The Jane Austen and Romance Reading Challenge 2010

Ooh I'm such a sucker for challenges. I've just stumbled upon 2 more challenges that I simply must join. Lucky for me, these 2 kind of cross-over each other in a way, so I might be able to squeeze these in, on top of the other challenges that I've joined this year.

1) The Jane Austen Challenge

The Jane Austen challenge is hosted by Haley @ the Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object (The Jane Austen Challenge). The challenge is split into 3 levels:

i) NeWbiE: 2 books by J.A. and 2 re-writes / prequels / sequels / spoofs (by other authors)

ii) LoVeR: 4 books by J.A. and 4 re-writes / prequels / sequels / spoofs (by other authors)

iii) FaNatiC: 6+ books by J.A. and 5+ re-writes / prequels / sequels / spoofs (by other authors)

I'm going for the NeWbiE level and my reading list will be:

a) Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen
b) Emma by Jane Austen
c) Pride and Prejudice and Zombies - Spoof
d) Mr Darcy, Vampyre - Spoof

2) Romance Reading Challenge 2010

I'm not a big fan of the steamy Harlequin romance stuff but I do love contemporary and romantic suspense and I've always wanted to read about Romeo and Juliet (I know...can't believe I haven't read Shakespeare's infamous masterpiece yet!)

The rules are pretty simple: Read at least 5 romance type novels from 1st Jan to 31st Dec 2010. You may choose from contemporary romance, historical romance, romantic suspense and paranormal romance to name a few. As long as the story has romantic love between the two main characters your selection will fit this challenge.

The RRC 2010 challenge is hosted by Naida @ the bookworm (Romance Reading Challenge 2010).

My RRC list so far:
1. The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks (see review here)
2. Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen (see review here)
3. Anybody Out There by Marian Keyes (see review here)
4.
5.

The Hollow

Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery/Thriller
First Published: 1946

The last time I read an Agatha Christie book was probably 5 years ago, on my honeymoon. I was on a cruise with my husband from Singapore to Phuket, and I suddenly developed a severe eye infection. I had a swollen eyelid and my eyeball was red and teary. The discomfort was enough to kill any romantic mood I was feeling, so instead of attending the gala dinners and lively shows, my husband and I decided to visit the ship’s library and spend the nights reading on our suite’s balcony. That’s when I picked up my last Agatha Christie book.

I’ve always loved Christie’s novels and my favourite hero is none other than Hercule Poirot – the little Belgian detective with a touch of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder). The Hollow is a Poirot book but unlike most of the books under the Poirot Series, this one doesn’t feature Poirot as much as the others do.

The Hollow is an estate located on the outskirts of London, managed and owned by Sir Henry and Lady Lucy Angkatell. As the Angkatells host their weekend family gathering at The Hollow, an unexpected event occurs – a guest is shot dead. Whilst Poirot and the Police struggle to find the killer, they find themselves entangled in a web of family secrets.

As mentioned, there was very little Poirot being featured. A lot of the book was focused on the main suspects, which is a refreshing perspective compared to other Poirot books that tend to circle around the Belgian detective’s thoughts. Here, Christie gives readers a chance to self-evaluate the minds of each character in detail, sort of like a psycho-analysis if you like. The little bit that bugged me though was that I managed to guess who the killer was slightly more than half-way through the book. Nevertheless, the surreptitious but wonky characters and Christie’s writing flair will keep you flipping through the pages at super-fast speed. I'd say not one of the best Christie books around, but still worth a read.

The Catcher in the Rye

Author : J.D. Salinger
Genre : Literature
First Published : 1945

Brief: This novel centres around a high-school boy; Holden Caulfield. It is written in first person, as narrated by Caulfield himself.

The first thing that struck me when I read the first few pages of this book was how much it sounded like I was reading a personal blog instead of a much-talked about novel. It wasn’t so much of the writing style (being in first person), but it was more of the profanity and swearing that appeared in almost every page that made me feel like I was just reading some random individual’s journal. I managed to get over the countless “craps” and “Chrissakes” after a while and found a few interesting points worth mentioning.

