Lion's Bride

ISBN-13: 9780553569902
Publisher: Bantam Books
Published: February 1996
451 pgs

I was sure I could not finish reading this book before the year ends, but I was glad I did. To be honest, I did not give this book any thoughts until I stumbled upon this author's new release, The Treasure, which was released in hardcover this month. Since The Treasure is a sequel to this book, I figure I should read this first although both books could be read as stand-alone.

Anyway, this is a classic historical romance sets in the 12th century in Constantinople where gender differences and slavery are not uncommon. And of course there are the battles that endanger everyone's life in the village.

Thea of Dimas, the heroine in this story, run away from the House of Nicholas where she is kept imprisoned and hoping to set foot in Damascus to start her own embroidery business. Meanwhile, she is also planning to free her younger sister, Selene and she is waiting for the right time to strike. After her caravan where she seeks refuge is destroyed, she encounters a dark warrior Lord Ware during her journey to Damascus. Feeling dead exhausted and almost dying from thirst, Thea is sure she would embrace death in no time but the brooding and powerful Lord Ware rescued her, with some coaxing from his right-hand man cum friend, Kadar. He took her to his desert fortress in Dundragon despite her refusal.

Lord Ware wastes no time in her defensive behaviour, for he is pressed with other critical issues like battles and being hunted by the Knights Templar after his discovery of their secret Lion Throne. However, it seems that his enemies have found his weakness by killing those who are close to him. Thea is a strong woman with a mind of her own; she refuses to take orders from an arrogant man like Lord Ware but once she realized and understand what Lord Ware had gone through, she stays by his side after he has promised to free her sister on her behalf. And although there is always danger lurking around the corner, still they cannot fight the attraction they have for each other as the days goes by. I think there is no need for me to elaborate further as I figure the readers could very well imagine what would happen towards the end.

I think I would have enjoyed Lion's Bride more if I were to read this book a few years back. Probably because I have not been reading a lot of historical romances lately, hence they have somehow lost its touch to me. Still, I think the premise and the characters are great, although I have to admit that reading about the women who were being treated badly and unfairly at those times are disturbing. Lord Ware strikes me as a man who may appear cold on the exterior, but actually he has a soft heart. I also enjoyed reading about Thea's younger sister, Selene and Kadar, whom the latter was asked to rescue Selene by Lord Ware. And this is where their story will be told in Iris Johansen's latest release, The Treasure. I am looking forward to reading the sequel; and I am also hoping that I would be reading more historical romance in the coming year. I cannot promise I will, but at least reading this book is a good start.

Finally, I want to wish everyone a Happy and Prosperous New Year!

Christmas Getaway

ISBN-13: 9780373837298
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: November 2008
282 pgs

From the backcover:

Take Eloise. First she's kidnapped by Santa, and now she's camping out in an abandoned lighthouse with the most infuriatingly intoxicating cop she's ever met. Is she sleeping with the enemy…or the man destined to make her Mrs. Claus?

Meanwhile Jean is abducted to a remote ranch, stuck teaching a handsome Texas Ranger how to enjoy a little sensual Christmas cheer.

And Molly? Her nuptials are shot up and her fiancé's a no-show, but when she arrives at a supposedly private Australian hideaway to recoup, she's not alone… and the heat is enough to melt the mere memory of a white Christmas.

Three women, connected by friendship and fate, are taking cover…with men sexy enough to unwrap!

Claus and Effect by Anne Stuart

Boston Police officer James "Fitz" Fitzpatrick is on the run after he has shot another cop out of defense. His ex-partner, Barber was involved in covering up a multimillion-dollar jewel robbery and he and the others have every intention of getting rid of Fitz. Fitz thought Dr. Eloise Pollar will provide all the answers to the mess he had stumbled into, after all he has seen her attending to Erica's funeral, whom he believed Erica and her husband were both dead due to the connection of the robbery case.

Meanwhile, Eloise is busily preparing for her wedding to Richard and having her wedding dress altered at a mall when there is an emergency evacuation. During the chaos, someone dressed as Santa abducts her. Eloise did not think it is funny to be abducted by Santa, but after she found out he was shot and apparently on the run, she stayed with him despite the danger. After all, she is a doctor and making sure her patients are well and alive is her job. Although she did manage to help Fitz about his gunshot wounds, but could she help herself from falling in love with him?

Caught at Christmas by Tina Leonard

Librarian Jean Norville is the maid of honor of Molly, her best friend's marriage at the Southfork Texas Wedding Chapel. However, chaos broke when shots are fired and everyone scrambled for safety. It seems that the Boston's IA Department is investigating the possibility that Connor O'Bannion, Molly's husband-to-be, and the other cop and a few other bad cops got wind of a diamond theft and in the takedown killed the real thief and kept the stones for themselves. Molly's handsome brother, Sam Broadbent who is a Texas Ranger offers to protect Jean and leads her away from the chaotic scene. Jean does not need any help from anyone but Sam thinks otherwise, not after she has accidentally walked into O'Bannion heated telephone coversation with someone.

They then meets Len Hughes, a helpful trucker after their car's tyre had been hit and he gives them a ride and offer an accommodation at his cabin. Jean could run away from whoever someone who is after her but could she run away from a sexy ranger like Sam, after all the attraction they have for each other?

Candy Canes and Crossfire by Marion Lennox

Sam Broadbent's sister, Molly is getting all ready for her marriage to Connor O'Bannion at the Southfork Texas Wedding Chapel but unfortunately, her wedding ceremony is disrupted by gunfire. In truth, Molly could see little point to this wedding. Although she and O'Bannion had been together for three years, she felt she knew very little of him except that he is a cop with the Boston P.D., and that they have to get married if he is to move up in the force. As for Molly, being a corporate lawyer she is aware that having a partner in her life would make her seem reliable and respectable in her profession.

Meanwhile, Joe Cartland did not want to do anything with Christmas or weddings but when her nephew and nieces bribed him into attending O'Bannion's wedding, who happens to be their late father's cousin, he has no choice but to agree, after all he is their only uncle. And it proved that his attendance is a bad choice when there is a gunfire and he has to knock someone down in the middle of the rosebushes to keep her from being shot.

As much as he wanted to keep Molly out of harm's way, Joe needed to get his nephew and nieces out of the place so they agree to find refuge at their parents' holiday house in Queensland, Australia. However, someone also told Molly that there is a house vacant in Australia and perhaps she could go there as a recoup from this unfortunate event.

Could Joe and Molly stay peacefully under one roof, together with his three preadolescent nephew and nieces?

