|
|
Book Reviews
Books for
Adults |
|
Extreme Motherhood - The Triplet Diaries
by Jackie Clune
Published by Panmacmillan ISBN: 9780330442510 RRP£6.99
On
22 December 2004, at a routine ultrasound dating scan, Jackie Clune was
told just that. She had not undertaken any fertility treatment - indeed
the pregnancy was 'an accident' as her daughter was under a year old at
the time. She and her partner were going from one child to four in almost
a single bound. Thrown headlong into the world of multiple births - a
risky, scary and unpredictable world where there are few norms, where
there is little support and practically no dedicated literature - Jackie's
first response was a profound desire to punch the radiographer. This is
the story of what happened next. From the first scan to the babies' first
Christmas, she charts the physical, emotional and practical rollercoaster
of bringing three lives into the world all in one go. Essential reading
for all parents of multiples - there are very few books available which
offer more than a passing reference to twins or more - "The Triplet
Diaries" will also also appeal to anyone interested in how people
cope in extreme circumstances. The idea of triplets, let alone the reality
- for example, the 28 hours a day that statistics record as the minimum to
keep them fed, clean and healthy - makes grown adults stop and
stare.
Totz2teens Member
Review:
Not having a multiple birth myself I was unsure as to how I could
possibly cope. Well its obvious - you just have too. No
choice. For me this book was great. Being written in diary
format meant I could read a couple of days whilst on the loo or cooking
dinner. It meant I actually read it quite quickly because it was
easy to pick up and hard to put down!
Totz2teens rating: 4/5
|
 |
Alloted Time - Robin Shelton
Published by panmacmillan ISBN: 9780330441254 RRP£7.99
Robin Shelton and his mate Steve were complete neophytes
when they decided that having an allotment might save them a bit of money.
But what had seemed like a good idea over a couple of beers seemed rather
more daunting when faced with a weedy patch of ground. Still, both men
were at a crisis point in their lives and the allotment represented their
desire to achieve something concrete. They persevered and, despite the
weather and confusing advice from their elderly allotment neighbours,
managed to plant and grow a successful crop of vegetables. As he writes
about their year in the allotment, Robin describes his own personal
journey. When he takes the allotment on he is divorced, broke and
suffering from depression. Working on the allotment brings back happy
memories of his father, who died when Robin was sixteen, and also draws
him closer to his own two sons. Gradually Robin finds stability and a
sense of purpose in his life. His and Steve's tale is funny, moving and
enlightening - a book for anyone who's ever bitten off more than they can
chew, but muddled through anyway.
Totz2teens Member
Review:
I really fancied having an allotment, just being able to spend time
producing something wonderful. I think it would be fantastic to have
the food I have grown on our plates and know exactly how it was produced.
Reading this book gave me an insight into more than that rosey spectacles
view I perhaps own about allotment holding and I found it an interesting
read. Its not the most exciting books I have read recently but it
was enlightening. It also has a really handy bit at the back which
tells you about different vegetables and the best plants to accompany
them.
Totz2teens Rating:
3/5 |
 |
21 Years Gone - Jack Osbourne
Published by panmacmillan ISBN: 9789230014329 RRP£16.99
By the time Jack was fifteen, he was addicted to alcohol and
prescription drugs, was hanging out with rock stars in LA and living a
life that any teenager would aspire to. And then, "The Osbournes"
turned him into a global celebrity. But as much as Jack enjoyed his fame,
underneath it all, he was still an awkward teenager, using his sense of
humour as a shield. And, with fame and money came a greater access to
drugs - his addictions took a firmer hold on him and his behaviour was
soon out of control. In "21 Years Gone", Jack writes with brutal
frankness about his descent into addiction and the low point he reached
when Sharon was diagnosed with cancer. Scared that his mum might die, Jack
retreated further into his alcoholic shell, hating who he was, hating what
he did. Every night he would get into bed and pray for God to take his
life. When Sharon realised what was happening, she told Jack he had to go
to rehab - and slowly he turned his life around. Discovering a passion for
extreme sports, he went from overweight and unfit to the lean young man he
is today - courtesy of such adventures as running with the bulls in
Pamplona, fighting a Thai martial arts expert known only as 'The Man' and
scaling El Capitan, one of the world's toughest climbs. By turns funny,
disarmingly honest and moving,
Totz2teens Member Review:
Just how interesting an
enlightening can a biography be when you are 21 years old? Seems every
week there is another of the young reality celebrities cashing in a few
bucks with this genre.
But Jack Osbourne is not the typical reality TV celebrity. He was already
in celebrity land before the TV show The Osbournes ( I saw it and laughed)
due to his famous parents Ozzy and Sharon. This book is his story about
his upbringing, the TV show, his drug and alcohol addiction and his
fathers, his mother's cancer battle and how Jack himself dealt with it all
and where he is now. Doesn't dig deep. Not warts and all. He's
protective over his parents and sister Kellie. Dismissive of sister Amie.
