tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-65520882046671214342024-03-06T15:49:46.913+08:00The Books of My Life'I cannot live without books.' - Thomas JeffersonAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.comBlogger568125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-54922499380311036912017-06-10T10:21:00.000+08:002017-06-10T10:23:09.207+08:00My thoughts on the Wonder Woman Movie<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<u><b><br /></b></u>
<u><b>How I Rated the Wonder Woman Movie ?</b></u> <br />
I've never particularly enjoyed the DC movies and after being disappointed time and again, I decided that DC and cinemas simply don't mix. And while the Wonder Woman trailers looked good, I wasn't sure I wanted to watch the movie either. Trailers can be quite deceptive after all. But I'm glad I decided to give Wonder Woman a chance. <br />
<br />
On a scale of 1 to 5 stars, I'd give Wonder Woman a 3 stars. Why not a 4 or 5 ? As far as DC film adaptations go, Wonder Woman is definitely a cut above the rest but it still has a long way to go to top the Avengers movie, which is still my favorite superhero film. (I know the Dark Knight movies were popular but I hated them. Too much doom and gloom for my tastes).<br />
<br />
<u><b>What I Liked About Wonder Woman?</b></u><br />
This one's obvious. A movie where there are tons of strong, powerful women and an absolutely awesome female lead, how could I not enjoy it. <br />
<br />
Having plenty of super cool exciting action scenes helped too. <br />
<br />
<u><b>What I Disliked About Wonder Woman ?</b></u><br />
I don't like to nitpick but there were plenty of stuff in the movie that simply didn't make sense. *SPOILER ALERT* If the intention was to keep the identity of the main villain a secret, that was a total failure. In fact, how could a group of so called experienced spies and mercenaries NOT pick up on the obviously suspicious behaviour of the person in question ? I certainly did.<br />
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Then, there's the feeling throughout the movie that the movie makers were trying a little too hard. While the action sequences were impressive on the whole, there were times when Wonder Woman looked like she was far more intent on showing off to the audience and not focusing on the bad guys in the movie. Same goes for the humorous elements. It might have raised a chuckle or two but nothing laugh out loud funny.<br />
<br />
And that's why Wonder Woman got a 3 from me.The Books Of My Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783841204987579857noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-4515407957633355482013-09-13T09:00:00.000+08:002013-09-13T09:00:01.140+08:00Graceling, Fire and Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore<div style="text-align: center;">
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<b>Reading Dates</b> : 31 Aug 2013 - 7 Sep 2013</div>
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<h3>
</h3>
<h3>
<u><b><span style="font-weight: normal;">Comparisons Between The Last Time I read the books and Now</span></b></u></h3>
Re-reading my own thoughts of <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2011/05/review-graceling-by-kristin-cashore.html" target="_blank">Graceling</a> and <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-fire-by-kristin-cashore.html" target="_blank">Fire</a> the first time I read the books against my feelings this time when reading Kristin Cashore's 3 books, I can't help comparing my thoughts between then and now.<br />
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<h4>
What Didn't Change </h4>
Of the 3 books, Graceling remains my favorite. The story was infinitely richer and more exciting as they fought a madman possessing a Grace which turned everyone, even their closest friends into enemies. There was visible growth in the characters as they learned to accept both their own weaknesses and those whom they loved.<br />
<br />
Po too remains my favorite character. How could I not ? Warm, passionate and sympathetic, I can easily understand why he is the Lienid's most beloved Prince and believe that those who truly know him would forgive him his secrets in time. Sapphire's willingness to do anything Po commands while being so contrary the rest of the time was one of the very few things I found funny in Bitterblue.<br />
<br />
My favorite couple in all 3 books was still Po and Katsa. They make a great team. I loved that they were friends first before they fell in love and started wanting more. I loved that they brought out the best in each other, trusted and believed in each other once they decided to accept each other. Most of all, I loved that they weren't afraid of being diminished by the other's strengths.<br />
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<h4>
What Changed</h4>
I had thought that I understood how insidious Leck's Grace could be in Fire and Graceling, but Bitterblue opens up far more tragic consequences then I could ever have imagined. In the face of such terrors, Bitterblue's feelings of uselessness and hopelessness is one I truly sympathize with. Really, even in the end, I couldn't help doubting that the wounds left by Leck could be healed.<br />
<br />
Still I can't say that I loved Bitterblue. Right until the end, I felt that she was as much as fault as those who were conspiring against her. Her interest in solving the puzzles around her stems much more from her desire for adventures rather than a true concern for her subjects. If she'd taken more care in her pursuit of the truth, perhaps some of the tragedies that transpires later could have been avoided.<br />
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<h4>
Bitterblue, Fire and Katsa</h4>
How did the heroines of the different books fare against each other ? Its hard to decide between Fire and Katsa. Right now, Katsa definitely wins over Fire and Bitterblue.<br />
<br />
I confess that I can't quite forgive Bitterblue for making it sound as if Po and Katsa purposely made their relationship difficult. Bitterblue also gave off the impression her search for the truth arose out of boredom and curiosity than genuine concern.<br />
<br />
As for Fire, she spent too much time worrying over becoming a monster, so much so that it got quite annoying. Did she have to take until nearly the end of the book to realize what all the people who love her had known all along ?<br />
<br />
Katsa was the only one that I felt showed genuine growth throughout Graceling. She too started off believing herself to be a monster and letting herself be used as such. Once she decides to change though, she does so in spectacular fashion, despite her own insecurities. My only quibble with Katsa is that I think she protests too much on the topic of marriage. Must she make such a big deal of it ?<br />
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<h4>
Sapphire, Gideon, Po, Briggan and Archer</h4>
Po wins this one no contest. He is simply my favorite character in all 3 of Kristin Cashore's books. Po's sheer joy in living and determination to keep that life, won me over early on in the story. What's truly admirable about Po though is not how he uses his Grace but how he can accept that not all he learns through his Grace defines the person whose secrets he is privy to.<br />
<br />
Archer is another favorite character of mine, faults and all. Were it possible, I'd have wished that he and Fire end up together. More, that he had been given a chance to repent his ways. In a way, Archer reminds me of Po, albeit a less honorable and understanding one. Perhaps if he were a tad less possessive and careless, he and Fire would have had a better chance.<br />
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As for Briggan, while I liked him and his solidness and dependability, he was also overshadowed by all the other characters in the book.<br />
<br />
Giddon makes himself infinitely unlikable in Graceling. So much so that I couldn't reconcile his character in Bitterblue to the one in Graceling. Of all the recurring characters in the 3 books, I though Giddon's showed the most discontinuity. Giddon in Bitterblue felt like a totally different person to the Giddon in Graceling. So, no matter how I tried, I couldn't help feeling that Bitterblue's Giddon was a fake and not someone to be trusted.<br />
<br />
Sapphire too was an absolute disappointment measured against all of the main characters in the 3 books. There is simply no depth to him. For almost the entire book, I failed to grasp the motivations for any of his actions. Even when he's supposed to be badly hurt by some of Bitterblue's actions, I couldn't attribute any such feeling to him. The only truly genuine emotion that I sensed from Sapphire was his devotion to his Lienid Seventh Prince.<br />
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<h4>
Would I Read the Books again ?</h4>
Definitely. Especially, Graceling. I couldn't get enough of Po and Katsa and would welcome another foray into their world. I'd love to find out what happens with their revolutions and their future explorations into the new world opening to them. Bitterblue also leaves me with a sense that there are so many untold stories, both happening in the gaps between Graceling, Fire and Bitterblue and in the aftermath of whats to come.The Books Of My Lifehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05783841204987579857noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-54042781733864434472012-12-26T08:00:00.000+08:002012-12-26T08:00:02.365+08:00Waiting on Wednesday : A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan and Brandon Sanderson<div style="text-align: center;">Waiting on Wednesday is hosted at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank" title="Breaking the Spine">Breaking the Spine</a>.<br />
<a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Waiting on Wednesday" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ-j06NflYTKfVOPqGDR3-46mVCjtPQ1uoQvcal72Fqiutm9IpYlWtzkwwdDmwfxpnyQDIzkvaOxaiCD5GkApiEs2RFzdu8mcKzky_BzrViaSpYv87BokEM3R6JSnokQDjPhlIQVf3uJJl/s800/New%20WoW.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.</div><br />
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</div><h3>A Memory of Light by Robert Jordan</h3><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i><br />
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Since 1990, when Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time® burst on the world with its first book, The Eye of the World, readers have been anticipating the final scenes of this extraordinary saga, which has sold over forty million copies in over thirty languages.<br />
<br />
When Robert Jordan died in 2007, all feared that these concluding scenes would never be written. But working from notes and partials left by Jordan, established fantasy writer Brandon Sanderson stepped in to complete the masterwork. With The Gathering Storm (Book 12) and Towers of Midnight (Book 13) behind him, both of which were # 1 New York Times hardcover bestsellers, Sanderson now re-creates the vision that Robert Jordan left behind.<br />
<br />
Edited by Jordan’s widow, who edited all of Jordan’s books, A Memory of Light will delight, enthrall, and deeply satisfy all of Jordan’s legions of readers.<br />
<br />
The Wheel of Time turns, and Ages come and pass.<br />
What was, what will be, and what is,<br />
may yet fall under the Shadow.<br />
Let the Dragon ride again on the winds of time.<br />
</i></blockquote></div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-74923419709668564782012-12-22T08:00:00.000+08:002013-09-08T09:41:27.785+08:00On My Wishlist : Next in my Series Addiction #2<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<h3>
A Clash of Kings by George R.R. Martin</h3>
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<i>A comet the color of blood and flame cuts across the sky. And from the ancient citadel of Dragonstone to the forbidding shores of Winterfell, chaos reigns. Six factions struggle for control of a divided land and the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms, preparing to stake their claims through tempest, turmoil, and war. It is a tale in which brother plots against brother and the dead rise to walk in the night. Here a princess masquerades as an orphan boy; a knight of the mind prepares a poison for a treacherous sorceress; and wild men descend from the Mountains of the Moon to ravage the countryside. Against a backdrop of incest and fratricide, alchemy and murder, victory may go to the men and women possessed of the coldest steel...and the coldest hearts. For when kings clash, the whole land trembles.</i></blockquote>
