#bookreview: Hall of Heroes

Hall of Heroes: A Fellowship of Fantasy Anthology by H.L. Burke
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you're looking for a fun anthology of short stories, this is the book for you! Each of the 27 stories in this anthology features a hero of some sort, whether they're heroic friends or warriors or parents, and since it's written by the Fellowship of Fantasy, all of them include some form of magic, superpower, or fantastic creature! There's a little bit of romance in some of the stories, but nothing more than an innocent kiss (or two), so this is perfectly safe for kids to read. I'm inclined to say it's aimed more at the MG/younger YA crowd.

Some of the more touching stories (to me at least) were those with heroic teenagers who did their best despite the odds and/or despite their apparent lack of useful powers: In The Hero Feat of Hannah Helstrom (J. Philip Horne), Hannah only has the strength of her determination and half-trained power of regeneration to attempt to save her cousin's life; Marisol in Sweet Basil (Lea Doué) is on the run from sorcerer hunters, yet she still uses her gift of healing as best she can; Gem (RJ Conte) is the only one who can save his world ... at the cost of his life, whilst Jaiharu in Sacrifice to the Iara (H.L. Burke)is willing to give up his life to save his beloved sister; whilst Jenny puts aside personal enmity to save her nemesis in Save the Day (Page Zaplendam).

There's more than that, though. There are superheroes and supervillains, magicians and sorcerers, sprites and faeries, angels and demons, princes and princesses, and all sorts of legendary beasts (mermaids and dragons, oh my)!

Out of the 27 stories, there was only one that I was rather meh about, so I'd say this was a very good investment.

View all my reviews

#musicmonday: O My Soul | Audrey Assad

Rivers and stones and the trees of the field, they sing in the night
And a thousand tongues lay deep in your lungs to raise to the sky

Don't lie to yourself, O my soul - love your God.
Don't lie to yourself, O my soul - love your God.

Deep in your heart you feather and tar your folly and fear:
Expose them all for the fools they are, and the world becomes clear.

Don't lie to yourself, O my soul, just love your God.
Don't lie to yourself, O my soul, just love your God.
Love your God.

Your worries will never love you
They'll leave you all alone
But your God will not forsake you
O my soul, my soul.

Don't lie to yourself, O my soul - love your God.
Don't lie to yourself, O my soul, just love your God.
Love your God.

#fridayflash: Tides | for the living

Grief comes in stages, like waves lapping on the shore, the crashing of the surf. Softgentleharshpounding.

You sit, staring at nothing, as grief curls its tendrils around your heart, squeezing, bleeding. There are no tears, because tears would mean you feel. You cannot feel. Not yet. Not now. When tears come, they come in floods, fast-rising waters from which there is no escape. You do not wish to escape. You are flotsam on the tide, drifting where grief would take you, tossed between happy memories and the ache of absence, never resting, never stopping, like the child who once ran circles around you.

Grief never sits still, never recedes. If it recedes, flee; the tsunami comes next.

The world is grey, monochrome, perpetually overcast. The cold moon speaks in words you almost grasp, pulling, drawing you into its silvery shine, offering empty platitudes; you are here, but you are not. You drift, ripped from reality. The house is empty, you are empty. You have a girl-shaped hole that can never be filled. A nothingness, a vacuum, a void. Avoid. Avoid everything that once meant to escape the cascade of memories you cannot bear.

Grief sucks you into a whirlpool of losspainsorrowtearsfear and never, never once, lets you go.

---

In Memoriam

Annalise McKinney

1st Dec 2006 - 20th Feb 2018

---

I cannot grieve for my dead…

Instead I must take my grief and make it into a figure of alabaster…

“Exhibit N.58 Grief, Alabaster. Miss Henrietta Savernake.”

The Hollow | Agatha Christie

---

From our last play Stop Interrupting Me! at OBS, 10 July 2016.
L-R: me, Rebecca McKinney, Annalise McKinney
Photo by Thum CC (https://www.facebook.com/ccthum/media_set?set=a.10153919032313752.1073741996.683168751)

For the McKinneys, and Annalise who is gone too soon.

