Tag Archives: 2012 PREVIEW

All is not Forgotten by Wendy Walker Book Review

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All is not Forgotten by Wendy Walker.
All is not Forgotten landed on my desk along with others. Flipping through the pile this debut psychological thriller intrigued me. It’s not usually a book I would read. I can’t bear violence towards children, for Jenny is one, though I suppose in fact she is a youth. She is 15, so a youth, but really as are they all, a vulnerable child.

I couldn’t put it down.

Wendy Walker has created a fascinating concept that explores memory and what you would be willing to do to protect your child.

Jenny is attacked, raped, horribly. Her parents agree to an experimental treatment that wipes the mind, enabling her to move on with her life. But does she? Can this really work?

She has a scar on her back, and instead of being haunted by the memory of an event, she is instead tormented by an unknown fear.

This is perhaps why it intrigued me. One of my own children had to undergo massive painful surgery at the age of one. The consultant said that because of his age my son had no understanding of the pain and distress of the event, and would forget the actual incident. But for many years, his dominant emotion to any situation would be an intense fear. And so it was. It breaks my heart even now to think of it.

The unknown for Jenny is worsened by the knowledge of a violation. But what?

And where is justice? Her father is obsessed with finding her attacker and her mother is in denial.

The decision is made to take Jenny back into her memories. But even if it can be done, will pulling at the threads of her suppressed experience reveal more than intended. Where is the healing then?

Well written, thought provoking at a profound level. A triumph, but it won’t be a novel that you can forget, so be prepared. And to try and decide what decision you would make.

The only problem for Wendy Walker is what to write now.

Let me know your thoughts on the book at frost@margaret-graham.com

Film rights have been pre-empted by Warner Bros, with Reese Witherspoon set to produce.

Published by Harlequin on 14th July. £12.99

Caudalie Contouring Concentrate Review

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caudalie

My first thought of Caudalie Contouring Concentrate is that it smells of ginger. My nose is off however, it’s lemongrass. We got sent Caudalie Contouring Concentrate to review for our pregnancy section, we want to review products that stop, reduce or get rid of stretch marks. The packaging says that this preservative-free 100% plant-based dry body oil firms and smooths skin. It also gives it a slight sheen. Apparently, it can take 1.5 inches off your thighs if you follow the contouring regime.

This 100-percent natural body treatment promotes natural drainage. It doesn’t have any of the following:

– Parabens
– Sulfates 
– Phthalates

What it does have:

-Grape Seed Oil: Moisturizing.
-Essential Oils of Juniper Berries, Geranium, and Rosemary: Toning.
-Essential Oil of Lemon and Lemongrass: Draining.
-Essential Oil of Cypress: Stimulates Circulation.

 

Caudalie Contouring Concentrate is impressive. It leaves skin looking better and firmer. There is a definite difference in the skins appearance. It also smells great. While we can’t say that you will lose inches, your skin will look more toned and even. It is also a 100% natural product so nothing toxic is going into the skin. That combined with the visible difference it makes to the skin makes this body oil impressive indeed.

You can buy Caudalie Contouring Concentrate from Selfridges.com

 

 

 

The Saatchi & Saatchi Guide To Mobile Marketing By Tom Eslinger Review

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The Saatchi & Saatchi Guide To Mobile Marketing By Tom Eslinger is worth it’s weight in gold. It’s actual weight in gold, because it is basically free marketing advice from Saatchi & Saatchi. Mobile is the way forward: 50 per cent of all unique e-mail opens now occur on mobile devices, one half of all local searches are done on mobile devices and mobile commerce accounted for an estimated 15 per cent of total e-commerce sales in 2013. It is fair to say that if you are not utilising the mobile version of your site you are missing out, losing visitors and sales.

mobilemarketing

This book is useful and practical. It is not text-heavy and full of jargon, it is easy to read and navigate. Above all, this book leaves you educated instead of adrift. The mobile market is no longer a strange place, this book demystifies everything and leaves you with the knowledge to make the most out of your business. Essential reading.

 

Mobile phones and tablets aren’t like computers or TV or any other media channel or hardware technology that came before them. They’re personal—your mobile device is yours alone, the place where you go from work to play to socializing with the swipe of a finger. They’re portable—your mobile device goes wherever you go, and can connect you to almost anything, anywhere. Put together, these features come together to make mobile powerful—the most potent communication and marketing channel available to marketers today. How do you get onto your audience’s mobile, deeply engage them and have the privilege of staying there? Mobile Magic, by mobile marketing expert and Saatchi & Saatchi’s Worldwide Director of Digital & Social Tom Eslinger, takes you from the practical points of development and through to production, content strategy, content management and how to market your digital and social campaigns. You’ll learn how to understand your audience and how to maintain your mobile initiatives. This book will guide you in executing winning mobile strategies for your business. Written especially with marketers new to mobile in mind, Mobile Magic is your key to the wide world of apps, mobile websites, integrated campaigns, social media and cross-platform thinking and strategies that every marketer needs to know.

 

Mobile Magic: The Saatchi and Saatchi Guide to Mobile Marketing and Design is available here.

 

 

CANNES 2012 PREVIEW

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The most prestigious and coveted film festival on the planet is upon us as filmmakers, stars and journalists descend on the southern French seaside resort to view and critique some of the most anticipated films of the year. Of course I cannot be going myself; the rigour of the festival is said to drive even the most dedicated of film journalists to the edge let alone a beginner. But I can definitely cast my eye over the selection and pick ten of them that have caught my and other cinefiles eyes. Some of these have confirmed UK release dates, others do not. Either way the calibre of these titles should see them generating plenty of buzz before their arrival on these shores.

MOONRISE KINGDOM

The seventh feature from the king of idiosyncratic American indie cinema Wes Anderson is a period piece set in the mid sixties following two runaway teenagers in love and the haphazard search party that sets out after them. Anderson stalwarts Bill Murray and Jason Schwartzman are joined by newcomers Bruce Willis, Edward Norton and Frances McDormand to name a few. Anderson’s exceptionally detailed, designed and witty directorial style may not be to all tastes but for fans of his work this is set to tick all the boxes.

LOVE

Austrian master of discomfort Michael Haneke returns to France for a tale of a couple who must care for the wife’s elderly parents. French acting legend Isabelle Huppert appears alongside William Shimmel of the magnificent Certified Copy in what would appear to be a more gentle approach for Haneke. Those familiar with his work however, will be prepared for terrible things to happen.

KILLING THEM SOFTLY

The Assassination of Jesse James was one of the most criminally underrated films of recent years so hopes are high for director Andrew Dominik and star Brad Pitt’s reunion in this gritty crime thriller about an underworld investigation into a card game heist co starring Sam Shepard, Richard Jenkins, James Gandolfini and Ray Liotta. Pitt appeared in last year’s big Cannes winner The Tree Of Life. Can he make it two in a row?

COSMOPOLIS

Robert Pattinson has the hearts of millions of Twilight fans and now we find out if he can win critical acclaim in Canadian maestro David Cronenberg’s twisted thriller about a young elitist yuppie travelling across New York City for a designer haircut and getting caught up in a dystopian, cultural revolution. Imagine a science-fiction take on American Psycho.

GRANDMASTERS

Wong Kar- wai has had glory at Cannes before with his visually lush and unconventional takes on traditional genre features with In The Mood For Love and Chungking Express. Now he turns his fine eye to a classic martial arts tale (based on the Ip Man series) with Asian superstar Tony Leung pulling all the moves.

RUST AND BONE

Jacques Audiard is known for his poetic yet brutal dramas such as A Prophet and The Beat My Heart Skipped. Hopes are high for this dramatic tale of a marine park worker crippled in an accident who finds solace with an immigrant bouncer. The magnificent Marion Cotillard plays the lead and after being sadly relegated in recent American roles she may have to clear space next to her first Oscar for La Vie En Rose…

LIKE SOMEONE IN LOVE

Abbas Kiarostami is a master of blurring the line between fiction and cinematic construct and recently had glory at Cannes with Certified Copy. Here he heads to Japan, focusing on the relationship between an aging academic and a student side-lining as a prostitute. Whatever the context of their relationship the director’s previous work dictates that appearances can be deceiving.

ON THE ROAD

Jack Kerouac’s seminal road journey novel has been rolling around studios for years and now Walter Salles of the excellent road movie The Motorcycle Diaries turns his attention to the tale of two young men making their way across fifties America. Sam Riley of the the brilliant Control appears alongside Kirsten Stewart, Kirsten Dunst, Viggo Mortensen, Elisabeth Moss and Steve Buscemi. For the cast alone this is a must see.

LAWLESS

Reminiscent of his gritty western The Proposition, Australian director John Hillcot’s latest is another tale of outlaw brothers (here in prohibition era America) whose familial bonds are pushed to the limit by the pursuing lawmen and each other. Again this is a stellar cast; Tom Hardy, Guy Pearce, Jessica Chastain and Gary Oldman to name just a few.

THE ANGEL’S SHARE

Britain’s poet of the people Ken Loach is another Cannes stalwart and this appears to balance the mix between gentle humour and gritty realism of his previous work and concerns a young tearaway who finds a chance at redemption and success in the surprisingly sophisticated world of whisky brewing and selling.

The Cannes Film Festival runs from 16 May to 27 May.