In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is a weekly book meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren . In My Mailbox explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox on a weekly basis. Since I rarely receive books for review, unlike many other book bloggers, my In My Mailbox post will mostly contain books that I purchased, books I looted from the library and books I traded with friends.

It was payday last Thursday so I went on a book shopping spree at Fully Booked and Powerbooks, my two favorite bookstores in town.

Books Purchased

1) The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
2) Beastly by Alex Flinn
3) Ain't Too Proud to Beg by Susan Donovan
4) Married by Morning by Lisa Kleypas
5) Smooth Talking Stranger by Lisa Kleypas

So what books are in your mailbox for this week? Please leave a comment with either the link to your own In My Mailbox post, or share your In My Mailbox in a comment here if you don’t have a blog. Thank you.

Teaser Tuesday: The Lightning Thief

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

(1) Grab your current read.
(2) Open to a random page.
(3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To-Be-Read Lists if they like your teasers.

My Teaser:

"Detention?" Grover asked.

"Nah," I said. "Not from Brunner. I just wish he'd lay off me sometimes. I mean--- I'm not a genius."

Grover didn't say anything for a while. Then, when I thought he was going to give me some deep philosophical comment to make me feel better, he said, "Can I have your apple?"

~pp. 8 of The Lightning Thief

That's my Teaser Tuesday for this week. Do you have any wonderful teasers you can share? Don't hesitate to share them with me! I'll be more than happy to read it and if I like it, I might even include that book on my TBR list. So keep those teasers coming!

Have fun reading everyone!

It's Monday! What are you Reading?

It's Monday, What are you Reading is a weekly Meme run by Sheila @ One Persons Journey through a world of Books. This meme spotlights the books we completed last week, the books we are currently reading, and the books we hope to finish this week.

This is the very first time that I'll be doing this meme and I'm very excited. I found a lot of fellow bloggers doing It's Monday, What are you Reading? so I decided to join in the bandwagon.

I just got back from a long reading slump but I'm happy to find myself slowly worming my way back into reading.

What I Finished This Week?

Just Listen by Sarah Dessen - Such a fantastic book! The first book by Sarah Dessen that I've read. My full review can be found here.

What’s Coming Up This Week?

The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan - I'm currently on the second chapter and I'm really enjoying it so far. Percy Jackson is very funny.
One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake - I haven't read any contemporary romance this year so I'm excited to read this book.
Sugar Queen by Sarah Addison Allen I loved Garden Spells so I'm very excited to read another novel from this author.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows - Have read so many good reviews about this book.



Those books are what I plan to finish this week. I'll also be posting my reviews of each book once I'm done reading. So, what books will you be reading this week?

On My WishList (1)

On my Wishlist is a weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. This post aims to list down new and old books plus forthcoming releases that are on my Wishlist and share them to fellow book lovers who may find these books interesting and add them on their own mega books wishlist. This is the first time I'm joining this weekly meme and I'm very excited to share these with everyone. Here are some of the books on my huge Wishlist that some of you may enjoy.

Those who know me are aware that I love reading romance books and that Lisa Kleypas is an auto-buy author for me. I devoured her books, be it historical (Devil in Winter and Dreaming of You) or contemporary (Sugar Daddy and Blue-Eyed Devil). I enjoy reading her series and The Hathaways is no exceptions. I've read both Mine Till Midnight and Seduce Me at Sunrise and Tempt Me at Twilight, the third book in the series, is just on my bedside table, waiting to be read. I love this series that's why I'm so excited when Lisa Kleypas announced that the final two books in the will come out this summer.

Title: Married by Morning
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Hathaway Series (Book #4)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 25 May 2010
Paperback: 352 pages


Fantastic Fiction Summary:

For two years, Catherine Marks has been a paid companion to the Hathaway sisters—a pleasant position, with one caveat. Her charges’ older brother, Leo Hathaway, is thoroughly exasperating. Cat can hardly believe that their constant arguing could mask a mutual attraction. But when one quarrel ends in a sudden kiss, Cat is shocked at her powerful response—and even more so when Leo proposes a dangerous liaison.

