Babyface for non-msners!

[Yorkiegirl]

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what type of book is Da Vinci Code

i think i need to read at a different time of day... when do you read?

I mean that the heaven described in Lovely Bones is the way I have always thought heaven is. thanks for the offer, Yorkiegirl, I'll react more quickly next time!

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Mummysurfer, I can only read at night just before going to sleep - I feel guilty if I read during the day - there's always so many other things to do! My lunch 35 minutes at work is usually spent keeping up on the day before's newspaper. But last Monday I had a minor op on my knee and had to spend a week at home being looked after (lovely) and read a book a day...blisss

yes iread just before going to sleep but often find i have to reread it the hnext night as was too knackered to take in what i was reading

problem is falling asleep with a large book and getting wacked on the nose by it - other problems involve being too tired to remember what happened (I can never remember character's names anyway)and getting unputdownable books like Lovely Bones and having mega-problems waking up the next morning...got to go now...middle DD needs to ring her friends - MUST get broadband!

me too wsm
dh and bb are calling

night night all
thanks for the chat

anyone want Babyface?

Hi folks

As a mumsnetter had to add that I wrote Babyface (finally finished it 2 years ago now - how long it takes for thing to get into paperback) and am not at all offended by your comments as it does feel like a long time ago and was my first book, which was written when dd was a baby (I wrote it at night) and our delapidated house was being renovated!

Whatever has been said, it's good to have some feedback even if it is mostly negative. Hope the next book is better. I think if the main character seems distant it was a symptom of my chaos and confusion about motherhood.

Next book, called Wonderboy (not a sequel!) is out in nov this year - guess that not many mumsnetters are gonna hare out to buy it!!

The non fiction book that I asked (via mumsnet) for so many anecdotes about is out sometime next year - will let you know as loads of your thoughts and tips are in it, so big thanks for that. Don't know what the title is yet but will post on m'net.

thank you anyway folks,
f xx

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hi fionagib - sorry if i sounded too negative - i thought that the book worked really well in terms of social comedy/satire on middle class motherhood - I particularly liked Beth - and in that sense as a satire it doesn't matter if the characterisation isn't that deep

oh, sorry hope you weren't offended. it can't be nice to read anyhting negative about something that you have done.
i will read the next one, but will need reminding when it is out.

i read this book recently whilst on holiday and really enjoyed it.

honestly I didn't want to make anyone feel bad! I shouldn't have read the thread anyhow but couldn't resist, and couldn't resist posting either! And it's nothing compared to my mother who rang me up and said, 'Hey! You've got a really bad review in the paper! Here - I'll read it to you!' aren't mums great.

It did get some good reviews too thankfully but as I said it feels like a long time ago, am just starting third novel with great difficulty, this being the school hols and all.

re finding it hard to find time to read, or get stuck into a book, sometimes I think (cos I suffer from this a lot) that reading something v v different to the norm can help you get over a reading drought - ones that worked for me and made me laugh and laugh are memoirs called running with scissors (augusten burroughs, about a disfunctional mad mad childhood, truly brilliant), a girl called zippy (by, er, I forget, Haven someone - about a quirky small town childhood) and the one I'm reading now, called dress your family in corderoy and denim, it's hilarious and helps to dust out the brain a bit.

Lots of luck with your next two books, Fionagib, and I hope you are not too discouraged by last night's comments - I really admire you for being able to write with a baby about. I don't think my brain is back to normal 14 years later...or is this as normal as it will ever get...!

Sorry I missed this last night, computer problems.

I enjoyed the book but not in an earth shattering way (perhaps the reason I don't normally go for chick lit type books normally). I think the best thing about it were the anecdotes (is that the right word) about motherhood, tales of being sicked on, the whole coffee morning/mums & tots scenario. I think she was with the man because she felt it was the right/proper thing to do and she was trying hard to do the whole motherhood thing right, including staying with her child's father. I did find the whole French bit odd and thought Jonathon's (was that his name) personality changed at the end of the book, at the beginning he seemed so hands on (pureeing the babyfood etc) whereas at the end he seemed very distant (handing the new baby back when she cried stands out in my mind, he seemed awkward) although this may have been caused by their changed relationship.

For me the bits that really caught my imagination were the motherhood tales and not the relationships.

I will look out for your next book Fiona, let us know when it comes out.

I don't think I could write a novel to save myself so I take my hat off to you and want to say that on the whole it was an enjoyable and easy read.

Oops sorry Fiona should have realised the risk was the author was a MNer... FWIW am very impressed that you did a. write a book and b. get it published and c. do all this with a small baby? Wow.
I may have been negative about it but my own general knackeredness probably makes me a tough reader for anything other than my favourite authors, IYSWIM; don't have the attention span or patience required ... and aren't first books a bit like first albums or early works by visual artists, ie successve works (spelling? am very tired) are richer, deeper, etc. etc? Hope that doesn't sound patronising, will definitely look out for next book and eat humble pie here.
Munch munch munch munch...

Well obviously my spelling has gone to pot, was feeling too tired to worry about number of cs and ss and forgot an i! Clearly my critical faculties are shot so you can safely ignore everything I said .