Book Review: The Angel's Game

I attempted Zafon's second book, The Angel's Game last week. While I took close to a month to finish The Shadow of the Wind (see review below), also by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, having read TSOW somehow sped up my reading speed on the Angel's Game. Now on to the review.

Yes, I read this. In three days. 

I preferred TSOW, that was safe enough to say. Simply because I didn't feel cheated by TSOW. With the Angel's Game, I am tempted to say that Zafon did not try hard enough. 

But first... a synopsis (partial spoilers included)

David Martin, the protagonist, was given a chance to write a short story when the editor at the newspaper he was working for could not find anyone to replace a spot in the paper at the very last minute. Martin wrote with all his heart, established a storyline that left his readers wanting more and became a regular at the column until colleagues started succumbing to the evils of envy and start ocstracising him. He was subsequently fired and commissioned to write installments of City of the Damned for two blood-sucking publishers that milked him for all he had, but not before he was able to secure a mansion worthy of mention in the gothic series he created. 

Halfway through the writing process, Cristina, a girl he developed a crush on seeks his help and pointed out that he is better than the dark novels he is writing. He sets out to prove her right, and impress her, by refusing to continue writing what his contract required him to... and started writing what his heart tells him to. 

So far so good...

After a barrage of cruel twists of fate swarm Martin's life, he is approached by a gentleman named Andreas Corelli to write a religious-based book ala the Bible. That's when things begin to get weird. 

And don't get me started on the ending because you're not going to like it.

MAJOR SPOILERS ahead (here's when I start bitching):

Note: Bitching is a harsh word by the way but at the moment, no other word will correctly and quietly surmise what I'm about to do. 

For pete's sake (whoever Pete is, I'm sorry), is the guy schizo or is the devil he was making a deal with killing everyone? Who the heck is this Marlasca fella and what does he have to do with Martin apart from having lived in the home Martin bought? What's up with Irene, Valera, the witch and Salvador? And that last scene? What? Bringing Cristina back in the form of a child is supposed to make Martin feel better? worse? confused?

Sigh...

I want answers! But only because TSOW was so freaking awesome and easily explainable. By the last one-third of the book, everything began to take shape, falling into place in this huge jigsaw puzzle years in the making, and everything was explainable by someone, some reason or some cause. There were solid answers and it wasn't explained away by supernatural means like how TAG was... which left me sorely disappointed.

My futile attempts at sanity

Here are some of my answers as to what may have happened to David Martin during the course of the TAG storyline:

1. Martin died somewhere along the way and this was just something he was going through in purgatory. 

Status of theory: LAME - because you can't really make a deal with the Devil and still be able to meet with people you love, develop relationships with people you like and try to endure people that you hate (deep down inside). If you can, that's called cheating.

2. Martin was a schizo and he is going through a coping mechanism which was what Corelli was in essence.

Status of theory: WORKABLE - because let's face it, the guy has a lousy life and oh, let me count the ways.

(a) Dude had to contend with living with an abusive father.

(b) Dude loses abusive father to a bunch of thugs.

(c) Dude receives only a gun and not enough bullets from his father (hint hint)

(d) Dude develops a crush on Cristina, the daughter of a chauffer. She isn't even that interesting.

(e) Dude loses Cristina to Vidal, the only guy who made most of his life worth living for through multiple acts of charity and under-the-table opportunities.

(f) Dude finds out that Vidal was also the cause that his father died.

(g) Dude also gets the news that the book he wrote for Vidal was getting awesome reviews and selling like hotcakes, without him getting any credit, and worst of all, his only attempt at impressing Cristina gets shelved quicker than he can say "unfair-much".

(h) Dude's mom is not much of a reader - throws the book he wrote away like a piece of trash and that was the last we read of her throughout the whole book.

(i) If you are still looking for more things Martin can be sad about in this list, then you really should just read the book... I'm too sad to list anything else.

(j) At this point, any sane person would one, kill himself or herself or two, go crazy. I'm guessing Martin took route no.2.

So he develops Corelli who gives him something to do... write another book with an imaginary reward, a huge sum of money. And whoever gets in the way, get bummed off, permanently. What he experiences (as he narrates them, unreliably) and what really happened (as heard by someone else who had conversation with him) splits at the fork on the road, multiple times throughout the whole book, ending with him needing to run and live in recluse on an island somewhere because regardless of whether or not he killed all those people, they will hang him for sure, if they catch him. He finds refuge in Corelli bringing him Cristina in the form of a child, with partial memories of her remembering what they had before she was coldly taken away from him under a layer of ice.  

3. Martin did take up the bargain to write for Corelli and somehow Corelli is doing all the dirty deeds.

Status of theory: WORKABLE with conditions - At the end of the book Corelli is basically telling Martin that he only took Cristina away from him and he was sorry and so Corelli brought her back to him. The action was to be interpreted also as a punishment he had for Martin because Martin renegade on him about the book he promised to write but did not finish... Martin would see Cristina grow up, grow old and die, leaving him all alone as he is cursed, damned to live an ageless life all on his own.

This also basically tells us that everything else was done by him, as pointed out by Grandes who says that the angel brooch has always been on Martin's lapel since the first day Grandes met Martin. 

But it does not explain what Diego Marlasca and Ricardo Salvador had to do with all of this. There must be a link between David Martin and Diego Marlasca apart from the same initials and the fact that they lived in the same house, but the link is not apparent to this reader. Maybe whoever it is that lives in that house gets commissioned to write by Corelli. Maybe Marlasca disguised himself as Salvador to hide from Corelli. Maybe Zafon should have just left out that back story and work on expanding Martin's life more - like his mother, why she left his poor father - or Isabella - maybe listen in on more of her conversations with the bookseller, Sempere's son (Daniel Sempere's father) because her conversations with Martin are brilliant - the thing I enjoyed most throughout the book.

On a light-hearted note, I loved how he described Sempere Snr and delivered the backstory about how Isabella came to be Daniel's mother and how Daniel's dad is such a good-looking but 'slow' klutz. He didn't write much about the Cemetery of the Forgotten Books but personally I think he did a pretty good job about it in TSOW. 

I just wished he did better with TAG. I wonder if I am asking too much. On to the next book, woo-hoo!

Book Review: The Shadow of the Wind

Haven't really had the time to update my blog much. Apologies aside, life is good and busy (which is to me, always good news) and look, I finished a book.

The Shadow of the WInd by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

I bought the book from book vouchers awarded by my current company for hitting targets set for the team I was involved in. I had a thing for the cover, to tell you the truth and it was just about the reason that made me trade the voucher for it without a second thought. Who says you shouldn't judge a book by its cover?

It is the first time I find it torturous to read a book, but it wasn't because the book was horrible. In fact, it was... amazing.

The book was splendid, but I did not have the time to really sit down and devour the Shadow of the Wind in one sitting. And so, I scraped the minutes left at the bottom of the barrel (more precisely what little time I had after my daughter finally sleeps and before I had to) to run through the pages, sometimes 20 in one go, sometimes 5. It was the first time I understood what unputdownable felt like - doesn't mean I could stomach it though, mind you - but the storyline, it was spell-binding.

I seriously could not detach myself from the pages. I had to know what happens next - the book has that effect on you. The writing is beautiful, smooth and intelligent. Yes, I would use intelligent writing to describe the Shadow of the Wind, seriously. It makes you go, wow, if only I could write like that. And I have this habit of always guessing what the ending would be like. I had some hits, and some misses; but you know how it is that when you find an ending predictable, you just hate that you guessed it and ruined the story for yourself? Didn't happen for this book. It keeps you on your toes. The moment you find out the answer to one riddle, the next one is already pulling you along.

You can easily find the synopsis on the blurb or anywhere else online. You will see a pattern in all those synopses. No one is willing to divulge more than what is necessary and that is, the introduction alone. One, they don't want to ruin it for you and two, it is just not explainable in a single article. In short, you have to read the book.

And it would be a really fun experience.

In my own words...

Daniel Sempere, a boy of preteen wisdom is led to the Cemetery of Forgotten books by his father who tells him that he gets to choose any book that he wants from this library for of lost literature, and keep it. Daniel does and he brings home The Shadow of the Wind by Julian Carax. After reading the story, Daniel felt that he needed more books written by Julian (I know how that feels like, Daniel) and is surprised to find that a mysterious figure has been going around buying and burning books written by Carax.

We then follow Daniel through the years as he uncovers layers upon layers of Carax's life, the people that he leaves behind and what actually happened to Carax. Along the way, we meet friends and enemies of Daniel. Fermin is a favourite character of mine - you either hate him or love him, anyways - and Fumero seriously scares the daylight out of me. The way Carlos writes, you can't help but enter the lives of his characters. Yes, his ability to turn characters on print into real people is astonishing. By the end of chapters, you suddenly can see Penelope, Jorge, Miquel, Nuria and Jacinta and remember what they went through in their lives. You feel their pain, horror, trials and tribulations. You experience their lives through Carlos' writing.

