With a Bang and a Clunk (Polity Agent - Neal Asher)

Advantages: decent world, good technology, lots of action
Disadvantages: Boring: too much technology, too many battles, not enough social background

...and information virus and you have an author that clearly knows his stuff and confidently uses the whole techno-science-fiction toolkit. All of this is combined quite well into a consistent and believable world which to me strongly resembles Banks's Culture; though Polity is of somehow more obviously harsh and warlike, masculine character. There is an acknowledgement of Asher's debt to Banks though it only mentions drones; but the book also owes a lot to the cyberpunk tradition - in fact the cover of Polity Agent reminded me instantly of the UK cover of Neuromancer. It's all there, and by all accounts Polity Agent should be, if not exactly inspiring, then at least fun. However, this novel fails on the main criterion of genre fiction. It is rather boring, despite all those plot strands and characters and fireworks of undoubted technical...

magdadh 22.04.2009 (29.03.2009) · Read review
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Review of Polity Agent - Neal Asher

Cooking with Jane Asher

Advantages: Quick and easy to make, taste delicious
Disadvantages: Fattening!!!!

...I usually prefer to make my own cakes from scratch, but now and again I buy the ready-made mixes. A while ago, I noticed the Jane Asher range of cake mixes on special offer for £1, so decided I'd get the Triple Chocolate Brownie mix to try. ~About Jane Asher ~ Former girlfriend of Paul McCartney, Jane Asher is a name which is now regularly associated with party cakes. Making fancy cakes is not this woman's only talent however, as she has also been acting since the age of five and has written three novels. ~Packaging~ The kit comes in a very smart looking box, with a mouth-watering picture of the finished product, and the Jane Asher logo written in beautiful gold lettering across the top. Compared to the majority of other cake making kits on the shelf, the Jane Asher range really stands out. The other major brand is Greens...

pink_champagne 12.07.2006 · Read review
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Review of Jane Asher Triple Chocolate Brownie Mix

FREE DVDs

Advantages: Free trial, large choice, post included,new realeases
Disadvantages: see review

...I like movies and I like freebies, so when you get offered both in one swoop you?re bound to accept! I used my two week free trial with this company and remained with them for a couple of monthsbefore moving on to try many other companies free trials (and winning a new DVD player on Tesco DVD rental site on their free trial offer). I then had an email from DVDs 365 asking me to go back, and offering me a free DVD if I did so. I had just left Tesco (with my new DVD player) so I chose to go back with them. ∆◊◊ THE SERVICE THEY OFFER ∆◊◊ Basically it?s like going to a video shop and hiring films on DVD, except you don?t pay for each film you chose ? rather a monthly fee for which you can watch as many movies as you can fit in, for us this is usually around 8 a month (2 a week usually weekends...

dabmim 15.11.2004 · Read review
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A romantic whodunnit from Nora Roberts

Advantages: An absorbing read
Disadvantages: A little predictable

... ANGELS FALL NORA ROBERTS In this book - "Angels Fall" - Nora Roberts mixes mystery and romance. This book, published in 2006, contains three main subplots in the story -- a murder mystery, Reece's romance with Brody, and Reece's struggle to gain back normality. Ms Roberts manages to incorporate the three aspects together resulting into and novel. The story starts with the heroine, cook Reece Gilmore, as her car has broken down in Angel's Fist, Wyoming. Reece decides decides to stay in the little town for a day - but that day turns into months as she takes a a job as a cook in the local diner, rents the apartment upstairs and settles into town life at Angel's Fist. It is then, through dreams and flashbacks from Reece, that e learn that she hasbeen the victim of a viscious and brutal crime in...

oldchem 18.07.2009 · Read review
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Review of Angels Fall - Nora Roberts

Robert Ludlum's Moving Tale of Betrayal...

Advantages: Fabulous book, one of Ludlum's best..
Disadvantages: None at all..

