Book Reviews From The Bookbag

The Bookbag

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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Willy The Wimp by Anthony Browne

For Sharing

Willy is a mild mannered chimp. He apologises even when it is not his fault, which is most of the time. In the mean streets of town, his timid manner, Fair Isle tank top and Oxford brogues mark him out as an easy target for the gorilla gang. That is until the day he spots a mail order advertisement which guarantees a transformation from wimp to loud talking, sand kicking, muscle bulging man. Willy sends off the coupon, some cash and then waits… Full review...

The Pencil Book by Miri Flower

Crafts

Summer is almost over. Gone are the carefree days playing outdoors in the sunshine with friends. Here come the rainy days and dark evenings, heralding the inevitable cry of: I'm bored!. Author and craft-blogger Miri Flower (fantastic name!) comes to the rescue of harassed parents everywhere with her new series of art books which encourage children to utilise simple materials to create fun games and artwork. The Pencil Book sees the humble pencil takes centre stage, with seventy projects to keep kids engaged and amused. Full review...

Belzhar by Meg Wolitzer

Teens

I was sent here because of a boy. His name was Reeve Maxfield, and I loved him and then he died, and almost a year passed and no-one knew what to do with me.

Jam's grief for Reeve has left her paralysed. She does nothing but think of him and the forty-one days of their relationship. She's not interested in school. friends, food, family, even therapy. And so, in desperation, Jam's parents send her off to a boarding school for Kids With Problems. Full review...

Melissa's Octopus and other Unsuitable Pets by Charlotte Voake

For Sharing

Melissa has a pet octopus. He’s splendid, but not exactly the most suitable of pets. But what other unsuitable pets do Melissa’s friends have, and which is the most unsuitable of all? Full review...

Belle and Boo and the Very Merry Christmas by Mandy Sutcliffe

For Sharing

In the world of children’s literature you have to get your winter solstice books out early if you want to stand out in the crowd. Before you can release a Christmas book though, it would help if all the characters knew what Christmas was. Thankfully, Boo need not worry for too long as Belle is on hand to tell him exactly what to do. Full review...

The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop

General Fiction

Savvas has everything he needs here in Cyprus: money, a beautiful wife from a rich Greek Cypriot family and a hotel to develop into beacon accommodation for the well-heeled. It's not everything he wants though. There's always another hotel to buy and deals to be done while Aphroditi, his intelligent wife, becomes more aware of her position as an ornament rather than a partner. On the other hand, the Turkish Ozkans and Greek Georgious have less materially but are, on the whole, happy. Traditionally they should be enemies but Famagusta is a tolerant town and a good place to live. All this changes in 1974: Turkish soldiers land on the island and slowly move down through the north, an underground resistance emerges and life becomes dangerously cheap. The citizens of Famagusta flee to the south, but two families can’t get out in time: the Ozkans and the Georgious. Full review...

The Winter Horses by Philip Kerr

Teens

It’s the winter of 1941 and we are in the Ukraine. A fourteen year old girl is hiding in a wood on the vast and bitter-cold steppe. Her name is Katinka, a name from folk song and fairy tale, and she has been befriended by two of the wild Przelowski’s horses. Full review...

Jolly Snowmen by Ned Taylor

For Sharing

Snowmen are universally adored. Everyone I know who picked up this book, young and old, went Oooh, snowmen! There’s something so cheerful about this precious, somewhat rare creature, and the likes of Frozen have cemented this in the minds of the latest generation. A book about two balls of icy snow doesn't sound much, but add a scarf, coal eyes and a carrot nose, and the transformation is astonishing. Full review...

Tin by Chris Judge

For Sharing

When Tin agrees to look after Nickel for the afternoon, you can tell he really just wants her to play peacefully while he reads his comic. But little sisters have a habit of not doing what you want, and before he knows it, Tin is up off his sun lounger and racing after Nickel to keep her from danger. As he and Zinc the dog chase after her, they find themselves in an adventure of their own in the big city. Full review...

Wars of the Roses: Trinity (Wars of the Roses 2) by Conn Iggulden

Historical Fiction

A bewildered Henry VI has awoken from the catatonic state that took him away from the business of ruling – and living – for over a year. His job is now to regain the reins of his kingdom that was a little too ably ruled by Richard Neville, Duke of York in his absence. Henry's wife, Margaret of Anjou, thinks Richard enjoyed the regency so much he's plotting a permanent takeover. The bigger problem is communicating it to Henry as she's increasingly side-lined. The approaching storm is gathering momentum threatening the House of Lancaster and a convalescing king whose recovery may only be temporary, even if he lives that long. Full review...

