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Girls’ Night In
An unparalleled collection of stories by some of the best female writers commissioned specially for this collection, with royalties supporting War Child, the charity dedicated to alleviating the suffering of children affected by war.
A collection of short stories from some of the biggest names in bestselling authors Jessica Adams, Fiona Walker and Chrissie Manby commissioned 31 stories which are combined here in a fabulous anthology in aid of War Child. Contributors include Candace Bushnell (Sex in the City), Jenny Colgan, Freya North, Marian Keyes, Jane Green, Lisa Jewell, Wendy Holden, Isabel Wolff, Fiona Walker, Cathy Kelly, Polly Samson, Helen Lederer and Patricia Scanlan.
All royalties from the publication go to War Child.
A collection of short stories from some of the biggest names in bestselling authors Jessica Adams, Fiona Walker and Chrissie Manby commissioned 31 stories which are combined here in a fabulous anthology in aid of War Child. Contributors include Candace Bushnell (Sex in the City), Jenny Colgan, Freya North, Marian Keyes, Jane Green, Lisa Jewell, Wendy Holden, Isabel Wolff, Fiona Walker, Cathy Kelly, Polly Samson, Helen Lederer and Patricia Scanlan.
All royalties from the publication go to War Child.
586 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 3, 2000
16 people are currently reading
375 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
December 12, 2020
Stars: 2/5 even though my CAWPILE says 3
I'm not going to elaborate on this book much. I was disappointed. It's a collection of short stories about women - hence the girls' night in title. I expected light and fluffy - i'll read a couple each weekend. Nope. I liked one maybe two and honestly I don't remember which they were. Some were interesting, some I did not understand. It took me 11 months to read. That's too long. (yes, I should have DNF but I really hate doing that)
Characters: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Writing:6
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 6
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 4
I'm not going to elaborate on this book much. I was disappointed. It's a collection of short stories about women - hence the girls' night in title. I expected light and fluffy - i'll read a couple each weekend. Nope. I liked one maybe two and honestly I don't remember which they were. Some were interesting, some I did not understand. It took me 11 months to read. That's too long. (yes, I should have DNF but I really hate doing that)
Characters: 5
Atmosphere: 4
Writing:6
Plot: 6
Intrigue: 6
Logic: 7
Enjoyment: 4
April 13, 2025
1.5 ⭐️
I knew this wasn’t going to be anything special going into it - but I’m trying to get through all of my hard copy books!!
I did like the short story layout for a change, and tasked myself with reading one short story a night until I finished the book - there were about 45.
Some stories were good, some were confusing and felt unfinished or were ill explained and confusing.
In any case, there goes another 700 pages off my bookshelf!!
I knew this wasn’t going to be anything special going into it - but I’m trying to get through all of my hard copy books!!
I did like the short story layout for a change, and tasked myself with reading one short story a night until I finished the book - there were about 45.
Some stories were good, some were confusing and felt unfinished or were ill explained and confusing.
In any case, there goes another 700 pages off my bookshelf!!
dnf-partly-read
July 2, 2017In and Out **
Dougie, Spoons and the Aquarium Solarium **
The Power of Two *(*)
The Truth is Out There *(*)
Rudy ***
Dougie, Spoons and the Aquarium Solarium **
The Power of Two *(*)
The Truth is Out There *(*)
Rudy ***
October 5, 2019
Definitely not what i expected. There were a couple of stories that were OK, but so many thatI didn't like that I can't remember the ones that I did.
Pretty sure there was one that glorified a suicide, and there were definitely plenty of cringey moments and horrible people and not enough fun chick flicky stories that I had expected from such a cover and title like "Girls Night In". Surely with a title like that there should be stories I would like to read on a girls night in, but nope.
Really the only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one is because there were a few stories I actually liked but they were sprinkled in among all the others that I didn't that this book is really probably not worth anyone's time.
Pretty sure there was one that glorified a suicide, and there were definitely plenty of cringey moments and horrible people and not enough fun chick flicky stories that I had expected from such a cover and title like "Girls Night In". Surely with a title like that there should be stories I would like to read on a girls night in, but nope.
Really the only reason I'm giving this two stars instead of one is because there were a few stories I actually liked but they were sprinkled in among all the others that I didn't that this book is really probably not worth anyone's time.
