Judging a Book by Its Lover: A Field Guide to the Hearts and Minds of Readers Everywhere by Lauren Leto

ISBN-13: 9780062070142
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: October 2012
Format: Paperback, 288 pgs
Source: Publisher

Calling out all book lovers (occasional readers and non-readers apply as well)! Have you ever came across a literary guide which not only offer you some insight of the wonder and beauty of reading but also an account of the peculiar world of book culture and how we speak condescendingly about the most revered authors and their literary works even if we haven't read them! 

Author Lauren Leto started off this guide on her introduction to books when she was a child and how she was initially overwhelmed by the words and sentences in books to becoming a well-read reader as she is today. In this guide, she shares with us her opinions and observations of the book culture and some of the titles she read in both snarky and sometimes condescending voice. Either way, she has got me hooked to this guide as she covered some topics such as:

1) The Bookshelf of the Vanities

2) That Certain Bookstore Smell (From Self: Oh yes!)

3) Ten Rules for Bookstore Hookups 

4) Rules for Public Reading and Rules of Book Club

5) Petition to Change the Term from "Bookworm" to "Bookcat" (I like this one!)

6) Fan Letters (Don't we all have the desire to write to our favourite authors at some stage?)

7) How to Write Like Any Author (Names like Stieg Larsson, Malcolm Gladwell, Henry Miller,  Cormac McCarthy... just to name a few)

8) What Your Child Will Grow Up to Be if You Read Them... (like The Giving Tree, Green Eggs and Ham, The Velveteen Rabbit, Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Wind in the Willows, etc)

9) Stereotyping People by Favourite Author

10) Strategies to Avoid Discussing the Major Plot Points of Any Novel

11) A Gift Guide by a Bad Gift-Giver

12) How to Succeed in Classifying Fiction Without Really Trying

Though written in a fun and humorous way, Lauren Leto has a deep admiration for every one of the authors whose work she discussed in this guide and she stated that "there is nothing more beautiful than a well-written book, and there is nothing more admirable than the attempt to create something beautiful", which I agree.  

Here are some of my favourite quotes in this guide (pg 267 - 9) which I think will strike a chord for bibliophiles and the like: 

- Reading is a solitary activity. You can be surrounded by a thousand people, but processing the written words in your brain is something only you are going through. ... A good novel presents you with an engaging world that is a reality only for you. 

- A story is unbiased with respect to the reader. It presupposes nothing about the audience. Books don't require that you read them in a certain place, at a certain time, or with certain equipment. Just eyes. Literature connects by transporting people to the same consciousness; a stranger who's read the same book you've read, whose eyes passed over the same words, may be a part of a completely different environment, and even time, but for a while, at least, they shared a world with you. A community is built out of that isolated experience; an author has the power to build worlds and to populate them not only with characters but also with their readers. 

- Good books command study, presenting you with the puzzle of how and why their plot is laid the way it is  laid - without examination the meaning is lost.

- The greatest argument for the oneness of humanity is the recognition that we are all emotional beings, subject to the fantasies of a story. We talk about this event we went through alone because it connects us together. You're nevermore human than when you realize a sentence has the power to push and pull the emotions of millions. 

To end it all, I enjoyed reading Judging a Book by Its Lover as it has inspired me to read some of the titles which I wanted to read but haven't (e.g. Crime and Punishment, The Catcher in the Rye, etc) but most of all, this guide made me smile as I agree with some of the stuff Lauren Leto mentioned and not to mention it also made me laugh over some of her remarks. Humour, anecdotal, reference... this guide has it all and I think this book would make a great gift to anyone who enjoys reading. 

Movie: High Tension

Let me start off by saying that I have simply no idea what this film is all about. All I see is a tough looking, alpha female holding a barbwire stick and looking mean enough to hack anyone who's crossed her path. I watched this film through an app on my iPhone and the blurb simply stated that this is a French film about two young women whose intention is to visit a countryside for vacation but an unexpected visitor has ruined their wonderful vacation. Sounds thrilling to me, I had initially thought, but once I was into the film there was no turning back for me, no matter how horrific and/or bloody it seems. 

The film begins with a scene of a woman in a hospital gown; her back is filled with stitches and she is whispering to herself. She has vague memories of a woman running from something (or someone) in a forest and her stomach is wounded. 

Back to a new scene, we see two happy young women in a car heading to somewhere else. Their names are Marie and Alex, and their destination is to Alex's parents' house at a countryside. They have decided to stay there for their college break and a quiet countryside sounds appealing; plus it is Alex's family. 

That night, before Marie settles into bed, she thought she hears something in the house. The film moves on to show Alex's father answering to a doorbell and someone bulky wearing a cap slashed at his face. Filled with blood and in pain, Alex's father crawls back into the house but is stopped by the killer when he presses Alex's father's head between two rails of the staircase and then shoves the bookcase towards him. Needless to say, Alex's father is gone with his head decapitated. At this point, I knew where this film is going and that it would be filled with more gore and violence but yet I couldn't stop myself from watching it. I wanted to find out what happened to the family and whether or not if Marie and/or Alex would be hurt or worse, killed by this sadistic killer. 

True enough, there was more gore and violence as Alex's mother is the next victim as her throat was brutally slashed. Seeing both Alex's parents dead, Marie goes off to find Alex but she is too late - for Alex is chained  in her bedroom but she promises her that she would call for help. Unfortunately, the line was cut and Alex's younger brother is the next to go, as the killer shot him after he realized he has gone into the cornfield. 

Feeling satisfied that he didn't find anyone except Alex in the house, the killer proceeds to haul her into his old van and make his escape but Marie manages to creep into the van before he drove off. They travelled down a deserted road and just when Marie thought they would be dead, the killer stops at a gas station and Marie decides that this would be the best time to call for help and stop the killer, but she is dead wrong. 

Filled with intensity as the title of this film suggest, this story is about a sadistic psychopath who would not stop at anything just to get his 'prize'. Aside from the gore and violence (be warned - there are lots of them), I felt that this is a classic slasher movie and that it has delved into the character as well as the complexities of the killer. Sometimes, what you see is not what you expect and High Tension had stumped me in many ways, not only the gore, violence, the ending but also the psychology as well. Though this is an old film (released in 2003, AKA Switchblade Romance), this is one of those films that would stay in your mind for a long while; which I find is a good thing to me for I don't have the intention to watch it, again. It was too horrific to me.

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

• ISBN-13: 9781442430358
• Publisher: Simon Pulse
• Publication date: January 2012
• Format: Hardcover, 384 pgs
• Source: Personal Library

I don't know why, but I just love this word - bittersweet. Although it is defined pleasure mingled with regret, it is often the regret that lingers the most in my mind, as this often reminds me that life is not perfect and that we should always treasure what we have and grab any opportunity 

that comes knocking your door.

