Something Borrowed is the first book of Emily Giffin I've ever read. And because I loved it so much, I ended up eventually buying all of her books!

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SOMETHING BORROWED BY EMILY GIFFIN

Last Night at Chateau Marmont by Lauren Weisberger

I started reading this when I went on vacation with my husband last November. I wasn't expecting much coz I've been disappointed before with some of Lauren Weisberger's literary works. Surprisingly, reading the first few pages of  Last Night at Chateau Marmont brought back the same level of fun as the time I read The Devil Wears Prada. So I figured, there could be hope with this new book. So I kept reading. Before I knew it, I was so engrossed with the plot that I even imagined myself as Brooke (the lead character whose name is the same as my alter ego's name... yup, my bestfriend calls me Brooke) --- the lucky groupie-who-became-the-wife-of-a-real-rockstar. I laughed, I cried, I sympathized and went crazy as the story progressed. In short, I loved the book!

When success hits you, it hits really hard.

Brida by Paolo Coelho

I started reading this 312-page paperback last July... 2009! I know I am a slow reader, but more so if the story is really not that interesting. I bought Brida because one - it's a Paolo Coelho book and I have loved many of his novels for years; and two - because it's a book about being a witch and I've always wanted to be one as evidenced by my love for the Wiccan ways which I share on my Wiccan Blog. Unfortunately, for me, the pace of the story in the beginning was really not that fantastic and I got bored to tears. It's only during my morning rituals (after I do my daily tarot reading, meditation and spell) that I try to read a few more pages just so I can finish this blasted book. It was only when I was reaching the last few chapters that the story became more exciting to the point that it was giving me goosebumps and hair tingles. This meant that finally, I was one with the book and it was as if I was Brida finally consummating my journey into  my real self, that of becoming a witch.

Last Night at Chateau Marmont, Dead and Loving It, One Fifth Avenue

I'm almost halfway through Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows now and like I always say, I still got tons of books lined up on my bookshelf, waiting to be read. But because National Bookstore is on sale until the end of the month, I couldn't help but purchase a couple more books. Three to be exact. It would have been more had I memorized all the Mary Janice Davidson vampire books I already have. I didn't want to make a double purchase so I bought the one which I was sure I still don't have --- Dead and Loving It.

 

The Carrie Diaries by Candace Bushnell

Finally, I am done reading The Carrie Diaries. Finally, I was able to meet Carrie  Bradshaw before Sex and the City. For a suburban kid who has lived a normal life, with all the intricacies and delinquencies of teendom, Carrie has indeed come a long, long way. But in spite of having a family with its own delinquencies (whose family doesn't have one anyway?) and being put down several times for following her passion in writing, and going through all those broken friendships and tainted love, Carrie has remained witty, funny, forgiving and generous, pretty much the same Carrie Bradshaw we've known in the hit HBO series and movies Sex and the City 1 & 2.  Candace Bushnell has portrayed young Carrie very well and brought her readers to the inner motivations and aspirations that made Carrie unique out of all the spectacular book characters out there.

The Choice by Nicholas Sparks

  

It took a while for me to start reading The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. I dunno if it was because I was busy, or if the prologue was just a bit boring to read that I never get past it for some time. When I finally did, that's when things started kicking in for me and I was finally captivated by the story.

I think the boredom I felt at the start of the novel was because I was quite confused with the prologue. It happened at present which was 11 years after the main plot of the story. Travis is in his 40's, to visit Gabby at her place of work, while tentatively carrying flowers, which was 3 months after their big fight and the last time they slept in one bed. It made me feel like some sort of an impending doom is in the air and I felt uneasy, sad,devastated, teary-eyed,and just crushed. 

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! 

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.

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.

The Beach by Alex Garland

When I bought this book, what caught my attention was the fact that it is a story regarding  backpacking in Asia. I am somewhat of a traveler and a backpacker myself so it got me very interested. After several pages, my husband mentioned that it is the same story as the movie of the same title starred by Leonardo DiCaprio. I did watch that film ages ago and all I remember was this sexy beach scene Leo had with a very beautiful French actress. So that pretty much hyped my excitement to finish this book. As it turned out, it's not just about the thrill of  backpacking in Asia. It was way, way more than that.

