thirst no. 1 by christopher pike

The Summary:

Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive.

Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....

I also recommend this a few days back here.

My Thought on This:

The book was an omnibus, a collaboration of three consecutive books: "The Last Vampire," "Black Blood," and "Red Dice," stories which tell you the life of a Vampire Girl named Sita/Alisa/Lara.

In the first section, "The Last Vampire," we learn of the main character of how she became a vampire, the life she led before she was transformed, and of her creator.There were some really good action scenes where Sita gets to demonstrate to the reader and to her prey how powerful she has become after 5,000 years of life. Sita is an interesting character who may seem a little too much like Wonderwoman, but she is a vampire after all, right? And she doesn't pull punches in making her powerful. The writing is straightforward, with some witty sentences that will stick in your mind. Sita was changed in her twenties, and sometimes she's very confused in her emotions, but she also has the wisdom of her five thousand years. Made she thinks wiser.

While in "Black Blood," Sita is investigating a string of killings that she believes must be coming from a newborn vampire or worse, a group of newborns (Recall something from Eclipse??). It becomes more intense as Sita is faced with many life or death situations. In contrast to the typical stereotype, Sita is the powerhouse and Ray is her wimpy backup. He's somewhat whiny and not very thrilled about being a vampire (he won't drink blood for example; a Bella version??), while Sita is as ruthless or as loving as the situation dictates. I sometime thinking of her as a Damon version (V.Diaries)). She lives very quiet in the moment, doing what she believes is necessary to protect humanity (And more like Stefan this way *LOL*). I don't know how Pike got this idea when he created a different kind of vampire, which covers loneliness, disease, religion in an intriguing way. I think he is so intelligent in his merging of the vampire storyline with Krishna and Hinduism. That's something has to do with originality of one's idea, don't you think?

The last part in this volume is "Red Dice". "Red Dice" picks up immediately where the last section had ended. And how Sita being mortal, once again. This one ended really quickly and I'm not really satisfied with it. Don't get me wrong. I like the third part. Sita faced a lot more difficulties and here lies the true part of her previous life. And at some point, her thinking to solve things can be a bit boring.

Well, overall, it's not like a love-vamp-story. And not even close like Twilight (Honestly, I can only compare to that, I havent read any vamp stories other than Twilight). But I really hope you give this one a try. And love to hear your opinions too. =)

My Rating: 5/5

24 hours by greg iles

The Summary (Goodreads):

24 Hours begins with the perfect family. On the perfect night. About to be trapped in the perfect crime.

Will and Karen Jennings are a successful young couple with every reason to celebrate. From modest beginnings they have built the life of their dreams. Will has a thriving medical practice, and stands at the threshold of a great fortune. Karen has designed a magnificent house to shelter them and the five-year-old daughter they love beyond measure. But they are about to be tested in a way they could never imagine.

They have been targeted by John Hickey, a genius who has found the key to one of the oldest crimes in the world - Kidnapping. Hickey has turned the crime inside out, creating an unbreakable knot of technology and terror that no man can unravel. In twenty-four hours of hellish precision, he squeezes a family's pressure points, extracts the ransom, and vanishes into thin air, leaving the hostage alive but the family too shattered even to call the police. Five times he has executed his plan, and not once has he been caught. He is unstoppable. Untouchable.

But this time Hickey wants more than money. This time he is driven by the pain of his own family tragedy, one he lays at the door of Will and Karen Jennings. He means to avenge it in his own terrible way and disappear forever. He has reckoned every factor but one: Will, Karen, and Abby Jennings share a love that only the closest families know, and from that love grows a formidable strength.

Though miles apart, the brilliant physician, the protective mother, and the resourceful child struggle against the clock to thwart the madman who threatens their family, and to reunite at last. They have twenty-four hours to succeed where others have failed. Twenty-four hours to cut the unbreakable knot. Twenty-four hours to live or die.

My Thought:

This is actually his first book that I ever read. The story is well written, fast paced, with some twists that literally make you sit up and can't stop reading. Work for me at least. A story of a kidnapping fought with a family's love and determination, with his usual ability to tap not only into the hearts and minds of his heroes, but also into the hearts and minds of his villains, making you shudder with his realism.

