Landline (2014)

Georgie McCool - and yes, that's her real name - knows that her marriage is on the rocks and the only way to save it is to go with her husband to her mother-in-law's for Christmas. The thing though is Georgie's dream job has just been given the green light and in order to be ready for her and Seth's very own TV show, she must stay back and write the scripts. But she doesn't tell Neal this until two days before they are due to fly out. So Neal and her family head off to Omaha for the Christmas break while Georgie is stuck at the studio writing. Not wanting to be alone for Christmas, Georgie heads to her mum's and stepfather Kendrick's house and crashes there for a few days. Needing to ring Neal, Georgie finds her iPhone is as dead as a doornail so she hunts for the family's old landline phone. What she will discover though is that this phone is a portal into the past - that she can speak to Neal in the months before they got married. With this device in her hand, can Georgie fix the problems in her marriage so that all will be well in the future or will having access to the past make her have second thoughts about whether she should have married Neal at all? This is another fab read from Rainbow Rowell and it definitely got me thinking about what ifs and what would you do if you had a one-way magical landline to the past - would you want to fix something or change a regret? (PP)

Fangirl (2013)

Cath loves Simon Snow, who is like Harry Potter in his own way, so much that she spends her days and nights writing fan fiction about him. She's so good at it that she has thousands upon thousands of followers who wait for her next story. When it's time for Cath and her twin sister, Wren, to go to college, Cath can't decide between living the college life of frat parties and making friends and the life she created with her Simon Snow stories. Throw in a moody roommate and her boyfriend, Levi, and Cath is even more alone than ever. Wren, on the other hand, is living it up - a little too much at times - with her roommate Courtney. When push comes to shove, can Cath get out of her head long enough to emerse herself in college life and possibly make a lasting connection with someone she never expected? This story is so sweet and wonderfully written and Cath is so socially inept that you can't help but love her and all her neuroses. Rainbow Rowell has written one of the best books of the year by far and you definitely will be a fan after reading it. (AS)

Eleanor & Park (2012)

Eleanor is the new kid at school and has to run the gauntlet of finding a seat on the school bus. She ends up sitting next to the ever-so-cool Park every day. Like the rest of his classmates, he thinks she's weird with her messy red hair and wacky clothes but over time they bond over music and comics. Set in 1986 (remember mixtapes?), this is a beautiful story about falling in love for the first time. Eleanor's dysfunctional family background will break your heart, while Park will restore your faith in human nature.

Attachments (2011)

Lincoln still lives with his mum and spends his nights working as an IT guy at The Courier newspaper. His main task is checking emails caught by a web security program and firing off warning notices to staff who misuse their work email. Movie reviewer Beth and features copy editor Jennifer know their emails can be monitored but it hardly stops the two friends exchanging lots of personal details about their lives and loves. Beth is mulling over the fact she doesn't have much in common with her muso boyfriend Chris anymore while Jennifer is wondering if it's time for her to start a family with her keen husband. As Lincoln is drawn into their exchanges, he finds himself attracted to one of the women. But how can a lonely guy like him approach her, especially since he knows stuff about her that he really shouldn't? Set in 1999, amid the hysteria about the Y2K bug, this is a charming and funny story about office romance in the technology age. With really engaging characters, it alternates between Lincoln's story and the emails between Beth and Jennifer. Loved it, loved it although thought the ending let it down a bit. But would happily read a sequel ... Definitely one of the strongest debuts of 2011.

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