Melody
ISBN-13: 9780385739771
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Published: February 2011
336 pgs
Source: Personal Library



I remember seeing Orchards by Holly Thompson on a few blogs I followed. Attracted by the lovely cover but more so intrigued by the plot, I decided to get a copy. When my copy arrived, I was a little surprised to find that it was written in free verse instead of a novel format. Since I have never read a book written in free verse (well they remind me of poetry, kind of) and given that the book I was reading then didn't intrigue me much, I decided to jump into it.

Half-Japanese and half-Jewish American, Kana Goldberg is an eight-grader whose life has taken a turn after a classmate commits suicide. Although Kana isn’t the one who had said the hurtful things to Ruth, nonetheless she still feels a little guilty since she is hanging out with the girls who were mean to Ruth. After the incident, Kana’s parents decided to send her off to Japan for the summer. Staying in her mother’s village home in Kohama where they grow mikan oranges for a living, they are hoping that her stay there will help to reflect on her behaviour.

Given her mixed heritage, Kana has difficulty fitting in and she learnt that her grandmother (whom she called Baachan) was unhappy when her mother left Japan many years ago and married an American. It took a while for the family to accept her and soon Kana adjust to her life in the rural orchard farm. Though she is far away from New York, Kana still think of Ruth, her death and how things might be different if it didn’t end it that way.

Filled with teenage angst, guilt, sorrow and reflection, Orchards is an emotional intense story told from Kana’s point of view which was directed to Ruth. I have to confess I was skeptical about the free verse format and wondered if this is suffice to tell a story, and surprisingly I found that this format works well through Holly Thompson’s prose and every of her words are enough to draw me in and pull my heartstring. I was also drawn to the few illustrations that spotlight some of the Japanese culture and symbols which I thought they somewhat lessened the brooding atmosphere given that Kana is sorting out her feelings as readers get to see her mature through the process.
Melody

Melody

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 don't think I've ever posted a free verse format in my Teaser Tuesdays post before. No, scratch that, I don't even think I've ever read a book that was written in a free verse format, but there is always a first, isn't it?


~*~*~*~*~*


I have never been to
Japan alone
never traveled anywhere alone
except sleepovers
and overnight camp
for a week in Vermont

on the plane
flight attendants chat with me
unaccompanied minor
praise my language abilities
assume it's a
happy occasion
my returning
to the village of my mother's childhood
for the summer

but they don't know
what I know, Ruth -
that it's all
because of you (Pg 14, Orchards by Holly Thompson)





I'd heard so many good things about Frank Delaney's Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show that when I was asked by a publicist if I was interested to read the sequel, The Matchmaker of Kenmare, I didn't hesitate. Unfortunately, after two weeks later of reading the book (and having only read one-quarter of it), I've to say I'm giving up this book for good. There is no doubt that Frank Delaney's prose is lyrical and beautiful, but I find the story is progressing slowly and though the plot seems interesting, it didn't manage to capture my attention into reading more.

Narrated by Ben McCarthy (he's the main character from Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show) with a World War II setting, Ben related his tale of his life traveling around Ireland as a collector for the Irish Folklore Commission as he grieves for his wife, Venetia, after she has disappeared ten years earlier. During the journey, he met Kate Begley who is known as the Matchmaker of Kenmare. They became friends quickly, and at some point they are attracted to each other too but Kate ended up with a striking American military intelligence officer named Charles Miller. I think it was from that point onwards that I've began to lose interest in the story; I also mentioned earlier that the pace is slow and it seems the story isn't going anywhere whereas I was expecting something interesting or exciting to happen (perhaps it did, but I had already lost my interest before I get to it).

And on top of this, I have yet to read Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show so I think I might have missed something which may be of related to this book. Nonetheless, I was disappointed with the overall experience because I had wanted to like this book but I didn't. That said, don't let this post deter you from reading this book as I've also read several reviews which are full of praise about this book.
Melody

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by I'm Booking It.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository last week:

1) Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

2) Orchards by Holly Thompson


What books came into your house last week?

