Tag Archives: Book Review

What To Eat When You’re Pregnant And Vegetarian | Book Review

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pregnancy, health, diet, food, what to eat, vegetarian, The phrase, ‘You are what you eat’, is never truer than when pregnant. In fact, both you and your baby are what you eat. If you are vegetarian, or just want to cut down on meat, then this book calls itself the ‘complete guide to healthy eating’. We put it to the test.

This book is an excellent guide. It has a handy reference of vegetarian-safe food and drink, checklists for pregnancy and post-conception, guidelines on caffeine and alcohol, tips on handling morning sickness, how to achieve a healthy weight, and then lose it again, advice on getting enough nutrients, advice on allergy-proofing your baby, food that affects a babies development and what you should eat when breastfeeding. Phew. That is quite a lot of information.

With its menu plans and tips for planning meals, the wealth of information in this book is vast. It even has graphs of how much you should weigh and what food you should eat, it makes a complicated time easy, at least when it comes to nutrition. I also thought the chapter on getting enough iron and avoiding anaemia is great for any mother-to-be. The common complaints during pregnancy and how to deal with them is great too. It covers most health complaints that occur in pregnancy.

What to Eat When You’re Pregnant and Vegetarian: The Complete Guide to Healthy Eating is a great book. A must buy if you are planning to get pregnant or already are.

This Is Where I Am by Karen Campbell | Book Review

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ThisiswhereIambookreviewI seem to be on a bit of a winning streak when it comes to reviewing books. The last three have all been fantastic pieces of literature. This Is Where I Am is a stunning book. Definitely in my Top 10 of all time now. This story about a Somalian refugee and his daughter fleeing war and immigrating to Glasgow, and their mentor who helps them integrate into society is a book of life, reality, grief, death and hope. This makes it sound like a sad book, in many ways it is, but, like life itself, it is intertwined with happiness and the beauty of life itself, of human connection.

This book by Scottish writer Karen Campbell also made me rather homesick. Although I grew up in the Scottish Borders and have now lived in London for over seven years, it made me miss Glasgow as I lived there for a good few years. The book is also written partly in Glaswegian. You don’t have need a dictionary to read it and I quite like the poetry of it. It adds to the atmosphere of the book. Each Section is a different month and tourist place in Glasgow, with a little bit of historical facts at the beginning. To get you started on some Glaswegian here is a quick guide:

 

Heid – Head
Flair – Floor
Greet – Cry
Messages – Food shopping
Wee – Little
Juice – Cold drinks, not tea
Canny – can’t
Bahookie – Bottom
Tae – to

The brilliance of the book is that you see Glasgow fresh through the eyes of Abdi, the refugee, and Deborah, the Scottish woman mourning her dead husband who mentors Abdi.

The story is brilliant and the difference between white British Middle Class life and that of refugees in Somalia gives an accurate glimpse of the unfairness of life. How circumstance is all the difference between a good life and a terrible one. On the day I finished reading this book there were stories in the papers of displaced women in Somalia, proving that the travesties of war have long-term consequences.

This book is 467 pages long. It is so good I read it in a few days. This Is Where I Am can take its place as a great Scottish book, but also as a great story about human rights. A must read.

This Is Where I Am

The Night Rainbow by Claire King | Book Review

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the-night-rainbow book reviewBooks written from a child’s point of view can go horribly wrong. The innocent, yet wise, thoughts of a child can be hard to capture. Which is why The Night Rainbow is such a good book. It captures not only the world of a child, but also the world of adults and how they affect those who are too young to understand.

This hauntingly beautiful novel is set in France, five-year-old Pea and her little sister Margot play alone in the meadow behind their house, on the edge of a small village in Southern France. Her mother is too sad to take care of them; she left her happiness in the hospital, along with the baby. Pea’s father has died in an accident and Maman, burdened by her double grief and isolated from the village by her Englishness, has retreated to a place where Pea cannot reach her – although she tries desperately to do so.

Then Pea meets Claude, a man who seems to love the meadow as she does and who always has time to play. Pea believes that she and Margot have found a friend, and maybe even a new papa. But why do the villagers view Claude with suspicion? And what secret is he keeping in his strange, empty house?

The Night Rainbow is one of those great, rare novels that really capture life, humans and emotions. It also shows up the flaws of adults, how they can jump to conclusions and not be there for each other, and how they can let their own grief and problems stop them looking after children. The novel also encapsulates grief perfectly.

This is the first novel from Claire King and lets hope it is not her first. Even her descriptions of food and insects are touching and wonderful. This is a spectacular first novel and one you won’t be able to put down.

