Archive 2011
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BookLore Archive Page - 2011
This page contains old items in date order for the year 2011.
Reviews News
Review - The Cursed ManThe Cursed Man by Keith Rommel
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (2 Reviews)
Paul has sent in a review for The Cursed Man by Keith Rommel. Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill. With his family deceased and a path of destruction behind him, Alister sits inside a mental institution, sworn to silence and separated from the rest of the world, haunted by his inability to escape death’s preferential treatment. But when a beautiful psychologist arrives at the institution and starts offering him care, Alister braces himself for more killings. When none follow, he tries to figure out whether he truly is insane or if death has finally come to him in the form of a woman... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st December 2011 [9/10]
Review - SanctusSanctus by Simon Toyne
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (2 Reviews)
David Hagen has sent in a review for Sanctus by Simon Toyne. The certainties of the modern world are about to be blown apart by a three thousand year-old conspiracy nurtured by blood and lies... A man throws himself to his death from the oldest inhabited place on the face of the earth, a mountainous citadel in the historic Turkish city of Ruin. This is no ordinary suicide but a symbolic act. And thanks to the media, it is witnessed by the entire world. But few understand it. For charity worker Kathryn Mann and a handful of others in the know, it is what they have been waiting for. The cowled and secretive fanatics that live in the Citadel suspect it could mean the end of everything they have built - and they will kill, torture and break every law to stop that... more»»
David Hagen 31st December 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Lost Fleet: Dauntless The Lost Fleet: Dauntless by Jack Campbell
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The Lost Fleet: Dauntless by Jack Campbell. The Alliance has been fighting the Syndics for a century, and losing badly. Now its fleet is crippled and stranded in enemy territory. Their only hope is a man who has emerged from a century-long hibernation to find he has been heroically idealized beyond belief. Captain John 'Black Jack' Geary's legendary exploits are known to every schoolchild. Revered for his heroic 'last stand' in the early days of the war, he was presumed dead. But a century later, Geary miraculously returns from survival hibernation and reluctantly takes command of the Alliance fleet as it faces annihilation by the Syndics... more»»
Paul Lappen 30th November 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (2 Reviews)
Molly has sent in a review for The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne. Nine-year-old Bruno knows nothing of the Final Solution and the Holocaust. He is oblivious to the appalling cruelties being inflicted on the people of Europe by his country. All he knows is that he has been moved from a comfortable home in Berlin to a house in a desolate area where there is nothing to do and no one to play with. Until he meets Shmuel, a boy who lives a strange parallel existence on the other side of the adjoining wire fence and who, like the other people there, wears a uniform of striped pyjamas. Bruno’s friendship with Shmuel will take him from innocence to revelation... more»»
Molly Martin 30th November 2011 [8/10]
Review - Into the Wild Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Chloe Lizotte has sent in a review for Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. Immediately after graduating from college in 1991, McCandless had roamed through the West and Southwest on a vision quest like those made by his heroes Jack London and John Muir. In the Mojave Desert he abandoned his car, stripped it of its license plates, and burned all of his cash. He would give himself a new name, Alexander Supertramp, and , unencumbered by money and belongings, he would be free to wallow in the raw, unfiltered experiences that nature presented. Craving a blank spot on the map, McCandless simply threw the maps away. Leaving behind his desperate parents and sister, he vanished into the wild. Four months later, his decomposed body was found by a moose hunter. How McCandless came to die is the unforgettable story of Into the Wild.... more»»
Chloe Lizotte 30th November 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Great American Bus Ride The Great American Bus Ride by Irma Kurtz
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The Great American Bus Ride by Irma Kurtz. After more than thirty years as an expatriate, Irma Kurtz gave in to her growing curiosity about her American roots and set off on a grand adventure to explore 'the most baffling of all places' - by Greyhound bus. Taking only the barest necessities for travel, she entered the vast network of America's bus routes and a seething, fleeting world of brief encounters and changing landscapes. During the great loops of her journey back and forth across the continent, Kurtz was as fascinated by the people thrown up at random on each bus as by the places flashing by outside the window. She creates a vivid and highly entertaining portrait of America reflected in the hundreds of characters she observes fromthe close quarters of the bus... more»»
Ben Macnair 30th November 2011 [7/10]
Review - Nights of Rain and Stars Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Hidayah Ismawi has sent in a review for Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy. In a Greek taverna, high over the small village of Aghia Anna, four people meet for the first time: Fiona, an Irish nurse, Thomas, a Californian academic; Elsa, a German television presenter; and David a shy English boy. Along with Andreas, the old man who runs the taverna, they become close to each other after witnessing a tragedy when a pleasure steamer catches fire in the harbour. Nights of Rain and Stars is the story of one summer when Fiona, Thomas, Elsa and David all have to face the particular life crisis which first made them leave their homes and end up in Greece. With the help of Vonni, a middle-aged Irish woman who lives in the village and is now a near-native, they each find a solution - although not necessarily the one they anticipated... more»»
Hidayah Ismawi 30th November 2011 [8/10]
Review - Quirky Kids Zoo Quirky Kids Zoo by Pat Brannon
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Deb Hockenberry has sent in a review for Quirky Kids Zoo by Pat Brannon. Have you ever been to a zoo where the elephants and ants play leap frog together and the zebras cook burgers and fries? What about goldfish playing guitars and goats washing the visitors' cars? I'm assuming you've never seen tigers jump rope or a polar bear wear pink tennis shoes? Of course you haven't because there is only one zoo where animals behave this way-the Quirky Kids' Zoo. Did I mention the gopher races and the giraffes playing hopscotch? Guess not. Well, some things you'll just have to see for yourself. So, grab Mom and Dad and jump in the car and head over to the Quirky Kids' Zoo for an adventure you won't soon forget... more»»
Deb Hockenberry 30th November 2011 [9/10]
Review - Young Flesh Required: Growing Up With the Sex Pistols Young Flesh Required: Growing Up With the Sex Pistols by Alan G. Parker and Mick O'Shea
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Dan Swinhoe has sent in a review for Young Flesh Required: Growing Up With the Sex Pistols by Alan G. Parker and Mick O'Shea. Think you know the story of the Sex Pistols? Think again... Alan G. Parker and Mick O Shea have spent much of their adult lives following the Sex Pistols and their names are almost synonymous with them. Both have previously written bestselling books on the subject and Alan has also directed the critically acclaimed film Who Killed Nancy. Young Flesh Required: Growing Up With the Sex Pistols brings together extensive research, exclusive interviews and personal reflections to tell the stories behind the newspaper headlines and get to the heart of the band. The Sex Pistols were the young flesh that Malcolm McLaren required to satisfy his artistic and financial ambitions. Here is their real story... more»»
Dan Swinhoe 30th November 2011 [9/10]
Review - ZombieStop Parade ZombieStop Parade by Richard Buzzell
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for ZombieStop Parade by Richard Buzzell. This story has nothing to do with zombies. It's about a young man who places himself in conflict with his society. He conducts an online campaign of ridicule against the cash-grab mentality and connects with a nascent alienation developing on college campuses, but also creates enemies in the media. Under pressure to betray his pal, his best friend is torn between his misgivings and his loyalty. In the wake of the financial fiasco some of our citizens have come into conflict with the prevailing economic culture. This book attempts to capture the passion, the turmoil, and the strife of that conflict... more»»
Molly Martin 30th November 2011 [8/10]
Review - Yesterday’s FlightYesterday's Flight by Martyn Ellington
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Yesterday's Flight by Martyn Ellington. When a Dinosaur fossil is unearthed in the Badlands of America the last thing Susan Lavey expected to see as the cause of death was the tail section of an airliner. Now together with Bruce Ackland, a chief air crash investigator, they must find out why and how this could have happened and what became of the passengers on board. William Relford was flying to yet another meeting, but this time it was to hand in his notice; he had worked in sales for as long as he liked to remember and now was the time for a change. But destiny has a way of changing things in ways we can't imagine, and now it was about to bring them all together in a race for the truth and for one of them: their very survival... more»»
Nigel 31st October 2011 [8/10]
Review - Pock's World Pock's World by Dave Duncan
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Pock's World by Dave Duncan. Pock's World, long settled by humankind, is accused of being infected by humanoid aliens. It has been quarantined and may have to be sterilized. Five people are chosen to go there and examine the evidence: saintly but ruthless Father Andre; Ratty Turnsole, a muckraking reporter ripe for romance; ambitious politician Athena Fimble; manipulative bureaucrat Millie Backet; and shady billionaire Linn Lazuline. Some of them carry grudges - all have their own agendas. Pock's World surprises them all. Nothing is what they expect. Quickly entangled in love, politics, religion, and deceit, they discover that the clock is already ticking and the fate of humanity itself is at stake... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st Ocotber 2011 [9/10]
