The Sunday Night Book Club - Short Stories

THE STORIES: This book was compiled In collaboration with Woman and Home magazine and Breast Cancer Care of Britain. Twenty-four short stories, encompassing themes of love and friendship, heartbreak and betrayal.

MY FAVOURITE STORY: Life Begins at Forty, Patricia Scanlan.
This story cracked me up, because the main character Amy has a sister-in-law that is constantly imposing upon her at her holiday home, and Amy is too chicken to say anything about it. These impositions have been carrying on for years, and Amy thinks it has been going on for too long, and it's too late for her to draw the line. Her sister-in-law even shows up unannounced at Amy's 40th birthday weekend, which finally tips her over the edge. What Amy does next is her self-confessed 'birthday present' to herself!!

SOME OTHER BOOKS BY PATRICIA:

 

REVIEW: It's a shame that the stories were presented alphabetically by author, as I found the first few stories quite disappointing. It seems that some authors feel the need to go all 'arthouse' and weird when writing a short story. I just wanted a feel good read and a laugh - not the couple of random and depressing stories at the beginning. One of them didn't even make sense! I am glad that I perservered though, as I really enjoyed most of the stories that followed. This book is great for women 20+, and for those who struggle to read a lot at once. Most of the stories were about ten pages long, which makes it perfect if you only have a short amount of time to spare.

AUTHORS: Clare Boylan, Veronica Bright, Elizabeth Buchan, Clare Chambers, Mavis Cheek, Tracy Chevalier, Katie Fforde, Nicci Gerrard, Lesley Glaister, Tessa Hadley, Maeve Haran, Joanne Harris, Wendy Holden, Cathy Kelly, Andrea Levy, Kate Long, Santa Montefiore, Elizabeth Noble, Maggie O'Farrell, Patricia Scanlan, Alexander McCall Smith, Adriana Trigiani, Lynne Truss, Penny Vincenzi. PHEW!

One dollar from every book sold goes to Breast Cancer care. 

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'Baby Proof,' Emily Giffin

  PLOT: 
Claudia's deal breaker, when it comes to love, is babies. Or to clarify, her distinct wish to NOT have any! When she meets Ben they seem perfect for one another, as he too agrees, no children! And so they fall in love, get married, and look forward to a wonderful, child-free filled future together. Then, one of the two decide that they do want a baby after all, and the relationship falls apart. The remaining half of the couple must decide what they will - and won't - do for love.


REVIEW: 
Initially I loved the idea of the book, because as soon as a couple gets married, the next question always seems to be 'when are you having a baby?' Nothing is more irritating! I found myself getting annoyed along with Claudia and Ben at lines such as:

• 'Once at a book party, an editor came right out and told me that if I didn't have kids at some point, then my life "would be devoid of meaning." Well, gee, then I might as well off myself now then!'
• 'rude inquiries regarding our plans to procreate came from anyone and everyone: Ben's family, my family, friends, random mothers in the park, even our dry cleaner.'

I thoroughly enjoyed the story, and often found myself nodding along to the things that initially annoyed Ben and Claudia. Definitely a funny read - especially for those in a serious relationship. If it's not 'so when are you two getting married?' it's 'when are you two having a baby?' (And after that, no doubt, 'when are you having a sibling for little Johnny?')

I definitely intend to read more books by Giffin - and am looking forward to it!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Emily Giffin is an American author of chic lit. Before she moved to London to pursue writing full time, Emily completed a Law degree and worked in a litigation department. She has had published 'Heart of the Matter,' 'Love the One You're With,' 'Something Blue,' and 'Something Borrowed.'

This year, in May 2011, a movie adaptation of 'Something Borrowed' was released (movie website) starring Kate Hudson, Ginnifer Goodwin, Colin Egglesfield and John Krasinski. Trailer below.

LINKS:    

author's website

author's blog

Pages Online - magazine review

'Unlucky in Love,' Jessica Fox

FOURTH BOOK IN 'THE HEN NIGHT PROPHECIES' SERIES.

