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Showing posts from January, 2012

Fragile Things by Neil Gaiman

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Fragile Things is a collection of poetry and short stories by author Neil Gaiman.  I remember too late that I vowed not to read another Neil Gaiman book as I just can't relate to what he wrote. Having said that, there are 2 stories in this book that I like and that's October In The Chair and Strange Little Girl .  I really do not know how to describe the stories but really, I think only hard core fans of Neil Gaiman would be able to understand his strange twisted stories.  He's really one of a kind. I didn't finish reading this book.  I gave up half way through. This post will serve as a reminder to self not to read another Neil Gaiman unless in total desperation.

The Wives of Bath by Wendy Holden

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A Tale of Yummy Mummies with flat brown tummies Synopsis : Four parents-to-be seem antenatally sorted, Flash Hugo and Amanda have booked a chic private clinic and royal maternity nurse. Right-on Jake and Alice want an all-natural home birth with whale music and three hugging nappies. But nothing goes quite to plan. Amanda finds motherhood less glam than the stars make it look and disappears back to her career. Which leaves Hugo with the child and without a clue what to do. Alice has problems too. Bringing up baby to Jake’s eco-fascist standards means home-made organic everything and a recycled cardboard cot. Will nappiness bring happiness to anybody? Not before bedhopping spouses, beastly bosses and bitchy nursery mothers have all done with dreadful worst. Review : This is a delightful chic lite with a focus on chic lite mums and chic lite dads and if you put the chic lite babies into the picture, it doesn’t necessary gives a perfect chic lite family. Instead, things can be

The Associate by John Grisham

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Synopsis : Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father’s small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential. Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. When the secret falls into the hands of the wrong people, Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn’t want – even though it’s a job most law students can only dream about, an associate with the largest law firm in the world. In addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed. With an unforgettable cast of characters and villains, from Baxter Tate, a drug-addled trust fund kid and possible rapist, to Dale, a pretty but seemingly quiet former math teacher whom shares Kyle’s ‘cubicle’ at the law firm, to two of the most powerful and fiercely competitive defence contractors in the country – and featuring all the t

Fear by Jeff Abbott

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Synopsis : ‘I killed my best friend. I didn’t mean to, but I did. This is my story’. Miles Kendrick is in a witness protection program, hiding from the mob and constantly haunted by his best friend’s death. With the aid of psychiatrist Allison Vance, Miles is trying to hold onto his sanity and to recall the events of that tragic night. But when Allison is blown to pieces by a bomb planted in her office, Miles becomes caught up in a deadly conspiracy beyond his worst nightmares. Targeted by Dennis Groote, a deranged FBI agent, Miles must run for his life – and force himself to remember the terrible truth about the death of his best friend. Fear is an ok book for a thriller. It’s not that great but quite enjoyable and readable although can be quite confusing as it moves very fast from beginning to the end. Miles is likable as a character. A man haunted by his guilt and caught in something that he has no control over. Due to his guilt, he kept on seeing his best friend, Andy,

One For The Money by Janet Evanovich

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Synopsis : Stephanie Plum is down on her luck. She’s lost her job in New Jersey’s most down-market lingerie store, her car’s on the brinks of repossession, and her apartment is fast becoming furniture-free. Enter Cousin Vennie, a low-life who runs a bail-bond company. If Stephanie can bring in vice-cop turned outlaw Joe Morelli, she stand to pick up $10,000.00 But tracking down a cop wanted for murder isn’t easy. And suddenly Stephanie has another problem on her hands. Benito Ramirez, a prize-fighter with more menace than mentality, wants her to be his friend – and he won’t take no for an answer. Soon Stephanie begins to know exactly what it feels like to be pursued and the best person to protect her just happens to be on the run. Wow...two Stephanie Plum book in a month with one more on the way .  One for the Money is the first book in the Stephanie Plum series. When I saw it on the bookshelf of the local library, I made no attempt to resist it since I’m quite hooked on Steph