There are so many characters in the story that you lose count, but you know who they each are. We explore the lives of these people, how they are entangled with each other through relationships that came about from other relationships etc. Relationships is a huge theme in this book, as is Love - the kind you lose and the kind you wish you had lived for. The plots in the storyline are worthy of movie scripts yet the literature involved is worthy of being categorized as classics.

Apparently, he has several more books written already. The one that has hit stores here in Malaysia is the Angel's Game a prequel to The Shadow of the Wind.
Can't wait to get it. Also looking for the Prince of Mist but it isn't available here yet. Will Carlos be the reason I will attempt Amazon before I am ready? Time always tells.

Book Review: Ripples and other stories

Apart form Robert Raymer, Ripples and other stories by Shih-Li Kow is probably the only Malaysian book, that is published in Malaysia, that I read.

Get your own copy from www.silverfishbooks.com

It's a refreshing read from the usual novels I read. Can't say I love it, can't say I hate it too. Refreshing is the word.

Yup. Refreshing.

The content is so Malaysian. I mean, there are things in there that only a Malaysian would know and understand. There are also things in there that shows the reader how Malaysia really is from the inside. Superstitions, lottery-buying, foreign help in households and competition in the food business are some of the topics discussed in the book.

Another thing I like about it is Shih-Li's (the stories give a sense of familiarity, so much that I subconsciously call her by her given name now even when I tell other people about the book) choice (or maybe her editor's) to let the characters intertwine in most of her stories.

A secondary character plays a main character in the following story and a secondary character from that story goes on to play a main character in the next story. This gives a surreal feeling to the stories told in the book. It's as if the characters are real and she is writing about their lives.

That's the power she has in her stories.

She is also a master in delivering so much with so little. You can say, she defines compact writing.

In fact she is such a fine storyteller that this current book was shortlisted (I kid you not) for the 2009 Frank O'Connor Short Story Award which boasts some one of the most lucrative prizes in the book publishing world: the winner gets 35,000 euros.

For those of you who can't count, that translates to roughly RM175,600. Imagine the number of nasi lemak, tose and and yao char kwai you can buy with that.

Strangely enough, however, that was not how I came to know about her. I was browsing fiction books at the Borders bookstore in MidValley and just picked up the book. My daughter's constant whining prevented me from sampling the book but perhaps it was the cover or the fact that I saw that it was shortlisted for an international award, I went back and bought a copy on the next visit to the store.

The book could use a little bit more publicity.

Anyways, I have three favourite stories in there: Dividing Walls for fine storytelling, A Gift of Flowers for the storyline and Waiting for Gurjit, for such an interesting and powerful concept. Some stories did not rub me the right way, or I just didn't get the story, yet could still be favourites of other readers. To each its own, right?

Halfway through the book, however, my enthusiasm to finish the book in one go fizzled out. Not so much because of the writing (which was addictive), but more so because of how the stories were laid out; the structure of the whole book, so to speak.

The stories also lacked sentiment. The writings thrived on observations of the idiosyncrasies of Malaysians, regardless of race, beliefs or religious upbringing but they evoke none of the feelings that should come with (something Yasmin Ahmad can do so effortlessly). If it did, it might have won her the award. I'm just saying.

I've never written a book in my life but then again, not everyone has, but everyone has read a book, even if it just the single one. And everyone passes judgement, even if it is never said out loud.

But I would recommend the book for light reading, not because the writer is Malaysian, but because she is really good.

ANOTHER CASE OF PLAGIARISM

I was reading Shih-Li Kow’s Ripples when I came across this on the main website for Silverfish books.

An apology was written by Adeline Lee who published her first book, Lethal Lessons, with Silverfish books at the tender age of 18. I found more about the issue at Sharon Bakar’s Bibliobibuli, a blog about book-dependency (I like how she calls it like she sees it).

In short, the writer plagiarized a story from the well-known Chicken soup for the soul series and masked it to be published as one her own writings.

Although she has apologized, the apology in my humble opinion is half-hearted and does not reflect her comprehension of the seriousness of her actions.

However, I do not blame her as many Malaysians do not see the severity of publishing something plagiarised.

However again, it can do much damage on the long run.

For one thing, nothing else that Adeline writes in future will not have its originality scrutinized by readers.

Two, Silverfish books could have easily be forced to close shop if the publisher or author of the plagiarized story decided to sue.

C, she did not copy from a fellow Malaysian writer, which begs the question, are Malaysian writers not copy-worthy?

Book Review: The Lost Symbol

It's been a week since the release of the Lost Symbol by Dan Brown so I guess that it is safe for a book review, without spoiling it for people who don't need spoiling.

