Trashionista

July 14, 2010 10:02 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Kissing Mr Wrong

Kissing Mr Wrong is the latest novel from Sarah Duncan, author of A Single to Rome and Adultery for Beginners. Having not read any of her previous novels, I was unsure of what to expect when I picked up Kissing Mr Wrong - but in all honesty? I loved it!

 

Illustrator Lu has yet to find her perfect man, but realises that love may soon be around the corner when she meets Marcus at a friend's party. As her university friends are running galleries, Lu is getting by as a freelance illustrator, taking jobs that she's tired of simply for the money. She needs a bit of excitement in her life, and when Marcus comes along, it seems as though love is on the horizon. But sadly, Marcus is going away to work. In the United States.

 

Trying to forget about the potential love of her life heading out of her life (and out of the country!), Lu puts her mind to her work - and another project. Grandmother Delia has recently decided to try and track down details of ex-soldier Jack Havergal - her real father.

 

Delia asks for Lu's help in seeking out the story of what happened to Jack. And when a basic search doesn't provide any decent results, Lu enlists the help of Nick, somewhat of an expert when it comes to the wars, through a friend.

 

Nick is smart, funny and handsome, and with all the work on Lu's family history search and Nick's charity, it isn't long before they become rather close. But there's a problem. Nick has an ex-wife, and too children...seemingly too much for Lu to handle.

 

As the two get closer, more problems seem to arise. Especially when Lu's efforts to entertain the children seem to fail, leaving her feeling like the 'wicked stepmother'. Can Lu continue to be with someone who she's sure isn't her Mr Right? It's a hard decision for her to make, especially when Marcus comes back on the scene...

 

Kissing Mr Wrong was a pleasant surprise. After reading the first few chapters, I didn't expect it to be as good as it actually became. It's not the kind of book I usually go for, and the cover didn't exactly stand out for me. But I'm so glad I gave it a chance as it turned out to be such a brilliant read. I was hooked after chapter three and found that Lu's story got even more interesting as the book carried on, leaving me desperate to find out who she would choose! The plot about Jack Havergal was also particularly interesting. Sarah Duncan is a wonderful, descriptive writer with plenty of talent and I will definitely be reading more of her books in the future!

 

Rating: 4/5  

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 14, 2010 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 21, 2010 12:21 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Confetti Confidential by Holly McQueen

Admittedly, I'm a big fan of the Isabel Bookbinder series. It took me no more than a day to get through the first in the series, titled The Glamorous (Double) Life of Isabel Bookbinder, and from that point I was hooked. Despite a couple of minor peeves, the follow-up (The Fabulously Fashionable Life of Isabel Bookbinder) was equally fantastic.

And now, after months of waiting, Confetti Confidential, the third in the Isabel series, has hit the shelves. Cue me in an excited frenzy! Holly McQueen is a talented writer with the ability to write downright hilarious and addictive scenes, not unlike a certain Ms Kinsella. But was the third offering as good as we'd hoped?

Well, almost!

I'll begin by saying that, although having loved the previous books, the main problem was Isabel Bookbinder herself. The whole story begins (in Glamorous Double Life) with Isabel deciding that she's going to become a bestselling novelist. She's planned everything out, from her book signings to her magazine interviews and slots on daytime television. Okay, so she hasn't started her novel yet - nor is she even good at writing - but a girl can dream, right? What follows is a series of mishaps and hilarious debacles leading Isabel to try and fulfil her dream.

Fast-forward to the second tale, in which Isabel has finally decided to give up her dream of novel-writing, and has instead settled on becoming a fashion designer. Again, Isabel's dreams of her designs being worn by red-carpet stars and her own perfume range are somewhat quashed when her application to a top design school is declined. So what if she can't sew or even sketch a design? Top Fashion Designers don't sew!

Despite Isabel's naivety causing so many funny scrapes, her stupidity soon became annoying, and seeing as Isabel is in her twenties, the character didn't ring entirely true. Isabel seemed so deluded, to the point that she may have some sort of mental issue, that the novelty wore off in book two. It was a love-hate thing. A ditzy character can create some great comedy moments, but too much can ruin the story. The books also relied very heavily on coincidences, which in turn doesn't actually teach Isabel much. Meaning that during each book, Isabel will screw up, land a job by a miracle, screw up again, accidentally get something right and thus the day is saved.

I was expecting something like this in Confetti Confidential, but was pleasantly surprised. Okay, it was still heavy on the coincidence factor, but it felt as though Isabel had changed for the better.

After her other career choices have fallen flat, Isabel Bookbinder has now landed a job as an assistant for top wedding planner Pippa Everitt. However, after a wedding-day disaster involving two lost brides, she's immediately fired. But it's only just beginning - Isabel decides to start up her own wedding planning business - Isabel Bookbinder, Individual Weddings. By stroke of luck, Isabel not only lands future sister-in-law (and best friend) Lara as a client but also former pop singer Summer Shelley.

Having two weddings to plan is a dream come true for Isabel and her brand new company. Well...kind of. The problem? She hasn't exactly been truthful about being fired. Not wanting to admit that she's no longer part of Pippa Everitt's renowned business and risking losing her clients, Isabel decides to carry on and simply pretend.

Which doesn't exactly go to plan.

With countless bride-related duties to attend to, Isabel's life is hectic, and it doesn't help that her family still see her as a bit of a black sheep. Especially seeing as Isabel isn't even engaged yet. But with the discovery of a ring hidden in a cupboard, that might just be about to change...

Can Isabel finally succeed at her career choice? And will she be able to fight off her feelings for gorgeous photographer Dan? Can she carry on working under Pippa without being outed as the WAG wedding destroyer? Everything seems to be running smoothly at first, but this is the life of Isabel Bookbinder. And we all know disaster's only round the corner...

To be honest, I loved Confetti Confidential. Okay, so the whole career of wedding planning really didn't interest me as much as the previous two, but that's just a personal thing. But Holly has still brought us a fantastically addictive tale filled with some funny moments and great twists. However, there was a little something missing in this book, and I cannot work out whether it's simply due to the wedding theme or the change of character. I think that Holly has toned down Isabel's naive nature, which works well. Despite still continuing to put her foot in it, Isabel definitely comes across as more mature and independent in this book and without giving too much away, finally works towards succeeding.

This was a very pleasing third book and I hope Holly McQueen continues to bring us some more fabulous offerings!

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on June 21, 2010 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 19, 2010 7:32 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Pi**ed-Off Parents Club by Mink Elliott

I had been waiting to read Mike Elliott's The Pi**ed-Off Parents Club since I heard of its release, and was excited to finally get my hands on it! Okay, so I'm not a parent, but that doesn't mean I'm not partial to funny tales of parenthood (such as The Motherhood Walk of Fame, Mumy Said the F Word.) And Mink Elliott's fab new novel was no exception.

First-time mum Roxy has moved from busy London to the countryside village of Riverside with her partner Jack and baby daughter Joey (who's continuously mistaken for a baby boy). Unimpressed with country life, Roxy feels even more alone and depressed when her attempts at making friends with the local mothers prove a failure. Desperately missing her London life and feeling the need to make some new friends to rant about life with, Roxy tries joining some local clubs.

However, church doesn't go particularly well, and she doesn't even seem to fit in at the village's Weight Watchers meetings. Pissed off and lonely, Roxy doesn't know what to do next, besides becoming a Stepford mum just to fit in with the other locals...

....Until it suddenly hits her. Roxy comes up with the perfect idea - to start her own club. After all, she can't be the ONLY parent in the village with with a cynical outlook and a need to rant...can she?

Roxy advertises the first ever meeting of the Pissed-Off Parents Club, which is held at the local pub. And to her surprise, to the group, although small, swiftly becomes a success, with first members June and single mum Olivia. The POP club meetings at the Swan soon become a weekly occurrence the mums can't miss, as they discuss their kids and personal lives, quickly becoming friends. Meanwhile, Roxy's own life with Jack is sexless, making her question their relationship. And with new pissed-off parents joining the club, the POP meetings seem to be the only way that they can cope with parenthood, or so it seems...

The Pi**ed-Off Parents Club, although not as funny as I had expected it to be, is still a fantastic read. The book flows nicely, Roxy is instantly likable, and I couldn't put the book down. It's a brilliant tale of realistic life as a mother which even non-parents will enjoy. I look forward to what Mink Elliott has in store next!

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on February 19, 2010 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 11, 2010 3:08 AM

BOOK REVIEW: What my Best Friend Did by Lucy Dawson

Having not yet read Lucy Dawson's first book, His Other Lover (although I only recently picked up a copy and it's still on the to-be-read list!) I wasn't sure what to expect from What My Best Friend Did. But I'm a lover of mysterious novels, which this one seemed to be, and so I couldn't resist.
 
When magazine photographer Alice first meets TV presenter Gretchen Bartholomew on a shoot, her life instantly changes. The pair become best friends, much to Alice's vast enjoyment - after all, life has become a little bit boring with work and although she loves her live in boyfriend - or at least, thinks she still does - Alice needs some more excitement. And who better to provide it than unexpected best friend Gretchen?

Gretchen is fun loving, beautiful and hilarious - all the perfect ingredients for a best friend. And Alice comes with an added advantage - her handsome and successful brother, Bailey. In New York on a work shoot, Alice finally meets up with Bailey, who is a world away from her stable boyfriend back at home. Can she be tempted?

However, when it seems that life is going swimmingly (besides Bailey, of course), Alice isn't aware that Gretchen is about to bring her life crashing down around her. Starting with her boyfriend.

I don't want to go into the story too much, as What My Best Friend Did contains so many unexpected twists and surprises that to reveal any of them would spoil the book - so I'll stop there. The book is dark, mysterious and gripping, and I couldn't put it down until I had finished it. Granted, there was a point in the book where some confusion arose, but the well-written story and characters kept it on track, and it still turned out to be a fantastic read.

Needless to say, I can't wait to read His Other Lover, and I look forward to what Lucy Dawson has to offer in the future.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on January 11, 2010 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 19, 2009 10:29 PM

BOOK REVIEW: For Hire by Luke Bradbury

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

October 20, 2009 6:02 PM

BOOK REVIEW: I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk

Admittedly, despite being a lover of chick-lit in general, I don't usually sway towards the blatant love stories. Yet I Heart New York caught my eye. I was drawn to the beautiful cover and was in the mood for some NY escapism. And boy, was I pleased!

When Londoner Angela Clark discovers the love of her life with his pants down at her best friend's wedding, she has no idea what to do. After dumping her boyfriend and friend on the spot and simply legging it, she has no idea what to do next. With no home to go back to seeing as her fiancé has just been caught with the glam Katie, Angela makes a quick decision. She runs away, jumping on the next flight out of Heathrow. Which happens to be heading to New York.

With no clothes, no set accommodation and no clue as to what she's going to do after arriving in the States, Angela jumps in the first cab and gets out at the first hotel the taxi driver comes to - swanky hotel The Union. Thankfully, Angela has cash - savings for the wedding that was not to be - so all hope is not lost and trying to hold back the tears, she snaps up a room from Jenny, who works at the desk.

It isn't long before Jenny becomes Anglea's new best friend, giving her a makeover and showing her the sights of the city. It's all new to Angela - the city, the people, the men...and she quickly puts her whole 'running away to a different country' debacle to the back of her mind...

After gaining a job as a dating blogger and a home in Jenny's city apartment, Angela soon realises that life is a whole lot better. Who needs London when she's living every girl's dream? And it isn't long before Angela's on the dating scene, juggling dates with the rich, handsome Tyler and sexy singer Alex. With her boss urging her to continue dating as it makes good material, Angela obeys. But how long can she keep it up? And how long is her good fortune in the city going to last?

Deep down, Angela she knows she can't simply run away from her problems...

Although I Heart New York read like quite a few 'single in the city' books, it was a funny and fast-paced book - a feel good story about facing problems and starting afresh. Angela did seem to change towards the end of the book, and there were coincidences galore. But the witty writing style and story made up for this. Having left her entire life behind to escape to the City, Angela is forced to faced up to her problems and choose the best possible path.

A wonderful tale about friendship, and making the right choices.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 20, 2009 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 27, 2009 11:43 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Life’s Too Short to Frost a Cupcake by Rosie Wilde

Reviewed by Dot.

This is the first book by Rosie Wilde and I think she is definitely off to a good start! It only took me a day to read this as once I had started I just couldn’t put it down.

Alice has got a good, solid job at Carmichael Music, an extremely reliable boyfriend and a family that doesn’t cause her too much trouble. However, this all changes when Alice’s boss from New York pays a visit to the London office. Alice is pretty certain that she is in the firing line yet instead she is offered a dream job opportunity in America. The only catch is that the aim of her new glamorous job is to persuade the once successful but now highly reclusive Wyatt Brown to record a new album.

Instead of finding herself in New York as she imagined, Alice is headed for Wyatt’s farm in Ohio and they don’t exactly hit it off. Alice’s new life is not what she expected at all, there is a cow called Mary Lou, a wannabe popstar and an extremely important Cupcake Frosting Competition. As her relationship with Wyatt develops, Alice has to admit that her feelings towards him are not truly professional and she begins to realise what she really wants from life.

Rosie Wilde’s book goes along at a fantastic pace as we meet the many colourful and memorable characters that she creates. By placing Alice in unfamiliar surroundings, where she knows no-one, we get to understand her very quickly. Wilde builds the relationship between Alice and Wyatt very carefully but she still manages to throw in a few surprises along the way. This book does have many funny parts but I found it really poignant as well. I think many of us have a point in our life where we stop and take stock of everything so that we can see what we want from the future and that is exactly what Alice has to do. Overall I thought this book was excellent, if you are looking for a quick, feel-good read then I would give this a try!

Book rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 27, 2009 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 8, 2009 2:16 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Fabulously Fashionable Life of Isabel Bookbinder by Holly McQueen

After weeks of waiting (actually, make that months), I finally grabbed a copy of the second Isabel Bookbinder novel as soon as it was released. Yep, Holly McQueen is back with another adventure - and another career scheme  - from the overly-ambitious Isabel.

After trying (and failing) at a career as a top novelist in the previous book, Isabel has abandoned her literary dreams - even if she didn't really write anything in the first place! - in exchange for a new life as a Top Fashion Designer. But her fantasies of seeing her designs on Keira Knightley and releasing her own fragrance line are temporarily quashed when she's rejected from a top university design course because, well, she can't actually sew. Well, fashion design can't be THAT hard, right?

Wrong...

Determined to prove friends and family wrong and actually do something right for a change, Isabel sets out on her path to become the next best thing in fashion design. And things are starting to look up when Isabel manages to land a job as assistant to top fashionista Nancy Tavistock, muse of moody famous designer Lucien Black. Despite being simply a PA, Isabel's intent on working her way up in the fashion world as quickly as possible.

With boyfriend Will doing excelling at his job as a lawyer, Isabel's relationship is going seemingly well...until Will heads off to the Cayman Islands and starts to become extremely close to colleague Julia. And it doesn't help when Isabel's brother re-introduces her to old school pal Ben Loxley - the same Ben who Isabel spent her teenage years lusting after. And he's still just as gorgeous, and equally interested...

Isabel is determined to become a designer, even if it means designing for her mum's friends and harboring what she thinks are drugs in her handbag for her new boss. And when Isabel suspects that something is amiss with the Tavistock business, it's up to her to save it...

Admittedly, I loved this book, mainly because of McQueen's highly addictive writing style and Isabel's penchant for getting into hilarious scrapes. Fans of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic series will love the Isabel books as they're very similar.

However, I couldn't help but dislike Isabel, just a little. Sure, her painfully embarrassing moments provided endless laughs throughout the book, but Isabel's ditziness and lack of common sense seemed far too over-the-top and unbelievable. The book also relies heavily on coincidences.

That said, The Fabulously Fashionable Life... is still a hilarious read. If you're looking for something fun and addictive this summer, then this book is a must-read.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Elle Symonds on May 8, 2009 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 11, 2009 2:47 PM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

March 31, 2009 9:11 PM

Review: Stick or Twist by Eleanor Moran

At first glance Anna Christie seems to have everything: a loving boyfriend and glamorous job on a women’s magazine. However, all is not as it seems. Her career seems to have taken a wrong turn. Rather than becoming the foreign correspondent she always dreamed of being she has somehow ended up at Casual Chic, spending her days writing articles like ‘Fifty ways with a cherry tomato’ and ‘Impotence: why no marriage is safe’. The spark seems to have gone out of her personal life too.

While she knows a lot of women would kill to have the comfy, undemanding relationship she has with Adam, her boyfriend of ten years, she can’t help but feel that the trouble with comfy is that it is a bit dull, a bit routine and lacking anything that comes close to being called excitement. Just as Anna is starting to question if this is really what she wants from a relationship Adam gets down on one knee and pops the question she suddenly realises she has been dreading.

What should she do? Say yes, accept that things will never be exciting again? Settle down to a life of routine, unflattering nightwear, mechanical sex, babies, quilted loo roll and always wonder what might have been if she had been a little braver and made the break when she had the chance? Or walk away from the easy, familiar relationship she has and face the horrors of a newly single life camping out on a friend’s sofa and waiting to see who else is out there to spice up her life?

While she struggles with the implications of her decision she is given a make or break chance at work. She has the task of producing ‘a bridal show for funky young brides who thought they were too cool for convention but too in love to resist’. But can she pull it off when others in the office think that prawn vol au vents and jazz bands are the epitome of what is cool.

The book follows Anna’s ups and downs as she tries to make sense of her personal and professional situations and decide what she really does want out of her life. Stick or Twist is well written, easy to read and funny in places. There are enough twists and turns to keep you interested and keep you turning the pages to find out what happens to Anna in the end.

The only problem I had with the book was that I didn’t really like Anna as a character. She is a little shallow and didn’t find the mix of all the different aspects of her character wholly convincing. Her transformation by the end of the book seems a bit to convenient and the ending is perhaps a little too contrived. That said, I didn’t dislike her enough to put the book down. I did want to keep on reading to find out if it all works out for her – I just didn’t find myself rooting for her as I might have done if I have liked her a bit more or found her a bit more realistic.

On the whole this is a light hearted, fun read. Great for a holiday read – but be warned don’t even think about packing it if you are not sure the person you are going away with is the one for you.  

By Wendy Knowles

Rating 4 out of 5

Buy from Amazon

Posted by Aigua Media on March 31, 2009 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 8, 2009 6:25 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Shadow by Karin Alvtegen

Karin Alvtegen is a Swedish crime writer with a string of one-word titles (Shame, Betrayal, Missing) to her name.  Shadow was actually my first foray into crime fiction (particularly Swedish crime fiction!) so I wasn’t sure what to expect. 

Would it all be down to the Muppet Chef in the kitchen with the meat cleaver?

Well, no. 

The story starts in 1975, with a small boy abandoned on the steps of an amusement park with just one note to explain his presence: “Take care of this child.  Forgive me.”

The action then skips forward to the present.  A solitary old woman has died, leaving a social worker of sorts to piece together the old woman’s life story.  It turns out that she was the family housekeeper of a Nobel prize-winning author. 

As the social worker seeks to uncover the old woman’s history, she unwittingly unlocks a series of devastating family secrets.

Shadow has no main character but several major players whose histories interweave to tell the story.  In less skilful hands this would just be a dry series of character biographies, but Alvtegen deftly weaves all the strands together to create a compelling study of human motivation. 

Although this novel suffers a little of what I always find with translated fiction – the prose seems a little stilted, and I can never tell if that’s a deliberate storytelling device or an effect of the translation process – it did flow very well, and at times I forgot that it wasn’t originally written in English. 

Alvtegen bravely delays the plot twists and conclusion to great effect – this is no cut-and-dried crime novel, and the journey through the characters’ motivations is as rewarding as the results of their decisions.

A great read.

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Robyn Wilder on March 8, 2009 in Books, Crime / Mystery, Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 23, 2009 1:29 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton

Crossed Wires by Rosy Thornton has been marketed as an old fashioned fairy tale. These four words instantly grabbed me. We follow the lives of two characters. Peter, a widower, Cambridge professor and father of twin girls, and Mina, insurance call centre worker and young single parent to a daughter in Sheffield. When Peter prangs his car, he rings his insurance firm and immediately feels a connection with the woman who takes his details and deals with his claim. She, too, feels a connection.

The second time he prangs his car he asks for Mina by name. Her curiosity aroused, she digs into his records and rings him later at home. He returns the call a while later and soon they are each looking forward to their Sunday evening chats. Then, when something happens in Mina's life, Peter is the person she calls.

This book is one of those slow starters that gradually reels you in until you become hooked. I couldn't wait to catch up with them each evening to see how they had got on. I really enjoyed it. It's a book you can genuinely call lovely.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try More Than Love Letters by Rosy Thornton

Posted by Helen Redfern on February 23, 2009 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 22, 2009 3:51 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Being Emily by Anne Donovan

Being Emily is the second novel from Anne Donovan, whose debut – Buddha Da – was listed for both the Orange and the Whitbread First Novel awards. I haven’t read Buddha Da yet but have just ordered a copy on the strength of Being Emily, which is a beautifully written coming-of-age story.

It’s told in the first person, and in a broad Glaswegian brogue (which aids rather than hinders the story) by Fiona – a young girl growing up in the tenements of Glasgow. 

We first meet Fiona when she’s a child – dreamy, obsessed with Emily Brontë (the Emily in question), an aspiring poet, but happy amid the noisy clatter of her Catholic family – mother, father, brother and twin sisters.

