BOOK TO MOVIE ; MYSTIC RIVER

I was intrigued. Not too much because of the book, but for the intepretation of the psycho. 

So I watched it. Quite a while ago. Right after reading the book. And it was quite spot on. The neighbourhood was something different (oh well I imagined a suburb-y feeling but got the Jersey dose) but it sticks to the facts of the book. And it was worth watching. Micro scrutiny of a community. 

I have to watch many more book adaptations. 

BOOK REVIEW ; MYSTIC RIVER

Title : Mystic River

Author : Dennis Lehane

First book, but I have expectations from Shutter Island (movie). 

This story evolves around three friends, Sean, Jimmy and Dave. Normal boys who have different personalities and backgrounds brought together out of habit. One day Dave got into an unknown car, only to come back 4 days later unharmed. Life went on, and by life it means different paths for the three boys. One day Jimmy woke up to the knowledge that his daughter was dead. Sean, already a police officer had to solve this crime for a long forgotten friend. And Dave had to wrestle with the Boy who ran away from the Wolf. Head on. Do or die. 

The grip of this book is mainly on the emotional side, as the story takes the path of the regular NCIS/CSI kind of plot nowadays. Haven't watched the movie, though. Must be worth watching. Okay first book, Lehane. Some parts are nearly good to quote, but me being lazy didn't mark it up. 

Rating :7/10

BOOK REVIEW ; DEFINITELY NOT MR. DARCY

Title : Definitely Not Mr. Darcy

Author : Karen Doornebos

Oh well. Permissible chick-lit as it is about Darcy. 

Although I did remind myself that brooding Rochester is better than brooding Darcy. And brooding Heathcliff (sorry Tom Hardy!) will never ever make the cut.

So, back to the book. This light read transports us to partial 1812, where Darcy is on pursuit of a suitable wife. Modern day Miss Parker, an Austen enthusiast ended up in a reality show about the Regency era. Which transports her from Chicago to the outskirts of England, and live the life she thought she should be born into. She did have the whole nine yards, I must say. Archery lessons, sewing and music talents, not to mention gorgeous dresses in flimsy material, she got all of that going. With an assortment of competing women vying to win Mr Wrightman's heart (and yes $100,000). Toss in some drop-front breeches and other implicit references, there you go. A modern day Darcy. 

With a twist. 

Miss Parker, in the end, did find her match. But definitely, absolutely not Mr Darcy. 

Okay book for an Austen fan looking for a few hours diversion. 

And the straight quote from Pride and Prejudice is sincerely cherished. Along with the references to some parts of Austen. Not to mention the historically accurate explanations. 

And for the damper on Keira Knigtley's adaptation, I must find a nook to sob my heart out. The ending was exquisite! (come to think of it, would someone in that era really do that? Ugh)

Henry, boy, that library is perfection. You don't need to illustrate it, I have it in my head already. 

I. Should. Stop. Thinking. Of. Darcy. 

Rating : 6/10

BOOK REVIEW ; FIRST AMONG EQUALS

Title : First Among Equals

Author : Jeffrey Archer

My first (at least as far as I can remember) Archer novel. And it wasn't what i have expected. In a good way. 

The story revolves around 3 guys, Charles Hampton, Simon Kerslake, and Raymond Gould who had vastly different upbringings but were united in one goal, to someday become the Prime Minister of Britain. The trio had entered the political arena at roughly the same time, and has their fare share of fights. The battle was bigger between Hampton and Kerslake as they are in the same party. Love, deceit, bankruptcy, and downright skill dominated Archer's story. At the end, one became the Speaker for the house, one became the Prime Minister, and another,ah,well, the other went home disappointed. But still the Party's leader. 

This book taught me a lot of British politics, I must say. As much as I was skeptical, I liked it. A lot. Archer now on the list!

