Melody
After hearing so many raving reviews on Dennis Lehane's books round the blogosphere, I figured I should start with Shutter Island because of the atmospheric setting, especially when it takes place in a gloomy mental facility in a remote island. What can you expect from the criminally insane, and where will you run should you need to hide and/or escape? Yes I could definitely sense suspense and great intensity before I read it; and my only regret is I wished I had read it earlier! (Read my review here.)

Anyways, I was thrilled when I knew there is a film adaption of Shutter Island. It thrilled me more when I learned Leonardo DiCaprio took the leading role of Teddy Daniels because honestly I think his acting is great and convincing. He is definitely not the same Leonardo DiCaprio when he first played Jack in Titanic; he has matured not only of his looks but also on his performance. I find the performances of the rest of the characters in Shutter Island are pretty good too, in particularly to Ben Kingsley for his role of the head psychiatrist Dr. John Cawley. I have to confess that Ben Kingsley fits the image of Dr. John Cawley when I first pictured this character while reading the book.

I find the flashback scenes of the war can be a bit confusing to some who has not read the book (e.g. my dear husband). When I asked him if he could foresee the ending, he said he has not expected that at all. Overall, I was quite satisfied with the cinematography and the effects on certain scenes are actually stunning (e.g. the scene where Rachel Solando (played by Emily Mortimer) covered in blood with the dead children on her feet). Needless to say, I enjoyed the movie but of course that experience could not be compared (and is not the same as) with the book. The only thing I want to complain about the movie experience is the distractions caused by a couple sitting next to me; usually I don't care what they do with each other but disturbing the audience when their cellphones rang during the middle of the show is a real spoilsport.

Have you read the book and/or watch the movie? Do share your thoughts with me.
Melody
Supreme Court, Singapore
(March 10th, 2006)

Old Supreme Court Building

Gazetted as a monument on 14 Feburary 1992

Designed by F D Ward in 1937-1939 for the Court, it was one of the classical buildings built during the period. The pediment sculpture and Corinthian columns of the four-storey building was executed by C R Nolli.

New Supreme Court

Melody
ISBN-13: 9781846554032
Publisher: Harvill Secker
Published: April 2010
164 pgs
Translated from the Japanese by: Stephen Snyder
Source: Personal Library




I mentioned in my review of The Diving Pool that I am interested to read The Housekeeper and the Professor, since I have heard nothing but raves about that book but I am ashamed to admit that I have not got around to reading it, yet. I picked up Yoko Ogawa's Hotel Iris from the bookstore last week and decided I would read this first since it is a thin book and the premise sounds intriguing.

Frankly speaking, I do not know what to say about this book. The theme surrounding the story is dark and disturbing. It explores the emotions and mentality of the 17-year-old Mari and an unnamed middle-aged man (usually referred to as 'the translator' due to his work) after their short encounter at Hotel Iris.

Mari's mother runs Hotel Iris single-handed after the death of Mari's father and grandfather, and Mari helps at the counter and run little errands as and when necessarily. She finds her life routine and boring, but all that change after she stumbled upon the unnamed middle-aged man. He had created a commotion in the hotel but instead of turning her off, she is intrigued and mersmerised by the tone of his voice. They became friends ultimately, but no one knew of their acquaintance and they wanted to keep their relationship a secret anyway. Mari will find ways to go to his cottage which is situated in an island, and the unnamed man will always have something planned during her visit. It is as if he has turned into a monster when Mari is alone in his house, where he would do anything to her, including tying her up and made her do the most unthinkable things. It is not a comfortable read, but yet I read on because I was hoping that Mari would come to her senses eventually.

The story took a turn when the unnamed man's nephew enter into the picture, but I felt it rather abrupt and could not really decipher the feelings between him and Mari. Without a doubt, Hotel Iris is a character-driven story; it is a story that allows readers to take a glimpse of a person's dark side and what he/she will do under certain circumstances. While writing this review, I am still not sure of my feelings towards Mari. Should I sympathise with her for being a victim to the translator's sadistic demand, or should I criticise her for degrading herself?

Also, does Mari attraction towards the translator has something to do with the loss of her father? And does the translator seek solace and security in Mari because he too had lost his wife, something which he has in common with Mari? These are the questions I had asked myself after closing the book.

