After reading Jemima J (also by Jane Green) I couldn't wait to read this one! Although I very much liked this book, I didn't LOVE it as I did Jemima.

The central character is Catherine Warner; scatterbrained, messy, ready to make a career change, a hopeless romantic and always there for her circle of friends.

Catherine lives in London with her best friend Simon (Si) who is tidy, bitchy and also looking for Mr Right. The circle of lifelong friends is completed with Josh and Lucy, who are happily married with Max, a handful of a toddler.

In walks Portia, the stunningly beautiful college friend who's known for breaking hearts. Her reappearance unleashes a series of events - the biggest of which leaves all of the friends surprised!

"Bookends" is a story about friendship - twists, turns, complications and how it weathers loves, marriage, children and most of all growing up.

It's a light quick read. A perfect Summer book!

I'm a sucker for a romantic comedy, and after Bridget Jones's Diary, I became eager to read more books in that genre. When I picked up Bookends by Jane Green, I was looking for a light, fun read, but what I received was a novel that would not let me put it down. Bookends is hilarious, witty, and full of tension and drama, and characters that you will love...and some you might not like all that well.

In Bookends, the reader is introduced - by way of narrator, Catherine "Cath" Warner - to a group of friends who meet in school and though individually different as night and day, they become a tight clique of trusted friends. That is, until the ever-beautiful Portia - the friend thought to be the sun in the clique's universe - destroys friendships that were meant to last forever.

Fast forward ten years where we find Cath and lifelong friends, Josh and Lisa, and her best friend, Si, living and loving in their early-thirties, in London. Si, the sweet, adorable, and gay love of Cath's life spends most of his time in friendly counsel with Cath regarding the lack of men in their lives, and discussing how each deals with that situation in their own way, whether it's Cath's refusal to believe she wants a man in her life, or Si's ability to lower his standards, for fear of living alone.

Just as everyone's life seems to be on track, a blast from the past in the form of an older and more self-indulgent Portia, pops back into the group's tight circle and in an instant, lives are shook up, adulterous innuendoes are cooked up and friendships are tested.

I have to say, this book is a wonderful read. I fell in love with the main character, Cath, and her feelings on friendship and love. Green does a great job in creating characters that you want to care about, characters that you can feel and even relate to. I think readers will be thoroughly and happily surprised that there is more to this book than pure entertainment. I finished this book with tears in my eyes because I felt a connection with Green's characters and I felt moved by the way Green deals with some heavy subjects in this novel.

I would definitely recommend Bookends - love the title - to those who want a fast read with a lot of bite and wit.

Shon Bacon

About half way through this book, I thought I would only give it 4 stars at most. I didn't think it was as good as Jemima J, which is the first book I read by Ms. Green. What can I say, I was WRONG!! This book is every bit as good as Jemima J and I will continue to read everything that this author writes. Her books are funny and poignant and witty and the perfect beach read....just be sure to bring plenty of sunblock because you will want to read this book in one sitting. Jane Green sure has a flare for writing the perfect British Chick-Lit novel. You will surely fall in love with Cath and Simon and Josh and Lucy and the lovely, ambitious Portia just as I did. This book has enough twists and turns within the lives of these very close friends to keep the reader happily turning the pages. So, tune in to see how they weather the storms of love, friendhip and life...you're in for a treat!!

A good, short introductory reference book for those interested in exploring and understanding the basic belief system and history behind Celtic mythological tales (The Mabinogion, the Fianna, et al).

Dr. Miranda Green has written many books on many aspects of Celtic culture and literature. This inexpensive book is intended to be a short introduction to Celtic mythology and the culture whose beliefs and customs gave birth to those myths. This book is also appropriate for readers ages 12-14. Those who want more in-depth exploration of the myths and the culture should consider The Irish Literary Tradition by J. E. Caerwyn Williams and Patrick K. Ford or Celtic Heritage by Alwyn and Brinley Rees.

I read this book in one night, despite the tension headache caused by the author's continual alternation between first and third tense narration (she is, supposedly, trying to be a voice of reason in otherwise unreasonable situations). Jemima's weight loss schedule is completely farcical - although the narrator vehemently denies that Jemima is anorexic, no real person could keep such a regime and live. Additionally, Jemima's post-weight-loss lifestyle is so completely outrageous I found myself wanting to toss the book across the room. Her roommates' actions - both before and after - are unprovoked and plainly bitchy. If Jemima is such a slouch, why would they act with such jealousy? And Ben. Clearly by the end of the book Jemima still has unresolved issues. Sure, he loves her... when she's THIN (notice he wasn't too concerned with whether or not he wound up seeing her in LA... until he saw the "new" woman). Clearly this is the book's ultimate message... be thin, be loved. Oh... and the epilogue. At a "size 10", Jemima is "no longer thin". Uh... excuse me, but the last time I checked, size 10 is pretty darn good.
The entire Brad/Jenny situation is laughable (incidentally, this was so obvious it wasn't even funny... you can see this coming from chapters away),if Brad truly loved her, he wouldn't care about appearances... and he certainly wouldn't be sharing his life with someone else. The whole situation refutes the book's supposed theme.... that love can exist regardless of looks. Notwithstanding that, the entire explanation for such deception is completely contrived. You mean to tell me the author could come up with no better excuse for Brad's behavior than THAT?????
Overall, an okay read if you are able to completely suspend reality (fiction or not, I prefer my books to be grounded in some sort of normality). Otherwise, skip it.

I think this is an awesome book to read on a hot summer day when going outside is not a option. The women who have lost a lot weight will relate to this book, including myself. Although the other reviews make a vaild point when they expressed the shallowness of how the author portrays Jemima's life after she loses weight, I must admit (from experience) doors are opened much wider for the slim and beautiful. In some areas the author does push this point a little too much. However, the supporting characters and stories in this book makes it all worth while. Great, great, great book. I highly recommend it.

I really loved this book. Jane Green has a great tone of voice in the book that is easy to understand and love. I really think the reason I loved the book was that Jemima resembled me in every way from the insecurities in the beginning to the insecurities at the end. It was like someone wrote about my life and millions of people now know all about me! Crazy stuff. Anywho... I really liked the book... not too hard or easy to read.. just enjoyable.

Oh creamed beef over leftover rice. And canned oysters a la pickled onion. Yummy. How about ragged lettuce with special yellow sauce?

The fillings are straight from the era that brought us Dr. Pepper baked beans. Pretty gross stuff.

Anyway, the recipes for the crepes are ALL WRONG, plus sick.
We tried the sour cream dessert crepes and the avocado crepes and ended up with crepe mash, and crepe dumplings, respectively. It's a good thing it wasn't a first date, because I pulled my eyebrows out.

Don't do it.

I have read and used this book. I thought it was a little outdated in places, but that is part of it's charm. And - some of the recipes are certainly keepers, and are hard to find in newer books. We especially liked the dessert section of course, but also the breakfast section, and some of the main entrees (especially the beef burgundy crepes).

I used this book with a check on what I had left over in the refrig. I found a recipe that came close to what was available, plus an occasional adjustment, and I had a meal or dessert to serve. I would sure appreciate a copy of this book.