Benji

Set In Darkness - Ian Rankin Synopsis by Waterstones Edinburgh is about to become the home of the first Scottish parliament in 300 years. As political passions run high, DI John Rebus is charged with liaison, thanks to the new parliament being resident in Queensbury House, bang in the middle of his patch. But Queensbury House has its own, dark past. Legend has it that a young man was roasted there on a spit by a madman. When the fireplace where the youth died is uncovered another more recent murder victim is found. Days later, in the gardens outside, there is another body and Rebus is under pressure to find instant answers. As the case proceeds, the Inspector finds himself face to face with one of Edinburgh's most notorious criminals... My rating: 6.5/10 Cant give too much of review, same old trusty Rebus in the mind of same old trusty Rankin. This is not in any way a criticism, do not listen to what they say, you cannot have too much of a good thing. I know where I am with Rebus, he is a familiar character and I love his rebelious ways. This is a great book, but not one of the best. Great extra; The element of the cases entwining, which sees all the favourite characters working expertly together. I learn all my Scottish history and politic knowledge through Rankin, and Set In Darkness boosted the latter. If you want a comfortable crime fic novel, then this is it.

I Love You Man Shlappa da Bass, Mon.

New Moon - Stephanie Meyer Synopsis by Waterstones I stuck my finger under the edge of the paper and jerked it under the tape. 'Shoot,' I muttered when the paper sliced my finger. A single drop of blood oozed from the tiny cut. It all happened very quickly then. 'No!' Edward roared ...Dazed and disorientated, I looked up from the bright red blood pulsing out of my arm - and into the fevered eyes of the six suddenly ravenous vampires. For Bella Swan, there is one thing more important than life itself: Edward Cullen. But being in love with a vampire is more dangerous than Bella ever could have imagined. Edward has already rescued Bella from the clutches of an evil vampire but now, as their daring relationship threatens all that is near and dear to them, they realise their troubles may just be beginning ... My rating: 5.5/10 I finished New Moon while I was on the Tube yesterday, as did the woman infront of me...and the man in the next carriage. I had to hide the book in my handbag to sheild my unoriginality. I had read Twilight and so it was only natural for me to follow onto New Moon. One word: Dull. It didn't even grab my attention until page 300, and by then it was too late. I was bored. It's a shame because I wanted to love it and jump on the Twilight bandwagon. I thought Twilight was okay, but New Moon read like a moody teenagers diary. Saying all this, the last hundred or so pages were much better, more pacey and I felt myself being drawn in and wanting to read the next book. Which I probably will

I didn't persevere to the second show - it really is a load of ol' garbage

Have just got around to watching it. Am now at the adverts and I have to say the first half was 'The Chris Evans Show'. Hopefully the second half will get better. I thought it would be more free speech, as opposed to everything sounding like it was being read from an autocue (it probably was). I love Dave Spikey though, so I shall persevere!

My Amazon Wish List is so long I dont think it will allow me to put any more books on it!! Have a look at Tom's blog in the mean time, he updates it quite regularly so there is always something new to have a gander at! It is called Random Reality, give it a search on Google.

Second book over the year is done and dusted. Just finished More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea, the sequel to Tom Reynolds ambulance blog-ography! Synopsis by Waterstones The sequel to the bestselling memoir Blood, Sweat & Tea. Tom Reynolds is an ambulance worker. On any given day he can be attacked by strangers, sworn at by motorists, puked on, covered in blood and other much more unpleasant substances. He could help to deliver a baby in the morning and witness the last moments of a dying man in the afternoon. He deals with road accidents, knife attacks, domestic violence, drug overdoses, neglect and suffering. And you think you're having a bad day at work? Tom blogs about his experiences at the end of each shift. His Random Acts of Reality website has a huge following with over 30,000 visitors every day. He is an internet legend and a remarkable writer. His first book, Blood, Sweat & Tea came out of nowhere to be a surprise bestseller in 2006. Readers were stunned by the stories he had to tell and impressed by the sheer quality of his writing. Critics who sneer at blogs-to-books have never read this one. More Blood, More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea charts the past two years of Tom's life as an ambulance worker. He is tired, he is frustrated and he is more ****** off than ever but he still manages to capture the more moving, heartwarming and inspirational moments alongside the chaos. My rating: 8/10 Most are probably familiar with Tom's blog/books. I love his honest approach, and admire the fact that he is being even more open (and sometimes wonderfully rude) despite being recognisable to the Newham crowd. He gives you just the right amount of medical knowledge to understand the stories, but not so much that it bogs you down. I laugh and laugh when I read his blog and these books are a collection of not only the funniest, but also most heartwarming tales. Recommended for all - in little sections so great for inbetween reading!

Sorry for any confusion! Similar names are a tricky business. I often manage to cause mayhem on my travels! It is not part of the series, sort of a spin off. Might come back and read some more by Fox later on in the year.

Okay, this is my first Blog and I want to keep it simple. Not going to do a wishlist, because I like to just go with the flow. Am also trying to get some writing done this year, so the reading may have to be put on the back burner. Right, lets go... Just finished reading Katryn Fox - Blood Born. Synopsis by Waterstones A teenager is found barely alive by the roadside, bleeding from her slit throat. The police can't even begin to imagine the horrors she has faced. For inside their house lies the girl's older sister: brutally tortured, raped and stabbed to death. As the girl struggles for survival, forensic scientist Anya Crichton is brought in to examine the evidence, all of which points towards a well-known family of career criminals. However, it soon becomes clear that they will stop at nothing to evade the law. Even if others have to die. My rating: 7/10 This was recommended by a glossy magazine (I dont normally take advice from Look, but I thought I would make an exception). It looked like the type of book I would usually read;grusome murder, a welcoming protagonist and a bit of underlying sexual tension. And it was. Nothing more, nothing less. Just your average crime/medical fiction. Saying that, it was easy to read and you were sucked in by Anya's character and the need for the family to be brought to justice. It was pretty fast paced, and I read it unusually quickly - I would read another of Fox's novels. Recommended if you want a bit of Crime Fic that doesn't involve alot of thinking.

Oh no Harriet Vane is my most disliked crime fighter! I like the more modern detectives; Rebus, Banks and Roy Grace from Peter James' books. Although they do sort of blend into one. Philip Marlowe is great too though, if we are going old school.