Showing posts with label lisa jewell. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lisa jewell. Show all posts
9 April 2014
New Feature: Once Upon a Story...
11 March 2014
Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten All Time Favourite Books in Chick Lit
1. Emily Giffin - 'Something Borrowed' (2004)
I know this is a chick lit classic loved by numerous readers and it definitely had to be part of my list as well. I actually saw the film version starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin before I read the book, and I immediately fell in love with the story and the characters. The novel definitely didn't disappoint and since then I've been recommending it to others. Undoubtedly a must-read for any chick lit fan!
I know this is a chick lit classic loved by numerous readers and it definitely had to be part of my list as well. I actually saw the film version starring Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin before I read the book, and I immediately fell in love with the story and the characters. The novel definitely didn't disappoint and since then I've been recommending it to others. Undoubtedly a must-read for any chick lit fan!
I think a lot of people will automatically think of the immensely popular Shopaholic series when you ask them to name a chick lit novel. The first part of Sophie Kinsella's wonderful best-selling series, 'The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic' introduces us to the funny and loveable Becky Bloomwood who has a serious shopping addiction which gets her into all kinds of trouble. A chick-lit classic!
Cecelia Ahern is one of my favourite authors; she really has her own amazingly captivating and magical writing style and I love all of her work. However, if I have to pick just one of her novels it has to be her second book, 'Where Rainbows End.' It tells the story of the continuously changing relationship between close friends Rosie and Alex, and all of this is done in the form of letters, e-mails and short messages. It's a great love story and I can't wait to see the film version of it which will be released later this year.
When I was in my teens I started reading my first chick lit books and for a long time, Lisa Jewell's 'Vince and Joy' was my absolute favourite. The book tells the story of teenagers Vince and Joy who fall in love in the 1980s, but their relationship ends abruptly. Twenty years later, both of them are starting to wonder whether that long-ago romance might have been much more than just a teenage infatuation. The book still means a lot to me which is why it definitely has to be a part of this top 10!
Lindsey Kelk is one of the most popular and well-loved chick lit authors of the past few years and her 'I Heart... series' is one of the main reasons for that. The first part titled 'I Heart New York' introduces the reader to Angela Clark who decides to escape from her entire life in England, including her cheating boyfriend, and buys a one-way ticket to New York City. The book is incredibly funny and a feel-good read, and just the beginning of Angela's entertaining adventures which I personally can't get enough of!
Miranda Dickinson's stories never fail to make me smile (and shed a tear every now and again!) and it was quite tricky to pick just one of her novels for this list. In the end, I decided to go for 'When I Fall in Love' because it is a book that really made an impression on me and which I absolutely loved from the very first page. Elsie Maynard's story is an amazing one, and in my personal opinion one of Miranda's absolute best.
Another classic that deserves a place on this top 10! I actually hadn't heard about this book until I was asked to read and review it within three days because of the upcoming film release (starring Meryl Streep and Anne Hathaway). I ended up enjoying the book much more than I expected I would and it became one of my all-time favourites. Last year a sequel was released, 'Revenge Wears Prada', and I'm curious to see whether it lives up to the first part!
The most recent release on this list and a book I can't recommend enough to chick lit fans. 'Cupcakes at Carrington's' tells the story of Georgie Hart (such a fabulous name!) who loves her job working at the luxury handbag concession at Carrington's department store in small town Mulberry-On-Sea. Not only is Carrington's a fabulous setting, but the book also includes a brilliant cast of characters including Georgie's GBF Eddie. A Christmas sequel was released at the end of last year and a third part will follow this summer; can't wait!
I used to devour every single Meg Cabot book when I was younger (I loved 'The Princess Diaries' series and continuously wished someone would come up and tell me I was actually also secretly a princess) and I'm still a big fan of her work, especially this particular series of which 'Size 12 Is Not Fat' is the first part. Heather Wells is a former popstar who now works as an assistant dorm director at one of New York's top colleges. When one of the students is found dead at the bottom of an elevator shaft, Heather decides to solve the mystery herself. This book is extremely funny and thoroughly enjoyable; Meg Cabot's writing is simply brilliant and I'm sure she will continue to be one of my favourite authors for years to come.