Melody

Melody
So I mentioned before that I would not be participating in any more reading challenges, after all I haven't been reading many books for the challenges I had signed up, plus my reading progress has been slow lately. However, I have to make an exception for this particular challenge - Carl V's Once Upon a Time Challenge (OUAT) since I have not participated in this before, plus Carl is a great host and I always have fun with his R.I.P Challenge (which I'm always looking forward to it). And then of course there is always this opportunity to explore new authors and get to know new fellow bookbloggers.

Anyway, OUAT runs from March 21st through June 20th and you have a few options to choose from for this participation. Given my slow reading progress, I decided to sign up for The Journey which I will read at least one book out of the four categories (fantasy, fairy tales, folklore and mythology). As of writing this, I have no idea which title to read but I do have a few in mind:
However, the reading list might change as I can be fickle minded when it comes to my reading, thus we shall see how. If you are new to this reading challenge, I hope you would join in the fun; and if you are not then what are you waiting for?



Note: There won't be a Teaser Tuesdays post today as I'm still reading The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney. Aside from my snail pace reading progress, I also find that the story is a bit slow in my opinion and that it doesn't engage me as much (although I have to say Frank's writing style is lyrical and beautiful!). This book is the sequel to Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show and since I haven't read that book yet, I wonder if this is part of the reason why it affects my experience of reading The Matchmaker of Kenmare. That said, I wouldn't want to call it a DNF at this stage so I shall read a few chapters and see how it goes.

Hope you all have a Happy Tuesday!

Melody

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by I'm Booking It.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository last week:

1) Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler

2) Live Wire by Lora Leigh


What books came into your house last week?

Melody
Loosly based on William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Gnomeo and Juliet are two garden gnomes whereby each clan (the Red and the Blue) has a long bitter feud despite they live so close to one another - the lawns of two neighbours, Mrs. Montague and Mr. Capulet (who like the gnomes are at loggerheads with each other).

Delicate and well protected, Juliet yearns for an adventurous life and her one night adventure sends her towards Gnomeo's path. Attracted to each other, Gnomeo and Juliet didn't realise of their positions until their disguise are off. However, this doesn't deter them from not seeing each other again. And with the help and advice from a discarded pink plastic flamingo named Featherstone, the twosome decided to overcome all obstacles even if they risk being broken (they are all made from ceramic).

Gnomeo & Juliet first caught my attention when I saw its advertisement on a magazine. Attracted by the bright and colourful illustrations and that it's a retelling tale of Romeo and Juliet, I figured this would be a fun movie to watch. And truthfully, I wasn't disappointed and my daughter loved it. There are many hilarious moments amid the heated exchanges and actions between the blue and red gnomes and their fights involving a lawnmower race are just some of the highlights of the film.

The characterisations are great too. Supporting roles like Nanette (who is a frog and is Juliet's good friend) and Featherstone (the pink plastic flamingo who reminisce about his lost love to Gnomeo and Juliet while encouraging them to embrace instead of hiding their love) add entertainment to the overall plot. I have to say their roles are more outstanding partly because they are funny and yes, likeable too.

While I think the plot is good, I was somewhat disappointed with the ending. No, I wasn't referring about the happily-ever-after instead of a tragedy ending (after all it is a G-rated film), but it is simply in my adult mind I was hoping for a more complex scenario. Anyway, what most matters is that we had had a wonderful time and that seeing the joy on our daughter's face and hearing her laughter is suffice for us.

