Commando Dad: How to be an elite Dad or carer:

The front cover

Commando Dad:

AS I think I have made clear I am becoming a Dad, this is exciting and somewhat daunting, not scary, at least I don’t think so as I feel the wife and I made this decision and have prepared well for it. We could not have prepared for everything such as her hyperemesis gravidarum and her having to quit work but we work well as a team and have managed to counter the obstacles in our way.

IT was kind of a joke present but at the same time it could be a way for me to take on some information, this present was Commando Dad, a book for Dads. There are many books out there that try to cover this information and I always feel that they are not aimed at me and that they are aimed at irresponsible Dads who haven’t thought it through.

Commando Dad so far has done a good job. It is very nice to look at, there is a good range of pictures and it is well spaced which makes it more pleasant to read, more importantly the content is good.

As I imagine you would expect from the title and format of the book there is some humour and this makes a book about parenting a bit easier to read, don't get me wrong it is not laugh out loud funny but it will have you smiling and I did read it quite quickly, more so nearer the time of the birth than when I first got it as then it all seemed  so far away.

The book has plenty of helpful cartoon pictures on things such as how to hold the baby, how to change a nappy and things along those lines, thing we all know but there is no harm in having a Manley reference. He is also fairly good at admitting that he way is just one of many and just because this was the way he did it not to expect other opinions or to find a way that works for you.

So what does the book cover? Well it starts off in the obvious place of guiding you though some useful basics of how to set up the room. To be honest we already had everything set up and felt that what was included was pretty much common sense but then there are a lot of people lacking in that department so there is no harm in including it.

Then of course it is a case of guiding you through from birth to 3 years, the sections are actually broken up pretty well and just because he feels something should come first doesn't mean it only includes information for the first few months, rather it will include all the information but it is set out in a logical fashion.

I will not go through all the chapters but they include advice on sleeping patterns (some of which my wife did NOT agree with), feed baby, entertaining them and some basic things to watch out for from a medical point of view, which at the very least still hopefully stop you from panicking if something does happen.

Personally I do feel that it would be nice if he had put in a bit of information on labour, I know the book says from birth to 3 years but he does start off by talking about getting the room ready and I felt it would have been nice to have a man's perspective on what to expect at that time.

                                                                                                            
Overall it is a good  book with lots of information, the kindle price is pretty good but not sure I would pay full price for the book itself as too much of it was common sense or things that I already knew, never the less I did enjoy reading it.

http://www.commandodad.com/#1

A Game of Thrones!!!

The Front Cover

A Game of Thrones: (Kindle Edition) 5/5

Many people will have heard of ‘A Game of Thrones’, whether this is be through the hit HBO series based on the books or on the books themselves and it was something I had heard of but just dismissed. As I recently reviewed I got a kindle for Christmas and one of my work colleagues has been egging me on to watch or read the books, he has seen the TV series and is impressed. Well after ploughing through my usual post-Christmas reading material of James Patterson and many other crime authors I thought why not see how I find this book, well the first one at least.

The book series is actually called a song of ice and fire with the first book entitled a game of thrones, the blurb sounded interesting and although books set before modern technology came in are not normally my cup of tea I can normally take it with fantasy books.

I am not going to lie to you I was not gripped from the moment I opened the book (well opened the file containing the Kindle version of the book) as it took a while for me to get into it, you see we see the story from the point of view of multiple characters, mainly the Stark and Lannister families, but there are lots of characters, creatures and castles and a whole world with magic (not that there is really anything more than accusations of magic in the first book) and strange names to learn and plots / evil schemes to grasp.

Once you get up and running and get through the first beheading and the first sex scene you are well on your way to an enjoyable ride with a book that is clearly not aimed at children, do not mistake this for Harry Potter. The story soon picks up pace and you are thrown from city to forest, to boat, to castle, to faraway lands learning of each characters plots through the eyes of Kings, Princes, children, the poor and the soon to be dead waiting for each character to be delicately woven together in a deal, love or in all likelihood in a battle to the death.

You certainly cannot say that the author shies away from killing off a main character and therefore you soon have to realise that none of the characters you are beginning to love or hate are safe from the wrath of god, whether they believe in the old god or the seven god and nor does it matter how much they prey.

The header used for each chapter, nice to have something different. 

