Toast: The Story of a Boy's Hunger by Nigel Slater

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was not sure about this book when I first picked it up. It's different from the books I usually read and not knowing Nigel Slater (and apparently, after talking to friends, I realise I'm in a minority here) it was just another memoir. However, after a couple of short chapters, I really started to enjoy it. At first I thought it would be impossible for the story of his childhood to be told through anecdotes about food; that it was a novelty that would get old quickly. I was wrong.

The chapters are short and often leave you wanting more detail, but not needing more. It is very cleverly written, so that at first it seems more about the food, but as he builds up the picture of what his life was like, we are drawn in, anxious to discover how things turned out.

He has an unusual style of writing some chapters in the present tense as if the events are unfolding as he writes, and other chapters in the past tense. It works well and is done so cleverly that it does not leave the reader confused about the order of events as I would have anticipated. He also has the ability to let the reader know what is happening, while he himself was unaware of what was happening, like the time he heard his parents talking and thought they were having another baby and wondered why they hadn't told him yet.

Although this story is not all about food, I'm sure any chef reading Nigel Slater's book would identify with many of the tales he tells later in the book about his experience in Hotel kitchens. This book made me cringe, sigh, laugh and cry. I recommend it to anyone who likes reading interesting memoirs, especially fans of the TV chef.

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Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Just like the first three books in the Harry Potter series, after reading all of the books a few years ago, I have just re-read Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire with my children (12 & 7). They are loving this series and have really enjoyed this book too.


What I loved most about this book though, was that there was so much going on. Apart from the Triwizard Tournament, there were so many other threads to follow and even right up to the very last pages of the book, there were questions we wanted answers to, such as who Fred and George were blackmailing and why, and how Rita Skeeter was getting her information.


They are all great books to read aloud, with interesting and well rounded characters, fantastic description and exciting storylines. I highly recommend them for parents to read to their children.

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We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I went on a real journey with this book. I picked it up on recommendation from a friend and after reading the first few chapters, I began asking myself whether or not I should continue reading. It's not that it wasn't interesting; indeed the event around which the book revolves is controversial and, due to our natural tendency to be drawn towards other people's private lives and tragedy, is intriguing, but I believe the fact that it's written in the format of letters to Franklin makes it hard for the author to create suspense. In addition to this, the vocabulary which is diverse is sometimes too obscure making it hard on the reader, even a reader with a good vocabulary.

I took a break from the book, thinking that perhaps if I went back to it in a few weeks with a fresh pair of eyes and a different frame of mind, I might find it easier to read. But after returning to the book, I still found little to grab my attention, to make me gasp in surprise, to make me think, 'Ooh, I certainly wasn't expecting THAT to happen!' By half way through I was almost ready to give up, only spurred on by my own obsessive need not to leave a book half read.

Then about half way through, an event suddenly creates some suspense and the story builds around this making it instantly more interesting. So after struggling to keep going through the first half of the book, I could not now put it down. The storyline was gripping; I wanted to know how this would turn out. From that point onwards I knew I was not going to put this book down until I had finished. It was fantastic.

The author has written about things we don't want to think about. As a mother, reading this book is, of course, thought provoking, but it's also frustrating. I found myself wanting to shout at Franklin, not understanding why nobody could see what Eva could. I kept asking myself the same questions, long after I finished the book; was it her fault? What if...?

This is a book I will not forget for a long time. When the Daily Mail stated that it was 'Harrowing', they were not exaggerating. It's a book I would recommend to others with warnings: 

1. Keep reading, no matter how hard going it is. 

2. Don't make assumptions

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Look Me in the Eye: My Life with Asperger's by John Elder Robison

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wow! John Elder Robison is a fantastic story teller and what an amazing story he has to tell. I picked up this book because I am interested in reading about Asperger's from the point of view of someone who has lived with it, but I continued reading because it was so compelling.

There was nothing about this book I didn't like. It was funny, sometimes because he was intending to be funny and other times just because he was being so blunt and logical, I could see exactly where he was coming from. It was sad, particularly at times when he describes his awful childhood with parents who had many serious problems of their own. It is hard being a person with Asperger's even today, but back in the 70s when it was not a recognised condition, he was made to feel like he had a personality defect and would never come to any good. The exciting and unbelievable adventures he tells of in his book show that he did not simply accept and play the role he was given by people who didn't know any better. He took opportunities given to him and made new ones for himself.

