Release Date: 30/06/10
BOOK BLURB:
There's more than one way to skin a cat - or kick someone's ass. In this wickedly funny field guide, you'll find 365 ways to nail the bastards who try to get you down. A drunk giant throws a punch at you in a bar. Apply Ju Jitsu Hold Number 1, Number 2 or Number. 3. Then yell, 'Timber!' Your next-door neighbor runs off with your wife. Turn on his backyard hose. By the time they get back, his backyard will be the swamp this snake deserves. Your colleague steals your best account. Insult a motorcycle gang in his name. Written under an alias by a man who's been there, done that, and lived to deny it all, this is all you need to protect and avenge yourself against every possible threat - be it physical, emotional, psychological, financial, or sexual. From cue balls and steel-toed boots to spiders and Crazy Glue, you'll find an amazing array of 'household' weapons and tactics designed to put that moron in his/her place once and for all.
REVIEW:
A lighthearted offering that whilst full of combat manoeuvres and the mental mind screw over on your “victim” then it’s a fun read. However try to put a number of these things into practice and you’ll be the one who gets their assed kicked as it seems more like a backfiring offering on level with Roger the Dodger in the Beano. It is fun, it is light-hearted and it will be something that will amuse but leave all thoughts of revenge at the door.
BOOK BLURB:
This title presents roadside Americana, fantasy, kitsch and joy on the American roadside. Before the advent of corporate communications and architectural uniformity, America's built environment was a free-form landscape of individual expression. Signs, artifacts and even buildings ranged from artisanal to eccentric, from deliciously kitsch to quasi-psychedelic. Photographer John Margolies spent decades documenting these eye-catching and endearingly idiosyncratic examples of roadside advertising and fantasy structures, a fast-fading form of Americana. This book brings together approximately 400 color photographs arranged into chapters by subject: Main Street signs, movie theaters, gas stations, fast food restaurants, motels, roadside attractions, miniature golf, and Atlantic coast resorts. In an age when online shopping and mega-malls have reconfigured American consumerism, Margolies' 30-year survey reminds us of a more innocent, unpredictable and colorful past.
REVIEW:
Whilst everyone is herded to the latest gadgets or must own products, one aspect that is starting to sadly fade is the expressionism of the individual and nowhere is it clearer than in this recently released title by Taschen where the dreams and quirkiness of the few are available for the masses. Here, in this title, author/photographer John Margolies has clocked up over 30 years and 100,000 miles visiting the architecturally unusual or even downright jaw dropping advertising of the American highways/byways alongside roadside attractions which enhanced not only the local community but became a curio for the masses from a sadly disappearing bygone era.
Whilst not every piece from the weird to the kitsch will inspire the reader, it's a fabulous collection of the Americana idiosyncrasies that made the country what it is today. Were these true national treasures to be lost to time and modern development, in my mind, it would be a sad loss to the identity as well as entrepreneurial skills of the generations gone before whose mind conceived of these true wonders of the modern world.
Yet again, a few may well be glad to see what some would term as monstrosities disappear completely from the mind and landscape but its these very things that helped form the identity as well as the dreams of those who now walk upon the same road as these, what I can only term as pioneers. Overall, this title is a great talking point, its quirky but above all its an inspirational graphical demonstration of the individual that deserves to be remembered by all. I truly hope that this title not only amuses but will also help in the preservation of these curio's, true treasures of modern architecture.
BOOK BLURB:
Pittsburgh was too small for Beryl Wexler. Barely out of high school, she changed her name to Buzz and set off for the bright lights of London. She never looked back. Now she's at the top of her game in the music PR business, looking after the coolest groups on the planet. And for a woman who was forty-two last birthday she certainly keeps up the pace. But her life is about to change. Some twenty-year-old has been given the new Japanese girl band predicted to go stellar, and Buzz is being sidelined. Instead, Buzz gets to tour with the Gorni Grannies, Bulgarian singers of a certain age. These ladies may not be the tantrum-throwing celebs Buzz is used to, but they present other challenges. How to stop Lubka straining yogurt through her knee highs? How to dissuade Kichka from stealing everything not nailed to the floor? Fuelled by copious shots of home-brewed plum rakia, Buzz and Lubka address life's ups and down, until the world tilts and a different future beckons.
REVIEW:
Titles that have been reviewed by the broadsheets tend to scare me to be honest. I always worry that they may be a bit too “high brow” for me. I enjoy a book that helps me escape from the world, I enjoy titles that give me something different to the norm, but most of all I enjoy a title with a unique voice.
