What About The Companions?

Some time ago now I had mentioned that Harry was one of my favourite companions. I think I may have mentioned that I would always have loved for Harry to come back or for there to be after stories featuring the character. Timewarden kindly directed me towards this book written by the actor who played Harry Sullivan. Here Harry has his own adventure without the Doctor. He has been given orders to help with biological weapons. However, he is caught up with people who are trying to steel it and while he has been given blame he doesn't know who to trust. Very much written as though Harry is a Jame Bond character (or wants to be anyway). A fun quick read so long as you don't take it too seriously.

Big Finish obviously saw with the return of Sara Jane that people were interested in the companions. They have released a series of audio books called the Companion Chronicles. Each features a companion who tells a further story of an adventure with the Doctor. In the first Maureen O'Brien returns as Vikki. She tells the story of the Doctor, herself and Steven coming across a phoenix egg in London. The phoenix egg is determined to be born but the cost would be the Earth. The second features Wendy Padbury as Zoe. She is telling a story of an adventure that she only remembers in her nightmares (in the classic series Zoe's memory of travelling with the Doctor were erased before she returned to her own time). In these dreams she comes across the Daleks who are trying to use the mind of herself and the Doctor to take over the universe. Starting with an assassination.

Both were fun stories to listen to and I would like to eventually listen to all the others that are available too. My favourite though was "Fear Of The Daleks". Simply because Zoe was one of my favourite companions and I have a soft spot for Daleks. They do deal with the after but only to a very limited extent. You hear more about Vikki's time after the Doctor than Zoe's as it was more relevant to the story.

Book Reviews

Bethany is a young girl who works in Staples. She doesn't know what she wants to do with her life but she knows she doesn't want to spend the rest of it stacking shelves. One day she comes across a journal written by her co worker Roger. Except this journal is written as though she herself has written it. Bethany writes a reply and although angry at first she wonders how he can write as her so well. From then on they communicate through this journal. We learn more about them both as Roger writes his book for Bethany and Bethany replies to him.

This isn't my favourite Coupland book. However, it would be difficult to out do his previous book "Jpod". I still enjoyed it. I thought it the friendship between Roger and Bethany was sweet. You couldn't help but hope that everything turned out for the both of them. You wanted Roger to get his life back on track and you wanted Bethany to go out there and actually live her life. A friend of mine felt that it was saying that you don't have much of a life if you work in retail. I don't agree. Yes there was a hint of that but I don't think it was directed at retail. Roger and Bathany could have worked anywhere just about any job that involved a little monotony. The point of the book would still have been the same. A great book if not Couplands best.

Jude is an aging rock star. He is living out his life in a huge house with occasional road trips to let the world know he is still alive. He is also a collector of anything dark and unusual. One day his agent comes across a ghost up for sale. All Jude has to do is buy a suit belonging to the old man and his ghost will follow. Not really believing it but not wanting to miss out just in case Jude buys the suit. Sure enough the ghost follows behind it but it's not the friendly old man he was hoping for. This old man was the step dad of his old girl friend who killed herself. This old man is out for revenge against Jude and everyone close to him.

For those of you who don't know Joe Hill is the son of Stephen King. It was my curiousity over that which made me pick up the book more than anything else. I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. His writing style is very similar to his dads but he adds a modern touch to it. Probably the same touch King was able to add during his youth. Despite that if I had read it without knowing who I would probably think it was King. Still worth reading as it was a good story and good ghost stories are difficult to write (same as good vampire stories). It will be interesting to see if he develops his own style as his career develops.

Anna is a surplus child. She shouldn't have been born along with everyone else in the surplus complex. Surplus Anna is the best surplus child in there. She makes sure that every hour she is awake is filled with usefulness to make up for her parents greed. She has a secret though. A diary and if anyone was to find out she would be badly punished. For surplus children are not allowed to have anything of their own as they shouldn't be there in the first place. Then along comes a surplus boy who tells her he knows who she it. He tells her that her parents love her and want her back. He tells her that surplus children aren't a drain but the people who want to live forever are.

I'll be honest. I was attracted to this kids book for its cover. I'm glad I read it though. It is very simply written but sometimes those are the best. It looks at the questions what if we run out of energy? What would happen to the planet if we found a way to live forever? Really not what you are expecting when you see the bright pink cover. It's definitely worth a read and if you like Malorie Blackmans "Noughts and Crosses" series then you will love this too.

This is the sequal to Hamilton's "Pandoras Star". In book one we learn all about how humans have expanded across the galaxy. They learn of a star system which has been enclosed in a Dysons sphere and send a ship out to investigate. While there the sphere comes down and a war race attacks the confederation. Meanwhile the confederation is fighting another battle. That with the cult called the guardians. They believe that the old alien ship "Starflyer" is not so dead and that it is turning humans into it's agents. "Judas Unchained" continues on from those events. The commenwealth is now coming up with battle plans to save their worlds from the motile aliens. If none of these plans work they may have no option but to consider genocide. Meanwhile a few high up in the commenwealth are beginning to believe that maybe the guardians are right. Maybe the starflyer is an alien working against humanity. Maybe the Starflyer brought down the sphere in the first place.

