The Purpose of Passion By Kurt Bruner and Jim Ware

The Purpose of Passion with the sub-title Dante's Epic Vision of Romantic Love, co written together by Kurt Burner and Jim Ware is one of the most fascination Christian book about love that I've ever read before. It amazed me even at the first chapter and I find it amusing that they decided to use Dante Aligieri's work as their reference, for as far as I'm concerned, 'Dante Aligieri is well known for his work 'Inferno', not for his love stories. The irony of it amuses me in a good way.

I like how the author(s) starts off the book-with reference to their own wives/people that they have come to know and how they relate their experience about love with their own. Yes, indeed, this book is no fiction, and I suggest you not to read this if you're looking for made up stories. In the first chapter, the readers are introduced to Alicia a woman who has been raped by her own father and how she deal with it.

This book, teaches you about the higher kind of love, for human love does not last forever. This book teaches you on just how you can achieve it, and also the power of forgiveness. This is really an amazing book, and I enjoyed it very much.

Highly recommended for those broken souls or individuals who are doing some soul searching. I rate this book 3.5 stars out of 5. I seriously thought the cover did no justice to the book at all, and it needs improvisation.

Note :Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinion exressed herein are mine.

Following The Wrong God Home By Catherine Lim

Yin Ling is beautiful and has the soul of a poet. She is also engaged to a wealthy man and politically ambitious man, Vincent Chee.

She came from a poor family and Vincent had helped her family a lot especially paying for her mother's cancer treatment. He even tried to tolerant her eccentric old servant, Ah Heng Cheh who is obsessed with the mysterious status of a God which she brought to Singapore from China.. In fact, Yin Ling loves Vincent most when he help out her loved ones.

However, Vincent measured out his love in portion. There is always "I love you but......".

He takes her love for poetry lightly.

Then Yin Ling met Ben Gallagher, an outspoken American Professor. Her poetry brings them together and also because of Ah Heng Cheh.

Vincent came to know about the love blossoming between Yin Ling and Ben. He forgive her. Yin Ling felt obligated to let go of her love to Ben because she felt indebted to Vincent.

They got married and had a baby. Yin Ling loves her son the most. But she can't let go of her love to Ben. When she got to know that Ben have been writing to her and that her mother had intercepted the letters, her hope revived. At one part, she was delighted that Ben still love her but at another part she was reluctant to keep contact with Ben. She loves her son very much

Some things happened and Vincent found out about Ben.They had a confrontation. Vincent is again willing to forgive Yin Ling but.......he can't forgive Ben.

What should I say about this book? At one point, I pitied Yin Ling for marrying someone which she said she love and giving up her true love. A really tormented soul. It's all because of her sense of duty. But at another part, I disliked her for destroying so many life.

Forget Me Not by Isabel Wolff

Bought this book from Bookxcess not long ago for RM9-90.

The story is about Anna. At the sudden death of her mother, she realises that life is too short. She need to be doing something which she loves. She gave up her job at the share market to become a Garden Designer.

That very night when she gave up her work to start a "new Life" she had no idea that the new life comes with a baby .

That night she met a handsome man, Xan(Short for Alexander) and they got drunk and a new life was made.

Xan is not one who is into being tied down. At first theirs were the open kind of relationship. That is until Anna discovered that she is pregnant. Xan have news also. He was going to break up with Anna coz he was given an opportunity to go for an overseas posting. When he knew about the pregnancy, he wanted her to have an abortion. Even said that the baby might not been his.

During her pregnancy, she went for the pre-natal class alone. There, she met some interesting ladies. Most have a husband and partner. Only she and another lady, Jenny who is a single mother also. They got on well together.

When Anna gave birth, Xan was not around. Through the stages of the baby(Milly) growing up, Anna continued to e-mail Xan to up date him on Milly progress. Xan have to admit that the baby is his as she has his features.

After birth Anna had to start working again and she met some one new, Patrick. Romance blossom. But the Xan came back and seems to have taken intense dislike to Patrick. Hence start another round of dilemma. Patrick seems to be a "perfect" man but somehow, she still have some feelings towards Xan

Not a bad read. Not your typical Chit-lit also. However, there is room for improvement. Wish she had elaborate more on the part of her father and about Anna's brother, Mark. The explanation at the end was quite abrupt. There was not really anything much that build up to the grand finish.

