tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-31267561331911124862024-03-14T18:32:39.623+08:00PURPLE QUEEN FAIRY READSI love to read. I have a lot to say about what I read.Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.comBlogger783125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-80337921481379235372023-11-18T14:20:00.001+08:002023-11-18T14:20:00.134+08:00An Original Work of Fiction - A Battle Lost and Won<br />
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>A battle lost and won<o:p></o:p></i></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></b></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I’ve loved and lost<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I’ve loved and won<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Such is the conclusion I came to in
my battle in this simple but </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>complicated feelings called love.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Going back in time to more than twenty odd years ago seems like a lifetime away </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>but yet, feels also just like yesterday<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I’ve loved hard and deep and when I
let go of that love,</i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I thought my world ended<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Well, I was wrong.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My world didn’t end. </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>It was a chapter of my
life that came to an end and since then I</i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> have written many more chapters.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>But time and again, I find myself
revisiting that time<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The time when I thought I’ve loved
and lost<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I was twenty four and he was thirty
one<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I was young and naïve and he was the
man of the world<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I was intrigued by him, he was
captivated by me<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The girl who drank Jack Daniels and
knew about war aircrafts </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>and read about espionages.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>He introduced me to stuff unknown to me and taught me golf and</i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>how to have confidence in myself<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The girl who never wanted anything else
from him </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>except he himself.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>But it came to an end. <o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I ended it because he wasn’t mine to
have and certainly wasn’t mine to keep.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Time and again when I revisit that
time<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I ask myself what if I said yes
instead of no, what if I had agreed, </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>would I have won the battle or would I have
lost the war?<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>And much as I wanted the outcome to
be different, </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I knew that it was the right decision made.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>For at the end of the day, I need to
be able to face the girl in the mirror.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Cutting ties and saying good bye and
wishing that you have a good life, </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>left a scar in my heart.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The scar that has since healed but
will always be there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The connection
severed but the lingering fragmented feelings hovers on<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Just as the memory of the girl who
drank Jack Daniels </i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>with her dreams and hopes.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I’ve loved and lost. I’ve loved and
won.<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Disclamer : </div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">This is a work of fiction.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">copyright purplequeenfairyread.blogspot.com</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<br />Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-40109800218736159292023-01-01T01:01:00.036+08:002023-01-01T01:01:00.178+08:00Happy New Year 2023<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWO6EYX1oOKxvlJFWr_N3GOgu8Yj3By7mmIWSFzzeD2ZU7A-eDToKJ5dMAhcv45tQpHcW62osKec1GK2867YwQqxtCjo2rLfsd9rnVrkQVD2nSj3DCvtwoEOQhynRcTdo2R2ERoppfqTfC4N0Psyfb5kgy8h3SMs0uemLTfykk8SfNnTgeRy51NaxKBw/s775/Screenshot%202022-12-29%20095735.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="649" data-original-width="775" height="335" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWO6EYX1oOKxvlJFWr_N3GOgu8Yj3By7mmIWSFzzeD2ZU7A-eDToKJ5dMAhcv45tQpHcW62osKec1GK2867YwQqxtCjo2rLfsd9rnVrkQVD2nSj3DCvtwoEOQhynRcTdo2R2ERoppfqTfC4N0Psyfb5kgy8h3SMs0uemLTfykk8SfNnTgeRy51NaxKBw/w400-h335/Screenshot%202022-12-29%20095735.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><br />https://quotesmaze.com/</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i><b>Wishing everyone a </b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i><b>Happy and Blessed New Year 2023.</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i>May year 2023 be good to us all.</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i>Happy New Year!</i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #bf9000; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-19331238210092406462022-12-29T12:29:00.072+08:002022-12-29T12:29:00.180+08:00Reflections 2022<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPD8jdgqXIOV81zxQUT3XSdjuotUBhvoxpbTtSFb5A4qRjpkJxFRAdIpblTZlOtGlF5g6ybJf41_9KvVh5__91J7Lv-Nw87S1BLIHsqIpSghj7RO1dP4mhemiuezpvIqyIqQyM-mMgYSaoolpAje78xU3k35BJpqHiXmIxydRt9Pr75WSjFWYpsZ4nA/s1156/light.jpg" style="display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 1em 0px; text-align: center;"><img alt="" border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="867" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPD8jdgqXIOV81zxQUT3XSdjuotUBhvoxpbTtSFb5A4qRjpkJxFRAdIpblTZlOtGlF5g6ybJf41_9KvVh5__91J7Lv-Nw87S1BLIHsqIpSghj7RO1dP4mhemiuezpvIqyIqQyM-mMgYSaoolpAje78xU3k35BJpqHiXmIxydRt9Pr75WSjFWYpsZ4nA/s320/light.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The ceiling lights in a huge restaurant in town</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
Year 2022 is coming to and end.
It's been quite a challenging and eventful year in all aspects with it's high ups and lowest downs....</span><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;">My dad passed away end of April. I left my job of 8 years also in April. Joined 2 new organisations since and have been blessed with my current work position.
And for the first time since this blog started, I posted very few posts and that's also because I read very little this year. </span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;">I gave away a lot of my collections and sold off (rather cheaply) some of my collections too with more to be sold and decluttered away. </span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"> My TBR pile is not growing as I didn't purchase any new books this year but neither are they reducing as I only read about 15 titles this year. That's about 1 title 1 month whereas it certainly was much more in previous years.
