The Bibliophile's Journal

Friday's Finest: The Stand

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 16:04:00 +0000

No one can tell what goes on in between the person you were and the person you become. No one can chart that blue and lonely section of hell. There are no maps of the change. You just... come out the other side.

Quoted from The Stand by Stephen King

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 18:55:00 +0000

Title: A Monster Calls
Author: Patrick Ness
Series: Stand Alone
Source: Personal Copy
Format: Hardback
Genre: Contemporary Fiction

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
At seven minutes past midnight, thirteen-year-old Conor wakes to find a monster outside his bedroom window. But it isn’t the monster Conor’s been expecting. The monster in his backyard is different. It’s ancient. And wild. And it wants something from Conor. Something terrible and dangerous. It wants the truth. From the final idea of award-winning author Siobhan Dowd— whose premature death from cancer prevented her from writing it herself— Patrick Ness has spun a haunting and darkly funny novel of mischief, and monsters both real and imagined.

There is nothing in the world that could prepare a person to face a life that has been shattered by circumstances. Let alone when that life belongs to a ten-year-old boy, Connor, whose father left to live with his new family in the States, leaving him behind with his beloved mother, who is fighting for something that may not end the way he wants it to be. There is too much that weigh on his small shoulders without having anyone there that he could really turn to. One day, The Monster that claims to be answering Connor’s call starts visiting him at the exact time, 12:07, everyday. Taking the form of a yew tree, he brings along with him three true yet unpredictable stories, which he presents to Connor one at a time. Once he is done, The Monster wants Connor to tell him a true story, one that Connor swears not to tell anyone, or else he will eat Connor alive. In the midst of this chaos in Connor’s life, is seeing this Monster the sign that Connor has actually reaches his breaking point? Or The Monster is really there for a grand purpose that Connor could only see once he is ready to see it?

A Monster Calls is truly an epic tale that is compact with concise, lyrical prose and full to the brink with mixes of emotions. Having just finished this book for the second time, I feel that I’ve just stepped off an extremely emotional roller coaster ride, witnessing a life that no ten-year-old really should have. The original idea of this book comes from the late Siobhan Dowd, the Carnegie Award winner, and the author, Patrick Ness, deserves a standing ovation for his remarkable job in turning this idea into a memorable and beautiful story that could moves anyone who reads it to tears. I strongly believe that the outstanding black and white illustrations by Jim Kay really help in accentuating the dark theme of the book and suit the sombre mood perfectly. Another one thing that truly satisfies me is when I finally figure out the significance of every metaphors and symbolisms that Ness used throughout the story. It is like everything is there for a reason and to really see the puzzle being put together, pieces by pieces, really gives me such an incredible feeling.

To be quite honest, I truly cannot list down anything that I did not like in A Monster Calls. This is not the book that you can tell whether it is good or it is bad by analysing its characters or its plots, but rather by reflecting its meaning and see how much it fits to real life. Reading A Monster Calls makes me think back about my life when I was ten, the age when I feel that future is like a sea that will give me access to everywhere without realising that there is something sinister down there that can snatch me at anytime and put my life to a sudden halt. Connor meets that sinister creature, so does many other children in this world and for some reason I really cannot stop thinking about that. Despite sounding like a middle grade novel by judging from its description and a hybrid of paranormal and fantasy genre by its cover, A Monster Calls is indeed a pure contemporary novel that speaks for people of all ages. I highly recommended this book to everyone despite its depressing and emotionally exhausting nature cause I assure you that every single tears that you shed will be totally worth it. Kudos to Patrick Ness for providing us with such a masterpiece.

Favourite Quote: There is not always a good guy. Nor is there always a bad one. Most people are somewhere in between - The Monster

A Monster Calls is a beautifully written and important book that will speak to you in a way that you cannot really imagine. It is full with sentimental values that will make shed some tears with the characters, reflect back your own life and make you want to hug your love ones just one more time. Highly, highly recommended!

Credit: This book review takes part in Book Review Party Wednesday at Cym Lowell's Blog

Friday's Finest: A Monster Calls

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Thu, 23 Jun 2011 22:36:00 +0000

You do not write your life with words, the monster said. You write it with actions. What you think is not important. It is only important what you do.

Quoted from A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

The Summoner by Layton Green

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Sun, 19 Jun 2011 16:42:00 +0000

Title: The Summoner
Author: Layton Green
Series: The Dominic Grey Novel #1
Source: From author for review
Format: Digital Edition
Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
A United States diplomat disappears in front of hundreds of onlookers while attending a religious ceremony in the bushveld of Zimbabwe. Dominic Grey, Diplomatic Security special agent is assigned to investigate. Aiding the investigation is Professor Viktor Radek, a phenomenologist and Nya Mashumba, the local government liaison. The first work in a globe-hopping series whose protagonists investigate the world’s most bizarre and dangerous cults, The Summoner is a stylish, haunting novel of mystery and suspense that will linger long after the last page is turned.

It’s the year of 2009 in Harare, Zimbabwe. A Diplomatic Security Special Agent, Dominic Grey, is assigned to investigate a mysterious disappearance of an ex-US diplomat, William Addison, under the supervision of local authority, a government liason named Nya Mashumba. Earlier investigation showed that Addison went missing whilst attending a religious ceremony held in a Zimbabwean bush. With the help of an expert on cults, Victor Radek, they later find out that this ceremony was held by a movement derived from a traditional Yoruba religion, JuJu. This new version of JuJu has a darker side that involves evocation of evil spirits and ritual sacrifices that includes human sacrifice. As they get deeper into this investigation, they uncover more disturbing evidences that they believe to be related to this eerie movement. In this race against time, will they manage to locate Addison alive? And can they unmask the man behind this disappearance before they, too, become the victims?

The Summoner is a plot-driven, well paced novel that is full with intrigues that will keep readers questioning and guessing till the very last page. While reading this novel, it is very obvious to me that Layton Green has done an extensive research in the subject of Yoruba religion, its derivatives and also the life in Zimbabwe itself. He filled his novel with articulate, summarised version of this vast information in such concise yet detail way, which makes it easier for someone with little to zero knowledge about these subjects to truly understand the important part of this novel, imagine the situation that shrouded the country and how depressing it really is. Besides that, Green also managed to maintain the suspence elements throughout The Summoner by carefully organised the mystery, spice it up with multiple interesting twists that readers could hardly expect. All these make this book such an engrossing read.

Like many other plot-driven book, The Summoner also comes a little flat when it comes to character development. It is true that there are some descriptions about the characters, for example Dominic and Nya’s backgrounds, but they are often spelled out rather than revealed. This makes me feels detached from the characters to the point that I do not really feel much when something happen to them. There is not much that has been revealed about the third important character in The Summoner, Victor, so I really hope that readers will find out more about this interesting, intelligent man in the next instalment. Other than that, there is also a brief romantic relationship that occurs unexpectedly in this book that I find too rush and little bit unbelievable. I understand the author’s intention in not turning this book into love story but I think it would be nice if there are some explanations on their relationship.