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<h3>
A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin</h3>
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<blockquote>
<i>Of the five contenders for power, one is dead, another in disfavor, and still the wars rage as violently as ever, as alliances are made and broken. Joffrey, of House Lannister, sits on the Iron Throne, the uneasy ruler of the land of the Seven Kingdoms. His most bitter rival, Lord Stannis, stands defeated and disgraced, the victim of the jealous sorceress who holds him in her evil thrall. But young Robb, of House Stark, still rules the North from the fortress of Riverrun. Robb plots against his despised Lannister enemies, even as they hold his sister hostage at King’s Landing, the seat of the Iron Throne. Meanwhile, making her way across a blood-drenched continent is the exiled queen, Daenerys, mistress of the only three dragons still left in the world. . . .<br />
<br />
But as opposing forces maneuver for the final titanic showdown, an army of barbaric wildlings arrives from the outermost line of civilization. In their vanguard is a horde of mythical Others--a supernatural army of the living dead whose animated corpses are unstoppable. As the future of the land hangs in the balance, no one will rest until the Seven Kingdoms have exploded in a veritable storm of swords. . . </i></blockquote>
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<h3>
A Feast for Crows by George R.R. Martin</h3>
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<i>It seems too good to be true. After centuries of bitter strife and fatal treachery, the seven powers dividing the land have decimated one another into an uneasy truce. Or so it appears. . . . With the death of the monstrous King Joffrey, Cersei is ruling as regent in King’s Landing. Robb Stark’s demise has broken the back of the Northern rebels, and his siblings are scattered throughout the kingdom like seeds on barren soil. Few legitimate claims to the once desperately sought Iron Throne still exist—or they are held in hands too weak or too distant to wield them effectively. The war, which raged out of control for so long, has burned itself out.<br />
<br />
But as in the aftermath of any climactic struggle, it is not long before the survivors, outlaws, renegades, and carrion eaters start to gather, picking over the bones of the dead and fighting for the spoils of the soon-to-be dead. Now in the Seven Kingdoms, as the human crows assemble over a banquet of ashes, daring new plots and dangerous new alliances are formed, while surprising faces—some familiar, others only just appearing—are seen emerging from an ominous twilight of past struggles and chaos to take up the challenges ahead.<br />
<br />
It is a time when the wise and the ambitious, the deceitful and the strong will acquire the skills, the power, and the magic to survive the stark and terrible times that lie before them. It is a time for nobles and commoners, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and sages to come together and stake their fortunes . . . and their lives. For at a feast for crows, many are the guests—but only a few are the survivors.<br />
</i></blockquote>
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<h3>
A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin</h3>
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<blockquote>
<i>In the aftermath of a colossal battle, the future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance once again--beset by newly emerging threats from every direction. In the east, Daenerys Targaryen, the last scion of House Targaryen, rules with her three dragons as queen of a city built on dust and death. But Daenerys has three times three thousand enemies, and many have set out to find her. Yet, as they gather, one young man embarks upon his own quest for the queen, with an entirely different goal in mind.<br />
<br />
To the north lies the mammoth Wall of ice and stone--a structure only as strong as those guarding it. There, Jon Snow, 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, will face his greatest challenge yet. For he has powerful foes not only within the Watch but also beyond, in the land of the creatures of ice.<br />
<br />
And from all corners, bitter conflicts soon reignite, intimate betrayals are perpetrated, and a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves, will face seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Some will fail, others will grow in the strength of darkness. But in a time of rising restlessness, the tides of destiny and politics will lead inevitably to the greatest dance of all. . . .<br />
</i></blockquote>
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<h3>
The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan</h3>
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<i>In The Son of Neptune, Percy, Hazel, and Frank met in Camp Jupiter, the Roman equivalent of Camp Halfblood, and traveled to the land beyond the gods to complete a dangerous quest. The third book in the Heroes of Olympus series will unite them with Jason, Piper, and Leo. But they number only six--who will complete the Prophecy of Seven?<br />
<br />
The Greek and Roman demigods will have to cooperate in order to defeat the giants released by the Earth Mother, Gaea. Then they will have to sail together to the ancient land to find the Doors of Death. What exactly are the Doors of Death? Much of the prophecy remains a mystery. . . .<br />
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With old friends and new friends joining forces, a marvelous ship, fearsome foes, and an exotic setting, The Mark of Athena promises to be another unforgettable adventure by master storyteller Rick Riordan.</i></blockquote>
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<h3>
Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake</h3>
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<i><br />
It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.<br />
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His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.<br />
<br />
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.<br />
<br />
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.<br />
</i></blockquote>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-47418374848017779752012-12-14T08:30:00.000+08:002012-12-14T08:30:01.485+08:00Review : The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141335734/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141335734&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0141335734&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141335734" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><b>Title : The Son of Neptune</b><br />
<b>Author : Rick Riordan</b><br />
<b>Reading Dates : 14 Nov - 15 Nov 2012</b><br />
<b>Total Pages : 511</b><br />
<div class="bg1"><br />
<b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i><br />
Percy is confused. When he awoke after 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. Somehow Percy managed to make it to the camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he had to continually kill monsters that, annoyingly, would not stay dead. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him.<br />
<br />
Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn’t do a very good job of it. When the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her “gift” for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn’t say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk.<br />
<br />
Frank is a klutz. His grandmother claims he is descended from ancient heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery—although not good enough to help the Fifth Cohort win at war games. His big and bulky physique makes him feel like a clumsy ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely—enough, even, to share the secret he holds close to his heart.<br />
<br />
Beginning at the “other” camp for half-bloods and extending as far north as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment in the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all of whom are destined to play a part in the most important quest of all: the Prophecy of Seven.<br />
</i></blockquote></div><br />
<div class="clearfloat"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Heroes of Olympus</b><br />
<ul><li>The Lost Hero</li>
<li>The Son of Neptune</li>
<li>The Mark of Athena</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="clearfloat"></div><br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3><u>Book Review of <i>The Son of Neptune</i>.</u></h3>I loved parts of <i>The Son of Neptune</i> while finding other parts a bit boring. The parts I loved almost always involves <i>Percy Jackson</i> while the boring bits are the ones focused on the other 2 new demigods, Hazel Levesque and Frank Zhang.<br />
<br />
Percy shines as a character. I supposed in part this is because I already know him from the <i>Percy Jackson</i> series but mostly its the character himself. His reactions to what’s going on around him is funny. One of the things I like about Percy is that he’s never mean but he makes you see how ridiculous the behaviour and customs the other characters accepts are. And that he’s never afraid to make his feelings known, even to an all-powerful goddess. How he handles meeting Juno again at the end of <i>The Son of Neptune</i> is one of my favourite parts in the book.<br />
<br />
On the other hand, Hazel and Frank are boring. Even by the end of <i>The Son of Neptune</i>, I couldn’t understand why these 2 particular demigods should be included in the team of 7 most powerful demigods. Hazel’s powers aren’t that powerful when I compare it against some of the other demigods. As for Frank, the emphasis here are the abilities he inherited from his Greek ancestor rather than his Roman parentage. This, I think is an extraordinary waste because the story has them fighting as individuals often rather than the team they’re supposed to be.<br />
<br />
What I really loved about <i>The Son of Neptune</i> though, is the return of the humour and wit which had me falling for the <i>Percy Jackson</i> series. A few of their encounters had me laughing hysterically. Why shouldn’t a Greek goddess believe in Feng Shui or a gorgon offer free samples while attempting murder?<br />
<br />
Oh, I wish I had <i>The Mark of Athena</i> now. I can’t wait to have Percy and Annabeth together again saving the world. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3><u>My verdict</u> : I loved it. </h3>If you're interested to buy the book the Amazon, you can find it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141335734/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141335734&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20">HERE</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141335734" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/in-my-mailbox-son-of-neptune-and-devils.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/teaser-tuesdays-lost-hero-and-son-of.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-44577515348221175042012-12-13T08:30:00.000+08:002012-12-13T08:30:01.253+08:00Review : The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141325496/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141325496&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0141325496&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141325496" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><b>Title : The Lost Hero</b><br />
<b>Author : Rick Riordan</b><br />
<b>Reading Dates : 11 Nov - 14 Nov 2012</b><br />
<b>Total Pages : 551</b><br />
<div class="bg1"><br />
<b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>This is the number one, bestselling title in this new spin-off series from Percy Jackson creator, Rick Riordan. <br />
<br />
