UK Books

FYI: This is Book 2 of the Noble Warriors, a young adult fantasy, and therefore a sequel to Seeker. If you don't want the end of Seeker spoiled for you, STOP! If that's not a concern, I invite you back to Anacrea. (See our review)

Seeker, Morning Star, and Wildman are with the Nomana, training to be Noble Warriors themselves. It's been nine months and they are about to face the most difficult test in their training. On their first day of the new lessons, Wildman does the unthinkable, and must be banished from the Nom. Seeker worries that he too will be sent away, due to the deal he made to get Wildman into training in the first place. Morning Star is despondent at the loss of her friend.

Meanwhile, a new threat is approaching Anacrea, and destroying everything and everyone that gets in its way. When the new threat joins forces with the old, what will become of Anacrea? And where does that leave the Nomana?

For the first time the Nom is divided. How far should they and will they go to protect the people of Anacrea and their home? And now that Seeker seems to have acquired limitless power, what should be done about him? How much power is too much?

This may seem like a pretty vague description of the story, but I don't want to give too much away. The book starts out fast and full, and keeps right on going. It's a fast read, but only because so much keeps happening that you don't want to put it down! So much changes for the three friends, but that's part of growing up. Not only does this book progress well through time and characters, it sucks you further into its universe, almost to the point where when you come up for air, you're surprised to find yourself surrounded by the world you usually live in. If the books keep going like this... Let's just say I can't wait to read the next one!

Armchair Interviews says: Start with Seeker, then read Jango, Book 2. You'll be glad you did.

I read Seeker in about 2 weeks and I found it enjoyable but not altogether mind blowing so I picked up Jango expecting more of the same, But, to my surprise, I fell into this book and was sucked in to the world of the Noble Warriors. I read this book in 3 days.Now some might think that the time it took me means that it lacked substance but no thats not it. I read it so fast because I could not put it down.So in closing and in answer to the question heya! reader, Do-you-love me? Yes, Book 2 I do love you

FYI: This is Book 2 of THE NOBLE WARRIORS series, and therefore a sequel to Seeker: Book One of the Noble Warriors. If you don't want the end of Seeker: Book One of the Noble Warriors spoiled for you, STOP! If that's not a concern, I invite you back to Anacrea.

Seeker, Morning Star, and Wildman are with the Nomana, training to be Noble Warriors themselves. It's been nine months and they are about to face the most difficult test in their training so far. On their first day of the new lessons, Wildman does the unthinkable, and must be banished from the Nom. Seeker worries that he too will be sent away, due to the deal he made to get Wildman into training in the first place. Morning Star is despondent at the loss of her friend.

Meanwhile, a new threat is approaching Anacrea, and destroying everything and everyone that gets in its way. When the new threat joins forces with the old, what will become of Anacrea? And where does that leave the Nomana?

For the first time the Nom is divided. How far should they and will they go to protect the people of Anacrea and their home? And now that Seeker seems to have acquired limitless power, what should be done about him? How much power is too much?

This may seem like a pretty vague description of the story, but I don't want to give too much away. The book starts out fast and full, and keeps right on going. It's a fast read, but only because so much keeps happening that you don't want to put it down! So much changes for the three friends, but that's part of growing up. Not only does this book progress well through time and characters, it sucks you further into its universe. Almost to the point where when you come up for air you're surprised to find yourself surrounded by the world you usually live in. If the books keep going like this... Let's just say I can't wait to read the next one!

Reviewed by: Carrie Spellman

I admit it's a guilty pleasure, finding it in the Young Adult section of the library. I'm sure they'd be interested in some of the language, in the back room at the Central Branch, but never mind -- excellent read. TP seems to falter slightly with the first novel (ONLY YOU CAN SAVE THE WORLD) but persevere! He hits his stride with JOHNNY AND THE DEAD, and is a bit too complex for his own good but resolutely enjoyable with JOHNNY AND THE BOMB. Highly recommended. Six stars, only they won't let you do that.

Don't limit yourself to the Discworld series. Terry Pratchett shines just as brightly in his other literary works. The Johnny Maxwell trilogy is one of these. So if you've ever harbored any ideas that you were special and different as a kid, you'll find great joy in Johnny's experiences.

