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July 2010
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Books, Books, Books, and Books
I haven't made any new book reviews these past months =(
The last time that I made was for The Blood of Flowers in April 2010. I have lost my gusto when it comes to sharing my thoughts about the books that I've read. BUT, I still want to share some of the titles that I read these past months.
May
June
July
The Blood of Flowers by Anita Amirrezvani
Title: The Blood of FlowersAuthor: Anita AmirrezvaniNos. of Pages: 430Genre: Fiction, Historical FictionWhat a debut!Amirrezvani's first novel is about an unnamed girl living in 17th Persia and how numerous trials brought her from her humble home in a rural area to the opulence of the Image of the World - the greatest city in the world. A talented rug-designer, the girl who is on the brink of womanhood experienced tragedy and loss over and over yet never relented to the harsh reality of suppression and harassment experienced by women even today. She emerged triumphant after all that her young life experienced and opened her own business of rug designing in Persia.This novel talks about family, hopes, and dreams. It just proved that before becoming successful, you really need to go under several obstacles to prove your worth. I just love how the author made the girl really brave and daring-which sometimes is not the best course for she gets in trouble a lot for it but LIFE is a LEARNING PROCESS. We're bound to make mistakes since committing them would make us grow (as long as you wouldn't do it again!).This is a story of hope with a beautiful, exotic background during the time of Shah Abbas, the greatest ruler of Persia's Safavid dynasty. The Image of the World, the city built by Shah Abbas was home for thousands of artisans, merchants, carpet-makers, and rug designers - a haven for the artistic and creative and a perfect setting for the molding of our unnamed protagonist's talent.Overall, an enjoyable historical novel set in an exotic location with a courageous protagonist you couldn't help but cheer and admire!Rating: 5/5FYI: According to Amirrezvani, she didn't name her protagonist on purpose as a homage to the nameless artisans of Iran (p.441 under Author's note)
Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
Title: Just ListenAuthor: Sarah DessenGenre: Young AdultNos. of Pages: 371Annabelle Greene seems to be the girl who has everything. After all, that is what she projects on her latest modelling gig for a local department store. But, things don't seem to be that way in real life. Annabelle's sister has an eating disorder that's jeopardizing their family. She and her "best friend" Sophie stop speaking to one another over Sophie's boyfriend. Annabelle's all alone and just when she thought she has no friends to talk to, enter Owen Armstrong. A music-obsessed schoolmate who seems to get pass all the facade that Annabelle projects and see her just as she is. With Owen's help, Annabelle began to carve a new life but can she tell Owen what really happened during the night she and Sophie stopped being friends?I LOVE Sarah Dessen!In general, Ms. Dessen is a master storyteller of teen angst for she can vividly narrates what her characters are thinking and feeling. Because of this, readers are drawn to what are her characters are experiencing as if they too are feeling the emotions. Readers are effectively transported to the world of the character, in this book, Annabelle as if her problems are our problems too. Her agony over her terrible secret is painful and disturbing. She feels so ashamed of it that she can't ask for anyone's help. Her pain is being experienced by a lot of woman - whether they are a teenager or an adult because such experience is really very humiliating and degrading. She can't turn to her family since she can't afford them to worry. After all, her older sister's problem isn't over yet and her parents are having difficulties because of this.Help or friendship comes in the form of Owen Armstrong. Owen unexpectedly turned Annabelle's world upside down and for the better since she found in him a friend who seems to understand her like no one else before. But as they become more than just friends, Annabelle begins to doubt if she's worthy of Owen's attention since she has a past she can't seem to run from. I love Owen and his unique taste of "enlightened" music. I love how he sticks by Annabelle's side and ignores all the rumors about her. I love how he tries to help Annabelle find herself. His younger sister is funny and provides comedy in a story with dark aspects underneath. I also love how Ms. Dessen used music in a lot of her novels to convey her character's emotions and epiphanies.My favorite line in this book is about running from the past and it goes like: when you try to run from the past, it just doesn't catch up: it overtakes, blotting out the future, the landscape, the very sky, until there is no path left except that which leads through it, the only one that ever get you home. The book is all about letting go. It's hard to do it sometimes because some things are just too painful to resist like the past creeping up. It's hard to tell everyone especially when you know that your reputation is at stake and it's your word against the world. This book deals with a very serious issue so it's not really for the faint-hearted.Sometimes disturbing, sometimes funny and sometimes romantic, JUST LISTEN is a coming-of-age story of a young woman who discovers herself despite the perilous path she has to take to find her own strength.Rating 5/5
