October 30, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays : A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.

Teaser Tuesdays

Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.



A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin

From Page 163

Now you know, the crow whispered as it sat on his shoulder. Now you know why you must live.
"Why?" Bran said, not understanding, falling, falling.
Because winter is coming.

October 26, 2012

Review : Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves

Title : Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves

Author : Matthew Reilly

Reading Dates : 16 Sep - 20 Sep 2012

Total Pages : 453

Shane Schofield
  • Ice Station
  • Area 7
  • Scarecrow
  • Hell Island
  • Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves
  • Scarecrow Returns
From Amazon :
At an abandoned Soviet base in the Arctic, the battle to save the world has begun…

THE SECRET BASE. It is a top-secret base known only as Dragon Island. A long-forgotten relic of the Cold War, it houses a weapon of terrible destructive force, a weapon that has just been re-activated…

A RENEGADE ARMY. When Dragon Island is seized by a brutal terrorist force calling itself the Army of Thieves, the fate of the world hangs in the balance, and there are no crack units close enough to get there in time to stop the Army setting off the weapon.

ONE SMALL TEAM. Except, that is, for a small equipment-testing team up in the Arctic led by a Marine captain named Schofield, call-sign SCARECROW. It’s not a strike force; just a handful of Marines and civilians. It’s not equipped to attack a fortified island held by a vicious army.But Scarecrow will lead the team in anyway, because someone has to.

THE ULTIMATE HERO IS BACK, FACING THE ULTIMATE ARMY OF VILLAINS

Book Review of Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves.

Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves was an experiment for me. I’d never read Matthew Reilly’s books before and picked it up out of curiosity. I was nicely surprised.

Scarecrow and the Army of Thieves was an exciting read. A few hours of mindless violence mixed in with improbable situations with amazing special effects. It reminds me of the kind of action thrillers I like to catch on the big screen occasionally.. Not the kind of book I’d recommend but one I can’t help liking.

What I loved most about it though was Bertie, the little robot that follows one of Scarecrow’s team members around. I couldn’t stop imagining him as a combination of Wall-E and the spirit of The Little Engine That Could combined. I’d pick up the next book in the series just so I could read about Bertie again.

A fun read. One that I wouldn’t mind repeating even if I find it a bit embarrassing that I actually liked it.

My conclusions :

  • Would I re-read the book ? Maybe, but just because I want to read about Bertie again.
  • Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Maybe.
  • Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Not really. It was fun but not a book I love.
  • Who would I recommend this too? Action thriller fans.
  • For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Borrow it.


October 23, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays : Ice Station and Area 7 by Matthew Reilly

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.

Teaser Tuesdays

Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.



Ice Station by Matthew Reilly

From Page 475

"Oh, great. It's nice to see my tax dollars at work. You guys build a satellite location system so that they can find my body. Wow."


Area 7 by Matthew Reilly

From Page 400

"We have to get to the President."
"I know," Gant said, "but first ... I have to ... save your ass."

October 21, 2012

In My Mailbox : Son of Neptune and The Devil's Bones

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren.
In My Mailbox

Anyone can participate. IMM is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house last week.

Bought:



Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

Percy is confused. When he awoke after his long sleep, he didn’t know much more than his name. His brain-fuzz is lingering, even after the wolf Lupa told him he is a demigod and trained him to fight. Somehow Percy managed to make it to the camp for half-bloods, despite the fact that he had to continually kill monsters that, annoyingly, would not stay dead. But the camp doesn't ring any bells with him.

Hazel is supposed to be dead. When she lived before, she didn’t do a very good job of it. When the Voice took over her mother and commanded Hazel to use her “gift” for an evil purpose, Hazel couldn’t say no. Now, because of her mistake, the future of the world is at risk.

Frank is a klutz. His grandmother claims he is descended from ancient heroes and can be anything he wants to be, but he doesn’t see it. He doesn’t even know who his father is. He keeps hoping Apollo will claim him, because the only thing he is good at is archery—although not good enough to help the Fifth Cohort win at war games. His big and bulky physique makes him feel like a clumsy ox, especially in front of Hazel, his closest friend at camp. He trusts her completely—enough, even, to share the secret he holds close to his heart.

