Advantages: thought provoking, un-putdownable, entralling, beautifully written and current.
Disadvantages: I actually cant think of any

...You know that you have come across a special book when one passage makes you shake with anger and the next passage has you smiling at a small act of triumph. A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of those books. ~~The Author~~ I first became aware of Khaled Husseini and his books when he was nominated for three awards at the Galaxy Book Awards. Husseini was born in Kabul in Afghanistan in 1965, but was relocated through his fathers work to Paris in the 1970's. By the time they returned to their homeland in the 1980's Afghanistan was an extremely dangerous place to be and they sought and were granted asylum in the United States. A Thousand Splendid Suns is Husseini's second novel, following the hugely successful Kite Runner. He is now a goodwill envoy to UNHCR. ~~Plot~~ The story is based on two women in Afghanistan and how... Read review

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Advantages: Perfect for bedtime
Disadvantages: None

...The Mr Men and Little Miss series written by Roger Hargreaves and then later his son Adam will always be a hit with children due to their simply yet engaging stories and brightly coloured pictures. Little Miss Splendid is number 11 in the Little Miss series, which has a total of 33 books in it. Little Miss Splendid is green, wears a red hat, red boots and carries a very stylish red handbag. Her only problem is that she's rather stuck-up. The front cover of the book shows a picture of the character as described before and the back shows smaller pictures of all the other characters in the series, which enables you to keep track of which ones you have bought and which ones you would like to read. ****THE STORY**** Nothing is too good for little Miss Splendid and she lives in an enormous house with all of the best furnishings... Read review

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Advantages: great read, throughly engaging
Disadvantages: very sad

...Having heard an awful lot about Khaled Hosseini's first book The Kite Runner, I put ' A thousand splendid suns' on my christmas list, knowing that I could fairly easily borrow a copy of The Kite Runner. Although I'm ashamed to say that I still havent read the first book. This book however is a first for me in the sense of Middle Eastern story telling. I tend to stick to perhaps tales with more of a happy theme, a sucker for a bit of romance I suppose. I am therefore not comparing this book to the authors first, but in it's own merrits. The book is set in Afghanistan where you are first introduced to Mariam, who spends the first 15 years of her life living with her troubled mother. Mariam is a 'harami' born out of wedlock, her father a wealthy business man with 3 wives. Mariam is visited once a week by her father, visits... Read review

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Advantages: Great location, clean and comfy rooms, Pool!
Disadvantages: Weird showers, no sea views

...I’ve just returned from a holiday in Nice, where there’s approximately 300 days of sunshine a year, there are French women sunbathing topless on the beach, and you can dunk your baguette in your coffee and just sit back and watch the world go by. I went to Nice to meet up with my boyfriend after he’d been at conferences, and so we decided to have a short holiday there. I spent weeks trying to find the perfect accommodation, looking on hundreds of websites, trying to balance out cost issues, as well as trying to find somewhere in a good location, and that had good reviews by other travelers. I finally, FINALLY made a decision and booked the Hotel Splendid through hotelclub.com five days before I left. THE HOTEL: AN OVERVIEW The Hôtel Splendid is a 4-star hotel located on the Boulevard Victor-Hugo in the centre of Nice, a few... Read review

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Advantages: Well written and no doubt will sell zillions
Disadvantages: A poor shadow of his first best seller

...If you could find a bookshop or library that organised its books by detailed topics rather than alphabetically or by broad genre, I think it's safe to say that the shelf labelled 'Happy Books About Afghanistan' would be one of the emptiest in the shop. A Thousand Splendid Suns is no exception to the norm in being almost unremittingly bleak but by the standards of others I've read, it's only scratching the surface. Khaled Hosseini's first book, "The Kite Runner" was a massive international success with - if you believe the publishers' publicity - sales in excess of 8 million copies worldwide. Its popularity was driven largely by word-of-mouth recommendation and it achieved immense popularity amongst book clubs and individual readers alike. A film by the same name was due to hit the cinemas on Boxing Day and should be all around... Read review

