Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Title: Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone

Author: J.K. Rowling

Released: June 1997

Harry Potter is an ordinary boy who lives in a cupboard under the stairs at his Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon's house, which he thinks is normal for someone like him who's parents have been killed in a 'car crash'. He is bullied by them and his fat, spoilt cousin Dudley, and lives a very unremarkable life with only the odd hiccup (like his hair growing back overnight!) to cause him much to think about. That is until an owl turns up with a letter addressed to Harry and all hell breaks loose! He is literally rescued by a world where nothing is as it seems and magic lessons are the order of the day. Read and find out how Harry discovers his true heritage at Hogwarts School of Wizardry and Witchcraft, the reason behind his parents mysterious death, who is out to kill him, and how he uncovers the most amazing secret of all time, the fabled Philosopher's Stone! All this and muggles too. Now, what are they?

Rating: 5 Stars

Positives: So the first time I picked up this book I was seven years old, and I remember being mesmerised by what a big and grown up book it seemed to be. I remember thinking that I couldn't possibly read a 300 page book by myself, and I just kept on reading and re-reading the first paragraph. However Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone quickly became a fast favourite of mine, enough so that I was really excited to be picking it up again for the first time in years.

The characters and magic of Hogwarts are still as spellbinding now to me as a twenty two year old woman, as they were when I was seven years old. That's fifteen years. I'll admit a small part of me was worried that maybe I'd find the book too childish, it was after all aimed at children, but instead I found myself being pulled into the story once more. 

Rowling has created an amazing world populated with a range of characters, many of whom will amuse us greatly along the way. For instance a half giant called Hagrid who decides he wants to keep a baby dragon in a wooden house. Or the Weasley twins Fred and George, who insist they know that they're called Gred and Forge. But not only do we have funny characters, there are also sinister ones too. Just why is Professor Snape so hellbent on making Harry's life a misery? And who is after the Philosopher's Stone?

The language and description used make this an enjoyable book for readers of all ages, with amazing imagery being created. Not a single detail is left to chance, and there is also plenty of foreshadowing for the older reader as well.

Negatives: You really expect me to punch holes in a book that has been one of my favourites since I was a small girl? Oh very well then, if you insist. My only criticism is that while we get a lot of detail and time spent on Harry's life before Hogwarts, and the run up to Christmas, we get only a few chapters of the events after Christmas, which is when most of the action takes place. 

Would I recommend this book? Hell yes! I don't care if you're old or young, male or female, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a book that you will be enchanted by. 

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Title: The Night Circus

Author: Erin Morgenstern

Released: September 2011

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. The black sign, painted in white letters that hangs upon the gates, reads:

Opens at Nightfall

Closes at Dawn

As the sun disappears beyond the horizon, all over the tents small lights begin to flicker, as though the entirety of the circus is covered in particularly bright fireflies. When the tents are all aglow, sparkling against the night sky, the sign appears.

Le Cirque des Rêves

The Circus of Dreams.

Now the circus is open.

Now you may enter.

Rating: 5 Stars

Positives: So where do I begin? The Night Circus captivated me immediately, a rarity with books these days. As I read on I felt that perhaps it is a book suited only to a particular breed of reader, but to me it was amazing. There was not only excellent descriptions allowing me to see everything unfolding as if I were there, but the use of language was magnificent as well. So many different words were used throughout the novel, and I found myself enchanted. 

Secondly the characters are all so lovable. I couldn't find a single character that I hated. Celia, Poppet and Herr Thiessen were my particular favourites, but I loved them all. There's such a mystery surrounding some of the characters, and you can't help but be intrigued. 

The game or the challenge between Celia and Marco? Excellent just excellent. Okay so I had an inkling that perhaps for a victor to be declared that one of them would have to perish, it seems to be the nature of such things, especially where magic is involved. And the fact that we follow the pair of them in their respective training from when they are young children gives us so much more of an insight. However I wonder whether the only reason that they fell in love with one another is because of them being bound in this challenge? That is after all something Tsukiko alludes too, and the twist involving her was brilliant. 

And then lets come to the foreshadowing. Need I say anything other than pay attention to the story of the Merlin tree. Not that you'll hear it referred to as such. But bright readers will know which story I am referring to the moment they read it. 

