PURPLE QUEEN FAIRY READS

Synopsis : Within the walls of a cloistered convent, a scene of unspeakable carnage is discovered. On the snow lie two nuns, one dead, one critically injured - victims of a seemingly motiveless, brutally savage attack. Medical examiner Maura Isles' autopsy of the murder victim yields a shocking surprise, but the case takes a disturbing twist. The body of another woman has been found. And someone has gone to a lot trouble to remove her face, hands and feet. As long buried secrets are revealed so Dr Isles and homicide detective Jane Rizzoli, find themselves part of an investigation that leads to an awful, dawning realisation of the killer's identity . I bought this book here and I brought to it with me to our holiday here although I was initially supposed to bring other titles, I changed my mind at the last minuter as The Sinner seems to be more appealing. Indeed, while it wasn't really as good the the first book that I read, it was good nevertheless.  B...

Synopsis : A widow and mother of six, Miranda Hanford leads a quiet, private life.  When the pastor of her close-knit church announces his plans to move the entire congregation to another state, Miranda jumps at the opportunity to dissolve ties with Mason Chandler and his controlling method of ruling his flock.  But then Mason threatens to unearth secrets from his past, and Miranda feels trapped, terrified she'll be unable to protect her children. College professor Jack Hanford is more than surprised when he gets a call from his estranged sister-in-law's oldest son, Timonty, informing him that Miranda has taken a serious fall and he has been named legal guardian of his children while she recovers.  Quickly charmed by Miranda's children, Jack brings some much-needed life into the sheltered household.  But his constant challenging of the family's conservative lifestyle makes the recovering mother uneasy and defensive - despite Jack's unnerving appeal. As Jack...

Synopsis : Sam, Bonzi, Lola, Mbongo, Jelani, and Makena are no ordinary apes. These bonobos, like others of their species, are capable of reason and carrying on deep relationships - but unlike most bonobos, they also know American Sign Language. Isabel Duncan, a scientist at the Great Ape Language Lab, doesn’t understand people, but animals she gets - especially the bonobos. Isabel feels more comfortable in their world than she’s ever felt among humans... until she meets John Thigpen, a very married reporter who braves the ever-present animal rights protesters outside the lab to see what’s really going on inside. When an explosion rocks the lab, severely injuring Isabel and “liberating” the apes, John’s human interest piece turns into the story of a lifetime, one he’ll risk his career and his marriage to follow. Then a reality TV show featuring the missing apes debuts under mysterious circumstances, and it immediately becomes the biggest - and unlikeliest - phenomenon...

We will be off in a week or so for a family holiday.  After our holiday in the Land of The Rising Sun last year, we decided to go local this year and to coincide our holidays with a convention that we are attending. As I do my packing for the clothes and other stuff for the trip, I pack also for what I am going to read on the trip. I have not decided yet and most probably will wait till the last minute to decide. For now, it's a choice between I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella or Breaking the Rules by Barbara Taylor Bradford.  Whichever title I decide on, it would be something that I have to stick with for about two weeks as I only want to bring along one title. I am extremely keen on I've Got Your Number but I am not sure if it'll last two weeks as I ran read Sophie Kinsella's title quite fast Breaking the Rules might last me two weeks but what if I am tired of it after a while as I didn't have good experience with what Barbara has to off...

IF you are a residence of Kuching and you love to read, you would have known that Hills Shopping Mall has been hosting a book fair in the months of November and Decembers for the past two years. This year, it's no different.  The 'Books Second Time Around' Fair started on Saturday, 14 November and will run till around 21 Decemeber 2015. Readers will have a great selection of books at rather good prices to choose from. The only thing is that these books are second hand books as in they have been bought and read and used to belong to a public or private libraries in the United States.  However, some of the books can be so crazily new that you would not believe that they are second hand books. I was there on the second day of the fair and managed to bring home a few books only as I wasn't in the mood to really purchase any.  Out of the 6 titles that I bought, five were for the princess and I only bought one for myself.  Say hello to The Sinner by T...

  Synopsis : T wo Stories—Decades Apart—Converge on a Secret With an award-winning series to her name, journalist Dani Gallagher is anxious to find her next big scoop. . .she just doesn’t expect it to come from the past. But while searching for answers connected to her latest story, Dani discovers a tattered journal in an alley near Bracciano, an Italian restaurant run by Nicky Fiorini. The diary, written in the Roaring Twenties by a young girl caught in a web of organized crime, mentions Nicky’s restaurant, and despite an explosive first meeting, Dani persuades Nicky to help her uncover what happened to the girl—and what her story has to do with their present.  Nicky is frustrated. No matter what he says, he can’t seem to convince Dani that she’s treading on thin ice. Her zeal to make a difference for others is leading her into some precarious situations—and just might get her hurt.  Attraction soon ignites, but in th...

