Melody's Reading Corner

Archon: The Books of Raziel by Sabrina Benulis

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 23:37:00 +0000

ISBN-13: 9780062069405
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date: December 2011
Pages: 400

Source: Publisher

Angels and demons. I think they are the next 'IN' theme after the vampires and werewolves but honestly, I can't choose among these as I feel each has its own mythology and they are intriguing to me all the same.

As you can see from the cover, Archon: The Books of Raziel is a book about fallen angels and in this story, our protagonist, Angela Mathers, is a blood head who, like other blood heads, are known to possess mystical powers. Angela, however, is plagued by visions of an angel who seems to haunt her even in her dreams and above all, she has heard about the power of an Archon who is believed to be the human reincarnation of the dead angel, Raziel. And if the hearsay is true, that means the Archon will rule the supernatural universe upon his or her rising and the consequence might be horrifying.

Angela doesn't want to think about angels or the Archon, as long as she finds peace and her self at Westwood Academy; after all she has been locked in a mental institution for two years (not that she is mad but because she is different) and she has escaped death for countless times, not that she has the choice in this matter as whenever she tries to hurt herself, something (or someone?) is always around to protect her from hurting herself too much.

And then, there is the mysterious novice, Kim, who attracts and fascinates her both at the same time but even he has a secret agenda as he tries to hide his being a jinn identity.

As you can tell, there is a lot going about this book and while I liked the mystical world Sabrina Benulis has created, I have to admit that the beginning of the chapters took on at a slow pace and some parts confused me but the plot tightens as I read further and soon I got caught up with the story. If you are a fan of paranormal, I am sure this book will appeal to you.

Movie: Friends with Benefits

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 08:38:00 +0000

Right, let me start off by saying that I'm not a fan of Justin Timberlake (at least not in the past anyway), therefore this is not a gushy post about him but more on his latest movie, Friends with Benefits. I am sure many of you must have came across romantic comedies which have themes like the leading characters being friends (or even strangers) before they fell in love and became a happy couple. The theme may be cheesy, but they do happen in reality and I love such theme all the same.

Jamie (played by Mila Kunis) is a headhunter in New York and she has found Dylan (played by Justin Timberlake) to fill in the position of an art director at GQ. Prior to fetching Dylan from the airport, Jamie had fallen off with her boyfriend who thinks she is emotionally damaged. Jamie, on the other hand, has swore off men and relationships after the break up and focused her mind into work and helping Dylan in settling down in his new job in New York, after all Dylan is LA based and their personalities and mindset is way so different from each other. Jamie is loud, vocal and is not shy in displaying her emotions in public while Dylan is much more level-headed and prefers to stay in a low profile.

A few outings lead them to become friends, and it is one night while watching a show which revolves around romance and relationship and this got them started on discussing issues like getting physical without all the emotions attached. They then decided to make a pact to be sleeping partners but without those emotional baggage that comes along with it.

Things are going on fine between them until Dylan brings Jamie back home to meet his family, not to introduce them as a couple but as friends considering that Dylan didn't even bring his ex-girlfriend home. Jamie is awed by Dylan's family, for they made her feel at home and most of all, this trip makes her see Dylan in a new light. It makes her understand Dylan a bit more after seeing how he treats towards his father who suffers from Alzheimer's disease. Dylan, on the other hand, started to have feelings towards Jamie although he wouldn't want to admit it, in spite that he is being accused of emotionally unavailable by his ex-girlfriend.

Dylan's sister thought Dylan and Jamie make a fine couple, but Dylan brushed it off and said they are nothing but friends. Being a cliché and all, we all know where this is leading to but still we want to see the chemistry sparks and their confession towards the end.

Friends with Benefits may have an old and cliché plot, but what I liked about this movie is the great chemistry between Mila and Justin, and not to mention their witty dialogues at times. Aside from these, I think supporting characters like Jamie's mom, Dylan's father and Dylan's gay colleague, a sports editor, all add entertainment to this movie and make it even more interesting. It was great having a few of those laugh-out-loud moments when you thought this movie is a tad cheesy, in which I wish to reiterate that I enjoyed watching the chemistry between Justin and Mila being onscreen lovers. Heck, I even have to admit that it was far off better as compared with No Strings Attached (starring Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher), another movie which has the same theme of friends became lovers and in my opinion, it somewhat lacks the poignancy and also that I felt the characterisations are a tad weaker.

