Film Review - Mother's Day By Director Garry Marshall

From the same director Gary Marshall who produced Pretty Women and Valentines Day. Starring Jennifer Aniston, Kate Hudson and Julia Roberts.

Mother's Day focuses on the joys of motherhood and the relationships of these women and their families leading up to mothers day. Filled with plenty of joy and humor. An enjoyable film. Anne

Book Review - The Happy Couple- How to make happiness a habit one little loving thing at a time By Barton Goldsmith PHD ; forward by Harville Hendrix, PHD

The Happy Couple offers simple strategies for developing and strengthening the positive relationship traits of-
-gratitude
-humor
-honesty
'The Happy Couple is a guide book to relationships that every couple should read.' Bernie Siegel, MD author of A Book of Miracles and The Art of Healing.

With exercises at the end of most chapters the book is lighthearted, entertaining and positive. In the conclusion there is an interesting top ten list of ways to improve your relationship habits, which seems very achievable to implement into daily life.
An enjoyable and positive read. Anne

Book Review - Making Couples Happy, How Science can help get relationships back on track by John Aiken & Alison Leigh

John Aiken is a trained clinical psychologist he has written two other books and appears regularly on channel Sevens Sunrise. Alison Leigh is a journalist/broadcaster with over 30yrs experience in writing for Australia and New Zealand magazines.

Making Couples Happy, How Science can help get relationships back on track  is a companion to the ABC-series-helping couples rediscover the positives in their relationships and setting them up for long term happiness.

The 4 simple steps explained in the book are-

·         Talk

·         Connect

·         Support

·         Dream

With skills and exercises to work through. The book uses 4 real couples as examples and goes through their high and lows while using science to help get their relationships back on track. The book contains an index which makes it easy to look up issues and exercises.

The book was an enjoyable read, the exercises where satisfying and the skills to learn could be challenging. An upbeat approach to creating a happy long lasting relationship. Anne

Book Review - The Confusion of Karen Carpenter by Johnathan Harvey

A bittersweet and very funny explosion of modern relationships with an almighty twist that just about prevents me from revealing any of the plot. Harvey is a successful playwright and TV scriptwriter and co-wrote a favourite British series Beautiful People.  Karen's life has been scarred by people making jokes about her name (the same as a 70s pop star), her mother was a ventriloquist who couldn't talk without moving her lips and her best friend may be making lesbian moves on her. Apart from that her life is great, oh yes, except that her fiancée left her just before Christmas. Warning for language, sex, nudity and adult themes.
Wendy

Better together by Sheila O'Flanagan

Shelia O'Flanagan is one of the reliable group of Irish writers bringing you stories of people and relationships with a serious undertone but a light touch. Settle down for some pleasant entertainment as journalist Sheridan Gray takes a job on a small regional newspaper after being made redundant by a big city sports desk. Sheridan’s landlady, Nina, has a TV soap actor husband who is having a fling with his attractive young co-star. And what a pity that the devastatingly handsome man at the junior soccer match is married…. or is he?
Wendy

Three's a Crowd Dianne Blacklock

I always enjoy Dianne Blacklock and Three's a Crowd was no exception.

A little more complex than some of her earlier work Blacklock writes with real warmth and humour. Three's a Crowd is a story about relationships and how they change, their fragility and strength. It also had me questioning some judgements I may have made about people and their relationships.

A very enjoyable weekend read.