ITV debuted its new period inspired drama last night, Lost In Austen. The plot revolves around city girl Amanda being transported into the world of corsets, dances and chaperones from her favourite book Pride and Prejudice through her bathroom door, and swapping places with Elizabeth Bennet (played by new Bond girl Gemma Arterton).

Despite sounding decidedly cheesy and a bit naff, the show was very funny, particularly the struggle Amanda endured attempting to speak ‘proper’ English, and surviving without modern comforts (like a toothbrush). No doubt it will have ruffled a few Austen purists’ feathers, but taken with a pinch of salt this is a light-hearted twist on a literary classic.

Next week Mr Bingley declares his love for Amanda, who attempts to rebuff his advances by telling him she’s a lesbian, and more characters from the famous novel are introduced.

Catch it at 9pm on Wednesday on ITV1.

I love baking, especially cupcakes, and I’m always on the lookout for new recipe books. I recently got The Cupcake Book by Susannah Tee, and after some rigorous testing (and much cake eating) I can confirm that Susannah’s recipes are delicious.

The book is split into three sections, including one dedicated entirely to chocolate. There are also some healthier recipes, including delicious Banana and Honey cupcakes and Blueberry Muffins. And if that’s not enough to whet your appetite there are some beautiful cupcake pictures in the book, as well as hints and tips on cooking equipment and decorating.

The recipes are easy to follow but be warned - they make big cupcakes! You need to use muffin cases rather than fairy cake size cases, and most of the recipes make one and half dozen. Luckily though they also work perfectly fine when halved.

Pick up a copy for only £5.46 from Amazon and get baking!

For those of us hooked on the shenanigans of showbiz folks, Living brings us a new series that looks beyond the celebrity gloss into the lives of our favourite famous faces. Adding a novel dimension to the conventional ‘through the keyhole’ format, Exposed takes its cue from a well-known and defining image of the featured star and questions how accurate that is. Each week a new celebrity will be featured with the inside gossip coming courtesy of those that have worked with, written about, photographed and studied the star in question.

Names slated to appear include actors such as Tom Cruise, Jude Law, Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie, supermodel Kate Moss, pop star Britney Spears and those famous for being famous such as Paris Hilton and the all-conquering Victoria Beckham. The series starts tomorrow night (8pm) with a look at Welsh darling Charlotte Church and will surely look at her early rise to fame, high-profile romance with rugby star Gavin Henson and new journey into motherhood.

To learn about the private life of Miss Church away from the headlines, catch Exposed: Charlotte Church tomorrow night or pick up her autobiography Keep Smiling from play.com.

All women seem to love Gok Wan. The outrageous presenter of Channel 4’s How to Look Good Naked has a cheeky side and infectious enthusiasm that has made him a small screen icon and fan favourite with ladies up and down the country. Tonight Gok returns with a new series of HTLGN (8pm) in which he once again helps insecure, body-conscious women embrace their naked form. It’s not about changing what you have (hello 10 Years Younger) or feeling bad for your faults, but learning to accept those wobbly bits you don’t like and happily showing off those bits you do.

In tonight’s show Gok tackles 29-year-old identical twins Suzy and Jeannie who have made very different life choices. Will Gok work his magic on this pair? To read up on the eccentric style guru, grab a copy of his book from £5.99 at Amazon.co.uk and for programme news, visit the Channel 4 website.

For those of us who dream of meeting our very own Mr. Darcy, would love to swish about in empire-line gowns and bonnets and “take a turn” around a room, the literature of Jane Austen remains forever close to our hearts. And so news of a new Austen-related BBC drama get us very excited and in need of a little lie down. This new programme is Miss Austen Regrets, a one-off feature-length drama that examines the final years of the writer’s life and asks why such a staunch romantic never took her happy stroll down the aisle.