8 November 2013
Review: 'The House We Grew Up In' by Lisa Jewell (2013)
All four children have an idyllic childhood: a picture-book cottage in a country village, a warm, cosy kitchen filled with love and laughter, sun-drenched afternoons in a rambling garden. But one Easter weekend a tragedy strikes the Bird family that is so devastating that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear them apart. The years pass and the children become adults and begin to develop their own quite separate lives. Soon it's almost as though they've never been a family at all.
Almost.
But not quite.
Because something has happened that will call them home, back to the house they grew up in - and to what really happened that Easter weekend all those years ago.
Lisa Jewell has been one of my favourite authors for several years now. Her novels ‘Thirty-nothing’ and ‘One-Hit Wonder’ were some of the first chick lit books I bought, and ‘Vince and Joy’ is one of the first chick lit novels I fell head over heels in love with. Through the years, Lisa Jewell’s books have been of a constant quality, and I know whenever I find a new novel with her name on the cover, it must be a good read. So, when I was contacted by Random House about a review copy of Lisa Jewell’s latest release, ‘The House We Grew Up In’, I couldn’t shout ‘YES’ quick enough. I love the new covers of Lisa Jewell’s latest books, and I couldn’t wait to get stuck in another promising story!
In the year 1981 the Bird family seems to have it all. Lorelei and Colin are happily married, and their children Megan, Bethan and twins Rory and Rhys have the perfect childhood growing up in a lovely house in a small country village. But then, one Easter weekend, tragedy strikes and from that moment on, life will never be the same again for each member of the family. As time passes, the children grow up and everyone goes their separate ways. Until another event brings them all back together again, back to that house filled with memories of a happy family, and that one moment that changed absolutely everything.
‘The House We Grew Up In’ focuses on a period of 30 years in total, namely from 1981 until 2011. Each chapter provides the reader with details of what happened each Easter weekend, slowly bringing all the pieces of the Bird family puzzle together. At the centre of it all, is the Bird house, which at first comes across as a simply beautiful place, filled with sunshine, love and laughter, but later on also shows the darker side of the people who lived there. The great mix of characters and storyline had me hooked from the start, and I felt myself entirely gripped by it all. The novel deals with numerous sensitive topics, such as keeping secrets from one another, cheating, mental illness, hoarding; but relationships, in their various fascinating and complex ways, are at the core of it all.
I personally loved how the story switched from present to past and back again, which resulted in me slowly managing to piece all the details together. All the Bird family members managed to speak to me in a different way, all with their own personal flaws and experiences. Every family has their own secrets, and I loved how Lisa Jewell portrayed this one particular group of people. It wasn’t always easy to read, because there are many painful scenes in the book, but at the same time the book was just incredibly fascinating and I was unable to put it down. With the beautifully written, simply gripping and poignant ‘The House We Grew Up In’, Lisa Jewell has once again shown what a brilliant storyteller she is, and I eagerly await her next release.
Rating:
8,5/1029 June 2013
July 2013 releases to look forward to! (Part 2)
I already told you about some fabulous releases that are coming up at the start of July. However, next month has even more lovely reads to offer, as you can read below!
Judy Astley - 'In the Summertime' (4th of July 2013)
It's twenty years since Miranda, then sixteen, holidayed in Cornwall and her life changed forever. Now she's back again - with her mother Clare and the ashes of her stepfather Jack, whose wish was to be scattered on the sea overlooked by their one-time holiday home.
The picturesque cove seems just the same as ever, but the people are different - more smart incomers,fewer locals, more luxury yachts in the harbour. But Miranda and Clare both find some strangely familiar faces, and revisit the emotions they both thought had disappeared.
