The Books What I Read

Earlier on in the Spring I was lucky enough to get taken to Egypt for a 5 star luxury break in Sharm. With me I took 13 proofs that I had been saving up to treat myself with. Whilst I did finish them all, just 4 of them shone for me. I recommend if you are about to embark on a wee jollybob yourself, you buy copies of them at your nearest book retailer and prepare to be entertained.

The first is a debut novel by Tess Stimson, The Adultery Club which tells the tale of a lawyer, his wife and his mistress. Nicholas and his beautiful and fabulous wife Mal seem to have it all (together), but when a new (sexy, young, female) colleague joins the firm of lawyers where Nicholas works, all hell breaks loose. The story is told from each of the characters points of view, and its really well told at that. Nicholas was a little bit too foppy-haired for me; Mal was just way way WAY to perfect and Sara (!) was such a man eater I immediately wanted to be her… brilliant escapism that does ask some searching questions, but not so loudly it spoils the story!

My second choice was also chosen by Richard & Judy. Great minds and all that. Jane Fallon is famous in her own right as a TV producer of, amongst others, Teachers and This Life. She is also the partner of Ricky Gervais, and Getting Rid of Matthew proves that he isn’t the only funny one in the house. When Helens long term and secret lover (Matthew) finally leaves his wife and moves into her flat you might think she’d be pleased. Not on your nelly. It doesn’t take her long to realise she doesn’t actually want him anymore, and sets about a Plan to get rid of him, by any means necessary. It’s a cracking story, grown up chicklit, and very very funny.


To be a lover of ChickLit means it’s almost compulsory to include Adele Parks in your Top Ten – but I’ll be honest when I say I sometimes really struggle to do so. ‘Playing Away’ was genius and ‘The Other Woman’s Shoes’ was really funny, but it’s been a while since I enjoyed a Parks tale as much as I enjoyed Young Wives Tale. Whilst I may be so over the svelte lady calf branding of Ms Parks, this tale of Lucy, Rose, and Connie is really good and the twists and turns of their lives is so well written I actually felt like I knew Lucy and Connie by the end of the story. Very enjoyable if you can get over the fact that Rose is actually supposed to be our age and not 150 years old….

Which Brings Me To You isn’t chicklit. But my goodness I enjoyed it non the less. Written by a man and a women in alternate chapters, it tells the story of how Jane and John meet, almost do IT, take mental cold showers, and try and get to know one another first…by revealing all in a series of beautiful love letters to one another. By trading and sharing their sexual and emotional histories they get closer to one another, and learn more about themselves than they could ever imagine. It’s beautifully written, and very sexual without being soppy or smutty and I really really enjoyed it.

All the other books I read in Egypt pale into insignificance, so I wont even bother listing them here….