Melody

Booking Through ThursdayCheck Spelling

Which is worse?

Finding a book you love and then hating everything else you try by that author, or
Reading a completely disappointing book by an author that you love?

I have to admit both experiences are equally disappointing to me, but I think I will be more disappointed if the book I read by my favourite author is a letdown.

I have came across one or two of my favourite authors who have changed their writing styles and decided to write for other genre. I have no problem with that but in my opinion, I feel some authors are great in writing a certain genre but not the other.

But I think my greatest disappointment is to wait for a long time for my favourite author to release a book! One of my favourite authors takes about a year or two to release a book, and to me that is a long wait!

What about you? Which is the worse for you?

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780143114703
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: February 2009
287 pgs






I was first introduced to Linda Olsson's beautiful prose after reading her debut novel, Astrid & Veronika, published two years ago. I remember I had an enjoyable reading experience with that book so when I saw Sonata for Miriam on display, I told myself I have to get it.

Like her first novel, Linda Olsson has once again explore the beauty yet complexity of human relationships. This time around, she has cleverly crafted an unforgettable story about loss and finding one's identity, using repressed memories and history the basic structure in Sonata for Miriam.

Upon discovering a discarded hair clip one day, this brings violinist Adam Anker aching memories of his daughter, Miriam, and the accident that took her away from him. Bringing back to the past, he remembers his discovery of a photograph bearing his name and the plea for information attaching to it among the documents and mementos supplied by Jewish refugees at the Holocaust Gallery in the Memorial Hall.

Traumatized by the loss of his daughter, it took him a year before he decided to pick up where he left and contact the elderly woman who had left the note beside the photograph. Thereafter it begins his journey of searching his past and he will get acquainted with two men who would be able to shed some light regarding his past as well as the truth behind his family secret through some mysterious photographs and a pile of unopened letters.

In the last quarter of this book, Linda Olsson then shift the perspective towards Miriam's mother, Cecilia, and readers will get to know more about her past relationship with Adam and how a decision made changed both their life thereafter. Initially I had question about the change of perspective but as I read further, I realized her story is interwoven with Adam's and how this will attribute to the overall of this story.

Reading Sonata for Miriam is like a roller coaster ride to me; this book is full of emotions but there is nothing too depressing about this story; the atmosphere surrounding this story is just right and I could feel Adam's grief and loss under Linda Olsson's skilful writing and the way she constructed the words like a sonata, so beautiful and alluring that I find myself lost in them.

Most memorable quote:

Memories are unreliable. I carry memories that are now so worn I can't possibly tell if they are accurate.


Other reviews:
Debbie's World of Books
S. Krishna's Books
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)

Melody
Hamburg, Germany
Melody
This is a weekly event hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page every Wednesday.

As quoted by Marcia:

I love beautiful, and interesting, cover art so every Wednesday I post my 'Cover Attraction' for the week along with a synopsis of the book. Everyone is welcome to stop by and, if they'd like, post a link to their favorite weekly book cover.

* * * * *

My find this week is The Scent of Oranges by Joan Zawatzky. I feel I could just smell the orange every time I look at this cover!


Publisher: Garev Publishing International
Published: October 2008

Synopsis (from B&N):

Linda returns to the family orange farm in South Africa to attend her father's funeral. She is drawn back to her past, to the striking beauty of her homeland and the people who still live and work there, but her country is vastly different. A democratic government has emerged from the shame of apartheid, yet it's a violent land where extreme poverty, AIDS and TB exist alongside western affluence and where beliefs in ancestral spirits and voodoo still linger below the surface. Her father's last wish was for Linda to investigate the murder of her youngest brother and the guilt of those accused. Ghosts of the past guide her search as she seeks the dangerous truths behind each new lead. As the lies unravel, her family will be dishonored, a shameful past will be revealed and yet there is great hope for reconciliation and the future.

* * * * *

To find out more or participate go to The Printed Page every Wednesday.

Melody

Teaser Tuesdays

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Let the book fall open to a random page.
  • Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
  • You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
  • Please avoid spoilers!
Here's my teaser for today:




Memories are unreliable. I carry memories that are now so worn I can't possibly tell if they are accurate.




(Pg 6, Sonata for Miriam by Linda Olsson)





THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!

I am feeling very blessed and honoured to have received two awards by two wonderful bloggy friends whom I have known recently. First, I want to thank Ms Ulat Buku from Ulat Buku in the City for passing on the Proximidade Award to me!


About the Proximidade Award:
This blog invests and believes in the PROXIMITY-nearness in space, time and relationships. These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers! Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this clever-written text into the body of their award.

For this award, I am passing it on to the following book bloggers who are new to me with hopes of starting a new friendship based on our love for books and reading. This award goes to:

Ms Ulat Buku (I'm passing on this award back to you! )
Kailana from The Written World
Debbie from Wrighty's Reads
Wanda from A Season to Read

* * * * *

Next, I want to thank Melissa from Melissa's Bookshelf for passing on the 2009 Friendly Blogger Award to me! For this award, I will pass on to all my friends who always read and leave comments on this blog. I am definitely not taking this as an easy way out because there are so many of you out there and seriously I hate to leave anyone out!

Thank you so much for your friendship! I really appreciate them all!

