Trashionista

October 25, 2011 12:10 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Festival of Romance reads!

Due to all the fun of the Festival of Romance on the weekend, we thought we'd give this week's Tuesday Three a certain theme! We've picked three of the many authors who participated in the brilliant event and their books. If you'd like to find out more about the Festival and awards, head on over to the website.

Working It Out by Nicola May

Ruby Matthews has a plan. Twelve jobs in twelve months, until she finds the one of her dreams...

After an unexpected redundancy, Ruby begins to question her priorities. Inspired by a quote from Kahlil Gibran about loving your work, she launches her mission to find the ideal job.

Her year of gainful (and sometimes painful!) employment includes nannying for clients in the South of France; dealing with embarrassing ailments in a Harley Street Clinic; waiting tables in a buzzy Soho cafe; and meeting the celebs of years gone by in a home for retired actors. And even though love is no longer top of her list, relationships just seem to start happening along the way - which sees her handing out some P45s of her own!

But will any of the jobs, or men she meets, see her dreams come true? Or will Ruby just end up back where she started?

Strings Attached by Mandy Baggot

Caterer George Fraser has a mission. She's going to prove everyone wrong. Ambitious owner of catering firm Finger Food and black sheep of her family, she's determined to succeed in business where she's so far failed in her personal life. Asked to cater for gorgeous rock star Quinn Blake's after-show party her life suddenly takes a turn for the dramatic.

Magnetically drawn together, George and Quinn embark on a relationship that no one must know about. But is Quinn everything he seems or is there more to his star life than he's telling her?

Things hot up when George is invited to the wedding of the millennium and her integrity very soon becomes compromised. With celebrity obsessed colleague Marisa in the mix and her beloved Adam spending more time in her life can George keep her secrets and hold on to her ambition, or will love finally get in the way?

Renovation, Renovation, Renovation by Nell Dixon

A fun romantic comedy with a unique twist that kept me hooked from beginning to end -- Gemma Halliday, bestselling author of the High Heel mysteries

Overworked, over budget and just so not over him! Kate would like an engagement ring from Steve but instead he's lumbered them with a thirteenth renovation project, and doing up Myrtle Cottage disturbs a ghost from the English Civil War who has romance troubles of her own.

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 25, 2011 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 26, 2011 10:21 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Sisters

Rebecca Chance's upcoming novel Bad Sisters is all about three siblings - Deeley, Devon and Maxie - who all share a deep secret. Also, Danielle Steele's recent book Big Girl focused on two sisters with totally different lives. We've noticed a trend in sisterly tales, so for today's Tuesday Three, here's our pick of novels containing some serious sibling rivalry...

Bad Sisters by Rebecca Chance (released on August 4th)
Three ambitious, rivalrous sisters. And a deadly secret, which one of them is determined to keep buried at any cost ...

Deeley is the fake wife of a Hollywood TV hunk, who is secretly gay. But Deeley's five-year contract is up, and his cut-throat publicist wants Deeley out. So, dejected and penniless, Deeley wends her way home to London, hoping to re-establish links with her two estranged elder sisters...

Devon is married to the nation's-favourite-rugby-hunk Matt, and has her own highly successful TV career, as the sexy hostess of her own cookery show. But behind her buxom facade, Devon is lonely and frustrated, and when a live celebrity cook-off shows her up as a fraud, she leaves sweet Matt and runs off to Tuscany, to learn a few lessons - not just in cookery - from an Italian master.

Lastly, there's Maxie: a politician's wife, Maxie is fiercely ambitious. She's furious when Deeley, hard on her luck, sells the sisters' childhood story to a tabloid newspaper, revealing their impoverished roots and unsavoury parentage. The story undermines Maxie's carefully cultivated image, and the fallout threatens to be devastating. But Maxie is only too aware that there is much more Deeley could yet reveal. What murderous secret lies in the sisters' past? And just how far will Maxie go to keep it buried?

The Ugly Sister by Jane Fallon (released September 29th)
When it comes to genes life's a lottery . . .

As Abi would the first to know. She has spent her life in the shadow of her stunningly beautiful, glamorous older sister Cleo.

Headhunted as model when she was sixteen, Cleo has been all but lost to Abi for the last twenty years, with only a fleeting visit or brief email to connect them. So when Abi is invited to spend the summer in Cleo's large London home with her sister's perfect family, she can't bring herself to say no. Despite serious misgivings. Maybe Cleo is finally as keen as Abi to regain the closeness they shared in their youth?

But Abi is in for a shock. Soon she is left caring for her two young, bored and very spoilt nieces and handsome, unhappy brother-in-law - while Cleo plainly has other things on her mind. As Abi moves into her sister's life, a cuckoo in the nest, she wrestles with uncomfortable feelings.

Could having beauty, wealth and fame lead to more unhappiness than not having them? Who in the family really is the ugly sister?

Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown (released August 4th)
Unlucky in work, love and life, the Andreas sisters return to their childhood home, ostensibly to care for their ailing mother. But each sister has a secret she's unwilling to share - each has come home to lick her own wounds.

The Andreas family is an eccentric one. Books are their passion (a trip to the library usually solved everything), TV is something other families watched. Their father - a renowned, eccentric professor of Shakespeare who communicates almost exclusively in Shakespearean verse - named all three girls for great Shakespearean women - Rose (Rosalind), Bean (Bianca), and Cordy (Cordelia); as a result, the girls find that they have a lot to live up to.

With this burden, as well as others they shoulder, the Andreas sisters have a difficult time communicating with both their parents and their lovers, but especially with each other. What can the homebody and shy eldest sister, the fast-living and mysterious middle child, and the bohemian youngest sibling have in common? Why can't Rose leave her hometown for the man she loves? Why has glamorous Bean come home from New York City with her tail between her legs to the small college town she swore she'd leave as soon as she could? And why suddenly has Cordy resurfaced after years of gypsy living? Each sister has found her life nothing like she had thought it would be - and suddenly faced with their parents' frailty and their own disappointments and setbacks, their usual quick salve of a book suddenly can't solve what ails them.

To their surprise, Rose, Bean and Cordy are more similar than they ever imagined. Yet can all three escape their archetypal roots and find happiness in a normal life? As it turns out, the small town of Barnwell and their sisterly bond offer much more than they ever expected.

Posted by Elle Symonds on July 26, 2011 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (4)

October 5, 2010 10:13 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Festive covers

It may only be October, but the signs are already there: the wintry weather, the dark mornings and the almost sudden appearance of wooly scarves. Christmas will be here in just two months and despite the scare-factor of the whole thing (shopping! Christmas dinner! Decorations! Packed-out shops!) we can't help but get excited at some of the recent book covers that are guaranteed to put you in the mood for the festive season. Cocoa, duvet and a good book? There's no better way to spend a cold winter night... 

Promises, Promises by Erica James (released 11 November)

'I Must Stand Up for Myself More' so promises Maggie Storm who spends her days cleaning houses for people who often have more money than manners. Married to a man with as much sex appeal as Mr Blobby, she dreams of a life straight from the pages of a romantic novel. 'My Head Must Rule Over My Heart' so promises Ella Moore who, determined never to let her heart get the better of her again, is recovering from seven wasted years of failing to win over the daughter of the man with whom she wanted to spend the rest of her life. 'No More Women' so promises Ethan Edwards who, to distract himself from the depressing sham of his marriage, is a repeat offender when it comes to turning to other women for sexual consolation. But when Ella appears unexpectedly in his life, he finds himself turning to her for very different reasons. 

Walking Back To Happiness by Lucy Dillon (released 9 December)

Juliet's been in hiding. From her family, from her life, but most of all from the fact that Ben's not around anymore.

Her mother Diane can't do anything to help. But, when she insists Juliet look after her elderly Labrador, it becomes clear that perhaps the dog, Coco, could help her daughter where she couldn't.

Catching on, her neighbours ask Juliet for help with their pets too. But then so does Mark, the gorgeous spaniel-owner she meets out dogwalking. And before she knows it, Juliet realises she's somehow become the town's unofficial petsitter, and is now privy to all the lives and secrets of everyone whose animals she's caring for.

But as her first winter alone approaches, she finally begins to wonder if it's time to face up to her own secrets? To start rebuilding her own life? And maybe - just maybe - to fall in love again?

All I Want for Christmas by Amy Silver (released 25 November)

Twelve days and counting... It's Bea's first Christmas with her baby son, and this year she's determined to do everything right. But there is still so much to do: the Christmas menu needs refining; her café, The Honey Pot, needs decorating; and she's invited the whole neighbourhood to a party on Christmas Day. She really doesn't have time to get involved in two new people's lives, let alone fall in love... When Olivia gets knocked over in the street, however, Bea can't help bringing her into The Honey Pot and getting to know her. Olivia's life is even more hectic than her own, and with her fiancé's entire family over from Ireland for Christmas, she shouldn't be lingering in the cosy warmth of Bea's café. Chloe, on the other hand, has nowhere else to go. Her affair with a married man has alienated her friends, and left her lonelier than ever. But Christmas is a magical time, and in the fragrant atmosphere of The Honey Pot, anything can happen: new friends can be made, hearts can heal, and romance can finally blossom...  
 

Posted by Elle Symonds on October 5, 2010 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 24, 2010 10:36 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Fameseekers

With the new series of X Factor having hit the UK screens on Saturday, the nation's weekends are set to be dominated by wannabes in search of stardom. (Some talented, some...well, let's just say karaoke-bar bad. But anyway). In slight celebration of the return of Britain's biggest talent show, here's a selection of three fame-seeking tales from the world of chick lit. (Plus, head on over to Osoyou to view and vote on the X Factor style wars!)

The Fame Factor by Polly Courtney

Polly Courtney's novel was released this month and focuses on singer Zoe Kidd, who's desperate to hit the big-time...

By day, Zoë Kidd lives a tedious existence, following orders and trying to appease her parents. By night, she's the raucous lead singer of all-girl rock band, Dirty Money.
For six years, Dirty Money has toured the London scene, playing pubs, clubs, shopping centres and the odd public toilet. They're gifted, they're beautiful and they're determined to make it to the top.

So when the American hit-maker Louis Castle appears at one of their gigs with talk of record deals and stadium tours, it seems as though their dreams are finally beginning to come true.
But fame turns out to be more elusive and divisive than any of the girls could imagine...
The Fame Factor is a fast-moving story of friendship, resilience and revelation, exposing the darker side to an industry obsessed with the limelight.

Spotlight by Ilana Fox

Ilana Fox's addictive second novel after successful tale The Making of Mia delves into the life of Madison Miller, who's scooped the prize on America's top talent show. There's a star-studded career waiting, but nothing's ever that simple.

A fallen star. A runaway bride. They're about to be pitted against each other by a very powerful man. Madison Miller has everything - beautiful, talented and just a little bit naive; she's the small-town girl who swept to victory on America's hottest talent show to become the nation's sweetheart. She's also head-over-heels in love with the man who's masterminded her career - the head-spinningly powerful, lethally attractive Beau Silverman. But there's trouble in paradise... Jess has bolted from her approaching wedding and a dead-end job in London to chase dreams of being a fashion designer in New York. But she's finding life in the Big Apple tough, until she meets a man who makes her an offer she can't refuse. It means a taste of a life she's never had - glamorous parties, paparazzi, haute couture - but at what price?

How to Be Famous by Alison Bond

Alison Bond's How to Be Famous is about talent agent Lynsey Dixon, who heads to LA to get more than she bargained for...

Lynsey Dixon never plans anything. She has no commitments and no responsibilities apart from her job at a London talent agency that specialises in neurotic actresses like Melanie Chaplin. After keeping her calm head in a crisis, Lynsey is offered a transfer to Los Angeles to help Melanie settle into a new television show. Lynsey can recognise an opportunity when she sees one. An opportunity for serious star spotting and sunny days.

Melanie Chaplin is excited to be famous, but being famous can make you forget yourself. Soon she is wildly in love with a married man and pregnant by her womanising co-star, Fabien Stewart. Being a star can be stressful. And why, when her career is soaring, is she jealous of the young wannabes nipping at her Jimmy Choo heels? Serena Simon is the most beautiful girl in the world. She didn't exactly choose Hollywood. When you look like Serena, Hollywood is the only place to go. She has a plan and it's working. Fame is only a photoshoot away. Any minute now someone is going to find out that this sexbomb is a teenage runaway, just fourteen years old. When Lynsey finds Serena she agrees to help her. But junior assistants are not supposed to help anyone but their bosses. It's their little secret. But secrets rarely stay that way, especially in Hollywood. Melanie's reputation takes a nosedive as fame goes to her head. Serena tries to make it as a teenager in a very adult world. They both look to Lynsey for advice and support. If she wants to keep her head in Hollywood, Lynsey Dixon needs one hell of a plan.

Posted by Elle Symonds on August 24, 2010 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (6)

December 4, 2007 3:38 PM

TUESDAY THREE: In the money

One of my recurring fantasies as a teenager (along with the one about George Michael rescuing me from school ... the mean girls would have died of envy!), was inheriting a frighteningly huge amount of money from a relative. It never happened (nor did the George Michael thing, sadly), but inheritance plays a part in the following three books.

Belinda Jones’s I Love Capri features Kim, who is down on love and down on life. Following the death of a grandfather she's never met, Kim inherits £5,000, which she plans to spend on liposuction for her and her long-suffering flatmate. Before she can book an appointment, however, her mother whisks her off to Capri, home of the deceased grandfather, to do the translating as her mother prepares to take over her grandfather's boutique.

Initially terrified of leaving her comfort zone, Kim finds that life in Capri is better than she could have imagined. But self-discovery isn't all that Capri has in store for Kim. Oh no. After all, it wouldn't be chick lit without a love affair, and spokes in wheels, and heartache, and more love, and extra suitors - inappropriate, natch - hiding in the wings.

Practically Perfect by Katie Fforde centres around Anna, a qualified interior designer who decides to spend her inheritance money on a little cottage in Amberford. Quickly Anna begins to wonder if she has bitten off more than she can chew. She feels worse still when her next door neighbour, Chloe, mentions the fact that the row of cottages is listed and extra planning permission is required to do anything. As if looking after a dog - Anna's landed with the care of Caroline the rescue greyhound - and effectively rebuilding a house is not enough to contend with, Anna soon finds herself crossing swords with Rob Hunter who happens to be the one person she could do with keeping on side!

Marina Lewycka’s debut novel, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, turns up frequently in the Tuesday Three. I can only imagine she had that in mind when she wrote it. No? Anyway, sisters Nadia and Vera have an antagonistic relationship, thanks, in part, to their unequally-split inheritance. See, I just wanted to mention that inheritances aren’t always good news. But that George Michael visit would've been ace...

Posted by Keris on December 4, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 27, 2007 12:18 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Fairy tales

Once upon a time (well, last week), my fellow Trashionista Sarah found a book billed as a “feel-good fairy tale” to be anything but, so I thought that for this week’s Tuesday Three I’d look at three books that might really suggest a happily ever after (if only with a novel!).

Deborah Wright's modern magical fairy tale, Under My Spell, features Cara, a 25-year- old witch who, desperate to escape the clutches of her batty mother, applies for a live-in nannying position with the Wilkins family. She’s delighted to get the position, and even more sure that this is the right move for her when she meets her gorgeous next door neighbour Sean. There’s just one thing that could go wrong…

Cara must remember all day, ever day, to act normal. If anyone finds out about her secret double life she’ll lose it all. The combination of normal world disasters and conspiracies of the magical world mean pretending to be normal is nearly a full time job in itself.

The Sleeping Beauty Proposal is Sarah Strohmeyer's second fairytale-themed fiction, following The Cinderella Pact. Despite its title, The Sleeping Beauty Proposal is a modern-day story about Genie Michaels, who has been dating university professor and newly successful author Hugh for four years. So when he proposes to her live on TV during a talk show interview, she's amazed but gratified, and can't wait to start planning her wedding. Until Hugh clarifies that while he was proposing to the love of his life, it’s not Genie.

So Genie's best friend  Patty comes up with a plan: as Hugh goes back to his native England to promote his book (with his new fiancee in tow), Genie will just pretend that he did propose to her after all. It's full steam ahead to a wedding that may or may not have a groom...

In Gemma Fox’s The Cinderella Moment, Cass meets James Devlin, who seems perfect ... well, apart from being married, that is. When James becomes a missing person, suspected of running off with his fancy woman (i.e. Cass), Cass finds herself caught up in the middle of a huge misunderstanding which involves her being watched by the police and gangsters. How will she ever manage to persuade them that she is innocent of whatever they're suspecting her of? The Cinderella Moment is about what happens when a chance meeting with a gorgeous man changes your life forever.

