Hello from The Bookbag, a book review site, featuring books from all the many walks of literary life - fiction, biography, crime, cookery and anything else that takes our fancy. At Bookbag Towers the bookbag sits at the side of the desk. It's the bag we take to the library and the bookshop. Sometimes it holds the latest releases, but at other times there'll be old favourites, books for the children, books for the home. They're sometimes our own books or books from the local library. They're often books sent to us by publishers and we promise to tell you exactly what we think about them. You might not want to read through a full review, so we'll give you a quick review which summarises what we felt about the book and tells you whether or not we think you should buy or borrow it. There are also lots of author interviews, and all sorts of top tens - all of which you can find on our features page. If you're stuck for something to read, check out the recommendations page.
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Wicked Appetite by Janet Evanovich
Take one rather ditzy girl. Add a funny, extrovert friend, and another, more sensible one. Stir in two seriously attractive men, an unhinged pet or two, a slapstick plot and an unending series of cars. What have you got? A Janet Evanovich novel! This has been the formula for the winning 'Stephanie Plum' series for years, about a hopelessly incompetent bounty hunter who never quite manages to choose between the two hunks in her life, and it has given much pleasure and amusement. But even the best formulas get stale, so this year Ms Evanovich has branched out into something new. Well, almost. Full review...
Two Unknown by Alan Hamilton
The story is based 'between the wars', the 1920s to be exact. We're introduced to the main characters: a small family unit of mother, father and two children. On the surface this normal, middle-class set-up all appears fine - but underneath, things are far from fine. The father, Ian is actually the step-father to the twins. And through various detailed and sometimes unusually lengthy parent-child conversations and chats the reader is filled in with the background story. A bit staccato in places, I have to admit. Full review...
Medieval Intrigue: Decoding Royal Conspiracies by Ian Mortimer
Over the last few years Dr Mortimer has established himself as one of the foremost writers of British historical biography covering the 14th and early 15th centuries. However his previous books have been quite accessible to the general as well as the scholarly reader. This present volume is aimed more at the latter audience, assuming as it does a detailed knowledge of King Edward II and his successors. This is hinted at in his introduction, in which he points out that 'history is the most conservative of all professions, and a radical historian is generally branded a maverick by the mainstream.' Full review...
Shadow Wave (CHERUB) by Robert Muchamore
A shadow wave is a tidal flow that happens after a tsunami, and it can be deadly because it travels in the opposite direction and is often unexpected. Robert Muchamore's latest book in the CHERUB series is named after this phenomenon, and tells what happens when a bunch of young CHERUB secret agents and their teachers get caught up in the chaos in Malaysia which follows the 2004 earthquake and tsunami. They rescue impoverished villagers and help them begin rebuilding their homes, only to see all their hard work destroyed by government officials who use the disaster as an excuse to take away the fishermen's land and use it to build hotels for rich foreigners. Muchamore pulls no punches as he shows how greed and corruption win out over people's right to keep to their traditional lifestyles. Full review...
The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
Julian Treslove is a middle aged former BBC radio producer now working as a professional look alike but quite who he looks like varies. Although never married, he has fathered two sons, neither of whom he sees regularly. Dismissed from the BBC for being too morbid on his late night Radio 3 programme, he is given to depressing levels of self-analysis in his small flat that's not quite in Hampstead. What Treslove lacks is a sense of belonging and this, he notes his Jewish friends have in spades, particularly his old school friend and rival, the best-selling philosopher and TV personality, Sam Finkler. Treslove, by contrast, always feels on the outside of life. Full review...
The Three Sillies by Tony Ross
If your children like silly things, they will definitely enjoy the story of The Three Sillies, written and illustrated by Tony Ross, who is perhaps best known for his wonderful Little Princess stories. The story of The Three Sillies is indeed very silly and you can tell that it is going to be just that by looking at the front cover and seeing three very strange people standing on their heads looking, unsurprisingly, very red faced. Full review...
