Romantic Comedy - Curtis Sittenfeld

 61%

07.08.24

At what point is a romantic comedy classed as literary fiction? Well, calling it 'Romantic Comedy' immediately sets it up as knowingly self-referential - and it is, to some extent. Then there's all the dialogue, where clever people swap witty one-liners and their views on modern feminism. And it's clearly the result of a lot of research on how 'Saturday Night Live' is made (the sketches sounded achingly unfunny). But it's also quite sweet and engaging, lacking much in the way of conflict, apart from a couple of awkward conversations. None of this is bad - I enjoyed it much more than Prep - but it did feel a little loose and episodic, without any real exploration of what it might be like date/marry rich celebrity. And, as has become clear, I don't have much patience for pandemic-related storylines. 

The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett

 

52%

21.06.22

I wondered why I hadn't read more Terry Pratchett so I read this and then I remembered. A masterclass in world building but at the expense of everything else.

The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 3/4 - Sue Townsend

 

61%

09.11.21

I last read this about 35 years ago (this is the cover I remember), probably when I was younger than Adrian and didn't understand why his problems were so funny. Perhaps because of its huge influence over (British) comic writing and young adult novels, the humour hasn't dated well, but in many ways teenagers never change.

Wicked Business - Janet Evanovich

50%
07.02.19

I saw this in the library so I picked it up and checked it out and then I read it. And now I will forget it entirely.

Wicked Appetite - Janet Evanovich

67%
22.01.19

Many writers try to emulate Janet Evanovich but few succeed (and I guess they become her ghostwriters). If you're looking for deep and thoughtful, look elsewhere, but for warm, funny, engaging and unpredictable, her books are hard to beat. As much of a gulp-down treat as the cupcakes so lovingly described in the story.

This Book Will Save Your Life - AM Homes

60%
27.10.14

Well, it didn't save my life, but it did make me laugh a few times. A very masculine book, reminding me of David Lodge or Howard Jacobson, which is interesting from a female writer. An odd quirk was how some characters were not, or hardly, named - 'the ex-wife', 'the brother'. I wonder if this sort of thing made it seem cleverer than it actually was?

Back Story - David Mitchell

52%
03.03.14

I'm not a particular fan of David Mitchell but he seems like a nice enough bloke and we'd probably get on quite well if we met down the pub. As long as he didn't know that I think he should have waited another 30 years before writing his autobiography as perhaps something interesting would have happened to him by then.

Skios - Michael Frayn

55%
01.01.13

I'm keen on Michael Frayn but not so keen on farces, which is a pity because Frayn is regarded as the master of British farce. I just can't be doing with all those mistaken identities and misunderstandings and ridiculous coincidences but if anyone can move them from the superficial to the philosophical, it's Frayn. Well, maybe. There's nothing really deep here, unless it's so deep that it's buried beneath the comic awkwardness. There's nothing noticeably insightful but it's diverting enough - for a farce.

Song in the Wrong Key - Simon Lipson

42%
22.04.12

When I first started reviewing books ten years ago, I never imagined that an author could promote their title on Twitter and that it could be downloaded onto a Kindle and I would write about it on a blog. (I also never imagined that the technology of the future would have such odd names.) Now books can be self-published and their authors are less remote and more likely to see obscure reviews like this one. So. 1) It has a great cover, which admittedly isn't much of an advantage on an e-reader. 2) I got to the end. 3) There were no obvious typos but it would benefit from a structural editor, a copy editor and a proofreader to give it the polish required to really make it shine.

Never the Bride - Paul Magrs

59%
26.12.11

I felt obliged to explain to my in-laws when I left the book lying around at Christmas that I haven't suddenly gone in for romantic fiction - the title refers to the Bride of Frankenstein, who now runs a B&B in Whitby. In retrospect, this explanation was no better. But the story is enjoyably weird, with its comedy Gothic horror, twists on popular supernatural characters and with the ever-evocative seaside town at its heart. Its episodic structure and unresolved ending suggests the author was hoping for TV adaptation, but the special effects might prove a little too expensive for Sunday night drama.

Are These My Basoomas I See Before Me? - Louise Rennison

60%
29.06.09

The final confessions (really?) and finally a happy ending after 9 previous cliffhangers. Nothing new - still the Mallory Towers parallel universe of fives courts, berets and teenagers who do no more than snog. But it's a world you want to be a part of, whatever your age, and make friends with the eccentric characters. I'll miss it - but spinoffs are likely. [Ju's note: well, there is a new spinoff and it looks a bit rubbish. Time will tell...]

The Collector Collector - Tibor Fischer

63%
23.06.09

Bawdy, surreal, funny and twisted - this is many things that most modern literary fiction is not. An easy, poetic read, just on this side of pretentiousness, but with whatever depths a readers cares to dive for. Certainly different, certainly unsettling but ultimately too clever to be wholly enjoyable. But that's not to say I didn't like it.

The Ambitious Stepmother - Fidelis Morgan

54%
31.01.09

A ridiculous Jacobean romp, ostensibly a crime mystery but really an excuse for the extravagantly named author to show off her research into a colourful historical period. Too confusing to guess the ending and too many characters for clarity - but an easy and fun read all the same.

Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day - Winifred Watson

70%
27.10.08

I was looking for something light and literary, which is usually a contradiction but not in this case. 'Delightful' is the best summary of this joyful, wish-fulfilment fable, which can also be read as a commentary on identity and self-expression. But wonderful for its own sake.

Stop in the Name of Pants! - Louise Rennison

57%
25.07.08

Talking of fluff, more of the same from the irrepressible Georgia, this time with an unusual dark tone as Angus the cat, rather movingly, almost dies. But otherwise fun and 'vair vair' silly. [Ju's note: It turns out there's an adult edition of this - no, not the one with all the sex and drugs that are mysteriously missing from Georgia's teen life, but one with a slightly arty cover and ironic quotes on the back. Surely nobody can be ashamed of their addiction to such a sunny series? I'm out and proud, with 3 shiny volumes of Georgia chronicles on the shelf opposite the front door, for visitors to admire or ignore, as they choose.]

The Vesuvius Club - Mark Gatiss

58%
21.07.08

This is subtitled 'A bit of fluff' and indeed its self-conscious superficiality is part of its appeal. Hardly a classic, but a diverting read.

A Crowded Marriage - Catherine Alliott

57%
4.01.08



My father-in-law gave me this for Christmas so I felt obliged to read it, even if it's not the sort of thing I'd usually consider. In many ways, it was a welcome surprise - fairly well written (better than the R&J horrors) and with an anti-heroine it was quite difficult to warm to, which was refreshing. Still quite predictable and trite - and very superficial - but a fun read.

Twelve Sharp - Janet Evanovich

50%
19.08.07




Another average book. Complete nonsense, but still fun, if increasingly laboured as the series goes on.

Luuurve is a Many Trousered Thing - Louise Rennison

53%
10.07.07




More of the same, which is becoming formulaic as the series goes on. It's still fun but entirely inconsequential and - as always - unresolved. It's very funny, though.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid - Bill Bryson

65%
20.06.07




Bryson accomplishes his dissections of given subjects so effortlessly that it's amost as if he isn't trying. Perhaps he doesn't need to try - he just seems to be naturally satirical and genuinely funny.