The Catherine Lim Collection

Found this in the storeroom when sorting out the books the other other day.  I bought this book from the BIG BAD WOLF SALE last year. Have read this almost immediately. Very really good book.

There are 4 books in this collection.

1) The Serpent Tooth

It's something like Amy Tan's Joy Luck Club. Each family have skeletons in the closets and this sometime best left untouched.

There is a lot of flash back from past and present.

Best to be read slowly to enjoy the flavour

2) They Do Return...But Gently Lead Them Back

This consist of 15 short stories mainly about ghosts and  superstitions

I have heard some of the superstition before like the one about knocking noise from a coffin means someone will be dying soon; the one about boy being dress like a girl to deceive bad spirit/God; and about dead spirit lingering on earth.

3) O Singapore! : Stories in Celebration

8 tales about Singaporean and their "kiasuness".

Look out for the story titled "Write, Right, Rite" ; or "how Catherine Lim Tries To Offer Only The Best On The Alter Of Good Singapore Writing". Very entertaining

4) The Woman's Book of Superlatives

Stories about the sufferings of women in the hands of men. Sad.

Overall, am glad that I managed to lay my hands on this book. RM8. Not bad ya.

I wonder why Catherine Lim's books have a certain kind of "sadness" in them

The Associate By John Grisham

This book have been gathering dust in the store room for quite some time. Finally managed to dug it out.

The story is similar to The Firm. This round, Kyle McAvoy, a brilliant law student who is going to graduate soon. All big firms wants him.

That is when something which he did in the past came back to haunt him. He was involved in wild parties in his University days. And someone had recorded a video of him and his mates doing something which would destroy his future should the video be revealed.

He was then blackmailed. Surprisingly, instead of money, the blackmailers wants him to join one of the largest law firm in New York that would pay him USD 200K a year instead of the measly USD32K which he was thinking about.

Their "request" is that he was to pass them documents on a Billion dollars lawsuit that the firm had undertaken.

Kyle had to do what they wanted. He join that firm but he tried his best to avoid from being assigned to the said case. At the same time he also tried to extricate himself from this mess.

I found this book unsatisfying. Most of the things was mentioned briefly. Like how he didn't tell his dad about being blackmail. Also briefly about his girlfriend and his colleague who were working half dead. To me the story was loosely woven. I really miss the way he wrote in The Firm, The Pelican Brief and Runaway Jury.

Sorry to say that I deem this book worth 1 star out of 5.

A Voyage By Dhow - Norman Lewis

Bought this book some time ago from TIMES Warehouse Sale at RM10 for 3 book.

From the synopsis it seems interesting. It's about travel by Norman Lewis. He had travel far and to places where not many would go. Here it detailed 7 places where he had went to.

With each place there is a story.  Some are life threatening.

I should have enjoy this book but sad to say I did not. Story too long winded. If only there is some photographs.

This book is just not for me. Maybe others  will think differently.

How the Hangman Lost His Heart by K.M Grant

Won this book from one for BookXcess Blog Bonanza quite sometime ago.

This is a historical comedy book where the heroine, Alice de Granville, is the niece of a "traitor". Her Uncle Frank was beheaded and she went for the execution. She went to take his Uncle Frank's body back but the King had proclaimed that all traitors head have to be put on a spike and to be display for the public.

Alice was convinced that her Uncle Frank body should be "reunited" with his head. She went and stole the head.

Hence begin a series of hilarious and thrilling escapes.

A light hearted book. Easy to read. Suitable for teens.

Christmas Treasures- Betty Neels & 2 others

This Mills & Boons is a 3-in-1 book.

1) Always and Forever by Betty Neels

Amabel is a "small dull creature that wears the most appalling clothes". She kept the B & B(not blackberry but Breakfast and Bed) while her mother went to Canada to visit her sister who have just gave birth. Amabel was a bit scared as this is the 1st time she is all alone and was hoping that her mom would come back soon

People thought she should close the B & B while her mom was away but money is a problem. Her mom had to take up a loan to go visit her sister and the new baby.( I don't understand, why so desperate to see the baby till have to take up loan for it.)

One day a guest checked in with his mom. That guest was Dr Fforde, a doctor, and he seems to be very concern about Amabel staying alone there keeping the B & B. He kept contact with Amabel

One day Amabel received a shocking letter. Her mom met a man and married the man. And they plan to convert the B &B into a greenhouse. Her mom hinted that Amabel should find work. (Grrrr...such a selfish woman.)