If you have cash to spare, here's a gofundme that's raising funds to cover the costs of Annalise's hospital bills in Children’s Hospital Colorado which has been rejected by their insurance:

"On June 30, 2010 the McKinneys lost their middle daughter, Anya, after a tragic accident. Now, their youngest daughter, Annalise, has lost her valiant battle against Idiopathic Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension (IPAH).

Annalise was a vibrant young lady full of life. She loved singing, dancing and playing sports. But in July 2017, her world turned upside down. She was diagnosed with IPAH, a severe and progressive disease that causes irreversible damage to the lungs....

In the midst of this, the McKinneys face an uphill battle with their insurance company, which informed them the first week of February it would not cover the hospital stay at Children's Hospital Colorado. The McKinneys have retained legal counsel in the hopes of compelling the insurance company to pay benefits, but the outcome of the legal process is uncertain.

Sadly, God's plan did not include a miracle healing and double lung transplant for Annalise. Nevertheless, the McKinneys continue to stand firm in their faith in God. Please continue to pray for His comfort and strength for the family in this unimaginably difficult time. Stand with them. Cry with them. Love on them.

The McKinneys have incurred substantial medical costs through this trial. Though God has choosen to bring Annalise home, He is still our provider on earth. Thank you again for your prayerful consideration of being a part of God's provision for the McKinneys.

In addition to helping the McKinneys, we also would ask that you consider donating to the Children's Heart Foundation or other pediatric cardiology charity focused on early detection and treatment of congenital heart defects or reducing the incidents of congenital heart defects."

#bookreview: The Song of All | Tina LeCount Myers

The Song of All by Tina LeCount Myers
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I’m gonna give this novel like a 3-star/3.25 star rating because the beginning is so so slow I wanted to die, like legit can I stop reading yet 2 stars.
Part of the problem is that there are so many long-ass multi-syllable words “drawn from various Saami languages” (as stated in the Author’s Note) in just the first chapter alone that I kept going what. What. Who. What. Which is weird because I read (and write) a lot of fantasy with long-ass multi-syllable fantasy terms (I.e. not real words) that I’m okay with. So maybe it was just a little too much a little too soon. Ok, I’m thinking it’s also because the words are initially italicised, so my head interprets it as a foreign language and gets caught up in what the heck is that word and I get stuck. If they weren’t italicised, I’d just be like ooo new fantasy word that I’ll figure out on the way and read on until I get it.
It also switches POV every few paragraphs which takes a little getting used to. It’s just not a book that will capture casual readers. Or readers from the get-go. It’s for the slow-build type of readers who are going to just wait and linger and plod their way through.

BUT it’s beautiful. Of course it’s beautiful. When you get to the middle (or well, at least somewhere in Part 2) it turns very omg this plot why because everything is related to everything else and if you pull one thread out, everything unravels. And the further you get, the more you feel like omg what why no yes, at probably 4.5 to 5 stars. It’s just that you gotta push through until you get there.
And then there’s also the damnit there is definitely a second book to this because why does it end there no don’t end there gah.

Yeah, and I’m too lazy to write my review in proper words right now.

Note: I received a review copy via Edelweiss.

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#musicmonday: Drawn to You | Audrey Assad

'Cause after everything I've had
And after everything I've lost
Lord, I know this much is true
I'm still drawn to You!
After everything's been said
After everything love costs
Lord, I know this much is true
I'm still drawn to You

---

Audrey Assad on Evergreen:

'But I’m able to come at that from a place where I’m [saying], “God transcends all concept of God.” God transcends everything that I’m saying about God right now.'

#bookreview: The World Awakening | Dan Koboldt

The World Awakening by Dan Koboldt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The problem with third books in a trilogy, especially when the second one came out about a year ago, is the fact that as much as you really liked the earlier books, suddenly you're thrown into a world that you have vague memories of.

The World Awakening starts in the middle of the action. Honestly, I feel the book loses part of its impact for this sole reason--I had to backtrack a little and skim through parts of The Island Deception to figure out what was happening so that I could move forward. It was rather more jarring between The World Awakening and The Island Deception than between The Island Deception and The Rogue Retrieval, primarily because Rogue has its own complete arc, whilst Island doesn't.

