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?

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.

* * * * *

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The Taliban have withdrawn from Kabul’s streets, but the long shadows of their regime remain.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.

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)

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?

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.

* * * * *

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.

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?

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.

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)

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.

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?

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

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.

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)

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!

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!

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?