Posted by Keris on November 27, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

November 20, 2007 11:35 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Frenemies

You know what a frenemy is, right? (And if you don’t, Megan Crane explains it here.) Of course, I had to start with Megan’s book, Frenemies, obviously!

Frenemies features Augusta "Gus" Curtis who is on track to having everything she wants: a great job, a gorgeous boyfriend, wonderful friends. That is, until, she walks in on her boyfriend, Nate, kissing her friend, Helen. Gus can't believe Nate would do that to her, but she's actually more upset about Helen's betrayal, especially since Helen won't leave her alone and seems to be doing everything in her power to drive Gus round the twist.

Sara Shepard's first novel, Pretty Little Liars, is the story of Aria, Emily, Spencer, Hanna and Ali, who are the best of friends in the same way many teenage girls are friends, i.e. they know each other's secrets and have a tendency to use them against each other. Particularly Ali, the leader of the pack. So when Ali disappears the girls are of course horrified, but also a little bit relieved. Understandably, they drift apart. Three years later they've all changed a lot and then they start getting messages signed by 'A'. Not only does the mysterious 'A' know their past secrets, he or she knows exactly what they're up to now too...

In The Myth of You And Me by Leah Stewart the teenage Cameron moves to a new town and meets Sonia. Sonia literally saves her life, and the two quickly become the best of friends, with a close, unshakeable bond they assume will last forever. But then Sonia does something that Cameron can't forgive, and she abandons Sonia and their friendship, never to return. Until ... Cameron's boss, the reclusive elderly author Oliver Doucet, whom she lives with and cares for, suddenly dies. With no more ties in the world, and a present that Oliver posthumously asks Cameron to give to Sonia, Cameron sets out on a reluctant road trip...

Posted by Keris on November 20, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (12)

November 13, 2007 8:28 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Music was my first love...

Ah, who hasn’t had a crush on a musician? I know I have. From Shakin’ Stevens to Barry Manilow, I’ve loved ‘em all (what?). And so, apparently, do chick lit writers. Looking for a dangerous, sexy hero? A musician’s your man!

Dedication, the new novel by Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin (whose first The Nanny Diaries is a Trashionista favourite and whose second, Citizen Girl, received Trashi’s Worst Ever Review), is the story of 30-year old Kate, whose high-school boyfriend and love of her life Jake left town without a word just before the prom ... and then became one of the biggest recording artists of his generation, with a series of songs about their relationship. When Kate's best friend from home Laura calls to tell her Jake's home filming a TV hometown special, Kate seizes the chance she's been waiting twelve years for, and goes back to confront him.

Kathleen Tessaro’s second novel, Innocence, is the story of Evie Garlick, who leaves smalltown Ohio at the age of eighteen to follow her dream. She travels across the Atlantic to London, to study acting and soon finds herself best friends with fellow American actress wannabes Robbie and Imogene. The three girls live together, study together and get drunk together until Jack, a struggling rock musician, comes into Evie’s world and pulls her friendships apart.

But it’s not just men who can be sexy musos, you know - oh no. Heather Wells, heroine of Meg Cabot’s Size 12 Is Not Fat, is a 28-year-old ex-pop star who, after having discovered her boy band fiancée doing the dirty with upcoming star Tania Trace and seeing her mother flee the country with her manager and life savings, is forced to take a job as a dormitory – sorry, residence hall –assistant, overseeing students at nearby New York College. Despite her troubled past, as well as a complimentary weight gain, life isn't all that bad – especially as Heather has lovely private-investigator housemate Cooper to lust after.

However, when two female students are suddenly found dead in what appear to be tragic dares-gone-wrong, Heather is certainly not convinced. Because, quite frankly, 'girls don't elevator surf'. Cue a vital desire to solve the mystery of Fischer Hall, which appears to land Heather in a bit more trouble than she actually expects. But with her pop career having taken a nose-dive and no man in tow, surely it's time for the former Queen of Teen to stop reminiscing and start concentrating on the present?

Posted by Keris on November 13, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 6, 2007 10:29 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Quilt lit?

Quilting is a great metaphor for story-telling - or not even a metaphor; quilts tell stories of their own - and, as such, is often featured in women’s fiction to great effect.

Trashionista fave, Lani Diane Rich’s latest book, The Fortune Quilt, sees TV producer Carly McKay going to interview a psychic quiltmaker, Brandywine Seaver. Brandywine gives Carly a reading on a quilt she's made for her and it changes Carly’s life completely. Carly doesn’t believe in psychics, but when her TV show closes down, her runaway mother returns after 17 years and her best (male) friend tells her he’s been in love with her for years, she returns to the arty town of Bilby to ask Brandy what the hell’s going on.

Partly due to the town's charms (not least sexy neighbour, Will) and partly because she's afraid to go home, Carly finds herself making a life in Bilby, but when the quilt inspires her to make things right and get back what she’s lost, Carly's forced to risk everything she’s found.

The Wedding Ring by Emilie Richards - the first story in a trilogy - features Tessa and her mother, Nancy, who are summoned to Helen's (that's Tessa's grandmother, Nancy's mother) home by a concerned neighbour. When Tessa and Nancy reach Helen's mountainside house they are shocked by the level of disarray it has fallen into. Helen has been hoarding anything and everything - refusing to leave the old way of life in which you didn't throw away anything that might be useful.

They begin to clear through the piles whilst Helen hides away, resentful of their presence in her home. Each woman is caught up in her own troubles, each has something they are trying to run away from. Living in close quarters however they start to lern to live with each other, a process that is aided by the discovery of the quilts Helen has spent her life creating. Each one contains stories and memories, and as these are shared the women begin to open up.

Diane raved about each of Joshilyn Jackson’s first two books, gods in Alabama and Between, Georgia
and her new book - due out in March 08 - is called The Girl Who Stopped Swimming and is the story of Laurel Gray Hawthorne needs to make things pretty, whether she's helping her mother make sure the very literal family skeleton stays buried or turning scraps of fabric into nationally acclaimed art quilts...

Posted by Keris on November 6, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 30, 2007 12:26 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Two for one!

Here at Trashionista, we read a lot of books (obviously) and sometimes we get more than we bargained for, in that some books feature a book within a book ... two for the price of one!

In Jo Barrett's debut novel, The Men’s Guide to the Women’s Bathrooms, former lawyer Claire St John has left New York after divorcing her cheating husband Charles. She's now back home in Austin, Texas to write her bestselling book. About what, she's not quite sure. Then she hits on a brilliant idea: she'll demystify women for men. She'll call her book The Men's Guide to the Women's Bathroom and, as we read this book, we also get to read Claire’s book. Not only is Jo Barrett a smart, witty and talented author, but her heroine is too! 

Lisa Beth Kovetz's debut novel, The Tuesday Erotica Club, is the story of four women from very different backgrounds, who form a weekly writing group, which quickly becomes a weekly erotic writing group. As you might suspect from the title, there's a certain amount of erotic writing in the book, as we are treated to the women's creative efforts. It just stops short of being too much, but probably isn't for the squeamish about sex. However, the real plot of the book is about the importance of female friendship and it's a very good, well-crafted read.

A very (very) different novel is A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka. Nadia and Vera’s father, Nikolai, has always been eccentric, but when he announces, two years after their mother’s death, his plans to marry a young Ukranian woman neither of them has met, the sisters are concerned. As the sisters try to remove the woman and her son from their father’s life, Nikolai is working on his book - A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian. Which is exactly what it sounds like...

Posted by Keris on October 30, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 23, 2007 1:01 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Two women

A standard chick lit plot is that of a woman having to choose between two men, but there are a good number of books now featuring a man choosing - or not - between two women.

In Donna Hay's The Two Mrs Robinsons, Oliver Robinson dies, leaving behind two women who love him: the ex-wife he hasn’t divorced and the girlfriend he hasn’t married. The uneasy truce that exists between the two women is stretched to the limit when Eve, the ex-wife, decides to run his restaurant while Anna, the girlfriend, thinks they should sell it. Desperate to turn things around the two women find they have to compromise and soon start to grow closer as they look out for each other.

While bigamy isn’t the usual subject of a warm, feel good chick lit novel,  Sheila O’Flanagan has produced an engaging read with Yours, Faithfully exploring the bizarre relationship between two women married to the same man. Sally has been married to Frank since they were very young and they have a teenage daughter, Jenna. Iona met and married Frank after a whirlwind romance four years ago. They are now trying for a baby. Neither wife knows about the other until Frank is involved in an accident. When they learn of each other’s existence and meet in the hospital sparks fly, but then after a period of hatred towards what each calls ‘the other woman’ we see how their relationship develops and grows.

Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed is told from the point of view of Rachel, who is about to turn thirty and having a bit of an early mid-life crisis. Her best friend since school Darcy seems to have everything: a wonderful man, a glamorous job in PR and a wedding to plan. Rachel on the other hand, feels lost and overlooked. Especially whenever she's with Darcy. Life perks up a little when she finally realises she has great chemistry with a man she's known for years... shame he also happens to be Darcy's fiance, Dex...

Posted by Keris on October 23, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 16, 2007 11:51 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Baby makes two!

This week I thought I’d do something different for Tuesday Three. Well, I say *I* thought of it, but actually I got an email from a reader named Therese recommending chick lit books about single motherhood. We haven’t read any of them, but they sound good, so here you go! (And if you have any recommendations, Therese - and we - would love to hear them!)

In Jane Porter’s Flirting With Forty, Seattle single mom Jackie Laurens begins wondering how important happiness is: divorced with two kids and a thriving decorating business, she assumes she's happy, but can't help feeling like something's missing. When her married friend, Anne, arranges for the two of them to indulge in a Hawaiian getaway in honor of Jackie's 40th birthday, Jackie agrees. Anne backs out at the last second, but Jackie decides to suffer through the vacation solo ... and there she meets Kai, a sexy, tan and much younger surfing instructor.

And Baby Makes Two by Judy Sheehan features Jane Howe, who is pretty sure she has attained the perfect life: a well-paying job, fantastic friends, family close by (but not too close), and a Greenwich Village apartment that makes visitors drool with envy. But that’s before she sees the perfect child. There he sits in his stroller, angelic and beautiful, magnetic and serene–and he makes Jane question everything she has and everything she thought she wanted.

Suddenly all she can see are babies and pregnant woman everywhere. Were there always so many of them? And while there was once a man in her life–her one true love, Sam, gone from this world too soon–there is no man now. Jane must make a choice: possibly become a bitter and childless old lady, letting her biological clock tick on ’till menopause, or tend the ache in her heart now, by becoming a single mother.

Single Mom Seeking: Playdates, Blind Dates, and Other Dispatches from the Dating World by Rachel Sarah is a memoir by a single mom trying to get up the nerve to date again. 

Posted by Keris on October 16, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 9, 2007 5:40 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Swapping lives

Have you ever looked at someone and wished you had their life? You know, whoever George Clooney’s currently going out with. Or Marian Keyes, who is not only a fantastically talented author and all-round goddess, but also gets to work from her bed. Well, if you have, you’re not the only one - many, many authors have also wondered about it. Here are three!

Another Man's Life by Greg Williams features twin men with very different lives (one is a single, hot-shot rich businessman, the other a stay-at-home-dad ever since he was made unemployed), who decide to swap lives and to find out how the other half lives, if the grass is greener on the other side... and all that jazz.

So they hatch a plan to pretend to be each other for two weeks, during which Tom (the stay-at-home-dad)'s wife will be away and Sean (the single, hot-shot rich businessman) will be off work. Or that's the plan, anyway. What could possibly go wrong?

In Mary Castillo’s Switchcraft, Nely and Aggie - who have been friends for years, but have grown apart since the birth of Nely’s baby - go on a spa break to try and repair their friendship. During their session with a guru, they end up “switched” into each others bodies, where, it turns out, they have to stay for 28 days. There is nothing they can do but try to muddle through living each other’s lives...

Life Swap by Jane Green features Vicky, a single girl in London who dreams of nothing but getting married. Across the pond, Amber apparently has it all – the house, the husband, the kids, the American dream. But neither is happy, both perhaps wanting what the other has. The two strangers swap lives for a month, as a feature for Vicky’s magazine ‘Poise!’, to see if the grass is greener.

Posted by Keris on October 9, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (4)

October 2, 2007 7:32 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Knit lit

I can't believe it's a year since we first mentioned the concept of "Knit Lit" - where does the time go? But in the past year, we've actually reviewed three knitting-heavy books so the subject was a shoe-in for this week's Tuesday Three. Funnily enough all three of these books are part of series - knit lit is obviously here to stay!

Kate Jacobs' The Friday Night Knitting Club is the charming story of Georgia Walker - single mother to a mixed-race daughter, Dakota, and proprietor of a knitting shop in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Encouraged by Georgia’s mentor, Anita, and assistant, Peri, local women begin to gather in the shop on a Friday evening to chat, knit and eat treats cooked by 12-year-old Dakota ... and The Friday Night Knitting Club is born.

But then Dakota’s father James reappears on the scene wanting a relationship not only with Dakota, but with Georgia too. Georgia’s former best friend, Cat, also turns up, unsatisfied with her glamorous life. Everything seems to be changing and Georgia’s not sure she’s ready.

In Debbie Macomber's Back on Blossom Street, Lydia owns a yarn shop where a group of women come together for a knitting class. Alix, who's about to be married but whose wedding organizing has been overrun by her future mother-in-law and another friend. Collette, who is widowed but recently pregnant by her ex-employer. And Lydia's sister, who also has a crisis which affects her whole family. All that and knitting patterns too!

Gil McNeil's Divas Don’t Knit is the story of Jo Mackenzie, a widow with two young sons. Needing a change to get over the shock of losing her husband (even though he was about to leave her), she takes up her grandmother's invitation to move to the country and take over the running of the family's wool shop.

Posted by Keris on October 2, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 25, 2007 9:00 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Shop til you drop

This week I thought I'd look at an alleged chick lit staple: shopping.

Of course I had to start with the queen of shopping - Becky Bloomwood. The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic, the first of Sophie Kinsella's super-successful series is a laugh-out loud cautionary tale of what happens when you lose track of your spending. Becky Bloomwood is a financial advisor who hasn't got a clue how to save. From racing away from work to buy designer scarves to filling her house full of greetings cards for no apparent reason, her impulse spending makes even the most seasoned shopper look like a spendthrift. Despite her (many) faults and unbelievably stupid spending sprees, our heroine is still the kind of character you can't help rooting for throughout. From the hilarious letters to her bank manager that start each chapter to the tales of her burgeoning romance with the lovely Luke Brandon and her warts-and-all friendship with Sloaney Suze, the pages fly by.

But what if you're not a seasoned shopper? How do you know what to buy? Well India Knight's gorgeous, The Shops, will help with that. 'The Shops: How, why and where to shop' is an unashamedly self-indulgent gem filled with tales of the author's shopping excursions and littered with product recommendations, shopping favourites and gift ideas. Whether you're a seasoned shopper or the kind of person who dreads a trip to Oxford Street, this book is a mine of information and a great read to dip in and out of. It covers everything from maternity clothing to organic food, and is full of top tips, personal recommendations and silly stories. Invest in it now and halve your Christmas shopping time!

Of course some people don't like to shop and others don't think excessive shopping is ethical. But could you go a whole year without buying anything? No clothes, no books (argh!), no cinema tickets or meals out? What would you do if you weren't part of the consumer economy and only bought the barest of essentials? And how would other people react?

To answer all those questions and more, Judith Levine (along with her partner, Paul) took on a mammoth challenge: a year of Not Buying It. This book looks at issues of world economics, environmental concerns and social responsibility and in this sense is enlightening, if a bit depressing at times. It's a thought-provoking read, and I can't imagine that anyone who reads it will ever forget some of the lessons of the book.

Posted by Keris on September 25, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 18, 2007 10:37 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Lost in Austen

I felt the urge to mix it up a bit with Tuesday Three this week. Instead of featuring books we've already reviewed, I thought I'd choose three books we'd like to review. But still connected. I'm not an amateur.

First up ... oh, yes - the subject is Jane Austen (see how pride comes before a fall?!).

First up is Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler in which, after nursing a broken engagement with Jane Austen novels and Absolut, Courtney Stone wakes up and finds herself not in her Los Angeles bedroom or even in her own body, but inside the bedchamber of a woman in Regency England. Who but an Austen addict like herself could concoct such a fantasy?

I've mentioned Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster before, but I've just discovered it's called Being Elizabeth Bennet in the UK (and out at the beginning of next month).