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780316014564
Publisher: Little, Brown Books
Published: January 2009
224 pgs



Jennifer Harris and Cameron Quick have one thing in common: they are both social outcasts. This drawn them together and they became the best of friends. Just when Jennifer thinks she could seek solace in Cameron whenever she has problems, her world seems to come to a halt when Cameron disappeared and she was told he was dead.

Few years later, Jennifer is a senior in high school but with a new identity. She is no longer the chubby, insecure Jennifer but a popular and confident Jenna Vaughn. No one else knew about her unhappy past; it is like she is completely a new person. She is very happy with her life now; her mother remarried and she has a wonderful and understanding stepfather. She has friends and a good-looking boyfriend. Life seems wonderful and promising ahead until one day, Cameron walks back into her life again.

Without saying, Jennifer is stunned. And this leads her to memories of the old days and an event that had claimed to alter their life. Then again, there is another question she has asked herself is, should she embrace her life being Jenna, or should she return to her old self as Jennifer?

As I read further, I realize there is so much more about this story. Issues like abusive treatment, insecurity, friendship, love, and not to mention about finding oneself along the path of growing-up. The characters are well-developed, and there are so much reality in this story. I liked the way how this story explores about finding one's identity, through Jennifer's transformation to Jenna and towards the end how Jenna thought about everything and wonder if she could be Jennifer again.

As for the abusive treatment, there is not much mention of how Cameron is being treated but you would be able to feel how it affected Cameron and Jennifer through their minds and emotions. And I liked how this is portrayed without exposing too much of the ugly facts to the readers, considering this is a YA fiction.

Due to all these circumstances, there is always a connection between Cameron and Jennifer. They share a lot of similarities, though Jennifer appears to be the more fortunate one. Their relationship may seem pure but oh so true. The love they have for each other may seem unclear, but it is there growing silently in their hearts.

Sweethearts is a bittersweet story of friendship and how certain people come into your life and leave a mark. It is a wonderful story that tugs at my heartstrings and leave me something to ponder about.

One of my favourite quotes:

"... I’m talking about the ones who, for whatever reason, are as much a part of you as your own soul. Their place in your heart is tender; a bruise of longing, a pulse of unfinished business. My mom was right about that. Just hearing their names pushes and pulls at you in a hundred ways, and when you try to define those hundred ways, describe them even to yourself, words are useless. If you had a lifetime to talk, there would still be things left unsaid."


Other reviews:
Becky’s Book Reviews
Em’s Bookshelf
It’s All About Books
Jenny’s Books
Mari Reads
Maw Books
Presenting Lenore
Superfast Reader
The Well-Read Child
Things Mean A Lot
Words by Annie
Worducopia
YAnnabe
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)

Melody
This is a weekly event hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page every Wednesday.

As Marcia says:

I love beautiful, and interesting, cover art so every Wednesday I post my 'Cover Attraction' for the week along with a synopsis of the book. Everyone is welcome to stop by and, if they'd like, post a link to their favorite weekly book cover.

* * * * *

My find this week is Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg.


Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Published: April 2009

Synopsis (from B&N):

Beloved author Elizabeth Berg tells the story of the recently widowed Helen Ames and of her twenty-seven-year-old daughter Tessa. Helen is shocked to discover that her mild-mannered and loyal husband had been leading a double life. The Ames’s had saved money for a happy retirement, planned in minute detail, but that money has disappeared in several big withdrawals—spent by Helen’s husband before he died. What could he possibly have been doing? And what is Helen to do now? Why does Helen’s daughter object to her mother’s applying for a job—and why doesn’t Tessa meet a nice man and get married?

What Helen’s husband did with all their money turns out to be provocative, revelatory—and leads Helen and her daughter to embark on new adventures, and change.

* * * * *

To find out more or participate go to The Printed Page every Wednesday.

Melody
Bonn, Germany


Melody
ISBN-13: 9780307407993
Publisher: Crown Publishing Group
Published: March 2009
288pp





I am sure everyone have read or heard the story about Cinderella for the umpteenth times, but have you ever wondered about the fairy godmother and what she thinks or feels about her responsibility to Cinderella?

In Godmother, that fairy godmother is named Lil. But instead of getting Cinderella to the ball to unite with the Prince, she did something unthinkable and unforgivable: she began to feel the emotions of human beings and allow herself to be fallen in love with the Prince! For this deed, she is to leave her fairy sisters and friends, banished from her magical underwater world and have to live her life among humans (though her white feathery wings are still existing and are tucked and bound behind her back).

Fast forward to the modern day in Manhattan, Lil is an old woman and now her life revolves around a bookstore which she is working at. She has not many friends except George, who is the bookstore owner. Then one day, she meets Veronica, a cheerful and bubbly young lady when she stepped into the bookstore and handed her some books to sell. Lil felt connected to her, and she was sure Veronica must have sent to her for a purpose. Feeling exhilarated over the aspect of another chance for redemption, she decided to matchmake Veronica and George. But will Veronica and George fall in love with each other? After all, Veronica claimed she has been burned by love so many times so would she dare to take the chance, again?

I have to admit I am a sucker for any fairy tale retellings, which is why I have to read this book as soon as I bought it last week. I have always enjoyed reading Cinderella's story, right when I was a young girl and now my daughter seemed to have follow my steps too. Anyway, Godmother is a refreshing tale told from the fairy godmother's POV. Though there is a magical feel in this story, there is nothing fluffy about it as there are some dark elements (such as abusive punishment and suicide) so it might not seem appropriate for young children.