Through reading this book, I have gained an insight into the world of someone with Asperger's, but have also been inspired to make the most of life (and to make up my own functional names for people!)

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The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book and fear one of my usual 'thrown together' reviews will not do it justice, so I'll be short (if that is possible for me), sweet (erm...) and to the point (?). Let's see...

I was so surprised by some of the low ratings this book has received. I guess it's not for everyone. It is definitely for me. Since the moment I read the blurb, I wanted to read this book. I eagerly awaited its publication and was excited to be the first to read the library copy (not being able to afford it myself). From the moment I opened it, I wanted to keep reading and not put it down until I'd finished (and even then, not put it down as the book is so beautiful, with its black edged pages and creatively designed sleeve covering the red edged hardcover underneath.

The Night Circus was everything I hoped it would be and more. It is beautifully written and engaging to the end. My only disappointment? I want to go to the Night Circus, but it never comes here :(

I will definitely read this book again and look forward to more from this author. 

Have a look at Erin Morgenstern's Flax Golden Tales too. They give you a taste of the wonderfully descriptive writing you can expect in the book. 

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Freaks, Geeks and Asperger Syndrome: A User Guide to Adolescence by Luke Jackson

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I have given this book 4 stars. I liked it for lots of reasons, and considering it was written by a boy of 13 who obviously has many other things going on in his life, it's fantastic.

I have a daughter of 11 currently being assessed for Asperger Syndrome, and I read this to find out more about Aspergers from the point of view of a child who lives with it. That is exactly what this book gives. It's a clear, no-jargon, honest account of life with Aspergers from the point of view of a 13 year old boy with Dyspraxia and Aspergers, who, through being an observant member of a large family of children with various disorders, and a mum who is nothing short of superhuman, has written a particularly informative book which is both articulate and positive and provides the 'AS kid' with reassurance that they are not alone and advice on how to deal with many of the issues they are likely to face, as well as enlightening parents / carers / teachers of 'AS kids' about what it really is like in that world.

As I read, I found myself, nodding vehemently and laughing in recognition of many things he describes as well as his humour. If I had to complain about this book at all, it would be that it was a little repetitive at times, but that certainly didn't anoy me enough to stop me from reading it. I'm glad I didn't.

This has been a great starting point for me and has given me a wonderful peek into the world of children with Aspergers. It has been thought provoking and has prompted many discussions with others (parents & professionals) as well as encouraging me to ask my own questions and search for answers, helped greatly by the numerous links provided in the back of this book.

As Luke says in his book (many, many times) he is only thirteen and is not the expert on everything Aspergers, and this book is written in an informal style which I would expect of a child of his age (possibly a little older), but although this means it is easier for young teenagers to read and understand, it is by no means exclusively written for them and I recommend it for anyone who, like me, wants an insight into 'Planet Asperger'.

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Bad Dreams

Bad Dreams by Anne Fine

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I liked this book. I have read a few of Anne Fine's books and although this is not one of my favourites, I think it's a really good read for children (probably girls rather than boys) of 9 or 10.

Mel or 'Melly' (did she really not mind being called that?!), as people called her, the narrator, was quite rude at times and I cringed at her lack of social skills. I would have preferred it if she were more of a likeable character that children could like and want to be like, especially as she could show that it's okay to be someone who likes to read and prefers to spend time alone, even if others think it's odd.

I found the teacher annoying and not very realistic (probably because I am a teacher myself), but I think he would be realistic enough for 9-10 year olds not to pick up on this and it certainly wouldn't spoil the story for them.

The idea for the story is fantastic and the plot was so unpredictable, I was keen to read to the end to find out how it all turned out.

There were a few things I would like to have found out more about, such as Imogen's mother and what was going on with her. We found out a little and I guess that's enough for a minor character in the book, but it would have been interesting to find out more about her.

Overall, I think this book may have been better if it had been written in 3rd person narrative, but nevertheless, I think it would be an enjoyable read for confident junior readers.