The book gives the reader the opportunity to star in Pride and Prejudice. "You will be faced throughout this book with delicate challenges and dangerous choices. Whether you're accepting Mr Darcy the first time he professes his attachment, deciding to elope with Mr Wickham or avoiding a murderous Lady Catherine de Bourgh, this is a chance to rewrite Austen's most famous book. You must complete five stages - and successfully negotiate your way through Austen's five other novels - before can choose to accept Mr Darcy. But if the outcome does not suit, simply return to page 1 and create a new Jane Austen adventure."

Shannon Hale's Austenland features Jane Hayes, a seemingly normal young New Yorker, but with a secret obsession with Mr. Darcy, as played by Colin Firth in the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. Her obsession is ruining her love life - no real man can compare - but when a wealthy relative bequeaths her a trip to an English resort catering to Austen-crazed women, Jane’s fantasies of meeting the perfect Regency-era gentleman suddenly become realer than she ever could have imagined.

Related: The influence of Austen

Posted by Keris on September 18, 2007 in Classic Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

September 11, 2007 4:41 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Searchin'

"... lookin' for love, all the time I can." Ah, whatever happened to Hazell Dean, eh? Anyway, I'll stop singing 80s pop classics long enough to do this week's Tuesday Three on the subject of, yes, searchin', looking for someone.

Lady Luck’s Map of Vegas by Barbara Samuel features India: 40, with a well-established career, a boyfriend she sees only once a month, a bombshell of a mother and a schizophrenic twin sister who went off her meds and on the run when their father died a few months earlier. When her mother, Eldora, suggests a road trip both to try and find India’s sister, Gypsy, India flat out refuses. Her mother annoys the hell out of her and she can’t bear to spend that much time cooped up with her. Plus, she’s just discovered thiat she’s pregnant and she needs to work out how she feels and what she wants to do about that situation.

But eventually her mother wears her down and they set off together. India finds herself both enjoying the trip more than she expected and missing her boyfriend Jack more than she imagined. But he didn’t seem interested when she told him about the baby and she hasn’t managed to get hold of him since she’s been on the road. Plus her mother seems to be using the trip as a chance to tell India all sorts of secrets that India would really rather not know...

Lucy Blue, the heroine of Louise Harwood's third novel, Lucy Blue, Where Are You?, is in the process of extricating herself from an unsuitable relationship with an overbearing, controlling man. In an act of liberation, she accepts a New Year’s Eve party invitation from an old friend in Scotland. The party is a disappointing flop, but, after being stranded at the airport, Lucy finds herself reluctantly “lumbered” with giving a lift to a devastatingly attractive stranger, Jude.

Having spent the best part of a day cooped up in a small hire car together, passion suddenly strikes and Jude and Lucy make an unscheduled detour to a roadside motel. Job done, they agree that this should remain one magical, never to be repeated memory. All is fine until a poster in a tube station declaring “Where are you, Lucy Blue?” throws them back together again, bringing to the surface buried emotions, family issues and consequences they couldn’t possibly have foreseen.

The debut novel by Morag Prunty, Dancing With Mules introduces Xavier Big, an Irish American billionaire looking for an Irish wife. Cue a selection of ladies hoping to be swept off their feet...

Posted by Keris on September 11, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 4, 2007 12:13 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Celeb Flings

Despite the fact that it's sunny today, I think I'm finally going to have to accept that we're probably not going to have a summer. So instead of a Summer Special Tuesday Three, I thought I'd cheer myself up with some Celebrity Flings!

Laura Caldwell's The Year of Living Famously is the story of unsuccessful fashion designer Kyra who falls in love with and marries a relatively unknown Irish actor who then becomes incredibly famous. The celebrity lifestyle - stalkers, paparazzi, staff - completely freaks her out and she's not sure whether she can put up with it, even if it means giving up the lovely Declan.

Sadie Price, heroine of Libby Street's Accidental It Girl is a member of the paparazzi. When she's involved in a chase in which she totals her car and gets on the wrong side of Hollywood bad boy Ethan Wyatt, she thinks the damage is only physical. Wyatt decides to try to turn the tables on Sadie, and give her a taste of her own medicine, with predictable, but entertaining results.

Kristin Harmel's How to Sleep With A Movie Star features Claire Reilly, celebrity editor at Mod magazine, who can’t understand why her layabout boyfriend Tom has lost interest in her. Sent to interview Hollywood megastar, Cole Brannon, Claire expects him to be a typical egomaniac, but he's not - he's down to earth, sweet and even more gorgeous in real life. And he seems interested in her, but he couldn’t possibly be ... could he?

Posted by Keris on September 4, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 28, 2007 12:48 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Life's a beach

Yes, despite the weather, we're continuing with the Summer Special. This week I thought I'd look at beach reads since I've actually started compiling my own holiday reading list (about which more later).

First up is Chocolate Beach by Julie Carobini. Inspirational chick lit, it's the story of free-spirited Bri Stone who begins to worry that her hard-working lawyer husband Douglas may be bored with her. When friends and family urge her to change to hang on to her man things start to fall apart. With pressure from her mother-in-law to make her beach house more suited to a man of Douglas’s stature, bitchy comments from a former friend, and a new, erratic boss at the tour company, Bri doesn’t quite know what to do for the best.

Sexy Shorts for the Beach is a collection of short stories with a summery theme.
Featuring a brilliant mix of styles and feels to the stories - some are amusing, some are poignant and and some are downright romantic - we recommend it highly.

How could I write about beach reads without mentioning Belinda Jones? The Paradise Room takes us to Tahiti, and islands so beautiful they even melt the heart of Amber Pepper, a woman who's usually much happier with a brolly than a bikini. But in Tahiti she really begins to find herself, and that means a few very important decisions need to be made...

Posted by Keris on August 28, 2007 in American Authors, British Authors, Summer Special, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 21, 2007 10:01 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Messing about on the water

The summer theme continues with books about boats and boating (and apologies if I get any of the terminology wrong - I don't want emails telling me that "yachting" isn't "boating" or anything like that).

Sarah Mason's Sea Fever is the story of Erica Pencarrow, who longs to compete in sailing's toughest challenge, the America's Cup. When her dream finally comes true she must conquer not only the sea but also her team's prejudices - a fight she looks set to lose when she falls for a rival sailor. Review coming soon.

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

Jacquelyn Mitchard's Still Summer is the story of four school friends, who get together for an idyllic sailing vacation – meant to comfort recently widowed Olivia – expecting two weeks of gossip, sunbathing and drinks with little umbrellas. Instead, two days into their crossing, a single small mistake turns paradise a sun-baked hell. Surrounded by water, but with almost none to drink, with refrigerators filled with gourmet food rotting before they can used it, and a deluxe communication system ruined in an instant, the women must hide from the punishing sun and use all their strength and intelligence to try to outwit nature, their own demons and human predators.

There's a review of this coming soon(ish) too, but you'll actually find a (glowing) Amazon review written by no less than Jodi Picoult!

If the above's whetted your appetite for the water, you can also read about Katie Fforde's Dutch barge, sailing the Med, and cruising with Monroe.

Posted by Keris on August 21, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Summer Special, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 14, 2007 11:49 AM

Summer Special Tuesday 3 - Change your life on holiday

Another Summer Special Tuesday Three. This week, rather than picking one place, I've picked three books that will show you how a holiday can change your life.

When her horrendous divorce is followed by a devastating break-up, Elizabeth Gilbert decides to take a year out just for herself. She comes up with a plan to spend the year pursuing three very different things in three very different countries: pleasure in Italy, devotion in India and balance in Indonesia - Eat, Pray, Love. The fact that the countries all being with "I" is coincidental, but, Gilbert thinks, a good sign. Can she recover from her past and find herself and her future all in the space of a year?

If you've ever wanted to take a year off, if you've ever wondered if there's more to life than this, if you've ever had to recover from a bad break-up - surely that covers everyone? - you'll enjoy this book.

We haven't actually reviewed the book of Under the Tuscan Sun, but we've reviewed the film and that's good enough for me. It stars Diane Lane as Frances, who, following a bitter divorce, heads to Italy to try and learn how to be happy again. Frances is only supposed to be there on holiday, but she falls for a run-down house and buys it on the spot. As you do. And you know the rest. She charms the locals, makes friends, walls fall down, things/hearts break, etc. We've seen it many times. But I never stopped wanting it to work out and I never doubted for a moment that it would.

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

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

Has a book ever inspired you to change your life? Let us know.

Posted by Keris on August 14, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Summer Special, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 7, 2007 12:23 PM

Summer Special Tuesday 3 - Australia

I've never been to Australia, but I'd love to go. There are only a few things that put me off: spiders, a 24 hour flight, Russell Crowe. I can't actually think of any Australian chick lit off the top of my head, but I'm sure there must be some and I will now proceed to find it. Wait there.

I haven't read Leigh Riker's Strapless, but the tagline - "Australia or bust" - sounds intriguing. It's the story of Darcie Baxter, sent to Sydney to set up and launch the newest Wunderthings Lingerie store. She begins a romance with sexy sheep rancher Dylan, but while she wants to pursue her career, he wants a wife who will give him children. Will they be able to work it out?

Carrie Tiffany's first book, Everyman's Rules for Scientific Living - shortlisted for the Orange Prize - is the story of Jean, a seamstress with no family who joins the Better Farming Train, which travels round Western Australia at the end of World War One, educating farmers on new methods to increase productivity. She falls in love with the taciturn and meticulous scientist Robert and together they disembark to start a new life as crop farmers in a particularly isolated and barren part of the country.

The novel flicks between past and present day as we learn more about the main character's backgrounds and despite the hardships the novel covers, it's carried along at a light, breezy pace, propelled by a wry humour and peppered with moments of unbearable poignancy. Quirky, clever and educational, this is a great read.

Australian author Jaclyn Moriarty's epistolary YA novel, Feeling Sorry for Celia I didn't *love*, but Marian Keyes really, really did - she described it as a book she'd like to have written herself and the book she most frequently recommends to other people.

Non-fiction and non-chick lit-wise, try Bill Bryson's Down Under. Not as funny as some of his other books, but a great, entertaining introduction to Australia.

Posted by Keris on August 7, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (8)

July 31, 2007 2:47 PM

Summer Special Tuesday Three - Venice

Yep, I'm back from my romantic mini-break in the subject of last week's Tuesday Three - Paris - and am focussing this week on Venice.

As we've already mentioned, Belinda Jones's latest - The Love Academy - is set in Venice and is the story of journalist Kirsty Bailey who is sent by the magazine she works for to attend the much gossiped-about Love Academy. In Venice. Nice work if you can get it.

I'm currently reading Marlena de Blasi's memoir, A Thousand Days in Venice, only stopping to read a book I couldn't possibly resist (about which more later), but I've enjoyed it very much so far. It's the tale of Marlena's whirlwind romance with an Italian she met while there on business. (Nice work if you can get it!)   

Not chick lit, but wonderful all the same (!) Sally Vickers' debut novel, Miss Garnet's Angel is the story of middle-aged Julia Garnet who decides to spend six months in Venice to recover from a bereavement. She falls in love with Carlo and her life opens up in ways she never imagined.

Did you know that author Laurie Graham (who Diane rather loves) lives in Venice? She writes:

I write my books in a canal-side study in the city of Venice. The only sounds that interrupt me are the gentle throb of delivery boats and the occasional tortured singing of a passing gondolier.

Well, now I'm jealous. Read more about Laurie Graham - and her life in Venice - on her blog.

Posted by Keris on July 31, 2007 in Book related, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 24, 2007 2:10 PM

Summer Special Tuesday 3 - Paris

I thought I'd do something a bit different with the Summer Special Tuesday 3s. Each week I'm going to pick a place and feature three books set there, which we may or may not have reviewed. (And there may be more than 3...) Ooh. Controversial!

So first up is Paris, mainly because I'm going there at the end of this week. Yes, I know I said I wasn't going on holiday until September, this isn't a holiday, it's a Bridget Jones style romantic mini-break ... with cycling (we're going to see the end of the Tour de France). But back to the books...

First up is Weekend in Paris by Robyn Sisman. Weekend in Paris is not my favourite of Sisman's books (that would be Perfect Strangers), but it's definitely escapist. Molly is given the opportunity to accompany her boss to Paris, but then learns he plans to seduce her and so runs away to Paris on her own. She then meets a bunch of people and has a life-changingly exciting weekend. In Paris.

Diane has loaned me Kate Muir 's Left Bank to take with me this weekend, so it had better be good. It's the story of a glamorous French philosopher and a gorgeous American actress. In Paris. And it looks gorgeous.

Paris Hangover by Kirsten Lobe features Klein, a New Yorker trying to find the right man. In Paris.

Paulina Porizkova's debut novel, A Model Summer is also set in Paris  as is Julia Holden's new book, One Dance in Paris and Sabine Durrant's YA novel Ooh La La, Connie Pickles (which I loved).

If you've read any of the above, let us know what you think. And feel free to tell us about your favourite Paris novel.

Plus if you've got a pash for Paris, you should check out writer Gabrielle Luthy's site - more Paris links than you could possibly ever need!

Posted by Keris on July 24, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Summer Special, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (5)

July 17, 2007 3:28 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Arty farty

As you can tell from the heading, I’m very cultured, so I thought I’d focus this week on three books set in the art world.

Alison Pace’s debut, If Andy Warhol Had a Girlfriend, features gallery manager Jane Laine, who is sent on a five-month international art fair tour with British artist, Ian Rhys-Fitzsimmons. Unimpressed with his art, Jane thinks Ian's a fraud and isn't impressed with the assignment either. In fact, Ian makes Jane nervous, but, as they travel to London, Rome, Chicago, Santa Fe, she finds that there's much more to Ian - and to his art - than she originally thought. Can you guess what's going to happen?

Jennifer Crusie’s Faking It is the story of struggling artist Tilda Goodnight and her family. She's not struggling in the usual sense of starving in a garret - rather she's struggling to keep her artistic and personal integrity in the face of family pressures. She desperately needs cash to pay the mortgage on the family art gallery so she's selling her soul copying famous paintings onto rich people's walls- but has a basement full of art that she can't sell for mysterious reasons.

When her niece accidentally sells one of the forbidden artworks, things seem to be getting worse and worse. Tilda's bored, tired and put upon, so the last thing she needs is to bump into Davy Dempsey in a darkened cupboard when they're both trying to steal the same painting. Things get even more complicated as Tilda and Davy's paths keep crossing, and she becomes suspicious of his motives- is he trying to discover her dark secrets? Is he hiding something of his own? Are they really attracted to each other- or is one of them faking it?

In Zoe Rice’s Pick Me Up, Izzy works in an art gallery, has a glamorous PR best friend, wonderful clients and a cat named Robbie (after Robbie Williams, no less). She's happy with her life until the gallery's benefactor drops dead, her fabulous boss takes a job on the other side of the country and she's landed with an artist who seems not to be able to stand her .. most of the time.

Posted by Keris on July 17, 2007 in American Authors, Debut Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 10, 2007 12:17 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Fathers and daughters

Mothers and daughters, sisters, grandmothers ... what family relationship haven’t we looked at? Yep, fathers and daughters. As a relationship, I think it’s rather under-represented in chick lit, but I’ve found three books with a bit of a father-focus.

In Hester Browne's The Little Lady Agency, Honey's job is to help hapless men by doing all the things women do best - shopping, socialising and generally charming the pants of people. She's a rent-a-girlfriend of sorts, getting gay men off the hook with their mothers and buying christmas presents for difficult secretaries. But the line between Melissa and Honey gets blurred when she meets the gorgeous Jonathan, who just happens to be the roundabout reason she started the agency in the first place.

Chaos ensues as she tries to keep her business running, justify her job to her best mates, keep her ex-colleagues off the trail, cope with her overbearing dad. Honey’s dad is really one of the most appalling and hilarious father’s in fiction. I loved to loath him!

Marina Lewycka’s debut, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, is predominantly the story of Nadia and Vera’s father, Nikolai. He’s always been eccentric, but when he announces, two years after their mother’s death, his plans to marry a young Ukranian woman neither of them has met, the sisters are concerned. Their concern increases when they finally do meet Valentina - a brash, big-bosomed woman, who is clearly only interested in their father for his money and British citizenship. Their father though, is smitten.

Valentina and her son Stanislav move in and Valentina’s treatment of Nikolai soon changes. He is no longer her “holubchik” (little pigeon) he is “no-good-bad-stink-corpse”. The sisters realise they have to get Valentina and Stanislav out of their father’s life, but how?