I love reading all the characters in this story, and I felt a terrible ache for Lil and Veronica as well. Another thing I liked is how the story alternates between the past and the present so the readers would get a glimpse of Lil's inner world and what had actually happened between then and now.

I have just checked Carolyn Turgeon's website and understand she is currently writing her third novel, which is a retelling of the mermaid story. You can bet I am going to get that book too once it is released in the near future!


Other reviews:
Booking Mama
Stephanie's Written Word
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)
Melody

Teaser Tuesdays


TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Let the book fall open to a random page.
  • Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
  • You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
  • Please avoid spoilers!
Here's my teaser for today:

The only person who had ever picked Jennifer Harris was Cameron Quick, and sometimes when I was with Ethan I felt the smallest twinge of guilt, like being with him was a betrayal. The only thing that could never die or be buried was my loyalty to Cameron for everything he'd done for me and what we'd been through together, even if the loyalty was to a ghost.


(Pg 19, Sweethearts by Sara Zarr)
Melody

Congratulation graphics

Thanks to Random.org, two winners have been chosen for my giveaway.

The copy of The Promised Land goes to Cmate from Mini Bites;
and the copy of The Sanctuary goes to Jen from Up Close & Personal with LadyTink.

Congratulations, ladies!

I will send both of you an email shortly.
Thanks everyone, for your participation. Till next time!
Melody

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about 2009 favourites…

Coming towards the end of April, we’re a third of the way through the way through the year. What’s the favourite book you’ve read so far in 2009? What about your least favourite? (question courtesy of MizB)

Wow, how time flies! I can't believe one third of the year is already gone, just like that! So how many books have I read? I checked my reading list for this year and noticed I have only read 24 books so far. Compared to some of my bookblogger friends, I may seem to be very far behind but based on my own reading schedule and pace, I think I could read about 6 books in a month doesn't seem that bad too.

Anyway, what's my favourite book and my least favourite book so far? I went through my list once again, and I have to say Ritual by Mo Hayder, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins and The Lost Hours by Karen White are my favourites so far. These books have hooked me and leave me oh so enthralled!

As for my least favourites, The Love Letter by Cathleen Schine and Her Real-Life Hero by Trish Wylie comes to mind but that does not mean I dislike the stories altogether. It is either that some part of the story is just too slow and dragging, or some in which I do not understand entirely.

So what's your favourite and least favourite books so far?



I Feel So Loved!

Jen, Jo and Sandy have awarded me the "You Don't Say" Super Comments Award respectively and seriously, I feel so loved and touched! Thank you so much, ladies, you all are the best!

Here is the definition of the award:

"We give and get awards for having a great blog and being a good friend. What I want to award is those people whose comments have meant THE WORLD to me. It takes time to visit a blog and leave a comment ... I wanted to recognize some special bloggers whose comments have made such an impact on me. The “You Don’t Say?” Award is awarded to these special bloggers in hopes that they will pass the award along to 5-10 of their best commenters!"

I know I may sound like a broken record, but still I want to reiterate that I am touched and really appreciate your reading and commenting on my blog. I will pass on this award to the following friends who never fail to drop by and leave me comments. They are (not in any order):

Julia @ Julia's Books Corner
Alice @ Hello, My Name Is Alice
Nymeth @ Things Mean A Lot
Wendy @ Musings of a Bookish Kitty
Iliana @ Bookgirl's Nightstand
Naida @ The Bookworm
Trish @ Trish's Reading Nook
Debi @ Nothing of Importance
Beth @ Beth Fish Reads
Violet @ Violet Crush
Dar @ Peeking Between the Pages
Jessica @ Paperback Passion

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780451226495
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: April 2009
343 pgs




First line: When I was twelve years old, I helped my granddaddy bury a box in the back garden of our Savannah house.




After the death of her parents due to a tragic accident, young Piper Mills stays with her grandparents. Her relationship between her grandmother and grandfather is unlike each other as she shares most of her feelings and is much closer to her grandfather. It is not that Piper is unwilling to open up to her grandma, she just could not help it when her grandmother is a quiet woman and she tends to keep things to herself. Anyway, she does not really take this matter to heart as her mind consisted of only one thing - and that is to become an Olympic equestrian.

However, her dream is quickly shattered after she had hurt herself during a horse riding accident. And after the death of her grandfather, Piper returns to Savannah where she inherits her grandparents' house. During this time, her grandmother stays in a nursing home since she has Alzheimer.

Just when Piper wonders what and how she would cope with everything, she remembers the box she had buried with her grandfather in the backyard. It is also at this time that she receives a gold charm of an angel holding an opened book left by her grandmother, which was given through her grandfather's lawyer when he has some papers for her to sign concerning the estate she has inherited. She later discovers some letters, a few torn pages from a scrapbook by her grandmother and a newspaper article dated 1939 of a dead infant found floating in the Savannah River; it is through this discovery that further fuel her curiosity and determination in uncovering the truth and she managed to track down one of her grandmother's friends based on some clues left of the items. However, Lillian Harrington-Ross seems reluctant in revealing what holds the past and through Piper's patience and persistence, as well as some emotions evoked during the journey, she will soon learn about her grandmother's secret past and the mystery surrounding the scrapbook and the charm. It is also through this circumstances that she will discover about her own self and having the strength in reclaiming her own life again.