* * *

Christmas Getaway consists of three inter-related novellas about three different women finding their true love during their 'escapade'. Although I enjoyed reading all three novellas, there is not enough intense and chemistry between the characters but I understand this is only an anthology and it would be unfair to compare this with other novels with more well-developed characters and plots. I have to say Anne Stuart's Clause and Effect stood out from the others because her story is fast-paced and humourous. Christmas Getaway is a fun and entertaining read and it is a good book to curl up with during this festive season.

Note: I want to thank Alice for agreeing to read this anthology with me. As usual, it was fun and I am looking forward to reading more books with her (and Julia) in the near future!

Merry Christmas to all!

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

ISBN-13: 9780545128285
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Published: December 2008
111 pgs


From the backcover:

The Tales of Beedle the Bard, a Wizarding classic, first came to Muggle readers’ attention in the book known as Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Now, thanks to Hermione Granger’s new translation from the ancient runes, we present this stunning edition with an introduction, notes, and illustrations by J. K. Rowling, and extensive commentary by Albus Dumbledore. Never before have Muggles been privy to these richly imaginative tales: “The Wizard and the Hopping Pot,” “The Fountain of Fair Fortune,” “The Warlock’s Hairy Heart,” “Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump,” and of course, “The Tale of the Three Brothers.” But not only are they the equal of fairy tales we now know and love, reading them gives new insight into the world of Harry Potter.

This is a must-have book for Harry Potter fans. On the other hand, anyone may read this book as it is a stand-alone from other Harry Potter series. This book consists of a collection of five imaginative wizarding tales, accompanied by some illustrations done by J.K. Rowling herself. The readers also get to read the wise Professor Albus Dumbledore's insightful thoughts through the commentary at the end of each story, including a few explanations of his own. Some of them give us a glimpse of his humorous side, which I think is fitting to his personality.

Each tale is a delightful read. What I find most meaningful about this book is, there is a moral/lesson to be learned behind every story.

The Wizard and The Hopping Pot is a tale about compassion, and how a young wizard overcome his arrogance and selfishness by a magical pot his dead father has left behind. The Fountain of Fair Fortune is about three witches and a knight who find themselves battling their way towards the magical fountain which is believed will bring fortune to one fortunate person between the hours of sunrise and sunset on the longest day once in a year. It is a wonderful tale of sharing and determination.

The Warlock's Hairy Heart is a dark tale focuses on love when a young warlock decided to lock his heart after seeing his friends became foolish after they have fallen in love but things are not the same again after he has changed his mind and unlock his heart. Babbitty Rabbitty and Her Cackling Stump and The Tale of the Three Brothers focus issues such as wits and that death is inevitable.

J.K. Rowling has weaved another winner in this short stories collection. I enjoyed the five wonderful tales in this book; each one is unique and so meaningful. I have to say The Fountain of Fair Fortune and The Tale of the Three Brothers are my favourites among all. The only thing I find disappointing is, the five tales are too short and I hope there are more tales collected in this book. Nevertheless, reading this book has made me want to continue reading Harry Potter series again. I am looking forward to reading Book 3 - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban in the near future (although I had watched all the movies to-date).

Note: Buy this book as a support to the Children's High Level Group (CHLG). From every sale of this book, Scholastic will give is net proceeds to the CHLG, a charity cofounded in 2005 by J.K. Rowling and Baroness Nicholson of Winterbourne, MEP.

Other blogs reviews:
Dolce Bellezza
In Spring it is the Dawn
Hello, My Name is Alice
Out of the Blue
Stella Matutina
Things Mean A Lot
5-Squared
(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

Dewey:The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World

ISBN-13: 9780446407410
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Published: September 2008
277 pgs


From the blurb:

How much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved library cat of Spencer, Iowa.

Dewey's story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most.

As his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally, amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history.

Dewey (Dewey Readmore Books, as in full) was not your ordinary cat. Named in honour of the Dewey Decimal System, he was discovered by Vicki Myron, a library director of the Spencer Public Library on a frigid January morning in 1988. Someone had dropped him into the library's returned book slot and let him freezes there, but this cruel act did not stop Dewey from trusting people in future, in fact he let people petted him, squeezed him, fondled him and never showed any signs of biting or getting away. Vicki decided to keep him, and he became the first library cat of Spencer Public Library.

But this is not all about Dewey, there is also story of Spencer, the small town and how the farm crisis of the 1980s affected the residents, and the farmers in particular and how they had rebuild and made things seem right and normal again. Dewey was an inspiration to them all, because he made them believe that a terrible event may turn out to be the best thing that ever happened, just like the way he survived through the bitterly cold night and ended up as the library cat. His confidence, his trust and his sociality charmed most library patrons, both children and adults.

Not only did Dewey bring hope to Spencer, but he also reached out to the people as well when they were feeling a loss of confidence or simply having a bad day. Dewey seemed to be able to know their moods and he would jump into their laps and allow them to pet him. Occasionally, he was being pushed away but rejection never deterred him. Then things started to change; the older patrons who came to the library to flip through magazines or browse for books started to show up more frequently and stayed in the library longer. And their conversations would lead towards Dewey. There was one scenario of a man who looked through the job listings in the library and he was always quiet and unflappable, and whenever Dewey approached him, he would push him away until one day, Dewey was sitting on his lap and the man was smiling for the first time, even though there was sadness in his eyes. This was a fine example how much impact Dewey had made on people. He was always so warming and trusting.

There was a stage where Vicki experienced an emotional distance with her teenaged daughter, Jodi and it was Dewey which brought their relations closer again. There was also a time when Vicki found out there were lumps in her breasts and she needed to have a surgery. Dewey's company made the difference as he would sit on her and snuggled in her arms. Soon news of him began to spread worldwide and the media started to take notice of him.

Alas, old age is slowly creeping on Dewey and he began to show signs of loss of hearing and sickness. The library board directors were concerned about these but Vicki had argued and explained that old cats, or even older people have something to teach everyone, or at least to ourselves if not about the world. In the end, Dewey stayed. It was only towards the end when I read about Dewey's death that set tears to my eyes. His story, his life journey and what he had done to the people had touched me, but that is not all, I was equally moved by Vicki's story as well. A purr-fect and inspiring read which I highly recommend to anyone, cat lover or not.

Wild for Him

ISBN-13: 9780425221976
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Published: June 2008
309 pgs

From the back cover:

Ex-Marine and security agent Ben Cabrera isn't going to complain about his latest assignment: protecting the daughter of a gubernatorial candidate. After all, spending 24/7 with Christy Delacroix isn't exactly a chore. But it turns out that Christy's seduction tatics are top-notch - and it soon becomes impossible to keep things strictly professional...

