day 14 - procrastinator is me

This is going to be a short update. Because I'm feeling guilty for not committing myself to the meme.

Day 14 - Favorite book of your favorite writer 

The Five Greatest Warriors

Captain Jack West, Jr. is back with his mismatched crew members. This book starts off right where The Six Sacred Stones ends, where Captain West is falling to his death. But surely the hero cannot die. Captain West stays alive and continue his mission to save the world from the Dark Sun, from the power-hungry nations, and from his very own father.

This time, the challenges are more dangerous, more risky. Captain West has to race against time (as always) in order to save the entire human civilization from being wiped off the face of the earth. But along the way, he has to fight his father and half-brother. Captain West's team got separated as they continue on their assigned mission.

This book is more intense than the first two books, Seven Deadly Wonders and The Six Sacred Stones. The actions are more dizzying than ever. And being the final book in the Captain Jack West series, death is unavoidable. The deaths are mostly gruesome, that made me go "Shit!" at times. Captain West loses one of his best friends, and one of the key characters in the series.

To sum it all up, Five Greatest Warriors is one action-packed book that will keep you at the edge of your seat all the time. This is the best book out of the three books in the series. Kudos to you, Mr. Reilly

Okay, now excuse me while I go procrastinate a little bit more.

day 13 - the man behind

Wow. I'm really taking my time with this book meme, eh? Hangat-hangat tahi ayam betul. But, I'll get to it. Trust me. Not.

Day 13 - Your favorite writer

Dude looks nerdy, no? He is Matthew Reilly.

I've got to thanks my cousin, Suria, for introducing me to my first Matthew Reilly's book. It was the first book of the Jack West's adventure series, Seven Deadly Wonders. That book got me hooked alright. I just love the way he writes. Never a dull moment in any of his books so far. And they're always fast-paced, full of riddles and puzzles and of course, interesting characters.

I think Matt Reilly is a genius, just like J.K Rowling. He creates this world of adventure filled with such interesting tidbits, histories, and characters. I've read all the books in the Jack West's adventure series and I love all three books. For me, you either hate or love his kind of style. I love it. Despite my love and devotion for chick-lits, I have a special room for Matt Reilly's books.

Oh. And I have so many favorite authors. There are Nora Roberts, Susan Elizabeth Phillips, Julie James, Jennifer Crusie, Pamela Britton... err... do I need to go on here? Of course, you guys probably expected those names I mention as my favorite authors. But I've highlighted some books written by those ladies already so I thought I'd go with Reilly. I would've put Dan Brown but I heard his latest novel (can't remember the title) is a HUGE letdown. So, there you go.

day 12 - love you, love you not

Okay, hey, we're back with the meme. Forgive me for the lack of entries for the past few weeks but I've been busy. Ahem. Busy.

Before I go with the meme, I just want to say I really really really really really wanna see X-Men: First Class. Really. But seems like my sisters already have their own plans this coming weekend. Sad. Sad. The life of an unwanted girl. Right. I'll probably go and see it on my own. Or maybe I'll twist few arms. We'll see.

Day 12 - A book you used to love but don't anymore

Don't laugh. I mean it. Don't sneer. I really mean it. Even if you're so freaking tempted to do so. This will make you roll your eyes and go "Seriously?!". Yeah, seriously.

 It's Stephenie Meyer's Breaking Dawn

Look, out of all four books, this one had been my favorite. Yes, I've read 'em all. All of it. Same thing can't be said about the so-called Twilighters out there. So you see, I *used* to love this book. I even read it twice. Yes, twice. Stop rolling your eyes.

Then the movie came out. And the madness started. And then there's Rob Pattinson, doing his very kayu stuff as Edward. And the whole sparkling thing. It's one thing to read about, another thing to actually witness Rob Pattinson shirtless and ... well, sparkled. It's... frankly? Disgusting. Sorry, all you worshipers out there. I just can't stomach it any longer.

The book is decent enough, good enough to keep me flipping through it pages twice. But then I think, the whole Twilight madness got a little bit too much that I just think this book has become overrated. Yes, overrated. But, hey, that's just me. But honestly, I adore the Edward in the book much more than in the movie. I feel like driving a stake through the heart of the movie version of Edward and yell at him "Just fucking put some fucking emotion in your fucking act, asshole!"