</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;">I really hope I can get back my reading habits again for year 2023.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;">I only posted of 2 travels but in actual I travelled 3 times for work and 3 times for leisure and all trips are to the capital city.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;">Purple Queen Fairy Reads will embarassingly end the year with 21 posts.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIzefSUgR0vAEFczCtKhGege5is1N3UUzFBaI0d4BZ3Y1xG97HzvHdnacfgqg9m5UcHyZtIbGDyj2ccPCLuJJfp9o7WUV4-MEua21ZPWHjy3H5l5u6IIK9Xa_658xVd9eXnGDYRetiae1kJbY0ca2NbxESRlXZB3h9NEnOKTDIgacscEjFUs_zqEYfw/s800/bye.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIzefSUgR0vAEFczCtKhGege5is1N3UUzFBaI0d4BZ3Y1xG97HzvHdnacfgqg9m5UcHyZtIbGDyj2ccPCLuJJfp9o7WUV4-MEua21ZPWHjy3H5l5u6IIK9Xa_658xVd9eXnGDYRetiae1kJbY0ca2NbxESRlXZB3h9NEnOKTDIgacscEjFUs_zqEYfw/w400-h266/bye.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;">I am quite sad to say good by to 2022 but I am looking forward to 2023 as well....so Good bye 2022. I won't be meeting you again but I will always remember you for you hold a special place in my heart. Love you.</span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #7f6000; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-31756496292730532202022-12-23T12:23:00.000+08:002022-12-23T12:23:00.185+08:00Merry Christmas 2022<p> </p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: medium;"><i><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlF0GLJrWOc2GoGcqRvdoDaRp5RN483wn2SU1IN1KySGbZkV8o1FvPUJkhRJqKQE6KmPQapW_pEzOWfpmctHL9OU9plsOcMFH1hRW5p_Ea2692zcTFZClTFVRnAeLBNv0I9771viwlQhluoFdOo6t-NjOweehf0iaha6DnN9BYZPUJ0GpbPXOjLXh8NQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="563" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlF0GLJrWOc2GoGcqRvdoDaRp5RN483wn2SU1IN1KySGbZkV8o1FvPUJkhRJqKQE6KmPQapW_pEzOWfpmctHL9OU9plsOcMFH1hRW5p_Ea2692zcTFZClTFVRnAeLBNv0I9771viwlQhluoFdOo6t-NjOweehf0iaha6DnN9BYZPUJ0GpbPXOjLXh8NQ=w395-h400" width="395" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Image from web</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><i style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: x-large;"><b>I haven't forgotten about this blog</b></i></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><b>It's still very much in my heart</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><b>But I have been bad</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><b>Not been reading much this year</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><b>Will vow to do better next year</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><b>So Santa, don't forget my presents please</b></i></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: times; font-size: large;"><i><b>Merry Christmas everyone</b></i></span></p><p><br /></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji-_AAQ8y3L3gqwMamNfyQsxRsK3Eyw7DL9zv2TlrTi3cARydqoQK1GGbrsbMRXGpRa2zafi0SMD8etzJf8K7plmCSPHrHt1NLrR6YcxsAAb-x4lty5L90w80djcwQlmfHoCEk6FSsDb2VVwlfRaMqyePE6pb6x82CHkJH0X2c7u8dyaa7wIw8eY4yoQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="381" data-original-width="749" height="204" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEji-_AAQ8y3L3gqwMamNfyQsxRsK3Eyw7DL9zv2TlrTi3cARydqoQK1GGbrsbMRXGpRa2zafi0SMD8etzJf8K7plmCSPHrHt1NLrR6YcxsAAb-x4lty5L90w80djcwQlmfHoCEk6FSsDb2VVwlfRaMqyePE6pb6x82CHkJH0X2c7u8dyaa7wIw8eY4yoQ=w400-h204" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><br />Image from web</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-22820903865976824292022-09-22T09:22:00.033+08:002022-09-27T14:06:13.601+08:00The Tides of Memory by Tilly Bagshawe writing as Sidney Sheldon<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxuRfADNfN26QP2J_jhDIbrmiyR_HitK5VEFTYLAlB0wKLMDXjFJTMBMC3FOUHK2UkLe8FrnAkdejLSVvFXHXELtCj82Scvxtq0RUT5jyGfxF1qorbL-JNEu7-IXOS4_E27veZsS9q9FE68pRS4xiwf8LQ32PS3rMrr1jgOL5r7YgVKKphRFw_aQZ-A/s400/tt.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="265" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRxuRfADNfN26QP2J_jhDIbrmiyR_HitK5VEFTYLAlB0wKLMDXjFJTMBMC3FOUHK2UkLe8FrnAkdejLSVvFXHXELtCj82Scvxtq0RUT5jyGfxF1qorbL-JNEu7-IXOS4_E27veZsS9q9FE68pRS4xiwf8LQ32PS3rMrr1jgOL5r7YgVKKphRFw_aQZ-A/w265-h400/tt.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /> <i>Synopsis :</i><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>The members of the formidable and captivating De Vere family of London live enviable lives in the world’s most powerful and desirable places, from London’s poshest neighborhoods to influential boardrooms. </i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>But when old secrets begin to unravel and threaten everything the De Veres have worked for, the ramifications are deadly.</i></span></p><p><span style="color: #741b47;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I know, I know...it's too soon for another Tilly Bagshawe title. Especially one that she wrote as Sidney Sheldon but what can I say, I got hold of another copy and if I dont read it now, I will probably forget to read it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">While not that original, t</span><span style="color: #800180;">he characters in <i>The Tides of Memory</i></span><span style="color: #800180;"> was quite refreshing. There's Alexia De Verve, Home Secretary with more than one secrets. Hubbie Teddy and son Michael and daughter Rozie. British.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">On the other hand, there's daughter Summer, mum Lucy and dad Arnie. American.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The focus are more on Alexia and Summer. And someone from Alexia's past named Billie. All characters are connected one way or another...the way it's written, it's like it's all ready for a movie or tv version. Very clear and visual like.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I must confess that I made a guess as to how the story twist would be like and I am snobbishly pleased that I was right!</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">Anyway, I think I will stay clear from Tilly Bagshawe writing as Sidney Sheldon for now but then you never know. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"> </span></p><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #800180; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i><br /></i></span></div><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-25910144906796458932022-09-16T09:16:00.001+08:002022-09-16T09:16:00.175+08:00Watching the Dark by Peter Robinson<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjGDs215_Zbd349S5Hc_G2Wnnvs4uSEFmdnZvBYHMqMmej55ZY0Hm1DVLC65wmNOfSUXanEYLCSJtkRH0zu6Tz8u-TaOfVR4Mm_ulRFW8g6E8MF-AhWBJKSAqP9e8II-WHwVwHD736DwSC0U_HdHiAAlRc91mu98wG8Vjuk1TKO3AwCJm6QiEOBJgyw/s701/b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVjGDs215_Zbd349S5Hc_G2Wnnvs4uSEFmdnZvBYHMqMmej55ZY0Hm1DVLC65wmNOfSUXanEYLCSJtkRH0zu6Tz8u-TaOfVR4Mm_ulRFW8g6E8MF-AhWBJKSAqP9e8II-WHwVwHD736DwSC0U_HdHiAAlRc91mu98wG8Vjuk1TKO3AwCJm6QiEOBJgyw/w300-h400/b.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><i>DCI Alan Banks reluctantly investigates DI Bill Quinn with Inspector Joanna Passero. Quinn, convalescing at St Peter’s Police Treatment Centre, was killed by a crossbow on the tranquil grounds, and left compromising photos. </i></p><p><i>Quinn may be disreputable, linked to a vicious crime in Yorkshire and to a cold case – English Rachel Hewitt 19 vanished in Estonia six years ago.</i></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #990000;">This is What I Say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;">I have not read any titles by this author prior to this title. <i>Watching the Dark</i> is the first title that I read but it's the 20th installment in the universe of Chief Inspector Banks. </span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;">It's a murder/crime investigative title and it was quite good. Good enough for me to read right till the end although it took me quite a long time...over a period of months actually. I am happy to complete it finally so that I can move on to other titles.</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;">There's a couple of murders in this story and they are in a way related so reading <i>Watching the Dark</i> is like watching the investigation of these crime. Can't say much about character development. The focus is on investigation development so if you like that you will like <i>Watching he Dark.</i></span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-68971182477814794852022-09-10T09:10:00.049+08:002022-09-10T09:10:00.191+08:00Reckless (Tracy Whitney #3) by Tilly Bagshawe writing as Sidney Sheldon<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsQ4HKZWa_zx8120cElH5UgD2hVy7Jcoha4PN40ao8cxsxYRKyNNKNBtyaJlyUpgk-FqsgQ1KACAI7xXgH_t0MZ9fJgDK4tTIaHnoYauD-h76UNsxD2iI8a_G46PTFUMTA60yI8sW52SClebHIiz77KK08528yCCCNcrFC-l_4OVa7Gdd8BvRun1PcA/s475/r.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRsQ4HKZWa_zx8120cElH5UgD2hVy7Jcoha4PN40ao8cxsxYRKyNNKNBtyaJlyUpgk-FqsgQ1KACAI7xXgH_t0MZ9fJgDK4tTIaHnoYauD-h76UNsxD2iI8a_G46PTFUMTA60yI8sW52SClebHIiz77KK08528yCCCNcrFC-l_4OVa7Gdd8BvRun1PcA/w265-h400/r.jpg" width="265" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">#1 </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">New York Times</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> bestselling author Sidney Sheldon’s most popular and enduring heroine—Tracy Whitney of If Tomorrow Comes and Sidney Sheldon’s Chasing Tomorrow—finds herself caught in a nefarious and far-reaching scheme involving international terrorism and corruption in this compelling thriller packed with heart-stopping twists and breathtaking action</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Once upon a time, Tracy Whitney was one of the best thieves in the business. Then she settled down and had a child—a beautiful, bright, mischievous boy who was the center of her life. Tracy planned to spend the rest of her days quietly, living anonymously deep in the stunning Colorado mountains, devoted to raising her son. But tragedy forces her to face her greatest nightmare. Now, with nothing left to protect, this superb con artist, jewel thief, computer wizard, and cat burglar returns to the hunt, more dangerous, ruthless, and reckless than ever.