Grand Designs Handbook: The Blueprint for Building Your Dream Home - Kevin McCloud

Advantages: A good read
Disadvantages: some upsetting bits

...This book was recommended to me by my mother - she had read it in two days flat during her holiday. It was actually a topic of conversation when she rang home to check up on us "You having a nice time mum? Seen any Dolphins?" "No Dolphins, great time. THe book I'm reading is fantastic. Ermmm there was something else as well... Oh yeah your dad broke his leg!" "There you are mum!" So what book is it? Dad OK?" "Faceless - Martina COle. He's in a wheelchair, in plaster for six weeks at least they say." "Ohhh sounds good!" So that was my brief introduction to Faceless. On hearing the book title I was reminded of the John Travolta film, and thought that it was the same one, until I was corrected with the fact that that film as called Face Off. Faceless Facemore Face On Face Off - all the same thing to me!! Anyway, on her return... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: Makes you think about the things you take for granted!
Disadvantages: This book can make you feel really sad in places........

...The Kid is the first book by Kevin Lewis, In which he gives a harrowing insight in to his childhood. Kevin was brought up on Council Estate in London. He lived with his alcoholic father Denis and violent Mother Gloria, brother and sister. This was in the 1970's. The children lived in constant fear of their parents, although it seemed at first it was mainly his mother that did all the beating. As time and alcohol ravaged Denis he too would take part in what became the constant ritual of beating, biting, punching and verbally abusing of Kevin. It tells how eventually the social services opened their eyes to the suffering and put kevin in a childrens home, He thrived and you think that from there things will get better for kevin, but the social services decide that Gloria is reformed and sends Kevin back home, where the violence he... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Written in the form of various types of correspondence thus very easy to read, Short chapters, Some very funny moments
Disadvantages: - Time sometimes jumps ahead really quickly and you're left wondering what happened in between but this is resolved at some point

...of her childhood dreams but she makes such a cock-up of the interview that she may have ruined her chances before the interview is over. Part one of the novel ends with Rosie attending the interview for the Two Lakes Hotel, which just so happens to have another hotel in San Francisco, your full support goes out to Rosie because you can't help hoping she will land the job and be offered the chance to work in the branch out in the States. Part two starts from Chapter 14 with a touch of De ja Vous when Miss Casey who we met previously in Chapter 1, writes home to Rosie about her daughter's letter writing in class. If only my mother was as understanding as Rosie. Rosie finds the whole situation hilarious as she sees the relationship between Katie and Toby is an exact mirror of her relationship with Alex. It's heartbreaking to see Alex marry... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful