Nostalgic Moments #2

Today, I'm going to talk about music for my second Nostalgic Moments post. I'm sure everyone must have at least one favourite band or artiste whereby their songs will forever live in your heart (mind) no matter how long it has been or whether or not if they are still performing today. Music plays a huge role in my life, both present or past. I listen to music whenever I'm happy, and I listen to music whenever I'm feeling down too. And music is definitely my best companion during those school examinations days as I find it to be one of the most wonderful methods to de-stress.

My mom had a song that made her cry whenever she listened to it, as she could relate to every word of the lyrics. I don't think I have a song that would make me feel strongly that way, yet, but I've to admit whenever I listen to that song, it makes me think of her (she passed away four years ago for your information).

Anyway, back to the topic. I think my first favourite band is a British female pop group called Bananarama. They are quite famous during the early 80s. "I Heard a Rumour", "Love in the First Degree" and "Venus" are just a few of my favourite songs by them.

(L to R: Siobhan Fahey, Keren Woodward and Sara Dallin)

Besides Bananarama, I have a few favourite pop groups/artistes from my teenage days but instead of giving them a full introduction I shall leave you with the pictures of their albums so I won't bore you to tears (in case you aren't into 80s music).

(You may wish to click onto the image for more information.)

(L to R):

Debbie Gibson (My top favourites: "Foolish Beat", "Lost in Your Eyes", "Out of the Blue")

Tiffany (top favourites: "All This Time", "Oh Jackie", "Hold an Old Friend's Hand", "Radio Romance", "Drop That Bomb")

Kylie Minogue (top favourites: "I Should Be So Lucky", "It's No Secret", "Je Ne Sais Pas Pourquoi")

New Kids on the Block (top favourites: "Please Don't Go Girl", "I'll Be Loving You (Forever)", "Cover Girl", "Baby, I Believe in You")

Depeche Mode (top favourites: "World in My Eyes", "Policy of Truth")

Johnny Hates Jazz (top favourites: "Shattered Dreams", "Turn Back the Clock")

If you are into 80s music, who is your favourite bands/artistes?

Please Don't Ask What I'm Reading...

...unless you really want to know!

I'm sure I'm not the only person this happens to.  Yesterday, when I was taking a few precious, highly-coveted minutes of reading time, an acquaintance asked me the dreaded question, "What are you reading?"

Why is that the dreaded question?  Aside from the fact that having to formulate a response meant losing out on the actual reading of the book in question?  I dread that question because the answer is never quite as easy as the asker might assume.

Part of the issue stems from the fact that usually this question is asked by an acquaintance.  My close friends know not to interrupt me when I'm reading, for starters.  But in my experience this question tends to get asked by someone who is looking to make some sort of connection with me-show they are interested by remarking on something they assume I care about-but are not usually serious readers themselves.  As a result, they don't understand how difficult it is to answer that question.

Well, the shortest answer, of course, is to just tell them the name of the book.  Sadly, this often leads to blank stares in response, since most of the time the person in question has never heard of the book or author, and now has nothing else to say.  This sometimes leads to the "What is it about?" question, which can be equally difficult to navigate. I have occasionally used the "title and author" answer as a way of shutting down someone who is attempting to talk to me while I read, my eyes immediately returning to the text in a very obvious signal to leave me alone already.  I try to only reserve this option for people I barely know-and don't necessarily care to know better.

But what about the others?  I usually feel obligated to say a little something about the plot of the book-but how much?  Maybe the person is really a reader on the DL, and I am going to ruin a perfectly good read for them if I say too much.  I love talking about the books I read with other people who are readers, so if I go into "book club" mode I could go on for a long time about the plot, style, author's voice, etc...That's usually when the casual questioner's eyes glaze over.  Kind of like asking someone how they are, and them telling you in detail about everything they did since they saw you last.  Either way-spoiler or oversharer-leads to awkward pauses, and gaps in the conversation where the person who had the bad luck to ask me the dreaded question has to figure out how to respond. 

