A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers by Xiaolu Guo
Melody

ISBN-13: 9780307278401
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication Date: June 2008 (Reprint)
Format: Paperback, 304 pgs
Source: Purchased

24 year-old Zhuang Xiao Qiao, or "Z" to foreigners, left her home in China to stay in London to study English. With only a cheap suitcase and her "little red book" - a concise Chinese-English dictionary, she is set to learn English language and return home proudly with a new dream and a new hope instead of following her parents' path - making shoes in their little town, Wen Zhou. 

As much as her willingness to learn English, she finds herself trapped by the cultural differences and the grammatical challenge that so often confuse her. On top of that, she feels lonely and hope for someone whom she can talk and share things with. She found that person in an Englishman she met in a cinema (a nameless character whom I thought would be better off with a name) and fell in love. But like her struggles living in London, their love is equally full of challenges as aside from their cultural  differences, their thoughts and their passion for food (she loves meat while he's a vegetarian) are so different from each other, too. Her lover is more of a drifter and let nature decides his future while Z feels being together and plans are what make a couple closer. It is only the intimacy part that keeps them together. However, as the days go by they realise love is not enough to keep their relationship going. Their thinking and goals are different: He wants freedom, and she wants a future of them together. Readers, you should know where this ending will lead... 

Written in Z's POV like a diary (with a dictionary-like format with words that portray her emotions/thoughts before a page starts), this book chronicles her journey into the West, her struggles in learning English language, her relationship with a foreigner and discovering her sexuality. 

Z is a simple-minded woman who, like a toddler, explores everything with curiosity and always have full of questions. Her thoughts are sometimes naive but that shows how she is coming from a peasant family. Her lover, on the other hand, who once travels and enjoys company is now moving towards a life with peace and nature. He feels suffocated by Z's love and thinks a future is a future; there is no plan for it for who knows what would happen next. Z thinks a couple should work together for that future to come. Honestly I didn't know who was the one who'd failed this relationship but I did know they have came out of it a different person, especially Z; what she'd experienced has made her into a more mature woman. 

I enjoyed reading this book but not as much as reading I Am China. Perhaps I have high expectations; but I think the characters here are not as strong and unforgettable as Mu and Jian in I Am China. That said, I will still check out other Xiaolu Guo's books but the question is, which title?  

Note: This book was shortlisted for Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction 2007. 

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Omens by Kelley Armstrong (Cainsville #1)
Melody

ISBN-13: 9780751547184
Publisher: Sphere
Publication Date: July 2014
Format: Paperback, 496 pgs
Source: Purchased 


Kelley Armstrong has a new series out and in this first book of the series mystery is the main focus of the story. Although her urban fantasy signature is present (Wicca, gargoyles, a few sinister-looking ravens and crows and some folklore here), it doesn't really play a major plot to the story (perhaps at a later stage) though it does add more intrigue to the overall atmospheric setting set in a mystic town in Cainsville, Illinois. 

In Omens, our heroine Olivia Taylor-Jones is a young woman who has everything in her life but all is shattered after learning that she was adopted and her biological parents are notorious serial killers. Though her fiancé, James Morgan, is still willing to marry her at some point; Olivia feels it is better that she finds out the truth of her parents and what had happened at her own pace. Thus, their relationship drifted away while Olivia flees to Cainsville to escape from the media frenzy as well as to find some answers of her past. 

As much as Cainsville and its residents offer Olivia some space to breathe, there are secrets and not to mention some strange occurrences (or signs) lurking around the small town. And this is also where Olivia starts having some premonitions and finds herself reading omens; a special "ability" she found she couldn't explain after moving to Cainsville. And then there is Gabriel Walsh, a lawyer who once represented her biological parents and a man Olivia finds mysterious yet charismatic in his own way. He offers to help Olivia investigate her parents' cases again and though Olivia needs his help, she isn't really sure of what she thinks of him. 

I really enjoyed reading Omens, despite the measured pace in the beginning and that the focus is more on Olivia's search for answers to the murders than anything else. Since this is the first book I think we can expect more developments as the story progresses. The characterisations are intriguing; I liked it that Olivia has backbone and doesn't shun from obstacles. As for Gabriel, like Olivia I still have some doubts about him but I have a feeling my opinions of him might change as the story goes. All in all, it was a good read and I look forward to reading Visions, the next book of this series. 

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Drama Review: Hyde, Jekyll, Me (海德、哲基尔与我)
Melody

Jekyll and Hyde. They may be fictional characters but what they (or he) have suffered - a rare mental condition called Dissociative Identity Disorder, is one of the most controversial psychiatric disorders, for there is no clear consensus on diagnostic criteria or treatment. With no knowledge of this medical condition nor having read the classic sci-fi written by Robert Louis Stevenson (Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde), I watched this drama with a fresh perspective, knowing that with the romantic comedy element it'd be a totally different spin of tale and not to mention entertaining.  

