Goodreads Reading Challenge 2018.

In 2018 I once again I signed myself up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. 

I find that it is a great inspiration and encourages me to pick up a book to read which I find feels more rewarding than simply messing around online (enjoyable as that is...) It also provides an easy way of keeping track of what I have read and I always enjoy looking back at the books that I have (mostly!) enjoyed over the course of the year.

Each year I set myself the goal of reading fifty-two books. I spend a fair amount of my time commuting so a book a week is attainable for me and I find that this is about the right amount - I want to be challenged but I don't want to feel pressured to allocate more time than I reasonably have to reading so that it becomes unenjoyable and feels like a chore.

I was happy to look back and find that I had read fifty-seven books in 2018. (I read sixty books in 2017).
I'm going to aim to read fifty-two books again in 2019.

In general, I tend to read a variety of books. This year the most popular category that I read were thrillers/domestic suspense, I read twenty-six of these. I also read a fictional book based on a true crime ('faction'?) T Greenwood's Rust and Stardust.
I also read twenty-two general fiction books. I love memoirs and autobiographies, I read six of these and I read just one non fiction book, The Secret Lives of Colours. 

I love the statistics that Goodreads provide you with when you complete your year's reading. This year I read 19,882 pages! The most popular book I read was Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman which 229,901 other people read and the average rating out of five that I awarded to my books was 3.9.

It was very hard for me to pick a 'Book of the Year' as I read so many outstanding books this year. Ones I particularly enjoyed were My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh, White Fur by Jardine Libraire, The Followers by Rebecca Wait and The Only Story by Julian Barnes

My favourite biography of the year was To Throw Away Unopened by Viv Albertine.

 Favourite thrillers/mysteries/suspense included The Perfect Nanny by Lelia Slimani, Friend Request by Laura Marshall, Sometimes I Lie by Alice Freeney, Cross Her Heart by Sarah Pinborough and The Night Visitor by Lucy Atkins.

There were a few duds in my book pile, ones that I kept on reading in the hopes that they would get better but didn't! 

The books that I least enjoyed this year were My Husband's Wife by Jane Corry, The Other Mother by Carol Goodman, Less by Andrew Sean Green and The Stylist by Rosie Nixon. I was also disappointed by Lethal White, the fourth book in Robert Galbraith's Cormoran Strike series which was something that I had been particularly looking forward to reading.

If you enjoy books and reading why not take a look at goodreads.com There are lots of great book reviews, an interesting newsletter that you can sign up for and it's not too late to set up your own Reading Challenge for 2019. 

If you would like to take part in the challenge simply visit goodreads.com and sign up where it says 'Reading Challenge'. It's a great motivator as well as a nice way to keep a record of what you've read.

If you are an avid reader or someone who wishes to read more go for it. 

Good Luck!

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2017.

Last year I once again I signed myself up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. 

I find that it is a great inspiration and encourages me to pick up a book to read which I find feels more rewarding than simply messing around on line (enjoyable as that is...) It also provides an easy way of keeping track of what I have read and I always enjoy looking back at the books that I have (mostly!) enjoyed over the course of the year.

Each year I set myself the goal of reading fifty two books. I spend a fair amount of my time commuting so a book a week is attainable for me and I find that this is about the right amount - I want to be challenged but I don't want to feel pressured to allocate more time than I reasonably have to reading so that it becomes unenjoyable and feels like a chore.

I was happy to look back and find that I had read sixty books in 2017 (I read fifty seven in 2015 and sixty three in 2016). I'm going to aim to read fifty two books again in 2018 when I set up my current challenge.

I love the statistics that Goodreads provide you with when you complete your year's reading. This year I read 19,038 pages! The most popular book I read was Into The Water by Paula Hawkins which 229,901 other people read and the average rating out of five that I awarded to my books was 3.6.

I read a whole variety of types of books. This year the most popular genres that I read were General Fiction (twenty one), Thrillers (fifteen) and Biography/Autobiography (twelve).

I also read six non fiction books, four of which were to do with society/sociology, three volumes of short stories, three volumes of essays and two coffee table type books.

It was very hard for me to pick a 'Book of the Year' as I read so many outstanding books this year but I think it would have to be Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life. My favourite biography of the year was Lonely Boy by Steve Jones and my Favourite thriller was Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough. I also loved Caitlin Moran's Moranifesto.

