Goodreads Review: A disgraced college lecturer is found murdered with £5,000 in his pocket on a disused railway line near his home. Since being dismissed from his job for sexual misconduct four years previously, he has been living a poverty-stricken and hermit-like existence in this isolated spot. The suspects range from several individuals at the college where he used to teach to a woman who knew the victim back in the early '70s at Essex University, then a hotbed of political activism. When Banks receives a warning to step away from the case, he realises there is much more to the mystery than meets the eye - for there are plenty more skeletons to come out of the closet . My Thoughts: Awesome read. Always enjoy time with Banks. Terrific story line and beautifully plotted novel. Robinsons books keep getting better and better with great complex story line. He is one of the author whose books i never turn back to read the summary. If the novel is by Peter Robinson, m IN, no second thought.Great mystery novel. Its like a Sudoku Puzzle to my brain. Enjoy !!
Paperback, 1090 pages Published August 7th 1987 by Signet (first published 1986) original title: IT ISBN 0451169514 (ISBN13: 9780451169518) edition: language: English urlhttp://www.stephenking.com/library/novel/it.html
Goodreads Review: The story follows the exploits of seven children as they are terrorized by an eponymous being, which exploits the fears and phobias of its victims in order to disguise itself while hunting its prey. "It" primarily appears in the form of a clown in order to attract its preferred prey of young children. The novel is told through narratives alternating between two time periods, and is largely told in the third-person omniscient mode. It deals with themes which would eventually become King staples: the power of memory, childhood trauma, and the ugliness lurking behind a façade of traditional small-town values. My Thoughts: To b honest, this book is really scary, but an amazing read. Its a very very long read about 1090 Pages, but worth it. IT by all means is NOT a simple novel. As its said, "The most important things are the hardest things to say" some times u just donno how to put it in words. Words sometimes diminishes the value of the feel. IT is a story about seven children who lives in Derry, Maine in 1958. They are not strong, not so popular, and definitely not the smartest. They call themselves "Losers". They encounter a horrible force in their hometown. Force, that look like a clown. Force that adult dont want to see. How these children confronts and defeats IT is what this book all about. So, go ahead, grab a copy and start reading as to what happen and how it happen and what happened NEXT ...
Title: The Heist (O'Hare and Fox, #1) Authors: Janet Evanovich & Lee Goldberg Publication date: June 18, 2013 Publisher: Bantam Genre(s): Adult (Chick Lit/Humor) Source: Publisher (Random House Canada) Format: Finished Copy Pages: 320 Goodreads Review: FBI Special Agent Kate O’Hare is known for her fierce dedication and discipline on the job, chasing down the world’s most wanted criminals and putting them behind bars. Her boss thinks she is tenacious and ambitious; her friends think she is tough, stubborn, and maybe even a bit obsessed. And while Kate has made quite a name for herself for the past five years the only name she’s cared about is Nicolas Fox—an international crook she wants in more ways than one. Audacious, handsome, and dangerously charming, Nicolas Fox is a natural con man, notorious for running elaborate scams on very high-profile people. At first he did it for the money. Now he does it for the thrill. He knows that the FBI has been hot on his trail—particularly Kate O’Hare, who has been watching his every move. For Nick, there’s no greater rush than being pursued by a beautiful woman . . . even one who aims to lock him up. But just when it seems that Nicolas Fox has been captured for good, he pulls off his greatest con of all: He convinces the FBI to offer him a job, working side by side with Special Agent Kate O’Hare. Problem is, teaming up to stop a corrupt investment banker who’s hiding on a private island in Indonesia is going to test O’Hare’s patience and Fox’s skill. Not to mention the skills of their ragtag team made up of flamboyant actors, wanted wheelmen, and Kate’s dad. High-speed chases, pirates, and Toblerone bars are all in a day’s work . . . if O’Hare and Fox don’t kill each other first. My Thoughts: M not a huge fan of Janet but i still like her books cuz they r fun and smart reads. In collaboration with Lee, they both created a magic. They make u laugh at a very serious situations, their humorous characters, witty writing kept me enjoying The Heist. Frankly speaking, there are some twist and turns in the story and that's good actually. Gives your brains some work to do. While we keep guessing, Janet has another story to tell. When i read her book, i can sense her writing, and if I feel that its going otta track than it has to be a co-writer involved in it. Usually i dont like any author teamed up with a co-writer, but I must admit that these two have created a fire in their work. Can't wait for another book in the series. Over all its a fun read, will make u laugh, will make u think n will leave u with no other choice than to give a good review and 4 stars.