And before I end this post, I have a question for you. Do you think a man and a woman can remain friends, especially in the long run?

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 22:56:00 +0000

In the mood for Chinese New Year . . .

Teaser Tuesdays

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 23:10:00 +0000

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

"Do you think I'm the Archon?" she whispered, almost afraid of what the answer might be.

"I think that there are better reasons Stephanie should be nervous right now."

Kim took her by the hand.

Then, with a cautious slowness, he covered her mouth with his own, gently relinquishing his kiss only so that the next one met her even more softly.

(Pg 94, Archon: The Books of Raziel by Sabrina Benulis)

Books Read in 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:19:00 +0000

Here is a list of books I read in 2012. They are sorted in alphabetical order by the authors' last name.

Archon: The Books of Raziel by Sabrina Benulis

The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 08:10:00 +0000

ISBN-13: 9780425244135
Publisher: Penguin Group (USA)
Publication date: September 2011
Pages: 352
Source: Publisher

The Lost Wife opens with the ending, where readers get to read about the reunion of a pair of long lost couple being separated from WWII as they meet by chance when attending the wedding of their grandchildren. The subsequent chapters then bring readers to pre-war Prague and introduce us to these star-crossed lovers and how they fall in love and the difficult situations they encountered while they tried to escape the horrors of the war.

Josef Kohn and Lenka Maizel meet each other through his sister. Lenka and Veruska are classmates in an Arts Academy and Josef is a medical student then. They fell in love shortly but their hopes for the future was shattered when the Nazis invaded Prague. With the pressure of the war and not to mention that they couldn't bear to leave each other, they decided to get married. Josef's family even have plans to leave Prague and through Josef's cousin's assistance, they managed to get tickets to America but the sad truth is, the cousin could only sponsor Lenka but not her family considering she is Josef's wife and it is natural that they are to leave together.

However, Lenka refuses to leave her family despite Josef's begging. Josef has no choice but to leave with his family without her, but he promised her that he would try every means to get them to leave Prague. With this promise and hope in mind, they separated but fate got into their way and each believed the other was dead under some unfortunate circumstances.

Despite the sad belief, Josef and Lenka couldn't stop thinking of each other as they grit their teeth and try to move on with their life. Lenka faces fear and death every day, as she and her family are being transported to the concentration and labour camps and are forced to work for the Germans, be it hard labour work, painting postcards or even drawing plans for the Germans. However, Lenka's nightmare doesn't end there for they are later transferred from Terezín to Auschwitz where they are faced with more brutality treatments. Lenka is lucky to survive but her family and many of her friends aren't that fortunate as they are either gassed or shot to death.

At its core, The Lost Wife is a heart-wrenching love story that tells not only the unforgettable relationship between Josef and Lenka but also the love within family and friends as well. Through Alyson Richman's skillful writing, I felt every emotions evoke in me (I still do) as I read about Josef's and Lenka's love story as well as the misery and pain the characters have to face and endure during the Holocaust. This story has the ability to smile and cry at the same time; and what I liked most about this story is aside from the love story between Josef and Lenka, it is the courage and the resilient spirit of Lenka which what makes The Lost Wife such a memorable reading experience for me. On the other end, I was also moved by Josef's patience and determination of seeking Lenka throughout the years without fail (and his letters to Lenka, in which most of them are returned mails, made my heart melt).

Finally, and most important of all, this story reminds me again the history of the Holocaust and the horrors behind all. Needless to say, The Lost Wife will stay in my mind for a while.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 23:00:00 +0000

Chinese New Year is especially early this year (23 - 24 Jan) according to the lunar calendar. I love shopping for this occasion, but I hate the crowd! Here are a few pictures of the decorations at the mall. And oh, this year is the Year of the Dragon!

Mailbox Monday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 00:01:00 +0000

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Alyce of At Home with Books.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository - 2 more books by Daphne du Maurier. I just love her writing!

1) Jamaica Inn

2) Frenchman's Creek

What books came into your house last week?