There were a few duds in my book pile, ones that I kept on reading in the hopes that they would get better but didn't. The books that I least enjoyed this year were Hillbilly Elegy by J.D. Vance, Eggshells by Caitriona Lally and Marc Levy's P.S. From Paris.

If you would like to take part in the challenge simply visit goodreads.com and sign up where it says 'Reading Challenge'. It's a great motivator as well as a nice way to keep a record of what you've read.

If you are an avid reader or someone who wishes to read more go for it. 

Good Luck!

The Girl With the Lower Back Tattoo.

It seems as if almost every successful American female comedian has written a book of essays recently. I tend to watch hardly any 'real' television (youtube and Netflix are more my bag) so I'm not  generally inclined to pick these up, but I did chance to see a clip of Amy Schumer on SNL that I thought was pretty funny and I read an extract from The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo in Vogue that I enjoyed so I picked it up when I saw it at the library.

The book takes the form of a series of essays in which Amy Schumer is amazingly open as she talks about how her life experiences, both good and bad, have influenced her and made her the person that she is today. Among other things she discusses her family, her relationships and sex life, her career, her failures and her triumphs. 

Each chapter in this book is written in a way that is different from the previous one (for example one may be a list, another a critique of teenage diary entries) so at times it can feel a little disjointed but this didn't distract me too much from what is an honest and inspiring read written in a frank and somewhat raunchy way about what it is like to be a woman. 

The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo was amusing and engaging but it wasn't (for me at least) laugh out loud funny, I was expecting it to be a much more light hearted than it was. Instead I found an inspiring read about being a woman and I came away liking Amy Schumer and her attitude very much. I admire her outlook on life and her dedication to her craft, and you just know you would have a great night if you went out with her!

Recommended.

  

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016.

Last year I signed myself up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge. It's a great idea if you wish to increase the number of books that you read and it also means that you can keep a list of what you have read which I find nice to look back at. 

In 2015 I set myself the challenge of reading fifty two books. I knew that I could realistically read this amount (I read during my daily commute) and i didn't want to challenge myself to read an unobtainable amount of books that would make my reading become a chore. Last year I read 57 books which I was very pleased about. 

For my 2016 challenge I again decided to read fifty two books and was ecstatic to realise that at the end of the year I had managed to read sixty three books!  

This year Goodreads provided me with some nerdy figures (which I love!)

Apparently I read some 20,638 pages. The shortest book that I read was just 160 pages long and the longest book had 512 pages.

The most popular book that I read was Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty which was read by 425,821 other people.  The least popular was All that Glitters by Pearl Lowe which was read by 154 others.

The majority of the books that I read were general fiction, I read thirty four. I also read eleven thrillers and three volumes of short stories. Non fiction books that I read numbered seventeen in all and comprised ten biographies (or auto biographies), two books of photo essays, two manuals, two social studies books and one travel book.

Of course there were a few books that I didn't enjoy all that much but mostly I was happy with the books I chose to read. My favourite book of the year has to be Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh, it was so well written and so atmospheric, I simply loved it! 

If you would like to take part in the Goodreads Challenge it's not too late to join in. Visit goodreads.com and sign up, not only is it a nice way to record and review what you have read it is also a great motivator.

Living Like a Runaway.

Lita Ford, the self crowned 'Queen of Metal', started her musical career at the age of 16 when she joined The Runaways whilst still in High School. Following the band's breakup she went on to have a successful solo career as well as collaborating with many many other bands and musicians.

Living Like a Runaway is her memoir and it is an easy and entertaining read.

I love a good rock biography (or 'memoir' in this case) and Lita Ford tells a great story. There's plenty of sex, drugs, rock and roll and outrageous tales to be found here.

I loved reading about Lita and her exploits but parts of her story left me wondering. She is obviously a strong woman yet she has constantly made bad choices in both her professional and personal life. 

The last third of the book concerns her second marriage, divorce and legal proceedings that leave her with no access whatsoever to her two sons. This part of the book is very confusing as there are simply so many unanswered and unexplained things in it. I fully understand her not wanting to go into details about the situation as it is obviously very emotional and complex but there is something so strange about this part of the book that I think it would have been best if she had omitted to write about this part of her life... 

