Melody

Booking Through ThursdayCheck Spelling

Suggested by Janet:

I’ve seen this quotation in several places lately. It’s from Sven Birkerts’ ‘The Gutenberg Elegies: The Fate of Reading in an Electronic Age’:

“To read, when one does so of one’s own free will, is to make a volitional statement, to cast a vote; it is to posit an elsewhere and set off toward it. And like any traveling, reading is at once a movement and a comment of sorts about the place one has left. To open a book voluntarily is at some level to remark the insufficiency either of one’s life or one’s orientation toward it.”

To what extent does this describe you?

This week's question is a great one! Reading is such an individual thing, and I definitely do not agree that to open a book voluntarily is at some level to remark the insufficiency of one's life. While one might find it more of a work (or a chore, gasp!), the other might find it an escapism; a form of entertainment which also allows them to learn and to delve into another's world and experience what we might not have experience in real life. Besides this, reading also strengthen our vocabulary... and the list goes on.

Don't you think words are simply magical and powerful as they could evoke emotions in us?

What about you?

Melody

Reichstag Building in Berlin, Germany

(Dem Deutschen Volke, meaning To the German people or For the German people - From Wikipedia)
Melody
This is a weekly event hosted by Marcia of The Printed Page every Wednesday.

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.

* * * * *


Born Under a Million Shadows by Andrea Busfield
ISBN-13: 9780805090611
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Published: February 2010

Synopsis (From B&N):

A moving tale of the triumph of the human spirit amidst heartbreaking tragedy, told through the eyes of a charming, impish, and wickedly observant Afghan boy

The Taliban have withdrawn from Kabul’s streets, but the long shadows of their regime remain. In his short life, eleven-year-old Fawad has known more grief than most: his father and brother have been killed, his sister has been abducted, and Fawad and his mother, Mariya, must rely on the charity of parsimonious relatives to eke out a hand-to-mouth existence.

Ever the optimist, Fawad hopes for a better life, and his dream is realized when Mariya finds a position as a housekeeper for a charismatic Western woman, Georgie, and her two foreign friends. The world of aid workers and journalists is a new one for Fawad, and living with the trio offers endless curiosities—including Georgie’s destructive relationship with the powerful Afghan warlord Haji Khan, whose exploits are legendary. Fawad grows resentful and worried, until he comes to learn that love can move a man to act in surprisingly good ways. But life, especially in Kabul, is never without peril, and the next calamity Fawad must face is so devastating that it threatens to destroy the one thing he thought he could never lose: his love for his country.

A big-hearted novel infused with crackling wit, Andrea Busfield’s brilliant debut captures the hope and humanity of the Afghan people and the foreigners who live among them.

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.
  • 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!

This is my first Sarah Waters book, and I am enjoying reading it! I cannot wait to read the rest of her books, especially Fingersmith and The Little Stranger, in which I have heard nothing but raves about them.


How would it be, I thought, to surrender my family, my home, all my oyster-girl's ways?

And how would it be to live at Kitty's side, brim-full of a love so quick, and yet so secret, it made me shake?



(Pg 57, Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters)

Melody

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about keeping books.

Do you keep all the books you ever buy? Just the ones you love? Just collectibles? What do you do with the ones you don’t want to keep?

Buying books has always been a form of excitement to me right from the start - when I was a student and had a tight allowance so I hardly spend money on books. It was only on rare occasions (such as birthday treats) or through my savings that I would buy myself books at times, thus those books are treasures to me (until I married and moved house so I had given some of them away to my cousin).

Now that times are different and that I could afford books, I still keep most of the books I bought. Actually there are two reasons why I love keeping books. The top of the list is that I love collecting books. I love the feeling of owning the books I bought and read. And then, the other reason is that I would like my children to know what I have read and also hoping that one day they would read them as well.

As much as I love my books, sadly to say I don't have enough space for every one of them. Thus, I have to give away books that I know I won't reread or are just an "OK read" to me. If I know a friend who would like to read any of these books, I will send them to her, otherwise they will be added onto my BookMooch inventory list (I have some more books that I have yet to update) so any BookMooch member could mooch them from me.

