The Kat's Tech Part 1

Here for your viewing delights is the first instalment of my guides to Tech. I will endeavour to share only the very best of tech with you. Tried and tested* by yours truly and proved to be great products.

*Common testing involves day to day usage for an extended period and in some situations the dreaded tea test.

First up The iPod Classic.

I love my classic!! It has the audio power that you want from a music player. At 160GB it has the space you need if your one of the apparently strange people that want your entire music collection at your finger tips. (Like Me). I've listened to friend's iPhone and iTouch and I believe you can tell that those are designed as more than audio equipment. Not to do them a disservice but the classic mops the floor with them on audio quality. Saying that, the classic also handles movies superbly and has been a god send on long budget flights. (Details on ripping dvds to an iPod to follow.) Talk about battery life, I've had it for several months and only charged it once...... OK that's an exaggeration but charges are few and far between even with heavy use.

The Kat's rating : 9/10 If you haven't got an iPhone get a classic. Now!!!

TeckNet Battery for Apple iPod/iPhone.

I bought this product as my old iPod video had started to struggle to last a day (it was doing well it had been used for at least 8 hours a day for 5 years.) I basically got it as it had decent reviews and was rather cheap at about £10. It was a wonder the tecknet battery when fully charged will provide 3 to 4 full charges of an iPod classic or 2 charges of an iPhone. After the dubious imposition of a ban on attaching iPods to computers a work and the explosion in iPhone users. My battery has seen heavy uses by myself and my colleagues. It has even survived the dreaded tea test as it somehow ended up submerged in a steaming brew, and has continued on valiantly for another 9 months.

The Kat's rating : 9/10 If you have a power hungry iPhone, or you've got a classic and plan on being away from fresh electricity for some time. You need one of these babys.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Novel) Review

The book that launched an empire that made one woman very very rich (and deservedly so). This was not the first book I read in the series. I was a rather late convert to the books having been dragged to the 2nd film by a friend. This literary lapse is something I think I’ll always regret. How thrilling it would have been to learn of Harry's past as Harry does, to wonder at the references to you know who and He who must not be named.

There is a certain charm in rereading these books years later, older, wiser and after the series has been completed. Despite what some literary snobs might say Rowling is a very accomplished wordsmith. She manages to expertly pitch this book (and the others) right for its target audience, which we shouldn't forget is the age Harry is in each book. So for this book 11 years old, (although this will not stop older readers enjoying it.)

Philosopher's stone is a short book, especially when compared to the later books. This however is not to the books determent. Even in this early volume the stage is being set for the greater story. This without sacrificing the books narrative and its standing as a sole volume. It is a book full of mystery an intrigue that is more than fulfilled in the greater series, humour and just the right level on danger. As you’ll probably know the books get quite dark as Harry ages (the target audience age increases.)

Rowling describes the wizard world efficiently and with great effect, she has a great understanding for the needs of the narrative. She appreciates that just like for Harry the surface details of the wizarding world is more than enough to dazzle the readers in this first book. She leaves unnecessary exposition for later books when it is needed to give depth to the world she has so expertly created.

Masterpiece would be going to far for any of the potter books on their own, its only as a whole that the series becomes potentially worthy of such praise. That said had it never spawned its sequels it would still be a very good book. As the first book from an unknown author its a wonder and no surprise that it spawned such a phenomenon.

Roomzzz Leeds West.

As regular readers will know I recently posted a review of the excellent Roomzzz aparthotel in Manchester. The guys at roomzzz were so thrilled with it they declared me the winner of their online competition. Hoorah!!! The prize was a free night in their Leeds west aparthotel. Not wanting to waste a good excuse for a weekend away we paid to stay for an extra night, packed our bags, filled the car with booze and snacks than headed across the Pennines to Leeds.

The first thing we noticed was how well situated it was for Leeds city centre. Leeds west is located near to Leeds university and is a short walk from the city centre. Parking is ample and cheap (£4 for the whole weekend.) and there are several shops, bars etc in the surrounding area.

