Where dreams become reality
The Horse and His Boy
The Last Battle
The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe
The Magician's Nephew
The Silver Chair
"Bella," she said, holding out her hand. "I like your accent, by the way. English, right/" she continued, embarassed by her lack of composure.
That's right, and you're American, but if you're from Canada, I apologize because I've got that wrong in the past."
Her anxieties began to ease as he looked at her. His blue eyes, along with his accent, provided enough reason to listen and forget about her morning so far. Memories of other English boys in her life bundled their way forward. The foreign exchange student she had kissed at sixteen, the barman in the student union offering no affection whatsoever, and the professor she decided was flirtatious, despite him calling her Emma on several ocassions. Each one took her back to fantasies of her youth, listening to The Smiths and imagining one day becoming a wife to a rock star who'd dedicate songs to her and whisk her around the globe.
"I'm a big fan of the accent. I'm sure you get it a lot, though. All my friends back home are obsessed," she said, hoping her small talk was improving.
"So you're obsessed are you?"
She realised it wasn't. "Well.. no.. obviously not-"
"I'm joking. I like your accent too..."
Christened with Crosses is the unforgettable story of a young boy’s dangerous, adventure-filled westbound journey along the railways of postwar Russia. Based on a true story of Kochergin’s amazing life, this book depicts the awakening of artistic talent under highly unusual Russian circumstances. It is the memoir of an old man who, as a boy, learnt to find his way between extortionate state control and marauding banditry, the two poles that characterize Russia to this day.
Orphaned when his parents are taken away as “enemies of the people”, young Stepanych finds himself a ward of the Soviet state. He is miraculously rescued from a government orphanage in Nazi-besieged Leningrad, only to be placed in another children’s institution in Siberia—a place of Dickensian attributes, where the leaders earn nicknames like Toad and Screwface, and where the young inmates are able to live their own lives only in secret, by night. Desperately longing for his native city and his Polish mother, Bronya, Stepanych flees the orphanage soon after the end of World War II.
The eight year old boy secretly jumps on board the trains heading west, towards Leningrad. It is not only his desperate courage and his youthful agility that ensure his survival, it is also his artistic talent. With his agile fingers the boy is able to bend wire in the shape of profiles of Lenin and Stalin, as if in silhouette. He uses them to cheer up the invalid war veterans on the train stations returning from the front, who then give him a piece of bread, a bowl of soup and who, in a spirit of comradeship, warn him of the railway police and the secret service henchmen wanting to send the runaway back to the orphanage. Eduard spends more than six years on the run, experiencing close encounters with post-war Russia where life and fate have become synonyms.
*The book’s title Christened with Crosses comes from the old prison slang. The phrase used to be a password among convicts in the most famous Russian prisons otherwise known as ‘crosses’ were political detainees were sent to cells with hard core thieves.
This tale of Kochergin's life truly is amazing! Action-packed, it is full of tension and drama. The events are well-described, as are the places that the reader journeys through along with our narrator.
It is often hard to believe that this really happened to anyone! The world which we find ourselves emersed in is so different from that of the western world in which most of us live. Its hard to imagine living in such a situation.
Throughout the difficult times, this book tells of hope and determination. It has the potential to give hope to even the most lost, and is truly educational in its own right.
Those more familiar with dyspotian novels will be surprised how familiar this story seems, whilst readers of travel logs will be interested by the variety of places mentioned. Anyone who enjoys stories about individuals and human interactions will find much to fascinate. I truly recommend this book and hope any who try it will enjoy it as much as I have.
The story of Gladys Aylward—small in stature, great in heart and courage.
An inspiring true story about a missionary who self-paid her way to China and lived there during the troubles of the 2nd World War and the Japenese invasion. I found Gladys' story absolutely amazing and a great testimony to her faith. This story contains suspense, drama, adventure and interesting cultural information. Definatly worth a read!
Do your thoughts stay your thoughts or do they affect other people?
What if they do and what if those people end up dead?
Could your mind be used as a lethal weapon?
What if it can…?
Sergeant Teddy Farrell is a reluctant cop in the Sacramento Police Department. He mistakenly risks everything, including his long term marriage to his college sweetheart, to uncover a fiendish world of unprecedented greed and thwarted love. What he inadvertently discovers is a town full of secrets and an obsession with a fluffy rabbit.
A spine-tingling, emotional rollercoaster with a sumptuous dusting of romantic intrigue.Publication Date: March 2012
A very interest concept with some intriguing characters. The first half of the book set the scene for a dramatic second half, culminating in a sudden cliff-hanger.
I really wanted to like this book. I loved the idea of all the could be possible if someone could use their mind as a weapon. There were a plethora of characters that shouted out to be understood. And yet, somehow, it took me half of the book to really begin enjoying it.