Maggie Alderson's Cents & Sensibility is about Stella’s struggle to manage her relationship with her jet set playboy boyfriend, Jay, but the secondary theme of the book is the relationship between Stella and her father Ham. The family set up is completely ludicrous – and yet charming and utterly believable, and against your better judgement you can’t help but love it, and feel a part of it.

Posted by Keris on July 10, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (5)

July 3, 2007 12:43 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Overboard!

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 26, 2007 5:53 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Future classics

As you know, it's Cult Classics week at Trashionista this week (although it's slightly on hold since poor Diane currently has no electricity thanks to the inclement weather!) So for this week's Tuesday Three, I'm looking at future chick lit classics.

Since Jennifer Weiner is the chick lit author most likely to cross-over, her debut novel, Good In Bed, is destined to be a future classic. It's is the story of Cannie, who finds out her boyfriend Bruce has left her for another woman by reading about it in his new magazine column. Weiner's debut addresses issues of family, self-image and love in a way we hadn't seen in chick-lit before. Cannie isn't a Bridget Jones style diet-obsessive - she has phases where she's unhappy with her body, but generally she likes being a larger lady. And she is, we're assured, very good in bed...

Jodi Picoult's My Sister's Keeper perhaps suffered a bit for being a Richard & Judy bookclub choice. While being picked by the twosome is a huge boost for earnings and profile, it pretty much guarantees you a critical mauling. Jodi Picoult's books, though, are brilliantly written, topical, moving and entertaining and surely this will be recognised at some point in the future.

Thirteen year-old Anna is a human pincushion, who's been through countless invasive surgeries and blood transfusions to help save her sister Kate, who has leukaemia. She was never given a choice in this - in fact she was born for this very purpose. But now she's had enough. She's taking her parents to court to ask that they stop harvesting her body to help her sister. As you can imagine, this tears an already disparate (and desperate) family apart...

We haven't actually reviewed the final book in the three - Rachel's Holiday - but I couldn't possibly leave it out, since, as the chick lit readers' and writers' favourite, it's surely a future classic. Marian Keyes' third book is the story of Rachel Walsh, whose love of a good time lands her in Ireland's answer to the Betty Ford Clinic. Rachel is hopeful, expecting spa treatments and celebrities, instead, she finds a lot of group therapy, which leads her, against her will, to some important self-knowledge and a man who might actually be good for her.

Which books do you think are classics of the future?

Posted by Keris on June 26, 2007 in American Authors, Cult classic week, Debut Novels, Irish Authors, Marian Keyes, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (5)

June 19, 2007 1:25 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Grandmothers

We’ve looked at sisters and mothers and daughters, so surely it must be time for grandmothers... Why, yes, it is!

When the nameless first-person narrator of Alice Hoffman’s The Ice Queen is eight she is upset with her mother one day, so when her mum goes out for the evening, she wishes for her never to return. She doesn't: she dies in a car crash and she and her brother Ned go to live with their grandmother. From then onwards, our narrator is convinced she has a gift: when she wishes for something bad, it always happens - but she can't seem to stop herself from wishing.

In adulthood, she half-heartedly wishes to be hit by lightning, and then she is. It has strange and devastating  physical consequences including colorblindness, limping and pain. But in other ways, it begins a new and exciting chapter in her life - especially when she meets mysterious fellow lightning strike survivor Lazarus Jones - a man who is literally too hot to touch...

Kate Jacobs' The Friday Night Knitting Club is the charming story of Georgia Walker - single mother to a mixed-race daughter, Dakota, and proprietor of a knitting shop in Manhattan’s Upper West Side. Encouraged by Georgia’s mentor, Anita, and assistant, Peri, local women begin to gather in the shop on a Friday evening to chat, knit and eat treats cooked by 12-year-old Dakota ... and The Friday Night Knitting Club is born.

But then Dakota’s father James reappears on the scene wanting a relationship not only with Dakota, but with Georgia too. Georgia’s former best friend, Cat, also turns up, unsatisfied with her glamorous life. Everything seems to be changing and Georgia’s not sure she’s ready so she takes a trip to the UK to visit her grandmother and educate Dakota about her background.

More knitting in Gil McNeil’s Divas Don’t Knit, which features Jo Mackenzie, a widow with two young sons, and she's had enough of London. Needing a change to get over the shock of losing her husband (even though he was about to leave her), she takes up her grandmother's invitation to move to the country and take over the running of the family's wool shop...

Posted by Keris on June 19, 2007 in American Authors, British Authors, Debut Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (4)

June 12, 2007 6:28 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Working in TV

We've looked at chick lit heroines who work for newspapers, magazines and in PR - how about television?

Stephanie Lehmann's You could do better was described as '... an irresistible new novel about a woman trying to choose between the man of her dreams - and her fiance ...' and if you can resist a line like that, you're a better woman than me.

Daphne works as a curator at the Museum of Television and Radio in New York, so obsession with TV is part of her job. But she also uses TV as a way to avoid engaging in real life (who doesn't?!) - her parents are dead, her former supermodel sister Billie is a mess and sex with her boyfriend Charlie is only average. But when Charlie proposes Daphne almost misses it because she's too busy watching a fictional proposal on TV. Luckily she catches on and accepts but then when Charlie starts to lose patience with her television habit and she meets a sexy and available TV producer, Daphne starts to wonder if maybe she's settling for Charlie .. if perhaps she could do better...

When TV producer Carly McKay - heroine of Lani Diane Rich's The Fortune Quilt - goes to interview a psychic quiltmaker, Brandywine Seaver, she has no idea that her life is about to change completely ... until, that is, Brandy gives her a reading on a quilt she's made for Carly. Carly doesn’t believe in psychics, but when her TV show closes down, her runaway mother returns after 17 years and her best (male) friend tells her he’s been in love with her for years, she returns to the arty town of Bilby to ask Brandy what the hell’s going on.

Partly due to the town's charms (not least sexy neighbour, Will) and partly because she's afraid to go home, Carly finds herself making a life in Bilby, but when the quilt inspires her to make things right and get back what she’s lost, Carly's forced to risk everything she’s found.

Apparently the latest, hottest trend in Manhattan - more popular than the Birkin bag, better than Jimmy Choos - is The Manny, or male nanny, and this is the subject of Holly Peterson's debut novel. Jamie Whitfield is at the end of her tether with her husband Philip, an overgrown spoiled rich kid who can never have enough money and who spends all his time at work, away from Jamie and their three children.

Jamie's also trying to break a huge national story in her job as producer at a major news network and it's not going smoothly. More importantly, the problems in her marriage are brought into stark relief by her growing attraction to Peter, the Manny...

Posted by Keris on June 12, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Debut Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

June 5, 2007 5:11 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Working in PR

The cliched idea of chick lit often touted by the snooty press is a PR girl in the city, looking for a man... Well, you know, all cliches have an element of truth, and this week's three books all feature heroines working in PR.

Heaven Albright, heroine of Caprice Crane’s Stupid and Contagious has a brilliant PR career until she's unfairly dismissed. Procrastinating about starting her own agency, she takes a waitressing job in a trendy restaurant. Independent (and unsuccessful) record company owner Brady Gilbert leaves his psycho girlfriend and moves into the apartment next door to Heaven's. Of course they don't get on at all to begin with. Heaven doesn't think Brady's all there and Brady thinks she's crazy, but from the very beginning the reader knows they're made for each other. Stupid and Contagious is extremely funny, it made me cry and when I finished it I could happily have turned back to the first page and started it again.

Piece of Work is Laura Zigman's fourth novel after a four year absence. It's the story of Julia Einstein, who gave up a stressful but stimulating job in PR to have and raise her baby boy Leo. But now Leo is three and about to start pre-school, and Julia's husband Peter has been "downsized" from his job and seems in no hurry to get back to work. So Julia reluctantly dips her toe back into the world of work...

Jane Green’s Mr Maybe tells the story of Libby. She's a 27 year old working in PR, desperate to find a suitable man. She's not fussy, just as long as he's drop dead gorgeous, filthy rich, owns a large house in one of the most desirable areas of London, drives a flashy car, and dresses like he's just stepped off the catwalk at the latest Armani fashion show. The story centres around Libby's relationships with  two men - one of whom fits her ideal and another who really, really doesn’t - and her struggle to decide on what actually matters in making a successful relationship.

Posted by Keris on June 5, 2007 in American Authors, British Authors, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

May 29, 2007 1:28 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Yummy mummies

Ah, the modern phenomenon of the Yummy Mummy. Two words likely to make most mothers want to punch someone repeatedly. As with any phenomenon, Yummy Mummyness soon turned up in fiction, but thankfully the following books are skewering rather than embracing the idea.

Secret Life of a Slummy Mummy is narrated by Lucy Sweeney, whose housekeeping and organisation skills are on the lax, not to say slovenly side. Her husband despairs of her, as she turns up at the school gates in her pyjamas, locks herself out of the house, runs out of petrol at inconvenient times and loses her credit card, only to locate it later in the fridge - after it's been cancelled!

With three young sons to look after, Lucy knows she has to pull herself together, especially as the presence of Yummy Mummy and Alpha Mummy at the school gate always make her feel bad about herself. Then Sexy Domesticated Dad joins the PTA, and Lucy starts to enjoy the school run. But it's just some harmless flirting... isn't it?

Anyone who has ever looked in the mirror six months after becoming a mother and not recognised the shell of a woman looking back will relate to the gloriously funny, warm and poignant Rise and Fall of a Yummy Mummy by Polly Williams.

Amy Crane may have become a mother, but in all other respects she has lost her identity and she struggles to reconcile her love for her gorgeous baby girl Evie with old life as a career girl, lover and friend. She bounces between two groups of friends - the NCT mothers who don't feel fulfilled without a baby strapped to their boobs, and the yummy mummies with the designer prams and designer children.

Ultimately she falls under the spell of the super glamorous Alice who sets about co-ordinating 'Project Amy' - a makeover to ensure the new mum gets her groove back. At the same time she struggles to keep her relationship together with Joe, who she suspects cheated on her while she was heavily pregnant.

Will Project Amy be a success? Will  her relationship with survive? Will her eyebrows ever grow back?

Fran, heroine of Maria Beaumont’s Motherland used to have a fab career as a voiceover artist. She used to be madly in love with her husband, Richard. She used to be cool, calm and in control. And then she had kids. Frightened half to death at the idea of going back to work, cutting herself off from her two best friends and alienating her husband - plus the small matter of drinking so much that she forgets to pick her kids up from school - watch as Fran hits rock bottom and then drags herself back up again.

Posted by Keris on May 29, 2007 in British Authors, Debut Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 22, 2007 2:10 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Sex swap

I've just read an interview with Jennifer Weiner in which she says she's changed the sex of one of the characters in her new novel, Certain Girls (the sequel to Good in Bed):  "One character is getting a sex change; there’s a girl we think is going to work better as a boy. I’m sure writing it is easier than doing it in real life.”

So today I'm looking at men writing as women and women writing as men!

Jay McInerney’s Story of My Life features Alison Poole, a 20-year old aspiring actress living in New York City. Her rich father is supposed to be funding her education, but keeps flaking on her, so she has to survive on her wits (which she does brilliantly, if not always morally). She's quick-witted, clever, promiscuous and a regular drug-user who has seen and done too much, too young. Ye somehow McInerney also makes her sweet, charming and a wonderful narrator for this slice-of-life story, which is also brilliantly sharply written and very, very funny.

Jodi Picoult’s Salem Falls tells the story of Jack McBride. Accused of indecently assaulting a female pupil at the school he taught at, Jack’s reputation is destroyed overnight. Despite his continued protestations of innocence, Jack spends 8 months in jail. Upon leaving he decides to pick up the pieces, and start over. When he arrives in Salem Falls, and manages to pick up a job washing dishes at the local diner, he begins to think his life may be starting to pick up. That is until he meets Gilly, Meg, Chelsea and Whitney – a group of friends bonded closer than the outside world realises. When they target him with spiteful accusations, Jack begins to wonder if he is doomed to relive the past over and over. Once more he must fight to prove his innocence, and risk losing the woman he loves.

I thought I’d finish with a classic. Arthur Golden inhabits his heroine’s voice so brilliantly that many people actually believe Memoirs of a Geisha is a true story. The story begins in Japan in 1929. When Chiyo's mother becomes progressively ill her elderly father arranges for Chiyo and her sister Satsu to be taken away to Kyoto where they will be trained as geisha girls. Upon arrival in Kyoto the girls are separated and sold to different okiya where they will be trained. Chiyo quickly realises that the life she has been sold into is one of labour and hardship. The book follows Chiyo through her training until she becomes Sayuri, a geisha. It continues then through her experiences as a geisha, and the ways in which world events affect her. Reading it you get a real sense of what it was like to live as a geisha, but also to live in Japan during the 1930s and 40s.

Posted by Keris on May 22, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Debut Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 15, 2007 2:27 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Imaginary friends

I had one named Mr Corbett. Once, I left my grandparents house and, on the way home, said I’d left him behind. My dad said, “That’s okay, he’s running behind the car.” What on earth am I blethering on about? Imaginary friends! This week we look at three books featuring characters that may not exactly be, you know, real.

Lois Winston’s Talk Gertie to Me features Nori, who, in just one day, loses her boyfriend, best friend and her job and gets home to find that her mother has turned up unannounced for an indefinite stay. Before too long her childhood imaginary friend Gertie emerges to dispense straight talking advice. Gertie isn’t a physical presence, but a voice in Nori’s head, and the whole book is great fun.

Shannon McKelden's witty debut, Venus Envy, finds Venus/Aphrodite/goddess of love in the Seattle area, having to matchmake mortals to appease her father (that'd be Zeus). She's horrified to find her latest challenge is Rachel, who is so damaged by previous disastrous relationships that she's sworn off men for life and fills her time with good works instead. Luckily for Rachel, Luke - a hunky local firefighter - has taken a shine to her and isn't willing to take no for an answer. With Luke already interested and Venus there to help, what could possibly go wrong? Ha.

We haven’t actually reviewed Cecelia Ahern’s If You Could See Me Now, but it’s the story of Elizabeth Egan who has everything under control apart from her irresponsible sister Saoirse. Elizabeth has to take care of Saoirse’s six-year-old son Luke. One day, a stranger unexpectedly comes into their lives. Ivan is carefree, spontaneous and always looking for adventure - everything that Elizabeth is not. In no time at all, he has crept under her skin and started to change her life in ways she could never have . She knows barely anything about Ivan - who he is and whether he is everything he seems. But it turns out he might just be a little bit magical...

And don't forget that the movie (a musical!) is currently in “active production” with Hugh Jackman as the star.

Posted by Keris on May 15, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Cecelia Ahern, Debut Novels, Irish Authors, Supernatural, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (3)

May 8, 2007 10:59 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Lists

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

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

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

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

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life is Amy Krouse Rosenthal's autobiography - kind of. It's an alphabetised account of her experiences and thoughts on life, large and small, interspersed with a chronology of her life experiences, from how she came up with the idea of the book to why she could never concentrate during Laverne and Shirley. Although it's a very funny book it's not a superficial or silly one - Amy shares some very personal facts and difficult experiences, including unexpected deaths of loved ones. It's a completely absorbing read.

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

May 1, 2007 10:06 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Money worries

This week’s Tuesday Three takes a look at something common to most, if not all, of us - money worries.

Raising the Roof, Jane Wenham-Jones' first novel, is about Cari Carrington, the daughter of slightly crazy parents and ex-wife of Martin, the man who cut up her Barclaycard. Cari has three problems: she’s single, she’s jobless and she’s fat. At least that’s what Martin told her during their last blazing row. But don’t worry; Cari has a solution to at least two of those problems. Nigel her horny friend soon becomes her Nigel her horny business partner when they buy a run down property to do up for a profit. Unfortunately Nigel fails to tell Cari exactly how much work needs to be done and she soon sees her investment running away from her so she has to take a more hands on approach than she’d intended...

I couldn’t write about money worries without featuring The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic now, could I. The ultimate in girlie escapism, the first of the super-successful Shopaholic series from Sophie Kinsella is a laugh-out loud cautionary tale of what happens when you lose track of your spending. From the hilarious letters to her bank manager that start each chapter to the tales of her burgeoning romance with the lovely Luke Brandon and her warts-and-all friendship with Sloaney Suze, the pages fly by. Luckily, there's four more where this came from.

