tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-80580650289927874702024-03-13T22:16:21.867-07:00The Book Addict BlogSelf confessed book addict making a blog for fellow addicts to share thoughts on their favourite past time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger24125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-27510024595293993712013-09-07T12:53:00.001-07:002013-09-07T12:53:58.088-07:00Red hand gang, Men cry alone, Zom-B, The Sick roseThe Red Hand Gang – Walter Otton<br />
Warm and caring is not how to describe “Red Hand Gang” Take three friends, a very long charity walk and you’ll have a recipe for crude jokes and a lot of reminiscing. Men love football, curries and some are partial to the odd pint! These three blokes are no different and are having a midlife crisis. Where are their lives going? What have they achieved? Interesting, gritty, honest and not for the easily offended. 3 out of 5.<br />
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Men Cry Alone – Philip Paris<br />
One in four women and one in six men will suffer domestic abuse. A statistic from the Home Office during their British Crime survey 2011. Violence is all around us, on the news, films and more shockingly in our homes. This book is breaking the taboo of how men can suffer violence from their other half’s. Ashamed of the stigma, these men cry alone. A wake up call of what goes on behind closed doors. 4 out of 5.<br />
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Zom-B – Darren Shan<br />
With likes of “The Walking Dead” being commissioned for its 4th season, the zombie genre is as popular as ever. “Zom-B” has a dark comedic edge to the traditional tale. Slow to start, but takes off with twists that will enthral and leaving you wanting more. A good thing, as this is the first book in a series of others to come. The end is particularly shocking and not in the way you would usually think. 4 out of 5.<br />
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The Sick Rose – Laurie Mellor<br />
England is broken. A term we hear too often for my liking. Laurie Mellor delves into England’s past, wanting to dissect where we went wrong. Was there abandonment by people toward their God? Was it man’s evil nature? Or was it the sixties in general! Mellor has gone to great lengths to give evidence why we are broken, but no real solution as to how we can fix England. Fascinating and full of hard truths. 3 out of 5.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-58236322959069237772013-03-03T07:59:00.001-08:002013-03-03T07:59:44.583-08:00The Iron Ship – Ewan CorlettThe Iron Ship – Ewan Corlett<br />
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The HMS Titanic has been hailed as the ship that “changed the world.” To my recollection it did not have a great track record; it only lasted a few weeks! When I began to read “The Iron Ship” I was astonished to learn that the SS Great Britain is still around today, you can even board her, 170 years after she was built! Designed by Britain’s most prolific engineer, Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the SS Great Britain was the world’s first great ocean liner. She was launched by Prince Albert and called “The greatest experiment since the Creation”<br />
The SS Great Britain was the first iron steam ship to cross the Atlantic in 14 days, unheard of in its day. The iron ship went all over the world bringing passengers and cargo to the ends of the earth flying under a British Flag and showing the Britain did in fact rule the waves.<br />
Dr Ewan Corlett, seems to have produced this book under a labour of love, it is packed full of beautiful paintings of the ship, close ups of its ground breaking ingenious designs, like the screw propeller and mind blowing facts!<br />
I was hooked when I picked up “The Iron Ship”, charmingly wrote, full of passion and awe with great respect given to a ship that changed sea fairing for a hundred years, and to think that you can have parties, meetings and even get married on board today is fantastic.<br />
The story of the SS Great Britain sounds unbelievable, from its “birth” to near-death experiences, being moored on the Falkland’s and the plan to restore her to glory. Text-books need to written like this! A real life floating museum, more stories than you can imagine and they are all true! 5 out of 5. <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Sw_fUp5pmG4/UTNzbULIANI/AAAAAAAACIY/9etEFKFdddo/s640/blogger-image-1187559348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Sw_fUp5pmG4/UTNzbULIANI/AAAAAAAACIY/9etEFKFdddo/s640/blogger-image-1187559348.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-89602061248194178312013-01-12T16:06:00.001-08:002013-01-12T16:06:31.156-08:00Unstoppable The Incredible Power of Faith inaction - Nick VujicicUnstoppable The Incredible Power of Faith inaction - Nick Vujicic<br />
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Think you've had a rough day? Try being in Nick's shoes. Well for one you can’t, as he does not own any because he has no feet, and did I mention he does not have any arms as well!<br />
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However, Nick skydives, surfs and has been to dozens of countries around the world and has spoken to millions of people.<br />
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From being a total medical surprise to his parents on delivery day, Nick has combated bulling, depression and immense physical obstacles to become a fantastic public speaker where he recants stories from his life. Using humour he explains to his audiences that when curious kids come up to him and ask what happened, Nick whispers with deadpan sincerity “Smoking”<br />
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I found this book really grounding and through Nick’s experiences they put everything you might be going through into perspective. Curiosity brings you to Nick but his warmth, demeanour and actually, very much his humour, makes you want to stick around.<br />
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Nick takes us into his world to tell us that whatever is thrown at you, you can deal with it through the power given by God's grace.<br />
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Nick reveals “Life has value and is a gift to others, and that no matter the despair and hard times, God is always present”<br />
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In the book Nick describes how he met his wife, talk about clichéd! Nick was speaking at an open-air event and their eyes met over a crowd! Unbelievable. What’s more astonishing is it that it took them months to finally admit their feelings and Nick eventually bit the bullet. Well if you don’t ask you don’t get! Nick and his wife were married in February 2012.<br />
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Thoroughly recommended for everyone. See Nick’s disability make waves in your life. Unstoppable is incredible, awe-inspiring and extremely up lifting. 5 out of 5.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-71963959200164800732013-01-12T16:05:00.001-08:002013-01-12T16:05:37.668-08:00ISS - David BakerInternational Space Station Manual: An insight into the history, development, collaboration, production and role of the permanently manned earth-orbiting complex (Owners' Workshop Manual) – David Baker<br />