Beginning at the “other” camp for half-bloods and extending as far north as the land beyond the gods, this breathtaking second installment in the Heroes of Olympus series introduces new demigods, revives fearsome monsters, and features other remarkable creatures, all of whom are destined to play a part in the most important quest of all: the Prophecy of Seven.


The Devil's Bones by Jefferson Bass

A woman's charred body has been found inside a burned car atop a hill in Knoxville. Forensic anthropologist Bill Brockton is on the case, torching bodies to research how fire consumes flesh and bone. Days later, he receives a mysterious package - a set of cremated remains that seems entirely unreal. As Brockton investigates, he uncovers a truth too horrifying to believe Meanwhile, disgraced medical examiner, and Brockton's nemesis, Garland Hamilton, has escaped from custody. A deadly game of cat and mouse begins, with Brockton's life at stake. Finally running Hamilton to ground, Brockton finds only the incinerated remains of his enemy, or does he? Before he finds the truth, Brockton will face his ultimate test.

[ What I spent on the books : RM 55.00 ]

October 20, 2012

On My Wishlist : Next in my series addiction

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted at Book Chick City.
On My Wishlist
Do you have any books that you desperately want but haven't bought yet? The books can be old, new or forthcoming.

The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore



From Amazon :


Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive.

Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others. . . .

I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others—including John.

But so are they.

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They caught me in New York—but I escaped.
I am Number Six.
They want to finish what they started.

But they'll have to fight us first.


Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward



From Amazon :
Ever since the death of his shellan, Tohrment has been unrecognizable from the vampire leader he once was. Physically emaciated and heartbroken beyond despair, he has been brought back to the Brotherhood by a self-serving fallen angel. Now, fighting once again with ruthless vengeance, he is unprepared to face a new kind of tragedy.

When Tohr begins to see his beloved in his dreams—trapped in a cold, isolated netherworld far from the peace and tranquillity of the Fade—he turns to the angel in hopes of saving the one he has lost. But because Lassiter tells him he must learn to love another to free his former mate, Tohr knows they are all doomed....

Except then a female with a shadowed history begins to get through to him. Against the backdrop of the raging war with the lessers, and with a new clan of vampires vying for the Blind King’s throne, Tohr struggles between the buried past and a very hot, passion-filled future…but can his heart let go and set all of them free?

Lover At Last by J.R. Ward


From Amazon :
The eleventh novel in the stunning #1 New York Times bestselling Black Dagger Brotherhood series--the hotly anticipated story that finally unites Blay and Qhuinn...forever.


The Kingmaker's Daughter



From Amazon :
Spies, poison, and curses surround her…. Is there anyone she can trust?

In The Kingmaker’s Daughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author Philippa Gregory presents a novel of conspiracy and a fight to the death for love and power at the court of Edward IV of England.

The Kingmaker’s Daughter is the gripping story of the daughters of the man known as the “Kingmaker,” Richard Neville, Earl of Warwick: the most powerful magnate in fifteenth-century England. Without a son and heir, he uses his daughters Anne and Isabel as pawns in his political games, and they grow up to be influential players in their own right. In this novel, her first sister story since The Other Boleyn Girl, Philippa Gregory explores the lives of two fascinating young women.

At the court of Edward IV and his beautiful queen, Elizabeth Woodville, Anne grows from a delightful child to become ever more fearful and desperate when her father makes war on his former friends. Married at age fourteen, she is soon left widowed and fatherless, her mother in sanctuary and her sister married to the enemy. Anne manages her own escape by marrying Richard, Duke of Gloucester, but her choice will set her on a collision course with the overwhelming power of the royal family and will cost the lives of those she loves most in the world, including her precious only son, Prince Edward. Ultimately, the kingmaker’s daughter will achieve her father’s greatest ambition.

Traitor Queen by Trudi Canavan


From Amazon :
Discover the magic of Trudi Canavan with her brand new novel in the Traitor Spy trilogy...