Check in was fast and efficient. Having stayed in the amazing liberty suite in Manchester we had high hopes. This was tempered by the fact we knew we were staying in the cheapest room they offered the smart studio. The room was a wonder. While smaller than the liberty suite it used the space very efficiently. There was a large bed, a lounge area more than adequate for 2, the same cooking facilities as the liberty suite and a clean bathroom with shower.

The style of roomzzz shines through with efficient use of furniture to separate the bed area from the rest of the studio. The room is equiped with ipod dock and A flat screen TV on one of those fun swivel plates so that you can watch from the lounge or the bed. The only downside we could find was the lack of aircon. This however wasn't too much of a problem as the area is quiet, so the window could be left open. I imagine it could get quite warm in the height of summer, so worth considering.

We massively indulged and took full advantage of the room. We had all intentions of visiting a local Indian that scores highly on trip advisor. This idea went by the wayside, instead we ordered in from the excellent boxpizza, which is in the same building as roomzzz, and watched several films. Twin this with an excellent afternoon watching the rugby on the flat screen with cake and a brew. Priceless.

All in all I would say Roomzzz Leeds west offers phenomenal value for money (even if you don’t blag a free night) and is excellently located as a base for a trip to Leeds. We have all intentions of making a return visit, this time trying much harder to escape the charms of the room and take more advantage of Leeds itself.

Book 6/50 : The Lost Fleet Fearless

Fearless is the second book in Jack Campbell’s Lost Fleet Series. It follows the first book Dauntless and continues the story of Captain ‘Black Jack’ Geary as he endeavors to get the alliance fleet home through enemy territory. Campbell brings to ahead several background plots of his earlier book, as a wrong headed but passionate POW is freed and tries to wrestle the fleet from Geary’s hands. The fleet continues its slow acceptance of Geary’s “strange” methods, as the benefits the fleet receives from adopting a more strategic approach become apparent. We also get some nice continuation of arc plots with regards to the mystery behind the Hypernet and Geary’s suspicions of a 3rd party being involved but unseen.

Like the last book its very pulpy, but enjoyable. Campbell tries to flesh out some of his characters, and introduces (possibly ill advised) love interests to the mix. For which I’ll withhold judgment for now, but I think as the characters are very 2d anyway its possibly an empty process. That said the action is very engaging and again a good way to spend a few spare hours.

7/10

Challenge update.

8 weeks in 6 books down. I’ve used all my surplus time already! I have to average a book a week for the next 44 weeks. Thankfully I’ve got another 4 of these books to go which should take 5 days at the most.

Roomzzz Manchester

If you've ever tried to book hotel rooms in Manchester you'll know how difficult it is to get a good location and quality of accommodation, without having to re mortgaging the house. Generally your left with the enviable choice of sacrificing location, sacrificing accommodation or paying through the nose for it. That's why when i was looking to book for a recent trip, i was quite intregiued to see Roomzzz had opened a Manchester Aparthotel.


This photo of Roomzzz Aparthotel is courtesy of TripAdvisor

Roomzzz had crossed my path once when we were looking to stay in Leeds (where Roomzzz have 3 aparthotels,) although we didn't end up going to leeds i was very impressed by the pictures of their rooms and the prices. So when we were booking for our stay in Manchester i was happy to see that Roomzzz had expanded west to Manchester. The prices were very competitive and the rooms looked very nice online. So we took the plunge and booked a liberty suite for 2 nights.

We were not disappointed. Roomzzz Manchester is a wonder, its hard to tell on the map but i really can't think of it being better positioned. China town is literally across the street, picadilly gardens is 2 mins walk so debenhams, primark and the arndale are right on your door step. It is a 3 mins walk to the Palace theatre, 5 mins walk to deansgate with all its pubs and restaurants.

On walking into (or down to) the roomzzz lobby you can tell this is no normal hotel. Roomzzz has the boutique thing going on in spades. Lots of lovely, stylish and comfortable sofas fill the communal area, where the complimentary continental breakfast is served, their is also a pantry where you can buy all those little essentials you may need (including pizzas.)

Than into the room. The liberty suites are huge, they are positioned at each corner of the building with massive windows perfect to watch the city outside. The boutique style continues with a very stylish interior, complemented by a full kitchen, large screen tv with dvd player and apple imac!!! I've rarely been so impressed by a hotel room. The room was even ultra glazed (i counted at least 4 panes.) meaning we could hardly hear anything from the busy city outside.