Her mom and her new stepfather came home suddenly. The darn man didn't like Amabel but expect her to work in the Greenhouse for him. Her mom sid she should do it and after she help her stepfather then maybe she can go out into the world to find a job (Habis manis, sepah dibuang).The final step came when the man planned to destroy her cat and dog. She ran away.

When Dr Fforde found out, he helped her again and again. But he have his own problems too.

I don't like this story at all. There is no clear time frame for this story. Don't know it's set for which era. Modern or historical.

Amabel seems to be such a pushover. Worry too much. I don;t seem why Dr Fforge sees in her apart from she being so "helpless".Very frustrating to read about her. Thought the story have a happily ever after, but if in real life, I wonder if this marriage would work.

2) The Perfect Christmas - Caroline Anderson

Julia is a widow with a young daughter, katie. her "husband" was a terrible flirt who abandoned her after she gave birth coz she is not sexy anymore. He managed to wrap his car and himself onto a tree one night and left Julia with a mountain of credit cards debt. She had to sell the house and work herself to the bone to payoff the debt. And she had swore off man as she want to protect her daughter

She is a nurse and one day she saw a roadside accident. She helped. And there was this man who is a doctor who also help. When she arrived to the hospital, she found out that this man is a new doctor in the hospital.

The doctor, David, was attracted to Julia from the first moment. But Julia tried to hold out as she does not want any messy relationship for the sake of her daughter.

This is story have the regular feel of a typical M & B. Enough romance and stuffs. Like it.

3) Christmas At His command - Helen Brooks

Marigold Flower...yup that's the name of the heroine was a woman scorned.. She borrowed the Cottage from her colleague Emma to hide during Christmas period to lick her wounds.

But unfortunately on the way to the cottage, her car broke down. To make the matter worse, she twisted her ankle very badly.

Then a car stop . A man came down to help her but before that he "shoot" her. Not with a gun but with words. He thought she was Emma. From his description, Emma and her family seems to be a horrible bunch. Nevertheless he did help her. Took her to his home and nursed her.

Then he found out the mistaken identity. He was attracted to her and vice versa. But as usual, there are obstacles.

A whirlwind romance. Good read.

Well this book seems to have a bad beginning but the later two stories were good. Satisfying. Worth the money.

The Lovely Bones By Alice Sebold

Just finished this book. Am feeling extremely sad and depressed. Guess I will have to stop reading this sort of book. But can't help myself as this book is very good.

Story start with Suzie Salmon narrating about her life in heaven and how she observed her family and friends on earth getting on about the news of her murder. And later on how they deal with that

Suzie was murdered. But her body was never found with exception of an elbow.

She even have the opportunity to observe her murderer.

What got me so sad and depressed was the hopelessness of the situation. From Suzie's description. She can have everything in Heaven. Even the air was tuned to her personal preference. Everything seems to be perfect but how come I feel so empty reading that? She should have been happy but instead she felt "comforted". What if life in heaven is THAT mundane?

I also felt sad for her dad. He "knew " who was the murderer but nobody believed him till it's too late. On engrossing himself to hunting for the murderer, he had also pulled himself away from his beloved wife. His wife had felt lonely and restless for so long.

Am not satisfied with the ending of the story for I love good ending. But then, nothing in this world is perfect, right? Perfect ending don't happen for every case in this world.

Really a very touching story.  I wonder how Alice Sebold managed to come up with such a sad story.

 bought this book from BookXcess last week. It's in their new shipment. Go and grab this book if you want a good cry. Worth cry for.

THe Last Promise By Richard Paul Evan

This is another good book. Thanks to Jenna for lending me this Book.

It's a Cinderella story turns bad. Eliana, a small town girl who went to Italy for her last two month study was swept of her feet by a handsome Italian man. His name is Maurizio and he is well connected.

When they were courting all things are fine but after marriage, Maurizio turned out to have the Male chauvinism  trait. He expected Eliana to serve him hand and foot. He very much controlled her entire life. Not only that. He frequently left Eliana with their asthmatic son for business trips and these trips involves many love affair. Eliana know about this but she can't do anything about it  as Maurizio had threaten to take their son Alessio away from her.

Eliana thought she can turn a blind eye on the love affairs. That is until the arrival of their new tenant, Ross. An American who is working illegally as a Tour Guide Assistant.