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Haynes have gone beyond producing detailed manuals for Ford Cortinas and Renault Cleos. What we have here is an in depth analysis of the biggest and most expensive creation that man has ever made! (Approximately $100 Billion!) Not just an observatory, science lab and spaceport but the ISS is a vision formed by the international community, uniting under a common goal of exploring the world around us. Gorgeous detail along with beautiful and breathtaking pictures. 4 out of 5.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-29270990452419897482013-01-01T15:43:00.001-08:002013-01-01T15:43:10.249-08:0012-21 – Dustin ThomasonThe Mayans predicted the world would end on the 21.12.12 if you are reading this after that date, they were wrong! The balance of medical knowledge and ancient prophecy marinates well in 12-21. Page turning is rapid along with the twists and turns. The pseudoscience does divulge enough to grip the reader. However, it feels like we have heard this before, but there is nothing wrong with another deadly-virus-driven-apocalyptic-book, is there? Will the human-race survive? 3 out of 5.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-82003791247600978882012-12-31T01:24:00.001-08:002012-12-31T01:24:02.117-08:00Anomaly – Skip Brittenham and Brian HaberlinAnomaly – Skip Brittenham and Brian Haberlin<br />
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Introducing, the longest full-colour, original graphic novel ever published. Set in the year 2717 where most humans live on off-world colonies. It’s massive at 3600 pages. Endorsed by Harrison Ford and Ridley Scott, you know you have got something good in your hands. Turn on your Internet enabled smart phone; download the augmented reality app, point it at the book and the characters literally lift of the page! Bit expensive, but a good investment. 3 out of 5Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-77646548525256007732012-12-31T01:22:00.001-08:002012-12-31T01:22:57.213-08:00Ready Player One – Ernest ClineReady Player One – Ernest Cline<br />
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Back to the future, Blondie, Spectrum and the Goonies. What have they in common? The 80’s! The geek chic decade is littered throughout this book. The year is 2044, and a 1980’s obsessed multi-billionaire has died and left his fortune to anyone who can solve the clues hidden within a virtual reality game which everyone on the planet plays so as to escape the reality of a dying Earth. It’s Willy Wonka meets The Matrix. 4 out of 5.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-82971161401411946782012-11-29T10:38:00.003-08:002012-11-29T10:41:47.599-08:00Red Arrows in Camera - Keith Wilson<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">So, I have recently been handed Red Arrows in Camera by the publishers of Haynes, and to be honest, I have been pleasantly surprised!<br />
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What makes an impact with you about this book is the stunning pictures. There is an allure with the Red Arrows that makes every man turn into that 8 year old boy who is awe inspired by planes. The sheer detail is breath taking especially with the shots in flight.<br />
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However, do not think that this is simply a picture book, there is plenty of history and in depth analysis of the planes, after all this is a Haynes inspired book!<br />
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I personally love the history, it brings you closer to the planes and a feeling of respect is stored up as you carry along the book, for the jets as well as the men who man them.<br />
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Keith Wilson, aviation photographer and journalist, gets an access all areas pass to the Red Arrows as well as the pilots and ground crew.<br />
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This is a pure dad book. <br />
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I highly recommend it to men who just have not quite grown up yet, and never will!<br />
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50p goes to the RAF Charity with every book sale which is a lovely touch.</div> <br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3h15KtD5Qz0/ULesaXpGU2I/AAAAAAAACH0/PiWINQ1Fpk8/s640/blogger-image-992018833.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-3h15KtD5Qz0/ULesaXpGU2I/AAAAAAAACH0/PiWINQ1Fpk8/s640/blogger-image-992018833.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-92190520683599828572012-11-13T09:54:00.000-08:002012-11-13T09:54:13.447-08:00Killing House - Chris Mooney & Black Banners - Ali H.Soufan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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The Killing House – Chris Mooney<br />Imagine your son being kidnapped, you must not tell anyone and the only way for him to survive is to kill your partner. Protagonist, Malcolm Fletcher is a former FBI profiler, drafted in to investigate missing child cases with daunting circumstances. Thrilling from the word go. Mooney creates suspense in droves. The twists and turns are breath taking. Quite chilling and may not be for the squeamish but you could guess that from the title 4/5<br /><br />The Black Banners – Ali H.Soufan<br />There are many books about September 11th; however this real life story is fascinating. Soufan is an agent for the FBI, who takes it upon himself to walk us through the motives of the most ruthless of terrorist organisations, Al Qaeda. Soufan exposes how the US could have prevented the attack. A gripping encounter of one mans tribulations, coming face to face with men willing to destroy human life while sacrificing their own. 5/5</div>
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Review from Sorted-Magazine Nov issue available from all WHSmith, Sainsburys stores , online download and app from sorted-magazine.com</div>
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Mark Anderson</div>
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Writer and Book Reviewer</div>
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-78276835807481255832012-11-05T04:42:00.000-08:002012-11-05T04:42:42.347-08:00The Face-to-Face Book and the 20th Century by DK <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The Face-to-Face Book - Ed Keller and Brad Fay <br />Bored of being constantly told that we are moving into a faceless world of communication? Here is a fascinating look into that preconception. Keller and Fay reveal that less than 5% of all communication is through online social networks and that they have far less influence on day to day living. Are we being sold another gold rush? The Face-to-Face book gives the reader a rethink about the rhetoric of social media evangelists 3/5 <br /><br />20th Century – Richard Overy <br />Packed full of the most important events of the 20th Century. Overy goes to great depths to portray the moments that have shaped our world, from the incredible feats of engineering, to countless conflicts and much more. I have never been so engrossed in a book that arguably depicts man’s most incredible century. The photographs are beautifully captivating and give a sense of awe, wonder and pride as well as shame. Great gift for dads 5/5 <br />
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Review from Sorted-Magazine Nov issue available from all WHSmith, Sainsburys stores , online download and app from sorted-magazine.com<br />