Goo Seo-jin (starring Hyun Bin), our tortured hero in this drama, seems to have everything - looks, intelligence and wealth. He is also in line to become the next CEO of Wonder Group, the conglomerate his family owns which consisting of a theme park, Wonder Land, and Wonder Hotel which oversees by his cousin. As much as Seo-jin is capable, he is also considered as cold and ruthless in everyone's eyes. His alter ego, Robin, on the other hand is kind, gentle and compassionate. This split personality began 15 years ago and Seo-jin has consulted Dr Kang (starring Shin Eun-jung) for a while. She believes Seo-jin's condition is triggered by an incident when he was a boy. On that fateful night, he and his childhood friend, Yoon Tae-Joo (starring Sung Joon), were kidnapped and their attempt to escape had led to a tragedy. It is believed that Seo-jin had abandoned Tae-Joo out of desperation to save himself and no one knew what happened to Tae-Joo thereafter. Dr Kang believes Robin is a manifestation of Seo-jin's guilt and has thought of a treatment to "cure" him until she was attacked and was held captive by her abductor. No one knew why and both Seo-jin and the police are desperate to find her. 

Jang Ha-na (starring Han Ji-min) returns to Korea to join the circus show at Wonder Land. She has dreams to revamp the circus back to its former glory, but she has problems with Seo-jin since he thinks the circus show is no longer the theme park's attraction and they are merely a waste of money and manpower. Despite his dislike for Ha-na, he has saved her from dangerous situations a few times and judging by the circumstances we all know it is Robin who has made his appearance but Ha-na didn't know that and thinks he has a twin brother who's keeping on a low profile. She fell for him gradually, because he reminds her so much of a boy who'd saved her when she was a teenager. 

As the story slowly unfolds, the mystery of Dr Kang's abduction unveils and Ha-na would soon realise the man she loves is none other than Seo-jin; whom Robin shares the body and mind with. 

I've to say the premise was a great one. The beginning part was filled with mystery as we wanted to know the identity of the abductor and the reason behind the abduction. Once the truth is unveiled, we began to see the different side of Seo-jin and Robin; and how Seo-jin slowly changes from a cold, ruthless man to someone who really feels and cares for others. But of course the big question is: What happens to the love between Ha-na and Robin? Despite Seo-jin has became a better person, he is still not the same man she'd loved initially. Plus, Robin wants to live and be a real person, not hidden behind Seo-jin's mind and appear only at a certain timing and when circumstances are called for. 

But of course, being a drama as it is, we'd see some events which would change Ha-na's views and be moved by them, including myself. So, did I like this drama? Absolutely. And what was the most satisfying part of watching it? Surprisingly it wasn't the suspense (well, it was intriguing but that wasn't the most important part, at least not to me) but seeing the transformation of Seo-jin and how it ended, given the complicated situation. I'd had various scenarios flashed across my mind regarding Ha-na's love interest but I thought the ending was the most satisfying one.  

(Jekyll, Hyde, Me Teasers with English subtitles)



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A Dark and Twisted Tide by Sharon Bolton
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780593069189
Publisher: Bantam Press 
Publication Date: May 2014
Format: Hardcover, 444 pgs
Source: Purchased

This is the 4th book of the Lacey Flint's series. In this installment, Lacey quit the force from a detective to join the marine police unit. Aside to recover from the trauma the previous cases had led her, she feels she wants a safer, quieter life too - to allow her to think things and her relationship with DI Mark Joesbury, who has gone missing in action for an undercover assignment. 

But of course, life has its own way of turning things and before Lacey could find any peace living alone on her boathouse, she found a dead body floating on River Thames near her home; her body wrapped in burial cloths. Needless to say, this discovery shook Lacey to the core, especially knowing that the corpse was deliberately left for her to find after further investigation. As much as she didn't want to return to her profession she knew she couldn't (and shouldn't) let this case goes unresolved and let the woman died without giving her a justice. However, there are loads of questions surrounding the investigations; as no one knows why the corpse was wrapped in that way and further searches have shown it has got nothing to do with religions or honour killings. 

And as if the case isn't complicated enough, there are speculations about Mark Josebury's involvement in a cop shooting incident and whether if he's gone over the dark side after his most recent undercover assignment. After all, there's a very fine line between the good and the bad and some coppers could be bent given some circumstances and the law and rules they've known so well. Lacey, on the other hand, knew there must be some explanations behind and she intends to find that out, too. That said, like Lacey, I still believe in Mark; and I know whatever he has done or need to be done it's always for good reasons. 

As the story slowly unfolds, we will soon learn more about people-smuggling, as well as people-trafficking are some of the issues the world is still facing today and why they could be so hard to wipe off completely, especially if they are immigrants who are trying so very hard to escape from the hardships they are suffering and would pay any price to make their escape possible. And of course behind these sad situations there are some twisted people who'd do anything for whatever reasons they believe in. 

A Dark and Twisted Tide is not something I'd expected from a conventional thriller, but the intensity and suspense are all there. There are also some dark elements thrown in in a sense that makes you wonder about the assignments the undercover officials have to go through and to what extent they've to do to make their aliases believable. And lastly, not to mention the immigrants victims who are murdered not knowing the real reasons why they are lured and then disposed of cruelly. It was a compelling read, but there's also sadness behind the intensity. And after reading this installment I found myself liking and respecting Lacey and DI Dana Tulloch more than ever. 

