Irresistible Peculiarity of a book - The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender

Hi everyone! Sorry for MIA for such a long time but i had neither the time or inspiration for putting up any new post. However, immediately after the finishing of this book today, i just had to put my two-cents worth of thoughts into words!!

I mean, I am totally flabbergasted and bewildered as i read the last page of this novel. It is seldom that i bother finishing a book when it starts off "weird". There is too little time in life to waste on books that are just "not my cup of tea.", others can go ahead and read them but hey, I have an ocean of other books to read. But this book drew me in with first, an intriguing title and a subject matter that i have an interest in, food! (see my previous posts)

 The blurb on the book sounded interesting enough and for the first few chapters, i was totally drawn in by the character, Rose, who at nine years old, discovered she has a gift, or rather a curse, of being able to discern the feelings and emotions of the person who cooked the dish. She was able to taste the loneliness of her mother who was emotionally detached from her husband, the sadness and hollowness of her marriage. So much so that young Rose started to fear eating home-cooked foods, as she didn't want to sense the sadness, the bitterness and subsequent illicit affair of her mother.

So far so good? Well, good enough for me to continue to read at obsessive speed, picking up sub-plots of a disappearing brother (what is that all about?!), developing a crush with a childhood friend, and a more interestingly, her ability to pinpoint where and how the food was brought to being! She knew where the milk came from, how the flour was milled, no minute detail was spared!!

I knew that as the book progressed, i was either going to be presented with a "smack your forehead" moment or an extremely satisfying conclusion to the whole story. In case anyone of you is interested to pick up this book, i will not spoil it for you by giving you any more spoilers but i assure you, this is a non-typical book and the author certainly has an astonishing imagination which really raises my eyebrows rather than in awe.

The revelation that came out of this reading is that there are all sorts of writers out there. You can write a run-of-the-mill story or you can write out-of-the-world hysterical one or simply, one that interlaces incredulity with reality. A book that makes you think and wonder long beyond the pages of the book, if you let it, to stretch your imagination, the limits of what can be, what is real and what is surreal.

Oh dear, i think i have been affected by the book so much that i have written a similarly "weird" review! Forgive my ramblings, it IS quite a mixed-up afterthought. I am glad I am done reading this book, probably will not pick up another book by the same author (too avant garde for me! I just want to space out and relax with a simpler book.) BUT, i am happy that i came across this book, for all its twists and turns, it was like a surprise box, you never knew what you would get, until the very end. And in life, surprises are always a gift in itself! Do share your comments if you have any. Thanks in advance!

Jen

Eye-opening Read: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Hi all! Sorry my mum & sis aren't as active, I'll remind them to post more often (I think I know a book my sis has in mind...). Well, today's book is The Giver by Lois Lowry, which is my Lit book for school. This Newbery Medal book is about Jonas, a 12-year-old boy living in a futuristic community without colour, pain & love. All memories of the past (our present) are held by a man called the Receiver. When Jonas is chosen as the new Receiver, he learns about real pain & gains wisdom from the memories.

When I read this book for the first time, I realised how much is lacking in this society, yet the people don't know what they are missing. I recommend this to those who enjoy easy reading with easy-to-understand concepts. The memories are very vividly described so you can see it the way Jonas, one who has never known of these things, sees it & relate closely with him. The ending poses a cliffhanger, providing a mysterious element. You can also read the companions to this book, Gathering Blue & Messenger.

Hope you'll enjoy this book as much as I did & trust me, you'll probably never see colour the same way after reading this! Stay tuned for more entries & do remember to drop us a comment! Happy Reading!
Lydia

Must-Read for Teens:The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Hi all! Sorry for not updating for such a long time because we haven't really had time. Today, I'll be reviewing the most talked-about book of the year, The Hunger Games. It is the 1st book in The Hunger Games trilogy, the 2nd being Catching Fire & the last book Mockingjay. The movie based on the novel has become a big hit here in Singapore, especially with the teenagers who enjoy the book just as much. For those who still unsure of the plot, the book is set in a place called Panem (a post-apocalyptic North America) & is about a 16-year-old girl named Katniss Everdeen from District 12 who volunteers to take her 12-year-old sister Primrose's place in the 74th annual Hunger Games, a live televised TV show where teens fight to the death for victory, along with her fellow District 12 member, Peeta Mellark.

This book is definitely a great read & seeing from the huge response from teenagers who have read the book, it is a must-read for all those who enjoy an exciting read with unexpected events that get your heart pumping. When I first read the book, it was so captivating that I couldn't put it down! I personally dislike reading books with a lot of violence & fighting but this is an exception as there is a lot of suspense in the book. Though it is a dystopian fiction novel, there is a bit of romance between the 2 protagonists, giving an appropriate balance between the fighting & the budding romance, thus it is great for those who do not like too much violence, like myself. The movie also did not disappoint. Although the book's ending may be a bit abrupt, it  provides a cliffhanger that makes you want to read the 2nd book even more! Enjoy & "may the odds be ever in your favour"!
Lydia

The Joy of Reading

So happy to see Sarah reading a Chinese book by herself! She is 10 years old and usually, she will shy away from reading Chinese books. Hopefully, this series will capture her interest and motivate her to read more!