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Mark Anderson<br />
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Writer and Book Reviewer</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-50352209699948966912012-11-02T08:08:00.001-07:002012-11-02T08:08:51.442-07:00Concrete Faith – Matt Wilson and The Fear Index – Robert HarrisConcrete Faith – Matt Wilson<br />
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Starting a church plant is daunting; there are so many twists, turns, ups and downs. Take the Eden Network highlighted in this book, 15 years and going strong. Concrete Faith takes us on a journey spreading the gospel in an urban context, emphasising struggles and rewards. Less hyper-spirituality, more hands on healing communities from Manchester to London. They will say “This land that was laid waste has become like the Garden of Eden.” Ezekiel 36:35. 4/5<br />
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The Fear Index – Robert Harris<br />
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Fear drives us to desperate places. Main character Dr Alex Hoffman makes his fortune working with a successful financial algorism which follows geo-political events of the world to make predictions on the markets. Author Harris, does well to make the reader sympathise with a billionaire as the main character. “The Fear Index”, lends itself to surprise, murder and intrigue. Unquestionably a page turner but will split opinion. More topically fashionable than timeless classic. 3/5<br />
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Reviews from my book review column in Sorted Magazine available online, WHS and Sainsburys.<br />
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Mark AndersonUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-77813313591664743812012-10-29T11:53:00.001-07:002012-10-29T11:54:39.781-07:00It’s all news to me - Jeremy VineIt’s all news to me - Jeremy Vine<br />
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The old adage is Truth is stranger than fiction and with 25 years of experience under his belt in the BBC, JeremyVine has had a few encounters that are simply more unbelievable than what you would find in “Yes Minister” or “The Thick of It”. For example, local yobs high jacking a double decker bus, driving around Littleborough with the faces of New Labour slapped on side of it, during a by election. Journalistic gold!<br />
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Vine, a man of sophisticated charm and wit, displayed immensely throughout his memoir. Jeremy has a successful career (youngest presenter of the Today show, Sony Award winner for exposing Gordon Brown during ‘bigotgate’ and reaching the envious status of foreign correspondent in Africa); this is all down to hard work, stalking the best and a bit of luck!<br />
Snippets of wisdom litter the book. One being, “Truth is often eclipsed but not extinguished”, how apt when Jeremy lays out his run-ins with the power triumvirate of Blair, Mandelson and Campbell. Vine provides evidence throughout, highlighting ill planned publicity stunts as well as downright lies.<br />
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While reading “It’s all news to me” I was drawn into the fact that journalism seems to be a game, albeit a serious game, where the story is champion and the correspondent comes second.<br />
Vine delivers a warts and all narrative, centred on the BBC, however he delves into the death cry of Major’s Conservatives, New Labour with all its pomp and spin plus the wild world of reporting.<br />
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Jeremy includes everything from interviewing tyrant Robert Mugabe, an embarrassing toilet moment, bullets flying overhead in Eastern Europe and even a hilarious run in with the enigmatic Russell Brand.<br />
An enjoyable read, full of gossip, perfectly written by a reflective and well-grounded man, even at the altitude of his fruitful career 5/5<br />
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Reviews from my book review column in Sorted Magazine available online, WHS and Sainsburys.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-73186283781900384622012-10-24T03:45:00.001-07:002012-11-25T04:25:45.829-08:00Tubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet by Andrew Bloom and World War
II: The Definitive Visual Guide - Richard HolmesTubes: Behind the Scenes at the Internet by Andrew Bloom<br />
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Flip open, turn on and straight to Google. All is well, until we get an “error” message. We try looking at settings, turning modems on and off or calling the family expert. This happened to Blum, author of Tubes. Blum discovered a problem with his internet connection and what turned out to be the culprit? A squirrel! This led Blum to answer the question, “What is the internet?” A (very) detailed odyssey of exploration. 3/5<br />
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World War II: The Definitive Visual Guide - Richard Holmes<br />
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It is years since I have opened a history textbook. Flashes of daunting “European History” lessons, chalk boards and overhead projectors come to mind. I wish I was given this book back then because it is astounding. Simply put, nearly every aspect of World War II has been noted with incredible facts, along with compelling photographs. Holmes’ book shows that “history repeating itself” can be a positive thing, if highlighted in this magnificent way 5/5.<br />
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Review taking from my column in Sorted Magazine available in all WHS, Sainsbury stores and online.<br />
<br/><br/><div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-maPxl8FxDmw/ULIORfR40DI/AAAAAAAACHk/BKrKksL8k68/s640/blogger-image-458631748.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-maPxl8FxDmw/ULIORfR40DI/AAAAAAAACHk/BKrKksL8k68/s640/blogger-image-458631748.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-56359439738830801902012-10-18T01:22:00.001-07:002012-10-18T01:22:00.734-07:00Book review: Philosophy of a Mad ManThe philosophy of a mad man.<br />
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Colbornes book is about a man who was disturbed mentally and unfortunately has not had an easy ride in life life, at a young age Colborne lost his mother and an old friend to cancer.<br />
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This seems to be the tipping point of a man who falls into a series of mental episodes that include running through London barefoot, stalking a young woman, believing that he has been accepted into the alumni of Oxford and wearing particularly dickens-esq clothing.<br />
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This book is humourous however it shows a paned man who struggles to find peace. It appears that he looks everywhere, eastern as well as western religious practices but has settled on looking into creation and how it is all connected. The book is divided into two sections; his journey and philosophy.<br />
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The first being a quick autobiography and the second section gives an interesting look into his belief system.<br />
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I hope Steven continues his journey and finds peace.<br />
