Monday, December 14, 2009

2009 Books







Edward Cullen and Bella Swan were successful in transporting me back to high school. It's such a wonderful feeling. It's wonderful because I felt young all over again. If you're young, you'd get tingles all over while reading cheesy moments. (Oh ok, up until adult romance. Hahaha!) I never got so engrossed in teen romance since Elizabeth Wakefield and Todd Wilkins, much less with a vampire?!


All Twilight Saga readers will probably agree with me that Meyer is pretty good in weaving magic to the plot. It's a simple love story, actually. A newbie in town (and in Forks High School) fell in love with his seatmate vampire. Then the drama of beating all the odds make the saga certified page-turners. Unputdownable as they say.

I was quite skeptical back then. I ignored the reviews and word-of-mouths. And all of a sudden my weekend trips to National Bookstore and Fully Booked won't be complete without throwing a glance at Meyer's books... but there was none! Classic reply of sales ladies? Out of stock, Ma'am. My first book was Eclipse, the third installment of the saga. Reading Eclipse was not a good way to appreciate the story line. It made me thirst for the source of the book hype. A week later, I bought Twilight and New Moon on the same day. I was afraid that it might get out of stock again. I just borrowed Breaking Dawn from an officemate. And the rest is history. I've read the first three books twice already.

The film versions of Twilight and New Moon were just casual aids to further one's imagination.





This was an unplanned purchase. 

Our flight to The Big Apple was rerouted to Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, Pennsylvania due to zero visibility and we're left with no choice but to wait for land transfer. I have no patience for long waiting time, so I bought this novel to kill time. Four hours isn't a joke.

Paulo Coelho happens to be one of my favorite authors. I was smitten by  his thought-provoking style of writing in The Fifth Mountain, Veronika Decides to Die, Eleven Minutes and By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept. Before my US trip, The Winner Stands Alone wasn't available yet in NB branches. My $22 (plus tax) purchase was really worth it.

This novel was successful in letting me in to imaginary portals to fame, fortune and celebrity. But of course, in Paulo Coelho's signature inspiring way. A good read.





This was also an unplanned purchase.

And just the same, I didn't regret buying another Coelho. I bought this while on a minor attempt to escape from a surprise date. Well, my attempt to escape proved to be unsuccessful. I like the theme of the story - finding one's true self amid life's uncertainties.


 
 
This book was given to me as a birthday gift.

Dan Brown really knows how to entertain his readers. He has done the same effect in The Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons and Deception Point. Every chapter is a cliffhanger, and as always, Brown never fails to amuse the readers via his geeky discussion of historical trivia.

The main story line of The Lost Symbol is not that grandiose as the rumors went public that Brown has a new novel. Masonry. The secret symbols which are not really secret.

After reading this, I felt more knowledgeable about Masonry. All in all, Brown made a big deal out of the Mason world. Basically, that's it.

But what captured my attention is the fact that it's a thriller set in Washington, D.C. Some locations were too familiar that I often caught myself reminiscing my trip in D.C. last May. The Capitol, the Smithsonian Museums, The White House, Freedom Plaza, Washington Monument, the National Mall and the Washington Metro --- these are just some of the D.C. landmarks mentioned in the novel that we visited.





If it's any consolation to Kerry Cohen, I'd say she's one brave woman.

There's nothing really special about her novel except the fact that it's her own life story. Real-life promiscuity. If you were to ignore that it's based in real life, you'd say it's just another low-profile, silly romance. But I'm appreciative of any real life story, regardless of its writing style, so I'd give this book some credit.

This is worth your while, that is, if you are to fill the gaps of the day.

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