Girl, Aloud by Emily Gale

I pulled the proof out of the box and thought wearily, ‘Not another one.’ With its hot pink and shiny silver cover, clearly this was going to be another teen girl, boy trouble, best mates fall out, average book I’ve seen a hundred times before, full of nothing more than angst, lip gloss and lurve.

Who was it that said you should never judge a book by its cover?

I couldn’t put this down.

Kass Kennedy has much to contend with in her odd, slightly dysfunctional family. She has a father who suffers with a disorder akin to bipolar or manic-depression. He believes his daughter is highly talented, and is always pushing her into things she doesn’t want to do. Her mother and brother don’t seem to want to deal with the difficulties caused by her father’s mental health problems, so when her Dad breaks the news that he has entered Kass for an X Factor audition without her knowledge, her life feels like its gone into freefall.

So begins a desperate crisis for Kass who can’t sing but can’t persuade her father of the fact; is frantically trying to balance her own needs with those of her family and best friends with whom she has fallen out; has a real life boy-dilemma to deal with; and in the middle of it all has dreams about Simon Cowell!

Emily Gale deals with some very difficult and complex topics with a sparkling mix of wit, humour, and intelligence. The characters have real depth, and while the story themes may not be new, their telling is original, and the story is moving and hilarious in just the right quantities. Girl, Aloud gives far more than perhaps it's bright pink, shiny cover promises, delivering on all fronts. Fabulous!

I hope Emily thinks about a follow up, telling us what happens to Kass, her family and friends next. I'm sure Kass's Dad has an armoury of ideas to frustrate, irritate and annoy her.

Atheist's Guide To Christmas

When writer and journalist Ariane Sherine looked up a website she’d seen with a Bible quotation displayed on a London bus, she was dismayed to find as a non-believer she would be condemned to eternal torment in Hell. Ariane decided to write an article called, ‘Atheists Gimme Five’, and during her research she discovered that the website advertised was not part of the Advertising Standards Authority remit.

At the end of her article Ariane suggested that if atheist readers donated £5, an atheist London bus advert could be funded. Many readers responded including Jon Worth, a political blogger. He suggested a Pledgebank for readers to donate and Ariane agreed. To cut a long story short, the Atheist Bus Campaign launched on Tuesday October 21 2008 with the slogan:

“There’s probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.”

In the wake of that campaign, Ariane persuaded 42 talented people from a variety of backgrounds, to write a short article about Christmas, get The Friday Project to publish it, and so was born the Atheists Guide to Christmas.


I love Christmas and was a little apprehensive when I was given a copy to read. Given the title it might be supposed that it's a diatribe against Christmas, and Christianity, but it most emphatically is not. This is a sincere, warm, light-hearted book about Christmas and inclusiveness; and if Christmas is anything, it is arguably one of the most inclusive festivals celebrated, with or without the religious element.

With pieces ranging from writers as varied as Charlie Brooker, Simon Le Bon, Richard Dawkins and Josie Long; we read about church music, reindeer games, cat dilemmas, God Trumps …. the content is as diverse as the contributors. Across 42 articles divided into six sections there is much to cheer and amuse, inform and educate. Overall, it is entertaining - I love the music and films suggestions, and it's nice to see Dawkins lighten up for once.

Why forty-two? I know from Ariane’s visit to the Book Swap that its all to do with the Hitch-Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

You can read the Guide from cover to cover if you wish, I like it as a ‘dip into’ book, one you can go back to time and time again and find something new to read. Its charming, entertaining and best of all, the proceeds go to the Terrance Higgins Trust. Go buy one!

Finally Found It...

OK so I'm an idiot sometimes...I had to change the password recently and failed to write it in the little notebook I have for these things. (I have a terrible time remembering passwords.) It has taken me weeks to find it as I stubbornly refused to change it again.

Anyway, now I have a backlog of reviews and such like, so over the next few days there will be a fair bit of posting - I hope.

To get the ball rolling, here is a great sound from a great band.