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The world faces a new terror threat from Group 99, a diverse collection of global hackers intent on the</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">collapse of capitalism and private wealth and the creation of a new world order. When the group turns to violence—kidnapping an American investigative journalist, shooting a British military hostage, and blowing up an international industrialist—the mysterious woman pulling their strings, a wily and wealthy American known only as Althea, becomes the CIA’s most sought criminal. But their only hope of finding her is a woman with a dark and dangerous past of her own. A woman who has also successfully evaded detection by the authorities around the world: Tracy.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Convinced that Althea is behind the deadly act that shattered her life, Tracy sets out on a global hunt to flush out her prey. But as she soon discovers, the truth is as elusive as her target. Hampered by corruption, lies, and enemies masked as allies, Tracy will be pushed to the brink, where she must face her darkest demons. All of her experience tells Tracy that the answers are right in front of her—if only she can look at the clues in the right way.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Propelled by an unquenchable thirst for revenge, and with the fate of so many resting in her hands, just how reckless will Tracy become when she has nothing left to lose?</span></i></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;">Make no mistake. This is written by Tilly Bagshawe. Not by Sidney Sheldon. It's Tilly Bagshawe writing as Sidney Sheldon and continuing Sidney Sheldon's legacy and the universe of Tracy Whitney.</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;">A bit of history. Sidney Sheldon wrote <i>If Tomorrow Comes</i> in the 80s. It's one of the best selling titles of Sidney Sheldon and it's one of my favourite titles. I think I read more times than I can remember. I gave my thoughts on it 10 years ago<a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2012/08/if-tomorrow-comes-by-sidney-sheldon.html"> here</a>.</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;">Sidney Sheldon passed away in 2007. His estate then commissioned Tilly Bagshawe (a renowned author in her own right) to wrote a few sequel for his famous titles and <i><a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2017/01/chasing-tomorrow-sidney-sheldons-by.html">Chasing Tomorrow</a></i> which was a sequal for <i>If Tomorrow Comes</i> was one of them. Like all businesses, potentials are there especially among fans of Sidney Sheldon and new fans, Tilly churned out more titles, some hits, some misses.</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;"><i>Reckless</i> is the third title in the Tracy Whitney universe. I read <i>Chasing Tomorrow</i> 5 years ago and I quite forgot about this third book and it was only recently that I came across it and a few new titles that Tilly wrote as Sidney Sheldon.</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;">I quite like Reckless but at the same time I noticed a lot of misses and also loopholes in storyline and plot. I quite know how the story would take us but there's a bit of surprises also. All in all while there's elements of Sidney Sheldon, it's just not the same if it was written by the master himself. I kinda wish the estate will not continue Sidney's legacy as somehow whole the intention can be good, it can backfire as the it wasn't up to par.</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;">I also wish that this would be the last of Tracy Whitney and they would just let her live her life in peace.</span></p><p><span style="color: #134f5c;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-12472328931204699622022-09-04T09:04:00.039+08:002022-09-07T09:13:03.403+08:00Silver Tears (Faye's Revenge #2) by Camilla Lackberg<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivH67S5CrBFuOiuZSuJb1LJxJZzCXTwFqppJ_PovXxFcrkHZYZivnKx7aLkhLF9Sea0IKOK6uTqaCXDho2lF4BY1nj5mw4vpTk8hvbGvr93HDHa75VGeRx7NCKZOa54q8fceGTETvSuQ0bJyLLndnAGN_KJjOIe1l0FXugHWJnEOVJ7XBVBKw2fExZdw/s400/st.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="274" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivH67S5CrBFuOiuZSuJb1LJxJZzCXTwFqppJ_PovXxFcrkHZYZivnKx7aLkhLF9Sea0IKOK6uTqaCXDho2lF4BY1nj5mw4vpTk8hvbGvr93HDHa75VGeRx7NCKZOa54q8fceGTETvSuQ0bJyLLndnAGN_KJjOIe1l0FXugHWJnEOVJ7XBVBKw2fExZdw/w274-h400/st.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><span id="freeText1552027911129401219" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>She's had to fight for it every step of the way, but Faye finally has the life she believes she deserves: she is rich, the business she built has become a global brand, and she has carefully hidden away her small family in Italy, where Jack, her ex-husband, can no longer harm them. She even has the wherewithal to occasionally turn a business trip to Rome into a steamy tryst. </i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>But when several major investors--women Faye had trusted implicitly--suddenly sell off their shares in the company, and the police officer who helped search for her daughter discovers the dark secret of Faye's childhood, and she learns that Jack is no longer locked behind bars, Faye has no choice but to return to Stockholm. Not only does she have to fight again to keep her family safe, but now, at long last, she is forced to face the truth about her past.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In this bold, mesmerizing story of seduction, deceit, and female power, a woman's secret cannot stay buried forever.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #660000;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Silver Tears</i> is the second book in a two book series. You can check out out what I said about the first book, <i>The Golden Cage</i> <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-golden-cage-fayes-revenge-1-by.html">here</a>.</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000;">I must confess that I quick/fast read<i> Silver Tears</i> as I just wanted to see how the story progress and ends. I got tired of how trashy Camilia Lackberg writes in these two books. Totally very different from the earlier titles that I read. If I had started with these two titles in reading what she road, I would not have read the Erika and Patrik Series which were very good.</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000;"><i>Sliver Tears </i>ended with a potential for book 3 but I think we should all just leave Faye alone to get on with her life. Even if there's a third book, I dont think I would be keen to read it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #660000;"><br /></span></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-34822240887025689612022-08-29T08:29:00.027+08:002022-08-29T08:29:00.190+08:00Traveling in August 2022<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vEEOQrO3Tu6EbIfhYutW_YYiWz-3y4MhjyAbflslCXsXiZtmidP8kUcbit-25J8okOBC5-Q2JsuJiOGqgdrr9OTUPz9Sq2uoXzT9a8Op5sdFMSjjhX36mFvSuVnKUtmhWbZmQ1vyzbNgcuj7Hyer_fmNV9AWPwbDkQX6FSFVj8h28iMIUqR3Gnrh1g/s517/ak.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="517" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8vEEOQrO3Tu6EbIfhYutW_YYiWz-3y4MhjyAbflslCXsXiZtmidP8kUcbit-25J8okOBC5-Q2JsuJiOGqgdrr9OTUPz9Sq2uoXzT9a8Op5sdFMSjjhX36mFvSuVnKUtmhWbZmQ1vyzbNgcuj7Hyer_fmNV9AWPwbDkQX6FSFVj8h28iMIUqR3Gnrh1g/w320-h303/ak.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I will be travelling again the next couple of days.</p><p>This would be the 4th trip that I am making this year. The first two trips were personal travel and the third trip was work related which I shared about <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2022/06/work-travel-1-may-2022.html">here</a>.</p><p>These are all travel to the capital city although I was at different part of the city each time.</p><p>This time round, it's yet another personal travel to meet up with a family member and I am looking forward to the quality time together as well places we have planned to visit.</p><p>I haven't decide which book i will bring along with me. As usual, I will bring a title. There are times when I would have selected a title by now but there are times when it will be a last minute selection. this time round, it seems that it will be a last minute selection. Let's just wait and see.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-29650230718035310052022-08-23T08:23:00.042+08:002022-08-23T08:23:00.178+08:00The Golden Cage (Faye's Revenge #1) by Camilla Lackberg<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dCfKFpYRKDgajOMlJkgkEWuS8UPyuXnAhIc-k4-Omjya3hSpqKqTOleX-6M75QCcPmBzDarOVJJKQvdvhDbfAfFYQGElV4cisyYTgF9gopgudWa1XlBpVgJI_PeF9ymjnrkdLq8Udrfzh91we5ohZXMBAYApGdxwfyE0hQ69uqG0D7UbiKmCZY7JQg/s465/gc.