The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg
It's Christmas Eve, and a young boy is waiting up to catch a glimpse of Santa. When a train pulls up instead, he soon finds himself on the Polar Express, chuffing away to the North Pole, with scores of other children. With hot chocolate in hand, and snowy landscapes whizzing past the windows, he's having a fabulous journey. At the North Pole, he meets the elves and Santa, and waits to see which child will be given the first gift of Christmas. Full review...
Theoderic by Ross Laidlaw
This is a historical tale with a capital 'H'. A Glossary, Historical Note, Prologue plus a map entitled 'The Barbarian Kingdoms and the Roman Empire' are all for the reader's maximum interest and (hopefully) maximum enjoyment and all before settling down to the first chapter. This very much sets the tone of the book. Full review...
The Bone House by Brian Freeman
The novel opens with one of the central characters, Mark. And straight away we see that he has an eye for the girls - young girls, it would seem. He's a married man, so tongues start to wag. The book's front cover depicts a house going up in flames and on the very first page there's another mention of fire, Billy Joel's hit song 'We Didn't Start The Fire.' So, fire seems as if it's going to play an important part in this book. And it does. Big-time. Full review...
A Game of Sorrows by Shona Maclean
Two years have passed since Alexander Seaton found his redemption. He is comfortably settled in his life at the University, about to be sent on the academic expedition of a lifetime, and wondering how best to ask the woman he loves to be his wife. Then a case of mistaken identity, which almost costs him his love and the respect of his friends leads Alexander to discover he has a cousin in town – the son of his late mother's brother, come from Ireland to seek his help. Full review...
As the Earth Turns Silver by Alison Wong
This lyrical novel is set in Wellington, New Zealand just over a hundred years ago. In this country of then recent immigrants, there was a racial hierarchy, with those of British origin considering themselves superior to others, and an active Anti-Chinese League. Full review...
There's An Alien In The Classroom by Gervase Phinn
There's An Alien In The Classroom is a collection of school-based poems, and poems aimed at school-age children. Taking in all forms, from limericks and cautionary verse, to acrostics and haiku, it offers a broad overview of poetry. With themes including school, families, seasons, Bonfire Night, Nativity plays and going to the dentist, there's something to appeal to every child. Full review...
Bad Tuesdays 3: Blood Alchemy by Benjamin J Myers
Chess and her brothers have been separated. Box and Splinter are incarcerated on a prison planet, at the mercy of the Twisted Symmetry and their Dog Troopers. Chess is just as much of a prisoner - she's being "protected" by The Committee and languishes in a safe house, itching to be free. None of the three intend on being locked up for long. Chess wants to find out who she really is and then to get on with destroying the Brain that feeds off the energy of innocent children, and Box wants to get back to Chess and help protect her. And Splinter, well, he's got ideas of his own and they certainly don't include an agonising death at the hands of his captors. Full review...
The Bloomsbury Nursery Treasury by Patricia Borlenghi and Eleanor Taylor
I am sure that all small children love traditional tales. Maybe for some the appeal is the beguiling innocence of Little Red Riding Hood, or the audacity of Goldilocks as she invades the three bears' cottage or even Jack's daring and courage as he climbs the beanstalk and steals the giant's gold from under his nose. Whichever tale is favourite, there is always something very satisfying when the good characters win and the nasty characters are beaten especially as this always leads of course to a happy ending. Full review...
Net Profit: How to Succeed in Digital Business by David Soskin
There's a misconception that digital business is just like the old bricks and mortar type, except that the digital fellahs escape a lot of the expense that real people have to pay and that if they learnt how to do thinwhich a traditional business is content with is almost certainly a danger signal in a digital business and unless you can take your idea and make quick decisions then the chances are that you are dead in the water. Life is very different out there on the internet. Full review...
Mr Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt
For a couple of years now Esther Hammerhans has lived alone and money is a little tight. She works in the House of Commons library but it doesn't pay particularly well. Letting the spare room to a lodger seemed like a good idea, but she's somewhat surprised when she sees Mr Chartwell's silhouette. It's the size of a mattress and Mr Chartwell is a dog. A large black dog.
