East of Eden by John Steinbeck

Rating: 5 out 5

First of all, I'm going to say that I've enjoyed the books written by John Steinbeck that I've read so far: Grapes of Wrath, The Pearl and Of Mice and Men. However, I believe that East of Eden is the best one. In fact, it's the best one so far I've read this year, and I'll add it to my favorite and must read list.

East of Eden is about two families - the Hamiltons and the Trasks. It's the story of their struggles and triumphs together. The majority of the story, however, is all about the Trasks. John Steinbeck adapted the Cain and Abel story and used this on his characters - Adam and Charles Trask and then later on Adam's twin sons - Caleb and Aron. I won't go into details about the plot but I will tell you that Steinbeck's adaptation worked so well. The characters were well developed. They were dynamic. Each can be both strong and weak at the same time. They weren't perfect. Because Steinbeck gave them contrasting human qualities and emotions such as the brothers' love and jealousy for each other made them so interesting and so complex.

Complex is one just one of the words I will describe Catherine Trask - the mother of the twins. She's the character that one would love to hate. She's the villainess in this story. Selfish and sadistic, Cathy destroys those who hate her and those who love her. But while Cathy was pure evil, Steinbeck also created the characters Samuel and Lee. I thought they were the most beloved characters in the book.

I cannot recommend this book enough. With its unforgettable characters and excellent storyline, East of Eden definitely shouldn't be missed.

Time of My Life by Allison Winn Scotch

Rating: 4 out 5

Have you ever wondered about the "what ifs" in your life? I know I have. Jillian Westfield (the main character of the Time of My Life) certainly has. Interestingly enough, she was actually given a second chance to fix a certain part in her past life that apparently caused her unhappiness in her current life.

I love the book cover, and I think I mentioned before that beautiful book covers impair...I mean affects my buying book ability. When I read the synopsis at the back of the book, I got the impression that Time of My Life was a chick lit. That should have made me put the book back into the shelf, because I'm not into chick lits at all. But the cover was just so pretty. :)

So fast forward to a couple of months later...I finally got the courage take it out my bookshelf. I figured that since I bought it, I might as well read it.

I was prepared to dislike the book. First of all, I thought of how whiny and selfish Jillian seemed to be. She was married with one child. She hardly saw her husband Henry who was always away on business trips so she was horny. She does love her daughter Katie but then she was always daydreaming about her ex-boyfriend - Jackson. One day she wished she was still with Jackson...and then voila! She went back in time (seven years prior)...back to the time when she was still with Jackson... back before they broke up...back before she met her husband Henry...back before she had her daughter Katie. Since Jillian knew how unhappy she was after she and Jackson broke up, she decided that she was going to fix things in their relationship. Things just seemed to be sailing smooth...until she meets Henry again.

The several twists in the story made me stick around and finish the book in one day! It was amazing. I grew to love it...and yes, even the character Jillian because the author developed her into someone I could easily identify with. The story actually reminded me of some of the words in Sheryl Crow's song, Soak Up the Sun. "It's not having want you want. It's wanting what you got." It's the perfect description of what this story is all about.

Extremely fun read. Even if you're not a chick lit fan (and trust me, I'm not), you might enjoy this.

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Rating: 4 out of 5

As I Lay Dying (which was published waay back in 1930) is about the Bundren family who goes on a long and difficult journey to bury Addie, their wife and mother.

This was my first William Faulkner book. At first, I really didn't get into it. It was a little challenging. The story was told in many viewpoints not just by the Bundren family (and yes, that includes Addie), but also by their friends, neighbors, and even by the community. So yes, it can be a little confusing because I was trying to figure who was who and who was related to Addie. Of course, that really didn't ruin the book for me. The different point of views ( especially how the family viewed Addie's death) and the character voices were enough to hold my attention.

Recommended? Yes, if you like Southern Gothic literature, or if you like gothic stories. I actually look forward to read more of William Faulkner. I'm adding The Sound and the Fury to my to be read list.

13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Rating: 4 out of 5

I was trying to find a book to give as a birthday present for my niece who's about to turn 16 years old this month (Kids sure grow fast, don't they?) when I came across 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher at the Hastings bookstore. I'm not really into YA novels, but something about the cover just made me want to pick it up and buy it. Yes, I am a sucker for nice covers.

At the beginning of the novel, high school student Clay finds a bunch of audio tapes sent to him. These tapes were recorded by Hannah, Clay's crush. However, Hannah is also dead. She committed suicide weeks before. With her voice reaching from the grave, Hannah tells her story and why she ended up committing suicide.

This is a very sad story. At first, I thought Hannah's reasons seem petty and selfish. Then I decided to put myself in her teenage shoes. That was when I began to understand her. It really wasn't until the end when I realized how she lost her belief in humanity. I'm not saying that what she did was right, but her suicide could have been prevented. I'm a healthcare worker so I've seen cases of attempted suicide and suicide. It's really easy to judge a person without knowing what's going on in their life. This book showed just that.

I breezed through this book. Even though the story was depressing, it was still good. While I recommend it, I don't think it's for everyone.

Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

Rating: 4 out of 5

I love thriller books. It's no surprise that even after I lost interest in In the Woods, I picked up Child 44. When I bought this book, I promised myself that I will read it right away. It took me a whole year before I plucked it out of my bookshelf where it was collecting dust. Oh, well.

In Child 44, Leo (the main character) is on a mission to find a serial child killer and bring him to justice. I think what really caught my interest in this story is that it's set in 1950's Russia (then called the Soviet Union) where fear and paranoia gripped the society.

Sometimes my reading schedule gets interrupted because I have something important to do like work, errands, and etc. There have been times when I don't get back to my reading because I lost interest, or I want to start a new book. Not so with Child 44. Even after a three day interval, I was eager to get back to the story, and my interest in it stayed.

Kudos to Mr. Tom Rob Smith. This was his first novel, and it became a bestseller, which I thought was well-deserving. Character development was right on the money. The actions scenes were great, and the descriptions were super. I really felt like I was in the scene with the characters. Some scenes were graphic, and I did cringe while reading them. That didn't stop me from reading though. I also loved how the story paced along nicely. It didn't drag. The whole story was exciting from beginning to end.

If you're looking for an excellent thriller/mystery, I would definitely recommend Child 44.

In the Woods by Tana French

Pages: 429

Rating: Nada

I wanted to like this book. I really wanted to like this book. It was highly recommended by Books-A-Million. It was a New York Times bestseller and also the winner of the 2008 Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best First Novel. So many praises! How could I not like this book?

Well, I didn't like this book. In fact, I really struggled to keep myself interested, and it just didn't work. Because I didn't finish it, I'm not going to rate it. I don't think it's fair to rate something I didn't complete. I'm disappointed though since this was supposed to be my first review of the year. Sigh.

The beginning wasn't bad. In the Woods was the story about two murders that happened in the woods ( hence the title) of Knocknaree, Ireland but occurred twenty years apart of each other. The plot was interesting enough, but the story lost its steam in the middle of the book. I know mysteries were supposed to keep us readers in suspense...and if...IF they're exciting enough and hold our attention that we just can't wait to get to the end, awesome! Sure there was some suspense in the story, but the story dragged. On and on. I seriously felt like that kid in the backseat of the car who kept asking the parents, "Are we there yet?....Are we there yet?"

But I never did get to the end. After painfully trying to read it for a week and stopping page 282, I decided to close the book and put it back in my bookshelf. The end. At least for me anyway.

Next book please!

Fatal by Michael Palmer

Rating: 3 out of 5

Summary: Physician Matt Rutledge is looking for a score to settle with the local mining company in Belinda, West Virginia. He believed that his wife and father were victims of toxic waste exposure. In Boston, pathologist Nikki Solari is devastated of her friend's mysterious and sudden death. She goes to Belinda where her friend is originally from to investigate. A new vaccine has been developed, and Ellen Kroft is afraid that it hasn't been further tested. After disagreeing on its release with the committee, Ellen gets a visit from a stranger who threatens to harm her granddaughter. Ellen tries to find out the real source of threat, which leads her to Belinda, West Viriginia. Matt, Nikki, and Ellen find out that they are dealing with the same enemy. They join forces to seek answers and before they lose their own lives.

Review: The first Michael Palmer book I read was The Fifth Vial. I enjoyed the story so much that I decided to read The Second Opinion next.

Fatal was written before The Fifth Vial and A Second Opinion. I bought the book at a second hand store and was being sold for a couple dollars. I remembered how excited I was to read another Michael Palmer medical thriller. Now I'm relieved that I didn't spend as much.

Fatal, though it was entertaining, was just okay for me. I didn't think it was as good as the first two books I read. It started off well, but towards the end I was ready for it to be done. Maybe because I was starting to suspect the culprit was, and in the end, I was right. Although I should be pleased that I figured out who the villain was, I wasn't. Maybe because I wanted to be shocked by the ending.

Recommendation: Although Fatal wasn't the best book Michael Palmer has ever written, the story was still good. You might enjoy this if you like medical thrillers, or if you're a big Michael Palmer fan. If you haven't read any of his works, read The Fifth Vial, which was an enjoyable read from start to finish.

