21st November, 2008

Mo’ Dirty: Still Stuntin’ by Darrell King

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Peter ‘Whiskey’ Battle or just Whiskey, as called by friends and family, makes his money by being a hired killer. For a large sum of money, he can easily wipe out anyone from the face of the earth without leaving any obvious traces to lead back to him. Yeah, he’s that good.

His friends consist of rich dudes who earn money in ‘unusual’ ways, just like him. His close friend, David Ambrosia, is in the music industry and is doing what he can to make his fiancée, Godiva, a singing superstar. He’s also connected to drug dealers and such. Then, there’s Whiskey’s father, Snookey and his younger brother, Alonzo. Snookey’s stuck in jail but can still run operations from in there. Alonzo frequently lands himself into trouble of some kind.

Whiskey is also protective of his older sister, Tasha, and her kids. She took care of him and Alonzo since they were young when their mother was too busy doing drugs or going after men. Therefore, Whiskey and his family are tough characters who have been through a lot. In fact, most of the characters in this book are tough people.

Anyway, Whiskey’s biggest job is to murder a Police Chief, Mickey O’Malley, who’s determined to eradicate drug trafficking and other drug-related crimes. Whiskey and his cronies find this worrisome because they’ll be losing a lot of money if O’Malley is successful. Therefore, lots of them want to see O’Malley dead and gone.

This book is definitely different from all others that I’ve read in my life. Initially, I wasn’t used to the street language being used but as I kept reading, I got the hang of it. I wanted to stop reading halfway because I got kind of bored with it but continued because I’m curious to know if O’Malley will be killed or not!

The main characters are all bad-a$$ guys who are impossibly rich and treat women like objects but they’re undeniably loyal. Those who snitched on others to the cops will obviously be murdered. People who don’t keep their promises will likely get their ‘punishment’ too.

I’m guessing that there’s a second book after this one as the story wasn’t quite finished. There’s a “To Be Continued…” on the last page. For those who’d like to read from the bad guys’ point of view, then you can try reading this book. It’s certainly been an extraordinary reading experience.

Thanks to Tracee Gleichner from Pump Up Your Book Promotion for sending me this book.

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Posted in Authors K, Titles M at 11:10 pm | Comment (0)



28th November, 2007

Confessions of a Shopaholic by Sophie Kinsella

Published in 2000
ISBN: 0440241413

The first book of the popular Shopaholic series! It has another title, too, which is ‘The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic’. Yup, we meet Rebecca Bloomwood and in this book, she and Luke aren’t together. Yet. I wanted to know how they met and boy, it’s all absolutely exciting. I couldn’t stop reading last night and just kept turning the pages to know what happens next!

Rebecca or Becky is 25 years old and she completely adores shopping. She’s a financial journalist at Successful Saving magazine. Although she finds her work hopelessly boring, she sticks to it because it’s a job and she gets paid. Oh, she also gets bombarded with numerous letters from her bank and Visa. Why’s that? Well, she’s spent too much and hasn’t paid the bills yet, that’s why!

Finally, taking her dad’s advice, without his knowledge, she tries to C.B. which means ‘cut back’ on her spending. However, she ends up spending more money instead. When she felt like there’s no more hope, her flatmate, Suze, suggested that she tried to Make More Money so she can pay off her bills.

Somehow, Becky applied to be a Saturday shop assistant at a clothes store. Sure, she loves clothes and all, but hiding a pair of jeans from a customer??? That’s hilarious! You never know what she’ll do next. She makes up lies and all kinds of stories just to get her own way and to me, she comes across as a very selfish person.

How’s her relationship with Luke in this book? He’s deemed a genius and he built his company, Brandon Communications from nothing. Also, he’s in the list of the 100 Richest Bachelors. Tarquin, Suze’s cousin, has also made the list. He’s interested in Becky but she’s not that into him, unfortunately. Anyway, things changed after she spotted him in the richest bachelor list.

Becky thinks that Luke Brandon likes her. But, she’s not quite sure. She even had a good time choosing a luggage bag with him. Apparently, the luggage was for his girlfriend! Was she furious when she found out! And all the while she thought that he actually liked her. Since then, she’s never trusted him and decided to hate him.

At the beginning of the book, only bad things happened to her. Partly because she caused them to happen. You feel sorry for her and yet you just want to laugh out loud at her silliness! It’s like the other Shopaholic books I’ve read. And I have two more books to go – the one where she gets married and the other one with the baby!

