Book Stack

Ben Mezrich

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 08:26:00 +0000

Ben Mezrich (born February 7, 1969) is an American author from Princeton, New Jersey. Mezrich was born in Boston, Massachusetts, the son of Molli Newman, a lawyer, and Dr. Reuben Mezrich, a chairman of radiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and he was raised in a conservative Jewish family. Mezrich attended Princeton Day School, in Princeton, New Jersey. He graduated magna-cum-laude with a degree in Social Studies from Harvard University in 1991. Some of his books have been written under the pseudonym Holden Scott. He is known for his non-fiction books.

Mezrich is best known for his first non-fiction work, Bringing Down the House: The Inside Story of Six MIT Students Who Took Vegas for Millions. The story was made into the movie 21, released in 2008. In 2004, Mezrich published a new book called Ugly Americans: The True Story of the Ivy League Cowboys Who Raided the Asian Markets for Millions. In 2005 Mezrich published Busting Vegas: The MIT Whiz Kid Who Brought the Casinos to Their Knees a semi-sequel to Bringing Down the House. In 2007, Mezrich published Rigged. Mezrich published a new book in July 2009 about Mark Zuckerberg, the founder of Facebook, titled The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding Of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal. It debuted at No. 4 on the New York Times Nonfiction Bestseller List, and No. 1 on the Boston Globe Nonfiction Bestseller List. Aaron Sorkin adapted the book for the screenplay of the film The Social Network, which was released on October 1, 2010.

2014 saw the release of Seven Wonders, Mezrich's first novel since The Carrier in 2001. Seven Wonders is "a fast-moving thriller involving murder, conspiracy, historical mystery, and the Seven Wonders of the World," according to Booklist. In it, the brother of a murdered mathematician takes "a far-flung journey—from Brazil, India, Peru, and beyond—as he unravels the mystery that links the Seven Wonders of the World". Publishers Weekly writes that "Mezrich has written a rollicking adventure with a fantastic behind-the-scenes tour of some of the world's most intriguing spots".

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Books

Threshold
Reaper
Fertile Ground
Skin
Skeptic
The Carrier
Bringing Down the House
Ugly Americans
Busting Vega$
Rigged
The Accidental Billionaires
Sex on the Moon
Straight Flush
Seven Wonders
Once Upon a Time in Russia

#BookReview C.S. Lewis - The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sat, 25 Apr 2015 08:12:00 +0000

Title: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

Author: C.S. Lewis

Language: English

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction

Add to Read: Goodreads

Rating: 4.00/5

"The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" by C. S. Lewis, It was the third published book of The Chronicles of Narnia series and he had finished writing it in the year 1950, before the first book was out. According to Narnian history, it is actually volume five of the series. This is the only Narnia book that does not have a main villain.

Lucy and Edmund, are both staying with their revolting cousin Eustace Scrubb while Peter, is studying for an exam with Professor Kirke, and Susan, is traveling through America with their parents. Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace are drawn into Narnia through a picture of a ship at sea hanging in Lucy's room. They land on an ocean near the pictured vessel, the Dawn Treader, and are all taken aboard. The Dawn Treader is actually the ship of Caspian X, who is now the king of Narnia. Lord Drinian and the first mate Rhince are also present on board. Caspian is on a quest to fulfil his oath to find the seven lost Lords of Narnia. Lucy and Edmund are very happy to be back on Narnia, while Eustace is less enthusiastic. Reepicheep was also on board, and he hopes to find Aslan's Country beyond the seas of the "utter East".

“Adventures are never fun while you're having them.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

They first arrive at Lone Island. The slave trade was flourishing here. Caspian, Lucy, Edmund, Eustace and Reepicheep are captured as merchandise by a slave trader, and a man buys Caspian before they reach the slave market. He was Lord Bern, who later acknowledges Caspian as king. Caspian reclaims the islands for Narnia, and replaces Gumpas, who is the greedy governor, with Lord Bern, whom he appoints as the Duke of the Lone Islands. On the next island, Eustace leaves the group to avoid helping to render the ship after being damaged by the storm. he hides in a dead dragon's cave to escape a sudden downpour. The dragon's treasure trigger on his greed: he fills his pockets with gold and jewels and puts on a large golden bracelet. But during his sleep, he is transformed into a dragon. Caspian recognizes the bracelet which belonged to Lord Octesian, another of the lost lords. They theorize that the dragon killed Octesian or that the dragon was Octesian. Aslan turns Eustace back into a boy, and as a result he is now a much nicer person.

“There was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the "Dawn Treader"

They stop at Burnt Island, a coracle is discovered and given to Reepicheep. Next they stop at Deathwater Island, so named because of a pool of water which turns everything immersed in it into gold, and they found one of the missing lords, Lord Restimar inside the pool. Then they stop at the Duffers' Island, where Lucy come in contact with Aslan, and at the Dark Island since it is totally hidden in darkness. There they rescue Lord Rhoop and got out of there. At last they reach the Island of the Star, where they find the last three remaining lost lords in a total enchanted sleep. Ramandu, the fallen star who lives on the island, tells them that the only way to awaken them is to set sail to the edge of the world and there to leave a member of the crew behind. The Dawn Treader continues sailing passing a place where merpeople dwell and the water has turned sweet rather than salty, which Reepicheep discovers. When the ship arrives at shallow water, Caspian orders for a boat and say that he will go with Reepicheep to which the crew objects. Caspian returns to his cabin, but came back saying that Aslan told him that only Lucy, Edmund, Eustace, and Reepicheep will go on. They venture on the boat, through a sea of lillies and reach a great wall of water that extends to the sky. Reepicheep fulfil his wish and paddles his coracle up the waterfall and is never again seen in Narnia. Edmund, Eustace, and Lucy find a Lamb, who transforms into Aslan. Aslan tells Edmund and Lucy that they may not come back to Narnia. He also say that he is known by another name in their world and sents the children back home.

“Do not look sad. We shall meet soon again." "Please, Aslan", said Lucy,"what do you call soon?" "I call all times soon" said Aslan; and instantly he was vanished away.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader

This book was good. I really enjoyed the voyage. The only thing that I wonder is that in the book Prince Caspian, one year in England is many years in Narnia, but in The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, one year in England is just 3 years in Narnia. I guess, Lewis was just making to bring Caspian appear in the story. Well, this voyage was really ggod compared to some other voyages that i read. I had to give a thumbs up for Lewis's imagination. Slave trade, transformation to a dragon, Duffers, dark world, star are not flame balls and so. I really liked all those ideas. Well it was a perfect book for me, but not as good as the other two. Well, all have their own taste and I hope you like this too.

Dennis Lehane

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Wed, 22 Apr 2015 10:50:00 +0000

Dennis Lehane (born August 4, 1965) is an American author. He has written several novels; the first several were a series of mysteries featuring a couple of protagonists and other recurring characters, including A Drink Before the War. Of these, his fourth, Gone, Baby, Gone, was adapted as a 2007 film by the same name. Lehane has taken on different topics in other novels. Those adapted as films of the same name included Mystic River (2001), with a 2003 film by the same name, directed by Clint Eastwood, which won several awards. Shutter Island was adapted as a 2010 film directed by Martin Scorsese. Lehane is a graduate of Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Kenzie-Gennaro novels

A Drink Before the War
Darkness, Take My Hand
Sacred
Gone, Baby, Gone
Prayers for Rain
Moonlight Mile

Coughlin series

The Given Day
Live By Night
World Gone By

Other works

Mystic River
Shutter Island
Coronado: Stories
The Drop

#BookReview Enid Blyton - The Enid Blyton Book Of Brownies

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 12:42:00 +0000

Title: The Enid Blyton Book Of Brownies

Author: Enid Blyton

Language: English

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy

Add to Read: Goodreads

Rating: 4.22/5

"The Enid Blyton Book of Brownies" by Enid Blyton was published in 1926, and is still considered as one of her greatest works for children. This is the story of three little naughty brownies: Hop, Skip and Jump, who are tricked by Witch Green-eyes to help her to kidnap the Princess Peronel. They are exiled from Fairyland until they find their 'Goodness'. They decide to save the Princess from the Witch and have many adventures.

