Courtesy of Teens Read Too

Ed Kennedy is a nineteen-year-old cab driver who is kind of a nobody! He hasn't achieved anything great, isn't a genius, his mom despises him, and his dad died of alcoholism. The only real thing that he has is his dog, named the Doorman, who everyone says desperately needs a bath. And, he's in love with Audrey, a girl from a bad neighborhood, just like him, who also happens to be one of his best friends since forever. The thing is, Audrey doesn't know that Ed is in love with her, and worse yet, she says she doesn't believe in love. <br /><br />One day, Ed and his friend stop at a local bank, but a robbery begins while they are in line. And Ed stops the guy. <br /><br />So then he becomes a local hero. He is just trying to live a normal life, and then he gets a playing card in the mail with three addresses and times on it. Ed doesn't know what to do. Should he just throw the card away, like his friends instruct, or should he go to the first address to see what this is all about?<br /><br />This book would be a good recommendation for fans of THE DA VINCI CODE and the movie National Treasure. <br /><br />Ed is such a cool character! He seems like such a normal guy, who does things that normal guys do, and lives a very ordinary life. Until he gets the card in the mail, and he's not so ordinary anymore. <br /><br />Reviewed by: Taylor Rector

Simply Marvellous Books for Toddlers!

I cannot say enough good things about the"First Favourite Tales" series of fairy tale books from Ladybird. My 2 year old daughter has every single one of them... and"The Three Little Pigs" was the first one that we bought. The pictures are delightful, and every tale has been written in a way that rolls off your tongue when read out loud. My daughter was soon joining in with some of the catchphrases..."I'll huff and I'll puff".... We have now bought the entire range, and we go through each one every night before bedtime. Be warned, some of the stories have been made a little lighter from the way that you remember them... For instance, the Giant in Jack in the Beanstalk doesn't"grind his bones to make my bread"... But, if I were you... I wouldn't just buy one of these. Save yourself extra trips to the internet/shops... and go ahead and buy the whole series straight away. If you only want a few... our favourites are"The Three Little Pigs","Red Riding Hood","The Gingerbread Man" and"The Magic Porrige Pot".

A RIGHT RIPROARER

I'm a massive fan of Bernard Cornwell and love the saxon books,but Robert Low takes us into another dimension .Once I started reading this book I couldn't put it down .The only thing it lacked was scratch and sniff. The story was non stop and a few twist and turns to boot,the fight scenes were ugly (what do you expect from Vikings).A truly great read and I can't wait for the sequel.

If nothing can make you smile at the moment- read this book!

This book will make you smile....and laugh....it's great! It's got everything you could wish for in a book :- Hilarious swearin' stealin' fightin' heroic, tiny blue men - nasty rotten 'boo' creating baddies - a lovely, brave, imperfect, modest heroine in Tiffany, and, best of all, 'shocked' sheep being carried backwards at great speed......imagery I defy you not to find funny.<br />Terry Pratchett has a brilliant way of bringing a little bit of magic into everyone's life.<br />Read this book, it's a great adventure :-)

Incredibly Exciting. A Real Page Turner

My eight year old daughter chose this as the book she wanted to take on holiday with us for bed time reading. Her teacher is reading it to her class at school and she wanted to know what happened while she was away. I have to say I was dubious to start with, but was as hooked as she was after a couple of chapters.<br /><br />It's a very well written, incredibly fast paced roller coaster of a book with action on almost every page. You really want to get through it as fast as possible because you just have to know what happens next.<br /><br />It concerns a twelve year old girl, Stephanie Edgely, who is left a fortune by her crime writing uncle in his will. At the will reading she meets Skulduggery Pleasant, who turns out to be a detective who is also a skeleton with supernatural powers. Stephanie is drawn inexorably into Skulduggery's dangerous world and comes face to face with a truly evil villain, Nefarious Serpine, whose mission is of course to end the world as we know it. Skulduggery and Stephanie team up to try and stop him.<br /><br />Despite the focus being on action the plot is tight and the characters are well drawn. It clearly isn't just a gratuitious slug fest, and there are some highly comical moments amongst what are some very dark moments.<br /><br />I would say that I think this may be slightly too dark for the average eight year old, and I'm glad I read it with my daughter. I'd be happier recommending it to tens and ups. Having said that she can't wait to read the sequel, and it's almost a dead cert she'll get it for her upcoming birthday, because neither can I!

Outstanding!

Cornwell has again provided a novel in which the reader can can become fully immersed. Excalibur picking up from where Enemy Of God left off, cuts straight to chase leaving no lulls in the action or suspense. The story covers a wide time span yet Cornwell handles this expertly, and we witness Arthur and Derfel turn from youthful warriors to middle aged men.<br />The story again based around existing places gives the reader the added sense of realism, (visiting some of the places really helps with visualisation). The ending appropriately mystical which reminds us that after all we are dealing with"King Arthur". <br /><br />This third novel easily keeps pace with the other two, and can be read over and over again (3 times already). My only criticism is that Cornwell will find it difficult if not impossible to better this series.

