Showing posts with label Ramblings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ramblings. Show all posts
Little Bones by N V Peacock | Misc. Ramblings
Melody
Avon | October 2020 | 400 pgs
Source: NetGalley 

Cherrie Forrester seems to be living a lovely life with her charming young son and a boyfriend who adores her. What others didn't know is that she's also the daughter of a notorious serial killer (famously known as Mr Bones) who had been sentenced to jail 25 years ago. Cherrie has reasons not to think about the past not only she's Mr Bones' daughter but also, she feels guilty in helping him in a way by luring the boys into his car. She was eight then. 

Cherrie thinks her past and secrets would be hidden safe forever, until the disappearance of a boy and a podcast link them to her father's crimes. Despite Mr Bones is convicted, many people are still intrigued by him and his young daughter, Leigh-Ann. Cherrie tries to remain low profile, but the podcast has doxed her as Little Bones, leaving her both enraged and helpless. To complicate matters, Cherrie's son goes missing during their trip to an amusement park. Cherrie fears someone may seek revenge over the past crimes as she searches frantically for her son while dodging from people's curiosity and allegations that she might be involved in her son's disappearance. 

Little Bones started out with a bang and I found the concept and the identity surrounding a serial killer's daughter's was quite enticing from the thrillers aspect but while it has an interesting premise, Cherrie came off as more annoying (in her behaviours) than intriguing for a character and it was a disappointment given that there's so much potential in this story. To be fair, there are a few gripping moments but there are also others that went on a bit too long and repetitive. The ending may not be a surprise to some readers and while this isn't a bad thing, I find it lacks some elements which constitute a great thriller. That said, it was considerably promising for a debut thriller and I'll be curious of the author's next book.


Today is Mid-Autumn Festival day whereby families will gather together, eat mooncakes and drink tea while the children will light up the lanterns as they enjoy their walk under the moonlight. In the past, we used to have paper lanterns but they burn easily if we aren't careful. These days, children are seen carrying battery-operated lanterns and they come in all forms of shapes and designs (of course cartoon characters remain a favourite among children). If you ask me, I'd still prefer paper lanterns. No reason, just because I'm kind of a tradition person, ha. Even for mooncakes, I still prefer to have a piece of traditionally baked mooncake with lotus seed paste among a variety of choices, which ranges from snow-skin mooncakes to different kinds of paste fillings (e.g. durian, which is quite popular among locals). The picture below shows my favourite mooncakes; and I wish I could eat them anytime instead of only once a year (pout). 


Reading-wise, my progress has been slow and I just finished reading The Drowned Girls by Loreth Anne White. It's the first book of a trilogy featuring Detective Angie Pallorino and gosh, this book is not for the faint-hearted given the subjects but the writing is great. Loreth really pay attention to all the details in her writing and her characters are well-developed and fleshed out. Review forthcoming. 

Recently this K-drama has received lots of raves and I can see why. Flower of Devil, starring Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won, is a story between a man with a secret past and identity and his detective wife. I loved the storyline, and most of all, I was captivated by Lee Joon-gi's acting as he had really brought the character to life through his lively performance - action and emotionally wise. I won't say too much about the storyline, just that I'd highly recommend watching this! 


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Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell | Misc. Musings
Melody

ISBN-13: 9781509820832
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Publication Date: February 2016
Format: Paperback, 96 pgs
Source: Purchased


This short story by Rainbow Rowell is part of a handful of selected short reads specially produced for World Book Day and the tale revolves around Star Wars fandom and how friendship/kindred spirits come about when one least expects it. 

Eighteen-year-old Elena is a Star Wars fan. To be exact, it was under her father's influence that she only saw the original trilogy. Anything other than that isn't exactly the "real" movies, at least this is what her father thinks. Well she doesn't mind it anymore if she did watch them now that their parents are separated. And with the new Star Wars movie releasing, she knew she wants to experience the excitement of camping outside the cinema and exchanging news and sharing thoughts with other fans till the opening night. Alas, the queue isn't what she has expected. She is aghast to find she is the last in line but truth be told there are only three people, including herself. 

The two guys in front of her, Troy and Gabe, may be out of her league but over the four days she was with them, she learned a few things about them, especially Gabe. 

Kindred Spirits may be a short story (62 pages) but the characters are quite well developed. I enjoyed the exchanges Elena had with Troy, who is such a huge Star Wars fan that his enthusiasm almost put her to shame. And then there is Gabe, a quiet guy who may not seemed to attract anyone's attention initially but he will grow on you the more you read about him. 

