A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

It had been quite sometime since I encountered the "wow" factor when reading a book. This is one of them .

This book is about a 13 years old boy, Jason, being swallowed (yup, literally swallowed) into a world that he did not being. Something like Dungeons and Dragons. Guess some of the younger readers will ask "Dungeons and Dragons? what's that?". I guess am revealing my age by that statement.

In this world there is a villain, Maldor , who is the Emperor/wizard/dictator whatever you call it. Yup, that's one of the must have element in fantasy book. Those who bow to him will live and those who don't....you can imagine what will entails.

Anyway, Jason's main aim is to get back to his world in one piece but curiosity kills the cat. He inadvertently stumbled on a secret hence is left with not many option. It's either do or die. His way out is to go on a quest to collect a Word the kill the evil Maldor and free the world; and hopefully along the way he will be able find a way back to his own world.

A good book must have a hero and a heroine . This is where the brainy Rachel comes in. The perfect partner in crime with Jason. Love the way the author write up her character. Brave and brainy.

What I love most about this book is that it have "heads and tails" . What I hate the most are books that started in the middle of a battle or something and leave the readers to figure out what had transpired earlier on.I really hate that.

It's pretty fast pace. Easy to read with no super long sentence which makes you forget what was it at the beginning. It's clean. No four letter words and no gory stuff....at least not overtly so. Sound boring? nah...not for me. A good adventure story  doesn't need all those four letter words to make it great. Nor does it need the author to describe how someone got disboweled with allthe intestine spilling out, blood spurting on all directions. I think you get what I mean , right?

The only thing that I didn't quite like was the part where Jason meet Maldor. Actually it's a love and hate part for me. Hate coz it was so unexpected that such twist was woven into the story. Love it...coz of the unexpected twist too. It made me wanna read more. I want to know what happen to that world next.

Yes , I would recommend this books for those mommies who want a good and clean book for their kids to read.

Nah...this is not a paid review nor did I receive ARC from the author. It's my honest opinion.

Gotta run now. I wanna start reading book2 now. Just need to write this review before I set off on my next adventure.





View all my reviews

First Frost by Liz DeJesus

Synopsis and book cover from www.goodreads.com

For generations, the Frost family has run the Museum of Magical and Rare Artifacts, handing down guardianship from mother to daughter, always keeping their secrets to “family only.”

Gathered within museum’s walls is a collection dedicated to the Grimm fairy tales and to the rare items the family has acquired: Cinderella’s glass slipper, Snow White’s poisoned apple, the evil queen’s magic mirror, Sleeping Beauty’s enchanted spinning wheel…

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Frost wants none of it, dreaming instead of a career in art or photography or…well, anything except working in the family’s museum. She knows the items in the glass display cases are fakes because, of course, magic doesn’t really exist.

She’s about to find out how wrong she is.

My Comments :-

Since I was a child, I was fascinated with story about Snow White, Cinderella, Rapunzel and stories from the Grimm Brothers. At that time, I don't see the violence in between those lines. But as I grow up, the stories were "changed" by the new generation to be less violent. 

Anyway, where was I . Yes, I was looking for a book by another author which bears the same title. Happen to see this and the synopsis captured my interest. 

I find that it is easy to fall in love with this book as it has the characters which i love during my childhood. Bianca who is a normal teenager suddenly found out that she is a witch and not only that; also the descendant of Snow White. When her mom was kidnapped, she had to journey to the Ever After to rescue her. What I like about this book is that the pace is quite fast. There is also this "silly" Prince who reminds me a bit of Don Quixotic. Love Bianca strong character. She was rash and yet brave.    I really like The Big Bad Wolf here What I dislike about this book was the plot can be predictable at times. What Ming did here did not really endear me to her much. Anyway, I look forward to subsequent book and thank the author very much for not leaving this book with a cliffhanger ending.

James Potter and the Hall of Elders' Crossing (James Potter #1) by G. Norman Lippert

Synopsis from www.goodreads.com

What’s it like to be the son of the most famous wizard of all time?