Old enemies awaken as camp half-blood's new arrivals prepare for war. When Jason, Piper and Leo crash land at Camp Half-Blood, they have no idea what to expect. Apparently this is the only safe place for children of the Greek Gods - despite the monsters roaming the woods and demigods practising archery with flaming arrows and explosives. But rumours of a terrible curse - and a missing hero - are flying around camp. It seems Jason, Piper and Leo are the chosen ones to embark on a terrifying new quest, which they must complete by the winter solstice in just four days time. Can the trio succeed on this deadly mission - and what must they sacrifice in order to survive?</i></blockquote></div><br />
<div class="clearfloat"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><b>Heroes of Olympus</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><ul><li>The Lost Hero</li>
<li>The Son of Neptune</li>
<li>The Mark of Athena</li>
</ul></div></div><br />
<div class="clearfloat"></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3><u>Book Review of <i>BookTitle</i>.</u></h3>I enjoyed <i>The Lost Hero</i>, not as much as I loved the <i>Percy Jackson</i> series, but good enough to have me continuing with the next book in the series immediately.<br />
<br />
Jason Grace, <i>The Lost Hero</i> in question is in a different mould from <i>Percy Jackson</i>. More responsible and obedient to the orders and whims of the gods he serves. And while this doesn’t make him a wimp, it does make him less interesting as a character. Also, the way he handles his memory loss, taking everything in stride, doesn’t seem very plausible to me either. I wouldn’t think it unreasonable if he threw some temper tantrums at the cause of his problem.<br />
<br />
The other 2 new demigods introduced here however make up for whatever complaints I had about Jason. Piper McLean and Leo Valdez both need time to grow into the responsibilities thrust onto them. And the quest they’re on, to find and free Hera certainly gives them plenty of chances. I really enjoyed how both of them grow into the potential hinted at the beginning of the quest and how by the end of their journey, accept their own strengths and weaknesses. The responsibilities they take on at the end is the best indication of this.<br />
<br />
My favourite part in the story though is Leo’s first meeting with the mechanical dragon he names Festus. Leo’s reactions was totally unbelievable and incredibly sweet. Its no wonder that Fergus forgoes snacking on him.<br />
<br />
Other than that, <i>The Lost Hero</i> is not as funny as the <i>Percy Jackson</i> books. I’d enjoyed how <i>Rick Riordan</i> mixed ancient myth with modern technology in the earlier books. Here, sadly the same flair is missing.<br />
<br />
A good start, but what I really want now is to read about <i>Percy Jackson</i> again.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3><u>My verdict</u> : I liked it. </h3>If you're interested to buy the book the Amazon, you can find it <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141325496/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141325496&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20">HERE</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141325496" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2011/10/in-my-mailbox_30.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/teaser-tuesdays-lost-hero-and-son-of.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a>; <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-book-blogger-recommendation.html">2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge</a></h4></div><br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-16113605938932984212012-12-11T08:30:00.000+08:002012-12-11T08:30:02.823+08:00Teaser Tuesdays : George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl<div style="text-align: center;">Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Should Be Reading">Should Be Reading</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Teaser Tuesdays" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfehyphenhypheniLhUc0lEVwPbhph6sh4G99WNQn1BtwChInWp1wKOTPpLoMnOTAtNt3W96oHR8LKoEEeX4_AZV-Wp9R70Wh8oS5DEWfvoX36Y7l7AnQyESd3hFF0CuDvzLAjBSba27qACNX-wwaz0C/s800/teasertuesdays31.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
<br />
Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142410357/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142410357&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0142410357&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142410357" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /></div><h3>George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl</h3><h4>From Page 14</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote>I know exactly what I'll do. I shall make her a <i>new</i> medicine, one that is so strong and so fierce and so fantastic it will either cure her completely or blow off the top of her head.</blockquote></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-84623017737585005252012-12-07T08:30:00.000+08:002012-12-07T08:30:00.589+08:00Review : The Devil's Bones by Jefferson Bass<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><br />
<h4>Title : <i>The Devil's Bones</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Jefferson Bass</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 3 Nov - 8 Nov 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i>309</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061469149/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061469149&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061469149&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061469149" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>The Body Farm</b><br />
<ul><li>Carved in Bone</li>
<li>Flesh and Bone</li>
<li>The Devil's Bones</li>
<li><i>Bones of Betrayal</i></li>
<li>The Bone Thief</li>
<li>The Bone Yard</li>
<li>The Inquisitor's Key</li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>A woman's charred body has been found inside a burned car atop a hill in Knoxville. Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton is on the case, torching bodies to research how fire consumes flesh and bone. Days later, he receives a mysterious package - a set of cremated remains that seems entirely unreal. As Brockton investigates, he uncovers a truth too horrifying to believe Meanwhile, disgraced medical examiner, and Brockton's nemesis, Garland Hamilton, has escaped from custody. A deadly game of cat and mouse begins, with Brockton's life at stake. Finally running Hamilton to ground, Brockton finds only the incinerated remains of his enemy, or does he? Before he finds the truth, Brockton will face his ultimate test.</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>The Devil's Bones</i>.</h3>Of the 3 <i>Body Farm</i> mysteries by <i>Jefferson Bass</i> that I’ve read, <i>The Devil’s Bones</i> is probably my favorite. Which is not saying much, considering the reason I prefer it to the others. Its not so much the story or characters which I like, as the description of Miranda’s reconstruction of a skull that I enjoy.<br />
<br />
Watching a skull reconstruction on television isn’t as satisfying as reading about it. At least, this was the feeling I got while reading <i>The Devil’s Bones</i>. On television, its like watching a jigsaw puzzle coming together. While you know its more than that, the knowledge is something more on the periphery. Reading about it though, the expertise and skill involved is inescapable.<br />
<br />
Apart from that though, the story wasn’t much to talk about. In fact, I have complaints regarding the storyline and pacing. The plot seems to meander quite a number of times. This is most likely due to the fact that Dr. Bill Brockton is investigating more than 1 case at once and the author can’t seem to decide which should be the focus of the story. Then, there are moments when the characters actions seem to contradict each other. One moment, we have people running crazily to escort Bill Brockton to safety when an enemy of his escapes incarceration. The next, we have him going happily off on his own without anyone showing more than a modicum of concern for his safety.<br />
<br />
All in all, I think this ends my experiment with <i>The Body Farm</i> thriller series. </div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? Not really.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series ? No.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? Thriller or mystery readers.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/in-my-mailbox-son-of-neptune-and-devils.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/teaser-tuesdays-devils-bones-by.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-35024583761439310522012-12-04T08:30:00.000+08:002012-12-04T08:30:00.031+08:00Teaser Tuesdays : Changeling by Philippa Gregory and The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child<div style="text-align: center;">Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Should Be Reading">Should Be Reading</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Teaser Tuesdays" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfehyphenhypheniLhUc0lEVwPbhph6sh4G99WNQn1BtwChInWp1wKOTPpLoMnOTAtNt3W96oHR8LKoEEeX4_AZV-Wp9R70Wh8oS5DEWfvoX36Y7l7AnQyESd3hFF0CuDvzLAjBSba27qACNX-wwaz0C/s800/teasertuesdays31.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
<br />
Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442453443/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1442453443&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1442453443&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1442453443" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h3>Changeling by Philippa Gregory</h3><h4>From Page 17</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>"Perhaps I am sending out a changeling to map fear itself," he said to himself, as he tidied the papers together and pushed back his chair. "What a joke for the worlds seen and unseen! A faerie child in the Order. A faerie child to map fear."</i></blockquote></div><br />
<div class = "clearfloat"></div><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0752882902/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0752882902&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0752882902&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0752882902" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /></div><h3>The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child</h3><h4>From Page 59</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>"Sure sounds like another curse to me," said McCorkle.<br />
"I would guess it's merely an obscure quotation from the Book of the Dead. The bloody thing runs to two hundered chapters and nobody's figured all of it out."</i></blockquote></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-62105049336187612682012-11-30T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-30T08:30:01.884+08:00Review : A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><h4>Title : <i>A Game of Thrones</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>George R.R. Martin</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 23 Oct - 3 Nov 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i> 835</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553573403/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553573403&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0553573403&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0553573403" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>A Song of Ice and Fire</b><br />
<ul><li><i>A Game of Thrones</i></li>
<li>A Clash of Kings</li>
<li>A Storm of Swords</li>
<li>A Feast of Crows</li>
<li>A Dance with Dragons</li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister and supernatural forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the land they were born to. Sweeping from a land of brutal cold to a distant summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, here is a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens.<br />
<br />
Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; and a determined woman undertakes the most treacherous of journeys. Amid plots and counterplots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, the fate of the Starks, their allies, and their enemies hangs perilously in the balance, as each endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>A Game of Thrones</i>.</h3>I picked up <i>Game of Thrones</i> after I had caught bits and pieces of a few episodes of the series on television. It looked like it might be interesting and a part of me is glad I picked it up.The other part of me though is afraid that I’ll come to regret it later on.<br />
<br />
<i>The Game of Thrones</i> is well written. The book isn’t fast paced but there is plenty of tension, intrigues and twists to keep me on tenterhooks. Boredom is the least of my worries. I can’t quite figure out what is going to happen next and why.<br />
<br />
The characters are complex and varied too. The fact that I can keep track of who’s who is a credit to <i>George R.R. Martin</i>. There are characters I’d love to hate but can’t help but admire for their resourceful sneakiness. Then, there are some I love for their determination to always behave with honour but also recognize that those are the very reasons for their own downfall. And also a few that should have my sympathies but just leaves me annoyed and angry at their foolish naivete. Oh yes, I’m having a wonderful time getting closer to the Starks, the Lannisters and all their enemies and allies.<br />
<br />
But here comes the kicker. The book and the story has me afraid, terribly afraid that the good guys (or at least the ones I consider to be the good guys), aren’t going to have a good end. How can they when even I agree with the Lannister thinking when it comes to gaining and keeping power? I don’t see how anyone can win the Game of Thrones without sacrificing at least a few of their scruples. And since I prefer happy endings, well …<br />
<br />
So, right now, I’m in 2 minds. I want to know what happens next but I don’t want anything bad to happen to the characters I’m rooting for. In the end, I’m definitely going to pick up the books. But I’m just going to postpone it a while, get used to the fact that there is likely to be no happy ever afters here.<br />
</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? Yes.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? All fantasy readers.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? I can't say yet. It would depend on how the rest of the books in the series go.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/teaser-tuesdays-game-of-thrones-by.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a>; <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-book-blogger-recommendation.html">2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-31417572496293550232012-11-27T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-27T08:30:01.748+08:00Teaser Tuesdays : Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake and Prey by Michael Crichton<div style="text-align: center;">Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Should Be Reading">Should Be Reading</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Teaser Tuesdays" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfehyphenhypheniLhUc0lEVwPbhph6sh4G99WNQn1BtwChInWp1wKOTPpLoMnOTAtNt3W96oHR8LKoEEeX4_AZV-Wp9R70Wh8oS5DEWfvoX36Y7l7AnQyESd3hFF0CuDvzLAjBSba27qACNX-wwaz0C/s800/teasertuesdays31.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
<br />
Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765328674/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0765328674&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0765328674&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765328674" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h3>Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake</h3><h4>From Page 173</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>"We're in on the secret, aren't we, Cas? And it's taking us out of this world."<br />
"That's usually the way it works," I say softly.</i></blockquote></div><div class = "clearfloat"></div><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007229739/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0007229739&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0007229739&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0007229739" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h3>Prey by Michael Crichton</h3><h4>From Page 159</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>"They tried to make these buildings perfect," he said. "Because they're working with such small-size things. But it's not a perfect world, Jack. Never has been. Never will be."<br />
I said again, "What kind of accidents?"</i></blockquote></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-84174520835027223482012-11-23T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-23T21:59:00.918+08:00Review : Area 7 by Matthew Reilly<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><h4>Title : <i>Area 7</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Matthew Reilly</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 20 Oct - 22 Oct 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i> 565</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0330513419/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0330513419&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0330513419&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0330513419" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>Shane Schofield</b><br />
<ul><li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-ice-station-by-matthew-reilly.html">Ice Station</a></li>
<li><i>Area 7</i></li>
<li>Scarecrow</li>
<li>Hell Island</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-scarecrow-and-army-of-thieves.html">Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves</a></li>
<li>Scarecrow Returns</li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>From the bestselling author of Ice Station, another dizzyingly fast-paced adventure thriller featuring Shane Schofield. It is America's most secret base, hidden deep in the Utah desert, an Air Force installation known only as Area 7. And today it has a visitor: the President of the United States. He has come to inspect Area 7, to examine its secrets for himself. But he's going to get more than he bargained for on this trip. Because hostile forces are waiting inside...Among the President's helicopter crew, however, is a young Marine. He is quiet, enigmatic, and he hides his eyes behind a pair of silver sunglasses. His name is Schofield. Call-sign: Scarecrow. Rumour has it, he's a good man in a storm. Judging by what the President has just walked into, he'd better be...</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>Area 7</i>.</h3>Suffice to say that whatever I have to say about <i>Area 7</i>, I’ve already said in my review of <i>Ice Station</i>.<br />
<br />
<i>Area 7</i>, like <i>Ice Station</i>, pales in comparison to <i>Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves</i>. As far as recycled plotlines are concerned, <i>Area 7</i> does one worst than <i>Ice Station</i>. There’s even 1 scene that is nearly identical to that in <i>Army of Thieves</i>. I’m not sure to be amused or not, considering the fact that <i>Army of Thieves</i> came later in the <i>Schane Schofield</i> series.<br />
<br />
As for the little boy Kevin, if he’s supposed to provide the cute factor, he fails woefully. He hardly appears in the book, and comes off as spooky when he does appear.<br />
<br />
To sum up, this is the end of my adventures with the <i>Scarecrow</i>. I should have stopped while I was ahead.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? No.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series ? No.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? Not recommended.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox-ice-station-and-area-7-by.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/teaser-tuesdays-ice-station-and-area-7.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-72839116446916498892012-11-22T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-23T22:02:47.960+08:00Review : Ice Station by Matthew Reilly<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><h4>Title : <i>Ice Station</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Matthew Reilly</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 14 Oct - 19 Oct 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i> 690</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/033051346X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=033051346X&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=033051346X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=033051346X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>Shane Schofield</b><br />
<ul><li><i>Ice Station</i></li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-area-7-by-matthew-reilly.html">Area 7</a></li>
<li>Scarecrow</li>
<li>Hell Island</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/review-scarecrow-and-army-of-thieves.html">Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves</a></li>
<li>Scarecrow Returns</li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>Anarctica is the last unconquered continent, a murderous expanse of howling winds, blinding whiteouts and deadly crevasses. On one edge of Antarctica is Wilkes Station. Beneath Wilkes Station is the gate to hell itself...<br />
<br />
A team of U.S. divers, exploring three thousand feet beneath the ice shelf has vanished. Sending out an SOS, Wilkes draws a rapid deployment team of Marines-and someone else...<br />
<br />
First comes a horrific firefight. Then comes a plunge into a drowning pool filled with killer whales. Next comes the hard part, as a handful of survivors begin an electrifying, red-hot, non-stop battle of survival across the continent and against wave after wave of elite military assassins-who've all come for one thing: a secret buried deep beneath the ice...</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>Ice Station</i>.</h3><i>Ice Station</i> would have been a better read with more distance and time from <i>Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves</i>.<br />
<br />
About a quarter through through <i>Ice Station</i>, I realized that the plot and a number of the character were nearly identical to those in <i>Army of Thieves</i>. I had expected the fast paced and improbable action sequences appearing in <i>Army of Thieves</i> but not for some of the plotline to be almost a duplicate of the book.<br />
<br />
In <i>Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves</i>, we had Bertie the robot supplying the mandatory cuteness factor as well as some much needed assistance. Here, we have the duo of Kirsty and her pet seal, Wendy. Unfortunately, they’re not as cute nor as reliable as Bertie. Kirsty is more annoying than cute while Wendy isn’t as helpful in fighting off predators of the human variety.<br />
<br />
Then, there’s the obligatory traitor within their ranks. A theme similarly recurring in <i>Army of Thieves</i>. If their own leaders are involved , I don’t see that ending happening. Its too pat and I would have expected further damage.<br />
<br />
No, <i>Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves</i> was a better rendition of <i>Schane Schofield</i>’s story.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? No.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Only because I already have it.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? Not really.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox-ice-station-and-area-7-by.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/teaser-tuesdays-ice-station-and-area-7.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-86599643671455265872012-11-20T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-20T08:30:01.342+08:00Teaser Tuesdays : The Lost Hero and Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan<div style="text-align: center;">Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Should Be Reading">Should Be Reading</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Teaser Tuesdays" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfehyphenhypheniLhUc0lEVwPbhph6sh4G99WNQn1BtwChInWp1wKOTPpLoMnOTAtNt3W96oHR8LKoEEeX4_AZV-Wp9R70Wh8oS5DEWfvoX36Y7l7AnQyESd3hFF0CuDvzLAjBSba27qACNX-wwaz0C/s800/teasertuesdays31.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
