The Housemaid's Secret by Freida McFadden

 

Synopsis :

It's hard to find an employer who doesn't ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It's almost perfect. But I still haven't met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I'm sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I'm doing laundry. And one day I can't help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything...

That's when I make a promise. After all, I've done this before. I can protect Mrs. Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe. Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It's simply a question of how far I'm willing to go...

This is what I say :

After reading two titles by Freida McFadden, both relating to The Housemaid, I have come to realise that nothing is as simple as what it seems and twist and turn in the storyline are just a norm for the author.

 I have also realised that no two person's opinion about this title is the same. Some loved it, some doesn't and some are rather strong in their detest of this series.

Started with The Housemaid, and I am sure due to its success, book two is entitled The Housemaid's Secret and it is just as intriguing as the original title.  

The main character is still Millie from the first book but she has evolved slightly in book 2. She's similar but not really the same.

Anyway, I loved The Housemaid's Secret and read it during my recent flights.  I am starting on book 3, The Housemaid Is Watching very soon.  I read all these as e-book.

The Housemaid by Freida McFadden

 

Synopsis :

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out… and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of…

This is what I say :

The Housemaid was introduced to me while waiting for a flight recently as I needed something to read during flight.  I accepted the introduction in good faith and needless to say, am super glad I did as I thoroughly enjoyed ready The Housemaid.

I said I wanted read a thriller and The Housemaid certainly checked that box.  It was written in both the perspective of Millie (the housemaid) and Nina (her boss).

All I can say is that things are not what it seems and people are not who you think they are.  There's so many plot twist and it's been a while since I read something that can surprised me and The Housemaid certainly did just that.

I enjoyed it so much that I am now into other titles by this author. Let's see how her other titles fare against this one.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

 

Synopsis :

Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. 

Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, following our dreams.

This is what I say :

I really do not know what to make out of this title.  I know that The Alchemist is a title that's considered a classic and is much loved by readers all over the world and throughout the years.

However, I am a bit confused after reading it.  Maybe I don't possess the insight needed in order to decipher the meaning behind the book. I read it as it is and it's confusing to me.

Anyway, I do have other titles by the same author and in time to come, I will attempt to read the other titles. Hopefully, by then I am a bit more learned in how the author wants his book to be interpreted by readers.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

 

Synopsis :

This is what I say :

Postscript by Cecelia Ahern

 

Synopsis :

It's been seven years since Holly Kennedy's husband died – six since she read his final letter, urging Holly to find the courage to forge a new life.

She’s proud of all the ways in which she has grown and evolved. But when a group inspired by Gerry's letters, calling themselves the PS, I Love You Club, approaches Holly asking for help, she finds herself drawn back into a world that she worked so hard to leave behind.

Reluctantly, Holly begins a relationship with the club, even as their friendship threatens to destroy the peace she believes she has achieved. As each of these people calls upon Holly to help them leave something meaningful behind for their loved ones, Holly will embark on a remarkable journey – one that will challenge her to ask whether embracing the future means betraying the past, and what it means to love someone forever…

Saying what I think :

Cecelia Ahern brings us back to the life of Holly Kennedy from the famed titled P.S. I love you which was made into a box office movie of the same title.  Watching the movie will make you cry buckets and reading P.S I Love You will do the same.  

Postscript however is more mild in comparison.  Postscripts tells the story of Holly seven years after the death of her Gerry.  She is now in a new relationship with someone named Gabriel.  However, the legacy of Gerry lives on and she met some terminal sick patients who wanted to do what Gerry did for her.  As Holly helped and advised these patients on their 'quest', it is also a journey of discovery for herself and at the end of everything, Gerry still had the last word.

I enjoyed reading Postscript.  It will never be as good as P.S. but it shouldn't compete with P.S. It is a good follow up read for P.S.

p.s. I just realised that while I have read P.S. I Love You, I have never review it.  I think I will revisit this title next.

Travel Reading Suggestion

 

Image from web. Credit to owner

It's coming to the end of the year (almost). I will be having a few up coming travels before the year ends.  One trip is for work, one trip is to run an errand, one trip is to attend a concert, another trip is to attend a wedding and one special trip is for my year end holiday with a special person.

