The Abduction by Theodore Boone

                                                            

John Grisham is back for another Theodore Boone adventure, the precocious thirteen year old, wiser than his years, tries to solve the mysterious disappearance of his school friend.

When his best friend, April, disappears from her bedroom in the middle of the night, no one, not even Theo Boone – who knows April better than anyone – has answers.

As fear ripples through his small hometown and the police hit dead ends, it’s up to Theo to use his legal knowledge and investigative skills to chase down the truth and save April.

Filled with the page-turning suspense that made John Grisham a number one international bestseller and the undisputed master of the legal thriller, Theodore Boone’s trials and triumphs will keep readers guessing until the very end.

Weighing in at a little over 210 pages Theodore Boone:The Abduction packs a legal teenage punch. It’s a fun read, light and not overly complex but it works on many levels. Aimed at children and a new breed of Grisham fans, adults will also take something from the book.

The narrative is slick and uncompromising lending itself to a very pacey read –managing to read it in one sitting – and although not as long as the current crop of adult aimed titles you never feel cheated.

Theodore is an interesting character. He doesn’t like going to school and uses every excuse under the sun not to go but once he’s there he tends to enjoy himself – the fight he has with his parents is a daily occurrence and one shared by thousands of school kids the world over! His favourite class is Government followed closely by Spanish taught by the young and exotic Madame Monique – no surprise there then!

Published by Hodder & Stoughton Theodore Boone is available in Harcover or Kindle

On some levels Theodore Boone reminded me of the ABC smash hit Doogie Howser MD which aired for 4 years in the early 1990’s. Starring Neil Patrick Harris as the 16 year old phenomenon, I can see Theodore Boone working in a similar way in the legal fraternity.

Where Grisham has been clever is by not bombarding the book with legal terminology and keeping it aimed at the teenage market. In fact the only time Theodore quotes any legal precedent is when he and his pals are trying to get out of a tight fix with the cops – quite the engaging scene – but it does serve to show his character and the first point of contact for any legal dilemma the teenagers are faced with whether it be a scrape with the police or in Animal Court defending birds!

Characterisation is good and although Grisham rightly concentrates on the young protagonist he does allow sides issues to creep in, padding the story out and introducing supporting characters who all play a role, some way or another, in delivering a few twists along the way.

A typical teenage boy, Theodore doesn’t like to admit he has romantic feelings towards April but his actions speak louder than the written word!

An enjoyable, fun filled story, Theodore Boone: The Abduction entertains from start to finish – One for the Kids!

Published by Hodder & Stoughton Theodore Boone is available in Harcover or Kindle

Theodore Boone : Kid Lawyer by John Grisham

                                                                           

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer or Theodore Boone: Young Lawyer (UK) is a 2010 legal thriller and the first novel by John Grisham for 8-12-year-olds,[1] although not the first story to involve a minor protagonist. It is projected as being the first in a series about Theo the Lawyer. Grisham jokingly said in an interview that he wanted to catch up with Harry Potter, since his number one place was taken in the bestsellers

Plot summary

Strattenburg's biggest criminal trial in a while drew a lot of attention, and the township largely suspected the defendant was guilty. He was charged with murdering his wife, but the lack of direct evidence created a problem for the prosecutor. Indeed, it seemed almost the perfect murder. Things were going so well for Duffy Denkins Mine, the defendant, that he was almost confident of acquittal. The protagonist is the last chance for the prosecution to salvage their case and get the conviction.

Young Theodore Boone grew up an only child with two lawyers as parents. The husband and wife team make up the firm of Boone & Boone and have raised a kid who is extremely law savvy and good with people, and who knows most of the legal sector in the town. He is on speaking-terms with the criminal judge and has a reputation amongst his classmates for solving day-to-day legal problems, like rescuing a dog from the pound via Animal Court.

Theodore facilitates the last-minute admission of evidence by persuading the judge enough to declare a mistrial. Despite the fact that Theodore was just thirteen years old, he was the only person in such a position to do so.

A second novel featuring Boone is expected next year. Who knows, Theo may just be the new Nancy Drew.

Playing for Pizza by John Grisham

                                     


 Rick Dockery was the third-string quarterback for the Cleveland Browns. In the AFC Championship game against Denver, to the surprise and dismay of virtually everyone, Rick actually got into the game. With a 17-point lead and just minutes to go, Rick provided what was arguably the worst single performance in the history of the NFL. Overnight, he became a national laughingstock and, of course, was immediately cut by the Browns and shunned by all other teams.
But all Rick knows is football, and he insists that his agent, Arnie, find a team that needs him. Against enormous odds Arnie finally locates just such a team and informs Rick that, miraculously, he can in fact now be a starting quarterback. Great, says Rick—for which team?
The mighty Panthers of Parma, Italy.
Yes, Italians do play American football, to one degree or another, and the Parma Panthers desperately want a former NFL player—any former NFL player—at their helm. So Rick reluctantly agrees to play for the Panthers—at least until a better offer comes along—and heads off to Italy. He knows nothing about Parma—not even where it is—has never been to Europe, and doesn’t speak or understand a word of Italian.
To say that Italy—the land of opera, fine wines, extremely small cars, romance, and Football Americano— holds a few surprises for Rick Dockery would be something of an understatement..

As The Crow Flies By Jeffrey Archer

                                                     

Charlie Trumper was born in 1900. His grandfather who owned and ran a fruit barrow in a London suburb raised him. He was known as The Honest Traderand though he wasn't rich, he was successful in terms of loyal customers. Charlie wasn't much of a student, but he learned a lot about business from his grandfather.

As a youth, Charlie dreams of having his own fruit cart just like his grandfather's. That wish abruptly comes true when his grandfather suddenly dies in the street. Charlie is seventeen. He runs the small business in order to take care of his siblings.

Charlie grows into a man managing that fruit cart. He's trying to buy his own shop when World War I arrives. Charlie goes off to fight, leaving all dreams of self-employment on hold. He leaves his business with Becky, a childhood friend, and instructs her to sell the cart if necessary. He has no choice because of his military obligation to his country.

Imagine Charlie's surprise when he returns to London to see his name on a shop sign. While he was gone, Becky bought a store and managed it, while going to college herself. When Charlie returns, she hands over the store.

It would appear Becky's duty to Charlie is complete, but that isn't exactly the case. They become partners in Trumper's. When Becky is dumped by her fiancé, Guy Trentham, Charlie is there to console her. When Becky gives birth to a child Guy refuses to claim, it is Charlie that proposes and becomes a father to Daniel.

As the Crow Flies follows the lives of Charlie, Becky, Guy and Daniel throughout the majority of the 20th century. We see Charlie and Becky come together as partners to build Trumper's into a successful company owning and managing several businesses. We see Daniel grow into a fine young man. At first he doesn't know that the wealthy Guy Trentham is his father, but he begins to put the pieces together. We see Guy die a mysterious death, which is covered up by a tuberculosis story.

The greatest villain in this story is Guy's mother, Mrs. Trentham. When you read the book, you'll see that Charlie and Guy have very unpleasant ties to each other dating back to World War I. Mrs. Trentham does everything she can to upset business at Trumpers. 

As the Crow Flies starts out as a rags to riches novel. We see Charlie start with a mere wheelbarrow and end up with one of the most successful businesses in all of England.

On top of that story is a side plot involving good versus evil. The Trenthams are a bad lot, and the good Trumpers are not afraid to put up a fight for what is right. Jeffrey Archer offers a fair dose of suspense here, as Daniel, Daniel's fiancé, and Charlie all try to uncover the dark secret that Mrs. Trentham is keeping. If the truth can be found, Charlie can destroy the evil Trentham fortune once and for all and save Trumpers from falling into the wrong hands.

