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. 

Sleepwalker by Karen Robards

ISBN-13:  9781439183731
Publisher:  Pocket Books
Publication Date: July 2012
Format: Paperback, 483 pgs
Source: Personal Library

Oil and water. Fire and water. Those are the stuff that don't mix; and the same goes to cops and robbers. 

Micayla "Mick" Lange is a cop in Karen Robards' Sleepwalker. When a family friend, "Uncle" Nicco Marino hires her to house-sit his house while they spend their week in Palm Beach for the New Year, Mick agrees since she has broken up with her boyfriend after finding him cheating on her. Her elder sister, Jenny, has her own family and she doesn't want to impose on them. She isn't in good terms with her father and her mother was murdered when she was a girl. Till present, the death of her mother shook her and she hopes to catch the murderer one day. 

Unlike Mick, Jason Davis steals things for a living. On New Year's Eve, he decided that he would break into a gangster's house. He has planned for this robbery and knew that the house would be deserted with New Year just around the corner, but he never expects that he would run into a sexy young woman, let alone a police officer. 

Mick is equally shocked to find a robber in the house, but what most shocking is finding incriminating photos in "Uncle" Nicco's safe that indicate he might be connected with the murder of the city councilman. Unfortunately, their presence in Nicco's office was captured by a security camera and Mick knew she has no choice but to "escape" with Jason, for she doesn't want to take any chances when her life is at stake and who knows what "Uncle" Nicco may do to them once he finds out what they have seen. On the other hand, Mick doesn't like the thought of "helping" Jason to escape, especially he has a bag full of Nicco's money and her cop instincts keep nudging her. 

As Mick and Jason race for their lives across Michigan wilderness on speedboat and snow-mobile, Mick begins to see a new light in Jason the more they spend their time together but would they be able to escape from the pursue of Nicco's men? What's more, being a law enforcer Mick has to turn Jason in if they managed to escape from Nicco and his men. Torn between her profession and love, what is Mick to do?

I have to confess I love reading stories when the protagonist is caught in a dilemma/situation and I want to see where the author is taking them. In a plot like Sleepwalker, one would think it is impossible (and unthinkable) to have a cop and a thief to fall in love with each other but Karen Robards did a great job in creating the two characterisations and allowed me to believe in the relationship they have come to develop during the run. 

Also, I find the plot intriguing but I have to admit that the beginning of the story is a tad slow and then it speeds up towards the end, which I didn't find it very convincing for some scenes. All in all, I enjoyed reading Sleepwalker and it made me feel good to read Karen Robard's book again as I haven't read her books for a while. I really liked her older titles such as Forbidden Love, Dark Torment, To Love a Man, just to name a few. 

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

ISBN-13: 9780307588364
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Publication Date: June 2012
Format: Hardcover, 432 pgs
Source: Personal Library

The first time I read Gillian Flynn's first release, Sharp Objects, I knew I have found a new favourite author as I find her writing simply mesmerizing and   her plot totally blown me away. So it was no surprise I bought her next release, Dark Places, when it released in October 2010 but I put this book aside as I tried to catch up with some of my TBR books as well as a few other books which were raved by my blogging buddies. Dark Places remains in my TBR pile until Gilian Flynn's next book, Gone Girl was released three months ago and I decided to read Gone Girl first after reading so many starred reviews on it. 

And it is no surprise why this book has received such tremendous great reviews as I find the premise to be so clever and well crafted! One plus one equals to two but this logic doesn't always seems to be the case in Gone Girl. An overview of this story is about the disappearance of a wife on her fifth wedding anniversary but what made this story such an unputdownable read is the characterisations and how these two narrators draw you in from their perspectives and you just don't know who and what to believe. 