Christy is an uptown girl who's spent her whole life being perfect. Now she just wants to have fun. And who better to have fun with than the gorgeous guy hired to protect her around the clock? They're utterly wild for each other - in and out of the bedroom - but will Christy be able to convince Ben to give her the kind of pleasure that lasts a lifetime?

Without a doubt, this is a sensual romance novel just by glancing at its cover and the title. I was mulling what to read the other day when this book caught my attention while I simply browsing through my TBR pile. It was a pity that I was not able to get a glimpse of the cover model, but that is not the main point. The fact is, I have not been reading romance for some time so I thought this book would fit for my next reading after a sci-fi novel I had read.

Frankly speaking, although I do not think the premise is original (the bodyguard falling in love with his client or vice versa), but I think the main characters in this story made it an interesting read. The couple have known each other when Christy's father hired Ben as his bodyguard. Both of them have their own ugly past they could not forget - Ben lost his ex-fiancée during the Iraq War while Christy is recovering from a horrific relationship with a man whom her mother thinks her marriage to him will benefit both families. Getting sick of everything and her life, Christy wants to do something for her own - starting with flirting and having some fun with her sexy bodyguard whom her father has assigned to protect her after the election is over.

Ben takes his job seriously and never mix business with pleasure, but Christy is not making things easy for him. She asked him to pose as her boyfriend to ward off the attention from Craig, her persistent suitor and also to protect her from her ex-fiancé Jason who received a restraining order to keep away from her. It was at this time that both of them succumb to passion as they could not fight the attraction they have for each other. Then, the story moves on to another level when Jason became a threat and someone else sent a package filled with snakes to Christy.

Though I find the story to be fast-paced, there is not much suspense as compared to the sensual and the romance element and one may easily guess who is behind those threats. All in all, it is an entertaining and a wonderful romantic story.

Grimspace

ISBN-13: 9780441015993
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Inc.
Published: March 2008
312 pgs

Sirantha Jax carries a rare gene which allows her to jump ships through grimspace. It is a talent that makes her a highly prized nagivator for the Corp. which she is working for but one that will also cuts into her life expectancy.

When the ship she is nagivating crashes, she is accused of killing everyone on board. But the worse thing is, she has no memory of the crash, thus leaving her in jail. Imprisoned and defenceless, she has began to lose hope until a man called March breaks into her cell and rescue her. He has offered her freedom but at a price, for he needs her to help his small band of rogue fighters to break the Corp. monopoly and also to establish a new breed of jumper. Jax grasps the chance, for there is nothing better than to sit in the cell and waiting for whatever has in store for her. Although Jax hates March's arrogance and guts, she has no choice but to work closely with him being his jumper, and he her pilot. After all, pilots and jumpers are bonded in a sense that they are able to have a mental connection. Though still mourning for Kai, her ex-pilot and lost lover, she could not help but to compare him with March and soon, they are drawn to each other.

Grimspace is a sci-fi fantasy thrown in with a little romance. The story is quite engaging and entertaining with a cast of interesting characters. I enjoyed reading everything about Jax and March, from the beginning how they hate each other's guts to the attraction they feel for each other in the end. Dina, the mechanic in their group is another interesting character to read although I find her blunt and can be a little bitchy in my opinion. I am not a huge sci-fi fan but I thought this story is intense and original.

Grimspace is the first installment of The Jax series and the next installment Wanderlust has already released in August. I am sure sci-fi fans will not want to miss this series.

Fangland

ISBN-13: 9780099502777
Publisher: Vintage Books
Published: 2007
385 pgs

The story begins with the protagonist, Evangeline Harker happily engaged to her boyfriend and is looking forward to their wedding and honeymoon. But there is other thing in her mind besides the wedding preparations, for she is requested to travel to Transylvania to cover a story on a notorious Eastern European crime boss named Ion Torgu given her job as an associate producer on a television news magazine The Hour.

Despite her wedding plans and all, she went ahead for the interview thinking this is a chance of a great story she would not missed. She met a fellow young American lady by the name of Clementine "Clemmie" Spence when she stopped over in Bucharest. Along the way, Clemmie told her she is affiliated with an organization called World Ministries Central and their work included a few exorcisms; she also told her terrifying tales about her work in Africa as they shared a rental car to Transylvania. Evangeline does not really trust Clemmie and thinks she has something to hide. Before leaving, Clemmie left a necklace with a tiny metal cross in an envelope to Evangeline but the latter thinks nothing about it and move on. She finally gets to meet the infamous Torgu and he drives her to his spooky hotel where they would negotiate about the interview and his appearance on screen.

Evangeline then realizes there is something strange about the hotel and soon, she found out the horror fact that Torgu is actually a vampire. She managed to make an escape but she became a different person with a dark, new self.

Things back in the New York offices is not going on well and Evangeline's disappearance is making everyone antsy. They have bad feelings after receiving some tapes from Romania but nothing appears on the tapes except an empty wooden chair. By now, all these unexplainable events have put on a strain on everyone in the office and some of the staff seem to be affected by a strange virus. The nightmare has just begun.

Unlike other vampire novels, Fangland is a dark, literary vampire story with a modern take. It is suspenseful and gruesome and although the characters are engaging, I did not feel connected or sympathetic towards them. Towards the middle of the novel, the story is told through various viewpoints in the forms of e-mails, diary entries and journals which I think did not really match up with the fast pace as told from Evangeline's perspective in the beginning. At some times, I was also frustrated with Evangeline and thought she should have avoided some unfortunate scenarios but yet I also admired her wits and courage during the escape. Although I was disappointed with this novel, I have to applaud the author for this intriguing and imaginative horror tale with a new twist as so often compared to Bram Stoker's Dracula.

Other blog review:
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

Lolita

ISBN-13: 9780679723165
Publisher: Random House, Inc.
Published: 1997
317 pgs

From the back cover:

Awe and exhilaration - along with heartbreak and mordant wit - abound in Lolita, Vladimir Nabokov's most famous and controversial novel, which tells the story of the aging Humbert Humbert's obsessive, devouring, and doomed passion for the nymphet Dolores Haze. Most of all, it is a meditation on love - love as outrage and hallucination, madness and transformation.

Narrated by Humbert Humbert, this is a memoir of his obsession and his 'relationship' with a 12-year-old girl, Dolores Haze (Lolita).

