One to read to your children rather than yourself

I can understand why Harry Potter fans, particularly adult ones might be disappointed. It's different in style to Harry Potter, a much thinner book and the stories are simplistic in comparison - they're much more like fables. That said, they still stand up for themselves in my view. A simpler tale doesn't necessarily mean lesser in value, it just means a different audience to usual will enjoy them.

I enjoyed spotting where the references to the tales had come from Harry Potter and Dumbledore's notes made me chuckle. The illustrations are good and I particularly enjoyed the Babbity Rabbity and The Three Brothers tales.

It would make a good introduction to the world of Harry Potter for younger readers. I can imagine parents reading this to their small children just as my mother read Grimms Fairy Tales to me as a toddler curled up in her lap.

It's a story

Being a late developer (and a rather more mature reader - my daughter introduced me to it) I have only just discovered this series. I have enjoyed all the books and even read the draft of Midnight Sun on SM's website.

While some aspects"jarred" a little in Breaking Dawn it is just a story and I managed to use my imagination where necessary, even at my advanced age!

I enjoyed Breaking Dawn and felt it"tied up" the story - while leaving a small opening for a later return to the characters. I shall miss them all!

A beautiful book

As always, Terry Pratchett's beautifully clever and incredibly entertaining writing style comes through in this book and adds to the touching story. The relationship that develops between Mau and Daphne is extremely well written and, as usual, the characters are incredibly unique and very funny. I thought this was an absolutely beautiful book. I rate Terry Pratchett extremely highly and expect to love anything of his that I read, but this was just something else.

The book has a great deal of soul to it, the communities and cultures that Pratchett brings together in this story are beautifully conjured. The landscape of the island and its importance to the characters is incredibly well described and, of course, the narrative carries the story skilfully. It is very different to his discworld books but"Nation" is a very touching story that I would reccommend both to those who love Pratchett books and those who have previously not got along successfully with them. A Gorgeous story.

I want a dragon too!

I have read all of the Eragon books so far. Christopher Paoline is definitely maturing in his writing style and it was real fun to read his book! Brisingr is my favourite so far and I can't wait for the 4th and sadly last book. Brisingr is well worth the read, but I don't really want to go into details as I would passionately give away too many details of the book and that would spoil it for you. But I can say I was surprised several times and the story wasn't predictable sometimes, which I really appreciated.

This book was sold in the Kids corner of my local bookstore. After reading through the detailled description of some of the battles I have to say that only late Teens should really get to read this book. Christopher Paolini described battle scenes even moire graphic as in book number two. But other then that I have nothing to complain about.

I wish there were more books with intelligent and communicative dragons around. I'll really miss Saphira once book number 4 is finished.

Mind Blowing

Couldn't help myself getting immersed into Watchmen, it's absolutly compelling, the way it's written and the way it looks is mind blowing, I can understand this is an acquired taste and its a real shame if you don't get into it like I and so many others have.

Be sure to get this 5 star item before the world ends.

If you like Doctor Who, you'll like this annual

Once again, the BBC have put together an excellent Doctor Who annual for all television fans of the programme, young and old. Gracing the front cover is the Doctor and the Red Dalek Supreme and Davros on the back cover, all on a silver foil backing which makes the annual 'stand out' amongst the rest!
Readers of BBC's Doctor Who Adventures comic will instantly recognise the format inside the annual. Every page is covered with facts and features on Series Four and readers are re-introduced to Donna, Martha, Sarah Jane, Rose and Jenny, as well as the Ood, Adipose, Master, Hath, Sontarans and, of course, Davros and his Daleks. With a mix of text story, comic strips and puzzles, this annual is a worthy accompaniment to the Doctor Who StorybookDoctor Who Storybook 2009 (Dr Who).

A good, light hearted, escapism book.

I've just finished reading this and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Like I said in the title it was easy to read, funny in places and a good, light-hearted, escapism book. I would recommend it to anyone.

The lack of a 5th star only comes from the fact that I wish Neil would have gone into a bit for detail about the characters Silas and Miss Lupescu. I found myself left wanting for a bit more involvement from these two characters. I also got a tad frustrated by the haziness of what went on between them and the Jacks.

Other than that, I loved it and would defiantly read it again! I would also recommend listening to the audio-book. Neil himself narrates it and he does it extremely well; very atmospheric, broody and extremely enjoyable.

I hope you find this helpful (it's my 1st book review...)

Goes out with a whimper

Northern Lights is brilliant in almost every respect; fast-moving, well-written, imaginative. The Subtle Knife is almost as good, but begins to be diffuse. The Amber Spyglass is, frankly, rubbish. In order to understand what is going on here, you have to have read an obscure essay by a second-rank German author (Heinrich v. Kleist) that Pullman is always going on about. By a logic that defeats me, it concludes that a re-temptation of Eve will undo the disaster that came from the first temptation. Hence Lyra (she's the new Eve, we're told) goes all tingly when she's kissed (only kissed, mind you). This saves the world (don't ask me how). Pullman's cosmogony/theology is even wackier than the Christian version to which he's so hostile. Nor does The Amber Spyglass have a very tight plot -- is the realm of the dead another parallel universe, or what? The Father Gomez episode is totally gratuitous church-baiting, and should have been edited out (along with a few other repetitious bits). It is fairly obvious that Pullman had no idea how to end this trilogy, which accounts for the long delay in publication between parts 2 and 3. But the ending, when it comes, is possibly the most banal I have ever read. One might have thought that having opened the gates of hell, having quite literally witnessed the death of God (and incidentally having saved humankind with a kiss) Lyra and Will deserved some sort of apotheosis. But the ending is like the ending to a children's party: right now kiddies, pack up your things, time to go home.

One more for the collection

Like another reviewer I may be slightly biased when it comes to the literary fiction af Stephen King/ Richard Bachman (R.I.P), I have been a fan since my teens and almost religiously buy each new compilation or novel as it is released.

Just After Sunset has already become one of my favourite SK compilations, for a number of reasons.

The stories themselves are as always very well written, but what makes them really special is that they are all rooted in events we can all relate to.

whether its our irrational fears,our collective fears (i.e. nuclear war) or even things you never would have thought of as scary (like your fluffy li'l cat), they are all in Just After Sunset in one form or another and as only stephen King seems to be able to do, they are all brought to the front of your mind from the dark recesses where they normally nibble at your subconscious.

Although there are also a few stories that are rooted in recent events like 9/11 and these are spellbinding as they add a different perspective to the aftermath, I must add though that the subject matter is heart wrenching but always respectfully treated.

("The new york times at bargain prices" is one of those short stories that everyone must read.)

One aspect I enjoy about this collection is that it is gathered from different periods in SK's literary career everything from his days writing short stories for popular mens magazines to his later short stories written for collections (and as he admits for himself).

I honestly dont think there are any stories in this book you will not enjoy,and each one is as well written and as gripping as a full novel by king, none of them stand out as weaker than the others (although king himself thinks in retrospect that"Willa" is the weakest story but ...I dont think you avid reader will be of the same opinion) and they will all stay with you long after you have finished reading.


Like I mentioned at the beginning of this review I may be a bit biased when it comes to literature by SK, but if you have never read anything by him this would be a great place to start, an for those fans who have read him for years you will love it aswell.

one last little thing.........dont forget to check and lock your windows, and doors before you retire tonight, (DONT FORGET THE CATFLAP!), because you never know who or what might be out there.

A Feast for the Eyes; A Drain On the Mind

Okay, let's keep this brief and informal lest I start taking myself far too seriously. After all, it is only a comic book to which I am referring regardless of how good or bad this particular one may be.
As an addition to the Batman Legend, 'The Killing Joke' is something of a let down, and not least due to the 1980's"think outside of the box" storyline. In my opinion it will warp your perception of the Caped Crusader and Smiles-McGee as it did mine with it's painting of the pair as something of an old married couple who may fight but deep down are the best of friends (and thankfully like an old married couple they are not sexually attracted to each other either). It has to be said though that The Joker's crimes depicted here are less master-criminal and more sick-bastard. Whilst inventive, they lack the subtlety and genius you'd expect from the character. It would be far too easy to confuse his antics with that of 'Lord Pumpkin' in his origin one-shot as the freaky carnival setting and deformed minions are not Joker-like in my mind. I'd also suggest that the"definitive origin story" for the Joker is an ideal that should have died long ago, way before the 80's ever hit, and it's inclusion here makes the Joker seem weak and unjustified (in some senses) in his madness. Basically, as in the short version, Alan Moore's story is cleverly gimmicky at best with scripting that is just plain awful. Sorry to all the fans of the piece out there, but it reads more like a romance comic with Batman being the hysterical woman moreover Dark Knight.
What you will take away from reading this (and despite what I just said, you must buy and read this!) is that Brian Bolland is highly revered for a reason. The artwork is simply phenomenal, and the newly revamped colouring is stunning. You may never see a depiction of classic Batman or Joker looking this good anywhere else again. With the added bonus of Bolland's 'Innocent Man' (which he also wrote) sitting quietly at the back, this package must adorn your bookcase. I would recommend this to anyone.