What about you?


Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers are to share the books that came into their house last week.

Here's what I received last week:

1) American Rust by Philipp Meyer (ARC - Thank you, Wendy!)

What books came into your house last week?

Melody
ISBN-13: 9781595544711
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
Published: January 2010
388 pgs
Source: Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists





I have heard a lot of raves about Ted Dekker's books, but just have not got around to reading them yet. Thus, when Amy of Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists offered me the opportunity to review Burn, a collaboration between Ted Dekker and Erin Healy, I jumped at the chance.

Seventeen-year-old Janeal Mikkado often feels trapped in her father's Gypsy culture, and she longs for a different life outside their close-knit Gypsy community. When Salazar Sanso, a powerful druglord, made a deal with her to grant her this wish in exchange that she has to retrieve a vast sum of money tied to her father, Janeal knew she would do it due to a number of reasons.

Unfortunately, the plan did not go on accordingly, and in a fury Sanso burned the Gypsy ground into ashes. During the blaze, Janeal was confronted a difficult situation for she has to decide whether to risk her life to save Katie, or to disappear with the money she had discovered. However, the option she chose at that moment has made an impact of her life thereafter, and she is led to believe that all are perished in that fire. After that horrible incident, she recreated her life and took on a new identity, until the past began to haunt her once again as she learnt that her boyfriend, Robert and Katie had survived from the fire.

Shocked and not ready to face them yet, she engaged a journalist to do a story on Katie as she thinks this would be the best way for her to get information of Katie. But that is not all, she has always been jealous of Katie for having Robert's attention from the beginning, and now that Robert knew Katie is alive, Janeal could not help but feel threatened by Katie. This time around, there is no escape from the ordeal as once again she has to make a decision whether or not to travel the way towards destruction or towards redemption.

There are books that are both plot driven and characterisation driven, and I have to say Burn falls under that category. I liked how the story is revolved around Janeal and her decision making, and why they are crucial to the story as after all, Burn is labelled as a Christian thriller though you would not find any preaching but allegory, which I think will appeal to non-Christian readers as well.

As much as I enjoyed reading Burn, I have to admit I was stumped over Janeal's identity at some point where I could not decide if Katie is really dead and that Janeal takes over her role as a redemption, or is it a plot to show the paranormal side of the story. Either of this, I am not telling but let's just say Burn has got me hooked and this is the book which has introduced me to Ted Dekker's and Erin Healy's works and I am glad to say I will definitely look forward to their books in the near future.
Melody


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

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.

* * * * *

Pictures at an Exhibition by Sara Houghteling
ISBN-13: 9780307266859
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing
Published: February 2009

Synopsis (From B&N):

A sweeping and sensuous novel of a son’s quest to recover his family’s lost masterpieces, looted by the Nazis during the occupation.

Max Berenzon’s father is the most successful art dealer in Paris, owner of the Berenzon Gallery, home to both Picasso and Matisse. To Max’s great surprise, his father forbids him from entering the family business, choosing instead to hire a beautiful and brilliant gallery assistant named Rose Clément. When Paris falls to the Nazis, the Berenzons survive in hiding, but when they return in 1944 their gallery is empty, their priceless collection vanished. In a city darkened by corruption and black martketers, Max chases his twin obsessions: the lost paintings and Rose Clément.

Melody
Hello All! I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I know I mentioned in my previous post that I will be back in the middle of this week, but I just want to share a few pictures I took during the Chinese New Year (CNY) holidays. On the eve of CNY (13 Feb), I had the traditional reunion dinner with my in-laws (we had steamboat for dinner but unfortunately I did not bring the camera with me thus no pictures) and that was the time where we all gathered around, chit chat and enjoyed this festive season. We also caught the special CNY variety shows on TV and stayed until 12 midnight where we all count down the day to CNY.

On the first day and second day of CNY (which is today), we visited our in-laws', my dad's and relatives' place subsequently where we would exchange New Year greetings and mandarin oranges. This is also the best opportunity to 'play catching up' because we rarely meet up with the relatives as everyone of us are busy with our own life and so forth.

Tomorrow, my husband and I would be meeting up with some friends. I think it would be fun because we have not met them for some time and one or two of them had a new baby and we cannot wait to find out how everyone is doing.

Well, I shall end this post with the following pictures. I apologise if the pictures are not of good quality due to the poor lightings.

Our New Year goodies
More New Year goodies
Assorted red packets (also known as Ang Pao - for putting in the money to be given to children or to anyone who is single)
Ang Pao and two mandarin oranges (the latter always comes in pair and is a must during the exchange with relatives or friends)
My Uncle's potted tangerines
Melody
Tomorrow is the eve of Chinese New Year*, so I would like to take this opportunity to wish all my Chinese friends and readers a very Happy & Prosperous New Year! May you all have a roaring success in the coming Year of the Tiger!

Because the first day of Chinese New Year coincides with Valentine's Day, I want to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day and may you have a wonderful day with your loved ones!

Due to the holidays, I will be off for a short break and will most likely be back in the middle of next week! Cheers to all!

* During Chinese New Year, mandarin oranges (and tangerines) are considered traditional symbols of abundance and good fortune; they are frequently displayed as decoration and presented as gifts to families and friends.
Melody

Booking Through ThursdayCheck Spelling

Suggested by Barbara H:

How can you encourage a non-reading child to read? What about a teen-ager? Would you require books to be read in the hopes that they would enjoy them once they got into them, or offer incentives, or just suggest interesting books? If you do offer incentives and suggestions and that doesn’t work, would you then require a certain amount of reading? At what point do you just accept that your child is a non-reader?

In the book Gifted Hands by brilliant surgeon Ben Carson, one of the things that turned his life around was his mother’s requirement that he and his brother read books and write book reports for her. That approach worked with him, but I have been afraid to try it. My children don’t need to “turn their lives around,” but they would gain so much from reading and I think they would enjoy it so much if they would just stop telling themselves, “I just don’t like to read.”

I think it is always good to cultivate good reading habits from young, so that is why I started reading books to my eldest daughter when she was one (she's turning six this March). Not only does this encourage her into reading but it also creates a closer bond between us.

I also believe there is a book for everyone, and I think it is good start to bring any non-reading children (or teenagers) to a bookstore or a library and get them to choose a book they like and hopefully this will begin their passion for reading.

What about you? Do you have any other suggestions/recommendations that you could share?

Melody

Holocaust Monument in
Berlin, Germany

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

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.

* * * * *


As It Was Written by Sujatha Hampton
ISBN-13: 9780312584122
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: February 2010

Synopsis (From B&N):

The epic journey of an Indian-American family which unfolds when men and women, Hindus and Catholics, histories and curses, collide

In McLean, Virginia, Dr. Raman Nair lives a life of abounding satisfaction with his tiny wife, Jaya, and his harem of enormous and beautiful daughters. He has been away from his native Kerala, India for so long that he has happily forgotten the ancient Brahmin curse that follows his family like a black cloud, killing one girl for love in every generation. But his wife hasn’t forgotten, nor has his baby sister, Gita. Suddenly his daughters are up to no good and Dr. Raman Nair doesn’t know which way to turn.

As It Was Written marks the arrival of a wonderful new voice in fiction, and a storyteller of the highest order.

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.
  • 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!

She would douse the meetinghouse in fuel, tell him the money was inside, and threaten to send it up in flames if he didn't release her dad.

She hoped to find the money herself first.


(Pg 65, Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy)

Melody
ISBN-13: 9781891830433
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions
Published: July 2003
592 pgs
Source: Personal Library





After reading several glowing reviews on Blankets from fellow bookbloggers, I decided I should wait no more. I picked up this chunky novel last Tuesday, and began devouring it the moment I got home. I would have read it in one sitting if not of time constraint and family commitment. This is one of those books that you could not stop reading until you have read the last page.

