The surrendered wife by Laura Doyle, a strange concept indeed

Advantages: Enables you to see things from a different perspective
Disadvantages: Seems to force opinions in places

...The surrendered wife by Laura Doyle is a very interesting concept indeed. Its main aim is to suggest that women would be happier in domestic bliss, think Stepford wife and you've hit the nail on the head. The main thesis is that as a married woman one should relinquish all responsibility within the relationship and allow the masculine figure to regain control. This expectation stretches from finances to the way we raise our children. For instance if you would prefer to pay your bills by direct debit and your husband would prefer to leave the bills in a corner until red letters arrive then we, as women should allow him to do so in order to enable him to learn from his mistakes. Whilst the whole idea seems quite daunting, in parts she does illustrate valid points and does clearly state that whilst surrendering to your husband is...

Minimummy 09.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Surrendered Wife: A Practical Guide to Finding Intimacy, Passion and Peace with Your Man - Laura Doyle

The genius of Conan Doyle

Advantages: A classic Holmes story
Disadvantages: Very theatrical style to it

...In the world of Sherlock Holmes there are two very well known screen portrayals of Conan Doyle?s immortal detective. Jeremy Brett on the TV screen in the 80?s and 90?s and Basil Rathbone on the cinema screen in the 40?s. There have been many other versions of the character in both formats but most of them are lesser versions, unable to match the style and quality of these two. Before even Rathbone played Holmes though there was a British series of Holmes films starring one Arthur Wontner. The Sign of Four was made in 1932 and is one of five Holmes films made in the thirties starring Wontner. One of these is lost forever, a second is rarely seen but the other three are all available on DVD very cheaply. My copies came from the much lamented Murder One shop in central London, a shop that sadly vanished very recently from its location...

Ailran 23.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Sign of the Four (DVD)

"Would you like a nice plate of fish Father?"

Advantages: Great choice of fish, wonderful views
Disadvantages: Expensive, queue to get in, slow service

...The Doyle family opened Australia's first seafood restaurant in Watson's Bay, a suburb of Sydney, in 1885. Five generations later the Doyle name has become legendary in the world of fish and chips. There are now three Doyle's restaurants, a hotel and a bistro in the Sydney area, of which the quaint, clap-board original "Doyle's On The Beach" is still the general favourite. But for sheer accessibility, bang in the heart of Sydney, Doyle's on the Quay is fast becoming a popular option. The well-kept waterfront areas of Sydney are modern vibrant show-cases of which the city can be very proud, and Circular Quay is no exception. It is definitely one of the places to be in the evenings, with spectacular views of the world famous harbour and the majestic Sydney opera house. And noone has capatilised on this view more than Doyle's, described by...

VC81 11.10.2005 · Read review
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Review of Doyles at the Quay

The teddy bear blues....

Advantages: A lovely rhythmic story that is a joy to read.
Disadvantages: The illustrations could have been more vivid.

...On our recent trip to the library my son actually managed to pick two books that I enjoyed reading to him. I like to let him pick his own books, this excites him and makes him look forward to reading the books he has picked, unfortunately this means that very often, we end up with some real rubbish! The book I will now review is ?Teddybear blue by Malachy Doyle?. As I may have mentioned before I have a real bad habit of judging the book by it?s cover, the cover on this book is coloured in such a way that it looks dirty and boring so I was not expecting much. The story is based around a young girl (whose name is never mentioned) and her naughty teddy bear ?Blue?. The story starts with the little girl waking in the morning to find her naughty teddy has hidden from her again, so she shouts her mum and dad to help her find him...

sarahbarrow 14.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Teddybear Blue - Malachy Doyle

"There are heroisms all round us." Don't let them be lost forever

Advantages: A great classic book
Disadvantages: A little dated with some PC matters, but well worth reading.

... THE LOST WORLD SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE "For a fairyland it was - the most wonderful that the imagination of man could conceive. The thick vegetation met overhead, interlacing into a natural pergola, and through this tunnel of verdure in a golden twilight flowed the green, pellucid river? That is an example of the lovely writing and descriptions that we are treated to in the lovely little book. I do think that it is a shame that in today?s literary world of chick-lits, vampire books, thrillers and horror stories, good old fashioned ?classics? like ?The Lost World? by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are completely overlooked. I hope that with this review I might be able to tempt at least a couple of people to read this book as I?m sure that when you do, you?ll love it. Released in 1912 it is like a Victorian...

oldchem 24.09.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Lost World - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Snappy