What you get here certainly was unique, but it was unique for a lot of bad reasons, firstly the slaughtering of the English language which whilst the author may have found funny really didn’t do anything for the reader as it didn’t seem to fit the people concerned. Then the there was no real likeability factor to any of the cast as I really couldn’t wait to see the back of them. The best part of this piece was, to be honest, the book blurb which did a terrific job of selling the novel in the first place. I’d advise anyone to avoid this title with the only reason to read it being to learn what not to do. For that reason it would be a great learning curve for would be authors but other than that, there is nothing compelling here enough for anyone to even part with their cash.
BOOK BLURB:
In the West the vampire myth is widely thought to have been based on the life of Vlad the Impaler, a 15th century Wallachian warrior-prince whose devotion to cruelty and killing made the lives of his subjects miserable, bloody and short. However, bloodsuckers of all shapes and sizes feature in many cultures. The most famous of these is the chupacabra, or 'goat killer', a creature that is rumoured to have attacked and mutilated as many as 2,000 animals in Puerto Rico and Latin America. The chupacabra is variously described as half alien, half tail-less dinosaur with quills running down its back, a panther with a long serpent's tongue and a hopping animal that leaves an unbearable sulphurous stench in its wake. Whatever his form, one thing is for sure, the chupacabra shares little with his dark-cloaked, virgin-biting, garlic-hating, European cousin, apart from his lust for blood. VAMPIRES explores these diverse myths and legends, their impact upon popular culture and the possible explanations behind such phenomena.
REVIEW:
To be honest with you, I’m a real sucker (no pun intended) for any title that delves into the vampire mythos and whilst a lot of it is covered time and again in the same parlance, it takes a brave author to stand up and try to take it in a more unconventional manner. What Charlotte puts together in this offering is the whole mythos and even delves into area’s that we haven’t really looked at before. Its fun, its quirky but above all else it’s a title that looks great throughout even down to the detailing upon the cover. A great addition to an Vamp’s lair and a title that will not only amuse but be picked up time and again for a quick rummage.
BOOK BLURB:
A world that exists in the shadow of our own ...John Twelve Hawks' previous novels about the mystical Travellers and the Brethren, their ruthless enemies, generated an extraordinary following around the world. In "The Golden City", Twelve Hawks delivers the climax to his spellbinding epic. Struggling to protect the legacy of his Traveller father, Gabriel faces troubling new questions and relentless threats. His brother Michael, now firmly allied with the enemy, pursues his ambition to wrest power from Nathan Boone, the calculating leader of the Brethren. And Maya, the Harlequin warrior pledged to protect Gabriel at all costs, is forced to make a choice that will change her life forever.
REVIEW:
Having followed this series from the first offering (The Traveller) I really had been looking forward to see how John Twelve Hawks would adapt his world and characters to the tales conclusion that would leave the reader either glutted or sadly as dissatisfied as the Hungry Ghosts in the Ghost City. Unfortunately, this felt more like an extension of the previous novel, which with hindsight may have been better to be held back so that they could be released in a smaller timescale, as I had forgotten a lot of what, had come before. It did do what it said it would and whilst the characters are just as engaging as ever I felt that the plot needed more work to keep the reader engaged as well as entertained. A sad ending to an otherwise cracking series.
BOOK BLURB:
In Baghdad's Green Zone, an Iraqi scientist is murdered just before he is to reveal the monstrous secret weapon that Saddam Hussein took to his grave. The assassination is the work of a mysterious sniper called Juba, originally trained by the British but who now works with a twisted mastermind determined to wrest leadership of the Islamic terrorist world from Al Qaeda.
Kyle Swanson, once the top sniper in the US Marine Corps, has become the key member in a secret operations team known as Task Force Trident. When Juba tests the new weapon by killing hundreds of people at a Britsh royal wedding in London, Swanson is assigned to hunt down his old special ops rival.
Fast-paced and gripping, Dead Shot has all the hallmarks of a new military thriller blockbuster!!
REVIEW:
If there is one piece of advice that is often hocked about in writing classes it’s “Write what you know.” So here, Gunnery Sergeant Jack Couglin does that. He writes a title about a sniper that whilst aimed at the thriller market is something perhaps more revealing about the mind of a trained sniper. Its reasonable, it’s got action but apart from that, the characters are a bit two dimensional and underused by the author. A shame but perhaps the key thing to remember about this title is that it has potential so with some extra guidance the author may well write a best seller.
BOOK BLURB:
For eleven-year old James Joseph Johnson (or Jimmy for short) life is not always straightforward. In fact, things can be quite complicated, and don’t always turn out as he’d planned . . . Born in 1946, Jimmy lives with his Mum and Dad in a shiny red brick terraced house in South Yorkshire near the steel works. Sometimes the air is thick and metallic tasting, with bits of soot floating around like little black snowflakes. Despite all this, Jimmy wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. His very best friend, Ignatius Plunkett, is a scrawny boy with a sharp beak of a nose, ears like jug handles and a mop of jet black hair. Micky is his rather ‘posh’ friend from the big houses down the road. The boys get into a few scrapes in the year leading up to the eleven-plus exams, but will they come out on top in the end? Will Jimmy survive a week looking after Butch, the temperamental, barrel-bodied bull terrier? Will the truth about the trip to buy Dad’s tripe ever come out? What really happens to Jimmy’s Mum’s coffee and walnut cake, and will the mystery of the missing locket ever get solved?
REVIEW:
If there is one thing that you know about Gervase its that his writing is always entertaining. Regardless of what he’s talking about, be it education or growing up, he engages the reader with his observations as well as his personable manner and it really comes to the fore with a lovable rogue in this, his first fictional tale. Beautifully written with the author’s renowned witty banter and thoughts it’s a tale that will not only entertain but keep the reader chuckling away to themselves throughout. A great addition to Gervase’s portfolio and one that will definitely win him more fans.
BOOK BLURB:
At the age of 22, Jack is going nowhere. Stuck in a New Mexico backwater, slicing dead cattle for a living, he is ready to seize any opportunity to make something of his life. So when his workmate Ed tells him about the $25,000 stashed in a bus station locker in San Francisco, and when he meets and falls for the beautiful De S'anna, a sweet Italian supernova of sweat and lips and purple-black hair, the two events propel him into a journey of love, drugs, madness and determination as he tries to make real those two seductive mirages, the accidental fortune and the perfect love. Christopher Neilan's debut novel is a coruscating tale told in vibrant, visceral prose. Funny, sexy, poetic, thrilling and endlessly inventive, 'Abattoir Jack' is a very impressive achievement.
REVIEW:
As a reader I am prepared to give most authors a go be they knew or established and when this offering from a new publisher landed on my floor I thought what the hell. Picking up this title was not only an experience but also quite a short lived one. Whilst I won’t say that it doesn’t have a lot of promise the author overstuffed the book rather than perhaps going for the less is more attitude which made parts of this clunky which was a great shame. Had a bit more editing gone in it would have been successful in achieving its target even if the title was a tad predictable. What did work extremely well was the author’s character voice that came through strongly and gave the sense of something deeper seeking ways to the surface demonstrating that there is definitely something within the author that means I will be keeping an eye on successive titles.
BOOK BLURB:
Dear Ta-ra-ra,
It surprises us to find that a girl sufficiently educated to write and spell well should be so deplorably ignorant of the common rules of society to think that she may go out alone with a young man in his canoe.
Girl's Own Paper, 1895
* * * * *
Never Kiss a Man in a Canoe is a fascinating glimpse into our social past and harks back to a time when agony aunts played a pivotal role in society, advising men and women on love, sex, relationships and other taboo subjects.
From advice on the immorality of reading a crime novel or riding a bicycle to Sunday school, to tips on beauty, etiquette and how to make a boy into a man, this wonderful book is a slap in the face for everyone accustomed to the politically correct advice of today, and is a tribute to the manners of the past that will make you grateful times have moved on.
REVIEW:
This is an unusual novel but one that I was fascinated by. Why? Well it is full of advice column snippets that have appeared in papers from the 1850’s through to the 1960’s. Its fun to see how attitudes changed over time as well as to get an idea on the social history that if not read now may well become lost in the archives of history. Whilst its full of the problem alongside the answer received the author doesn’t comment upon either allowing the reader to draw their own thoughts from each piece. It’s a great bit of fun and something that I think a lot of people will get something from.
BOOK BLURB:
A stone army, an enchanted castle, mysterious ancient powers - and some very clever tortoises - Olly finds there's more than meets the eye at Gullywith. When his family moves to Gullywith Farm, Olly just can't imagine being happy in his new home. Gullywith is the coldest house in the world and no one has lived there for years. Then Olly meets KK and she tells him locals won't go near the place. It seems to be jinxed but most strange of all, Olly notices that there are stones at Gullywith that can move around of their own accord. Stones with ancient markings on them. He feels sure that they are angry. Olly visits the mysterious Nonny Dreever to ask his advice and he tells them they must return the stones to Withern Mere. Olly is drawn into a world of myth, magic and midnight adventure deep inside the surrounding hills. What is the ancient power that controls the stones and can anything be done to end their hold over Gullywith? Susan Hill deftly weaves a tale of real life and enchantment to delight young readers.