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The Devil You Know by Elisabeth de Mariaffi
Melody


ISBN-13: 9781783297627
Publisher: Titan Books 
Publication Date: 6 February 2015
Format: Paperback, 400 pgs
Source: Purchased 

The Canadian setting of this thriller took place between the 80s and 90s. Told from a first person POV, this is a story about Evie Jones' obsession of finding the truth surrounding the murder of her childhood friend, 11-year-old Lianne Gagnon; who had disappeared after she was last seen hopping into a man's car and was found murdered twelve days after her disappearance. 

Ten years later, Evie still thinks of her friend's murder. And that curiosity heightens after she became crime reporter with the Toronto Free Press. The cop believes they have a name of the murderer - Robert Cameron, but he is never caught. There are speculations that he might be dead, but Evie believes he is hiding under different aliases. Then, there are some days Evie felt she is being stalked and someone is standing outside her balcony, as if watching her. Her childhood friend, David Patton, thinks she is in a constant state of paranoia and that the case she's investigating is getting to her. 

As Evie tries to piece the puzzle surrounding her friend's murder, she stumbles upon some information which would make her question about the people around her and most importantly, why Lianne Gagnon? 

The Devil You Know is neither written in a conventional thriller form nor a police procedural; for starters there are no quotation marks used for the dialogues here. While some readers may find this style creates a more intimacy to the storytelling, I found myself not getting used to it although it didn't really affect my reading. As much as this is a thriller, I'd say this is more of a case of characters studies as it shows us how some people reacted when they are being driven into a corner, or how much a person would do everything under certain circumstances. 

Although the intensity isn't as great and the pace is somewhat slow at the beginning, I continued to follow Evie's story because like her, I wanted to know who is Lianne’s murderer. Unfortunately, I felt the conclusion was a letdown although some questions are answered. As mentioned before, this is unlike other thrillers or police procedural so perhaps it is a book that allows us to think about the characters and their actions/motives. 

This is the author's first novel (she has one previous collection of short stories, How to Get Along with Women, which was nominated for the prestigious Giller Prize) and I'd be interested to read her next release. I hope it'd be something different from this. 

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The Visitors by Sally Beauman
Melody

ISBN-13: 9780062302700
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 7 July 2015
Format: Paperback, 544 pgs
Source: Publisher



Egypt. Valley of the Kings. Tutankhamun's tomb. Do these fascinate you? If they are, then you are in for a good literate ride filled with history, adventures and not to mention a haunting tale of two young girls' journey to Egypt in the '20s and how a series of events have changed and shaped their lives.

Lucy Payne was eleven when she was sent abroad to Egypt to recover from the typhoid that killed her mother. With her father immersed in his academic work at Cambridge college, young Lucy had only Miss Mackenzie, her guardian, for their travels in Egypt. Miss Mack, whom Lucy fondly called, was not only "in loco parentis" (Latin for "in the place of a parent") but was also a great companion and a guide to Lucy.

There, she befriends Frances Winlock, the daughter of an American archaeologist and through her, Lucy learns and witnesses firsthand the intrigue of Egypt, its history and culture. She's heard enough stories about treasure hoards and the excavations in Cairo and Luxor; and that Egyptian antiquities dealers would drive up prices through inventing stories about the things they sell. There is one English archaeologist, Mr Howard Carter, who's in charge of an excavation in the Valley of the Kings and seems to have a wide knowledge when Egyptian history is concerned, Lucy finds him aloof, arrogant and mysterious as well. I found him interesting, but he wasn't really an amiable person in my opinion.

As the story progresses, we see through Lucy's eyes through her youth and her older age how Egypt was during the 20s and the intrigue and mysterious legends surrounding Egyptian history and culture. There, she'd also witnessed how the hunt and the discovery would make some people go to extra lengths to fulfill their desires. 

 I was also fascinated (and horrified) to learn about the process of mummification through bits of information mentioned in the book. It goes without saying that the author had done a thorough research writing this book and did a wonderful job in it. I felt I was travelling with Lucy and the others through their journeys; and I liked Miss Mack for her sincere and bubbly personality. 

I've to admit it took me a while to find myself immersed into the story; granted it is about 540+ pages long (and an informative list of historical figures, places and provenance at the end of the book) and a cast of interesting characters who you'll either like or dislike. Some readers might also find the pace a bit slow as the pace is measured as the author seemed to take her time in building the story. However, Ms. Beauman has brought both the historical figures and the fictional characters to life through her storytelling and the Egyptology part is most intriguing. A must-read for fans of historical fiction and Egyptology.  
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Drama: You Are All Surrounded (你们被包围了)
Melody


You Are First Surrounded was released in May 2014 and I wanted to kick myself for not watching it earlier. Bad villains, police procedural and a sweet romance... yes, these about sum up the drama and now that I'd finished watching I found myself having a hangover. 

Young Kim Ji-yong (starring Lee Seung-Gi) witnessed her mother being murdered at their own house when she attempted to testify as a witness to a crime. Although there wasn't any clue of the murderer, he did leave behind an important evidence - a unique designer necklace. Named as the Masan School Nurse Murder, this case was closed after there wasn't any lead following that incident. 

Eleven years have passed and Ji-yong  became a detective in Gangnam Police Station under the Violent Crimes Unit. To protect his identity, he has since changed his name to Eun Dae-Koo and is placed under the guardianship of the Police Chief after his mother passed. She raises him like her own son, although she is single. No one knew about their relationship. 

