Newest Home and Family Reviews
Home and family
It's Not Fair! Parenting the Bright and Challenging Child by Gill Hines and Alison Baverstock
I like parenting books. So, even though my sons are now young adults, I looked forward to reading a new book about raising children. I'm in touch with many parents with children of all ages, and am always interested in reading current recommendations.
The subtitle of this book is, 'Parenting the bright and challenging child'. When I saw it, I wondered if it would be similar to the American book 'Raising your Spirited Child' (by Mary Sheedy Kurcinka) which I found extremely useful when my sons were younger. Spirited children are defined as those who are intense, sensitive, perceptive, persistent and energetic. Full review...
My Family and Other Disasters by Lucy Mangan
Not living in the UK means that we don't have British newspapers. Even when we lived in England, we never bought The Guardian, so I had never actually heard of Lucy Mangan before being sent this book. That's probably not a bad thing, since I began the book - a collection of her Guardian columns - without any preconceptions. Full review...
Ripping Things to Do by Jane Brocket
Right from the very moment I opened the envelope this book was delivered in, I had the distinct feeling this would be a real gem of a book, and how right I was. Though, initially, I was reminded of the Iggulden brothers' Dangerous Book for Boys series, this book has a very different ethos, even though the subject matter overlaps somewhat unavoidably making it bear comparison. Full review...
Enchanted Hunters: The Power of Stories in Childhood by Maria Tatar
Like most avid readers, I don't remember the time before there were books. We were brought up with books. There are family tales of my father as a child eating his breakfast with one hand, while trying to tie his shoelaces with the other and still contriving to read at the same time. They were a poor family, and books weren't just expensive, they were valuable. They were dear, in every sense of the word. Likewise my mother remembers her early school-years when every day ended with a chapter from one of the classics. Full review...
The Complete Guide to IVF by Kate Brian
Each year some forty thousand cycles of IVF – in vitro fertilisation – are carried out in the UK and something like a million worldwide. About two hundred thousand IVF babies are born annually with some twelve thousand of those in the UK according to a recent article I read on a BBC site. Fertility expert Kate Brian has followed her Complete Guide to Female Fertility, which we loved, with another indispensable guide – this time to IVF. Full review...
Weighing It Up by Ali Valenzuela
Although never having had an eating disorder myself, I have been interested in them since I was young. I was a competitive gymnast and that is a world where eating disorders do creep in. Now I'm a mother of three teenage daughters, I worry about the subject from a whole new angle, especially as one of them is a size 6-8 and idolises those super-skinny celebrities. Full review...
Anorexic by Anna Paterson
It might seem strange and somewhat ironic that an obese woman is reviewing a book on anorexia. But it is a topic I have always found interesting. Despite my being at the opposite end of the weight scale to Anna Paterson, I could empathise with some of the things she felt. Full review...
Girls' Night In by Loose Women
I love watching Loose Women on TV and feel it's like sitting down for a good gossip with a load of girlfriends. Every time it's on, I get involved in the debates and they spark discussions at home with whoever is around. My teenage daughters are fans of the show too.
So when I heard a book was coming out, I definitely wanted to read it! But would the fun and camaraderie so obvious on the telly really be able to translate to the written word? Full review...
The Fight of Your Life by Jeffrey Dean
This book is a wake-up call. Jeffrey Dean wrote it so that parents can understand the difficult world that their teens may have to face everyday, and through this understanding, they will be motivated to help their teens to survive. Full review...
Veg Patch: River Cottage Handbook No 4 by Mark Diacono
At a time when the climate is changing and the economy appears to be heading south the thought of being able to produce your own vegetables is very tempting. Forget about food miles and consider instead how few minutes there can be between harvesting your vegetables and the cooking process. Don't worry about pesticides and residues as you'll know exactly what's been fed to your food. Mark Diacono, head gardener on the hallowed ground of River Cottage HQ, run by the sainted Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, tells you exactly how to go about it in this, the fourth of the River Cottage Handbooks. Full review...