This book is about the adventures that the brownies have during rescuing the princess and to regain themselves in the eyes of the king of Fairyland. They are naughty, and rather mischievous, but they are barely bad. They are like three children who all want to have fun, but to still too young to realise the consequences of their actions. These three brownies are also very clever, since they manage to outsmart the people in the land of the Clever People. Their adventures include challenging many situations like being caught in a cottage without a door, and accidentally colliding into the island of the red goblin, and then in an island of giants. They also had an adventure in the Land of clever people where they had to always speak in rhyme and make up riddles everyday, then in the green railway and also the toadstool town. They also had to fight the Golden dwarf, and rescue the Dragon-bird and finally, after encountering numerous adventures, they rescue the princess.

This book was one of her books that takes me back to as a child. This book is not like other, because the stories are connected rather than being a collection of simple fairy stories. I liked her experimenting new ways and breaking the way that all fairy tales are designed. To me, this book is really cool and fun. I loved this book and so will you.

#BookReview Enid Blyton - Five Go Adventuring Again

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sat, 18 Apr 2015 12:29:00 +0000

Title: Five Go Adventuring Again

Author: Enid Blyton

Language: English

Genre: Chrildren, Mystery, Fiction

Add to Read: Goodreads

Rating: 3.9/5

Five Go Adventuring Again written by Enid Blyton is the second book in the Famous Five series and the George, Anne, Julian and Dick along with Timmy the dog return to Kirrin Cottage for the Christmas break.

Julian, Dick, Anne, George and Timmy return to Kirrin Cottage for the Christmas holidays. The four children now have a tutor, Mr. Roland, since they were off school due to illnesses and the tutor, Mr. Roland is here in order to help them catch up with the work they missed. During their holiday, they visited Kirrin Farmhouse, and the owner allowed George (Georgina) to show them all around the farmhouse and show them some of the old secret holes in the farmhouse. George asks Mrs Sanders whether she can show them the cupboard with the false back on it upstairs, but Mrs Sanders tells her she is cleaning the room as she has some guests staying with her. During their search, they discover a strange document in Latin, which will indicate the existence of a secret passageway. That night, George goes outside to see Timmy, as he was made to sleep outside because Mr. Roland didn't like dogs. George then goes into Uncle Quentin's when she hears a strange noise, but finds that Mr. Roland was standing in the study. He tells George that he heard a noise and came to investigate it, but George finds him very suspicious and is very determined to investigate with the others. Uncle Quentin comes down and sees Tim, he gets angry with his daughter, and then sends Tim to stay in the garden, ouside the house.

The next morning, Anne, Julian and Dick go to Kirrin Farm to try to find out more about the secret passage, but failed to find anything. They saw that only two people are spending their holidays there. That night, George was worried with Timmy's cough with he caught when a Scrub with alcohol camphor. Uncle Quentin found that some of his documents were missing from his work. He questions her daughter since she had been in his study last night, but she said that she had not taken anything. QUentin says that she will be punished for stealing, and she realises that the entrance of the secret passage starts from her father's study. George is punished and made to syat in her room without seeing Timmy, for three days. She suspects that Mr. Roland had something to do with the robbery. She tells Julian to keep an eye on Mr. Rolamd. Julian discover the tutor delivering a handful of papers to the people who are on Kirrin Farm. After a great snowfall, while Uncle Quentin is busy, the five wen out to explore the secret passage, which ends in a closet at the Farm Kirrin. There they find the documents in a jacket. The people come back hearing the noise made by the children. They ran back to the house, and George and Tim gought the people. Dick delivers the documents to Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny, who calls the police. The police come and stopped to Mr Roland and people, and The Five spend the rest of the holidays without tutor.

Like most of her books, I loved The Famous Five series. It is very good and fun to read them. It is a good books and has a good story. The story is great and I loved reading it. I don't think it's better then the first one but its still a really good sequel. I loved this book and I know that you will too.

#BookReview Rick Riordan - The Lightning Thief

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 10:02:00 +0000

Title: The Lightning Thief

Author: Rick Riordan

Language: English

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction

Add to Read: Goodreads

Rating: 4.19/5

"The Lightning Thief" written by Rick Riordan is a fantasy-adventure novel based on Greek mythology. He is mainly known for his Percy Jackson novel series. It is the first novel in the Percy Jackson & the Olympians series, which features the adventures that a twelve-year-old Percy Jackson have as he discovers that he is a demigod, the son of Sally Jackson and the Greek god Poseidon. Percy and his friends Annabeth Chase and Grover Underwood go on a quest to prevent a war between the gods Zeus, Poseidon and Hades.

The story begins with Percy Jackson, a 12 year old boy with dyslexia and ADHD living in New York City explaining that he has been expelled from every school. On day his class from Yancy Academy takes a field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. His pre-algebra teacher Mrs. Dodds takes him and transforms into a Furies, which is of the Greek myth and attacks him. Percy's Latin teacher, Mr. Brunner, throws to him a magic sword named Anaklusmos, and sends Mrs. Dodds to Tartarus. When Percy comes out, Mr. Brunner is gone and acts like nothing had happened, and nobody guessed why Mrs. Dodds and his best friend Grover Underwood acted strangely.

“The real world is where the monsters are.”
― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

One day, when Percy and his mother Sally was at Montauk Beach in New York, Grover comes and say to leave immediately. A terrible storm rages as they drive to the New York countryside and on their way they are attacked by a Minotaur. During the fight, the Minotaur takes Sally in a blinding flash of gold light. Percy then takes one of its horns and kill it, but passed out due to exhaustion. He wakes up three days later, healed by the powers of nectar and ambrosia, at Camp Half-Blood. Grover reveals himself to be a satyr, and Mr. Brunner to be Chiron the centaur. He meets Luke, a son of Hermes; Annabeth Chase, a daughter of Athena; and Clarisse La Rue, a daughter of Ares. After several water-related incidents, a trident mark appears above Percy's head as his father, Poseidon, claims him.

“Go on with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all.”
― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

The oracle at the camp told him to find Zeus's master lightning bolt, as he blames Poseidon for stealing it. After defeating several mythological creatures, including Medusa,and the Chimera, they arrive at Underworld, where Hades is keeping his mother. Percy, Annabeth and Grover find Hades, who has taken Sally but also had his Helm of Darkness stolen too. Hades accuses Percy of stealing his helm and threatens to kill Percy and also his mother and release all the dead back into the real world. Percy and his friends use magical pearls to transport themselves out of Hades' kingdom. After discovering that Ares has all the stolen items, he challenges him to a duel and wins, to his own surprise. When Percy presents the Helm to Hades, Hades realizes that Percy has not stolen it and returns Sally safely. After the bolt is given back to Zeus, Luke is revealed to be the lightning thief and the number one servant of Kronos, the Lord of the Titans. Percy decides to spend the school year with Sally instead of staying at camp.

“If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself.”
― Rick Riordan, The Lightning Thief

This is a good book. Really you will be in love with this the moment you understand th plots. In fact, the book is more good than the movies. So if you have not ead the book, but only seen the movies, I recommend that you read this book as well.

Bryan Lee O'Malley

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Wed, 15 Apr 2015 08:03:00 +0000

Bryan Lee O'Malley (born February 21, 1979) is a Canadian cartoonist, best known for the Scott Pilgrim series. He is also a musician using the alias Kupek. Bryan Lee O'Malley started in Film Studies at the University of Western Ontario, but dropped out before completing.Prior to having his own material published, O'Malley illustrated the Oni Press miniseries Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero, written by Jen Van Meter. He also lettered many Oni comics, including the majority of Chynna Clugston's output between 2002 and 2005.

