Book Review : Mockingjay (The Hunger Games Trilogy Book #3)

Asslamualaikum...

Hi all......
WOw! it seems that I just cant stop with all the book review thing lol.... Well, when it comes to this book, i just cannnot NOT review it... it really has been awhile since I last felt this kind of adrenaline when it comes to reading a book.. You have this some of adrenaline wanting to not stop reading it because you are desperate to know WHAT HAPPENS NEXT???!! and then when you realize that you have been reading for quite awhile and only a few chapters left until it ends at that point you realize that you dont what everything to end.... you know how that feels? IT FEELS TERRIBLE!!...Because I LOVE this book SOOOOOO MUCHHHHH!!!... and that is how much I LOVEEEEEEEEEE it.....

::sobbing that the whole book has come to an end:: huhu...

Well lets go through the synopsis before I do the review on the book #3.. MOCKINGJAY....


Synopsis

As the novel opens, Katniss, Finnick & Beetee was saved by Haymich & Plutarch by a hovercraft from the 75th Hunger Game's arena. They and hundreds of other refugees and revolutionaries have been taken in by the citizens of District 13. While the other survivors from the 75th Hunger Game, Peeta, Johanna Mason & Enobaria was captured by The Capitol. The rumors were true, but District 13 is both more and less than anything she could have envisioned. While safety is a fluid concept in Katniss's experience, she is what passes for safe at the moment. Still, she is tortured by thoughts of Peeta, being held prisoner in the Capitol. And she is tortured by too many ghosts. We're introduced to a somewhat more fragile Katniss in this novel, and she is not the only character in a somewhat diminished state. The events unfolding around them, as well as those of the past few years, have taken a heavy toll. Both Johanna & Peeta was tortured by President Snow in order to get the details behind what the rebels have been planning. As a result, when the rebels managed to rescue Peeta and Johanna from The Capitol, both were tragically damaged mentally. Peeta was poisoned by tracker-jackers venom into thinking Katniss was a Mutt (Mutation) designed by Capitol to destroy district 12. So everytime he sees Katniss, he wanted to finish her. While Johanna was having Hydrophobia because while being captured by the capitol, they tortured her by trying to drown her.

As the book continues further, the rebels prepare for an invasion into the Capitol. It is in this preparatory segment that the past victors shine the brightest. Finnick and Johanna become of vital importance, Finnick in showing in the first half of the novel his love for Annie (and despondence at her capture along with Peeta), then later, after she is rescued and they are married, they become the Remus Lupin and Tonks (Harry Potter) of yet another trilogy. Every book has the couple who shows amid war and civil unrest the promise of happiness, and the best writers make us love them so dearly. Just as with Lupin, the ending, however, hurts. It is the kind of plot twist you cannot overlook--nobody, regardless of the side they take in a war, wants a child to grow up alone (which is, in my opinion, one of the most haunting moments in all of Harry Potter...seeing Harry's beginning echoed with the child of Remus and Tonks). Finnick will stay firmly in your memory after you close this book, and so will Johanna, but for an entirely different reason. She had the cell next to Peeta's in the Capitol, but unlike Peeta, who still cannot separate reality from fiction due to the venom, she remembers everything. She becomes a symbol of the Capitol's cruelty. Her strength and abrasiveness from Book 2 have been replaced with cowering at the sight of rain and an inability to bathe, due to the Capitol's technique of torturing her with water.

The final chapters will rip you apart. The deaths pile up, and we have to watch and feel with Katniss as the perils of war take their toll. Some deaths you cannot help but react-- we have grown to love some of these people so dearly-- but others, you may simply sigh or groan because it was yet another life that could not be avoided. While the battle between Presidents Coin and Snow heat up and the rebels and Capitol use increasingly underhanded tactics, Katniss simply attempts to keep her own ground force alive. It is reminiscent of the first two Hunger Games, and it takes her hunting skill combined with every ounce of her resourcefulness from years of starvation to preserve the lives of any in her unit. She still manages to keep a small amount alive, and she gets them to the Capitol lawn, intending to kill President Snow.

SPOILERS ALERT!!!!

The ending will hurt. I screamed as I visualized it- Prim, running across the lawn in full medic attire, one moment holding on the remainder of a fatally injured child, the next, being blown up herself. It was horrific. From that point, I could completely understand Katniss losing all will to live. She has lost the one thing she swore to protect, the only reason she ever entered the Hunger Games in the first place. The war has truly destroyed the most beautiful and innocent of things--Prim, who only wanted to be a doctor and help others.

On the day of President Snow's execution, Katniss kills President Coin with the arrow that was meant for Snow's execution. Katniss tries to commit suicide when the guards come for her, but Peeta stops her. When Katniss tells him to let go, Peeta says he can't. He implies later that he too went mad after Coin's death and that Aurelius, Katniss's mental doctor, was treating him too. He returns to District Twelve months after Katniss and Haymitch, where he plants several evening primroses along the house in honor of Katniss's dead sister, Prim. When she starts to write a book about their experiences during the Hunger Games, along with things she is unwilling to forget about it, Peeta and Haymitch join her. Peeta draws the victims if they were not able to find a picture of them. Peeta still has some "episodes" where the hijacking will try to take over again: he is mentioned clenching onto the back of a chair until it passed. Otherwise, he displays signs that he has returned to his former self. Katniss and Peeta slowly find each other again. Peeta comforts her when Katniss has nightmares. Katniss believes that she has finally found the once-lost feeling Peeta stirs inside of her, that she needs Peeta to survive because he symbolizes hope and rebirth rather than destruction (Gale). They play the game of Real or Not Real one more time: Peeta asks, "You love me, real or not real." Katniss answers, "Real."