The Night Rainbow

The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins Book Review

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The Next Best Thing , Kristan Higgins ,Book Review, books, book reviewsOut of all of the simple pleasures in life, reading a book has to be right at the top and reading about the trials and tribulations of love is usually the thing to lose yourself in. The Next Best Thing is this kind of book. It is not only a good old-fashioned love story, albeit a sad one. Lucy finds the love of her life and then he dies. Leaving her a childless young widow. 5 years later she decides she doesn’t want to lose her chance at motherhood. To start her journey she stops her friends with benefits arrangement with Ethan, her former brother-in-law.

The Next Best Thing is a highly enjoyable book. Romance with substance. It is wonderful to lose yourself in Lucy’s Hungarian family and her Italian in-laws.

I don’t want to give too much away but this is lose-yourself escapism at it’s best. Worth a read.

New York Times bestseller Kristan Higgins’ latest book The Next Best Thing is the hottest new read from romance giant Mills & Boon. Two-time award winner Higgins has penned a witty, sassy and romantic novel that follows recently widowed Lucy as she searches for Mr Perfectly Boring.

Unwilling to risk a second broken heart, Lucy wants a decent man to fall in like – not love – with. She vows to move on from the hot but highly inappropriate Ethan but he isn’t going anywhere. As far as he’s concerned, what she needs might be right under her nose. But can he convince her that the next best thing really can be forever?

Fans of Jenny Colgan and Jennifer Weiner will relish this romantic read that will bring both tears and laughter in equal measures

The Next Best Thing by Kristan Higgins

Kiss Me First By Lottie Moggach Book Review

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kissmefirstbookreviewSometimes a book comes along that everyone raves about, Kiss Me First is such a book. Every time I read a magazine or a newspaper someone is singing its praises. Of course a book doesn’t tend to get glowing reviews across the board without striking a chord with the people who read it, and for that to happen it has to tell us something about the world we live in, or the human condition.

Kiss Me First does both. Told through the eyes of a vulnerable young women with a computer addiction who loses her mother to MS. Leila is out of tune with the world and spends most of her time on the internet, playing online games or on an ‘intellectual’ forum called Red Pill. She does not relate to other people in their early twenties. Leila ends up taking on the online identity of Tess. A 38-year-old women with mental health issues. Beautiful and reckless Tess wants to disappear and Leila agrees to help after forum owner Adrien tells her she will be doing a noble thing.

I do not want to give too much of the book away but Kiss Me First is a very modern book. It is about social media, our online identities, mental illness, the internet, human relationships. All the things in the modern world which are both good and bad. The book also shows just how out of touch we can be with each other while being constantly plugged in. Leila is out of touch and immature. It leaves her open to being manipulated even if she is not worldly enough to see it.

I loved Kiss Me First. It is a brilliant book and it makes you think. I also found the book uplifting in a way, it shows that a life – a real one, not a virtual one – takes work, but is worth fighting for.

Kiss Me First

 

The Socrates Project Book Launch

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More than 90 influential members of the media, outdoor sports, environmental agencies and the publishing world joined explorers, adventurers, politicians and senior business men and women at the launch of The Socrates Project.

mark beaumont. The Socrates Project

We drank amazing Blue Cocktails (Blue Gold Cocktail Recipe: Equal measures of blue curacao and vodka poured over plenty of ice, top up with lemonade and stir.) mingled and talked with the author, Daron Sheehan and Mark Beaumont amongst others. All in all, it was an amazing night and we are looking forward to reviewing the book.

The Socrates VIP launch.

The event, held between 6pm and 9pm on June 25th 2013 at Artemis, St. James Street, London, was described by guests as a “massive success” and “an important starting point to spread the word about The Socrates Project and its optimistic, thrilling and at times terrifying vision of our future”.

 

The event attracted a wide range of guests from different backgrounds including the leader of the Green Party, Natalie Bennett and journalists from The Guardian, Frost Magazine, Daily Mail, Sunday Mirror and Friends of the Earth. Guests heard from the author, Daron Sheehan, about the inspiration behind the creation of the sicads, “the robotic creatures created by humans to save us who are the main characters in this story” (more info about the sicads – http://the-socrates-project.com/hope-vs-greed/). As Mark Beaumont, ambassador of The Socrates Project, pointed out: “This is a book that doesn’t happily sit in any one genre. In truth, when Daron told me about the idea for The Socrates Project I had concerns; that it would be too sci-fi for me, and that it could come across as Daron preaching. I’m happy to say my concerns were not founded, in fact, this is a fantastic story but it also made me stop to think and reflect on some of the news stories that had recently caught my eye.”

 

Influenced by his vast experiences while travelling the world (during a three-year sabbatical from his successful investment career spanning 16 years), the author, Daron Sheehan, was encouraged to create the story with a view to turning it into a film, something the Nautilus Media team (responsible for publishing the book) is currently working on.

