Melody
So I mentioned on Facebook yesterday that my mailbox was jammed, and this was due to a few book packages had arrived at the same time but mainly it was a cardboard box that caused the jam. Anyway, I was glad the problem was fixed after a telephone call to the post office.

Here are the books that arrived into my house:

A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott
Freak Magnet by Andrew Auseon

And here are the books I bought for my daughter:

Strawberry Shortcake: A Picnic Adventure by Lisa Gallo, Laura Thomas (Illustrator)
Ballet School by Sierra Harimann, Lisa Workman (Illustrator)

Reading wise, I'm currently reading Linger by Maggie Stiefvater and I'm enjoying every moment of it. I knew many of you have read this second instalment of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and loving it, so I can't wait to find out what would happen between Sam and Grace. Besides this, I'm also reading Toy Story 1 - 3 Disney graphic novels and since each novel has about 50 pages I think I'll be able to finish reading them very soon. What I love about these graphic novels is not only the illustrations are in colour but they have also made me want to watch those animations all over again.

Onto a non-bookish note, next Monday we are going to register our eldest daughter for the admission to Primary One school for Year 2011. How time flies, eh? Six years ago today, she was only a 4-month-old baby. Where has the time go? Now can you understand why I started to post my Nostalgic Moments on this blog, so that when I get old and weak I've something to look back and remember. Ah.

So my daughter was telling me that she'd like to have her best friend attend the same school as her. Since I knew her friend's mother, we have planned to go to the school together for the registration. I just hope luck would be on us so we'd have no problem with the registration, after all if the number exceeded the limit there'd be a ballot. Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead. I shall be catching up on blogs reading/commenting once I'm back next Tuesday.

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780340954133
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks
Published: August 2010
400 pgs
Source: Personal Library




When 18-year-old British girl Lucy Hemmingway met American boy Nathaniel Kennedy when they were in Venice, Italy, it was as if they were being hit by Cupid's arrow. Perhaps they are young, or perhaps they got carried away by the romantic atmosphere that they kissed under the Bridge of Sighs at sunset with the church bells ringing. And according to the legend, any couple who did that will be tied to each other for eternity.

However ten years later, they had went on separate ways and Lucy is now working in an art gallery in New York since her paintings have gotten her to nowhere in London, despite that she still has a passion for them. Just when she thought she had forgotten about Nate, she stumbled upon him and she brushed off their encounter as merely a coincidence. But it seems more like fate when they start to bump into each other, again and again until Lucy began to wonder if the legend is indeed true.

Lucy decided to give their relationship another chance, since Nate is separated with his wife, Beth and perhaps she thinks he is indeed The One after all this time. But as the time goes by, Lucy did not think their relationship is as wonderful as they were back in Venice, and to complicate things, Lucy thinks she has fallen in love with another man called Adam. Perhaps it is cursed by the legend, but Lucy finds it is hard to not bump into Nate wherever she goes, and vice versa. It is certainly hard to explain when things simply turned out to be that way, no matter how much they hated it.

I have not read a romantic comedy for a while, so this is one reason why I find this book so enjoyable and refreshing besides the fact that I had read one of Alexandra Potter's earlier releases and loving it. Alexandra Potter has a way with the plots and that is not all, she also makes her characters seem likeable. You would have thought my favourite characters are Lucy and Nate don't you, after all they are the protagonists but I have to say it is actually Lucy's employer, Magda and Lucy's friend, Robyn who have made this story so much more interesting and entertaining. Their dialogues are witty most of the times and it is always interesting to hear their side of their stories, from topics such as the laws of attraction in the universe (that's Robyn talking) right down to matchmaking and making meatballs (and that's Magda). While I find Robyn's opinion of believing in stars and fate to be romantic, I think one shouldn't take those too seriously and to be more open and observant to the people surrounding you because your true love might be hidden out there.

All in all, I had fun reading this book! So who did Lucy end up with? I wish I can tell you the answer but as you already know, I won't so you will have to read it and find out yourself.