Hudson Avery, the protagonist in Sarah Ockler's Bittersweet, is a talented ice skater. Before she competes for a competition, she learned that her father has been having an affair with another woman. And the sad thing is, her mother chose to live in denial, thinking that things would turn out better. Unfortunately, Hudson didn't think so and her father's affair has shattered her wish of becoming a professional ice skater, for he is the one who presented a pair of ice skate to her when she was young and offered her all the encouragement she needs. Thus, during the competition she intentionally performed like an ordinary ice skater instead of giving her best and thereafter, not to ice skate anymore. 

Three years later, she found herself inventing and baking scrumptious cupcakes at her mother's diner in Watonka, New York. The dining business is the only thing that keeps her mother going ever since she has split with her husband. After all, she is now the breadwinner but business isn't doing well. It is at this time that Hudson decides to skate again after she has been invited to enter a skating competition to win a $5,000 scholarship. 

However, she needs some practising and plus, she has to go to the rink if she really want to win the competition. Luck is on her side as Josh, co-captain of the school's hockey team asked her to secretly coach his team on the finer points of ice skating in exchange for some ice time at the rink. She agrees but the challenge now is aside from practising hard for the competition and coaching the team, she has to face Will, whom she had a crush on years ago and he is also the captain of the hockey team. While she is flattered that Will is attentive to her, she isn't sure if his feelings towards her is genuine or is he using her for the sake of the hockey team.  To complicate matters, she finds herself attracted to Josh but will he reciprocate her feelings? And, would she be able to keep the competition under wraps from her mother since it reminds her so much of the past? Finally, would she dare hope to win the scholarship after all these years?          

At its core, Bittersweet is more of a story about friends and family, commitment and dreams than pleasure mingled with regret. Sure, there is a dose of those but I was more glad that Hudson has come to realise what most matters to her and follow that direction. Bittersweet is not entirely a bad experience after all, if you have learned something from those experiences and become a better person. Now did I mention why I like the word - bittersweet?

A Rogue by Any Other Name by Sarah MacLean

ISBN-13: 9780062068521
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: February 2012
Format: Paperback, 400 pgs
Source: Personal Library

I couldn't remember when was the last time I read a historical romance; it seems like such a long time and with my recent reads that consisted of either dark elements or a rather sad setting, I figured it is time to read some fun and romantic stuff to lighten the mood. I decided to pick up Sarah MacLean's A Rogue by Any Other Name since I had read a few good reviews of it.

Penelope Marbury, Michael Bourne and Tommy Landford are good friends during their childhood days, however that all changed when Michael lost everything at the age of 21 in a game of cards and what made the loss such a pain is he had lost it to Viscount Langford; a man who had been a friend and neighbour to his father, handpicked by the former Marquess of Bourne as guardian to his only son and heir, after the death of Bourne's parents.

Needless to say, this turn of event has made Michael Bourne a very bitter and revengeful man. With nothing left but his title, Michael left the place and it has taken him nine years to rebuild his fortune and double it. Together with a few friends, they own an exclusive gaming hell in London and now Michael will try all means to gain back the land he has lost but he doesn't know that there is a 'price' attached to it, and that is to marry Penelope Marbury, a girl whom he has lost touch with and who has now grown into a fine, young lady.

On the other end, Penelope felt disheartened after a broken engagement and several courtships that left her feeling a sense of lost hope. Though Tommy asked for her hand and she likes him as a friend, but deep in her heart she is hoping that she would find someone who would make her heart ponder. . . someone like Michael, whom she has always share her thoughts and exchange mails when they were young. When she learnt that he is back, she feels happy but however he is no longer the Michael she has known, for this new Michael has become cold and vengeful and he wants to marry her, for the sake of getting back his inheritance.

Penelope, of course, would not want to settle for a loveless marriage and even if she couldn't move her husband's heart, she is glad that at least her sisters are promised to have good matches, in which a condition she has laid in agreeing to marrying Michael. While she is hoping that their marriage would work, she also wants a bit of adventure in her life and that means gaining access to her husband's gaming hell. But, would Michael allow it? Especially since he finds himself opening up to her as the days go by.

A Rogue by Any Other Name is the first book I read by Sarah MacLean, and definitely would not be my last. I enjoyed reading the characterisations as well as the plot of this book, and what in my opinion made this book such a wonderful experience is watching the two protagonists grow and change as the story slowly unfolds. Also, I find there is something warm and romantic about reading a story about childhood friends became lovers and that itself heightens the feeling of how I felt about this book.

A Rogue by Any Other Name is the first book of The First Rules of Scoundrels series, whereby readers will read the four proprietors of the London gaming hell. After enjoying reading so much of this book, now I can't wait to read the rest and I am sure they won't disappoint.

The White Pearl by Kate Furnivall

ISBN-13: 9780425241004
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Publication: March 2012
Pages: 432

Source: Personal Library



I have heard several good reviews on Kate Furnivall's books, but have yet to read them. So when I came across her latest release, The White Pearl, I decided that this would be a good time to read it since the theme revolves around World War II set in Malaya and Singapore during the 1940s. Though I learnt about the history of the Japanese invaded Singapore during my secondary school days and have heard many horror stories on how the Japanese soldiers tormented the civilians then, I thought it would be interesting to read it from a fiction point of view so here it is.

The story opens with the lead character, Connie Hadley, wife of a rubber plantation owner in Malaya, in a car accident in which she kills a Malay woman on her way home. This unfortunate incident, however, is witnessed by Maya and Razak, who are the teenage children of the dead woman and needless to say, they harboured a deep hatred for Connie. Although Connie tries her best to help them in every ways she can, her husband does not see the point of her doing so as he thought the best thing they could do is to leave everything behind and move on with their life.

However, this would be the last thing on their mind when the Japanese started to invade Malaya. Connie decides to leave for Singapore; an island in which at that time was one of the British Straits Settlements, for she thinks it would not be possible that the Japanese would fight against the British.

But en route to Singapore on Connie's yacht, The White Pearl, Connie is shocked to learn that Singapore, like Malaya, is being invaded by the Japanese. Amid the tension and fear, Connie, together with her family as well as Maya and Razak, also faced the threat of the pirates and they managed to rescue a Japanese pilot whereby the story takes on a more adventure-like momentum.

Though the story is told in third person POV, there are also some flashbacks of the affair Connie had had with a Japanese businessman before the war. Connie may be a good mother to her young son, but she is bored and she felt her marriage is a loveless one.