In the epilogue, the pair are still togehter and have two children. Though it took fifteen years of convincing from Peeta, they have a girl with her mother's dark hair and her father's blue eyes, and a boy with his father's blond hair and his mother's gray eyes. Katniss feels hesitant to tell her children, but Peeta assures that it will be okay, because they have each other. So, one day, they will tell their children of the Hunger Games, share the book Haymitch, Peeta, and Katniss compiled together, explain Katniss' hysterical episodes during the night, and inform them of the graveyard they happily play above everyday. The graveyard is the burial site for the dead former-residents of District 12.

The Review

This was a brilliant conclusion to the trilogy. I can only compare it to "Harry Potter" - and that is extremely high praise, indeed.

When I first closed the book last night, I felt shattered, empty, and drained.

In this third book, right from the start Katniss was badly hurt... not really physically but more emotionally because of Peeta. we see how badly she wanted to protect the bread boy but she failed and even blame Haymich for not keeping his promise with her that they both would try to keep Peeta alive through out the game. The emotional roller coaster continues when the rebels managed to save Peeta from the Capitol and when Katniss was reaching for him the first thing he did was strangle her intending to kill. It was soo heart breaking not just for Katniss but also to the readers. I love how Suzanne Collins brilliantly just twist the plot and we readers didnt even see that coming. Especially not from Peeta.

And then there is Prim. The one person that Katniss loved sooo much dearly. Died... At first I cannot accept the fact that Primrose Everdeen dies in the final book. Why, oh why did Collins killed one of the main characters especially when Primrose was the sole reason as to why Katniss sacrifice herself into taking Prim's place in the 74th Hunger Game (Book #1). But then when I read how Katniss was miserable after that and how much she was affected by Prim's death, I knew that it was inevitable. It was another climax in the book.

So I think the ending was perfect, it's a bittersweet ending, in a way you are happy Katniss has the love of her life, but at the same time you realize that war scared her, and even though she's happy (she says so herself), she'll never forget what she went through, and the people she lost, so at the end of the book, there's no smile in your face, it's just another reminder that life is not perfect, there are ups and downs, and both define the way you live. So for the first time in my life, I enjoyed an epilogue, not only I enjoyed it, it was perfect.

A perfect ending for a great series.

Book Review : I Am Number Four

Hi all....

Again here I am with another book review...... I cant seem to stop reading these YA (Young-Adult) novels.... you know I havent even been spending much time online surfing the web or downloading Korean dramas or variety shows because I cant stop reading..... sometimes when I realize just a couple of chapters left before I finished the book I'd feel like I dont want to keep reading because I was afraid Id finish reading the book and then dont know what to read next but yet I need to keep reading until finish coz i need to know what happens next hahah... its my love-hate relationship with reading I guess...especially when it comes to the hunger games trilogy....

Well anyway, in this entry im not going to review the hunger games but im going to do a review on I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore... In the previous entry I wrote that I had order the hunger games book 1 & 3 online at mph..well while waiting for the books to arrive I was soo bored to death and dont know what to do so I went to the Popular book store to get what I can read while waiting for the books from mph to arrive and I bought this book to keep me busy...for awhile... well I grab the book judging that I read a few reviews from hunger games fan that suggest me to read it and also because it was another novel-adapted-into-a-movie novel so I thought owhh what the heck... it must be good also the summary on the back of the book grabbed me to read it.... you know what they say, Dont Judge the Book by its Cover.. or in the case of 'I Am Number Four', Dont Judge A Book by its novel-adapted-into-a-movie title on the cover :P lol.....

Well Anyway, before I comment on the writing style of Pittacus Lore and the whole story line and plot, I'll make a brief summary on the book...


Summary
The high stakes premise goes like this: Nine alien children have fled their annihilated homeworld of Lorien and have sought refuge on Earth. Having scattered to the winds, they are being hunted down, one by one, by a separate and malevolent extraterrestrial race from a dying planet. Thanks to a quasi-mystical protective charm placed on the Nine, they can only be killed in order (although, my bet is that Number One doesn't regard this charm as all that "protective"). As the book opens, three of the Nine have already been tracked down and murdered. So we come to Number Four.

His name used to be Daniel Jones. It used to be something else before that, and then something else before that, and so on. Ten years on Earth, ten years of hiding and staying always on the move and staying safe and alive... this is the life of Number Four and his guardian and mentor whose name is Henri (oddly, Henri's alien accent sounds very much like a French accent). Number Four has just collected a new scar circling his right ankle, this an indicator that another of the Nine has been recently slain. Three scarred rings around his ankle, and so Number Four knows he's next. And it's time to pack up the bags again, time again to get the eff out of Dodge.

Henri and Number Four - or "John Smith," his new assumed name - have always gravitated to tiny towns, conjecturing that their hunters would stick out more like sore thumbs in tiny towns. They end up in Paradise, Ohio. For John it's another try at blending in in school but without making friends, because no one can be trusted. Except that it's a little different this time. John Smith befriends a geeky kid who is a science-fiction enthusiast. He adopts a stray mutt named Bernie Kosar (and Bernie Kosar, by the way, is easily the book's breakout character). And John Smith also meets a girl, Sarah. So much for staying on one's guard.


