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The Kite Runner

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by: Khaled Hosseini

June 07, 2004
when i was given this book to read for my A-level english i was a little more than hesitant of it as it wasnt really a book i would read, the last being harry potter but strangely i found myself gripped. Not wanting to divulge information as many others have, in short this is a tale of betrayal, redemption and loyalty in a time none of us could imagine the afghan monarchy had fallen and the republic taken over leading to the devastating russian invasion, writen with such description and power you are thrown into a world of poverty and decay where things happen that make you cringe, make you smile and even at times make you want to cry. all in all i read this book in a few short days not wanting to put it down, the book can be slow at times but ... Read More:

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101 One-pot Dishes: Tried-and-tested Recipes (Good Food 101)

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by: B.B.C. "Good Food Magazine"

February 16, 2006
As the title suggests, I have a few of these books & whilst they are good, there is something missing from them which I couldn't quite put my finger on until now, but more on that later.

101 One Pot Dishes seems to be a good book, I have made the prawn pilau twice now & it has been an enjoyable dish, & there is likely to be other recipes I will be using as well.

So far so good, yes? There is a problem with the Good Food collection I have found, & that is whilst it is normally filled with good recipes, the book on a whole is somewhat souless. There's no input from the people that contributed the recipe really so it's just a list of ingredients & instructions, and whilst the recipes are good, they just ... Read More:

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A Thousand Splendid Suns

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by: Khaled Hosseini

September 18, 2008
This is one of the best books I have ever read. The story of two women brought together in the most awful, despicable circumstances which are totally out of their control. The husband Rasheed is probably one of the most hateful, violent characters I have ever come across and Hosseini's writing is so powerful that you believe these people really exist and I hated Rasheed with a passsion. This book had my heart thumping at a failed escape and crying at one of the most poignant chapters set in the Ghaza Stadium. Like the Kite Runner this book does end with a sense of hope but again, getting to that end still fills you with sadness. This is one book I will remember for along time.

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Dear Fatty

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by: Dawn French

October 02, 2008
This is a beautiful book by a beautiful person, Dawn French. It made me laugh and cry which is quite remarkable when most autobiographies simply go out of their way to list the author's achievements.

Dawn has made so many people laugh over the years: now she will surprise them with her writing.

Thank-you, Dawn, for the most un-showbizzy of memoirs! You are blessed to have such a wonderful family, and your love for them is evident on every page.

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Breaking Dawn (Twilight Saga)

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by: Stephenie Meyer

August 04, 2008
Although my favourite book in the series is probably Eclipse, I still really enjoyed Breaking Dawn and thought it came to a conclusion that the majority of readers will be satisfied with. I think there would have been more uproar if it had gone any other way!

I was completely engrossed and didn't put the book down till it was finished. I really don't see how it could have gone any other way - unless fans wanted to see 90% of the characters they love be destroyed in a blood thirsty ending that really doesn't fit with the tone of the rest of the books!

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A Most Wanted Man

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by: John le Carré

September 23, 2008
George Orwell.

With the possible exception of one young German lawyer there are no revolutionary acts in John Le Carre's "A Most Wanted Man". Rather, we have high-level functionaries from German, British, and US intelligence agencies for whom deceit is the norm and truth plays, at best, a secondary role in acting in what is or may be in each country's national interest. In tone and substance this is not much different from Le Carre's Cold War fiction. The trick is to see whether the same cynical realism plays as well in today's `war on terror'. Le Carre's transition from the Cold War to the brave new world post-9/11 is excellent. The result is a book that is dark, cynical, and almost as rewarding as the best of Le Carre's earlier fiction.

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Stick Man

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by: Julia Donaldson

September 01, 2008
Just read this to my kids (8 & 4) and we ALL loved it. Beautiful pictures and a lovely story. I am not ashamed to say I had a little tear in my eye at the end.

I know this is a book I will be reading many a time from now on.

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Twilight (Twilight Saga)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Books
by: Stephenie Meyer

September 09, 2006
I wont describe the plot because it very comlex and ultimatley i think it would be best left as a suprise. Although i will say this. If your prepared to fall in love with a book charactor (Edward Cullen) and are looking for something with romance, action and drama then this is the book for you! (cheesy i know lol). Its one of the best books ive read in a long time and would reccomend it to everyone. (myself and my girlfriends think every boy should read this book and look to Edward as a sort of role model). The story line to this will be on your mind at all times during the reading and its an amazing book. i would say read the book before the film comes out (yes there is a film out soon) as watching a film before reading the book generally ruins the book and i wouldnt want ... Read More:

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Wolf Island (The Demonata)

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by: Darren Shan

October 01, 2008
This is a VERY good series, definately one of my favourites, if not the favourite, and it hasn't finished yet.
So, here we have the 8th instalment of this epic story, beginning slightly after the end of no. 6, Demon Apocalypse, and once again it is told from the point of view of Grubbs, which is good because he's the main main character but we havn't heard from Kernel since book 2, so I very much hope the next book will tell his story in the latest turn of events.
The book gets straight into the juicy demon-slaying action that is spread around these books *yay* but it does take a while to re-cap and such when we already know what happened, but I suppose dear Mr. Shan has to remind everyone in case they forget, good good. And Then a scene is repeated from book 7 0_o ... Read More:

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The Forgotten Garden

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by: Kate Morton

May 29, 2008
I, like many others who reviewed this book, read and really enjoyed 'The House at Riverton'. This book was also good, up to about two-thirds of the way through. It then became a bit laborious when the answer to the mystery became predictable. The skipping back and forth between time zones was O.K. at first but then became confusing. Nevertheless, not a bad read but expected better after the author's first book.