...The Tristan Betrayal Author: Robert Ludlum Pages: 521 About the author and the book ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Robert Ludlum is the author of 23 novels published in 32 languages and 40 countries, and, at one time was the world's best selling author. His novels are a blend of sophisticated plotting and extreme pace.There are more than 210 million copies of his books in print. He is best known for 'The Scarletti Inheritance', The Chancellor manuscript , Osterman Weekend and the Jason Bourne series - 'The Bourne identity, The Bourne Supremacy and 'The Bourne ultimatum' among others. His plots are intricate with twists upon twists, managing to mesmerize the readers. He is an expert at writing Political Thrillers.The Tristan Betrayal is a classic Political Thriller set in the 1940's in Paris , Moscow both reeling under Hitler...

kiran8 15.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Tristan Betrayal - Robert Ludlum

Surprising Picture Quality - Panasonic DVD-S54

Advantages: Incredible picture quality when compared to my old non-upscaling player with a scart lead
Disadvantages: Sometimes disc drive can be really noisy when DVD's initially load.

...At first I wasn't convinced by up-scaling DVD player technology but was persuaded after reading an article in "What Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision" magazine. Unable to afford a Blu-Ray player my sister and I bought the Panasonic DVD-S54 to match our parents brand new Panasonic TX-32LZD80 LCD television as their Christmas 2008 present. Admittedly it was a slightly selfish purchase as we both live at home and wanted to watch DVDs on the big new TV ourselves! We bought the player from the electrical retailer Comet for about £100 just before Christmas so there were no discounts applied. On Christmas day when opened we found a relatively small box tightly packed with the player in polystyrene packaging. All the components such as cables, remote and manuals were well presented in their own protective plastic bags, to keep them protected. The player...

bobbacon985 12.02.2009 · Read review
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Robert Post

Advantages: good tunes and really catchy
Disadvantages: only one really outstanding track

...This is a self-titled album by singer songwriter Robert Post. He comes from a small village in Norway called Langevaag and he got together with two friends, Tor and Alf, and set about to record an album. Tor does the drums and Alf plays bass for Post. Mike Hedges is the producer of the album, who has produced work for many different artists such as the Manic Street Preachers or Travis. This album looks like it could be set to be big in due time. Again, I first heard some of his music through a friend, when he downloaded one of the songs though iTunes. Once I?d heard this song, I wanted to hear more as it was so upbeat and yet seemed to be different to general pop music that you would hear on the radio. I listened to the album with enthusiasm waiting for more wonderfully crafted songs that really make you want to sing along. I...

lc15 20.06.2007 · Read review
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Review of Robert Post - Robert Post

Robert Fripp Exposed

Advantages: Brilliantly creative, inventive, innovative... etc. album played by a stunning list of musicians
Disadvantages: some might find it pretentious

...The chances are that you?ve heard Robert Fripp?s guitar even if you?ve never heard the name. Ever wondered whose amazing guitar that is on Bowie?s Heroes? What about Scary Monsters? He?s played with and produced Peter Gabriel, the Talking Heads, Brian Eno, David Sylvian, The Future Sound of London, Blondie Andy Summers (of the Police), The Orb; also The California Guitar Trio, Trey Gunn, Bill Rieflin (for those who know who they are) and is married to Toyah Wilcox of all people, but otherwise better known as the only remaining founder member and force behind King Crimson. Fripp has made a vast array of solo albums, mostly his ambient soundscapes that are themselves beautiful. He?s had other bands too beyond Crimson: The League of Gentleman (back in 1980), Robert Fripp?s String Quintet (1994); but there is only one available solo...

No_name 08.12.2003 · Read review
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Review of Exposure - Robert Fripp

Robert Heinlein, First and Best

Advantages: A very entertaining thoughtful reat
Disadvantages: Not to every ones liking

...Starship Troopers by Robert A Heinlein. Published in 1959. Very brief synopsis:- With this book you follow the life of one Juan (Johnny) Rico from his enlistment in the Federal Service, Mobile Infantry, up to his command of a platoon of these troops in an Interstellar war. Mankind is facing a Bug like alien species, something like a giant ant crossed with a spider. Johnny Rico comes from a background of wealth and privilege and through peer pressure and naivety he signs up for service. Only a person who has completed a minimum two year service has the Right to vote. Not everybody wants to serve and thus vote. A good part of the book is taking up with his time at boot camp and the training he undergoes. Running in the background that we are not aware of is the situation that is getting steadily worse, going from normal peace...

Coloneljohn 18.04.2005 · Read review
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Review of Starship Troopers - Robert A. Heinlein

AS HARD SF AS IT GETS (The Line War - Neal Asher)

Advantages: Asher knows his stuff
Disadvantages: It's all a bit too much for me

......

magdadh 24.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of The Line War (Agent Cormac 5) - Neal Asher