The second time we meet her it is four years later.  Fiona’s mother has died in childbirth and the family has become fragmented – each one lost to his or her private grief and coping strategies – her brother has left home for gay London; her father half-vanishes into alcohol, and her almost psychotically irritating sisters immerse themselves in their dance routines. 

After being a lively if preoccupied child, Fiona now seems to be a vague, still-waters sort of teen; doing well at school, dating Jas, an intellectual Sikh, and trying to figure out what to do with her life.  She’s like a sponge, sharply observing those around her but almost drifting through her own life, still underlining her experiences with comparisons and escapes into the world of Emily Brontë.

But Fiona’s life deviates sharply from any Brontëesque comparisons when she callously drops Jas for his slightly fey musician brother, Amrik, whose attention she can never fully capture no matter how she tries.  As a series of tragedies befall her, Fiona takes up multimedia art and creates dramatic, almost violent installations as she tries to express the turbulence inside her, before starting the long journey back to a sense of equilibrium.

Being Emily is a gorgeous, languorous and lyrical novel which treads the fine line between a realistic “real” life and a confused, fantastic “inner” life well.  And I love how it shows how a childhood obsession can echo and vibrate down one life into adulthood.

Beautiful.

Posted by Robyn Wilder on February 22, 2009 in Books, British Authors, Classic Novels, Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 18, 2009 1:16 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Cinderella Effect by Miriam Morrison

Lila Barton’s life is a mess. An artist who has never sold a single picture she has no money, ‘an overdraft the size of the national debt’ and no “proper job”. To cap it all she has just broken up with the latest in a long line of fiancés. Lila’s lot isn’t made any easier by the fact she still lives with her despairing family in Barton Willow, a dilapidated mansion house where the kitchen is the only room where you are not in danger of freezing to death or being hit by falling masonry. It is time to sort her life out once and for all.

To get her life back on track, Lila comes up with a plan. Give up any hope of becoming an artist, get a proper job and ‘definitely not get engaged for at least another year’. The plan looks destined to failure from the very start when the proper job results in her being held up at gunpoint and Barton Willow is used as the set of a production of A Midsummer Night’s dream starring Hollywood heartthrob, Mitch Clayton. When Mitch and his stepbrother, Johnny, fly in for the play Lila struggles to keep her promise to stick to the plan. Can she resist Mitch’s advances? And when she finds herself increasingly drawn to Johnny can she find the resolve to remain just good friends?

This is a light, fun read which will have you turning the pages to find out what happens. It is perfect for lazing on the beach or a lazy Sunday afternoon. There are a few downsides to the book. Apart from Lila herself most of the other characters are a little two dimensional. The Barton’s are all too nice and the Clayton clan, with one exception, all seem a little too horrible to ring true. The ending is also a little too convenient. It is too much of a fairytale to be entirely convincing. That said the book is called The Cinderella Effect so perhaps we shouldn’t be too surprised at that!

By Wendy Knowles

Rating 4/5

Posted by Aigua Media on February 18, 2009 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

January 30, 2009 6:48 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Beautiful People by Wendy Holden

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

However.

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Holly Would Dream by Karen Quinn

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

FRIDAY FLICK: Affinity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Affinity is now available to buy and rent on DVD.

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

November 27, 2008 12:09 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Spa Wars by Chris Manby

Spa Wars by Chris Manby is about waxing, reality TV stars and revenge. It starts out with a cracking pace and the brilliant writing sucks you into the story immediately. Emily Brown has always wanted to make others look good. Her goal in life is to open her own beauty salon and with some prudent saving she achieves the dream. Thanks to a name drop from Carina Lees, a reality TV star, bookings have to be made weeks in advance. She expands, takes on new staff. Then everything seems to go wrong.

The first half of this book was great and I zipped through it thinking, yup this one could be on for a five star rating. But then things started to go a little flat. Emily, as the heroine, was a strange character. I didn't know what to think of her but then she did something quite tactless and I thought, I don't care what happens to you anymore. All of a sudden I wasn't quite so desperate to reach the end. But then, surprisingly, the book changed pace again and I was drawn back into the plot.

This is a great book. Full of up to date cultural references and a behind the scenes look at how reality TV stars milk their fifteen minutes, despite the slowing in pace, I really enjoyed it.

In my dusty memory I don't think I've read any books by Chris Manby before, but I look forward to ploughing through her back catalogue.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Just Say Yes by Phillipa Ashley

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 27, 2008 in Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 14, 2008 10:22 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Engaging Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn & My Mother's Wish by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Two Christmas Stories You Can Believe In

I love Christmas. I love the lights, the tree, even the hustle and bustle. But, one of my most favorite things about Christmas is treating myself to a cup of cocoa and a good Christmas story. Some years I'm drawn back to the old standbys like A Christmas Carol or even How The Grinch Stole Christmas. But, this year I have two new Christmas favorites.

The first book, Engaging Father Christmas, is actually the second book in a series by Robin Jones Gunn. (The first book is Finding Father Christmas - my last year's favorite.)

Gunn's novellas are cozy. Set in London, they have everything I need for a heartwarming Christmastime read - love, intrigue and, of course, a happy ending. The books each stand alone, but my recommendation would be to read them together.

In Engaging Father Christmas, the main character, Miranda Carson, is headed to see her boyfriend whom she met the prior Christmas. She's unsure of exactly where they stand and running into a old flame at the train station makes things even more complicated. She's also in town to see her step-mother - a woman who hasn't been able (or willing) to accept her as a true member of the family. She's hoping this trip she'll be able to win her approval and finally have a real family. But, a serious of events casts a doubtful shadow over Miranda's trip and she's not sure she'll ever find a family to belong to.

The second story is My Mother's Wish: An American Christmas Carol by Jerry Camery-Hoggatt. The US is joining the ranks of the Christmas Carol producers and this YA novella is a sweet example. Ellee, a frustrated teenage girl, just doesn't see things the way the rest of the world does. Her controlling mother won't give her a break, even refusing to refer to her as anything but Eleanor (her grandmother and namesake) and comparing her every move to that of her perfect sister.

Ellee finally gets fed up and decides that running away from home is the only way to escape her mother's disappointment in her. She gets more than she bargained for when she finds herself at the Comeback Cafe with no money, no ride and not a friend in site. Lives interwoven is the theme of this book and it's a beautiful picture of how each of us can have an effect on those around us.

Rating: 4/5

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

November 13, 2008 8:09 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Always and Forever by Cathy Kelly

I have read a number of Cathy Kelly books in the past. Some I've liked and others I was frustrated with. She is, because she is Irish and writes about women in Ireland, compared, perhaps unfairly, with Maeve Binchy. However, she's a talented and bestselling author, and if you choose the right book you can really get sucked in. The thing is, was Always and Forever going to do that?

Based in the beautiful town of Carrickwell we have Mel, Daisy and Cleo. Mel is a high flying career woman and mother of two who is busy and stressed trying to keep all the balls in the air. Daisy is in a settled relationship with her boyfriend and longing for a child. Cleo, fresh from her hotel management degree, is frustrated with the way her family is running the family hotel. When Leah opens Clouds Hill spa (which, incidentally, makes me think of wine every time I read it) their lives are eventually thrown together, giving them the courage to find out what really matters.

Or at least that is what the blurb on the back of the book says.

What I found was we had three women, each with separate lives and with their own individual struggles they must battle against. They finally get to know each other well over two thirds into the book and by then two of them have already decided what it is they are going to do. This in no way detracts from the quality of the story, far from it, it just wasn't quite what I was expecting. You know - three women getting together and putting the world to rights sort of thing.

Because of their individual stories we get to know the women really well and I could identify with each character. Leah, I found a little too good to be true, but by then I was well enough into the story not to care.

This is what is described as a feel good story. Warm, engaging, slightly formulaic and stereotypical perhaps, but a good yarn nevertheless.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Heart & Soul by Maeve Binchy

Posted by Helen Redfern on November 13, 2008 in Irish Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 5, 2008 10:59 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Babymoon by Melanie La`Brooy

Reviewed by Laura Rafter

As an Australian, I love it when I read a good book by an Aussie, especially when they are funny, insightful & of the chick-lit genre. Because what is not to love about that?

Melanie La'Brooy's fourth novel, The Babymoon, is the story of Isabelle and Dr Jack and their experiences of getting pregnant for the first time. It's filled with laugh-out-loud insights and situations that any girl can relate to, especially one that is a mum or one day wants to be one.

The story follows Isabelle's pregnancy from conception to birth and, while she was determined to be a calm earth mother-to-be, it doesn't exactly go according to plan. She spends most of her time worried that her child will be born with an exotic birth defect or come out a human/eel hybrid. Not to mention trying to figure out what the hell to do about her doctor as he also happens to be her boyfriends best friend and lets face it nobody wants their partners friend checking out their vagina.

The storyline is filled with mishaps and adventures and has an eclectic bunch of characters from the ex-boyfriend who broke her heart to the gay best friend with the ugly cardigan to the best friend who is scared of children.

Warning: This is not the kind of book to read on a crowded train or bus while drinking coffee because trust me you will laugh and spit your coffee on your skirt.

Rating: 4/5

Like this book? Try Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella

Posted by Aigua Media on November 5, 2008 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 30, 2008 10:23 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try One Night Stand by Julie Cohen

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

October 28, 2008 11:37 AM

BOOK REVIEW: City Dog by Alison Pace

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Pug Hill by Alison Pace

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

October 23, 2008 7:50 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Happy Birthday by Christina Jones

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Filthy Rich by Wendy Holden

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

October 21, 2008 10:24 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

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

October 16, 2008 12:17 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Strictly Love by Julia Williams

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon

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

October 14, 2008 10:15 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Maggie Come Lately by Michelle Buckman

Reviewed by Jill Hart

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4 of 5

Like this? Try Dear Zoe by Philip Beard

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

September 24, 2008 9:32 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Where The Heart Is by Mairead O’Driscoll

Reviewed by Fionnuala Kearney

I felt looking at the cover and blurb of this book that I’d get a great holiday read and beach fodder, in the best sense, this definitely is. A big book, one, if you can, to curl up with under the sun brolly, sangria or bevy of choice perched by your side, just as I did.

The story centres around the fictional ‘passing through’ village of Rathmollin in Ireland and where I think it’s particularly successful is in the mix of modern day characters plus the quintessential old Irish village busy body. Emily Gordon returns to Rathmollin to her parent’s supportive home following a broken engagement. Her dilemma, to buy or not to buy that cute village cottage.

Spoilt and indulged by her hard working husband, Jennie Kelleher seems to have it all, but something’s nagging her. Sandra Coyne, a single mother with a no good boyfriend, needs to change her space in the world for her sake and the sake of her young son. And Jack Rooney, resident hunk and successful property developer ends out impacting all their lives in different ways. Aggie, the village busy body knows everything about everyone – or so she thinks.

This is a titan novel (546 pages) and at times I felt it’s pace a little slow and so would put it down for that reason only. The characters were absorbing and Rathmollin seemed real but I felt that it was a tad too long and the story could have done without a couple of the sub plots, speeding up the pace a bit. That said, it was an enjoyable holiday read and the last section of the last chapter was so worth waiting for, it made me chuckle out loud by the pool!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try This Charming Man by Marian Keyes

Posted by Aigua Media on September 24, 2008 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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)

BOOK REVIEW: Benedict's Brother by Tricia Walker

Reviewed by Sarah Hague

Despite having a boy's name, Benedict is a girl. She is left some money by her uncle - good! But with it comes a condition - bad! He asks her, in his will, to take his ashes and scatter them over the River Kwai, from the bridge. The bridge from the film. The bridge that cost hundreds of prisoners of war their lives.

It is with some trepidation then, that Benedict sets out. She knows that her uncle was a PoW, but he has never spoken of those times, and she is anxious at the thought of what she will meet when she gets there.

Like her brother, Anthony. He is out there having set off on a trip around the world some years previously, got as far as Thailand and became a monk, now known as Thanavaro.

Benedict's journey is one of discovery in more ways than one. Not only does she discover much about her uncle from his diary, but she is also forced to try and understand why her brother 'left her'.

Tricia Walker's debut is a beautifully written book, full of evocative descriptions not only of an exotic land, but of the allure of Buddhism. Although Benedict finds much of it incredibly frustrating, she recognises the peace it has brought to her brother, and learns to accept Thanavaro the monk.

Moving, heartfelt, and full of marvellous characters, this is a story that will not leave you indifferent.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai

Posted by Aigua Media on September 22, 2008 in British Authors, Debut Novels, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 17, 2008 9:53 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Between You And Me by Kirsty Scott

Reviewed by Fionnuala Kearney

I have to confess that I started to read this book, convinced in the first few chapters that it was going to be the usual fare - best friends meet, life interrupts, best friends part, best friends re-unite. And it is. It is all that, but it is also so much more. By the middle of the book I was well and truly hooked and, at the end, I felt sad that it had finished.

Cate and Margie’s friendship was forged in early primary school and continued until life took over and they parted company. Cate now lives in Scotland with her seemingly perfect husband and family. Successful TV producer Margie, meanwhile, has a deliberately casual relationship with a television war correspondent she works with. A school reunion brings them back together and they realise how much they’ve missed by not being in each others lives.

Its difficult not to "spoil", but the story does unfold with interesting new directions for both characters, urged on by each other.

Kirsty Scott’s dialogue is completely engaging and carries the story forward effortlessly. I felt myself there, in the moment, all the time. I had no problem imagining these characters as real. In fact, I’ve decided I want to be their friend too.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Old School Ties by Kate Harrison

Posted by Aigua Media on September 17, 2008 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

September 15, 2008 12:04 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Secret Lives of Sisters by Linda Kelsey

Reviewed by Fionnuala Kearney

I read Linda Kelsey’s first book Fifty Is Not a Four Letter Word a few months ago and so had a sense I would enjoy this one too. 

Hannah and Cat are typical sisters, different yet the same, enemies yet best friends. Their privileged childhood with a remote unfeeling mother, a vibrant gambling father, a housekeeper who loves Hannah and loathes Cat, provides the early backdrop for the sister’s increasingly complicated relationship. Now adults, Cat is a successful single fashion designer while Hannah, a widowed mother of two is herself a successful business woman.

A tightly written mixture of present day narrative and flashbacks reveal the secrets and lies behind Hannah and Cat’s apparently "normal" family. When Hannah’s daughter’s wedding day acts as a catalyst for the truth, will the explosive mix of their past, present and future unite them or sever their link forever?

Linda Kelsey’s strong characterisation and well crafted story had me wanting more and I read the book in two sessions, with only a break for lunch in between. She has a knack of getting under her character’s skin and her insightful concise dialogue never wastes a word.

Only nitpick for me (without offering spoilers) was the sub plot love interest at the end. It didn’t feel real in an otherwise real book and indeed spoiled the ending for me. Only the ending, mind…

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Names My Sisters Call Me by Megan Crane

Posted by Aigua Media on September 15, 2008 in Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 12, 2008 8:19 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Class by Jane Beaton

We've written about it a couple of times now, so I'm guessing you know that Jane Beaton's debut novel, Class, is basically an updated Malory Towers for adults. And who wouldn't want an updated Malory Towers for adults?

Scottish teacher Maggie Adair is rather tired of her life - her job in an inner-city comprehensive, her boring boyfriend, Stan - so when she sees an advert for a private boarding school in a "beautiful setting" in Cornwall, she applies, never expecting to get an interview, let alone be offered the job.

But offered it she is and, to her - and Stan's - surprise, she accepts it. But it's not all walks on wind-swept hills, some of the students are as challenging as her previous charges (although in different ways: fewer ASBOs for one). There's scholarship girl Simone Kardashian who is painfully shy and just doesn't look like fitting in. And there's Fliss Prosser, who didn't want to go there in the first place and plans to do her best to be sent home (particularly after she's made an example of by Miss Adair).

And of course there are the other teachers, particularly Mr McDowell from the boys' school. He's nothing like Stan. But that's surely a good thing, isn't it?

As I expected, I really, really enjoyed Class. There's loads more that I haven't even touched upon above - as the title would suggest, there's a lot about class! - and I know there's plenty of potential for the six books Jane Beaton plans to write in this series. It's great fun and took me right back to reading Malory Towers books for the first time (and it made me want to reread them for the umpteenth).

I just have one quibble and that is that so many of the plotlines involving the students seemed incredibly familiar. I kept thinking that extremely similar things had happened in either Malory Towers or the St Clare's series and so I spent a lot of time trying to remember if that was the case and second guess the outcome of each "adventure". It could, of course, simply be that Beaton has created such a credible boarding school book that the adventures just *seemed* familiar, but it still pulled me out of the story on more than one occasion.

Anyway, if you loved Malory Towers/St Clare's, you'll definitely love Class. I can't wait to read the next one.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld

Posted by Keris on September 12, 2008 in British Authors, Competition, Debut Novels, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (4)

September 11, 2008 10:01 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Book Club by Kate McCabe

Reviewed by Fionnuala Kearney

As a Kate McCabe virgin, I was pleased to open her third novel, The Book Club, whilst on holiday in Spain. The beach, the sun, an iced drink, cooling breeze and a book – oh happy days. In fact, I decided to read this book before my own book club offering, as I fancied the cover more and it looked a perfect holiday read.

When Marion Hunt, tired of solitary Winter nights, decides to start a book club, her advert attracts a disparate group of people whose lives are about to impact each other greatly. Christy Grimes (who had only ever read James Bond before) joins to encourage his wife, an avid reader, to meet new people following a minor stroke. Nick Barry, a successful poet is determined not to let his treatment at the hands of literary critics stop him writing a novel. Liz Broderick, a young widow, discovers new hope and new friends. Throw Matt Bolinger, Marion’s sexy neighbour and Alan McMullan, her stalker like ex into the mix and the book club meetings look set to be interesting.

The characters were all well drawn, interesting and likeable (with the exception of Alan McMullan who could never be described as likeable and who is surely responsible for the slime in slime ball). 

The pace, sense of place, and sensitive subjects like grief and illness were handled beautifully. My only criticism is that as the novel progressed, the plot did not feel credible in places and the ending was too predictable. That said, I enjoyed the read. Not a book for a book club, I feel, as it’s not a book that will incite debate, but as a holiday read, it ticks all the boxes.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Posted by Aigua Media on September 11, 2008 in Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

September 8, 2008 1:09 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Mrs. Perfect by Jane Porter

Jane Porter writes both modern chick lit and classic romance with Mrs. Perfect falling into the former category. I've not read any of her books before so I was curious as to whether I'd enjoy her books or not.

Taylor Young (a secondary character from Jane's previous book, Odd Mom Out) has a seemingly perfect life. She has a handsome and successful husband, three beautiful children, an active social life and various voluntary commitments. She is organised, in control and, to outsiders, content.

All of these things, however, have come at a price. She is in control because if she wasn't she'd be massively out of control, she undertakes many voluntary jobs so that things are done right and because no one else volunteers and she maintains her weight by denying herself meals. All of this is beneath the surface though. Her husband, whom she still loves passionately after all these years of marriage, has secrets of his own. Communication between the two of them is, well, there isn't any, and eventually the facade that the Young's have created to the outside world, comes crashing down around them.

In this current economical situation so many people who have previously lived just within their means, are being caught out. No longer are their homes secure, no longer are their lives stable. This book has managed to capture one woman's life brilliantly, as their lives have to change.

The characters in this novel are brilliant. Taylor, spoilt and snobbish at the beginning becomes a supermum. Her friends and their reaction to Taylor's news are well drawn. She begins to see that not everyone is who she thinks they are.

I thoroughly enjoyed this and whipped through the book in no time. I could relate to so many things in Taylor's life (although I don't have a multi million pound house). There were times, when a particularly sticky situation would come up I'd think, "why don't you do 'x', that'll sort out some of your problems" then I turn the page and she's gone and done it, thankfully, before it has become irritating.

Great book. Loved it.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Goodnight Nobody by Jennifer Weiner

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 8, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

September 1, 2008 12:27 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Restless by William Boyd

I've had my eye on this book since I saw the Richard & Judy programme where it was being reviewed  back in February 2007. I subsequently bought it thinking my husband would enjoy it and finally got around to reading it myself last week.

Sally Gilmartin, a slightly eccentric English woman, mother to Ruth and grandmother to Jochen is feeling restless. She has binoculars so she can peer out into the woods, she asks her daughter to ring, hang up, then ring again so she knows it's her and has written a manuscript about her life before and during the second world war. When she was known as Eva Delectorskaya.

Just before war broke out in Europe, Eva, a Russian émigré living in Paris, met Lucas Romer on the day of her brother's funeral. It turns out her brother was working for Lucas who, in turn, works for the British Government. Lucas now wants to hire Eva. Eva agrees and is soon on her way to Scotland to be trained as a spy. She is trained very well and Eva is a natural. She then goes on to work for Lucas in his secret part of the government. Releasing pretend news as real in order to deflect the Germans and then later to encourage the Americans to join.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book. The blurb doesn't give much away (and I'm not giving anything away either) but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There were twists and turns and Boyd kept me guessing throughout, as though I was a spy myself. Who can Eva trust? Who can I trust as a reader? I became caught up in the tense atmosphere and was constantly looking around me. As Eva questioned events I became almost paranoid myself.

My only criticism is the structure of the book. We are treated to a chapter of Eva's life, then we jump back to the present (which is 1970's Oxford) to the first person narrative of her daughter Ruth. To be honest, I didn't warm to Ruth, I had no interest in her and was relieved when the chapter went back to third person Eva.

