In Her Wake by Amanda Jennings

Senin, 01 Mei 2017

Orenda Books | July 2016 | 320 pgs

Source: Library

When Bella returned to The Old Vicarage (an English countryside where her childhood home is) to attend her mother's funeral, she didn't expect she would receive a more shocking news than her mother's passing. She learned from her father that she was in fact a stolen child; her life with the Campbells was all a lie although her "parents" treated her well. Henry Campbell took his own life the following day after Elaine's funeral and this left Bella with more questions although he eventually left her a letter to tell her who her real parents are and the old address they are residing. Bella has always thought Elaine's behaviours to be a bit strange given her temperamental moods but she hasn't expected they were linked to her, while Henry was the one who's always appear distant which Bella later came to realise it was partly because he was guilt-ridden.

Bella knew she has to find out more about her real self and her true family, so she set on her journey to Cornwall to find the Tremaynes family; part of this info which Henry had left her with. It wasn't easy in the beginning, after all Bella's husband could be quite controlling when her welfare was concerned. His controlling behaviour irked Bella and left her suffocated at times, and all along she's been getting used to David's fussiness but this time around she was adamant that she would leave without David to go searching for the truth.

What follows thereafter is Bella (or Morveren, her real name) has finally found her old home but things aren't as what she has expected. For starters, her mother is ill and couldn't get anywhere without a carer. She doesn't speak and it seems like her mind has shut down after losing her daughter. Dawn, who is Bella's elder sister, took over all the responsibilities since their alcoholic father left them after their mother's deteriorating state. But there's something more to Bella's abduction, and it was a shocking revelation although it didn't gravitate towards the conventional thriller scenes as I'd expected but it led to another direction which had me stumped in a good way.

Although In Her Wake wasn't a fast-paced and an intense read like a thriller, what I liked is this story was haunting and it was beautifully written. It was also an emotionally charged story about two broken families as well as the bonding between sisters and despite all the loss and grief, there is still hope towards the end. 

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Hidden by Catherine McKenzie

Kamis, 23 Maret 2017

Lake Union Publishing | April 2014 | 304 pgs

Source: Library

Catherine McKenzie has a way of building intensity no matter whatever the topics are. Last year I read Fractured; a book about family dynamics and the plot simply blew me away. Hidden is no exceptional but this time around she focused more on the complexity of relationships, personal choices and the responsibilities one has towards his loved ones.

Jeff Manning isn't comfortable of firing anyone, especially if the employee used to his superior. Feeling lost and clueless, he consulted Tish on how to deal with this matter with tact. Tish works in the HR department but in another office building. How Jeff and Tish are close was part of the premise of as both of them are happily married to their spouse and have their own teenage child. Despite the distance, they communicated via phone texts or through office emails and nobody knew about their relationship, not even their colleagues and most of all not even their spouse. While most of our minds would wander if their relationship is leaning towards infidelity, the thing is they are more emotional attached to each other than being physical.

Then on that fateful day after Jeff has asked Art to go, he met an accident on his way home. Needless to say, Claire and their teenage son, Seth, are devastated. On the other end, Tish is devastated too but unlike Claire, she couldn't express her grief openly. However, due to company's practice and being a HR personnel she "volunteers" to attend Jeff's funeral on behalf of the company and from there it opens a can of worms for both women.

But that is not all, Catherine McKenzie brings that relationship complexity up a notch as we see Jeff with his estranged older brother, Tim; as well as Claire's who used to go out with Tim before Jeff and she became a couple. 

Narrated by Jeff, Claire and Tish and with chapters alternating between the present and the past, Hidden is an engaging story with a subtle sense of mystery that explores the relationship between a married couple as well as questioning readers if a man and a woman (especially if both are married) be in a platonic relationship without complicating matters? This book would make a great book club discussion and will keep you thinking long after you have finishing reading. 

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Valley of the Moon by Melanie Gideon

Selasa, 28 Februari 2017

Random House Publishing Group | July 2016 | 416 pgs

Source: Library

We live because we are remembered. ~ Pg 388

Valley of the Moon is a time-travel fantasy with a time period set between 1906 and the 1980s. Alternating between two core narratives, this story tells a timeless love and the vast farm community in Greengage, Valley of the Moon.

It is San Francisco, 1975. When Lux first stumbles upon Valley of the Moon on a full moon with a heavy fog surrounding her camp site over the Sonoma landscape, she thought she has wandered into a site meant for a history show, considering the people she met wore their clothings like they belong in another era. But no, she also realises that the farm is huge and that the way they behave and speak make them seem like they do live in another time. And they are.

Valley of the Moon, California - 1906. Joseph Bell, the person who is solely in charge of Greengage, has great plans for their community and he also believes in equality in status and class. In his mind, he feels that everyone deserves a better life and fairness, just like his late mother had devoted to many causes including education and women's rights. He bought the luscious valley which later became Greengage; a home not only for himself and his wife but also a tribute to his late mother and her ideals. The farm flourishes, but an earthquake shattered the community and the residents find themselves forever trapped within Greengage, with a towering bank of fog that hung at the edge of the woods. They had lost two men who had tried to enter the fogbank; they even did a few experiments with their domestic animals and they died, too. Until Lux steps in from that fogbank alive and into their hearts. Lux later discovers that only she is able to come and go and that she will come to a stage when she will be torn between these two different worlds she is in.