Advantages: Funny, observant, well written
Disadvantages: None

...Hello there you mad eejits, this is KingHerrod coming to you live all over the Ciao community, broadcasting the latest news and reviews on all that is good and all that is not so good. So listen up you eejit people to what is coming at you live and unabridged (until the sensors get at it that is). Yes, we are back with Roddy Doyle and the second book in the Barrytown trilogy, the Snapper. Our dear Jimmy Rabbittee Jr is now trying to be a DJ, having dispensed with the Irish Soul band (see the Commitments review, the first Barrytown novel) and all that nonsense and the type of Gibberish in my first paragraph, is what the Rabbittee family have to listen to thumping down from the ceiling. Yes it is another Roddy Doyle review as you may have guessed I am into this author at the moment and for good reasons, but here is a rundown...

KingHerrod 19.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of The Snapper - Roddy Doyle

Oi, give me my cod back

Advantages: See review
Disadvantages: None

...“Oi, you eejits, what are you putting you van there for!” Shouts King Herrod on the Dublin shore. “I’m telling you two eeejits, if you do not get that van out of there now, I am calling the guards!” He shouts again. “Agh, **** off, yis ****, we’re getting a pint now.” Is the reply from two narked looking Irish blokes. Now if you want to know why this imaginary conversation is taking place, then I suggest you read Roddy Doyle’s final book in the Barrytown trilogy, The Van. For those that are new to this area and my reviews, Barrytown is a fictional location in Dublin, where Roddy Doyle has based his three-part story about a working class Irish family (the Rabbittees) and the trials and tribulations of being poor in working class Ireland. The previous two books being...

KingHerrod 29.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of The Van - Roddy Doyle

The mystery of the sinister steps

Advantages: No football colours. Mixed crowd. Cafferys.
Disadvantages: A bit small. Can be crowded. Sinister Steps. TV.

...The frost was thick on the ground, I was wandering down an absolutely freezing York Place at about dinner time and I was thinking. Wait around in the cold for a crowded bus, risk getting to my friends’ home too soon and hang around there as well and risk freezing? I tried to distract myself with other thoughts. What shall I try and tempt the readers at Ciao with next? The better distraction came in the form of the cosy looking pub on the corner of the street. Have a pint in the warmth, maybe a bite to eat, catch the later bus and arrive at a time when my friends were sure to be at home. So, I walked into the reading room of Conan Doyle. No football colours. I guess he wasn’t a sports fan, either that or the location of the pub – not very far away from where Hibs play and not that far away from Hearts play - has...

Manx 17.01.2001 (18.01.2001) · Read review
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Review of The Conan Doyle

Maeve Binchy meets Roddy Doyle in heartwarming story

Advantages: Heartwarming Irish novel, well-written
Disadvantages: Second half rather disappointing

...Big Fat Love is an Irish novel in a territory familiar to fans of Maeve Binchy and Roddy Doyle. And it's almost ( but not quite) as good as either of these more famous Irish writers . Author Peter Sheridan has written plays and memoirs and this book, published by Pan in 2003, was his first novel. It revolves around the larger-than-life Philo, victim of a wifebeating drunk of a husband, struggling to feed five kids, and coping with a serious weight problem. At an all-time low, and penniless, she abandons her children to an orphanage, leaves her alcoholic husband and knocks on the door of a Dublin convent seeking help. Swearing and smoking like a trooper, she charms the nuns into giving her somewhere to stay - and begins to turn her life around. The book has many strengths. Chiefly invested in Philo...

bookaddict 04.08.2009 · Read review
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Review of Big Fat Love - Peter Sheridan

A Study In Scarlet

Advantages: Incredibly addictive read. Interesting story and characters
Disadvantages: If not pre-warned about it the second part could seem WEIRD!

...THE very first novel of Arthur Conan Doyle to introduce, back in 1887, the character of Sherlock Holmes, destined to become the most famous fictional detective of history. Surely many of you have read this book already, perhaps some of you have never read Sherlock Holmes at all... well it's never too late. I just started reading Doyle few months ago and I already love it! ---------------------------------Teaser Plot--------------------------------- I don't want to say too much about the plot but enough to interest those who haven't read this book just yet: So, it's London 1881, John Watson, a medical doctor, is just back from the Afghan War, where he served as a field doctor, with a wounded shoulder (wound that in later stories will move to the leg but we forgive Doyle for this little mistake) and is looking for a decent...

EVIT 08.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of A Study in Scarlet - Arthur Conan Doyle