January 3, 2019
Rating - 3.5 stars.
The book has an interesting collection of stories. I really enjoyed the pot luck of different writing styles. Most of the stories kept me interested and some I even hoped would become actual stand alone books, I would so read them.
An easy and light read, ideal holiday read!
The book has an interesting collection of stories. I really enjoyed the pot luck of different writing styles. Most of the stories kept me interested and some I even hoped would become actual stand alone books, I would so read them.
An easy and light read, ideal holiday read!
December 12, 2014
I can remember reading the first first Girls Night In release when I was at university and living on 2 minute noodles and peanut butter on toast. My nan had bought it and then decided it wasn’t really for her (she’s not keen on short stories, I think she was swayed by the wonderful line up of names). She passed it on to me and my house mate Claire and I ended up both reading it. She was a reader too, one of my few reading friends and during the time we lived together (almost 3 years, 2 years in a dorm on campus and then 1 year in our own place) we spent countless hours discussing books we’d read, books we loved, books we were recommending to each other and books we’d heard about. It’s probably what cemented our friendship as we had little else, if anything, in common.
Since then there’s been several other releases, some featuring male authors by invitation. This is a ‘best of’ collection, a coming together of stories from the previous volumes. I’m not sure what happened to my copy of the original – I suspect Claire may have ended up with it when we divided up our belongings! However I was pretty sure it wouldn’t matter that I’d probably read some of these before – after all that’s a decade and many, many hundreds of books ago. Turns out I was right. There’s very little in here that I remember, other than the story by Nick(ola) Earls. There are plenty of some old favourite authors: Marian Keyes, Fiona Walker, Cathy Kelly, Liane Moriarty, Monica McInerney and Sophie Kinsella, to name just a few. Names that have adorned my bookshelves for almost two decades in some cases. Names that are still autobuys.
I have to admit that like my nan, I’m not really a short story person. I like to sink into a novel, to get involved and the often cryptic endings of short stories can leave me confused and unsatisfied. However there were some really brilliant ones in here – Cecilia Ahearn’s The End which is a story told backwards about a break-up, Isla Dewar’s The Alma Club about a group of successful women and the hairdresser that changed and shaped them, Wishing Carefully by Marian Keyes and Mothers’ Group by Liane Moriarty.
Despite the size of this collection, it was a very quick read, each story flying along because they’re only a few pages. I read it in two sittings but it would be very easy to snatch a story here and there – would make a great book for public transport or perhaps for bed time. It also supports a worthy cause, with all the proceeds going to War Child.
Since then there’s been several other releases, some featuring male authors by invitation. This is a ‘best of’ collection, a coming together of stories from the previous volumes. I’m not sure what happened to my copy of the original – I suspect Claire may have ended up with it when we divided up our belongings! However I was pretty sure it wouldn’t matter that I’d probably read some of these before – after all that’s a decade and many, many hundreds of books ago. Turns out I was right. There’s very little in here that I remember, other than the story by Nick(ola) Earls. There are plenty of some old favourite authors: Marian Keyes, Fiona Walker, Cathy Kelly, Liane Moriarty, Monica McInerney and Sophie Kinsella, to name just a few. Names that have adorned my bookshelves for almost two decades in some cases. Names that are still autobuys.
I have to admit that like my nan, I’m not really a short story person. I like to sink into a novel, to get involved and the often cryptic endings of short stories can leave me confused and unsatisfied. However there were some really brilliant ones in here – Cecilia Ahearn’s The End which is a story told backwards about a break-up, Isla Dewar’s The Alma Club about a group of successful women and the hairdresser that changed and shaped them, Wishing Carefully by Marian Keyes and Mothers’ Group by Liane Moriarty.
Despite the size of this collection, it was a very quick read, each story flying along because they’re only a few pages. I read it in two sittings but it would be very easy to snatch a story here and there – would make a great book for public transport or perhaps for bed time. It also supports a worthy cause, with all the proceeds going to War Child.
March 15, 2014
I've had the second Girls Night In for years, and so picked this up when I found it. To be honest, I think they started to get the hang of it with the second one, which has much more variety than this compilation. I was starting to wonder how many ways you could tell the jilted lover / all men are bastards / finding true love story. Not that any of them are poorly written particularly, just this is a big book with limited variety. A good one to do into occasionally, rather than read cover to cover.
