Sabriel

Another gripping dark fantasy adventures for my collection. I heard about this book last couple of years but only recently had I bought it and I'm glad I did.

Sabriel by Garth Nix is the first book of the trilogy. It started off with a flashback in which Abhorsen saves his new born baby daughter Sabriel from death and from Kerrigor. Then it brings you to Ancelstierre where Sabriel grows up since she was five years old at the Wyverly college.

Abhorsen is a necromancer but instead of raising the dead, he lays the dead back to rest.

One night when Sabriel was eighteen, she receives a message along with his father's sword and bandolier that contain the bells. This could only mean that his father, a famous necromancer, is in the realm of the dead, and she as Abhorsen's daughter must taken on his father's title and duty.

This forced Sabriel to go back to the Old Kingdom to search for his father's body. But first she must crosses the Wall and go to Abhorsen's house. Since she was practically raised in Ancelstierre she has little knowledge of Old Kingdom. On her way there, she met with a Mordicant, Kerrigor's servant who determined to kill her by any means. She escapes from the Mordicant when she crosses the river but only memontarily.

At Abhorsen's house she met with a dangerous/funny soul that has taken a form of a cat named Mogget. Mogget has served the Abhorsen's family for hundred of years and was bound by the miniature Saraneth on his neck-collar.

Sabriel is convinced that her father's body must lay somewhere in Bellisaere. Mogget then accompany Sabriel for the journey but went wayward when they were attacked by another Kerrigor's servant. They landed in Holehallow where Mogget free of his cat form tried to diminished Sabriel and if not for the ring handed by Mogget before the journey Sabriel would have been dead.

At Holehallow Sabriel freed Touchstone that was trapped as a figurehead for 200 years. Touchstone swears then to serve Sabriel and along the way, romance bloom between Sabriel and Touchstone.

Sabriel found his father's body in Ballisaere and realized Kerrigor's want both his father and her blood to break the Charter stone that keep Old Kingdom from descending into evil. The only way to defeat Kerrigor is to find and destroy Kerrigor's original body which he kept alive with Free Magic.

In her journey to saves Abhorsen and the Old Kingdom, Sabriel had to endures almost impossible exhaustion, evil confrontation and near-death experiences that challenges her supernatural abilities as an Abhorsen.

I was sceptical at first and not sure whether I will like this book once I finish reading it but after few pages its an effort to actually put this book down. Nix brought you immediately into the action. You might feel disoriented at first but will get used to it quickly and glad that Nix made it so so that you are actually be part of the story and not just someone reading a story.

This is not your typical good-vs-evil kind of book. Nix delves deeply into the mystical world of necromancy, magic and the monstrosity of the undead. Who would have thought a book that uses bells to bind the dead can be so enjoyable?

I am already delving into Lirael, the sequal.

Drowning Ruth

No, this book is not a sequal nor it is a prequal to The Book of Ruth I reviewed earlier. In fact the only thing they had in common (besides the protagonist's name) is both are featured in Oprah's Book Club collections. Oh and also there's a murder involve. That makes it two things in common then ;)

Drowning Ruth featured two (okay four if you want to include Mattie and Imogene) women characters, Ruth and Amanda (Aunt Mandy to Ruth). The writer, Christina Schwarz, first introduced to the reader the childhood of Amanda and the events that led her to came back to the farm where her sister Mathilda (Mattie) lives with her daughter Ruth which then a three year old girl. Carl, Mattie's husband has gone off for the First World War.

Because the conditions she's in (thanks to Clement Owens), Amanda deceptively forced Mattie to lives on the Island (where Mattie lives before Carl left for the war). The island will be perfect for hiding the secret she has growing inside of her. Mattie who always the one who likes to lives on the edge agreed despite the fact that winter will coming on soon, and the island would be obsolete from the rest of the world, which exactly the exact reason why Amanda chose to live there.

When Mattie found out Amanda's secret, she was first shocked but being a woman with full of life, she quickly support Amanda and pushes away all visitors that came to the island.

On one faithful night, Mattie mysteriously disappeared and was found days later, frozen in the lake. She had drowned.

Mattie then took care of Ruth, and her secret was given away to Mrs.Lingdren.

When Carl gets home, he found Ruth in Amanda's tenacious grip but gradually Ruth felt at home with his father. As the years gone by, Carl had been wondering what exactly had happened to his wife. Since Amanda will not say a thing about what had happened the night his wife drowned, Carl had been looking for clues which led to a big misunderstanding. He never really knows the truth about what had really happened to Mathilda.

Growing up, the event of her mother's death became more vivid to Ruth. Tormented she found refuge in Imogene and they basically grew up together. The relationship between these two are close. Amanda knowing who Imogene really is kept a close eye on both of them. When Arthur Owens came into the picture, Amanda became restless. This then led to some momentus event and the discovery of what had actually taken place the night Mattie drowned.

Amanda's character is intricately woven and has so many layer which made me felt sorry for her, and sometimes wanted to strangle her myself. I wish for the confrontation between some of the characters when the situation warranted it but I recognize the time period and the limitations they faced on behavioral 'expectation'.

The writer has a gift of pacing the story and makes it a thrill to unravelled the truth. I really enjoys the book although a bit disappointed at the end as I see it as anticlimatic. I will recommend it nevertheless though to both Oprah readers and mystery fans.

Snow

"One of the pleasures of writing this novel, was to say to my Turkish readers and to my international audience, openly and a bit provocatively, but honestly, that what they call a terrorist is first of all a human being. Our secularists, who are always relying on the army and who are destroying Turkey's democracy, hated this book because here you have a deliberate attempt by a person who was never religious in his life to understand why someone ends up being what we or the Western world calls an Islamic fundamentalist terrorist." - Orhan Pamuk

Understanding is everything, although it does not immediately change anything.

Ka, a poet from Istanbul, return to Turkey for his mother's funeral after spending 12 years as a political exile in Germany. He then decides to visit a small Turkish town of Kars. His reasons are 1)his curiosity about the suicide epidemic among young girls 2)his love for Ipek - whom he had a crush when he was young.

He arrives in Kars when the snows start to fall which then quickly turn into blizzard, closing all major roads out of Kars. He was asked to report on the impending municipal election as well as to gets into the root of why teenage girls, mostly who have been barred from the secular university for covering their hair, are suicidal.

At his first day in Kars, he witnessed an assination of Director of Education, the man who has carried out the government's orders to ban the "headscarf girls" from school. He then comes into contact with Blue, "an infamous Islamist terrorist", a pious student named Necip and Ipek's sister, Kadife, the leader of the head-scarf girls. Afterwards, a military coup at the National Theater begins when soldiers burst in, shoot randomly into the audience, kill a number of people, then round up "dangerous" citizens, including some of the people Ka has encountered earlier. To cut long story short, Ka's life is in danger.

All the while his love and burning passion for Ipek intensified. In one brilliant sequence, he negotiates a statement of unity between the city's Islamist, Kurdish and socialist leaders for the sole purpose of luring Ipek's father out of the hotel where they live, so that he can make love to her. It is also in Kars when he regains his inspiration for the first time in four years, and poems come to him as if dictated by a higher power. Ka's rediscovery of God and poetry in a desolate place makes the novel's sadness profound and moving.

The title of this book is just absolutely perfect. This novel turn out to be governed by a "deep and mysterious underlying structure" similar to that of a snowflake. The deeper you read, the more the symmetries multiply. Nearly every character has a double, down to the narrator himself, who is eventually revealed to be a novelist friend of Ka's named Orhan. Clever twist. All these mirror images might create a dizzying effect, which is deepened by the snow that begins to fall on the first page of the novel and does not let up until nearly the end.