This book has gore, love, action, strange things that go bump in the night, plots, betrayal, mythical creatures, old stories that we know are going to be true, whores, knights, blood and it is so intense that you want to keep on reading to get to the next chapter on your favourite character and you are aware that if you put it down it is going to take 5 minutes to get back into the complex world that needs to fill your mind as you travel through the book.   

If you give this a fair chance you should not be disappointed though do go into it aware that the book is a long one and will not be completed until you have read the lot, currently this stands at 5 books with 2 more on the way this is an epic that will keep me going for some time.

Without giving too much away I think I can safely give you some background by saying that yes there is a throne and this is about the power struggle taking place between those who feel the thrown is rightfully theirs, those on the thrown and those who want it. The back story is told in a manner that makes it interesting and mysteries are implied that keep you intrigued and engrossed as you wonder who will be the next victim, what will be the next secret and ultimately who will win the game of thrones.

Val McDermid - The Mermaids Singing:

I had heard of Val McDermid a long time ago and I am sure I can remember reading one of her books a while back, A Distant Echo was, I think the name of the book. I was sure I could remember it being a really enjoyable read but at the time I was engrossed with some of my other favourite authors like Michael Connelly and Jeffery Deaver. However a few years passed and my backlog of books disappeared and I felt it was time to revisit Val McDermid and after doing some research I discovered that this was the first book in a series. 

This book, entitled,"The Mermaids Singing" has nothing to do with mermaids and it definitely aimed at an adult audience and I would only recommend it to those that enjoy crime thriller books and I have recommended this book to several people who have all enjoyed it. 

"The Mermaids Singing" is set in the North of the country (England) in a town called Bradfield and is centred around the character of Tony Hill, a clinical psychologist who is known for his expertise on studying serial killers, though captured serial killers are his really area of prowess. The back of this book states (also the first lines) "You always remember the first time. Isn't that what they say about sex? How much more true it is of murder" not only do I think this helps draw the reader in but I also think that this is the case for Tony as he tackles his first serial killer outside of the confines of a prison. I think this is a good way to start the series as although there is a lot of background for you to learn you get to tackle things with him from the start. The case really hits home for Tony who has sexual problems of his own, this adds another element to the book and the depth of the character but you should really read the book for details. 

Tony of course has a partner in crime, for lack of a better saying; this is Carol Jordan, a police detective that is chucked into the case with Tony, she and Tony being to get along, maybe a bit too well. Carols brother, a computer whiz, also has a part to play in this thrilling story. You do hear things both from the point of view of the killer and Tony and I think this helps you feel part of the story and it is better than just following one character throughout. 

The stage is set when bodies are discovered, but this is no usual case, the bodies are of men that have all been severely tortured and mutilated, if you do not like gruesome books then stay away from this one as McDermid does not hold back and many a time I winced or even looked away from the book, yet, at the same time I was enthralled. (If you do turn out to like this book then also give Mo Hayder a try). 

Things in this book really heat up when it is discovered that one of the victims is a police colleague and the stage is set to profile not only the killer but also the victims, are they straight? Gay? Selected? Random? ... Hill of course is in charge of profiling the case for the police to help catch the killer, little did he know that a war will develop between him and the madman leading to a typical battle of good vs evil. 

Unlike a lot of other books I have read I find that the Mermaids Singing and Val McDermid books in general have a great balance or detail and action. Let me further explain what I mean here, some authors like say Stephen Booth do one of the things I hate and that is put in too much detail, I find that this means it can take me ages to get into the book and as much as I enjoy them this annoys me and others will be like James Patterson where I feel that details are left out in favour of a quick thrill that can be read really quickly. McDermid though explains everything perfectly, you get the details you need to feel that you can solve the case first and to get the atmosphere and tension but it is not over the top so you don't get bored. 

This book is tense, well written, has twists and character depth to match with its fast pace it is extremely enjoyable and I found that it captured my attention to the point that I didn't want to put it down. 

At 443 pages in a good sized font and unlike many other books decent sized chapters (only 18 in total) it is a really nice size and will take a while to read. It is well worth the full price of £5.99 on Amazon. I actually have an older copy of the book which is now available through Amazon marketplace new for under 50p - a great bargain.

Summary: A great book which you can buy from here:

The Mermaids Singing