James Potter thinks he knows, but as he begins his own adventure at Hogwarts, he discovers just how much of a challenge it really is to live up to the legend of the great Harry Potter. As if it wasn’t enough dealing with the delegates from the American wizarding school and figuring out the mysteriously polite Slytherins, James and his new friends, Ralph and Zane, begin to uncover a secret plot that could pit the Muggle and the Magical worlds against each other in all-out war.

Now, with the help of Ted Lupin and his band of merry mischief makers (The Gremlins), James must race to stop a war that could change the world forever. His only hope is to learn the difference between being a hero and being the son of a hero.

My Comments

I stumbled upon this book while looking for additional stories from Harry Potter series. Heard J K Rowling going/had release new Harry Potter stories. Instead, I found works from G. Normal Lippert. Decided to give it a try since I can't get enough of harry potter series. What I like about this book? Well I get to revisit Hogwarts  and see it through the eyes of the next generation. For me, this series needs some getting use to. First of all, the names of the children are confusing to me. They are named after Harry Potter's parents and friends who had pass away. I kept imagining "James" as Harry's father instead of his son. At the mention of Ted Lupin, I kept imagining a werewolf. Secondly is the series seems to have been Americanised. Setting still same but the tone of it had changed some how. . For example the cars, GPS and game console. And the kids have to learn way of the Muggles such as playing football. One thing I hate in this book is the politics. Come on! this series is aim for kids, right? Adding politics into it seems very heavy. What was it again? Society that support the Dark Lord? Harry Potter and his gang not really the good guys and rewrites history to make themselves as heros? It sounded to me like those political novels about Mao's era in china. I can't believe that the total helplessness of the situation where the Headmistress and teachers can;t do anything about it. But why am I giving it 3 stars? Well, coz apart from that, the story was pretty well written. i love the last part. it had the old Harry Potter feel to it.

Coming Soon! The Big Bad Wolf Books Sale 2014

This year the Big Bad Wolf Book Sale will start from 7a.m. 5th December 2014 (24 hours non-stop) till 9pm 16th December 2014.

Venue will be the same as previous years , which is at MIECC at The Mines, Seri Kembangan.

Am certainly looking forward to this year's BBWB sale. I wonder what surprises awaits me for this sale. There are sure to be something nice

Adultery by by Paulo Coelho

Synopsis from www.goodreads.com

The thought-provoking new novel from the international bestselling author whose words change lives.

Linda knows she's lucky.

Yet every morning when she opens her eyes to a so-called new day, she feels like closing them again.

Her friends recommend medication.

But Linda wants to feel more, not less.

And so she embarks on an adventure as unexpected as it is daring, and which reawakens a side of her that she - respectable wife, loving mother, ambitious journalist - thought had disappeared.

Even she can't predict what will happen next...

My comments : 

As per the synopsis, the book is about a woman who have everything and yet felt something is lacking in her life . Thus, this pushes her to embark on the road of adultery.

From the very beginning, our heroine did not endear herself to the readers. Come on! you have everything and yet you feel the need to flirt with a married man? 

But I feel that it was an honest portray of human nature. Many authors would not dare nor want to make the heroine to be such slut /ungrateful person as it give risk of readers hating the book. Bravo to Paulo Coelho for daring to do this with no usual excuses of husband treating her badly or anything. Well, maybe the excuse of depression. Depression can do strange things to people.

Brave book , I may say. As for enjoyment in reading it...well...I can't say that I enjoyed reading it. I find that the heroine's depression is contagious. It made me feel stress and depressed.

Then why am I giving it 3 stars out of 5 stars, meaning I like the book? It is because of the author's in depth view on human nature for I do believe what he wrote here do happen in real life. There are men and women who have everything in life and yet not thankful for what they have got.  I love the way he play with the sentences. 

The Deer and the Cauldron, Vol. 1 by Jin Yong, John Minford (Translator)

Synopsis by goodreads.com

Also known as Duke of Mount Deer, this is the first of a three-volume picaresque historical romance by China's best-loved author. It tells the story of Trinket, an irreverent and comic anti-hero, and his adventures through China over more than twenty years at the beginning of the Qing dynasty. 