Aftershock (Shades 2.0) by Jill Atkins

Teens

She's MADDY, you know, not MADELEINE, but that's only one of the problems which she has with her parents. They might be on holiday in one of the most beautiful places on earth, but her mother simply will not lighten up. She's always complaining about what Maddy does, what she wears or doesn't wear (there's not nearly enough of that bikini...) and Maddy has had enough. She slams out of their bungalow and goes down to the beach - but it's not long before the sea is all sucked away and tragedy hits. Will Maddy have the chance to apologise for all the hurtful things which she said? Full review...

It's an Orange Aadvark! by Michael Hall

For Sharing

A group of ants decide to drill through their tree stump in order to give themselves a window to the outside world. The more they drill, the more colours they find, and the more whacky and wild ideas they come up with for what they mind find outside the safety of their home. Full review...

Yuck! Said the Yak by Alex English and Emma Levey

For Sharing

Yuck! Said the Yak is a great, fun book for young listeners. Alfie is trying desperately to find something which his hungry Yak friend will want to eat, but he doesn’t really think about what a Yak will want, and so all the Yak can say is Yuck! Full review...

The Twelve Days of Christmas by Britta Teckentrup

Children's Rhymes and Verse

You know the song already, but this peep-through book recreates the magic of the Twelve Days of Christmas in a beautiful and special way. Full review...

Surprise by Jonathan Litton and Fhiona Galloway

For Sharing

Pass the Parcel is a timeless classic for any occasion, be it a birthday or, as in this book, Christmas time. But have you ever played it in a book before? No? Keep reading. Full review...

Your Hand in My Hand by Mark Sperring and Britta Teckentrup

For Sharing

When I was young my Mum always wanted me to come over for a lean or hold her hand if we were walking. I would be asked how much I loved her and I would reply, This Much whilst stretching out my arms as far as they would go. It seems that my Mum was quite a sentimental person, so this book would have been perfect for her to read to me before bed. Full review...

Where Love Lies by Julie Cohen

General Fiction

Let's start with the basics. Felicity, a children's book author and illustrator, has been married to the lovely Quinn for just a short time. They live in a sweet cottage, in a wonderful village, with Quinn's family nearby. Quinn is the perfect husband, in every way, and surely Felicity's life can't get any better than this? You might well guess that anyone starting out in a book in this way is heading for trouble. Felicity's trouble comes in rather an unusual form however. She begins to experience intense emotions, seemingly preceded by smelling a scent that she recognises from a long time ago in her life. But are the emotions real, or is her imagination playing tricks on her? And are these episodes worthy of a trip to the doctor, or will he dismiss her olfactory experiences as the random ramblings of a confused woman? Full review...

Rooms by Lauren Oliver

General Fiction

Alice and Sandra are dead. Ghosts trapped in the house they lived and died in, they have bickered and squabbled for years. Distraction for them comes in the form of a real, live family - Caroline, her daughter Minna, son Trenton, and Minna's daughter Amy. Arriving to mourn and sort affairs following the death of Minna and Trenton's father, arguments and old wounds soon open up. Full review...

Rest in Pieces by Bess Lovejoy

History

All sorts has happened to deceased famous people - stolen, sold, stuffed, etc. Bess Lovejoy has collected the fates of the celebrity deceased and tells them here - in a cracking little book that will be ideal as a stocking filler or small gift for those who enjoy slightly gruesome tales. Full review...

Oxford Dictionary of Quotations by Elizabeth Knowles (Editor)

Reference

I have known people to be just a little snooty about the fact that I have had a copy of the current edition of the Oxford Dictionary of Quotations on my bookshelf for over forty years, suggesting that it was a book for people who hadn't read the original books. I long ago accepted that I would never have the time to read all the books I (might) want - or feel I ought - to read and I've found the dictionary an invaluable work of reference and source of inspiration for half a century. Where else would you find over 20,000 quotations, covering centuries, every subject, with wit, wisdom and food for thought? Yes - I know they're probably all there on the internet - somewhere, but I've got them in one volume on the shelf in front of me. Full review...

An Unkindness of Ravens: A Book of Collective Nouns by Chloe Rhodes

Trivia

We have all heard of a Pride of Lions, a Herd of Cattle and a Flock of Birds, but what about the less common, long forgotten collective nouns, like: a Bloat of Hippopotami, a Mutation of Thrushes, a Herd of Harlots or a Superfluity of Nuns? If you are interested in the English language and the origin of words, then you will really enjoy browsing this book. Full review...