PLOT: On set in Thailand for a Bollywood movie project, Libby is humiliated when her office romance turns out to be a joke. She promptly decides to stay away from reckless romances, particularly after a tarot card reader warns that she will 'be a danger to many men.' A series of strange events see Libby literally endangering the life of the martial arts trainer Craig, who she immediately develops an animal attraction towards.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jessica Fox is actually the pen name for Ruth Saberton, whose website you can view by clicking this link: 

Ruth Saberton/Jessica Fox  

It's a great website - especially if you want to get inside the thoughts of an author. She has a blog, short stories, competitions and books she is reading, etc. Definitely worth a look - a well set up website! 

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REVIEW: I'm sorry to say that I was pretty disappointed with this novel, having so much enjoyed 'Always the Bride' from the same series. Having travelled to Thailand myself I found the setting descriptions a little off the mark and lacking in detail.


Three main things annoyed me:

 1) The all-too-frequent use of similes
      eg. 'Eastwood came charging over like a bull in Bermuda shorts.'
             '...her heart plummeted faster than a base jumper with no parachute.'
             'Hilly's triumphant smile still hung before her like the Cheshire Cat's.'
They just went on and on - relentlessly.

2) The main character Libby - as if anyone would be that obsessed with 'prophecies.' If a girl really likes a guy and he's showing mad interest in her, she would NOT keep her distance just because a tarot reader said 'you'll be a danger to many men.' What does that even mean??!

3) The novel is part of a series called The Hen Night Prophecies. However, hardly any links were made to the other books or their characters - who are meant to be Libby's best friends!



I wouldn't really recommend 'Unlucky In Love.' Since it only loosely links to the other books in the series, it is not necessary to read it to gain understanding of the other books. That said, having enjoyed the first book I read, I'll give the rest of the series a go. Stay tuned to see if the next one gets a better review. Also, please don't write off Jessica Fox - I loved the first book of hers I read. Perhaps 'Unlucky in Love' was merely 'like a dud popcorn kernel in the bottom of the bowl.'

'The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives,' Sarah Strohmeyer

        

A couple of the rules for being a Hunting Hills Wife:

 *   Eat voraciously in social occasions. Leave everyone wondering how you keep your teenage figure when little do they know that you'll be living on green tea, celery and alkaline water for days afterward.

 *   Do try and keep your options open in the family income department. If your husband appears headed for a demotion, if he is an alcoholic, drug addict or, worse, lacking in capitalistic enthusiasm, it is acceptable to search for other breadwinners. In fact, it's expected.

 *   Never admit to a fellow wife that you just slept with her husband.

PLOT: This novel is set in the sheltered suburbs of Hunting Hills. Women give up their careers, when they marry rich men, to be socialite wives; wives who have too much money and not enough to do! It is accepted that partners may have affairs, but these are conducted in secret.

Socialite Marti Denton never realised that she was in love with John Harding, until he returned home from an overseas trip... married! Marti hatches a plan to steal John away from his new and socially awkward wife Claire.

Soon scandals such as lesbian affairs, secret love trysts and embezzlement rock Hunting Hills. The fortunate wives are petrified that their private lives will be splashed all over the front page of the newspapers.

             Click here for Sarah Strohmeyer audiobooks!

REVIEW: I am fast becoming a huge fan of Strohmeyer. Sometimes it can be a bit hit-and-miss when you try a new author. I have often read a great book, then been disappointed by the second one I have read by the same author. Not the case with Strohmeyer. 'The Secret Lives of Fortunate Wives' reeled me in from the very start. The exclusive gated community of Hunting Hills is portrayed believably, almost reminiscent of a modern day Stepford Wives. There are also elements of the 'Desperate Housewives' series in here. If you are a fan of that program, or of Strohmeyers other books, then this novel will not disappoint!

If you wish to recommend a book or see it reviewed, post a suggestion below.

