If, like me, you came across Louise Rennison’s Confessions of Georgia Nicolson series through your teenage children, you’ll readily confess to your helpless absorption in the hilarious, infectious and simply compelling nature of the stories. You just have to keep reading them, if only to see what preposterous predicament Georgia will find herself (or place herself) in next.
It is, of course, not just the comically (and movingly) fraught scenarios, the ups and owns of adolescent romances, but Georgia’s unique thought processes that beguile and uplift you. Based on the author at the age of 14, Georgia is not an angel – she is prone to be self-obsessed, even a little stupid on occasions – but is fundamentally a good-hearted youngster who tries to make the right decisions.
Another of those rare authors who seem to write for teenagers but who are eagerly read by adults, too, Louise Rennison combines a light-hearted wisdom about adolescent turmoil with a simply fabulous sense of humour. These books make you laugh out loud and have you holding your breath in anticipation about how the next awkward dilemma will be survived.
Louise Rennison graduated from Brighton University and by the 1980s was touring the comedy circuit in the UK with her show Stevie Wonder Touched My Face. The show revealed Louise’s shining comedic talent. The first and second novels in the nine-book (and counting) Confessions series, Angus, Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging and It’s OK, I’m Wearing Really Big Trousers was made into a successful comedy movie (Angus Thongs and Full-Frontal Snogging) in 2008.
99 Ways to Cut, Sew, Trim & Tie Your T-Shirt into Something Special is a comprehensive, spiral-bound manual that is full of great ideas about how to change your old T-shirts into snazzy and eye-catching garments. This book was written by Justina Blakeney and Faith Blakeney – who specialise in revamping women’s clothing and accessories – with Anka Livakovic and Ellen Schultz, who all worked together on 99 Ways to Cut, Sew & Deck Out Your Denim.
What is very impressive about the book is that the majority of the designs and techniques are easy to follow. Finding the right supplies to carry out the revamping work is also easy. Each style is given a difficulty rating between one and four, and the book also claims that no style should take more than half an hour to create. Each can range from the basic sewing of patches to dyeing in different colours, and there are plenty of ideas that could be utilised for both women’s and men’s fashion.
The book is published by Potter Craft who are renowned for their many guides on fashion and the re-styling of old clothes and accessories. Other titles that they have to their name include “Bend-the-Rules Sewing” and “Socks from the Toe Up”.
But as much as the information laid out in the book is in a clear step-by-step format, you may find some basic advice – regarding such things as preparation – has been omitted and it will therefore be up to the reader to find out about those tasks for themselves. However, for anyone interested in style or making their own clothes, this would make a great Christmas or birthday gift.
It is hardly surprising that Kevin McCloud’s book, “Grand Designs Handbook: The Blueprint for Building Your Dream Home” has been so well received. The author of such other titles as “Kevin McCloud’s Grand Tour of Europe” and “Colour Now: An Expert Guide to Choosing Colours for Your Home” is, of course, best known as the presenter of the popular TV series “Grand Designs”.
In this particular edition, McCloud has used his expertise of building design and architecture to produce a book that is easy to follow and full of invaluable advice, from initial plans to overseeing the building of your dream home.
As much as McCloud permeates the grand dream of building the home you’ve always wanted, he is sure to add a healthy dose of realism and doesn’t put the reader under any false impression about how much work is involved. However, in saying that, his opinionated observations that are so much a part of the TV series are present throughout the book.
A polite notice introduces the book, in which McCloud informs the reader that if you don’t like his choice in houses, you are probably not going to like what he has to say about them; therefore, quite simply, you shouldn’t have bought the book.
There are many options to choose from in this category, but you will find that, provided you are a fan of McCloud, the “Grand Designs Handbook” is probably one of the most informative and definitely one of most entertaining out there. Its glossy layout and style will also make it a good choice for a stocking filler at Christmas.
Blackjack’s Hidden Secrets: Win Without Counting offers a unique and informative way on how to win at the Blackjack table and continually beat your competitors. Most players would be convinced that the only way to beat the dealer would be to rigorously count cards, but with the aid of this book, the method is completely discarded.