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2dCfKFpYRKDgajOMlJkgkEWuS8UPyuXnAhIc-k4-Omjya3hSpqKqTOleX-6M75QCcPmBzDarOVJJKQvdvhDbfAfFYQGElV4cisyYTgF9gopgudWa1XlBpVgJI_PeF9ymjnrkdLq8Udrfzh91we5ohZXMBAYApGdxwfyE0hQ69uqG0D7UbiKmCZY7JQg/w274-h400/gc.jpg" width="274" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><span id="freeText8264169887835582601" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Faye has loved Jack since they were students at business school. Jack, the perpetual golden boy, grew up wealthy, unlike Faye, who has worked hard to bury a dark past. When Jack needs help launching a new company, Faye leaves school to support him, waitressing by day and working as his strategist by night. With the business soaring, Faye and Jack have a baby, and Faye finds herself at home, caring for their daughter, wealthier than she ever imagined, but more and more removed from the excitement of the business world. And none of the perks of wealth make up for the fact that Jack has begun to treat her coldly, undermining her intelligence and forgetting all she sacrificed for his success. </i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>When Faye discovers that he's having an affair, the polished facade of their life cracks wide open. Faye is alone, emotionally shattered, and financially devastated--but hell hath no fury like a woman with a violent past bent on vengeance. Jack is about to get exactly what he deserves--and so much more. </i></span></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In this splashy, electrifying story of sex, betrayal, and secrets, a woman's revenge is a brutal but beautiful thing.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;">Camilla Lackberg to me, is one great author. I like the way she writes and also the plot and storyline were always unique and different. I especially loved the <i>Fjallbacka Series</i> that features husband and wife, Patrik and Erica. I have read all the titles in that series and you can check out my review in my previous posts <i>(just go to List of Authors page, click C and look for Camilla Lackberg and the revews on the Fjallbacka Series would be there)</i></span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;">However, <i>The Golden Cage</i> is very different from <i>The Fjallbacka Series</i>. While Erica might be nice and kind and helpful and all things nice, Faye is the total opposite. I wasn't really expecting that when I started this title. <i>The Golden Cage</i> was also more 'trashy' in everything possible and there's a few x-rated scene. Again, wasn't expecting that.</span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;">However, as I read along, I was guessing how the storyline would progress and I am happy to share that I wasn't wrong. It went exactly the route I predicted it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;">Honestly, I dont like it as much as the <i>Fjallbacka Series </i>but I was quite happy to read <i>The Golden Cage</i> just to read and experience the way Camilla Lackberg write.</span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;">Books two is entitled <i>Silver Tears</i>. I will certainly check it out.</span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #7f6000;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-14698284534539115792022-08-18T08:18:00.032+08:002022-08-18T09:49:16.089+08:00True Blue by David Baldacci<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TmYfcxtlABV8WbY0zvtN-XoPv8pCprgmEKqPytibNraeepfJzld5zyfXquwIX4wQ57n12ujOzI43HVZ5UFt7idRX2oEmXxWlxk9bdICQf24K-SL8lZp_vIyOYOtBkixdcxE11lTxQvidInecd1AnylSPnUg5fUmQAPaGhUHYIPVR6yr-G4HEx31kbQ/s701/db.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1TmYfcxtlABV8WbY0zvtN-XoPv8pCprgmEKqPytibNraeepfJzld5zyfXquwIX4wQ57n12ujOzI43HVZ5UFt7idRX2oEmXxWlxk9bdICQf24K-SL8lZp_vIyOYOtBkixdcxE11lTxQvidInecd1AnylSPnUg5fUmQAPaGhUHYIPVR6yr-G4HEx31kbQ/w300-h400/db.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Mason "Mace" Perry was a firebrand cop on the D.C. police force until she was kidnapped and framed for a crime. She lost everything: her badge, her career, her freedom--and spent two years in prison. Now she's back on the outside and focused on one mission: to be a cop once more. Her only shot to be a true blue again is to solve a major case on her own, and prove she has the right to wear the uniform. Even with her police chief sister on her side, she has to work in the shadows: a vindictive U.S. attorney is looking for any reason to send Mace back behind bars. Then Roy Kingman enters her life.</i></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>Roy is a young lawyer who aided the poor until he took a high-paying job at a law firm in Washington. Mace and Roy meet after he discovers the dead body of a female partner at the firm. As they investigate the death, they start uncovering surprising secrets.</i></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px; margin: 18px 0px; padding: 0px;"><i>Soon, what began as a fairly routine homicide takes a terrifying and unexpected turn . . . into something complex, diabolical, and possibly lethal.</i></p><p><span style="color: #073763;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">I just finished reading <i>True Blue</i>. It's one of the few copies of David Baldacci titles that's been on my shelf for years. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">While I really like <i>The Camel Club Series</i> by David Baldacci, I quite like his other stand alone titles or other titles that features other characters too. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;"><i>True Blue</i> isn't too bad. The characters were not too likable but then they are not too unlikable as well. The plot and storyline wasn't that original and unique but they are not too bad either. Compared to some of the author's title, this rank quite in the middle of likability factor. </span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">Basically it's just a so- so title and I am glad it's not off my TBR shelf.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-90247735893081470822022-08-12T08:12:00.004+08:002022-08-12T08:12:00.168+08:00The Midnight Library by Matt Haig<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1VTiFxRwge8etY-kPGa5AzVwOJPzLO7eqTumGQbYyBR55ZGskrmKxvyi-5KKphISO5hSJMSn4ILkApLxVOQTsacz44skTyCG23PUg_pIAkORWYTg3Y3vcAztfUzTiaVswgTpTpR8gGA-ZyN5aSNpRy8jtSipPgzQ2GV0MiACAwyqUJIUpK97ZMf4lA/s475/midnightlibrary.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjW1VTiFxRwge8etY-kPGa5AzVwOJPzLO7eqTumGQbYyBR55ZGskrmKxvyi-5KKphISO5hSJMSn4ILkApLxVOQTsacz44skTyCG23PUg_pIAkORWYTg3Y3vcAztfUzTiaVswgTpTpR8gGA-ZyN5aSNpRy8jtSipPgzQ2GV0MiACAwyqUJIUpK97ZMf4lA/w268-h400/midnightlibrary.JPG" width="268" /></a></div><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Between life and death there is a library, and within that library, the shelves go on forever. Every book provides a chance to try another life you could have lived. To see how things would be if you had made other choices . . . Would you have done anything different, if you had the chance to undo your regrets?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">A dazzling novel about all the choices that go into a life well lived, from the internationally bestselling author of </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Reasons to Stay Alive</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">How To Stop Time</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. While we all wonder how our lives might have been, what if you had the chance to go to the library and see for yourself? Would any of these other lives truly be better?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">In </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">The Midnight Library</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">, Matt Haig’s enchanting new novel, Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place</span></i></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">I have started to pick up reading again. I have not entirely stopped but I have slowed down considerably. However, towards mid of last month, my reading pattern evolved again and here I am trying to catch up on my reading.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">I got to know of <i>The Midnight Library</i> from someone's inta-story. I searched for it and managed to get a pdf copy and here I am, completing it just a week into reading. It's quite a short book with less than 300 pages long but the content is rather captivating.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">Nora Seed had the opportunity to try out her many lives. This brings much interesting thoughts as in would I want to try out my many other lives that I might have lived based on the decisions I made throughout my life time. Small decisions big decisions are all decisions that can just affect the road of life that we are on. </span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i> The Midnight Library</i> is not a self help book. I am not sure what genre would I call it but I certainly enjoyed it. As such, I do recommend it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">Would you want to have your own Midnight Library?