Which authors' success is a complete mystery to you?

[emkana]

Tony Parsons

Jodi Picoult

ANNOYED that cannot find out

Oh you good politico Soren, I will learn from you

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!)

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

Google 'Hemmingways shotgun + suicide V

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

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.

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.

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.

It is me - moo

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

Publicist's dream Andrea Ashworth

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

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

David Guterson 'Snow falling on Cedars'.

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

stillaslow - you mean Andrea or Kate?

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

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

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

I know someone who looks just like that Andrea Ashworth.

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

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

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?

No, Kate. The Nelson's mistress one.

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