Their attraction is mutual that is until Maurizio got to know about it. He took Alessio away from Eliana. Eliana was frantic and was willing to sacrificed everything to get her son back and this include her own happiness.

I am glad that I did not give up on this book. At the beginning I find it hard to start reading. But as I get along, things starts to reveal themselves.

Lovely book. Now I hope get my hands on his other books especially "The Christmas Box"

A Perfect Day By Richard Paul Evan

A friend loan me two Richard Paul Evan's book for nearly a year. I have tried reading this a few months ago but the "mood"  just wasn't there.Have you ever found yourself to be in need of a certain mood to read a certain book? I have considering to return the books to her without reading but decided to give it a try once again.

Robert met Allyson before her fathers death.  Allyson's mother had pass on some years ago and her father single handed raised her. Their relationship was very close. So close that her father wanted her to have a perfect day before he tell her that he was dying. He hopes that the man who marry Allyson would love her as much as he loves her. Robert promised Allyson's dad that.

Robert wanted to be a writer his whole life but he had to keep his dream in abeyance and take up a job in a Radio Station in order to support his family.  However, the family was happy

One day, lightning strike. He was fired from his job. Ally then urge him to go after his dream of being a writer. For more than 3 months he gave all he have and wrote a book.

The book was based on Ally and her father's relationship and their last days together. He sent to 25 agents but on and on he kept receiving rejection letters. Ally was always there to comfort him and urge him not to give up hope. He was like a zombie when he kept receiving those rejection letters. He gave up hope and went to work as a water sprinkler installer with his brother.

Then he received a call from and agent. The agent love the book. From then on he gain fame and fortune. He suddenly have millions of fans and constantly on book tour. This leaves Ally and their daughter very much alone at home. There were constant broken promises to Ally.

The gulf between them deepen till they could no longer stay together. Like Chinese saying "able to through hardship together but unable to go through being wealthy together".

The book agent felt very bad at this. Coz she felt it's her fault . Somehow she had managed to break up this wonderful family unit.

Then Robert had a strange encounter. A man he met told him that he have till New Year to live. At first Robert did not believe him but then the man seems to know everything about him and even things that he didn't tell people  and the man even managed to predict a few future incidences.

This convinced Robert and he suddenly realised his folly and set on to rectify his error. He dare not hope to win Ally back but at least he hope to be there for his family with what ever time he had left.

I finished this book in a day. This just show how good this book is. I am so glad that I gave this book another try. Sometimes I just need the mood to be right to read a certain book.

Thank you very much, Jenna, for lending me this book for such a long time

Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Haris

Clarice Starling, a FBI newbie is under training and was selected to approach Hannibal Lecter, a Pycho who is being detained in a high security asylum . This is to garnet information of psychotic killer. A research.


Hannibal was a psychiatrist before he was apprehended. Very clever fella.

At the same time, Jack Crawford who is Starling superior is chasing after a pycho killer nick named Buffolo Bill. His speciality is to kill and skin the victims.
During the course of research, Lecter hinted that he know the identity of Buffolo Bill. And Starling was given hints

Suddenly, Catherine Baker Martin, the daughter of Senator Ruth Martin, was kidnapped. This lady will stop at nothing to get her daughter back

Starling was forced to get closer to Lecter for information. But then the jailer got jealous. He planned a trade with Lecter. If Lecter would give him the name of Buffulo Bill, he would ask for a more comfortable place/jail for him from the Senator.

The senator agrees and during the transfer, Lecter escaped.

But Lecter is specially fond of Starling and had contrived to give her hints on who is Buffolo Bill.

Though Starling encountered a lot of obstacle but she kept on at it.

Finally found Buffolo Bill in time to rescue the senator's daughter
 
This is a good book. Hannibal was really psycho and love to play games with minds. Manipulative. Well, can't blame him. Maybe he learn from his folks and the people around him
 
Have you noticed that parents loves to play mind games too? Especially the older generation. They would pit one siblings against another and later on wonder why the siblings relationship aren't as close. How to be close if there resentment constantly building up?
 
Why is it parents love to compare one kid against another? Some parent would say something like this..."why you are not as hardworking as your bro/sis?" or "if you don't do this, never mind, I'll get your bro/sis to do it". It's as if the kid is easily disposable.
 