The story spans vast territories, from desert islands to northern ice fields, from Peking and the Imperial Court to the sacred mountain of Wu-tai-shan to the legendary Shaolin Temple to the boudoir of Princess Sophia. Rich in plot and historical detail, the book is peopled by a multitude of characters, including members of the Brotherhood of River and Lake, song girls, gamblers, beggars, itinerant (and often fighting) monks, Taoists, Cossacks, Jesuits, herbalists, dissident literati, corrupt magistrates, Manchu princes, Ming loyalists, and the one-armed Princess with the deadly 'flicking' style of kung fu. 

Anyone with a taste for popular culture or modern China will find The Deer and the Cauldron a fascinating read

My Comments : 

I have watch the drama series that was based on this book when I was just a child. I remember I love it very much. Oh the lovable "Whiskers" and also the Xiao Bao(Trinkets). 

It has been an unbelievable experience to read this book. Thank you very much to the person who took the time to translate it into English.

What I like about this book ....well... everything. Love the Kungfu and the politics.  There are certain parts that is better expressed in the drama . However, certain parts also better in the book form. Leave it to readers' imagination.

What I dislike? Not to say dislike but rather there is something lost when it's translated in English.  At times, I find it hard to grasp what is it about. For someone like me who have a bit of knowledge on how the story goes, it was okay. But I suspect for those who have nil knowledge on Kungfu flicks and stuff like that will have a hard time understanding.

Overall, am giving it 4 stars out of 5. Am now looking forward to reading Vol 2 of the said story. 

The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith

Synopsis from www.goodreads.com


When novelist Owen Quine goes missing, his wife calls in private detective Cormoran Strike. At first, Mrs. Quine just thinks her husband has gone off by himself for a few days--as he has done before--and she wants Strike to find him and bring him home.

But as Strike investigates, it becomes clear that there is more to Quine's disappearance than his wife realizes. The novelist has just completed a manuscript featuring poisonous pen-portraits of almost everyone he knows. If the novel were to be published, it would ruin lives--meaning that there are a lot of people who might want him silenced.

When Quine is found brutally murdered under bizarre circumstances, it becomes a race against time to understand the motivation of a ruthless killer, a killer unlike any Strike has encountered before...

A compulsively readable crime novel with twists at every turn, THE SILKWORM is the second in the highly acclaimed series featuring Cormoran Strike and his determined young assistant, Robin Ellacott.

My Comments :

Cormoran Strike was hired to look for a missing author,Owen Quine, by the author's wife. Soon things turned sinister and heated up as Strike go on with the investigation. There was even an attempt on his life. What I like about this book is that Robin, his assistant, is taking a more active part in the story. I love her character and starting to dislike her fiance, Matthew. Love the chemistry between Strike and Robin. What I dislike about this book is that though everyone seems to have reason(s)  to want the author, Owen, to disappear but their reasons seems to be shaky and muddled. I did not feel the thrill of the investigation. Not much digging done. More like both Strike and Robin go from one person to another a listened . From there Strike made a judgement and found the culprit. Feel it's lack of "umph" factor. Nevertheless it's a good second suspense book from the author.

Big Bad Wolf Books Double Trouble Sale - Penang & MIECC 2014

Gosh! I think it's first time every they "open fire" in two place at once....

PENANG and KL...or rather Selangor as MIECC is in Selangor, right?

Good to see that they are expanding to various states in Malaysia. At least for those who can't come all the way to KL will still be able to enjoy books at a low price.

Putrajaya International Book Fair 2014

Saw this poster some weeks ago. Gonna be a big fair I heard. Kinda keen to see what they have there as it's said have activities for all family members

Still undecided whether it will be worth travelling all the way to Putrajaya for this as it's an hour away in smooth traffic.

Judge Dee series by Robert Van Gulik

Summary :

In this series, Judge Dee, magistrate in China during the Tang Dynasty (600s). He is a semi-fictional character based on the historical figure Di Renjie, magistrate and statesman of the Tang court.

The author Robert Van Gulik came across this character in a second-hand book store in Tokyo . He then translated the book into English and used the character and style to write his own Judge Dee historical mysteries.

Mainly it deals with mysteries and crimes that Judge Dee managed to solved in the beginning of his career.

My Comments :

I have come across this series when Bookalicious posted up that they have Judge Dee books in their store.