Reading Challenges for 2012

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Last year hasn't been a favourable year to me, at least when reading is concerned. Thus, I make it a point to read more books this year and unlike the past years, I won't be participating in too many reading challenges but the following three challenges fall into my most-read category so needless to say, I'm a participant for these three. Here they are:

Merely Mystery Reading Challenge 2012

Here are the rules:

The Merely Mystery Reading Challenge will last the entire year (January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2012), giving participants a chance to read at their own pace. In addition, to make things easy, participants can complete one of two levels. One is for those of you who want a more relaxed challenge while the other is for those more serious about exploring the various sub-genres (click here for more info on the sub-genres):

Down on Her/His Luck Gumshoe - Read two or more books falling into any of the above sub-genres. Each book can be from the same sub-genre or can be varied among the different sub-genres. You pick the combination and the number of books.

Shamus Who Has Seen It All - Read at least one book from each of the sub-genres for a total of 12 books. If you are feeling ambitious, read more than one book from each sub-genre.

Making a reading list ahead of time is not mandatory, but it'd be great if you could share a few of the titles you are considering reading.

*Audio books and graphic novels are welcome.

*Crossover books from other challenges are okay.

*Cross-genre books are perfectly fine.

For this reading challenge, I'll be choosing the option of "Down on Her/His Luck Gumshoe".

Romance Reading Challenge 2012

Here are the rules:

The challenge runs from January 1st, 2012 through December 31st, 2012.
"Romance" isn't limited to steamy Harlequin novels. There is a huge selection of books in this category such as contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge. The novels do not need to have a happy ending either, there can also be unrequited love.
Choose at least 5 novels to read. You can change your choices at any time. Crossovers between other challenges are fine. All kinds of books count such as eBooks, Audiobooks ... etc. If you are looking for suggested reading see Best Romance Novels Today, Romance Novels on Wiki or Best Romance Stories. In Naida's opinion, you can't go wrong with Jane Austen, Nora Roberts, Nicholas Sparks and Georgette Heyer.
Read the books at your own pace in 2012 then post the link to your review(s). You don't need to have a blog, posting your reviews on Goodreads and LibraryThing counts as well.

2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge

Here are the rules:

Anyone can join. The challenge runs from January 1st, 2012 through December 31st, 2012.
You don't need a blog to participate.
Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post on The Eclectic Bookshelf.
Audio, eBooks, paper, re-reads all count.
No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.

There are four levels:

The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.

The "Fun Size" YA Reading Challenge – Read 20 Young Adult novels.

The Jumbo Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 40 Young Adult novels.

The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels.

For this reading challenge, I'll be choosing "The Mini YA Reading Challenge".

Well, I hope that I'd be able to complete all the reading challenges this year. What reading challenges did you join?

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 03:00:00 +0000

I hope you all had a wonderful holidays! Here are a few pictures I took when we visited the East Coast Park during the New Year's Eve.

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 01:00:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you a Happy 2012 filled with peace, prosperity and happiness and of course, with lots of good books!!

Reading in 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 04:39:00 +0000

We have come to the end of the year, how many books have you read this year, my dear readers? If I have to compare my this year's reading to the past and that if there is a grade to measure our reading, I would most definitely get a big 'F' since I have only read 28 books this year (not counting on the book which I'm currently reading). I know, I know, reading is supposed to be fun and we shouldn't measure it by quantity, but I just couldn't help it when I was looking at my past years' reading records and noted the difference.

Anyways, my purpose of this post is not about comparing figures but to share with you what I had read over the past months as well as to share with you which books have made it to my top reads this year. In the past few years, I had named my top reads for each genre but however, this year I couldn't do the same considering the choice is limited; plus it won't be fun and challenging in comparing if the number is small, right?