There has been a lot of criticism about this book and I strongly believe that a lot of it is due to the fact that it is written by a woman. Lita lives and works in what is very much a man's world (heavy metal music) and she lives her rock and roll lifestyle to the full... and why shouldn't she?

 Living Like a Runaway isn't a book for the faint hearted but I recommend it if you enjoy rock biography.    

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2016.

Last year was the first year that I signed up for the Goodreads Reading Challenge and I found that it  not only motivated me to read more it also made me think about what I had read and consider what I wanted to read from my book list. I signed up again this year and think that it is something that I will continue to do in the future.

Now that we are midway through the year (already, how frightening!) I took a look at my numbers to see how I was doing.

I set myself the goal of reading 52 books in 2016 and I have read 35 so far. I'm  very happy to see that I am 9 books ahead of my schedule and well on my way to completing this year's challenge. 

If I continue at this pace as I should reach my goal by October and then I can either tackle the huge pile of magazines at the side of my bed or choose a couple of big fat lengthy books to finish up the year.

Did you set yourself a reading challenge this year? If not and you would like to it's not to late to sign up.  Why not take a look at goodreads.com?

PopSugar MustHave April 2016.

PopSugar MustHave is a monthly lifestyle box aimed at women that contains 5 or 6 items. It retails for $39.95 inc taxes and shipping but as with other sub boxes you can usually find a discount coupon of some sort online. I used one that gave me $5.00 off (so I paid $34.95).

Although I'm not that much of a subscription box shopper I seem to have a had a run on them recently. IMO Pop Sugar is one of the more interesting boxes as it's not just beauty or fashion orientated and they often include things such as books and edibles - in fact the only other non beauty box that I have purchased was a PopSugar box two years ago.

The theme for the April 2016 box was 'Floral, green, natural, sustainable,fresh, renewal'. I'm not sure how much of the contents fulfilled that theme but I thought that it was a jolly good box and the range of products that it contained made it very suitable for a Mother's day gift.

The Contents:

1. Cravings (a cook book by Chrissy Teigen). Retail value $29.99. 

Although I'm not generally a fan of celebrity cookbooks this is lovely book to browse. Of course, it contains lots of photos of Chrissy but each recipe also has a photo that accompanies it and they are great food shots! I like her breezy style of writing and the recipes are what I would call jazzed up versions of classics - mostly American, but there is also a short chapter of Thai food. It's not a cheffy book but it has lots of recipes for cheesy, spicy foods that look delicious (no dessert or baked goods recipes though). I most likely wouldn't have picked this book out for myself but I like it and it will be a welcome addition to my collection of cookery books.

Verdict: Two thumbs up.

2. Royal Apothic Hand Cream. Retail Value $24.00. 

Royal Apothic Hand Creams are one of my very favourite hand creams. This one is fragranced with 'Field Poppy Conservatories' which is a floral figgy scent. As with their other hand creams the fragrance is subtle and the cream effectively moisturises without being at all greasy. This came in a very nice box and I liked that it contained a key enabling you to get the most product possible out of the metal tube.

Verdict: Two thumbs up.

3. Farmacy Sleep Tight Firming Night Balm. Retail value $48.00. 

This night cream is beautifully packaged - from it's fold out box to it's wooden topped jar. This is unlike any other face cream I have tried in that it is a gel to oil formula. Made with botanicals this 'natural' product contains echinacea which is a powerful antioxidant. It has a soothing herbaceous scent that I am sure I will find restful at night. I have only used this once so far but it left my skin feeling soft and hydrated the next day.

Verdict: Two thumbs up.

3. Flour Sack Tea Towel by Noon Designs (with a print of 'Lemons'). Retail value $18.00. 

Now I know that it is difficult to get excited about tea towels but I am always pleased to get them as gifts. TBH nice tea towels aren't something that I am going to go out and willingly spend money on especially when they are in the $20.00 price range, so if I can get my hands on them without putting my hand in my pocket they make a very welcome addition to my kitchen! The simple graphic design of this is one that would go with any kitchen. It would also work effectively as a picnic wrapper for baked goods (cakes, muffins etc) or a basket liner.

Verdict: Two thumbs up.

4. Canvas Home Salt and Pepper Shakers. Retail value $12.00. 

These are cute - they look like old school enamel ware but are actually ceramic. The typewriter style labelling on these is fun as well. We use grinders rather than shakers for our salt and pepper so these are something that I can't see myself using at the table but maybe I can use them in the kitchen for spices?

