PURPLE QUEEN FAIRY READS

I have read so many good and interesting books and discovery many new and great authors this year that it's difficult to nail down my top 3 favourites.  Anyway, I think the following would be my top 3 choices, each for different reasons and I'm glad to have read them. They are (in no particular order) : 1. Outlive your life by Max Lucado 2. Forgiven (2nd book in Firstborn Series) by Karen Kingsbury 3. Overheard in a dream by Torey Hayden. I certainly look forward to a new 2011 - lots of new books (hopefully!).  HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE AND GOD BLESS YOU!

I made my first order with BookXcess recently and here they are :)  Arrived save and sound courtesy of PosLaju Malaysia :) From L to R : 1. The Burning Girl by Mark Billingham - yet another of Mark's book.  2. Paths of Glory by Jeffery Archer - only for RM9.90. Who can resist that! 3. House by Ted Dekker - to scare myself silly! I can't wait to get started.

** Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year ** Wishing you a blessed Christmas. May your stockings be filled with lots and lots of books. Love from Purple Queen Fairy What I got for Christmas :) The Heaven Trilogy (Heaven's Wager, When Heaven Weeps, Thunder of Heaven) by Ted Dekker

I can’t believe that I read another Sophie Kinsella so soon after Shopaholic & Baby . I was at the library recently (and so far I do have good luck in the library) and what do I come across but Twenties Girl . I have been yearning for it since Chirstmas last year and was just thinking whether I should get a copy while at the bookstore recently. Lo and behold, there it was, right in front of me. All I have to do is to reach out and take it home and I can start reading it that very night. That’s exactly what I did and it took me a week to read it and I enjoyed every minute I had with the twenties girls! Synopsis : Lara Lington has always had an overactive imagination, but suddenly that imagination seems to be in overdrive. Normal professional twenty-something young women don’t get visited by ghosts. Or do they? When the spirit of Lara’s great-aunt Sadie – a feisty, demanding girl with firm ideas about fashion, love and the right way to dance – mysteriously appears, she has on...

Today, 16th December is the 235th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. The wonderful people in Google did a wonderful doodle in celebration of this annivesary.  Here you have a couple that could come from Sense and Sensibility or Pride and Perjuice , both books which I read for English Literature in High School.  I have another of her book, Mansfield Park somewhere at home. I dont read a lot of literature but if I do, Jane Austen would be the top in my choice.  Perhaps it's time to dig out Mansfield Park .

Books by Neil Gaiman - you either love them or you don’t. After a few titles from Stardust to American Gods to Coraline and Anansi Boys , I finally decided that I don’t really like what Neil Gaiman produces. His books are too bizarre for me. I first knew of Neil Gaiman from the movie Stardust which was adapted from his novel with the same name. After watching the movie, I read the book and decided that I enjoyed the movie more than the book which says a lot as I normally never like much about movie intepreted from novels.  Next, I read an e-book on American Gods when a publishers offers it for free on-line for a limited period of time. Subsequently, I was presented with Anansi Boys and here we are. Anansi Boys is about Charlie Nancy whose nickname was Fat Charlie for obvious reason and whose estranged father recently dropped dead on a karaoke stage. It was then that Fat Charlie found out that his father is actually Anansi, the trickster spider-god. Anansi is the spirit of...

POPULAR – the well known bookstores in Malaysia is having a nationwide warehouse sales. This is not the same as the sales at the bookstores but held in different venue like an exhibition hall or warehouse. I saw the notice when I was in Penang recently and when I’m back home, I saw the banner proclaiming the sales from 7 – 12 December 2010 in Permata Carpark, Kuching . The selection is quite good if you have the time to slowing look through the messy stacks of books. Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella going for 50%, books by Jeffery Archer, Dean Koontz, James Petterson, David Baldacci and lots more all going for 30% - 70% discount. Even Goodnight Nobo dy was there! I stay far away! Went there during lunch break and left with these four, all at 50% discount. 1. The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Liang  (hardcover) – the China version of No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency . 2. Lifeless by Mark Billingham (paperback) – it’s difficult to find books by Mark in the bookstores....

