Tobias Reeks
Colonel Macready enlists the help of his manly, masculine chauffeur Fred to help toughen up Fergus, his “bookish” son, who doesn't live up to his own expectations of masculinity and “What it means to be a man”.
Whilst the Colonel is away on his honeymoon, what happens is not quite what Fergus' father originally had in mind, with a lot of what is not said being part of the novella, making it quite erotic at times. The plot ultimately plays out how the internal and external pressures on one's identity can have dire consequences.
Written at a time when attitudes were very different towards the LGBTQIA+ community, the novel reads easily, despite being bogged down by paragraphs that may be more difficult for the modern reader to digest.
It asks and poses many questions that could be good for a book club discussion.
I loved this enchanting little book about a hungry crocodile, which involved me singing (once more) at my class of five and six year olds, and I'm sure it will not be the last time either.
Lots of new vocabulary here to be discovered and it subconsciously seems to have taught them the melody for “The Twelve Days of Christmas” as well.
There is plenty here to be enjoyed over and over again with your little one or people, coupled together with the important message of eating your vegetables.
I currently work in Year 1 and decided to read this charming book to my class on their very first day. Needless to say, with them probably being so nervous about being in school, it didn't quite get the reaction I wanted, having read it before.
However, days after I first read it aloud to them, the penny dropped and they still ask for me to read this to them. My classroom will then be filled with their giggles as well as a vivid future flashback of their (poor) teacher looking and sounding quite silly at the front of the room back in 2022.
You will have great fun reading this to your little person or people, I do! Thoroughly recommended.
I decided to revisit this after spotting a paper copy of this on a bookshelf when I worked in a school in 2021.
The plot features a female protagonist and her (80s named) friends, which serves as a charming introduction to similar writing aimed at young adult readers.
Very much a product of its time, I enjoyed this little nostalgic trip down memory lane.
A book that is frighteningly similar to [b:The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse 43708884 The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse Charlie Mackesy https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579017235l/43708884.SX50.jpg 68017220] by [a:Charlie Mackesy 3242801 Charlie Mackesy https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1564684605p2/3242801.jpg].Pros:Both are easy reads, full of inspirational quotes. In Norbury's case, the artwork is inspired by Buddhism and both encourage moments of reflection in our busy lives, wherever you choose to have them. You can read this alone or to a loved one, so it will appeal to all ages. The text is much clearer/more accessible to read, especially when not on paper.Cons:The similarities to [a:Charlie Mackesy 3242801 Charlie Mackesy https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1564684605p2/3242801.jpg]'s work may put others off, and due to it's length, paying the full price of £14.99 may put many off, considering it's done and dusted within thirty minutes.Like [a:Charlie Mackesy 3242801 Charlie Mackesy https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1564684605p2/3242801.jpg]'s, this book is one that can be treasured and picked up in times of need, again and again.
“Big. Small. We all rely on each other,” said the Ceratium wisely. “We all have jobs to do. The world belongs to no one.”
An adorably illustrated little book where younger readers (and even their parents) can learn about some of the mini beasts that do important work in our environment.
I chuckled aloud at parts of it - “Now, eat your plants.” - Sound familiar? The appearance a protist chef called Flagella Awesome, again made me smile too.
To finish off, there's a glossary at the back which explains some of the things you've read about and more importantly, their pronunciation.
All the characters you loved (or loved to hate) are back, plus some new ones, since this takes place five years after the events of the 1989 film.
The premise of the story is simple, what would have happened if Ursula had not been defeated? We meet a mute Queen Ariel at the beginning of this Twisted Tale, Ursula is now ruling on land as Princess Vanessa, and Prince Eric is still under her spell.
It's not a short read to say the least, clocking up over five hundred pages and at one point I did stop reading for a few weeks, since I felt like it had nowhere to go after a particular plot event about a third of the way in. I guess if it had a rating akin to a film, it would be 12A and it is at times quite dark in tone but still family friendly enough, but that's the idea - it's Disney.
My star rating would probably be about 3.5 but I'm giving it a 4.
If you want a fresh take on Disney's The Little Mermaid, you'll find it here and probably like this too.
With this book now being fourteen years old, one could indeed suggest that another Kate Moss biography could be on the way with this published just after her dramatic fall from grace in 2005.
Unfortunately, the book is riddled with so many spelling mistakes and editing errors that it makes you wonder whether this was checked before being sent to the printers, and ends on a weird note not really concluding everything written previously.
