Tigers in Red Weather by Liza Klaussmann

An evocative, frightening and insightful debut, Tiger in Red Weather is heart-breakingly breath-taking. Set just after the second world war, this is a story that delves into a family's lives, loves and truths. Nick (a lady) and Hughes are newly-weds, Helena (Nick's cousin) has married a second time and the world is new. But life is never quite like you imagined it to be and one incredibly honest line from Nick to her young daughter Daisy is: 'If there's one thing you can be sure about in this life, it's that you won't always be kissing the right person.'

Nick is like that. Always wanting to be interesting, different, never being ordinary or staid. She is always pushing at the world, pushing for life or something that makes her feel alive. It is almost as if she cannot see what is right in front of her. Her husband Hughes is beautiful, she is so in love with him she knows even if she left she wouldn't be able to stay away. It reminded me of a line from the movie Gigi where she says to Gaston: 'I would rather be miserable with you than without you.' I felt like Nick had made that decision but spent her whole life fighting it. She is a complex and fascinating character and I love that Liza Klaussmann based her on her grandmother. It shows how well she knew her grandmother, how much she loved her.
Hughes is incredibly gentle and sweet, but he is damaged. Damaged by a war and the 'world on fire'. He has a past that has almost driven him from Nick, to be a sleepwalker in his own life, existenting within a self he no longer knows. Change has come upon him, like everyone in this novel, as a surprise and he cannot find his way back to who he was before.

Liza gives us a glimpse into every main character's head (Nick, Hughes, Daisy, Helena and Ed), drawing us further into a family of complicated untruths and secrets that always lay beneath the surface. You feel so drawn in to this story you can hardly believe it isn't real. You are completely entrenched in their lives, in the world of Tiger House.

I really don't want to ruin this book for anyone, but forget everything you have ever known and then read this book. It will jolt your system and draw you into yourself like nothing I have ever read before. It is life, life in a book coiled and just waiting to spring.

With its chilling undercurrent and incomparable ability to create characters who are so real you can smell the martinis, it is the perfect summer read. Curl up with a cocktail shaker close to hand and get ready for the glitz, glamour and terrifying truths. You will not regret it. I, for one, will never be the same again.

Size 12 and Ready to Rock by Meg Cabot

The brand new, hilarious and wonderful Heather Wells' mystery Size 12 and Ready to Rock! I was so excited to read it, but I had to start right from the beginning with Size 12 is not Fat, Size 14 is not Fat Either and Size Doesn't Matter (which is my favourite one!). It was a fantastic week and a bit, especially when I was able to finish one book and go straight to the next. No need to wait and agonise over Cooper (the hunkiest private investigator I have ever read about!) and Heather...did they get together? will they won't they? Etc.

Finally... Size 12 and Ready to Rock had arrived (in the post because it is not yet available in the UK - trust me, I rang publishers!!) and I was too excited! I got right to reading, seamlessly moving from Size Doesn't Matter, because Meg Cabot picked right up from where she left off... Oh okay, there was a gap of a few days, weeks, months maybe, but not the years I had to wait just to read this book! So...

Heather Wells is still at Death Dorm sorry, I mean Fisher Hall residence hall for the summer. Or at least she is working for the summer while the residence hall is closed for redecoration and painting. Hiring on some of her favourite students, or 'misfit toys' as Cooper calls them, she is pretty much enjoying her summer. Well, aside from Sarah's wild mood swings (which aren't anything new, but must get on the nerves eventually!). The best bit is that Heather is pretty much in charge now, since the death of her last boss (poor Oscar) the college has been frantically searching for a new director, but it turns out no one really wants to be the director of 'Death Dorm', so Heather is able to call all the shots! Which is a good thing, because she is awesome! But all good things must come to an end and Heather finds herself across town (okay like 10 blocks away - but they are really long blocks) when her new boss finally does show up: a perky cheerleader-type who already has Sarah's disapproval.

Then Tania Trace (Heather's arch-nemesis) becomes a target. Someone is trying to kill her and Cartwright of Cartwright Records hires his own son (black-sheep, Cooper) to be her bodyguard, apparently he is the only one Tania can trust. Of course all of this would be fine, but Tania has also decided to stick to Heather too and ends up moving her 'reality' show Tania Trace Rock Camp from it's palatial hotel venue to 'Death Dorm'. Who wouldn't love their summer to be crashed by a bunch of overly-competitive children and mums? Um, Heather Wells that's who!

It's like Toddlers In Tiaras and Murder She Wrote and The Golden Girls and so many other things all rolled into one. This is one amazing book people! It had me at 'Hello'! No seriously, the cover is so fantastic and the story is brilliant, I was completely hooked! Tania finally becomes a real character and you get to resolve all of those pent up issues you have against her, for treating Heather the way she did. Cooper comes a bit more to the forefront and Heather, as always, is a bad ass.

After this book everything pales in comparison. I shall have to hang on and wait for the next instalment...which isn't due out until 2013!!! How can I wait? How?

All I can say is read this book! READ IT! You will not regret it.

Size Doesn't Matter by Meg Cabot

As I believe I mentioned earlier, this was my favourite Heather Wells Mystery novel. It has the genius character's of Tad Tocco and Muffy Fowler (yep that is her name!). Also, one of the most disturbing murder mysteries yet.

It has the best start too...
Heather goes jogging - yep, you read it correctly, JOGGING! This is all Tad Tocco's idea, he thinks Heather should get a little more toned up, not that she is fat or anything! Well, Heather gets up at 6am (why would anyone do that out of choice?), goes to the park and runs around for about 1 minute. But then (wisely) she decides to save herself and her uterus (from jiggling free) and stops jogging. I mean, who would want to go jogging - Heather doesn't even like to shower, why stand up when you can sit down and bathe?
A question I am constantly mulling over...

So, once Heather has managed to walk around the park (Tad ran off easily in tiny shorts) and convinced Tad that really he wants to go get waffles for breakfast she is feeling pretty good about things. That is until she is rudely awoken by a fresh dead body at Death Dorm. But who would murder Heather's new boss, Owen? It's not like he was a saint, but he doesn't deserve to be shot in the head through an open window over his morning coffee. I mean no one should have to go like that!
Top it all off with a cute new boyfriend (Tad - her remedial maths assistant professor) and a little romance buzzing around the dorm (I mean residence hall) between two rather wonderful (and much loved) characters. This is actually one of the most romantic novels in this series. Everyone gets a glimpse at happiness, but I can hear you all saying: 'What about Cooper?!'

Well my friends, he isn't far away and hey, he needs to see that someone else might WANT to be Heather's rebound. Hilarious storyline coupled with a terrifying murder, especially if it wasn't caused by a stray bullet. Plus, lots of lovely family bonding going on between Heather and her dad. It really is an incredible read!

Now, onto the brand new and very shiny Size 12 and Ready to Rock...!