I love Hamilton's books. I shouldn't because they always involve a lot of battle. Essentially they are science fiction war books. The stories though are so complex and involve so many different characters and story lines that all eventually come together. It's for that that I enjoy them so much. That and I do like the technology he comes up with. Like all his others it's a large book and there are probably so much he could cut out but I enjoyed every page. Definitely one for science fiction fans.

Judy, I suppose I do have a large DVD collection. All the Star Trek ones aren't mine though. They belong to my mum who loans them out to me. I do seem to spend most of my money on DVD's and books. Occasionally I will spend it on craft supplies instead though. And I only buy DVD's that are on sale unless it's something I have been waiting impatiently for (like BSG).

Book Reviews

It has been a long time since I have done one of these posts. Basically I haven't read that many good books of late. Most of what I have read I haven't finished because I am so easily distracted. Here are one or two reviews though for now.

"First Amongst Sequels" by Jasper Fforde.

This is another Thursday Next series and is set many years later. Thursday now has a teenage son and two daughters. Her husband continues to write while Thursday pretends to work for a carpet company. Thursday is really still working for Special Ops and Jurisfiction. Her main worry is encouraging her lazy son Friday to become the genius time agent he is supposed to become. She soon discovers however, that Goliath are up to their old tricks and trying to get back into jurisfiction and in the land of fiction there is a serial killer on the loose. Unfortunately Thursday's time is spent training other jurisfiction agents not that she lets that stop her.

I was so excited when I heard that there was going to be another Thursday Next story. I had believed that the last one was actually going to be the last in the series. While I didn't feel that this one was quite as good as the others I still very much enjoyed it. It had all the things that I loved about the others. So many books referenced and characters from them making an appearance (one of my favourites was Jiminy Cricket and his stunt double). I couldn't help but feel though that the author is now writing them just because they are popular rather than because he has a story to tell. Going by the way it ended there is definitely going to be more still which adds to that feeling. This shouldn't let fans be put off reading it because it's still a good Thursday Next story and worth reading.

"One For The Money" by Janet Evanovich

Stephanie Plum has just lost her job. She is now struggling to survive as she has sold just about everything she had worth selling. She is now hanging onto her flat with the edges of her nails but refuses to move back home. On one of those visits to home she hears from her mother that her cousin Vinnie is looking for a Secretary. She decides to pay him a call only to find that the position has already been taken. Instead she decides to take on another role as a Bond agent. Stephanie now has to bring in people who have run off after making bond. Her first one is a hard one. An ex cop who is accused of murder and has went on the run. Not only that he was her first love. Stephanie has to get over these feelings in order to bring him in but he insists that he's innocent.

I have said many times that I don't read crime. A friend of mine who is actually a very high brow reader surprised me by mentioning how much he loved these books. On this recommendation I decided to give it a go. Surprisingly I very much enjoyed it. It was a fun and quick read. Perfect for when you are in between reads and not sure what to move on to next. Or if you are looking for something light. I would definitely read the others in the series.

"Cross Stitch" by Diana Gabaldon

Claire is a nurse in 1948 who is recovering from working during the war and getting to know her husband all over again. They have taken a trip to Scotland where they first honeymooned. While there Frank is looking into his past lineage and Claire is learning about the plants in the area. One area in which both their interests cross is the standing stones of Craig na Dun. they visit there and discover the local women carrying out some sort of ceremony. Once over Claire goes back to find the flower she first saw only to disappear. She finds herself face to face with someone who looks like her husband but clearly isn't. just managing to escape him she is then kidnapped by a group of Scots and taken to their castle. There she realises she is in fact in 1743. While trying to find away back home she falls for the young Scot Jamie Fraser and is torn between returning home and staying with him.

Yes, once again I moved away from what I usually read. I thought that I really enjoyed that crime book and decided to give this romance book a go. I had heard that the author insists that her books are not romance (despite their classification as such in most book shops). She describes it as an historical fantasy. For that reason it stood out for me as one book I might consider trying. However, I only got about a third of the way through it. To me it was just a romance. While it did have a good beginning nothing much else seemed to happen after she got together with Jamie and I became bored with the story. It wasn't badly written but it just wasn't for me. I do think this is most definitely a romance book and if you enjoy historical romance then you might enjoy this.

Timewarden, hope you are well. I didn't watch "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" until after I had saw her in DS9. I wasn't a fan of Jack Nicholson and so it took me some time to be convinced to give the film a go (very glad that I did). I loved Louise Fletcher in the role of Nurse Ratchett. She plays that part and the part of Kai Win very well. I actually once saw her in a made for tv movie. She played the caring and worried grandmother. Nothing wrong with her acting there but I preferred her in the role of the bad guy.

Lili, while I do find it easy to slip into a book no matter where I am I do prefer to be on my own. When I think about it I can lose myself more easily then. When it comes to writing though, like Timewarden, whether it's my blog or a letter or email, I do need the conditions to be just right. I can't concentrate while someone is talking to me at the same time.

Book Reviews

"Blaze" by Richard Bachman

Blaze is along for the first time in a long time. Sometimes he forgets that his best friend and partner is dead and still talks to him. Still makes food for two and worryingly still hears his voice in his head. Not used to being on his own Blaze decides to carry out the plan his partner had come up with. Then everything will be alright. Blaze manages to kidnap a baby but without his friend to think about the details things start to go wrong.

Most fans of Stephen King will know that Richard Bachman is actually King himself. King decided to see if he could reach the fame that he did again but this time writing under a different name. Stephen King has a recognisable writing style and a lot of people guessed that Bachman was King. In the late 80's King finally admitted to it and killed off Bachman. He then found "Blaze" amongst some of his papers. A book he had thought was lost long ago. Thinking that it was worthless at the time he hadn't bothered trying to publish it. Coming across it years later he decided that it wasn't as bad as he thought and so here we have it. The style is very much King's. The main character is very King like. He is seen by the rest of the world created by the author as bad or even evil. Well most people would see baby snatchers as evil. We get to see inside his head though and we get to see his past. Blaze is just unfortunate. A bright boy who was damaged after an accident and was used to following someone elses lead. You can't help but feel sorry for the character and want to help him. I really liked this book. Not so much for the story but for the character. It was worth reading for him alone.

"Magician" by Raymond E. Feist

Pug is an orphan who has been befriended by Thomas and his family. Both live in the Duke's castle and have the run of the kitchens and grounds between chores. Soon they will both be of age where they will be chosen to become an apprentice. All boys who are not chosen either make a living doing something else or become a free man and must leave the castle grounds. This is a fate as bad as death to most of the boys and Pug is worried he will be one of them. However, he has been chosen to become a magician. Things are starting to look up for Pug. He not only is learning magic, he has the attention of both the Duke and the Princess after saving her life. This happy life doesn't continue as strange people have been seen on the land. They speak a language that is not recognised as coming from any part of their world. One thing is clear, they are intent on invasion and conquering. The Duke must convince the King that their world is in danger and to send troupes out to protect their land. The Duke soon finds he is fighting a battle on both fronts and he must face the possibility of civil war and invasion.

I was once told that this was the best book in the fantasy genre. While I wouldn't go that far it is up there among the best. Mainly fantasy this book does have a touch of sci fi with people invading from another world. I loved the whole idea of this and certainly thought it was an original idea in fantasy (I could be wrong here). I especially liked seeing things from the point of view of the invaders and seeing Pug learn their ways and become sympathetic to their cause. There are two more books in this series. However, I have learned that there are another three which starts from the time of Magician and they are written from the side of the invaders. Knowing this just made me more enthusiastic about this book and reading the series further. Definitely a must read for any fan of fantasy.

"Dead Famous" by Ben Elton

Inspector Coleridge is hating his current assignment. He is in charge of an investigation into a murder. One that means he has to sit in front of a screen and watch a group of people he has now respect for or any interest in. Well, except maybe one but even that disturbs him. Coleridge has to investigate the murder of one of the contestants of Peeping Tom. How can someone be murdered in a house where the inmates are watched and recorded 24/7. It's up to Coleridge and his team to find out.

If you haven't guessed this book is a Big Brother spoof. We have a bunch of contestants no one really likes (Elton has managed to bring together a group of very unlikeable characters), a team of police most of whom enjoy the show and one Inspector who is behind the times and can't understand why anyone would want to watch the show never mind be a part of it. This book was pretty funny. Elton was able to take everything that is dislikeable and shallow of big brother contestants and put it all into his own characters. As you are reading you do find yourself agreeing with Coleridge and wondering why anyone would want to watch it. The murder itself is just an addition to the book until of course you get to the end and discover who the murderer is.

"Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

Discovering that Armageddon is close at hand Crowley and Aziraphale (agents from both sides) decide to try an stop it. Neither like the idea of Heaven or Hell winning having spent centuries enjoying themselves on Earth. To do that they must find Satin's child who had been brought to Earth to be raised by a powerful human family. Something went wrong though and he is being raised in a village in England. Adam Young is more concerned about having fun with his friends than bringing the world to an end. At least he is until he starts getting some funny ideas.

I read this book because it was the first book written by Gaiman (although he co wrote with Pratchett). This book has the humour of Pratchett and the style of Gaiman. I like the whole premise of what would happen if Damien was brought up as a normal child by a normal family. There is not an aspect of the story that isn't taken by the authors and twisted into something funny. If you haven't read anything by either author I recommend starting with this.

Crazee4books, I agree you are more likely to get a true evil villain in fantasy and sci fi. A character that has no redeemable qualities. General fiction tends to be a bit more fair (or realistic). Every time I hear or read about the new Star Trek movie it's usually about problems they are having and possible contenders to play the part of Kirk. I think something was mentioned in a magazine I bought the other day. I have yet to read it in detail so if it has anything interesting on it I will be sure to mention it. We have avoided most of the floods. It has remained warm but with short heavy showers throughout the day. And I mean short. It's almost blink and you miss it. It's starting to get a little cooler though.