Other than that, Koboldt does a great job tying up all the loose ends he managed to scatter throughout The Island Deception. There're betrayal and secrets galore, but each player is slowly making his stand. Quinn stands with Alissia and Kiara with the Company, but Logan's and Mendez's loyalties are getting muddied.

I loved the interplay between Veena Chaudri and Richard Holt--where everything was confusing and muddled in book 2, things are finally getting clearer here. Veena is smart, conniving at times, but a brilliant negotiator, and you get a front seat view to see how she blossoms into the new role she's created for herself.

The Tukalu are a wonderful addition to the world and Quinn, oh Quinn. You'd think he'd learn not to flirt with dangerous people by now... especially when his grip on magic is still unstable.

Anyways, The World Awakening is a satisfying end to the Gates to Alissia trilogy (is it a trilogy or will there be more? If there's more, I'd rather like a spin-off on Veena, or maybe Relling, because so many questions).

Note: I received a copy for review via Edelweiss

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#musicmonday: Mmhmm | Relient K

Aesthetic of the month, really.

---

What happened to us
I heard that it's me we should blame
What happened to us
Why didn't you stop me from turnin' out this way
And know that I don't hate you
And know that I don't want to fight you
And know I'll always love you
But right now I just don't

---

And I'll let it be known
At times I have shown
Signs of all my weakness
But somewhere in me
There is strength

And you promise me
That you believe
In time I will defeat this
Cause somewhere in me
There is strength

#bookreview: Writers of the Future Volume 33

Writers of the Future: Volume 33 by David Farland
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The Writers of the Future anthologies are a great way to find new writers, and this is no exception. I'm just trying to fix names in my head so that I'll recognise them later on. This one seems skewed more towards fantasy rather than science fiction, with paranormal/horror and folklore thrown into the mix.

Some of my favourite pieces include:
Moonlight One (Stephen Lawson) - how can you prove you didn't murder your husband when you're the only two people living on the moon?
The Armor Embrace (Doug C. Souza) - a dying mech-soldier heads home to see his daughter for the last time.
Obsidian Spire (Molly Elizabeth Atkins) - Fiske isn't much of a sidekick, but Varga can't let him die anyway.
The Dragon Killer's Daughter (Todd McCaffrey) - The village is slowly dying and Paksa's father is keeping secrets, but she's got enough gold to make a small fort, so that'll do for now.

Note: I received a digital copy of this book from via NetGalley for review purposes.

View all my reviews

#musicmonday: From Now On | Hugh Jackman

I saw the sun begin to dim
And felt that winter wind blow cold
A man learns who is there for him
When the glitter fades and the walls won't hold
'Cause from then, rubble
What remains
Can only be what's true
If all was lost
There's more I gained
Cause it led me back
To you

From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on

#musicmonday: Lions and Dragons | Zach Williams

#bookreview | Amber Eyes | S.D. Grimm + blog tour!

Amber Eyes by S.D. Grimm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

If Scarlet Moon was thrilling, Amber Eyes just upped the ante even further. I don’t know how I’m going to survive until January 2019 for Black Blood. (I mean, I will, but still…) On a pure visceral, emotional level, Grimm is a pro-manipulator. By the time you’re midway through the book, you’re struggling with hope and fear and joy and frustration and ALL THE FEELS. Which was why, after finishing the book on Friday night, I had to go to sleep to deal instead of writing the review right away.

This book’s Ultra-frustrating Persons Award goes to Thea. Mostly because she is so extremely cryptic that you can’t decide whose side she’s really on—if she’s on any side. Because this clearly isn’t turning out to be black-and-white good vs evil, Feravolk against the Mistress of Shadows at all. Thea has concealed motives of her own, Franco seems to serve the Mistress but has other personal ambitions, the various camps of Feravolk and leaders still don’t exactly see eye to eye, and the Deliverers haven’t exactly fallen into line either.