Rating :9/10

BOOK REVIEW ; THE AMBER ROOM

Title : The Amber Room

Author : Steve Berry

Granted that this is Berry's first novel, I must say quite good. It is lacking the depth in history that I would have sincerely appreciated, but intriguing nonetheless. The book explores the history of The Amber Room, a magnificent creation of the Tsarkoye Selo artisans for Prussia. It was then given to the Russians, only to be looted by the Nazis. The mystery behind it was worth lives and money, as the group of 9 Retrievers of Lost Antiquities (a private rich man club in Europe) and their Acquisitors fight for many years. The truth of The Amber Room was revealed at the end, changing lives of ordinary citizens and moved history forever.

I must say halfway through the book I was skeptical about the writing, but it took a new twist. 

Read more on the Amber Room at http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amber_Room

Rating : 7/10

BOOK REVIEW ; ONE SHOT

Title : One Shot

Author : Lee Child

Yay, the uptight Jack Reacher comes back! And this was a good one. So Reacher had to come back to kill someone that promised him something 14 years ago; to not kill anyone ever again. The Afghanistan mission Reacher went back then was the scene of a mass civilian killing by a sniper, who had then been discharged and left alone. Now he is accused for a mass civilian murder in a smalll town. Reacher came to kill, but his military cop instinct kicked in and made him rethink of his solution. How can a case be 100% perfect? How can the police ignore some small, yet significant clues? Reacher and his team tried finding the rat in the pack, even when it borders on betrayal. I must say the climax was pretty good too. (Read: gory. With Reacher something must be sexy, or gory). So overall a satisfiable book. Like these people always promise to offer.

Rating : 8/10

QUOTES ; POEM, BY ANONYMOUS

A hundred pages lay scattered, Thousands of dreams dreamed, The Qadar of Allah overrules, What is not right, but so it seemed. Questions! A hundred questions the heart asks, Assumptions! Outraged assumptions, the mind conceives. He knows what lays best in His Master plan, He knows what each soul receives. Man may conquer oceans deep, Through vast skies he may ride up high. His next aim may shoot for stars, Yet, with Allah’s Will, he cannot why. The script may defy all logic sane, The mind may not rightly perceive, The Lord writes masterpieces, Only if the reader believes. His are the scripts of glory, Of men who conquered and ruled well, His are the scripts of fury, Of the blasphemous, who shamefully fell. He writes trials and tribulations, For His servants who deserve a test, A challenging script, heightens faith, Separates the loyal from the rest. His scripts are riddles, His twists unknown, His ways merciful, His graciousness well-known. I may tread on thorny paths, Fight battles I know not why, I know my script is a masterpiece, For it’s by Allah, the Most High. - Anonymous

BOOK REVIEW ; THE THIRD SECRET

Title : The Third Secret

Author : Steve Berry

So the Church story makes a comeback. (I prolly should reflect on this and go back to what I should read, eh?) This book revolves around the apparitions of Marian, specifically in Fatima, LaSalle and Medjugorge. The apparitions and messages that they bring were mostly kept from the public for fear of the truth; total overturn of the foundations of the Catholic Church. It was up to the Pope and his cardinals to save the day or for a better idea, the institution and religion itself. 

People claim Berry is reminiscent of Brown. I agree. But I also think that they don't have to compete, but instead give historical fiction its chance to shine among other genres. (It guess it already is judging on the top 10 bestsellers if the week lists,eh?) For me, at least, it does. 

Rating : 9/10 

BOOK REVIEW ; A ROOM WITH A VIEW

Title : A Room With A View

Author : E.M. Forster

Oh Forster, thank you for a good classic! A quite realistic classic. A love story; choosing between the ideal and the real. It was a refresher on how the people in that times live; going places, learning books by heart, appreciating nature and history. Snippets of society class prejudice thrown in. And love. Yes, my type of love. Plus some nudity (well, its just boys playing in the lake). And the realistic love triumphs! Put in Italy and Greece in, and there, you get Forster's novel. Watch the movie too! It's quite a different portrayal than what I had in mind, but a good one nevertheless.