I love to cook and I look cooking show too so a book about cooking show is just too hard to resist. Joy Ballard is a host of her cooking show ‘Dining with Joy’ but she can’t cook. It’s a secret that only few know about and when her show is picked up by a major network and given prime time slot, it was just a matter of time before her secret is out especially since her television rival is stopping at nothing to bring her down. When Luke Redmond, a handsome, creative but jobless chef was asked to co-host with Joy on her show, Joy sees him as her way out of the secret that’s consuming her. Joy holds on to a promise from God taken from John 4:34 ‘ My food is to do the will of Him who sent me’ . By saying that my food – my substance, my reason for existence is to do God’s will, surely she can’t expect to keep her secret and continue with living the life of lies? It just doesn’t work that way. God won’t allow it because what He has for us is a life without lies. Joy found out the hard wa...

Synopsis : Cash-strapped Rosie and her boyfriend Mark are city folk longing for a tiny country cottage. Rampantly nouveaux-riches Samantha and Guy and also searching for rustic bliss – a mansion with a mile-long drive and hot and cold running gardeners. The Village of Eight Mile Bottom seems quiet enough, despite a nosy postman, a reclusive rock star, a glamorous Bond Girl and a ghost with a knife in its back. But there are unexpected thrills in the hills. The local siren seduces Guy while a farmer fatale rocks Rosie’s relationship. Then a mysterious millionaire makes an offer she can’t refuse but should she? Correction on the synopsis - Rosie‘s the one who is tired of city life and longs for life in the country. She managed to persuade boyfriend Mark who has just got his own column in the papers. However, life in the country isn’t really what they expected and it wasn’t long before things get out of hand. Likewise, beautiful has been actress (although she won’t admit it) Samant...

Synopsis : Tears of the Giraffe charts the adventures of Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s only and finest female private detective. It’s going to take all her intuition and eminent sensibility for Precious to crack her hardest case yet : the decade-old disappearance of an American on the edge of Kalahari. And if that wasn’t enough, there are plenty of matters closer to home to concern her: her highly talented secretary, Mma Makutsi, eager to be promoted to detective, the unscrupulous maid of her husband-to-be, the wonderful Mr J.L.B.Matakoni and the sudden and unexpected increase in her family by not one but two. The book is slightly bigger than the normal paperback but smaller than trade paperback so I’m not sure what it’s called at this size. At only 230+ pages, it’s an excellent book to bring when travelling as it will not take up a lot of space and weight. I quite like Tears of the Giraffe . I don’t love it but finds it very refreshing to read about another culture other than th...

Found is the third book in the Firstborn Series by Karen Kingsbury. First book is Fame and second book is Forgiven . You are advised to read the series chronologically to fully understand and appreciate the storyline. However, if you have just one book with you (any which one), you can still read it as by itself, the book is equally inspiring and the theme might just touch your heart and your soul. I was excited to read Found after having enjoyed Forgiven extensively. Found focused very much on Dayne Matthews and on the Baxter family especially John Baxter and not so much on Katy Hart. It started with Dyne finding out some bad news from his Hollywood girlfriend, Kelly which jeopardizes his relationship with Katy. A tornado that swapped across Bloomington caused some tensed moment for the Baxter family as they are all gathered at John’s house for a reunion and the book ended with Dayne meeting John for the first time and with Dayne knowing what he really wants out of l...

Synopsis : Becky’s life is blooming. She’s working at London’s newest fashion store, The Look, house-hunting with husband Luke and she’s pregnant! She couldn’t be more overjoyed especially since discovering that shopping cures morning sickness . Everything has got to be perfect for her baby – from the designer nursery, to the latest, coolest pram...to the celebrity, must-have obstetrician. But when the celebrity obstetrician turns out to be her husband Luke’s glamorous, intellectual ex-girlfriend, Becky’s perfect world starts to crumble. Welcome to Becky’s world where everything can be solved through shopping. Becky’s really well known now that she’s got her first movie which starts Isla Fisher. Will there be more? I’m not sure. In Shopaholic and Baby , things get slightly out of control for Rebecca Bloomwood nee Brandon or otherwise known as Becky. Blame it on the hormones or blame it on Becky herself but she would blame it on Luke’s ex-girlfriend, the celebrity obstetr...