Leo must marry and produce an heir within a year to save his family home. Catherine’s respectable demeanor hides a secret that would utterly destroy her. But to Leo, Cat is intriguing and infernally tempting, even to a man resolved never to love again. The danger Cat tried to outrun is about to separate them forever—unless two wary lovers can find a way to banish the shadows and give in to their desires….

.....................................................

Title: Love in the Afternoon
Author: Lisa Kleypas
Series: The Hathaway Series (Book #5)
Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Publication Date: 29 June 2010
Paperback: 352 pages


Fantastic Fiction Summary:

As a lover of animals and nature, Beatrix Hathaway has always been more comfortable outdoors than in the ballroom. Even though she participated in the London season in the past, the classic beauty and free-spirited Beatrix has never been swept away or seriously courted.and she has resigned herself to the fate of never finding love. Has the time come for the most unconventional of the Hathaway sisters to settle for an ordinary man - just to avoid spinsterhood?

Captain Christopher Phelan is a handsome, daring soldier who plans to marry Beatrix's friend, the vivacious flirt Prudence Mercer, when he returns from fighting abroad. But, as he explains in his letters to Pru, life on the battlefield has darkened his soul - and it's becoming clear that Christopher won't come back as the same man. When Beatrix learns of Pru's disappointment, she decides to help by concocting Pru's letters to Christopher for her. Soon the correspondence between Beatrix and Christopher develops into something fulfilling and deep.and when Christopher comes home, he's determined to claim the woman he loves. What began as Beatrix's innocent deception has resulted in the agony of unfulfilled love - and a passion that can't be denied.

.....................................................

I haven't read any novels written by Kristin Hannah but I've heard many good reviews about her books. I have True Colors on my shelf and I'm planning to get Firefly Lane next. I truly enjoy reading stories about women, their friendship and their journey.

Title: Firefly Lane
Author: Kristin Hannah
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Publication Date: 05 Feb 2008
Paperback: 528 pages


Fantastic Fiction Summary:

"Not since Iris Dart's Beaches...has there been a story of friendship that endures everything, from girlhood dramas to bitter betrayal, to be the touchstone in two women's lives. In Firefly Lane, Kristin Hannah creates the most poignant of reunions and an unforgettable story of loyalty and love." - Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of The Deep End of the Ocean

To the people around them they were known as Kate and Tully or the Firefly Lane Girls. A single, inseparable unit. On the surface they were as opposite as two people could be: Kate, doomed to be forever uncool, with a loving family who mortifies her at every turn. Tully, steeped in glamour and mystery, but with a secret home life that is destroying her. Yet they are best friends who swear they'll be there for each other, and for thirty years that promise holds strong - until events and choices in their lives make that promise impossible.

Firefly Lane is a novel for anyone who ever drank Boone's Farm apple wine while listening to Abba. It's a novel for anyone who ever had someone who knew you better than you know yourself. It's more than a coming-of-age novel - it's the story of a generation of women who were both blessed and cursed by choices. It's about promises and secrets and betrayals. And ultimately, about the one person who really, truly knows you - and knows what has the power to hurt and heal you.

.....................................................

I promised myself to make 2010 a year of reading more historicals and one of the books in my list is The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick. I haven't read any of her books before but this one might be a good start.

Title: The Greatest Knight: The Unsung Story of the Queen's Champion
Author: Elizabeth Chadwick
Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark
Publication Date: 03 Nov 2005
Paperback: 560 pages


Fantastic Fiction Summary:

Based on fact, this is the story of William Marshal, the greatest knight of the Middle Ages, unsurpassed in the tourneys, adeptly manoeuvring through the colourful, dangerous world of Angevin politics to become one of the most powerful magnates of the realm and eventually regent of England. From minor beginnings and a narrow escape from death in childhood, William Marshal steadily rises through the ranks to become tutor in arms to the son of King Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine. A champion on the tourney field, William must face the danger and petty jealousy targeting a royal favourite. Dogged by scandal, banished from court, his services are nevertheless sought throughout Europe and when William's honour is vindicated, he returns to court and wins greater acclaim and power than before. A crusader and the only knight ever to unhorse the legendary Richard Coeur de Lion, William's courage and steadfastness are rewarded by the hand in marriage of Anglo-Irish heiress Isobel de Clare, 19 years old, the grandaughter of kings and his equal in every way.

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2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

The 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge is hosted by J. Kaye of J.Kaye's Book Blog . For those who are interested, the sign up post is here. The rules are easy and anyone can join.

*There are four levels to this Reading Challenge:

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

--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.

--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.

--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.

*Audio, eBooks, paper 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.

* Challenge begins January 1st through December, 2010.

* Posting Reviews for the books you've read is optional.

I know I've lost five months worth of reading time but I still want to try and join many Reading Challenges. For the YA Reading Challenge, I've decided to choose The Mini YA Reading Challenge which means I'm going for 12 books! Here's the list of titles I plan to read.

1. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
2. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by JK Rowling
3. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by JK Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by JK Rowling
5. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by JK Rowling
6. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by JK Rowling
7. Blue Sword by Robin Mckinley
8. Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
9. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen ~ 4.5 Stars
10. Graceling by Kristine Cashore
11. Fire by Kristine Cashore
12. Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Status:

1/12

Historical Reading Challenge

The 2010 Historical Reading Challenge is being hosted by Alaine at Queen of Happy Endings.

Challenge Summary:

* Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
* There are four levels:

- Curious – Read 3 Historical Fiction novels.
- Fascinated – Read 6 Historical Fiction novels.
- Addicted – Read 12 Historical Fiction novels.
- Obsessed – Read 20 Historical Fiction novels.

* Any book format counts.
* You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
* Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.




My Reading List

1. Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas~5 stars
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.

Status:

1/6

Read’n'Review Reading Challenge

Read’n'Review Reading Challenge is hosted by MizB at MizB's Reading Challenges.

Challenge Summary:

* review each book you read between January 1st and December 31st of the current year.

* PLEASE keep your reviews clean & respectful ~ these books we read are the hard work of an author, and we don’t need to be mean. Even if you didn’t like the book, please try to find something you can say that would be encouraging to the author.

* reviews can be as short, or long, as you wish

* you MAY overlap with other challenges

* eBooks and Audiobooks ARE allowed

* if there will be spoilers in your review, please note this in the subject line of your post so that those who don’t want to read them can skip that review.

My Book List:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Status: 0 Books Read and Reviewed

Romance Reading Challenge

The 2010 Romance Reading Challenge is being hosted by Alaine at Queen of Happy Endings.

Challenge Guidelines:

*Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

*There are four levels:

- Curious – Read 3 Romance Fiction novels.
- Fascinated – Read 6 Romance Fiction novels.
- Addicted – Read 12 Romance Fiction novels.
- Obsessed – Read 20 Romance Fiction novels.

* Any book format counts.

* You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.

* Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.

Romance is among my favorite reading genre so for this challenge, I will be gunning for Addicted which means I'll try and read 12 books. So exciting!

1. Tempt Me at Twilight by Lisa Kleypas ~ 5 Stars
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.

Status:

1/12

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly book meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren . In My Mailbox explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox on a weekly basis. Since I rarely receive books for review, unlike many other book bloggers, my In My Mailbox post will mostly contain books that I purchased, books I looted from the library and books I traded with friends.

It's been a long time since I last updated my blog with an In My Mailbox post and I apologize to my readers. I haven't been online recently with all the work that needs to be done especially during the last week of November. If you're into my line of work, you'll know why month-ends are always dreadful for us. But I'm so glad it's done. Anyway, after this, I still have two book reviews on my plate to finish (Catching Fire and Graceling). And I can't decide whether to start reading Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling or The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan. What do you think, guys?

