Sunday 29 May 2011

Book 25 Dead Like You Peter James



This book took me to Brighton and Hove on the South East coast of England. In the book there are a number of vicious sexual attacks on women and it is Detective Superintendent Roy Grace's job to stop them before any more can be committed.

12 years ago similar attacks and one suspected murder were carried about by a man dubbed 'The Shoe Man.' A man who attacks his victims and steals their very expensive shoes. Roy Grace soons discovers that there is a link between these two series of attacks and investigates the terrible possibility that 'The Shoe Man' has returned.

But has he returned to continue his devastating crimes or is this the work of a Copycat ? And can he stop him before there is another murder ?

This is a very good book, packed full of twists and is well worth the read. I am not normally into Police Crime thrillers but this one was dark and intriguing and kept my interest all the way through. I liked the fact that it was made up of tiny little chapters and although it is a big book at 549 pages, it is so easy to read, the pages just seemed to fly by !

This is one book in a series featuring Superintendent Roy Grace and as usual I haven't read any of the previous books ! Although unlike other books, in this case it doesn't seem to matter. It was a stand alone book that didn't require any knowledge of the previous ones in the series.

My hat goes off the Peter James, a decent book and I look forward to reading more from him.


8/10

Wednesday 18 May 2011

Book 24 The All-Inclusive Christ - Witness Lee


This is one of several books sent to me kindly by RHEMA Literature Distribution. The All Inclusive Christ is based on messages given by Witness Lee in the latter part of the sixties. This isn't a 'Happy Clappy' book and was pretty indepth, more so than I expected. At times it was interesting and at times it was hard going. It focuses on Christ and how we as Christians can have a deeper, closer relationship with him. It does focus a lot on the symbology of the bible, particularly of the old testament and even for a person like myself who has an interest in the symbology of the bible it was quite hard going at times.

However it has been very helpful and I now feel as if I have a more fundamental knowledge of Jesus than I had before. It focuses very much on Jesus as 'the land' and how Jesus is exceptionally bigger than we can imagine and how we can have a stronger relationship with HIM by dwelling in his land. A land that is Christ.

I don't think its the easiest Christian book I have ever read and it wasn't always encouraging, the fact that it felt like I was reading a text book at times didn't help. But overall I found it helpful and I feel I have gained a fuller understanding of God. I was a little bit doubtful of some of the stuff that was said by Witness Lee but the majority of it was good. Probably not the best book for new Christians.


6.5/10

Tuesday 10 May 2011

Book 23 The Delinquents - Criena Rohan



I remember watching this film when it came out, simply because Kylie Minogue was in it and I was 15 ! I don't remember anything about the film but I don't think it left much of an impression on me, apart from maybe Kylie in some sexy outfit or other. It was good to read the actual book without remembering the film.

Criena Rohan was in reality Deirdre Cash, who worked as a nightclub singer and ballroom dancing instructor. She only got two books published and sadly died at the age of 38 in 1963 of cancer.

This wasn't really my cup of tea and was a pretty average read. It tells the story of two teenage tearaways, teen life in the fifties in Australia and how they escape from troubled homes and attempt to experience life on their own two feet. In parts it is funny, in parts it is sad and it did make me think about the fact that too many people ( including myself) take life too seriously. Maybe we all have a delinquent inside us that we should bring out once in a while.

The Delinquents is an easy book to read but it felt kind of lightweight, like something you'd perhaps read in a magazine. But maybe I'm being harsh. It did make me think that I take life too seriously but maybe its just not my kind of book. Others may read it and enjoy it a little more. It wasn't bad, just didn't float my boat.


6.5/10

Sunday 8 May 2011

Book 22 The Long Walk - Richard Bachman



This is the second instalment in my Bachman fest! Stephen King wrote 'The Long Walk' in the fall of 1966 and the spring of 1967 and apparently it was one of those books that wasn't accepted for publication at the time and was then put in a box until its publication in 1979.

I'll cut to the chase, I loved this book! For so many reasons it shouldn't have worked but it did on so many levels. It is set in a near future America and 100 teenage boys are chosen to take part in the long walk of 450 miles through the streets of America. They have to keep on walking and get a warning if they slow down to below 4 miles an hour. They only get 3 warnings,if they slow down or stop walking after that they are shot!

This is a pretty gruesome book and it pulls no punches, I don't think it could ever be turned into a film! For me the main reason it worked so well is because of the originality and imagination of the situation but really Stephen King's (Richard Bachman's) characterization is what steals it for me. It is written in the third person but we get inside each of the boys heads and I really did love all the characters and feel a connection with them. I almost felt exhausted for them and could feel their pain.

This is by far the best of the Bachman books I have read so far and to be honest it is probably one of my favourite Stephen King books ever. Loved it.


10/10

Monday 2 May 2011

Book 21 Haematology at a Glance - Mehta and Hoffbrand



I had to read this one because I am currently on a one month haematology rotation( working alongside the haematology specialist nurses) at the hospital. I always find haematology fascinating and this book was useful and I feel like I understand haematology a bit better and it will help my rotation. It was pretty much aimed at medical students more than nurses, especially the opening chapter ! However this book has helped. Not the most exciting read of the year but useful.

Now can I get back to fiction ?