The Long and the Short of it: A Guide to Finance and Investment for Normally Intelligent People Who Aren't in the Industry by John Kay
Sometimes I wonder if authors set out to stop people reading their books, strange as this might seem. John Kay is an excellent example. He tells us that he expects his readers to be erudite and to be readers of popular science. They'll never knowingly have dealt with Goldman Sachs and will pay tax at the 40% rate. At the other end of the scale they'll not be bad credit risks and just to cut out anyone hoping for a quick buck, they'll not be tempted to make a living from Stock Market speculation. If you don't qualify on all points there's not even a hint of a pass mark which might allow you to sneak into the checkout queue. Full review...
Look Young, Live Longer: The Secret to Changing Your Life and Slowing the Ageing Process by Glenn Harrold
I was really intrigued by the title of therapist Glenn Harrold's book Look Young and Live Longer. Could it be possible that a book could deliver on such a huge promise? Having been feeling more than a little jaded lately, I was willing to give it a try. Full review...
On Kindness by Adam Phillips and Barbara Taylor
As a title, On Kindness doesn't pack quite the same punch as Adam Phillip's earlier: 'On Kissing, Tickling and Being Bored'. It put me in mind of an eighteenth century treatise, and, give or take a couple of centuries, that is exactly what the book provides: a thought-provoking exposition on a currently unfashionable virtue. Full review...
Seeing Spells Achieving by Olive Hickmott and Andrew Bendefy
I felt an immediate empathy with Olive Hickmott when I read this book. We're obviously of a similar age and were taught reading and spelling in a time before you were dyslexic. I found that the terms more commonly used were 'not trying hard enough' and 'lazy'. I did master reading although I was late by today's standards but I've always struggled with spelling: certain words and letter combinations still have terrors hidden within them half a century later and until we changed the format of Bookbag I used to warn reviewers that they should check whatever I uploaded onto the site as I was unreliable when it came to spelling. Olive and I have both been saved by the spellchecker. I settled happily into reading, Olive less so, but we both made careers where numbers were important. I could read a set of accounts like a story; she found a home in engineering. We worked in areas where intuition was important. Full review...
The Complete Guide to Female Fertility by Kate Brian
It's tempting to say that every woman over the age of puberty should have access to Kate Brian's 'The Complete Guide to Female Fertility'. The truth is that they should all have their own copies and they should read the book until it's dog-eared and falling apart, because I really can't think of a better way to understand why some women are more fertile than others or some women have difficulty in conceiving. Full review...
The Thrift Book: Live Well and Spend Less by India Knight
A soon as I read the introduction I wondered if this was really going to be the book for me. Despite having two books in the top ten best seller list India Knight knew the bailiffs well and was facing bankruptcy. It wasn't that she wasn't earning money – it was simply that she had no ability to handle it. Hmm – I have a horror of debt and I can handle money. Was India Knight really going to be able to teach the person who grew up with the austerity of post-war Britain chomping at her heels anything about thrift? Plans were already forming to move the book on, when slowly and inexorably I was won over. Full review...
The Shakespeare Handbook by Michael Schmidt and Robert Maslen
William Shakespeare. If you're a fan of the theatre, you may see him as the greatest playwright of all time. If you're currently studying English at school, he may be the worst thing that ever happened to you. Over the years, I've certainly held both opinions, depending on where I was at the time.
Part of this could have been because I, like most school pupils, never had a gentle introduction to Shakespeare. If I'd had a book like this in the early years of my schooling, I suspect I may have come around to my love of Shakespeare a lot sooner than I did. Full review...
Cleaning Up: How I Gave Up Drinking And Lived by Tania Glyde
I suspect that I'm like a lot of people who enjoy alcohol on a regular basis: there's a nagging guilt and suspicion that you might have a problem. Equally, there's St Augustine's approach to a sin: you're determined to do something about it, but not just yet. So, when Cleaning Up: How I Gave Up Drinking And Lived dropped through the letterbox on Saturday morning I wondered if this was a message from a higher authority. Full review...
Garden Birds and Wildlife by Mike Toms and Paul Sterry
Garden Birds & Wildlife has been created and published under the auspices of British Trust for Ornithology (though the actual publisher is, possibly in the spirit of penance for damage inflicted on wildlife by the motorcar, the AA). Accordingly, the main focus of the guide is, indeed, on birds. It contains a wealth of information: from birdwatching to bird biology and behaviour, including visual guides to eggs and nests; practical tips and guides to bird watching, feeding (what, how and where), creating a bird-and-wildlife- friendly garden and building nest boxes; it's all there, with copious illustrations, clear text and more interesting or practically relevant facts and tips in separate insert boxes. Full review...