A movie was made of this book, starring Kevin Bacon and Charlize Theron with different title; Trapped. The young daughter of a successful doctor and his wife kidnapped. The head kidnapper stays with the mother, while the knockout female kidnapper's wife stays with the doctor (who is at a convention) until daylight, when he can access his bank account to get the money. The kidnapper didn't know that the child is diabetic, so his careful plans must be changed to keep the girl alive until the money can be collected.

Greg Iles is a great writer and this is the most cinematically dramatic of his books. There are some harrowing scenes that are visually pretty darn crazy. You can see why they made a movie of this one. I ensure you both of the book and the movie are great and has it's own uniqueness, with incredibly suspense!

I think Greg Iles is a guaranteed delight. Have you ever read his books?

My Rating: 4.5/5

unexpected pleasures by jayne ann krentz, barbara delinsky and vicki lewis thompson

1) The Family Way by Jayne Ann Krentz

Expecting a baby was supposed to be the incredible thing in her life, but for Pru Kenyon, it was bittersweet. Her relationship with Case McCord was both exciting and satisfying. But she knew Case wasn't willing to take it to the next level of commitment. So she did the only thing she could, she walked away from the love of her life.

2) The Stud by Barbara Delinsky

Jenna McCue had never gone looking for a "stud" service before. but since Spencer Smith was a professional adventurer, he might look on this favor as just another adventure to notch on his belt. Only a few minutes with test tube in a doctor's office. But Spencer had other ideas. If he agreed to father a baby, it would be the old fashioned way..

3) As Time Goes By by Vicki Lewis Thompson

If only Cliff Hamilton had opened his eyes in high school, Sara Melton had been crazy about him! Now, ten years later, Sara was an exciting and damned independent woman. How was he to convince her that he was the man for her?

My Thought on the Stories:

I read this without knowing that it's a Harlequin Romance. At first I thought, why the book is all about a very deeply romance kind of a type? But, I did enjoy the rest of the reading, without sulking. I found Harlequin/ Mills and Boons/ Silhouette romance novel is typical, sweet and a very light reading. I can't say more about how to elaborate each of the story because each of it consists of ~200 pages or less. It's a short romance story with a love persuasion. You know what I mean right.

It is a delight to read any of Harlequin/Mills and Boons novels. Like a desert. Maybe like eating a scoop of chocolate ice-cream with some chocolate rice topping. A pleasure in a short time, that's how I call it.

Have you read any Harlequin/ Mills and Boons novel lately?

My Rating: 3/5

on my wishlist #6

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Saturday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here.

I'm thinking of what books will be that I want to pile up in my wish-list. I have no idea, particularly or certainly because there are so many books unread and my fiancee keep lecturing me. Well, I like buying any books I can reach at bookstores/online whether it's new, used, half-price or whatever in between. I know he's somewhat more on non-fiction (management, motivation, business thingy books..urghhh..) and he likes to finish what he has first, then buy a new one afterward. The only thing we could share is comic/ cartoon magazines. *LOL* or maybe the Chicken Soup for The Soul Collections.

Okay, enough on that. I know what I want to have now. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman. I haven't read any of this trilogy. Maybe I might read it soon. I've watch the Golden Compass and fascinating by the story. Bet the books will be better.


Book title: The Northern Light #1 (The Golden Compass)

Author: Philip Pullman

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Summary (Goodreads):

Some books improve with age--the age of the reader, that is. Such is certainly the case with Philip Pullman's heroic, at times heart-wrenching novel, The Golden Compass, a story ostensibly for children but one perhaps even better appreciated by adults. The protagonist of this complex fantasy is young Lyra Belacqua, a precocious orphan growing up within the precincts of Oxford University. But it quickly becomes clear that Lyra's Oxford is not precisely like our own--nor is her world. For one thing, people there each have a personal dæmon, the manifestation of their soul in animal form. For another, hers is a universe in which science, theology, and magic are closely allied:

"As for what experimental theology was, Lyra had no more idea than the urchins. She had formed the notion that it was concerned with magic, with the movements of the stars and planets, with tiny particles of matter, but that was guesswork, really. Probably the stars had dæmons just as humans did, and experimental theology involved talking to them."