The team he is in consists of six staff. Four rookies, including himself, are placed under Seo Pan-Seok (starring Cha Seung-Won), the Team Leader of Team 3. Seo is a legend at the precinct as he is known for solving the toughest cases except the Masan case eleven years ago which still haunts him. 

These four rookies have no intention of becoming detectives in the first place, but of course Eun Dae-Koo's goal is to investigate the murder case of his mother. And his primary suspect is Chief Investigator Seo, ever since he'd heard his name being mentioned after the murderer took a call after finishing his "mission". 

What follows next is a series of investigations and some twisty turns but halfway through the drama, the mastermind is revealed and the staff of Team 3 has to gather evidence so that he could be put to justice. It is these scenes (gathering of evidences) that makes this drama entertaining; there are definitely some intense moments but there are also comedies as some of the characters could make you giggle. 

Aside from the characters and the sweet romance between Dae-Koo and fellow rookie, Soo-Sun (starring Go Ara), what I liked about this drama is the dreams of these four rookies never waver even though they are young and inexperienced. They show their team spirit despite of their differences, and they never back down even if their leads led them to a dead end. Cliché or not, I still enjoyed the drama and of course, there are some moments that moved me, too. I also liked it that Dae-Koo and Soo-Sun are schoolmates during their teenage years and they've liked each other then but they were too proud to admit it. Soo-Sun didn't know Dae-Koo is the "reincarnation" of Ji-yong initially until much later. 

You know what left me cold about this story? Not the runners who are paid to murder people but the extent of a person's doings just to be more powerful and wealthy at the expense of his loved ones. But of course this bad feeling is replaced by characters such as Team Leader Seo and Dae-Koo, not only of their righteousness but also they are good to look at, ha. 
(Soundtrack: What's Wrong With Me, featuring Dae-Koo and Soo-Sun)


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I Am China by Xiaolu Guo
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780099583738
Publisher: Vintage
Publication Date: 6 August 2015
Format: Paperback, 384 pgs
Source: Purchased 

This year has been a good reading year to me thus far. I'd read a few good thrillers that had me at the edge of my seat, and one or two romantic comedies which made me smile and experienced the joy of romancing through the characters. But a book that moved me tremendously? I Am China would be the book; and I've given it a 5-stars rating for the beautiful writing, the unforgettable story and the various emotions it evoked in me. 

There are two modes of expression that bring thirty-one year old Iona Kirkpatrick to life - one is the sexual act (no worries, this is just a brief mention and there isn't explicit description here) and another is through words. The former merely offers her an escape while the latter allows her to regain something in her life and enable her to connect. As a teenager, she felt herself longing for foreign languages. Words became her world and though she'd once thought that she'd be a writer one day, it is translating works that find her ultimately. 

One April day in 2013, she received an email from a publisher who wants her to translate some Chinese letters and diaries. The publisher used to publish eminent people's biographies but they are thinking biographies of marginal characters who've connections to something big might be more interesting, such as a pile of materials related to a famous Chinese punk musician, spanning twenty years ago and is believed in exiled in some Western countries due to a manifesto delivery in his last concert. 

The other materials are from his lover, Deng Mu, who studied in the same university back in the 1990s. She studied Western Literature while Jian studied Chinese History; both have dreams of the future although they share different opinions. Jian is a vigorous youth who's not afraid of showing his emotions through his songs. Mu, on the other hand, thinks there's not much they could do given their country's system of law and it'd land them to nothing but trouble anyway, although she does have that same fiery spirit in her. They often question things like freedom, arts and whether if the latter is necessarily linked to political since they are living in a country which values collectivism. As Jian had written: "art is the politics of perpetual revolution." 

As Iona read and translate the materials, she couldn't help but to be swept away by their love story, their pain and their dreams as well; and most of all their individual beliefs, their persistence and the struggles (physically and emotionally) they've gone through even though they are many miles apart. Readers would soon know about Jian's and Mu's fate as Iona unravels more through her translations, googling for more answers and even travelling to places in search of their trails. It is also at this moment she began to think of her own life; how trivial hers seems to be as compared to Jian's and Mu's. 

Through Jian's letters and diaries entries, readers also get a gist of his personal history and his views coming from a political family, and how much his family is driven by ideology and revolutionary sacrifices. His father's coldness has cut off every illusion he has in life except of his feelings towards Mu. 

"... My last words to you in this letter: whatever happens with your life and my life, I still have this love for you. So now I give it to you, wherever you are.   Your Jian" ~ Pg 271 

What makes I Am China such an engrossing read is aside from the writing style, Jian's and Mu's voices captured my attention because they transpire this strong individualism yet their love for each other goes beyond all things that separated them. I also liked how Jian's and Mu's stories somewhat juxtapose with Iona's, allowing her for some reflections and made her a different person towards the end. 

Beautifully rendered and filled with melancholy, I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading Chinese history and culture. Even if you aren't into them, simply read it for the writing and the story (this book is longlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction). As you can tell, I loved it so much that I'm going to check out the rest of Xiaolu Guo's releases. 

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The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
Melody

ISBN-13: 9780385540353
Publisher: Random House
Publication Date: 29 September 2015
Format: eBook, 320 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss



Margaret Atwood's latest novel, The Heart Goes Last, take us to a near future where jobs are scarce and social security becomes another threat. However, there's an answer to these problems and one could sign up to live in Consilience and has a new life and a job there. The only things to sacrifice is leaving the outside world (so-called the real unpleasant world) and giving up one's freedom every second month in Positron (a prison cell in Consilience but unlike other prisons, Positron generates optimism and creates fairness to the 'residents' living in Consilience so they will experience the good and the 'bad' and so all is equal and balanced.) The other condition is a married couple will be assigned to live in the same house together with another couple (called the 'Alternates') but they are forbidden to see and/or interact with each other since a couple will stay in Consilience and the other will stay in Positron for a month and vice versa. 

Our protagonists, Stan and Charmaine, think this offer is too good to be true. After all, they are jobless and they live in their car and who knows what happens if they continue to hide in their car and be sitting ducks for the robbers and rapists. So they signed up and hope for the best. In the beginning, they are happy but things get mundane and bored until one day Stan found a note in their house - a love message addressing to Max from Jasmine. This little note has made Stan's mind wander, and the more he wanted to know her in person. 

Charmaine, on the other hand, finds herself attracted to Max, one of their Alternates, when he returns to their house early one day and found Charmaine there. That chance encounter leads to an infidelity that would destroy their marriages, thus begins the main plot of revenge, manipulation and ultimately, a plan that surprises the readers as well. 

If you are a fan of Atwood's, you'd know that her stories are usually intricate and imaginative; and can be both scary and thought-provoking at times. Well, this story is no exceptional. This story made me think how true it is given today's  economy and how joblessness can lead to one's desperation and depression. What Consilience offers seems like a perfect plan but it isn't without loopholes. What's ugly about Consilience/Positron is not about their strict rules and regulations but a human's greed and desires which made them to overturn protocols. Then again, there's also humanity, the sense of responsibility and righteousness and most of all, the 'heart goes last' that says a lot about the sentimentality and values of one's love and emotions that allows hope and second chance. 

I was really intrigued by the first part of the story; the deeds Charmaine and Stan have done made one thinks of a fatal attraction movie. The second part seemed a bit bizarre to me, but it was also where the pace began to pick up its momentum and where all the actions are. Some of them seemed horrific, and some seemed... did I mention bizarre? Nevertheless, it was an absorbing read. After all, it's Margaret Atwood's. 
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Second Life by S. J. Watson
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780062432629
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 9 June 2015
Format: Paperback, 416 pgs
Source: Purchased



I've been meaning to read S. J. Watson's Before I Go to Sleep after reading so many glowing reviews of it; and I need to check out the film adaptation too, as I've heard it was equally good. Nevertheless, my reading whim took me to his latest release, Second Life, and I thought it wouldn't matter as long as I'm reading a Watson book, right? 

Second Life tells a gripping story about a woman whose intention is to find the murderer who'd killed her younger sister but that path has led her to having another identity, lies and secrets. 

Julia thought her life is in control. She has a drinking problem but she'd gone for a program and hasn't been drinking for years. Her marriage with her surgeon husband, Hugh, is happy. Connor, her fourteen-year-old nephew, lives with them since he was a baby. His mother, Kate, being too young when she gave birth to him, didn't object when Julia decided to bring him up as her own. The relationship between Julia and Kate has became lukewarm after Julia has decided to move out to be on her own; she felt she needed to have her own life after taking care of young Kate since their mother's passing. Their father felt hopeless (clueless, too) with bringing up the two girls but Julia didn't really mind then. However, as adults their relationship became distance apart; and Julia dreads Kate might ask for Connor's return one day soon (although she'd adopted him and he called her "Mum"). 

While worrying over Connor, she's received news about Kate's death. Kate appeared to be drinking alone in a bar before someone attacked her in a dark alley. She was neither robbed nor raped, and this has puzzled Julia and the police. The latter couldn't find anything related to the attack, but Kate's friend (also flatmate) has later told Julia that Kate had went online looking for dates and sex. It was not something shocking, as she'd related to Julia later, considering they are single and they wanted some fun. 

Julia thinks otherwise, and to make things worse she's finally caved in to drinking, thinking a little wouldn't harm her. She also decides she'd look into Kate's death, starting by looking into her things and finding some clues from there. Julia's husband, Hugh, thinks Julia should move on, go seek for a counsellor and let the police handles the case. But Julia feels she should take matters in her own hands and her first attempt is to check out the dating sites Kate had logged on to and there, she befriended a charismatic young man called Lukas. She thinks Lukas may provide some answers to Kate's death, but little did she know that she's seeing more of Lukas and find herself entangled in an extramarital affair. But that is not all, Lukas seems to harbour a dark desire of owning Julia and Julia is no longer sure if Lukas is the man she called her lover. 

Second Life took me by surprise on many levels, which was a good thing. First of all, I thought this would be a thriller whereby Julia would find her ways in searching for her sister's murderer but it ended up otherwise. Secondly, Kate's murder (and murderer) wasn't what I'd expected to be, although I wished she'd not died that way. And aside from the suspense, the story also allows readers to reflect on some issues such as drugs and alcohol addiction, the inconspicuous of social media, family and infidelity. 

