Carole Matthews Books!

my current read is one of Carole Matthews books (A Minor Indiscretion) and i am quite enjoying it. I’ve also got a couple more books to read of hers and would also know what else she has written 😀

Lets Meet on platform eight – this one sounds good

A whiff of scandal – another one that looks good

More to life than this – i am reading this

for better for worse

A minor indiscretion (Read)

A compramising position

the sweetest taboo – ive got this to read but im not overally sure about it as its got some bits about it in an actor and im not overally fond of novels like that, but im open to have my mind changed.

with or without you –

you drive me crazy

welcome to the real world

the chocolate lovers club – i have this to read

the choclate lovers diet

its a kind of magic – i have this to read

all you need is love

the difference a day makes – i have this to read

that loving feeling

it’s now or never

the only way is up.

thats 14 books in total to read 😀

Just a Quickie . . .

Ive been away for the weekend on a course learning about the media, and im having to try and catch up on everything that ive missed out on, mostly the sleep, i am shattered having not slept much over the weekend, spending more time in the bar 🙂

Working Wonders – Jenny Colgan

Synopsis – Laughs, love, office life. And a little touch of magic ! From the bestselling author of LOOKING FOR ANDREW MCCARTHY and AMANDA’S WEDDING. Laughs, love, office life. And a little touch of magic! Gwyneth Morgan loves her job. And she’s good at it — she’s never faced a challenge she can’t handle — until she meets Arthur Pendleton and his motley crew. Gwyneth sets Arthur a challenge that makes his heart sink. His team can’t even find their own desks, let alone win a prestigious competition. Pitted against his ex-girlfriend, as well as his love rival and deadly enemy, Arthur is forced to break the law and overcome massive obstacles as he embarks on his quest to achieve the impossible — and maybe, just maybe, win the heart of the enchanting Gwyneth. As Gwyneth learns some surprising revelations about the man she’d once considered just an inept colleague, she’s forced to reconsider. Is it possible that Arthur is her knight in shining armour?

My thoughts – this was a fantastic fantastic book! to start with, it was written from the male point of veiw, which in my reading is quite unusual for chick lit. it also has the story of king arthur worked in between the pages. it was very funny at times, the ending made me cry and i am so happy that the project came together at the end. It was very easy to pick up and get into, i loved the caracters, the plot was fabulous and i would highly recommend this book to anybody. it was fantastic!

X Factor – the last eight

Time for my weekly round up of all things X Factor 😀

Cher Lloyd – i thought she did amazing 😀 i thought her song being stripped down and no rapping was a lovely change. i love it when she does rapping and it all street but its also nice to hear her sing. i didnt think simon needed to bring up about the stairs, does it really matter if she was sat on some steps?

Rebecca Ferguson – i liked her performae again, i like how her confidence is growing and growing too, she is growing on me a bit more now.

Wagner – go away, go away, go away! You cannot sing, you are taking the places of people who have dreams of winning and i just think he should go, he has outstayed his welcome.

One Direction – Again fantastic! they put a modern twist on a classic song. Dannii was wrong they were all singing in the right times, i just want them to win!

Katie – does anyone think that katie watched Emma Watson on the Harry Potter premier this week? her hair is awful! it just seems that she is trying to change every week to seem fresh. i like that she sang her heart out but she is just not good enough for me.

Mary – she was back on her game tonight, i wonder if it is because the song was one that she was more famular with, but i thought she was fantastic again.

Matt – i loved his performance again and he looked amazing in the white vest! it was nice to hear him sing  something a bit more up tempo and to prove that he can sing other songs, not just ballads.

Paije – i’ve not been much of a paije fan in the past but i have to say that i am turned around tonight, that song was fantastic and i really really loved it. it suited him down to the ground and was happy that he seems to have really nailed a song.

I’m hoping that Wagner goes tomorrow but i  have a feeling it could be Mary or paije.

Jenny Colgan

I am Currently reading Working Wonders and i love it so much i thought it would have a look and see what other books she had written.

Amanda’s Wedding – January 2000

Talking to Addison – January 2001

Looking for Andrew McCarthy – June 2002

Working Wonders – September 2003

Do You Remember the First Time – August 2004

Where have all the Boys Gone – June 2005

West End Girls – April 2007

Operation Sunshine – June 2008

Diamonds are a Girl’s Best Friend – May 2008

The good, The Bad and the Dumped – May 2010

If You Could See Me Now – Cecelia Ahern

Synopsis – This book is from the number 1 bestselling author of “PS, I Love You” and “Where Rainbows End” comes a love story with heart – and just a little bit of magic! Everything in Elizabeth Egan’s life has its place, from the espresso cups in her gleaming kitchen to the swatches and paint pots of her interior design business. Order and precision keep life under control – and Elizabeth’s heart from the pain and hurt she has suffered in the past. The only cloud on the horizon is her sister Saoirse, a red-haired whirlwind always leaving behind pieces, which Elizabeth struggles to pick up – including her six-year-old son Luke. Being a reluctant mother while trying to keep her business on track is a full-time job, one which leaves little room for error – or fun. Until, one day, a stranger unexpectedly comes into their lives. Ivan is carefree, spontaneous and always looking for adventure – everything that Elizabeth is not. In no time at all, he has crept under her skin and started to change her life in ways she could never have . She knows barely anything about Ivan – who he is and whether he is everything he seems. And, if there is a future for their blossoming relationship! Full of Cecelia Ahern’s trademark warmth and poignancy, “If You Could See Me Now” is a love story with heart – and just a little bit of magic!

My thoughts – when i read the back of this book, i thought it was going to be the usual run of the mill chick lit book. How wrong i was! i loved this book so much, i thought it was very unpredictable and it took me a few chapters to understand what was going on and who the character of Ivan actually was. The book took a topic that concerns many parents and then put the ‘parent’ in that situation. i have to say i felt a little bit of unease about the subject matter to start with and how it would work, but in my opinion it really did! i have a couple more books by cecelia ahern on my tbr pile and if i see more about i will definitaly buy them! a fantastic fantastic book!

X Factor the final 9

I am posting this a bit late but i thought i would post my thoughts on the shocker that was the x factor this weekend.

Cher Lloyd – i thought her performance was beautiful at the weekend. she looked stunning, i loved the song choice. some people are saying that she is becoming samey but i still think she is one of my favourites.

Aiden Grimshaw – i loved his performance this week! i was really begining to get him and to like him. it was such a shame that he got voted off, maybe the public thought he was safe and didnt bother to vote.

Rebecca Ferguson – i only saw her perfomance on the highlights show as i had turned the tv over to watch the festival of remembrance. i thought she sang that song fantastically.

Wagner – totally ruined a song that has huge emotional reasons for me. i cannot stand him and think its really unfair that brilliant singers and performers are being voted off to keep him on. IT IS A SINGING CONTEST!!!!!!!

One Direction – i am in love with them! they are the perfect boyband. there performace was amazing again this week.

Katie – am fed up with her now, she should leave. she is being saved by the judges every week when its clarly not what the public want. and as for her american recording contract . . .

Mary – another song with huge emotional value for me. i thought she sang it so amazingly, but im not sure if she will be in the competition for much longer.

Matt Cardle – I love him! he has really grown on me and every song he sings is magical.

Paije – i have to say im still indifferent about him, im not really bothered either way if he stays or goes.

The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger

The Catcher in Rye is the ultimate novel for disaffected youth, but it’s relevant to all ages. The story is told by Holden Caulfield, a seventeen- year-old dropout who has just been kicked out of his fourth school. Throughout, Holden dissects the ‘phony’ aspects of society, and the ‘phonies’ themselves: the headmaster whose affability depends on the wealth of the parents, his roommate who scores with girls using sickly-sweet affection. Lazy in style, full of slang and swear words, it’s a novel whose interest and appeal comes from its observations rather than its plot intrigues (in conventional terms, there is hardly any plot at all). Salinger’s style creates an effect of conversation, it is as though Holden is speaking to you personally, as though you too have seen through the pretences of the American Dream and are growing up unable to see the point of living in, or contributing to, the society around you. Written with the clarity of a boy leaving childhood, it deals with society, love, loss, and expectations without ever falling into the clutch of a cliche.

My Thoughts – i picked up this book as part of the Rory Gilmore Challenge and i have to say i really was disapointed. I had heard alot about this book and as it is a ‘modern classic’ i would have thought i would have enjoyed it. Unfortunatly i didnt. Mostly i wanted to slap Holden Caulfield. I was really fed up with him saying ‘that nearly killed me’, it must be mentioned about fifty times in the book! It was well written and easy to understand however i just felt that the author was rambling about nothing! I wanted to know how he got ill at the end too. In the end im glad that i read it, however it is not a book that i would recommend to anyone if they asked about. Whether i will get shouted down for this review or not considering it is meant to be a classic, but i just didnt think it was very good!

Serve Cool – Lauren McCrossan

Synopsis – Jen Summer is all set to qualify as a lawyer, her snazzy hot shot boyfriend, Jack, in tow. But then she blows it by mucking up a deal and her man ditches her. What does she do? She turns to her friend, Maz, barmaid in the Scrap Inn, chat show presenter manque. Maz and Jen carry on life behind the bar, and Jen discovers the regulars are as good and loyal a family as a girl can get. So when the girls hear, inadvertently, that the pub has been put into the hand of developers, they are horrified but take comfort in the free tickets they’ve been given to a newly launched daytime TV show. Only when they hit the studio do they realise they’ve been set up: Jen is destined to hit the screen as ‘ problem girl’, alongside the magenta hued ‘marriage buster’ and the teenage ‘child of the devil’. Maz and Jen hit the roof and storm out – all captured on camera, all witnessed by the hunky work experience guy Jen has been making eyes at. And back at the Scrap Inn, it turns out that smarmy Jack is the guy behind the development deal. That’s it: there’s nothing like the wrath of a Geordie lass when crossed – nor the humour – nor her canny knack for sweet revenge…
From the Author

my thoughts – Well, i have to say although i wanted to enjoy this book, i just could get into it. it was a good story, but having read a few ‘chick lit’ books lately, the plot was a bit samey. i liked the fact it was set in newcastle and i could identify with that as i live in a simular area. i think i would have enjoyed it more if i hadnt read so much chick lit in the last few weeks.

Nadia Knows Best – Jill Mansell

Synopsis – Twenty-something Nadia is very happily involved with her long-term boyfriend Laurie when she’s rescued from her broken-down car in a snowdrift by Jay and ends up spending the night with him – entirely platonically, not that she isn’t tempted – while awaiting the thaw. By the time she meets Jay again, Nadia’s been dumped by Laurie thanks to his hectic jetsetting career as a model, and soon, despite all sorts of obstacles, sparks are flying between them. Until Laurie, familiar, beloved, regretful, comes home wanting to make up, and Nadia finds herself torn in half…Meanwhile Nadia’s sister Clare is going out with the kind of man who never rings, her father has fallen in love for the first time since his divorce, and Nadia’s mother, who abandoned the family because babies are so boring, is about to put the cat truly among the pigeons…

My thoughts – I loved this book! it took me two or three chapters to get into it, but once i had i couldnt put it down! i loved the humour in it, the different characters and how they all had different problems and how they were worked through. this was definitaly a chick lit book and i would love to read more by the author. I really disliked Laurie, and really loved Jay. A fantastic fantastic book that i would highly recommend.