It is obvious that his mum is the vital element in this family and Jack's
joy in making his parents proud is touching.
Lots of swearing. Full of contradictions - e.g he says how he won't
discuss relationships but in the next paragraph brags about how he snogged
Kate Moss. He tries hard to state how ordinary they are as a family.
Erm no Jack - that is not an ordinary life but don't defend it - revel in
it, that's why people want to read your biography...
Glosses over alot of things you'd like for him to get deeper about but
perhaps when he's older he'll return to it all and write a more in depth
book. But he is so honest about himself at times that you can not
help but like him and wish him well. Especially about how he is not Mr LA
Beautiful with his big hair and big tummy and acne. I did grow to
like him alot more than I did before I read it. Yes he's full of himself -
but he's also fragile like the rest of us.
Short book. Easy read. Interesting for the LA drugs scene, being an addict
and what is like to have famous parents. Would I want to buy
it? Not in hardback far too expensive being a short book. But I'd borrow
it at the library to read on a lazy evening or buy in paperback. Enjoyed
it more than I thought I would and it was not a chore to read at all.
Totz2teens Rating: 3.5/5
|
 |
The Dads' Book - For the Dad who's Best at
Everything by Michael Heatley
ISBN: 978-1-84317-250-5
This is the book that no
self-respecting dad should be without. The Dads’ Book is an
amusing and informative miscellany of jokes, facts and
tongue-in-cheek survival tips for the dad wishing to excel at the
art of fatherhood. Covering everything from how to build the best
tree house and things to do with your kids on a rainy day to how
to make beer breaks part of play time. You really can’t afford to
be without this book, it celebrates the wonder of dad-hood whilst
also allowing you to work on being the best at everything and
retain your sanity at the same time!
Totz2teens Member Review:
Following on from girls, boys, mums of course its time for
Dads to have a say too. This book continues in the really
delightful range of Best at Everything range and doesnt fail to
please. This book would be suitable for a Dad to be right up and
beyond. It starts at finding out you are going to be a Dad
and then progresses through with ideas to help your partner
through labour, names and then as the child gets older - games to
play in the car and film ideas. There are fun father facts
and info regarding cars. It is a really good read and is
completely packed with useful information and things to make you
smile. One bit that made me smile was a quote from Ralph Bus
which says " Children really brighten up a household - they
never turn the lights off". I would really recommend
this book and I think it would make a fabulous Fathers Day present
for any doting dad.
To find out more and to enter some cool competitions please visit:
MOM Books
here
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
|
 |
Staying Sane - 99 ways to stop
yourself going mad when you become a mother by Kathy Miller
ISBN: 978-1-90602-201-2 £6.99
What new mother has time for baby manuals the size of
telephone directories?
Kathy Miller, once a freelance
journalist and PR, now mother of three, saw a gap in the all-too saturated
yummy-mummy market. Why weren't there any parenting guides that were easy
to read when you're sleep-deprived? That made candid observations and gave
subtle advice, without preaching about being the perfect mother? Or that
made you laugh when it all felt too much?
In between nappy changes, baths and
bedtime, she came up with Staying Sane, an easily dip-in-able,
pick-up-and-put-downable, wipeable(!), humorous gift book aimed at the
multitudinous women who swapped their careers for motherhood, and then
realised that the office is a piece of cake in comparison to a
screaming child in aisle 4 at Sainsbury's...
The book poses questions that we’ve all
thought, but never dared to articulate. Should you keep the baby or send it
back? Are toddlers human? How do you remain civil to the one man who got
you into this mess in the first place? Offering calming down-to-earth
advice, laced with humour, Staying Sane will help you negotiate the
minefields of motherhood, and prove that there actually is life AD (after
delivery).
It’s not easy writing a book when you have a toddler throwing
up on you and a pair of 6 year old twins running riot in the garden. But
Kathy beat the obstacles. She wrote her book on post-it notes, envelopes,
supermarket receipts, and toilet roll. And now here it is. 99 ways to stop
yourself from going mad when you become a mother. By someone who knows...
Totz2teens Member Reviews:
well last Tuesday I sat
down with this book and could not put it down and as a result Daniel ended
up having his dinner late and Joe was crying out for a bum change! lol
It was truly funny from the 1st page to the last! I would highly highly
recommend this for every mum that gave up work to be a stay at home mum &
for every mum that hated the "how to" manuals on baby care.
She writes this as though she's your best friend sat in your living room
talking to you. it's very down to earth tips that are common sense but
written in such a humorous way.
Totz2teens Rating: Score 5/5
Well what can I say about this book
except its the only parent book you will ever need. This book is not only
funny but it is packed with good advice and suggestions.
Each one of us could relate to a least one scenario as we have all been
there at some point.
Should definately be every parents guide.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
Absolutely brilliant!! 5/5 for sure!!
Sat down and read it in a day!! Giggled out loud most of the time (Eli
wondered what was so funny!)
Excellent tips and many "oh god YES Thats EXACTLY how it feels" moments!!