While the story isn't new, I found myself engrossed in it. I found the characterisations believable and some of the premise to be true, especially the part which mentioned that there are all kinds of people pretend to be someone they're not on the internet. Speaking of characterisation, Julia was someone whom I felt sorry with the moment I learnt about her past. She has lost her sister; her husband works too hard and neglect her feelings at times and Connor has his own world and life. She feels alone and I could see why she fell quickly and so deeply into another relationship, even if that man was ten years her junior. Then again, she also exasperated me with her occasional stupidity (or is it naivety?) and her self-absorbed mind many times that I wished she'd come to her senses soon, before all is too late. 

I liked Watson's writing style a lot and while the twisty ending felt a bit ambiguous to me, still I was captivated by his storytelling throughout my entire reading journey. Needless to say, Before I Go to Sleep would be onto my to-read list. 
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Luckiest Girl Alive by Jessica Knoll
Melody


ISBN-13: 9781509814800
Publisher: MacMillan
Publication Date: 16 July 2015
Format: Hardcover, 352 pgs
Source: Purchased



Is Ani FaNelli the luckiest girl alive? After all, she has a glamorous job, a designer wardrobe and most of all, a handsome and rich fiancé, Luke. Based on what she has, everyone would agree that she's definitely the luckiest girl alive. 

However, what she portrays is all lies and secrets. Her teenage years isn't something she'd like to brag or even talk about; she'd mixed with the wrong group of people, had given herself a bad reputation and now that past is going to catch up on her after she's agreed to do a documentary; a show that she'd tell her side of a chilling tragedy that took place when she was studying at the prestigious Bradley school. 

This story is told in Ani's perspective, switching between the past and the present. To be honest, I don't know what to describe my feelings towards Ani; she is not a likeable character right from the start. She is manipulative, vain and shallow. Her teenage years is no better as we often see her bitter and full of angst. One couldn't blame her considering she has both parents who don't understand her; and attending to a new school could be scary where you didn't know anyone and there are cliques everywhere. 

Not giving the plot away, I could only say I'd difficulty reading the first half of the book. Part of the reason is I couldn't connect to Ani, since she was such an unlikeable character. Plus, the pacing was somewhat slow and was spent describing how Ani had come about from her school days and her profession being a writer with The Women's Magazine to her relationship with her fiancé. I held onto the book waiting for the big moment to arrive and that happened after the second half of the book. 

I've to admit the ending did surprise me but not to the extent of shocking. There are talks that this book is compared to Gillian Flynn's Gone Girl but I couldn't see the similarity except that both protagonists are flawed and they are bitter with their lives. While I felt empathy towards Ani at some point of what she'd encountered, that didn't make me like her more. Overall it was a good read but it didn't 'wow' me as I'd hoped. That said, this book would make a great book club discussions for the (dark) issues and what happened to the characters here. 

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Suddenly One Summer by Julie James
Melody

ISBN-13: 9780425273760
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Publication Date: 2 June 2015
Format: Paperback, 304 pgs
Source: Purchased


I love a light, cozy romance once in a while and Julie James' latest release, Suddenly One Summer, comes into mind. I've always enjoyed reading her books; not only her heroes are sexy and her heroines are smart and witty, too. The dialogues between the characters made me giggle at times, and I know I could always rely on James' books for a perfect escape read. 

Suddenly One Summer is a story about two different people coming together and falling in love unexpectedly. Victoria Slade is a successful lawyer dealing in divorce cases; she also owns the firm and as much as she is single and attractive, she has seen enough unhappy marriages to not committing a relationship with its ultimate path to a marriage. On top of that, when she was ten her father left her and her mother for a younger woman and started a new life, leaving her mother into depression and almost died from sleeping pills overdose. That fear and the anxiety still linger in her mind all the way to her adult life, and that feeling has worsened after some burglars broke into her house one night, forcing her to move out from her home and look for another. 

Her new neighbour, Ford Dixon, who's also in his thirties and an investigative journalist, thinks Victoria is attractive but off-limits since a few occasions they've encountered have left a bad impression in each other's eyes. Nevertheless, that didn't stop Victoria from helping his sister, Nicole; after learning that she's a single mother with a four-month-old baby and is ditched by the man who'd got her pregnant in the first place. 

Despite Victoria's unwillingness to team up with Ford initially, she wants to help Nicole and she knew through her legal expertise, she will fight for Nicole's rights but before that, they need to find the man. On the other end, Ford knew there would be sparks flying, good or bad, but he is confident that they will nail down the guy very soon through his resources working with the Tribune. Plus, Victoria is great when it comes to roles playing during their 'missions'. 

Playing amateur sleuth with Ford isn't what Victoria has expected in the first place. She thinks clashes and snarky comments are unavoidable when Ford is concerned, but as the more they work together she noticed a softer, vulnerable  side of Ford which she finds irresistible and sexy. Likewise, Ford sees Victoria in a new light that under her confident, businesslike personality she is simply an ordinary woman who has her woes like any other women. Witnessing her panic attack on a subway has unleashed the protective streak in him and allows him to think again of their relationship, but Victoria is skeptical of relationships and marriages, considering the cases she's dealt with and seeing her own parents' marriage crumbles until it finally struck her how miserable and foolish she has been after turning Ford down for good. 