<br />
Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141325496/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141325496&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0141325496&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141325496" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /></div><h3>The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan</h3><h4>From Page 351</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote>"I <i>make</i> it. In uncertain times like these, gold is the wisest investment, don't you think? Governments fall. The dead rise. Giants attack Olympus. But gold retains its value!"</blockquote></div><div class = "clearfloat"></div><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141335734/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141335734&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0141335734&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141335734" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /></div><h3>Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan</h3><h4>From Page 394</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>"Cyclopes! I tell you, Stheno, when I destroy Neptune and take over the oceans, we will renegotiate the Cyclopes' labour contract. Ma Gasket will learn her place! Now, what news from the north?"</i></blockquote></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-51453468640746377532012-11-19T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-19T08:30:01.015+08:00It's Monday, What Are You Reading?<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;">It's Monday What Are You Reading ? is hosted at <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Book Journey">Book Journey</a>.<br />
<a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="It's Monday What Are You Reading?" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKvgUO7a8oT2cXdxJ94-OSsp2Myltu0MxGERc2QD95twoOybbToH6Tj0-Zx0HPOasNei7_iSB10I7lU2ccD8ELUJsosHzr_rLksxIj4vIXHi15v8gFcqzdOlzAQ_7CxjlzDK-ev_ajJsr/s800/213.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
Where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.<br />
</div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>What I Read:</h3><ul><li>The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan</li>
<li>The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan</li>
<li>Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake</li>
</ul><center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141325496/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141325496&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0141325496&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141325496" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141335734/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141335734&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0141335734&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141335734" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765328674/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0765328674&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0765328674&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765328674" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /></center></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>What I Reviewed:</h3><ul><li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins.html">The Hunger Games</a> by Suzanne Collins</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-catching-fire-by-suzanne-collins.html">Catching Fire</a> by Suzanne Collins</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-mockingjay-by-suzanne-collins.html">Mockingjay</a> by Suzanne Collins</li>
</ul><center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439023483/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0439023483&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0439023483&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439023483" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439023491/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0439023491&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0439023491&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439023491" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439023513/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0439023513&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0439023513&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439023513" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</center></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>What I’m Reading:</h3><ul><li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-my-mailbox.html">Prey</a> by Michael Crichton</li>
</ul><center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007229739/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0007229739&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0007229739&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0007229739" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</center></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>What I Plan to Read next:</h3><ul><li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/in-my-mailbox.html">Changeling</a> by Philippa Gregory</li>
</ul><center><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1442453443/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1442453443&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1442453443&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1442453443" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</center></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-86035141157114943582012-11-18T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-18T08:30:00.579+08:00In My Mailbox <div style="text-align: center;">In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/" target="_blank" title="The Story Siren">The Story Siren</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="In My Mailbox" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DQJgx8rLjNQ/TQ6tuREeRTI/AAAAAAAALSw/pIE5DpXMQpI/s320/mailbox1.jpg" width="150" /></a><br /><br />
Anyone can participate. IMM is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Bought:</h3></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553296981/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553296981&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0553296981&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0553296981" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h3>Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl</h3><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>Discovered in the attic in which she spent the last years of her life, Anne Frank's remarkable diary has since become a world classic -- a powerful reminder of the horrors of war and an eloquent testament to the human spirit. In 1942, with Nazis occupying Holland, a thirteen-year-old Jewish girl and her family fled their home in Amsterdam and went into hiding. For the next two years, until their whereabouts were betrayed to the Gestapo, they and another family lived cloistered in the "Secret Annex" of an old office building. Cut off from the outside world, they faced hunger, boredom, the constant cruelties of living in confined quarters, and the ever-present threat of discovery and death. In her diary Anne Frank recorded vivid impressions of her experiences during this period. By turns thoughtful, moving, and amusing, her account offers a fascinating commentary on human courage and frailty and a compelling self-portrait of a sensitive and spirited young woman whose promise was tragically cut short.</i></blockquote></div><br />
<div class = "clearfloat"></div><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0007229739/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0007229739&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0007229739&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0007229739" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h3>Prey by Michael Crichton</h3><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>From the Number One international bestselling author of Jurassic Park comes this classic Crichton page-turner, weaving together heart-pounding thrills with cutting-edge technology. In California, odd things are happening to unemployed scientist Jack Forman. His children tell Jack that strange men have visited the house. And Julia, his wife, isn't helping -- she acts, even looks, somehow different. Deep in the Nevada desert, in the laboratory where Julia works, things are out of control. A swarm of rogue microbots, designed to reproduce and learn, is developing with a frightening speed that has the scientists battling to contain it. Only when Jack is called in to help does he discover the shocking truth -- the microbots have been programmed to behave as predators. And Man is the prey!</i></blockquote></div><br />
<div class = "clearfloat"></div><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0857077317/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0857077317&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0857077317&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0857077317" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h3>Changeling by Philippa Gregory</h3><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>The first book in the thrilling YA sequence, Order of Darkness. The year is 1453, and all signs point to it being the end of the world. Accused of heresy and expelled from his monastery, handsome seventeen-year-old, Luca Vero, is recruited by a mysterious stranger to record the end of times across Europe. Commanded by sealed orders, Luca is sent to map the fears of Christendom, and travel to the very frontier of good and evil. Seventeen-year-old Isolde, a Lady Abbess, is trapped in a nunnery to prevent her claiming her rich inheritance. As the nuns in her care are driven mad by strange visions, walking in their sleep, and showing bleeding wounds, Luca is sent to investigate and all the evidence points to Isolde's criminal guilt. Outside in the yard they are building a pyre to burn her for witchcraft. Forced to face the greatest fears of the medieval world - dark magic, werewolves, madness - Luca and Isolde embark on a search for truth, their own destinies, and even love as they take the unknown ways to the real historical figure who defends the boundaries of Christendom and holds the secrets of the Order of Darkness.</i></blockquote></div><br />
<div class = "clearfloat"></div><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061965839/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061965839&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061965839&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061965839" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h3>Amazonia by James Rollins</h3><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>The Rand scientific expedition entered the lush wilderness of the Amazon and never returned. Years later, one of its members has stumbled out of the world's most inhospitable rainforest--a former Special Forces soldier, scarred, mutilated, terrified, and mere hours from death, who went in with one arm missing . . . and came out with both intact.<br />
<br />
Unable to comprehend this inexplicable event, the government sends Nathan Rand into this impenetrable secret world of undreamed-of perils, to follow the trail of his vanished father . . . toward mysteries that must be solved at any cost. But the nightmare that is awaiting Nate and his team of scientists and seasoned U.S. Rangers dwarfs any danger they anticipated . . . an ancient, unspoken terror--a power beyond human imagining--that can forever alter the world beyond the dark, lethal confines of . . .</i></blockquote></div><br />
<div class = "clearfloat"></div><div class="separator floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061231436/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061231436&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061231436&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061231436" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h3>Altar of Eden by James Rollins</h3><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>Baghdad falls . . . and armed men are seen looting the city zoo. Amid a hail of bullets, a concealed underground lab is ransacked--and something horrific is set loose upon the world.<br />