At home in Kent, Winston Churchill wakes up. He's reaching the end of his time in parliament and in some ways he's not surprised to sense that there's a visitor in the room. It's someone he hasn't seen for a while, but the presence of the huge, mute hulk who watched him with a tortured expression was only to be expected. Winston's black dog was back. Full review...
You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle for the Soul of the Beatles by Peter Doggett
When four young Liverpudlians got together to make music in the early 1960s, they can have had no idea of their future impact on the world around them. Likewise they would surely not have had an inkling of the extraordinary business minefield which their existence as a group would create, and which would leave the scars long after they had gone their separate ways, even after two of them had died. As at least one of them ruefully commented, they must have provided several lawyers' children with a very expensive education. Full review...
Why Women Have Sex: Understanding Sexual Motivation from Adventure to Revenge (and Everything in Between) by Cindy M Meston and David Buss
Many many years ago, a man who was far too young to be the fusty, dusty RE teacher he was shaping to be, asked my best friend and I why we were each having sex with our girlfriends. Even aged fifteen I thought something along the lines of 'well, if he doesn't know by now, he never will', and listed that it was great fun, a very enjoyable sensation, showed an appetite for the relationship, and that sex proved the ultimate in bonding - how much closer, to be blunt, could you be to someone than actually inside them? I'll come clean now and admit said girlfriend was not real, but several have been since, and I have had heaps of fun finding out how - and perhaps why - women have sex. I was never to know, until now, there are 237 reasons for it. Full review...
To Die Alone by John Dean
The bodies of a man and his dog are found in an isolated part of the northern hills. The injuries, particularly to the dog are horrific and although it initially looks though the man might have died from accidental injuries it soon becomes obvious that he's been stabbed. The victim – Trevor Meredith – has been acting strangely lately and it looks as though he might have been aware that he was in danger. And where has his girl friend disappeared to? More to the point, who, exactly, is Trevor Meredith. Chief Inspector Jack Harris and his team have their work cut out. Full review...
Blameless: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
Blameless opens with Alexia back in the family home. She hopes that this is a temporary situation. Not to put too fine a point on it, she has absolutely nothing in common with her parents or her silly half-sisters. Her mother is outraged. Why? Well, because no married woman in proper Victorian society leaves her husband. It's simply not done. Alexia's just done it and would probably say to her mama that she couldn't give a rat's arse either - except her mother would no doubt have a fainting fit. But scandal is looming. And Alexia is forced at some point to re-assess her situation. Underneath all those ridiculous ruffles and lace she is a little put-out and concerned - especially in her present condition. Full review...
The Dogs and the Wolves by Irene Nemirovsky
Ada was part of the Sinner family. They lived in the sort of Ukrainian city which was rigorously divided by wealth and status. At the bottom of the hill lived the people who scratched a living; at the top were the wealthy whose businesses provided most of the livings and in between were those who struggled for a better existence. Ada's mother died when she was a child and her father did his best, but he was frequently hampered by having to take Ada with him as he worked. The arrival of Ada's widowed aunt and two young children in the household meant three more mouths to feed, but there was at least some care for the motherless child. Full review...
Ella Bella Ballerina and Cinderella by James Mayhew
Ella Bella Ballerina's back! Before she was dancing to Sleeping Beauty, and this time it's Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella. The music washes over here, and suddenly she's whisked away to the fairy tale, with the prince, fairy godmother and all the magic that every reader knows and loves. Full review...
Surface Detail by Iain M Banks
It is perhaps appropriate for a book that centres around the battle for the afterlife to begin this review with a confession: this was my first encounter with Iain M Banks' Culture series of science fiction novels. At first, I worried that this put me at a significant disadvantage as for the first 100 or so pages, I spend most of the time being completely confused about what was going on. However, as the strands started to come together, it became apparent that this is partly Banks' style and indeed it's one he uses in his non-science fiction books too. Keep going, it does come together. Full review...