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Advantages: A unique place
Disadvantages: A long day

...Macau **SPLENDID TOURS & TRAVEL LTD** When I was in Hong Kong we noticed in out hotel we could go over to Macau for a day trip. In our hotel we could book this trip with Splendid Tours & Travel Ltd and they sorted out everything from our boat over to our tickets into the attractions. The tour cost us HK$760 each (adult) as we went on a weekday. For a child (under 9) it would have cost HK680 and a child (under 1) it cost HK$150. On a weekend/holidays it cost HK$780 for an adult, HK$700 for a child (under 9) and HK$150 for a child (under 1). For this tour you are required to have a Chinese visa before going on it. You will be provided with an English-speaking guide. Out guide was very friendly and very informative. He seemed interested with other cultures and made a point to spend time to talk to everyone personally on the tour... Read review

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Advantages: Holiday satisfaction
Disadvantages: Hardly any

...I just fell in love with lovely Limone, I with my family stayed at the Hotel Splendid Palace from 21/09/2008 to 28/09/2008 and happily ticked all the `smiley faces' when completing the hotel's questionaire before leaving at the end of our holiday. I stayed with my wife, in room 220 and I cannot praise the hotel staff enough for their efficiency and friendliness. From our balcony overlooking Lake Garda we were priviledged to enjoy stunning views of the mountains opposite and also Malcesine, just below and to the right, lay lovely Limone with its fine church tower, the constant activity of the various ferry boats.discharging and taking aboard passengers from the piers, created a never ending interest throughout our stay. The steps from the Hotel down to the alley that leads to Limone are rather steep as is the hill when walking... Read review

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Advantages: see text
Disadvantages: see text

...productive period that is after all, only 4 years longs. The transition of this live work from the very naïve In the Heat of the Morning to the splendid Rock’n’Roll Suicide perhaps couldn’t be more stark but throughout quality is rarely compromised and it acts as a superb piece that helps us understand what was going on in the music scene at this time. Added colour is provided by the superb and exhaustive notes that combine with the chat and interviews to give a clear picture of the organisation and atmosphere of these unique gigs. It would be quite counterproductive to give a full description of each song (as there are nearly 40 of them) but rather I give a basic flavour and add some fun details where necessary or desirable. Disc: 1 In The Heat Of The Morning The first four songs are from a 1968 session... Read review

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Advantages: Marvellous adaptation, glorious music, excellent soloists
Disadvantages: None

...a couple of years ago in which I discussed versions of the dialogue, translations and the myth of the Can-Can. I won't repeat them here. That review can be found at http://cd.ciao.co.uk/OffenbachOrpheusintheUnderworldReview5335999 POSTSCRIPT. The title of this review is the beginning of a quotation from the review written by Jules Noriac in Le Figaro the day after the first performance in 1858. He wrote "Inoui, Splendide, Ebouriffant, Gracieux, Charmant, Spirituel, Amusant, Reussi, Parfait, Meldodieux!" which translates to "Unheard-Of, Splendid, Outrageous, Granceful, Charming, Witty, Amusing, Successful, Perfect, Melodious!"... Read review

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Advantages: Sensational album that redifined pop music, some exceptional songs
Disadvantages: Need to have the 12" vinyl for the full effect, Within You Without You ;-)

...between tracks on CD, which completely ruin many of the carefully-planned transitions between one song and the next). There's such a lot to enjoy here, and it can only really be appreciated (unless you have hawk-like eyesight) on the twelve-inch vinyl LP. Little touches, such as the doll with the Rolling Stones top lying unregarded in a dark corner, the cardboard cutouts inside the sleeve, and the comment: "This is a stereo recording. A splendid time is guaranteed for all" show the care and thought that has gone into it. SIDE ONE As I said, though, I prefer to concentrate on the songs themselves. And what a start to the album. The initial "tuning session" creates the impression of a live concert, which is ironic considering that Sgt Pepper was one of the first "pure studio" records. Then Paul, with his tremendous rock'n'roll voice... Read review

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