I think there were a few of problems from my point of view. Firstly, there were too many characters in places. I was sometimes hard to remember who they were when their names were mentioned again. Secondly, the point of view jumped between them (even in the same scene) making it ocassionally hard to know what each character was actually aware of. And, thirdly, there were quite a few seemingly incidental remarks or happenings that actually seemed to be quite crucial later on. I think a re-read might help with this last point.
Having said that, the last part of the book was pretty gripping in places. As the tension built it became easier to engage with the characters and events took on new meanings. It was also quite interesting to guess where the action would take place next (this really is an international book!).
This book has the potential for a really great story, but it has yet to fully reach that potential in my opinion. Good for those with a great imagination and memory for detail. An OK read overall.
"O Mouse," I say in a whisper so he won't be scared. That's how to talk to a mouse, it's in Alice, only she talks about her cat Dinah by mistake and the mouse gets nervous and swims away. I out my hands praying now, "O Mouse, come on back, please, please, please..."
The paper was established back in the mid-nineties by a South African entrepreneur, who formed a syndicate to fund the venture. This new conservative compact daily was a response to the growing multiculturalism in Britain, and to cash in on the burgeoning online market. Its market share had grown strongly since its launch and it now enjoyed a daily circulation of amonst a million readers. But it was the potential for travel that interested Laura and she was thrilled when the paper hired her after she left the London School of Journalism. She had big dreams and she knew the international exposure through the online version of the paper would one day pave the way into a foreign correspondant career in television.
Edited by I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue regulars and Mornington Crescent enthusiasts Tim Brooke-Taylor, Graeme Garden and Barry Cryer with contributions from Grand Master Humphrey Lyttelton. The new and revised history and rules of the Gentleman's game of Morningto Crescent. Not since N.F. Stovold's celebrated book Mornington Crescent: The Rules and Origins has there been a publication that brings professionals,amateurs, devotees and newcomers up to date.
Humourous and witty, a great book for both those who listen to 'I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue' and thoe that don't. It often makes little sense, but that's the great fun of it. A super light read, perfect for a change from more serious stuff.
'Ah, you're from Llamedos, right?' said the fat guard. 'I can tell by your accent. Very musical people, the Llamedese.'
'Souns like garglin' to me,' said the one identified as Nobby. 'You got a license, mate?'
Violent nomads. The coming winter. Jack's unspoken feelings. Leaving the relative peace of the settlement is more difficult than Terra ever imagined. But what she should fear most is the government that professes to protect its citizens. Imprisoned in a labor camp, Terra learns just how much the corrupt regime wants absolute control. Never has she felt more powerless to act. But there's always the call of the ocean, and her captors just might underestimate how powerful that call can be.
Despite being billed as a sequel this book sits very well as a standalone story.
It grabbed me right from the beginning, throwing me into the action. As it progressed I found my heart pounding and was unable to stop reading. I read this book in 3 sittings and, if I hadn't had prior commitments, I could have quite easily read it in one.
The characters were well-thought out and had real depth. I loved the way that we didn't know everything about them from the start (although maybe this wouldn't have been the case had I already read 'The Burn') and learnt more about their past as the story went on. This mirrored very well the way that they learnt about each other.
The world in which the story was set was complex and intriguing. Every character seemed to have a different experience of this very 3D place. As each setting was described it was easy to pick up the tension in the air and to imagine the drama that must have got before.
I really loved 'Infraction' and am now looking forward to going back and reading 'The Burn'. I just hope that it can live up to its sequel.
"I'm concerned that you're still hearing that sound," he said. "And now you're apparently talking to animals."
"Call me Dr. Doolittle," I said.
Ben's face remained grim.
You can live your whole life not reaising that what you're looking for is right in front of you. 15th July 1988. Emma and Dexter meet on the night of their gradualtion. Tomorrow they must go their seperate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows?
Its easy to become connected with Emma and Dexter, to want to know what will happen to them, and to be caught up by the changes in their lives. Each year brings new experiences and a snapshot into some ordinary and yet captivating lives. By the end both characters it seems like both characters have become your friends, and you want to be able to reach out and comfort them during the lows of their existance, as well as celebrating the highs with them. Fantastic book, perfect for those for whom action isn't everything.
His father had said it was rubbish, that the future was written in stones, not notes. That had only been the start of the row.
And then he;d said things, and he'd said things, and suddenly the world was a new and unpleasant place, because things can't be unsaid.
He'd said, 'You don't know anything! You're just a stupid old man! But I'm giving my life to music! One day soon everyone will say I was the greatest musician in the world!'
Stupid words. As if any bard cared for any opinions except those of other bards, who'd spent a lifetime learning how to listen to music.
Describe yourself in 5 words
Tell us why we should read '6 Seconds of Life'
What points of your life do you think you'd remember if you only had 6 seconds?
Are you a story planner, or a wing-it-as-you-go writer?
Where do you do your writing?
Which authors or books have inspired you?
If someone was coming to stay with you, what would you show them in your local area?
About the Book