Review - Strong Enough to Die Strong Enough to Die by Jon Land
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Hidayah Ismawi has sent in a review for Strong Enough to Die by Jon Land. Caitlin Strong is a fifth-generation Texas Ranger, proud to wear the badge of her father and grandfather-until a deadly shoot-out causes her to question her calling. Five years later Caitlin is still trying to purge herself of guilt born of the actions that ended her Ranger career. But a shattering discovery will reopen old wounds and Caitlin/s renewed investigation into the truth behind the bloody desert fire fight uncovers a terrifying plot that reaches into every home and threatens the very core of the country. Her only hope for success and survival - is to team up with Cort Wesley Masters, an outlaw who has every reason to want her dead. But he also holds the key to the truth she desperately seeks in the anguished brain of an amnesiac torture victim... more»»
Hidayah Ismawi 31st October 2011 [7/10]
Review - Disciple of a Dark GodDisciple of a Dark God by Edmund Glasby
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Disciple of a Dark God by Edmund Glasby. Assassin, cultist, zealot; his sole aim in life is to serve the evil god who enabled him to exact his revenge. Satiated by this act, but forever bitter and cynical, Everus does whatever is required by the cult, and more importantly by Xethorn, who contacts him directly. As far as Everus is aware, he has already killed those responsible for his downfall and asks only to repay his deity. To this end, and with assistance from a grave-robbing thief with his own agenda, he seeks the wards which will allow Xethorn to gain supremacy over the world. Arrogant, charismatic and cold-hearted, Everus begins to realise that even his cynical view of people is not dark enough, as he eventually discovers the true extent to which he has been manipulated... more»»
Nigel 30th September 2011 [8/10]
Review - The White Queen The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Hidayah Ismawi has sent in a review for The White Queen by Philippa Gregory. Internationally bestselling author Philippa Gregory brings the tumult and intrigue of The Wars of the Roses to vivid life through the women of the House of Lancaster and the House of York, beginning with the story of Elizabeth Woodville, the White Queen. A woman who won the love of a king and ascended to royalty by virtue of her beauty, Elizabeth fought tenaciously for the success of her family - her daughter who would one day unite the warring dynasties, and her two sons whose eventual fate has confounded historians for centuries: the Princes in the Tower... more»»
Hidayah Ismawi 30th September 2011 [7/10]
Review - Hector and the Secrets of Love Hector and the Secrets of Love by Francois Lelord
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Hector and the Secrets of Love by Francois Lelord. What is the secret formula for love? Hector, our intrepid psychiatrist, sets off on a new globe-trotting mission and this time he is looking for Love. One of the world s largest pharmaceutical companies has employed him to track down their brilliant scientist, Professor Cormorant, who has disappeared abroad with the secret of a modern-day love potion. Leaving behind his troubled relationship with girlfriend Clara, Hector s adventure takes him to the Far East and into the arms of beautiful Vayla, forcing our hero to think deeply about what love really is/means... more»»
Ben Macnair 30th September 2011 [7/10]
Review - Chasing the Dime Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (2 Reviews)
Jessica has sent in a review for Chasing the Dime by Michael Connelly. A searing thriller about a simple wrong number that opens a line into terror... Henry Pierce has a whole new life - new apartment, new telephone, new phone line. But the first time he checks his messages, he discovers that someone had the number before him. The messages on his line are for a woman named Lilly, and she is in some kind of serious trouble. Pierce is inexorably drawn into Lilly's world, and it's unlike any world he's ever known. It is a nighttime world of escort services, websites, sex, and secret identities. Pierce tumbles through a hole, abandoning his orderly life in a frantic race to save the life of a woman he has never met... more»»
Jessica 30th September 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Great Gatsby The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Chloe Lizotte has sent in a review for The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The Great Gatsby is a consummate summary of the "roaring twenties", and a devastating expose of the "Jazz Age". Through the narration of Nick Carraway, the reader is taken into the superficially glittering world of the mansions which lined the Long Island shore in the 1920s, to encounter Nick's cousin Daisy, her brash but wealthy husband Tom Buchanan, Jay Gatsby and the mystery that surrounds him... more»»
Chloe Lizotte 30th September 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Ascent of Isaac Steward The Ascent of Isaac Steward by Mike French
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed The Ascent of Isaac Steward by Mike French, the remarkable and extraordinary debut novel from the senior editor of the prestigious literary magazine, The View From Here. Written with a literary, lyrical voice, the book follows Isaac Steward in an emotional and original tale as he struggles to deal with the resurfacing of a suppressed memory of a car crash a year ago which killed his wife, Rebekah, his son, Esau, and left his other son, Jacob, in a coma. Isaac becomes increasingly dysfunctional and delusional as the story unfolds in a hypnotic and startling way bringing into play childhood memories of a Punch and Judy show and the revelation from his half-brother, Ishmael, that in order to be reunited with Rebekah he must be brought to a tree from his father's wood called The Dandelion Tree... more»»
Chrissi 31st August 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Ashes of Worlds The Ashes of Worlds by Kevin J. Anderson
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for The Ashes of Worlds by Kevin J. Anderson. Galactic empires clash, elemental beings devastate whole planetary systems, and the factions of humanity are pitted against each other. The allied factions of humanity, along with the waning Ildiran Empire, the powerful water elementals and sentient trees, have defeated the near-invincible race of the hydrogues, driving them back into the depths of gas-giant planets. But before peace can heal the wounds between the races, two ancient enemies return: the capricious fiery elementals, the faeros, who mean to burn all those who fought alongside their enemies; and the lost hive race of the Klikiss, who intend to reclaim the worlds they inhabited 10,000 years earlier, worlds that are now home to many human colonies... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st August 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Radleys The Radleys by Matt Haig
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The Radleys by Matt Haig. Meet the Radleys: Peter, Helen and their teenage kids Clara and Rowan. An everyday family who live in a pretty English village and juggle dysfunctional lives. So far, so normal. Except, as Peter and Helen know (but the kids have yet to find out), the Radleys happen to be a family of abstaining vampires. When one night Clara finds herself driven to commit a bloodthirsty act of violence, her parents need to explain a few things: why is their skin is so sensitive to light, why do they all find garlic so repulsive, and why has Clara's recent decision to go vegan had quite such an effect on her behaviour... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st August 2011 [8/10]
Review - A Thousand Splendid Suns A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (3 Reviews)
Hidayah Ismawi and Mihir have each sent in a review for A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later, a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager, Laila, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. When the Taliban take over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, and lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism... more»»
Hidayah Ismawi 31st August 2011 [8/10]
Mihir 31st August 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Royal Dragoneers The Royal Dragoneers by M. R. Mathias
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for The Royal Dragoneers by M. R. Mathias. After struggling for more than two centuries to tame the inhospitable, dragon infested Islands where they washed up, the descendants of the survivors of a lost passenger ship are now striving to tame the Mainland they have found. But the Goblin King has a different plan for the men who are invading his territory. He and his Nightshade are rallying the trolls to defend their lands. With the help of the dragons, goblins, and orcs they plan on rendering the wall the humans have built useless, so that they can drive man back to the islands from where they came. When stubborn King Blanchard finally accepts that the kingdom really is under attack it may be too late, and the only ones who can save the people on the Mainland have been locked away in the dungeon... more»»
Molly Martin 31st August 2011 [8/10]
Review - Cleopatra: A Life Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Chloe Lizotte has sent in a review for Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. The Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer brings to life the most intriguing woman in the history of the world: Cleopatra, the last queen of Egypt. Her palace shimmered with onyx, garnets, and gold, but was richer still in political and sexual intrigue. Above all else, Cleopatra was a shrewd strategist and an ingenious negotiator. Though her life spanned fewer than forty years, it reshaped the contours of the ancient world. She was married twice, each time to a brother. She waged a brutal civil war against the first when both were teenagers. She poisoned the second. Ultimately she dispensed with an ambitious sister as well; incest and assassination were family specialties... more»»
Chloe Lizotte 31st August 2011 [9/10]
Review - American Weather American Weather by Charles McLeod
