Rating: 
Summary: and you have to pick one...
Review: this is the book that got me addicted to marian keyes! she has a way of drawing you into the characters lives like nobody else. the story revolves around the lives of its two main characters, lisa edwards and ashling kennedy. lisa expected an assignment to nyc and instead gets transferred to ireland. ashling ends up leaving her old magazine under less than ideal circumstances. the book follows the two women as they develop a brand new magazine, colleen. you'll learn about their exes, neighbors, friends, and coworkers. if you loved rachel's holiday, you'll love this one too.
Rating:
Summary: Great Fun!1
Review: I just finished this book. It is my first experience with the author and I have to say it got me hooked. I am looking forward to the rest of her books. This book is long so it will keep you busy, which is nice if you love to read. For those weary of the length the short 2-3 page chapters keeps the pages flowing.
There are many characters in this book, each with their own unique storyline, but all tied together by their ties to each other, through work and friendships. I am impressed with the authors ability to keep the stories seperate but not off subject.
The main characters:
Gorgeous, workaholic Lisa has just relocated from London to Dublin to start a new magazine for women called Colleen. She is less than pleased with the move, as she is deeply fixated with pop culture, and finds Dublin to be dull. She is bitchy on the surface, but as you learn more about her you see that the tough exterior is only a front to help her cope with her insecurities.
Working under Lisa is Ashling. She is the "girl next door" type, and oh so helpful. She is the one to turn to if you need a band-aid, button or tissue, as she carries everything around with her and is always willing to help. Her sweetheart personality annoys bitchy Lisa, but deep down Lisa's got a soft spot for her. She is very superstitious, as a result of her troubling childhood. She is trusting and non-confrontational.
Other characters include Joy, Ashlings neighbor who always drops by for a chat, and a go at the Tarot Cards. Ted, Ashling's friend who has just started a career in comedy as a way to meet women. Clodah who is married to oh so hot Dylan, and raising their two children. Jack, the mysteriously endearing boss of Lisa and Ashling. Marcus Valentine, Ashling's boyfriend\comedian. Trix the receptionist at the magazine. A homeless man named Boo, who Ashling befriends and many more.
The story deals with love, betryal, ambition, divorce, infedility and so much more. I urge you to follow the stories in this great novel. With so many great twists and turns along the way you'll never experience a dull moment. Key's writing is realistic and so down to earth. While you read and learn about the characters it becomes quite easy for you to see these characters as real people with real problems.
Rating:
Summary: Unusual and well written
Review: I was able to read through this book without putting it down at any point. I felt it was a tiny bit slow at the beginning, but it quickly picked up. The author did a good job of really satisfying readers needs for hero's, as well as the bad guys. A great read for any women with any interest. My current reading list is as follows, and all of it is good: Bark of the Dogwood
Lovely Bones--Seabold
Children's Corner--McCrae
Heart is a Lonely Hunter--McCullers If you're looking for interesting reads, these books will do nicely.
Rating: 
Summary: 3.5 in reality
Review: This was a pretty decent book as far as chick lit goes. Keyes fans are not likely to be disappointed. The story has plenty of humor and would be a very good beach, airplane, rainy weekend type of book. Probably worth purchasing in softcover if at a reasonable price and definitely worth checking out from the library.
The story is about 3 girls: Lisa, Ashling and Clodagh. I really disliked Clodagh as a character. She is supposed to be Ashling's best friend but you would never want a friend like her in real life. I think I'd rather have enemies! Lisa is a workaholic - your stereotypical career woman. She's very interesting and quite mean -- a combination that makes up for the drama that Ashling's life lacks. So: you have a nice girl, a mean girl, and a girl who is mean but doesn't know it. The 3 different types of women give the story momentum. Drags on a bit more than necessary but overal a worthwhile read. Closer to a 3.5 than a 3.0 but I am not giving a 4 because like most chick lit it was relatively predicable.
Rating:
Summary: Okay- Last Chance was her best
Review: Not my favorite by any means. The best parts where the last 5 chapters. I will try her new book and hope it perks my interest. THis one did not
Rating:
Summary: I normally LOVE Marian Keyes, but...
Review: this book dragged on FOREVER. I kept at it, thinking, "It's Marian Keyes, it's gotta get better!" Alas, it was slow throughout. I liked the premise, I liked the characters, but I was happy when the story was over.
Rating:
Summary: It Got me throgh my long Thanksgiving Week...
Review: ..but that's about all I can say about it. It started off great and steadily went downhill from there. I would actually give this a 3 1/2 but that's not an option. It has potential and a few good points after the fall from the great beginning. I kept expecting more and I was disappointed when there was nothing finished. Who the heck knows how anyone truly ended up. There are hints, but no finishes.
Rating:
Summary: it is okay ...
Review: ... but not that great. i have read 5 other marian keyes' books and the last two that i read, this one and "angels", were not that impressive.
the story was dragging and i just kept on flipping the pages with "yeah, funny ha-ha, but let's keep going and find out what the happens next, okay".
i recommend her earlier books instead like "watermelon" or "rachel's holiday".
Rating:
Summary: Better than Angels, but not that much better....
Review: SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS by Marian Keyes
(...)
I know there are a lot of Marian Keyes fans out there that have loved this book, SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS. This is only my second book I've read by her, ANGELS having been my first, and I gave it three stars. SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS I am also ranking three stars, but it's close to 3 ½. Here's why:
I think Marian Keyes has a gift for creating funny characters. I do find myself chuckling as I read her books, and that is a good thing. On the other hand, the problem I have with her characters is that they don't always seem "real". She has them do illogical things, or they may end up with someone that I can't see how it even happened. When I say "illogical", I don't mean "silly" or "crazy". What I mean is that she doesn't think her characters out all the way, so that she has them behaving in ways they shouldn't.
Because of this, I find myself rather disappointed by the end of the book. This was the case with SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS. Without giving it away, I did not see how one main character ended up with another character (some of the signs were there, but their interactions with each other were not enough, in my opinion, to have them put them together as a couple). I also did not see any chemistry or any reason for one or the other to want to get together. It just did not make any sense. On the other hand, I did approve of another couple getting together, because it made a lot of sense and I was also rooting for them.
To sum up, SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS is about a start up magazine in Ireland and the employees that work for it. Ashling Kennedy has just been sacked by another magazine, and finds herself working for Londoner Lisa Edwards at the new "Colleen" magazine. Lisa is known to be a [...] when it comes to the work place and focuses so much on her career that her marriage has fallen apart. At the start of the book, she is already separated from her husband and buries herself in work to try to forget him. Ashling is also dealing with a broken relationship, and is afraid to start up with someone new until she hits the comedy club circuit with friends Ted and Joy and meets a comedian, Marcus.
The good thing about SUSHI FOR BEGINNERS is the fun you'll have with the characters and the chuckles you will have when you read about them. If you don't take this book seriously, you will enjoy it. For those who are looking for a much better written book, this is not it. I suggest trying a book written by Jane Green.
Rating:
Summary: excellent characters, excellent story
Review: I have read all of Marian Keyes, books and this is one of my favorites. Although one of the main characters isn't really likable, all of the others are excellent, and hey someones got to be the villian.
Over all the characterisation and the story are both excellent, and the depression of the characters rings really true.
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