New books - September 2015

Because I have been busy and have not really had the time to read, I thought it would be a change to end the month by sharing with you some news books that I bought recently.  I just realized that this made it the third 'new books' posts for the month of September and I have not started on any of the books yet!

Anyway, these are titles by totally new authors to me but it was during a book fair and it was mark down so why not give it a try.

First there's The Broken Man by Josephine Cox.  Seems pretty exciting from the synopsis.

Next, there's Take a Look at Me Now by Miranda Dickson - a lite chic and one can never have too many of those for that girly moment.

Nothing To Lose by Lee Child

Synopsis :

Two small towns in the middle of nowhere : Hope and Despair.  Between them, nothing but twelve miles of empty road.  Jack Reacher can't find a ride, so he walks.  All he wants is a cup of coffee.  What he gets are four hostile locals, a vagrancy charge and an order to move on.

They're picking on the wrong guy.

Reacher is a hard man. No job, no address, no baggage.  Nothing at all, except hardheaded curiosity.  What are the secrets that Despair seems so desperate to hide?  With just one ally - a mysterious woman cop from Hope - and many enemies, Reacher goes up against a whole town, hunting the rich man at its core, cracking open his terrifying agenda, asking the question : Who has the edge - a man with everything to gain, or a man with nothing to lose?

I am not really a fan of Jack Reacher.  I don't really understand this character.  Having first read his book a few years ago, I didn't really seek out any of his book since then.  I must have bought this quite long ago too as I found it recently in my collection.

Anyway, with nothing to lose, except time, I gave it a try as the book I was reading wasn't very appealing and if not anything, at least Nothing To Lose was pretty thrilling although I am rather flabbergasted by it too.  I really don't know why Reacher did the things he did.  Along the way,  I think he also regretted some of his actions.  In this case, I think he regretted his on inflexibility and his steadfast hold onto some of his ways and principles which doesn't really make sense.

As a whole, the book entertains me when I have to sit for endless hours in the hospital but at the same time I was quite happy to finish it too.

Ironically, Reacher was between two towns, Hope and Despair and you can say at this point of life, I am quite in between these two feelings as well...and while I want to choose to have hope, I can see how easy it is to feel despair and many times, that feeling is just so overwhelming....however I still choose hope because Jeremiah 29 :11 promises me so and I am claiming that.

New Books - Durian Runtuh 2

Sorry, to say I really do not have much time to read what more to do a review as a lot is happening right now with families and not all are good.  I really missed my read and my posts so the best I can do at this point is to share with you some new books that I received recently.

It was in year 2013 that I posted about my 'windfall' when someone I know left me boxes of her books as she and family moved back to Singapore.

This time round, another friend is moving away back to her home country as well and asked if I want some of her collections as she's bringing some back and leaving some behind.  I was happy to inherit whatever that she left behind.

Anyway, here's the whole lot in no particular arrangement or order. I really do not have time to look through them but I do see a couple of PD James and some authors I an not that familiar with other than Toni Morrison and Ken Follett.

When I have the time only would I look through them. Until then, I just have to put them aside and be grateful for this blessing.

The Girl who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson

 

 Synopsis :

The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson's internationally best-selling trilogy.

Lisbeth Salander - the heart of Larsson's two previous novels - lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life.

Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back.


The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest started off very excitingly as it continues immediately from where The Girl Who Played With Fire left off.  I actually did not own a copy of this title so when I saw it at the local library, I just borrowed it as I just want to complete this trilogy.

I can say that I very much preferred this final book compared to the earlier two starting with first title,  The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  I just felt that everything came together and Lisbeth seems to be more mellow and matured compared to her much earlier self.

I am also glad to see the people who care for her coming together to her aid in her times of needs and the unique situation is that Mikael and Lisbeth did not meet face to face throughout the book and only did so at the end of it.

All in all, it is a great ending to a trilogy by Steig Larsson.  While I am aware that there is a new title in the market to continue with Lisbeth and Steig's story, The Girl in The Spider's Web is written by another author, David Lagercrantz, alittle-known Swedish writer entrusted with the task of picking up The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo franchise from its deceased author.  

New books from Charity Sales

Sorry, no time to do a review just yet as have been super busy but here are two recent purchases from a charity sales held recently.

I've Got Your Number by my all time favourite lite chic writer, Sophie Kinsella and As The Crow Flies by Jeffery Archer.  I might have read As The Crow Flies before but I am not too sure and since it's for a good cause, I do not mind purchasing this title.

Could you believe it that I have not read  Shopaholic To The Stars yet also by Sophie Kinsella that I bought recently as I have been saving it for when I can really sink my teeth into it.  I guess I've Got Your Number will have to take a number as well :)

The Mark of Athena (Book #3 of The Heroes of Olympus Series) by Rick Riordan

Synopsis :

Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II, she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace.

And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her?

Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have changed. What if he's now attached to Roman ways? Does he still need his old friends? As the daughter of the goddess of war and wisdom, Annabeth knows she was born to be a leader, but never again does she want to be without Seaweed Brain by her side.


The Mark of Athena is the third book in The Heroes of Olympus Series.  First was The Lost Heroes and second book was Son of Neptune.

By now readers would know of the Greek gods and their alter ego as the Roman gods and while Percy is the heroic demi-god from Camp Halfblood, Jason is the heroic demi-god from the Roman camp and together with Annabeth, Frank and a few others, they are the seven heroes mentioned in the great prophesy at the ending of Percy Jackson Series.

While the Heroes of Olympus offers more variety, the excitement and thrill is still rather lacking compared to the first Percy Jackson Series.  In this third book (of a total of 5 books), I can't even say they are halfway through as the civil war among them seems to be more severe than the war against the monsters.

I do intend to complete this series but seeing how I am not able to find the following two titles n the local library, I might just be catching a break from this series for the time being.