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  • Mums Know Best: The Hairy Bikers' Family Cookbook Mums Know Best: The Hairy Bikers' Family Cookbook Dave Myers Si King Weidenfeld & Nicolson
    New: £9.98
    Used: £26.64
    • >> Hairy Bikers triumph again! - Another great book from the Hairy Bikers that captures the feel of the series perfectly and gives some great extra tips for the recipes. 10/10!
    • >> mums know best - I love the Hairy bikers and I'm seeing them soon on tour, this book is full of useful recipes for mums with children and a husband coming home from work. I's easy to follow and all the recipes I've tried all taste wonderful.
    • >> They know best! - I received this book two days ago and have to say its great! I have already tried a couple of the 'cakey' recipes (the kids loved the Rocky Road recipe), watch out waistline. The recipes are clearly laid out and in the majority of cases can be made with items you have in your store cupboard. I love its simplicity, no weird and way out ingredients! I agree with the Bikers...Mums do know best! If you love cooking good, wholesome dishes buy this book, you wont regret it! 10/10 from me!
    • >> easy peesy - Mums Know Best: The Hairy Bikers' Family Cookbook recipes so easy to follow ad always turn out successfully,a definite for the library, helps build confidence in cooking abilities.
    • >> golden oldies - I am absolutely bowled over with this book,recipe's i had forgotten,and ones i had not heard of,it has revitalised my cooking thoughts,as one gets older you tend to get a bit lazy about creative cooking,but now with this book i find i am planning my week ahead,and trying some of the cake ideas that i have not baked since my boys were at school. rosemary mcloughlin

  • The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larsson Quercus
    New: £2.10
    Used: £3.00
    • >> Worth getting stuck into - This is a far longer book than your average crime novel but it is worth getting into it. Larsson writes an intelligent tale using a realistic time scale whilst giving the non-swedish reader an insight into life in Sweden. Sandler and Blomqvist are unlikely allies who are well portrayed, warts and all. The insight into Swedish society is facinating - particularly as it relates to Sandler's life. The tale is complex making it a novel that draws you in and holds you in its grip. It's multiple layers mean that it is not something you read quickly but I finished it and had to get online to buy the sequel.
    • >> the girl with the dragon tattoo - very good book, bit hard to get into at first, lots of family names to comprehend,story took off about half way through, absoutly absorbing.
    • >> The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - An absolutely brilliant book - full of intrigue, mystery and unexpected plot twists. One of the best books I have read in years!! I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone who likes an intelligently written thriller with complex characters and an unpredictable storyline. I can't wait for the film version and have already ordered the second book in the trilogy!
    • >> Weird but compelling - This is a weird book. For a start it uses some weird language, but then it is translated from Swedish so many idioms may not translate naturally. The characters are weird too - some less than others - in fact the character who is meant to be the weirdest seems to actually be the least so by the end, as everyone else has become weirder still. The weirdness is magnified in their sexual practices - either Sweden is very liberal or this author is a bit mad. The plot has a very good idea behind it, though at points it becomes extreme, and is the main positive point about the novel - the drive to continue reading is from wanting to find out how the plot continues. The characters are mostly surprisingly likeable, despite their odd natures, but seem to be a little two dimensional in places - while in others they seem to act contrary to their established nature. The strangest thing about this book is that it is full of what appears to be product placement. In one section the author spends half a page extolling the virtues of a particular model of laptop, and in others recommends software, authors etc. This seemed really out of place in a novel and was quite distracting form the serious nature of the plot when you are suddenly confronted with a list of technical specifications. It's not well written - well, not in English anyway - but is compelling, and is certainly better than anything Dan Brown has produced. It is very definitely mainstream fiction, as its sales figures would suggest. It's just a bit of a romp really with some rather extreme practices thrown in. I'll certainly read the sequel, but I'm not sure it's one I'd recommend to my friends, and certainly not to my mum.
    • >> OK but some nasty elements, too nasty for me - I love crime thrillers but am not a fan of the ultra gory or nasty ones, and while I was gripped by the plot I really didn't like the author's obsession with rape. And reading the extract at the back from book 2, it looks like it's not something he gets tired of. Am bit torn here as the plot was genuinely absorbing and I grew to care about the characters, though it's not the best prose ever - maybe something was lost in translation.

  • Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) Stephenie Meyer ATOM
    New: £4.28
    Used: £6.10
    • >> Product Description - # Paperback: 768 pages # Publisher: ATOM (4 Aug 2008) # Language English # ISBN-10: 1905654286 # ISBN-13: 978-1905654284
    • >> A fitting end to the saga. - A lovely last book to the Twilight saga. Fans of the series will enjoy this book and enjoy finding out what happens when Edward and Bella make a life together.
    • >> Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!!!! - A fantastically written book. I could not put it down. Such a great ending! The only negative is that finishing it meant the end of the Twilight Saga!
    • >> Awesome! - Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga) I write this review with a tear in my eye and a ache in my heart, it's over, i can't believe it! I have just finished reading Breaking Dawn, having taken only a week to read the whole saga, i just couldn't switch off to the books they were trully awesome, i've had many sleepless nights and my house is a mess but totally worth it! Breaking dawn was absoulutely brilliant, exactly the ending i would have chosen. However i wasn't convinced it was too brilliant til i had got at least halfway threw the book (i was frustrated to say the least) and then realised where Stephanie Meyer was going with the story, then it all started coming together, i just didn't want the story to ever end. Two things to bare in mind whilst reading Breaking Dawn, firstly remember it is a FANTASY book series aimed at teenagers, it's NOT real life! Secondly get some sleep there is a point in the book when everything comes together and you can safely take a break without it clouding your dreams, you'll know when i can assure you! I will probably read it again very soon with more of an understanding for the first big storyline, and could quite possibly enjoy it even more than the first time. I have nothing but awe for Stephanie Meyers she left no stone unturned, and every one of my questions were answered, fantastic story, just sad it's over, but real life goes on!!
    • >> Check Mate - My favourite authors tend to be men, G Tate, S King, J Herbert, W Smith, etc. But this lady S Meyer is a force to be reckoned with. An awful lot of people have commented on the terrible reviews this novel received, but sometimes people will do that for their own warped reasons. I know everyone is entitled to their opinions, but to undeservedly give a book a bad review sucks. I cannot see for the life of me how this book should receive this treatment. Enough said. Big D
    • >> Brilliant - Brilliant book....Read it a few times now, and so has my FH. Cannot wait for the newest films to come out ..Highley recommended great read.

  • The Girl Who Played with Fire The Girl Who Played with Fire Stieg Larsson Quercus Publishing Plc
    2009-07-09
    New: £3.06
    Used: £2.86
    • >> Amazon.co.uk Review - Stieg Larsson gleaned a remarkable degree of success before his too-early death in 2004. He had delivered to his publisher three remarkable crime novels; the initial book in his ‘Millennium’ sequence, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, had enjoyed an unprecedented success in his native Sweden before the translation took the UK by storm. Larsson had made a considerable mark as a crusading journalist, with a speciality in tackling political extremist groups. But he offered assistance to many people and groups who he felt were vulnerable – something of a modern hero, in fact.One of Larsson's key achievements as a writer was to create an innovative kind of heroine for the crime novel. His unconventional sleuth, the highly intelligent computer hacker Lisbeth Salander, is a confrontational young woman, whose Goth accoutrements sometimes alienate those around her (except the individuals she opts to have sexual relations with – strictly, that is, according to the rules she lays down). In the second book in the Millennium sequence, The Girl Who Played with Fire (as in its its predecessor), Lisbeth's closest ally is the older journalist Mikael Blomqvist, even though she has abruptly ended her emotional relationship with him. Lisbeth has left all she knows behinds her and has begun a relationship with a gauche young lover. But after a grim revenge run-in with a man who has abused her, she becomes a suspect in three murders, and is the subject of a nationwide search. Blomqvist, however, is convinced of her innocence (he has just been responsible for a blistering report on the sex trafficking industry in Sweden), and is determined to help her – whether she wants his help or not.As with Larsson’s earlier book, this is highly compelling fare, with tautly orchestrated suspense; it's often grisly and uncompromising (not a problem for many readers), and the massive text may be longer than is good for it, but Larsson admirers won't begrudge the late author a word,and will be impatient for the third (and, regrettably, concluding) book in the sequence. --Barry Forshaw
    • >> the girl who played with fire - second book of trilogy,more action and intrigue,some information on salander gained,great read , thank goodness there,s another book cant wait.
    • >> Getting better and better!!! - All I can say is that I was looking forward to reading this book after really enjoying the first one - but what a surprise ! I just could not put this book down. Can recommend 100%!!!