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Witty, charming, dark as well as instances of humourUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-82979799276425434982012-03-15T08:28:00.001-07:002012-03-15T08:59:45.101-07:00A Clash of Kings, Book 2 of A Song of Ice and FireYou simply can not get away from Game of Thrones at the minute.<br />
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There are ads on tv and clips when your browsing the Internet, magazine interviews and Sky seem to keep reminding us that it starts on the 1st of April in between every spare bit of time they have.<br />
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We get it Sky. Game of Thrones has the series link set to record on my set top box!!<br />
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With the not-so-subtle propaganda dealt with, I just want to say I am turning into quite the fanboy of Game of Thrones. I have successfully stayed away from spoilers and after watching the first series then reading the first book I wished to do it the other way about this time. <br />
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Taking straight from where we left off in the first book, main characters have carried on their individualistic journeys which all seem to be connected to one another in a wider sense.<br />
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The background to the book is that the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms appears to be up for grabs. King Robert is dead and rumour has it that his son, the young King Joffery, is not the legitimate heir and so many now claim the throne. <br />
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Rob Stark is one of those kings, however, his main aim is to avenge the murder of his father Eddard Stark. <br />
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Rob's brothers and sisters are spread throughout the kingdom and more or less are trying to survive during this time of turmoil.<br />
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There does not seem to be a structure to this story, which makes it more interesting than the last. You dont know what will happen from chapter to chapter.<br />
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George R R Martin paints scenes beautifully, I can not express how important the little things are which can make you become lost in a book such as smells, architecture of buildings, describing ordinary non characters, clothing and even things like a character eating, sleeping and relieving themselves. <br />
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Yes, this may sound a bit odd but Martin gets these little things right every time and when he does that, you trust him with the important scenes like battle sequences, which are simply, immense. I found myself wincing during the hand to hand combat fighting and willing some characters on. <br />
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One of my favourite scenes was an important escape of a main character during the depths of a battle in the middle of night. Elements such as fire, water and the dirt on the ground was described perfectly. A full blown movie was going on in my head.<br />
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Martin has chosen to tell his story through lowly characters. A stroke of genus. While others may have chose kings and queens, Martin has chosen children, disabled folk and bastards to carry this tale.<br />
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The Good: I have never read large epics at such a fast pace. Be sure to delegate time to read these books as your other half may get miffed off that your spending too much time with your nose buried I this book/kindle! Clash of Kings is darker and more bloodier than the last book.<br />
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The bad: Some parts of the book could have been condensed, for example, Daenerys Targaryen, who is trying to come to grips with her husbands passing and her inheritance of 3 actual dragons takes an age of endless traveling and soul searching.<br />
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Summary: I apologised when I reviewed the first book, A Game of Thrones, as I sounded like a "gushing reviewer", however I make no apologises now. This book is a fantastic epic and wonderfully written. I give it a 5/5<br />
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Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-30444011312781943832012-02-12T07:18:00.000-08:002012-02-12T07:20:48.787-08:00The Canary List - Sigmund Brouwer<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Em...where do I start..... what instantly comes to mind about this book? Tough read. <br />
Hovering my cursor rover the decline button I had to think whether to read this book or not, as this book was designated by a site for me to review. As my blog probably needs a bit of diversity I decided to not go with my instincts and move the mouse over to accept. Click.<br />
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This short video gives an insight into the book, <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T2yXDyIIOk8">The Canary List</a>. <br />
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If you indeed watched the video your probably expecting a <em>Dan Brown</em> type book, but honestly, it is more a rip off that has come a few years too late to capitalise on <em>The Da Vinci Code's</em> success.<br />
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It is not necessarily a horror book, more a physiological thriller. <br />
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A little background is due to give an insight into the book.<br />
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The Pope is in a comma, the Catholic Church is in a state of unrest. The Vatican believes that a 12 year old girl has the fate of the church in her hands. Jamie Piper can sense <em>'the evil'</em> and decides that the only person in the world she can trust is her teacher Mr. Crockett, as she is alone and scared. In the small hours of night, Jamie is once again frightened by <em>'the evil'</em> and decides to visit Mr. Crockett.<br />
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As she visits Crockett, Jamie's foster families house is mysteriously burnt to the ground. <br />
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So there is an element of <em>'Angels and Demons', 'Sixth Sense' </em>and<em> 'Backdraft'</em> about this book within the first few chapters. The book has all the ingredients of a good read but somehow misses the mark. Elements of suspicion arise when Police locate Jamie and get suspicious of Mr. Crockett's intentions of harbouring a minor. It is hard to read chapter after chapter of child paedophilia accusations and still have sympathy with the character. <br />
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Hopefully I have set the stage correctly, I believe the writing style is excellent. The scenes are wonderfully written, explaining the surroundings in just the right detail and always leaving the element of mystery where you can come to your own conclusions about a chapters strange happenings.<br />
