The Rose Hotel by Rahimeh Andalibian.

This story starts at the Rose Hotel in Mashhad, Iran in 1978 before the Islamic revolution. Rahimeh is 4 years old and the reader gets the picture of her understanding of life in Iran during the turmoil of the Islamic revolution of 1979. This is a family tale told in the same style as A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. The Rose Hotel is a colourful story of growing up in a Shi'a Muslim family. You see through Rahimeh's eyes as her family moves from Mashhad to Tehran. They later move to London and finally America. 

This is a very warm and loving book. The pace is nice and steady. The family has many ups and downs. The time frame of this book spans over 30 years. It explores the differences of culture between East and West. You gain a good insight into Shi'a Muslim life and it's values plus how Muslims adapt to living in the West. 

The Rose Hotel is a good family drama which is easy to relate to. This book is about family dynamics, how they get along and fall out plus how they deal with trauma and hold secrets. It is a book of hope and it's Kindle eBook format of 790 KB was written in 2012. This is a true life novel which I enjoyed very much and I shall vote it 4 stars on Goodreads as it is such a good book.

Breath Testing for Prosecutors by Jeanne Swartz

 

Breath Testing for Prosecutors is a 351 KB document written by Jeanne Swartz in 2004 for the American Prosecutors Research Institute. This document tells you how alcohol breath testers actually work. It explains the history and the problems of false fail readings. There is a difference between mouth alcohol and deep lung alcohol. Alcohol in your mouth evaporates quickly but various foods and drinks taken 15 minutes before a breath test can make a difference.

This document explodes many of the myths about these breath test devices. It is well researched and is easy for the driver to understand. It explains why 0.08 mg/ltr is used as a goal post by National Express rather than the legal limit of 0.35 mg/ltr. This is a good and informative read for all drivers who use vehicles fitted with alcohol breath test devices .

Robin Nixon's PHP Crash Course: Learn PHP in 14 easy lessons by Robin Nixon.

PHP is a computer programming scripting language that is embedded within the HTML which makes up web pages. Robin's book is quite like a cook book in it's style and is a gentle guide into PHP. It is very easy to follow as Robin is a technical author, not a novelist. He does lecture a bit but this book does the job just like a manual although it does not sparkle and is not highly entertaining. It does not have the passion that is always found in a good novel.

This crash course develops well and the reading pleasure you get is from gaining knowledge, not from escaping into another world. You learn how forms on webpages work and how user input is processed. You discover how your internet browser works behind the scenes, how cookies work and what those extra bits of code are in your browser address bar. This book nicely progresses to the end when you deal with the differences between get and post Ajax requests.

Robin Nixon's PHP Crash Course is a 2088 KB eBook and was written in 2012. PHP is well explained to novices and it is great to understand it's magic. This book is okay and I give it a score of 3 stars.

Welcome to Setcopia: A Dystopian Thriller by James M. Ashton.

Do you hate how large companies bully their employees? Do you hate how large companies pervert our language? Do you wonder where things will stop, then look into the near future. Welcome to Setcopia is set in Britain in the year 2036. This novel is written in the first person of Cirrus Shires and is an awfully British tale. This eBook has 623KB and was written in 2013.
It is very good satire and is very believable but it is not a fantasy. This story really hits home.

Welcome to Setcopia explains how big business moulds our thoughts and we are lost in the company mantra. James M. Ashton really has the company language spot on. He uses all the correct phrases that companies use and irritate us with every day. James highlights the pitch of company speak with it's irritating consistency. This novel shows how our society today is moving and how people loose who they are, as big companies take over the country and our lives.

This story has a good pace with well developed scenarioes and it draws to a realistic ending. Your suspicions of big business are confirmed in this well written cautionary tale. This dystopia is very possible when you understand how large companies actually work. I really enjoyed this book, it is very good indeed and it deserves my top score of 5 stars. There is some poor proof reading with plenty of typing mistakes especially when the author gets excited as the emotion heightens. Do not let this put you off though!

The Final Detail by Harlan Coben.

Clu Haid is dead and Esperanza Diaz, Myron's business partner is arrested. Did she kill him? Myron Bolitar makes it his business to find out. This novel follows on from One False Move and is the 6th book in the Myron Bolitar series. This book has the usual quality of writing from Harlan Coben and this is more than a basic crime thriller. The Final Detail is focused on people's lives rather than the crime, it's scene and the following investigations. This adds so much colour and depth to this story. It is amazing just how powerful Harlan's writing is that you believe that you know the characters and have spent time with them!

There is a nice lively banter between the characters and this novel has a good and very involved plot. It keeps you guessing about the killer and peoples motives. It is thought provoking about the morality of peoples lives and addresses many social issues. Harlan explores physical attractions between people and how their sexuality may affect their judgement. He also includes some nice comments and dialogue about how America has changed with local character and small businesses being replaced by national chains, so that everywhere looks the same.

The Final Detail was written in 1998 and has 344 pages. It has a great contemporary feel, with anecdotes and references to popular culture and landmark events. There is a lovely humour going on...

He risked another step. If only he had something to placate her with. Like a half gallon of Haagen-Dazs. Or a sacrificial goat.

Why, Myron wondered, do servants of the rich and famous act snootier than their masters? Was it simple resentment? Was it because they were locked down upon all day and thus needed on occasion to be the one doing the looking down? Or - more simply - were people attracted to such jobs insecure asswipes?

Both men wore turtlenecks so high and loose they looked like something awaiting circumcision.

...The Final Detail has a good ending with no loose ends. It is a good book and I will vote it 4 stars on Goodreads.