Converted Potter Fan

I absoluteley loved these books. I have always been a potter fan and decided try this trilogy as someone recommended them, I have to say I have been blown away. Pullmans imagination is unrivalled. His worlds draw you in immediately, as you start you won't be able to put them down. I especially loved his characters, totally believeable and engrossing. The characters are all perfectly described, and the idea of daemons works well (daemons are a persons soul in animal form that stays with them). The later books focus upon other worlds which works great. I won't give lots away but the ending is excellent, the best ending for a long time. I don't recommend the books for young children. The plot could perhaps be a little hard for them to grasp as a lot of the story is about religion and government. (That makes it sound boring but trust me - it isn't). Buy them now, you won't be disappointed.

Excellent read

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It is an easy read and hard to put down. I found it thought provoking, showing an interesting side of life and values that probably escape a few of us!

Supoib

I was delighted to find another historial murder mystery author and this book did not dissapoint. The only annoying point was I realised about a quarter of the way through I had picked up the second in the series although its great there is a series and I can read the rest. An un-putdownable page turner one is cast into Tudor London with its tense politics and huge rich/poor divide. The descriptions of the city and characters are so evocative I was hard pressed to get up and make a cup of tea. A brilliantly drawn out suspense with an unexpected ending, even with a history degree I was expecting the 'goodies' to triumph completely, a la Suzanna Gregory, its a riveting read only not recommended if you do not have a good long period of time to devote utterly to it.

Good but far from great

I had high hopes for this one seeing as everyone seems to love it. And I was hooked by the premise. <br /><br />To be honest, I never really warmed up to Bella or Edward for that matter. At first it was fine, it was intriguing. I was waiting for the moment she would find out about Edward. Up until that point, all good, though the numerous references of Edward's eyes, gracefulness and the fact she was dizzy around him all the time started to wear thin really quickly. But when she does find out - which was a little of an anti-climax for me - it wasn't much. <br /><br />The best parts came in the last 150 pages when finally the book began get some momentum and Bella actually became interesting - and there was action!! I always thought there was something missing in the romance - I wanted to go beyond Edward's good looks, his charm and his eyes and the fact that he was 'dazzling'. Alright we get he's a god in her eyes...really. <br /><br />The emotions conveyed by Meyer are very vivid though, you can't help but be completely absorbed. And there's some good humour amongst it all. If I'm going to read the other books, I'll be more interested in characters like Jacob and Billy. But somehow I think Bella is always going to be Edward obsessed...I hope there will be some good separation between them at some point to spice this story up a bit. <br /><br />

This book is not just for under-confident people

Buying this book could be the best few quid you've ever spent. I purchased this out of curiosity really, not thinking I had any lack of confidence. But I now realise there's a lot more to confidence than just dealing with other people easily. Anyway, McKenna does not teach you lots of tricks to project a super-confident image to the world, like all those tedious pick-up artist guides to manipulating others. Instead, the book is a guide to feeling completely comfortable in your own skin and losing any negative habits that get in the way of being the best and most effective person you can be. <br />I've been really surprised by the effect carrying out the book's exercises and listening to the CD have had. I've no way of knowing whether this will work for everyone, but my experience has been I now feel calmer and more productive. This book has certainly helped me to become more confident to just get on with things in my life. I guess the will to do that was there already, but I would say anyone toying with the idea of making this purchase should give it a go - if it works for you as it has for me, you'll be laughing. <br />

Great for information

This book gave us all the information we needed from conception to the pregnancy niggles. I actually also used the book to help me identify a condition called cholestasis which I developed in my third trimester. And by identifying it, I was able to be monitored and eventually had to be enduced. We saved myself and our baby.