The White Pearl may be a story about war, betrayal and survival, but it also tells a story of a woman fighting for love and freedom, and the price she has to pay for those things she craved. While I find the characterisations and the premise are nicely plotted, I have to admit I didn't feel connected towards Connie as I had anticipated. There I felt sympathetic on her situation, however I also think she is indecisive when it comes to love. Perhaps I read it wrongly, but I just got the impression that the affair she had had with the Japanese man was a sham too.

Though I understand that the setting would be mostly focused on Malaya, still I couldn't help feeling a little disappointed that there wasn't much coverage on Singapore and that it was brief; it also mentioned many civilians were blindfolded and killed by the Japanese though.

The ending may sound hopeful, but somehow or rather it left me with a unsatisfied feeling which I couldn't explain. That said, I liked Kate Furnivall's writing style and I look forward to reading more of her books in the near future.

The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook by Ben Mezrich

ISBN-13: 9780307740984
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication: September 2010
Format: Movie Tie-in, 260 pgs
Source: Personal Library

Frankly speaking, I didn't really take notice of Facebook when it was firstly launched. I mean, I was aware then that people are getting excited about this social networking site; after all it connects people around the world and most importantly, it is free. Out of curiosity, I signed up in June 2007 (Thanks to the new timeline) but I have got to admit I wasn't really active then. It was only last year (or was it the year before?) that I began to check on Facebook more often and I am not ashamed to admit now that I am hooked to it. I love interacting with my friends there, and not to mention making new friends as well either through my blog or through playing games on 'Gardens of Time' and 'Words with Friends', etc.

Although the movie, The Social Network, was released a few years ago, I only get to watch it a few months back as I was very keen to know how Facebook is created and most of all, what kind of challenges did its founder and CEO, Mark Zuckerberg, encounter while creating Facebook.

The book begins with the encounter and friendship between Eduardo Saverin and Mark Zuckerberg; both who were Harvard undergraduates in 2003. Both of them have the intelligence and while Eduardo is more business minded, Mark, on the other hand, has the insight of anything related to computer science and Information Technology. However they have one thing in common and that is they are both socially awkward.

Being the more outgoing one, Eduardo joins the university's club and hope that this would help him to gain popularity. Mark has a different agenda though, and his thought is to bring social networking to another level by creating an online site. Not deterred by his experience of hacking into the university's computer system and crashing the servers and almost got him expelled, this shows that there is a certain amount of attraction and traffic getting it online.

Aside from learning the founding of Facebook, what made this an entertaining and a compelling read is the journey Mark faced while he built Facebook. First, there is the lawsuit filed by fellow Harvard students, the Winklevoss' twins, who stated that Mark had mislead them into believing he would help them to build a social network within the campus, right down to the differences he and Eduardo faced while building Facebook.

Today, Facebook has millions of members and through the site it helps people to connect and build social network around the world. I may not be the first among all to join Facebook when it was first launched, but I am glad I joined since this not only allows me to catch up with my friends but also giving me the opportunity to know new friends as well.

The Golden Hour by Margaret Wurtele

ISBN-13: 9780451237088
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
Publication date: February 2012
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher

I love reading stories which have a war setting; don't get me wrong, war stories are never a joy to read but they are part of history and they allow us to get a glimpse of the war through the eyes of the characters, even if they are fictional ones.

The Golden Hour is a story about a 17-year-old Italian girl, Giovanna Bellini's journey during the Nazi occupation in Tuscany during the 1940s and how the war affected her throughout and into her adulthood. Being the daughter of a wealthy aristocrat, her life should be carefree and filled with happiness but all was shattered when the war broke and their lands are being occupied by German officers. As you are aware, Italy armistice with the Allies and this resulting in the disarming of Italian forces and seizing the military control of Italian areas.

While Giovanna helps at the local Catholic academy tutoring refugee children, she is attracted by one particular German officer named Klaus; he is married and has a young son and though Giovanna likes him, yet at the same time she is also torn by guilt and a sense of patriotism as she feels their acquaintance is wrong to begin with. On the other end, Giovanna's brother, Giorgio, left home to join the resistance. His parents never knew of his whereabouts, thinking something must have happened to him during the war although they are still hopeful of his return. Truth be told, he is very much alive and Giovanna is secretly helping him to smuggle food and medical supplies for the partisans.

It is also through Giorgio that Giovanna meets Mario, an injured partisan who is Jewish and as she nurses Mario back to health, she couldn't help but to fall in love with him and his courageous spirit as well. At that time, she is unaware of the situation where the Jewish stand and even after she knew of the danger of being acquainted with a Jew, she stand by her decision of helping and loving him despite her parents' objection. However, the real battle lies in the ruthless Nazis and Giovanna has to confront her demons as she faces Klaus once again.

Filled with wonderful characterisations and a rich setting of the wartime, author Margaret Wurtele has weaved a captivating, and an unforgettable story about love of all kinds (couples, family as well as friends) and the acts of heroism in all forms. Giovanna is a wonderful and a likeable reader; you couldn't help but to sympathize with her for all the difficulties she encounters both in her personal life as well as the hardship during the wartime. Mario is another likeable character to me as he is brave yet humble at the same time.

As I have not read a war story with an Italian setting before The Golden Hour, I was glad to read this book based from the Italian's perspective. It has definitely made me understand more about the resistance forces; and not to mention what the partisans did are selfless and they are willing to sacrifice themselves in saving their country.

Although The Golden Hour is about the Nazi occupation, I would also like to view this as somewhat of a coming-of-age story, as I could see how Giovanna has grown from a naïve young girl to be a mature lady as the story progress. A great debut I would say, and I would highly recommend this book to readers who love historical with a little romance theme in it.

And, I have a guest post from author Margaret Wurtele tomorrow so do keep a look out for it!

Blood on the Moon by Jennifer Knight

ISBN-13: 9780762441174
Publisher: Running Press Book Publishers
Published: August 2011
Format: Paperback, 416pp
Source: Personal Library

Vampires. Werewolves. There are absolutely too many books on these mythical creatures out in the market and while I feel it is great to have a wide range to choose from, I don't want to feel like I am reading the same story over and over again thus I think I am pretty choosy when it comes to books that featured such themes.

I first stumbled upon Blood on the Moon on a blog (I couldn't remember who) and the blogger stated that she enjoyed reading it. Intrigued by her review and the blurb as well, I picked up the book and I was glad to say it didn't disappoint me.

Faith and Derek are best friends for years and it is no surprise that they enter into the same college. Derek has feelings towards Faith but she didn't want to accept his love considering that he has cheated on her once and she felt that she would feel more comfortable being friends.

Enter Lucas, a mysterious classmate who seem to have this strange yet dangerous vibe around him. He intrigues her, and needless to say they feel attracted towards each other. It turns out that he is a werewolf and his pack has this mission of eliminating the vampires whom they believe have murdered several girls around the campus.

