Alaska is an amazing story which chronicles the history of this exquisitely beautiful and wild region of the United States. Michener describes in detail the formation of this landscape through painstaking research into tectonic plates and paelentology. He gives us a glimpse of the past and the coming of man, the demise of great creatures who once roamed this ice castle, and looks into the exciting periods of the Klondike and the salmon industry. All of this is woven into a masterful story which combines fact and fiction, creating a volume that is almost impossible to put down.

Frank McCourt has written a most heart wrenching and compelling memoir in Angela's Ashes. This is a novel that will not only reduce you to tears, but it will fill you with laughter as well, as Frank, through the eyes and innocence of a child, describes what life is like growing up in Limerick Ireland - poor and Catholic. Read this novel, and learn to count your own blessings. This is a book truly worthy of the title.....Classic!

 

It's been some years since Richard Adams enchanted us all with his magical and touching tale of Hazel, Fiver and Bigwig in his classic Watership Down. Fire Bringer, the first novel by David Clement-Davies, published in 1999 returns us to the grandious heights that Adams took us to. This is a marvellous story. Rich in dialogue, sweeping in its mythic preportions, and lavish in its characters and plot - this tale of a stag born to free the Herla from tyranny is something of a cross between Braveheart and Bambi turned Warrior Poet. For those of us who, years ago, were captured by the spell woven by Adams in Watership Down, this novel has indeed been worth the wait. Naturally, one is compelled to compare the two works and to be fair to Adams, his influence is profound in this tale set among the Scottish Highlands at the dawn of mankind. Clement-Davies himself gives credit to Adams for the inspiration behind the story, while Adams recommends the book as one which deserves to be read. It is well worth the pleasure of the bedside lamp and I found it compliments a family block of Cadbury's beautifully. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. My thanks to Emma for passing it on to me. My daughter has exceptional taste.

 Anyone who is fascinated with the mystery and legend of ancient Egypt will find this book irresistable. The majesty and political and social fabric of Egypt in 1700 BC is captured through the eyes of Taita, slave to Egypts greatest tyrannt and finally given as a wedding present to his daughter Lostris on her wedding day to Pharoah Mamose.

A love story that weaves a magic of its own, this novel traces the passion of desire and infidelity of Lostris and her handsome lover Tanus, much loved and honoured General of Pharoah's army. Like Merlin in Camelot, Taita looms large and powerful over all of Egypt despite his lowly station as slave and eunich, always willing to give of his powers in serving the woman he is destined to love for eternity but due to his station and mutation, unable to fulfill.

This book will take you to ancient Egypt, and you will experience its wonders. A fabulous read!

This is an amazing story of young Santiago, a shepherd boy who sets off to find his treasure. Along his incredible journey to the magical Pyramids of Egypt, the destination he is given by a mysterious gypsy, he meets a king, an Englishman, and Alchemist and the woman he is destined to love. This story is written beautifully in simple language, which delves into the fundamental beliefs of mankind and tantalises our deepest beliefs and aspirations to be one with our universe and ourselves. Coelho draws upon some interesting symbolism; the shepherd himself could well be a reference to David or perhaps God himself and, through a series of adventures and trials, he allows us to follow Santiago to that place far at sea where we perhaps feel most lost - where we lose sight of the shore. It is only be doing so does Santiago fulfill what is, for all intents and purposes, the discovery of self - the reason for being.

A wonderful story which I thoroughly recommend!

 

I HIGHLY recommend The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons and the two sequels Tatiana and Alexander and The Summer Garden:

 

The Bronze Horseman is a fantastic historical romance set in Russia during WWII. Not only could I not this book down but I actually missed the characters afterwards! A book doesn't get much better than that in my humble opinion. 

 

The second and third books are maybe not quite as brilliant but still excellent and definitely worth reading. I had to read them because I had to find out what was going to happen to the two main characters.

 

Paullina Simons is a brilliant writer. I couldn't put these three books down.

 

Alex :-)

 

There are stories which leave us breathless for one reason or another. This story left me breathless for many reasons. Here is a children's story that is so beautifully written that as an adult reading it I felt almost cheated that it had been spirited to the adult free section of the library. I don't wish to give anything away with regard to this story - and when you have read it you will thank me for that. Suffice to say that The Butterfly Lion is a reading experience thoroughly enjoyable I'm sure through the eyes of a child, but only truly appreciated through the deeper understandings reserved for us in maturity. Read this book. Enjoy this story. And read it again.....and again!

 

I was given this book as a present for Christmas. I receive a large number of books as presents from both students, parents and friends - anyone would think I enjoyed reading

The Five People You Meet in Heaven was more than a present - it was truly a GIFT - Not just from the parents who gave it to me, but from Mitch Ablom himself. What an inspiring and wonderfully original story this is. For all those who feel their life has been worthless, or for those who often doubt their own true worth - this is a book that will leave you uplifted and changed. You will not be the same person who opened the book when you finally read the last few lines, wipe a tear from your eye, and reluctantly put it down.

As I sat pondering the story after finishing it, what came to mind were scenes from Dead Poet's Society:

 

Carpe Diem.....Sieze the Day......Make your lives Extraordinary.......O Captain, my Captain......Eddie is raised to the heights of the Mr Keating's of this world. Only through the eyes of others does he finally realise the true worth of himself and the great contribution he made. Carpe Diem!

 

This book will inspire you, it will force you to question your own beliefs, it will beg you to ask......"Who will the Five People I meet be........when I myself reach Heaven?"

 

I can think of one, perhaps two whom I would like to meet.............as for the rest, well it will be interesting to see just how much I missed during my time here.

 

Read it! And Enjoy!

One thing: This is a brilliant play!

Oscar Wilde is an exceptionally talented writer and his wit and ability to poke fun at the audience he entertains is unmatched. Wilde takes his readers on a comical journey of false identities and mocks the social etiquette of his time. Brilliant :)