The Lost Symbol (left: US cover, right: UK cover)

The storyline is reminiscent of The Da Vinci Code in the lines of having a crazy villain on the loose, a female counterpart on the run with the protagonist, Robert Langdon, a disabled person with partial answers, secret keys to unlock (this time it's a pyramid), references to famous buildings and monuments, flashbacks to lectures and a very long epilogue afterwards.

What's new in this book (I've read all of Dan Brown's books) is an attempt (albeit a weak one), to try a Jeffrey Archer immediately before the climax. For this one, Jeffrey Archer had spoilt it for me, but it's no big loss anyways. There's also references to Noetic Sciences. What it is, I'm still not sure even though I've finished the book; I'm sure Brown's knowledge about this is nowhere deeper than the rest of us, based on the single physical example he used in the book. Otherwise, his every point is heavily substantiated with numerous examples, like in a PhD thesis.

It's a good read, although some of the chapters are quite repetitive. I'm not an editor of a novel publishing house but I read plenty of novels written by British and American writers... and the Lost Symbol was frankly, quite tedious reading. I had to put the book down a few times out of annoyance. But I kept on.. as I never read a book and leave it unfinished.

Ironically, the factual parts i.e. Robert Langdon's lectures, were more pleasurable to read than the story itself. The book is more than 500-pages thick but a good quarter of it could have been edited away as they were merely page fillers.

The solution to the whole puzzle was not as explosive as the Da Vinci Code (cause how can you top that one?) although the word 'enlightenment' pops up a lot in this book. I did learn much about magic squares and would be googling more about it in this coming few days.

There is also the deal about clues hidden in the cover... which I'm going to go 'play' with now. I need to get back my money's due.

Reading - The Ultimate Pastime

I read Enid Blyton as I was growing up in the small town of Tawau in Sabah (part of Borneo, where Sipadan Island and Pulau Tiga is).

By 12, I read Agatha Christie (Who killed Roger Ackroyd?) and Sir Author Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes)

At 15, it was Shakespeare (the abridged versions because who reads the originals?): The Merchant of Venice was my favourite.

In university, I read Jeffrey Archer. I love practically all his works except the Prison Diaries.

In the first year I came out to work, I read Dan Brown (love the concept, not so keen on the story), and Kate Mosse. As well as the last book in the Harry Potter series. I love JK Rowling.

Now I read just about any book that comes recommended... and some that don't. But who sets rules when it comes to reading?

Currently, I have at hand A Prisoner of Birth by Jeffrey Archer (forever a fan of his) and let me say that this is what it feels like when one says "someone has to prise me off the book".

It mirrors the story known as The Count of Monte Cristo. Edward Dumas, and his love Mercedes has been replaced with modern-day Danny Cartwright and Beth. Instead of a Count, the protagonist is now a knight, a Sir. There were many other similarities between the two stories but so far, in the reviews I've read, no one said anything about Mr Archer ripping off the original.

By the way, Jeffrey Archer was a member of parliament, and has been incarcerated before. The circumstances on which he was put away shows heavily on this new book, which would explain how he could tell effectively how one can get framed for a crime he didn't commit, quite easily. He has since declared his withdrawal from politics and will focus fully on his writing. Which I think is good news for fans like me *grins*.

I have not reached the end of the book, trying very hard to but with a 4-mth old brat at the side, you find time slipping out of your hand like grains of sand. Looking forward to his trademark twist-in-the-tale climax. One thing's for sure.. Jeffrey Archer never disappoints.

Book review: Revelation

The story started out slow about a hunchback lawyer, who is the hero (wow, three words I’d never thought I’d use in the same line) thinking about opening a hospital with one of his good friends, only to find his friend murdered in horrendous circumstances.

When officials and the coroner himself act indifferent to the murder, our hero Matthew Shardlake takes it to his own hands to get the investigation going. Little does he know, this murder is only one of a series of murders that have occurred, and many more to come. Later on, Shardlake would find out that the murderer is murdering his victims based on the verses in Revelation from the Bible, and is in no mood to stop his murdering spree.

Whilst I agree with some critics, that his storytelling can be a bit slow and hard to devour in just one sitting, it is a good book to pass time with. And the characters grow on you while you find yourself absorbed into the moment in history where all of this is happening. Big names like Thomas Cromwell, Archbishop Cramner, Catherine Parr and King Henry (the king who had 6 wives) pop up regularly amidst the stories of a boy admitted into an asylum for his incessant praying, a modern-thinking doctor trapped in the era of blood-letting as the cure to everything and Shardlake contemplating his love and desire for his recently widowed friend.

I’m reading Sovereign, a previous effort by Sansom also featuring Shardlake, a character that I will grow to like... eventually.

What? He's a lawyer.