Even so, this is a great book. My husband gave up a few pages in, no doubt put off because the first chapter is Ruth's. He was surprised at my rating but has promised me he'll give it another go.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Night Watch by Sarah Waters (they're both about the second world war after all)

Posted by Helen Redfern on September 1, 2008 in More On Monday, Rating: 4/5, Richard and Judy | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 26, 2008 1:26 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Blessed Are the Meddlers by Christa Ann Banister

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Sydney Alexander is back and happily married to the man of her dreams. Now, if she can just find great guys for her friends life will be perfect. She's already done it once - she set up her hippie neighbor Rain with Stinky Nate. They are happily married now as well, so Sydney is convinced she can make the same magic happen for other friends.

Sydney takes on the challenge of matchmaking for a few of her friends including her boss, Lucinda. As she becomes confident in her set-up abilities, she even takes on the role of "Lucy for the Lovelorn," a syndicated column that could take her career to new heights.

In the midst of it all Samantha, Sydney's sister, is going through a relationship crisis. Well, more like a relationship melt-down. Sydney tries to give her advice, but Samantha soon realizes that she must make the decision for herself - follow her heart and see where it leads.

Sydney's matchmaking talents rival those of another beloved heroine, Jane Austen's Emma. And just as Emma eventually comes to the conclusion that meddling rarely changes things for the better, Sydney must learn some lessons through a few matchmaking disasters.

I thoroughly appreciated Banister's humor and writing style in her first novel, Around The World in 80 Dates, and Meddlers is made up of the same stuff. The story is well-told and filled with compelling characters. Sydney's experiences made me laugh, made me cry and above all reminded me that giving advice is not always as simple as it might seem.

In the back of the book, readers will find a readers guide, Sydney's Recommendations For Life's Little Circumstances and a list of resources for those who want to be a part of promoting music education (as Sydney's husband discusses in the book).

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Around The World in 80 Dates by Christa Ann Banister

[N.B. How similar is the cover of this book to the cover of Christa Ann Banister's first book? - Keris]

Posted by Aigua Media on August 26, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5 | 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 22, 2008 8:38 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Tommy Sullivan is a Freak by Meg Cabot

It's hard to find new things to say about Meg Cabot's books when I find I'm reviewing them about once a month... but luckily I don't need to find new things to say, I can just keep saying they're fantastic. Because they are. (Just in case you did not get that.)

Her latest teen book (I think...), Tommy Sullivan is a Freak features Katie Ellison who is both intelligent and popular. But it's come at a cost. She has to hide who she really is and what she really thinks.

She didn't used to. She used to be good friends with Tommy Sullivan, but when he discovered that some members of the town's precious football team cheated on their SATs - and exposed them - he was run out of town.

Oh, but now he's back. And threatening to ruin everything Katie's worked for. And he's really hot.

Like all of Meg's books, Tommy Sullivan is a Freak is an easy read with hidden depths. I flew through it and, I have to say, I LOVED Tommy Sullivan, one of the foxiest teen characters I've read for a while. Plus I learned a lot about bivalves and that kind of knowledge can't be underestimated. Probably.

Read an extract here.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try How to be Popular by Meg Cabot

Posted by Keris on August 22, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (3)

August 21, 2008 2:59 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The True Naomi Story by A.M Goldsher

As with most authors I review, I googled A M Goldsher straight away. I am always suspicious of authors who use just their initials. Often this means they are trying to disguise their gender as they believe the truth will put their readers off. My suspicions were correct, the author of this Little Black Dress book was A Man. Like Keris yesterday, I thought, what does he know about writing chick lit?

The answer? Well, um, quite a lot actually.

But. (There is always a but.) On opening this book up I read the first few pages, threw it down and thought, yup Helen, you were right. Men can't write chick lit. I was confused, didn't understand Naomi, Jenn was quitting, there were names of people causally thrown out there that I didn't know. And I didn't understand the bra issue.

When I picked the book up again some months later I read chapter two and before I knew it was half way through the book. I began to understand all the references in chapter one as we go back in time and see how Naomi and Jenn set the band up in the first place.

So if you hadn't yet guessed, Naomi is in a band. The band consists of the brains and keyboard skills of Jenn, the bass of Travis (Jenn's younger brother), and the drums of Frank. Naomi is the singer, and because of which, gets most of the attention. Plus the record company thought the band should be called Naomi.We see the build up to their success, their actual success, the fall out - then what happens next.

Sometimes I had to re-read the dialogue, it is written the way I guess a twenty something New Yorker would talk, but I soon got used to that. The plot whipped along, I got to know all the characters and I found it not just satisfying but also breezily entertaining. I've got another book by Mr Goldsher in my to be read pile. I think I might just bring it forward slightly.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try One Night Stand by Julie Cohen (another Little Black Dress book)

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 21, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 20, 2008 2:06 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Bright Side by Alex Coleman

Alex Coleman is the pseudonym of author Damien Owens (Dead Cat Bounce). I'm always a teensy bit suspicious when male authors write chick lit (and The Bright Side is definitely chick lit), particularly when they're writing from a female point of view, but if someone hadn't told me Alex Coleman was a man, it never would have occurred to me from the book. (Even as I was reading it, I kept thinking, "Are you sure?")

Anyway, The Bright Side is the story of Jackie, who has been married to Gerry for 22 years, following a teen pregnancy (which resulted in twins). But one day, Jackie comes home from work with a headache only to find Gerry having it away with the neighbour. Jackie is devastated. Sort of. What's more pressing is how the situation can be used to her benefit, to repair some of her other family relationships that have fallen apart in recent years. Of course, there's also the fact that Jackie's not entirely blameless herself...

I really enjoyed The Bright Side. It's a breeze of a read, with some very funny characters and situations. In fact, the scene in which Jackie catches Gerry "in flagrante" is hilarious.

The odd bit didn't entirely ring true - Jackie's best friend is less sympathetic than I would have liked - but I may be being extra strict, simply because I know the author is a man ("Pah. Women don't talk to each other like that!")

I'll be interested to read Alex Coleman's next book and I may even pick up Dead Cat Bounce (I've seen it around, but the title's put me off, unsurprisingly).

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Secrets of Married Women by Carol Mason

Posted by Keris on August 20, 2008 in Debut Novels, Irish Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 19, 2008 2:39 PM

BOOK REVIEW: A Mile In My Flip-Flops by Melody Carlson

Reviewed by Jill Hart

I love Melody Carlson's books, so I was tickled pink when I received her newest book, A Mile In My Flip-Flops. the book's main character, Gretchen Hanover, is a charming if somewhat lost thirty-something. She is recovering from a broken heart. Her fiance has run off with an old girlfriend, leaving Gretchen with not only shattered dreams, but an apartment full of stuff - enough to fill the house they would have shared.

Gretchen has moping around for months and consuming more Ben & Jerry's than she ever thought possible. Until one fine day when, while watching her beloved HGTV she has a "light bulb moment." She decides that the way out from under her grief and despair is hard work … like flipping a house.

So, Gretchen sets out on the adventure of a lifetime. Will she end up with a great investment or will her flip be a flop?

This book made me feel as if I were right in the story helping Gretchen flip the house. I, too, watch HGTV and have always wondered if I could do it. Walking through the experience with Gretchen was a blast, but at the end I was glad all the hard work had been hers.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Raising the Roof by Jane Wenham-Jones

Posted by Aigua Media on August 19, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 13, 2008 9:05 AM

BOOK REVIEW: How To Be Bad

How to Be Bad is a novel written by three authors. Three brilliant and successful YA authors, two of whom happen to be among my absolute favourites (the third, Lauren Myracle, I have been assured that I will also love as soon as I get around to reading one of her books).

How to be Bad is also the story of three girls: Mel, Vicks and Jesse, who all work at the Waffle House and all have problems they want to run away from. And so they do. Albeit temporarily.

Following a row with her mother (following her mother winning first prize in a wet t-shirt competition – yikes!), Jesse just wants to get away. So when she learns that Vicks's boyfriend hasn't called since leaving for university two weeks ago, she suggests that they take a trip to Miami to visit him.

The only problem is neither of them has much money. But Mel does. Plenty of money and no friends. So she suggests she pays for everything if she can come along.

And so off they go. Two best friends (one of whom is behaving rather oddly) and a new girl who wants to be friends, but who they don't know very well.

Of course, a road trip isn't a road trip without adventures on the way and the girls call in to see an old stuffed crocodile, the world's smallest police station and, of course, go to a party and meet a boy.

I wasn't sure about this book at first – I didn't feel like enough was happening – but the personalities of the girls sucked me in and, by the end, I felt like I knew them. The book touches on all sorts of issues, including virginity, Christianity, drinking, sibling rivalry, family relationships, money.

Incidentally, even though I think the three authors have very distinctive individual styles, you can't see the joins in this book; I have no idea who wrote what, which is pretty impressive.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Boyfriend List by E Lockhart or Me vs Me by Sarah Mlynowski (not YA) or something by Lauren Myracle!

Posted by Keris on August 13, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 12, 2008 8:33 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Ace of Hearts by Jean Holloway

Reviewed by Angela Richardson

Ace of Hearts is Jean Holloway’s debut novel. What really interested me about this book was that it was written by Holloway over twenty-five years ago and has only just caught the attention of conventions and books clubs now. I was extremely intrigued to find out what it was about this book that had suddenly captured people’s imagination so long after its creation.

Obviously as it was written so long ago, it was also set in that time. The eighties is conveniently an age before mobile phones, DNA analysis and complicated forensic computer technology were invented. So we are back to good old-fashioned guessing… I mean detecting!

Shevaughn Robinson is the main character and is the first black female to be so successful in the police force. She has just been promoted and transferred into homicide and her first case turns out to be the first of a series of gruesome murders. There’s a vicious sex attacker out there and he’s getting more and more confident with each killing. Unfortunately for Shevaughn the killer knows who she is and is getting more and more obsessed about her as he finds out she is leading the investigation.

I have to be honest to all the weak stomached people out there – this is a grim and gritty read. There are a lot of details included that might put you off your lunch, but I also have to admit that it’s an addictive read. I can understand why this book has suddenly attracted a lot of attention. The tension in the book is kept up on every page and the fact that you know who the killer is right from the start makes it even more of a page turner. The reader knows how near all the characters are becoming and it made me want to shout out a warning to them, but of course I’m not mad so I didn’t (honest!) For the softhearted there was a subplot running throughout of a romance that diluted the main serial killer theme and there was a twist right at the end after you thought it was all over.

Overall I think crime lovers will adore this book as its racy and dark themes will tantalise and excite most readers. For those who like flowers and romance there’s also something in there for you too, but I’m not sure it’ll make up for all the murders you’ll have to live through. However, if you think you’re strong enough it’s a great read that will surprise you.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Bone Garden by Tess Gerritsen

Posted by Aigua Media on August 12, 2008 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 11, 2008 10:56 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: First Lady by Michael Dobbs

Due to my obsession with The West Wing, I have become quite a fan of political fiction. Not your Jeffrey Archer or Edwina Curry but First Lady by Michael Dobbs did catch my eye - so I bought it for my husband. A year or two later I have finally got round to reading it for myself, and although I was unsure in case it was a little too political (there are limits to my obsession), these fears were banished once I got going. Before you think, politics *yawn* I don't want to read about that, First Lady is about much more including infidelity, family and revenge.

The story focuses on Ginny Edge, a woman who is quite happy looking after the two children, whilst her husband pursues a career in politics. This all changes when the current leader of the opposition has a stroke and cannot carry on, forcing a leadership contest. When Ginny overhears two of the wives discussing her husband and his inability to stand as he is too busy having an affair her life changes. Instead of leaving him or cutting all his clothes up, she decides the best thing she can do to keep her family together is to make him Prime Minister.

So she sets about doing it. Fortunately Ginny is extremely clever, cleverer than her husband and most of the party in fact and with the aid of Bobby she sets about getting exactly what she wants. Although she is ruthless and there were casualties behind her subterfuge, she is still the heroine because a) she has a conscience and b) because we all know the Government and the members of the opposition are doing the same, if not worse tricks to stay or get into power.

I am always intrigued by what goes on behind the scenes and this book offers the chance to see how the UK government and opposition might actually work. You think some of the plot lines in the book too outrageous? Just look at the last few years - issues with funding of the parties, the focus on Iraq, and the back biting and brutality of leadership elections - they are all there in real life.

By using Ginny and the Sudanese woman, Ajok, Michael Dobbs manages to put a human face onto politics. He actually writes from the woman's perspective quite convincingly too. The subplot with Ajok does get a little tiresome and I lose some of my sympathy for her at one point, but in all, I really enjoyed this book.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 11, 2008 in British Authors, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 7, 2008 10:39 AM

BOOK REVIEW: It's All About Us by Shelley Adina

Reviewed by Jill Hart

How far is too far? That's the question that seems to be ever in Lissa Mansfield's mind since moving to San Francisco.

How far will she go to be accepted in the "in crowd?" How far is she willing to go with cute Callum McCloud? How far is she willing to bend to get along with her talkative-opinionated-wacky new roommate, Gillian Chang? And most importantly of all, how far is she willing to push herself to make sure her faith in God is evident in her life?

These questions and more keep Lissa on her toes as she tries to fit into her school life. It doesn't help that she's gotten herself on the planning committee for the Benefactor's Day Ball - the biggest event of the year at Spencer Academy. Can she find a hot celeb to book for the Ball or will she end up disappointing the entire student body?

I don't read a lot of YA (young adult) Lit, but this book so much fun. The characters are charming and right from the beginning I was pulling for Lissa to make the right choices. The best part about this book is that while moms like me (thirty-somethings) will enjoy it, it's also appropriate to be shared with teens and tweens. It would make a great conversations starter for moms and daughters!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith

Posted by Aigua Media on August 7, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 6, 2008 1:35 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Holly Would Dream by Karen Quinn

I really didn't enjoy Karen Quinn's debut, The Ivy Chronicles - in fact, I didn't even finish it – but I loved the premise of her third book, Holly Would Dream, and I've been looking forward to it for ages, so it seemed like a perfect book to take on holiday with me.

The premise is that Holly Ross, who works in a fashion museum in New York, is obsessed with all things Audrey Hepburn. When her boyfriend dumps her, she loses her apartment (because it was his apartment) and misses out on a promised promotion all on the same day, it seems like things can't get any worse, but then, thanks to a collection of Audrey Hepburn's dresses, they do.

Holly Would Dream takes in New York, Italy, Turkey and Greece and contains over a hundred hidden references to Audrey Hepburn and Cary Grant films. Right up my street, in fact. So did I like it?

Actually I really liked it. It's clear from the beginning of the book that this is a fairy story and there isn't much reality involved, but it's a great escapist read. I liked Holly although I found her irritatingly full of herself at times (which is exactly the same problem I had with Ivy in Quinn's first book). I didn't think there was any chemistry between Holly and the object of her affections, which was a shame. If ever a book was crying out for a sexy, traditional, manly hero, it was this one. But a number of the other supporting characters – from Holly's father, to the rich widows Holly meets on the cruise – are highly entertaining. I could have done without the tired cliché of the gay best friend, but I suppose Holly does work in fashion so I'll just have to let that one go.

All in all, a highly entertaining and almost entirely satisfying holiday read. On the strength of this book, I think I'll give Quinn's second book, Wife In the Fast Lane, a try.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Late Night Talking by Leslie Schnur

Posted by Keris on August 6, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 4, 2008 12:56 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

Arguably one of the most successful chick lit books of the past few years, it has also been made into a successful film with Meryl Streep. Which we've reviewed. Twice. Andrea has appeared on Trashionista as a heroine, yet, *whispers* we've never actually reviewed the book. So today I'm going to right this wrong.

If you don't already know (and if you don't where have you been?!) this brilliantly titled book is about Andrea Sachs, who has ambitions to write for The New Yorker and gets a job as Miranda Priestly's assistant. Apparently if you work for her for a year you can practically name the magazine you want to then go on to write for.

Lauren Weisberger has written this from her own experiences as she worked as the assistant for Anna Wintour the all powerful editor of Vogue. Priestly an exacting, outrageous control freak is supposed to be based on Wintour.

Andrea has no interest in fashion, diets, low carbs or any of the stuff associated with that industry. She has to learn fast both how to survive the looks and comments from her peers but also how to manage the demands of her boss. She is reduced to buying the coffee for her whilst also trying to negotiate several other difficult demands at the same time.

The plot of this book isn't it's strongest point. It has humour, a vivid look at the inside of the fashion industry, and definitely that page turning factor. But what carries the book, for me, is the character of Miranda. She is just so outrageously awful, so demanding of all these people who do exactly as she says, so larger than life that you just have to keep reading.

Occasionally I felt irritated by Andrea. Why put up with all of this? But Andrea has got to the point where she is so sucked into it all she believes she doesn't have a choice, which we, as a reader, can see that she does. Because of this I was led to believe that we were leading up to a big ending. A big bang, if you like. And whilst I won't give it away, I have to say the only bit I was slightly disappointed with was the end. Otherwise, I loved it.

Rating: 4/5 for sheer entertainment.

Like this? Try The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin

Posted by Helen Redfern on August 4, 2008 in American Authors, Devil Wears Prada, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

MORE ON MONDAY: Steering By Starlight by Martha Beck

As I've said on more than one previous occasion, Martha Beck's book, Finding Your Own North Star, completely changed my life, so when I heard there was a sequel coming out, I could hardly stand to wait.

Steering By Starlight basically takes the premises of Finding Your Own North Star and shows how they work in application. Beck shares stories of her clients and how she uses her methods to help them find their "right life". (She does this in Finding Your Own North Star too, but she goes into more depth in Steering By Starlight.)

While it is, of course, utterly wonderful, I found Steering By Starlight a little harder to get into than Beck's previous books. Her trademark humour is, of course, present, but this book is also a little less down to earth than her other books. Because Martha Beck is Martha Beck, she gets that this might freak some people out and so advises you to put you "shackles on" whenever she's going to talk about something particularly "out there."

Having said that, this book is still an incredibly useful and inspiring read. As is always the case with Beck's books, I've dogeared half the pages! If you haven't read Finding Your Own North Star yet, you should read that  first (and soon, it's fabulous), but if you've already read and loved that book, you will, I'm sure, find Steering By Starlight incredibly useful too.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Joy Diet by Martha Beck

Posted by Keris on August 4, 2008 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 30, 2008 9:22 AM

BOOK REVIEW: To My Dearest Friends by Patricia Volk

I absolutely adored Patricia Volk's memoir, Stuffed, so I was excited to read her latest novel, To My Dearest Friends. Set in New York, it's written in a strange and conversational style that I found took a bit of getting used to, but once I was used to it, I couldn't put it down and read it in a day.

It's the story of Alice Vogel and Nanny Wunderlich, who don't know each other, but were each the best friend of Roberta, who has recently died of cancer. They meet when they're both called to Roberta's solicitor's office and given the key to Roberta's safe deposit box.

What they find in the box surprises both of them, but while Alice is happy to let it lie, Nanny feels it warrants further investigation and that she and Alice should meet frequently to discuss it. Which they do, in Bergdorf's.

But of course they both have their own things going on. Alice is having both marital problems and her business (which was her mother's and grandmother's before her) is failing. Nanny is struggling to afford her home following her husband's death.

This book is so wise and funny and clever. It seems fairly light on the surface, but it covers so many different relationships: friends, husband/wife, mother/daughter, even employer/employee.

I loved it.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Summer At Tiffany by Marjorie Hart

N.B. The covers again. The really boring brown was the hardback. The paperback's much better, don't you think?

Posted by Aigua Media on July 30, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 29, 2008 10:56 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen

Reviewed by Denise Tomlinson

I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoy The Sugar Queen when I first picked it up as I haven't read the acclaimed Garden Spells and, well, the story of a sad woman who eats too many sweets and reads romantic novels didn't sound like it was going to be anything to write home about. Indeed, the first few pages really didn't seem too promising. However, I'm happy to say that after a shaky start, I was totally and utterly hooked.

Josey Cirrini is a poor little rich girl stuck tending to her elderly mother's every whim with the aforementioned sweets and romance novels her only consolation until one day, she finds tough-talking local waitress Della Lee Baker has taken up residence in her closet. Della Lee is determined to shake up Josey's narrow existence and starts pushing her to live her life to the full.

Through Della Lee's machinations, Josey meets Chloe Finley, a local woman suffering a devastating heartbreak after discovering that her boyfriend, Jake, has cheated on her. Tentatively, Josey and Chloe become friends and Josey discovers that Chloe is also friends with Adam, Josey's postman and long-term crush. As Della Lee pushes her, Josey begins to defy her mother to discover life outside of her home and blossom into the person she was always meant to be.

This is a story of friendship, love and people's capacity to change but it is the lovely magical realism touches that really bring the book to life. Chloe is a person who magically attracts books and not just any old books but somehow the exact books that she needs to help her in any given situation  -I would love to have that power! Her passion for Jake is so palpable that it can cause eggs to fry in their box when she is near him. Josey discovers that the colour red can make wonderful things happen for her and there is definitely something magical about Della Lee.

The portrayal of the old- fashioned small ski resort of Bald Slope that is home to Josey, Chloe and Della Lee is also really engaging with a rich cast of eccentric old ladies, ski bums and taxi drivers who are incapable of breaking a promise, not to mention Josey's long-dead and near mythical father, Marco Cirrini.

I admit I was skeptical to begin with but there is something enchanting about this book. The characters are very lovable - I was cheering on Josey in her voyage of self-discovery, feeling desperately sorry for Chloe in her time of despair and loving the developing friendship between the two, the various sub-plots keep you guessing and yes, there is some romance as well!