Again, just like before, I am excited to see what reading material I would bring along with me. Each trip carries a different mood and as such I do find it fun to pair my reading with the journey ahead. 

Here are the titles that have made it onto my shortlist:

1. The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo - I have a pdf copy which is convenient when travel as I can just read it from my tablet.  In May this year, I read The Fox Wife by the same author after seeing the title in a bookstore and I enjoyed The Fox Wife tremendously.  I think I will like The Night Tiger as well.

2. Postscript by Cecelia Ahern - I always loved titles by Cecelia Ahern and am super excited to come across Postscript which is the sequel to P.S. I Love You.  The only concern is that it might be embarrassing if I start tearing when reading Postscript in public so it's a title that needs to be read in private.

3. How To Be Idle by Tom Hodgkinson - a book on how to do nothing at various time of the day.  It would be quite an interesting to learn how not to do anything.

4. The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho - This title needs no introduction. I have a have a few titles by Paulo Coelho in my shelf. It's time I visit them one by one.

That's about it. I will be right back shortly.

Break

 

Looks like I will be taking a break again.  

See you in a short while. 

Hour Game by David Baldacci

 

Synopsis :

A woman is found murdered in the woods. It seems like a simple case but it soon escalates into a terrible nightmare. Someone is replicating the killing styles of the most infamous murderers of all time. No one knows this criminal's motives...or who will die next.

Two ex-Secret Service agents, Sean King and Michelle Maxwell, have been hired to defend a man's innocence in a burglary involving an aristocratic family. Then a series of secrets leads the partners right into the frantic hunt that is confounding even the FBI. Now King and Maxwell are playing the Hour Game, uncovering one horrifying revelation after another and putting their lives in danger. For the closer they get to the truth, the closer they get to the most shocking surprise of all.

This is what I say :

This was a rather good read.  I didn't have high hopes for it but was surprised.  Hour Game was exciting and kept me trying to guess who the killer might be.  

The chapters are all very short chapters and the progress was very fast paced which makes me as the reader much captivated to keep on going. I read this in less than a week which is a record nowadays.  I read this as both as a paperback version as well as electronic version when I brough it with me during a recent trip (I decided to bring the e-book to save on having to carry another item).  But when I am back home, I read the book version.

I recommend this title to those who enjoys a good thriller. 

The Absence of Guilt by Mark Gimenez

 

Synopsis :

An ISIS attack on America is narrowly averted when the FBI uncovers a plot to detonate a weapon of mass destruction in Cowboys Stadium during the Super Bowl. 

A federal grand jury indicts twenty-four co-conspirators, including the most dangerous man in Dallas, Omar al Mustafa. He is a notorious and charismatic Muslim cleric known for his incendiary anti-American diatribes on YouTube and Fox News. His mosque is a veritable breeding ground for Islamic jihadists. His arrest is greeted with cheers around the world and relief at home. The plot was thwarted, the terrorists are in jail, and the Super Bowl is safe. The president goes on national television and "We won!" 

There is only one there is no evidence against Mustafa. That problem falls to the presiding judge, newly appointed U.S. District Judge A. Scott Fenney. If Mustafa is innocent, Scott must set the most dangerous man in Dallas free. But does the absence of guilt mean Mustafa is innocent? And if he is innocent, who is guilty? 

The Super Bowl is just three weeks away. And the game clock is ticking.

This is what I say :

It's been a while since I pick up a title by Mark Gimenez. When I realised that there's one title that I have not read and that's The Absence of Guilt, I put aside what I have been reading to focus on this title and it was a pretty good decision.

It's good to follow A Scott Fenney's life after Accused. His story actually started in The Colors of Law which was very good.

The Absence of Guilt was rather good and thrilling.  There are some parts that's rather technical and preachy so I kinda 'quick read' those section and overall I really enjoy it.

It also gives a unexpected closure on the last part of the book which is quite an 'easter egg' and that was good too.  