Not that Lyra spends much time worrying about it; what she likes best is "clambering over the College roofs with Roger the kitchen boy who was her particular friend, to spit plum stones on the heads of passing Scholars or to hoot like owls outside a window where a tutorial was going on, or racing through the narrow streets, or stealing apples from the market, or waging war." But Lyra's carefree existence changes forever when she and her dæmon, Pantalaimon, first prevent an assassination attempt against her uncle, the powerful Lord Asriel, and then overhear a secret discussion about a mysterious entity known as Dust. Soon she and Pan are swept up in a dangerous game involving disappearing children, a beautiful woman with a golden monkey dæmon, a trip to the far north, and a set of allies ranging from "gyptians" to witches to an armor-clad polar bear.

Other book in the trilogy;

#2 The Subtle Knife

#3 The Amber Spyglass

So, what's on your wishlist this week?

recommend me #4

Did I ever tell you that I love Christopher Pike? I thought I did but maybe I don't. But I like to recommend The Last Vampire Saga to you. You might have look/come across your eyes about the book in different titles. Well, I just knew it a week ago after I re-read The Last Vampire (3 in 1 omnibus). Later I found out it is actually has new cover and has two volumes entitled Thirst No. 1 and Thirst No. 2. I don't think I will like the title but have to admit I love the new cover. I've read the first volume last week and in progress to write a review. I love the book and I would love to share/recommend it with/to you.

1) Thirst No. 1 (The Last Vampire, Bad Blood, Red Dice)

Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive.

Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....

2) Thirst No. 2 (Phantom, Evil Thirst, Creatures of Forever)

What Alisa has desired for five thousand years has finally come true: She is once again human. But now she is defenseless, vulnerable, and, for the first time in centuries, emotional. As she attempts to reconcile her actions as a vampire with her new connection to humanity, she begins to understand the weight of lifeand-death decisions. Can Alisa resolve her past and build a new identity, or is she doomed to repeat her fatal mistakes?


Kate at the The Neverending Shelf is hosting this fun weekly meme Recommend Me where you recommend a book, old or new, that you really enjoyed.

To play along, grab a favorite read and tell us about it. You can include your thoughts about the novel, its summary, your favorite memory related to the novel. Happy Reading!

the friday 56 #4

The Ravenscar Dynasty by Barbara Taylor Bradford.

The following day, Lily had asked herself why she had become so quickly entranced by this young man, one who is obviously so much younger than she. And she had known the answer immediately.

Overwhelming sexual desire.

The Friday 56 is hosted by Tonya @ Story Time With Tonya and Friends.

You can find the rules here. Happy Friday!

dear john by nicholas sparks

The Summary (Goodreads):

An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.

My Thought of The Book:

Okay, the first chapter of the book already stated that John and Savannah are not together in the end. But it doesn't stop me to finish the book till the end as I like Nicholas Sparks on his previous books I've had read. It intrigued me more than ever of what was actually happened to their relationship.

I know this doesn't end with happy ending but the story was entirely amazed me although I already knew what the finishing line. Nicholas Sparks never fail to amuse me and Dear John is another heartbreaking and pulled my heartstrings.

I love the fact that the love story between John and Savannah are sweet and true; in the beginning, or at least to John in the end. John sacrificed a lot for Savannah and I think it's not that Savannah meant to break her promise to wait for John, but fate plays it's own part. September 11 is a big thing and changes a lot of other person's life too. And that changes everything between john and Savannah.

I cried, but not because of John and Savannah. I particularly cried because of John and his dad. Knowing the fact that his father has an Asperger; some sort of disability, made John realized that he finally learned to love his father. Thanks that to Savannah.

I am angry for the sad ending and mostly on the reality that leaves John with nothing. No love, no money. But one thing for sure, John believe that he finally know the meaning of loving someone that is when you care for another person's happiness more than your own, no matter how painful the choices you face might be. However, living with the fact that there will always never be a happy ending eventually in every relationship/love story, I come to the conclusion that I love the book, very much.

My Rating: 4.5/5

blog award #8:beautiful blogger

I just got this one today from Jennifer G. @ The Introverted Reader and Lisa @ Book Blab. Thanks!

The rules for accepting this award:

1.Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.

2.Pass this award on to 15 bloggers you've recently discovered and whom you think are fantastic

3.Contact said Blogs to let them know they've won

4.State 7 Things about yourself!