His first original graphic novel was Lost at Sea (2003). On July 20, 2010, he released the sixth and final volume for the Scott Pilgrim series (2004–2010). All have been published by Oni Press. In July 2014 his graphic novel Seconds was released by Ballantine Books. O'Malley created the cover art work for 2012 videogame Fez.

The film adaptation of his Scott Pilgrim series, Scott Pilgrim vs. The World, directed and co-written by Edgar Wright, was released by Universal Pictures on August 13, 2010. He is also a songwriter and musician (as Kupek and formerly in several short-lived Toronto bands such as Imperial Otter and Honey Dear).

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Scott Pilgrim

Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life
Scott Pilgrim vs. The World
Scott Pilgrim & The Infinite Sadness
Scott Pilgrim Gets It Together
Scott Pilgrim vs. The Universe
Scott Pilgrim's Finest Hour

Graphic Novels

Lost at Sea
Seconds

Comic Books

Hopeless Savages: Ground Zero
Sex Criminals
Young Avengers
Snotgirl

Short Stories

Lost At Sea
Monica Beetle
Smiling Is Something Other People Do

#BookReview Enid Blyton - Five on a Treasure Island

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 07:08:00 +0000

Title: Five on a Treasure Island

Author: Enid Blyton

Language: English

Genre: Children, Mystery, Fiction

Add to Read: Goodreads

Rating: 4.01/5

Five on a Treasure Island written by Enid Blyton is a popular children's book that was published in the year 1942. This is the first book in The Famous Five series. This story features the adventures that four children and their pet dog had. Julian, Dick, Anne, George and her beloved dog, Timmy! are the famous five and this book depicts the adventure they had on Kirrin Island.

Julian, Dick and Anne who are actually brothers and sister came to know that they cannot go to the summer holiday to Polseath,but instead they are invited to spend the summer with their Aunt Fanny and Uncle Quentin at their home Kirrin Cottage, in the coastal village of Kirrin. Uncle Quentin is a scientist, a well reputed one and Aunt Fanny is a sweet and caring lady. At their, they come to meet their cousin Georgina, who prefer to be called George as she wanted to be a boy. She is really a surly, and a difficult girl. At first they had an uncomfortable start, George didn't like them and it was hard to cope with her. But at last, they become best friends and she even introduces them to her beloved dog Timothy (Timmy), who secretly lives with a fisher boy in the village.

“It wasn't a bit of good fighting grown-ups. They could do exactly as they liked.”
― Enid Blyton, Five on a Treasure Island

One day, she takes them to Kirrin Island, which belongs to her mother's family. On their way, she shows them a shipwreck, and explains that it was her great-great-great grandfather's ship. She said that their is supposed to be gold in it, but it was never found. They arrive at the island, and explored the ruined castle during a storm, making it too dangerous for them to return back to the mainland. The next day, they investigate the wreck and found a box in the captain's cabin. They tried to open it, but it was hard. So they threw it outside the window and the sound made Uncle Quentin angry and he took the box. Julian then sneaks into his uncle's study and took the box. They found an old map of Kirrin Island inside. Excited, they make plans to find the gold themselves. They took a tracing of the map and returned the box to the study.

“heavy box.”
― Enid Blyton, Five on a Treasure Island

The children found that the box had been sold to an antique collector and he came to ask if he can buy the island. The children realised that he had also found the secret of the map and is coming to get the gold. Thinking that the children want to spend some time there before it is been sold, Uncle Quentin and Aunt Fanny agree to let them go camping on Kirrin Island, and they all set off to find the lost gold. At the island, the started to search the castle. Accidentally Timmy falls on an old well, and that helped them find the dungeon entrance. During exploration, they found the gold, but trouble soon arrives as bad men come to the island hoping to steal the gold. They capture George and Julian, locking them in the dungeons. Unable to find Anne and Dick, they leave the island, taking the oars from the children's boat so they can't escape. Anne and Dick cleverly rescue Julian and George from the dungeon, and they plan to trap the men when they come back to the island. The plan was a success. They returned to the mainland, and told Uncle Quentin, Aunt Fanny and the Police what has happened. The gold is recovered and it is decided that it belongs to George's family, making them rich. George's only wish is to to keep Timmy the dog and her parents agreed. She also agrees to go to boarding school with Anne, because she and her cousins have become close, best friends.

This is a good book. Full of mysteries and thriller that even small children as well as adults could enjoy. The plot of the story was good. This book make us want to read all the series. So I recommend this book to all those readers out there.

Cressida Cowell

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 14:27:00 +0000

Cressida Cowell (born 15 April 1966) is an English children's author, popularly known for the novel series, How to Train Your Dragon, which has subsequently become an award-winning film as adapted for the screen by DreamWorks Animation. In addition to her other publications, Cowell works with illustrator Neal Layton in the on-going series of Emily Brown stories. The first in the series, That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown, won a Nestlé Children’s Book Award.

Cressida Cowell was born on 15 April 1966 in London. She is the daughter of Michael Hare, 2nd Viscount Blakenham. Her uncle, by marriage, is U.S Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer. As a child, Cowell states she "grew up in London and on a small, uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland," and that it was during summers spent on the Inner Hebrides where she first began to develop her writing and drawing talents: "I spent a great deal of time as a child on a tiny, uninhabited island off the west coast of Scotland...By the time I was eight, my family had built a small stone house on the island, and with the boat, we could fish for enough food to feed the family for the whole summer.

"From then on, every year we spent four weeks of the summer and two weeks of the spring on the island. The house was lit by candle-light, and there was no telephone or television, so I spent a lot of time drawing and writing stories." Cowell attended Keble College, Oxford where she studied English, and she also attended Saint Martin's School of Art and Brighton University where she learned illustration. Cressida Cowell presently resides in London with her husband Simon, a former director and interim CEO of the International Save the Children Alliance; daughters Maisie and Clementine; and son Alexander.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

How to Train Your Dragon books

How to Train Your Dragon
How to Be a Pirate
How to Speak Dragonese
How to Cheat a Dragon's Curse
How to Train Your Viking, by Toothless the Dragon
How to Twist a Dragon's Tale
A Hero's Guide to Deadly Dragons
How to Ride a Dragon's Storm
How to Break a Dragon's Heart
How to Steal a Dragon's Sword
The Day of the Dreader
How to Seize a Dragon's Jewel
How to Betray a Dragon's Hero
How to Fight a Dragon's Fury
The Complete Book of Dragons: A Guide to Dragon Species
A Journal for Heroes

Emily Brown books

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown
Emily Brown and the Thing
Emily Brown and the Elephant Emergency
Cheer Up Your Teddy Bear, Emily Brown!

Other books

Little Bo Peep’s Troublesome Sheep
Don’t Do That Kitty Kilroy
What Shall We Do with the Boo-Hoo Baby
There's No Such Thing as a Ghostie!
Daddy on the moon
Hiccup the Seasick Viking

#BookReview C.S. Lewis - Prince Caspian

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 13:33:00 +0000

Title: Prince Caspian

Author: C.S. Lewis

Language: English

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction

Add to Read: Goodreads

Rating: 3.9/5

"Prince Caspian" by C. S. Lewis, published in 1951 is a fantasy novel for children. This is the first published work from seven novels in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series. Lewis had finished writing this book in the year 1949, before the first book was out. It is actually the fourth volume, which are sequenced according to the Narnia history. The book Prince Caspian features the return of the four Pevensie children back to Narnia, about one year later in England but 1300 years later in Narnia. In this book, men dominates Narnia; the talking animals and the mythical beings are tyrannized and some of them may also be endangered. The four children who are actually the legendary Kings and Queens of Narnia are called back again by Prince Caspian for assistance.