Blankets is actually a graphic memoir of Craig Thompson's life. It is basically a record of his experience growing up, and involve themes like family, love, religious beliefs, child sexual abuse and freedom. Right from the first page, Craig shows us his love/hate relationship with his younger brother, Phil, and I have to admit it made me nostalgic as it reminds me of my relationship with my younger sister when we were younger. Both of us would say or do some mean things to each other, but at the end of the day we would forgive and forget and this would be a cycle as it goes on again and again.

Craig then proceeds to share with his readers about his strict fundamentalist Christian parents and the sexual abuse he and Phil have to endure though he did not elaborate further. His life in school is not that great either, as he has to face those bullies and disapprovals from his teachers. He took everything in without any grunt or complain, and this made my heart ache for him. He turn to drawing because it is his passion and an escapism.

He then met his first love, Raina, when he attends a winter church camp. She is like a beacon to him, and Craig has never felt so happy in his life. Raina too comes from a strict religious family, and on top of that she has to deal with the separation of her parents, as well as taking care of her mentally ill siblings. The love between Craig and Raina is simply pure and beautiful, but alas Raina felt it is simply too much to commit to a long distance relationship while dealing with her family, so sadly they have to go on separate ways.

What is most beautiful about Blankets is not only the outstanding illustrations but the emotions it evoked in me while reading this (Craig really captured all the emotions perfectly in this book.) There are some heartwarming, tender moments, but there are also some not-so-good moments that made you think and question about life, faith and freedom. It also made me teary-eyed just viewing the blanket Raina had made for Craig, because that reminds me of the blanket my grandmother used to make for me when I was a little girl.

Craig with his little brother, Phil

Craig and Raina

Seriously, I could go on and on, but I would rather you read it for yourself. I could now understand why this graphic novel has been receiving so many good reviews, and I can tell you I am so glad I did not wait much longer in reading it. Now it's your turn!

For more reviews on Blankets, please visit Book Blogs Search Engine.

Melody

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about a random book.

I’ve seen several bloggers mention reading multiple books this week. Do you frequently read more than one book at a time? Do you try to limit this to a certain number? Do you have different books for different purposes/topics?

I used to read one book at a time, but that was during my pre-blogging days. Nowadays, with all the great recommendations I get from fellow bookbloggers (and not to mention my own books coveting habit), I think the only way I could catch up on my reading is to read more than one book at a time. To avoid confusion of the plots and the characterisations, I limit myself to read no more than three books at a time and also to make sure they are of the different genre.

What about you?


Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers are to share the books that came into their house last week.

I only received one book last week:

1) Admit One: My Life in Film by Emmett James (review copy)

What books came into your house last week?

Melody
Here is a list of books I read in 2010; they are sorted in alphabetical order by author’s last name.


A
A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott

B
Sleepless by Cyn Balog
Bobo's Daughter by Bonnie Barnett (review copy)
Mia the Magnificent by Eileen Boggess (review copy)
The Big Ten of Grammar: Identifying and Fixing the Ten Most Frequent Grammatical Errors by William B. Bradshaw (review copy)
Hate List by Jennifer Brown
Dying Scream by Mary Burton (review copy)

C
Killing Floor by Lee Child
Me & Mr. Rafferty by Lee Child (from an anthology, The Dark End of the Street)
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

D
Burn by Ted Dekker & Erin Healy (review copy)
Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

E
Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
Forget You by Jennifer Echols
Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles
Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles
The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

F
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Everlasting by Angie Frazier
Faithful Place by Tana French

G
The Old Nurse's Story by Elizabeth Gaskell (from an anthology, The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories)
Half World by Hiromi Goto
The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin (review copy)

H
Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
Girl, Stolen by April Henry
The Woman in Black by Susan Hill
Saving CeeCee Honeycutt by Beth Hoffman
For the Love of Strangers by Jacqueline Horsfall (review copy)