The Lost Hours is not only a story about mysteries and uncovering the secrets but it also tells the readers about friendships, love, forgiveness and redemption. There is so much about this story and Karen's writing is simply beautiful. I love the way how Karen unveil the story bit by bit smoothly; never too slow or in a rush yet giving her readers enough descriptions into engrossing themselves in this story.

But what I find most beautiful about The Lost Hours is the relationship between grandmothers and granddaughters and how great it would be if we take the time in connecting with the older generations before it is too late and having to regret later, in which this is the case of Piper. There are also a few interesting characters that adds complexity to this story, for instance there are Lillian's children, Helen who is blind after she had caught measles from her brother, Tucker. Tucker seems to have his own guilt as well after discovering his wife had committed suicide and he feels he has neglected his two young children all this time.

Overall, I think The Lost Hours is a great story. I am satisifed how the story is nicely wrap up in the end, for I can think of no other ending which will be better than this. I will definitely keep a look out for Karen's books in the near future.

*****

Many thanks to Joan Schulhafer from Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting for sending this book to me to read and review.

To find out more about Karen White and her books, click here.

Other reviews:
Peeking Between the Pages
S. Krishna's Books
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)



Guest Post by Karen White:


Recently I was riding in my car (blissfully and unexpectedly alone—except for my dog) and I heard an old Rod Stewart song. I’m not certain of the title but the lyrics go something like ‘I wish I knew what I know now when I was younger.’ Well, ain’t that the truth?

I’ve been married for almost twenty-two years to the same great guy (who travels an awful lot on business) and have two teenaged children (I know, I know, and I appreciate your sympathies): a boy who just turned fifteen and a daughter who is seventeen. I am also the author of ten published novels, with number eleven out in November 2009 and four more contracted beyond that—the first deadline being December 1st. This makes my life blessedly full, overly busy, too complicated, and way more demanding than I ever bargained for when I was a twenty-something and wanting it all.

So why do I do this to myself? This very question was asked by an old friend of mine recently and I had to think for a while before I could answer. It’s not because it was so hard to find an answer, it was just because it was so obvious that I kept trying to find a more complicated one. In a nutshell, I do what I do because being a writer isn’t what I do, it’s who I am. Although staring at a blank computer screen with a deadline hammering away at my brain while simultaneously trying to work out carpool schedules, negotiate the labyrinth of college applications, and stock the kitchen pantry is something akin to sliding down a razor blade and landing in alcohol, I am compelled to write because it’s how I’m wired. Creating characters and their stories, and then sharing them with readers, is what puts the wind in my sails.

Which brings me back to that Rod Stewart song: if I had known back before I started writing books how hard it would be, how exhausting, how many sacrifices in my personal life I’d have to make, would I still be doing this? Yep, I would. I mean, what sort of example would I be to my children if I didn’t follow my dream just because I had to work too hard? It reminds me of that Wayne Gretzky quote, “You miss 100% of the shots you never take.” Yes, life could be easier; but it certainly wouldn’t be better.

I guess I didn’t do a good enough job of explaining this to my inquisitive friend because her next question was something along the lines of how my children handled sharing me with my writing. Granted my kids aren’t overly familiar with home-cooked meals and have had to make do with me attending only 90% of all their athletic events, but they’ve seen firsthand what it’s like to pursue a dream; to set goals; to press on in the face of little failures; and to get back in the saddle after major spills. I think that’s a fair trade-off for a childhood of frozen whole wheat waffles for breakfast.

So, here I am. It’s a Saturday night in April. We just got back from spring break where we did about eight college tours with my daughter. I’ve barely had time to do the required nine loads of laundry following that trip when here I am preparing to go on my first book tour—for three weeks. Leaving my husband in charge. Ack! Like a third child, I will have to write out all of his duties (like feeding the dog and checking to make sure somebody’s fed the guinea pigs). I’ll have to pretend that getting room service every morning is going to be a hardship.

My life right now is a mixed bag of expectations, responsibilities, coming up short, and sometimes even successfully accomplishing my myriad tasks. Yes, I’m exhausted. But I think that just means that I need to go take a nap.

*****

Many thanks to Karen White for this lovely guest post, and also thanks to Joy from Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting for making this guest post possible!
Melody

Booking Through ThursdayCheck Spelling

Yesterday, April 15th, was Tax Day here in the U.S., which means lots of lucky people will get refunds of over-paid taxes.

Whether you’re one of them or not, what would you spend an unexpected windfall on? Say … $50? How about $500?

(And, this is a reading meme, so by rights the answer should be book-related, but hey, feel free to go wild and splurge on anything you like.)

I know a few people around me spend some of their money on lottery and other stuff like that, call me a practical person but I hardly buy lottery tickets since I don't have much luck when this is concerned. However, I did win a few books on several occasions so I think my luck isn't that bad.

Anyway, if I have an extra of $50, I would most likely spend them on books. However, I will still spend it on books if I have $500, but I will set aside some money for buying books and clothings for my daughters, and give everyone in the family a treat at a nice restaurant. Oh, wait a minute, I think I need another bookshelf for my new stack of books so hopefully I will have enough to cover that as well.

What about you? How would you spend your $500?

Melody
I had posted several pictures on the architecture in Berlin in the past, so this week I thought I will post a picture of their transportation.
Melody
This is a weekly event hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page every Wednesday.

As Marcia says:

I love beautiful, and interesting, cover art so every Wednesday I post my 'Cover Attraction' for the week along with a synopsis of the book. Everyone is welcome to stop by and, if they'd like, post a link to their favorite weekly book cover.

