Difference between revisions of "Book Reviews From The Bookbag"

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|summary=High school teacher Anna has been hired as a tutor for the summer, helping 16 year old T.J. who has missed a fair amount of school due to illness. Leaving the USA behind, the two of them head over to the Maldives where his parents have hired a holiday home, but instead of gracefully descending into paradise, they crash land, quite literally, into a nightmare. Their pilot has a heart attack, their sea plane plummets into the ocean, and they wash up on a deserted desert island. The unlikely twosome has to band together to survive and wait out their rescue, but as weeks and then months pass, hope fades and they have to wonder what will happen if no one ever finds them.
 
|summary=High school teacher Anna has been hired as a tutor for the summer, helping 16 year old T.J. who has missed a fair amount of school due to illness. Leaving the USA behind, the two of them head over to the Maldives where his parents have hired a holiday home, but instead of gracefully descending into paradise, they crash land, quite literally, into a nightmare. Their pilot has a heart attack, their sea plane plummets into the ocean, and they wash up on a deserted desert island. The unlikely twosome has to band together to survive and wait out their rescue, but as weeks and then months pass, hope fades and they have to wonder what will happen if no one ever finds them.
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405910216</amazonuk>
 
|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1405910216</amazonuk>
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Kenneth Grahame
 
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|title=The Wind in the Willows
 
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|rating=5
 
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|genre=Confident Readers
 
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|summary=Looking back on my childhood the book which made the most impact and one of the few which has remained in my bookcase ever since is 'The Wind in the Willows'.  I've returned to it many times over six or more decades and it's frequently brought comfort in bad times.  It was the basis of my love for the countryside, which became a joy in itself rather than something to pass through on the way somewhere else as my parents would have had it.  It was a good story, which - like all the best books - revealed a little more on every reading.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>019273234X</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Alex T Smith
 
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|title=Catch Us If You Can-Can
 
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|rating=4.5
 
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|genre=For Sharing
 
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|summary=Having met Foxy DuBois previously in the excellent [[Egg by Alex T Smith|Egg]] here she is again, as charming as ever and this time hoping to win a giant golden egg!  In order to win the egg she must compete in a 'So you think you can boogie' competition (!) and, since the competition is open only to birds she must enter herself, and her unlikely dance partner, in disguise!
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1444903659</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Jake Arnott
 
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|title=The House of Rumour
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Literary Fiction
 
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|summary=Jake Arnott sees to be one of those authors - like [[:Category:Will Self|Will Self]] whom you'll love or loathe.  Occasionally, you'll swing from one extreme to the other and I'll confess to being a little nervous when I opened the book.  We really weren't ''that'' keen when we read [[The Devil's Paintbrush by Jake Arnott|The Devil's Paintbrush]].  Using the deck of Tarot cards as the structure of the book we look at the twentieth century through the life of Larry Zagorski.  Imagine history being gently folded together like a cake mixture  with episodes sliding against each other, flavouring that which they touch.  Imagine the real - Aleister Crowley (reprising his appearance in ''The Devil's Paintbrush''), Rudolf Hess, Ian Fleming, Cyril Connolly, Jim Jones and L Ron Hubbard blended with a transexual prostitute, a British pop singer and Larry, who writes pulp science fiction.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340922729</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Charity Seraphina Fields
 
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|title=I am not a Buddhist
 
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|rating=3.5
 
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|genre=Spirituality and Religion
 
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|summary=''I am not a Buddhist'' is an individual through Buddhism and its principles seen from the point of view of one on the path. Charity Seraphina Fields attempts - through her own musings on this ancient Eastern philosophy - to explain why Buddhism is better suited to the rich West than the poorer East. For Fields, the question isn't ''Why am I suffering without all those things I want?''. The right question is actually ''Why am I still suffering even though I have everything I want?''
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1475085664</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Alison Moore
 
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|title=The Lighthouse
 
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|rating=5
 
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|genre=Literary Fiction
 
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|summary=When we first meet Futh he's on a North Sea ferry on his way to a walking holiday in Germany.  There's no sense of enthusiasm or anticipation: Futh's middle aged and recently separated, seemingly without friends or family. He always wanted a dog, but keeps stick insects.  The holiday seems to be something which, when it is over, he will have done it and will then return to his new flat.  It begins and will end at Hellhaus, a guesthouse run by Bernard and his wife Ester.  He gets on well enough with Ester but is at a loss to understand a rather hostile encounter with Bernard.  He sets out the following morning for a week of walking, thinking and remembering. Meanwhile Ester - untouched by her meeting with Futh - continues her lonely life punctuated by the occasional casual sexual encounter which she barely hides from Bernard.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1907773177</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Abby McDonald
 