Intrigue, I search online and found some free ebooks. The first book that I read in the series was Poisoned Bride And Other Judge Dee Mysteries . After that book, I was hooked.

I have been fascinated by Justice Bao series in the television. Justice Bao is about a good judge that is just and fair in the old days. I knew there are a lot of Judge Bao stories in Chinese books but I have not come across and English book for that. Hence am very excited to find Judge Dee series carries the same tone of stories as Judge Bao.

What I love about is that each book have a complicated plot. Judge Dee does not only solve one mystery but sometimes 2-3 cases at the same time. Plot are usually beautiful and smooth. 

It was also very helpful that the author added in the background of the ancient justice systems in either beginning or at the end of each book so that readers can understand more why and how Judge Dee can come to the said solution and on how the author took the motive from real cases that had occurred before.

However , I feel that there are some scene especially the torture and execution maybe disturbing to some people. 

I was a bit disappointed at

The Chinese Nail Murders

as it have the similar plot and solutions

Poisoned Bride And Other Judge Dee Mysteries

The last 3 books were hard for me to read as they have a heavier tone. In these 3 books, Judge Dee have more senior position . He is getting old and feeling worn out(Sounds a bit like Sherlock Holmes in his last legs?). Sad to say that some of my favourite characters in the series started to disappear. 

Overall, am giving this series 4 stars out of 5 stars

For more information, check out the series in Goodreads. 

Sneak Peek to My Library

It's unbelievable. I have not been posting here for nearly half a year. I have been busy with house moving. That was followed by year end holidays and the back to school rush.

Today have a bit of time and here is the sneak peek of the library. It's "work-in-progress".  Things are still pretty messy. Not easy to arrange over 2000 books and  at the same time feed my reading addiction.

 Finally, my pride and joy can be "released" from their jail. I do love Arthur Hailey's books very much.

 Some "light" reading to cheer me up after some depressing books.

 Who doesn't have or have not read a Dan Brown book? 

Another pride and joy. Books by a Malaysian author. Only books missing is Nanyang. It's really great to read about time before Malaysia is formed.

 My near completion of Sue Grafton alphabets series.

 Another terrific series by a talented author, Shamini Flint. The topic she touched in her books are controversial and one will appreciate it more if ones have some knowledge of history and political background on each of the country touched

 These are the "golden oldies" . My reads when I was in Primary school.

 Took quite long for me to save up my pocket monies back then to buy each book. Hopefully, one day my son will read them to improve his Bahasa Malaysia language. But then now am not sure that it will do as Bahasa Malaysia have evolved quite a lot since my days in school. 

 I bet everyone who is a keen reader would have come across or heard of Pearl S. Buck "The Good Earth "  at one time or another. But have you heard of the other titles?

Some of the older books here were trash to others while it's a treasure for me.

 Ho! Ho! Ho!...hands up who likes Harry Potter series.

Another of my addiction...Isaac Asimov series. Thanks to Thomas Heng who first introduced books from this author to me.

Well, guess it's back to work now. Will post up more reviews when I have the time.

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth

Synopsis By www.goodreads.com

One choice can transform you, or destroy you.

Every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves, and herself, while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

My Comments:

Story begins with unrest starting everywhere. Seems that it's dead ends wherever Tris turned to. She seems to be torn between friendship and loyalty; love and the greater good of everyone.

The pace is fast enough for me but it was not as good as supporting characters are dropping dead left and right. A bit confusing. By middle of the book I feel kind of frustrated as every thing and everywhere seems to be hopeless and bleak.

But by the ending I was intrigue. There was a special twist in the end which makes book three promising. Hopefully it will deliver a good explaination about the things that happens in Book 2 here

Overall, I rate Book #2 3 stars out of 5

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Synopsis by www.goodreads.com

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue--Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is--she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are--and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, Tris also learns that her secret might help her save the ones she loves . . . or it might destroy her

My Comments :

This book was easy to "get into" for me. From the beginning it was like entering a whole new world.

What I like about this book is that the story was pretty much tensed . Very fast paced once the day of the choosing arrived. I really like the character , Tris. For me, Tris was like a real person instead of a fictional character. That's an accomplishment of the author in bringing realism into the book

However, I find that the romance between Tris and Four was a bit "forced". Does not have the "fire" and the "feel" towards it. Maybe it's because this is a dystopian tale and not a full fledged romance.