The best quote from the book: 

"Then they spoke of other things - the desultory talk of those who have been fighting to reach one another, and whose reward is to rest quietly in each other's arms." - A Room With A View, E.M.Forster

Rating : 9/10

BOOK REVIEW ; LOST CITY

Title : Lost City 

Author : Clive Cussler & Paul Kemprecos

HEY PEOPLE! BLOGGER IS FINALLY WORKING!

I was having problems with this book. Yes, it had references to Poe, which I appreciate, and history, which Cussler nicely laces in, but he tried too much. Was it Kemprecos' influence? It's a Kurt Austin adventure, so I was biased too (I miss Dirk Pitt!). But okay. The book was about the Fauchards, a notorious family known for arm dealing for centuries. Turns out they were the people behind the major world wars along with the other Poe's characters (I mean the other big names in the business of the underworld). Realizing there's more to war than only arms, the Fauchards hatched an idea of biological weapons. The experiments went far from right, and NUMA steps in to save the day. Again. Now this Cussler has become repetitive I really need to take a stint from this. Unless I get my Pitt back.

Rating : 7/10

BOOK REVIEW ; ONE HUNDRED NAMES

Another review from my dear friend and ex-schoolmate, Quorinna Korish. Enjoy!

PS : I know, I haven't been updating. Will do ASAP! I've been reading quite a few books :)

 Title : One Hundred Names Author : Cecelia Ahern

You literally can’t put down the book. If you ever want to read this, you better have the whole day off. Sit somewhere quiet, have a whole jug of water, a big bar of chocolates. Be probably best if you’re at home alone or locked the door to your room. Because you don’t want to be disturbed nor you want to be distracted. Seriously! The moment you open the book you’ll be intrigue of what the 100 names is all about. Would it be about how 100 people are connected? 100 random people mind you. And you wouldn’t want to put the book down because you would want to know who are those 100 people. And why there were in a list. I know that some people would just, well go to the last page to find the answer. But I want to know how the character, Kitty, figured it out. How she finally found what it is that connects all of these 100 names, this 100 random people. What is it that in their life that made this exquisite editor of the magazine Etcetera, Constance Dubois, typed this 100 names list? All these questions are the reason why you wouldn’t want to put the book down and you shouldn’t put it down. Kitty is a journalist, and her job is at stake. She had the honoured to do a tribute on her friend and boss, Constance. The only thing that she was given was a list of 100 names by Constance. No other clue on what the list is about or who the people on the list are. She have two weeks before the article is sent to print. With 100 names and a two week deadline, the next question would be ‘How is she going to accomplish that? ‘ No doubt that she figured out what the list is about. And she had the most extraordinary experience as well with extraordinary people. This is really a recommended read. That is why I’m not telling you a summary of the book or what I thought of it. Because you have to read it yourself and figured all the answer on your own.

 Rating : 10/10

BOOK REVIEW ; THE IMPERIAL CRUISE

Title : The Imperial Cruise

Author : James Bradley

Picked up the book in B&N, had sparked my interest. American history (not that I approve them though)!

Teddy Roosevelt's fan addicts, please read this book. Come and meet the dark side of him.

The Aryan's West expansion to civilize the world explains this book. James Bradley painstakingly describe in detail the dilemma of President McKinley and his successor, President Teddy Roosevelt as they champion the fight against the Others in the world. Trying to claim the world as theirs, the masterminds of this time bought together plans to conquer the Pacific and have reign (implicitly) over the Asian continent. Learn about the Japanese and Korean dilemma, and the bloody battles fought with the Red Indians and Philippines. The Anglo-Saxon powers deem themselves superior and had the responsibility to conquer and eliminate the inferiors. Princess Alice Roosevelt became the icon of America, at times banzai-ed, at times hated.

Was it worth the lives?

I stopped many times in this book as the gruesome details came out. RIP, lost souls. RIP.