As for the ending, I guess it is up to the readers to decide if it is for the good or for the bad but let's just say it will linger in your mind for a while.

Other reviews:
1MoreChapter
Bibliographing
(Let me know if I 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.
  • 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 cannot explain why I decided to follow him that day. I didn't feel particularly curious about what had happened at the Iris, but those words, his command, had stayed with me.



(Pg 9, Hotel Iris by Yoko Ogawa)

Melody
ISBN-13: 9781595142566
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Published: April 2009
256 pgs
Source: Personal Library



As the title indicate, this story centres on the romance between sixteen-year-old Alex and her childhood sweetheart, Sean, with a river setting in a town in Colorado.

Alex lost her father in a rafting accident a year ago and to this day she is still trying to come to terms with her past and still blaming herself for not being with him on that tragic day. She runs the family rafting business mostly on her own while she stay with her grandparents. Her mother, on the other hand is still deeply affected by her husband's death and is coping with the loss in another state.

Alex gets along well with her employees, after all the guys are about her age. One of them, Tommy, is interested in her but but Alex still has feelings for Sean. Thus when her grandfather hires Sean without her knowledge, Alex is taken aback but yet in a way she is hoping that their feelings for each other will be rekindled.

Alex is close with her cousin, Mala, who also helps her with the rafting business. They often share secrets but their personality is so different because Mala loves partying and flirting around with guys. Despite her extrovert personality, Mala actually has feelings for a geeky guy named Daniel who works with them though she always act nonchalantly whenever he is around because she does not think she is his type given his bookish attribute. Sometimes, love caught you at the most unexpected moment, doesn't it?

Alex, on the other hand is clueless when it comes to expressing her love to Sean because she is not sure if he still harbour the same attraction towards her. I have to admit there were times I was frustrated with Alex and wished she could just speak to Sean there and then and tell him her true feelings, but I suppose she is fearful that he might turn her down after the way she had hurt him in the past. Not only love can hit you in an unpredictable moment, but it can be complicated at times too, don't you think?

Anyways, the interactions between Alex and Sean are intense, as the same goes between Mala and Daniel. Without a doubt, there is certainly a level of chemistry between these couples but overall I find the story a little slow and dragging. However, I liked the scene where Alex is dealing her fear of the river and how she managed to overcome it in the end. I would recommend this novel to older teens since there is some sexual content and alcohol consumption.

(Click here for more reviews by other bookbloggers.)
Melody
ISBN-13: 9781601310637
Publisher: Dragon Pencil
Published: 2009
88 pgs
Illustrated by: Chrisann Zaubi
Source: Author Marketing Experts, Inc.




I tend to be a little choosy when it comes to picture books. Basically, I choose them based on their story concepts, and I think having bright and colourful illustrations are essential too. The other thing I look for is the inspiration factor and how much my children will learn through the reading experience, and I am glad to say this book has met my 'requirements'.

This book mainly focus on the law of attraction as this allow your children to explore and develop their ability by using words, thoughts and actions in a more positively manner so as to enrich their life as they grow. The story features two star powered twins, named Grace and Jace, as they will guide your children to focus the beauty of gratitude, nature and words through the things they do with their family, aside from themselves as well. I find the overall experience not only educational but enriching too.

One of the concepts I love (and am practising) is "picture walk", whereby the parents will ask their children questions about the illustrations before reading. For example, who is in the picture? What is happening in the picture? What do you see? etc etc. As stated in the book, this is a powerful educational tool to ignite the children's interest in the story as well as to improve their comprehension skills.

Finally, there's a Gratitude Journal at the end of the book where your child will write some things they feel grateful for each day, as the author believes gratitude will add magic, love, and abundance into your child's life and I couldn't agree with her more on that!

Click here to learn more about the author and the book. There is also a column where you can download some fun activities for your children if you are interested.

Many thanks to Paula Krapf of Author Marketing Experts, Inc. for sending me the PDF version after noting that I have not received the review copy.
Melody
Fort Canning Park, Singapore
(March 10th, 2006)

I know it's hard to read those words from the above picture, so I typed them out for your easy reading:

The Gate of Fort Canning
This gate and adjoining wall are all that remain of a fort which was built on this hill between 1859 and 1861. The hill, previously known as Government Hill, was then renamed Fort Canning Hill after Lord Charles John Canning, the Governor General of India.

Fort Canning was part of a series of 19th-century fortifications including Fort Fullerton, Fort Palmer, Fort Teregah, and Fort Faber. To construct Fort Canning, the top of the hill was levelled to create a flat area of 7 acres (3 hectares).

In 1867 the fort had seven 68-pounder guns, eight 8-inch guns, two 13-inch mortars, and some 14-pounder cannonades. The Fort buildings included barracks for Indian and European soldiers, a hospital, and gunpowder magazines.

Most of the fortress was demolished in 1926 when a service reservoir was constructed.
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!

Tommy Lewis had just kissed me, but Sean was the one I watched as his strong arms flexed with each stroke of the oars. Inside me, I felt something awaken, something I hadn't thought I'd ever feel again.

Hope.


(Pg 12, Heartbreak River by Tricia Mills)

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780425232354
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: March 2010
448 pgs
Source: Joan Schulhafer Publishing & Media Consulting




I totally enjoyed reading Wendy Wax's previous novel, The Accidental Bestseller so when the publicist asked if I wanted to review her latest release, Magnolia Wednesdays, I said yes without hesitation.

While The Accidental Bestseller tells the story of a writer's life, this time around Magnolia Wednesdays allows readers to get a glimpse of the life of a journalist and I have to say I totally loved the setting as I have always been intrigued by this profession (and not to mention I am in awe of journalists who would go to great lengths to cover a story).

In this story, Vivien Armstrong is just one of them but it seems she ran out of luck one day when she got shot in the butt while investigating a story. To add up the humiliation, a video showing her getting shot is being circulated on the net and all of a sudden she became the news. Her employer is definitely not impressed by the way she works, and decided she should take a break. Vivien would not allow someone younger to take over her job, so she quits.

She decided to move in with her sister Melanie in suburban Atlanta, thinking this would be a good opportunity to spend more time with Melanie and her family, after all she has been neglecting them; it is also at that time she realised she is pregnant at age forty. She decided not to let anyone knew about her pregnancy, not even her boyfriend since he is a correspondent and he is always travelling. Vivien later found a job in writing columns for a weekly magazine but under the pseudonym of Scarlett Leigh, as she writes about her observations living in the neighbourhood in suburban Atlanta. After staying there for a while she began to see things differently while she search for her own happiness.

Magnolia Wednesdays is basically a story about family, secrets and life in general. One of the things I liked about this story is reading about the changes in Vivien, right from the beginning of her life being an ambitious journalist to being a woman who has a strong liking to her family and the simple things surrounding her. Besides Vivien, there is also a sub-story about Ruth and Angela; both women living in suburban Atlanta and are also friends of Melanie.

As much as I enjoyed reading Magnolia Wednesdays, I would have to say I'd prefer The Accidental Bestseller more partly there are more interactions between the three protagonists comparing to this, as it seems to focus more on Vivien. I understand this is simply a different approach by the author on the plot and style so I do not really have an issue with it and is simply my own preference. Nevertheless, Magnolia Wednesdays is a heartwarming story and if you love a good Southern women's fiction, this book is for you.

(Click here for other bookbloggers' reviews.)
Melody
The following pictures are of the Central Fire Station located at Hill Street, and it is the oldest existing fire station in Singapore (Read more.)

Central Fire Station
Civil Defence Heritage Gallery
A shelf showcasing some items relating to the Fire Brigade

(March 10th, 2006)
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780312372613
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Published: September 2007
256 pgs
Source: Personal Library



I bought this book right after I finished reading Love in Translation last year because I loved it so much. Though it was fun reading Midori by Moonight, I have to say I enjoyed Love in Translation much better due to the premise (you can read my review here).

Midori by Moonlight is a story of a thirty-year-old Midori Saito, whose dreams is to be married to a foreigner and live her life in America. She has no intention of becoming a housewife and to cater to her husband's every needs, and knowing that her goals might not fit into the Japanese society, she hopes she could find her true love with a gaijin (which means foreigner in Japanese) and start a new life with him. She found her perfect man in Kevin, an American English teacher who has lived in Japan for a short while and Midori is feeling very happy that they are going to be engaged soon. However, her happiness is a short-lived one as she soon learns that he is dumping her for his blonde ex-fiancée. Midori has never felt so lonely and lost in her life, but she is glad to find acquaintance in Shinji Nishimura, a fellow Japanese and a friend of Kevin.