Well, 7 things about me? I think the list is telling, but it might change in future *LOL* ;p

1) I love to buy books, read books but sometimes just love to buy them and find myself fail to finish them all.

2) I love to cook and eat any kind of pasta, chocolate/cheese cakes and chocolate/vanilla ice cream. Eat them loads whenever I feel either too happy or too sad.

3) I am not a talkative person, seriously. The only way I found myself at ease with people is when I write or blogging.

4) I love plants. Any kind of it. And I am very much a "their-scientific-name-freak" when it comes to plants. My dream is to be a botanist in future and I think I'm on the right track now. Hope so.

5) I LOVE to read mangas, watch animes, comedies, cartoon and avoid/despise horror movie. Never ever watch one in my entire life. I know I'm such a coward/ chicken out.

6) Not in a good term with my father. It's not a secret now.

7) Sometime I want to be someone else. And sometime I like to be just who I am.

Now you know at least 7 things about me and this is the time when I pass on the award to some fantastic bloggers I knew. They are;

Amelia @ Imagination in Focus
Melissa @ I Swim for Oceans
Shy @ Bibliophile's Journal
Alice Teh @ Hello My Name is Alice
Melody @ Melody's Corner
Stephanie @ StephTheBookworm
Lynne @ Lynne's Book Reviews
Ashley @ Bellas Novellas
Book Pusher @ The Genteel Arsenal
Hannah @ Changing My Definition of Life
Kathrin @ Secret Dreamworld of a Bookaholic
Suey @ It's All About Books
T @ Reading Schtuff
Rhiana @ Rhiana Reads...
Ivana @ Willing to See Less

I don't know if you already have this but I like to pass it anyway. I try to pass any award I got to all friends, followers and buddies I know ever since I start blogging. Thanks for noticing me, this humble girl out of nowhere. =)

the host by stephanie meyer

The Summary (Stephanie Meyer):

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

My Thought On This:

Well, did I enjoy this book? Yes. Did I like the book? Wait, let me think twice. Yes? No? Maybe it is a yes. I like The Twilight Saga. But this one, thank God it was different. Vampire thingy sounds just OK since there's load of that type of books. But alien invasion? Plus without a body is way beyond our imagination/ thinking.

The "I like Part" is that Stephanie Meyer did a good job. She thinks of another kind of paranormal genre (no Vamps involved). The storyline was great and the idea of alien (like I said before) is way too cool. The last time I read anything about alien invasion was from Sidney Sheldon (The Doomsday Conspiracy). So I guess she did a good job creating another interesting perspective of idea in her writing instead the typical vampires. I think it is a lot better than the Twilight Saga when it comes to the idea. But still, Breaking Dawn is the best.

The "I don't Like Part" is The Host somehow I thought it should be a bit heavy or maybe adventurous read since it can be categorized a sci-fi @ adult instead I found it is only another Young Adult genre. The focus is more on love conflict and tangling in solving problem a bit later. I felt like there were parts that dragged a bit, and it was long (or boring?). It is sci-fi, so there were things about it that were bizarre. I don't mind to read a long written novel, but at least it has to make my adrenaline rush. Harry Potter did that successfully to me.

There's always at least a but or more, about flaws in the book. It is fascinating, but there are a few things i found a little bit senseless. I think Stephanie love to have a dumb/clumsy/rebellious heroin in her books. Like Bella (in Twilight), Melanie also have this strong will to repel something or whatever. So skeptical and typical characteristic. Her characters are shallow and unbelievable, and the way she delivers a plot I have to admit, leaves the reader wanting much more. But I think she has some seriously messed up views on what is and isn't "romantic" in a relationship. But, she is a good storyteller somehow. I liked this one more than I did the Twilight series, but the similarities between the two made me realize I was reading more of her hopelessly teenage romance, and that she just changed the vampires to aliens, perhaps.

Do I like the book? Yes. No. Maybe yes and no. But a lot in yes. =)

My rating: 4/5

blog award #7: bliss (happy 101)

Another award! Yeay! Shantal @ Bookenerds are Pretty Too was very kind and sweet to pass on this yummy award to me. I love it, Shantal =p

The rules of this award are that I must list 10 things that make me happy and then pass on 10 other bloggers.

Well, this is hard. But to pick 10 bloggers is REALLY hard because I think everyone should received this. So I think I pass this lovely award to all my followers and buddies. Hope all of you will love it because I think everyone should be happy at anytime.. =p

1. My Family!
2. My Fiancee
3. Reading loads of BOOKS
4. Chocolate, though I'll regret it later =p
5. WINDOW shopping (because i know i'm not earning much, ha!)
   
6. dArLyN&bOoKs
7. reads lovely comments from YOU *LOL*
   
8. Losing weights; being thinner and slimmer
   
9. watching cartoons/ anime/ comedies
   
10. being MYSELF (@_@)
    

teaser tuesdays: 24 hours

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- 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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from 24 Hours by Greg Iles. I tell you, this one is awesome!
df

The white light shattered into stars, then faded to an unstable image of a screaming man.

All she saw was blood.

page 66.

it's monday! what are you reading? #5

What are you reading on Mondays? is a meme now hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books.

I read a few books while I'm on holidays but I kind of cheating because I don't write the reviews, yet. I promise I'll do it later. Twinkie promise ;p

1) The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike
2) The Host by Stephanie Meyer
3) Dear John by Nicholas Sparks

My holiday will end this week on Wednesday (*sob2*), I don't really have plan to read. But maybe a few in mind;

1) Unexpected Pleasures by Jayne Ann Krentz, Barbara Delinsky and Vicki Lewis Thompson (currently reading)
2) We'll see..... *LOL*

Bet you guys have better that I am.. *wink2*

judge a book by it's cover #5

Book's title: Burned

Author: Ellen Hopkins

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

Why I like It: Simplicity and can be intrigued by just the title; though no pictures

Rating: 4/5

blog award #6: prolific blogger

Today is Sunday (a great one!) I am so thrilled and grateful to Amelia. How lovely this one! And cute too! Thank you so much to Amelia @ Imagination in Focus and Rachel @ Home Girl Book Blog for this awesome award!

A Prolific Blogger is one who is intellectually productive (I wondering if I'm really am a productive blogger). Keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content.

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!

2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.

3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to this post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.

4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners. (Click here for the Mr. Linky page.)

I also am so excited to pass this award onto a few of my other awesome blog buddies!

• Shantal @ Booknerds are Pretty too
• Jennifer @ Rundpinne
• Christina @ Reading Extensively
• Caitlin @ All things print
  
• Amused @ Amused by Books
• Raila @ Get the books out of the shelves
• Sherry @ Flipping pages for all ages
  

They are among of my blogger buddies and really hope they will love this one =p

on my wishlist #5

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Saturday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here.

Everyone might already have this but I don't, yet. The books I'm talking about is Marked from The House of Night Series. I bet most of the YA fans already finish the 6th and probably can't wait for the 7th book of the series.. =)

Book title: Marked (The House of Nights #1)

Author: P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast

Format: Paperback

Genre: Fiction-YA Fantasy
Paperback: 348
Summary: (Goodreads)

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire--that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It’s tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Other titles from this series;

#2 Betrayed
#3 Chosen
#4 Untamed
#5 Hunted
#6 Tempted
#7 Burned

judge a book by it's cover #4

Book's title: Sex and the City

Author: Candance Bushnell

Publisher: Grand Central Publishing

Why I like It: It has Sarah Jessica Parker on it! *LOL* very intriguing isn't it?

Rating: 4.2/5

happy valentine and happy chinese new year!

Happy Chinese New Year to all my dearest Chinese friends especially Alice and Melody! May all of you have prosperous year celebration and blast holiday =p

And also Happy Valentines to everybody!

on my wishlist #4

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Saturday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here.

I think this time, I wish to have The Immortals Series.

Book title: Evermore (The Immortals #1)

Author: Alyson Noel

Format: Paperback

Genre: Fiction-YA Fantasy
Paperback: 356
Summary: (Goodreads)

Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste.

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.

Other titles on this series;

# 2 Blue Moon

# 3 Shadowland

# 4 Dark Flame

recommend me #3

Kate at the The Neverending Shelf is hosting this fun weekly meme Recommend Me where you recommend a book, old or new, that you really enjoyed.