Rating : 10/10

BOOK REVIEW ; HELL'S CORNER

Title : Hell's Corner

Author : David Baldacci

I DOUBTED IT. BUT HERE IT COMES. THE CAMEL CLUB!

Pardon my excitement. Oliver Stone and his club is my love when reading Baldacci. Same lines with Dirk Pitt when reading Cussler.

So this I guess is the best installment of Camel Club yet. Oliver Stone goes on the government bandwagon after 30 years with the NSC, couples up with a lethal lady from Britain's MI6, has all the govt agencies working with/for/against him, and as always, the help of Camel Club. A bomb exploded in one of Stone's fave haunts, Lafayette Park, which wasn't clear intended to whom, even though at first it was thought the British PM. As the commotion occurs only across the White House, top priority has been given to this case. A lot of top guns and top govt agents were in this, yet they sense moles among them as red herrings were thrown everywhere. Finding the right way out of the mess was critical. The stroke of genius hits Stone just in time to save 2 presidents. The journey ended where Oliver started his career as a Three Six operative and also where he saved the President's life before, Murder Mountain. Did he and the others survived the ordeal?

Oh, throw in some nano technology in! The trick that made all this possible. Ah Baldacci.

The book closes with a memorial scene.

Did he died?

*silence*

Rating : 10/10 

BOOK REVIEW ; THE MOONSTONE

Title : The Moonstone

Author : Wilkie Collins

Last book for the class. Didn't expect it to be that cliche-yet-I-still-fall-for-it book. Dang, Collins!

This book (a sensation novel) focuses on the mystery of a lost Moonstone, which hails from the deep jungles of India. A British aristocrat family is entangled in it when the diamond was given as a birthday present. Who took it? With the multitude of characters that were present, I lost track of my suspicions sometimes. Yet subtle hints were dropped from time to time, to aid the investigation. Needless to say, readers will be put in the role of detective alongside some notable characters.

The book is radically constructed by which it is a collection of accounts from different people of the period of the Moonstone disappearance (remember we're in the 19th century). While discussed in class, we also discovered radical themes (such as sex! and allegory to virginity! and marrying below class!) which isn't that prevalent in the reality at that period mentioned. So, it was a good read.

And the culprit, yes, it was half the obvious, half the unexpected. 

Needless to say the Moonstone was discovered and sent back to where it belongs. The Battle of Seringapatam (1790-ish) was put to good use. Sorry I doubted you at the beginning.

Rating : 9/10

BOOK REVIEW ; CRANFORD

Title : Cranford

Author : Elizabeth Gaskell

Again, this is a book for my 19th century british fiction course. It took only 3 classes to disembowel, due to being a short novel and on top of that, a realist novel. I remembered the horror of the romantics in class while we started to discuss it! How dreary, plain, and trivial it seemed! Yet with the guidance of our professor, we managed to pick the finer points of Gaskell's, passages that brings weight to the discussion much like how Jane Eyre did.

And in today's class, we ended our discussion of Cranford while sipping Gunpowder green tea. Ironic, eh? For those who've read this book, you'll understand.

Cranford is a snapshot of a provincial village in England in the mid 19th century. This particular town prides itself with its old ways and superiority of women. Gentlemen were scarce, and often sent on errands to the bigger towns of London and Manchester (in this book described as Drumble). A realist novel like Cranford focuses on the details, rather than big events, so we see a lot of attention given to the attire and small incidents that won't merit much a page in Gothic novels like Jane Eyre. (pardon me my references). Although a small town, the society clings still to the hierarchical form of classes, forming an organic society where the 'genteel' prefers the lower classes to exist only for their duties. Yet, much sympathy, comradeship and love comes up in this story.

Championed by two spinsters (Deborah and Matty Jenkyns) and narrated in vignettes by an outsider (Mary Smith), Cranford gives you the comfort of what England should be.

