The Encyclopedia of George Carlin Jokes - Compiled by Mike Nelson.

George Carlin was an American stand-up comedian who died in 2008. This book details his best 302 jokes.

I do not remember George Carlin and his comedy was not broadcast much in the UK. So I read this book with fresh eyes and an open mind. When I got to the end, I was disappointed. I did not enjoy reading this book and I found it a chore. His humour is typical of a stand-up comedian, lots of ranting about everyday frustations. There is nothing special about his humour, George was not unique, just another American comedian playing the underdog. Okay, there were a few bits that made me smile but nothing made me laugh out loud. His humour is very similar to another dead American comedian, Bill Hicks.

The structure employed by Mike Nelson for this book is okay and you get the feeling that you may have been a fan following George for many years. But you can't get any atmosphere of the gigs from this book. It is just a transcript, so you have no idea of tone, accent, timing and body language. These 4 key elements of comedy brighten up any performance and make the gig work. Reading a transcript in this fashion gives you as much character as a telephone directory.

As a book this does not work. Whatever good work George performed does not translate into this book of quotes. There is very little reading pleasure to be gained from this book and any talent George had, has been lost within these pages. This book is NOT a good read and I can only vote it 1 star.

Night of the Pentagram by Barrymore Tebbs.

Elizabeth finds her husband Sven murdered in their home in Los Angeles and a Pentagram is drawn on the wall in his own blood. Elizabeth has to cope with his violent death and this is her tale. Night of the Pentagram is a thriller with a WOW! factor.

This is a good book and I enjoyed reading it. There is a good range of diverse characters and the story has a steady pace. From the start you have your suspicions about peoples' motives and who may not be telling the truth. Character development is good and you get carried away with the story. Then your head begins to spin as some things do not appear to add up. Suddenly you get to the end and you think WOW! - that was clever. Then all the little bits add up and you understand Elizabeth's tale apart from the goat!

Barrymore Tebbs has put a lot of thought into the structure of this novel. It has a very clever plot that makes you wonder all the way to the end. Then you think, ah! I missed that clue didn't I. What you have not missed is a very good novel that really makes you think and wonder at the end. It is an entertaining read that gives pleasure even if you were expecting a regular crime thriller. It is one of those books that retain a resonance in your head when you have finished it. Therefore I am going to vote it the top score of 5 stars.

My multi-story tale of NCP Car Park hell by Andrew Culture.

This short story is a right of passage tale of the frustrations of British urban life. It is told in the first person of one man's late night parking problems. The setting is Catford, a part of south east London in the summer of 2007.

As short stories go, this one is POOR. I did not develop an empathy for the character as he did not display much street awareness. We can get man on the moon and men trek across hazardous mountains. To spend the night in an urban multi storey car park is NOT a life changing experience.

This short story is a demonstration of one man's grudge against a large nationwide company. It provides LITTLE reading pleasure and is no better than reading a rant on many of the blogs on the internet. The ideal forum for this short story would be on one of the many whistle blower blogs that are still active.

The writing style was your average man in the street which added to it's credibility. But there was NOTHING sharp to this story and it lacked bite. It fell below the standard of many weekly womens' magazines and the author did NOT show promise. As a short.story I consider this a FAIL and shall only vote it 2 stars. I suggest you give it a MISS as there are far better stories out there on the market. As a long standing milestone against NCP, it DOES it's job!

The Lake by Steven F. Galloway.

This mystery novel is set in Cornwall as Esther has to move away from London and live with her Auntie. Cornish village life is quite a shock for Esther but she adapts to her new home and makes the best of things.

The Lake is not the best of mysteries and it has one of my pet hates. This novel has 20 chapters, 16 are set in 2009 but woven between the whole story are 4 chapters that flashback to 1977. This is rather annoying!

Steven tries to develop a mystery surrounding the village lake by raising suspicions about it's history, hence the 1977 chapters and a locked room in the Aunties cottage. But this mystery is quite shallow as Steven gives you the links in the mystery without you having to think too hard. The odd things add up so easily that the mystery is no real surprise. The inclusion of an unusual tattoo is like a red flag to a bull.

The story rolls on and I became less interested as the chapters went by. Then we have some supernatural nonsense to bring the story to a close. The Lake did not do much for me and I can only vote it 2 stars. I suggest you give The Lake a MISS and look elsewhere.

The Lake is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2011.