At its core, this is a psychological thriller that seems bizarre but strangely I find it to be believable and yes, scary in a sense that it makes you think about humanity and what someone would do under certain circumstances. I wish I could elaborate more but this is a book that should be relished without any prior knowledge of its plot; it is best that you don't read the blurb printed on the flap of the book jacket either. Excellent prose, great suspense and even greater psychological insight, this is one of the very best thrillers I read thus far and I hope Gillian Flynn will have a new release out soon. Meanwhile, I have Dark Places to be devoured during the waiting. 

With My Body by Nikki Gemmell

• ISBN-13: 9780062122636
• Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
• Publication date: June 2012
• Format: Trade Paperback, 480 pgs
• Source: Publisher

At first glance, the cover of With My Body may seem like an erotica romance but after reading the blurb, I realised there is something far more than just sex and lust, for behind the sensuality this is a story about family, marriage, self-discovery and love. 

Written in second person point-of-view, the nameless character is a mother of three and she has what many women want - a husband who is a GP and one who will not let his family down. She is supposed to be happy with her life, but she is not. She realised that she and her husband have reached a point of stopping in the relationship; where they both are either too busy, or too swamped by everything else. There is not much romance or sparks left, so to speak. Deep inside, the woman is craving for a release and she can't help but to think of her ex-lover, whom she has kept hidden in her mind all these years. She didn't want to ruin her marriage, for she thinks her husband is a good man and all, and she will make sure that he will never know of her past as she revisits her memory (and a notebook whereby she had noted down lessons she had learnt from her ex-lover) where the core of this story is. 

The woman had a secret affair with an older man when she was about seventeen. She had accidentally came across a secluded house where she discovered the man, who had chosen the quiet and remoteness of the place from the city so he could write his second book. Initially Tol wants nothing to do with the girl but he is piqued by her naivety and in the end, he gave in through her persistence of seeking him out. And there begins their relationship and their secret affair. Through their affair, she has learned things from Tol that would make one raise eyebrows and frown. Tol seems to learn something from her too, as he finds out more about a woman's psyche. One could say their relationship is a complex one, and there are times I wondered about Tol and if there are other agenda behind his acts. But of course I would not spoil the story and say anything more about him. 

Though With My Body mainly looks at the discovery of sexuality of a teenage girl to a woman, there is one aspect which I think drives the greatest impact and that is the father/daughter relationship and the redemptive part which is surprisingly moving once the readers understand the intention behind it. 

Bold, honest and thought-provoking, With My Body will be one of the most unforgettable books on my read list. This book also includes an interview with author Nikki Gemmell and her insights of writing this story (which allowed me to learn more about womanhood, in all its complexity). 

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?

Broken Harbour by Tana French

ISBN-13: 978-0340977637
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Publication date: July 2012
Format: Trade Paperback, 544 pgs
Source: Personal Library

Broken Harbour is the 4th installment of Tana French's Dublin Murder Squad Series. Her first book, In the Woods, has received many good reviews from readers and up to now, I still couldn't get that plot out of my mind. 

This time around, Tana French brought us to Brianstown (formerly known as 'Broken Harbour' to the residents living there); a ghostlike town where the residents would rather mind their own business and stay locked at home than going outdoors.  

Brianstown is supposed to be quiet, but now that peace is disrupted after a family was murdered. Patrick Spain and his two young children are dead, while the wife, Jenny is in intensive care. Detective Mick Kennedy and his rookie partner, Detective Richie Curran are assigned to this case and they learnt that Patrick was laid off. Their initial speculation is that Patrick was stressed and decided to kill them all before killing himself, but there are a few things that they have found and couldn't explain. For starters, why there are so many baby monitors lying around the house and why are there holes in the walls? Did someone break into the house and killed them all? If that is the case, then why didn't the Spain family reported to the police? Did they have something to hide, and what is it?  

As Mike investigates the case, he couldn't help but to think of his mother's suicide back in Broken Harbour when he was a boy when they went there for a summer vacation. He has been trying hard not to think of that past but this case has once again opened up his wounds and have his sister, Dina, off the rails as her mental state is a little unstable. 