All in all, it was a sweet story about friendship (and potential relationship?) and not to mention Star Wars fandom (well, you don't need to be a fan to enjoy this book). Aside from the cute story, what I admire about Ms. Rowell is the way she could spin off stories out of our ordinary and sometimes mundane lives into something unforgettable and special. I just wished this story could be a bit longer.

 And oh, there is an extract of Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard at the end of this book which I think is a story about friendship between two sixteen-year-old girls and how a girl named Suzanne, who is so different from them, will turn their lives upside down. Since it was an extract I wasn't sure where this story will lead but I'm hoping that it would be a book which has some intrigue (or a mystery) in it. 
Finally, before I end this review, I thought I would voice out my confusion over the book cover. The yellow sticker stated "For Older Readers" but it didn't contain any content which seem shocking or inappropriate to me. 
Misc. Musings:
I have been slacking in my reading lately. No, it isn't the book(s) but life as well as a few distractions which have kept my reading attention elsewhere. Last week was test week and I was so glad it was over. A few things also include playing Candy Crush on my mobile as well as re-watching Descendants of the Sun for the third time. This time around, I am watching it with my husband and I have a hunch it is his curiosity over the popularity that is speaking louder than the drama itself, ha. 

 I am currently reading John Hart's Redemption Road and aside from the great storytelling, it is a book filled with suspense, emotions and questions which have me thinking about righteousness and justice. No, wait. There are many more issues which will set your mind thinking over what is right and what is wrong but yet they aren't really straightforward. This is my first John Hart book and I am enjoying reading it; his writing and his storytelling is excellent in my opinion and I am glad to have discovered an author whom I know I would be reading more in future. 

(My pic on Instagram. Come find me @melody_lee)

 Once again, I am finding joy in writing and receiving snail mails. They are such a rare things nowadays (at least to me, aside from the book mails) that a letter would make me squeal in delight. To-date, I had received three mails (including a postcard which is not featured here) from Jenclair, who is a bookish friend from A Garden Carried in the Pocket. We share similar taste when books are concerned. :-) 

What are you reading? Hope you have a great week! 
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The Masked Truth by Kelly Armstrong | Musings & Ramblings
Melody

ISBN-13: 9780349002231
Publisher: Atom 
Publication Date: October 2015
Format: Paperback, 352 pgs
Source: Purchased

It seems like I couldn't get enough of Kelley Armstrong’s books lately. After finishing her first three books of the Cainsville's series, I was very glad to find she has a new standalone - a YA novel about hostage situation and survival. I have read several books about hostages but they are more to mysteries and police procedural, rarely YA so I was quite intrigued by this book. 

The story opens with our protagonist, Riley Vasquez, being haunted by a brutal murder of the Porters' family she was babysitting for. At the time of the murder, she had her attention on the child in the room upstairs so the moment she heard gunshots, she hide under the bed with her. Though she was viewed a hero after the tragedy for saving the child, Riley couldn't help feeling guilty for hiding under the bed doing nothing while the murder took place within the house. Her mother and older sister thought it would do her some good if she is to spend a weekend away at a therapy camp, alongside with five other teens who have 'issues'. 

The camp is actually an isolated building which used to be a warehouse; it is then restored with metal steel doors for security and there are no windows. Handphones are not allowed and the exits are all sealed shut. The group's real nightmares begin when three masked men burst into the building and take them all hostage. Max Cross is one of the other victims; a guy who is suffering from Schizophrenia and his condition is controllable under medications. Riley thinks he is full of himself at first, but when dangerous circumstances force them to be together when the others are either hurt or dead, she realised that looks can be deceiving and most of all, they have to rely and trust in each other, issues and all, to get out alive. 

Once again, I found myself engrossed in Kelley Armstrong’s storytelling and the way she writes well-developed and layered characters who made me care for them. Aside from the intrigued plot, what also makes this book stand out is these characters struggle with their own mental issues and how the hostage situation has made them stronger despite their conditions and weaknesses, especially Max. Max isn't a character whom I feel warmed up with at first glance but he grew on me the more I flipped through the pages. I also liked the interactions between Riley and Max; their exchanges could range from humorous to sarcasm, and from honest to sincerity but ultimately it is worthwhile to 'watch' them battle their own demons and the real 'demons' as well. I wouldn't say this story is entertaining given the dark elements but it provides an insightful look at the challenges the mental illness patients are going through and how the society view them. 


