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Don’t bother going outside and into the cold and gloomy weather; snuggle up with a fab book! Our books guru, Jessi, gives you the lowdown on the hottest new releases…  Handle With Care, Jodi PicoultWillow O’Keefe has osteogenesis imperfecta, a disease that means she can break a bone by turning over, bending, or even hugging. Despite this, at the age of six she’s intelligent, funny, compassionate, and long-suffering. Her family loves her, even though the cost of her condition, emotional and financial, is steadily mounting. But then they are offered a way out, and all her mother has to do is claim that if her doctor had told her of Willow’s condition in advance, she would have had an abortion. The latest bestseller from Jodi Picoult is one of the best books I’ve read in months. A fascinating read, Handle With Care gets to the heart of debates about medical ethics and personal choice, while being by turns hilarious and heart-wrenching. A must read. Allen & Unwin, RRP $37.99 Stars: 5  Succubus in the City, Nina HarperMix together large dollops of Sex in the City and Twilight and recast them as a lightweight chick-lit and you’ve got Succubus in the City, an entertaining look at the life of a New York woman who’s got it all, including immortality. Lily works as accessories editor at a fashion magazine, has a fantastic group of girl friends and the perfect figure. However, she’s also got a deal with Satan, which means to maintain this she must deliver men’s souls to Hell on a regular basis. All is going smoothly until Lily meets the gorgeous PI Nathan Coleman, who’s investigating a man’s mysterious disappearance. Could it
be love? Piatkus, RRP $25.99 Stars: 3.5 Knit Two, Kate Jacobs Fans of Friday Night Knitting Club rejoice, Kate Jacobs is back with a follow-up to her bestseller, and it’s just as enthralling. Set five years in the future, Knit Two follows the Club’s characters as they rebuild their lives following the death of their beloved Georgia. Her daughter is growing up, and her friends have new challenges to deal with, from love after divorce to marrying a sweetheart despite familial disapproval. Witty, gentle, and moving, Knit Two warms you like a fluffy knitted blanket, and you’ll find it just as hard to put down. Hodder, RRP $38.99 Stars: 4 .jpg) Secrets to Happiness, Sarah DunnHolly Frick is trying to adjust to life on her own after a painful divorce. Faced with time on her hands, she starts dispensing advice to her nearest and dearest in the manner of a modern-day Emma. However, Holly’s advice can and does backfire, and sometimes she should really listen to herself. Instead, she dates a much younger man and adopts a dog with a brain tumour, before falling in love with her married friend’s lover. Just when she thinks things can’t get much worse, her ex-husband discovers her newly-published book is based very heavily on him, because his current girlfriend has turned to
Holly for advice on how to deal with him. While this chick-lit doesn’t attempt to change the world, the characters are hilarious, and Holly is a thoroughly likeable heroine. Sphere, RRP $38.99 Stars: 3.5  The Fraud, Barbara EwingIt’s 1765 and portrait painer Filipo di Vicellio of Florence is one of London’s most popular artists. Married to Angelina, the most beautiful woman in the city, and assisted by his sister Francesca it seems that nothing can taint his success. But underneath the façade lies a system of lies and deception. Why does Francesca have paint under her fingernails? Where does she disappear to when the guests have left? And why does she scour the city for a young man called Tobias? This entrancing historical novel, written by nzgirl Barbara Ewing, has a complex plot and a cast of intelligent and spirited characters. I really enjoyed this book. Little, Brown, RRP $38.99 Jessi Phillips |
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