Where friendship and art meet.

This is an interesting memoir, especially for fans of Mapelthrope or Patti Smith. For the younger generation who may not be familiar with these two names. Maplethorpe was a photographer with a style that was recognizable no matter his subject (he died of AIDs in his early 40s in 1989) and lets just say he wore his homosexuality proudly (for more on mapelthorpe I recommend Mapplethorpe: A Biography). Smith is the poet singer song writer often referred to as the grandma of punk rock and an activist for many causes to this very day. In this Memoir Smith writes about her relationship with Maplethorpe in the late and early 1970s before they became famous. I thought it was fascinating to read about these two icons before they realized who the were or wanted to be. Its hard not to think of Smith as a poet rebel, guitar in hand or Mapelthorpe as the in your face artist, but Smith's book takes the reader back to when both were"Just Kids." You see Smith and Maplethorpe as young people, not always secure in who they are, groping to find their passions that were burning inside but not fully understood. In this memoir Smith also presents a picture of a New York that no longer exists, and that alone makes this wonderful reading. Not all song writers can successfully write lyrics as well as prose, Smith though has a gift with the written word that is transcendent. Heart felt and honest, like her music, I highly recommend this book. For more honest reading concerning Hollywood Icons in the 1960s I have to recommend"Misfits Country."

Depressingly awful

I had been looking forward to The Pregnant Widow for some time, in the hope that Mr Amis would have returned to the form that made his earlier novels so enjoyable. I am afraid I found it depressingly turgid and badly written. The characters are all very unattractive, yet completely unmemorable. The central character, Keith, is a sad, little loser. I do sincerely hope that Keith is not too autobiographical, or Mr Amis has led a shallow, empty, little life.<br /><br />The paucity of interesting characters and credible narrative makes Mr Amis's overwrought sentence construction even more grating. I do not remember his writing style being so arch and pretentious in previous work.<br /><br />Terribly disappointing. A comedy of manners without any comedy.

not for me

I'm reading all the TV Book Club's books but I don't like this one at all. It tries to be funny and it isn't and it tries to be didactic but fails. It is quite easy to read though but the plot is very dul too. Not for me.

Sweet little lies - fantastic

This book is an absolute must read! following on from her first, the story continues for Jane Roberts and co, find out how Jane discovers her friends arent what they seem to be! Fantastic book and I cannot wait until the third book is released! I really was unable to put this book down!

Raw, Intense and very compelling

A short novel, just over 150 pages by a debut author. This is raw, shocking, intense, disturbing yet compelling, passionate and very very moving.<br />At first the dialect is difficult, the novel is written just as Precious, the illiterate main character would speak, be warned that the language is very explicit, any reader easily shocked should know this before they start to read. However, the language is not used as a shock tactic, it is integral to the story and is true to life and just the way that people in Precious' situation would and do speak.<br /><br />The story of Precious short life so far is full of abuse, anger and the inhumanity of people around her, yet Precious is a beautifully crafted character. She is only 16, yet is expecting her second child - her own father is the father of both of her children. Precious has not just been abused by her father, but by her mother too. <br /><br />There were times when I found it so hard to keep reading this story, yet Precious kept on - she found the courage to take hold of her life and better herself, I found myself willing her along the way. There are some jaw-dropping, shocking moments - yet also hope.<br /><br />This is a brilliant story, told by a brilliant author, so much packed into such a short book.<br /><br />The movie based on Push is released in the UK at the end of January, titled; Precious ; based on the novel Push by Sapphire and has been nominated for 3 Golden Globe awards.

delias complete cookery course

<br /> It is just what i needed and it so well written that even i could follow it. I think its great and will use it regularly.

Amazing!