This Was A Man (Book #7 and final title of The Clifton Chronicles) by Jeffrey Archer

 

Synopsis :

'This Was a Man' opens with a shot being fired, but who pulled the trigger, and who lives and who dies?

In Whitehall, Giles Barrington discovers the truth about his wife Karin from the Cabinet Secretary. Is she a spy or a pawn in a larger game?
Harry Clifton sets out to write his magnus opus, while his wife Emma completes her ten years as Chairman of the Bristol Royal Infirmary, and receives an unexpected call from Margaret Thatcher offering her a job.

Sebastian Clifton becomes chairman of Farthings Kaufman Bank after Hakim Bishara resigns for personal reasons. Sebastian and his wife Samantha's talented daughter, Jessica, is expelled from the Slade School of Fine Art, but her aunt Grace comes to her rescue.

Lady Virginia is about to flee the country to avoid her creditors when the Duchess of Hertford dies, and she sees another opportunity to clear her debts and finally trump the Cliftons and the Barringtons.

In a devastating twist, tragedy engulfs the Clifton family when one of them receives a shocking diagnosis that will throw all their lives into turmoil.

This is what I say :

This Was a Man is the 7th title in The Clifton Chronicles and also the final book.

I can say, I am truly glad it's the finale as the story has dragged on for quite a bit and it's time to end it.

I wasn't able to get hold of a physical book so I have to read this as a e-book which is rather disappointing as it would be nice to have the whole set but it's quite alright also.

Surprising, one of my favorite character is Lady Virginia who is as scheming as ever and although she met her match and got what she deserved towards the end, one can't help but applaud her for her perseverance.

The Chronicle started with Harry and Emma and it ended with Harry and Emma as well.  This couple really supported each other through thick and thin and both are equally great in what they do. 

The ending to their story was also was a twist that is extremely unexpected for an ending to a chronicles.  However, once you get over it, it was rather touching and a worthy ending to some great characters in a rather great chronicle.

Cometh the Hour (Book #6 of The Clifton Chronicles) by Jeffrey Archer

 

Synopsis :

Sir Giles Barrington must decide if he should withdraw from politics and try to rescue Karin, the woman he loves, from behind the Iron Curtain. But is Karin truly in love with him, or is she a spy?

Lady Virginia is facing bankruptcy, and can see no way out of her financial problems until she is introduced to the hapless Cyrus T Grant III from Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Sabastian Clifton is now the Chief Executive of Farthings Bank, and a workaholic whose personal life is thrown into disarray when he falls for Priya, a beautiful Indian girl. But her parents have already chosen the man she is going to marry. Meanwhile, Sabastian's rivals Slone and Mellor are still plotting to bring him down, so they can take over Farthings.

Harry Clifton remains determined to get Anatoly Babakov released from a gulag in Siberia, following the international success of his acclaimed book, Uncle Joe.  Emma convinces her new friend, Margaret Thatcher to raise the subject with the Russian President when she visits Moscow.

This is what I say :

Cometh The Hour is the 6th title in the Clifton Chronicle and it is the 2nd last title.  I actually enjoyed Cometh The Hour much better than the previous few titles and it has a balance of excitement and plot.  

There are some un-necessary plot especially between Sabastian and Priya as I have no idea where the author's plan was with that but I have a feeling the author also didn't know how to proceed with that branch of plot and just killed it.  Like I said,  it was rather un-necessary.

The plot with Anatoly Babakov also comes to an end and I guess the author is preparing for the story to come to a completion which will happen in Book 7, This Was A Man.

Holiday read - August 2025

 

A break from the norm, whether long or short and whether it's just some place nearby or out of the country is always welcomed.

With that excitement, I will be going for a short break to celebrate a birthday.   Part of my excitement have always been what book to bring along with me during the trip.

 In recent years even when I wasn't reading much, a book will always accompany me whenever I travel.

After much thoughts and looking through my TBR collection, here's what I decided to bring with me during this trip. 

Titles by David Baldacci can be hits and misses. It is rather unpredictable.  Anyway, here's hoping that Hour Game will provide me with some thrilling time during my down time.

Happy holidays everyone!