I
A Pale View of Hills by Kazuo Ishiguro

J
Admit One: My Life in Film by Emmett James (review copy)
Practice Makes Perfect by Julie James
All Unquiet Things by Anna Jarzab
Gone by Kathleen Jeffrie Johnson

K
Read, Rememer, Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight (review copy)

L
A Law of Attraction Book for Children: The S.T.A.R. Powered Twins by Dorothy A. Lecours (review copy)
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn & David Levithan
The Worst of Me by Kate Le Vann
And Both Were Young by Madeleine L'Engle
Tricks by Laura Lippman (from the anthology, The Dark End of the Street)

M
Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson
告白〔漫画版〕- 湊佳苗 Confession by Kanae Minato (Manga)
Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills

O
The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa
Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa
What Was It? by Fitz-James O'Brien (from an anthology, The Penguin Book of Ghost Stories)
Adventures of Rusty and Ginger Fox by Tim Ostermeyer

P
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson
The Art of Disappearing by Ivy Pochoda
You're the One That I Don't Want by Alexandra Potter

R
The Patterns of Paper Monsters by Emma Rathbone

S
Beautiful Disaster by Laura Spinella
Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
Nothing Like You by Lauren Strasnick
Ruthless by Anne Stuart

T
Eric by Shaun Tan
Blankets by Craig Thompson
Midori by Moonlight by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga

U
Stepping on Roses Vol. 1 & 2 by Rinko Ueda (Manga)

V
Not That Kind Of Girl by Siobhan Vivian

W
Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster
Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss
Magnolia Wednesdays by Wendy Wax (review copy)
On Folly Beach by Karen White (review copy)
Falling Home by Karen White (review copy)

Y
American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
Asleep by Banana Yoshimoto

Z
我的爱如此麻辣 - 张小娴

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780312594411
Publisher: Square Fish
Published: August 2009
265 pgs
Source: Personal Library





Have you ever thought of these questions: What would you do to save your child? To what extent and at what price? Those are what I had thought (and asked myself) while reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox.

Seventeen-year-old Jenna Fox woke up from a coma after an accident that took place over a year ago. She has no memories of the past, and to seek answers she watches videos of her childhood but those are not enough to rekindle her memory. Whenever she asked her parents about her past, they would either give her vague answers or gently brush them away. Curious and frustrated with all the secrecy, Jenna decides to do a little exploring herself and found out some of the things she does not meant to know.

Filled with suspense and tension, The Adoration of Jenna Fox will hold your attention from the opening line till the end of the book. The story is told from Jenna's perspective, thus what we read or think is being told through her emotions and experience, and I find this pretty effective because I was totally sucked into Jenna's world and I could not help wondering what would Jenna think (or do) should she finds out the truth.

To risk revealing the plot, I shall share with you about my thoughts on Jenna. Right from the beginning, I knew there is something about her that made her stand out from the other characters. Besides being curious and at times stubborn, I liked that she is courageous and not afraid to seek answers despite the change(s) surrounding her.

What I liked about this story is besides the great characterization (of Jenna), it also touches on ethics and humanity and makes you think about the future should what had happened to Jenna would really happen. As much as I enjoyed the story, I have some questions in regard to Jenna's parents towards the end of the book, but then again it is a minor issue in my opinion and I don't think it will affect the overall message of the story.

Note: There are a lot of reviews on this book so do check out those links here (Book Blogs Search Engine) created and maintained by the lovely Fyrefly.
Melody

The interior of the Reichstag building in

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

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.

* * * * *

(Paperback)

(Hardcover)


The Devlin Diary by Christi Phillips

Synopsis (From the author's site):

From the acclaimed author of The Rossetti Letter comes a dazzling novel of intrigue, passion, and royal secrets that shifts tantalizingly between Restoration-era London and present-day Cambridge.

London, 1672. The past twelve years have brought momentous changes: the restoration of the monarchy, a devastating plague and fire. Yet the city remains a teeming, thriving metropolis, energized by the lusty decadence of Charles II’s court and burgeoning scientific inquiry. Although women enjoy greater freedom, they are not allowed to practice medicine, a restriction that physician Hannah Devlin evades by treating patients that most other doctors shun: the city’s poor.