Although Mike's past has nothing to do with his investigations, Tana French shows her readers the other side of Mike and how behind Mike's sharp, intelligent mind and being a star detective and all, he is simply an ordinary person just like you and me. This psychological aspect, aside from the police procedural part, is the highlight of this intense thriller and I have to say this is the best installment I read among the series to date. What I could say without spoiling the story, is that the ending had me totally stumped and I hope Tana French will write a sequel to this. I wish I could say more but this is it.  

The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy

• ISBN-13: 9781401341701
• Publisher: Voice
• Publication date: June 2011
• Format: Trade Paperback, 416 pgs
• Source: Personal Library

• After reading the blurb at the back of this book, I knew I have to read it as the story is about the German Occupation in Guernsey during WWII, and also it revolves around the life of a woman whose husband has gone off to war and how she has fallen in love with a German captain. 

Vivienne de la Mare knew that life is not easy during the war times, especially when she has two young daughters and an ailing mother-in-law to take care of. Before the German soldiers invaded their town, she and her daughters are supposed to have left for London but Vivienne chicken out at the last minute after seeing so many people squeezed into the small ferry and that they had to travel under bad weather. Knowing that she has no choice but to stay, she grits her teeth and continues her life back at her countryside home. 

When a few German soldiers take up residence in the house next door to hers, she thought that as long as they remain low profile and discreet, then they would be safe but alas she never expect that she would fall in love with Gunther Lehmann, a German captain who is not only their enemy but also one who has a family like her too. 

Vivienne knew she is not supposed to love this man, but her relationship with her husband has already turned cold way before he has gone off to war. Plus, Vivienne feels connected with Gunther and she has never felt so lively with a man, at least not with her husband. So there begins their secret affair, and Vivienne now has to face another fear aside from the war - for being discovered by her family and the community. 

Life continues until a day her young daughter told her about a 'ghost' she met - a prisoner who has escaped from a Nazi work camp. Either feeling sorry for the prisoner or having guilty conscious for falling in love with the enemy, she decides to help the prisoner by giving him food and a place to stay, without the knowledge to anyone except her young daughter. It is at this time that she questions herself and wonder how much she could trust Gunther. 

Filled with intensity and emotions, The Soldier's Wife is one of the best fictions I read this year to date. Aside from the writing, the setting in Guernsey interest me as I don't think I have ever read a story set in that place before (yes, I should consider reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society) and on top of that, both the plot and the characterisations are riveting and at times, I wasn't sure if I should feel angry or sympathy towards Vivienne. She isn't a strong heroine in my opinion (i.e.her indecisiveness) ; but the good thing is, she is a compassionate person. 

The scenes about her relationships between her two young daughters and her ailing mother-in-law are another highlight of this story. Through Vivienne's eyes, I understand how difficult it would be to be the only family member to take charge of the household. And finally, how would one justify her relationship with Gunther? It sounds wrong to fall in love with your enemy, but from another point, he is just an ordinary man, only with a wrong nationality. So what is Vivienne to do? I suppose you have to read this book yourself to find out, but I just want to say the ending ends well with me. 

Overseas by Beatriz Williams

• ISBN-13: 9780399157646
• Publisher: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated
• Publication date: May 2012
• Format: Hardcover, 464 pgs
• Source: Personal Library

When I first saw the book cover, I was totally smitten by the silver glittery fonts and the cityscape as the backdrop. What's more, Karen White (author of The Beach Trees; and one of my favourite authors) quoted on the front cover that this as "Irresistible. A memorable story of a timeless love."  Needless to say, I was hooked and I bought it, regardless of the eye-popping price tag (S$50.24). 

The story opens with the heroine searching in earnest for a Captain Julian Laurence Ashford. The year is 1916 in Amiens; a city in N France and World War I is raging at that time. The heroine doesn't really understand the urgent need in finding Captain Julian Ashford but she does know that she has to warn him of the danger he would be in and hopefully he would listen to her so he would be spared, from death. 