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<div style="text-align: left;">There is just something about the book which does not have me dying to turn the next page, I can not quite put my finger on it.....this is not a cop out. I honestly believe that this book has looked around other literary pieces and not thought too much about its own audience and how they would judge it. I believe as a reader that the author should be thinking about the audience 100% of the time, such as thinking about how they would interpret a scene or or how they would feel about a twist in the tale. It is fair enough to look at other books and see their formula for success but if the writer does not have heart and believe in the book, then it is not going to grip them in the way it should.</div><br />
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The Good: Its well written as I was saying and has a couple of twists as well as having a lasting effect into whether demons are really in the world causing havoc.<br />
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The Bad: The following quote is from the author Sigmund Brouwer's website for the Canary List:<br />
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<em>"When one speaks of 'the smoke of Satan' in the holy rooms, it is all true-including these latest stories of violence and paedophilia...Cardinals who do not believe in Jesus, and bishops who are linked to the Demon."</em><br />
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<div class="quote"><em>-- the Vatican's Chief Exorcist, Father Gabriele Amorth author of Memoirs of an Exorcist, as quoted <span style="color: black;">in</span></em><a href="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article7056689.ece" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;"><em> The London Times, March 11, 2010</em></span></a></div><div class="quote"><br />
</div><div class="quote">It is clear as day when you read this book that the author does not have a good word to say about the Catholic church. Be prepared for that, there is not really one good Catholic in the book. Obviously there are lots of Catholics that love Jesus but I am pretty sure lots Catholics will not love this book because of the way they are portrayed.</div><div class="quote"></div><div class="quote">Conclusion: Read this book with an open mind. Its pretty fast paced and you will be swept along, possibly a bit too much as there is a lot of shifting about; place to place and character to character. You may find yourself raising your eyebrows alot and I found the book exhausting. I would not pick it up again once I have read it. For that reason, I give it a 2.5/5</div><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-42385767410603436892012-02-04T10:10:00.001-08:002012-02-04T10:10:28.645-08:00Competition!Early days to start having a competition but why not! Send myself an email or drop a comment about "What fiction book has impacted on you most in your life and why?" All answers welcome and best answer takes away a massive.... £15 book token! Get in! Who says reading doesn't pay! <br />
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*Competition ends March 31st 2012, winner decided by "The book addict blogger"Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-52343253797875731642012-01-31T11:27:00.001-08:002012-02-04T09:53:44.656-08:00Blog #7 I am legend by Richard MathesonBored? Looking for a quick read? I suggest you give I am Legend a try. <br />
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Now, get Will Smith, New York and his lovely wee dog out of your head.<br />
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This book is genuinely scary, not many books do give you a fright, but the mood set in this book is fantastic. The protagonist gives an interesting insight to life in a post apocalyptic world.<br />
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Remember, this was one of the first living dead type books of its kind. It is very kitsch to laugh about the "Night of the living dead" straight to VHS from the early 80's but you have to just forget about those preconceptions and open yourself up to an interesting take on the undead.<br />
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This book gives you depth to a grieving husband, the monotonous drudgery of his life juxtaposed against the seemingly unreal situation he finds himself, which is living alone with night stalking "vampires" and the fact he does not have the ability to answer why things are happening but try's to in vain.<br />
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The bad: Wish it could have been a tad longer and (without spoiling anything) answer some background questions. If you hate science fiction this book will obviously not be up your street.<br />
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The good: The mystery within the book completely makes it. Hard to create depth with one character but this book nails it. Quiet humours in parts as well.<br />
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Conclusion: You should defiantly read this book if you like World War Z or enjoy the Walking Dead series on tv. I give it 5/5, may not be to everyone's cup of tea!<br />
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<div class="separator"style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fmWg7DoyoCI/Ty1wpWPsQXI/AAAAAAAAACI/imdiLZ-g9mA/s640/blogger-image-1790199046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fmWg7DoyoCI/Ty1wpWPsQXI/AAAAAAAAACI/imdiLZ-g9mA/s640/blogger-image-1790199046.jpg" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-25073888555845024972012-01-26T13:06:00.000-08:002012-01-26T13:06:32.008-08:00Blog #6 Shogun - James Clavell<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">".......Mark...Mark, do you hear me? You have got to read this book....ok??"<br />
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"Yes, yes I hear you!!!....For frigs sake"<br />
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Be honoured as this was the tail end of a conversation with one of my mates down at the pub watching football. He, who shall be nameless, burnt my ear off for a solid 30-40 mins about <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/0340839945">Shogun by James Clavell</a>. <br />
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He has recommended some solid books in the past, for example, <span id="btAsinTitle"><em>Killing Pablo</em> </span>and <span id="btAsinTitle"><em>The Motorcycle Diaries</em></span> but the passion he showed describing this book was unprecedented. I ordered it the very next morning.<br />
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It is described as an epic story of feudal Japan and epic it is. Be prepared to be sucked in completely. Before <em>Shogun</em>, I did not think feudal Japan would intrigue me. The stereotypical image came to mind of geisha girls, alot of opaque paper doors and angry men with swords. I like history so I do not know why I have not delved into this world before. I am so glad I did, as the stereotype was turned on it's head.<br />
This story happens to be a classic tale of culture differences, where English Pilot (sea captain/navigator) John Blackthorne, is shipwrecked on the shores of Japan. Blackthorn and his crew are the first English people to arrive in Japan of their own accord (as it was thought that only the Spanish/Portuguese were the only people able to get to the far east from the known world because of their superiority on the high seas).<br />
