Review: Yes Please! by Amy Poehler

In a perfect world . . .

We'd get to hang out with Amy Poehler, watching movies, listening to music, and swapping tales about our difficult childhoods. Because in a perfect world, we'd all be friends with Amy - someone who seems so much fun, is full of interesting stories, tells great jokes, and offers plenty of advice and wisdom (the useful kind, not the annoying kind you didn't ask for). Unfortunately, between her Golden Globe-winning role on Parks and Recreation, work as a producer and director, place as one of the most beloved Saturday Night Live alumni, involvement with the website Smart Girls at the Party, frequent turns as an acting double for Meryl Streep, and her other gig as the mom of two young sons, she's not available for movie night.

Luckily, we have the next best thing: Yes Please, Amy's hilarious and candid book. A collection of anecdotes, essays, ideas, lists, and haikus from the mind of one of America's most beloved entertainers, Yes Please offers Amy's thoughts on everything from her 'too safe' childhood outside of Boston to her early days in New York City, her ideas about Hollywood and showbusiness, the demon that looks back at all of us in the mirror, and her joy at being told she has 'a face for wigs'. A delight on every page, Yes Please is chock-full of words, and wisdom, to live by.

Review: I was so looking forward to reading this book and let me tell you, it did not let me down. I have found that I enjoy reading autobiographies in audiobooks form and so I downloaded this one using one of my audible credits and settled back for an entertaining listen on my commute. Gosh this book was such fun. I highly reccomend listening to this one on audiobook because you feel partly like you're just having a good old chat with this fabulous lady, and party like you are being entertained at some wonderful stand up comedy event. 

The book isn't linear in structure, it jumps around from time to time covering various aspects of Amy Poehler's personal life and her career. I sometimes prefer this form of writing to a chronological report of someones life, i found the anecdotal style very easy to listen to and I would imagine that it would make a good read as well. The stories that she told were interesting and you could tell that she was just sharing them with her readers, not putting them out there just for sympathy or just for laughs, it was really as if she were just telling you stuff about her life whilst you were both on a long bus journey or something-i really liked this!

The really fab thing about this audiobook was that there was definitely extra content for those of use who had elected to buy the audiobook. Obviously when you buy an audio version of an autobiography, you miss out on the pictorial content that you would get in the hardback edition, but because of this, Amy has added some guest readers and a whole section which she did ,Ive to an audience so you get just as much of a 3d experience as if you had picked up the hardback. 

I know this will be a big xmas gift this year and it came out just in time for all the seasonal gifting but i really recommend you not only buy this book as a gift but also read it yourself because  there is something in this book to entertain anyone and everyone. You will laugh, you will be made to think and you will definitely storm through this book just as quickly as I did. This was a fabulously entertaining read but now you'll have to excuse me whilst I find more funny clips of SNL on YouTube!

Letterbox Love #19

Welcome to Letterbox Love, this is a UK meme, hosted by the lovely Lynsey at Narratively Speaking and inspired by The Story Siren's In My Mailbox. This post is a means by which to highlight the books we get in the post and beyond, and especially to bring attention to those books which may be sat on our shelves for a little while yet that we love all the same.

I've not posted a book haul in a while so there are probably a few ebooks and audiobooks that should be on here but I can't remember exactly when I got what. The majority of those that I've bought recently I've either already reviewed or else will be reviewing soon so look out for those in the next couple of weeks.

A couple of weeks ago, I popped up to Dudley to attend a Miranda Dickinson signing at Merry Hill shopping centre. I actually bought five copies of the fabulous I'll Take New York (even though I had read and reviewed the proof already). I have posted just my copy and the signed page because others were for presents so i don't want their recipients to see them!

Then this week I've been very lucky with books from Simon and Schuster. This gorgeous book came through the post on Thursday. The Two of Us by Andy Jones comes out in ebook book in February and it is already highly anticipated and much talked about. I am trying to clear a day in my schedule soon to properly enjoy this. I've been promised tears so I think I need to prepare myself!

I was invited along to the Books and the City xmas drinks with the Simon and Schuster folk on Thursday as well and the Lovely SJV brought me a bag of bookish fabulousness that included these gems. The Year of the Rat by Clare Furness, The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker, The Hurricane Sisters by Dorothea Benton Frank and I was Here by Gayle Forman which, as you know, I am very very excited to read!

Thank you so much to Simon and Schuster for being so generous with the book love this week, I'm looking forward to reading all of these! Now all I need is an extended period of time when I can kick back and relax with this gorgeous haul-my upcoming flight to Texas should do just the trick!

