Wednesday 21 October 2009

Trouble in Spades by Heather Webber

Trouble in Spades (Nina Quinn Mystery, Book 2) Trouble in Spades by Heather Webber


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I enjoyed reading this. It was a quick read. The main character (Nina) is a strong woman and I like reading about her home problems intermingled with her detective abilities. Makes for good entertaining reading.

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Synopsis.

Landscaping is Nina Quinn’s business, but trouble seems to be her middle name. Saddled with a recently expelled, faithless local cop husband, a teenaged terror of a stepson, and the yappiest, most unhousebreakable Chihuahua in captivity, Nina needs a respite--and the backyard makeover she’s undertaking for her sister Maria and Nate, Maria’s fiancé, may do the trick. But, of course, Nate vanishes mysteriously, and Nina’s gardening magic inadvertently turns up a corpse. And with a thief on the prowl who’s preying on the neighborhood elderly, a suspicious Pandora’s Box of a package arriving on her doorstep, and yet another body inconveniently turning up, Nina’s going to have to dig into her community’s dirtiest little secrets to regain her peace and sanity--if she can manage to stay alive long enough to enjoy it.

Saturday 10 October 2009

A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks

A Princess of Landover (Magic Kingdom of Landover 6) A Princess of Landover by Terry Brooks


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

It's been a few years since I read the Landover novels and hadnt realised he had released this one.
I found it really easy to get back into the series and enjoyed the book very much. Terry Brooks has an easy writing style and the words flow effortlessly on the pages.

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Synopsis curtesy of Amazon.co.uk

Princess Mistaya Holiday hasn't been fitting in too well at Carrington Women's Preparatory. People don't seem to appreciate her using her magic to settle matters in the human world. So when she summons a dragon to teach a lesson to the snotty school bully, she finds herself suspended. But Mistaya couldn't care less - she wants nothing more than to continue her studies under Questor the court magician and Abernathy the court scribe. However, her father Ben Holiday, the King of Landover, has rather different plans in mind for her. He thinks he'll teach her about perseverance and compromise by sending her to renovate Libiris, the long-abandoned royal library. How horribly dull. But before long, Mistaya will long for the boredom of cataloguing an unfeasible number of derelict books - for deep within the library there lies a secret so dangerous that it threatens the future of Landover itself ...

Sunday 20 September 2009

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I didn't enjoy this as much as Pride and Prejudice. I found at times that I got a bit confused with what was going on and what character was being talked about in the book by other characters. But apart from that, it was an enjoyable read.

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Amazon.com Review

Though not the first novel she wrote, Sense and Sensibility was the first Jane Austen published. Though she initially called it Elinor and Marianne, Austen jettisoned both the title and the epistolary mode in which it was originally written, but kept the essential theme: the necessity of finding a workable middle ground between passion and reason. The story revolves around the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Whereas the former is a sensible, rational creature, her younger sister is wildly romantic--a characteristic that offers Austen plenty of scope for both satire and compassion. Commenting on Edward Ferrars, a potential suitor for Elinor's hand, Marianne admits that while she "loves him tenderly," she finds him disappointing as a possible lover for her sister:

Oh! Mama, how spiritless, how tame was Edward's manner in reading to us last night! I felt for my sister most severely. Yet she bore it with so much composure, she seemed scarcely to notice it. I could hardly keep my seat. To hear those beautiful lines which have frequently almost driven me wild, pronounced with such impenetrable calmness, such dreadful indifference!

Soon however, Marianne meets a man who measures up to her ideal: Mr. Willoughby, a new neighbor. So swept away by passion is Marianne that her behavior begins to border on the scandalous. Then Willoughby abandons her; meanwhile, Elinor's growing affection for Edward suffers a check when he admits he is secretly engaged to a childhood sweetheart. How each of the sisters reacts to their romantic misfortunes, and the lessons they draw before coming finally to the requisite happy ending forms the heart of the novel. Though Marianne's disregard for social conventions and willingness to consider the world well-lost for love may appeal to modern readers, it is Elinor whom Austen herself most evidently admired; a truly happy marriage, she shows us, exists only where sense and sensibility meet and mix in proper measure. --Alix Wilber