Melody
Yesterday my husband and I brought our daughter to watch Gnomeo and Juliet, as this week is a one-week school holidays. We had a wonderful time. I hope to have a review (or rather my thoughts) on the movie up soon. Anyway, what's a movie experience like without a tub of popcorn so we bought one and I found it interesting that they had listed the choice of popcorn we choose and what it says about us. Here goes:

Salty popcorn eaters tend to be down-to-earth, take-charge types who tell it like it is and prefer grim reality to la la land any day. They are inclined to also enjoy potato chips, salted nuts, sandwiches, hot dogs with ketchup and mustard, hamburgers with pickles and other salty things. They make loyal and steadfast companions on whom you can always count for an honest opinion, even when it's not necessarily the one you want to hear. Exponents of character-building tough love rather than wishy-washy-gooey-sticky soft love that does nobody any good, they tend to be excellent disciplinarians, good parents and responsible animal owners. They have strong moral values and even stronger opinions. Popularity holds scant appeal for them while integrity is held in the highest esteem. Their taste in movies leans towards gritty realistic dramas, natural disaster doozies, wartime epics, spy movies, martial arts showcases, action-packed blockbusters and road trip flicks. They tend not to believe in fairytales and take happy endings with a pinch of salt (just like their popcorn).

Sweet popcorn eaters tend to be romantic souls who hanker after happy endings and believe in true love, even when their heart's been broken and patched... and broken again. They tend to also like ice cream, chocolate, cookies, candy and other sweet things. They make good friends who will always try to cheer you up when you're down, and will gloss over the ugly truth to avoid hurting your feelings. If you ask a sweet popcorn-eating friend if your bum looks fat in a certain pair of pants, he/she will say no - the pants are poorly cut... or simply tell a sweet little white lie. Sweet popcorn eaters respond to pretty, bright colours and bright, bouncy pop tunes. They have lots of positive energy and radiate optimism like a little gob of sugar-coated sunshine. Their taste in movies veers towards romcoms, charming animated fables, modern day fairytales, weepies with happy endings, historical dramas, feelgood musicals and anything with an uplifting moral where the bad guys get their asses kicked and the good guys get their just desserts (or sweet popcorn).

So which popcorn eater are you? I'm a salty popcorn eater, but that's because I've always love salty food, ha. As for the types of movies I watch, I've to say I do go for romcoms and fairytales too, aside from those list of salty popcorn eaters. After all, who doesn't love happy endings?
Melody

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!

To tell the truth, I had intended to follow the Teaser Tuesdays rule to share two teaser sentences this week, after all I had broke the rule for the past two weeks in a row. However, when I flipped through Frank Delaney's The Matchmaker of Kenmare for a teaser, my eyes rested on these words - 'Referred Passion'. I thought it sounds interesting, but of course I knew it wouldn't do just to post two sentences, so there you go.

~*~*~*~*~*

"Do you know what I mean by 'Referred Passion'?" she said one day about a year into our relationship. And, as usual, not waiting for my hopeless stab at a reply, she went on. "Do you know what a referred pain is?"

Is it when I feel so stupid that I could kick myself?

"I'll explain it," she said. "Your shoulder is injured, but you feel it in your chest. Or you've hurt your spine, but your hip is carrying the ache. That's referred pain. Well, Referred Passion is when you're in love with one person, but you fiercely embrace another. That's us," she said. "That's me and you. Friendship is a choice," she said. "Love isn't."

(Pg 5, The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney)

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780593063811
Publisher: Bantam Press
Published: February 2010
416 pgs
Source: Personal Library



Gone is the fifth instalment of Mo Hayder's Jack Caffery series. If you'd follow this series, you'd know that DI Jack Caffery of Bristol's Major Crime Investigation Unit and Phoebe "Flea" Marley of the Underwater Search Unit are the protagonists of this series.

Anyway, Jack Caffery is once again called upon to solve a case involving child kidnapping. When the story opens, Jack and the readers are given the impression that it was a car-jacking case, but as the story picks up and more clues are shown do we realise that there are more than meets the eye. And when they received news that the kidnapper had abducted a second victim, it sent them all into hysteria because apparently he doesn't pick his little victims randomly and that he is enjoying playing hide-and-seek with them. And no matter how much time and efforts Jack and his team spent on tracking him, at the end the kidnapper is always a step ahead of them.

Flea Marley, on the other hand, has a hunch of the case but Jack Caffery as well as her team do not see her views. Call her stubborn or courageous, her next step is to follow her instincts and without assistance from anyone, explore a secret tunnel which she believes the kidnapper has hid or buried his victims away. It is also at this time that Jack has found some clues on the kidnapper and this entitle him a search warrant, but then is he the right person?