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This book has everything; love, honour, hate, war, politics, death, east meets west philosophy. The list is endless. You essentially become John Blackthorne when you read this book because you are indeed a stranger in the land of mysterious 17th Century Japan.<br />
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As I have mentioned there is politics in this book but do not be worried, it is fascinating. Everyone is worried about John Blackthorne's appearance in Japan. The Spanish catholics are afraid their days of dominating Japanese souls are numbered because Blackthorne's men are the first protestants to set foot on Japanese soil.<br />
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Bad: Ok, she's a long old read but if you get the time to take this book in, you will be rewarded with a story that you WILL pick up again. Do not leave this book in the loo to pick up now and again.<br />
Good: Most of my review has been biased probably because it has been such a good read! Characters have so much depth and the scenery painting by Clavell is fantastic.<br />
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Summary: How can one man have so much impact on a nations being? Read this book and find out. Very hard to put down! I give it 5 out of 5!</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-14264901857821426602012-01-18T05:42:00.000-08:002012-01-18T05:42:36.599-08:00Blog #5 The Corruptible: A Ray Quinn Mystery (Not from X Factor Fame)Ray Quinn.... Ray Quinn.... "I know that bloody name from somewhere" I told myself when I selected this book to review.<br />
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iPhone on, tap safari, type in Ray Quinn. Que bout of laughter....<br />
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Do the same, you will. Any who, I thought that I would not be able to read <a href="http://ow.ly/8xACh"><em>The Corruptible</em></a>. I could not get the Freddie Munster look-a-like out of my head. However, as with many books I was surprised as I slowly became engrossed in the story.<br />
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Ray Quinn is an ex-cop who is now a private detective, living with a painful and permanent injury to his leg and has the customary side-kick in the form of Crevis, "<em>pronounced like the ice-sheet</em>", apparently.<br />
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Not meaning to give the game away but the private eye premises is usually the same; ex-cop, down on cash, hard on drink, bored of their work, dingy office, looking for one big case, out of love and out of luck and so on. I was not really geared up for this book as I thought it would be all these cliches, however I wanted to give it a go anyway and for it to prove me wrong and in some ways it did.<br />
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Ray has been assigned by a mysterious big time money maker to find another ex-cop (<em>Logan Ramsey</em>) who has stole some sensitive information from Ray's current employer. Ray acts like its going to be tough to find him, however Ray used to know of Logan and is excited by the prospect of being able to solve a case pretty efficiently and with a huge pay check, all in time to have a large whiskey on the rocks before bed.<br />
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Logan Ramsey is found murdered in a motel. (I rolled my eyes and continued to read, the twists are predictable but its a decent read none-the-less) This is where the book takes off, not like a fighter jet, more perhaps like a struggling swan.<br />
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The Good: Takes time to get into the story but it is part of a series, so I guess the author is giving a bit of a back story somewhere along the lines. I did like this book actually. Its really not that bad.<br />
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The Bad: Its no <em>Grisham</em>, new characters appear and disappear and are as boring as one another.<br />
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The Summary: As the title of the book suggests, the author tries to make the reader guess who is actually the 'bad guy' The writer is an ex-cop and this is particular evident in the book. But, I have to be honest, I have read better and gritter for example<em> </em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Birdman-Mo-Hayder/dp/055382046X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326891491&sr=1-2"><em>Birdman</em> by Mo Hayder</a>. I give it 3.5 out of 5.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-10640849820968954442012-01-11T09:47:00.000-08:002012-01-11T09:47:45.439-08:00Blog #4 My Uncle Oswald by Roald Dahl ... (It's not for kids!)My PlayStation is dead.... I know.... I know.... folks would rather not read about the blogger's woes, however, there is a reason why it is included so bear with me.<br />
I take one night a week to chill in front of the old PlayStation and play video games. She has served me well got me through university and many a night watching DVDs. However, with a glitch in the middle of "Skyrim" it's life terminated, out with a flash of the screen and a beep. #Frustration<br />
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After an agonising hour of using the hairdryer on and off on a cold setting and aiming it at the internal motherboard I gave up (its now residing in the hallway collecting more dust than usual until I decide whether to A. Throw it from a moving car, B. Sell it for scrap or C. Bury it), I then turned to the <em>kindle</em> and thought about when I was a kid playing the Commodore 64, which took ages to load and how I used to read <em>Roald Dahl</em> books to pass the time (Uber Geek).<br />
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I fell in love with <em>Roald Dahl</em> books when I was growing up, my favourite being <em>The wonderful world of </em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wonderful-Story-Henry-Sugar-ebook/dp/B005PVLZMQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326302327&sr=1-1"><em>Henry Sugar</em></a> followed closely by <em>The Witches.</em> So I began searching the <em>Amazon</em> archive and found <em>Roald Dahl</em> adult books. Adults books you say? Yes, and they are extremely adult.<br />
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I purchased <em>My</em> <em>Uncle Oswald</em> and was immediately transported back to the mindset of that 10 year old kid as <em>Dahl's</em> style of painting a picture with words is truly amazing.<br />
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<em>Uncle Oswald</em> is a narrative based book and like many <em>Dahl</em> books it has stories within stories, I personally love that, it appeals to the your inner child, a sense of always wanting to be told a story.<br />
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I laughed through the book, actual <em>laugh out louds's</em> and not 'lol's that are put on the end of texts. <em>Uncle Oswald</em> contains tongue in cheek moments and sometimes the tongue is sticking right out at you! I never thought mini-stories about male and female performance problems in the bedroom where so funny! The main character, you guessed it, Uncle Oswald is a love Lothario who in 1912 travels the world in search of an elusive, male stimulant. <br />
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I did not know what to expect from this book and was pleasantly surprised by the lack of me putting the kindle down. Really thoroughly enjoyed the 1912 references and scene constructing that Dahl is known for.<br />