My friends had compared this book with Hunger Games and I some what agree with them that it's not as tense and mysterious as Hunger Games though it's fast pace.

Nevertheless, the pull is there for me to read the second book in the series.

For me, this book rated 4 stars out of 5.

Big Bad Wolf Books Sale 2013!!!

Do I need to say more? Get ready everyone!!!!

Inspector Singh Investigates : A Calamitous Chinese Killing

 Summary from www.goodreads.com

Inspector Singh's expertise is required in China in his sixth adventure, as he battles political intrigue to get to the bottom of a very murky and complex crime Inspector Singh is on a mission to China, against his better judgment. 

The son of a bigwig at the Singapore Embassy has been bludgeoned to death in a back alley in Beijing. 

The Chinese security insist that he was the victim of a robbery gone wrong, but the young man's mother demands that Singapore's finest (in his own opinion) rides to the rescue. 

But solving a murder in a country that practices socialism "with Chinese characteristics" is a dangerous business, and it soon becomes apparent that getting to the bottom of this calamitous killing will be his toughest case yet

My Comments : 

Shamini Flint has done it again. Another thought provoking book fill with suspense.

Cleverly blend in the story are issues on corruption, illegal organ harvesting, poverty, materialism, environmental issues and crackdown on fulan gong members. Did I miss out on any other issues? Qing's aunt had certainly voiced out what I felt about Mao's policies.

As usual, it was not easy to begin reading this book. The story jump from one character to another but as it goes, the story will come together.

The only downside is that I am not happy with the closure on Professor Luo issue. It feel just so unfair. I would have love it if it have a perfect ending. but then with perfect ending, the story will no longer have the realistic feel, right?

I wonder where will inspector Chen send inspector singh to next? will Mrs singh learn how to make szechuan food? will she be more involved in his investigation?

For the moment am giving this book 4 stars out of 5.

The Ghost Bride by by Yangsze Choo

Original title :The Ghost Bride

ISBN :0062227327 (ISBN13: 9780062227324)

Summary at www.goodreads.com

"One evening, my father asked me if I would like to become a ghost bride..."

Though ruled by British overlords, the Chinese of colonial Malaya still cling to ancient customs. And in the sleepy port town of Malacca, ghosts and superstitions abound.

Li Lan, the daughter of a genteel but bankrupt family, has few prospects. But fate intervenes when she receives an unusual proposal from the wealthy and powerful Lim family. They want her to become a ghost bride for the family's only son, who recently died under mysterious circumstances. Rarely practiced, a traditional ghost marriage is used to placate a restless spirit. Such a union would guarantee Li Lan a home for the rest of her days, but at a terrible price.

After an ominous visit to the opulent Lim mansion, Li Lan finds herself haunted not only by her ghostly would-be suitor, but also by her desire for the Lim's handsome new heir, Tian Bai. Night after night, she is drawn into the shadowy parallel world of the Chinese afterlife, with its ghost cities, paper funeral offerings, vengeful spirits and monstrous bureaucracy—including the mysterious Er Lang, a charming but unpredictable guardian spirit. Li Lan must uncover the Lim family's darkest secrets—and the truth about her own family—before she is trapped in this ghostly world forever

My Comments : 

I grew up in Malaysia. Ever since I was a kid, I observed that my elders tend to mix Taoism, Buddhism and various local custom together when they pray. It would be hard for those who have no background on the custom and superstition to digest the full effect and glory of this story Yea, I have heard of the story of Ghost Bride. In fact, if my memory didn't fail me, I recall Mom mentioned one of my great grand aunt had a son/daughter who pass away and "came back" in his/her mom dream and told them that he/she met a mate in the underworld and they want to get marry. Hence the family performed the rites Now i know why my elders had always deter me from picking up things from the roadside. Have heard of "spirits" being attached to some things . Hence sometimes people them away. have heard and seen people burning all the belongings of the dead..hmmm...only now did I know that spirit have connection to the things they loved. Enough about me. I should be writing about this book but how shall I start? Well, As you've read, it brings back a lot of memories. For me it has been a wonderful experience reading this. At parts it was really eerie. Especially where the author mentioned the paper doll offerings and the paper houses.  I kept imagining the two red dots on the the paper servants cheek. It gave me goose bumps. overall I love it very much. Hope the author would write more of this genre.  These superstition and believes is being abandon and forgotten in the age of technology. This has been part of our ancestors life. It would be nice to have it preserved in memory though we no longer practice them. Let it be part of our history. Am giving this book full 5 stars.