IMHO, this book does shed some lights of what our world as we know it is becoming. It is as much about Islam as about anything else. To most people nowadays - secularist or whatever they want to call themselves, religion is nothing more than a foreign word. God help them.

Bear in mind this book was published in Turkey and Europe before September 11. After reading it, I feel like the novel has an ominous prescience to it as it seems like life attempting an awkward imitation of his art.

I definitely recommend this book. The only problems with it IMO come from it being a translation but you'll enjoy it nonetheless. It may not be the easiest read, but it's an important one.

Understanding is everything, even when it changes nothing. Perhaps it is all we at times, can do.

Inkspell

"Stories never really end, Meggie, even if the books like to pretend they do. Stories always go on. They don't end on the last page, any more than they begin on the first page." - Mo

A truth telling as this book is unplanned for.

As the sequal to Inkheart, Inkspell stories of the Inkworld begins when Dustfinger was read back to the book by a strange charactered man named Orpheus leaving his apprentice Farid behind. Orpheus has always loved Inkheart and held Dusftfinger in highest regards. He's to him the hero of the story which explained why he purposedly did not read Farid into the story as per instructed by Dustfinger.

Right after Dustfinger disappeared into Inkworld, Basta came and if not for his quick feet, Farid would have been captured. He realized that Orpheus had been working for Basta and Mortola all this while.

Farid was determined to followed Dustfinger into Inkworld thus he looked for the only person he knew that can help red him in to the book - Maggie. When he reached Elinor's place, he warned Mo about Basta and Mortola but Mo did not think they will catch up with them anytime soon.

Meggie had been warned by Mo not to read aloud but Meggie didn't listened. She has been wanting to see Inkworld for herself and Farid had presented her with the opportunity to do just so. Without the knowledge of Mo and her mother, Meggie decided to follow Farid in to Inkheart.

In Inkworld, Farid went looking for Dustfinger and Meggie stayed with Fenoglio who have created a character based on Mo. Fenoglio who didn't like the way the story he created goes, asked Meggie to help him to changed it. He wrotes several new lines and Meggie did make it happened when she read them aloud but does things goes as he had planned?

Meanwhile in the real world, Mortola and Basta had come to Elinor's place. With the help of Orpheus, she brought Mo and Ressa to Inkheart so she can revenged them for her son's death. Once they reached Inkworld, she shot Mo.

Mo then was captured because he was mistaken with the Blue Jay. Meggie learnt about this and with the help of Dustfinger and Farid went looking for her parent thus the adventure trully begins.

Again, I did not dwell much on Dustfinger because if I do so, I will spoil everything but know this fact: Dustfinger has soared to new heights! The ending is unexpected (I'm not ashamed to admit that I shed tears reading it) and make it quite clear that it's not over as yet.

Note also then the evolution of Farid and Meggie's romance is heartwarming.

Can't wait to be enchanted by Inkdawn which scheduled to be released in 2008.

The Book of Ruth

Gosh, I have plenty of book reviews pending. Will try to find time to post it. Promise. So here's one I've finished read a month ago. This particular book took me more than two weeks to read it because at times I find the writer a bit overzealous.

The book is called The Book of Ruth and rightly so since it was supposedly written by the protagonist Ruth Grey who in my opinion is a bit mental in the head. She lives in a small town in Illinois with her verbally-abusive mother (May) and had a genious for a brother (Matt). The book basically tells the story of how Ruth survives with all the misfortunes that betide her family.

Matt is like the polar opposite of Ruth. He is a math prodigy and since he was a kid, May has been preoccupied with him and neglected Ruth. But Matt always felt suffocates with May's attention and he never gets along with Ruth. When he finally leaves for college, he cuts off communication with his family.

For Ruth to counter-balance the negativities that she received from May, she conjured up an angelic icon of Aunt Sid (May's younger sister). She found friends with the oddest personalities and fell in love with the worst.

Ruth married Ruby who in my opinion is more disfunction than Ruth. They has no other choice but to stay with May. Ruby and May did not get along at all. The tension is always there and it gets worse when her baby came along.