Mightier Than The Sword (Book #5 of The Clifton Chronicles) by Jeffrey Archer

 

Synopsis :

Harry Clifton, now present of English PEN, launches a campaign for the release of a fellow author, Anatoly Babakov, but in doing so puts his own life in danger.  His wife, Emma, dealing with the repercussions of the IRA attack on the Buckingham, crosses swords with Lady Virginia Fenwick, who will stop at nothing to cause Emma's downfall.

Sir Giles Barrington is now a minister of the Crown, and looks set for even higher office, until an official trip to Berlin does not end as a diplomatic success.  In London, Harry and Emma's son Sabastian is quickly making a name for himself at Farthings Bank. But the dispicable Adrian Slone will do whatever it takes to remove his rival.

This is what I say :

Having read a total of 4 titles in this series, I was not very excited to pick up this fifth title.  However, as I was determined to complete this series, I believe I brought this title with me during a weekend break in the capital city a few months ago.  It has been a habit of mine to have a book with me when I travel since years ago and I still do.

Anyway, like what the synopsis says, in Mightier Than The Sword, things are just happening to the Clifton Barrington and they kept on picking up enemies all the time and this time round, it's the same story.  But like all of the titles in this series, the book ended with a cliff hanger which will continue in book No 6, Cometh The Hour.

Be Careful What You Wish For (Book #4 of The Clifton Chronicles) by Jeffrey Archer

 

Synopsis :

When Ross Burchanan is forced to resign as chairman of the Barrington Shopping Company, Emma Clifton wants to replace him. But Don Pedro Martinez intends to install his puppet, the devious Major Alex Fisher in order to destroy the Barrington family firm just as the company plans to build its new luxury liner, the MV Buckingham.

Meanwhile, in London, Harry and Emma's adopted daughter wins a scholarship to the Slade Academy of Art where she falls in love with a fellow student, Clive Bingham, who ask her to marry him. Both families are delighted until Priscilla Bingham, Jessica's future mother-in-law, has a visit from an old friend, Lady Virginia Fenwick, who drops her particular brand of poison into the wedding chalice.

Then, without warning, Cedric Hardcastle, a bluff Yorkshireman who no one has come across before, takes his place on the board of Barrington's. This event will change the lives of every member of the Clifton and Barrington families, as they march forward into the sixties, in this epic tale of love, revenge, ambition and betrayal.

This is what I say :

Actually, the above synopsis taken from the back cover of the book makes the particular title sounds much intrigue and exciting. Unfortunately, while book 4 of The Clifton Chronicles is still captivating, it wasn't as intriguing as what the synopsis stated.

Having investing over 4 books in the Chronicles, I really pretty invested in some of the characters but I still feel that characters development is rather poor in this series. Some characters have such potential but I guess they just play second fiddle in the whole scheme of thing in the lives of the Clifton and Barrington or to be exact, in the lives of Emma, Harry, Giles and Sabastian.  The author just doesn't have time for the others.

Be Careful What You Wish For is the mid point in this series.  It started with Only Time Will Tell, The Sins of The Father and Best Kept Secret.

Best Kept Secret (Book #3 of The Clifton Chronicles) by Jeffrey Archer

 

Synopsis :

1945. The vote in the House of Lords as to who should inherit the Barrington family fortune has ended in a tie.  The Lord Chancellor's deciding vote will cast a long shadow in the lives of Harry Clifton and Giles Barrington.

Harry returns to America to promote his latest novel, while his beloved Emma goes in search of the little girl who was found abandoned in her father's office on the night he was killed.

When the General Election is called Giles Barrington has to defend his seat in the House of Commons and is horrified to discover who the Conservatives select to stand against him. But it is Sabastian Clifton, Harry and Emma's son, who ultimately influences his uncle's fate.

in 1957, Sebastian wins a scholarship to Cambridge, and a new generation of the Clifton family march onto the page.  After Sabastian is expelled from school, he unwittingly becomes caught up in a case of international art fraud involving a Rodin statue that is worth far more than the sum it raises at auction. 