To those who wants to try to venture into the classics but not into reading, I reckon you guys to go on youtube and find the BBC series of Cranford. It's not the exact rendition of the book, but it's a good portrayal of what I think it should be. My professor said the series is a combination of all Gaskell's work, so you might see additional characters and twists of plot, which meshes nicely enough so you'll get the whole picture.

Rating : 9/10 (sorry, realist novel lovers)

BOOK REVIEW; JANE EYRE

Title : Jane Eyre
Author : Charlotte Bronte

Wondered where I've been, what tasks that I labor on this summer? Well I'm taking classes, up till July. And best part, I braved the intricate emotions of mine and enrolled in a literature course (19th century british fiction)! Oh, what joy! Yet how intense and tiring it is, going over plain (19th century) English in search of a hidden meaning. Believe me, closed reading can be mentally exhausting, but rewarding and in a sense, relieving. Those emotions you have stirring under your chest are vented out in group discussions with like minds. Minds who, unlike my usual crowd, dwell on the pages of literature, engrossed in the writer's world rather than reality.

Enough. On to the review.

Jane Eyre, readers (ha! note my associations to the book!) is set in the 19th century, when Britain is seen as the world's  biggest imperialist. The tale unwinds around a girl's life, where poverty and poor relations cast her into the lower rungs of society. She grows up to learn to repress and express alternately at suitable times her emotions and feelings, and this fact has helped her advance in life. From a nobody, to a student, to a teacher, to a governess, and up to a dependent, Jane learns to navigate life and its sufferings with tact. Jane finds love, only to have it flung away in most trying circumstances. 3 marriage proposals, which one had enough clarity and honesty to appeal to Jane? 


Some choice quotes that I don't use for my class discussions, but reverberates in my soul ;

"...For with him I was at perfect ease, because I knew I suited him"

"Thought fitted thought; opinion met opinion: we coincided,in short,perfectly."

"And you,sir,you are the most phantomlike of all."

"And your will shall decide your destiny,' he said' 'I offer you my hand, my heart, and a share of all my possessions.' 'You play a farce, which I merely laugh at.''I ask you to pass through life at my side - to be my second self, and best earthly companion.'

"Reader, I married him."


Rating : 10/10 (gothic classic romance, who would say less?)

BOOK REVIEW ; SIMPLE GENIUS

Title : Simple Genius

Author : David Baldacci

Well Baldacci really made this book simple. To people who regularly read my blog, you guys do know I've been reading him for some time. So this book had been quite a disappointment. He tries to jumble up a lot of things into a well working plot, but misses to emphasize things that makes his book, extraordinary. Obviously after reading this book Camp Peary will be seared forever in my mind as the CIA spy school and Porto Bello is in it's compound (weird when I googled it up, Porto Bello has little to say. Classified as it's in the camp I guess) but Baldacci forgot to stress the importance of the Beale code and Alan Turing's findings in this book, making it only a small lead in the whole investigation. I might be wrong, but the overall sense that I've been receiving in this whole book has been okay-ish. I wanted to be wow-ed, like how I read the other Baldacci's.

But reading (fiction I'm not vouching for anything) that CIA buys drugs from "people" so that these people don't sell it to public makes sense. For greater good.

Rating : 8/10

BOOK REVIEW ; JANE EYRE LAID BARE

Title : Jane Eyre Laid Bare

Author : Charlotte Bronte & Eve Sinclair

 For those who know me, I am a classic addict. And I did mentioned that I also love the renditions and twists that other writers have spun from the original books written long ago. So this is one of them.

Yeah this is about Jane Eyre, not Mr Darcy. Ha. Basically the book goes along the same lines of the original story, but with added drama and interpretation. The original book seems drab and very conforming-ish, so Eve Sinclair spiced it up with this additional hot steamy stories that will make you look at this book in a new perspective. Those who loves romance and wants to read classics, go ahead. Perfect book for you. For a classic lover, at first you might be shocked with how Sinclair adds in these references to sex, but I can say she orchestrated it pretty well. 