Not strictly chick lit - being that it’s both about and written by a man - is Marc Acito’s How I Paid For College. A fabulous, over-the-top, brilliantly written, laugh-a-minute novel about Edward, a high-school senior in 1980s New Jersey, who is desperate to study acting at the prestigious Julliard in New York City but his overbearing father has refused to pay and his flaky mother is incommunicado on her latest hippy retreat. So Edward comes up with an outrageous scheme to enable him to fund his college education himself. Not that paying for college is Edward’s only problem: he has a permanently stoned sister, wicked stepmother and his own confused sexuality to contend with. A brilliant read.

Posted by Keris on May 1, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Sophie Kinsella, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 24, 2007 1:44 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Adultery

It’s not big or clever, but in fiction it’s always good fun. What am I talking about? Adultery. This week’s three books focus on cheaters and cheating, but possibly in ways you wouldn’t expect...

Emily Giffin’s Something Borrowed is the wonderful story of Rachel, who is about to turn thirty and having a bit of an early mid-life crisis. Her best friend since school Darcy seems to have everything: a wonderful man, a glamorous job in PR and a wedding to plan. Rachel on the other hand, feels lost and overlooked. Especially whenever she's with Darcy. Life perks up a little when she finally realises she has great chemistry with a man she's known for years ... shame he also happens to be Darcy's fiance, Dex...

Jane Fallon’s first novel Getting Rid of Matthew has a great premise: Helen has been Matthew’s mistress for four years, but when he finally leaves his wife and two daughters and moves in with her, Helen finds it’s not what she wanted after all. But Matthew has given up a lot to be with Helen and he’s not about to give her up. Unless she gives him some very good reasons to, that is. So Helen sets about a campaign to drive Matthew away: amongst other things, she stops shaving her legs, slums about the house in her scruff, stops having sex with him and befriends his ex-wife (under a pseudonym).

In Husbands Adele Parks takes it to the next level with bigamist Bella. Bella’s friend Laura, still hurt from a nasty break up, falls head over heels with a busker she meets on the tube. Unfortunately he happens to be married to Bella who is also married to Philip... are you keeping up? The book charts some fairly major coincidences as the lives of Bella, her two husbands, and Laura become rather too entwined for comfort.

Posted by Keris on April 24, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 17, 2007 12:12 PM

TUESDAY THREE: The influence of Austen

You might have noticed it’s Austen Week here at Trashionista and so for this week’s Tuesday 3, we’re looking at three very different books all imbued with the essence of Austen.

The first is a hugely popular novel, The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler. The story is simple: six people form a book club and read the works of Jane Austen. Split into six sections - each concentrating both on a different character hosting the book club, and a different Austen classic - we learn about the characters' lives and their relationships with Austen’s books.

Subtitled 'Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece' and edited by the wonderful Jennifer Crusie, Flirting with Pride & Prejudice features a mix of both essays and short fiction. Contributors include Shanna Swendson and Lani Diane Rich on such subjects as the similarities between P&P and Fiddler on the Roof, Bride & Prejudice (the movie) and the eternal appeal of Colin Firth's Mr Darcy.

Finally, an Austen-esque self-help book of all things! Lauren Henderson is a Cambridge University graduate who wrote her second-year dissertation on courtship rituals in Jane Austen, so she's well placed to bring us Jane Austen's Guide to Dating (or Jane Austen's Guide to Romance if you have the paperback!). A mixture of case studies from Austen's novels and real people from the twenty-first century illustrate the educational and entertaining points that Henderson has to make about dating.

Posted by Keris on April 17, 2007 in Austen Week, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (4)

April 10, 2007 3:19 PM

TUESDAY THREE: Dear Diary

Thanks to Bridget Jones, diaries will probably always be synonymous with chick lit, but Bridget wasn't the only heroine to share her secret scribblings with the world. This week's Tuesday Three looks at novels written in diary form.

Sue Hepworth and Jane Linfoot’s Plotting for Beginners is a wonderfully funny novel about starting again after your children have left home, your husband is AWOL and you want to fulfill your dreams. Sally Howe and her husband are spending a year apart, as he wants to live in a cabin in the American wilderness and she wants to write a novel and launch a career in journalism. But when Sally learns that her husband considers the Rockies just the start of his overseas adventures, she begins to worry about the possible disintegration of her marriage - and its effect on her writing plans...

The debut novel from author Robyn Harding, The Journal of Mortifying Moments is about ad-agency worker Kerry Spence. Stuck in a boring job, put down by her mother on countless occasions, and having trouble finding the perfect man, Kerry hires a therapist who sets her a task - “A diary of past encounters with men that may be contributing to your current negative and dysfunctional relationship.” In other words, The Journal of Mortifying Moments. This book isn't exactly a heart-warming tale of love and marriage - but who needs that when you have a diary full of morbidly embarrassing situations?

Published back in 2000, Raphaella Barker's Hens Dancing is the story of a year in the life of Venetia Summers, whose husband leaves her and their three kids to shack up with his masseuse. From nits to bathroom conversions to unexpected guests and, most importantly, learning to cope with being a single mother with an irascible ex, Hens Dancing is about life-changing disasters, small triumphs and everything in between..

Posted by Keris on April 10, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

April 3, 2007 8:01 AM

TUESDAY THREE: British boyfriends

American authors do love a British love interest. We're often told that Americans love our cute "British" accents (there's no such thing as a British accent!), but it's probably also something to do with Darcy/Colin Firth. Whatever the reasoning behind it, this week we're looking at British boyfriends.

Lani Diane Rich has admitted that the hero of Ex and the Single Girl was totally based on Colin Firth (and you can read all about Lani's crush in Flirting with Pride & Prejudice). The book is about Portia Fallon who, after being dumped by her boyfriend via a note, is too weak to refuse when her mother phones and begs her to come home to Georgia and help with the family bookstore. But when Portia gets there she finds that she's not really needed - her mother and aunts have a plan to fix her up with Ian, a British novelist in town working on his latest book. Ex and the Single Girl is a fun and fast read about following your heart and finding your place in the world.

Alison Pace's If Andy Warhol Had A Girlfriend features another British Ian. Gallery manager Jane Laine is sent on a five-month international art fair tour with British artist, Ian Rhys-Fitzsimmons. Unimpressed with his art, Jane thinks Ian's a fraud and isn't too keen on the assignment either. In fact, Ian makes Jane nervous, but, as they travel to London, Rome, Chicago, Santa Fe, she finds that there's much more to Ian - and to his art - than she originally thought. Can you guess what happens?

Meg Cabot's Queen of Babble features Lizzie Nichols who, following graduation, heads to England to stay with her appalling boyfriend (who she's actually only previously spent one night with). It doesn't turn out well and she gets the train to Paris to visit a friend who's working at a French chateau. During the journey she spills all her secrets to the handsome hunk in the next seat and, yes, he's the son of the owner of the chateau. This is a sweet book - and you know we love Meg Cabot - but this type of story was done a lot more successfully by Sophie Kinsella in Can You Keep A Secret? I had to include it though to show that not all British men are sexy and sophisticated, as our British readers no doubt know!

Posted by Keris on April 3, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 27, 2007 9:40 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Adoption

Thanks to Angelina Jolie’s “rainbow family”, adoption is in the news again, and it has, of course, turned up in chick lit too (what hasn’t?).

Maeve Haran’s Baby Come Back actually features a celebrity parent, albeit one who has given up rather than adopted a child. Joe Meredith’s wife Molly has always known how much being adopted bothers her husband so she sets out to find Joe’s birth mother. She turns out to be Stella Milton, the actress plastered across the walls of every teenage boy in the country for the last 20 years.

Stella would like to reconnect with her son... if only she could have him without the baggage of his wife and child. Following the power struggle that ensues between Molly and Stella, Baby Come Back light-hearted, but does not shy away from the issues it is dealing with.

One of the most popular of Richard and Judy’s book club choices, Dorothy Koomson’s My Best Friend’s Girl tells the story of Kamryn who unexpectedly receives a letter from her former best friend Adele asking her to visit her in hospital. Adele is dying and wants Kamryn to adopt Tegan, Adele’s daughter from the one night stand with Kamryn’s fiance that (unsurprisingly) ended their friendship. She does, of course, and the result is a bit of a tearjerker.

Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson is the story of Nonny Frett, adopted into the Frett family when her 15-year-old mother abandoned her shortly after delivering her on the Frett's living room floor. Unfortunately, her adoption by her birth family's most hated rivals inevitably worsened the resentments that festered between the two clans, and it was only a matter of time before the tiny town of Between was taken to the brink of disaster by the burgeoning intra-family feud. Dealing with themes of abandonment, betrayal, family loyalties and nature vs. nurture, this novel is addictive, thought-provoking reading that's practically perfect in every way.

Posted by Keris on March 27, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Richard and Judy, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 20, 2007 9:41 AM

TUESDAY THREE: Mothers and daughters

I was inspired by Mothers’ Day last Sunday (in the UK and Commonwealth) to have a look at some fictional mothers and daughters for this week’s Tuesday Three. Let's face it, apart from sisters, there are few relationships likely to provide better fodder for humorous fiction!

Jane Sigaloff’s Like Mother, Like Daughter features Alice, whose mother , Suzie, is approaching sixty but is acting like her coming birthday is her sixteenth instead. When she comes up with a hare-brained scheme to find love for herself and her daughter, Alice begins to despair - why can't she have a mother like other girls?

When her mother and sister have a car accident, Belinda “Benny” Bernstein flies home and is horrified by what she finds, in Pamela Ribon's Why Moms Are Weird. Not only is her mother dating three men at once, her house is filthy and filled with trash. Her sister is in an(other) abusive relationship and has started a collection of stray dogs. And what's even more galling is that neither of them have commented on Benny's weightloss.

Benny takes it upon herself to fix everything, but what she doesn't realise is that just because something's broke, doesn't mean she has to be the one to fix it. Anyone who has suffered guilt pangs at moving far from home - or who has a mother who is too close for comfort - will enjoy this book.

We couldn’t choose focus on mother/daugher relationships without including Postcards from the Edge now, could we? Former Hollywood actress, recovering alcoholic and drug addict with a famous mother Carrie Fisher’s novel about a Hollywood actress who's a recovering alcoholic and drug addict with a famous ... well, you get the idea!  Postcards is a cult classic - a book to be read and re-read, gawped at and laughed over. And the film's pretty great too.

Posted by Keris on March 20, 2007 in American Authors, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

March 13, 2007 1:04 PM

TUESDAY THREE

Thanks to the new Thursday Trailblazer feature, the Thursday Three has become the Tuesday Three. And I thought I’d celebrate the move with a look at books featuring ... death. (I really don’t know how to celebrate, do I?)

P.S. I Love You, the debut novel from Cecilia Ahern, examines what happens when young love ends too soon. Holly is devastated when her childhood sweethearts Gerry dies of a brain tumour, but soon finds that he has left her a set of envelopes - one labelled to be opened on a specific day each month. Each envelope contains a task to help Holly move on with her life. And each message ends with the words 'P.S. I love you'. A lovely, sad, and funny book.

The reissued version of Marc Levy’s If Only It Were True, Just Like Heaven is about Lauren, a resident in a busy ER department, who crashes her car and ends up in a deep coma. A few weeks later Arthur moves into a fabulous new apartment. Imagine his shock when he finds a girl in his closet ... a girl who is amazed that he can see her and hear her ... a girl who tells him that her body is lying in a coma on the other side of town - yup you've guessed it, it's Lauren. The book’s great and so’s the film.

How Will I Know  by Sheila O’Flanagan explores the relationship between a bereaved mother and her daughter. Following her husband Bill’s tragic death, Claire’s life revolves around her daughter Georgia. While Georgia is getting to grips with a first boyfriend, Claire is rediscovering the world of dating herself.

Posted by Keris on March 13, 2007 in American Authors, Cecelia Ahern, Irish Authors, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

March 1, 2007 10:22 AM

THURSDAY THREE: Nannies

The life of a nanny is ripe with possibilities for entertaining stories - I know cos I used to be one - so this week we're going to look at three very different books about what can happen when you move in with not just complete strangers, but children too.

First up had to be the most famous book about a nanny since Mary Poppins - The Nanny Diaries. Described as 'a modern chick lit classic' by our own Diane, Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin's debut novel features Nan who, while studying for her master's in child education, turns to nannying for rich Manhattan families to pay the bills.

Suddenly she has to juggle her studies with the ever-more demanding, unreasonable and distant family she works for whilst also trying to avoid her difficult flatmate (which isn't too hard, as Nan barely has time to eat or sleep anymore!). The real focal point of the book is Nan's relationship with her little charge, Grayer, and it provides a great insight into the emotional issues around caring for children who are not your own.

In Under My Spell, Deborah Wright's modern magical fairy tale, Cara, a 25 year old witch, is so desperate to escape the clutches of her batty mother that she applies for a live-in nannying position with the Wilkins family. She’s delighted to get the position, and even more sure that this is the right move for her when she meets her gorgeous next door neighbour Sean, but Cara must remember all day, ever day, to act normal. If anyone finds out about her secret double life she’ll lose everything.

Carry on over the cut for the third - non-fiction this time - choice.

Aged just 19 Suzanne Hansen moved to L.A and accepted a post looking after three children whose father just happened to be one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, super-agent Michael Ovitz. You’ll Never Nanny in this Town Again: The True Adventures of a Hollywood Nanny describes how what had at first seemed like a dream job quickly became a nightmare: too shy to negotiate a fair contract, Suzanne found herself on call at all hours of the day and night. She also found her employers had very little respect for her, the work she did, or even their own children. But when she thought about quitting, the family turned nasty (or nastier), with Michael uttering the words that make up the book's title. Was he right? Would she ever nanny in Hollywood again? Well, there's only one way to find out!

Posted by Keris on March 1, 2007 in American Authors, British Authors, Debut Novels, Non Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 22, 2007 10:29 AM

THURSDAY THREE: Must Love Dogs

We really didn't enjoy the film, but we do love our four-legged fictional friends ...

Alison Pace's Pug Hill has the most gorgeous dog-decorated cover and features Hope McNeill who copes with stress, by hanging out at Pug Hill - an area of New York's Central Park where pug owners gather to walk cute pot-bellied pups. I found Hope a little bit on the wet side, but Pace writes about both pugs and New York beautifully.

Anyone But You by Jennifer Crusie features Fred, an aged, depressed half-beagle, half-basset hound. Oh and Nina, recently turned 40 and divorced, and ER doctor Alex, about to turn 30 with no interest in growing up or settling down. But when Fred climbs through his window and leads him to Nina ... well, you can imagine. It's a lovely, charming, sweet and romantic book.

Our final book is The Dog Walker by Leslie Schnur. Nina Shepard is a dog walker by day and a sculptor of found objects by night. She is also in love with Daniel before she even meets him. He's the owner of one of her canine charges and each day when she lets herself in to his apartment to collect his dog, she lingers. And snoops. When they do meet she's not disappointed, but Daniel isn't quite who (or what) he appears, but then neither's Nina - she's only covering the dog-walking for a friend after being sacked from her much flashier job in publishing. So how can Nina and Daniel really fall in love when neither is who they seem? The kind of book that makes you feel warm inside.

Posted by Keris on February 22, 2007 in American Authors, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

February 8, 2007 5:12 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Childhood friends

I didn't fall in love with my best male childhood friend, he turned into that chick lit staple - the gay best friend - instead (and then we kind of lost touch), but childhood friends who, years later, become something more are the subject of today's Thursday Three.

First up is Cecelia Ahern's Where Rainbows End, which tells the story of Rosie and Alex, childhood friends who - through a variety of twists - miss actually getting together, yet stay friends despite everything that life throws at them. We follow Rosie and Alex's relationship via their letters, texts and emails from the age of five and well into adulthood.

Vince's and Joy's in Lisa Jewell's, er, Vince and Joy lives continually cross too. They're constantly missing their chances, taking up with other people and misconstruing situations. There's a lot of backstory, but Jewell is such an engaging writer that it really doesn't matter, all it succeeds in doing is making the reader desperate for the couple to get together already!

Carry on over the cut for the third book.

Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees's The Boy Next Door is about childhood sweethearts, Mickey and Fred - the stereotypical boy and girl next door. They share everything, until one summer they are unexpectedly torn apart. Fifteen years later they bump into each other for the first time, and feel their stable existences begin to turn upside down.

Posted by Keris on February 8, 2007 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

February 1, 2007 12:30 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Working at magazines

Last week I looked at books set in newspaper offices. This week I’m looking at the much more glamorous world of magazines.

Andrea Semple’s The Ex-Factor features agony aunt for Gloss magazine, Martha Seymore, whose own relationship comes apart, leading Martha to piece together her relationship history and realise that she might not be that different to her readers after all.

