Category Archives: BOOK REVIEWS

John Cleese a pre-review review!

Posted on September 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

John Cleese is currently busy tucked away writing his memoirs. A shiver of excitement tingled through my spine when I heard about this. You know it’s going to be good!

We all have our favourite John Cleese moments: a funny Monty Python sketch, an interesting interview, a lecture on creativity, a movie or a classic Fawlty Towers episode (I grew up with them and love them all). For goodness sake give the chap a knighthood and be done with it! I know he declined the CBE, but accept the next honor that comes your way John, you certainly deserve it!

There’s also this: Whenever one sees a lemur one thinks of you know who …

He is a Writer, Actor and a very tall person who continues to delight us. Fresh from his acclaimed The Alimony Tour 2011, he is now writing his memoires.

This self-made man is a hard worker. His career spans decades. There will be many stories to tell in his book. His personal life has also been adventurous. He his now happily married for the fourth time to the glamorous jewellery designer Jennifer Wade.

So godspeed John, don’t sleep, don’t take a break, don’t walk your lemur,  keep writing so we can all have your book on our shelves before too long!

You can purchase The Alimony Tour on Amazon, it is his only Live Stand-up DVD, so it is a must have for all JC fans.

Stop by John’s website and Twitter

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Finding Sarah

Posted on August 28, 2012 | Leave a comment

I really tried to get into this book, I really did. But I just found it embarrassingly immature and at times rather dull. A lot of this book is diary musings and repetitive ‘aha’ revelations that can only be of interest to the person who wrote it.

Sarah is helped along in her journey of self-discovery by Oprah’s power team, Dr Phil, Suze Orman and Martha Beck. Although some good points are made by all of these experts they seem to drown in Sarah’s sea of self absorbtion.

I feel sorry for all the horrible things that have happened to the Duchess of York, (she has had her share of heartache).  I really do wish her the best. However this book does her no favours. As she struggles along, letting us know how hard her life is and how much she wants to help people, it all just got too uncomfortable for me. Oh, and by the way it is not because I’m English and am out of touch with my feelings or emotions that I couldn’t connect. It is just that I think Sarah should save herself first without thinking of using herself and her story to ‘help’ others.

There’s no need to be a sinner or a saint Sarah.

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The Last Manchu

Posted on August 1, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Last Manchu by Henry Pu Yi

Book review

Talk about living history! The Last Manchu is about the Last Emperor of China, Henry Pu Yi, written in his own words.This is a remarkable and sad read. Remarkable because we are given a rare insight into an otherwise hidden world and sad because Henry Pu Yi was in this hidden world that bore no relation to the world outside it.

Pu Yi tells unbelievable tales of the incredible customs that went on behind the closed walls of The Forbidden City. He feeds us stories of Eunuchs, fabulous wealth, strict traditions, his wet nurse, his marriages, his relationship with his English tutor Reginald Johnston and finally of his captivity.

Henry Pu Yi was forced to abdicate in 1911 after which he was a prisioner of both China and Russia, (where he was sent to a Siberian prison). He was finally declared a free man at the end of his life and died of natural causes in 1967 age 61.

How often does one get to read such a story? It is amazing that Pu Yi survived it all, and yet he did!

An interesting and sad book about a lonely man who was also a prisoner of the world.

The New York Times writes ‘Important and fascinating’  I would agree with that.

Documentary

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Life With Picasso

Posted on July 31, 2012 | 2 Comments

 

Life With Picasso by Francoise Gilot

Book review

Although this is a fairly old book (1964), brought again to public attention in  1996 through the movie Surviving Picasso with Anthony Hopkins and Natascha McElhone, it is still very much valid in giving us a glimpse into the private life of one of the greatest artists of our time – Pablo Picasso. Artist Francoise Gilot met Picasso in 1943 when she was just 21 and he 61. She became his lover for 10 years and bore him two children, Claude and Paloma.

This book carries many details of her time with Picasso and one is struck with how candid and fair she writes of him. This is not a book written by an angry ex. This is a book written by a woman who met an extraordinary man with whom she had an unusual relationship. We get an insight into Picasso’s world, how he worked and what thoughts he had at that time. It also reveals quite detailed conversations between the pair. Francoise’s memory must be very good!

As a fan of Pablo Picasso’s work I had to read this book! It is very interesting. But what I didn’t expect was that I would also become a fan of Francoise Gilot’s work too. She is also an excellent painter.

Read this book – you will not regret it!

Francoise Gilot website

Catch a recent interview with Francoise Gilot and Charlie Rose

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Francoise and Picasso

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The Highly Sensitive Person

Posted on July 31, 2012 | Leave a comment

The Highly Sensitive Person by Elaine N Aron, Ph.D

Book review

Have you ever been told that you are too sensitive? Or that you are too dramatic? Do you get over stimulated in large crowds? Do you seem to need more ‘alone time’ than everyone else? Do loud noises stress you? Do other people’s moods really affect you? Do you find that at times you cannot watch the news?

If yes, then this is  an important  book to read. In fact, I  found it life changing!

This national bestseller offers help and explainations for those of us who are very sensitive and have always wondered why we are so different to everyone else. Not only that, but you will realize that you have a right to be sensitive and that it is a positive part of you, for which you owe no apologies.

Elaine N. Aron’s research since 1991 of Sensory-Processing Sensitivity is ground breaking. She offers advice and information on how to cope when you are a highy sensitive person in a world where most people are not.

Visit Elaine N. Aron’s website for more information

Elaine N. Aron explains …

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Recipes For Life – My Memories

Posted on July 30, 2012 | 1 Comment

Recipes For Life, my memories by Linda Evans

Most people know Linda Evans for her role in Dynasty and for once being married to John Derek. She is also known of course for her great beauty. Should you however wish to know more about the woman who is such  a huge part of the entertainment industry then her autobiography has many treats for you. In this book she humbly shares her memories of what has been an exciting life. It s a candid book that tells of her romances, friendships and filming adventures. Personally I was surprised to learn of just how many films  and TV dramas she had been in: Dynasty (of course), The Gambler, with Kenny Rogers, The Hunter with Steve McQueen, Dazzle based on the Judith Krantz novel, The Stepsister, The Love Boat and the list goes on.

Linda offers us even more than just an account of all this. She also allows us into her soul where she shares her spiritual journey and into her kitchen where she dishes out her favourite recipes.

This book is written from a place of humility that is very endearing. It is a brave and vulnerable book by someone who isn’t afraid to share herself with the reader. In short a woman who leads life with an open heart.

If you are a Linda Evans fan then this is a book for you, plus there are lots of fabulous photgraphs too!

READ MY INTERVIEW WITH LINDA HERE

Purchase Recipes For Life – My Memories

Linda’s sites: Facebook and website

Photo of Linda – Courtesy ITV/Rex Features
Book cover – Photo Courtesy John B. Cahoon III, Book Cover Courtesy Vanguard Press
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Losing My Virginity by Sir Richard Branson

Posted on July 19, 2012 | 3 Comments

Sir Richard is known for his love of life. He lives it in a big way. He has fun and lets us all in on his adventures and causes. And we are always interested to see just what this crazy billionaire is now up to!

This man needs no introduction we   all know who he is. If I brought you all upto speed on his bio, well it would be seconds before it would be out of date beeause he is constantly setting out on new adventures!

I read his autobiography Losing My Virginity a few years back. I couldn’t put it down. It is an honest book with great stories of his childhood, youth and adulthood. He shares his feelings with us of his love for his beloved Joan and for his two children Holly and Sam. He also shares how he approaches business deals and ideas. We get the story of how Virgin was created, how he started his own airline and of how he bought Necker Island with hardly any money?!

His relaxed and likeable style has  mass appeal. We like him! He just seems a real nice guy.

This book is not only about his fun and games where Sir Richard goes from the one success to the next. He also writes of his  business failures, his disappointments and his stuggles in the court room with British Airways.

This is an inspirational read that will motivate you to want to live your own  life to the full and to also have more fun doing it.

No surprise that it is a #1 International Bestseller!

Sir Richard links:

His Blog

His Facebook

His Twitter

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Life With My Sister Madonna

Posted on July 18, 2012 | Leave a comment

Life With My Sister Madonna by Christopher Ciccone

Life With My Sister Madonna was a book I picked up in the airport last summer. It was the book that everyone was still talking about. How could her brother write such a book? How tacky! How awful for her!

The talk was quite scathing but it was more about Christopher’s decision to write such a book and not about the book itself.

I decided to read the book.

Christopher is a couple of years younger than his famous sister and has been behind the scenes of her journey from unknown dancer and singer to mega global superstar. There are places in the book where he critizes his sister for her harshness and bossy ways, but there are also many places where he praises her and writes touchingly of how proud he is of her. Actually, it is typical brother and sister stuff set in the crazy world of showbusiness! This book is also a tale of a family coming to terms with a very famous member, Madonna’s story isn’t just her own.

Did he sell out? I don’t think so. Madonna herself is the mistress of seeing an opportunity and using it. The book certainly hasn’t harmed her popularity and it certainly is not a tell all kind of book.

I found the book to be both entertaining and interesting.

Read my earlier interview with Christopher Ciccone

Visit Christopher Ciccone’s website

Photograph credits:

Christopher Ciccone: Andrew Kaufman

Book cover: Andreas Rentz

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Dying to be me

Posted on May 4, 2012 | Leave a comment

READ MY INTERVIEW WITH ANITA HERE

Dying To Be Me by Anita Moorjani

Book review

She crossed over to the other realm …

Anita Moorjani’s story of her journey from advanced cancer to near death to healing has been captured in her interesting book ‘Dying to be me’. 

She has a fascinating story to share. Anita experienced a cross over to, what she calls ‘the other realm’ where she felt great peace and clarity about the meaning of life while her physical body lay in a coma.

Anita had had a near death experience (NDE)

She then returned to her sick body that healed within weeks. Anita’s life changed forever. She had crossed over and came back to share what she had learned:

Remember your magnificence! Live fearlessly! Love and honor yourself!

A  book that will make you wonder, think and love more!

Read my interview with Anita here
Visit the AnitaMoorjani website

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The Dice Man – Luke Rhinehart

Posted on February 25, 2012 | Leave a comment

Although it was originally published in 1971  The Dice Man is still attracting fresh fans.

The book follows a bored psychiatrist who decides to give his life over to the power of the die. The Dice Man  really changed me and set the wheels of reasoning turning in my head. Isn’t this what looking for answers in prayer really is? Turning one’s life over to the power of chance events that get interpreted as either God’s answer or the Devil’s temptation? 

Some of the reviews:

“Luke Rhinehart and THE DICE MAN have launched a psychiatric revolution.” London Sunday Telegraph

“Hilarious and well-written . . . The first 30 pages alone are a brilliant summary of modern nihilism. Dice living will be popular, no doubt of that.” Time Out (London)

“A hell of a lot of fun . . . As a writer, Rhinehart gives a virtuoso performance.”New York Herald

Read it! Read it! Read it! This is one book that will challenge all that you thought you knew and you will have a laugh along the way.

Read my interview with Luke Rhinehart here

Purchase The Dice Man on Amazon here

Visit the Luke Rhinehart website here

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