I was sucked into Melanie Gideon's world of Greengage, despite that I am not a huge time travel genre fan. The past and the 1970s and 80s settings were what most enticing to me, for I love reading anything which is historical. While the 20th century doesn't seem like decades ago, it still brings back memories and nostalgia for readers who are familiar with that time period. But, this story is more about Lux's and Joseph's life and the struggles they faced in their own time. Lux has had issues with her father since she was a teenager; and then there is the challenge of bringing up a five-year-old boy as a single parent. And being able to travel through the past appears to be her escapism. For Joseph, aside from his dreams he is a futurist who sees beyond and hope for something much more better; which is why he sees Lux as his guide to a "new world".

The ending was filled with melancholy; one which reminds us how time waits for no man.

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Dragon Springs Road by Janie Chang

Minggu, 26 Februari 2017

HarperCollins Publishers | January 2017 | 400 pgs

Source: Edelweiss via Publisher

Janie Chang's latest book is a coming-of-age story with an element of spiritual fantasy set in Shanghai, China during the 1900s.

When Jialing was seven, her mother abandoned her and left her alone at the Western Residence along Dragon Springs Road. Rumoured to be a haunted courtyard, Jialing didn't encounter any ghosts but she did befriend an animal spirit, Fox, who could change into its animal form or a human form simply by her whims. Now Jialing has a very unhappy life; having born with a mixed blood (as an Eurasian) she is often cast as a 'zazhong' and faces contempt from both the Chinese and the foreigners. Through Fox's advice, she befriends Anjuin, the eldest Yang daughter, whose family who have just moved in next to her courtyard. Jialing later becomes the bond servant to Anjuin's grandmother, one who holds the highest authority within the Yangs household.

As the story progresses, we see young Jialing and Anjuin grown into young women. Their ties and their outlook of life continue to be strong despite the difficulties each of them faces. Throughout these years, Jialing never gives up of searching for her mother. With the country shaken up by political wars and treachery, many people are affected by the unstable economy but ironically it is a fire which broke the Yangs household. With their cotton mill factory burnt to the grounds, the Yangs moved to Ningpo, where they were originally from except their eldest grandson who stays to look for some business opportunity as well as Anjuin and Jialing.

Jialing's search for her mother gives her the opportunity to meet a journalist, Liu Sanmu. And when an unexpected circumstances implicate them in the death of one man who is suspected of being a supporter of an opposition party, Jialing fears the secrets which they have been hiding might catch up on them one day and she wonders what she could do without Fox's enchantments. And most importantly, is she able to stand on her own despite her mixed blood and finds true love one day?

I enjoyed Janie Chang's previous novel, Three Souls, and when I saw she has a new release I knew I have to read it. I enjoyed Dragon Springs Road as much as I did with the first book. Filled with intrigue and bits of spiritual elements, this book is no exceptional and I was glad to note both books are different as this book features the fox spirit (originated from Chinese folklore) while the first was more of one's soul and afterlife. What I liked about both books is aside from the characterisations, readers could also learn about some Chinese history and the difficult times the people face during that time period - a time of great social and political upheaval and the uncertainty surrounding the lower class' livelihood, and how women are of little status due to their gender (much worse if they are poor). Part coming-of-age, part fantasy and part mystery, I was once again captivated by Ms Zhang's imagination and her skills of bringing her characters to life. I am very curious what she would come up with next and I look forward to it.

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The Nest by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney

Selasa, 14 Februari 2017

HarperCollins Publishers | March 2016 | 368 pgs

Source: Library

This is a story about a dysfunctional Plumb family surrounding four adult siblings and how one accident would disrupt the normalcy of their lives and endanger their joint trust fund they called "The Nest". This lump sum was set aside by their now-deceased father; it was supposedly a conservative amount but has expectedly soared along with the stock market and each sibling would be entitled to his/her share but it wouldn't be available until Melody, the youngest sibling, turned forty. Of course their father had his own plans and principles when the time for distribution of funds is concerned; he had given a great deal of thought and believed that the trust he established would allow his children to value hard work and be financially independent before they'd received the funds too early which would in turn lead to lassitude and indolence, which he didn't want and intend to.

Each sibling has been looking forward to the day they would get the fund; after all each has his/her dreams and goals to meet and some extra money might help with their existing problems, whatever they are. Unfortunately their hopes are dashed when their eldest sibling, Leo, got into an accident and to make matters worse it involved a nineteen-year-old girl whom Leo decided to have a little fling but ended up losing her foot after the horrific accident. "The Nest" ended up in that girl's hands to keep her quiet and this causes an uproar within the siblings and creates more complexity to their already tensed relationship.

