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Being an author of lad-lit (or chick-lit for men) myself, I always like to do a bit of research to see who else out there is writing the same genre of books as my own debut novel, The Drought. I already knew about the Mike Gayle's and Nicky Hornby's of this world, but Nick Spalding I was not familiar was a name that kept appearing on Amazon whenever I did a search. Just last month Spalding signed a three-book deal with Hodder & Stoughton on the back of the success of his self-published novels.As a fellow indie author, it is great to see someone like Nick Spalding so bloody well! It gives you hope...! So I decided to take the plunge and see what Love... From Both Sides was all about, and I am pleased to say that I was not disappointed. I have to say that I wasn't gripped from the first chapter, and I have seen a couple of reviews say similar things, but keep faith with it as I did because it is very funny from there on after. The first chapter describes quite an awkward sexual encounter for lead character Jamie Newman. Perhaps I just didn't know Jamie well enough at this point to appreciate the comedy value Spalding tries to get across. It's a bit BANG in your face! However, what follows is a very clever concept of inter-changing chapters as told by Jamie, and the other main character, Laura McIntyre, as they go about their single lives looking for love. The benefit of getting both the male and female perspective works really well, and this is an idea which has been used by Mike Gayle since in his novel The Stag and Hen Weekend. Like most novels in this genre, you know where things are heading and that the two main characters will eventually meet and get together, but in a way you don't care, because by the end of it, you want them to be together. The laughs come in the middle and how they get there. Spalding is clever in that he keeps it simple. You can relate to the trials and tribulations that Jamie and Laura go through during the dating period, and he is great and conjuring up those feelings you have felt during those times in your own life, which perhaps isn't a surprise seeing as Spalding says he has based it on 'real-life of dating disaster and relationship blunders'. All in all, a really good read, especially for those boring train journeys to work! 4/5 Stars

I never would have found Mike Gayle had it not been for my flatmate insisting I read one of his books. I have to admit I wasn't too sure at first. The blurb read a bit too much like chick lit novel for my liking. I'm a man, and I like manly things dammit! Luckily I got past my silly male ego and embraced my metrosexuality, and a good few years later and I'm one of Mike Gayle's biggest fans. My Legendary Girlfriend was Gayle's first novel, having spent time as a journalist and features writer. This book was a huge success as Gayle followed in the footsteps of fellow lad lit author Nick Hornby to write a book about relationships from a male perspective with very high praise indeed. English teacher Will Kelly is single and pretty miserable to be honest! Set over one weekend, Will spends most of his time pining over his ex-girlfriend, Aggi, who cheated on him with his best pal. Then Kate enters Will's life in a series of phone calls which start to make Will feel like he has found someone to help him get over his ex. Dubbed a male version of Bridget Jones Diary, Mike Gayle's first book isn't too bad. And I say that having read a number of his books since, and knowing how good some of his later novels are. I enjoyed the book when I read it, but I did struggle to relate to the main character at times. Sometimes I wanted to grab him, give him a slap, and tell him to snap out of it! But Gayle writes in a way that makes you want to keep reading to see what happens, regardless of whether you like Will or not. And it has to be said that the ending has a nice twist. This is not my favourite Mike Gayle book, but it holds a special place for me as this was my first real introduction to lad lit, and in a way, this was probably one of the biggest influences on me to pursue the idea of writing The Drought. All in all, I would say that My Legendary Girlfriend is a decent read, but if you don't like or fancy this book, make sure you check out other books by Mike Gayle because you won;t be disappointed! 3/5 stars http://stevenscaffardi.blogspot.co.uk/

Friends Like These by Danny Wallace The ‘blurb’ Danny Wallace is about to turn thirty. Recently married and living in a smart new area of town, he's swapped pints down the pub for lattes and brunch. For the first time in his life, he's feeling, well ...grown-up. But something's missing. Something he can’t quite put his finger on. Until he finds an old address book containing just twelve names. His best mates as a kid. Where are they now? Who are they now? And how are they coping with being grown-up too? And so begins a journey from A-Z, tracking down and meeting his old gang. He travels from Berlin to Tokyo, from Sydney to LA. He even goes to Loughborough. He meets Fijian chiefs. German rappers. Some ninjas. And a carvery manager who's managed to solve time travel. But how will they respond to a man they haven't seen in twenty years, turning up and asking if they're coming out to play? Shortly before his 30th birthday, Danny’s Mum sends him a huge box containing memorabilia from Danny’s childhood, including an old address book. It contains 12 (13, if you include The Michael Jackson Fanclub!) addresses of children with whom he was best friends over the years. However, his Dad’s job meant that the Wallace family moved a few times, and over the course of time and distance, Danny has lost friends with all the names in this address book. However the memories of them are as strong as ever, and so, in some kind of mid-life crisis, Danny decides to try to track them all down. What follows is both funny and touching as Danny describes how he goes about trying to track everyone down. The humour is gentle but there are more than a few ‘laugh out loud’ moments. The writing style is lovely - very easy to read. If there was an Olympic sport of Crying at the drop of a hat then I’d win it the gold medal hands down, so it’s hardly surprising that I cried at the end of the book - I won’t say why! Did Danny finish his challenge and track everyone down? Now, that would be telling, wouldn’t it! I think anyone who likes travel writing would enjoy this. The style reminds me of McCarthy’s Bar by Pete McCarthy, or perhaps One Hit Wonderland by Tony Hawks, both of which I enjoyed, so it’s no surprise to me that I liked this too. I can’t wait to try Yes Man now! The paperback is 407 pages long and is published by Ebury Press. The ISBN number is 978-0091896775.