Zoe Rose, heroine of Stephanie Lessing’s Miss Understanding, has recently been made deputy editor to Issues magazine, despite being a radical feminist. She immediately gets on the bad side of a couple of fashionistas and the rest of the plot is typical bitchy, back-stabbing, sabotage type of stuff you would expect from a book set at a glossy magazine.

Carry on over the cut for our third book - ooh, what could it be? - and a special request ...

Arguably the most successful chick lit book of the last few years, Lauren Weisberger’s The Devil Wears Prada is about Andrea Sachs, who goes to work for Miranda Priestly, the scary editor of Runway magazine. Can you believe we haven’t actually reviewed The Devil Wears Prada here at Trashionista? So would any of you like to review it for us? The book, not the film. If you're feeling generous, please email us. Thanks!

Posted by Keris on February 1, 2007 in American Authors, British Authors, Debut Novels, Devil Wears Prada, Fashion-Lit, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 25, 2007 11:48 AM

THURSDAY THREE: Working at newspapers

Chick lit often (though by no means always) features a glamorous working environment, like PR or publishing. This week’s Thursday Three looks at three books based in and around newspaper offices. What do you mean, they're not glamorous?

Sarah Mason’s Playing James features Holly, who is unimpressed with a transfer to the crime  desk and horrified when she’s assigned a detective to shadow and write a daily diary about, particularly one she doesn’t get on with. Can you guess what happens?

The staff of fictional newspaper the New York Journal are the focus of Boy Meets Girl by Meg Cabot, sequel to The Boy Next Door. The convoluted plot features the firing of the woman responsible for the dessert trolley, and the book is made up of letters, emails, transcripts of instant message conversations, minutes from meetings, diary entries and just about anything else that can be put down on paper.

Carry on over the cut for the third and final book (which may offer a clue to next week’s Thursday Three too!)

Sam Baker’s Fashion Victim features Annie Anderson, an investigative reporter at The Post, whose friends are shocked when she swaps her newspaper job for one on a glossy magazine. Little do they know that Annie is going undercover for a scoop on the fashion world. When her first interviewee, top designer Mark Mailer, is murdered, Annie sets off on a dangerous course to uncover the truth.

Posted by Keris on January 25, 2007 in American Authors, British Authors, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

January 18, 2007 1:04 PM

THURSDAY THREE: The ABCs of chick lit

How do you write a chick lit book? How do you even know where to begin? Well, why not start with A and work your way up to Z? What am I going on about? Well, for this week’s Thursday Three I’ve chosen three books based around the alphabet.

The first is Elizabeth Noble’s Alphabet Weekends in which heartbroken Natalie’s best friend Tom suggests they each take it in turns to select an activity for the two of them to try, following the letters of the alphabet ... hence Alphabet Weekends.

Secondly, we have Not Married, Not Bothered by Carol Clewlow, which is styled as an alphabetical guide to what it means to be a spinster, but is actually a cleverly written story spanning thirty years of single life.

Carry on over the cut for the third book.

The final book is a novel told in encyclopaedia format - Something Beginning With by Sarah Salway. The alphabetised entries tell the story of Verity Bell, a young woman dealing with a tricky boss, a troubled love life, and life alone after the death of her parents a few years earlier. 

Posted by Keris on January 18, 2007 in Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (6)

January 11, 2007 12:09 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Desperate measures

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

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

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

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

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

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

January 4, 2007 12:39 PM

THURSDAY THREE: "Torn between two lovers ...

... feelin' like a fool, lovin' both of you is breakin' all the rules." Sorry, got a bit carried away with an oldie there. Chick lit is often criticised for being all about the heroine finding a man. And that's rubbish. Sometimes she finds two men and then has to choose between them!

My first pick of course has to be Bridget Jones’s Diary.* Daniel or Mark, Mark or Daniel? Who will she choose? (Indeed, who did she choose?) To begin with Bridget was attracted to her sexy but naughty boss over the much more reliable (yet equally sexy) Mark Darcy. She picked Mark, but then Daniel came back on the scene ...

* I was surprised to see we’ve only reviewed the film, not the book - but you’ve all read it anyway, haven’t you?

Janet Evanovich’s One for the Money is the first in the Stephanie Plum series (which has now reached Twelve Sharp). Along with introducing us to Stephanie, her wardrobe of spandex shorts, her pet hamster Rex and her highly dysfunctional family, we also meet Ranger, a fellow bounty hunter, and Joe Morelli, Stephanie’s first love. And, yes, eleven books and countless adventures and near-death experiences later, Stephanie is still trying to choose between them.

What will the third book be? Carry on over the cut to find out.

Jane Green’s Mr Maybe features Libby who is desperate to find a suitable man. She's not fussy, just as long as he's drop dead gorgeous, filthy rich, owns a large house and drives a flashy car. But then she meets Nick. He’s gorgeous enough - and he makes her laugh - but he's dirt poor. Just as she's beginning to despair, Ed walks in and it seems to Libby that her prayers have been answered. He ticks every box on her list ... and so what if he has a moustache - she can cope with that can't she? The story centres around Libby's relationships with the two men, and her struggle to decide on what actually matters in making a successful relationship.

Thursday Three archives

Posted by Keris on January 4, 2007 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Jane Green, Modern Fiction, Series, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (3)

December 28, 2006 1:21 PM

THURSDAY THREE: A little surprise

We’ve heard that mommy lit is the new big thing and we’ve looked at busy single mums, but what if the bundle of joy is a bolt from the blue?

Adele Parks’s Larger Than Life follows Georgina’s unplanned pregnancy. As her pregnancy progresses, her character develops from being the type of self absorbed city slicker most people would prefer to hide from in the toilets than speak to at a function, to being a more thoughtful and considerate woman with a redeeming feature or two.

Something Blue by Emily Giffin is the sequel to Something Borrowed in which Darcy’s best friend fell in love with her boyfriend. Something Blue now follows Darcy, as she takes herself and her surprise pregnancy to London to make a new start.

Carry on over the cut for the third bouncing baby ... I mean, book.

Jill Mansell’s Solo centres around Tessa, a strong-minded young painter, who finds herself in trouble after an ill-considered one night stand. The bulk of the novel is taken up with her life after this point, and (of course) lots of interesting encounters with the father-to-be.

Thursday Three archives

Posted by Keris on December 28, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (7)

December 21, 2006 4:12 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Threesomes

The theme of this week’s thursday three is threesomes. No, not like that! Books with three main characters. Sheesh.

Louise Bagshawe’s The Movie features naive, overweight Megan Silver, studio exec Eleanor Marshall (her mentor), and superbitch supermodel Roxana Felix (her rival) in a Jackie Collins-esque sex-fest.

The Other Side of the Story by Marian Keyes is about Gemma and Lily - best friends turned worst enemies - who are both intent on writing a best-seller. The threesome’s rounded out by Jojo, an agent on the hunt for her next money-spinning novelist. All the humour and emotion we’ve come to expect from lovely Marian.

Carry on over the cut for the final book.

Alison Bond’s How to be Famous follows Lynsey, Melanie and Serena: three women looking to make it in Hollywood. A no holds barred look at the cut-throat world of film, fame and being fabulous

What’s your favourite threebie*?

Thursday Three archives

*made-up word.

Posted by Keris on December 21, 2006 in British Authors, Debut Novels, Irish Authors, Marian Keyes, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (3)

December 14, 2006 12:54 PM

THURSDAY THREE: You never forget your first love

I married my first love so there’s no chance of me forgetting him (he’s always here!), but many chick lit heroines (and some heroes) aren’t so lucky. They make the mistake of giving up “the one,” but that’s all the more fun for us because we get to read what happens when they bump into them again ...

In Lani Diane Rich's The Comeback Kiss, Finn returns to the town he grew up in and where he left his first love, Tessa, without even saying goodbye. A lot has changed, but Tessa hasn't and as soon as Finn sees her, he knows it's going to be hard to leave again.

My Favourite Mistake by Beth Kendrick is about Faith, who returns to her hometown to help her younger sister and runs into her childhood sweetheart, Flynn. Faith rejected Flynn's marriage proposal ten years earlier, but finds that her feelings for him are as strong as ever. 

Carry on over the cut for more first love ...

Emmy left her fiance while he was asleep in a hotel room. Three years later, she's forced to return home and unsurprisingly afraid of running into her ex. She does, of course ... and you can read all about it in Laura Dave's London is the Best City in America.

Have I forgotten any? Fancy sharing your own first love story with us? (Go on, it's Christmas!)

Thursday Three archives

Posted by Keris on December 14, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Debut Novels, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Romance, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (4)

December 7, 2006 8:00 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Christmas is coming

...In literature, as in real life! You might not have a great deal of time for reading just now, so what are some light Christmas reads for you to enjoy as the season approaches? Here's three to start you off...

One of the big Christmas releases this year is Santa, Baby, three short novels / long stories by different authors, in one handy volume. The big draw is Jennifer Crusie's Hot Toy (read an excerpt here), and you can read our review, as well as our exclusive interview with Ms Crusie, later this month.

A Redbird Christmas is another fairly short novel, by Fried Green Tomatoes author Fannie Flagg. It's a fable about Oswald T. Campbell, whose health is so bad he's warned he'll die if he doesn't move to Florida, far away from the cold Chicago winter. Miracles ensue!

What will the third seasonal-themed story be? Carry on over the cut to find out!

Visions of Sugar Plums by Janet Evanovich (you can also expect an exclusive interview with her later this month!) is a special Christmas-themed Stephanie Plum story. Amazon reviews are very mixed of this one, but might be worth a try if you're a die-hard Plum fan!

What's your favourite holiday read? (Whether specifically Christmas-themed or not!) Perhaps you'll get a new fave this xmas? I know I'm hoping to put my feet up with a good book on Boxing Day...

Thursday Three archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on December 7, 2006 in American Authors, Modern Fiction, Romance, Series, Short Story Collections, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 30, 2006 8:00 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Marriage and mayhem

Almost everyone I know is getting married lately, and it got me thinking about the number of books devoted to the subject of weddings- especially the ones with madness and mayhem involved! Here are three picks of the bunch- but feel free to read on and suggest your own...

Laura Wolf's Diary of a Mad Bride is a "will there be a wedding disaster or won't there?" classic. Amy vows that when she gets married, she'll be far more level-headed than her taffeta-obsessed engaged girlfriends. But when her boyfriend proposes, she finds she's just as bad as everyone else: "Marriages are made in heaven - but weddings are made in hell...What is it about getting married that can turn a sophisticated, level-headed woman into an obsessed wreck?" A great fast and funny farce- just don't use Amy as your role model...!

Carry on over the cut for more wedding fun...

The next book is about a sister of the bride, rather than a mad bride... If you hated the Debra Messing film The Wedding Date (everyone I know who's seen it does!) then don't be put off by the book it's based on- they're nothing alike! Liz Young's Asking for Trouble is about Sophy, who doesn't have a date for her sister's wedding, so asks an attractive escort to accompany her... of course, things don't go quite to plan!

Finally, Marry Me by Carey Marx is the true-life story of a comedian's quest to find true love and get married... within six months! It's very, very funny- but you'll have to read it to see if he achieves his goal...

What are your favourite marriage/wedding themed books?

Thursday Three archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 30, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Non Fiction, Recent Release, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (5)

November 23, 2006 6:22 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Big girls don't cry

The best kind of  weight-ishoos chick lit allows larger ladies in fiction to be empowered human beings with friends, confidence, love lives and careers - instead of sad little victims. As it's traditional stuff-your-face-day (Thanksgiving) in the US, and approaching traditional stuff-your-face-day (Christmas) in the UK, what better time to highlight heroines for whom fat is not a four-letter word... (You know what I mean!)

Classic in this sub-genre is Jennifer Weiner's Good In Bed. Cannie is a sexy, confident, attractive woman who is larger than life in every sense of the word. Sure, she has her confidence off-days (like when her boyfriend simultaneously dumps her and writes about her weightiness in a national magazine, with no prior warning). But her story isn't about weight loss, but finding happiness.

Carry on with me over the cut for more...

Louise Kean's The Perfect 10 is a bit different, as the main character has lost weight and gained a great figure - but she realises that perhaps her weight wasn't the cause of her problems in the first place... she must face up to what's really bothering her.

Conversations With The Fat Girl by Liza Palmer also explores the idea that weight loss might not be the answer to main character Maggie's happiness. Maybe she has to y'know, accept herself... then it won't mater what weight she is.

Let these women be a lesson to all of us - enjoy this holiday season, and try not to mentally beat yourself up, whatever your size!

Thursday Three archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 23, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Recent Release, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

November 16, 2006 5:01 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Books that aren't what they say!

If you're thinking, "Huh?" don't worry, all will become clear! I'm talking about books whose titles are purposefully misleading, obscure or don't describe what the story is actually about in any way.

First up has to be A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewczykca, which found itself housed in the non-fiction/agriculture sections of book shops around the country. It's actually the fictional story of two sisters and their irascible Ukrainian immigrant father, who's just married a gold-digger from the motherland and is trying to complete his masterpiece- a pamphlet about a history of tractors, written in Ukrainian... (incidentally, the mix-up hasn't had disastrous results- the book's sold well and and won awards).

What will the other two quirkily-titled books be? Come with me over the cut to find out...

You might not have heard of this next book yet, but you will... Special Topics in Calamity Physics has been a big hit in the States and with literary critics. Marisha Pessl is a name you'll be hearing again and again... A long and complex book modelled on the structure of a literary course (with a final exam at the end), it certainly sounds different. And nothing at all to do with physics, of course.

Finally, the book that could be said to have started this naming trend in women's fiction: The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing. When I told people I was reading this, Melissa Bank's debut, back in 2000, they all thought I was mad "But you're not into hunting or fishing..." No, I'm not. So it's lucky this book is a collection of linked stories about life and love centered around a woman named Jane, instead...

Are there any I've forgotten? What's your favourite book  that doesn't do what the title describes?

Thursday Three archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 16, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Debut Novels, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Prize Winners, Recent Release, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (7)

November 9, 2006 12:23 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Breast Cancer Vixens

Yeah, I know, last month was breast cancer awareness month, so this might have been more appropriate then... but deal with it! (Sorry to be bossy, but today's Thursday Three is about three butt-kicking women who dealt with breast cancer and still kept their senses of humour...)

First up, of course, is Cancer Vixen, the wonderful memoir by Marisa Acocella Marchetto which explodes the myth that graphic novels can't be moving, interesting, poignant pieces of work. Marisa writes about her diagnosis, chemo and radiotherapy (and the problems this causes) in such a way that anyone can relate- and anyone whose been through it will appreciate. She goes through some hard stuff, but comes out of it a vixen, not a victim.

Carry on over the cut for more vixens...

When it comes to surviving breast cancer, Tania Katan is something of an expert. In her memoir, My One-Night Stand With Cancer, she talks about what it's like to be a two-times breast cancer survivor after she's diagnosed first at the age of 21, and then again ten years later. She goes through not only biopsies and chemotherapy but two mastectomies. She's angry and upset by her experience- but uses it as a way to express herself creatively too, and ends up finding someone who truly loves and accepts her, so she has a happy ending.

Of course, not everyone survives breast cancer, no matter how hard they fight or how well they write about their experience. Another graphic novelist, Miriam Engelberg, the author of Cancer Made Me a Shallower Person, had initial success with treatment but sadly died on October 17th this year. A memorial will be held for her on November 19th.

Related: My (So-Called) Normal Life by Erin Zammett / Thursday Three archives.

Breast Cancer Care UK.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 9, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Memoirs, New Releases, Non Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (7)

November 2, 2006 6:18 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Bitch Lit

Is it me, or is the book world getting a little bit... bitchier this year? With anthologies created purely to rail against chick-lit, and chick-lit anthologies created to show them who's boss, women writers are sparring like never before. Today's Thursday Three is about saying damn it to nice cutesy heroines, and celebrating the inner bitch in all of us...

Bitch Lit, edited by by Maya Chowdhry and friend of Trashionista Mary Sharratt, is a collection of stories about bad girls and anti-heroines, "women who take the law into their own hands, who defy society's expectations, put their own needs first and don't feel guilty," according to the blurb on Amazon.  It's a book that celebrates the fact that sometimes being powerful means being a bitch- or at least, being thought of as one.

What bitchy books will we find over the cut? Be nice to me and I'll tell you...

The title of memoirist Elizabeth Wurtzel's book Bitch: In Praise of Difficult Women (follow that link to read an extract) is pretty self-explanatory. She considers why women are called bitches by the media and society, and why victim-hood is too often celebrated, rather than bolshiness! In five essays, she writes about women as diverse as Hillary Clinton, Sylvia Plath and Nicole Brown-Simpson (O.J's unfortunate ex). She draws few conclusions but asks some worthwhile questions- although she was criticized for her choice of women (!)