To play along, grab a favorite read and tell us about it. You can include your thoughts about the novel, its summary, your favorite memory related to the novel.

I always love Sidney Sheldon's. I read all his books since I'm 16 and still re-read his books in my leisure time. but this year, I'm moving into something new and feel that I need a break from re-reading his books like old time *LOL* All his books are quite much stand alone books. However, two of it are series that I would like to recommend.

1) The Other Side of Midnight

Beautiful Noelle Page meets dashing WWII American pilot Larry Douglas in France and falls in love. She expects him to marry her, but instead Larry abandons her. In the United States, successful Catherine Alexander meets Larry Douglas and they marry. But Noelle hasn't forgotten Larry even as she's become a successful actress. She maneuvers to have Larry hired as the private pilot of her wealthy and powerful lover Constantin Demiris so she can seek revenge on him, but instead she and Larry rekindled their passion. Desperate to be together, Larry and Noelle make deadly plans. But soon the lovers face a terrible fate determined by the jealous Demiris using Catherine as his pawn.

**This one one has been made movie in 1977. And a huge success too.

2) Memories of Midnight

Catherine lost her memory and wound up in a convent in the care of nuns. She is later taken in by shipping tycoon Constantin Demiris and given a job in his Trade Corporation office in London. Catherine is actually Catherine Douglas, a woman believed to have been murdered by her husband Larry and his mistress Noelle Page. Noelle was also the mistress of Demiris and he had set up the trial lawyers so that Larry and Noelle would be executed. Catherine's emergence causes a threat of exposure to Demiris and he hires Atanas to assassinate her.

Bottom Line:

Sidney Sheldon's books have enormous promising ending and twist. I love the suspense and the mysterious storyline that always become his ingredients in his writings. Try one, and you'll never forget Sheldon's!

the friday 56 #3

The Friday 56 Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Story Time With Tonya and Friends.
*Post a link along with your post back to Story Time With Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.


Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

‘At any rate I’ll never go THERE again!’ said Alice as she picked her way through the wood.

‘It’s the stupidest tea-party I ever was at in all my life!’

here on earth by alice hoffman

The Summary (Goodreads):
In Here on Earth, the darker, obsessive side of love is revealed in all of its power, and with all the havoc it wreaks.

After nearly twenty years of living in California, March Murray, along with her fifteen-year-old daughter, Gwen, returns to the sleepy Massachusetts town where she grew up to attend the funeral of Judith Dale, the beloved housekeeper who raised her. Yet returning to her hometown also brings her back to Hollis, March s former soul mate and lover. March s father had taken the teenaged Hollis, an abandoned child, and the product of a series of detention homes, into his house as a boarder, and treated him like a son. Yet March and Hollis s passionate love was hardly a normal sibling relationship. When Hollis left her after a petty fight, March waited for him three long years, wondering what she had done wrong.

Encountering Hollis again makes March acutely aware of the choices that she has made, and the choices everyone around her has made including Mrs. Dale, who knew more of love than March could ever have suspected, and her brother Alan, whose tragic history has left him grief-struck, with alcohol as his only solace. Her attraction to Hollis is overwhelming and March jeopardizes her marriage, her relationship with her daughter and her own happiness in an attempt to reclaim the past.

My Thought on This:

I don't know whether I like or I dislike the book. The book was in Oprah's Book Club list back in 1999. I don't know why I read this from the start but I knew why I took so long to finish it. The only book I've read by hers was The Practical Magic. At least I like that one. This one, is beyond my imagination and when I said that means this one is likely not really good. Maybe it's because I don't like what it is all about.

Although the plot line seems interesting and promising, the book couldn't have been more *boring*. There, i said that. It's quite bizarre, I never figured out if the bad guy was really the devil or just a jerk. The main character was such an awful mother, putting her sex life ahead of her kids, I never identified with her or had any compassion. It is a frightening tale of how an otherwise self-sufficient woman can be sucked into an abusive love relationship. Some kind of dark romance.nThe woman comes back into contact with an old lover who had a strange hold over her when she was younger. It's an oddly compelling story.There are some characters, the teenagers, Gwen and Hank, prove to be the strongest characters in the novel, thank God.