<br />
Seven years later, Louisiana state veterinarian Lorna Polk investigates an abandoned shipwrecked fishing trawler carrying exotic caged animals, part of a black market smuggling ring. But there is something disturbingly wrong with these beasts--each an unsettling mutation of the natural order, all sharing one uncanny trait: incredibly heightened intelligence.<br />
<br />
Joining forces with U.S. Border Patrol Agent Jack Menard--a man who shares with her a dark and bloody past--Lorna sets out to uncover the truth about this strange cargo and the terrorist threat it poses. Because a beast escaped the shipwreck and is running amok--and what is about to be born upon the altar of Eden could threaten not only the future of the world but the very foundation of what it means to be human.</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4>[ What I spent on the books : RM 103.55 ]</h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-38499778603998649372012-11-16T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-16T16:46:17.603+08:00Review : Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><h4>Title : <i>Mockingjay</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Suzanne Collins</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 13 Oct - 14 Oct 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i> 390</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159413586X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=159413586X&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=159413586X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=159413586X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>Catching Fire</b><ul><li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins.html">The Hunger Games</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-catching-fire-by-suzanne-collins.html">Catching Fire</a></li>
<li>Mockingjay</li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has survived the Hunger Games twice. But now that she's made it out of the bloody arena alive, she's still not safe. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge...This thrilling final instalment of this ground-breaking trilogy promises to be one of the most talked-about books of the year.</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>Mockingjay</i>.</h3><i>Mockingjay</i> was an unbearably sad read for me. The ending, which all things considered is supposed to be a good one, didn’t feel like that to me. There were just too many needless and senseless deaths in <i>Mockingjay</i>.<br />
<br />
If I could wish for anything regarding <i>The Hunger Games</i> series, it would be for a different ending. So many of the characters, including my favourite, dies brutally and tragically. And the toll that the Districts demands for ending the war is barbaric as well. Worse, when I put myself in their shoes, I can actually understand their need for vengeance. In the end, it all seems to be such a terrible waste because nothing much changes, only the role of victim and persecutor. While the good guys will not always win, I still prefer happy endings or at least endings where I can feel that most of the people got what they deserved. In <i>Mockingjay</i>, it seemed that the heroes suffered a fate worse than the villains.<br />
<br />
As for Katniss’s choice for her life partner, it doesn’t come as a surprise to me. It was pretty clear to me by <i>Catching Fire</i> who it would be considering the way she thinks. I’m still disappointed though when she makes her choice. More than anything, it seems to symbolize that nothing changes in Katniss’s world because she lets past events dictate her choice.<br />
<br />
To sum it up, <i>The Hunger Games</i> had me wanting to watch the movie while <i>Mockingjay</i> has me reconsidering. The story might have been good but I’d have preferred a happier ending.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? Yes, but not as frequent as I'd like.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series, if there were one ? Yes.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes. </li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? Young adult and dystopian readers.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. The series is a keeper.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/teaser-tuesdays-hunger-games-trilogy-by.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-50175055200272579982012-11-15T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-16T16:42:25.195+08:00Review : Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><h4>Title : <i>Catching Fire</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Suzanne Collins</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 08 Oct - 12 Oct 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i> 391</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/159413586X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=159413586X&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=159413586X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=159413586X" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>Catching Fire</b><ul><li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-hunger-games-by-suzanne-collins.html">The Hunger Games</a></li>
<li>Catching Fire</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-mockingjay-by-suzanne-collins.html">Mockingjay</a></li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>Suzanne Collins continues the amazing story of Katniss Everdeen in the phenomenal Hunger Games trilogy.<br />
<br />
Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge.</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>Catching Fire</i>.</h3>I liked <i>Catching Fire</i> but for very different reasons than <i>The Hunger Games</i>.<br />
<br />
<i>Catching Fire</i> had a slower pace compared to <i>The Hunger Games</i> and the main storyline in the beginning wasn’t very interesting. At least not to me. What kept me going were the hints of what was going on in the background. It seems strange though how nobody in Katniss’s world catches on.<br />
<br />
The second reason I enjoyed <i>Catching Fire</i> was the introduction of a new character and ally for Katniss, Finnick Odair. I even thought that he would have been a better choice for Katniss as a love interest. The funniest moment in the entire <i>Hunger Games</i> series occurs in <i>Catching Fire</i>, between him and Katniss. Considering what he’s been through, I thought it wonderful that he could still keep his sense of humour and even get Katniss to lighten up. In truth, I thought that was the only time Katniss was truly happy, without any strings attached.<br />
<br />
As for the romantic triangle between Katniss, Gale and Peeta, the whole thing just annoyed me. Rather than love, I believe what Katniss has with the 2 stems more from her survival instincts. Gale said it perfectly later on, when he comments that Katniss will chose the one she believes she can’t live without. Its also pretty clear to me who that would be considering her psychological makeup. It was also perfectly understandable considering the environment she grew up in.<br />
<br />
A good read but <i>Catching Fire</i> would have been better without drawing out the tension between Katniss, Gale and Peeta.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? Yes.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? Young adult and dystopian readers.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/teaser-tuesdays-hunger-games-trilogy-by.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-16244728564169027322012-11-14T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-16T16:43:32.672+08:00Review : The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><h4>Title : <i>The Hunger Games</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Suzanne Collins</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 05 Oct - 08 Oct 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i> 374</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0439023521/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0439023521&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0439023521&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0439023521" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>The Hunger Games</b><br />
<ul><li>The Hunger Games</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-catching-fire-by-suzanne-collins.html">Catching Fire</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-mockingjay-by-suzanne-collins.html">Mockingjay</a></li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>The Hunger Games</i>.</h3>I absolutely loved <i>The Hunger Games</i>. Katniss’s story was gripping and had me on the edge of my seat throughout the tale.<br />
<br />
If I had to pick the strongest reason why I enjoyed it so much, it would be because of the suspense and tension which permeates the tale. I could barely tear myself away from the story because I kept wondering what would happen next. The question of what terrible thing was going to befall the heroine and how she was going to extricate herself from her latest predicament kept me glued to the story from beginning until the end.<br />
<br />
<i>The Hunger Games</i> also has a number of pretty interesting characters, ones that you want to root for. My favourite was Rue, which also makes it kind of hard to enjoy the tale at times. Right off the bat we know that there can be only 1 winner in these survival games. And since the heroine most definitely has to be the winner, all that’s left is how and when Rue dies. Its also interesting to note that like most of the audience of <i>The Hunger Games</i>, I started to want Katniss to win only after she tries to give some meaning to Rue’s death. Prior to that, Katniss’s cynicism made it very hard to like or admire her.<br />
<br />
As for the ending, while not exactly a cliffhanger, left me on tenterhooks. <i>The Hunger Games</i> may have ended but Katniss and her dearest and closest are definitely not out of the woods yet.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? All young adult and dystopian fans.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/teaser-tuesdays-hunger-games-trilogy-by.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a>; <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-book-blogger-recommendation.html">2012 Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-56056907458416329532012-11-11T19:49:00.000+08:002012-11-13T15:52:25.792+08:00In My Mailbox : Roald Dahl and other assorted books<div style="text-align: center;">In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at <a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/" target="_blank" title="The Story Siren">The Story Siren</a>.<br />
<a href="http://www.thestorysiren.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="In My Mailbox" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_DQJgx8rLjNQ/TQ6tuREeRTI/AAAAAAAALSw/pIE5DpXMQpI/s320/mailbox1.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
<br />
Anyone can participate. IMM is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Bought:</h3></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/014241039X/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=014241039X&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=014241039X&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=014241039X" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
</div><h4>The Twits by Roald Dahl</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>Mr. and Mrs. Twit hate everything, including their trained monkeys, the Muggle-Wumps, who now want revenge.</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141322624/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141322624&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0141322624&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141322624" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