Synopsis : Sally Jupp seemed the ideal girl to help Mrs Maxie run a large house and look after her invalid husband.  She was pretty, docile and grateful, or so it seemed, until murder shattered the tranquility of her new home. A puzzling, disturbing killing that brought Chief Detective Inspector Adam Dalgleish to the quiet village in search of the murderer. Cover Her Face is P. D. James's electric debut novel, an ingeniously plotted mystery that immediately placed her among the masters of suspense. I can safely say that if you enjoy readying Agatha Christie, chances are you would quite enjoy some of what P.D. James offered.  This title was written in 1962 and was the first of may titles wrote by P.D. James until her death last year at the grand age of 94 years old. What can I say except that it was an honour to read the first case of Chief Detective Inspector Adam Dalgleish.  There are millions of readers out there who have been thrilled by P.D. James and ...

Synopsis : Haley Walsh has returned to remote Alaska to come to terms with her past. Twenty years ago a tragedy occurred, and Haley has been living with her grandmother in Phoenix ever since. Haley's parents stayed behind to work on an archeological dig, and with their recent deaths, Haley has decided to face her troubles head-on. She joins Kipp Nowak, a television wildlife star, and his crew, who are making a documentary about bears. Their group is also accompanied by Tank Lassiter, a biologist who is less than thrilled with Kipp's easygoing approach to the dangerous bears. As Haley begins to delve into the circumstances surrounding her parents' deaths, she uncovers evidence that the fire that killed them might not have been an accident. Tank, although fighting a battle of his own to retain custody of his daughter after his wife's suspicious death, joins forces with her to uncover an evil force at work in the Alaskan wilderness. It is very relaxin...

Not relevant to this post...just sharing with you my ideal study room. Image from web I was browsing through my old post a while ago and was just marveling that I managed to keep up with this blog for quite a number of years  One of the purpose I started this blog was because I wasn’t able to properly keep track of what I have read.  There were many instances when I have double titles in my collections all because I forgot that I have that particular book already and bought another one.  While that still happens, it is happening much, much infrequent.  There were also instances when I started a book only to realize that I have read it in previous occasions.  What that happened, I would end up being extremely annoyed with myself for the time and sometimes resources wasted.  This blog has helped me in keeping track of all these especially from the INDEX page, I was able to see at a glance where I am at particular with series. Like my...

For many reasons, I missed the flea markets for the months of August and September.  I actually booked and paid for my booth but I have to give it a miss and while I was bumped about that, it was unavoidable. I also didn't get to read much these two months comparatively due to a lot of happenings in the family but it was decent enough to keep me happy and sane.  There wasn't any exceptionally fabulous read but still I enjoy what I went through. The unexpected sale that I had in August certainly added an 'umph' to the whole scheme of things and I am still feeling happy to have cleared off quite a fair bit of my collection.  In relation to that, I am happy to share of my upcoming flea market happening this weekend from 31 Oct - 1 Nov in Green Heights Mall. The market will most probably be the last flea market I will be taking part in for the rest of the year as I foresee a rather busy year end coming right up with personal activities and also work...

Synopsis : Under the endless skies of Botswana, there is always something Mma Ramotswe can do to help someone and here she finds herself assisting a woman looking for her family. The problem is the woman doesn't know her real name or whether any of her family members are still alive.  Meanwhile, Mma Makutsi is the recipient of a beautiful new bed that causes more than a few sleepless nights. And, at Tlokweng Road Speedy Motors, Mr. J.L.B. Matekoni has come under the influence of a doctor promising a miracle cure for his daughter's medical condition, which Mma Ramotswe finds hard to accept.  Nonetheless, Precious Ramotswe handles these things in her usual compassionate and good-natured way, while always finding time for a cup of red bush tea. When I need a break from the world, I pick up the next book in No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Series and for a couple of days or maybe even hours (depending ), I would be transported to a gentle, simple and logical wor...