Without further ado, here is a list of books I read in 2011 and the books that made it to my top reads list are highlighted in bold:

1) Haunting Jasmine by Anjali Banerjee

2) Stay by Deb Caletti

3) Slow Dancing on Price's Pier by Lisa Dale

4) The Matchmaker of Kenmare by Frank Delaney (DNF)

5) You Against Me by Jenny Downham

6) Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

7) Dreaming in English by Laura Fitzgerald

8) Eating Animals by Jonathan Safran Foer (Non-fiction)

9) Gone by Mo Hayder

10) Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

11) Veil of Night by Linda Howard

12) Just the Sexiest Man Alive by Julie James

13) Blood on the Moon by Jennifer Knight

14) Girl in Translation by Jean Kwok

15) Heart's Blood by Juliet Marillier

16) Spinning Tropics by Aska Mochizuki

17) In The Miso Soup by Ryu Murakami

18) A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

19) A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler

20) Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler

21) Shadow of a Quarter Moon by Eileen Clymer Schwab

22) The Lotus Eaters by Tatjana Soli

23) Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

24) Orchards by Holly Thompson

25) Mermaid: A Twist on a Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon

26) Everything Beautiful Began After by Simon Van Booy

27) The Lake by Banana Yoshimoto

28) The Doll: Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier

So what are your top reads this year?

(Not So) Wordless Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 01:51:00 +0000

We went to Universal Studios yesterday. Actually it was the second time we went there and since it was the first time for my youngest sister-in-law and her husband to visit, plus there is a new ride which was opened on 3 December - Transformers: The Ride in 3D Battle, so off we go!

I didn't take many pictures yesterday, since most of the attractions I had already taken during my first visit (click here for Part 1 and 2) but I did take a few pictures while queueing for the Transformers ride. The queue was horrible; we waited for almost 2 hours but well, it was well worth it. We decided to go for another round, which was their last ride coming to 9pm.

Couldn't resist buying this water bottle (and don't even ask about the price!).

We also took a ride at the Battlestar Galactica: Human vs. Cylon. There are two coasters which you can choose from: Human (red) or Cylon (blue). We didn't get to ride on these roller coasters the first time we visited since it wasn't ready then. And after riding on both coasters yesterday, I have to say the cylon was the most thrilling as it is a suspended coaster that runs through a vertical loop, corkscrew and cobra roll. The human coaster ride is more of a seated coaster that propels riders 14 storeys into the air.

Needless to say, I enjoyed the trip but I was dead tired when I woke up this morning for work. I felt like a zombie . . . but fortunately my superior is on leave this week so at least I am able to breathe . . . a little? Ah!

Teaser Tuesdays

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 23:31:00 +0000

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

She was now staring at him, her eyes now locked to his. As if in a trance, she pushed up her sleeve. There on her forearm, next to a small brown birthmark, were six tattooed numbers.

"Do you remember me now?" he asked, trembling.

(Pg 4, The Lost Wife by Alyson Richman)

Mailbox Monday & Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 05:15:00 +0000

Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week and explore great book blogs. This month's Mailbox Monday is hosted by Let Them Read Books.

Here's what I bought and received from The Book Depository:

1) Don't Look Now: Selected Stories by Daphne du Maurier

2) The Strangers on Montagu Street by Karen White

What books came into your house last week?

Merry, Merry Christmas! Here's wishing you a peaceful and joyful Christmas and that it is filled with lots of books!!

The Doll: Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 04:39:00 +0000

ISBN-13: 9780062080349
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Published: November 2011
Format: Paperback, 224 pgs
Source: Personal Library

After reading Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca and loving it, I decided to read The Doll, a compilation of short stories she had written during the early 1930s. I understand that many of the short stories in this collection were published in periodicals way back then and it is only at this time that they have found their way into print.

While reading The Doll: Short Stories, I couldn't help comparing this to Rebecca as the latter had left quite a deep impression on me. I don't think I'd ever forget the narrator's tone, or the creepy housekeeper, Mrs Danvers. With that in mind, I started reading The Doll with great anticipation. I have also read from other reviews that this collection is much darker and this has further raised up my hope a little.

The first story, East Wind, tells a dark story of once a peaceful, isolated island and how the residents' mind are influenced and brainwashed after the arrival of a ship outside their quiet world. This story left me speechless because I hadn't expected the cruelty towards the end. Nevertheless, this story reflects the frailties of human nature and the tragedy that comes with it.

Follow up next is the main story of its book title - The Doll. Thinking this story might be a talking doll or whatever, I awaited the horror to come with it but instead of the smug satisfaction which I had initially expected, I was blown away by the twist and how dark it can be when one is being obsessed.