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Sunday 16 August 2009

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

War and Peace (Penguin Classics) War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy


My rating:
4 of 5 stars

Wow, what can I say? I read this in ebook format which contained 3423 pages!
I really did enjoy this book although I read it inbetween other books. I know it is considered as one of the greatest books ever written and I would have to agree with that. The book takes you through Napoleons invasion of Russia and the impact it has on five Russian Familys from the nobility. It is also a love story spreading throughout the Russian Invasion.
The ammount of characters is immense and I did struggle at first with the Russian names but got there in the end.
A lot of people I know knocked me for readig this book, calling it 'boring'. I asked them if they ever read it and most said 'no'. Maybe they should then their minds might be richer for it, because mine is.

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Sunday 9 August 2009

The Life in the Wood with Joni-Pip by Carrie King

The Life in the Wood with Joni-Pip, (Text Only) The Life in the Wood with Joni-Pip, by Carrie King


My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Although this book is aimed at young teens, (Although the Author defines that as Children aged 9 - 90!)I really did love this book. It took me back to my childhood when I invariably had my nose stuck in Enid Blyton books, in which I used to spend all my pocket money on. Carries writing is much stronger than Blytons and all the characters are very endearing. My 11 year old twin boys loved the book and we all can't wait for part two in the triology. We were lucky enough to meet Carrie at her book signing.

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Synopsis curtesy of Carries website

http://lifeinthewood.com/index.htm

The Story The Life in the Wood with Joni-Pip is targeted at Children aged 11-14. (Although the Author defines that as Children aged 9 - 90!) The story opens with the Bombing of Bath in England, in April 1942. After spending a night in the cellar, Philip Garador, an American, decides to move his family to Berry Bush, near Edwinstowe in Nottinghamshire. Their country cottage, Knotty Knook sits at the foot of Windy Woods, nestled on the edge of Sherwood Forest. Joni-Philipa is the spoilt and brattish, oldest daughter of the family and objects most strongly to this upheaval of her privileged life in Bath. On their journey to Berry Bush, the family stop for a picnic by a river. The grumpy eleven-year-old stays in the car, even refusing to play Skimmers with her 16-year-old brother, Alex. While sitting alone with Ethelred-Ted, her beloved, German Teddy Bear, she receives a surprise visit from three strangers; a girl of 13, Flip, who she finds fascinatingly familiar, although they have never met before and two boys, Craig, 14 and Steve, 16. These three have strange glittery stuff in their hair. Flip urges Joni-Philipa to change and ‘be nice’ telling her that her Future depends on it! They disappear as quickly as they appear and Joni-Philipa forgets they ever met, although she keeps having momentary flashbacks of them. She has no friends in Berry Bush but Ethelred-Ted, Poppy-Plump-Pij, a scatty wood pigeon and Hetty the Wee, a wise Scottish hedgehog, become her constant companions. They receive another visit, only this time from 2007 and they are given an incredible formula. They then embark on an adventurous journey that takes them over the WOT (Wall of Time), where they try to change a Bad Past (BP) into a Better Future (BF). During their Quission (Quest + Mission), they unearth some secrets of Life, including: POOLS (personal orbits of life), Déjà vu, The Kaleidoscope of Life, Pastures (where the Past meets the Future) and the OOMU (Observatory of Memories Unknown.)



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Saturday 25 July 2009

The Naqvigator by Clive Cussler

The Navigator (NUMA Files, #7) The Navigator by Clive Cussler


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This was Cussler at his best. The book kept me riveted and I had trouble putting it down. Kurt Austin is one of my favourite characters of Cusslers.

Synopsis curtesy of Penguin Books.

Years ago, an ancient Phoenician statue known as the Navigator was stolen from the Baghdad museum, and there are men who would do anything to get their hands on it. Their first victim is a crooked antiquities dealer, murdered in cold blood. Their second, very nearly, is a UN investigator who, were it not for the timely assistance of Kurt Austin and Zavala, would now be at the bottom of a watery grave.

What's so special about this statue? Austin wonders. The search for answers will take the NUMA team on an astonishing odyssey through time and space, one that encompasses no less than the lost treasures of King Solomon, a mysterious packet of documents personally encoded by Thomas Jefferson, and a top-secret scientific project that could change the world forever.