I've never understood why the books in the Johnny Maxwell series are so hard to find. Not only are they written by one of the world's most engaging, brilliant authors, they are a rare example of truly intelligent books aimed at a young adult audience; they are loads of fun for adults, as well. It seems a little strange to journey with Terry Pratchett to a place other than the Discworld, but this little jaunt is quite enjoyable - and future echoes of Discworld begin to emerge as the series progresses. Johnny Maxwell is just a normal twelve-year old kid, or at least he tries to be. When we first meet him, he is living in Trying Times, sort of left to take care of himself while his parents argue. Trying Times moves to Being Sensible About Things, and by the second book we find Johnny living with his grandfather. He's still a normal kid - it's just that things seem to happen to him that don't happen to anyone else - aliens inside a computer game surrender to him and name him their Chosen One, dead people start talking to him, and he even manages to stumble into time travel.

Like any kid, Johnny enjoys a good computer game every now and then, and his friend Wobbler supplies him with just about any pirated game he could want. He has destroyed all but the last alien ship in the game Only You Can Save Mankind when a message suddenly appears on the screen: We wish to talk. Thus begins a journey that takes him inside the game as the Chosen One, the human who will lead the alien ScreeWee race back to safety beyond The Boundary. The reptilian captain of the ScreeWee is tired of fighting; the human fighters appear out of nowhere, kill and destroy ships in her fleet, and keep coming back no matter how many times they are killed. She has seen what happened to the Space Invaders and would rather surrender than die fighting.

As always with Pratchett, the characters are well-developed and quite remarkable. I really liked Wobbler, the future hacker who designed his own game called Journey to Alpha Centauri to be played in real time, meaning all the thousands of years it would take to reach Alpha Centauri is how many years the game would take you to actually finish it. Beyond the comedy present in this story, there is also a message. The backdrop of the earth-based events of the book is the Persian Gulf War, and the juxtaposition of this war that is real but seems like a game with the computer game that becomes real for Johnny Maxwell conveys a message about violence and one's attitude toward it. It is not an overbearing theme, but it is there to some degree, helping make this short novel much more than just a juvenile read intended to entertain the reader and nothing more.

Johnny often takes a short cut to school through a local cemetery, and it is there that he meets the Alderman, the long dead and buried Alderman. He and the rest of the good folks residing in the cemetery are quite put out by the fact that the cemetery has been sold by the city to a corporation planning on putting office buildings there. Since Johnny is the only human who can see them (and why Johnny can see them is rather a mystery, although the Alderman thinks it is because he is too lazy not to see them), the dead look to him to save their eternal resting place. Stopping a big corporation from doing something the city has granted it the legal right to do is no easy task, especially for a twelve-year-old boy and his friends, but Johnny is wonderfully resourceful.

Johnny and the Dead rings quite distinctly at times of the type of humor showcased by the author in his Discworld novels. The dead people add a lot of life to this book, oddly enough. Their vibrant personalities more often than not clash in a number of very funny ways as they all try to cope with modern life - or the lack of it.

In my opinion, Johnny and the Bomb is the best book in the series. It bears a strong resemblance to Pratchett's Discworld ideas and characterizations, containing much more social commentary, satire, and sidesplitting comedy than the first two books. This time around, Johnny becomes a time traveler - quite unexpectedly. The whole gang (Johnny, Wobbler, Bigmac, Yo-less, and Kirsty) goes back in time to 1941, the very day preceding an accidental bombing of the town. They try to be careful not to mess the future up, but Bigmac and Wobbler seem to have a natural attraction to trouble. Finding their way back home to the future is a difficult task; arriving back home without Wobbler and having to figure out a way to go back and retrieve him is even harder, especially since it involves convincing the 1941 authorities that the town is going to be bombed at a specific time.