To complicate matters and to heighten the climax, Lucas has to face his ex-good friend and namesis, Vincent, who is a vampire and they had this feud centuries ago. There is a little history about their feud so I am not going to elaborate on that here.

Faith vows to find out more about Lucas and the mystery surrounding the dead girls, but instead of finding answers she finds herself being caught in between the old feud between Lucas and Vincent. It is also up to her to save Derek's life as Vincent uses him as a pawn to lure Faith out so that he could use that advantage against Lucas, knowing that they have a thing for each other.

As mentioned before, I was glad that Blood on the Moon didn't disappoint me. Initially I was worried that it would bear some resemblance to the Twilight Saga, but after reading a few chapters I realised that my worry is superfluous. Although there is a romance drama (as expected), the heroine knows what she wants right from the beginning so this story is very much about the chemistry (and telepathy?) between Faith and Lucas, as well as the feud between Lucas and Vincent. Oh, there are also some intense moments about Derek being a pawn so all these add up to my reading pleasure.

As for the characterisations, I have to say they are well described but I regret to say that among all of the characters, only Lucas stood out from the rest in my opinion. Vincent makes a great villain, but his role is limited considering that there is a twist to the plot in which I wouldn't want to disclose it here. And as much as I liked Faith and think she is brave when confronting her personal demons, I think part of her weakness lies with Derek as she wouldn't want to end their friendship but yet she felt she couldn't trust him enough. A dilemma, indeed.

And, I don't even want to talk about the ending, which is totally a cliffhanger! I tried to google for the sequel title and its release date but couldn't seem to find it but I am hoping that the wait wouldn't be long!

Movie: Re-cycle (鬼域)

Directed by: The Pang Brothers
Starring: Angelica Lee, Lawrence Chou, Siu-Ming Lau, Rain Li
Release: July 2006

As mentioned in my previous post, I had the intention of doing a mini-reviews post on In Time and Re-cycle but in the end I had written more than I had expected for In Time so I figured I may as well do an individual post for each film.

Re-cycle was released in 2006 and though it had intrigued me at that time, I didn't get to watch it in the cinema. And then the time just rolled and I had forgotten about this movie until last weekend, my husband asked if I am keen to watch this on screen so of course I said yes.

Author Ding Yan attains her fame through her debut romance novel and during a press conference one day, she stated that she would like to try her hands on writing a paranormal and she had even thought of the title. Her statement has intrigued the press as well as her readers and they believe that she would once again take the literary world by storm through her writing skills.

However, Ding Yan (played by Angelica Lee) faces difficulties when writing the story initially. To complicate matters, her ex-lover wants them to be together again and this further adds stress to her already chaotic mind. She tried several attempts in writing the story but most of the drafts ended up in the bin.

Then she began to sense something is not right at home; first she would see shadows late at night and thereafter, she would find strands of long hairs in the bathroom but the most terrifying experience is finding strange things began to happen as what she has written in her deleted drafts.

One night while taking the elevator, she encountered a mysterious old woman and a little girl. One thing leads to another and the next thing she knows, she finds herself in another dimension where the wasted lands are and the supernatural beings that roam there. While finding her way out of the ghoulish land, she finds her young daughter whom she had aborted eight years ago and through her assistance, she needs to find her way back to earth or risk stranded there forever.

While I think the premise is nothing new, what really made this movie stands out is the atmospheric setting and the stunning visual effects of the other dimensions (see below).

Personally, I feel many of the horror movies out there focus too much on the shocking effect (which I think is natural) and neglect to portray more of the messages (or morals) which may be hidden behind those effects. Re-cycle may seem to be a tad weak on the plot but the good thing is it gives the viewers something to ponder on the abortion and the environmental issues (hence the title?).

And finally, the ending may perplex some viewers but I have to say I quite liked the twist and that it stretch the imagination.

《在晴朗的日子分手》- 陈德贤 (Breaking Up on a Sunny Day by Chan Takyin)

ISBN-13: 9789881753267

Publisher: 天苑文化

Published: 2008

Format: Paperback, 228pp

Source: Author

《在晴朗的日子分手》除了讲述男女之间的爱情故事以外，其实它也包含了亲情，以及一个关于气味和味道的故事。

女主角蓝莉喜欢穿Lolita style的服饰；为了喜爱的服饰她在一家化妆品牌柜台当推销员。除了推销产品，她的梦想就是到英国念化妆课程。自小她就恋上了一种气味； 这个气味使她联想到父亲的气味。虽然她不知道她的亲生父亲是谁，但是她在母亲接客的大多数男人中都嗅到了这个气味，所以就认定了它就是父亲的味道。

另一位女主角尤儿则喜欢吃蛋糕和甜点。除了爱吃，她更喜欢做甜点。自小因一场无情的车祸而丧失了母亲；她最难忘的事情便是当天和母亲到一家酒店品尝一块蛋糕。对她来说，那是件最幸福不过的事。从此她就一直在寻找记忆中那幸福的味道。

男主角林正 (注: 因为是繁体版，读者不知怎么拼男主角的名字。既然他的名字有个‘正’字在下，所以就干脆叫他‘林正’了。) 的职业是名小提琴和钢琴教师。为了这份工作，他不惜劳累奔波到学生们的住家教课。他在一次偶然中遇见了蓝莉，而蓝莉因他的气味而恋上了他。两人就这样顺其自然地走在一起。

尤儿为了自力更生而搬离住家出来租房子。可以说是种缘分吧，尤儿看了蓝莉的租赁广告后就这样地搬进了蓝莉家，成了她的室友。两人的感情本来融洽，但慢慢地她们的感情因林正而起了变化。爱情可以令热恋中的情侣快乐，但它其实也可以带给一对恋人痛苦，例如说对爱情的不安和缺乏信任。而蓝莉就是这个例子。但一个人很爱一个人时，自然而然地他/她很在乎对方，有时候甚至超乎了极限。要取得平衡，谈何容易。

林正本来对尤儿没什么特别的感觉，但他发现和尤儿在一起的时候那种感觉很自在，没有一点儿的压迫感。而且，尤儿对以后的事不抱太多的假想，一切凭感觉和自己快乐而去做每件事。但这并不意味着她对林正的感觉是草率的。她其实也对这份感情付出过的。

三人的感情纠纷，就围绕在寻找气味和味道之间。爱情是什么？幸福又是什么？我想，我在读完这本书后已大概有了答案。与其说是答案，不如说我对爱情和幸福有了更深一层的了解；原来这两者并不是我们想象中的那么复杂和难以追寻。

It has been a while since I read a Chinese novel, thus when the author contacted me and asked if I wanted to do a review for her two books, I said yes and on top of that, I was intrigued by the blurbs.