In the nutshell, The Summoner is a gripping, gruesome and disturbing story that is packed with action and information. For those who are squirmish, there are some parts of this book that will surely make you squirm (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!). The pace, the unexpected twists and shocking revelations surely make this book one engrossing read.

Favourite Quote: Juju was not just born out of fear - Juju thrived on fear. Juju was fear - Victor Radek

The Summoner is a well-researched book that reveal the connection between disappearances of some people to a dark religious sect in Zimbabwe. This is not just a mere whodunit story as it also clearly explained what has been done to these people. An engrossing read especially to those who enjoy thriller and book about cults.

Friday's Finest: The Perks of Being a Wallflower

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Thu, 16 Jun 2011 16:01:00 +0000

I stumbled upon The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky by accident but ended up totally in love with it. The following is a poem featured in the book that shows how much things could change in a person's life. It is pretty long but the final paragraph is the one that seriously gives me goosebumps.

A Person, A Paper, A Promise
by Dr. Earl Reum

Once on a yellow piece of paper with green lines he wrote a poem

And he called it "Chops" because that was the name of his dog

And that's what it was all about

And his teacher gave him an A and a gold star

And his mother hung it on the kitchen door and read it to his aunts

That was the year Father Tracy took all the kids to the zoo

And he let them sing on the bus

And his little sister was born with tiny toenails and no hair

And his mother and father kissed a lot

And the girl around the corner sent him a

Valentine signed with a row of X's

and he had to ask his father what the X's meant

And his father always tucked him in bed at night

And was always there to do it

Once on a piece of white paper with blue lines he wrote a poem

And he called it "Autumn" because that was the name of the season

And that's what it was all about

And his teacher gave him an A and asked him to write more clearly

And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door because of its new paint

And the kids told him that Father Tracy smoked cigars

And left butts on the pews

And sometimes they would burn holes

That was the year his sister got glasses with thick lenses and black frames

And the girl around the corner laughed

when he asked her to go see Santa Claus

And the kids told him why his mother and father kissed a lot

And his father never tucked him in bed at night

And his father got mad when he cried for him to do it.

Once on a paper torn from his notebook he wrote a poem

And he called it "Innocence: A Question"

because that was the question about his girl

And that's what it was all about

And his professor gave him an A and a strange steady look

And his mother never hung it on the kitchen door

because he never showed her

That was the year that Father Tracy died

And he forgot how the end of the Apostle's Creed went

And he caught his sister making out on the back porch

And his mother and father never kissed or even talked

And the girl around the corner wore too much makeup

That made him cough when he kissed her but he kissed her anyway

because that was the thing to do

And at three a.m. he tucked himself into bed
his father snoring soundly

That's why on the back of a brown paper bag he tried another poem

And he called it "Absolutely Nothing"

Because that's what it was really all about

And he gave himself an A and a slash on each damned wrist

And he hung it on the bathroom door because this time he didn't think

he could reach the kitchen

Night Angel Trilogy by Brent Weeks

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 11:00:00 +0000

Books in this series:
(1) The Way of Shadows
(2) Shadow's Edge
(3) Beyond the Shadows

Author: Brent Weeks
Source: Personal Copies
Format: Paperback
Genre: Speculative Fiction - Fantasy

The City of Cenaria is in an upheaval state as a new King is settling in the throne while The Sa’Kagé, the criminal underworld, who controls everything from smuggling to prostitution ring in the city is getting more powerful day after day. Life is even more challenging for children like Azoth and his two best friends, Jarl and Doll Girl, who scrounge to survive on the vilest part of Cenaria known as “The Warren”. As members of a guild, these kids’ main job is to stealing money to buy food and to pay for their dues. Failing to do so will caused them to be beaten by the sadistic Guild Fist, Rat. As the hatred between Rat and Azoth steaming further, Azoth knows that the only way to be something better is by running away from Rat’s claws. Azoth’s plan of escape comes in the form of one Durzo Blint, the famous “Wetboy”, Cenaria City’s most feared professional assassin. The plan quickly turns into revenge once Rat finds out about his intention and do unthinkable things to both Jarl and Doll Girl.

Azoth begs to be Durzo’s apprentice, but to be one, sacrifices need to be made and one person has to be killed. The going continues to get tough for Azoth, but he never falters and keeps on going. With Durzo as his Master, Azoth learns the way of being a skilled killer, the way of living in the shadows and eventually finds out his real purpose of being Durzo’s apprentice. Once he aces the art of assassination, Azoth is given a new identity as a minor noble, Kylar Stern, a name that means “Undying Dier”. Despite learning everything from his Master, there is still something that Durzo hides from Kylar, a secret that plays crucial role in the continuation of the series. As the Land of Cenaria continues to struggle, Kylar is torn between embracing the monster that he has become or be the greater good that he always wanted to be. Is that decision truly is in Kylar’s hand or circumstances will bare its ugly teeth and make the decision for him?

The Night Angel Trilogy is indeed a series that amazed me in so many levels. I didn’t put any expectation when I first picked up these books as they are not the kinds that I normally read but I’m pleasantly surprised to see how they are able to blow me away with mind blowing plots, unique characters and impressive world building. The trilogy is definitely a series that has it all: from story about adventure full of action, magic and violence to story about love packed with laughter, affections and heartbreaks. The beginning of the first instalment, The Way of Shadows, maybe a little confusing initially because it starts off from multiple angles and many loose ends are left open. However, as the story goes on, the author – Brent Weeks – expertly weaves each separated stories and slowly reveal the bigger picture, one that I honestly never sees coming. This totally proves that he is one of those extraordinary writers that have an incredible talent in writing and holding the suspense from the beginning to the end.

Another one aspect that I really appreciate in The Night Angel Trilogy is that it never really lost its stride. In every books, there are continuous heart pounding actions interweave with some tender moments that tend to occur during unexpected circumstances. The characters that Weeks created for this series are all complex, multi-layered and fit within the dark, unforgiving world that he created. Each and every one of them is complete with their own strengths, weaknesses and also secrets that are slowly unfold throughout the series. However, like many other epic fantasy books, this trilogy also contains so many characters, plot twists and in depth storylines. These maybe drawbacks for some readers as they may cause major confusion and difficulties in understanding everything that the author tries to convey. Though believe me, the more you read, the more you’ll discover and Weeks definitely did an excellent job in unravelling every single knots and confusions that readers have once they start reading his books. Do trust me when I said the wait and anticipation are totally worth it.

Without any doubt, The Night Angel Trilogy is definitely one of the best series that I completed in 2011. The author introduced readers to a world so awful and so devoid of any ethical sense. A world where people are willing to kill one another to gain power, willing to eat one another just to survive. This is the kind of series that will scare you with its gruesome details and also fill you with hopes and despairs. A remarkable read that I recommend to all.

Favourite Quote: "Life is empty. Life is meaningless. When we take a life, we aren't taking anything of value. Wetboys are killers. That's all we do. That's all we are. There are no poets in the bitter business" - The Wetboys' Vow

An extraordinary tale that depicts the life of a street urchin, from a mere child grow up to be a skilled assassin. This is not a light read by any means and it does include some graphic violence and obscenities. Though if you're looking for something complex and gritty, this is definitely the book you need!