December is usually a busy month for us all - not only because of the festive season but also it is school holidays; the time whereby many parents would take their time off to spend more time with their children. This December, my husband decided Taiwan would be the destination for our vacation so that was where we were last week. 

We went for a 8-days guided tour package and the journey covered the following provinces: Taichung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, Nantou, Hsihchu and Taipei. We had been to Taipei a few years ago but the other places are new to us. And since we covered these places for merely a few days, the schedules were all pretty tight so it goes without saying we changed hotels every night. 

I took a few dozens of pictures and while it is impossible to share them all here, I created some photo collages highlighting some of the places we had went to. 
Night markets everywhere. One wouldn't go hungry even late at night outside. 

Some of the places we went (clockwise to centre for all collages):
  • Beautiful painted walls (situated near the Beimen Crystal Church)
  • JingZhaiJiao Tile-Paved Salt Fields
  • Sun Moon Lake - this is the only structure which survived the earthquake which had ruined Sun Moon Lake back in 1999
  • Beimen Crystal Church
  • Wen Wu Temple, that is dedicated to Confucius, Guan Gong and Yue Fei 
  • Miaoli's Schokolake, where we made some DIY chocolates
  • A vampire-themed restaurant (which I'd failed to note down the name due to my enthusiasm in joining the group to call out a "password" before getting into the restaurant (which is a rule, so the reception staff said)
  • Taipei 101 World Building
  • Green Green Grasslands, famous for its picturesque natural setting and of course, sheep
  • Leofoo Village Theme Park
A few picturesque shots I took: 
  • Short cruise around Sun Moon Lake
  • Inside Green Green Grasslands
  • Inside Green Green Grasslands
  • Sun Moon Lake
  • Inside Miaoli's Schokolake
A few random shots I took:
  • Taiwan High Speed Train
  • A beach at Cijin Island
  • A beach at Cijin Island
  • Kaohsiung Rail Station
  • Blue sky filled with cotton-candied clouds (couldn't remember where)
The things we ate: 
  • One of our vegetarian meals
  • Seaweed wraps
  • Vegetarian burgers at Leofoo Village Theme Park
  • Cheesy baked rice at Miaoli's Schokolake
  • Honey Star honey & butter snacks from Korea. Korean snacks seem to be the "in" snacks in Asia
Some of the attractions at Leofoo Village Theme Park 

Some animals which we saw at Guanshi Leofoo Resort (we stayed for a night there; it was a great experience waking up with the animals, so to speak.)

We travelled via SilkAir to and fro for our trip. The top two pictures were taken by my 7-year-old daughter, who had the privilege of taking the window seat. 

So that is all on our vacation. Reading wise, I have to admit I only read a few pages during the flights and needless to say, no chance to read during the trip. Our Taiwanese tour guide was a man in his mid forties and he was one of the best tour guides I have met throughout our travelling journeys. Funny, knowledgeable and deeply patriotic towards his country, he shared with us lots of insightful things about life (and of course, the history and political stuff of Taiwan), his few working experiences as well as other informations which had either keep us intrigued or entertained. All in all, it was an enjoyable trip. My two daughters said they would like to visit, again. 
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This and That
Melody
Hello, everyone! Do you miss me? I sure miss you guys, considering that my blog has been so quiet lately and I apologise for that. In case you are wondering, I am still up and reading. For my friends who follow me on Facebook, you must have known that I have been spending too much of my reading time on playing Gardens of Time and Puzzled Hearts and let me tell you that these games are addictive, especially the former! But... do I ever regret of playing it in the first place? Absolutely not. Aside from taking up part of my time, I have to say not only I have fun playing them but I have also made a few friends along the way. To make things better, I just discovered that one of them (Hello, Melinda!) is a reader too and the other day she asked about a book, The Help by Kathryn Stockett and we ended up having a little chat via the comments.

Despite the fact that I have been spending some time on Facebook games, that does not mean that I will be giving up on reading entirely. Absolutely not! For starters, I love reading too much to give it up completely. My reading progress may be slow lately, but let me assure you that I am reading and my reviews will be up once I have finished reading the books, as always!