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: BookChica

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Posted in Authors K, Contemporary, Girls/Women, Humour, Titles C at 10:17 am | Comments (4)



14th August, 2007

Shopaholic Abroad by Sophie Kinsella

Published in 2001
ISBN: 0552999407

The story in this book occurs before Shopaholic and Sister but I don’t mind because it’s quite fun when you know what’s happened already. All I needed to know was HOW it all happened.

It’s still about Becky Bloomwood, excessive shopper. As usual, she buys stuff she fancies and then forgets all about it. She can’t pack light and is just an incredibly unrealistic person. I feel she’s an over-confident person and when disaster befalls her, she’s landed in total shock. Not good.

Anyway, she managed to land herself in a huge debt and what’s worse, it’s been splashed onto the Daily World newspaper, for all in England to read! She only found out about it while on a holiday weekend with her career-obsessed boyfriend, Luke. Haha! She’s obsessed with shopping while Luke is obsessed with making it big in his career and in New York!

Her flat mate and best friend, Suze has tried to warn her to control her shopping but Becky is such an impulsive shopper. Becky even bought numerous frames made by Suze even though Suze insisted that she’ll make one especially for her. However, Becky bought the frames because she wants to encourage the other customers in the shop to buy them as well.

I was quite annoyed at the part where Becky’s neighbour, Tom, who was getting married to Lucy. She came to the wedding alone, so what? Why should the bride and the other guests keep asking her where’s her supposed boyfriend, Luke? That was simply childish. Well, it was partly because all of them thought Becky is in love with Tom and they were expecting her to break down any moment during the wedding. I felt sorry for her then!

It’s titled Shopaholic Abroad because Becky goes to New York with her boyfriend, Luke. He might be transferring his business there. She then meets his mom and it was indeed a memorable experience for her albeit a horrible one! And are TV people always making empty promises even though they sound so darn convincing?

It’s an entertaining and light-hearted book. The ending was as sweet as sugar as it’s a happy ending.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: bethany

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Posted in Authors K, Contemporary, Girls/Women, Humour, Titles S at 4:02 am | Comments (14)



16th July, 2007

Shopaholic & Sister by Sophie Kinsella

Published in 2004
ISBN: 0385338090

My first Shopaholic book! No, I didn’t buy it but I was extremely lucky to have borrowed it from my university’s library. Usually, popular fiction books such as this Shopaholic book would have flown off the shelves in the blink of an eye!

I’ve quite enjoyed reading her Undomestic Goddess book, so I was looking forward to a nice and easy read with Shopaholic. And easy it was!

The word ‘Shopaholic’ sounds interesting enough and it’s almost become a frequent usage in daily conversations and jokes. Well, for me though!

I think I should have read the first book in this Shopaholic series, which might be The Secret Dreamworld of a Shopaholic. But, it doesn’t matter now which book I read first as it’s really easy to understand the story and also to understand Becky Bloomwood who adores shopping completely!

In Shopaholic & Sister, Becky’s already married to Luke Brandon and the story starts with their traveling around the world kind of honeymoon. They planned to travel around for one year but after ten months of living like nomads, the Brandons decide to go back home in London.

Becky got the idea of going back home unexpectedly and surprise her parents and friends as well. She doesn’t know that there would be a surprise waiting for her at home, too.

Anyway, all did not go as planned. She expected everyone to be eager to hear stories of her travels but so much has happened at home that her stories had to take a back seat. The surprise her parents gave her was: She has a sister! Half-sister actually. Becky’s dad had a relationship with another woman way before he met Becky’s mom. And the sister tracked them down!

Since Becky’s best friend, Suze, has found another friend to hang out with, she looked forward to spending quality sister-time with Jess, her newfound sister. To me, I feel that Becky is too overconfident and expects other people to find her ideas and activities useful and fun.

But it’s probably because she’s enjoyed spending time with Suze so much before that she thinks Jess would have the same interests, too. For example, shopping! To Becky’s great dismay, Jess hates shopping! In fact, Jess is the total opposite of her. While Becky buys almost everything and anything she lays her eyes on, Jess is quite a spendthrift. She tries to save money whenever she can and thinks before buying, unlike Becky, who buys stuff on impulse.

Then, things start to go wrong. Jess hates Becky and said they might not even be sisters. Becky thinks her husband, Luke, is starting to hate her, too for spending too much money and not thinking rationally. She also thinks that Luke wants her to be more like Jess.

So, when Luke goes to Cyprus on a business trip, Becky hastily packed her stuff and heads off to Cumbria to find Jess. To apologize and to ask for help. And also to learn to be more like her, if possible!

However, when she reaches Jess’ front door, she is SO NOT welcomed there. What do you think will happen then? Will Becky just give up and go home without reconciling with Jess? Is Jess really her half-sister?

This book tries to be funny but at some parts, I am just annoyed. For example, how can Becky not know the exchange rates for money? She is a financial journalist! She should know. And Becky’s quite childish for a grown-up, too. All in all, I like this book for its simple storyline and that makes reading it easier and faster!

Buy Shopaholic & Sister

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Posted in Authors K, Contemporary, Girls/Women, Humour, Titles S at 2:16 pm | Comments (6)



11th June, 2007

Carrie by Stephen King

This book really gave me the horrors! After reading the first 20 pages I felt tired and took a nap. And had a bad dream! But, I still continued reading the book nevertheless.

Carrie was Stephen King’s first horror novel and it definitely does its job. Carrie is just a plain girl with the gift of telekinesis. Nobody else knows about it except her mother. The most frightening character in this book is Carrie’s overly religious and completely paranoid mother, Margaret White. Carrie’s father, Ralph, passed away when she was small so, it’s only Carrie and her mother at home.

Their house is decorated with numerous religious pictures (mostly biblical characters in trouble) and also a huge crucifix with the dying Jesus Christ. Carrie’s mother is also always praying for her and her daughter’s sins. To her, it is already a sin for being a woman and also a sin for a woman to have her menstruation.

That was why she never explained to Carrie about the monthly cycle. While cleaning up after playing volleyball in the girls’ locker room at Ewen (U-win) High School, Carrie found blood dripping down her legs. She doesn’t know that she’s begun menstruating and the other girls weren’t any help. They only teased and bullied her.

Carrie was always the butt of jokes in school and she doesn’t stand up for herself. Anyway, one of the girls, Susan Snell, felt badly for Carrie and regretted teasing her in the locker room with the other girls, asked her boyfriend, Tommy Ross to bring Carrie to the prom.

Tommy nervously asked Carrie and she accepted. However, her mother was not very happy about it. In fact, she got hysterical and ordered Carrie to pray for her sins in the closet.

Then, there’s Chris Hargensen, the spoilt daughter of a rich lawyer. She’s forever making Carrie’s life like hell in school and she’s upset that she’s not allowed to go to the prom, as punishment for teasing Carrie in the locker room. No, she won’t sit down quietly of course. She’s going to pay back to Carrie. On Prom Night, too.

Initially, Carrie’s prom night was magical and thrilling. The popular Tommy Ross is her date and she looks stunning in her homemade dress. Lo and behold, Tommy and Carrie were even voted Prom King and Queen of the 1979 Spring Ball. Both went onstage and sat on the special ‘thrones’ for the King and Queen of the prom and Carrie felt terribly overwhelmed when something splashed all over her. Pig’s blood.

From then on, the terror began in the town of Chamberlain.

For the faint-hearted, no reading this book alone at night.

I’ve watched Carrie (1976 film) starring Sissy Spacek as Carrie. My sister did warn me about the chilling sound effects and Carrie’s mother but I watched it anyway. Don’t watch it alone, I’m warning you! =D

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Erin

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Posted in Authors K, Horror, Titles C at 3:46 am | Comments (4)



17th April, 2007

Firestarter by Stephen King

Who’s the firestarter in this book? Why, it’s only a little girl! So young and innocent and yet she is able to start fires that could burn you to death.

Firestarter by Stephen King is one of the many interesting and thought-provoking books that I’ve read. The little firestarter’s name is Charlene McGee or just Charlie. Her parents, Andy and Vicky, once needed 200 dollars when they were young and they had participated in some weird drug experiment to get the money.

Andy felt uncomfortable during the experiment and saw some gory incidents but was told later that he was merely hallucinating, part of the side effects of the experimental drug called Lot Six, which was injected into him. However, after the day of the experiment and after getting his 200 bucks, he discovered that he had the ability to ‘push’ other people into doing things he wanted them to do. Vicky, who eventually became his wife, had telekinetic abilities, too like turning off the TV even though she’s nowhere near it.

Then, they had a daughter, Charlie. Charlie would unintentionally light fires when she’s agitated, angry or just feeling extremely emotional. It was dangerous when she was a baby because if her bottle of milk was late, then there would be fire burning somewhere. That’s why her parents kept fire extinguishers all around the house.