Glorious Convolution

While I agree with one reviewer about the usefulness of a summary of Part I, I also think that you just have to sink yourself into Hamilton's marvellous universe (or universa?) to fully appreciate the wild and convoluted rollercoaster you're about to undergo.

Plus that I think Hamilton is one of the very few to have created a consistent universe, including delightfully contradictions. I'm wondering why others in this region (Iain Banks, Terry Pratchett, Alastair Reynolds, to mention just a few) are all British writers. Mmm... something to do with Empire-building... ;-)

In the meantime, enjoy Hamilton. And now we have to wait about 1 1/2 year for the conclusion...

By Angus Nicholson

Artemis Fowl is a fantasy book about a teenage criminal mastermind who discovered subterranean fairies. It is an action-packed book filled with wacky characters and jokes.
The plot is about Artemis having to travel back in time to find a cure to save his mother. The cure is a lemur which Artemis had killed when he was ten-years old because Mother had spent the money that Artemis was going to use to help try and get back his father who was taken by the mafia. This was a childish piece of revenge and he's now going to have to retrieve it from his younger-self's clutches.
Artemis, until recently, had been a criminal sought on becoming the most powerful one in the world until he discovered that that wasn't the most important thing in life. Now, he had a new outlook on life and was using his brains, power and wealth to help the environment and he had now given up his criminal lifestyle. You see that Artemis is now a family man with two younger brothers and is set on making his family's life as enjoyable as possible.
The storyline was brilliantly thought out with characters from the different books reappearing. However, you started to become slightly confused as you began to wonder who was from the present and who was from the past, so it started to turn into mayhem. Once having discovered where you were in the book (after reading it back a few times), it was a very entertaining read. The story kept going at a fast pace so you were always on the edge of your chair. I was gripped from start to finish so the author succeeded in that department yet the plot became, in some places, too thick to handle.
Overall, it was a great book and I would happily re-read it over and over again as it was a vastly enthralling experience.

honesty and insight from the legendary Russell T Davies

How does a creative person actually write? I doubt whether the question has ever been answered with such honesty and detail as in this marvellous journal. Ben Cook's questions are probing and serious, and Russell's answers carefully considered and ruthlessly honest - and of course, leavened with unlikely humour. I could not imagine a better primer for any young aspiring screenwriter. Yes, there's a bit of sex in it - but that's life, isn't it?

Amazing!

This book is a fantastic classic, and Orwell's writing style is so good, I couldn't put it down.
It's amazing, and I think everyone should read it once in their lifetime.

At last the series is back on track.

Thank the Emperor for this latest book the Mechanicum. This book really does capture the imagination with Characters you can buy into a real feel for the weird and wonderful identity of Mars and its inhabitants.

And finally the best part ........ The Legio Titanicus walk!

Bring on the next book is what I say although i'm going to be pacing up and down when we have to wait until April.

Well done to Graham Mcneill for getting this series back on track

Umberto Eco meets Stanislaw Lem - need I say more?

Neal Stephenson has delivered once more, this time what has to be one of the most rewarding and intellectually challenging novels of the decade. I realize it is not for everyone, as it takes 200+ pages before the plot really gets going. But not a single of these pages should be spared - they all help to set the stage of this magnificent tale. If you like Eco or Lem (or both), you will love this gem.

A very good read.

If I had to choose one word to describe this, I would choose the word epic. Why? Because its an interesting look on how Bruce Wayne would handle himself in his later years with excellent action sequences and crisp dialogue. There's really only one thing bad about this, and that is the lack of Joker. Sure he's in it, but he's not really as important to the plot as he should have been. And he's camper than ever. But aside from that, buy it. It should tickle your fetish.

Making Money = Making Pleasure

While some may say it doesn't live up to Terry's past works I would dissagree. I found it wonderful!
In the same way that we've been able to follow Sam Vimes through his adventures and growth we can now see how falling out with Lord Vetinari Havelock has a longer lasting effect than one might think. Rather than just a one adventure wonder we see how Mr Von Lipwig applies his very special skills to an even greater challenge.
I found the storyline good and as always Terry has you in there living every moment. As always the story appears over two thirds of the way through but as always the final twist has you entrapped so you can't put it down.
For me an excellant addition to the Discworld series and one I can reread again and again so excellant value as always!