Maybe the best part is because it makes you reflect on your own past relationships and question if you really have closure, or if you just forced yourself to block it out and forget the people you once loved. Of course, the book took an interesting turn, but not the kind of love story it started out to be.

Overall, not really what I had expected. I was planning to rate this as a "???", but the last 80 pages gave it an extra boost/credit.

My Rating:

Emm..ok

teaser tuesdays: the host

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- 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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Currently read The Host by Stephanie Meyer (love it at this particular moment!)

"The soul is ready, Fords". Darren informed him.

"So am I. Bring her".

it's monday, what are you reading? #4

What are you reading on Mondays? is a meme now hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World Of Books. (with a new logo too!)

This is my very favourite weekly but, unfortunately, I only finish a book without a posting review yet on that particular book. That book is;

1) Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman

So, eventually I will be on holiday tomorrow, I guess my goal to exploit most of my time this week reading books. There are a few;

1) The Host by Stephanie Meyer (read just a few pages)
2) The Last Vampire by Christopher Pike
3) Shadow Music by Julie Garwood

so, what are you reading?

on my wishlist #3

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City, which will be posted every Wednesday. It allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured. If you are anything like me then your wishlist is getting longer by the day! If you would like to take part and have your own 'On My Wishlist' post then you can find more info here. (This post was inspired by the fab In My Mailbox by Kristi at The Story Siren).

So, long story short, here are my list;

They are all from Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments! Well, i know everyone might already have them, but not me..*sigh*. I already have the first book, City of Bones (but never read it yet). So another is Book #2 City of Ashes and Book #3 City of Glass. I've read a lot of good reviews of how excellent. I'm not going to tell about these books much. Because I know most of you already know about this.. =p

friday follow

I read about this new weekly event at Chrisse and love to join it too. This is fun!

This is a great weekly meme hosted by Midday Escapades, One 2 Try and Hearts Make Families and it is a brilliant way to find other new and interesting blogs, whilst getting new followers for your own site.

Here’s how YOU can join the celebration:

1. Link up your blog name and URL using the MckLinky (at the host post). Only need to add on one blog to be seen on all the blog hops.

2. Follow the Friday Follow hostesses listed in the first 3 slots. They will follow you back.

3. Follow as many blogs as you’d like.

4. Take a moment to comment on the blogs telling them you’re from Friday Follow.

5. Follow back when you get a new follower through Friday Follow.

p/s: I love to have new friends =p

recommend me #2

Kate at the The Neverending Shelf is hosting this fun weekly meme Recommend Me where you recommend a book, old or new, that you really enjoyed.

To play along, grab a favorite read and tell us about it. You can include your thoughts about the novel, its summary, your favorite memory related to the novel... the possibilities are limitless.. =p

The Fear Street Saga Trilogy by R.L. Stine
The Betrayal #1
The Secret #2
The Burning #3

The Summary (Wikipedia):

The title of the series comes from the name of a street in Shadyside, which was named for the Fear family. Their name was originally spelled Fier, however after being told that the family was cursed and that the letters could be rearranged to spell "fire", Simon Fier changed it to Fear in the 19th century. The curse survived, however, and Simon and his wife Angelica brought it with them when they moved to Shadyside sometime after the Civil War. The curse began much earlier, in Puritan times when Benjamin and Matthew Fier had an innocent girl, Susannah Goode, executed for allegedly practicing wicthcraft. Although a fire allegedly burned the last of the Fears (preventing a Fear and Goode from marrying), the series features some surviving Fears suggesting one of the brothers survived. These events are described in the Fear Street Sagas, a spinoff of the main series.

The characters never stay the same, although some characters, such as Suki Thomas, appear in one book and are mentioned in, but unrelated to the plot of, many other books. Locations that were central in one story would have a cameo appearance later on.

Bottom Line:

I love this books. In my early preteen-age, I used to read a lot of R.L. Stine books. When I say a lot, it is a LOT. My mom still asking me as if when will I dispose all of the books. But she didn't throw them anyway. In my leisure time, I several times re-read the trilogy. It's eloquent with simple grudge twist. What I love most is the creation word of Fear, Fire, Fier. It's all makes sense as we read along till the end.

I recommend this books to all YA fan/lovers. It's a worth read, or maybe I should brilliant instead =)