Book review: Mistress in the Art of Death

I really like this myriad of old-age CSI, feminism, romance, murder mystery and adventure story. The fact that I read it quite a while back doesn’t dilute my enthusiasm for the story or for a re-read. Highly recommended for those who like romances but are not so ok with murder mysteries, and also vice versa. Take this book as the stepping stone to reach either side of the spectrum.

The story is set in medieval times. The protagonist, Adelia Aguilar, is a female doctor who is not quite accepted by her peers due to her being the ‘wrong’ sex and being highly adept in her job. She goes on the hunt for a child murderer with a sidekick and later on a knight (cheesy yes, but I’m talking about a real knight here) and ends up in a place similar to the ‘bowels of hell’ for the frightening and suspenseful climax. Won’t ruin it any further… unless you’re not going to read it. So read it.

Mr Robert Raymer, writer

I really love writing. Once an idea or a concept attaches to my mind, the words flow out of my fingers without forethought and the story or write-up shapes itself into its final form in front of my eyes. Add editing skills to that and I am set for life.

So what would be the coolest thing to happen to a would-be writer, a lowly humble scribbler like me?

The answer: To be shot down and brought back to reality by a real writer.

Best thing to have ever happen in my life.

---

Lovers and Strangers and Lovers and Strangers, Revisited (see below) were written by a Mr Robert Raymer, father of three, established and prolific writer, published author (it's redundant but I still need to say it) and former Creative Writing lecturer in USM, which was where I had the privilege to study under him.

Lovers and Strangers, Revisited by Robert Raymer

This reminds me, I gotta go get myself a copy. Damn you, procrastinating side of self.

---

I was lucky that during my 3 years in university, the nation had ourselves our first and only low-cost airline (Thanks tony) which allowed me to fly home without burning holes in my ragged, torn pockets. In one of these flights, I happen to chance upon an article written by a Raymer fella, who claims to teach Creative Writing in USM, in one of the in-flight magazines. Out of curiousity, I ventured into unknown territory (I was in Technology and Sciences and he was teaching in Languages) and got myself enrolled in his class during my final year.

First day in class, whoa, he doesn't look like he's from around here. And once he opens his mouth, Yup, he's not from around here.

He tells our class of 17 that he has had complaints from previous batches of students that they don't understand the words that are coming out of his mouth. He says tough luck, he can't change his accent. Deal with it or drop out.

I became a fan for life.

---

Throughout the semester, I found out that he had backpacked in over 30 countries, that his family had frantically called Red Crescent to ask if they found his body amongst the people who drowned due to the tsunami that occurred in Sri Lanka on Boxing Day 2004, which also hit Penang (where my university was and where he resides with his wife), that he was a workaholic, that he pushes his students a lot and that surprisingly brings out the best of them, and that he has a lot of ex-students who are proud to call him their teacher (google his name), that he views things differently and appreciates things that we Malaysians take for granted, that he is a doting father and that he is one of the pushing forces, an advocate, a voice for people who want to write in Malaysia. Imagine that, a foreigner helping locals to learn to be a writer. Please do not resent that last statement, I'm just saying it as it is.

He also has an exceptional memory. Either that or he refers to his journals a lot and so remembers most of his ex-students. And you can be sure that most of his ex-students remember him.

---

His class was very trying and if you are not in love with... no no no, if you are not obsessed with writing, you wouldn't have survived it. He gives you assignments throughout the whole semester, each assignment taking up merely 10% of your final grade.

If your writing sucks, do over.

If you missed what he asked for, do over.

If you do not deliver what he believes you can deliver, yup, do over. Hey, how did he know how far you can go? Good question, Mr Question out of nowhere... I believe that he sizes you up from the first assignment he gives you.

I can almost remember the way he delivered that first assignment.

Mr. Raymer: Write... an autobiography of yourself.
Clueless students: Wow, that was boring / easy / predictable / second grade...
Mr. Raymer: ...on a piece of A4 paper, 12 pt Times, double spacing.
Clueless students: I thought he finished talking / Did we hear him right? / How does one summarizes one's life on a single piece of paper? / What's double spacing?
Mr. Raymer: Use only the front side of the paper.
Clueless students: Ok, now I think he is loco / Omg, he looks serious. / Is it too late to drop this paper? / What's double spacing?
Mr. Raymer: This will take up 10% of your final grade. Once you've picked your jaw off the floor, figure it out and come to me for help, if you need it.
Clueless students: (all) Where's your office?!

Ok, maybe it didn't go exactly like that but the calmness from him and shock from us was pretty much as portrayed. I killed so many trees with that assignment. But I managed to pull through. And got him to remember my name, I think. Either that, or he read from the roster.

