Anne Somerset

Advantages: I think she gives another dimension in the Sci-Fi market
Disadvantages: Sometimes accused of being for women/teenagers only.

...Anne McCaffrey - Writer I must admit, I've never tried to review an author before - So I hope the attempt doesn't go too badly! Anne McCaffrey is an American science fiction writer best known for her Dragonriders of Pern series. She was born in 1926, and so will be 82 this year (2008 as I write this review). She was married, but eventually divorced her husband - A move which also then saw her move to Ireland, where eventually she also had a house built to her own design in County Wicklow. Anne McCaffrey was pretty unique, because she was pushing to write in what was a very heavily male dominated market. She was a single mother for a long period, struggling to make more than just an impact as a Sci-Fi writer. Today, she has done more than just make an impact - but has become one of the most recognized of all Sci... Read review

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Advantages: Wholesome, great characters, some humour, some moving sections
Disadvantages: Not for those who like high excitement and action, a little old-fashioned for some

...'Anne of Green Gables' is a classic book set in Prince Edward Island (Canada) in the late 19th century, featuring the delightful orphan Anne Shirley. • Overview • The book opens with what is probably the longest sentence in literature - one which takes a third of a page to describe a stream, and which might seem at first glance off-putting in the extreme. Don't give up! There's delightful humour in this introduction, talking as it does about the stream becoming quiet and well-conducted as it passes Mrs Rachel Lynde's home. Rachel Lynde is an elderly and upright lady who sees everything in black and white, and who features from time to time in the book, often clashing in some way with Anne. We're then introduced to Matthew and Marilla, a hard-working and aging brother and sister who have decided, after much thought, to adopt... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average very helpful

Advantages: It's an emotionally uplifting story
Disadvantages: The terrible fact that it actually happened

...I am guessing most people have read Anne Frank's diary - and for those that have not, I strongly recommend you do. Most people will know that Anne Frank was a young girl, who in WW2, because of her religion, had to escape persecution and probable death by hiding in a small annex in Amsterdam, where even things like coughing when she had the flu, could mean the family was captured. The book, in my opinion is a great classic read of the last century - and even as I have grown up - years on from when I first read it, I can still read it now, and be just as excited, involved and emotional as I was the first time I opened it up. Anne's writing, is very often humorous and witty-especially the way she talks about her mother, and the friction between the two of them. This is one point in which many teenagers can probably relate... Read review

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