Bloomsbury Childrens | August 2012 | 432 pgs
Source: Purchased
I took a little break from thrillers featuring unlikeable and unreliable characters and dived into this YA fantasy series; a story about the journey and adventures of an eighteen-year-old girl who is trained as an assassin and has slaved at the dark, filthy salt mines of Endovier until she is given a chance to win her freedom - to represent the Crown Prince of Adarlan in a to-the-death tournament. The winner will be the King's Champion and will abide by his orders for future (assassinating) missions.
Calaena Sardothien is Adarlan's most notorious assassin, and perhaps the greatest in all of Erilea. Calaena knows it's a lose-lose situation no matter which path she chose - it's too torturing working at the salt mines (she has some scars to prove) and she couldn't fathom the thoughts of serving the King who has ruined her country but at least she has the chance of gaining her freedom. And so there begins her training before the duel comes. During her time spent at the training, she gradually became friends with the Crown Prince, Dorian Havilliard, and the Captain of the Guard, Chaol Westfall. While the former loves teasing her, the latter is cold and calm though he is protective of her.
When the other competitors are a threat to her, especially a particular sly and arrogant soldier named Cain, Calaena soon realises that there is something dark and sinister which is the real threat, for her competitors ended up dead one by one and they all died gruesomely. No one knew how or why they were murdered but Calaena is certain of one thing, that some evil force is at work and she intends to find out the truth before she is the next target.
Although I am late in reading this series, I am not new to Sarah J. Maas' work; after all I enjoyed her Court of Thorns and Roses series and can't wait for the third installment to release next year. This first installment of the Throne of Glass series wowed me in many levels. The world building, the plot and the characterisation are all very well done. I enjoyed reading the interactions between Calaena, Dorian and Chaol. Calaena's friendship with Princess Nehemia was also an enjoyable read, as I felt Calaena needs some female companionship and a friend among all the alpha males even though she is not a weakling herself. No, I definitely think Calaena is far more superior when her skills are concerned and nothing could stop her since she has nothing to lose and with that strong dignity of hers. But that is not all, I also liked the idea of the Fae world and the magical element amid the political empire, despite the King banished and outlawed all traces of magic.
I can see why this series is so popular and makes a great fantasy series - the world building so well constructed by the author, the development of the core characters and finally that wonderful storytelling which had me glued to the pages from the beginning till the end. I can't wait to find out what's in store with the rest of this series.
© 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Scholastic Inc | August 2015 | 224 pgs
Source: Purchased
The year is 1976, Pennsylvania. 10-year-old Sunny Lewin is supposed to spend her summer vacation with her family at a beach house, but there's some issue at home and she ended up flying down to Florida herself to live with her grandfather for the summer. She is disappointed at first, but thought Florida might be a fun place to visit, after all she could visit Disney World. But her grandfather's place is no fun for a 10-year-old girl; it is a place called "Pine Palms" and is a retirement community for people over 55. Fortunately for her, she met a boy her age there. Buzz's father works as a groundskeeper at Pine Palms and Buzz knows all the fun things to do there (facing off against alligators when they go golf balls picking, rescuing runaway cats and reading all the superheroes comic books they could find).
Sunny Side Up is very much of a reminiscent kind of story and about the simplicity of life living in the late 70s. What I liked about the story:
- the simple introductions of a few superheroes and their qualities
- Grandpa's witty remarks and his positivity outlook on life
- Pine Palms is very much of a low-end resort with golf course and pools (but no swimming as there are alligators. Hmph!)
- the tight-knit community where everybody knows everybody and looking out for one another
Finally, the message behind this story over the issue involving substance abuse (drug or alcohol abuse problem), in which Sunny's elder brother is facing and that young readers who are facing these same problems today should reach out to family members and teachers/school counsellors and seek help should they find themselves or anyone having this issue instead of feeling ashamed and scared; and most of all thinking that it is something that has to be kept as secrets. Overall it is a heartwarming story and is suitable to middle grade children without the heavy undertone of the issue mentioned.
© 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Penguin Publishing Group | August 216 | 304 pgs
Source: Purchased
Told in two alternating voices and time periods, this story is about the friendship between two girls and how an incident in the past caught up with them.
Edie is bold and beautiful whereas Heather is shy and awkward. When Heather first met Edie, she knew she is unlike any other girls in school. Edie is not only wild and beautiful, she's also the only girl who would look beyond Heather as who she is and show her what good friends are supposed to be. For a while, they have a wonderful friendship until Edie falls in love.
Seventeen years later, Edie moved to London and is a single mother. Life is hard but she got by, until Heather appears and enters into her life once again. Heather's arrival is perfect as that is the time Edie is overwhelmed by the needs of a new baby and sinks into a dark despair. Heather not only saves her but is also proving to be a good helper in taking care of little Maya.
As the days go by, Edie has the feeling that someone is watching and stalking her. Edie begins to wonder about Heather's barging into her life then; could it really be a coincidence?
Watching Edie is an intense read and I enjoyed the writing style told in the past in Heather's voice and Edie's present. This allows readers to learn about each character's development and climax build as the story progress and the truth begins to reveal from the past. This is quite different from your typical psychology thriller as although there is still enough suspense to capture your attention; it is very much of a what-really-happened kind of suspense with two unreliable narrators. Overall I enjoyed the story well enough, but not enough to wow me.
© 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
This drama tells a story between two characters living in two different worlds and will most likely appeal to comics fans since the plot is set in the reality world and the comics world as well.
Oh Yeon-joo (starring Han Hyo-joo) works as a surgeon and her father is a popular comics artist. His project "W" has garnered lots of attention and praises from many fans both online and in print. The character he created in "W" is a wealthy and good-looking man named Kang Chul (starring Lee Jong-suk) and is a skilled marksman. He was also an Olympics winner but that glory was taken away from him after he was a suspect for murdering his family members. His last appearance in the comics world saw him lying on the ground bathed in blood, apparently being assaulted by someone who wanted him dead.
On the other end in reality world, Yeon-joo's father is missing and while searching for his whereabouts she stumbles into the comics world and found the injured Kang Chul. She managed to save him and later learned that he is the lead character her father created in "W" after she finds herself back in the reality world.
Filled with mystery, action and romance, W (aka W - Two Worlds) was one intriguing fantasy which had me at the edge of my seat. Aside from the refreshing concept of having the comics world co-exist with the reality world, I was also quite fascinated by actor Jong-suk's portrayal of the charismatic Kang Chul and the mystery surrounding him (by the way, I loved the illustrations! See above.) While one may have to pay extra attention to what's happening between the two worlds, it didn't really create much confusions, at least not to me. There are some scenes which took me by surprise and of course there are also a few romantic scenes which would make female viewers' hearts flutter. Chemistry sizzled between Jong-suk and Hyo-joo and it made me wonder if their romantic relationship onscreen continues offscreen as well. Overall I enjoyed the drama. I had also watched an older drama starring Lee Jong-suk and review will be forthcoming.
(Above images credit to Google Images)
(Love Is and my TBR pile)
Jong Wen Books Co., Ltd | August 2016
Source: Purchased
Love Is was featured in W as we saw Yeon-joo showing Kang Chul a few things they could do together to make their life more colourful and meaningful. Illustrated by Korean artist Da-mi Park (Puuung), this is a great collection especially for married couples and although some of them are a few simple things we may be doing daily, the artist added some thoughts and sentiments alongside these illustrations which I felt makes this book such a wonderful read. There are two editions (Korean and Chinese) and I am hoping that there would be an English edition in the near future.
© 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Penguin Publishing Group | August 2016 | 320 pgs
Source: Purchased
This book caught my attention as it's been over the blogosphere lately. Many enjoyed this domestic suspense debut about a young couple and their apparently friendly neighbours and while I agreed it was an absorbing thriller, the plot and what happened left me feeling cold and disheartened over the things some people would do for everything.