Winners: The Light Series & Eyes Like Stars

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 06:44:00 +0000

Hello everyone! I am so sorry that it took me quite awhile to announce the giveaway winners this time around. Things have been a little too hectic these days, so I am truly sorry. Though without further ado, the winners of the two giveaways held on my blog are as follows:

Winner of The Light Series by Jennifer DeLucy

Entry #28 The Mortal Bookshelf

Winners of Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev

Entry #89 Peep
Entry #17 Alyssa

Congratulations everyone! Please check your inbox and get back to me within 48 hours or else new winners will be selected.

Cover Reveal: So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 10:19:00 +0000

SYNOPSIS (Contain spoiler. Click to Read More)

Bertie thinks her quest is almost done. With the help of Ariel and the rest of her friends, she has managed to find her father and rescue the kidnapped pirate, Nate, from Sedna the sea goddess. Now all she has to do is reunite her father, The Scrimshander, with her mother, Ophelia, and she will finally have a true family of her own. However, things are never easy for Beatrice Shakespeare Smith. Her father has vanished, Sedna is out for revenge, her own actions have trapped the Theatre Illuminata, the only home she’s ever known, into a strange kind of limbo, and the stress of her in-between state is tearing apart the fragile threads of her mother’s sanity. Bertie’s best hope for salvaging the situation may lie in the summons by Her Gracious Majesty, Queen of the Distant Castle and hope of winning the magical boon given to the most pleasing performance. Bertie is caught between her growing responsibilities to home and family and the dream of flying free, just as her heart is torn between her two loves, Ariel and Nate. With so many forces pulling on her, how will Bertie be able to choose which wish to make come true?

I am so excited! What do you think of the cover?! It is deliciously gorgeous, don't you think? As Lisa mentioned on her blog today, "Once again, Jason Chan has created something incredibly beautiful and magical that wholly captures the essence of the book". Only one word that I think can describe this book cover: PERFECT. So Silver Bright is scheduled to be released on September 2011. If you're interested to pre-order the book, you may do so through: Book Depository and Amazon.

p.s. I'm extending the giveaway of Eyes Like Stars to 24th February 2011. So if you haven't entered, there is still plenty of time to do so. To enter, visit the giveaway page.

Lisa Mantchev wrote her first play in fourth grade, and has been involved in the theater ever since. She lives with her husband, daughter, and their hairy miscreant dogs on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State.

WEBPAGE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Cover Fragment: So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 13:55:00 +0000

Do you remember Lisa Mantchev's books, Eyes Like Stars and Perchance to Dream? Can you recall how brilliant the cover arts for both books look like? I can promise you one thing: the cover art for the 3rd instalment of the book is even more fantastic! Here I feature the second fragment of the new cover. If you're interested to view the first cover featured on the other blogs yesterday, you can view them at: Princess Bookie, Page Turner's Blog and On the Nightstand.

Those two faeries are cute, aren't they?

The full cover for So Silver Bright will be revealed on my blog as well as a few others on this Friday, so stay tune! But for now, there is something special for all of you. Scroll down for details *wink*

Here is your chance to win the first book in the Théâtre Illuminata series, Eyes Like Stars. One US/Canada reader will stand a chance to win a signed paperback version of the book while another international reader will win a paperback copy of the book that I will send through Book Depository. So please make sure that they can deliver to your place before you enter.

Series: Théâtre Illuminata, Act 1

Eyes Like Stars is an excellent read which I highly recommended to people who love anything fantasy and to those who’s looking for a very fun book. Hilarious and one of the most imaginative book that I've ever read. I think you'd missed a lot if you don't pick this one up. That surely tells a lot!
Click here for full review

Giveaway Details:
(1) This giveaway is open internationally
(2) Contest ends Friday, ~~February 18th~~ February 24th

[THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]

Giveaway: Win The Light Series by Jennifer DeLucy

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 12:02:00 +0000

As promised yesterday, here is your chance to win books (marvelous ones, I promise!) by author, Jennifer DeLucy. The lucky winner will walk away with digital copies of both books in the Light Series, Seers of Light and also Whisper of Light.

(Click on covers to read my reviews)

Giveaway Details:

(1) This giveaway is open internationally

(2) There are several ways to gain extra entries. One of it is by commenting on the guest post by Jennifer DeLucy.

(3) You must be above 17 years of age due to some of the adult contents in the books

(4) Giveaway ends on February 24th, 2011

[THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]

Guest Post: Jennifer DeLucy, Author of the Light Series

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 09:29:00 +0000

Hello everyone! We have Jennifer with us here today, where she is going to briefly introduce to you about things you need to know on World of the Sentient. Sit back, relax, have some popcorns and enjoy the guest post! There will be a giveaway tomorrow where you can win both books in this series. All comments you posted here will be counted towards the giveaway.

Sentient: A human being with paranormal gifts. Sentients have evolved souls due to many successfully reincarnated lives. They are charged with the task of contending with paranormal phenomena/entities.

Entity: A supernatural life form.

Astral: A living energy, human or not, that derives its existence from the matter of the universe.

Dark Astral: A non-human Entity with a powerfully negative root. Dark Astrals are most often Energy Drainers.

Energy Drainers: Astrals that have spun into existence due to an environement of overabundant negativity, for example, prisons, mental institutions, and so on. Energy Drainers attach themselves to and manipulate their hosts to cause suffering and fear, the root of their existence.

Endowment: The formal term applied to a Sentient's particular gift.

Seer: A Sentient whose soul is ancient and has evolved tremendously over time. A Sentient who has attained Seer status need not return to the human form, as they have gathered sufficient wisdom over the course of many lifetimes.

Combatant: A Sentient gifted with a deadly psychic strength which extends to the physical. Combatants most often battle vampires.

Vampire: An animalistic being, once human, that craves the blood of humans due to its ability to temporarily replicate the sensation of having a soul.

Empath: A Sentient gifted with the ability to feel the emotions of others. Empaths can also sense the variances in human Lightlines.

Lightlines: The complex range of colors exuded from one's Aura and directly related to emotion.

Aura: The extension of the human spirit beyond its flesh-covering.

Pathcrosser: A Sentient gifted with the ability to speak and connect with the dead. A Pathcrosser can merge souls with a lost spirit and guide it to the next plane.

Soul Merge: A Soul Merge is a Pathcrosser's means of drawing a soul to the In Between, to the place where the Light of the Source can be seen and understood more readily.

The Source: Universal energy understood to be God, or the creative consciousness and animator of all life in the universe.

Emotions Endowment: Not to be mistaken for an Empath's ability, a Sentient with an Emotions Endowment is able to manipulate the the feelings of others based upon their own desires.

Energy Sensor: A Sentient gifted with the ability to locate other living energies at long range distances.

Memory Endowment: A Sentient possessing a Memory Endowment has gifts very similar to a photographic memory, or perfect psychic recall of information.