REVIEW:
Having read the first offering from Alexandra I thought that her second outing would be worth my time and picked it up sooner rather later. Conceptually it’s pretty solid and based on an ancient premise. “How far would you go for someone you loved.”
Secretly, I was hoping that it was going to be a great book, however it was long, drawn out, pretty boring and filled out with quite a lot of unnecessary padding. Add to this at least one glaring error and a predictable plot alongside an arc that started getting into the ridiculous becoming a Hodge Podge mess with the only saving grace being the authors twist at the very end of the novel that’s left to the readers imagination.
In a time of hardship when authors are judged not only on their first novel but also, perhaps more importantly upon their second, I really do wonder if Alexandra has it in her to create additional tales. It’s a great shame to be honest and this has left a pretty sour taste in my mouth leaving me to wonder if I should even pick up the next tale by her as it felt like she’d taken a step backwards in her writing skills from her original offering.
BOOK BLURB:
There is a killer loose on the London Underground. He kills without leaving any forensic trace, and seemingly without motive. Genecrime, the UK's elite forensic unit, are stretched to the limits trying to find one usable clue. And there is another problem facing Genecrime. Before he was sacked as head of the unit, Reuben Maitland developed a system to predict latent homicidal behaviour from people's DNA. Now rogue elements in the police, believing that prevention is better than cure, are using Reuben's research to hunt down and incite latent psychopaths beyond their breaking point. Reuben must track down whoever is misusing his technology and stop them before more lives are destroyed. But what he cannot know is that his investigation will lead him directly into the path of the Underground killer.
REVIEW:
Readers of the crime genre love a great deal of different themes within the titles that they read. What makes this one a bit different is that its more on the science end of the genre with some credible and easily accepted information in regard to the human genome. Well written with suspicion laid at every door as the paranoid principle protagonist doesn’t know who to trust and who is out to get him making this a twisted tale that will keep many a reader guessing to the last minute. Different from a great many crime novels out there its worth noting that you always get something different from John and in this, the third book in the series, he takes it to a new extreme.
BOOK BLURB:
First there's Denver Jones, the hotshot attorney working in L.A. and Carolyn Henderson - personal assistant to a powerful and very married Senator in Washington with whom she is having an affair. Then there's Annabelle Maestro - daughter of two movie stars - who has carved out a career for herself in New York as the madame of choice for discerning famous men. The three twenty-something women used to go to high school together in Beverly Hills and Denver and Carolyn have always kept in touch, but Annabelle is out on her own with her cocaine addicted boyfriend Frankie. Bobby is Frankie's best friend - Bobby Santangelo Stanislopolous, that is, Kennedy-esque son of Lucky Santangelo and deceased Greek shipping billionaire Dimitri Stanislopolous. Now he owns Mood, the hottest club in New York, but back in the day he went to high school with Denver, Carolyn and Annabelle, and hung out with all three of them. Which means that Bobby knows everyone's secrets - and he has some of his own, too.
REVIEW:
For years, if you wanted something steamy, something glamorous and bound up with the rich storytelling skills then you knew to reach for the latest Jackie Collins. However, more recently it seems to be more about the name on the cover than the real content as the characters within this offering really would not stand out compared to her earlier ones. They’re weak, they’re unglamorous and above all they seem pretty wretched as their singular unpopular threadbare lives don’t make for great material. A good example of this is the character of Bobby Santangelo who you’d expect to have the guts of his mother Lucky, the wants and needs of a playboy but unfortunately is too much of a goody goody with no real backbone and not enough bad boy to satisfy the readers expectations.
Whilst Jackie does seem to be trying to get a more realistic woman into her pieces what she needs to do is get out there and research the women of today as she really does seem to have lost touch with a number of her audience that originated in the 80’s. Hopefully she’ll get back on form with her next offering.
BOOK BLURB:
This book will help you overcome poor reading habits which hold back your ability to read at high speeds with good comprehension and recall. It includes tools and techniques that come from the author's 14 years of experience teaching professionals and students of all ages. The book includes memory training and information on learning, attitude and achievement. The techniques in the book could save you up to ten hours a week and are a must for students and anyone who has to deal with the sea of emails and reports that are part of our working day. Using unique exercises, you will learn to mentally process multiple words at a glance, thus increasing reading speed, comprehension and accuracy. The results are quick, sustainable and grow over time with minimal effort.
REVIEW:
As a reader who has a huge appetite for books, I’m always looking for methods to help me utilise the most of my time and presented within a list of tips that not only helped me up my reading pace but also recall which whilst already very good is something that is always worth improving upon.