    • >> Try to devour this slowly - Once this book takes hold you devour it and its gone just as dawn approaches. Another day of grumpy regret. What do i read now? There are some loose ends, but this book has some interesting characters and a reasonable plot. Above all it has hooks that keeps you going from the start. Will Salander get back with Blomquist? How will she spend her money? What will she do? Did she kill the 3 victims? What happened to her in the past? Shes a freak, but then freaks are all the rage these days, what with all the vampire novels and films.
    • >> I'm a Larssonite. I stand up to be counted. - From outset, the reader of this crime thriller is made prisoner, like the lifelong prisoners in Plato's allegorical cave, reading shadows as reality. We jump to the wrong conclusions (often the easy ones) again and again, and are put right as many times, berating ourselves for not getting it right in the first place. Larsson is skilled at witholding the whole story, like any good thriller writer, giving us just enough to allow our minds to take a wrong turning. Which is another way of saying that Larsson plays with our judgement and prejudices especially in respect to his heroine, Lisbeth Salander. I found my judgements pinged around like balls in a pin-ball machine: one minute deciding she was an anti-heroine, the next a heroine. Salander is a feminist who has a boob job, a bisexual, a hacker, a thief, a mathematics genius, a loner, holder of a photographic memory, violent, even a murderer? Yet she has friends, three thoughtful, loyal men: Blomkvist, Armansky and Palmgren, the former of whom I decided, must be a character portrait of the author. These three examaine the evidence but will not rest easy until they can uncover the truth, which they hope is her innocence, although they all believe her capable of murder. But Salander is despised by many more. These characters however, lack the likeability factor. More concerning are the character assassinations about her from a lead psychiatrist and a former teacher. Larsson depicts corruption across the board - from all manner of authority-from doctors to police officers, journalists to judges, guardians to chief prosecutors. Here is a young woman wholly failed by all forms of authority from father with a Government-stamped excuse card for any violence he cares commit, onwards. I read wide-eyed, shocked at the parallels to my own childhood. Domestic violence in the 60's and 70's at least in the UK, was minimised with 'just a domestic'. With perpetrators, like my father who had once been 'on the force' it was doubly discounted. Like Salander, I saw myself as my mother's protector. Like Salander, I garnered polarised views of myself academically and had a photographic memory (but only for faces and book titles). Having felt this identification, and fallen in love with its author who was virtual witness to a childhood like mine, I was devastated to read of Larsson's premature death by heart attack in 2004. In his life, as well as working on a major news agency and being editor in chief of a magazine, he was a world expert in anti-democratic, right-wing extremism and Nazi organisations. He and his partner were harassed during the last 15 years of his life, often receiving death threats for this work. Larsson's insight into corruption and failed and failing public services was first-hand. This is an addictive read - if you start early evening you will not want to go bed and will have to be dragged to supper. It is multi-layered with multiple-characters, fast paced, jumping from the free indirect speech of one character to the free indirect speech of another in the next paragraph. It is dark; it is funny. You will gasp, you will laugh, you will be beside yourself with worry. For public services providers Larsson shows us how it should be done through showing us how it shouldn't be done. For the ordinary reader, he advocates witholding prejudice and the easy conclusion about others, especially the stigmatised. Anyone who has suffered at the hands of a parent, doctor, teacher or 'the system' will warm Larsson's heroine. A rip-roaring gift of a read.
    • >> Annoyed by the repeated section - An addictive page turner, but I was annoyed by the repeated sections on pages 312 and 371 [cryptic messages 2 & 3] which spoiled the book for me. Gripping non the less and couldn't but the book down. Loved the ending.

  • Eclipse (Twilight Saga) Eclipse (Twilight Saga) Stephenie Meyer ATOM
    New: £2.08
    Used: £1.98
    • >> Product Description - 'Bella?' Edward's soft voice came from behind me. I turned to see him spring lightly up the porch steps, his hair windblown from running. He pulled me into his arms at once, and kissed me again._ As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings, and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob. Whatever she chooses, her decision has the potential to reignite the ageless war between vampire and werewolf. And with her graduation approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which? The stunning third book in Stephenie Meyer's captivating saga of vampire romance.
    • >> Great story, - The book arrived in great condition and fast. The book itself is great, it is much more engaging than the second in the series, I cant wait to read the fourth.
