Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

OMG! This book is ultra fantastic! I mean, I know Sophie Kinsella writes well and most (if not all) of her books are bestsellers! But this one has got to be the most fun and most exciting of all! I bought this book several months ago but it was only last long weekend that I got the chance to read it from start to finish. Every chance I got, I was reading Twenties Girl. From the airport, to the bus, to the boat, while sunbathing by the beach, while enjoying the breeze of a starry, starry night... while I was having breakfast and dinner, while Peter was watching Glee in our hotel room... I was so into it! 

Mercenary Intent by Dennis Hambright

 

This may be the very first time that I have read an action-packed novel. I used to have biases about these kinds of stories because for one, they're too macho for me and if you notice, I always prefer chick lits, fantasy adventure and the self-help kinds. I guess the closest that I have come to reading this type of book was when I used to read all of Sidney Sheldon's novels back in High School (I've read them all...he's one of my most favorites then and now...may he rest in peace) and Dan Brown's Angel and Demons, Da Vinci Code, Deception Point and Digital Fortress (which I have read several years ago and have yet found the time to review here). Even these novels are not purely action material. There's always a huge chunk of adult scenes, philosophy, and love angle to it. Mercenary Intent is my first EVER purely ation-packed novel but with a heart. I was excited when I first found out about it but I also had my little doubts when the author himself, Dennis Hambright, sent me a signed copy. Nevertheless, I gave it a try.

The Winner Stands Alone by Paolo Coelho

 

This latest book of Paolo Coelho is one that is very different from the rest of the pack (I know because I've read all of them and I have them in my collection). It was a slow read at first but the more I turned its pages, the more hooked I got. Probably because in my own little way, I have brushed with the world of glamour and celebrities through the acting bits I did in theater and TV and I know for a fact how messy, superficial, vain and shallow people can really get. Many will really try everything they can to get a piece of the pie... any piece of fame and glory that they can get their hands on. Most of the time, I detest it. But for Paolo Coelho's characters in this book, The Superclass, fame and fortune have  become the end all and be all of living.

My Current Book Collection

OMG! It's been several months since I last sreviewed a book here. Honestly I have been so busy with my life...with work... with social activities and travels that I haven't really had the time tro finish reading any of my books. And I got tons of 'em! I hope to finish one before this month ends. Until then, let me show you my current collection:

 

Harry Potter & the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Three years ago, I bought J.K. Rowling's 6th installment of her Harry Potter Series, The Half-Blood Prince, but it was only recently that I felt compelled to finish reading it. The movie version is about to be shown and I didn't want my imagination colored by it. Once I got started with the pages, there was no turning back. J.K. Rowling once again captured my mind, heart and soul as she did with the first five books (which I never got the chance to review as this blog hasn't been around 4-7 years ago) But I think I shall copy some reviews just for my own reference (and because I sometimes get tired of writing my own thoughts about it, hihihi).

The Witch of Portobello by Paolo Coelho

This book is about Sherine Khalil, famously known as Athena, a host to the Mother Goddess Hagia Sofia. It was told in a rather interesting manner, when her boyfriend set out to interview people who knew her and had come to know her as the famous, or shall we say "notorious" witch of Portobello. He did this as an attempt to get to know more his one true love who is Athena. 

 

In this post, I shall highlight some phrases which struck me so deeply, the same way that Paolo Coelho's first book, The Alchemist has touched me as well.

Remember Me? By Sophie Kinsella

It only took me less than a day to finish reading Sophie Kinsella's newest novel, "Remember Me?". From the moment I picked it up, I couldn't stop reading Lexie Smart's adventures. How did she lose 3 years worth of memories? One day she's this ugly, sad, chubby & unlucky 25 year old woman, with little money to spare, a pathetic cheating boyfriend, dead end job, a dad who just died, with only her three bestfriends to help keep her sane with their regular friday night outs. 

The next day, she's turned into this 28 year old sexy, non-carb eating, notorious bitch boss from hell with a handsome multimillionaire for a husband, a huge marital loft, designer clothes and accessories, her own personal shopper and assistant and no friends except for a socialite she hasn't even met yet as her bestfriend! She can't even remember attending her dad's funeral where all that mattered as regards her transformation stemmed from.

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

Wow, it really took me a while before I finished reading this book --- Chasing Harry Winston by one of my favorite authors, Lauren Weisberger. However, after I finally put it down, I am now having second thoughts about her. Has Weisberger lost her writing magic or something? The story really bored me to tears. There were no exciting plot points, no interesting bits and pieces of information. The only thing that kept me from throwing away the book is its title and the name of the author. Personally, I also hate unfinished projects, so I persevered... grudgingly and disappointedly.

Chasing Harry Winston is not as spectacularly written as her first two novels, Devil Wears Prada and Everyone Worth Knowing. I can't even understand why she entitled this novel the way she did when there was only one little reference to Harry Winston's rings --- those diamonds Salma Hayek wore during one of the Oscars. This pretty little detail is not even very important. 

Happiness Now by Andrew Matthews

I've come to know Andrew Matthews when I first read BEING HAPPY back in college, one of his most famous books. I have all three by the way including HAPPINESS IN HARD TIMES, FOLLOW YOUR HEART and MAKING FRIENDS. This particular one, HAPPINESS NOW, is like a summary of all those three. All the principles I learned about living a healthy, happy, prosperous life, achieving the career of your dreams, obtaining peace of mind, etc. --- all these things are put into several cohesive and creative nutshells for better and simpler understanding. 

Basically, it taught me  three things: