Serious value for money

As has been mentioned - all drivers should have a copy of this book as it lays out very simply exactly what you should and shouldn't do in most situations on the road.
So many of us drive, ride or use the roads and we need to understand the ground rules - for less than the price of a pint, you can use it to dazzle your team-mates in pub quizzes, or settle those perennial arguements (what is the speed limit for a van on a dual carraigeway anyway?).
It's an absolute bargain - so if you find yourself frustrated by modern road designs and signs, or get confused by how to deal with some of the strange new junctions - get a copy.

Fantastic

An absolutley fantastic read. I only bought this book because it was on special offer, but I ended up reading it in two days.
I was expecting tales of a sniper sneaking around in the undergrowth (desert?) taking pot shots at passing insurgents. What I got was a no -holds barred, unpretentious modern day Custer's Last Stand (with a happier ending for the good guys!)
Easy to read, and told in the style only a British soldier can, this a tale of true professionalism, courage and the positive attitude in dire circumstances that is synonomous of our armed forces.

Quite brilliant, yet again

This is the second book by Hart I have read and he has maintained the standard set in his debut novel.

It revolves around the return of a son to his dysfunctional family after 5 years. He left under suspicion of having committed a murder, although he was acquitted.

There are further murders, a lot of family trouble, deceit and twists and turns in this novel which a Robert Goddard would have been proud of. It is reasonably well-written, plausible, fast-moving and packed with intrigue.

The story sucks you in straight away and I managed to finish the book in two sittings in one day.

There was a small, consistent grammatical error which will annoy some, but that would be petty criticism in light of how strong the book otherwise is.

Keep 'em rolling Mr. Hart!

Fat Tony and Dr John

One gets the feeling that a lot of the negative reviews posted here were written by Dr John characters. NNT is clearly a Fat Tony of a sort, and one gifted with a fine turn of phrase. His book is important, witty and does a pretty comprehensive job of undermining much that economists and other predictive"experts" hold dear. Sure, his book is a bit pompous (although he also has a nice line in self-deprecation, usually expressed through the person of his mother), but we live in an age dominated by tedious editors and pre-packaged phrasing. Enjoy the difference, and the author's admirably cultivated range of reference. (Which admittedly isn't very Fat Tony, but consistency is the bugbear of little minds.) As for those who say that he doesn't have his own alternative to current predictive methodologies to offer, you miss the central point: the prediction racket is a nice little earner, but -- judged on results -- has nothing but the illusion of competence/control to recommend it. This is not very comforting to those who need intellectual water-wings to get them through the day, but hey. Deal.

excellent book

i had seen this book in the book shop for ages but never fancied it then when it was on special offer on amazon i decided to buy it, i am so pleased i did what a great book, after you get used to the characters i can assure you that you wont put it down, it is so different and i recon it would make one hell of a good film.
just buy sit and enjoy one of the best reads ive had in ages

Whoa! Steady on Betty!

Shortly after I received my copy, my TROUSERS EXPLODED!
Its that good!
Its Electric!!!!!

My marriage"survived" Twilight

I stumbled upon the trailer for the Twilight movie and that made me curious about the Twilight Saga books. As a sucker for the romantic vampire stories (in the end, I come from the country that hosts the most famous vampire of all times, Dracula) I just thought to give it a try, somehow worried by the"young adult" label as I am not in that category anymore. Well, I was taken aback completly by the story, it is gripping, romantic and keeps your eyes"glued" by the text. So beautiful that sometimes it hurts to read. The story is maybe not incredibly original, as it has influences from the greatest stories of all times (starting with Romeo and Juliet,Wuthering Heights and ending with the books of Anne Rice), but manages to give such an amalgam of feelings to the reader, one can not even conceive the books have to have an end.

I'm a bookworm more or less, but there is long time since I have read three books in two and a half days - I have neglected my husband (he forgave me, though), took a free day from work just to read and read and read. Now, I just wait, mostly impatiently, for the fourth one. In the end, makes me feel like I'm 17 again and that proves, somehow, that Stephenie Meyer aims actually for a larger segment of the readers.

It is not a classic, it will never be, but the books earned their honour place, right next to Harry Potter. They will be not forgotten so easily. Maybe also because sometimes we need a little bit of romantism and some beautiful loves stories to remember us about those times when we were young and we use to dream, not obsessed by careers or how much money we make.