The Nest has received a variety of mixed reviews ranging from some readers' raves to a few others' rants but personally I found this to be an addictive read. The story of the Plumb family reminds us about the harsh reality of life, the foundation of a family and how trivial issues such as money could tear relationships apart. Though the story is nothing new, what made this stand out is the characterisations and the decisions they made seemed to "snowball" into something uncontrollable, which in turn made this such a compelling read (never mind some annoying characters) as each rears their ugly head. However, the direction of the story is not negative (or depressing) as one may have thought though I wished the (bittersweet) ending is... well, a bit more complete. Still, it was beautifully written and thought-provoking in many ways.

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The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Rabu, 08 Februari 2017

Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group | October 2016 | 336 pgs

Source: Library

This book explores the horrors behind human trafficking, prostitution and how one night will send a family (or two) into destruction.

When Richard Chapman decides to host a bachelor party at his house for his younger brother, Philip, before his big night weeks later, he thought it'd be a night filled with entertainment and a few harmless fling among the men (well not him, he thinks). His wife and their nine-year-old daughter are off at his mother-in-law's for the weekend and he knows life will be back to normalcy come the new week. But things are not what they expect; the party has gone horribly wrong and two men are dead in Richard's living room. The two girls they have hired (so called strippers but are in fact sex slaves under a mobster's ring) are believed to have killed their Russians bodyguards before fleeing for their lives.

While we have Richard's and the full story told in third person, we also get to read about Alexandra's story through her narrative in between the chapters. Alexandra's story is a sad one; filled with her bittersweet dreams of becoming a ballerina and how she was tricked into selling her body for the sake of survival. She was fifteen when she was abducted by her late mother's ex-boss; Alexandra and her grandmother thought he was doing his late employee a favour by taking care of Alexandra's welfare. By the time they left Moscow for America (Alexandra is actually an Armenian) she realised it was all a well-planned scheme and there was no escape.

The Guest Room was a riveting read as it was fast paced and has the intensity of a thriller. There are villains here, but they are more "behind the scenes" and there is no easy or straightforward answer behind some of the issues raised in this story. I also liked how the author infused this story with some humanity and morality; while there are despicable characters, there are also characters whom you couldn't help but to feel sorry for them. As this story revolves around human trafficking and prostitution, it was heartbreaking to read about Alexandra's story (as well as a few girls who suffered the same fate as her) and how terrifying her story reflects the reality even in today's world.

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The Cherry Harvest by Lucy Sanna

Minggu, 05 Februari 2017

HarperCollins Publishers | April 2016 | 352 pgs

Source: Library 

Set in the 1940s in Door County, Wisconsin, this debut novel by Lucy Sanna tells a poignant story about war, love, loyalty as well as how every action could result in unimaginable consequences. 

Charlotte and Thomas Christiansen own a cherry orchard but business is bad after the war. Many able-bodied men have left for war, including their son, Ben, and there are no workers to pick the cherries. Migrant workers have taken a better jobs at the shipyards and the like and it seems like the Christiansen family will have to go through another year without a harvest until an idea struck Charlotte. Together with other farmers', they decided to petition the Army for the German POWs to work the farms; that is after through the approval by the local authorities. After countless disagreement, they agreed to the proposal but the POWs are to stay in the farms' migrant worker camp and to bring the guards in with the workers. They would give the Army the workers' pay but they could delay payment until the harvest. While the Christiansens isn't comfortable with the thought that they are keeping some POWs as their son Ben is off in Italy fighting off the enemies, they decided this is the best option for the orchard's sake and that the POWs would be sent off once the harvest is done. 

Their younger daughter, Kate, helps to raise rabbits so that she could save enough money for college. Like her father, Kate is intellectual but due to poverty she has to forgo her dreams and stay in the farm. Meanwhile, Thomas befriends a prisoner named Karl and decides that he would be Kate's maths tutor considering Karl was a maths teacher before the war. Charlotte doesn't trust Karl, but Thomas believes he is a good man. Kate finds him all right and as long as she could pursue her dreams she's fine with anything.  

However, things often happen unexpectedly and before one knows it, Charlotte and Kate find themselves caught up in the web of secrets and deceits respectively. And when Ben finally returns home, battled and wounded, the secrets they've all been keeping would be exposed and would shatter their lives thereafter.  

The Cherry Harvest is an unforgettable tale about war and unimaginable consequences. Although it's a war story this is actually very much about Charlotte and Kate and their life they are going after. Thomas and Ben are more like the background, giving backbone to the story through snippets of their thoughts and actions. While the story was dramatic and intense at times, what I liked about it was it offers readers some thoughts about the consequences through the acts we have done intentionally (or not). The ravage of war and the scars it inflicted on the soldiers are always hard to read and serve as reminders of countless lives lost and homes destroyed. Though the ending has fairly dictated the fate of each character I thought there is a possible sequel for Kate should the author continues with this story. 

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Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern

Selasa, 24 Januari 2017

HarperCollins | November 2016 | 432 pgs

Source: Library

Cecelia Ahern's latest release, Lyrebird, is a story about humans' connections and how one moment could change everything.