I see from the back of this very large paperback that it was on the New York Times bestseller list for 4 months when it was released in the early 1990's, and deservedly so. This is an interesting book that spans many generations of a single family. Through their eyes we see a changing English society.

This is a very easy book to read (despite its weight) and it has an interesting format. The story line is broken down into years, and the sections are told from the perspective of the different characters. For example, Charlie tells the story as it is from 1900-1919. Becky elaborates on Charlie's story from 1918 through 1920. This format continues through 13 sections with the final words described by Becky from 1964-1970. It is an interesting way to narrate a story. Mr. Archer succeeds in narrating the saga so that the characters see the same events differently.

I recommend As the Crow Flies to anyone who likes a rags to riches story. The English humor and slang can be a bit wacky, but it just adds to the charm of this bestseller by Jeffrey Archer

Shall We Tell the President? by Jeffrey Archer

                                                                                          

At the end of The Prodigal Daughter, Florentyna Kane is elected President - the first woman President of the United States. After decades of struggle, sacrifice, and personal tragedy, she has finally attained her goal. Yet even as she gives her inaugural speech, those who oppose her are plotting to silence her forever.

At 7.30 p.m. one evening the FBI learn of a plot to kill her - the 1,572nd such threat of the year. At 8.30 p.m., five people know all the details. By 9.30 p.m., four of them are dead.

Only one man, FBI agent Mark Andrews, knows when the assassins will strike, and even he doesn't know where, how, or most importantly, who they are. He has only six days to track down the senator at the heart of the cold-blooded conspiracy. Six days in which he can waste no time, leave no trail, and trust no one. Six days to prevent certain death of the President.

One wrong word, one false move, and both a nation and a dream will crumble.

The Prodigal Daughter by Jeffrey Archer

                                                                                                                               
The Prodigal Daughter is a novel by Jeffrey Archer. It is the story of Florentyna Kane, the daughter of Abel Rosnovski of Archer's Kane and Abel. The novel, one of Archer's best sellers, portrays Florentyna's life from early childhood to her final ascension to the position of President of United States. In this way, President Kane becomes the first female U.S. president.

The character of Florentyna Kane also appears in Shall We Tell the President? by Archer. This book initially featured President Ted Kennedy, but following the success ofKane and Abel and The Prodigal Daughter, the character was changed to President Kane in later editions.

Plot summary

The story begins by introducing Kane and Abel's past and the feud between them. It then tells the story of Kane and Abel from the perspective of their children, Florentyna Rosnovski and Richard Kane. Their childhood, and all the incidents and people who affected them, are portrayed in a similar manner as their fathers' lives were told in Kane and Abel. There are some inconsistencies, however. For example, after Abel's divorce from Zaphia in Kane and Abel Abel gets the custody of Florentyna. But in The Prodigal Daughter, Zaphia has custody of Florentyna. Richard and Florentyna meet by sheer chance and fall in love. When their parents are told, both sets naturally react explosively; Abel goes so far as to slap the daughter he had raised with great affection. The two lovers run away that day to a friend's house in another city.

Later, the two create a chain of retail stores named Florentyna's, which are a huge success. Abel helps his daughter anonymously, but refuses to accept his son-in-law. The tale takes a twist with the senior Kane's death, when Abel learns that Kane was the anonymous benefactor who helped him launch his hotel empire. He thus accepts Richard and his grandchildren and considers it an honor that his grandson is named William Abel Kane.

Richard and Florentyna take charge of the Baron Hotels, with Florentyna as chairwoman, and then in a daring feat take over Lester's (Kane's bank).

Eventually Florentyna takes up politics due to the persuasion of a childhood friend named Edward Winchester. Florentyna's career becomes central to the plot, as she attempts to deal with the problems a very busy and successful mother faces, including the fact that her daughter has an abortion and smokes marijuana in the mid-1970s. However, her career takes a back seat when Richard dies in a car crash in 1985. For some time, Florentyna loses the will to pursue anything, even her career. Then suddenly, seeing a homeless Vietnam Vet impels her to come "back with a vengeance." Working harder than ever, she comes very near her goal of becoming the first female U.S. President.

For the good of her party, she strikes a deal with her opponent, Pete Parkin to support him if he promises not to run for a second term, and if he makes her his vice presidential candidate. During Parkin's term, Florentyna averts many a crisis: actions for which the President takes full credit. At the end of his term, however, he not only renegs on his promises and wants to run, but undermines Florentyna's support by announcing Ralph Brooks, the other Illinois Senator as his running mate. It seems as though Florentyna's dream will never become a reality. Disgusted with the entire situation, she leaves Washington. While she is playing golf and discussing what to do with her life—her son William is now President of Lester's, with Edward, for example—Secret Service agents arrive to announce President Parkin's sudden death from a heart attack. Florentyna thus becomes the President, and soon after she marries Edward and they live happily ever after.

A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer

                                                   

A Prisoner of Birth is a mystery novel by English author Jeffrey Archer, first published in 6 March 2008 by Macmillan. This book is a contemporary retelling of Dumas's The Count of Monte Cristo.
]Plot summary

After proposing to his childhood sweetheart Beth Wilson, Danny Cartwright takes her brother Bernie and her to celebrate at a nearby pub. In the pub, they are accosted by four people. Danny, Beth and Bernie attempt to leave the pub without getting involved in a fracas, but Spencer Craig, one of the four that confronted them, follows them out of the pub along with his friends.

A fight breaks out; Bernie is stabbed and dies. Danny is blamed for his murder in a well-orchestrated plot by Spencer and his friends: a popular actor, an aristocrat, and a young estate agent. Danny is arrested and convicted. Sentenced to 22 years in Belmarsh prison, the highest security jail in South-east London, United Kingdom, he encounters two prisoners, Albert Crann, known as "Big Al," and Sir Nicholas Moncrieff. Meanwhile, outside the prison, Beth is pregnant with Danny's daughter.

Sir Nicholas slowly teaches Danny to read and to write. Their friendship grows closer, and Danny decides to dress like his friend in the hope that it will help his upcoming appeal. Danny begins to gather evidence for his appeal with the help of a young lawyer, Alex Redmayne, but unable to present the new evidence, Danny's appeal is denied, and he must serve his complete sentence in Belmarsh prison.

Nicholas is murdered by a fellow inmate and his death is made to be seen as a suicide. The timely intervention of Big Al leads to the subsequent escape of Danny. On the outside of the prison, Danny pretends to be Nicholas. He finds that he must sort out his friend's family affairs before pursuing his goals of clearing his name and taking revenge upon the four individuals who framed him for Bernie's murder.

A lengthy legal battle between himself and Nicholas' hated uncle Hugo leaves Danny Cartwright in the possession of over 50 million dollars (20 million pounds) with which he plans to expose Spencer Craig and clear his name, so that he will be able to live with Beth and his daughter.

Danny is caught out by Nick's friends and is held in custody, while his counsel begins Danny's bid for freedom the Barrister (QC), Actor and friend are all brought to justice. Alex's father (ex Barrister QC and Judge at the High Court) gains Danny's freedom and his name is cleared. Danny has another child (male) and it's called Nick in honour of his friend and Alex his Barrister is given title of Godfather for all his hard work in freeing Danny.

Harry Potter series by JK Rowling

                                                         
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels written by the British author J. K. Rowling. The books chronicle the adventures of the adolescent wizardHarry Potter and his best friends Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, all of whom are students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The main story arc concerns Harry's quest to overcome the evil dark wizard Lord Voldemort, whose aim is to conquer the wizarding world and subjugate non-magical people, and who seeks to destroy all those who stand in his way, such as Harry's parents.

Since the 30 June 1997 release of the first novel Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (re-titled Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone in the United States), the books have gained immense popularity, critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide.[1] The series has also had some share of criticism, including concern for the increasingly dark tone. As of June 2008, the book series has sold more than 400 million copies and has beentranslated into 67 languages,[2][3] and the last four books have consecutively set records as the fastest-selling books in history.

A series of many genres, including fantasy and coming of age (with elements of mystery, thriller, and romance), it has many cultural meanings and references.[4][5][6][7] According to Rowling, the main theme is death,[8] although it is primarily considered to be a work of children's literature. There are also many other themes in the series, such as love and prejudice.[9]

English-language versions of the books are published by Bloomsbury in the United Kingdom, Scholastic Press in the United States, Allen & Unwin in Australia, and Raincoast Books in Canada. Through 2010, the first six books have been made into films by Warner Brothers; it is the highest grossing film series of all time. The seventh book has been made into two films which are planned to be released nearly eight months apart: Part I was released 19 November 2010 and the series finale is currently scheduled for release on 15 July 2011.[10] The series also originated much tie-in merchandise, making the Harry Potter brand worth in excess of $15 billion.[11]

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The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

                                                             

The Da Vinci Code is a 2003 mystery-detective novel written by Dan Brown. It follows symbologist Robert Langdon and Sophie Neveu as they investigate a murder in Paris's Louvre Museum and discover a battle between the Priory of Sion and Opus Dei over the possibility of Jesus having been married to Mary Magdalene. The title of the novel refers to, among other things, the fact that the murder victim is found in the Grand Gallery of the Louvre, naked and posed likeLeonardo da Vinci's famous drawing, the Vitruvian Man, with a cryptic message written beside his body and a pentacle drawn on his chest in his own blood.

The novel is part of the exploration of alternative religious history, whose central plot point that the Merovingian kings of France were descendants from the bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene, ideas derived from Clive Prince's The Templar Revelation and books by Margaret Starbird. Chapter 60 of the book also references 'another book, The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail though Dan Brown has stated that this was not used as research material.

The book has provoked a popular interest in speculation concerning the Holy Grail legend and Magdalene's role in the history of Christianity. The book has been extensively denounced by many Christian denominations as an attack on the Roman Catholic Church. It has also been criticized for its historical and scientific inaccuracies. The novel nonetheless became a worldwide bestseller that sold 80 million copies as of 2009[1] and has been translated into 44 languages. This makes it, as of 2010, the best selling English language novel of the 21st century and the 2nd biggest selling novel of the 21st century in any language. Combining the detective, thriller, and conspiracy fiction genres, it is Brown's second novel to include the character Robert Langdon, the first being his 2000 novel Angels & Demons. In November 2004, Random House published a Special Illustrated Edition with 160 illustrations. In 2006, a film adaptation was released by Sony's Columbia Pictures.

The book has been translated into over 40 languages, and adapted into a 2006 film of the same name.

About the author :

Dan Brown is the author of numerous #1 bestselling novels, including  The Da Vinci Code, which has become one of the best selling novels of all time as well as the subject of heated debate among readers and scholars. Brown's novels are published in 52 languages around the world with 200 million copies in print. 

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Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer

                                                       
Kane and Abel is a 1979 novel by British author Jeffrey Archer. The title and story is a play on the Biblical brothers, Cain and Abel. Released in the United Kingdom in 1979 and in the United States in February 1980, the book was an international success. It reached No. 1 on the New York Times bestseller list and in 1985 was made into a CBS television miniseries titled Kane & Abel starring Peter Strauss as Rosnovski and Sam Neill as Kane.




The sequel to Kane and Abel is The Prodigal Daughter with Florentyna Kane as the protagonist.



The book tells the stories of two men born worlds apart. They have nothing in common except the same date of birth (April 18, 1906) and a zeal to succeed in life. William Lowell Kane is a wealthy and powerful Boston Brahmin while Abel Rosnovski (originally named Wladek Koskiewicz) is a Polewas born in a situation of great poverty and eventually emigrated to the United States.

William follows the steps of his father, Richard Kane, to become a successful banker. When William was still a child, Richard dies in the Titanic disaster, leaving William fatherless and heir to the Kane & Cabot bank. William displays extraordinary discipline and intelligence as a young man at St. Paul's Schooland later at Harvard. His mother marries Henry Osborne, who turns out to be interested in gambling and women. William hates Henry from the beginning and spends most of the time at Harvard and at his best friend Mathew Lester's home. William dreams of becoming the chairman of Lester's bank one day. Henry spends every last penny of Kane's mother's money on the pretext of speculation, while she dies in a miscarriage. Kane throws Henry out of home.

Wladek Koskiewicz is born in a forest and raised by a trapper family. When he grows up and is found to have exceptional intelligence, Baron Rosnovski asks him to become a companion to his son Leon so Wladek might prove to be a competition to him. Wladek agrees to go to the Baron's castle on the condition that he can bring along his elder sister Florentyna. Soon afterwards, World War I breaks out. Germans attack Poland and capture the Baron, his staff and son in his castle. Leon dies by the hand of a soldier. Before dying, the Baron hands him his silver band of authority. Wladek realises that the Baron was his father when he finds that, like him, the Baron too had a missing nipple. Florentyna is also raped and killed in front of young Wladek by Russian soldiers.

Wladek was then moved to Siberia from where he manages to escape to Turkey after facing many hardships. There, he nearly loses his hand (a common punishment in the Middle East and in the Ottoman empire, predecessor of Turkey, before 20th century) for stealing food but is rescued by two British diplomats. They transfer him to the Polish consulate from where with their help, he migrates to America and assumes the name Abel Rosnovski.

He starts his life as a waiter in the Hotel Plaza, while taking night classes in business at Columbia University. While Abel is working there, Davis Leroy, owner of the Richmond group of hotels, is impressed by his work and appoints him manager of his flagship hotel. Abel converts the ill-managed hotel to a profit-making one and buys stock in the chain. During the Great Depression, the hotel needs a backer and Davis, unable to find one, commits suicide leaving the remaining shares in the Richmond Group to Abel. Before committing suicide, Davis mentions that Kane & Cabot was the bank that didn't support him. Abel thus plans for revenge and considers Kane his arch rival. The bank gets him an anonymous backer. Abel assumes it to be David Maxton, owner of Stevens' hotel. During this time, Abel befriends George and marries Zaphia, both Polish emigres.

Abel changes the name of the hotel from Richmond to Baron and builds up a successful hotel chain. By collaborating with Henry Osborne, who had by now entered politics, Abel plans to ruin Kane and his bank. Abel begets a daughter, named Florentyna in memory of his dead sister while Kane has a son, Richard. Abel during World War II would save Kane's life in France, unaware to each other. He divorces Zaphia when he returns home from the war.

Meanwhile Kane's bank and Lester's bank merge and a provision is made that anyone who has a share of 8% can summon board meetings. Abel tries desperately to obtain 8% of the bank's stock but Kane manages to thwart his attempts. They unknowingly meet each other many times throughout the novel.

Florentyna Rosnovski and Richard Kane happen to meet and fall in love without knowing about the rivalry between their fathers. They get married amid vehement protests from their fathers and start a chain of boutique stores named Florentyna's.

Finally, Abel manages to obtain enough shares of the bank and ousts Kane from power. Kane decides to forgive his son and daughter-in-law and expresses his wish to meet them. He dies before he is able to see them and his grandson William. Abel then comes to know that his backer was not David Maxton, but William Kane. Filled with remorse, he reconciles with his daughter and son-in-law. Abel died soon after, and bequeathes everything to his daughter Florentyna, except his silver band of authority, which he leaves to his grandson. It is only in the last sentence of the book that readers learn that Florentyna and Richard gave their son the middle name 'Abel', making his full name William Abel Kane.