Synopsis : A kind, bookish only child born in the 1940s, Alice learned the virtues of politeness early on from her stolid parents and small Wisconsin hometown. But a tragic accident when she was seventeen shattered her identity and made her understand the fragility of life and the tenuousness of luck. So more than a decade later, when she met boisterous, charismatic Charlie Blackwell, she hardly gave him a second look: She was serious and thoughtful, and he would rather crack a joke than offer a real insight; he was the wealthy son of a bastion family of the Republican party, and she was a school librarian and registered Democrat. Comfortable in her quiet and unassuming life, she felt inured to his charms. And then, much to her surprise, Alice fell for Charlie. As Alice learns to make her way amid the clannish energy and smug confidence of the Blackwell family, navigating the strange rituals of their country club and summer estate, she remains uneasy with her newfoun...

Synopsis : When guerrilla documentary maker, Kyle Freeman, is asked to shoot a film on the notorious cult known as the Temple of the Last Days, it appears his prayers have been answered. The cult became a worldwide phenomenon in 1975 when there was a massacre including the death of its infamous leader, Sister Katherine. Kyle's brief is to explore the paranormal myths surrounding an organization that became a testament to paranoia, murderous rage, and occult rituals.  The shoot's locations take him to the cult's first temple in London, an abandoned farm in France, and a derelict copper mine in the Arizonan desert where The Temple of the Last Days met its bloody end. But when he interviews those involved in the case, those who haven't broken silence in decades, a series of uncanny events plague the shoots. Troubling out-of-body experiences, nocturnal visitations, the sudden demise of their interviewees and the discovery of ghastly artifacts in their r...

Synopsis : As the First World War draws to a close, all seems golden for Edward Deravenel, charismatic head of the house of Deravenel. His wife and young family are safe, ensconced in the family seat of Ravenscar, and his business empire has survived. Yet beneath the surface lies discord.  Elizabeth Deravenel, his beautiful society wife, is jealous of his mistress.  Her lies and gossip begin to damage the family name.  But worse still is Edward's brother George.  His reckless behaviour and treachery lead to blackmail and betrayal. The furtunes of the house of Deravenel suffer a terrible reversal as one disaster follows another, and tragedy strikes.  It is Edward's daughter and her son Harry, who must rebuild Deravenels to greatness - whatever it takes.  It has taken me quite a long time to complete this book.  I read it, put it aside, picked it up again, put it down again and the process just repeats itself until I am pretty tired of Edwa...

Synopsis :  Ellie Andrews is finally getting married..or she will be if her wedding dress still fits and she drinks enough champagne to pluck up the courage to walk down the aisle.  The problem is Ellie's never felt more distant from the man she's supposed to love. to reassure herself, Ellie reflects on her old flames...there's Rupert - adoring, perfect but dull, Jay - the teenage crush; Marcus - sexy but very bad; and Xander - a real friend. As the sun rises and the ceremony looms ever closer, only one question remains - who will be waiting for her at the alter? The is a typical chic lite...however, it's written in a rather clever way and quite different from the norm.  The story is about Ellie who's getting ready for her wedding and the story flashed back to the past and to the boyfriends of the past .  The uniqueness is that the person whom Ellie is getting married to is not revealed right up the last last few words  in the book.  Readers a...

Because I have been busy and have not really had the time to read, I thought it would be a change to end the month by sharing with you some news books that I bought recently.  I just realized that this made it the third 'new books' posts for the month of September and I have not started on any of the books yet! Anyway, these are titles by totally new authors to me but it was during a book fair and it was mark down so why not give it a try. First there's The Broken Man by Josephine Cox.  Seems pretty exciting from the synopsis. Next, there's Take a Look at Me Now by Miranda Dickson - a lite chic and one can never have too many of those for that girly moment.

Synopsis : Two small towns in the middle of nowhere : Hope and Despair.  Between them, nothing but twelve miles of empty road.  Jack Reacher can't find a ride, so he walks.  All he wants is a cup of coffee.  What he gets are four hostile locals, a vagrancy charge and an order to move on. They're picking on the wrong guy. Reacher is a hard man. No job, no address, no baggage.  Nothing at all, except hardheaded curiosity.  What are the secrets that Despair seems so desperate to hide?  With just one ally - a mysterious woman cop from Hope - and many enemies, Reacher goes up against a whole town, hunting the rich man at its core, cracking open his terrifying agenda, asking the question : Who has the edge - a man with everything to gain, or a man with nothing to lose? I am not really a fan of Jack Reacher.  I don't really understand this character.  Having first read his book a few years ago, I didn't really seek out any of his book si...

