Michael Palin and his team travel the length of the Himalaya, shooting a documentary for the BBC, interviewing interesting people and gathering gorgeous views. The journey takes you from the flat lands of Bangladesh to the highs of Everest Base Camp, and along the way Palin meets so many unique characters. Monks, farmers, miners, he follows the ways of life for these people, discovering just how different life can be from one side of a mountain to another.
Brundle speaks about himself with humour and in a very self-deprecating way, attributing most of his successes to luck and his failures to driver mistakes. The journey through the book takes you from his very first lap as a Formula 1 driver, and you can feel the nerves, and then the growing confidence. It's written well, clear and informative, without being patronising. The layout of the book also means that you there are clear breaks in the narrative, it's easy to pick up and put down, and you don't have to read it straight through, although I did.
Each day, 1 in 4 Americans visits a fast food restaurant. In 1972, we spent 3 billion a year on fast food - today we spend more than 110 billion. McDonald's feeds more than 46 million people a day - that's more than the entire population of Spain. French Fries are the most eaten vegetable in America. You would have to walk for seven hours straight to burn off a …
Today involved Super Size Me, The Whole Ten Yards and a plateful of nachos. Unfortunately, Mr C hasn't seen The Whole Nine Yards and given the amount of time we needed to spend at our computers this weekend, watching three films was just asking a bit too much. But never mind, there's always next time. Super Size Me was a real eye opener, and I think it's a good job …
Today I'm having a solo DVD Day, which only involves one film - Open Water. I was not a fan of Blair Witch, so the cover advertising it as the next best thing was not really something that made me want to watch it. But Mr C definitely didn't want to see it and I was curious, so while selecting DVDs for DVD Day #5 (you can read about that …
Back in the days when Mr C and I first began spending quite a lot of time together, we went to London several times, and on one of these journeys, I was introduced to the phenomenon that is "Underground Bridges". I have mentioned them briefly before but not in too much detail. Basically, entering London on the M4, you travel through what any normal person would call a tunnel. But …
I'm glad I live in a world of heaters and electricity and extra thick cuddly jumpers and soft slippers. And I'm glad I live in a world of air conditioning and ice cubes and cold showers. Can I decide which world I like best? Um, no. When I get cold, I really get cold - my hands turn to blocks of ice and my nose is always colder than the …
Today, I managed to actually enter my pin number whilst paying for something. Up until now, I've managed to say that I don't know it, or go to Sainsbury's who have yet to implement it in their stores. But today, I took the plunge, bought the goods and typed the number, and you know what? I kinda liked it. At first I was opposed to the idea, and it makes …
I got kicked by a pony yesterday. Don't laugh. We wanted to make the most of our last day of freedom before I return to the drudgery of the workplace, so we decided to go to Beaulieu. Mostly to see the cars, but the other stuff looked interesting as well. Here are some photos - they're not great, I'm saving the best for the Photo Blog: Once we'd done at …
The judges on Strictly Come Dancing Champion of Champions saying that they wanted Denise & Ian to win when we could all see that Jill & Darren were the best by miles. Harry Potter VI topping the best-sellers chart when it's not even out for another seven months. I'm looking forward to it too, but I'm not that crazy. That having got bored of the Christmas songs we were allowed …
My father has been in the habit of buying himself a new camera for his birthday every year, and he passes his old one to my mother who then passes her old one to me. It works pretty well, and I've just recently become the proud owner of a snazzy silver number, with a great zoom in facility. I hate getting my films developed at a counter. I do not …
Before I go any further, I officially admit I am now too old for bouncy castles. I'm not sure whether it was because we were on there for longer than last year, whether it was because there were more kids, or whether they were just much more violent, but we definitely came away with more aches and pains than last year. It goes something like this: "Did you have a …
With Christmas fast approaching, people are really beginning to struggle with the idea of me skipping it. They don't seem to understand. So, to help out any who are still a little confused, I've laid out some of the rules here: I do not wish to celebrate anything to do with Christmas, however, I will not ruin anyone else's fun. For example, a colleague said he would sulk and not …
A group of Latin and Ancient History students are misfits in their college and have a very close bond with each other. However, the bond is tested and ultimately broken as they face newcomers, love, hate and death. Henry - completely fascinating, a genius. Bunny - you just love to hate him, loud, obnoxious. Charles and Camilla - twins, a little too close for comfort? Francis - kind of a bit part really, I don't think he's essential to the story. Richard Papen - your narrator. It really draws you in to the moment. It feels as though you are taking part in the situations or have become a fly on the wall. It is beautifully constructed, each word necessary to make it a wonderful story.