A-W-S-O-M-E!

I really love all the facts and secrets that I have read! I also highly recommend -"How to be a Super Hot Woman: 339 Tips to Make Every Man Fall in Love with You and Every Woman Envy You" by Mandy Simons<br /><br />Both books rock!

A Lovely Book

I chose this book because I read it when I was three.My favourite part of the book , was where the big billy goats Gruff went over the bridge to the beautiful meadow. It make me feel like I was the youngest, billy goat Gruff.

king arthur

I brought this for my 6 year old son, as he listens to stories at bed time. After literally wearing out his audio tapes I found this on cd and thought he may like it, although I was a bit worried in case it was too grown-up for him. I had no reason to worry as he has loved it. He has listened to it over and over again. He soaks it all in and it has even given him such an interest in king arthur that he has been watching some old black and white films to see what the characters looked like. He has impressed his teachers and grandparents on his knowledge of king arthur and the knights, which is all thanks to this CD. I would highly recommend it and wish more old fables/stories like this were available for children.

Amazing continuation of a great saga

After the great"Winter King" here is the equally splendid second part of the trilogy. Bernard Cornwell managed to keep exactly the same very high level of storytelling and all day life and nature description. The story never gets boring and, even for people knowing the story of Saxon invasions and having some knowledge of Arthurian mythos, there are surprises in every chapter. Author's (and narrator's) dislike of Christianism is even stronger in this book that in the previous, so religious people can be somehow schocked, but still it is a great read. <br />

Leaving Lyra behind

I don't know really where to begin, as I know that I am about to write a negative review about a book that is loved by so many. I have found both the Subtle Knife and its predecessor, Northern Lights, to be terribly hard going at times. Northern Lights took three chapters to get me even vaguely hooked, while the Subtle Knife almost lost me half way through. <br /><br />It is hard to put my finger on what I don't like. The characters for one, are difficult to identify with. Lyra is wonderful in the first book, you care what happens to her. In the Subtle Knife she is a little girl, not a heroine, and it is Will who you find yourself rooting for. Other than that, the periphery characters are uninspiring or too confusing to be memorable, Mrs Coulter for example is now able to control 'Spectres', and the whole Grumman as a Shaman episode - these things are not explained properly - a 13-16 year old may not want further explanation but an adult certainly does. <br /><br />Some of the writing is excellent, the battle scene involving Lee Scoresby did make me gasp aloud, but to hear Pullman repeatedly compared to Tolkein is laughable. Pullman's world does not lack a vivid imagination (Oxford's alter ego in the first book is a particular triumph) but he is clearly writing for a younger audience, so of course lacks Tolkein's depth. It is easier to compare him to CS Lewis, as they were writing for a similar age group. That is where the comparison ends, the Chronicles of Narnia eclipse His Dark Materials on every level, the characters, the worlds, the battles, the heroism. <br /><br />I will read the final book, but only out of duty, as I left Lyra behind at the end of Northern Lights, and I don't think I am going to care what happens to Will for much longer. <br />

A mums best freind (pardon the pun)

As a woman and a mother i only have third party experience of the vaguaries of the willy. I also realise that the last person a boy wants to ask about his willy is his mum. Some things are just beyond the pale. SO i found this book and what a gem it is. The Boys are 9 and nearly 11. My husband vetted it first because i thought he'd have a better idea of what would be needed in the way of an owners manual being an owner himself. He spent two nights sniggering and giggling and then said it was perfect. Especially for the older boy. We think that the younger boy may just find some of it gross but children tend to read or listen to as much as they can handle then switch off. It is written in a non medical fashion but without any silly inaccuracies that may cause problems later. It also covers related areas such as hygene, the ettiquette of early physical relations with girls, kissing and mutual respect but in a relaxed inoffensive manner that a boy can understand and remember. I'll leave it on their bookshelf so they can dip into it as and when they need.

Great Series for Children and Adults

I came across the series ( Rangers Apprentice )by chance whilst looking for something different to read. I'm a big Joe Abercrombie, Gemmel,Lynch and Donaldson but I have read and enjoyed Harry Potter as well. <br /><br />To my surprise I've become completely amazed by the writing. The author draws you into the characters really well and you do really want to know what happens next.I won't dwell on the stories but the characters of Halt, Will and Horace and their exploits have me hooked and I'm halfway through Book 4 currently and there is no let up in the quality of the storylines. <br /><br />Try one, every Dad will want to be a Halt, every son a Will or Horace and Mum will love the peace and quiet given by these engrossing tales.<br />