Finally before I start enthusing over every little detail, let's talk about the progression of The Night Circus. The story skips between three settings: the primary love story between Celia and Marco and their challenge, a secondary story about Bailey a boy who falls in love with the circus and finally a third story about you, and your experience at the circus. As such it means we do skip forwards and backwards in time, but it works ever so well. And eventually it all ties together not so that its the story of Celia and Marco, but the story of the circus. 

Negatives: This is only a very small criticism. Just the one. The circus has a French name, and occasionally, there are phrases scattered throughout the book in French. I'm not a French speaker myself, I recognise French if I see it, but don't understand a word of it. So I would have to keep putting down the book in order to find a translator.

Oh wait there is one more criticism actually. Whilst there was a wide breadth of language used, wonderful flowery words, it really bugged me that it was always Celia says, Marco says, Prospero says. Never any other way of describing speech. And that made me feel somewhat like I was back at school, primary school at that. 

Would I recommend this book? Hell yes! This was a fantastic read that has captivated me for the past week. Go buy a copy right now. 

Santa Baby by Katie Price

Title: Santa Baby

Author: Katie Price

Released: October 2011

'I thought Tiffany should know that she has a half sister. She's Angel Summer - the famous model.'

With these few words from the mother who gave her away, aspiring stylist and pizza waitress Tiffany Taylor's life is turned upside down.

As soon as they meet, Angel and Tiff feel as if they've known each other for years, and before she knows it, Tiffany is working as a stylist on Angel's TV makeover programme, and going out with Raul, a Brazilian racing driver who has all the girls weak with lust.

If only Angel's seriously sexy bodyguard Sean could be as welcoming. Obviously he has things on his mind, like the kidnap threat hanging over Angel and her daughter Honey, but would it kill him to loosen up a bit?

As everyone gathers at Angel and Cal's mansion for a big Christmas celebration, Sean's defences finally drop. But as he relaxes, the danger moves closer, and Tiffany finds herself in serious trouble.

Rating: 4 Stars

Positives: Wow it was nice to finally read a Katie Price novel where neither of the main love interests for a character is a total bastard. Sorry excuse my language. Instead both Raul and Sean are really nice guys. Yes Sean can be a little standoffish and at times he may not be the nicest person to Tiffany but underneath everything he is one of the most genuine guys around. 

Also it was nice to see Angel return, even though it wasn't as the main character. Instead the story focuses on her younger half sister and we're given brilliant character development as we see both sisters learning from each other over the course of the book. Plus our favorite hairdresser Jez makes a return with his usual bitchy comments and camp as camp ways. In fact we even see him dressed as a gay elf. All very fun I assure you.

Negatives: Firstly proof reading is definitely needed. There were so many spelling and grammar mistakes that at times I had a headache. It's a shame because these mistakes can ruin a good story. There's even one point in the final chapter where the wrong character's name is used. I can't point out what the scene is because otherwise I'll end up giving you some huge spoilers for the story ahead. Plus there was also a memorable moment when Italy was written as Itay.

Secondly the title is a little misleading. Santa Baby suggests that the book will be Christmas themed, as does the cover artwork, but instead it's not Christmas until the last four or five chapters. So if you're expecting a Christmassy read, I'd definitely say that you need to think again. 

Would I recommend this book? If you've enjoyed Katie Price's previous works then you'll love Santa Baby. But as usual be on the lookout for bad grammar and be prepared to use your imagination a little. 

The Comeback Girl by Katie Price

Title: The Comeback Girl

Author: Katie Price

Released: July 2011

Once upon a time, Eden had it all; she was one of the most successful young singers in the UK, and the darling of the pop industry. Life couldn't have been better. But just two years after a sell-out tour, Eden is regarded as a has-been, better known for her drinking and the kiss-and-tell stories that a string of men have sold to the papers.

Desperate to get back in the big time, Eden begins recording a new album with songwriter Jack Steele, a man who drives her crazy for all the wrong reasons. And then she's asked to be a judge on the TV talent show Band Ambition. It's just the break she needs and she's determined not to mess it up, so falling in love with Stevie, a contestant on the show, is probably not a very good idea. But Eden has always followed her heart, and she is sure Stevie is 'the one'.

But is Eden setting herself up for another fall?

Rating: 4 Stars

Positives: So firstly it was nice to see a Katie Price that wasn't set in Brighton. Every single story before this has had at least part of the story based in Brighton, so it was nice to move away from that for once. 