Because if Love was important in Scarlet Moon, Individual Agency seems to be the theme of Amber Eyes. Serena has to decide between risking her safety to heal people or obeying the council and staying safe. The Healers must decide if they will help the Deliverers or stay hidden. Ethan can no longer lose himself in revenge, not without terrible repercussions, and he must learn to use his gift appropriately. Ryan still struggles with the black lion venom and with acknowledging that Jayden has agency of her own. Jayden… is not *as* frustrating in this one—she’s better at letting the others take care of her—but she’s still struggling with her Blood Moon gift and her destiny. Because right now, her gift is harming more than helping, and she doesn’t see how it can be very useful at all. And in the midst of all the conflicting hints and prophecies and orders and directives being thrown at her from all sides, she must learn to step up into her role as Deliverer, not mere camp follower.

Additional plus point: all the wonderful mythical creatures are coming out of the woodwork! Unicorns, kelpies, phoenixes, pegasi, gryphons, dragons, oh my!

Note: I received a digital copy of this book from Unicorn Questor for the Amber Eyes Blog Tour. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

View all my reviews

About the Book

Destiny can be cruel. Darkness retreated from the light of the scarlet moon, but has since grown even stronger. The Mistress of Shadows has found a new pawn—one that may be the key to unlocking the door to her underground prison. Now evil threatens to escape its shackles and destroy the land. In the aftermath of loss and betrayal, Jayden’s fight with the enemy still isn’t over. But while she isn’t sure she can stop the Mistress alone, leaving her friends might be the only way to keep them from being consumed by the darkness. With lives hanging in the balance—and no time for error—can Jayden make the right choice?

Amazon — Barnes & Noble — Christianbook.com

About the Author

S.D. Grimm’s first love in writing is young adult fantasy and science fiction. She is represented by Julie Gwinn of the Seymour Agency and author of SCARLET MOON. She currently has four books under contract, including the remainder of her YA fantasy series Children of the Blood Moon. When she’s not writing or editing, Sarah enjoys reading (of course!), practicing kickboxing and Brazilian jiu jitsu, training dogs, and binge-watching shows with great characters. Her office is anywhere she can curl up with her laptop and at least one large-sized dog. You can learn more about her upcoming novels at www.sdgrimm.com.

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | Newsletter | Spotify

Facebook Launch Party

Calling all book readers! Join author S.D. Grimm as we chat about her fantasy novel Amber Eyes on January 30th from 8 PM to 11 PM EST (6 PM CDT and 5 PM PST). Grab your favorite drink and snack and be prepared for a fun time of chatting with SD, games, and giveaways. Special guests Nadine Brandes, Lindsay A. Franklin, and Sara Baysinger will also be sharing their books and joining in the fun.

RSVP Today

Giveaway

Want to dive into a new world? Enter to win a signed copy of both Amber Eyes and Scarlet Moon, a grimmlie dragon of the dragon on the cover (made by the author), a charm bracelet (made by her Captain America), and a $10 amazon gift card. (US only. Sorry!)

>>> Entry-Form <<<

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, January 22^nd

• Book Spotlight – Backing Books
• Guest Post – Thinking Like a Fangirl

Tuesday, January 23^rd

• Book Review – Sheri Yutzy – young adult author
• Book Review & Interview – Blooming with Books

Wednesday, January 24^th

• Book Review – Deeply shallow
• Guest Post – dolphin18cb

Thursday, January 25^th

• Author Interview – Unicorn Quester

Friday, January 26^th

• Book Review – Sarah, Plain & Average
• Book Review – Abba’s Prayer Warrior Princess

Saturday, January 27^th

• Author Interview – Jebraun Clifford dream.write.repeat

Monday, January 29^th

• Book Review – The Artisan Penguin

Tuesday, January 30^th

• Author Interview – Liv K. Fisher
• Review – Reality Reflected
• Amber Eyes Facebook Launch Party!

