Valentine Gifts for the Bibliomaniac

Valentine's Day is fast approaching! Here are some gift ideas for the bibliomaniac in your life!

Bibliotherapy

This has to be the ultimate gift for any avid (or not so avid) reader. The School of Life offers a wide range of "therapies" and this one is designed to support your reading. Through consultation with a bibliotherapist, you have the opportunity to explore your relationship with books and look towards new directions, new authors or revisit past novels for new meaning. The outcome is an "inspirational reading prescription that's tailor made for you". A unique gift! Gift vouchers are available and more details are on the website www.theschooloflife.com

Table Topic Book Club Questions


These are great fun! A box of cards full of questions for use at Book Club or for anyone who enjoys talking about books! Could be used over coffee or even by yourself if you are interested in writing a book review or deepening your exploration of a book. The questions are highly varied ranging from the more humorous, light hearted, quick fire style to the more literary and challenging. Will definitely make you think about the book you're discussing and a lively way to generate discussion at your next book group meeting. See website www.tabletopics.com for the full range or search table topics on Amazon. Also available through some hughstreet retailers.

Postcards, Notebooks and Vouchers





Waterstones have got a beautiful range of "literary gifts". These postcards are gorgeous and could be used to send or collate into a poster. Why not start a correspondence with another bibliomanaic with these cards swapping your latest recommendations or quotes of the week?
Waterstones also had a large range of notebooks in various sizes and designs ranging from traditional patterns and colours to author inspired covers or humorous strap lines. These always make a good gift for anyone who wants to keep a record of what they are reading or want to read next.
And you can never ever ever go wrong with a book voucher! You just can't beat browsing in a real bookshop and seeking inspiration from the booksellers stands of the latest reads!


Persephone Books



These are the most gorgeous books I have ever come across and they make the most fantastic presents. All the titles are reprinted, rediscovered authors and each book comes with a bookmark designed in the same end paper of the novel which is representative of the time of the novel. They are beautifully produced and it always seems a shame to have to store them away on a bookshelf! The books are chosen carefully and include a huge range of novels, non fiction, diaries and recipe books. Some of them are of a more classic style but many are very modern, highly readable and always resonant. I have discovered many new authors like Dorothy Whipple and read books like "The Homemaker" which I found profoundly moving. Please spend some time exploring their website to see all the available titles or subscribe to their catalogue. They also sell gift vouchers, bags, stationary and notebooks and have a shop in London which also runs events. www.persephonebooks.co.uk


Book on One Page Poster

I think these are stunning and such a clever idea! My problem would be deciding which book to go for! There are several websites which produce these if you search "one page book posters" or go to Not on the Highstreet or Amazon for a selection. They are also available through some high street gift shops.

Other Gift Ideas......

• cinema tickets for a film of a book - lots currently showing like "Carol", "The Danish Girls", "Room" & "Brooklyn"
• DVDs - "Pride & Prejudice" box set, "Bridget Jones Diary', "Poldark" box set, Dickens classics or films and TV shows you missed - "And Then There Were None," "War and Peace"....
• Theatre tickets for book adaptations like "Matilda", "Curious Incident of the Dog at Night Time", Shakespeare's Globe (or a tour there if you prefer!) 
• Royal Festival Hall frequently has poetry readings which make a great night out
• Magazine subscription - TLS, Literary Review

My Perfect Gift? Being allowed to go to my favourite coffee shop with my book, money for a cake and an hour to myself .......Sheer bliss and completely priceless!! 

Happy Valentine's Day!

For more reviews, recommendations and bookish chatter follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK)

Book recommendations from this week's news

I'm late - I've only just been able to catch up with The Guardian's "Saturday Review"  - real life got in the way of my reading this weekend! So just in case you missed some of the highlights from the weekend and last week's Twitter feed, here are the titles that grabbed my interest over the last ten days.

Books I've read this week.....


