America, Welcome to the Poorhouse by Jane White is a startling insight into the state of America’s personal finances My Book Review Rating: Do you know whether the money in your 401(k) plan will see you through retirement? Is your credit card maxed out? Are you struggling to even make teh minimum payments? If you prefer not to think about your personal finances then you should probably read America, Welcome to the Poorhouse. White...

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity by David Allen is a book that will potentially change your life My Book Review Rating: Getting Things Done or GTD is a time management technique that will help you get your life organised, and this book walks you through the mindset step by step. I first read this book nearly four years ago, and it is one that I revisit regularly. I first picked it up because I was struggling with...

Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult is an insight into a family rocked by Osteogenesis Imperfecta and the devastating effect it has on their lives My Book Review Rating: It’s unusual for me not to award Picoult with five stars – but I’m afraid the ending made me knock one off! Fiction or non-fiction? What’s the genre? Handle with Care is a work of fiction; though as with all of Picoult’s work the topics covered...

Wow – I can’t believe that 2009 is almost over! I feel that my reading efforts have been rather lacking this year; I don’t think I even took part in a challenge. Despite that I feel it is only proper to wrap up the year with a review of all things bookish here at Blue Archipelago. So without further ado – here’s what I’ve been up to this year (thanks to Bart’s Bookshelf for the template...

Shotgun Shopping by Sheevaun Moran is an insight into how you can use the art of non-shopping to get what you really want in life My Book Review Rating: 3 stars – I can appreciate the sentiment, but it’s not really my thing! If you are a shopaholic, and you have closets lined with purchases that you bought on a whim or with the hope that you might one day be slim enough to fit into it then this book is for you. Moran walks you...

Passion by Louise Bagshawe is a tale of heart break and hitmen all wrapped up in glitz and passion My Book Review Rating: 5 stars – Bagshawe delivers another glittering blockbuster that will keep you turning the pages Bagshawe is another author who always makes my transatlantic flight list – her novels are a delicious escape from reality with no brain power required! Meet Melissa, a young student and daughter of a professor who...

Too Close to Home: A Thriller by Linwood Barclay is a tale of murder and deceit with enough twists and turns to keep you guessing right until the end My Book Review Rating: 5 stars – Barclay doesn’t disappoint with his second thriller When Derek Cutter hides in his neighbour’s basement with the intention of ‘borrowing’ their house for a love nest while the family are on vacation he finds himself witnessing a...