Like anybody, I’m a sucker for a bargain, and especially book bargains. Seeing that W H Smith’s latest half price deal was Marian Keyes’ The Brightest Star in the Sky, I decided to forgo my reading list for a little while. Where’s the harm?
Keyes is often dismissed as a chick lit writer, which is doing her a real disservice. She belongs to that blend of current Irish female writers (I would also include Cecilia Ahern in that category) who combine a real focus on serious issues (alcoholism, depression, domestic violence, drug problems), with magic realism and accessible writing styles. Sadly, all too often these writers get marketed as chick lit, which “they” say the serious reader is not supposed to like. Well, no apologies for breaking that rule!
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