Verdict: Thumbs up as I like them but they are superfluous to my needs so will most likely be re purposed or gifted.

5. Next by Nature Dark Chocolate Covered Espresso Beans. Retail value $4.00.

I like chocolate covered coffee beans as they aren't too sweet. These had melted during transit so they don't look great but they are still edible and yummy.

Verdict: Thumbs up.

6. Bloom That $20.00 gift card. I won't use this card as from what I have read on line it basically covers the cost of shipping an order.

Verdict: Thumbs down.

Overall: 

I thought this was a very well curated box. I loved the face and hand creams and the book. The only dud in the box for me was the gift card and that was an extra item anyway. 

I paid less than $35.00 for $136.00 worth of items (I'm excluding the gift card) and I will use everything except, perhaps, the salt and pepper set. 

I am definitely impressed with this box and will be keeping an eye on PopSugar mailings with a view to picking up more boxes if they interest me in the future.

Goodreads Reading Challenge 2015 - Completed!

I don't really make resolutions but at the beginning of 2015 I did decide that I wanted to read more books. I enrolled myself in the Goodreads Reading Challenge and set myself the goal of reading 52 books in 2015. 

I do most of my reading whilst commuting and traveling for work and over the course of the year I managed to read 57 books. I actually finished reading my 52nd book on November 4th and since then I have been working my way through a heap of saved blog posts and the huge pile of backdated magazines next to my bed!

General Fiction was the most popular category of book that I read, I finished 23 but I also read plenty of Women's Fiction (10) and Biographies (8). This year I also discovered thrillers and really got into reading them (I read seven). I read a lot of good books but the best book I read all year was Viv Albertine's Clothes, Music, Boys. 

I'm going to sign myself up for another challenge next year. I'm happy to have completed last year's challenge and will set the target at  52 again, I think it is attainable and I do love reading but don't want to turn it into a chore!

Why not join in the challenge yourself? Take a look at goodreads.com and sign up if you are interested, I found it to be a great motivator.

Five Favorite Cookbooks - General.

I'm a Chef so I have a ton of cookbooks. The other day I was thinking about the most loved/used books in my collection and thought I would share them with you.

I have many, many books and they all serve different purposes - some provide basic recipes, some  provide ideas for menus and plating, some inspire me to create new dishes and some are just a joy to browse and read.

I use all my books in different ways and have books that fall into different categories. I've classified this particular selection of books as 'general' as they each contain a little of everything - a selection of cuisines from different countries as well as both sweet and savory items. Of course I couldn't pick just one so here are five of my favorite general books.

Roast Chicken and Other Stories by Simon Hopkinson.

Not only does this book contain a great selection of recipes it is a delight to read. Each chapter is named after an ingredient (Cilantro, Eggs, Scallops etc)  and starts with a little essay about that ingredient or an anecdote related to it followed by a handful of excellent recipes. No photos in this one (although there are some pretty illustrations) but it is amazingly instructive.

It feels like a very personal collection of recipes and there is an equally wonderful follow up called Second Helpings of Roast Chicken.

A New Way to Cook by Sally Schneider.

This isn't a health or diet cookbook but one that looks at healthier ways of preparing flavorsome foods. There is an emphasis on vegetables and grains but there are also plenty of recipes for meat and even desserts. What I really like about this book is the lengthy section on rubs, sauces, marinades and dressings. And there is a stellar recipe for Gravlax in here that's a cinch to make - it's so good it's worth getting the book just for that.

Keep it Simple by Alastair Little.

This has a great introductory section on basics and then four seasonal sections each divided into starters, main courses, sides and desserts. For the most parts the recipes take their cue from France and Italy, but there are a few Asian inspired ones also.  There are some great dessert recipes here as well. 

Although this is just over twenty years old the recipes still look fresh and modern.  I have cooked many many recipes from this book and they always please.

The Gourmet Cookbook edited by Ruth Reichl.

When I moved here from Europe I wanted to get a comprehensive American recipe book. One that would work with American ingredients as well as provide me with recipes for traditional American foods.  This big fat cook book was the one I bought and it's a great resource. It has recipes for almost anything and as well as having all the American classics it has a good selection of dishes from all around the world.