The characters of Johnny's remarkable friends are fleshed out in this novel to a much greater extent than they were in the previous two novels. Time displacement forces the kids to deal with issues of racism and sexism, for example. Serious issues aside, though, the book is just hilarious; the proffered hypotheses about the different legs of the Trousers of Time is vintage Pratchett material. This adventure really is the type of thing you might expect to happen on the Discworld, and I daresay any Pratchett fan of any age should enjoy this book (and the whole series) immensely. I find myself wishing for more Johnny Maxwell stories; I feel as if I know these characters now, and they are a fascinating, increasingly funny bunch of guys to hang around with.

`the kitchen diaries' by `Britain's best-loved food writer' (according to the clear stickie on the book cover), Nigel Slater is truly one of the most unusual culinary books I have seen since I began reviewing all sorts of different cookbooks, cooking science books, culinary memoirs, and culinary history books. The one similarly unusual book that comes to mind is the great `Honey from a Weed' by Patience Gray in that both are culinary diaries. The salient difference between the two is that Gray's book covers the cuisines of four important culinary locations, while Slater's guiding light is the food available through the various months of the year. Oddly, in spite of the great quality of both books, neither is a very good guide to the food from their inspiration. Both are meant less as a reference for looking up recipes and more for the kind of book you simply sit down and read from cover to cover.

I once described to culinary journalist and writing teacher, Dianne Jacob, the author of `Will Write for Food', that I thought there were three major styles of recipe writing. The first and most common these days is the model created by Julia Child in `Mastering the Art of French Cooking'. Everyone from James Beard on down rewrote his or her stuff in this style soon after this book came out. The second style is the `haute cuisine' / celebrity chef style epitomized by Joel Robuchon, with the assistance of Patricia Wells. These recipes are read less to prepare these dishes than to garnish insights on new cooking techniques and unusual ingredients. The third is what I described as the Elizabeth David style of recipe writing as this great writer did in her earliest books on Mediterranean, French, and Italian cooking. Ms. Jacob said she didn't think anyone wrote recipes like Elizabeth David (except, perhaps, Elizabeth David). I submit that if in no other way, then certainly in this style of culinary writing, Nigel Slater is the truest incarnation of Elizabeth David's style of recipe writing.

As he explains in his excellent book, `Appetite', he is all about a minimalist approach to recipe writing, to advance the greatest culinary pleasure of being able to cook without a cookbook, or, at the very least, with only the barest suggestions from the author on how to go about doing things with some ingredients at hand. This is the most attractive aspect of several current popular culinary writers, not the least of whom is Slater's compatriot, Jamie Oliver, who seems to worship the ground on which Slater walks.

This book is also a great study in the cardinal precept of Tom Colicchio's `How to Think Like a Chef' which states that recipes do not develop from an interest to make a tart or a roast or a ceviche or whatever. They arise from what the chef has on hand. This book is an essay on that principle in a way which makes the principle real for the average amateur cook who works exclusively at home.

One of the greatest revelations you will find in this book is the surprising truth that even distinguished culinary writers will often eat through the day by simply picking out of the fridge and that Slater often goes for two or three days without actually cooking a `sit down' meal. This rings so true that those of us who routinely watch Rachael Ray saying that she cooks full two and three dish meals every day, or almost every day at home in the Adirondacks seriously believe she is exaggerating just a bit.

The title of this book must be taken completely literally. It is so much of a diary that about 40% of the text in the book is more like the material in a memoir than in a cookbook. It is not unrelated to `cooking', as it describes the circumstances under which certain dishes come about. The primary circumstance is the season, or more exactly the month or time in the season. So, the book is organized by month rather than by quarterly season.

Another very important sense in which this is a `diary' is that it has very much a sense of being an unfinished work in progress. Slater is nothing if not eloquent in his writing in his other books. That is why I am so surprised to find plainly awkward, unpolished writing in this book. This leads me to believe that unlike much of his other work, this book has not seen the pages of a newspaper with its platoon of copy editors poring over the text to clean up awkward writing.

This awkwardness may make one stop and reread passages here and there, but it will clearly not detract from the pleasure of reading this book for dyed in the wool foodies. Another thing which may limit the interest of the book to food fanatics is that like `Appetite' and unlike some of his more popular books such as `real fast food' and `real cooking', all measurements are done in metric units.