This is a great summer read (Keris & Helen were spot on!), pour yourself a Pimms, sit back and enjoy.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes by Jennifer Crusie,  Eileen Dreyer,  and Anne Stuart

Posted by Keris on July 29, 2008 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 28, 2008 10:45 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Klepto by Jenny Pollack

Klepto, a young adult book by Jenny Pollack, is about Julie Prodsky, a New Yorker who meets Julie Braverman on her first day at the High School of the Performing Arts (the "Fame" school, in other words). Julie P finds Julie B much cooler and is thrilled to be her friend, particularly when she starts teaching her how to "get" stuff from shops.

Yep, "getting" is Julie P's word for stealing, shoplifting, taking stuff without paying. I wasn't at all sure about this when I started reading, the teen "hobby" of shoplifting never appealed to me and I wasn't sure the book would either, but I ended up really enjoying it.

Part of my enjoyment came from the fact that the book is set in '80s New York. New York is very well-described and it made me nostalgic for my own '80s experience (which is some feat, since it was mostly feeble and embarrassing).

The actual stealing isn't treated lightly. Well, it is to begin with, but before long the girls realise that what they're doing is wrong, but the book is never preachy or heavy-handed on the topic.

Reading the author bio, it's clear that the book is thinly-veiled memoir, which, I guess, is why it's set almost thirty years ago (can you believe that 1981 is almost thirty years ago?!), but it also makes it even more convincing.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

N.B. I included the covers to show how they can go from old-fashioned (top) to up-to-date (bottom) between hardback and paperback printings!

Posted by Keris on July 28, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (3)

July 24, 2008 3:22 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Baby Group by Rowan Coleman

I know I have reviewed quite a few of Rowan's books lately, but you know how it is. You read one you like, then just have to read the others by the same author. The Baby Group was for me the first book I read by Rowan, compelling me to read more of hers, so I read it again the other day for the purposes of this review and enjoyed it as much as I did the first time.

What I should say straight off is, don't be put off by the title or the cover. Although babies do factor in this story, this isn't a book about them. It isn't really a book about a baby group as they don't get together so much on a structured basis, but about a collection of individuals who get to know each other, united in the fact that they all happen to have babies.

Natalie Curzon is the main character in this story. An independent, career minded woman running her own design company she had an unexpected and out of character fling with Jack Newhouse, then had a baby nine months later. It is a big change in her life and life as a single mother is a struggle and hugely different to what she is used to. Needing other adult company she joins the baby first aid group down the road and soon meets up with Meg a mother to four children. Along with Tiffany they set up a baby group of their own and are joined by Frances, Jess and Steve.

As ever with Rowan's stories, the characters are very well drawn and easy to empathise with. The large cast of character's does have the potential to be confusing, but I never found that as each one has its own individuality. Natalie isn't that likable in the beginning, but as we get to know her and her story unfolds I grew to like her, as she got to grips with her new life.

There are a few twists and turns to keep you guessing, but in summary this is a lovely book, a gentle read with lots of romcom factors.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Yorkshire Pudding Club by Milly Johnson

Posted by Helen Redfern on July 24, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 21, 2008 10:10 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: My Booky Wook by Russell Brand

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

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

July 18, 2008 1:10 PM

KERIS & HELEN'S SUMMER READS 2008: Worldwide Adventures in Love by Louise Wener

I haven't read any of Louise Wener's previous books and I wasn't sure I was going to like this one, but I was sucked in pretty much from the first page.

Set in the seventies, it's the story of two sisters - Jessie and Margaret - who befriend Edith, an older local woman, and spend many a happy afternoon talking to her and investigating the treasures strewn around her house. But then Edith's house burns down and Edith is killed.

Around the same time as Edith's death, Jessie and Margaret's mother leaves home to live with her new man. The girls are confused and their father is utterly incapable of looking after them (he tries - he's just never had to do it before, and is completely lost).

Between the chapters about the girls are letters from Edith in the early part of the last century, during which she was an adventuress, travelling to Greenland, Africa, Italy.

I really loved this book. Written from Jessie's point of view, it's often unintentionally hilarious (unintentional on the part of the narrator, not the author!), reminding me more than once of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time. There's also much fun to be had with late seventies nostalgia (if you're my age, anyway) and the Edith chapters are exciting, inspiring and, eventually, almost unbearably sad.

It's a beautifully written and wide-ranging book and, while not exactly a beach book, it's certainly a curl-up-with-a-glass-of-wine book.

Rating: 5/5

Like this? Try The Half Life of Stars by Louise Wener

Posted by Keris on July 18, 2008 in British Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: Daisy Dooley Does Divorce by Anna Pasternak

Reviewed by Angela Richardson

Anna Pasternak has been writing a popular column in the Daily Mail for the last four years. She certainly has writing in her blood, as she’s the grandniece of the Russian novelist Boris Pasternak. Daisy Dooley Does Divorce is based on her newspaper column. I was looking forward to reading this, after all four years worth of ideas should equal a pretty good book in my opinion.

Considering the title - Daisy Dooley Does Divorce - describing the story almost seems pointless. As Ronseal would say ‘it does exactly what it says on the tin’. It’s no surprise that Daisy is newly divorced or that we are going to live through the trials and tribulations of a newly divorced woman. Her two best friends are the opposite ends of life’s stories. One is a confirmed single woman and workaholic doctor and the other Daisy sees as having the perfect married life with a successful husband, gorgeous house and lovely children. This book is a round up of Daisy’s dating disasters and quest for her and her friends to find happiness.

Even though this was a popular column I did wonder when I started reading this whether I was going to relate to it, as I’ve never been married (or divorced, but I suppose that goes without saying!). At the start I found the characters a bit clichéd and Daisy seemed to bring a lot of her misery on her own head. Daisy does not invite a lot of sympathy; even her friends think that she’s slightly barmy to say the least. She’s addicted to self-help books, but can be alarmingly self-centred and shallow at times and I was beginning to think that I was going to hate the book. However, Pasternak eventually won me over. I slowly warmed to the characters as their back-stories were revealed and even though Daisy had the odd relapse (judging a new boyfriend by how posh his bathroom was seemed to be an invitation for misery to me) she did become quite endearing and as frightening as it was I begun to understand where she was coming from.

I’m sure that anyone that has been through the process of divorce will find this book hilarious and heart warming. For the rest of the population it’s worth the effort as the characters develop into much more than you would expect at the beginning, and the journey is entertaining to say the least.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Second Wives Club by Jane Moore

Posted by Aigua Media on July 18, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 15, 2008 9:57 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Girl At Sea by Maureen Johnson

You know I love Maureen Johnson and tend to read her books when I'm in a book lull, but that's not why I picked Girl At Sea. I picked it because I'm desperate for a holiday and I'd read that Girl At Sea was set in Sorrento, Italy and I love Sorrento.

Clio Ford is looking forward to spending the summer working in an art shop with the boy she likes until her mum drops the bombshell that instead she's going to spend the summer in Italy with her irresponsible father.

The idea of summer in Italy would probably appeal to most (it certainly appeals to me), but Clio and her father don't exactly see eye to eye. When Clio was younger, the two of them invented a popular seafaring board game and became, for a while, both rich and famous. Since then, Clio's father has lost most of the money and, following a disastrous holiday when Clio was both nearly killed and then allowed to get a tattoo, things have been more than strained with Clio's mother too.

When Clio gets to Italy, she meets her dad's new girlfriend, Julia, her daughter, Elsa, and research assistant, Aidan, and learns that, along with her dad's best friend, Martin, they're all heading out to sea... but no-one will tell her why or even allow her to contact home.

I wasn't at all sure about Girl At Sea at the beginning. I found it a bit irritating that the adults were so secretive and irresponsible and I didn't really care about any of the characters or why they were heading out to sea, but as I read on I got sucked in. It's not my favourite Maureen Johnson book (in fact, it might be my least favourite), but it was still a good read with another strong and intelligent heroine in Clio.

Rating: 3/5

Like this? Try Girl Overboard by Aimee Ferris

Posted by Keris on July 15, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 14, 2008 1:10 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Shoe Addicts Anonymous by Beth Harbison

Reviewed by Trashi reader, Stella

Shoe Addicts Anonymous is the story of four women who are brought together by their love of shoes. Lorna, deep in debt starts a shoe swap group as a way of being able to have new shoes without paying for them; Helene is the wife of an ambitious politician dissatisfied with her choices in life; Sandra, an overweight telephone sex-line operator with self-esteem issues that have plunged her into agoraphobia; Jocelyn, a nanny for the family from hell who doesn't know a Jimmy Choo from a Manolo Blahnik (neither do I) but who needs to get out of the house she works in on Tuesday evenings.

They form a new friendship based on their common interest but which extends past that and reaches further than they imagined, changing their lives for ever.

This is the type of chick lit book that chick lit detractors really love to hate. It's pink and it has shoes on the cover. Well to them I simply put my fingers in my ear and sing, "la la la la la!" loudly because I loved it.

I know it's fairly formulaic and predictable - I could spot the love story before the author had probably even written it, but I still got a thrill from the first kiss - but the characters were lovely and endearing enough in their strengths and weaknesses to balance that out.

The story moved swiftly along with a couple of teeny plot twists, one I picked from the beginning, the other which made me gasp out loud. Probably my only complaint is that there were a couple of loose ends left untied, but I read this book in one sitting on a sunny afternoon on the balcony and it was the perfect accompaniment to the day.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

Posted by Aigua Media on July 14, 2008 in Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 11, 2008 12:05 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Not-So-Perfect Man by Valerie Frankel

I've read a few Valerie Frankel books and found them to be, while always well-written, a bit hit and miss, so I wasn't sure what to expect from The Not-So-Perfect Man, but I really loved it.

Frieda Schast is a widow with a young son. Her older sister, Ilene, thinks it's about time Frieda started dating again. She also thinks it's about time her own husband, Peter, lost a bunch of weight and she doesn't hesitate to tell Peter so. Frieda's younger sister, Betty, could also do with losing some weight. And finding a man.

But when Frieda does start dating, Ilene doesn't approve. Because Frieda's dating Sam Hill, a sexy, young actor, who Ilene thinks is more fling material than second husband material. Ilene, though, should really be concentrating on her own marriage and the fact that her constant comments about her husband's eating habits just make him want to eat more. Until, that is, he goes on a diet and secretly recruits Betty as his dieting buddy. Because Betty has met a man. Earl was sent to the store where Betty works to implement a new system and make some overall changes, but it seems he wants to make a lot of changes to Betty too...

I loved this book. I loved the banter between the sisters. I loved that the women were all so strong, but also flawed and human. In fact, all the characters seemed real and even thought there are misunderstandings and secrets, they always seem realistic rather than contrived (apart from the ending, which is why I knocked off a point).

It's the kind of book I'll hold onto and read again and again.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie

Posted by Keris on July 11, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 10, 2008 11:04 AM

BOOK REVIEW: A Good Girl Comes Undone by Polly Williams

A Good Girl Comes Undone is the third novel by Polly Williams after the successful Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy and the poorly reviewed here on Trashionista (ok, by me) A Bad Bride's Tale. I didn't like the bad bride book because I thought the main character was weak, other characters were clichéd and the whole plot ridiculous. I wasn't expecting much, to be honest, from A Good Girl Comes Undone, but I'm pleased to say (as I actually do like to give good reviews) I was grabbed from the first page.

Annie Rafferty works as deputy editor for magazine, Glo. She lives with her boyfriend Nick in a house they splashed out on after her promotion. This means a huge increase in mortgage payments but as they are both successful, they can afford it. Then he tells her he has taken voluntary redundancy as he wants to work out what to do with his life.

Meanwhile, at work, Annie is struggling for survival after her colleague and (rather clichéd) worst enemy Alexis is gunning for her job. Then there is the fact her new superior seems to be flirting with her, her boyfriend Nick has turned to smoking drugs all day and her sister is getting married to Olly. Then her parents announce they are selling her childhood home.

Annie isn't a weak character. I liked her. She is focused, in control and accomplished. However, whenever she has a heated discussion with a man she rises from the table and grabs her coat saying something along the lines of "I can't do this." Which lets her down a tiny bit. I know this leaves the book with the page turning factor but it became irritating after a while. I wanted to shout at her to just talk to him then we'd all know where we stood. But this is a minor point. There were other minor points too which irked me a little bit, but I'll skirt over those because the book was actually a riveting read.

This is a huge leap from Polly's last book and I found it surprisingly enjoyable. I wasn't sure how it was going to end all the way through but I'm pleased with the ending it did have. The other characters were well thought out and there were quite a few surprises from them along the way. Polly did well with one of the main, male, characters, as we are kept guessing about him right until the end.

If her previous book put you off then I really recommend you give her another chance. If you've never tried Polly Williams before, then start with this one.

Rating: 4/5

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

Posted by Helen Redfern on July 10, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

July 8, 2008 10:56 AM

BOOK REVIEW: 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover by Linda Wisdom

Reviewed by Angela Richardson

When I picked up 50 Ways to Hex Your Lover I expected a fun, humorous read. Then I saw that the author Linda Wisdom has written over 70 romance books. This suddenly conjured up an image of the Little Britain character of an old woman dressed in pink, stuffing chocolates while dictating to a long suffering secretary working on one of those electric typewriters, which seem to have a life all of their own. My hopes for this book suddenly plummeted at the thought of an old fashioned flowery romance with a storyline masquerading as paranormal. An idea which was backed up the retro ‘Bewitched’ style cover, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

The characters in this story are quirky and upbeat. Jasmine is a witch that was banished from the Witches’ Academy hundreds of years ago and has had to make her way in the human world without help ever since. Her friends are made up of a human lodger that creates websites for vampires, a chain-smoking ghost that haunts her sports car and Fluff and Puff, a pair of bunny slippers that wouldn’t hesitate to bite your hand off. Between her two jobs of curse eliminator and chauffeur she’s been doing okay. However, when her ex-boyfriend, Nick turns up things start to get complicated. Nick is a vampire and his friends have gone missing. They suspect a past enemy has found a way to come back from the dead, but how on earth can they beat a power like that?

There was nothing really to dislike about this book. The characters were likeable with lots of humorous traits and the story was upbeat with a good plot. However, I felt as though there was something missing. Whenever I picked up the book I enjoyed it, but once I put it down I never had a burning desire to return to it and I don’t really know why. It may have been that the one thing the characters did lack was a believable chemistry. I never really cared whether the on off couple Nick and Jasmine were going to get back together or not. There wasn’t enough detail on the enemy for me to feel as though he was a real threat, which was a shame because the action towards the last third of the book showed that the story could have really shone. However, I don’t feel as though I can criticise this book as all it’s individual parts were so good, it’s just when you put them all together I didn’t think they quite meshed.

It was a good read that I would recommend if you are into these types of book, but if you are unsure about this genre it’s most definitely not one to start with.

Like this? Try Girls' Guide to Witchcraft by Mindy Klasky

Rating: 4/5

Posted by Aigua Media on July 8, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Romance, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 7, 2008 11:07 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Under Pressure by Carl Honore

I really enjoyed Carl Honore's first book, In Praise of Slow, so when I heard that he was taking on the culture of "hyper-parenting" I knew I had to read more.

In Under Pressure, Honore visits schools and preschools that are taking a "slow" approach (including a totally outdoor preschool, which sounds amazing), along with looking at current research on how children learn and at the damage that hyper-parenting can actually do.

I found this book fascinating and I've been quoting it to fellow parents frequently since finishing it. It did actually make me rethink how I play and interact with my own son (although I was certainly already closer to "slow" than "hyper", mainly due to inherent laziness).

One of the things I loved about it was how honest Honore is in admitting that he's still struggling with the concept himself. After reading Slow, I imagined he'd become utterly relaxed and chilled and was totally living the slow life. Under Pressure shows that this isn't the case, but he is trying because he knows it's better for both him and his family. Read it and you won't doubt it either.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Family Friendly Working by Antonia Chitty

Posted by Aigua Media on July 7, 2008 in American Authors, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 4, 2008 11:52 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Jumping to Confusions by Liz Rettig

To begin with, I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy Jumping to Confusions - the main character, Cat, is "the fat, plain one in my family". Her sister, Tessa is blonde, gorgeous and popular, mostly with boys. Cat's mother favours Tessa and comments relentlessly on Cat's weight. I felt like I'd read it all before and couldn't be bothered to read it again, but Cat's voice convinced me to keep going and I'm glad I did.

Tessa fancies Josh, the son of Cat and Tessa's father's American boss, who has moved to Glasgow to restructure the company. But when Josh seems more interested in Cat than in Tessa, Tessa suggests it's because he's not interested in girls at all...

What follows is utterly unbelievable, but strangely compelling. On the assumption that Josh is gay, Cat makes him her new best friend and utilises him for everything from bra shopping to kissing practice. Much of the entertainment comes from the fact that the reader knows (or at least I imagine most readers would know) that Josh isn't gay at all, rather he's interested in Cat ... and Cat is making a holy show of herself.

Plus there's Cat's crush on her schoolteacher (although she doesn't think it's a crush, she believes that he's just waiting for her to finish school so they can be together) and her - mostly hopeless - attempts to matchmake her friends.

Even though Cat came across as pathologically oblivious to what was right in front of her face, I really liked her. She's such a funny, good-hearted and stubborn character. Josh is very cute and Cat's group of friends are highly entertaining too.

Not necessarily a realistic read, but a highly entertaining one.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Pretty Face by Mary Hogan

Posted by Aigua Media on July 4, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Romance, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 3, 2008 11:21 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Little White Lies by Bernadette Strachan

Bernadette Strachan is not an author I've come across before (although this is her fourth novel) and because I'm not familiar with her work - when I picked up Little White Lies, read the blurb and studied the front cover, I wasn't really expecting much at all.

Billie Baskerville is allergic to weddings after her own went disastrously wrong. A few months later an aunt of Billie's asks her to look after her wedding shop and Billie, in a dead end job and wanting to escape, rushes to Sole Bay to take over the running off Barbara's Brides. The shop is dingy, run down with terrible stock. But Billie rises to the challenge and sets about, with the help of Dot, making it over.

She has nowhere to live as her dotty aunt had rented out the apartment, so she lives in a beach hut on the sea front. She gains friends, meets a fireman and it looks like life for Billie is getting better...

This book is actually one of those that turns out to be surprisingly good. I liked the writing style enormously.  Although it was written in third person, I felt whilst reading the book that someone was chatting to me. Occasionally I would feel lost and think, what did she mean by that sentence, but most of all I felt deeply involved in Billie's life, her friend's lives (not everything is what it seems) and how it would all end.

Talking of conclusions, I really did not see the end coming at all. Often when you start to read a book you can work out it's finale straight away. This one I didn't and although I felt slightly disconcerted by this (I'm so used to working things out) I just enjoyed the surprises within the story. Now I must check out Bernadette's other books.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Revenge of the Wedding Planner by Sharon Owens

Posted by Helen Redfern on July 3, 2008 in Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 24, 2008 10:30 AM

RICHARD AND JUDY SUMMER READS 2008: The Private Lives of Pippa Lee by Rebecca Miller

Reviewed by Sarah Hague

How many of us have led a blameless life, or have a past unsullied by the slightest hint of something dodgy?

Pippa Lee is the 50-year-old wife of successful book editor Herb who is thirty years her senior and getting frail. They leave their fabulous house and move into a housing complex for the old and infirm. Pippa, by far the youngest inhabitant, finds herself wondering what she is doing there.

In the upheaval and unsettling effect the move has on her, she reflects on her life - her speed-crazed mother, her dissolute youth, her meeting with Herb, her husband, and the stabling effect of the birth of the twins.

The move from contented wife of a successful publisher with all the comforts and social standing that brought, to member of a dying community, nursemaid to her husband, destabilizes her completely. Strange things start happening to her and she meets the odd son of her neighbour who stretches out an angel's wing of compassion and understanding.

Pippa is woman who has spent her life trying to come to terms with who she is and what she is. Many women will recognise her efforts to fit in to her expectations of what motherhood and marriage entail; her desire to be the perfect wife and mother.

Her marriage to Herb is founded on a tragedy and she lives, unknowingly, with the guilt until a second tragedy finally sets her free. Suddenly she realises she doesn't have to pretend any more, can be the person she wants to be, and has the courage to accept and forgive herself.

A fabulous read - complex, compassionate, and beautifully written. Pippa is a modern heroine - flawed, yet kind and loving. A woman for our times.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

Posted by Aigua Media on June 24, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Richard and Judy | 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)

BOOK REVIEW: The Accidental Mother by Rowan Coleman

I had only read two out of the six novels that Rowan Coleman has had published, her two latest, The Baby Group and The Accidental Wife both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. So I thought I'd give one of her earlier books a go.

Sophie Mills works for a company that holds parties for their clients. She works long and hard, lives alone in her flat and has lots of pairs of shoes. She's happy, or so she thinks. Aiming for a promotion she is shocked and floored when one day a social worker walks into her office and tells her she is now the legal guardian of her best friend's children, Izzy and Bella. Her life and her flat is thrown upside down and she is desperate to find their father in order to regain her old life.

This book has been on my radar for some time (it was published in 2006), but being a mother myself I often avoid books that appeared to be primarily about motherhood (coincidently just as I avoided The Baby Group - until I picked it up and realised it wasn't just about babies). It is written in Rowan's usual descriptive style, extremely vivid, in fact, I feel I used to live in Sophie's flat myself.