* * * * *

My find this week is Secrets to Happiness by Sarah Dunn. Just seeing this little puppy's blissful expression put a smile on my face.

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company
Published: March 2009

Holly Frick has just endured the worst kind of breakup: the kind where you're still in love with the person leaving you. While her wounds are still dangerously close to the surface, her happily married best friend confesses over a bottle of wine that she is this close to having an affair. And another woman comes to Holly for advice about her love life--with Holly's ex!

Holly decides that if everyone around her can take pleasure wherever they find it, so will she. As any self-respecting 30ish New York woman would do, she brings two males into her life: a flawed but endearing dog, and a good natured, much younger lover. She's soon entangled in a web of emails, chance meetings, and misguided good intentions and must forge an entirely new path to Nirvana.

From the author of The Big Love, Secrets to Happiness is a big-hearted, knife-sharp, and hilariously entertaining story about the perils of love and friendship, sex and betrayal--and a thoroughly modern take on our struggle to be happy.

* * * * *
To find out more or participate go to The Printed Page every Wednesday.

Melody

Teaser Tuesdays


TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Let the book fall open to a random page.
  • Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
  • You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
  • Please avoid spoilers!
Here's my teaser for today:





Helen smiled distractedly, her mind on something Earlene had told her in the cemetery. You should talk to your grandmother now, before it's too late. Ask her to tell you her stories.


(Pg 99, The Lost Hours by Karen White)





I have been splashed by a wonderful blogger friend whom I have known recently ~ Jo from Ink and Paper. And it is all thanks to BookMooch when I requested for a book and Jo happened to be the sender. I didn't know she is also a bookblogger until I read the note she had enclosed. (Thanks, Jo, for everything!)




Iliana from Bookgirl's Nightstand passed me the Zombie Chicken award and I have to say this award put a smile on my face. Don't you think these chickens are cute in a way?! (Thanks, Iliana!)

Well, if you haven't visited these two blogs, you should because their blogs are simply terrific! I will not highlight any blogs this time around as I want to pass these awards to everyone who have been reading and supporting my blog all this time. Thank YOU! :-)

Melody
As I mentioned last week, I did my TBR pile spring cleaning and will be giving away some books which I have not read (due to my current reading mood, I have no interest in reading them). Below is the first batch of books which I am giving away:





The Promised Land by David Hewson

The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury





Rules:

  • Just leave a comment on this post and tell me which book you are interested in winning. You may enter two books but you can only win one.
  • Include your email address at the end of your comment post.
  • You will be given an extra entry if you post a comment on any of my post this week.
  • Open worldwide.
  • Entries will be closed on Sunday, 19 April and winners will be announced on Monday, 20 April.

Good luck!

Melody

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about blog comments.

How do you respond to the comments on your blog? Do you try to email individually or comment on post yourself answering the comments above? What do you think is the best way to respond to comments and do you respond to all of them? Do you feel slighted if you don't receive a response back from the blog owner? (question courtesy of Jenn)

When I first started this blog way back in July 2006, my sole purpose is to write for myself and to jot down my thoughts after reading a book. My very first comment came from a good friend, Julia, whom I known from author Lori Foster's forum. Though we have not met each other before, but I felt I have known her for a long time through our emails all these years. Subsequently, other friends like Jennifer T. and Darla also commented on my blog occasionally until in January 2007, someone aside from my friends commented on my blog! It was not even a book review post but I was both excited and moved that someone would read my blog and commented on it! Thus, from then onwards I strive to write better and to make my blog looks more interesting. It is through joining memes (I remember my first meme is Ten on Tuesday and Booking Through Thursday) that gave me the opportunity of reading other people's blogs and commenting on them, and vice versa.

I love receiving comments, but the most is I am interested in knowing what friends or other readers think of the things I said. They mean a lot to me, and it is also through their comments that I am aware of the areas I need to improve and so forth. Because I understand my friends and readers take the time in reading and commenting on my blog, I always try my best in answering to every of their comments if possible (which is on the same comment box where they had left their comments on my post). However, if I encounter some problem with blogger, I will then email my reply to them but this is rare.

Honestly, I have no idea what is the best way in responding to comments but I feel as long as they are answered, it is all good. I will not feel slighted but I will be very happy if I get a response from the blog owner.

So what about you? I'd love to hear from you.

Melody

Booking Through ThursdayCheck Spelling

For something different, I’m borrowing a question from … here! One of the very first questions ever at Booking Through Thursday. Back from 2005 when Laura owned the blog but, because it was so new, it didn’t get as many responses as it does now … so, why not revisit?

Here’s the question:
Some people read one book at a time. Some people have a number of them on the go at any given time, perhaps a reading in bed book, a breakfast table book, a bathroom book, and so on, which leads me to…

  1. Are you currently reading more than one book?
  2. If so, how many books are you currently reading?
  3. Is this normal for you?
  4. Where do you keep your current reads?

Usually I will read one book at a time, but there are also times that I read two books at one go. I do not have any fast rules when it comes to my reading... I just read whenever I feel like it. However, the maximum I would go is two books at a time. Any more than that and I will get confused with the plots, haha. I suppose I want to devote my full attention to the book(s) I am reading; I just want to make sure I devour them at my usual reading pace.

I am currently reading one book - an ARC titled The Lost Hours by Karen White, and I am enjoying every moment of it. I always keep my current reads in my bag, after all you never know when you would need it, right?