    • >> Amazing - Absolutely amazing! I have become obsessed with this whole saga, and can hardly put any of the books put down. This one paves the way for book 4, and sets up lots of important decisions/situations. I am re-reading it for the 3rd time now, and am just as hooked as the first time.
    • >> Totally Absorbing - These books will suck you in (excuse the pun.) I have found myself reading when I should really be doing other things and well past midnight. I just want to know what happens next. I've read Twighlight, New Moon and Eclipse over a period of four weeks and I'm just starting on Breaking Dawn.
    • >> love this book and want more story to continue....... - at a moment having breaking dawn (stephanie meyer) nearly finish love the story so much
    • >> Awesome - I just think that the whole twighlight saga, starting with twighlight and ending in breaking dawn are great books to read. The story is so simple and you are totally mesmorised by all the characters from the start. I would encourage anyone to read the books (even though they may have seen the films) as there is far more info in the books. I just love all 4 books and wish that there were another four to follow. You want to savour each page and you never want to finish the books........top marks to Stephanie Meyer

  • 101 One-pot Dishes: Tried-and-tested Recipes (Good Food 101) 101 One-pot Dishes: Tried-and-tested Recipes (Good Food 101) B.B.C. "Good Food Magazine" BBC Books
    New: £1.01
    Used: £0.96
    • >> bookfest - This excellent little book is to the point and well presented but would have been better with a ring binding.
    • >> Some real gems! - I'm working my way through this book and so far so good. The moussaka is delicious, as is the chilli. There is a picture for every recipe and the layout is really easy to follow. The book was smaller than I'd realised - it's a little square book but this is handy for storage. Great price too!
    • >> Great for the single guy - Bought for my husband who is working away from home - he is busy, so things need to be simple. He loves it.
    • >> Sailing - For those who cruise onboard small yachts, or do enjoy caravanning, a very interesting complement to The Cruising Chef by Michael Greenwald.
    • >> LOVE this book - This has turned a must in my kitchen shelves. Lots of very easy to make one pot dishes, small enough to have it open when you cook, still great size and brilliant photos.

  • Hamlyn All Colour 200 Slow Cooker Recipes (Hamlyn All Colour Cookbooks) Hamlyn All Colour 200 Slow Cooker Recipes (Hamlyn All Colour Cookbooks) Hamlyn Hamlyn
    New: £1.29
    Used: £1.32
    • >> Present - I bought this product as a present for my wife who is finding it well set out, containing lots of recipes and easy to use.
    • >> Fantastic value for money - Although titled 200 slow cooker recipes there are actually 104 main recipes the others which make up the 200 are slight variations often changing one ingredient however still fantastic value for money. It is a small book 5 ½" by 6 ½ "with the picture of the completed dish on the right hand page and instructions on the left hand page. As well as the instructions section there 5 other main sections giving recipes for; Breakfasts & Light Bites; Meat, Poultry & Game; Fish & Seafood; Vegetables; Deserts, Drinks & Preserves: What more could you want. There is a useful instruction section explaining hints and tips on using a slow cooker and mentions that all recipes are for 3.5 litre (6 pint) slow cookers but it does explain how to vary the ingredients for the other two sizes of slow cookers. It is as well to follow the recipes in detail at the first attempt, we did not use vegetable suet to make dumplings on the first attempt and these were well underdone.(Cidered Pork with Sage Dumplings) the only one we had any problems with, we have not tried them all, was the Beef and Root Vegetable Hotpot; The instructions said press the potatoes into the stock and the picture does show them on the top of the dish however this resulted in the potatoes being undercooked. Unless the liquid is above the level of the potatoes they do not cook properly. However this worked well with sweet potatoes in the Rancheros Pie which also asked for them to be sliced and placed on top. Favourite dish so far "Pork, Orange & Star Anise"
    • >> Pretty useless - I bought this book on the basis of the reviews on this site and I was disappointed. I wanted some different ideas for using my slow cooker out of two hundred recipes, only a couple were vaguely interesting. It might be useful for someone who has never cooked before.
    • >> Great little cookbook- best I've ever had! - This is a great little book that I bought when I bought my slow cooker a couple of months back. It is the only cook book that I have returned to again and again (and I have a shelf full). Having tried a good number of the main dishes I can only say this is a great book, with easy to follow instructions, pictures and number of alternatives given to the dishes you've tried and liked from the book. You really can't go wrong with this book it is best value for money!!!
    • >> cook book - Could do with some more 'ordinary', everyday recipes in it. We won't use half of these - but has been a good base to get to know how my cooker works - and has given me some ideas. Worth buying for that.

