PURPLE QUEEN FAIRY READS

If you are in Kuching, you might be aware that there's a sales going on in one of the malls.  It is actually a book sales and to be more specific, it is a book sales of pre-read book.   Termed ' Books Second Time Around ', the books are all second hand or books that have been read that were shipped directly from the United States or Canada.  I rather called them pre-read books. Held from 16th November to 8th December in Hills Shopping Mall, you can say the fact that it's a sales certainly added a lot of excitement to folks here whether they read or not.  From the young to the old, there's something for everyone. All you need is time to browse around. I especially love to read the inscriptions on some of the books especially inscriptions of love and well wishes in the children's books. :) While this sales is very visible in terms of promotions and locations, there is also another book sales in town that's rather quiet and less well known in everywhere ...

Synopsis : The epic story of three sisters and their turbulent lives, tied to the destinies of Germany, Austria and Russia in the unstable years leading up to World War I. It is midnight, New Year's Eve 1900, and three women gaze out over the rooftops of snowy Vienna, contemplating the promise of a golden future.  The dawn of a new century and the glittering Emperor's ball await them, enough to fulfill any young lady's dreams of social success.. But Sophie, Alma and Marie Schmerling have ambitions that will take them far beyond the samll intrigues af Viennese society.  The winter snows of St Petersburg, the brash cafes of prosperous Berlin, they want all the vast and thriving empire has to offer.   I think I get what the author was trying to convey through the title - The Midnight Country after reading the book.  To keep it simple, it's story of ending of empires, of way of life and social culture and the dawn of a new era for and I guess midnight ...

It was yet another successful sales at the September flea market.  It wasn't as good as July but it was good enough and I am thankful in so many ways. First to go was my favourite Angels Fall .  There seems to be a lot of Nora Robert's fans out there but then she does write good books.  I am sure Angels Fall has found a wonderful new owner.  Another lady took a liking to Echoes and Irresistable Force by Danielle Steele. Finally they are out of my hands!  Lovers and Players , Chapatti or Chips and Man and Boy are among the books that went to new owners over the two days.  So did Memiors of A Geisha which I decided to put for sales at the market after some consideration.  I read the book many, many years ago and was thinking of re-reading it for a review but then, I don't think it will make it to my to-read list anytime soon so might as well say a quick good bye. I also managed to sell off some of my fantasy collection like the series o...

Synopsis (from goodreads) : One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter's marriage. Though the former couple went quite separate ways, their fates remained entangled: After veering into alcoholism, Max is saved in multiple senses by his fundamentalist conversion; Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor.  After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds.  Like her House Rules and several other previous Jodi Picoult novels, Sing You Home grapples with hot button issues. The novel also includes a CD of songs, each matched with a chapter in the book. Perfect for book clubs My impression of Jodi Picoult was rather good after Change of Heart .  Such, I have high expectation from Sing You Home .  I shouldn't have.  It was quite a let do...

Synopsis : Everywhere hailed as a novel of rare beauty and power, White Oleander tells the unforgettable story of Ingrid, a brilliant poet imprisoned for murder and her daughter, Astrid, whose odyssey through a series of foster homes - each its own universe, with its own laws, its own dangers, its own hard lessons to be learned - becomes a redeeming and surprising journey of self-discovery. I have never done a what I termed, a 'semi-review' before.  This is not a full review as in I didn't read the whole book.  I just did enough research and read part of it to get a feel of how the book would be like and to know the plot and development of the story. The reason why I didn't want to read it is because it's another coming of age book and while I have nothing against the topic I don't think I can deal with another coming of age book as I just read one recently . White Oleander is as much the story of a girl called Astrid (quite a beautiful name) and he...

Synopsis : Miles Ryan's life seemed to end the day his wife was killed in a hit-and-run accident two years ago.  As deputy sheriff of New Bern, North Carolina, he not only grieves for her and worries about their young son Jonah but longs to bring the unknown driver to justice.  Then Miles meets Sarah Andrews, Jonah's second-grade teacher.  A young woman recovering from a difficult divorce, Sarah moved to New Bern hoping to start over.  Tentatively, Miles and Sarah reach out to each other...son they are falling in love. But what neither realizes is that they are also bound together by a shocking secret, one that will force them to reexamine everything they believe in - including their love. When I posted that I am reading this book on FB, my well-read niece commented that it was a nice book.  That comment motivated me as I wasn't very sure at that time whether it would be good as I have some hit and misses with Nicholas Sparks in previous encounters. Th...