My Canape Hell by Imogen Edwards-Jones

When journalist Abigail Long is called to her boss's office she fears the worse - dismissal. Instead she is offered her own celebrity column in the newspaper she writes for. What could be better, attending star studded parties amd premieres and being paid to write about them? But every silver lining has a cloud, as Abigail finds out as she spirals into drug abuse after finding herself the subject of her fellow journalists' attentions.

Abigail comes across in this book as silly, self-centred and shallow, but in reality this is a prime illustration of how our society has become obssessed with fame and the famous. I'm sure many of the readers of celebrity gossip magazines and columns would set aside common sense in order to fit in with the "stars" they read about and whose lives they follow so avidly. While I found Abigail intensely irritating I can see that she is not unique, and also not unique in not seeing what is right in front of her face in her search for success. A quick read, but not a very satisfying one.

I have read this book toward the Four Month reading challeng and the Typically British reading challenge.

The Ten O'Clock Horses by Laurie Graham

Ronnie Glover is not happy with his life. It is 1962, he is married with two daughters, has a steady job as a housepainter. Feeling that life has more to offer he starts dabbling in art and learning Italian. Then his younger daughter starts learning ballet leading to new opportunities for Ronnie.

Something I found difficult in this book was the lack of a female character I could feel any kind of sympathy towards. I think Eileen, Ronnie's wife, was supposed to fill that role but I found her pathetic, I find it difficult to feel any warmth toward women who show total lack of ambition or aspiration. Ronnie's mother was particularly unpleasant in her dealings with him as a child. Jack, the ballet teacher I found to be manipulative, taking advantage of other people's unhappiness to satisfy her own desires.

Ronnie's sadness and desperate longing to escape his current situation is very touching, I think most of us have at times felt the way he does, that surely there is more to life than it currently offers and wanting more for ourselves and our families . Is it wrong to aspire to greater things? Or just wrong to lose sight of why we want them?

I have read this book toward the Four month reading challenge and the Typically British reading challenge.

Mr Commitment by Mike Gayle

Duffy and Mel have been together for four years when she proposes to him, but Duffy isn't sure whether he's ready to commit. After a disastrous shopping trip to IKEA they split up, but find they cannot move on from the life they shared together.
What do you call chicklit for men? Whatever it is, this is it. Well written, well plotted but a bit predictable. I used to read chicklit (for women and men) a lot, but this convinved me that I've moved on from there. Enjoyable enough, the literary equivelant of a snack but I would rather have a meal.

Typically British Reading Challenge

I have to join in this one! There are four levels of participation, I'm aiming high and challenging myself to read eight typically British novels during 2010. I have not yet decided which books I'm going to read for this challenge, I'll see where the mood takes me.

Books read for this challenge:
1. The Ten O'Clock Horses by Laurie Graham
2.My Canape Hell by Imogen Edwards-Jones