And that's before the surprises really begin . . .

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A Funny Olde Worlde by Jonathon Pidduck

A Funny Olde Worlde A Funny Olde Worlde by Jonathan Pidduck


My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I absolutely loved this book. It is well written, funny, witty and the characters are very endearing. I am really hoping he writes some follow up books. If you are a Pratchett fan, then I highly recommend this book!

Synopsis.

When the Hedral Watcher was in need of a warrior to defeat an all-powerful warlock, he knew that Thane -- an intergalactic mercenary -- was just the man for the job. Unfortunately, he ended up with a Ramsgate biker, an inept wizard with an attitude problem, and a blond Amazon in a squirrel-skin bikini. As the omniscient being on the planet, he had a funny feeling that -- barring a miracle -- it would all end in tears. But the make-shift company of warlock-hunters had other ideas...

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Key of Valour by Nora Roberts

Key of Valour (Key trilogy #3) Key of Valour by Nora Roberts


My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I did enjoy this triology in the end. It had all the usual Roberts ingredients.

Synopsis curtesy of Amazon.
'Do you believe in magic?' When Zoe Mc Court was sixteen she had been dazzled by the handsome and wealthy James Marshall. He had taken her innocence and left her to bring up their child alone. Now, after ten years of struggle, Zoe's life is finally coming together. Her son, Simon, is her pride and joy, and she is about to venture into business with her new-found friends Malory and Dana. There is even a hint of romance on the horizon, in the very sexy form of Bradley Charles Vane IV, a man whose wealth and good looks make Zoe a little wary but seriously tempted to throw caution to the wind. But before she can embrace her future she has a challenge to face. For Malory, Dana and Zoe have been chosen to undergo a quest to free the souls of three demi-goddesses trapped by an ancient evil. It is a challenge that promises great riches but also grave danger. And, of all of them, Zoe has the most to lose. Three women. Three keys to find. If one fails, they all lose. If they all succeed - money, power and a new destiny awaits. It will take more than intellect, more than determination. They will have to open their hearts, their minds, and believe that everything and anything is possible.

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Monday 6 July 2009

Key of Knowledge by Nora Roberts

Key of Knowledge (Key trilogy #2) Key of Knowledge by Nora Roberts


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars

I enjoyed the storyline. Simple reading for me. Roberts at her best!


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The Sonnets by William Shakespeare

Shakespeare's Sonnets Shakespeare's Sonnets by William Shakespeare


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars


I really enjoyed reading the sonnets. I read the book over a period of months simply so I could take in what each sonnet was about and enjoy them. This was my first Shakespeare book and I am looking forward to reading all the others.


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Thursday 18 June 2009

Mercy by Jodi Picoult

Mercy Mercy by Jodi Picoult


My review




rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is my second Picoult book and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
The subject matter centres around euthanasia and the impact it has on others.
I did not like Cam at all. Picoult portrayed him as a typical male chauvanest pig in my opinion.
I thought the book was well wriiten and all the characters had depth to them.


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Synopsis

What would you do for someone you love? Would you lie? Would you leave? Would you kill? These are just some of the questions confronting the characters in Mercy, which follows the path of two cousins driven to extremes by the power of love.

Cameron MacDonald has spent his life guided by duty. As the police chief of a small Massachusetts town that has been home to generations of his Scottish clan, he is bound to the town's residents by blood and honor. Yet when his cousin Jamie arrives at the police station with the body of his wife and the bald confession that he's killed her, Cam immediately places him under arrest.

The situation isn't as clear to Cam's wife, Allie. While she is devoted to her husband, she finds herself siding against Cam, seduced by the picture James paints of a man so in love with a woman that he'd grant all her wishes… even the one that meant taking her life.

Into this charged atmosphere drifts Mia, a new assistant at Allie's floral shop, for whom Cam feels an instant and inexplicable attraction. While he aids the prosecution in preparing the case against Jamie, who killed his terminally ill wife out of mercy, Cam finds himself betraying his own wife.