November 12, 2020
3.4 🌠
In and Out (Freya North) - 2.5/5
Dougie, Spoons and the Aquarium Solarium (Jenny Colgan) - 3.75/5
The Power of Two (Fiona Walker) - 3.5/5
The Truth is Out There (Marian Keyes) - 5/5
Review: Heartwarming, empowering!
Rudy (Lisa Jewell) - 3.75/5
A Swimmer's Tale (Stella Duffy) - 1.75/5
Review: Didn't care for neither the narrator nor the flowery writing.
Post Haste (Isabel Wolff) - 4/5
Cassandra (Cathy Kelly) - 2.5/5
Access All Areas (Jane Owen) - 2/5
The E-Male of the Species (Wendy Holden) - 3.75/5
Love on the Underground (Jessica Adams) - 3.75/5
Fairweather Friend (Patricia Scanlan) - 3/5
Review: To be fair, I had read this before in another series and I was so tired of the book's theme by then.
Something Different (Clare Naylor) - 2.25/5
The Itch (Polly Samson) - 2.5/5
Morro (Alecia McKenzie) - 4.5/5
Flung (Adele Parks) - 3.5/5
Pull Me in the Pullman Carriage (Helen Lederer) - 2.5/5
The Plain Truth (Claire Calman) - 4/5
Mr Charisma (Yasmin Boland) - 3.5/5
The Sun, the Moon and the Stars (Pauline McLynn) - 4/5
The Shell of Venus (Victoria Routledge) - 3.75/5
Man with a Tan (Anna Maxted) - 4.5/5
Storm Clouds (Sheila O'Flanagan) - 3.5/5
Caravan (Rosalyn Chissick) - 4.25/5
The Seven Steps from Shag to Spouse (Tiffanie Darke) - 3.5/5
Lip Service (Karen Moline) - 3.75/5
Saving Amsterdam (Chrissie Manby) - 3/5
A Form of Release (Daisy Waugh) - 4/5
Hurrah for the Hols- Helen Simpson - 4.25/5
No Worries (Sarah Ingham) - 3.25/5
Re: The World (Amy Jenkins) - 2.5/5
In and Out (Freya North) - 2.5/5
Dougie, Spoons and the Aquarium Solarium (Jenny Colgan) - 3.75/5
The Power of Two (Fiona Walker) - 3.5/5
The Truth is Out There (Marian Keyes) - 5/5
Review: Heartwarming, empowering!
Rudy (Lisa Jewell) - 3.75/5
A Swimmer's Tale (Stella Duffy) - 1.75/5
Review: Didn't care for neither the narrator nor the flowery writing.
Post Haste (Isabel Wolff) - 4/5
Cassandra (Cathy Kelly) - 2.5/5
Access All Areas (Jane Owen) - 2/5
The E-Male of the Species (Wendy Holden) - 3.75/5
Love on the Underground (Jessica Adams) - 3.75/5
Fairweather Friend (Patricia Scanlan) - 3/5
Review: To be fair, I had read this before in another series and I was so tired of the book's theme by then.
Something Different (Clare Naylor) - 2.25/5
The Itch (Polly Samson) - 2.5/5
Morro (Alecia McKenzie) - 4.5/5
Flung (Adele Parks) - 3.5/5
Pull Me in the Pullman Carriage (Helen Lederer) - 2.5/5
The Plain Truth (Claire Calman) - 4/5
Mr Charisma (Yasmin Boland) - 3.5/5
The Sun, the Moon and the Stars (Pauline McLynn) - 4/5
The Shell of Venus (Victoria Routledge) - 3.75/5
Man with a Tan (Anna Maxted) - 4.5/5
Storm Clouds (Sheila O'Flanagan) - 3.5/5
Caravan (Rosalyn Chissick) - 4.25/5
The Seven Steps from Shag to Spouse (Tiffanie Darke) - 3.5/5
Lip Service (Karen Moline) - 3.75/5
Saving Amsterdam (Chrissie Manby) - 3/5
A Form of Release (Daisy Waugh) - 4/5
Hurrah for the Hols- Helen Simpson - 4.25/5
No Worries (Sarah Ingham) - 3.25/5
Re: The World (Amy Jenkins) - 2.5/5
January 31, 2024
It definitely what I was expecting for this book, it’s like a short story in a way about women but other people may like it but it just wasn’t my cup of tea ig. Honestly I didn’t want to finish it but forever myself into finishing it, I won’t go further into it but yeah other people may like it and that’s amazing but it just wasn’t for me
October 8, 2022
Disappointing. The writing was good but the stories were not. Some had weird endings and left me perplexed. And sometimes wanting more as if the story wasn’t complete. They were not happy chick stories but could be quite depressing. I would give this book a miss.