The ending of this book is twisted and unexpected. You expect something big to happen but then it hits you without warning. The last couple of chapters of this book were the only thing that kept me engaged and wanting to know more, which of course means I have to finish reading it eventhough it is 2.50am!

What astounding about this book is you can see Ruth narrates her families and the people around her with amazing astuteness and yet she remain clueless with the string of bad decisions and dreadful choices she made.

This is not the most upbeat book I've read but I'll tell you this: It sure is thought provoking.

Strange Fits of Passion

Its been what? More than 5 months since I last introduce a book. I was busy and to prove that, I have only read 6 books for since I last post anything that has to do with books.

I just finished a novel from Anita Shreve entitled Strange Fits of Passion. I've been a fan of her since I read The Pilot's Wife.

Strange Fits of Passion is a story about domestic violence that happened during the ignorance era of 70's.

The book begin when Helen Scofield visited Caroline, to hand over her research and notes from a famous story she wrote decades earlier about the girl's mother.

Maureen English is married to her husband Harrold. How they'd met and the kind of relationship she had with Harrold is described clearly at the beginning of her stories. The abuses had started even before she get married and after the birth of their daughter, things were begin to be a lot worse. She then took her daughter who were then only sixth month old and flees to a small town in coastal Maine. She took on a new name, Mary Amesbury and lived in hiding.

In all those time, Harrold who had a slumped in his career was looking for her and his daughter. Because the his nature of work, he have ways to find information and people if he wants to and if he finds her, he going to kill her.

Then came one morning when Caroline, the daughter, caught a flu and was taken to a clinic in Machias. She was allergic to one of the antibiotics and Mary couldn't remember exactly which one was she allergic to. Mary didn't have any choice but to call up the doctor in New York and this led to the finding of her hiding.

Confrontation between Mary/Maureen and Harrold happened and to Mary/Maureen the only way for her to get her life back, is if Harrold dies. She then took the matter into her own hands.

The book consists of reports from various characters that appear in the book, and these reports were used as testament in court. The written article by Helen also has a profound effect of Mary/Maureen's family life.

At the end of the book we get to read Helen's original article and consider the accuracy and sensationalism of Helen's take on the story.

The structure of the book certainly makes it a fascinating read. All in all, this is a wonderful book, challenging, intriquing, thought-provoking. You'll be glad you read it.

Inkheart

This book is all about books.

Thin books, thick books, small books, big books, all kind of books.

If you love book, you going to love this particular book that are made originally for kids. As I am a kid (hehe) and I love fantasy books, there is little wonder why I will recommend this book to anyone who share the same interest.

Inkheart is a story within a story. Its about a girl named Maggie, whose father had a spectacular gift (or curse, depend on how you look at it). Mo, Maggie's dad, has the ability to bring the characters from books to life - litterally.

The story begins when Mo accidentally and unfortunately bring the most villainous character out of Inkheart: named Capricorn, together with few of his followers, one of them is Basta. Besides them, there is also Dustfinger, who has a special ability to control fire. Magie was two years old and never see her mother since that fateful day because Mo accidentally read her into the book instead.

Since then, Mo and Maggie had live on the run from Capricorn and his henchmen.

Initially Capricorn's reason to search for Mo is to return into Inkheart but as the years gone by, his greed grew just like his evil doings. His followers trippled and he went from one village to the other bring darkness to the people, never stop searching for Mo, but for different reasons now. He wanted Mo to read other evil characters that he can used to life, or golds and treasures and what not.

After 8 years, Capricorn finally managed to captured Mo using Maggie as lure, thanks to Dustfinger who constantly searching for Mo in hope to be read back into the book. To ensure that Mo will not read him accidentally back into Inkheart, Capricorn ordered his henchmen to search for the book all around the globe and destroyed them. The only copy left was Mo's but that too was destroyed eventually. Dustfinger, who realize that Capricorn will not keep his promise, help released Mo, Maggie and Elinor, Maggie's aunt.

