The Mystery of Mercy Close by Marian Keyes.

Every Marian Keyes book has an underlying theme and this time it's depression.  It's a topic that I found really interesting, and was very well written about.

I really liked Helen the main character, she was brilliantly neurotic (which incidentally had nothing to do with her depression).  Like me she doesn't drink hot drinks, tea, coffee etc, and like me she get's sick of people thinking she's crazy because of this... my favourite quote in the book is therefore this:
"Would you like a cup of tea?" Carole asked.
I would have preferred to set my eyeballs on fire"
Tea and coffee drinkers just won't appreciate this, but trust me, all the other non-hot drinkers will be with me!

Many parts of the book made my laugh out loud or chuckle to myself. However, I found the 'mystery' part of the book a little disappointing as I had guessed the outcome when I wasn't even half way through the story.  I also found the book a little too long, as I think sometimes there were too many unnecessary details.

But overall you can always rely on Marian Keyes to produce a strong chick-lit book which combines humour with serious undercurrents, and this book is no exception.

Title: The Mystery of Mercy Close
Author: Marian Keyes

Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married by Marian Keyes.

This is the second book by Marian Keyes (I know because I'm trying to read through her back catalogue in order and having already read her first, Watermelon, this was next on my list).

Like all her books Marian writes excellent chick lit that can cheer you up and make you laugh despite covering some quite serious topics.  This book has a very loveable main character, Lucy, who is ever so slightly neurotic in her search for the perfect man.  There are moments when you want to scream at her that the man she is currently with really isn't right for her, but most of all I found her very easy to relate to and loved the description of her post break-up blues because I think we've all been in that dark place at some point, and joined in with her hysteria!

The story covers topics including depression and alcoholism, friendship and relationships and as ever with Marian Keyes books there are plenty of laughs and gritty real-life drama. 

Title: Lucy Sullivan Is Getting Married
Author: Marian Keyes

This Charming Man

This is the third Marian Keyes book I've read and as much as I love Marian Keyes (really, I do) this one just wasn't as good as the others I've read.  I felt it took a long time to get going, and with 884 pages, it certainly wasn't a quick read.  But I really liked the way each of the characters told their own story in their own style.


As always the amazing Ms Keyes mixes humour with some quite dark topics and so despite the story being slow to start once it kicked in you just had to find out what happened to all the characters and 'This Charming Man'.

Title: This Charming Man
Author: Marian Keyes

Watermelon by Marian Keyes

I totally loved this book; it had me laughing out loud from the start.  It's nice to know that there's someone else as neurotic as me out there, and Clare is definitely that girl!

The only negative thing about this book is that it's incredibly hard to read in public...  There I am sitting at my desk on my lunch in a very quiet office fighting back tears of laughter; and I've realised that sitting on a bus giggling to myself makes me look like quite a fool!

I'm highly recommending this book for when you're in need of a feel-good read.  Lovely book.  Chick-lit at it's finest.

Bring on the next Marian Keyes...

Title:  Watermelon
Author: Marian Keyes

More to add to the shelf...

After reading The Brightest Star in the Sky by Marian Keyes, and totally loving it, I just have to read more Marian Keyes so today I've bought five of her titles:

Angels, This Charming Man, The Other Side of the Story, Last Chance Saloon & Watermelon.

Can't wait to read them! x