Quick Review::
Ferris Bueller Meets Adrian mole in a hilarious novel set in the 80's. Meet Edward Zanni, a teenager in New Jersey, USA whose aspirations to study at the prestigious Julliard School in NYC are quashed when his father refuses to pay his tuition fees. Thus ensues the subtitle of the book

" A Novel of Sex, Theft, Friendship, and Musical Theater"

Edward and his merry band of friends go on a mission to get his entry to musical theater by any means possible!

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, a cracking debut by author Acito. It is exactly my kind of humour and my style of writing. An easy, laid back read full of sex, theft and friendship :)

I heartily recommend it to you.

Quick Review::
Wow! What a book! Incredibly scary and as has been mentioned in numerous reviews an eerie look at our own world.

This story follows Winston Smith works for the ministry of truth in London. Posters of Big Brother cover the streets and every move anyone makes is captured there is no free speech, no free thinking. For those with independant thought.... there lies Room 101.

A truly fascinating book from George Orwell. Thoroughly enjoyable to read with twists and turns at every chapter. A brutal book with no holding back and no happy endings. Just a gruesome look at a world under totalitarian control.

Worth a read!

To Kill A Mockingbird - Harper Lee

Top 100 Book:: Number 5
Star Rating:: *****

Quick Review::
To kill a Mockingbird is one of those books that almost everyone has heard of! It is one of those books that a lot of kids read in school (unfortunately I was not one of those) and is still a top seller 50 years after it was written.

To kill a mockingbird is a semi-autobiographical novel written through the eyes of Scout Finch a young girl growing up in a fictional town in Alabama. I absolutely love the fact that Lee chose to write the book through the eyes of Scout, the innocence makes the book just so much more appealing to read. Covering so many touchy subjects Lee manages to make the book so playful and pure through the eyes of a child.

The main plot of the book focuses on Scout’s father Atticus Finch, a very well respected lawyer in the town he is handed the case of a black man accused of raping a white girl. In a time where prejudice was rife across the US the Finch family have to deal with the racial reactions to Atticus being given the case. Written with warmth and humour this beautifully written book explores love, hate, friendship, family and race in the deep south of America.

This is a truly moving book, I found myself getting very emotional throughout the book, I could relate to Scout’s innocence about race and prejudice and the struggles her father faced trying to give his children a normal upbringing. A truly magnificent book that is very much worthy of its top 100 status. If you haven’t read this yet I recommend that you do before you read anything else.

Top 100 Book: Number 74
Star Rating:: ****

Quick Review::
Bill Bryson arrived in Britain back in 1973, got a job, got married and had some kids. Eventually the time came when he decided to head back to his native country the USA but before doing that he embarked on one epic tour of the wonder that is Britain. Starting at Dover and ending in Scotland Bryson recounts many memories, meet many friends and tells many tall tales about the adventures he has had in this wonderful land I call home!

Now this book is one of my favourite styles, a diary style (as if you didn’t know that by now) In fact I would link this book very closely to Dave Gorman’s America unchained which I reviewed earlier on. Bill Bryson goes on a journey around Britain recounting many tales he himself has had in various locations throughout. Full of plenty of humour and plenty of opinion this is certainly not a politically correct book, but hilariously funny!

I really enjoyed reading this book, I have to admit at the beginning I was getting a little irritated with his style of writing, very aggressive, very impatient and quite rude but as the book progressed I began to warm to Bryson’s unique style and found myself laughing along to his encounters with the British public.

I can completely recommend this book not only as a worthy top 100 but as a book you yourself should read, it is a very easy read and very relaxing, brilliant if you are looking to chill out and get away from the stresses of the day!

Do pick it up and have a read, I have kept hold of my copy!

Top 100 Book: Number 84
Star Rating:: ***1/2

Quick Review::
One of Kazuo Ishiguro’s most famous works, The Remains of The Day is an interesting novel about Stevens, a very creditable English butler reliving his life through this book in order to clarify its meaning to himself.

The book begins with Stevens taking a holiday from his current employer and during his travels he tells the tales of his past with focus on particular characters including the lovely Miss Kenton with whom he was never able to declare his affections towards.

I won’t go too much more into the story but this gives you a general picture of the storyline and the plot it doesn’t stray much from the line. So where do I sit... well it isn’t my kind of thing! I can understand completely why it is in the top 100, it is totally different from any other book I have ever read, but it just didn’t grip me, I found myself getting too excited as the end was approaching and I could move onto something else.

This is now a very famous movie starring Anthony Hopkins and I haven’t yet got round to watching this film. From what I have heard it is pretty good! So my low down, I would give this book a read so you can say “done that” but I wouldn’t go out of your way to make it your life priority there are plenty of better books in the sea in my opinion!

Quick Review:: I thought that this was an absolutely amazing book! Full of so much emotion and cultural references it drew me completely from page 1. Memoirs of a Geisha follows the story of young Chiyo-chan an orphaned young girl from a fishing village and her sister Satsu as they are thrust into the world of Geishas. The book follows young Chiyo-Chan as she grows into a young teenager, the struggles she faces in the Nitta okiya and her transformation into a beautiful Geisha.

Arthur Golden develops the characters beautifully and you build real connections to the characters in the book, in particular Chiyo . The narrative is descriptive and slow. Although the book covers most of her life it doesn’t feel rushed in any way and has a wonderful flow to it. I couldn’t put it down when I started it and managed to finish it in one sitting. Thoroughly recommended as a poignant insight into an art that is slipping away into history.

Top 100 Book: Number 68

Star Rating:: **

Quick Review:: You must have been stuck in a cave somewhere for the last 10 years if you haven’t heard of Bridget Jones’s Diary! A major movie starring Renee Zellweger as the unlucky in love, eternal spinster Bridget Jones.

