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Book Reviews
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Ross Kerr20 October 2010
This book is an excellent all round illustrative guide for anyone interested in architecture and urban form (particularly students).
It offers a totally comprehensive guide to all architectural elements - all of which are illustrated. Allowing you to determine the difference between a doric column, ionic orders, architraves etc. etc.
For anyone who requires a quick and easy to navigate visual dictionary, relative to architectural design. I can't recommend this book enough. Every Architecture student should get this book on week one. They will quickly absorb a very broad understanding of their subject, from which they will easily develop a platform to learn further with the information held within this book being retained as part of their design understanding. This book is called a primer for a reason! It should be treated as critically as many other architecture and design tomes. Books of this nature should take precedence over more weighty architecture reads (for the new architecture student at least).
Again, I can't recommend this book enough. -
Puzzle Adventure Omnibus: v. 1 (Usborne Puzzle Adventures)
M Downdon16 October 2010
I devoured these books when I was a young lad and have recently started reading them with my young son. This omnibus collects seven of the Usborne Puzzle Adventurers and is the ideal way to encourage reluctant readers. At the heart they are mystery stories but each page involves a puzzle to be solved before progressing with the story. The interactive element makes the stories particularly engaging and ensures that over-active young minds do not wonder off!
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Kelly Marsh16 October 2010
I think this is Coleen Nolan's first book. Even though it is fiction, it is set in the world of television and celebrity so I think some of it might be real. Karen King is a talk show host and national TV treasure and is very satisfied with her life but she doesn't know that there are some surprises in store for her. First she discovers her husband in bed with a much younger blonde. Second she discovers that she is favourite to take over as host on tvs top rated talk show. She really wants the job but must compete against rival tv diva Julia Hill who will stop at nothing to ruin Karen's chances of getting the job. This book was great fun, I liked Karen and loved the cat fights between her and Julia. I loved the character of Julia even though I didn't like her as a person. I liked spotting all the names of real tv stars and trying to figure out which characters might be based on which real people!
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Editor12 October 2010
Damon Galgut's In a strange Room moves between autobiography and fiction in depicting three separate journeys the author undertook and later published as short stories in the Paris review. The aim seems to be to share his journey of self discovery and his own contemplation of his capacity to love.
The first journey is undertaken with Reiner, a self assured and beautiful German with whom Damon agrees to travel with through Lesotho. The relationship suffers from a power tension primarily because Reiner is in complete control of the finances, subordinating Damon despite his intention to cover his own expenses, and ultimately causing a resentment that he is unable to resolve.
In the second section entitled 'Lover' Damon travels through Africa having joined with a group who have set off together. This journey is underscored with an unrequited sexual tension between himself and fellow traveller Jerome, who appears to be both forward and reticent causing Damon anquish and confusion.
The third journey is spent travelling with Anna, who is supposed to be in recovery following a psychological breakdown, suicidal ideation and alcoholism, but who is subverting all efforts to ensure she gets her head together and testing their friendship.
Written in exquisite prose, Galgut can seamlessly discuss landscape, character flaws, love and longing using as few words as could ever be possible. Much of the story is unfinished and this appears to be the point of the novel, i.e. to consider the possibilities had different decisions been taken, addressing his primal and carnal fears.
Damon Galgut uses third and first person interchangeably in this book, sometimes within a sentence. I wasnt clear why he chose to do this. It obviously had a method to it and perhaps the rationale was to distance himself from decisions he would no longer take, or maybe he is separating his thoughts from his behaviours. It would probably take a second reading to work out the nuances here, which would not be a difficult undertaking.
Although enjoyment would not be an apt way to describe reading a book that is so melancholic, it is fair to say that I certainly appreciated the creative talent of Damon Galgut and this book has something very valuable to say to those people who seem to need to keep moving on in order to find themselves. -
Editor12 October 2010
Room is the only place five year old Jack has ever known. Despite its limitations: its smallness; no windows - just small skylight; limited food and toys and only a TV and Ma for companionship, Jack is content within room. Jack doesn't know any different and the relationship with his mother is one of mutual dependence and unquestionable love.
The reasons why Jack and his Ma have remained confined in Room become apparent to Jack after his fifth birthday, and without spoiling the plot events take an exciting and dramatic change. The story is about maternal bonds and adaptation to new circumstances and is told in an absolutely fascinating way, through the voice of five year old Jack.
