The days are getting longer and the sun is shining, are there is no better way to spend a lazy summer day than with a good book. Here are our latest picks to keep you entertained these holidays:
Women Are Crazy, Men Are Stupid
By Howard J Morris and Jenny Lee
RRP: $24.99
Since the dawn of time, when the first smitten caveboy tried to woo the object of his affections by shoving her into the mud, men have demonstrated that when it comes to women, they are profoundly stupid. And when it comes to men, women - no matter how intelligent or mature - are completely crazy.
Based on this simple yet groundbreaking insight, comedy writers and real-life couple Howard J. Morris and Jenny Lee have devised a relationship guide that is refreshingly honest, completely hilarious, and surprisingly practical. Using their own crazy/stupid romance as an example of these forces in action, they set out to explain why women ask questions that they absolutely do not want answered - and why men persist in answering them. What are men really thinking - or crucially, not thinking? Why do women view even the most mundane events through an emotional prism? Why do guys suck at being romantic? And why does every conversation with a woman lead back to whether or not she's fat?
How to be a Hepburn in a Hilton World
By Jordan Christy
RRP $24.99
In a society driven by celebutante news and myspace profiles, women of class, style and charm are hard to come by. The Audrey and Katharines of the world continue to lose their lustre as thongs, rehab and outrageous behaviour burn up the daily headlines. But, despite appearances, guys still want a girl they can take home to their mother, employers still like to see a tailored suit and peers still respect classy conduct.
So is it possible to maintain old fashioned virtues in a modern world without looking like a starchy Amish grandma? Christy shows women how in this guide to glamorous style, professional success and true love...the classy way. Full of fun assignments, notable names and real-life examples, Christy offers a new look at seemingly 'old fashioned' advice. She covers diet, speech, work ethic, friends, relationships, manners, makeup and fashionable yet modest clothing, showing modern ladies how they can be beautiful, intelligent and fun while retaining values and morals.
The Cassandra Chronicles
By Ariel Leve
RRP: $29.99
Hypochondriac, neurotic, habitual sweater-of-the-small-stuff, Cassandra is one of life's losers. She counts it a good day if she manages to get out of bed. If someone should ask: what's the worst thing that can happen? She has a ready-made list and lives in permanent fear of what's to come. But at least, as a pessimist, she's fully prepared for any eventuality: people who see the glass half full are only a spill away from disappointment.
Whether you've been dumped by the love of your life, lost your job, said the wrong thing at a party, or forgotten to have children, Cassandra is there to remind you that it could be worse ... you could be her.
Becoming Scarlett
By Ciara Geraghty
RRP $29.99
Scarlett is brilliant at organising - from her family to her job as a wedding planner, she loves the feeling of having things under control. Except that suddenly, things are slipping out of her hands - like the fact that her boyfriend, always so reliable, has suddenly taken himself off travelling. And that after a one-night stand, she discovers that she's pregnant . . .
From black and white, her life has exploded into glorious technicolour. Will Scarlett embrace the change? And will she find her own Rhett Butler?
When the Duke Returns
By Eloisa James
RRP $32.99
For the Duke of Cosway, it was a marriage of convenience. For his bride, it was anything but... Isidore has waited for many long, frustrating years for her mysterious husband to return from exploring the world. They were married by proxy when she was just a child, but now she's fully grown and yearns for nothing more than for her Duke to return. Until he does come back. And he is not what she expected. At all.
Not only does he refuse to conform to any of society's norms: he won't powder his hair, has little regard for cravats, and seems frighteningly keen on running around the countryside in nothing but short trousers. But - more shocking than any other revelation - he reveals that he is a virgin. There is an undeniable attraction though, and while Isidore tries to establish whether this Duke was actually worth waiting for, Cosway himself begins to discover that there may be more adventures in marriage than in all of the rest of the world...
Biting the Big Apple
By Bella Vendramini
RRP $24.99
Bella is an adventurer; she has travelled the world and worked in all sorts of jobs but the thread running through her life is acting. And as an actor, studying at the Strasberg school in New York was her goal. She said about her first visit there: 'I asked the receptionist, 'How do you get into a school like this?' And the receptionist smiled and said, 'Don't try. It's impossible, darling.' And we both had a bit of a giggle and I said, 'Right, give me the application forms.'
This is the story of how Bella took on New York - her brilliant love affair that turned sour, the friends she made, her acting and her studies and day to day life in that fabulous town. For most of us this is a dream but for Bella it's her life and she writes about it with passion but also surprise at where she has let life take her.
Available from all good bookstores.
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