The Royals by Kitty Kelley

The queen of biograhies have done it again with her book on the Royal Family which was released in 1997 just after Diana's death. The tabloid style biography with its severe allegations made about every member of the Royal Family including the beloved Queen mother just goes to show that every family in this world whether royal or not is not perfect. The dysfunctional aspect of this family were rather revealing especially with the press hounding and documenting the various escapades that Diana and Fergie and not forgetting the Charles put themselves through each week. It really was like watching "The Kardashians" except that whatever they did made it to the front page of the UK tabloids each week instead of reality TV. With the no-holds barred interviews given by Charles and Diana whereby each confessed to adultery and Fergie " toe sucking" episode, this book wouldn't have done much to the royal family's approval ratings which have fallen drastically since Diana entered the picture. Honestly, I do not know how much of the allegations made by Ms Kelley represent fact or fiction. Some of them seemed so far-fetched that it would be impossible for me to imagine them behaving in the manner described by Ms Kelley. After all, this is the most famous royal family in the world.

Verdict: It's a good read, if you are into the British Royal Family. For the British who are pro-monachist, you would definitely not like what Ms Kelley has to say about your Sovereign!

My Personal Rating: 3 out of 5 stars.

Diana (Unseen Archives) by Alison Gauntlet

I have always been a Diana fan ever since I was seven. I thought her wedding in 1981 was the most fascinating event that I have ever watched on TV. Her star quality fired the imagination of the world including little kids like me and from the 500 or so photographs captured in the 380 pages of this book, it is hard not to see why. The first couple of photographs were in black and white and perfectly captured the shy, awkward gawky kindergarten teacher right through to her engagement to Prince Charles before she was fully thrusted into the limelight after the wedding. Subsequent photographs showed her older, but more confident and adept at connecting with the public through her various royal engagements. Her fashion and style would also evolved over time as she become a fashion icon adored by the world over. From the photos, it was apparent that she loved her children and was happy to spend time with them while her relationship with the Prince deteriorated. The scenes from her funeral marked the closure of the book at the end.

Verdict: This book is not for reading but I really like to flip through the pages of the book and look at the photographs especially when I am waiting for my son to finish his homework or do his "business" in the big bathroom.

My personal rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Go the F**k to Sleep by Adam Mansbach

Everyone who is a parent must know what it's like to get your child to sleep including me. It's worse when they have just a little too much sugar during the day as all hell breaks loose at night. The author came up with this infamous book (which resembled a children's book in all appearances but after reading its content, you know it's a children's book for adults) after having an especially trying time making his daughter sleep. You can get the pdf copy of the book online or watch the video here which is quite hilarious!

Verdict: 4.5 stars out of 5 for ingenuity. Fun but really not for children. Need to keep it under lock and key!