Man overboard!

`Sail' is the new stand-alone thriller from the fastest writer on the planet James Patterson, again teaming up with co-author Howard Roughan. The story begins when Katherine Dunne and her family are not getting along very well after the death of her husband and the children's father in a boating accident a few years ago. So, in an attempt to bring the family closer together again, Kath, her 3 children and her brother-in-law Jake take to the seas for 2 months of family time. Kath has also recently re-married to handsome, rich and charming New York lawyer Peter Carlysle who is staying behind to work on one of the biggest cases of his life and to also sit back while his family goes missing - something that he is behind in order to inherit Kath's $100 million fortune following their"mysterious" deaths. First a storm hits and then a bomb on the boat smashes the boat to pieces leaving the family stranded in the middle of the water, unable to be found because of the fake co-ordinates that Peter and his accomplice have deliberately set up to send the coastguard completely off-course.

I started this book on Sunday morning and had it finished by Sunday evening, so it's not short of exciting thrills and fast-paced storyline, but I just felt that the book was completely let down by Patterson's (or maybe Roughan's) terrible style of writing with this one. For a start it feels like it has been written aimed at 12 year olds as it is just so simply written and everything that was just explained was repeated in a way that I haven't came across since I used to read young adult novels back when I was in my early teens, so I can only imagine that he must have been still in Maximum Ride/Daniel X-mode when writing this one. Then it is just full of product placements and stupid and childish catchphrases that just became annoying after a few chapters.

The story itself is actually pretty good with a decent plot, likeable characters and some great and unexpected twists. The short chapters keep the pace flowing smoothly and quickly, so you'll fly through it in no time at all. It's not the best book Patterson has ever written by a long shot but it's definitely not the worst, but of all of the co-authors Patterson has written with I'd have to say that Roughan is the worst with this being the second in a row (as well as You've Been Warned) that has been nothing more than average.

Overall, if you can put up with being baby-fed the story this isn't a bad book that I think is actually a perfect holiday read that can be read with no real thought involved and can then be forgotten about. Just don't expect nothing near the quality of Patterson's Alex Cross or Women's Murder Club novels.

Sweet and quirky romance

Grace has a type of OCD which means that she is obsessed with counting and measuring her world. Numbers and routines dictate her life. For example, the number of poppyseeds on her cake determine how many bites she must take to eat it - between 20 and 30 is optimal. She shops in multiples of 10 and when she discovers one day in the supermarket that she has only 9 bananas, she swipes one from the shopper behind her. Which is how she meets Seamus.

I thought the subject matter of this book might make it a sombre read, but it's not at all. Grace is a witty narrator and the books tears along - I easily read it in a day. The story is about her relationship with Seamus and how they come to terms with her condition. In many ways it's a celebration of the way that we are all unique. It's a sweet, quirky, warm little book, which I thoroughly enjoyed. It's hard to believe that this is Toni Jordan's first novel. I look forward to seeing what she comes up with next.

engrossing and fun read

I always enjoy reading harlan Cobens books as they are engrossing page turners and witty at the same time. I really enjoyed this book and was always thinking ahead trying to figure out what was going to happen next. Definetly recommended for its twist and turns and suprises along the way..

Sceptic won over!

I just bought this book after a friend told me it was very helpful..i have read a few chapters and have listened to the CD a few time - i can already feel the difference!

The God Delusion

I really enjoyed reading Richard Dawkings book. It champions the cause of atheism against the irrational beliefs of religion. Their pure absurdity is clearly exposed here by Dawkins, in every chapter. A much needed book to counter the rise of religious fundamentalism that has occurred over the last 30 years. If there is one book you should read then its this one.

