Wednesday 28 December 2011

The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault



In the maze of cubicles at Samuelson Company, editorial assistant Billy Webb struggles to focus while helping to prepare the next edition of a dictionary. But there are distractions. He senses that something suspicious is going on beneath this company’s academic façade. What’s more, his (possibly) flirtatious co-worker Mona Minot has just made a startling discovery: a trove of puzzling citations, all taken from the same book, The Broken Teaglass. Billy and Mona soon learn that no such book exists. And the quotations read like a confession, coyly hinting at a hidden identity, a secret liaison, a crime. As Billy and Mona try to unearth the truth, the puzzle begins to take on bigger meaning for both of them, compelling them to redefine their notions of themselves and each other.

The Broken Teaglass is at once a literary mystery, a cautious love story, and an ingenious suspense novel that will delight fans of brilliantly inventive fiction
.

 Emily Arsenault’s debut book was dreamy, dark and dreary. Just like In Search of Rose Notes, which I have read, loved and reviewed here http://oopsireadthatbook.blogspot.com/2011/12/in-search-of-rose-notes-by-emily.html
 I love the 3 D’s and I immensely enjoyed this book.
As emotionally satisfying as In search of rose notes, this book had a bonus delight.
It centred on words.
The mystery, the plot and the setting were all about words.
Set in Samuelson Company, a dictionary publisher’s office, the book follows College graduate Billy Webb as he lives a lonely existence in the cubicle till his colleague colleague Mona Minot stumbles upon citation from a novel called The Broken Teaglass. Each cit seems to tell a story that may reveal a past secret, buried deep in the grim office.
I haven’t read many books with male protagonists but Billy was cool. Highest form of praise I can give a dude.
With oddball characters and a plot brimming with suspense The Broken Teaglass is a literary puzzle and a coming-of-age novel with a dark and subtle sense of humour.
P.S - Another reason I totally love this book with every fibre of my being is that it introduced me to LEXICOGRAPHY!
I am 19 and totally clueless plus aimless about life and career and crap, but every once in a while I come across super-fun sounding jobs.
For example, right now I want to be a writer on a NBC sitcom. (And subsequently have a three-way with Amy Poehler and Will Arnett.)
30 Rock may or may not have influenced this decision.
Anyhoo, after reading The Broken Teaglass, I think it’d be SWEET if I was a lexicographer. Turns out they just have to read a bunch of magazines of their choice all the time and not really talk to people.
 I think it was a job specifically designed for me.
P.P.S- Another fun part of this book was all these random people calling the office and sending them letters etc with completely random and hilarious inquiries. That shit was gold.
P.P.P.S- Some might find pacing problems with this because the plot kind of moves along really slow. I savoured every bit but just wanted to put this out there. 

Tuesday 27 December 2011

Teaser Tuesday #3 God of Small Things


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly  meme hosted by MizB where we share teaser sentences from a book we are reading.
I am currently reading the Man Booker Prize winning, The God of Small Things by 

“It is curious how sometimes the memory of death lives on for so much longer than the memory of the life that is purloined. ” 
“...the secret of the Great Stories is that they have no secrets. The Great Stories are the ones you have heard and want to hear again. The ones you can enter anywhere and inhabit comfortably. They don’t deceive you with thrills and trick endings. They don’t surprise you with the unforeseen. They are as familiar as the house you live in. Or the smell of your lover’s skin. You know how they end, yet you listen as though you don’t. In the way that although you know that one day you will die, you live as though you won’t. In the Great Stories you know who lives, who dies, who finds love, who doesn’t. And yet you want to know again. 

That is their mystery and their magic."
What was on your teaser Tuesday?  

Monday 26 December 2011

In Search of Rose Notes By Emily Arsenault



At age eleven, Nora and Charlotte are the best of friends—until their teenager babysitter, Rose, disappears under mysterious circumstances. They decide to “investigate,” using paranormal theories and techniques they glean from a hand-me-down collection of Time-Life books. But their search goes nowhere, and leaves both girls distraught and angry with each other.

In her late twenties, Nora is drawn back her old neighborhood, and to Charlotte, when Rose’s bones are found. She was probably murdered, and Charlotte is adamant that they solve the crime. Nora—who was the last known person to see Rose alive—is forced to reconsider her memory of the events surrounding the disappearance, and her own troubled adolescence following those fateful days. And she’s not sure if she’s ready to face the secrets that begin to surface.

Told in alternating narratives from the past and present, this is a mystery about broken friendship and the unease of revisiting adolescent memory.

