Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christmas. Show all posts
I'll Never Tell by Catherine McKenzie | Merry Christmas!
Melody
Lake Union Publishing | June 2019 | 368 pgs
Source: Library 
The book opens with five MacAllister siblings returning to their family owned camp to read the will left by their late father. Each sibling has different views of what to do with the estate but they didn't expect that their father had an entirely different plan. They learned that they couldn't do anything to the property until they unravel the mystery surrounding Amanda Holmes. 

Twenty years ago, 17-year-old Amanda Holmes was found washed up on shore in a rowboat with a gash to the head. No one was charged as the police couldn't find any evidence and the case was left unsolved. Each sibling, however, is flawed and harbours a secret and as the story progresses, the reader will learn that each holds a piece of the puzzle to the mystery but the biggest question is, would this group of siblings work together to find the perpetrator or would their secrets tear the family apart? 

Catherine McKenzie's books are a great joy to read because each of her book is different and full of surprises. Books about dysfunctional families and secrets rarely bore me as it explores the complicated human relationship and how one would react under stressed circumstances. In this novel, the author has crafted a suspenseful tale about the dynamics between the MacAllister siblings and the murder of Amanda Holmes through multiple narratives and a series of timelines dictating the siblings' movements on that fateful night. The characters are fleshed out and many aren't likeable; and most of all they made me think about how well do we really know about our family members and the secrets which may separate or bind us forever. This was a twisted and a twisty read; and I enjoyed the intrigue and the author's wonderful storytelling skills.

Christmas is drawing near and before ending this post, I'd like to wish you a Merry Christmas and may your new year be filled with joy and good books! ðŸ˜ƒðŸ“š
© 2019 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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The Ex by Alafair Burke | Merry Christmas!
Melody

ISBN-13: 9780062390486
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: January 2016
Format: eBook, 304 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss
Jack Harris has been framed for murder. It all started when he spotted a beautiful stranger along the Hudson River during his morning run, enjoying her champagne picnic alone and reading his favourite novel. She reminds him of her late wife, Molly, who had died during a mass shooting situation. It should have stayed that way, he reminiscing his wife and go on with his life but his best friend thinks otherwise. He posted a message on a popular website, hoping Jack would find love again and true enough, that same beautiful stranger responds and they agreed to meet in person. Unfortunately things didn't turn out that way; Jack did turn up for their meeting but she is nowhere in sight. And the next thing he knew, he is accused of killing Malcom Neely. He is the father of the shooter who had killed Jack's wife and a few others three years ago. 

Olivia Randall is Jack's ex-fiancée. She is also one of New York City’s best criminal defence lawyers. When she heard that Jack has been arrested for murder, she is sure this must have all been a mistake. The Jack she knew is not a person who would kill; and she knew she has to help him as a make up for past regrets and that they had parted ways due to some unfortunate circumstances. 

As Olivia begins to work on Jack's case, she realises that things are not as easy as what she has thought. Who and why would someone wants to frame Jack? And then there is this thought: What if she never really knew him? After all, she has not seen him in twenty years. 

I have to admit I had a hard time focusing on reading The Ex in the beginning; I think it was the measured pace that put me off reading it quickly but then, December is a busy month so my attention might be on elsewhere, too. That said, I was glad I stuck with the book and towards half of it the pace quickens and the intrigue as well as the intensity build up. What makes this book such an interesting read is the characterisation of Olivia Randall. She is definitely one unforgettable character with a strong voice. All in all, I found The Ex was an engaging legal thriller. The ending wasn't what I had expected and that is a good thing.

(Photo Credit - Google Images) 
Wishing you a very Merry Christmas! I hope you have a wonderful holidays with your loved ones!
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A Trip to Jurong Bird Park On Christmas Day
Melody
Well the weekend had just passed us just like that! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! Our Christmas was spent at the Jurong Bird Park. Actually we had wanted to visit the previous week, but it rained so we postponed our trip. So here are just a few pictures we took... Happy viewing!

Main entrance of Jurong Bird Park

Don't you love these little guys?

The King Penguins. Can you also see one swimming in the water?

These flamingos made a spectacular sight!

Assorted colourful parrots.

Watch some various birds performing at the Pools Amphitheatre.

Waterfall!

My husband captured this little fellow hopping around while he was taking some pictures. I love its pose... so adorable!

Another eye-catching scene.

Pelicans. They remind me of some scenes from Finding Nemo.

Eagles always look fierce and dominant no matter how they pose.