Therefore, I'd like to make this announcement to the world!  Please don't ask me what I am reading unless you really want to know.  Because I will tell you, possibly in excruciating detail, both the plot and my analysis of it.  I know that you are just trying to be polite, making conversation about something that interests me.  But it requires too much thought on my part to navigate how much you really want to know, and how much time I want to take to tell you.  So be prepared, and ask at your own risk-just wait until I finish the chapter first!

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday

24 September 2007

Taipei, Taiwan

Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall (国立中正纪念堂) is erected in memory of Chiang Kai-shek, former President of the Republic of China in Taiwan.

The Memorial Hall

Martyrs Shrine (忠烈祠) - Heroes who sacrificed their lives to the revolution before the establishment of the Republic of China and who fell during the Sino-Japanese war and the Chinese Civil war are worshipped here. As a respect, hats and/or sandals are not allowed to be worn here.

Go Green and Help Others!

Last year, I participated in the Green Books Campaign hosted by Eco-Libris and I am glad to say that I will be participating again this year (a green company working to green up the book industry by promoting the adoption of green practices in the industry, balancing out books by planting trees, and supporting green books). I will be reviewing For the Love of Strangers by Jacqueline Horsfall so be sure to check out my review on November 10th.

I read about FreeRice.com from a magazine and would like to share this great site with you. This is a non-profit website run by the UN World Food Programme and their goals are to provide education to everyone as well as to help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free, and this is made possible by the generosity of the sponsors who advertise on this site.

And how do we help and make a difference? Playing the vocabulary game (there are other subjects as well) at FreeRice not only allows us in learning new vocabulary but most importantly FreeRice will donate 10 grains of rice for each correct answer. FreeRice also has a custom database containing knowledge questions at varying levels of difficulty so this can be played by everyone! (Read more.)

So what are we waiting for? Go green and help others now!

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

First, they couldn't prove something had happened if it hadn't happened. And second, I hadn't killed anybody.

Not in their town, and not for a long time, anyway.

(Pg 5, Killing Floor by Lee Child)

Happy Monday!

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers get to share the books that came into their house last week; the host for this month's Mailbox Monday is Kathy of Bermudaonion's Weblog.

Bought the following book from The Book Depository:

1) Halo by Alexandra Adornetto (Don't you love the cover?)

What books came into your house last week?

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Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Marg and Claire that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I borrowed only one book from the library last week - Killing Floor by Lee Child. I actually ordered this book from The Book Depository two weeks ago but it hasn't arrived yet. This is the first book of the Jack Reacher Series and I'm enjoying reading it so far. I am also slowly adding the rest of the series onto my to-buy list so I can read them in the near future!

To Review or Not to Review, or a Fellow Book Blogger Needs Your Opinion

So I've had my blog for about a year now.  I've enjoyed it, and I look forward to many more years of blogging about great books.

Here's my dilemma-my reading time has shrunk to almost nil.  In the past two weeks I have not finished a book.  This fact makes me cringe.  I was reading a book, One Day, by David Nicholls, for my book club.  Problem was, I didn't like it, so I kept putting it down.  I wrote a post last year about giving up on books I'm not enjoying, but since this was a book club book I figured I was obligated.  Well, not only did I not finish it for book club, I finally gave up and started another book, which I also haven't finished.  I just don't have as much time to read at this time of year, especially this year.

So, what to do about the blog?  I don't want the blog to sit here idle while I am not able to do as much reading.  I enjoy the community too much to be that disconnected, and frankly since I started a blog so I'd have an audience for my writing it would be nice if people were still around after this fallow period to read it.  Thus my question:  should I start writing reviews of books I read years ago?  Is that somehow cheating?  Will anyone care to read them?  If this blog is supposed to be an electronic book journal, does it make sense to start going backwards rather than forwards?

I know, I know-it's my blog, I can do what I want!  But I'm curious what my fellow book bloggers think.  Do you ever go back and review books from your past?  Do you think of your blog as a way to let people know about what's new, or do you review any old thing you read regardless of when you read it?  Do you ever recycle reviews? 

It's the Friday Book Blog Hop!