Although the premise isn't new, what I liked about this book (in fact all Julie James' books) is the heroine and the witty dialogues which have become her signature elements. I like reading stories about relationships which start from friends, and also relationships whereby both the hero and heroine dislike each other initially but how their feelings have changed as the time goes. These premises always interest me and I find Ms. James is good in writing them (though I've to admit it's always her writing style which have made me a fan of hers.) Highly recommended if you love a good contemporary romance with a combination of great dialogues and sizzlingly romance. 


Here's my thoughts on other Julie James' books:


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Disclaimer by Renée Knight
Melody


ISBN-13: 9780062362254
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 19 May 2015
Format: Hardcover, 352 pgs
Source: Purchased

It first started with the book titled The Perfect Stranger. Catherine Ravenscroft doesn't remember buying that book or brought it back home, but there it is by her bedside, calling out to her to read it. Out of curiosity she flipped through the pages, and the more she read the more she is terrified of the story it turns out to be. You see, the story is about her and the secrets she has tried to hide twenty years ago. 

Stephen Brigstocke, the self-published author, who's out to get Catherine is sure he is doing the right thing by taunting her and humiliating her. He wants to see her world crumbles and suffer from it, after all what she did to his family is deemed unforgivable and had caused a death due to her involvement. 

Told in Stephen's first person and Catherine's third person, Disclaimer tells a taut, riveting story of how secrets and misconceptions will tear two families apart, and how far one would go under hatred and grieving circumstances. 

It was an emotional roller coaster ride reading this book; initially it'd made me feel unsettling, then that feeling quickly turned to contempt and ultimately shocked over the revealing truth towards the end. While the truth might be thrilling and satisfying for some, personally it left me cold because I was thinking of reasons why Catherine kept those secrets all along under that certain circumstances (I can't say what since that'd a huge spoiler.) It made me angry and felt I was being deceived by her. 

That said, it was also a thought-provoking read. I do sympathised with all the characters involved, and at times I felt sad for Stephen's wife, Nancy, because the tragedy of losing a family member has crippled her so much so that she embraced cancer like it'd saved her sanity. It was those scenes that was heartbreaking and had really struck me. I should have given this book 4½ stars but I settled for four due to my mixed feelings towards the conclusion. Still, it was a good psychological thriller and I'll be looking forward to Ms. Knight's future release. 

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Name of the Devil by Andrew Mayne
Melody








ISBN-13: 9780062348890
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: 7 July 2015
Format: Paperback, 432 pgs
Source: Publisher
Magician-turned-FBI-agent Jessica Blackwood returns in this sequel to Angel Killer; in which the last investigation case requires her intelligence and her expertise in the art of illusions, something which she'd done in the past and tried to bury after she'd left home to live on her own. Her father and grandfather had worked together in countless performances on stage, and Jessica was taught to perform little acts since she was a girl. However, one incident had nearly caused her death, and she'd tried to shun away from performing since then. Her relationship with her grandfather remains lukewarm, but she respect him and would still approach him for some magic advice, just like the case she's looking into in this installment. 

An explosion took away four lives in a church and a local sheriff is the suspect until he was found dead eventually. The FBI has gathered evidence that these people had known each other and that their death are connected to an event happened years ago. But what they aren't sure of is is the sheriff's erratic behaviour is psychological or pharmacological. Did someone lead him to doing something under a confused mind? 

As Jessica digs further, she realises there's something more than meets the eye and someone wants her dead, as well. With no evidence of her suspicion and no support from her superiors, Jessica knew she has to rely on her own to unravel all the truth and she is fortunate she has one or two reliable agents who trusted her and Damian Knight, an ex-boyfriend who seems to have many connections but whose real identity remains a mystery to many, including Jessica. 

From state cities to rural Tixato in Mexico, Jessica learnt that whoever is responsible for the church explosion is someone who has intelligence, resources and power to rid of any links pointing at him or her and the ultimate purpose of all is to seek revenge of what happened on one fateful night involving the sheriff and victims of the church explosion. 

If there's magic and mayhem in the first installment, Angel Killer, then there's actions and more actions in this sequel as there are implications ranging from diabolical forces to drug cartels to the Vatican that have our determined heroine running around. While I found the actions entertaining, what I also enjoyed reading about this book is Jessica's relationship with her grandfather as I felt it is more in depth here. Raised from a family of illusionists, Jessica is fully aware of the danger they are always in and perhaps because of this mindset, she isn't afraid of taking chances and relying on her instincts. I also liked reading about the complicated relationship she'd had with Damian. I still wasn't sure about him, but after saving Jessica for countless times (despite his obsessive attention on her) I think he wouldn't be that bad of a character, right? 

Reading this book has also set me thinking that some things may not always seem what we think them to be. Right and wrong, good and bad... there's always a fine line between them and sometimes it's hard to judge them, viewing from different perspectives. While Name of the Devil is a sequel, it could be read as a standalone but I'd recommend reading it in order for the characters development. 
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The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon
Melody

ISBN-13: 9780385538510
Publisher: Doubleday
Publication Date: 4 August 2015
Format: eBook, 336 pgs
Source: Publisher via Edelweiss

I'd read Jennifer McMahon's Promise Not to Tell and enjoyed it; so much so that I quickly devoured her latest release, The Night Sister, despite that I have yet to read her other older releases. I know I will get to them at some point, but for this moment I wanted to read Ms. McMahon's latest and be swept away by her fantastic storytelling. After all, who wouldn't be intrigued by an atmospheric setting of a run-down old motel and a suspenseful tale about sisters and secrets? 

