I had huge hopes for Photoshop CS3 RAW ($34.99), not least because it is written by Mikkel Aaland who wrote one of the best books on photography that I have, Photoshop Lightroom Adventure.

I wasn’t dissapointed in any shape of form, but it didn’t inspire me as much as Lightroom but in all honesty I think that is because I have become too focussed on theory and I need to get out and explore a bit more with the actual camera!

I was in at least two minds over this book. In theory I shouldn’t have needed it – I have been using my D80 for a while now, and it has a pretty good instruction manual with it, allbeit as easy to navigate as any manual!

The book was well presented, in a logical manner, with some clear and easy to follow illustrations (nice touch using the Apple Cinema Display throughout the book – minus the Apple logo!). The CD was very easy to use and flowed in a natural sequence, with some good examples to explain and inspire!

Bono on Bono is a interseting approach in that it is a series of conversations with a journalist friend across a year or so and touching on a wide range of subjects.

If you thought Bono had a tendancy to talk a lot this books proves it. If you thought he knew his stuff again this book proves it. He does come over as a genuine and thoughtful person with some pretty amazing strengths. Not a book for the beach or to read in one sitting, it is well worth getting hold of if you want to know a bit more about what is going on around us and what you can do about it.

I was excited when I got the iWoz book for Christmas, not because I was surprised as I had told Sands it would be a good book for her Mum to get me, but because I had wanted to read it for a long time.

Overall I thought it was a good book, but not as good as I had been led to believe and overall I was left feeling that it was all a bit superficial and dissapointing.

Bobby Charlton – The Manchester United Years is just about the perfect autobiography!

The guy is over 70, won everything there was to win in Football, has had a successful and constructive life after he retired and has a very unassuming way about him. A real gentleman (at least as far as we can tell/know) he is honest about his flaws and writes a very good book. For anyone of my generation, especially a Manchester United fan this is a great autobiography! His second volume The England Years will be published in October 2008 and I can’t wait for that!

When I picked up Little Face Sands said that she hadn’t enjoyed it and found the main character un appealing. Not the best of recommendations. Anyway I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would. It had the potential to be another ‘girlie’ book and although the subject matter (missing baby) would indicate that may be the case, in reality it is more of a thriller than anything else.

I am a liitle fed up with reading Sands stuff though – any suggestions as to what I should be looking to pick up for Xmas?

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult is very much a girlie book in my opinion! That doesn’t necessarily mean it is bad, but I found the subject matter somewhat feminine – a mothers feelings and response to her child being sexually assaulted.

Sands is a big Jodi Picoult fan and as we must have 8 or so of her books around the place I thought I would read them. This may just have been a bad first choice, but if it wasn’t for the fact that there were more already in the apartment I wouldn’t pick up another one.