Note: The last time I checked on Alexandra Potter's website, this book will be out in August in the UK and a year later in the US.
Melody
Mango Ice
Taipei, Taiwan

As you can tell, I'm a huge fan of mango ice! I think one reason being that our weather here is always hot and humid, so I'm always on a look out for any cold desserts. Mango ice remains my favourite because of those sweet and juicy mango chunks; I'm a mango lover in general so anything that has mangoes in it will surely get my seal of approval (OK, so I'm exaggerating here but you do get what I mean, right?).

Anyway this will be my last post of the dessert series. I hope you have enjoyed viewing 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!

I knew that bridge was a card game, but that was about it. It seemed dull and old-fashioned. Maybe, at one time, bridge might have been some people's idea of fun, but that was before computers and video games.



(Pg 17, The Cardturner by Louis Sachar)

Melody

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

Here's what I received last week (all bought from The Book Depository):

1) Sweet Rains by Nora Robert [a reissue of her two earlier works: Second Nature and Lessons Learned and oh, how I love the cover!]

2) Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

3) Forget You by Jennifer Echols [Can you tell I'm a huge fan? ]

4) Wings of Wrath by C.S. Friedman (Magister Series, #2) [I returned the library copy since the date was due and I figured I may as well buy it since I've the first book in my read pile.]

What books came into your house last week?

Melody
I don't know why, but I felt a strong sense of bittersweet and nostalgic of the past hitting on me today and thus, this post was created. Perhaps this is a telltale sign of I getting old, but honestly I was more delighted on the idea of sharing them with you here than the sad reminder that time waits for no man (OK, so I do think of the latter quite often but let's not think about that at the moment).

Nostalgic moments. Where shall I start? Well, since I have no memories of my kindergarten days (except a photo of myself wearing a 'Graduate gown' that is currently kept hidden in my husband's wallet), I shall share my nostalgic moments of my Primary School days.

For starters, I was an introvert girl and my biggest passion is reading and writing. I read a lot of Nancy Drew and Enid Blyton books, and needless to say, I was a regular patron of our school library (at that time I didn't get to visit the public library due to the distance). When I was in Primary Four, I fell in love with Chinese essay writing and at one time, I even sent one of my essays to a local paper but was rejected. Not giving it up, I sent another essay to them. I can still remember a gist of the content today - it was about my first visit to a fast food restaurant and there I wrote about my experience of the visit and the food I had. Now I'm sure this idea may sound silly to you (come to think of it, I do think it sounds silly) but looking back, visiting a fast food restaurant was a big deal to me because my mom always made sure we had homecooked food (not that I was complaining) and thus, the fast food experience was considered special to me. Anyway, I was thrilled that my essay was published and I continued to send in a few more. I think the next essay sounds a bit more exciting, after all I wrote about my trip to Genting Highlands in Malaysia.

Besides reading and writing, I also had a passion for letterpads and stickers. I remember I had a classmate who also shared the same passion with me, and everytime the bell rang for recess, we would make a dash to the school bookshop instead of the foodstalls. We would rummage through the stacks and pick our favourites until I was sure the owner had given up on us. I wish I could show you some pictures of my collections but unfortunately, they were either used or thrown away during spring-cleaning (though it was more of the former). I googled and found the following picture that looks quite similar to my collections back then (mine is more on the Sanrio characters and mentioning of those, I too loved Strawberry Shortcake!).

Now there's this famous saying that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy so let me share with you one of my favourite games of all times - five stones. Played by 2 or more players, this is a game that test your catching and balancing skills and anyone who complete till the last level without fail wins. And the items of this game is simple and all you need is 5 small triangular cloth bags (they can be filled with rice, sand or small beans) and you are all set to play. I had tried making a set myself but the size turned out to be a little too big, still I had to admit it was fun making them.

Well, I think I had rambled enough and I hope I didn't bore you with my nostalgic moments. Thanks for reading till the end and I hope you have a great weekend ahead!

Melody

Assorted Fruits Ice (Mangoes, Kiwis & Strawberries) +
a small serving of chocolate cake

Taipei, Taiwan
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!

