Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella.
I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella.
(Bantam Press, 16th February 2012.)
A couple of glasses of champagne at a charity event means Poppy loses the one thing she wasn’t meant to lose – an antique engagement ring that’s been in Magnus’s family for three generations. Also, in the panic that followed, Poppy also loses her mobile phone.
Disconnected from everyone who may find her ring, Poppy feels as if her life is about to go into meltdown. That is, until she finds an abandoned mobile phone in a bin. Finders Keepers right? The owner, businessman Sam Roxton doesn’t’ think so and he doesn’t appreciate Poppy’s suggestion to share the phone and her prying into his personal affairs.
As Poppy tries to juggle her wedding plans, Sam’s e-mails and hiding her hand from Magnus and her future in-laws, she wonders if life could get any more complicated.
I’m the first to admit that I’m a total Kinsella obsessive and I was eagerly anticipating this latest release. Simply put, I loved this book.
All the characters are warm and funny as well as being very developed.
The plot is surprising, believable and a testament to how assumptions can be incorrect.
Poppy is wonderfully real, amusing and neurotic and someone who I could totally empathize with. I devoured page after page, as I didn’t want to put the book down, reading into the early hours. I wanted to know what happened but I didn’t want it to end all at the same time. It had me eagerly reading right up until the last page.
It’s a delightful story about how two people can be connected through modern technology and how life can suddenly change and surprise you.
What I also thought was a nice touch was the very clever I-phone and Android application (available though the app stores,) which will allow you to animate the front cover as well as a message from Sophie Kinsella herself.
Fans of Sophie’s books as well as new fans will love this latest story. I certainly did.
Marian Keyes competition - winner.
Saved by Cake: Over 80 ways to Bake yourself Happy by Marian Keyes.
(Michael Joseph, 2012.)
THE WINNER OF OUR MARIAN KEYES COMPETITION IS: LYNNE COX FROM ENFIELD. WELL DONE LYNNE. A COPY WILL SOON BE ON IT'S WAY TO YOU.
Don't forget to check out the recipe for Blokey Snickers Cheesecake below.
Marian Keyes' new baking book Saved by Cake: Over 80 Ways to Bake yourself Happy is published on 16th February.
With chapters on cupcakes, cheesecakes, meringues and macaroons, chocolate cakes, fruit cakes and favourite classics, Marian's recipes are for beginner bakers and for anyone who just loves to bake, offering hints and tips to help along the way. Never patronizing, always honest and witty, accessible and full of fun, the bakes and cakes that she serves up are all laid out in her inimitable Marian style. This is a baking book like no other and will put a smile on your face and make you happy.
For more information on Marian, visit her website.
Novel Kicks had a sneak preview of one of Marian's yummy recipes. Over to you Marian...
Blokey Snickers Cheesecake Loaf.
Ingredients:
For the base
150g milk chocolate
digestive biscuits
50g salted peanuts
75g butter
For the filling
250g mascarpone cheese
250g ricotta cheese
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
200ml sour cream
4 Snickers bars, chopped into
chunks
To decorate
squeezy toffee sauce out of a
squeezy bottle
a generous handful of salted
peanuts
Snickers is an essentially blokey thing, no? I’ve always thought it’s the sort of sweetmeat that men take a big chomp out of just before they abseil down the side of a mountain and, for a while, I thought it was the law that Snickers could only be eaten by men speeding past me on mountain bikes. Inspired by such rugged outdoorsiness, this is a hefty, hearty cheesecake, specially for the boys. The loaf format is an extra little touch on my part; I think it makes it even more manly.
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
Line a 1kg loaf tin with baking paper – see the technique on page 20.
In a food processor, whizz the biscuits and peanuts so they form a rough-cut, rustic-looking mix; you should still be able to see parts of the peanuts. The first time I did it, I left the machine running so long that I accidentally made peanut butter and the whole thing went into a brown paste. Although I soldiered on, the base never really set, and I ended up having to do it all again. But that’s okay, I make the mistakes so you don’t have to.
Melt the butter and stir it through the crumbs. Even when you think it’s fully mixed, give it a few more stirs. Pour the biscuit/peanut/ butter mix into the bottom of the loaf tin and pack down hard, using the base of a glass. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and cool, then refrigerate, preferably overnight.