An eye-catching premise about a psychiatrist who gets increasingly bored with his life and so decides to leave it all up to the hands of Chance. He gets to place the options, the dice get to pick the outcome. Obviously, his world starts to shred and tatter, but not necessarily always in a bad way. The interesting thing about this book is that I can't relate to any of the characters, I don't feel any sympathy or empathy or anything remotely connected to them. And I think that's why I found it a struggle to read. It's a bizarre mixture of first person, third person, dialogue and just narrative, diary style and letters from 'fans' of the dice life. It keeps you interested and the short chapters make you want to keep turning the pages. I thought it was going to be really good but in the end, I was left feeling confused, disappointed and not really any better off. I think the idea is brilliant, but it doesn't come off well in this way.
Ray is a Professor of law and likes to fly. He goes home to see his dad who is dying but finds him already gone, along with a simple will that omits the boxes containing three million dollars in the cupboard. Where did it come from? What should he do with it? Ray seems normal enough, his brother Forrest is a drug addict. Both are described very well. It's really interesting to follow how Ray changes when he decides what to do with the money. Cash changes people. This wasn't as much about law as in a usual Grisham book, and it was a very slow-starting story. Everything gripping seemed to be left until the last minute. I thought the ending was good, that was where everything happened but also there was an unexpected turn of events that genuinely surprised me and I hadn't guessed would happen. The rest just rolls along, keeping you interested but not giving much away.
Luke is a seven year old boy living deep in the heart of Arkansas, picking the cotton fields over the searingly hot summer. There's the threat of rain, the family and the newcomers to deal with along with a scarily close at hand killing that Luke is witness to. Luke's a great little guy but sometimes you tend to forget that he's only twelve. I kept getting confused because his Pappy is his grandfather and he didn't really call his dad anything (sir!), just 'my father' a lot. It took me ages to realise his name was Jesse! Very slow and methodical, the story is set at it's own pace and will not be rushed. I think I enjoyed it but then again, maybe I didn't. It's hard to tell and if I could make a decision, I couldn't tell you why. I'm not such a fan of the slow pace of story, but I did like the way it flowed through the summer.
Another adventure starring the marvellous Dirk Pitt and his very best friend Al Giordino. This time they are faced with a mixture of oil tycoons, an engineering genius and ancient Vikings, all joined together in a mysterious plot that could ruin the government and eventually the world. Obviously, we adore Dirk, he's strong and adventurous and yet the most complete gentleman you could ask for. Almost suspiciously so! I was less averse to the details instilled in this book but I found some of the descriptions quite obvious.
I thought it was going to be great, it starts off well and Marc writes in first person, letting you right into the depths of what he's going through. But, then it switches from first person to third person and that completely threw me off. I think it's supposed to add to the suspense but I found it very distracting. The story was interesting and readable but the constant switching takes away from the good points.
I forgot to write about DVD Day #2, which included Spiderman 2 (not as good as the first) and Garfield (not as good as the trailer), so it wasn't really worth talking about. Today, whilst partaking in popcorn, Pringles and dips, we've seen I, Robot and King Arthur. I, Robot was brilliant, funny and unusual, and I didn't find myself picking many holes in it at all. Plus, Will Smith …
The book is really, really, formatted. There's a book a month and then each month is split into headings of the different peoples names, whoever that particular section is about. I like the style of writing and the story comes across really well, it was just a little bit too 'young family' orientated for me.
In accordance with some websites that I have been perusing recently, it appears to be important where you fare on a search in Gooooooogle. Woke Up This Morning is way too far down the list to make it worth my while searching, but "101 Words" (without the quotation marks) is around about 63. Check it out for yourself - how cool am I? Of course, if you search for "101 …
It's set an age ago, when tribes killed each other and sacrificed to the gods to keep famine from striking them each winter and to bring them strong and healthy sons each summer. It's a story of three sons who battle it out to rule the tribe, to appease the gods and to bring a temple across from another land. A temple of stone. Lengar, the evil brother, you really hate him and he gets what he deserves. His name is the only one on the back cover but bizarrely his brother Saban is the book's main focus. He's the good guy and your genuine pre-history hero. Also, Camaban, the other brother, a little eccentric, you might say.