Wednesday, January 31^st

• Author Interview – So Few Books

Thursday, February 1^st

• Book Review – Lands Uncharted
• Guest Post – Quills & Inkblotts

Friday, February 2^nd

• Book Review – Thinking Like a Fangirl

Saturday, February 3^rd

• Book Review – Tricia Mingerink
• Book Review – Blushing Bibliophile
• Book Review – RJ Metcalf

Monday, February 5^th

• Blog Tour Wrap-Up – Unicorn Quester

#musicmonday: This is Me | Keala Settle

ALL THE EMOTIONS.
I'd also say that this is even stronger than the final cut.
(also amused by Hugh Jackman waving his apple in the air)

---

When the sharpest words wanna cut me down
I'm gonna send a flood, gonna drown them out
I am brave, I am bruised
I am who I'm meant to be, this is me
Look out 'cause here I come
And I'm marching on to the beat I drum
I'm not scared to be seen
I make no apologies, this is me

#bookreview: Die For Me | Dan Rix

Die for Me by Dan Rix
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In contrast to most of the other Dan Rix books I've read so far, this actually appears to be the most low tech, on the surface at least. In fact, most of the story reads more like a YA mystery but then again, this is Rix, so expect some super techy reveal.

Jaden and Danae are trying to come to terms with their girlfriend/best friend's suicide/murder. Suicide because she did jump off a four-storey building, leaving behind a suicide note. Murder because she was abruptly taken off life-support by her parents that very same day with no explanation, without waiting to see if she would come out of her coma. But the more they dig into the mystery that is Sabrina's suicide note, the stranger things become. The school counsellors, Katie and Benji, start acting weirdly, as does the headmaster, Mr Feeney.

Rix spends a lot of time exploring both Jaden and Danae's feelings--both about the suicide and their relationships--and while that was interesting at first, the constant back and forth over who likes who (or not) becomes a little too much after it's been prolonged once too many times. Then again, I'm starting to age out of this kind of YA (I've said that for a while now, but yeah), so an actual teen or a younger reader might relate to this much better than I can at this point of time.

I'm not quite the best fan of the voice either, as each section jumps from POV to POV, all in the first person, so you get different sections in Jaden, Danae, Sabrina, and even Mr Feeney's voice. If you're not one who likes that kind of head-hopping you're probably gonna want to sit this one out. The good part about it, though, is that it does provide that much more tension. (Still ambivalent over the need for Feeney's voice, but whatever).

Overall, Die for Me is quite an intriguing read, at I'd say 3.5 stars.

Note: I received a digital ARC from the author. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

View all my reviews

#musicmonday: Rewrite the Stars | Zac Efron & Zendaya

You know I want you
It's not a secret I try to hide
But I can't have you
We're bound to break and
My hands are tied

---

I just watched The Greatest Showman and I'm super impressed.

The only two voices I didn't quite like was Jenny Lind (Rebecca Ferguson) and Charity Barnum (Michelle Williams). I don't really know why. I think Ferguson did this weird breathy thing with her voice especially in the verses of Never Enough; was it an affectation? Some accent she was using? Oh wait. She didn't actually sing; it was sung by Loren Allred. The chorus and build up was fine; she does have a good voice. I just think the verse was weird.
Williams also has a very airyish voice. I guess it just isn't solid enough for me.

#bookreview: Scarlet Moon | SD Grimm

Scarlet Moon by S.D. Grimm
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Grimm throws you right into the action in Scarlet Moon, an action-packed story of love, heroism and revenge.

Love, because the overarching theme of this book seems to be that Love conquers all, especially Fear and Evil. She does have that little love triangle thing going on, but it's not so much a plot as a distraction. But Love here, in the more agape than eros kind, takes front stage centre, and makes every one do stupid things. Ryan, for instance, has to choose between his desire to protect his family or his beloved. Logan cannot face or confront his absconded wife. Ethan will protect Jayden at all costs. And Jayden, poor, stupid, heroic, annoying Jayden (I love her but boy, does she need a slap upside the head), is set on running away from everyone who would protect her because she loves them too much. Or running to put herself between them and danger even when she cannot do anything to save them (and actually, if she ran away, they could sort of save themselves?).

Which brings me to heroism. There's noble heroics (see: Ethan), there's reluctant heroics (see: Logan), and there is STUPID HEROICS (see: Jayden). I don't really know where Ryan fits in this. Maybe brave heroics? He's fighting to stay alive for at least half of this story, though he does get some heroic action towards the end. Anyway, Jayden is one of the prophesied Deliverers but she is inclined to stupid, short-sighted heroics where she frequently messes up escape plans because of her inability to actually run away when she needs to. I know, I know, it adds to the tension and the plot, but you'd think she'd learn after the second time or so. (But NOOOO she can't run because Ethan/Ryan might die and no one can die except her. Except if she does, the prophecy fails and EVERY ONE DIES. Right.)

