The Duchess turns 30 Candy Floss.....

Happy 30th to our favourite royal Kate!
Tamati and Tim`s Unique Wedding and a lot of fun it looks too!
Lisa Swayze tells how her grief over Patricks death nearly did her in...
Justin Timberlake gets engaged...
Sinead and Barry reunite after 9 days...they are just going to be boyfriend and girlfriend for a time and take things real slow...
How do they do it?? Hollywood Celebs who never seem to age as the years race by...botox, liposuction anyone?
Annabel Fay`s treasured memories...
A mother-in-law who copped the daughter-in-law from hell!
Body found on Royal Estate... whodunit then?
Katy tells how she married a crazy man...no way!
Ashton is out and about with a Demi look-a-like...
Elle McPherson goes surfing.
Yikes..the Jolie-Pitts make a mess when there at the Circus.
Will Sandra silence Jesse`s sniping with a lawsuit? It was Sandra`s fault according to him that he cheated...pathetic toss pot of a man!
Liz and Shane...Baby Buzz...
Amanda Knox reclaims her life.
Hollywood's Unsolved Mysteries...what really happened to Brittany Murphy, Natalie Wood, Tupac and Kurt and where is Olivia Newton-John`s missing boyfriend??
I was Gaga`s slave and now I want the money...
Peaches Geldof is expecting a little bundle and plans to settle down... she what?
Mariah and Nick took the babies to Aspen and then some how Nick ended up with Kidney failure and is an L.A. Hospital...
Owen Wilson`s little boy takes baby steps and Marcia Cross and her daughter go ice skating while Gwen and Gavin take the boys to a farm and Kevin and Kyra go swimming.
The Sione Six reunite for their follow up movie...
Stephen Tyler holidays in Hawaii and gets engaged, he is looking is age and a bit but bless he`s happy!
Melodie Robinson and Marcus Wheelhouse marry and their cute little boys were there to see it.

Let`s take the long way home by Gail Caldwell

Gail Caldwell's reminiscence of her friendship with the late Caroline Knapp is a warm, loving book which share with the reader what a Friendship can mean, where it can take you and why you would take the journey. Both Gail and Caroline had shared experiences when they met and although success had been theirs in the field of writing, the paths they had traversed were not easy and much pain had ensued until they had managed to beat their demons. Bonded by walking their much loved dogs, they fell into a deep friendship instantly, a friendship that lead to new interests(Caroline was a very good rower) and a sharing of all those big and little things that inform each and every day, there is a wonderful simplicity here, it isn`t all luxe and plane rides.
When illness strikes Caroline, she is circled by the most incredible people including Gail who care for every need, from the hands on to the routine and mundane.
This is a book that takes you along the path that leads to death and the life altering grief that is left for the loved ones to endure, it is not however a book that leaves you feeling depressed. It is uplifting and humour is never lost, we should all be so lucky to have a Caroline or Gail in our lives.

Behind Closed Doors,The Tragic Untold Story of the Duchess of Windsor by Hugo Vickers.

I have read a number of Hugo Vickers books and they have all been very good and in many ways this is another very good book.
It is beautifully written, marvellously researched and the illustrations are first class.
Part One Starts with the Death of the Duke of Windsor and follows through various rather unfortunate fazes until the Death of the Duchess and the sale of her Magnificent Jewellery collection.
Part Two details the early life of the Duchess (Wallis Warfield Simpson) and traverses through until the Duke and Duchess Twilight Years 1960-1971.
This book is part mystery especially in regards to what really went on in the Duchess life after the Dukes death, whose agenda was honest and whose was not?  Was she really ill for years and years, when did she become non compos mentas and not able to enunciate her own wishes, let alone sign documents and deeds and issue statements decrying this, that and the other and litigating at will, well it all comes down to whom you believe.
The book is rife with petty jealousies and cheap shots, accusations fly like missiles from a launcher yet very little has ever been proven,other than that the Duchess may have fallen under the control of a woman who may not have had her best interests at heart and the Royal Family seemed rather unconcerned with what was (maybe) happening to Aunt Wallis and her possessions except for Lord Louis Mountbatten who apparently turned up at regular intervals to pester dear Wallis no end!
There was very little chance that the Royals would uplift the elderly, ill and frail Duchess and install her in a snug little Palace so why anyone would imagine they should beats me, she certainly may not have wanted to live under their roof and as an independent woman who had made many decisions over the years and chosen a life style of her own design, the reality of the final years if as painted may have been very hard for her to bear.
There were visits and flowers from the Royals,apparently but other than the return of Official Documentation covering the Dukes life and some bequests in her will, no real relationship existed.  The pity was that she was blamed for the Dukes actions and choices and although much bitterness existed over the supposedly early death of George VI due to the strain of reigning, the reality was that George VI was frail from childhood and his brother the more robust Edward VIII was totally unfit to be King unless England wanted to become a part of Germany.
This book is more than worth reading if you are a history buff however it would have been a better read if Part 2 had come before Part I, an interesting concept to reverse the telling of the tale but really for me it didn't work but in fairness it may work for you!

The Weird Sisters by Eleanor Brown

A family saga with a dollop of the bard himself, like any number of families you might call the Andreas family slightly eccentric. In this modern age books not television is their thing and the love of the works of William Shakespeare fit right on in.  Mum, Dad and 3 sisters who have a relationship characterised by disconnection, secrets and  a desire to get right the things that they appear to be rather unsuccessful at: work, life and that bigee Love.
When illness strikes their Mother they troop home, each most upset to find the others there, and so begins a journey to understanding, healing and reconciliation.  Each character has his/her own defining characteristics and perception of life even when reality may be a different story, each has a story to tell but it takes a lot of prising to get the secrets that underlay their lives out into the open, a lot of bridges need to be burned and a lot of paths crossed before true acceptance can be reached.
The writing is delightful and the story buzzes along, serious issues certainly but a lightness of touch and a wonderful dose of humour serve this book extremely well, very acerbic in places you can just feel yourself having the exact same reaction to a conversation or situation, in way particular passage I could just see myself and worst still hear myself answer in the same way, inflection, language features and all!! A delightful read, a great first novel from  a writer we will hear more from, especially nice to tuck yourself up with on a now chilly night, a gorgeous cover to remind you of the now departed summer and William Shakespeare to boot! Go buy it!  http://www.eleanor-brown.com

While My Sister Sleeps by Barbara Delinsky

A family saga that has at its core the question of what it means to be a member of a family, and what links and binds us. The sudden collapse of world class runner Robin Snow leaves her family wrestling with terrible choices, unresolved issues and a cupboard full of secrets that come rapidly tumbling out. How do they handle it, How would you handle it? A very powerful novel that packs a real punch especially when it comes to the question of integrity and choices, easy to read but challenging at the same time. This book has characters you will immediately relate to and others you may very well loathe but your early assertions may turn out to be rather set on their head as you power through the pages and become aware of snippets and fragments of back story that in an instant give you a new spin or clarity on circumstances that you may have felt lead one way, reality can often be very blurry and human nature can be tricky at best. The author dealt with an often contentious issue (organ donation) in a very compassionate manner as she also did with the frailty and capriciousness of being part of a family that presents so well in the public spotlight,she resolved issues and tidied up the bits and pieces that circled the story in a very satisfying manner.