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|title=The Anti-Prom
 
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|rating=5
 
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|genre=Teens
 
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|summary=Bliss has spent years waiting for the perfect prom. Part of the school's social elite, it's her night, isn't it? She gets a rude awakening when she sees best friend Kaitlin and boyfriend Cameron making out in the limo. Jolene didn't even want to go to the prom - she was pushed into it by her mother, who's tired of her bad girl image. Meg's so invisible that she's stood up by a boy she's never even met, a family friend who was going with her out of pity, but obviously doesn't pity her enough to turn up. With the help of these two unlikely allies, can Bliss get revenge on Kaitlin? One thing's for sure - this will be a night no-one will forget.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1406337587</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Sam Hawksmoor
 
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|title=The Hunting
 
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|rating=3.5
 
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|genre=Teens
 
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|summary=Genie, Rian and Renee escaped from the Fortress in the Repossession, but their plan to spread the word about the evil people running it went wrong. Now they're on the run, with a reward on their heads, roadblocks in their way, and a whole host of fellow victims to worry about. Can they escape – or will they become the hunters in an attempt to take control of their lives back?
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340997095</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Kate Maryon
 
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|title=A Sea of Stars
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Confident Readers
 
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|summary=Maya wishes Mum would let her hang out with her friends and go surfing at the beach. But ever since Alfie, Maya's little brother, and the incident with the red London bus, her mother has been totally overprotective. Cat is younger than Maya by two whole years, but she has the freedom to do whatever she likes - she's even got the bus on her own into town. But Cat's mother is barely able to take care of herself, let alone her children, and Cat is about to be separated from her little brother, who she loves more than anything, to be adopted by Maya's family.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007464649</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Lisa Kleypas
 
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|title=Dream Lake
 
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|rating=3.5
 
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|genre=Women's Fiction
 
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|summary=''Dream Lake'' is the third book in a series about three brothers who grew up in a somewhat dysfunctional home. This one focuses on Alex, youngest of the three, who is a brilliant designer and builder. Unfortunately, we’re told, he’s also angry at the world, arrogant, and aggressive. He’s a very heavy drinker, too.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0749953985</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Miriam Moss and Delphine Durand
 
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|title=Scritch Scratch We Have Nits
 
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|rating=4.5
 
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|genre=For Sharing
 
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|summary=There can't be many children who don't get nits at some point at school.  This is a brilliant story to share with them if they're feeling a bit sensitive about it since the nits originate with the teacher!  We meet the little louse who starts the trouble in the first place, and then watch as the lice babies jump around from child to child.  Will everyone manage to get rid of the lice once and for all?
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408319586</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Nik Rawlinson
 
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|title=How to Publish your own eBook
 
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|rating=3.5
 
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|genre=Business and Finance
 
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|summary=At a time when many authors, even those with a history of good books to their credit, are struggling to find traditional publishers we've seen the explosion of self-publishing, led by the emergence of the ereader.  Trees no longer need to fall before your book can be made available to the public - and nor need you find an agent who would hopefully find you a publisher.  If you've written a book it could be on sale within a matter of days.  There are, of course, hoops which you will need to jump through and Magbooks have come up with some information to smooth your path.  It's part magazine (with some, but not too much, advertising) and part book and a short read at 114 pages.  It's heralded as 'the step-by-step guide to writing, publishing and profiting from your own eBook' - but how does it live up to the claim?
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>178106024X</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=John Yeoman and Quentin Blake
 
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|title=Rumbelow's Dance
 
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|rating=4.5
 
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|genre=For Sharing
 
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|summary=Rumbelow is a little boy with a great deal of energy so walking to his grandparent's house in town is no problem for him even though it is a long way. After his mother gives him a long list of very precise directions, he sets off. Although it is a very hot day, he is so happy that he feels the need to dance rather than just walk. Before long he meets a sad-faced farmer walking along with his sad-faced pig. The farmer moans that he will never get his lazy pig to market on such a hot day. However, Rumbelow has a suggestion:
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394601</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Kim Barnes
 
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|title=In the Kingdom of Men
 
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|rating=3
 
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|genre=General Fiction
 
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|summary=This book begins beautifully with all the characters springing to life through fantastically spare and creative description. By the time we reach Gin, living with her her grandfather in the stifling atmosphere of a strict Methodist minister’s home, the story is in full swing and we follow Gin through her teenage years as she tries hard to rebel against all the limitations placed upon her.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>009194421X</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Maggie Stiefvater
 
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|title=The Raven Boys
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Teens
 
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|summary=Ley lines, sleeping kings, clairvoyants and the night the dead walk . . . this intriguing book is full of ancient myths and beliefs. They give a depth and flavour to the story, which could so easily have just been a trivial tale about the rich boy who dabbles in the occult to amuse himself, and the poor girl who helps him.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1407134612</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Niall Leonard
 
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|title=Crusher
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Teens
 
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|summary=Finn's life isn't really going anywhere. He's working at Max Snax, a horrible fast food emporium. It's not fun. But you don't have many choices when you're a) dyslexic and b) your anger at your mother abandoning you has led to some bad behaviour and a criminal record. But Finn's dreary life is about to be turned upside down...
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0857532081</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Ben Kane
 
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|title=Spartacus the Gladiator
 
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|rating=5
 
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|genre=Historical Fiction
 
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|summary=Given Ben Kane's tendency to write strong characters who rebel against their Roman leaders, it's perhaps slightly predictable that he should take on the story of Spartacus, who led a slaves' rebellion against Rome.  This is, perhaps, the only thing you can say about Kane's writing that is predictable.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099561921</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=David Belbin
 
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|title=Student
 
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|rating=3.5
 
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|genre=Teens
 
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|summary=When Allison secured her place in Nottingham University, she thought of it as a way to escape a miserable home life, with an absent father, drunk mother and un-committing boyfriend. She thought university would be a place for intellectual debate, and the creation of loyal friendships and love. However, she quickly realises that student life isn't like those rosy pictures you get on prospectuses. In ''Student'', we see a university experience defined by a trinity of drugs, lust and study, one that changes Allison and everyone around her.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1907869530</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Hazel Osmond
 
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|title=The First Time I Saw Your Face
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Women's Fiction
 
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|summary=Mack Stone used to be a journalist on a tabloid paper and was not averse to dishing the dirt on whoever he happened to be writing about. He has left that world behind though and is now attempting to work freelance and only write in a more ethical way. However, one day he receives a call from his old boss who has one last job for him to do. When Mack is not keen, he reveals that he has information about Mack's mother – a sordid little secret that he would have no qualms about publicising to the world if Mack does not agree. If Mack wants to protect his family, it seems that he has little choice but to agree.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849164193</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Chris Mould
 
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|title=Pirates 'n' Pistols
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Confident Readers
 
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|summary=Out of all the unusual careers focused on in primary school activity – you know the ones, astronaut, footballer, dinosaur hunter, Olympic torch relay bodyguard, that sort of thing – that of pirate seems to be the most bizarre.  Yes it brings an easy stereotype when it comes to fancy dress time, but why the tales of skulduggery, piracy and fatal thievery are so common and so popular among that age group is a bit beyond me.  It's nothing to aspire too, really, is it?  Still, for those still of that age, here is a very good, entertaining and commendably presented anthology of short tales of seafaring, treasure hunting, and their consequences.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0340999349</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Neil Root
 
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|title=Frenzy!: How the tabloid press turned three evil serial killers into celebrities
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=History
 
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|summary=It was forever thus.  Only last year, 2011, did the ''News of the World'' and the ''Sunday Mirror'' stop being the double-headed monster of tabloid journalism, and very little was different in the 1950s, beyond the inclusion of boobies, and the fact the ''Mirror'' was then just the ''Sunday Pictorial''.  Both formed a duopoly for those in their audience seeking all the salacious details of the scandals of the day, and the crimes and criminals people would talk about over their breakfasts.  Three men stood out in those days for the ways in which they achieved their notoriety, and this book is an account of their goings-on, and how the press reported the stories – at times paying large fortunes for the privilege.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0099557762</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Alan Tyers and Beach
 
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|title=I Kick Therefore I am: The Little Book of Premier League Wisdom
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Sport
 
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|summary=You remember Ronnie Matthews, don't you?  He's the footballer who celebrated his one – and so far, only – international match by booing his way through the Faroe Islands' national anthem, then getting a red card for chatting up the lineswoman.  He still thinks he contributed well to a vital friendly, however.  He's the player whose career in piddling his way through continuously lesser and lesser clubs for far too long has only been matched in the recent game by Steve Claridge.  And still he's bucking the trend – he's the only author smart enough to realise that four-hundred page, ghost-written biogs are unnecessary, for he's crammed all his life, career, philosophy and response to Twitter into an hour's read.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1408832763</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Katie McGarry
 