Intelligence Endowment: A Sentient possessing an Intelligence Endowment will display genius in not only human terms but in paranormal terms, as well. Sentients with an Intelligence Endowment
can quickly identify and understand concepts and psychic phenomena based upon subtler cues such as smell, sound, and air wave frequency.

Telekinetic: A Sentient with a Telekinetic Endowment can focus their energy in order to displace or move an object.

Healer: A Sentient with a rare Healing Endowment can use his/her own soul's energy to repair psychic or physical trauma in another living being.

Energy Catalyst: A Sentient with the ability to stimulate growth and reactions in nature and other life forms.

Conduit: A Seer's Endowment, or the ability to use one's own body to restore another's soul.

Turning: The process of becoming a vampire.

Repelling: The concentration of strong emotional energy, channeled and directed toward an enemy in an act of defense. When physical touch is too dangerous, such as with vampires, Sentients will use this tactic to disarm or knock an opponent down.

Enthralling: A vampire's mechanism for mental control of a victim.

Fated Blend: The term used to describe soul mates that have a close, repeated connection over many lifetimes.

Society (or WorldWide Society): The overall representative community of Sentients and Seers across the globe.

Council of Seers: A leadership of established Seers who are charged with the supervision of all Sentient groups throughout the world. The Council of Seers dispenses funding to all Sentient groups.

Jennifer grew up in the valley city of Scranton, Pennsylvania and is currently living in the Midwest, Jennifer continues to pursue opportunities as an author, editor and musician.

WEBPAGE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

Winner: Two Books by JL Bryan

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 10:25:00 +0000

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who participated in The Haunted E-Book Week that I featured on my blog the last two weeks. I am thoroughly happy with the number of people who commented on the entries that I posted on that week. So again - Thank You!

Without further ado, the lucky winner of two books by JL Bryan chosen by random.org is:

Entry #168 Nathalie Brault!

Congratulations winner! Please check your inbox as I've already emailed you the prizes =)
Stay tune because there will be something more coming this week.

Human Blend by Lori Pescatore

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Title: Human Blend
Author: Lori Pescatore
Series: Human Blend #1
Source: From author
Format: Digital Edition
Genre: Speculative Fiction

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Marion, Virginia seemed like a nice place to live a normal life, but she is not a normal girl. Laney has special abilities that keep her looking over her shoulder as she makes her escape from the men who had kidnapped her. A young doctor's interest is piqued when he witnesses her ability. Laney's budding relationship with a local boy puts both of them in danger when the men she was hiding from find her. All of their lives will change forever as ancient secrets become unearthed.

A runaway with special abilities. A young girl with a difficult life. An unfortunate child with a dark, mysterious past. This is a story of a girl named Laney, who arrives at a small town in Virginia, bearing a new identity as “Julie Miller”, in hope that she will stand a chance to start a brand new life and experience some levels of normalcy. Despite her own fear that everything she feels will just be temporary, she cannot help being attracted to a local college student, Austin Dorsett, and their relationship blooms almost instantly. Her new job as a volunteer in a local hospital attracts the attention of Dr. Eli Elsworth, a doctor who bears huge secrets of his own and also the only one who witnessed the thing that Julie is capable of doing. As Julie starts enjoying her new life, troubles seek her again, though with them come several revelations that may shatter her own beliefs. Can she handle the truth, knowing that she is not the person she always thinks she is?

Human Blend may seem like many other paranormal books out there but there is a little something about this book that makes it unique. The author, Lori Pescatore, has brought forward new types of paranormal and mysterious species, adding on something rather refreshing into the paranormal world that she created. However, I do believe that readers would benefit more if she explains in a much greater detail about these creatures and the mythology in this book rather than making us wait for the next chapter in the series. Nonetheless, the special abilities possess by each of them are indeed intriguing and I find myself being quite curious as to what else that they are capable of doing.

The characters that the author introduced in this book all come with distinct personalities. I have to admit that I did not feel much towards Julie despite every hardship that she had went through. She is described as a strong-willed, independent person but the way she reacts tells me otherwise. While I can understand that she was badly affected by her past, I cannot fathom the way she suddenly gets panicked and has the desire to runaway a few times and then can be immediately calm down after a word or two from the guys she is with. This shows that she actually needs others to hold her through the ordeals that she is dealing with or else she is going to break. The supporting characters seem to capture my interest more in this book like Eli, the protective doctor, and a mysterious, manipulative character named Percone. Hope that these two characters will be explored even more in the next instalment in the series.

All in all, Human Blend is a good enough read that it keeps me reading till the final page. However, I have to say that I did not feel really attach to the characters nor the storyline of this book and I strongly feel that more concrete explanation and details are needed to make it interesting. There are also some technical and editing issues that I came across while reading the book like typos and the transition from one character's viewpoint to the next that is not being done swiftly. Though if you are not picky about these, I don’t think it’ll prohibit you from enjoying the book. Like I said earlier on, Human Blend does have a unique and interesting concept. So as a new author, Lori Pescatore deserves a round of applause for her effort in bringing something new to the community.

If you're interested to read some more positive reviews on this book, you may check these reviews: Review by Kit from Reading Teen and Donna from The Happy Booker.

Favourite Quote: Sure you can take care of yourself. That's why we all spent the last two days chasing after you and that crazy-ass thug with a death wish. Face it, Julie, your life screams 'damsel in distress' - Marcus

This book was a good read for me but it didn't totally absorb me in. I seriously wish that there are more mythological details being explain regarding the two species being introduced in this series.. However, I have no doubt that paranormal readers will love this book as there are quite a few unique stuffs to be looked forward to.

2011 Reading Challenges

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 10:20:00 +0000

Rule: Read 100 or more books in 2011

Books I've Read
(1) Eldest by Christopher Paolini
(2) The Haunted E-Book by JL Bryan
(3) The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
(4) The Long Walk by Stephen King
(5) 127 Hours: Between a Rock & a Hard Place by Aron Ralston
(6) The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
(7) The Van Allen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz
(8) The Lady in the Tower by Alison Weir
(9) The Big Over Easy by Jasper Fforde
(10) A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin
(11) Bruiser by Neal Shusterman
(12) Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison
(13) Halfway to Grave by Jeaniene Frost
(14) At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost
(15) One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
(16) Keys to the Repository by Melissa de la Cruz
(17) Nightlife by Rob Thurman
(18) Moonshine by Rob Thurman
(19) Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost
(20) Magyk by Angie Sage

Rule: Read as many books as I can off my shelf

Books I've Read
(1) Eldest by Christopher Paolini
(2) The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
(3) The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Rule: To read 24 horror and urban fantasy books in 2011

Books I've Read
(1) The Haunted E-Book by JL Bryan
(2) Halfway to Grave by Jeaniene Frost
(3) At Grave's End by Jeaniene Frost
(4) One Foot in the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
(5) Nightlife by Rob Thurman
(6) Moonshine by Rob Thurman
(7) Destined for an Early Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Rule: To read 12 mystery books in 2011