To make the filling, preheat the oven again to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Mix the two cheeses together, then add the sugar and eggs. Pour in the sour cream, then stir in the Snickers pieces. Pour in on top of the biscuit base.
Bake for an hour and a half, then turn off the oven and leave it sitting there for as long as you can bear. When you eventually take it out, you’ll be delighted to see the top has developed a gorgeous fudgey look. Refrigerate overnight.
To get the cake out of the tin, you’ll need your palette knife. Slide it gently between the baking paper and the side of the tin, loosening all the way along. Then – do your best here, but don’t wreck your head – try to bend the palette knife slightly to get it actually under the base of the cake. When you feel you can’t get any further without breaking the cake or starting to cry, call a halt, then use the overhanging edges of the baking paper as ‘handles’ to lift the entire cake out of the tin. You might have to to-and fro a little, as in, lift it a bit, then use the palette knife to do a bit more loosening, then lift it a bit more, until it’s fully ready to emerge. Peel the paper off, then drizzle the toffee sauce and scatter the peanuts over the top. Cut into thick slices and serve to blokes.
Valentine's Day with Novel Kicks and Marian Keyes.
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.
Saved by Cake: Over 80 ways to Bake yourself Happy by Marian Keyes.
(Michael Joseph, 2012.)
Win a copy of Marian's new baking book.
To enter:
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it by noon GMT on Wednesday 15th February 2012. Put 'Marian' in the subject box and tell us your name and where you're mailing from. After the closing date, a winner will be drawn at random from the entrants. UK entrants only.
Marian Keyes' new baking book Saved by Cake: Over 80 Ways to Bake yourself Happy is published on 16th February.
With chapters on cupcakes, cheesecakes, meringues and macaroons, chocolate cakes, fruit cakes and favourite classics, Marian's recipes are for beginner bakers and for anyone who just loves to bake, offering hints and tips to help along the way. Never patronizing, always honest and witty, accessible and full of fun, the bakes and cakes that she serves up are all laid out in her inimitable Marian style. This is a baking book like no other and will put a smile on your face and make you happy.
For more information on Marian, visit her website.
Novel Kicks had a sneak preview of one of Marian's yummy recipes. Over to you Marian...
Blokey Snickers Cheesecake Loaf.
Ingredients:
For the base
150g milk chocolate
digestive biscuits
50g salted peanuts
75g butter
For the filling
250g mascarpone cheese
250g ricotta cheese
100g caster sugar
2 eggs
200ml sour cream
4 Snickers bars, chopped into
chunks
To decorate
squeezy toffee sauce out of a
squeezy bottle
a generous handful of salted
peanuts
Snickers is an essentially blokey thing, no? I’ve always thought it’s the sort of sweetmeat that men take a big chomp out of just before they abseil down the side of a mountain and, for a while, I thought it was the law that Snickers could only be eaten by men speeding past me on mountain bikes. Inspired by such rugged outdoorsiness, this is a hefty, hearty cheesecake, specially for the boys. The loaf format is an extra little touch on my part; I think it makes it even more manly.
Preheat the oven to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3.
Line a 1kg loaf tin with baking paper – see the technique on page 20.
In a food processor, whizz the biscuits and peanuts so they form a rough-cut, rustic-looking mix; you should still be able to see parts of the peanuts. The first time I did it, I left the machine running so long that I accidentally made peanut butter and the whole thing went into a brown paste. Although I soldiered on, the base never really set, and I ended up having to do it all again. But that’s okay, I make the mistakes so you don’t have to.
Melt the butter and stir it through the crumbs. Even when you think it’s fully mixed, give it a few more stirs. Pour the biscuit/peanut/ butter mix into the bottom of the loaf tin and pack down hard, using the base of a glass. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from the oven and cool, then refrigerate, preferably overnight.
To make the filling, preheat the oven again to 170ºC/325ºF/gas 3. Mix the two cheeses together, then add the sugar and eggs. Pour in the sour cream, then stir in the Snickers pieces. Pour in on top of the biscuit base.
Bake for an hour and a half, then turn off the oven and leave it sitting there for as long as you can bear. When you eventually take it out, you’ll be delighted to see the top has developed a gorgeous fudgey look. Refrigerate overnight.