Woven tight with passion and a fast-paced plot, Mercy explores some of today's most highly charged emotional and ethical issues as it draws toward its stunning conclusion. When you love someone, where do you cross the line of moral obligation? And how can you commonly define love and devotion to begin with? Long after you have turned the last page, you'll still be thinking about this rich novel, as well as questioning your own beliefs about love and loyalty.


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Wednesday 17 June 2009

Key of Light by Nora Roberts

Key of Light (Key Trilogy 1) Key of Light by Nora Roberts


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
Although I did enjoy this book, I feel that her triologys are very much the same. Always six people involved, three men and three women and each book evolves around them all pairing up.

I do like the story line and will read the other two books in the triology.


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Synopsis:

Perhaps there’s a reason that many of Nora Roberts’ books have magic as a central theme. It’s the same theme in her newest trilogy, Key of Light, Key of Knowledge and Key of Valor. Legends and myths abound. Three women meet one dark and stormy night. Clichéd yes, but effective. Malory, Zoe and Dana each receive an invitation to a party at a local home, one with a colorful and mysterious aura. Upon arrival, the three women discover that they are the only ones with invitations. As they talk to each other, they also discover other similarities. All three are on the verge of losing their jobs. A bond is forged and it’s a good thing, because all three are offered a quest that will change their lives.
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Sunday 31 May 2009

The Da-Da-De-Da-Da Code by Robert Rankin

The Da-Da-De-Da-Da Code (Gollancz S.F.) The Da-Da-De-Da-Da Code by Robert Rankin


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars



I absolutely loved this book. I thought it was soooooooo funny. It's a parody of The Da Vinci Code, sort of. The book centres around Johnny who has an invisable friend and he must single handedly save the world disguised as a park ranger.

I love Rankins style of writing, for me he is on a par with Pratchett!


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The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts

The Pagan Stone (Sign of Seven Trilogy 3) (Sign of Seven Trilogy 3) The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars

I finally managed to read the third book in the series. I did enjoy it and thought the storyline was very imaginative. Roberts researched the subject well and having the right knowledge made the book enjoyable.


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Halting State by Charles Stross

Halting State Halting State by Charles Stross


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars

I found this book hard to get into at first until it picked up after a few chapters. It is written in first person context roleplay, as if you were the game master. I did enjoy the storyline although it did get confusing with it being done in first person context then changing to normal context.......it goes back and forth lol.


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Monday 27 April 2009

The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks

The Way of Shadows (Night Angel Trilogy) The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
My partner read this first and said it was really good so I read it too. I really loved it. The characters are so rich and the book is well written seeing it is Weeks first book.

I had trouble putting the book down and several times was reading to 5am in the morning. I am looking foward to reading the other two books.


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Synopsis.

The perfect killer has no friends. Only targets. For Durzo Blint, assassination is an art. And he is the city's most accomplished artist, his talents required from alleyway to courtly boudoir. For Azoth, survival is precarious. Something you never take for granted. As a guild rat, he's grown up in the slums, and learned the hard way to judge people quickly - and to take risks. Risks like apprenticing himself to Durzo Blint. But to be accepted, Azoth must turn his back on his old life and embrace a new identity and name. As Kylar Stern, he must learn to navigate the assassins' world of dangerous politics and strange magics - and cultivate a flair for death.

Saturday 18 April 2009

Half Way There!

I am now halfway through War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy.
Only another 1700 pages to go! lol

Thursday 9 April 2009

The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult

The Tenth Circle The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
This was my first Jodi Picoult book and I have to say I enjoyed it tremendously. I had trouble putting it down. I thought that the characters were very strong and very believable.

The book revolves around a young teenage girl who is raped. And it does get you thinking how you would react if you were that childs parent.


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Author Synopsis

When Daniel Stone was a child, he was the only white boy in a native Eskimo village where his mother taught, and he was teased mercilessly because he was different. He fought back, the baddest of the bad kids: stealing, drinking, robbing and cheating his way out of the Alaskan bush – where he honed his artistic talent, fell in love with a girl and got her pregnant. To become part of a family, he reinvented himself – jettisoning all that anger to become a docile, devoted husband and father. Fifteen years later, when we meet Daniel again, he is a comic book artist. His wife teaches Dante’s Inferno at a local college; his daughter, Trixie, is the light of his life – and a girl who only knows her father as the even-tempered, mild-mannered man he has been her whole life. Until, that is, she is date raped…and Daniel finds himself struggling, again, with a powerlessness and a rage that may not just swallow him whole, but destroy his family and his future.