Then there is revenge. Personal vendettas break from their confines every once in a while, with all the lovely tragic backstories making their appearances (sorry, I'm a sucker for tragic heroes), and whilst some of these get pushed aside momentarily to deal with current circumstances, you just know it's going to rear its head sometime in the future. Or in other (shorter) words, several characters have difficulty staying on course because they have a thirst for revenge.

AT ANY RATE. Scarlet Moon is a thrilling read for fantasy lovers.

Note: I received a free copy of this book via Unicorn Questor for an upcoming blog tour. I was given the book with no expectation of a positive review and the review is my own.

View all my reviews

The Amber Eyes Blog Tour is coming up! I'll be reviewing Amber Eyes (the sequel to Scarlet Moon) on January 24th so check back here then! 

Get Scarlet Moon on Amazon.
Get Amber Eyes on Amazon.

#musicmonday: Psalm 46 | Shane & Shane

---

I am selfishly depressed that we can't do this song in church because we don't have the musicians or the singers for it.

Down the TBR hole

I had some time (not really) so I decided to do this. I found it off one of the blogs I've been following sporadically, and since my "to read" shelf on Goodreads now stands at 432, it might be time to pare it down a little.

So yeah, it works like this:

• Go to your goodreads to-read shelf.
• Order on ascending date added.
• Take the first 5 (or 10 (or even more!) if you’re feeling adventurous) books. Of course if you do this weekly, you start where you left off the last time.
• Read the synopses of the books
• Decide: keep it or should it go?

--- ONE ---

Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut's absurdist classic Slaughterhouse-Five introduces us to Billy Pilgrim, a man who becomes unstuck in time after he is abducted by aliens from the planet Tralfamadore. In a plot-scrambling display of virtuosity, we follow Pilgrim simultaneously through all phases of his life, concentrating on his (and Vonnegut's) shattering experience as an American prisoner of war who witnesses the firebombing of Dresden.


Slaughterhouse-Five is supposed to be famous. Ratings are high, at 4.06/5. Robin Hobb and Lynn Flewelling rated it at 5 & 4 stars respectively, so I probably should give it a go.
Verdict: Keep, assuming I find a copy sometime somewhere.

--- TWO---

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Introducing one of the most famous characters in literature, Jean Valjean—the noble peasant imprisoned for stealing a loaf of bread—Les Misérables ranks among the greatest novels of all time. In it, Victor Hugo takes readers deep into the Parisian underworld, immerses them in a battle between good and evil, and carries them to the barricades during the uprising of 1832 with a breathtaking realism that is unsurpassed in modern prose. Within his dramatic story are themes that capture the intellect and the emotions: crime and punishment, the relentless persecution of Valjean by Inspector Javert, the desperation of the prostitute Fantine, the amorality of the rogue Thénardier, and the universal desire to escape the prisons of our own minds. Les Misérables gave Victor Hugo a canvas upon which he portrayed his criticism of the French political and judicial systems, but the portrait that resulted is larger than life, epic in scope—an extravagant spectacle that dazzles the senses even as it touches the heart.

I actually started this before but got distracted halfway. I think I was ultimately bored by long descriptions of war and soldiers going to battle. At any rate, I've watched the musical.
Verdict: Delete.

--- THREE---

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

Here lives an orphaned ward named Lyra Belacqua, whose carefree life among the scholars at Oxford's Jordan College is shattered by the arrival of two powerful visitors. First, her fearsome uncle, Lord Asriel, appears with evidence of mystery and danger in the far North, including photographs of a mysterious celestial phenomenon called Dust and the dim outline of a city suspended in the Aurora Borealis that he suspects is part of an alternate universe. He leaves Lyra in the care of Mrs. Coulter, an enigmatic scholar and explorer who offers to give Lyra the attention her uncle has long refused her. In this multilayered narrative, however, nothing is as it seems. Lyra sets out for the top of the world in search of her kidnapped playmate, Roger, bearing a rare truth-telling instrument, the alethiometer. All around her children are disappearing—victims of so-called "Gobblers"—and being used as subjects in terrible experiments that separate humans from their daemons, creatures that reflect each person's inner being. And somehow, both Lord Asriel and Mrs. Coulter are involved.