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Megan Martin has sent in a review for American Weather by Charles McLeod. Meet Jim Haskin. He's forty years old. He's worth around thirty-five million. He runs his own San Francisco ad firm, American Weather. AmWe's image is green, modern and forward-looking: if your product is upcycled or hydro or vegan, they'll make you an ad. But behind the scenes, Jim manufactures ways to support the old captains of American industry; bleach, beer and guns. Orphaned at 14, Jim and his three closest friends grew up at Mr Hand's Home for Well-Behaved Boys. All have profited from the American dream. In 2008, on the brink of the Presidential election, the quartet finds themselves short on cash and look to Jim for a solution. The scheme he devises involves a Death Row inmate, pay-per-view television, and most of America's major corporations. Everything is set for it to be his greatest achievement yet... more»»
Megan Martin 31st August 2011 [9/10]
Review - Stormchaser Stormchaser by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (3 Reviews)
Nadine has also sent in a review for Stormchaser by Paul Stewart & Chris Riddell, the second book in The Edge Chronicles. Since his childhood in the Deepwoods, young Twig has always longed to soar above the forest canopy and explore the sky. Now a lowly crew-member on his father's sky pirate ship, the Stormchaser, his dream seems fulfilled. Their quest is to collect stormphrax - a valuable substance created inside the heart of a Great Storm, at the very instant it unleashes its most intense power. But only a sky ship such as the Stormchaser could risk entering the storm. But a much higher destiny awaits Twig as plots and treacheries from many years ago bring the lofty city of Sanctaphrax - home of the Edgeworld's most learned academics - to the point of disaster... more»»
Nadine(2) 31st August 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Echo Maker The Echo Maker by Richard Powers
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for The Echo Maker by Richard Powers. On a winter night on a remote road in Nebraska, twenty-seven-year-old Mark Schluter's truck turns over in a near fatal accident. His older sister, Karin, his only close relative, returns reluctantly to their hometown to nurse Mark back from a traumatic head injury. But when he emerges from a protracted coma, Mark believes that this woman - who looks, acts, and sounds just like his sister - is really an identical impostor. Shattered by her brother's refusal to recognise her, Karin contacts the cognitive neurologist Gerald Weber, famous for his case studies describing the infinitely bizarre worlds of brain disorder. Weber recognises Mark as a very unusual case of Capgras syndrome and is keen to investigate. But what he discovers in Mark begins to undermine even his own sense of self.... more»»
Jessica 31st August 2011 [9/10]
Review - Malta Surrendered Malta Surrendered by Joe Scicluna
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Vincenzo has sent in a review for Malta Surrendered by Joe Scicluna. Ever since the Great Siege of 1565, Malta became known as the impregnable island. It was the home of the Knights of St John, that highly admired Christian army formed of the upper crust of Europe's nobility. And yet, when Napoleon's fleet turned up at its shores in June 1798, the knights were in a state of disarray. They were incapable of planning or executing a credible defence strategy, much to Europe's amazement. It was difficult to conceive how centuries of glorious victories could culminate in the disgraceful banishment that followed the surrender of Malta. These are the memoirs of Pierre-Jean Doublet who was then the Grand Master's secretary for the French Langue. He witnessed the events as they unfolded and left a detailed account of what took place and what, in his view led to such an unpredictable outcome... more»»
Vincenzo 31st August 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Pumpkin Field The Pumpkin Field by Linda Nance
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Deb Hockenberry has sent in a review for The Pumpkin Field by Linda Nance. On this journey through the pumpkin field there are strange, ominous, mysterious, and even magical things that occur. Was it real or was it a dream? Could that be why it is requested even now into a new generation? I hope that my illustrations will bring this tale to life and just as my children and grandchildren and so many others have loved this tale, it will bring a special smile and create memories shared by all who read or receive it. This book is my gift to be passed on and shared, that can live on and reach out beyond the pages leaving delighted smiles... more»»
Deb Hockenberry 31st August 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Mayan ConspiracyThe Mayan Conspiracy by Graham Brown
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed The Mayan Conspiracy by Graham Brown. Former CIA-agent Hawker has been black flagged by his own government and Interpol and the State department have issued a warrant for his arrest. All Hawker wants to do is find a way back home that doesn't involve a prison sentence or a body bag. Government operative Danielle Laidlaw is his way out. She needs a pilot and a security consultant for her mission to discover the lost Mayan city of Tulan Zuyu. In return for his services, she promises Hawker his life back. But as an unseen enemy stalks the rainforests, leaving battered corpses in its wake... more»»
Chrissi 31st July 2011 [8/10]
Review - Lullabies for Little Criminals Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill. Baby is twelve. Her mother died soon after she was born so she lives with her father - and his heroin addiction. She's grown up in Montreal's red-light district, never staying anywhere long enough to call it home, and now Baby is losing the only constant in her life: her father. He's been sent to hospital and she's been forced into foster care. She longs for his return; other people's families are no substitute for her own. Starved of affection, Baby is attracted by all the wrong people. And when her father betrays her and she is sent to a juvenile detention centre, she is more at risk than ever... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st July 2011 [8/10]
Review - A Thousand Splendid Suns A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Maia Sherwood Rogers has sent in a review for A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later, a friendship grows between Mariam and a local teenager, Laila, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter. When the Taliban take over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear. Yet love can move a person to act in unexpected ways, and lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism... more»»
Maia Sherwood Rogers 31st July 2011 [9/10]
Review - Haint Blue Haint Blue by Carl Linke
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Haint Blue by Carl Linke. In 1986, a novice businessman, Kip Drummond, rescued a sentimental landmark - the Lady's Island Oyster Factory - in Beaufort, South Carolina. But six years later, he finds himself pressured by corporate greed and paralyzed by Low Ccountry desperation. On one side, a trio of predators from Philadelphia, spurred by plans to replace the rundown factory with a mega-million dollar waterfront development, enlists the aid of a local mole and an Italian connection to deliver a no-holds-barred squeeze for the sale. On the opposite side, fuelled by rumours of the undisclosed sale of the factory, the restless Gullah workers prod their ex-Marine foreman, "Gunny" Brewer, to go head-to-head with Kip in an effort to squelch the deal... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st July 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Book of Lost Things The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (2 Reviews)
Lexie Moonstone has sent in a review for The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly. 'Once upon a time, there was a boy who lost his mother…' High in his attic bedroom, twelve-year-old David mourns the loss of his mother. He is angry and he is alone, with only the books on his shelf for company. As David takes refuge from his grief in the myths and fairytales so beloved of his dead mother, he finds the real world and the fantasy world begin to blend. That is when bad things start to happen. That is when the Crooked Man comes. And David is violently propelled into a land populated by heroes, wolves and monsters, his quest to find the legendary Book of Lost Things... more»»
Lexie Moonstone 31st July 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Silmarillion The Silmarillion by by J. R. R. Tolkien
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Finchen has sent in a review for The Silmarillion by J. R. R. Tolkien, an account of the Elder Days, of the First Age of Tolkien's world. It is the ancient drama to which the characters in The Lord of the Rings look back, and in whose events some of them such as Elrond and Galadriel took part. The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-Earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor... more»»
Finchen 31st July 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Catcher in the Rye The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Chloe Lizotte has sent in a review for The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger, the ultimate novel for disaffected youth, but it's relevant to all ages. The story is told by Holden Caulfield, a seventeen- year-old dropout who has just been kicked out of his fourth school. Throughout, Holden dissects the 'phony' aspects of society, and the 'phonies' themselves: the headmaster whose affability depends on the wealth of the parents, his roommate who scores with girls using sickly-sweet affection. Lazy in style, full of slang and swear words, it's a novel whose interest and appeal comes from its observations rather than its plot intrigues - in conventional terms, there is hardly any plot at all... more»»
Chloe Lizotte 31st July 2011 [9/10]
Review - Unrequited Unrequited by James Bennett
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Unrequited by James Bennett. Aaron Edgeway lives in a ramshackle house in a provincial English town with his sick and abusive father. When he meets Victor, their romance quickly becomes an escape from the dreary prospects of his life. An escape that, unbeknownst to Victor, Aaron will do almost anything to protect. Aaron has secrets: a scandalous videotape unwittingly recorded at a drug dealer's party, and the unwanted affections of Alex Clay, his unruly best friend. Alex tries to free Aaron from blackmail and harassment, building a pressure-cooker atmosphere of desire and deceit... more»»
Molly Martin 31st July 2011 [8/10]
Review - Anglesey: A Megalithic Journey Anglesey: A Megalithic Journey by Neil McDonald