Welcome to Life by Alice de Smith
It's the 80s. Freya is 14 and an only child. She lives with her parents in Cambridge. So far, so normal. Except... Freya's home life is slightly a-typical. She's on first name terms with the parental figures (no affectionate Mum or Daddy here) and is under the distinct impression that they spend their days imagining life without her. Her best friend is a middle aged housewife on whose son she has a rather too obvious crush. Her mother communicates with her through lists and shows her affection in the oddest ways. Her father has just moved his business associate in, but he's not just sleeping in the spare room. Full review...
Saxby Smart: Private Detective: The Secrets of the Skull by Simon Cheshire
Saxby Smart solves mysteries brought to his office in the garden shed by friends and neighbours. So far so good, but nothing really new. What is so attractive about this series of stories is the fact that it is the reader who acts as Saxby's side-kick, playing the role of sounding-board for the young detective. Add to this exciting, complex plots and a protagonist who is warm and funny and you have a winning formula. Full review...
The Blind Spy by Alex Dryden
The author writes under a pseudonym and he has worked in intelligence, so he should know what he's talking - and writing about. He concentrates on the battle for supremacy (and we've been here before) as Russia and the USA clash. The story itself is an intricate one. Full of agents/counter-agents, spies/double spies and the like and appearances by members of the CIA and MI6 amongst others. If you like spy thrillers, then this novel will suit you down to the ground. Lots of furtive and secretive missions all over the place to keep the reader guessing and interested. Full review...
Hugless Douglas by David Melling
Douglas the bear wants a hug. He remembers that some of his best hugs are with big things, so he tries hugging a boulder. That doesn't work so well. What about a tall tree? Nup. Hmm... Poor Douglas. He's going to have to keep hunting around if he wants to get his hug. Full review...
This Is My Book by Mick Inkpen
The Snapdragon has swooped down and eaten the k of Book. He's also broken off a bit of the B, so it looks like the Bookmouse is saying This is my Poo. He's been eating the dots on top of the letter i wherever he can find it too, and spitting them out. What on earth can be done to stop the mean ol' Snapdragon? Full review...
Frightfully Friendly Ghosties: Ghostly Holler-day by Daren King and David Roberts
After scaring all the still-alives from their house we're back with the frightfully friendly ghosties who, since it's winter, have decided that they need a holler-day. After an argument over their destination (will it be Frighten-on-Sea or Scare-borough?) they receive a postcard from their friend, Headless Leslie. He is in Frighten and has forgotten how to get back home! So, off they go to Frighten to enjoy the delights of a haunted pier and fun fair and to try and rescue Headless Leslie from whatever trouble he has landed himself in. Full review...
Stand by Me by Sheila O'Flanagan
Many of us would love to be married to a successful, wealthy and attractive businessman and for Dominique Delahaye it becomes a reality. Not only does she get to live in luxurious houses, go on expensive holidays and wear glamorous clothes, she also gets to organise and attend wonderful charity events and has her photo in nearly every magazine and newspaper. Once a spotty and unpopular school girl, she is now the centre of everyone's attention. Her husband, Brendan Delahaye, starts out as a builder but soon has his own construction business, Delahaye Developments. The couple become known as the "Dazzling Delahayes" and whilst their lives seem perfect to the outside world, it hasn't always been that way. Brendan and Dominique, who gets given the nickname 'Domino' from her husband, are quite literally forced to marry through unforeseen circumstances. Their marriage suffers a number of problems and as the title "Stand by Me" suggests, both of them are faced with the decision of whether to stay or leave. However, their greatest challenge comes when the perfect life they've built is destroyed. Domino must face an uncertain future and take control of her life but first she has to make some heartbreaking decisions. Full review...
Changeless: The Parasol Protectorate by Gail Carriger
I recently read (and reviewed) the first book Soulless in this trilogy and thoroughly enjoyed it. Therefore I had high hopes for this book. But will it be as good? I crossed my fingers and started reading ... The feisty and fiery Alexia had left a bit of a lasting impression on me. I had no problem in picking up where I had left off. Carriger chooses not to share with her readers details of the wedding but I can picture the scene in my mind's eye, all the same. Full review...