This week I read "A Year of Marvellous Ways", currently part of the "Richard and Judy Book Club" reads and second novel from Sarah Winman who wrote the lyrical hit "When God was a Rabbit". It's an absorbing story of love and friendship, full of poetic prose and a sprinkling of magic- a real treat and from it I could quote endless sentences which struck me as beautiful writing. Highly recommend! 



I also finished "What She Left" by T R Richmond. Please see my separate blog post for full review. The book opens with the death of Alice Salmon and the novel continues with a mixture of diary extracts, letters, blogs, emails, twitter and Facebook posts from a range of suspects ensuring a fast paced, modern and original thriller.

Now I'm racing through Sam Baker's "The Woman Who Ran" which is based on Bronte's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall". So far it's engaging, atmospheric and gathering pace towards an exciting ending. I'm inspired to return to the original classic too!

Books I found myself buying this week......

"Me Before You" by Jojo Moyes.
I have read a few of Moyes' novels and enjoyed them but have to admit not being drawn to this one before as the content sounded a little harrowing. However, seeing the release of the trailer for the upcoming film coming out this summer, I decided I needed to read it before I could see it in the cinema! Just because the subject matter might be challenging or provocative isn't a reason to avoid it! Moyes is a good writer and I'm sure this novel will be a very compelling read.

"The Wake" by Anna Hope
Hope's new novel "The Ballroom" is out this week and sounds absolutely fascinating and there has been a huge flurry of incredible reviews all over Twitter and numerous blog posts raving about this powerful sounding story. Kindle were offering a cheap deal on her first novel "The Wake", so I thought I would investigate this while awaiting the publication of "The Ballroom".  It is a story of three women dealing with the after affects of WW1 and how it impacted the men in their lives. As the story unfolds the women's lives are tragically intertwined. It sounds like a thoughtful and moving book and I do find novels set in the First World War particularly enjoyable.

Books I added to my "To Read" list.....
(which is getting seriously out of control!!)

"My Name is Lucy Barton" by Elizabeth Strout
Reviewed in The Guardian and across Twitter this book is about the reconciliation between a mother and daughter. It sounds like a thoughtful and reflective read and is described as "compelling" and "beautiful". Probably a good antedate to the volume of thrillers I have been devouring recently!


"The Power of the Dog" by Thomas Savage
This republication of a Vintage Classic is being heralded as the new "Stoner" - which if you have not read, I heartily recommend. "Stoner" is a quiet novel, a portrayal of an ordinary man and an ordinary life but there is something poetic about the narrative and the writing is excellent. This novel was first published in 1967 and is about two brothers living in Montana in 1924. Both these novels may be unlike your normal choices but will definitely be worth trying and the publishing world clearly believes they are still relevant and deserving titles.

"When Breath Becomes Air" by Paul Kalanithi
This is written by a surgeon and his recounts his battle with cancer. It has received much praise and I heard an interesting interview with his wife on Woman's Hour today about it. It is described as profound and uplifting and a life affirming memoir.

"In Her Wake" by Alison Jennings
This has 5/5 from all 10 reviews on Goodreads which I have never seen before! A psychological thriller not out until April but sounds compulsive reading!!

If you want to see more recommendations, reviews of bookish chat why not follow me on Twitter? @katherinesunde3 (bibliomaniacUK)

Review: What She Left by T.R.Richmond

"What She Left" by T R Richmond

"My name is Alice Salmon. I hope I am more than 200 times these five words. I hope one day I will be."

I don't think I've read a thriller quite like this one! It's innovative, modern and complex. It's challenging. The reader has to piece together the story bit by bit, guided only by the different accounts and types of information that are presented without any extra explanatory narrative, forcing the reader join up the dots and solve the puzzle before it's clever revelation. An effortless way to build up more tension and ensuring that it is a real page turner!