So what about you? Do you read more than one book at a time?

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780802139917
Publisher: Grove Press
Published: 2002
186 pgs
(Translated from the Japanese by Michael Emmerich)



If you read my last Teaser Tuesday post, you might have remember I had posted two sentences about a girl being wilful and sneaky. She is none other than Tsugumi, the cousin of the narrator, Maria in this story.

Maria Shirakawa is raised from a single family; her mother is never married as she is mistress to Maria's father. Despite the circumstances, Maria is actually a thoughtful and matured young lady. She has grown up at the seaside with her cousin, Tsugumi Yamamoto, whose parents owned a small inn and both Maria and her mother live with them.

Since young, Tsugumi developed an unnamed illness and this has caused her to be mean and getting away from whatever things she has done. Fearing for her illness, her parents gave in to her wilfulness but it is only Maria that is able to see through and tolerate her behaviour. Though sometimes Maria is resentful of Tsugumi, there are times that she actually admires her younger cousin's outrageous attitude and staying true to herself.

Thereafter, Maria's mother reunited with Maria's father and they have to leave the inn and move to Tokyo. Maria attended a university there and it is only through her visit to the Yamamoto Inn during summer before its closure that begins this bittersweet, nostalgic story between the two cousins and how everything that happened has somewhat changed Maria's view on Tsugumi and life in general.

Goodbye Tsugumi is one excellent story about bonding and friendship between two teenaged girls. Once again, I find myself being swept away by Yoshimoto's prose because her writing is simply lyrical and beautiful. Her stories always ignite a feeling in me, be it happy or sad and this will often lead me pondering about the issues she had put into her books. In this case, it made me think about one's inner strength (Tsugumi's strong attitude despite her sickness) and the old saying about how one never judge a person by his looks.

Goodbye Tsugumi is more than saying goodbyes as the title suggests, it is also about finding love and seeing through the changes in one's life. If you are looking for a well written character-oriented story, this book is for you.


Other blogs reviews:
Biblio File
Katrina's Reads
Ready When You Are
Things Mean A Lot
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)
Melody
This is a weekly event hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page every Wednesday.

As quoted by Marcia:

I love beautiful, and interesting, cover art so every Wednesday I post my 'Cover Attraction' for the week along with a synopsis of the book. Everyone is welcome to stop by and, if they'd like, post a link to their favorite weekly book cover.

* * * * *

My find this week is The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton.


Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: April 2009

Synopsis:

A tiny girl is abandoned on a ship headed for Australia in 1913. She arrives completely alone with nothing but a small suitcase containing a few clothes and a single book -- a beautiful volume of fairy tales. She is taken in by the dockmaster and his wife and raised as their own. On her twenty-first birthday they tell her the truth, and with her sense of self shattered and with very little to go on, "Nell" sets out on a journey to England to try to trace her story, to find her real identity. Her quest leads her to Blackhurst Manor on the Cornish coast and the secrets of the doomed Mountrachet family. But it is not until her granddaughter, Cassandra, takes up the search after Nell's death that all the pieces of the puzzle are assembled. At Cliff Cottage, on the grounds of Blackhurst Manor, Cassandra discovers the forgotten garden of the book's title and is able to unlock the secrets of the beautiful book of fairy tales.

This is a novel of outer and inner journeys and an homage to the power of storytelling. The Forgotten Garden is filled with unforgettable characters who weave their way through its spellbinding plot to astounding effect.

* * * * *

To find out more or participate go to The Printed Page every Wednesday.

Melody
Berlin, Germany

Melody

This week's Weekly Geeks
:

April 2nd was International Children's Book Day. And April is National Poetry Month. In celebration, I have two lovely options for you this week:





Option A: Be a kid!
You could read a picture book (or two or three) and share what you read.
Write up a post sharing your favorite books from childhood.
Write up a post about reading together with your child(ren).

Option B: Be a poet!
Write your own poem and share with us!
Write bookish ABC poems--ABC's of favorite authors, favorite books, favorite characters, favorite book blogs, or any combination of the above. Maybe even an ABC's of a bibliophile or book addict. (A is for...B is for...etc.)(For example, ABC's of Dr. Seuss)
Review a book you've read recently in haiku. (It doesn't need to be a poetry book you're reviewing, any book will do.) See Emilyreads for an idea of what I mean.
Read a poetry book and review it.
Participate in Poetry Friday (This week's host will be Carol's Corner.)


I chose Option A (reading together with your child).

ISBN-13: 9780763624422
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Published: September 2004
32 pgs
Illustrator: Anita Jeram


I found this book when I was browsing my books at a bookstore yesterday. The title caught my attention, and I bought it knowing that my 5-year-old girl will appreciate it.

Every night, before the three little cubs go to sleep, their Mummy and Daddy bears will tell them that they are the most wonderful baby bears in the world. But one day, the three cubs start to wonder if this is true. After all, they can't be all the best, can they? What if Mommy or Daddy like my brother or sister more than me? One would think.

Through the lovely illustrations by Anita Jeram, she convinces her young readers how different and unique each baby bear is and why they are all so special to Mommy and Daddy. I have to say Anita's illustrations have perfectly captured each bear's sentiment, and from an adult's perspective it really warms my heart.

