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Book Reviews
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Wonder Boys (SAGE Library in Social and Personality Psychology Methods)
Erin Britton09 May 2009
Wonder Boys is yet another delightful novel from Pulitzer Prize winning author Michael Chabon. Equally fearful of both success and failure, Grady Tripp is an aging, pot-bellied, pot-smoking novelist suffering with a sustained case of writer's block who is struggling to finish the long-awaited follow-up to his award winning debut novel. To keep himself solvent and to provide a good excuse for him to avoid his typewriter, Tripp teaches creative writing at a Pittsburgh college while battling with the first draft of Wonder Boys, a 2000-page behemoth that might one day prove to be his masterpiece. Just when Tripp feels that his stunted and disappointing life couldn't get any worse, his manic editor, Terry Crabtree, arrives in town to try and spur Tripp on with his novel. Over the course of a chaotic weekend, Tripp and Crabtree embark on an odyssey across Pittsburgh and through each other's secrets and inner demons accompanied by Tripp's most brilliant student, his pregnant mistress and a beautiful student lodger. Their voyage of discovery leads them to the discovery of a great new literary voice via encounters with a tuba, a dead dog, Marilyn Monroe's jacket and a squashed boa constrictor. Michael Chabon possesses a unique talent for writing finely crafted novels laden with pathos that successfully mix hilarity with drama and a subtle understanding of the broad range of human emotions. Wonder Boys is an excellent novel, I really can't recommend it enough.
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In All Probability: A Collection of Short Stories
S Clowes05 May 2009
Thirty short stories containing a few real gems of bizarre originality. The author's background is in the teaching of mathematics and science so that explains a lot. His zig-zagging and late probability twists flip these stories about themselves in the last paragraph or so. Others are quite soft and harmless. Somewhat reminiscent in style to "Tales of the unexpected" type backfiring scenarios mixed in with a few sci-fi ideas on a par with Philip K. Dick. Well worth a read. I enjoyed them and genuinely felt sorry for the fates that lady luck threw at some of the characters. Why? How can she live with herself? Fully recommended for something different
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Argentina (Lonely Planet Country Guide)
Serena Waithe27 April 2009
Not knowing a great deal about Argentina and embarking on a month long visit in July, I was a little apprehensive that I would get all the knowledge that I needed by then. Upon reading this book, my fears disappeared. Reading this book is like meeting several different travellers. You are given information for the budget traveller to those who are looking to travel in the lap of luxury. Anybody travelling should make sure that they pack their passport, money and a lonely planet guide.
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Immortal Iron Fist By Matt Fraction, Ed Brubaker & David Aja Omnibus HC
Ranjeet27 April 2009
I remember reading Iron Fist stories when I was younger and enjoyed them, the character falling on hard times with poor stories and unsuccessful launch after unsuccessful launch. Then the character was given to Ed Brubaker. While not as exhilirating as his work on Captain America, Ed Brubaker sets a good pace, throws in some new twists and angles on the Iron Fist Mythos, then introduces us to, what i hope will be, a fitting climax. The arts great, but i was especially taken by some of re-imagininings (is that even a word) of the original images from the 70s Iron Fist. I'm a real fan of Ed's style so i won't gush on too much. Having said that he's not not bullet proof (see Shiar Empire) but if your a fan of his work, you'll like this. If your an old fan of Iron Fist (as i was) you'll also like it.
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Sophie Wylie25 April 2009
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and all the others in the twilight series. Many of friends my age and older all love the book as well. It"s not just a book for teenage girls; anyone can read and enjoy it. It"s a sci-fi romance that"s very beautifully written. I would definitely recommend this.
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Saxby Smart: Private Detective - The Fangs of the Dragon and Other Case Files
Daisy Renton24 April 2009
These books each feature three separate detective stories. The hero is a schoolboy detective who uses his garden shed as his Crime HQ.
All the stories are both funny and fascinating. What makes them really different is the fact that you, the reader, have to be Saxby's sidekick. He presents you with the evidence, and then asks you questions which you have to puzzle out the answers to.
All the Saxby Smart books are brilliant reads, perfect for 8-12 year olds, and are equally appealing to boys and girls. -
Naomi Stanley24 April 2009
Before you read this book - although its story does explore an ethical dilemma and society's attitudes to this, you must not expect it to be set in a reality that is exactly the same as ours. By this I mean, some of the situations seem implausible and I know that this could spoil the book for some.
The story follows Shay Bourne, a man on death row for the murder of a 7 year old girl and her policeman stepfather. After discovering that his victim"s sister needs a heart transplant, Shay attempts to donate his heart to her.
The story is told through several narratives: June (the mother of the victim and heart transplant patient), Lucius (a fellow inmate), Michael (a priest), and a couple of other characters. This story links up with characters from another of Picoult's books 'Keeping Faith' as it explores spirituality and miracles.
There are many issues in this book that are thought provoking and will leave you asking yourself questions. Could you accept the heart of a killer to save your daughter"s life? Could you forgive someone who murdered your family for the sake of your own survival? Could you believe that miracles do happen and that they are being caused by a murderer on death row?
This book had me hooked from start to finish. I wouldn't say that this is one of Picoult"s best, but it definitely had me thinking and exploring some pretty sensitive issues. I can definitely say I wasn't gripped but did find it a very interesting read. I would argue that this isn't on par with My Sister's Keeper, which I would say was more socially relevant due to being more plausible.
Definitely worth a read! -
Naomi Stanley24 April 2009
The quick paced nature of this book lends well to its subject matter, drawing the reader in to the tension that is evoked by the lack of punctuation and speech marks.
Although this story explores the dark side of human nature, the strength and compassion of the doctors wife shines through; the doctors wife is the only one in the mental hospital who can see, however this is a secret to everybody apart from her husband. She begins to care for the other blind people, including an abusive and manipulative car thief whose leg is injured by a fellow blind person who he was trying to molest on a guided trip to the bathroom.
As the hospital degenerates in to disorder and filth (toilets back up, food deliveries become sporadic; there is no medical treatment for the sick and no proper way to bury the dead) the reader asks themselves would it better to be blind in such a state to not see the suffering and also be someone with the responsibility of everyone rather than being able to see.
As expected, social conventions quickly disintegrate leaving the blind with primal instincts of survival; all witnessed by the doctor"s wife.
One group of blind inmates decides to hold the food deliveries to ransom and demands jewels as payment for food. After the jewellery and money run out the wards are asked to sacrifice their women's bodies in return for food.
Eventually a small group of blind people are led to freedom by the doctor"s wife......but what has happened to the world outside if the mental hospital?
This book explores the acts of kindness and brutality of human nature, inadvertently posing questions to the reader about how far you would go to survive. How strong are the human bonds to society before we degenerate in to little more than beasts that are merely trying to survive?
This is a book that, although dark, sparked my imagination and caused endless intrigue. Although I devoured this book in record speed I would also drift away to ask myself 'what would I do?"
If you want to read something that will spark your imagination and leave you with a head full of questions about society then read this book. -
Healthy Gluten-free Eating: The Ultimate Wheat-free Recipe Book (Healthy Eating)
Noel O Sullivan23 April 2009
Can't believe how easy this book is to use and the results are a huge success, I have had gluten free dinner parties for non coeliacs and they are now using the book themselves.
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karen worton22 April 2009
Marriages And Other Games By Veronica Henry
This book follows four very different people whose marriages have failed, or are failing. The foursome is brought together in friendship, in a little village where we learn of the ups and downs in each of their lives.
I enjoyed this book very much - one to curl up with! I look forward to Veronica Henry's next book!