Apocalypse tomorrow

An undefined cataclysm has struck the earth. Nature has given up on life. All is annihilated and covered by ashes. Winds carrying snow or rain sweep the desolated landscapes day and night. The sun has walked away. Nothing grows anymore, nothing breathes anymore. Or almost. Food is now a depletable quantity. What is left of mankind has mutated into complete barbarism. The lot is animated by the sole purpose of bestial survival. In this desolated world, a father and a son maraude in the direction of the ocean, hoping for less cold. Both remain nameless and faceless until the end. All along, the father worships his child, to death. His devotion is the source of regular acts of heroism and sacrifice. He fights to secure the physical subsistence of his son, but also to to demonstrate that they are part"of the good guys". To preserve his son's belief that humanism still exists, in them. When the circumstances make the father deviate, the son actually refuses to accept. In that, he is a god. The innocence of the child, the survival of this inner beauty is what is dearest to the father. It is his gate to hope, to the distant past, when times were good. Poetic, dark and nimbly written, The Road is an unforgettable read.The story touches our instincts. We recognise immediately all what has been lost forever. The neutral, descriptive tone of the author reinforces the sense of coldness and urgency striking the protagonists. Never was"It's okay" so not ok in a book!

Almost makes America sound nice...

Like many people I encountered Dave Gorman's comedy/documentary through his quest to find 54 other Dave Gorman's (to win a bet), and was further won over by his 'googlewhack adventure' which is a very funny, and structurally very fine piece of work.<br /><br />At first America Unchained lacks the comic angle, and sure there are fewer laugh out loud moments than the earlier books, but this book grew on me. There's less of a wacky conceit to the journey here (so not the type so derided recently by Mitchell & Webb in one of their sketches- unnecessarily attacking fellow comedians) with a reasonable logic to try and find the non-corporate America, and it's successful in finding a mostly friendly and helpful America (apart from Mississippi) so removed from stereotypes (some coming from their own media).<br /><br />It's not a great piece of travel writing either, if you're a reader of such books, in terms of describing places and spaces, but as ever this is really about taking another journey with Dave. He's very good at a particularly English kind of blend of whimsy, intellect, and self-deprecation, with and added does of a relatively untypical (for an Englishman) degree of unabashed passion over things he experiences and values. <br /><br />The only downside is this is only his third book, and I'v now read them all. I hope whatever journey he takes next, he writes it down<br /><br /><br />

A BEAUITFULLY WRITTEN BOOK

My son is reading this book for his GCSE Coursework. I picked it up and started to read it and I just couldn't put it down. I had thought it might be boring at first, but it was anything but. There is so much humour, warmth and some sadness. It is no wonder it is such a classic book.

simply fantastic

The whole family loves to read this book. The story, the pictures, the repetative whoosh they were gone and the happy ending makes it a great fun to both read and listen to. I can see it getting better and better as we explain about the different landscape pictures and the spell and the new broom as my daughter gets older.<br /><br />

over-rated

having read all of Conn Iggulden's work, i have to say this is overrated. <br />it certainly isnt a five out of five star book. I would have given 5 out of 5 for each of the Emperor series, 4/5 for the first Genghis book, but this second in the series lacks the spark of its predecessors. The plot is fairly formulaic, and the characterisation lesser than prebious books. still a decent read, but not as good as i had hoped for.

New Labour autopsy makes grisly but compelling reading

Since the recent local elections, there's been much speculation about why New Labour got the sort of pounding normally reserved for Rocky Balboa's opponents. The answer lies inside this book. David Craig lays out in painstaking detail just how we've been taxed so punishingly and why all that money has had little or no effect on improving our country. It's a splendidly researched book. Even as a veteran Private Eye reader, I found plenty here I wasn't aware of.<br /><br />I know, I know - you're thinking this could easily be dry and boring, it's about politics and economics after all but I promise you it's anything but boring. Craig's prose is very readable and he makes you laugh loud and often, usually with disbelief at how our money is indeed being squandered. The chapters on the EU and the fate of half our gold reserves will make your jaw hit the floor. Other parts of the book, those dealing with the treatment of the elderly, patients in the NHS and our troops fighting Blair's wars will make you want to throw something.<br /><br />As the previous reviewer said, this is not Tory propaganda - Craig is quite scathing about the Tories in places. His opinions seem neither left nor right wing really. He argues against pointless government expansion and pointless privatisation with equal gusto, demonstrating how both waste our money. You may not always agree with him on everything but he makes his points well. His main point is of course that New Labour has been a disaster for this country. It would take an extremely loyal and self-deluded New Labour fan (probably with the last names Blair or Brown) to finish this book and disagree with him.

Excellent Read

This was a brilliant easy to read book. Ceasar has a natural ability to understand how dogs interact with each other and teaches us to talk dog. <br />A must for all dog owners especially those 'dog lovers' who are in fact ruining their dogs life by treating them as humans.