Harry Potter and the Cute Book

I bet JK Rowling never considered that as a title for her HP books. I am hoping that this will be my last HP post for a while. Getting a little sick of talking about it myself. I have finally went to see the film though and thought I should mention it a little. Harry is angry in this one. He has been left out of the loop all summer until he is attacked by two dementors and so removed from his muggle home to that of Sirius Black's childhood home. There he discovers that an order to fight the Dark Lord has reformed, the order of the Phoenix. Harry then gets to school to discover that the ministry has taken over the school through Professor Umbrige. As they see that they are not going to be shown how to defend themselves Harry and friends decide to teach themselves and form Dumbledores Army. Meanwhile Harry is seeing flashes of what the Dark Lord is up to.

It was a good take on the book but as expected so much was missed out. The time in the Black home took up over 100 pages in the book. I was just sorry that there wasn't more on the Order or the Aurors themselves. Not that it was necessary as they put in enough for everyone to understand the story. It's quite a large book compared to all the others and it would have to be cut drastically unless we wanted something on the length of LOTR. The critics are right this film was darker than the others and the ending was great. Not going to say too much more on that as I don't want to spoil it. If it hadn't been for the ending though I would have preferred the previous one to this. Someone else found it scary from the start though. When the dementors entered the scene a child started screaming in the cinema hall and later had to be taken away by his mother.

And here is where the Cute Book comes in. I mentioned this book in yesterdays post. I saw this book discussed on a crafts website I visit. I didn't give it much thought. Although the cover looked very cute these books are usually disappointing. Then I saw it in the book shop and was pleasantly surprised. I had to go and buy it. This book shows you how to make lots of very cute felt mascots. The book gives templates for each of the characters and then detailed diagrams of how to put them together. All the instructions are simple to follow and the characters seems easy enough to make. The back of the book gives some ideas of other ways to craft these mascots.

This is my first attempt at one of them, the monkey. He does look a little angry but he looks a little angry in the book too. I think if I make him again I would probably try and give him a smile. He hasn't got a name yet as I plan on giving him away today. I also have a list of other mascots I want to make and thankfully I bought enough felt to make a few.

Timewarden, I resorted to TV villains as I couldn't think of any in the book world. At least any that made me think the way the question described. I haven't seen "Blue Velvet".

Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows

I should warn you now. If you are planning on reading the book and don't want it spoiled for you I wouldn't read on.


This one picks up not long after the last one. Harry is being moved to safety as the protections on him disappear when he turns seventeen. The action starts pretty quickly unlike the previous books. Straight away he is being chased by death eaters and narrowly escapes. We already have one death at the start of the book. There is one quite pause as there is wedding preparation and Mrs Weasley tries to prevent Harry, Ron and Hermione plotting on how to get away and begin Dumbledores quest. The pause doesn't last long as Death Eaters invade the wedding after taking over the ministry of magic. Harry and co have no choice now but to go on the run and this is where it gets boring. The bulk of this part of the book is spent with location changes and lots of arguments between the three. It picks up again two thirds of the way through with their capture and a final battle back at Hogwarts.

I found the book to be a little disappointing. The middle section could have been a lot shorter. Much of it wasn't needed to tell the story. You could get a sense of their isolation from everyone else in a couple of sentences. Plus the treatment of muggle born witches and wizards was described in their attempt to enter the ministry. All the arguments and the constant moving around with nothing much happening just bored me. I would have finished the book on Saturday night. Instead I got frustrated and decided to pick it up again the next day. Wanting to know what happened in the end was the only thing that made me pick up the book again. It picks up again with the capture of the three by Death Eaters. From that moment on I had difficulty putting it down as the story seemed to move quickly from there. The final battle took place in Hogwarts which is the first time Harry and co step foot in the school during the whole book. I did like the ending although I honestly did think that Harry was going to die. Was all prepared for it. I was disappointed about Lupin. I had hoped that at least one of James' friends would have survived. It will be interesting to see how the final movie will compare.

The Harry Potter party was lots of fun although a little stressful. Most people seemed to enjoy it and it seemed to fly by. More importantly the kids seemed to have a good time and the majority of them were so cute in their costumes. There was actually one little boy who had dressed up as Draco and looked the part. There were also a lot of teenagers who came in dressed up too and seemed to have just as much fun as the little ones. Thankfully there were only a few tears and only a few people unhappy over the fact that they were going to have to queue for the book. The staff also had loads of fun. Most of them had put a lot of effort into their costumes. Yes, I dressed up too, as Tonks. We also had a Dumbledore, Prof McGonagall, Snape and a moaning myrtle.

This probably won't be my last Harry Potter post as I am planning on going to see the film later in the week.

