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45th out of 116 books
—
20 voters
Upside Down, Inside Out
by
Monica McInerney (Goodreads Author)
Eva is off to Australia, hoping to forget a fizzled romance and find inspiration for a new career. Joseph is taking a vacation from his stressful London job. Each is on a search for some answers about life. Then something unexpected happens: They meet each other.
Published
(first published June 24th 2008)
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I'm not anti chick lit, it's just not my favourite genre. I picked this up at a 2nd hand book stall because part of it was set in Adelaide and the Clare Valley. Now I don't know how to rate it because this style of writing never does much for me. I read it very quickly and enjoyed it while I did, but I'm not sure I'd read it again. Funny but not laugh-out-loud funny, well written but not exceptional. I would have liked fewer characters who I got to know better, more detailed descriptions of peop...more
I always love a Monica McInerney read. In Upside Down Inside Out, Eva Kennedy leaves behind her mundane life inIreland to have some fun with her friend inAustralia. McInerney is obviously blessed to be familiar with both countries and call both home. So she is able to show how Eva experiencesAustralia as a traveller but not in an overly stereotypical way. It’s interesting how the voice of Eva and Joseph are integrated throughout the story and I couldn’t wait for their paths to cross- despite its...more
I went to Barnes & Noble to pick up my next read, and I have to be honest I ALWAYS judge a book by it's cover. So I felt like I needed a happy fun book and when I saw this cover I was sold. I mean come on ladies what is more fun than getting your dresses slammed in the car door? NOTHING!! This book really was cute and funny. Monica McIerney is a great Irish author. I think I really enjoyed it because all the characters are from somewhere in Great Britain so it reminded me of my time over th...more
A cute, fun, and easy read - perfect for summer. Shopkeeper Eva leaves her native Ireland for a vacation visiting a friend in Australia, where she meets Englishman Joseph, who's a successful designer on a work-related vacation. Sparks fly (of course) and they fall for each other. The only problem is, due to some misunderstandings (and some lies Eva and her friend had made up to fool another person), Eva believes Joseph is a backpacker staying in hostels and working his way around Australia, and...more
This is a bit of a light fluffy kind of a read. No real drama or pathos, a little bit of humor and a little bit of romance.
Eva is an Irish shop assistant who once had dreams of being an artist. She's at a crossroads in her life and takes an impulsive trip to Australia to think over her options. Joseph is a successful English entrepreneur who travels to Australia on a business trip. The two meet by accident, and each gives the other a false impression of who they really are. Twists and turns in...more
Eva is an Irish shop assistant who once had dreams of being an artist. She's at a crossroads in her life and takes an impulsive trip to Australia to think over her options. Joseph is a successful English entrepreneur who travels to Australia on a business trip. The two meet by accident, and each gives the other a false impression of who they really are. Twists and turns in...more
Jun 10, 2012
Jan Q
added it
Absolutely loved it. The only bad thing about Monica McInerney's books is that they end & you want them to go on & on.
My Review of Upside Down Inside Out by Monica McInerney
Eva and Joseph, both off to Australia for seemingly different reasons, are destined to meet, but will the strong chemistry be enough to withstand the secrets they both hold? Monica McInerney takes us on a delightful journey with two people, both away from home and away from the realities of everyday living. McInerney gives us Eva and Joseph, who find themselves drawn to each other and liking how things are going until they are forced to face...more
Eva and Joseph, both off to Australia for seemingly different reasons, are destined to meet, but will the strong chemistry be enough to withstand the secrets they both hold? Monica McInerney takes us on a delightful journey with two people, both away from home and away from the realities of everyday living. McInerney gives us Eva and Joseph, who find themselves drawn to each other and liking how things are going until they are forced to face...more
I've just finished this book and the most thing I've come away with from it is how funny the book was at points-all the made up stuff about singing with Enya and sculpting for bono were so funny and the humour made up for parts of the book that were maybe lacking a bit,like all the many different circumstances that kept joe and Eva apart and the very sugary ending!
I would definitely recommend though,it was an entertaining light read and mcinerney really does seem to have a talent for real humour...more
I would definitely recommend though,it was an entertaining light read and mcinerney really does seem to have a talent for real humour...more
That this book is abundant with carefully thought-out not-quite-cliches is no problem, considering that it's playfully written, light and easy throughout, and filled with people just likable and interesting enough to hold your care for its duration. Less intent on the romance and more on the storytelling than a lot of such books, which I found all the better. I would cheerfully look out other books by this author, in the hope of passing just as enjoyable a couple of hours as I did reading this.
I went on a tear and read most of this author's books over the past few months: this is the only one that didn't really work for me. I accidentally read the sort of sequel to this book first which might be the source of some of my dissatisfaction. I really enjoyed the follow up (Greetings from Somewhere Else) so I was annoyed that characters I found flawed but engaging and sympathetic there just came off obnoxious here. The plot also had contrivances and situations I found annoying. I would hear...more
Quite enjoyable - nothing out of the ordinary with this tale of sea change and romance. Just an enjoyable read for escapism. The characters are real, as are their dilemmas and this makes for a believable and relatable tale. After the story ends, we see more of Eva in "spin the bottle" as a secondary character...great to see what happens to a character once their tale of romance has been told. Kind of a glimpse into the lives of movie characters after the 90mins are up (and haven't we all wondere...more
This book was just as good as "Greetings from Somewhere Else" which actually follows "Inside Out and Upside Down." I really enjoyed the store behind how Eva and Joseph met and wow, its a wonder they ended up together! Also enjoyed the relationship between Eva and Lainey which was the best part of "Greetings..." as well. And the reader is also introduced to Lainey and Adam's relationship, as well. The scenery and wonderful food was also deliciously described; I look forward to reading more of McI...more
Really, I would have preferred to give this 2.5 stars, but two seems too harsh, so I gave it three.