This is what I say :

Best Kept Secret is the third book of The Clifton Chronicles right after the first title Only Time will Tell and book two The Sins of the Father.

I feel there's too many things happening the the third title. It felt very rushed and also rather breathless to read as things are happening all at once to everyone that the characters become rather two dimension and dont really developed well.

I feel the author just wanted to pack a lot of things to move to story along to a particular future and such everything felt rush.  Having said that, it's still entertaining book and I remember I brought this title with me on a trip to the capital city around this time last year.

Once you are done with Best Kept Secret, you will need to then move to the forth title in the series which is Be Careful What You Wish For which will be my next post.

The Sins of the Father (Book #2 of The Clifton Chronicles) by Jeffrey Archer

 

Synopsis :

On the heels of the international bestseller Only Time Will Tell, Jeffrey Archer picks up the sweeping story of the Clifton Chronicles.

Only days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of long-buried family secrets, and forced to accept that his desire to marry Emma Barrington will never be fulfilled, has joined the Merchant Navy.
But his ship is sunk in the Atlantic by a German U-boat, drowning almost the entire crew.  An American cruise liner, the SS Kansas Star, rescues a handful of sailors, among them Harry and the third officer, an American named Tom Bradshaw.  When Bradshaw dies in the night, Harry seizes on the chance to escape his tangled past and assumes his identity.

But on landing in America, he quickly learns the mistake he has made, when he discovers what is awaiting Bradshaw in New York.  Without any way of proving his true identity, Harry Clifton is now chained to a past that could be far worse than the one he had hoped to escape.

This is what I say :

The Sins of the Father is second title in the Clifton Chronicles Series.  It continues and follows the story of Harry Clifton right after he arrives in America.

If you are interested in the Clifton Chronicles, you will need to start with the first book Only Time Will Tell and you will need to read the titles in the book order.  Only then will you be able to appreciate and follow the storyline.

The Sins of The Father is as captivating as the first book. It not only tells the story of Harry Clifton but also the story of the love of his life, Emma Barrington and what she went through to get reunited with Harry.

Right after this would be book no. 3, Best Kept Secret.

Only Time Will Tell (Book #1 of The Clifton Chronicles) by Jeffrey Archer

 

Synopsis :

The epic tale of Harry Clifton’s life begins in 1920, with the words “I was told that my father was killed in the war.” A dock worker in Bristol, Harry never knew his father, but he learns about life on the docks from his uncle, who expects Harry to join him at the shipyard once he’s left school. But then an unexpected gift wins him a scholarship to an exclusive boys’ school, and his life will never be the same again.

As he enters into adulthood, Harry finally learns how his father really died, but the awful truth only leads him to question, was he even his father? Is he the son of Arthur Clifton, a stevedore who spent his whole life on the docks, or the firstborn son of a scion of West Country society, whose family owns a shipping line?

This introductory novel in Archer’s ambitious series The Clifton Chronicles includes a cast of colorful characters and takes us from the ravages of the Great War to the outbreak of the Second World War, when Harry must decide whether to take up a place at Oxford or join the navy and go to war with Hitler’s Germany.

From the docks of working-class England to the bustling streets of 1940 New York City, Only Time Will Tell takes readers on a journey through to future volumes, which will bring to life one hundred years of recent history to reveal a family story that neither the reader nor Harry Clifton himself could ever have imagined.

This is what I say :

This post will start the review of The Clifton Chronicles of which there are about 6 to 7 titles.  Only Time Will Tell is the first title of the series which I read about a year ago.

I made much effort to gather all the physical books in the series even way before Covid. I got it from book sales, from FB marketplace and even from charity sales and they have a place in my shelf.  However,  about a year ago, I started to take them down one after another to read and now I am in book five

Only Time Will Tell started the tale of Harry Clifton.  The first book explores his identity.  Whose son is he actually?  Harry Clifton was portrayed as a rather gifted child with angelic voices who went to a prestigious school under a scholarship and met some friends and foes there who will impacting his life and the lives of his family in years to come.  The book ended with a rather cliff hanger to entice readers to quickly pick up book #2, The Sins of the Father.