The story is about Alice Salmon, a 27 year old woman who is found drowned. What follows are extracts from diaries, letters, blogs, Twitter accounts, Facebook, emails, newspaper articles and magazine clippings from Alice, Megan her best friend, the ex boyfriend Luke, Alice's mother Elizabeth, Jeremy a professor from Alice's old university, and various journalists and acquaintances.

As The Times said, this novel is "strikingly modern". It explores how email and social media have affected the way people share information and how we use them to record our lives. It's innovative in the way it uses these forms to create multiple narratives, continually pushing the reader to try to untangle the jumble of information presented in such rapid and immediate forms. It's ambitious to include such a variety of voices, but Richmond successfully creates believable characters through very short passages and it is surprising how large and convincing the characters become through these extracts. I also found that as every extract was either only a page or three at the most, you were continually reading on and on, making the book "unputdownable". Although at times, the constant shifting of voices creates pace can be a little jerky and difficult to keep up with in places. This is further complicated by the fact the story is not told in chronological order. The actual form of the novel mimics the criminal investigation of Alice's death by constantly uncovering new information, adding background revelations and allowing characters to spill more secrets. Everyone is a suspect. No one is what they seem. You are kept guessing the whole way through and constantly changing your opinions about the characters.

The thing I found most captivating about the book was the way in which you relate to Alice. Far from feeling pity or apathy towards the victim, there is a great sense of loss. Extracts from her blog, twitter account and diary are dispersed amongst the other voices and used to explore who we are and what we can be generating a deeper sense of tragedy and depth to the plot. Alice is not a passive character. Although dead, she becomes more and more alive throughout the pages of the novel. Her voice becomes stronger; her passion, hope, talent and potential radiates from the text. The more we hear from her the more we wished she had lived and mourn her death. At the end you are left confused - satisfied by the ending but bereft of the loss of Alice. As Claire Kendal comments, she "mourned her more and more powerfully as the story went on".

If you enjoy crime, thriller and psychological thrillers then you will enjoy this original and intriguing novel.

For more suggestions, reviews and bookish chat why not follow me on Twitter @katherinesunde3 (BibliomaniacUK)!

Free books? What's not to like?!

Top Five Reasons to Love Your Library!


Free books? As many as you can carry? Brand new titles? Free returns if it's not your cup of tea? Multiple copies for your Reading Group? Able to get hold of any title you fancy? .......Where is this bibliomaniac's heaven?!

I am not just addicted to books, I am also addicted to my library! Try as I might, I struggle to walk past without quickly popping in to see what they've added to the enticing "Quick Choice"/ "Hot Picks"/ "Best Reads" stands which seduce me from the pavement. I don't often get as far as the rows of delicious books which just beg to be searched through, looking for whatever takes your fancy at that moment. And it's all for free! Even with the constant offers at supermarkets, high street chains, amazon and kindle, you can't beat getting a good read for free!

Saturday 6th February is National Libraries Day. Treat yourself. Go take a look at your local library. Support these sanctuaries! Borrow something new which you've never tried before or grab the latest novel by your favourite author.

My Top Five Reasons Why I Love My Library

Try Before You Buy



I have a ridiculous list of books on my "to read" list and it gets longer and longer every day. Sometimes it's a book I know I'm going to love or by an author I've already come across. Sometimes it's a book someone has recommended; it's been well reviewed or adorns the book stands in every shop window. Sometimes it's something I feel I "ought" to read, never got around to reading when it came out or it's a classic that I never had the courage to tackle. Sometimes I'm happy to buy the book but often I'm not sure if I'm going to like it or if it's something I'd ever want to read again.

So I go to the library. I take out said book. I try it. I'll give it a maximum of 100 pages if I'm feeling generous. If I don't like it, I return it, scrub it off my list and go on to the next thing. No cost. No loss. No brainer.

The library is a great way to help you be more experimental with your reading choices. Who knows - one day you'll hit upon a new author or genre and you'll never look back!