Plenty by Yotam Ottolenghi.

Plenty is a collection of vegetable, grain and pasta recipes that can be served as either a main dish or a side. The photos in it are stunning and they makes me want to cook something that's fresh and interesting. It is one of those books that I reach for when I want to be inspired, I don't cook the recipes exactly as they are here but use them as a basic idea and adapt them as I wish.

  

Good Reads Reading Challenge 2015.

I consider myself to be 'a reader' but at the end of last year I was surprised to find that I had read less than I thought. 

I subscribe to Goodreads and receive their news letters, so when I saw they had a yearly reading challenge I decided to sign up for it as a way of monitoring and keeping a record of what I read.

Initially I decided to read 50 books but then upped it to 52, figuring that a book a week wasn't too much of a stretch and it seemed more logical ( to me anyway!)

I wanted to set a challenge that wasn't too challenging - too many books and I may find myself choosing shorter or easier books just to meet my quota - but I wanted something that would make me put the Candy Crush down and do something a little more cerebral!

...

Halfway through the year, I'm ahead of schedule. I've read 31 books so far - that's 60% of my total and I'm 7 books ahead of schedule according to Goodreads. (The nerdy part of me just loves that they give you these breakdowns!)

So far I'm really happy with my progress. I've definitely made more of an effort to read rather than, say, watching TV or messing around online. I'm keeping on top of my 'want to read' list and I haven't deviated from the type of books that I usually read. There's a good mix of light reading, essays and biographies, and I've taken to reading psychological thrillers which is a new genre for me.

 As usual there have been a few things that I started and couldn't get into that got cast aside and aren't pictured above. Equally, there are a couple of books pictured that I should have cast aside!

I'm going to continue with the Challenge until the end of the year and plan to do another next year. I'll check in with a final report at the end of the year - I'm pretty confident I will complete 52 books.

Wish me luck!

Try This.

Daniel Freeman is a food writer, restaurant critic and also the founder and writer of the blog restaurant girl.com. 

Try This is her guide to eating fourteen of the world's cuisines. 

Each chapter deals with a different cuisine which she explores through restaurant meals mostly in NYC and Los Angeles. In each chapter she describes and explains the food of the country she is focusing on. Each chapter ends with information about how to order and put together a meal and explains the etiquette and acceptable table behavior in each country.

I feel this would be an informative book for a novice diner. For someone like myself who dines out a lot, cooks everyday and reads plenty of books and magazines (not to mention blog posts) about food there isn't so much in the way of new information. In fact there were a few things in that I consider to be incorrect - maybe this is because the book is really about the foods that you find in ethnic restaurants in the U.S. rather than the food in its own countries. 

Despite the above quibbles I did enjoy reading this, it was light and amusing and if you are interested in becoming a more adventurous diner it would be an informative guide. 

( Note - The book was published in 2011). 

   

The Ship of Brides.

The Ship of Brides is another reissue of an older book by Jojo Moyes. It tells the story of 650 Australian war brides who travel to England to be with their new husbands on a British naval aircraft carrier at the end of WW2.

WW2 stories don't generally hold too much appeal for me and TBH if this hadn't been written by Jojo Moyes I wouldn't have picked this up. However I must say that I found it it be an enjoyable, easy read, that was the perfect distraction whilst waiting for a delayed flight. 

Based on a true story - war brides were transported to England on such a ship - the story focuses on four of the brides, all diverse characters from different backgrounds who find themselves sharing a spartan cabin on board. The characters are very well drawn and I think it was great that just four stories were detailed as you found yourself becoming really involved with each character and her story. Of the four featured brides I found Frances and her story to be the most interesting and well thought out.

As well as telling the story of the four brides the book tells tales of the seamen and life at sea and in particular the story of the Captain of the vessel who is making his final sea trip before both his retirement and the decommissioning of the ship.

I did find that the story had a bit of a slow start but once it got going it was a gripping and compelling read with quite a few twists and turns to the tale to keep it interesting. The end of the book really stepped up the pace and I kept on reading to find out what would happen next!

I found this to be a well written, compelling tale that I would recommend to lovers of romantic period fiction, although it is more than just a romantic novel with it's well researched background and attention to historical detail.