Books I've Read
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Rule: To read 6 or 12 Stephen King's books in 2011

Books I've Read
(1) The Long Walk by Stephen King
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Rule: To read 10 historical fiction books (Struggling the Addiction level)

Books I've Read
(1) The Luxe by Anna Godbersen
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)

Rule: To read 20 fantasy books (Obsessed level)

Books I've Read
(1) The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
(2) A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
(3)
(4)
(5)

Giveaway: Win Two Books by JL Bryan

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 17:41:00 +0000

Did you read my review on The Haunted E-Book? Do you feel like you want to read it? Well, here is your chance! The author, JL Bryan, provides me with digital copies of two of his books: (1) The Haunted E-Book and (2) Dark Tomorrow. Let's see some recaps on what these books are about:

Title: The Haunted E-Book
Series: Stand Alone

The Haunted E-Book is one interesting book that will keep readers turning the page until they find the answers to all of their questions. This book is indeed not for one with a faint heart and I don’t think it is suitable for young readers either due to its graphical nature as well as some of its mature contents. Definitely a creepy book that is full with heart-pounding scenes that will make you glance over your shoulders every once in awhile and make you wonder "Am I being watched?" at all time. If you are the fan of horror books, I don't think you'll regret reading this.

Title: Dark Tomorrow

Series: Collection of Short Stories

The world of tomorrow is the world of the unknown. This collection of eight stories includes: (1) "Spectrum" - A highly adaptable alien crashes into a Shoney's in Tennessee. (2) "The Fortune Teller's Lament" - A psychic finds his life slowly ruined by a coin-operated fortune-telling machine. (3) "The Officefrau" - A strange invasive species is moving into Dave's office. (4) "The Fixer" - At first, Norton thought he'd found an accounting error. Now he's spending Christmas Eve with a special security agent from his company, and learning he found much more. (5) "Bad Code" - Donald lost himself deep inside the company network, and now he's trying to put himself back together. (6) "The Long Night" - A spaceship crew is taking a few hundred million tons of radioactive waste away from civilized space. But there's another kind of evil inside the cargo bay, and it wants out. Plus two bonus stories by Amanda Hocking - "The Second Coming of Pippykins" and "Of Shoes and Doom"

Giveaway Details:

(1) This giveaway is open internationally

(2) There are several ways to gain extra entries which include commenting on my review of The Haunted E-Book, Interview with JL Bryan and Guest Post by JL Bryan
(3) This giveaway open to those above 17 years of age due to some of the adult content

(4) Giveaway ends: 4th February 2011

[THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED]

Guest Post: JL Bryan, Author of The Haunted E-Book

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 11:32:00 +0000

I am happy to welcome author JL Bryan on my blog again today! He is going to talk more about what he thinks the real meaning of creating and reading a book. Keep in mind that your comment on this post will count towards the grand prize for this blog tour as well as the giveaway that will be posted tomorrow!

For today's post on The Bibliophile's Journal, I wanted to explore something about books in general, since The Haunted E-book delves into those issues—what is it to write and create a book? What is it to read a book? What do these activities mean to us as human beings?

In The Haunted E-book, a nineteenth-century “tramp printer” creates a certain book, with some inspiration from a treatise on the manufacture of black magic spell books. When anyone finds and reads this book, they find themselves stalked by his ghost. He threatens anyone who tries to stop reading the book without finishing it.

Reading the book awakens his ghost, bringing it back to “life.” He draws his strength psychically from the reader. When nobody's reading the book, his ghost becomes dormant until he gets another reader.

This is similar to what happens when we read a book by any deceased author. Reading Milton or Shakespeare or Mark Twain—or, lamentably, Kurt Vonnegut—brings a portion of that author's mind back to life. The reader's mind animates the recorded thoughts, ideas and imagination of the writer, a kind of mini-resurrection.

When the reader stops reading, it all becomes dormant again. When a book has been read for the last time, either because no remaining copies exist, or simply because nobody new ever chooses to read it, then this last bit of the author has finally died.

Reading a book can be a lot like getting possessed by a ghost. For a while we turn our mind and imagination over to another person, and let them shape our experience. The ghost of the writer might be thousands of years old, and from an entirely different part of the world.

In the comments, you might mention some of your favorite authors who are deceased, or books that have given you a window onto other times and places that you wouldn’t have experienced otherwise.

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford and screenwriting at UCLA. He is the author of five novels and one short-story collection. His new novel is The Haunted E-book. The sequel to his novel Jenny Pox will be available by summer 2011.

WEBPAGE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

The Haunted E-Book by JL Bryan

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Tue, 25 Jan 2011 10:49:00 +0000

Title: The Haunted E-Book
Author: JL Bryan
Series: Stand Alone
Source: From author
Format: Digital Edition
Genre: Speculative Fiction

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Dee escapes her dreary librarian job and unfaithful boyfriend by reading romance and fantasy on her Kindle. She tries The Haunted E-book, the story of a 19th century tramp printer whose ghost awakens whenever someone reads a book he created. The ghost stalks his readers and threatens them with death if they stop reading the book. Though she doesn’t usually like ghost stories, Dee can’t stop herself from reading it.

Reading is the finest route that someone can take to briefly escape from the nagging sound of reality. A journey that an avid readers willingly walk through in order to get to another world where he or she no longer needs to be the player but settle for a role as a mere observer. Though what if this supposedly short journey morphs into a winding nightmare that one cannot disembark from? What if during that journey, you unleash something that could torment your life and those that you love?

That is what happens to Dee, a young librarian from a very small town, whose life has not been the one that she once hoped for. She hardly gets lucky with her career and even with her romantic relationship but things start to go down further ever since she stumbles upon a book called “The Haunted E-Book”, written by an unknown author. Without realising it, her life is now controlled by this unknown spirit that threatens to kill her if she ever stops reading the book. There is no stepping down from this heart-pounding rollercoaster ride, where the reader has now become part of the pawns played by this sinister anonymous author. Will Dee be able to uncover the truth behind this mysterious book and comes out of this creepy, nightmarish journey alive?

There is no doubt that that JL Bryan is one versatile author. He did a remarkable job with his previous book, Jenny Pox (click title to see my review), and despite moving on to something completely different, he managed to nail it yet again. When I first skimmed through The Haunted E-Book, I thought I would be confused by its multitier plots, where there is story within story, but once I start reading, everything just flowed smoothly. This proved that Bryan has an outstanding talent in manoeuvring the story skilfully and also developing and arranging the plot neatly that it makes it much easier for readers to follow. Another thing that I truly appreciate is that the author tied every single lose ends together at the ending. I understand the purpose of each character in the book better and also learn the secret that revolves around the book and also its writer.