Summarised Synopsis by Purple Queen Fairy : Beata Wittgenstein, the quiet Jewish beauty met the love of her life in the summer of 1915. Unfortunately he’s French and a Catholic and her parents are unable to accept him. Beata followed her heart and left the only home she keow and the two of them build a new life together amidst the 1st world war. They had a daughter soon after marriage and they named her Amadea who had her own adventure when the 2nd world war starts. From the Carmelite convent to Nazi death camps and then to the heart of the French Resistance, Amadea will feel her mother’s loving strength as the voices of lost loved ones echo powerfully in her life. From the elegant rituals of Europe’s pre-war aristocracy to the brutal desperation of Germany’s death camps, Danielle Steel draws us into a vanished world, weaving an intricate tapestry of a mother’s love, a daughter’s courage and the unwavering faith that sustained them – even in history’s darkest hour. This is my fir...

Which among you ladies (and men) have not heard of Danielle Steel? She’s one of the best known author in the world for the past 30 or more years and has more than 70 bestsellers under her belt. Even if you have not read any of her titles, a few of her books have been adapted into television series and you might have seen it one time or another. I started reading Danielle Steel in my late teens and until now I still do enjoy her books once in a while. Not too often but once in a while. I’ll explain why. I have always preferred her over other authors who churned out romances like a factory. Danielle is so talented to spin such a tale that you felt you are on a journey with the character, across time and space. To me it’s always an experience to read her tales based on historical theme. My all time favourites are Zoya , the tale of a Russian princess and The Ring about a ring that belongs to a Jewish family during the holocaust. Crossings, Jewels all set around WW2, Message from Nam ,...

Tales of Beedle The Bard is important in the final book of the Harry Potter series – Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows. With the movie adaptation of the Deathly Hollows releasing in soon, interest in Tales of Beedle The Bard would escalate. TBTB is important in HPDH as Hermione Granger was presented a copy under the last will of Professor Albus Dumbledore. A story in TBTB was instrumental in Harry’s quest in finding the Deathly Hollows. Tales of Beedle The Bard is a collection of 5 short tales, each with its own magical character and uniqueness. In the world of Harry Potter, they are popular bedtime stories for young wizards and witches. It is the equivalent of stories of such as Sleeping Beauty, Ugly Duckling, etc. to the non magical students. Fans of Harry Potter would have surely gotten a copy when it was release in year 2008. Non fans will not bother at all. The stories are very un-Harry Potter like and not necessary the ‘living happily after type of stories’ as favoure...

I'm going on a holiday :) and these are what I'm bringing with me :) The Wives of Bath and Pastures Nouveaux , both by Wendy Holden.  Don't they look cheerful :)  I loved the cover colours...pastel green and prawny pink.  Just the right colour for a relaxing holiday. I'll let you know what I think of them when I'm back.

You can see how torn and tattered the book is. That’s how it looked when I bought it in a 2nd hand shop a few years back. Cost me only RM8 (about US$2.30). I know I can get better looking 2nd hand book for this price or cheaper but it’s the story inside that matters and not so much the cover. Since then, I have read  False Impression  twice. Set against the NY Sept 11 backdrop, we have heroine Anna Petrescu who survived the attack just as he was being sacked by her boss, Bryce Fenston, a banker with questionable banking ethics. The author gave us a quick insight to those in North Tower during the attack and Anna’s one of those who made her way down just in time before the tower collapsed. The attack is not significant at all to the story but probably just the author’s way of immortalising the incident for future readers/generations A self portrait with a bandaged ear by grandmaster Van Gough is the main character in this story. Through a set of incidents, he travelled pret...

Synopsis: Everybody remembers where they were the day they heard that Paddy de Courcy was getting married. But for four women in particular, the big news about the charismatic politician is especially momentous. Lola has every reason to be interested in who Paddy’s marrying – she’s his girlfriend but she definitely isn’t the bride-to-be. Grace, the journalist wants the inside story on the engagement. Grace’s sister, Marnie, might have the answer but like Grace, she has issues with the past. And Alicia, the soon-to-be Mrs de Courcy thinks she knows the real Paddy de Courcy but does she? Four very different women. One awfully charming man. And the dark secret that binds them all … I have wanted to talk about this book for ages and I just can’t wait anymore. First, Marian Keyes is one of my most favourite authors of chick lite. I discovered her years ago with ‘ Last Chance Saloon’ . Marian is a fantastic author. She deals with common but important life issues women faced. For example...

Would you like to have this for your home address? Synopsis : Leah and Toby have lived across the street from one another for years without meeting...and in that time Leah has been itching to peek behind the front door of Toby’s eccentric house, always packed to the rafters with weird and wonderful tenants. When fate finally lets her in, Leah find that Toby needs her as much as she is surprised to realise that she might need him. Sometimes life needs a helping hand – with a sprinkle of romance and their own special magic, Toby and Leah’s dreams show the glimmer of a chance of coming true. With that, we are invited into the home and lives of Toby and his assorted tenants. We have wild girl Ruby, mysterious Joanne who has much to hide, dreamer boy Connor who has a dream and a plan and his mother, Melissa who is full of guilt. Not forgetting, Leah, the girl from across the street who is basically sweet and charming . We get to know their stories, why they are where they are now and ...

My first introduction to a kid named Max with special abilities like having wings and being able to fly went back to the days of When The Wind Blows , first published in 1998 and subsequently Lake House , published in 2003. Along the years, I knew that James Patterson started a series with these characters under Young Adults Category. However, I never came across any of the books under this series until now.... When I pick this particular one up, I knew what I was getting myself into – a fast thrilling ride but what I didn’t expect was the difference between this series and the early days of When The Wind Blows . I guess I should have expected it seeing that they were written for different category of readers. James Patterson also claimed that the Max and her gang in these series are not the same Max that I mentioned from the above 2 books and follows a different but similar storyline. Hmm.... I hope you got that and how do I not think of them as the same Max. I think that’s rather d...

I am so glad that I always seem to be ended up with good books from the library. This was no different. It was rather a wild card as I was not familiar with the author and never heard of the title. I just took a risk as I thought the synopsis was rather promising although rather heavy with child autism as the main subject but the front cover of the little boy peeping from behind the wall looks rather endearing. Torey Hayden is a child psychiatrist and a special education teacher turned full time writer. Most of her other books are actually non fictions based on the cases of children that she worked with over the years. Perhaps that’s why it shouldn’t surprise me that Overheard In A Dream is so mind-boggling! I actually found it hard to start this book and was thinking of returning it to the library to exchange it with another title. Am I glad I didn’t make that mistake. Once I actually got started, I realised that I can’t put it down! It was that good. Synopsis: Conor, aged ...

Synopsis : For Kate Klein, the unsolved murder of a fellow mother is the most interesting thing to happen since the neighbours cracked their septic tank. Up until then life in suburbia has been distinctly underwhelming. So, on days when her kids are in nursery school, Kate launches a murder investigation of her own. With the help of her best friend, Janie, and former flame, Evan, she is drawn deep into the dead woman’s double life. Suddenly suburbia is not so ordinary after all. I must admit that I was drawn to Goodnight Nobody first by the title and second by the author. The author also wrote In Her Shoes which was made into a movie which stars Cameron Diaz, Toni Collette and Shirley MaClaine which I enjoyed. Recognising Goodnight Nobody as a chic read, I want to give it a chance, hoping to discover on words, the magic she created with In Her Shoes . Unfortunately, this was not so. The book lacks creativity and humour. It lacks everything. The story was rather flat and Kat...