Right. Now I'm getting ready for the attacks from the worshipers.

day 11 - there's the exit door

I wish life is easy. I wish men will grow brains. I wish women will stop nagging. I wish I have endless supply of books. I wish, I wish, I wish. Oh, how we all wish! If only there's a blue dude appearing from a magic lamp to fulfill it all...

Day 11 - A book you hated

Lauren Weisberger's Chasing Harry Winston

Adriana, Emmy and Leigh are best friends living in Manhattan, New York.

Adriana - The Brazilian goddess, the ultimate slut socialite who will sleep with just about anything male.

Emmy - The flat-chested serial monogamist who had been dumped by her five-year boyfriend for a virgin cheerleader (like I would believe that for a minute!).

Leigh - The obsessive and compulsive one with lots of issues despite having perfect everything i.e boyfriend, job, place... or so her friends thought.

One day, the two of them made a pact of changing their lives in a year. Adriana is to settle with ONE guy while Emmy will sleep around as she trot around the globe within a year. Leigh? Well, she has it all, no? The perfect boyfriend every women drool upon, the job with one of the top publishers, a place of her own with lots of space, unlike Emmy's. And she has this No-Human-Contact every Monday night.

It is the story of 3 not-so-young women in the big city. Each with their own issue and conflicts.

Coming from Lauren Weisberger (The Devil Wears Prada), I was expecting a good read, if not a great one. The result: DISAPPOINTING! It was a HUGE letdown for me as I went through page by page. It's like reading a novel wrote by a lazy and amateurish author! There's nothing interesting or anything remotely new in this novel. It's bland. It's meaningless. It's just downright stupid. Even the title doesn't fit the story. At all.

I have only one word for this novel: BLEARGH!!!

Needless to say, this book is utter crap.

day 10 - a walk down memory lane

My uncle likes to put up the pictures of our childhood on Facebook. There were pictures of my siblings and I when were such little kids. Sometimes, I could not even believe that the girl in the picture is me.

How cute we are, huh?

The good old times are missed dearly. But that doesn't mean we can't reminisce about it in once in a while, right? With that in mind, I searched high and low for the book for the next item in the 30-days-of-book meme.

Day 10 - Favorite classic book

The word classic brings names like T.S Eliot, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Jane Austen and even William Shakespeare to one's mind. But here's the thing; I'm not so much into classics. I know some of the stories like Austen's Pride & Prejudice, Dickens' Great Expectations and of course, some of Shakespeare's famous works. But I'm not really into them. Heck, I even have Pride & Prejudice in my keepsake, yet to be read.

So, I'm going to cheat a little this time. I won't go beyond the 1900's to qualify one book as a classic.

Nancy Drew - The Mystery at Lilac Inn

Come on now. How many of you grow up reading Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys? Hands up, hands up. The series are even translated to Malay back then, renaming the series to Siri Salma and Anak-anak Hadi. I read the Malay version first before shifting to the English version. Mysteries were my favorite genre back then. And back then, I wanted to be Nancy Drew when I grow up.

This book was first published in 1931. Now this, this is my definition of classic. Nancy Drew is a fictional young amateur detective in various mystery series for all ages. She was created by Edward Stratemeyer, founder of the Stratemeyer Syndicate book packaging firm. The books in the Nancy Drew series have been written by various authors, but are published under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene.

I love all the books under the Nancy Drew series, to be honest. But The Mystery at Lilac Inn just kinda stuck with me for a long time. The story involves Nancy Drew helping her friend, Emily Crandell find out who stole her heirloom jewels. This book was rewritten in 1961 after coming under fire for its hints at racism. I am sure I read the rewritten, un-racist version of this book.

It's a good book anyway. And I love Nancy Drew. The book version, anyway. The movie version is so... meh. 

day 09 - the calm before the storm

You know, I never thought myself as an avid reader, or a bookworm back when I was a student. I thought "Hey, I just like to read to pass my time". But then again, who am I kidding? I love books since I was a kid. My parents taught me how to read even before they send me to the kindergarten. I have more interest in books more than the idiot box. I love the smell of a new book and the way a worn-out book looks.

I love books. There's no other way to put it. And that is why I'm not complaining about this meme. In fact, I love it! I love how I have to dig up my library (or virtual library, thanks to Goodreads) to comply with the list. Going through all the books I've read, it's a joy only known to me. I found comfort and happiness in it. And you, you have to bear with me for the next 21 posts.