Book Reviews

"Happiness TM" by Will Ferguson

Edwin is a small cog in a large publishing company. He spends most of his time editing or vetoing manuscripts sent to him by wannabe self help gurus. He comes across one which claims to offer everything from wealth to love. His first instinct is to bin it with the rest but then he has to come up with a manuscript at the last minute and he decides to try and get it back. The book becomes an instant hit. The publishing company can barely keep up. Worse yet the book works. So what's the worst that can happen? Industries collapse as there is now no demand for alcohol and cigarettes. People only shop to by Happiness and Happiness products. Help organisations are no longer required. And poor Edwin is blamed for it all. Edwin has to hunt down the author and convince him to take it all back.

I dislike self help books with a passion which is probably why I found this book so funny. It pokes fun at the whole self help industry and our societies obsession with it. Edwin's wife is a prime example of someone who tries a new self help regime every day. It takes over her life and the life of Edwin. Will Ferguson is a very funny writer and this book did have me laughing out loud. He also wrote one of my favourite travel writing books "Hokkaido Highway Blues" which I found to be equally funny. This however is his first book of fiction. I highly recommend it. If you are planning a trip to Canada the author has also written a few guides of his native country. I imagine they would be just as funny.

"This Book Will Save Your Life" by A. M. Homes

Richard Novak is having a mid life crisis and it starts with incredible pain. He lands himself in an emergency room and from then his life changes. Just sitting in the waiting room he realises he hasn't had to leave his house for a month and his whole life is planned for him right down to his every meal. On the way home from the hospital he stops at donut shop. As well as getting a donut he befriends the owner of the shop. In a supermarket he befriends a depressed and unappreciated housewife. While trying to save a horse he befriends his famous neighbour. It doesn't stop there. He even realises he pushed his son away and lets him back into his life.

The book looks to me like a self help book. The very title gives that impression but it isn't. I have people criticise the title. They believe that it doesn't match the book. I completely disagree. This book tells you what can happen if you let people into your life and gives a bleak view of what can happen if you isolate yourself from everyone. This book is both funny and sweet. It is about friendship and family. Definitely worth a read.

"Otherland IV: Sea Of Silver Light" by Tad Williams.

This is the last in the Otherland series. The series itself is about a group of rich and powerful people who use the net to prolong their lives. In this future the Internet is more of a virtual reality. These people wish to download themselves onto the net so that they can live on while their bodies die. Jongleur is the brains behind it all. The problem is that children are falling into comas to feed this system. A group of people log on to the net to find out what happened to their loved ones. They no longer have the power to remove themselves from it and so they have to travel through it in order to save themselves and their loved ones. In this volume all the friends have been separated again. Jongluer is with one group and they have no choice but to travel with him. A mad serial killer has taken over the system and is using it to satisfy his evil and sadistic side. The friends have some outside help but for the most part they must keep going until the end and hope that the worlds don't break apart until they do.

I have been reading this series for years. It is one of those ones that you can pick up and mostly know what is going on. I had been talking about it with a friend and she was at the same stage with it as myself and it encouraged us both to get the last book and finish it. My personal opinion is that it dragged on for too long. At one point I thought all the loose ends were never going to come together. So much of it was unnecessary. I am glad I finished it though and some of the explanations were ones that I would never have guessed.

"The Vanishing Act Of Esme Lennox" by Maggie O'Farrell

Iris is a young independent woman living in Edinburgh. One day she gets a call asking her to get in touch about a woman called Esme Lennox. This woman is claimed to be her great aunt. Iris doesn't believe it at first. She has never heard of this woman. Her grandmother was an only child. She goes and collects her anyway and takes her to her home. Meanwhile Esme is having flashbacks. She is thinking back to her life with her parents and sister. Thinking back to all of the events that lead to her being abandoned in an asylum for 60 years.

I wasn't expecting much from this book and was pleasantly surprised by it. It is told in the point of view of three people Iris, Esme and Kitty who has Alzheimer's. It's amazing how much this works especially the ramblings of an Alzheimer's patient. And while you can guess the reasons for Esme being abandoned by her family there are other things which were still unexpected. It's a sad story with an unexpected twist at the end.

Timewarden, thanks for the info on Paul Cornell's book. In this case it is a bit different. If I want to read this book I have no option but to read it online. If I had a choice though I would always chose the paper version.

Book Reviews

"Then We Came To The End" by Joshua Ferris

A group of office workers in an advertising agency are worried about their jobs. Layoffs are happening and everyone is wondering who is next. Some people are taking it better than others and the behaviour of those others becomes the hot topic round the office. In between that is the usual office gossip and dislike for management.


That is basically what this book is about. I decided to read this because I was told the author was the next Douglas Coupland. I had my doubts and I was right to. Whoever said that either has never read Douglas Coupland or didn't read this book. The story itself doesn't get interesting until near the end when you know pretty much how the book is going to end. Most of the characters are unlikeable and you never know exactly who the narrator is. The author does try to make the book quirky and funny but who wants to read a book which is solely about office gossip and the effect it has on relationships in the work place? Maybe I lost the point of the book but it isn't one I recommend.