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|title=Pushing the Limits
 
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|rating=5
 
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|genre=Teens
 
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|summary=Echo used to be popular. Until a particular night when something happened, leaving her with scars on her arms and a blank space where her memory of that night should be. As if having a stepmother who used to be her babysitter and a brother who died in Afghanistan wasn't already making life hard enough, she's trying to work out if she'll ever recall what she went through. Then she meets Noah, who shares a therapist with her and is nearly as damaged as she is. Torn away from his beloved younger brothers after their parents died, he's desperate to become their legal guardian when he turns eighteen – but with a hot temper and a dubious academic record over the past couple of years, is there any way a judge would choose him over the foster parents they're currently living with? Could these two broken teenagers help each other to heal?
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>184845077X</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Joseph Mitchell
 
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|title=Up In The Old Hotel
 
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|rating=5
 
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|genre=Travel
 
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|summary=One of the joys of reviewing books is when you stumble across something, know you are going to love it, ask for it, have it delivered and then spend a week or so being absolutely entranced.  It could so easily have been a disappointment.
 
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Joseph Mitchell is one of those men, one feels one should have heard of, should know about.  Not just that, he is one of those, one wishes one could have known.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>009956159X</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Jim Holt
 
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|title=Why Does the World Exist? An Existential Detective Story
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Popular Science
 
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|summary=In ''The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy'' Douglas Adam’s famously suggested that the ultimate answer to life, the universe and everything was forty-two, although it quickly turns out nobody knows what the ultimate question is, rendering the answer meaningless. In ''Why Does the World Exist?'', Jim Holt explores potential answers to what could be considered the ultimate question of life, the universe and everything – why is there something, rather than nothing? And the answer’s certainly not forty-two.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1846682444</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Charlotte Kandel
 
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|title=The Enchanted Riddle
 
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|rating=3
 
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|genre=Confident Readers
 
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|summary=Daphne, a thirteen-year-old orphan in London in the 1920s, has two dreams. She longs to find a family and to become a ballerina – but both seem equally impossible. Then a package from an anonymous sender, with a magical pair of stockings and a strange riddle, seems to give her the opportunity to make her dreams come true. Can she get the happiness and success she's always longed for, or will the interference of others stop her from achieving it?
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905537336</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Tony Ross
 
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|title=I Didn't Do It! (Little Princess)
 
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|rating=5
 
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|genre=For Sharing
 
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|summary=There's mud all over the floor and the Queen blames the Little Princess. 'I didn't do it!' the Little Princess responds with a very disgruntled look upon her face. A little later, the Cook tells her off for eating all the chocolate cake; the Gardener thinks that she has trampled all over the radishes; the Prime Minister claims that he has taken the bell from his bicycle and the Admiral blames her for sinking all his ships. To each accusation, the Little Princess replies:
 
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''I didn't do it!''
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1849394644</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Nikki Gemmell
 
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|title=The Bride Stripped Bare
 
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|rating=3
 
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|genre=Fantasy
 
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|summary=A young woman, newly married. Discovering her husband is not all he seems. That he has secrets. That she has needs, wants, desires. That she will need to take things into her own hands if she is ever to be satisfied in her new role as wife.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>0007163541</amazonuk>
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Renae Lucas-Hall
 
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|title=Tokyo Hearts - A Japanese Love Story
 
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|rating=3
 
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|genre=Women's Fiction
 
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|summary=Takashi is a student in his final year at university.  He works pretty hard, but his heart belongs to Haruka, who was a fellow student until she had to leave when her father was taken ill.  As a rule they meet once a week in a cafe - but Takashi fears that Haruka only sees him as a friend, particularly when he discovers that she's seeing a wealthy ex-boyfriend on a regular basis.  Jun's good-looking too and Takashi realises that he has little to offer, particularly as Haruka loves shopping for designer goods.  They're in fashionable Tokyo where style, sophistication and fashion are a way of life.  How will it work out, particularly when Haruka is planning on moving to Kyoto - which is also where the ex-boyfriend lives - and earthquakes seem to be happening regularly in the capital?
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781487693</amazonuk>
 
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}}
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=Emma Barnes
 
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|title=Wolfie
 
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|rating=4.5
 
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|genre=Confident Readers
 
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|summary=Lucie has always wanted a dog and then one day her Uncle Joe arrives at her front door with one especially for her. However Lucie’s new pet is very big, with pointed ears, sharp teeth, a silvery coat and glinting eyes. Lucie realises instantly that her present is in fact a wolf but, incredibly, no-one else thinks so. Not only is the animal a wolf but a talking wolf with magical powers that becomes a trusted and wise friend to the little girl. Unfortunately, it is increasingly difficult to hide a talking wolf from family, friends, teachers and especially from the horrible bully who lives next door.  Gradually Lucie realises that her new friend is in great danger and she resolves to help Wolfie before it is too late.
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1905537271</amazonuk>
 
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}}
 
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{{newreview
 
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|author=David Smith
 
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|title=Free Lunch - Easily Digestible Economics
 
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|rating=4
 
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|genre=Business and Finance
 
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|summary=Reading David Smith's new book Free Lunch brought to mind an episode of the Freakonomics podcast broadcast earlier this year. In it, listeners were first asked to imagine that the interest rate on their bank account was 1% per year and the rate of inflation was 2% per year. In a year's time would they be able to buy more, buy about the same or buy less using money from that account?
 
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|amazonuk=<amazonuk>1781250111</amazonuk>
 
 
}}
 
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Revision as of 08:05, 27 August 2012

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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New Reviews

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Timedance 1: Neptune's Tears by Susan Waggoner

3.5star.jpg Teens

The premise is both original and timeless: star-crossed lovers separated by an apparently unbreachable barrier. Two hundred years into the future, a healing empath meets a mysterious young man to whom she is immediately attracted. For Zee this could be a disaster, not only because falling in love so intensely is likely to damage her ability to do her work, but also because the boy has a secret so huge and terrifying it could destroy them both. Full review...

Arabesque by Colin Mulhern

4star.jpg Teens

When a group of amateur criminals find themselves suddenly short of twenty grand for an ambitious deal with a weapons dealer, one of them has the bright idea to kidnap a pair of semi-celebrity teenage girls, Amy May and Mia, to extort money from their wealthy parents. But when the kidnappers make a mess of the situation the girls find themselves in the hands of a decidedly more sinister villain. Galloway likes to think of himself as a higher class of criminal and when he realises that Amy May is an Olympic standard gymnast, he decides to take advantage of the situation, using a combination of sly manipulation, threats and blackmail to coerce the girls into working for him. Galloway isn't a fool and he has all the cards in his hand, but somehow Amy May has to push herself to the limit to save not just herself, but her best friend too. Full review...

NW by Zadie Smith

4.5star.jpg Literary Fiction

Fans of Zadie Smith have had a seven year wait since her last book On Beauty. In NW, Smith returns to more of the issues addressed in her brilliant debut novel White Teeth. Set in parts of London that should be obvious from the title, the book takes the lives of four people who grew up on a rough estate and looks at how they have moved on - or not. All four still live nearby the estate where they grew up. There's multi-cultural tension and the have and have nots of power and money and Smith looks at how much individuals are in control of their destiny and ability to rise out of their upbringing, and how chance encounters can bring you back to your past with a bump. Full review...

Huntingtower by John Buchan

3.5star.jpg Historical Fiction

Dickson McCunn is on his travels through rural Scotland when he meets a man he doesn't warm to at first, by the name of John Heritage. They are quite chalk and cheese – McCunn an older man, who has only just sold up his very well-known Glasgow grocery shop and made this trip his first steps into retirement on a complete whim. Heritage is younger, English, and a soldier. McCunn seems the old Romantic, Heritage modern poetry in contrast. But when they meet up it's at the edge of the Huntingtower estate, a coastal country house, guarded by suspicious landlords turning guests away and unfriendly foreign types, and found to contain a young beauty who just happens to be the love of Heritage's life, since they met a few years previous. She is being coerced into staying against her will, but lo and behold – the cynical Heritage can come over all chivalrous and try and rescue her – with desperate consequences for both men… Full review...

The Flappers: Ingenue by Jillian Larkin

5star.jpg Teens

Gloria Carmody and Jerome Johnson fled Chicago for New York to escape the mob and the police after Gloria killed a man. They thought that their love would be enough to get them through – but a white woman and a black man living together will need a lot more than that to get a happy ending. After witnessing another murder, Jerome's sister Vera knows that New York is about to get even more dangerous for the pair, but can she find them to warn them in time? Meanwhile Lorraine Dyer, formerly Gloria's best friend, is also trying to find them – but in her case she wants revenge on Gloria. As for Clara Knowles, former 'Queen Sheba of the flapper scene', she may be back in New York but she's not going back to the speakeasies and parties. She's happy with quiet, respectable Marcus Eastman. Until she gets an intriguing offer... Full review...