I'm in the mood for a romantic comedy, so I chose the following book by Alexandra Potter (her latest release) since I enjoyed her earlier release, Me and Mr Darcy (here's my review). I've read till Chapter 5 during my commute to work earlier and I'm glad to say I'm enjoying every moment of it.

For today's Teaser Tuesdays, please allow me to share the whole paragraph instead of the usual two sentences as I thought it'd make more sense, and oh don't you have to agree with it?


If, by some miracle, you're lucky enough to meet the One, whatever you do, don't let them go. Because you don't get another shot at it. Soulmates aren't like buses; there's not going to be another one along in a minute. That's why they're called 'the One'.




(Pg 13, You're the One That I Don't Want by Alexandra Potter)


Melody

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

I received The Big Ten of Grammar: Identifying and Fixing the Ten Most Frequent Grammatical Errors by William B. Bradshaw from a publicist as I thought it would be useful to my writing.

What books came into your house last week?



Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

I borrowed only one book last Friday: Sea Change by Aimee Friedman, and had to return The Stand (by Stephen King) and Wings of Wrath (by C.S. Friedman) since both books are due (I could no longer renew The Stand since I had it renewed once and I had ordered Wings of Wrath as I knew I want to read it since I have read and enjoyed the first instalment, Feast of Souls).

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780671657864
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 1988
221 pgs
Source: Loaned from friend





I rarely read non-fiction. To be exact, I hardly read them unless the subject interest me or someone has highly recommended them to me. I read Many Lives, Many Masters based on the latter and let me say this is one of the most interesting and enlightening reads I read in years. I have to confess while writing this, I am still pondering over the subjects (or the encounters experienced by the author and one of his patients) mentioned because it is such a thought-provoking read and most of all, I am afraid I may not do justice to this book but still I am going to give it my best shot.

Many Lives, Many Masters is the true story of a prominent psychiatrist (who is the author of this book), his young patient, Catherine, and how past-life therapy that will change both of their lives. To begin with, Catherine is plagued by nightmares and anxiety for years but she is reluctant to seek any medical assistance initially. When these troubling issues continue, she decided to seek help through Dr. Weiss. Dr. Weiss had tried out a few therapy sessions with Catherine but did not see any improvement in her, finally he tried the hypnosis therapy and Catherine began to recall her past lives that answers her recurring nightmares and anxiety attacks.

From a medical perspective, Dr. Weiss is both astonished and skeptical by this findings but he keeps an open mind and continues to use this therapy as he keep an eye on Catherine's progress as the sessions go along. As each session goes by, both Dr. Weiss and Catherine have learned something more about Catherine as well as her past lives and how each of her past life has, in one way or another affects her present life. What most astonishing is, Catherine is mentally stable and does not have any hallucination or sleepwalking issues but she is able to recall a few of her past lives providing sharp and accurate details. Now at this point, Dr. Weiss is very intrigued by Catherine's past and the fact how she is able to relate the encounter of her past lives given she is neither an actress nor an imaginative person in nature. But that is not all, at times Catherine is able to send philosophical messages in her subconscious state during the sessions and this has further intrigued the non-spiritual and with a scientific mind Dr. Weiss.

Dr. Weiss later learned that the messages Catherine has conveyed are from the Master Spirits and through those messages, I learned that we are all inter-connected; and that we have a purpose for living and it is through the lessons we learned and to teach others, we all will attain a happy, harmony and a balance life. I also learned that one is always responsible for the deeds he has done, and why our actions matter and will inadvertently affect our present or future lives.

To put it simply, Many Lives, Many Masters allows the readers to think more deeply about their lives and to reinforce the idea that what we are today are the consequences of what we did in our previous lives (that explains why some people are born with certain talents). Well, I wish I could elaborate more about this wonderful book but I won't considering this post is already long enough, instead I shall share with you a few lovely passages from the book:

"Balance and harmony are neglected today, yet they are the foundation of wisdom. Everything is done to excess. People are overweight because they eat excessively. Joggers neglect aspects of themselves and others because they run excessively. People seem excessively mean. They drink too much, smoke too much, carouse too much (or too little), talk too much without content, worry too much. There is too much black-or-white thinking. All or none. This is not the way of nature. ... In nature there is balance. Beasts destroy in small amounts. Ecological systems are not eliminated en masse. Plants are consumed and then grow. The sources of sustenance are dipped into and then replenished. The flower is enjoyed, the fruit eaten, the root preserved.