Anne and Marco Conti seem to have a perfect life. They are loving, blessed with a fanciful house, and most of all they have their six-month-old beautiful baby, Cora. One night, Cynthia and Graham Stillwell, a couple next door, invite the Conti couple for a dinner party. Before the party, Anne and Marco have a bit of a disagreement over the baby issue as their babysitter has cancelled her plan of coming over the last minute. Cynthia has mentioned beforehand that it would be an adults-only party and in spite Anne insists she wants to stay at home to look after Cora, Marco manages to convince Anne to go in the end. After all, he told Anne, they could monitor Cora through the audio baby monitor and take turns on checking on her physically every half an hour. However, Anne's nightmares came true when they return to their house and find the crib empty.
Detective Rasbach attends to this case and his initial impression is that there must be something about the Conti couple. After all, it is a natural reaction to point fingers at the parents over their negligence and on top of that, there is no evidence of a break in or any tracing signifies an outsider kidnapping their baby. The only evidence they could find is the fact that Anne is on postpartum depression medication.
Like many such psychological thrillers, this story was twisty and gripping with a few unlikeable characters and I thought the plot was quite well crafted and was suspenseful from the beginning till the end. That uncertainty feeling and the curiosity was what kept me glued to the book and wouldn't let go until I have all the answers.
© 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
Splendid Politics (aka Hwajung) is one of the most splendid historical K-dramas I have watched this year, pun intended. With 50 episodes you will be taken in by the grandeur Joseon dynasty and its majestic palace setting, a cast of interesting yet complicated characters and not to mention the scheming plot which will have you gritting your teeth and have your mind running at the same time. However, do not let the long episodes deter you from watching this. There was never a bored moment and truth be told, I was too busy digesting the story to be sidetracked by anything.
In a nutshell, this is a story about power and wealth, revenge and love and of course, politics in the palace. Prince Gwanghae (starring Cha Seung-won) is the son of a concubine and since he isn't considered a "true blood" of a royal family, the King and his followers decided that the next heir to the throne would be his legitimate son despite he is only a small boy. His older sibling, Princess Jeongmyeong (starring Lee Yeon-hee), is also too young to inherit the title and on top of that she is a girl and no woman at that time should sit on a throne and rule the nation. With King Seongjo being poisoned by the head servant, Prince Gwanghae finally got his throne and have his two step-siblings executed and exiled respectively. Princess Jeongmyeong used to be close with Prince Gwanghae and her exile led her to lost her trust in him. Her escape was an unfortunate en route to Japan as a slave working in a sulfur mine after she was captured by some pirates. There, she was disguised as a boy and no one knew her true identity and her gender except her two close mates whom she knew from the mine. Despite the hard times, she vows to be a stronger person and would one day get her revenge and reclaim her title.
Hong Joo Won (starring Seo Kang-joon) and Kang In Woo (starring Han Joo-wan) are best friends since young and both of them came from a noble family. Their fathers have some connections with the royal family due to their positions - one is a police chief while the other is an important merchant who has ties with the Ming dynasty. The two boys met Princess Jeongmyeong the first time near the palace garden when their fathers attended a political event nearby. Princess Jeongmyeong was taken in by the studious Joo Won but eventually fate plays a cruel joke on all of them. Of course there is a day when Princess Jeongmyeong finally returns to Joseon and reunite with her two childhood friends who are all grown up and this moment is the beginning of the political battles and in return will lead to many turn of events as the story progresses.
Well, what can I say? I was kind of stumped while writing my thoughts as honestly, I don't know where to start. There are so many issues and sub-plots here which I don't think I would be able to sum them all up in this post. However, I can tell you how much I liked these three characters - Princess Jeongmyeong, Joo Won and In Woo and not because they are the lead characters but because of their individual characteristic and the patriotism they portray when there are moments they have to leave their loved ones and yes, one even has to turn against his family members when righteousness, justice and loyalty are concerned. How far would one go for power and wealth? Then, there is the question of blood and loyalty and how much would one do to right the wrongs and not to resent in the end?
I am aware that this post is getting too long and to conclude it - just watch it and be swept away by this splendid politics. No pun intended.
© 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.
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