Keep a List


So many books, so little time..... I grab them from the shelf - frenzied bibliomaniac I am -until there's no more room in my shopping bag or my arm will break carrying them home.  But there's still more I want! So I take photos. Next time I wander in, I can check my phone and see what it was that I wanted so desperately last time. I won't feel bereft or bitter that someone else has stolen my read for themselves, but will maturely move on to my next choice. Maybe this time I'm no longer in the mood for it but hang on.....what about this? And how quickly can I get home to read it?!

Hot Off The Publisher's Desk


This is a great offer. Brand new books for a one week loan. Yes, you have to "budget" your reading time a little but actually, getting through a book in one week isn't as much of a challenge as you might think. Or it's a challenge you should rise to every now and again! To be honest, I'm pretty sure you'd be able to renew for the following week when it came to it. It's a great way to keep new titles available and ensure everyone sees what is newly published. My bug bear with the library used to be the lack of current novels but this scheme has been brilliant and I've got hold of all sorts of things - without even having to wait for them to come out in paperback! See if your library has a similar scheme or could introduce one.

Search the Library Catalogue before Amazon


Your library will have a search catalogue which you will be able to access from your home computer. See if your book is in stock and if necessary, place a reservation. For Hertfordshire the reservation cost is 60p - nothing at all really, and still cheaper than a kindle daily deal! The catalogue will show you if any of the other libraries in your county have the book in stock and I've found that you usually receive a book you've reserved in a couple of days, wherever it's transferred from. It is possible to order from other libraries outside of your county too for a charge of £3. This is a great way of getting hold of exactly what you want, especially new titles or very popular novels.

It is possible to join other libraries like The British Library (although you cannot take books away from there) so it's worth investigating libraries near your work or that interest you if you want access to a broader range of things or more specialised texts. It should be free to join most of these places.

Book Clubs

Most libraries offer a book club. On the Hertfordshire Libraries website you can search for Book Groups in your area. Some are for novels, some for plays, poetry or more specialised areas. Book Groups are a fun way to meet new people and talk about books! As well as making sure you actually do some reading (usually they meet monthly which is ample time to get through something), it will also make you read authors and genres that you might not have come across before. If you are already in a Book Club, the library will order in multiple copies for your group which is economical and again, saves you spending money on a book that you are unsure about. It also means your group can pick hardback titles as well which broadens your options and means you can be the first to review the latest most talked about reads!  

And then there's all the other things the library offers...... Free WiFi, computer access, Toddler Storytime, Newspapers, Magazines, guest speakers, Summer activities for younger readers and one off special events like "Harry Potter Night".

So search for your inner bibliophile and learn to love your library - celebrate National Libraries Day on Saturday!
nationallibrariesday.org.uk
#librariesday
@NatLibrariesDay

To get you in the mood - Ten Books about Libraries
1. The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
2. The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
3. The Eyre Affair / Lost in a Good Book / The Well of Lost Plots by Jasper Fforde
4. The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett
5. The Borrower by R Makkai
6. The Archivist by M Cooley
7. Mr Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore by R Sloan
8. The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
9. In the Stacks: Short Stories about Libraries and Librarians ed by M Cart
10. Three Past Midnight: The Library Policeman by Stephen King

Like #GripLit? Like these....

With the phenomenal success of novels like "Gone Girl" and "The Girl on the Train", "Grip Lit", the new genre of psychological thrillers, is taking over the book charts everywhere. It is not a new genre -as Sophie Hannah pointed out last week in an article in the Guardian (check it out for a great list of thrillers past and present) but one which is producing an exciting range of un-put-down-able reads. Here is my list of the best #GripLit books I have read recently. 

"Into the Darkest Corner" Elizabeth Haynes

Queen of the psychological thrillers! If you haven't read this yet then stop and get on Amazon immediately! Myself and my friends could not stop talking about this book and we all rated it 5 stars. It tells the story of Catherine Bailey who is trying to build a new life following a relationship with Lee Brightman which has left her haunted and traumatised. The description of Catherine's debilitating OCD is so real and evocative that you feel yourself suffering alongside her. This book is dark, violent, chilling and riveting. Easily her best novel and completely captivating. 