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!  (hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books)

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!  And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added!  We get over 200 links every week!!


This week's question comes from Elizabeth who blogs at Silver's Reviews.

When you write reviews, do you write them as you are reading or wait until you have read the entire book?

 

 

I always wait until I have finished the whole books before I write a review-unless I don't finish the book!  It is a rare occurrence, but occasionally there is a book that I just can't read.  Sometimes the writing is poor, sometimes the story is terrible, and sometimes it's just a mismatch between my mood and the book, but it happens.  In that case, I still write a review of what I read-though not usually reviews those authors would be happy to read!  I'll be writing one of those this weekend, as a matter of fact!

我的爱如此麻辣 - 张小娴

ISBN-13: 9789868635425
Publisher: Motif Press Co., Ltd
Published: August 2010
285 pgs
Source: Personal Library

当爱重返身边, 才发现,
你, 一直都在。

好久, 好久没好好地坐下来享受读着张小娴的书了。每一回读她的书籍, 都会被她细腻的文笔深深感动着。 那种感觉, 久久都会停留在我的脑海里, 挥之不去。她的文笔, 象施了魔法般把我带进她的故事世界里, 让我觉得故事里的人、事、物仿佛都在我的身边。我想，这就是张小娴的魅力吧。她的故事总能触动着我的心。

在〈我的爱如此麻辣〉中，她以一贯细腻、流畅的文笔，再一次把读者带进她的爱情世界里。故事中的女主角叫夏如星；她的生活本来过得无忧无虑，但自从父亲得了血管瘤离开人世后，她的人生开始起了变化，从此也改变了她对所有人世间的看法。因为父亲是开麻辣火鍋店的，本来对烹饪一窍不通的她，为了保留父亲所留下的麻辣火鍋店，决定下定决心要把麻辣火鍋店的生意做好，而另一个原因就是麻辣火鍋曾给父亲留下美好的儿时回忆。为了这些，她不想辜负他。

为了找寻麻辣火鍋的秘方，夏如星竟无意中发现爸爸藏了大半輩子的秘密。原来除了她，夏如星发现父亲在另外兩個相隔萬里另有两个女兒！这个突如其来的发现简直是晴天霹雳，令夏如星不知所措。但夏如日和夏如月毕竟是她的姐姐，夏如星没有理由不把父亲的死讯告诉她们。就因这事故把夏家三姐妹相聚在一起；她们的共同点就是经营父亲的麻辣火鍋店，使它起死回生 （父亲在世时，生意本来一落千丈，负债累累）。

除了夏家三姐妹的故事，〈我的爱如此麻辣〉其实是记载了夏如星和青梅竹马李浩山信件交换的种种心情。夏如星透过这些信件，与浩山分享着她生活上的所有点滴，包括她和姐姐们如何相遇和在一起的心得。虽然隔著萬水千山（浩山在马拉威当义工，夏如星则在香港），但浩山的信总为她带来温柔的慰藉，更让她领悟到人生其实可以很简单，只看个人如何对待各自的生活与目标。浩山曾对夏如星说，人与人的相识相遇，都是因缘聚合，而缘分是永不流逝的餐宴。他的这番话不止深深地烙印在夏如星的心里，更深深地感动了我。没错，如果我与你没有因缘，我们如何在这茫茫人海中相遇又相知呢？

It's been a while since I have read a Chinese novel; and even if I do read them I don't do a review on them because my main focus is on English novels. However I have to make an exception here simply because I loved this book so much! (Correction: I love all Amy Cheung's books because her writing is beautiful and poetic; and her stories always touches my heart.) For this English review, I will take a different approach from the Chinese in including the spoilers.

Through letter writing style, My So-Called Spicy Love (roughly translated) tells a story of a gal named Xia Ru Xing and her life after the death of her father. Her mother had died many years ago due to breast cancer and though her life with her father was simple and filled with hardship, but at least she is happy. After her father's passing, she is left with nothing but her father's spicy hotpot eatery. Not wanting to disappoint him and knowing that her father had a deep passion for his business, she decides to take over the business but first she has to find out the secret recipe for her father's famous spicy hotpot.