The suite was so beautiful, so well appointed it meant we could just relax, and get on with weekend. Which as you could imagine was difficult when we really didn't want to leave our room.

Book 5/50 : Altered Carbon

A book by Richard Morgan.

Altered Carbon is a book that Amazon has begging me to read for years now. It seemed that every time I’d go to book recommendations I’d always dismiss it, and I have no idea why. I’m sure if it wasn’t for this challenge it would stay forever on my recommended but dismissed list. Well it turns out Amazon was right.

Altered Carbon introduces us the former UN Envoy Takeshi Kovacs. Kovacs lives in a society where people can upload and download from their (and other peoples’) bodies. Due to slow space travel the only way to travel from one planet to another at any speed is to be transferred electronically and re-sleeved (be put into a body) when you arrive. That is where the UN Envoy Corps come in. They are specialists trained to cope with the need to adapt to any situation they might find on transmission to a new world, and not to relay on the abilities of the body as they never know what the next body is going to be. Kovacs split from the Envoys corps following a harrowing war, and has been scrapping a living using his skills for crime. Following his capture early in the book, he is “released” thanks to the machinations of a centuries old man to investigate his apparent suicide. What follows is as excellent a Sci-Fi thriller story as I have read, it easily stands up to the Greg Mandel books (high praise indeed.)

I'd rate this book as 7.5/10. Again highly recommended!

Book 4/50 : Join Me

Join Me is a book by Danny Wallace. I like Danny Wallace’s books, he has the ability to instil a lot of fun into even humdrum events. Join Me is one of Danny’s first books and documents one of his (many) “Boy Projects.”

After the death of an Old Swiss Man, an event that Wallace informs us is at the heart of all great stories. This old man happens to be Danny’s great uncle, it comes to Danny’s notice that his uncle had once had a dream of creating a commune. A dream that dramatically failed and is ridiculed by his surviving relatives, that is except for our worthwhile author/narrator. His great uncles dream instantly wake his “boy project” powers. Powers that he has been keeping dormant for the good of his relationship. Danny decides to try and fulfil his uncles dream by simply asking people to “Join Me” in a local paper. That’s where the ride begins and why he describes this story as “how I started a cult by accident.”

Join Me is a very good read and I highly recommend it. Wallace’s righting style is very engaging and he also writes with deep sensitivity of less jovial matters. This is the 2nd of his books I have read which I seem to be reading in quite a chaotic fashion, while this did not spoil the book, as this is non-fiction there are obviously matters of his personal life that evolve through his books.

I rate this book as 7.5/10 worth reading.

Book 3/50 : Moab Is My Washpot

Moab Is My Washpot a mini review.

I'll start this mini review by stating for the record I'm not a biography person. I like my narratives fictional. That fact stated if any book breaks this rule it is this one.#

Moab is my Washpot is an Autobiography of famous "actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter, film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club"(~wikipedia)Stephen Fry. It details some very formative events of his early life.

As you would expect from Stephen the writing is impeccable and its easy to get lost in the events he describes even when he breaks the fourth wall (what is the literary version of breaking the fourth wall?) he only drags you back to his Apartment. He cleverly tells his candid tales in a form were it could be a frank discussion with friends, tears and all. It seems quite a cathartic experience for him, and I hope it was. As he says unlike other biographies (auto or not) this is less a finger pointing quest of a hero to succeed against all odds, but Stephens heartfelt apology for anguish he caused those who cared about him and a story in which he sees himself as more of an anti-hero.

As a description of teenage angst it is easily the equal of masterpieces such as The Catcher in the Rye. Though i would love to use the real life example of his redemption from the edge, as proof of the benefit of social justice over social revenge as espoused by the tabloids. Though I'm not overly sure he would appreciate my politicising of his personal triumphs and demons.

I would give Moab is my Washpot 8.5/10. A very good read. Also at less than £3 its a bloody bargain.


