Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Favourite Books of 2013!

'Top Ten Tuesday' is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. Lately I've seen some other book bloggers being quite enthusiastic about this weekly meme, so I decided to join in with the fun and try it out myself as well!  

  Top Ten Favourite Books of 2013   For Today's Top Ten Tuesday all bloggers got the chance to pick one of the previous Top Ten topics we'd like to do again or may have missed. Since I joined the Top Ten Tuesday club just a few weeks ago, there are quite a lot of fun and challenging lists to choose from. However, I decided to go for my 10 favourite books of 2013! I never got around to making a list of my favourite books of last year, and this is the perfect chance to do this, even though I might be about two months late, oops! 

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Giovanna Fletcher - 'Billy and Me'

 
Giovanna Fletcher released her debut novel 'Billy and Me' in May 2014 and it was a release I was really looking forward to. As soon as I read the title and the blurb and saw the cover of the book, I knew this would be chick lit I'd instantly fall in love with, and that is exactly what happened when I read the book. I can't wait to read Giovanna's second novel, 'You're The One That I Want', which will be released in May 2014!

Click here to read my review of 'Billy and Me'!

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Lindsey Kelk - 'About a Girl'

Lindsey Kelk is without a doubt one of my favourite chick lit authors. Her 'I Love...' series is an absolute must-read for any chick lit fan, but 2013 introduced us to a new Lindsey Kelk series! 'About a Girl' tells the story of new heroine Tess, and was everything I had hoped for: thoroughly entertaining, incredibly funny, and simply sparkling! In 2014 the second part of the series will be published, 'What a Girl Wants', and I can't wait to pick it up!

Click here to read my review of 'About a Girl'!

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Kirsty Greenwood - 'Yours Truly'

Kirsty Greenwood's debut novel 'Yours Truly' was one of the best chick lit debuts of 2013 and I couldn't simply not mention it on this list. 'Yours Truly' tells the story of Natalie Butterworth who manages to get hypnotized, which completely turns her life around. The novel's not just funny and a definite page-turner, but also has a lovely handsome male character at its core... I'm looking forward to reading more of Kirsty's work in 2014!

Click here to read my review of 'Yours Truly'!

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Diane Chamberlain - 'Necessary Lies'

I unexpectedly received a review copy of Diane Chamberlain's novel 'Necessary Lies' and was completely blown away by it. The book is set in America in the 1960's and tells the story of Ivy and Jane, who both lead completely different lives but are brought together, which results in a simply wonderful tale. Diane Chamberlain is an amazing author and I definitely plan on reading more of her work in 2014. 

Click here to read my review of 'Necessary Lies'!

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Kim Izzo - 'My Life in Black and White'

Kim Izzo is another author I was introduced to in 2013, and I really fell in love with her novel 'My Life in Black and White.' I can honestly say it's a book unlike anything else I read before, and I simply did not want to put it down. The book is a time-travel romantic comedy, in which the reader is transported from the present day to the 1950's, and is suitable for any reader, not just fans of chick lit. A read I still recommend to others every chance I get!

Click here to read my review of 'My Life in Black and White'!

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Miranda Dickinson - 'Take a Look at Me Now'

One of the queens of chick lit, Miranda Dickinson, treated us to another brilliant read in 2013 in the shape of 'Take a Look at Me Now.' I love love love Miranda Dickinson's novels, they are always filled with amazing characters, a wonderful storyline, and a good dose of romance. This one definitely did not disappoint; Nell's story is one I thoroughly enjoyed and the book earned a well-deserved place on my favourites list!

Click here to read my review of 'Take a Look at Me Now'!

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 Emily Liebert - 'You Knew Me When'

 

Next to 'A Spoonful of Happy Endings', I'm also a book blogger for Chick Lit Club and that is how I got into touch with a publisher about Emily Liebert's 'You Knew Me When.' Sometimes you read a book and just after a few pages you already know you've fallen in love and don't want the book to end. That's exactly what I felt when I read this novel. I loved absolutely everything about it, and it is undoubtedly one of my favourite reads of the past year.

Click here to read my review of 'You Knew Me When'!