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Artemis Fowl Series By Eoin Colfer

Cover of book one

Artemis Fowl is a series of novels written by Eoin Colfer, protangonizes a teenage genius who will sometimes resort to criminal behaviors, who is named Artemis Fowl II. Artemis Fowl, the main character, is a ruthless and extremely intelligent young (human) criminal whose main goal is the acquisition of money through a variety of often illegal schemes. There are many settings in the series, including Iceland, Siberia, Chicago, Germany, London France Morocco Taiwan and various places in Ireland. One main setting that has been in all the books is the Lower Elements.

The author has described the series as "Die Hard with fairies". There are seven novels in the series so far; the first was published in 2001 and the seventh on 20 July 2010. A film based on the series is also in development, although most details are unclear. The series has sold over 18 million copies as of June 2008. These books have proved to be well loved internationally. In a live webcast 'Eoin Colfer Virtually Live' to promote the release of the seventh book on 20 July 2010, Eoin Colfer stated that he currently plans for the eighth, as of yet untitled, book to be the last in the series.


The Books in the series are :-

Artemis Fowl
The Arctic Incident
The Eternity Code
The Opal Deception
The Lost Colony
The Time Paradox
The Atlantis Complex.

About the author :

Eoin Colfer (pronounced Owen) was born in Wexford on the South-East coast of Ireland in 1965, where he and his four brothers were brought up by his father (an elementary school teacher, historian and artist of note) and mother (a drama teacher). He first developed an interest in writing in primary (elementary) school with gripping Viking stories inspired by history he was learning in school at the time!

After leaving school he got his degree from Dublin university and qualified as a primary school teacher, returning to work in Wexford. He married in 1991 and he and his wife spent about 4 years between 1992 and 1996 working in Saudi Arabia, Tunisia and Italy. His first book, Benny and Omar, was published in 1998, based on his experiences in Tunisia; it has since been translated into many languages. A sequel followed in 1999, followed by some other books (see below). Then in 2001 the first Artemis Fowl book was published and he was able to resign from teaching and concentrate fully on writing.

He says, "I will keep writing until people stop reading or I run out of ideas. Hopefully neither of these will happen anytime soon. He lives in Ireland with his wife and two children.

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Godfather by Mario Puzo ( Personal Favorite )

If you want to really get involved with a book, fall in love with it, get inspired and influenced by the characters, want to keep repeating the various phrases of the book a numerous number of times then
the book you should read is Mario Puzo’s “The Godfather”. I’ve read and heard so much about this book and had great expectations of it. Never did I feel that my expectations where let down when I read this book. It is till date the best novel I read. Truly magnificent and keeps the readers totally engrossed with it.

The Novel is all about Don Vito Corleone who is the head of the Corleone Family. The people who love him call him The Godfather with affection. He is a man who has his own rules, who never to go by other person’s authority or force, who gave justice to everyone around, helped the needy and expected only friendship as his fee. He is a very powerful and highly influential person. Believes in only power and force rather than just physical strength. He is a person who respects friendship and is always there for his friends. He single handedly influences the functioning of the entire city. He is married and blessed with three sons Sonny, Freddie and Michael and a daughter Connie. Sonny and Freddie follow their father and becomes part of the family business. Michael is the only one who stays aloof from his family. Thenovel begins with the marriage of Connie Corleone. Apart from the Corleone Family there are four more very powerful families in the New York City. The Tattagalia family in particular being the rival group to the Corleaone’s.

The Novel explores itself into the Corleone Family. It start’s of with explaining the influence of the godfather, his relationship with his children. Then we have Sonny who assists his father in his business and is full of brutal force and bad temper. The novel discusses the love life of Michael with Kay Adams an American girl. Then we see the Don aging and how Michael gets involved into the family business and slowly evolves as the next Don. In between there are so many twists and so many characters all given equal importance. The rivalry between the Corleon’s and the Tattagalian’s assisted by Solozzo the Turk drug dealer paves way for the great War of the five families in New York. It is at the end of this war in addition with a few interesting twists Michael is foreseen as the next Godfather. There are many numbers of characters worth a mention but I wish you could do it by reading the book so I keep myself away from doing it.