This book begins the story with the life of Prince Caspian. He know all the history of Narnia from his tutor Doctor Cornelius. He was fascinated by the story of the kings and queens, the white witch and all. But after the death of his father, Lord Miraz took him, but after he had a son, he decided to execute him. Caspian fled from the castle and ended up in the forest of Narnia. There he blows Queen Susan's horn and also met those magical creatures, he had heard so much. There he plans to take over the kingdom, and asks the help of Narnians for they too can earn their freedom. But little did he know that he had summoned the Kings and Queens of old.

“Golly! It’s a bit uncomfortable to know that we can be whistled for like that. It’s worse than what Father says about living at the mercy of the telephone.”
― C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy were sitting at the railway station, when they found that they were dragged by a magical force back to another place with thick forest and ruins. Like any other child, they explored around, going here and there, and at last Peter found that they had come back to Narnia and this ruin is the Cair Paravel itself. There they met a dwarf called Trumpkin and he depicts the story of present Narnia. At last, the Pevensie agree to go to Prince Caspian's aid. They went on ahead facing many difficulties. When they arrive at a gorge, Lucy spots Aslan, but the others, except Edmund, don't believe her. They take the hard road and get even more lost. When they were sleeping, Aslan comes to Lucy and tells her to wake the others and they all followed Aslan to Caspian's camp. There they found, Nikabrik trying to resurrect the White Witch.

“Wouldn't it be dreadful if some day in our own world, at home, men start going wild inside, like the animals here, and still look like men, so that you'd never know which were which.”
― C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

And after that they went to war. And so, the big war begins. With his new army outnumbered, Peter challenges Miraz to single combat, which Miraz accepts because he felt that his pride is on the line. They fight it out with swords and shield, but ended when two Telmarine lords, Glozelle and Sopespian, betray and stab Miraz. They then call others to fight the Narnians. But with Peter and Edmund in command, the Narnians beat them back to the river. Lucy and Susan who went to find out Aslan comes and Aslan ends this war. Victory and success! Caspian is crowned King and the Old Narnians can now live freely in their land. Aslan allowed the Telmarines who wish to remain in Narnia to stay, and the transport the others to an island in our world. Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy, have to return to their own world, too. For Peter and Susan, it's sad as Aslan says they've become too old to return to Narnia again. But Edmund and Lucy will return one day, though. And with that, they return back to the railway station after one big summer adventure.

"They did nothing wrong their time here has ended"
― C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian

I loved this book. I really enjoyed reading this book. Some of the characters especially Reepicheep was a favourite of mine. This is a good book and I recommend this to anyone who likes to read fantasy.

#BookReview C. S. Lewis - The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 12:33:00 +0000

Title: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

Author: C.S. Lewis

Language: English

Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction

Add to Read: Goodreads

Rating: 4.1/5

"The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" by C. S. Lewis, published in 1950 is a fantasy novel for children. This is the first published work from seven novels in "The Chronicles of Narnia" series and also the best known book among all the books. It is the most widely held in libraries. Although it was written and published first in the series, it is actually the second volume, which are sequenced according to the Narnia history.

This is a really good book. It features the story of four children, two boys and two girls going into a magical world through a wardrobe. Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy evacuated from London during World War II to escape the Blitz. They are sent to the countryside to live with professor Digory Kirke. They had nothing much to do, so they decided to explore the place. But Lucy who was the youngest, went forth and eventually found another world with magical creatures, fauns and was really astonished. There she met and befriended a faun named mr. Tumnus. He took her to his home and gave her tea, but soon confessed to her tht he brought her to betray her to the White Witch. He explains about the Witch and her evil doings. Mr Tumnus' had to obey that order and hand Lucy over, but now that he has met a real human, he felt incapable of obeying the witch's orders, so he hurriedly escorts Lucy back to the lamppost.

“Always winter but never Christmas.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The others, didn't believe her story. At an another time, during a game of Hide and Seek Lucy went throught the wardrobe, her older brother Edmund, also entered the wardrobe after her and gets into Narnia as well. While searching for Lucy, he meets a lady who introduces herself as the Queen of Narnia. She enchants him and asks him to bring his family with him and tells him that when he comes back she will make him into a prince. Soon afterward, all four children enter Narnia together while hiding in the wardrobe after an encounter with the professor's housekeeper, Mrs Macready. Little did they know that they were destined to come there, since the prophecy depict their arrival and they will defeat the White Witch and will be crowned again.

Lucy guides them to Tumnus' home, but finds it plundered. They are spotted by Mr. Beaver, who guides them to his house. Mr. and Mrs. Beaver tell them of the prophecy. Having heard enough, Edmund sneaks away and go to to Jadis' castle. But she is furious, that he came alone. Meanwhile, the other three children try to find out where their brother has gone. Mr. Beaver understands that Edmund has gone to the White Witch. Thus, the Beavers left their home and set out to lead the three children to Aslan. Aslan welcomes the children and the Beavers to his camp at the Stone Table. Aslan's troops rescue Edmund just as Jadis is about to kill him. Jadis approaches Aslan, insisting that, according to "deep magic from the dawn of time", she has the right to execute Edmund for treason. Aslan speaks with her and persuades her to renounce her claim. That evening, Aslan secretly leaves the camp, but Lucy and Susan found him and followed him. It appears that Aslan has bargained his own life for Edmund's, for the girls witnessed Jadis tie Aslan to the Stone Table and kill him with a knife. The next morning the enemies are gone, and only Susan and Lucy remain weeping over Aslan's body. Then the Stone Table is broken and Aslan is restored back to life, and tells Lucy and Susan that "deeper magic from before the dawn of time" will resurrect an innocent killed in place of a traitor.

“If you've been up all night and cried till you have no more tears left in you - you will know that there comes in the end a sort of quietness. You feel as if nothing was ever going to happen again.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

At last, in the major war between good and evil, they fought and some good loyal Narnians are turned to stone. Edmund destroys the Witch's wand and she seriously wound him. Aslan arrives and kills the White Witch and turn the awful cold wasteland back to its shining glory. And, one the last section of the story, they are crowned Kings and Queens of Narnia at the castle Cair Paravel. They are given the titles of King Peter the Magnificent, Queen Susan the Gentle, King Edmund the Just, and Queen Lucy the Valiant. After the coronation Aslan slips away and disappears. Fifteen years later, the siblings are hunting for a white stag when they find the lamppost in the forest, and beyond that the coats and at last found themselves back through the wardrobe in the Professor's house and are suddenly children again.

“Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

I really enjoyed this book. This is most interesting to read. The story, the plots all were really fascinating. I feel like a small kid again. This takes us to different places and all of it are really capturing our mind and heart. Some of the best portion was when Lucy found the magical world, the last war and so on. This is a good book and I recommend to anyone interested in reading fantasy fiction.

Cecelia Ahern

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Fri, 10 Apr 2015 14:10:00 +0000

Cecelia Ahern (born 30 September 1981) is an Irish novelist since 2004. She has published several novels and contributed a number of short stories to various anthologies. Ahern also created and produced the ABC comedy Samantha Who? starring Christina Applegate. She is a face of Littlewoods Ireland.

In 2002, when Cecelia Ahern was twenty-one, she wrote her first novel, PS, I Love You. Published in 2004, it was the number 1 bestseller in Ireland (for 19 weeks), the United Kingdom, U.S., Germany and the Netherlands. It is sold in over forty countries. The book was adapted as a motion picture directed by Richard LaGravenese and starring Hilary Swank and Gerard Butler. It was released in the United States on 21 December 2007.Her second book, Where Rainbows End (U.S. Love, Rosie), also reached number 1 in Ireland and the UK, and won the German CORINE Award in 2005.

She has contributed to charity books with the royalties from short stories such as Irish Girls are Back in Town and Ladies' Night. Cecelia was the co-creator with (along with Donald Todd) and producer of the ABC comedy Samantha Who? starring Christina Applegate, Jean Smart, Jennifer Esposito, Barry Watson, Kevin Dunn, Melissa McCarthy and Tim Russ. Her book The Gift and was published just before Christmas 2008 in the UK. Her following book, The Book of Tomorrow, was published on the 1 October 2009.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Novels

PS, I Love You
Where Rainbows End
If You Could See Me Now
A Place Called Here
Thanks for the Memories
The Gift
The Book of Tomorrow
Girl in the Mirror / The Memory Maker
The Time of my Life
One Hundred Names
How to Fall in Love
The Year I Met You
The Marble Collector
Flawed

Short Stories

24 Minutes in "Moments"
Next Stop
The Calling in "Irish Girls Are Back In Town
Mrs. Whippy
The End in "Girls' Night In / Ladies' Night"

The production Line for Express Magazine

Every Year
The Things That I Remember
Remembering Mum
Mallard and May

Television Work

Samantha Who?
Zwischen Himmel und Hier (Between Heaven and Here)
Mein Ganzes Halbes Leben (My Whole Half LIfe)

Nicholas Sparks

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 16:02:00 +0000

Nicholas Charles Sparks (born December 31, 1965) is an American novelist, screenwriter, and producer. He has published seventeen novels and a non-fiction book. Eleven of his romantic-drama novels have been adapted to film.

Sparks was inspired to start writing by a remark from his mother when he was 19 years old. While still in school in 1985, Sparks penned his first (never published) novel, The Passing, while home for the summer between freshman and sophomore years at Notre Dame. He wrote another novel in 1989, also unpublished, The Royal Murders. After college, Sparks sought work with publishers and to attend law school, but was rejected in both attempts. He then spent the next three years trying other careers, including real estate appraisal, waiting tables, selling dental products by phone and starting his own manufacturing business.

In 1990, Sparks co-wrote with Billy Mills Wokini: A Lakota Journey to Happiness and Self-Understanding. The book was published by Feather Publishing, Random House, and Hay House. Sales for this book approximated 50,000 copies in its first year after release. In 1992, Sparks began selling pharmaceuticals and in 1993 was transferred to Washington, DC. It was there that he wrote another novel in his spare time, The Notebook. Two years later, he was discovered by literary agent Theresa Park, who picked The Notebook out of her agency's slush pile, liked it, and offered to represent him. In October 1995, Park secured a $1 million advance for The Notebook from Time Warner Book Group. The novel was published in October 1996 and made the New York Times best-seller list in its first week of release.

With the success of his first novel, he moved to New Bern, North Carolina. He subsequently wrote several international bestsellers, and several of his novels have been adapted as films: Message in a Bottle (1999), A Walk to Remember (2002), The Notebook (2004), Nights in Rodanthe (2008), Dear John (2010), The Last Song (2010), The Lucky One (2012), Safe Haven (2013), and The Best of Me (2014). His website states that he has also sold the screenplay adaptations of True Believer and At First Sight.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Books

Wokini
The Notebook
Message in a Bottle
A Walk to Remember
The Rescue
A Bend in the Road
Nights in Rodanthe
The Guardian
The Wedding
Three Weeks with My Brother
True Believer
At First Sight
Dear John
The Choice
The Lucky One
The Last Song
Safe Haven
The Best of Me
The Longest Ride
See Me
Two By Two

Judith Viorst

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sun, 05 Apr 2015 09:05:00 +0000

Judith Viorst (born February 2, 1931) is an American author, newspaper journalist, and psychoanalysis researcher. She is perhaps best known for her children's literature, such as The Tenth Good Thing About Barney (about the death of a pet) and the Alexander series of short picture books, which includes Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day (1972), which has sold over two million copies.

Viorst is a 1952 graduate of the Newark College of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey. In 1968, Viorst signed the "Writers and Editors War Tax Protest" pledge, vowing to refuse tax payments in protest against the Vietnam War. In the latter part of the 1970s, after two decades of writing for children and adults, she turned to the study of Freudian psychology. In 1981, she became a research graduate at Washington Psychoanalytic Institute after six years of study.

Among Viorst's books for children is the "Alexander" series (including Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day), whose narrator is a 5-year-old boy who lives with his parents and two brothers, Anthony and Nick, who are named for Viorst's own three sons. Viorst's books for adults include nonfiction psychology books such as Grown-up Marriage, Imperfect Control, Necessary Losses, and People and other Aggravations. Viorst is also a newspaper columnist and has written frequently for The New York Times and The Washington Post, and has been a contributing editor to Redbook magazine.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Selected Works

The Wonderful World of Science
Projects: Space
150 Science Experiments Step-by-step
The Natural World: A guide to North American wildlife
The Village Square
The Changing Earth
Sunday Morning

For children

I'll Fix Anthony
Try It Again, Sam: Safety When You Walk
My Mama Says there Aren't any Zombies, Ghosts, Vampires, Creatures, Demons, Monsters, Fiends, Goblins, or Things
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney
The Good-bye Book
Super-Completely and Totally the Messiest
Just in Case
And Two Boys Booed

Poems for Children and Their Parents

If I Were in Charge of the World and Other Worries
Sad Underwear and Other Complications

Alexander

Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
Alexander, Who Used to be Rich Last Sunday illus. Ray Cruz
Alexander, Who Is Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It!) Going to Move
Alexander, Who's Trying His Best to Be the Best Boy Ever
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day: A Musical
Alexander and the Wonderful, Marvelous, Excellent, Terrific Ninety Days: An Almost Completely Honest Account of What Happened to Our Family When Our Youngest came to Live with Us for Three Months

Lulu

Lulu and the Brontosaurus
Lulu Walks the Dogs
Lulu's Mysterious Mission

For adults

People and Other Aggravations
Yes, Married: A Saga of Love and Complaint
A Visit from St. Nicholas to a Liberated Household
Love and Guilt and the Meaning of Life
Necessary Losses: The Loves, Illusions, Dependencies, and Impossible Expectations That All of Us Have to Give Up in Order to Grow
Murdering Mr. Monti: A Merry Little Tale of Sex and Violence
Imperfect Control: Our Lifelong Struggles With Power and Surrender
You're Officially a Grown-up: The Graduate's Guide to Freedom, Responsibility, Happiness, and Personal Hygiene
Grown-Up Marriage: What We Know, Wish We Had Known, and Still Need to Know About Being Married

Age-related poetry series

t's Hard to Be Hip Over 30 & Other Tragedies of Married Life
How Did I Get to Be 40 & Other Atrocities
When Did I Stop Being 20 & Other Injustices
Forever 50 & Other Negotiations
Suddenly 60 & Other Shocks of Later Life
I'm Too Young to Be 70 & Other Delusions
Unexpectedly Eighty & Other Adaptations

Elmore Leonard

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Fri, 03 Apr 2015 10:35:00 +0000

Elmore John Leonard, Jr. (born in October 11, 1925 – died in August 20, 2013) was a novelist and also a screenwriter. His early novels, that were published in the period of 1950s, were all Westerns books, but then Leonard went on to write about crime fiction and also suspense thrillers, in which many of them have been made into movies. Some of his best-known works are "Get Shorty", "Out of Sight", "Hombre, Mr. Majestyk", and also the "Rum Punch".

He got his start in the fiction market during the 1950s. He was then publishing Western novels. He had his first success in 1951 when Argosy published his short story "Trail of the Apaches". During the 1950s and also the early 1960s, he still continued writing Westerns, publishing about 30 short stories. He wrote his first novel, "The Bounty Hunters", in the year 1953 and followed with four other novels. About five of his westerns were turned into movies before 1972: The Tall T, 3:10 to Yuma, Hombre, Valdez Is Coming, and Joe Kidd.

