I had been warned to be careful to only buy the UK version of Downton Abbey, and this "limited edition" said just that!

So, trusting Amazon, I put this edition on my Christmas list and it was under the tree on the 25th. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT!!!!

Here is the link to what was advertised BEFORE Christmas :
http://www.amazon.com/Downton-Abbey-Seasons-Limited-Edition/dp/B008FYZIVY/ref=br_lf_m_1000863171_1_1_img?ie=UTF8&m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&s=movies-tv&pf_rd_p=1436866502&pf_rd_s=center-3&pf_rd_t=1401&pf_rd_i=1000863171&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0F6S2MAFHV4YV5FKPBXN

Note it says "Original UK version" ... these words are now missing from it now!

Naughty amazon!!! SHAME!

I bought this book in December 2011 as a Christmas gift to myself, so I am just finishing my 5th month following the Dukan diet, and I have lost 40 lbs - my target weight! I could not be happier. The book is extremely easy to follow, and the diet sets out the rules and all you need to do is follow them. For me, this works. I need hard and fast rules - none of "don't eat much of this" or "only eat a little of that." That doesn't work for me - I'd just eat it ALL. Also, I'm not good with counting points or calories all day long (although, I accept that some thrive on that system.) You just have to know how YOU function best, and choose the diet that fits your lifestyle.

With Dukan, I know what I can eat and when, and I was NEVER hungry! I got rid of everything else in the cupboard to avoid temptation (and my very supportive skinny husband kept his granola bars, cookies, snacks etc. safely hidden away.) Then, eating as much as I want from the lists given, the pounds dropped off!

The book gives reasons for why the diet works, how the proteins help you lose the weight, and a lot of other guidance in a clear easily-understood way. I didn't really use many of the recipes included, but they're there if you feel adventurous. If you are serious about really wanting to lose weight, then give this a try.

Also, my blood pressure is back to normal, plus my glucose levels!!!

Go for it, what have you got to lose????

Woody Hochswender was a co-writer on the popular book "The Buddha in your Mirror", and whilst that was a good book, and is widely read by Buddhists, I found this book much clearer for the novice. The language is chatty, and the concepts explained with clarity. As the author writes: "Buddhism is a life philosophy ... (and) the twenty-first century will very likely see a flowering of Buddhism."

I highly recommend this book for all who are even remotely curious about this 'life philosophy'.

A wonderfully gentle story for unwinding little ones at bed time. It's a story all children can relate too - from a promising new Canadian author!

My first visit to India is coming up and I stumbled upon this book when perusing the titles of Indian books that might enlighten me on this great country - and possibly soften the culture shock everyone speaks of. I love it!! Each story has a different flavour, a different aspect of India by traveller-writers. They are honest and refreshing.

Whilst we all need the Lonely Planet guide books, this gives a personal view of actual Indian life - little snippets, often only 2 or 3 pages long, from the traveller's experiences. A must-read if you are travelling to India, or even if you are just an armchair traveller!

Every time I go away on vacation I buy a spanking new journal with the very best intentions of filling every page with all my new adventures. Generally, I manage to keep it going for the first 2 or 3 days, then get behind a few days, and finally give up entirely in disgust as I'm so far behind it would take forever to get caught up.

Today is 4 months and 14 days until we leave for India, and I am determined to be a better journal writer on this trip. So, whilst browsing the travel books in my favourite bookstore I came across a wonderful little gem called "Writing Away" with a sub title of "a creative guide to awakening the journal-writing traveler" ... now, doesn't that sound just the thing for this perennial procrastinator? I flicked through it and immediately liked the author's style. With chapters like 'Let the Wild Writing Begin', 'Write Two Pages and Call Me in the Morning', and 'Having a Great Time, Wish I Were Here' - how could I resist?

The author, Lavina Spalding, has not disappointed me, and I am devouring this book like it was my last meal. I love this woman!! We must have been separated at birth! She had me hooked even in the Introduction with lines like:

"My aspiration is to embolden you to view everyday life as a journey and travel as an ongoing state of mind ... we write words in an empty book, and an inanimate object is transformed into a living, breathing memoir ...(your journal is) a relationship, and let me tell you, it's no cheap one-night stand."