Goodreads Review: Sussex, England. A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy. Forty years earlier, a man committed suicide in a stolen car at this farm at the end of the road. Like a fuse on a firework, his death lit a touchpaper and resonated in unimaginable ways. The darkness was unleashed, something scary and thoroughly incomprehensible to a little boy. And Lettie—magical, comforting, wise beyond her years—promised to protect him, no matter what. A groundbreaking work from a master, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out. It is a stirring, terrifying, and elegiac fable as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark. My Thoughts: This story is about truth, love, sacrifice, joy, sadness, beauty. I felt all these things while reading. I lived inside this book as child. And didn't feel like coming out of this book. I felt like he entered my brain and pulled out a beautiful nightmare.Its just this amazing read. Its a fast read, will keep u engaged till the end. A very heart touching story. At first i was a bit disappointed and thought of giving up on this but kept reading n reading and didn't knew when i finished. That's the beauty of this novel.
Goodreads Review: It's finally time! Detective Lindsay Boxer is in labor--while two killers are on the loose. Lindsay Boxer's beautiful baby is born! But after only a week at home with her new daughter, Lindsay is forced to return to work to face two of the biggest cases of her career. A rising star football player for the San Francisco 49yrs is the prime suspect in a grisly murder. At the same time, Lindsay is confronted with the strangest story she's ever heard: An eccentric English professor has been having vivid nightmares about a violent murder and he's convinced is real. Lindsay doesn't believe him, but then a shooting is called in-and it fits the professor's description to the last detail. Lindsay doesn't have much time to stop a terrifying future from unfolding. But all the crimes in the world seem like nothing when Lindsay is suddenly faced with the possibility of the most devastating loss of her life.
My Thoughts If there is one author i keep coming back to read more and more is James Patterson. This is the 12th book in the Women's Murder Club Series. I did enjoy most of the books in the series but not all of them. I really liked all the different cases/crimes/story lines, I think there were four happening at once and found that really kept me interested. The book really flowed well from one into the other. I liked the developing relationships and breakdowns between the main characters and how not everything always works out well in the end. It gives it a bit more of a realistic feel There was also the side story about Lindsay Boxers new born baby being sick and how that was resolved which was another interesting aspect to the entire story. Having said that I really didn't like how she went back to work when her baby was sick in hospital. I would have given the book 5 stars if it weren't for that. I know she is one of the main characters but............... Also I know it's a long time since my children were babies but I don't remember jiggling a newborn on my knee. But that's just being picky. My kids were a totally a two different story, i can write a book on each of my boys ... lol .. P.s. Highly recommended not only to James Patterson fans but to all those who loves to read mystery and suspense.
This book has a very special place in my book-shelf, cuz its been Personalized by The Man himself. Yes, Khaled was here in Toronto last week in one of the most beautiful Chapters store I've ever seen. He was here for the promotion of his new release. Today its been exactly 8 days that I shared a stage with him. My awwww moment. Once in life time moment.
Goodreads Review:
Khaled Hosseini, the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of The Kite Runner and A Thousand Splendid Suns, has written a new novel about how we love, how we take care of one another, and how the choices we make resonate through generations.
In this tale revolving around not just parents and children but brothers and sisters, cousins and caretakers, Hosseini explores the many ways in which families nurture, wound, betray, honor, and sacrifice for one another; and how often we are surprised by the actions of those closest to us, at the times that matter most.
Following its characters and the ramifications of their lives and choices and loves around the globe—from Kabul to Paris to San Francisco to the Greek island of Tinos—the story expands gradually outward, becoming more emotionally complex and powerful with each turning page.
My Thoughts on this:
Khaled is a gifted storyteller. I can say this because his this novel starts with a story. Just with the first few pages i knew i was in the hands of a master storyteller. I knew he is going to take me to a roller coaster ride and he makes sure that i reach my destination safe and sound.
I hate it when a good book ends. I feel like just keep reading , reading and reading !! This novel is one such. One more thing i want to add here is the way he portraits WOMEN in his books. OMG, I think, by far, he is the only male author who portraits women so beautifully like no one does. The same question was asked to him in the event I attended and he said, "May be i understand women very well." to which she said, "You are the only male who understands women so well. These days husbands don't understand their wives." And everyone had a little laugh at that point.