Back to fiction, Martha O' Connor's debut novel The Bitch Goddess Notebook [The Bitch Posse in the U.S]caused quite a stir when it was published earlier this year. The story of three friends whose lives are ripped apart by a violent crime, it also has a main character who celebrates female sexuality quite er, actively.

So what do you think- is 'bitch' a huge insult, or a word women need to reclaim? Does it mean we're seen as ambitious and powerful- or unpleasant and overbearing?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on November 2, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Debut Novels, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Non Fiction, Recent Release, Short Story Collections, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 26, 2006 4:02 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Spooky Stuff

Witches and vampires and werewolves, oh my! As it's Halloween on Tuesday, I thought it was the ideal time to do a ghoulish Thursday Three...

Enchanted Inc by Shanna Swendson is a gentle introduction to the theme, as it has a paranormal setting, but is good old-fashioned very readable chick-lit. It's the story of Katie, who moves to new York from Texas and finds that not only is magic real- but she's immune from its effects and the fairies and elves of NYC need her help...

Hold on to your hats- we'll go further into fiction's dark underbelly over the cut... (making ghostly "woooh" noises is optional).

Bitten by Kelley Armstrong is the story of Elena, the only female werewolf on the planet. She wants to make it in the 'real world', trying to fit in as a human, but comes to realise that you can only ignore who you really are for so long...

Laurell K. Hamilton is the queen of spooky stories, and with titles like The Laughing Corpse I'm not surprised! Heroine of her stories is Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. When Anita finds vampires, she kills them and re-animates their victims. She also investigates grisly murders and basically saves the world in ass-kicking Buffy style... so you know who to call if you have any trouble come October 31st!

Thursday Three Archives.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on October 26, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Modern Fiction, Recent Release, Series, Supernatural, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (4)

October 19, 2006 4:30 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Vanishing Points

When I was looking for Mary Sharratt's book The Vanishing Point on Amazon last week (so I could link to it) I found something strange: there are a heck of a lot (86 in fact) of books with the words Vanishing Point in the title! So I decided to explore, and find out a bit more about what's on offer...

Unsurprisingly, most books called (The) Vanishing Point have a mystery theme. Judith Van Gieson's Vanishing Point is one of a series featuring a rare books expert/amateur detective called Claire Reynier. VP is about the disappearance of Jonathan Vail, a talented young writer who goes missing. Thirty years later, his journal is recovered... what happened to him?

Don't you vanish! Carry on over the cut for more...

Vanishing Point by Patricia Wentworth is also a mystery story (I know because it says 'a Miss Silver mystery' on the front) whose cover reminds me strongly of Nancy Drew. It seems Patricia's real name was Dora Amy Dillon Turnbull, and she died in 1961. Her V.P tells the story of a girl who disappears from a quiet village in mysterious circumstances... I'm guessing Miss Silver gets on the case...

The Vanishing Point by Louise Hawes is a bit different. It's a work of historical fiction for children and teenagers about the Italian Renaissance painter Lavinia Fontana. New York Libraries picked it as one of the best "books for the teen age". Which is nice.

Other Vanishing Point books include those by Carol Smith, Marcia Muller and Pat Flower.

Related: Thursday Three archives; Crime/Mystery archives; Mary Sharrat interview.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on October 19, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, British Authors, Crime / Mystery, Debut Novels, Modern Fiction, Recent Release, Series, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

October 12, 2006 5:36 PM

THURSDAY THREE: From book to blog

Last week's Thursday Three looked at bloggers who became published authors, and this time: the reverse! That's authors who set up blogs after becoming successful writers (to the glee of their readers!)...

First up has to be Jennifer Weiner, whose Snarkspot site is hugely popular and has been name-checked once or twice (or 500 times) on this here site. She not only discusses latest events in her life (and keeps you up to date with all her tour dates, book readings etc) but she takes a healthy interest in book news and issues- defending women's right to write whatever kind of fiction they want.

What will the other two sites be? Carry on over the cut to find out...

Faster than Kudzu is Joshilyn Jackson's fantastically funny and entertaining web log, where she discusses her writing, random pop culture events and bizarre twists of fate. Always witty, unpredictable and a guaranteed cheerer-upper.

Finally, we couldn't leave out the lovely Marian Keyes! Hers is not a blog as much as a monthly newsletter which you read via her site, but it's like reading several lovely blog entries all at once, as she shares her writing news and personal news in her eminently likable, chatty way. Fans can sign up for the newsletter by email, too.

What are your favourite author blogs? (Yes, any published authors reading - you can share your own!)

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on October 12, 2006 in American Authors, Book Websites, Book related, Irish Authors, Marian Keyes, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

October 5, 2006 6:00 PM

THURSDAY THREE: From blog to book

With the news last week that Catherine Sanderson of the Petite Anglaise blog is the latest in a long line of bloggers to be offered a book deal (I'm sure the publicity when she got sacked for blogging earlier this year didn't hurt!), today's Thursday Three couldn't be much more timely: Blooks. That's blogs turned books, of course...

Julie and Julia has to be up first, as it was the inaugural winner of The Blooker Prize earlier this year. It's about Julie Powell's attempts to to cook every recipe in classic American chef Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking, within one year. Funny, frank and educational, it's about so much more than cooking... The original blog's no longer active but you can read the archives (including a very moving tribute), here. Ever the blogger, Julie also has a new blog.

Continue over the cut for more, dear bleaders (that's blog readers, apparently...)

No mention of women bloggers turned authors would be complete without featuring Jessica Cutler, whose sensational Washington-based 'sex blog'  propelled her to literary fame. Perhaps because of the delicate nature of some of the material, her book The Washingtonienne is firmly filed in the Fiction section. But how fictitious is it really...?!

And finally, a huge favourite of mine! Mimi Smartypants is a wonderfully witty and intelligent blogger (even though she prefers to call it her 'online diary'), whose book The World According to Mimi Smartypants she is typically (and erroneously) self-defacing about. It's wonderful!

Which blogs would you like to see made into books? (And don't just say your own!)

Other blookers: Abby Lee and the wonderful Angela Nissel.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on October 5, 2006 in Book Websites, Book related, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Non Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 28, 2006 5:33 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Assistant Lit

I ranted a while ago about the numerous chick lit sub-genres and then, in her review of See Jane Write, Luisa mentioned Assistant Lit. Well it may sound far-fetched, but it's actually one of the most successful sub-genres. (Laura Zigman's long-awaited new book, Piece of Work, is yet another example.)

Just in case you're unfamiliar with the term, Assistant Lit does exactly what is says on the tin - it's a book where the main character works for someone who is usually glamorous and most likely a pain in the pants.

It would be remiss of me not to start with the most famous example, The Devil Wears Prada, particularly since the film is finally out next week. I think everyone probably knows what this one's about, but just in case ... Lauren Weisberger worked as assistant to Vogue editor Anna Wintour and then wrote a book about Andrea Sachs who gets a job as assistant to Miranda Priestly, editor of Runway magazine ... and she gives her a dog's life.

Hop over the cut for the other two books.

The Second Assistant by Clare Naylor and Mimi Hare is about Elizabeth Miller who takes the job of second assistant to an executive at a glitzy Hollywood agency and soon finds it's not all glamour. Mimi Hare used to be a Hollywood executive so she presumably knows what she's talking about.

The Nanny Diaries by, yes, former nannies Nicola Kraus and Emma McLaughlin follows the New York adventures of Nan as she attempts to take care of 4-year-old Grayer while dealing with his mother, Mrs X's increasingly outrageous demands.

So which is your favourite Assistant Lit book or *evil laugh* do you have an ex-boss you could write your own book about?

Posted by Keris on September 28, 2006 in American Authors, Book related, Debut Novels, Devil Wears Prada, Fashion-Lit, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (6)

September 21, 2006 10:58 AM

THURSDAY THREE: Inspired by Nancy Drew

Nancy Drew never seemed to have as big an impact in the UK as she did in the U.S, where she's something of a cultural icon for women and young girls. I remember reading one or two of her mysteries as a "tweenie" and enjoying them, but it was all about Enid Blyton (and later Paula Danziger) for me. So what's with all the interest in Nancy Drew from U.S authors? She seems to have had a huge boom in popularity lately. Perhaps as the world seems more unstable, we get all nostalgic- if only global problems could be solved by Nancy journeying down to Mystery Creek or the haunted mansion and sorting things out...

How Nancy Drew saved my Life by Lauren Baratz-Logsted is the story of nanny Charlotte Bell, who moves to Iceland to nurse a broken heart and work for the mysterious Edgar Rawlings. Everything is not as innocent as it first seems, as Charlotte is inspired by both Jane Eyre and Nancy Drew as she tries to work out what's going on...

What will the next books be? We could send for Nancy Drew or you could continue over the cut to find out...

In Girl Sleuth: Nancy Drew and the woman who created her, Melanie Rehak asks if truth is stranger than fiction, revealing the behind-the scenes fighting between Nancy's creator and syndicate writer Mildred Wirt Benson and tracing Nancy's development and how she reflected the feminist movement. You can read an extract here.

Finally, and taking the theme to its logical conclusion, we we have Nancy Drew's Guide to Life by Jennifer Worick, a pocket-sized summary of Nancy wisdom.

*And if you never got into the Nancy groove, it's not too late! You can buy a starter set of Nancy novels (and I see they've made efforts to update her, too).*

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on September 21, 2006 in American Authors, Classic Novels, Crime / Mystery, Girly Stuff, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (10)

September 14, 2006 11:37 AM

THURSDAY THREE: Bridget, meet Carrie...

"Bridget Jones meets Sex and the City." Yep, that old chestnut. Sounds like it would be the perfect way to describe a chick-lit novel, doesn't it? It's pretty much an author's dream to hear their work is an amalgam of two of the most influential books in the whole genre (unless you were aiming for something a little more Martin Amis-esque, of course!) But it's been overdone. Some reviewers still seem to think it's an original remark, and trot it out at every opportunity. It's been devalued by being used about every author who so much as mentions Manhattan.  Let's stop the madness! And discuss whether these three contenders are worthy of the cliche...

First up, Tabloid Love by Bridget Harrison, and this one actually IS well described as a cross between Bridget Jones's Diary and SATC- it's a memoir about a single British girl called Bridget looking for love in NYC, who has a Carrie-style relationships column in a popular newspaper. No wonder the quote on the cover is actually from Candace Bushnell herself...

Second, we have Girls' Poker Night by Jill A. Davis, this time a novel but again about a young woman in NYC who's looking for love (kind of). And playing some poker (which is more of a Desperate Housewives kinda thing, no?) This time the label "Bridget Jones Meets Sex and the City" is from Library Journal- and I'm not convinced.

What will the third book be? Read on to find out (I'll make it worth your while!)

Amy Cameron's Playing with Matches is a collection of true-life tales from herself and other women, focusing on disastrous dating. As you can see from the above link, the first line of its blurb is "Part Sex & the City, part Bridget Jones’s Diary." Quelle original! Read a wry/mocking article on this overexposed/lazy book description here.

In other Canadian book news, Leah Mcclaren's debut novel has also been described in the press as... well, take a guess! Watch this trailer for her book The Continuity girl [warning: lots of flashing lights] however, and marvel at the surprising use of the phrase "sperm bandit." Now that's not a phrase book reviewers see every day!

(These last two books appear to only be available via Amazon.ca at present).

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on September 14, 2006 in American Authors, British Authors, Debut Novels, Girly Stuff, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, New Releases, Non Fiction, Opinion, Television, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

September 7, 2006 12:25 PM

Thursday Three: Reality TV

Since the advent of 24-hour reality TV in the early 'noughties, the general public, filmmakers and especially authors have been fascinated with reality TV.  Here are three different literary takes on the genre...

Old School Ties by Kate Harrison satirises both the Friends Reunited trend and the cult of reality TV, as Tracy Mortimer optimistically signs up for a school reunion TV show (much like this one) only to find her fellow classmates don't remember her teenage self with as much fondness as she might have hoped...

In Sarah Mlynowski's As Seen On TV, Sunny Langstein moves to New York to star in a reality TV show called Party Girls, which follows single women-about-town. Things are complicated by the fact that Sunny actually has a boyfriend, who isn't so keen on the fact that she's found fame posing as a single girl...

Finally Lauren Barnholdt's Reality Chick is a YA (young adult- ie. teen chick lit) take on the subject in which Ally decides to sign up for a Real World-style reality show, In The House, during her first year at university.  And-would you credit it? Things don't turn out as she planned!

Are there any I've missed? What are your favourites?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on September 7, 2006 in American Authors, British Authors, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Television, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (4)

August 31, 2006 10:48 AM

THURSDAY THREE: Cooking Good!

I hope you're not feeling too hungry because today's Thursday Three is about hard-to-resist recipes and their place in some of our favourite fiction!

Heartburn by Nora Ephron is the story of Rachel, a food journalist who finds out her husband is cheating on her... while she's pregnant. Funny, poignant and based on the author's real-life experiences, it's a must for anyone who loves quick-witted humour and wants to know how to make the best mashed potatoes (for when you're feeling down; important tip: use lots of butter) or a great Key Lime Pie (for throwing, of course!)

More overtly food-themed is Cooking for Mr Right by Susan Volland, about a sous-chef called Kate who discovers her ex-boyfriend is getting married, and becomes determined to win him back- with her cooking...

Carry on across the cut to find out which smash hit bestseller is the third book.

A HUGE bestseller back in the early '90s (my mum refused to buy me a copy because it was too raunchy*) Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel is the sensuous Mexican-set story of Tita, whose recipes are threaded around a story of passion and magical realism.  It was also made into a film (and I didn't get to see that either!)

What are your favourite books that mix food and love?

*I should point out that I was in my early teens, not a grown woman!

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 31, 2006 in American Authors, Classic Novels, Girly Stuff, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

August 24, 2006 6:27 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Unceremonious Dumpings

As the episode where Berger dumped Carrie Bradshaw via post-it note shows, unceremonious dumpings are both fascinating and horrifying.  So it's not surprising that so many authors use the horrific dumping scene to draw us in to their novel... hopefully not basing it on their real-life experiences!

One of the classics of the genre is Jennifer Weiner's first novel.  The man who main character Cannie still thinks of as her boyfriend not only disses her in print and reveals he's got a new girlfriend now... but he talks about her weight (and oh, boy, not in a good way!), in his new newspaper column, Good in Bed.

In The Bachelorette Party by Karen McCullah Lutz, Zadie is planning to marry handsome and sexy Jack, a soap opera star, and love him forever. It's not until she's waiting for him to arrive at their wedding that she realises he's not coming... and doesn't know know whether to be humiliated, or furious!

What will the third book be? Carry on across the cut to find out!

The Year of Yes by Maria Headley is a non-fiction account of a single, twenty-something woman's quest to find true love, by saying yes to everyone who asks her out.  Despite this surfeit of willing men, there's still plenty of room for her to suffer not one but several unceremonious ditchings- but thankfully, she gives out one or two of her own to redress the balance!

What are your favourite cringe-worthy dumpings in fiction (or non-fiction for that matter)?

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 24, 2006 in American Authors, Memoirs, Modern Fiction, Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

August 17, 2006 11:35 AM

THURSDAY THREE: Busy Single Mums

A couple of months ago we looked at new-mum lit and here's a variation on the theme: what happens when the little blighters- I mean darlings!- have grown up a bit, and their mum is on her own? Well, judging by these three books the answer is: she copes, but not without some problems along the way...

The Only Boy for Me by Gil McNeil is  the story of Annie Baker and her 'only boy', her son Charlie (one of the cutest kids in literature) who live together happily in a small village outside Kent.  Things get complicated when Annie meets  charismatic divorced dad Mac through work, and they find themselves juggling their two households, and trying to have a love life...

Hens Dancing by Raffaela Barker is very similar- it's about a single mum (although the Dad is still around, and has a new partner- leading to even more dilemmas!) coping this time with three kids and living in Norfolk. Written in diary format, it's very funny, touching and evocative of summer.  Venetia Summers is a countrified Bridget-Jones-with-kids.

Carry on across the cut for the third book, which is a bit different...