Dracula by Bram Stoker

First Published: 1897

Pages: 422

Rating: 5 out of 5

Introduction: My original intention was to read Dracula by Bram Stoker for Halloween and review it. Then I saw this book:

I thought, "Hmm. Why not read and review all three books?" Frankenstein, Dracula, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde were pioneers of horror tales. All their stories were very original and creative that many storytellers of today still use the ideas and adapted them to the modern standards. This is my way of reminding us to give the credit where its due.

So...let's go on with the review.

Summary: Jonathan Harker is a young lawyer who travels to Transylvania to settle a business with Count Darcula. Little does he know that Dracula is a vampire who is set on having Jonathan as his next victim. Jonathan escapes, but the Count is far from over. He is determined to unleash his bloodthirsty terror on London society.

Review: Unlike Frankenstein and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Hyde, I already read Dracula. I was sixteen year old. It was one of the scariest books I'd ever read. I admit it gave me nightmares. You would think that I would stop reading it, but I didn't. The story was so amazing that it was hard to put down.

That's why seventeen years later, I decided to pick Dracula up again. While it no longer gave me nightmares, it still gave me the creeps. I do scare easily. I remember reading it this past quiet Saturday evening and familiarizing myself with the story again. While doing so, our family dog who slept next to me, got up and started barking. Startled, I nearly jumped out of my seat. Of course, I stopped there and picked up Norwegian Wood. I do have a wild imagination, and I like to immerse myself into what I'm reading...which is probably why I don't mind reading books with plenty of description.

But I digress. Like in most of my reviews, I don't really talk about what happened in the story. I like for the readers to find out about the story themselves.

Dracula is an epistolary novel. The story is told in different point of view by the characters. I didn't find myself bored or skipping through some parts. Mr. Stoker does a good job of building up one suspense after another. Even though I read it before, I thought it was exciting. I flew through this 400 plus page novel.

I love the characters here. The protagonists - Jonathan, Mina, and Van Helsing - were all very strong, and so were the minor characters who were all interesting in their own way. They are dealing with a powerful adversary here after all - Count Dracula. There are no veggie-eating vampires in this story (No offense to Twilight fans.) Just an evil, blood-sucking monster hell bent on causing his reign of terror during the night.

There are many vampires stories out there. While they are all unique in their own way, Dracula stands out as being the original and, to me, the best vampire book.

Recommendation: If you like horror, gothic, and suspenseful stories, this is the one to get especially if you are a huge vampire fan.

Happy Halloween, everyone!

EDIT: I forgot to include this in my post. I was reminded by it when Diane made a comment about the book covers. Last month while I was at the bookstore buying my copy of Dracula, I saw its illustrated version. The story, of course, was still by Bram Stoker but there were drawings made by the talented Jae Lee. For those of you who don't know, Jae Lee is a Marvel comic book artist. The drawings in the illustrated Dracula version were awesome. Anyway, below is the book cover of the Illustrated Dracula. There's Count Dracula himself on the cover.

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

Publisher: Vintage International
Pub. Date: September 2000
Pages: 304
Rating: 4 out 5

Summary: Toru Watanabe is a college student who is in love with Naoko. He and Naoko are bound together by a tragedy - the suicide of Kizuki, Naoko's boyfriend and Toru's best friend. While Naoko slips into severe depression, Toru tries to live his life and meets Midori - a lively, young woman who is a classmate of Toru. They become friends, and he starts developing feelings for her. He soon becomes torn between the Naoko and Midori. Will he choose someone from his past or someone who can be with him in his future?

Review: What an incredible story! I really enjoyed this. Some books take awhile before I find out what the conflict is. Not so with Norwegian Wood. At the very first chapter, I learn that Toru is in love with Naoko yet he can't be with her.

Both Toru and Naoko have a common friend from high school - Kizuki. After he committed suicide, both Toru and Naoko tried to go on with their lives. Toru enrolls at a university in Tokyo and so does Naoko. By doing so, they hope to escape their past and their memories of Kazuki. Each of them cope with their loss their own way.

At first, I thought that Toru was headed in the wrong direction. Well, actually, I didn't agree with his coping mechanism, which was drinking and sleeping with a variety of girls. But I suppose he was living his life like he knows how. Then there's Naoko who eventually decides to seek help with her problems. I thought this was the best way...but the problem was Naoko needed far more help. The cause of her depression was far beyond her boyfriend's suicide.

In the midst of Toru going through grief and depression, he meets Midori. Although sometimes she annoyed me, and she did the craziest things, I actually liked her. Let's just say that Midori gave color to Toru's bleak world. She's like the jalapeno to his nachos. I was really quite entertained by her, and she made me laugh.

Perhaps that's why Toru is drawn to her. Heck, Toru even admitted to himself that he was more fascinated watching Midori than watching a porn film. If that ain't love, then I don't know what is. (Well, I say that for the sake of Toru's point of view.) At the same time, he really can't leave Naoko. Sometimes I got frustrated by him not being able to choose, but in the end I understood that he had to settle things with his past before he could go on with his future.