The Review
I dont know whats the hype for the movie since I havent watch the movie yet but this book is badly written.... I rolled my eyes so many times at this book. There are no surprises in this book. There is no descriptive language, the characters are completely shallow and unlikable. John has no personality, Sarah REALLY has no personality (besides liking photography and being pretty). Their whole relationship is ridiculous. It pretty much consists of "You look so pretty", "I missed you", "Hey beautiful", and them kissing eachother. Again, me rolling my eyes at all this. Basically there is nothing in this book that will keep your interest or make you want to read more. The only character that was semi-interesting was maybe Sam. I don't know why people like this book. Actually I'm not even sure who the target audience for this book is. The writing is so poor and unemotional that I would guess it was for elementary age children if it wasn't for the swearing that Henri does. All the fight scenes at the end were repetitive and annoying and I ended up skimming a lot of it just so I could find out what happens ultimately. Although, at that point I just wanted to be done with the book and it was holding very little of my interest anymore. The part where the dog first shows up- it was obvious something was different about the dog, but the characters never even question how he can move so fast from one place to another? How dumb is John? He knows he has aliens after him, trying to kill him and yet he doesn't even notice the things around him. He is very very hard to like as a main character. Oh, and the part with the house fire? I stopped reading at that point and seriously considered giving up on the book.
But I kept on reading anyway not because of John but because I was curios of Bernie Kosar, the dog and the remaining aliens (number 5,6,7,8 & 9).. by the end of the book I was a bit relief with a few stories on the remaining aliens and also of number 6 comes into rescue.. she was as interesting to me as Bernie Kosar and Sam... thru the middle of the book John was trained by Henri and he learns and had flashes of his past memory in Lorien, there were no peaking event at all its boring. The end battle was interminable and characters kept getting death dealing blows and going on to fight. Half the time I was not clear about what was going on.

Overall this book to me seems like a badly written book resulting from lazy writing and no research at all on the details of the whole storyline. I must say there is a good idea behind the whole thing but it was just badly executed.

Book Review : Catching Fire (2nd Book of The Hunger Game Trilogy)

Assalamualaikum..

Hi peeps... I know its been awhile since the last time I did a book review here : ) not that I havent been reading any books lately... I have...lots of em.... its just that I have been busy and I dont think that they are GREAT and AMAZING enough to write a review on it.... Not to underestimate the authors... its just that I have been missing something freash enough to be excited enough to write a review about.... Do you guys understand me here?... Lets just say, I have been missing Harry-potter like series... Different and yet fresh storylines...

Since my last book review... Diary of a Wimpy Kid... Ive been reading lots more Diary of a wimpy kid series... also book by Sophie Kinsella (Remember Me?).. and also have been reading lots of non-fiction books.. Secrets of the Millionaire Mind by T Harv eker... Hot to Get Rich by Donald Trump...Rich Dad Poor Dad....How to get from Where You are to Where you want to be.... and more... Cant list em all... but thats not Im going to write about here...

In this entry I want to share to you one of the most intriguing, brutal yet engaging and cant-put-down YA (Young-Adult) book since Harry Potter.... I present to you....

THE HUNGER GAME SERIES.....

I dont remember how I got dragged into reading this... bcoz this book isnt even in the top list in Popular book or MPH book...dunno why... it should be tho.... how did I got dragged into reading this eh? owh probably becoz of Amazon.com... You see before I buy a book, I always read the review there first.. and somehow I jump from one book to another and I stumble upon The Hunger Games... The summary of the book itself just dragged me into wanting to know more... so I flip thru the reviews by the readers.. and its just amazing... and when I read along the reviews Ive found out that there was going to be a movie coming out in march... so I go to youtube and watch the trailer....

How can you not like 'that'???!!!!.........
I check at Popular Book Store (Bintulu) but no Hunger Game book... so a week ago I went to kuching so I stop at Times Book Store to get the book...sadly enough no The Hunger game (book 1) but there was catching Fire (Book 2) left... so I just grabbed it, pay and back to hotel I read it...
I was sooo hooked!!.. okay before I start with the review lets do a brief summary on the book... keep in mind this is the 2nd book...not the 1st...

Synopsis

In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. Long ago the districts waged war on the Capitol and were defeated. As part of the surrender terms, each district agreed to send one boy and one girl to appear in an annual televised event called, "The Hunger Games," a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister, regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the Games. The terrain, rules, and level of audience participation may change but one thing is constant: kill or be killed.

Katniss Everdeen

Against all odds, Katniss Everdeen has won the annual Hunger Games with fellow district tribute Peeta Mellark. But it was a victory won by defiance of the Capitol and their harsh rules. Katniss and Peeta should be happy. After all, they have just won for themselves and their families a life of safety and plenty. But there are rumors of rebellion among the subjects, and Katniss and Peeta, to their horror, are the faces of that rebellion. The Capitol is angry. The Capitol wants revenge. So for the next Hunger Game (75th Hunger Games) it was the Quater Quell, it had past victors from earlier Hunger Games compete for a second time. This action was made to destroy any bonds the districts had with each other and to make them feel weak. It was meant to be a reminder to the citizens of the districts that "even the strongest among them cannot overcome the power of the Capitol." It is believed that this twist was not planned at the founding of the Hunger Games, but was decided specifically to force Katniss Everdeen back into the Games.