Why so excited? --> I'll be going on holiday to Cornwall this summer, for the first time, so the fact that this book is set there, already sparked my interest! I love the beachy/summery feel of the cover, and I'm pretty sure Judy Astley won't disappoint!
Alison Jameson - 'Little Beauty' (4th of July 2013)
1975: Laura Quinn has spent her life on the remote and beautiful Inis Miol Mor - Whale Island- off the west coast of Ireland. After the death of her parents, and faced with the continuing reluctance of her lover, Martin, to marry her, she realizes she needs to leave the island for her life really to begin. She accepts a job as a housekeeper with a wealthy couple on the mainland. But a year later, Laura is back, and this time she is not alone. She has at last found the love of her life: a baby son named Matthew. But what sort of life can an unmarried mother have on a remote Irish island in the 1970s? In this complex situation is revealed a picture of a tightly knit community where Laura inevitably comes under pressure to conform to the rules of society.
Why so excited? --> I really love the cover of this novel, it's so cute! I'm quite curious to read this one, because it is set in the 70's (I haven't read many novels set in this particular decade, which might be an interesting switch to another time), and Laura's story already fascinates me. The island and trying to conform to the rules of the society Laura finds herself in... Look forward to checking this one out!
Gemma Burgess - 'Brooklyn Girls' (4th of July 2013)
Pia is living the dream: fresh out of college and sharing a house in Brooklyn with her best friends. So why is everything so complicated?
A drunken indiscretion has led to the loss of her boring office job, while her love life is a dizzy mess of accidental hook-ups and heartbreak...
Her parents don't trust her and, if she doesn't sort her life out soon, they're going to make her move back in with them...
But all that's nothing compared to the kind of trouble she's about to face.
At least she can rely on her friends - Coco, Angie, Julia and Madeleine. But how much can she really expect them to put up with?
Why so excited? --> The New Adult genre seems to become more popular with the minute, or am I the only one constantly coming across this term?! 'Brooklyn Girls' sounds like a lot of fun; I love novels about twenty-somethings who are still figuring out what they want in life, and all the drama that comes with it! Can't wait to pick up my own copy of this!
Claire Garber - 'Love is a Thief' (5th of July 2013)
What did you miss out on because you fell in love?
I might just be ‘that’ girl. You know the one. The girl who, for no particular reason, doesn’t get the guy, doesn’t have children, doesn’t get the romantic happy ever after. So I needed to come up with a plan.
What did I like doing? What didn’t I get to do because I fell in love? What would I be happy spending the rest of my life doing if love never showed up again?
Kate Winters is going on a journey to do all the things that love has snatched from her and her friends, to reclaim her dreams and theirs in the hope of finding her future. But there’s a chance that new dreams are better than the old…
Why so excited? --> I really like the description of this novel; it sounds like something different, something that hasn't been done before. Next to that, I've only heard lovely things about this novel from other reviewers, so I'll definitely give this a chance!
Rebecca Farnworth - 'Swimming Pool Summer' (18th of July 2013)
Frankie hasn't had a proper relationship for years. But though she tells everyone this is how she wants it, but secretly she's in love with her best friend Patrick.
Tor didn't think she could have a baby, but now she is pregnant by her younger lover. Could this mean the end of a romance that has started to mean more to her than she expected?
Leila seems to have it all - a happy marriage, a beautiful daughter and a successful career. But Leila is harbouring a secret that could destroy her marriage forever.
On an idyllic Greek island, the three women try to keep their secrets hidden. But emotions are running high, and when an unexpected guest arrives, events start to spin out of control.
Why so excited? --> Okay, if this doesn't sound like the perfect summer holiday read, then I don't know what does! As the cover says: 'three women, three secrets, one holiday'... I'm intrigued and look forward to reading more about Frankie, Tor and Leila and their holiday on a Greek island.