There were many things I liked about this book. Even at the beginning of the book, I really felt the emotions. Seriously, I almost cried just reading page 9 because of the foreshadowing.

Of course, it really seemed like another love story on the surface. It was more than that. It's a story about living and dying. It's about about grieving and coping. It's about knowing the difference between surviving and truly living by enjoying life.

Recommendation: If you are in the mood to read something with angst, then I would recommend Norwegian Wood.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

First Published: 1818

Pages: 280

Rating: 5 out of 5

Introduction: This is the second book I'm reviewing for Halloween. I got the idea last month when I purchased this:

Three classic horror tales compiled into one book. Perfect!

Summary: This is the story of Victor Frankenstein who pushes the boundaries of science by creating a creature made of dead human remains.

Review: This book is awesome! I can't believe that Mary Shelley wrote this book when she was only 18 years old! Pure creative talent!

I was really surprised how I came to love this book. This is the original story...not some adapted version of Frankenstein...so forget about looking for Igor here or hoping that it's like any Frankenstein films/stories you have heard of.

Frankenstein is more than just a horror story. Much, much more. It is a story of discrimination, nature vs nurture, and the creator vs. the created. It shows the beauty and the ugliness of human nature.

The story is a story within a story. The first narrator is Robert Walton. He meets Victor Frankenstein while they are in the Arctic. He discovers that Victor is chasing someone. This leads to Victor who narrates his side of the story. He is ambitious and very driven. He decides to create a being made of human corpses...and later realizes the mistake he's made and the prize that comes with it. Then the creature who Victor created tells story, and I learn the pain and discrimination he goes through.

Notice that I said creature, and not monster? Well, that's because towards then middle and end of the book...I really didn't know who the true monster was. Was it Victor who spat and hated his creation? Or was it the creature who acted on the society that feared and loathed him because of his appearance?

Since I'm all about character development, this is probably one of the reasons I love this book. I love how Ms. Shelley made Victor and the creature into dynamic characters. They were both protagonists and antagonists at the same time. I thought it was brillant, and she did it so well.

This is one of the best I'd ever read this year. While it didn't change my life, Frankenstein really made me think. It's one of the books that will stay with me.

Recommendation: Highly recommended! I think this is one of the books that should be in one's library. I'm not a horror book fan, but I enjoyed this one. Don't let it scare you because it's a classic. I found it easy to follow.

First Snow on Fuji by Yasunari Kawabata

Publisher: Counterpoint
Original Pub. Year: 1958
Pub. Date: October 2000
Translated by: Michael Emmerich
Pages: 227
Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: None really. This was a compilation of short stories written by Yasunari Kawabata.

Review: First Snow on Fuji was the third book I chose to read for the Japanese Literature Challenge 3 (or JLC 3 for short). To this day, I really have no idea how many books I will read for the JLC3. I'm having way too much fun! (Thanks, Ms. Bellezza!) I just might see how much I can complete until the deadline even though I had originally planned to read just one book.

Let's talk about First Snow on Fuji. I never heard of Mr. Kawabata until I decided to read this for the JLC3. My verdict: I liked it. I liked it a lot. I admit that as I write this review that I haven't even read The Boat Women, the last story (which is actually a play) in this collection. That's okay though because Mr. Kawabata had already won me over.

There were short stories that I enjoyed better than others: This Country, That Country; Nature; First Snow on Fuji; Silence; and Yumiura. Some were downright creepy like Silence, Chrysanthemum in the Rock, and Her Husband Didn't.

I noticed that there were recurring themes of cheating wives and husbands (or characters fantasizing about cheating) and life post World War II. Yet all the stories had one thing in common: beautiful and poetic words. The endings were abrupt and were left for the reader to make interpretations. That suits me fine since I like to use my imagination.

Recommendation: Mr. Kawabata used a lot of descriptive sceneries. I think that people who want their stories straight forward with solid endings might get frustrated. I would still recommend to those who enjoy stories with vivid imagery and ambiguous outcomes.

Two Book Reviews in One: Something Borrowed and Something Blue by Emily Giffin

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date: April 2005
Pages: 352
ISBN-13: 9780312321192
Rating: 4 out of 5

Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Pub. Date: March 2006
ISBN-13: 9780312323868
Pages: 368
Rating: 4 out 5

Summary: In Something Borrowed, Rachel sleeps with her best friend Darcy's fiancee Dex. In Something Blue, after her engagement breaks up, a pregnant Darcy decides to start over and flees to England where her old friend Ethan lives.


Review: I'm going to be very honest here. I rarely read chick-lit books. And I do mean rarely. When my sister let me borrow four of her Emily Giffin books (Something Borrowed, Somehing Blue, Love the One You're, With, and Baby Proof), I hesitated. I kept the books in my shelf for months before I finally said, "What the heck."


I read Something Borrowed first. Trust me I was ready to cringe. Well, shock of all shocks! I loved it! The story started out with Rachel who ended up sleeping with ther best friend's fiancee, Dex. Rachel and Dex were ready to put the incident behind them, but due to the laws of attraction, they just can't!


At first, I didn't like what Rachel was doing even if her best friend Darcy was a selfish, self-centered witch. Then as I kept reading, I started to understand Rachel. In fact, I was able to relate to her...and later on, I was rooting for her. The book was so good that I picked up Something Blue immediately after finishing Something Borrowed.

Something Blue was all about Darcy. I never liked Darcy but I was interested in what was going to happen next. (There's a twist in the ending of Something Borrowed that I'm not going to tell you about because that's what made me pick up Something Blue next.)


In Something Blue, Darcy's pregnant. She's still the same mean woman from the first book. However, with a baby on the way, Darcy started to change. In the end, I actually started to (gasp!) like her.


Emily Griffin developed her characters very well. Both books were so entertaining that I ended up going to bed at 3 am the next morning. I just couldn't put them down.


Recommendation: Both books were fun to read. If you're a chick lit lover, you will definitely enjoy these.

Fire in the Blood by Irene Nemirovsky

Paperback Edition

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Pub. Date: July 2008
ISBN-13: 9780307388001

Pages: 160

Rating: 4 out of 5

Summary: After years of traveling around the world, Silvio returned to the French countryside to take care of his family's farm. As an old man, Silvio lived alone and unmarried. A scandal involving love affairs suddenly erupted, and Silvio was reminded of the pain and the love he lost years ago when he was young...when he had fire in his blood.

Review: Fire in the Blood was written in 1942, but it was never finished by Nemirovsky who was captured by the Nazis in that same year.

I read Suite Francaise awhile back, and since I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to read more of Nemirovsky's works. (My review of Suite Francaise is here if you are interested).

I'm not going to talk too much about the plot since I might reveal some spoilers. (The story is not even 200 pages!) What I will talk about is how lovely Nemirovsky writes. Her description of the French countryside is beautiful. She also has a way of painting Silvio that perhaps the reader might emphathize , not symphatize like the characters in the book do.

The plot may be predictable, but there's a small twist in the end that I just didn't expect. I would certainly would have loved to find out what kind of closure Silvio would have had with his past. Perhaps out of respect for the late Nemirovsky and her family, no one decided to finish the manuscript, but this is just my speculation. On the other hand, I think it's kind of fun for the readers to give their own interpretation of the ending.

Recommendation: I think Nemirovsky fans might enjoy this book. If you're looking for a quick read with a simple plot, this is a good choice, but just be aware that the ending is abrupt.

Hardcover Edition

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Pub. Date: March 2006
ISBN-13: 9781400078776
Pages: 304
Rating: 5 out of 5







Summary: Kathy, Ruth and Tommy grew up in a boarding school called Hailsham in England. As an adult, Kathy became a carer and both Ruth and Tommy re-entered her life. Kathy remembers the bond they have shared and their life in Hailsham where they had been regarded as "special" by their guardians and teachers. This is a moving and unforgettble book about friendship, love, and betrayal.

Review: This was the first book I ever read by Mr. Ishiguro, and I loved it! Immediately, when I picked it up at the bookstore, I just had a good feeling about it. Based on the book blurb, I also knew that there was a little bit of a love story and a love triangle. I later discovered that I was right, but the love story here wasn't overbearing so I wasn't disappointed.

So what's this really all about? And what the heck is Hailsham anyway? Why are Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth "special?" Well, Kathy, Tommy, and Ruth are human clones. In Hailsham, they and other children clones are raised like "normal" children so that they can become organ donors. But not all of them become donors. Kathy (the narrator), for instance, becomes a carer - someone who takes care of the donors.

Actually, it isn't surprising for Kathy to become a carer. Even as children, Kathy has that type of personality where she takes care of everyone. It becomes a disadvantage though since she seems to forget her needs over everyone else's, even when it comes to her love for Tommy. I do like Kathy, but at the same time, she irritates me because she lets Ruth take advantage of her. Ruth is suppose to be Kathy's best friend, but because of her selfishness and insecurity, she does things to ruin their friendship and even Kathy's friendship with Tommy.

What else did I like about this book? Well, the writing, of course. I think Mr. Ishiguro is just wonderful. I have a favorite scene where Kathy and Tommy were in Norfolk, and Tommy bought this old tape that Kathy had lost when they were in Hailsham. The scene just touched me. There was also a line that Tommy said to Kathy. It's a little sad but here it is:

"I keep thinking about this river somewhere, with the river moving really fast. And these two people in the water, trying to hold on to each other, holding on as hard as they can, but in the end, it's just too much. The current's too strong. They've got to let go, drift apart."

It was just beautiful. Sad, but beautiful.

Even though the ending left me disappointed, I gave this book my highest rating. I suppose it's the issue about cloning that made me wonder if it was right to give the clones hope to have a normal human life when their sole purpose was to become organ donors. It really made me think about what our society could be capable of. I guess that's why this book will stay with me.

Recommendation: Yes, I definitely recommend it to everyone. It was an eye-opener for me.

The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Publisher: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group
Pub. Date: June 2009
ISBN-13: 9780385528702
Pages: 531
Rating: No rating

Summary: The Angel's Game is set during the early 1900's to 1930 in Barcelona, Spain. It is the story of David Martin, a famous writer who spins crime novels under a pseudonym while living in a mansion with a mysterious history. He later meets Andreas Corelli, a wealthy publisher from Paris, who offers him 100, 000 francs if David will write a book that will change peoples' minds and hearts. David takes the offer but later realizes he is getting more than he bargained for. What's even more intriguing is the former owner of the house, the late Diego Marlasca - a writer just like David. Diego's death also involves Andreas Corelli, and it seems that David's life mirrors Diego's. Will David be able to escape the clutches of Andreas or will he suffer the same fate as Diego?

Thoughts: I wanted to like this book. I tried to like it, but I eventually quit reading at page 300. I almost didn't review this because I didn't think it was fair to rate a book that I didn't finish. In the end, I decided to post my thoughts.

Let me talk about the good points of this book first. The blurb was catchy, and I was drawn to the story because it was about a struggling writer who wanted to be published. I thought: That's cool. I know what that's like because I'm going through the same challenges myself. Another reason why the story appealed to me was because The Angel's Game was also about books. A book about books. How neat, right?

There were three parts in this novel. I didn't have any problems going through the first part of the book. I was able to relate to David who loved books. David was abused as a child and sought refuge in books. As an adolescent, he started to work as a runner for a newspaper company and had a friend in Pedro Vidal who's a writer. Vidal became his mentor and soon David started writing stories for the paper.

The second part of the book started out well. However, it was losing its firepower towards the middle. I struggled to finish part two, and finally I just gave up. Don't get me wrong. The author's brillant. Zafon wrote beautifully about Barcelona. It almost felt like I was there. The writing was dark, but I didn't mind that at all. The description and how the author wrote in David's voice were all wonderful.

What failed to keep my attention was that I lost interest in the characters. I got to a point where I just didn't care about David's findings about Diego. I didn't care who exactly Andreas Corelli was. I especially didn't care if Cristina Sangier (David's first and only love) went crazy because she didn't love her husband Pedro Vidal. In fact, I detested Cristina because I saw her as an opportunist.

If you have read any of my reviews, I love to talk about the characters and how they're the driving force of the story. The plot in The Angel's Game was great but the characters just failed to bring the story around. This might just be a personal thing though since some might care about the plot only. I'm the type of reader who wants to symphatize with the characters and be able to connect with them.

Zafon authored The Shadow of the Wind, and from what I learned, it had very favorable reviews. I just might read it one day and hope that it's a better book.

Other thoughts I'd like to share: Usually I post my recommendations after a review, but I'm not going to do that. I don't think I'm in the position to tell people not to read this book because they might enjoy it. People have their personal preferences when it comes to books, and so do I.

After Dark by Haruki Murakami

Publisher: First Vintage International
Publication Date: April, 2008
Pages: 256
Ratings: 4 out of 5

Summary: After Dark is a novel that takes place in a single night at a city. Three different story arcs are omnisciently narrated yet they are linked together. At the center of the story is nineteen year old Mari who decides to spend the night alone in a city instead of going home. There’s also Mari’s older sister, the beautiful Eri, who suffers from a tragic fate. Finally, there’s Shirakawa who hides a sinister side from his work and family life.

Review: Strange things happen…after dark.

After Dark was the first Japanese literature book I’ve read, and one of the two I had chosen for the Japanese Literature Challenge 3. The book blurb really didn’t say much. I felt like I was buying Chris Cleave’s Little Bee all over again. Yes, I was a little apprehensive since I was taking a risk of buying and reading a book that was out of my comfort level. But hey, wasn’t that part of the challenge?

Surprises of surprises, I loved this book! I finished it in one day. It was that good! The book had a way of pulling and holding my attention. Even after the book was finished, and I was done with reading, I felt like I wanted more. The ending was a little ambiguous, but that’s literature fiction for you.

And the writing! Oh, the writing! I absolutely loved how Murakami used simple words and brought the story to life through personification. It was remarkable! I even have a favorite quote in the book, and that’s the character Takahashi’s motto which was, “Walk slowly. Drink lots of water,” That’s the same meaning of the cliché, “Take it one day at a time.”

The main character in this story was Mari. At first, I didn’t know what to make of her. In other words, I didn’t know if I was going to like her since she seemed so cold and unfeeling. In fact, she wasn’t. She helped a total stranger who was in need, and she showed how much she really loved her sister Eri. I would say that Mari’s more guarded because perhaps she had such cold parents who didn’t pay much attention to her, and she had a sibling rivalry with Eri.

Sometimes I thought the book was a little creepy especially when I was reading the parts on Eri because it seemed like Murakami wanted readers to believe what was happening in the story was real, but later it seemed like a dream. Or was it? It was hard to distinguish, and it wasn’t revealed what really happened to Eri until towards the ending. The mood can be dark at times, but there’s humor sprinkled here and there.

Honestly, I would have given it my highest rating, but I was hoping for a happier ending. I wanted to see if Takahashi and Mari were going to get together. Or if Mr. Shirakawa’s secret was going to be discovered. What was going to happen to Eri? Still, even if the ending was left to interpret for my imagination, I believed that After Dark was worth it. I really enjoyed it. If there was someone who will ask me if there will there be another Murakami book added to my shelf in the future? I’d tell them, “Yes! Absolutely!”

Recommendation: I think this is a nice starter if you’ve never read any Japanese literature or if you’d like to try to read something new. I don’t think I would recommend it though if you’re looking for something light and heart-warming. It’s just not that type of book. This is still a good story even though it is depressing and eerie at the same time.

This is the cover of the first US edition of After Dark. (Source: Wikipedia)

A Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

Publisher: Baker Publishing Group
Pub. Date: January 2006
ISBN-13: 9780800794057
Pages: 272
Rank: 5 out of 5

Summary: A Hiding Place is a true story of the Ten Booms who helped saved the Jews by helping them escape and hiding them during Nazi Germany’s occupation of Holland.

Review: I absolutely loved this book! Though Ten Boom’s writing style was first person narrative, it made me feel like I was sitting in front of her having coffee by the fireplace, listening to her wonderful tale. Her descriptions just drew me in, and I felt like I was right there in 1940’s Holland.

I flew through this book. I just marveled at the simplicity of her life before Holland was invaded by Nazi Germany. Towards the middle of the book, I felt so tense because I already knew something terrible was going to happen when Corrie and her family started hiding the Jews, but I kept reading.

What truly amazed me was Corrie’s and her sister Betsie’s undying faith, and their ability to forgive and to love their enemies no matter how things went from bad to worse. They remained spiritually strong and so was their belief in God even after they starved and suffered in the concentration camp in Germany.

The Hiding Place is a remarkable story of courage, strength, forgiveness, and hope. It will be forever in my collection. It is definitely one of the best books I have ever read.

Recommendation: This is a great book to read if you are looking for a World War II story or if you are looking for something inspiring.

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

Publisher: Barnes & Noble
Pub. Date: August 2004
First Publication Date: 1859
ISBN-13: 9781593081386
Pages: 404
Rating: 5 out of 5

Summary: A Tale of Two Cities is set in London and Paris before and during the French Revolution. It is the story of the French peasants who suffered under the French aristocrats. England provided as a refuge for the oppressed French yet the social injustices towards the poor in England were no different. In the French Revolution, the aristocrats were brutalized by the revolutionaries who made them pay heavily for their lives.

Review: What an excellent book! After reading, I was really surprised how this became one of my favorite books. However, it didn’t seem that way in the beginning. It started out slow, and I felt that Charles Dickens can be overly descriptive in his scenes. This was his way of laying the groundwork of the story. It worked for me (and the story, of course) because I was hooked.

The book was divided into three parts. In part one, the characters were introduced, and the setting was before the French Revolution. In part two, more characters came into play and events slowly led towards the revolution. Finally, part three was set during the French Revolution, and I thought this was the most exciting and suspenseful part of the book.

The story was more than just about the madness that led to the chaotic French Revolution. As I read on, I discovered that it was also about second chances. One of the characters who experienced this was Dr. Manette. He was released after being in jail for eighteen years. He was traumatized so severely that his mental state deteriorated. With the love and support he received from his daughter Lucie, he slowly recovered.

Charles Darnay started over with his life by denouncing his French aristocratic family. Like Dr. Manette, he moved England to leave his past behind.