Read this for a library summer reading club, otherwise I wouldn't have chosen a modern romance/comedy type of book. The travel aspect of it appealed to me though.
It was enjoyable enough, had some humour to it. The main character got on my nerves by the end though.
Made me want to visit Melbourne - great "armchair traveller" descriptions. Okay for a fluffy summer read.
Read this for a library summer reading club, otherwise I wouldn't have chosen a modern romance/comedy type of book. The travel aspect of it appealed to me though.
It was enjoyable enough, had some humour to it. The main character got on my nerves by the end though.
Made me want to visit Melbourne - great "armchair traveller" descriptions. Okay for a fluffy summer read.
Ugh.... this book was so boring to me. I kept reading... hoping that it would pick up, but it never did. Even the ending bored me. I also didn't really love many of the characters. Eva's inner-dialogue drove me mad and their reasonings for carrying on lies were pretty lame, in my opinion. The story never grabbed me and I had to force myself to continue reading. When I finished I found myself wishing I'd spent the time taking a nap instead...
Oh, another charming book by her. I read this book in one sitting this evening while everyone was out. Her books are quintessential chick lit, but are very entertaining, not boring or too terribly trite, despite the genre naturally tending to head that way. All in all, they are a joy to read. The different settings of Ireland, London & Australia make these books just feel like a vacation.
I want to enjoy Irish lit so badly, but I just don't get it. Binchy, Ahearn, and now McInerney...they all feel flat and empty to me, but they always get such good reviews--what am I missing? With this one, the author kept throwing in convenient mishaps that kept the two love interests from getting together, and it was so obnoxious after a while that it lost all believability.
Ok, so this book is totally a romantic silly one.
Very good if you are looking for something a little soppy, but not over the top, to cheer you up.
Its pretty cool too, since the main character is visiting australia for the first time, you get to think about how great this country is, which I for one don't do enough.
I would say yes I definitely did like it :)
Very good if you are looking for something a little soppy, but not over the top, to cheer you up.
Its pretty cool too, since the main character is visiting australia for the first time, you get to think about how great this country is, which I for one don't do enough.
I would say yes I definitely did like it :)
I have loved/enjoyed every book I've read so far by this author - love her Ireland/Australia juxtapositions (maybe because those are the two places in the world I most want to visit). Great characters, funny enough in places to make me laugh out loud, women I'd like to know....great beach or weekend read. Can't wait to read the next one.
This was a good and bad book. It had a good story line, but all of the action was at the very beginning and the very end of the story. I hate that becasue then I am bored during the entire middle of the book!! Although, the ending was so good it left me wanting to read the next one so, I guess I have to admit that it's really good.
An easy read about an Irish woman and a Londoner who meet while on vacation in Australia. It was sweet, but predictable. There was a sub-plot about a heavy secret concerning the guy's family that seemed out of place in such a fluffy book. This one book made me realize I don't know much about Australia or Australian authors.
I am into books on tape, so I can listen and sew quilts at the same time. This was a good book with lots of twists and turns - a romantic chick flick that takes place in Melbourne, Australia. The reader had the Irish dialect down perfectly. Good beach book, if only I could find a beach in Ames, Iowa.
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Not a spectacular book, but good nonetheless. The plot was simplistic at times, ridiculous at others. Either way, it was easy to get drawn in, to feel connected to the characters. It's not my usual style of book though, so it wasn't overly amazing. Good for a quick and relaxing read.
Cute story...i thought it was written in a strange way, though got used to it and got very into it...and then realized why the author used so much detail. However, i found myself skipping paragraphs at a time when I found them just to be filled with too much irrelevance
I really enjoyed Upside Down Inside Out!! This is the second book I have read by Monica McInerney, and they both have been fun, easy reads. I really liked the main characters, Eva Kennedy and Joseph Wheeler, and finding out about how the meet and eventually fall in love. Near the end, I was a little put off how Eva and Joseph kept missing contact with each other, but other than that I didn't really have any complaints about the book.
Why does the cover of this book have a blond woman on the cover and the main character has dark gypsy like hair? As you can imagine I never got past the cover. I usually enjoy McInereny's books dealing with families in Australia. This book strayed from her usual formula. Two travels in Australia meet but never revel their true idenity to one another. It is a romance that never heats up.
When Eva Kennedy goes on vacation to Australia to visit her friend Lainey, she and Lainey create a new identity for Eva to pretend while she's on vacation. But, Eva doesn't plan on falling in love during her vacation either. Joseph Wheeler is the CEO of his own company and in Australia for a conference and a long overdue vacation afterward. When he bumps into Eva at a party she assumes that he is a backpacker traveling around Australia and Joseph goes along with it. Each wants to tell the other...more
I really enjoyed this book. It's a romantic/comedy book..not laugh out loud funny but a comedy of mistaken identities and errors. Takes place in Ireland and Australia, one place I've been and one I'm dying to go... I really enjoyed this book.
I loved this book. I read the Alphabet Sisters by this author a couple years ago. I liked this fun romantic book about two people who find each other on vacation in Australia.
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Monica McInerney is the internationally bestselling author of seven novels including Upside Down Inside Out, Family Baggage, The Alphabet Sisters and The Faraday Girls (which was named the General Fiction Book of the Year in the 2008 Australian Book Industry Awards.) Her latest novel Greetings from Somewhere Else will be published in the USA in July 2009.
Monica, 44, grew up in a family of seven ch...more
More about Monica McInerney...
Monica, 44, grew up in a family of seven ch...more
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Aug 23, 2009 05:49pm