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True Believer (Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell #1) by Nicholas Sparks

Synopsis by www.goodreads.com

Jeremy Marsh is the ultimate New Yorker: handsome, almost always dressed in black, and part of the media elite. An expert on debunking the supernatural with a regular column in "Scientific American," he's just made his first appearance on national TV. 

When he receives a letter from the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, about ghostly lights that appear in a legend-shrouded cemetery, he can't resist driving down to investigate. 

 Here, in this tightly knit community, Lexie Darnell runs the town's library, just as her mother did before the accident that left Lexie an orphan. Disappointed by past relationships, including one that lured her away from home, she is sure of one thing: her future is in Boone Creek, close to her grandmother and all the other people she loves. 

Jeremy expects to spend a quick week in "the sticks" before speeding back to the city. But from the moment he sets eyes on Lexie, he is intrigued and attracted to this beautiful woman who speaks with a soft drawl and confounding honesty. And Lexie, while hesitating to trust this outsider, finds herself thinking of Jeremy more than she cares to admit. Now, if they are to be together, Jeremy Marsh must make a difficult choice: return to the life he knows, or do something he's never done before--take a giant leap of faith. 

A story about taking chances and following your heart, True Believer will make you, too, believe in the miracle of love.

Did You Know?---

True Believer is not inspired by any of Nicholas's family members, but the protagonist, Lexie Darnell, is named after one of Nicholas's twin daughters?

Boone Creek -- the setting for the novel -- is a fictitious town in North Carolina, modeled after Pamlico County?
True Believer was one of two books that Nicholas wrote in a year? (The second is At First Sight, the sequel to True Believer.)

My Comments: 

Mysterious lights in the cemetery of a sleepy town. This book had potential . Unfortunately I find that it's not engaging enough. The sparks between Lexie and Jeffery was  strangely missing, unlike his others book. Only redeeming grace for me in this book was the debate between Lexie and Jeffery on who is the one who is expected to sacrifice everything and also the part where the mysterious lights appeared. Overall It had been an average read. I like it but am not in love with it

At First Sight (Jeremy Marsh & Lexie Darnell #2) by Nicholas SParks

Synopsis by www.goodreads.com

There are a few things Jeremy Marsh was sure he’d never do: he’d never leave New York City; never give his heart away after barely surviving one failed marriage; and never become a parent. 

Now Jeremy is living in the tiny town of Boone Creek, North Carolina, engaged to Lexie Darnell, the love of his life, and anticipating the start of their family. 

But just as his life seems to be settling into a blissful pattern, a mysterious and disturbing e-mail sets off a chain of events that will change the course of this young couple’s relationship.

How well do we really know the ones we love? How do we handle the inevitable doubts, fears concerning parenthood, and stumbling blocks that are sometimes placed in our way? 

Continuing the story of the young couple introduced in Sparks’s bestselling True Believer, this novel captures all the heartbreak, tension, romance and surprises of those who are newly wed. 

An astonishing tale about the love between a man and a woman and between a parent and a child, At First Sight is about endings that bring new beginnings . . . tragedies that lead to unexpected joy . . . and, most of all, the magic of everlasting love.

My Comments :

I made the mistaken of reading this book first before I read "True Believer". Hence, there were some parts which I felt that I was in the blind.

Nevertheless, after reading the first book; am still of the opinion that this is not one of his best work.

First half of the story was rather dry. All Jeffery's self doubts and their arguments was not engaging at all. It did jot endear me to either Lexie or Jeffrey

Things only pick up soeed when the baby was in distress

overall this has been an okay reads. For me this have been two stars out of five

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Synopsis from www.goodreads.com

A BIG NOVEL ABOUT A SMALL TOWN ...