Bo and Solomon, together with Rachel, work as a team for their documentary makings. Bo is the main person who produces and coordinates for all the filming, Solomon is the sound recordist while Rachel is the one behind the camera. Bo and Solomon are together as a couple for two years; and the trio are still elated over the awards they've won for their previous documentary on The Toolin Twins, featuring two seventy-plus old men living simply in an isolated part of the Cork countryside. What makes the brothers so special is they live and work together all their lives; they work in harsh conditions and rarely leave the land. Neither of them have ever had a romantic relationship with a woman; they are contented to have each other until the death of their lives.

After the success of the documentary, Bo and her two crew think they would be leaving the Toolin twins for good until they received the passing of one of the twins, Tom. Out of respect, the trio visited the isolated countryside once again to attend Tom's funeral and this is when Solomon met Laura; an extraordinary young woman who possess the talent of mimicking any sound she comes across. Laura is also fascinated by Solomon's calm and gentle demeanour and his presence is the only thing that comforts her amongst the strangers who set foot on their land. While Solomon is being careful around Laura, Bo on the other hand is excited about Laura's ability and wants her to be in her next documentary show. Thus, giving her the nickname 'Lyrebird'.

Laura is skeptical and anxious at first, but she quickly pulled from her peaceful, solidarity life to the cacophony of Dublin; a city life which both fascinates and scares her at the same time. Fame took her by storm after millions have watched and liked her performance, but fame could also turn one's life upside down without knowingly.

Lyrebird was a refreshing read to me; after all it's been a long while since I've read a fiction like Cecelia Ahern's. I enjoyed reading the first part where I got to learn more about Laura, as well as her interactions with the documentary trio, in particularly Solomon. There's obviously some sparks between Laura and Solomon right from the beginning. Laura's past was a puzzle and it was good to see how she's grown and how things have finally fell into place towards the end. Initially I wasn't sure how I felt about this book; for the story seemed to take a turn after Laura's fame and suddenly most characters seemed to take on a self-centered characteristics. However, my doubts are short-lived as the story picked up its momentum once again and I even felt it moving in the end. Lyrebird was a fine story but I was more engaged by the characters, such as Laura and Solomon.  

[Click here for more information of the real lyrebird] 

� 2017 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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First Book of the Year: First Apple by Ching Yeung Russell

Selasa, 03 Januari 2017

Boyds Mills Press, Inc | 1994 | 127 pgs

Source: Library

Illustrated by Christopher Zhong Yuan Zhang

My "First Book of the Year" is a Children's Literature written by Ching Yeung Russell. It was a meaningful story about a poor young girl's various attempts of fulfilling her grandmother's childhood dreams and what she did would inspire both young and older readers alike. 

Nine-year-old Yeung Ying lives with her cousins' family ever since her parents left her with them when she was five. Being the only Yeung in Chan's Village of a small town of Tai Kong, China, Yeung Ying is merely a simple-minded girl who is satisfied enough to have food in her stomach and a roof above her head. She is closest to her grandmother, whom she fondly called her "Ah Pau" (as in Cantonese pronunciation) and after knowing Ah Pau's childhood dreams is eating her first apple, she decided to buy one for her upcoming seventy-first birthday. Now apples are considered as a rich man's fruit back then in the 1940s and Yeung Ying has to find ways of earning money to buy that shiny red fruit as a present to Ah Pau. 

As the story progresses, we see Yeung Ying going through all the troubles to earn sixteen cents for an apple. Through the course, we see her struggles, the mistakes she has made and what she has learned while making Ah Pau's (as well as hers) dreams come true. Truth be told, it was a simple story but yet it was touching and contains full of valuable traits that inspire readers to be filial, grateful, honest and most of all, not to be afraid of admitting your mistakes. I also loved it that this story details the everyday life of our young Yeung Yin and some of these descriptions are brought to life through Mr Christopher Zhang's lovely illustrations. Personally I felt this is a great book to be read together with your children and after closing this post I'm going to share it with my daughters. 

  

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Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

Sabtu, 01 Oktober 2016

Random House | May 2014
Source: Library

OK, I've to admit my curiosity was piqued after reading several positive reviews of this book. With the story mostly set in Singapore and that it was written by a Singaporean author, I felt the more I should read it. For this review, allow me to use a few Singaporean slang (or Singlish) since I felt it appropriate considering that's the prose of this book (don't worry, the author includes footnote). 

To begin with, Crazy Rich Asians is a fun read. So what is the story about, har*? Basically, it's a story about some very rich families and their family dynamics and most of all, a love story between a crazy rich guy, Nicholas Young, and a clueless woman, Rachel Chu, who doesn't know his family background, lah*. Actually there shouldn't be any problem when love is concerned, after all what matters most is your love for your partner and vice versa, right? Wrong! At least not when Nicholas' family is concerned. Given their power, wealth and their society status, it seems natural to want someone who is of a good match in terms of wealth and background. Although Rachel holds a good position as a college professor (like Nicholas, except they are in different departments teaching at NYU), what sets her apart is her nationality (she's a Mainland Chinese) and that she comes from a single parent family. The real challenge begins when Nicholas decides to bring Rachel to Singapore to attend his best friend's wedding and "all hell breaks loose" when his family members (including a string of extended meddling relatives) decide to know (dig, to be precise) more about Rachel's background and there are enough gossips, clashes and backbiting to rip a person apart. 