He then went on to write about 17 novels and also some stories in the mystery, crime, and more topical genres which were later made into movies between the year 1969 and 2013. In the year 1985, his successful novel, "Glitz" was published. At the time of his death he had sold about tens of millions of copies of his novels. Among his later movies are Jackie Brown which is a "respect" to the author’s signature rhythm and steps"; Get Shorty and Out of Sight.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Novels

The Bounty Hunters
Law at Randado
Escape from Five Shadows
Last Stand at Saber River
Hombre
The Big Bounce
The Moonshine War
Valdez Is Coming
Forty Lashes Less One
Mr. Majestyk
52 Pick-Up
Swag
Unknown Man No. 89
The Hunted
The Switch
Gunsights
City Primeval
Gold Coast
Split Images
Cat Chaser
Stick
LaBrava
Glitz
Bandits
Touch
Freaky Deaky
Killshot
Get Shorty
Maximum Bob
Rum Punch
Pronto
Riding the Rap
Out of Sight
Naked Came the Manatee
Cuba Libre
Tonto Woman
Be Cool
Pagan Babies
Fire in the Hole
When the Women Come Out to Dance
Tishomingo Blues
A Coyote's in the House
Mr. Paradise
The Hot Kid
Comfort to the Enemy
Up in Honey's Room
Road Dogs
Djibouti
Raylan

Stories

Three-Ten to Yuma
The Captives
The Complete Western Stories of Elmore Leonard

Nonfiction

10 Rules of Writing
Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History

François Lelord

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Thu, 02 Apr 2015 09:33:00 +0000

François Lelord (born 22 June 1953 in Paris) is a French psychiatrist and author. Lelord studied medicine and psychology; after getting his doctoral degree in 1985, he was a post-doctorate researcher with Robert Liberman at the University of California, Los Angeles. After that, he worked as an attending physician at Hôpital Necker (which is affiliated with Descartes University) in Paris for two years. In 1989 he opened up his own practice which he closed down in 1996 to work as an advisor on stress and job satisfaction for several companies. Since 2004, he has been working as a psychiatrist in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.

He has written several psychological monographs together with Christoph André. His first novel, Le voyage d'Hector ou la recherche du bonheur ("Hector's Voyage or the Search for Happiness"), was very successful in France as well as other countries such as Germany. It is a book on psychology written for ordinary readers; it tells the story of Hector, a psychiatrist, who travels around the world in search of what it is that makes people happy. The book is written in a simple, humorous style, and gives psychological advice and thought-provoking impulses without even touching dry theory.

Lelord continues to publish novels dealing with similar topics which are written in a similar manner. Following its European success, Penguin Group (USA) acquired the rights to publish Lelord's debut novel in the United States of America. "Hector and the Search for Happiness" was released on 31 August 2010. This was followed by "Hector and the Secrets of Love" on 1 January 2011 and "Hector and the Search for Lost Time" on 31 July 2012. A film adaptation of "Hector and the Search for Happiness" starring Simon Pegg as the title character was released in 2014.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Works

La gestion du stress
Liberté pour les insensés
Comment gérer les personnalités difficiles
L'estime de soi : S'aimer pour mieux vivre avec les autres
Le voyage d'Hector ou la recherche du bonheur
La Force des émotions
Ulik au pays du désordre amoureux
Hector et les secrets de l'amour
Hector et le temps
Petit hector apprend la vie

Alan Snow

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 13:46:00 +0000

Alan Snow (born 1959 in Kent, England) is an English author and illustrator of children's literature. He is best known for his best selling novel Here Be Monsters! (2005), which was made into a successful animation movie in 2014 under the name The Boxtrolls.

Snow grew up in the county Wiltshire and went on to study fashion design and illustration at the Salisbury College of Art. After college he worked in variety of different jobs before becoming primarily an author and illustrator of children's books. Since then he has illustrated over 160 books and worked on the art design of video games and animation movies as well. Moreover he was involved in the design of children's science museum in Japan.

In 2005 Snow published his novel Here Be Monsters!, which he illustrated himself with over 500 drawings. The novel, which was also published in three separate volumes, is the first part of the Ratbridge Chronicles. The Ratbridges Chronicles are a series of novels and stories playing in the fictitious Victorian city of Ratbridge, in the underground of which the boxtrolls live. The Oregon animation studio Laika adapted the novel 2014 into a successful movie using stop motion animation.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Works

Machines, cars, boats, and airplanes
Big Book of Knowledge
The Monster Book of ABC Sounds
The Truth about Cats
What Color Is It? What Shape Is It?
Here be Monsters!
Wacky Guide to Paper Fun
How Dogs Really Work
How Cats Really Work
Worse Things Happen At Sea
How Dinosaurs Really Work
How Pirates Really Work

James Dashner

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Tue, 31 Mar 2015 08:17:00 +0000

James Dashner (born in November 26, 1972) is an American author of hypothetical fiction, mainly for children and also for young adults, such as the fantasy series "13th Reality". His novel The Journal of Curious Letters published in the year 2008, was one of the annual Borders Original Voices hand-picked book.

Dashner was born on November 26, 1972 in Austell, Georgia. His parents are Linda and James Dashner and he is one of six children. He is a graduate of Duluth High School and Brigham Young University in Utah, and he has received a master's degree in the field of accounting. He and his wife Lynette now have four beautiful children.

His books are mainly written for young adults or teens. His work is mainly within the adventure and science-fiction genres. "The Maze Runner", his most popular book, has reached 100 weeks' standing on the New York Times Best Seller list for Children's Series on September 21, 2014, which is just two days after the initial release of the movie adaptation of the book.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

The Jimmy Fincher Saga

A Door in the Woods
A Gift of Ice
The Tower of Air
War of the Black Curtain

The 13th Reality series

The Journal of Curious Letters
The Hunt for Dark Infinity
The Blade of Shattered Hope
The Void of Mist and Thunder

The Maze Runner series

The Maze Runner
The Scorch Trials
The Death Cure
The Kill Order
The Fever Code

The Infinity Ring series

A Mutiny in Time
Divide and Conquer
The Trap Door
Curse of the Ancients
Cave of Wonders
Behind Enemy Lines
The Iron Empire
Eternity

The Mortality Doctrine

The Eye of Minds
The Rule of Thoughts
The Game of Lives

Jonathan Tropper

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 05:20:00 +0000

Jonathan Tropper (born February 19, 1970) is an American writer and a professor of English at Manhattanville College. Tropper was born in the Riverdale section of New York City. He studied English as an undergraduate and received a master’s degree in creative writing at New York University, after which he spent eight years running a Manhattan-based company that manufactured displays for jewelry companies. He wrote at night and on weekends, ultimately publishing his first novel, Plan B, which attracted the attention of an agent, allowing him to leave his job and become a full-time writer. Four of Tropper's five books have been optioned at auction within a week of publication (The Book of Joe, How to Talk to a Widower, Everything Changes and This Is Where I Leave You).

The themes of his books appear to stem from his personal experiences: they deal with topics such as being single, growing up, getting married, being married, getting divorced, and living in suburbia. Tropper's hometown of New Rochelle in Westchester County, New York, is a main source of inspiration when creating the characters and settings in his books.

How to Talk to a Widower was a 2007 selection for The Richard and Judy Show in the United Kingdom. Everything Changes was a Booksense selection. Three of Tropper's books are currently being adapted into movies. Tropper cowrote the film adaptation of The Book of Joe with Ed Burns, who will direct. This Is Where I Leave You was published in August 2009 and was a New York Times bestseller. It was made into the 2014 film of the same name. Tropper's most recent novel, One Last Thing Before I Go, was published in August 2012. The novel was optioned by Paramount Pictures for J. J. Abrams.

Tropper, together with David Schickler, created the 2013 television series Banshee, which premiered in January on Cinemax; Tropper serves as an executive producer on the show.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Books

Plan B
The Book of Joe
Everything Changes
How to Talk to a Widower
This Is Where I Leave You
One Last Thing Before I Go

Gillian Flynn

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 05:20:00 +0000

Gillian Schieber Flynn (born February 24, 1971) is an American author, screenwriter, comic book writer and former television critic for Entertainment Weekly. Flynn's three published novels are the thrillers Sharp Objects, Dark Places, and Gone Girl.