Peeta Mellark

So once again, Katniss was to represent the District 12 as the female tribute. Along with her, Haymitch (past victor, also her mentor in the 74th hunger game) was also chosen (randomly) but Peeta Mellark volunteer to replace Haymitch as the male tribute. Its for the sake of saving Katniss in keeping her alive in the game. Peeta was willing to be the victim of the game in order to keep Katniss alive and for her to win the game entirely. Both were traumatized at first when they heard the news about Quater Quell but they know its the Capitol doing.

If you have seen Survivor (yes the reality tv show) then you can imagine how the games works. except the difference with survivor is that you are voted off instead in hunger games you are being killed and die.. so its not just a GAME, its more brutal. All 24 tributes from 12 districts then released into the arena where they meet with many dangers not just from each other but also from the arena it self which was designed by the Capitol to kill.
So im not going to spoil you with all the important parts in the book you need to buy it and read it urself. but i must tell you.... worth every penny and time... go to the nearest book store and buy one!!!!


The Review

You know what I like about the book? well so many...

First is the game it self.. its like Survivor game where 24 tributes from all 12 districts are thrown into the arena and try to survive from each other and from the dangers in the arena designed by the capitol. Before they were thrown into the game, they were trained by their mentors from each district. The mentors were the past Victor (Winner) of the past Hunger Game from their own district. How heart breaking it is that kids from the age of 12-18 are forced to kill each other in order to survive and win. Only the last to survive the arena can get out of it victorious. During the game, the people of Panem are able to watch the whole game on TV (like I told you, Survivor). And during the game the popular tribute constantly receive package or present from their sponsors (capitol people). So they (tribute) have to make an impression in order to get lots of sponsor during the game.

I love how it is so believable... and real....

And then there is the relationship between Peeta-Katniss-Gale.... some might think it the twilight trio all over again but no... this is noooo Twilight... I hate twilight love relationship... it is soo heavy on the vampire..what was his name again.. i dont remember..
I love Peeta character.. Peeta has a very likable personality. Peeta is bold, having announced that he was in love with Katniss to the whole nation; smart, figuring out strategies to use in the Games; and willing to go to extremes to keep Katniss alive. However, in the first book, Peeta told Katniss that he did not expect he would win. He is a great public speaker and is very brave. Peeta is also loving and cares about the people around him, and hates killing unless the pursuer is a threat to himself or Katniss; selfless, for sacrificing his own life for Katniss'; funny, for making those around him laugh even when times were tough; and he always knows exactly what to say to make you feel better and to cheer you up. He is able to work with Haymitch on goals and strategy and unlike Katniss, he is able to keep secrets and is trusted by Haymitch. It is noted throughout the series his deep understanding of situations such as the Hunger Games where he says "I don't want to be just a piece in their Games." It took Katniss much longer for her to understand the same concept. In Catching Fire, Finnick Odair states that Peeta is one of the only truly good people to survive the arena Peeta is usually the more sentimental of any of the main characters, "feeling" things more than everyone else. He doesn't have Katniss or Gale's "fire" but isn't soft.
Great character building thru out the novel especially for Katniss, Peeta and Finnick (Catching Fire in particular).

Overall I love it!!!... I already ordered Book 1 & 3 thru MPHonline... cant wait to get my hands on it : )

Currently reading... Diary of a Wimpy Kid.. by Jeff Kinney

assalamualaikum w.b.t

havent been reading any non-study-related-books for quite awhile now..so since I'm already MERDEKA now( thesis completed n final exams already finish) I've been browsing books here n there...

Yesterday I went to Jusco Aeon with Ira to get a bunch of Body Shop perfume for her hantaran kahwin.. so while waiting for the perfumes to be wrap, I went to MPH just to look around.. and then I stumble upon this book...


When I read the short synopsis at the back, it got me laughing all the way from the bookshelf to the cashier counter... go check it out... its really fun for light reading...
this book has been around for ages but i just got to know its existence yesterday hoho..

Cuti cuti cuti..

Assalamualaikum w.b.t.

Hi all. sorry I havent been updating frequently. like I said in the previous entry, I havent been able to get on9 that much. currently I'm having my semester break, in Putrajaya. and now I'm at Alamanda's Old town white coffe just for the sake of updating this blog.lol. no la, actually also for the sake of loging into my fb account which i havent been able to view for quite awhile.

My sem break actually starts on the 17th of nov but becoz of some family matters I havent been able to go back straight to bintulu.huuhu.. My dad had a stroke on sunday the same week. he was in johor baharu with my mum and my sis, so all of us had to stay back at jb to take care of him. he was admitted to sultanah aminah hospital bcoz of the stroke but luckly it was just a minor stroke. currently he's unable to walk properly, still needs support to walk. the minor stroke had affected his right brain so all of his right side body was weaken by it.

on the following tuesday he was much better thus me & my siblings decided to moved him to Putrajaya's hospital. It would be much nearer to my 2nd bro's my my sis house. all of us convoy to putrajaya with 3 cars. arrived at putrajaya late at night since we took off a lil late. it was quite tiring but still good to see my dad was much better. when we arrived at putrajay's hosp the doc told us that it was not necessary for him to be hospitalized. he was much better.