The Godmother by Carrie Adams

 

Synopsis :

Tessa King is The Godmother 

And she's having the time of her life. Trouble is, she doesn't know it.

Sassy and solvent, Tessa King has nothing tying her down but her friends and her four godchidren. She could accept any invitation and go on any adventure.

But she doesn't. She's idling in neutral, waiting for her own 'happy ever after'

The her wish for domestic bliss is granted. Marriage and motherhood coud be hers if she wants them.  But as ever, the devil's in the detail and Tessa soon discovers that 'happy ever after' is just the beginning of the story because some fairytales aren't fair.

This is what I say :

This is yet another title that I read quite a while back.  It was quite entertaining but as of recent reads, I am also not too fond of the main character.  The way it's written, Tessa King just doesnt warm up to me.  

She does well enough to warm up to her godchildren especially the rebellious teen.  Along the way, she tries to find her own man to start her own family but no, it didn't end with her doing just that.

Would I recommend this title?  I dont really think I would.

The Last Secret of The Temple by Paul Sussman

 

Synopsis :

In the year 70 AD, as the Romans sacked and destroyed the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, a young Jewish boy was hidden away and chosen as the guardian of a great secret. For seventy generations this secret remained safeguarded. But in present day Israel, a Jewish radical threatens to reveal this hidden truth and use it to rend apart the fragile Middle East—and only an unlikely duo of hardened detectives of very different origins and a young, enterprising Palestinian journalist can unite to ward off disaster.

A relentless and fast-paced thriller that moves from Egypt to Jerusalem to the Sinai Desert, that spans the millennia and involves Cathar heretics, Nazi prisoners, and modern-day suicide bombers, Paul Sussman’s The Last Secret of the Temple is a thrilling, roller-coaster adventure that brilliantly examines the participants on both sides of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Timely, important, and completely absorbing, it marks Paul Sussman as one of today’s great thriller writers.

This is what I say 

(with some help from Chatgpt) :

There’s a lot to take in with this title—perhaps too much. The sheer density of the plot made it difficult for me to stay engaged. At one point, I felt completely overwhelmed and unable to follow the story anymore.

That said, the book has great potential. The storyline is thrilling, reminiscent of a Dan Brown novel, full of historical intrigue and fast-paced mystery. However, the writing can be a bit confusing, and unless you're reading it consistently, it’s easy to lose track of the plot and characters. That’s exactly what happened to me, and eventually, I chose not to finish it.

So here’s my advice - if you're planning to read The Last Secret of the Temple, commit to reading it steadily from start to finish. Otherwise, like me, you might find yourself lost in its many layers and twists.

Citizen Girl by Nicola Kraus & Emma Mclaughin

 

Synopsis :

Working in a world where a college degree qualifies her to make photocopies and color-coordinate file folders, twenty-four-year-old Girl is struggling to keep up with the essential trinity of food, shelter, and student loans. So when she finally lands the job of her dreams she ignores her misgivings and concentrates on getting the job done...whatever that may be.

Sharply observed and devastatingly funny, Citizen Girl captures with biting accuracy what it means to be young and female in the new economy. A personal glimpse into an impersonal world, Citizen Girl is edgy and heartfelt, an entertaining read that is startlingly relevant.

This is what I say :

I can't remember when I read Citizen Girl.  It must have been about a year or more ago.

The main character is named Girl and she's quite a mess and being a mess lands her in many situation that could have been avoided if she's a bit more in control of her life. However, she's extremely nice and being nice is not necessary a good thing for Girl as she's gets a lot of taken advantage of especially at work.

I didn't quite like Citizen Girl but I completed it faithfully.

The Fox Wife by Yangsze Choo

Synopsis :

Some people think foxes are similar to ghosts because we go around collecting qi, but nothing could be further than the truth. We are living creatures, just like you, only usually better looking . . .

Manchuria, 1908.
In the last years of the dying Qing Empire, a courtesan is found frozen in a doorway. Her death is clouded by rumors of foxes, which are believed to lure people by transforming themselves into beautiful women and handsome men. Bao, a detective with an uncanny ability to sniff out the truth, is hired to uncover the dead woman’s identity. Since childhood, Bao has been intrigued by the fox gods, yet they’ve remained tantalizingly out of reach—until, perhaps, now.