</div><h4>The BFG by Roald Dahl</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>This is the well-loved story of a big friendly giant who spirits a child out of bed to the land of the child-eating giants. This edition has a great new cover by Quentin Blake as well as a whole new exciting end section about Roald Dahl and his world.</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142410357/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142410357&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0142410357&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142410357" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
</div><h4>George's Marvellous Medicine by Roald Dahl</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>George's grouchy grandma needs a taste of her own medicine, and George knows just the right ingredients to put into it!</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142410330/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142410330&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0142410330&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142410330" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
</div><h4>Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>Danny’s dad had a secret, but now the secret’s out and it’s going to lead Danny on the adventure of a lifetime.</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142410314/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142410314&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0142410314&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142410314" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
</div><h4>Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>The gates of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory are opening at last . . . and only five children will be allowed inside.</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0142410322/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0142410322&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0142410322&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0142410322" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
</div><h4>Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator by Roald Dahl</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>Charlie and Willy Wonka are back, this time in a fantastic journey to outer space in their glass elevator.</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0752882902/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0752882902&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0752882902&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0752882902" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h4>The Book of the Dead by Douglas Preston & Lincoln Child</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>A brilliant FBI agent, rotting away in a high security prison for a murder he did not commit. His brilliant, psychotic brother, about to perpetrate a horrific crime. A young woman with an extraordinary past, on the edge of a violent breakdown. An ancient Egyptian tomb about to be unveiled at a celebrity-studded New York gala, an enigmatic curse released. Memento Mori</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1447208897/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1447208897&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1447208897&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1447208897" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h4>The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>It is only days before Britain declares war on Germany. Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of a familyscandal, and realizinghe can never marry Emma Barrington, has joined the Merchant Navy. Whena German U-boat sinks his ship, Harry and a handful of sailors are rescued by the SS Kansas Star, among them an American named Tom Bradshaw. That night, when Bradshaw dies, Harry seizes a chance to bury his past—by assumingthe man’s identity.</i></blockquote></div></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="floatright"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0765328674/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0765328674&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0765328674&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0765328674" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
</div><h4>Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.<br />
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So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.<br />
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When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.<br />
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But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life. </i></blockquote></div></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4>[ What I spent on the books : RM 133.25 ]</h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-63700666569815058842012-11-09T08:30:00.000+08:002012-12-10T20:43:20.868+08:00Review : The Bone Thief by Jefferson Bass<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><br />
<h4>Title : <i>The Bone Thief</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Jefferson Bass</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 30 Sep - 5 Oct 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i>385</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003AYZBB6/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B003AYZBB6&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=B003AYZBB6&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=B003AYZBB6" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>The Body Farm</b><br />
<ul><li>Carved in Bone</li>
<li>Flesh and Bone</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/12/review-devils-bones-by-jefferson-bass.html">The Devil's Bones</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-bones-of-betrayal-by-jefferson.html">Bones of Betrayal</a></li>
<li><i>The Bone Thief</i></li>
<li>The Bone Yard</li>
<li>The Inquisitor's Key</li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i>Dr. Bill Brockton has been called in on a seemingly routine case, to exhume a body and obtain a bone sample for a DNA paternity test. But when the coffin is opened, Brockton and his colleagues, including his graduate assistant Miranda Lovelady, are stunned to see that the corpse has been horribly violated.<br />
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Brockton’s initial shock gives way to astonishment as he uncovers a flourishing and lucrative black market in body parts. At the center of this ghoulish empire is a daring and prosperous grave robber. Soon Brockton finds himself drawn into the dangerous enterprise when the FBI recruits him to bring down the postmortem chop shop—using corpses from the Body Farm as bait in an undercover sting operation.<br />
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As Brockton struggles to play the unscrupulous role the FBI asks of him, his friend and colleague medical examiner Eddie Garcia faces a devastating injury that could end his career. Exposed to a near-lethal dose of radioactivity, Dr. Garcia has lost most of his right hand and his entire left hand. Out of options, he embarks on a desperate quest: both of his ravaged hands will be severed at the wrist and replaced with those from a cadaver. But unless suitable ones are found soon, the opportunity will be lost.<br />
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As Brockton delves deep into the clandestine trade, he is faced with an agonizing choice: Is he willing to risk an FBI investigation—and his own principles—to help his friend? Will he be able to live with himself if he crosses that line? Will he be able to live with himself if he doesn’t? And as the criminal case and the medical crisis converge, a pair of simpler questions arise: Will Dr. Garcia survive—and will Brockton?</i></blockquote></td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>The Bone Thief</i>.</h3><i>The Bone Thief</i> was a better read than the <i>Bones of Betrayal</i>. While what Dr. Bill Brockton does most of the time still doesn’t jibe with what I had thought the job of a forensic anthropologist to be, these seemed more incidental than intentional.<br />
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While it strikes me as strange that all these people want to involve the protagonist in what should be their job, at least this seems more plausible than what happened in <i>Bones of Betrayal</i>. It is still too coincidental for my tastes but I suppose it is within the realm of possibility that he would be consulted in anything with a scientific bent or the handling of bodies.<br />
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Bill Brockton also seems to have grown on me although I find him too straight-laced at times. There are limits to being nice. Wrongly handled, and characters can come off as boring. More than once, I was irritated by his reaction to the situations he finds himself in, a situation he should have expected in the first place. <br />
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What I had a hard time swallowing was his relationship with his assistant, Miranda. When she learns that she had misunderstood his earlier actions, there doesn’t seem to be any bitterness on his part. Even if he had knowingly caused the situation, I find it impossible to believe that he didn’t feel even the slightest bit of hurt or angered that she could so easily believe him to be a criminal. I would have expected some recriminations. Not a lot, but at least something.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? No.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Not really, not unless I could get the books on discounted prices.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? Crime fiction readers.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/teaser-tuesdays-bones-of-betrayal-and.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-5452962445344454582012-11-08T08:30:00.000+08:002012-12-10T20:44:01.933+08:00Review : Bones of Betrayal by Jefferson Bass<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><br />
<h4>Title : <i>Bones of Betrayal</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Jefferson Bass</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 24 Sep - 30 Sep 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i>319</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061787574/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061787574&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061787574&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061787574" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>The Body Farm</b><br />
<ul><li>Carved in Bone</li>
<li>Flesh and Bone</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/12/review-devils-bones-by-jefferson-bass.html">The Devil's Bones</a></li>
<li><i>Bones of Betrayal</i></li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-bone-thief-by-jefferson-bass.html">The Bone Thief</a></li>
<li>The Bone Yard</li>
<li>The Inquisitor's Key</li>
</ul></td></tr>
<tr height="10"><td colspan="2"></td></tr>
<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i><br />
<br />
Dr. Bill Brockton is in the middle of a nuclear-terrorism disaster drill when he receives an urgent call from the nearby town of Oak Ridge—better known as Atomic City, home of the Bomb, and the key site for the Manhattan Project during World War II. Although more than sixty years have passed, could repercussions from that dangerous time still be felt today?<br />
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With his graduate assistant Miranda Lovelady, Brockton hastens to the death scene, where they find a body frozen facedown in a swimming pool behind a historic, crumbling hotel. The forensic detectives identify the victim as Dr. Leonard Novak, a renowned physicist and designer of a plutonium reactor integral to the Manhattan Project. They also discover that he didn't drown: he died from a searing dose of radioactivity.<br />
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As that same peril threatens the medical examiner and even Miranda, Brockton enlists the help of a beautiful, enigmatic librarian to peel back the layers of Novak's life to the secret at its core. The physicist's house and personal life yield few clues beyond a faded roll of undeveloped film, but everything changes when Brockton chances upon Novak's ninety-year-old ex-wife, Beatrice. Charming and utterly unreliable, she takes him on a trip back into Oak Ridge's wartime past, deep into the shadows of the nuclear race where things were not quite as they seemed.<br />