1 Hour Guide to Mastering Evernote by Albert N. Thomas.

This very focused guide does just what it say's in the title. It gives you all you need to know to get started using Evernote. Albert has done a good job at giving new users the lowdown on this software. It can be quite a challenge to take up a new way of organizing your data but Albert gives you the confidence to give Evernote a try. His guide was easy to read and understand with giving you enough to make your time well spent. This guide is a good read that I will vote 4 stars.

Kimmie and Me by Cherie Mitchell.

This is a true story set in Australia about a greyhound called Kimmie. Cherie Mitchell took Kimmie for fostering from the Greyhound Adoption Programme. This is not a cute picture book but a warts and all tale of fostering an adult dog.

I really enjoyed reading this book, the quality of writing is very high. Cherie takes the reader into her home and life as she adjusts to the new addition to her family. The relationship builds between Cherie and Kimmie, which makes for a lovely reading experience. Cherie includes all the dog habits displayed by Kimmie and many other breeds of dog. She explains the ups and downs of living with a Greyhound. Cherie goes into all the little details that make having a dog so much fun and very rewarding. For all the detail that Cherie provides as the days and weeks roll by, she does not repeat herself and pad out her book with variations of the same.

I do not have a Greyhound but our friends have and all the things Cherie has gone through are the same for them. This is not a picture book but you get such a strong impression of Kimmie from the sheer quality of Cherie's writing, that I can imagine her in my mind's eye.

This is a wonderful book that I loved from start to finish. I think that all dog owners will love this book. If you have never owned a dog, then after reading this book I am sure that you will understand the love and loyalty that an owner shares with their dog forever. Although this is a personal story, the writing is so good I am sure that Cherie could become a full time author. This is one of the best books I have read for a while, the structure and editing are spot on. The writing is top notch and I will vote it the top score of 5 stars. Her use of language is great and Cherie has introduced me to a new word. Whenever I walk my dog, he likes to have a good old sniff to check where other dogs have been. I did not have a word to describe this activity but Cherie has, your pet is simply checking - weemails - think about it!

Kimmie and Me is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2014.

100 Android Tips For Each of Jelly Bean 4.2, 4.3 & Kit Kat 4.4 by Saadat Wahid and Ahmad Wahid.

This short book will give the new user a great start with any Android device. The authors have written this guide to cover 3 versions of Android. Because of the scope of devices this guide applies to, you will understand the very core of Android. To cover 3 versions of Android is ambitious but the authors have done a very good job. This guide makes the reader think like a systems analyst as you learn the concept behind Android.

Each tip is introduced from the command line, followed by Jelly Bean 4.2, then Jelly Bean 4.3 and finally Kit Kat 4.4 - by which time you fully understand how the procedure works. This systematic approach gives the reader an understanding of Android from the ground up. You develop a love for the flavour and power of this amazing operating system.

The authors have done a good job and their guide is easy to understand. Their English and grammar give you the impression they are working in a call centre in India but this just adds to this book's charm! They explain that Android is the core operating system but that the device manufacturers alter Android to suit their product. Therefore the user should understand the core concepts of Android so that they can get the best out of any advice. Because of the skills employed by the authors, you come away from this guide understanding the framework of any Android device.

I enjoyed reading this book as it revealed the wonders of the Android universe. I think it is a good read that is far better than the trial and error used by many Android device owners. I think the authors deserve 4 stars for making life so easy for new Android users.

Jimmy's Game (Ruthless) by Karen Clow.

Jimmy likes a game of poker and one night he wins the game and claims the prize, not cash but Maria. Jimmy's Game is a thriller set in London featuring the lives of people involved in organized crime. This novel has plenty of sex and violence with the characters appearing like actors in the popular BBC soap opera EastEnders.

This is a fast paced novel that covers a fair bit of ground and a time frame of around 30 months. A lot of mainstream issues are raised like domestic violence, jealousy, religion and sexual aggression. The characters are developed steadily through the book and you learn the kind and loving side to these criminals. Most of the story is told through dialogue between the characters. it is more talk than action and description. The whole story is done in the EastEnders soap opera style. The main character is Jimmy and he does not appear to do an awful lot of work. He spends a lot of time on the telephone and has regular trips to his night clubs and restaurants where he drinks, eats and talks until the early hours.

Jimmy's Game is easy reading, although it has it's faults. This book is entertaining but in a let the television wash over me, kind of way. There is nothing special about this book but it is a good average. It does it's job as a daily read in the same way that many people devote time to Facebook and Twitter. The story line is easy to follow with a small circle of characters. I enjoyed reading Jimmy's Game, it is a good book that I will vote 4 stars. After all the violence, it has a happy ending.

Jimmy's Game is available as an Amazon Kindle eBook and was written in 2012.