It was only then that I realised it might not be normal, that perhaps it wasn’t something everyone does. And that’s when I discovered Dr Susan Nolen-Hoeksema’s Women Who Think Too Much.

Subtitled, "How to break free of over-thinking and reclaim your life", Women Who Think Too Much explains, with examples, exactly what overthinking is, why we do it (and it’s much more likely to be women than men who do) and how we can stop it. Chapters then focus on some specific circumstances that are likely to cause us to overthink - marriage, parenting, work, family, weight - using real life case studies.

This book was an absolute revelation to me. I suspected I wasn’t alone in overthinking, but seeing people’s spiralling thought processes written down was so comforting - I’m not barmy after all! I realise now that, though common, overthinking is not normal, healthy or useful and I’m taking steps to stop it (and it hasn’t even been that hard).

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try Behind on the Laundry and Living off Chocolate by Lynette Allen

Posted by Keris on April 25, 2007 in American Authors, Non Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (5)

April 23, 2007 1:07 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Television Without Pity by Tara Ariano and Sarah D Bunting

Anyone who reads (and like me, LOVES) the website Television Without Pity will understand what to expect from this book: the same snarky, madly observant tone of that brilliant site, delivered in encyclopaedia format. Subtitled ‘752 things we love to hate (and hate to love) about TV’,  Television Without Pity is an A-Z about everything televisual: from Acting, Wooden to Zeiring, Iain... (I swear that juxtaposition was unintentional!)

I got this for my birthday (thanks, Mum!) and spent a whole weekend totally absorbed, often screeching with laughter and recognition at Ariano and Bunting’s brilliant insights.

Often the section headers were enough to set me off: Weakest Link, British-Lady Edition or Fashion, Hilarious Attempts of TV Guys in the 90s at. Their take on watching a whole show on DVD over a weekend is exaggerated, yet familiar: "We try to ration the 24 episodes, one at a time, but we can't... the next thing we know it's Sunday night and we're sitting in adult diapers on the couch, surrounded by forty-eight hours' worth of snack bags and Diet Coke cans, heads pounding, cracked out on Keifer..." Fellow TV addicts will relate. Except maybe about the 'diapers'...

As you might have guessed, this book is American, and the one drawback for UK readers is that a lot of the cultural references will be unfamiliar (I’m an American-TV junkie from way back and there was a lot I didn’t understand). But that didn’t stop me laughing at and loving this book. It’s not all fun and games though: there’s also a lot of intelligent, thought-provoking analysis about the way pop culture functions.

In fact, it’s pretty much the perfect book.

Rating: 5 out of 5

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

Television archives | TV Scoop: Blogging the Gogglebox

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on April 23, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Non Fiction, Rating: 5/5, Recent Release, Television | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 18, 2007 10:45 AM

BOOK NEWS: It's A Wonderful Lie

Yes, more book news! Unfortunately, my twenties are but a dim and distant memory, but I still like the sound of this new anthology. It's a Wonderful Lie: 26 Truths About Life in Your Twenties features essays from writers including Anna Maxted, Megan Crane, Pamela Ribon and Megan McCafferty and is edited by Emily Franklin.

Posted by Keris on April 18, 2007 in American Authors, Book News, British Authors, New Releases, Non Fiction | Permalink | Comments (1)

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,