Westminster: A biography, from earliest times to the present by Robert Shepherd

5star.jpg History

There seems to be no shortage of ways in which the history of London can be told, and as befitting an experienced historical and political biographer, Shepherd has found another interesting variation on the theme. In this superbly detailed and exhaustively researched volume, he brings us the story of Westminster, the royal capital that became the birthplace of parliamentary government and the centre of a world power. Over 1500 years ago it was Thorney Island, a secluded area on the banks of the Thames. It then became a village, yet a very grand one comprising a spiritual centre, a royal ceremonial stage and later a political capital, encompassing buildings such as the Abbey, the Houses of Parliament, and 10 Downing Street. Against this stage has been enacted the history of a nation, of the monarchs and politicians who for better and worse shaped the events of the last thousand years. Full review...

Katie and the Starry Night by James Mayhew

4star.jpg For Sharing

When Katie goes out with her Grandma to museums and art galleries interesting things always seem to happen whenever Grandma takes a little nap! This time Katie and Grandma have come to see an exhibition of Van Gogh paintings, and as Grandma rests Katie climbs into The Starry Night painting and begins her adventure! Full review...

ParaNorman by Elizabeth Cody Kimmel

4star.jpg Confident Readers

Things are not easy when you're the only kid in town who can see, and talk to, ghosts. You can't bury your own grandma in peace without other ghosts asking you to pass on messages to those they left behind. You can't study biology without the toad you're supposed to dissect asking for a better end. And you can't take an unwanted starring lead in the school pageant, even when it's a special one for the three-hundredth anniversary of the town's own witch trial, without getting a message from beyond that means the legacy of that historical event will be a life or death matter… Full review...

Seeking Crystal by Joss Stirling

3.5star.jpg Teens

Crystal Brook has always struggled with her paranormal gifts, but meeting the Benedict brothers makes things even worse. While her sister Diamond finds her soulfinder in Trace, Crystal can't stand his conceited brother Xav. After an unforeseen attack, though, the unlikely pairing will have to pool their resources to save their families. Full review...

Lessons from the Top: How Successful Leaders Tell Stories to Get Ahead - And Stay There by Gavin Esler

4star.jpg Business and Finance

As a journalist and broadcaster, Gavin Esler has interviewed everyone from Bill Clinton to Angelina Jolie, and now he’s taking what he’s learned from those chats to bring us Lessons from the top…how successful leaders tell stories to get ahead – and stay there. Full review...

Arthur Quinn and the Fenris Wolf (The Father of Lies Chronicles) by Alan Early

4.5star.jpg Confident Readers

It's been 3 months since Arthur Quinn and his friends, Ash, Max and an army of dead Vikings, handed an amazing defeat to the trickster god, Loki, and saved the world from the threat of certain annihilation. Everything is back to normal and all but a very few even remember. But Loki has not been resting idle. After the destruction of the Jormungand at Arthur’s hands, he now seeks the Fenris Wolf. Amassing an army of vicious wolves to do his bidding, he will take back the world this time and have his revenge. So Arthur, finally settled into his new life in Dublin, is enjoying time away in the countryside with Ash and her family. But it’s all about to begin again… Arthur’s visions return as his pendant glows stronger than before. Max’s nightmares of the past begin again. There are strange stirrings among the Viking army and a growing unease surrounds our hero. Exactly who are these two new classmates in Arthur and Ash’s school? Why is Arthur so suspicious of Ash's new puppy? What is Loki after at the National Museum? Once again, it's all down to Arthur and his friends to save the world from the Father of Lies… but this time, Loki has help. Full review...

The Thief by Fuminori Nakamura

5star.jpg Crime

The Thief is content roaming the streets of Tokyo, living on the contents of its wealthier citizens' pockets until, his original partner in crime (literally) introduces him to Kizaki, a local shady big shot. Kizaki wants the Thief's help on a straightforward job. He will just be one of a team tasked with breaking into a rich speculator's home, scaring him a little, taking the contents of his safe and departing. No rough stuff and the financial settlement Kizaki offers will more than compensate the pickpocket for his time. Full review...

Philida by Andre Brink

4.5star.jpg Historical Fiction

Philida falls in love with Frans, the son of Cornelis Brink and they have four children together creating a tragedy on two counts: only two children survive and their love is troubled. For this is South Africa in 1830 and Philida is only the Brinks' 'knit girl': a slave specialising in the family's knitting. Full review...