Write Your Life Story by Michael Oke
I love writing and over the last few years, I have begun to write my autobiography. While I find this a very rewarding process, sometimes it can be hard to stay motivated. It is easy to get bogged down in wondering if it's any good, if you are going into too much detail or not enough. Sometimes you need a push in the right direction. Write Your Life Story by Michael Oke is ideal for this, as well as for anyone interested in writing their memoirs, but unsure how to start. Full review...
The Optimist's/pessimist's Handbook by Niall Edworthy and Petra Cramsie
With a publication date in early November, the passing Christmas shopper is clearly the target for this book. The Optimist's/ Pessimist's Handbook isn't a self-help book, but a compendium of enlightening snippets. Off the shelf, I think you'd know immediately which relative or friend might enjoy receiving it. So I suggest eschewing Amazon in favour of a real-life bookshop, not least because there will be a shelf full of similar books for a surreptitious and delightful half-hour's browse before choosing. Full review...
Damp Squid: The English Language Laid Bare by Jeremy Butterfield
How do you pronounce the word ghoti? Go on, say it out loud – you must recognise it, and I dare say you've eaten one enough times.
OK, I'll help. You know gh sounds like f, like it does in rough. You know o sounds like i, just like in women. And ti is clearly the same as sh, as in notion. Yes, ghoti is pronounced fish. It's just a very blunt way of saying the rules that control the language, and how it is spelled, pronounced, used, and changes over history are all over the place. Full review...
Shakespeare on Toast by Ben Crystal
Shakespeare on Toast claims to be for virtually everyone: those that are reading Shakespeare for the first time, occasionally finding him troublesome, think they know him backwards or have never set foot near one of his plays but have always wanted to. Full review...
You Can Be Thin: The Ultimate Programme to End Dieting... Forever by Marisa Peer
After having my baby just over two years ago, I have found it quite hard to shed the weight which seemed to be sticking around. I used to be quite thin before having him, so to suddenly go up a dress size was a bit of a shock. I'm quite a petite person so even just a few extra pounds shows unfortunately. I decided I had to get rid of the weight, and so I turned to this book sent to me by The Bookbag. Full review...
How to Get a Celeb's Body: Discover the Secrets of the Stars with Your Own Personal Trainer by Elise Lindsay
I do not know Elise Lindsay - neither by name or reputation. I am optimistic and therefore think she must be a great coach. A hundred plus pages with pictures show her posing very confidently in flattering sport outfits and she does seem quite fit. I am sure she can motivate her clients and make them do their best. Quite frankly though, I do not believe that should in any way have motivated anyone to write a book. Full review...
Is This Bottle Corked? The Secret Life of Wine by Kathleen Burk and Michael Bywater
Now, I'm the first person to admit I am not a wine buff. I know a lot more now than I did before my current relationship, but she is right to say I have a very masculine (ie dead weak) sense of smell. Added to that a blunt sense of taste and I'm left saying I know what I like when I drink it, and that's it. Full review...
Baby Next Time by Nicole Klieff
Nicole Klieff grew up with the same knowledge that most women hope to have. They'll enjoy themselves, eventually meet Mister Right, settle down and have a family. Well, most of it went according to plan – it was just that bit about having a family which seemed somewhat elusive. After a period of trying for a baby in the normal way Nicole and her husband Barry sought help from the medical profession and began the fertility treatments which were to dominate their lives for years to come. It wouldn't do their bank balance much good either. Full review...
You Can Be Amazing: Transform Your Life with Hypnosis by Ursula James
Ursula James is a hypnotherapist who has written this book to help you to instigate changes in your life, whatever they may be – career, relationships, your physical self. It is accompanied by a CD of hypnotic suggestions which reinforce the messages and exercises in the book. Full review...