"The Shining" by Stephen King

A young family are having problems. The father is a recovering alcoholic who is trying to control fits of anger. Anger which caused him to break his little boys arm and later to lose his teaching job. A family friend manages to find him a job in a hotel during the winter season so that he can concentrate on his writing and his family. This is his last chance to save his career and his marriage. When the snow comes though they will be cut off from everyone in a hotel all by themselves.

Another King re-read. This is again one of those books that I read early on when I first started reading King and I remembered very little of it. I was surprised by how little I remembered. I totally forgot that the little boy had 'the touch' something that Stephen King likes to use a lot in his characters (particularly the younger ones). I also forgot how the father eventually lost it and how the book itself ended. Definitely one of those books I enjoyed better the second time round. Now that I know more about the author I can't help but think that some of this book was a little autobiographical. He has freely admitted his drinking problems in his early career and how there are even books he doesn't remember writing. I am sure this probably caused problems in his marriage and perhaps the author could see it even then and placed it within the book. Most people I know who have enjoyed King say that this one (or misery) is their favourite. It's not mine although I did like it. I prefer his books which involve a larger group of characters rather than concentrating on a few.

"Abarat" by Clive Barker

Candy has had enough. She has had enough of her drunken father, her boring little town and her teachers. The one time she finds out something interesting about the town she is punished for it. Sent to the principals office she leaves the school instead and just keeps walking. Eventually she comes across a very unusual person. His name is John Mischief and hanging from his antlers are his brothers. They need her help and from there she finds herself in Abarat. Rather than going back to her own town she stays in Abarat where the strangest things begin to take place. She is hotly pursued by agents of the lord of midnight. Along her travels she is helped by new friends.

I loved this book. The story itself is simple but the imagination that went into the detail is amazing. I especially like the illustrations through out the book which were done by the author. He did the paintings first and then saw there was a story in them. Apparently he has enough for four books but as yet only two have been published. It's an easy read but I enjoyed every minute of it. Every page had something new and different. If you enjoy fantasy and looking for something light but a little bit different then you might want to give this a try.

"The Book Of Lost Things" by John Connolly

David has just lost his mother and now his father has found a new wife and he has a new brother. On top of that he has had to move to a new home and there is a war on. The only comfort he has is his books. Unexpectedly though the books have begun to talk to him. He can hear all books! He has also started to black out and in those moments he sees faint images of another world. One day after a fight with Rose and his father he heads out into the garden and disappears into this other worlds. Discovering that he can't get home he heads to the King who is his only hope. Along the way he finds help or is put in danger by people he recognises from the fairy tales he used to read.

I knew that this book was going to be about a boy stuck in another world but I didn't realise that it would involve fairy tales. It was a nice surprise since I have always enjoyed books based on them. This one is slightly darker and each of the fairy tales is distorted slightly. It's an fairly easy and quick read but a good one. It does come across as maybe a book for teens rather than adults. At the back there is an interview by the author and one of the questions he is asked is why his books are not aimed at children. He says that it's no that he doesn't think children would enjoy it. He is sure that older children would get something out of it. However, the way they see the ending of the book is very different from the way an adult would. The ending is about loss and when he has gotten children to read it they have missed that theme. I found that to be quite interesting because I think that if I had read this book about ten years ago I think I would have missed it too. The rest of the book contains the fairy tales that are themed throughout the book and gives a little on their origins. I very much enjoyed this book and recommend it if you are looking for something that is a little bit different.

Crazeeforbooks, yes Eurovision is the same contest that Abba won. Celine Dion also won it at won point. It used to be fun but it's just embarrassing now. Apparently the UK tried to go back to the old days of cheesy pop but instead we just embarrassed ourselves with a very bad entrant. Not surprisingly only two countries awarded the group points. I think I read somewhere that Serbia won. I haven't seen Spiderman yet although I would like to. I like the look of the Sandman and think it will be interesting to see. I don't go to the cinema as often as I would like I maybe get to go once a month if I am lucky. The last film I went to see was "Blade Of Glory" not that long ago which was surprisingly funny. Wouldn't buy it on DVD though.

Lili, I will make you a sock monkey. I have two more to make for other people and then I will make one for you. You will have to make up a name and a background for it though once I have made it. Thanks for your comments on the dragon. I am pleased with the way it turned out but I had hoped the metallic red would be more vibrant on the black. One of them had black running through it which didn't help. I've yet to make it into a pouch though. I will hopefully do that over the weekend. Booking through Thursday is similar to SBQ. It is basically a blog which posts a question every Thursday about books for people to answer. In the blogs comments you leave a message to say that you answered. I don't always answer the questions (as you can probably tell from the few times that I do it). I either forget or don't like the question enough to answer it or don't feel the question is relevant to my taste in books. I usually post a little late too. The website is here if you are interested. There isn't much to look back on as the person who hosts it has just moved it to a new site.