"The Ice Twins" S K Tremayne

Sarah and Angus relocate to a tiny Scottish island hoping to rebuild their lives after one of their identical twin daughters has died in an accident. As the winter seeps in and Angus is forced away with work, an isolated Sarah is stranded with her daughter only to find herself questioning what exactly happened on the day of the accident and which twin actually died. I loved the cold atmosphere of this ghostly and unsettling thriller. The setting intensified the suspense; the description of the island and the weather was as chilling as the action itself. It is a psychological thriller but with elements of a ghost story, which for me, made it a winning combination.

"The Unquiet House" Alison Littlewood

Emma Dean inherits the dreary Mire House from a distant relation but soon after arriving she begins to see ghostly figures as the house starts to reveal its dark secrets. To be honest, I didn't overly rate this when I first read it but nearly eighteen months later I am still haunted by some of the imagery evoked in this gothic style horror story. The graveyard scenes and the presence of shadowy figures is particularly unsettling. There is a supernatural element to the ending which I think initially disappointed me but it is a good ghost story with many traits of "grip lit" and unnerving echoes of "The Woman in Black" in places. 

"I Let You Go" Clare Mackintosh

No, you will not be able to let this go and I dare you not to be able to read in more than one sitting! This book will seriously keep you reading in to the small hours! I was completely captivated and could not put it down. Jenna Gray's world is turned upside down in a split second. She escapes to the remote Welsh coast to try and rebuild her shattered life that continues to haunt her. But can she ever escape the past? This book is exciting, tense, clever and impressive. The ending is exceptional. 

"How I Lost You" Jenny Blackhurst

Emma Cartright has been released on parole with a new identity in the hope to start a new life. But then she receives an envelope addressed to Susan Webster - the woman used to be - with a photo of a toddler called Dylan - the son she believed she killed three years ago. With no memory of the event, only accepting what happened because everyone around her, including friends, doctors and the police told her, Susan now begins to question everything she thought was true, grasping desperately on to the chance that her son is actually alive. A real page turner - I read it in twenty-four hours! 

"The Attic Room" Linda Huber

Nina, a single mother, travels from the Isle of Arran to Bedfordshire to find a relation has left her a house and a lot of money - and a police investigation. Nina uncovers a shocking crime but in her search to find out more about the secrets of the house and it's family, she ends up putting both herself and her ten year old daughter in danger. Huber takes a taboo subject and uses it to create an uncomfortable and chilling read. 

"The Lie" C L Taylor

Jane Hughes has successfully rebuilt her life over the last five years following a holiday with friends that should have been a trip of a lifetime but instead it was a nightmare ending in the death of two women. She thought she'd put it all behind her until a letter arrives claiming "I know your name's not really Jane Hughes." Quickly she realises someone is out to destroy her. Echoes of "The Beach" by Alex Garland and a discerning exploration of what can go wrong amongst a group of young people trying to create their own secret idyllic community.

"After Anna" Alex Lake

Five year old Anna is abducted from outside her school when her mother Julia is late to collect her one afternoon. But then Anna is returned a week later with no memory of where she has been or what has happened and this is where the real story begins. The novel is full of suspense and tension and I'm not saying anymore except that there are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing and re-evaluating your perception of the characters right up to the very end.

"In Bitter Chill" Sarah Ward

In 1978, two schoolgirls are abducted and only one, Rachel, returns. Thirty years later, the mother of the other still missing girl commits suicide, and the case is reopened as DI Sadler thinks a recent event has triggered the mother's death. Despite remembering nothing, Rachel works with the police to uncover the truth about the abduction and the suicide; a search which uncovers dark secrets. Ward has a career in crime fiction and in this compelling debut she fuses crime and psychological thriller to produce a satisfying read. 