In between there were plenty of other assignments but our last one... yup, our last assignment was freestyle. The only catch was we had to write it in the first person and if possible in present tense. We were supposed to write about something we really know inside out, and that for me would be... the twist ending.

From the beginning I knew what I wanted to write and so I got to it.

After we had submitted our first drafts, my idea, among many others, was picked out and discussed in class. It was part of the exercise. Everyone knows what everyone is writing and once it is out in the open, your storyline is up for attacks from 'critics'. That is how it is in real life, and so he subjects our work, and us, to it early on. Only difference here is after the attack, the whole class has to work together to 'fix' the attacked storyline. Then the battered survivor takes their piece home and reworks it.

My idea... well, Mr Raymer liked my idea... but he massacred the way I delivered it. He asked so many questions that I couldn't answer. That I've never even thought of. So many questions that the rest of the class couldn't answer either. It was like I caught myself in a checkmate in a chess fight with myself. And nobody in class or in the whole university can help me.

Instead of being upset by the confrontation, I actually found reason in what he said. I pondered over his questions, met with him a couple more times, thought about his questions some more, probed my mind for the answers, the viewpoints... I almost went mad.

And then... I did what he told us to do.

I threw away my draft and started afresh, bearing in mind all the different ways he taught me on how one can massacre a story and what I should be doing to avoid the second massacre.

My labour of love, a story about a crossdresser finding love in a most unexpected way, got me an A. I don't believe I've worked harder on any other assignment in university throughout those three years.

---

Last I heard from him, he was teaching in Unimas, a university in Kuching, Sarawak, is a judge in the MPH-Alliance Story Writing Competition and has three blogs to his name. I'm not sure which ones are still active but there are plenty of things that you can read up on in all three blogs.

Borneo Expat Writer and its counterpart as well as this interesting blog, The story behind the story.

---

And if you are wondering, I wrote about a male crossdresser who is preparing for his wedding to a man his workaholic and control freak sister introduced him to. His two other sisters are helping him, I mean her, into her wedding dress and making last minute arrangements to her wedding. She contemplates telling her future bridegroom about her true self and about the plans of future sacrifices (surgeries) that she would make to ensure that she becomes the woman in her fiance's life. But a part of her feels that she must know if her groom can accept the person that she really is before they walk down the aisle. It would also be a fright for him to find out who she really is on their wedding night without prior warning.

Once she has a minute to herself, she sneaks out of her dressing room to meet up with her future husband. She finds him on his way out of his room. The man remarks that it is bad luck to see the bride before the wedding but he has something important to tell her. She demands to go first and tells him the reason that she has not slept with him before getting married despite it being the 21st century and all is because she has a secret to hide: she is a male crossdresser. She lunges into a tirade of self explanation and divulges her plans to save up for surgeries that would make her the bride of his dreams.

She finds him in a state of shock and deep down inside she feels that all is lost and that she has made the wrong call whereas he will be calling off the wedding. He leaves her side. She drops and starts crying. He comes back and sits down next to her and shows her, in his hand, a picture of a little girl. She composes herself and making small talk, says that the girl is lovely and somewhat familiar.

The guy confesses that he is that little girl. The thing he wanted to tell her before the wedding was that he is a female crossdresser. His shocked look was not of her cover up but more of the irony of the situation. They both start laughing and they hug. They decide for the wedding to continue as planned as love should transcend all boundaries, including the sexes of the bride- and groom-to-be.

The bride also takes a minute to reexamine his control freak sister's love for him and wonders, since the two of them were introduced to each other through her, if she had planned this happy ending all along.

---

Ohmigosh ohmigosh

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is here! Well, not exactly here, but it is up for Pre-Order! If you are Malaysian and you know what MPH stands for, click here to pre-order it at 30% off the original price. A hard cover at RM70.00.. and that's a bargain. Sigh.

Me, I gotta get down to crunching numbers to see if I can get it, subject for approval by the hubby. *blink blink*

Ohmigosh ohmigosh ohmigosh.. I'm so excited.

Book review: An Expert in Murder

I read this during my confinement. The cover looks like this.

It helped put me to sleep at certain insomnia-ridden nights but the plot is there. It isn't Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and like Agatha Christie, she didn't really play fair. Plus, she over analyzes the plot, like a woman always over analyze everything. So you can tell the writer is really a woman. But other than that, it's good to pass the time with.

But if you are inclined towards something 'faster', check out The Mom Song. It would help to have audio because you won't be able to 'feel' Mom just by reading the lyrics. You'll know what I mean soon enough. Click it!