A Place Of Hiding is a thriller that I bought during a warehouse sales. The front cover of a misty graveyard  in this particular publication intrigued me. Here, see for yourself. Browsing through, I noticed that the author had penned quite a number of thriller. Ok, that gives me some form of assurance to check out this book and see if I have a new gem of an author on hand. (Note : warehouse sales are good for trying out new authors as you don’t burn your pocket much over it. That’s where I found authors such as Marian Keys and Mark Gimenez .) Here’s the synopsis : The sudden death of Guy Brouard, a generous patron and benefactor of Guernsey Island after his morning swim shocks the residents of the island. When a young American woman is charged with his murder, her brother seeks help from an old friend, Deborah St James. Deborah persuades her husband, Simon to accompany her to Guernsey to investigate. What they find on that beautiful island is a tangled web of deceit and bet...

Synopsis : Applauded as one of the world's most popular leadership experts, John Maxwell brings many of his winning concepts and scriptural meditations into a daily devotional/journal format, designed specifically for leaders. Each devotional is delivered with John’s trademark style of confidence and clarity, followed by space for writing personal reflection. Included are a host of relevant topics including success, stewardship, teamwork, and mentoring—all topics that ring true to every leader’s heart. This is a year-long devotional journal...one leadership lesson per day. 365 days....365 lessons. Each devotions has a leadership topic, bible verses, some pointers taken from John Maxwell’s previous publications and some sections at the bottom for you to pen down your thoughts and reflections. The topics covered are very extensive and are issues that will be faced by any leaders or issues that leaders need to know for problem solving and in dealing with others. The book is in...

Max Lucado brought the characters from Acts into the modern world using words that are very easy to understand. Who are the characters from the book of Acts? They are the simple fishermen, tax collectors and the general you and me in today’s world. What’s so great about them then? Nothing other than they choose to make a difference with the things they do and it’s not being nuclear scientists or anything impressive but simple acts of love and grace and compassion that make a difference in their lives and in the lives of others whom they encounter. It opens our eyes to see Jesus in every other person around us. I enjoyed this book so much and is so blessed by it. The teaching is very subdue but extremely impactful. It’s so easy to read and it won’t be long before you complete all 200+ pages of it. I really recommend this to you and you and you! Put it in your Christmas list, buy it for your church leaders or buy it for yourself for Christmas. It will be a worthwhile investment. Let...

Two words I would use to describe The Divide as I reach the last page would be happy and sad, all at the same time. I feel sad for the Coopers – Ben, Sarah, Josh and Abby. For what they went through and what could have been and for all that they lost. Happy for them too because they found some form of peace within themselves and with each other at the end. Before I go further, a quick recap - the story started with body of a young woman found embedded in the ice of a remote mountain creek. It wasn’t long before the authorities identify her – Abby Cooper, wanted for murder and acts of eco-terrorism and her picture is on every police computers all across America. The question is how did she die? What was she doing up on the mountain? What trail of events led her, a beloved child of a loving family to stray so tragically? This is one book that is full of ‘What ifs’ and ‘if only’ and such. What if the family didn’t holiday at The Divide that particular summer? What if Ben never met Ev...

Forgiven is the second book in the Firstborn Series with Fame being the first. It continues from where Fame left off and the focus is once again on Dayne Matthews, the Hollywood superstars and Katy Hart, a director with the Christian Kids Theatre (CKT) in the small town of Bloomington. From the title, forgiveness is the theme for this second book. A lot of the characters in the story have to learn about forgiving and act of forgiveness. For the kids at the CKT, a devastating tragedy leads to a lot of unforgiveness and thoughts of revenge among the kids. They have to learn to trust God and forgive the one who ‘trespass against them’. For Dayne, he has to forgive his late adoptive parents whom he felt ‘choose God over him’ when they left him in boarding schools while growing up while they do their missionary work in the jungle and he himself needs forgiveness from God. By the way, Karen gives readers a brief insight on a new age cult that initially had a hold on Dayne. For th...

The One Year Choose Your Own Ending Devotions is a soft copy interactive and engaging devotional book published by Tyndale with contents developed by Pioneer clubs, a church-sponsored midweek program for children across North America. I felt that it’ ideal for  children age from 6 to 10 years. This book covers devotions for the whole year with one page devoted to one day. Every devotions start with a short story but without a complete ending. After reading the story, Bible scripture passage, and going through the questions and assignments and the learning outcomes, children and/or parents are encouraged to complete the short story. However, there are suggested endings at the back of the book for comparison or for reference. I receive a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher, Tyndale House Publishers for review. I think it’s a great tool for parents to use as devotional materials with their children either individually or in a group. The story is a great start as to...