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To some it may be shocking that their old favourite story teller can be so crude but this is washed away with so much humour, (it's less 'Roy Chubby Brown' and more 'Peter Kay' The first time you heard Peter Kay that is, about 12 years ago and not the Peter Kay of today .... still peddling "Garlic Bread!"..... give it a rest man)<br />
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Anywho it was a refreshing discovery and ticked all the boxes of an addictive page turner, helped along the way with no PlayStation to distract me.<br />
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Fifa, Skyrim and Call of Duty can wait, as I am now going to investigate some of his other books meant for adults.<br />
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Good points: The book tends to wander, but trust me, in a good way, you are being told the story through <em>Uncle Oswald</em> who is recanting his escapade and starts to dote and tends to go off on a tangent but are brought back to the storyline this is quite funny and didn't get old for me. Imagine a crazy old grandparent at a Christmas family party who is not afraid to tell their mind.<br />
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Bad points: Some elements are still child-like in nature but this again is one of the only faults I could find. I love Dahl so it is hard to find fault with the man.<br />
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Summary: Thoroughly enjoyed uncovering this gem and would fit fine in any ones collection, best not read it out to your kids going to bed though! I give it a 4.5/5Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-15182145069513722942012-01-09T10:18:00.000-08:002012-01-09T10:18:11.796-08:00Blog #3 - The Scroll by Grant R Jeffery & Alton L Gansky<em>One last dig. One final descent into the twisted tunnels of ancient Jerusalem. Will the truth be found among the treasures that lie beneath the holy city?</em> <br />
Treasure, the dangerous Middle East, romance, jet setting. If you set writing a book with these elements, you are raising the bar of expectations to the maximum but Indiana Jones it ain't.<br />
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So to answer the original question, yes the truth was found.... that this book does not deliver what it promises. <br />
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The background of the authors (<em>Grant R. Jeffery & Alton L. Gansky</em>) are that they are biblical scholars.<br />
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(Alarm bells should be ringing because biblical scholars and fiction writing usually do not mix ....expect for <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Son-Perdition-Chronicles-Brothers/dp/0956333028/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1326130397&sr=8-2">Son of Perdition by Wendy Alec</a>, I whole hearty recommend you read that book)<br />
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Grant R. Jeffery has sold millions of books worldwide honing in on people's fascination with the prophecy's that lie in the <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bible-English-Standard-Version-ebook/dp/B001EOCFU4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1326132330&sr=1-1">Bible</a>, end times and the hysteria over the year 2012.<br />
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Jeffery should stay with writing his texts about biblical archaeological theories and definitely not placing them into his novels. It just does not work. It cheapens them.<br />
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Back to The <em>Scroll</em>, it is not well written or well presented. You just do not believe in the characters, you can tell that the author is using them as a tool to explain his theories about the Bible. For example, when a character who is introduced that knows nothing about either, archaeology or the Bible queue page after page of the 'intellgent' archaeologist explaining (patronising) the reader and the poor newbie character by revealing everything in detail. Boring. <br />
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The subject matter did not bore me as I have studied archaeology in the past, it is actually the method that the author has used that grates on me.<br />
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Either write a book about your theories about bible prophecy with side notes for evidence, or write a novel that is constructed in a way that you can believe the story first and let the reader muse about the archaeological findings or possible hidden theories later. <br />
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Good points: <em>The Scroll</em> is short ... oh ok...something positive... it has a flashes of strong points where you start to believe the main characters' (Dr. David Chambers) struggle about losing his faith in God however the like ability is dashed the moment Chambers expands his theories on archaeology and there is no sympathy for him because of his bitterness about his fiance leaving him. I personally think she had a lucky escape!<br />
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Bad points: There is no humour in the book. It's predictable, tame and the price of <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Scroll-A-Novel-ebook/dp/B004KPM1YE/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A3TVV12T0I6NSM&qid=1326131700&sr=1-1">£8.01</a> (Kindle edition) is far too much to ask.<br />
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In summary: There are some twists and turns but all are predictable. I was very disappointed. I wanted to like the book but the main character is arrogant, argumentative and bitter towards rival archaeologists (which made me laugh ironically) and ex-lovers. <em>The Scroll</em> is a monotone story blurted out over a couple two dozen chapters failing to deliver on its promise of gold, guns and glamour. A poor <em>1/5</em>.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-40972597206637433312012-01-08T08:03:00.000-08:002012-01-08T14:36:58.480-08:00Second Blog: Tom Clancy - Without Remorse (Once read, you certainly won't be full of it)I could probably write a blog solely on <i>Tom Clancy</i>, a fact that some (or most) may find sad. <br />
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While getting to grips with blogging about all sorts of different books, I feel the need to share my experience with one of my favourite authors and express my wish for you to pick up one of his books and judge for yourself.<br />
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<em>Without Remorse</em> is a book in the Tom Clancy series that is a prequel of sorts. The other Clancy books, are <em>'Bourne Supremacy'</em> in nature, while this story has an element of harking back to the 'classics' where the main protagonist John Kelly/Clarke is a tragic hero, full of flaws and while his intentions are good, his methods are questionable.<br />
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The Clancy series usually has the main story revolving around the characters Jack Ryan and/or John Clarke however this book has a twist. It is solely about John Kelly (later to become John Clarke) the one-day head of the CIA, and his mysterious dark past . The book unravels the enigma of John and gives the reader an interesting insight into the man's back story.<br />