To get the cake out of the tin, you’ll need your palette knife. Slide it gently between the baking paper and the side of the tin, loosening all the way along. Then – do your best here, but don’t wreck your head – try to bend the palette knife slightly to get it actually under the base of the cake. When you feel you can’t get any further without breaking the cake or starting to cry, call a halt, then use the overhanging edges of the baking paper as ‘handles’ to lift the entire cake out of the tin. You might have to to-and fro a little, as in, lift it a bit, then use the palette knife to do a bit more loosening, then lift it a bit more, until it’s fully ready to emerge. Peel the paper off, then drizzle the toffee sauce and scatter the peanuts over the top. Cut into thick slices and serve to blokes.
World Book Night - 23rd April 2012.
World Book Night is taking place on the 23rd April 2012. Hurry, closing date for applications is 31st January 2012.
Members of the public are invited to apply by 31st January 2012 to be one of 20,000 World Book Night ‘Givers’ by choosing their favourite book from a list of 25 carefully selected titles: The list was chosen by a panel of industry experts, who were guided by the results of an online ballot inviting the public to nominate their favourite books. The World Book Night editions have been specially printed and are identifiable by their branded covers.
The second official World Book Night takes place on the 23rd April and will see 1 million books given out for free across the UK and Ireland. The World Book Night ‘Givers’ will go forth on the night to hand out 500,000 copies of the total amount and in a new departure for 2012, the remaining 500,000 copies of the books will be distributed directly to prisons, hospitals and disadvantaged communities. There will also be events, giveaways and other fun activities for adults and children of all ages to get involved with. Bookshops, libraries and other venues across the UK and Ireland will be setting up special events to celebrate, so log on to the World Book Night website to see what’s happening in your area!
Find out more about World Book Night here: http://www.worldbooknight.org
Novel Kicks Interview: Sophie Duffy.
Sophie is a novelist and short story writer. Prior to winning the 2011 Luke Bitmead Bursary, Sophie was also the winner of the Yeovil Literary Prize. Novel Kicks was so pleased to catch up with Sophie to find out about her writing day and who she would invite to dinner..
Tell us about your route to publication.
It’s been a very long route, starting about ten years ago when my children were small and I decided to do an evening class. I chose creative writing and struck gold with my teacher, Jan Henley who encouraged me from the first lesson. I went on to do an MA in Creative Writing by distance learning at Lancaster which really pushed me and helped me find that voice. My breakthrough moment was winning the Yeovil Literary Prize in 2006 with the opening of The Generation Game. I got an agent and finished the novel. However the novel wasn’t sold and so I wrote another which was runner up in the Harry Bowling Prize. I decided to go it alone and rewrote The Generation Game, entered it for the Luke Bitmead Bursary and it won in January this year. It was amazing to finally see my novel published this summer. I have just signed with a new agent and we are very excited about working together on This Holey Life.
Your latest novel, The Generation Game has recently been released. Can you tell us a little about it?
It’s set largely between in a sweet shop in Torquay and spans four decades from 1965 to 2005. Philippa is 40 and gives birth to a daughter. She has had a quirky and at times traumatic life and is worried she will be a bad mother. So she tells her baby the story of her life to help make sense of it. The novel should particularly appeal to those who grew up in that period as the story is set against a backdrop of national events like the Silver Jubilee and the miners’ strike, with references.
To read more, click here.
The Bollywood Breakup Agency by Naina Gupta - Winners.
The Bollywood Break-Up Agency by Naina Gupta.
(Prospera Publishing, 2011.)
Well done to Naomi, Young and Andrea. You've all won an e-book of The Bollywood Breakup Agency.
A bit about the book:
When party-loving Neela Solanki rejects another loser in the long line of potential suitors, her traditional Indian parents finally take decisive action. The Solankis confiscate the phone, car and credit cards they fund and give Neela one last chance to comply before she is kicked out of the house.
Desperate for cash, Neela starts up a secret business breaking up engagements of Indian marriage arrangements. Add to that an addiction to Indian soap operas, a stalker, a jilted ex and an unlikely love interest, Neela finds that life is about to take a turn she never expected.
Novel Kicks had a chat with Naina. Read her Interview here.
The Bollywood Breakup Agency by Naina Gupta.