October 3, 2017
Kerry 2017
October 2, 2023
Loved this book I really enjoyed this and was a really easy read definitely under rated.
January 25, 2025
Not the book I thought at all...
Some stories were interesting, but found a bunch not fun or good at all...
Some stories were interesting, but found a bunch not fun or good at all...
November 26, 2015
Although a rather 'fat' book, the money goes to charity so that's good. Took me a little while to read but as it is a collection of short stories it was easy to pick up and put down and pick up again. Some of the stories didn't grab me, others did. Is mainly though aimed at women rather than men and teens but that is who the book is aimed at. Loads of funny, sad and interesting quirky stories by some famous others rather unknown authors. I have some of the other books in the series and am looking at sinking my teeth into them at some point.
December 2, 2016
I loved these anthologies and would eagerly await the new one each year.
It's so great to have some of your favorite writers exploring short form work and creating contained stories. I particularly liked Jessica Adams' addition.
Good fun short stories, perfect if you wanna read a little before bed, but get annoyed at getting sucked into a page turner that keeps you up. Just limit yourself to one story a night though!
It's so great to have some of your favorite writers exploring short form work and creating contained stories. I particularly liked Jessica Adams' addition.
Good fun short stories, perfect if you wanna read a little before bed, but get annoyed at getting sucked into a page turner that keeps you up. Just limit yourself to one story a night though!
November 2, 2010
A good collection of Short Stories by some talented authors. I was however disappointed with this collection, as I didn't think it was good as it could have been. It is however a perfect read for the beach (although it is a little bulky in size) or a bus or train journey.
Want to read
July 30, 2011This book is the 3rd in the series called "Big Night Out". The authors are the usual Girl's Night In suspects, plus heaps of celebrates & rock stars... such as Bob Geldof, Jamie Oliver, Donna Hay, Maggie Beer & many many more! Will start reading it sooon!
February 8, 2013
Very boring and unenjoyble stories. Even though I have read some of these authors before, their short stories in this book were not up to their usual standard. I have not read one of these Girls Night In books before and won't worry about reading one again.
Read
January 26, 2016I was so excited to start reading but I got about 10 stories in and felt frustrated. Short stories end suddenly OR leave you wondering where the rest of the book was! One way of knowing that I prefer a whole book.
November 27, 2016
I really liked some of these stories, while others didn't do much for me (as it often goes with short story collections). Overall it was a pleasant book, good for some bedtime reading, but without a wow-factor that would have led me to give it higher stars.
April 24, 2008
I think this is the one I picked up in Australia. Larger than the American one. A couple of stories overlap, but a good read.
July 7, 2009
I was on holiday in Portugal and it was left in the villa so I picked it up and read it. Perfect holiday read for by the pool, as some stories really made me chuckle.
September 26, 2011
short stories not always with a happy endings
some were good
some were weird
overall entertaining but not riveting
some were good
some were weird
overall entertaining but not riveting
January 5, 2011
Wonderful collection of short stories. There are plenty
November 7, 2023
Really enjoyed "A Swimmer's Tale" by Stella Duffy.
March 8, 2015
loved reading all these little stories...they all pretty much made me laugh :)
October 11, 2012
A light holiday read, served in tasty bite-sized chunks :)
December 11, 2012
Some great stories, a couple that I skipped cos they were pretty ordinary IMO. Great intro to some authors I hadn't read before : )
April 15, 2013
Some entertaining stories, but some were very average. Wondering whether that's a reflection on the usual work of some of these authors?
November 14, 2013
I loved it!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews