The Nolympics is a short, illustrated book by Nicholas Lezard, journalist, and is a clever, satirical antedote to the hysteria surrounding the real events. Lezard writes in a manner that's intellectual, he uses some 'really big words' and is obviously a fan of the proper use of the English Language.

If you weren't swept away by the hysteria and National Pride stirred up by the 2012 Olympics you might just enjoy this slightly pompous inquistion by one of many who weren't. Basically; Lezard is attempting to make sense of events he really didn't feel part of. He asks the reader to consider what's the point of discus, synchronised swimming, etc., and he's obviously totally confused by the need for most things equestrian. He's doing most of his analysis from watching TV and reading newspapers, though he did attend a couple of events, and it's all slightly unreal.

I don't think this book is 'hilarious' as described though it's certainly amusing in it's own slightly strange, eccentric way. Where Lezard saves himself, and the book, is his empathy when dealing with those ordinary people involved in the Olympics. He adds a lot of balance to what could have been considered a bit of a rant.

I did have the feeling Lezard was genuinely trying to make sense of the whole Olympic 'dream' and not just trying to rubbish something that has become so special to a great many people but; The Nolympics is just one opinion and you're either going to agree or not and that's your right.

The Skullcandy 50/50 are a decent pair of headphones. Sound quality is good and they don't distort at high volume. Sound is punchy and bass extremely good. You're perhaps not going to make too many friends if you're listening to loud music in public-they really don't prevent sound escaping but; for the listener they do a good job of cancelling out external noise.

One of the most important features is; the 50/50s are only 'fully' functional if used with iphone, ipad or ipod and that's becoming a standard throughout the marketplace. I'm using the headphones only with my ipod and having no problems whatsoever.

I'm happy with the fit, like the design and there's a good looking carry case included plus a change of earbuds. The headphones come in a variety of strong, bright colours and this shade of blue is particularly vibrant. Chord is strong and doesn't snag and the control switch is easy to manage.

I have several sets of headphones and the Skullcandy 50/50s are right up there with the more expensive models.

"Sure Maximum Protection - an advanced formula specifically designed to provide scientifically proven wetness protection for men and women who need the very best"

"Is formulated with TRIsolid innovative body responsive technology which contains three important components: 1, the maximum wetness protection ever from Sure 2, Encapsulated odour-fighting technology and 3, Skin moisturising agent.

I was so sceptical about this product. I've used spray on deodorant for so long I wasn't at all sure how a cream formula would compare and, let's be honest, with something as personal as body odour you don't necessarily want to take a chance.

I'm pleased to tell you that I shouldn't have worried. Sure Maximum is a lovely, rich cream formula that smells feminine without being overpowering and dries quickly without any talcum type residue. As far as preventing wetness; it certainly does.

You are recommended to apply the deodorant before you go to bed. There's some science around when your skin's at it's most responsive to the product. You can shower as usual in the morning and then go through the whole of the following day without re-applying. Sure also tell you that it's OK to apply the product first thing in the morning and that's what I do.

My underarm skin is absolutely dry and so are my clothes. I hate to say this but, I'm a bit of a convert. In my own opinion this is one product that does what it's supposed to - and I honestly mean that.

What Lies Within is more the psychological study on the after effects of crime upon the victim than it is a thriller. The novel relies on slow building tension, feelings of isolation and anxiety, to provide the reader with a sense of unease. If you're looking for a traditional thriller with cat and mouse chases and action sequences you're going to be disappointed.

The character at the core of the plot is Anna who seems to be living an idyllic life tucked away in a cottage in Dartmoor. As the plot unfolds it soon becomes apparent Anna is hiding, in more than one sense, and a series of complex twists and turns reveal the true Anna and ultimately a horrible incident in her past.

The plot spins out to examine what a woman might do to protect herself, and her family, when threatened by incidents from her past and is written with a great deal of insight and sensitivity. Tom Vowler thoroughly examines themes of how a woman might be affected, in every way, by a particularly harrowing crime and writes the character of Anna with huge empathy and understanding.

I enjoyed the feeling of isolation and anxiety as something dreadful approaches Anna and her family and the novel left me with a feeling of uneasiness for several days. Tom Vowler sets an excellent scene and for a debut novel What Lies Within is more than a decent read.

The Lost features Paula Maguire as a forensic psychologist attached to a missing person's unit. Paula has recently returned to Northern Ireland and is trying to come to terms with events in her past while maintaining her professional integrity. I enjoyed the character of Paula's stubborn, difficult father who has broken his leg and who appears to be far from loving towards his 'sparky' daughter. It's the difficulties in their relationship, along with a current police investigation, that open up the plot to the exploration of some well worked political and religious themes.

Plenty of dark, brooding atmosphere and I enjoyed the general sense of uneasiness as past loyalty is put to the test and the impact of the Troubles returns to haunt the characters. There's enough tension to suit most thriller readers but I wouldn't call this a 'hard boiled' thriller. The Lost relies more on atmosphere than gratuitous violence, gore and action sequences to move the plot along.

I enjoyed the meaty dialogue, the slow unfolding of the criminal investigation and trying to work out whodunnit but; what hooked me into the plot and kept me interested was the character of Paula Maguire who is strongly developed and believable right from the start.

Hidden works well as a stand alone if, like me, you haven't read the other novels in the Reilly Steel series. Casey Hill provides plenty of back history, more than enough to fill in the gaps. Overall I enjoyed Hidden with it's slightly mystical/ethereal theme of angel wings. For a punchy, modern murder/forensic thriller this is quite Gothic and the addition of Reilly's 'sixth sense' adds a surreal edge that works really well. Opening chapters are sufficiently gripping to draw the reader in and the plot pans out nicely into some well worked police procedural/forensic elements. Casey Hill adds tension to the narrative with a creepy murderer who's on the loose and just biding time until they're caught...will they have time to kill again? Not telling you .... read the book! There's a decent sense of mystery throughout Hidden with twists and turns that lead you down a dead end then spin you around and lead you off in another direction. The feel of Hidden is 'old fashioned' because it's written in a style that's in no rush. The plot lingers over detail and rambles on down side paths without rushing headlong towards the ending. Attention is definitely on the story telling and character building rather than action sequences or cat and mouse chases. There's some violence and gore but not too much and those themes never become gratuitous. Scenes set around the missing/murdered children are written with empathy and quite emotional. I'm impressed with Hidden and really enjoyed the quirky character of Reilly Steel. Not at all the 'usual' police procedural and I'm happy to have found this little gem.

An engaging historical mystery/adventure beginning in the 16th century and reaching all the way through to the present day. Plenty of movement as Helen Bryan spins out her plot to encompass events in both Spain and South America as five young girls attempt to escape a dreadful fate at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. Their rescuers are a group of Spanish nuns who do everything in their power to deliver the girls safely to a new life in the New World. Helen Bryan sets the scene well and her depiction of life in a 16th century convent was particularly good. Throughout the novel the girls are given plenty of time to develop and we learn a great deal about them. They're solidly written and believable characters and I had no problem bonding with them. By far the better parts of the novel are the historical elements. Once the plot reaches modern times and the solving of 'the mystery' I felt let down. There are too many long reaches, coincidences, and the character of Menina isn't robust enough to carry events forward. For an intelligent woman she really isn't too bright. Helen Bryan provides Menina with such massive clues as to her link with the nuns even I'd worked it out before she did. The big 'reveal' when all the questions are finally answered and the mystery solved is quite interesting but falls a little flat as it's not difficult to work out in advance. To summarise I'd say; The Sisterhood is an uplifting, engaging novel with much to say about the power of women and their ability to survive and endure. Well worth a read if you're a fan of historical fiction.

Had the story been longer and Tom Harper had more opportunity to develop his themes of mystery, death and the afterlife I would have enjoyed The Twelfth Tablet more than I did. There's nothing wrong with the story, it's quite good, but for me the overall plot felt rushed. This is the first in what I assume will be a series of 12, each tablet has it's own story to tell, and sets the scene for the rest of the collection. I enjoyed the overall sense of ancient mystery and Tom Harper has added some clever and complicated twists and turns around the completely inexplicable. I enjoyed the read, my negative is just that the story's so short I reached the end before I'd had chance to involve myself with the plot. A free download 'a taster' is a clever way to hook in new readers and The Twelfth Tablet is certainly worth a read.

The game is easy to install, insert the disc and follow the prompts on screen, only takes a couple of minutes. I'm using Windows7 and the game runs well without noticeable bugs. Good quality audio and visual throughout. The recommended target age is 7+ and while the background story is interesting, there's no immediate feeling of threat or danger due to the age restriction. Quite a basic 'point and click' game which you travel through by solving puzzles and finding hidden objects. There's some interaction between the player and various characters and the sound track's pretty good. There's a strategy guide to help if you get stuck and the game's tricky enough that you'll probably need to use it. You can install the disc onto multiple PCs/devices at home and the whole family can play which is a lot of fun and makes the game great value for money. Graphics are good and it takes a fair amount of time to solve the mysteries. If you're much older than 7 and enjoy fast, action packed games then this one probably isn't for you however; if you enjoy solving puzzles and mysteries at a slower pace you should enjoy it.

If you enjoy completely surreal, off the wall, contemporary horror then NOS4R2 should keep you hooked. The plot opens up into a nightmare landscape where nothing is as it seems. A land where a little girl slips through real time on her Raleigh bicycle and a demon dressed in human skin cruises around in a classic Rolls-Royce. Along the way you'll visit Christmasland, where children are taken after they've been 'rescued', and be introduced to other sinister 'inscapes' including a cemetery, library, Sleigh House and a derelict, bat infested bridge.

The criminally insane, deluded, dead and inexplicable haunt the pages alongside the children living in Christmasland and they're really not 'nice' kids. Joe Hill has created a great lead character in 'The Brat'. Absolutely loved the complexity of her nature as she grows from little girl on a Raleigh cycle into a strong woman with her path drawing ever closer to the shadow of that diabolical Rolls-Royce.

Running centrally to all the madness is an excellently worked vampire theme. If you look at the title of the novel 'NOS4R2' you'll perhaps be able to work out the name of one of our most classical and disturbing vampires (if you can't, don't worry, it quickly becomes obvious). NOS4R2 has featured in many a novel and movie and was always the boogeyman who scared me the most. I'm not going any deeper because I want you to read the book and discover him for yourself. However; watch out for the 'Gas Mask Man' with his gingerbread smoke....you never know where he's hiding and waiting.

Joe Hill has taken classical/contemporary horror and mixed it with themes of adventure and mystery. He's created something bizarre, darkly comical and surreal. Fascinating to sit back and experience this wacky, wonderful, complicated novel open up. You're spun from one chapter to the next without knowing how you got there and there's usually something nasty waiting for you just out of sight. Be prepared for some of the hard hitting themes to reach out and batter you. This is a dark fairytale and certainly not for those of a more 'sensitive' disposition.

I only have one word of caution. NOS4R2 is a 'horror story' relying on psychological tension, eerie landscapes, demonic characters and the totally insane to give you a chill, make you feel uncomfortable, without any obvious shock factor. That's the point. If you're expecting a traditional slasher/shocker you'll possibly be disappointed. Plenty of gore, murder and violence that's often gratuitous but; this is a novel much more concerned with the slow unfolding of a story than one created just to make you jump out of your seat.

I enjoyed 'Horns', not so much 'Heart Shaped Box', but with NOS4R2 Joe Hill has shown real talent. I read the first quarter in one sitting. Didn't even look at the clock. Addictive.