Katie Fforde and others

Katie Fforde's new book 'Wedding Season' arrived on Monday and was finished by Tuesday evening. I've been slightly disappointed by her last few - more dialogue than description to the extent they almost read like a film script. This one was better balanced and had all the sparkle of her early books - 'Thyme Out', 'Living Dangerously', 'The Rose Revived' etc. Sarah, Bron and Elsa organise weddings for other people. But what about their own love lives which are sadly neglected and going nowhere. The background - wedding planning - is well researched and interesting and the characters come alive on the page. I loved it. This is chick lit at its very best.

Sue Gee's 'Reading in Bed' was just as good in its own very different way. The educated middle class and their belief that everything will continue as it has done for years is well portrayed. Georgia, Henry, Dido and Jeffrey have all been friends since university. Now Henry is dead, leaving Georgia a widow and the status quo is about to be upset. The children are grown up and having their own crises which impact on the parents and then there is Cousin Maud who appears to have finally tipped over the edge into madness. Jeffrey is in trouble because of inappropriate behaviour with a student - but how one sided is it really? Does the text message Dido read against her better judgement have anything to do with it? The writing is subtle and understated. I enjoyed it.

Then there's Sharon Owen's 'The Revenge of the Wedding Planner' - which I was finding slightly annoying. I did finish it and enjoyed it though it's not a five star read. I found the narrator a bit too chatty and I didn't think the title fitted the book at all. Obviously wedding planners are the people to write about at the moment - especially those who do not believe in love.

I have two by Martin Edwards to read now and Susan Hill's latest Simon Serrailier 'The Vows of Silence'. How can you tell I'm not at work?

It's Sunday and monsoon weather

It's dry at the moment but about 7.00am this morning it was just like a monsoon, though I suppose it wasn't quite as hot!

I haven't yet read the Sunday papers online, but I heard on the BBC News Channel that Fern Britton is in trouble with the Mail On Sunday for not saying that she had weight loss surgery. Why are we so focused on women's weight? You don't ever hear similar comments made about men - with the exception perhaps of that annual rush to try and get pictures of the leaders of the main political parties in their swimming shorts. Again you rarely hear comments about the way men in the limelight dress - David Beckham's famous sarong being the exception. It's very much double standards in my opinion.

Currently reading Sue Gee's 'Reading in Bed' - old age and the educated middle classes and Sharon Owens' 'Revenge of the Wedding Planner' - which is starting to annoy me and I may not finish it. I have 'The Morville Hours' by Katherine Swift and Veronica Heley's 'False Picture' to read next amongst others.

Off to trawl the papers and then chicken for tea - not sure about dessert yet