Something New by Dianne Christner

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Synopsis : Dreams Aren’t Always Worth the Sacrifice Lil Landis dreads a lifetime spent on the farm. . .instead she dreams of turning her flair for cooking into a successful career as head chef. There’s only one problem. Her Conservative Mennonite father would rather see her settle down as a wife and mother. As Lil struggles against expectation in pursuit of her goals, her once clear plan becomes muddled with hardship—from her guilt over leaving her depressed mother alone for a restaurant job to worry over her family’s failing farm. Then there’s Fletch. . . . Fletch Stauffer’s good intentions toward an old friend backfire when his job providing veterinary service at the Landis farm becomes undercover work filming a documentary to expose animal cruelty. But as Fletch is drawn deeper into the deception, he finds himself falling for spunky Lil—and at odds with his dream. Will determination cloud both Lil and Fletch’s thoughts until what matters most disappears? Or will their misgu

The Overlook by Michael Connelly

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Synopsis : A body has been found on the overlook near Mulholland Drive. The victim, identified as Dr Stanley Kent, has two bullet holes in the back of his head from what looks like an execution-style shooting. LAPD detective harry Bosch is called out to investigate. It is the case he has been waiting for since being recruited to the city’s Homicide Special squad. As soon as Bosch begins retracing Dr Kent’s steps, contradictions emerge. While Kent doesn’t seem to have had ties to organized crime, he did have access to dangerous radioactive substances from just about every hospital in LA County. What begins as a routine homicide investigation opens up into something much larger and more dangerous – and much more urgent. Not really. What I meant is that the synopsis exaggerates slightly and the sense of urgency wasn’t really there. The development of the story was quite gradual and Harry Bosch turns out to be a pretty decent and obnoxious at the same time. His works well with Speci

Morality for Beautiful Girls (No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency) by Alexander McCall Smith

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Synopsis : In this third volume of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series, the irrepressible Precious Ramotswe faces supreme problems at home and at work. With her detective agency in financial difficulty, Mma Ramotswe takes the difficult decision to share offices with her husband-to-be, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni. Even though Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors could do with a little help, it is Mr Matekoni himself who requires her attention... If that wasn’t enough, the agency is facing some of its most puzzling cases, the government officials whose sister-in-law is trying to poison his brother, the beauty pageant whose contestants aren’t as good as their looks and the strange young boy, found naked and wild and smelling of lion. Morality for Beautiful Girls is the second book in the series that I read, the first being Tears of the Giraffe which I enjoyed almost a year ago! This time round, Mr J.L.B. Matekoni is unwell and the reason why he’s feeling so was not revealed (maybe in later

Lean Mean Thirteen by Janet Evanovich

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Synopsis : Mistake 1 - Dickie Orr – Stephanie was married to him for about 15 mins before she caught him cheating on her with her arch-nemesis, Joyce Barnhardt. Another 15 mins after that Stephanie filed for divorce, hoping never to see either one of them again. Mistake 2 – Doing favours for super-bounty hunter Carlos Manosa aka Ranger. Ranger needs her to meet with Dickie and find out if he’s doing something shady. Turns out, he could be. Turns out, he’s also back with Joyce Barnhardt and it turns out that Ranger’s favours always come with a price. Mistake 3 – Going completely nutso while doing the favour for Ranger and trying to apply bodily injury to Dickie in front of the entire office. Now Dickie has disappeared and Stephanie is the natural suspect in his disappearance. Is Dickie dead? Can he be found? And can she say one step ahead in this new dangerous game? Joe Morelli, the hottest cop in Trenton, NJ is also keeping Stephanie on her toes – and he may know more about her t

Sunrise (Book 1 of Sunrise Series) by Karen Kingsbury

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Sunrise is the first book of the Sunrise Series by Karen Kingsbury. While Sunrise still charts the story of Dyane Matthew and Katy Hart as well as the lives of the Baxter family. However, Karen tries to steer away from the Baxter and give opportunity to other characters featured in her previous stories in Firstborn Series . In particularly, we can see that the focus shifted slightly to the Flanigans. In this book you will read about the preparation and the wedding between Dyane Matthew and Katy Hart and especially Dyane’s determination to keep the wedding a secret after his disastrous encounter with the paparazzi in Firstborn Series . They certainly found their new beginning in Sunrise and you would love to read about their wedding which happens towards the end of the book. John Baxter might be looking at a new beginning himself as his friendship with Elaine grow closer and his family acceptance of Elaine in his life. While he knows that he will always love Elizabeth but perhaps