It is also during this time that she found out that her father actually had married two other women from overseas and had two daughters with them. Ru Xing decides to tell her two elder sisters about their father's death, after all the man whom they loved would no longer return. The two sisters met up at Ru Xing's place in Hong Kong since they lived in different countries (Taiwan and Szechuan in China), and they decide to work together for the eatery business.

Ru Xing has a childhood friend named Li Hao Shan. He is working as a volunteer at an orphanage in Malawi, Africa for about two years. Ru Xing and Hao Shan will write letters to each other to share about their life. Ru Xing always find comfort in his letters because he never fails to make her smile, even though the distance has brought them apart. Hao Shan also shares with her about his experience looking after the AIDS orphans, and Ru Xing finds herself she has a lot of things to learn from him, after all his experience in Malawi has helped him see things in a new light. Through him, Ru Xing also learns about fate and other things that made her think. However, the joy is a short-lived one as Ru Xing soon finds herself diagnosed with breast cancer. Will her last letter reach Hao Shan? And does Hao Shan has the chance to see her for the last time? Amy Cheung has left an open ending with these questions for the readers to find out for themselves.

If you ask me how I think of the ending, I'd say it would most likely be a sad ending. I got this verdict after reading most of Amy Cheung's previous work and having recognising her signatures to their endings. However, I hope this is not the case in this book because it'd be too sad to see this lovely couple being torn apart by distance and illness.

Gone by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson

ISBN-13: 9781596431386
Publisher: Roaring Brook Press
Published: March 2007
176 pgs
Source: Library



A teacher. A student. Crossing the line. (Extracted from cover)

Books that cover difficult topics (or controversial/touchy issues for that matter) is never an easy read to me, let alone writing the reviews but that does not mean that they are bad and that we shouldn't read them. On the contrary, I think they bring awareness and serve as a support/information, especially to young adults readers whom some may feel that they have no one to talk or share with (one of the great examples is Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson, which has been mentioned around the blogosphere lately for against the banning. I have this book in my TBR pile and I look forward to reading it).

17-year-old Connor isn't happy with his life (to be exact, he is two weeks away from being 18). He feels unloved and that his life is being brought down by his alcoholic parents; his father is institutionalized in a nursing home after an accident caused by his drinking and though his mother is seeking help to curb her drinking problem, Connor doesn't really trust her as there are times that she gives in to drinking again. With no one to rely on, Connor lives with his aunt and simply waiting for his time so he could live on his own after finding a real job instead of flipping burgers.

It is through an encounter that allows Connor to meet up with his history teacher, Ms. Corinna Timms once again. And it is easy to see why he is attracted to her, after all the 31-year-old Corinna is attractive and she makes Connor feels that she is the only person who takes notice of him. However, she is not perfect as one thinks for she has her dark past too. It doesn't take long for them to begin an affair, but could their relationship last and would it be accepted by the society?

On the cover, Gone may give people the impression that it is a story about forbidden love between a teacher and a student. But after reading it, I found that it goes beyond that. Aside from the teacher-student affair premise, it also tells a story about a teenage boy finding himself as well as finding a place to call home. Connor felt his life has been revolving around his alcoholic parents, and deep in his heart he wants to live his own life and not having others to show pity on him. This explains why he is drawn to Corinna, because the latter makes him feel like a real person instead of a charity case.

While Corinna is also attracted to him, however I wasn't sure if her feelings towards Connor is simply based on lust or love. I think Connor is truly in love with her, because his actions towards the end speaks volumes about how he feels for her. But in the end, she was gone, as the title indicates. Did she leave because she thought of her past, or did she leave because she knew there would be no future in regards to her relationship with Connor? These questions were never answered, and it made me feeling disappointed and perplexed. Honestly speaking, I didn't know how I should feel for Connor in the end. Sorry that he was being dumped? Or happy that the ending has somewhat made him realised where his real home is? I think it is up to the readers to decipher and decide.