</span></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-12636726146590598832022-07-05T07:05:00.003+08:002022-07-05T10:51:54.634+08:00The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFkjASe9bb6Nssg0Ldz1yB0H1gkyZ0TL1xhyFC4yABkfzGGp3zeSXo7ifUQrBIHeNSWRRHclzVBULl1aoSGDtR1jwY8eJwVytJV9VgetVhaimy2g8D-4-m49SziAv6xyJv_JbiXRNwRZVWK1kRiO3FV-sVDqjkG4aALa7D8WE-s4VWhki9Rm6_ymh8w/s701/fac.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="701" data-original-width="526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkFkjASe9bb6Nssg0Ldz1yB0H1gkyZ0TL1xhyFC4yABkfzGGp3zeSXo7ifUQrBIHeNSWRRHclzVBULl1aoSGDtR1jwY8eJwVytJV9VgetVhaimy2g8D-4-m49SziAv6xyJv_JbiXRNwRZVWK1kRiO3FV-sVDqjkG4aALa7D8WE-s4VWhki9Rm6_ymh8w/w300-h400/fac.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><span style="font-family: times;"><i><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">The Harmony Silk Factory </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">traces the story of textile merchant Johnny Lim, a Chinese peasant living in British Malaya in the first half of the twentieth century. Johnny's factory is the most impressive structure in the region, and to the inhabitants of the Kinta Valley Johnny is a hero—a Communist who fought the Japanese when they invaded, ready to sacrifice his life for the welfare of his people. But to his son, Jasper, Johnny is a crook and a collaborator who betrayed the very people he pretended to serve, and the Harmony Silk Factory is merely a front for his father's illegal businesses. This debut novel from Tash Aw gives us an exquisitely written look into another culture at a moment of crisis.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">The Harmony Silk Factory</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> won the 2005 Whitbread First Novel Award and also made it to the 2005 Man Booker longlist</span></i></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;"><i>The Harmony Silk Factory</i> has been sitting on my shelf for years. I always wanted to save such titles for when I am really, really free to read but then it's been saved for far too long. Having heard a lot about this title and this author, I always have been rather intrigued by how the story would be like.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">Finally, a few months ago, I decided to pay <i>The Harmony Silk Factory a visit</i>. That visit took over a few months. </span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">"How was it?" you might ask.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">Honestly, I left<i> The Harmony Silk Factory</i> as perplexed as when I first visited it. The story was narrated from three perspectives. Each perspective left me as confused as the next one. I wasn't really sure what to make out of it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">I am sure it's well written. Perhaps I am too impatient to wanting to complete it rather quickly and thus wasn't able to fully appreciate what it has to offer.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">At the end of the day, there's no different if I visited or not, <i>The Harmony Silk Factory</i> at all. </span></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-46425950303798315862022-06-08T06:08:00.005+08:002022-06-08T06:08:00.206+08:00Work Travel #1 May 2022<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WCHo3_sRQSBRaEY_USc7MV52tYbJQ8PjnTmbcKoPVXVr4e9NCPy3eEslj43mg00awjN4oNJYy0uZrNYLYJb7yJCZnAUMjkD_YYpOz1L0I3te_L3dcyfWRrini8o2eSpb888Ph3t4Sei9nUwV5A2b13SGok73lyKzpjqVRFp-T2qRWCI0R9gs0tzVJw/s1156/pokok.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1156" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7WCHo3_sRQSBRaEY_USc7MV52tYbJQ8PjnTmbcKoPVXVr4e9NCPy3eEslj43mg00awjN4oNJYy0uZrNYLYJb7yJCZnAUMjkD_YYpOz1L0I3te_L3dcyfWRrini8o2eSpb888Ph3t4Sei9nUwV5A2b13SGok73lyKzpjqVRFp-T2qRWCI0R9gs0tzVJw/w400-h300/pokok.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A hangout place called Pokok</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I just want to have it on record that I traveled for work for the first time in years recently. It was a 5 days trip that brought me to new places in Klang Valley. At the same time, I was able to visit my old hunting ground in PJ so it was a good trip.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltY3wsx9owwY3KD6KFdUZ2bRPvveQTH1ezAWg-32bMgmdJrr2Q6fsvMXV4wfQsqlfi3LBaX7X9kra45T9mLzlxAioFNcvYZhv3AVBrvGrjF0mBr60Ow-RaDdegSJNyHRPbNSEyhhMUET1Zv-1c1jso1xZvnY02if0C9b0CYxE-Zx1ItHkahCRsdcdgA/s1152/PJ1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="930" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgltY3wsx9owwY3KD6KFdUZ2bRPvveQTH1ezAWg-32bMgmdJrr2Q6fsvMXV4wfQsqlfi3LBaX7X9kra45T9mLzlxAioFNcvYZhv3AVBrvGrjF0mBr60Ow-RaDdegSJNyHRPbNSEyhhMUET1Zv-1c1jso1xZvnY02if0C9b0CYxE-Zx1ItHkahCRsdcdgA/w323-h400/PJ1.jpg" width="323" /></a></div><br /><p>While I was there, I visited a place called Mahsa Avenue for the well-known hangout Pokok but at the same time, I found a little bookshop selling pre-loved books that totally does not have any one manning the shop.</p><p>Located on level 2 of Urban Living in Mahsa Avenue, the shop is operated by PJ Preloved House, they termed it a self-service preloved bookshop and it opens from 10 am to 9 pm.</p><p>Each book is only RM5.00. What you do, is you go in, browse through their collection of novels, etc, choose the books that you want, and payment is cashless, either via e-wallet or bank transfer. The instructions are very clear. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nqxLe_kzMWW_fgGTpUy1GU5bR5o5PACx3YIaQw99K9-KE1xoHvqlNJNwH09gZ2rS-4Yatws1mHJfwojqvRtC9jp4_3VVWLYvBis8l88qbJKLXaM4v7LnMNYEs4HNCR9SvnGVT3e4p49fECveUF7F02BvK8FCtnV0Cvnw62Th4LYHeUJOWhX0A_FHlg/s1156/pj2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="867" data-original-width="1156" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1nqxLe_kzMWW_fgGTpUy1GU5bR5o5PACx3YIaQw99K9-KE1xoHvqlNJNwH09gZ2rS-4Yatws1mHJfwojqvRtC9jp4_3VVWLYvBis8l88qbJKLXaM4v7LnMNYEs4HNCR9SvnGVT3e4p49fECveUF7F02BvK8FCtnV0Cvnw62Th4LYHeUJOWhX0A_FHlg/w400-h300/pj2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I went in, browsed through but I couldn't find any titles to bring home with me. I would want to go again in future.</p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-17537906899080110232022-04-24T16:24:00.012+08:002022-04-24T16:24:00.183+08:00Self Incrimination by Randy Singer<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWyDD8OZO1xJaAw4j_FDxfYI7q7iPHjMHRVLxpERZNvClfwiqw3koz7fnG_6WpANmj4gPM94xD5Ev4Gnl-RiXvHM-V9am07nZFxra_xw4jb08dCQBWt93IqCku--NsgKXAd_-E2ap7uvtaJLkJeZ8YyRlCEczNDzWVfOlu9DmN-OvY0MImoo5_C8bjg/s2048/Self.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWyDD8OZO1xJaAw4j_FDxfYI7q7iPHjMHRVLxpERZNvClfwiqw3koz7fnG_6WpANmj4gPM94xD5Ev4Gnl-RiXvHM-V9am07nZFxra_xw4jb08dCQBWt93IqCku--NsgKXAd_-E2ap7uvtaJLkJeZ8YyRlCEczNDzWVfOlu9DmN-OvY0MImoo5_C8bjg/w300-h400/Self.jpg" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i>When Murder Is the Only Option…</i></span></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: times;"><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Tara Bannister's abusive stepfather finally pushed her too far. To save herself she </span><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">had</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;"> to kill him. Or did she? As Tara's self-defense claim crumbles, attorney Leslie Conners must overcome more than first trial jitters to mount a credible defense. Leslie must save Tara’s life...against her client’s will.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600;">Can a Lawyer Save a Client from Herself?</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">Defense attorneys expect to catch their clients lying. It’s part of the game. But nothing in law school prepared Leslie for this. Tara’s confession doesn’t add up, and the reason may be more shocking than the crime itself.</span><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><br style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #1e1915; font-size: 16px;">In the midst of this taxing case, Leslie’s wedding plans to law partner Brad Carson are interrupted by devastating news: she suffers from a dangerous rare heart condition. Does she dare tell Brad? Before the final gavel falls, Leslie must confront the truth about herself and her mysterious client, or the darkness of the past will swallow them both.</span></i></span></p><p><br /></p><p>This is what I say :</p><p>This title took me two months to complete. I really hope I would be much quicker in my reading in weeks and months to come. Two months is just too long.</p><p><i>Self Incrimination</i> is not too bad a title. It wasn't really that fantastic but was ok. There's a Christian message in the book which would be it's saving grace.</p><p>I have another title by Randy Singer so I will be checking it out soon. I just hope it won't take me two months to read that title.