Novelist and three times Booker finalist, Timothy Mo, named The English Harem , Novel Of The Year. For me, I don’t know what to make of this book. It can go either way. First of all, I think anyone who wishes to read this has to be ready for it. You need to have an open mind and a romantic spirit. Otherwise, you might be offended or insulted. First there’s Tracy Pringle, who’s an only child to mum Monica and dad Eric. Tracy lost her job at the starting chapter and found a new job as a waitress in a vegetarian Persian restaurant ran by her Muslim boss, Saaman Sahar or otherwise known as Sam. Tracy was introduced as being a dreamer intrigued by heroines and romances of the past especially from books and movies (Think Lawrence of Arabia , One Thousand and One Night and you get the drift). My take is that when she walked in on her boyfriend, Rick, bonking another girl, the poor girl probably couldn’t handle real life and takes her imagination up a level or two. Otherwise, I can’t ...

When flipping through the newspaper sometime last week, an article on a new series over in HBO caught my attention. It's called the No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency .  Hm....that sounds familiar. It wasn't a few days later that I realised that I have a few books with this title.  A quick check through my 30+ odd unread collection resulted in the discovery these 3 titles that I have under the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series. I have started with 'Tears of the Giraffe' which is the 2nd book while at the same time I would try my best to get hold of the the other titles provided I like Tears of the Giraffe . The author is Alexander McCall Smith.  He has a few other series under his belt since writing the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series .  Alexander McCall Smith lives in Edinburgh and is married to a doctor. Keep on eye on my review of Tears of the Giraffe .

While on the bus, train, or even on the road, have you ever wondered who’s the pretty lady in front of you, smiling so happily as she chats away on her mobile? What about that old man with a kid that looks like his grandchild? Or that lady that dresses so well but has such a sad look in her eyes. What are their lives like? What makes them happy? What makes them sad? What are their stories? ‘From the moment the Dart system became part of Dublin I dreamed about writing a collection of short stories centred around it. I think this is because I am basically a nosy person and love looking at the backs of people’s houses and wondering what kind of lives they’re living. And whenever passengers get on the train I’m always intrigued as to where they’re going to or coming from and what’s going on in their lives. ’ says Sheila O’Flanagan. Destinations consist of a collection of 19 such short stories. I like how Sheila started our journey with a story entitled Saturday at 12 . It's about...

I didn't know today is Agatha Christie's 120th Anniversary.  It's such a pleasant surprise to see that the creative folks at Google did a doodle in honour of her anniversary.  Agatha Christie is one of my favourite mystery author.  At one time, I attempted to read all of her mystery stories and although I didn't managed to do it, I did read quite a lot of them! The above is taken from Google page.  I love it.  Most of her detectives and sidekicks are represented here.  I could be wrong but, from left to right, I think they are : G - Hercule Poirot O - Hasting O - Tuppence Beresford G - Ms Marple L -Tommy Beresford E - Adriadne Oliver Thank you Agatha Christie for the many wonderful mystery books. p.s. it is the royal butler who posted the above.  PurpleQueenFairy has nothing to do with it.

These are my purchases at a recent book fair held in Kuching. Books sold here are all second hand books, creatively called ‘Second Time Around Book’. I guess second time around sounds much better than second hand. These are books from libraries and private collections from the United States. There were lots of books for children and novels and non fictions for adults. The royal family went there on the 2nd last day and spent around RM100 (about US$35). For that amount, we bought these 7 novels and a few books for young adults. One of our best buy would be a hardcover copy of the ‘ Magic Tree House Series’ – Blizzard of The Blue Moon . I don’t know who’s more excited, PurpleQueenFairy herself or the princess. The copy is practically brand new. Books there were priced between RM4 (US$1+) to RM10 (US$3+) except for certain titles which might cost slightly more especially hardcover books for children. Other than that, the rest were very affordable and a great incentive for anyone who w...

