Amy Piggott asked:




It may seem to most, that with the introduction of the Twilight Series it introduced an explosion of vampire dating novels into the young adult fantasy genre, and that illusion is true in some respects. The popularity of Twilight overshadows the vampire books before it, for those not into the genre, and highlights those that followed. Since then the attention has caused a huge influx of new vampire series, that means there are more of these books on the market, and more of these books that teenage girls are reading. Are all of them appropriate? What books should our daughters be reading and which ones shouldn’t they be reading?

Movies are ranked, why not books? I recently read the Vampire Academy Series, ending in the Spirit Bound novel, in order to make sure that the books were appropriate for my daughter. Compared to some of the other books I have read the content was mature (which was appreciated, I was sick of the teenage drama) without being overly mature. Truth be told, I want to know all of this information before I ever read.

There needs to be a rating, just like the movies have a rating. Why is literature less subjected to critique than the movies? Something that is written has just as much potential of having content that is too mature for some readers, and I as a parent just want a heads up. I want to know if the book is recommended for someone over 12, 15, or 17. I want to know if the content in the book is going to be graphic, or if I’m going to run into some offensive language, or intense violence.

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Andrew Emerson asked:




Gordon Ramsay’s Latest Cookery Book: Cooking for Friends (Harper Collins, 2008, ISBN 0007267037)

Gordon Ramsay’s popularity has absolutely sky-rocketed in the last few years and to help you re-create some of the masterpieces you may have seen on his shows he has also released a number of cookery books. These cookery books are designed for anyone to use although those who are already quite experienced in the kitchen will probably get the most out of them.

Gordon’s latest offering s called Cooking for Friends: Food from my Table. It is a collection of recipes which are designed with dinner parties in mind, and is exactly the type of stuff that Gordon (apparently) dishes up to his own friends.

Something for Everyone

So can we really all cook up something to serve to our friends which is of Gordon Ramsey’s standards? Well, the answer is yes, of course we can! The recipes are all very well written and are quite easy to follow. There are a couple in the cookery book which you would need to be very brave to attempt if you are not an experienced cook, but there is definitely something in this cookery book which everyone will be able to pull off. In fact there are over 100 recipes to choose from which are split into 9 different chapters. For those who are not used to cooking there is even one entire chapter which is entirely devoted to basics.

For those who are feeling a little more adventurous the pies and tarts section of the cookery book may offer you an enjoyable challenge, with mouth-watering dishes such as Cornish chicken pie. The desserts section too also has some great ideas with old favourites such as lemon meringue pie paired with new tasty treats such as chocolate swirl cheesecake.

Making Cooking Simple

Gordon Ramsey’s cookery book also does everything possible to make the recipes easy to follow. As well as the recipes themselves being well-written and clearly laid out, there are also lots of beautiful full-colour pictures which help you to understand exactly how the finished dish should look. Another element of the book which is particularly helpful for novice chefs is that each recipe has a little set of tips which will help you to recreate it how it is supposed to be. Even for those who already have a bit of cooking know-how the introductions to each recipe are still worth a read, as they give some interesting facts and information about each of the dishes.

A Tribute to Gordon Ramsey

Although there is no doubt that Gordon Ramsey’s latest cookery book would be a great addition to any bookshelf the book is perhaps best suited for those who are actually fans of the man himself. In between the recipes there are a lot of full-coloured photos of Gordon and his family, something which you may not appreciate if you are not a particular fan. Even if Gordon Ramsey is not your cup of tea you still should not let that put you off this great cookery book.

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Lorelie Carvey asked:




Are you a cake decorator looking for inspiration? Do you want to know how to make your own wedding cake? Are you a bride who would like to check out the latest trends and get new ideas that will wow your guests? How about a baker searching for great cake recipes and techniques?

My advice to you is to start with the old standby Wilton books which are are a great resource. The basics are covered on how to make a wedding cake and what cake decorating supplies you will need to make them with. Plus there are lots of photos of wedding cakes and all occasion cakes to look at for ideas.

An all time favorite cake book for inspiration is a book called Cakewalk by Margaret Braun. Her cake ideas are unconventional and artistic. Her book is so beautiful that you can use it as a coffee table book. A book that should be in every bakers library is The Bakers Manual by the late Joseph Amendola who was a beloved teacher at the Culinary Institute of America since the 1950′s. I have an old beat up copy of the manual from the 70′s and refer to it often. There is a new updated version on the market now, maybe It’s time I get one. The book is written for the student as well as professionals.

Three of the best books for recipes and ideas for wedding cakes in my opinion are The Cake Bible by Rose Levy Berenbaum, A Piece of Cake by Susan Purdy and The Simple Art Of Perfect Baking by Flo Braker. Each book has fantastic recipes and ideas for cakes. From how to bake the cakes, construction and boxing them for delivery and mailing as well.

Now if you are a complete foodie or know someone that is then Larouusse Gastronomique is the perfect gift to give yourself or someone else. It will answer every question you have ever had about anything cooking or baking related, including historical facts. The world’s Greatest Cookery Encyclopedia is chock full of information and so heavy you could use it as a form of weight training every time you go to pick it up.
The best recipes for wedding cakes are cakes that are firm yet moist. If you wanted to use a less firm cake I do have tips for you. Always work with a very cold or frozen cake when putting a tiered cake together Use a filling that will firm up when cooled such as a buttercream or a mousse that contains butter. Avoid creamy and slippery wet fillings or frostings or you may end up with a cake wreck on your hands.

If you would like to learn more about cake books, recipes and get cake decorating ideas then visit my wedding cake website. You will find complete reviews of all of the cake books in my collection and can leave a review of your own there as well and check out what other people are saying about their favorite baking books.

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Steph Burkhart asked:




Edited by: Jean Rabe and Martin H. Greenburg
DAW Books
ISBN: 978-0-75-64-0643-1
312 pages
$7.99
4 Stars

Rabe and Greenburg compile an anthology filled with imagination and creativity with “Steampunk’d.” Steampunk is set in the industrial age; approximately between 1830-1900. The one constant concept is that electricity has not been invented yet so everything runs on steam. Imagine grey colors, soot, brass and you’ve got steampunk.

The anthology has fourteen stories that take place in various setting ranging from the Americas to Africa. In “Chance Corrigan and the Tick-Tock King of the Nile,” Chance pits wits against his foe Gavrilis. Who will win? In “Foggy Goggles,” Gavin is a reporter who visits a famous inventor who has made snow in Arizona – but how bad will it ruin the environment? In “The Battle of Cumberland Gap,” French forces threaten to make a stronghold in America by going through the Cumberland Gap. Can LT Landry stop them?

“Portrait of a Lady in a Monocle” is about a female inventor who is not highly regarded by her peers because she’s a woman, but will she have the last laugh? In “Foretold” Maks is a seer who hunts down meteorites, but when he stops “seeing” will the competition get ahead?

“Echoer” is about an inventor, Brandon, who is building an airship. Can he convince the women he’s in love with to help? In “Of a Feather,” Kit and her crew find a prehistoric bird in South America, but will the competition steal the bird for themselves? In “Scourge of the Spoils,” Constance has a chance to capture the elusive Dr. Ocularious, but can she haul him in?

“Edison Kinetic Light and Steam power” is a story about Thomas Edison. Will he blow himself up to find electricity? In “The Nubian Queen,” Sahdi finds herself in the midst of international conflict on an African continent that flourished when Cleopatra and Mark Antony defeated Rome. “Opals from Sydney” is about a widow who owns an opal that animates objects. Will the opal fall into the wrong hands?

In “the Whisperer,” Avery’s whispers are like hypnotic suggestions. Can he save Lilly from death? “Imperial Changeling” is about the royal houses of Europe. Elisabeth and Ludwina are fey. Can they stop the evil Col. Ames from carrying out his plan? In “The Transmogification Ray,” will Francis actually change lead to gold and stop the spies from stealing his discovery?

This anthology is fiction and will give the reader a nice flavor of the Steampunk genre. My favorite stories include “The Nubian Queen” and “Imperial Changeling” for their creative takes on history. “Steampunk’d” will take you on a heart-pounding airship ride around the world.

Reviewed by: S. Burkhart

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Patrick Toerner asked:




The Inheritance Cycle was originally going to be a trilogy. However, halfway through, Christopher Paolini found that the third book was going to be well over 1000 pages and needed to be split. Thus, Inheritance Book 4 was born. It is yet to be named, so for the sack of reference, I will just call it the fourth book.

As well as not having an official cover or confirmed name, the fourth book of the Inheritance Cycle does not yet have an official release date. This poses a major problem for those who truly are yearning to read the final part of the series. Yet Christopher Paolini has given us some clues as to when the book will be released.

First, he said that he was over halfway through the third book when he realized it needed to be split. So that likely means he had some of the fourth book already written, cutting down the writing time. Also, each book was released in the winter time around the holidays. So it is fair to assume the last will follow the trend.

Lastly, and by far the biggest clue was given when Christopher Paolini stated that the book would be released between June 2010 and June 2011. It is a whole year for the range, but still it narrows it down. So if you take all three of these into account you are likely to get a date around November.

That is my guess and I am sticking to it.

sci-fy books

Suleman Thadha asked:




This is what the ‘Alternate History’ genre is all about. Alternate History looks at history – this is applicable in any country of the world – and asks the question: ‘What If?’ What if British India hadn’t occurred? What would have happened if the British capital city had been built elsewhere – say, where Newcastle-upon-Tyne is today? Would that have altered the course of history? Alternate history can ask and answer so many questions – and sets your thoughts chasing off on all sorts of trails!

Alternate History
Alternate history is often alluded to as allohistory. To those aficionados of alternate history, it is frequently referred to as uchronia or uchronie which is what the French call alternate history; as parallel worlds; or even as abwegige geschichten. Regardless of which name alternate history is known by, it involves past events with their outcomes ultimately altered – and then subsequent events evolving from the altered perspective. Robert Sobel used alternate history as the primary plot in his book ‘For Want of a Nail…If Burgoyne had Won at Saratoga’. Similarly, Peter G Tsouras wrote ‘Gettysburg: An Alternate History’.

Alternate history has also been referred to as ‘counterfactuals’ which is not completely accurate: counterfactuals really relates more to academic historical research than it does to the genre of science fiction. You will find a good selection of these kinds of books in our alternate history section: One book I would particularly recommend is that written by Professor David Krasner, entitled ‘Unmaking the West: What-if?’ I am not going to say a word about this book – you will have to read it yourself!

Fantasy
Magic, the supernatural and Middle Earth: stories such as ‘The Middle Kingdom’ and the series of ‘Lord of the Rings’. Fantasy as a genre avoids the nasty and macabre – it also avoids the scientific. Fantasy is – well, pure fantasy! It’s what dreams are made of. Tolkien’s books follow the fantasy theme perfectly. Add parallel kingdoms and you have ‘The 10th Kingdom’ which is now available on DVD – and well worth watching! Add magic and you have John W. Campbell Jr and the stories he wrote for ‘Unknown’ magazine. Add destiny and you have ‘A Storm of Swords’ by George RR Martin: you will find this book on Page 5 of the Fantasy section under the Science Fiction tab on our website. It’s a good read and the 3rd volume of the six-part epic novels, ‘A Song of Ice and Fire’.

