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Showing posts from March, 2011

Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

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Synopsis : Delia Hopkins has led a charmed life. Raised in rural New Hampshire by her widowed father, Andrew, she now has a young daughter, a handsome fiancé, and her own search-and-rescue bloodhound, which she uses to find missing persons. But as she plans her wedding, she is plagued by flashbacks of a life she can’t recall. And when a policemen arrives to disclose a truth that will upend the world as she knows it, Delia must search through these memories – even when they have the potential to devastate her life, and the lives of those she loves most. Vanishing Acts is a book about the nature and power of memory; about what happens when the past we have been running from catches up to us… and what happens when the memory we thought had vanished returns as a threat. Vanishing Acts was told from the point of view of the 5 main characters. They are Delia, the woman whom the book centres upon, Eric, her fiancée who’s also a lawyer and an alcoholic, Fitz, her best friend who is in

Sons of Fortune by Jeffery Archer

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Synopsis : In a hushed maternity ward, an infant dies, while twin brothers thrive. By morning, one mother is told that her only child is doing fine, while another learns one of her twins has died. Twins separated at birth, Nathaniel Cartwright and Fletcher Davenport will be raised in different worlds, and both will thrive among the best and brightest of their generation. In an era of violent change, free love and blind ambition, Nat goes off to fight a war, while Fletcher enters the political arena. With each choice they make – in love and career, through tragedy and triumph – their lives mirror one another...until a high-profile murder case brings them together. Until a high-stakes political battle turns them into rivals. Until a decades-old secret is suddenly exposed...and two powerful men must confront the truth and its final consequence. That was a very promising synopsis. When I first read it, immediately I knew I want to read this book. Having read lots of Jeffery Archer’s

A new shelf for my books!

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This photo is taken using my phone which unfortunatley did not turn out very clear but it's a new bookshelf that I bought over the weekend to house all my books. The 'old' shelf is too small and I have books stashed all over the house from my room to my study room to the guest room and even in the kitchen.  Saying that it was rather messy is an understatement.  Finally, I can now put them all at the same place but it's quickly running of of space by the time I was done arranging them.  I need another shelf! The books wasn't really arranged in any particular order at this point as I couldn't wait to get them on the shelf fast enough!  After which, I just sat and stare adoringly at them!  Am I the only one or do you do that too?

The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham

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Synopsis : X marks the spot – and when the spot is a corpse’s naked back and the X is carved in blood, DI Tom Thorne is in no doubt that the dead man is the latest victim of a particularly vicious contract killer. This is turf warfare between North London gangs. Organised-crime boss Bill Ryan is moving into someone else’s patch, and that someone is not best pleased. For Thorn, a tenuous link between two cases become two pieces of the same puzzle; past and present fuse together to form a new and very nasty riddle. This is the 2nd book written by Mark Billingham that I read. Unfortunately, there are very limited Mark Billingham’s titles in the stores where I’m from. After a period of time, I managed to find his books in the local library and at the same time came across some of them in local warehouse sales such as this and from outlet such as this . The Burning Girl had a great start. It was real promising and DI Tom Thorne started off enthusiastically with new sidekick, Carol

Who Is My Shelter? By Neta Jackson

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Synopsis : Every woman needs a safe shelter. The tables have turned and Gabby's estranged husband--who threw her out when she didn't live up to his image of a "corporate wife"--needs her in a way neither ever expected. He's begging for reconciliation, but Gabby has moved on, finding purpose and a future in the House of Hope. Not only has she found shelter for herself and her sons there, but she's able to help provide shelter for homeless moms and their kids. And yet . . . there's a hole in her life. Is God leading Gabby down a new path and giving her something--and someone--new? Or is He redeeming what she thought was gone forever? Reading Who Is My Shelter? is like reading someone’s diary or a letter or an email. It was written from first person's perspective and written in a rather passive manner. Initially, I thought it was a rather boring book and I didn’t like the main character, Gabby Fairbanks. However, as I continue on, I was caught

Talking with God in Old Age – Meditations and Psalms by Missy Buchanan

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Synopsis : In Talking with God in Old Age, Missy Buchanan sensitively addressed the worries, fears and frustrations of older adults and extends hope, encouraging them to maintain an open dialogue with God. Each reading feature : • A candid conversation with God • A related passage from Psalms • Easy to read print Seniors grappling with the aging process will readily identify with these reflections and will find reassurance of God’s presence. Caregivers, family members and others seeking to understand aging loved ones will gain insight into the thoughts and emotions of the elderly frail. My review : Talking with God in Old Age allows us a glimpse into the minds and hearts of the older adults. It is a very frank portray of what the older adults are thinking and are feeling. It is quite an eye opener as things that we (younger generations) take for granted can be such a challenge for those in their golden years. Each chapter is only 2 pages long and each chapter addresses

The Inheritance of Beauty by Nicole Seitz

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Synopsis : Beauty, like truth, is enduring. But only one can set you free. Maggie Black came of age in the lush, fragrant low country of South Carolina--spending her days with her beloved brother and the boy she would grow up to marry. But when a stranger arrived one summer, Maggie couldn't imagine the evil he would bring with him. And though she escaped with her life, the ramifications of that fateful summer would alter all of their lives forever. Now, some eighty years later, Maggie and her husband George are spending their remaining days in a nursing home, helpless as age slowly robs Maggie of her ability to communicate. When a mysterious package arrives, followed closely by a stranger whose identity haunts them, Maggie and George are hemmed in by a history they'd rather forget. As the truth reveals itself, George knows he must face the past and its lifetime of repercussions. It's the only way to free himself and his precious wife--if it's not too late. I near

Fade to Blue by Bill Moody

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Synopsis : Jazz pianist Evan Horne, settled into the San Francisco jazz scene, takes a gig in Los Angeles, where he's offered his most unusual job yet. Mega movie star Ryan Stiles hires Evan to teach him to look like he's playing piano for an upcoming film role. Evan stays at Stiles' lush Malibu home for the tutoring, but suddenly things go wrong with the arrogant, spoiled star. Stiles' adversarial relationship with the paparazzi explodes when a photographers is killed. Was it an accident or is Stiles himself a suspect? Evan wants out, but Stiles' manager dangles the opportunity for Evan to score the film if he stays. Stiles is cleared but when the film begins, another mysterious death occurs, and somebody is blackmailing the star. With help from his FBI girlfriend, Andie Lawrence, and Lt. Danny Cooper, Evan launches his own investigation to help clear Stiles. To further complicate things, Evan's old nemesis, serial killer Gillian Sims escapes from prison.

Glamour by Louise Bagshawe

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Synopsis : Texan honey Sally Lassiter, English rose Jane Morgan and shy Jordanian Helen Yanna are best friends at an exclusive girls’ school. They form a bond which, they swear, will never be broken.... The three girls grow up, becoming co-founders of the exclusive GLAMOUR chain – a runaway success the world over. They are fabulously wealthy, adored and blissfully happy. Or are they? For all is not as it seems. The GLAMOUR empire is on the verge of collapse and the three women are embroiled in a bitter feud. What went wrong? What has changed? And, in the final showdown between three powerful beauties, who will emerge as the queen of GLAMOUR? This was read after this and this and if I’m to rank them in terms of preference, I would rank Glamour in between the other two books. I do enjoy this book if read from ‘lite chick’ perspective. This book is totally full of girl/woman power. However, I do find it difficult to believe that someone as young as 16 years old and with no busin