She truly understands motherhood and all it entails!
At risk of sounding like the blurb on the back- definitely a pressie for
every new mom!
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
What a funny book. I sneaked a
few pages at a time and found this book so funny. I think any new or
old mother will find this book amusing. I could really relate to so
much of the book too. 99 ways to stop yourself going mad - is
definately right. I personally loved the 1950's appendix at the end
showing how different things really are nowadays. Brilliant.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
|
 |
Cherry cake and
Ginger Beer by Jane Brocket
ISBN: 978-0-340-96089-9 £16.99 Hardback published by
Hodder & Stoughton
If as a child you devoured Enid Blyton's classics
like the Famous Five or Malory Towers, or loved to lose yourself
in the adventures of Pippi Longstocking or What Katy Did, then
CHERRY CAKE AND GINGER BEER is the book for you. A wonderfully
nostalgic cookery book, it will take you straight back to your
favourite children's books and show you how to cook the feel-good
foods that feature so strongly in them. So, you'll find recipes
for Milly Molly Mandy's Treacle Tart, a Swallows and Amazons Boat
Breakfast, the Famous Five Fruit Cake and St Clare's Eclairs
amongst others. Divided into appropriate sections like High Tea
Treats, Midnight Feasts and Seaside Picnics, each recipe is
introduced with an evocative description of the book that inspired
it. Guaranteed to take you straight back to your childhood, the
book is an escapist treat for grown-ups and will encourage you to
re-visit much-loved classics and share them with the next
generation.
Totz2teens member Review: Just the look of the cover
sets my tummy rumbling. A national treasury of classic
treats. I am sucked in straight away. You may be
fooled into thinking this is just a recipe book reminiscing of old
times. But No! This book has encaptured the
delights of stories from a bygone era and reincarnated the food
suggested. Cherry Cake and Ginger beer is a real treat to be
treasured. Now to get the pinny on.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
|
 |
Can we Have
our Balls Back, Please? by Julian Norridge
ISBN: 9781846141157 £17.99 Penguin
Long before Drake refused to interrupt his game of bowls when the Armada was
sighted, the British have had a passionate relationship with sport. Julian
Norridge goes through the stories of fourteen major sports from cricket to
boxing to football, from their very beginning and throughout the British
Isles, whether it’s Welsh inventor and tobacco enthusiast Major Walter
Clopton Wingfield coming up with a game that could use those new fangled
rubber balls (modern tennis) or the Scots inventing the golf club – 500
years after the game.
But this is far more than a book about sport, it takes a
very funny, very British look at our popular history, mythology and most
importantly the highly eccentric figures that made it. It chronicles the
constant battle between fair play and gambling; between advances in the game
and plain cheating (such as turning up with a cricket bat wider than the
wicket).
Can We Have Our Balls Back Please?
proves that there is an awful lot to be proud of in our
history and where that strange feeling of superiority really comes from. It
shows why we get just so excited when we take on any other nation in any
sporting event and are so disappointed when we lose...
|
 |
What is Myrrh anyway?
by Jonathon Green
ISBN: 9781848310278 £6.99
WHAT IS
MYRRH ANYWAY? is a hugely enjoyable, festive excursion through the
history, science, music, culture and traditions of everyone’s favourite
winter holiday.
Why is Christmas
celebrated on 25 December? Why is turkey the traditional festive meat? Why
are stockings hung up on Christmas Eve? What is figgy pudding? Who were the
three kings? And did Coca-Cola really invent Father Christmas as we’re all
told?
Just like the perfect
Christmas stocking, What is Myrrh Anyway? contains all manner of
delightful surprises and delicious morsels of information. Jonathan Green
uncovers the truth behind such familiar festive traditions as carol-singing
and cards, and demystifies the origins of Christmas.
If you’ve ever
wondered how to cook the perfect roast turkey, what mince pies should
really taste like, or why you are forced to endure the cross-dressing
antics of a traditional pantomime every year, then simply open this
Christmas cracker of a book and discover the answers to all those questions
you’ve always wondered about, but never known who to ask.
Totz2teens Member Review: A hugely fascinating and intriguing
book. I read this book with delight and awe as to where our festive
traditions come from. I really felt I have got into the Christmas
Spirit a little more by reading this book and appreciate the values behind
our most standard Christmas activities. I loved to read the Did You
Know snippets - learning that in the 20th century we have only had 2 white
christmases is quite a shock. It is bizarre that we hold this to be
the TRADITIONAL Christmas when infact only 1938 and 1970 - both before my
time. I think the lovely thing about this book is that it is British.
So therefore it talks of British traditions first and foremost which is
relevant to those living here. The old fashioned traditional recipes
thrown in for good measure are a real interest too as these show the
products used as luxury or not so luxuriously in olden times. I really
thoroughly loved reading this book. It is written in an easy to read
format and is just deliciously sumptuous
with all the festive facts. I am
now full of festive knowledge.
Totz2teens Member Rating: 5/5
|
 |
|