Secondly the character development was brilliant. My opinion of the main character Eden did a complete one eighty, at first I really couldn't stand her because she had such a diva persona, but once we see that this is nothing more than a front then I was actually able to start liking her as a character. Plus we get to see some old favourites returning; not only do Jez and Rufus turn up, but Sadie Parks and Dallas also make a reappearance. In The Comeback Girl we actually get to see a lot more of Sadie compared to how much we saw her in Crystal, and I loved learning a bit more about her character. She's a fantastically mumsy but sophisticated character, and I would definitely say that she's very protective; almost like a mother tiger. 

And also the storyline was refreshing. Usually the Katie Price books feature women who have been flung into the public eye as they rise to fame, but Eden is already famous at the start of the book. Instead this focuses more on her trying to salvage her career, something which won't be made easy when she falls for Stevie. Of course as with all Katie Price books there is also a second love interest for Eden, not only does she have ladies man Stevie, but also the songwriter for her new album Jack who's devastatingly handsome lusting after her. 

Negatives: Yet again what is it with the proof reading? Are none of these books checked before being published? Several times there are words missing from sentences or speech marks in the wrong places. By the end of the book this was really quite frustrating.

Speaking of endings, where did that ending come from? One of the lessons that Eden is supposed to learn over the course of the book is to not rush into anything, especially relationships just look at her track record, and yet in the final chapter she makes a life changing decision without a second thought. I know I've been a fast mover in the past, but that was way too fast. 

Also there's a tiny bit of a continuity problem. We first encounter the tv programme Band Ambition in Crystal, when Crystal is one of the contestants. As it stands in Crystal the acts audition, then go through to a boot camp at their mentor's home, before they can compete on the live shows with acts being axed at every point. However in The Comeback Girl we seem to have jumped straight from the auditions to the live shows. Yes Eden joins the judging panel halfway through the series, but they are still in the auditions stage when she joins and there's no mention of Eden having to halve her acts and choose to take on to the live shows. Instead Dallas assigns her three acts to mentor and thats that. 

Finally it was so obvious what Stevie's character flaw was going to be. The moment we meet him in auditions we know exactly what kind of man he is, and nothing Stevie ever did surprised me. Once Eden starts a relationship with him as well it only becomes more obvious what Stevie's end game is. Please give us a bit more mystery. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes I would. If you want a light hearted summer read that doesn't require too much effort then The Comeback Girl is well worth a read. 

Paradise by Katie Price

Title: Paradise

Author: Katie Price

Released: July 2010

It's six months since beautiful model Angel Summer found herself having to choose between a life with Ethan Turner, the laid-back Californian baseball player, or giving her marriage to football star Cal Bailey another go. Her friends and family were stunned when she picked Ethan, but it looks like Angel made the right decision: Ethan loves her and she loves him.

But nothing is perfect. Ethan has secrets in his past that could threaten their relationship and when he faces financial ruin the couple are forced to star in a reality TV show about their life together. Despite everything, though, Angel is convinced that Ethan is the man for her. So why can't she stop thinking about Cal?

As the tabloids have always been quick to point out, the path of true love has never run smoothly for our sexy celebrity, and when her dad falls dangerously ill Angel rushes back to England to be by his bedside, throwing her and Cal back together. But Ethan loves her, Cal has a girlfriend, and Angel has made her choice. It's too late to go back now... isn't it?

Rating: 4 Stars

Positives: As always its lovely to return to beloved characters, and Angel is a brilliant character to start with. It's nice to see her back to being her old self as she settles into LA life with Ethan, instead of the horrible paranoid character she had been in Angel Uncovered. And of course we get to feast our eyes on the gorgeous Cal Bailey once more, plus there's a cameo from my all time favourite Katie Price character Sapphire. And of course once we see Simone again I think we all knew that things weren't going to be easy for Angel ...

And of course there's plenty of suspense as Angel gains herself a stalker, someone clearly has a grudge against her as they break into hers and Ethan's home, scrawling nasty messages across a mirror and leaving one of her dresses cut up on the floor. To any readers who have read the previous books involving Angel they should be able to make the connection fairly quickly and work out the identity of Angel's stalker, but it still makes for good reading. 

Plus its lovely seeing Cal and Angel and how they interact with one another. They really are a dynamic pairing and we see them starting off so awkward, admittedly how else are things going to be between them, but they grow into so much more. I really loved the one day that they spend as a family with their daughter Honey on Santa Monica beach, it gives us hope that maybe our favourite couple could work things out. 

Negatives: Firstly it really irked me that when Angel is making her final decision between Ethan and Cal, she isn't thinking about whats best for her and Honey, but is instead doing exactly what she did at the end of Angel Uncovered. Only this time its Cal on the receiving end of her games. Okay yes she is admittedly torn, but it just felt repetitive because she used exactly the same thought processes last time round. Could we maybe get some new material please?

Secondly much as I love Simone bitch-face Fraser and her psycho bunny boiler tendancies does she really need to reappear again? It feels like Katie Price knows she's created a good villain (or as close as we can get to a villain in these books) and seems determined to use her at every opportunity. But sometimes less is more .... Although hopefully with the final chapter from this book we've reached a resolution as far as Simone is concerned.

Speaking of the final chapter that brings me onto my final criticism; the very last bit where without spoiling anything or as little as possible for those of you who haven't read the book, where our two lovebirds (see I'm technically not even giving away people's identities as we know there's a major love triangle in this book) make the same proposal at this time is just so unreal. I'm sorry but I don't buy into being so in sync with your partner that you'll both say exactly the same thing at the same time. I've come close yes, but only at a point where we both go to text each other at the same moment. I've never known two people to ask each other the exact same question in unison before, especially not a question like that. 

Would I recommend this book? If you've enjoyed the other books about Angel then you really do need to read this one as it ties up several loose ends. As always with Katie Price books this is a light hearted sexy summer read, great for a lazy Sunday afternoon.

Sapphire by Katie Price

Title: Sapphire

Author: Katie Price

Released: July 2009

Sapphire Jones doesn't believe in relationships anymore -not since she caught her husband in bed with another woman. Now Sapphire only sees men on her terms which is why her current lover is younger, good looking, doesn't place any emotional demands on her [so far, fingers crossed] and is great in bed. What more does a girl need?

Sapphire puts all her passion into running her own business - a high end lingerie and hen weekend company. She is doing well and life seems pretty good until she meets a very handsome, charming businessman who seems more than a match for Sapphire. When things go horribly wrong at a high profile hen night Sapphire has organised, she finds herself making tabloid headlines for all the wrong reasons....

Suddenly her business is in jeopardy, her well-controlled private life is falling apart, and in the middle of all this Sapphire realises that she is not immune to love after all, but has she left it too late?

Rating: 4 Stars

Positives: As always with Katie Price's books the characters are well thought out and easy to warm too. Sapphire is instantly a favourite, being someone who I would love to be like. She is an extremely determined young woman who doesn't seem to let anything stand in her way and she's extremely ambitious. We see her develop well over the story, in fact most of the characters develop and I especially love how much Alfie changes. We're led to believe that as Sapphire's ex husband he is a womanising prick, but he actually turns out to be a pretty nice guy in the end who has matured. 

My second thing that I love about Sapphire is that for once we aren't exposed to the whole world of celebrity. Instead Sapphire is a businesswoman in her own right, and her main love interest is a personal trainer. We see new challenges posed within Sapphire from the horrible Markov, a Ukranian desperate to look like a legitimate businessman but who is an exceedingly dangerous man. However because Sapphire is set in Brighton, Sapphire does have a celebrity friend in the form of Cal Bailey who readers will recognise from Katie Price's other books. But despite this Sapphire herself is a much more relatable character than the characters from previous books. 

Thirdly I love that Sapphire chooses to make the decision not to hurt her friend Sam, instead choosing to make herself miserable instead. That's a hard decision for anyone to make, and it's nice to see that Katie Price has given her main character a conscience. 

Negatives: Firstly I have no idea if this was just a mistake with the ebook publication, but the grammar was atrocious. There were so many mistakes that a simple proof reading could have picked up, and these mistakes really detracted from the story. Its harder to lose yourself in the book if you're constantly having to work out what is meant to be happening. One classic example is that a character asks "How you?" instead of "Have you?" There were also other mistakes but this is the one that jumps most clearly to mind. 