After graduating from Northwestern, Flynn worked freelance briefly at U.S. News & World Report before being hired as a feature writer in 1998 at Entertainment Weekly. She was promoted to television critic and wrote about films, but was laid off in December 2008.

She attributes her craft to her 15-some years in journalism. She said, "I could not have written a novel if I hadn't been a journalist first, because it taught me that there's no muse that's going to come down and bestow upon you the mood to write. You just have to do it. I'm definitely not precious."

Some critics have accused Flynn of misogyny due to the often unflattering depiction of female characters in her books. Flynn identifies as a feminist. She feels that feminism allows for women to be bad characters in literature. She states, "The one thing that really frustrates me is this idea that women are innately good, innately nurturing." Flynn also said people will dismiss "trampy, vampy, bitchy types – but there's still a big pushback against the idea that women can be just pragmatically evil, bad, and selfish".

Flynn was an avid reader of comic and graphic novels when she was a child. She collaborated with illustrator Dave Gibbons and wrote a comic book story called Masks. It is part of the anthology series Dark Horse Presents and will be published by Dark Horse Comics in February 2015.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Books

Sharp Objects
Dark Places
Gone Girl

Novellas

The Grownup

Gayle Forman

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sun, 29 Mar 2015 05:20:00 +0000

Gayle Forman (born June 5, 1970) is an American young adult author. Forman began her career writing for Seventeen Magazine in which most of her articles focused on young people and social concerns. Later she became a freelance journalist for publications like Details Magazine, Jane Magazine, Glamour Magazine, The Nation, Elle Magazine, and Cosmopolitan Magazine. In 2002, she and her husband Nick took a trip around the world. From her journeys, she garnered a wealth of experiences and information which later served as a basis for her first book a travelogue You Can't Get There From Here: A Year On The Fringes Of A Shrinking World. In 2007 she published her first young adult novel Sisters in Sanity which she based on an article she had written for Seventeen.

In 2009, Forman released If I Stay, about a 17 year old girl named Mia who has been involved in a tragic car accident. The novel follows Mia's experience as she lies in a coma fully aware of what is going on around her and everything her visitors say and do. Forman won the 2009 NAIBA Book of the Year Awards and is a 2010 Indie Choice Honor Award winner for If I Stay. The film adaptation of "If I Stay", starring Chloë Grace Moretz, was released in the United States on August 22, 2014. The sequel to "If I Stay", titled "Where She Went", was released in 2011. Told from Adam's point of view, the novel is about Adam and Mia's relationship after the accident.

Forman's other notable literary awards include the British Fantasy Award (2010), an ALA/YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Young Adult Readers (2010), South Carolina Book Award Nominee for Young Adult Book Award (2011), TAYSHAS High School Reading List (2010), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction (2009), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award Nominee (2010).

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Books

You Can't Get There from Here
Sisters in Sanity
If I Stay
Where She Went
Just One Day
Just One Year
Just One Night
I Was Here

Tom Clancy

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sat, 28 Mar 2015 10:07:00 +0000

Thomas Leo "Tom" Clancy, Jr. (April 12, 1947 – October 1, 2013) was an American novelist and historian best known for his technically detailed espionage and military science storylines set during and after the Cold War. Seventeen of his novels were bestsellers and more than 100 million copies of his books are in print. His name was also used on movie scripts written by ghost writers, non-fiction books on military subjects and video games. He was a part-owner of the Baltimore Orioles and Vice Chairman of their Community Activities and Public Affairs committees.

Clancy's literary career began in 1984 when he sold The Hunt for Red October for $5,000. His works, The Hunt for Red October (1984), Patriot Games (1987), Clear and Present Danger (1989), and The Sum of All Fears (1991), have been turned into commercially successful films with actors Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, and Chris Pine all playing Clancy's most famous fictional character Jack Ryan, while his second most famous character, John Clark, has been played by actors Willem Dafoe and Liev Schreiber. Clancy died on October 1, 2013, of an undisclosed illness.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Jack Ryan/John Clark Universe

Without Remorse
Patriot Games
Red Rabbit
The Hunt for Red October
The Cardinal of the Kremlin
Clear and Present Danger
The Sum of All Fears
Debt of Honor
Executive Orders
Rainbow Six
The Bear and the Dragon
The Teeth of the Tiger
Dead or Alive
Locked On
Threat Vector
Command Authority
Support and Defend
Full Force and Effect
Under Fire
Commander in Chief
Duty and Honor
True Faith and Allegiance

Op-Center Universe

Op-Center
Mirror Image
Games of State
Acts of War
Balance of Power
State of Siege
Divide and Conquer
Line of Control
Mission of Honor
Sea of Fire
Call to Treason
War of Eagles
Out of the Ashes
Into the Fire
Scorched Earth

Net Force Universe

Net Force
Hidden Agendas
Night Moves
Breaking Point
Point of Impact
CyberNation
State of War
Changing of the Guard
Springboard
The Archimedes Effect

Net Force Explorers Universe

Virtual Vandals
The Deadliest Game
One is the Loneliest Number
The Ultimate Escape
End Game
Cyberspy
The Great Race
Shadow of Honor
Private Lives
Safe House
GamePrey
Duel Identity
Deathworld
High Wire
Cold Case
Runaways
Cloak and Dagger
Death Match

Power Plays Universe

Bio-Strike
Cold War
Cutting Edge
Zero Hour
Wild Card

EndWar Universe

Tom Clancy's EndWar
Tom Clancy's EndWar: The Hunted
Tom Clancy's EndWar: The Missing

Ghost Recon Universe

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Combat Ops
Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Choke Point

H.A.W.X Universe

Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X

Rainbow Six Universe

Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six

Splinter Cell Universe

Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Operation Barracuda
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Checkmate
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Fallout
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Conviction
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Endgame
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Blacklist Aftermath

Other Novels

Red Storm Rising
SSN: Strategies for Submarine Warfare
Against All Enemies
Search and Destroy

Non-Fiction

Guided Tour

Submarine: A Guided Tour Inside a Nuclear Warship
Armored Cav: A Guided Tour of an Armored Cavalry Regiment
Fighter Wing: A Guided Tour of an Air Force Combat Wing
Marine: A Guided Tour of a Marine Expeditionary Unit
Airborne: A Guided Tour of an Airborne Task Force
Carrier: A Guided Tour of an Aircraft Carrier
Special Forces: A Guided Tour of U.S. Army Special Forces

Study in Command

Into the Storm – On the Ground in Iraq
Every Man a Tiger — the Gulf War Air Campaign
Shadow Warriors — Inside the Special Forces
Battle Ready

Other

The Tom Clancy Companion

John Grisham

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Thu, 26 Mar 2015 15:08:00 +0000

John Ray Grisham, Jr. (born February 8, 1955) is an American lawyer, politician, and author, best known for his popular legal thrillers. His books have been translated into forty-two languages.

John Grisham graduated from Mississippi State University before attending the University of Mississippi School of Law in 1981. He practiced criminal law for about a decade, and served in the House of Representatives in Mississippi from January 1984 to September 1990. He began writing his first novel, A Time to Kill, in 1984, and it was published in June 1989.

As of 2012, his books had sold over 275 million copies worldwide. A Galaxy British Book Awards winner, Grisham is one of only three authors to sell 2 million copies on a first printing, the others being Tom Clancy and J.K. Rowling.