Holden’s story, as how he views the world, is none at all conclusive. His perspective on things invokes a major question. Was he merely a rebellious teenager or was he a schizophrenic? His thoughts were incoherent, tending to jump from one topic to another, yet he expressed each random thought with clarity. He also appeared to be unusually irrational at times, like the time he wouldn’t stop asking cab drivers where the ducks disappeared to in winter. There were also some incidences in the story suggesting that Caulfield was delusional. It’s quite obvious that he’s a cynic who hated almost everything and everyone. On the other hand, he was also shown to be extremely sincere and protective when it came to kids or women. Personally, Caulfield to me looked like he was on the onset of having a mental illness. Rebellious teenagers are usually attention seekers, something Caulfield wasn’t really fond of.

Overall, I wouldn’t say this was a great book. There was no high point in the story, though it does have some interesting moments, and it definitely leaves you with some food for thought.

*Update
J.D. Salinger has passed away on the 27th of January 2010 at the age of 91. Salinger died of natural causes at his home. He had lived for decades in self-imposed isolation in a small, remote house in Cornish, N.H. (Associated Press).

Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010

I'm pretty excited to be joining this particular challenge. For one, I've always been a mystery-book lover, but have found little time for it lately, and secondly, this would be my first 2010 reading challenge.

The rules are pretty simple and the key points are copied below:

1. Timeline is between 1st Jan 2010 and 31 Dec 2010. Joining is anytime during the year.
2. To read a total of 12 thrillers during the time period.
3. You don't have to select your books ahead of time and crossovers into other challenges are allowed.

If mind-boggling whodunit and suspense is right up your alley, then feel free to join here.

*Updates*
My Thriller & Suspense List

1. The Hollow by Agatha Christie
2. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
3. Berried Alive by Kate Kingsbury
4. Random by Craig Robertson
5. The Pale Horse by Agatha Christie
6. The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson

p/s: This lovely challenge is brought to you by Book Chick City.

Broga Hills

I’ve been wanting to blog about this trip the minute I completed the hike way back in November but time just got the better of me. Plus, ever since I found out about all these reading challenges on the blogosphere, I’ve naturally had my head buried in books like an ostrich holed up in sand. Anyway, considering that we only have one day left before 2010 looms on us, and also coz I promised myself that I would write about this, so here it goes…

My girlfriends and I (not my usual ex-uni gals, but my ex-PwC gals) have planned for this Broga trip for as long as I can remember. The plans finally materialised last month and to top it off, those of us who were married actually managed to drag our husbands along. For the record, this was my first time doing something like this with J. After 5 years of marriage, with him usually shaking his head each time I did something smelling of adventure, he finally succumbed to my passion for the outdoors...didn’t realise it would take me that long to charm him though. Anyway, I discovered that Ms F and Ms S had some trouble convincing their hubsters to join in too. Apparently, their mate’s would have rather waited at the foot of the hill with the focal excuse being somebody had to take care of the food…seriously guys...(tsk, tsk, tsk).

Okay, so our adventure started from the Kajang toll. By the way, if you’re reading this blog hoping for directions to Broga then you’ve come to the wrong place. I’m hopeless at directions and if I ever got lost in the woods I’d probably be eaten by a Sumatran Tiger before I manage to figure out how the compass works. I did manage to source for a map somewhere on the web though and thank god for AR who sort of knew the way in, and Eddie for leading us out all the way to the Bangi Kopitiam for our much deserved brunch. I think I’ve run off tangent here. Sorry, back to Broga. So, we were supposed to convoy from the Kajang toll at 7am, with 7.15 being the latest. But dear Ms E and Ms J either woke up late, were hopeless at directions too, or had to feed the cats first (I forget the exact reason), only arrived around 7.45am. No worries, we were all in a cheery mood and were just glad they arrived in one piece (apparently Ms E drove at neck-breaking speed and took only 20 mins to reach the Kajang toll from Ampang - yikes).