Frankly speaking, I was not sure if I wanted to read this book from the beginning, but I read a few reviews from other bookbloggers and thought this would make a good literary read despite the shocking subject. Thus, I picked up this book. So how did I feel after reading it? I was truly taken aback and yet amazed that the author was able to write this sensitive and controversial issue and turned it into a beautiful literary masterpiece.

No matter how disturbing the story is, yet I was taken in by the prose and the language and got sucked into this story. Humbert Humbert is indeed a sick man. I have no other word to describe of him. His motive for marrying Dolores' mother to get closer to the girl further tells how perverted and obsessed he is. But the worse thing is, he does not even feel remorse about everything.

On the other hand, is Dolores as innocent as what the readers think she is? Is she the seducer instead of the seducee? Someone may argue that this could be a true love story if the readers could view it from another angle. Maybe. But still I cannot imagine or accept this 'relationship' because the girl is young enough to be his daughter! I could see no purpose of this storytelling except to admit it is a great literary fiction. Lolita is an unforgettable reading experience for me but this will not stop me from reading the rest of Vladimir Nabokov's books in future.

Other blogs reviews:

Adventures in Reading

Book-a-rama

Rhinoa's Ramblings

Things Mean A Lot

(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

Christmas Jars

ISBN: 1590384814
Publisher: Shadow Mountain
Published: 2005
122 pgs

From the back cover:

Hope Jensen is a young, single woman and an aspiring newspaper writer, and when she receives a much-needed but anonymous Christmas gift, she's determined to find her benefactor. That search leads her to an unusual family with a longstanding Christmas tradition. Sensing a front-page feature article, Hope desperately wants to publish their story, but doing so would be a breach of trust. What she decides to do will change her life forever.

Destined to become a classic Christmas tale, Christmas Jars is a heartwarming story that will restore your faith in mankind and make you want to start your own Christmas Jar tradition.

Louise Jensen is expecting a quiet and peaceful Christmas Eve, just like it had been for her for the previous years. However, something, or someone unusual expecting for her when she dines alone at Chuck's Chicken 'n' Biscuits, the usual place where she always spent her Christmas Eve dinner. Seeing the abandoned baby behind her booth and knowing this was no random moment, Louise reaches out to her and decides to bring her home, naming her Hope.

Hope Jensen turns out to be a cheerful and bright little girl; she has big dreams of being a newspaper writer and aimed to be the next great American journalist besides Bernstein, Woodward and Graham. Through patience and hard work, she works her way up slowly. Just when things seem bright and hopeful for her, Louise told her she has cancer. But this news does not discourage them any further as they continue to be positive and supportive of each other. Unfortunately, Louise lose the battle in the end.

Feeling loss and sad, Hope turns to her work and work even harder than before. Then it happened one night someone broke into her apartment and stole away her things. After making a report and the police collected all the evidence, she finds a brown sack sitting inside the open apartment door. It is large glass jar filled with money.

Curious and eager to find out who and why someone left the money jar with her, she decided to do a little investigation and write a story on it, and hoping that one day it will make it to the front page. It then leads her to the Maxwell family, and soon Hope gets closer to the family as they share with her stories about their Christmas Jars and how they started this tradition. But writing this story will be a breach of trust and in the end, what she did and the moral behind this little story will touch your heart and makes you think of the Christmas spirit and the power of giving.

Though the story a little short in my opinion, the message behind this story is both heartwarming and a powerful one. The Christmas Jar tradition really interests me and I might want to start one myself one day. This is a true Christmas classic which I will find myself reading again and again during the festive seasons.

Other blog review:
Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic

The Society of S

ISBN-13: 9781416534587
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: April 2008
304pgs

"Love is a form of biological cooperation in which the emotions of each are necessary to the fulfillment of the other's instinctive purposes." ~ Bertrand Russell (Quoted from The Society of S - pg 104)

Ariella Montero's life is very different from the other girls her age (she is thirteen). Homeschooled by her father, she is taught in most subjects but yet when it comes to the real world, she knows not much of it and its complexities as she has been living a sheltered life since the day she was born. She has no friends except her father's assistant, Dennis and the housekeeper, Mrs McGarritts, and then there is her passion for Edgar Allan Poe's and Jack Kerouac's works which she shared with her father.

She often wonders about her mother and though she has lots of questions in her mind, her father either gives vague replies or only indulge little information whenever she asked him about her mother. She only knows her mother has gone missing after giving birth to her. Aside from this, she also has questions about her father's project in his laboratory and then, about her identity since she knew her father is a vampire.

Sensing her loneliness and feeling she is in need of friends, Mrs McG finally convinced Ariella's father to let Ariella come home with her to meet her family. This acquaintance opens a whole new world to Ariella as Kathleen introduced her to things she has not experienced. They soon became fast friends.

Alas, these happy moments do not last for long when murder took her friend away. Feeling loss and with a dozen questions in her mind, Ariella decides to leave home to search for her mother. And so this begins her journey she will not forget as she will soon learn about the secret of her family history and the answer on her real identity.

While reading The Society of S, I was most fascinated by the gothic premise and how it breaks away from the stereotypes. Susan Hubbard has a unique voice and I really enjoyed that anticipation feeling as the story slowly unfolds and the mystery about her mother finally reveals in the last part of the story.

I was most intrigued by Ariella's parents due to their secret past; and Ariella is a likeable character whom I find her intelligent and very independent for her age. She impressed me with her vast knowledge of Edgar Allan Poe's poetries and I enjoyed reading those scenes where she recited them with her father during the lessons.

I am definitely looking forward to reading the sequel, The Year of Disappearances, where this intriguing tale shall continue.

Other blog review:
Bookgirl's Nightstand
(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

Two Caravans

ISBN-13: 9780670916382
Publisher: Fig Tree (Penguin Books)
Published: 2007
310 pgs


There is a field - a broad south-sloping field sitting astride a long hill that curves away into a secret leafy valley. It is sheltered by dense hedges of hawthorn and hazel threaded through with wild roses and evening-scented honeysuckle. In the mornings, a light breeze carries up over the Downs, just enough to kiss the air with the fresh salty tang of the English Channel. In fact so delightful is the air that, sitting up here, you might think you were in paradise. And in the field are two caravans, a men's caravan and a women's caravan. ~ An excerpt from Two Caravans


This is a story about a little group of migrant workers and their journey across England in pursuing for a better future. It does not matter that they came from various countries - Ukraine, Poland, China and Malaysia as all of them share the same dream though for different reasons.