"Humankind has not learned about balance, let alone practiced it. It is guided by greed and ambition, steered by fear. In this way it will eventually destroy itself. But nature will survive; at least the plants will. ... Happiness is really rooted in simplicity. The tendency to excessiveness in thought and action diminishes happiness. Excesses cloud basic values. Religious people tell us that happiness comes from filling one's heart with love, from faith and hope, from practicing charity and dispensing kindness. They actually are right. Given those attitudes, balance and harmony usually follow. These are collectively a state of being. In these days, they are an altered state of consciousness. It is as if humankind were not in its natural state while on earth. It must reach an altered state in order to fill itself with love and charity and simplicity, to feel purity, to rid itself of its chronic fearfulness. ~ Pg 209-210

"How is it that you say all are equal, yet the obvious contraditions smack us in the face: inequalities in virtues, temperances, finances, rights, abilities and talents, intelligence, mathematical aptitude, ad infinitum?"

The answer was a metaphor. "It is as if a large diamond were to be found inside each person. Picture a diamond a foot long. The diamond has a thousand facets, but the facets are covered with dirt and tar. It is the job of the soul to clean each facet until the surface is brilliant and can reflect a rainbow of colors. Now, some have cleaned many facets and gleam brightly. Others have only managed to clean a few; they do not sparkle so. Yet, underneath the dirt, each person possesses within his or her breast a brilliant diamond with a thousand gleaming facets. The diamond is perfect, not one flaw. The only differences among people are the number of facets cleaned. But each diamond is the same, and each is perfect.

When all the facets are cleaned and shining forth in a spectrum of lights, the diamond returns to the pure energy that it was originally. The lights remain. It is as if the process that goes into making the diamond is reversed, all that pressure released. The pure energy exists in the rainbow of lights, and the lights possess consciousness and knowledge. And all of the diamonds are perfect." ~ Pg 211-212

Melody
English Edition

内容提要:

北村純過著超貧窮、掙扎求生的生活。可是,照顧哥哥英輔撿回來,沒有血緣關係的弟妹們就是她活著的意義。有一天,一名青年救了抱著高燒的妹妹,感到絕望的純。雖然對青年的親切懷抱淡淡情愫,不過為了拯救差點就要被賣掉以便還債的孩子們,她下定決心賣身。之後純被田財閥的少爺‧蒼一郎買下,並為了金錢答應跟他假結婚…


Sumi Kitamura is a simple and a kind-hearted girl. Despite her poor background, she finds joy in life through her younger siblings. To be exact, they are orphans and not her flesh and blood siblings but Sumi's older brother Eisuke brought them home and treat them as family despite they can barely afford of feeding themselves. And on top of that, they have a huge debts of house rental fees they have yet to pay and life became a chore for Sumi. Though Eisuke is a compassionate man, he can be irresponsible and he will spend whatever money was left for his gambling debts and on women.

On an occasion when one of their younger siblings was sick, Sumi went around seeking for assistance but no one wants to help her for they think she has owed them enough. Just when Sumi begins to lose her hope, she received a handkerchief from Nozomu. When she unfolds the handkerchief, she is shocked to find he has left some money for her but before she could thank his kind gesture, he has already left. From that moment onwards, Sumi couldn't help thinking of him and she is hoping she would be able to see him again.

Unfortunately, life does not get better for her and in order to give comfort to her younger siblings, she has to find ways to solve their financial problems. She decided to sell herself but a wealthy, good-looking Soichiro Ashida wants her to marry him instead. Sumi has no choice but to agree to his proposal while on the other end, Soichiro has to marry a girl so that he would have his sickly grandfather's inheritance.