There were some words (many, in fact) that she didn't know the meaning of but at least she was not deterred and managed to finish the book by herself. I remember when i was young and reading Chinese comics, I recognised only about 70% of the words but that did not diminish my enjoyment of them! Oh, those mangas! I have yet to introduce comics to my girls, in case they get addicted like I was! Hahaha....

Jen

Must Grab & Read - Li Guang Fu 李光福

It is such a great feeling to discover a gem of a book! I would like to give a hearty recommendation to a series of Chinese books written by a Taiwanese writer, 李光福.

His books are written primarily for primary school kids, most suitably for upper primary children, i.e 10 years and above. It is easy to read with the Hanyu pinyin accompanying the words, a great boon to our Singaporean kids. The level of difficulty is pegged suitably for one to read easily as well as to learn some new vocabulary. Each book is also beautifully illustrated, by different illustrators. This is not only a pleasure to the senses but a great showcase of artistic talents and different art genres!

What i love most about these books is that the books teach excellent moral values to the children in real and pragmatic ways. For example, the book that Sarah read was to expound on the value of continuous learning and perseverance despite difficulties. I have read another one written about a child who suddenly fell ill and remained in a coma. The story revolved about how her friends dealt with her sickness and absence and how they tried to remain hopeful and positive for both her friend, her parents as well as for their own sakes. Another was about a child learning about how to appreciate her mother's contribution to the family and not treat her mother like a maid! The one above is about keeping our word and being upright and honest in our dealings with others.  These are all very relevant themes in our modern-day lives and I am so happy to be able to read them with my children, letting them gain more insight into such issues.

Thankfully, the writer is very prolific in his writing, there are at least 16 books in the series. I always go straight to the section in the library and pick up any new titles available. For those of you who are not in Singapore, if you can find them on ebay, it is a worthy investment to buy them for your children!

Definitely, one of my best finds this year, do go to your nearest library, grab and read one! Leave some for me!!!


Jen

"我家有个老学生" by 李光福 Li Guang Fu

 This is a Chinese book called '我家有个老学生，There is an old student in my home'.  It's about a granny who wants to go to a school for old folks and resume her studies.  The granny's granddaughter overhears the conversation between her grandmother and her parents. The granddaughter's parents don't    want the granny to go but she keeps on saying that she already signed up for it. Furthermore,  the parents are afraid that because of her old age, she might suddenly become tired and they  are concerned about her well being.

  But the parents reluctantly allow her to go and the the father drives her there. The granny is persevering and everyday, consistently revise her work and never gives up. Until one day, the granny did not come home! The father calls the girl ( the grand-daughter) to ask whether the granny has come  home yet and she says no but the father says that he has been waiting for her and she hasn't come out of the school  The father comes home but without the granny! Will the granny come home or not? You have to read to find out! But is that the end? Oh no, it isn't. The girl learns an important lesson from the granny in the end to never give up when things seem tough.

I really enjoy reading this book as it encourages me to never give up in my studies and reminds me that it is never too late to pick up a new hobby and learn something new!

 Sarah

Humorous Read: The Anybodies by N.E. Bode

Just by looking at the cover of the book, you can expect a lot of weird & unexpected things coming your way. The book is about a girl called Fern, who finds out that she's been accidentally swapped at birth & that the Drudgers, the couple she lives with, aren't really her parents. When her real father, known as "the Bone", his "son" Howard & the flustered nurse that caused all this trouble, Mary Curtain, come to the Drudgers' house & explains the mix-up, the 2 families decide to "unswap" the kids for the summer. Fern then finds out that the Bone & his friend Marty (who was actually dressed up as Mary Curtain),  are actually Anybodies, people who can change into anyone or anything they want. Fern soon learns that her late mother had a coded book that only she could decode, The Art of Being Anybody, but it is lost & the Bone's old friend-turned-fiend The Miser is out to get it. With Fern's smart thinking, they stay at Fern's grandma's house as encyclopedia seller Mr Bibb & his daughter Ida, in hopes of finding the book there. But The Miser knows their plans & is lodging at the same place. Will Fern find the book & keep it out of the hands of the evil Miser? Does she find out her true abilities as an Anybody?

I like this book because the author is always "talking" to you, telling you things about his old writing teacher, that is totally irrelevent to the story but adds the "LOL factor" to it. He also adds background details about the story, making it more unique. But the story also tells about how Fern really wants to find out about the mother she never knew, with only a picture of her as a reminder. As you read about Fern's desperate search for the book while trying not to be found out by The Miser, you can feel the excitement level increasing & feel more drawn into the story. When you read about the strange things Fern finds at her grandma's house, it makes you snap out of the serious parts of the book & into the fantasy parts, making it not a bore at all to read. This book is a great book for those who like books with mixed genres & it is suitable for teens like me as the storyline is easy to understand & is not too childish.

Thank you all for your views but please drop us a comment or two so we can know how you feel about our choice of books.

Lydia