A Bowl of Books

The Burn Journal, by Brent Runyon

2011-12-29T00:12:00.002+08:00

Brent Runyon was fourteen when he attempted to kill himself. He had always had a thing about suicide, having hurt himself one a few occasions. This time, he tried to set himself on fire.

It was more painful than he had thought.

It resulted in a lengthy stay in hospital, having to endure horrible pain and being disfigured. It also resulted in him reevaluating himself, meeting amazing people and discovering the extent of his parents' love for him.

He writes in the style of a diary, which can be touchingly honest, but also can veer to narcissism and boring rambles. His writing does not, perhaps, quite have the finesse to navigate away from boredom and sometimes dwells on somewhat mundane incidents. While the revelations Runyon shares are heartwarming and life-affirming, they are hardly groundbreaking. May be good for a quick read, if nothing else.

Call For The Dead, by John Le Carre

2011-12-28T20:49:00.003+08:00

After what seemed like a routine security interview, Samuel Fennan commits suicide. The intelligence officer who conducted the interview, George Smiley, is called on to pick up the loose ends.

Despite the evidence suggesting otherwise, Smiley is convinced that Fennan's death is much more complicated than how it looks. He starts investigating and, the more he finds out, the less it makes sense. Mysterious phone calls; an undrunk cup of cocoa; Fennan's actions... slowly he pieces together the most innocuous clues to reach a startling truth.

Le Carre's grasp of plot is faultless: he guides the reader through Smiley's thoughts and leaves every clue accounted for. Despite the slimness of this volume, it should not be overlooked as it contains an excellently written story.

Choke, by Chuck Palahnuik

2011-12-28T17:20:00.003+08:00

Victor Mancini is an irredeemable sex addict and med school dropout who spends his days in britches and a cravat, working in a period theme park. For some extra money, he goes to restaurants and chokes, in the hope that the person who saves him will then shower him with concern after the incident- and with money.

And, by the way, if his brain-damaged mother is to be believed, his parentage might just be divine.

Palahnuik does not rely on cliches to paint a portrait of a man at the end of the line. Instead, he furnishes the novel with unusual, even whimsical, details and characters- a friend addicted to collecting rocks; hiccups of memory from medical school; old people who think Victor is their son, or brother, or lifelong enemy. Palahnuik gives these enough space to develop and interact, creating an organic, surreal treat. Peppered with flashbacks and graphic scenes, Choke is an unflinching portrait of a hopeless man and those around him. Reader discretion is advised, however, for abovementioned graphic scenes.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, by John Le Carre

2011-12-28T17:18:00.003+08:00

The British Secret Service is dying. Business has slowed to a halt, and the only thing which keeps the British Secret Service on good terms with the government is an almost miraculous source: Source Merlin. The late director of the Service, Control, was convinced there was a mole, somewhere in their midst, and spent his dying days looking through personal files of staff.

Since Control's death, the Service has undergone changes. A change of chief. A change in the way things are done. All are meant to create a more efficient, sleeker Service, all meant to please the bigwigs in Whitehall.

An impulsive agent is taken back to London, having obtained what he thinks is crucial information. George Smiley, Control's confidante, is called to action to dig into the past: to link this rogue agent's evidence with the other clues popping up around him.

Le Carre's grip on the plot never wavers (even if the reader's does) and this creates an elaborate web which makes the denouement all the more thrilling. He takes care to weave in various clues which seemed unimportant at the time, but eventually hold great importance. His writing, too, is colourful and an absolute joy to read. This is certainly a book for reading many times over.

The Honourable Schoolboy, by John Le Carre

2011-12-04T19:09:00.004+08:00

George Smiley is head of the British Secret Service at the worst of times. Newly shaken by the discovery of a Russian mole, the Secret Service seems to be on its last legs.

He is going all out to dig out Karla, the mastermind of Moscow Centre, the man who planted his mole right in the heart of the Secret Service. His path will take him and his men through the warfields of Cambodia to the ports of Hong Kong.

Le Carre's writing is superb; he can create atmosphere and mood through seemingly sparse descriptors. His characters are interesting and distinctive, from the stiffly polite Smiley when under fire, to the reckless agent Jerry Westerby. This thick book requires some concentration (at least for this reviewer) to ensure coherence of the plot which features many characters.

Pigeons, by Andrew D. Blechman

2011-11-30T14:00:00.003+08:00

You see them everywhere. They fly around, presumably spreading diseases and excrement on the least appropriate places. They are the world's least favourite birds.

They didn't use to be that way.

Pigeons used to be war heroes, in charge of ferrying vital messages as a last resort. Pigeons used to be symbols of fertility because of their monogamous mating habits. Pigeons inspired part of Darwin's Origin of Species.

Pigeons seem to have inspired feelings on both extremes of human emotion. Today, there are both pigeon haters- people who shoot live pigeons for sport, or those who make a living off getting rid of pigeons; and there are pigeon lovers: people who don't mind living in the midst of hundreds of birds, devoting hours of their life taking care of pigeons and alienating most other humans in the process.

Blechman meanders through the history of the pigeon and delves into the worlds of various groups of people: squab breeders, pigeon fanciers, pigeon racers and more. The flow from topic to topic seems unorganised at first, but is natural. Easy to read and engaging, this book will definitely make you think differently about pigeons.

