Blue Chip Kids by David W. Bianchi

The Blurb On The Back:

The how-to guide to the world of money and investing.

Blue Chip Kids: What Every Child (And Parent) Should Know About Money, Investing, And The Stock Market is a fun and easy-to-understand introduction to the world of money and investing for kids and parents. Frustrated by the lack of entertaining financial teaching materials for his 13-year-old son, this book is the result of a father’s commitment to pass on one of life’s most important skills. Written by David W. Bianchi – an investor and lawyer with an economics degree from Tufts University – this hands-on resource demystifies the basic principles about money matters and shows what it takes to spend, save, and invest wisely.

Filled with simple examples and numerous illustrations, this easy-to-read book discusses money and investing in 100 bite-size topics.

For every parent who wants their children to develop the skills to invest wisely and become responsible money managers, regular savers, and to earn money while they sleep, this book is a must have.

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

When David Bianchi couldn’t find a suitable book to help him to explain the basics of finance and investing to his 13-year-old son, Trent, he decided to write one and roped in his nephew, Kyle, to do the illustrations. The result is a readable and easy-to-understand guide that covers a very wide range of topics including:
- methods of payment,
- what the stock market is and how it operates (including technical information on put/call options, margins and associated terminology),
- stock options,
- bonds and certificates of deposit,
- funds and how they work,
- basic company analysis,
- the basics of borrowing money,
- venture capital and private capital,
- retirement savings.
Although it’s a very US-centric book, the basics covered here apply globally and while I think Bianchi’s refusal to sully the book with politics is laudable, I would like to have seen a bit more discussion of the funding of social security and public pensions and attitudes to the same. Ultimately though, this is a good way of introducing your teen to concepts of finance and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone looking for a starting place.

BLUE CHIP KIDS: WHAT EVERY CHILD (AND PARENT) SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MONEY, INVESTING, AND THE STOCK MARKET was released in the United Kingdom on 19th May 2015. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the review copy of this book.

The Bones Beneath by Mark Billingham

The Blurb On The Back:

The deal.

Tom Thorne is back in charge – but there’s a terrifying price to pay. Stuart Nicklin, the most dangerous psychopath he has ever put behind bars, promises to reveal the whereabouts of a body he buried twenty-five years before. But only if Thorne agrees to escort him.

The danger.

Unable to refuse, Thorne gathers a team and travels to a remote Welsh island, at the mercy of the weather and cut off from the mainland. Thorne is determine to get the job done and return home before Nicklin can outwit them.

The deaths.

But Nicklin knows this island well and has had time to plan ahead. Soon, new bodies are added to the old, and Thorne finds himself facing the toughest decision he has ever had to make …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The twelfth in Mark Billingham’s excellent TOM THORNE SERIES is a well-constructed psychological thriller that sees Nicklin and Thorne resume the game of cat and mouse that began with SCAREDY CAT. The mystery here all lies in trying to work out what Nicklin’s game is as he takes Thorne and his crew to Bardsey Island, off the Welsh coast. Although we learn more of Nicklin’s early life – his time spent in an experimental youth offender home and his friendship with a naïve young man called Simon – I did think those scenes slowed down the otherwise nail biting plot. Nicklin’s always been a creepy and ruthless enemy and he’s really allowed to enjoy himself here – his exchanges with Thorne ramp up the tension, especially because Thorne’s hamstrung in his ability to respond and Nicklin knows that. Also interesting is a possible romantic temptation for Tom in his team, which I wish had been explored further and hope will come up in future books. Where the book is weakest is in some of the detail with regard to how Nicklin set up his plans – as the different strands came together it felt a little too convenient at times and I’d have liked a bit more jeopardy and less inevitability. Given the open ending, this may be something that Billingham comes back to in future books, but to be honest I needed to see it here just so that I could fully buy into the plot. That said, the emotional fall out of Nicklin’s plan is credible and promises to have a continuing effect in the books to come, which I shall definitely be checking out.

Veiled by Benedict Jacka

The Blurb On The Back:

Rebel no more.

Alex Verus is a mage who can see the future, but even he didn’t see this day coming. He’s agreed to join the Keepers, the magical police force, to protect his friends from his old master.

Going legit was always going to be difficult for an outcast like Alex, and there are some Keepers who will do anything to see an ex-Dark mage fail. He finally has the law on his side – but trapped between Light and Dark politics, investigating a seedy underworld with ties to the highest of powers, will a badge be enough to save him?

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

The sixth in Benedict Jacka’s ALEX VERUS SERIES has a filler feel as Jacka concentrates on setting up the political battles going on between Light mages as they respond to the threat from the Dark mage factions, which I enjoyed because it fleshes out Verus’s world. There’s also a degree of set-up in the relationship between Luna and Alex as he realises that he’s reaching his limits as her master but I found the introduction of Dark chance mage Chalice fascinating and I’m really looking forward to seeing the effect she has on their relationship. For all this filler though, there’s still plenty of action and I enjoyed – as ever – the fight scenes and how Alex navigates his way through them. I also welcomed the bigger role for Caldera, a journeyman police officer who does the job the best she can despite internal corruption. I found the introduction of the White Rose group a bit jarring – mainly because there’s been no real mention of it in the previous books and so it took me a while to believe in their power and influence – but also because the sex slavery angle seemed a bit too stereotypical for me and lacked a human angle to give it the punch it needed. Ultimately, there was a lot here for fans of the series and I’m really looking forward to the next book.

The House Of Shattered Wings by Aliette De Bodard

The Blurb On The Back:

A superb murder mystery, on an epic scale, set against the fall out – literally – of a war in heaven.

Paris has survived the Great Magicians War – just. Its streets are lined with haunted ruins, Notre-Dame is a burn-out shell, and the Seine runs black with ashes and rubble. Yet life continues among the wreckage. The citizens continue to live, love, fight and survive in their war-torn city, and The Great Houses still vie for dominion over the once grand capital.

House Silverspires, previously the leader of those power games, lies in disarray. Its magic is ailing; its founder, Morningstar, has been missing for decades; and now something from the shadows stalks its people inside their very own walls.

Within the House, three very different people must come together: a naïve but powerful Fallen, an alchemist with a self-destructive addiction, and a resentful young man wielding spells from the Far East. They may be Silverspires’ salvation. They may be the architects of its last, irreversible fall …

( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )

The Verdict:

Aliette de Bodard’s fantasy novel is a gothic mix of GAME OF THRONES meets PARADISE LOST and while I really liked the mythology underpinning this war-wracked world, the murder mystery left me cold. De Bodard uses a number of narrators to track through the events, including Philippe, Selene, Isabelle and Madelaine (an alchemist taken in by Silverspires from the ambitious House Hawthorne) but they don’t all get sufficient page time to develop. This is especially the case with Madelaine and Isabelle, who are one note and appear to be there more to service the plot than to influence it. This is countered in part by Philippe, who is a fascinating character who has lost everything he knows and loathes the House system and all it stands for – in fact, I wanted to know more about him as de Bodard gives hints as to his previous life but not details, e.g. what he did to get throne out of the court of the Immortals. I found the politics fascinating, particularly the rivalry and balance between the competing houses and the rise of Asmodeus who leads House Hawthorne after committing a bloody coup and I would have loved to have learned more about Claire, who leads House Legion and who clearly knows more than she is letting on. The big issue though is the murder mystery, which lacks pace and urgency and, critically, doesn’t involve much actual investigating, instead consisting of characters reacting to the series of events and running away from them. Ultimately while there were aspects that I enjoyed, ultimately this novel doesn’t quite live up to its ambition for me.