Shinji sympathise with Midori's situation, and offered to rent his apartment to her since he rarely live in there as he spend most of the time with his American girlfriend. Having not much money left and with her limited English language, she agrees to stay in Shinji's apartment and be his roommate since she needs to think of a plan as her visa is expiring soon. And she wouldn't want her parents to know about her pathetic situation, after all they had wanted her to marry a Japanese man back home right from the beginning.

Things became a challenge to Midori for she has to find a job while she continues to hold on to her American dreams. She has finally found a job being a bar hostess, and this experience will lead her to something unexpected that will change not only her situation but also her outlook on love and everything.

Did I mention that Midori by Moonlight is a fun read? I also loved Tokunaga's writing style because it flows smoothly and the dialogues are witty, especially when Midori attempts to construct sentences with idioms and I couldn't help but to laugh it off with her. Midori is a likeable character, and on top of that she has courage and determination in which I most admire about her.

Besides the plot and the characterisation, it is also interesting to learn more about the Japanese culture and I find Midori's perspective refreshing because her views are so entirely different from the typical Japanese women; not that it is a bad thing but it shows her other independent side.

I hope there will be a new release out soon by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga because I really enjoy reading her books.

(Click here to read other bookbloggers' reviews.)
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!

Whatever the reason, even as a young person, she was never attracted to Japanese men. In middle school when all her friends were mooning over the current Japanese teen idol, Midori preferred the latest blond from England or America.



(Pg 33, Midori by Moonlight by Wendy Nelson Tokunaga)

Melody

Musing Mondays

Today’s MUSING MONDAYS post is about the ‘best’ books'.

There’s been some discussion on my blog this week about what should or shouldn’t make a ‘best' books’ list. What elements do you think lands a book in that ‘best’ category? Think of your top 5 best books and tune in next week to see the collated list.

What should or shouldn't make a 'best' book? I'm sure this is a question that will stump many readers anytime. And the same goes to naming your top 20 or top 5 list. That said, there are a few elements that definitely make a book stand out among the rest: plot, characterisation, writing style and of course, a simply great story that will linger in your mind for a long time; one which you would gush and rush to recommend to anyone who has (yet to) read it.

As for my top 5 best books, there are just too many on my list, thus I will only name a few titles which I read so far this year (not in any order):

~ Tipping the Velvet by Sarah Waters
~ Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
~ Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
~ The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

What about you?



Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers will share about the books that they received last week.

Here's what I received last week:

1) The Queen of Palmyra by Minrose Gwin (ARC)


What books came into your house last week?

Melody
ISBN-13: 9781416571735
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: March 2009
256 pgs
Source: Personal Library





I have not read anything by Jennifer Echols, so I bought Going Too Far after reading several good reviews on it. I have to say I totally enjoyed the reading experience. Packed with teenage angst, intense and not to mention romance, this is one of the best YA novels I have read this year!

Seventeen-year-old Meg McPherson wants an escape. To sum things up, she wants to get away from school, her parents, and even her life. And by doing so, she seeks thrills and excitement and this lead her into trouble when she and her boyfriend, Eric, crossed line with a cop (who is known as Officer After) when he caught them at a railway bridge.

Charged for underage drinking and not to mention illegal drug use (it is actually Eric's doings but of course the cop couldn't care less), Meg has to ride along with Officer After and to submit a report as a form of punishment as well as a reminder to other teenagers about the consequences and also what she has learned from these experiences. Eric managed to escape from this thanks to his parents, while Meg's parents have gotten used of her troubles and think it is best to sort things out on her own, but deep down they do care a lot and want everything the best for her.

Just when Meg thinks her spring break is totally ruined, one of the things she did not expect is finding out that Officer After is just a 19-year-old guy, and that she is attracted by him. But what she does not know is that Officer After has also developed feelings for her along the way and she would soon discover his reason over his obsession with the railway bridge.

What can I say? I totally enjoyed reading Going Too Far! One of the things I admired about Meg is she is frank and is not afraid of consequences. Though she may seem rebellious at times, that is her method of dealing with all the stress and problems she has faced and my heart totally ached for her after learning what she has gone through during her early teenaged years. Officer After is another interesting character because he too, has his issues. His righteousness will definitely charm you off but on a certain level he is vulnerable too so I could see the connections between him and Meg.