In the end, if you enjoy writing about food, this book is simply a great find. It is one of those rare books which puts you into the cook's head and lets you see work in progress in a way I simply have never seen anywhere else, even in Colicchio's important book or in better writer / chef collaborations such as Bittman / Von Gerichten and Welles / Robuchon.

Very highly recommended for foodies.

If you know of Nigel Slaters other books you will no doubt just buy this regardless of any review as you will know what an entertaining writer he is.

If you are new to Nigel Slater then here is what I would say about this book;

If you are looking for a straight out 'recipe book' this isn't the book for you (I'd start with the excellent 'Appetite' - also by Nigel Slater). However, if you are a foodie that is inspired by reading about others inspiration and seasonal eating, then you will find this book hugely entertaining.

More a book on enjoying simple culinery pleasures than technique or presentation.

Forget such lifestyle books as 'Under the Tuscan sun' or 'A year in Provence', what you'll get out of this is a sense of place, mood, season and good living which is obtainable by all of us (in the western world) through the simple but elegant satisfaction good food can bring.

Nigel Slater is definitely one of the best food writers around today, his enjoyment of food - its textures, colours, tastes and aromas is inspiring and even now just thinking about the book I find my mouth watering.

He is a British writer and if you have not heard about him or his work then I strongly suggest you have a go - if you like Nigella Lawson or Jamie Oliver you will probably enjoy Slater.

In this hardback illustrated book he discusses his eating and cooking over a year. Each chapter is a month of writing and cooking - talking about food what is available and what he does with it. The start of the chapter has the month and a list of recipes he has made through the month. So you can flick through on a month by month basis, tasting the season's fruits etc, (there is also a helpful index by the way) Or you can just read it as a series of recipes in a diary like way.

The recipes are based on fresh and simple principles rather than trying to make complicated concoctions. And some of the simplest foods make the nicest things - I love his broad bean recipes (the American readers will probably know them as fava beans)and rhubarb deserts are great.

My only real issue with this book is that it is printed on a laid crean paper - which is fine for text but they also have printed the pictures in colour on it which loses a lot of the gloss and richness of the illustrations. I really enjoy good food photography - even if I never can present it to the same standard it is lovely to look at. While it is all nicely presented and printed I find it difficult to get the whole "Readers-Digest-Condensed-book" picture out of my head because that is what it looks like to me.

It is in hardback with decorated boards as covers, not easy to hold open to make any of the recipes. My suggestion is that you do what I did - read it though once and really enjoy it as a diary/book. It is a wonderful literary indulgence - then pick out the recipes you like, put them on paper in your own recipe book, and keep this lovely volume safely on the shelf to browse through at leisure (and without sticky fingers).

In the emergent new forest of cyber law there is a growing need for collective works on this subject. There are many issues, which face lawyers as a result of this new technology. The issues require an open debate in order to arrive at practical solutions to the problems. Law and the Internet provides the meat for the debate on the specific problems faced by lawyers and their clients.

OVERVIEW OF MAJOR ISSUES OF INTERNET LAW, REGULATION, COPYRIGHT, DOMAIN NAMES, CONFLICT OF LAWS; CLEAR, SUCCINCT AND UNEXPENSIVE

This book throws light on an area which is much in need of illumination. The editors are to be congratulated on the production of a first class analysis of the complex legal issues involved in the internet. A seminal work.

Leaping Shadow is a great collection of poems for both new and seasoned poetry readers. Mr Ahmad's approach is simple and accessible,and he articulates complex ideas through clear and impactful prose. Moreover, he coverse a breath of topics so that every reader can identify with one of many thems in his writing. Equally cathartic and compelling, I very much enjoy reading "Leaping Shadows" and highly recommend it to any one looking for a fresh perspective on modern poetry. A poetry lovers must-have for 2008.

Rafia from Maryland, U.S.A.

"Leaping Shadow's" ...an eloquent concoction... delving into the depths of humankind's intrinsic core ...heartbreak's aches...dark shadows bursting into the London's twilight ... to solitude's hollow echo.... lost soul yearning for light. Ahmed's work takes our hand and walks us through a passionate, emotional kaleidoscope...leaving a lasting impression on the mind, engraving the heart, but most profoundly affecting the soul. Take his hand, and his words will seize and captivate.... join in an expedition into the recesses of the psyche. Your journey will be swayed by the state of world.... its shuddering sighs for atrocities unmentioned, and cradled by the grand scale of love: forsaken, abandoned ...but never forgotten. You can be sure that with each reading a new interpretations will flourish, and deeper insights will commence. This collection is a timeless treasure ~ to be savored over and over again.