Map of Bones by James Rollins

Map of Bones (Sigma Force #2) Map of Bones by James Rollins


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
I did enjoy this book although it was not my favourite one of his.

It's a good old fashioned thriller/adventure book, with a good plot and lots of twist and turns. Pure escapism!


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Amazon review From Publishers Weekly A mysterious biblical object, nefarious Vatican spies and a deadly centuries-old religious cabal—sound familiar? Sacramento veterinarian Rollins offers more Da Vinci Code–style thrills for the seriously addicted. In this seventh outing, hooded men invade midnight mass at the Cologne Cathedral and slaughter almost everyone present, then break open a gold sarcophagus and steal... the bones of the Three Wise Men. Grayson Pierce, top agent in the Department of Defense's covert Sigma Force, takes a team to Rome, joins up with love-interest Rachel Verona, a carabinieri corps lieutenant, and her Vatican official uncle, Vigot. It seems that the Dragon Court, a medieval alchemical cult-cell that still operates within the Catholic Church, is to blame, and it also seems that the bones of the Magi aren't really bones, but the highly reactive Monatomic gold that the group plans to use to accomplish its ultimate goal—Armegeddon. Rollins has few peers in the research department, which makes the historical material fascinating, and he keeps the dialogue believably colloquial and the incidental elements motivated—and plausible for at least short stretches. Clumsy romance is mostly overcome by lots of action. Dan Brown-ers looking for methadone will add to Rollins's usual solid numbers.

Sunday 29 March 2009

At My Mother's Knee by Paul O'Grady

At My Mother's Knee At My Mother's Knee by Paul O'Grady


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
I love Paul O'grady as an entertainer and off course, his portrayal of Lily Savage. I found his autobiography to be very endearing, honest, and Paul to be witty and full of warmth especially towards his long suffering family, mainly his parents. An essential read if you like this man!

Synopsis via Amazon.co.uk

At My Mother's Knee and Other Low Joints is an entertaining autobiography from someone who really does have a life that is worth writing about. Gossipy, sharp and colourful, the cast of characters in Paul O'Grady's life includes rogues and rascals galore, all of whom are evoked here with great comic skill. O'Grady was variously a boxer, a civil servant, a conman and even a cat burglar - all of these failed careers are on display here, as is a surprisingly pungent picture of the Liverpool nightclub scene. When so many showbiz autobiographies these days are written by people who have a barely had a life outside of their fame, it's refreshing to encounter one by somebody whose story would be interesting even if he were not a major TV star. --Barry Forshaw




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The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski

The Lost Throne The Lost Throne by Chris Kuzneski


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this and it's the second Kuzneski book I have read. It's kind of along the line of The Da Vinci Code and I found it a nicely paced book. I loved the characters and I find his style of writing very enjoyable. All in all a great novel to indulge yourself in.

Synopsis

Hewn into the towering cliffs of central Greece, the Metéora monasteries are all but inacessible. The Holy Trinity is the most isolated, its sacred brotherhood the guardians of a long-forgotten secret. In the dead of night, the sanctity of the holy retreat is shattered by an elite group of warriors, carrying ancient weapons. One by one, they hurl the silent monks from the cliff-top - the holy men taking their secret to their rocky graves. Halfway across Europe, a terrified academic fears for his life. Richard Byrd has nearly uncovered the location of one of the Seven Ancient Wonders - the statue of Zeus and his mighty throne. But Byrd's search has also uncovered a forbidden conspiracy, and there are those who would do anything to conceal its dark agenda...




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Saturday 14 March 2009

The twins meet Carrie King.

Ash and Josh at book signing

This is the twins with Carrie King. She is the author of The Life in the Wood with Joni Pip. We popped into Waterstones and didn't know there was a book signing. Carrie has been dubbed 'the new JK Rowlings'. Carrie is such a lovely lady. She had so much time for the boys and she even gave them a poster that all the other kids didnt get and signed it too. I must say, I am looking forward to reading the book too.........it's fantasy based with time travel and has really good reviews.