The book is a little predictable, you can kind of get an idea of what will happen, especially when one of the male leads walks into her life, but the journey Sophie goes on is both heartwarming and sad and you get so engrossed the predictability doesn't really matter. Pre baby I could have identified with Sophie before the children landed on her and once Sophie had fallen for the children and would do anything for them, I could identify with that too. The book also demonstrates, quite dramatically, how having children can completely change your life

I have to say now, after having read three books by Rowan you are always guaranteed a good read. This one is lovely and I enjoyed it tremendously. The only reason I'm giving it 4 instead of 5 in the ratings is because I enjoyed The Accidental Wife (her recent release) a little bit more and I can see how her writing has progressed.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson

Posted by Helen Redfern on June 23, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 19, 2008 11:58 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Around the World in 80 Dates by Christa Ann Banister

Reviewed by Jill Hart

As a travel writer, you would think Sydney Alexander leads a pretty exciting life. Unfortunately, this is only partially true. While she enjoys her work, has a great relationship with her sister, a hilarious hippie for a neighbor, and a strong relationship with God, she just can't seem to find a decent date.

Sydney's typical dates tend to either be "between jobs" (translated: have no money), "emotionally unavailable" (translated: on the rebound) or "with the band" (translated: too cool to care about anything but their music). She's not sure she'll ever meet a man that will be worth the time she spends getting dressed for the date.

An old flame keeps popping up in unexpected places, making Sydney wonder if breaking things off with him was the right thing to do. A blind date set up by Rain, the hippie neighbor, seems to have potential, but the guy isn't a Christian and Sydney isn't sure she's up for "missionary dating" (her sister's words).

In the midst of Sydney's turmoil, her sister, Samantha is trying to figure out the dating scene as well. Sydney and her family have always thought that Samantha should end up with her closest friend, Eli. Samantha, on the other hand, thinks that would be ... well, weird. Samantha, like Sydney isn't going to give up. There just has to be a good guy out there somewhere...

When Sydney is assigned a dream trip story covering travel tips for London, she's sure it means love. What could be more romantic than meeting a man in Europe?

I loved Christa Ann Banister's light-hearted look at love in the new millennium. Her witty writing reminded   me of other chick-lit writers and yet the plot was original and the characters were laughably funny. Her real life tie-ins cracked me up. From Tivoing The Office to getting java at Caribou Coffee to dinner at P.F. Changs - it could have all been straight out of my own life. No wonder I liked it, right?

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Sisterchicks Go Brit by Robin Jones Gunn

Posted by Aigua Media on June 19, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 11, 2008 11:50 AM

BOOK REVIEW: One Night Stand by Julie Cohen

As a relative Trashionista newbie I am learning all the time. Not to judge a book by its cover, a cliche but true and not to have preconceived views about certain books. I don't know why, but I thought  Little Black Dress books would be romance but with a submissive heroine...not my sort of thing at all (where have I been?) So I was pleasantly surprised when I finally got around to reading One Night Stand by Julie Cohen. I don't often admit to being wrong, but I do today.

One Night Stand is about Eleanor Connor, a bartender with a secret life. She writes erotic novels under the pen name Estelle May. So far she has written sixteen of them and is currently struggling with her seventeenth. Her own life, however, is a lot paler in compassion, with nothing happening and certainly nothing like the lives of the women in her novels. Until one night a stranger walks into the bar.

Slightly tipsy, Eleanor acts completely out of the ordinary and has a one night stand, something her friend and neighbour Hugh has on a regular basis, but definitely not something she has ever done. Then she finds out she's pregnant.

I did enjoy this book. I loved Eleanor. I loved that she was successful, was independent and when faced with the news that she was pregnant took it in her stride. Hugh was also a great hero, though both of them were a bit dipsy at times, and the tension mounting between the two of them was extremely well written. There is also plenty of humour and great observations about English pub life and living in Reading (Julie herself is American). I read it in day, it's a real page turner and never frustrating.

So, I have learned my lesson and will read more of both Julie Cohen's and Little Black Dress books in the future.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Hex and the Single Girl by Valerie Frankel

Posted by Helen Redfern on June 11, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 3, 2008 12:40 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen

I've been hearing about Sarah Dessen's books for years now, but I hadn't read one until The Truth About Forever.

It's the story of Macy, who is trying to keep it together following her dad's death (which she secretly feels she could have prevented). Macy's way of dealing is to keep her life very small and controlled and everything's going fine until her boyfriend suggests they take a break (he's not sure Macy is in line with his future "goals"), she gets a new job that she hates and she meets a chaotic catering crew who are always looking for extra help.

Liking the fact that when she's with the Wish caterers, she's just Macy and not Macy-whose-dad-died, she starts spending more and more time with them, particularly the gorgeous Wes. She and Wes enter into a game of truth and become closer and closer, sharing their secrets, but it's still safe because they both have partners (Wes's girlfriend is in prison).

But Macy had to have learned her coping strategy from someone and it was her mother who, when she realises how much time Macy is spending with her new friends, takes back some control of her own.

I loved this book. I liked Macy from the first page and the Wish crew are charming and hilarious. Wes is extremely sexy and charismatic and the book is filled with little details - about art, family, emotion, friendship, letting go and moving on - that are so brilliantly and subtlely woven into the story that you barely notice them until you finish reading and realise how utterly satisfying it all was. Although Macy and her family are sad, this isn't a sad book at all; in fact it's a very positive book. I'll definitely be reading more Sarah Dessen.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

Posted by Aigua Media on June 3, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (6)

June 2, 2008 1:06 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: JORDAN Pushed to the limit by Katie Price

I have a secret. I am a big fan of Katie Price. I don't know why I have to keep it a secret, but it seems to be easier that way. Although...well, obviously I've just outed myself and it isn't a secret now. I really enjoy Katie and Peter's fly on the wall programme on ITV3 on a Thursday night, I've been following the pair of them (her more than him - I haven't read his autobiography) since they were in I'm a Celebrity.

So I have read the first two of her autobiographies and a few weeks ago, struggling with morning sickness and extreme exhaustion, I needed something light and easy to read. Pushed to the Limit was the perfect solution. I was actually quite excited when I opened the book.

Her first book was about her life up until she met Peter, the second her relationship with Peter in the early days and this one is more family orientated. It is all about the emotional challenges of post natal depression, her miscarriage, the safety of her family and the health of her children, particularly Harvey, her eldest. Plus of course some intimate details of her relationship with Peter.

Katie, I find, is refreshingly honest and doesn't actually make out she is the heroine all the time. In fact there are a few times when she doesn't come across that well. She makes mistakes like most of us. I could identify with many of her experiences and it was quite inspiring to know somebody else out there has gone though similar situations. I found her description of family situations to be, in fact, the most interesting bits along with her behind the scenes information on her career. (Not so much about her and Pete's bedroom antics). The chapter about Harvey's accident, again told in a frank and unflinching way, was heartbreaking and I really felt for her and Harvey.

I know that Katie probably didn't write the book herself and for some people that is scandalous. I don't care though. I am naturally a nosy curious person and want to know about other people's lives, particularly someone successful like her in the public eye. (I do draw the line at Kerry Katona and Jade Goody though).

I am now bracing myself for everyone to disagree with me!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Growing Pains by Billie Piper

Posted by Helen Redfern on June 2, 2008 in Celebrity Authors, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

BOOK REVIEW: The Boy Next Door by Cathy Woodman

Reviewed by Angela Richardson

Cathy Woodman is a qualified vet who has turned to writing full time. This is her fourth book and I expected at least one of the characters to have a quirky pet, but she’s drifted away from her own work experiences and pushed into the romantic world of flower arranging instead.

The Boy Next Door is a romantic drama centring on Terri Mills whose world has fallen apart. She is forced to go back to live near her grandmother in London with only a bankruptcy order to show for her life in Devon. Even if she has lost her own flower shop, she still has her nine-year-old daughter who sees the move as an adventure. Plus she’ll still be working with flowers in her gran’s local flower shop. Which would be great, except for the fact that she’ll also be working with her childhood sweetheart who broke her heart all those years ago. Will she be able to cope seeing him with his successful business and family when she has failed at both?

This book was a great read. It didn’t have a complicated plot with lots of twists and turns, and was rather predictable, but in a way that was what I liked about it. The characters were black and white. If you hated a character, it’s because Woodman wanted you to hate them. She is very skilled at manipulating the reader into feeling exactly what she wants them to feel at any particular part of the story. Personally I expect a certain type of ending with romances and Woodman didn't disappoint. The whole book follows a winning formula that can be hard to get just right, but this book will satisfy any lover of romances. It is lacking humour, so cannot really be classed as a romantic comedy, but has enough pace and drama to pull itself through.

I think this would be great for the beach or even your back garden if the weather permits.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Posted by Aigua Media on June 2, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 19, 2008 9:13 AM

MORE ON MONDAY: Did I Expect Angels? by Kathryn Maughan

I didn't know what to expect from Kathryn Maughan's Did I Expect Angels? I'm not a big fan of the title or the cover, they both seem a little pretentious to me. Of course, the fact that it's about grief wasn't a big draw either. You know what I'm going to say now, don't you? Yeah, I really liked it.

It begins with Jennifer Huffaker in the pharmacy trying to decide how many bottles of aspirin it will take for her to kill herself. Following the death of her husband, Jack, eighteen months earlier, Jennifer has sunk into a depression that no-one - not her family, friends, or her young daughter, Kaitlyn, can get her out of.

But in the store, she bumps an acquaintance, Henry, who senses her desperation and insists that she come with him and listen to his story. Henry moved from Costa Rica to the US and has suffered many trials and setbacks of his own.

Alternating with Henry's story is Jennifer's own story - the story of her relationship with Jack.

Did I Expect Angels? is not just an utterly compelling story, it's two utterly compelling stories. I found Jennifer's story hard to read since I knew, from the first page, that Jack was going to die and so it was hard to enjoy their happiness. Henry's story was difficult too, but I was desperate for him to succeed and find happiness in the US.

Above all, it's just beautifully written and I'm amazed that it's Maughan's first novel. I look forward to reading her next.

Ratng: 4/5

Like this? Try Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston

Posted by Aigua Media on May 19, 2008 in American Authors, Debut Novels, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 14, 2008 7:27 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Second Time Lucky by Sophie King

Reviewed by Helen Redfern

I’ve read Sophie King’s previous books (Mums@Home and The School Run) and even though I didn’t dislike them I thought them a little formulaic, twists for the sake of twists and a tad underwhelming. Second Time Lucky, however, is where Sophie really gets into her stride. Initially a little apprehensive I actually thoroughly enjoyed it and swallowed it up (not literally you understand) in one day.

There is the newly separated woman, Louise, with three teenagers that she’s struggling to control. An uptight American, Marcie, with a dark past unable to conceive with her equally uptight English husband, whilst battling with the children from his first marriage. Mollie, a retired actress, newly widowed but still talking to her husband as though he’s really there. They all come together into a former stately home, now divided into flats. The home once belonged to Roddy’s family. He has now returned fresh from rehab, trying to ignore the temptation of the bottle whilst attempting to regain access to his children.

As you can see, there is a lot going on. In contrast with her other books this one doesn’t seem formulaic at all. The lives of the characters all jumble up into a fabulous mess. I did want to bash some strength into Louise the divorcee as I wanted there to be a bit more about her (I do like a strong heroine) but to be fair she’s just moved out of their family home and in a state of shock. In contrast I found Sally the cleaner and Mollie were both great. Mollie was, by far, my favourite character. To be fair though the characters were all well drawn and described, I could see them very clearly, as I could the house where they all lived.

There were a few twists in the book and at one stage Sophie really leaves us guessing for a while. I enjoyed the little notices that were put up at the beginning of each chapter. It is this attention to detail that really makes the book. If Sophie keeps going like this, she’s got a fantastic future ahead of her.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Queen of Broken Hearts by Cassandra King

Posted by Aigua Media on May 14, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 9, 2008 11:19 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks be E Lockhart

I've loved all of E Lockhart's books, but I have to admit I was a bit afraid to read her latest, The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks, since a couple of friends whose opinions I respect really didn't like it at all. Well, I don't respect their opinions anymore*, since I loved it.

Frankie attends the exclusive boarding school that her father and sister (and father's father, etc.) attended before her. When she started there, she was in her sister's shadow, but now that her sister has left - and Frankie has experienced some physical "blooming" - things are looking up.

* only joking.

Frankie is thrilled when her long-time crush and star of the school, Matthew Livingston, suddenly notices her and they begin dating. She's not so thrilled when she realises that Matthew is lying to her in order to hang out and plan pranks with the all male secret society of which he's a member.

Frankie refuses to let Matthew and his friends underestimate her and so decides to carry out a few pranks of her own with startling results.

From the first page I loved this book. I loved the character of Frankie and her refusal to be patronised. I loved how she co-opted a boys' club and had them all under her control without them ever suspecting her. There are plenty of feminist characters in young adult fiction, but I find them to be more overtly feminist (yet not stridently so) in E Lockhart's books.

While I didn't love this as much as the Ruby Oliver books (like this one and this one - and there's another coming soon!) - the Loyal Order of the Basset Hounds reminded me a bit too much of the Life and Death Brigade in Gilmore Girls and there's a running joke about language that I found a bit irritating - it's yet another addition to my brilliant YA bookshelf. If E Lockhart just wrote about nine more books a year, she could give Meg Cabot a run for her money!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Secret Society Girl by Diana Peterfreund

Posted by Aigua Media on May 9, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 8, 2008 10:05 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Sisterchicks Go Brit by Robin Jones Gunn

Reviewed by Jill Hart

It's official. I want to be a SisterChick when I grow up. I hope I might be so lucky. Robin Jones Gunn's SisterChick series is centered around the lives of two "midlife mamas", Elizabeth (Liz) and Kellie. The two friends have been through ups and downs together and know each other almost well enough to read the other's thoughts.

Sisterchicks Go Brit, the seventh book in the series, finds Liz and Kellie on their way to see Big Ben. How they end up traveling to the UK is a story in itself, but I'll leave that a mystery because what's best about the book is what's in the middle - the trip itself. The gals visit all of the places I'd like to go if I were cross the pond - the old haunts of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, the sights and sounds of London, shopping at Portabella Road in Knotting Hill. Ahhh, I could envision myself alongside them as they bopped from place to place. (And bop they did.)

Liz and Kellie have quite a journey. They are spectators at a village pancake race, taken on a whirlwind tour of British authors sites, and even end up in a hot air balloon. If that isn't enough, one of them manages to get herself pulled aside for questioning on The Underground.

I've read many of Gunn's other books, but I actually jumped into this series with this book. Even though I didn't have a lot of background on the characters, the book was enjoyable and held it's own. Although these mamas are middle-aged I still related to them and laughed with them along the way. I liked the book enough that I've already gone out and found myself a copy of the first book so that I can start from the beginning and experience life through the eyes of the two hilarious chicks. I almost forgot to mention, Gunn includes a bonus for her fans in the back of the book. She shares pictures and thoughts of her own trip to the UK as well as an excerpt from the Sisterchicks devotional, Take Flight.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try I Heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson

Posted by Aigua Media on May 8, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 5, 2008 12:48 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Family Friendly Working by Antonia Chitty

Reviewed by Zoe Lea

As I work from home and have a boisterous four year old to deal with, I jumped at the chance to review this book hoping for lots of ideas and advice. I’m happy to say that I wasn’t let down.

The title and by-line ‘Inspiring Ideas for making money when you have kids’ is tackled from all angles in a practical and realistic manner.  The 10 Chapters cover a wide range of themes in the area of flexible working, from ‘Finding ways to work’ and ‘Growing your business’ to a very clear ‘How to guide.’

Unlike lots of other books in this field, Family Friendly Working draws on experiences from parents and carers at every opportunity, so the book is filled with real-life case studies of what people have done, more or less on every page.  I did find this inspiring, but as there were more than a hundred parents featured in the book, there was a  slight sense of over-kill to it.

That being said, the book is filled with good ideas, tips and advice.  It’s a good read and a great starting point for anyone wondering how to achieve that work/life balance.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Zoe's website, Flexible Working Life

Posted by Keris on May 5, 2008 in British Authors, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Self development | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 30, 2008 11:09 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Addition by Toni Jordan

Reviewed by Sarah Hague

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

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

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

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

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

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

A lovely read.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Miss Understanding by Stephanie Lessing

Posted by Aigua Media on April 30, 2008 in New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (19)

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 25, 2008 12:26 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Fifteen Minutes of Shame by Lisa Daily

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Marshmallows for Breakfast by Dorothy Koomson

Posted by Aigua Media on April 25, 2008 in American Authors, Debut Novels, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 23, 2008 11:38 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Small World by Matt Beaumont

Reviewed by Deborah Riccio

If, like me, you loved Matt Beaumont's last offerings - E and the wonderfully easy, laugh-out-loud funny Staying Alive - then be prepared to have to take a little more time over his latest contribution to the world of (dare I say it?) lad lit. It's a bit hard going and I don't mean in a metaphysical way.

The tagline on the cover reads "Some paths cross, others collide", and there's no doubt about it, the premise is a great one: all our paths cross somewhere and sometime one day either in a big way or without us even noticing.

But - and this is a Big BUT - I found it very difficult trying to keep track of names and situations when the 10 (yes, 10) main characters appear in the first chapter. In all there are 17 characters to get to grips with, plus three or four who don't have their own voice, but appear as significant others to the main ones.

There's a couple trying for a baby (only he's ambivalent and she doesn't know) and they're friends with another couple who have four kids (and they feel as uncomfortable having kids as the friends who can't but they don't know that either). And they're friends with another couple, one of which is besotted to the point of stalking, one half of the first couple mentioned.

Phew. But that's not all.

There's also au pairs who'd rather not, a policeman struggling with his temper, his wife and the local drunk, a waiter dreaming of stand-up comedy, a comedian who's losing the will, a mother frantic for her streetwise son who keeps getting nicked because of the way he looks and a shop assistant who loves the bones of him if only he had time to notice.

And as these are all written in the first person - present, the whole thing has more the feel of a script than a novel and I spent most of the first few chapters having to turn back and find out who was married to/sleeping with/working with/mother or father to and/or nanny of and where they'd got up to last.

That said, each storyline was particularly well crafted and the whole thing flowed seamlessly and rather cleverly. Sex, age, creed, social position, deviance, you name it, this book has got it. There's raw emotion, wishful thinking, regrets, desires, some good one-liners (not least from the stand-up wannabe) oh, and the odd murder. And as every good plan should, it all comes together in the end, one way or another.

It's a bit like peeking through someone's net curtains - from the outside - and getting a covetous insight into their personal world. In a good way of course.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Two Doors Down by Annie McCartney

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

April 22, 2008 11:00 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Once Upon Stilettos by Shanna Swendson

I've wanted to read Shanna Swendson's Once Upon Stilettos for ages, but somehow hadn't got around to it. I finally managed to snuggle down with it over one of the recent rainy and miserable weekends and it brightened me up considerably!

The first book in the series, Enchanted Inc, sees innocent Texan, Katie, living in New York and learning that she is a magical immune - in other words she can see magical acts - but is unaffected by them, which sees her recruited by MSI, Magic, Spells and Illusions, Inc.

In Once Upon Stilettos, Katie's job (she's assistant to Merlin - yes, *that* Merlin) is going very well except it seems MSI may be harbouring a spy. She's got a crush on one of her colleagues, Owen, but she's actually dating another colleague, Ethan. She's put in charge of the Secret Santa as a team-building exercise. And then her parents decide to come to New York for a visit.

Katie's horrified when it seems her mother can see the magical happenings around them. Her mum can't also be an immune, can she? I say also, it seems that Katie's immunity might be on the wane, which couldn't happen at a worse time: how can Katie find the spy without revealing she's lost her immunity? And will she get it back? And, if not, will she be out of a job (and the chance to see Owen every day)?

I enjoyed this book every bit as much as the first in the series. They're so sweet-natured and such good fun. I certainly won't leave it so long before reading the next in the series, Damsel Under Stress.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Jinx by Meg Cabot

Posted by Aigua Media on April 22, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Series, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (4)

April 21, 2008 5:54 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Strange Bedpersons by Jennifer Crusie

Strange Bedpersons is one of Jennifer Crusie's early books. It was published by the Harlequinn Temptation line back in 1994 and, as a category novel, it's shorter than her later stand-alone titles.

Nick Jamieson is the exact opposite of Tess Newhart. He's a straight-laced, conservative Republican lawyer and she's free-spirited, out-spoken and was brought up in a hippy commune.

After a short fling, the two are friends of a kind, and Tess agrees - as a favour and against her better instincts - to accompany Nick on a business trip.

It's a light romance, so you know exactly what you will be getting. Nick and Tess fall in love; getting to know each other properly and making compromises that let you know their happy ever after will last beyond the last page of the book.

It's funny and quick-witted with great characters. I loved Tess's best friend, Gina, and marvelled (once again) at how good Crusie is at creating charasmatic, memorable people.

Okay, so it's not got the depth of her later novels - and it's probably got the flimsiest plot that I've seen in a Crusie - but for a short, fun read, you'd be hard pushed to find better.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: The Fortune Quilt by Lani Diane Rich

Posted by Sarah Painter on April 21, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 14, 2008 9:01 AM

BOOK REVIEW: All You Need is Love by Mary Malone

Reviewed by Claire Allan

With so many new faces on the Irish writing scene at the moment, it can be easy to miss a few gems.

All You Need is Love by Mary Malone is a warm-hearted, fast paced and action filled novel that digs a little bit deeper than average women's fiction. In fact the title is misleading - this is a book that could easily be dismissed as light-hearted fluff - but Malone, one known to buck the trend, uses her second novel to look at the growing drugs culture among Ireland's young people.

It centres around Georgina, a young and enthusiastic journalist, who has her share of drama in the newsroom as well as at home. As the eldest of three children, she has taken on the role left behind by her late mother and as the pressure grows in work, something has to give.