Learning Teaching by Jim Scrivener
It takes a year to do a PGCE. Some other people even do whole 3 year degrees in teaching. Not me. I did a 20 day course. Those other teachers may not need this sort of book, but gosh, did I, especially when a job offer came my way on day 7, and I was suddenly only a few short weeks away from having real live students at my mercy. There are two English as a Foreign Language (EFL) 'bibles'. One is this one, and the other is How To Teach English by Jeremy Harmer. Also known as the purple one and the blue one in our household. I like purple better, so it's this one that made it into my pathetic 20kg-for-a-year luggage allowance. Lucky for me, I chose well (and Amazon users agree... the purple one gets 5* customer reviews, the blue one only 2.5*) Full review...
Living and Working in the UK by Mathew Collins and Nicky Barclay
Living and Working in the UK claims to be a source of all the practical information you need to live happily in the UK, whether you are a student, an expat or an HR professional intending to bring staff over.
Unfortunately, it's nothing of the sort. Most of its bulk is a compilation of information easily available in the public domain (the sources are scrupulously quoted) that at the first look seems excellent and comprehensive, but which, on more detailed perusal, is very, very disappointing. Full review...
You Can Think Yourself Thin by Ursula James
I wanted to read this book because I have always struggled with my weight since having my two children. Although more traditional diets have worked for me in the short term I never seem to be able to maintain the weight loss so I was fast reaching the conclusion that I needed to work on my mind as well as my body. Ursula James' book You Can Think Yourself Thin came along at just the right time for me and I have been absolutely astounded by the effects of reading this book and listening to the hypnosis tracks. I had never tried anything like this before and was even alittle skeptical but not any more! Full review...
Daily Mail Tax Guide 2008/2009 by Jane Vass
I doubt that there's anyone who genuinely looks forward to completing a Tax Return. Even as an ex-Inspector of Taxes I'll freely admit that the thought of it fills me with dread. It's tedious, but important that you don't get it wrong. So, what do you do? Professional assistance can be expensive and isn't necessarily entirely reliable. You can go along to your H M Revenue and Customs Enquiry Centre, but their function is to answer your queries rather than give advice about where you could minimise your tax bill. Going it alone is free, but you need to have comprehensive knowledge of taxation to be sure that you're paying the correct amount of tax. The Daily Mail Tax Guide 2008/2009 will give most people all the information that they need to ensure that they're getting it right. Full review...
Against the Machine: Being Human in the Era of the Electronic Mob by Lee Siegel
Some people switch the television or the radio on first thing in the morning and only turn it off when they go to bed. For me, it's the computer and particularly the internet. It's my source of information, my work, my play and to an unfortunately large extent, my social life. To most it seems bizarre that I list amongst my friends people I've never met or even spoken to, but it's a fact. Whilst I might argue that circumstances have thrust this situation upon me and that life would be emptier without the computer it's still something which shouldn't be allowed to persist without thought. High-tech isolation and social famine are not necessarily the best way forward. Full review...
On Guerrilla Gardening: A Handbook for Gardening Without Boundaries by Richard Reynolds
The term "guerrilla gardening" was first used in New York in 1973 to describe the transformation of a derelict private plot into a garden, although the actual practice is much older. As an environmental movement, guerrilla gardening is a form of direct action in which flowering or food plants are established on an abandoned piece of land, without the owner's permission, saving the land from neglect or misuse and giving it a new purpose. It is also a political stance, challenging issues of land ownership, the misuse of urban land and the deterioration of the urban environment. Full review...
The Self-sufficientish Bible by Andy Hamilton and Dave Hamilton
Andy and Dave Hamilton practice what they preach. They grow vegetables, they forage for wild food, they cycle, they make-and-mend-do. They don't live on a farm with many acres to play with, but live in Bristol and enjoy what the city has to offer, but want a low-impact lifestyle. They haven’t renounced the real world. They realise that the whole hog of self-sufficiency isn't for everyone, hence the concept of "self-sufficientish" – doing what you can, with what you have, and with an eye on the environment, ethical living and saving money. Full review...
The Secret by Rhonda Byrne
The Secret has been on Amazon's list of top bestsellers for quite a while now. (It's no 12 at the time of writing). The description suggested a motivational self-help book of some kind and the synopsis referred to physicists, old oral traditions, religions, poetry and philosophy. Intrigued by the consistently high ranking, I included the book in my last order even though I am not normally in a market for this kinds of work. Full review...