Wordless Wednesday

23 September 2007
Taipei, Taiwan

Teaser Tuesdays

First of all, I want to thank everyone who commented on my posts lately (especially the BBAW week). I just want to let you know that I read every of your comments, but just did not have the time in replying to every one of them (however I'm trying my best to visit and comment on your blog whenever I can). Work has been extra busy recently, especially with the news that we will be moving office in another few months or so. I can foresee that there will be much changes in regards to the work on top of the new environment, but then I am sure I will get used to everything given some time. After all, isn't there a saying that nothing is permanent?

I am currently reading Gone by Kathleen Johnson. Don't you think the cover makes you think of a romance novel? Well let me tell you it is much more than that; this is a story about a teacher-student affair. I will let you know what I think of the book in my forthcoming review.

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

He remembered his first day in class last January, when her eyes had flickered over him the way a teacher's eyes will. But then hers had come back to rest. Before flitting away again.

(Pg 31, Gone by Kathleen Johnson)

Sleepless by Cyn Balog

ISBN-13: 9780385738484
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Published: July 2010
224 pgs
Source: Library




In western folklore, it is believed that the Sandman will bring good dreams to people by sprinkling magical sand onto them while they sleep. In Sleepless, it tells a love story between the Sandman and a mortal girl.

Eron DeMarchelle is the Sandman; his mission is no doubt to seduce his charges to sleep. Like a spirit, the Sandmen could not be seen by the mortals but they have the ability to communicate with the mortals through their dreams, though they are encouraged not to do so as to prevent from getting too involved with them.

Julia has been put under Eron's charge ever since her birth. Eron had knew about the rules for not getting too close with his charges, but now that Julia has grown up to be an attractive young lady, he is afraid that he couldn't help but to succumb to the temptation of falling in love with her. After all, his role being a Sandman is going to expire soon once they have hit the hundred years.

Julia, on the other end, is feeling sad and lonely. Her boyfriend Griffin, had died in a car accident and she is not sure how she should feel towards his good friend, who had lately shown an interest in her. To add complexity to the story, Griffin would replace Eron's role once his expiry date is over but Eron is not sure about this arrangement since Griffin has a lot of angst in him. With trouble lurking around the corner, would Eron be able to protect Julia? And most of all, would they even have a happily ever after?

Told in an alternative narrative mode between Julia and Eron, Sleepless is simply a love story with a dose of mythical and suspense. What I liked about the book is the refreshing perspective of the Sandmen, in particularly to Eron as he is a charming yet intriguing figure. What most touches me is the feelings Eron has harboured for Julia for a long time, despite all their differences.

As much as I enjoyed the story, however I felt the characterisations are not fully developed. There are times that I wondered about the characters and wished I could understand them a little bit more (e.g. the relationship between Julia and Griffin as I could not feel there is much chemistry between them). All in all, it was an enjoyable read. It was good to read about the Sandman, Eron, from a new perspective, well at least in the eyes of this reader.

BBAW: Future Treasures

For the last day of BBAW, we are asked to share what we enjoyed about BBAW and our blogging goals for the next year.

First and foremost, I want to thank Amy and her wonderful team for organising and putting this great event together. The best thing of BBAW is not only it allows book bloggers to share our passion for books and reading, it also expands our social networking with other book bloggers through participating in the fun topics and the interview swap during the 5-day event. I love the interaction, and it is great to make some new friends along the way and adding their links to my already long subscribers' list with Google Reader.

Finally, I want to thank all my readers for reading and commenting on my blog! You have no idea how much huge influence you have made on my reading and blogging, and I am really grateful for this. Thank you for broadening my reading horizons through your wonderful recommendations, and makes me discover so many great authors I have not heard of. Isn't it amazing how wonderful this bookblogging community is, despite of the physical distance and that we have not met one another in person but yet we are able to share and exchange views (no matter if they are book-related topics or any other matters) as if we are long-time friends?

As for my blogging goal for the next year, it is simple and will always remain the same and that is, I hope my reviews (thoughts) will influence you into reading the books. And most of all, have fun and make more new friends!