"Well, first of all, you must understand that there are two kinds of Chinese. There are the Chinese from Mainland China, who made their fortunes in the past decade like all the Russians, but then there are the Overseas Chinese. These are the ones who left China long before the Communists came in, in many cases hundreds of years ago, and spread throughout the rest of Asia, quietly amassing great fortunes over time." Pg 33

Aside from the complications of the couple's love relationship, this story also gives readers more than a glimpse of the mindset and status of these rich Chinese families; about the difference of old money and new money, and some conservative mindsets when family roots are concerned.

Urm, so Crazy Rich Asians may seem like a chicklit fiction (I don't like this definition, lah*) to some but it was actually quite a funny and entertaining read (at least to me) and an "eye-opening reading experience" (to foreigner readers). While there is nothing new about the family dynamics issue (Aiyah*, I suppose it happens everywhere), it is the culture, the society, the language (as well as all those local dishes mentioned) that set this novel apart and made it such an interesting read. There's also a second book, China Rich Girlfriend, and although it looks interesting (it follows Rachel's story and her birth origin), I guess I'll read it when the mood strikes, lah*. (I'm blaming it on my TBR pile and a library book I've borrowed lately.)

* har / lah is a common and a favourite form of expression to emphasise especially towards the end of the sentence. They don't really mean anything. 

* Aiyah - "sigh," "well," "oh man...," or "blah".

For more Singlish, visit this link.

� 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Minggu, 28 Agustus 2016

Simon & Schuster UK | August 2016 | 384 pgs

Source: Purchased

Colleen Hoover's latest release, It Ends With Us, wasn't an easy read. While her signature for writing an intense love story is still there, this story comes together with a heavy issue which will break your heart but it was also a thought-provoking story which is uplifting as well. Please be aware that my thoughts contain spoilers as I felt it is impossible (hard) to write my thoughts without talking about the issue found in this book. 

The story begins with our protagonist, Lily Bloom, delivering an eulogy at her father's funeral. While she is supposed to feel sad with her father's death, in fact she could't help but to feel a bit glad that their unhappy past is over, especially for her mother. You see, Lily's parents' marriage was an abusive one. Every time after her father hit her mother, he would tell her again and again that he was sorry. And although Lily's mother always ended up hurt in every places, physically and emotionally, in the end she always let it go and think that whatever her husband did to her there must be a reason. Unfortunately, that cycle never ends until his death. 

Lily carries this emotional burden with her through her teenage years till her adult life. She works hard and after graduated from college, she moves to Boston from her small town in Maine to begin a new life. She started her own business and it is also at this moment that she meets a handsome, charismatic neurosurgeon named Ryle Kincaid. Lily begins to think that her new life is a good beginning to everything, and most importantly she is happy again. There was once that she thought she would never get over an old friend, Atlas Corrigan, a homeless guy whom she had helped when she was fifteen but their friendship had ended when he left for Boston to live with his uncle. Lily treasured those moments with Atlas a lot, and she would always write her thoughts on a journal addressing to Ellen DeGeneres, because she loves her show. She called all her journals "My Ellen Diaries" and they contain all her memories of her time with Atlas. 

While Atlas is not what Ryle is, with his brains, charms and all, Lily at times wonder what it would be like if he and Atlas are still together. Would they be a couple? Despite her feelings, Lily is satisfied with her relationship with Ryle as he is an amazing lover who will always think of her first. However, there is a side of Ryle which Lily hasn't noticed, and that side would soon emerge especially after Atlas appears into her life, again. 

It Ends With Us is deeply emotional in many levels and while the subject deals with a heavy issue, I enjoyed the author's writing style. I liked how she wrapped two stories into one - Atlas' past in journal form and Lily's present in first person narrative. While this story is fictional, Lily's nuances of life and her experiences reflect what some women experience in reality and this made it to be a deeply personal novel as well, especially to the author as this is written based on her real-life experiences. While Lily's mother remains to suffer under her husband's abusive behaviours, the author's mother decided for a divorce before the author turned three. Despite all circumstances, the author has the utmost respect for parents who don't involve their children in the dissolution of their relationship, like the way her mother wanted the relationship with her father to be free of any strain by not discussing about it. She decided to break the pattern before it broke her children and it wasn't easy. After all, she made the ultimate decision to leave someone she loved so that her daughters would not think that the abusive relationship was okay. 

Although this is only my second Colleen Hoover book, I think this will remain as my "most powerful and unforgettable read" among all her other books, which I know I want to get to them in the near future. 

� 2016 Melody's Reading Corner (https://mel-reading-corner.blogspot.sg/), All Rights Reserved. If you are reading this post from other site(s), please take note that this post has been stolen and is used without permission.

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The Singer's Gun by Emily St. John Mandel

Selasa, 31 Mei 2016

ISBN-13: 9781447280057
Publisher: Picador
Publication Date: March 2015
Format: Paperback, 304 pgs
Source: Purchased

Emily St. John Mandel. Once again I found myself captivated and entranced by her writing and her intriguing story. I enjoyed Last Night in Montreal and I knew I wanted to read another book of hers so here it is. 

