Made me cry....

I bought this book after reading so many good reviews on this site. I couldn't even get through it without crying!!! That may have been an over-reaction but it really is a wonderful story and the illustrations are beautiful. Definitely my favourite book in my daughter's collection (and let's face it, it's just as important for the parents to love the kid's books as they're the ones reading them out loud every day of their lives!).

One of my favey books!

I loved this book. It was very funny and girly. A great read if you're looking for something to make you laugh.

An author improves

I am putting the same review on this book and Scarrow's first one in the series,"Under the Eagle" Now that one is poor; poorly written, bog-standard charactarisation and ho-hum action scenes, but...

By the time you get to"Centurion" we have an author who has settled into his style, still basic, but eminently readable, with the author's research and expertise in the subject lightly spread amongst the plot and the expansion of the major characters into almost loveable specimens.

So for those of you reading this review in"Under the Eagle" stick with this series, it gets way better.

Very disappointing

Not a great book.

Note the apostophe in the title - this is Gordon Ramsey branded, but he only wrote the intro. The recepies are by his trusty side-kick Sarge.

The recepies themselves are all pretty simple, basic stuff - not what you would hope (or expect) from Gordon Ramsey.

Save your money and spend it elsewhere!

Good fun

My three year old son thinks this book is hilarious. Lots of chuckles and silliness with pants and aliens, all good topics for little boys.

Excellent Tudor Era Murder Mystery!

Revelation is set in 1543. A serial killer is on the loose in
London using quotes from the Book of Revelations, as the
inspiration for his murder spree. The books main protagonist,
Matthew Shardlake, and his assistant Jack Barak, are called in
to hunt the killer down, by Archbishop Cranmer, when it becomes
apparent that the murders are religiously motivated.

I found this book a fascinating read, the latest in a very
enjoyable series. At first, I was worried the story could turn
out to be similar to the earlier novel 'Darkfire', as they are
both set mainly in the same area of London, but this story is
quite different.

The interaction between the factual, and fictional characters is
very well done, and the attention to detail is second to none.
You almost feel as if you are a bystander, watching the action
unfold in front of you. An excellent read, and I hope there is
more to come in this series.

The Good Life Starts Here!

Having watched the excellent and informative TV series I decided to part with my cash and buy the book of the series.

I have not been disappointed, the dishes I have tried taste wonderful, in particular potatoes and onions roasted in half a bottle of balsamic vinegar! Awesome!

The combination of grow it then cook it works well.

This is one of the most honest, unpretentious"celebrity" cook books you could find, full of easy recipes bursting with flavour.

The book would make an excellent present to both an experienced cook and novice alike.

Absolutly superb.

The only drawback, I now want an oven in the garden!

Always good reading

I have read all of Mr Robinson's books, in the Banks series,
and feel l can make a justified review of his latest work.
Having to say at the start, that l still think 1 day Cabbot
will go back with Banks into a relationship.
It's the strangest start to a book l have read, the murders
are solved so quick. But the reasons for why are the story
base line. My ignorance shows through when he starts
talking about Othello!!
If you were to ask me is it a good bank's story l would
say yes without doubt, like in any Bank's story there
always twists and turns.
I'm convinced that if Banks went into a desert, he would
find water, because in his questioning there isn't anything
he doesn't ask, and he always get answer, and most times a
small lead. This books shows off his interview technique's
so very well.
O well another year before another trip with DCI Banks.

Surpassing Expectations

I didn't expect to enjoy Mary Ann Shaffer's post World War Two epistolary novel. I envisioned something hackneyed that placidly covered English war culture; something that fails to offer anything even slightly original. I am glad to be proved wrong. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is a beautiful narrative of letters replete with wit, poignancy and tension. Its narrative will be familiar to any Brontë or Austen reader, but with unexpected twists and a modernist aesthetic.

This book centres on protagonist Juliet Ashton, an English writer who wants a change after writing comic pieces during the war. We follow her friendships, relationships and literary career from London to Guernsey and from childhood to middle age. Simultaneously Shaffer maintains a diversity of fragmented subplots detailing fictional anecdotes from the Channel Islands during the German occupation. Shaffer brilliantly weaves these fragments together to indirectly tell the tragic war story of Elizabeth McKenna, which becomes a complicated part of Juliet's own tale.

Each voice is distinctive and Shaffer uses unreliable narration, writing ticks, vernacularism and subtext to maintain plausibility and interest. The characters are so real and fascinating that I am sad to part with them now I have finished. Shaffer also manages to finely balance anecdotes with plot and red herrings with progression, never boring her readership. Overall this is an excellent book worthy of attention.

Research?

The problem with writing books that combine fact with fiction means that the writer has to research the true facts before publishing.

Ida comments on the fact that she saw pictures of Errol with Princess Margaret and her husband Lord Snowden, in a section of the book that must have been set in the early fifties.

However Princess Margaret and Antony Armstrog Jones did not marry until May 1960 by which time Errol Flynn was dead, having died in October 1959.

