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Him & Me by Jack and Michael Whitehall – Audiobook Review
Him & Me by Jack Whitehall
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Him & Me – Jack and Michael Whitehall
The audiobook of Jack and Michael sharing their recollection of Jack’s formative years was very entertaining, the banter between them and interruptions of each other added to the experience and had me laughing along.
Topics covered were schooling (including a dubious request for Jack to be a life drawing model), employment of nannies (who were all very far off being practically perfect) familial relationships, holidays, Jack’s 18th birthday party and lots of celebrity clients’ name dropping by Michael.
Both men seemed equally embarrassed of each other at times, Jack stopping his father’s attempts at non-PC ‘ethnic’ accents and Michael at one point walking out when Jack was ‘mocking’ The Royal Family.
I loved seeing the differences between the two generations in terms of their views on a number of matters and it reminded me of my relationship with my own parents at times. I loved how Hilary (Jack’s mother and Michael’s wife) added her ten points of clarification on certain matters at the end. This lead to some questioning over how factual these accounts were. But to be honest I read this for entertainment, not fact (and how completely true is any auto/biographical account) and I wasn’t disappointed.
I’m afraid I had to withdraw a star because of Michael’s disparagement of Daniel Radcliffe in Harry Potter (jealously because Jack didn’t get the role) ;0)
I’d definitely recommend this as an audiobook.
4/5 stars.
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Gruesome and Bloodsocks by Jane Holiday – Book Review
So I’ve made my first completed read of 2014 a kids’ book from 1987 that I found at my parents. Don’t remember reading it before though.
This is the story of Augusta, otherwise known as Gruesome Gussie, and her cat Bloodsocks. Gruesome is a vampire who is allergic to blood, it makes her sick and she comes out in silver spots. Because of her refusal to drink blood her vampire family banish her from their graveyard. She moves to another town where they make her move into a council house and sign on the dole (seems easy apart from the paperwork in 1987?!).
Her best friend becomes a skinhead youth called Leotard and she has to adapt by wearing pink! There is a sub plot where Bloodsocks and other neighbourhood pets are petnapped, and her vampire family find her again.
All in all this is an entertaining little read with some fun illustrations by Steven Appleby. Would recommend for bedtime reading with little ones.
3.5/5
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Geek Girl: Model Misfit – Book Review and Giveaway
Well the Geek is most definitely back. Harriet tries to hoodwink us into thinking her new modelling career makes her cool, but she’s still our peanut-muffin (my attempt at a Wilburism) Harriet really.
Geek Girl: Model Misfit is the second book in the Geek Girl series by the brilliant Holly Smale. You might also like my review of Geek Girl, and an earlier interview with Holly.
Now I’ve been pondering how to review this without giving spoilers, so all I’m going to say is that Holly has expertly used one of my favourite writerly tools – bravo.
At the start of Model Misfit Harriet is due to be a big sister, and with all attention on the baby, Natalie sent away for the summer and a lack of Lion Boy!, an overheard conversation is the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Harriet jumps at the chance to head to Tokyo for scary Yuka’s latest campaign, which involves Charlie the octopus, sumo and an awkward reunion.
Most of the characters from the first series are back, but because the action takes place in Japan, some of them are just mentioned rather than seen. A few notable additions are Harriet’s highly irresponsible step-grandmother Bunty, and Harriet’s new model room-mates, Rin and Poppy.
I have only one last thing I’m going to mention, because really I want you to experience this amazing follow up fresh and spoiler free…
My favourite character, Toby – Harriet’s stalker, reduced me to tears in one scene, and I nearly hugged myself because of ‘all the feels’.
Clearly I gave Geek Girl: Model Misfit 5 out of 5 stars
Also, thanks to Abby at HarperCollins, I have a copy of Geek Girl: Model Misfit to giveaway (along with some Geek girl badges and glasses). Look at all the geeky goodness!!! All you have to do to win is enter the Rafflecopter below (you can enter one… or all of the options).
(Apologies the widget is hosted off site because WordPress don’t let you embed java in a free site – open in a new tab so you can come back to this page too)
Thanks also go to HarperCollins and Netgalley for my review copy – the gushing praise is entirely my own.
kirstyes 