Meanwhile, a family who owns a famous Chinese medicine shop can cure ailments but can’t escape the curse that afflicts them—their eldest sons die before their twenty-fourth birthdays. When a disruptively winsome servant named Snow enters their household, the family’s luck seems to change—or does it?

Snow is a creature of many secrets, but most of all she’s a mother seeking vengeance for her lost child. Hunting a murderer, she will follow the trail from northern China to Japan, while Bao follows doggedly behind. Navigating the myths and misconceptions of fox spirits, both Snow and Bao will encounter old friends and new foes, even as more deaths occur.

This is what I say :

This is the first book that I read recently that I completed within 1 week.   I actually saw the title in a bookstore but I managed to get the e-version.

It helps that the story is very interesting and captivating which certainly motivates me in my reading.  It also helps that I really make an effort to read this rather than to watch yet another K-drama.

I like the way it's written, which is from the perspective of Bao in one chapter and Snow in the next chapter.  I also like that while both these characters were focusing on different matters, the whole thing come together after a while and we are able to see the whole story and I was actually pretty excited when Bao and Snow met each other.

This is the second title by this author that I read, the first being The Ghost Bride which I read about 5 years ago.  

The Burnout by Sophie Kinsella

 

Synopsis :

Sasha has had it. She cannot bring herself to respond to another inane, “urgent” (but obviously not at all urgent) email or participate in the corporate employee joyfulness program. She hasn’t seen her friends in months. Sex? Seems like a lot of effort. Even cooking dinner takes far too much planning. Sasha has hit a wall.

Armed with good intentions to drink kale smoothies, try yoga, and find peace, she heads to the seaside resort she loved as a child. But it’s the off season, the hotel is in a dilapidated shambles, and she has to share the beach with the only other a grumpy guy named Finn, who seems as stressed as Sasha. How can she commune with nature when he’s sitting on her favorite rock, watching her? Nor can they agree on how best to alleviate their burnout ( manifesting, wild swimming; drinking whisky, getting pizza delivered to the beach).

When curious messages, seemingly addressed to Sasha and Finn, begin to appear on the beach, the two are forced to talk—about everything. How did they get so burned out? Can either of them remember something they used to love? (Answer: surfing!) And the question they try and fail to ignore: what does the energy between them—flaring even in the face of their bone-deep exhaustion—signify?

My Review :

It's been a while since I last review a title.  it's been a while too since read seriously.  It's been a while since I posted here too.

It is my plan to start again, both reading and also reviewing so I really hope I can be consistent.

I always love titles by Sophie Kinsella. From the Shopaholic Series and to her other stand alone titles. Generally I am a fan.

The Burnout however doesn't really have the Sophie Kinsella that I was familiar with.   It could have been written by any other authors of this gene.  After saying that, it doesn't mean it's not entertaining. It's actually a very entertaining read. It just doesn't really have that Sophie Kinsella magic.

The characters rather bland and somehow I don't warm up to Sasha.  I felt after dragging the storyline, the author tries to end it too hurriedly and the ending felt rush. I mean, after 29 chapters of everything else, only 1 chapter to wrap everything up.  It felt rush.

Having said all that, The Burnout is still a relaxing read. Nothing I need to think too much about and yes, it does have some 'lessons' but it's quite acceptable.

Hello Again

 

A colourful photo taken in KKV KL

Hello

It's been quite a while since my last post.  In fact, without much ado, it's been slightly more than 2 years.

Honestly, my reading has taken a back seat these few years.  I just lost the interest to pick up a book. I used to be able to read more than a couple of titles in a month but over the last years, it's taken me much much longer time to to through one title.

I really hope go back to reading and to my review.  I miss doing my review too.  There are actually about 10 titles that I have read over these 2 years that I haven't done the review. I will have to start soon after this.

I also missed doing my reflection posts.  Perhaps I will do a reflection post one of these days in the near future.

I have a lot of catching up to do.