How to even begin describing it? This book has so many issues - deceits, morality and even life. At one point it read like a crime fiction but it was too subtle for that. I finally decided it was a literary fiction with thriller as a sideline and it was a great one for that. 

The story begins with Alexandra Broden, who's with the State Department's Diplomatic Security Service, in search of a man named Anton Waker. She believes he is involved in an illegal transaction which had led a girl dead. When she contacted his parents they didn't know anything about their son's whereabouts. 

Anton Waker, on the other end, is trying to salvage his marriage and his consulting job. His company has a new big water project coming up and for security measures they have a security check on the staff involved and Anton found himself in exile thereafter. No one in the company wished to explain to him why he is moved to the mezzanine level with no one to work with or work for and on top of it, his secretary Elena is missing and his fianc�e seems to have pre-wedding jitters for she has cancelled their wedding twice. 

Moving on to Elena, it seems she is leading a double life. On surface she is struggling with her working life and her relationship with her boyfriend has become lukewarm but these are mundane as compared to what Alex Broden has wanted her to do - to gather as much information of her ex-boss, Anton, so that once there is enough evidence to prosecute him she would be a free woman, given her circumstances. 

The Singer's Gun is a brilliant story that has many layers and most of all, it offers readers some food for thought such as loyalty and betrayal, and what one would do to sacrifice for love. While this story has a great plot I wanted to mention it was also quite a character-driven story. Anton and Elena seemed to have different goals but on a personal level they are quite similar in a sense that they both wanted nothing but simplicity and normalcy for their life. But of course life often surprises us and this is where the story took a twisty turn and evoked that melancholy, bittersweet feelings which had me thinking of the story all over again. 

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Kindred Spirits by Rainbow Rowell | Misc. Musings

Senin, 16 Mei 2016

ISBN-13: 9781509820832
Publisher: Macmillan Children's Books
Publication Date: February 2016
Format: Paperback, 96 pgs
Source: Purchased

This short story by Rainbow Rowell is part of a handful of selected short reads specially produced for World Book Day and the tale revolves around Star Wars fandom and how friendship/kindred spirits come about when one least expects it. 

Eighteen-year-old Elena is a Star Wars fan. To be exact, it was under her father's influence that she only saw the original trilogy. Anything other than that isn't exactly the "real" movies, at least this is what her father thinks. Well she doesn't mind it anymore if she did watch them now that their parents are separated. And with the new Star Wars movie releasing, she knew she wants to experience the excitement of camping outside the cinema and exchanging news and sharing thoughts with other fans till the opening night. Alas, the queue isn't what she has expected. She is aghast to find she is the last in line but truth be told there are only three people, including herself. 

The two guys in front of her, Troy and Gabe, may be out of her league but over the four days she was with them, she learned a few things about them, especially Gabe. 

Kindred Spirits may be a short story (62 pages) but the characters are quite well developed. I enjoyed the exchanges Elena had with Troy, who is such a huge Star Wars fan that his enthusiasm almost put her to shame. And then there is Gabe, a quiet guy who may not seemed to attract anyone's attention initially but he will grow on you the more you read about him. 

All in all, it was a sweet story about friendship (and potential relationship?) and not to mention Star Wars fandom (well, you don't need to be a fan to enjoy this book). Aside from the cute story, what I admire about Ms. Rowell is the way she could spin off stories out of our ordinary and sometimes mundane lives into something unforgettable and special. I just wished this story could be a bit longer.

And oh, there is an extract of Beautiful Broken Things by Sara Barnard at the end of this book which I think is a story about friendship between two sixteen-year-old girls and how a girl named Suzanne, who is so different from them, will turn their lives upside down. Since it was an extract I wasn't sure where this story will lead but I'm hoping that it would be a book which has some intrigue (or a mystery) in it. 

Finally, before I end this review, I thought I would voice out my confusion over the book cover. The yellow sticker stated "For Older Readers" but it didn't contain any content which seem shocking or inappropriate to me. 

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Misc. Musings:

I have been slacking in my reading lately. No, it isn't the book(s) but life as well as a few distractions which have kept my reading attention elsewhere. Last week was test week and I was so glad it was over. A few things also include playing Candy Crush on my mobile as well as re-watching Descendants of the Sun for the third time. This time around, I am watching it with my husband and I have a hunch it is his curiosity over the popularity that is speaking louder than the drama itself, ha. 

I am currently reading John Hart's Redemption Road and aside from the great storytelling, it is a book filled with suspense, emotions and questions which have me thinking about righteousness and justice. No, wait. There are many more issues which will set your mind thinking over what is right and what is wrong but yet they aren't really straightforward. This is my first John Hart book and I am enjoying reading it; his writing and his storytelling is excellent in my opinion and I am glad to have discovered an author whom I know I would be reading more in future. 