The Challenge Update

So I'm back from Cyprus. I took 4 books with the express intention of getting a proper handle on this challenge. Unfortunately this book demanded I take my time with its consumption and it was the only book I managed to finish.

Book 2/50 : The Lost Fleet Dauntless

The Lost Fleet: Dauntless a mini review.

Jack Campbell real name John G. Hemry is a retired Lieutenant Commander from the US Navy. This really comes across in his writing. His prose is pulpy, and the universe he creates has some logical flaws that he has to cover through character exposition. This is easily countered by his exquisitely crafted space battles. He describes battles between large fleets of ships spread across distances that make the travel time of light a problem, with such detail and so believably you wonder if he hasn't actually been involved in such battles. His navy background is also easy to see as his thoughts on duty, honour and the necessity of following orders are very large parts of the plot.

This is my first delve into the Military Science Fiction subgenre and it was very enjoyable. Its not going to win any literary prizes and its most definitely the first book in a series (as nothing much is concluded,) but its a very good read. Rating 7/10.*

The Challenge Update

Just into week 2 and 2 books down. Helped in no short order by reading this book in less than 24 hours.

*I'm being necessarily harsh.

Book 1/50 : Surface Detail

So Surface detail a mini review.

I'd give Surface detail 8.5/10. As you would expect from Iain Banks the prose is fantastic this really is the acceptable face of Science Fiction literature. Iain's M books (his Sci-Fi books) could easily join his main stream non M books on English Literature courses. What's more it obvious he has great fun with his characters, The Mind who controls/is the General Offensive Unit "Falling Outside The Normal Moral Constraints" is well Generally Offensive but ultimately great fun and though proudly eccentric deeply moral. The story is engaging and thought provoking. Where technology can transfer your mind on death to a virtual reality Heaven, its just as easy to create virtual Hells. The plot centre's on a young women revented (brought back to life,) after her murder at the hands of her owner. With a war in the virtual Heavens, over the virtual hells, threatening to spread to the real. The future of the virtual hells may just pivot on her decisions.

If you aren't familiar with the culture books, this isn't the place to start. The Player of Games is the best place to start.

The Challenge Update

Well into week one and it's going to get harder from here. It's took me a week to finish this book. Time to take my finger out.

New Tracks off the upcoming Foos Album.

For those of you who are like me and ultra excited about the new Foos album out in April. Here are two tracks off the new album.






Proof if proof need be that Foos are the saviour of music. Forget the crap commercial stuff the radio is awash with pre order the Foos now and save your musical soul.

Lancashire tea

It came to my attention recently that not only is there a Lancashire tea, but it is made in my home town. I wouldn’t have thought we had the climate to grow tea.

So as part of my personal localism agenda to fight the horrid attack on my town’s prosperity by a bunch of callous Eton boys, I intend on pushing this brand like noone has ever pushed a brand before.

Dune Messiah(Novel) Review

Following on from my review of Dune last week. I thought i'd continue on with the next novel in the saga, Dune Messiah. Its important to remember that he Author the great Frank Herbert saw Dune Messiah as the fourth book to the dune novel. In essence making both novel part of one larger story. That said there is a distinct break in the story..

..Its tweleve years since Paul Muad'Dib (Atreides) lead the Freeman to victory over the Emperor and his Sardaukar. Paul now presides over the greatest empire ever known, after the Freeman Jihad he set in motion has waged across a large majority of human space. Despite his political and personnel power, Paul struggles to limit the destruction caused by the religion built around him. A religion ,that some think, no longer needs their living God to be quite so living. Paul struggles with the knowledge that he has caused so much death, but his prescience tells him this was the lesser of evils and that the future could still lead to humanities extinction if he cannot find the right path.

Meanwhile the Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild and Tleilaxu resent that Pauls Empire usurps the power they had in the previous Imperium. They set their conspiracy to topple Paul and return themselves to power, but are all members of the conspiracy happy to return to the status quo or do they play for a greater prize?