  • New Moon (Twilight Saga) New Moon (Twilight Saga) Stephenie Meyer ATOM
    New: £1.49
    Used: £1.40
    • >> Product Description - Dazed and disorientated, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm - and into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires. For Bella Swan, there is one thing more precious than life itself: Edward Cullen. It's just as well she feels that way, for loving him will be a deadly game... Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire. But now, as their taboo relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, their true troubles are only just beginning... The second tale of blood, passion and love that defies all boundaries in Stephenie Meyer's hypnotic 'Twilight' saga.
    • >> Brilliant - I last read a book about 25 years ago and after watching the 1st film 'Twilight' couldnt wait for the next so i bought the series of books. Absolutley loved every minute of them all. I think i've become obsessed. I wish i had dreams like this. I dint want to stop reading.
    • >> New Moon - Absolutey fantastic, I have never read a book so fast (2 days) I was glued to it...
    • >> sparkle for me edward - oh my goodness, if you havent read the twilight books you MUST!!!! i am happily married but i would gladly walk out that door if edward cullen came knocking. he really has ruined it for mortal men the world over. excellent writing, modern day romeo and juliet.
    • >> New Moon - Great book - could not put it down - read it in a day and a half!!!
    • >> At least the front cover is nice. - I'm usually not one to succumb to hype, but the relentless advertisements and popularity of the movies eventually wore me down and led me to investigate the series. Also I love vampires. I read the first book, Twilight, a year ago and I did not think it was completley awful. The prose was so sickly sweet at times that I felt like gagging and the whole plot was rather clumsy, but there was a certain something that I enjoyed about it. Its hard for any vampire writer to come up with any new material in the wake of Anne Rice's Vampire Chronicles series, and to be fair Stephanie Meyer gave it her best shot.( But the whole sparkling in the sunlight thing? Stupid. ) It was decent. Not good, decent. New Moon however, is much worse. The plot can be summed up in about a sentance: Edward and his vampire family leave Bella so she gets all moody and hangs out with some werewolves instead. End of. The first book read like a teenage girls romantic fantasy, while New Moon resembles the diary of an incredibly whiney and depressed teenage girl. Its always important to have an interesting and compelling protagonist and this is doubly true in the case of a first-person narrative. New Moon's leading lady Bella Swan, however, is not only boring and irritating but downright pathetic. What we have here is 500 pages of Bella moping and whining and rambling about how she is depressed, and how she has a hole in her chest, and how her life is meaningless etc. Not only is this rather tedious, but its also insulting to women. The supporting characters are no better. Edward and Jacob are both two-dimentional dim wits and the human characters just seem to be here in order to fill up space. I could not feel any real sympathy for the characters. I didn't really care if Bella was reunited with her ( shallow, inconsiderite, possesive, controlling ) lost love Edward. Werewolves are present now in this book, but it really just seems that Meyer has recycled the vampire idea from the first one, and in these parts the book once again seems to be constructed from a teenage girl's sexual fantasies. The werewolves are young men who all happen to be big, handsome muscular fellows and because they are werewoves they have a high body temapature. This gives them the oh-so convienent need to walk about topless showing of their bodies. Really. There is also the matter of a nasty vampire woman hunting Bella. She's really the only character I could relate to because after about 200 pages, I too wanted to kill Bella if only to shut her up. This book also repeats the horrible decietful trick that first book played on me: towards the end the excitement and tension ramps up considerably and I got genuinley excited...only for nothing to really happen. To be fair, I think the target audience is really girls aged 11-15, so its maybe not that surprising that it doesn't appeal much to me, an 18 year old boy, but writers like J.K. Rowling and Phillip Pullman show that children/teenage fiction can be imaginitive, enjoyable and intelligent as well as being able to appeal to readers of all ages. As I mentioned at the start of this review, I did enjoy the first book to a certain extent. I've only read the first two books of the Twilight series but I still consider the possibility that the third and fourth books could be better, because I believe that the series does have potential. Anne Rice's Interview with the Vampire crushes this novel underfoot, but to be fair Rice's novel set the bar for vampire fiction ridiculously high, with a shadow thats incredibly hard to escape for other vampire writers. With this in mind I'll approack the other two books with a cautiously optimistic attitude because they could be better, but this one should perhaps be avoided.