So, I hungrily read on, and I learn that my journal should be unlined! "What?" I cry at the book in alarm, but Lavinia convinced me that an unlined book "evinces freedom: license to plaster the page with chaos, to doodle, sketch, experiment, paste in colourful brochures and paper chopsticks holders. An absence of lines leaves room for the imagination to take over." Of course, that's where I've been going wrong, I say to myself. My journals have all been lined, and obviously I've felt stifled, so stifled I couldn't continue - it has nothing to do with laziness at all. So, emboldened with my new enthusiasm I set out to find just the right journal for me.

Now, have you ever looked for a journal with blank pages? They are few and far between, everyone obviously wants the safety of lines! But, in the 3rd or 4th shop I found one, and the Buddha head and bamboo motif on the cover really 'spoke' to me, - and I could hear Lavinia's cheers at my success as I hurried home with my spanking new journal. I continued reading her book, and I was told that the book should "be willing to lie flat" and the pages should be cream or tan as "stark white pages can be intimidating." Naturally, my new journal does NOT lie flat and the pages are white. What's a poor intimidated journal writer to do? (Maybe read the WHOLE chapter before enthusiastically rushing to the shops?)

But, "Writing Away" continues to charm me. I've learned that my old habit of eavesdropping is not rude at all, in fact I am simply looking for "found dialogue" and as I scribble down the overheard gems in my journal I can be assured that I am participating in "one of life's sweet nectars". I'm not sure if Lavinia will ever make a continuous and conscientious journal writer out of me, but I certainly am enjoying her book and ideas regarding travelling. Last night before dropping off to sleep I read:

"Travel renews our youth, giving us dispensation to reclaim the original zest for art so often rooted out of us as adults. Surrounded by the unfamiliar, we regain the eyes of a six year old."

With those sweet thoughts in my head, I had very pleasant dreams last night.

This book grabbed me from page one, sucked me in and kept me with it until the last page.

You know you are in the hands of a gifted writer when you find yourself mesmerized by a character who actually is not very nice! Merivele is captivating, and because Rose Tremain has written this book in the first person you get right inside his head. As you travel through his days with this poor fellow, you experience life in 17th century England in a most effortless way ... through a northern insane asylum, London's great plague of 1665 and the great fire of 1666 ... with peeks into the court of King Charles II and life with a Quaker community thrown in. All wrapped up in a thoroughily entertaining read!

Don't miss this one if you enjoy intelligently written historical fiction!

The story synopsis for "Secret Daughter" immediately captured my attention, and I eagerly bought this book looking forward to a satisfying read.

The begining was riveting and sucked me completely into the tale. But, as it progressed I found the author's back and forth jumping between characters very annoying. This writing technique can be successful, but the reader is just settling back into one of the characters lives when Gowder finishes that snippet and switches again - sometimes a character has only 2 pages!

Shilpi Somaya Gowda writes well (I think this is her first book), and the story is a good one which needs telling, but personally I would have enjoyed the book more if she had stayed with each character longer and given us more depth before switching to another part of the story.

This book is a must-read. Generally I do not enjoy books about war, civil or otherwise, but Adichie does a marvellous job of creating characters you won't want to leave, and you will follow them spell-bound as they experience the horrors of civil war.

Historically this book opened my eyes, and I highly recommend it.

I had very high hopes for this book - after all the hype surrounding it, the great reviews it had received, then winning the CBC's "Canada Reads" programme made me think I was really missing out on a great read, so I ordered it.

I must say that I very much enjoy historical novels, but am also very choosy in what I read as I have found that some historical fiction authors dwell too much on the history and the characters and story-line are left to themselves ... or, conversely, the characters are larger than life but little historical research has obviously been done. I am reluctant to say that I found this book fell into the first category.

Historically I learnt a lot about the slave trade era in 'Book of Negroes', and there is no doubt that Lawrence Hill has done his research - even giving readers further reading and information at the back of the book. But, what about character development??? I found the main character, Aminata, way too good to be true!! Plus, the story has her following a life journey that was way too convenient, always the one being chosen or selected for this or that. True, she lost her two children and her husband drowned - dreadfully sad occurrences, but common for the slaves at that time.

Sorry, but this woman was obviously written by a man ... and it spoilt the book for me - I kept wanting her to rage, scream, swear at her life - my goodness this woman watched live babies being tossed overboard like dead fish! The ring of "unreal" sounded all the way through it for me, and the simplistic story-line was just a vehicle for Hill to relate slave history. If you want to learn about slave trade read it, it's an easy-read ... but, if you want a gripping novel with characters you'll remember always and not want to lose from your life, read something else.