Little did Sumi know that Nozomu and Soichiro were childhood friends and as much as she likes Nozomu, she is bounded by the fact that she is Soichiro's wife. The story began to take a turn when Sumi gets to know more about Soichiro and his tragic past and soon she would find herself torn between these two men. Would she be a proper lady and fit into Soichiro's glitzy and glamourous life, and most of all who should she choose to be with in the end?

I finished reading the above volumes by Rinko Ueda yesterday (I read the Chinese edition) and I've to confess I was totally blown away by Rinko's beautiful illustrations! Besides that, I was also drawn by the plot and the characterisations. I've to admit I disliked Soichiro from the beginning but I think there's certainly more about him than meets the eye, and I cannot wait to read more about Sumi's marriage life in Soichiro's family and not to mention the interesting love triangle. Oh, I hope volume 3 will be released quickly!

Melody
Firehouse Happy Birthday & Earthquake
Swensen, Singapore
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!

At the time of my first session with Catherine, I had no idea that my life was about to turn upside down, that the frightened, confused woman across the desk from me would be the catalyst, and that I would never be the same again.




(Pg 20, Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian L. Weiss, M.D.)





On an unrelated note, I was thrilled to find an ad featuring Taiwan's most renowned magician, Lu Chen. If you are a follower of Melody's Reading Corner, then you know I am a huge fan of him.

Edited to note: As the video didn't show, I will direct you to the link on his blog.



Below video is some of the magic he had performed in Japan.

Link of above video

Melody

Musing Mondays

This week’s musing asks…

Can you read amidst distractions? (tv, others talking, sporting events, etc)

Well, I have to say it has to depend on the situation. Usually I can read with the TV on (gotta love those commercial breaks!) or some soft music in the background. I have no problem reading during the commute to and from work since it's part of my weekday routine, and I find myself enjoying every moment of it (in fact, most of my reading time is spent during the commute). I also find that if you are totally engrossed in your book, you will be able to block out any background noise unless the distractions are too great to ignore.

That said, I'd still prefer to read in a quiet place with minimal distraction as possible. Sometimes, a book is best read with little distractions so that I am able to do some pondering or daydreaming without anything (or anyone) disturbing my thoughts.

What about you?

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780545140317
Publisher: Scholastic, Inc.
Published: January 2010
290 pgs
Source: Library



Penny Lane Bloom had known Nate Taylor pretty much since birth. After all, their fathers had been friends since childhood. Penny had fantasised walking down the aisle with Nate in future, but as time passes she realised that what she had dreamed or hoped for were merely fairy tales and fantasies. Nate is no longer the old Nate she has known; he has changed or in general, guys change.

Stung by Nate's betrayal, Penny vows to give up boys and dating (at least till the end of her high school days). Inspired by a poster of The Beatles, she sets up a club called The Lonely Hearts Club for herself. She has always find solace in listening to them and to top it all, her parents are huge fans of them and she was even named after one of their songs.

Soon, words about her no-dating club got around in school and the number of members began to grow. Penny's self-confidence grows as she gets to understand her friends more and not to mention getting to meet some new friends along the way. However, she feels herself at a loss after getting to know more of Ryan Bauer, whom has had a relationship with one of her girlfriends and though Diane Monroe assures her that their relationship was long over, Penny still has some doubts about boys and relationships and furthermore, she does not want to contradict herself with the club's rules.

But that is only the beginning of her problems as Principal Braddock soon learns about the club and feels it to be discriminating against the boys in general. Not wanting to dissolve the club, the members amended the rules to include dating, but at this point Penny still has no resolution regarding her relationship with Ryan. So what is she has to do?

The Lonely Hearts Club is a light and fun read that mainly revolves around friendship and about staying true to yourself. I also liked that there are a few references of The Beatles, and reading about her parents' devotion to them brought a smile to my face. What's great about this story is it tells the readers (particularly girls) that one shouldn't ditch a friend for love, and that sometimes love will find you when you least expected it. Ah, so true.
Melody
I didn't mention last week that my Singapore series has ended, my apologies. Those pictures were taken during my best friend's visit in 2006 (she's from America). Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed them.