Irina, a young Ukrainian girl wants to learn English and find her true love with an Englishman because she finds them romantic. Andriy, another Ukrainian and a miner's son does not want to follow his late father's footstep of being a coalminer. And then, there is Tomasz and Yola from Poland, and Marta who is Yola's niece. Emanuel, an eighteen-year-old boy from Malawi who come to England to look for his sister, and two Chinese girls from China and Malaysia. And then, there is Vitaly from Moldova.

They live in tiny and cramped caravans and feed very little for their meals and worst of all, they are underpaid. Mr Leapish, the field owner is a calculative man and he does not care about their welfare as long as he pays his bills and makes profits. Life goes on as usual until the farmer's wife found out that the husband has an affair with one of the workers and runs him down in her red sports car. Sensing their bleak future and to escape from this disastrous episode, the workers left the field to find other ways to support themselves.

Two of them are lured into the sex industry, while the others find their employment in another strawberry field, a poultry farm and kitchen helpers in a restaurant. They find themselves in woe as the jobs they end up with are either too horrific or unbearable. There are also some descriptive scenes of how chickens are being breed and are badly mauled into the cages before meeting their ends under the butchers' knives that made me shudder.

But not everything is bleak in this story as the two workers from Ukraine find their way out and ends up falling in love with each other. Two Caravans (aka Strawberry Fields) is not entirely a depressing story about the migrant workers' life in other country, but also a gritty and thought-provoking one that brims with comedy. Marina Lewycka has written this novel in a hilarious way that will make you chuckle but yet it tells the true factual life of some migrant workers that they are still facing today. I would also say this is more of a character-driven story than a plot-driven story. I really enjoyed this novel and I am looking forward to reading her other novel, A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian in the near future.

Interview with Marina Lewycka (Loaded Questions with Kelly Hewitt)

The Becoming

ISBN-10: 0441014569
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: December 2006
293 pgs


My name is Anna Strong. I was thirty on my last birthday, and I will be thirty when you read this. In fact, physically I will never be older than thirty no matter how many mortal years I have on this earth. I am vampire. How I became, and what is the nature of my existence, is the reason for this story. I tell it the way it happened so you will learn the truth as I did. It may not be what you expect. ~ Foreword from The Becoming


Anna Strong is a bounty hunter; in other words she is known as a bail enforcement agent. Together with her work partner, David, they are to look for a man who called himself John Donaldson who had skipped out on his bail bond. Unfortunately, the race turned out badly when David is hurt during the search and Anna ends up being attacked by Donaldson unexpectedly when she went out to look for David and Donaldson as she is getting too impatient waiting for David to bring Donaldson while waiting in the car.

The next thing she knew she is lying in the hospital bed with an attractive doctor by her side. Dr Grant Avery is concerned of her overall well being, but that is because he knew she had been turned into a vampire, and in fact he is one of them actually. When Anna came to know about it, she is shocked but she overcame this and took it quite well under the guidance of Dr Avery. With her newly telepathic skills and night vision, Anna vows to find Donaldson for revenge not only for personal reason but he is a threat to others as well.

During this time, Anna is also attracted by Dr Avery despite she is into a relationship with Max, who is mortal and a DEA agent. Their relationship is rather discreet due to his deep undercover operation, and most of the times there is no telling when she will hear from him until he gets in touch with her.

And when her house is burnt to ashes and David has gone missing, naturally her first thought goes to Donaldson but it turns out there is someone behind who is out to get her. To add on to this intrigue, there is also someone whom she dubs 'Casper' who has been helping her in several dangerous situations through telepathic ways, and she will do anything to find out everything by all means.

The Becoming is Jeanne C. Stein's first installment of the Anna Strong series, featuring this heroine from a first person POV. Having read several vampire novels in the past, I find the plot to this story original but most of all it breaks away from the traditional belief of vampires (for example, they have telepathic ability and they are not really afraid of sunlight due to long-term immunity et cetera.) There are more surprises and intrigue as compared to the action scenes in this story; and I quite enjoyed reading Anna Strong being a strong and fearless heroine. I have the rest of the installments in my pile and I definitely look forward to reading them in the near future.

Me and Mr Darcy

ISBN-13: 9780340923740
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
Published: 2007
340 pgs

To you I shall say, as I have often said before,
'Do not be in a hurry, the right man will come at last.'
~ Jane Austen

(Extracted from Me and Mr Darcy)

I am sure fans of Jane Austen will know of this literary well-known couple, Elizabeth Benneth and Mr Darcy, in one of her novels Pride and Prejudice. In this book, author Alexandra Potter featured the famous Mr Darcy into her story and cleverly weaves a humorous yet romantic story of Emily Albright and her other self.

Emily is in her late twenties and works as a bookstore manager in New York. Being a true romantic and a big fan of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, she yearns for a relationship with a gentleman like Mr Darcy but alas, most of the men she met are either losers or are too self-centered.

Her subordinate, Stella, could not stand her losing faith in men and herself, thus she asked her along to a trip in Mexico so both of them could let their hair down and perhaps meet someone along the way. No doubt both women are good friends, she however does not share her younger subordinate's enthusiasm in fashion and views when it comes to men and relationship so she told her she had booked a Austen's literary tour to England as an escape. But the tour turns out to be a disappointment for her as the participants who signed up for the tour are mostly older ladies except a young, arrogant journalist who never fails to infuriate her throughout the whole trip.

Spike Hargreaves, on the other hand is perplexed over why Mr Darcy is being viewed as every woman's fantasy, thus he joined this literary tour as a chance to interview these participants for an article he writes for The Daily Times. Although the tour group fascinates him in a way, he is finding a hard time getting along well with Emily as it seems both of them are at loggerheads over some opinions they had for each other the moment their tour begins. Like a scene taken straight out from Pride and Prejudice, Spike thinks Emily is dull and average-looking, while Emily thinks Spike is nothing but an arrogant man who thinks he knows it all; and to complicate matters, it seems to Emily that Spike is also incorrigible and an unreasonable man based on an incident that involved one of their tour mates and the coach driver.

But as the tour continues and when Emily gets to meet the real Mr Darcy in a subconsciously manner, she could not help but compare him with Spike and towards the end, she will come to a conclusion that pride and prejudice are the factors that ruined her judgement on Spike and what she would do to overcome their differences.

Being a reader and fan of Pride of Prejudice, I find Me and Mr Darcy original and what's more, the bookstore setting and the tour the author described in this story made it a real pleasurable read (especially the museum visit). The subplot story of Stella and her so-called husband is another fun and delightful read. However, one of the things I find most enjoyable about this story is that the author had taken a different scenario and meaning of pride and prejudice and recreated it into a modern day love story. The author has also written another book, Be Careful What You Wish For and I will be looking forward to reading this in the near future.