The world of work and home collide when her younger brother, Luke, becomes embroiled in a car accident which reveals his dealings with drugs and Georgina has to decided whether to put her family, or her career first.

Of course being women's fiction, the book always tells the story of Georgina's best friend Val - a single mother doing a grand old job of raising her four year. However when the four year old is involved her own drama, the girls' friendship is tested.

I have to applaud Malone for dealing with a subject that wouldn't normally be top of the agenda in women's fiction. Her writing oozes warmth and charm and she isn't afraid to go one step further for a good hook.
Having worked in local journalism myself for 10 years, her portrayal of the newsroom was fairly accurate - but I did find it at times difficult to warm to Georgina. I much preferred the best friend Val, who seemed to have her head on her shoulders.

The book, of course, contains a love interest in the form of news editor Tim - but I did find it a little stretched to see Georgina pursue him so soon into her new job. (But then I have a problem generally with in-house romances in chick lit - it's a little cliched).

But putting this all together, this is a book which makes for perfect reading if you want something with a little more bite. Malone is sure to build herself a larger following with All You Need is Love and it will be interesting to see what she tackles next.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try All I Want Is You by Martina Reilly

Posted by Aigua Media on April 14, 2008 in Irish Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 11, 2008 11:40 AM

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 6:17 PM

BOOK REVIEW: No Good Girls by Jean Marie Pierson

I requested this book after seeing the fabby book trailer and I must say, I wasn't disappointed.

It is, however, a classic case of the wrong cover being slapped on a book. It's garish, uses cartoon - a pet hate of mine - and simply doesn't match the content. No Good Girls is about a group of female best friends in New York and it is funnier, snarkier and quirkier than the cover suggests...

Geri O'Brien works for a publishing house while collecting rejections for her screenplay. She hangs out with her best friends, Maria, Emmy and Sally and they collectively wonder when they will get their New York Minute.

Maria is a cop looking for action but stuck on the quiet day-shift, Emmy is nursing an unrequited crush and Sally wants a promotion and a man.

While the plot has plenty of action, thrills and slapstick humour, the real strength of this book is Geri's voice. I just loved it. She is an individual, funny heroine with an imaginary friend called J.T. and something of a death wish.

The supporting characters - like J.T. and Geri's car enthusiast dad - were great, too.

Chock-full of brilliant one-liners, film references, and fantastic dialogue, Jean Marie Pierson has won my heart. Hurry up and write another book, please!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Stupid and Contagious by Caprice Crane

Posted by Sarah Painter on April 10, 2008 in American Authors, Book covers, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: Stuck in the Middle by Virginia Smith

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Joan. Boring name for a boring life. Or so Joan believes until she meets her new next door neighbor. The handsome doctor her age make Joan realize that there may be more to life than settling for living at home, getting up every morning to go to an unfulfilling career and wishing she was living her one of her sisters' lives. But, Joan knows she can't make a change because no one would be there to care for her aging grandmother - a job that she has taken upon herself, but truly enjoys. Not to mention, the doctor may be adorable, but he's also a Christian. And Joan's not so sure that's what she needs right now. Her life is comfortable - why complicate it with thoughts of love and religion. Joan's not sure her life can handle either.

Stuck in the Middle is a picture of what life as like middle child. It seems most three daughter families have the smart, 'motherly' older sister; the sweet, carefree younger sister ... and the insecure, people-pleasing middle child. Joan is the epitome of a middle child and yet she's easy to love. I was rooting for her from the very beginning. The two other sisters frustrated me at first, but as the book progresses you learn how much they care about their sister and they endear themselves as well.

Stuck in the Middle is the first book in the Sister-to-Sister Series and Virginia Smith's sixth book. Smith's contemporary fiction is filled with humor as well as meaningful lessons for life. There is one specific section in the book that really made me pause and re-evaluate how I think about my life (I don't want to give it away, but look for the chocolate ice cream story). I love a book that sticks with me. Weeks after I put it down, it still comes to mind and continues to make me think.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Hanging Up by Delia Ephron (non-inspirational)

Posted by Keris on April 10, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5, Romance | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 7, 2008 4:45 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomson

Amber Salpone believes in chocolate and not a lot else. Chocolate has been a reliable friend in an otherwise frightening world. Amber's childhood has left her with trust and commitment issues and a tendency to avoid conflict and love wherever possible.

She categorises the people she meets as types of chocolate and goes to the supermarket to sniff chocolate (yes, really) when stressed.

Amber is a sympathetic character but she's not pathetic. I loved the fact that she seems to have a healthy body image and doesn't angst over her size (much) and that she is successful at work.

It's just in her personal life where Amber all goes to pot. When she sleeps with her best friend and famous lothario Greg Walterson, she goes into meltdown. They manage a relationship (which they keep secret from their two mutual friends), but Amber is terrified by the intimacy.

Added to this, her other best friend - Jen - is being utterly horrible and her family still has the power to disconcert her.

Amber's past reaction to emotional problems has been to do a chocolate run - to another city, but this time she tries to face it all.

As Amber is in denial about relationships, she misses some obvious cues and doesn't always act very rationally. However, it is testament to Koomson's writing that this comes across as  realistic rather than infuriating.

The Chocolate Run is a character-driven book and very focused on emotions and Amber's past (and her thoughts about the past). Not a huge amount happens and at times I found myself wanting to skip ahead, but it is well-written and warm, so perhaps I just wasn't entirely in the right mood.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney

Posted by Sarah Painter on April 7, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

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 2, 2008 9:36 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Kept Man by Jami Attenberg

Reviewed by Sarah Hague

How would you react if your loved one had a stupid domestic accident and ended up in a coma? Would you pull the plug or hold onto the hope that s/he would wake up? How long would you hold onto that hope? A few weeks? Few months? A year?

Jarvis Miller has been waiting for her beloved husband Martin, an artist, to wake up for six years. For six years she herself has been living in a limbo-land of visiting him, waiting, loving, and being brave.

Then her washing machine breaks down and, one Tuesday, she has to go to a launderette where she meets a group of three kept men. They all have dynamic working wives so can pursue their own interests as they like. They are the first people Jarvis has communicated with in six years, and she likes them, so she goes back next Tuesday.

In her gradual coming to terms with Martin's living death, she makes some discoveries which change her perspective on her situation, and she realises that her wonderful husband was not quite the loving faithful husband he pretended to be.

The story unfolds with tactical brilliance. Jarvis is a complex character - both brave and vulnerable. Her artist husband is the centre of her life even in his comatosed state - she has remained a faithful, sad, loving wife. But as she herself wakes up, so we follow her as she explores why she is hanging on, and whether she should continue to do so.

Superbly written, it's the story of one woman's journey from a living death, towards Life, whatever it might hold. A fantastic read, with colourful, charming characters and strong human warmth.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

Posted by Keris on April 2, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 1, 2008 7:20 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Pretty Face by Mary Hogan

I enjoyed Mary Hogan's book The Serious Kiss, but I wasn't wild about it. I enjoyed Pretty Face much more, even though it deals with some of the same issues (specifically: weight).

In Pretty Face, Hayley is overweight and the boys she likes just want to be friends. Yes, she's got a pretty face, but if they could just look past her weight, they'd see she has a lovely personality too. But they don't. And neither does her mother. Having conquered a weight problem of her own, Hayley's mother is determined to help her daughter with her own issues, but she's going about it all wrong (so wrong, in fact, that I wanted to beat her around the head with a box of Krispy Kremes).

Fortunately for Hayley, her parents decide to send her to stay with friends in Italy for the summer. Friends who can see past the weight and give Hayley the space to become comfortable with herself.

The story itself is very cliched (how many books have you read with an overweight heroine who finds herself and loses weight?), but I didn't care. I flew through it.

I loved Hayley from the first page and the descriptions of Italy (and the food!) made my mouth water. It was such an easy read and I kept wondering what it reminded me and then I realised it was like one of the Sweet Dreams books I used to be obsessed with.

In fact, I wish it had been around when I was an overweight teenager myself, it would have become one of my favourite books.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Serious Kiss by Mary Hogan

Ah, the covers. I complained in my review of The Serious Kiss that the (UK) cover didn't suit the book and I'd say the same for Pretty Face - it's just too vague. But while I like the design of the US cover (on the left), it almost seems too specific. (I know, I'm impossible to please!)

What do you think? Which do you prefer?

Posted by Keris on April 1, 2008 in Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (3)

March 31, 2008 4:31 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Since I Don't Have You by Louise Candlish

Reviewed by Amy Sheehan

Since I Don’t Have You is based on a sad premise. Rachel, Mariel and Jenny are best friends who share everything, and their children Emma, Catherine, and Daisy are best friends too. The women make a promise that they will look after each other’s daughters if anything should ever happen to one of them. It never crosses their minds that tragedy could strike elsewhere.

Then the unthinkable happens and Rachel’s life is changed forever. Unable to continue in her marriage to husband Oliver, she leaves him and her friends behind to start a new life on the Greek island of Santorini. There, with the help of new friends Eleni and Ingrid, she slowly starts to rebuild her existence. At the same time, she keeps in contact with the past by hiring a private investigator, Johnny Palmer, so she can keep watching over Catherine and Daisy, and secretly intervene in times of crisis. The interaction between Rachel and Johnny was especially touching and beautifully written.

The book reminded me quite a bit of Cecelia Ahern’s PS I Love You, apart from the writing being more mature; and instead of Rachel receiving guidance in the form of letters from a guardian angel, she is the one guiding others, acting as guardian angel to the children she left behind. Throughout the book, the reader also learns why Rachel chose Santorini of all places for her retreat, as well as about her family’s history with the island, especially linked to the earthquake there in 1956.

Like PS, it has a hopeful, if bittersweet, ending, and the descriptions of Greece are beautiful. This and the gentle, relaxing pace of the book would probably make it a good holiday novel. It’s not just a book about grief and coming to terms with loss; it’s about searching for your path in life; celebrating friendship, and finding out ways to be happy. It’s a very moving, well-written, inspirational read.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try My Best Friend's Girl by Dorothy Koomson

Posted by Keris on March 31, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 28, 2008 10:16 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Queen of Babble in the Big City by Meg Cabot

Queen of Babble is, I think, the only Meg Cabot book that actually disappointed me. Of course, it's Meg, so it was still funny and sweet, but it reminded me too much of Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep A Secret (my favourite Kinsella book).

Queen of Babble in the Big City is the second book in the Lizzie Nicholls trilogy and I enjoyed it much more than the first.

Following their summer romance, Lizzie is staying with Luke in his mother's New York (Fifth Avenue, no less) apartment. She wants to find a job restoring wedding dresses, but, since the only job she can find is unpaid, she has to take a morning job as a receptionist in her friend Chaz's father's law firm.

Best friend Shari is staying with Chaz (her boyfriend) until she and Lizzie can get a place together, but it seems like things aren't going well in her relationship with Chaz. Her job, however, is fabulous. So fabulous, that she's spending all her time there (and with her new boss).

Can Lizzie find a job doing what she loves (and getting paid for it)? Can she get Luke to commit? Can she help Shari and Chaz sort out their problems? And can she cope when Luke's parents come to visit?

Queen of Babble in the Big City is charming, sweet and funny and Lizzie seemed much more mature than she did in the first book (although this time she reminded me of Becky Bloomwood!). She's still sweet and naive, but this time it was more endearing than irritating so I'll definitely be reading the final book (Queen of Babble Gets Hitched).

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Now can we talk covers? The UK cover above is offensively boring, in my opinion. It's almost as if they just couldn't be bothered and so copied the pattern from some leftover wrapping paper... And what's with the back-to-front "B"? Disappointing.

The US covers (hardback, left, and paperback, right) are much nicer.

Which is your favourite?

 

Posted by Keris on March 28, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Romance, Series | Permalink | Comments (4)

March 26, 2008 11:47 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Be Mine by Laura Kasischke

Posted by Keris on March 26, 2008 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 20, 2008 8:33 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Silver Bay by Jojo Moyes

Reviewed by Jennie Hughes

Ignore the little tag-line on the front cover – “You have nothing to lose but your heart” – because this book is not the heap of slush that that phrase would imply. (Publishers must really annoy their authors sometimes, because I suspect that Jojo Moyes would have taken those simpering little words and thrown them overboard to rot on the beach.)

Silver Bay is a sparsely-populated paradise in New South Wales where Lisa McCullen is hiding herself and her daughter Hannah from past tragedies and communing with the whales which pass by on migration every year.

Then, real-estate developers arrive in the shape of Mike Dormer who has come to scope the place out for a hotel and leisure complex designed to make mega-bucks for his boss in London, his future father-in-law. The different pace of life, the beauty, the whales, the dolphins, Hannah – and Lisa - all get to him, however, and his priorities change.

This is a well-crafted book with an interesting plot-line revealed in appropriately timed snippets. It is written from the alternating first-person point of view of each of the main characters which serves to bring them alive extremely well. It can sometimes be difficult to remember whose skin you’re in as it is difficult to write an authentic voice for everyone from an 11-year-old girl to an Aussie beach-bum who thinks he’s God’s gift to women, but confusion is surprisingly rare.

As the story of Lisa’s past life is gradually unfolded, along with the tales of the other residents of Silver Bay, there are enough twists and turns in the plot to keep you reading, and although you know from the start there’s going to be a happy ending (it’s a romantic novel, okay?) the actual ending is so impossibly happy that you really don’t foresee it. I cried, dear reader, real tears.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Truffles By The Sea by Julie Carobini

Posted by Sarah Painter on March 20, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 17, 2008 5:29 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Like this? Try Bloom by Elizabeth Scott

Posted by Keris on March 17, 2008 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

BOOK REVIEW: It Must Be Love by Sharon Owens

Reviewed by Claire Allan

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Fortune Quilt by Lani Diane Rich

Posted by Keris on March 17, 2008 in Irish Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (4)

MORE ON MONDAY: Uglies by Scott Westerfield

Scott Westerfield has taken our modern-day obsession with physical beauty and followed it to the logical end. In his future world, an operation is carried out on every child on their sixteenth birthday, turning them from an 'Ugly' into a 'Pretty'.

As well as bestowing physical perfection, the operation seems to lead to a life of parties and fun.

Tally Youngblood is a typical teenager. She lives in a dormitory-style school, separated from her parents (Uglies and Pretties are not permitted to mix), and eagerly awaits her operation.

Then, Tally meets Shay. Shay is also fifteen, but she has a very different view of the operation. She opens Tally's eyes to a different path - a path that leads to a secret community of renegade Uglies, living in the Rusty Ruins.

Tally cannot make the leap of faith - to sacrifice everything she has dreamed of, in order to join an uncertain and less attractive future. She returns home, only to find that the State knows about her friendship with Shay and has a mission for her: infiltrate the community and then report back on its location.

However, once back with the Uglies, Tally discovers that there is a lot more to the 'turning' operation than becoming beautiful...

This book is a real thrill-ride and the world utterly convincing - and frightening. I raced through it book and couldn't wait to get my hands on the sequels (there are three: Pretties, Specials and Extras).

As well as an adventure story (with an active female protagonist - yay!), it also has lots to say about freedom of thought, individuality and the pursuit of physical ideals. Excellent reading matter, in other words, for any teenage girls you may know...

Rating: 4/5

Like this (identity issues handled in original way)? Try: Split By A Kiss by Luisa Plaja

Posted by Sarah Painter on March 17, 2008 in American Authors, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5, Series, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 14, 2008 11:03 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Bright Lights & Promises by Pauline McLynn

Reviewed by Fionnuala Kearney

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

Posted by Keris on March 14, 2008 in Irish Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 11, 2008 12:42 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Sisterhood by Emily Barr

Reviewed by Deborah Riccio

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

Posted by Keris on March 11, 2008 in British Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 10, 2008 12:20 PM

PREVIEW REVIEW: Crossed Bones by Jane Johnson

Reviewed by Jennie Hughes

If the sub-title of Crossed Bones - 'the all-true adventures and most unlikely romance of a pirate’s slave girl - puts you off a little, don’t worry; there’s not a ripped bodice or heaving bosom anywhere. Well, apart from on the cover, but we'll gloss over that...

It’s the story of a seventeenth-century Cornish girl, Cat, who is a talented needlewoman dreaming dreams of a more exotic future than the one that seems likely – marriage to her cousin, drudgery, babies – when a pirate ship raids her village and carries her and several of her neighbours and relatives off to be slaves in Morocco.

There Cat eventually ends up teaching embroidery to her master’s womenfolk and, of course, falling in love with him and rejecting her Cornish cousin who has braved hell and high water to rescue her.

The tale is interwoven with the story of Julia, also a needlewoman, who finds Cat’s story written in the margins of an old embroidery pattern-book. She thinks she may be distantly related to Cat and goes to Morocco to research the story further, where she meets her own destiny, and true love.

The historical and Moorish details are convincing, interesting and well-described. The two stories are neatly stitched together and the writing keeps you reading on. Altogether an enjoyable book, and one which leaves you feeling you may have learnt something as well – an added bonus!

Crossed Bones is out (in hardback) on 3 April.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: The Vanishing Point by Mary Sharratt

Posted by Sarah Painter on March 10, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 6, 2008 12:42 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Trouble With Marriage by Debby Holt

The Trouble With Marriage is more Joanna Trollope than Sophie Kinsella, but there is nothing wrong with that.

It's subtitled 'What happens after the 'happy ever after'?' and I was looking forward to astute observations on marriage, love and parenthood... And I wasn't disappointed.

When Robin - popular, handsome and confident - asked Tilly to marry him, it was the happiest day of her life. Ten years later and, although still utterly besoted with Robin, Tilly feels the sparkle has gone out of their relationship.

Robin is stressed at work, while at home the household bills, chores, two small children and a disobedient dog are adding to the strain.

When Tilly's holier-than-thou mother-in-law moves nearby and begins interfering, and Robin's glamorous ex-girlfriend shows up, Tilly's marriage hits crisis point.

About halfway through the book, I had predicted exactly how things were going to unfold. However, Holt's writing is very engaging and I thoroughly enjoyed Tilly's journey. It's always fun to cheer on a likeable character as she learns to stand on her own two feet.

A gentle, warm read and perfect for a rainy afternoon.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Hens Dancing by Raffaela Barker

Posted by Sarah Painter on March 6, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

March 3, 2008 1:02 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Ballroom Class by Lucy Dillon

Reviewed by Helen Redfern

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Dancing With Mules by Morag Prunty

Posted by Keris on March 3, 2008 in British Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 29, 2008 10:25 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Forget Me Not by Isabel Wolff

Reviewed by Helen Redfern

The cover of Forget Me Not by Isabel Wolff made me think the story was going to be a bit ‘wishy washy’. Neither the design nor the title does the book justice; they don’t look or sound promising, unlike the plot and the main character (who incidentally is nothing like the character drawn on the front).

Anna Temple is a former city career woman, who decided to swap her fast paced life for garden design after her mother suddenly died. On the night of her leaving do, she meets Xan resulting in Milly nine months later. Xan, with no sense of responsibility (so much so you want to throttle him) leaves soon after she breaks the news, for Indonesia, leaving Anna pregnant and having to raise their child alone. She tries to forget about her daughter's father and concentrates on putting her life back together.

This book is packed with subplots featuring a host of characters, including a nanny, a maternity nurse called Elaine with her nephew Jamie and a new man for Anna called Patrick.  We also learn about Anna’s father and his new secret life as well as her new best friend, Jenny - why won’t she open up to Anna? There is also a ‘shocking’ family secret, which to be fair I saw coming. I think Jenny’s secret was also a little obvious which made me wonder why a seemingly intelligent woman such as Anna didn’t grasp things sooner. Despite this, I really enjoyed the book.

Wolff has created believable and real characters that you could envisage living around the corner from you and the story flows along well. It also has the unputdownable factor, so I did have a few late nights. There is plenty of detail for the book to come alive, including as an added bonus for any green fingered people out there, an array of gardening tips.

Forget Me Not is a realistic, enjoyable story, touching on a few sensitive issues, with a fully rounded leading character. Just open it up quickly and don’t dwell on that cover.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Solo by Jill Mansell

Posted by Keris on February 29, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 25, 2008 5:11 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Dangerous Admissions by Jane O'Connor

Jane O'Connor has written a raft of books for children, but Dangerous Admissions is her first adult book. It's classic chick lit mystery with a gutsy heroine - single mother Rannie Bookman - a fantastic Manhattan setting and lots of romance and thrills.

Rannie is a freelance copy editor and part-time tour guide for the exclusive Upper West Side private school her  son Nate attends (courtesy of her rich WASP ex-mother-in-law).

When the Director of College Admissions is found dead at his desk - and Nate is a suspect, Rannie turns amateur sleuth.

Unlike most chick lit suspense I've read, Dangerous Admissions is written in third person. As well as Rannie's point of view, we get insight into Nate's life and thoughts.

I also really liked the character of Olivia, Nate's friend and fellow Chapel School student. She has an older brother who is a recovering drug addict and another suspect for the murder.

Jane O'Connor's characterisation is truly excellent; the teenagers had distinctive, believable voices, and I really bonded with Rannie.

The plot is suspenseful, with lots of twists and turns, and there is  a dash of romance, too.

A fabulous new sleuth on the chick lit mystery scene.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Size Doesn't Matter by Meg Cabot

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 25, 2008 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

MORE ON MONDAY: The Poison that Fascinates by Jennifer Clement

Reviewed by Sarah Hague

Some people have a morbid fascination with death, others with the means of death. Emily Neale, half British, half Mexican, collects facts about women who poisoned others. Abandoned as a baby by her mother, she's brought up in Mexico City by her father and Mother Agata, head of the orphanage that Emily's great-grandmother founded and where Emily now often helps out.

