Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

(292 pages)



(from Amazon)This true story about the love between a spiritual mentor and his pupil has soared to the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters, it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much they meant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? And we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. Finally, we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages to teach us all about living robustly and fully. Kudos to author and acclaimed sports columnist Mitch Albom for telling this universally touching story with such grace and humility.
I decided to read this when i got up this morning, and believie it or not had finished it just after lunchtime. I couldn't put it down. I was so moved and touched buy Morrie's determination and ability to see the bright side of things even in the most horrid of situations.
Mitch Albom has written a book that is so easy to read and also manages to grab you and touch you whilst chuckling along. I really felt that I had missed out on something by not having known Morrie whilst he was alive, but at least I now have a sense of what a marvellous man he must have been.

Daniel Isn't Talking by Marti Leimbach

(288 pages)



The new novel from Marti Leimbach, author of the internationally best-selling "Dying Young".
My husband saw me at a party and decided he wanted to marry me. Melanie Marsh is an American living in London married to Stephen, the perfect Englishman, who knew the minute he saw her that she was to be his future. But when their youngest child is diagnosed with autism their marriage starts to unravel at great speed. Stephen runs back into the arms of his previous girlfriend while Melanie does everything in her power to help her son and keep her family together. And then one day Melanie hears about a man named Andy O'Connor, who calls himself a "play therapist" and has a client list so long she can barely get him on the phone. Some say he's a maverick and a con artist of the first degree, but when he walks into the house and starts playing with her child, Melanie knows she's found the key to her son's success, and possibly to her own happiness. "Daniel Isn't Talking" is a passionate and darkly humorous novel that explores a mother's determination to help her child. A love story for grown ups, it somehow extends its wisdom far beyond the parameters of disability and into the substance of human nature itself. A tense, moving novel that will make you laugh at loud even as it breaks your heart.

Melanie is an American living in London. She has everything… a house a handsome English husband and two beautiful children. But Daniel her youngest child isn’t like other children. He doesn’t talk and has a strange obsession with Thomas the Tank Engine. She finds out after visiting numerous specialists that Daniel is autistic. Stephen (her husband) thinks that this is as good as a death sentence and wants Daniel to be enrolled in a special school as soon as possible. Melanie on the other hand is determined for Daniel to be like any other child and seeks help from every corner. Amongst Melanie’s desperation the marriage falls apart, but she does find Andy, a play therapist who is supposed to be able to work wonders. And he does. Before long Daniel is playing and talking, and a new love is blossoming, but can Melanie find a new happiness?
This novel is absolutely wonderful. It pulls you through all the emotions imaginable and Melanie is so endearing and strong that you wished you knew her! There is nothing she wont do for Daniel, including pawning her engagement ring and selling half her furniture. Through all the sorrow and hardships, Melanie always manages to find hope, sometimes at the expense of her own happiness, but she is so believable. You feel what she feels, cry when she cries and ultimately, are ecstatic for her when she makes the right decisions for herself.
In Melanie, Marti Leimbach has created an unlikely hero, bringing to the fore the humanity of families with disabled children and the hope there is for them, warts and all. It was totally unputdownable.

Knots & Crosses by Ian Rankin

(256 pages)



'And in Edinburgh of all places. I mean, you never think of that sort of thing happening in Edinburgh, do you...?' 'That sort of thing' is the brutal abduction and murder of two young girls. And now a third is missing, presumably gone to the same sad end. Detective Sergeant John Rebus, smoking and drinking too much, his own young daughter spirited away south by his disenchanted wife, is one of many policemen hunting the killer. And then the messages begin to arrive: knotted string and matchstick crosses - taunting Rebus with pieces of a puzzle only he can solve.

This was a decent good old fashioned murder mystery whodunnit type book. I was told to read this first as it is the beginning of the Rebus books, and am glad I did because I feel that I want to read more of the Rebus stories. BUT as a standalone, this is lacking something.... i didnt feel as involved in the crimes as I have with other writers, but i am assured that Rebus gets better with age, so lets just see.

The Rocky Road to Romance by Janet Evanovich

(272 pages)



The "Dog Lady" of radio station WZZZ, free-spirited Daisy Adams figures anything has to beat pushing tasty canine recipes over the airwaves. So when a slot for a roving traffic reporter opens, Daisy jumps at it-- despite the fact that she's already juggling about fifteen other jobs. The new one comes with a raise and more responsibility. It also comes with a hands-on boss, hunky operations manager Steve Crow. When Daisy turns into a media darling after inadvertently foiling a major criminal's getaway, Steve decides it's his duty to protect her, bringing him even farther into the tangled web of her maddeningly overextended life. But Daisy's got far too much going on to get involved in extracurricular activities-- like falling in love.

This was my first Evanovich, and I can understand why so many people love her so much. All the characters jumped right off the page. I meanthere is a gorgeous rich guy with a heart of gold, a sweet overworked young woman who puts everyone else first, a teenage boy who will eat anything, a psycho granny with a gun and of course the adorable Bob dog. The story was simple and easy to follow, with love, romance and intrigue and a few bad guys thrown in. The plot developed really nicely, although the ending of the 'baddie' storyline was a bit abrupt (but very entertaining!).I could relate to Daisy really well as her life was as hectic as mine! Janet Evanovich has created some adorable characters that kept me wanting more, and for a compact little book, this was a corker! I shall certainly be on the lookout for more of her books!

Secrets by Linore Rose Burkard

(20 A4 pages)



Christine's walk with her golden retriever starts out like any other walk on her private, wooded property. When she hears her dog whimper and runs to find him, she is stopped in her tracks by something she never expected. Soon she is wondering if her own life is in danger! And, even if she survives, will things ever be the same?

I was gripped right away. I absolutely had to know who the man was and how he knew so much. I certainly wasn’t expecting what came next. As the pages flew by I wanted more. The development of the story was wonderful, and the conclusion was very warming and satisfying. I am glad that I read this and it just proves that God works in mysterious ways.

Jennifer Government by Max Barry

(338 pages)



In Max Barry's twisted, hilarious and terrifying vision of the near future, the world is run by giant corporations and employees take the last names of the companies they work for. It's a globalised, ultra-capitalist free market paradise! Hack Nike is a lowly merchandising officer who's not very good at negotiating his salary. So when John Nike and John Nike, executives from the promised land of Marketing, offer him a contract, he signs without reading it. Unfortunately, Hack's new contract involves shooting teenagers to build up street cred for Nike's new line of USD2,500 trainers. Hack goes to the police - but they assume that he's asking for a subcontracting deal and lease the assassination to the more experienced NRA. Enter Jennifer Government, a tough-talking agent with a barcode tattoo under her eye and a personal problem with John Nike (the boss of the other John Nike). And a gun. Hack is about to find out what it really means to mess with market forces.

This was a really good read, great fun, a massive cast of fantastically different characters and an all powerful corporate consumerist lifestyle that is ridiculously beliveable... oh did i mention the good guy vs bad guys and conspiracies too??? really great fun.