Sorry, to say I really do not have much time to read what more to do a review as a lot is happening right now with families and not all are good.  I really missed my read and my posts so the best I can do at this point is to share with you some new books that I received recently. It was in year 2013 that I posted about my ' windfall' when someone I know left me boxes of her books as she and family moved back to Singapore. This time round, another friend is moving away back to her home country as well and asked if I want some of her collections as she's bringing some back and leaving some behind.  I was happy to inherit whatever that she left behind. Anyway, here's the whole lot in no particular arrangement or order. I really do not have time to look through them but I do see a couple of PD James and some authors I an not that familiar with other than Toni Morrison and Ken Follett. When I have the time only would I look through them. Until then, I just have...

    Synopsis : The stunning third and final novel in Stieg Larsson's internationally best-selling trilogy. Lisbeth Salander - the heart of Larsson's two previous novels - lies in critical condition, a bullet wound to her head, in the intensive care unit of a Swedish city hospital. She's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if and when she recovers, she'll be taken back to Stockholm to stand trial for three murders. With the help of her friend, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, she will not only have to prove her innocence, but also identify and denounce those in authority who have allowed the vulnerable, like herself, to suffer abuse and violence. And, on her own, she will plot revenge - against the man who tried to kill her, and the corrupt government institutions that very nearly destroyed her life. Once upon a time, she was a victim. Now Salander is fighting back. The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest started off very excitingly as...

Sorry, no time to do a review just yet as have been super busy but here are two recent purchases from a charity sales held recently. I've Got Your Number by my all time favourite lite chic writer, Sophie Kinsella and As The Crow Flies by Jeffery Archer.  I might have read As The Crow Flies before but I am not too sure and since it's for a good cause, I do not mind purchasing this title. Could you believe it that I have not read  Shopaholic To The Stars yet also by Sophie Kinsella that I bought recently as I have been saving it for when I can really sink my teeth into it.  I guess I've Got Your Numbe r will have to take a number as well :)

Synopsis : Annabeth is terrified. Just when she's about to be reunited with Percy—after six months of being apart, thanks to Hera—it looks like Camp Jupiter is preparing for war. As Annabeth and her friends Jason, Piper, and Leo fly in on the Argo II , she can’t blame the Roman demigods for thinking the ship is a Greek weapon. With its steaming bronze dragon masthead, Leo's fantastical creation doesn't appear friendly. Annabeth hopes that the sight of their praetor Jason on deck will reassure the Romans that the visitors from Camp Half-Blood are coming in peace. And that's only one of her worries. In her pocket Annabeth carries a gift from her mother that came with an unnerving demand: Follow the Mark of Athena. Avenge me. Annabeth already feels weighed down by the prophecy that will send seven demigods on a quest to find—and close—the Doors of Death. What more does Athena want from her? Annabeth's biggest fear, though, is that Percy might have ...

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call, To storm or fire the world must fall. An oath to keep with a final breath, And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. Percy is confused. When he awoke from his long sleep, he didn't know much more than his name. His brain fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight with the pen/sword in his pocket. Somehow Percy manages to make it to a camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he has to keep killing monsters along the way. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him. The only thing he can recall from his past is another name: Annabeth Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn't do a very good job of it. Sure, she was an obedient daughter, even when her mother was possessed by greed. But that was the problem — when the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her "gift" for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn't say no. Now...

At the end of the sales It was an unexpected sales because it was....well extremely unexpected and it happened like this.... One recent hot bright sunny day, I received a call from a gentleman who bought some books from me last years and wanted to know if he can pick up some books from me again and he asked if he can do so the next day! I was surprised beyond speech but agreed to meet up somewhere near where I work with some selections of what I think he might like based on his previous purchases.  That night itself, I did the selections (a few rounds of it) and came up with  about forty titles of thrillers, murder mysteries and generally books of such genre as these were records of what he bought from me previously.  I am actually running low of such genre so it took me a couple of searches on my various shelves to come up with these forty odd titles. I forgot to take an image of the books prior to the sales but it was two basket full and two paper bags full...

Synopsis : Missy Parker is a seven-year-old white child.  She is beautiful, wealthy, willful and vulnerable Junior Washington is an eleven-year-old black child.  He is a committed Christian, relatively poor and loyal. On the shores of Cat Lake, in the midst of the most defined segregation in our nation's history, Missy and junior are best friends. The synopsis doesn't say much does it?  In fact, if I am to base on the above synopsis when I was doing my selection of books, I would not purchase this particular book.  However, purchase it I did as I has an assumption of what Black or White has to offer and as they say of assumption, it is baseless and true enough I was wrong in my assumption and the book wasn't what I expected it to be at all. Looking at the cover and from the synopsis, readers including myself will not know that it's a book based on the Christian faith.  The concept of accepting Christ and being a read Christian runs throughout the boo...