Despite that, it is a very in-depth and indeed well researched biography about her providing a social and cultural context, telling us the how's and why's to how she got to where she is today.
Content - 3/5
Spelling mistakes and editing errors reduce it to a 2/5.
Yes, I hold up my hand and admit that I'm one of those who has seen the 1951 animated Disney motion picture after having been treated to it (on VHS, no less) for one of my birthdays as a child, and now having read the first part of its source material, Disney did a fantastic job of adapting this “nonsense” to the big screen.
I do say “nonsense” kindly of course. Does the story make sense? No, not at all, but that's the idea! I've worked with children who were given free rein to write stories and their ideas were usually bonkers and all over the place. That's what made this fun, if perhaps a little frustrating for adult readers in that it doesn't follow a logical sequence of beginning, middle and end. I bet Lewis Carroll had great fun writing it, however.
I'd thoroughly recommend the audio book version narrated by Miriam Margolyes, who does a smashing job of narrating it and bringing Carroll's nonsensical characters to life.
Kindle Edition: 4/5
Audible Edition: 5/5
In these “unprecedented times” (to quote many a British politician), we've been given a lot of spare time on our hands whilst the world has slowed down, in order to contemplate our lives - I know I certainly have - and think about what the future holds. We do know one thing however, and that is we all eventually will pass on.
Despite the morbid title, Magnusson takes us on a gentle walk/guide through how to begin the process of lightening the load that I suspect many families have gone through when relatives pass away. I myself have watched my parents go through this process on a few occasions with older relatives' stuff and it's not easy or indeed pleasant. Magnusson simply advises us to get on with this process now.
Whilst perhaps not as gut punchy as “Goodbye, things” by Fumio Sasaki or the Konmari method touted by Marie Kondō herself, this is a charming addition to the decluttering genre (if such a thing exists?).
Though generally I liked this and it was a gentle read, I'm quickly returning to the methods touted by Sasaki and Kondō.
Unless you are familiar with the British tabloid newspapers and the concept of Page 3 (or what was, yes, again another British phenomenon), then reading Ms Price's first (of many an) autobiography may confuse you a little, if not a lot. You may find yourself asking yourself, “Who is she and what is she famous for?”
Well, a little perusal of Google's Image Search will probably inform you better than I can, or even asking a Brit, as the Kindle version of the book has completely removed any visuals that indeed are part and parcel of the “celebrity” autobiography.
Covering her life from her youth up to her blossoming relationship with then partner/husband/ex-husband Peter Andre, she remains one of the fascinating aspects of British zeitgeist since the turn of the twenty first century.
Easily readable? Yes. Likely to satisfy her fan base? Yes.
Complete and utter escapism needed right now in the midst of a global pandemic? Definitely.
Written as a collection of letters to her late father and various other relatives and friends, Dear Fatty is so much a very private autobiography coming from Dawn French, to the extent that I found myself extensively Googling the various names and places I wasn't familiar with, thus disrupting the flow of my read.
Some of the chapters were very endearing, like meeting The Queen Mother at a young age and a chapter dedicated to (her now ex-husband) Lenny Henry. Other sections were quite odd, employing a West Country accent to try and entice Madonna to collaborate and the extended joke/sketch ideas to ‘Fatty', which again I didn't get.
What did stick out however, is that large parts of this were very rambly, in that there's plenty to read, but didn't seem to say a lot. As French has maintained a high level of privacy throughout her career and also by her own admittance, I feel the whole thing could have gone much deeper in places.
In all, a nice (meh) read, but it may not mean a lot if you're not British or aware of Dawn.
Charlie and his family live in poverty and whilst they may not have a lot to go round, it didn't stop him becoming a polite, caring and well mannered young man.
Rereading “The Chocolate Factory” as an adult (and in perhaps to a child at the same time) reminds us not to be greedy, not to spoil our children, to teach them patience, as well as finding other ways to entertain themselves instead of the television (replace that nowadays with a mobile phone or tablet computer) or they may end up suffering ‘interesting' consequences.
What child would not love their own chocolate factory for being polite, caring and well mannered? “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” has stood the test of time and I'm sure will do for generations to come.
On the other hand with “The Great Glass Elevator”, I found myself constantly tapping on my Kindle screen to find out how much time was left until the chapter's end. I get that Dahl's imagination can sometimes take a flight of fancy, but it seemed a bit too much. Unlike “The Chocolate Factory”, I'd like to have forgotten that I read it.