And The Mountain Echoed will have you hooked from the first paragraph till the last paragraph of the book. Another unbelievable piece of work by Khaled Hosseini which you don't want to miss.
There are some books which just makes you think. Think the impossibles and make it possible, see things happening which you think cannot. When you read n ask yourself, "What ?? How is this possible?" This is one of a kind. A kind of book which makes you think differently, looking from a different perspective. This book explains the benefits of making bad decisions. It shows how risk is security in life. and why unreason is better than reason.Its abt having the confidence to roll the dice. Its a very short book with 142 pages. I read it in half an hour while kids were having breakfast. Just took a short break from The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini which i started very early this morning. Anyways, back to the review. There were some of the things i didn't agree with. For instance, one chapter says, "Don't go to University, Go to work." Well, he has his way of explaining this, and its up to us how we take it. There is this one interesting chapter i'd like to quote. ASK FOR A SLAP IN THE FACE. "If you show somebody a piece of your work and you ask them "What do you think?", they will probably say it's ok because they don't want to offend you. Next time, instead of asking if it's right, ask them what's wrong. They may not say say what you want to hear, but the chances are they will give you a truthful criticism. Truth hurts, but in the long run its better than a pat on the back."
Would be interested to know your thoughts on this.
A baby asked God, "They tell me you are sending me to earth tomorrow, but how am I going to live there being so small and helpless?"
"Your angel will be waiting for you and will take care of you."
The child further inquired, "But tell me, here in heaven I don't have to do anything but sing and smile to be happy."
God said, "Your angel will sing for you and will also smile for you. And you will feel your angel's love and be very happy."
Again the child asked, "And how am I going to be able to understand when people talk to me if I don't know the language?"
God said, "Your angel will tell you the most beautiful and sweet words you will ever hear, and with much patience and care, your angel will teach you how to speak."
"And what am I going to do when I want to talk to you?"
God said, "Your angel will place your hands together and will teach you how to pray."
"Who will protect me?"
God said, "Your angel will defend you even if it means risking it's life."
"But I will always be sad because I will not see you anymore."
God said, "Your angel will always talk to you about Me and will teach you the way to come back to Me, even though I will always be next to you."
At that moment there was much peace in Heaven, but voices from Earth could be heard and the child hurriedly asked, "God, if I am to leave now, please tell me my angel's name."
Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB atShould Be Reading.
To Participate you:
-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two 'teaser' sentences from somewhere on that page
-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS
This week's teaser comes from:
Second Honeymoon by James Patterson
"Olivia turned to her left to see the time. The clock on the nightstand said 12:30 a.m. She turned to her right to see the empty pillow next to her. She was alone."
My Thought:
I have this book on my Kindle on my iPod touch. Can't wait to finish this book. So romantic, so much passion. I hope I come up with great things to say !! Its strange I dont see anybody gave a review on this book, huh !! Looks like m gonna b first to review !!
SYNOPSIS: Kyle McAvoy grew up in his father’s small-town law office in York, Pennsylvania. He excelled in college, was elected editor-in-chief of The Yale Law Journal, and his future has limitless potential. But Kyle has a secret, a dark one, an episode from college that he has tried to forget. The secret, though, falls into the hands of the wrong people, and Kyle is forced to take a job he doesn’t want—even though it’s a job most law students can only dream about. Three months after leaving Yale, Kyle becomes an associate at the largest law firm in the world, where, in addition to practicing law, he is expected to lie, steal, and take part in a scheme that could send him to prison, if not get him killed. MY REVIEW: John Grisham has nailed it. This book is more like The Firm. I heard many bad reviews on this book. Now that i heard bad reviews, it becomes necessary for me to read it and find the good in it what others didn't see. I would read John Grisham anyways !! The story is a bit of cliche, bad guys, blackmail .. but hey, its John Grisham, what do u expect. Hez smart, intelligent, can read his readers mind, interesting character to read. But one this he has shown me in this story is that how the corporate laywer works in the real world. Their salary and they are billed hundreds of dollars in an hour. I was like, "Really"?? I would leave Medical field and become Lawyer right now !!" lol... Well, Jokes apart. I would recommend this book to all John Grisham fans. Another best story to captivate your mind.
