Novelicious - The Female Fiction and Chick Lit Blog

Review - The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer & Annie Barrows

REVIEWED BY CESCA MARTIN  

This book comes with a warning: DO NOT be put off by the mad title.  I have recommended this book to friends/family/hairdressers/perfect strangers and there is a universal reaction when I say the title.  They wrinkle their nose, nod and smile and secretly inside are thinking “I’m not going to read that”.  This is frankly one of the best books I have ever read.  And I’m not that into over-stating things.  It was a book that was so warm and funny that when I finished it I felt sad because I wanted the characters to be real, I wanted to meet them and hang out with them on Guernsey. 

The book is set just after the Second World War and is arranged as a series of letters.  The central character, a female author called Juliet Ashton, is looking for her next book subject.  A letter arrives from a man she has never met, Guernsey islander Dawsey Adams, and so begins an incredible correspondence between the two strangers.  He tells her about the experiences on the island that was under German occupation during the war, and the story behind the creation of a book club – the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  Her interest piqued Juliet starts to write to other members of the society and we are introduced to a colourful host of characters – from pig farmers to children whose mothers were sent away to concentration camps in Europe.  Well aware that she has found the next subject of her book Juliet sets sail to Guernsey... 

Hidden Gems #8 Misbehaving by Sarah Harvey

Have any of you read this? It's flippin' great.

Published back in 1999 by Headline, Misbehaving is one of those novels I re-read when I want a good dose of classic, old school chick lit to curl up with.

When Alex Gray finds her boyfriend in bed with her gym instructor, she turns to her best friends, Emma and Serena, for advice. They challenge her to a competition to seduce as many men as they can within two months. But Alex can't seem to find anyone worth her while. That is until she meets Jake.

Oooh, I've just been googling this book and found that Sarah Harvey has written three books under the name of Sarah Monk  for Little Black Dress. Hurrah!

Misbehaving has second hand copies available on Amazon.

Hidden Gems #7 Waiting in the Wings by Donna Hay

Released way back in the year 2000, Waiting in the Wings is the first novel written by Donna Hay. I think it won some kind of award back in the day...I've just checked and it did win the RNA's New Writer of the Year award!

I remember this book being wonderfully written, feel good, escapist chick lit in a similiar vein to Jill Mansell.

I've read quite a number of books by Donna Hay, and it constantly surprises me that she's not more widely known...

Anyhoo, if you've read this, let me know what you thought!

The blurb for Waiting in the Wings...

Actress Annie Mitchell is devastated. Her husband Max has run off with her best friend, leaving her with a stack of unpaid bills and the self-esteem of the last sandwich in a railway buffet. But salvation is on the horizon care of her agent, Julia, who has a tall, dark and disconcertingly sexy surprise up her sleeve. Protesting madly, Annie finds herself bound for Yorkshire and a starring role in rep'. The only problem being that Much Ado About Nothing has nothing on events at the Phoenix Theatre. Not only is Annie forced to work with Nick Ryan, Julia's surprise and the man Annie ditched for Max, but something or someone is determined to see the Phoenix reduced to ashes...

Visit the website of Donna Hay

Hidden Gems #6 The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing by Melissa Bank

As far as I'm aware The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing is a popular book the world over, however, those of you who are new to chick-lit (and it IS chick lit in one of its many forms) will probably not have come across it...

We're going against the rules slightly here as this is more of a collection of shorts than a full on novel, although each story is linked and chronologically follows the life of protagonist, Jane Rosenal.

Atmospheric, smart and punchy, this book is one that I've re-read at various times over the past ten or so years and often use as a marker of how to write.

 

The synopsis reads...

Jane Rosenal's entrée to the world of significant relationships begins with her older brother's older woman. The bewildered teenager's naive understanding and disbelief as the relationship disintegrates before her eyes should have served as a mighty warning on the perils of the mating game. But, hey, what's a little knowledge without bitter experience? As Jane grows into, and out of, a career in publishing, so she melts into, and out of, a series of pointless affairs. Throw in a few life- shattering personal experiences along the way, a near- disastrous encounter with a self-help manual, How to Meet and Marry Mr Right, and finally, Jane learns the secret that has eluded her for so long. Elegantly written and searingly honest, Melissa Bank's debut novel is one to recommend to all your girlfriends--single or not.