Many people would consider black jack a game of luck, but those in the know already understand how much skill is actually involved. It is a very logic-based game that requires a lot of attention, but with the help of “Blackjack’s Hidden Secrets: Win Without Counting” easy success can be achievable much more frequently.
The author is George Pappadopoulos, who has a variety of titles attributed to his name. He also wrote the follow-up to this book, “Blackjack’s Hidden Secrets II”, and both editions are published by ME-n-U Marketers and are also available in audio format.
Perhaps what makes this book so appealing is that it is only 28 pages long, and can be carried around quite easily – an extremely handy reference tool should you find yourself in the middle of a game that isn’t going your way. It is quite considerable the relatively small amount of knowledge that Pappadopoulos has used to replace the detailed subject of card counting, but the advice in this book will be indispensible to any reader and is sure to lead to more successful wins at the table. It would make a great stocking-filler for Christmas or a valued birthday gift.
In his latest book, TV chef Jamie Oliver sets out to uncover the hidden secrets of famous American cuisine. Feeling that there was more to the country then diners and fast-food, he travelled coast to coast finding inspiration in places such as New York, New Orleans, Wyoming and Los Angeles.
Of course the author is known to many and is currently one of the most famous cooking personalities in the UK. His career to date has been filled with success. After beginning cooking in his parents’ pub at the age of eight, he went on to study with the world’s top chefs, started his own restaurant chain and has also given plenty back to society via the Feed Me Better Movement, which revolutionised school dinners for kids across the country, as well as a host of other charitable causes.
In “Jamie’s America” there are 120 recipes that are sure to add a special twist to dinners. There aren’t many mainstream books covering the diverse subject of American cuisine, and here Oliver has managed to include an example of cuisine from every culture that has made the United States so unique. As always, his recipes are never hard to follow and will be a joy to cook for both beginner and intermediate chefs. If you are trying to please fussy eaters, this could well be the book for you. From New York noodles to Georgia venison and creamy beans and Seven Seas Soup from Los Angeles, there will be something here to appeal to any palette.
The “Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships 2010” is the latest up-to-date cruise guide from the popular travel publisher, Berlitz. Everything you need to know about the latest cruise deals and cheap cruises from around the world will be found in this book. This is their 25th anniversary edition on cruise ships and is written by one of the most noted experts on cruising, Douglas Ward. It also claims that it is the only independent cruise guide on the market.
It would be fair to say that they are definitely not biased in any way. The main purpose of this guide is to help you find the cruise deals that will best meet your needs and it covers an impressive 270 cruise ships. Also included in this 2010 edition is the largest cruise ship in the world, the “Oasis of the Seas”, which recently made its maiden voyage.
Ward’s style of writing has made this book something of a bible for cruise sailors everywhere. He is unashamedly frank in his review of every ship (the Melbourne publication The Age described him as “The most feared man on the seven seas”) and he is never afraid to highlight weaker points. His chapter titled “50 Ways in Which Cruise Lines Exasperate Passengers” is a perfect example, and is full of handy advice for beginners.
Berltiz’s “Complete Guide to Cruising and Cruise Ships” has been an indispensible reference for the world of cruising for years, and is really the only real guide book out there that will help you find the right cruise holiday.
Dan Brown leapt to fame and fortune in 2003 with his fourth novel, The Da Vinci Code, which was made into a big-budget Hollywood movie in 2006.
Brown has come in for some criticism, notably from the Catholic Church and some Christian groups: feathers were ruffled by his depiction of the Catholic organisation Opus Die in The Da Vinci Code as a sinister underground organisation full of secrets, riddles and even ruthless assassins, bent on preventing scandalous ancient truths becoming public.
Perhaps the most important point to remember is that no one reads a Dan Brown novel for religious enlightenment, or even for literary finesse: he is a story-teller extraordinaire, with a fantastic talent for keeping you frenetically turning his pages until the book is finished. Fascinated by cryptology (the art of concealing secret messages in symbols), Brown places this subject at the heart of his Robert Langdon novels, the fictional Professor of Symbology from Harvard University. The stories offer compellingly enigmatic examples of covert ingenuity and coded concealment, whilst yielding abundant edge-of-the-seat, heart-pounding thrills along the way. Brown’s novels are lengthy, but his prose style is addictive: he writes in short bursts, a technique that keeps you compulsively glued to the text.