The Rosie Effect

Although I wasn't head over heels with Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project I did find it as a quick, light hearted read. I picked up the follow up The Rosie Effect expecting much of the same but found it to be  disappointing - several times I almost cast it aside...

In The Rosie Effect we catch up with Don and Rosie one year into their unexpected marriage. Living in New York, Rosie becomes pregnant and Don embarks upon a project to learn about children and fatherhood. 

Whilst The Rosie Project is quite amusing in parts I found this follow up to be unfunny. Don's eccentric behavior becomes repetitive and annoying and Rosie is presented as being angry and bad tempered for the most part. The fact that they are in New York is really of no significance to the plot. I didn't find the story to be engaging and it was all a little far fetched for my liking (Dom is arrested on suspicion of being a paedophile, Don is detained on suspicion of being a terrorist etc).

I'm sure The Rosie Effect will have it's fans and equally sure that there will be more books in the series in the same vein as the 'Shopaholic' books but on the basis of this one I will be leaving them on the shelf...

How to Build a Girl.

I suspect that Caitlin Moran is a bit of a 'Marmite Person' - you either love her or hate her and there's not much middle ground... Well, I have to admit that I love her and thoroughly enjoyed her first novel 'How to Build a Girl' which tells the story of Johanna Morrigan, the eldest daughter of a close knit working class family from Wolverhampton who reinvents herself as Dolly Wilde and leaves school to become a successful rock journalist. Although there's  a disclaimer at the beginning of the book stressing that this is a work of pure fiction it obviously shadows Caitlin Moran's own life. Indeed if you have read her previous book 'How to be a Woman' you will recognise a lot of the material here but don't let that put you off. It's well written and it made me laugh out loud more than once. Johanna/Dolly is brilliantly portrayed as a feisty yet vulnerable girl whose situations and dilemmas force her to rethink her ideals and grow...

I can't wait for the further adventures of Dolly.

Recommended.

It.

I've always thought that Alexa Chung comes across as being one of those downtown cool kind of gals so when I noticed this book in the library I threw it into my book bag to peruse.

It's a collection of photos and Alexa's musings on her life - her goals, her style icons and favourite things, fashion shows, karaoke etc. It also contains a sprinkling of style and make up hints and a section on heartbreak. (She still seems pretty angry about the heartbreak stuff...)

Overall, I'm a little confused by who this book is supposed to appeal to. If I was 16 and found this in my Xmas stocking I'm sure I would have thought it was cool, but I'm not sure that 16 year olds do books anymore. Don't they just do every thing on line?. 

It's really one of those books that you pick up, flick through and fling onto the done pile. Why, it's a hardback magazine!!. It's not glossy enough to be a coffe table book either with mostly black and white photos on matt paper.

Having said that it's not all bad. I wouldn't recommend buying it but if you find yorself in Anthropologie or somewhwere with 20 mins or so to kill, pick it up and have a browse.    

Tempting Fate

Like me, Jane Green is an English woman living in America, we're roughly the same age and have been here about the same amount of time... And that's about all we have in common because Jane is a hugely successful best selling author and, well, I'm not...

Jane Green started off her career as one of the first writers of 'chick lit' (hate that term!) and since then has written a book or two a year. They all deal with women and their relationships, not only with their partners but with their friends, family and others. However, each novel is a little different and they reflect the different stages in a woman's life. I really like this and it allows her readership to grow with her, I also love the touch of Englishness that her novels contain.

Tempting Fate is about a married woman who has an affair and the consequences of it. The characters are well written and there are enough twists to the story to keep you turning the pages. I read it in big chunks in a few days and really enjoyed it, although I have to admit to finding the ending a little cheesy - all the ends tied up a little too neatly. Oh, and maybe it's just me, but is that cover illustration a bit odd? Maybe they are playing with fire or something? Explanations please...

Recommended.

Me Before You

I really love the novels of Jojo Moyes and have read them all. I really like the way that she writes and makes her characters so believable. They are romances but written in a clever way, they all are a little unusual and have a twist. 

The story of a paraplegic and his carer is not something that I would normally read but it was really enjoyable. It's a very 'English' story and I love that, (more and more I pick up English authors to read as I can relate to them that much better). It is quite an emotional book, so you may want to give it a miss if you're a softie, but it also contained a lot of humour. 

I finished this and went straight on to reading her new book, that's how much I love Jojo!