GMF: RIP

So GMF's dead. Sad to learn that.<br /><br />But Flashy ain't dead. Far from it. And won't be for a long time either. If he was going to be, he would have been a long time ago.<br /><br /> And as long as there's life in Flashy, there'll be life in GMF.<br /><br />Pity Tony was too goody-goody to read this sort of book.<br /><br />GMF, may he rest in peace. <br /><br />He won't be forgotten<br />In fact, he's more likely than most<br />to go up in official esteem<br />(while he goes down in readership??)<br />as time rolls on<br />and the fashion for political correctness fades. <br /><br />I daresay this happened with the other writers I mentioned.<br /><br />Compare and contract GMF, Rabelais, Joyce and Burgess. Two of them are consistently readable, the other two are mostly unreadable. Why's that if the basic talent's the same? The Army. The b--y Army, that's why. Fraser and Burgess served in the British Army, nor just National Service, years afterwards as well. They would have learned self-discipline and this must have stayed with them all the way. I doubt Rabelais as a Frenchie would have wanted to serve in the British Army, and Joyce would have been turned down had he offered, which he wouldn't. So thank you, HMF. I mean, GMF. I mean, HMF. One of the many hidden factors behind a famous person's achievement (bet he also had a good native servant girl to look after his daily needs so he had time for all that researching and writing). <br /><br />As for me, as knows (bit late now) wish I'd stayed longer in the b--y Army instead of mis-spending my youth and whatever else I had to spend. Sigh. As my old Commanding Officer, Col. Bloodbucket, was wont to say, your problem's not talent, Snaithwaite, it's discipline, self-b--y-discipline! Splenetically and tmetically he would interject this with intermittent bursts.<br /><br />Abso-b--y-lutely!

Maintains The Standard

The Generals, the second volume of Simon Scarrow's series on the lives of Napoleon Bonaparte and the Athur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, picks up where volume one, Young Bloods, left off. Napoleon is a young officer in revolutionary France. Wellesley has returned from campaigning in the Low Countries and is stationed back in Dublin. Neither man is satisfied with his position in life and both are seeking advancement; although for differing motives.<br /><br />From there The Generals follows both men's paths as they begin to advance their careers. Napoleon's takes him first to Italy, then on to Egypt before a triumphant return to France the assumption of dictatorial powers as First Consul. Wellesley's take him to India, where he is destined to remain for most of the book, converting the East India Company's slim holdings into the largest territory in the British Empire.<br /><br />As a result The Generals covers some of the most fascinating moments in both men's lives in the period leading up to the commencement of the Iberian campaign. It deals with how both men won their reputations as military strategists and the events that shaped their future attitudes to war and politics.<br /><br />It does all this very well, covering the most important events in sufficient detail but without forgetting that this is history as enjoyable fiction and getting bogged down in minutae. Purist historians will quibble over some minor factual liberties, which Scarrow owns up to in his afterword, and the glossing over of many of the wider political events of time (everything being seen directly from the perspective of one man or the other) but unless you're planning to sit an exam on the subject of either man's life The Generals is a well written, accessible, exciting study of both men's acheivements and personalities that holds the reader's attention.<br /><br />Of course by trying to cram in years of world changing history Scarrow is forced to skip over some detail. This gives the narrative an episodic feel as it jumps from one 'big' event to another; a sensation that is increased by the need to constantly move from Napoleon to Wellesley and back. Scarrow is to be congratulated on the fact that the need for these constant shifts of perspective and time do not damage the overall flow of the narrative or the enjoyment of it.<br /><br />What do however, succeed in doing is highlighting the disparity in the level of each man's acheivements. Whilst Wellesley is no slouch, his successes are limited to the military theatre of India, whilst Napoleon must deal with both military, domestic and diplomatic challenges as he assumes greater powers. This gives the book a slightly lopsided feel. When focusing on Napoleon their is a far greater number and wider scope of events to cover, but in order to do each one must be skated over quickly. With Wellesley events are primarily military in nature (although some diplomatic issues are addressed) so battles can be covered in more detail but are not necessarily of as broad interest.<br /><br />Further imbalance in the narrative is caused by the author having to address Napoleon's private life in some detail, something he doesn't have to do after the first few chapters with the batchelor Wellesley. Moreover, whilst Bonaparte's stormy marriage to Josephine is important to the story of his life, it also requires greater finesse than scenes of political intrigue or military combat. Unfortunately, crammed into a crowded narrative, Scarrow cannot afford it the attention it deserves and as a result it has something of the feeling of a soap opera, with Josephine little more than a characture.<br /><br />Minor quibbles over narrative balance, pacing and characterisation aside however, The Generals is up to the standard of Young Bloods, and in terms of excitement surpasses it. Its never going to be praised for its depth of characterisation, subtext or historical accuracy, but if you want a broad insight in the lives of two of history's greatest military minds it can be highly recommended.

useful tool to prevent tantrums!

i got this for my 2year old as a gift from baby. he likes the book and enjoys the pictures. however i find it a little disapointing that it is shown a baby being fed by a bottle, perhaps a picture that was done in a way that it wasn't clear if it was bottle or breast would have been better??? still a good buy to keep your first born happy!