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Geoff Ward has sent in a review for Anglesey: A Megalithic Journey by Neil McDonald. The extraordinary wealth of ancient and historical sites on the Welsh island of Anglesey represents a microcosm of British history, from the deep Neolithic past to the Roman occupation, through the rise of the Welsh princes to the heyday of the Victorian resort of Beaumaris. It was on Anglesey that the ancient Druids took their last stand against the Roman invaders. Neil McDonald is an expert on the mythic and historical geography of Anglesey. In this fascinating book, he explores the island's heritage and countryside, providing vivid descriptions and rich historical backgrounds for its landmarks and culture... more»»
Geoff Ward 31st July 2011 [9/10]
Review - Bad Ground Bad Ground by W. Dale Cramer
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Gina Hendrix has sent in a review for Bad Ground by W. Dale Cramer. Poignant and thought provoking, this is a down-to-earth, sometimes humorous novel filled with suspense, action, redemption, and even romance. Seventeen-year-old Jeremy Prine decides to honour his mother’s dying wish and seek out his estranged uncle who was badly burned in the accident that killed Jeremy’s father. He finds the man working as a hard-rock miner in the south, an extremely dangerous occupation. His uncle seems a bitter and lonely man, but Jeremy senses more beneath the surface... more»»
Gina Hendrix 31st July 2011 [9/10]
Review - Feasting the Wolf Feasting the Wolf by Susan Price
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for Feasting the Wolf by Susan Price. A sweeping dramatic story of courage and honour set in the merciless and cut-throat Viking world. Farm boys Ottar and Ketil love to hear stories about the Great Army; the ruthless warriors ruled by pirate kings, the glory and riches won in blood-soaked battles. They can only dream of such adventure until a Viking ship comes to port and the boys decide to join the raiding party. As blood brothers, they have sworn to protect each other. But now the arrows of war threaten to pierce their loyalty, the axes to sever their friendship. If they cannot stand strong together, their bodies may be left on the battlefield to feast the wolves.... more»»
Jessica 31st July 2011 [7/10]
Review - Filth Filth by Irvine Welsh
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Steven Lomax has sent in a review for Filth by Irvine Welsh. With the festive season almost upon him, Detective Sergeant Bruce Robertson is winding down at work and gearing up socially - kicking off Christmas with a week of sex and drugs in Amsterdam. There are irritating flies in the ointment, though, including a missing wife, a nagging cocaine habit, a dramatic deterioration in his genital health, a string of increasingly demanding extra-marital affairs. The last thing he needs is a messy murder to solve. Still it will mean plenty of overtime, a chance to stitch up some collegues and finally clinch the promotion he craves. But as Bruce spirals through the lower reaches of degradation and evil, he encounters opposition - in the form of truth and ethical concience... more»»
Steven Lomax 31st July 2011 [9/10]
Review - Singing the Psalms of the Brokenhearted Singing the Psalms of the Brokenhearted by Bill Crowder
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Gina Hendrix has sent in a review for Singing the Psalms of the Brokenhearted by Bill Crowder. Nowhere are the personal depths of grief and the cry of the broken heart more clearly revealed than in the Psalms. Through their honest, gut-level responses to their real-life circumstances, the psalmists show joy, anger, bitterness, guilt, resentment, vindictiveness, and most of the other emotions all of us feel at some time in our lives. In looking carefully at Psalms 6, 12, 13, 22, 32, 39, 42, 56, 69, and 73, the author explains how they reveal the truth about our own grief, despair, defeat, guilt, fear, desperation, hate, stress, unfairness, and sin... more»»
Gina Hendrix 31st July 2011 [9/10]
Review - Blue Fire BurningBlue Fire Burning by Hobb Whittons
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Blue Fire Burning by Hobb Whittons. In the dead of night, a covered wagon driven by a hooded, faceless being is careering through the forest at breakneck speed. Inside the wagon, sit two jittery Goblin men: Grot and Mouldy. Suddenly, the contents of the sack they are staring at begin to glow... Meanwhile, unaware of the planet's 'ticking clock', the cosmopolitan human population of the walled naval port of Bellana are busy getting their wondrous Mermaid Stadium ready for the grand Argia Final. Throughout this magical and marauding tale, love, trust and a craving to belong do battle against prejudice, religious fanaticism and the lust for power - and the stakes could not be higher... more»»
Chrissi 2nd July 2011 [8/10]
Review - Heretics: Past and Present Heretics: Past and Present by Brian Allan
Average Review Rating Average Rating [6/10] (1 Review)
Geoff Ward has sent in a review for Heretics: Past and Present by Brian Allan. The occult, the paranormal, UFOs and aliens, the weird and wonderful are all covered in this remarkable and insightful book with new angles on the old and ideas that are only just coming to the fore in modern science. Brian Allan has spent decades going where other researchers fear to tread and asking difficult questions. Now in this all-encompassing book he discovers the depth of those our religious ancestors once called heretics. There was more to their often seemingly strange language; there was insight in those peculiar rituals; there was truth locked away in those arcane ideas... more»»
Geoff Ward 30th June 2011 [6/10]
Review - Kaï-ro Kaï-ro by Graham Marks
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for Kaï-ro by Graham Marks. In the year 2499, a strange new city has risen, hot and dusty, dotted with half-built pyramids and ruled over by a dark army. Beneath it all, forgotten statues of ancient gods lie waiting to wreak their power on an unsuspecting world. One boy will stand up and become a hero. When the Gods go to war, it is always the mortals who suffer. And when the sun rises on a world where once again Stekh, God of Chaos, and Horus, God of the Sky, walk the land, then battle is inevitable... more»»
Jessica 30th June 2011 [8/10]
Review - If I Never If I Never by Gary William Murning
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for If I Never by Gary William Murning. Price is used to living within the shadow of threatening friend George - forever in the fear that not to follow his lead with will end with a beating. However, new developments mean his life finally seems to be moving from the dormant and gaining some positive development. Before long, though, George is back and Price finds himself following his friend once more. But this time it is different - secrets are discovered, decisions are to be made and life and perspective will never be the same again... more»»
Ben Macnair 30th June 2011 [7/10]
Review - Across the Nightingale Floor Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Harry Zoltaire Craig has sent in a review for Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn. In his black-walled fortress at Inuyama, the murderous warlord, Iida Sadamu, surveys his famous nightingale floor. Constructed with exquisite skill, it sings at the tread of each human foot. No assassin can cross it unheard. Brought up in a remote mountain village among the Hidden, a reclusive and spiritual people, Takeo has learned only the ways of peace. Why, then, does he possess the deadly skills that make him so valuable to the sinister Tribe? These supernatural powers will lead him to his violent destiny within the walls of Inuyama - and to an impossible longing for a girl who can never be his... more»»
Harry Zoltaire Craig 30th June 2011 [9/10]
Review - Rivers of LondonRivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (2 Reviews)
Chrissi and Nigel have both reviewed Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. My name is Peter Grant and until January I was just probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service (as the Filth to everybody else). My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - we do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from someone who was dead but disturbingly voluable, and that brought me to the attention of Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England... more»»
Chrissi 31st May 2011 [9/10]
Nigel 31st May 2011 [8/10]
Review - Hell Can Wait Hell Can Wait by Theodore Judson
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Hell Can Wait by Theodore Judson. In a bid to claim his soul, an angel and a demon argue over the fate of an ancient Roman soldier. The decision is made to bring him back to life, not in Ancient Rom, but in modern day Colorado. Here he must complete the seemingly impossible challenges laid out before him, under the watchful eyes of the celestial duo. Without a sword and shield to protect him, the warrior must rely on his new-found ability to read, and a little bit of divine inspiration in this humorous tale of the power of a second chance... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st May 2011 [9/10]
Review - Avery’s Treasure Avery’s Treasure by Kate Dolan
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Avery’s Treasure by Kate Dolan. Pirates don't make good bedfellows. Or do they? Edward Talbot isn't inclined to accept the global pardon offered to pirates by Nassau's new governor. Being a pirate is the only thing he's ever succeeded at. Fate, however, has other plans, and as one misadventure leads to another, all of them seemingly involved with Arleigh Avery and her putative treasure map, he discovers there may be more to recommend the life of an honest man than he thought... more»»
Molly Martin 31st May 2011 [8/10]
Review - A Mathematician's Apology A Mathematician's Apology by G H Hardy
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
John Finch has sent in a review for A Mathematician's Apology by G H Hardy, one of this century's finest mathematical thinkers, renowned among his contemporaries as a 'real mathematician... the purest of the pure'. He was also, as C. P. Snow recounts in his Foreword, 'unorthodox, eccentric, radical, ready to talk about anything'. This 'apology', written in 1940 as his mathematical powers were declining, offers a brilliant and engaging account of mathematics as very much more than a science; when it was first published, Graham Greene hailed it alongside Henry James's notebooks as 'the best account of what it was like to be a creative artist'... more»»