The Midwife's Tale, Gretchen Moran Laskas

In the early 1900s, a young girl lived with her mother at the base of Denniker's mountain in rural West Virginia.  Her name was Elizabeth Whitely, and her mother was a midwife.  Even before she reached her own childbearing age, Elizabeth became her mother's assistant, and finally a midwife in her own right, following in the footsteps of not just her mother, but her grandmother and great-grandmother.  Elizabeth was also a bastard, never knowing her father.  And she was in love, with Alvin Denniker, for whose family the mountain was named.  But Alvin came home from a trip across the country with a Cuban bride, Ivy, crushing Elizabeth's hopes.  Despite this, Elizabeth and Ivy became close, and Elizabeth helped her deliver her daughter, Lauren.  When tragedy strikes Ivy and Alvin's family, Elizabeth steps in, raising Lauren as her own.  But when Lauren demonstrates a "gift" that could turn her into a tent-revival freak show, Elizabeth has to make the difficult decision to send her away, losing not only the daughter she has come to love, but the man as well.

Laskas has given us in The Midwife's Tale a story about the deep connection between mothers and daughters.  Rather than being sentimental, the relationships between mothers and daughter in this book are fraught with anger, resentment, and rebellion.  Elizabeth's mother rebelled by going with the man who gave her Elizabeth, and then again by moving herself and Elizabeth to their own house on the mountain-something unheard of for an unmarried women in the early 20th century.  Elizabeth's rebellions are similar-her decision not to become a midwife after learning about her mother's part in smothering unwanted babies, leaving her home to live with a man to whom she is not married.  But each woman, despite the anger and resentment they sometimes feel, are deeply connected by love, family, and tradition.  Elizabeth as a mother herself is devoted, continuing to live in less-than-ideal conditions with a man who won't marry her for the sake of being with Lauren.  Lauren really ends up being the catalyst for a lot of change in Elizabeth's life-where she lives, who her man is, what her job is, and ultimately her own pregnancy.

While I don't mind magical realism in a novel, in this one it felt superfluous.  When Lauren begins curing people, about midway through the book, it caused a strange dissonance for me between the story I thought I was reading and the one that Laskas apparently meant to write.  I suppose that using Lauren's gift as the reason that Lauren has to be sent away from the mountain was one way to go, but even that rational felt tenuous to me.  Frankly, I think that the story of a strong young woman finding her own way in the world, despite the sexism of the time period, would have been stronger if there has not been this attempt to explain at least some of her decisions away on her adoptive daughter's faith healing.

BBAW: Forgotten Treasure

Today, BBAW asked if we have a book which we wish would get more attention by book bloggers. I have a few in mind but instead I am going to focus on one of my favourite authors of all time - Mo Hayder, since I rarely see her books being mentioned around the blogosphere so I would like to take this opportunity to highlight them. For those who are not familiar with Mo Hayder, she is a British author and she writes mainly crime and thriller fiction.

I was first introduced to her books by a colleague, and I remember very well she wanted me to read Tokyo (aka The Devil of Nanking) since she enjoyed reading it so much. Needless to say, I searched for the book during my next visit to the bookstore and devoured it on the very same day! I enjoyed it so much that I looked out for her other books. Birdman is the next book I read by her and it is through this book that I got to know the lead character, DI Jack Caffery. I have to say Jack Caffery is unlike any heroes I read from other crime thriller fiction. There is no doubt that he is tough, driven and is capable of solving complicated cases, but like any other human beings he too has issues (he is tormented by his personal demons as he cannot escape the memories of his younger brother's murder which happened many years ago) and vulnerable and this is probably one reason why I am intrigued by him, for I don't think I have ever came across a hero like him. If anyone ask me if I have any literary crush, DI Jack Caffery will be the one who first comes to mind.