 

Blue Gold cocktails were served and guests were given a goody bag complete with a copy of The Socrates Project, nibbles for the train journey home, a recycled paper notepad and pen set and a TSP-themed Oyster card wallet. Following a Twitter competition, run by Literally PR (@literallypr), David Fuentes (@theperformer) won two free VIP tickets to attend the launch. Fuentes said: “It is great to be able to come along to an event such as this, particularly one that is so busy and full of interesting people”.

 

Music was provided by the incredibly talented Fergal O’Connor and Catriona Lightfoot, who performed the first live version of a song created in honour of The Socrates Project.

 

This book is for anyone who loves outdoor sports, adventure and travel, who wants to preserve our environment, conserve nature, and reduce the threat of pollution on our wildlife, for those of us who are prepared to put our heads above the parapet and discuss what could happen when civil unrest hits our streets even more regularly and more violently than it already is, when water is known as ‘blue gold’ and becomes more valuable to millions of us, including in the West, than ‘yellow gold’. The Socrates Project is fictional, but it presents a shocking account of what could be…
Synopsis

The Socrates Project is a secret attempt by the United Nations to avert the predicted collapse of our civilisations. Simon Oceandis heads up the sicads, who must blend modern science and ancient wisdom to find the solutions before time runs out.

 

Not everybody welcomes the Project. An influential secret society plots to discredit and destroy the sicads. Torn between the love of a beautiful scientist and a fiery tribeswoman, Simon discovers an exotic world of adventure and wonder. To find the answers to save humanity, he must undergo a deep inner journey, yet his life becomes a frantic race for survival…

 

Is it happening? Could it happen? Should it happen? Decide for yourself! Live the story…

 

“Michael Crichton meets George Orwell” – Ross Leckie

“A masterpiece of storytelling…a gripping tale of adventure…” – Mark Beaumont

 

The Widow’s Guide To Sex & Dating Carole Radziwill | Book Review

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The Widow's Guide to Sex & DatingThe Widow’s Guide to Sex & Dating is not a guide. But if you thought it was then don’t be bothered, because, actually, it is a rather brilliant novel. Full of funny moments, great characters and wisdom filled ‘rules’ dotted throughout. Rule #29 says: A boy says, Have a good trip. A man says, Call me when you land. Wise words indeed.

Carole Radziwill has herself been widowed. She was married to ABC News producer Anthony Radziwill. He died of cancer after a five year battle at the obscenely young age of 40. Her book on the death of her husband, What Remains: A Memoir of Fate, Friendship and Love, became a New York Times bestseller.

Which leads us on to The Widow’s Guide to Sex & Dating. The novel follows Claire, wife and then widow of sex writer Charlie. When Charlie was alive Claire lived in his shadow, now he is dead and through the shock and grief she has to find herself again, and, possibly, love.

Claire is a brilliant character. Widowed at only 32, she is talented in her own right but sometimes finds it hard to blossom. Her group of friends are funny and have her best interests at heart. Claire struggles, she even has a second opinion therapist, but will she find her way and true love?

Finding out is fun. I loved this novel and found it hard to put it down. It is a must read. I cannot wait for the TV series that Radziwill has in development. TV is something that she should know about as she is also a cast member of The Real Housewives of New York City.

The Widow’s Guide to Sex and Dating

Crowdsourcing For Dummies

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crowdsourcingfordummiesIf you are a relatively social and have a social media account, or even an email address you will probably know what crowdsourcing is. Not only has it now become popular, but it also has helped business and films. No longer are people with a great idea a slave to a bank or a PR company. What better way to find out how to improve your business than from people who want you to succeed, an audience and customer base who are already built in? What is not to like? Well, there are negatives I am sure but let’s find out more about Crowdsourcing For Dummies. Could this book help?

Crowdsourcing For Dummies by David Alan Grier has a wealth of information. Did you know that Netflix uses crowdsourcing to improve its ability to predict customers movie ratings and L’Oreal used it to create a television advert for a fraction of the usual cost? It really is all about the crowd now. You can use them to build your brand up, marketing, solving problems and to boost your profits.

One of my favourite things about this book is that is goes through all of the different variations of crowdsourcing, including crowdcontests, crowdfunding (very popular), macrotasking, microtasking and self organised crowds. The opportunities out there are vast with the right knowledge.

From the basics to joining the crowdforce and raising money with crowdfunding; I can’t think of anything that is not covered in this well researched book. Part 3 is all about building your skills and I really like the chapter on crowdsourcing with social media. At the very end is the part of tens, and I really liked the Ten Success Stories and  Crowdsourcing blunders to avoid.

This is a very good book. I would definitely buy it if you are even slightly interested in crowdsourcing.