Anyways, I am currently reading Forever by Maggie Stiefvater and for those of you who follow this series, you would know that this is the final instalment of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and I can't wait to find out what happened with Sam and Grace, as well as Cole and Isabel, both whom I think have enough chemistry to sizzle the pages also! After this, I have no idea what to read next as I have too many choices in mind - should I read the review copies sent by the wonderful publicists, or should I indulge in those books which have been on my reading list like, forever? Also, I have heard so many good things about The Soldier's Wife by Margaret Leroy, and Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series starting with The Redbreast. What do you think? Any ideas? And to all Jo Nesbo's fans out there, do you know that there will be a film titled Headhunters based on his novel? (Watch the trailer.)

Onto a non-reading issue, I tried preparing a vegan chicken teriyaki steak yesterday afternoon and I am sad to say my attempt was a half success. The preparation took up some time though, since I need to boil the soybeans thoroughly to make them soft so that I could mash them. Frying them wasn't a problem, but I have to say it is surely a challenge to me to get the sauce right. In the end, I find the sauce to be a bit sweet to our taste, but overall it was a great experience and I have my husband to thank for for helping me with the soybeans mashing and listening to all my rants. We both agreed that if we want to make this dish the next time again, we'd better get a mincer quickly, LOL. (If you are interested in preparing this dish, you may wish to check it out on this link.)

Before I end this post, I am glad to note that BBAW (Book Blogger Appreciation Week) is here again! You can be sure that I will be participating and that I have a few bookbloggers I have in mind for the nominations!

Well I hope you all have a great week!
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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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Mailbox Monday
Melody

Mailbox Monday is hosted by Marcia from The Printed Page where readers get to share the books that came into their house last week.

I bought and received the following book from The Book Depository after reading so much rave reviews about it:

1) How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway (I love reading about other cultures and don't you think the cover is lovely?)

What books came into your house last week?


I mentioned this on Facebook last Friday but I want to share this good news here again: My daughter has gotten a place at the primary school after the balloting!

I know this may sound silly but believe me I have never felt so nervous (and excited) just waiting and praying our number to be called! (I don't recall being that tense waiting at a dentist office but that's another matter...) And the best thing is, a few of my daughter's friends (they are all in the same kindergarten class) got into the same school too so at least she has got company! Well, I want to thank all my friends who have sent your well wishes to me! I really appreciate them all!

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Friday Musings
Melody
So I mentioned on Facebook yesterday that my mailbox was jammed, and this was due to a few book packages had arrived at the same time but mainly it was a cardboard box that caused the jam. Anyway, I was glad the problem was fixed after a telephone call to the post office.

Here are the books that arrived into my house:

A Long Fatal Love Chase by Louisa May Alcott
Freak Magnet by Andrew Auseon

And here are the books I bought for my daughter:

Strawberry Shortcake: A Picnic Adventure by Lisa Gallo, Laura Thomas (Illustrator)
Ballet School by Sierra Harimann, Lisa Workman (Illustrator)

Reading wise, I'm currently reading Linger by Maggie Stiefvater and I'm enjoying every moment of it. I knew many of you have read this second instalment of the Wolves of Mercy Falls series and loving it, so I can't wait to find out what would happen between Sam and Grace. Besides this, I'm also reading Toy Story 1 - 3 Disney graphic novels and since each novel has about 50 pages I think I'll be able to finish reading them very soon. What I love about these graphic novels is not only the illustrations are in colour but they have also made me want to watch those animations all over again.

Onto a non-bookish note, next Monday we are going to register our eldest daughter for the admission to Primary One school for Year 2011. How time flies, eh? Six years ago today, she was only a 4-month-old baby. Where has the time go? Now can you understand why I started to post my Nostalgic Moments on this blog, so that when I get old and weak I've something to look back and remember. Ah.

So my daughter was telling me that she'd like to have her best friend attend the same school as her. Since I knew her friend's mother, we have planned to go to the school together for the registration. I just hope luck would be on us so we'd have no problem with the registration, after all if the number exceeded the limit there'd be a ballot. Let's all keep our fingers crossed!

I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead. I shall be catching up on blogs reading/commenting once I'm back next Tuesday.

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Monday Ramblings & Library Loot
Melody
I hope everyone had a great weekend and a wonderful Father's Day yesterday! We enjoyed ours and look what I found at the bookstore after we had our scrumptious lunch - Faithful Place by Tana French! This is one of my most eagerly anticipated books of the year and I was thrilled that they are already released here! (Well, if you have read In the Woods and The Likeness, you'd be able to understand my excitement.)



Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Eva and Marg that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries!

