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?

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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.

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?

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.

• Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon
• A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
• Sisters Red by Jackson Pierce
• When Rose Wakes by Christopher Golden

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!

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?

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)

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!

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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)

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.

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

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).

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).

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!