Win a copy of The Bollywood Break-Up Agency by Naina Gupta.
(Prospera Publishing, 2011.)
We have three e-book copies of Naina's book, The Bollywood Breakup Agency to give away.
To enter:
E-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it before 3pm GMT on Wednesday 18th January 2012 to be entered into our draw to win a free e-book copy of The Bollywood Breakup Agency.. Be sure to put 'Bollywood' in the subject line. Tell us your name, town and e-mail address. Three winners will be drawn at random from the entries after 3pm GMT on Wednesday.
Good Luck.
A bit about the book:
When party-loving Neela Solanki rejects another loser in the long line of potential suitors, her traditional Indian parents finally take decisive action. The Solankis confiscate the phone, car and credit cards they fund and give Neela one last chance to comply before she is kicked out of the house.
Novel Kicks had a chat with Naina. Read her Interview here.
Desperate for cash, Neela starts up a secret business breaking up engagements of Indian marriage arrangements. Add to that an addiction to Indian soap operas, a stalker, a jilted ex and an unlikely love interest, Neela finds that life is about to take a turn she never expected.
Novel Kicks chats to Heather Peace.
Heather Peace has worked in theatre, commissioning and directing new plays before joining the BBC Script Unit in 1989, later script editing productions in Drama and Comedy. Other career credits include being the Head of Comedy Development at Witzend Productions. She is now a freelance editor and writer. Her novel, All To Play For was released in October 2011.
We were pleased to beable to chat to Heather to ask her about her route to publication and who she would invite to dinner.
Describe your typical writing day?
Breakfast, and meditation for up to half an hour. That puts me in the right frame of mind. Then straight to it without checking emails until the afternoon. Later on I’ll read over what I’ve written and fiddle with it, but I won’t usually write any more that day.
Your latest novel, All To Play For was released in October 2011. Tell us about it and how it came about.
It’s a novel about working in television between 1985-2000, which I did more or less, mainly at the BBC. It’s entirely fictitious but true in spirit and in some of the detail. I started writing a story about one of the characters after I left, and I’ve been re-working it ever since, on and off. I don’t know whether to call it a comic novel – it’s funny and but serious too.
Where do you find inspiration?
That’s the easy part, it’s all around. People and the weird way they behave.
To read more, click here.
All To Play For by Heather Peace.
All To Play For by Heather Peace.
(Legend Press, October 2011.)
Rhiannon has dreams of working at the world’s largest broadcaster: the BBC. This is the story of Rhiannon and four other ambitious people who are all keen to make it in the world of Television – set in the background of Television Centre.
Set within the BBC and TV Centre, this story did appeal to me as I’ve previously worked at TV centre in the early 2000’s and therefore I had an interest and expectations about it.
It’s told from the point of view of five people. This I found interesting and cleverly written as all the stories intertwined (this, however did slow the story in places as it went from one character to another.)
That being said, the book was full of humour and absorbing characters. It does lift a fictional lid on the world of television and the BBC in a captivating and comedic way. It brought back good memories and gave me a new perspective – one I feel would come across to someone who has never worked in media or the BBC, especially as it’s all become a huge part of our culture.
Overall, a great book and one that I struggled to put down.
Review: Villa Pacifica by Kapka Kassabova.
Alma Books, 2011.
When Ute (a travel writer) and her husband Jerry arrive in a remote area of South America, they visit Villa Pacifica (a recently established Eco-retreat.)
The resort is run by a group of interesting and mysterious people and is the home to animals that have been rescued from traffickers.
It's a place where nothing is as it seems and when a storm arrives in the region, travellers and locals are left to fend for themselves. It's not long before madness descends and everyone begins to question their own sanity.
If I am going to be totally honest, I struggled through the first couple of chapters. However, once I'd settled into the story, it captured my imagination. The setting of the story is very atmospheric and adds a lot to the plot. The story has mystery and although slightly confusing in places, this added to the overall tone of the book. There were intriguing puzzles that made me want to turn that page.
The ending wasn't what I expected at all and it surprised me. The immediate events that preceded it were both shocking and confusing but it worked and it made an impact. Villa Pacifica has a charm to it and if, like me, you love mystery in the novels you read then you will love this book.
For more information on Kapka, visit her website by clicking here.