Though Breaking Up on a Sunny Day is a romance, there is also a theme between a mother and daughter relationship, and a story about scent and taste (read further and you’ll know why).

Lan Li has a passion for Lolita fashion. In fact, she loves them so much so that she joined a cosmetics brand which has the same style for their uniforms. Aside from this passion, her dream is to visit England and to pursue studies on makeup and cosmetics there. Since she was a child, she had a liking for one particular scent; this scent reminds her of her father though she has no idea who her father is. Many men who came to look for her mother shared this same scent and thereafter she would link this scent to her father as it always make her think about him.

You Er, on the other hand, has a passion for cakes and desserts. Not only she has a passion for those, but she loves making cakes and desserts too. One of her most unforgettable moments from childhood is having tea at a hotel with her mother and they were both sharing a pot of tea and a slice of cake. Unfortunately, her mother died in an automobile accident right after they left the hotel. Her mother’s death shattered her and through memories she vows to find that happiness she had had with her mother.

Lin Zheng, the hero in this story, is a teacher who teaches violin and piano. He would travel around Hong Kong to conduct lessons at his students’ home and though the job is hectic at times, he is quite satisfied and happy with his life. He and Lan Li met each other during a chance encounter and it is through him that Lan Li has found the scent that she has been looking for all this while (Lin Zheng would help out at his father’s barber’s shop at times). Needless to say, they fell in love shortly after.

You Er moved out from her father’s house to find freedom and independence. Through an advertisement, she rented a room from Lan Li and they became good friends. However, their relationship changed after You Er met Lin Zheng .

You Er didn’t mean to fall in love with Lin Zheng initially, and likewise Lin Zheng has no special feelings towards You Er, but after the time they have been together as friends their relationship started to blossom. Although Lin Zheng loves Lan Li, he finds he is more at ease with You Er as compared to the woman whom he thinks he is in love with.

Breaking Up on a Sunny Day tells a bittersweet love story between three people and lead readers to wonder about the complexity (and simplicity?) of love. Through the thoughts and behaviours of these three characters, this story highlighted the feelings and the dilemmas many couples face when they are in a relationship, e.g. if you love a person, how do you ensure that the love and attention you are giving to the other party is just right and not overwhelming? Is it even possible to create a balance and find the happiness that you want? Perhaps. But I have to say I have a better understanding of love and happiness after reading this book, and I think maybe those two aren’t as complicated and hard to achieve as we have thought.

Movie: My Kingdom (大武生)

I watched this movie three weeks ago and to tell you frankly, I couldn't decide if I would want to write a post on it. After all it starred two of my favourite idols and I don't want to make it seem like a fan post. However, I didn't want to let this movie go unnoticed considering it has a good plot involving the Peking opera so here you go.

The story opens with a group of men, women and children being sent to behead under the order from the merciless Prince Regent of the Qing Dynasty set during the 19th century.

A five-year-old boy named Er Kui and his family are a few of the unfortunate victims and before the execution started, he began to sing a song before doom befalls his family and his beautiful voice startled Master Yu Shengying and his seven-year-old pupil, Guan Yilong, who are bystanders watching the commotion.

Yilong asked his Master if he is able to rescue the poor boy from his gallows, and Master Yu did save the boy in the end. Master Yu is a "Wu Sheng", which means a warrior and it is a highly and well-admired status in the world of Peking opera and for this, he earned a golden plaque which is the most sought-after prize.

However, arch-rival Master Yue demands a duel and Master Yu is forced to retire from the opera after the lost of the duel. He places his hope on Yilong and Er Kui and trains them to be "Wu Sheng". Fast forward, the two boys have now grown into fine young men and they had mastered the arts Master Yu taught them. They left for Shanghai to avenge for their master, and they did so on stage since Master Yue's troupe had a public performance. Master Yue chose to die than facing the humiliation but his dreadful action has spurred on another revenge cycle; this time around through his beloved pupil, Xi Mulan.

With the colourful setting of Peking opera mix with martial arts, My Kingdom tells the tale of two sworn brothers's journey as "Wu Sheng" and how their life ruin under the hands of love, revenge and deceit. In my humble opinion, what makes this movie stands out is aside from the cast, it gives the audience a better understanding of Peking opera and a glimpse of the performers' life on stage as well as backstage. What we see on stage may be short, but it takes all the years and hard work of the performers' for perfecting those movements we get to enjoy as an audience.

Mulan and the rest of the troupe have no choice but to let Yilong and Er Kui take the lead of their troupe; after all Yilong has now caught the public attention with his excellent performance and it is no doubt he is now the new "Wu Sheng". Er Kui didn't mind being the sidekick, after all he has more important thing in mind, such as to kill all the sons of the Prince Regent to avenge for his family.

While some may think the premise is cliché, I have to say it is the rich history and the choreography that is the highlight of this movie. I also watched with marvel at the colourful of the costumes and how Peking opera has brought to life under the directions of Director Gao XiaoSong and Action Director Sammo Hung (I understand that this movie took 4 years of making). Wu Chun (Guan Yilong) and Han Geng (Er Kui) may be the leading actors here, but I also have to give credit to Lu Chen, Taiwanese renowned magician (who makes a debut in this movie) for playing his role well as a corrupt cop.

All in all, I enjoyed this movie immensely and I'm not saying that just because my idols starred in it. Needless to say, I look forward to getting the DVD once it is released.

Image Source

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

ISBN-13: 978-1407121116

Publisher: Scholastic

Published: July 2011

Format: Paperback, 448 pgs

Source: Personal Library









Forever is the final instalment of Maggie Stiefvater’s Wolves of Mercy Falls Series and readers who had read Shiver and Linger would be able to understand my anticipation and enthusiasm of reading this long-awaited novel; a series which have enticed many readers into Maggie’s world of werewolves unlike the others.



Forever continues where Linger left off but unlike the previous instalments, this book focused more on the struggles that Grace and Sam faced and how they are finding ways to improve (or hopefully to solve) the tricky situation they have fell into, together with the help of Cole, a friend of both who has the looks and charisma to charm your socks off easily (including myself) and Isabel, who I think has character no matter if you like her or not. Then, there are also Sam’s feelings towards Beck, a father figure whom Sam look up to and goes to whenever he has problems.

The beginning of the story tends to be going on slow in my opinion, but the pace picks up towards the middle and then there is no turning back. The switching point of views enabled me to get into each character’s mind (in particular to Grace, Sam, Cole and Isabel) and to feel the emotions they are through. To avoid spoilers and for other readers who haven’t read this series, I had chosen not to write the premise of what happened to these characters so all I have to say is there is a call for wolves hunting and that the lives of some of these characters are at stake.