Fast forward to Year 2007 in New York City, Kate Wilson is a twenty-something Wall Street investment banker. She is good in her job but the thing is her superior rarely recognises her hard work and give all the important tasks and credits to another coworker instead. Being the low-profile person, Kate kind of accepts her fate but one business meeting allows her to meet the legendary investment genius Julian Laurence and her world changes thereafter. Julian is not only young and good-looking and it seems he is quite taken with Kate. 

What follows next is the alternative chapters that shift between the past and the present, allowing readers to find out and to understand the connection between Julian and Kate, and why these two people seem to have a purpose when seeking for each other, no matter in Amiens or in New York City. 

While this is a time-travel romance, it does has a tad of intrigue added to this romantic fantasy as there are scenes whereby Kate's safety is threatened at some point and makes you wonder who it is and why. 

I have to admit I am not a big fan of time-travel fiction, be it romance or mainstream but Overseas has definitely won me over with the unforgettable characters and the interesting premise as well. Author Beatriz Williams' style of writing is smooth and enticing and while I know the time-travel part is impractical and would never ever happen in reality, what matters is that love would never go out of time, anywhere. As long as there is love, there will always be stories to be told; and this is probably one reason why romance remains as one of the popular genres among others?  

Fifty Shades of Grey by E L James (Fifty Shades Trilogy #1)

• ISBN-13: 9780345803481
• Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
• Publication date: April 2012
• Format: Paperback, 514 pgs
• Source: Personal Library

I am sure many of you must have heard or read some reviews on this trilogy; after all these books are hard to miss, as they are often seen under the best-selling section in the book stores and/or that many readers have read and raved about them. I have to admit I was piqued with curiosity of the hype of this trilogy and thought this is a thriller at first glance of the book cover. I was wrong; this trilogy has nothing to do with mystery or crime but of romance - erotic romance, as the back of the book indicated. Well, I have nothing against erotic romance and a few friends of mine are reading it so I decided to jump on the bandwagon. 

Literature student, Anastasia Steele gets to interview a young entrepreneur, Christian Grey, who is brilliant and good-looking  yet intimidating at the same time. He intrigues her and despite knowing their difference, Ana wants this man and little does she know that Christian wants her too. However, Christian has secrets and his agenda, but the top of it all is, he has this singular erotic tastes and he wants Ana to be the one for his own dark desires. Ana would then embark on this daring and passionate physical affair but would she be able to resist or consumed by Christian's dark desires towards the end? 

The beginning of the story was great; for I felt the sparks of attraction between Christian and Ana. Unfortunately, my interest in the story began to wane towards the middle as I felt it was the same old emotional struggle between the couple throughout the chapters (i.e., Ana gets frustrated over their so-called relationship and after some comments or a few 'jealousy acts' by Christian, they would be back together in bed, again). There was a point where I felt like throwing the book against the wall because I was getting tired of their charade. Also, I felt it was not well-written though it made an easy read to me. 

Another thing I think I was not wowed by the story is the stalking and controlling behaviour of Christian. While some readers may think it is kind of romantic to have the hero to stalk and control the heroine, however it is another different story in reality and I hope one would not mix the fantasy in fiction with reality. And you know what, the controlling behaviour in Christian reminds me a lot of a co-worker in my ex-company, though he is not at all good-looking or charming like Christian, ha. This ex-co-worker of mine loved to give (unreasonable) orders and couldn't seem to take no for an answer, and I suppose this is probably another reason why I wasn't impressed with this book, despite all the hype. That said, I have Book 2 and 3 in my TBR pile but I am not in a hurry to read them. I suppose I would wait for my reading mood to strike, and I hope the storyline will get better. 

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.