While reading this story to my daughter, I could tell she was totally engrossed in the story and she was very much taken in by the situation and the expressions of the three little cubs. I am sure she could relate to this story because she has a younger sister who is now 6-months-old and she will sometimes tell us that we are showing more attention to the baby than her. She does love her little sister and is very protective of her, but it is just that she feels a little insecure about it. I suppose this is a stage where each and every elder child will go through, and I am happy this book has made her understand more about the situation and brought us even closer than before.

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780441016990
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: September 2008
292 pgs
Series: Southern Vampire Series, #1
(TV Tie-In Edition)




Sookie Stackhouse works as a cocktail waitress in small-town Louisiana. She may seem like an ordinary woman from the outside, but actually she has this sort of "disability" in which she is able to read other people's minds. Some people might be thrilled to have this "disability", but not in Sookie's point of view. She thinks it gets into her way of life, and it is definitely not fun to be able to know what your date would think of you, no matter if it is inside or outside the bedrooms. So most of the time, she blocks out the thoughts from the others, and she thinks it is rude to listen in anyway.

And then, out of nowhere Bill Compton walks into her life. Bill is no ordinary man for he is a vampire, and Sookie is very much attracted to him. And what made it even better is, she cannot read his thoughts at all. Shortly after their acquaintance, Bill was mugged by a moneygrubber couple as they want to drain and sell his blood to the black markets since vampire blood is supposed to temporarily relieve symptoms of illness and increase sexual potency. Beforehand, Sookie has sensed something fishy about them in the bar so she followed them and saved Bill along the way. However this has formed a bad blood between Sookie and the couple and the latter are waiting for a chance to get even with her. But they had no chance for a few days later, they were found dead and trapped under the trailer which was believed to be caused by a tornado but Sookie knew better.

Sookie and Bill soon became romantically involved. Then, more murder cases started adding up and initially Bill became the suspect. But the police quickly focused their attention towards Sookie's brother, Jason, after knowing he had contacts with the victims before their death and it is now up to Sookie to find the murderer before she becomes the next victim.

Once again, I find myself get sucked into the vampire world and this time around, it is Charlaine Harris' first installment of her Southern Vampire series that had me entranced from the beginning till the end. In Dead Until Dark, Charlaine introduces her readers to her heroine, Sookie Stackhouse and a whole new vampire mythology that feeds off synthetic blood and staying mainstream (to live and fit into the human society). Right from the start, I know I would expect something different and fun from this series and I was glad this book did not disappoint.

Besides the brilliant idea of the vampires feeding on synthetic blood, the characters are all very engaging and what most attracts me is Bill, for he is one complex character so unlike from any other vampires. Aside from his charismatic style, I find he has morals too which I find so downright fascinating and sexy. Sookie Stackhouse is another interesting character that I am drawn to; she is vulnerable and has flaws but still she made a good heroine. I enjoyed reading her intense exchanges with Bill, and even Sam, who is her boss at the bar. As if these tensions are not enough to satisfy my reading hunger, Charlaine Harris threw in a twist that completely took me off-guard. As you can tell, I am now a fan of her Southern Vampire series. I wonder what is in store for the next sequel?


Other blogs reviews:
Stephanie's Written Word
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)
Melody

Teaser Tuesdays


TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

  • Grab your current read.
  • Let the book fall open to a random page.
  • Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page, somewhere between lines 7 and 12.
  • You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
  • Please avoid spoilers!
Here's my teaser for today:

She was malicious, she was rude, she had a foul mouth, she was selfish, she was horribly spoiled, and to top it all off she was brilliantly sneaky. The obnoxious smirk that always appeared on her face after she'd said the one thing that everyone present definitely didn't want to hear - and said it at the most exquisitely wrong time, using the most unmistakably clear language and speaking in the ugliest, most disagreeable tone - made her seem exactly like the devil.

(Pg 3, Goodbye Tsugumi by Banana Yoshimoto)
Melody

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about your to be read list…

As a follow up to last week's question, Joseph asked how you keep track of your TBR list. Do you have a paper list or on your computer? Do you take it with you when you go shopping? How do you decide what gets added to it?


As far as TBR list goes, I will take note of the books I want to buy (as well as recommendations from fellow bookbloggers) on a paper list. Though this comes in useful as I can always bring it with me for my book shopping, the only thing is I do not keep track of the books I bought so sometimes I ended up with duplicate copies.

As for deciding which books to be added onto my list, I guess a lot have to depend on the story premise and how my bookbloggers friends feel after reading them. However, there are also times that I will give a book a try even though if it did not receive positive reviews because I am intrigued with the premise and want to read it anyway. Who knows I may end up liking it, right? After all, reading is such a subjective matter.

So do you keep a list? How do you decide what books to add onto your list?

Onto another issue, I sorted and weeded my TBR pile with mixed feelings yesterday. Why the mixed feelings? You may ask. Well, I have not been clearing my pile for some time, so when my husband suggested he would clear some space for my books in our storeroom, I was both so glad and thankful (before that they are stacked into three 'towers'; now one of them are sorted and arranged onto a shelf he had cleared, thank goodness). And the sad thing is, I found out that I had lost interest in some of the books I had acquired over the years (er, no thanks to my current reading mood). So in the upcoming weeks, I will be holding several giveaways of these books so do keep a lookout on them!



I want to thank Dot from Scribbles for presenting me the Premio Dardos Award. (Thank you, Dot!) I feel so honoured! I discovered Dot's blog lately and have been following her blog since then. If you have not visited her blog, please do so and don't forget to say hello! :-)


"This award is for bloggers who distinguish themselves for showing cultural values, ethics, great and fun writing skills, as well individual values, through their creative writing..."