Starbuck is an interesting character, particularly headstrong although he values his morals and his friendships. Washington is really nice to Nate at the beginning of the book but when he turns against him, you just love to hate him. Bernard Cornwell writes well but I got a little bored of the detailed battle scenes. I do like the conversations and the relationships between the historical people. It was good but I much prefer the Sharpe books. Apparently Bernard had to choose between extending this series and the Sharpe series and I think he chose the right one.
I was going to sit down and think of something intelligent to write, but when I arrived home after a stressful day, Mr C had purchased me the new Zoo Tycoon 2. That’s distracted me for the next century!
Lincoln is a cantankerous old fellow, bless him, you really feel for him and get inside his head though. Amelia Sachs bugs me a little bit because it's so obvious that her and Rhyme should be together - he's never going to make the first move, so it's up to her. Would they just get on with it? I love these books because there's always a good structure and the plot doesn't falter at all. My dad said this one was better than the Bone Collector, but I'm not really sure I prefer it. They're just as good as each other, and both brilliant.
Sam is really great, the kind of person I would like to talk to. Unfortunately, I don't have fantastic amounts of sympathy for Lucy. She doesn't seem to care much about Sam, with their childlessness engulfing their entire relationship. There's only so many times I can read the word WHY before I lose patience. This probably says more about me than it does about the book though. I like the way it flicks between the two perspectives, although as I wasn't particularly fond of Lucy, I very much preferred whenever Sam got to tell the story. It was good, but a little drawn out. A nice story with a happy(ish) ending.
Lots of people feature in this book: Dave Gorman, obviously, a lot of googlewhacks who really are too plentiful to count, plus the David Gorman who made the bet, his agent Rob and his book publisher Jake. I did miss Danny Wallace a little bit, but I bet DG is fed up of the association there. It was very funny, insightful and very literal about everything. Whipped along at a great pace and very honest about every step of the way. Must admit that about 70% of the way through, I was sure that if I ever heard the word googlewhack again, I'd run away screaming. But it's worth it.
You feel a great deal of sympathy for Dominick, although he does get a little angry at times, you can't blame him. And his brother Thomas, although scary, still pulls at your heartstrings. All the other people come and go, but all leave an impression on Dominick and on you. I found this just impossible to put down, one of the best books I've read in a long time. If you have the opportunity to read it, don't turn it down.
I'm not watching X Factor anymore, due to its descent from a decent talent contest into what is essentially a forum for Sharon Osbourne and Simon Cowell to bicker with each other. Not good television. And Kate Thornton is just too strict, making sure everyone is in their place - sometimes with live TV, you just have to just go with the flow - take a leaf out of Davina's …
Set in Rome AD 70. Marcus Didius Falco bumps into a beautiful young girl and the next thing he knows, she has been murdered. Being of the private investigative sort, he begins to unravel a huge plot that leads him through Rome, to Britain and back, to a meeting with his high and mighty himself, the emperor. Marcus is a nice little character, he lives on his own and is fond of women but takes care of his mother and his family as well. He spends three months as a slave in the mines, just to gain some new information - a brave man!
With a struggling family to feed, Griet is forced to work as a servant in the house of an artist and his family. She gets closer and closer to the man of the house, whilst becoming less and less popular with the family. Eventually, he asks her to pose for him and you just know it's going to cause trouble.
Fen is very interesting, her obsessive looking at each of her hands in turn, looking for an answer is something I can relate to, although I don't actually do that. I may start though! Matt and James are both really sweet and you feel bad for them when she's not being nice. It's a bit weird when the book starts to talk to the characters, so I wasn't sure but overall I liked it.
It took me three months to read this book, it is so descriptive with a lot of big sentences that I had to read several times to get them to make any sense. And it's a really hard book to get into, it's like reading the story on the surface but not really connecting with the book at all. By the end, I was sick of it.
