The Way We Were by Elizabeth Noble

this is a really captivating book. i keep thinking about it until i finally finish reading it. [spoiler] it's about Susannah who was trapped with the affection with her old fling, Rob. earlier in life, they had this kind of amazingly morale, sweet relationship but they broke up with almost no closure between them. which i believe is why, when circumstance was in their aid, they went back together, which isn't a good thing to do. i almost like the ending. almost.  

and somehow, from the beginning i kept picturing Rob as that dude that works along Mariska Hargitay in Law and Order. perhaps because the author first mentioning him as a tall and big guy ::shrugs:: but i found him fitting the role really well :D

all in all i'd recommend this book if you're looking for something sweet and warm with a little bit drama for boring Sundays.

I Heart Paris by Lindsey Kelk

i think this is the first chick-lit i read this year. thanks to it, now i know i'm not a fan of chick-lit novels. but maybe because i just jumped into the 'i heart' chronicles without following the order of events as i should, so i felt left out. hmm.. maybe later i'll go into the other 'i heart' novels.

but it had been quite fun reading this book, coz at least there's a bit french in it, which makes me feel a bit smarter for being able to understand (though simple) phrases like "je ne parle francais". LOL. that's how pathetic i was then.

i've got nothing much to say about this book. it's a light reading material, some conflicts here and there, some stupid decisions, and the inevitable happy ending. which is a good thing, really.

the second e-card, and something's a bit off. tch.

The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

this book is an interesting piece of fiction, revolving around the magical world contained within the shades of black, white and grey that is Le Cirque des Reves (the circus of dreams). it's rare for me to be stunned by something that i'm reading, but this book did it to me. 

the diction is simple, one with basic english like mine can navigate their way through the stories without much difficulties, though it's not unusual for complex words to pop out here and there.

so this novel will be turned into a movie in 2013. (gosh so many things to be anticipated in 2013! XD) and i hope the movie will succeed in bringing out all those magical moments, emotional moments, and everything in between.

last, but not least, this book is a MUST READ.

  

1Q84 by Haruki Murakami

1Q84 is probably the longest novel I've ever read, nearing 1000 pages. One of the reason I'm glad (and am hopeful) that this novel had not (and never will) be featured as one of the long list of novels I have to study.

Another reason I'm not going to recommend this as none other than light reading (for other lazy bums out there) is because the novel is packed with elements. Air Chrysalis, The Little People, mahza and dohta, Janacek's Sinfonietta (pardon me for the lack of accents) and even the characters themselves... wow. I'll have a hard time figuring what's what and what it can be perceived as. You know what it's like being in literature classes. There's no black and white, just an overwhelming gray area so dense sometimes I lost my way; in the middle of the assumptions, the interpretations and also some bullshit here and there.

Okay, all that above is the reason I dont want to study 1Q84.

But as a light reading material, it's just brilliant. SCARILY SO.

When I'm in the middle of the book, at times I just wanted to stop. "This book is too long, I'll just leave it for a while" or "OMG, can I just peek at the ending?" but at other times, I've become so obsessive over it. I just can't get it out of my head. Well, until this very moment when I've finally done reading, it still lingers.

Which brings me to the second point. It's memorable. And with the touch of mystical element of Air Chrysalis and The Little People in it, it has become even more interesting. This is no Red Riding Hood living in modern time. It's fresh, and it meant more to me than just a mixture of reality and fairy tale.

One thing that bother me is that it's too long. Perhaps because I read it on the computer screen, the experience is not too great. I'm sure I'd have no complaint if I get to read it on paperback or ebook reader. 

And being a long novel actually doesnt hurt. It actually help me to form deeper bond with the characters inside the novel, especially Aomame. Well, maybe there's a little bit too much of repetition here and there, but I'd just skim over it. :P

Anyway, I'd recommend 1Q84 for light reading, and NOT for classroom discussion! LOL

   

The Big Book of Gross Stuff by Bart King

i would recommend the book to anyone who need a break from the drama in life. it's all about facts, facts and facts about (maybe) some of the grossest things you'll ever read, things that you can definitely relate to. and not to forget, it gives you A LOT of new knowledge that you'd probably never see coming your way.

well, among the things that i can remember from this book :

first, a sperm whale barf is very valuable, so keep a lookout whenever you're on a beach for something that looks like dog's vomit that washes up ashore

second, there's a tribe that actually separates human's face from the skull and proceeds to make fist-sized shrunken heads, probably a ritual or just pastime activity, i don't know. i'm just glad i'm not anywhere nearby.

third, enema is a medical procedure that seems disgusting but can actually be very relieving to some people. google it yourself.

and there're many more interesting facts that you'll come across while reading this book as you progress through your journey on some gross topics in this book.

i'd say, enjoy. :P

Heart of the Matter by Emily Giffin

Heart of the Matter is a well-written book about the lives of two different women, Tessa and Valerie. Initially I was perplexed on how they are connected, but as the story moves along, I finally found the answer.

Tessa husband was engaged in an affair with Valerie.

As normal people would do, which is to frown upon the wicked, tempting mistress, I felt differently towards her. Perhaps because the novel moves forward by going back and forth from the lives of Tessa and Valerie, I got to know the reason behind whatever happened, which in Valerie's life isn't all rainbows and butterflies.

Valerie is a single mother who solely takes care of her kindergarten-levelled son, Charlie, with the help of her brother, Jason. She had Charlie when she was very young, and Charlie's father may not even know he existed, being the carefree, ignorant artist that he was.

while

Tessa is a typical housewife you can picture being included in Good Christian Bitches or Suburgatory. But Tessa, she  may be a tad nicer than those women. Quitting his job to concentrate on her two children, she constantly struggle with matters like school snacks, household chores, and of course, the children.

So as the story goes back and forth between Tessa and Valerie, I can't help being a bit biased towards Tessa. I don't know why I felt some sort of pity with Valerie. Perhaps it's because Charlie never had a father, and Tessa's husband was playing the role perfectly that I wanted things to stay that way.

Too bad it didn't.

So in summary, it's a very engaging story, and being only my second book of Emily Giffin, i can say i kinda fell for her simple portrayal of complicated adults' matter.