The Ears of a Cat

In his novel The Ears of a Cat Roderick Hart takes a look at a world very, very similar to our own.

It's the future, but not the far future, it's a very, very near future.

Over population is a topic that people are taking very seriously indeed.

But some are taking this far more seriously than most. In fact they are actually prepared to take the extra step, several pretty huge extra steps, to be perfectly honest, and to actually do something about it.

They are stuck for an idea of what to do. That is, until they find a source of a weaponised bird flu virus that has been turned into a lethal weapon in a laboratory.

All is going well, until their plot is uncovered by the German security services. Plus there is the added complication of their discovery by a freelance agent from the USA, who might not be as honest or as scrupulous as might be wished.

But can Gina Saito carry out their plans, especially as this would involve her own death in a land far from her own  homeland?

And what would happen if her plan was to succeed?

This is a novel that is filled with dark humour and many interesting diversions, from talks with a cat, to the testimony of a sex doll from Japan.

From the first page, which includes a murder on the street, to the last page, this novel is a heck of a ride.

It's published by Matador at £8.99 and will make an interesting Christmas gift for the SciFi fan in your life.

The Legacy of Crystal Island

The Legacy of Crystal Island is Book Two Truth and Courage by Colleen O'Flaherty-Hilder.

Orla has returned to Crystal Island. With her promised consort, Finn, Orla has been given the task of selecting new leaders who will govern the Earth's seven federations.

They will be the replacements for the Chief Generals who were under the control of the dangerous Shadow. The Chief Generals took planet Earth along a path that led to greed and destruction over a period of several decades.

Seven women and seven men are chosen to govern, and they will be ab le to access their buried Crystal Wisdom. But before this can happen the malign influence of the Shadow who is deeply embedded, must be removed for all time.

Will the planet be able to heal in order for it to evolve to the next stage?

It's a riveting read for fantasy fans and will make a neat Christmas present for them.

It's published by Matador at £9.99.

Kitchen Confidence

In Kitchen Confidence prize winning baker and expert cook Catherine Sloman shares her knowledge and passion for cooking with her readers.

Originally written as a special gift for her daughter Jessie to give her a taste of home cooking when she heads out into the big wide world of student life and beyond.

Catherine runs Kitchen Confidence cookery classes, operates a pop-up supper club and works as a private caterer, so she has developed considerable expertise in the field of good home cooking.

Whilst she was teaching people how to cook, Catherine became aware that there were a large number of people who, for a variety of reasons, had never really tried to cook, or had somehow lost confidence in their abilities to cook, or found that, due to a change in their circumstances, they needed to be able to learn to cook for themselves, perhaps alone.

Catherine realised that there needed to be a new type of cookery book which would be aimed at providing inspiration for both readers with very little experience as cooks or those who wanted to improve their skills and develop themselves as cooks.

The recipes in the book are all fully tested and absolutely delicious.

Catherine is an award winning baker and is a member of Bread Angels, which is involved with the teaching of baking skills and the sale of artisan breads https://breadangels.com/ she also blogs about her culinary adventures (under the name of Battenburgbelle) at http://www.battenburgbelle.com.

You can also learn more at https://www.kitchenconfidence.co.uk.

The book is published by Matador at £13.99 and is the perfect Christmas gift for the cook in your life.

Dancing the Skies

Dancing the Skies is an autobiographical accoount by former RAF pilot David Roome.

It records the flying career of RAF Group Captain David Roome who joined the RAF aged 18 as a pilot.

He flew the supersonic Lightning with 74 (Tiger) Squadron in Singapore until the eventual final withdrawal of UK armed forces in the year 1971.

He then took up a role as a trainer on the Folland Gnat for three years. After this he spent tours on the F-4 Phantom whilst flying with the RAF's Central Flying School's Advanced Squadron of Examining Wing.

His next tour of duty was as a member of the RAF's Tactical Evaluation Team, which was responsible for making assessments of the readiness of all RAF front-line stations and units for action, including war.

His next posting was to the HQ of the RAF's UK fighter force. After a short time there he was given command of a squadron of Phantom jets.

He returned to a staff position of No 11 (Fighter Group)  and in 1990 he became responsible for the detailed planning for the flypast of 168 aircraft over London on 15 September 1990 as a key part of the commemorations of the 50th Anniversary of the Battle of Britain. It was for this vital role that he was appointed OBE.

He next returned to the world of training in 1994, he eventually was made responsible for the day-to-day operations of all RAF flight training.

But that wasn't all that he did. He also became qualified in flying all of the RAF's fighter jets (all save two, the Javelin and the Swift)  and he flew and he displayed the RAF's historic jets. A role that he loved, naturally.

But that's not the end of his extraordinary story, including exactly what he said that startled an army cook in RAF Tengah, Singapore.

It's a fantastic, well written (and beautifully illustrated) memoir which is a must have Christmas present for the aircraft fan in your life.

It's published by The Book Guild at £12.99.

Whatever Happened to Barry Chambers?

Whatever Happened to Barry Chambers? is described as a dramatised memoir.

When he was just four years old Barry Chambers is deposited by his mother at The King's (The Cathedral School) Boarding House in Peterborough.

Shocked by the discovery that her husband is, in fact, a bigamist, she decides to make a new life for herself, eventually setting herself up as a successful fashion designer in London.

Barry's mother is both beautiful and also manipulative and she becomes married to a Jewish businessman. She decides to pretend that she and her son are both Jewish.

Meanwhile Barry is raised as an Anglican at his boarding school, has to cope with being lonely, being bullied, cope with a sexual predator at the school, plus deal with his "lovable rogue" of a step-father and the rather erratic behaviour of his mother.

This all helps to make Barry grow up rather confused about his identity, plus leaving him somewhat vulnerable to being attracted by the wrong set of people.

Why did Barry decide to write his memoir? At his mother's funeral he realised that his mother had decided to virtually airbrush him and his sister Penny from history.

The discovery of his mother's own writings on her early married life compelled Barry (who is Professor Emeritus of Allergy and Clinical Immunology at Imperial College, London) to face up his pent-up emotions of his rather troubled childhood by telling his side of the story.

The book is well illustrated with a collection of photographs from the family archives.

It's a painful but extremely illuminating account of a dysfunctional family.

It's published by The Book Guild at £10.99 and will make a superb Christmas gift for the person who enjoys well written autobiographies.

Trust Me, I'm a Care Worker

Trust Me, I'm a Care Worker is a collection of recollections from Chris Bulteel's time as a care worker.

Gloucester born Chris attended the Cathedral school where he later served as a chorister. After leaving school he entered the catering industry, having a wide and varied career covering catering and hotel management

At age 26 he became a town councillor, eventually serving as Mayor of Wimbourne, in Dorset.

After moving to Poole, he became Sheriff of Poole, later repeating the role he served in Wimbourne, becoming Mayor Poole.

He was a member of many committees, chairing several, until he eventually became Chair of Dorset Fire Authority. All the while whilst he was serving the public in these vital roles he was also working in the catering industry.

At least until he was 54 when he left the catering industry and his life took a sudden and unexpected turn when he became a care worker.

The book looks at how people who are being cared for are still, first and foremost, people and how they often face their adverse situations with true spirit and courage.

Chris reveals that his time spent in his second career as that of a carer helped to teach him understanding of people and humility.

The book is mainly written in the form of extracts from his diary and charts his colourful second career.

He met a wide and varied range of people who were his clients, and his colleagues. There was one of his first clients, George, who suffered from a deep depression, amongst other problems, risk assessments and what this had to do with a pot of aqueous cream BP,  the real and very cogent reasons why Clarissa demanded that only male carers attended to her needs. Also learn what happens when a patient is being lifted in an electrically powered hoist and there's a power cut. 

Chris believes that it's important to celebrate and highlight the great work that car workers do. He hopes that others might be inspired by reading his book to take up careers as care workers, as he did.

I think it would make a nice Christmas gift for people who are care workers or who are considering entering that field.

It's published by The Book Guild at £9.99.

Copernicus! What HAVE You Done?

Copernicus! What HAVE You Done? is collection of very humorous poems from Don Behrend.

Don takes a fresh, new and amusing look at some topics that are (usually) treated with more reverence.

Don's poems examines topics like the sciences, music, the arts, literature and the like. But all with a less than reverential twist.

Learn how other scientists might have reacted to Copernicus,  a different take on the works of Kepler, what really happens in a novel by Dickens, how many works Bach composed.

Enjoy a different take on matters theological (including Bible stories newly retold) Mathematics, philosophical conundrums, plus matters artistic.

It's a modestly sized book that contains some wonderful ideas and will be a welcome find in the Christmas stocking of anyone who is intellectually gifted, yet doesn't take life or themselves too seriously.

It's published by Matador at £7.99.