Active discussions

Please or to access all these features

Talk
What we're reading

Find your new favourite book or recommend one on our Book forum.

Original poster

Which authors' success is a complete mystery to you?

503 replies

emkana · 13/01/2008 19:15

Tony Parsons

Jodi Picoult

OP posts:
Vacua · 13/01/2008 21:29

ANNOYED that cannot find out

Monkeytrousers · 13/01/2008 21:29

Oh you good politico Soren, I will learn from you

UnquietDad · 13/01/2008 21:29

That "Once In A House On Fire" woman Andrea Ashworth appeared on a late-night book show about 10 years ago and out-Nigella'd Nigella (surely you remember that the Voluptuous One used to be a "literary" journalist before she started licking whipped cream off her fingers with lascivious glances). I know it's awful of me but I just kept thinking "no way did that woman grow up on a Manchester housing estate".

(At a book do last year I met this author and she is soooooo very-very. She claimed to have grown up in Birmingham. I said she didn't have a trace of a Brummie accent - she's pure Sloane Square - and she beamed and thanked me!)

redadmiral · 13/01/2008 21:29

Is it only 100 years? Seemed like 1000 to me? In fact I was unsure if it was 1000 or 10000.

Monkeytrousers · 13/01/2008 21:30

Google 'Hemmingways shotgun + suicide V

Monkeytrousers · 13/01/2008 21:32

Oh, yes she was gorg UQD. I bought that too. I was in that kind of mood 10 years ago

SorenLorensen · 13/01/2008 21:33

UnquietDad - I was at school with Andrea Ashworth's younger sister (the middle sister) and she really did. Grow up on Manchester housing estate I mean.

UnquietDad · 13/01/2008 21:33

LOL @ sorenlorenson on chicklit. It's true, they are always Amanda or Kate. They always live in a chic part of London and seem to have loads of disposable income while doing fuck-all. Their husbands are all called Richard or David. Or Mark. Actually, Mark is often the lover. They usually have a gay best friend, called Tim. or Tom. There are loads of scenes set in wine bars.

stillaslowreader · 13/01/2008 21:33

Oh UQD I met her at 84 Drayton Gardens. You are so right but I thought she was quite nice. Mind you she was still writing it then.

SorenLorensen · 13/01/2008 21:33

It is me - moo

Vacua · 13/01/2008 21:35

why have you all read so much chicklit if you don't like it/live in nw london?

thanks monkey trousers for refining my search parameters! found something that explains where I got the idea from here

UnquietDad · 13/01/2008 21:36

Publicist's dream Andrea Ashworth

I wonder how well her book would have done if she had looked like this?

rantinghousewife · 13/01/2008 21:36

UQD, how come you know so much about chick lit, you big girls shirt, you

redadmiral · 13/01/2008 21:36

David Guterson 'Snow falling on Cedars'.

rantinghousewife · 13/01/2008 21:37

Not sure I should ask this, who is Jodie Picoult? Have never heard of her.

UnquietDad · 13/01/2008 21:37

stillaslow - you mean Andrea or Kate?

UnquietDad · 13/01/2008 21:38

ranting - DW has shelves full of the stuff, I research it!

stillaslowreader · 13/01/2008 21:38

Andrea.
Very pretty and quite funny. Slightly flat vowels.

Vacua · 13/01/2008 21:39

did picoult write one about a child who was conceived pretty much for providing her leukaemia ridden sister with bone marrow?

rantinghousewife · 13/01/2008 21:39

I know someone who looks just like that Andrea Ashworth.

SorenLorensen · 13/01/2008 21:39

That's the one, Vacua. I think that was the best one, actually (the rest have just melded together in my mind).

MaryAnnSingleton · 13/01/2008 21:40

yes, My Sister's Keeper - we had to do it for book group...they all seem to be similar themes,Jodi Picoult's books...

SenoraParsnip · 13/01/2008 21:40

I did wonder, only you know that my real name is Amanda, and I have sun streaming in through my kitchen window and all that stuff. it's uncanny.

uqd - you seem to know an awful lot about these books. do you have a lot of time on your hands or what?

stillaslowreader · 13/01/2008 21:40

No, Kate. The Nelson's mistress one.

rantinghousewife · 13/01/2008 21:40

Hmm, vaguely heard of a book with that theme but, her name still doesn't ring any bells.