I don’t think I have ever read a book like this.
It was a thing of beauty.
Psychologically stimulating and arousing waves of nostalgia to float around me like fireflies in a dark and damp night, In Search of Rose Notes is a magical and precious book.
The characters- all the characters, were fully fleshed out and seemed so real and so human, I physically ached for them when the book got over.
There was the mystery of the missing babysitter and who killed her and woven with that were the flashbacks to Nora and Charlotte’s childhood and their paranormal investigations.
There was a dreamy, dark and dreary air throughout the book.
It doesn’t even feel like a book I read but more like a book I lived.
Emily Arsenault is a literary treasure and this book is a literary gem. 
Last words: 

Memories, secrets and a pernicious past collide together in this emotionally exhausting book to deliver an epiphany of sorts.

Monday 19 December 2011

Vladimir Nabokov




So I thought this would be my inaugural post for the new direction this blog is taking.
More Literary, More Classics. 
Not that I'll forget YA, but only the most precious books of the lot shall be covered.
Sometimes people change and I did. However, I do not wish to abandon what I started. And I hope you guys still visit my little blog. :) 


So I am re-reading Lolita and I am left stunned and shocked by the beauty and perfection that is Vladimir Nabokov.
If I could pick words like flowers and smell them and put them in my hair, they would be words written by him.



“Let all of life be an unfettered howl. Like the crowd greeting the gladiator. Don't stop to think, don't interrupt the scream, exhale, release life's rapture. Everything is blooming. Everything is flying. Everything is screaming, choking on its screams. Laughter. Running. Let-down hair. That is all there is to life. ” 

Wednesday 9 November 2011

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin




Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.


Published September 27th 2011 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing


The first chapter itself was spooky and built up the suspense. This book came across as more of a psychological thriller than paranormal, which is awesome because that’s exactly what I like. The plot is mysterious and dark.
Mara Dyer was a unique character. I liked that she was totally messed up. As a narrator she was unreliable and that just made the plot more intriguing. She gets nightmares and hallucinations to the point where its difficult to know what is real and what’s not.

And what do I need to say about Noah Shaw? Noah Shaw is probably gonna get girls swooning all over. But I found him exactly like all other YA love interests. And I am probably gonna get killed for saying this but I am honestly tired of all these YA male protagonists. They are hot and amazing and rich and blah blah blah. Are any of us dating someone that perfect!? I don’t even know guys like these fictional ones! It’s just so unrealistic and I find all of them interchangeable. It wouldn’t even make a difference because basically their job is to be an eye candy. Noah Shaw- hottest guy in high school- most popular girl’s ex bf- she still likes him as do all other girls –he likes Mara- they fall in love- the end. SOUND FAMILIAR!?
So yeah I am not gonna comment on the romance.

Moving on, I LOVED her brothers. I wanted them for myself! She even has a pretty rad male BFF.
I loved the plot twist that is revealed in the last few chapters. That was like the best part if this book. It left me gasping in pure joy!
I don’t wanna give any spoilers away but it was A-MA-ZIIIIIIIIIING.

Also, I must say the title, the cover and the marketing for this book was nothing short of genius.
And brutal Cliffhanger alert! I needz the sequel now!

P.S- Did I mention there are alligators!?!!! ALLI-FREAKING-GATORS!


LAST WORDS:



Eerie, captivating and well-written. 

Waiting On Wednesday #4


Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.




Expected publication: April 24th 2012 by Walker & Company
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.
 When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

The blurb is perfect and I am in love with the cover!

P.S- HELP!
I need y'all to check if my feeds are visible in your dashboard or reader!!? ( IF you have subscribed.)
Pretty Please!
And Thanks in advance ! :D

P.P.S - Because I can't NOT mention something about TV Shows, I would be so grateful if you could recommend me some! I religiously watch like over 2 dozen TV shows but I am always open to increasing the list!

XO 

Sunday 6 November 2011

In My Mailbox #9



This week in my mailbox I got 




A Long, Long Sleep by 




The Moonstone Legacy (Moonstone Legacy Trilogy) by 




Lord of the Flies by 


P.S - I know I haven't been active the past month but November is gonna be less October and more Activember. 
Yeah. Once I wrote that I knew it wouldn't get any laughs. 

XO


P.P.S-
The Killing Or Parks and Recreation.
Which should I start watching!? 

Saturday 5 November 2011

Winners

The winner for the 100 followers giveaway is Tady! 
The winners for the Raven giveaway are Sarah
                                                                        Nayjf and 
                                   So Many Books, So Little Time


Congratulations!