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-48956742879724731592022-04-20T04:20:00.001+08:002022-04-20T04:20:00.182+08:00Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2UU2zQgxtx7Z8SxGsKxtOwK_bta2ZlhoB1fDbZNEORtd4-B7XiG1ouVS3bASyAShPsQYuBxVmgjo941jhUPpzKypq5CKrzFKukjombgHQ6hotgmiPPG7yW2V-AmcHDqSosusRnK4WkhKFt33SDlYZzZBry5AXQ_I_-fcgrymCL09P-BDiyxuE9tx1w/s604/lj.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="604" data-original-width="468" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2UU2zQgxtx7Z8SxGsKxtOwK_bta2ZlhoB1fDbZNEORtd4-B7XiG1ouVS3bASyAShPsQYuBxVmgjo941jhUPpzKypq5CKrzFKukjombgHQ6hotgmiPPG7yW2V-AmcHDqSosusRnK4WkhKFt33SDlYZzZBry5AXQ_I_-fcgrymCL09P-BDiyxuE9tx1w/w310-h400/lj.JPG" width="310" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">THEN</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">She was fifteen, her mother's golden girl. She had her whole life ahead of her. And then, in the blink of an eye, Ellie was gone.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">NOW</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">It’s been ten years since Ellie disappeared, but Laurel has never given up hope of finding her daughter.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">And then one day a charming and charismatic stranger called Floyd walks into a café and sweeps Laurel off her feet.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Before too long she’s staying the night at this house and being introduced to his nine year old daughter.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Poppy is precocious and pretty - and meeting her completely takes Laurel's breath away.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Because Poppy is the spitting image of Ellie when she was that age. And now all those unanswered questions that have haunted Laurel come flooding back.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">What happened to Ellie? Where did she go?</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Who still has secrets to hide?</span></i></p><p><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;">This is What I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;">I thought I have read this title before but it turns out I have not. For me, whatever it may be, titles on children who went missing are very difficult to read. This was no different.</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;"><i>Then She Was Gone </i>was very sad in its on way. There were a couple of twist as well. At the end, there were loopholes in the plot but having said all that, it was a readable title.</span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;">I guess one of the factor is the interest to know what happened to Ellie and what happened to her was very unfortunate and very sad. </span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-37631052016369153342022-04-02T04:02:00.034+08:002022-04-02T04:02:00.190+08:00Divine Justice by David Baldacci<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx6YgrsBra1Zvgyf2lZTzwSPRhkcv-uJK_3a2iWaC6-tZ1m-rOCR0Py1I8pdTUA26FXr6iNuXBZIK1VpeS9XVW7RjR4dLz1evHlqEuWzH3lC0jBFz73iK-be5Lw_Vb7o87XFrGpxuHvHDNXXlYhuemQ1YW9QlIhILC2eGeSdxbS486o-aabq8_kTiOw/s474/DJ.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="474" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEx6YgrsBra1Zvgyf2lZTzwSPRhkcv-uJK_3a2iWaC6-tZ1m-rOCR0Py1I8pdTUA26FXr6iNuXBZIK1VpeS9XVW7RjR4dLz1evHlqEuWzH3lC0jBFz73iK-be5Lw_Vb7o87XFrGpxuHvHDNXXlYhuemQ1YW9QlIhILC2eGeSdxbS486o-aabq8_kTiOw/w269-h400/DJ.JPG" width="269" /></a></div><br /><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Oliver Stone is the most wanted man in America.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">No, not the maverick filmmaker Oliver Stone but the covert agent whose real name is John Carr. Men in the highest circles of power want him dead, and quickly, because he knows too many of their deepest secrets.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">On the other hand, the members of the secretive Camel Club not only want Stone alive, but they are willing to risk their own lives to save their leader and friend. Get ready for a David Baldacci thriller with relentless intensity, a perfect follow-up to his acclaimed "Stone Cold" - Camel Club #3.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">We begin with Oliver Stone taking drastic action to deal with individuals who have imposed injustices on him in his past life. He soon resorts to necessary flight and lands accidently in Divine, Virginia with a new young friend, Danny Riker. It's a strange place, fraught with secrets, criminal activities, and so much danger for Stone.</span></i></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I only read two books last month. Both books are by David Baldacci. I have just started on the following title in the universe of Oliver Stone aka John Carr.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I still have a title by another author that I am half way through. I am very slow in my reading nowadays. Better slow than totally not reading at all I guess.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><i>Divine Justice</i> is the forth title in the universe of stories that features characters from what is know as the Camel Club. One of the characters died in the previous titles. The author kept certain characters from previous titles in this one and that makes it more interesting. </span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">I read this immediately after reading <i><a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2022/03/stone-cold-by-david-baldacci.html">Stone Cold</a></i> and yes, <i>Divine Justice</i> is a very captivating thriller. Perhaps the coincidence is a bit too unrealistic but this is fiction anyway.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;">The next title which I think is the final title in this universe is entitled <i>Hell's Corner</i> and I can't wait to read it.</span></p><p><span style="color: #800180;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-68164217150160665372022-03-17T03:17:00.003+08:002022-03-18T14:23:13.747+08:00Stone Cold by David Baldacci<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS3qR0cQfDR6x25cuXlPRVP7P5P1PErhMXDGHzlPr4Jq1tmU5ewIuQ31kkGw7g4bBSUwb_mYYoqz0-PQVbA0hblLVxB-3AyLvo1fM5CaV_V7hvf8NdIg8bB3WJUBVxarW3HahTf2R6SoQpyKaZ_BTOKMi1dUMFkH33CRrXRQNAA6SwiSe9nNfiV79vkQ=s462" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="462" data-original-width="318" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjS3qR0cQfDR6x25cuXlPRVP7P5P1PErhMXDGHzlPr4Jq1tmU5ewIuQ31kkGw7g4bBSUwb_mYYoqz0-PQVbA0hblLVxB-3AyLvo1fM5CaV_V7hvf8NdIg8bB3WJUBVxarW3HahTf2R6SoQpyKaZ_BTOKMi1dUMFkH33CRrXRQNAA6SwiSe9nNfiV79vkQ=w275-h400" width="275" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>The #1 bestselling author of "The Collectors" and "The Camel Club" returns with STONE COLD, number 3 in the series. It's an unforgettable novel of revenge, conspiracy, and murder that brings the band of unlikely heroes face-to-face with their greatest threat.</i></span></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Oliver Stone, the leader of the mysterious group that calls itself the Camel Club, is both feared and respected by those who've crossed his path. Keeping a vigilant watch over our leaders in Washington D.C., the club has won some allies, but it has also earned formidable enemies-including those in power who will do anything to prevent Stone and his friends from uncovering some of the hidden, secret work of the government.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Annabelle Conroy, an honorary member of the Camel Club, is also the greatest con artist of her generation. She has swindled more than forty million dollars from casino king Jerry Bagger, the man who murdered her mother. Now he's hot on her trail with only one goal in mind: Annabelle's death. But as Stone and the Camel Club circle the wagons to protect Annabelle, a new opponent, who makes Bagger's menace pale by comparison, suddenly arises.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">One by one, men from Stone's shadowy past are turning up dead. Behind this slaughter stands one man: Harry Finn. To almost all who know him, Finn is a doting father and loving husband who uses his skills behind the scenes to keep our nation safe. But the other face of Harry Finn is that of an unstoppable killer who inevitably sets his lethal bull's-eye on Oliver Stone. And with Finn, Stone may well have met his match.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">As Annabelle and the Camel Club fight for their lives, the twists and turns whipsaw. It leads to a finale that is as explosive as it is shattering. When buried secrets are at last violently resurrected, the members of the Camel Club left standing will be changed forever. With unrelenting pacing, stunning reversals, and two of the most compelling characters in modern fiction, STONE COLD is Baldacci at his breathtaking best.</span></i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">This is what I say :</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>Stone Cold</i> is the third book in the series of titles that features the same group of characters. The stories are all stand alone but they are all very good.