What to Do When You Win the Lottery by Cathy Bussey

4star.jpg Business and Finance

You might wonder quite why someone who doesn't play the lottery is reading a book called What to Do When You Win the Lottery. Well, the answer is simple: it struck me that winning the lottery was not the only way in which people were likely to come into a large sum of money - there are other forms of gambling, inheritance or even redundancy, to name but a few. My inner money person mentioned that most people think that coming into money is the answer to all their problems without realising that it needs active management just like any other life-changing event. Full review...

The Potter's Hand by A N Wilson

4star.jpg Historical Fiction

The man of clay that A N Wilson throws onto his storytelling wheel in The Potter's Hand is the great Josiah Wedgwood, but this is much more than a historic telling of his life. Indeed, Josiah already has a thriving business at the start of the book. What Wilson does particularly impressively is to put Wedgwood's achievement and works into the context of the politics and social philosophy of the times, sandwiched between the two great revolutions in America and France. In order to do this, Wilson has to play slightly loose with artistic licence by altering dates and time lines a bit, but it works well. He also balances the real historic figures with several key figures of his own invention and where the historic figures don't quite fit with his narrative, he alters their ages and invents 'facts' to the benefit of the fictional narrative. Full review...

The Gap in the Curtain by John Buchan

3star.jpg Historical Fiction

A short stay with friends in society for Sir Edward Leithen is just what he needs, being an overworked MP and lawyer. Among the collection of fellow guests, some of whom he knows and some he doesn't, is the extraordinary mind of Professor Moe, a scientist who decides to select some of the houseguests as subjects for his latest experiment. He declares that he can make sure they can see into the future, and the people he chooses – for various reasons – do indeed get a mental snatch of The Times newspaper exactly a year into their future, and what's more, one that comes completely true – either for good or bad… Full review...

Muffin and the Expedition by Clara Vulliamy

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

Muffin the bear has a hankering for an expedition, so he packs three honey sandwiches and some grapes. He shoots past Fizz, Flora and the three chicks, explaining that he's going to a very special place. He wanders around, trying to find something fun to do on his expedition, and then is treated to his friends joining him. Full review...

Wibble Wobble, My Loose Tooth by Miriam Moss and Joanna Mockler

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

I don't know about your family, but my five year old is desperate for a wobbly tooth! She has already written to the tooth fairy several times and they've built up quite a relationship with discussions about why no money is left if there are no teeth, what the fairies do with all those teeth and it is certainly a hot topic of conversation in our house as we receive regular updates about whose tooth came out at school! Indeed, the other day her best friend lost his first tooth and when I told my daughter about this she burst into tears claiming, dramatically, that her teeth would never fall out and she'd never get any big teeth! Well, as you can probably imagine, any story about wobbly teeth was going to go down well in our house and this is certainly a good one! Full review...

Wolfsbane (Rebel Angels) by Gillian Philip

5star.jpg Teens

After the terrible events at the end of the second book in Gillian Philip's Rebel Angels sequence, we move on a decade or so. Finn is back in the mortal world. But Rory and Jed have stayed with Seth, now the captain of the MacGregor clann's dun. Faerie queen Kate NicNiven continues to plot against Seth and to wrest Rory, the Bloodstone and prophesied saviour, from him. She is as determined as ever to destroy the veil separating the mortal and faerie worlds. Full review...

Orpheus, The Song Of Life by Ann Wroe

4.5star.jpg History

Orpheus is one of the most memorable and recognisable figures of Greek mythology. He was a legendary musician and poet, whose song could charm all living things and indeed the very stones of the earth. He had a dramatic life, including joining the Argonauts as they searched for the golden fleece. Most memorably, he travelled to Hades to rescue his dead wife Eurydice from the underworld. However, he was unable to obey Pluto’s command not to look at her. He couldn’t resist turning around, only to see her sucked back into the depths and death. This tale of romantic tragedy and thwarted love has intrigued and delighted artists and writers through the centuries, and they have portrayed Orpheus and his life in music, paintings, plays, poems, operas and films ever since. Full review...

Injustice: Life and Death in the Courtrooms of America by Clive Stafford-Smith

5star.jpg Politics and Society

On 16 October 1986, Derrick and Duane Moo Young were shot and killed, in Miami. British businessman Kris Maharaj was arrested, and in 1987 he was convicted of their murders and sentenced to death. His defence lawyer, Eric Hendon, took the unusual line of offering no defence at all - when it came time to present his case, he simply rested. Kris protested his innocence throughout, and continues to do so to this day. Despite weighty evidence in support of this, he still languishes in prison 26 years later. Full review...