The ending, on the other hand, wasn't what I expected. Modern day twist calls for a modern day ending, huh?

Rating : 9/10

BOOK REVIEW ; ANIMAL FARM

Title : Animal Farm

Author : George Orwell

It was exactly as what people described it to be. A deep, meaningful prose with striking "similarities" to humans, Animal Farm has captured the essence of sarcasm in writing that I fully hope to develop. The likening of government and authority to the animals are crude yet engages the whim of Orwell to portray the aforementioned in simple terms. This book will be essential who those who want to rise in power, those in power, and those who wants to critic the authority. It will be helpful to understand that it is in our nature to challenge simple morality and ethical rules when we rise in status. Reading Animal Farm acts as a cautionary tale to everyone.

Rating : 10/10 

BOOK REVIEW ; THE TIME OF MY LIFE

Hello ! First up is a book review from my dear ex-schoolmate, also a book lover. I'm not sure if she wants herself to be known here, but thankyou so much to you ! First contributing book review, and I'm hoping for many many more to come :)

Title : The Time of My Life

Author : Cecelia Ahern

At first, this was slow. Although slow, the words manage to echo in my head all the time. Insisting that I continue reading it. I haven’t got much time to read. Always am tired and stuff. The book was in my bag the whole time, yet it is not read. Well, I did read it for a few chapters. That is why the words stuck in my head. Just time wasn’t on my side.

Well, it is Ahern’s writings. It has to be good. So one day I managed to pick it up and continue to read. The story was a about a lady that was so messed up. She was dumped, got fired and bought a studio apartment. The series of unfortunate lead from one to another. But, she was quite fine with her life. She still have a place to live, have a job that could pay the rents, have a cat. She still hang out and spend time with her friends and family, only she would prefer not to and rather be alone.

You see, after all the unfortunate events take place. She was living in a high pile of lies. Although, she was okay, her life wasn’t. Being tired of unhappiness and depression and abandonment , her life decided to contact her.  Yup, your life gets to contact you in this story. And the irony was that her life is man.

With everything that she did right, that made her happy and her life happy. Her Life state would improve. From clammy skin and bad breath, he slowly looks better and better and became quite handsome. And she feels happier and happier with her decisions.

And everything turns out fine. What Ahern wants to propose in the story was that, you should never take Life for granted. Take care of other people’s feelings, be there for them but be there as well for your Life. You may not aware that you are miserable. So, take one day and think of all the things that you are doing, are you happy? Or is your LIFE happy?

All in all, the book made me realise that I should always keep an eye on what my Life state is. And it was really good.

Ratings: 10/10

NONFICTION TALK ; EXAMINATIONS

Away for a while, exams are approaching !

After that, I'll read with a vengeance.

BOOK REVIEW ; THE LAST TEMPLAR

Title : The Last Templar

Author : Raymond Khoury.

Even the reviews on the cover likened this book to Dan Brown, saying "For those who think Dan Brown doesn't write fast enough". Fictional history has always been a fave genre of mine, so my desires was satisfied enough with this book. It is about a raid at Metropolitan Museum by people adorned in the Knights Templar uniform, with a mission to finish what their forefathers had started; the truth about Jeshua of Nazareth, famously known as Jesus Christ. The truth will undermine Christianity as what it is now, bringing people to the truth of the Old Testament and Jesus as only a man, not the Son of God. Ultimately, the truth was exchanged with faith.

Rating : 10/10

BOOK REVIEW ; A BEND IN THE ROAD

Title : A Bend In The Road
Author : Nicholas Sparks

Ah well. A Sparks book. A happy ever after ending. Never fails.

This book talks about how a husband (county sheriff) gets over his devastation of the hit-and-run death of his wife. Suspecting bad guys, he didn't know the real culprit was someone close. Someone dear to the new love he discovered after the 2 years plus mourning. A woman his 7 year old kid approves, and loves.