John Finch 31st May 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Conch Bearer The Conch Bearer by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Harry Zoltaire Craig has sent in a review for The Conch Bearer by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni. Anand wants his life to change. He was a happy 12-year old before he was forced to go and work on the streets of his home in India. His chance comes, the day he meets a strange and ragged old beggar. Who is he? What does he want? The old man needs help returning a stolen possession of immeasurable value, and he reveals a tiny, beautiful shell. But this is no ordinary conch, it has a potent power of its own and must be taken to a place of safety many hundreds of miles away. Anand and the old man set out and are soon joined by Nisha, a headstrong but resourceful, young sweeper girl... more»»
Harry Zoltaire Craig 31st May 2011 [8/10]
Review - Dog Walks Man Dog Walks Man by John Zeaman
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Gina-Louise has sent in a review for Dog Walks Man: A Six-Legged Odyssey by John Zeaman. This is a touching, witty and thought-provoking exploration of the metaphysical aspects of the simple dog walk. Walking Pete (a standard poodle named after a Ghostbuster) opens the author up to different way of looking at the world. As he discovers more about his neighbourhood - its wild fringes, its natural wonders and the characters within it - so he becomes more aware of man's connections to his environment. Each chapter is a meditation on the wisdom derived from dogs and dog walking... more»»
Gina-Louise 31st May 2011 [8/10]
Review - Collected Stories Collected Stories by John Cheever
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Cristina Frincu has sent in a review for Collected Stories by John Cheever, the complete collection of award-winning stories from one of the finest American writers of the last century . This outstanding collection by Pulitzer prize-winning novelist John Cheever, show the power and range of one of the finest short story writers of the last century. Stories of love and of squalor, they include masterpieces such as The Swimmer and Goodbye, My Brother and date from the time of his honourable discharge from the Army at the end of the Second World War... more»»
Cristina Frincu 31st May 2011 [7/10]
Review - Freak the Mighty Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick. Max is used to being called Stupid. And he is used to everyone being scared of him. On account of his size and looking like his dad. Kevin is used to being called Dwarf. And he is used to everyone laughing at him. On account of his size and being some cripple kid. But Greatness comes in all sizes, and together Max and Kevin become Freak the Mighty and walk high above the world. Extraordinarily powerful, uplifting and memorable, the story of Freak the Mighty explores an unlikely friendship, and finds optimism and humour in a story of great poignancy... more»»
Jessica 31st May 2011 [8/10]
Review - Blood Lust 2.5: L'Hunch Est DosBlood Lust 2.5: L'Hunch Est Dos by Rhys Wilcox
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Blood Lust 2.5: L'Hunch Est Dos by Rhys Wilcox. Father and daughter vampire hunters have found themselves unemployed. With time on their hands, they decide to forge their relationship by retreading their nostalgic footsteps in their home city of Paris. Unfortunately, their arrival coincides with a series of mysterious deaths that have something to do with a code, a church and a famous Italian's painting of a do-gooder's final meal. A mix of frenetic action, gratuitous violence and self-disparaging humour - all wrapped up in array of cultural, literary and cinematic references - that puts the 'trite' back into 'poltergeist'... more»»
Nigel 30th April 2011 [9/10]
Review - Love PotionsLove Potions by Christina Jones
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Love Potions by Christina Jones. When aromatherapist Sukie Ambrose starts using her cottage garden as inspiration - and raw ingredients - for her products, she thinks she's just hit on a good way of saving money while offering her clients a way of de-stressing and relaxation. However, Sukie lives in a village where strange things have been known to happen. She discovers that her new improved lotions and potions are making her massages distinctly magical - and producing more star-crossed lovers than Shakespeare could ever dream of... more»»
Chrissi 30th April 2011 [7/10]
Review - The Magus of Freemasonry The Magus of Freemasonry by Tobias Churton
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
John Finch has sent in a review for The Magus of Freemasonry by Tobias Churton. Elias Ashmole (1617-1692) was the first to record a personal account of initiation into Accepted Freemasonry. His writings help solve the debate between operative and "speculative" origins of Accepted Freemasonry, demonstrating that symbolic Freemasonry existed within the Masonic trade bodies. Ashmole was one of the leading intellectual luminaries of his time: a founding member of the Royal Society, an alchemists, astrological advisor to the king; and the creator of the world's first public museum. Tobias Churton's compelling portrait of Ashmole offers a perfect illustration of the true Renaissance figure - the magus... more»»
John Finch 30th April 2011 [8/10]
Review - Sky Burial Sky Burial by Xinran
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Sky Burial by Xinran. As a young girl in China Xinran heard a rumour about a soldier in Tibet who had been brutally fed to the vultures in a ritual known as a sky burial: the tale frightened and fascinated her. Several decades later Xinran met Shu Wan, a Chinese woman who had spent years searching for her missing husband who had been serving as a doctor in Tibet; her extraordinary life story would unravel the legend of the sky burial. For thirty years she was lost in the wild and alien landscape of Tibet, in the vast and silent plateaus and the magisterial mountain ranges, living with communities of nomads moving with the seasons and struggling to survive... more»»
Nigel 30th April 2011 [7/10]
Review - The Cursed ManThe Cursed Man by Keith Rommel
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed The Cursed Man by Keith Rommel. Alister Kunkle believes death is in love with him. A simple smile from friend or stranger is all it takes to encourage death to kill. With his family deceased and a path of destruction behind him, Alister sits inside a mental institution, sworn to silence and separated from the rest of the world, haunted by his inability to escape death’s preferential treatment. But when a beautiful psychologist arrives at the institution and starts offering him care, Alister braces himself for more killings. When none follow, he tries to figure out whether he truly is insane or if death has finally come to him in the form of a woman... more»»
Nigel 31st March 2011 [9/10]
Review - Seeing StarsSeeing Stars by Christina Jones
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Seeing Stars by Christina Jones. When city-girl Amber arrives to spend the summer in a small village, the only stars she recognises are the ones she reads about in her glossy celeb magazines. So she is stunned to find herself surrounded by a new neighbours who organise their entire lives around constellation customs and the astral calendar. More scarily, Amber finds that the villagers actually believe that the stars and moon can work magic. Amber remains loudly sceptical, but as she's grown very fond of her new friends - especially the gorgeously enigmatic Lewis - and assuming that it's all a bit of harmless fun, she hurls herself into the star-ceremonies and moon-myths on the grounds that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em... more»»
Chrissi 31st March 2011 [8/10]
Review - Catch Catch by Simon Robson
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Katie.B has sent in a review for Catch by Simon Robson. Catharine wakes to an empty bed. Her husband Tom, a human rights lawyer, is away on business and it’s the first time she has woken alone in their cottage since they moved there from London five months ago. She is, as she confesses, a serious woman; realistic and practical. She has relinquished her hold on past ambitions, her music and her career, in preparation for family life. Now, without distraction, she wonders what she is to do. Time progresses, and in encounters both real and imagined - with the village’s inhabitants, with her best friend Maria and with Tom - Catharine plucks at the fabric of her life until it is threadbare ... more»»
Katie.B 31st March 2011 [7/10]
Review - A Week in December A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Ben Scott has sent in a review for A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks. London, the week before Christmas, 2007. Over seven days we follow the lives of seven major characters: a hedge fund manager trying to bring off the biggest trade of his career; a professional footballer recently arrived from Poland; a young lawyer with little work and too much time to speculate; a student who has been led astray by Islamist theory; a hack book-reviewer; a schoolboy hooked on skunk and reality TV; and a Tube train driver whose Circle Line train joins these and countless other lives together in a daily loop... more»»
Ben Scott 31st March 2011 [910]
Review - The Earth Hums in B Flat The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan. Gwenni Morgan is not like any other girl in this small Welsh town. Inquisitive, bookish and full of spirit, she can fly in her sleep and loves playing detective. So when a neighbour mysteriously vanishes, and no one seems to be asking the right questions, Gwenni decides to conduct her own investigation. She records everything she sees and hears: but are her deductions correct? What is the real truth? And what will be the consequences of finding out, for Gwenni, her family and her community... more»»
Ben Macnair 31st March 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Dark Man The Dark Man by Deborah Wells
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Geoff Ward has sent in a review for The Dark Man by Deborah Wells. From the beginning of time a dark spectre has walked beside the human race. People have known this spectre by many names, such as the Shadow, Hades, the Bogeyman, the Devil or Death. And the misunderstandings and falsehoods surrounding this entity have resulted in an unfathomable amount of misery and suffering. In The Dark Man we look at the confusion and mystery surrounding this phenomenon and tease out the stories into one coherent whole. We consider, amongst other things, who or what the dark man may be, the forms he can take, the environment in which he is found and the 'job' he performs... more»»
Geoff Ward 31st March 2011 [8/10]
Review - Astronomy for Beginners Astronomy for Beginners by Jeff Becan
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Astronomy for Beginners by Jeff Becan, a friendly and accessible guide to our universe, our galaxy, our solar system and the planet we call home. Each year as we cruise through space on this tiny blue-green wonder, a number of amazing and remarkable events occur. For example, like clockwork, we’ll run head-on into asteroid and cometary debris that spreads shooting stars across our skies. On occasion, we’ll get to watch the disk of the Moon passing the Sun, casting its shadow on the face of the Earth, and sometimes we’ll get to watch our own shadow as it glides across the face of the Moon. The Sun’s path will constantly change across the daytime sky, as will the stars and constellations at night... more»»
Paul Lappen 31st March 2011 [8/10]
Review - Angel of Vengeance Angel of Vengeance by Trevor O. Munson
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Tamurile has sent in a review for Angel of Vengeance by Trevor O. Munson. The novel that inspired the TV series Moonlight puts a twist on the classic Dracula vampire tale and blends it with Chandler hardboiled P.I. detective fiction. LA-based P.I. and vampire Mick Angel has been hired by a beautiful red-headed burlesque dancer to find her missing sister. But the apparently simple case of a teenage runaway is soon complicated by drug dealers, persistent cops, murder and Mick’s own past. Mick must learn the hard way what every vampire should know - nothing stays buried for ever, especially not the past... more»»
Tamurile 31st March 2011 [9/10]
Review - Adam Lyal’s Witchery TalesAdam Lyal's Witchery Tales
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Adam Lyal’s Witchery Tales. Adam Lyal is fast becoming one of Edinburgh's most famous characters. No mean feat considering he was executed for highway robbery in the city's Grassmarket on the 27th March 1811. His book comes to us 177 years after his demise and is based on his well-known nightly Old Town 'Witchery' walking tour. Inside you will find many authentic stories from Edinburgh's long and gory past. There are dark accounts of violence and crime, vivid descriptions of hangings and executions, information on plagues and disasters, and finally haunting tales of witchcraft and the supernatural. As on his tour, Mr Lyal uses these stories to bring some of the character and atmosphere of the Old Town back to life... more»»
Chrissi 31st March 2011 [8/10]
Review - Mary Ann & Miss Mozart Mary Ann & Miss Mozart by Ann Turnbull
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for Mary Ann & Miss Mozart by Ann Turnbull. Mary Ann's greatest wish is to become an opera singer and she's thrilled when she gets the chance to see child prodigy Mozart perform with his sister in Chelsea. But when her father loses his fortune, she fears her singing dreams may be shattered. This second 'Historical House' title from award-winning author, Ann Turnbull, is an enchanting story of dreams and determination, set in the colourful world of eighteenth century London and referencing true events... more»»
Jessica 31st March 2011 [8/10]
Review - Tamburlaine Must Die Tamburlaine Must Die by Louise Welsh
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
GeneJosie has sent in a review for Tamburlaine Must Die by Louise Welsh. London, 1593. A city on edge. Under threat from plague and war, strangers are unwelcome, suspicion is wholesale, severed heads grin from the spikes on Tower Bridge. Playwright, poet and spy, Christopher Marlowe walks the city's mean streets with just three days to find the murderous Tamburlaine, a killer escaped from the pages of his most violent play. Tamburlaine Must Die is the searing adventure of a man who dares to defy both God and the state and whose murder remains a taunting mystery to the present day... more»»
GeneJosie 31st March 2011 [7/10]
Review - The Network The Network by Richard Heller
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Felix has sent in a review for The Network by Richard Heller. The long awaited sequel to Richard Heller's highly-regarded cricket novel A Tale of Ten Wickets. Teenage pace bowler Steve is the only child of a disintegrating marriage. He's just left a sink school. He has no social life, no girlfriend and no career prospects. The only thing holding him together is his dream of becoming a fast bowler. But his lonely pursuit of his dream brings him a network of new relationships and a new life. Narrated by its principal characters in vivid dialogue, by turns richly comic and highly sentimental, The Network is a rich tribute to the power of sport ... more»»
Felix 31st March 2011 [7/10]
Review - You Can’t Save Them All You Can’t Save Them All by Jeanette Michelle
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for You Can’t Save Them All by Jeanette Michelle. The story is centered on an Attorney out of Chicago where a paralegal, Lisa decides to go searching for the perfect case for her colleague Ethel to take in order to obtain fame and recognition. Lisa stumbles across what she calls the perfect case, which is in a town her colleague, Ethel despises. Trusting Lisa’ s judgment, Ethel accepts although she is unaware of the specific details of the case. This suspense novel not only depicts the life of an attorney in the court room, but her personal life and calamities that evolves her... more»»
Molly Martin 31st March 2011 [9/10]
Review - Millicent Quinones Millicent Quinones by Jeanette Michelle
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Molly has sent in a review for Millicent Quinones by Jeanette Michelle which opens as the now pregnant Mycall pushes Angel’s stroller through the flower garden. It has been a difficult time for Mycall following the death of Saul; his murder had shaken her badly. Leaving Minneapolis to spend time grieving the loss of the man she hoped to marry had brought Mycall some peace. Millie’s arrival helped fill some of Mycall’s lonely hours as she pondered the marriage proposal proffered by Saul’s brother Angelo. With the arrival of a letter for Millie revealing that a family member has been grievously injured Millicent boards a plane for Chicago to be with her family ... more»»
Molly Martin 31st March 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Whisperers The Whisperers by John Connolly
Average Review Rating Average Rating [4/10] (1 Review)
Ben Scott has sent in a review for The Whisperers by John Connolly. Charlie Parker returns in the chilling new thriller from the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Lovers. The border between Maine and Canada is porous. Anything can be smuggled across it: drugs, cash, weapons, people. Now a group of disenchanted former soldiers has begun its own smuggling operation, and what is being moved is infinitely stranger and more terrifying than anyone can imagine. Anyone, that is, except private detective Charlie Parker, who has his own intimate knowledge of the darkness in men's hearts. But the soldiers' actions have attracted the attention of the reclusive Herod, a man with a taste for the strange... more»»
Ben Scott 31st March 2011 [4/10]
Review - Will's Elf Will's Elf by Pepys Blake
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
John Goode has sent in a review for Will's Elf by Pepys Blake. Will, instinctively knew what was behind him; he did not need to see its fiery image reflected in the wide eyes of his two friends. Nevertheless, as though in slow motion, Will pivoted himself to face the wide expanse of chill water and the great creature that had risen soundlessly from its depths. "...dragon." Beside the lake there now stood a creature of unfathomable dimensions and incomparable design. The dragon was vaguely serpentine in appearance, a large flattened head projecting out from one end of a long neck, which broadened only to taper again to a thin, seemingly never-ending tail... more»»
John Goode 31st March 2011 [7/10]
Review - Less Than Zero Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
Average Review Rating Average Rating [6/10] (3 Reviews)
Martin Reiter has sent in a review for Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Clay comes home to L.A. for Christmas vacation and re-enters a landscape of limitless privilege and moral entropy, where everyone drives Porsches, dines at Spago, and snorts mountains of cocaine. He tries to renew feelings for his girlfriend, Blair, and for his best friend from high school, Julian, who is careering into hustling and heroin. Clay's holiday turns into a dizzying spiral of desperation that takes him through the relentless parties in glitzy mansions, seedy bars, and underground rock clubs... more»»
Martin Reiter 31st March 2011 [4/10]
Review - SanctusSanctus by Simon Toyne
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Chrissi has reviewed Sanctus by Simon Toyne. The certainties of the modern world are about to be blown apart by a three thousand year-old conspiracy nurtured by blood and lies... A man throws himself to his death from the oldest inhabited place on the face of the earth, a mountainous citadel in the historic Turkish city of Ruin. This is no ordinary suicide but a symbolic act. And thanks to the media, it is witnessed by the entire world. But few understand it. For charity worker Kathryn Mann and a handful of others in the know, it is what they have been waiting for. The cowled and secretive fanatics that live in the Citadel suspect it could mean the end of everything they have built - and they will kill, torture and break every law to stop that... more»»
Chrissi 28th February 2011 [8/10]
Review - Zoolin Vale and the Chalice of Ringtar Zoolin Vale and the Chalice of Ringtar by Craig Smith
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Zoolin Vale and the Chalice of Ringtar by Craig Smith. A thief in the night. A missing sacred artefact. An evil warlord from ancient history, out to rule the world. These are only a few of the problems facing Tennen, the newly appointed Lord Protector of Melin. Thrown into a desperate race against time, Tennen, his dragon friend Berrinn, and his men chase the thief and his mysterious companion over land and sea to a cursed island where they try to wrench the Chalice of Ringtar from the enemy's hands before it's too late. All while under the watchful eye of a mysterious black hawk... more»»
Paul Lappen 28th February 2011 [8/10]
Review - Smoke Screen Smoke Screen by Bernard Ashley
Average Review Rating Average Rating [6/10] (1 Review)
