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Happy Endings, first published by Penguin Books Australia, March 2005, rrp $26.95
ISBN: 0143001590
EVERYONE WANTS A HAPPY ENDING .
"If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun."
Katharine Hepburn
The sublime movie star Katharine Hepburn once said, "If you obey all the rules, you miss all the fun." Well, Happy Endings is about throwing the rule books out the window. Kathy B wants you to leave the washing up, hoe into a delicious box of chocolates and indulge in your passion for fabulous books and movies!
Happy Endings is the ultimate book and movie guide for your every mood - from finding inspiration to deal with difficult fashion dilemmas to pondering the 'meaning of life' and finding true love (even if it is only through a wonderful story - for the moment anyway!).
Hopefully Happy Endings will become your well-thumbed companion through life's ups and downs. Sometimes it's hard to keep on smiling (and looking fabulous)! Because some days things just don't seem to go a gal's way. Any of these sound familiar?
· You've been dumped - read High Fidelity.
· Your boss is making your life a living hell - watch Working Girl.
· You're suffering from unrequited love - read Vanity Fair.
· You have absolutely nothing to wear! - watch Clueless.
· You just can't seem to find Mr Right - read Pride and Prejudice.
· A 'friend' is out to ruin your life - watch Mean Girls.
· Your family is driving you mad - read All Families Are Psychotic.
· You need a long holiday somewhere glamorous but you've got no cash - watch Lost in Translation.
See, there is a way out of all the doom and gloom - after all, that's why books and movies were invented! Simply browse through and pick a story to suit your mood. Then grab a big bowl of popcorn and an even bigger glass of wine and get ready to lose yourself in another world, where life's problems are solved in a few hours and nice girls like us always get their guy. Sigh! Indulge yourself in some great stories and find true love, happiness and the perfect outfit. All this without even leaving your couch!
Kathy B has put together an almost 400 page, one-of-a-kind private book and movie club for you to refer to whenever you feel the urge. There are hundreds of reviews of fantastic books and films, great stories you'll relate to, wonderful illustrations from Kerrie Hess and contributions from fourteen very different inspirational people who talk about their favourite books and movies in Happy Endings.
HAPPY ENDINGS: It seems that even celebrities depend on a great books and films to inspire them.
Author Kathy Lette re-reads Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray again and again.
Olympian Cathy Freeman adores The Emperor's New Clothes by Hans Christian Anderson and the film, The Wizard of Oz.
Richard Branson is fascinated by A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson.
Layne Beachley, the world champion surfer loves the film The Shawshank Redemption.
Singer, Kate Ceberano had a profound experience watching Sophie's Choice.
Sass & Bide designers: Heidi Middleton chose Sylvia Plath's Letters Home: Correspondence, 1950-1963 and her partner Sarah-Jane Clarke picked Wabi-Sabi: For Artists, Designers, Poets and Philosophers by Leonard Loren.
Writer and actor, Leah Purcell relates most to the mini series Roots.
Actor Pia Miranda says she has loved The Wizard of Oz since she was a kid.
Actor Claudia Karvan loves books and favourite include The Mill on The Floss, by George Eliot and Behind the Scenes at the Museum, by Kate Atkinson.
Katie Noonan, singer and composer says her favourites are the foreign films, the Three Colours Trilogy, Blue, Red and White and her top book is An Equal Music by Vikram Seth as they are about the, "healing power of music."
Henry Rollins singer and writer chose Black Spring by Henry Miller and the gritty classic film Apocalypse Now.
Bradley Trevor Greive, the conservationist and author's favourite books include Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls and Gerald Durrell's My Family and Other Animals.
Author Nick Earl's has even created a 'Guide to Movies and Books for the Special Men in Your Life' for Happy Endings. He recommends books as varied as Cormac McCarthy's All the Pretty Horses to Saigon Tea by Graham Riley and films like Adaptation and Almost Famous.
Praise for Happy Endings
"Feeling down? Here's your movie guide to every mood."
Marie Claire
"Need to find yourself, recover from heartache, deal with your insane family? Happy Endings will sort you out! A girl's guide to film and books, it'll refer you to the right 'life lesson' or simply comfort in a way a tub of ice-cream never could."
Cleo magazine, 'must read'
"It's like a pop culture almanac - designed to prop you up, fire you up or stop you from throwing up when life throws you a curve ball."
The Courier Mail, Rebecca Sparrow
"Instant mood make-over. Shun the therapeutic vodka and put away the Prozac!"
New Woman magazine
"This is the ultimate book and movie guide for chicks."
Chick magazine
"A must for planning DVD nights in with the girls."
Dolly magazine
"Author Kathy Buchanan is like a therapist armed with an impressive library and DVD catalogue as she advises you on a book or movie guaranteed to help you cope with whatever life dilemmas you're facing."
OK! magazine
"What's the go-to book when you've just been dumped? What is the must-see movie if you are in need of a holiday, but can't afford one? Such answers arrive in bulk in the form of Kathy Buchanan's sunny tome Happy Endings - a lively, literate and serially witty companion piece that will have you sorted in no time at all."
Filmink magazine
"...this is an amusing but indispensable guide to what some may say is the
world's best therapy."
The Sunday Telegraph
"A must read."
Woman's Day
"Kathy Buchanan provides here a guide to books and films to suit every taste and mood."
The Age
"... Kathy Buchanan finds inspiration galore for female readers."
The Australian
"The best way to escape life's tough moments ..."
Reader's Digest
"If Prince Charming turned out to be a toad, your best friend's a mean girl and - ohmigod! - you have nothing to wear, then this is the book for you."
The Sun-Herald