I'll email the winners and they have 48 hours to reply or I'll pick a new winner. 


Thank You!

Sunday 16 October 2011

In My Mailbox #8

IMM is hosted by the lovely Kristi at The Story Siren.

Books I bought: 

Undercurrent By Tricia Rayburn

I loved Siren, so I can't wait to read this!!



I started this book  The Virgin Suicides and it's freaking awesome so far!


Don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY to win 4 Great books!





P.S - These days I am busy watching The Office marathons and it might just be my favorite sitcom ever.
Also, check out Mindy Kalings new blog! It's fun!! 




What's in your mailbox!?

Saturday 15 October 2011

On My Wishlist #5

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme by Book Chick City.






Your future is not your own... "We wanted to know what makes a good kid good and a bad kid bad. Can you blame us for that? We found an astoundingly, marvelously simple answer: The brain isn't so much a complicated machine as it is a crystal ball. If you look into it, you will see everything you want to know."

-Dr. Mark Miliken, senior researcher at Utopia Laboratories
Who will it be?
Will the head cheerleader get pregnant?
Is the student council president a secret drug addict?
The whole school is freaking out about PROFILE, an experimental program that can predict students' future behavior.
The only question Daphne wants answered is whether Jesse will ask her out...but he's a Predicted, and there's something about his future he's not telling her. 
 I want. I need. I crave.


My Preciousssssssssssss.


Oh Come ON!


Accio book, ALREADY!

Friday 14 October 2011

Follow Friday #8 & TGIF #7 & Book Blogger Hop #6


Q: If you could have characters from a book meet and form an epic storyline with characters from a TV series, which characters would you choose and why?
I love this one!
I would definitely want Michael, Andy, Jim, Dwight, Kelly, Erin, Angela from The Office and Quinn Fabray from Glee and Modern Family entire cast and throw in Caroline from TVD and Blair from GG and Naomi from 90210 and Psych Cast and Tina Fey and Spencer Hastings from PLL and Seth Cohen from The OC and DEXTER all in the awesome magical world of Harry Potter.
:D
I would so DIG that!
Ooh add a couple of them Terra Nova Dinos!






Show & Tell: Where do you grab a book and get lost in it? Show us your favorite spot you like to read at.
Too lazy too click a photo and upload it but it's usually on my bed.

Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books here Book Blogger Hop: 10/14-10/17 

“What is your favorite spooky book (i.e. mystery/suspense, thriller, ghost story, etc.)?”
The Various Haunts of Men By Susan Hill


These books were freaking scary! AND awesome! Check out my review!

Don't forget to enter 




Sunday 25 September 2011

GIVEAWAY: Raven (The Violet Jewel, #1) by Nuayma Jeggels


A girl, a coma, a Plague, and an empty grave.

When Shardaie wakes up, she doesn’t know who she is, why she can’t understand emotions, why she has been unconscious for nearly nine of her thirteen years, or why the dead just won’t stay dead. The only clue to her past is a locket, but the Plague, which finally stretches its unnatural hand to her village, forces her to leave and to learn to protect herself. But everything has a cost: the protection against the undead reveals a secret that Shardaie and her classmates just don’t want to accept, and at the end, Shardaie realises that some secrets shouldn’t be revealed. Secrets have the power to destroy, and the power to change her view on humanity for ever. 

There will be 3 international winners. The ebooks are sponsored by the author.


 How to enter:
Must be a GFC Follower
Fill out the form


Extra Entries:
(Not required)
+1 for following me on Twitter. Here: Twitter
+3 for tweeting about the giveaway


Fill out this FORM

Giveaway ends October 25th.

Want to read a short piece on the protagonist?

In My Mailbox #7

I would like to thank Elizabeth Miles for sending over a Hardcover copy of Fury, a Fury music CD and the hotly anticipated The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer.


I really liked this book and it's a must-own book because the cover is just stunning!
Check out my review Fury (The Fury Trilogy #1) by Elizabeth Miles 
And I got mine with the purple orchid/carnation or whatever the furies marked their victim with in it.
:O 
I was a little creeped out.

I started reading this book but I can't yet tell if it's worth all the hype surrounding it.
I hope it is.
The trailer is intriguing.
Have y'all read this book? Hit or Miss?




P.S- You can win Fury and 3 more books of your choice in my 100 FOLLOWERS INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY!

Wednesday 21 September 2011

TUMBLR AND TV SHOWS

All Tumblr users are being called for help!
I am a little clueless and all help shall be much appreciated!
I just made an account like 3 minutes back so it's all empty but here you are:
http://wickedwhimsicalwallflower.tumblr.com/
Also, TV Shows.