Jessica has sent in a review for Smoke Screen by Bernard Ashley. Ellie has been scared of water since her mum drowned, so when her dad decides to move to a pub by a canal in East London, Ellie is afraid. But she soon thinks there's something more disturbing about the pub than just its setting. Something is going on at the weekly music night and Ellie and new friend, Flo are determined to find out what, despite warnings to back off. The music night is clearly a smokescreen for something, but what? Bundled from country to country on a harrowing journey from a tiny Chinese village with the false promise of a better life in England, Song Fang Yin knows the truth. If she can escape her captors, she could help Ellie expose it... more»»
Jessica 28th February 2011 [6/10]
Review - Nix Ex MachinaNix Ex Machina by Christian Cook
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Nigel has reviewed Nix Ex Machina by Christian Cook. Having humbly set himself apart as one of life's great thinkers, Tarko rejects the menial tasks offered to him by the job agency and quickly reaches the conclusion that selling snow to the Eskimos is well within his capabilities. Not put off by a few holes in his business plan – a complete lack of funds, no guaranteed supply of snow and not one hint of commercial interest from his intended market – he establishes snowbrokers.com, an online brokerage service to facilitate snow sales to the Inuit tribes of Alaska. Inevitably shunned by investors and ridiculed by the media, Tarko is as shocked as anyone when a mysterious foreign backer steps in and offers to turn his whimsical publicity stunt into a multi-million dollar reality... more»»
Nigel 31st January 2011 [9/10]
Review - Red Serpent: The Prophet's Secrets Red Serpent: The Prophet's Secrets by Delson Armstrong
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Paul has sent in a review for Red Serpent: The Prophet's Secrets by Delson Armstrong. Red Serpent: The Falsifier was the first instalment of a massive saga, this sprawling epic tells of a future when exiled humans long for their home planet, but are prevented from returning by the dominant vampires that inhabit it. Action packed and romantic, the story of young Alexander, destined to lead the human race back to earth, twists through vast swathes of time, space and metaphysics. In Part 2, Red Serpent: The Prophet's Secrets, the journey continues as Alex tries to unravel the secrets behind the discs his father left him and learns to control his awesome power as he prepares to do battle and lead his people to war... more»»
Paul Lappen 9th January 2011 [9/10]
Review - Less Than Zero Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (2 Reviews)
Ben Macnair has sent in a review for Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis. Clay comes home to L.A. for Christmas vacation and re-enters a landscape of limitless privilege and moral entropy, where everyone drives Porsches, dines at Spago, and snorts mountains of cocaine. He tries to renew feelings for his girlfriend, Blair, and for his best friend from high school, Julian, who is careering into hustling and heroin. Clay's holiday turns into a dizzying spiral of desperation that takes him through the relentless parties in glitzy mansions, seedy bars, and underground rock clubs... more»»
Ben Macnair 9th January 2011 [7/10]
Review - Jackdaws Jackdaws by Ken Follett
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Katie.B has sent in a review for Jackdaws by Ken Follett. Two weeks before D-Day, the French Resistance attack a chateau containing a telephone exchange vital to German communications - but the building is heavily guarded and the attack fails disastrously. Flick Clairet, a young British secret agent, proposes a daring new plan: she will parachute into France with an all-woman team known as the 'Jackdaws' and they will penetrate the chateau in disguise. But, unknown to Flick, Rommel has assigned a brilliant, ruthless Intelligence colonel, Dieter Franck, to crush the Resistance. And Dieter is on Flick's trail... more»»
Katie.B 9th January 2011 [9/10]
Review - Middlemarch Middlemarch by George Eliot
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Shannon has sent in a review for Middlemarch by George Eliot. George Eliot's most ambitious novel is a masterly evocation of diverse lives and changing fortunes in a provincial community. Peopling its landscape are Dorothea Brooke, a young idealist whose search for intellectual fulfillment leads her into a disastrous marriage to the pedantic scholar Casaubon; the charming but tactless Dr Lydgate, whose marriage to the spendthrift beauty Rosamund and pioneering medical methods threaten to undermine his career; and the religious hypocrite Bulstrode, hiding scandalous crimes from his past... more»»
Shannon 9th January 2011 [9/10]
Review - White Teeth White Teeth by Zadie Smith
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (2 Reviews)
Hallie Davis has sent in a review for White Teeth by Zadie Smith. One of the most talked about fictional débuts of recent years, White Teeth is a funny, generous, big-hearted novel, adored by critics and readers alike. Dealing - among many other things - with friendship, love, war, three cultures and three families over three generations, one brown mouse, and the tricky way the past has of coming back and biting you on the ankle, it is a life-affirming, riotous must-read of a book... more»»
Hallie Davis 9th January 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Rhinemann Exchange The Rhinemann Exchange by Robert Ludlum
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Ben Scott has sent in a review for The Rhinemann Exchange by Robert Ludlum. David Spaulding is the most feared and efficient Allied agent in wartime Europe. Expert, deadly and professional, he is also high on the Gestapo's 'most wanted' list. Now Spaulding has been selected by the Allied Command to transact an undercover deal in Argentina involving top secret Nazi scientific plans. The dealer is Erich Rhinemann, an exiled German Jew who is awaiting the end of the war with his millions in an impenetrable retreat near Buenos Aires... more»»
Ben Scott 9th January 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Crystal World The Crystal World by J. G. Ballard
Average Review Rating Average Rating [7/10] (1 Review)
Mathew Strowbridge has sent in a review for The Crystal World by J. G. Ballard. Through a 'leaking' of time, the West African jungle starts to crystallize. Trees are metamorphosed into enormous jewels. Crocodiles encased in second glittering skins lurch down the river. Pythons with huge blind gemstone eyes rear in heraldic poses. Most men flee the area in terror, afraid to face what they cannot understand. But some, dazzled and strangely entranced, remain to drift through this dreamworld forest. There is a doctor in pursuit of his ex-mistress, an enigmatic Jesuit wielding a crystal cross, and a tribe of lepers searching for Paradise... more»»
Mathew Strowbridge 9th January 2011 [7/10]
Review - The Way of Awen The Way of Awen by Kevan Manwaring
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Geoff Ward has sent in a review for The Way of Awen by Kevan Manwaring. Awaken the bard within in this inspiring journey into your creative potential. Expanding upon the foundation of The Bardic Handbook, this volume explores the transformations the bardic initiate must go through to become a fully-fledged Bard. This originally took 12 years of study in the Bardic Colleges - but communities need bards right now, bringing healing and hope with their words and music and so the training process is accelerated over 12 months, echoing the 12 years of Taliesin's journey from Gwion Bach to the Shining Brow... more»»
Geoff Ward 9th January 2011 [8/10]
Review - The Great Right Hope The Great Right Hope by Mark Jackman
Average Review Rating Average Rating [8/10] (1 Review)
Simon Berry has sent in a review for The Great Right Hope by Mark Jackman. In north-east England, a monster has arisen. A vampire beast is stalking the Yorkshire moors, mutilating and destroying everything in its path. The vampire elders realise that the Firmamentum has cast its shadow on the world once more - a phenomenon which happens every few millennia, where a human and a vampire are born ultimately powerful and destined to oppose each other... Sid Tillsley is a forty-six year old benefit-fraudster from Middlesbrough. He's an overweight alcoholic, and also sexist, homophobic and a lazy git. But one thing sets him apart from his northern brethren; he can kill vampires with a single punch... more»»
Simon Berry 9th January 2011 [8/10]
Review - Shadow Fox Shadow Fox by Ashley J. Barnard
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Darkiss has sent in a review for Shadow Fox by Ashley J. Barnard. Jared Bruin doesn’t know who he is. He remembers nothing of his early childhood before the age of seven when he was abandoned in a park in St. Louis, left in an unfamiliar world that terrified him. He knows only that he is driven to learn everything he can about swordplay and sixteenth-century combat. Almost twenty years later, as he is battling a heroin addiction, suicidal tendencies and a violent affliction he doesn't understand, he is hired to teach swordplay to an enigmatic woman with secrets of her own, who somehow provides a link to his past... more»»
Darkiss 9th January 2011 [9/10]
Review - The Fallen The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski
Average Review Rating Average Rating [9/10] (1 Review)
Alma(2) has sent in a review for The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski. It's the eve of his eighteenth birthday and Aaron is experiencing dreams of a disturbing nature. In the darkly violent and chaotic dreamscape, Aaron is an armour-clad warrior in the midst of a bloody conflict. He can hear the sounds of weapons clanging, the screams of the stricken, the pathetic moans of the dying, and another sound he cannot quite discern. But as he gazes upward, he suddenly understands, watching as hundreds of armoured warriors descend on the battlefield from the sky above... more»»
Alma(2) 9th January 2011 [9/10]
Update The not so Brobdingnagian Update
After our now legendary (not) 2010 celebration of ten years online some of the more observant among you may have noticed we once again passed another milestone recently without any acknowledgment or merriment whatsoever, our 1,000th review. Thank you to Vincenzo for Malta Surrendered by Joe Scicluna... no, there are not any prizes :). Only a few reviews this month although the previous few months have been pretty good with a respectable number posted. As always we have the latest Top Ten Hardback and Paperback charts which are still being updated on a weekly basis to remain as current as possible (I know, hard to believe). Happy reading.