Now he still suffer from dizziness, he could walk properly if only the diziness is gone.Lets us just pray for him so that he'll be much better.

Anyway, besides taking care of my dad I'm also have been doing some reading. the one thing that I've wanted to do long time ago since october when the book came out. know which book i'm talking about?? hehe. of course la THE LOST SYMBOL. it took me awhile to get my hands on it. tthe book cost about rm100(hardback) so i was waiting for the paperback to be release but up untill now, the paperback is nowhere to be found so i just had to spend rm100 huhu...

well, i havent finish it yet..but to tell you the truth..up untill now..huhu... I'm quite disapointed with the book.. not quite as interesting as the previous da vinci code. The lost symbol is more about the masonic organization. actually before i read the lost symbol, i got my hands on a book about freemanson from islamic point of view. and during my time reading the lost symbol i was quite proud of my self coz I got to know so much about freemanson even b4 i read the lost symbol.hehe.

another agenda in my things to do for this sem break is to learn more on ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE & C++ programming. hopefully I'll get to finish my PIC coding huhu. wish me luck.

owh btw

nota kaki bangku : I got a new laptop...!! ^_^ thanks to my dad.

The Devil Wears Prada ~ Lauren Weisberger

Once it made to the new york times best seller, the book will straight away goes into my list of 'Must-Read' books. And sadly enough the first time I read the book which was 2 years ago (me think!), I only managed to read until chapter 5 before I went to sleep and decided this book made it into my list of 'Boring-Intro-am-too-lazy-too-continue-reading-it' books.

Well, I guess i didnt give it sometime to sink in.

Then, 2 months ago I was so bored that I'm out of books to read (lol). So I went to my book collections rack to look for something to re-read. Owh maybe a Harry Potter series? or Dan Browns? or maybe The Lord of the Rings? owh and there are also Sophie Kinsella's works.. just pick one!! (I said to myself).. And my arm decided to reach for 'The Devil Wears Prada'....
It wont kill me if I give it another try (again..talking to my self.. should I go see a shrink?lol)

IT IS BRILLIANT... I CANT BELIEVE THAT I DIDNT ENJOY THIS BOOK BEfORE!!!

Like always, before I comment on it, I'd like to make a brief synopsis on it.

SYNOPSIS

The main character in the book is Andrea Sachs who's a fresh graduate from Brown University (a member of the Ivy League..for some who doesnt know..and whats Ivy League you ask? I got one word for ya 'wikipedia') with a degree in english. She's eager to land a job as an editor for the 'New Yorkers' magazine but Hoping to to get closer to her dream job at "The New Yorker" she applies for a job at a fashion magazine. She gets the job of being the personal assistant of the editor of the magazine, one of the most powerful women in fashion. Her job is a nightmare. Between making phone calls and getting coffee she has to do odd jobs like arranging to fly a book on a jet plane for her boss' daughters and driving locating people in other countries within minutes.The fashion world is a crazy place. Knowing that this job can help her future she puts up with anything her boss tells her to do. Besides, "it''s a job a million girls would die for".

What made this as a very fascinating story is that this is actually a real-truth-already-happened story. it happened to the author of coz. well atleast 50% of it is real.

What I like the most about the book is EDUARDO!!!.. LOL
Eduardo is a security guard at the Elias-Clark building (the building where the Runways n other magazines r) , who often playfully makes Andrea or anyone else unfortunate enough to work as one of Miranda's personal assistants sing or otherwise put on some sort of act before he lets them enter the building.

Quote from book....

“Yo, tell me what you want, what you really, really want,”he (eduardo) sang with his huge, toothy smile and Spanish accent. And all the pleasure of making the cabbie happy and finding out that I had arrived ahead of Miranda vanished. I was left, as I was every morning, wanting to reach across the security counter and tear the flesh from Eduardo’s face. But since I was such a good sport and he was one of my only friends in the place, I weakly acquiesced.“I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want, I wanna—I wanna—I wanna—I wanna—I really, really, really wanna zigga zig aaaaaahhhh,” I sang meekly in a pitiful tribute to the Spice Girls’ nineties hit. And once again, Eduardo grinned and buzzed me through.

lol..and another..

Immediately, I heard a familiar voice call out,
“I can’t remember if I cried when I read about his widowed bride, but something touched me deep inside, the day, the music died. And we were singing . . .”
“American Pie”!
What a sweetie, I thought. This was the good-bye song that I’d never gotten to sing. I turned to see Eduardo, as large and sweaty as usual, grinning. But not at me. In front of the turnstile closest to him stood a toweringly skinny girl with jet black hair and green eyes, wearing a dynamite pair of tight, pinstripe pants and a navel-revealing tank top. She also happened to be balancing a small tray with three Starbucks coffees, an overflowing bag of newspapers and magazines, three hangers with complete outfits dangling from each one, and a duffel monogrammed with the initials “MP.” Her cell phone began to ring just as I realized what was happening, and she looked so panicked I thought she might cry on the spot.

But when her repeated banging against the turnstile failed to elicit entry, she sighed deeply and sang,
“’Bye, ’bye, Miss American Pie, drove my Chevy to the levee, but the levee was dry, and good old boys were drinking whiskey and rye, singing this will be the day that I die, this will be the day that I die . . .”
When I looked back to Eduardo, he smiled quickly in my direction and winked. And then, while the pretty brunette girl finished singing her verse, he buzzed me through like I was someone who mattered.