I initially wanted to read this because it was supposed to be written as an antithesis to the Narnia series. Reading the synopsis doesn't make it sound very enticing... but I already have the books (all three).
Verdict: Keep, only because I already have the books so I might as well read them.

--- FOUR---

The Princess Bride by William Goldman

What happens when the most beautiful girl in the world marries the handsomest prince of all time and he turns out to be...well...a lot less than the man of her dreams? As a boy, William Goldman claims, he loved to hear his father read the S. Morgenstern classic, The Princess Bride. But as a grown-up he discovered that the boring parts were left out of good old Dad's recitation, and only the "good parts" reached his ears. Now Goldman does Dad one better. He's reconstructed the "Good Parts Version" to delight wise kids and wide-eyed grownups everywhere. What's it about? Fencing. Fighting. True Love. Strong Hate. Harsh Revenge. A Few Giants. Lots of Bad Men. Lots of Good Men. Five or Six Beautiful Women. Beasties Monstrous and Gentle. Some Swell Escapes and Captures. Death, Lies, Truth, Miracles, and a Little Sex. In short, it's about everything.

This is a classic. EVERYONE QUOTES IT. I've watched the movie, which was wonderful. The book can only be better, right?
Verdict: Keep.

--- FIVE---

1984 by George Orwell

Among the seminal texts of the 20th century, Nineteen Eighty-Four is a rare work that grows more haunting as its futuristic purgatory becomes more real. Published in 1949, the book offers political satirist George Orwell's nightmare vision of a totalitarian, bureaucratic world and one poor stiff's attempt to find individuality. The brilliance of the novel is Orwell's prescience of modern life--the ubiquity of television, the distortion of the language--and his ability to construct such a thorough version of hell. Required reading for students since it was published, it ranks among the most terrifying novels ever written.

Another book that everyone quotes. I have this strange sense of knowing too much about it that I can't tell if it's second-hand knowledge or if it's from actually having read the book. In a way, it sounds like something I would read, but it's also from that era where I find most of the stuff hard to get through. So I don't know.
Verdict: undecided.

---

Well, that's five!

... I'm not very good at deleting books off my TBR, am I?

#bookreview: Once We Were There | Bernice Chauly

Once We Were There by Bernice Chauly
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Once We Were There is dark and gritty, as fueled by drugs and sex as its setting in late 1990's - early 2000's Kuala Lumpur.

The story itself is a story of profound loss. It's the story of a woman first losing herself in her anger and her politics, then losing herself in family and motherhood, losing the child that has become an extension of her self, losing herself to drugs, and finally at the end of it all, trying to discover who she is, who she's meant to be after she's lost everything. And it does feel like Delonix Regia has no sense of self for most of the story--she is defined by the people and events around her. Whenever anything goes wrong, or she is at a loss, she turns back to alcohol and drugs.

Set against the backdrop of the 1998 Reformasi until Anwar's release in 2004, the events of the times weave in and out of the plot. Del and her journalist friends protest Anwar Ibrahim's arrest. They start an independent journalism site on the internet, the first of its kind. Del finds purpose in this. But as the romance takes over, and Omar, and subsequently Alba, becomes her world, this fades away, reappearing only in spurts: the lost appeal, subsequent protests, Mahathir's resignation, Pak Lah's win during the GE, Anwar's release. Little sound bites that are soon forgotten, stuffed in to tell you what year it is by now. By the middle of the novel, it doesn't really feel important anymore--it's just Kuala Lumpur. The journalistic beginning feels like an excuse for a social commentary on the times.

You could also say that undue emphasis is given to this recounting of history, evidenced by the fact that although the book description says "But when their two-year-old daughter Alba is kidnapped, Del must confront the terrible secret of a city where babies are sold and girls are trafficked", this event only happens 2/3rds of the way through the book. It feels terribly unbalanced, plot-wise, unless this is the way things work with literary fiction? (I read mainly in the fantasy/scifi genre, where inciting incidents usually take place in the first quarter.)