Events are building to a climax in Sachaka as Lorkin returns from his exile with the Traitor rebels. The Traitor Queen has given Lorkin the huge task of brokering an alliance between his people and the Traitors. Lorkin has also had to become a feared black magician in order to harness the power of an entirely new kind of gemstone magic. This knowledge could transform the Guild of Magicians - or make Lorkin an outcast forever.

The Traitor Spy trilogy, which began with The Ambassador's Mission and The Rogue, is the new series set in the world of the international bestselling Black Magician trilogy.

The Sins of the Father by Jeffrey Archer


From Amazon :
On the heels of the international bestseller Only Time Will Tell, Jeffrey Archer picks up the sweeping story of the Clifton Chronicles….

Only days before Britain declares war on Germany, Harry Clifton, hoping to escape the consequences of long-buried family secrets, and forced to accept that his desire to marry Emma Barrington will never be fulfilled, has joined the Merchant Navy. But his ship is sunk in the Atlantic by a German U-boat, drowning almost the entire crew. An American cruise liner, the SS Kansas Star, rescues a handful of sailors, among them Harry and the third officer, an American named Tom Bradshaw. When Bradshaw dies in the night, Harry seizes on the chance to escape his tangled past and assumes his identity.

But on landing in America, he quickly learns the mistake he has made, when he discovers what is awaiting Bradshaw in New York. Without any way of proving his true identity, Harry Clifton is now chained to a past that could be far worse than the one he had hoped to escape.

Black Heart by Holly Black


From Amazon :

Love is dangerous and trust is priceless in Holly Black’s “powerful, edgy dark” fantasy series (Publishers Weekly).

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth

From Amazon :
A political operative and a volunteer are brutally murdered. Written in their blood on the wall of the crime scene: IT'S GOOD TO BE BACK. In 145 years, Nathaniel Cade, the President's vampire, has fought one particular evil over and over again: the source of urban legends and nightmares across the country. It has gone by many names and guises, but is best known by the one that all children instinctively fear: the Boogeyman. No matter how Cade kills him, the Boogeyman always comes back. When the killer begins targeting the president's people on the campaign trail, Cade and his human handler, Zach Barrows, are tasked with cleaning up the mess before it spills over into the upcoming election. Cade and Zach must stop the one monster Cade has never been able to defeat completely. And they must do it before the Boogeyman adds another victim to his long and bloody list: the President of the United States himself.

October 19, 2012

Review : The President's Vampire by Christopher Farnsworth

Title : The President's Vampire

Author : Christopher Farnsworth

Reading Dates : 14 Sep - 16 Sep 2012

Total Pages : 335


The President's Vampire
  • Blood Oath
  • The President's Vampire
  • Red, White and Blood
From Amazon :
The ultimate secret. The ultimate agent. Nathaniel Cade returns.

For 140 years, Nathaniel Cade has been the President's Vampire, sworn to protect and serve his country. Cade's existence is the most closely guarded of White House secrets: a superhuman covert agent who is the last line of defense against nightmare scenarios that ordinary citizens only dream of.

When a new outbreak of an ancient evil-one that he has seen before- comes to light, Cade and his human handler, Zach Barrows, must track down its source. To "protect and serve" often means settling old scores and confronting new betrayals . . . as only a centuries-old predator can.

Book Review of The President's Vampire.

Once again, I had fun with Christopher Farnsworth’s The President’s Vampire series.

Nathaniel Cade and Zach Barrows’ story remains as exciting and fast-paced as ever. The only disappointing bit was Zach’s development as a character. After the incidents in Blood Oath, I had thought that Zach had matured but this doesn’t seem to be the case. While he seems to have grasped the importance of his role, he doesn’t seem ready yet to shoulder the responsibilities and sacrifices that comes with it. Quite often in The President’s Vampire, Zach behaves like a petulant teenager, unwilling to listen to Cade’s advice when it involved personal sacrifices.

The other intriguing bit to the second book was how Cade’s oath here becomes a disadvantage. Early on, I had already wondered what would happen if the wrong person got control of the vampire since he is compelled to obey the orders from the President and his representatives. While the events that transpire here don’t get that far, it does give us a taste of what could happen. And Cade’s nemesis, The Shadow Company seems to have even considered the possibility of gaining control of him themselves.