Starting this week, I will post a short series featuring some dessert/ice cream I tried locally and overseas. Happy tasting viewing!

Mango Ice
Xin Wang Hong Kong Café, Singapore
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!

"I'm done dating. At least while I'm still here at this school and have to deal with these idiots. So I started calling myself The Lonely Hearts Club."

Tracy looked confused. "Is that a Beatles reference?"



(Pg 57, The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg)

Melody
ISBN-13: 978-1444705089
Publisher: Hachette Books
Published: July 2010
448 pgs
Source: Personal Library




I nearly squealed in delight when I stepped into the bookstore and saw this book on display. Honestly speaking, I never expected I would get this book sooner but nevertheless, I was glad that it was one of those times when the local bookstores are able to get some titles way earlier than others!

After reading In the Woods and The Likeness and enjoyed them, I think it is natural to feel the anticipation and the high expectations I had had on this book way before it is released. And before I share my thoughts with you now, let me summarise the story for you.

Faithful Place is the third novel of the Dublin murder squad; however if you are expecting Detective Rob Ryan or Detective Cassie Maddox to make an appearance in this book, you would be disappointed because none of them is mentioned here. I cannot remember if Detective Frank Mackey is ever mentioned in the previous book, but anyway this book is a case of his long lost love, Rosie Daly, and how her disappearance has left an impact on him as well as the people surrounding him.

When Frank was nineteen, he and Rosie had made a pact to leave Dublin for London so they can start their life anew. Rosie has a strict father and he always goes out of his way to make sure Rosie has nothing to do with the Mackey family. Truth be told, the Dalys think they are dysfunctional and their status is different. Anyway, this does not stop Rosie from seeing Frank and they are, in fact are looking forward to the day they are leaving Dublin. They had agreed to meet at Faithful Place, a run-down unit where no one is staying there anymore and is just a place for anyone who would like to do whatever their business is discreetly. After all, the place seems creepy with the rumours flying around about the basement.

However, Rosie did not turn up and her disappearance has left Frank feeling perplexed and doubtful about their relationship. As much as he believed in Rosie, there is still a tiny flicker of doubt in him after all these twenty years, now that he works as an undercover. He did not want to think of Rosie, after all he cut all ties with his family but a telephone call from his sister, Jackie, has resurrect his thoughts of Rosie once again now that her suitcase was found behind a fireplace at Faithful Place.

Frank returns to Faithful Place, and to his home where he rekindles his relationship with his four siblings as he began his investigation. It is not a surprise to say the case is not as simple as it seems to be, but the people in the neighbourhood and Detective Scorcher, the lead investigator of the case, did not make things easier for Frank as they wouldn't want him around. The community is wary of Frank's return considering his designation, and no doubt Detective Scorcher does not want anyone to mind the case he is looking into. Of course these do not keep Frank away, and the more he digs into finding the truth, the more tricky and scarier it has become.

If you have read the first two instalments by Tana French, you'd know her writing style and her psychological suspense are the main factors that never fail to capture a reader's attention. Unlike other suspense, Tana French's books do not only revolve around the whodunit element but also how the story would somehow impact the protagonist(s) in some way or other. There are usually a few thought-provoking issues for her readers to ponder about, and one could possibly say there is nothing right or wrong with them except that they usually leave more questions than answers.

Reading Faithful Place reminds me a little of my reading experience with In the Woods; I remember there was a part that left me totally stumped and frustrated but in the end I realised sometimes things are being that way. That said, I do not imply that Faithful Place contains the same part that left me perplexed but it totally boggles my mind and made me question about a few things (and believe me, this is all I can say about it) which I don't think I might have the answers in reality. I don't know about you, but sometimes I do like books like that; one that makes me ponder more about the issue (and/or motive) than the whodunit and how the case would resolve in the end.

What can I say? I totally enjoyed reading Faithful Place! I am sure this book would make a great book club discussion because there are certainly some things I would like to talk about with anyone who has read this book.