Any new ones you enjoyed?
I tried Lying Games. It was okay. Could have been way better. I was expecting something similar to Pretty Little Liars.
The Secret Circle. Ditto. It was okay. I was expecting something like The Vampire Diaries. I did like the plot and it was a little similar to TVD but why isn't the cast gorgeous!?
I know thats like a shallow thing but it IS a The CW soap!! It want it to be filled with pretty people! The protagonist looked forgettable. I don't even remember her name! And the guys!? Why weren't they HOT!??????????????????????????????????


Doesn't Kevin Williamson realise half the epic-ness of TVD is the gorgeous male cast! The other half being Caroline Forbes! GO VAMPIRE BARBIE!


I loved the premiere of S3 of TVD. It was so good! I am loving Tyler-Caroline and Evil Stefan! <3


The premiere of Glee s3 sadly left me with much to be desired. I needed more of my girl Quinn Fabray! Didn't she look stunning in the new grunge-punk look! 
I just wished there had been less of Kurt-Rachel. 


Ooh I loved the 2 and a half men and How I met your mother premieres! So much fun!
Ashton Kutcher was pretty great! 
90210 was good too! I want Naomi to hook up with that cowboy hat dude!
I AM SOOOO EXCITED FOR GOSSIP GIRL!!!! PRAYING FOR SOME DAIR!
Also Dexter and Psych!
And Community and Modern Family.
And I need to catch up with The Game Of Thrones.


Ooh..Ooh..I NEED to watch Awkward. How is it?


Because I really need a super-awesome new show to watch!
I know Terra Nova would be brilliant but any other?


AND TUMBR HELP PLEASE!






And don't forget to enter my 100 FOLLOWERS INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY! to win 4 books of your choice. ^^

Waiting On Wednesday #3



Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



Deadly Cool by 



First I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And now he’s depending on me to clear his name. Seriously?
As much as I wouldn’t mind watching him squirm, I know that he’s innocent. So I’m brushing off my previously untapped detective skills and getting down to business. But I keep tripping over dead bodies and I’m still no closer to figuring out who did it. And what’s worse: all signs seem to point to me as the killer’s next victim.
I really need to pick a better boyfriend next time.

Okay so the cover is doing nothing for me. That chick looks a little like Nina Dobrev if she was like an alien or a robot or something. Anyhoo I AM SO FREAKING LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS BOOK! IT'S LIKE CUSTOMIZED BY MY PREFERENCES ! It's got EPIC-ness written all over the blurb.
I was searching for a YA murder mystery and here it is! Too bad I'll have to wait till October 11th!


Though it's fine I guess what with all the TV SHOWS coming back! And that has nothing to do with the fact that I haven't blogged in a while. That's purely due to my hell-on-earth college where I am struggling to NOT be a drop-out. I honestly have NO idea how so many kids do it! How can we just sit in college and STUDY while there are books to read, poetries to write, paintings to be err..painted and TV SHOWS TO BE OBSESSED OVER!


Also, I am thinking of starting a TUMBLR blog because it's so freaking pretty.
Wait. I got loads to discuss. New blog post on TV Shows premieres hits and misses and my whether or not I am suffering from Bipolar Disorder. I thought it was just Borderline Personality Disorder but sometimes I shock myself. Okay I ain't blogging on that.


And don't forget to enter my 100 FOLLOWERS INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY! to win 4 books of your choice. ^^

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Why is Dystopia / Post Apocalyptic so popular? - Guest Post By Author Rhiannon Paille


I think it has something to do with 2012.

The Mayans predicted that on December 21st, 2012, the world would end.

Naturally this whole world ending phenomenon would be on the mind. And we all want to envision what the world would be like after it ended, or after some horrific impossible thing happened forcing us into this oppressed society.

Even though Dystopia has been around since the 1800’s, it hasn’t gotten as much popularity until now. Yes, we all remember Maze Runner, 1984, and the Handmaiden’s Tale, but back then we didn’t think that the possibility of our world becoming dystopian or post apocalyptic was very likely.

Basically, those books didn’t give us the same emotional impact books like The Hunger Games do now.

We don’t feel infallible to the end. The Mayans may have predicted it, but NASA confirmed that there will be an alignment with the black hole in the center of the Milky Way on the same day. Coincidence? NASA recently shut down . . . oh you didn’t catch the news on it? Yeah, even they don’t think there’s a point in knowing what’s out there anymore, it’s all going to end.