The Last Escaper by Peter Tunstall

History

The Last Escaper opens differently to many of the great escape biographies that were released soon after the war as it is told some 70 years later. Peter Tunstall was an RAF pilot who was shot down and spent many years as a Prisoner Of War across occupied Europe, including in Colditz. He lived through the war, but also lived through many decades of peace. Will these years of the relative quiet life lesson the tales of bravery and dare doing of the war? Of course not! Full review...

Standard Deviations by Gary Smith

Popular Science

Over the years I've regularly been infuriated by the way that seemingly intelligent people abuse statistics - or perhaps misuse them deliberately to deceive us. Politicians, journalists, academics all seem to fall into the trap with alarming regularity and I was tempted into reading this book by a quote from Ronald Coase (Nobel Prize-winning Economist) that 'If you torture data long enough, it will confess'. The author, Dr Gary Smith, taught at Yale for seven years and is now a professor at Pomona College in California. His book is aimed at the layman rather than the academic - does it hit the mark? Full review...

The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion

Humour

Following inadvertent success with the Wife Project, Professor Don Tillman and his new bride Rosie have moved from Australia to New York. Although Don's position on the autistic scale is subjective, he still operates on a daily basis of structured procedures, lists and logic. Rosie can generally handle that but there are choppy waters ahead. With the patter of tiny feet imminent logic goes out the window as she struggles with her PhD while Don struggles to find his place in the baby production process. At least he has his drinking buddies to support him – an aging rock drummer and a friend whose wife has thrown him out for infidelity. What could possibly go wrong? Full review...

Csardas by Diane Pearson

Historical Fiction

Hungarian Jewish banker Zsigmond Ferenc rules his family with an iron fist. As a proud Hungarian he feels that he needs to maintain standards. His wife, Marta secretly gambles behind his back, his sparkling younger daughter Eva takes the heart of every man she meets (including his own) and his two sons need leadership and guidance. Then there's his eldest child, Amale who fears she will never fall in love which may be a disadvantage as he looks around for a fitting match. Although whatever their preoccupations may be at the moment everything in Hungary (and indeed Europe) is about to change; history's timings can be cruel and the advent of World War I is perhaps one of its cruellest. To say the Austro-Hungarian Empire won't be the same again is an understatement. Full review...

Clara's Daughter by Meike Ziervogel

Literary Fiction

Clara’s Daughter, in the short space of 144 pages, paints the portrait of the relationships threatening to destroy a family unit. The intensity is conveyed with sharp stabs from Ziervogel’s spare sentences. Full review...

ZOM-B Family by Darren Shan

Teens

REPEATING STANDARD WARNING! If you haven't read the first book in this series, STOP READING NOW! NOW! Spoilers ahoy! Full review...

Always Last (On the Ball) by Frances Mackay

Emerging Readers

Ben was always last. Last to the bathroom in the morning, last to breakfast, last into school... You get the picture. These didn't worry him overly much but Ben's a football enthusiast - and he was always last to be picked when the captains were choosing teams. Even the girls were picked before him and there was always a bit of grumbling when someone had to take him onto their side. But then an anonymous friend gave him some advice in a letter and although Ben couldn't see how it could possibly work, he decided to give it a try. Full review...

Skulduggery Pleasant: The Dying of the Light by Derek Landy

Teens

Everything comes down to this. The war between the Sanctuaries was merely a prelude to the real battle, the fight against Darquesse, perhaps the most powerful sorcerer of all time. Prophesied to burn everyone and everything to ashes, her arrival heralds the end of the world as everyone knows it, and the stakes have never been higher, the need never greater, for Skulduggery Pleasant and what remains of his allies to do what they do best: kicking evil very hard in the face. Full review...

Race to Death (DI Ian Peterson 2) by Leigh Russell

Crime

A man falls to his death at York races, with the wind whistling past his ears indistinguishable from the roar of the crowd. But is the death suicide or murder? For newly-promoted DI Ian Peterson the pressure is on and his team need to solve the case quickly. Unfortunately the killer is also following events as they unfold. Full review...

The Winter Wolf by Holly Webb

Confident Readers

Amelia should be looking forward to spending Christmas with her older cousins, but she can't help feeling overwhelmed. The house that they are staying in is big and foreboding and she is very small for her age. Even worse than that, her cousins have a HUGE dog that seems to seek her out at every opportunity. Can't they understand that she is terrified of dogs and just leave her alone? Full review...