The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett

Thursday, July 7, 2011 by 4 Comments

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
Publisher: Penguin Books | 2007 (first published 1911) | 276 pages
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Ten-year-old Mary Lennox, who has lived in India all her life, is sent to stay with at her uncle Lord Craven’s Misselthwaite Manor in England when her parents died of a disease. Mary has never had a friend all her life and her parents had never bothered much about her. This makes Mary an obnoxious, sullen little girl who always expects her servants to wait hand and foot on her.

As Mary tries to adapt to the strange new ways in her new home, she improves in physique and character. She passes the time by exploring the gardens and trying to make conversations with an old gardener Ben Weatherstaff. Martha, a young chambermaid, is also the only other person who usually speaks to Mary.

Soon, Mary befriends Martha’s younger brother Dickon who has a way of charming animals around him. She lets him in on a secret that she found out a little earlier. She has discovered a garden which was abandoned for 10 years with the door’s key buried somewhere. By some stroke of luck, she found the key, entered the secret garden and felt that she was in a whole new world. So together with Dickon, they begin to work to bring the garden back to life.

Besides the garden, Mary uncovers another secret in the manor that has a hundred rooms. She stumbles upon her 10-year-old sick cousin Colin one night when she followed the sounds of his crying. From then on, she would visit him every day to talk and play, without them realising that they were making each other better and learning to enjoy their childhood at the same time.

I have watched the 1993 movie version of The Secret Garden when I was a kid and loved it till now. While reading the book, images from the movie would constantly pop into my head and I would compare how the characters were portrayed in both versions.

Descriptions were abundant in the book and it made me a little more knowledgeble about gardens and flowers. I was also a bit puzzled but tickled when I read that Dickon has a funny face. How can a person’s face look funny? But Dickon is a good-natured boy and it would be difficult not to like him.

The book got off to a great start but it slowed down for me halfway. It thankfully got better after three-quarter of the book until the ending. I’m glad that I have finally read the book as I have watched two movie versions of it, and like I mentioned earlier, I really liked the 1993 one starring Kate Maberly.

Filed Under: Authors B, Genre - Children's Classics, Titles S

The Struggle (The Vampire Diaries #2) by L.J. Smith

Wednesday, January 5, 2011 by 2 Comments

So this book is a continuation from the first book, The Awakening. Elena Gilbert thinks that her vampire boyfriend Stefan Salvatore has been terribly hurt by his more vicious older brother Damon. He appears to be fine but she is more wary of Damon who has a way of charming those around him.

Since everyone else thinks Stefan has been behind several attacks, Elena is no longer the golden girl in school. She sticks by him no matter what and envisions a future with him.

One day, she discovers that her diary has gone missing. The diary contains information which would make Stefan look really, really bad (duh, he’s a vampire) so she has to find it again soon. She and her two best friends, Bonnie and Meredith even break into a former friend, Caroline’s house just to find the diary. Caroline used to be Elena’s friend but they had a fall out.

Elena also finds herself unwillingly attracted to Damon in a few instances. Pretty exciting love triangle, huh? It’s so different from the TV series!

I really wanted to enjoy the book like how I liked the TV show but I found it a tad dull. Stefan was boring. Elena was…well, quite a demanding one. Damon is quite exciting though.

I’m relieved and glad that I finished the book. I’m not sure if I’ll be reading the third book, which is The Fury. I so need a break from vampires though I don’t mind watching them.

Filed Under: Authors S, Genre - YA Paranormal Romance, Titles S Tagged With:

Shopaholic & Baby by Sophie Kinsella

Tuesday, August 24, 2010 by 4 Comments

Our favourite shopaholic, Becky Bloomwood is pregnant and she’s more excited than ever! After all, having a baby would be a fun thing, right? This means that instead of shopping for just one person, Becky can now shop for two! It’s definitely utter bliss for her shopaholic soul.

Life seems perfect. A baby coming soon, her husband Luke is doing well with his public relations company, a beautiful new home awaiting them…what else could Becky want?

Well, she’s not really contented with her current obstetrician, which is boring Mr Braine who has delivered Luke before. She hopes to secure celebrity obstetrician, Venetia Carter who treats mostly famous people. Becky, with her fantasies of rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous, eventually succeeds in getting Venetia to be her new doctor.