Since I wasn't able to post an In My Mailbox post last week, I have compiled all the books I got from the past two weeks so this week's list will be huge. *laughs* All in all, I got twelve books. Half of which, I won in a contest at Book Splurge. Thanks CeeCee!♥

Books Won From Book Splurge (CeeCee):


From L-R: (Top Row) It's All About Us, The Fruit of my Lipstick and Be Strong and Curvaceous. All the these three books are written by Shelley Adina. (Bottom Row) The Spring of Candy Apples by Debbie Viguie, The Captain's Bride by Lisa Tawn Bergren and The Summer of Cotton Candy by Debbie Viguie

I actually only won the three books by Shelley Adina but CeeCee had been very gracious and added three more books. Thank you very much! I'll be posting my review of the aforementioned books once I'm done reading them.

Books Purchased from a Bookstore:




One of my favorite bookstores had a sale last week so I bought six books! I had a blast! But choosing only six books was a pain. I had to mull over which books I really wanted to read. It was really a tough decision but I ended up with these six wonderful books. I've been on a YA kick so most of these books are from the YA genre.

1) The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
2) Fire by Kristin Cashore
3) The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Satterfield
4) The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
5) Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling
6) The Road by Cormac McCarthy

So what books are in your mailbox for this week? Please leave a comment with either the link to your own In My Mailbox post, or share your In My Mailbox in a comment here if you don’t have a blog. Thank you.

Teaser Tuesday: Graceling

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

(1) Grab your current read.
(2) Open to a random page.
(3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To-Be-Read Lists if they like your teasers.

I'm on a YA kick for the past few weeks and I'm truly enjoying it! For this week, I'm currently reading Kristin Cashore's highly-acclaimed debut novel Graceling. I'm already halfway through and I'm very much fascinated with this book and Cashore's style writing. Here's a wonderful teaser for everyone:

"Does it bother you? You're welcome to do the hunting yourself. Perhaps I can stay by the fire and mend your socks, and scream if I hear any strange noises." He smiled then. "Do you treat Giddon like this, when the two of you travel? I imagine he finds it quite humiliating."

~pp. 181 of Graceling
That's my Teaser Tuesday for this week. Any wonderful teasers you can share?

Have fun reading everyone!

In My Mailbox (2)

In My Mailbox is a weekly book meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren . In My Mailbox explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox on a weekly basis. Since I rarely receive books for review, unlike many other book bloggers, my In My Mailbox post will mostly contain books that I purchased, books I looted from the library and books I traded with friends.

First of all Happy Halloween everyone! Enjoy!

I had been pretty busy reading books, writing two reviews for the last two books I've read and updating and reading blogs. I really didn't have much time to go out and raid the bookstores. But I still have four new books this week.


Books Purchased Online:

1) Graceling by Kristin Cashore (I would have wanted the UK Cover version, but I couldn't find it anywhere.)
2) The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
3) One Reckless Summer by Toni Blake

Book Traded with a Friend:

1) The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (I happily traded my Twilight and New Moon books for The Book Thief.)

So what books are in your mailbox for this week?

Friday Finds (2)

FRIDAY FINDS is a weekly book meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can tag along! So come and join us.

What great books did you hear about, or find, this week? SHARE WITH US YOUR FRIDAY FINDS!

The books included in my Friday Finds posts are not books that I have bought (those are saved for my In My Mailbox post) but are the titles that I have come across in my book hopping time during the week –browsing book blogs, bookstores and online stores. These are the books that I've added on my Never-Ending Reading List throughout the week.

I had a blast of discovering some very wonderful books this week. Since I'm on a holiday, I've been busy updating my blog and reading some wonderful reviews of books and recommendations from fellow blogger and friends on book networking sites that I'm a part of. Most of my finds are young-adult books (which I've been devouring a lot lately) with a mix of romance, paranormal, historical, mystery and children's books.

Here are my Friday Finds for this week:

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
(Synosis from Shelfari.com)

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight--she's a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king's thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po's friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace--or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

I discovered this book and this author upon a recommendation from a friend of mine from Shelfari. She told me that since I loved The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins, that I would also enjoy reading this debut novel from author Kristin Cashore. So I did my little research and discovered that the book blogging world had already been buzzing about this book. The novel combined the elements that I enjoy in a book: fantasy, strong heroine and romance. I'm very excited to read it!

