I love this version. The stage direction is brilliant -- great performances from all the well-cast performers. Susanna, Figaro and the Count are the standouts for me, but everyone is excellent, both as actors and singers. There's a real sense of the serious stakes underneath the comedy, although it never tips too far into darkness. Wonderful sexual energy at play, too -- between Figaro and Susanna, Cherubino and the Countess and the Count and everyone.

I very much liked the pared down aesthetic of the sets. The costumes were less inspired, except for Basilio, who was marvellously costumed in a very reptilian outfit with a wired queue:)

Both musically and dramatically I think this is pretty much perfect.

A friend lent me his copy of this book after I tasted some of this bread at his home. As a long-time traditional bread baker, I was amazed that this was bread created without kneading and proofing.

I've been working with the recipes for the past three weeks, and I can say that this method and these recipes work like a charm. The bread is delicious: moist inside (even the day after it's baked), the crust is thick and crusty. It is remarkable.

While you can make very good-tasting bread with basic equipment, using a pizza stone and pizza peel as the authors recommend does help. The dough is good baked right away, but it is incredibly delicious after it's aged a few days.

I have to give the book back to my friend, so I've just ordered my own copy, because I can't imagine being without this.

I have quite a few books on 1:12 scale needlepoint in my collection, and this is one of my very favourites. It's well-written, very clearly illustrated, and I love the fact that Felicity Price, the author groups the projects in themes or suites. Within one theme she shows a number of projects for, say, a rug plus coordinating pieces: a chair cover, a cushion, a stool cover and a framed picture or sampler. I love this approach.

I also like the fact that she encourages the reader to be creative with the projects, and gives some ideas for varying projects to fit the piece of furniture you have, or designing projects from scratch. Just a wonderful book!

The projects are all suitable for modern dolls' houses. Motifs include cats, ships and lighthouses, teddy bears and rather bland florals. Strict period enthusiasts won't find a huge amount here, but may enjoy the dining room suite (blue and yellow Chinese look, good for a Georgian or Regency room), the drawing room collection (Aubusson style roses) and the library (dragons which could work for a medieval or Tudor style).

This would be a very good first book for someone wanting to get into miniature needlepoint because the descriptions of the techniques are so good.

Folks, Paul Potts is a mediocre singer at best, by any standards. I don't think one has to be a snob to dislike the baffling hoopla around this very boring nonentity who has been given record deals based on mawkish sentiment and ignorance. Potts can't actually sing the repertoire he tries to tackle any better than a not-very-talented university undergrad (as people would know if they listened to more legit singers). I feel that making a fuss over this very ordinary Brit seriously devalues all the real talent out there, especially among Canadian opera singers.

Sandra Whitehead's book is the first I've bought on this subject, and I've found it simply wonderful. The patterns are practical interpretations of Celtic, medieval and Tudor designs, carefully described and charted, with detailed information about colours and materials. Each project includes a colour photo of the finished piece, a colour chart (often more than one, as the author gives more than one colourway a few times -- a real bonus) and a black and white chart, suitable for photocopying and making notes on.

The author states clearly that these are not intended to be scale representations of original works (doing needlepoint on 100 count silk not being terribly practical for most of us), but are rather interpretations of designs using more practical 24 count canvas and cotton floss. Some elements are, of course, simplified because of this, but the author has been to a great deal of trouble to research and adapt her chosen designs, and I think they're charming and most effective.

The author also includes information on finishing the pieces, especially for making them up into wallhangings.

As a brand new embroiderer, it took me a while to figure out the simple stitches, but once I'd done that, the projects are enjoyable, varied and thoroughly worth while. They will make a great addition to our castle dollhouse.

If you're a "scale purist" these may not suit you, but if you're beginning or have limited time or just want a lovely piece for that special period doll house or display, this is a great book.

Sue Heaser gives the budding miniaturist all the information he or she needs to create really beautiful polymer dolls house pieces right off the bat. The section on techniques and equipment is superb, and the projects that follow are explained simply and clearly, with lots of beautiful colour photographs. Highly recommended.

This book would be much more attractive were it printed on more absorbent paper

I adore Terry Pratchett's novels, especially the Discworld series. I think he's one of the best living writers and I admire his deft touch at weaving together humour and philosophy, dialogue and action. And, although there are a number of Discworld novels I think are weaker than his best (Jingo, Fifth Elephant, Thud!), I still enjoy rereading them because of the author's extraordinary skill.

Monstrous Regiment is the one Pratchett book I cannot bring myself to reread. It's just not very good.

I don't care about any of the characters in this one. This is partly because Pratchett is so clearly on a soapbox the entire time that very little humour is allowed to come through. The single "twist" is repeated so many times that it quickly loses any ability to surprise or instruct. By the end of the book I was praying, "Please, Mr. Pratchett, you can't possibly do it again ..." But he did. The only character I enjoyed was Jackrum, but when the all-too-predictable twist was applied to this character as well as everyone else, I continued reading only because I couldn't imagine not finishing a Pratchett novel. The final twist made me throw the book down in disgust.

When Pratchett gets preachy, his normally deft touch gets leaden and the humour flees. The only "darker" book of his that really works for me is Night Watch, which is quite stunning.

I suggest that you read just about anything else by Pratchett, rather than this one. It was so bad it made me not read anything by him for quite a while, and I've only just caught up with Thud! (disappointingly heavy-handed), Getting Postal (excellent -- among his best) and Making Money (pretty good).