Over the years my love for Dune Messaih has grown somewhat. When I first read it I was young and resented what I saw as sad ending for Paul. Over the proceeding years and the many many rereads I came to agree with Herbert the typical Superman isn't a very good character. Arguably Paul is a rather more fleshed out superman than your son's of Krypton or your Spidermans. Rather than being born with powers or as a result of some accident Paul gains his prescient powers through a ”painful and slow personal progress”. Also Paul isn't the exception to the norm the guild and Bene Gesserit both have members with limited versions of his prescient gift and in the Freeman and Sardaukar we have a large number of normal people who through training have gained almost superhuman fighting skills. This is where Herbert excels himself he presents his superman with trails that really stretch his abilities and where a perfect ending is impossible. In essence Paul is no longer a superman just a great man and a true Messiah.

If you've read Dune you will probably have read this but if not you really really must.

Kettlebell Workout.

Anne asked for details about the Kettle Bell workout, that Cath got a while ago. So here it is. Along with said Kettlebells.



It comes highly recommended. I’ve watched it and it looks very good and it even gives you “options” if you’re not up to the full workout yet. As with all these DVDs do as much as you can, and try not to collapse in a heap on the floor.



Cath recommends starting with the 6kg, with the 4kg as "arrggghh my arms are going to drop off" back up. Than working your way up.

Dune (Audiobook) Review

Dune was the first Audiobook I purchased, said purchase occurring about 2 years ago. I'd say I've listened to it about 20 times since than which probably brings the total number of times I have read/heard the book well into triple figures. To see my review of Dune click here.

The Unabridged Audio Book was created by Audio Renaissance Now an arm of the publishing house Macmillian. As I stated in my review of the Pandora's Star, The Dune audiobook is very lavish, which is currently very rare in the (re)burgeoning a-book industry. Here we have not one voice actor (as is common) but several, and this does improve the quality. The actors are able to bounce of each other as needed, and give real depth to their performances.

The book is expertly narrated by Simon Vance. With the other actors taking on several parts. Of note are the portrayals of The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who is portrayed as having a relatively soft public voice and Bass almost demonic private voice. Which gives the perfect feel to the complex character. Also Scott Brick's Stilgar, is fantastically portrayed as a voice full of power, wisdom and command.

Dune is such a rich tapestry, it was definitely the right call to do this “Theatre Style” I.e as though it where a live production (although at over 24 hours it would be some stage show.) The very talented Paul Goodrich expertly mixes in subtle background music and effects, it really is a joy to listen to.

Audio really is the only other medium Dune truly works in. Dune is so lean, which is surprising at 645 page. Like his creation Count Fenrring Herbert never uses two words were one will do, or limits himself to one meaning in one word. Their really isn't any sub-plots that can be trimmed off, without effecting the whole. Which is why though their have been some very good efforts, Dune will never translate properly to film or TV.

My recommendation for this audio-book is buy it, but it now. If you already own a copy buy another one.

Dune (Novel) Review

What can I say about Dune and further the Dune Saga? Dune is a masterpiece! Dune is un-filmable! Dune is the cause of literally millions of lost man hours every year as fans argue about the smallest details, and if the books published after his death should be counted as Canon (the answer is no!!!!) Dune is single handedly responsible for increased demand for Cinnamon!

In this review I won’t be touching any (more) of the contentious subjects and will be reviewing the first Novel in the Dune Saga, the original, the best….Dune.

Dune is a Novel by Frank Herbert. It was first published in 1965, it won both Hugo and Nebula Awards in 1966. It is the far future, where personnel shields that are impermeable to all but the slowest blow make the weapons of choice blades and poisons. A secretive guild controls all interstellar travel. A future were society has rebuilt itself from a great Jihad against the use of machines in to tightly controlled Feudal Empire.

Into this arena steps Paul Atreides teenage son of Duke Leto Atreides. Paul's father is instructed by the Emperor to take control of the planet Arrakis, the unique source of the valuable spice Melange. This will mean Pauls Family replacing their arch-enemies the Harkonnens, but is everything as it seems for "A popular man arouses the jealousy of the powerful." and Paul's father is a popular man. Meanwhile Paul's mother Jessica is brought to task by the Bene Gesserit sisterhood, of which she is a member, who ordered her to bear only daughters. The Bene Gesserit have been controlling key bloodlines for generations in the hope of breeding a Kwisatz Haderach a super-being. Meanwhile on Arrakis a people known as Freman await their prohisied "voice from the outer world" who will lead them to there freedom.