We hear that there are saints for almost everything in a devote Catholic Mexican society that is painted with bright, evocative words : the street sellers, the market sellers, the traffic, the smog.

Interspersed with Emily's story are the facts she collects about stories of women who have killed and why. Emily knows that some things are worth killing for.

Finally she meets her cousin Santiago from a remote farm in Chihuahua who has been watching her and disturbing her things.

Jennifer Clement has made a peculiar book sensuously palatable. Emily inhabits a small, restricted world of Mexican superstition, mythology and faith. Santiago changes that world forever bringing with him love and secrets.

It's a fascinating book written with masterful ease.

Rating: 4/5

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

February 20, 2008 2:35 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Starter Wife by Gigi Levangie

I've wanted to read Gigi Levangie's The Starter Wife since I read an interview with the author in the Guardian and just thought she sounded fascinating. Plus then, of course, there was the TV adaptation of the book starring the wonderful Debra Messing. Well, I finally got around to reading it and it was worth the wait.

Gracie Pollock is married to studio head, Kenny. She's a Hollywood wife, with a Hollywood house, Hollywood friends and a Hollywood beauty maintenance programme. She's not happy, but even so she's shocked when Kenny summarily dumps her just before their tenth wedding anniversary, i.e. he "Cruised" her - ended the marriage before the date at which he'd have to pay maintenance.

At first Gracie is devastated. She hasn't just lost her husband, she's lost her entire lifestyle, because no-one in Hollywood is interested in a former "Wife of...", but thanks to the generosity of one of her "real" friends, she and her daughter are able to move, temporarily, to Malibu and start to rebuild their lives.

I really enjoyed this book. I could quite happily have read it in one sitting, so it would be a perfect plane or holiday book. It's got problems - the fact that the lead character is called Gracie and she has a gay friend named Will (and I was already picturing Gracie as Debra Messing), pulled me up every now and then. Also Britney Spears plays quite a major role in the book, which is unfortunate given her recent problems.

Some aspects of the plot (particularly Gracie's love interest) are also pretty unrealistic. But none of that really troubled me, because The Starter Wife is well-written, funny, and packed with Hollywood gossip (all the more credible because Gigi Levangie is married to Hollywood heavyweight Brian Grazer (producer of The Da Vinci Code, 24, and one of Time Magazine's 's 100 Most Influential People in The World).

Rating: 4/5

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

Posted by Keris on February 20, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

February 18, 2008 10:19 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Gingerbread by Rachel Cohn

I wasn't actually too excited to read Gingerbread, since a while ago I read the next book in the series and didn't enjoy it as much as I expected too, but Gingerbread was thrust upon me and I was urged to read it, so I did. And I was glad I did, because I loved it.

I was a bit worried as I started reading because Gingerbread reminded me so much of Weetzie Bat and I found myself worrying about who (if anyone) had ripped off who(m), but this only lasted a couple of chapters and then Gingerbread became a totally different book.

The heroine of Gingerbread is (fabulously) named Cyd Charisse. She lives in San Francisco with her parents, Sid and Nancy, and her younger half-siblings. Her real dad lives in New York, but she hasn't seen him for years. In fact, not since he gave her the doll, Gingerbread, who remains her best friend (even though she's really too old for a doll).

Following an ill-fated relationship with a boy at boarding school (and, frankly, an ill-fated relationship with boarding school itself), Cyd Charisse is home, dating surfer boy Shrimp and nurturing a secret crush on his brother. Her relationship with her parents seems to be irrevocably damaged by Cyd Charisse's behaviour, but she is seemingly undaunted, even planning to sue them for legal emancipation. Instead, her parents decide to send her to New York to get to know her father.

I describe Cyd Charisse as "seemingly undaunted" because she is much more damaged than she at first seems and this is what I loved about the book. Cyd Charisse at first comes across as tough and streetwise (do young people still say streetwise? I'm so old...), but by the end of the book she's a different person. I really liked her and found her very true to life (from what I remember of being a teenager...).

In fact, I loved it so much I'm going to go back and re-read the sequel.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Sloppy Firsts by Meg McCafferty

Posted by Keris on February 18, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Series, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (4)

February 15, 2008 10:06 AM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Solo by Jill Mansell

Posted by Keris on February 15, 2008 in British Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (7)

February 14, 2008 4:18 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Janice Gentle Gets Sexy by Mavis Cheek

Okay, so Mavis Cheek is more women's fiction than chick lit, but she's also got a very dry sense of humour and a sly brand of observation that is snarkier than, say, Maeve Binchy. I urge you to give her a try.

Janice Gentle Gets Sexy is one of her older books (first published in 1993) but it's one of my favourites. It's very funny and Janice Gentle is a fantastic character. Plus, it's about a writer, which is a bonus in my book.

Janice Gentle, a reclusive romantic novelist, writes delicate novels-of-the-heart. She wants to make enough money so that she can stop writing and devote her attention to finding the man she loved and lost twenty years ago.

Unfortunately for Janice, her literary agent is an unscrupulous, money-obsessed tyrant, who keeps her fingers firmly stuck to the keyboard.

When Rohanne Bulbecker, a sucessful New York publisher, asks for Janice's help with a new idea, everything changes...

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Miss Petttigrew Lives For A Day by Winifred Watson

Posted by Sarah Painter on February 14, 2008 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 6, 2008 12:19 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Earthly Pleasures by Karen Neches

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

Posted by Keris on February 6, 2008 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Romance, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (2)

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)

January 31, 2008 2:59 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Tell No Lies by Julie Compton

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

Posted by Sarah Painter on January 31, 2008 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Debut Novels, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 23, 2008 10:42 AM

BOOK REVIEW: This Is How It Happened by Jo Barrett

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

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

So why does Maddy want Carlton dead?

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

Posted by Keris on January 23, 2008 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

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)

BOOK REVIEW: The Last to Know by Melissa Hill

Reviewed by Claire Allan

The Last to Know is the sixth book from Irish born writer Melissa Hill who has just been scooped from Irish stable Poolbeg by Hodder - who reportedly paid a whopping six figure sum to publish her seventh book.

Hailed the queen of the big plot twist, Melissa Hill's books offer good, warm hearted writing with a trademark twist at the end which inevitably leaves the reader reeling and wondering how on earth they missed it.

The Last to Know delivers this in spades.

The book tells the story of twenty-something Australian Brooke Reynolds who works as commissioning editor for Sydney-based popular fiction publishers Horizon books.

One morning, she stumbles across a manuscript submission from a would-be author entitled "The Last to Know", a contemporary story about the interconnecting lives and loves of three women based in Dublin. At first, the novel reads like a feel-good, light-hearted tale about life, friendship and the problems modern women face; exactly the kind of book Horizon usually publishes. But as Brooke becomes more and more absorbed in the manuscript, she gradually realises that there is a lot more to this story than meets the eye.

Switching from the 'book' Brooke is reading, to her own thoughts on the novel, The Last To Know keeps the reader guessing to the end. The twist is a corker and left this reader open mouthed in shock. Just when you think Hill can't possibly pull another shock out of the bag it appears there before you and it all sinks in.

My only problem with Hill and her books these days is that I know a twist will come, so I second guess everything she tells us as the book goes along. It's like a weird adult version of Cluedo!

This is one of Hill's finest novels, and I can't wait to see what she has up her sleeve next.

Rating: 4/5

Like this, try The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes

Posted by Keris on January 21, 2008 in Irish Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 17, 2008 12:57 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Digging To America by Anne Tyler

Nick Hornby is a big fan of Anne Tyler and if you haven't tried her yet, you really are in for a treat.

Tyler is the queen of characterisation and she writes fluently about relationships, families and small town life.

Digging To America follows the lives of two very different couples - one American, one Iranian-American - who have both decided to adopt Korean babies. They meet at the airport on the day their new daughters arrive.

Despite their wildly different personalities, the families stay in touch, and decide to celebrate their girls' 'Arrival Day' every year with a party.

Tyler examines cultural diversity, what it means to belong and what it means to be American with the same gentle humour, sympathy and insight she applies to family relationships.

As usual with Anne Tyler, there is not a huge amount plot. Instead you are treated to characters that live and breathe, and to deceptively simple prose that is so perfect you want to re-read it straight away.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: The Distance Between Us by Maggie O'Farrell

Posted by Sarah Painter on January 17, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

BOOK REVIEW: I Heart Bloomberg by Melody Carlson

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Melody Carlson, author of more than 200 books, returns with a new book, I Heart Bloomberg which will be released in April. Set in Portland, Oregon, the book is the first in the 86 Bloomberg Place series. Carlson takes a look into the lives and friendships of four new roommates. As you’ve probably guessed, the girls live at 86 Bloomberg Place. 

Kendall, who received the house as a gift from her grandmother, has decided to take in renters in lieu of getting a job. Who wants to work when you can pay for your shopping sprees by collecting rent?  She sets out to find three roommates, going so far as to ask for resumes in her newspaper ad. 

After Kendall decides upon her new tenants, the fun really begins. Megan, Lelani and Anna each have their own reasons for moving in to Kendall’s house. And once they’ve moved in none of them is sure the arrangement is gong to work. Can they learn to live together or will Kendall’s big plans fall short?

I Heart Bloomberg is a fun read. It focuses on the friendships of the girls and not so much on any romance. I have a feeling the upcoming books will go more into each of the girls’ romantic relationships. Carlson gives a glimpse into each characters life by writing from one girl’s perspective for each chapter. I enjoyed getting the chance to read from each character’s point of view. It was interesting to see the dynamics develop and to see how things affected each girl’s life.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try These Boots Weren't Made for Walking by Melody Carlson (inspirational) or 31 Dream Street by Lisa Jewell (chick lit)

Posted by Keris on January 17, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5, Series | 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 15, 2008 12:01 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Through Thick and Thin by Alison Pace

I loved Alison Pace's first two novels - If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend and Pug Hill - and I was excited to read this, her third, particularly because of the beautiful cover! (I'm a sucker for a dog on a cover.)

It's the story of Meredith and Stephanie, two sisters with very different lives, but one thing in common: they both want to lose weight. They decide to do it together, both so they can support each other and also because they've been drifting apart and think it might help their relationship.

Meredith lives in New York and works as a restaurant reviewer (which is obviously pretty incompatible with weightloss - particularly The Zone, which is the first diet they try).

Having moved from the city to the New Jersey suburbs, Stephanie has a young daughter and a husband who has completely withdrawn and spends more time at his computer in the basement than he does with his family.

Both women are lonely, but unable to admit it to each other.

Once the dieting begins, they find that, rather than improving their relationship, it actually highlights their differences and swiftly drives them even further apart.

It sounds a bit dark and depressing, but it's not at all. The writing is beautiful (I actually marked a few passages to copy out) and I identified with both Meredith and Stephanie (not just their struggle with weight, but also their sibling relationship).

If you've ever been lonely, every struggled with your weight or you've got a sister (or a dog!), I think you'll love this book.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Conversations With the Fat Girl by Liza Palmer

Posted by Keris on January 15, 2008 in American Authors, 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 10, 2008 11:43 AM

Symphony of Secrets by Sharon Hinck

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Sharon Hinck’s upcoming novel, Symphony of Secrets, takes a turn from any of her other writings. It’s filled with Hinck’s funny, charming writing style, but has a bit of mystery added in. 

Symphony of Secrets is set in the Twin Cities of Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul) and features quite a few references to places that locals will recognize. The novel centers around flutist Amy Johnson, a single mother who dreams of playing with the symphony. Currently a music teacher, Amy longs for the stage and yet has chosen the safer, steady income of a teacher.

When an opening becomes available, Amy decides to take a chance and audition. However, things aren’t as they should be with the symphony. Amy finds she’ll need to find more than her courage to hold her new career possibility – and the symphony itself – together.

Symphony of Secrets will be release February 1st. Mom-lit and music lovers everywhere will want to make sure to grab a copy and prepare to be entertained.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Restorer by Sharon Hinck

Posted by Keris on January 10, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 8, 2008 11:09 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Reincarnationist by MJ Rose

Reviewed by Angela Richardson

The Reincarnationist is about the tenth book by M. J. Rose and is a thriller set in the present and the past thanks to numerous past life flash backs.

After nearly dying in a terrorist bomb, Josh Ryder is haunted by memories of a past life in Rome. The medical profession cannot explain or solve his new memories and flashbacks and so he turns to the Phoenix Foundation who specialise in past life regression.

A trail of present-day murders seem to link up to his past life memories of being a pagan priest whose dangerous congress with Sabina, one of the Vestal Virgins, poses a transgression so serious that the lovers would face certain death if exposed. Scents of jasmine and sandalwood and images of furtive liaisons and violence descend on Josh at will and become more frequent when the Phoenix Foundation leads him to an archaeological dig at an ancient yet strangely familiar Roman burial site.

The discovery of the existence of a collection of ancient gems called memory stones whose origins trace back to ancient Egypt and India put everyone in danger. The stones’ promise to ‘assist the wearer in reaching his next incarnation’ set the ancient and modern worlds on a collision course and tempts someone so badly that they would murder to get their hands on them.

Although this book is long, it’s very well written and kept me interested throughout. It’s a thriller that’s been thoroughly researched and I felt as though as I was learning about the ancient Roman religion while enjoying the story. She even includes an author’s note at the back to tell you what parts of the story she invented and what parts were from her research.

The whole idea of the existence of memory stones was very original and the mixture of tension of the present day murders and ancient memories of a love long lost kept me turning the pages. I know I shouldn’t mention the end, but it was one of those books that have an arty finish that may satisfy the author, but leaves all us poor readers wondering what the hell happened to everyone. For all I know they all died a second after the book finished as they were still in the middle of the drama.

Overall this was an original thriller mixing modern day with historical plot threads that kept you reading and there was just a dash of the supernatural to add a twist. Just don’t expect a satisfying ending.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Posted by Keris on January 8, 2008 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

January 7, 2008 10:57 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block

I've wanted to read Weetzie Bat for ages. That title. And the subtitle: "Dangerous Angels". Who could resist? Plus it's been recommended to me by more than one person with great taste in books. Of course, this also meant that I was worried I'd be disappointed (because that's how I "roll"), but I wasn't.

Weetzie Bat (yes, that's someone's name) is a really cool girl who meets a really cool boy named Dirk. Dirk's gay, but he and Weetzie have a great relationship, which includes hunting for "Ducks" (which is what they call boys) and visiting Dirk's Grandma Fifi.

Before long, they meet their perfect Ducks and make a life together (yes, all four of them). Other things happen (obviously), but I don't want to say because I don't want to spoil the fast fairytale joy of the book.

I read this book in a couple of hours and in what felt like an altered reality. It really does feel like a modern (very modern) fairytale. It's exciting, sweet, original, joyful and it made me want to live in LA (which, when I went there a few years ago, I hated).

This is the kind of book you could reread and notice something new (or get something new out of it) each time. And the fantastic thing is, it's the first in a series of six. Yay.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

Posted by Keris on January 7, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Series, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 3, 2008 10:21 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Saving Graces by Patricia Gaffney

This is my first Patricia Gaffney and (yet another) thing I have tried on Jennifer Crusie's recommendation (yes, I can think for myself, thanks for asking).

The Saving Graces is a book about friendship. Four women have enjoyed more than ten years of shared life and love; helping each other in more ways than can be counted.

Isabel has a broken marriage, a grown-up son she hardly sees and is two years into remission from breast cancer. Lee is well off financially but is struggling to fall pregnant. Rudy is beautiful, damaged and married to a controlling man. Emma is funny and feisty and falls for a man she can't have.

Listed like this, the characters sound fairly ordinary and their trials none-too-original but, as with all fiction, the magic is in the telling.

The story is told with the four distinct voices of the women, giving insights into each of their thoughts and personalities.

I bonded with them all; laughing, crying and cheering them on, and felt truly sad when it was time to leave them at the end.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Beautiful Bodies by Laura Shaine Cunningham

Posted by Sarah Painter on January 3, 2008 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

BOOK REVIEW: Truffles By the Sea by Julie Carobini

Reviewed by Jill Hart

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Chocolate Beach!

Posted by Keris on January 3, 2008 in American Authors, Inspirational, New Releases, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 27, 2007 12:42 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Midnight Cactus by Bella Pollen

Her marriage at crisis-point, Alice Coleman is desperate to spend time away from her developer husband, Robert.

Robert has bought a ghost town in Arizona with plans to create a luxury resort. Alice takes the opportunity to oversee the work as a means to escape and she and her children decamp to the desert town.

At first, I was frustrated at Alice for taking risks with her children's happiness and safety. Alice takes Jack and Emmy with her against their will and seems utterly unprepared for the harsh realities of the town. However, as I got to know Alice, I warmed to her and to her adventurous spirit.

The town is near the border with Mexico and the landscape is harsh. It's an alien way of life, peopled with strange, wild characters like Duval, the builder hired by Alice's husband, who is both mysterious and captivating.

Alongside the story of a family adventure and of Alice's escape from her old life, runs the story of the border. The many Mexican 'illegals' who risk their lives during the dangerous crossing through the desert.

The border narrative criss-crosses the past with the present and Alice is drawn into this dark, dangerous world. Ultimately, Alice must decide on which side of the line she belongs.

The descriptions of Arizona, of the border guards and the struggle between them, the traffickers and the - often desperate - immigrants, is convincingly portrayed.

I was slightly annoyed by the convenient way in which Alice's children seeemed to disappear from the narrative whenever Alice needed to be free of them (most of the second half of the book), but this is a minor quibble in a rip-roaring adventure story with an exciting setting.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith

Posted by Sarah Painter on December 27, 2007 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 26, 2007 10:10 AM

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 20, 2007 5:01 PM

BOOK REVIEW: it must be love by Rachel Gibson

Gabrielle Breedlove believes in karma and spirituality. She wants a man who is - first and foremost - enlightened. Problem is, her past dates may have had fantastic auras, but she hasn't wanted to get any closer to their physical bodies.

Detective Joe Shanahan is a man's man. Built like a calendar pin-up; he is macho, bull-headed and thinks meditation is for flakes.

He also thinks that Gabrielle and her business partner, Kevin, are using their shop as a fence for stolen goods. Gabrielle, in an effort to prove their innocence, signs up as a police informant. Joe and Gabrielle are stuck with each other until Joe solves the case...

This is my first Rachel Gibson and I found lots to like.The writing style is snappy, with lots of witty dialogue and one-liners. I liked Gabrielle's character and the descriptions of her shop, Anomaly, her home, friends and quirky family.

Gibson does a great line in funny details - like Joe's Jerry Springer-loving parrot - which lift the story and raise a smile.

However, I do have a nitpick with the romance between Joe and Gabrielle.

Bear in mind, this could just be me, but Joe was a very Alpha hero. Maybe a little too Alpha for my tastes... He did a lot of bossing Gabrielle around (and not just when it was for his job). We were inside his head for a lot of the book and he thought mainly about his 'Mr Happy' and finding a wife who was 'normal' and a good cook.

Fine, you may think, Gabrielle brings out the other, more senstitive side to this man. Well. Not so much. Right up to their (very long, very passionate), um, coming together at the end, Joe laughs at Gabrielle's beliefs, runs hot and cold (getting her half-naked at one point before racing off) and, most unforgivably, laughing at her private passion - her artwork.  Ultimately, I didn't believe they truly were twin souls, which rather spoiled the inevitable outcome for me.

Still, this is a funny, engaging read and I wouldn't hesitate to pick up another Rachel Gibson.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Bet Me by Jennifer Crusie

Posted by Sarah Painter on December 20, 2007 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 19, 2007 9:36 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Amorous Woman by Donna George Storey

I admit I approached Donna Storey's Amorous Woman with trepidation. For one, there's a woman in her underwear on the cover. And then the back cover describes the book as "the erotic secrets of one woman's sexual awakening and her subsequent passions in Japan". Um. Not one to read on the commute then (luckily I work at home).

The book begins with Lydia - the Amorous Woman herself - living in San Francisco and teaching Japanese culture to American businessmen. Following her return to America from Japan, Lydia vowed never to have sex again "with anyone, man or woman" for the rest of her life. Only a few pages in, I got the impression that would be a promise she'd find difficult to keep.

When she goes out for a drink with two of her students, not only does she find herself attracted to them (inevitably), she also learns that she hasn't been able to hide her true self as well as she thought. They have guessed she has secrets and ask her to tell them. So she does. And the reader learns it all at the same time, of course.

If you ignore the fact that, rather than a couple of hours, it would have taken Lydia days to relate her story, the book is compelling and beautifully written. Despite the fact that Lydia behaves fairly appallingly throughout, she is so open and honest about her wants, needs and weaknesses that I couldn't help but like her.

There isn't much of a plot - basically Lydia goes to Japan and has varied sex with varied people - but there is an emotional core to the book, so it doesn't seem gratuitous. But it is erotic fiction, so it is fairly relentless. It's interesting to read about a woman exploring all aspects of her sexuality (almost) without apology.

The Japanese setting is interesting too - I really felt like I'd got an insight into the country's culture - but I've no idea why there's a Japanese woman on the cover. Lydia is American and there are hardly any Japanese women in the novel (plenty of Japanese men though).

Since it's an erotic novel, you probably want to know whether it is indeed "erotic" (that word's never been the same to me since Waynetta Slob). It is. (Ha! Coy enough for you?)