I didnt type it all straight away from the book.not to worry. I copy it from www.scribd.com. (another useful web other than wiki)..

The Devil Wears Prada is a very enjoyable book. you should read it. owh and dont just watch the Movie coz believe me the movie is a disappointment.huhu. NO EDUARDO!!!

NOTA KAKI BANGKU : jgn hakimi buku hanya dgn intro, Zarith!!!

Dan Brown : The Lost Symbol.....Comming SOON

2 words for ya. CANT WAIT!!!!! :)

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE...

PRE-ORDER NOW:
Amazon | Barnes&Noble | Borders | IndieBound | Random House

New York, NY (April 20, 2009) Dan Brown's new novel, the eagerly awaited follow-up to his #1 international phenomenon, The Da Vinci Code, which was the bestselling hardcover adult novel of all time with 81 million copies in print worldwide, will be published in the U.S. and Canada by Doubleday on September 15, 2009.

The Lost Symbol will have a first printing of 5 million copies, and it will once again feature Dan Brown's unforgettable protagonist, Robert Langdon. The announcement was made today by Sonny Mehta, Chairman and Editor in Chief of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group.

"This is a great day for readers and booksellers," said Mehta."The Lost Symbol is a brilliant and compelling thriller. Dan Brown's prodigious talent for storytelling, infused with history, codes and intrigue, is on full display in this new book. This is one of the most anticipated publications in recent history, and it was well worth the wait."

Brown's longtime editor, Jason Kaufman, Vice President and Executive Editor at Doubleday said, "Nothing ever is as it first appears in a Dan Brown novel. This book's narrative takes place in a twelve-hour period, and from the first page, Dan's readers will feel the thrill of discovery as they follow Robert Langdon through a masterful and unexpected new landscape. The Lost Symbol is full of surprises."

"This novel has been a strange and wonderful journey," said Brown. "Weaving five years of research into the story's twelve-hour timeframe was an exhilarating challenge. Robert Langdon's life clearly moves a lot faster than mine."

The audio version of The Lost Symbol will be published in North America in September by Random House Audio.

The Da Vinci Code, published by Doubleday on March 18, 2003, spent 144 weeks on The New York Times Hardcover Fiction bestseller list, 54 of them at #1—the position at which it debuted. The novel has been translated into 51 languages.

The film of The Da Vinci Code was a #1 box office smash when it was released by Columbia Pictures in May 2006 with Ron Howard directing and Tom Hanks starring as Robert Langdon. Box office receipts were $758 million. The same team will release Angels and Demons theatrically worldwide on May 15, 2009.

Following the publication of The Da Vinci Code, Dan Brown's earlier novels, Digital Fortress, Deception Point and Angels and Demons have all gone on to become multi-million copy international bestsellers.

The Lost Symbol will be published in the U.K. on September 15th by Transworld Publishers, a division of The Random House Group who has published all of Brown's novels.

Dan Brown is represented by Heide Lange at Sanford J. Greenburger Associates, Inc.

Doubleday is an imprint of the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc. whose parent company is Bertelsmann AG. For more information about Doubleday please visit our website at http://www.doubleday.com. For more information about Dan Brown please visit www.danbrown.com.

Sam Bourne : The Righteous Men - Not bad, but not 'that' great either

Salam.

I thought of writing a review on this book ages ago but haven’t got the time to do so. So here I am, as free as a bird (? lol).

Well, well, well, this is the 2^nd Sam Bourne’s work that I’ve read and I must give him some credit (before I trash him a bit lol) for this book. The Righteous Men. It is definitely not as bad as ‘The Last Testament’ which is another one of his works. You can read my review on The Last Testament HERE.

Synopsis

Before further comments on the book, I’d like to give some insight to every1 who hasn’t read the book yet on how the story develops.

The Main character, William Monroe Jr is a New York Times journalist, around 20 ish, and is married to his wife Beth, who is described to be very beautiful. And so as Will, described to be very attractive. (so typical of all novel huhu). As a journalist, Will is always looking for stories to write and somehow he stumble into the mysterious murders of men, all of whom turn out to be 'Robin Hood' type characters - outwardly wicked, but secretly performing acts which show them to be truely righteous men - when, suddenly he got an email saying that his wife is kidnapped. The kidnapper didn’t want any money or anything they just wanted to borrow Beth for awhile. And Will was told not to involved the police or his wife will be killed. he has no clue as to who has kidnapped her or why. Will was determined to find out!

Suddenly, he is dragged into a very different world as the clues lead him to what appears to be an orthodox Jewish sect. He is fighting for his life - his and that of his wife and friends - and is on the run from the police, who suspect him of murder.

Through out the journey, he got some help from his two friends, Tom, will’s bestfriend and who is a computer genius. And also T.C (stands for Tova Chaya.. you will only found out that towards the end of the book..its a Jewish name), TC is a great help for Will since she is like a freakin genius who knows EVERYTHING and EVERY KNOWLEDGE in the world but yet she doesn’t know the difference between pop music and hip hop. You might have pictureD TC as being a geeky girl wearing a spec and everything but NAAAAH you’re wrong! She’s the type of girl who dies her hair blue and pierced her belly button and she’s an artist (painter not singer la). Owh forget to mention, she was William’s ex. There’s a conflict! haha.