You can find out more about this book here

Novelicious chats to...Melanie Rose

 Melanie is the author of three novels COULD IT BE MAGIC, COMING HOME and DOWN TO EARTH. Enjoy her interview!

1.Can you tell us a little about your average writing day?

 My average writing day often begins in the middle of the night! Having brought up four sons, I’m used to waking in the early hours when the house is quiet and writing from 1.30 to around 3.30am before going back to bed for a couple of hours of much needed sleep. During the day I write when I have a spare minute and am fortunate that I can usually get straight into character and pick up where I left off.

  2. When you are writing, do you use any celebrities or people you know as inspiration?

 When I’m writing I do use character traits from people I know and sometimes my heroes are based on a gorgeous celebrity figure. But I never use all of a real person – just some of their more interesting traits. My characters can be a mix of several different people and sometimes they are completely fictitious, although they are all totally real to me.

  3. What is your favourite Women’s Fiction book of all time and why?

 It is so hard to name my favourite women’s fiction book of all time, when there have been so many great books and amazing writers. If I absolutely had to choose it would be Little Women by Louisa M Alcott. I read it many times when I was growing up and because I’m one of three girls I identified with the characters which seemed to be based on my own mother, me and my sisters. I was Jo, the aspiring writer, of course – who ended up with all those sons.  Maybe I’m a reincarnation of Louisa!

  4. What is your writing process? Do you plan first of dive in? How many drafts do you do?

My writing process is a little haphazard. I have an idea and then swirl it round in my mind for days, sometimes weeks or even months, inventing characters that take on a life of their own. When the characters seem totally real and I’ve begun having conversations with them in my head, I begin writing, putting them into whatever situation I’ve dreamt up and seeing what happens. The characters seem to write the books for me.

Hidden Gems #5 Kiss Him Goodbye by Victoria Routledge

This book was released 10 years ago, and is still a firm favourite of mine. Please do ignore the cover, because it IS fugly. But what lies inside is a completley engrossing, jampacked chick lit bonanza.

I wonder how many of you may have read this (it does have a lot of excellent reviews on amazon), I'd be interested to know. If you haven't, I would definitely recommend.

The synopsis reads...

Kate Craig has many pet hates but top of the list is London. Dirty, smelly, unfriendly and unreasonably expensive beer. She's steered well clear for 21 years. But then her gorgeous Europhile boyfriend, Giles, invites her down to his palatial Chelsea house before he launches his international banking career: posh dinners out, cosy evenings in. It would be rude to say no. In fact, Kate's week of high-class indulgence is so idyllic that she's almost relieved when it turns horribly wrong. Giles's training course is in Chicago. It's four months long. And he wants her to wait in London for him. In a daze of anger, misery and deep subconscious disbelief, Kate suddenly finds herself cleaning her new cupboard in the first flat she sees. If it were just the filthy cupboards she had to contend with, she'd be OK. But there are flatmates: twins Dante and Cressida Grenfell have had a fairy-tale upbringing. Of the Grimm variety. He's a permanently hungover layabout, she's a control freak style queen. And the light relief is Harry, who gives upper crust blondes a bad name. All this and a bewildering new job, a sudden addiction to espressos, and the District Line - Kate's sixteen Mondays are looking like a lifetime.

To buy this book click here!

 

Hidden Gems #3 and #4

It's a double whammy! I appear to have missed last week's Hidden Gems feature so here we go with our next two books you may not have read yet, and probably should!

Hidden Gems #3 Playing James by Sarah Mason

I came across this book a couple of years ago (not sure how) and it has since become a firm favourite. It's reminiscent of Sophie Kinsella in its style. The protagonist is cute and funny, and it's full of zany escapades and originality.

The official blurb reads...

Holly Colshannon is a young journalist who thinks her career is about to take a terminal nosedive when she is moved from covering 'pet deaths' for her local Bristol paper and made Crime Correspondent - a poisoned chalice if ever there was one. However, a brilliant idea from the new police PR officer sees Holly shadowing a detective and writing a diary column about his working life. Detective James Sabine is bit of a sour puss - although he does have very nice green eyes - and he's furious that he has been landed with magnificently accident-prone Holly especially since her arrival comes six weeks before his wedding to faultless Fleur. Holly, however, has a career to think about and this infuriating man is not going to stand in her way. Meanwhile, her bosses at the newspaper realise that the column is proving extremely popular with the readers who are waiting for something romantic to happen between the handsome detective and the nice young reporter. With only days to go to the wedding Holly realises she's been waiting for the same thing...