An original contribution to cricket bibliography

A long-standing commitment and affection for England's national game is all too apparent in this fascinating and authoritative book. Sir John demonstrates - as if there were any need - the quality of his research and intellect. Old myths are re-examined, sometimes debunked sometimes confirmed, and a new light is shone upon some of cricket's historic controversies. The references to social mores of the times and the matching political events gives it a different but weighty style. I would recommend the book strongly, especially for those who enjoy history as well as cricket.

Ultimetely Rewarding

In my pick of the Man Booker contenders along with Lloyd Jones' 'Mister Pip and Tan Twan Eng's 'The Gift of Rain'. <br /><br />'What was Lost' is a neatly plotted novel with a cast of finely drawn characters. The setting is a shopping centre - hardly an exotic backdrop and a bit claustrophobic at times - but the author's keen sense of pace, dark humour and attention to detail more than compensates. A bit creepy but in a delicious rather than disturbing way. This is a cleverly written, engrossing and ultimately rewarding book.

Delightfully magical...for the most part...

Having not got past the first 20 pages of Chocolat - the only other book of JH's that I've tried - I was pleasantly surprised by 'The Lollipop Shoes'. Her writing is almost (and I repeat almost) on a par with Alice Hoffman in terms of spinning magical yarns and throwing in more than enough of the unusual but I feel that this a tale of people rather than witchery and that the whimsical slant is merely an aside. Like I say, having not read any of her other books I don't know whether this is her usual style but I'll certainly be picking up another to try.<br />I guessed that this must be the follow on from Chocolat since it's chocolatey theme couldn't be mere coincidence and it has encouraged me to give it another go perhaps.<br />All in all, I think you'll savour this story of Vianne versus Zozie, with it's backdrop of Montmarte, Paris, and all it's quirkiness. If it's your cup of tea anyway...

"a short-story writer"

I had huge hopes for this book having read extracts published by Granta. The characters are well defined to begin with and there are intelligent balances at play - such as the German refugee at work interrogating his fellow countrymen (and meeting his match in Hess), the line between bravery and cowardice, or how the English soldiers and German POWs are viewed in the Welsh village.<br /><br />However the book dips through the middle section - the characters seem to blend into each other and all the wartime clichés are slowly worked over. Time seems to slow, like we are being held as prisoners, although I am not sure this is intentional!<br /><br />The interrogator and Hess are merely a side show with little if any bearing on the main plot - indeed the whole thing looks bolted together in a clumsy way.<br /><br />Davies is know as a short-story writer, and on this basis sadly that is what he should remain.

Fantastic!!!

My son and I read this book every day. Actually, that's a lie - I have read it so many times I actually know it off by heart so I recite it to him every day!! Dylan and I both choose this as our favourite (children's) book. We love it.

Well done, Stella!

Anyone who had read the first two parts of David Gemmell's Troy series will have been waiting for this, the third and concluding chapter, with a mixture of excitement (to see how the story concluded) and trepidation (the author died with the manuscript only half finished). <br /><br />Quite amazingly David's widow, Stella, has seemingly managed to channel his shade to complete his unfinished work. I was expecting an obvious change in style or drop off in quality but the join was so seamless, and the momentum of the story so well continued, that I was almost at the end before I even remembered that two different people had written the book. <br /><br />Stella should be proud of the way she has completed her late husband's best work. It may not have the longevity of the Iliad which inspired them but David and Stella Gemmell's Troy trilogy will certinly take its place among the all-time great historical fiction.

Looks is deceiving

What impressed me as much as anything about Neil Strauss' lifting of the lid on the world of PUA's (pick up artists) is the quality of the writing. This is so much more than a how to manual (which it isn't really although along the way you learn a bunch of the techniques used by these guys). It's funny as hell, genuinely fascinating and above all a morality tale that is often dismissed by people who haven't read it as being some chauvinistic tract on how to use women to your own ends. It's much more complex that that even if it does paint a portrait of what it often a pretty seedy and vacuous world. Strauss knows this whilst at the same time finding it hard to resist - his reinvention himself as Style, ladies man extraordinaire and general guru to a whole bunch of desperate men, is something that he does not do without misgivings and this is what makes the book interesting and well worth a read. <br /><br />