Book Reviews

"The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak

Death is going about his own business when he comes across the book thief. He doesn't know why but he is intrigued by her. When he comes across her story years later he decides that he should tell it to everyone. Liesel is a little girl who has been separated from her family and is now living with her foster parents in Germany during WW2. Her only comfort is the book she stole at her brothers funeral. That book becomes the first of many and each one stolen highlight significant parts of her life. Soon she learns the comfort of friends and a family she grew to love.

This author has been described as the next Philip Pullman thanks to this book. I don't know about that since both have very different styles of writing. What I can tell you is that I loved this book. At first I was a little unsure of the fact that the story is written by Death. In the first few paragraphs I was reminded of Terry Pratchett's Death but that soon went away . This is such a sweet story and so very sad. I warn you that you won't be able to keep a dry eye reading this and it is very much worth it.

"The Ruby In the Smoke" by Philip Pullman

Sally Lockheart has just suffered the loss of her father at the age of 16. Having to face life with out him she also has to solve a mystery regarding his death. She is being sent strange messages and when she tries to investigate a man dies literally of fright. Unlikely friends help her as much as they can but her very life is in danger and she has no idea why.

This is one of the many books that I have been meaning to read but never quite got round to it until now. I missed the TV adaption with Billie Piper which is what spurred me to read it in the first place. Now that I have read it I can't imagine Billie in that role. Mind you, I couldn't imagine her in the role of Dr Who companion before the series aired. The book itself was a great teen read but not a touch on His Dark material trilogy. If you aren't much of a fan of young adult fiction then you probably won't enjoy this. If it wasn't for some of the content I would probably have classed it in a younger age group. I still enjoyed it though and will probably read the rest in the series as great group of characters have been brought together for that. Too many other books I want to read so it will be a while before I go back to Pullman again.

"Stardust" Neil Gaiman

Young Tristan Thorn has promised his love that he will bring her back a shooting star and she will give him her hand in marriage. Tristan takes this seriously and with the help of his father crosses the wall into the fairy woods. When he finally finds the star he sets out to bring her home despite her reluctance. On the way they come across many a strange character and many a danger. Tristan perseveres however and doesn't doubt his ability to bring her home to the one he loves.

If you are looking for something a little bit different in the fantasy genre then this is it. It is dark, funny and full of magic and fairy tales. There isn't a single part of this book I didn't enjoy. I liked the idea of a village which rarely changes or sees the outside world. A village that has contact with the fairy world only during market time. I loved all of the characters within this village and equally I loved the characters in the fairy world. A quick read but fun. I highly recommend it.

"Carrie" Stephen King

I'm sure most people know the story line to this one. Young girl is an outcast in her school. An incident in the showers causes her to discover her talent for telekinesis. To make up for the abuse she has received one of the most popular guys in school asks her to go to the prom. Someone else is looking for revenge however with disastrous consequences.

A while back I said that I was re reading King which is why I picked up "Carrie". The first time that I read this book I was very disappointed with it. This was in my early teens and I had not long read "It" or "The Stand". It didn't have the detail that I had come to expect with King and I was impatient to get to the good stuff at the end. This time though I saw more to it. I enjoyed the build up. It is really true, you grow to appreciate things more as you grow older.

Timewarden, the Big Finish audio I listened to was out a while back. It is from series 1 and Philip Gilbert was still alive. They are still being produced though and are about to release the second title in season 6. I haven't really talked about it here but yes I am looking forward to the new series of Dr Who. It wounds like they have some good story lines put together. I am most looking forward to seeing Captain Jack back together with the Doctor. I loved his character and it will be interesting to see how he and David Tennant's Doctor get along. I am also looking forward to seeing new companion Martha and the differences between her and Rose. I am hoping that she will be very different from Rose. I liked Rose but she did start to grate on me near the end. I am hoping that Martha will be more independent and less needy.

Book Reviews

"Back When We Were Grown-Ups" Anne Tyler

Rebecca is the family cheerleader. The one who takes control of the family events. Making sure that everything that should be celebrated is celebrated and that all new family members are made to feel welcome. She steps in to make sure all her parties run smoothly and soothes the bickering between her daughters. Waking up after a dream of a son she never had she begins to wonder of the life she left behind. She wonders what would have happened had she married her high schools sweetheart. She longs to go back to being that 19 year old introverted scholar.

I have been wanting to read Anne Tyler for a long time now. Someone I worked with loved her books and since then I have been meaning to give them a try. Since I am going through a fiction phase I decided to finally go ahead and pick one up. This was the first one I looked at and as soon as I read the back I knew immediately that I would like it. It's very rare for that to happen, to just know and it was exactly as I expected it to be. Almost everything about it can be described as 'nice'. It was what popped into my head as soon as I put it down, 'it's a nice story'. I must admit that my heart did go out to one of the characters and if you read it you know who I will mean. A great book if you want a light read and a story that you really don't have to think too much about.