All in all, an exciting and fun read. I especially love the ending when Cade manages to find a way around his oath.

My conclusions :

  • Would I re-read the book ? Definitely.
  • Would I want to read the next book in the series ? Yes. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next book.
  • Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Yes.
  • Who would I recommend this too? Paranormal, horror or thriller fans.
  • For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? Buy it. Definitely a keeper.

October 16, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays : The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.

Teaser Tuesdays

Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.



The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

From Page 33

Oh, well, I think. There will be twenty-four of us. Odds are someone else will kill him before I do.
Of course, the odds have not been very dependable of late.


Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

From Page 380

"... a reminder to the rebels that even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol ..."
Not even the strongest of the strong will triumph. Perhaps they never intended to have a victor in these Games at all. Or perhaps my final act of rebellion forced their hand.

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

From Page 98

My ongoing struggle with the Capitol, which has so often felt like a solitary journey, has not been undertaken alone. I have had thousands upon thousands of people from the districts at my side. I was their Mockingjay long before I accepted the role.

October 12, 2012

Review : The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Title : The Kite Runner

Author : Khaled Hosseini

Reading Dates : 07 Sep - 11 Sep 2012

Total Pages : 340


From Amazon :
The timely and critically acclaimed debut novel that's becoming a word-of-mouth phenomenon. An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present.

The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father's servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed. It is about the power of reading, the price of betrayal, and the possibility of redemption, and it is also about the power of fathers over sons-their love, their sacrifices, their lies.

The first Afghan novel to be written in English, The Kite Runner tells a sweeping story of family, love, and friendship against a backdrop of history that has not been told in fiction before, bringing to mind the large canvases of the Russian writers of the nineteenth century. But just as it is old-fashioned in its narration, it is contemporary in its subject-the devastating history of Afghanistan over the last thirty years. As emotionally gripping as it is tender, The Kite Runner is an unusual and powerful debut.

Book Review of The Kite Runner.

The Kite Runner was another enjoyable and unexpectedly emotional read.

I should have disliked the protagonist for the betrayal he perpetrates on his supposed best friend. Yet, I couldn’t help sympathizing with his dilemma. What he does is undoubtedly wrong and just one of the many terrible mistakes he makes. But Khaled Hosseini makes Amir so real and human that it is difficult to judge him harshly. Its hard to condemn someone when you find yourself wondering if you would find the courage Amir couldn’t.

Amir’s redemption when it comes was most unexpected. And the irony doesn’t escape me that what his father failed to instill in him while he remained a hero in Amir’s eyes, he did when his human failings were revealed to Amir. The thought that something good can result from bad deeds is not something I’d like to contemplate. Still, I suppose that’s what second chances are about.

The ending for The Kite Runner was great too. Not a happy ending nor a sad one. Just enough to make me hope that the main characters in the tale find a measure of happiness in the future.

My conclusions :

  • Would I re-read the book ?Yes.
  • Would I want to read the next book in the series if there were one? Possibly.
  • Would I want to own my personal copy if I didn’t already own it ? Not really. These aren't my typical reads.
  • Who would I recommend this too? Fiction readers looking for something with an emotional punch.
  • For those looking to read the book, would I recommend buying or borrowing the book? I'd say borrow it first. This book isn't for all readers.

October 9, 2012

Teaser Tuesdays : Bones of Betrayal and The Bone Thief by Jefferson Bass

Teaser Tuesdays is hosted at Should Be Reading.

Teaser Tuesdays

Share 2 teaser sentences from your current read. Be careful not to include spoilers.




Bones of Betrayal

From Page 13

"The LD means 'lethal dose'. What Dr. Sorensen is saying, very tactfully, is that first I probably lose my hands, and then God tosses a coin to see whether I live or die."



The Bone Thief by Jefferson Bass

From Page 143

"Don't worry," he said. "I'm not trying to commit suicide by sepsis." After a pause he added, "Shall we continue?"

October 8, 2012

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday What Are You Reading ? is hosted at Book Journey.
It's Monday What Are You Reading?
Where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week.

What I Read:



What I Reviewed:



What I’m Reading:



What I Plan to Read next:


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