Other blog review:
Hello, My Name Is Alice
Stephanie's Written Word
(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

What the Lady Wants

ISBN-10: 155166951X
Publisher: Mira
Published: 1995
250pgs


From the blurb:

Mitch Peabody was learning pretty fast that the life of a private detective was not all it was cracked up to be. Cheating husbands, suspicious wives, unsuspecting mistresses -- case after case left him cynical and disillusioned. This was nothing like the world of tough-talking detectives and smart-mouthed, stunning dames he'd envisioned . . . until she walked through the door.

Right down to her stilettos, Mae Sullivan was a knockout with a lethal body -- and a lethal family to go with it. There was something not quite on the up-and-up about her, but she came with a case he couldn't afford to refuse . . . and left him with a case of lust like he hadn't had since high school. It didn't take long for him to fall for her, hook, line and sinker. But was Mae only interested in catching the double-crossing crooks who murdered her uncle . . . or did the lady want to catch him?


It has been some time since I have read a romance novel. So the other day, I pulled out this book from my to-be-read pile because I have read a lot of good reviews about Jennifer Crusie's books.

So what made me pick up this book? Well, I love reading anything about private detectives. There is just something alluring about them, be it the heroes or the heroines. In this story, Mitch Peabody is engaged by the heroine, Mae Sullivan, to find out the death of her Uncle Armand and the mysterious disappearance of his diary.

After seeing nothing but numerous divorce cases, Matt is getting a little tired of his so-called job although it does not hurt he is doing so to win a bet. Just when he thought life is getting him to nowhere, Mae walks into his life (or into his office) and asked him to investigate a case. Mitch is intrigued by her at first glance, but that is because Mae is nothing like the women he met. Mae has the looks but most of all, she has a smart mouth. Mitch is not sure if he should be attracted or annoyed with her witty trait, but he is sure interested to find out more about her, besides the case that is.

What the Lady Wants is a fun read, after all Jennifer Crusie's books are known for their humour. The barb exchanges and the chemistry between Mitch and Mae are entertaining; however as much as I enjoyed this book, Mae's whiny attitude put me off at times. Still, her mob relatives are great supporting characters and they add some 'spice' to the story. I would recommend this book to any readers who wants a sheer escapism and a quick read.

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1. Right now, I'm feeling pretty good.
2. A beautiful scenic place is where I want to be.
3. How does one describe love?
4. My family keeps me on track.
5. Please don't stop reading.
6. My two daughters fills me with joy.
7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to catching up on the TV shows, tomorrow my plans include having a family and friends' gathering at our place and Sunday, I want to spend time with my family!

The Handmaid's Tale

ISBN-10: 038549081X
Publisher: Anchor Books
Published: April 1998
311 pgs

From the blurb:

Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are only valued if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the days before, when she lived and made love with her husband Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now....

Imagine if you are living in the near future, where women are ripped off from freedom and are no longer in control of their bodies, what would you think? Or better still, what would you do? This is exactly what happens in the Republic of Gilead, whereby women are being treated like breeding machines and their movements are strictly controlled. They are divided into different classes and each has her own role to play; e.g. the Wives held the highest 'rank' amongst all women as they are the wives of the Commanders, the Marthas are like housekeepers while the handmaids will do whatever the Commanders or their Wives ask them to do, but basically their role is to procreate and if they failed to do so in two years' time, they would be labelled as 'Unwoman' and/or to be sent to the Colonies.

In this story, it is about a woman called Offred. In a narrative tone, she tells her tale about her role being a handmaid and the kind of life she is living. Actually, Offred is not her real name. All handmaids' names begin with an 'Of' followed by their Commanders' names; this is to tell that they belong to a certain man (Commander) and they are nothing but objects.

Before this happens, Offred used to have her own life, her husband and a daughter. However, there is not much mention about her past life although the readers are given a glimpse of how the society has changed bit by bit and how these women's life took off a drastic turn as they are not allowed to read or write; even the basic stuff like money, bank accounts etc are being wiped off.

Margaret Atwood has crafted a frightening yet thought-provoking tale in The Handmaid's Tale. Though it is a fiction, what really terrifies me is that one never knows what elements in this story will become a reality in future, e.g. the nonentity of paper money, the massive role of surrogate mothers etc.

I could not say I like or dislike this story, but the author's prose, the premise and the characters are the main factors that allowed me to keep on reading. One of the things I quite enjoyed is the author did not really tell the story in a straightforwardly manner but let her readers guess and find out what happens as they read along. The only thing that disappoints me is the ending, because I would want to see it all nicely wrapped up. But maybe that is not so important, as I would like to think this book serves more like a reminder to us, telling us we should be grateful for what we have and to appreciate life and the people around you. This is a powerful book that I would not forget in a while.

Other blogs reviews:
Bold.Blue.Adventure
Book-a-Rama
Care's Online Bookclub
In Spring It Is The Dawn
Reading Reflections

Rebecca Reads
The Bluestocking Society
Things Mean A Lot
(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

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I would also like to thank Alice for passing this award to me. Alice's blog is one of the coolest blogs I ever know and I am very happy to call her my friend. Thank you so much for everything, Alice!

I am going to take the simplest way and pass this award to all my blog buddies (you know who you are!). Thank you for reading and for your friendship! You guys rock!

Living Dead Girl

ISBN-13: 9781416960591
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: September 2008
170pgs

From the blurb:

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends - her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget.

First of all, the protagonist's name is not Alice. Alice is just a name given by her captor, Ray. Ray gave her this name because there used to be another Alice before her; she was perfect in his eyes until she had decided to run away. Ray had no choice but to kill her.

The narrator (as known as the 'current' Alice) had been under Ray's captive since she was ten. She was abducted during a field trip when she was left on her own. She is fifteen now; and throughout these years she had been nothing but a 'good' girl to Ray. She knew there is no way of escaping and if she does, Ray will burn down her parents' house. Alice believes he is capable of doing so; thus she lives her life as if she is a living dead girl, for her heart is already numbed and long dead. Though she feels hopeless, she also knows that time is running out for her as she could not remain as Ray's little girl forever as the days passed, for one day Ray will go out and look for another girl to replace her role and everything will start again like a cycle.