Set against the powerful and evocative backdrop of the human condition, Ahmed elegantly reveals the internal and external intrigues of love, betrayal, tragedy and dispossession afflicting humanity from time immemorial. Weaving classical themes of tragedy and redemption, each passage sheds light on the complex dualities and paradoxes that manifest in individuals and societies comprised of individuals. Consequently, this rarefied collection of poems speaks equally to the forsaken lover, the broken warrior and the restless nation-state. Strikingly vivid and deeply poignant, Leaping Shadows is a must-read for aficionados of avant garde literature and poetry.

David Curtis is an incredible artist and this book depicts his skill admirably. The text is very informative and the illustrations are well reproduced. It is especially illuminating to see the step-by-step demonstrations to see how a master creates his work.

First rate demos. Good graphics. The artist-author is a premier realistic Plein air painter.

This is a one of the best books on oil painting that I've seen (though probably best for an intermediate level painter; it's a little short on basic 'just getting started' information). Both the author's advice and the demonstrations are helpful and done in a professional but friendly way.

The best compliment I can give it is that I've actually looked for the author's paintings to purchase.

Little Miss Naughty (Mr. Men and Little Miss) is the item. I ordered it for my daughter because I had it as a child and enjoyed the series. Now that they are back on tv my daughter loves them so I ordered a couple. It is brand new and exactly the story I remember.

These books are great! They used to be very popular when I was a child and now some of them are out of print. I'm glad to see most of the books still available, they are great for young kids, and a laugh for adults!

Little Miss Naughty tries to be very naughty and do naughty things to other people. Some of the Mr. Men got tired of her naughty tricks. She was going to paint Mr. Nosey's nose red, but someone tweaked her nose. Everytime she wanted to do something naughty, a surprise person tweaked her nose. She got a very sore nose, and learned not to do so many naughty things. This is a very funny book.

I read Little Miss Trouble as a child and I enjoyed it. This book is excellent for all those childern who like to cause trouble

I read this book as a child, and here I am years later with a copy my sister recently purchased - and still remember the characters. An excellent way to teach children right from wrong - as well as helping them understand why people act the way they do. I recommend this book and all of the other "Little Miss" and "Mr." books. They are all wonderful!

I loved this book. I am an eight year old and still love this book. This book is about a little girl who always gets into trouble. She does things and then blames them on someone else. People that are ennocent are getting into trouble. Read the book to find out more!

This small popout map came in handy, it fits in your pocket or bag. I would recommend it for anyone wishing to tour London. Colorful with lots of information & makes a nice souvenir when you get home!!!

I've used these maps in several different cities and recomend them to everyone I know. They cover all the areas of the city (and or region) you're likely to need as well as major public transportation routes. They're easy to read and help you move confidently and safely in unfamiliar territory.

This has got to be the best and handiest map i've ever had! It's small, easy to carry, important buildings on the map. London was our last stop, on out backpacking trip, so we've seen A LOT of useless ones. This map also has top tourist places from food, to shopping to museums, etc. It also has the TUBE (underground) map, on it.

My son who is 2 1/2 years old cracked up when I read this book to him. Something that he hasn't done when it comes to books. He let out a heart felt belly laugh! And couldn't stop laughing every time he looked at the page. So I must reccomend this book to all silly toddlers who think sick lambs are funny!

The pictures are also very pretty.

My three year old loves this story! It's one of her favorites and we both laugh every time we read it. The illustrations are great and it teaches a valuable lesson about the dangers of greed. I highly recommend it for young children.

Marvin's not a happy sheep: he's smaller than the others and can't run as fast or jump as high. So he decides to eat - but no matter how much he eats and grows, he finds he's never satisfied. Soon he finds his dilemma falling at the other end of the scale - literally - in this story of Marvin the little, turned big.