  • Twilight (Twilight Saga) Twilight (Twilight Saga) Stephenie Meyer ATOM
    New: £1.87
    Used: £1.38
    • >> Not without faults - Bella Swan reluctantly moves to the gloomy town of Forks to live with her dad, little realising that her life is about to change forever. As well as the usual issues with starting a new school and having to make new friends, she has to cope with her attraction to someone who initially appears to hate her - Edward Cullen. He is one of five Cullens who also attend the school - keeping themselves to themselves and scarily beautiful. As time goes on, Edward and Bella are drawn together more and more, but she is also realising her suspicions that Edward is not completely what he seems. As their love is declared, Bella discovers that Edward and the rest of the Cullens are vampires, but those attempting to deny their true nature. The problem is, not all vampires are so genteel, as Bella is about to find out... Okay, it is extremely hard to review this book in the face of the extreme hype that has grown around the series. I read this early on - before the movie, before it was recommended by all and sundry and definitely before it had grown into a must-read book. Consequently, for me, it is little more than a decent story - although one that has been told many times before in a much more fluid manner. For instance, L J Smith is a YA author who has been turning out tales about paranormal romance between teens for a long time, and I believe that she is extremely talented in comparison to Meyer. Meyer's writing is clumsy, but somehow compelling. The dialogue is laughable at times, but I sincerely could not put this book down. For me, the strength of the book is in the two central characters and the memories it evokes of first love. Because we are in a first person perspective, we see everything that Bella does and suffer along with her as she struggles to come to terms with Edward's true nature and her feelings for him. Bella is a character that does a little too much analysing at times, and I certainly did not appreciate her desire to instantly become a vampire, throwing away her family and friends, but it is lovely to experience that thrill that comes when her love is returned by Edward. Anyone who has been in breathless love and aches to see a person can identify with Bella - her disappointment whenever Edward was out of school, her desire to constantly be with him, her devastation whenever he mentions the idea of leaving her. Of course, Edward's behaviour is reprehensible and cannot be condoned - whether vampire or not. This is a guy who stalks Bella, who goes into her house and watches her sleep at night, who tries to control her every behaviour. Yet somehow you end up excusing all of this in the name of love (in fact, if you read 'Midnight Sun' on Meyer's website - the same story told from Edward's perspective - you do realise that his behaviour is dictated by overwhelming passion for Bella, but this of course is not revealed from Bella's first person perspective here). So, altogether, a story that I thoroughly enjoyed despite its many faults - I will be reading the sequels, but I do not think that Meyer is doing anything particularly new or clever and therefore Twilight does not deserve the hype.
    • >> you have to read this but don't get too hung up on how it's written... - I can see why people have critised this book. It does hold many flaws. It's not that well written, but who cares? Stephanie Meyer originally wrote the story for herself; she didnt anticipate publishing it and loads of people loving it. I don't think it was really intended to be a masterpiece, more like she was sharing her idea of a good story with everyone else. However, I do agree with some character criticisms. Edward: Yes, he was pretty patronising and seemed a bit obsessive to the point of 'ok, we get it now!'. His protective relationship with bella is almost, dare I say it, fatherly in the way he tells bella what to do, all the time, which is kind of weird. I can see why everyone just falls in love with him but his intensity seems a bit too intense and he seems rarely in a light hearted mood. I think people would actually be a bit freaked out if you found out a guy who you hardly know has been sneaking in through your bedroom window and watching you sleep, but because it's a book you take it in a different way. I actually preferred the character of Jacob Black, finding him much more realistic and with at least with a sense of humour. Bella: In a sense it it seems that everyone projects their feelings on to Bella when you read the book but if you look at it very objectively your going to find bella lacking in personality and if you read a review saying she's bland before you read the book, your going to be looking at bella in that light. If you really think about it after then you may even find her a little moany and...submissive? However, as I stated before Meyer didn't write the books with tons of character analysis in mind and people can find their own assumptions of the characters. I would really recommend this book/saga. It's not amazingly well written, but so what?! That's not the point of the book. All the time you want to find out what happens next and it's a really enjoyable read
    • >> Rubbish - I was appalled how awful this book was, deriviative, hackneyed plot, poor grammar, and above all, no cliche left unturned! Im only surprised it ever got published, given how poor an effort it truly is.
    • >> i want my husband to sparkle - This saga of books are amazing the author has you believing that this actually could happen. i was not sure if i would have enjoyed them as much as everyone said but i really have. They are not just books for teenage girls me being 30 something i really enjoyed them. but after reading them i really wished my husband would sparkle like diamonds.