The plot of the novel is very intriguing. The conversation and the plots involving are all so awesome. I am very sure of the fact you would definitely remember a few phrases of the don. The best of the lot being ‘ I will make him an offer he can’t refuse’,. There are other few like ‘ The Don never asks for a second favor when the first one is denied’,’ I will reason with him’, ‘I offer you my friendship and expects only the same’, ‘ learn from your father how to say ‘no’ to others’. These are very powerful phrases you’re sure to remember.

If you haven’t read the book yet right away go ahead and read it. I am sure you will enjoy it as much I did it. Take my word reading this book ‘ is an offer you can’t refuse’.

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Only Time Will Tell By Jeffrey Archer

                                                     
About the Book:

The Clifton Chronicles is Jeffrey Archer’s most ambitious work in four decades as an international bestselling author. The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the chilling words, ‘I was told that my father was killed in the war’. But it will be another twenty years before Harry discovers how his father really died, which will only lead him to question: who was his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who worked in Bristol docks, or the first born son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line? Only Time will Tell covers the years from 1920 to 1940, and includes a cast of memorable characters that The Times has compared to The Forsyte Saga. Volume one takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford, or join the navy and go to war with Hitler’s Germany. In Jeffrey Archer’s masterful hands, the reader is taken on a journey that they won’t want to end, and when you turn the last page of this unforgettable yarn, you will be faced with a dilemma that neither you, nor Harry Clifton could have anticipated.

About the Author

Jeffrey Archer, whose novels and short stories include Not a Penny More, Not a Penny Less, Kane and Abel and A Twist in the Tale, has topped the bestseller lists around the world, with sales of over 250 million copies. He is the only author ever to have been a number one bestseller in fiction (fourteen times), short stories (four times) and non-fiction (The Prison Diaries). The author is married with two sons, and lives in London and Cambridge. www.jeffreyarcher.com for more info :)




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Just Friends by debutant Sumrit Shahi

About the Book :

He knows everything about her, right from her favourite books to her favourite bra.

She knows everything about him, right from his favourite soccer club to his favourite x rated websites.

He will complete her English homework, even at three in the night.

She will arrange an Armani suit for him, even if it calls for flirting with ugly guys.

He has her picture in his wallet.

She has his number on speed dial.

They talk to each other all the time.

They talk about each other when they dont talk to each other.

They discuss everything from periods to playstation.

They have tasted alcohol and then thrown up...together.

They have bunked countless tuitions... together.

They cant live without each other.

YET

They dont love each other.

They are JUST FRIENDS...




You may be intially apprehensive of buying a book written by a seventeen year old but a compelling synopsis (which talked of a friendship between a girl and guy who knew everything about each other..from books to bra’s) and an equally appealing cover will make you buy this book and then you will realize that your decision is correct. Sumrit Shahi has penned this novel at the young age of 17 with such flawless english and witty humor, many dialogues would help you flex your muscles. Most importantly, the book is a fresh break from the IIT/IIM stories that one gets to read as it is set in high school.


A must read for all teenagers battling the ever present question “Is it possible to have a best friend of the opposite sex”. Almost every teenager in the world can relate their life situations to certain instances in this book. It is a very splendid effort by such a 17 year old. Hats off to the author for attempting to create a bond with the readers and succeeding in it. Highly recommended for all those who have a friend from the opposite gender.


About the Author :

With seventeen years of wisdom gained more through accidents than conventional learning, Mother Earth supports, a five feet nine inch frame who is currently pursuing Commerce (12th grade). Credited with participation in three Model United Nations Conferences' and wins' in many debates, add to it, his appetite for reading and public speaking, sprinkle the fact that he wants to become a movie director, finally top it with his self confession of being a diehard romantic...you get Sumrit Shahi...










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