We used the Kajang Silk highway that heads towards Nottingham University and parked our cars in the oil palm estate, opposite the rabbit farm. From there, we hiked for about 5 to 10 mins before reaching the foot of the hill. The hike up took about 35 mins. It’s quite an easy trek if you’re a regular hiker as most of the route has been cleared out and some of the up-hill trails have been nicely shaped into small steps.

And this is the view from the top folks:

All in all, this is a great trail to hike on a regular basis. It’s fun, simple and doesn’t take too long to reach the fantastic views. I saw a few older couples on the way up who seem to be regular visitors. They say the view there is best at sunrise.

A note to first-timers: Please, please remember to take a leak before your trip, unless you don’t mind doing it in a natural environment with a few furry friends staring right at your wonderness. It is okay to drink lots of water during trekking or any other sports in general though, as your body will get rid of the waste through your sweat.

Also, a special thanks to Avian for the great shots!

Club Dead & Dead to the World – The Sookie Stackhouse Series

These two books are my favourite in the series so far. In the first 2 books of the Series (see my reviews here and here), the main characters were centered on Sookie (of course) and Bill, due to their budding romance. In Club Dead however, the romance gets a nip in the bud when Bill disappears mysteriously. In her attempt to find Bill, Sookie unexpectedly finds an ally in Alcide, who coincidentally is a werewolf. What I love most about this book is the emphasis on Alcide. Unfortunately, I’m not much of a Bill fan so I sort of welcomed the author’s shift in focus to other characters. I liked the portrayal of Alcide’s strong-yet-gentle demeanour and how Sookie actually sees a future in the two of them being together. I think Alcide is a really sweet guy…

In Dead to the World (Book 4), Bill and Sookie’s relationship is almost non-existent. (Next part is a spoiler so quickly skip to next paragraph if you can). They eventually breakup at the end of Club Dead, so Sookie starts off the new year in Book 4 a single and free woman. But not for long…

On her way home from Merlotte’s (the bar that Sookie works at), she finds Eric (the really really hot vampire) running naked (whoa..) in the middle of the road. It turns out that Eric was cursed by a witch and can’t remember anything about himself, his past or his surroundings. His vulnerability appeals to Sookie, and before you know it they develop a romantic relationship. I’ve always liked Eric. Despite his superior and occasionally pompous character (before he lost his memory that is), Eric is quite a funny guy vamp. Plus, he is the epitome of yumminess…

Overall, I’d give both books the two thumbs-up. The storyline has definitely improved from the first 2 books and I am so very hooked.

These books are part of The Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge.

Living Dead in Dallas – The Sookie Stackhouse Series

Living Dead in Dallas is the second book in the SS series. Here, Sookie, a cocktail waitress from Bon Temps, finds herself falling into a deeper relationship with the Vampire Bill, both romantically and professionally as Bill becomes her ally in an unfolding vampire adventure.

One night after getting into a fight with Bill, Sookie is unexpectedly attacked by another supernatural being. The supe’s attack left poison in Sookie’s blood stream and the only other beings that could help remove it were the vampires of Shreveport, led by the notorious-yet-delicious Vampire Sheriff of Area 5, Eric Northman. Since they sort of saved her life, she felt obliged to help when Eric requested her to use her telepathic abilities to help solve a mystery for the vampires of Dallas.

In Dallas, whilst trying to unravel the mystery she was sent on, Sookie finds herself getting into trouble with a group of vampire-haters, and finds herself getting a little closer to Eric...

My thoughts:
I enjoyed this book more than the first one. It definitely had more action and the introduction to the other super-naturals in Sookie's world made it even more interesting. I did get a little confused though, coz there is more than one plot in the book. Basically, the mystery of the vampires of Dallas wasn't the only mystery that needed solving. I'm not going to reveal more for the benefit of those who haven't read it, but suffice to say that the solving of the other mystery kind of revealed more of Eric's character and I am liking it ;)

This book is part of The Sookie Stackhouse Reading Challenge.