Rugby inspires dreams. But, it is a controversial game. Rugby shows life at its best… and worst. Many schoolboys who play rugby understand this. So do their parents.
Sometimes the biggest challenges are faced off the field rather than on it. Schoolboys have faced many disappointments. Like team selections or an injury that smashes chances of playing in that all-important game. These challenges make tackling the opposition’s prop seem small in comparison. The brickwalls faced by schoolboys and their parents can be daunting.
Rugby is more than a game and Tackling the Brickwall is more than a book. It is about finding the guts to discover the hero within and to discover that it is all about developing the necessary life skills. Tackling the Brickwall is the book that parents and their sons should read to develop potential on and off the rugby field.
There is a dark side to New York, the city that never sleeps. The mundanes (otherwise known as humans) cannot see the supernaturals that roam the streets and fight in wars. The shadow masters are a group of supernaturals who have to clear the city of demons.
Fifteen-year-old Clary Clay witnesses a murder at the Pandemonium Club committed by three teenagers. The problem is that she has no proof. The body has disappeared into thin air. Worse still, her friend Simon cannot see the murderers.
When Clary returns home, her house is ransacked and her mother has disappeared. When she is attacked by a demon, she knows that she is in trouble. No-one can help her but the shadow masters. She meets Jace, a skilled shadow master. He is arrogant and attractive but he has scars that are not only caused by the demons he has fought.
He decides to help Clary find her mother. Fighting side by side, they discover that they have a strong attraction. The problem is that their love is forbidden.
I loved this book. The characters are believable, heroic and memorable. The plot is interesting and keeps the reader in suspense. The ending was unexpected. Although I was initially disappointed, it has me panting for the next book – the second in the The Mortal Instruments series. Definitely a book to curl up with until late at night.
Reviewer: Ulrike Hill Score: 4/5 Review Date: 10 September 2012
The Extraordinary Book of South African Rugby by Wim van der Berg
The anecdotes show the fanatics of the rugby fan whether spectator, player or administrator. Manie Reyneke, former CEO of the Lions franchise was late for his wedding reception. He felt that playing a club game was far more important that celebrating his wedding. Controversial fan, Piet van Zyl, also makes an appearance in the book. He is that little rotund man who interrupted a test game by tackling and injuring a ref because he was not happy with the ref’s decisions.
Somehow, the rugby writer cannot stay away from statistics. Van der Berg is no exception. What would rugby be without reminders about how many times the Boks lost a Tri-nations test, how many tries were scored at a game or how many people attend the Easter Rugby festivals.
For the most part of the book, it is interesting. I would like to have seen an index at the end of the book. And a final request. Can we please move away from numbers and focus on stories that entertain?
(Penguin) ISBN: 978-0-143-528807
Reviewer:
Ulrike Hill
www.writerswrite.co.za Score: 3/5 Word count: 238 Review Date: 5th July 2012
I have to admit, I was curious. What was the hype about the Fifty Shades Trilogy by debut author, E.L. James? I decided to buy a copy. Alas, I did not realise that I had bought the second book in the series.
Although the second book in James’ trilogy does link to the first, first-time readers can follow the story-line easily enough without reading the first book in the series. Not that it is a complicated book to understand. It is, after all, Mills and Boons on steroids.
The sex scenes did not launch straight away as expected. The reader has some time to reconnect with Ana Steele and her love interest, the tormented Christian Grey.
Christian Grey is wealthy. He buys the company Ana is working for. The reason? He has control issues and wants Ana. Badly. Ana stamps her little feet and tries to gain some form of independence. His strange sexual preferences and her innocence are not enough to keep them apart. They fall in love. But, more than that, they have a lot of sex. They cannot keep their hands off each other.
Fifty Shades Darker is about dominance and control. There are some lessons about love.
But I suspect this is not the reason why people are buying the book.
The erotic scenes are good. The story-line keeps the book from becoming a porn story. The problem is that the climax was premature (excuse the pun). The minor climax scenes after the main suspense left me feeling a little … umm … deflated.
Reviewer: Ulrike Hill
Score: 3/5
Published by: Arrow Books
ISBN: 978-0-09957992-2
Review Date: 4th July 2012
The above review first appeared in The Bluestocking Review (Facebook).
I always appreciate the ironies of life. I was asked to interview Justin Bonello about his new book: Cooked: Out of the Frying Pan. I hate cooking but I do love eating. More than that, I love a man in the kitchen.
I used Writers Write Essentially interview technique. It is a creative approach and provides a different perspective on the person you are interviewing. This interview was first published in TheBluestocking Review (Facebook), 15th November 2011.
If your life were a city, what city would it be?Bangkok
Writing sounds likelaughter
Writing looks likejumping through hoops
Writing tastes likeMississippi mud pies
Writing smells likerose
What is your favourite number?7
What is your favourite meal?Italian dish called Vongole. Clam Pasta. Dad taught me how to makeit.
What are you reading?I read Sci Fi and fantasy to escape. I am currently reading the sixth book in the Throne series. I have a stack of books next to my bed. I am also reading Bloodriver by Tim Butcher.
Where do you live?Noordhoek in Cape Town. Used to live in Observatory. I realised how unhappy I was in Observatory once I moved.
What is your favourite quality about yourself?Humility
(Note from interviewer: initially thought that Justin said humanity. Seemed to fit in with the type of person he is). What is your least favourite quality about yourself?Temper Do you have a favourite quote?
There are no bad cooks just friends who are not hungry enough.
(Note from interviewer: will be using this quote the next time someone criticises my cooking!)
What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?
This is a dichotomy. I am a cook and a film producer. I run a small company with 27 staff but I get stuff out there. My work is global.
How did you come up with the titles of your books?
I had very little to do with titles.
Who designed the covers?
This is a long story. I wrote my first book – 40 pages – many years ago. I went to a club called The Curve. The barman poured me a scotch. I told him that the scotch was too small. His name was Quint Bruton and he was a graphic design. He moved in with me later. When Penguin phoned me about writing a book I told them I had a book. Quint designs all my covers.