Well I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead! Can't believe this week is already the last week of 2010! I hope to finish reading David Levithan and Rachel Cohn's Dash & Lily's Book of Dares so I can add it onto my 2010 reading list. And then, there would be my 'Best Of' list which I would be posting in a few days' time.

I don't have the habit of setting New Year Resolutions since life can be so unpredictable but I'm hoping that next year will be another great reading year for me. And it would also be a year dedicating to my TBR pile since they are always growing and I need to make a dent out of those before they got out of control! (More bookshelves, please!)

Happy reading everyone! I'm off to read some more from Dash & Lily's Book of Dares; it gets better the more I flip through those pages!


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Happy Holidays!
Melody

merry Christmas tree glitter Pictures, Images and Photos

It's Christmas tomorrow and since I won't be blogging then, I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Holidays, and may your holiday season be blessed with peace, love and joy!

Merry Christmas!

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Old Town Holiday Cookies Recipe by Mary Burton
Melody
Have you read anything by Mary Burton? She writes romantic suspense and I am glad to hear from her publicist that her upcoming releases, Senseless and Merciless will be released in January and February 2011 respectively.

And that's not all, Mary Burton is happy to share her annual holiday recipe, "Old Town Holiday Cookies" with her readers. Her recipe is inspired by her two upcoming releases, both set in and around Alexandria, VA, including the city's famous Old Town section.

Old Town Holiday Cookies

2 sticks of butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup granulated sugar
2 eggs
1-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1-1/2 cups of All Purpose flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon salt
4 cups corn flakes
1 cup chocolate chips
White Chocolate

- Heat oven to 350 degrees.

- Cream softened butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar.

- Mix in eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Slowly blend dry ingredients into the butter/sugar mixture.

- Fold in corn flakes and chocolate chips. Drop rounded tablespoons onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. When cooled, drizzle with melted white chocolate.

Happy Holidays!

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Monday Ramblings
Melody
Strawberry Shortcake has been one of my favourite cartoon characters when I was a little girl, despite that Strawberry Shortcake and her friends had revamps over the years as each got a makeover with a complete new looks, clothes and style.

Anyway, when I knew that Strawberry Shortcake and her friend will be performing in one of our neighbourhood shopping malls as part of their holiday season celebrations, I was exhilarated and felt like an eight-year-old girl all over again. And what makes me happy is that my seven-year-old daughter likes this character too so the more I should go watch their performance, isn’t it?

I was lucky that I was able to get into the line so that we would have the chance to take a picture with these characters after their performance. The event was so much fun as it was filled with great music and loads of interactions between the performers and the children. Though it was only a 20-minute show, still I was glad to be there and that I had a wonderful time with my daughter as well as with the other children (their shouts of joy was simply contagious!).

Reading-wise, I had just finished reading Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn on my way to work this morning. What can I say? It was a delightful read and the premise is so, so clever! I hope to have the review up this week.

I can’t believe that it is already December and that Christmas is approaching. Have you done your Christmas shopping already? I have not; I am such a slacker but then again, there have been a lot of things on my plate lately (I suppose this is a valid excuse, no?).

Well, I hope you all have a great week!

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Wordless Wednesday
Melody
For today's Wordless Wednesday (I guess it's not wordless anymore), I will not post the Germany series but will instead take you to our busiest shopping district (Orchard Road) and have a look at their Christmas decorations.




And this is our Christmas Logcake. Yum!

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Miracle in Sumatra: The Story of Gutsy Gus by Jeanne McNaney (and a Merry Christmas to You!)
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780981453460
Publisher: Ovation Books
Published: October 2009
Illustrated by David Cochard
32 pgs
Ages 4-8
Source: Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists



Hello, everyone! Thank you for visiting and commenting on my blog! I hope you have a wonderful week! I am currently enjoying my leave off, spending time with my family and guess what, I managed to squeeze in some time for my reading! I finished reading Miracle in Sumatra yesterday and enjoyed it very much! My five-year-old daughter has been intrigued with this book ever since she saw me taking it out from the package I received two days ago and I told her I will share the story with her after I have read and review it (Many thanks to Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists for sending this book to me for review!).

So what is this book about? Basically it is a story about a young orangutan named Gutsy Gus and his courageous deed of saving his parents. One day, while he is out playing, his parents are captured by an animal trapper named Hunter. Hunter does not only capture orangutans, but he also capture chimpanzees, gorillas and even bonobos. However, he is not satisfied with his finds, and he wants to capture more. He decided to leave for Asia, Sumatra where there are enough orangutans for him to catch, but what he did not know is that the jungles of Asia had a protector (an angel) named Gabriella. She is the heavenly angel who watches over the forests of Sumatra.

Before Gus' parents are captured, little Gus is playing and he met a human girl named Maya. Maya's father is the boss of men who chopped down trees and sold them for wood to build houses and boats, and during an exploration trip she met Gus and is very fascinated by him. She offers a banana to him, and soon Gus follows her through the forest, happy to have her as a new friend. At this time, his parents are captured while looking for him and it is soon after that Gus and Maya heard the cries of his parents.

Gabriella knew about the trouble and offers an advice to Gus and Maya, for both of them have to work together to save Gus' parents.

Miracle in Sumatra: The Story of Gutsy Gus is both an entertaining and an educational read as it inspire young readers to be courageous and caring (there is a scene towards the end that touches me deeply) while in addition raises awareness about the environment and love and care for the endangered species (in this case the orangutans). Besides the enchanting story, I also loved the bright and colourful illustrations by David Cochard which further made this book lively and enjoyable. Miracle in Sumatra is definitely a keeper and I have a feeling that my daughter will love it too (she was born in the Year of Monkey and in her opinion, orangutans and monkeys are all the same).


Tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I would like to take this opportunity to wish everyone a Merry Christmas! May the warmth of this holiday season fill your home with books and happiness!

The True Spirit of Christmas
by Marajo Tenderass

Lots of people
Crowds everywhere
Rushing and pushing and shoving,
Going nowhere.
It's Christmas time again
Have to get all those things done
Hustle, bustle, quickly,
We must beat the sun.
Must get this and must get that
Maybe this nic, maybe that nak
When did it happen?
When did we lose track...
It's a race, yes it is
We are running, yes we are
But lets not forget
Before we get too far-
What is really really important
Doesn't take much to figure out
Take time to love
and love from the heart.

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Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson and Lauren Myracle
Melody
ISBN-13: 9780142414996
Publisher: Speak, Penguin Group
Published: 2009
352 pgs



I am in the mood of reading a holiday theme book, so when I saw this on the shelves I know I have to read it (plus Nymeth had read and loved it).

The first story is The Jubilee Express by Maureen Johnson; it is about a girl named Jubilee Dougal (she has issues over her name) and one day she find herself in a train journey to Florida for a stay with her grandparents because her parents are taken into custody over the Flobie Santa Village (a series of collectable ceramic pieces that can put together to form a town and her parents are a huge fan of them) incident. Jubilee is stumped because that means her plans to celebrate the holidays with her boyfriend, Noah, is spoiled. But the worse is to come when there are problems with the train and she is stuck at a Waffle House together with fourteen overly enthusiastic cheerleaders and there she befriended Jeb (who is also travelling on the same train as her), a man dressed in tinfoil and Stuart, a boy covered in plastic bags. I will not elaborate further, but just want to say this is a heartwarming tale that leave a cozy feeling in my heart. I liked how Jubilee and Stuart are connected, and I am sure their encounter will bring a smile to your face.

The second story is A Cheertastic Christmas by John Green. John is the only author I have read among all in this novella and after reading Looking for Alaska and enjoying it, I really look forward to reading the rest of his books. In this story, John focus the relationship of three friends (two boys and a girl) and how a trip to the Waffle House in a blizzard will change their outlook of life and a new love to blossom along the way. I had fun reading this story because some parts are hilarious, and I find it romantic reading about friends turning to lovers. Though I enjoyed reading this little story, I think it lacks a little of a cozy feeling but that is just me.

And last of all, The Patron Saint of Pigs by Lauren Myracle left a big smile to my face because it is about a reconciliation between a couple and a teacup piglet. Addie is feeling heartbroken over her breakup with Jeb, and she thinks there will be no future between her and Jeb until an incident (and a miracle) happens that involved a teacup piglet.

Let it Snow is a wonderful holiday theme anthology that really captures the spirit of the holiday season, but what I loved most is the novellas are interconnected (be it characters or settings) and each novella has great characterizations. I liked reading the different personalities of these protagonists and how they deal under difficult situations. This anthology is more than a romance stories to me as it also focus on friendships, connections and well, it is also about finding one's self. I am amazed by the three authors for connecting these stories so well that sometimes I forgot they are merely novellas. I enjoyed reading all three, but I have to say The Jubilee Express remains my favourite.