The rules of the award are as follows:

1. To accept and show the distinct image.
2. Show the link to the blog from which you were given the award.
3. Pass the award on to any blogs you believe should be recognised.


I want to pass this award to the following friends in addition to the same I received from Beth and Matt a while back:

Beth from Beth Fish Reads (back to you, my friend!)
Matt from A Guy's Moleskine Notebook (back to you, my friend!)
Sandy from You've Gotta Read This
Violet from Violet Crush
Jessica from Paperback Passion
Kristy from Just Another Blogger
S. Krishna from S. Krishna's Books
Rhinoa from Rhinoa's Ramblings
Mariel from Where Troubles Melt Like Lemon Drops
Valentina from Valentina's Room
Natasha from Maw Books Blog
Amy from My Friend Amy
Jill from Fizzy Thoughts

Melody

Booking Through ThursdayCheck Spelling

Suggested by Barbara:

I saw that National Library week is coming up in April, and that led to some questions. How often do you use your public library and how do you use it? Has the coffeehouse/bookstore replaced the library? Did you go to the library as a child? Do you have any particular memories of the library? Do you like sleek, modern, active libraries or the older, darker, quiet, cozy libraries?

I love visiting the public libraries. Unfortunately, I have not been visiting any for a few years, due to time constraint and the fact that I would rather read at my own pace than paying fines for late books. In my case, the bookstores have definitely replaced the library. I love keeping the books I read, thus borrowing books from the libraries is not the best option although it is always good to return the books if I do not really enjoy them, ha.

I do visit the library when I was a child, and that is during my primary school days. As if the school library is not enough, I visited the public libraries too as it goes without saying that the latter offers a wider selection of books. The public library which I used to patron frequently had been refurbished in 2004 and re-opened as a regional library. I cannot comment on the refurbished library since I have never been to it before, but I quite like the ambience of the old library, especially on a weekday after work and I wouldn't have to worry about the library being over crowded or getting a place to sit and read my books. There were two stories in the library and the first floor is occupied by the children/young adults section. And there was a staircase at a corner which lead to the second floor where the adults and research sections are. In its center there was a huge space where sofa are situated for the readers to read their books. There were several more chairs located at some corners but none of them are as comfy as the sofa. I can find myself sitting there and read my books for hours. Ah... those days!

I suppose I have no preference when it comes to libraries. No matter if they are sleek or modern, or old or cosy, as long as they have a wide range of selections and with comfy chairs, it is a good library in my opinion.

What about you? I would love to hear them from you.

Melody
ISBN: 9781407109084
Publisher: Scholastic
Published: 2009
454 pgs



Set in the future there is a nation called Panem (once known as North America), its Capitol is surrounded by twelve different districts; all of them being controlled by Panem. The population in each district is ruled by a totalitarian government, and most of the times they are badly mistreated and are lived in very bad conditions but no one dared to oppose them.

Every year, the Capitol will call upon these twelve districts to nominate one boy and one girl (between the age of twelve and eighteen) for the Hunger Games event. The Capitol is nothing but a bunch of cruel people who wanted to show they have power so they created the Hunger Games as part of their entertainment (as a form of reality TV show). Now there is only one rule to this game, and it is to kill or be killed.

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen has seen enough about life. She lost her father during a mine accident when she was twelve, and with the harsh condition she is living she has matured and learnt to be a brave young lady. She lives with her mother and younger sister, Prim, and she takes on the role of bringing food and ensuring safety to the family since her mother could no longer put the family together after her husband passed away. You can say Katniss is the survivor of any circumstances that thrown in her way; she is even prepared to fight at the Hunger Games if she is being nominated but call it a toss of fate, Prim is being nominated instead. Katniss wouldn't allow her younger sister to be sent to death so she took her place and represented District 12 for the game.

On the other hand, Peeta Mellark is the boy who represented District 12. He is the boy whom had once given some loaves of bread to Katniss years ago when she was about to give in to the temptation of stealing out of desperation. Katniss could not imagine him as a competitor, but then could she make herself trust him and work together with him in order to fight the others before they get killed? Or better still, could she work up the courage to kill her saviour?


"I don't care if we're rich. I just want you to come home. You will try, won't you? Really, really try?" asks Prim.

"Really, really try. I swear it," I say. And I know, because of Prim, I'll have to.

The Hunger Games is one book I would highly recommend to anyone because it is so brilliantly plotted and is so intense. This may seem to be a plot-driven story but I would have to say there is a mixture of character-driven scenes in it too (for example, the building of relationship between Katniss and Peeta, as well as Katniss' feelings towards one or two of her competitors for whom I would not name). This may sound silly but this book makes me think. Yes, it makes me think of how fragile one's life can be, and then there is the notion of blood is thicker than water, but the most horrific of all is, what if this would happen to us in the future?! After all, I can see no difference between this game and a war. Or perhaps I have think too much but still, this book is so good! I can not wait to devour the next installment, Catching Fire, which is scheduled to be out in September.

By the way, do check out the two pretty covers posted on Wondrous Reads. Jenny, the blog owner, has pictures of the fold-out UK cover (which is how my copy looks like). Which cover do you prefer?


Other blogs reviews:
Thoughts of Joy
(Let me know if I have missed yours.)