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
(Synopsis from Shelfari.com)


Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. . . With these words the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone manse on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room in the immense, foreboding estate were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten -- a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house's current occupants. And with an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife -- the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca.

I found out about this book when it was chosen by two of the book clubs I'm a part of as November's Group Read. It' s the first time I'd ever heard of the book and the author. The synopsis may not be enough to merit your time but a lot of the reviews I've read said that there's more to this book than just the blurb. I'm so eager to find myself a copy of this book.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
(Synosis from Shelfari.com)

Boys don’t keep diaries—or do they? The launch of an exciting and innovatively illustrated new series narrated by an unforgettable kid every family can relate to. It’s a new school year, and Greg Heffley finds himself thrust into middle school, where undersized weaklings share the hallways with kids who are taller, meaner, and already shaving. The hazards of growing up before you’re ready are uniquely revealed through words and drawings as Greg records them in his diary. In book one of this debut series, Greg is happy to have Rowley, his sidekick, along for the ride. But when Rowley’s star starts to rise, Greg tries to use his best friend’s newfound popularity to his own advantage, kicking off a chain of events that will test their friendship in hilarious fashion. Author/illustrator Jeff Kinney recalls the growing pains of school life and introduces a new kind of hero who epitomizes the challenges of being a kid. As Greg says in his diary, “Just don’t expect me to be all ‘Dear Diary’ this and ‘Dear Diary’ that.” Luckily for us, what Greg Heffley says he won’t do and what he actually does are two very different things.


I'm proud to say that this book was recommended to me by an eight year-old girl I met at a local bookstore. I was happily sitting on a couch reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman when she approached me and asked if she could sit with me. I was happy to share the couch with her and noticed that she was holding a stack of books which I later found out to be the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. I asked her about it and she told me about the adventures of Greg Heffley. Before she left, she told me that I'm not too old to read it and that I would also enjoy reading it. ^_^ So I'm definitely going to try and read this book.

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
(Synosis from Shelfari.com)


Half-vampire Catherine Crawfield is going after the undead with a vengeance, hoping that one of these deadbeats is her father—the one responsible for ruining her mother's life. Then she's captured by Bones, a vampire bounty hunter, and is forced into an unholy partnership. In exchange for finding her father, Cat agrees to train with the sexy night stalker until her battle reflexes are as sharp as his fangs. She's amazed she doesn't end up as his dinner—are there actually good vampires? Pretty soon Bones will have her convinced that being half-dead doesn't have to be all bad. But before she can enjoy her newfound status as kick-ass demon hunter, Cat and Bones are pursued by a group of killers. Now Cat will have to choose a side . . . and Bones is turning out to be as tempting as any man with a heartbeat.

I found out about this book because the book blogging world had been buzzing about the Night Huntress series by author Jeaniene Frost. I don't usually read urban fantasy romance novels but I'm willing to give this book a try and see where it goes.


The Madness of Lord Ian MacKenzie by Jennifer Ashley
(Synosis from Goodreads.com)


The year is 1881. Meet the Mackenzie family--rich, powerful, dangerous, eccentric. A lady couldn't be seen with them without ruin. Rumors surround them--of tragic violence, of their mistresses, of their dark appetites, of scandals that set England and Scotland abuzz.

The youngest brother, Ian, known as the Mad Mackenzie, spent most of his young life in an asylum, and everyone agrees he is decidedly odd. He's also hard and handsome and has a penchant for Ming pottery and beautiful women.

Beth Ackerley, widow, has recently come into a fortune. She has decided that she wants no more drama in her life. She was raised in drama--an alcoholic father who drove them into the workhouse, a frail mother she had to nurse until her death, a fussy old lady she became constant companion to. No, she wants to take her money and find peace, to travel, to learn art, to sit back and fondly remember her brief but happy marriage to her late husband.

And then Ian Mackenzie decides he wants her.