(My pic on Instagram. Come find me @melody_lee)

Once again, I am finding joy in writing and receiving snail mails. They are such a rare things nowadays (at least to me, aside from the book mails) that a letter would make me squeal in delight. To-date, I had received three mails (including a postcard which is not featured here) from Jenclair, who is a bookish friend from A Garden Carried in the Pocket. We share similar taste when books are concerned. :-) 

What are you reading? Hope you have a great week! 

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Under the Influence by Joyce Maynard

Selasa, 29 Maret 2016

ISBN-13: 9780062257642
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication Date: February 2016
Format: Hardcover, 336 pgs
Source: Library

Influences often play a part in our lives. How many times have we been influenced by someone who has different thought/taste from us? Influential can help pushes one to be a better person or to a higher place if they are positive; likewise they can also be negative if they are portrayed wrongly or unwisely. 

This book tells a tale of a single mother and her eight-year-old son under the influences of others and how their lives change after meeting the Havillands couple. 

Helen McCabe's first meeting with Swift and Ava Havilland was at an art gallery opening. Her life is going through a transition then as a DUI conviction has caused her to lose not only her driver's license but the custody of her son, Oliver, as well. She still gets to see Oliver on Saturdays, but it is nothing like seeing and holding Oliver everyday. Oliver used to enjoy the time spent with his mother, now he becomes quiet and his attention focuses only on TV and any portable gaming device after he has moved to his father's place. Helen's life is miserable; her photography job is getting nowhere and she spends most evenings at AA meetings after the DUI charge. But after meeting Swift and Ava, Helen feels like she has suddenly found a direction to leading a better life and that is to forge a friendship with them and to gain their trust. 

Becoming friends with the Havillands seems easy to Helen as they are philanthropists and they are passionate animal lovers. Their kindness on the homeless and helpless always leave Helen in awe and despite Ava suffers from a spinal cord injury and has to be confined in a wheelchair, it never stops her from doing the good deeds. Helen never questions her injury, and Ava never talks about it, either. Ava soon trusted Helen enough to give her a photography/cataloguing job capturing pictures of her art collections at home and invite her to all their parties. It is like Helen has become part of their family.   

Then Helen meets Elliot, a quiet and uncool accountant on an online dating site and they hit it off quickly. However, the Havillands disapprove of her new love and dismiss him as boring. Helen likes Elliot a lot, but she also doesn't want the Havillands to think differently of her. After all, they are her only friends and her "saviour". Plus, they play an important role in Oliver's life. Oliver has fallen under Swift's charm and looks up to him like a father he never gets. Then tragedy strikes and Oliver has witnessed a devastating accident that would threaten Helen's friendship with the Havillands. 

Under the Influence might come off as a slow start in the beginning as we get to glimpse into Helen's unhappy life and see how she forms a friendship with the Havillands. Both Swift and Ava make an intriguing couple; they are the "backbone" of this story and you will be charmed by their generosity, their ever cheerful and positive traits in life; just like the way Helen did. As much as they appear to be a perfect, glamorous couple, there is something about their perfection which makes you question about them and the momentum only begins when Helen meets Elliot and we start to see a small crack in their friendship. Then, the story shifts quickly and even have that little feel of a thriller which had me very engrossed with the ending. 

Although this is a story about influences, it is also very much a story about consuming friendship, of being fitting in and of possession. It was a captivating story which had me sympathise with Helen. Her love and her yearn for Oliver's custody broke my heart and all the time while reading this story I'd hope she would get a happy life, with or without the Havillands. I like Joyce Maynard's writing and her storytelling since I read her previous novel, After Her and I was glad to note this latest release didn't disappoint. Now I need to go check out her earlier books. 

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The Longest Night by Andria Williams

Kamis, 24 Maret 2016

ISBN-13: 9780812997743
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication Date: January 2016
Format: Hardcover, 400 pgs
Source: Library

Set in Idaho Falls during the early 1960s, The Longest Night tells an emotional and an unforgettable story of the challenges and struggles faced by a military family and how a nuclear accident changes their lives altogether. 

Paul and Nat Collier knew each other when he was a twenty-year-old army lad while she a nineteen-year-old girl who loves nothing more than freedom and the ocean. Paul is quiet and reserved by nature and it is no wonder he was attracted by the cheerful and friendly Nat at first sight. They got married soon and have two lovely young daughters thereafter. Being an Army Specialist, Paul's latest assignment is to travel to a remote military town in Idaho Falls where he would help oversee one of the country�s first nuclear reactors, the CR-1 which needs manual labour and monitoring to keep it running. It is a risky and dangerous job, but the men at the testing station feel that as long as they always stay vigilant they would be fine. 

Paul thinks so too until he discovers that the reactor is compromised while making his rounds one day. He brought this issue up with his superior, Master Sergeant Mitch Richards, and the answer he gets is a new core would be replaced soon and they shouldn't raise too much of an alarm as long as they don't raise the critical rod above four inches high; a safety protocol which every of the operators know by heart. But Paul doesn't think so, and to complicate matters Richards has behaved inappropriately towards Nat during a party and all these has made Paul very displeased with Richards. 