Vicky and Andy did not know that they were being watched by a secret government agency, The Shop. The Shop is actually a scientific department and now, they want to get hold of Charlie to study her ability to start fires just by thinking about doing it. Her talent is called pyrokinesis.

However, they are being merciless towards the McGee family. They will do anything just to have Charlie. Therefore, Andy and Charlie are on the run, away from the agents of The Shop. Andy knew they were in serious trouble when he came home one day to find his wife dead.

Nonetheless, this book has lots of unimportant parts that were relatively boring to me. I enjoyed reading the ending though. ‘Scary’, ‘frightening’, and ‘terrifying’ were among the words used to describe the book. Hmmm, well, I guess a part or two was chilling enough. I would call this book entertaining and it made me feel tremendously sad for Charlie. No 7-year-old deserves to live such a terrifying life.

The story was adapted into a movie in 1984 with Drew Barrymore acting as Charlie! This is getting even more interesting. Looks like I’m going to be on a hunt for the movie now.

Other Bloggers’ Reviews: Erin

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Posted in Authors K, Horror, Mystery/Thriller, Science Fiction, Titles F at 12:10 pm | Comments (8)



31st March, 2007

The Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella

Published in 2005
ISBN: 0385338686

Wouldn’t you like to be a high-powered lawyer at one of the most prestigious law firms around? To wear black suits all day and constantly check your e-mails every thirty seconds?

Welcome to Samantha Sweeting’s world. She’s one of the brightest lawyers at Carter Spink and never had any weekends off. She works all day and only arrives home late at night until she had to depend on her ever-caring neighbour to receive her mails and other things for her.

Samantha worked at Carter Spink for a good 7 years, giving her all. All she ever wanted was a partnership there. When she finally got it, she finds something unexpected among the piles of papers on her messy desk, which will ruin her entire career. Feeling shocked and more stressed out than ever, she leaves her office in a hurry and somehow ended up at an unfamiliar place.

When she stopped at a house to ask for a glass of water, she’s mistaken for a housekeeper arriving for her interview. Before she knew it, she made up incredible stories about her ‘housekeeping experiences’ to her would-be employers, Mr. and Mrs. Geiger. They were so impressed that they hired her immediately.

This is the first Sophie Kinsella book that I’ve read and I really enjoyed it. It is the book to read if you are looking for something light and hopelessly funny. I also cannot believe that Samantha can’t iron a shirt or even sew on a button! But, the part where she was trying to figure out how to use the washing machine was hilarious. I’ve never come across any washing machines with complicated pre-wash programs like A3-E2, H4, whatever.

Besides that, I don’t understand why she kept insisting that she likes being a housekeeper although she silently retaliates each time orders were being thrown at her. She obviously doesn’t like being bossed around. I mean, who would?

Samantha also falls in love with the gardener, Nathaniel. Initially, she was not sure of the mixed signals coming from him and was about to give up trying to get him interested. But, soon, things turned out well and Samantha started feeling happy being where she was.

While reading, I simply could not wait for the part where her employers and their obnoxious niece will find out who she really is! Samantha thought she was able to keep things a secret but things are not as easy as she thought they would be.

It’s a funny book, though I doubt there can be a real-life Samantha Sweeting somewhere!

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Posted in Authors K, Girls/Women, Humour, Romance, Titles U at 1:31 pm | Comment (0)



22nd March, 2007

The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King

Trisha McFarland is 9 years old. She tries to be cheerful all the time although her family is having problems. However, in her heart, she wished that they would stop hurting one another.

Her parents are divorced. Larry, her father drinks too much beer. Trisha and her father have something in common - both of them are ardent fans of a baseball player, Tom Gordon, who plays for the Red Sox. Quilla, Trisha’s mother, who won custody of her children, never gets tired of taking her two kids out on weekend outings. Pete, Trisha’s older brother, misses his old school at the town where they lived before the divorce.

The story starts when Trisha, her mom, and Pete are out hiking. Trisha’s mom and Pete argue about Pete’s pinings to return to his old school and computer club. They were so caught up in their quarrel that they did not realise Trisha had disappeared for a while to pee. Well, Trisha thought she would catch up with them as long as she could hear their voices. But, she had left the path and was unable to find her mother and brother or anyone else. She strayed deeper into the woods, hoping to find a way out.

I find this book less thrilling than ‘Firestarter’, another splendid novel by Stephen King. But still, this is a story of the determination and optimism of a little girl who lost her way in the woods.

Book read in 2004.

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Posted in Authors K, Horror, Mystery/Thriller, Titles G at 3:18 am | Comments (2)


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