The Ivy Chronicles by Karen Quinn is about Ivy Ames, newly-single mother of two living in New York, who has to make ends meet when her rich husband kicks her out and she loses her job on the same day.  So she begins a business getting children into prestigious NYC schools, and discovers parents are willing to pay her a premium... but her integrity is tested to the limit.  Much more of a farce than the other two, this had great success last year as one of the Richard and Judy 2005 Summer Reads.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 17, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

August 10, 2006 4:33 PM

THURSDAY THREE: In The Club

...And I mean that literally.  This week's Thursday Three looks at three books featuring... book clubs! How self-referential of them.  Everyone from Richard and Judy to my local library has a book club so I guess it's not surprising that authors have caught on to the idea. 

The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler is, as the name suggests, very Jane-Austen themed! Not only does the book read a different Austen novel each month but each chapter is told from the viewpoint of one of the members of the club- telling a story based on one of Jane Austen's six books. This works better with some chapters than others but the quality of writing is top-notch, and any Austen-ite will love it.  There's even additional information about Jane and questions for book groups to consider (very post-modern!) at the back.

The Reading Group by Elizabeth Noble on the other hand, focuses on a wider selection of books, from Roddy Doyle to Nora Ephron (both of whom I love- the selection they read is great).  There's some discussion of most of each of the twelve books here, interspersed between chapters from the different viewpoints of each member of the group.  Weirdly, this is a book that turns out to be more about the different choices women make about children than about books or reading... But it will make you want to go book shopping, I can almost guarantee it!

Finally, Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi is a bit of a departure from the genre- a true story, it's the memoir of a woman who quit her job at an oppressive Iranian university and set up a secret book club sharing (mostly banned) Western books with seven of her best female students.  A moving story and a reminder of the power of books- and how lucky we are to be able to read them freely (even those ones we don't really enjoy!)  One to slow down with.

Posted by DIANE SHIPLEY on August 10, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 27, 2006 3:08 PM

THURSDAY THREE : London Lit

In previous weeks the Thursday Three has visited LA and New York, so I thought it was about time I had a look at London.

First up comes Chris Manby's 'Getting Personal'. This is the story of three single friends who decide that the way they're going to solve their terminal singledom is by placing personal adds for each other. This is a funny story of their dating exploits that will entertain all of you Bridget fans out there!

Secondly 'Mr Maybe' by Jane Green follows the fortunes of Libby, a London girl searching for Mr Right. The problem she has is that she's met two fellas, and if she combined the features she liked about each of them then she'd have her Mr Right. Both men make her wonder what she really wants from a relationship - does she want luxury and status, or a man who's genuine and gorgeous?

Finally we have 'Long Way Down' by Nick Hornby. On New Years Eve four strangers all find themselves on the top of one of London's most notorious spots for 'jumpers'. Each one feels that their life is at an end, but none of them is prepared to share the moment with the rest. They all begin talking, and end up forming their own brand of support group.

Posted by Jenni on July 27, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (2)

July 13, 2006 4:08 PM

THURSDAY THREE : Books With Unusual Formats

This week's Thursday Three looks at books that have formats that differ from the standard chapter style.

First up is 'Boy Meets Girl' by Meg Cabot. This book uses a combination of written forms of communication to tell the story of an office in trouble. When lawyer Stu is deemed unworthy of the pie baked by Ida, the lady in charge of the New York Journal's dessert trolley, he insists she should be fired. She's not prepared to leave quietly though - how will this be resolved?

Carry on across the cut to see which other books are in this week's three.

Secondly you have 'The Tenth Circle' by Jodi Picoult. This mixes the traditional chapter format with graphic novel pages. The two stories combine to tell the tale of the Stone family. When daugther Trixie claims that she has been raped by her ex-boyfriend Jason, her parents don't know what to do. Her mother has been drifting from the family for a while now, and her father has to face the version of himself he has been trying to hide for many years. This story follows this family as they try to come to terms with what has happened, and to find a way to move forward.

Third comes 'Where Rainbows End' by Cecelia Ahern. This is another book using written communications, but it centres mainly on emails and instant message transcripts. Rosie and Alex have been best friends since their early childhood. Every time they get closer and it seems as though they may finally become a couple life gets in the way, but still they remain friends. Even when it seems as though all hope of a future for them together is over there suddenly appears a light at the end of the tunnel... will it all work out at long last?

Posted by Jenni on July 13, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

July 6, 2006 10:10 AM

THURSDAY THREE : School Days

This week's Thursday Three is all about books set in or about schools.

First up is Jilly Cooper's latest novel "Wicked!" This is a tale of two schools, the downtrooden Larkminster Comprehensive and the privileged independent Bagley Hall. When the comp is threatened with closure help comes from the unlikely source of Hengist Brett-Taylor, head of Bagley Hall. Will the two schools come together or will their fundamental differences keep them apart?

Carry on across the cut to see which other books are in this week's three.

'Old School Ties' by Kate Harrison tells the story of Tracey Mortimer, a woman who always wishes she were still at school. When a reality tv company approaches her wanting to make a programme about her school reunion she is thrilled at the chance to relive the days she remembers so fondly. Unfortunately it seems nobody else remembers them quite so well.

Thirdly comes Curtis Sittenfeld's "Prep". This is the story of Lee, a 14 year old who decides that the only place for her to complete her education is Ault School, a prestigious boarding school. The book follows Lee from starting at the school as a freshman right through to her leaving for college. It is a tale of social standing, isolation and coming of age.

Posted by Jenni on July 6, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 22, 2006 11:00 AM

THURSDAY THREE: Books Where The Leading Lady has Something To Hide

In many books the leading character has something that he or she is trying to hide from the rest of the world. This week we are going to turn our attention to three of these books.

For starters we have "The Little Lady Agency" by Hester Brown. After Melissa loses her job she feels completely down on her luck. She decides that the way to pick herself back up is to create an alter-ego Honey. The things Honey would do are the kind of things Melissa would run from screaming, its amazing what a blonde wig and sexy wardrobe will do for a person. She spends all her time renting her services to men desperately in need of a woman - buying presents for difficult secretaries and pretending to be a girlfriend are just two of the roles she fills. But what happens when the boundary between Melissa and Honey starts to blur?

Carry on across the cut to see which other two books made this week's selection.

Secondly comes Maria Beaumont's "Marsha Mallow and Me". Amy is leading a double life; by day she is a secretary on the local free rag, but by night she writes raunchy, sex-filled books the Daily Mail loves to hate. If her mother was to find out what her secret was there would be a lot of trouble - no one would understand her. She must go to whatever ends necessary to prevent it from happening.

The third choice this week is "The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic" by Sophie Kinsella. Becky Bloomwood is a financial advisor, dispensing money saving tips to all and sundry. Her advice has become so popular she's even about to get a role that will allow the whole country to follow it. The only snag is that behind closed doors her own finances are in a desperate state. Her spending is completely out of control, and the letters from her bank manager are getting more and more frequent. She'd surely lose a lot of respect if the truth came out.

Posted by Jenni on June 22, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 15, 2006 2:00 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Books in Unusual Settings

This week's Thursday Three focuses on books that don't stick to the tried and tested locations of London, New York and Los Angeles.

First up is Belinda Jones' "The Paradise Room". Jones must be one of the queens of exotic locations. This book is set in Tahiti, and follows the fortune of Amber. She's been dragged to Tahiti (dragged I ask you?) by her boyfriend who's there on business. Normally she prefers the gloom you can rely on Britain to provide, slowly but surely Tahiti begins to win her over.

Carry on across the cut for the other two choices.

The second book in this week's three is "Sun At Midnight" by Rosie Thomas. Alice, a geologist, is reluctant to take the opportunity to follow in her mother's footsteps and join a research project in the Antartic. Eventually she is persuaded, and moves to Kandahar Station, situated near the South Pole. If the conditions there are not challenging enough, fate ensures that life must get in the way and complicate matters for all who are based there.

Third up is a vaguely topical choice, because apparently yes they are still in the Big Brother UK house, and Australia house (the US version begins July 6th). Ben Elton's "Dead Famous" takes a slightly satirical look at the concept of Big Brother style programmes, creating characters that make you stop and really think about the ends these shows are beginning to take.

Posted by Jenni on June 15, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

June 8, 2006 1:30 PM

THURSDAY THREE : Baby Love

This week's Thursday Three looks at books that feature babies, or the promise of babies.

First up is 'Restoring Grace' by Katie Fforde. This tells the story of Ellie who finds herself pregnant with a boyfriend who only cares about himself. When she bumps into Grace, the penniless but proud owner of crumbling Luckenham House, the two girls realise they could be just what the other needs right now. Add a random hunk or two, and troublesome teenager, and the book really takes off.

Carry on over the jump to see which other two books made it.

Second we look at 'Baby on Board' by Stephanie Zia. This is the story of Molly, whose life as one of London's high fliers gets turned around when she becomes pregnant. A move out of the city, the presence of a string of men, and a 'baby on board' car sticker all take centre stage in this tale of how a baby can change your life.

And finally comes Shari Low's 'Why Not?' The book begins with the lead character Jess giving birth. We then follow the progression of how she came to be there, and get treated to a story of betrayal and revenge.

Posted by Jenni on June 8, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 25, 2006 2:49 PM

THURSDAY THREE : Chicklit Hits the Big Apple

This week's three books with a united theme is looking at books set in New York. We did books set in Los Angeles a few weeks ago, and it seems that a lot of American chicklit that is set in big cities chooses either LA or NYC as its setting.

First up is 'The Ivy Chronicles' by Karen Quinn. This book tells the story of Ivy, and her foray into the world of coaching pre-schoolers to help them achieve a place in the kindergarten of their choice. Okay then, their parents' choice. Its a book full of goodies and baddies that draws you in gradually - but once it's got you hooked it won't let go!

Carry on across the cut for the other two choices.

Second choice is Kathleen Flynn-Hui's "Beyond the Blonde". This is a story about hairdressing, set against a backdrop of the Manhattan socialite scene. It follows Georgia as she moves from sweeping the floors in her mother's smalltown salon to New York to take a position at Salon Jean-Luc. She experiences life and love in the most extreme of circumstances... well as extreme as they get when you're attending to up-do's of the rich and very rich!

Lastly comes "Beautiful Bodies" by Laura Shaine Cunningham. This book follows 6 friends throughout the worst storm to have ever hit New York. As the women shelter from the storm, a few bottles of red wine loosen their tongues, and secrets are revealed left, right and centred. When the storm is over, will their friendships remain?

Posted by Jenni on May 25, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 18, 2006 2:23 PM

THURSDAY THREE : Sisters Are Doing It For Themselves

This week's Thursday Three focuses on a theme that is featured in many chicklit books... sisters. The list of books I could have chosen from grew almost by the second, so I've decided I'm going to feature three of my favourites.

The first book in this week's 'Three' is Lianne Moriarty's novel 'Three Wishes'. This book tells the tale of triplets Cat, Lynne and Gemma. It combines a current plot with carefully written flashbacks that explain events currently going on with ease. The book ranges from touching to downright hilarious and back again effortlessly, exploring sibling rivalry at its best.

Carry on across the cut to see what else I chose.

Second up is a book that bears, at times, a more than passing resemblance to one of the classic novels featuring sisters - Little Women. The book in question is 'The Marrying Game' by Kate Saunders. This book follows the lives of the Hasty sisters; Rufa, Nancy, Lydia and Selena. Their father has recently died and they've since found out that their crumbling country mansion needs urgent building work... the unfortunate thing is however that they've barely got two pennies to rub together, let alone the money needed for repairs. Rufa and Nancy take matters into their own hands, and 'The Marrying Game' begins.

And finally comes probably my favourite book featuring sisters, 'In Her Shoes' by Jennifer Weiner. This is the tale of Maggie and Rose who, other than 50% of their DNA, share nothing but the same shoe size. When sensible Rose discovers the irrepresible Maggie in bed with her boyfriend, Rose decides she doesn't want to see Maggie again. This tale shows though, that sisterhood is a power that can transgress almost everything.

Posted by Aigua Media on May 18, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)

May 11, 2006 2:00 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Books Written By Men

This week's Thursday Three turns its attention to the other side of the authoring coin - books written by men. Whilst chicklit has traditionally been written by women, more and more men are venturing across the divide and producing great books.

First up is 'The Family Way' by Tony Parsons. This follows the stories of three sisters, all distinctly different yet united by their biological clocks. Each is considering the idea of children, but with vastly different reactions. The book follows their paths, however winding they may be, as fate begisn to intervene.

Carry on over the cut to see the other two books in this week's Thursday Three.

Second choice is Nick Hornby's 'A Long Way Down'. This book follows the fates of four people thrown together in the strangest of circumstances - they meet on New Years Eve at a popular suicide spot, all with the same plan in mind. This book is a careful and sometimes poignant look at life, and how the grass isn't always greener on the other side.

The third book is 'The Food Of Love' by Anthony Capella. A modern re-telling of the classic 'Cyrano De Bergerac', this book combines romance and gorgeous Italian food. As student Laura begins to fall in love with the gorgeous Tommaso and his food, she is unaware that Tommaso's best friend Bruno (who is actually preparing the food for Tommaso who doesn't know his pasta from his parmesan) is falling in love with her.

Posted by Aigua Media on May 11, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

May 4, 2006 2:00 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Country Girls Move To The City

As promised at the end of last week's Thursday Three, this week we're turning our attention to books where country girls fed up with the quiet, simple life up sticks and move to the hustle and bustle of the city.

First up is 'The Marrying Game' by Kate Saunders. In this, Rufa and Nancy Hasty moves from the crumbing stately home they have grown up in to London in the hope of finding a man. The only criteria for their search is that he must be rich enough to be able to save the the family home.

Carry on across the cut to see which other books made it...

Second choice this week is "Beyond The Blonde" by Kathleen Flynn Hui. This charts the story of Georgia, a girl who has grown up in a small town, sweeping the floors in her mother's highly successful hair salon. After completing her own qualifications, Georgia heads for the bright lights of New York and a contract at Salon Jean-Luc one of Manhattan's top spots.

Third and finally comes Belinda Jones' "Divas Las Vegas". Bored with their quiet life in Devon, best friends Jamie and Izzie head for the bright lights of Las Vegas with a mission - to forget the romantic disasters that Britain has produced and to find the men of their dreams. Set against the glamourous lifestyle we all associate with Las Vegas this is a debut gem.

Posted by Aigua Media on May 4, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 27, 2006 9:13 PM

THURSDAY THREE: City Girls Move To The Country

Today's Thursday Three features books that are all about city girls leaving the big smoke behind and heading for the simple life in the country.

First up is 'Stately Pursuits' by Katie Fforde. When Hetty Longden finds her long-term boyfriend in bed with another woman she decides to run for the hills. Well actually to her great uncle's crumbling stately home. She soon finds herself caught in the middle of village life, and a plan to save the property from her ruthless cousin's plans to develop it.

Carry on across the cut to see what else made it into today's three.

Second choice is Daisy Waugh's 'Ten Steps To Happiness'. When Jo marries Charlie, a country lad through and through, she thinks the move to the country will be just the thing. She plans to convert his family home into a retreat for stars who've received a little more tabloid exposure than they wanted. Shame they bring the stresses of the city with them!

And finally, the third book is 'How Was It For You?' by Carmen Reid. Pamela and David leave their city lifestyle to take over an organic farm in the middle of nowhere hoping to also leave behind all of their troubles. However, as soon as they reach this nirvana they discover that whilst they may have left their city based problems behind, the country has its own problems to throw up at them.

So there you have it - three of the finest examples of chicklit where city girls leave it all behind. Check back next week when we turn the tables and see how the country girls fair in their pursuits of the gold-paved streets of the city!

Posted by Aigua Media on April 27, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (0)

April 20, 2006 12:24 PM

THURSDAY THREE: Chicklit Goes LA

Today's daily feature is the 'Thursday Three' - each Thursday we will pick a theme and list three books that all feature that theme. Today's theme is chicklit set in Los Angeles.

First up is Marian Keyes' "Angels". Maggie, part of a large Irish family, shocks everyone by leaving her husband and getting on a plane to Los Angeles. She takes refuge with her best friend Emily and then begins to realise the enormity of what she has done.

Carry on over the cut to see which other two books have made the 'Thursday Three'

Second choice is "Running Away From Richard" by Chris Manby. Lizzie has a broken heart, she's just been dumped by the Richard mentioned in the title. So, in a theme that seems to be developing here, she jumps on a plane and flies to LA in the hope of starting a new life.

The third and final choice is Alison Bond's "How to be Famous". This book follows the triumphs and despairs of a group of characters who all see LA's most famous suburb as the place that will save them. A mixture of wannabe stars and agents all hit Hollywood in the hope that it will help them fulfil their drams.

Posted by Aigua Media on April 20, 2006 in Tuesday Three | Permalink | Comments (1)