The Sixth Sense’s Olivia Williams stars as our heroine and is joined by period drama regular Hugh Bonneville and comedy star Adrian Edmondson. Penned by Gwyneth Hughes (Five Days) and produced by Anne Pivcevic who brought us this year’s Sense and Sensibility, Miss Austen Regrets is due to be screened later in the year. For more information, visit the BBC website.

Not that many of us ladies need help looking gorgeous, but just in case you were after some a-list beauty tricks of the trade I thought I would let you know about this new bible I have found.

It’s written by Kym Douglas who is a host of the upcoming Lifetime makeover show Queen and celebrity journalist Cindy Pearlman. These ladies had always wanted to know how the A-list stars looked so, well, A-list. It turns out that even the most carefully guarded stars were more than happy to tell all. This jam-packed inside look at the surprising beauty rituals of A-list stars serves as a funny yet fascinating wake-up call to the harsh reality of celebrity self-maintenance.

Just some of the juicy secrets you are likely to find out include Angelina Jolie creating her high-volume hair by applying baby powder to her hair, roots-to-ends, then blow drying it in, Cameron Diaz being so resourceful by using her lipstick of the evening for blush touch ups and would you believe that glamour girls such as Jessica Simpson spray hairspray to their roots and apply matching eye shadow to cover up the outgrown colour!!

So to get your hands on true beauty secrets just click on to www.amazon.co.uk where all your prayers could be answered for a mere £6.74.

Those of you who know Russell Brand will know he is a comedy genius but did you know how he got to where he is now? After conquering journalism, television and radio it seems a book is now the right way to go.

Oh the wonders of the biography, the truth behind the lives of the stars we all admire. Well Russell Brand certainly provides that juicy gossip we thrive upon, I mean after the scandal we all hear in the weeklies, could we anticipate it more? From detailed descriptions of his child hood in Essex, to growing up and living with addictions to sex, drugs and drinks, it is a story of salvation as well as being entertaining read.

Get yourself copy from Amazon costing £9.49.

Check out these great gift ideas from Life & Style Magazine, there’s something for everyone on these two pages alone. The world will be going mad on Christmas Shopping sprees but I seriously can’t be bothered with the hassle and prefer to do everything on line.

Have you seen the Argos advert? that is exactly how I imagine shopping centres will look!! So browse around and see what you can find on the net, and you can start off with the great ideas above.

I’m not a huge fan of books, in fact its a rare occasion if you see me engrossed in a good novel unless I’m sunbathing on the beach or relaxing by the pool. However my fiance recently bought me a selection of Little Black Dress Books and I have been absolutely hooked. The first one I read was called The Batchalorette Party, a romantic comedy about a bride to be who has one or two secrets that all spill out on her drunken hen night. A great read for any girl who fancies a few chuckles to herself.

I have just finished my second novel in the collection entitled Sex, Lies and Online Dating. After reading the first few chapters a month or so ago I can’t say it really grabbed me but after reading the third chapter I could not put it down. The book follows two lives, a mystery writer called Lucy and an undercover detective named Quinn. They meet online and decide to set up a date, Lucy needs inspiration for her latest book and Quinn has a murder case to solve that the police think Lucy is linked to due to the relationship between her stories and the actual murders.

This novel isn’t half as funny as The Batchelorette Party but is such a fantastic read. You are right there as their relationship develops into much more than just a coffee date and you will be guessing who the murderer is the whole way through. I guessed who it was about 3/4 of the way through!

Sex, Lies and Online Dating is written by Rachel Gibson and is available at Amazon for the bargain price of £3.49 - a perfect stocking filler!

This is a book written for all us girls who care about the next seasons hot looks but that also care about global warming. Green is the new black is definitely a must have accessory.

You find the truth about fast fashion to advice on the best biodegradable shoes, from guilt free spending sprees to the joys of swishing parties. Author Tamsin Blanchard is your guide to all things fabulous and fair-trade. She explains everything from the principle of ethical fashion and gives reasons for why it is so important to do it.