Day 09 - A book you thought you wouldn't like but end up loving

My test of a good novel is dreading to begin the last chapter.  ~Thomas Helm

Iris Johansen's The Face of Deception

Synopsis (as usual, taken from Goodreads):

After losing her beloved child to a serial killer, forensic sculptor Eve Duncan survives by focusing on her career. The best in her field at rebuilding faces from bare skull bones, Eve specializes in identifying missing children.

When billionaire John Logan requests her help in identifying an adult skull, Eve--already swamped with work--tells Logan that she isn't interested. But when he volunteers to donate a large sum of money to a charity for missing children in exchange for her time, Eve reluctantly agrees.

Logan neglects to tell her that there are powerful, desperate people who are determined to keep the skull's true identity a secret at any cost. Eve's gut instincts tell her that Logan is holding back vital information: Does the billionaire really believe that he's uncovered new insight into the Kennedy assassination? Or does the skull tie him to a mysterious murder?

When I first got my hand on this book, I was a bit skeptical. I've read Iris Johansen's works. Mostly they're about romance, with steamy not-your-average romp in the sheet (or out of it) scenes. Can she write a good suspense/thriller/mystery novel? Do I really want to read this? I did, eventually, but with not very high hopes. Or expectations. I did expect, though, a mediocre read.

And I am glad, to this day, that I was wrong. Totally wrong.

This is a well-written book. Well-plotted. And the characters are strong. Especially the character of Eve Duncan. That woman is my definition of a smart and cool woman. She's not easily bullied and she's got guts. Her character is developed really well through out the book. By the end of the book, I think I know Eve really well. 

The Face of Deception is another good mystery novel. This is as close as you can get to a forensic anthropologist. I am always fascinated by the work of a forensic anthropologist. How they're able to construct face from a bare skull, how they're able to recognize/identify any damage or defects to the face or the skull. They must have really good instincts, no?

This is actually the first book from the Eve Duncan forensic thrillers. I am yet to read any other book in this series so I cannot comment on how the other book in the series fares. But as far as I know, this first book got me hooked.

   

day 08 - maybe, maybe not

I refuse to be sidetracked. I refuse to be sidetracked. I refuse to be sidetracked.

And so here I am. Repeating that words like a mantra may help me to focus and go on until day thirty. As long as I refuse to be sidetracked. Well, at least I try to not be sidetracked by other things. Like how hard it is to reserve a seat to watch Fast & Furious 5. Or how difficult it is to put your trust in yet another person when you know heartbreak is on the line. Or why people still spell 'Congrats' as 'Congrates'. Or... okay, I got easily distracted. Let's get on with the program.

Day 08 - Most overrated book

Alice Sebold's The Lovely Bones

Her name is Susie. Last name Salmon, like the fish. She is fourteen. And she is telling us a story. The only thing is, she's dead. Yep, she's dead. She's telling her story from the Heaven.

From some of the reviews I've read, some people shed tears reading this book. Maybe I'm not too sensitive because I could not find a reason to cry, even after I finished reading. Just that I found the story to be kinda disturbing. And different.

I felt a bit impatient towards the end of the book. And there's a bit of "Ghost" (as in the movie) going on. It's disturbing, really. If reading a story from the point of view of a dead person is not disturbing enough, I don't know what is. 

~ Taken from my Goodreads

It's interesting, really, that this book has got people coming to me, telling me that this book is sad. Maybe I don't have the softest of heart because I do not feel any kind of sadness or anything near that after reading The Lovely Bones. What I really feel is, creeped-out. Look, I like the way the story is written, the way the characters are developed. But the whole dead-girl-telling-her-stories-from-the-high-heaven just won't do it for me.

And the part where she actually make love with Ray through her friend's body? I just think that is wrong. So very wrong on so many levels. I mean, how does she know that the friend is permissible to sex? How can she be sure that the sex won't affect the two people? Is it even right to trespass into another person's body and mind? Yeah, I get it that she wants to experience sex (of all things) as she dies young. But you're dead. Move on. Stop haunting the ones you care and love about.

I don't get the sad part. Really I don't. I just think it's disturbing. And that is why I think this book is overrated.

day 07 - don't judge a book by its cover. sometimes...

Yawwwwwnnnn. Good morning, folks. By the time I am done typing all the words for this post, morning will end. I am late, again, today, no thanks to the ever unreliable Keretapi Terlambat Malaysia KTM. I think even one million comments or complaints won't change one single thing about their unreliability. Oh well, welcome to Bolehland.