Gaming
Gaming has really come into its own since the advent of multimedia and the internet. In fact, gaming software must be one of the products being sold more and more, even during these times of recession. Believe me, once you start gaming properly, you will become hooked! It is probably one of the safer addictions to have, anyway! Today, the Games Workshop Group plc is one of the most prestigious war-games companies, listed on the London Stock Exchange. It sells war-games software and games around the world from their base in the UK. A completely different company, Game Designers’ Workshop, was also in the business of selling role-playing games and war-games from 1973 until it closed in 1996.

The vast majority of this gaming software is based on science fiction of one sort or another – time travelling, myths and legends, magic – and any other slant incorporating one or other mix of groups. In 1977 ‘Traveller’ was first introduced by the Game Designers’ Workshop: this game is now carried forward by Mongoose Publishing. In nearly all cases the games are drawn from imaginary events occurring in the far future. Rules are drawn up for the players to follow and players progress through the different levels, buying and selling equipment and weapons to progress further into the imaginary realms of the games. As a player myself, I can understand the magnetism that keeps players totally engrossed but, unless you are a games’ devotee, you wouldn’t really understand the draw gaming can have on you.

Media
Arguably, one of the more respected science fiction films has to be ‘Contact’, starring Jodie Foster as Dr Ellie Arroway, directed by Robert Zemeckis. This film, released in 1997, was taken from the book ‘Contact’ written by Carl Sagan which you will find on our website, along with a variety of his other books: ‘Cosmos’; ‘Pale Blue Dot: a Vision of the Human Future in Space’; ‘The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark’; and ‘The Dragons of Eden: Speculations on the Evolution of Human Intelligence’ – all of these books, and more, can be found on our website, under the Science Fiction banner.

Amongst the Media section you will find ‘Doctor Who: The Taking of Chelsea 426′ by David Llewellyn – plus Babylon 5, Batman, Blake’s 7, other Doctor Who vignettes, Lensman, Red Dwarf, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Crow, X-Files, and Xena

Science Fiction
Filed under the umbrella of Science Fiction you will find anthologies; classic science fiction; cyberpunk; science fiction encyclopaedias; graphic novels; high tech science fiction; adventure; history and criticism; science fiction series; and short stories. There are some delightful books within this section: here, you will find ‘Orbus’ by Neal Asher. This book has echoes of ‘Star Wars’ crossed with ‘Deep Space 9′although the story it tells is all its own. Another charming book is ‘Tom’s Midnight Garden’ by Philippa Pearce – a ‘garden that shouldn’t exist’. Do you find this as intriguing as I did? If so, you will love this read – a true and classic science fiction novel to lose yourself from reality in.

Caffeinated Content

Shelly Hill asked:




Being a mother and grandmother and running a busy household, I don’t always have hours to spend in my kitchen preparing meals for my family.

When it comes to purchasing cookbooks, I look for versatile books that have easy to understand recipes with common easy to find ingredients. A big plus for me is if they don’t take a lot of time to make!

One of my favorite cookbooks is called Simply Quick and Easy Recipes published by Parragon Publishing, first published in 2001. This cookbook was published in the UK, but is easily available here in the United States, matter of fact, I purchased mine at a local bookstore back in 2002.

If you are trying to locate this item, here is the ISBN number to make it easier, which is 1-84273-218-8.

This hardbound book contains over 180 quick and easy recipes that even the beginner can master. All of the recipes are illustrated in easy to understand cooking terms.

The book is divided into 5 chapters plus the introduction and index sections. You will find recipes for: Soups and Appetizers, Light Meals and Salads, Meat and Poultry, Fish and Seafood and a beautiful Desserts chapter.

Each recipe in the book will tell you how many people it will serve, an ingredients list, directions on how to make the recipe along with a few serving suggestions. I really enjoy the “Cook’s Tips” that are sprinkled through out the book.

If you appreciate great photography in your books, you will really enjoy this one. The photographs are enough to wet your appetite before you even look at the ingredients list.

This is a very comprehensive 384 page book with quick and easy to prepare recipes, that you can make for your family on any given day of the week. I recommend this book to both new and well-seasoned cooks.

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