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Like the previous two titles, I enjoyed <i>Stone Cold</i> tremendously. The characters are enchanting and the plot and story line and flow are just right. There are actually two unrelated plot in the book but I think the plot fits each other quite well. The story with Annabelle ended quite suddenly and rather abruptly and she is kinda lost in the Oliver Stone story and became rather insignificant at the end. </span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Anyway, all in all <i>Stone Cold</i> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">is a great read. I am looking forward to the forth title</span><i style="color: #38761d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> Divine Justice</i><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> which I have in my collection and which I shall be reading super soon.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #38761d; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-75852627403012015502022-02-01T02:01:00.046+08:002022-02-07T10:12:50.792+08:00 Happy Tiger New Year 2022 <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx3gT8hsnLpCbA5em9d4YWj-BieEERTl3jN6EtzcN9HDk9eWCG7BZwiI7Ax2c1aJxPXZkyCGI1eseSG8x8bD9GL5T1BCAwkSupUdgUlKBTxRaf2CzT4nEA_QUsJSGq_0c_hraJsJzkng6hodv4ZjIklYmVm80KvATnNxXolZZBSrCZTxgG3hjtWwPN3A=s1000" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1000" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx3gT8hsnLpCbA5em9d4YWj-BieEERTl3jN6EtzcN9HDk9eWCG7BZwiI7Ax2c1aJxPXZkyCGI1eseSG8x8bD9GL5T1BCAwkSupUdgUlKBTxRaf2CzT4nEA_QUsJSGq_0c_hraJsJzkng6hodv4ZjIklYmVm80KvATnNxXolZZBSrCZTxgG3hjtWwPN3A=w400-h313" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> </span></div><p></p><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: normal;">To those celebrating, I wish you</span></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><br /><span style="color: #e69138;">HAPPY TIGER NEW YEAR</span></h1><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #990000;"><br /></span><span style="color: #990000;"><i style="font-weight: normal;">May your roar be greeted with success, prosperity </i></span><i><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: normal;">and good health this year</span></i></h1><div><i><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></i></div><h1 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #e69138;">新年快乐</span></h1><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #990000; font-weight: normal;"><br /></span></i></div><div><i><br /></i></div><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-78380055209822314762022-01-24T01:24:00.017+08:002022-01-24T01:24:00.191+08:00First Travel for 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqOMMyC3nsP65A5WRPQSf57ZIZ4UkdNKGziJ1X4M__WC9P-g1O34PADbp4pl0NiNlEnu4-n6pW3ugblsQT--GoTLg3s-_gU012itmfYShLljuzmvElOoUQlfUSoR23zjXxVJF5ZFG-s71hLRvWF289yw5e1hQ6zEXKcGhaqyxVGS4bpMAZC3wRmW-Xuw=s612" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="306" data-original-width="612" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqOMMyC3nsP65A5WRPQSf57ZIZ4UkdNKGziJ1X4M__WC9P-g1O34PADbp4pl0NiNlEnu4-n6pW3ugblsQT--GoTLg3s-_gU012itmfYShLljuzmvElOoUQlfUSoR23zjXxVJF5ZFG-s71hLRvWF289yw5e1hQ6zEXKcGhaqyxVGS4bpMAZC3wRmW-Xuw=w400-h200" width="400" /></a></div><p>Early next month, I will be going for my first travel for the year. </p><p>Like many others, travel was grounded for more than two years and the last time I flew anywhere was in Dec 2019 and it wasn't even for a holiday. I actually did a day trip to submit my research report in the capital city. After that, as you know it, the whole world went on lockdown.</p><p>I wont say much about next week's travel other than it's another important delivery but will take me a few days to get it done.</p><p>What I want to share is what I will bring along with me for this trip. As always, I must bring along something to read. Whether I really read it or not, that's another story.</p><p>As in my previous posting, I re-organise my bookshelf and have put together all the books that I wanted to read. As such, it was rather easy to walk up to the shelf and select a copy. This is what I selected. I hope I get to read it the few days I am there.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPBOQ6OVtyHPvck8oa3KZvjxb2nC_2kUuG8uns2JY5--tEkUTlVKmMDHsOH0ETLZ8AJD7OLqgh5TiytyL5IUeZc0SmSHRpkJuKa85X2ztycCGvNrZ90YdO6OTuJQjUGlITmHhvip1vE00d7Gfyc3G0VvW1L9OqCffLK7SKRKzEjgGkQtgQgETEsS1jaw=s1124" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhPBOQ6OVtyHPvck8oa3KZvjxb2nC_2kUuG8uns2JY5--tEkUTlVKmMDHsOH0ETLZ8AJD7OLqgh5TiytyL5IUeZc0SmSHRpkJuKa85X2ztycCGvNrZ90YdO6OTuJQjUGlITmHhvip1vE00d7Gfyc3G0VvW1L9OqCffLK7SKRKzEjgGkQtgQgETEsS1jaw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p>Don't know why I decided on this title. I just did. </p><p>In the meantime, today is a rather special day....be happy. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhys6kBZSAPkYL07EKP0jdiE-X3ixSRVHecp9mva1JVpvufoiCKwpu_Mf_L1smBCEJD2YkTvPdj1vNhFzg50PyGi5LY1FGXF-F8GTzLy55X6FIDjFQPs-w0C5izWm8kja7FNSvLMnqTEZlazq8ss_jM_MsakiYRml0za3dwAWxoaiu8o4O8sddeY9gmqA=s230" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="219" data-original-width="230" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhys6kBZSAPkYL07EKP0jdiE-X3ixSRVHecp9mva1JVpvufoiCKwpu_Mf_L1smBCEJD2YkTvPdj1vNhFzg50PyGi5LY1FGXF-F8GTzLy55X6FIDjFQPs-w0C5izWm8kja7FNSvLMnqTEZlazq8ss_jM_MsakiYRml0za3dwAWxoaiu8o4O8sddeY9gmqA" width="230" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><i><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /><br /><br />Both images (above and below) taken from web. Credit to the creator</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUzqgolwOIdW7P7X3O9GYpYykdUZlbR16pT5G2z7KNWyQeHbHkLwd70WarxpIpsRcRShOo5uleSdJcHCJzYmSbjxZDngcd0xvC5s9WECb4jNNqbRCQYRFwlrlGm_iD9PFHEfBDnEv4Dd1rF8hlYG3CSa8ITnlI2N0gB8-EcXsgFhxaY3SH_HEXUkIRSw=s1089" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1089" height="185" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgUzqgolwOIdW7P7X3O9GYpYykdUZlbR16pT5G2z7KNWyQeHbHkLwd70WarxpIpsRcRShOo5uleSdJcHCJzYmSbjxZDngcd0xvC5s9WECb4jNNqbRCQYRFwlrlGm_iD9PFHEfBDnEv4Dd1rF8hlYG3CSa8ITnlI2N0gB8-EcXsgFhxaY3SH_HEXUkIRSw=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-86133925487521809652022-01-14T01:14:00.053+08:002022-01-14T01:14:00.184+08:00Showcasing my bookshelves<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1sRG1p3bk_yK-5BTpFGnw_uceQBOAI3o6upQHxYDZmTIM91GgDD5CUkxmH68cJUciQuAc-bTgg0FW0JHZijwapSLWqUbuEhWFC1hIMNC7ae0MJKeG-Jw6EC9MiBfxV-vDeHTdUuBRpDjVMex0ddqC1bmjoAuNiBDkj5llxB3irwvJsfEEpL6Ka0zltg=s1040" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1040" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg1sRG1p3bk_yK-5BTpFGnw_uceQBOAI3o6upQHxYDZmTIM91GgDD5CUkxmH68cJUciQuAc-bTgg0FW0JHZijwapSLWqUbuEhWFC1hIMNC7ae0MJKeG-Jw6EC9MiBfxV-vDeHTdUuBRpDjVMex0ddqC1bmjoAuNiBDkj5llxB3irwvJsfEEpL6Ka0zltg=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I thought I show you guys my newly arranged bookshelves. They might not look the same a few weeks or months down the road as I put in new books and take out old ones to read.</p><p>I am actually trying to downsize my collection so while re-organising them, at the same time, I tried to only keep what I really want to keep.</p><p>I do not acutally arrange them in any order but I try to keep those in series together. for the odd ones what are not a series of a few titles, I try to keep those in similar sizes together.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKtfkoHbTu_gKuuUIzMAj_QCLrhe83ICFMxA-JGp0RSZQX_4IxzVJYu9uDxw8lmoD_C3mgyzd9DrwC0gyQwxuCa57asjkZW9eh7DfvQkbTf0R_kylx4r5YLREvozKUCnPUd-2B3UToYCyugEA3oilij3mUUcLmSP2-oAehk1cvOOvA0tEhNm9DLWYr0g=s1040" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1040" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKtfkoHbTu_gKuuUIzMAj_QCLrhe83ICFMxA-JGp0RSZQX_4IxzVJYu9uDxw8lmoD_C3mgyzd9DrwC0gyQwxuCa57asjkZW9eh7DfvQkbTf0R_kylx4r5YLREvozKUCnPUd-2B3UToYCyugEA3oilij3mUUcLmSP2-oAehk1cvOOvA0tEhNm9DLWYr0g=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>I actually have a few shelves but let's just focus on one for now as like I say I am trying to downsize so the aim is to just end up with one shelf. It seems like it's a rather difficult thing to do but I think I can do it.</p><p>And yes, the books are all in doubles. This is a very good wooden shelf so the wood do not sag and are able to take the weight of the books.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbgRvxfHF6t3KCyCI0knWaDZpwRzQ_PONWKwaXQy7nkH92LLNKajouPkk4CZFhTzKsfuY3xMlSrEM3c2eqf9yjClNDTkpQ5dzuepIim2M8bllGPtMQLlC-77xoxmqIVwTH5PHVzCZQnEBpM3q9Vnhews1o6Q7QJrSG8MnbMVgqoNNV_ulwMWuOWhsQ4Q=s1040" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1040" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgbgRvxfHF6t3KCyCI0knWaDZpwRzQ_PONWKwaXQy7nkH92LLNKajouPkk4CZFhTzKsfuY3xMlSrEM3c2eqf9yjClNDTkpQ5dzuepIim2M8bllGPtMQLlC-77xoxmqIVwTH5PHVzCZQnEBpM3q9Vnhews1o6Q7QJrSG8MnbMVgqoNNV_ulwMWuOWhsQ4Q=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>This is one of the 'inside' layer and these are my favourite chic lite collection. Really love all these titles.