Candace Bushnell’s TRADING UP & LIPSTICK JUNGLE

“Modern-day heroine Janey Wilcox is a lingerie model whose often exceeds her grasp, and whose new-found success has gone to her head. As we follow Janey’s adventures, Bushnell draws us into a seemingly glamorous world of $100,000 cars, hunky polo players and media moguls, Fifth Avenue apartments, and relationships whose hidden agendas are detectable only by the socially astute. But just as Janey enters this world of too much money and too few morals, unseen forces conspire to bring her down, forcing her to reconsider love and friendship --- and how far she’s really willing to go for her deams.”

Can You Keep A Secret? By Sophie Kinsella

We all have secrets, right? Those deep, dark secrets that we don't dare tell anyone, not even our bestfriend, probably not even our husband or wife! We even try to ignore them sometimes, pretending that we're really not that deranged or crazy for thinking and believing such incredibly awful things!  Like maybe hating a certain person at work, being  sizes bigger than you actually proclaim,  losing your virginity somewhere so inappropriate, etc... So imagine, Emma Corrigan (the novel's main character), during a very turbulent flight,  telling a complete stranger about her personal classified information and soon discovered that this very person turned out to be not only her boss but the owner of the company she's working for?! Pretty soon, all these secrets she divulged are being used against her! Oh my effing God!!! I would've resigned then died if that happened to me!  But Emma handled it way better. There are other amusing subplots as Emma tried to overcome all these things and learned about love along the way. It's so simple yet very catchy. Once you start it, you will not want to put it down. It's such a fun read for me, so perfect for any season. Buy your copy now!

At First Sight & True Believer by Nicholas Sparks

 

Nicholas Sparks, best-selling author of  A WALK TO REMEMBER and THE NOTEBOOK, wrote At First Sight  as a sequel to True Believer starring Jeremy Marsh  (a New Yorker and a well-known writer in the magazine Scientific American) and Lexie Darnell(a simple librarian in the small town of Boone Creek, Texas). 

In the first book, True Believer, Jeremy Marsh set foot in the small town of Boone Creek to expose the amazing night lights in the town's cemetery which were believed to be supernatural. Even  Lexie believed  that the lights were ghosts of her parents who died when she was still young. Whether true or not, this belief has been one of the long-standing mysteries of this quaint little town helping it with its tourism. Therefore,  exposing it would mean getting into the bad side of its very eccentric mayor, Mr. Gherkins, and its people. 

The Devil and Miss Prym

The international bestselling author of The Alchemist, Eleven Minutes and Veronika Decides To Die has written another masterpiece which deals this time with the centuries old battle between good and evil under the mask of temptation. The chosen location was Viscos, a remote quiet village where people of seemingly good nature thrive. Unbeknownst to most, a stranger with an agenda motivated by his gruesome past,  suddenly visits. This man will unveil fear, vengeance and greed among its inhabitants. The good will be faced with evil and the battle will begin in the hearts and souls of many. Find out how this parable will fare and if the saying  that 'GOOD ALWAYS PREVAILS' still rings true.

~~~oOo~~~

There are some lines in the book which deeply bothered me, like:  

How can one know what will please the Almighty? Do what your heart commands, and God will be happy."  (p. 149).

Everyone Worth Knowing by Lauren Weisberger

The author of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, Lauren Weisberger, did it again! Set up in New York, Robina “Bette” Robinson is reaching a point in her life where boredom and stress are constantly haunting her. After five years of working for a financial institution, she just had it. Out of the blue, she called it quits! An act that I myself, and most probably a million others would gladly do if only we were brave enough to handle the consequences. Without any sort of backup plan, she gloriously thrusts herself into the realm of the beautiful and unemployed, enjoying each passing day with nothing really special to do except to take her dog, Millington, out for a walk, exchange stories with her best friend Penelope, read Harlequin novels, spend time with her Uncle Will and his partner Simon and explore the city by herself. Although she enjoyed being a bum, she needs to come to her senses soon, primarily because her savings are dwindling, FAST!

The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger

I transferred my book review to my new blog. Check it out: A JOB A MILLION GIRLS WOULD DIE FOR... (The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger