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The Catcher in the Rye

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: J.D. Salinger

August 04, 1994
So I read it again. As such it's the only book I didn't enjoy first time round (as a sixteen year old) which I have ever reread. Rereading as a thirty year old did not change my opinion.

The book has nothing of interest to say. The inane ramblings and tirades of a cynical and bitter little rich kid do not a good novel make. Holden doesn't appear to learn anything over the course of his journey and all I learnt over the course of 200 nauseating pages was that not all "classics" of literature warrant their place.

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Of Mice and Men (Penguin Red Classics)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: John Steinbeck

January 26, 2006
This is the first Steinbeck book I have read.
I look forward to reading many more.
A simple and touching study of loneliness and all it entails.

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A Darker Domain

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Val McDermid

September 01, 2008
It's great to see McDermid back to form after the terrible Grave Tattoo. A gripping read which neatly merges two cases. A bit of a rushed conclusion and the tying up of ends stretches credibility somewhat, but a good way to spend a rainy evening nonetheless.

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Indignation

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Philip Roth

September 05, 2008
One of the central motifs of the Roth oeuvre is the human predilection for hysteria, usually depicted in tragic, comic or (more often) tragicomic terms. Witness the youthful neurosis of "Portnoy's Complaint"; the celebrity confusion of "Zuckerman Unbound"; the macho-man collapse of "Sabbath's Theatre"; and the senescent, fatalistic angst of "The Dying Animal", "Everyman" and "Exist Ghost" - those short, sharp bullets of Roth's literary maturity.
Here, the frenzied approach to life is embodied in the character of protagonist Marcus Messner's father. Marcus, a 1950's college student, is a source of constant and extreme worry to the old man, a Newark butcher. Why? Well, no reason - and that's the whole point. I guess.
"Indignation" is apparently a story ... Read More:

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The Reluctant Fundamentalist

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Mohsin Hamid

April 24, 2008
This book is beautifully written. The words are chosen with care and this is consistent with the fact that the narrator - although had a privileged anglophile upbringing - is not English mother-tongue. However there are some annoying - if not disturbing - profiles. The narrator (or the author?) although proclaims his annoyance by American people's superiority complex, seems sometimes affected by the same problem: a badly concealed superiority complex towards Western people's supposed grossness...Although annoying, this is a beautifully written book, and the pace is fast....I recommend it

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The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Mark Haddon

March 31, 2004
I know this book has garnered a large and varied response, ranging from disdain for its unconventional structure and use of vulgar words to an admiration for how it views real life from a detached point of view. However, I found that I rather liked this book, and found it a genuinely touching book.

I won't dwell into how Haddon constructs the story, but Haddon's story is thought-provoking and touching at the same time. Haddon's plot questions the disdain we have towards people who are not of our thinking, and his drawing of the characters is so real that you feel as if you could reach out to touch them. I am struck by the way that Haddon draws the character of Christopher, because in some ways he shares many of our frustrations but yet he is still a loveable character. ... Read More:

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Pride and Prejudice (Penguin Popular Classics)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Jane Austen

February 24, 1994
I really enjoyed this far more then I thought it would. Its lovely to step back into the world of Austen and see what love can be like at its most innocent. Beautifully written with comedy throughout, a must for all romance fans! I only wish I had read this sooner

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The Northern Clemency

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Philip Hensher

April 01, 2008
This huge, sprawling novel has left me breathless. Quite an amazing read. The simple, economical style leads you through this cast of characters with such clarity and such honesty that I was very sorry to finish the book and have to try to finding something to fill its place.

A quite stunning piece of story telling, unlike anything I've read before and a stand out book that, should there be justice, deservedly win the Man Booker.

Don't let the the length and the 'literary' label put you off. Give this book a go and let yourself be immersed by a writer who can truly hook you into fiction.

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Just So Stories (Selected) (BBC Audio)

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Rudyard Kipling

February 04, 2008
I'd always enjoyed being read and later reading myself the Just So Stories. With children of my own I started them on these stories and having a cd of them means we can enjoy them on the move. The joy of hearing Jonnie Morris' super animal voice characterisations just adds to the enjoyment - takes me back to watching Animal Magic - deep joy!
Four year old daughter enjoys listening to the stories but my nine year old son has become a great fan - this now regularly is on his cd player in his room.
Buy this and you'll all be able to listen together and enjoy.

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Heart and Soul

Childrens Toy Shop > Books > Fiction
by: Maeve Binchy

October 02, 2008
I'd always enjoyed being read and later reading myself the Just So Stories. With children of my own I started them on these stories and having a cd of them means we can enjoy them on the move. The joy of hearing Jonnie Morris' super animal voice characterisations just adds to the enjoyment - takes me back to watching Animal Magic - deep joy!
Four year old daughter enjoys listening to the stories but my nine year old son has become a great fan - this now regularly is on his cd player in his room.
Buy this and you'll all be able to listen together and enjoy.