Book of the Month (July) - Babyface *** FREE COPIES ***

[Freddiecat]

Welcome to the first nominated Book of the Month. For July it is to be:

BABYFACE - by Fiona Gibson, published last Monday in paperback (details to follow in the next post).

As an added bonus for Mumsnetters, the publishers, Hodder and Stoughton are giving away 10 free copies to the first Mumsnet members to apply!

If you would like to be in with a chance of winning, please send a postcard with your name, address and chat nickname to:

Emma Longhurst
"Mumsnet Bookclub Competition"
Hodder and Stoughton Publishers
338 Euston Road
London
NW1 3BH

Emma will then send the first 10 entries received (or the first 10 pulled out of a hat if she receives more than 10 in first post) a copy of the book.

I hope by posting this in the evening, that Mumsnetters logging during the day and those in the evening have an equal chance of winning!

For everyone else, the book is being sold in most major bookshops and is also available in both Tesco and Asda for the next few months - so should be easy to get hold of.

As this is our nominated book of the month for July, we will hold a live discussion at the end of July (date and time to be confirmed). I know I can't stop people chatting about it beforehand (and nor do I want to) but please avoid giving away any plotlines until at least mid-July!

Babyface
by Fiona Gibson

Flame Paperback £6.99

"A funny, warm, compelling and wonderfully observed novel, hilarious to singletons and mothers alike" Marie Claire

Fiona Gibson's sparkling debut novel is an honest and hilarious account of first-time motherhood. It tells the story of Nina, a journalist who ends up with an unplanned pregnancy and hasn?t a clue how to look after a baby. It will ring true for any mum - or anyone who can imagine being a mum.

When Nina places a lonely hearts ad, she doesn't expect it to lead to an unplanned baby, gossipy coffee mornings and a dull-as-ditchwater partner. Trapped at home with nappy-changing L-plates, she craves a little glamour and the odd free lunch. That's when her fashion editor friend spots new talent - and baby Ben's career as a model is launched.

Nina intends to tell her partner but the time is never quite right. The exposure of her secret is only a photographic assignment away.

Fiona Gibson worked on a stream of highly successful women's magazines throughout her twenties, including More!, where she was editor and invented the infamous 'Position of the Fortnight'.

But when she gave birth to twins, Fiona very quickly realised that returning to her office job was not an option.

Overwhelmed with the challenge of being a mother, her life spun out of control. Desperate to get out of the house, she signed up the twins at a modelling agency. They ended up appearing in ads for Johnson's Baby Lotion and the AA.

When Fiona and her family relocated from East London to rural Scotland, life became a little less hectic. It was then that she started writing a non-fiction book about motherhood which consequently turned into this fictional story based on her own experiences.

Fiona is now a full time writer and, of course, mother. She has a weekly column in the Sunday Herald Magazine and writes regularly for women's magazines and newspapers. Babyface is her debut novel.

sounds a nice easy read, just up my street

sending dh off to post box now

thanks fc

Oooh, I think I was looking at this in ASDA last week. Sounds a bit lighter than the books I normally read but it did appeal.

When will the competition winners be announced?

Probably tomorrow or Thursday. When Emma has her 10 entries then she'll let me know and I'll post on here!

Sorry, I am impatient, forgetting that she has to receive them first!

Oh I like Fiona Gibson's columns about mother hood - I bet the book is good. She used to be editor Of Just Seventeen magazine way back when I was reading it (at the age of Just 14!) so I have sort of followed her career as she's grown up alongside me!

Same here Marthamoo - I'll know I'm old when I start chuckleing at her column in the Saga magazine...

Oh, good choice! I've read Babyface already and love it! Fiona Gibson has a wonderfully deadpan sense of humour, a wickedly accurate take on what first-time motherhood feels like, and a very accessible (but never cliched) confessional writing style that draws you right in. I won't give away any plot details, as we've been asked to wait, but just wanted to say to anyone who's hovering over it at their local bookshop (or supermarket!) do read this book. It's really entertaining.

have read this book - the bits about going to coffee mornings and feeling really out of place were brilliant!! There are lots of bits to take you back, of you have older children. A great holiday read

BTW - "demented" - what are they flogging it for in asda? have a cousin expecting shortly and think it would make a good read for her

Hi hazelnut, I think it's £3.78, or some strange price like that, certainly much cheaper than WH Smith etc.

Message withdrawn

Waiting on tenterhooks here, although given my recently experiences with the Royal Mail my postcard has probably gone via Timbucktoo!

any news???

Sorry I have no news yet! I will let you know as soon as I do!

And of course Fionagib is also a mumsnetter - usually posting on the Media/Non-memebers requests as she is looking for info for future books, but she has also posted on other topics.

Oh I'm dying to know, the suspense is killing me!

I'm even more keen to read her book after learning that she is a Mumsnetter, wonder if we will recognise anything in the book adapted from Mumsnet.

Still no news?

Have they not had 10 entries yet then?

I think the book was written before she came on to Mumsnet - but future books may well have snippets that we might recognise! I get the impression though that the next one at least is going to be more Parenting/advice type books rather than a fiction book - at least, judging by her requests in the Media/Non members section.

Ah I see.

Still dying to know whose has won, I'm going away on Sunday and would like to know whether to buy a copy before I go or not.

That should of course be who's as in who has and not whose, slap wrists!

Am I the only one who entered????????

where can i get the book from it sounds good xxx

i dont understand i looked on tesco website and their are 2 books called babyface by fiona gibson one was published in june this month wich one are u reading oh can i join in please pretty please xxx