Sophie Kinsella, Cecelia Ahern what are they like?

[suzywong]

never read them but th ey seem to be frightfully popular

DW has read both of these. I've glanced at them.

Kinsella used to be Madeleine Wickham and had "literary" style books with poncy pastel covers and pictures on inside flap of her with flowing tresses, simpering smile and boastful biog about her travelling the world as a musician.

Ahern seems like vacuous derivative twaddle from what I have seen of it. I have no idea how this photogenic daughter of a famous front-rank Irish politician ever managed to get published...have you??

I loathe C Ahern (she's about 20? Bertie Ahern's daughter?) - started a thread a while ago about The Gift and how trite it was Shopaholic by Kinsella v good, but her other stuff a bit pants and twee. Really like Anne Tyler and Anne Fine for slightly less chicklit stuff.

ooooh. Didn't realised Kinsella was Madelaine Wickham. Whats
's that about? I really liked Judy Astley for a while.

She is also responsible for "Samantha Who?" in case you didn't know. I think she is a "producer".

Wickham became Kinsella for commercial reasons. It happens a lot, although it's not always as high-profile. Many writers go through different names because it is easier to launch a "new" name than one who has had disappointing sales.

e.g. Carla Banks is Danuta Reah, Daisy Jordan is Lynne-barrett Lee, etc.

What is Samatha Who? Now I feel a bit stupid.

American TV sitcom about a girl with amnesia. I think it is on Living or Virgin or one of those.

'girl' - she's meant tobe in her late 20s or 30s, looks about 40, has the role of a 12 year old.

and yes, uttely believebale storyline of woman who suffers an injury leaving her with total amnesia from bfore the accident, but other wise your normal gorgeous, successful, glamorous person with nothing unusual about he, so loads of bloke still fancy her.

ahearn not even vausous derivative twaddle, it's more like - wouldn't it be great if fairies really did exist? life would be so happy & we'd all go skipping though the daisies.
makes little house on the prairie seem like x-rated violence in comparison.

so, yes, a tad twee.

oh. is that not the plot of kinsella's latst? hated the lecture at the end of The Gift.

didn't read the gift & didn't finish the fairy one either, excpet to whizz through & confirm my worst suspicions.

i need to go read some chuck to calm me down

fairy one? i read the stoopid love notes one.

My MIL owns all the Shopaholic books, and I tend to masochistically power through one whenever we stay.

They are atrocious! I find them painful to read - the heroine is such a bland, mainstream, shallow girlie who always needs rescuing in some way by her cardboard cut out millionaire husband.

SO SO BAD. Stay away!

Anne Tyler and Anne Fine great. David Sedaris hilarious is you want funny.

Marian Keyes a notch above chicklit, funny & entertaining

shopoholic series - just read the 1st one, they are fairly similar

Celia Ahearn (books) to be avoided AT ALL COSTS, isn't she married to the good looking one in Westlife?

Would agree Marian Keyes a cut above the Kinsella-esque herd!

Celia Ahern is Fab!!! Thanks for the memories had me cring with laughter! The character of the father is so funny. Definately one of the better books I have read from chick Lit type Authors, not too mushy and very funny.

Sophie Kinsella I wasnt so enthralled with.

yes, she has me crying too but alas not with laughter

IMO Kinsella isn't laugh out loud funny but the Shopaholic series is good fun and easy to read - streets above PS I Love You which I thought was awful sentimental twaddle. UnquietDad - I really liked Samantha Who and I suspect that maybe Ms Aherne didn't have much input as I didn't find it sentimental at all. From the trailers I've seen I'm worried that the Shopaholic film is going to spoil the books iykwim. I was put off by the covers for Anita Shreeve but read the Pilots Wife and would definitely recommend it. I like Anne Tyler but often find the main character a bit annoying by the end.

They are great, light summer reads.

I have enjoyed all of Sophie Kinsella's books, but really only Aherns first two (ps and rainbows).

Very simular style of writing to Jane Green, if you've read ay of hers.

Third rate

Fourth rate verging upon unreadable

Jane Green truly awful, as is Lisa Jewell & Adele Parks

But still not as bad as CA

They are both utterly dreadful. Cecilia Aherne is so bad that my mum and I read PS I love You the same time just so we could ring each other up and howl at the worst bits, it was great fun. I didn't mind the first shopaholic book, I think I read it on the beach, but the subsequent ones are just more of the same drivel.

I love Marian Keyes though. Anne Tyler is good too, although I have never forgiven her for having a chacter go through passport control going from Southern to Northern ireland.

pssst......kickass - Mary Lawson is a Cdn author actually, and the book is set in Canada.

great book. Try also Ann Marie MacDonald (Fall on your Knees and The Way the Crow Flies)

Ooops it was Anita Shreve with the dodgy knowledge re: Irish border control (or lack thereof), and not Anne Tyler.

These were the kind of books that I read in my early 20's, and really enjoyed. However if I read them now, I would probably think they were rubbish.

My reading taste has changed so much over the last 10 years.