This book had been recommended to me by fellow romance bloggers who had been raving about this novel by Jennifer Ashley. I haven't been reading historical romance lately(mostly because I couldn't find a book that could hold my interest for long to actually let me finish a book) but a lot of my friends had been recommending this book to me so I wanted to give it a try. And I'm actually intrigued by how Jennifer Ashley would portray a hero who had spent his childhood in an asylum. This book looks very interesting!


The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
(Synosis from Shelfari.com)


I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb…. As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all. Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever. Written with warmth and humor as a series of letters, this novel is a celebration of the written word in all its guises, and of finding connection in the most surprising ways.

I found out about this book after a friend of mine posted a review of this novel on her website. The synopsis has captured my interest and I want to know how the authors told the story in a epistolary format.

So what are your Friday Finds for this week? Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Friday Finds post, or share your Friday Finds in a comment here if you don’t have a blog. Thank you.

Teaser Tuesday: The Graveyard Book

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

(1) Grab your current read.
(2) Open to a random page.
(3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To-Be-Read Lists if they like your teasers.

For this week, I'm reading The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman. I was supposed to finish this last week. But I was so engrossed with Catching Fire that I put this book on the back burner. Here's a wonderful teaser for everyone:

Bod said, "Master Trot? Might I ask for your advice?" Nehemiah Trot beamed, wanly. "Of course, brave boy. The advice of poets is the codiality of kings! How may I I smear unction on your, no, not unction, how may I give balm to your pain?"

~pp. 232 of The Graveyard Book


Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your Teaser Tuesdays in a comment here if you don’t have a blog. Thank you.

In My Mailbox (1)

In My Mailbox is a weekly book meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren . In My Mailbox explores the books that have been delivered to our mailbox on a weekly basis. Since I rarely receive books for review, unlike many other book bloggers, my In My Mailbox post will mostly contain books that I purchased, books I looted from the library and books I traded with friends.

This is my first time to join In My Mailbox so I'm very excited. This week had been wonderful week. I'm on vacation from work so that means no bonds, credit derivatives, interest rates and other financial products you can think of until 4th of November. Second, I have a lot of reading time on my hands, so yay! And finally, I had a bonus so the first thing I did after work was storm my favorite bookstore to scout some great books and I managed to buy a lot.



Bought From Bookstore

1) Jane Austen: Volume 1 (contains Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Persuasion)
2) Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
3) The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simmons
4) The Sugar Queen by Sara Addison Allen
5) Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris
6) Dark Lover by JR Ward
7) The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
8) Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
9) Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
10) Lady Be Good by Susan Elizabeth Phillips
11) Duchess in Love by Eloisa James

Most of the books I've bought this week are authors who I've never read before so this will be pretty exciting. I'm excited to read Persuasion and Mansfield Park by Jane Austen, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte and The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson.

So what books are in your mailbox for this week? Please leave a comment with either the link to your own In My Mailbox post, or share your In My Mailbox in a comment here if you don’t have a blog. Thank you.

Friday Finds (1)

This is the first time that I'll be joining FRIDAY FINDS and I'm very excited since I've discovered a lot of great books lately. FRIDAY FINDS is hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can tag along! So come and join us.

What great books did you hear about, or find, this week? SHARE WITH US YOUR FRIDAY FINDS!

The books included in my Friday Finds posts are not books that I have bought (those are saved for my In My Mailbox post) but are the titles that I have come across in my book hopping time during the week –browsing book blogs, bookstores and online stores. These are the books that I've added on my Never-Ending Reading List throughout the week.

The Lacuna: A Novel by Barbara Kingsolver

In her most accomplished novel, Barbara Kingsolver takes us on an epic journey from the Mexico City of artists Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo to the America of Pearl Harbor, FDR, and J. Edgar Hoover. The Lacuna is a poignant story of a man pulled between two nations as they invent their modern identities.