Set in London, Vermont, with the time period alternates between the 1950s and 2013, it is a tale about three girls who'd stumbled upon a past that would ruin their friendship forever. 

Amy, Piper and Piper's kid sister, Margot, would never forget the day they found a suitcase containing some old clothings and a picture of Amy's mother, Rose and her elder sister, Sylvie Slater, when they were children. Amy's memories of her mother are vague, since her childhood was mostly spent with her grandmother, Charlotte. She also understood from her grandmother that Aunt Sylvie disappeared at the age of eighteen and her disappearance has deeply traumatized her mother, Rose. 

Now as adults, Piper and Margot tried to forget about their teenaged past since Amy has chosen to distance from them. But it seems the past has caught up on them once again when the news of Amy's death got to Piper and Margot and Piper. And what shocked them most is that it seemed Amy had killed her husband and son before shooting herself; her young daughter is the only survivor. What was the motive and why was there an old picture of Rose and Sylvie with two words "29 rooms" scribbled on it at the crime scene? 

As much as this is a story about Amy, Piper and Margot, at its core it's about the relationship between Sylvie and Rose, and the secrets they'd shared and hid from each other. Sylvie and and Rose are an interesting characters to read; Sylvie is the golden girl who has big dreams of becoming the next leading actress of Mr. Alfred Hitchcock's movies while Rose is the quiet girl who thinks she has no beauty and talents.  

As in Jennifer McMahon's style, there is a hint of the supernatural element alongside with the mystery, but this is quite different from her other books. The characterisations are interesting and the book was unputdownable. However, there is something which kept me from giving this book a 5-star ratings but I wouldn't say what it is since I don't want to spoil anything. That said, it didn't take away my joy of reading it. As I said, Ms. McMahon is a fantastic  storyteller; I was totally entranced by her storytelling and that's all I've got to say about this book. 
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A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Melody

ISBN-13: 9781408857861
Publisher: Bloomsbury Childrens
Publication Date: 5 May 2015
Format: Paperback, 432 pgs
Source: Purchased

In Sarah J. Maas' latest fantasy trilogy, humans and faeries are enemies and they are bound by rules of The Treaty laid centuries ago. High Faes and faeries live in the lands of Prythian and their lands are separated by walls and borders from the mortal lands. There are legends and rumours surrounding the faeries, that they hate iron and that an ash arrow made out from ash wood would kill them, though no one really knows if that's fact or merely rumours until a nineteen-year-old girl named Feyre killed a wolf with her ash wood arrow during hunting. It turned out that the wolf is no ordinary wolf but a faery.

When the High Lord of Spring Court, Tamlin, knew Feyre has killed his friend, he sought her out and gave her an option to either be killed or live out the remainder of her days in Prythian. Feyre chose to cross the wall and spend her days in Prythian, knowing very well that her family needs her and she would find her way out of Prythian. But her hope of escaping is dashed when she finds herself falling for Tamlin; a High Lord whom she finds both threatening yet noble at the same time.

When the seven courts in Prythian are threatened by Amarantha, the powerful High Queen of Prythian, the other High Lords and faeries knew they have only one person to rely on to help regain their freedom in their immortal world - Feyre, a mortal girl who vows to save Tamlin from Amarantha's grasp out of love and loyalty and to save the human realm should Amarantha decides to exercise her power and authority on it as well (There is a history why she hates humans so much but I'm not going to dwell on that.)

Sarah J. Maas has done a wonderful job in the world building and creating a cast of equally wonderful, fascinating characters. The story has a few similarities with the popular classic fairy tale "Beauty and the Beast" in terms of the three sisters and their father who'd lost their wealth (here is Feyre and her two elder sisters and Feyre is the only one who brings food to the family since her sisters acted like princesses and their father's leg is injured after being beaten off by his creditors due to an unfortunate failed business) and of course, Tamlin who shares a resemblance of the Beast (who is also cursed) but other than these, this fantasy stands out of its own with its original plot and a remarkable setting of the immortal faeries world.

I found myself admiring and empathising Feyre at the same time reading this story. I liked her strength and her courage, and most of all her fierce devotion towards Tamlin when she is forced to take upon a few quests by Amarantha and from there we got to see her wit, her determination and her struggles as she is forced to make a decision in matters of life and death. I also found myself intrigued by supporting characters such as Lucien (Tamlin's court-trained emissary, a warrior in his own right) and Rhysand, a High Lord of the Night court who seemed charismatic and dangerous at the same time. He played an important role in Feyre's life in the immortal world and he is one character which had left me baffled due to his personality. Is he good or bad? He couldn't be good if he was feared by other faeries and killed orhers mercilessly but yet he couldn't be bad either if he'd saved Feyre's life more than once.

Although the book stated this is the first of a trilogy, the ending is surprisingly nicely wrapped up and even could read it as a standalone. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would definitely continue with this trilogy. And I hope to see more of Rhysand in the sequel (the book stated it'd be released in May 2016.) simply because he is such an intriguing character, aside from Tamlin and Lucien. 
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