Under the Duvet    by Marian Keyes Order:  USA  Can Perennial, 2004 (2001) Softcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Melissa Parcel Marian Keyes has made a name for herself as an author of Irish women's fiction, popular the world over. Her keen sense of story and wit draws readers in and retains interest until the end. Under the Duvet combines a humorous series of articles and short stories about the author's own life and adventures over the years - 'Shoes, Reviews, Having the Blues, Builders, Babies, Families and Other Calamities'. She relates groups of stories on topics such as her career as a writer, travels, adoration of shoes, and family. Readers will be able to identify with Keyes' numerous foibles and fiascoes, and will chuckle at how similar these incidents are to events in their own lives. I adored the story about her experiences as a magazine beauty columnist. Each day, bags of free cosmetic samples would arrive at her door, and she thoroughly reveled in it. Her joy at receiving beauty items in the mail mirrors my joy in receiving books to review. The similarities in reactions caused me to smile time after time. Marian Keyes recommends choosing stories from her collection in any order you see fit ... 'I like the idea that this is something you can dip in and out of, that you can let the book fall open on a random page and just start reading (unless you've read it already, of course).' It's the perfect volume for someone short on time, one that can be tucked into a purse or bag to be read in spare moments. Under the Duvet gives us a glimpse into the life of a famous author, who we find much more like ourselves than we could have dreamed. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews