The Evil Seed- Joanne Harris

Have always loved her books, from Chocolat to its sequel, The Lollipop Shoes/ The Girl in the Window. There's always something a little magical in her books, you will know what I mean if you had read Chocolat. The Evil Seed is a little different, since it was her first book after all. And they had just had it re-issued some time back. Nonetheless, it's quite a great book especially if you are into vampires, which is all the rage now. I I like this phrase from the book:"Something inside me remembers and will not forget". Apparently the author saw it on a tombstone and got the inspiration for the book from there. Anyhow, I'm feeling a little stupid trying to write the sypnosis. It's a well-written book but the plot wasn't too amusing. It's basically a bunch of vampires feeding, seducing men... What I liked was the idea that as long as someone remembers Rosemary, she can never die. and she will raise again from her grave to haunt the earth once more. This was the reason why she had always had the need to find a man who loved her unconditionally and crazily. Oh well, read this if you liked Twilight, minus the romance.

The Understudy- David Nicholls

Okayy, my brains ran out of juice today and I did practically nothing for the whole day- il dolce far niente.. The Italians couldn't be more right, what's missing today was a nice cup of espresso...
Anyhow, I read this before One Day coz I knew David Nicholls wrote One Day and since I couldnt get the book, I borrowed an alternative book from the library. Quite disappointing.
It talks about the life of Steve McQueen, a guy who's always being casted as The Dead Guy on Cops show, and as a fleeting ghost in theatres. The story revolved around him and Josh Harper, a handsome, rich, vain, and famous actor. Steve was his understudy for a theatre show and was just waiting around for the day that Josh would break a leg, so that he would have a chance to be the lead.
But Steve must be the unluckiest guy in the world. Never getting his big break, always waiting, and waiting. He was hopeful, but that hopefulness, was what drove his wife away.
He later fell in love with Josh's wife, and things just got a lil out of hand. In the end, he ended up with the gal, and well, that's that. There you have it, the story of an underdog who never got lucky until the very last few pages of the book.

One Day- David Nicholls

I was actually quite excited by this book after reading the sypnosis on its book cover. And all the more so, when I heard it was made into a movie. So I traipsed to MPH to try to get a copy of it but was told that it was sold out and that it had been sold out since January this year. That was a little strange as I had seen plentiful copies of it in Popular. Anyhow, managed to get one at 20% off at Popular and I was trying hard to resist the temptation of opening the book, as I still had plenty of assignments to do and exams to study for. Alas, the temptation proved too great to resist and I started reading it; a mistake really coz as always, I read instead of work.
I had thought the book was about a couple who got together for a day and never saw each other again, until one day, they met and fell in love all over again. I thought that would make a rather bittersweet love story. But I was wrong. This book opened with Emma and Dexter getting together for a one night stand on their graduation day. After that one night, they remained as good friends and Emma saw Dexter going through strings of girlfriends and becoming a successful TV presenter, while she remained stuck and unhappy in her life. Life did not pan out as she had envisioned and dreams became safely lodged at the back of her mind.
This story is rather frustrating. It was obvious that Emma loved Dexter, and vice versa. But both chose to anchor safely to their friendship, never wanting to rock the boat. Then Dexter became an alcoholic and Emma decided to quit their friendship. Years later, they met again and Dexter was soon, going to be a husband and a father. Things did not work out eventually for his marriage, with his wife, Slyvie cheating on him, with his best friend and employer. Heartbroken, he turned to Emma. In Paris, they finally, finally, got together after almost 20 years.
Married life was well, married life. The excitement died off, the passion died off. But I supposed they were happy. Until almost 2 years of marriage, while cycling to meet Dex after an argument about having kids, Emma met with an accident and died. Honestly, I was shocked by this revelation. It should have ended with a happily-ever-after. I mean, c'mon they got together only after 20 years, and just after 2 years, you are killing them off? What kinda author is that?! A rather cruel one, I suppose.
I think I would have liked the book better if it had a happy ending. Anyway, the book rewound back to the past in the final two chapters. Back to that one day. You realise then that Dex had loved Em right at the beginning. Why it took him so long to realise and do something, we do not know...By realising it so late into their friendship, they had cut short the amount of time they had as a couple. Fortunate or unfortunate, we do not know either.
I really liked the character, Emma. Geeky but sharp, intelligent, witty, and funny. I wished I had that kind of wit around me. But I guess that's genetic and something that's impossible for me to master.

The Notebook-Nicholas Sparks

His books sometimes made me feel a little embarrassed to be reading them. Anyway it was through the movie that I knew of Nicholas Sparks. Prior to that, I had no idea who he was. I loved the movie probably coz of the chemistry between Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling, I think they are perfect for each other. It makes it all very believeable and I guess, it makes sceptics, hopeful that love does exist. I also love the era that the movie was set in, where people go to fairs, have cotton candy, sit on the ferris wheel.. there's something incredibly simple and romantic about that way of life.
But alas, having watch the movie plentiful times, since 2004, I had never had the urge to pick up the book and read it. That is rather strange for someone like me. Usually if I like a movie well enough, I would get the book. And sometimes, it's vice versa. But generally speaking, I would always prefer the book more than the movie. And I hate having watch the movie first before the book coz it kinda limits my imagination and I would often see the book characters as the actual actors/actresses of the movie.
Oh well, I didnt like the book version of the Notebook. It was all rather amateurish and dead. I couldn't really feel any romance or excitement from the book. It wasn't very engaging for the readers. It was quite disappointing, really. I had thought with the book on the bestseller list, and garnering him so much attention upon its publication, it should be SOMETHING. But it wasn't. I was left scratching my head, wondering why it sold like hotcakes.
But on a positive note, his subsequent books were better, although still kinda, I dont know, one-dimensional. However, like what I had mentioned before, his books are sometimes like comfort food. Bad for you, perhaps, but comforting...

The Glass Castle- Jeannette Walls

This was an absolutely amazing read! One of the best memoirs I have ever came across. It compelled me so much that I spent most of my time reading it instead of doing all the assigments that have been piling up...
The story opened with Jeannette on the way to an event in NYC, and saw her mother, scavenging for things in the bin. She lived in Park Avenue while her mother was homeless, and so was her father. You would think at the beginning, how cruel a daughter could be, to let her parents live like that, while she lived in a lavish upscale apartment.
And then the story unfolds...

The Walls family was made up of Rex and Rose Mary Walls and their four children, Lori, Brian, Jeannette, and Maureen. This family of four led extremely impoverished lives and never really had a home, and was always uprooting from one place to another, from Nevada to Phoenix to West Virgina, and finally to NYC.

This was a dysfunctional family with parents who were just a tad too eccentric to raise any family. The children often went without food, proper clothes, and even electricity. But all these didnt bother Rose Mary, who thought this was an adventure. And that such conditions would make all of them tougher, and less like those city kids who were too comfortable for their own good.

I did like Rex Walls even though he was an impossible drunk. You could tell he was an extremely smart man, who could really do anything he wanted if he had put his heart to it. He made blueprints for a Glass Castle that he had promised to build Jeannette, he talked about quantum physics, he invented equipment that could sieve for gold, etc. But he was always drinking and getting into trouble at work, and could never hold down a proper job. I also think he was perhaps a little schizo, often thinking that the government was against him and going on "spying" missions against the government. But you knew he loved Jeannette, his mountain goat, and Jeannette often looked up to him as a kid.

But as Jeannette grew up, she began to realise that this was not the way to be living. She forced her mother to get a proper job so that they could lead normal lives. Her mother eventually relented and worked as a teacher in an elementary school. What was memorable was that there was once when her mother had to be away for a course, and Jeannette became the replacement mother. She had often wondered why it was that her mother could never manage the household expenses properly, and during this period, she realised it was her father. Like her mother, she could not say no to her father's request for money for alcohol and cigarettes. And that was why there was never ever enough money to go around in the home.

In her adolescence, she began to see her parents for who they were and knew she had to do something if she wanted to have a chance to lead a normal life. She and Lori began plotting to leave the home for New York City. They found work and managed to save up a sum of money and told their parents of their plans. Alas, their plans were sabotaged by their father when he took away all their hard earned money. It was his ploy of preventing them from leaving because he did not want the family to break up. Eventually Jeannette through her babysitting job, found a ticket to NYC but she gave it to Lori. Lori up and left. She started planning and saving for her escape route. Came the day she was able to leave, and her father, once again took out his blueprint for the Glass Castle and persuaded Jeannette not to leave. That life could be great in their little mining town and that he would work to make the Glass Castle a reality. It was very touching and heartbreaking. Jeannette refused to believe in her father anymore, and she had every single right to do so.

She left and lived with Lori in NYC. She managed to enroll in an Ivy League school with a scholarship and loan and was well on her way to a good lot in life. Then her parents came and even though by then, they all had their own apartments, they wanted their parents to stop being leeches and fend for themselves. Their parents became homeless. Her mother again thought this was an adventure and liked living like that. After a few years, when Rose Mary's brother died, did Jeannette realise that all along, her mother had a piece of land, that was possibly worth a million dollars. It was like a slap in the face. There they were rummaging through garbage for food, living without electricity and sanitation, while her mother was sitting on a million dollars all the while.

Jeannette's father eventually died and I couldnt help sobbing. He was proud of Jeannette and somehow, always managed to work into his conversation with people how he had a daughter in an Ivy League college. When he heard that Jeannette might have to drop out of college because she could not afford the fees, he told her not to worry  and that he would keep her in college somehow. One night he brought a bag full of cash that he won from poker and gave to Jeannette. That was how Jeannette paid her fees. During her convocation, she told her father not to come because he would embarrass her with his drinking problem and bad behaviour. He agreed. That was how much he loved his daughter but I guess he couldnt save himself to be able to give her and his children what they needed.

This book was full of emotions. You cant help feeling excited, intrigued, sad, happy, going through the pages, and be in awe and admiration of the person that Jeannette is. Such a fantastic read. I would highly recommend to everyone.

A Happy Marriage- Rafael Yglesias

I had a bit of trouble spelling the author's name. Got this book during Border's sale for perhaps $5 or $2. How could such a great book come at such a low price?? This a love story (not exactly in that romantic sense) that spanned 30 years, and it uncannily resembled the author's own life. The story began with Enrique and Margaret meeting for the first time, at his home. And so boy meets girl, boy falls in love, girl falls in love, and you get the picture. Margaret and Enrique got married, had a child, and that's when the marriage fell apart. Margaret was too tired with the baby to attend to Enrique and because of the lack of attention he was getting, he had an affair. All these are just too familiar isn't it? We hear these stories all the time- that women focused all their attention on their children and then the men get up to some monkey businesses, just because he doesn't get as much attention as before. That is pretty unfair. Given all the hard work a woman puts into bearing and raising a child (not forgetting getting fat), a man should chip in his efforts and stop being a selfish, attention-seeking child. And that was exactly what Enrique was.
Enrique thought he did not love Margaret anymore and told her about the affair. They went for marriage counselling and Margaret broke. That surprised Enrique. He had thought Margaret did not love him anymore as well. They decided to give the marriage another go and later, when Margaret was diagnosed with cancer, Enrique then realised how much he loved Margaret and could not bear the idea of losing her. That was pretty sad. You only realised how much you love someone when that person is dying. By then, things could be a little too late but perhaps, not that late as well.
Enrique put on his best behaviour, caring for Margaret, becoming her nurse. In sickness, there is often very little dignity. Because you have lost the ability to care for yourself, you have lost the ability to project the image that you want others to see. People see you for who you are, in all your nakedness.
This was a simple yet compelling read. Everything was about ordinary people, ordinary lives, even their love was ordinary yet exceptional at the same time. It hits very close to home and makes it all very real.

The Winner Stands Alone- Paulo Coelho

This book mainly talks about showbiz and how seemingly superficial and materialistic that world is. The story was set in Cannes, during the film festival. Thousands of people flocked to this part of France to hopefully, get lucky with someone rich to help them along in their lives, to help them get into the world of the "superclass". The superclass is the class of rich men and women, with fame and power- the class that glittered like diamonds and gold.
A Russian mogul, Igor, came to Cannes to "send a message" to his ex-wife, who had left him for someone else. His idea of a message, unfortunately, revolved around the concept of killing others to prove his love. His actions did not win back the love of his wife and he soon, was disillusioned by his love for this woman, whom in his opinion, had left him for fame and adoration. However, the truth was that his wife left him because he was always too busy in acquiring wealth, and he had a terrible cruel streak in him- killing people when he deemed them as being an inconvenience to him.
I didnt quite like this book, as compared to The Alchemist. Although there were moral undertones in this book, it all seemed a little too much of a cliche. Yes we do know some industries are superficial and obsessed with things that are fleeting, but they will continue to exist because of the vanity streak in human beings. We like and seek beautiful things, even though we know nothing material in this world lasts, and beautiful things can only satisfy you that much. Still, that is what we pursue to help ease the burden we carry on our shoulders, to take our mind away for just an instance, the ugliness we see everyday.

Castle in the Pyrenees- Jostein Gaarder

I haven't been able to find much books by him in Singapore. Loved Sophie's World and Solitaire Mystery. Fascinating read if you like philosophy. I wanted very much to review this book as it touched on some of the things I'm interested in. For instance, the big bang, and how we are all, interconnected in some ways. We are made of the same material that started this world- stardust. Like many other people in the world., it questioned the existence of one earth, which I feel is rather improbable, given the number of galaxies and planets and stars in existence. How could it be out of the billions of stars/planets out there, only one planet in one galaxy had the right conditions to create life? The probability is 1/100,000,000? Imagine that?! There are two main characters in the book, one (Solrunn) who believes in the spiritual world, and the other, a professor (Steinn), who believes only in science. I am not a deeply spiritual person but neither do I believe that only science is able to explain things. And just because you can't prove something now, doesn't mean that something doesn't exist; it could mean that you just havent found what you are looking for. Anyway both Solrunn and Steinn believed that they had killed an old lady while they were travelling on a highway. However, the old lady appeared to them, making Solrunn believe that the lady was someone from the afterlife, while Steinn believed she was just a figment of their imagination. This split in their beliefs caused them to drift apart. They each later married someone else and had kids, and somehow reunited at the place where they had stayed in, before they killed the old lady. What was chilling at the end of the story was that Solrunn thought she heard the old lady say to her when she appeared to them,"I am what you will become", while Steinn heard the old lady say,"you ought to get a speeding ticket, young lad". And strangely, Solrunn did end up being like the old lady. She wore a pink shawl that the old lady was wearing at the time of her death and was later, killed in an accident on her way to meeting Steinn. In essence, yes, she did become the old lady. Could it have been a vision of herself in the future? Had she somehow managed to glimpse her own destiny? This is an intriguing read although Sophie's World is still better.