After the mysterious death of a boy she knew in a fire when they snuck off during a party, Luce is sent to reform school, Sword and Cross, when she can't explain what happened. Trying to come to terms with the death, deal with her guilt, and escape the weird shadows that seem to follow her everywhere isn't easy, especially when all she can think about is Daniel. Absolutely gorgeous, he does his best to hurt her at every turn. Luce can't figure out what his problem is, but nor can she get over her attraction to him. It should be easy when the equally gorgeous Cam is showering her with attention, but she can't shake the feeling that she knows Daniel from somewhere.<br /><br />What Luce doesn't know is that Daniel holds a secret, one that involves her. If she was to get too close and find out, it could quite literally kill her.<br /><br />I have one word for you: WOW! This book is absolutely amazing! I can't tell you just how good this book is. I was dying to get to the end and find out just what was happening, and was despairing over my slow reading pace. Seriously, this book is awesome!<br /><br />The characters in this book are just amazing! Luce is great, but troubled and disturbed. Thinking she's mad because of these shadows that are always there, and trying to figure out how on earth Trevor died. And then she has to deal with the confusing emotions the come with dealing with Daniel and what his problem is. Daniel himself is still a bit of a mystery, but amazingly gorgeous. You can't help but feel sorry for him when you find out his story.<br /><br />Arriana, the girl who takes Luce under her wing when she starts school, is just fantastic! You never know whether to trust her or not as you go through the book, as she's just mental! She's the most quirkiest person I've ever read about and I couldn't help but love her! Penn, another of Luce's good friends at Sword and Cross, is awesome with her easy friendship and accepting Lucy straight away, but also with her sneaky ways, reading people's files, and hacking into computers. She's a lovely little spy.<br /><br />There are so many questions that come up as you read through this book, and you don't really find ut any answers until you get to the end. However, this doesn't make the story slow at all. Lauren Kate has a clever knack for keeping you engrossed even when not too much is happening, by having bits of information inserted along the way, which just leads to even more questions, and although you know a few details of the story that Luce doesn't, you're dying to get to the part where Luce does find out, so you can get all these other questions answered and find out why. Really, you can't turn the pages fast enough.<br /><br />As to the forbidden love, the chemistry, how deep the attraction goes between Luce and Daniel and how quickly, I was kind of thinking"Really? Already?" but saying that, I have reacted that way before when reading other stories. I think I tend to miss tiny little things in the first read through, and when I read through again, everything piles up, and how deeply the main characters feel makes much more sense. So maybe another read through is needed for me. But there is one word to describe it: intense. You could cut the sexual tension between the two of them, and as you're reading, you're just dying for Daniel to stop being a git and just kiss the girl already!<br /><br />The action in this story is awesome, but there isn't a huge amount of it, because Luce needs to be kept safe so she is removed fromt he situation. I would have liked a little bit more description; I have a very visual imagination, and so when I read, I see it all, but I had a little trouble picturing"shadow-locusts" - but then again, maybe you can't really picture them, being shadowy. There is a twist you don't expect at all, and are shocked beyond anything. You will be sitting on the edge of your seat, I'm telling you.<br /><br />An awesome story, but don't expect many of your questions to be answered in this book. There is a kind of cliff hanger, and the end leaves you with even more questions. But as the summery says, Daniel's secret could kill Luce, so instead of a flood of answers, you get a trickle. It is torture, but it's good torture.<br /><br />It would be very easy to compare Fallen to other books with a similar premise. I urge you not to. Don't pick this book up with any others in mind. Fallen is an amazing book on it's own, and you'll be doing this awesome book a serious injustice if you compare as you go along. Close your mind to any other books, sit back, and just enjoy!<br /><br />I cannot wait to read the next book in this series, Torment. Seriously, Fallen is unbelievably good, and I may just have to read it again soon. You need this book!<br />

Fantastic

My son has never been so keen on reading. He didn't put the book down until he had finished! Highly recommended.

Definately not up to Jill Mansell's standards.

Having read all her novels and gotten used to Jill Mansell's brilliant style, loveable characters and never boring plots, I cannot help beeing a little disappointed by this latest book. Characters and story miss the usual depth, I didnt laugh or cry with them, I could just not get involved. It reads like a novel churned out in a hurry, and this is not what Jill Mansell readers expect. To sum it up, We really REALLY want the old Jill Mansell back! The one who made us giggle and sniff and hold our breath and stay up till 5 am becos we just COULD NOT not turn the page. Dear Jill: with"Miranda's big mistake" and"Fast friends","kiss" and"Millie's fling" and"a charming man" (and many others), you got us hooked, you cannot shortchange us now... your public deserve better!

Beautifully illustrated and compact

Bought 2 sets of the 7 workbooks for my 2 boys - ages 3 and 4. Absolute success. Far better than any other workbook for pre-school kids in terms of the illustrations and lesson sequences. My boys are not the easiest to teach but they love working through these workbooks, visualising sounds, practising their handwriting and learning how to formulate letters. Jolly books are not actually used in their schools so quite new to us. As soon as I scanned the first few pages, I knew straightaway these were written by people who knew their stuff. We are on workbook 1 so many exciting pages ahead :). I wholeheartedly recommend these workbooks.