Here's what I borrowed last Friday:

1) Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

2) The Stand by Stephen King (Initially I couldn't make up my mind whether or not to pick this up considering this is a chunkster and I'll probably couldn't finish reading it on time since I have another two more library books to read, but still I got it anyway as I've seen many SK fans highly recommend this. Plus, I've heard there are inevitable comparisons with Justin Cronin's The Passage so definitely my curiosity is piqued!)

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Monday Ramblings
Melody
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend! I had had a long weekend since last Friday was a public holiday for us here - Vesak Day. Initially my husband and I had talked about going for a short vacation during this period, but we changed our mind at the last minute. And since the opening of Universal Studios Singapore in March this year, we had talked about visiting the theme park and what made this visit so exciting is that it is the second Universal Studios Theme Park to open in Asia (the first in Japan) so all of us were looking forward to it.

So last Wednesday, we went to the theme park but unfortunately its main attraction - Battlestar Galactica (the world's tallest dueling roller coaster) was not available so we could only marvel at the structure from afar and took some pictures. Anyway, my post for this trip would be forthcoming so stay tuned for that!

Reading wise, I finished reading Hate List by Jennifer Brown last Friday. I totally enjoyed the reading experience, though I have to say it wasn't a happy story but still a powerful and thought-provoking read. My review will be up soon.

There's no Mailbox Monday post today since I did not receive any books last week, but I did buy two books over the weekend: Half World by Hiromi Goto (illustrated by Jillian Tamaki) and Keep Sweet by Michele Dominguez Greene. Actually I have plans to read another book after finishing Hate List but I just could not help picking up Half World for my next read because the premise sounds so intriguing! It is a coming-of-age story with a fantasy theme and I knew I just have to read it, now! Anyway, I am already mesmerised by the plot and I cannot wait to share my thoughts with you once I am done with it.

So that's my account of what's been happening in my life for the past few days. What about you? Did you go anywhere? What books are you reading now?
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Miscellaneous Ramblings and Mailbox Monday
Melody
I hope everyone had a great weekend! I had a wonderful one - my husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary on Saturday and guess what he did? He bought us a lovely cake and some roses for me. I didn't know who blushed more; me when receiving those roses or our eldest daughter (she's six) looking on with a huge grin plastered on her face.

Later in the evening, we went to a Japanese restaurant for dinner. It was my treat this time around, and I have to confess I am now addicted to soba (it is a thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour and is served with chilled dipping sauce) and yasai tempura (deep fried vegetables, e.g. eggplant, okra, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, etc served with tempura sauce), and not to mention some delicious mixed vegetables sushi! Yum!

We spent our Sunday yesterday catching up on watching the last two DVDs of Autumn's Concerto (下一站,幸福); it was a moving story about love, friendship and family and I was sorry to see it end. I felt like writing a post on this Taiwanese drama but I am afraid it would be nothing but a gushing post (and my admiration for the lead actor, Van Ness Wu is another matter). ;-P

Anyway, onto a book-related topic. Here's what I received last week:

1) Something Like Fate by Susane Colasanti *

2) The Karma Club by Jessica Brody *

3) Spells by Aprilynne Pike *

4) Mariana by Monica Dickens (bought from Persephone Books)

5) Never Let You Go by Erin Healy (review copy)

* Books bought from The Book Depository.

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

What books came into your house last week?

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Books Talk and Some Awards
Melody
I am back from my short blogging break. I know, it is nothing much of a big deal but I sure missed you all! So what did I do during the break? I spent loads of time with my daughters, especially my 1-year-old since my eldest one goes to the childcare during the daytime. And I had also spent some time reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins when my little one was napping and I want to tell you I couldn't stop reading that book because it is so intense!

I am also happy to receive some books I ordered from The Book Depository a while back. Here are what I got: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith (thanks to Nymeth's review), The Turn of the Screw by Henry James and I'm Looking Through You: Growing Up Haunted: A Memoir by Jennifer Finney Boylan (thanks to Eva's review). I visited the bookstore during lunchtime earlier and I was so thrilled to find Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger on shelves so of course I had to grab it! So, did you buy any books lately?

Finally, I received some bloggy love and I want to share them with you. Thanks to Keri for passing on the following awards to me:

My Top Blog Commenters Award

Super Comments Award

For these awards, I am passing them on to:

Also, thanks to Ceri for passing on the following award to me:

Proximidade AwardBeing a recipient of this award affirms that this blog invests and believes in the Proximity – nearness in space, time and relationships. This blog receives this great award as a further way to reiterate that it is exceedingly charming, and aims to find and be friends. They are not interested in prizes or self-aggrandizement! Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers!

I am passing this award to:

I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead! Happy reading!

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Misc. Ramblings and Latest Books Acquisitions
Melody
I just checked my annual leave for this year via the company's intranet and am both surprised and overjoyed to find that I have more than 15 days of annual leave to clear before I will go for my maternity leave around mid October. Since my maternity leave will extend over to next year, that means I will need to clear them before they are forfeited end of this year.

Since going for a trip is impossible at my current stage, I could do nothing but to take these days off to do some shopping and/or resting at home. So yesterday, I decided to take an afternoon off to do some shopping. I did not buy anything but books, although I did have the intention of shopping for some clothings and shoes but none of these had caught my fancy.

Book shopping during the weekdays is a bliss to me, because of the lesser crowd and you do not have to wait longer at the queue. Here are some of the books I bought yesterday; while a few others were bought online recently:
  • Tribute by Nora Roberts (I couldn't pass this up as they are having a promotion!)
  • Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen (I have heard a lot of raves about this book so I want to get this as well)
  • Emma by Jane Austen
  • Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
  • Mansfield Park by Jane Austen (I have always wanted to read other novels by this author after reading Pride and Prejudice, so I figure I may as well get these since I have Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility in my book pile)
  • Nefertiti by Michelle Moran (Another ravings on this book)
  • Body Language by Suzanne Brockmann
  • Helpless by Barbara Gowdy
  • 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson
  • The Society of S by Susan Hubbard
  • The Likeness by Tana French (Her debut novel In The Woods is the Winner of the 2007 Edgar Award for Best First Novel. As I have this book in my TBR list, I want to add this new release to my pile too!)

And these are some of the books I mooched lately:

Since my bookshelves are already filled to the brim, I have to put these newly-added piles in our storeroom along with the rest of my TBR piles. I am hoping to buy a new shelf in the near future (though I am wondering where I shall put it if I do!), otherwise I could clear some shelves in the storeroom and give away some books. We shall see.

Meanwhile, happy reading to all! :-)

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Books, Again!!
Melody
Well, I have nothing much to post today, but I thought I will share with everyone the books I bought over the weekend. Initially I did not have the intention of buying any books, and since last Friday was a public holiday (Good Friday) and it also happens to be my daughter's birthday so we brought her out for a simple celebration (Although we had also celebrated her birthday with her classmates at the childcare centre the previous day). We had Japanese Ramen noodles and treated her an ice cream cup, and thereafter we walked and shopped around the malls and of course there will be a bookstore tucked around at one corner of a mall so naturally I had to go in and take a look. And it would be a real disappointment if I came out empty-handed, anyway I found what I want and have them added to my TBR pile.

Edited to Add (1.54 PM):

  • Chosen by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast (House of Night Series #3)
    (I received this book just a moment ago! Yay!)

Has anyone read anything by C.S. Friedman? I have never read anything by this author but I am so intrigued after reading the blurb of Feast of Souls so I have to have it.

I am currently reading Blind Submission by Debra Ginsberg and though I'm only in Chapter Two (didn't read much over the weekend), I already like what I'm reading and can't wait to read the rest of the story. I am sure all booklovers will enjoy reading this book because it has a little suspense in it and what's more, readers will also get to learn a little about the publishing industry and last but not least, it is a book about books! I couldn't have asked for more. Let's hope I can find more time in reading this book so I can get to the review soon!

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Miscellaneous Ramblings
Melody

Last Friday, I had a shock when our washer decided to boycott us. As usual, I loaded my daughter's clothes into the washer but after ten or fifteen minutes later, I heard a loud sound coming from the kitchen. Initially I didn't let the noise bothers me too much because we are so used to its loud vibrating sound during the spinning cycle. Then after a while, I heard another sound coming from the kitchen again and this time it was getting louder. Feeling curious and puzzled, I walked into the kitchen and was shocked to find the washer had toppled over. I couldn't believe my eyes! Just when I thought things didn't get any more worse, the electricity power tripped due to the incident. I felt so hopeless, and didn't know what to do since my husband wasn't back from work yet. So I called his mobile, and asked him to come back as quickly as possible.