Asylum by Patrick McGrath

ISBN-13: 9780679781387

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group

Publication date: March 1998

Pages: 272

Source: Personal Library

Set in Britain during the 1950s, this is a story narrated by Dr Peter Cleave, a psychiatrist over an incident which happened to the Raphaels during his work at a countryside mental institution. Stella Raphael, who is the lead character of this story, is supposed to have a happy family. After all, she and her husband has a ten-year-old son and her husband has the hope of becoming the next superintendent at the mental institution. However, she has done the unthinkable and has an affair with Edgar Stark, who is a patient of Dr Cleave.

Not only that Edgar is mentally disturbed, but he also shows no remorse after he gruesomely murdered his wife and think what he did is justifiable. The reason he murdered his wife is because he thinks his wife had a lover and even a small and mundane gesture would ignite his anger. In other words, he simply has this disillusion that his wife is betraying him.

Not deterred by his past, Stella sees him as charming and a talented artist who shows passion in his sculpture. Their relationship started when Edgar, among many parole patients, is asked to restore an old conservatory which is ruined when they moved into the house. They were living in London before then.

The story then escalates to the point where Stella decides to ditch her family and follows Edgar after he managed to make an escape from the institution. But soon that attraction slowly fades and Edgar began to show his dark side when he starts to get violent with her. What happened then, I shall leave it to you to read it yourself but I would say this is one of the best books I read since the beginning of 2012. Aside from the characterisations, the setting and the plot, what I liked is it is written in a narrative style and from an observer's point of view. Dr Cleave's POV is refreshing in a way that you may view it as a medical case study as well as reading what he had experienced throughout the ordeal.

What I felt while reading this book could be described as a roller coaster experience. There are times I felt intense after reading what Edgar had done with his ex-wife; the things he had done to her are unbelievable and gruesome. Then, there are also times when I felt angry at Stella. I was angry that she failed to recognise the danger she would be in and at some points even gave excuses when Edgar behaves irrationally. After all, how reliable Edgar can be? And what about her family, especially her young son? She did give readers the impression that she is bored with her life; after all Max barely showers her with love and attention, but still . . . to get involved with a mentally disturbed patient is simply appalling.

That said, Asylum is a great literary fiction that had my attention from the first page right till the end. I understand that there is a movie (starring Natasha Richardson, Hugh Bonneville and Ian McKellen) based on this novel which was released in 2005 so I might check that out too.

The Devotion of Suspect X by Keigo Higashino

ISBN-13: 9780349123745
Publisher: Abacus
Publication Date: February 2012
Format: Paperback, 384 pgs
Source: Personal Library

With The Times quoted Keigo Higashino as the Japanese Stieg Larsson (which stated on the print copy cover), I know I just have to read The Devotion of Suspect X; a book also which many of my fellow bookbloggers raved and recommended.

Yasuko Hanaoka is divorced and lives with her teenaged daughter, after being escaped the horror grasp of her abusive ex-husband, Togashi. Unfortunately, Togashi continues to harass Yasuko on and off even after their divorce and this made Yasuko and Misato, their daughter, both annoyed yet fearful of him at the same time.

One day when he shows up at her place to extort money and threaten her, the event has quickly turned disastrous when Yasuko and Misato murdered Togashi out of fear when their exchanges became ugly. Just when they are helpless and terrified of murdering someone, their lone neighbour, a high school mathematics teacher, Ishigami, heard of the commotion and came over to investigate. Due to his wit and his attraction towards Yasuko, Ishigami offers to help them to dispose of the body and even went out of the way to devise plans to divert the detectives from pointing the direction towards them.

Because Ishigami is Yasuko's neighbour, it is a matter of time that the detectives link him to the murder case, even though they have limited information or evidence to the case. Dr. Manabu Yukawa, a physicist and a college friend of one of the detectives, however thinks there is more than meets the eye. Although he isn't a detective and he is not asked to assist to solve the mystery, Yukawa is friends with Detective Kusanagi and he has in fact offers some insights into some of the past cases.