Admin 31st October 2011
Update Rants!
Cost of traditional book against Kindle version
We are not the first to raise the following observation but it is worth repeating:

Traditional Book
  • Drill for oil, transport and refine.
  • Chop down some trees.
  • Plant some trees (sustainable source).
  • Pulp wood.
  • Make packaging materials (pallets, tubes, plastic wrapping, boxes, paper, tape, etc.).
  • Transport packing materials to paper maker, printer, book seller, etc.
  • Make paper.
  • Transport paper to printer.
  • Make ink.
  • Transport ink to printer.
  • Make glue/binding materials.
  • Transport glue/binding materials to printer.
  • Print the 'digital copy' on to the paper.
  • Bind the paper into a book.
  • Pack the book with others.
  • Transport the book to a warehouse.
  • Store the book on a shelf.
  • Seller takes an order for the book.
  • Take the book off the shelf.
  • Pack book and post to buyer.
  • Transport book to buyer.
  • Buyer receives and reads book... recycling packing materials!
Kindle Edition
  • Seller stores digital version on server (already has infrastructure to sell traditional books).
  • Seller takes an order for the book (already has infrastructure to sell traditional books).
  • Buyer downloads digital copy and reads book.
Now, given the above why is the Amazon Kindle edition of The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore 7.99 when the hardback version is 7.92 as of 16th September 2011 (See: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Power-Six-Lorien-Legacies/dp/071815648X). While the Kindle edition includes VAT surely it is considerably cheaper to produce and sell a digital version. Is it me?

If you would like to post a comment regarding the above please see the discussion on the BookLore Facebook Page (now closed).
Admin 15th September 2011
Update Rants!
Are books just to become a never ending soap?
Have authors lost the point? With the publication this month of George R R Martin's fifth title in the A Song of Ice and Fire epic we have a 1040 page tome that brings the reader no nearer a satisfactory conclusion to the tale... even after a staggering 4100 pages (total pages of UK HB Editions 1 to 5). Now, we can only assume Mr Martin is human so at some point he will shuffle off this mortal coil and leave several hundred thousand, nay millions, of pretty annoyed readers (not as annoyed as Mr Martin one would assume... ) with a story that never ended. If only it was the fantasy genre but the disease seems to be spreading; whatever happened to a good old story, with a beginning, a middle and then an end?
Goodreads
First of all I must stress I like Goodreads and heartily recommend the site. Now tell me, why do people post scores for books they haven't read yet? For example, take the next Pittacus Lore title, The Power of Six, published 23rd August 2011. At the time of posting this book had an Average Rating of 4.31 based on 214 Ratings and 88 Reviews (check out the latest figures at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8659601-the-power-of-six). Now, being a bit obsessive I went through these posts and while a fair number were reviews of proof copies I could not believe the number of people saying how brilliant it was or how bad it was when they freely admitted they hadn't read it yet... is it me?
Katie Price
This week this amazing self publicist (respect - £40 million can't be wrong) tried to do the longest signing by an author... tomorrow I'm going to do the longest speech by a Prime Minister... perhaps Rebecca Farnworth can do the longest photo shoot by a glamour model... and yes, The Comeback Girl did go in at No.1, see Top 10 Hardbacks.
Admin 31st July 2011
Author McGan's Meditations
Michael McGan, the author of Fleeting Thoughts and The Hamster Never Sleeps, looks to the future...

Thank God for modern science and medicine. Breakthroughs are coming at a dizzying pace. People are exercising more and eating healthy. They say that 40 is the new 30 and 50 is the new 40. What the hell does all that mean? Math always makes me crazy, but I guess it means that many of us will probably be living longer than we ever would have expected. If 50 is the new 40, then turning 50 would now be the point of middle age unless you die at 60, which means you should have been more reflective back at 30. The point is that more and more people are living to 100 years and beyond! What do you think of that? I believe it depends on how you view your life up to this point. Let's say that you're fifty years old at this moment. If life for you has pretty much sucked up until now, the thought of another fifty years probably doesn't exactly thrill you. You may not be up for that.

On the other hand, you can look in the mirror and give yourself a moving, motivational speech that will inspire all of your different personalities - “The first quarter was about having fun. The second quarter was about growing up. That was the first half, and now it's over. Forget about it. We made some bad plays, had some calls go against us... But there's still plenty of time on the clock. We can turn it around. The third quarter is where we find out who we really are. Now let's go out there and kick life's butt in the second half! (Murmured grumbling.) OK, how about we just try to finish the game without anymore embarrassing mishaps or serious, season ending injuries? How does that sound? (Reluctant agreement.) C'mon.”

But, what if you did live to 100 years of age or more? They say that the human body was actually designed to do this! There is one lady in the nursing home where I've worked, who is 100 years old. She is rarely in a good mood and complains about everything in an accusing voice that builds to a whining crescendo at the end of her sentences.

“I'm cold. Won't somebody get me a blannnnnnket?”
“You have a blanket on right now Edna. You're fine.”
“YOU'RE FINE! YOU'RE FINE! How can anybody be fine in this HELL HOLE?”

I once asked her what she believed as far as the meaning of life and all. In a stern voice, she said “It has no meaning. If it does, I'm so old I forgot it. I have to go to the bathrooooom!” This illustrates how illusive the answer is, the answer we all seek. When you are young, you don't have enough life experience and knowledge to recognize it. When you are old, disease or disability may chase it away. It is during middle age that you must find it and hold onto it for as long as you can.

So, it may be safe to say, from my experience, that people can live to be more than a hundred years old but most of them stop being happy decades before they are wheeled into a large room that is festively decorated with balloons and ribbons. In the center of the room, on a big table, is a cake with so many burning candles on it, that the birthday person thinks it is the bright light at the end of the tunnel.

“Am I dead?”
“No, Edna, it's just your birthday cake. You are one hundred years old today. Isn't that great?”
“No, it's not great. Jesus, Mary and Joseph, who are all these people? They're so noisy.”
The room is loud and chaotic and the birthday person has no idea what is going on and pretty much just wants to go back to bed and complain.
“I'm cold. Won't somebody get me a blannnnnket?”
“You have a blanket on, Grandma. You're fine.”
“YOU'RE FINE! YOU'RE FINE! How can anybody be fine in this HELL HOLE?”
“Hey there, birthday girl. 100 is the new 90! Isn't that great?”
“I have to go to the BATHROOOOOM!”
“You just went to the bathroom, Edna.”
“Aaaaaiiiiieeeee!!! You're all a bunch of morons!”

I've recently read that by the year 2050 there will be more than a million people over 100 years old living in the US. God help us. In a recent poll, most people responded that they would like to live into their late 80s, no longer. That seems pretty much like a good run. If down the road it was possible, through the marvels of research and modern medicine, for humans to experience 120 years of life, most people asked said “No, thanks.” They feared eventually becoming sick, disabled, or a burden to their family. I think people know when they've had enough. If you are no longer enjoying the party, you just want to head on home.

...but what if you could remain fit and healthy and didn't drool? The answer is Cellular Regeneration then it is only a matter of boredom and a serious shortfall in your pension:)
Michael McGan
31st May 2011 
Update One for Budding Authors...
Keith Rommel, the author of The Cursed Man, is running a competition to promote the next book in the Thanatology Series, The Lurking Man. To enter simply go http://keithrommel.weebly.com/contest.html (Ed. - Link no longer works 31/03/12) and follow the instructions to answer three questions and submit a short story of 300 words or fewer. The short story must start with the line “My brother has just married a despicable shrew... " The story can be funny, suspenseful or on the edge of your seat horror. Good luck to all those that enter. As soon as we get hold of a copy of The Lurking Man we will post a review.
Admin 30th April 2011
Update The Brobdingnagian Update!
For Lemuel Gulliver and those of you who are fans of The Big Bang Theory the title of this month's update needs no explaining… for the rest let's just say it is huge. We have 17 new reviews from no less than 14 different reviewers. Behind the scenes we have updated all the Author Pages to provide the latest information including useful links to Amazon Biographies as well as Wikipedia pages where these exist. Also updated are all B, C, D & E Review Pages for the new format; hopefully the rest will follow over the coming months. As always we have the latest Top Ten Hardback and Paperback charts which are now consistently being updated on a weekly basis to remain as current as possible. We also have the new book releases for June on the Publication Dates page. Hopefully everyone will find something of interest. Enjoy.
Admin 31st March 2011
Update Happy New Year
Well, yet another year has arrived. Happy New Year to one and all. Let's hope it is a good one and the World can sort itself out :) Plenty of new reviews to keep you going along with Publication Dates for March and the latest Top 10. Enjoy.
Admin 9th January 2011
Column Ends

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