    • >> Teenage girls want to read again ... - First of all, I think readers should bear in mind that this book is aimed primarily at young teenage girls, and was not written with the knowledge that it read worldwide by children and adults alike. Adult readers should not expect anything along the lines of classic literature such as Austen, Bronte, Dickens or Shakespeare because, in that respect, you will be disappointed. I hold great respect for Stephenie Meyer as she has achieved something I didn't think was possible ... getting teenage girls interested in reading books! Sales of Emily Bronte's 'Wuthering Heights' have sky-rocketed since the publication of 'Twilight' due to its' mention in the book. If you find nothing else positive within the text at least it has had that impact. Meyer captured perfectly the awkwardness of Bella and Edward as neither of them quite fit into the 'norm' of the 'popular' crowd. All the typical teenage dramas are covered; fitting in, friends, social activities, school, dances, etc. The text is written in a way that would be familiar to a teenage girl without her feeling as though the author was speaking down to her. As a teenage girl I never quite fit in with the pretty and popular girls so it was refreshing to read a story in which a girl I could relate to got the boy for a change. I wish I could have known it was possible for that to happen back when I was a teenager. My advice for anyone deciding whether or not to buy this book is to do so lightly. Read it as though you were a teenager again and not an adult who supposedly has the world figured out. I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it was absorbing, angsty, intense and passionate. I'm rooting for Bella and Edward in the books that follow.

  • The Little Stranger The Little Stranger Sarah Waters Virago Press Ltd
    New: £3.79
    Used: £3.15
    • >> Flat, flat, flat - I read Fingersmith with intrigue and sometimes delight. The historic detail created a real world of old-fashioned mystery. So The Little Stranger should be a good read, thought I. Sorry, but it's simply not very good, verging on poor. The story never gets clearly off the ground, the writing is actually slack in places and the repetitive disbelief of the narrator finally grinds you to a halt. If he is so dim he cannot accept or realise what's going on, you wonder why he tells the story at all. There was for me no credible connection between the characters, and the narrator's naive, almost craven hope for a future in the love interest is just juvenile - as a doctor he shows no insight into human nature at all.
    • >> Very atmospheric - This book will not appeal to all; it's very slow paced (the supernatural element doesn't really raise its head until a third of the way through), miserably atmospheric - you feel cold and damp reading it - and its subtle approach will be lost on some. Having said all of that, I found it excellent - very gripping, well written, slowly paced as I've said, but the torment is built slowly layer upon layer. As a previous reviewer has said, there are very strong elements of Turn of Screw, with a hint of Rebecca in there too. The reader is never quite sure what is happening, and the story never takes the easy option.
    • >> Not what I expected - I was very excited when I received this book. I love ghost stories in general & I started to read 'The little stranger' with great expectations. However, all through the book, I kept waiting for something to happen, something 'else' than the suspense, the shadows, the frights... I wanted answers! I was soooo disappointed by the end of the story I could have yelled! I honestly think it could have been a great book, it's just so well written... had it had one or two more chapters to wrap everything together. Come on! The house was wonderfully creepy & so described in such a way I practically could 'see' all the rooms, the characters I grew fond of... so out of time, so different... but WHY? Just why don't we have answers??? Why now? who? what happens with 'it' after? Aaaargh! I read the last chapter several times thinking I had missed something or was I too stupid to see it was the perfect ending??? Sorry, but the disappointment remained. I feel slightly cheated & very frustrated with so many questions turning in my head.. But maybe that is what the author wanted?
    • >> best read quickly - as usual, the characters are well drawn, as one has come to expect from a Sarah Waters novel. the story line however is slow and without the tension needed to keep one going. as with all her books, the images remain well after reading, but the book surely could have been half as long?
    • >> A damp squib - I was so looking forward to reading this book, having thoroughly enjoyed Fingersmith. As others have said, I found the story too slowly paced, rather dreary and I really didn't care at all what happened to any of the characters. About halfway through I nearly abandoned it from sheer boredom, but decided to carry on. I had read a lot of glowing reviews of this book and thought maybe I'd get into it if I persevered. Unfortunately, I found the whole thing predictable and not in the least chilling. (and I'm a scaredy cat, not a hard nut) I understand that the author was trying a different approach, but it didn't work for me. A big disappointment.

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