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The Angel in the House

The Angel in the House by Kate O'Riordan
My rating: 5 of 5 stars


I absolutely loved this book. Extremely pleased to have bought it for 10p from the library, I also feel quite sad that nobody else will borrow it from the library and enjoy it as I have done.


It's so hard to decide who is my favourite character:
Robert, the kind-hearted painter who prefers his own company and who, despite being admired by many people around him, always seems to think the worst of himself?, the strong minded Angela, always helping others, never asking for anything herself and confused about her vocation? Robert's seemingly interfering, yet well-meaning mother, Bonnie, with her dated American accent and phrases as well as a big secret of her own? Uncle Mikey, the eccentric yet endearing uncle in the attic in Ireland? Or one of the other fantastically developed characters, such as Sr Carmel with her bonbons or Mother Mary Margaret with her cigarettes and gin. They are all so cleverly developed, to choose one as a favourite would do an injustice to the others.


The writing is brilliant. I laughed out loud at the humorous comments and events, especially the antics of the Aunts, but it was sad enough at times to make me cry too. As Robert and Angela got caught in a web of misunderstandings and miscommunication, I cringed as more and more character became entangled in the story and the wired got even more crossed. I actually cheered when, finally, the penny dropped.


This is not your run-of-the-mill love story. I highly recommend this to anyone who has a sense of humour and appreciates good writing.

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Review: Blue Bottle Mystery : An Asperger's Adventure

Blue Bottle Mystery : An Asperger's Adventure by Kathy Hoopmann

My rating: 1 of 5 stars



While considering how to review this book, I have taken into account that this book was primarily aimed at children, however, I have read many children's books including those dealing with sensitive topics such as Aspergers, and I'm afraid I found this one to be a little flat, unrealistic and uninspiring.

It highlights some of the issues children with Apergers have to contend with, but not in a particularly engaging way. I felt that Ben was just 'a boy with Aspergers' and not 'Ben' at all. Where was his personality? Apart from computers, what did Ben like and dislike which was not part of being on the Spectrum?

I picked up this book with the intention of giving it to my daughter (who has Aspergers) to read, but decided against it. I want my daughter to know she is a person and not a condition; that the things she does which other people find 'odd' are (mostly) linked to her having Aspergers, but that there are lots of things about her which have nothing to do with that and are just part of her personality.

I would have liked the author to have shown Ben in a more favourable light and explained why he did some of the things he did. I felt there were many questions left unanswered and as a child with Aspergers I would be left feeling confused and a bit negative, which I'm sure was not the author's intention.

She attempts to deal with the feelings and reactions of teachers and parents too, but it felt too rushed and was not given enough detail to make a young reader understand why the teacher or dad was frustrated.

It's a shame. There are very few stories out there about children with Aspergers and although the idea for the story was good, I feel it was not developed fully and needed more thought before being published.



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Not Your Run of the Mill Vampire Story

The Radleys by Matt Haig


My rating: 5 of 5 stars

 I loved this book, but how do you classify it? It's not paranormal fiction, but not your run of the mill adventure/fantasy story either. Having read so many of the nice-girl-meets-and-falls-in-love-with-vampire or slightly-unhinged-girl-hunts-vampires type books, I really enjoyed something a bit different.


The first thing that struck me was that it is written in the present tense; unusual, but it works. Along with the very short chapters, this gave it a happening-right-now feel which kept the pace fast and had me eagerly turning pages.

It's a really funny book, with lots of great one-liners. Will and Peter made me laugh out loud, especially their memory of getting the department store Santa Claus for Christmas.


Although Harper got a lot more than he bargained for (or deserved), it was satisfying to see the bullies getting their comeuppance and seeing Clara and Rowan sorting their lives out. There is so much potential for these characters to develop further and I wouldn't be surprised to read more about them in future books by this author.


It's a lovely book with simple themes of love, money, family life and secrets and teenage worries with a brilliant twist.


I've not read anything by Matt Haig before, but will certainly look out for more by this author.


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The Laughing Corpse

The Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I enjoyed this book just as much as, if not more than, the first.

Anita's character really develops in this book. I love the internal discussions she has with herself knowing that she is refusing to believe and accept everything that she is. LKH does not have me screaming at Anita as much as I do other strong female characters, as although Anita takes on dangerous tasks and gets into compromising situations, she does play it safe sometimes, for example, when she takes Jean-Claude (Mmmm!) with her to Tenderloin or when she takes the police with her to Dominga Salvador's.

I love Jean-Claude, so was pleased to see his character developing in this story. This is where I was screaming at Anita to stop turning him down, although I understand why she does and in fact it does fit her character to admit her desire for him, but refuse to act on it.

Dominga Salvador was fantastic: scary, powerful and unpredictable. I loved the contrast between harmless nice old granny to evil voodoo priestess. It was almost a shame to kill her off, she was such a magnificent character with so much potential and I would have enjoyed reading more stories with her - definitely an opportunity for a spin off there!

These stories have a good pace and keep you reading for more. They seem to be following a trend of strong female gets into something deep, has to solve the problem, kill the baddies and watch her back in the meantime. I hope LKH varies the structure slightly for the next book, as although these kind of stories by nature are slightly predictable, they need to stay fresh to keep the reader hooked on the series.



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Guilty Pleasures

Guilty Pleasures by Laurell K. Hamilton

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I had read & heard mixed reviews of this series, so I picked it up with an open mind and I really enjoyed it.


I liked the characters. The main character, Anita, is likeable. She reminded me a little of other strong female characters, for example, Georgina Kincaid in Richelle Mead's Succubus series, but that didn't spoil it for me as Anita is different in many ways too. I laughed out loud at how blunt and brutally honest she was sometimes and liked the way she wasn't afraid to admit she was really scared - that made her realistic. I didn't see much in the way of character development in this story, but I expect she will develop as the series goes on. All the characters were great. The other characters like Jean-Claude and Edward, who I hope we see more of in the next book, are interesting and written in a way that we find are drip fed a little about them at a time making us intrigued to know more.


The pace is fast enough to keep me turning pages to find out what happens next, but there is enough detail and description to allow me to build up the scenes in my head.


If I had to complain about something, it would be that Anita sometimes repeats herself, using phrases like "peachy keen" too close together.


Will I continue with the series? Indeed. I have already started book #2.


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Summer Reading

Yep! Here I am going on about getting kids reading again. Well, while there are still children out there who say, "I'm no good at reading." I am going to keep giving out ideas to encourage and inspire them.

I came across a website today with some good ideas of how to get children reading over the summer holidays. Click here and be inspired!

If just one person (apart from me) looks at it, then it will have been worth posting.

What The Hell Was I Thinking?

What in Hell is up with Heaven?: No rest for the wicked... by Christopher David Petersen

My rating: 1 of 5 stars


I didn't like this book; I found it very odd. I know it is supposed to be a religious satire, but it's just not what I expected. To begin with, the conversation between God and Satan is amusing, especially the "Does the Pope sh*t in the woods" conversation, but it just isn't enough to make a whole book out of. I quickly grew tired of the cheap gags. Again, it is amusing to think God might have a spitting contest or might have to go on a diet, but these are stand alone jokes and none of them really gel together to make an interesting read.

This book is unusual, in that many of the characters are ones we are already very familiar with. I don't think that was a problem, but the personalities of the characters were not consistent making them difficult to believe. Their dialogue didn't match their personalities and I found it annoying that the characters' styles of speech changed so regularly.

There were many spelling and grammatical errors, which a quick proof read could have corrected. That on its own usually spoils a book for me, because it feels like the book has been rushed to the publishers without the attention to detail required. If an author can't be bothered to read their own book, why should I?





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Surprisingly disappointing

This Side of the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


I read this book after just finishing Shadowfever by KMM, who is admittedly a hard act to follow, but I'm afraid 'This Side of the Grave' was my least favourite book of the series so far.

I just didn't find it very exciting. The plot was okay, but there were no major surprises and I'm unsure I would have kept reading if I hadn't already read and enjoyed the others in the series. At times I felt like I had missed a few pages, as it skipped to a new scene leaving out too much detail in between, making the plot confusing in places.