However, this compilation is not all about darkness and madness, as The Happy Valley tells a story of one woman's strange dream and coincidence (or is it fate?). Another tale, Frustration, definitely left me feeling frustrated not because the story didn't engage me but on the contrary, it made me felt sorry for the couple who had made much efforts being together but well, misfortune and fate just got into their way. Tame Cat is another story that left an impression on me as it tells a story of a mother and her daughter who both share the same affection for the same man.

As for the rest of the stories, they showcase the various of relationships and how one reacted due to obsession, jealousy, unhappiness etc etc. Each of these tales explore the frailties of human nature and though I have to confess they aren't joyful tales, they reflect the emotions and how one would think and react under the circumstances.

These tales may not be as good or polished as compared to Rebecca, but I enjoy reading Daphne du Maurier's writing style and the dark, brooding atmosphere she created in most of her works. Now I can't wait to read Jamaica Inn and My Cousin Rachel, which I heard they are equally good as Rebecca.

(Not So) Wordless Thursday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 23:06:00 +0000

OK, so I was a day late for 'Wordless Wednesday', but it is always better to be late than never, huh?

It was my birthday yesterday, and I want to thank all my friends for the lovely birthday wishes you had left on my Facebook! Seriously, you have no idea how much they mean to me. I was smiling the whole time when I viewed your messages on my wall post. Thank you, thank you!! For some reason, the picture I posted of my birthday cake didn't show clearly on my Facebook status, so here it is again.

I saw the models of Doraemon and friends when I was doing grocery shopping at Sembawang Shopping Centre last week. They even had a brief stage performance which made the children very happy.

Alvin and the Chipmunks! We watched the latest sequel and it was great! This time around, they were on board on a cruise and due to Alvin's mischief (once again), they got stranded on an island and oh, what an adventure!

I saw this at the counter where they are selling popcorn and before you think it is just a paper model, I have to tell you that this is a real mail box in which you can send your letter to Santa Claus in North Pole! Needless to say, Santa must be very, very busy during this period every year!

The shopping crowd at Causeway Point Shopping Mall.

Teaser Tuesdays

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

You have made of me a madman. You fill me with a kind of horror, a devastating hate that is akin to love - a hunger that is nausea. If only I could be calm and clear for one moment - one moment only . . .

(Pg 15, The Doll: Short Stories by Daphne du Maurier)

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Fri, 16 Dec 2011 14:52:00 +0000

ISBN-13: 9780380778553

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers

Published: November 1994

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 384 pgs

Source: Personal Library

"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again."

From its opening line, I knew Daphne du Maurier would take me for an intriguing and exciting ride with the atmospheric setting she created around Manderley, an isolated mansion on the windswept Cornish coast where the brooding hero, Mr Maxim de Winter, resides.

The narrator, a young lady whose name we never know, gets acquainted with Mr de Winter when she is a companion to Mrs Van Hooper. Shy and with no friends to mingle with, the narrator is glad to find a friend in Mr de Winter and then they got married shortly.

During their acquaintance, the narrator has heard of the late Mrs de Winter and the cause of her death and while she could accept the fact being Maxim's second wife, what she couldn't stand is Mrs Danvers' cool and demeaning attitude towards her. Mrs Danvers is the housekeeper and she is fiercely devoted to the first Mrs de Winter, Rebecca. She feels the narrator is not up to par in all ways and although she still takes instructions from the narrator, she does it simply because it is her duty and not that she has accepted her being the new mistress of Manderley. Then, things began to worsen when she began to taunt the narrator until the latter began to start thinking that Maxim still love and think of Rebecca after all this time.

But, the real climax lies in the event of Manderley's annual costume ball and the mystery surrounding Rebecca's death and why. While the issues and mystery surrounding this classic literary may seem mild to some readers as compared to today's mystery and thrillers in which there are gory death scenes all over the place, what really makes Rebecca stands out among the others is Daphne du Maurier's writing style, the characterisations and most of all, the atmospheric setting she created that will get you hooked from the beginning till the end.