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As Beatrice drifts between lucidity and dementia, Brockton wonders if her stories are fact or fancy, history or myth. But he knows one thing—that she holds the key to a mystery that is becoming increasingly labyrinthine. For as the radiation count steadily rises, and the race to find the truth intensifies, the old woman's tales hint at something far darker and more complex than the forensic anthropologist himself could have ever imagined.<br />
</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>Bones of Betrayal</i>.</h3>I picked up <i>Bones of Betrayal</i> and <i>The Bone Thief</i> both because I needed to fulfill one of my reading challenges and also because the books came at a discount. I’d like to say I was pleasantly surprised by <i>Bones of Betrayal</i> but the book just left me confused as to what a forensic anthropologist does.<br />
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I had the idea that it would be something akin to what <i>Dr. Temperance Bones</i> of the <i>Bones</i> series does but without the more exciting bits. <i>Bones of Betrayal</i> though had me wondering when would the science begin because it seemed that Dr. Bill Brockton’s job has more in common with that of police detectives. More than once, I was left wondering why is he the one doing the investigating and being approached by those with information to offer. And when would he start doing more than talk to other people.<br />
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Story-wise, the crime seems to solve itself with the victims and perpetrators conveniently offering up evidence as the tale unfolds. Except for some parts at the beginning and end, there didn’t seem to be much scientific work involved.<br />
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So, while I didn’t dislike the story, I didn’t like it either. <i>Bones of Betrayal</i> simply leaves me confused and wondering as to what the protagonist’s role is supposed to be.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? No.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Maybe.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? No.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? Crime fiction readers.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/teaser-tuesdays-bones-of-betrayal-and.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a>; <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/eclectic-reader-challenge-2012.html">Eclectic Reader Challenge 2012</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-66805574957935980472012-11-06T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-06T08:30:02.463+08:00Teaser Tuesdays : The Devil's Bones by Jefferson Bass<div style="text-align: center;">Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at <a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Should Be Reading">Should Be Reading</a>.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Teaser Tuesdays" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfehyphenhypheniLhUc0lEVwPbhph6sh4G99WNQn1BtwChInWp1wKOTPpLoMnOTAtNt3W96oHR8LKoEEeX4_AZV-Wp9R70Wh8oS5DEWfvoX36Y7l7AnQyESd3hFF0CuDvzLAjBSba27qACNX-wwaz0C/s800/teasertuesdays31.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
<br />
Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.</div><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator floatleft"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1847249310/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1847249310&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1847249310&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1847249310" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></div><h3>The Devil's Bones by Jefferson Bass</h3><h4>From Page 87</h4><div class="dashedborder bg1"><blockquote><i>"I'm training a replacement," he said. "I hope to be back to healthier stuff - gunshots and stabbings and bludgeonings - within a month or so."</i></blockquote></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-58657070294317797642012-11-05T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-05T08:30:01.681+08:00It's Monday, What Are You Reading?<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;">
It's Monday What Are You Reading ? is hosted at <a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/" target="_blank" title="Book Journey">Book Journey</a>.<br />
<a href="http://bookjourney.wordpress.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="It's Monday What Are You Reading?" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtKvgUO7a8oT2cXdxJ94-OSsp2Myltu0MxGERc2QD95twoOybbToH6Tj0-Zx0HPOasNei7_iSB10I7lU2ccD8ELUJsosHzr_rLksxIj4vIXHi15v8gFcqzdOlzAQ_7CxjlzDK-ev_ajJsr/s800/213.jpg" width="150" /></a><br />
Where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.</div>
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<h3>
What I Read:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox.html">A Game of Thrones</a> by George R.R. Martin</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553573403/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0553573403&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0553573403&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a></div>
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<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0553573403" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></center>
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<h3>
What I Reviewed:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/11/review-goliath-by-scott-westerfeld.html">Goliath</a> by Scott Westerfeld</li>
</ul>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h3>
What I’m Reading:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/in-my-mailbox-son-of-neptune-and-devils.html">The Devil's Bones</a> by Jefferson Bass</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0061469149/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0061469149&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0061469149&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0061469149" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></center>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<h3>
What I Plan to Read next:</h3>
<ul>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2011/10/in-my-mailbox_30.html">The Lost Hero</a> by Rick Riordan</li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/10/in-my-mailbox-son-of-neptune-and-devils.html">The Son of Neptune</a> by Rick Riordan</li>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141325496/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=reviewpart044-20&linkCode=as2&camp=217145&creative=399373&creativeASIN=0141325496"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0141325496&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141325496&camp=217145&creative=399373" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0141335734/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0141335734&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=0141335734&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0141335734" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></center>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6552088204667121434.post-73277502597481950452012-11-02T08:30:00.000+08:002012-11-02T08:30:01.399+08:00Review : Goliath by Scott Westerfeld<center><table class="bg1" style="text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td width="80%"><h4>Title : <i>Goliath</i></h4><h4>Author : <i>Scott Westerfeld</i></h4><h4>Reading Dates :<i> 22 Sep - 24 Sep 2012</i></h4><h4>Total Pages :<i> 543</i></h4></td> <td><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1416971785/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1416971785&linkCode=as2&tag=reviewpart044-20"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&ASIN=1416971785&Format=_SL160_&ID=AsinImage&MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&WS=1&tag=reviewpart044-20" ></a><img src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=reviewpart044-20&l=as2&o=1&a=1416971785" width="1" height="1" border="0" alt="" style="border:none !important; margin:0px !important; padding:0px !important;" /><br />
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<tr><td colspan="2"><b>Leviathan</b><ul><li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2011/04/review-leviathan-by-scott-westerfeld.html">Leviathan</a></li>
<li><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-behemoth-by-scott-westerfeld.html">Behemoth</a></li>
<li><i>Goliath</i></li>
</ul></td></tr>
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<tr><td colspan="2"><b>From Amazon : </b><br />
<blockquote><i><br />
The riveting conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s New York Times bestselling trilogy that’s “sure to become a classic” (School Library Journal).<br />
<br />
Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies.<br />
<br />
The tension thickens as the Leviathan steams toward New York City with a homicidal lunatic on board: Secrets suddenly unravel, characters reappear, and nothing is as it seems in this thunderous conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s brilliant trilogy.<br />
</i></blockquote></td></tr>
</tbody></table></center><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h3>Book Review of <i>Goliath</i>.</h3>I’ll admit to being more than a bit disappointed with <i>Goliath</i>. Not that the story was bad, just that I didn’t feel that Alek and Deryn’s tale was over yet.<br />
<br />
Goliath has all the elements that I should love but I just couldn’t love it. The world that Alek and Deryn inhabits is the same one I loved in <i>Leviathan</i> but the focus has shifted from the <i>Darwinists</i> to the <i>Clankers</i>. Still, no matter how powerful Nikolas Tesla’s inventions were, I’d have love to learn more about the developments in <i>Darwinist</i> technology.<br />
<br />
The other part that had me disappointed was the ending to Alek and Deryn’s tale. I love that their relationship doesn’t change much even after Alek finds out about Deryn’s true identity, that they were already best friends before they realized they were in love. But it felt as there was so much more to their story at the end of <i>Goliath</i>. <i>Goliath</i> ends the <i>Leviathan</i> series but I felt as if it was only the beginning of Alek and Deryn’s adventures together as they both make life-altering decisions at the end. Ones which signify great changes in the futures they had envisioned for themselves. To have the story end there was simply frustrating.<br />
<br />
At the end of the tale, I felt that I’d been left hanging. There were so many loose ends to which I still wanted answers to.</div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><h4><u>My conclusions</u> :</h4><ul><li>Would I re-read the book ? Yes, but only because it's part of a trilogy.</li>
<li>Would I want to read the next book in the series if there were one ? Definitely. I don't feel as if the story's ended yet.</li>
<li>Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.</li>
<li>Who would I recommend this too? Steampunk and fantasy readers.</li>
<li>For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. The series is a keeper.</li>
</ul></div><br />
<div class="bg2" style="text-align: center;"><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2011/04/on-my-wishlist-leviathan-and.html">On My Wish List</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/in-my-mailbox-scott-westerfelds.html">In My Mailbox</a></h4><h4><a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/09/teaser-tuesday-scarecrow-and-army-of.html">Teaser Tuesdays</a></h4><h4>Challenges : <a href="http://thebooksofmylife.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012-outdo-yourself-reading-challenge.html">2012 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge</a></h4></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15197838969034724889noreply@blogger.com1