The success of Da Vinci boosted the sales of Brown’s earlier works, including Digital Fortress and the first Robert Langdon novel, Angels and Demons. The third Robert Langdon novel, The Lost Symbol, is reportedly due for release in September 2009; set in Washington DC, it apparently features the byzantine secrecy of the Freemasons.
If you are looking for some inspiration for this years’ Christmas-day feast, “Delia’s Happy Christmas” is packed full of interesting ways to take the predictable Christmas fare to new and exciting places. Anyone who has been in charge of Christmas dinner in the past will know how much preparation and timing is involved in getting things right. This book has every aspect of the challenge covered and is full of handy tips on how to organise your cooking plans, so the turkey or black pudding need never be burned again.
Of course the author, Delia Smith, will need no introduction to anyone who is familiar with the cookery world. As well as being a popular television cook, she has sold over 21 million books and has been creating recipes for over 40 years. But not only does she present some truly innovative ways of cooking the usual turkey and ham, but here she provides useful tips on how to prepare a vegetarian Christmas dinner, as well as some tasty ways to make the best of the leftovers.
Although many of the recipes from her 1990 Christmas book have been included here, there is still a list of new creations that have been added – there are 100 new and 50 old recipes to be exact. The author’s writing style is easily understood and the text is laid out in such a way that no recipe will be hard to follow. Glossy mouth-watering pictures add a real touch of class to the book. It is certain to be a hit with this year’s Christmas chef.
“100 Houses: Modern Designs for Contemporary Living” is a glossy and stylish look at the latest ventures in contemporary home designs. Although it does not cover much in the DIY and building areas, the wealth of inspiring advice and ideas such as bathroom accessories, kitchen design and bedroom furniture makes it highly recommended for anyone considering renovating their property. Properties from locations such as the UK, US and Japan have been made the subject of close study and a diverse range of styles has been included.
The author of the book is Cathy Strongman, who is known for her stylish titles and expertise in home-design and architecture. Two of her other books are “The Sustainable Home: The Essential Guide to Eco Building, Renovation and Decoration” and “New London Architecture 2”, which she wrote with Kenneth Powell.
“100 Houses: Modern Designs for Contemporary Living” was published in April 2009, by Merrell Publishers Ltd and consists of wonderfully shot photographs of cutting-edge designs as well as content that is well-written and extremely accessible. Over the 351 pages of the book, Strongman explains the aesthetics behind the designs, without relying on jargon or using any pretension.
Living room furniture, bathroom design and shower enclosures are just a selection of what is covered. This book will make the perfect Christmas or birthday present for anyone interested in modernising their home. Not only is the book filled with practical and helpful advice, but it will also make a great coffee-table book for light browsing and could easily sit on any shelf of art-photography.
This young mother of three is a ‘demon writer’ as well as writer of demons. In other words, she is a most readable prose stylist who also writes darkly romantic stories about demons. Her first novel, ‘Twilight’ written in 2005 has been made into a blockbuster movie and began as a dream – literally.
Stephanie Meyer dreamt of a teenage girl who became the focus of a vampire’s romantic longing – even though he also longed for her blood. The tension between the vampire’s two appetites – for love and for destruction – haunts the novel compellingly. Whilst it is a rattling good read and is almost impossible to put down once you start reading, Ms Meyer drew from numerous literary works for inspiration, including Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for the first novel in the three-book series; Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for the second (New Moon), and Bronte’s Wuthering Heights for the third (Eclipse).
The stories bring to the fore the often impossible contradictions love seeks to navigate – between good and evil, the permissible and the forbidden, the safe and the dangerous – and it may be that in narrating these irreconcilable tensions, the novels touch all of us who sense them at work in out own loves and life paths. That they have sold in their millions suggests a universal appeal.
In writing novels for teenagers, which can be (and are) read avidly by adults, Ms Meyer’s extraordinary literary talents and excellent story-telling powers are a dark delight. A graphic novel of Twilight is about to be published.
