Heng Liang has read The Neverending Story
Translated books are generally not my cup of tea. I usually don’t like them because the nuances of language are often lost in translation, and they end up reading in a stilted fashion. However, when I first picked up The Neverending Story, I did not realize it had been translated from the German. The story was...
Fiction Alert: Short Story Month
It seems that May is designated Short Story Month, just as April was poetry month. I’ve always enjoyed short stories; they require less commitment, and go straight to the point. (However I do occasionally indulge in tomes). In the words of Lorrie Moore (A gate at the stairs, Anagrams ), “A short story is a love affair,...
Roy has read The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry
And I would walk 500 miles And I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walked 1,000 miles To fall down at your door - The Proclaimers, I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) Don’t be thrown off by the quote from the Proclaimers’ infectious pop hit. While Rachel Joyce’s debut novel, The Unlikely...
Idzhana has read ‘The Fault in Our Stars’
Title: The Fault in Our Stars Author: John Green Publisher: New York: Dutton Books, c2012. Call number: Y GRE It has been quite a long while since I last read a fiction book, so imagine my trepidation of having to find the proverbial needle in the haystack. I ended up asking a fellow bookworm for...
Bookyeared: #crimeread
Murder is a messy business. The motivations behind committing murder can be complicated. The murder weapon needs to be considered, a pistol perhaps? Or, the ubiquitous blunt instrument? The location and the timing of the murder need to be carefully planned. Witnesses are to be avoided. An alibi has to be constructed. Then, of...
Fiction Alert: Literary Bash-ups and Mash-ups
I recall handing a copy of The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo to a friend when she asked me to bring her a copy of Larsson’s famous thriller with a… similar title during the height of the popularity of the Swedish trilogy (with TWO versions of film). I stood by with my poker face, waiting for her...
Top Picks from February’s #Heartread
What is a #heartread? “For some it will be books which may make us cry, and for others it will be happy endings”, says @nelsonreaders. For @k_santhi, “the #heartread hashtag is sprouting with new book choices for me to explore and tug my heart strings”. @VaVeros sums up our month of #heartread perfectly: “ I don’t know...
Fiction Alert: Memorable Female Characters
Can you believe it is March already? In just 2 days we will observe International Women’s Day, a day to recognize the contributions of women regardless of background. In conjunction with that, I dedicate this month’s Fiction Alert to women in fiction. Many women have shaped fiction books and women’s writing and many women featured...
Fiction Alert: Tales for the Heartbroken
It’s February – the month of supposed romance (as if other months should be unromantic). The month where flower prices and dining prices are jacked up for the deep pockets of lovers. I’m not falling for that. Given my morbid personality, I have chosen this month to introduce some books for the heartbroken, because reading...
Carmen has read (and seen) The Bridges of Madison County
I always start writing book reviews by first reading reviews by others. No – I do not do it in hopes to copy opinions or emulate descriptions. I do it to obtain a sweeping sentiment of how others regard the book. It helps me gauge whether I need to be defensive in my review. It...
Nusaibyah has read Norwegian Wood
Being a born-and-bred city girl, there is nothing I find less compelling than trees. Sure, forests are splendid places and many a beautiful picture has been taken with breathtakingly tall and majestic trees, but there is probably nothing more boring than plain old wood. With that said, Haruki Murakami’s Norwegian Wood is a far cry...
Nicole has read The Pact
She had loved him. He knew this; he had never doubted it. But she had also asked him to kill her. It’s bad enough when one person attempts suicide; what if it’s two? And what happens when one of them is left behind, charged with the murder of the other? These are all difficult questions,...
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