Review Chic Lit

Us by David Nichol	So much better than One Day which I considered over hyped. Really liked the story line, laughed along with some of the parts and felt tearful on others. Following a couple in the throes of splitting up going on the "grand tour" of reurope with their son. Douglas is such a practical person and I can certainly admit to organising things as he did on the trip! Some of the the reflections on relationships were staggeringly clever. Read if you thought One Day was good! Sheila/April 2015
The Little Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez	Sometimes the placing of a book in a category defines my opinion of it! So The Little Coffee Shop doesn't rank as an outstanding read, but as a piece of chic lit it's lovely. The story of random characters in Kabul in Afghanistan linked together by a coffee shop. Having read "The Bookseller of Kabul" (under Misc) there is no comparison and it does make this book frivolous with a happy ending - however as chic lit goes - I enjoyed it. Sheila/October 2013
Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka	Normally if the write up says "very funny" I don't bother, but I have enjoyed Marina's other books, so decided to give it a go. Well perhaps not laughing out load, I certainly chuckled! Very amusing, well observed and a well written story of Polish strawberry pickers. It's very easy to have pre-conceived ideas of such workers, but the story from their point of view, makes you realise the human element to every headline. Sheila/December 2012
Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult	Picked this up at the airport and having read My Sister's Keeper, thought it would be a good read. Jodi Picoult always tackles challenging or sensitive topics really well. She writes this book through the eyes of three different people which keeps it interesting and page turning. The story builds towards an unexpected ending (I don't want to give any of the story away). There is a soundtrack that goes with the book. Karen/February 2012
Meet Me at The Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan	Love a good chic lit - and this is certainly a lovely read. Easy paced, great girly story; you really get behind the main character Issy who pursues her dream of opening a cupcake cafe. You could just feel as if you could walk into it. The story follows the ups and downs of setting up her business and getting to grips with her relationships. Definitely predictable but you won't be able to put it down. Sheila/January 2012
One Day by David Nicholls	There can't be many people who haven't now read the story of Emma and Dexter (and possibly seen the film). It is a great idea, well put together, very accurate (for a man) and a sort of feel good read for about 90 percent of the book (not giving away any endings)! The story covers one day each year over the next twenty years of their lives and the will they/won't they theme running through. Saw the film and was a little disappointed but you simply can't recreate the warmth and wit of the writing onto film (especially not with an American style Yorkshire accent). Sheila/December 2010
We Are All Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka	A funny and touching story of friendship in unlikely places. Georgie writes articles for an adhesives magazine, her husband has just walk out and her young son spends all his time surfing the web. She accidentally befriends her very eccentric old Jewish neighbour. Told with an easy to read narrative, it's a tale of modern life and how it takes effort to engage with people from different cultures or become isolated. Sheila/January 2010
A Short History of Tractors in the Ukrane by Marina Lewycha	Strange title (first saw someone reading this and thought how sad - reading about tractors)!! However it is actually about a family from the Ukraine and how two sisters react to their 80 year old father re-marrying a 30 year old blonde. It then looks at the family history and the reasons for the fact that the sisters don't get on. A good read, well written, keeps the momentum going and amusing in places. Sheila/August 2006
Digging to America by Anne Tyler	Anne Tyler writes about every day events and digs (no pun intended) just that little deeper. The story centres around the adoption of two Korean girls by two American families. Despite the two families having nothing in common, their bond to each other through the adoptions leads them to meet frequently over the years. The characters are really believable and it does make you think about identities and nationalities. A lovely read. Sheila/December 2006
The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger	Such an unusual book. (About a man who travels back through his past and future). Sometimes a bit confusing, possibly a bit over-long, but a fascinating read and it made me cry at the end. Sheila/August 2006
Me and Mr Darcy by Alexandra Potter	This may not be of the high-brow literary genre we're focusing on here, but as bright and breezy chick lit goes, I quite enjoyed this and thought it worth recommending. As a book idea, Alexandra Potter couldn't really go wrong with the story of a contemporary woman (a book shop manager - wins points with me) going through a period in her life that's more than loosely based on Pride and Prejudice's Lizzie. For that reason alone, and the reader's allowance to indulge in all things Darcy, it makes for an amusing, concisely plotted story. (NB there are better chick lit books out there, however, like the Marian Keyes Dad is reading!). Natalia/September 2007
This Book will Save your life by M Homes	I'll begin by rating this book a 7 out of 10, along with a definite encouragement to give it a go. I found lots of similarities to Catcher in the Rye: the dry, simple writing style, the painfully touching way Richard Novak deals with his perceived inadequacies and tries to do good in the world, and the humorous references to the short comings of our modern ways of living. It tells a fantastical and bland story at the same time; Holmes describes action in such a straight forward manner, yet such incredible events occur (Los Angeles certainly seems a surreal place to live) to bring home the key messages. Natalia/October 2007
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon	The author of Curious Incident and whose parents live in Northampton - so needed to read. A story of an ordinary family going about ordinary - if dysfunctional - lives. A good start, easy to empathise with the characters, very normal. Half way through it feels as if the author is rushing towards the "grand" conclusion and the very qualities that make the characters and story so life-like go missing. You could imagine it filmed in the genre of Bridget Jones etc. Worth reading? Possibly. Sheila/March 2007 PS - in case you're wondering about the photo, it's a shot of me on my first solo sailing!
The Other Side of the Story by Marion Keyes	This was my introduction to chicklit and I laughed till I cried. The way Keyes writes, the throwaway lines, the dialogue, the characters, the inventive similes and metaphor are hilarious. They come so fast sometimes that you haven’t finished laughing at one but the next one is coming right behind it. I wanted to sit down with someone and read it aloud. Like PG Wodehouse used to be, or Damon Runyan. It was a welcome change after Atonement. You don’t have to empathise with or like Keyes’ characters. They are simply puppets that she manipulates for your pleasure, and I could no more identify with Jojo, Gemma and Lily than the man in the moon, and nothing like how easy it was to feel for Amina and Miriam in The World Unseen. But that’s not what her three lively characters are there for. They are there to help you see that if these young women can have so much trouble with their careers, their mortgages and their circle of boyfriends and yet have it all work out in the end, then there’s hope for you too. Michael/March 2007