booklish

Yes, Booklish is in print! My first column of Booklish: A Books Page is in the latest Ayme Grads newsletter. See the pic! --->
I know that's too small to read so I've copied and pasted from my hard drive, below... enjoy!

Booklish: a books page by Diane Shipley
Hello, and welcome to Booklish, a new Ayme Grads book page!
Are you ‘booklish’? It’s like ticklish, only with books. It’s also a play on the words ‘book’ and ‘delish’ (-and yes, I know that’s not a real word…) Basically, this page is for anyone who likes to read, either all the time or every now and then.
I want to talk about all kinds of book stuff here: great authors, recommended reading (with an eye on the M.E-reader’s concentration span: you won’t find anything too heavy) and any other vaguely book-themed topics I can think of!

I’d also like to hear from you guys: What are your favourite books? Authors? Which books have you loved and hated recently, or ever? Email me at dianewhatdoyoudoATgooglemailDOTcom and let me know!
(And I want to emphasise that audio books count too- I’m talking about books in all their forms).

I have lots of ideas for future book pages, but I’d love to hear yours too and I hope you’ll enjoy reading and participating.
Next time I want to talk about the agony and ecstasy of being a teenager (Thank God those years are over!) What books do you recommend- either for or about teenagers? Send them (and recommendations on any other subject too) to the email address above, or write to me, Diane Shipley, c/o the Ayme Grads address.
For now, I’ll leave you with a list of my top ten chick-lit books (sorry guys! I’ll be more gender-neutral next time, but you could read some of these too- go on, you know you want to…)
Lend me your ears- no, send me your lists, on anything book-related at all…

Top ten chick-lit books (in my opinion!)
1. Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding. Ah, the classic: the book that spawned a whole genre. Much better than the sequel and either of the films. Despite what some media pundits tried to tell us, Bridget’s a parody, the fact she obsesses so much about her weight and finding a man is supposed to be funny- not a true reflection of modern women. (Thank God!)
2. Rachel’s Holiday by Marian Keyes. Not the lightweight read the title suggests, but a story about addiction, (based on the writer’s own experience) and a sort-of sequel to Watermelon. Somehow Keyes’ books manage to handle heavy subjects with a light-touch and a happy ending that still might make you cry…
3. The Nanny Diaries by Nicola Kraus and Emma Mccloughlin. The ultimate tell-all chick lit book, fast and funny- an insight into the horrors lurking behind the glam façade of rich new York ‘mommies’. (Avoid sequel Citizen Girl like the plague, though).
4. Welcome to Temptation by Jennifer Crusie. A great mix of murder, mayhem and romance, plus some very sexy scenes with the local law enforcement officer for good measure- this is the perfect summer read.
5. Good In Bed by Jennifer Weiner. A snappy, involving read about a woman whose boyfriend dumps her for another woman and worse, lets her know via his new newspaper column, Good in Bed. One of the few chick-lit books where an overweight woman’s main goal is not to lose weight and find a man…
6. gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson. (Yes, the small ‘g’ is deliberate…and you pronounce it ‘Jossy-lyn’ if you’re wondering!) A great novel that only really borders on chick-lit, dealing as it does with murder and racism- but it has a sense of humour, a love story and a strong female character, so it’s included.
7. Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood by Rebecca Wells. Another slice of southern America, and another book that deals with a range of topics, some of them pretty serious… but still a great romping read. It flits between the present day and the 1930s and 40s, as a woman having romance trouble learns more about her mother’s past… very evocative.
8. Animal Husbandry by Laura Zigman. A really original book about a dumped woman and her attempts to understand the opposite sex- by studying weird mating behaviours of the animal kingdom! Funny, and you’ll probably learn something.
9. Sex and the City by Candace Bushnell. Gossipy and witty, this is worth reading as a chick-lit landmark, the inspiration for the brilliant TV series. (But it doesn’t have much warmth and the characters are very different from the programme, so be warned!)
10. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger- another exposé of a glam world, in this case the magazine industry. The author used to work for Vogue editor Anna Wintour- make of that what you will… Fun, fast and a leetle bit bitter- great!

The next column will be out later this year, and is going to incorporate some of the feedback I've already got :)

In the meantime, look out for another Booklish Booklist coming to the website soon... (thanks Nikki!)

Posted by Highlights from two years of blogging. on Sunday, August 20, 2006 at Sunday, August 20, 2006 | Permalink