Long Time Waiting by Rachel Sargeant
Pippa Adams is determined to do well on her first day as a CID detective, especially when she is plunged straight into a murder case. However, an unfortunate comment about Agatha Christie plunges that into disarray and she becomes known as 'Agatha'. There is little time to dwell on this though; there is a murder to solve. Two men broke into the Brocks' home late one night, took Carl Brock away and killed him, and chained his wife, Gaby, to a chair. Carl Brock was a teacher and presumably above reproach - but as Pippa and her colleagues investigate, all sorts of issues come to the surface and it seems that Carl was not as innocent as they first presumed. Can Pippa find out the truth and persuade her disdainful colleagues that she is a capable detective? Full review...
ABC Animal Rhymes For You And Me by Giles Andreae and David Wojtowycz
Repackaging some rhymes found in Rumble In The Jungle and Commotion In The Ocean, ABC Animal Rhymes For You And Me takes us through the alphabet, with rhymes about the angelfish, boa constrictor, crocodile, and so on. Full review...
Secrets of Tamarind by Nadia Aguiar
The Island of Tamarind is once again under threat, from the evils of the Red Coral. Once more Simon and his sisters Maya and Penny (but mostly Simon) must save the island that only they can reach, as it lies in some exotic Bermuda Triangle. For a second book running they must breach the barriers, solve mysteries surrounding their native friend Helix's legacy, and the native magical element ophalla, and put the island to rights. Full review...
Horrid Henry Rocks by Francesca Simon and Tony Ross
Horrid Henry Rocks brings us four more stories from the delightfully horrid little boy, Henry. Here we see him battle with his sappy little brother Peter, sabotage his neighbour, Moody Margaret's, sleepover, write his autobiography and finally he's evicted by security from the Dancing Daisies children's stage show where he stands on stage singing songs by The Killer Boy Rats! Full review...
The Fallen: Fallen and Leviathan by Thomas E Sniegoski
Thousands of years ago, a bunch of angels fell in love with human women. For their sins, they were cast out of Heaven. Their children are the Nephilim. They are hunted by Verchiel, leader of the Powers, hell-bent (excuse the pun!) on destroying them, especially the leader who prophecy says will lead them. On his 18th birthday, Aaron Corbet has a strange dream of weapons clanging and angels descending on a battlefield... and wakes up able to speak and understand any language, including that of his dog Gabriel. We can see where this is going, can't we? Full review...
Noah Barleywater Runs Away by John Boyne
Noah Barleywater gets up very early one morning. He's eight years old and he's decided to leave home in search of adventure. Off he goes through the forest and villages until he sees a marvellous tree. As he gazes at it, he meets a friendly dachshund and a (very) hungry donkey who tell him all about the toyshop behind the marvellous tree. And so Noah opens the door and goes in. Full review...
Look at the Birdie by Kurt Vonnegut
Kurt Vonnegut died a couple of years ago after a sci fi writing career spanning over fifty years; he was well-known for his humanist views. This collection of unpublished short stories shows Vonnegut at his dark best, his theme, individuals out for themselves in an uncaring society. A colleague at The Bookbag recently wrote that Kurt Vonnegut's early writing is his strongest. If that is so, then this collection, illustrated with cartoons by the author, will be good news for his many fans. Full review...
A Bouquet of Barbed Wire by Andrea Newman
For those of you who've never heard of it, A Bouquet of Barbed Wire was most famous as a landmark 70's TV series based on this 1969 novel by Andrea Newman. I'd never read the book before - in fact I'm not even sure I knew there was a book - or seen the TV series but I was aware of the controversy it created at the time of release so lapped up the chance to read the rerelease, accompanying the remake of the TV series which has just started. Full review...
11:59 by David Williams
The back cover blurb informs the reader that this novel was a semi-finalist in the 2010 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. And the front jacket is stylish and a bit Hitchcock-esque. All the signs looked promising for a decent read. But did it deliver? Full review...