The thing is, long-legged, red-head and glamorous Venetia used to be Luke’s girlfriend when they were teenagers. Should Becky be worried? No, she shouldn’t be, of course. Luke loves her. He would never leave her. Hurting her would be the last thing in the world that he’d ever do. But she has that nagging feeling of distrust whenever she sees Venetia, or Luke.

Can’t say I loved the book though I liked it. However, the more I read about Becky’s extravagant spending and frivolous ideas, I began liking her less. Actually, I don’t really like her character but I just find her funny at times. Her mannerisms and ridiculous ideas can leave you speechless.

It is a fun book to read, there’s no doubt about it. I enjoy the other characters especially Luke and Becky’s best friend, Suze. I know that Suze comes from a wealthy family and she must have had the best education, so sometimes I find it hard to believe that she can be quite ditzy.

Shopaholic & Baby is a fun and cheerful book to pick up after a hard day’s work. :)

I’m also looking forward to the next book, Mini Shopaholic, which comes out in September.

Filed Under: Authors K, Genre - Chick Lit, Titles S Tagged With:

Shopaholic Ties the Knot by Sophie Kinsella

Thursday, July 22, 2010 by 9 Comments

In the third book of the Shopaholic series, Shopaholic Ties the Knot begins with the wedding preparations for Suze, Becky Bloomwood’s best friend. She’s happy that Suze is going to marry a really nice guy but after some time, she realises that she has no idea when it might be her turn to walk down the aisle. Becky knows her boyfriend of two years, Luke loves her very much. They are a blissful couple who has been living together in New York but they have never discussed getting married.

Just when she thinks Luke is not interested in marriage, he proposes. Becky’s feeling joyful because there’ll be a Becky’s Big Day (inspired by (Princess) Diana’s Big Day) after all. Her mother is just as excited and has begun preparations for the wedding. However, when Becky returns to New York, Luke’s very frosty mother, Elinor, surprises her with her own plans for a grand wedding for Luke and Becky at the Plaza.

It’s hard to say no to Elinor. Becky plans to go along with Elinor’s plans for a while and then decline her offer later. But as Becky becomes more involved in the New York wedding, she is overwhelmed with the luxury and privilege of getting married like a princess. She then plans to let her mother know about her decision to marry in New York. The thing is, Becky’s parents have already put in a lot of effort and work for the England wedding that she didn’t have the heart to disappoint them. So, there are two weddings for Becky on the same day. Which one will she choose?

I can’t believe how much I looked down upon the Shopaholic series and thought it was the kind of chick lit book that I shouldn’t waste time reading. Well, reading my first Shopaholic book in 2007 proved me wrong. It turned out to be one of the most fun books I ever read!

This one was no exception. It’s light-hearted, a page turner and undeniably hilarious. I loved how many times I chuckled aloud while reading it. Becky’s such an imaginative person. Besides being an impulsive buyer, she also tends to jump to conclusions rather quickly.

The other characters definitely add more drama to the story. Luke is so devoted to Becky but he’s also a very loyal son to Elinor whom Becky detests. Then there’s Becky’s new best friend, Danny who aspires to be a fashion designer. I guess her life wouldn’t be complete if there’s no fashion designer for a friend.

I really enjoyed reading this book. I’m going to get started with the fifth one, Shopaholic & Baby! And FYI, the sixth book, Mini Shopaholic will be released on September 21 this year!

Filed Under: Authors K, Genre - Chick Lit, Titles S Tagged With:

The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson by Jerome Charyn

Thursday, May 6, 2010 by 8 Comments

The first Emily Dickinson poem that I learnt was ‘There’s Been a Death in the Opposite House’ when I was in secondary school. I didn’t know much about her then. Fast forward to my uni days: for my English class, we learnt six of her poems and most of them revolved around the theme of death. Depressing? Yes, kind of, but it’s interesting to discover why Ms Dickinson constantly wrote about it. She also liked to write poems about nature.

Anyway, did you know that she wrote nearly 1,800 poems? Incredible, huh? She never got married and she died when she was 55. She was known to wear white all the time, never left her house, never met anyone but her family and she would lower down baskets of food through her window. The only form of communication she has with the outside world was through writing letters. Besides, she was good at baking and her famous black cake is mentioned many times in this book.

Take a look at the cover. Are you smiling at the cheekiness of it? Or are you raising an eyebrow since the cover does not seem compatible with my description of Emily? Well, The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson is about the secret, wilder side of the poet that will shock you horrendously. Don’t get too excited as it is part fiction with several fictional characters thrown in for an added thrill.

The story begins with Emily as a student at the seminary Mount Holyoke which had strict rules for its students. There, she falls in love with a blond, blue-eyed handyman named Tom. Though she thinks of him all the time and wants to woo him, she never had the chance to be with him. Emily was to find out later that her schoolmate Zilpah Marsh had already made Tom her man.

Her relationships with various characters are also explored throughout the novel. The characters include her protective father Edward Dickinson, her faithful dog Carlo, the fictitious Zilpah Marsh, her sister-in-law Sue, and also her array of suitors. In the book, she fell in love over and over again but I think her heart always belonged to Tom the handyman.

The author, Jerome Charyn, has used her letters and poetry as inspiration for the book. Therefore, you can spot some lines from her poems in the story along with her eccentric way of capitalising the first letter of certain words. Lots of metaphors are also used and I had to read some paragraphs again and again to comprehend the meaning. Honestly I gave up at some and just continued reading.

Split into seven parts and 48 chapters, the 348-page novel is written from Emily’s point of view. If you want to get to know Emily Dickinson intimately, read this book and you’ll observe how imaginative and flirtatious she can be! You’ll also find yourself delved into her innermost thoughts and following her on daring adventures (daring for women of her time). Remember that it is her secret life and secrets can be scandalous, can’t they?

***Thanks to Mark Goldman for sending me a copy of this book to review.

Filed Under: Authors C, Genre - Historical Fiction, Titles S

Skin and Other Stories by Roald Dahl

Wednesday, November 11, 2009 by 5 Comments

Questions like ‘How would you get rid of a murder weapon without causing suspicion?’ and ‘What if you found out the tattoo on your back was worth over a million pounds?’ on the back cover of Skin and Other Stories by Roald Dahl could make the reader hungry for more dark tales with unexpected endings.

This book has a collection of 11 short stories, each with its own eccentricity and uniqueness. I particularly enjoyed reading some of them like Skin, Lamb to the Slaughter, Galloping Foxley and My Lady Love, My Dove. The others were all right but some of them had endings which I wasn’t satisfied with.

In Skin, a miserable old man called Drioli came across a painting in a picture gallery and was shocked to know that a boy he used to know had become a very famous painter. Drioli had requested that the boy paint a picture of a woman, Josie, on his back. Now that painting is worth a lot of money and Drioli made the mistake of announcing it to the visitors of the gallery. A few men have made generous offers for him but can they be trusted?

As for Lamb to the Slaughter, it is my favourite story! The ending was totally brilliant and unpredictable. Well, that was how it’s like for me. Who would have thought that Mary Maloney was such a smart, cunning woman? Out of the blue, her husband told her that he’d be leaving her, for what reason, we don’t really know. Mary was in a daze and went downstairs to the cellar to get a leg of lamb, presumably to make supper. Instead of putting the lamb into the oven first, she decided to whack her husband on the head with it. He fell down, dead.

In Galloping Foxley, William Perkins recalls his school days where he had to be a slave to a senior student named Bruce Foxley aka Galloping Foxley. Perkins usually encountered nothing unusual and met the same people while on his way to work. The arrival of a newbie at the train station had disrupted Perkins normal routine. He then thinks that he sort of knows the new guy and suspects him to be a former bully.

Stories such as An African Story and Beware of the Dog have military elements in them which reflect Dahl’s background in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.

He also wrote a number of other short stories and you can view the list here. I also have The Great Automatic Grammatizator and Other Stories and I’m definitely looking forward to reading more of Dahl’s surprising tales!

Filed Under: Authors D, Genre - Short Stories, Titles S Tagged With:
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