Sophie Kinsella - 'I've Got Your Number'

I was waiting and waiting for this book to come out! Then I had to wait for my birthday (the girls were going to get it for me) and then we had to try four different shops!

I am happy to say it was worth it! Sophie Kinsella is just one of those authors where every book is better then the last. (Ok the exception here is 'Can You Keep a Secret?' which is still my favourite, but other then that).

Poppy Wyatt is a bride-to-be who just happens to lose her engagement ring. If this is not bad enough, it is only a week until the wedding. It was a family heirloom and she is already incredibly intimidated by her fiance's academically over-achieving family. Oops. Then to make matters even worse, she loses her phone on the same day. Fate intervenes however when she finds an abandoned telephone in a rubbish bin, meaning she has a number to give to the hotel staff, the police and anyone else who needs it.

Sam Roxton however is less impressed by fate. It is his phone Poppy has acquired and he would like it back. When Poppy begins to "help" in his personal and professional life he is even less impressed.

A twist to this book is that there are ongoing footnotes which "are for things which aren't your main concern but nevertheless hold some interest"* and they definitely add to the fun of the story. That said, as with all good footnotes, the story is perfectly readable without them. If you happen to reading this story electronically there may be a trick to reading them. I am not sure what this is, this is just from comments I have read by others on facebook.

A colourful cast, bizarre situations and lighthearted fun. Highly recommended to any lover of chick lit.

*quote from page 11. This should be a footnote, but I don't know how to do them on here!

Sophie Kinsella - 'Remember Me?'

I have read this book lots of times before. But I am home sick with something poxy (literally) and it is the perfect time for re-reading, and for chick lit. Plus my mum has got the new Sophie Kinsella for me for my birthday (but I haven't got it yet) so I am enjoying re-reading old ones in in anticipation.

It is 2005 and Lexi Smart is a 25 year old with a life where everything is not quite right. Bad teeth,  a funeral to go to and a love life and professional life that could do with some improvement. Then Lexi wakes up and it is suddenly 2007. Lexi is now 28, gorgeous, boss of her department and married (to a millionare no less). Unfortunately Lexi has no idea how she got between these two worlds or how she is going to maintain her new persona when she still feels like a bumbling 25 year old. Worse, as she discovers more about her new life she is not sure it is the life she wants to be living.

Funny. Warm. Addictive. I love Sophie Kinsella and this book is great. If you want a book that is going to change the world, this is probably not for you. But if you want a book that will make you smile and take you to a happy place I highly recommend picking up this book.

Catherine Alliott - 'The Real Thing'

I picked up my first Catherine Alliott book because there was a line on the front from Marian Keyes saying "one of my favourite authors". I figured I loved Marian Keyes and if this is what she reads it must be good. I was right.

I have read 'The Real Thing' a number of times before and it was the perfect book for me to read after reading so many new, fairly in-depth books. Tess is 30 married to a moderately successful barrister and has two small children, a career-woman sister, overbearing vicar father, slightly eccentric mother, reformed sex-addict cousin and a long lost first love of her life who suddenly comes back into the picture. A family holiday brings a whole heap of issues to life making Tess question whether the life she is living is the life she really wants? And makes her wonder what happened to the hopes and dreams she harboured when she was young. What follows is a journey of family, humour, temptation, betrayal and the quest for happily ever after.

Catherine Alliot's books are romantic, slightly satirical and very humorous. A lovely light read that leaves you with a happy feeling afterwards.

Sue Townsend "Queen Camilla"

If you like the Adrian Mole books and if you like the Royal Family and if you can handle people making fun of the Royal Family, you will like this book. A sequel to 'The Queen and I' this book was fun! It is written in a similar style to Sue Townsend's other books it potters along. The story is set in an England when the monarchy has been toppled and the Queen and the rest of the Royal family are forced to live like commoners in a certain area, wear ankle tags and live under the scrutiny of what is rapidly becoming a dictatorship.

Fun bits for me include the running commentary by the dogs, which the human characters in the book can't understand, and the continual reference to all sorts of general Royal trivia and idiosyncrasies of different members of the Royal family. I have to admit, after getting caught up in the hype of the recent Royal wedding and all the general information about the Royal family in the media at the time, I found this particularly amusing.

This book is by no means anti-monarchist and talks about the Royal family with affection, even if it is deep in caricatures which is what you would expect from a book by Sue Townsend. If you don't like the Royal family, I think you would still enjoy this book for the simple fact it does make fun of them! A good read with enough substance to keep your entertained but without having to think too hard.