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils ... Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

My Comments :

The story was painfully slow. Up to page 200, the author was still building up background of various characters in the story. However, the last 100 pages or so saved the story or else I would say it's a waste of time reading this

The words used here were rather stilted. It was like something out of Enid Blyton's fairy tales genre. Not very suitable for modern days story.

For example page 118 " Fats had been told by a reliable informant that the one fail-safe way of quitting the Winterdown grounds without being spotted from a window was to climb over the side wall by the bike shed. "...it would have been easier to say Fats decided to skip school. .." the word "quit" makes it sound so dull and "old English". 

I don't feel the sense of urgency to know what willhappen next nor want to know who will win the post. 

But as i have said earlier, story only pick up speed in the final 100 pages or so. The book could have done with more trimming off unnecessary long winded portion.

For me this book is worth two starts out of five.

Squeaky Green: The Method Guide to Detoxing Your Home by Eric Ryan, Adam Lowry

Hardcover, 158 pages

Published April 1st 2008 by Chronicle Books

Title :Squeaky Green: The Method Guide to Detoxing Your Home

ISBN : 0811863913 (ISBN13: 9780811863919)

edition language : English

Synopsis at www.goodreads.com

When Adam Lowry and Eric Ryan founded Method, the environmentally friendly brand of cleaning products, they used packaging stylish enough to showcase on the counter top and pleasant aromas such as green tea and cucumber to transform household products into must-have lifestyle accessories. 

And when they coined the phrase "People Against Dirty," they weren't just talking about the stuff you track in on your shoes they also meant the toxic chemicals that make up many household detergents. 

Packed with helpful tips and surprising facts, their first book, Squeaky Green, is a totally informative and completely entertaining room-by-room guide to giving dirty the boot. Squeaky Green is rehab for chemically dependant homes.

My Comments :

I came across this book at Method's Blogger Tea Party earlier this month. Initially I thought this is just another books "teaching" us how to clean the house using their products.

Yesterday, they couriered some products to me together with this book. Nope, am not supposed to review this book. They just need me to try out their products. This book is just "additional information" for my reference.

As I flipped through the book, I found that it's actually very entertaining. Yup...usually I dislike reading Manuals or books that says Cleaning Tips as at the end each chapter they would tell me what product to use to get things clean. 

I was pleasantly surprised that this book is not one of such book. It did not drone on and on about how good is their products and nor highlight how to use their products. 

It is quite surprising that this is a straight forward book. I find myself "talking" to this book and it "answering" back. Am not cuckoo yet, okay....

Here are  example of my "conversation" :

On Antibacterial Soap 

Book : Antibacteria soap are pesticides. Meaning the ingredients in them are used to kill bugs...bla bla bla.....

Me : Oh yea? Then why is it they use it in hospital...?

Book : .American Medical Association does not recommend antibacterial soaps...they don't recommend using it at home  and don't even recommend them for use in pediatrician office...only place the recommend is in hospital... bla bla bla...antibacteria soap aren't effective at killing viruses that makes you sick.

Me : Uh...but what about flu ...touching surface that have someone with flu hand touched..I'll get from that too......

Book : ....you don't catch the common cold or flu from bacteria. You get them from viruses....

Me : *Palms on face* Science failed...

Book : .... keep in mind that antibacterial products are designed to kill living things, namely, bacterial. Guess what else is a living thing? You.

Me : .......

On Soap

Book : wash your hands with good old soap and water. Done properly, it's effective in getting rid of pesky germs

Me : But I hate to think of touching a bar of soap which others had touched with their dirty hand. Sometimes I see there are line of grimes on that bar of soup. It's just so gross

Book : Danny says, if you want to offer your family and friends a fresh piece of soap each time they wash their hands, look no further than your kitchen drawer. Run a vegetable peeler across the top to make individual soap curls' display them in a bowl in the bathroom and each guests can use a thin sliver to wash their hand clean.



Yup....this book have been fun to read.  There are a lot of helpful information in it and also opens my eyes on many things that I've taken for granted.

Overall, am giving this book full five stars and feels that every Mom or Dad should read this book at least once.