AND IT WENT HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

Rating : 7/10

BOOK REVIEW ; ABRAHAM LINCOLN VAMPIRE HUNTER

Title : Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter
Author : Seth Grahame-Smith

Oh well.

Loved every second of it. Being an ardent fan of Honest Abe, how can I not be? Plus with my fascination of historical fiction, this book suits me well. See when you thread fiction with history, it seems much more solid, much more believable. Or maybe Abe Lincoln was really a vampire hunter? Ah.

The book was about President Lincoln's life. His tragedies and joys, his path to fame and success. His journals. His journeys. And his assassination. All these, laced with the fact that Civil War was the result of more than the North vs South, Union vs Confederate; it was the war to set the human race to be free. Indentured servants were the Great Emancipator's cause of his life (though accounts said he kept some slaves for his own too). Smith twists history with saying that behind all this ruckus, vampires were actually the   big factor of this war. Darkness vs light. Servitude vs equality. I must note that a lot of distinguished names were brought in, and some tarnished (obviously fiction) in the plot. Those includes Edgar Allan Poe, Jefferson Davis (he looks so much like Abe!), Ulysses S.Grant, Andrew Johnson, Martin Luther King, among others. It was good. It took me a day.

This deserves to be on the NYT bestseller's list. (I am still encumbered with rage for the Austen book)

Well, I'm biased. It's Abe.

Rating : 10/10

PS : they have photoshopped pictures too. I can't help but like it.

BOOK REVIEW ; THE JANE AUSTEN BOOK CLUB

Title : The Jane Austen Book Club
Author : Karen Joy Fowler

Naturally, when my books arrived last Thursday, I picked this one up first. I'm a real Austenian, no one will expect less. Yet being an avid reader of Austen and its parodies has its downside, you tend to expect a lot and put high standards. Which has been disappointed by this rendition by Fowler, even if it is a NYT bestseller. The book was just about a bunch of Austenians (like me!) having a book club discussing Austen, and how Austen is linked to their lives in general. I was expecting a plot like that to go on the lines of a romantic, humorous yet ironic, and none of that really applies to this book. Attempts, yes, yet none had made me slightly tipsy and put me into a book hangover. Really, the best thing about it was the comments made about Austen by other authors at the very end of the book.

Good thing for those who doesn't read Austen is there is a condensed summary of every Austen novels in this book. "Cliffnotes" free.

Urgh. I need a darcy parody. Like now.

Rating : 5/10

NO WORDS CAN EXPLAIN ; BIBLIOPHILISM

BOOK REVIEW ; THE NOTEBOOK

Title : The Notebook
Author : Nicholas Sparks

Phew. I went emotional halfway of the book. Although I tell myslef a lot of times, this is Nicholas Sparks, what do you expect? Emotions can become unchecked, so yeah.

The book is about a summer love, turn into lifetime husband and wife. Ah, spoiled that bit. Noah and Allie found true love in each other, and after 14 years apart, Allie finally came to her senses and married Noah. And they lived happily for 45 married years until Allie is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. And they both went to stay at a nursing home, separate yet whole. They also spend a lot of time writing to each other (even when they live together at home!) and that's how they try to remember everything. Photos, too. The ending was euww a bit so yeah, read it.

Get it why I went emo? Noah was a soldier in WWII.

I know, I'm churning book reviews at a fast rate. Obvious I'm spending too much time reading.

Rating : 9/10

BOOK REVIEW ; FAHRENHEIT 451

Title : Fahrenheit 451

Author : Ray Bradbury

Phew. An eye-opener. Really. First I was skeptic when the book was listed as sci-fi. Gave it a try when Lina borrowed it to me. And I'm truly grateful as in some ways, it fuels my passion of buying books. Yeah it was a soft whisper, telling me " It is alright to buy books. In fact, go on ebay now and browse through jkricci2's store." THERE. My secret out. 