Living Dead Girl is not an easy read, based on the plot but it haunts and intrigues you at the same time. Although there is nothing graphic about the abuse in this story, Elizabeth Scott manages to pull you into the story and make you feel as if you are entering into the narrator's mind and experience her pain and hopelessness. You would wish you could tear Ray into shreds, because that was how I felt throughout reading the book. I have great admiration in Elizabeth Scott's way of writing in putting the sentences simply but yet you could still feel the power (and the hopelessness) in them. Here are some of the examples:

"Once upon a time, that moment was when a little girl's world ended."

"Never grow up. Like something out of a story, maybe. Try saying it while a hot, heavy hand pinches, testing to make sure you're still child enough. Try saying it when you can't grow, when you're forever trapped where someone else wants you to be."

"I have been smashed and put back together so many times nothing works right. Nothing is where it should be, heavy thumping in my shoulder where my heart now beats."

I could not foresee the narrator's future until there is a turning towards the end. And this is where I saw some hope in her and got to know her real name.

Other blog reviews:
Becky's Book Reviews
Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?
(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

The Graveyard Book

ISBN-13: 9780747598848
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 2008
289pgs
Illustrated by Chris Riddell


From the blurb:

Nobody Owens, known to his friends as Bod, is a normal boy. He would be completely normal if he didn't live in a graveyard, being raised and educated by ghosts.

There are dangers and adventures for Bod in the graveyard. But it is in the land of the living that real danger lurks for it is there that the man Jack lives and he has already killed Bod's family.

The graveyard is supposed to be a scary place, isn't it? But definitely not in Bod's (short for 'Nobody') opinion, for this is where his home is ever since he has been adopted by the Owenses - a couple who had wanted a child of their own and had been dead for a few hundred years.

Bod was only a toddler when he had first stumbled into their yards, with his parents and his elder sister being killed by a man called Jack. Bod is then given the Freedom of the Graveyard, where he could roam about the graveyard and is able to see the dead and the dark. Silas, who could always be counted upon to explain things no matter in the living or the dead world became his guardian. And then, there are the others like Mother Slaughter, Josiah Worthington, Miss Lupescu, the witty witch known as Liza Hempstock who was buried at the edge of the graveyard at Potter's field who are all friends and family to Bod.

Bod slowly grows up to be a young man under their care and guidance, but he wants to know the world of the living humans, and most of all he wants to find out the man who had killed his family and he is all ready to confront him (or whoever they are) when the day comes.

I just could not describe to you how much I enjoyed reading The Graveyard Book. I was so mesmerised by the plot (which I think is original) and the characters that I hated to see it end after I had turned to the last page. It brought a warm feeling to my heart, despite the graveyard setting and that most of the characters are dead. And I really, really love Neil Gaiman's idea of creating the living world as a dangerous one, because yes I think humans can be frightening and is capable of doing all kinds of horrid things, and sometimes what you think is scary is actually not what you think.

The other thing I loved is the ending; and I could not think of any other better ending than this is. The Graveyard Book is a wonderful fantasy and a bittersweet coming-of-age tale which fascinates not only to the young readers but to the adults as well. The illustrations by Chris Riddell are great too. I rarely re-read books, but I will read this book again if time and opportunity allow it.

Other blog reviews:

Bold.Blue.Adventure

Books & Other Thoughts

Hello, My Name Is Alice

Stainless Steel Droppings

The Bluestocking Society

Things Mean A Lot

(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

Out

ISBN-13: 9780099472285
Publisher: Random House
Published: 2004
520pp
Translated by Stephen Snyder


From the blurb:

In the Tokyo suburbs four women work the draining graveyard shift at a boxed-lunch factory. Burdened with chores and heavy debts and isolated from husbands and children, they all secretly dream of a way out of their dead-end lives.

A young mother among them finally cracks and strangles her philandering, gambling husband then confesses her crime to Masako, the closest of her colleagues. For reasons of her own, Masako agrees to assist her friend and seeks the help of the other co-workers to dismember and dispose of the body. The body parts are discovered, the police start asking questions, but the women have far more dangerous enemies - a yakuza-connected loan shark who discovers their secret, and a ruthless nightclub owner the police are convinced is guilty of the murder. He has lost everything as a result of their crime and he is out for revenge.

What would one do if he or she is being pushed beyond the limits? For housewife Yayoi Yamamoto's case, she murdered her husband, Kenji when she found out he has been spending all their savings in gamblings and on a hostess whom he fancied at a club. Masako Katori agrees to help her, partly because she felt her situation is very much like Yayoi's - having worked so hard and no one seems to appreciate them.

Masako is like a leader amongst the four; she takes the whole situation in stride and has everything all planned. She is also the most gutsy amongst them; perhaps that is due to the result of her working in a male-dominated office and she does not show her defeat easily, even though she is being asked to go in the end.

On the other hand, Yoshie and Kuniko are desperate to make ends meet so they agree to be accomplices since each needs money and Masako told them they will get a share once things have been settled.

Club owner, Mitsuyoshi Satake had a dark past but his heart is into his club business until a murder case ruined everything for him. Kenji fancied one of his hostesses but Satake thinks he is trouble, and someone witnessed them having a fight so that led him being a suspect.

Loan shark Jumonji is after Kuniko because she has several loan repayments to be settled with him but she made a deal with him in order to cancel her loans.

Then, like a domino effect things began to get out of hand as the four women sank deeper into various horrific consequences and could not seem to get out. Natsuo Kirino is an outstanding author; she had all the plots skillfully laid out as she took her readers into the four women's dark world, sharing their frustrations and pressures being Japanese housewives with not much position in the male-dominated society.

Out is not an easy read. It is dark, but yet it also leads one to think of the harsh reality of life and that money is often the culprit under all circumstances. I also had a hard time digesting the fact that what look like simple-minded housewives could resort to such horrific unimaginable crime. But then again, I sympathise with them in a way, because if the society (or their husbands) have treated them better and with some respect, I guess things might have worked out differently for them. I look forward to reading her other releases, Grotesque and Real World, both of them I have in my to-be-read pile.

Other blog reviews:
Bell Literary Reflections
Bookgirl's Nightstand
Estella's Revenge (Reviewed by Carl V)
In Spring It is the Dawn
Musings of a Bookish Kitty
(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

The Likeness

ISBN-13: 9780340924785
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2008
553pp

From the blurb:

Still traumatised by her brush with a psychopath, Detective Cassie Maddox transfers out of the Murder squad and starts a relationship with fellow detective Sam O'Neill. When he calls her to the scene of his new case, she is shocked to find that the murdered girl is her double. What's more, her ID shows she is Lexie Madison - the identity Cassie used, years ago, as an undercover detective.