The strength of The Haunted E-Book definitely lies in its mystifying villain and also its creepy plots. I like that the author does not overload the readers with all information at once but rather reveal things little by little and this surely increase the level of suspense in the book. The thing that I like most in The Haunted E-Book is actually the history of the villain himself, his job as a tramp printer and also the person he really was when he was still alive. I seriously wish that this history part is written in a much greater length because I feel that this is the most crucial part as it gives more dimensions to the book. Nonetheless, it still provides readers with some great details that are needed to answer some of the questions that they might have whilst reading. Bryan also portrays the main character in the book, Dee, in a very interesting way. She seems broken on the surface but her tenacity and will to keep going is truly inspiring. What fate that befell her in the end? Well, that is for me to know and for you to find out!

In the nutshell, The Haunted E-Book is one interesting book that will keep readers turning the page until they find the answers to all of their questions. This book is indeed not for one with a faint heart and I don’t think it is suitable for young readers either due to its graphical nature as well as some of its mature contents. Though if you are one that is looking for something different and will creeps you out, this is definitely for you. Last but not least, to all readers – beware while reading – cause you don’t know what you’re going to unleash and let roaming the world after this... *evil laugh*

Favourite Quote: A weave of words, when woven well. Captures souls in a devil's spell. The heart I hunt, the mind's my prey, and you will believe all I say. Open my book, let me in, and I never shall leave you again - The Unknown Author

Definitely a creepy book that is full with heart-pounding scenes that will make you glance over your shoulders every once in awhile and make you wonder "Am I being watched?" at all time. If you are the fan of horror books, I don't think you'll regret reading this.

*This review is taking part in Cym Lowell's Book Review Party Wednesday

Interview: JL Bryan, Author of The Haunted E-Book

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Mon, 24 Jan 2011 13:39:00 +0000

Today, I am very pleased to welcome JL Bryan, author of the remarkable book, Jenny Pox, and a newly released horror novel, The Haunted E-Book (Review will be up tomorrow!). There will be a giveaway for your chance to win his new book as well as collection of short stories at the end of this week, so do stay tuned. Comment you post on his guest posts for this week will count towards the grand prize for this blog tour.

Hi Bryan! First of all, I would like to congratulate you on the release of “The Haunted E-book”. Can you share with us some of your most valuable experiences while writing this book?
Hello Miss Shy! Thank you for having me over this week. This book was a challenge to write because there is a structure of stories folded within stories, but I wanted to present it in a way that was entertaining and easy for the reader to follow. I also learned a lot about the history of books and publishing, including more information about antique letterpress printing machines than I’ll probably ever need again.

What inspired you to write “The Haunted E-book” and how does the idea for this book evolve?
The book explores a lot about the evolution of the printed word, how information travelled in the past compared to now. For more than century, Jonah (the ghost) has been limited to haunting those who read specific physical books he manufactured by hand, and there’s only a couple of those in the world. When one of these is made into an ebook, though, he becomes a far more powerful ghost, because he has lots of readers at once. So I thought it would be interesting to explore this idea of an evil ghost who sort of benefits from the evolution of technology.

You have written several books, which are all under different sub-genres (for example Jenny Pox is a paranormal book and Helix is a science fiction). Why do you choose to do this instead of specialising in one specific genre only?
I’m just interested in a lot of different things and I get a variety of story ideas that I want to explore. Genre becomes an issue when you’re trying to tell people about the book or market the book. I just write whichever ideas excite me the most, and if the book happens to end up as science fiction or paranormal or horror, then that’s where it ends up. It’s not very wise from a commercial standpoint, though, because there are different audiences for different kinds of books, and so a reader who likes one of my books might not necessarily be interested in the other genres I write. Right now I’m experimenting by writing a sequel to Jenny Pox. I’ve never written a sequel, and usually each book I write is completely different from the others. So this is an interesting challenge.

Do you feel any differences while writing from one sub-genre to another? If so, which one do you find most challenging and why?
I don’t really focus on the particulars of a genre when I write a story, I just explore the specific idea that I have. There’s a lot of crossing of genres, really. Helix has some horror-style elements, with a very wide variety of monsters, but it’s set on space colonies centuries in the future, and everything is rooted in technology rather than the supernatural, so the major genre of that book is science fiction. I wrote Jenny Pox thinking of it as a horror story, but the universal audience response was that the book wasn’t really horror, but contemporary fantasy, urban fantasy, or even YA paranormal. I didn’t even know some of those genres existed.

Do you mind sharing with us your workstation, where “The Haunted E-book” as well as the others was born?
I don’t actually have a good camera (just the crummy one on my phone) but I attached a picture of the same type desk I have. The desk was originally used at a 19th century timber company in Wisconsin. My wife’s mother used to write mystery novels at this desk until she passed away, and that’s where I write books now.

When you are not writing, what other activities that you enjoy doing?
I like reading, playing with my dogs, and sleeping when possible.

As “The Haunted E-book” is a horror book, I wonder what were the best horror book and movie that you have read and watched so far.
There are different ways to categorize “best,” but I definitely think Stephen King’s Pet Sematary is the scariest horror novel I’ve read. My favourite horror movie is the original Night of the Living Dead, but The Exorcist is probably the scariest (Me: I definitely have to agree that The Exorcist is the scariest movie I ever saw. Still remember vividly the girl's head rotate 360 degrees. WAY creepy!)

J.L. Bryan studied English literature at the University of Georgia and at Oxford and screenwriting at UCLA. Most of his writing wanders into the horror or science fiction genres.

WEBPAGE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

The Haunted E-Book Week

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Sun, 23 Jan 2011 12:11:00 +0000

This week will be a very special week on The Bibliophile's Journal as I'll be featuring the author, JL Bryan, and his newly released horror novel, The Haunted E-Book.

I will start off this week with an interview with the author, follow by my review on The Haunted E-Book and also a guest post by JL Bryan, where he explores the meaning of creating and reading a book. There will be a giveaway by the end of this week where winner will stand a chance to win two books, The Haunted E-book as well as Dark Tomorrows written by JL Bryan.

But wait - Not Just That! Every comment that you left on the guest posts will also count towards the grand prize for this blog tour. What are the prizes? Let me summarise it for you:

First Grand Prize:
Winner will receive the entire collection of ebooks in The Haunted Library

Second Grand Prize:
Winner will receive an Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi (or equivalent Amazon gift card)

Possible Third Grand Prize:
Winner will receive a Kindle DX (or equivalent Amazon gift card) if The Haunted E-book reaches the Top 100 in the Kindle store during the tour

For more details on the tour as well as guide on how you can earn more extra entries, just head to JL Bryan's blog. Hope that you guys will be having fun during this week. Who knows, one of my lucky readers might walk home with one of those grand prizes!

The Giver by Lois Lowry

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 12:29:00 +0000

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Series: The Giver #1
Source: Personal Copy
Format: Paperback
Genre: Speculative Fiction

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
In the story of a seemingly utopian city in a futuristic world, Jonas is singled out to receive special training from The Giver--who alone holds memories of pain and pleasure in life. Now, it’s time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

Jonas lives in a seemingly perfect world where every need is provided and every choice, every decision is not his to make. A world that is organised by set of rules and filled with what may seem like happy and content citizen. The person who defies those rules will be “Released”, but what this “Release” truly is and what happen during the process is not something known by every individual in this community. On December every year, comes one ceremony that has been happily and anxiously awaited by everyone in the society. A ceremony that is held to celebrate children from one to twelve years old.