"The Shadow Year" Hannah Richell

Five friends find an empty secluded cottage buried deep in the countryside one hot summer in 1980. They decide to set up home there, running from their real lives and seeking to survive away from the outside world. Three decades later, Lila tries to escape her marriage crisis by fleeing to the same cottage which has lain deserted all this time. But, as she sets about restoring it, a story of secrets, tragedy, lies and betrayal are revealed and ultimately an explanation of why the friends abandoned their home and all their belongings. It is more a mystery than a thriller but I came across it in a charity shop and was instantly hooked. There is sinister characterisation mixed with the menace of what happens within a group when normal rules are suspended. Relationships ruled by power, control and emotional responsibility add an element of underlying suspense to what appears to be an idyllic set up.

#GripLit on my to read list:

• "Disclaimer" Renee Knight
• "The Cold Cold Sea" Linda Huber
• "The Dolls House" M J Arlidge
• "Behind Closed Doors" B A Paris (out in mid Feb)
• "The Stopped Heart" Julie Meyerson (out in March)

Other #GripLit must reads:

• "Dark Places", "Sharp Objects" Gillian Flynn
• "The Furies" Natalie Haynes
• "The Good Girl" Mary Kubica
• "The Kind Worth Killing" P Swanson
• "In a Dark Dark Wood" Ruth Ware 

Simon Mayo's Radio 2 Book Club are reading "Coffin Road" by Peter May; a crime thriller which also comes highly rated. 

Hope that gives you lots to choose from! Sleep well............

This week everyone is talking about these books.....

It's time to have a look at which books have been trending on Twitter this week and offer a brief low down of the top picks from this Saturday's Guardian Review section (my book review bible!).

First up is "First Bite: How we learn to Eat" by Been Wilson. This has been appearing on my timeline from various different sources from the bookish to food fans to parents. For those of us that have endured the minefield of weaning with our children it sounds like an interesting read. The premise of her argument seems obvious and logical - that we need to stick to offering savoury and vegetable flavours to babies and children first and that memories and experience have a lasting impact on our relationship with food. However, I am a little cynical, as I felt was the reviewer in the Guardian, as having tried very hard three times to follow the rules of gurus like Annabel Karmel with my weaning and recipes, there is always a battle with veg and trying new foods unless they are covered in chocolate! Probably worth a look for new parents.

I am itching to read "The Woman who Ran" by Sam Baker! Taking the story of Anne Bronte's "The Tenant of Wildfell Hall" (although all the reviews reassure me that you do not have to be familiar with this novel in order to enjoy it) Baker has updated the tale of a woman renting a cottage in a Yorkshire village and the mystery and gossip that ensues. It promises to be more than "chick noir" as it retains the "fierce feminism" from the original text and follows in the new tradition of "Grip Lit" with its title implying it will appeal to readers of "The Girl on the Train" and "Gone Girl". Samantha Ellis called it "disquieting and thought provoking", full of "twists and turns as it hurtles towards a hair raising climax." No doubt this is a book we will be seeing and hearing a lot about.

"The Trouble with Goats and Sheep" by Joanna Cannon is another book featuring in the paper reviews and Twitter timeline throughout this week. Set in 1976 and narrated by ten year old Grace it is about the disappearance of a neighbour and explores Cannon's interest in the everyday tragedies of ordinary people as she leads an "investigation into the wealth of secrets and heartbreak that even the most commonplace street can hold" (Emma Healy). I was intrigued by the comparison with an Agatha Christie novel -there are six different voices weaved into the narrative; all with a secret. It is also described as a humorous, lively and funny read.

In the Guardian's paperback roundup they review "Owls do Cry" by Janet Frame which was originally published in 1957 and is about four siblings in New Zealand and their struggles with financial worries, mental health, disability and grief. Possibly not a very light read but the reviewer said that it was still innovative and relevant and had the power to "unnerve, astonish, impress and endure" which made me think it was worth a look.