So we arrive at day seven. I have an announcement to make. Once in a while, this meme will be interrupted to give way to some other posting/entry. As a rule, I only post one entry per day. Take note that my blog is not one of that buat-entry-seperenggan-setiap-dua-jam-tapi-berjuta-gambar blogs. This is a personal blog where I rant. Rant, geddit? Twitter limits the user to 140-words per tweet. Definitely not enough when I'm in full steam.

Day 07 - The most underrated book

How exactly do you define "underrated", pray tell me? As for me, an underrated book is a book that not many people know/realize that it exists. And a good or great book at that. Well, that is my two cents. My take for the most underrated book?

John Case's The Genesis Code

What is this book about? Well, in a nutshell, The Genesis Code tells the story of how an ambitious doctor/scientist clones the DNA of a man known to the whole wide world and insert the DNA to several fetuses. It's the DNA of Jesus Christ. However, one by one, the mothers and their children who bore the DNA are being killed gruesomely. Joe Lassiter's sister and nephew included. Now isn't that just mind-boggling? I think it's awesome.

I read this book in the midst of Da Vinci Code's hype. And I could not put it down. It's just so very intriguing. And fast-paced. The whole Jesus-cloning thing is so very interesting. The puzzles, riddles, questions, the chase, the murder... phew! This is one action-packed book, I must say. Exhilarating at times. I never got boring reading this book. Sure, it took me some time to reach for this book as the author is unknown to me but once I started, I could not put it down.

The book was first published in 1993, compared to Da Vinci Code which was first published in 2003. So to say that this book is influenced by the Da Vinci Code is ridiculous. I just think that after the Da Vinci Code's success only that people started to take notice of this kind of book. You will either love or hate The Genesis Code. Some people just hate it, labeling the book as a Da Vinci Code wannabe and unbelievable. In case they, or you missed it, it's a fiction. You do know the meaning of fiction, right?

day 06 - goodbye's the saddest word

There are, in time, some books that will leave impact in our lives. Books that change the way you think and the way you see things. And then, there are books that leave a mark in your very heart...

Day 06- A book that makes you sad

Jill Hucklesby's Last Kiss of the Butterfly

This book is absolutely heart-wrenching. It tells the story of a mother-daughter relationship from the daughter's point of view. The mother is ill and this book tells the last journey that they've taken together. The daughter is really close to her mother and the fact that she'll lose her sooner or later is eating away at her and her spirit. She tries to memorize every little thing about her mother. Her laughter, her voice, her smell. Every single thing she can. Though when the time comes, nothing could prepare her.

Last Kiss of the Butterfly is a tear-jerker. I had to read it alone in my bedroom so that no one can see the tears pouring down from my eyes. The words, the emotion that runs through this book... it's just intense. Losing a person we love so much, from the deepest of our soul is never easy. More so when it is the one person we're close to, the one person who gave birth to us.

There you go, the one book that takes me on an emotional flight. This one is a keeper.

day 05 - happy happy, joy joy

First of all, sorry I couldn't make it yesterday for day five as I had to give way to a book review. I just had to. But, hey, I am here now. All set and ready for day five of 30-days of book meme.

Day 05 - A book that makes you happy

Oh, gee... gosh! As you can see from day one, I have so many happy books. Pleasing me ain't a hard thing to do, eh? Sure, I have lots of happy books. And now I have to pick one that is not yet featured in this meme. Lemme see...

Here it is, Sandra Hill's Frankly, My Dear...

I am sure by now, most of you would notice that the title is a very popular quote from the famous movie/book, Gone With the Wind. The book itself refers to the movie a lot as the heroine is a hopeless romantic with a weakness for anything sweet. The heroine, a glamorous model is send back to the days of the Old South in Louisiana, where she falls in love with the handsome owner of a bayou plantation. By a voodoo spell, nonetheless.

I love this book a lot. I think the time-travel think is so cool. Imagine a life without electricity, running tap water, hair dryer, makeup (eeeks!), television, the Internet (double eeeeks!) and other things we take granted for day by day. Selene, though, takes it all in her stride with her fake eyelashes and contact lenses. Selene is a courageous and smart woman. Though she believes that James, the owner of the bayou plantation, is her Rhett.

The reference to Gone With the Wind are fun. Selene's interaction with James' son, Etienne, is one to look out for. That little kid is really something. Frankly, My Dear... is highly entertaining with its quirky and varied characters. I laughed a lot when I read this book. It's just one of that books you'll always remember even after you've gone through so many books.
 