Enthralling

I work in the industry and thought this book would be interesting for outsiders giving an insight inot the heady days of September 2008 but how wrong was I. How wrong was I? The level of detail and research that went into the book is remarkable. Wodnerful insights such as Geithner's father was best man at his wedding and that fellow executives thought Jamie Dimon was in great shape. Ironically such is the level of inside insight I'm not sure how interesting the book might be to those not familiar with the arcane terminology of Wall St but it's written in such a barnstorming fashion that it might well bridge that gap.

Inspirational foodie lifestyle tome

Nigel has delivered his extensive food knowledge alive in this beautiful book. <br />Written with warmth and generosity, this book has made it from the kitchen to where ever I want to sit and read a great book. Nigel's passion for food will have you salivating as you pour over the pages. Deliciously crafted, beautifully designed. This book will get you racing to the garden centre to plan your kitchen garden's culinary year.<br />Delicious!

Fantastic

I thought this was the best Dorothy Koomson book that I've read. The characters were likeable and it kept you guessing until the end. Read it!

Read this and you'll be looking at everyone in a new light.

An interesting read that shows you how to really look at everyday situations and realise that you could be missing some important signals to help you communicate better. A mix of useful case studies and illustrations to help you remember what you are reading better enabling you to apply it immediately. A useful book to help you tap into understanding body language better and spotting what people are really saying.

Nearly finished but don't want it to end

I can't put this down. At first I was slightly concerned about the size of the book and having to commute with it in my handbag on the packed underground, but it is definitely worth it. I have laughed and cried reading Shantaram and can't believe how much has been covered. The last books I enjoyed so much were 1000 splendid suns and the kite runner, but this is even better.<br /><br />The reviews below have covered the topics and themes extensively I just wanted to emphasize what a great read it is! Happy reading!

A Waste of Time, Effort and Money

Despite my best efforts I finally gave up on this book after 204 pages. The plot moves at a snail's pace and leaves little impression for the following evening's read. There is so much conversation and, most of the time, it is unclear who is speaking to whom. It is - in fact - boring and offers little or no pleasure. With all the hype that led me to buy it I feel cheated. A complete waste of my time, effort and money.

Faces - baby loves it!

This has to be the best buy ever. My baby is fascinated with the book and it is handy to take out with us, for him to have hanging from his car sear, pram or cot.

L.A. Candy: Fame's hidden dark side

L.A. Candy is a fact-based fictional novel that gripped me right from the first chapter. It is written by a truly inspirational young woman - the multi-talented Lauren Conrad, who knows all too well what it is like to come to fame.<br /><br />The novel explores the issue of reality television: how young people can become seduced by the glitz and glamour, not knowing what it is actually like to have cameras following your every action, the destructive side to love and the effects of betrayal. All four of the girls that this story follows are oblivious to the negative impacts that starring in a reality TV show will have on their social lives and indeed each other, and as the story unfolds the motives of one girl, fuelled by jealousy, become frighteningly clear.<br /><br />The moral of the story is: fame may be something money cannot buy, but even then it comes at a price. I think that is a fantastic message to send out as we live in a world where young people are shaped by (sometimes false) role models, made naïve by airbrushed photos and the hidden dark side to fame.<br /><br />I only had one unanswered question in mind at the end but it is not that important to the storyline (I will not say what it was as it would be a spoiler). There is a very engaging storyline throughout. L.A. Candy looks to be part one of three. It is followed by Sweet Little Lies and another will follow that later in the year. I look forward to reading the next one!<br /><br />Overall: 93%.

Such a great series!!

I actually liked how Kresley Cole took us back to an earlier book's storyline to begin this one. It was another perspective from two characters about the same events in Hunger Like No Other. KC is one of my all-time favorite writers. I love the characters, the humor and the way she builds a love story/villainous plot.<br /><br />The three Lykae books, with Lachlain, Bowen and now Garreth are great reads. Sigh. Don't I wish I could just drive up north to Kinevane and introduce myself. Believe me, all you would see is my dust if I could. But, don't get me wrong: I also love those vampire Wroth boys, and we can't forget the Rage Demons, the Woede brothers. <br /><br />Pleasure of a Dark Prince is very worthy of a read (or two) though how evil was KC with that teaser ending for the next book???? Aarrgghh. August is just too far away.

A Must Have Book !

A well laid out, easy to follow book with good range of recipes that is suitable for both the new and inexperienced users of a Halogen oven, covering the basics to the finer recipes, a must have book, which competes with the more expensive titles and wins every time !<br /><br />Am so impressed with the book that I purchased another for my Mother, after I advised her to obtain a halogen oven and in her own words she says the book contents are far more easier to follow than the more expensive books and she has purchased another, this time for my sister. Therefore the book is gaining sales within our family !