The Review

Like I said, not bad... but.. well, okay I hate to compare it with TDVC (The Da Vincci Code) but I HAVE TO! LOL (why? Coz The Mirror claimed Sam Bourne to be ‘The biggest challenger to Dan Brown's crown !’ and I’ve spend money and time on the book bcoz of this OVERATED comment, hence I HAVE TO COMPARE IT TO TDVC!! Thank u.hehe). THE MIRROR is totally rubbish! Haha sorry The Mirror. I guess ‘The Mirror’ haven’t really actually ‘read’ TDVC. TDVC is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better than TRM (The righteous Men).

One of the lacking element in TRM is the excitement in the ‘puzzle’ solving. TRM is just like TDVC, there are loads of puzzle to be solve by the main character along the way to find the truth. But in TRM the puzzle is like...hmm.. how should I put this... kinda lame. Not as challenging as TDVC. TDVC’s puzzle is more exciting and you learn alot thru the puzzles. And I love how Dan Brown’s connect the puzzle with history! It made the puzzle so believable and the story seem so TRUE. Instead TRM puzzle is so not connected with any of the Jew’s history or world history in general. Sam Bourne seem to try to make the connection but it is not convincing enough!.

Sam Bourne is definitely not a contender for Dan Brown: the Da Vinci Code was fast paced and unputdownable.

I recommend Dan Brown’s fan not to expect anything from this book. But its good to read. Not bad. The plot is there. You keep wanting to know why the Jews capture Beth and what are the connections between Will and the 36 righteous Men. That is what kept me reading this book.

Ps: after reading two of Sam Bourne's works, I have a feeling that he's a jew. or if not, then he's a jews lover.lol

Huhu I miss Dan Brown’s and J.K Rowling...

What’s next?... what should I read next?!!... any recommendation? Huhu.

I think I’ll try get my hands on one of the twilight saga.

sayonara

The Last Testament - Sam Bourne

Assalamualaikum w.b.t

It has been awhile since the last time I wrote a review on a book. Not that I dont read any books anymore since my campus life is back on. It’s just that I’m more occupied with electrical and electronics books huhu. Not that I have an option not to read those haha.

Well anyway, I’m still Reading everytime I’m relaxing after a short revise and just before I sleep at night and guess what I’ve just finished Reading ‘The Last Testament’ by Sam Bourne. And I’m going to do a review on the book in this entry.

HUHU.. (owh did that ‘huhu’ sounds like a disapointment tone? Haha)

This is the first time I read Sam Bourne’s work. I didnt know his style of writing and I’ve never read any book written by him before, but none the less I had a high expectation for this book. What got me to buy ‘The Last Testament’ was the review and the praises that Sam Bourne got for his work in ‘The Righteous Men’. I was very attracted to read his work after Reading one particular comment by ‘The Mirror’ saying that ‘Sam Bourne is THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE to Dan Brown’s Crown’.

DAN BROWN is one of my favourite writer, and he’s probably my most favourite! I’ve read all of his works, from ‘The Deception Point’ to ‘Digital Fortress’ and the ever infamous adventures of Robert Langdon in ‘Angels & Demons’ and ‘The Da Vinci Code’. All of those Works got me to stay up all night, eager to know what is going to happen next? Not wanting to wait for another day to go through those twists and turns, and in the end of every book never a disappointment to me.

dAN bROWN

So after Dan Brown got writers block for LIKE DECADES (not even one book for maybe 5 years!?), I was eager to know… WHO’S THIS PERSON SUDDENTLY THE MIRROR CLAIMED HIM TO BE DAN BROWN’S BIGGEST CHALLENGER??! And is his work really as good as Dan Brown’s? is his writing really as exciting as Dan Brown’s imaginations? I JUST HAVE TO FIND OUT!.

So I got the book, ‘The Last Testament’. At first I wanted to buy ‘The Righteous Men’ but the book was sold out. I bought this book around December last year just after I started my semester break and I just finished it NOW?! January 20th?! WOW! It must be quite boring you think? YEAH, you got it right.

I’m gonna do a VERY brief sinopsis of the book… before I comment it.

The story is about Maggie an enlish-american peace negotiator who was sent to Israel to help on the peace talk there between the Palestinian and the Isreali. The situation in Israel was more complicated than she enticipated. There were high profilelic killings all over the city between Israel and Palestine people to intrupt the peace talk. No one knew who was behind all those killings. Magie was determine to find out. A long the way,Maggie met Uri, who’s father was murdered in one of those killings. Uri is an Israeli. Before his father died, he had intrusted Uri with a secret. A secret old testament which was said left by Abraham (Nabi Ibrahim a.s). The secret was said to be the answers to all the warS between the Israeli and The Palestinian. The answer to whom will be the right decendent to the holy land, either Ishmael (Nabi Ismail a.s – Palestinian) or Isaac (Nabi Ishak a.s – Israeli).

Since the book is boring, dont bother to read it to find out how it ends. I’m gonna tell you here.

At the end, they found the ‘so called last testament’ and the testament said that both the Palestinian and the Israeli should share the land haha.

