Love For Books

Tom Clancy

Thomas Leo Clancy Jr. was born in Calvert County, Maryland, United States. He attended Loyola Blakefield in Towson, Maryland, graduating with the class of 1965. He went on to study English Literature at Loyola College in Baltimore, graduating with the class of 1969. Though he wanted to serve in the United States military, he was rejected after failing a required eye exam in the ROTC. Before making his literary debut, he spent some time running an independent insurance agency. In 1993, Tom Clancy joined a group of investors that included Peter Angelos and bought the Baltimore Orioles from Eli Jacobs. In 1998, he attempted to purchase the Minnesota Vikings and had a purchase agreement in place, but the deal fell through.

On 26 June 1999, Clancy, at age 53, married freelance journalist Alexandra Marie Llewellyn, who at 32 years of age was 21 years his junior.” Llewellyn is the first cousin of Colin Powell, who originally introduced the couple to each other.

In 2008, the use of Clancy’s name was purchased by French videogame manufacturer Ubisoft for an undisclosed sum. It will be used in conjunction with video games and related products such as movies, and books.”

Sue Townsend

Susan Lillian “Sue” Townsend was born on 2nd April 1946 she is a best selling British novelist, best known as the author of the Adrian Mole books.
Sue who was born in Leicester went to Glen Hills Primary school, where she got the idea for her Adrian Mole books, the school secretary was Mrs Claricotes, which is one of names she used as the secretary her the books. Her dad was a postman and she had three sisters of which she was the eldest. Sue went to the secondary modern South Wigston High School and left at the age of 15 ,  she then  worked in a variety of jobs including shop and factory work. She later married a sheet-metal worker with whom she had three children under five by the time she was 22. She joined a writers’ group at the Phoenix Theatre, Leicester when she was in her thirties.
She has four children: Sean, Daniel, Victoria and Elizabeth.

Sues novels include;
• The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ (1982)
• The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1984)
• The True Confessions of Adrian Albert Mole (1989)
• Adrian Mole From Minor to Major (1991) Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (1993)
• Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years (1999)

Jacqueline Wilson

Dame Jacqueline Wilson, was born on 17 December 1945, she is a multi award-winning English author. Jacqeline is best known for her wide and varied range of childrens books. Many of her books have been adapted many times for television programmes,

Jacquelins books are often a very realistic portrayal of what modern British children facing life changing problems in their daily lives. Her stories range from divorce (the suitcase kid) to the death of a pet (The Cat Mummy). Shes covered homelessness(The Bed and Breakfast Star), abuse (Secrets), grief (Vicky Angel) and difficult subjects parents may refrain from talking about, such as homosexuality (Kiss).

jacqulines books are normally illustrated by Nick Sharratt. Nick Sharratt’s ink drawings and very colourful front cover designs have now come to be associated with her work.

She writes the majority of her books in the first person narrative, but sometimes books such as Twin Trouble, are written in third person. Jacqueline has won many awards over the years, including the Smarties Prize, and the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award. The Illustrated Mum won the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award and the 1999 Children’s Book of the Year at the British Book Awards

World Book Day

World Book Day 2009 in the UK and Ireland will take place on Thursday 5th March. Please note that this date applies to the UK and Ireland only. The initiative is so well established in schools here that we want to make sure that the Day happens in term time to really make the most of this opportunity to celebrate books and reading. Most other countries hold World Book Day on 23rd April every year.
World Book Day is a partnership of publishers, booksellers and interested parties who work together to promote books and reading for the personal enrichment and enjoyment of all.

A main aim of World Book Day in the UK and Ireland is to encourage children to explore the pleasures of books and reading by providing them with the opportunity to have a book of their own. To support this aim, a Schools’ Pack full of ideas and activities, display material and more information about how to get involved in World Book Day will be mailed to schools (including those secondary schools that have specially registered to participate) from mid-January 2009. Registered pre-schools will also receive material around the same time. In the Events section you can see the range of activities and events organised by thousands of people around the country, many of which you can attend. Over the years our activity has been extended to cover both avid and emergent adult readers – hence the initiatives Spread the Word and Quick Reads.

Thanks to the generosity of National Book Tokens Ltd and numerous participating booksellers, school children are entitled to receive a World Book Day £1 Book Token (or equivalent €1.50 Book Token in Ireland). The Book Token can be exchanged for one of the six specially published World Book Day £1 Books (where stocked and while stocks last), or is redeemable against any book or audiobook of their choice at a participating bookshop or book club (terms and conditions apply).

Leaving the world by Douglas kennedy

When Jane Howard was just 13 she vowed to her parents that she would never ever get married and she would never even have children.

As jane grows up she discovers that life is totaly random, anything can happen. Years later and Jane is working as a professor in Boston. She is in love with a lovely but somewhat erratic man called Theo. Jane soon falls pregnant. After all the things that Jane said promised when she was just 13 years old, having a child turns out to be a nice surprise for Jane and Theo. But then a devastating series of events tears her world apart and Jane has no choice but to escape her existence and leave everything and everyone that she knows behind.

Just when Janes life gets back on track the disappearance of a young girl turns her life upside down again, she obsesses over searching for the girl as if it will free her past life. Jane is convinced that she knows more about the missing girl than the police do, she is forced to make a decision should she just stay hidden or let the truth be known.

Tell me something By Adele Parks

Since she was 14 Elizabeth has wanted just two things to happen, one thing was that she would meet and marry a gorgeous Italian man and the other that she would have lots of Bambini with him. When she was 14 her parents took her on holiday to Italy, it was then that she fell in love with all things Italian; she wanted to learn the language and move there to teach it. She didn’t get in to Uni to learn Italian as they didn’t let people in just for the reason ‘ I want to marry an Italian’ and her grades weren’t that good. So she moved to London and worked in a bar for the next several years, mush to her father’s disapproval. She meets and dates a long line of Italian men but it wasn’t until she met Roberto that she knew she’d met the one. They instantly fall in love and are married with in 6 months. Now all she needs is the bambini, but try as they might there is no sign of a baby. They eventually decide to move to Italy; maybe the change in lifestyle will help her conceive. However she now has Roberto’s mother to deal with and she is hell bent on destroying their marriage.

No One Wants You: A Memoir of a Child Forced into Prostitution by Celine Roberts

Celines mother was unmarried when she fell pregnant with Celine, she was considered illegitimate and her mum was forced to live in a home for young mothers who were unmarried until her baby was born, the babies were then sent for adoption. Celine was adopted by an elderly couple who were completely the wrong candidates for the job. Her adopted father died and she was left in the UN capable hands of her adoptive mother.
When Celine was 7, she had her communion, afterwards when she went home there was lots of men in her hose and they all gave her money for her communion, one man told her he has some money for her but it was at home, so Celine had to walk with him to get it, on the way over the fields he stopped and raped her, she was just 7 years old. She was very badly injured and in shock for weeks afterwards, but no one ever mentioned it. Her adoptive mother then started to hire her out as a prostitute, she was her pimp. Her bones were broken, and she had to eat candle wax in church to stay alive. A very sad story.

Cookbook for girls by Denise Smart

This book is beautifully presented in hardback and full of lovely pictures that make you want to start cooking. The book is aimed at girls, a lot of the recipes, especially the deserts are quite pink and fluffy and girly!
There are over 50 different recipes in the book, all with pictures and very easy to follow instructions. At the back of the book there is also a section which shows you how to make your own initiations, napkins and place setting cards to go with the gorgeous meals that you will create.

The book has loads of recipes that are twists on old favourites, something to liven them up a bit! Some of my favourite recipes from the book are vegetable tempura, which is vegetables that are cooked in a light crisp batter and served with a delicious dipping sauce; you can choose any of your favourite veg to use in the recipe. There is also a beautiful recipe for a chocolate cake and marshmallow squares. In fact I think all of the recipes are my favourite!
I think the book is an excellent gift especially for younger girls who are just starting out cooking as it’s very easy to follow and fun to do

Ultimate confidence by Marisa Peer

This book shows you that there is a lot more to confidence than just being outgoing. It shows you how self esteem has a massive impact on your happiness and wellbeing and how it makes a big difference to what you will ultimately achieve in life.

This is Marisa Peer’s programme which has been tried and tested. It is an easy way to maximise your potential and change your whole outlook on life, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. She uses powerful hypnotic language and extremely effective techniques, once you have read the book you will be able to change all of your negative thought patterns, you can even break habits that you have had for a life time in a few simple steps

Marisa has written this book in the highly engaging style she is renowned for. No matter what your background or your reasons for reading this book you will feel that it has been tailor made for you. Marisa teaches you how to truly like yourself and believe in yourself as this are the secret of major confidence and until you get this bit right then you will struggle to be truly. An excellent book for anyone looking to increase their confidence.

The good thief by Hannah Tinti

This book is set in nineteenth century America which is a very strange place to be. It’s an historical novel that is extremely touching. Little Ren goes missing and ends up in an orphanage worried that he will never see his family again. He now lives in a cold New England orphanage, his dreams of a family life, he now fears, will come to nothing.

One day a very glamorous stranger turns up at the orphanage. Ren is amazed when the visitor who claims to be Benjamin Nab says he is Rens brother and has come to take him home. Benjamin’s stories start to grow more and more unbelievable, he often puts Ren’s life in danger as he gets him to steal and then to grave-rob, but Ren still believes there is hope for him. He really believes that one day all of this danger and hunger and stealing will be worth it, that he will finally have a family of his own to love and to love him.
But the real question is whether Benjamin can be trusted.

A fabulous book that you will never want to end. From start to finish you feel like you know the characters, its very touching. I highly recommend this book.