Lisa Jewell - 'The House We Grew Up In' (18th of July 2013)
Meet the Bird Family:
All four children have an idyllic childhood: a picture-book cottage in a country village, a warm, cosy kitchen filled with love and laughter, sun-drenched afternoons in a rambling garden. But one Easter weekend a tragedy strikes the Bird family that is so devastating that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear them apart.
The years pass and the children become adults and begin to develop their own quite separate lives. Soon it's almost as though they've never been a family at all. Almost. But not quite.
Because something has happened that will call them home, back to the house they grew up in - and to what really happened that Easter weekend all those years ago.
Why so excited? --> I absolutely adore Lisa Jewell's novels. Her stories always have something special and it sounds like 'The House We Grew Up In' won't disappoint! I'm already fascinated by the Bird Family and this particular event that happened in their family home. Without a doubt, I know this will be a good read I'll be recommending to others!
Tasmina Perry - Deep Blue Sea (18th of July 2013)
Beneath the shimmering surface lies a dark secret...
Diana and Julian Denver have the world at their feet. With a blissful marriage, a darling son and beautiful homes in London and the country, Diana's life, to the outside world, is perfect. But nothing is as it seems...
When Julian dies suddenly and tragically, Diana is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye. She calls on the one person she had never wanted to see again - her sister, Rachel.
A former tabloid reporter, Rachel appears to be living the dream as a diving instructor on a Thai island. The truth is she's in exile, estranged from her family and driven from her career by Fleet Street's phone-hacking scandal.
For Rachel, Diana's request opens old wounds. But she is determined to make amends for the past, and embarks on a treacherous journey to uncover the truth - wherever it may lead...
Why so excited? --> I read my first Tasmina Perry novel a couple of months ago ('Perfect Strangers') and I really liked it. Her novels are filled with glamour, mystery and intrigue, and it sounds like 'Deep Blue Sea' will fit these keywords perfectly.
Lots of exciting releases coming up in the month of July! Which ones will you be picking up?
It's twenty years since Miranda, then sixteen, holidayed in Cornwall and her life changed forever. Now she's back again - with her mother Clare and the ashes of her stepfather Jack, whose wish was to be scattered on the sea overlooked by their one-time holiday home.
The picturesque cove seems just the same as ever, but the people are different - more smart incomers,fewer locals, more luxury yachts in the harbour. But Miranda and Clare both find some strangely familiar faces, and revisit the emotions they both thought had disappeared.
Why so excited? --> I'll be going on holiday to Cornwall this summer, for the first time, so the fact that this book is set there, already sparked my interest! I love the beachy/summery feel of the cover, and I'm pretty sure Judy Astley won't disappoint!
1975: Laura Quinn has spent her life on the remote and beautiful Inis Miol Mor - Whale Island- off the west coast of Ireland. After the death of her parents, and faced with the continuing reluctance of her lover, Martin, to marry her, she realizes she needs to leave the island for her life really to begin. She accepts a job as a housekeeper with a wealthy couple on the mainland. But a year later, Laura is back, and this time she is not alone. She has at last found the love of her life: a baby son named Matthew. But what sort of life can an unmarried mother have on a remote Irish island in the 1970s? In this complex situation is revealed a picture of a tightly knit community where Laura inevitably comes under pressure to conform to the rules of society.
Why so excited? --> I really love the cover of this novel, it's so cute! I'm quite curious to read this one, because it is set in the 70's (I haven't read many novels set in this particular decade, which might be an interesting switch to another time), and Laura's story already fascinates me. The island and trying to conform to the rules of the society Laura finds herself in... Look forward to checking this one out!
Pia is living the dream: fresh out of college and sharing a house in Brooklyn with her best friends. So why is everything so complicated?
A drunken indiscretion has led to the loss of her boring office job, while her love life is a dizzy mess of accidental hook-ups and heartbreak...
Her parents don't trust her and, if she doesn't sort her life out soon, they're going to make her move back in with them...
