04.Dec.2010 The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
As I entered the novel, a sense of familiarity quickly came to me: the distinctively British language, eloquence and subtlety. I knew I was in good hands, of someone who really knows what he’s doing. My first Ishiguro was When We Were Orphans (ridiculous plot, but again, delicious British style), my second being Never Let [...]
13.Nov.2010 The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera
Prior to reading The Unbearable Lightness of Being I was never quite sure what the book was about. It seemed to be one of those books that is hard to summarize. I would describe it as a book on relationships and sexual escapades with the backdrop of Czech politics. Main characters are Tomas the womanizer [...]
02.Oct.2010 The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark
I’ve been intrigued by The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie since it was featured on the First Tuesday Book Club late last year and how it is often included in the various book lists (e.g. 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die, Guardian’s 1000 Novels Everyone Must Read). Coincidentally, Muriel Spark is an author [...]
22.Jun.2010 To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
To Kill A Mockingbird seems to be one of the most loved book in the history of literature, so I was excited to finally get to read it. Did I fall in love with it? Prior to reading, I knew there was a lawyer as main character and I was expecting court scenes. But there [...]
06.Jun.2010 Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
I absolutely did not expect to love Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland as much as I did! I grew up with the Disney version of Alice, and while it is always fun and evokes all sense of wonderment, it is never funny, I don’t think. How surprised I was to find the book incredibly amazingly hilariously [...]
04.Mar.2010 Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
As I assume the main plot of the book is no secret to most people, I’m going to write my thoughts with no worry of possible spoilers. Pride and Prejudice is my very first Jane Austen and it took me some time to get used to her style. I found the beginning was very very [...]
28.Jan.2010 Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
People often started their reviews by saying this book so-and-so made them cry. That doesn’t mean anything to me. I don’t cry for a book. Little did I know that I would begin my review now by saying this book made me cry! And not just a tear or two, but more like weeping for [...]
03.Jan.2010 (Another) 1% Well-Read Challenge Completed!
1% Well-Read challenge was going from 1 March to 31 December 2009 for the first option, which was to read 1% (10 books) out of the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die. I chose to follow the original list published in 2006 (there was another updated list published in 2008, which total combined [...]
09.Dec.2009 The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Woman in White suddenly took book blogosphere by storm a couple of months ago. In the midst of it, a copy was displayed prominently at one of my favorite bookstore for great prize and The Classic Circuit started on Wilkie Collins. The universe was aligned. I read the book. Once I finished, I was [...]
05.Dec.2009 If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino
If On a Winter’s Night a Traveller is one of the weirdest books I’ve ever read. It started with you, the Reader, going to a bookshop to buy the latest book by Italo Calvino titled If On a Winter’s Night a Traveller. You go back home and start reading. The book starts with new chapter [...]