  Synopsis :   Jason has a problem . He doesn’t remember anything before waking up in a bus full of kids on a field trip. Apparently he has a girlfriend named Piper, and a best friend named Leo. They’re all students at a boarding school for “bad kids.” What did Jason do to end up here? And where is here, exactly? Piper has a secret . Her father has been missing for three days, ever since she had that terrifying nightmare about his being in trouble. Piper doesn’t understand her dream, or why her boyfriend suddenly doesn’t recognize her. When a freak storm hits during the school trip, unleashing strange creatures and whisking her, Jason, and Leo away to someplace called Camp Half-Blood, she has a feeling she’s going to find out. Leo has a way with tools . When he sees his cabin at Camp Half-Blood, filled with power tools and machine parts, he feels right at home. But there’s weird stuff, too—like the curse everyone keeps talking about, and so...

Image from the web as there's something wrong with my webcam Synopsis : Lottie just knows that her boyfriend is going to propose, but then his big question involves a trip abroad — not a trip down the aisle. Completely crushed, Lottie reconnects with an old flame, and they decide to take drastic action. No dates, no moving in together, they’ll just get married . . . right now.  Her sister, Fliss, thinks Lottie is making a terrible mistake, and will do anything to stop her. But Lottie is determined to say “I do,” for better, or for worse. I did promise you a review of Wedding Night and here it is.   I was very excited to read Wedding Night as I haven't ready any Sophie Kinsella for quite a while already.  I can't really remember when was the last time but it can most probably be when I read Can You Keep a Secret . That was two years ago. Wedding Night is an independent novel by Sophie Kinsella.  The characters are new and I ...

Synopsis : In the Micronesian Islands, a top secret, U.S. government– sponsored undersea lab conducting vital biomedical research on a rare jellyfish known as the Blue Medusa suddenly . . . disappears. At the same time, off Bermuda, a bathysphere is attacked by an underwater vehicle and left helpless a half mile below the surface, its passengers—including Zavala—left to die. Only Kurt Austin’s heroic measures save them from a watery grave, but, suspecting a connection, Austin puts the NUMA team on the case. He has no idea what he’s just gotten them all into. A hideous series of medical experiments . . . an extraordinarily ambitious Chinese criminal organization . . . a secret new virus that threatens to set off a worldwide pandemic. Austin and Zavala have been in tight spots before, but this time it’s not just their own skins they’re trying to save—it’s the lives of millions. Filled with the high-stakes suspense and boundless invention unique to Cussler, Medusa is the...

I am ecstatic to have new books to add to my collection, especially to my Sophie Kinsella collection. First, there's Wedding Night which is a totally stand alone book with new characters and the more prized book would be Shopaholic To The Stars which is the latest in the Shopaholic Serie s where Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is in Hollywood! It takes off from Mini Shopaholic which I read three years ago so yes, I am extremely happy to have this in my collection.  If you are new to the Shopaholic Series .  it would be nice to read it from the first book which is The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic (also published as Confession of a Shopaholic ) but even if you don't it's quite alright as well. I just read Wedding Night and review of that is coming right up.  I can't wait to sink my teeth into Stars but I think I want to wait a bit for when I can give my time totally to Becky which I can't at the moment so yup, do keep an eye for my review on it.

Impulse is three complete novels in one book. These are romance novels are well known authors and I can't remember when did I buy them.  It wasn't during the book fair towards the end of last year so it must have been bought a few years ago. Fist, you have A Single Rose written by Barbara Delinsky.  The synopsis read 'Shaye Burke wasn't surprised at the invitation - a Caribbean treasure hunt was just aunt Victoria's style.  But a beat-up old sloop with no engine?  And an honest -to-goodness pirate at the helm?  And the skipper's arrogant nephew? Noah Van Baer was rugged and sexy, and too late she recognized her aunt's hand at matchmaking.  She and Noah hated each other on sight!' I share the same sentiments.  I didn't like it at all too. I read the first chapter and realized that this is not for me.  I am not a fan of romance novels and I certainly don't intend to waste my time on it. Second title is Keeper of the Bride by Tess Gerrit...