I have to admit I was on pins and needles while reading Gone. Though child kidnapping is a common theme in a crime thriller, I have to say what's so great about this book is aside from the emotional intense and the suspense, Mo Hayder has further explore the nature of humanity and that there's only a fine, thin line between the good and the evil. Because I was a huge fan of this series, I was hoping to see some developments between Jack and Flea but there isn't much going on between them, and that is due to a misunderstanding which I'd rather not mention here but all I can say is I am happy to note that there is still some hope flickering between them.

Another thing I wish to mention is it touches me a lot to see the strength and the emotional support among the victims' mothers. Because I am a mother of two, I could totally understand their feelings of losing their little girls and my heart went out to them. Their role may be minor to the story, but they do play a crucial part in some ways so in my opinion, this story is very much about them other than the cops and the bad guy.

Needless to say, I highly recommend Gone. If you are new to Mo Hayder's books and would like to get a gist of her writing style, perhaps I can point you to the direction of a few of her stand-alone books: The Devil of Nanking (aka Tokyo), Pig Island and her upcoming new release next month, Hanging Hill, in which I am eagerly anticipating.


Jack Caffery Series in order:
Melody
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!


If you are a regular reader of this blog, you'd know that Mo Hayder is one of my favourite authors. In fact, I'd be the first to buy her books once they hit the shelves, no matter if they are hardcover, tradesize or paperback. Yes, her books just have this kind of effect on me. Anyway, I should've read this book long time ago when it was released last year in February under the UK edition (US edition was released last month with a different cover) but I figured since it takes a while to see a new Mo Hayder book, I'd take my time to devour this little gem but alas, that little time has now turned into a year. With her next release, Hanging Hill, to be released in April (UK), I figured it is about time I read Gone and here it is.

Oh, if you haven't read her books yet, I think Hanging Hill would be a great one to start with since it is not part of her Jack Caffery series and is a stand-alone. As like last week, I decided to share not two sentences but the whole paragraph from a page. Happy Tuesday, and happy reading!

~*~*~*~*~*

No one spoke. She took a few steps forward. The torch beam danced in nothingness, picking up dripping walls and the odd hunched shapes of fallen earth like the humped back of an animal protruding out of the water. She stopped, turned sideways in the tunnel and put her head back as if she was trying to open her ears. Wellard left the boat and came slowly through the water, going carefully so his boots didn't make a noise. 'What is it?' he mouthed. 'Did you hear something?'

(Pg 119, Gone by Mo Hayder)

Melody
ISBN-13: 9780385613507
Publisher: David Fickling Books
Published: December 2010
416 pgs
Source: Personal Library



Before I start off with the review, I have to thank Kristy for recommending this book to me. Kristy is not a fellow bookblogger, but a staff (who is also a friend to me) working at a bookstore which I used to patronise frequently until my office relocated. Anyway, I was on leave from work the other day to collect some books from her when she shoved this book, You Against Me by Jenny Downham to me. "I think you might love this," that's what she said. I took the book from her, thinking it is a contemporary YA romance based on the cover. However, there isn't a blurb behind the cover except one short sentence printed on it: "You want this to be a love story?" Of course my curiosity was piqued.

Seeing my perplexed look, Kristy plucked the book out of my hands and began to tear off the plastic sheets that wrapped the book neatly and securely. "There, now you can find out how you like it." I flipped the cover and I read the blurb on the bookjacket. And I liked what I read, so I bought it together with those books she had reserved for me. I read this book the following day, and couldn't put it down. Are you still with me? I'm sorry I rambled, but I just want to share with you how this book came to me, and that I owed Kristy for recommending such a great book to me.