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<em>Without Remorse</em> is set in the era of the Vietnam War with John having to free POW's and also having to suppress Baltimore drug dealers and avenge the wrongs against his loved ones on the home front.<br />
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So, your thinking action, action, action, full of cliches and testosterone coming out of your eyes (some image) .... well not entirely. It does obviously contain heart pounding moments of action but Clancy's writing style has introduced tension in droves. Possibly true Tom Clancy fans who want guns, glamour and a cigar at the end of a story will not like this as much, but <i>Without Remorse</i> is wrought with emotion and Clancy lets the reader into the vulnerability of an intelligent, hurt man who is faced with painful decisions.<br />
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Good points: The imagery is fantastic as well as the reader being endeared to the main character. A perfect book to start someone off wishing to find an author who has a rather large series of other good books. You will not need to read any of the other Clancy novels to get a grips with this classic.<br />
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Bad points: Slightly violent. May not be for the light hearted but what do you expect with Clancy.<br />
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In summary: I would give it a 4/5, it may not be for every ones taste however I believe the majority of people will like this book. If not, I would love to see why not!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8058065028992787470.post-21018047339302713662012-01-06T13:07:00.000-08:002012-01-06T13:09:31.487-08:00First Blog (Be Gentle): A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)<em>When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die - Cersei Lannister</em><br />
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Trying to find a quote to sum up a book within a book can be quite challenging, however the quote above does the <em>Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)</em> justice.<br />
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Cliches such as <em>gripping</em> should be kept solely for books like this. I was given an <em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Wi-Fi-6-Ink-Display/dp/B0051QVF7A/ref=sr_tr_sr_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325883848&sr=8-1">Amazon Kindle</a></em> for Christmas and my first purchase was <em><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Game-Thrones-Book-Songs-ebook/dp/B004GJXQ20/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1325883879&sr=1-1">Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 1)</a></em> by George R. R. Martin , it was priced £1.99 and seemed great value. Living a 20 minute drive from where the TV series was filmed and having watched the show when it was on <em>Sky Atlantic, </em>also helped this to become an easy purchase.<br />
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Within 5 days the book was read, a combination of an addiction to the <em>kindle</em> and the fact that the book took me by the....throat. I hardly had time for turkey, stuffing or talking to the family.<br />
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I am a self-confessed crime thriller lover first and fore most, however this book could throw that preconception into some doubt and I might delve into fantasy a serious thought. However I am open to all sorts of genre.<br />
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This book has all the stereotypical fantasy genre elements; kings, queens, good guys, bad guys, life, love and death. No wonder HBO/Sky picked it up! Do not hold your breath though for some fantastical beasts of myrrh, as to not spoil the book, however they do not make any real appearance.<br />
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The main context for the book is set in a medieval type world with people who have a slight belief in gods but don't practise their belief outright due to lack of faith and no real sightings or evidence as such. There are seven kingdoms which are ruled by one king which has a history of bloodshed and divided loyalties.<br />
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My favourite storyline is that of the men of the <em>wall</em> who are the outsiders in society that choose, or are forced, to <em>take the black</em>, which patrol a huge wall across the northern part of the land (think Hadrian's wall but on a grander scale). They patrol against peoples beyond the great wall who are wild in behaviour and also against possible mythical beings who are shadow like and either do or do not exist.<br />
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Good points: The book is in and of its own world with lots of historical content to boot. You do not need to buff up on it or re-read passages to absorb this knowledge.<br />
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The multiple view points that the author writes from are really engrossing. They give you a feel for the persons thinking, this may be confusing at the start but by a couple of chapters you start to recognise names and places quickly and are endeared to the main protagonists.<br />
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The sense of foreboding doom is prevalent throughout the book. The S<em>tarke</em> family, one of the many families in the book, have a motto,<em>winter is coming.</em> This is quite apt as the book is dark, gritty and no one is safe as people are killed off without warning. Which for me, makes for a fantastic read.<br />
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Bad points: Don't expect serious mythical creatures to come out of the pages just yet. If you are looking for orcs, trolls, <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Elder-Scrolls-Skyrim-PS3/dp/B004G5YW5E/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325883771&sr=8-1">skyrim</a> type stuff? Then look elsewhere. I personally like the way the author has wrote the book in a way that you know that mythical beings exist, however you are more interested in the interweaving stories.<br />
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The book is quite graphic with issues such as murder, sex (incest), infanticide, gory battle scenes however they do play their part in the book and are not glorified in a way to make them too shocking, however you have been warned.<br />
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In summary: In all honesty, I actually wish I had not blogged about this book first as I sound like a gushing reviewer, but I should not be ashamed, I really enjoyed this book. I found myself trying to cram in as much reading as possible. The author has created colourful characters which you will either love or love to hate. <br />
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I would rate this book 5/5. It draws you in and you will not put it down. Friends have said that as the series of books progress they get better, which I find hard to believe because a <em>Song of ice and fire</em> is immense. The biggest compliment is that the second book has been downloaded and ready to go.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0