I also came to love all the characters in this book, but I was mostly impressed with Sydney Carton. He became my favorite. He wasn’t perfect, but he, nonetheless, had a good heart. His love for Lucie was rivaled by Charles, the virtuous gentleman. Ah, to love someone you can’t have! I really felt for Sydney. That’s probably why I had a soft spot for him.

The description of how the poor and the prisoners were brutalized was gruesome. Honestly, I had second thoughts about continuing, but my curiosity got the best of me. I thought that perhaps Dickens felt that he had to write these horrific descriptions because he wanted the readers to understand why the revolutionaries were so angry and vengeful towards the aristocrats.

Even though some parts were gross, I got past it because the story was getting better, and I was eager to see how the ending was going to be. Still, I shivered when I read that women, men, young or old, peasant or not were “all red wine for La Guillotine….Liberty, Equality, Fraternity, or Death; the last much easiest to bestow, O Guillotine!”

The ending was astonishing. I shouldn’t have been surprised because there had been some foreshadowing. I was equally shocked as the story revealed how and why Dr. Manette was jailed, why Charles Darnay never hesitated to denounce his family, and how Madame Defarge became such a vindictive, evil character. I was really sad at the ending. Yet, it had so many twists that I wasn’t disappointed with the whole book. There’s no doubt in my mind why this was one of the best classics ever written.

Recommendation: If you’re looking for a serious book with powerful themes, this is it. Be prepared though because some descriptions can be disturbing.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Pub. Date: January 2005
First Publication Date: 1943
ISBN-13: 9780060736262
Pages: 528
Ratings: 4 out of 5

Summary: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is the story of Francie Nolan, a thirteen year old growing up in Brooklyn at the turn of the century. It is also the story of her family struggling to get out of poverty.


Review: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn was one of the books I chose to read in the Classical Challenge this year. The main character was Francie Nolan who dreamed of having a better life. As the oldest of the three children, she continued to study and work hard so she can become the first one in her family to go to college.

At first, I really didn’t know where the book was going. The beginning was fine, but towards the middle, my interest started to wane. Things began to pick up after a death in the family. The tragedy made the Nolan family closer, and it also made me feel closer to the characters. The author also included some humor towards the end, and the ending was really great. I felt that the author kind of let loose by then because the majority of the book was very serious.

Probably one of the most admirable characters in the book was Katie Nolan. As a wife of an alcoholic, she had to be the strength of the family. I really liked the part where Francie and Katie became close even after their misunderstandings.

Even though it took me awhile to warm up to this book, I consider this as a great read.

Recommendation: I recommend this if you like...
1. A coming of age story
2. A story of triumph even after heartaches and hardships
3. Historical fiction

Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group

Pub. Date: May 2009
ISBN-13: 9781400067114
Pages: 314
Ratings: 4 out of 5

Summary: 1937. Pearl and May Chin are sisters who live in Shanghai, China. They lived the modern, glamorous lives of beautiful girls - models who pose for pictures. Their happy lives are threatened after their father forced them into arranged marriages after he came into financial ruin. Things go from bad to worse when the Japanese invade China. After a horrifying tragedy, the sisters survive, and they go to Angel Island where they are detained to go to America to join their husbands. Once they reach America, they face even more challenges and discrimination.
The storyline spans from the 1930’s Shanghai to 1950’s Los Angeles, going from World War II to the Communism that lead to paranoia and frenzy which gripped America during the early years of the Cold War.

Review: This was probably one of the saddest books I have ever read. The storyline had one adversity after another, and after awhile I wondered: Will Pearl and May ever find any happiness?

Pearl is older than May. She is May's protector and will do anything for her younger sister. She is the narrator of the story and she bears all the weight of the responsibility of the older sister. In the beginning, she starts out as a strong, wise character, but that changes after Japan invaded China. Although she survives from a terrible fate, Pearl becomes traumatized from the memories of the war and stops living. She spirals into depression even though she has a daughter and eventually comes to love her husband, Sam.

May, on the other hand, has her share of tragedy. At the beginning of the story, she is considered to be naïve and sheltered by her sister and her parents. She survives the war with her sister. Yet, unlike Pearl who clings to the past even after they have a chance to start over in America, May embraces her new life. She shows strength and perseverance which thrills and delights me. I think she is misunderstood by her sister and sometimes by me. Surprisingly, I came to like her just as I like Pearl.

What I really liked about this book is how Ms. See shows the loving relationship between Pearl and May. They love each other and will do anything for each other. They are friends as well as rivals. I think those who have siblings can somewhat relate to their close relationship. I have an older sister myself and our bond is somewhat similar to Pearl and May’s.

The ending was abrupt, at least to me. My reaction was like: Was that it? I also felt that another tragedy was too much for Pearl. It made me wonder if the author liked Pearl at all, but that’s just me.

Recommendation: I strongly recommend this book especially to all historical fiction lovers.