The Skin Map is both an adventure fantasy story and treasure hunt with a touch of science fiction. It would appeal to those interested in all these elements. I wasn’t sure what my reaction would be since this is my first time reading Stephen Lawhead and fantasy fictions has never been my interest. I am pleased to say that with The Skin Map , I was captivated right from the start. I enjoyed Kit and his interaction with his great-grand father and the quest that he never expected to embark on. The writing is interesting and even the title at the beginning of each chapter was captivating. I am glad I read this and was rewarded with an interesting ending. I am especially interested in the ley line and ley travel as explained by the author and the theories that inspired this work. This is the first of the Bright Empires S eries created by Stephen Lawhead. He is an acclaimed author of mythical history and fantasy fictions. Having read The Skin Map , I am looking forward to exploring his oth...

Today, I would like to share with you my favourite story of all time. It is none other than Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell. This book was first published in May 1936. That’s like 74 years ago! I bought mine during a church sales sometime in 1984 paying only RM6 for it. Having owned the book for more than 20+ years, I think I must have read it about 5 times over the years. The last time was about 4 years ago. And Katie Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler. What a long name and what a character! How does one describe she who is so simple and yet so complex. And Rhett Butler. Every womens' dream man. I couldn’t get enough of Scarlett and Rhett, and was basically quite dissatisfied with how the story ended in Gone With The Wind and always wish for some continuation. My wish came through in 1991 when the estate of Margaret Mitchell commissioned Alexandra Ripley to write the official sequel entitled Scarlett. I read Scarlett in the mid-1990s (can’t really remember...

Remember my Dorothy Koomson’s collection ? Well, I’ve read all of them and will be sharing them with you one at a time over the next few months. Let’s get started with The Chocolate Run . No particular reason why this is first. Let’s have a look at the synopsis: Amber Salpone doesn’t mean to keep ending up in bed with her friend Greg Walterson, but she can’t help herself. And every time it ‘just happens’ their secret affair moves closer to being a real relationship, which is a big problem when he’s a womanizer and she’s a commitment –phobe. While Amber struggles to accept her new feelings for Greg, she also realises that her closeness to Jen, her best friend, is slipping away and the two of them are becoming virtual strangers. Slowly but surely, as the stark truths of all their lives are revealed, Amber has to confront the fact that chocolate can’t cure everything and sometimes running away isn’t an option. The Chocolate Run is a delectable tale of lust, love and chocolate. ...

It’s time to talk about The Last Testament after The Righteous Man .  Let’s get the synopsis out of the way : An Iraqi boy loots an ancient clay tablet from a long-forgotten vault in the Baghdad Museum of Antiquities. At a rally for the signing of a historic deal between Israel and Palestinians, an assassin pushes through the crowd towards the Israeli PM. Bodyguards shoot the man dead. But in his hand there’s no gun : only a blood-stained note . A series of apparently random killings follows as tensions boil over, Washington calls in star peace negotiator Maggie Costello. Maggie finds herself in an impossible situation, especially when she discovers the murders are not random. Someone is killing archaeologists and historians – those with secret knowledge of the ancient past. *stare blankly* I actually don’t know where to start. It’s actually quite a confusing book for me. First, readers have to take note of timeline and venue. To compute these into some form of sequ...

Cecelia Ahern is the bestselling author of P.S. I Love You . I have not read P.S. I Love You but I have watched the movie countless of times and each time, I would cry buckets. The first book that I read from Cecelia Ahern is Rosie Dunne (later published as Love, Rosie and subsequently published as Where Rainbow Ends ) which I read in 2006. I thought it was a very creative book especially the way it was written. I shall share Rosie Dunne with you some other time. Today belongs to If You Could See Me Now . The version I got was from Hyperion International Edition. It took me a long time as the fonts are real small. The synopsis : Everything in Elizabeth Egan’s life has its place. Order and precision keep life under control and keep Elizabeth’s heart safe from the pain she has suffered in the past. Being a mother to her 6 years old nephew leaves little room for error until one day, when Ivan comes into their lives. He is everything that Elizabeth is not – carefree and adventuro...