The First Person and Other Stories by Ali
Smith
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The
First Person and other Stories by Ali Smith. Distinguished
by Smith's trademark ability to unearth flashes of truth
and depth in the everyday these short stories sparkle
with warmth and humanity. In one story, a middle-aged
woman conducts a poignant conversation with her fourteen-year-old
self. In another, an innocent supermarket shopper finds
in her trolley a foul-mouthed, insulting, yet beautiful
child. And in a third story that challenges the boundaries
between fiction and reality, the narrator, 'Ali', drinks
tea, phones a friend, and muses on the surprising similarities
between a short story and a nymph... more»»
Ben Macnair
30th November 2010 [8/10] |
Guernica by Dave Boling
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Alec Herron has sent in a review for Guernica
by Dave Boling. In 1935, Miguel Navarro finds himself
in conflict with the Spanish Civil Guard and flees the
Basque fishing village of Lekeitio to make a new start
in Guernica, the centre of Basque culture and tradition.
Once there, he finds more than just a new life - he
finds someone to live for. Miren Ansotegui is the charismatic
and graceful dancer he meets and the two discover a
love they believe nothing can destroy. An extraordinary
epic of love, family, and war set in the Basque town
of Guernica before, during, and after its destruction
by the German Luftwaffe during the Spanish Civil War...
more»»
Alec Herron
30th November 2010 [9/10] |
China: Portrait of a People by Tom Carter
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Jake Avery has sent in a review for China:
Portrait of a People by Tom Carter. The Beijing
Olympics focused the world's eyes on China. But despite
increased tourism and rampant foreign investment, the
cultural distance between China and the West remains
as vast as the oceans that separate them. The Middle
Kingdom is still relatively unknown by Westerners. China
is in fact made up of 33 distinct regions populated
by 56 ethnic groups - and American photojournalist Tom
Carter has visited them all. This little book is a visual
tribute to the People's Republic of China, with an ardent
emphasis on the People... more»»
Jake Avery
30th November 2010 [8/10] |
The
King’s Codebreaker by Andrew Douglas
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed The
King’s Codebreaker by Andrew Douglas. In the summer
of 1643, while bloody war rages across England, scholarly
Thomas Hill receives an unexpected summons from the
King, and travels reluctantly from his home in Romsey
to the royal court at Oxford, leaving his widowed sister
and her daughters to fend for themselves. Having learnt
that his predecessor was murdered, he takes over as
the King's cryptographer. There is evidence of a traitor
at court, and when a message is intercepted, encrypted
with the unbreakable' Vigenere square, Thomas thinks
it will reveal his identity... more»»
Chrissi
31st October 2010 [8/10] |
The Household Guide to Dying by Debra Adelaide
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The
Household Guide to Dying by Debra Adelaide. Desperate
Housewives meets Six Feet Under in this brilliantly
moving and darkly comic novel, which charts the attempts
of dying heroine Delia - a modern day Mrs Beeton - to
prepare her family for the future and lay to rest a
ghost from her past. Delia Bennet has made a living
writing a series of hugely successful modern household
guides, with advice on everything from laundry to lovers.
The one thing she hasn't ever given advice on is her
own situation: barely forty and dying. What she really
needs is a household guide: the kind she is expert at
writing... more»»
Ben Macnair
31st October 2010 [8/10] |
The Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The
Domino Men by Jonathan Barnes. A young man discovers
a manuscript and so begins a bizarre tale that brings
together his grandfather, every conspiracy theory you've
ever heard about the royal family and the true story
about where the power of Number 10 really lies. Readers
of The
Somnambulist may well recognise the characters kept
within a chalk circle in a cellar beneath Downing Street.
With a gallery of vividly grotesque characters, a gleefully
satiric take on modern life and a playful and highly
literate style, this is an amazingly readable literary
fantasy... more»»
Paul
Lappen 9th October 2010
[9/10] |
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Shannon has sent in a review for A
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. After eighteen
years as a political prisoner in the Bastille the aging
Dr Manette is finally released and reunited with his
daughter in England. There two very different men, Charles
Darnay, an exiled French aristocrat, and Sydney Carton,
a disreputable but brilliant English lawyer, become
enmeshed through their love for Lucie Manette. From
the tranquil lanes of London, they are all drawn against
their will to the vengeful, bloodstained streets of
Paris at the height of the Reign of Terror... more»»
Shannon
9th October 2010 [9/10] |
Six-Legged Soldiers by Jeffrey A Lockwood
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Geoff Ward has sent in a review for Six-Legged
Soldiers by Jeffrey A Lockwood. The emir of Bukhara
used assassin bugs to eat away the flesh of his prisoners.
General Ishii Shiro during World War II released hundreds
of millions of infected insects across China, ultimately
causing more deaths than the atomic bombs dropped on
Japan. These are just two of many startling examples
found in Six-Legged
Soldiers, a brilliant portrait of the many weirdly
creative, truly frightening, and ultimately powerful
ways in which insects have been used as weapons of war...
more»»
Geoff Ward
9th October 2010 [9/10] |
My Wicked Marquess by Gaelen Foley
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Katie.B has sent in a review for My
Wicked Marquess by Gaelen Foley, the first book
in her passionate series, The Inferno Club. The Inferno
Club - a scandalous gathering of wealthy libertines
and highborn rakehells devoted to their wicked pleasures.
So the Club's members are known to London Society. But
little does the world suspect the true purpose of the
Inferno Club - or the danger that looms over England
- which these select, powerful lords are secretly sworn
to fight... more»»
Katie.B
9th October 2010 [9/10] |
Halting State by Charles Stross
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Halting
State by Charles Stross. It was called in as a robbery
at Hayek Associates, an online game company. So you
can imagine Sergeant Sue Smith's mood as she watches
the video footage of the heist being carried out by
a band of orcs and a dragon, and realises that the robbery
from an online game company is actually a robbery from
an online game. Just wonderful. Like she has nothing
better to do. But online entertainment is big business,
and when the bodies of real people start to show up,
it's clear that this is anything but a game. For Sue,
computer coding expert Jack Reed, and forensic accountant
Elaine Barnaby, the walls between the actual and the
virtual are about to come crashing down... more»»
Paul
Lappen 5th September 2010
[9/10] |
The Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Katie.B has sent in a review for The
Virgin's Lover by Philippa Gregory. Elizabeth I
has acceded to the throne of England, a position she
has waited and schemed for all her life. She is surrounded
by advisers, all convinced that they know what would
be best for the country and certain that a young woman
cannot form political judgements. Elizabeth feels that
she can rely on just one man: her oldest friend, Robert
Dudley. It is soon plain that he is more than merely
a friend. In a house in the countryside waits a very
different woman, Amy Robsart - Robert's wife. She has
no taste for life at court and longs for the day when
her husband will return home and attend to his family.
She has loved him since she was a girl, but now they
are adults she hardly sees him... more»»
Katie.B
5th September 2010 [7/10] |
The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Geoff Ward has sent in a review for The
Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. 'Believe
me, my young friend, there is nothing - absolutely nothing
- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in
boats.' So says Rat to Mole, as he introduces him to
the delights of the river and his friends Toad, the
spirit of rebellion, and Badger, the spirit of England.
But it is a world where the motor-car is about to wreck
the gipsy caravan, the revolutionaries in the Wild Wood
are threatening the social fabric, the god Pan is abroad,
and the warm seductive whispers of the south are drifting
into the English lanes. An international children's
classic, The
Wind in the Willows grew from the author's letters
to his young son, yet it is concerned almost exclusively
with adult themes: fear of radical changes in political,
social, and economic power... more»»
Geoff Ward
5th September 2010 [9/10] |
Juliet, Naked by Nick Hornby
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Juliet,
Naked by Nick Hornby. Annie lives in a dull town
on England's bleak east coast and is in a relationship
with Duncan which mirrors the place; Tucker was once
a brilliant songwriter and performer, who's gone into
seclusion in rural America - or at least that's what
his fans think. Duncan is obsessed with Tucker's work,
to the point of derangement, and when Annie dares to
go public on her dislike of his latest album, there
are quite unexpected, life-changing consequences for
all three. Nick Hornby uses this intriguing canvas to
explore why it is we so often let the early promise
of relationships, ambition and indeed life evaporate.
And he comes to some surprisingly optimistic conclusions...
more»»
Ben Macnair
5th September 2010 [8/10] |
Moby Dick by Herman Melville
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Shannon has sent in a review for Moby
Dick by Herman Melville. It is the horrible texture
of a fabric that should be woven of ships' cables and
hawsers. A Polar wind blows through it, and birds of
prey hover over it; So Melville wrote of his masterpiece,
one of the greatest works of imagination in literary
history. In part, Moby
Dick is the story of an eerily compelling madman
pursuing an unholy war against a creature as vast and
dangerous and unknowable as the sea itself. But more
than just a novel of adventure, more than an encyclopaedia
of whaling lore and legend, the book can be seen as
part of its author's lifelong meditation on America.
Written with wonderfully redemptive humour, Moby
Dick is also a profound inquiry into character,
faith, and the nature of perception... more»»
Shannon
5th September 2010 [8/10] |
Small Town People by Bob Rogers
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Will Marsh has sent in a review for Small
Town People by Bob Rogers. Welcome to Newvale -
where the Member of Parliament likes to dress up as
a rabbit, the editor of the Newvale Chronicle will do
anything (to anyone) for a good story and the mayor
has a use for frozen vegetables that causes his wife
to regard any meal as a game of Russian roulette! ...and
it's not only the great and good you have to watch out
for. Small
Town People gives us a wickedly funny,
ribald and outrageous peek at a small town and its disparate
- and sometimes desperate - inhabitants... more»»
Will Marsh
5th September 2010 [9/10] |
Blood Hunger by A M Esmonde
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Mike Durke has sent in a review for
Blood Hunger by A M Esmonde. An explorer makes a
discovery in Romania, dubbed the 'Ice Prince' find it
is significant enough to put him and his girlfriend
Lucia Ferrara in the media spotlight. Iliana and her
sister's journey to the United Kingdom, news that the
'Ice Prince' had been discovered ceases their many years
of blood abstinence and they unleash a bloodthirsty
terror on humankind leaving a trail of death from London
to the Welsh countryside... more»»
Mike Durke
5th September 2010 [7/10] |
Kidnapped by Maria Hammarblad
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Cathy Freeman has sent in a review for Kidnapped
by Maria Hammarblad. It's a late winter night when Patricia
Risden heads home in her car, on a road she's driven
many times before. She doesn't have a care in the world,
that is, until a man appears from nowhere, right in
front of her. The next thing she knows is being a prisoner
of the unscrupulous Alliance Commander Travis 152; an
intimidating man who demands information and complete
cooperation. Travis soon realizes his mistake; Tricia
doesn't know anything, and she is incapable of even
getting a glass of water from the ship's computer...
more»»
Cathy Freeman
5th September 2010 [9/10] |
Abraham
Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Chrissi has
reviewed Abraham
Lincoln Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith. Indiana,
1818. Moonlight falls through the dense woods that surround
a one-room cabin, where a nine-year-old Abraham Lincoln
kneels at his suffering mother s bedside. She has been
stricken with something the old-timers call 'Milk Sickness'.
'My baby boy...' she whispers before dying.
