Chez Moi- Agnes Desarthe

French author Agnes Desarthe, put together a beautiful and tasty ( in many ways ) a book all about the rediscovery of this woman's life- due to the opening of her very interestingly quirky restaurant. It has been translated into English, as she became hugely popular in the USA. I found the book wonderful, as I am very intrigued by the French culture, and throughout I pick up the French humour and culture. Although, it was not the kind of book I usually read, and was a bit worrying that she fell out with her son for so many years, due to her bizarre fascination with her son's friend ( her son was like 8 at the time, so was his friend ). However, it was an enjoyable read, and had a few inspiring lines throughout. 

**-2 Star Rating

On Chesil Beach- Ian McEwan

Ian McEwan is one of my most inspiring novelists. Not only does he capture the natural elements of relationships today, but in On Chesil Beach he manages to depict the pure essence of life, and regrets. This book I did find initially really weird, however once the book comes to it's ending chapter, everything seems to fit together like a puzzle. The story is not complicated, it just goes on and on about one particular evening the night of a marital commitment. It is a particularly sad novel, but yet it intrigued me, how you can love someone but yet due to stubbornness or protection of one self you let it pass you by- literally. Inspiring ending to a novel- made me think really, really deeply afterwards.
***- 3 Star Rating

Up All Night- Carmen Reid

Carmen Reid's target audience is usually the young female's, however this book definitively aims to interact with those in the familiar field as she; journalism. Now as a student studying journalism, I found the book insightful and easy to understand and read. I read this book whilst away on holiday with my family, and thoroughly enjoyed it. I have read some of Reid's other known books, and enjoyed each of them the same as I did this one. It is based on a character who has recently divorced, and is juggling her children and career. Yet the new experiences of sleeping with someone new- once again. 

***-3 Star Rating !

Sister- Rosamund Lupton

This novel is written in the form of a letter, and is Lupton's debut novel as she usually writes screenplays ( scripts). The format is written in prose of a sister writing to her sister ( I won't reveal why, or give out any spoilers- so do not fear ). The story is a gripping tale of how a bond between two sisters tries to uncover the disappearance of another. The story is charming and compelling, and not only is it a great thriller but an enjoyable easy read. Throughout the book I was trying to guess the ending, however when the end arrived I was gob smacked, and pleasantly surprised with how the book rounded things up. Not a happy read I will just say that- yet a cleverly written debut book. I would recommend to those who want a light thriller read. However, I have read a few reviews criticizing Luption's writing for being too cliche and faulting her narrative structure ( as she tells the story to the police man throughout the book ), but I feel this is extremely harsh and her writing is easily read, and easily understood.
****- 4 Star Rating

California Dreams- Belinda Jones

A beautiful summer read- best for those days you lounge aimlessly on the beach dreaming of a better life. Very easy, and quick to read only took me 2 days to indulge and get through. It involves plenty of humour, and awkward moments where you are literally cringing for the main characters. We all dream of mixing with the rich and famous, and Jones captures all the delights of doing so in this book. The male's in the book make the book a little less believable, however Marina's husband who is involved in the navy is a particularly warming character. The ending is less believable as Stella ( the main character ) ends up with her ex ( the man in the uniform who we finally meet at the end of the book ) and realises that she has had her fun with the rich and famous man of her dreams, and has and always will be in love with her ex. Pretty unoriginal, but that's a typical summer read for you. Enjoyable non the less.
****-4 Star Rating.

Then We Came To The End- Joshua Ferris

This novel involves a character who writes a similarly described book to this very one. It isn't a small, angry book based around the 9-5 hour shifts that people are put through 5 days a week, it does however, express the curiosities of colleges, the tension and the competitive streak of course. Clients keep getting dispatched and this expresses the climate we face today in modern society of recession, however with every dispatch comes great humour. This book is not a book I would recommend as it didn't keep me entertained, and I could have easily put it down and forgotten about it. However Joshua Ferris as an author is fabulous, and I would love to read a different type of fictional prose book of his. 

**-2 Star Rating

Sex and The City- Candace Bushnell

As I am a raging fanatic of the 'Sex and The City' series, and the follow up movies- I decided to indulge myself from the very beginning- Bushnell the inspiration. Bushnell wrote about her lifestyle within the city and her friends from the most bizarre year ' the nineties'. It is in the style of short stories as within each chapter lies a new tale unfolding from deep within the city. New York is my favourite place in the whole wide world, and for this very reason I absolutely loved reading about females lifestyles from the city. The book captures the newspaper columns originality, with a catchy headline for each new beginning or development of a story. However, if you expect the book to be anything like the series, then you will be fairly disappointed- as for me nobody plays Carrie Bradshaw as well as Sarah Jessica Parker. Visualising anyone but her- deems pretty impossible. The stories are quite hard to follow at some points of the book as they involve a variety of different characters that pop in and out, throughout the book. However, overall reading about the New York cocktail inspired lifestyle, following the views of feminists and various other forms of femininity was captured wonderfully. 

***-3 Star Rating