There is much to like about this story. Despite the abnormal circumstances, it is a very plausible narrative. I was utterly absorbed until about half way through and found the characters of Jack and Ma and thier intimacy, as well as the day to day constructs of their life together very well considered. Brilliant! My only criticism is that the voice of Jack is inconsistent, seeming to be like a five year old at times and at other more adult. Perhaps using artistic licence to give Jack adult literacy would have been acceptable. I am saying that I liked the premise of the story being told through Jack but the delivery in child speak doesn't always work. It is a terribly sad story at times, with clear inferences to the Joseph Friztl case. That said, Jacks voice seems to act as a halo of light and left me feeling better for having read it. I am not convinced it is a Booker Prize winner but was one of the easiest of the shortlisted books to engage with. -
I Shall Wear Midnight (Discworld Novels)
Mike Kenny07 October 2010
Tiffany Aching is a trainee witch and has served as the main character in The Wee Free Men, A Hat Full of Sky, Wintersmith and I Shall Wear Midnight. Although not technically part of the 'proper' Discworld series, Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching novels are set on the Disc, predominantly in the Chalk and Ankh Morpork, and are in keeping with the general tone and aesthetic of the series. The reason that these four novels are generally excluded from the main Discworld cannon is that they are classed as children's books and so are more often found in the Teenage section of bookshops rather than the Fantasy section. I, however, believe, like many long-term Pratchett fans, that such a distinction is artificial and that the Tiffany Aching stories are just as worthy of being read and appreciated by adults as all the rest of the great books that Sir Terry has written so far.
The title of I Shall Wear Midnight comes from a quote in A Hat Full of Sky attributed to Tiffany Aching: "When I'm old I shall wear midnight, she'd decided. But for now she'd had enough of darkness." It's fitting therefore that the Tiffany Aching in this book is more grown-up and facing far more perilous dangers in this novel than she has in the previous three.
It's not easy being a witch but Tiffany Aching has always done her best, but just recently her best doesn't seem to be good enough anymore. An ancient evil has arisen, an ancient evil that drags up stories about wicked old witches and makes the very act of wearing a pointy hat seem like a decidedly bad idea. There's worse yet to come, as this particular ancient evil is hunting down one witch in particular - our Tiffany of course - and he's finally been able to track her down .
I Shall Wear Midnight is another fabulous Discworld novel filled with adventure, laughs, witches and magic. It has been a delight to watch Tiffany grow and develop her powers and to find her witchy place in the world. This is the darkest novel featuring her to date as Tiffany is here forced to shoulder the full responsibility for her steading and all the human failings that come with it. There are some excellent cameos from Discworld regulars to enjoy here: the Nac Mac Feegles, Granny Weatherwax, Nanny Ogg and even Death all pop up to help Tiffany achieve her moment in the sun. Terry Pratchett is a master of fantasy but he's also a fantastic humorist and this book had me laughing out loud in many places. Despite the humour, this latest outing for Tiffany Aching is actually quite profound and emotional on the subject of good versus evil and on the idea of growing into one's responsibilities. I Shall Wear Midnight is the perfect ending to a wonderful series of books. -
Dylan Brown07 October 2010
Don't let the fact that this is about vampires fool you, the whole series is awful
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Cirque Du Freak (The Saga of Darren Shan Book 1)
Dylan Brown07 October 2010
Spiders, monsters, vampires and freaks - what's not to love about this book? Darren Shan and his best mate Steve Leopard sneak into a freak show and Steve recognises one of the freaks - Mr Crepsley - from a picture in one of the vampire history books that he loves to read. While Steve is interested in becoming a vampire, Darren is more interested in stealing Madame Octa - the mega spider that belongs to Mr Crepsley. Freaky and with a good amount of gore this is a great book, don't bother with the film though - its freakishly awful.
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Bride, Bought and Paid For (Mills & Boon Modern ) (Modern Romance)
Kelly Marsh06 October 2010
My friends all laugh at Mills and Boon books thinking that they are something that old grannys read but this one is really good. Romy Picard wants to save her father from going to jail but the only person who can help her is heartbreaker and former flame Xavier DeVasquez but he sees an opportunity to have Romy in his bed one more time. This is a nice easy romance read with a likeable heroine in Romy. You don't get to dins out much about Xavier but that is OK. This is a modern romance, I thought that Mills and Boon did historical romanace but I think they must actually do a mix. These books are also really cheap so I think I would buy more by the same author or others.
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A Bed of Roses: In the business of love, not everything is a... (Bride Quartet)
Kelly Marsh06 October 2010
Emmaline loves the idea of romance and so has a career as a wedding florist working with some of her best friends. Although lots of men are always chasing after her Emmaline has not found mr right yet, possibly because she is not paying enough attention. Jack Cooke is the brother of one of the friends she works with and she has known him for years. Jack finally admits that he has feeling for Emmaline and she thinks that an epic romance will begin only Jack turns out to be afraid of commitment. This book is a nice light romance with some good humour which is really nice to read. This book is a lot of fun and I think there are others in the series following the other people who work at the florists.