Only later
will the grieving Abe learn that his mother's fatal
affliction was actually the work of a vampire. When
the truth becomes known to young Lincoln, he writes
in his journal, 'henceforth my life shall be one of
rigorous study and devotion. I shall become a master
of mind and body. And this mastery shall have but one
purpose...' Gifted with his legendary height, strength,
and skill with an axe, Abe sets out on a path of vengeance
that will lead him all the way to the White House...
more»»
Chrissi
31st July 2010 [8/10] |
The Magician’s Apprentice by Trudi Canavan
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The
Magician’s Apprentice by Trudi Canavan. In the remote
village of Mandryn, Tessia serves as assistant to her
father, the village Healer - much to the frustration
of her mother, who would rather she found a husband.
But her life is about to take a very unexpected turn.
When treating a patient at the residence of the local
magician, Lord Dakon, Tessia is forced to fight off
the advances of a visiting Sachakan mage - and instinctively
uses magic. She now finds herself facing an entirely
different future as Lord Dakon's apprentice. But along
with the excitement and privilege, Tessia is about to
discover that her magical gifts bring with them a great
deal of responsibility... more»»
Paul
Lappen 31sy July 2010
[9/10] |
Tarizon: Conquest Earth by William Manchee
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Tarizon:
Conquest Earth by William Manchee. Videl Lai is
dead and Tarizon's cataclysmic civil war is over, or
so most people think, until Tarizon's Intergalactic
Fleet refuses to surrender. Then Videl Lai's adopted
son, Evohn Cystrom, masterminds the escape of Rupra
Bruda, recognized to be the father of the Purist movement.
As the Fleet defiantly leaves it's moon base on Clarion,
Cystrom informs Chancellor Lorin Boskie that they intend
to travel to Earth, conquer it, and someday come back
and destroy Tarizon. The Chancellor, at great personal
political risk, puts together a rag-tag armada of Earth
Shuttles to try to beat the Purists to Earth and warn
the American government of the impending invasion...
more»»
Molly
Martin 31st July 2010
[9/10] |
Ice Station by Matthew Reilly
Average Rating [8/10]
(4 Reviews)
Howie has sent in a review for Ice
Station by Matthew Reilly. At a remote US ice station
in Antarctica, a team of scientists has made an amazing
discovery. They found something unbelievable buried
deep below the surface - trapped inside a layer of ice
400 million years old. Something made of metal... something
which shouldn't be there... it's the discovery of a
lifetime, a discovery of immeasurable value. Led by
the enigmatic Lieutenant Shane Schofield, a crack team
of US Marines is rushed to the ice station to secure
this bizarre discovery for their nation. Meanwhile other
countries have developed the same ideas, and are ready
to pursue it swiftly and ruthlessly. Fortunately, Schofield's
men are a tough unit, all set to follow their leader
into hell. They soon discover they just did... more»»
Howie
31st July 2010 [4/10] |
I Remember You by Harriet Evans
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Katie.B has sent in a review for
I Remember You by Harriet Evans. For Tess Tennant,
spring brings the promise of a fresh start. She’s moving
back to her picture-perfect home town to take up a teaching
job. Langford is a place of pretty stone cottages, friendly
locals in oak-beamed pubs and of course Adam, her best
friend since childhood. But Adam is preoccupied with
a new girlfriend, and the past - which Tess thought
she'd put behind her - is looming large again. So by
the time she has to take her class on a trip to Rome,
Tess is feeling reckless. She is swept off her feet
by a mysterious stranger, and finds herself falling
in love. But her magical Roman Holiday is about to turn
into a nightmare... more»»
Katie.B
31st July 2010 [7/10] |
Newman's Unquiet Grave by John Cornwell
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Geoff Ward has sent in a review for Newman's
Unquiet Grave by John Cornwell. John Henry Newman
was the most eminent English-speaking Christian thinker
and writer of the past two hundred years. James Joyce
hailed him the 'greatest' prose stylist of the Victorian
age. A problematic campaign to canonise Newman started
fifty years ago. After many delays John Paul II declared
him a 'Venerable'. Then Pope Benedict XVI, a keen student
of Newman's works, pressed for his beatification. But
was Newman a 'Saint'? In Newman's
Unquiet Grave John Cornwell tells the story
of the chequered attempts to establish Newman's sanctity
against the background of major developments within
Catholicism... more»»
Geoff Ward
31st July 2010 [8/10] |
Where I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
John Alwyine-Mosely has sent in a review for Where
I’m Calling From by Raymond Carver. A major collection
of Carver's short stories, including seven new stories
written shortly before the author's death in 1988. By
this time Raymond Carver had established himself as
one of the great practitioners of the American short
story, a writer who had not only found his own voice
but imprinted it in the imagination of thousands of
readers. Where
I’m Calling From contains thirty-seven of his best
works and reflects Carver's development as a writer
over a period of more than two decades... more»»
John Alwyine-Mosely
31st July 2010 [7/10] |
The Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Vesna McMaster has sent in a review for The
Lazarus Project by Aleksandar Hemon. On 2 March
1908, Lazarus Averbuch, a young Russian Jewish immigrant
to Chicago, tried to deliver a letter to the city's
Chief of Police. He was shot dead. After the shooting,
it was claimed he was an anarchist assassin and an agent
of foreign operatives who wanted to bring the United
States to its knees. His sister, Olga, was left alone
and bereft in a city seething with tension. A century
later, two friends become obsessed with the truth about
Lazarus and decide to travel to his birthplace... more»»
Vesna McMaster
31st July 2010 [8/10] |
And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for
And Another Thing by Eoin Colfer. Arthur Dent's
accidental association with that wholly remarkable book
The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy has not been entirely
without incident. Arthur has travelled the length, breadth
and depth of known, and unknown, space. He has stumbled
forwards and backwards through time. He has been blown
up, reassembled, cruelly imprisoned, horribly released
and colourfully insulted more than is strictly necessary.
And, of course, he has comprehensively failed to grasp
the meaning of life, the universe and everything. Arthur
has, though, finally made it home to Earth... more»»
Paul
Lappen 30th June 2010
[8/10] |
Bad
to the Bone by Bo Hoefinger
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Bad
to the Bone by Bo Hoefinger. Bo Hoefinger is not
an everyday author - he's a mixed-breed shelter dog
with an attitude. His popular blog receives over 10,000
page views per month and his unique voice brings this
memoir to life. Bad
to the Bone focuses on how he and two seemingly
normal people wreak havoc on an unsuspecting world while
creating a lifelong bond in the process. All the stories
are true and will leave dog lovers laughing out loud.
A touching and humorous narrative about the intensely
loving and rich relationship between owner and dog...
more»»
Chrissi
31st May 2010 [8/10] |
For Everything a Reason by Paul Cave
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for For
Everything a Reason by Paul Cave. Joseph Ruebins
is a natural-born fighter, a champion of his sport,
yet no training could have prepared him for the events
that were to follow at Madison Square Garden on the
night of his ultimate fight. Ruebins had planned his
retirement with precision and it wasn't supposed to
be like this. Struck down by a sudden and debilitating
stroke, Joseph finds himself in hospital; paralysed,
fearful, and at the mercy of this cruel condition. Worse
still, it quickly transpires that the sanctuary of the
hospital is only temporary. A killer is stalking these
barren passageways... more»»
Jessica
31st May 2010
[8/10] |
The Purloined Boy by Mortimus Clay
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The
Purloined Boy by Mortimus Clay which tells the story
of a lanky twelve year old named Trevor Upjohn. He was
stolen by a bogeyman right out his bed when he was just
a wee lad. But that's not what makes him special. What
makes him special is he knows he was stolen. More than
that - he wants to go home again. His care-givers, the
Guardians, won't hear of it. Worse, the bogeymen have
other plans for him - plans too awful to even mention
here. Fortunately for our hero the Venerable Guild of
the Sun Eaters is working to save him. Even better,
a talking mouse named Zephyr comes to Trevor's aid and
promises to take him home, but with one proviso... more»»
Paul
Lappen 31st May 2010
[9/10] |
Necropolis by Anthony Horowitz
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Joe Plunkett has sent in a review for Necropolis
by Anthony Horowitz. Evil has been unleashed on the
world and only five children - with special powers -
can save it. Matt and the other three desperately need
to find Scar, the final gatekeeper, who has been trapped
in Hong Kong, where puddles of water turn into puddles
of blood, where ghosts, demons and hideous creatures
stalk the streets. Matt has no choice but to follow
her. Now, both imprisoned, their only hope of survival
is to reach a secret door in the Man Ho temple... more»»
Joe Plunkett
31st May 2010 [9/10] |
The Contractor by Charles Holdefer
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
John Alwyine-Mosely has sent in a review for The
Contractor by Charles Holdefer. George Young is
a freelance interrogator working for the U.S. government
at a top-secret island prison. When a prisoner dies
during interrogation, after repeatedly asking the question,
'Who are you?' George realizes that, somewhere along
the way, he has indeed lost sight of who he is and what
sort of person he is supposed to be. By placing this
familiar theme in a new setting, Holdefer gives us additional
layers of emotional depth: George isn’t just trying
to figure out who he is; he is trying to figure out
what his country is, and whether he is a good guy or
just another terrorist wearing a different suit of clothes...
more»»
John Alwyine-Mosely
31st May 2010 [8/10] |
The Optimist by Laurence Shorter
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for The
Optimist by Laurence Shorter. When it comes to bad
news, we've never had it so good. Today we face a greater
range of potential disasters than ever before. Laurence
Shorter is feeling anxious. Every time he turns on the
radio or opens a newspaper he finds another reason to
be tearful. It's time to make a change. The
Optimist charts Laurence's quest for inner happiness.
Can Desmond Tutu bring a smile to Laurence's face? Will
he ride out the tide of pessimism with California's
famous Surfing Rabbi? Or will it fall to the ultimate
icon of optimism, Bill Clinton, to show Laurence the
brighter side of life... more»»
Jessica
31st May 2010
[8/10] |
Fur by Meg Harper
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for Fur
by Meg Harper. Grace loves swimming in the sea; it soothes
her when she's restless and comforts her when she's
sad. She feels drawn to it more and more as she passes
her 14th birthday. Even her dreams are full of the sounds
of the ocean. But dark shadows are troubling the peaceful
waters of Grace's life. Her body is beginning to change,
but not as she expected. And now that she's started
seeing Nik, will she be able to keep her secret to herself...
more»»
Jessica
31st May 2010
[8/10] |
The Gates by John Connolly
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The
Gates by John Connolly. Young Samuel Johnson and
his dachshund Boswell are trying to show initiative
by trick-or-treating a full three days before Halloween.
Which is how they come to witness strange goings-on
at 666 Crowley Avenue. The Abernathys don't mean any
harm by their flirtation with Satanism. But it just
happens to coincide with a malfunction in the Large
Hadron Collider that creates a gap in the universe.
A gap in which there is a pair of enormous gates. The
gates to Hell. And there are some pretty terrifying
beings just itching to get out... more»»
Paul
Lappen 18th May 2010
[9/10] |
Devices and Desires by K. J. Parker
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Devices
and Desires by K. J. Parker. When an engineer is
sentenced to death for a petty transgression of guild
law, he flees the city, leaving behind his wife and
daughter. Forced into exile, he seeks a terrible vengeance
- one that will leave a trail of death and destruction
in its wake. But he will not be able to achieve this
by himself. He must draw up his plans using the blood
of others. In a compelling tale of intrigue and injustice,
K. J. Parker's embittered hero takes up arms against
his enemies, using the only weapons he has left to him:
his ingenuity and his passion - his devices and desires...
more»»
Paul
Lappen 30th April 2010
[9/10] |
Shadow by Karin Alvtegen
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for Shadow
by Karin Alvtegen. Gerda Persson has lain dead for three
days. Her life seems to have been quite ordinary. Until
the freezer in her home is opened. It is full of books,
neatly stacked and wrapped in clingfilm, a thick layer
of ice covering them - all by the same prize-winning
author, all with handwritten dedications to Gerda. What
story do these books have to tell? And what is their
connection to a young boy found abandoned in an amusement
park... more»»
Jessica
30th April 2010
[9/10] |
The Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Dayana F. Jardim has sent in a review for The
Little Prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupery. A pilot
stranded in the desert awakes one morning to see, standing
before him, the most extraordinary little fellow. "Please,"
asks the stranger, "draw me a sheep." And
the pilot realizes that when life's events are too difficult
to understand, there is no choice but to succumb to
their mysteries. He pulls out pencil and paper... and
thus begins this wise and enchanting fable that, in
teaching the secret of what is really important in life,
has changed the world forever for its readers... more»»
Dayana F. Jardim
30th April 2010 [9/10] |
Take Control of Your Life by Penny Mallory
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Jams Davies has sent in a review for Take
Control of Your Life by Penny Mallory. A thoroughly
inspirational book that will help you to Take Control
of your life! Based on Penny Mallory's experience, from
an 'out of control' young person, this book tells how
she Took Control and became a champion Rally Driver,
TV Presenter and Motivational Speaker. Her life's lessons
form the basis of her message to you, and how you can
make your unimaginable dreams come true. This is a real
and practical book, full of energy, hope and inspiration...
more»»
Jams Davies
30th April 2010 [9/10] |
The Way of the Warrior by Andrew Matthews
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for The
Way of the Warrior by Andrew Matthews. A powerful
story of loyalty and betrayal, past and prophecy, set
against the violent backdrop of warring clans in sixteenth-century
Japan. Vowing to avenge his parents' death, Jimmu becomes
a Samurai, an expert and lethal fighter. After infiltrating
his sworn enemy's personal guard, his skills and loyalties
come under heavy attack ... more»»
Jessica
30th April 2010
[7/10] |
The Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas
Adams
Average Rating [9/10]
(3 Reviews)
William Longinetti has sent in a review for The
Hitch-Hikers Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams.
It’s an ordinary Thursday lunchtime for Arthur Dent
until his house gets demolished. The Earth follows shortly
afterwards to make way for a new hyperspace bypass and
his best friend has just announced that he’s an alien.
At this moment, they’re hurtling through space with
nothing but their towels and an innocuous-looking book
inscribed with the big, friendly words: DON’T PANIC.
The weekend has only just begun and the Galaxy is a
very, very large and startling place indeed... more»»
William Longinetti
19th April 2010 [8/10] |
Shades
of Grey by Jasper Fforde
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Shades
of Grey by Jasper Fforde. No one could cheat the
Colourman and the colour test. What you got was what
you were, forever. Your life, career and social standing
decided right there and then, and all worrisome life-uncertainties
eradicated forever. You knew who you were, what you
would do, where you would go, and what was expected
of you. In return, you simply accepted your rung upon
the Chromatic ladder, and assiduously followed the Rulebook.
Your life was mapped. And all in the time it takes to
bake a tray of scones... more»»
Nigel
31st March 2010 [9/10] |
The
Kult by Shaun Jeffrey
Average Rating [9/10]
(2 Reviews)
Chrissi has reviewed The
Kult by Shaun Jeffrey. People are predictable. That's
what makes them easy to kill. Acting out of misguided
loyalty to his friends, police officer Prosper Snow
is goaded into helping them perform a copycat killing,
but when the real killer comes after him, it's not only
his life on the line, but his family's too. Now if he
goes to his colleagues for help, he risks being arrested
for murder. If he doesn't, he risks being killed...
more»»
Chrissi
31st March 2010 [8/10] |
The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous
Bosch
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for The
Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch.
When intrepid investigators Cass and Max-Ernest set
out to discover the history of the mysterious Symphony
of Smells, they become embroiled in a dastardly experiment
involving kidnapped children and the secret of eternal
youth. Together they must come up with a plan to rescue
their classmate from a hideous fate and escape the eerie
pyramid of the Midnight Sun... more»»
Jessica
31st March 2010
[7/10] |
Zinn for Beginners by David Cogswell
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Zinn
for Beginners by David Cogswell. An essential guide
to one of the most vital contemporary historians. Howard
Zinn has led a revolution in writing history by telling
the story not from the standpoint of the rulers, but
of the individual and the masses. Zinn tells the story
of Columbus from the perspective of the native people
who he terrorised for gold; of the Civil War from the
slaves and civilians who lost their lives at the hands
of generals and of the Spanish-American war from the
perspective of Mark Twain... more»»
Paul
Lappen 31st March 2010
[9/10] |
Diary of a Dead Man by Walter Krumm
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Diary
of a Dead Man by Walter Krumm. Entering the hotel
room that first day of June, Cameron Taylor anticipated
the culmination of a passionate affair with a mysterious
woman named Emily. Instead he found only her lifeless
body. To preserve his reputation and to avoid being
wrongly accused, Cameron is forced to cover up a crime
he did not commit. However, the grisly burial in the
basement slab of lot ninety-six is only the beginning.
Someone is watching. Pictures are taken. Blackmail...
more»»
Molly
Martin 31st March 2010
[9/10] |
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay
by Michael Chabon
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
John Alwyine-Mosely has sent in a review for The
Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael
Chabon. One night in 1939, Josef Kavalier shuffles into
his cousin Sam Clay's cramped New York bedroom, his
nerve-racking escape from Prague finally achieved. Little
does he realise that this is the beginning of an extraordinary
friendship and even more fruitful business partnership.
Together, they create a comic strip called The Escapist,
its superhero a Nazi-busting saviour who liberates the
oppressed around the world. The Escapist makes
their fortune, but Joe can think of only one thing:
how can he effect a real-life escape, and free his family
from the tyranny of Hitler... more»»
John Alwyine-Mosely
31st March 2010 [9/10] |
The Crossroads by Niccolo Ammaniti
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for The
Crossroads by Niccolo Ammaniti. Cristiano is sixteen.
Home life is far from perfect, and when his drink-sozzled
father and two reprobate friends come up with a plan
to rob a bank, Cristiano sees the chance of a better
life. But as a tremendous storm brews that night, the
perfect crime will have shocking consequences for all
involved. And Cristiano must put childhood behind him
once and for all... more»»
Jessica
28th February 2010 [8/10]
|
Who Really Won the Space Race? by Thom Burnett
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Who
Really Won the Space Race? by Thom Burnett. On October
4 1957, America's self image of being the most technologically
advanced nation on earth, was shattered by the successful
launch of a Soviet satellite, Sputnik, months ahead
of its own satellite program. Four days later President
Eisenhower gave a White House press conference in which
he attributed US failure to the fact that in 1945, the
Soviets had captured all of the German rocket scientists
at Peenemunde. But as this book will show, that presidential
statement was far from true... more»»
Paul
Lappen 28th February 2010
[8/10] |
The Forgotten Past by Heather Hayashi
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for The
Forgotten Past: The Arhka Chronicles, Vol 2 by Heather
Hayashi. Aliens descended upon Arhka, and they did not
come in peace. The world's four races were forced to
set aside their differences - and centuries of civil
war - to unite against the common threat. With the help
of the Powers, three women summoned from Earth, the
people of Arhka were able to take back what was theirs,
but at a heavy cost. With the aliens already rallying,
the allies realized the war had only begun... more»»
Molly
Martin 28th February 2010
[9/10] |
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
John Alwyine-Mosely has sent in a review for Ella
Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn. Nevin Nollop left the islanders
of Nollop with the treasured legacy of his pangram "the
quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog". But as
the letters begin to crumble on the monumental inscription,
the island's council forbids the use of the lost letters
and silence threatens Ella and her family... more»»
John Alwyine-Mosely
28th February 2010 [9/10] |
One More Year by Sana Krasikov
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for One
More Year by Sana Krasikov. The protagonists of
Sana Krasikova's indelible stories are mostly women
- some of them are new to America; some still live in
the former Soviet Union, in Georgia or Russia; and some
have returned to Russia to find a country they barely
recognize and people they no longer understand. Mothers
leave children behind; children abandon their parents.
Almost all of them look to love to repair their lives,
and when love isn't really there, they attempt to make
do with a paler, lighter imitation of it, with substitutes
for love... more»»
Ben Macnair
28th February 2010 [8/10] |
The Recruit by Robert Muchamore
Average Rating [9/10]
(2 Reviews)
Bethany has kindly sent in a review for The
Recruit by Robert Muchamore. A terrorist doesn’t
let strangers in her flat because they might be undercover
police or intelligence agents, but her children bring
their mates home and they run all over the place. The
terrorist doesn’t know that a kid has bugged every room
in her house, cloned the hard drive on her PC, and copied
all the numbers in her phone book. The kid works for
CHERUB. They slip under adult radar and get information
that sends criminals and terrorists to jail. For official
purposes, these children do not exist... more»»
Bethany Clarke
28th February 2010 [9/10] |
Waking Lazarus by T. L. Hines
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Gina Hendrix has sent in a review for Waking
Lazarus by T. L. Hines. Jude Allman has died and
come back to life three times, becoming a celebrity
against his own wishes. When the world crushes in around
this unlikely miracle man, this modern-day Lazarus,
he escapes into the vastness of Montana. He changes
his name and withdraws from the public eye, trying to
forget all that came before. But the past, like Jude,
won't stay buried. A prowling evil circles his adopted
hometown of Red Lodge, Montana. Children are disappearing,
and Jude may have the key to solving the crimes... more»»
Gina Hendrix
th 28th February 2010
[8/10] |
Snatched! by Graham Marks
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for Snatched!
by Graham Marks. Left for dead in a lion's cage, baby
Daniel is adopted by Hubble, owner of a travelling circus.
Twelve years later, his carefree life as a bareback
rider is shattered by vivid premonitions. When Josie
joins the circus, Daniel realizes that his visions are
coming true, but he still cannot stop the terrible fire
that he had foreseen. In the aftermath he is snatched
away - taken to London, gagged and bound, and he must
find a way to escape. But could the city be the place
to finally discover the truth behind his birth... more»»
Jessica
28th February 2010
[7/10] |
First Contact by Patrick Woodrow
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed First
Contact by Patrick Woodrow. In the heart of the
jungle lies a powerful secret. They hoped for the trip
of a lifetime. Now they are minutes from death. Mark
and Melanie Bridges are lost in the world's most hostile
forest. Their guides are dead. They have no shelter,
no water, no hope. Then, as the shadows lengthen, they
stumble on the wreck of a crashed helicopter. The pilot
and passenger are bones, their doomed mission to this
remote and dangerous land, uncertain. But the skeletons
have left behind both good and bad: vital supplies to
keep the pair alive. And a mystery that threatens to
kill them... more»»
Chrissi
31st January 2010 [7/10] |
The
Kult by Shaun Jeffrey
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed The
Kult by Shaun Jeffrey. People are predictable. That's
what makes them easy to kill. Acting out of misguided
loyalty to his friends, police officer Prosper Snow
is goaded into helping them perform a copycat killing,
but when the real killer comes after him, it's not only
his life on the line, but his family's too. Now if he
goes to his colleagues for help, he risks being arrested
for murder. If he doesn't, he risks being killed...
more»»
Nigel
31st January 2010 [9/10] |
The Boat by Nam Le
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for The
Boat by Nam Le. A dazzling, emotionally riveting
debut collection: the seven stories in Nam Le’s The
Boat take us across the globe as he enters the hearts
and minds of characters from all over the world. Whether
Nam Le is conjuring the story of 14-year-old Juan, a
hit man in Colombia; or an aging painter mourning the
death of his much-younger lover; or a young refugee
fleeing Vietnam, crammed in the ship's hold with 200
others, the result is unexpectedly moving and powerful.
This is an extraordinary work of fiction that takes
us to the heart of what it means to be human... more»»
Jessica
31st January 2010 [7/10]
|
Southcrop Forest by Lorne Rothman
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Southcrop
Forest by Lorne Rothman. The trees of Southcrop
have made a striking discovery - one that could change
the world for all their kind. But they are trapped in
a forest fragment and face destruction from human sprawl.
They cannot spread their new-found gift across the land.
Then Auja, a young oak, finds little Fur amongst her
branches. Fur is a legendary creature not seen for a
thousand years, a single intelligent being emerged from
a colony of caterpillars. Fur is small and meek and
slow, but can travel through the forest and talk with
trees. Auja persuades the reluctant Fur to help. Fur
embarks on a desperate quest to find the source of all
tree power... more»»
Paul
Lappen 31st January 2010
[9/10] |
Second Chance by Jane Green
Average Rating [9/10]
(1 Review)
Sarah has sent in a review for Second
Chance by Jane Green. Step inside the home of Holly
Mac and meet her successful, distinguished husband Marcus,
notice how beautiful her home is and how gorgeous her
children Daisy and Oliver are. You might say that they
are the perfect family, but you would be very wrong...
Holly is desperately lonely. She has spent her entire
marriage trying to be the perfect wife but she is missing
the one thing she really wants - a husband she can talk
to, a soul mate to share everything with, someone like
her first love and best friend Tom. Then a terrible
tragedy finds Holly reunited with some old friends,
and she soon realises that they too are each beset by
their own problems... more»»
Sarah
31st January 2010 [9/10] |
The Wanderers by Richard Price
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
John Alwyine-Mosely has sent in a review for The
Wanderers by Richard Price, the story of a teenage
gang in the Bronx of the early 1960s. The Wanderers
are just trying to stay alive - and maybe have a little
sex. But it's not going to be easy. They're facing murderous
parents, unimpressed girls, an all-Chinese gang and
a pack of mute Irish maniacs, apathetic teachers, and
a ten-year-old cold-blooded killer. Against these odds,
will the Wanderers get what they're after... more»»
John Alwyine-Mosely
31st January 2010 [7/10] |
The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis
Average Rating [8/10]
(1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The
Rachel Papers by Martin Amis. In his uproarious
first novel Martin Amis, author of the bestselling London
Fields, gave us one of the most noxiously believable
- and curiously touching - adolescents ever to sniffle
and lust his way through the pages of contemporary fiction.
Charles Highway, a precociously intelligent and highly
sexed teenager, is determined to sleep with an older
woman before he turns twenty. Rachel fits the bill perfectly
and Charles plans his seduction meticulously, sets the
scene with infinite care - but it doesn't come off quite
as Charles expects... more»»
Ben Macnair
31st January 2010 [8/10] |
The Raven Queen by Pauline Francis
Average Rating [7/10]
(1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for The
Raven Queen by Pauline Francis. This is a powerful
historical novel that brings to life an unforgettable
story of love, hope and royal duty, from a hugely talented
new author. The life of Lady Jane Grey, the Nine Day
Queen, is all too often remembered as just a line in
a history book, but this stunning debut novel reveals
the full fascinating and tragic story - a tale of treachery,
power struggles, and religious turmoil in the Tudor
court. Intricately woven and passionately written, The
Raven Queen is also a sensitive story of love against
all odds that will enchant readers... more»»
Jessica
31st January 2010 [7/10]
|
How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff
Average Rating [5/10]
(2 Reviews)
Sarah has sent in a review for How
I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. Daisy is sent from New
York to England to spend a summer with cousins she has
never met. They are Isaac, Edmond, Osbert and Piper.
And two dogs and a goat. She's never met anyone quite
like them before - and, as a dreamy English summer progresses,
Daisy finds herself caught in a timeless bubble. It
seems like the perfect summer. But their lives are about
to explode. Falling in love is just the start of it.
War breaks out - a war none of them understands, or
really cares about, until it lands on their doorstep...
more»»
Sarah
31st January 2010 [3/10] |
|
Non-Fiction Books Part 2 - Popular Science
Chrissi has posted the second article of her series discussing
Non-Fiction Books; in Part 2 she stays with Popular
Science Pt2 but this time looks at Codes and Puzzles.
"I thought that for this, I would try to explain
and illustrate my love of puzzles and codes. As bizarre
as it may be to admit to liking maths puzzles over, say,
crosswords, I like working things out rather than either
knowing the answer or being able to guess the solution.
I suppose that I ought to concentrate on cryptic ones,
but they rely on a certain intuition, and that spark eludes
me more often than not."more»»
Admin th 31st October 2010 |
McGan's Meditations
Michael McGan, the author of Fleeting
Thoughts and The
Hamster Never Sleeps, looks to the past...
Archaeologists
dig through artefacts and study them, placing great
value on the things that they discover. Most of it is
broken stuff that they painfully put back together.
What if all this stuff was just trash? It could be just
inexpensive, dollar store type things, presents that
didn't require a lot of thought, gifts from family or
friends that lived far away...
“What
is this? A vase or something? It's hideous. I don't
want this. What did you get?”
“Looks like some kind of cheap tool or something. Lousy
craftsmanship. It's junk. I don't know what they were
thinking. I'm throwing it out. They'll never know, they
live five-hundred miles away.”
“Get rid of this vase for me while you're at it. Bury
it all out back.”