HIDDEN GEMS #4 Snap Happy by Fiona Walker

This is the second Fiona Walker book I ever read and it's just brilliant. It's crammed full of Walker's trademark wit and dramatics, and if my memory serves me, it has some cracking sex scenes. If you haven't read any Fiona Walker stuff, then this is a good place to start. The protagonist, Juno is one of my stand out female fiction heroines. The fact that I remember her so vividly (given how much chick lit i've read) is testament to Fiona Walkers ability to produce characters you can really believe in.

The blurb reads...

A budding stand-up comic, Juno is voluptuous, hedonistic, funny and terminally untidy. On her thirtieth birthday, she decides to have a wild one-night-stand to mark the occasion. But seducing her new flatmate before he's had a chance to unpack his belongings is not a wise move.

Just over from New York, Jay Mulligan is intense, mysterious and, as Juno joyously discovers, far better than breakfast in bed. It's only when they both get out of that bed on the wrong side three days later that the problems start ...

Have you read any of these books? Do you have your own suggestions for future Hidden Gems? Let us know (you don't have to, but it would be nice of you did!).

Hidden Gems #2 - Come Together by Josie Lloyd and Emlyn Rees

Hidden Gems is a brand new weekly feature here at Novelicious. It allows us to cover, review or suggest books that our readers may not have happened upon.

 It's so easy to miss out on older releases, or books that weren't publicised heavily, and this seems such a shame. We hope to rectify this this with our suggestions of books you may not have read and probably should!

COME TOGETHER was first published way back in 1999 and was the first book Emlyn Rees and Josie Lloyd wrote together. The pair have since gotten married and Josie Lloyd is now known as Jo Rees, who wrote the recent (excellent) bonkbuster, Platinum.

I'm featuring this book for those who are relatively new to the chick lit genre, and may not have noticed this book. It really is a must read - classic chick lit!

Meet Jack:

 Jack Rossiter. I'm twenty-seven years old, single, and live with my best mate Matt. Matt and I started hanging out when we were eight. Life was simpler then. Our idea of fashion was polyester. I told him I wanted to be a spy and he asked me who I'd marry. I imagined falling in love with a girl so perfect I couldn't even guess her name. Things have changed since then. I did fall in love for a while but it didn't work out. And single is good, single is fun.

Meet Amy:

Sometimes, in my darker moments, I've thought about trying internetdating. But surely it can't be that hard to find what I'm looking for? All I want is the right job and the right man. But all I ever manage is the wrong place at the wrong time. It's been six months since I last had sex. Six months! Well, enough is enough. This is the year I'm going to sort it all out for good. This year Amy Crosbie's going to have it all. Now find out what happens when they meet each other ...

You can buy this book by clicking here

Hidden Gems # 1 - Wish Upon a Star by Olivia Goldsmith

Hidden Gems is a brand new weekly feature here at Novelicious. It allows us to cover, review or suggest books that our readers may not have happened upon.

 It's so easy to miss out on older releases, or books that weren't publicised heavily, and this seems such a shame. We hope to rectify this this with our suggestions of books you may not have read and probably should!

Our first Hidden Gem is Wish Upon A Star by Olivia Goldsmith, author of The First Wives club and The Switch. Wish Upon A Star was published shortly after Goldsmith's untimely death.

 For Claire, a secretary from Staten Island who takes the ferry each morning into Manhattan, it's spent working 9 to 5 at a law firm, listening to her friend's disastrous love life and reading romantic novels, desperately wishing that her life could be as full of excitement as the heroines featured. The only highlight is catching an occasional glimpse of devastingly sexy law partner Michael. Until the day Michael offers her the chance of a trip to London -- all expenses paid. When Claire sets foot on British soil she falls head over heels in love -- with a country. From red double-deckers to afternoon tea, she's finally found her home. Friends, family and even Michael are abandoned as she rents a room and sets out to make a whole new life as an American in London. But she reckons without the obstructive efforts of a very strait laced Englishman!

I'm not sure how I got my hands on this book, but I'm so very glad I did. It's one that I read over and over again whenever I'm down or want to escape into a whole other world.

This book has charm, and warmth and the most lovely chick lit protagonist I have ever had the pleasure of reading.

I would totally recommend it. You can order it here or from the Hidden Gems section of The Novelicious Bookshop.

If you do buy this book, or have already read it, I would love to hear your thoughts!