Quite: The Top 10 Sunday Times bestseller, hilarious stories and heartfelt advice from the much-loved Strictly Come Dancing co-host

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I'm not sure how to put into words how much I adored this book. Claudia Winkleman is hilarious and never takes herself too seriously. I actually had very little of an opinion about Claudia Winkleman before reading this book, apart from that she has a fringe and I thought she wore a lot of eyeliner. After reading, I've learnt that there's a lot of logic behind the fringe and the eyeliner and I can respect that. From 1st July 2021, VAT will be applicable to those EU countries where VAT is applied to books - this additional charge will be collected by Fed Ex (or the Royal Mail) at the time of delivery. Shipments to the USA & Canada: Whispering Stories was established in 2015. The blog is here to share our love of books and the bookish world, alongside our other passions in life. We are based in the UK.

Describing herself in the opening sentence as “a short, orange woman who occasionally reads out loud on the telly”, Claudia Winkleman seems unable to quite believe her own success. But this book will further it, though its title does her a disservice. It’s much more than “quite” good. To borrow a favourite Winkleman word, it is excellent. Claudia wrote their comments in the praise section of the book. Matilda said: "A book? Hahahahaha," Jake asked: "Seriously Mum, who's going to read this?"and her youngest suggested: "Can I highly recommend a David Walliams instead?" Claudia has previously presented four series of The Great British Sewing Bee and was the host of BBC Film. Claudia is also a trustee of Comic Relief and has fronted the live television shows for both Red Nose Day and Sport Relief, along with spin-off shows including Let’s Dance for Comic Relief/ Sport Relief and the Comic Relief Danceathon. Claudia Winkleman's warmth, humour, no-holds-barred attitude and smoky eye have made her the favourite broadcaster of millions and a much-loved household name.Written in a chatty, humorous way – there are 6 main headings – all preceded by ‘Quite’ – Important (to me); Big; True; Inconvenient; Bossy; and Opinionated (I Know). Included are subheadings of all manner of various subjects and her musings and observations. I tend to avoid this genre and I’m not sure why because I’ve enjoyed most of the ones I’ve read, she looks like quite a character

Matilda had to undergo a series of operations on her leg after her supermarket witch costume caught fire from a candle.

About the Author

Absolutely hilarious, light hearted and easy going. Exactly the kind of book needed this year. It’s not pretentious, it’s down to Earth and totally relatable. However I’m not quite prepared to agree with Claudia on only needing to own one blazer. Secondly, this book consists of a lot of opinions. This is not per se a problem, but it reads more like a collection of blogposts - or in places Buzzfeed listicles - than a traditional book. Some chapters give interesting insight into Claudia's character and interests - her passion for the history of art really comes through and is great to read about - while others are opinions on fairly superficial things, told in an exaggerated way for comic effect. There are some glimmers into Claudia's life, but she keeps some cards closely guarded - e.g. a chapter on the health service alludes to various illnesses in her family but never gives any details.

In presenter Claudia Winkleman’s first book she talks about life. From children to husbands, clothes to footwear, celebrities to Strictly, (sorry I’m not a fan), she covers all aspects that she has an opinion on. So, to begin with I was slightly confused by this book. I didn't 'quite' understand the point. But the more it went on, the more I really enjoyed it. I have been a fan of Claudia's for a long time, and her humour really comes through with this book. I love the fact the audiobook is narrated by Winkleman herself too.But now, Claudia Winkleman has brought out a book, which is both funny and smart. It isn’t a memoir, although there are allusions to her happy childhood. It’s more a peek into the inner workings of its author’s mind as she serves up a delicious smorgasbord of reflections on her 48 years. There were sections where I totally agreed with her. Especially the topics of ankle books (I’ve lost count of the number of pairs that I own and have since being a teen), to her take on famous people, I don’t buy into all this celebrity stuff I just see people doing their jobs, whether that be a musician, actor, or presenter (sorry). But I do feel for those that have no control over their lives once they become famous. Claudia Winkleman is a proud mum-of-three but likes to keep her personal life out of the spotlight. Claudia Winkleman is one of the best known broadcasters in the UK, she won the RTS Award for Best Presenter in 2015, the WFTV award for Best Presenter in 2019 and has been BAFTA-nominated. Claudia currently co-hosts Strictly Come Dancing (BBC1) alongside Tess Daly and also has a Sunday night show on BBC Radio 2. Claudia also fronts the BBC1 cookery competition series Britain’s Best Home Cook alongside Mary Berry, which first aired in 2018 and will return to television screens again next year. She also regularly appears as a guest on panel shows including QI, 8 Out of 10 Cats, Big Fat Quiz of the Year and Would I Lie To You.

Claudia Winkleman's warmth, humour, no-holds-barred attitude and smoky eye have made her the favourite broadcaster of millions and a much-loved household name. If you're coming to Coles by car, why not take advantage of the 2 hours free parking at Sainsbury's Pioneer Square - just follow the signs for Pioneer Square as you drive into Bicester and park in the multi-storey car park above the supermarket. Come down the travelators, exit Sainsbury's, turn right and follow the pedestrianised walkway to Crown Walk and turn right - and Coles will be right in front of you. You don't need to shop in Sainsbury's to get the free parking! Where to Find Us She seems very down to earth, I love how she talks about her husband and children and life in general. With so many opinions, it would be difficult to agree with them all, and it would be unreasonable to expect to. Most are innocuous but some are simply offensive - e.g. "an over-enthusiastic user of [the exclamation mark] is physically repellent. You don't want to go out with someone who uses emojis either." Sure, this is likely exaggerated for comic effect, but it is pretty extreme (and out-of-touch with common linguistic practice). Another part says that liking spicy food is an indication of "bad taste" - she goes on to say you shouldn't care, but it is an example of where this book is relatable mainly to the white middle class.

Winkleman is also an author who doesn’t shy away from emotion, particularly in the chapters on parenting. She writes about her obsession with imprinting her kids’ names on everything from the bread-board to the doorstop and how she is dreading her eldest child leaving home, which moved me to tears. I was expecting more of a memoir type book but it's actually a more 'how to Claud' manual and that's okay and I enjoyed the how to but I personally think Claudia is fascinating and would love to know more about her and how she ended up where she ended up. Alas, Quite is just observations and advice. Claudia has a way with words, she makes you smile with her honest opinions and her openness. she even made me laugh on occasions. The book left me with a feel-good feeling and I sat and read it in one go, though it will be a book I will return to and go over again.