Grisham's first bestseller was The Firm. Released in 1991, it sold more than seven million copies. The book was later adapted into a feature film of the same name, starring Tom Cruise, in 1993, and a TV series in 2012 which "continues the story of attorney Mitchell McDeere and his family 10 years after the events of the film and novel." Eight of his other novels have also been adapted into films: The Chamber, The Client, A Painted House, The Pelican Brief, Skipping Christmas, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, and A Time to Kill. His books have been translated into 40 languages and published worldwide.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Jake Brigance

A Time To Kill
Sycamore Row

Theodore Boone

Kid Lawyer
The Abduction
The Accused
The Activist
The Fugitive
The Scandal

Novels

The Firm
The Pelican Brief
The Client
The Chamber
The Rainmaker
The Runaway Jury
The Partner
The Street Lawyer
The Testament
The Brethren
A Painted House
Skipping Christmas
The Summons
The King of Torts
Bleachers
The Last Juror
The Broker
Playing for Pizza
The Appeal
The Associate
The Confession
The Litigators
Calico Joe
The Racketeer
Gray Mountain
Rogue Lawyer
The Whistler

Short Stories

Ford County

Non-Fiction

The Wavedancer Benefit: A tribute to Frank Muller
The Innocent Man: Murder and Injustice in a Small Town
Don't Quit Your Day Job: Acclaimed Authors and the Day Jobs they Quit

Olivia Harrison

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Thu, 19 Mar 2015 15:05:00 +0000

Olivia Harrison (born Olivia Trinidad Arias, 18 May 1948) is a Mexican and British author, film producer and widow of musician George Harrison. Arias was a secretary at A&M Records, where she met George Harrison in 1974. Arias gave birth to the couple's son, musician Dhani Harrison, in August 1978. Olivia and George married in a private ceremony in September 1978 at the Henley-on-Thames Register Office in England.

Arias was a secretary at Dark Horse Records, where she met George Harrison in 1974. Arias gave birth to the couple's son, musician Dhani Harrison, in August 1978. Olivia and George married in a private ceremony in September 1978 at the Henley-on-Thames Register Office in England. Harrison attended Ringo Starr and Barbara Bach's wedding in 1981 without her wedding ring, giving rise to the mistaken speculation that her marriage to George was a hoax. In the early 1990s, along with the other Beatles wives Barbara Bach Starkey, Linda McCartney, and Yoko Ono, Harrison founded the Romanian Angel Appeal to provide aid to children living in devastation in Romania.

Harrison produced the memorial Concert For George in 2002 at London's Royal Albert Hall, which featured Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Ravi Shankar, Ringo Starr, and her son, Dhani. Proceeds from the event were given to George's Material World Charitable Foundation. Harrison's video production received the Grammy Award for Best Long Form Music Video in 2004. She wrote the introduction for the 2002 book I Me Mine and authored the book Concert for George: A Celebration of the Life of George Harrison in 2006.

Harrison appeared on-stage at Microsoft's 1 June 2009, E3 press conference with Yoko Ono, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to promote the The Beatles: Rock Band video game. She co-produced the Martin Scorsese film George Harrison: Living in the Material World and appeared with Scorsese at Cannes in 2010 and in New York City in the summer of 2011 to promote the documentary. She co-authored the book George Harrison: Living in the Material World, which was released in 2011.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Books

Living in the Material World: George Harrison

Danielle Steel

noreply@blogger.com (Edwin) — Sun, 15 Mar 2015 11:48:00 +0000

Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel (born August 14, 1947), better known by the name Danielle Steel, is an American novelist, currently the best selling author alive and the fourth bestselling author of all time, with over 800 million copies sold.

Based in California for most of her career, Steel has produced several books a year, often juggling up to five projects at once. All her novels have been bestsellers, including those issued in hardback. Her formula is fairly consistent, often involving rich families facing a crisis, threatened by dark elements such as jail, fraud, blackmail and suicide. Steel has also published children's fiction and poetry, as well as raising funds for the treatment of mental illness. Her books have been translated into 28 languages, with 22 adapted for television, including two that have received Golden Globe nominations.

Steel was born Danielle Fernandes Dominique Schuelein-Steel in New York City, the only child of Norma da Câmara Stone dos Reis and John Schulein-Steel. Her father was a German Jewish immigrant, a descendant of owners of Löwenbräu beer. Her mother, born in Portugal, was the daughter of a diplomat. Steel was raised Catholic and had wanted to be a nun during her early years. She spent much of her childhood in France, where from an early age she was included in her parents' dinner parties, giving her an opportunity to observe the habits and lives of the wealthy and famous. Her parents divorced when she was eight, however, and she was raised primarily in New York City and Europe by her father, rarely seeing her mother. Steel started writing stories as a child, and by her late teens had begun writing poetry. A graduate of the Lycée Français de New York, class of 1963, she studied literature design and fashion design, first at Parsons School of Design in 1963 and then at New York University from 1963 to 1967.

Steel's novels have been translated into 28 languages and can be found in 47 countries across the globe. The books, often described as "formulaic," tend to involve the characters in a crisis of some sort which threatens their relationship. Many of her characters are considered over-the-top, making her books seem less realistic. The novels sometimes explore the world of the rich and famous and frequently deal with serious life issues, like illness, death, loss, family crises, and relationships. Twenty-two of her books have been adapted for television, including two that have received Golden Globe nominations. One is Jewels, the story of the survival of a woman and her children in World War II Europe, and the family's eventual rebirth as one of the greatest jewelry houses in Europe. Columbia Pictures was the first movie studio to offer for one of her novels, purchasing the rights to The Ghost in 1998. Steel also reached an agreement with New Line Home Entertainment in 2005 to sell the film rights to 30 of her novels for DVDs.

Excerpt from Wikipedia

Novels

Going Home
Passion's Promise/Golden Moments
Now and Forever
The Promise
Season of Passion
Summer's End
The Ring
Palomino
To Love Again
Remembrance
Loving
Once in a Lifetime
Crossings
A Perfect Stranger
Thurston House
Changes
Full Circle
Family Album
Secrets
Wanderlust
Fine Things
Kaleidoscope
Zoya
Star
Daddy
Message From Nam
Heartbeat
No Greater Love
Jewels
Mixed Blessings
Vanished
Accident
The Gift
Wings
Lightning
Five Days In Paris
Malice
Silent Honor
The Ranch
Special Delivery
The Ghost
The Long Road Home
The Klone and I
His Bright Light
Mirror Image
Bittersweet
Granny Dan
Irresistible Forces
The Wedding
The House On Hope Street
Journey
Lone Eagle
Leap Of Faith
The Kiss
The Cottage
Sunset in St. Tropez
Answered Prayers
Dating Game
Johnny Angel
Safe Harbour
Ransom
Second Chance
Echoes
Impossible
Miracle
Toxic Bachelors
The House
Coming Out
H.R.H.
Sisters
Bungalow 2
Amazing Grace
Honor Thyself
Rogue
A Good Woman
One Day at a Time
Matters Of The Heart
Southern Lights
Big Girl
Family Ties
Legacy
44 Charles Street
Happy Birthday
Hotel Vendome
Betrayal
Friends Forever
The Sins of the Mother
A Gift of Hope
Until the End of Time
First Sight
Winners
Power Play
A Perfect Life
Pegasus
Prodigal Son
Country
Undercover
Precious Gifts
Blue
Property of a Noble Woman
The Apartment
Magic
Rushing Waters
The Award
The Mistress
Dangerous Games
Against All Odds
The Duchess

Non-Fiction

Love: Poems
Having a Baby
His Bright Light
A Gift of Hope: Helping the Homeless
Pure Joy: The Dogs We Love

Picture Books

The Happiest Hippo in the World
Pretty Minnie in Paris
Pretty Minnie in Hollywood

Children's Books

Max & Martha series

Martha's New Daddy
Max and the Babysitter
Martha's Best Friend
Max's Daddy Goes to the Hospital
Max's New Baby
Martha's New School
Max Runs Away
Martha's New Puppy
Max and Grandma and Grampa Winky
Max and Grandma and Grampa Winky

Freddie series

Freddie's Trip
Freddie's First Night Away
Freddie and the Doctor
Freddie's Accident