What is most unforgettable about Rebecca is the character of Mrs Danvers and the narrator respectively. Mrs Danvers always gave me the chills through her cool and sinister demeanour and very often her existence reminds me of a bitter, wandering spirit waiting for her moment to strike. On the other end, the narrator lacks the confidence and wit and although she tries very hard to keep up the role as the new mistress of Manderley, Mrs Danvers always managed to squash her last bit of confidence.

I really liked the way how Daphne du Maurier crafted Rebecca as she cleverly leads you into her world of Manderley and how the story slowly unfolds as you keep flipping through the pages. I especially liked her first opening line and the last line; I think it works perfectly and really suits the narrative style. Because I enjoyed reading Rebecca and Daphne du Maurier's writing style so much, I had gone out to buy four more of her books: Jamaica Inn, Frenchman's Creek, Don't Look Now and Other Stories, as well as the book which I'm currently reading, The Doll: The Lost Short Stories, a collection of short stories which she penned prior to writing Rebecca. I am sure I would be in for another intriguing and exciting ride, or perhaps the experience would be much greater considering that this short stories collection is much darker, so I have heard.

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:05:00 +0000

Starting this week, I will be posting pictures which I randomly took with my iPhone and today's post is all about Christmas trees. Well I haven't been to many malls but here are just a few I took recently.

Ngee Ann City

Cineleisure Orchard

Suntec City Mall

My office reception

(Not So) Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 23:22:00 +0000

*sniff* This post shall be the last for my TX and MN series. Although my husband didn't have the time to visit all the lovely places in these two states (after all he was there for his business trip), still he had had a wonderful time exploring these places. He may have the chance to visit there again, I don't know, but I'm keeping fingers crossed that the next time around I'd be following him, if circumstances permit, that is.

I have no idea what pictures to post next for the Wordless Wednesday meme, perhaps I should go back to posting random pictures I took from my iPhone. Yeah!

Teaser Tuesdays

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 22:56:00 +0000

TEASER TUESDAYS asks you to:

Grab your current read.
Let the book fall open to a random page.
Share with us two (2) “teaser” sentences from that page.
You also need to share the title of the book that you’re getting your “teaser” from … that way people can have some great book recommendations if they like the teaser you’ve given!
Please avoid spoilers!

I have read a lot of rave reviews on Daphne du Maurier's books, in particularly to Jamaica Inn and this book I just started reading yesterday, Rebecca. Though I'm only on page 38, I could already feel the intrigue and the story slowly unfolding as the narrator related her tale about meeting Max de Winter, the man who owns Manderley, an isolated gray stone mane on the windswept Cornish coast. They said he couldn't get over his wife's death, and the narrator is about to find out the truth behind it.

~*~*~*~*~*

Rather forlorn, more than a little dissatisfied, I leant back in my chair and took up the book of poems. The volume was well-worn, well-thumbed, falling open automatically at what must be a much-frequented page.

"I fled Him, down the nights and down the days;
I fled Him, down the arches of the years;
I fled Him, down the labyrinthine ways
Of my own mind; and in the mist of tears
I hid from Him, and under running laughter.
Up vistaed slopes I sped
And shot, precipitated
Adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears,
From those strong feet that followed, followed after."

I felt rather like someone peering through the keyhole of a locked door, and a little furtively I laid the book aside. What hound of heaven had driven him to the high hills this afternoon?

(Pg 32, Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier)

Veil of Night by Linda Howard

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 04:58:00 +0000

ISBN-13: 9780345506900
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
Publication date: June 2011
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 400 pgs
Source: Personal Library

It has been a long while since I read a romance suspense novel; I picked Linda Howard's Veil of Night because I enjoyed reading Linda's previous novels, plus the heroine in this story is a wedding planner and I was interested to know more about the profession through the story.

Jaclyn Wilde loves her job and she put in all her time and efforts in running her own events business, Premier. Together with her mother, they had built up Premier's name through their detailed and well organised planning and although their work is not entirely a bed of roses, Jaclyn and Madelyn always see through everything no matter how difficult the clients and/or the tasks at hand.

