Review: Dinner with Churchill Dinner with Churchill was a pretty delightful look at Churchill’s idiosyncrasies, love of food, mannerisms and foibles. I’d read certain accounts of the meetings and conferences of the allies but this was a new experience. Instead of Churchill the leader, the politician, we see Churchill in a light he certainly seemed(…)
Book reviews
Book Review: Reaping the Harvest
Review: Reaping the Harvest You have to feel sorry for poor Rhychard Bartlett, the main protagonist in Robbie Cox’s novel, Reaping the Harvest. One day you’re driving along minding your own business, the next you’re rushing to the aid of an elf who has been mortally wounded by giant bat-like creatures. Jamairlo is a Warrior of the(…)
Book Review: Rape is Rape: How Denial, Distortion, and Victim Blaming are Fueling a Hidden Acquaintance Rape Crisis
Review: Rape is Rape: How Denial, Distortion, and Victim Blaming are Fueling a Hidden Acquaintance Rape Crisis There are subjects that are difficult to read about, awful to talk about but all the same it’s absolutely vital to keep the dialogue ongoing. And then there are subjects that you think you’ve heard the very worst examples of(…)
Book Review: Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus
Review: Rabid: A Cultural History of the World’s Most Diabolical Virus My usual ratio of reading has been one non-fiction title for every ten fiction titles, but 2013 has seen me embark on a real non-fiction kick. In part I blame (or rather thank) this book. Really, the book synopsis covers it perfectly: this is a book(…)
Book Review: The Patient Ecstasy of Fraulein Braun – Lavonne Mueller
Review: The Patient Ecstasy of Fraulein Braun Believe me when I say I really have thought long and hard before writing this review. An erotic book where Hitler and Eva Braun are the characters? What could you possibly write? Well, firstly, that is a pretty simplistic explanation of this title, which came across to me as(…)
Book Review and Giveaway: Sacrifice – Coral Russell
Review: Sacrifice David’s Review f Coral Russell’s Sacrifice was a boxing match, it would soon break out into a full-scale riot, such is the array of rival factions whose thirst for money, power, drugs and influence spills out onto the streets of Juarez then takes the short journey across the border into El Paso. Fleeing from Juarez(…)
Book Review: The Darlings – Cristina Alger
Review: The Darlings The Darlings sees high flying family the Darlings – who also happen to be the ‘darlings’ of the financial industry – go from riches to… well, not exactly rags but perhaps a few less luxury holidays and world class restaurants. Paul Ross seems a decent enough guy, who didn’t try to game the(…)
Book Review: City of Women – David Gillham
Review: City of Women City of Women caught my eye because I’ve been reading a great deal of non-fiction titles around this period of history and I was interested to see how a fictional account of World War II told from a German woman’s perspective squared up to the facts. In City of Women, Sigrid Schroeder(…)
Book Review: Useful Enemies – Richard Rashke
Review: Useful Enemies I had read Escape From Sobibor and appreciated the immense amount of work that had gone into it. It’s clear that Useful Enemies is no less of a labour of love. Beyond that, it is very difficult to compare the two books. They tell very different stories. Although both are biographical works(…)
Book Review: Peace on the Peninsula – Coral Russell
Review: Peace on the Peninsula 2013 seems to be the year of non-fiction for me. I’ve been reading everything from science to politics, from gender studies to history. When I received a copy of Peace on the Peninsula, I really didn’t have any idea what to expect. Apart from Escape from Camp 14, I have(…)
Book Review: Blog It! – Molly Greene
Review: Blog It! The author’s guide to building a successful online brand When you’ve been blogging for a while, it’s really easy to forget how overwhelming the combination of setting up a new blog, new social media accounts and so on can be. Well, here’s the good news: it does become second nature. Here’s the(…)
Book Review: Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed – Jeremy Greenberg
Review: Sorry I Barfed on Your Bed Kitties? Check! Kitty pictures? Check! Letters from kitties? Check! Well, heck, what’s not to love? This is a really sweet idea, the kitty version of Sorry I Pooped in Your Shoe, featuring letters from pets to their owners. They are sort of excuses but, let’s be honest, these(…)
Book Review: Olives – Alexander McNabb
Review: Olives Journalist Paul Stokes heads for Jordan, leaving behind his lover in England, to take up a job working on a magazine. There is a lot of turmoil in Jordan when Stokes arrives. Two rival bids for Jordan’s water network are being considered, there is pressure to ease severe threats of drought and Paul(…)
Book Review: Why Are You Atheists So Angry? – Greta Christina
Review: Why Are You Atheists So Angry? I am not an angry atheist. I am an atheist who has a great deal of respect for others’ practices and beliefs, provided they don’t expect me to share them. I’ve seen the solace that religion can provide, but I’ve also seen the hurt that has been caused(…)
Book Review: Kiwi in Cat City – Vickie Johnstone
Review: Kiwi in Cat City The first in Vickie Johnstone’s Kiwi series, Kiwi in Cat City tells the story of Amy and James who observe their cat Kiwi in the garden one night at the start of a nocturnal wander around the neighbourhood. Curious to know where Kiwi is going, the two children follow their(…)
Book Review: The List – Karin Tanabe
Review: The List Adrienne Brown has had enough of glitz, glamour and Town and Country magazine. She wants to work for a more serious publication. Thrilled to get a job at the Capitolist (“The List”), she initially overlooks the frighteningly long hours, low pay, extreme workload and lack of respect she has to endure –(…)
Book Review: Me Before You – Jojo Moyes
Review: Me Before You I hadn’t read any of Jojo Moyes’ work previously and I’ll confess that when I picked up Me Before You I expected something pretty fluffy and fun. That in itself would have been fine – I enjoy chick lit and a bit of gushiness. Me Before You, however, goes way beyond(…)
Book Review: 3 Heads & a Tail – Vickie Johnstone
Review: 3 Heads & a Tail Ever wondered what our pets are thinking? Vickie Johnstone attempts to get into the mind of a dog, Glen, in this highly amusing comedy romance. The story focuses on Josie who moves into a house with two new friends – Ben and David. It isn’t long before we have(…)