They went to a little village and with the help of Elinor, they managed to tracked down the writer of Inkheart, Fenoglio.

Since Maggie learn about his father's talent, she has secretly wish that she can bring life to characters as well. She tried with several harmful books when they were at the Fenoglio's house but had failed.

On the day Mo went to fetch Elinor from the airport, Maggie and Fenoglio were captured by Basta, this time because of Dusftfinger's carelessness. In captivity, Maggie try reading out loud a Peter Pan book she found under her bed. She was delighted when she found Tinker Bell flying around the cell room. She had done it!

Unfortunately Capricorn comes to learn about Maggie's ability and decided that he didn't need Mo anymore. He ordered her men to get everything ready for the most important occasion of all: to read Shadow out of the book using Maggie.

What Capricorn didn't count on though was that Maggie, together with Fenoglio had changed the story line that caused the demise of him and his fellow henchmen.

Maggie was also reunited with Mo who had come to her rescue and her mother as well, who had been called out of the book previously by Darius, who had little less talent than Mo and Maggie.

I didn't mention much about Dustfinger but he played an important role throughout the story. The reason I didn't mention him because I think if I dwelled too much on him, I can't help but give the book away.

One other thing that I love about this book is the fact that Cornelia Funke (the author) just loves books and she conveys it to the reader in a very subtle but powerful way. It makes you appreciate books even more. After reading Inkheart, I want to read some of the books she mentioned in the story that are familiar but I never bother to read it because I'd known how the story goes.

This is the first time I read Cornelia's work but I will certainly look out for her other books including Inkspell, the sequal to Inkheart.

The Testament

I finished reading this book last month, before my trip to Sepang International Circuit for the 2006 Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix.

I had been so busy that it took me this long to review the books.

Before I start with the reviewing, I should make myself clear that I am not really a big fan of John Grisham. I have nothing against him but there are times when I had had enough reading about lawyer, courtrooms and judges.

Personally I don't think this is the best book from John Grisham. I've read better ones like The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Pelican Brief and The Firm. But do not let me discourage you from reading this book.

The Testament is about a multibillionaire man named Troy Phelan who was an eccentric old man, and hate his six children. Each of them will not have your sympathy and makes you understand why Troy did what he did. He tricked his three ex-wives, his greedy spawn, their sleezy lawyers and psychiatrists into believing that he will devide his 11 billions dollars estate and left it for their disposal. He then shocked everyone, including his lawyer Josh, when he commited suicide minutes after he signed a new will he prepared himself. In this new testament, he left his estate not to his six grasping spolied children but instead to his legitimate child name Rachel, who is a missionary somewhere in Brazil.

To locate her, Josh send Nate O'Riley - a washed up alcoholic ligitator. Nate went to Brazil in search of this mysterious heir. After one near-death trip and one failed suicidal attempt, Nate reached a remoted settlement in the Pantanal and found what he's looking for.

Rachel Lane is a pure-hearted missionary carrying 'God's work'. She makes it clear that she is not interested with the money and wants nothing to do with it. Her dedication and kindness impresses Nate. He has not only found Rachel but was also introduce to God so much so that when he came with dengue fever, it leds him to a vision that pretty much change his life.

Back at home, Troy's written will had start a whole new procession in court. His hungry descendents decided to contested the will and gain control of the richness which they think supposed to be theirs. They left the matters to their lawyers who are as greedy as them and they are ready to do anything to get the money.

Failed to changed Rachel's mind about the money, Nate went back home and was appointed as her lawyer by Josh to deceived her six siblings. The proceeding went as plan. Josh and Nate expertly manipulate the outcome made it so that the six children and their lawyers have no choice but to settle out of court for some sum of small money (compared to the billion dollars).

Nate went back to the Pantanal to give Rachel the news but he didn't found her. Instead he discover grave news about the friend that he had come to love and cherish.

I wouldn't want to spoil the book and gave out everything. To know what happen to Rachel, you just have to read the book yourself.

I for one wish Grisham had choose a different ending as it was so anti-climax, I felt cheated.

East of Eden

I picked up John Steinbeck's East of Eden early last year. I became a fan of his overnight. I can put him on the same shelf with the like of Dickens and Shakespears although they were all have different ways with their writings.

Dickens is well-known for his fecund imaginations and comic genius, never to depart from his typical "Dickensian" where he introduced numerous memorable characters which he blends with his powerful social sensibilities. Not to mention his vivid descriptions of life in 19th century England in all of his fictions.

Shakespear is famous for his playwright and poetry which often combined complex characterization, poetic grandeur and philosophical depth.

John Steinbeck is known as a naturalist writer. No one can depicted Salinas Valley in the 20th century (also known as 'Steinbeck Country') like he can. The words he choses for his story were more like poetry to me and that was one of the reason why I'm addicted to his works. In my opinion, he's a true American writer of his era. Although many would argued that The Grape of Wrath was his best work, East of Eden will always be my favorite.

There are timeless themes represented in this book.Labor exploitations, siblings rivalry, guilt and betrayal were all combined flawlessly with sympathetic humor and keen social perception.

This book tell the story of three generations of Trasks and Hamiltons - whose helplessly re-play the fall of Adam and Eve and the murderous rivalry of Cain and Abel. It was ironic and interesting to read how two set of brothers compete for the approval and love of their father. Steinbeck masterly manipulate the plot of each families.

There are numerous characters with strong personalities, who are made to be so memorable. There is Adam who was devastated when Cathy leaves him. You will see him grow as a stronger person and a better father later in the book. Charles, Adam's half brother who longed for someone to filled the hole in his heart. Of course there is Cathy, a whore who shot his husband and abandoned her family, conning several men along the way. Also Lee who was loyal servant to patriach Adam Trask and the primary caretaker to Adam's twins Caleb and Aron.

The twins what makes this story particularly intriguing in my opinion. The contrast between their personalities are very interesting. Caleb is the darker side of the twin. He's curious, brave, independent and strong-will. His brother Aron is anything but Caleb. The book bost intense moment to me personally is when Caleb learns the existence of his mother and how the confrontation ends. The evolutions of these characters are one of the reason why Steinbeck is hailed as the master of his craft.

Although supposedly the stories of these families were told by one of the Hamilton's grandson, the book focused more on the Trasks family - making the book perfectly balance.

This is a classic that I'll recommend to anyone.

Anugerah

Let start of with Anugerah by Zaharah Nawawi, shall we?

This is the only Malay novel I possed. My dad bought it for my for my 14th birthday. One of my precious gift I must say. This book is my all time favorite.

So where to start eh? The story is about the time before Independence Day. Most of the plot took place in Johor Bahru. Obviously, since it is the story on how and why UMNO was created. How hard Malay people fought for the Independence of Tanah Melayu, until Barisan Nasional was created to unite other races as well, which Dato' Onn disagreed and created a new party called Semangat 46.

The two main characters, Ramlah and Mariam, represent UMNO women who fought hand in hand with the men during Tanah Melayu political turmoil. Both of them carried the picture of strong-will women with heart made out of gold. They went through countless challenges physically and emotionally, when during the time women were seen unfit to involved in social and politic matters. Their involvement even put a strain on their married life but they never back down.

Anugerah makes you understand the event that took place before Tanah Melayu was named Malaysia from a different perspective. It makes you appreciate the Independence, your inheritance and why you should be proud to be Malaysian.

If you can, go and get yourself this book although I must warn you that this book is out of print now so you might find it almost as an impossible task. I have no problem lending it to those who are interested. Just give me a ring and let see if we can work things out.

That's all for this first edition of klux's book club. Till later,

Hobey-Ho!