In this short and indeed quick read, Mama Ru presents us with his life lessons learnt along his own way, how to embrace and love ourselves a little more as well as how to figure out what clothes look good on us. In theory this can be done without purchasing a Prada suit, as mentioned.
Lots of this book wasn't really relevant to me (how to transform into a drag queen) though but certainly I gained something from it, as there are lots of inspirational quotes or lines I made a note of for future reference, as recently life has been a bit tough!
Not really a self help guide as such, as a lot of ingredients have been added to the brew here so it comes off a little like candy floss - pretty to look at and it gives you a decent enough sugar rush but may not provide you sustenance for what you're looking for.
I got this on my Kindle, so perhaps if I had got a physical copy, the photographs would have entranced me for hours. The book is now nearly ten years old, and I swear RuPaul hasn't aged a day since then.
In much the same way that other reality stars have tried to justify their existence, Ollie Locke formerly of Made in Chelsea, published this autobiography back in 2013, at the tender age of 26. One could argue that this is indeed a complete cash cow.
“Laid in Chelsea” as is the title, talks about just that. Sex.
Though a product of “Made in Chelsea”, no figurative dirt will be dished on his ex cast members, and in fact, it barely gets a mention.
This is a breeze to read, recounting his life so far but ultimately it reads like a teenage boy's diary unearthed in a clear out of their bedroom.
“Goodbye, things” was recommended to me after having experienced a particularly traumatic 2019, and it won't be a year I want to repeat. It's also worth mentioning that I've also struggled with clutter/stuff/junk for nearly twenty years since my early teens and for whatever reason, I've never been able to overcome it.[a:Fumio Sasaki 15267855 Fumio Sasaki https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1507746600p2/15267855.jpg] hasn't written a how to declutter guide in the same way that [a:Marie Kondō 5589647 Marie Kondō https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1451520607p2/5589647.jpg] has, but more of an ‘essay' of reasons how minimalism can improve our lives for the better. In fact, if I had the physical version of this book I no doubt would have highlighted large portions of the text - that's how much I have learnt and want to take on board for the future with this book.A few years ago, I read “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up” by [a:Marie Kondō 5589647 Marie Kondō https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1451520607p2/5589647.jpg] and certainly got a lot from it, her “Spark Joy” method works well to an extent, especially when dealing with clothing and books. This book, however, I feel has given me the extra push to really get my life in order for 2020 and beyond.If you've read Kondo's “Magic”, then think of this as a companion text, the brother to her sister, if you will. “Goodbye” is the gut punch that myself and many others of us need.
The story of The (Dark) Phoenix has always intrigued me, having first seen it adapted in the 1990s X-Men cartoon, but not quite taking in how complicated the X-Men/Marvel universe was at the time and more recently with the X-Men/Fox film franchise that started in 2000, culminating in 2019's “Dark Phoenix”, starring Sophie Turner as Jean Grey.
So, in the build up, I go looking for material and I come at this as a fan of the film franchise, which created an Earth based singular X-Men universe, rather than an aficionado of the comic books/Marvel universe which incorporates other characters from Marvel's universe with crossovers from other series as well as multiple timelines.
Here we have a twenty first century novelisation of the graphic novel that is recognised as a classic within the X-Men canon, a difficult task by Moore's own admission since the original Dark Phoenix Saga was published back in the 1980s - complete with Skype and mobile phones. The characterisation of the X-Men reminded me so much of the cartoon series.
Did I like it? Yes. Would I have enjoyed it more if I were more aware of the Marvel universe and read the comics before hand? Yes.
There's actually nothing more British than catching a train, and indeed for many, the daily journey from commuter towns across the country on our frequently complained about national rail network, this is a reality.
“The Girl on the Train” captures that sense of watching (empty) houses, people and their lives from the train window - I admit, I've done this myself - and wondering what life is like.
I really enjoyed this quintessentially British thriller.
Thirteen years after bursting onto the pop music scene via MySpace, Allen opens up in “My thoughts exactly” in what is a warts and all autobiography that leaves nothing, absolutely nothing off limits - she even recommends a particular type of vibrator at one point.
A quick and easy read, which in reality documents the major milestones in her life and career at a rapid fire pace, it at times can be very uncomfortable reading - the stillbirth of her first child to her institutionalisation following the breakdown of her marriage.
