Forth-coming Reviews.....

Here is what I'm planning to read and write reviews on in the next couple of weeks:

Shadow by Michael Morpurgo

The Sandalwood Tree by Elle Newmark

Put You Dreams to the Test by John C. Maxwell

Visit From the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

Waterstone's to Launch E-Reader

Waterstone's is set to launch a digital e-reader to rival Amazon's Kindle next year. The company's managing director, James Daunt, said that he had been inspired by Barnes & Noble's successful Nook device. Waterstone's is currently in the midst of a shake-up after being bought from HMV Group by Russian businessman Alexander Mamut. James Daunt was brought in by the new owner in an attempt to reverse its declining sales. Entering the hardware market would be an ambitious move for Waterstone's and likely involve it partnering with a major electronics company. "Waterstone's e-reader project was "well down the planning line", according to Mr Daunt, and would launch in spring 2012.

E-Book Downloads

Top Ten E-Book Downloads:

1. One Day by David Nicholls - See review below
2. That Summer in Ischia by Penny Feeny
3. Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes
4. Three Weeks to Say Goodbye by CJ Box
5. Witness by Cath Staincliffe
6. Medical Error by Richard Mabry
7. Chosen by Paula Bradley
8. Cold Kill by Neil White
9. The Bones of Avalon by Phil Rickman
10. Letters to My Mother by Rebecca Heath

Source: Amazon

Top Tens

Top Tens for Non Fiction Books:

Paperback:

1. At Home by Bill Bryson
2. Dukan Diet by Pierre Dukan
3. Booky Wook 2 by Russell Brand
4. How to be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
5. An Idiot Abroad by Karl Pilkington
6. The Grand Design by Hawking & Mlodinow
7. In the Midst of Laughter by Jennifer Worth
8. Life and Laughing by Michael McIntyre
9. Memoirs of a Fruitcake by Chris Evans
10. The Hare with Amber Eyes by Edmund De Waal

Hardback:

1. Great British Bake Off by Linda Collister
2. A Stolen Life by Jaycee Lee Dugard
3. The Good Cooke by Simon Hopinson
4. Rick Stein's Spain by Rick Stein
5. Jamie's 30-Minute Meals by Jamie Oliver
6. Rafa: My Story by Nadal & Carlin
7. The End: Hitler's Germany by Ian Kewshaw
8. Mud, Sweat and Tears by Bear Grylls
9. Madeleine by Kate McCann
10. Top 100 Meals in Minutes by Annabel Karmel

Source: Nielsen Bookscan TCM

Top Tens

This weeks Top Tens for Fiction:

Paperback:

1. One Day by David Nicholls - See my review below
2. Postcard Killers by James Patterson
3. Worth Dying For by Lee Child
4. A Tiny Bit Marvellous by Dawn French
5. Lasting Damage by Sophie Hannah
6. What the Nanny Saw by Fiona Neill
7. Promises, Promises by Erica James
8. The Way We Were by Elizabeth Noble
9. Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella
10. Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow by C Carroll

Hardback:

1. Before the Poison by Peter Robinson
2. Good as Dead by Mark Billingham
3. A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin
4. The Come-back Girl by Katie Price
5. The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
6. Now You See Her by James Patterson
7. The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
8. The Silent Girl by Tess Gerritsen
9. Fallen by Karin Slaughter
10. Happy Birthday by Danielle Steel

Source: Nielson Bookscan TCM





One Day by David Nicholls

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


The Blurb:
‘I can imagine you at forty,’ she said, a hint of malice in her voice. ‘I can picture it right now.’
He smiled without opening his eyes. ‘Go on then.’
15th July 1988. Emma Morley and Dexter Mayhew meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways.
So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year which follows?
One Day is a funny/sad love story spanning twenty years, a book about growing up – how we change, how we stay the same.

David Nicholls is a British author, before One Day I had never heard of him before, he has also written Starter for Ten in 2003 and The Understudy in 2005. He originally wanted to pursue a career as an actor, after training in New York. He worked sporadically for an 8 year period before he got into writing for television and film. He is currently working on his fourth novel and lives with his family in North London.

A funny novel about two friends, the story is told on the same day, 15th July every year for two decades. Emma Morley is from Yorkshire from a working class family, lacking in some confidence and then there is Dexter Mayhew who is overly confident, comes from a very privileged background with his family home in the Cotswolds.

The concept is great, they first meet in 1988 on the last day at university in Edinburgh, where they spend the night together then you follow their friendship on the same day each year. Sometimes the friendship is great they are both getting what they want from the relationship and other times it’s not so great. After the first night they both go their separate ways but still keeping in contact, Emma gets a job in a Mexican restaurant and Dexter goes travelling. I felt for Emma she had work hard at everything, her jobs and their friendship, where on the other hand Dexter seemed to have it easy, lots of one night stands, not needing to work and falling into a career as a television presenter.

For me the book worked on every level, I loved the concept and I felt like I was catching up with old friends, I loved both Emma and Dexter and the chemistry of their relationship. The writing style reminded me of Tony Parsons, genuine dilemmas. I sometimes felt parts were too “wordy” and felt you could miss parts out and not miss any of the story, but overall a great book which I would highly recommend.



View all my reviews

One Day

Review coming for One Day by David Nicholls, watch this space.