Ray Bradbury wrote this with the thought of future, and what it beholds for humans. The story evolves around Guy Montag, a fireman in the future who works to start fires. Fires to burn books, burning the sense of competition among people in a way to eliminate sadness and despair. Technology went so far to create 'futuristic' stuff, such as radios in the ears, walls that act as TVs, robots as killers, etc. Montag met Clarisse, and he starts to question life around him, and his work. I'll put in some excerpts that I think is interesting, to fuel your curiosity and imagination.

And thanks for including the fact that the Mechanical Hound was modeled after the Hound of Baskervilles! 

"If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." - a quote at the beginning of the book.

"Have you seen the two hundred-foot-long billboards in the country beyond town?Did you know that once billboards were only twenty feet long? But cars start rushing by so quickly they had to stretch the advertising out so that it would last." - Fahrenheit 451

"The word 'intellectual' of course, became the swear word it deserved to be." - Fahrenheit 451

"As you can see, I am madness maddened when it comes to books, writers, and the great granary silos where their wits are stored." - Ray Bradbury

"I ate them like salad, books were my sandwich for lunch, my tiffin and dinner and my midnight munch." - Ray Bradbury

""There I strolled, lost in love,down the corridors, and through the stacks, touching books, pulling volumes out, turning pages, thrusting volumes back, drowning in all the good stuffs that are the essence of libraries. What a place, don't you agree, to write a novel about burning books in the Future!" - Ray Bradbury

Irony, Bradbury, for writing about burning books in a book. Hats down.

Rating : 10/10. (take time to read it. digest)

BOOK REVIEW ; STONE COLD

Title : Stone Cold
Author : David Baldacci

Seems like Baldacci and Cussler is at the extreme ends of portraying the American government. This book is the third installment of the Camel Club leaded by Oliver Stone in Baldacci's books. This time Carter Gray, former CIA director works from the grave to conceal his mistakes done a long time ago. CIA had denounced Raymond Solomon and his wife(former Russian spy turned neutral) as traitors to the government, when they only wanted out from the work. Assassination of two high ranking officials in the Soviet Union authorized by Gray and Roger Simpson (US President wannabe) threatens to surface up. Not enough with this, Stone and the Camel Club has decided to help a con and her father, to regain justice.

Ending subtly hints that Camel Club is no more. I guess.

Rating : 8.5/10

BOOK REVIEW ; THE NAVIGATOR

Title : The Navigator
Author : Clive Cussler

First Cussler book in ages that Dirk Pitt isn't the main character. Cussler brings in Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Louis Merriweather into the plot. Talks about the fabled lost King Solomon's mines, bringing in Queen Sheba and Phoenicians history in too. The book tells about how The Artichoke Society guards the secret of Solomon's treasure from the hands of the Baltazar family.  This book must've been after 9/11 as I detect a sense of pressure in Cussler to bring in Middle East in this book. And maybe Dan Brown has just reached fame as Cussler again tries to bring in some ties with him and his books. He threw in some linkage to the Knights Templar too. Too obvious, Cussler. Too much for a book. Been quite dissappointed. 


Still, thanks for telling me Sandecker is now the Vice President, Pitt and Giordino is now heading NUMA. Subtle touch, but otherwise appreciated.

Rating : 7/10

BOOK REVIEW; SWIMMING.

Title : Swimming
Author : Joanna Hershon

First review. Be kind, people.

Book was about a girl struggling with the loss of her 2 elder brothers that she adored so much, and the journey of finding them back. Played with emotions and insecurities people can identify with, such as loss and no sense of belonging. Focuses on getting closure from the life she leads not knowing the true story of her brothers' disappearance.

Rating : 8/10

If you guys wonder why my book reviews are short, I subscribe to the notion that people will get mad if I tell the whole story, spoiling the suspense.

I'M BACK.

SORRY, SORRY, SORRY PEOPLE !

been taking a 'stint' from writing, but reading has still been strong as always. will update ASAP!

part of the absence was about wrestling with the idea of doing book reviews. should I?