Among all these ceremonies, the Ceremony of the Twelve is the most important one as this is where every twelve-year-old child is assigned with their specific assignments based on some prolong evaluations. This assignment depicts the person that they will be and the career that they will venture in as they grow up. This is where Jonas learns about his future, where his life drastically begins to change and where he starts learning the truth – fascinating, startling, mind-boggling and bone-chilling truth – about the world that he lives in. How does he feels bearing secrets such as this? And what can he does with a knowledge this big?

What more can I say other than admitting that The Giver is definitely a masterpiece. I was more than a little sceptical upon starting this book mainly due to its small size. I let myself thinking that it is impossible for a 179 pages book to deliver much, let alone boggle a person’s mind. I was wrong – totally wrong! Lois Lowry has skilfully created this one unique world that closely resembles ours yet when examined closely is different in many ways. I truly appreciate how slowly Lowry reveals the storyline, letting readers munching every detail bit by bit, allowing them to understand this community and churn the meaning of life that they live in.

One thing that truly fascinates me is how she came out with all these perplexing rules that the community must obey and justify them with profound reasoning. For instance, children are only allowed to start wearing front-buttoned jacket at the age of seven, which is the first sign of independence. Before that age, they can only wear jackets that fastened down the back as this will encourage them to help each other dress and learn the concept of interdependence. Another aspect of the book that I found interesting yet chilling is the truth behind “Release”. At first, readers are lead to believe that those who are “Release” will be banished and sent to live outside the community. Though the actual event that happens is extremely horrifying and still brings chill down to my spine every time I think about it.

The Giver is indeed an intelligent book that is full with suspenseful mysteries and packs with unthinkable, plausible questions that will continue raking your brain even long after you finish reading. The book gives an example of how life could be like without choices, love, pleasure and hardship, left readers to wonder if life does have any purpose, any meaning without them. I was not thoroughly satisfied with the ambiguous ending at first though after reflecting back the things I have been reading, I think it was bittersweet and suits this book perfectly. In some ways, the ending reflects real life, in which we take the risk yet there is no way we can predict what will come out of it. Such a splendid piece that I think ought to be read by everyone.

Favourite Quote: The worst part of holding the memories is not the pain. It's the loneliness of it. Memories need to be shared.

The Giver is one extraordinary read that delve into readers' minds and challenge the things they believe in. My review definitely unable to do this book the justice it well deserved. I believe that those who love sci-fi, mystery and dystopian book will definitely love this one.

Books Read in 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 12:47:00 +0000

Originally, I only aimed to read 50 books for 2010. However, in the end of the day, I managed to surprise myself and read 120 books in total. The list of books that I have read is as follows:

(1) The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger
(2) The Pact by Jodi Picoult
(3) Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
(4) The Gunslinger by Stephen King
(5) Mr. Maybe by Jane Green
(6) Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
(7) A Child Called "It" by Dave Pelzer
(8) The Tales of Beedle the Bard by JK Rowling
(9) The Rescue by Nicholas Sparks
(10) Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron

(11) The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory
(12) The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
(13) The Gift: A Novel by Cecelia Ahern
(14) Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
(15) The Awakening and The Struggle by LJ Smith
(16) The Waitress by Melissa Nathan
(17) The Host by Stephenie Meyer
(18) Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
(19) Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
(20) City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

(21) The Choice by Nicholas Sparks
(22) The Fury and Dark Reunion by LJ Smith
(23) Glass Houses by Rachel Caine
(24) The Dead Girls' Dance by Rachel Caine
(25) Midnight Alley by Rachel Caine
(26) Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine
(27) Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine
(28) Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine
(29) Fade Out by Rachel Caine
(30) Tithe by Holly Black

(31) Valiant by Holly Black
(32) Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
(33) City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
(34) City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
(35) Ironside by Holly Black
(36) The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
(37) Kiss Of Death by Rachel Caine
(38) Beastly by Alex Flinn
(39) Seers of Light by Jennifer DeLucy
(40) Honest Illusions by Nora Roberts

(41) The Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan
(42) Blood Brothers by Nora Roberts
(43) Living Dead in Dallas by Charlaine Harris
(44) The Alchemyst by Michael Scott
(45) Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher
(46) Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
(47) Looking for Alaska by John Green
(48) Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
(49) The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
(50) The Awakening by Kelley Armstrong

(51) The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong
(52) Unwind by Neal Shusterman
(53) The Secret Hour by Scott Westerfeld
(54) Fallen by Lauren Kate
(55) The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner: An Eclipse Novella by Stephenie Meyer
(56) Inkspell by Cornelia Funke
(57) The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family by Dave Pelzer
(58) The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner
(59) The Queen of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner
(60) The King of Attolia by Megan Whalen Turner

(61) A Conspiracy of Kings by Megan Whalen Turner
(62) Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
(63) Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
(64) Touching Darkness by Scott Westerfeld
(65) Blue Noon by Scott Westerfeld
(66) Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George
(67) Shutter Island by Dennie Lehane
(68) Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
(69) The Drawing of the Three by Stephen King
(70) The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski

(71) Leviathan by Thomas Sniegoski
(72) Human Traces by Sebastian Faulks
(73) The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks
(74) Storm Front by Jim Butcher
(75) Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
(76) Fool Moon by Jim Butcher
(77) Grave Peril by Jim Butcher
(78) Masquerade by Melissa de la Cruz
(79) Summer Knight by Jim Butcher
(80) Death Masks by Jim Butcher

(81) Blood Rites by Jim Butcher
(82) Dead Beat by Jim Butcher
(83) Proven Guilty by Jim Butcher
(84) White Night by Jim Butcher
(85) The Titan's Curse by Rick Riordan
(86) White Night by Jim Butcher
(87) I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
(88) Small Favor by Jim Butcher
(89) Turn Coat by Jim Butcher
(90) Mini Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

(91) Changes by Jim Butcher
(92) Jenny Pox by JL Bryan
(93) Adios, Nirvana by Conrad Wesselhoeft
(94) Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
(95) Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
(96) The Giver by Lois Lowry
(97) A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer
(98) The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
(99) Vision in White by Nora Roberts
(100) The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

(101) The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
(102) Ghost Town by Rachel Caine
(103) Whisper of Light by Jennifer DeLucy
(104) Side Jobs: Stories From the Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
(105) The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory
(106) Gathering Blue by Lois Lowry
(107) If I Stay by Gayle Forman
(108) The New World by Patrick Ness
(109) Nightfall by LJ Smith
(110) Delirium by Lauren Oliver

(111) Brethren: An Epic Adventure of the Knights Templar by Robyn Young
(112) Human Blend by Lori Pescatore
(113) The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
(114) Annexed by Sharon Dogar
(115) Crash into Me by Albert Borris
(116) Acting Up by Melissa Nathan
(117) The Hollow by Nora Roberts
(118) The Pagan Stone by Nora Roberts
(119) Revelations by Melissa de la Cruz
(120) Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen by Julie Powell

Aims for 2011

- To diversify my reading choices

- To try reviewing more books. I believe I can do more if I can just focus. Seriously need to work on this one!