'Tom Dick and Debbie Harry', Jessica Adams

PLOT: Richard and Sarah have a whirlwind romance in Sarah's hometown London, which results in her moving to Australia to marry him. On the day of their wedding Sarah realises that she may be making the biggest mistake of her life. Richard's first wife Bronte is the only person not at the wedding, although she feels drawn to visit Richard.

In the meantime, Richard's best friend Tom is living with his girlfriend, who is old enough to be his mother. But is he really happy? His girlfriend disapproves of everything about his life, including his friendship with Richard and Sarah. Soon Tom finds himself attracted to the very person he shouldn't be.

By the end of the summer much passion has been shared - but between whom?

REVIEW: I picked this book up on the shelf at my volunteer work, thinking it looked okay. I found myself without a book to read one day, so started on this one. I was quickly drawn in from the start, and by about halfway through I couldn't put the book down. There are quite a few plots and subplots interwoven, which made for a more entertaining read than some more simple books. I recommend this for those in their mid-twenties upward.

Creepy astrology eyes staring into my soul!

AUTHOR: Strangely enough, Jessica Adams is actually an astrologer for Cosmopolitan magazine - and has published three books on astrology. (If I had known this before I read 'Tom Dick and Debbie Harry' I may have been put off reading it!) Click below to see her website - although be warned, it is mainly weird astrology stuff...

http://www.jessicaadams.com/

'The Intimate Adventures of a London Call Girl,' Belle De Jour

QUOTES:  "C is for Cash Only. I don't take cards. Where would I put the swipe machine?"

"I don't understand why my colleagues would have an affair with some girl in the office, and risk a marriage, when they could have someone like you."

PLOT: This book started off as a blog, following the day to day life of high class call girl 'Belle De Jour,' living in London (Nobody actually knows her real name or identity.) Belle could not find a job out of Uni, and after a threesome with a rich couple rewarded her financially, she took to the trade like a duck to water, earning more money than anyone she knew. All the while, Belle remained friends with three of her ex boyfriends, only one of who knows what she does for a living.

REVIEW: Having seen the series first, I was actually surprised at how much more graphic the book was. Belle's account of her life of prostitution is frank and somewhat compelling. It was a bit gross and offputting at first, but then it became more of a laugh - like the purposeful looks the characters in 'Bold and the Beautiful' are constantly casting one another. The book is not for the pious or faint hearted! As it is not a novel, per se, make sure you read it for what it is - don't expect it to follow the formula of a novel.

TV SERIES: Belle's blog was adapted into a book, then into a BBC TV series called 'The Secret Diary of a Call Girl,' starring Billie Piper as Belle. I actually watched the TV show first, and then found the book in a second hand shop at Barwon Heads, and thought 'Why not?' I loved the series - Billie Piper is great as Belle, and she is even given the 'real' name of 'Hannah' on the show. The show develops more of a plot and storyline than the book, and currently three seasons have been filmed.

LINK:

CLICK to view trailer.

'Always the Bride,' Jessica Fox

Today's book is one I picked up at the airport on the way home from Samoa. I didn't know it at the time, but this is the last book in a series of five. I don't think you have to read them in order though, they just follow the different prophecies five girls are given on a hens night. Pretty cool!

PLOT: It is Zoe's hens night when she receives a prophecy from a fortune teller - that she will be married twice! She refuses to tell any of her friends her prophecy, convinced that her and Steve are meant to be together. No fortune teller is going to ruin what they have! Naturally that is easier said than done, especially when Zoe and Steve begin working together, and each of their ex-flames shows up at their workplace!

REVIEW: I had only been looking for something to read on the plane, so was thrilled with this book! I will definitely be looking for the other four in the series. The storyline was amusing, and not entirely obvious like some chick lit. I love finding a new author I enjoy, especially when they have written a series.

AUTHOR: Jessica Fox wrote 'The Hen Night Prophecies' series, which this is the fifth book. The previous ones are 'The One That Got Away,' 'Eastern Promise,' 'Hard to Get,' and 'Unlucky in Love.'

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