The novel is comprised by three books, the First book "Dune", The second book "Muad'Dib" and the final book "The Prophet". I don't want to spoil it by going into to much detail, as it truly is a must read. It easily stands up with other classics of literature. Herbert thought every single little detail of the story out, and it really shows.

Herbert disliked the idea of the Übermensch "The bottom line of the Dune trilogy is: beware of heroes. Much better rely on your own judgment, and your own mistakes."- Frank Herbert, and although at first Dune seems a story of the rise of such an Ubermensch, on closer examination it becomes a man's struggle with his own destiny, or in Pauls case "Terrible Purpose". Where as the follow up Dune Messiah is an exploration of the limitations of ultimate power "There exists a limit to the force even the most powerful may apply without destroying themselves" and "People call it a power, a gift. It's an affliction!". Herbert always saw Dune Messiah as the fourth book of the Dune novel. Making the story not a story of the rise of a superman but the story of a man as he falls into than tries to escape the trap that is godhood "His curse lay in the fact that he saw the cage."

Herbert also explorers the issues of the Decline of Empire's. With the rich tapestry he builds of the Empirieum we see an Emperor clinging to power, beset on all sides by intrigues and plans. Forced into actions he does not want to take in the possible futile attempt to keep his throne. Also Nature and nuture while Paul is the product of selective breeding and the Freman/Sardaukar are the product of immense selection pressures, it is made quite clear that what they are is as much from their training as their genes. That training was a large influence on a mind choosing hyper-alertness over unconsciousness when stressed. "Unlike previous superheroes who acquire their powers suddenly and accidentally, Paul's are the result of "painful and slow personal progress." "

I can not recommend Dune enough. If i could only read one book for the rest of my life Dune would be the book i chose. The only thing wrong with Dune is the saga was never finished, Herbert died before writing the 7th novel). I quite like that however, as it gives the same feel to the last book as the first that you are actually looking into another universe. The story doesn't start with Dune neither does it end with Chapter House Dune. We are simply dipping into an on going history. Like a flower seen from a moving train, it grew before we saw it and will continue growing long after.

*For those that need closure, their is the fan fiction released jointly by his Son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson. I intend on reviewing them at some point, they are fun in their own rite but the quality just isn't there and they take far to many liberties with the story. That really isn't a criticism of those books they just pale in the light of the original works, even Herbert's own sequels never seem quite to attain the majesty of the first two books.

Pandora's Star Audiobook Review

You may have read my recent review of the novel Pandora's Star, if not...why not. So I won't go into the book in detail here.

So after that disclaimer on with the review.

I recently did the thing i've been on the slipper slope to for some time now. I joined audible. Audible for those that don't now is the Audiobook wing of Amazon. They sell audiobooks per item or (and this is where I come in,) as a pay per month club. As I've been a bit of audiobooks glutton recently and I already had about 6 lined up, I made the jump.

First book up, was Pandora's Star the “first” (I don't count Misspent Youth) of “five” books set in the Commonwealth Universe and the first of two in the Commonwealth saga. All five of these books are created by Tantor media, and read by the very talented John Lee. I personally tend to favour the lavish multi-actor audio-books (Dune) but they can go rather astray if done wrong (Dune Messaih). John Lee manages to handle Hamilton's rather extensive cast, and at times its easy to forget that all the voices are him. Of particular note are his Gore Burnelli and his Paula Myo. He brings the universe to life with ease. The audio is good quality and the material is treated with great care. Its quite expensive if bought singularly, but not to bad if you pay per month.

In conclusion, I highly recommend this audiobook. Its a great place to start an audiobook collection or continue an existing one. Its rather cheaper than the excellent Harry Potter books and lighter than the paperback version of Pandora's Star which is rather heavy to carry around all day.

More reviews to follow as i slowly fill up my shiny new ipod.

Pandora's Star Review

Pandora's Star is a Novel by Peter F Hamilton. It was originally published in 2004.