Hmm maybe you find the plot of the story kind of interesting just by Reading my brief sinopsis. Well, it is interesting but the writer made the time plot soo messy. I mean e.g. chapter 1- you’re in the past like 3 months ago. Chap 2 – you’re in present. Chap 3- suddently you’re in the past again but this time only like 10 days ago. Chap 4 – 10 years in the past. I know that is not quite messy enough if you’ve read alot but try imagine each and every chapters I mentioned just now involved quite a number of different people at different continents and different life style, different names.. just plane confusing! You tried to remember who’s who and at the end you forgot which is the present and which is the past. Haha. There are loads of characters. Each chapters have its own like main charácter. But you have to bear in mind, ‘this story is about maggie and Uri..maggie and uri’ haha. I kept reminding my self whenever there’s uri and maggie, its the present time!

Another element that was lacking compare to Dan Brown’s work was the ‘heart stoping actions’.. in Dan Brown’s Works it is almost so real that you can imagine your self in the book playing the protagonist character, thats what readers like the most. Dan Brown describe each scene in his books with great details (e.g the brutal murders in ‘DaVinci code and Angels and Demons) and not get carried away with being too detailed which can be so boring with some writers..

The one question that kept me going in ‘The Last Testament’ is that, what was in the testament? You wouldnt know until the end of chapters. Unlike Da Vinci code and Angels and Demons, there was only one question that kept me going for the last testament. In Da Vinci Code and Angels and Demons, each chapters kept you going. Each chapters has its own question and its not gonna bore you cause you dont have to wait until the end of the book to get the answers. Huhu. I miss Dan Brown’s work! When is the next Robert Langdon’s adventure gonna be out!! I’m tired of waiting and there is no news at all regarding any of his upcoming new book. It got me thinking that somehow he’s (Dan Brown) dead or something.

ENJOY..ANGELS AND DEMONS TRAILER..COMING TO YOU IN MAY 2009!

Reader's Digest

This is one of my favourite magazine published nowadays. You dont get much of these type of magazines now.
Usually when I'm out with my friends shoping, I'd like to stop by a book shop while they busy searching for stuff to buy.

The magazine section isn't my first stop, but its the novel section that caught me first. yeah! I like to read novels, ok everybody knows that. After surfing through the new books there I will move on to the autobiography part. hmm I wonder when is Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is going to have a new autobiography book. It would be interesting. For your information, Tun Mahathir already has an illustrated autobiography book out in MPH book store. It's RM15 only. You should get it, as i am not much of a fan of Tun Mahathir but the book looks interesting with his version of cartoon illustrated.hoho

Anyway back to the topic. My last stop at the book store would be the magazine section. The section is filled with teen magazines with a non-local artist story at the frontpage. Dont get me wrong, I like people/human interest kind of story but you do get tired when its all the gossip that you've heard all week right?





What I like about readers digest?
Mostly the 'miracle story' part. Thats what I named it. haha. The story that featured in that section is too good to be true but guess what, it's TRUE! I've read about a fireman who went into coma for ten years and woke up one day to find his 6 year old son is now a grown up teenager. And I've also read about how a mexican illegal immigrant kid who cross border to the United State and worked as a low paid farmer and studied his butt off to become a nerosurgeon now! The stories in it really inspired me.
Those kind of stories really push you through your toughest moments in life. And it doesnt hurt you to spend just 15 malaysian dollar to get the magazine and read it.

view the website
rdasia.com

THE NAME OF THE ROSE - UMBERTO ECO

ok, let begin with my first book review here..
The book I've long for to read. it's quite an old book written by Umberto Eco. Maybe not many of you have heard of this author. He's very much into philosophy. Another book of his that you guys should consider reading is, Focults pendulum. I havent read that yet but my friend said its a great book. It triggers your mind. :-)




The young Brother Adso of Melk recounts the events that took place when he was assigned to assist the peculiar but well-respected Brother William of Baskerville in the politically charged task of ferreting out heresy in the monastic orders of the day. The two arrive at a small Italian abbey with a reputation for its wealth in relics and manuscripts. In a few days' time, the abbey becomes the site of a tense debate over the role of poverty in monastic life. Brother William's sharp detection skills become invaluble when the bodies of dead monks begin to appear on a daily basis, apparently following a pattern of apocalyptic prophecy. Adso and William find themselves lost in a community where secrecy and enlightenment, superstition and reason, church and state, and power and compassion become desperately confused. The abbey becomes a microcosm of the very rifts that threaten to tear Christendom--and civilization itself--apart, and at the very heart of this strained social fabric is a fanatically guarded library full of mirrors, trick doors, ghosts, demonic visions, forbidden books, and the key to the deaths that lie like a humorless darkness over the entire monastery grounds.

Set during a week in 1327, Eco's novels finds in the fusion of ecclesiastic history and mystery a chance to explore some of the most fundamental issues of any period of taxing social change. It also explores the importance of symbols and logical debate. The stylistic strength of the book is the resultant combination of rich descriptive detail (especially when it comes to the art and architecture of the Medieval Church) and philosophy (as seen in the impassioned debates over heresy). Although obviously literary, The Name of the Rose benefits from being a mystery novel, using intrigue, adventure, carefully executed pacing, and suspense to propel the story forward. A careful balance is struck between the honest depiction of complexity and the human desire to make things make sense. And politics--simply understood as the social use of power--is exposed as all-pervasive in that balancing process. The book has an incredibly broad appeal, being a highly respected canonical work at the same time as it is an international bestseller.