Secondly we're supposed to love Jay as a character given that he is Sapphire's primary interest, but I felt that when he starts dating one of her best friends later on in the book it only makes him look like a bit of a bastard. Sorry but that's my opinion, and it only lowered my opinion of Sam as well. One of the classic rules of dating is that you don't date your friends ex, even if you didn't think it was serious between them. As such it only makes both Sam and Jay look like unfeeling people who don't care for Sapphire's feelings. 

Would I recommend this book? If you don't mind trying to get past the grammatical errors then Sapphire is well worth a read. Definitely one of Katie Price's better books. 

Angel Uncovered by Katie Price

Title: Angel Uncovered

Author: Katie Price

Released: April 2009

Angel Summer looks as if she has found her happy ever after. She's married to the love of her life, sexy footballer Cal, they have a beautiful baby girl and Angel is Britain's top glamour model. But all is not as it seems and there is heartache in store.

When Cal is transferred to AC Milan, Angel feels isolated being so far away from her family and friends instead of embracing the WAG lifestyle of designer shopping and pampering. Surrounded by beautiful people, will Angel and Cal pull together or will they turn elsewhere to seek comfort? Angel's worst nightmares come to life when an old flame of Cal's comes back on the scene and suddenly Angel is fighting to save her marriage, and herself.. .

Rating: 3 Stars

Postives: So firstly it was absolutely great to see the return of Angel. She was an excellent character in the first book who had developed so much, and here her character development only continues. Even in the very first chapter Angel is a completely different character to the girl who we last saw. We last saw her with her hopes and dreams being fulfilled as she was a successful glamour girl and the love of her life Cal had just proposed to her. When we meet Angel this time while she's now newly married to Cal and has a beautiful baby girl called Honey, Angel couldn't be more unhappy. She is crippled with postnatal depression which is having a devastating effect on her marriage, especially now that she has to split her time between England and Italy.

And then of course major plot twist; Cal the love of Angel's life cheats on her. Now we don't find this out for definite until well over half way through the book, but there are clues that this might be happening. Cal is distant and withdrawn from Angel, which doesn't help her depression, and he suddenly password protects his messages and then there's that one text message from someone labelled only as A that is written entirely in Italian with three kisses on the end of it. 

We also get introduced to some new characters as well as having old favourites returning. Not only does the vile Simone make another appearance, it transpires she has a new friend Gabrielle who is head WAG and is possibly even more poisonous than Simone. We also meet the lovely and bubbly Candy, a young woman who has been propelled into the world of the WAGs and is a style queen in every sense of the word. And finally we can't forget about Ethan, the sexy baseball player who becomes another love interest for Angel. 

Angel Uncovered also tackles some important issues, ones that aren't usually talked about in everyday society. Not only do we see Angel battle with a horrific bout of postnatal depression, we also see Gemma go through the pain and heartache of a miscarriage. These are both topics which we normally keep behind closed doors, and yet to the people who have to face them day in day out they become central to their world. Therefore its really nice to see some light shed on them and stop them from being such a taboo. 

Negatives: Firstly which is a really small point on the grand scale of the story this book is set in 2008. Cal is playing for England in the World Cup which is being held out in the United States. Now as a football fan myself I know that the World Cup wasn't on in 2008, the big international championship for football that year was Euro 2008, and it was hosted in Austria and Switzerland. It may only be a small thing but it annoyed me to no end. It's not exactly hard to research what tournament was played that year. 

Secondly, and this is quite a big thing, what the hell happened to the story? Yes I like that Cal cheated and he became a bit of a bastard, and I like that Ethan became a potential love interest for Angel. But the ending was absolutely stupid. Ethan's storyline should have ended after his and Angel's second encounter, but then suddenly with only one more chapter to go we're thrown a curveball and it just seemed like the story was going off in a completely different direction. It would have been much better if the story had stayed with its original plot of Angel and Cal struggling through their marriage. 

Thirdly, this is not a book to read when you're pregnant. I spent the first few chapters obsessing that I was going to suffer with postnatal depression after my baby's born and then the whole miscarriage thing with Gemma made me cry. Now I know thats a personal thing, but let me continue. With Angel's postnatal depression it made the first few chapters feel nothing more than repetitive with what felt like every other paragraph containing lines like "What was wrong with her? Why was she such a bad mother and wife?" It just really irked me.

Would I recommend this book? I'll answer this with a question. Are you pregnant? If you're pregnant then please hold off on reading this. However if you aren't pregnant then this makes another good summer read.