It makes for probably THE most honest autobiography I've read in a good while and much of Allen's escapades have involved sex, drugs and ‘rock and roll', though her music I wouldn't describe as such.
Her life really seems to have been chaotic - I really do hope she finds peace in the future, if she hasn't done so already.
Having inhaled Gordon's previous two books, it didn't take me long to sprint through her third, and I'd recommend perhaps going back to her previous tomes, but it may not be necessary in this case. I adore her madcap (British humoured) style of writing, hence why it didn't take me too long to finish.
As kids, we do PE / Sport in school or outside of school, myself included - I used to swim for four hours a week at one point. It was definitely two hours of brain off mode at the time, I loved being in the water, had a six pack, long since gone and still mourn for a little. I stopped swimming however, around the age of 15-16, my mother putting her foot down for me to concentrate on my GCSEs, which actually didn't happen, I underperformed in almost all my subjects. I was dealing with my own teenage issues, and perhaps continuing with the swimming would have helped - in retrospect.
As we get older, life and responsibilities catch up with us and we become more sedentary, and whatever dramas we had as children or indeed teenagers seem to multiply. I know mine did. Having had a few mental health struggles, I never would have thought that doing exercise would indeed be the possible magic wand to solve them.
I'm lucky enough to work in a school where my students have one lesson of PE every day, and if there's any advice I'd give them in the future, it would be to find a form of exercise that they enjoy and ultimately works for them. In my case, it will never be football or rugby. For me, it would be getting back into the water and becoming the imaginary frog, dolphin or merman that I did when I was younger.
Gordon reminds us that in order for us to be healthy and indeed happier, the thing we need to do is get off the sofa and move.
Simply put, I loved it.
After two comics where the action has been fast and the plot development perhaps has been a little sparse, we spend some time with Namor, a character who I never have encountered before - I assume he's from the MCU - another former Phoenix host, who ends up giving Jean some food for thought.
Is Marvel using other characters to appear as being part of the MCU? Yes, given that Jean teams up with Thor in the next issue.
Do I want to find out what happens next? Yes.
Spread out over the eight chapters, Bündchen delivers a mish mash of a biography and life advice for us all, and arguably I think it's perhaps aimed more towards women than men, even though what she does impart is applicable for both.
What I did enjoy is that for someone who has played a stereotype, the supermodel, who publicly usually says very little - Gisele's advice comes from the heart and she means well by it all, having gone through some trying times in her early career.
If the book is filed under biographies, then perhaps it's not as deep on this label as I would have liked it to have been, as the timeframes are not particularly chronological.
The end result is a quick and easy read, and Bündchen writes what could be best be described as a self help book with a strong autobiographical element and hey, it is a comfort to see that even the rich and successful have problems like the rest of us.
The question is that will 2019 make (m)any of us brave enough to sort ourselves out?
Ursula has, and always will be one of my favourite Disney villains. The cover is beautiful, she looks divine (much like the drag queen that inspired her), with a slight look of menace in her eyes and originally I liked the idea - to fill in the back story of Ursula and figure out why she came to be who she was.
The novel opens frighteningly, with perhaps a very graphic description of Ursula's wrath upon others, so I'm not sure if it quite fits for the opening to a Disney novel. I add that this takes place in in the (Essex) town of Ipswich no less - dare I say chosen just because of the name, nothing more...
Shortly after, new characters are introduced, three sisters who are friends with the sea witch. They've a cat... but we're now at the point where things take a second flight of fancy, where their cat has the same name as the author? Pardon... Excuse me?
Elsewhere other Disney characters are mentioned and somehow the Disneyverse is intertwined? I don't want a story featuring Snow White, Maleficent or The Beast... this is supposed to be about Ursula. Granted, I read this as a standalone novel, rather than part of a series. By this point, I think I had slightly lost the plot with the book as a whole and found great delight in picking out its flaws thereafter.
Sebastian and Flounder don't exist in this version of the story, but somehow Scuttle does; “Mum” features a few times; Tea is taken with cream and sugar and the one that takes the biscuit is that somehow The Enchantress from Beauty and The Beast has a major plot role of The Little Mermaid.
From what originally held so much promise and could have been potentially entertaining, we end up with dialogue straight from the 1989 story in places, and the end result not really being about Ursula at all...
Perhaps someone younger than myself, would enjoy this, but me, as a diehard fan of the original 1989 classic film, I feel this is a poor unfortunate soul of a book.