While I enjoyed reading the romance between Grace and Sam, I had hoped that there would be romance between Cole and Isabel even though the emotions they felt for each other are subtle. In any ways I felt there is potential between them and I hope the author will write their stories in the near future.



Like any other highly anticipated and well read series, the ending is always the hardest to read because you never know where the author would take you and also, would the readers be able to accept a sad ending should it call for it. Forever, however, is one of those stories that didn’t wrap up with a big red bow. By saying this, I didn’t mean it to be a sad ending but rather an ending which makes you think, hope and to look back on the experience which the characters have been through. All in all, I enjoyed reading this series and I am glad to note that Maggie Stiefvater has a new release, The Scorpio Races, to be out in October in which she will take us into her world of horses and racing.

The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto

ISBN-13: 9781933633770
Publisher: Melville House Publishing
Published: May 2011
Format: Hardcover, 208 pgs
Translated by: Michael Emmerich
Source: Personal Library




I first came across the name of Banana Yoshimoto when I read about Iliana's review on one of her books, Kitchen. Intrigued by the three factors (Iliana's lovely review, the author's name and the title as well) I decided to pick it up and read it. The end result of that decision have made me fallen in love with Yoshimoto's prose and I began to seek her books thereafter.

In this novel, Yoshimoto delves into the relationship between a mural painter and a student. Before your mind wanders anywhere else, let me assure you that the relationship between these two protagonists didn't fall into the 'forbidden' category. In fact I want to share with you that the encounter and the relationship between Chihiro and Nakajima is one of the most unique and 'strange' among all the books I read thus far.

30-year-old Chihiro paints murals and she has been living with her mother all the while until her passing. Being born out of wedlock and raised single-handed by her Mama-san mother, it is no surprise that Chihiro's childhood isn't all that happy. Although she still sees her father occasionally, there is no deep bonding between them as she knew her relatives, in particularly her father's family, don't treat her as their own. Despite this, Chihiro didn't feel much sense of resent towards them but she does feel sorry for her mother. The death of her mother affected her much in a way that she lives her life numbly, until she befriends a young man who lives across the street. You can say their encounter is rather special as they knew each other after they caught each other staring out from their windows.

Chihiro and Nakajima eventually live together in her apartment, but their romance is rather hesitant and a distant one. There may be times they feel they knew nothing much about each other, but yet they also feel they need each other at the same time. Chihiro has not much idea about Nakajima's past life except that he excels in his advanced program in genetics studies. It is only one day that he mentioned about visiting his two friends living in the countryside that Chihiro began to catch a glimpse of Nakajima's past and understand the trauma that he has gone through during his childhood which what shaped his life and make him what he is today.

Without spoiling the story, I won't indulge you with the details but I have to say hearing his side of the story astounded me. But aside from this (which I feel is the core of the story), it is also very much about redemption, the love of a mother and well, loneliness. I didn't mention much about my mother or her passing in 2006, but I just want to say that reading this book has evoked all the memories and emotions I had of my mother. Through Chihiro's narrative, I can totally relate to her and shared her grief. Towards the end, there is also a scene which made me think of the great love of a mother towards her child. However, is too much love and being overprotective a good or a bad thing? Will it lead to self-defeating results? (And no, this is not a spoiler.)

The Lake is a powerful story filled with emotional depth and will haunt you after finishing the book. Once again, I was mesmerised by Yoshimoto's lyrical prose and her ability in weaving a terrific, thought-provoking story out of the mundane, and that is no easy feat in my opinion.

In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami and... Japanese Literature Challenge 5

ISBN-13: 9780747578888
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: February 2006 (new edition)
192 pgs
Source: Personal Library
Translated by: Ralph McCarthy



At first glance of the cover, In The Miso Soup gave me the impression of a fiction about the Japanese culture but I knew there is something more than meets the eye with that cartoony image of a bowl of miso soup that looks like blood and reading the blurb confirmed my initial speculations of the book.

The story opens with the narrator introducing himself as a sex tour guide for foreigners and that he has no qualms about his job. However this does not mean that twenty-year-old Kenji is an insensitive and a selfish person; he does take pride in his job and he treasures his relationship with his sixteen-year-old girlfriend Jun.

Just before New Year's Day, he receives a telephone call from an American named Frank. Frank wants Kenji to take him on a guided tour of Tokyo's sleazy nightlife for three nights and the money is too good for Kenji to pass up despite he has promised to spend the time with Jun.

When he meets up with Frank, the latter gives him the impression that something isn't quite right from his behaviour and on top of that, the things he said earlier doesn't seem to match when they have the same conversation the next time. With the recent case of a high school girl being hacked and the murderer is still at large, Kenji suddenly has this terrible thought that Frank might be the murderer.

In The Miso Soup is a highly intense psychological thriller I have ever read in a long time. I would compare my reading experience of this book to riding a roller coaster; the story seems to be moving at a moderate pace right from the beginning with the introduction of Kenji and then moving on to Frank's. The pace quickened towards the middle of the book and I have to say I'd never forget one terribly shocking scene when the author described in details how a few victims were gruesomely cut and left to die. If this story is to be told on the big screen I don't think I'd be able to watch it. I personally think that that scene is the climax of the story and that once I get past that, everything seems to be falling into place, literally.

But what I find so intriguing about this book is not the plot but the message behind it as it touches on subjects like moral corruption, lack of identity and then the loneliness one feels without the love and support of a family. Each of this issue poses a problem on its own but add them all up together and may become a psychological issue. Another subject that is thought-provoking is the "compensated dating" among Japanese high school girls. I can't judge them all, but what they do and the difficulties they encounter really makes me sad.

In the Miso Soup is not an easy read for me subject-wise but one that would definitely leave a deep impression on me given the author's straight-to-the-point writing style and one particularly gruesome scene.

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Now that we are on the topic of Japanese literary, I'd like to bring your attention to the Japanese Literature Challenge 5 hosted by the lovely Dolce Bellezza. The requirement is to read one book from June 1, 2011 until January 30, 2012 but of course it'd be wonderful if you want to read more than one book.

I'm definitely joining and the book I'm most likely to read will be The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto. I hope you'd join in the fun too!

Slow Dancing on Price's Pier by Lisa Dale

ISBN-13: 9780425239957
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: April 2011
368 pgs
Source: Publisher

I love reading books about relationship; be it a romance, friendship or the tie within a family. Thus when I received a pitch from the publisher to review Slow Dancing on Price's Pier, I didn't hesitate because this book seems to have all the elements I mentioned above.

Set in Newport, Rhode Island, Slow Dancing on Price's Pier tells a story of a young woman named Thea Celik and her relationship with the two Sorensen's brothers - Jonathan and Garret, and how a hasty decision she made years ago has led to complications within the Sorensen's household.

