Reflections of 2021

 

A chandelier of pens taken in a Muji store 2 years ago

How have your year been?

I can't really use one word to summarise my experience for year 2021. On one hand, I didn't experience much but on the other hand, I felt a lot has happened.

Purple Queen Fairy will end the year with 35 posts. Never before in the history of this blog that I only did 35 posts for the year. It's an all time low as I normally average around 50 to 55 posts for one year.  I guess it can't be help as I read much less this year too.

Let's see, I only read about 24 books this year. Out of these 16 are physical books and 8 books were electronic books.  This gives it an average of 2 books a month.  Much less isn't it?  If it's not because I kinda motivated myself to read more towards the final quarter of the year, it would have been much less.

I only bought 3 books this year. Here, here and here.

Favorite book of the year?  I think it would be the three Camilia Lackberg titles.  You can find them here, here and here.  

On another note, I am also glad that I finally completed The Throne of Glass Series.  It was a few years in completing it from book 1 to book 7.  3 years to be exact.

While certain parts of the country is currently suffering from the aftermath of natural disaster, I am thankful to the almighty that those close to me are well and safe.  We are still experiencing a bad news received a few months ago but we at only at this point we trust God for His peace, grace and mercy.

Covid is still very much with the world and has evolved itself so it might be here to stay.  Last year, it was everyone's hope that this year things will be better so it's this year's wish that next year would be better but I think we just need to make it better the best we can as 'better' might not mean things will be like pre-covid time.

Anyways, thank you for journeying with me this year.  I hope you have been well.  God bless and have a good new year. Stay safe everyone.

image from internet. credit to the original creator.

Newton's Fire by Will Adams

 

Synopsis :

A breathtaking thriller which weaves history and religion with action, adventure and apocalypse…

Luke Hayward is adrift. Blacklisted out of academia, he is in no position to refuse when a client asks for his expert help in recovering some lost Isaac Newton papers.

But a chance discovery in a dusty attic plunges Luke into a race to uncover the truth behind some seemingly random scribblings - a race which pits Luke against a fundamentalist madman with dangerously powerful friends.

Luke discovers connections between Oxford, London and the Old City of Jerusalem in a breathless chase to uncover a secret hidden in the eccentric ramblings of a mathematical genius; a secret that, in the wrong hands, could be used to spark the holy war to end all holy wars… 

This is what I say :

This would be the last book I read for this year.  Newton's Fire is a rather intriguing title.  It has hints of Dan Brown ala Davinci Code but then different with a Sam Bourne feel as well.  The book started excited enough with murder and chases across the county and subsequently across the continent.

I do like Luke the character. He has his own charm but he's rather a plain Joe which fits quite well cos the female character is rather plain Jane too.  

There were certain sections in the book where things gets too descriptive but if you get past that, you will enjoy the rather thrilling adventure of Newton's Fire.

Blessed Christmas 2021

Photos taken by my friend who's in Middle East for work visit. Thanks JKM for the photo

Wishing everyone near and far

A Blessed Merry Christmas 2021

May Christ's blessing be with you and your family

Stay safe always

From the love of my life, my forever Princess 

The President Is Missing : A Novel by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

 Synopsis :

As the novel opens, a threat looms. Enemies are planning an attack of unprecedented scale on America. Uncertainty and fear grip Washington. There are whispers of cyber terror and espionage and a traitor in the cabinet. The President himself becomes a suspect, and then goes missing...

Set in real time, over the course of three days, The President Is Missing is one of the most dramatic thrillers in decades. And it could all really happen.

This is What I say : 

Like most fans of thrillers, I knew of this titles since it was first released.  However, I didn't think highly of it so it wasn't really a priority to get hold of a copy.  It was by chance that I came across an electronic copy a while ago.  Even then, I did not read it immediately but kept it in my tbr (to be read) folder for quite a while (almost 1 year actually!)

Anyway, it was recently, beginning of this month actually that I thought of giving this title a try and if I didn't like it, I can delete it from my tablet folder. Surprise oh surprise or maybe I should not be surprise, I quite like The President Is Missing.

It has elements of thriller and and a who's behind it type of feel.  I guess with James Patterson providing the thrilling factor and Bill Clinton providing the white house and presidential factor, the book certainly has the winning formula for me.

President Jonathan Duncan is as fiction as any president can be. He seems naive but endearing at the same time. Vulnerable but strong at the same time.  The ideal president in an ideal situation perhaps.  Whatever it is he's pretty likable.  He certainly is a fictional character!

If you do come across The President is Missing and if you're a fan of thriller of those at the highest level of power game that can change the world, you might like to give this title a try.

Forever (#3 in The Wolves of Mercy Falls) by Maggie Stiefvater

 Synopsis :

then.
When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now.
That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever.
Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment--a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

This Is What I say :

Forever is the final book in the story of The Wolves of Mercy Falls.  I started reading this series towards end of November and it took me three weeks to complete all three books.

Actually, there's not much story line in the series but I do like the way the characters interact with each other.  While Sam and Grace are the main characters and their love for each other are the beautiful forever kind, the chemistry between Isabelle and Cole and rather explosive.  The author actually wrote a follow up book dedicated just to the story of Isabelle and Cole after this series.  The title is Sinner and it's set after the incidents in Forever and based in California where Isabelle is being exiled to by her parents after her involvement in the wolves hunt in Forever.

All in all, happy ending I would say.  There's a lot more I want to say about Forever but I think I just stop here.  Am glad I read this series.

Linger (#2 in The Wolves of Mercy Falls) by Maggie Stiefvater

 

Synopsis :

the longing.
Once Grace and Sam have found each other, they know they must fight to stay together. For Sam, this means a reckoning with his werewolf past. For Grace, it means facing a future that is less and less certain.

the loss.
Into their world comes a new wolf named Cole, whose past is full of hurt and danger. He is wrestling with his own demons, embracing the life of a wolf while denying the ties of being a human.

the linger.
For Grace, Sam, and Cole, life a constant struggle between two forces - wolf and human - with love baring its two sides as well. It is harrowing and euphoric, freeing and entrapping, enticing and alarming. As their world falls apart, love is what lingers. But will it be enough? 

This is What I say :

Linger is the second book the The Wolves of Mercy Falls.  There wasn't much story line in Linger. But then there wasn't much story line in Shiver as well.

This time round, the point of view of the story are from four person. Sam, Grace, Isabelle and Cole.   The focus of the author are more towards the emotions of the characters and not so much story development.  With the additional characters' point of view, it gives the book more depth and dimension.

The whole book has a rather sad tone. It's like the characters knew that things are not going to end well but yet, there's nothing much they can do about it.  The ending was rather unexpected or expected depending on where you're coming from.

Looking forward to the final book in the series, Forever.