"100 Years of Solitude" Gabriel Garcia Marquez

A Man and his wife decide to leave their home town believing that they are haunted by a ghost. A group of men and women leave with them and after a lot of travelling they finally settle and build the town Macondo. There this man and wife bring up their family and their descendants. The town starts off as isolated but slowly the outside world breaks in. During these 100 years this family are heavily involved in the evolution of this little town.

This has to be one of the stranger books I have read. I started off not knowing when it was set due to the superstition and supernatural beliefs of the people. I was then thrown off by the introduction of technology. This supernatural is dotted through out the book which threw me off now and then. It took me about 30 pages to get into it but in the end I did enjoy it. I loved reading about all these people who seemed to live unfortunate loves (I realise that makes me sound sadistic but it's not like that, honest). It was one of those books that stays with you. There were certain scenes that I couldn't get out of my head. Mostly because I came away not sure what to think of the book as a whole.

"The Cutting Room" by Louise Welsh

Rilke is an auctioneer working for a small company that just gets by. He then gets a fantastic deal when an old man dies and the elderly sister want to rid of everything quickly and without fuss. It means extra work, man power and some cross words from the owner of the company but he agrees. The old lady has only one demand. Rilke alone must deal with the contents of her brothers private study and burn his collection. Rilke reluctantly agrees rather than lose the job. When going through the study he finds some photographs he hopes aren't real. He finds it difficult to let them go and so begins to do some investigating of his own which gets him into a lot of trouble.

I decided to try this book because the author is from Glasgow and the book is set here. I have to admit that I didn't enjoy it. The only reason I didn't give up was that I wanted to know how it turned out. I just didn't enjoy reading about an old auctioneer drunk investigating the possibility of a dead man being into snuff porn. Some of it made me feel a little uncomfortable to be honest. I know a few people who have read the book and enjoyed it but I wouldn't recommend it.

"Ya-Yas In Bloom" Rebecca Wells.

A book of short stories based on a group of friends an their families. Mainly from the point of view of Vivien Walker, the leader of the Ya Yas, and her children. There were also some from other people in the town who's lives were affected by the ya yas in some way.

This is the third book about this group of friends. There are some nice stories in there and it makes for very light reading. To be honest I only read it as I had read the first two. I would recommend reading them first as they give a better idea of the background.

Long Awaited Book Reviews

"Dance Dance Dance" Haruki Murakami

The narrator is a fairly successful freelance writer. He doesn't particularly enjoy it but he is good at it. This life is interrupted when he begins dreaming of an old girlfriend. Feeling that she is calling out to him he heads out to the last place he saw her, the Dolphin Hotel. The hotel is now upper class but the narrator senses the old hotel underneath. After getting a message from his guardian angel he heads back to Tokyo. There he becomes the friend/guardian of a 13 year old psychic, befriends a depressed movie star, becomes involved in a murder and finally learns the fate of his old girlfriend.

This is my first book of 2007 and it was a good one. You can't really go wring with a Murakami. I loved this book. Murakami has a way of making his words flow. This book is the sequel to "A Wild Sheep Chase". It does refer to the events of that book quite a lot so it is worth reading first. Both involved a mystery. The first a missing friend and this one a missing girlfriend and a murder to sold. It wasn't just about that though. It was about living life or taking control of life. 6 months down the line I will probably change my mind though. Murakami's books have that ability.

"A Widow For One Year" John Irving





This books is spilt into three parts. Each part shows a window into the life of Ruth. The first begins when Ruth is Four. Her father is an author and illustrator and her mother is still mourning the death of her sons. Her parents are separated although they share Ruth in a strange domestic arrangement. Her father then highers a young boy as an assistant with a striking likeness to the dead boys knowing exactly what the result will be.


In Part two we meet Ruth again. She is now 36 and is a successful author. More successful than her father and the young boy assistant. Her personal life is another story as she still struggles in coming to terms with what happened in the past. It is at the height of her success that she once again meets the young boy assistant (now not so young) and they strike up an unexpected friendship.


In part three Ruth is a mother and is publishing her first book in four years. On a book tour she returns to her place of research and finds something she didn't expect to find. Now only one thing is missing from her life.


After reading "The Cider House Rule" I was a little disappointed with Irving. I didn't like any of the characters and therefore i struggled with the book. This one though has brought me back to Irving. I enjoyed the book from page one and the characters were more real. It is one of those books where despite some of the things that happen it is still a nice story. Or maybe it is the ending that makes it a nice story.
"On Beauty" Zadie Smith

Howard Belsey and Monty Kipps are both respected in the same field of work. Their opinions are so widely different that they feud. Yet to the reluctance of Howard and Monty their families are brought together again and again. these men who have very different families and beliefs find that they have more in common than they think.

The part of this book I enjoyed the most was reading about the lives of Belsey;s children and wife. They all have very different personalities which leads to clashes. The fact that they all love each other is very clear. The title can be applied to most aspects of the book. The beauty of art, the beauty of family and friends. The beauty of being different.

I have read some reviews of this book which say that it was difficult to get into and a little too long. I didn't find this at all. In fact I felt that the book itself a little too abruptly. I wanted to know what happened next and would have happily kept going.