With no leads, no suspects and no clues to Lexie's real identity, Cassie's old boss spots the opportunity of a lifetime: send Cassie undercover in her place, to tempt the killer out of hiding to finish the job.

Plenty of murder cases turn into battles of wits, but this was different. My real opponent wasn't the murderer but the victim: perfectly matched against me in every way, too close to call . . .

The previous instalment, In the Woods had left a deep impression on me. Never mind if Rob Ryan, the protagonist's mysterious past is not really solved (I understand there is a controversy on this issue), for I think Tana French has her reason for doing so and this might be just one of her styles. Anyway, I enjoyed the story. When I knew there would be a sequel to it, I was overjoyed.

Although this story is about Detective Cassie Maddox working as an undercover, it actually revolves more on Lexie Madison's life being a graduate student and her close relationship with her other four friends. They live under the same roof and are co-owners of the old house which was left by one of their families. The latter further dictates how close they are.

However, Lexie has her own secrets and one minor mistake has led her to her own death. Cassie fits into Lexie's world perfectly; and she is determined to find out the killer for she is certain he or she lives amongst them but she is getting too emotionally involved, as you would read from the passage below that reflects her thoughts:

"When you're too close to people, when you spend too much time with them and love them too dearly, sometimes you can't see them."

I think this is one price to pay when an undercover is working way too deep into the case. Sometimes, they get too involved so much so that it muddles their minds and ruin their judgements if they are not being careful. But I think the scariest part is the sacrifices an undercover has to made whenever there is a call for it, e.g. doing drugs; not that Cassie is doing them that is.

I liked Cassie; she is one heck of an undercover. She has guts, and she is not really afraid of consequences. Reading about her relationship with Sam shows her vulnerable side, for there is a time she is tied between work and love and she has to make a choice.

The Likeness is a mesmerising page-turner. It is more than a whodunit story; it focuses more on humanity issues and then of course, the friendship 'Lexie' had with her mates.

Without a doubt, this is one of the best crime thrillers I read this year. I would highly recommend this author to anyone.

Other blog reviews:

Bookgirl's Nightstand

Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?

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How is everyone doing? I surely miss reading all your blogs! Also, thank YOU for the well wishes! For the past few days, I have been doing nothing but spending time with my baby, napping and catching up on my reading. Life could not get any better! Just imagine I will be doing these for 16 weeks, as this is the amended maternity leave (used to be 12 weeks) implemented by the government on 17 August this year. I hope I would not turn into a couch potato by then, haha.

My baby is doing well. She sleeps a lot during the daytime, and well night feeding is no joke! But I guess I will get used to it.

Also, I apologise if I do not get to visit your blog as much as usual, but I will try to whenever if I get the chance. Till next time!

When Twilight Burns

ISBN-13: 9780451224750
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: August 2008
354pp

First sentence: Victoria opened her eyes.

Victoria Gardella Grantworth de Lacy returns to London after her taut encounter and an attack with vampire Beauregard. Though she has her two vis bullae to thank for from being turned to an undead, she still feels the uncertainty as there is vampire blood flowing in her veins after all.

To complicate things, now she is unable to detect the vampires with her heightened senses and to make things worse, some vampires appear to be stalking the streets of London during the daylight and Victoria is held as a suspect behind all these mysterious attacks.

Besides fighting against the darkness in herself, she is also torn between Sebastian Vioget, the great grandson of Beauregard but is now taking his role as a Venator, and Maximilian Pesaro, an ex-Venator who had lost his power in order to break the control of vampire queen, Lilith.

I would say this instalment is focused more on Victoria fighting with her inner self, dealing with her emotional issues and her mixed feelings towards Sebastian and Max than the action scenes as compared to the other instalments. However, readers would be thrilled to read more of Lilith in this instalment as she is back into her actions and Victoria will come face to face with her again.

Colleen Gleason has once again succeeded in captivating her readers in When Twilight Burns with fine woven plots and compelling characters that will definitely leave them hunger for more. Be sure to look out for the next instalment As Shadows Fade to be released in March 2009.

Other Blogs' reviews:

Musings of a Bookish Kitty (Guest Appearance: Colleen Gleason)

Stainless Steel Droppings

Stephanie's Confessions of a Book-a-holic

The Way I See It

(Let me know if I have missed your review.)

Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet

ISBN-10: 0099484927
Publisher: Vintage
Published: 2005
164pp
Translated by: Julia Lovell & Esther Tyldesley

First sentence: When I was five years old, I heard a snatch of conversation on a Beijing street that lodged in my mind and would not leave: 'The Tibetans cut his body into a thousand pieces and fed it to the vultures.'

In 1994, the author, Xinran travelled to Suzhou from Nanjing to interview Shu Wen after she received a call from one of her listeners at a nightly radio programme she presented. Piqued with curiosity, Xinran decided to interview Shu Wen, a Chinese woman who had spent years searching for her missing husband, Kejun, after she had learnt that he died in Tibet during his service as a doctor in the People's Liberation Army.

Just newly married for less than a hundred days, Shu Wen could not accept the news of his death and thus, she decided to leave her homeland to Tibet so that she could find an answer of her husband's disappearance since the Army could not provide any information regarding his cause of death. She was determined to join her husband's regiment and using her qualifications as a dermatologist, she managed to join the army as they were desperately short of doctors and many soldiers in Tibet were suffering from altitude sickness.

However, all the hardship she endured did not waver her determination in searching for her husband. There, she rescued a Tibetan woman named Zhuoma and was later separated from the army after they were ambushed by some Tibetan rebels. Left alone with no one except each other, Shu Wen and Zhuoman trekked on the vast landscape until they stumbled upon a nomad family who was kind enough to offer them their tents as shelter. The two women learnt a lot about each other during their stay with the Tibetan family; and the family treated them as members of their own as the time passed by. She then returned home only after she had found the answer she had been searching for during the years.

Sky Burial is a heartwrenching love story, filled with descriptive details of Tibetan history and culture. The story is so powerful and haunting that I was left speechless after reading this memoir in one sitting, for my mind was filled with vivid images of Shu Wen's drastic life as portrayed under Xinran's skilful writing. I have nothing but great admiration for Shu Wen's courage and determination, for who would think a woman of her age at that time would go to such extent to search her husband and stayed in Tibet for about thirty years?

After the end of this memoir, Xinran had written a short letter to Shu Wen, asking where she is and hoping that they would meet again as she still has a lot of questions to ask from her. I hope she managed to get in touch with Shu Wen.

Note: A BIG thank you to Marny of Traveling Bookworm for sending this book and a bookmark band to me.