Friday Memes Mar. 11, 2011

The Friday 56: Hosted by Freda's Voice.This week's Friday 56 is from "The Brethren" by John Grisham. One was sent for text evasion. Another, for skimming bingo profits. And the third, for a career-ending drunken joyride. The Brethren: judges-turned felons can use their time in prison to get rich, very fast. 

"How much can they pay? have you guys quoted a fee?" Trevor asked. -The Brethren, pg. 56

Book Blogger Hop: Hosted by Crazy for Books. This week's question is "If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a book shop right now what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?". My answer: Book 2-6 of Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage and Book 2 to 4 of Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Is $80 enough for all these?? If not can I ask for another $80?? Greedy...=b

Friday Follows: Hosted by Parajunkee's View: This week's question is "Who are you the Boy/Girl instead of you a blogger? ". My answer: I'm CJ the student. Doing degree in Forensic Science and currently in my final semester. Wish this will end real soon!! 

Friday Finds: Hosted by Should be Reading where book bloggers sharing great books we hear about/ discover this past week. So, here are my Friday Finds!! Mine, this week with Historical Fiction theme

The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan

My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira

Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum

Wench by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

First Impression: The Maze Runner

Hi welcome to "First Impression". Let me tell you what's going on today. First I will share the first line of the story and my opinion on the the book that I've just started reading: the cover, the story, and will give an advance star rating to the book. Second, you'll share with me your "First Impression" by linking it back to Coffee N Crackers through the link widget below. Rules: The book must be a book that you just started reading, not a book that you already finished. Easy right? And you can post your First Impression whenever you start reading a new book: no specific day.

 *****

The Maze Runner by James Dashner: The Glade is an enclosed structure with a jail, a graveyard, a slaughterhouse, living quarters, and gardens. And no way out. Outside the Glade is the Maze, and every day some of the kids the Runners venture into the labyrinth, trying to find an exit from this hellish place.What is this place, and does Thomas hold the key to finding a way out? 

He began his new life standing up, surrounded by cold darkness and stale, dusty air. - 1st line 

The Cover: I love the cover. It's a simple one but the walls covered with green (weed??) look beautiful and definitely a world that I would love to know.  

The Story: I already read through a few chapters and found out that the story have a good start. The Maze Runner looks like a story that I'll enjoy reading as the premise of the book sounds interesting and original. I would expect something enthralling  and captivating and it will bring me through an unforgettable ride of adventure and action.  


Advanced Star Rating: 5 Stars

Friday Memes Mar. 4, 2011

The Friday 56: Hosted by Freda's Voice.This week's Friday 56 is from "The Other Boleyn Girl" a historical fiction by Phillippa Gregory.A compelling tale of love, ambition, lust and intrigue. A woman who survived the most glamorous and dangerous court in Europe by following her heart.

"Yes. Send her down to Hever. Tell him that she's ill. Let him imagine her dying of grief." -The Other Boleyn Girl, pg. 56

Book Blogger Hop: Hosted by Crazy for Books. This week's question is "Who's your all time favourite book villain?". My answer: Saverus Snape!! Everybody knew him right? I love this character so much. He was a villain yes, but at the end of Harry Potter series, he was a hero. Or so I thought...

Friday Follows: Hosted by Parajunkee's View: This week's question is "What embarrassing thing have you done on cold medicine? ". My answer: I don't remember..

Friday Finds: Hosted by Should be Reading where book bloggers sharing great books we hear about/ discover this past week. So, here are my Friday Finds!!

Scared by Tom Davis

Priceless by Tom Davis

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson

A Full-Time Student, A Part -Time Bookworm

Hey, guys! It has been awhile since I last posted anything here, let alone to write reviews on books that I've read. February was quite an OK month for me since I managed to finish 4 books in total; "The Historian" by Elizabeth Kostova, "Cut" by Cathy Glass, "City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare and "The Survivor" by Sean Slater. Out of these four, only Julie & Julia was already reviewed. *Sigh.. I wish I have more time for reading and reviewing books but for the time being I'm a very busy person. Writing my thesis and assignments, reading journals, exams some more and loads of other academic things. Well, this is my final semester as undergrad after all. Lots of thing to be done but after a few more months I'll be a free man!! Well..at least for awhile..*laughing

However, in all these "calamities" as a student, I'm still reading some books though for just a few pages in a day. Well, all works and no play make me a dull boy! Study is my priority but a bit of pleasure in between won't hurt, yes? Well, right now  I'm reading a historical fiction by Philippa Gregory "The Other Boleyn Girl", and am enjoying it. I know that this book had been adapted into a movie starred Natalie Portman and Scarlet Johansson. Both are beautiful!! Got the movie but am planning to watch it after I finish the book. I also am reading an E-Book of "The Nightmare Within" sent by author Glen Krisch and am about halfway through it. This horror fiction of transmuted nightmares really freaks me out. If you're a fan of horror books, this should be your cup of tea. 

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

It is unbelievable that it's March already. Time is moving so fast , like seriously. Just a blink  and puff!! two months already gone!! Well,  what are you planning to read this month?? Me? I think my March will be in a total chaos. Disaster!! (talking about my study again). But, I still have some plan under my sleeve for reading. I got a few collection of e-books and from those collection I've short-listed and came out with four above. But right now, I don't know which one to read first. Will you help me?? Opinion.pinion.^^Hehe. Well, I think that's all for now. Have a great March guys..and see ya!! 

On My Wishlist Feb. 26, 2011

On My Wishlist: Is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City where readers share the books that they want to to read but not yet in their possession.This week on my wishlist are the Millenium Trilogy books "The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo", "The Girl Who Played With Fire", and "The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest" by Steig Larsson. This trilogy is said to be one of the most great outstanding trilogies in 2010.

Book an Appreciation of Dr M

Hi guys, it has been a long time since I last blog about a non-fiction book. I have to admit that I'm more interested in reading the fiction books since they're more fun and enjoyable and hey! I read for pleasure after all. Non-fiction in the other hand normally discuss more about critical issues and I'm well aware that in order to gain more knowledge about these critical subject such as education, economy, politic, and social knowledge as well as self-improvement, this genre is much more useful. Ok, enough of me rambling..what I'm going to share with all of you today is an article from the Star News. The article is about a newly launched book on Malaysia former prime minister Tun. Dr mahathir Mohamad by American journalist Tom Plate. Here's the article:

Putrajaya: American journalist Tom Plate said his book on Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is "neither a whitewash nor a grand jury indictment but an appreciation" of the former prime minister. In the book Conversations with Mahathir Mohamad - Dr M: Operation Malaysia, the country's fourth prime minister gives his views on the Internal Security Act (ISA) and Jews, among others. Dr Mahathir had also claimed that the 1987 crackdown when 106 people were arrested under the ISA, was a police decision and that he had met opposition leaders before Ops Lalang to assure them they would not be arrested. the statement drew flack from DAP stalwart Lim kit Siang who denied Dr mahathir had made him and other opposition leaders.

"I dont know what really motivated him (Dr Mahathir) to say the things he said. But I do think that at certain point of one's life, you want the world to know your thoughts on some of the controversies and what you were trying to do, even if it did not work out exactly like you wanted," Plate, 67, said after launching the book at the Perdana Leadership Foundation here yesterday. The book is part of his Giants of Asia series, which also included a book on Singapore's founding father Lee Kwan Yew. 

"His (Dr. Mahathir) point was. if Malaysia doesn't try and just sit where it is, nothing is going to be achieved. Dr Mahathir was not afraid of failure and did not want to be timid," said Plate who is also an internationally syndicated columnist and university professor. "Sometimes, when I went back to him to confirm things hehad said, Dr Mahathir would say, 'That's what I said and that's what I want to say'. "I met him five times and spent a total 10 hours with him," said Plate, adding that the discussion was intense.

In his speech at the book launch, Plate said he decided to include Dr Mahathir in his series of Asian leaders after interviewing the former prime minister to comment and "get some dirt" on Lee for his book on the republic's Minister Mentor. "Upon hearing my request, Dr Mahathir said, 'Come on down!'."When I told him that I should do Giants of Asia book on him, he gave me a big smile," added Plate, drawing laughter from the audience. 

-The Star, Wednesday, 23 Feb. 2011

Conversations with Mahathir Mohamad Dr M: Operation Malaysia: He began his professional career as a family physician but wound up prescribing innovative political medicines for the entire nation that remain controversial even today. Was he exactly the bold and fearless policy doctor that the troubled body politic of Malaysia needed? Or was he just another mendacious mediocrity with a record of persistent misdiagnoses, phony remedies and self-serving justifications? Only history s judgment can offer the final verdict but Dr Mahathir himself is in no doubt. In a riveting series of unprecedented conversations, Malaysia s most famous former prime minister reveals to American journalist and author Tom Plate a panoramic panoply of views on governing, on Islam, on Jews, on the West and on Malays that are striking in historical sweep and contemporary relevance.

This is indeed a good book as Dr Mahathir himself is a very outstanding leader and I really admire him. No doubt that under his leadership Malaysia had gone through lots of drastic development and changes. So, guys lets head to the nearest bookstore and grab this book!! 

WWW Wednesdays Feb. 23, 2011

A fun weekly meme hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading. This meme gives opportunity to  readers to share our current reading, books we recently finished and books we're going to read next.

What are you currently reading?

"The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory. A rich and compelling tale of love, ambition, lust, and intrigue. Introduces a woman who survived the most glamorous and dangerous court in Europe by following her heart. Currently on page 58. 

What did you recently finished reading?

A fast-fired action thriller by Sean Slater, "The Survivor". No known motives, and no suspect, Detective Jacob Striker worked against the clock to solve the mystery behind Active Shooter at St. Patrick High. Everything lies behind the Red Mask. 4 Stars read. 

What do you think you'll read next?

I'm planning to read Cassandra Clare's The Infernal Devices book 1, "Clockwork Angel" and  the first book of Caster Chronicles Series by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, "Beautiful Creatures".  

Teaser Tuesdays Feb. 15, 2011

Teaser Tuesdays: A fun weekly meme Hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading where readers share the teaser sentences from their current reads. This week's teaser is from "The Survivor", a thriller book by Sean Slater. I'm currently on page 42.

The Survivor: Three men wearing hockey masks - Black, White, and Red have stormed the school with firearms and are killing indiscriminately. Black and White are down but Red manages to escape. Detective Jacob Striker is on a dangerous hunt of the Red Masked Shooter, "The Survivor".

His first three shots missed their target, flew somewhere high and wide, but the last one hit centremass. Right between the pecs, base of throat. - The Survivor, pg. 11