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Charity Norman - 'The Son-in-Law'

 

Another book I was asked to review and was completely blown away by. Charity Norman's 'The Son-in-Law' is an incredibly emotional and realistic read; a story that has stayed with me up until this day. It's a book that looks at a rather serious topic from two different points of view, which really captivated me and proved once again that there are always two sides to every story. A must-read!

Click here to read my review of 'The Son-in-Law'!

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Alexandra Brown - 'Christmas at Carrington's'

 

 

 At the start of 2013, I read Alexandra Brown's novel 'Cupcakes at Carrington's' and I instantly loved the storyline and the characters at its centre. At the end of last year we were treated to the Christmas-themed sequel, 'Christmas at Carrington's' which was definitely one of my favourite Christmas releases of 2013! I loved travelling back to the world of heroine Georgie Hart and Carrington's department store. A wonderfully festive novel, and I'm already really looking forward to the third part in the series which will be released this year!

Click here to read my review of 'Christmas at Carrington's'!

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Lisa Dickenson - 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas'

Another Christmas read which I enjoyed SO much it had to be the one to end this list with! Lisa Dickenson's 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas' was released at the end of 2013 as an e-book series, with 6 different parts focusing on 2 of the 12 dates as mentioned in the title. The story is incredibly funny, magical, and simply brilliant, and I honestly can't wait to see what else Lisa has in store for us. Even if it means I have to start a petition in order to have more of her work published!

Click here to read my review of 'The Twelve Dates of Christmas'!

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I'd love to hear what YOUR favourite reads of 2013 were!

Review: 'The Jane Austen Marriage Manual' by Kim Izzo (2012)

Katherine Shaw—Kate— is happy with her life. She has supportive friends, a glamorous magazine career, and a love of all things Jane Austen. But when she loses her job, her beloved grandmother falls ill and a financial disaster forces a sale on the family home, Kate finds herself facing a crisis that would test even the most stalwart of Austen heroines.

Friends rally round, connecting her to freelance gigs, and presenting her with a birthday gift— title to land in Scotland—that’s about to come in very handy. Turns out that Kate’s first freelance assignment is to test an Austen-inspired theory: in the toughest economic times is a wealthy man the only must-have accessory? What begins as an article turns into an opportunity as Kate—now Lady Kate—jet-sets to Palm Beach, St Moritz and London where, in keeping company with the elite, she meets prospects who make Mr. Darcy look like an amateur. But will rubbing shoulders with men of good fortune ever actually lead her to love? And will Kate be able to choose between Mr. Rich and Mr. Right?

After reading Kim Izzo’s wonderful novel ‘My Life in Black and White’ (check out my review here), I couldn’t wait to pick up her other book, ‘The Jane Austen Marriage Manual.’ As a big Jane Austen fan, I had already heard of this novel, but never actually managed to read it. During my summer holidays this year I went to Bath for a couple of days, and it definitely inspired me to pick up a novel with a bit of Austen in it. So, after admiring the cute pink cover of ‘The Jane Austen Marriage Manual’ and reading the interesting blurb, I couldn’t wait to get stuck in this story!

Sometimes you simply have one of those weeks, and that is exactly what happens to Katherine Shaw (known as Kate to the people around her). After losing her contract-to-contract job within the glamorous magazine world and the death of her beloved grandmother, things turn out to be even worse when Kate finds out that due to her mother’s gambling addiction, they are forced to sell the family home. Thanks to a good friend and her love for anything Jane Austen, Kate ends up with a freelance assignment to write an article about the modern-day dating market: is the solution to any female’s trouble a wealthy husband at her side (in line with Austen’s famous novel ‘Pride and Prejudice’)? Even though it begins as a job, it quickly turns out to be the perfect solution to Kate’s own problems. While travelling to fabulous places like Palm Beach, St. Moritz and London, Kate starts searching for her own Mr. Darcy. But in the end, does money really bring happiness, or will love still conquer all?

I loved the Austen element that was included in this novel. Back in Austen’s time it was indeed money that came in first place, before love, when it came to finding a suitable husband. This changed over the years, but it might still be a wise business investment to secure your future by marrying a rich man instead of marrying out of love. I really liked how Kate decides to explore this idea, and how the reader can experience how she struggles between following her mind or her heart. The fabulous locations with all the rich and glamorous people definitely added to the entertainment value of the novel, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Kate’s adventures in these places. She is a great heroine; smart, independent, persistent (Jane Austen would have definitely approved!), and I found myself laughing out loud every now and again while reading about some of the funny situations she managed to get herself in.

The novel gives us not one, but two handsome bachelors to dream about. On one side, we have charming older millionaire Scott Madewell, who is a taken man but definitely the perfect target for Kate and her experiment, and on the other side we have Griff Saunderson, the manager of a large estate that has been turned into a B&B, who turns up every single time Kate finds herself in trouble. The book includes a great mix of characters, both male and female, and this really made reading the story even more fun. As an Austen fan, I thoroughly enjoyed the parallels between Kate and Elizabeth Bennet (the main character in ‘Pride and Prejudice’), which is why I would definitely recommend this book to any person familiar with Austen and her work. However, even if you’re not a Jane Austen fan, Kim Izzo’s novel is a well-written, entertaining and romantic story that deals with a question we all ask ourselves at one point or another: does enough money guarantee happiness, or is love simply powerful enough to help you through anything?

Rating:9/10

 

Review: 'My Life in Black and White' by Kim Izzo (2013)

When Clara Bishop, a struggling screenwriter-turned-tabloid journalist in Hollywood, is jilted by her philandering husband, she follows him to London, determined to win him back. Armed with only a glamorous wardrobe of vintage clothing inherited from her grandmother, a former film noir actress, Clara discovers that the clothes really do make the woman. Dressed to kill, she adopts a new femme fatale persona: confident, sexy and set on revenge. But on the road to retaliation, Clara discovers an unfinished film script that sheds light on her grandmother’s mysterious death years before. Then it happens: somehow, magically, her whole life is transported back in time, into a living, breathing film noir that reveals to Clara the potential to write her own ending.

I had already seen the cover of Kim Izzo’s latest novel ‘My Life in Black and White’ appearing on my Twitter timeline several times, but hadn’t really felt the instant desire to check out the novel. Fortunately, I ended up receiving a copy of the novel via @WishListBooks (thanks so much!), and after reading the blurb on the back of the novel I was really curious to read it. ‘My Life in Black and White’ appeared to be slightly different from anything I’ve read before, and I figured it would either turn out to be a pleasant surprise or a novel that wasn’t for me.

‘My Life in Black and White’ tells the story of Clara Bishop, a tabloid journalist from Hollywood who originally had a dream of becoming a famous screenwriter. Unexpectedly, Clara discovers her husband Dean is having an affair with a young, blonde waitress named Amber and their marriage is over. She can’t let it go and follows him to London in order to win him back, with only an old trunk filled with her grandmother’s vintage dresses. As Clara starts wearing these glamorous clothes, she slowly starts to change into a true femme fatale herself, and before she knows it, she suddenly finds herself in the city of London in the year 1952, starring in a film noir about her own life, with the opportunity to change not only her own destiny, but also her beloved grandmother’s.

When I turned to the first page of this novel, I honestly had no idea what to expect, especially since I haven’t seen a film noir in my life. However, as soon as I had finished Chapter 1, I was completely hooked. I loved the protagonist of the story, Clara. I really felt for her; her husband cheating on her, still missing the child she never had, not being happy with her career choices, the strained relationship between her mother and her... Yet, Clara manages to find the strength within her to take all of this on board and deal with it. I loved the relationship between the three generations (Clara, her mother, and her grandmother) and the whole atmosphere of the novel was just fabulous: from the glamorous vintage dresses and the shadowy film noir elements to the parts of film script included and the font of the chapter headings... Everything about this novel has been thought through and I loved the feeling of going back to London in the 1950’s and joining Clara on her journey.

‘My Life in Black and White’ is incredibly well-written and I felt myself not wanting to put it down. It’s really original and I can honestly say I have never read anything quite like this. The novel is described as a time-travel romantic comedy, which is a perfect description, and is something I think different kinds of readers will enjoy, not just lovers of chick lit. As a big fan of anything Jane Austen, I immediately ordered a copy of Kim Izzo’s novel ‘The Jane Austen Marriage Manual’ after finishing this one and her name has been added to my ‘must-read’ list, because I am already looking forward to her next release!       

Rating:9,5/10