Sorry about the picture being blurred, him indoors took it on my mobile.

Friday 13 March 2009

Ceremony in Death by J.D.Robb

Ceremony in Death (In Death Series, Book  #5) Ceremony in Death by J.D. Robb


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book and I am looking forward to reading the next one in the series. I love the character of Dallas as she is strong and gutsy.


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Synopsis:

Investigating the death of a fellow officer, Eve Dallas receives a personal warning when a dead body is placed outside her home, and her subsequent experiences make her question her beliefs about right and wrong.

Saturday 7 March 2009

Look who it is! Alan Carr

Look Who It Is!: My Story Look Who It Is!: My Story by Alan Carr


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed reading this book. He came across the same as he is on the T.V.

He is very witty and I hope there is a follow up book in the future.


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Discription (W H Smith)

The brilliantly funny and inimitable Alan Carr tells his life story in his own words, from growing up in a football-mad family in Northampton to his rise to become one of Britain's best-loved comedians. 'Puberty had been unkind. Whereas it had come in the night and left the other boys with chiselled, stubbly chins and deep masculine voices, I'd been left with a huge pair of knockers and the voice of a pensioner.' Alan Carr Alan Carr grew up in one of the most boring towns in England -- Northampton. A place known for making shoes. It was also known for its football club, Northampton Town FC. Alan's dad as manager of the club was a local hero. A dream come true for most lads, but not Alan. Alan wore glasses and had man boobs at 14. He did not like P.E. In his very first book, Alan tells his life story, ('oh and what a life') with his unique twist of natural, observational humour -- 'I'm not saying I'm a fantasist but there have been times when things that I've seen on television when I was younger have tended to seep into my subconscious and blended into my own life.I remember telling my Mum about the time I stopped that woman from having a diamond encrusted necklace stolen and she'd say 'No Alan, that was Poirot.

' With his tongue-in-cheek, end of pier humour that made him famous, Alan describes an ordinary life in bursts of technicolour. His journey from awkward schoolboy hiding his man-boobs on the pitch, drinking tea with the dinner ladies and working in a call centre, to becoming one of our best-loved comedians likened to the great Frankie Howerd, make his book a guaranteed tickler with a laugh-out-loud gag on every page.

Wednesday 4 March 2009

Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman

Compulsion Compulsion by Jonathan Kellerman


My review


rating: 2 of 5 stars
I couldn't quite get into this novel which is strange as I usually love Kellerman.

I thought the storyline was a little fragmented in places and found my mind wandering and then I got distracted from the text.


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Synopsis.

Once again, the depths of the criminal mind and the darkest side of a glittering city fuel #1 New York Times bestselling author Jonathan Kellerman’s brilliant storytelling. And no one conducts a more harrowing and suspenseful manhunt than the modern Sherlock Holmes of the psyche, Dr. Alex Delaware.

A tipsy young woman seeking aid on a desolate highway disappears into the inky black night. A retired schoolteacher is stabbed to death in broad daylight. Two women are butchered after closing time in a small-town beauty parlor. These and other bizarre acts of cruelty and psychopathology are linked only by the killer’s use of luxury vehicles and a baffling lack of motive. The ultimate whodunits, these crimes demand the attention of LAPD detective Milo Sturgis and his collaborator on the crime beat, psychologist Alex Delaware.

What begins with a solitary bloodstain in a stolen sedan quickly spirals outward in odd and unexpected directions, leading Delaware and Sturgis from the well-heeled center of L.A. society to its desperate edges; across the paths of commodities brokers and transvestite hookers; and as far away as New York City, where the search thaws out a long-cold case and exposes a grotesque homicidal crusade. The killer proves to be a fleeting shape-shifter, defying identification, leaving behind dazed witnesses and death–and compelling Alex and Milo to confront the true face of murderous madness.

BBC Book Quiz

The BBC believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. How do your reading habits stack up?

Instructions:
Look at the list and make bold those you have read and italicise the ones you own but haven't read yet (note, not just own and will never read ).

