Synopsis
Name: Anna Christie
Age: Very, very early thirties
Marital status: Living with boyfriend, Adam
Sex: It's been a while. Maybe six weeks?
Career: Crafting sparkling features for groundbreaking magazine Casual Chic such as 'Impotence: Why No Marriage is Safe'
Current dilemma: What to do when your much loved boyfriend of ten years gets down on one knee and pops the question you've been secretly dreading?
Options: Stick - say yes, jump on the marriage bandwagon, accept that babies are now standard issue and always wonder if the grass is greener ...
OR
Twist - walk away to start a new, exciting life, but end up living on your best friend's sofa and pining for your ex. Turn to work for distraction, accidentally lie to hateful colleagues about your non-existent engagement, put together a painful wedding-centred work event, but perk up once young, sexy and seemingly perfect Harry Langham comes breezing into your life…
Hilarious, romantic and painfully honest, Stick or Twist proves that sometimes the most unlikely man turns out to be the One.
» Read the first four chapters of Stick or Twist by downloading the Penguin Taster here
Reviews
Customer Review: 01 April 2009
Reviewer: Claudia
'Great book- funny, intelligent and an excellent story. Can''t wait for her next one '
» Submit a reviewInterview
Which newspaper do you read?
Being brought up by terrible old lefties means I still read The Guardian, but as the news section depresses me I end up getting most of my current affairs knowledge from Magic FM! I can’t live without Grazia and I subscribe to Vogue, Harpers, Time Out and Vanity Fair.
Who/What is your biggest influence?
I love Melissa Bank, the author of The Girls Guide to Hunting and Fishing and The Wonder Spot. She writes so brilliantly about the trials and tribulations of love and how it feels to be a young woman.
What books are you reading at the moment?
A brilliant American debut novel called The Book of Dahlia about a 29 year old dying of cancer. Incredibly it’s hilarious. It’s also acerbic and truthful and clever. I recently adored Eat, Pray, Love. It’s author ran away from an unhappy marriage to Rome where she stuffed her face with pasta, and then to an ashram where she stuffed her head with meditation. That mixture of indulgence and contemplation really appealed to me. Plus I agree with her that settling is not an option.
What books did you read as a child?
Noel Streatfield’s Ballet shoes was my all time favourite and I gobbled up the Famous Five and Malory Towers like they were going out of fashion (which they kind of were).
Which literary character would you most like to meet?
Rupert Campbell Black – durr!
What’s your day job?
My day job is as an executive producer for drama at the BBC. I’ve worked on lots of shows, including Hotel Babylon, Spooks and Rome (that was a good gig!). I’ve had a bit of a run of writers recently, exec-ing biopics of Enid Blyton and Barbara Cartland. If I could ever reach Barbara’s 6000 words a day average I’d be a happy woman!
Who or what always puts a smile on your face?
Flight of the Conchords makes me laugh more than anything. And I love 30 Rock, although I do worry sometimes that I’m turning into Liz Lemon (and not in a good way). I could watch When Harry Met Sally every day for the rest of my life and never get bored of it.
What is your greatest fear?
I’m terrified of rats. I’m also terrified that we’re all going to be smothered by a layer of pointless plastic packaging.
How do you spoil yourself?
A massage, a box of Godiva chocolates, 2 episodes of Gossip Girl back to back.
Who do you turn to in a crisis?
My girlfriends, I couldn’t ask for a better gang.
What makes you angry?
Cruelty to children. The aforementioned tide of plastic.
What’s your worst vice?
DVD box sets from American Amazon – Beverley Hills 90210 Series One anyone? eBay’s a problem too – I literally bid on a dead woman’s shoes last week. Thank God I didn’t win.
Where’s your favourite city?
Rome and New York – it’s a tie. You can’t get more romantic than Rome and you can’t get better shoes anywhere other than Manhattan.
When was the last time you cried?
I cry at the drop of a hat, just call me Tiny Tears. Last week’s Grey’s Anatomy most likely.
Did you enjoy school?
HATED school until my A-levels. You try having a wardrobe entirely made up of tank tops and brown cord flares when everyone else is wearing a ra ra skirt.
What's your worst habit?
Sometimes I’m a little bit bossy.
What quality would you most like to have?
The ability to add up (still don’t have a maths GCSE). A fabulous cleavage. Carpentry.
Have you got a party trick?
I do an excellent rendition of Bonnie Tyler’s Total Eclipse of the Heart. Grown men have been known to weep.
Do you have any nicknames?
All my closest friends call me Alan. Don’t ask.
Do you have any unfulfilled ambitions?
Sometimes I wish I’d travelled the world but I’m not very intrepid (bad plumbing makes me depressed) and I got a proper job straight out of uni and missed the moment.
Product details
Format :
Paperback
ISBN: 9780141036465
Size : 129 x 198mm
Pages : 368
Published : 26 Feb 2009
Publisher : Penguin
Stick Or Twist
£6.99
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