For the uninitiated it will hopefully encourage their love of reading as well as helping them make the most of their office reading time to help save them valuable family time. Its also going to be something that will help you make your way though your young readers educative course material as well as novel that they’re asking you if they can have. A great book if you can find ways to utilise the tricks and what can be more important than helping make the most for family members. Hopefully this will do for the reading population what Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas did for memory recall.
BOOK BLURB:
With box office hits like "Spider-Man", "Superman", "X-Men", "Hulk", the "Fantastic Four" and many others ushering in new comic book fans, and renewing interest among former collectors, comprehensive price guides are a must have. This edition gives a brief overview of the industry, a grading guide, and features an interview with a comic book industry insider. Unlike other price guides, "Comics Values Annual 2009" lists titles alphabetically by MAJOR publisher beginning with "DC" and then continuing with "Marvel", "Image", "Dark Horse", "Classics Illustrated", and then tossing in miscellaneous "Golden Age" titles, black and white titles, colour titles from modern publishers like Valiant, Gold Key, Gladstone, Malibu, etc. "Marvel" and "DC" dominate the collectable comic book world. "Comics Values Annual 2009" recognises that fact. Why should collectors have to rummage through a lot of junk that other publishers list to get to the good stuff they collect?
REVIEW:
A book that does what it says on the tin, it gives the reader an easy to check reference guide so that they know that they’re not either over paying for that wanted comic or to make sure that they have adequate insurance should the worst happen, its comprehensive organised alphabetically by publisher and is an easy guide to utilise. A great thing to have to be honest and one that I’ve already had borrowed by a few friends who wanted to make sure that they’re fully covered with one saving a fortune on a much wanted release.
THE EVERYTHING VAMPIRE BOOK BLURB:
From Bram Stoker's "Dracula", to Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series, vampires have fascinated and frightened young and old alike for centuries. Whether it is an evil, sharp-fanged creature who appears from the mist, or a handsome, erotic man or woman of mystery, the vampire in all its incarnations is one of the most popular and intriguing characters of literature and film. Vampires alternately terrorize and become objects to be idolized and desired. "The Everything[registered] Vampire Book" examines their notorious history and legends, their evolution and portrayal in books, television, and cinema, and the on going fascination with the 'vampire lifestyle'.
THE GIRLS GUIDE TO VAMPIRE BOOK BLURB:
"The Girl's Guide to Vampires" is the perfect supernatural reference for teens who enjoy romance literature laced with mystery and a twinge of darkness. Young adult readers have a major fascination with all things vampire. Millions are reading Stephenie Meyer's "Twilight" series and eagerly awaiting the movie adaptation. They're also devouring other vampire series, like "Vampire Academy", "The Vampire Diaries", and "Vampire Kisses". And they're devotedly creating and visiting hundreds of vampire-themed Websites.
REVIEW:
How can you tell if you’ve got a Vampire Hottie or a Vampire nottie? Quite simply get one or other of these two books written by screen writer and journalist Barb Kang. Each has their own individual nuggets not included in the other although with a lot of the same ground trodden in each you’ll get some repetition. Whilst both books are fun I wouldn’t advise to buy both but to spend a few minutes flicking between each to see which one is more your own style (or the person for whom you’re purchasing it for.) Barb is entertaining, her writing witty and for the layman theres gold in these there books, to the informed the nuggets are there for the claiming from little known vampiric facts to more books to indulge your fascination with.
BOOK BLURB:
Ask yourself: Are you ready for an alien invasion? When it happens, will you find yourself helpless to resist? This book teaches readers the skills they need to battle hostile visitors from outer space, covering everything from escape strategies to improvised weaponry. Helpful line drawings illustrate defensive techniques and pinpoint weaknesses within the alien anatomy. With a blend of humour and pop culture mythology, "The Alien Invasion Survival Handbook" is everyone's must-have guide to combating the extraterrestrial menace in day-to-day situations.
REVIEW:
When this book landed I’d hope it would do for Alien Invasions what the Zombie Survival book did for the groaning, shuffling, undead. Not only did it meet my expectations but passed them though its clever use of diagrams and wit and above all gave me a very enjoyable trip through some of the 50’s B Movies that made the genre so popular. Its fun, its quirky and above all its written tongue in cheek in such a way that you can’t help but chuckle at this essential guide in case they do invade. If you’re a fan of everything from ET to Fiend without a Face (If you haven’t seen this then it’s a must,) then this is the book for you with tips from everything useful from fight tips like the eye gouge to how to hide although some useful phrases in Jawa might have been nice. You never know when you might have to buy a used speeder. LOL
Release Date: 30/06/10