Back at the testing station, the men continue to have problems with the stuck rod and Paul decided to confront Richards about the issue again but his anger got the better of him when Richards doesn't seem to acknowledge the danger of the faulty rod but displaying his authority and throwing off crude remarks. Paul saw red and a punch was landed on Richard's face. Whether if it is intentional or duty bound, Paul is then asked to deploy to Greenland to another station where they need experienced man like him. With a saddened heart, Paul leaves his family and it is also at that time when he learns that Nat is pregnant. 

Filled with loneliness and restlessness, Nat found a new friend in a local cowboy, Esrom. She first met Esrom in a diner and the impression he gave her is he is easygoing, cheerful and kind-hearted. He is also the one who extended help when Nat's car broke down and also offered to lend her his car, since his uncle runs an car auto shop and he always have a spare. However, their friendship invites gossip although they didn't do anything immoral. Nat couldn't explain her fluttering heart whenever she sees Esrom, yet she knows she still loves Paul and her family, too. 

When Paul returns to Idaho Falls, he gives Nat a cold shoulder after hearing Richard had babbled about Nat's close 'relationship' with Esrom. To clear his mind, he went off on a ride and saw several fire engines and ambulance on the highway towards the reactor and he knew something terrible must have happened. What follows is a tragedy and although Paul is officially off duty he still rushes inside the station, hoping to save his mates. Esrom is at the scene too, and by that time he has became a firefighter. What are the chances that they would all be saved from the radioactive and what it would take for Paul to save his own family? 

The Longest Night is a great book filled with emotions and a few thought-provoking issues to ponder about. First of all, it examines the fragility and tenacity of marriage and most of all, the many emotions many military spouses will encounter leaving for a new place and settling in. Finding companionship could be a challenge, and even in today's world where we are more open-minded, we still question ourselves if a man and a woman could remain as platonic friends, let alone the time back then. Ms William's writing is great too and there was never a dull moment as I raced through this book, and did I mention that this is her debut novel? Plot and characterisation aside, what made this book another memorable read is the nuclear incident and that this is inspired by a true story of the only fatal nuclear accident occurred in America on January 3, 1961 (You can read more here and here.) Although this is a grim story, it still paints an inspiring portrait of humanity. Highly recommended.

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The Water's Lovely by Ruth Rendell

Senin, 21 Maret 2016

ISBN-13: 9780307388018
Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Publication Date: August 2008
Format: Paperback, 368 pgs
Source: Library

Ismay and Heather Sealand are sisters who live with their mother, Beatrix, and Aunt Pamela in a two story flat. Their mother has schizophrenia after the death of their stepfather and Aunt Pamela is solely Beatrix's carer when the sisters are at work. 

When Ismay and Heather were teenagers, something happened in the family that would always leave a mark in their life. When Ismay was fifteen and Heather thirteen, their stepfather, Guy, died from drowning in the bathtub. Ismay and Beatrix were out shopping for school uniforms when the incident happened; Heather was the only one at home with Guy. When Ismay and their mother reached home they were surprised to see Heather's dress and shoes wet; it was then Heather informed them that Guy was dead. The police did question them and Beatrix mentioned no one was at home then except Guy himself; plus Guy was weak and had just recovered from his illness. Without further evidence, the case was dropped and they carried on with their life, although Beatrix and Ismay had this thought that Heather might have drowned Guy. Ismay knew that Heather had seen Guy made advances on her and although Ismay was attracted by Guy and welcomed his warm gestures, she wasn't sure if Heather could tell the difference. Despite this thinking, they all remained silent and kept their thoughts deep in their mind. 

When they reached adulthood, Ismay has a lawyer boyfriend and Heather is working at a hospice kitchen. Heather gets acquainted with the hospice nurse, Edmund, and they get together eventually. However, Edmund's mother, Irene, isn't pleased and has hoped that Edmund will go out with Marion. Marion may seem like a kind-hearted woman who enjoys the company of the elderly, but in truth she is hoping to gain their trust so that when they passed they will leave some of their shares to her, which she had done so before. 

Ismay and her boyfriend, Andrew, have been together for two years but there is one problem which separates them - Andrew doesn't like Heather and Edmund and he hopes they wouldn't stay under the same roof. Ismay, on the other hand, is unsure if she should tell Edmund about Heather's teenage past and eventually decided to record her thoughts on tape, but that tape never falls onto Edmund's hands but onto some other. Andrew eventually found a gorgeous socialite and left Ismay. Heather has tried to coax the socialite upon leaving Andrew but failed. When the socialite was found murdered one day, Ismay feared Heather might have committed a crime for her once again. 

The Water's Lovely may be a subtle mystery filled with family melodrama but at its core it tells a relationship and the complexity between the two sisters' life. I really liked Ms. Rendell's writing; the way she built the suspense and how she constructed the plot as well as the characterisations all made this story a very compelling read. I couldn't say I liked any of the characters here; each of them was flawed and seemed to have an agenda but that was the purpose of this story. It made you wonder and that's what made this book a page-turner. Personally I  thought it was a very well crafted mystery although the intensity was different from the conventional suspense thrillers but I enjoyed reading it. A lot. 

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