I look forward to reading other releases by Jennifer Echols.

(Click here to read more reviews of Going Too Far.)

Melody
ISBN-13: 9781402237188
Publisher: Sourcebooks
Published: April 2010
320 pgs
Source: Sourcebooks



I was glad to be given the opportunity to review Read, Remember, Recommend by Rachelle Rogers Knight because I love reading books about books, and besides that this is a reading journal where I could keep track of my reading.

The journal is divided into six sections: Awards and Notable Lists, To Read, Journal Pages, Recommendations, Loaner Lists and Resources. These tags are helpful and are easy reference as and when needed.

The Awards and Notable Lists Section consists a wonderful list of literary awards titles including the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Awards, The National Book Critics Circle Awards, Man Booker Prize, Heimingway Foundation/PEN Award and many others. Besides the great compilations, another thing I like is the boxes next to these titles where I could mark them as "Own", "Recommend", "To Read" or "Want". It definitely makes a useful reference/guide to me as I go along with my reading.

To Read and Journal Pages Sections allow readers to keep track and record the books they want to/or read, and you can record the titles where you'd like to recommend to others under the Recommendations Section.

Going through Resources Section is a great delight because not only it provides book-related online sites (e.g. Book Awards Sites, Bookclubs Resource Sites, Social Networking Sites for Readers, and even a few bookblogs which I have already added onto my Google Reader, etc etc). The list for Literary Terms also comes in handy if you want to know the definition of characterization or genre, just as an example.

All in all, Read, Remember, Recommend is a wonderful reading journal which I am sure most bibliophiles would love to have.
All good books are alike in that they are truer than if they had really happened and after you are finished reading one you will feel that all that happened to you and afterwards, it all belongs to you; the good and the bad, the ecstasy, the remorse, the sorrow, the people and the places and how the weather was. ~ Ernest Hemingway

(An extract from Read, Remember, Recommend)
Melody
Starting today, I will post a new series featuring some locations/attractions in Singapore. These pictures are especially special and meaningful to me because they were taken when my best friend and her hubby came to visit us four years ago (they are from the U.S. and it was the first time that we met!).

Note: Jen, this is for you! Can't wait for your next visit!!


St. Andrew's Cathedral
(March 10th, 2006)
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!

"What are you so mad about?" I asked the cop. "Is it true that a couple of teenagers got killed here a long time ago?"

"It's true," he said without looking up. "And y'all came close to adding four more to the body count tonight."



(Pg 15, Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols)

Melody
ISBN-13: 9781848120457
Publisher: Piccadilly Press
Published: January 2010
192 pgs
Source: Personal Library



Sixteen-year-old Cassidy feels her life is anything but happy. It does not help that her father is no longer living with them and that her mother has found a new love in another man. Cassidy feels her mother does not understand her, and she has no feelings towards the new man in her mother's life except that she thinks he meddles too much of her life.

Things began to look up when she met a guy named Jonah, together with his three friends when they are transferred to her school. They may be a few years older than her, but Cassidy felt kind of flattered that they showed enough attention towards her. Cassidy enjoys being with Jonah, and she has more or less put her relationship with childhood friend and ex-lover behind her, until she discover something about Jonah that makes her question about their relationship.

I have to say I was totally taken aback after reading half of The Worst of Me. What I am saying is, though I was prepared to doubt Jonah (due to the blurb), what caught me completely off-guard is the issues surrounding this story, i.e. racism and religions, in which I have to confess I don't recall reading anything about the latter in which a character has strong feelings against it. That said, I want to clarify that the author has actually done a good job in telling this story in a matter-of-fact way; there is no disrespect towards anyone except to show the different side and thoughts of Jonah (as well as his friends).

The Worst of Me tells the dilemma and struggle Cassidy has to face between love and the respect one has to give towards other people, regardless of race or religion. As much as these issues are important, what's so sad about the thing is, they still exist since history, and is difficult to resolve even today.

Without a doubt, this is a great character-driven story and I think most girls will be able to connect with Cassidy as the author has a way of drawing the readers into Cassidy's mind, and for this reason I will definitely check out the other books by Kate Le Vann, due to the characterisations and the emotional-charged topics.

Other review:
(Let me know if I missed yours.)