When Yukawa heard that Ishigami is linked to the murder case, he is both curious and doubtful; after all he knew Ishigami back during their University days and he gave him the impression of an intelligent yet reserved man who would challenge him on some mathematical questions, and vice versa since they specialise in different subjects. As the detectives begin their investigations, Yukawa has in fact, came up with a few speculations of his own which may surprise not only to the detectives but to himself as well, for Ishigami has thrown to them a simple yet complex problem to tackle which is ultimately the climax of this story.

Although this isn't much of a whodunnit thriller, what makes this story stands out is the characterisations, the issue on humanity as it taps onto the emotional struggles one may face during a circumstances, in which this case, obsession. I see the obsession in Ishigami as he works out complicated mathematics problems, for he is not only a high school mathematics teacher but a resourceful mathematician as well. I also see the obsession in him as he will patronise the bento place where Yasuko works, even though they rarely talk to each other then.

Like a mathematical problem, The Devotion of Suspect X is a thriller that will challenge your mind and makes you think outside the box. It is no wonder this book garners so much attention; I really enjoyed the reading experience and if you haven't read it, go read it now!

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!

Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

• ISBN-13: 9780525423270
• Publisher: Penguin Young Readers Group
• Publication date: December 2010
• Format: Hardcover, 384 pgs
• Source: Personal Library

There have been a lot of rave reviews on this book, and I am sure many fellow book bloggers would understand that kind of "anticipation" and/or "need" to read a book that caused such a stir over the blogosphere. I have to confess I was curious about the hype, but more than that, I was intrigued by the plot and that the setting is Paris, a city well known for romance and it has the beauty name of "The City of Light".

Our heroine, Anna, lives in Atlanta and though her life isn't perfect, she loves her family (her parents are separated but her mother decided that they need a father figure so he still see the family occasionally) and aside from that, she has her best friend and Christopher, a guy whom she likes for a long time.

However, her world seems to come to a halt when she learnt that her father is sending her to a boarding school in Paris. Now Anna has never been away with her family for such a long time, not to mention the distance, the language barrier and all. But, she adapts quickly to her new environment and have made a few good friends along the way. Among them is a guy named Étienne St. Clair, who is not only good-looking and popular but also has a girlfriend.

Anna enjoys being friends with them, but little does she know that she is falling in love with Étienne the more they spend their time together; and it seems their friendship has turned to more after they have spent the time together for Thanksgiving and that Anna being there when his mother has cancer and has to go for treatments. The relationship between Étienne and his father is strained so he appreciates that Anna is there for moral support, plus he and his girlfriend has fallen apart but they are still together despite the lesser communications.

Just as Anna is feeling confused over their relationship, she is more shocked to learn that Christopher is going out with her best friend back home in Atlanta. Which is worse, being seeing the guy you likes is still together with his girlfriend despite the strained relationship, or being betrayed by your best friend? Needless to say, I find myself rooting for Anna throughout my reading journey and on top of the premise, what makes this book such a delightful read is learning more about Paris and its culture (the scene on French pastries, macarons . . . simply made my mouth waters). I have this longing of visiting Europe (especially Paris) for a while so reading this book has further increased that longing.

Although this book is very much about the relationship between Anna and Étienne, it also touches on issues such as the relationship between friends, between boyfriends and girlfriends, as well as between family. Both Anna and Étienne have issues with their fathers; and while Anna's father is portrayed more like an egoistical father who seems to know what is best for her (he is most proud of the books he writes), Étienne's father, however, couldn't care less about anyone's feelings (except his own) and this shows especially when Étienne's mom is diagnosed with cancer and I didn't understand why he would stop Étienne from seeing his mom (which I feel is ridiculous). Then again, I would also like to highlight that there is an allusion to teen sex and drinking but those are minimal.

As you can tell, I really enjoyed reading this book and I look forward to reading Stephanie Perkin's next book, Lola and the Boy Next Door, which I heard is equally wonderful too.