But Hannah has a special knowledge that Secretary of State Lord Arlington desperately needs. At the king’s Machiavellian court, Hannah attracts the attention of two men, charming courtier Ralph Montagu and anatomist Dr. Edward Strathern, as well as the attention of the powerful College of Physicians, which views her work as criminal. When two influential courtiers are found brutally murdered, their bodies inscribed with arcane symbols, Hannah is drawn into a dangerous investigation by Dr. Strathern, who believes the murders conceal a far-reaching conspiracy that may include Hannah’s late father and the king himself.

Cambridge, 2008. Teaching history at Trinity College is Claire Donovan’s dream come true — until one of her colleagues is found dead on the banks of the River Cam. The only key to the professor’s unsolved murder is a seventeenthcentury diary kept by his last research subject, Hannah Devlin, physician to the king’s mistress. With help from the eclectic collections of Cambridge’s renowned libraries, Claire and historian Andrew Kent follow the clues Devlin left behind, uncovering secrets of London’s dark past and Cambridge’s equally murky present, and discovering that events of three hundred years ago may still have consequences today….

A suspenseful and richly satisfying tale brimming with sharply observed historical detail, The Devlin Diary brings past and present to vivid life. With wit and grace, Christi Phillips holds readers spellbound with an extraordinary novel of secrets, obsession, and the haunting power of the past.

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.
  • 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!

The accident was over a year ago. I've been awake for two weeks.




(Pg 6, The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson)

Melody
This is the first time I participated in the Japanese Literature Challenge hosted by Dolce Bellezza and I had so much fun reading the books for this challenge!

Though we are required to read only one Japanese literature, I cannot resist reading another so these are what I read for the challenge:

I enjoyed reading these books and I have to say they have two things in common: (1) they are a collection of short stories, and (2) the writing style is beautiful.

I have to say Asleep is my favourite among the two books. It is a book about three young women who are somehow bewitched into a spiritual sleep. Part sad, and part bittersweet, I was once again mesmerised by Banana Yoshimoto's lyrical prose. The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa is equally good too, in terms of style but I find these collections are darker as compared to Asleep. I have heard good reviews on Ogawa's other work, The Housekeeper and the Professor, so I am adding that book onto my wishlist.

Last but not least, I want to thank Dolce Bellezza for hosting this challenge! I look forward to the next Japanese Literature Challenge coming in July!

Melody

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about a random book.

Go to your bookshelf and pick a random book. No cheating now, just reach out and pick one. Now tell us about it – where did you get it? Why? Was it a gift? Does it hold any special memories? Did someone recommend it to you? etc.

I wish I am at home after reading today's Musing Mondays question; I know I would love the fun of picking a book randomly among my pile but alas, I am in the office while typing this but since I do keep a few unread books in my drawer (so I don't have to worry should I finish a book during my lunch break), I figure this would be fun too (just that the fun is not as much as you would expect from choosing from a huge pile). Nevertheless, I picked The Virago Book of Ghost Stories edited by Richard Dalby where this collection features stories by A. S. Byatt, Angela Carter, Charlotte Brontë, Antonia Fraser, Penelope Lively, Ruth Rendell and Edith Wharton (just to name a few).

I have to admit I have yet to read anything by those authors but I have heard enough raves about A.S. Byatt and Charlotte Brontë, and plus the fact that I love reading ghost stories so I bought the book.

And guess what? Eva read and reviewed this a few months back and I know I will be in for a treat after reading her wonderful review.



Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers are to share the books that came into their house last week.

These are the books I bought from The Book Depository:

1) The Man in the Picture by Susan Hill (I enjoyed reading The Woman in Black so I look forward to reading another ghost story by Susan Hill)

2) White is for Witching by Helen Oyeyemi (I knew I have to get this book after reading Eva's lovely review)

3) Flyaway by Lucy Christopher (I loved Stolen so much that I want to read all the upcoming books by this author)

What books came into your house last week?