Gilly Soloman has been reduced to a mothering machine, taking care of everyone and everything except herself. But the machine has broken down. Burnt out by the endless days of crying children and menial tasks, and exhausted from always putting herself last, Gilly doesn't immediately consider the consequences when she's carjacked. With a knife to her throat, her first thought is that she'll finally get some rest. Someone can save "her" for a change.But salvation isn't so forthcoming. Stranded in a remote, snowbound cabin with this stranger, hours turn to days, days into weeks. As time forges a fragile bond between them, she learns her captor is not the lunatic she first believed, but a human being whose wasted life has been shaped by secrets and tragedy. Yet even as their connection begins to foster trust, Gilly knows she must never forget he's still a man teetering on the edge. One who just might take her with him.
My Thoughts:
Hmmm !! What I like about this book? Lemme think ... I was in between 2 or 3 to rate. I gave 3 because of her writing. Writng was good, the plot and the concept was also good. But it tend to be a bit more repetitive.
There are couple of things that really bothered me. Firstly, the decision Gilly makes and secondly, some of the metaphors were not well written. These little things might not disturb others, they might ignore them, but m a bit more concerned in these writing skills.
Overall its an OK read. Her writing was impressive, just that it went off at some places. Looking forward to read more of Megan Hart.
"An Incomplete Education: 3,684 things you should have learned but probably didn't." Year of release: 2006 Pages: 700 Apart from fiction book, i do read a lot of non-fiction books as well. Infact I should say "lots n lots n lots of non-fiction books. I started off with non-fiction to begin with. Non-fiction has helped me a long way in every step of my life. When i was pregnant, i read all the possible pregnancy books, same with when i had kids. I read "My 1 month old", My two year old", all books relating to their age, development, their mental growth, physical growth, potty training, behaviors and what not. Non-fictions are the best help by far. The best self knowledge, self understanding, self educating books. I still read lots of non-fiction but dont review them. This book here is very interesting. As the name say "An Incomplete Education: 3,684 things we shuld have earned but didnt." Well, we will learn now. Its never too late. This book delivers the information from a variety of disciplines in the hope of filling the educational empty blanks. The subjects that this book covers is American Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Literature, Religion, Psychology, Religion, Music, Political Science and World History. The information provided is very interesting and its an easy read. In some places i was really engrossed n some places was left laughing. The author has very brilliantly sorted out the most interesting information and chose those things that people should have learned but might never have absorbed. Just for fun, I am going to quote some of the interesting question which i came across and found the answers which i could hardly believe it was true and how ?? 1. Were the ancients really scientists or did they make some lucky guesses? 2. Did Newton really watch an apple fall? And if so, so what ? And if not, so what ? 3. Is science worth dying for? 4. Did Galileo really drop a couple of lead weights from the Leaning Tower of Pisa, thereby proving sumthing or other? And on and on and on .... This is just the Science subject I put forth. There many subjects that I mentioned above to gain knowledge. The difference really is one of information vs. knowledge. This book provides information; it is up to readers to pursue real knowledge. And real knowledge cannot come from skimming through 700 pages and memorizing 3,684 facts. But this book is a fun read, and it's a good place to start in the journey toward knowledge. Every author teaches u a lesson. We know this by how they capture our minds , how they engage us in their writings. This is the trade mark of an author and what I learned" "Write what others want to read, not what you want to write."
To me Success is : Setting goals but not in concrete. Staying focused but turning aside to help someone. Following a plan but remaining flexible. Moving ahead but not too fast to smell the flowers. Taking a bow but applauding those who had a part in your success. What is Success to you ?
Title: An Inquiry Into Love and Death Author: Simone St. James Genre: Historical, Thriller, Paranormal Paperback: 368 pages Publisher: NAL Trade Publication Date: March 5, 2013 ISBN-10: 0451239253 ISBN-13: 978-0451239259 Goodreads Review:
After her uncle Toby, a renowned ghost hunter, is killed in a fall off a cliff, Oxford student Jillian Leigh must rive to the seaside village of Rothewell to pack up his belongings. Almost immediately, unsettling incidents - a book left in a cold stove, a gate swinging open on its own - escalate into terrifying events that convince Jillian an angry spirit is trying to enter the house and is haunting the woods around Blood Moon Bay. If Toby discovered something sinister during his investigations, was his death no accident? The arrival of handsome Scotland Yard inspector Drew Merriken leaves Jillian with more questions than answers - and with the added complication of a powerful mutual attraction. She suspects someone will do anything to hide the truth and begins to discover secrets that lie deep within Rothewell... and at the very heart of who she is. My Thoughts: Again, one of those murder mysteries that left me guessing till the end. Through the entire read, i kept doubting on each an every character in the city who was involved in the murder including the Inspector. But things kept falling into places when the puzzle pieces were coming together. The other thing that took my breath away was the plot n the writing. These were the two elements that attracted me n hooked me from the start. The way the suspense was forcing u to turn pages n pages, the way the writer added abt the World war and its effect on the England was incredible. Though it is an Adult novel with crossover YA appeal, i wud suggest this for the high school students as well.