Christopher Boone is the narrator of the story and he's a fifteen year old boy with autism. It's a simple, interesting little story that gives you a completely amazing insight into the mind of an autistic person. I was very impressed. Christopher is so smart, it's actually quite humbling. Obviously, his downfall is dealing with people - he can't bear to be touched and often tries to shut the world out. He's a fantastic character, noticing everything around him, so the book is very detailed. I like that the chapters are numbered by prime number order.
Clay is an interesting character because in his desperation to get somewhere in life, he's willing to sacrifice his principles and lower his standards. Once he has money, he begins to change and it's interesting to see whether he can hold on to any of his opinions from before. It's an interesting insight into what could be a stereotypical view of how money affects you. You know from the start that he's going to be knocked down a peg or two but it manages to keep interest all the way. Up to the usual Grisham standard.
The basic premise is a plane crash and a group of boys of varying ages stranded on a deserted island. They start off well, organising themselves into groups, making sure they can survive. They sort out hunters and people to keep the fire going, they participate in regular meetings, but as time goes on and minds start bending, the group begin to disintegrate. Ralph and Jack are the main two, starting as irritants to each other and ending up as leaders of rival groups and mortal enemies. All the boys are portrayed well and it's interesting to see how they react without the presence of adults. The very start of the book was a little confusing for me, and setting up the storyline took a moment to get used to. Overall, it was good, although I'm not sure I would give it rave reviews.
I'd just like to say that although I appreciate the sentiment of the Girls Aloud Children In Need single "I'll Stand By You", they just shouldn't do it. They're too happy about it, they don't have the emotion in their voices and they don't appear to understand what they're saying - they may as well be singing about candyfloss. As I have been saying all weekend - It's just wrong.
I really liked it, there was a lot of dialogue and it kept things running smoothly. It could have been very confusing with all the body travelling going on, but it all flowed nicely until the conclusion. Really good, a little gory but apparently the least gory of Laymon's writings, so eeshk!
Lincoln is described really well, you get right inside his head and can practically feel how frustrated he is. Amelia is a little distant, not really revealing much until right near the end, but she makes a good heroine, and crucially, they make a good team. I couldn't put it down, the plot moved along really swiftly but made sure everything was understood. Deaver wasn't afraid to portray how disturbed the kidnapper was, and although a surprise as to who it was, it all made sense in the end.
Harriet is just an amazing little character, you get to see right inside her and she's described so well, that you almost feel like you're twelve again. Sadly, the structure of the rest of the family confused me a little. It's very descriptive but not overly so and no words out of place. I liked it, but I found it a little - well, I got to the end and I couldn't really believe that was the end, I felt like it could have gone on for a long time more, but not because it was exceptionally good, just because the ending felt a little, weak.
This Boycotting Christmas thing is much harder than you'd think. It started with me just saying I wouldn't go to the Christmas Meal. Then a colleague said that if I didn't go, he wouldn't go and then he'd have a miserable Christmas and it would be all my fault. Well, I have principles, but they don't stand up to that kind of pressure, so I agreed to go. But now, …
I can really relate to Luthor because I loathe Christmas but even though his plans were thwarted, I still thought it was a fun read. His wife seemed far too preoccupied with other people's opinion. I thought it was great, heart-warming at the end, if a little too Scrooge-some in the middle. It's a nice, short read you can get through in a day.
The book switches between the actual story of what happened to her, to memories of her earlier childhood and then a brief synopsis of what she did with the rest of her life. It was good, difficult to read - very gruesome but with a great sense of achievement as she starts to move on.
Edgar starts out as a timid piano tuner who has a small existence in London, but by the end of the novel he is passionate about things and has wild emotions and dreams he never knew existed. It's beautiful and descriptive, sucking you into the experiences of Burma with a passionate love of the place. I really only picked this up for the piano in the title but I ended up really enjoying this book.
This was the third of the three book omnibus by Howatch. The three books do make a series together but are easily read apart as well. I did like the way it kept switching between Carta's POV and Gavin's as that managed to keep the story interesting. Despite my complaints, I really did like this book, it was just a little pretentious, concentrating too much on trying to be modern, maybe? I don't know. I'm undecided whether to read the others in the series, but I did buy other books of hers to read.