Where The Heart Leads by Stephanie Laurens
Warning: Spoilers!This is the novel by Stephanie Laurens that I read and boy, I was impressed! Ms. Laurens created very convincing characters and the way she described their journey of discoveries (as a team and as man and woman) was a delight to read.Barnaby was the third son of an earl and he was an accomplished crime-solver among the ton. However, after solving successfully another crime, he found himself sitting in his bachelor's pad, alone, and nothing to do. Feeling restless, he wished for another case to wet his appetite for solving crimes...Penelope was a sister of a viscount and was a headmistress of Foundling House, a charitable organization that took care orphans from the East End. There, they educate and groom these orphans so that one day, they can have decent jobs instead of straying away and plaguing society with crimes. When prospective charges started to disappear one-by-one, Penelope knew exactly whom to ask for help...So the disappearances of several boys from the East End was what provoked Penelope to come unaided one night to Barnaby's bachelor's pad. She came to Barnaby without warning and straightforwardly told him of her problems. This Barnaby found admiring of a woman of the ton. Not only that, Penelope was a very very attractive and marriageable lady. So what's a guy gotta do? Help her ofcourse!Penelope wasn't your typical damsel-in-distress. She's articulate and intelligent. Not only that, she can speak several languages. Plus, she knows her worth-making it impossible for would-be suitors to charm her. This factor on Penelope doesn't really appeal to me since she's kind of intimidating. Don't get me wrong though, I love it when a heroine is witty and can be an equal of her partner but Penelope so called intelligence is not believable for me. Aside from this minor quibble, her dedication to her charges is commendable. She just doesn't do it to gratify herself, she's really a genuine philanthropist. Plus, I love it when she sets her sight on ensnaring Barnaby, she really made him literally fall.Barnaby... what can I say about Barnaby? He's tall, blonde, handsome, muscular, and he knows how to handle Penelope. I love it when a man knows how to handle a very strong woman! I love it that he's the one who first realized that he loves Penelope and the way he made her realized how fitting they are for one another is just brilliant! Really, piquing one's curiosity is really the best way to wet someone's appetite!Their friends, Inspector Stokes and Griselda who were also helping them solve the case were two characters who were also secretly enamored with one another. Like Barnaby and Penelope, the chemistry between these two were palpable and the sexual tension were very evident. I just hoped that Stephanie Laurens made more time for them to really discover their relationship. But I think that Ms. Laurens purposely didn't make theirs so not to overshadow Barnaby and Penelope since it can potentially overtake them, really!The mystery in this book was who was the mastermind behind the kidnappings?! You wouldn't guess who it is until 3/4 of the book and the character of the antagonist is one of split personality. You wouldn't expect it from him that he's actually leading a life of a reliable assistant at day and a reckless gambler by night.Overall, I loved the book despite my minor complaints. If you like strong, independent women and intelligent, hunky men... this one is for you!Rating: 4/5
07/21/2010
QotD: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why?
Where else but in Europe! I'll visit all the countries that make up the continent from the Pyreenes up to the Ural Mountains, from the British Isle to the Balkans, from Scandinavia to the Mediterranean, from the Baltic Sea to the Iberian Peninsula... I'll explore all that Europe can offer! According to one of my college professor who frequently travels to Europe, she can't get enough of the continent because it's like a HUGE MUSEUM with so much sights to see!!!
07/20/2010
07/17/2010
Liu Wen Smiling
Whenever I see her smile, I can't help but feel warm inside.
It's because her smile looks so genuine!
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