Maybe after the end we’ll live in a grim place, maybe zombies will walk the Earth (The CDC seemed to be keen on preparing us for that), maybe we’ll be sending our kids into war. Either way, the future of the human race is a mystery. We might be fighting aliens, or we’ll evolve and unicorns will begin to walk the earth again. Who knows? Anything can happen, the authors who have put their time and energy into books about what’s potentially on the other side of this big unknown end of the world are only preparing us.

I wish I could tell you it’s all just a joke, but it’s not.

My theory is that the world has already ended, it’s already as dystopian as it’s going to get and when the shift happens on 12/21/2012 the world is going to begin to become a better place. It might not shift to an automatic Utopia, but it’ll stop spinning towards this mass destruction point and begin spinning the other way, towards peace, equality and new awareness.

I only hope we’re all ready for the ride.

Namaste,

Rhi

*****


Rhi was never a normal girl. She tried, but she couldn’t get rid of the visions, the voices in her head, and the hallucinations. When she was on the edge of crazy someone pulled her back and explained it all. She wasn’t insane. She was psychic, really psychic, too psychic. Her life was an urban fantasy wrapped in a paranormal romance and served with a side of horror. To escape her everyday weirdness she began writing fantasy. She frequents twitter and facebook, but if you really want to get to know her you should visit her site: www.rhiannonpaille.com
Her book FLAME OF SURRENDER (The Ferryman and The Flame #1) Comes out November 1st, 2011. Check it out here.

Saturday 10 September 2011

In My Mailbox #6

It's been ages since I did an IMM!
Well guess what?
I now have over 300 followers! WOOHOO!
Love you guys so much!
Also my  100 FOLLOWERS INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY! is still on!
Enter to win 4 books!
So on to the books that I got for review:




Dystopian + Mystery = <3
I got HIGH expectations from this book.




Gossip Girl channeling Dexter? 
Yes Please.


Murder Mystery. I started reading it but then got distracted. Need to get back!


Book I won:


It was cute.


Books I bought:




I am almost done reading this and it's just bloody INTENSE!
I couldn't resist those illustrated-ish pages with poetry on them.
I read a little and the writing is just beautiful.


What was in your mailbox?
Let me know.
Also, expect reviews on all these books this month.
 And remember If you are here I love you.
Yay!
*offers some pretty cupcakes*

Thursday 8 September 2011

Far From The War by Jeffrey David Payne


Esther is caught in the middle, serving as a page in the United States House of Representatives when rogue politicians and military leaders stage a modern day coup d'etat. When the coup turns violent, she abandons Washington, D.C. for home. She must learn to survive on her own as transportation and financial networks fail, as the war disrupts food and water supplies. The result is a cautionary tale about political extremism and the true cost of war.Economic ruin and partisan rancor have pushed America to the brink of a new civil war.




Published July 24th 2011 by Roche Harbor Books


Ever wondered what would happen if war just broke out AND ( as if that wasn’t enough) you were far from home?

This happened with Esther. Esther is from Orcas Island and is now a page for the US House of Representatives in Washington D.C.

The novel follows her on her journey to return home once war breaks out in future dystopian United States.

I initially struggled to read this book because not being a US citizen I wasn’t aware of the politics and it just confused the hell out of me! I was clueless as to what a lot of the terms used in the book meant.

However, the story is extremely thoughtful and just so honestly written.

Once the plot moved forward I was emotionally caught up in it.

The book is extremely well researched and Jeffrey David Payne has perfectly captured the brutality and destruction in war.

I loved how honestly everything was portrayed and the author did not shy away from shocking us readers.

There is political chaos and corruption depicted. We all know corruption is extremely rampant all over the world. But do we really do anything to stop it?

There was corruption EVERYWHERE.

Corrupt government? Check

Corrupt military? Check

Corrupt politicians? Check

Sadly, I think this novel has potential to be prophetic.

The writing is crisp and the blunt voice used to describe these terrible things happening just added to the impact. It was a blow after another. I loved how the author didn’t try to make anything melodramatic but just kept it real.

The protagonist Esther is smart and witty. She is extremely mature for a seventeen year old. Most seventeen year olds don’t know a thing in politics. But Esther was really knowledgeable and at times I found it hard to believe she was so young. The supporting characters were also well-crafted.

I feel this book caters to more mature and intelligent readers.

It may not have been the most entertaining novel but it was unique and thought-provoking.
Last words:
A Heart-rending and Gut-wrenching read.
I would like to thank Roche Harbor books for proving me with a copy for review.

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