Cover reveal & Guest Post: Conditional Love by Cathy Bramley

Today I have a wonderful guest post/cover reveal from the lovely Cathy Bramley. She has news about her fab novel Conditional Love which is about to be released by Transworld Publishers. Without further ado, I'll hand you over to her!

I am thrilled to announce that a new ebook* edition ofCONDITIONAL LOVE is being published by Transworld on Friday 5th December.

I first published CONDITIONAL LOVE myself on Amazon in October 2013 but now it has had the full Transworld treatment.

It is essentially the same story, with the same characters and the same happy ending. So what is different about it?

Well, I feel like my writing has developed since I first wrote it almost two years ago and so when Transworld very kindly gave me the opportunity to re-write it, working closely as usual with my editor, Harriet Bourton, I jumped at the chance. I took on board her editorial comments, sharpened up the narrative, tweaked some of the characters and generally I’ve given the book a more punchy, fast-moving feel.

I asked Harriet to share her thoughts about this new edition of the book in her own words:

I first read CONDITIONAL LOVE before I’d met Cathy. I’d seen her on Twitter talking to bloggers I follow and I was impressed by her cover for the book and the reviews she had, so I bought it and started reading. That one casual purchase led to Cathy’s deal with Transworld and a creative, fun and rewarding new author relationship. Some happy months later, Cathy and I set about looking at CONDITIONAL LOVE with a fresh eye. I thought the novel was wonderful, full of Cathy’s trademark warmth, comfort and good humour, but being an editor we can never leave well enough alone, and I had some ideas for how Cathy could squeeze even more out of the story. The heart of the novel is still the same, and the over-arching plot and characters too, but I think of this new refreshed edition of CONDITIONAL LOVE as being the high-definition version: brimming with colour and romance, sharp witted and lively from beginning to end, and impossible to resist once you’ve taken a glance!

I am delighted with what Harriet and I have achieved together this year and I hope readers will approve too. And of course the most exciting bit— is the sparkly new cover!

I must admit I was a bit nervous about having a new cover; I’ve had so much lovely feedback from people about the old cover with the red umbrella. But I needn’t have worried. Illustrator, Kate Forrester, who has designed all the Ivy Lane and Appleby Farm covers, has done an amazing job and honestly can’t stop looking at the new look CONDITIONAL LOVE.

What do you think?!

*with a paperback edition to follow in 2015

BLURB

A takeaway, TV and tea with two sugars is about as exciting as it gets for thirty-something Sophie Stone. Sophie’s life is safe and predictable, which is just the way she likes it, thank you very much.

But when a mysterious benefactor leaves her an inheritance, Sophie has to accept that change is afoot. There is one big catch: in order to inherit, Sophie must agree to meet the father she has never seen.

Saying ‘yes’ means the chance to build her own dream home, but she’ll also have to face the past and hear some uncomfortable truths…

With interference from an evil boss, warring parents, an unreliable boyfriend and an architect who puts his foot in it every time he opens his mouth, will Sophie be able to build a future on her own terms – and maybe even find love along the way?

Cathy Bramley – Author Bio

Cathy Bramley is the author of the best-selling romantic comedies Ivy Lane, a four-part serialised novel (Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter), and Conditional Love. Both are being published as paperbacks in 2015. She lives in a Nottinghamshire village with her husband, two daughters and a dog.

Her recent career as a full-time writer of light-hearted, romantic fiction has come as somewhat of a lovely surprise after spending the last eighteen years running her own marketing agency. However, she has been always an avid reader, hiding her book under the duvet and reading by torchlight. Luckily her husband has now bought her a Kindle with a light, so that’s the end of that palaver.

Cathy loves to hear from her readers. You can get in touch via her website www.CathyBramley.co.uk Facebook pageFacebook.com/CathyBramleyAuthor or on Twittertwitter.com/CathyBramley

Review: I'll Take New York by Miranda Dickinson

Have you ever given up on love?

When her boyfriend lets her down for the last time, Brooklyn bookshop owner Bea James makes a decision – no more. No more men, no more heartbreak, and no more pain.

Psychiatrist Jake Steinmann is making a new start too, leaving his broken marriage behind in San Francisco. From now on there'll just be one love in his life: New York.

At a party where they seem to be the only two singletons, Bea and Jake meet, and decide there’s just one thing for it. They will make a pact: no more relationships.

But the city has other plans . . .