However, Carrie Edwards, her latest client has ways of irritating her and making things difficult not only to her and to the other vendors as well. She would decide to change the colour of the bridesmaids' wedding dresses at the last minute, or criticise that the food is not up to her taste and status, blah blah blah. As much as she is annoying and demanding, many people figured it wouldn't do them any good should they want to make a huge fuss over her unreasonable tantrums, considering that she is marrying the son of a senator.

Just as Jaclyn is trying to get over another one of Carrie's unreasonable demands and the slap she had given her, she is shocked to learn that Carrie was murdered after they had arranged to meet up to discuss more of the wedding details, together with the other vendors as well. Now everyone that is present during that meeting became a suspect and it doesn't put Jaclyn in a favourable spot as she had forgotten and left her briefcase where the crime scene is.

Detective Eric Wilder is assigned to the case, but he is in an awkward situation since he had had one passionate night with Jaclyn and although he is professional enough to not let his personal life mingle with his job, it bugs him as that means he has to lay his hands off of her and on top of that, Jaclyn is giving him a cold shoulder. Jaclyn knew he is doing his job, but she couldn't help feeling hurt and offended when Eric starts to question her.

What Jaclyn and Eric didn't know is while they are trying to sort out their situations the murderer has moved on to the next unaware target - Jaclyn.

I enjoyed reading Veil of Night and I think Jaclyn and Eric are both very likeable characters. While I think their chemistry and their exchanges are entertaining and add some spice to the story, however on the suspense front it lacks the punch. The whodunnit effect wasn't as great as what I had anticipated; I supposed I wanted a list of suspects for me to guess and to see if my hunch is correct. The real action only began towards the last quarter of the book and while I think there is nothing wrong with this approach, I have to say it somewhat took some of my patience away but suffice to say that the attraction between Jaclyn and Eric is enough to keep me occupied.

I have Linda Howard's latest release, Prey, in my TBR pile and I hope that it would be better on the suspense front.

Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 01:48:00 +0000

Stillwater, Minnesota

My Thoughts on The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

noreply@blogger.com (Melody) — Sun, 27 Nov 2011 11:27:00 +0000

I am sure many of you must have known the storyline and what happened in The Twilight Saga, thus I am not going to brief on the premise and instead share with you what I thought of the movie when we watched it a few days ago. Due to the school holidays, the cinema was quite packed but still Breaking Dawn: Part 1 would attract its fans everywhere no matter whatever the circumstances are.

Unlike the previous installments, Breaking Dawn: Part 1 covered more on the emotional than the action part as we see Bella and Edward got married and had their honeymoon at a beautiful exotic place in Brazil. There are many romantic scenes of the newlyweds being together and how Bella reacted in her new role as Edward's wife (and by the way, I loved her wedding dress!). In fact, I felt the first part of the movie was moving on quite slowly because it focus too much on the above.

The action (and drama) finally began in the second part where we see Bella having difficulty in her pregnancy stage and that her appearance and her overall health deteriorate. Bella looked frightening in her pregnancy stage as she always looked pale and haggard. Her body frame reminds me of those who are anorexic except that her protruding belly tells otherwise. And as for the birth scene, it wasn't horrendous as I had anticipated, but then considering that this movie is PG-13 I figured by showing traces of blood is suffice to tell the whole delivery process.

However, fret not if you think this movie is geared towards the sentimental as there is still a tad small of a fighting scene between the werewolves clan and also between the vampires and the werewolves as well. It is also interesting to see Jacob's struggle as he not only have to see his beloved Bella got married to his nemesis but also to stand by her throughout the overall series. Even if you don't belong to Team Jacob, you couldn't help but to feel sympathy with the poor guy who have sacrificed so much for the sake of seeing Bella's happiness.

So what did I think of this movie? It was pretty romantic (yep, I am still thinking of the place where Bella and Edward went for their honeymoon) and I am sure this installment would satisfy a lot of female audience (the wedding/honeymoon as well as the part where Jacob took off his shirt during the opening scene) but it also left me wonder what would be in store in the last part considering the big premise (the wedding and the delivery of the baby) were already shown in this first part. Of course there is the confrontation scene with the Volturi but other than that I couldn't think of anything major would happen. That said, I still look forward to Part 2 as it is a closure to this Saga.