The story begins with Mikey McKenzie's family crumbling down when his younger sister, Karyn, being sexually assaulted by a guy named Tom Parker; a guy whom most of her school mates knew she had had a crush on him. The thing is, they were drunk with their friends at a party at his house and no one knew what happened except his younger sister, Ellie Parker. Though Tom is being charged, there are also some speculations surrounding Karyn though it is minimal. Just when you already felt the tension there, the momentum shifted when Mikey and Ellie met each other. Mikey wanted revenge for his sister, so he thought Ellie would be a good target to start with. However, the more Mikey knows Ellie, his feelings start to change.

Ellie, on the other hand, is a lonely girl who doesn't has many friends in school. To make things worse, her life has became a scrutiny to others in school now that her brother is charged for sexual assault. However, her world changes after she befriended with Mikey and she felt he is the only person who could understand her. For the first time in her life, she felt loved until she began to realise who he is.

You Against Me is a terrific contemporary YA novel that touches on family, loyalty, choice and of course, love. However this book is not suitable for younger readers for its topic, plus it has themes on alcohol and drugs. What I loved about this story is aside from the story is told, the characterisations are great and though Mikey and Ellie have their flaws and all, the way they are portrayed are real and honest. I felt for them, and I sympathised with them for the situation they were in. And then of course, I didn't know who I was angry with most. Mikey for his revenge plan, Ellie for her lies (I wouldn't want to say more to avoid spoilers), or Tom being the one who has started it all? I could only describe my reading experience is equivalent to riding a roller coaster ride, because I just don't know where it would take me and how far/steep the fall would go.

I have to applaud author, Jenny Downham, for writing such a sensitive, difficult yet a thought-provoking topic and though this book has the potential of a mystery, instead she has focused on the characterisations and the emotional ground which I think is a much more difficult feat and a far more rewarding reading experience. I totally enjoyed reading this book despite the heavy subject, and though I know no matter what happened to the ending, there is always this part where no one's life is ever be the same again and also that sometimes life doesn't have all the answers; still for my own selfish reason I gave this book a 4.75-stars instead of a 5-stars rating because I really want to know what happened to Tom Parker, even though I know this story is more of Mikey and Ellie. And needless to say, I will definitely be checking out Jenny Downham's books in the near future.
Melody
Happy Wednesday! Wow, is it March already? It just seems like yesterday we had just celebrated our Lunar New Year. Anyway, my "Not So Wordless Wednesday (iPhone Edition)" post for this month will be focused mainly on places. I have also included a few random pictures out of fun and I hope you will enjoy them as well.


Rice Paper Maki. We had this at a Japanese restaurant and it was great!


Garrett Popcorn! I took this with my iPhone inside the paperbag so that explains the odd angle. But oh my, their cheese and caramel popcorn just taste heavenly!


I took this picture while I was waiting for my daughter's queue at the clinic. We walked out of the clinic since it was crowded (and not wanting to catch those bugs as well) and we were greeted by this lovely sight.


Don't you love those colourful windows? It was too bad that I didn't take a better view of the building (it's the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts).


St. Andrew's Cathedral. The sky was gloomy that day but still I loved how it looks on the screen.


Clarke Quay. Over here you will be able to find a variety of restaurants, wine bars and entertainment spots. On the left is a shopping mall.


G-Max Reverse Bungy (Do you dare to take a ride? I know I wouldn't!)

Finally, I included a picture of my youngest daughter doing colouring on her activity book. She's the only one who's left-handed in the family (though she hasn't learned how to write yet; she will be turning three in September).

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!

He smiled, and she couldn't help it, she smiled back. She was pathetic. Even when she knew he was trying to trick her, she still liked him. She was like some brainless girl in a horror movie, the kind of girl you scream at from the sofa because she can't see that she should leave right now or she'll be turned into mince.


(Pg 164, You Against Me by Jenny Downham)



This isn't the first time I broke the rules and share not two sentences but the whole paragraph from a book. Sometimes, two sentences are enough to capture a reader's attention but other times having read two sentences are just not enough. It isn't because they are not good, but on the contrary they are so good that you simply want to read the whole paragraph, the whole page, the whole chapter, the whole book. . . you get the idea. I think You Against Me is such a book; I just wish time could stop now so I can read to my heart's content without worrying about work or anything else. Yes I could only wish!