Pretty disappointing

I bought this book because of the numerous reviews raving about it but I ended up feeling let down by it. I found quite a few problems with it. For a start it could have done with some more editing, the plot is really not interesting enough to fill a book of this length and I began to find it very repetitive. The central character Joseph had the same boring thoughts and dreams over and over again. I think it was supposed to be haunting but it was just dull. Right from the start I found it difficult to get into.
Another difficulty I had was engaging with the characters because none of them were likeable really. Also as others have pointed out Joseph's life is quite ridiculously tragic, it was like being in a soap opera where people he loves drop like flies in very mean ways. I suppose people can be that unlucky but it doesn't make for great reading. It isn't even a good who-dunnit as the culprit can be guessed at pretty quickly. The identity of the murderer is quite stupid really as there is no real sense of why he killed so many young girls, it seems quite random like the author just went 'eenie meenie, ok this guy.' Oh and the running 'angel' theme is hideously irritating in my opinion. I really can't understand why this was so well liked, I would advise people to steer clear and not waste there money. I got through it once but will not be reading it again.

absolutely rubbish

I am a busy mother of a four month old baby but I must write to let people know that this book is not great for every baby. I bought it after reading all the raving reviews on this site and I really do not know what they are talking about. My munchkin took one look at the book and ignored it. I kept trying to stoke her interest (and still periodically try) but to zero avail. Anything else is more interesting than this book. What's more I met another mother who felt exactly the same. So there are more of us out there in silent solidarity!

A gold medal winning book!

Richard Moore has done it again, following on from the Robert Millar book, Richard has produced a book that is surely going to win as many awards as Chris Hoy has won world championships! As well as providing an insight into one of the last decades most successful sportsmen it also provides previously unknown information of how British Cycling turned itself around from one of the most underfunded and unsuccessful sporting organisations to be the envy of sporting associations across the world, one where even the Aussies want to copy us! Richard has had unprecedented access to Hoy during his 1km world record attempt in La Paz, Bolivia and throughout the year to the amazing Manchester world cycling championships where Hoy won the men`s world sprint championship at his first attempt, ending a 54 year drought in the blue riband event of track cycling. More than anything the incredible support that the Hoy family as a whole have provided Chris, is written about with affection, and you are left with a feeling that even though Chris does the pedalling it really has been a team effort to produce" Chris Hoy the Real McHoy." Richard Moore is surely becoming one of the most entertaining and investigative sports writers of this century. Buy this book if you want to know what makes an Olympic champion tick.

A book that needs no formal introduction

due to its popularity with nursery and primary school-children.

In a nutshell, it is about a newly hatched, tiny caterpillar who munches his way through a variety of foods, becoming bigger and bigger, until he isn't hungry anymore and is a big, fat caterpillar!

From the back cover:-
'A much-loved classic, `The Very Hungry Caterpillar' has won over millions of readers with its vivid and colourful collage illustrations and its deceptively simple, hopeful story.
With its die-cut pages and finger-sized holes to explore, this is a richly satisfying book for children.'

Large paperback with 28 high quality pages, in the popular 2-page spread format.
Bold, easy to follow text,repetitive in places.
Stunning illustrations, complete with holes to emphasise the hunger, introducing days of the week, fruits and a simple number game through what he eats when!

Example of text:-
'On Monday he ate through one apple.
But he was still hungry.
On Tuesday he ate through two pears, but he was still hungry.
On Wednesday he ate though three plums, but he was still hungry.
On Thursday he ate through four strawberries, but he was still hungry.......'

On Saturday, he eats so much he has a stomachache....but puts it right on Sunday, when he only nibbles through a nice green leaf!
Then he builds a cocoon and stays inside for over two weeks.............and an amazing thing happens!

Great Book

I have just finished Friends Like This. I loved it, I laughed out loud, chuckled to myself and cried. It's the first book of Danny's I have read. I will certainly be reading more.

Amazing!!!

I read this book because i was getting bored with the usual girly reads and i'm so glad i did! This book is amazing. The descriptions are fantastic, not too long that you get bored but so accurate you can picture yourself driving through cornwall and digging the garden with them! I love cornwall so the combination of the area and the history behind the house is great. I loved the way the book goes between the past history of pearl, the hidden secrets behind their lives and the love story interlinking it all! The final chapter was enough to make me reach for the tissue box! A great read which leaves you wanting more and more! Read it cause you'll love it!

An absolute godsend

I bought this book when my baby was 8 weeks old and was very sleep deprived. I was very sceptical about it and was convinced it wasn't going to work but I have to say it did. I followed the routines for feeding but adapted the more strict bits to suit myself and my baby. The result was (and still is!) a very happy contented baby who at 12 weeks slept through the night. Getting those evenings back is priceless! I am proud to admit to being a control freak and found the book an absolute godsend. I would recommend it to all new mums who have no clue about what they are doing!!I am now using Gina's book for weaning which again has proved an absolute success.

awful

This was such a bad book. I didn't laugh once. The whole thing is about some dumb girl complaining about her life for 200 pages. I got so fed up I didn't even finish it.