Fortunately, it wasn't a long wait for me as he was on his way home. I began babbling non-stop to him about the situation once he was back. I must have sounded like a hysterical wife to you, but you couldn't blame me under that circumstances when I had no one to turn to and that it was getting dark with no electricity power. Anyway, my darling husband got the electricity part fixed, but as for the washer we have to call the service staff to have a look at it. Anyway, the reason behind this inconvenience? The suspension is old, and that the electricity tripped because of the wires when it toppled over. So the friendly and chatty service staff helped to have the wires changed and tested the washer before he left our house. It seems like we don't have to buy a new washer until it decides to boycott us permanently, haha.

Anyway, I am glad to have my washer back even though it is not near to perfect. I shudder whenever I thought of handwashing those piles of dirty clothes. I know this doesn't sound like a big deal to some people, but just imagine I have to do this after a long day of work and by the time I am done with the washing and drying of clothes, the time is getting late. And there I thought I need more time to play with my daughter, watch some TV and catch up on my reading.

Oh, mentioning of reading, here is a list of books I bought recently:
Well, nothing cheers me up more than the mentioning of books! I hope everyone has a great weekend, and happy reading!
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I) Misc. Ramblings, II) Books I Bought Recently
Melody
The time is 11p.m. while I'm typing this. I can't sleep. It's Saturday, so there's no reason for me to go to bed early. And there's nothing interesting to watch on TV. So what did I do? I ended up doing my NaNo, but it's no fun when you are running out of ideas and there are times that I just want to kill off the hero, haha... but of course my story will not go on if I do that, so I let him live. Nah... I'm just kidding. I'm in my rambling state because I'm behind my target so please excuse me. Blah Blah Blah...

Another thing is, the power supply of our desktop computer has blown this morning when the hubs was about to download some pictures (fortunately the circuit breaker tripped in time to cut off the supply), so that means we can't use the desktop but at least we have a laptop around. (Ah... at least my NaNo will be saved, so I better quit rambling.)

Anyway, back to my favourite topic: Books! Here are the books which I have bought recently:

The Six Sacred Stones by Matthew Reilly

Ice Storm by Anne Stuart

Sacred Cows by Karen E. Olson

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

A Student Of Living Things by Susan Richards Shreve

Heart Stopper by Joy Fielding

Hunting And Gathering by Anna Gavalda


Note: I have been waiting for Matthew Reilly and Anne Stuart's books like for ages, so I was thrilled to find their new releases. And also, because of Wendy's great reviews, I have decided to pick up Sacred Cows and The Almost Moon. Thanks, Wendy! Now I can't wait to read all of these books!

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Melody
WoRDs oN WedNEsDAy

Word for 7 November: internecine

Definition:
  • Of, or relating to, conflict within a nation, an organization, or a group.
  • Mutually destructive; involving, or accompanied by, mutual slaughter.
  • Deadly; destructive; marked by slaughter.

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Miscellaneous Ramblings

Work has been busy lately. I'm also trying to catch up with my reading as well as writing for my NaNoWriMo novel. 24 hours a day is definitely not enough for me, ha!
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Miscellaneous Ramblings (Part 2)
Melody
So I went on leave yesterday, thought I needed a little break from work and also take it as an opportunity to reward myself after all my hard work for the company's dinner and dance... (Blah, that's just a lame excuse, oh well...)

Anyway, the hubs and I went to watch Ratatouille. (I understood this was first released in end June in the States so I don't understand why it takes such a long time to be released over here, hmph!) I have been waiting for this like for ages ever since I read the children's book. If the book is good, then I think the movie is even better! We enjoyed the movie very much! I think the story is inspiring in a way, and I like Remy the Rat's 'never-give-up' attitude as his dream is to become a chef even though he is despised for being a rat, which is a big no-no in the food industry. I will definitely buy the DVD when it is released, and I'm sure my daughter will like it.

Now come to books... my so called shopping trip won't be complete without making a stopover at the bookstores, so it wasn't a surprise (to the hubs anyway) that I raided Kinokuniya and Borders and bought the following:

Hell On Heels
An anthology by Julie Kenner, Kathleen O'Reilly & Dee Davis

My Immortal by Erin McCarthy

Into The Storm by Suzanne Brockmann

Little Face by Sophie Hannah

I also stopped over at HMV for some music albums. I bought Danson Tang's Love Me album, as well as High School Musical Soundtrack (2-Disc Special Edition). I didn't catch the latter's movie until the TV station aired it some time ago, and I love their songs so I'm thinking I will add this onto my shelf as well.


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