Book Review: Trouble

I finally finished Trouble by Jesse Kellerman.


Summarised, I would say it felt like a chore instead of a leisurely read. It was an improvement from Sunstroke but there were just a few things that really got in the way of me liking the book, like how Kellerman drags his writings out for miles before getting to the staccato-like points. Then, there is the repetition through every chapter to show the characteristics of the antagonist.

I sped through like a bullet train after I arrived at the midpoint of the book.

I should have known to keep away when the blurb compared it to Fatal Attraction [dead giveaway there] but yeah, I was too entranced by his third book that I bought the book on faith instead of basing it on common sense. But don't take my word for it, check this link out for an avid reader's review of the same book.

Really enhanced my formula for locating good books to read: don't buy American. I do make a few exceptions but many a time, real life experiences enhances the strength of the formula.

Currently starting on a Nicola Upson's book: An expert in murder. She was born in Suffolk and read English in Cambridge, and the word Murder is on the title. What more could you ask for?

It's relatively thin. May have to bring this one to the hospital to finish it. If I can finish it. Dammit, hungry again. Food~~~

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol

Long before Robert Langdon aka Tom Hanks hit the screen running with the Da VInci Code, I was already entranced with the book and the controversies linked to it. Before they had all those second-rate Breaking the Code or Unravelling the secrets behind the phenomena types, I had gone through all four of Dan Brown's books: Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress and Deception Point.

Only the front two books made a mark. Oh, and may I add, Da Vinci Code was his fourth book, Angels and Demons his first. The other two books in between... well, you can go without because I don't see them as a movie-makeable novels. And honestly, they kinda drifted from his symbiologist idea. But if you are a true blue fan, go for it.

Anyways, the reason I'm bringing this up is cause Dan Brown has a new book coming in mid-Sept of this year. Due for release on 15th of Sept is his latest: The Lost Symbol. Okay, maybe he should get a little more creative on the title but at least we know he is reverting to his symbolic days with this. Robert Langdon is in it.

Check out all four novels at his website here. And this is the cover of his latest book. I hope they work up the hardcover version because this looks like a who moved my cheese kind of cover. Cheesy.

I'm the latest from Dan Brown!

I am saving up for this one.

Book review: Sunstroke

By Jesse Kellerman, writer of The Brutal Art. Was his first book I think. Neeehhhh, I don't really like it. It drags, I was expecting more of a twistier twist ending and I don't get the humour (one of the selling points of the book, according to the blurb).

Gonna start on Trouble, his second book. Crossing my fingers

It's in the papers.

Now, isn't this interesting.

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The Star Online > Focus

Tuesday April 21, 2009

CULTIVATE READING HABIT BY CUTTING DOWN ON PRICES OF BOOKS

REFERRING to the article “Malaysians still not reading enough, says Muhyiddin” (Sunday Star, April 19), I would like to stress that books are too costly in Malaysia, something book lovers in the country would agree with me wholeheartedly.

A hardbound bestseller would set one back almost a hundred ringgit. Paperbacks are not cheap either. Depending on prints, those of higher quality papers are almost double the price of conventional paperbacks.

If one checks out the recommended retail price of these books in their country of origin, they cost much less. For an average earner here, buying books is something of a burden.

Public libraries here are not that accessible either. Taking a leaf from our neighouring country down south, there public libraries are good enough and easily accessible via public transportations.

Books can be loaned from one branch and returned to another while reservations can also be made online. Their collection is also up-to-date.

I am sure parents would love to buy as many books for their children as possible. But RM1,000 tax exemption for reading materials annually isn’t enough.

So, instead of making a sweeping statement like “Malaysians do not read enough”, perhaps the authority should look into why this is so. Why are the prices of books rising and where are the libraries?

Books provide knowledge and information and we cannot do without them if we want to cultivate a well-read generation.

SAY-PIAU,
Seremban.

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This was lifted from TheStar Online newspaper from the Opinion pages.

See! Malaysians do want to read, it's just that we have to pay through our noses just to be able to do so. And then be made to take the blame, when we succumb to financial constraints.

This is a problem in Malaysia

What problem, I hear you ask?
Apparently, we is not reading enough. And it's our fault.
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The Star Online > Nation

Sunday April 19, 2009

MALAYSIANS STILL NOT READING ENOUGH, SAYS MUHYIDDING

KUALA LUMPUR: Although Malaysia has among the highest literacy rates in South-East Asia, Malaysians prefer light reading material like newspapers and magazines to books.

According to literacy statistics, out of 85% of Malaysians who read regularly, 77% of them prefer newspapers, 3% read magazines, 3% read books and 1.6% read comics.