There was some character development, but not a great deal and the new characters which were introduced were nothing special.

The big fight scene at the end was the first time while reading this book that I was really engaged by the story and didn't want to put it down.

Despite my disappointment, I look forward to the next book, which, judging by the taster in the back of this book, promises to be more interesting than this one.






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A Pleasant Read

Playing With Fire by Derek Landy



I am currently reading this with a year 5 (10 year old) pupil, who is really enjoying it. It has a good balance of action and mystery to keep a 10 year old boy's interest. The characters, who all have great names like 'Barron Vengeous' are amusing and interesting, allowing for good discussions about them as well as writing based on what we know about them. The writing provides fantastic examples of interesting sentence structures, brilliant imagery as well as interesting and exciting vocabulary. This book was recommended to me by an 11 year old, evidently one with good literary taste. It's all I can do not to read ahead to the end!


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Shadowfever

After reading these books, you will never think of Fairies as little pink winged creatures again!

Having read all of the books in the Fever series so far, it was tough not to go straight to Amazon to download Shadowfever to my Kindle as soon as it was published. Not being allowed to buy myself any books this year, I was excited to get some desperately requested Amazon vouchers for my birthday in May. Shadowfever was the first one I bought, but as I was half way through The Witching Hour, I decided to finish that before starting it, then, for some mad reason I cannot explain, I still didn't start reading it straight away. I wish I had. Once I did, I remembered just how brilliant the rest of the series had been. Definitely a series to read again. Shadowfever, which I think is probably the last in this series (although almost certainly not the last book of the fever world), was just as fantastic as the rest.

The following review contains spoilers. Don't read it before you have read the book(s). Do read the books. They are amazing!

Shadowfever by Karen Marie Moning

I loved this book. It was definitely worth the wait, but I wish I hadn't had to wait so long for it. I fell straight back into it, thanks to amazing writing by KMM.



I was impressed by the way she reminded the reader of important events and details from the previous books in the series without it being boring for those who have recently read them. I was hoping that after such a fantastic series, she was not going to end it with a 'happy ever after' and I was not disappointed. I loved the ending. I guess we always knew Mac would get it on with Barrons eventually, but the sexual tension was somehow more exciting than the hot action, although I am definitely not saying she should have left that out.


There are so many twists in this story, it's believeable, but not predictable and keeps the reader gasping in surprise and turning page after page to find out what happens next. I hated putting this book down when sleep finally got the better of me.


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The Pissed-off Parents Club by Mink Elliott

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


It was okay. I think I might have appreciated it more if I was in a similar situation to Roxane. I just couldn't really empathise with her and found myself getting frustrated by her attitude. This is a personal thing, I'm sure. Many people will enjoy this book; it is lighthearted and funny, but it just didn't work for me.



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The Witching Hour by Anne Rice

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Having finally finished this book, I am unsure how I feel about it. I loved Anne Rice's creative use of language and her descriptions, particularly those of the house on First Street, really brought the book to life for me. Despite the masses of Paranormal fiction out there, I thought it stood out from the rest as being different. I was not put off by the chapters full of history, although I do think there was too much of it and would have found it easier & quicker to read if the pace was increased. Her characters were fantastic and I found myself really getting to know them, although not being able to keep track of who was related to who and how. I really enjoyed Part 3 and the beginning of part four as the tension was building and there was more action. I was quite disappointed with the way it ended. It was unpredictable, but I didn't really find the ending exciting and personally, although I expect a few unanswered questions to keep you guessing what will happen in the sequel, I like a book to end without such a big cliff hanger meaning you have read the next one to essentially find out how the story ends.

I have given it four stars, because although it took a very long time to get through and the ending was disappointing, I did like the story and the characters. I will read the next in the series, but not straight away.



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Le Cirque des Rêves

Always on the lookout for good books by new authors, I noticed this morning that Richelle Mead, whose blog and website I follow, had added this book to her 'to read' list:

Here is the trailer...

It sounds like it is going to be a good read, although, as usual, I will reserve judgement until I read it. However, I am going to have to be patient, as it is not due to be published until September 2011. Until then, I will be waiting for Fridays to read Erin Morgenstern's Flax Golden Tales...