Here are some of Mo Hayder's books if you are interested:

Standalone
Tokyo (aka The Devil of Nanking) - Nominated for three CWA dagger awards (here's my thoughts)
Pig Island (here's my review)

Jack Caffery Series
Birdman
The Treatment (here's my review)
Ritual (here's my review)
Skin (here's my review)
Gone

BBAW: Unexpected Treasure

How time flies! Today is already the third day of BBAW and I am enjoying every moment of it! Today's topic is to share a book or genre we have tried under the influence of another blogger. Well, I definitely have a lot to share through reading all the wonderful recommendations around the blogosphere but I want to highlight this particular bookblogger (and a dear friend!) who has influenced me to read graphic novels, a genre which I have not tried even though I read mangas. She is Ana (aka Nymeth) of Things Mean A Lot.

Ana is a prolific reader and I enjoy reading her posts because she writes eloquently and her reviews are always so insightful and thoughtful. The graphic novel which I mentioned is Blankets by Craig Thompson and though I have seen lots of rave reviews on this one, it is actually Ana's review that made me pick up this book and read it (here's her joint review with Aarti of BookLust, another blog which I too enjoy reading). Needless to say, Blankets became one of my favourite reads this year.

Another blogger I want to give a shout out is Sandy of You've Gotta Read This! Though I am a huge fan of mysteries and thrillers, it is her review of 61 hours by Lee Child that got me pick up his Jack Reacher's series (Sandy also mentioned that Jack is her literary crush so the more I am intrigued with the hero and the series). I bought Die Trying and The Enemy the day before and had ordered the very first book of the series, Killing Floor, since I could not find it in the bookstore. I cannot wait for it to arrive so I can read it in order, though I understand the series can be read as standalone. You can bet I will be adding the rest of the series to my wishlist in the near future!

What about you? What book or genre you have tried due to the influence of another blogger?

Note: Wordless Wednesday will resume next week as I haven't go through my photo archive. My apologies!

BBAW: Interview with Ash of English Major's Junk Food

Today marks the second day of BBAW and our topic for today is getting to know another bookblogger through an interview swap. I was paired up with Ash of English Major's Junk Food and without further ado, here are Ash's answers to my questions:

Melody: How do you define a ‘good’ book or a ‘bad’ book? (Personally I don’t think any book can be defined as ‘bad’ as I believe there’s a book for everyone out there.)

Ash: I totally agree with what you said in parentheses. I think a lot of people see 'good' books as literature and classics and 'bad' books as just about everything else. I don't look at it that way, I read things that interest me and hold my attention. Sometimes that is literary nonfiction, sometimes it's a romance novel, and sometimes it's both! As far as what makes a book good for me, I like strong female characters, villains, and great dialogue in my fiction. In nonfiction I love well researched creative nonfiction that helps me learn and makes me want to know more about a topic. I also love memoirs where the subject is totally self deprecating. Honestly, a great book for me is one that, when I'm finished, I look at and say "Wow, this book really changed the way I look at "fill in the blank."

M: I understand you read mostly historical fiction novels, so are there any genres that you refuse to read?

A: I read a lot more historical fiction when I first started blogging, I think my genre of choice now is probably creative nonfiction. This is because when I first started blogging I was in a creative nonfiction course that I wasn't really enjoying and felt a little stuck in my own writing. I was drawn to historical fiction because you can still learn from it, but there is a great story there. I think historical fiction is kind of my "escapist" reading. A far as genres I refuse to read, I don't really like "inspirational" books, thrillers, or science fiction.

M: Who are your favourite historical fiction authors? Let’s say I am new to this genre, which book(s) would you recommend to me?

A: For historical fiction I really enjoyed Lynn Cullen's recent book The Creation of Eve and when I first started blogging about historical fiction I read And Only to Deceive by Tasha Alexander, which I thought was a fantastic book. Kind of a mystery and kind of a romance. Sheramy Bundrick's Sunflowers was also a good book. For creative nonfiction I have better suggestions. Joan Didion is a must read, particularly The Year of Magical Thinking. I also love Chuck Klosterman's books about pop culture, John McPhee's essays, and any anthology that Lee Gutkind edits.

M: How do you inspire yourself when you are in a writing slump?

