Sunday 26 February 2012

The Jefferson Key by Steve Berry (Review)

This book was recommended to me. Highly recommended. So I made it a point to finish it. Overall, I think it was slightly overrated. For those of you who like political type action drama in novels then you might get a rush out of it. But to me it was like watching a testosterone packed action movie...starring that Craig fellow from the Bond Movie...



Google a blurb yourself because I'm just going to tell you what I thought of it. I feel there was one very weak core plot...(to retrieve something top secret for the government) which then turned into a mission for about 5 people..thats the gist of it...I thought it rather draggy because one unimportant character seemed to be controlling the movements of most of the different agents involved...and it was a tangled web of confusion and a bit of backstabbing....very CIA-NIA- FBI- charged stuff...with loads of boring technical terms that come along with it. so again if you are into that sort of thing...then you might find it exciting.

Steve Berry...quite handsome. =P


Many times there were scenes that really seemed like they were from an action film...like the hero swinging in at the last second to save the love of his life as she was tossed into the ocean...and defusing an automatic machine gun just as it was about to go off. That type of thing is okay with special effects on the big screen ...but to read it...in a novel...it seemed a bit cliche and shallow...to me.

Apparently the hero, Cotton Malone is a regular feature in many of his books...however in this one, he actually seemed to lack any type of feeling except the need to do the right thing at all times...I would have really liked to get to know him better. His romance with another agent in the tale also lacked any particular chemistry..Honestly their dialogues were witty, civil at most, bordering on indifferent. Very dull.

The Jefferson puzzle. 


There was one good point though... and that was the punishment scenes by the "villain" or antagonist. I think there was an element of historical referencing and he was very descriptive in painting the picture of how men who went against the rules were dealt with severely to set an example to the rest.

In my earlier review of The Hunger Games I mentioned that I enjoyed reading books that made me think about things after. Sadly, The Jefferson Key did not.

This all might sound a bit harsh...but I stress this is what I thought. Please read the book and judge it for yourself because A LOT OF PEOPLE seem to love it. Cheers!

Friday 17 February 2012

HOw I spent my holidays ...in not so many words

Puppy!
Lexy!
Aww sister moment
His 23rd cake!

That's a small bit of my family

Cousins Jegaraj and Anand

Did someone say Braceface?
J. Lo waiting for me to get my hair done

Mummy dearest and Me 



















papa and Marc at breakfast after church


when Laura discovered my webcam

\
When I discovered my webcam....look like my dad in his day





If only you knew how Uncandid this was

Take 1
Take 2

Take 3

Take 4

Then there was Chinese New Year with friends, I-City with friends, Mamak sessions and loads of movies...but I can't have a photo for everything can I?



Sunday 12 February 2012

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins (review)

Exactly how do I begin to review this? Don't laugh at me, but recently I read Artemis Fowl and wondered if creative writing could get any better than it...HAHA. Then, I came across the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Well, not came across exactly, it was pushed into my face from every direction; the papers, the telly, the siblings...and next thing you know, I was hooked!

It doesn't actually say so in the book, but apparently set in a post-apocalyptic world. The city of Panem has 12 districts (once there was a 13 but it has since been obliterated). Every year, the Capitol(government) host the Hunger Games. Think like an annual Olympics.



Each District has to choose a boy and a girl rep meaning there will be a total of 12 x2 =24 contestants in the hunger games. From here on it's like Survivor, in an arena that is specially engineered by the game makers..but one doesn't just get voted off. You literally have to survive till the end to win.

Anyway, the story is told in first person point of view of our heroin Katniss Everdeen. It is fast paced, and full of surprises. I love that Katniss is very intelligent as you read how she overcomes obstacles or challenges using her brains. She partners Peeta (I hate saying the name out loud) and together they take on the games. But the catch is, only one person can win. The rest have to die.
Cartoon, Katniss, and Peeta (I assume)


I think what makes it such a popular read is the brilliant novelty of the idea (something that Harry Potter had as well...and maintained throughout the seven books). It's something that no one has really read of before, plus it keeps us on the edge of our seats. There is also the slight romance that she throws in (love it! Who doesn't?). All the characters are distinct in their personalities and she really makes them grow on you despite their flaws. Well some of them.

I always feared that the novelty would wear off in the third book in a way that  would put the reader off. Hastily explained circumstances or weird facts thrown in in answer to a strange occurrence but nothing of the sort happened. It also doesn't dawdle, taking half a page to describe the wind blowing. As beautiful as that type of writing is, I simply will not be able to hang on for long *cough cough* LOTR *cough*. Instead Collins writing is fast paced and for the most part straight to the point.

She also deals with such powerful themes like sacrifice, hunger for power and just how far one is willing to go in order to achieve your goal. . Ultimately you always enjoy a book that leaves you thinking about things you would otherwise take for granted. That, for me is true quality writing. Reality in fiction. I enjoy Jodi Picoult novels because of this as well.


Right, lets end this. I love the books and anyone looking for a book WORTH your time, (tear jerking at times) then this IS IT. Do NOT look up the books on Wikipedia or even GLANCE at the movie trailers and promo posters because you might not like it and not read the books. Anyway it's always more fun when you imagine the characters faces yourself before seeing what the directors come up with.



I sincerely hope this isn't the last we see of Suzanne Collins.


*I said "glued to the computer* because I'm reading an e-book

Thursday 2 February 2012

3 things worse than twilight

Hello everyone, I hope you haven't been spending your holidays getting bitten by dogs or getting honked at by rude, blind, insensitive motorists. None of that?!. well life is good then.

I don't know if you've heard of the Twilight series written for preteens by Steph Meyers? Anyway this book was adapted into a film and well, the rest is history.

I realise that a good portion of the world today has dedicated large amounts of their time to hate Twilight. Publicly. Every chance they get. No, not just Kristen Stewart's acting but the whole bloody vampirific (new vocab alert!) phenomenon, when in fact there exists so many other opportunities to invest their anger in...if you're into that sort of thing. 



1. Disney cartoon SEQUELS

I honestly believe if we directed more concern in that direction, Disney will stop trying to ruin these awesome fairy tales we have and turn them into disgusting anime character low budget extensions of the originals . Little Mermaid 2, Cinderella 2, Beauty and the Beast 2 and Pocahontas 2 should never have seen the light of day. if we take reasonable steps now, who knows, we might be preventing the birth of some crossbreed dwarf-human in Snow White 2 Return of the Dwarfs.


2. Chucky. Enough said.



3. Final Scene from Harry Potter 7 Part 2. 

From the bottom of my heart, Twilight haters, your anger is misdirected. Watch this bloody scene and tell me it is NOT the most ridonkulous waste of makeup that you have ever witnessed. A scene that was supposed to bring the whole epic tale to a close ended up.....sigh...comical. 
yes. I. giggled. 



Anger is a beautiful emotion and should not be wasted only on Twilight.

It's really more publicity for them...Twilight becomes bigger, then it OWNs the Box Office, then it is mistaken for an EPIC film (along the ranks of LOTR, god forbid)

There are more pertinent questions in the entertainment world that require our immediate attention

like  HOWINTHEWORLDISBIGBANGTHEORYFUNNY!?!?!?!?


TEE HEE