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D'Urbervilles-Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy - currently reading
25 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe - CS Lewis
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov I bet you are so suprised....
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Inferno - Dante
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo

Hmmm, I've read 20!

Wednesday 25 February 2009

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett

Monstrous Regiment Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
I have read most of the Disc world novels and this one was no exception and made me really giggle. I just love the characters and Pratchetts wonderful use of words.


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The Monstrous Regiment in question is made up of a vampire, a troll, Igor, a collection of misfits and a young woman who shoves a pair of socks down her pants to join the army. Here you have the characteristically charming novel by Terry Pratchett. Polly becomes Private Oliver Perks, who is on a quest to find her older brother, who's recently MIA in one of the innumerable wars the tiny nation of Borogravia has a habit of starting with its neighbors. This peevish tendency has all but expended Borogravia's ranks of cannon fodder. Whether Sergeant Jackrum knows her secret or not, he can't afford to be choosy as Perks and her/his comrades are among the last able-bodied recruits left in Borogravia. This collection of misfits includes the aforementioned vampire (reformed and off the blood, thank you), troll, and macabre Igor, who is only too happy to sew you a new leg if you aren't too particular about previous ownership. Off to war, Polly/Oliver learns that having a pair of, um, socks is a good way to open up doors in this man's army. For those who haven't made this underrated author's acquaintance, Monstrous Regiment is as good a place to start as any. Readers will encounter Pratchett's subtle and disarming wit, his trademark footnoted asides along with a not-too-shabby tale of honor, courage and duty in the face of absurd circumstances. --Jeremy Pugh, Amazon.com

Wednesday 18 February 2009

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M C Beaton

Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley (Agatha Raisin Mystery, Book 4) Agatha Raisin and the Walkers of Dembley by M.C. Beaton


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
I enjoyed this book. I love the characters, especially Agatha. These books must be read in order or you kind of miss the plot between Agatha and James!


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Synopsis:

Returning to her beloved Cotswold village only to be coolly received by her attractive neighbor, Agatha Raisin becomes involved in the murder case of hiker Jessica Tartinick, who had incurred the wrath of wealthy landowners.

Monday 16 February 2009

The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff

The Monsters of Templeton The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff


My review


rating: 4 of 5 stars
I absolutely loved this book! I wouldn't have normaly picked this book up to read. I found it compelling reading and loved the way Groff mingled the present with the past. I thought it was multilayered, riverting and unpredictable. The story was rich with history. A fabulous first debut novel!


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Synopsis:

One dark summer dawn, at the very moment that an enormous monster dies in Lake Glimmerglass, twenty-eight-year-old Willie Upton returns pregnant and miserable to her hometown of Templeton, N.Y. Willie is a descendant of the creator of the town, Marmaduke Temple, and she expects to be able to hide in the place that has been home to her family for centuries. But the monster changes the fabric of the village, and Willie's mother, Vivienne, has a surprise for the girl that will send Willie careening through her family's history to dig up clues about her heritage. Spanning two centuries and based on Lauren’s hometown of Cooperstown, New York., the story is told through two centuries of voices, from Templeton ghosts to residents, masters to servants, natives to interlopers, and historical figures to literary characters.

Tuesday 10 February 2009

Rapture in Death by J D Robb

Rapture in Death (In Death #4) Rapture in Death by J.D. Robb


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
I always like reading her Eve Dallas books. I love the characters, especially Roarke, the dashing Irishman.

This book was nice easy reading, with a good story and likability factor even though I guessed who dunnit quite early on in the book.


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Saturday 31 January 2009

Treasure Trove by Peter Turnbull

Treasure Trove Treasure Trove by Peter Turnbull


My review


rating: 3 of 5 stars
I always enjoy Turnbull's books. They are set in Yorkshire and the characters are very believable. The down side on this book was that I felt the last chapter was lacking.....it was like the book wasn't quite finished.


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Friday 30 January 2009

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin

Synopsis

When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor, Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life.


I really thought I wouldn't like this book seeing it is predominately a romance novel, but I just loved it and couldn't put it down. I had to keep reading to see what happened. All through the book I pictured Mr Darcy as Colin Firth........I've never seen any tv adaptation but now I want to see it......the one with Colin Firth of course! I won't say much more as I do not want to spoil the book for anyone, but I am so glad I read it!