Thea knew the two brothers when they were in their teens; they were the best of friends and she would seek refuge at the Sorensens' house after she has learnt of her parents' plan about moving back to Turkey. Sue, the mother of the Sorensen's brothers, will always comfort and lend her support to her and this made Thea feels like she is part of the Sorensen's family. And though she likes the two brothers, it is always Garret she is thinking about. Needless to say, they began to fall in love but unlike Jonathan, who is quiet and sensible, Garret loves the attention from other girls and this has caused Thea to have doubts about him, as well as their relationship. Thereafter, everything seems to go downhill and Thea ended up with Jonathan.

Fifteen years later, Thea became a coffee shop owner and she has a ten-year-old girl named Irina. Thea is navigating through a divorce as she struggles to keep her life at peace while she tries to find the balance between her business and her daughter. Unfortunately, her wish to finding peace is ruined when Garret returns home to Newport to restore his relationship with his brother and his family after learning about Thea's and his brother's divorce. And most of all, it brings back all the memories of the past but yet the more they try to keep a distance away from each other, the more they are drawn together. Is history repeating itself? Thea doesn't want to let go of the Sorensens but if she and Garret are back together, it would tear the whole family apart and this time around there would be no turning back.

First off, I have to say Slow Dancing on Price's Pier is a wonderful story of self discovery, second chances and forgiveness. Though the plot may sound common and a cliché to readers, it is the characterisations that what makes this story stands out. Lisa Dale has a way of writing that makes you feel for the characters as they go through their emotions. But that is not all, I also loved it that Lisa included bits of the coffee bean history and culture before every chapter (through a paper column written by Thea) which I find it interesting and informative. Here is an example (Pg 23):

From "The Coffee Diaries"

by Thea Celik

Coffee is the official and unofficial drink of friendship in many cultures.

In Ethiopia, the coffee ceremony is a fundamental rite of friendship. To be invited to a coffee ceremony is a sign of honor and respect. Guests drink three cups with their hosts and by the third cup, it's said they are friends.

Coffee plays such a big part in that country that it has infiltrated the language. "I don't have someone to have coffee with" means "I don't have close friends." Mothers warn their children, "Don't let your name be mentioned at coffee time."

Sometimes the age of coffee corporations and flavour crystals can make it feel like coffee has lost its connotations of friendship. But the connection between coffee and friendship persists.

Look around and you'll see old men drinking coffee and talking shop at the countertops of sleepy diners. Women smiling and pausing for coffee between errands, chatting with a friend in the line.

Coffee has been bringing people together for centuries. And as the coffee business grows, so too do our conversations over coffee, whether they are meaningless and silly or the most important moments in our lives.

Well I am not a heavy coffee drinker (I am more of a tea drinker, genmai tea to be specific), but reading these excerpts about coffee has definitely made me want to be one. Are you enjoying your cup of coffee now?

Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee

ISBN-13: 9780425238714
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: February 2011
296 pgs
Source: Publicist

Bengali-American Jasmine Mistry isn't happy with her life. Having divorced her husband for infidelity, she has swore off love and marriage and devoted her attention into her work. When she received a letter from her beloved aunt asking her to look after her bookstore in Shelter Island, WA, she agrees. After all, she thinks it is temporary and it may serve as an escapism from her marriage woes.

When Jasmine arrives at her aunt's bookstore, she knew something is different about it. Apart that it is an old store and that it has a Victorian feel, there are spirits of the dead authors roaming about the store and Jasmine could feel them, as each trying to impart some of their wisdom to her. Through their 'voices', Jasmine is also able to read the minds of the customers and knows what they are looking for in books and has in fact, recommended a few books to them despite she hasn't been reading books for a while.

But that is not all, Jasmine also meets a handsome and enigmatic Dr. Connor Hunt who both intrigue and interest her at the same time. Through his spirited demeanour, Jasmine slowly began to walk out of her sadness and put the past behind her.

When I first read about Jasmine, to tell the truth her character doesn't sound appealing to me. She has this unhappiness and scornful vibes around her, in which I could understand given her situation but at times it took away some of my empathy towards her. That said, I had hoped that she could come around and that she could find happiness in the end.

Despite there is a paranormal element to the story, there is nothing horrific about it but is portrayed in a funny and spirited manner. Another thing which I enjoyed about this book is reading bits of Bengali culture when the author wrote about Jasmine's relationship with her family and relatives.

Haunting Jasmine is a fun, entertaining read and if you love reading books about books, the more you should pick up this book and read it!

A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

ISBN-13: 9780738719269
Publisher: Flux
Published: May 2010
277 pgs
Source: Library




I don't think I have ever read a story that features a schizophrenic character. With so many rave reviews I read on A Blue So Dark over the blogosphere, I decided to add this book onto my to-read list and there you go.

Aura Ambrose thinks her life sucks. Her father left the family for another woman. Her mother, Grace, is a gifted artist and an art teacher but she is slowly losing her mind to schizophrenia. Due to her condition, there are times she couldn't differentiate between real life and imagination, and this reflected in her art. While Aura is trying hard to hold the family together, she has her own insecurities too, both in herself and her worries that one day she would be like her mother given the genes as well as her own gift in creativity. Because of these, she shun away from her interest as she thinks it would keep her sane. However, as Grace gets more out of control, Aura reaches a point where she began to feel suffocated by all the pressure.

Despite the subject, reading A Blue So Dark is like reading poetry as I find Holly Schindler's prose is simply beautiful and lyrical. She also captured Aura's emotions perfectly for I felt I could hear Aura's voice through her writing style, and I think this what makes the book stands out because of the believable, interesting characters. I wished I could describe my reading experience with A Blue So Dark as eloquently as Holly Schindler, but all I could think of are adjectives like 'powerful', 'compelling' and 'moving'.

This is a great debut by Holly Schindler about mother-daughter relationship and mental illness and I would definitely look forward to reading her books in the near future.


Holly Schindler's next release, Playing Hurt, will be out in March and I will be participating in her blog tour so look out for it!

Film: My Sister's Keeper

Based on Jodi Picoult's novel of the same name, My Sister's Keeper is a story about a young girl, Anna Fitzgerald (played by Abigail Breslin), who is conceived through in vitro fertilization as a means of saving her older sister's life.

Kate Fitzgerald (played by Sofia Vassilieva), suffers from acute promyelocytic leukemia and the family was deeply devastated when they first learnt of the news. Kate's mom, Sara (played by Cameron Diaz) took the news badly but when she found out from the doctor that there might be hope for Kate after all (and that is to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization since siblings have a better genetic match), she decided to take the chance.