Other reviews:
Becky's Book Reviews
Fyrefly's Book Blog
Things Mean A Lot
(Let me know if I missed yours.)
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Our Christmas Logcake
Melody
My husband bought a blackforest Christmas logcake for Christmas last evening. Our eldest daughter was so thrilled and told us beforehand that she wanted to keep those lovely cake accessories after we have consumed the cake. Of course we have to agree; and don't you think they are adorable?

Here are some of the pictures we took:

The overall view

Santa busy at work!

Jingle Bell... Jingle Bell... Jingle All the Way...

The snowman has some fun with the white snow (cream, I mean... hehe)

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas! Happy holidays!

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Merry Christmas!
Melody

It is Christmas Eve here today! I am sure most of you are getting ready for Christmas, aren't you? I can already feel the festive moods in the air...

Merry Christmas, everyone!

* * *
The Christmas Gift of Knowing You

The Christmas season fills our hearts with joy;
Bright, happy days bring special kinds of pleasure.
We're wrapped in the excitement of it all,
The sights, the sounds, the smells, the tastes we treasure.

Yet when we have some quiet time to think
About our finest blessings all year through,
We focus on our family and our friends,
And appreciate the gift of knowing you!

~ Joanna Fuchs
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Two Awards to Pass Along...
Melody
First, I want to thank Alice for nominating me for the Kreativ Blogger Award.

As highlighted by Alice's post, this award deals with the values we deem important in others. Here are the six values that are important to me, six things I don’t support, and my nomination of six bloggers:

Six values that are important to me:
  1. Honesty
  2. Faithfulness
  3. Sense of humour
  4. Friendliness
  5. Discipline
  6. Love
Six things I don’t support:

  1. Rudeness
  2. Hypocrisy
  3. Hatred
  4. Over-critical
  5. Self-righteousness
  6. Unfaithfulness
My nomination for six bloggers are:

  1. Wendy from Musings of a Bookish Kitty
  2. Nymeth from Things Mean A Lot
  3. Iliana from Bookgirl's Nightstand
  4. Trish form Trish's Reading Nook
  5. Julia from Julia's Books Corner
  6. Trish from Hey Lady! Whatcha Readin'?

Also, thanks to Julia for presented me the Christmas Spirit award.

Here are the rules:

    • You must be a true Christmas lover to receive this award. The person to whom you give the award must also be in love with Christmas.
    • Link back to the person who gave you the award.
    • List 5 things that you love about Christmas. If you can't limit it to 5 things, then keep going til you run out of space!
    • Pass the award along to as many people as you like. That can be 2-50. It's up to you! But keep the Christmas cheer going!
    • Let your recipients know that you have tagged them by leaving them a comment. Also, link back to the person who gave you the award.
    Here are the five six things I love about Christmas:
    • It is about love, sharing and giving
    • Christmas trees and ornaments
    • Christmas shopping
    • The colourful lights and the Christmas decorations in malls
    • The festive moods
    • Christmas parties

      I would like to pass this award to the following friends:

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      Merry Christmas! (Part 2)
      Melody
      I just love this cake! Our daughter chose this when we flipped through a bakery catalogue last week, wondering what logcake to get when she stumbled upon this and made a decision for us. You see, she loves strawberries so it wasn't a surprise to us why she had chosen this cake, LOL.

      Well, I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!!! :-)
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      Christmas Meme
      Melody
      (Picture taken at Ngee Ann City)


      I was tagged by Sam for this Christmas meme.
      1. What is your most enduring Christmas memory? Hmm... I don't think there is any particular moment that stands out for me.

      2. Do you have a favourite piece of Christmas music? I don't have any favourite Christmas songs, and I like most of them anyway.

      3. Do you stick to the old family traditions? Well, we don't really have any old family traditions. To us, Christmas is all about holiday and gatherings.

      4. What makes your mouth water at Christmas time!? Wow, there are so many goodies during Christmas! It's hard to choose one actually, but I will go for the log cake if you ask me, because I have a sweet tooth. :D

      5. How soon do you put the Christmas tree up and when do you take it down? How I wish I can have the real tree! Mine is only about 20 inches high and it currently stands on our TV console. We just put it up during the weekend, not that it is a hard thing to do, hehe. It's a simple Christmas tree with a few shiny colourful balls as accessories. Although the size of the tree is small, but it definitely adds up a Christmasy feeling to the house.

      I would like to tag Julia, Alice, Darla, Wendy and Rhinoa for this meme.
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