Everything we think we know about different civilizations
could be wrong. And I've often wondered if archaeologists
ever find shovels. Like, maybe some guy hundreds or
even thousands of years ago was digging at the same
site for artefacts, and eventually gave up. “This
is stupid. My back is killing me, I have a headache...
I quit.”
Abner
Doubleday was long considered the father of what we
know as baseball. Now it seems that baseball goes back
a lot farther than old Abner. It goes back to around
2400 B.C. and ancient Egypt! Archaeologists have found
that inside some of their digs, there are hieroglyphic
references to ball batting activity - batting averages
and other stats no doubt. Also, there are drawings depicting
an ancient Pharaoh about to take a swing at a ball he
is tossing up in the air. Several drawings show figures
catching balls, and other drawings seem to depict players
scratching their groins, and trainers dispensing performance
enhancing drugs to leading players.
Based on what has been uncovered to this point as far
as these drawings, or “reliefs” as they are called,
there is no pitcher in the game. Maybe his arm got sore,
he left to get a rub down and there was no replacement
yet on the field. Perhaps he'll turn up in some future
drawing they'll find. Either way, we can only guess
that the “relief” pitcher is still in the dig-out.
Sports were obviously big in ancient civilizations.
Egypt had baseball, and Rome had, among other things,
chariot racing. This was an early version of NASCAR.
The chariots would race around a track, there were crashes,
they kept track of the laps, the winner was honoured
in the middle of the track after the race and given
a wreath of victory while wine was sprayed on them and
they posed for sketches with scantily clad models.
Here is an ancient CXPN interview with a leading chariot
driver:
“Lavarius, for the people that don't follow chariot
racing that closely, please tell us about yourself.”
“Well, I'm a chariot driver and two time Circus Maximus
Olive Wreath Champion.”
“And who do you drive for?”
“Lepidian's Winery”
“The burgundy coloured, number XXIV chariot.”
“That's right Probius.”
“Next week the big race is at Bononia. There's not a
lot of straight track there. It must seem like you're
in the turns the whole race. Do you approach that smaller
track any different?”
“Not really, Probius. We might slow things down and
go with less horse power, drop from four down to two
horses that handle better in the turns, move the axle
back a bit to hold the track, but the chariot is really
rolling pretty good at this point and I don't see the
smaller track being a problem.”
“Alright. Good luck, Lavarius.”
“Thanks, Probius.”
…and remember, be careful what you bury, several thousand
years from now someone might be taking it all very seriously.
:)
Michael McGan 9th October 2010 |
Book Reviews - Astroturfing
The astroturf might look greener, but it isn't sweeter.
Christian
Cook, the author of the brilliant Broken
Eggshells, has written a very interesting article,
Book Reviews - Astroturfing, that provides an author's
perspective on book reviews and why, good or bad, they
are an important source of feedback and why they should
not be abused... more»»
Admin 9th September 2010 |
Non-Fiction Books Part 1 - Popular Science
Chrissi has posted the first article of a planned series
discussing Non-Fiction Books; in Part 1 she takes a look
at Popular
Science. “I have a selection of books with strange
titles, if nothing else, they amuse Nigel with their seemingly
limited scope of reference, but I buy them because they
appeal to the geek in me. They are stories as good as
any thriller and all the more appealing for being true;
they have heroes and villains and contain moments of outrage
and triumph. They leave you afterwards with that head-spinning
wow as you finish the final page and put the book down
for a moment to attempt to absorb the information with
which you have been gifted.” more»»
Admin 18th May 2010 |
BookLore Site Update
We read many more books than we upload reviews for and
we wanted a way of quickly posting opinions on the books
we like without doing a full review, hence BookLore
Quick Reviews. These are simply short capsule reviews
with a score out of ten which will give you some idea
about the title in question. Admin
19th April 2010 |
BookLore Site Update
Some decent updates recently with Jasper
Fforde added to the Author Pages as well as a review
for his excellent Shades
of Grey. Also added are pages for Neal
Asher and Markus
Zusak along with several other new reviews as well
as the forthcoming Publications
Dates page and, as ever, the latest Top
Ten Hardback and Paperback
fiction charts... and finally, as promised for our for
our 10th Anniversary year something totally new (to us
at least :) - we have joined the rest of the world and
created accounts on Twitter and Facebook to let users
of these sites follow BookLore updates. We are BookLoreReviews
on Twitter and BookLore
on Facebook so if you have an account you can follow us
or become a fan and every time we update you will hopefully
be notified through your favourite social networking site…
more sites to follow. Admin 31st
March 2010 |
Book Collecting - Waterstone’s Exclusive Editions
As you may be aware
Waterstone‘s
produce and sell exclusive editions of books when published
and many of these become highly collectible. We have noticed
that some of these exclusive edition books are being sold
on Ebay, Abebooks, etc., at much higher prices than the
original RRP, even just after publication. It is worth
noting that many of these are actually still available
directly from
Waterstone‘s.
For example, Jasper Fforde’s Shades
of Grey, published 14th January 2010, is also available
as an exclusive edition. At the time of writing this was
listed on eBay at £49.99 (Buy-It-Now) and Abebooks at
£54.99 and £65.00.
Waterstone‘s
are still showing 10+ copies at £25.00, £5.00 less than
the original RRP of £30.00. You might also be surprised
to learn that some of these are still available quite
some time after publication. For example, the exclusive
edition of Brisingr
by Christopher Paolini, published 1st November 2008, is
selling from £37.99 (Buy-It-Now) on eBay and from £39.99
on Abebooks.
Waterstone‘s
are still listing 10+ copies at £15.75, £19.25 less than
the original RRP of £35.00. So, if you are a collector
it is well worth checking out the stock levels of the
original supplier. Have a try - go to
Waterstone‘s,
search for a book you like to see if they have an exclusive
edition and check out the price elsewhere... you could
save a few pennies. Admin 18th February
2010 |
|