After a very cool prolog, Hamilton sets up the confederation universe very effectively while wasting no time getting into the plot. What a universe he paints, the introduction of wormholes and longevity treatments to a late 21st century society allows humanity to spread over hundreds of planets. Connected quite interestingly by the lord of all rail networks(trains and wormholes). The almost unlimited opportunity for expansion added to longevity creates an ultra capitalistic society where single Patriarchs/Matriarchs control dynasties with power over the productivity of large sections of humanity, and the socialists aren't happy about it(Damn right to.). That said humanity in the whole seems happy with the arrangement leading to something of a golden age. Until a 5th rate academic on a frontier world observes the near instantaneous enclosure of two stars, and sets a course of events in to action that may lead to humanity's very extinction. Hamilton current undisputed Space Opera champion of the world doesn't neglect his roots( which are thrillers with a Sci-Fi twist for those who don't know.) With the intriguing character of Paula Myo he expertly intertwines a thriller element. Is all as it seems? Why are humanities leaders so keen to investigate the enclosure?

Hamilton's prose is fantastic, he weaves his story with so much detail that sometimes its easy to get lost in his descriptions. Its only on a second (or subsequent) read do you find the real thought that Hamilton has put into his work. Like the master of his art that he is, a seemingly throw away line of description actually foreshadows future plot points. Giving re reads those fun parts where you go “Wait a minute.....that's....no way.” Being a weighty tome (1152 pages) I haven't got round to re-reading Pandora's star, until recently. Don't get me wrong I have reread sections over the years and its highly likely I did indeed re-read the whole book prior to the release of the 2nd book Judas Unchained in 2005(my memory fails me though.). Its only been me getting my sweaty little hands on the audio-book that has enabled me to re “read” the book in full the customary two times it seems I need to really pick up on the nuances. Like other books of the same high pedigree, Pandora's star gets better with every read/listen. Giving up more detail and texture that may have been missed in the head long rush to find out what happens next.

In conclusion this book is highly recommended, but be warned it is the first of two books in the series and the follow up series set in the same universe brings the total pages to somewhere in the region of 5000. If you start reading this book it will lead to you losing an appreciable amount of your life over the next 6 months, but its well worth it.

The Kat's Amazon Store is open for business.

Some of my more regular readers may have noticed the Amazon adverts plastered all over the site. Unlike the google ads these aren’t pay per click adds, I only get revenue from these when people click them and buy products from Amazon. A bit of a trade off as the conversion rates are much lower but the revenue is proportionally higher.

A few days ago I decided to create an aStore (Amazon Store) of my very own. I started to collate my favourite products and placed them on my aStore. These are mostly things I have bought from Amazon in the past and highly recommend. At the moment its mainly books and (my new obsession) audiobooks, but the store will grow over the next few weeks to include more.

Hopefully it’ll give me the push to write the reviews I’ve been planning on writing for ages now. Watch this space.

You can find my aStore here. Or by using the banner add at the bottom of the page.

"Possibly Low Fat" Chicken, Ham and Mushroom Tagliatelle

Had this last night it was gorgeous. Its adapted from a Weight Watchers menu so it's possibly Low Fat but don't quote me.

Ingredients

2 Chicken Breasts chopped.
125g Tagliatelle (You can use other pasta e.g linguine or spaghetti.)
2 Garlic Cloves sliced finely
2 medium leeks sliced.
250g chopped mushrooms. (add more if you feel like it.)
1.5 table spoons mixed Herbs.
300ml of vegetable stock
200g of Garlic & Herbs Philadelphia.
2 slices of Good quality Ham.
2 tablespoons of semi skimmed milk.


Method.

1. Get the water boiling for the pasta. Once Boiling add pasta.

2. Chop all the ingredients that need chopping, don't chop those that don't.

3. Fry the chicken. Once its lightly browned add the leek, mushrooms and and fry till mushroom and leek are nicely cooked.

4. Add the stock and mixed herbs bring to the boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 10 mins.

5. Add the ham and simmer for a few minutes until the pasta is done.

6. Once the pasta is cooked drain it.

7. Add the milk and Philadelphia to the chicken. Stir really well.

8. Add the pasta to the mix stir really well, shout that tea is ready and serve immediately.

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