TGIF, Thank God It's Friday

..because I'm off to Lanzarote on Sunday! A much needed break, I'm getting so exhausted under the strain of researcher duties, PhD and chicklitting. 

My beach outfits and grooming/hair were sorted ages ago. What I'm having trouble with is selecting beach reads from my to-read list.

To date, I've selected Katie Price's Pushed to the Limit (her 3rd autobiography!!) and novel Angel Uncovered as holiday reads.

Say what you like about this lady, she sure knows how to sell books. I could read these books under the excuse of research on how to write a chick lit best seller, but I'm reading them because Angel, Crystal, Whole New World and Being Jordan were catchy reads. I've become a fan of her brutal honesty and passion for drama. I like her naughty side and I like the fact that she wears her heart (and bitchy streak) on her sleeve.

I feel much lighter, spiritually, now that my Jordan-loving confession has been aired. Now I'm free to choose the rest of my holiday reads. Oh, and I hear the UK will have temperatures of 17 and 18 degrees next week - so you'll all have sunshine too!

One chapter to go!

I wish! That's one chapter to go until I have three solid sample chapters to proffer to agents. The synopsis and book blurb is sleek and polished. It would get my literary cravings going, but then, I'll read anything.

Having been working intensively on this project in the last few weeks, I'm feeling confident enough to bite the bullet and begin approaching agents. Once I have a draft I'm happy with, I'll be sending it off before I can talk myself out of it. As per normal for me with poetry. I have an entire folder on my computer of un-submitted poems. Come on girl,  is it too hard to post them off to even just the local paper?!

I'll also be turning in a book review to trashionista soon. It's done and dusted, I just need to find the inner courage to press send.

Discovered Cathy Kelly just last week. My partner is Irish and he has some very unsubtle cravings for home, leaving me with a craving for Irish Chick lit. I'm currently tearing though Always and Forever. It's set in a health spa - just reading about the heavenly treatments and luscious grounds puts me in a deep sense of relaxation. And whoever put  the Galaxy chocolate stickers on Cathy's books needs a stern word - I'm going to have bed sores and chocolate coating of my own by the time I reach the final page. Coincidentally, I had an email from Ragdale Hall spa, advertising 33% off spa breaks this morning. That's a sign!

Read all about it!

As we all know, the first rule of writing is to read, read, read. There is a Waterstones store two minutes walk from my office. This is Bad News.

The pretty victorian shop front, the cheerful staff, the 3 for 2's, author events and....the inviting scent of italian coffee and croissants wafting downstairs. For three out of 5 days yesterday, I ventured in.

This weeks purchases were....

Sadomasichism for accountants by Rosy Barnes - check her and her blog out here. This is Rosy's first novel and with my Other Half being an accountant, and not your usual stereotyped version, I thought it'd be worth a look for teasing material alone. BTW Other Half is not into SM, was not alluding that at all!

Certain Girls by Jennifer Weiner - US queen of chicklit's latest offering

Wedding Season by katie Fforde

and most fitting of all titles, An offer you can't refuse by Jill Mansell (firm favourite!)

I'd dumped the bag of purchases behind the bookcase in our living room, as an alcoholic hides their bottles around the house, so i have to keep any new books hidden from the OH ('you'll never read them all! We'll never get to see you!"). 

Must be more careful in future, it took him precisely 5 minutes to find my contrabands!

Bargains of the week!

Thought I'd share some purchases this week that I'm particularly pleased with...

Tessa Stimson Omnibus - The Adultery Club; The Infidelity Chain

A bargain two books for £2 (Asda, or any two for £3) from one of my new favourite authors (see post on Who is Tessa Stimson?).

"The Adultery Club

the club that no one ever intends to join...A wife,a husband, a mistress. Whose side will you be on?"

"The Infidelity Chain

Six lovers. Two affairs. One betrayal. Who's the weak link?"

You probably also haven't failed to notice that This Charming Man by Marian Keyes is out in paperback this week - get it from a supermarket or Waterstones this week for the bargain price of £3.99

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My second (sort of purchase) was the half price Creative Writing CD boxset by Chris Sykes. Inspiration struck - I could put my one and a half hour daily commute to good use by taking this course in the comfort of my own car. Sadly, I wasn't the only one to have this idea, probably because it's been cut in price from £50 to £25 until 1st April at Waterstones. I'm on the waiting list - once they receive copies from the supplier, it'll be mine!

Binge-reading health warning!

I've been reminded lately of why, and it pains me to write this, it's bad for your health to binge-read. I'm talking about the times when you have a free house to yourself, you're lying in bed with flu or you're stuck on public transport. The kind of day that allows you to read for an unlimited amount of time- away from distractions, away from pesky interruptions, just you and your book. A lazy Sunday morning that spills into a lazy Sunday afternoon, and dammit evening too. You've begun reading a book with a juicy plot and it's impossible to put down. (A sign of a true addict is when you've slightly tired of the book pick up another one, and get hooked all over again - co-dependence, I'll term it).

This is the prime time of the year for literary loving football/rugby widows, like myself (any mothers out there will be relieved to hear that my days like these are numbered - my partner is a devout irish catholic intent on creating his own 5 a side team). 

I'm flying through my to-read list and have been enjoying it until something hit me. I was exhausted. Emotionally exhausted. I've been described by my friends as an emotional sponge, because I'm sensitive enough to really feel empathy - even if they are fictional characters! The bonus is that I can also feel their triumphs, but these have been few and far between in the kind of novels I've been dabbling with recently. Affairs, heartbreak, illnesses, deceit - you name it, I've felt the side effects of all of these in the past week!

It's true, the protagonists often end up stronger and wiser by the end. Not all novels end on a high though and we certainly can't expect sunshine throughout the plot. 

My health warning would be to read little and often. Binges of any description are rarely good for you, so why should reading be any exception when it comes to your emotional health?