How to Find a Fruit Bat by Michelle Robinson and Lauren Tobia

3.5star.jpg For Sharing

A young girl heads out on an expedition to find a fruit bat. After all, who better to eat all the fruit that she doesn't want to eat? She gets her cardboard box boat ready, packing it with everything she'll need (including fruit for the fruit bat). On her expedition, she runs into all sorts of excitement and adventure, then sails home in time for supper. Full review...

Maze Cheat by B R Collins

4star.jpg Teens

This fast-paced story, with its overtones of Greek tragedy, is set in a dystopian world where acid rain is so bad people must wear a mask just to go outside. People find distraction in role-play games, particularly the Maze, which is the creation of the immensely powerful conglomerate called Crater. The game taps directly into players' minds, making them feel as if they are really present in the virtual world, and is promoted as being unbeatable, but with the help of people like Ario who make their living by creating and selling cheat codes, it looks as if someone is about to reach the final level. And Crater isn't happy about that. Full review...

Touching The World: A Blind Woman, Two Wheels and 25,000 Miles by Cathy Birchall and Bernard Smith

4.5star.jpg Travel

Consider the world. There might not be enough of it to go around in some over-crowded places, but there is enough variety in it - and us - for us all to have our own version of it; our own perceptions, experiences and expectations. Those are drastically altered from those of you and I if one is blind, as Cathy Birchall is. But that simple fact did not stop her taking a year out, and starting in August 2008, perch herself on her husband's pillion seat and be taken from one end of the earth to the other and back again. Full review...

Setting The Record Straight by Chris Worthington

3star.jpg General Fiction

When he was twelve Geoff Dealer returned to his Texas home and walked in on what looked like a frightening situation. A man, trousers round his ankles was pushing his mother up against a wall and she was squealing. Mindful of his father's advice about using a gun Geoff grabbed it from the gun cabinet and injured the man with his first shot. The second killed him. It was their neighbour and his father's best friend - who'd obviously been more than a friend to his mother. Lizzie Dealer took the blame - saying that she'd been attacked and had grabbed the gun from her son - but her husband was arrested and was killed in prison a couple of days later. Full review...

I Am The Secret Footballer: Lifting The Lid On The Beautiful Game by The Secret Footballer

4.5star.jpg Sport

In the 2012 Olympic Games the UK delighted in the skills shown by our athletes. We were - naturally - pleased by the medals, but what impressed was the training and dedication of people who were frequently fitting what they did around the day job or study. For the most part they weren't reaping much in the way of financial rewards from what they did - but they shone. The exceptions were the footballers. I forget (and that might well be Freudian) exactly who beat us, but I doubt that there are many people pleased by the show they made. It's now the beginning of the Premier League season and I Am the Secret Footballer has arrived at the perfect moment. Full review...

Mammoth Pie by Jeanne Willis and Tony Ross

4.5star.jpg For Sharing

On top of a mountain there lived a fat mammoth.
Down in the valley there lived a thin caveman.
The caveman was hungry. Very, very hungry.
He saw the mammoth and licked his lips. Full review...

Bright Young Things by Alison Maloney

4star.jpg History

According to the summary I read of Bright Young Things before choosing the book to read, it 'takes a sweeping look at the changing world of the Jazz Age'. I was expecting it to be something of a narrative account of the Roaring Twenties – in actual fact, it's set out as a collection of trivia about the decade. Similarly, the 'first person accounts' mentioned on the inside front cover are limited to two or three sentence quotes. Full review...

The Dinner by Herman Koch

4.5star.jpg General Fiction

Serge Lohman, presidential candidate, is not the kind of man to frequent the cafés of ordinary people, and so when his brother Paul and his wife Claire join Serge and wife Babette for dinner, it can only be at the fanciest of locales, and for 'fanciest' read poshest, snootiest, and most overpriced. And while they may be in Holland, going Dutch is not on the menu. This is not Serge’s story, however. It is Paul’s, and what he lacks in terms of income, power and influence compared to his brother, he more than makes up for with dry humour and astute observations. Full review...

On The Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

5star.jpg Women's Fiction

High school teacher Anna has been hired as a tutor for the summer, helping 16 year old T.J. who has missed a fair amount of school due to illness. Leaving the USA behind, the two of them head over to the Maldives where his parents have hired a holiday home, but instead of gracefully descending into paradise, they crash land, quite literally, into a nightmare. Their pilot has a heart attack, their sea plane plummets into the ocean, and they wash up on a deserted desert island. The unlikely twosome has to band together to survive and wait out their rescue, but as weeks and then months pass, hope fades and they have to wonder what will happen if no one ever finds them. Full review...

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