Also mentioned was "Wilful Disregard" by Lena Anderson which claims "every other word packs a punch, every other sentence so wise and funny it begs to be quoted". As a lover of language, this seems a must read.

There is a long interview with Frances Hardinge in this Saturday's Guardian - the most talked about author this week after winning the Costa Book Award with her teen novel "The Lie Tree". I have just finished reading it and it is innovative, filled full of mesmerising imagery and poetic writing with an unnerving gothic feel. Her win has triggered a well deserved focus on YA Fiction and the other book in this genre that I am really desperate to read following its publication this week is "How Not To Disappear" by Claire Furniss. With a dual narrative of present day and the 1950's it explores the changing role of teenagers and their experiences. It sounds great.

Don't miss Sophie Hannah's article on "Grip Lit" in the Guardian too - also featured via Twitter and retweeted from my account (@katherinesunde3) which is also full of great suggestions for those who enjoy this genre.

So many books........So little time! Hope you all get to grab a chapter with something that excites you today!

Review: "Sofia Khan is not Obliged" by Ayisha Malik

I heard about this book via Cornerstones Literary Agents - they are a brilliant gang who offer editorial advice, direction and support -whatever stage of your manuscript- to writers, using both their own wealth of experience and also a network of real life authors. I went on a creative writing course with them many years ago and thoroughly enjoyed myself! So when I noticed that one of them had published their own novel I was instantly intrigued. A book by someone who spends their day editing, proofing, nurturing new talent and presenting the best stuff to agents- a story by someone who knows intimately what makes excellent writing, engaging characters and a well structured plot -no pressure Ayisha.........!

Sofia is a young Muslim woman working in publishing, living at home in London with her parents, who would very much like to see her married and can never resist the urge for a quip or aside about this one thing Sofia seems unable to do. Set the challenge of writing a book about Muslim dating by her boss, Sofia tumbles into the world of love, marriage and online dating and navigates her way through it with wit, humour and shrewd observations. Essentially this is a romantic comedy; light, entertaining and heartwarming. It will make you smile and to be honest, it is the first book that has made me laugh out loud since "Bridget Jones' Diary" - with which it has been frequently compared (and let's face it, it's not a bad comparison to have made about your debut novel considering the appeal, success and longevity that book enjoys!).

Not a big chick lit fan? Well, it's a bit more than that. Sofia is a Muslim and this book is about being a modern, young Muslim woman in Britain. It does challenge stereotypes. Sofia is bored rather than reactionary about peoples responses to her wearing a hijab. Her parents' constant presentation of "candidates" for marriage is comical and endearing rather than oppressive and controlling; they are simply trying to make sense of their daughter's world. Ultimately the family love each other deeply and their exchanges are delightfully humorous -anyone who has parents will feel Sofia's frustration and exasperation. Sofia respects the problem of modern life versus traditional customs. She is devout and her regular prayer routine is mentioned with the same matter of fact casualness as her muffin eating. There is no sex and no alcohol. Malik has created an insightful, authentic voice; subtly challenging preconceptions without moralising but through the presentation of situations and characters who are ordinary, rounded, flawed, realistic and most importantly likeable.

There is a certain comfort in the predictability of the plot but it feels fresher than some of it's contemporary titles and although it focuses on being Muslim, the book has a much more universal appeal. It's lighthearted but raises several serious issues and the section dealing with the loss of a parent is particularly moving. I liked the chatty style, the dry one liners and the sprinkle of slapstick. This book delivers a good giggle, a happy satisfying ending as well as giving you food for thought. The mixture of blog posts, emails, text messages and diary extracts make it a quick read and I promise that when you sit down to "just read the next few pages", you'll find yourself still there an hour later with a half eaten muffin and a cold cup of tea still deep in conversation with Sofia.

Ayisha Malik can spot talent and create published authors out of first drafts. She can tell you what makes excellent writing and what is missing from your manuscript.

And she can write a bestseller!