Born in the United States, reared in a series of provisional households in Mexico—from a coastal island jungle to 1930s Mexico City—Harrison Shepherd finds precarious shelter but no sense of home on his thrilling odyssey. Life is whatever he learns from housekeepers who put him to work in the kitchen, errands he runs in the streets, and one fateful day, by mixing plaster for famed Mexican muralist Diego Rivera. He discovers a passion for Aztec history and meets the exotic, imperious artist Frida Kahlo, who will become his lifelong friend. When he goes to work for Lev Trotsky, an exiled political leader fighting for his life, Shepherd inadvertently casts his lot with art and revolution, newspaper headlines and howling gossip, and a risk of terrible violence.

Meanwhile, to the north, the United States will soon be caught up in the internationalist goodwill of World War II. There in the land of his birth, Shepherd believes he might remake himself in America's hopeful image and claim a voice of his own. He finds support from an unlikely kindred soul, his stenographer, Mrs. Brown, who will be far more valuable to her employer than he could ever know. Through darkening years, political winds continue to toss him between north and south in a plot that turns many times on the unspeakable breach—the lacuna—between truth and public presumption.

With deeply compelling characters, a vivid sense of place, and a clear grasp of how history and public opinion can shape a life, Barbara Kingsolver has created an unforgettable portrait of the artist—and of art itself. The Lacuna is a rich and daring work of literature, establishing its author as one of the most provocative and important of her time.

The Girl With A Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson



A spellbinding amalgam of murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue.

It’s about the disappearance forty years ago of Harriet Vanger, a young scion of one of the wealthiest families in Sweden . . . and about her octogenarian uncle, Henrik, determined to know the truth about what he believes was her murder.

And it’s about Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently at the wrong end of a libel case, hired by Henrik to get to the bottom of Harriet’s disappearance . . . and about Lisbeth Salander, a twenty-four-year-old, pierced, tattooed genius hacker, possessed of the hard-earned wisdom of someone twice her age—and a terrifying capacity for ruthlessness—who assists Blomkvist with the investigation. This unlikely team discovers a vein of nearly unfathomable iniquity running through the Vanger family, an astonishing corruption at the highest echelon of Swedish industrialism—and a surprising connection between themselves.

A contagiously exciting, stunningly intelligent novel about society at its most hidden, and about the intimate lives of a brilliantly realized cast of characters, all of whom must face the darker aspects of their world and of their own lives.



The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Percy Jackson is a good kid, but he can't seem to focus on his schoolwork or control his temper. And lately, being away at boarding school is only getting worse: Percy could have sworn his pre-algebra teacher turned into a monster and tried to kill him. Percy's mom decides it's time that he knew the truth about where he came from. She sends Percy to Camp Half-Blood, a summer camp for demigods (on Long Island), where he learns that the father he never knew is Poseidon, God of the Sea. Soon a mystery unfolds and together with his friends, one a satyr and the other the demigod daughter of Athena, Percy sets out on a quest across the United States to reach the gates of the Underworld (located in a recording studio in Hollywood) and prevent a catastrophic war between the gods. But to succeed on his quest, Percy will have to unravel a treachery more powerful than the gods themselves.

I'm so happy to have found these three books. I've read some very good reviews about the last two books. And Barbara Kingsolver is an author I've never read before. Her book Animal Dreams is also on my Never-Ending Reading List. The Lacuna will be released on November 3, 2009.

So what are your Friday Finds for this week? Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Friday Finds post, or share your Friday Finds in a comment here if you don’t have a blog. Thank you.

Teaser Tuesday: Catching Fire

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

(1) Grab your current read.
(2) Open to a random page.
(3) Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page and BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Share the title & author, too, so that other Teaser Tuesday participants can add the book to their To-Be-Read Lists if they like your teasers.

This is my first time doing the Teaser Tuesday Meme so I'm very excited. For this week, I'm actually reading two books, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. I'm lagging behind on The Graveyard Book because I'm totally engrossed reading Catching Fire. Here's one wonderful teaser for everyone:

"So, Haymitch, what do you think of the Games having one hundred percent more competitors than usual?" asks Ceasar. Haymitch shrugs. "I don't see that it makes much difference. They'll still be one hundred percent as stupid as usual, so I figure my odds will be roughly the same."

~pp.197 of Catching Fire

Please leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your Teaser Tuesdays in a comment here if you don’t have a blog. Thank you.