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try White Tigress by Jade Lee

Posted by Keris on December 19, 2007 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (2)

December 18, 2007 9:22 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Xmas Factor by Annie Sanders

Reviewed by Helen Redfern

The Xmas Factor is the third book by Annie Sanders following Goodbye, Jimmy Choo and Warnings of Gales both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Annie Sanders (a pen name made up of Annie Ashworth and Meg Sanders) provide real life chick lit which I can relate to as the characters are at similar stages in their lives to me. I picked up The Xmas Factor with high hopes.

Beth was determined that Christmas this year, her first with new husband Jacob, was going to contain the Xmas Factor. Taking time out from preparing three different sorts of mincemeat, she attends the Village Entertainments Group meeting and is coerced into taking on this years Mistletoe Meet.

Thinking a few sausage rolls, drinks and party hats shouldn’t be too hard to rustle up she is alarmed when going through the notes of previous years to find out there were orchestras, lobster and Venetian masks. All organised by her husbands deceased first wife. Feeling threatened by this dead woman there was nothing for it. She had to provide something spectacular both at home, for her husband and his grown up children, and for the Meet.

Meanwhile Carol, a single Mum to Tim, is struggling with a cumbersome magazine title that is threatened with closure, as well as her guilt for not spending enough time with her son. She sees a chocolate box cottage in a magazine and decides this is exactly what she and her son need for their Christmas holidays.

As the shopping days roll by with increasing speed towards Christmas Beth's and Carol's lives are about to collide in one spectacular mess.

I read The Xmas Factor last year when it came out in hardback. With this release of the paperback I thought I’d skim read so I could write the review. It took me longer than I thought as once more I was (willingly) pulled into the lives of Beth, Carol, Tim, Holly and Nick.

In this grown up chick lit story, Annie Sanders demonstrates how Christmas has become a commercialised affair where women shoulder much of the stress in order to provide a perfect Christmas for their family. The book is realistic yet entertaining and Beth is typical of many a woman I know. When talking to them at this time of the year you can almost see the lists of jobs they have swimming around in their heads. My advice? Pick up this book, grab a mince pie (shop bought will do just fine) a hot chocolate, put your feet up and immerse yourself in this non-stressful read. It may be a little cloying at the end. But if we cannot overdo the cloy at this time of year, when can we?

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Tickled Pink by Christina Jones

Posted by Keris on December 18, 2007 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 13, 2007 9:28 AM

PREVIEW REVIEW: Mothernight by Sarah Stovell

Mothernight is Sarah Stovell's debut novel and it is startlingly accomplished.

Leila Hartley is a boarder at an exclusive girls' school in Kent. Leila is a genius, but very much alone - she hasn't even been home to see her family for years. Devestatingly clever, she confounds both her teachers and fellow pupils.

When Oliva Rudham arrives at the school, she is roomed with Leila and the two form an intense friendship.

Despite their intimacy, Leila keeps her past a secret from Olivia. Then, Leila's father invites them both back to the family home for the summer and the truth is finally unravelled.

Written in three narrative voices: Leila, Olivia and Kathryn, Leila's stepmother, this novel is intense and absorbing. The relationship between the girls is convincingly portrayed - as is the gothic, suffocating feel of the boarding school.

I really like Stowell's writing style. It allows for dry humour alongside the drama, and never sacrifices story for literary pretension.

In fact, more important than its intelligence, this book feels real. I believed in the grief and obsession and love so thoroughly that the chacters of Katherine, Olivia and Leila stayed with me long after I finished reading.

A page-turner with soul and a debut author to watch with interest...

Mothernight is out in March 2008.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Fingersmith by Sarah Waters

Posted by Sarah Painter on December 13, 2007 in British Authors, Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 12, 2007 9:53 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Finding Father Christmas by Robin Jones Gunn

Reviewed by Jill Hart

It’s snowing here in Nebraska, so I decided it was time to find a great Christmas book to help get myself into the Christmas spirit. Robin Jones Gunn’s novella Finding Father Christmas did just that. 

It’s just a few days before Christmas and Miranda Carson has just arrived in England on a spur of the moment trip. She’s in search of a father she isn’t sure exists and her only clues are a few mementos left from her mother’s belongings. Miranda doesn’t have much to go on, but she knows she’ll regret it if she doesn’t at least attempt to uncover the truth.

When Miranda is befriended by a family that may hold the key to her secrets, she has a difficult decision to make. Should she open up and risk the possibility of forever changing this family she’s grown to love or should she leave and risk never finding the truth?

The book started off a bit slow and I was afraid for a few pages that I wasn’t going to enjoy it. I’m glad I kept reading, though, because only a few chapters in I was hooked. The story is intriguing and the setting is enchanting. And the best part is Gunn has a sequel planned entitled Engaging Father Christmas. So, I know I’ll have a great read for next Christmas, too!

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Three Day Rule by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees

Posted by Keris on December 12, 2007 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (0)

December 6, 2007 12:13 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Under the Rose by Diana Peterfreund

Keris loved the first book in this series, Secret Society Girl, so I was excited to read Under the Rose. It's the second book and follows on from Amy Haskell's initiation into the prestigious Rose & Grave society at Eli University.

I like to read books in order, where possible (doesn't everyone?), but I needn't have worried. Peterfreund weaves in the back-story from the first book seamlessly and I never felt lost.

Amy's club is the first in the society's long history to include women and some of the patriarchs aren't too happy about it. The book opens with mysterious threatening emails to each of the female members (the Diggirls) and continues on a rollercoaster ride of intrigue and suspicion.

I loved dipping into a world of Ivy League life and secret society rituals; this book really made a change from my usual reading. I felt exhilarated by Amy's schedule of papers, meetings and romantic liaisons with the delicious George 'Puck' Harrison. In truth, I was compelled to snatch moments with this book until I had devoured the entire thing.

The third book in the series, The Rites of Spring (Break), is scheduled for next summer and I will definitely reach for another slice of this smart, exciting, and very witty world.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

Posted by Sarah Painter on December 6, 2007 in American Authors, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

December 3, 2007 4:41 PM

BOOK REVIEW: The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets by Eva Rice

Eva Rice, daughter of famous lyricist Tim Rice, has penned a charming book in the fine tradition of Nancy Mitford.

Set in the 1950's England, The Lost Art of Keeping Secrets, is the enchanting coming-of-age story of Penelope Wallace.

Penelope lives in a vast but crumbling family home called Milton Magna Hall. Her mother, widowed at a young age, is beautiful and difficult, while her brother, Inigo, is obsessed with Elvis Presley.

Penelope is befriended by the confident and glamorous Charlotte Ferris, and her world widens to encompass Charlotte's Aunt Clare and enigmatic cousin Henry.

I love Eva Rice's writing style - so simple and elegant - and the way she (seemingly) effortlessly evokes the time period.

It is one of those delicious reads that you finish and want to turn over and begin all over again...

Rating: 4/5

Like this: Try:  I Capture the Castle by Dodi Smith

Extra! Eva Rice's new book is scheduled for release in April 2008. It's called The Dragonfly Summer and I, for one, can't wait.

Posted by Sarah Painter on December 3, 2007 in Book News, Book related, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (3)

MORE ON MONDAY: My Take by Gary Barlow

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Feel by Chris Heath

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

November 30, 2007 11:12 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Agnes & The Hitman by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer

A new Jennifer Crusie novel is always a treat, but lately, you don't just get Jennifer Crusie - her last three novels have been collaborations. First Don't Look Down, the first "romantic adventure" written with Bob Mayer, then The Unfortunate Miss Fortunes, written with Eileen Dreyer and Anne Stuart and now another Bob Mayer partnership: Agnes & The Hitman. I've read so much about Agnes & The Hitman on Crusie's blog that I've been desperate to read it almost from the time they started writing it ... I finally got the chance and I wasn't disappointed.

"Cranky" Agnes Crandall is a food writer, who has just had moderate success with a book called Mob Food. She's also recently bought her dream house, in partnership with her fiance, Taylor, but part of the property agreement was that she host a wedding for the previous owner's granddaughter. Unfortunately, Brenda (the previous owner), will get the house back if the wedding doesn't happen and, since that's what she wants, she's going all out to sabotage the wedding.

When a man with a gun turns up in Agnes's kitchen (ostensibly to kidnap her dog), her friend Joey calls a hitman named Shane to come and protect Agnes. But Shane's got problem's of his own. His boss is retiring and wants Shane to take over ... and it appears before long that someone's trying to kill him too.

My head hurts from trying to explain any aspect of this story without giving something away, but it's not so complicated when you read it, honest (okay, it's a little bit complicated, but, like Janet Evanovich's books, if you don't struggle to place everyone and just let it all wash over you instead, it all becomes clear in the end). Plus - and you'll know this if you read Crusie's blog - there are flamingoes.

I liked Agnes & the Hitman even better than Don't Look Down (and I liked Don't Look Down a lot). Agnes now joins the (long) list of my favourite Crusie characters and Shane is sex on legs. The minor characters are charming, hilarious and completely barmy and it's so skillfully done that you can't see the join between Crusie and Mayer's writing (even though you know that if there's any "YEC - Yucky Emotional Crap", it's unlikely to be Bob). Still, the YEC (which is neither yucky nor crap), the guns, bombs, boats, dogs and flamingoes all come together perfectly to create a gripping, romantic and fun read.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Don't Look Down by Jennifer Crusie and Bob Mayer or any of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum books, starting with One for the Money

Posted by Keris on November 30, 2007 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Rating: 4/5, Romance | 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 26, 2007 2:41 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Stardust by Neil Gaiman

Before it was a film with Michelle Pfeiffer and Robert De Niro, Stardust was a slim volume by Neil Gaimain.

Gaiman's Stardust is a fairy tale in the grand tradition of fairy tales. In other words, it is full of darkness and danger and love, and is suitable for adults and teenagers, not tots.

Beyond the village of Wall lies Faerie. Every nine years there is a fair, where Faerie sells its wares to the ordinary folk.

Tristin Thorne, the son of a farmer and a witch's servant, is in love with the haughty Victoria Forester. He promises to go into Faerie and bring back a fallen star, in return for her hand.

When Tristin finds the star, she is a beautiful daughter of the moon called Yvaine. The dying Lord of Stormheld threw a gem and accidentally knocked her from the sky, and Yvaine is not too thrilled about it.

Worse still, the Lord's sons are searching for the gem, and an ancient witch is searching for Yvaine; she wants to cut out her heart so that she and her sisters can be young again.

So, you have an everyman hero, a quest, a wicked witch, and a land of magic. Nothing unusual there, you may think, but Gaiman is a master story-teller and his characters are funny and true.

Stardust is a delightful book and one I urge you to seek out and devour; everybody needs magic of this kind in their lives.

Rating: 4/5

Like this only chick lit? Try: Under My Spell by Deborah Wright

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 26, 2007 in British Authors, Rating: 4/5, Supernatural, Young Adult | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 23, 2007 12:32 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Gods Behaving Badly by Marie Phillips

I used to read Marie Phillips' blog, Struggling Author (now invitation only), and so I was familiar with Gods Behaving Badly before it even had a publisher. I always thought it sounded great (and I'd read the enthusiastic comments of industry bigwigs) so I was keen to read it.

As an idea, it's what Hollywood calls "high concept" - the gods behaving badly are Greek Gods, living in modern-day London. So we meet Apollo who is using his psychic ability to front a TV show, Aphrodite is working in phone sex, Dionysus runs a nightclub between Euston and Kings Cross and Eros has become a Christian. They all live together in a run-down house with a secret on the top floor.

Into this dysfunctional family comes Alice, an intelligent but timid cleaner who is in love with her best friend, Neil. Neil's in love with Alice too, but can't bring himself to tell her. When they go together to see Apollo's TV show, an unfortunate series of events finds their fate inextricably linked with that of not only the gods, but the entire world...

I enjoyed this book just as much as I thought I would. It's great fun. The Gods are hilariously narcissistic and Phillips fits them into the 21st century seamlessly. It's exciting, funny and features imaginative leaps that made me think of the Harry Potter series (I loved Angel tube station being the portal to the underworld).

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Venus Envy by Shannon McKelden

Posted by Keris on November 23, 2007 in British Authors, Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release, Supernatural | Permalink | Comments (4)

November 22, 2007 3:15 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Sushi for One? by Camy Tang

Reviewed by Jill Hart

I knew this was going to be a great book when the crazy grandmother showed up in chapter one. Camy Tang’s first book, Sushi For One?, is a great start to a budding career. We don’t see a whole lot of Asian chick-lit, so this book, while maintaining what we love about chick-lit, gives a taste of something new and different. 

The main character, Lex, is on the verge of becoming the oldest single female cousin in her family. With her older cousin, Mariko, getting married, Lex knows that her family will soon be on her case about getting married. It starts sooner than she thinks, though, when her grandmother corners her even before Mariko’s wedding and lets Lex know that she better have a date – a real date – for the wedding….or else.

Hilarity ensues with Lex making a fool out of herself in a number of ways and places. The lengthy list of qualifications her dates must meet keeps her far from finding anyone to fit the bill. She may just have to settle for what’s available – if she can convince him. Or is it Lex that needs convincing – to trust new people and open her heart to new possibilities?

Tang delivers a fresh outlook on the single life and gives her readers a glimpse of life in the Asian community. This first book in the Sushi Series will leave readers giggling and looking forward to book two.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Wedding Date by Liz Young

Posted by Keris on November 22, 2007 in Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 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 12, 2007 2:20 PM

MORE ON MONDAY: Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen

When I'm in the mood for something smart and satirical and insanely funny, I know just the man to turn to... Florida journalist Carl Hiaasen.

In honour of his latest novel - Nature Girl - being released in paperback, I thought I would revisit one of my old favourites, Sick Puppy.

Eco-warrior Twilly Spree spots someone in a Range Rover dropping litter and decides to teach him a lesson. His target turns out to be none other than Palmer Stoat - one of Florida's most powerful political fixers, and a man who's crimes against nature are far worse than litter-bugging...

Twilly steals Palmer Stoat's dog and hooks up with Skink, an infamous ex-governer who lives in the wild and eats roadkill.

Plotted with crazy ingenuity, Sick Puppy defies summarisation. Safe to say, however, it keeps you laughing while you turn the pages.

It's quintessential Hiaasen; the situation is exagerated and the humour a little twisted, but justice prevails. Highly recommended.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: Lucky You by Carl Hiaasen (it's my second favourite).

Related posts: More on Monday

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 12, 2007 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, More On Monday, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

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)

November 6, 2007 10:43 AM

BOOK REVIEW: Carpool Confidential by Jessica Benson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Rating: 4/5

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

Posted by Keris on November 6, 2007 in American Authors, New Releases, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (0)

November 5, 2007 1:35 PM

Book Review: Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

I'm a huge fan of Janet Evanovich, so it pains me to say this... The Stephanie Plum series may be running out of steam.

Your enjoyment of Lean Mean Thirteen will be enhanced by having read a couple of the earlier books, so that you know the full background to Stephanie's ex-husband Dickie Orr. However, if, like me, you have devoured all twelve of the previous novels, you may find Evanovich's latest a little... Samey.

The plot is enticing enough - Dickie Orr has gone missing and Stephanie is the Trenton police's prime suspect - and there is the usual assortment of hilarious rogues. This time, Stephanie is trying to apprehend a taxidermist with a penchant for exploding animals and a grave-robber. Plus, she has Morelli trying to keep her safe (fat chance, Joe) and her nemesis Joyce Bernhardt following her every move.

I think the main problem for me was one of character development. There wasn't any. Stephanie still loses her skips by going to their front door while they escape out the back, Lula still adds (more) slapstick, and absolutely nothing changes in the Ranger/Morelli situation.

As the characters felt more like parodies of themselves, I found I wasn't as emotionally-involved as usual.  I struggled to believe that Stephanie was a true suspect in Dickie's disappearance and hardly batted an eyelid at the nut job with a flame thrower. Which doesn't seem right.

However, Evanovich is still a very funny writer and Lean Mean Thirteen had me laughing out loud more than once.  I'm giving it a four out of five, as I would hate to put anyone off trying this series, but long-time readers consider yourselves warned...

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try: One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Posted by Sarah Painter on November 5, 2007 in Crime / Mystery, Rating: 4/5 | Permalink | Comments (2)

MORE ON MONDAY: Imagine This by Sade Adeniran

Reviewed by Belinda Whitehead

Imagine This is a beautifully written coming of age tale about Lola Ogunwole, a young girl whose father relocates her and her elder brother Adebola to their native Nigeria from England without so much as an explanation for his actions. Sent to live in a remote village with her aunt, and surrounded by a whole host of relatives she has never met before, Lola struggles to settle into her new life in Idogun.

Adebola, meanwhile, is himself suffering at the hands of his cruel uncle Joseph, and through their correspondence the two children dream of running away together to a better life.

Unable to come to terms with her abandonment, Lola starts acting up in school as a ploy to force her father to come and get her, but succeeds only in getting herself into more trouble with her relatives and provoking her father’s anger. When things eventually come to a head, Lola finds that even when it seems life can’t get any worse, it does.

 

This book does more than just tell a story, it takes the reader on a journey of discovery, provoking empathy towards Lola as she endures the many hurdles life throws her way, coming to terms with life, love and, the hardest thing of all, loss.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay

Posted by Keris on November 5, 2007 in Modern Fiction, Rating: 4/5, Recent Release | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 2, 2007 6:32 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Spellman Files by Lisa Lutz

I loved the premise of Lisa Lutz's debut novel, The Spellman files: a family of private investigators who just can't resist investigating each other.

Isabel Spellman has been working for the family business since the age of 14, but lately she's started to realise that having your parents tailing you and undertaking surveillance in order to find out who you're dating is, well, not normal.

Isabel's older brother, David, got out while the going was good, but her younger sister, Rae, is not only obsessed with the business, she's got even less sense of personal privacy than their parents.

When Isabel meets Daniel and decides she's going to leave the business, her parents give her one last job - a ancient missing person case that was closed years ago. Her parents see it as a wild goose chase to keep Isabel busy long enough that she decides not to leave after all. But Isabel finds plenty of clues that had been overlooked in the original investigation and the case begins to take over her life. Until, that is, her sister goes missing...

I was hooked by this book from the first page. Isabel's voice is distinctive, dry and very funny. The idea is original and inventive and so are the secondary characters - Rae is great: infuriating and impressive; Isabel's parents are calmly demented and her uncle Ray is believably tragic. The only character that didn't work for me was Daniel, who I never felt I really got to know.

Before writing this novel, Lisa Lutz wrote a screenplay and The Spellman Files is very filmic. I was mentally casting it all the way through and I would love it to be turned into a movie. I do know there's going to be a sequel and, frankly, I can't wait.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try One for the Money by Janet Evanovich

Posted by Keris on November 2, 2007 in American Authors, Crime / Mystery, Debut Novels, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 1, 2007 11:21 AM

BOOK REVIEW: The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling by Neta Jackson

Reviewed by Jill Hart

Neta Jackson and the Yada Yadas are at it again. In The Yada Yada Prayer Group Gets Rolling, Jodi Baxter and the rest of the gang are back for a whole new batch of adventure. A lot has changed since the Yada Yada Prayer Group was formed after being pushed together during a women’s conference a year and half prior. Each Yada has their own struggles, but they come together for support, encouragement and most importantly, prayer.

When a fire destroys the a building that is near and dear to many of them, the Yada Yada’s and the Uptown-New Morning Church step in to aid the residents. When Avis learns that her daughter has contracted a serious disease, the Yada Yada’s rally around her. As Ruth and Ben struggle with their newborn twins, and as Yo-Yo begins to withdraw from the group, they strive to help out in any way possible.

Still, many questions remain. How will Jodi put together an important performance in less than two weeks time? Will the lottery money change Chanda? Will Florida’s son end up in a juvenile detention center? 

Neta Jackson’s Yada Yada books have sold more than 600,000 copies worldwide.

This sixth book in this award-winning series is one of the best yet. Every reader will relate to one (or more) of the Yadas. The characters have a hard to achieve depth, especially if you’ve read the other books in the series and know each character’s background. The book is an exciting read. Every time you turn a page, something new happens.

Rating: 4 out of 5

Like this? Try The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs

Posted by Keris on November 1, 2007 in American Authors, Inspirational, Rating: 4/5, Series | Permalink | Comments (0)

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 22, 2007 12:28 PM

BOOK REVIEW: Blood is the New Black by Valerie Stivers

I was very excited when I reported the forthcoming debut novel from Valerie Stivers in book news back in September – vampires and fashion are just my thing – so imagine how excited I was when Blood is the New Black plopped through my letterbox weeks before publication.

The story revolves around Kate McGraw and her internship at Tasty magazine. Kate’s a medical student with an eye for fashion – she can diagnose a man and tell you where his suit was tailored at 50 paces. Her mother, who seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth, was a fashion designer, and although Kate has tried to break free of the fashion world her aunt introduces her to Tasty editor, Lillian Hall, who offers her a job at Tasty.

Kate soon faces the wrath of her fellow interns when she becomes Lillian’s favourite, but that doesn’t worry her as much as the murders that are going on around her. And why are some of her Tasty colleagues so odd? What’s the strange red drink they all have and why do they sleep in their offices? And why do they all start work so late – surely they can’t all be up all night?

I love the new trend of supernatural chick lit and this one really hits the mark – this was a read in one sitting book. It turns the world of fashion on hits head, but is still believable. If you’ve ever wondered how people in fashion manage to stay so thin maybe this is the real reason.

Rating: 4/5

Like this? Try Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris

Posted by Nicola pedley on October 22, 2007 in American Authors, Debut Novels, Fashion-Lit, Rating: 4/5, Supernatural |