- To do more interviews and guest post. I think I've started to get comfortable with this features so I'm looking forward to do more in the future.

Goodbye 2010, Welcome 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 16:00:00 +0000

The year 2010 may not have been the best year for me. Not entirely bad really, but mostly bittersweet I have to admit. Though one really good thing did come out of it, which is this blog. I have never known that I can have this space and still maintain it a year after, but yes - I did it! I believe it is an accomplishment in some ways as I am quite famous in starting something but not waiting long enough to see how that thing turns out in the end.

One year ago, I marked the birth of The Bibliophile's Journal with this post without knowing where this path would lead me. My first review was for the book The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger and I would like to think that I have improved in my reviewing style but that is of course, one of the things that only my readers could judge. Little by little, I garnered friendship with numbers of bloggers out there and also gain some blogging advices from bookaliciouspam, which had helped me tremendously through this year. I loved communicating with my readers, valued every single comments and really enjoyed all these bookish banters that we frequently have on Twitter. I guess it is easier to say that I am truly proud to be apart of this community.

Thank you to my readers, my followers for your unrelenting support throughout 2010. I believe that without you, this blog won't get this far. I know that my achievement is not as big as the other blogs in this community, but it is still an achievement nonetheless. Thank you for being apart of it and I hope that this friendship will continue on, in many more years to come. Happy New Year everyone. Here's hoping that you'll have a wonderful time, welcoming the new year with new hopes, treating it as a new beginning. Have a blast!

Goodbye bittersweet 2010 & Welcome 2011.

May this year brings more joy.

May this year brings more success.

May this year be more memorable than the last.

Free eBook: Random Acts of Senseless Kindness

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 13:49:00 +0000

Do you remember the author Graham Parke, who did a guest post on my blog regarding his book birthday the other day? To show his gratitude, he is sharing with us all a short novella with the title A Gomessy New Year: Random Acts of Senseless Kindness!

Title: Random Acts of Senseless Kindness
Series: Short Novella

Clinical studies have recently shown that reading this eBook is not only likely to make you more attractive to the opposite sex, it will also elevate your random luck by about 9.5%** So, that's a nice bonus right there. The events in this novellette take place approximately 5 months after those described in the novel "No Hope for Gomez!". As such, it may contain spoilers. (**These statements have not been evaluated by any person of consequence!)

To download this ebook, just follow this link: Random Acts of Senseless Kindness by Graham Parke. This ebook will be available for free download from 26th of December 2010 to 16th January 2011.

Huge thanks to the author for this. And if you're interested to learn more about the book No Hope for Gomez, just click here. Have a great week and happy reading =)

Happy Holiday + Light Series Winner!

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Sat, 25 Dec 2010 14:13:00 +0000

First of all, I would like to wish everyone of you who celebrates Christmas this weekend a very Happy Holiday. Hope that you have a really great time celebrating with your friends and family (And also get the present that you really, really want, of course!)

Secondly, thank you SO much for those who participate in my Seers Weeks with Jennifer DeLucy. Your comments are all greatly appreciated and I'm hoping that I will get the chance to feature more authors in the coming year! Without further ado, the giveaway winners are:

#176 Kelly from I Work for Books

(She wins both books from the Light Series)

#37 Casey from The Bookish Type

(She wins the first book, Seers of Light)

Congrats to both winners. To those who didn't win, don't worry. Cause there will be another opportunity coming in the coming month ;) Do stay tune! I left you guys today with a fabulous Seers Holiday Video. Hope you enjoy and again, have a great time this weekend.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards

noreply@blogger.com (Shy) — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 16:19:00 +0000

Title: The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Author: Kim Edwards
Series: Stand Alone Book
Source: Personal Copy
Format: Paperback
Genre: Literary Fiction

Synopsis (from book cover):
On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split second decision that will alter all of their lives forever.

What do you think a secret can do to a relationship – strengthen it further or cause it to fall apart? This is one of the many question marks that Edwards engraved in her bestselling book, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter. The book chronicles the life of a family in the span of 15 years – from the year of 1964 right through 1989. The couple, Dr. David and Norah Henry, leads a happy and serene life right until the night the doctor is forced to deliver his own baby in the middle of a blizzard. His first son, Paul, was born perfectly but the twin – his daughter, his Phoebe – one that he does not know exists was born with Down’s syndrome.

Knowing the fate of his daughter and the possibility of complications that might follow as the girl grows up; he makes an ultimate decision to send his daughter to an institute that manage children like her. He hands the little girl to the nurse, Caroline Gill, and prepares to tell his wife that their daughter was born dead. This is where the future starts to change; this is where the landslide begins. While Caroline runs away, trying to raise his daughter on her own, the secret that David keeps from his wife morphs into a hedge that separates the two of them and later cracks the family. How could people do the unthinkable thing while convincing themselves that it is for the best? How does this one lie has the ability to affect the life of so many?

The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is indeed an interesting and thoughtful read but admittedly, I do have a mixed feeling about it. Edwards’s style of writing is so beautiful, so poetic and she definitely has an excellent way in visualising the scenes, capturing the atmosphere and most importantly, revealing the life of people in those 15 years in great detail. One thing that I appreciate most from her writing is that she has this deep emotion towards the characters that she created to the point that she managed to persuade me to have some compassion towards them as well, when the truth is, I did not fully second the decisions that they made and the actions that they had taken. She makes me understand them, put myself in their shoes and sees the obstacles through their eyes.

What falls short – for me – is that Edwards seems to be focusing more on the difficulties that both David and Norah faced rather than those suffered by the other victims of the situation: Caroline, Paul and Phoebe. Yes, I can understand David’s guilt and Norah’s depression but I think the impact of the deception towards these other three lives should also be pin-pointed and described in length. There are some stories about them but the intensity doesn’t seem to match David’s and Norah’s. I strongly believe that if the stories about these separate lives are being laid out in a more balance way, The Memory Keeper’s Daughter will be even more heart-wrenching, mind-blowing and poignant read. Nonetheless, the book is still good, complete with interesting storyline and characters that can be likeable at one point, but totally hated at another.

After reading The Memory Keeper’s Daughter, I can understand that it is not really a candy to just about everyone. It is one depressing book that talks about deceptions and the dominoes effect that is initiated by just one big secret. A book about grief and a vivid detail on what could possibly happen if one is not allowed to grief openly and freely. There is a lot to ponder in this book which makes it an excellent choice for a book club as it is the kind that is meant to be dissected and deeply discussed.

Favourite Quote: You can't stop time. You can't capture light. You can only turn your face up and let it rain down - David Henry

A riveting and depressing story that I found interesting but may not be suited to just about everyone. Edwards descriptive writing is mesmerising and the issues that she tries to bring forward surely keep readers thinking even long after finishing the book. I personally am glad that I read this.