So you have seen the film, what about the book? It’s fairly true to the script, a few differences in events and timelines but essentially the same set of characters and the same ending! But I did not enjoy this book at all and am quite surprised it is in the top 100. Fielding’s style of narrative irritated me immensely. I can’t quite describe here what I mean by it, but believe me it is grating after a while.

But moving on to the actual story itself, very cutesy, very funny and very chick flick. I am not surprised it was made into a film. The story follows Bridget Jones a ‘typical’ single woman living in London always conscious of her weight and looks. The character of Bridget is the type that makes you cringe with all her mishaps and misfortune. Completely besotted by her boss Daniel (Hugh Grant) the story follows her trials and tribulations in trying to seduce the boss and deal with the things life throws at her along the way.

The story itself is well written and flows very nicely; it is very warm and cosy and ends how you imagine it will. I just couldn’t wait to finish it though the annoying narrative killed any warmth I had towards the story itself. I haven’t read the sequel yet but I imagine it’s more of the same. I am definitely more a fan of the film then the book in this case!

The Magicians - Lev Grossman

Top 100 Book: Not a top 100 book

Star Rating:: ***1/2

Quick Review:: To all my friends I have constantly described this book as a dark Harry Potter meets Narnia and from scouring the web it appears others have supported my view. The Magicians tells the story of young Quentin Coldwater who stumbles across the magical school of Brakebills (your Hogwarts) unintentionally when he turns up for his Princeton interview to find his examiner dead and a mysterious envelope bearing his name.

Everything changes once Quentin immerses himself in the life of a true magician love, death, pain, laughter, lust and hard work lay before him and the book concerns itself with his tales at Brakebills and his life after it.

My opinion, I am on the fence on this one! There were elements I loved, and elements I loathed, I felt that the author tried to cover too many storylines with this one, not that it was difficult to follow, I think I found some areas rushed and rather shallow. It may have served better as two books or a trilogy covering Quentin’s Brakebill days and his life after.

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Top 100 Book: Number 19

Star Rating:: ***

Quick Review:: Now a successful film the Time Traveler's wife is the story of Henry and Clare. Henry has a condition which means that he travels through time regularly and is unable to control it so he goes forward and backwards without any control! I likened it to Journeyman if anyone has seen it. This book tells the story of Clare and Henry in a diary style as they meet at various points through Henry's travels.

A wonderful concept which would have been more highly recommended if it had been around 200 pages less. It got a little repetitive and seemed to keep going over the same stories again and again. The beginning and the end were very well written, lose some of the mindless middle dribble and it would have been a much more enjoyable read.

Detailed Review:: *SLIGHT PLOT SPOILERS*

This book was based on a brilliant concept and a thrilling storyline, a wife trying to cope with a husband who constantly disappears and reappears, her worries, anger, fear and love for this man she met as a child in her back garden (slightly paedophilic, but it doesn't come across like this). Henry's story is equally as interesting, his constant worries about where he will end up, the trouble he gets into and likewise his love for his wife Clare. It satisified my love of diary style narratives so I found it very easy to read and digest.

Niffenegger has cleverly written the book to interweave the two stories of Clare and Henry into a clever book and this is where its merits come in. It is very well written and mostly very enjoyable to read. Where it falls is that the middle of the book goes on and on and on you never seem to move anywhere. It was quite a hefty read at 518 pages and I think it would have done well to lose a couple of hundred in editing. As the end drew near I found myself being grated by their endless woes and incredibly colourful language.

Which leads swiftly onto my next moan. I am by no means a prude and am not one to blush when faced with sexual scenes but I found the tone was wrong in this book. There is a lot of romance and inevitably a lot of sex in this book but I was incredibly put off by the harsh tone of the sex, there were a lot of strong words said, which to me, didnt fit well with the characters themselves and instantly I lost my connection with them.

Between the romance and love there is a lot of tension and arguments between the two lead characters, and quite rightly too when your husband disappears in the middle of dinner! Niffenegger cleverly draws the reader in and you sympathise deeply with them and their plight. Although a completely impossible situation you can actually imagine the anguish and torment they feel. This is deepened even more when the couple begin trying for children.

The end of the book was the best for me, after going into the future Henry learns of his fate with a chance encounter and from then on you eagerly await the build up to this moment, don't worry readers I won't spoil it. For me this was brilliantly executed, I couldn't stop reading, turning page after page to get to the end and find out how the plot unfolds.

However... this didn't quite make up for the BORING middle section. With an explosive beginning and a spectacular finish it was disappointing that the main core of the book couldn't keep pace. As i said earlier cutting a hundred of pages or so would have made this much much more enjoyable!

So let me conclude then... I put this down as not recommended... And this is true because as a high contender in the top 100 books I don't agree it should be there. Some of the other books I have read and enjoyed ranked much lower and in my mind should have been higher. But it seems ol' blighty is divided by this book and I therefore leave it to you to decide if you want to read it, personally I wouldn't bother, mines being sent off to Kate to read!

Now a major film starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams I cannot comment on how well it relates to the book as I never went to see it! However if you have I would welcome your comments.

Wind In The Willows - Kenneth Grahame

Top 100 Book: Number 30

Star Rating:: **** 1/2

Quick Review::
Written in 1908, The Wind In The Willows is a "Cutesy" tale of friendship, respect and companionship between wildlife animals, focusing on the lives of Moley, Ratty, Badger and Mr Toad. It's known as a childrens book but I feel us adults can learn a lot from this book. It has a lot of underlying morals which are put across in a very gentle way. We follow the mischevious Mr Toad, The river bank loving Ratty, The home loving Mole and the father, authoritive figure of Badger. There is no real storyline as such it is more a collection of their adventures along the river bank and in the countryside of Pastoral England. A very enjoyable book to read.