Book | Friends Forever by Danielle Steele

Friends Forever by Danielle Steele
Published By: Bantam Press
Published On: July 1, 2012
Genre: Contemporary
Pages: 380
Format: Paperback
Rating: 4

Five children meet on their first day of school, one bright September morning. Drawn by that magical spark of connection that happens to the young, Gabby, Billy, Izzie, Andy and Sean - each bursting with their own personality, all with strikingly different looks and diverse talents - soon become an inseparable group, known to everyone else as the Big Five. As they grow up, their seemingly perfect lives are altered by families falling apart, unfortunate mistakes, and losses and victories great and small. Throughout their adolescence, the five are able to turn back to their trusted group to regain their footing and steady their course. But as they emerge from school, their futures seem neither safe nor clear. As their lives separate, the challenges and risks they face become greater, the losses sharper, and it becomes much harder to know the right path to choose. But despite life's ups and downs, together they are able to face up to challenges with the help of the important bonds forged all those years ago. And the five realise just how lucky they are to treasure valuable friendships that last a lifetime.

Friends Forever follows five best friends – Billy, Sean, Gabby, Izzie and Andy – who met on their first day of school. As the Big Five grow up, they are each faced with the struggles and trials life throws at them and must learn to support each other as they continue through their journey in life.

Heart-warming story of love and friendship this is not. More like a heart-breaking story of tragedy and loss. This book broke my heart and had me in tears on more than one occasion. This is not the book to read if you are looking for a ‘pick-me-up’ kind of story.

This book was so confusing to begin with. There are a lot of characters in this book and the majority of the main characters are introduced in the first chapter. As you can imagine, this was very confusing. It took me about four or five chapters before I could keep track of every character and remember their storyline but after that it was fine.

It is predictable yet shocking all at once. Within the first few chapters I had guessed a lot of the big events but I really did not mind, I just thought it was going to be an easy read. However, when the main events began to happen, it was not at all as I had expected. Despite having predicted what was going to happen, I was in shock every time those things did happen. I am struggling to explain it; I think it is something you need to read the book to understand.

I loved the characters. I loved all of the Big Five, as well as their siblings, parents (well maybe not Larry) and everyone else in their lives. I love the bond between the Big Five, the family bonds, even the bonds between the friends and parents. Everything about the characters was just great.

Overall, I really liked this book. I picked it up expecting it to be something completely different and I did not expect to like it. However, I was very pleasantly surprised, despite the confusing start, and would highly recommend this book.

Book | Reached by Ally Condie

Reached by Ally Condie
Series: Matched #3
Published By: Penguin
Published On: November 30, 2012
Genre: Dystopian, Romance
Pages: 532
Format: eBook
Rating: 4

After leaving Society to desperately seek The Rising, and each other, Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again. Cassia is assigned undercover in Central city, Ky outside the borders, an airship pilot with Indie. Xander is a medic, with a secret. All too soon, everything shifts again.

Ally Condie’s Matched trilogy comes to a conclusion in the third book of the series, Reached. In Matched we see Cassia matched with both Xander and Ky. In Crossed we follow Cassia’s adventures in her search for Ky and the Rising. Crossed follows the journey of the Rising as they attempt to destroy the Society. After a plague has been introduced into the Society, it is up to the Rising, the only people with a cure, to step in and take over. However, things don’t quite go according to plan.

In general, I really liked this book. I love the details about the Society and the way these people are living. I love the history of both the Rising and the Society itself. These details are what make you realise that a society like that could exist in the future.

I feel for all the characters. I feel the pain and emotion of every one of the characters in Reached. I love all three of the main characters – Cassia, Ky and Xander – and I really enjoyed the introduction of some new characters in Reached, such as Lei, Anna and Oker. Unlike in the second instalment, Crossed, these new additions were developed more, as were those who had been introduced in Crossed, and added to the book. I also have to add, I love Bram!

I loved having the story told from Xander’s point of view. This was always something that I felt had been missing from the first two books so I was so glad to see Xander finally had a voice. I felt that it really added to the story to see things from his point of view as well as Cassia’s and Ky’s.

While much of the medical talk both confused and bored me slightly, the development of the Plague and the problems that arose in regards to it were quite interesting to read. These problems also meant that the story was not at all slow. In fact, I began to wonder what was happening as what appeared to be the main event of the book began very early on.

I was glad to see a lot of the lose ends were tied up in this book. Things that had previously seemed irrelevant in the first two books were proven to be essential to the story. The one disappointment for me, however, was the ending. While most questions had been answered and it appeared as though the ending would round off the trilogy nicely, the ending was abrupt and a little unclear, as if leaving opportunity for another book.

I did thoroughly enjoy Reached, and the trilogy as a whole, but do feel as though the last chapter of the book was missing, as if it needed just that little bit more. However, the last instalment of the trilogy did do a generally good job of answering the questions and ending things relatively nicely.

Book | Further Confessions of a GP by Benjamin Daniels

Further Confessions of a GP by Benjamin Daniels
Series: The Confessions Series
Published By: The Friday Project
Published On: December 19, 2013
Genre: Memoir, Comedy
Pages: 327
Format: eBook
Rating: 4

Benjamin Daniels is back. He may be older, wiser and more experienced, but his patients are no less outrageous. Drawing on his time working as a medical student, a locum, and a general practitioner, Dr Daniels would like to introduce you to …
The old age pensioner who can’t keep his hands to himself. The teenager convinced that he lost his virginity and caught HIV sometime between leaving a bar and waking up in a kebab shop. A female patient Dr Daniels recognises from his younger, bachelor years. The woman whose mobile phone turns up in an unexpected place. A Jack Russell with a bizarre foot fetish. Crackhead Kenny. Not to mention the super nurses, anxious parents, hypochondriacs, jumpy medical students and kaleidoscope of care workers that make up Dr Daniels’ daily shift. Further Confessions of a GP is the eagerly anticipated follow-up to the bestselling Confessions of a GP. With more eyebrow-raising stories from the world of general practice, Dr Daniels will once again amuse, shock and surprise. You’ll never feel the same about going to the doctor again…

Dr Benjamin Daniels, an English GP, shared many an amusing anecdote, with a few serious topics thrown in, of his first few years as a newly qualified doctor in his first book Confessions of a GP. Now a practice partner with a weekly A&E shift, Dr Daniels is back to share more of his experiences in his further confessions.

I love the insight into a career I could never have. I do not have the patience, qualifications, or tolerance of blood and needles to be in the medical profession. However, it is always something I have been extremely interested in. I admire those who work long days - like GPs - or unsociable shifts – like A&E doctors – to keep us healthy. I really enjoyed reading about the perks and downfalls of the job from someone in the profession and gaining the kind of insight I could not get no matter how many medical TV shows I watch.

It made me laugh out loud. The stories told throughout the book range from disgusting to slightly odd to downright hilarious. I will occasionally have a little giggle to myself when reading but very rarely do I find myself actually laughing out loud.

Dr Daniels seems like a genuinely nice guy. While this book is non-fiction and not one where a ‘character’ connection should be felt, I really started to like Dr Daniels while reading this book. People are always complaining about the GP, at least where I live, so it was nice to read about a GP who seems to really want the best for his patients.

There was a bit too much complaining for my liking. I understand that all jobs have their negatives and with the problems in the NHS there is plenty for doctors to complain about. I completely understand that in order to show a true idea of what it is like to be a GP, these things need to be addressed. However, I feel like a great balance between funny and serious was established in the first book while this one contained a lot more complaints.

Overall, I think this book gives a great insight into the life of a GP and has caused me to look at my GP surgery in a different light. The amusing stories make it a light, easy read while the more serious topics emphasise the problems with the NHS today. However, I do not think this lived up to the first book by Benjamin Daniels and therefore would suggest, if you only want to read one, go for his first book Confessions of a GP.

Movie | Sex And The City 2

Sex And The City 2
Sequel To: Sex And The City: The Movie
Distributed By: Warner Bros. Pictures
Released On: May 27, 2010 (USA)
DVD Release: October 26, 2010 (USA)
Rated: 15
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Format: DVD
Rating: 4

Big budget sequel following the lives of four fashion-obsessed Manhattan girlfriends as they navigate the uncharted waters of marriage and motherhood. Although for Carrie Sarah Jessica Parker, Samantha Kim Cattrall, Charlotte Kristin Davis and Miranda Cynthia Nixon domesticity is turning out to be all they'd wished for, its not long before the girls are yearning for something/anything to break the routine. Luckily for them, a little spice, this time in the form of a glamorously exotic adventure, proves to be just what the girls need to recharge their batteries.

When the first Sex and the City movie was released, I admit I was sceptical. When the second was released, I was convinced the creators were pushing their luck. As a long running and much loved TV series, many believed that it should be left as just that, and let the past be the past. However, in my opinion, the first of the Sex and the City movies lived up to the expectations set by the series but I didn’t expect the second movie to.

Sex and the City 2 follows the four girls – Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte and Miranda – on an all expenses paid trip to Abu Dhabi. For Carrie, it’s the perfect opportunity to take a break from her marriage which is seeing some issues. For Miranda, who has just quit her job, there is no better time for a trip away. Charlotte, although not wanting to admit it, could use a break from a child in the terrible twos, and Samantha has a work opportunity of a lifetime. What could possibly go wrong in a place so far from New York, in both distance and morals?

Although the second movie did not live up to the expectations set by the first instalment, it was much better than I had anticipated. Seeing the four girls so far away from their comfort zone in New York was slightly strange though highly amusing and made for an enjoyable story. Samantha and her struggles with menopause only added to the humour and I often found myself having a giggle at her expense. The added twist of an ex-boyfriend appearing was not what I expected but I enjoyed the reappearance of another character from the show and it resulted in a good plot twist. All in all, the general story was enjoyable and not entirely predictable.

With a cast like that of Sex and the City, there was never going to be any problems with the acting in this movie. All characters were portrayed well, as expected since the cast members have been playing them for so long. Kim Cattrall’s portrayal of Samantha is to be applauded as always, in my opinion, as she once again gave an entertaining performance and continually had me giggling.

Generally, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Although it is not on par with the previous movie or the original TV series, it was not the disaster it could have been. It was an enjoyable and amusing story with a talented cast portraying great characters.

Movie | Despicable Me

Despicable Me
Distributed By: Universal Pictures
Released on: July 9, 2010 (USA)
DVD Release: December 14, 2010 (USA)
Rated: PG
Genres: Animation, Comedy
Format: DVD
Rating: 4

In a happy suburban neighborhood surrounded by white picket fences with flowering rose bushes, sits a black house with a dead lawn. Unbeknownst to the neighbors, hidden beneath this home is a vast secret hideout. Surrounded by a small army of minions, we discover Gru, planning the biggest heist in the history of the world. He is going to steal the moon. (Yes, the moon!) Gru delights in all things wicked. Armed with his arsenal of shrink rays, freeze rays, and battle-ready vehicles for land and air, he vanquishes all who stand in his way. Until the day he encounters the immense will of three little orphaned girls who look at him and see something that no one else has ever seen: a potential Dad. The world's greatest villain has just met his greatest challenge: three little girls named Margo, Edith and Agnes.


I am probably the last person in the world to watch Despicable Me. I am not usually a fan of animated movies but, ever since its release, I was told time after time that I needed to see it.

Despicable Me is the story of super-villain Gru who, along with his team of minions, is attempting to reclaim his super-villain title after a new super-villain bursts onto the scene having stolen the Pyramids. To assist with his mission, he adopts three orphaned girls to help him take down the enemy. However, the arrival of these three girls threatens to ruin his super-villain reputation.

As is the case with animated comedies these days, Despicable Me is definitely a family friendly movie. Although primarily a children’s movie, it contains various levels of humour which appeal to both a young children and adults. This family friendly quality, when done well, is often what makes movies like this so enjoyable.

As well as the comedic aspect, Despicable Me also contains the element of family as we see the relationship between Gru and the three girls grow throughout the movie. This is a very heart warming aspect of the movie.

There is also the underlying theme of never giving up on your dreams as we see Gru attempt to fly to the moon as was his childhood dream. It illustrates the importance of not giving up, no matter how hard things become. This underlying theme is important in films like this one as the children watching can be influenced.

Overall, I really enjoyed this film. It is definitely one of the best animated films I have watched and one of the few I actually do like. I would definitely recommend it to all ages.