So, another one of my happy books. What's yours, by the way? And this happy books thing? Tomorrow there will be none of it. Until then, ciao!

day 04 - the one that charmed its way in

And so we arrived at day four. I should give myself a pat on my back because I made it this far. It's not easy, yo, when you're addicted to Twitter and you have to spend your time here. But hey, this is books we're talking about. I'm not going to make any excuse whatsoever. Well, maybe not this time.

Day 04 - Favorite book of your favorite series

Yesterday, I told you about the series I love and adore so much. So today, gotta pick one book I love the most out of all the seven books featured in the series. This is the book:

The final book in the series, Natural Born Charmer.

Natural Born Charmer is about one of Chicago Stars' prolific quarterbacks, Dean Robillard. He is the luckiest man in the world with his movie-star good looks, his success on the field and of course, he is super rich. He drives an Aston Martin Vanquish, if I may add. But life in the glory lane has started to pale, and Dean has set off on a trip to figure out what's gone wrong. When he hits a lonely stretch of Colorado highway, he spies something that will shake up his gilded life in ways he can't imagine. A young woman . . . dressed in a beaver suit. Complete with the tail.

Ladies and gentlemen, meet Blue Bailey, a beaver on a mission. Okay, no, not a beaver. She's Dean's love interest. And her life is complicated enough to have a gorgeous sports car driving Greek god stepping into it. Together, they head over to his under-renovation summer house. Only to get their lives tangled with a charismatic but aging rock star; a beautiful, fifty-two-year-old woman trying to make peace with her rock and roll past; an eleven-year-old who desperately needs a family; and a bitter old woman who hates them all.

As I mentioned before, the books in the Chicago Stars series are my happy books. And this book is no exception. In fact, this book is my ultimate happy book. Here's my take on the book on Goodreads:

Could a book makes you deliriously happy? I mean, really. But then, this book did it for me. I grin like a fool after reading this book. I feel deliriously happy, it was ridiculous. After all, it is just a book. Not just any book, though. It's the latest one from the Chicago Stars series. And I love every single second of it! I really do. It makes me sigh with longing to have what Blue and Dean have with each other. Pathetic, I know. But the book did that to me. Better than fairy tale.

I guess that sums up why I love this book so much. It's sad, though, that this is the last book in the Chicago Stars series. I was kinda hoping that there will be more of it. But alas, as a perfect ending, Natural Born Charmer is just... perfect.

P/S: There won't be any entry for the weekends, so I'll see you next Monday, okay? By the way, the KL International Book Fair will start today. Who's going? I know I am.

day 03 - all good things come in multiple numbers

Wow, day three? I must be stoned enough to reach this level.

Kidding.

Okay, let's see what we have for day three. On your mark, get set, go!

Day 03 - Your favorite series

Honestly, I'm torn. Torn between Stephanie Laurens' Bastion Club series and Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series. Well, they're not really series because of the book in the series is about different people. But hey, they're in the same... uh, series. After deliberating for some time, I've decided to go with the series which I reread each and every one of the book more than three times.

 

Obviously, Susan Elizabeth Phillips' Chicago Stars series.

Comprising of seven books, the Chicago Stars series tell the stories about different players from the Chicago Stars Football Club. No, it's not about the sport itself. But rather about their love story. Romance, obviously, my friends. All the men in this series are your typical built, suave, handsome and rich. I won't say perfect because each of them has their own issue to deal with.

The Chicago Stars series is your ultimate chick lit indulgence. You've got the boy-meets-girl, the wooing part, the sex (but of course), the fight, the tug-of-war, battle-of-the sexes and last but not least, the expected happy ending. What's not to love, eh? You've got all the ingredients of a great contemporary romance series. Happy books, I call them.

There are, of course, some hits and misses but overall, I love the series as a whole. I adore most of the characters though they can be quite frustrating at times. I'm planning to collect all the books in the series, by the way. Sadly, BookXcess doesn't have all the books. And to buy it from the likes of MPH or Popular or Kinokuya... I'll go bankrupt. But... we'll see. We'll just wait and see. And Natural Born Charmer is missing from my keepsake. Someone's gonna lose a finger.

day 02 - a repeat performance

So, day number two for the 30-days of book meme. Actually, let me just say this, this is a freaking good meme because I have to actually survey my books and guess what? Some of them are missing. Again. No big news there. I've lost two of my favorite books before. Still haven't be replaced. Next time, I'm going to lock my books up.