Find tips for the aspiring green goddess including ethical bling, how to knit your own scarf and the best places around for good old vintage sunglasses. So if you want fun facts on every aspect of sustainable but stylish living, this book is the perfect read. If you want change the world and your wardrobe, do not go shopping without it. It’s currently on sale at Amazon for £8.99.

Well what I can I say, this book sounds hilarious and so very true to life!! It’s going to be a read that leaves you chuckling through each page and will most definitely be one you never put down.

Basically this book is where you find the confessions of our modern sins. So whether it’s eating ice cream as a late night treat or shopping when drunk we all have a huge list of secret sins. To sum up, in this enjoyable and highly amusing read you will find a collection of things from modern life we secretly love but never own up to.

This book will give you the opportunity to open up your flaws with the fun interactive section which encourages you to tick which of the naughty sins you have indulged in. It’s certainly a time to be honest with the secret sins including sleeping in taxis, teeth whitening, fake tan and of course our all time classic, pulling a sickie. So, go on reveal all and get your hands on this fun read. It’s currently available at Amazon for just £7.79.

Looking for a girly gift this Christmas? How to Walk in High Heels by Camilla Morton is ideal for the quintessential girl about town.

A Sunday Times Best seller, How to Walk in High Heels is The Girls Guide to Everything and is not far off its title and slogan. With chapters containing titles such as how to be stylish, how to be groomed, how to deal with unpleasant situations and how to perform, to name a few, this read is perfect for a perfectionist. According to the book, Camilla Morton studied at Central St Martins and spent her final year working at Vogue then moved to Paris and worked for John Galliano at Christian Dior. With a long list of credentials Morton seems to have an idea about what women should be and you can find some handy tips in this read.

Invest in your copy at Amazon currently selling for £4.79… bargain!

I always associate a little black dress with a night out on the town that’s full of all sorts of fun and frolics, however little black dress books have another idea. They have marketed this collection as being a great night in with a book!!

The whole collection currently consists of 34 novels, however it appears they’re forever growing! Each book is smart, sexy and sassy and has everything you would expect to find in a chick lit.

Little Black dress consist of a team of writers that bring a cool and contemporary feel to the classic romantic fiction. In fact 2 books are to be released this month. You’ve got ‘True love and other lies’ which is described as “A fabulous, feisty romance about how fickle a friend fate can be…” and ‘Forget about it’ which is more of “a funny and original novel about how to really get away from it all!”

If you want to find out more then all you need to do is log on to www.littleblackdress.com where the whole collection and several snipets from each book are available to read. The site also links to Amazon where the books can be purchased and both of the latest editions can be found for half price at just £2.50.

Hot off the press, I’m informed of a new book from Hollywood’s hottest stylist to the stars, Rachel Zoe. The book titled, Style A to Zoe: The Art of Fashion, Beauty And Everything Glamour, will be available to purchase on the 6th of December 2007, just in time for Christmas.

Rachel Zoe has an uber-stylish clientèle, including some of the biggest names in fashion, Mischa Barton, Nicole Richie, Lindsay Lohan and Keira Knightley to name a few. So it would make perfect sense that Rachel would release a book with some of the best kept fashion and beauty secrets along with advice the stars themselves use.

You can currently order your copy from Amazon.co.uk for just £11.04 , which is a great deal as the recommended retail price is £16.99.

Skinny Bitch is a “no-nonsense, tough-love guide for savvy girls who want to stop eating crap and start looking fabulous” according to the book’s front cover, and that it certainly is. The New York Times best seller, written by Rory Freedman, a former model agent and Kim Barnouin, a former model has won critical acclaim and great publicity with even the famous such as Victoria Beckham photographed reading it.

The book’s hard hitting approach can work if you have strong will power and listen to things that are indeed true even if you cannot see the light at the other side. Throughout the duration of the book’s pages you will learn about the ingredients in food and why it is bad for you, what you should cut out and what you should eat. It’s impossible not to laugh, listen and be surprised whilst reading this book.

Get your copy from Amazon.co.uk for £3.99.