Another happy baby

We bought this after reading the reviews on here. At three weeks he didn't show much interest at the pictures but was fascinated by the mirror on the front page. In week four he's started to be captivated by the baby picture, is neutral on the mummy picture and cries on the daddy picture :( Still a very good buy as his reactions to the book seem to change all the time.

six sisters in search of an editor

No book can possibly capture the incomparable story of the Mitford sisters better than they can tell it themselves. From society scandal to family tragedy, from one ideological extreme to another, this masterfully edited volume conveys every aspect of this fascinatingly complex clan and the era in which they lived and squabbled. Capable of intense loyalty and unpardonable betrayal, the Mitford sisters were above all masters of the arcane nickname, private jokes that are at times caustic, at others affectionate and touching. The childish and precocious banter, the patter of an informal, often fraught, discussion, like a late night conversation in six voices, broadcast over long distances and with much to be read between the lines, is what gives this book so much of its charm and import. It's like reading a history of the most traumatic events of the 20th century with concise, pithy commentary, punctuated by humorous asides, conducted by literate narrators pathologically unafraid of the big issues. Mosley's touch is deft; the introductory passages to each section could stand alone, and yet remain a model of editorial restraint. Like an assured chef d'orchestre, her selection allows the sisters speak for themselves, drawing out themes without sacrificing each unique strand or its counterpoint. This book is a perfect primer to, and an endlessly amusing psychological portrait of one of the most exasperating and alluring families of the modern era.

Brilliant book

There aren't many books that can hold my attention but this one did. I saw an advertisment for C.J Sansom's book entitled,"Revelation" when I was on a trip to London recently and remarked I fancied reading it to which my mum replied that she already had 3 C.J Sansom books. I started with this,"Dissolution". I was hooked from the start. I really did not want it to end. It's a really enjoyable read and I'm onto my next one now. Apparently there are 4 in the Shardlake series so I've got some reading ahead of me! If you have an interest in history, then this is a really impressive read.

Brilliantly different

This is the kind of book where you fall in love with the characters and don't want it to end. It's storyline is incredibly unique. A brillaint book which I found hard to put down and although you're given indications of how the book is going to end you can't help praying for a different ending. Are the prayers answered? Well you'll have to read it to find out.

A good read

This is an excellent book for any one relatively new to veg and fruit gardening. It is written in Alan T's usual pragmatic style, but also with a good level of passion and humour. The overview at the beginning is the good length, and explains techniques, rather than the 'do as I say' style of some veg authors. For example what may happen if you add manure to your potato patch, and how to rotate crops which are not brassicas, and roots. Why you may want to grow some plants in pots on your patio if you have an allotment which is two miles down the road. There is an section on jobs to do per month, and a lenghty section listed alphabetically by plant. The photo's are very good, and at last a photo of potato blight! Not every brown patch on a leaf is blight. Calendars are helpful to indicate planting sowing and harvesting. However a little confusing at first if one is used to reading seed packets where the information is contained in one or two lines and not three. Alan is organic but does not present this as the only way as other popular garden celebrities do.
Even Mr T though fails to get the science quite correct. Water and vitamins are both chemicals essential to life. Some of the most toxic materials known to man are derived from plants so it should not be assumed that natural is safe. There are a few culinary hints and tips however Sarah Ravens Garden cookbook is not to be missed when wanting lots of seasonal recipes for using the produce you've grown.

Beautiful and disappointing

Let's get this straight. The His Dark Materials trilogy is one of the best things in literature and wipes the floor with Harry Potter (much as I enjoy them). This is the second in a series of spin off books which are short stories using the original characters. The first, Lyra's Oxford deals with the heroine, Lyra Silvertongue. The second, this book, deals with a prequel in which we find out how the aeronaut Lee Scoresby and the bear king, Iorek Byrnison first meet each other.

The writing is crisp, dark and funny/sad, just as in the original books and the woodcuts, the game and all the additional letters etc, make this cloth bound, pocket sized book a thing of great beauty and a needful addition to any bookshelf. The characterisation is excellent, and these are two of the best characters in the trilogy to meet again.

So, why disappointing? Because it is too short. Because there has been nothing in the way of a real meaty adventure issuing forth from Pullman's pen for too long, and because I'm greedy and I want more. Pull your finger out Philip, there's a dear.

An Enlightening Read

I found Eckhart Tolle's newest book"A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose" an enlightening read. I really liked chapter 5"The Pain Body" It had never occurred to me that thinking is involuntary, that it is no different then other bodily functions such as circulation or digestion. How true it is that many people are totally lost in their thoughts never present or listening to a word anyone says. In chapter 6"Breaking Free" Eckhart Tolle tells us how to break free. I kept thinking to myself (what I have thought so many times before) the only thing that gets in my way is me!

Another book I really enjoyed reading is"Being Here Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment" by Ariel & Shya Kane. It is a light and delightful book of short stories about 'being' that will keep you entertained and put a smile on your face.