Kidding.

Day 02 - A book that you've read more than 3 times

This, my dear friends, is not a fair question. As a book-lover, you know there will be books that you will reread. Over and over again. You'll want to relive the experience, the feelings you gain from those books. Those books are the books that you smile, laugh or cry at. I have lots of it. Mine are the ones that make me goes "Ahhh..." And because I have to choose one, the best of the lot is:

Jennifer Crusie's Bet Me

Synopsis from Goodreads:

Minerva Dobbs knows that happily-ever-after is a fairy tale, especially with a man who asked her to dinner to win a bet. Even if he is gorgeous and successful Calvin Morrisey. Cal knows commitment is impossible, especially with a woman as cranky as Min Dobbs. Even if she does wear great shoes, and keep him on his toes. When they say good-bye at the end of their evening, they cut their losses and agree never to see each other again.

But Fate has other plans, and it's not long before Min and Cal meet again. Soon, they're dealing with a jealous ex-boyfriend, Krispy Kreme donuts, a determined psychologist, chaos theory, a freakishly intelligent cat, Chicken Marsala, and more risky propositions than either of them ever dreamed of. Including the biggest gamble of all-true love.

If I have to name ONE all-time favorite book, this will be it. I freaking love this book. I love it more than all Dan Brown's books combined. It's a modern day fairy-tale. The dialogues are witty, funny and believable. The characters are like that, too. And I adore both Min and Cal. I even adore their friends. And Min's orange cat, Elvis.And it refers to Elvis Costello, not Elvis Presley, by the way.

Because of this book, I fell in love with Elvis Costello's She. Because of this book, I learn about Krispy Kreme way before they make their way to our shore. There are so many little things I like about Bet Me. I even love the fact that Cal was once a dyslexic. And of course there's Min with her great shoes. And her transformation from the dumpy Min to sexy, confident Min. Oh, and there's Cal's adorable nephew.

This is my happy book. If I wanna be happy and believe in true love (yeah, right) all over again, I'll read this book. If I wanna coo and giggle like a school girl, I'll read Bet Me. If I wanna go to sleep dreaming about happy-ever-after, Bet Me is always a sure bet. Happy book, remember? Gosh, I miss this book. Yep, Bet Me is missing. Someone loves it as I much as I do, it seems.

So there you have it, the book that I read countless times. If you're a hopeless romantic like I am, and you like chick lit as much as I do, you must read Bet Me. Yes, you must.

Until day three, adieu!

30-days of book meme

Well, hello there, my friends. I've been tagged. That's the reason why you're seeing/reading this post. This lady has tagged me for a 30-days of book meme. Which I will gladly complete. You know that I'm in a serious relationship with books, right? There will be 30 questions/categories for each day. So there will be altogether 30 entries for this meme.

Shall we start now?

Day 01 - Best Book You Read Last Year

Well, well, well. This is a tough one. I don't want to discriminate any of my books, you see. But alas, I have to choose one, and only one. So the best book I read in 2010 is *drum roll*...

Nora Roberts' Tribute

Tribute tells a story of Cilla, a former child star who has found more satisfying work as a restorer of old houses, has come to her grandmother’s farmhouse, tools at her side, to rescue it from ruin. However, someone is not happy with what she is doing. And that person wants Cilla to be gone. Living in the shadow of her famous grandmother is not easy for Cilla. And because of her grandmother's old ways, Cilla has to deal with the consequences.

I've always been a fan of Nora Roberts. I think she is a damn good storyteller. The detailing in Tribute is rich and vivid. I could easily imagine the farmhouse Cilla's restoring. The communication between Cilla and her love interest, a graphic novelist, Ford Sawyer is simple and casual. Ford is one of my favorite male characters, by the way.

The story is well-written, the characters are well-developed. Once I started reading this book, I'm lost in Cilla McGowan's world. It's her struggle, her background, her attitude that got me loving this book. They made a TV-movie out of this book but it isn't as good (as usual for books-to-movies thingy). But I do like Brittany Murphy's portrayal of Cilla. I want a different Ford, though. The Ford in the book is funny, silly and oh-so-romantic. The Ford in TV is... boring. But maybe that's just me.

That's it. The best book I read last year. Be warned, though, that my list will be infested with chick lits or contemporary romance or historical romance. I'm a hopeless romantic. I devour romance novels like I devour a piece of very good pizza.

End of Day 01. Wonder what's in store for Day 02...