“If we were to compare with American citizens, 53% of them read fiction and 43% of them read non-fiction books.

“Malaysians are more inclined to read light material while citizens from developed countries read books,” Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said at the launch of the Kuala Lumpur International Book Fair 2009 at the Putra World Trade Centre yesterday.

The text of his speech was read out by Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong.

The UN Development Programme’s 2007/2008 report said the literacy rate of Malaysians, at 93.2%, was behind developed countries like Japan, Britain, the United States, Australia and Germany, which have literacy rates of 99%.

“We still have room for improvement in terms of increasing the literacy rate to 99% by 2020 and the quality of material that we read. Parents play an important role in nurturing the reading habit among their children.

“Students should read more books, not just revision books or textbooks for examinations,” he said.

The organiser of the book fair has targeted 2.5 million visitors this year. Last year, 2.2 million people visited the book fair compared with 700,000 in 2006.

Muyhiddin also said that more bookstores should be opened in the country. Currently, 45% of bookstores are in the Klang Valley, 20% in Penang and Perak, while Johor has 10%.

Book fair organiser Datuk Ivan Hoe said Malaysians thought twice about spending money on books but not on food.

“They forget that books are intellectual food,” he said.

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Ok, to cut long story pendek: it's a common notion that Malaysians do not read enough books that they are not made to read, and by Malaysians here, they mean students and young adults. Students are preoccupied with school books and textbooks whereas young adults are preoccupied with the Internet, pubs and work.

But if you live here, you would realize that books are so expensive that you would really think twice about buying them.

"Book fair organiser Datuk Ivan Hoe said Malaysians thought twice about spending money on books but not on food." (Honestly, I think they should have printed "... said Malaysians think twice..." but hey, wha-do-I-know?)

It isn't explained explicitly that a paperback here costs RM33.90 to RM43.90 whereas lunch will cost what... RM4.50 for the average working adult. Ask any Malaysian just how often can they spend 40 bucks on a single meal? Well, they don't. So the statement isn't really fair and is actually very misleading. As though it is our fault that we do not read as often as they do in the West.

How would you expect Malaysians to regularly buy RM35-books to read all the time? I mean I believe that a lot of people would love to, if they can afford it. I would. But, frankly, there are bills to pay, and I won't be able to read anything if the lights go off like an extended Earth-hour moment.

As a yardstick, for one to watch a movie at the cinema, it costs RM9 to RM11 (premier week), RM6 to RM7 for students, ladies night, seniors and early birds here... whereas the last Harry Potter book was sold for close to RM110 here. If it wasn't for the controversy regarding local hypermarkets selling the books at RM69.90, a 37% loss at their expense for each book, many of us would have opted to wait for someone to put up the whole plot on good old Wikipedia.

Keep the prices of books down to below RM15.00, then we'll talk.

I do try to read a book every month but my husband always nags me whenever he sees the price tags at the back of the books I buy. Psychological torture really. But, it's my fault la.

Smart books

I read The Interpretation of Murder, written by Jed Rubenfeld over a year or two ago. I liked it the very the much.

Read me: The Interpretation of Murder by Jed Rubenfeld

There are plot twists, murders, analyses of dreams, logical reasoning of psychological symptoms and a main plot that can hold water. You can tell from the book that the writer has done research on it and I was pleasantly surprised to find out that he actually did a thesis about the subject before he wrote the book.

Perhaps that's why he wrote the book. Looking forward to his next project. If there is any. More people prefer to read chick-lit books apparently. Writers like Jed Rubenfeld are quite obscured by their choice of writing genres.


But that doesn't stop Jesse Kellerman from popping up with his genius work: The Brutal Art.

Read me: The Brutal Art by Jesse Kellerman

Apparently, the book also goes by another name, The Genius. Over here in Malaysia it is sold as The Brutal Art.

Yes, it deals with art and also with genius! (Speak it with oomph, people!) Okay maybe not so much on the genius, unless you count the writer. But the plot plays out well and he is the product of two crime writers of a previous generation: Faye and Johnathan Kellerman (confession: I don't know who they are, I will try to read their books if I can afford them - books are expensive in Malaysia, horrendously expensive. It's no wonder we don't read!).

I will not bore you or ruin the books for you by giving you synopses to what goes on inside the books. Read the blurbs (that's the short introduction at the back of the book for those of you who don't know the jargon of books) to be acquainted. I bought them based on the blurbs alone. I trust that you will use your judgements to read the books on your own accord.

Happy Reading!

Note this: Readers' discretion is advised as there may be disturbing elements in both books. I do not condone the acts that are depicted in the books stated, and you have been given fair warning.