So Anna was born and her blood is used in treatments in order to help save Kate's life. However Kate's condition worsened as she grows older, and this time she needs one of Anna's kidneys as she goes into renal failure.

When Anna knew about this (she is a 13-year-old girl then), she decided to defy parents' wishes and proceeds to sue them for medical emancipation. She told them that she does not want to be Kate's donor and that she has the rights to her own body after all. Attorney Campbell Alexander (played by Alec Baldwin) took Anna's case and act as her guardian ad litem. There is a reason why Alexander decided to take up the case, but I am not going to spoil this for anyone who hasn't read the book or watched the film.

In between the film, there are flashbacks that shows the close relationship between Anna and Kate, how it affected the family after seeing Kate's relapse and how Kate meets and falls in love with Taylor Ambrose, who is also a cancer patient. While I find the film to be emotional intense overall, I have to admit the ending still surprised me despite I had read the book a few years ago. But what most took me by surprise is not how it ends though, but how the film differs from the book towards the ending. As much as I wanted to compare the two versions, again I wouldn't want to spoil it should anyone wants to read/watch it. Still, it puzzles me why the change of the ending and this led me into wondering what's the point of a film adaptation if there is a significant difference from the book. And, I felt it wouldn't make the ending any much better because the subject itself is so sad. That said, My Sister's Keeper is a moving and thought-provoking story that will certainly linger in my mind for a long while.

Note: If you haven't read or watch this, I'd suggest you to read the book first before watching the movie (don't this apply to all books in general?) as I felt the emotional impact is more powerful.

Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella

ISBN-13: 9780425238608
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: January 2011
384 pgs
Source: Publicist



At first glance of the title (and the cover), Beautiful Disaster looks like a suspense but it is actually a story about love lost and found.

Mia Montgomery's dreams is to be a successful interior designer; not any interior designer but one who focus on holistic design and to promote an eco-friendly concept in her work. She takes pride in her work, and she thinks she is getting there when she received a telephone call from a doctor friend, Roxanne, that Peyton Flynn McDermott is in the ICU due to an automobile accident and he is in a coma.

Memories of the past began to creep up on her, after all Flynn is her ex-lover and she thought that she would never hear from him after all this time. He has walked out of her life twelve years ago but that does not make Mia stop thinking about him over the years. Mia knew Flynn when she was just a design student at the University of Georgia then. Flynn was the one who took notice of her initially, but he didn't think they belong to the same league anyway since he has a dark secret past while Mia looks like she doesn't belong to anything in his world. But then fate seems to be in their way as they later met each other in a pub, and Mia strike up a conversation with him both out of curiosity as well as a bet which she had with Roxanne, in which she was sure that she would get this mysterious stranger to buy her a beer, which he did.

However, Roxanne isn't pleased with the idea that Mia is getting too close with Flynn. On top of that, there is a serial killer on the run and with Flynn's mysterious background she tries all means to stop Mia from being with him. On the other end, Flynn does live dangerously in the past, but he has reasons and to avoid spoiling anything I would not disclose much about his character. Instead I could only tell you that there is a lot of sexual intense between Mia and Flynn, and that you would be enticed with Spinella's prose as she weaves this story between the present and the past.

Characters wise, I think Laura Spinella has done a great job in portraying Mia, Flynn, and Roxanne as well. I think readers would be able to connect with them through Spinella's detailed descriptions of them. However, though I think the characterisations are great, I have to admit that Roxanne's attitude is a little off putting from the way she fussed over Mia's love life but from another perspective, I think she is simply concerned about Mia, that's all. Mia, on the other hand, is a true romantic who totally believes in love and herself.

Beautiful Disaster may have a slight suspense tone, but at its core it is about the power of love and second chance. And oh, did I mention that there is a Southern setting to this story? Well because I absolutely love reading fictions that have a Southern setting. This book is Laura Spinella's debut and I can't wait to find out what she has in store next.

(Many thanks to Erin Galloway for sending this book to me for review!)

Ruthless by Anne Stuart

ISBN-13: 9780778328483
Publisher: Mira
Published: August 2010
409 pgs
Source: Personal Library
House of Rohan Series #1

It has been awhile since I have read a historical romance; thus I chose Anne Stuart's Ruthless as she is one of my favourite historical romance authors. Anne Stuart also writes contemporary romance and in my opinion no other author writes bad and sexy heroes quite like the way she is.

Being the eldest daughter in the family, Elinor Harriman feels she has the responsibility to oversee the welfare of her younger sister, Lydia, and mother after the death of their father. Their father had left nothing for them and besides worrying over their poverty state Elinor has to make sure that their mother didn't gamble away all their assets despite her sickly condition. Alas, their mother is one selfish and stubborn woman and the next thing Elinor knew, she has lost all their funds. Elinor goes after her to the Heavenly Host, a secret society where exiled aristocrats gather to indulge their carnal desires.

Viscount Rohan is the host of the Heavenly Host and he is known to be a mysterious, dark and a ruthless man who always has things done his way. He has met countless women but never one quite like Elinor. Thus when Elinor stomped into his lair demanding for her mother, he couldn’t help but to take notice of her despite that she is outspoken and fiery. On the other end, Elinor refuses to be swayed or attracted by his charms, but would she change her mind after discovering that he isn’t the man whom everyone thinks to be?

What can I say? Anne Stuart has written another winner in Ruthless. She has once again captivated her readers (at least with this reader) with a romantic tale and a dark, alpha male hero to match, in which I think has become her signature. What I liked about this story is beside the intensity between the hero and the heroine, there is also a secondary romance between Elinor’s sister, Lydia and Charles Reading, who is Viscount Rohan’s best friend and right-hand man. While the plot is not new, what I liked are the characterisations, the dialogues and also the juxtaposition of the rich and poor, as well as the depraved and the innocent set in Paris during the mid 18th century.

As I mentioned earlier, there is a secondary romance of Lydia and Charles but because their story is so brief, I wanted to read more of their story but I was disappointed to learn from Anne Stuart (I wrote an email to her) that there won’t be a book featuring this couple since she felt that she has more or less covered their story in Ruthless. I definitely hope that she would change her mind and decide to write their story in the near future. Meanwhile, I look forward to reading her second House of Rohan series, Reckless.

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I just settled down in my new office today (we moved last Friday). My workstation is organised (well at least the most of it) but I still have about six boxes which haven’t unpacked but at least they are to be kept into the store. I’m currently munching on green peas and crackers and drinking a cup of hot green tea as I’m typing this; it is raining cats and dogs outside and I wish I’m at home snuggling under a blanket with a book in hand. Onto a brighter note, I will be watching Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part 1 with my husband this evening. I can’t wait!

Hope you all have a wonderful week!