A: This is a great question and one that is difficult to answer. Reading is probably one of the best answers I can come up with. I find so much when I'm reading and I have to be aware of what I'm taking in from a book. I make notes when I read and sometimes when I return to them I find ideas for writing. My other answer, and the one I probably use more, is walking. I find things when I'm walking because I'm mentally isolated, but often still in the world looking out to it. Those are when my best ideas come.

M: What are your opinions of a good book review?

A: I don't think a good book review has to make me want to read the book, in fact I've read quite a few great book reviews that made me want to run and hide from a book. I think fairness is key. Acknowledge what you didn't like about a book but then try to explore why it didn't work for you- it might work for someone else. I enjoy reading samples of the author's writing, even if it's just a few sentences, because that gives me a better idea of the writing style and if I think it will work for me.

M: How many blogs are there in your Reader? And how do you keep up with them?

A: I don't use a reader because I always forget to look at it. My method is actually just my blogroll on my blog. Every few days I just hit up everyone's blog to see what posts interest me and I try to leave at least one comment on each blog. I have 54 blogs on my blogroll but there are a few I've been checking out recently and haven't added.

M: Onto a non-books related subject, what do you most enjoy besides reading and writing?

A: I love being outside so I enjoy walking, biking, hiking, swimming, and just spending time with nature. I also recently got Netflix so I've been fairly obsessed with getting movies online and delivered to my house!

M: I love your blog name! So do you have any favourite junk food which you’d like to share?

A: Ah! I love junk food, unfortunately. My favorite junk food is probably buffalo wings or pulled pork sandwiches, and pizza. The list could go on and on.

Ash, thank you for being my interview partner! I enjoyed reading your answers and it was so much fun doing this interview swap with you! I look forward to spending more time on your blog!

I hope you will visit Ash's blog after reading my interview with her! You may also wish to check out my answers to her questions over at her blog if you are interested.

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

• Grab your current read.
• Let the book fall open to a random page.
• Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
• You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
• Please avoid spoilers!

He moves close to me but does not touch me. He seems afraid to. Like he knows that that's the reason Griffin is so upset. He whispers, "If you ever see him in your dreams, you must do everything you can to awaken. Do you understand?"

(Pg 180, Sleepless by Cyn Balog)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Welcome to another Monday morning!  Since last Monday was Labor Day, I chose not to labor on my blog, so this is a review of my reading for the last couple of weeks.

Books I finished:

The Passion of Alice, by Stephanie Grant

Shoot to Thrill, by PJ Tracy

Whisper to the Blood, by Dana Stabenow

The Midwife's Tale, by Gretchen Moran Laskas

(Review coming soon!)

Next on my literary horizon:

The Chalk Circle Man, by Fred Vargas

When strange, blue chalk circles start appearing overnight on the pavements of Paris, the press take up the story with amusement and psychiatrists trot out their theories. Adamsberg is alone in thinking this is not a game and far from amusing. He insists on being kept informed of new circles and the increasingly bizarre objects which they contain: empty beer cans, four trombones, a pigeon’s foot, four cigarette lighters, a badge proclaiming “I Love Elvis,” a hat, a doll’s head. Adamsberg senses the cruelty that lies behind these seemingly random occurrences. Soon a circle with decidedly less banal contents is discovered: the body of a woman with her throat savagely cut. Adamsberg knows that other murders will follow.  (from Goodreads)

One Day, by David Nichols

Emma and Dexter meet for the first time on the night of their graduation. Tomorrow they must go their separate ways. So where will they be on this one day next year? And the year after that? And every year that follows? Twenty years, two people, ONE DAY. From the author of the massive bestseller STARTER FOR TEN.  (from Goodreads)

Bad Monkeys, by Matt Ruff

Jane Charlotte has been arrested for murder.

She says she's a member of a secret organization devoted to fighting evil. She says she's working with the Department for the Final Disposition of Irredeemable Persons—aka "Bad Monkeys."
Her confession lands her in the jail's psychiatric wing and earns her countless hours of poking, probing, and questioning by a professional. But is Jane crazy or lying?
Or is she playing a whole different game altogether? (from Goodreads)

Have a wonderful reading week, everyone!