Wednesday 21 January 2009

The First Apostle by James Becker

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Synopsis

An Englishwoman is found dead in a house near Rome, her neck broken. Her distraught husband enlists the help of his closest friend, policeman Chris Bronson, who discovers an ancient inscription on a slab of stone above their fireplace. It translates as 'Here Lie the Liars.' But who are the liars? And what is it they are lying to protect? Pursued across Europe, Bronson and his ex-wife uncover a trail of clues that lead them back to the shadowy beginnings of Christianity; to an ancient code inscribed upon a stone; to a chalice decorated with mysterious symbols. And to a deadly conspiracy which - if revealed - will rock the foundations of our modern world.


I really enjoyed this book even though it was very Da Vinci Code like. It is quite an even paced book and some of it is based on actual facts like Jesus is only mentioned once in the Bible which I didn't know, along with some really good other facts based around Christiananity, and some really surprised me. Good brain candy.

Sunday 11 January 2009

Alices Adventures in Wonderland.

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Synopsis:

The story of Alice’s adventures in Wonderland was first written in 1865 by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson aka Lewis Carroll, it tells a tale of a young girl growing up, facing change and difficulties, by way of sky-scraping imagination and plenty of zany representations.Alice chases the fretful white rabbit that is clutching an oversized pocket watch and falls into a delusional realm of conceptual characters.


Ok so its a childrens book but I never read it as a child, prefering my adventures with the Famous Five and other Enid Blyton books. But I still enjoyed reading it.

Friday 9 January 2009

Excavation by James Rollins

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Synopsis:
High in the Andes, Dr. Henry Conklin discovers a 500-year-old mummy that should not be there. While deep in the South American jungle, Conklin's nephew, Sam, stumbles upon a remarkable site nestled between two towering peaks, a place hidden from human eyes for thousands of years.

Ingenious traps have been laid to ensnare the careless and unsuspecting, and wealth beyond imagining could be the reward for those with the courage to face the terrible unknown. But where the perilous journey inward ends - in the cold, shrouded heart of a breathtaking necropolis - something else is waiting for Sam Conklin and his exploratory party. A thing created by Man, yet not humanly possible. Something wondrous... something terrifying.


I thought this book was very fast paced, scary in places, high octane in others and very well written even though the story line is quite far fetched in places. I love Rollins style of writing and he is one of my favourite current authors. I would highly recommend to anyone who loves adventure thrillers.

Monday 5 January 2009

A Hoe Lot of Trouble by Heather Webber

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Synopsis:


Meet Nina Quinn, garden landscaper extraordinaire and very amateur sleuth, in this charming cosy series that is perfect for fans of Carolyn Hart.

Nina Quinn has had enough of her cheating cop husband. His affair with his partner has driven her close to the edge--and him out of their home. Nina, the owner of Taken By Surprise, a landscaping business that specializes in surprise garden makeovers, already has too much on her plate--her delinquent stepson has let his pet snake loose in the house, and her nosy mother won't stop pestering her to get her bridesmaid's dress fitted for her sister's upcoming nuptials. But it's the strange disappearance of gardening tools--including a very expensive set of hoes--that really throws a wrench in things. And when she gets a call that her oldest friend's father-in-law, a beloved old man who introduced her to landscaping, has been murdered, Nina knows that it's time to start digging for clues to the frustrating, mysterious, and downright evil things that have disturbed her peaceful Ohio hometown.


At first I was not sure that I was going to like this book as I thought it was going to be a girly flick book. but I was so wrong! I enjoyed this book tremendously and read it in under 24 hours as I couldn't put it down. I thought the main character was believable and down to earth and I will definitely be purchasing the other books in the series in the future.

Sunday 4 January 2009

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea



Synopsis:

Originally published in 1870, this amazing undersea adventure is one of the earliest science fiction novels ever written. Jules Verne invites readers to go below the ocean's waves in the first-ever submarine with Captain Nemo and a range of fantastical sea creatures.


I had watched the movie based on the book when I was a kid and did not realise how so far removed the film was from the book. It was like reading a completely different story to that of the film. But saying that, I did really enjoy the book.