Hardcover: 568 pages Published: October 16th 2012 by The Random House Publishing Group ISBN: 0345504984 (ISBN13: 9780345504982) edition language: English original title: The Twelve series: The Passage #2 Goodreads Review: At the end of The Passage, the great viral plague had left a small group of survivors clinging to life amidst a world transformed into a nightmare. In the second volume of this epic trilogy, this same group of survivors, led by the mysterious, charismatic Amy, go on the attack, leading an insurrection against the virals: the first offensives of the Second Viral War. To do this, they must infiltrate a dozen hives, each presided over by one of the original Twelve. Their secret weapon: Alicia, transformed at the end of book one into a half human, half viral—but whose side, in the end, is she really on? My Thoughts: I read The Passage #1, the first book in this series a month ago and m glad i didnt had to wait too long for The Twelve #2, the second book in his trilogy. The third one is coming in 2014 "The City of Mirrors" his final book. I would encourage u all to read the book #1 first and then continue to #2 cuz the way the two books are carried and continued is amazing. Its epic, plot, character, and the history. I dont easily rate a book to 5 until it call me for a nail-biting stand. The Twelve falls in this catagory. In the story, there came a point where i literally screamed and was cursing the characters and woke my husband up while my head was still in the book and in a loud voice said, "ouch !! look at this son of a **** ." not realising that it was 3 in the morning. I hope the final installment will blow me away like the previous two did.
I got this book for 10 cents at the book sale at Central Library couple of weeks ago. I never miss this book sales, cuz all the books for which I was waiting weeks n months to come in my account, they sell it for 10 cents. I have all James Patterson's Hour Series audio books in my shelf and many more. Always lucky in buying books. This is what happens in The Age of Miracles. The earth's rotations has slowed down, the days are 45 minutes longer, then 90 minutes, and at last 72 hours. Nobody knows whats happening, how its happening and what to do to stop this. Government institutes “clock time”, which means that everyone will keep living on the same schedules they’ve always kept, no matter what the sun is doing in the sky. As all of this is happening, thirteen-year-old Julia is growing up, nursing a crush on a boy at her school, going to piano lessons, watching her parents argue. Mother stocks up on canned foods and stores them in the back against the day that groceries are no longer available — and sometimes they are too occupied trying to find some semblance of normalcy to pay attention to what’s coming. I would have enjoyed even more if science was surrounded in slowing and its effect but this was not the story about. Overall its very interesting and easy read.
In the entire day while m busy juggling with my schedule, i think, "When is the right time? Right time for me to pen down my thoughts?" And when i get time, thoughts procrastinate to flow from my mind. I do have time to think, to make a map in my mind as to what i have to write, how i have to start and end. Its just the matter of sitting down and doing it is what takes time. There are 24 hrs in a day, sumtimes i think over-time and take it to 36 hrs if i needed to finish what I am thinking. I have always n always valued time. I have never been late anywhere (any major delays or cancellations), i have always kept my commitments. Always been there b4 or on time but never late. Now that I value my time, i value others time too. If I don't let others wait for me, I do not appreciate if others keep me waiting. I read this book "Time Management", not that i don't know how to manage time !! But time to time I like to refresh myself by learning those little techniques so I don't let time slip through my fingers. I've heard people saying "Time is Precious". I wonder how many people take time to evaluate it. I believe time always test us. Why? Cuz when we are doing certain thing, time is not going to give us over-time for that work. Infact we have to keep looking at the clock before time is up. If u have time to read this now, read it. Otherwise leave it for next time. Come and stop by when ever your time permits. But plz, do make time to come back and take time to read. !! Wishing you all great time with your family now and at any time !! And now, its time for me to move on with my time ... !!! Au revoir