Whatever it is, I wonder if someone would write a book on this.

The Stepmother by Carrie Adams

3 main characters. Bea - the ex -wife, Tessa-the future wife and James-the man

Bea and James used to be the perfect couple. In fact everyone called them Jimbean. But then Bea divorced James for some reason. In everyone eyes, she is the perfect mother. Volunteers in school and totally devoted to her kids and husband. She is the SUPERWOMAN. Then why did the perfect marriage failed?

Tessa nearing 40s and still single. She is a successful lawyer. She fell in love with James who is a divorcee with 3 kids, one which is a teenager. James seems to be the perfect man.

James,seemingly the most attentive ex-husband. In fact Bea had hopes of getting back together with him. But the suddenly James burst her bubble. He found himself a girlfriend, Tessa. Bea wanted to hate Tessa and so does her kids. In their opinion, Tessa is the evil stepmother.

Tessa, young, slim and beautiful and have a successful career as an entertainment lawyer but she is totally at lost on how to deal with the kids and the "clinging" ex-wife.

Meantime, James seems to be not taking any sides and in fact look to be running away from responsible.

But somehow, the three of them managed to find away around all the emotions.

There is really no right and wrong in this book. It depend on ones perception. At first, I hated Bea for divorcing James and then wanting him back But then later on she gave good reason.

Then I hated James for not being there when Tessa needed him and when he refuses to see reason when Tessa tried to reason with him. However, he managed to admit his mistake and he was doing what he had thought is best for everyone.

As for Tessa, she seems so childish at times. Bearing grudge against her eldest step daughter. And she have a reason to dislike the step daughter.

At first I thought this book is just another Chic-lit book. No need to use brain. But I was wrong. A lot of emotional stuffs in it. Not a book to be read when you are tired or emotionally drained.

I give this book 3 out of 5.

Inspector Singh Investigates " A Most Particular Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint

Inspector Singh is with the Singapore Police Force. Kinda black sheep if the force coz he doesn't do thing according to the rules. He was sent to Malaysia to "help" out with a murder case. If he managed to solve the murder then "hooray!" but if he failed, the Singaporean Police Force will have a reason to force him into an early retirement.

The case? Involve the murder of a Timber Tycoon, Alan Lee. The main suspect is his ex-wife, Chelsea Liew, a Singaporean who used to be a famous model until she married Alan Lee. She stopped working after she married him. They have 3 kids. And there are rumours that Alan beats her up and that Alan had numerous affairs during their marriage

Finally she can't take it anymore and filed for divorce. They were fighting for custody of the kids. Looks like Chelsea have public sympathy. That is until Alan suddenly announced that he had converted to Muslim and declared all his kids to be Muslim.

Chelsea was outraged for this nasty trick of his. And had out of anger threaten to kill him.

Soon, he was found dead with a gun shot wound. Chelsea was arrested. This is where inspector Singh comes in. In normal case, this would not have involve Singaporean police. But this case had turned into media circus especially with the conversion to Muslim and all that.

There are several unexpected turns of events.

I love this book. Shamini seems to managed to touch a few controversial issue. Like what happen if conversion to Muslim is fake, what happen to the death body of the so call convert, the "harta pusaka", wife beating, environmental issue and a few others.

The only thing I don't like is the misplaced usage of the word "lah" in this book. She doesn't seems to get the hang of how the word "lah" is supposed to be use. For example page 122 "Don't go to airport, lah!" spoken by Mrs Wong to warn Rupert. The "lah" seems to have diminish the urgency.

Overall, I give it 4 stars out of 5. Am looking forward to her next book "Inspector Singh Investigates : A Bali Conspiracy Most Foul".

Unhurried Thoughts At My Funeral by Catherine Lim

Thank you very much, Chen Chzan for this book. Just finished reading this two days ago but haven't have time to post about it.

This is a fiction about the 3 days that Catherine Lim had pass away where she lay in the coffin before being cremated. Her thoughts and her doubts.

There are parts where people come to pray to her for help, part where Natas(Satan) came to seduce her, part where her love ones show their true colours and part where she "bargain" with God.

The part where Satan made her question the existence of God and doubtful whether God is a forgiving God or not was interesting

In Asian society, I guess it's rather a taboo to be speaking of death and let alone writing about oneself being dead. This lady really have guts.

Very fascinating story. Cleff, this story is definitely not for you. Could be depressing also.