</p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhECjSfrz4_VNcKTizXOEMiLVS5XYZpaTao6EFSHPXboyX3gL75-MIkMrbl39qzNe1ZdPWTyLpFszjD7XNASk62UA8iTPeKj0hPbfxXL6O02b7MXi_eu9SWV28ZUlxBudY4vxWDysN_bdSdteVstZpMflbr3uGJg1YYlolPU1oVEHwVMdkj5CW1rzHkXw=s1040" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1040" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhECjSfrz4_VNcKTizXOEMiLVS5XYZpaTao6EFSHPXboyX3gL75-MIkMrbl39qzNe1ZdPWTyLpFszjD7XNASk62UA8iTPeKj0hPbfxXL6O02b7MXi_eu9SWV28ZUlxBudY4vxWDysN_bdSdteVstZpMflbr3uGJg1YYlolPU1oVEHwVMdkj5CW1rzHkXw=w400-h300" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p>And these are my Chicken Soup collection. I actually wanted to add on to these but I kinda force myself to stop.</p><p>So, that's it. Part of my shelves. You can see some of what I collected but not all. Nothing fantastic actually. Perhaps I will do a more thorough sharing next round.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-12678323729552562722022-01-08T01:08:00.036+08:002022-01-08T01:08:00.181+08:00The Burden by Mary Westmacott (Agatha Christie)<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmuxWgwyv49WrRDNkrdK-ocXOB44RbnnNt_JVuy7YvBiKj8BDgPodOPRIRDJI5Lk9JYG7aseiK7jCWdGxdtP1X7NvjKmmoMvIiCnLQDmTdNm8QtZpw4ICUy8gB08woSaZ9gxIGUXJuvhpSjTp_0hVeblk7CplWeI68DZ40PNV5vitZYoweeLP7FW9XRA=s400" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="249" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjmuxWgwyv49WrRDNkrdK-ocXOB44RbnnNt_JVuy7YvBiKj8BDgPodOPRIRDJI5Lk9JYG7aseiK7jCWdGxdtP1X7NvjKmmoMvIiCnLQDmTdNm8QtZpw4ICUy8gB08woSaZ9gxIGUXJuvhpSjTp_0hVeblk7CplWeI68DZ40PNV5vitZYoweeLP7FW9XRA=w249-h400" width="249" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Laura Franklin bitterly resented the arrival of her younger sister Shirley, an enchanting baby loved by all the family. But Laura's emotions towards her sister changed dramatically one night, when she vowed to protect her with all her strength and love. </i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>While young Shirley longs for freedom and romance, Laura has to learn that loving can never be a one-sided affair, and the burden of her love for her sister has a dramatic effect on both their lives. For too long she had stayed quietly in the background of her stunning sister. </i></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"><i>Now there was a man that knew that Laura could love as passionately as her beutiful sister - if only she were given the chance. A story of consequences when love turns to obsession….</i></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">This would be the first title that I read in year 2022. I read it in a sudden act impulsiveness when I saw a copy of this title for sales in a second hand book site and immediately began searching for an online copy and found it almost immediately too.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">I was a fan of what Agatha Christie wrote since I was much younger but I never came across this title. Subsequently I realised that it's a title she wrote under a pen name.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;">Anyway, I read <i>The Burden</i> over the new year weekend. It was a rather strange and bizarre tale and I can't say I like but but yet at the same time I was rather drawn to it. There wasn't any twist in the storyline. There wasn't any crime to investigate although there can be an almost crime. It's not what I would expect from an Agatha Christie's tale.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0b5394;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-42273522016303528452022-01-02T01:02:00.004+08:002022-01-02T01:02:00.200+08:00Happy New Year 2022<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1LcTjFAHlZfhO1sD6EaEXEyHh6WXF57YK8pJjsuLmfBH0DOrWd0W-kfVJEPOPYXwxHfE42NFu1FXl2Ky0Zy2Tsn9XZrqE6_XQi4c1Uq0o239i_59H5Jarq5Dpka6PT22gcvaE5MKmy3f9oiKSJYdY42hzp-KBYzOmuTjWkyMd9qvB-4us5pCYj-LrqA=s529" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="528" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1LcTjFAHlZfhO1sD6EaEXEyHh6WXF57YK8pJjsuLmfBH0DOrWd0W-kfVJEPOPYXwxHfE42NFu1FXl2Ky0Zy2Tsn9XZrqE6_XQi4c1Uq0o239i_59H5Jarq5Dpka6PT22gcvaE5MKmy3f9oiKSJYdY42hzp-KBYzOmuTjWkyMd9qvB-4us5pCYj-LrqA=w399-h400" width="399" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-2637932071289696552021-12-31T12:30:00.055+08:002021-12-31T12:30:00.177+08:00Reflections of 2021<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPNfcfkvvSVyv8nTNuUfd8wxKn9ssT81X5wOFlwkZAGcGoNIHx1ZljMc97B6reVAJTV_d7clzPThKZyy0CcNMclsOJA1GiPDl8hsZfIeR2ZBmLGOh6M3uhWm4ai0Saub8UnS4ymZUzhxsQAUHXDyARhhxE1X6vDDiRkdvXcX0eXorMh2w-ELJwbOdjvg=s960" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiPNfcfkvvSVyv8nTNuUfd8wxKn9ssT81X5wOFlwkZAGcGoNIHx1ZljMc97B6reVAJTV_d7clzPThKZyy0CcNMclsOJA1GiPDl8hsZfIeR2ZBmLGOh6M3uhWm4ai0Saub8UnS4ymZUzhxsQAUHXDyARhhxE1X6vDDiRkdvXcX0eXorMh2w-ELJwbOdjvg=w300-h400" width="300" /></span></i></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A chandelier of pens taken in a Muji store 2 years ago</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p>How have your year been?</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>I only bought 3 books this year. <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2021/02/book-purchase-1-for-2021.html">Here</a>, <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2021/02/book-purchase-2-finally-my-harry-porter.html">here</a> and <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2021/11/book-purchase-3-for-2021.html">here</a>.</p><p>Favorite book of the year? I think it would be the three Camilia Lackberg titles. You can find them <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2021/08/buried-angels-by-camilla-lackburg.html">here</a>, <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2021/08/the-ice-child-by-camilla-lackburg.html">here</a> and <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2021/09/the-girls-in-woods-by-camilla-lackburg.html">here</a>. </p><p>On another note, I am also glad that I finally completed The <i>Throne of Glass Series</i>. It was a few years in completing it from <a href="https://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2018/11/throne-of-glass-book-1-by-sarah-j-maas.html">book 1 </a>to <a href="http://purplequeenfairyreads.blogspot.com/2021/07/kingdom-of-ash-throne-of-glass-7-by.html">book 7.</a> 3 years to be exact.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikdkqj81cVZQmizx-SXbXXf6qSX2tTxrVVyaYmluW0Nvvg4_-2EkPkQSS0elegy33MbmFjop-D3w_PI-T08ldft6Pv7-qVNZh4ax98Y2f2AYenPzEOwqXVeEEO8JT4SJxNV5FPQcrU5PRQG6IXnOZ4Kp06WvNg_uWmazgtZb-E3rSsbVr6BDO8k_d-iQ=s800" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="533" data-original-width="800" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEikdkqj81cVZQmizx-SXbXXf6qSX2tTxrVVyaYmluW0Nvvg4_-2EkPkQSS0elegy33MbmFjop-D3w_PI-T08ldft6Pv7-qVNZh4ax98Y2f2AYenPzEOwqXVeEEO8JT4SJxNV5FPQcrU5PRQG6IXnOZ4Kp06WvNg_uWmazgtZb-E3rSsbVr6BDO8k_d-iQ=w400-h266" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">image from internet. credit to the original creator.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3126756133191112486.post-80473937646099284792021-12-30T12:30:00.001+08:002021-12-30T12:30:00.172+08:00Newton's Fire by Will Adams<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5RlvGnA83Pcb_sGnjgEd_Z4zVjEO4iUtTfk-qR4fLioA9Bu_fAPqSaR92UWxLRxVuHV3EJcoxE1cVFayTUfGQfYbmCaY9vzYEoqUEihAGX1V8Q0ddmmKJk7FAp81inriUdDwIZcNUR9BdUY3qFnNgK_5nss-18zJx_BC4THBfvygNs8L_K2QzGLNdNw=s1124" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1124" data-original-width="843" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5RlvGnA83Pcb_sGnjgEd_Z4zVjEO4iUtTfk-qR4fLioA9Bu_fAPqSaR92UWxLRxVuHV3EJcoxE1cVFayTUfGQfYbmCaY9vzYEoqUEihAGX1V8Q0ddmmKJk7FAp81inriUdDwIZcNUR9BdUY3qFnNgK_5nss-18zJx_BC4THBfvygNs8L_K2QzGLNdNw=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i>Synopsis :</i></p><p><i><span id="freeText13150386161585459833" style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">A breathtaking thriller which weaves history and religion with action, adventure and apocalypse…<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />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…</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Merriweather, Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> </span></i></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">This is what I say :</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">This would be the last book I read for this year. <i>Newton's Fire</i> is a rather intriguing title. It has hints of Dan Brown ala <i>Davinci Code</i> 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.</span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">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. </span></p><p><span style="color: #b45f06;">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 <i>Newton's Fire</i>.</span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Purple Queen Fairyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15315603096008966753noreply@blogger.com0