Review: this book was everything I hoped it would be and more. I am a massive fan of Miranda's first novel, Fairytale of New York and so when I found out there was going to be a spin off novel/sequel to that I could barely contain my excitement, then when it popped through my letterbox, even more excitement and then to know that I'm actually in a scene in the book-wow, heaven! But seriously, this is an awesome book and I read it cover to cover in one sitting because I was so caught up in the world, the characters, the storyline and the the places that it took me to! 

It was really great visiting New York with this same bunch of characters again but this time having some fabulous new characters lead the way. I love Bea and I love the fact that she works in a book shop. Like a lot of Miranda's characters she is incredibly optimistic and just someone you would want to hang out with and have a coffee with. Jake is also a lovely lovely person. He turned out to be more grown up than I initially expected him to be, having really strong family values, despite going through a marriage break-up and having to relocate his business. 

Of course the usual Kawolski's gang return which was awesome and it was lovely to catch up with all the old faces and see what was going on. You definitely don't have to have read the first novel to enjoy this one (although the 2 make for a perfect weekend of reading together) the characters stand on their own, as does the storyline. There is a fab hen party scene with some lovely characters too, just saying! 

I was very impressed that this book has a different voice to Fairytale. The same characters as were in Fairytale of New York are featured in this novel and yet they are not the stars, so it must have been very difficult not to write using Rosie's voice and stick to Bea's voice, or write as Jake and not as Ed, even harder considering the fact that they are cousins! This book is written a chapter at a time from Ed or Rosie's perspective and i think that this worked really well for telling the story, seeing things from both their points of view. It also meant that the novel flowed incredibly easily, making it a pacy read which is saying something for a book that weighs in at nearly 500 pages! Definitely don't let the size put you off, I read this in hours! 

Of course I loved the setting of the novel, back in NYC, with a bit of Brooklyn thrown in for some diversity, again I can't get my head around the fact that this author has never been to the big apple, it's as if she lives there everything is so vividly and beutifully described! Bea's bookstore is a great setting in itself, who wouldn't want to read about books and working in a bookstore and they have coffee in the bookshop too? What more could you possibly want? The coffee does come with a small warning though-coffee products and coffee shops are mentioned over 100 times in this book and so if you're as suggestible as I am, and love coffee as much as I do, you may just have the shakes when you finish drinking your coffee along with this novel! 

This book is just such a lovely read for this time of year, it's not particularly Christmasey, although there is a winter wedding and some lovely frosted scenes but it's just so heart-warming and lovely and cosy! it couldn't be better to snuggle up with at this time of year and enjoy with a gingerbread latte! It's got great characters, a compelling storyline and a gorgeous gorgeous setting. There are twists and turns along the way that will keep you turning those page and whether this is your first Miranda novel, or you're a fan, like me, I'm sure you're going to love this book. Make it your next read! 

Review: Christmas with Billy and Me by Giovanna Fletcher

Join Billy and Sophie for the next chapter of their story by bestselling author Giovanna Fletcher.

Christmas has come to Rosefont Hill and it's destined to be a particularly special festive season for Sophie May.

When a smitten stranger emails Sophie to ask her if he can propose to the woman he loves in her little teashop, the romantic in her finds it impossible to refuse. Even though Christmas is her busiest time of year she has her own sweetheart, Hollywood actor Billy Buskin, to lend a helping hand. How could she say no to making someone's dream come true?

As Sophie and Billy work together to plan the perfect fairytale proposal for this couple, excitement in Rosefont Hill is mounting. Who is this mysterious man? And who is the lucky lady he's about to get down on one knee for?



Review: this book made me aww out loud just like I did when I read Billy and Me, that's what kind of book it is! This gorgeous little novella catches up on the characters we met during Billy and me which came out last year (I only just read it this summer!) So it will definitely have spoilers for those of you who haven't read that but want to. It is set in the same setting as the first book but is about six months on and obviously set at Christmas time,. The festive spirit is strong in this book,. The description of the smells and the tastes of Christmas as well as the sights and sounds is top notch and so it will definitely have you craving a mince pie or too-wonderful!

The characters are just as lovely and Sophie is getting on with life with just as much gusto as she did in the first novel. She is making Christmas happen and happen in a big way. You really feel the weariness and exhaustion that she feels getting ready for the festive period, but at the same time, you can see how her optimism gets her through. Billy is of course, gorgeous as ever and he really takes a back seat in this novella, more than he did in the first novel. Sophie's mum is still very much around as is the spirit of the former tea shop owner.

There is a wonderful twists at the end of this novella, something which i think is pretty unusual for a story set over  so few pages. You really won't see it coming, i didn't and i was thrilled and exhilarated by the whole thing,. I would've loved this book to be a full-length novel and really think that there was scope there to do that but that is my only minor criticism. As I say, if you haven't yet read Billy and me but are planning on doing so then wait and read that before this otherwise you'll be spoiled, but if you';re just looking for some festive romance in novella form then  definitely give this one a go. be warned though, this is not for the skeptics and the cold-hearted among you, this is full on gushy lovely sickly-sweet romance!

Top Ten Tuesday: books I'm looking forward to in 2015 2/12/14

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists over there at The Broke and the Bookish. I'd love to share my lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

So many books so little time! I can't beleive I'm writing about books im looking forward to in 2015 when there are still so many books from 2014 that I have't got round to reading yet! Yes, I've read 120 books so far this year but there are so many I haven't read. But onwards I must go and there are tons, literally tons of books I'm looking forward to next year. Some of these fab novels don't even have pictures yet but you know they're going to be wonderful! These aren't in order of presernce so please bear that in mind as you read on...

1. Jill Mansell - Three Amazing Things About You - 15th January 2015

2. Michele Gorman - The Curvy Girls Club - 15th January 2015

3. Rowan Coleman - The Last Letter - 19th February 2015

4. Holly Smale - Geek Girl 4 

5. Jenny Colgan - Summer at the Little Beach Street Bakery - 26th February 2015

6. Gayle Forman - I was Here - 29th January 2015

7. Lucy Diamond - The Year of Taking Chances - 1st January 2015

8. Cathy Bramley - Appleby Farm Part 1 - 5th February 2015

9. Trisha Ashley - Creature Comforts - 25th February 2015

10. The Cake Shop In The Garden - Carole Matthews - 8th January 2015

There are tons, tons mpre fabulous books coming out next year so this list is by no means defintive but give you an idea of what I'm excited about during the first half of the year!

Review: Secret Santa by Scarlett Bailey

A self-confessed Christmas queen, Sue Montaigne prides herself on organising the annual nativity pageant in her small Cornish village of Poldore.

But this year, what with having to deal with the repairs on Castle House after it was wrecked by a terrible storm, training a new – and frankly flighty – Virgin Mary and managing a Joseph who is allergic to sheep, she is distinctly lacking a little bit of ‘me time’.

And then there are the auditions for the new Santa. But nothing prepares her for the beautiful man who turns up, a twinkle in his eye and a promise to make her Christmas dreams come true…



Review: What a fabulous festive novella. I love the Poldore novels by Scarlett Bailey and I was so pleased when I found out that there would be a festive novella this year. I think people expect this lovely author to come out with some at Christmas and so we were all a bit worried when she brought something out in the summer but here we are being spoilt because we have Scarlett in the summer and Scarlett for Christmas too. If you love the Poldore novels already out there by Scarlet Bailey, you will definitely love this one. I wound't recommended reading this one if you intend on reading the others first and haven't already done so, this will definitely contain spoilers for you. The other novels are equally as fabulous though and so you're going to want to read those anyway!

The characters in this novella are the same as in  the previous novels and so it really is like visiting old friends, catching up with them, this book though focuses on Sue. She has been a kind of linchpin character in the other novels so it was great for her to have her time in the spotlight. What we don't realise in the other novels in how fragile Sue actually is. We see a strong woman who basically rules the village and her massive family of children and dogs. This is a great read because we really get to know her insecurities and see whether other people are prepared to support her as much as she has supported them,.

There is a special celebrity guest/love interest in the novella as well which really heats things up. he is just dreamy and rich and handsome and so he really seems to inadvertently shake things up around the village. It was wonderful to see my name appearing in this book again and I really hope we have another Poldore novel to see what happens to baby mo and the rest of the Poldore gang.

This novella is super-christmasey but without it being rammed down your throat. It centres around a nativity and so there's not too much Christmas spirit going on all the time, but you expect a good dollop of festive cheer with Scarlett Bailey, let's face it. It is structured over the days leading up to Christmas and I really liked that because you knew exactly where you stood. There is an epilogue too, which i loved, but you don't always get them in a novella so that was a nice surprise. I think fans of scarlet bailey will really enjoy this year's festive treat and if you're just looking for something Christmasey to read, you can't go wrong with this author. I hope there's another Poldore novel in the works because I need more of the people and the dogs in my life!