But all that's nothing compared to the kind of trouble she's about to face.
At least she can rely on her friends - Coco, Angie, Julia and Madeleine. But how much can she really expect them to put up with?
Why so excited? --> The New Adult genre seems to become more popular with the minute, or am I the only one constantly coming across this term?! 'Brooklyn Girls' sounds like a lot of fun; I love novels about twenty-somethings who are still figuring out what they want in life, and all the drama that comes with it! Can't wait to pick up my own copy of this!
What did you miss out on because you fell in love?
I might just be ‘that’ girl. You know the one. The girl who, for no particular reason, doesn’t get the guy, doesn’t have children, doesn’t get the romantic happy ever after. So I needed to come up with a plan.
What did I like doing? What didn’t I get to do because I fell in love? What would I be happy spending the rest of my life doing if love never showed up again?
Kate Winters is going on a journey to do all the things that love has snatched from her and her friends, to reclaim her dreams and theirs in the hope of finding her future. But there’s a chance that new dreams are better than the old…
Why so excited? --> I really like the description of this novel; it sounds like something different, something that hasn't been done before. Next to that, I've only heard lovely things about this novel from other reviewers, so I'll definitely give this a chance!
Frankie hasn't had a proper relationship for years. But though she tells everyone this is how she wants it, but secretly she's in love with her best friend Patrick.
Tor didn't think she could have a baby, but now she is pregnant by her younger lover. Could this mean the end of a romance that has started to mean more to her than she expected?
Leila seems to have it all - a happy marriage, a beautiful daughter and a successful career. But Leila is harbouring a secret that could destroy her marriage forever.
On an idyllic Greek island, the three women try to keep their secrets hidden. But emotions are running high, and when an unexpected guest arrives, events start to spin out of control.
Why so excited? --> Okay, if this doesn't sound like the perfect summer holiday read, then I don't know what does! As the cover says: 'three women, three secrets, one holiday'... I'm intrigued and look forward to reading more about Frankie, Tor and Leila and their holiday on a Greek island.
Meet the Bird Family:
All four children have an idyllic childhood: a picture-book cottage in a country village, a warm, cosy kitchen filled with love and laughter, sun-drenched afternoons in a rambling garden. But one Easter weekend a tragedy strikes the Bird family that is so devastating that, almost imperceptibly, it begins to tear them apart.
The years pass and the children become adults and begin to develop their own quite separate lives. Soon it's almost as though they've never been a family at all. Almost. But not quite.
Because something has happened that will call them home, back to the house they grew up in - and to what really happened that Easter weekend all those years ago.
Why so excited? --> I absolutely adore Lisa Jewell's novels. Her stories always have something special and it sounds like 'The House We Grew Up In' won't disappoint! I'm already fascinated by the Bird Family and this particular event that happened in their family home. Without a doubt, I know this will be a good read I'll be recommending to others!
Beneath the shimmering surface lies a dark secret...
Diana and Julian Denver have the world at their feet. With a blissful marriage, a darling son and beautiful homes in London and the country, Diana's life, to the outside world, is perfect. But nothing is as it seems...
When Julian dies suddenly and tragically, Diana is convinced there is more to it than meets the eye. She calls on the one person she had never wanted to see again - her sister, Rachel.
A former tabloid reporter, Rachel appears to be living the dream as a diving instructor on a Thai island. The truth is she's in exile, estranged from her family and driven from her career by Fleet Street's phone-hacking scandal.
For Rachel, Diana's request opens old wounds. But she is determined to make amends for the past, and embarks on a treacherous journey to uncover the truth - wherever it may lead...
Why so excited? --> I read my first Tasmina Perry novel a couple of months ago ('Perfect Strangers') and I really liked it. Her novels are filled with glamour, mystery and intrigue, and it sounds like 'Deep Blue Sea' will fit these keywords perfectly.
Lots of exciting releases coming up in the month of July! Which ones will you be picking up?
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