Overall, however, the novel works. It reads almost psychedelically, jumping between viewpoints and timelines, rushing in and out of events but also lingering in the here, the now, the never-ending painful present. I hesitate to say that it's brilliant. I disliked the first awfully long chapter (all the chapters are awfully long and could have been broken up at multiple points), wondering where Chauly was going with her part-novel, part-history lesson, part-social commentary. Yet, having finally pushed through, it feels like this disjointedness, this floating story, this bits-and-pieces cobbled together thing, finally makes sense in the light of the ending. Or I could just be extending literary grace and purpose to something that has no reason.

Personally, I don't see myself revisiting Once We Were There. It's not one of those stories that have gripped me in any specific way. However, I do not regret reading it either; it's one of those books that you feel you should read, at least once in your lifetime.

It's unapologetically Malaysian, though at times Chauly tends to overexplain as if pandering to the international crowd, and it's what the Malaysian English fiction scene needs more of.

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#musicmonday: You are the Beauty | Gungor

This is one of the oddest yet most fascinating songs I've heard in a while.
Which, I guess, is a good way to start off a new year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

#fridayflash: A Hitch in the Plans

"I would like to kiss you," she says.

"Oh." He cocks his head to one side, left eyebrow raised. "Why?"

She shrugs. "Why not?"

He stares at her for a little too long and she finds herself staring back, that space in the back of her head suddenly mute.

"Never mind," she finally says.

But as she turns, before she can flee, his hand is grasping her wrist and pulling her back, fixing her on the spot. Her cheeks burn.

"Why?" he asks again.

There is gold in her mouth, rocks on her tongue, a blissed, hateful void in her thoughts. She doesn't even know why she'd brought it up in the first place--it was too forward, too sudden. It wasn't what she'd planned--except wine, too much wine. Despite the fact she hasn't touched any of it.

"I'm drunk," she offers, wincing as his eyes narrow. Hormonally drunk, maybe, though he can't know that.

"You never drink," he says flatly.

"Oh?"

"And I would smell it on you if you had."

"The fumes..." She stops as he shakes his head. It's a flimsy lie anyway.

"What do you want?"

She straightens her back, grasping at the last straws of her dignity. "I thought I made that quite clear. Did I mumble?"

"That's not what you really want, is it?"

"It's not?"

"Is it Katherine? Is she putting you up to this?"

Her throat is too dry, too scratchy. She desperately needs a drink, alcoholic if possible--something to silence the emptiness of her mind. His grip is tight and binding and she wants to run away, but she also wants to lean in. Lean in and kiss him. Except she can't.

"Lady Katherine has nothing to do with this," she manages, dropping her eyes. "If you... do not require my services, I would like to retire for the night."

He makes an odd sound at the back of his throat and she looks up at him sheepishly. That hadn't come out quite as she intended.

"I meant..."

"I know what you meant. Go."

She curtsies and scurries away.

###

She's in the nearest nook, chest heaving as she leans against the wall, when a whisper startles her.

"Your Grace?"

She waves it, her, away, eyes still closed.

"His Highness is asking after you," the voice says again much later.

"Why? To gloat in my humiliation?" It's sharper than she intended.

"He thought you'd like something for your hand." It's him this time, his voice dry and amused.

She opens her eyes, staring at him confused before following his gaze.

"You've been bleeding on my floor for quite a while, my servant tells me."

"Oh."

"How?"

"I... I don't remember." It's probably from when she stumbled in here, flailing at the walls in a flurry of tears. Why hadn't she just gone straight to her rooms?

She watches numbly as he gently cleans and binds the gash on the back of her hand. "I should go."

"Back to your rooms?" He takes her hand to escort her.

She wonders why she doesn't pull her hand away. "Back to my home." It's obvious she's failed. She's not what he wants.

"Ah," is all he says.

At her door, she smiles and thanks him again. He bows slightly, ever the perfect gentleman. And then he is gone. She closes the door behind her, cutting off the sight of his retreating back and the receding hope of an alliance with his house.

Tomorrow, she would have to make her plans anew.