Murder and Magic, edited by Rosemary Edghill

2011-11-15T13:06:00.002+08:00

Crime and the supernatural make for thrilling, puzzling or plain frightening combinations in this collection of short stories. In one, a wizard is killed by one of his golems- but there are five, and they are identical, so which one did it? In another, the only witnesses to a death are a couch, a lamp and a chair.

There is certainly variety, with stories containing wizards and mages as well as sentient birds with hidden powers. Some fall flat, though, by having too many complicated names, or using magic only as a point of interest rather than being the lynchpin of the whole story.

After the quake by Haruki Murakami

2011-11-15T12:57:00.002+08:00

Set in the days, weeks or months following the Kobe earthquake, this collection of short stories traces the lives of several ordinary Japanese as they go about their daily lives.

Murakami's style of writing is matter-of-fact and straightforward, yet encompasses the minutiae of daily life which only a very observant person would notice. However, most of the stories feel more like a series of observations and lack a conventional, satisfying end or, indeed, a plot. Worth reading, though, for the writing style, if nothing else.

Devil's Trill, by Gerard Elias

2011-10-26T16:46:00.005+08:00

After he went blind just before an audition, David Jacobus decides to become a violin teacher; he is soon known for his unorthodox methods.

Now a crotchety old man, he no longer accepts new students, save the occasional few passed along from his friends. He does not keep the students for long, either; sometimes he just ignores them or scolds them, hoping they leave of their own accord.

At the same time, Kamryn Vander has been announced as the new winner of the ultra-prestigious Grimsley competition, held only once every thirteen years for competitors under thirteen. Winners get a concert career kickstarted for them, along with lessons with a two-hundred-dollars-per-hour teacher and the chance to perform what is regarded as the most perfect violin ever made, the Piccolino Stradivarius.

Then on the day of Kamryn's performance, the Stradivarius is stolen. Armed with an old friend and a new student, Jacobus is called to find the Strad and catch the thief.

And as he does so, he will have to battle against the undercurrent of politics, filthy scandal and greed which pollutes segments of the classical music world. These forces will, soon enough, result in distorted reviews and news reports, police charges and even murder.

The author's musical background makes Devil's Trill more authentic and more enjoyable for the musician and music lover. While he holds no punches in describing greed, selfishness and jealousy in the music world, with Jacobus as a guiding light, he also brings out the beauty of unadulterated music. Those familiar with violins and music will enjoy this book most, as they will definitely be able to identify with it in some way.

Macleod's Clinical Examination: Tenth edition, edited John F. Munro, Ian W. Campbell

2011-10-20T22:19:00.003+08:00

This textbook guides the medical student through the basic steps of conducting a clinical examination, breaking it down into taking a history, physical examination and recording case notes. It offers useful, concrete tips and pointers, such as how to evaluate a patient's mental state, as well as summaries after each section to help consolidate learning.

This edition is illustrated with many colour photographs, aiding in the learning of how to identify particular or characteristic signs and symptoms.

Musicophilia, by Oliver Sacks (re-reviewed)

2011-10-15T21:15:00.004+08:00

We listen to it all the time: in elevators, on the radio, on the streets... Yet, the effect of music on the human brain is often misunderstood and hard to detect. In Musicophilia, Sacks explores various music-related phenomena, including perfect pitch, synesthesia, musicogenic hallucinations, amusia and Williams syndrome.

His warm, personable style of writing is coupled with a deeply rooted love for music. Sacks always emphasises the who of a patient before the what of a syndrome or medical condition. While this may verge on the edge of drama, the interested reader will also find interesting nuggets of trivia, stories of people and stories inspired of a deep, pure love of music. Worthy reading.

The Professor and the Madman, by Simon Winchester

2011-10-11T14:08:00.004+08:00

This story begins with the midnight murder of an innocent man and ends with the Oxford English Dictionary.

They did not start out that way, but Dr. William Minor and James Murray would become two of the personages of the English literary world. One was a 'incurable criminal lunatic', plagued by delusions, while the other was a polymath who knew countless languages and was captivated by philology.

Dr. Minor was an American army surgeon who, having come back from the Civil War, was plagued by delusions. He lived in fear: every night, he believed, people would come to do unspeakable acts to him. One night, he saw a man standing at the foot of his bed. Minor reached for his gun; the man fled. Terrorised by his own demons, Minor chased the nonexistent man into the streets and instead shot a brewery worker dead.

At one point, lexicographers decided that there needed to be a dictionary of every word ever used or in use- not only that, this dictionary had to contain quotations from all the English texts ever written to track the use of the word through the ages.

James Murray bravely took on this job on behalf of the Philological Society of London. He figured, at first, that it might take ten years to complete. He called for volunteer readers to submit quotations for words of all kinds, while subeditors and editors sifted through these quotations, sorted them into different definitions and finally came up with a definition for each word.

Meanwhile, Minor languished in a lunatic asylum at Broadmoor, his only refuge his extensive book collection. Somehow, though, the invitation for volunteer readers reached him and soon Minor became a major contributor to the dictionary, contributing over a hundred quotations every week.

With an almost epic story to suit it, this story takes the reader from lexicographers' societies in London to an oasis of scholarship in Broadmoor asylum, dipping and soaring with emotions and facts- and sometimes trivia: for example, the first word in the first edition of the OED was "Aa"- meaning a stream or watercourse.

But the balance between trivia and rambling is a fine line. A pity that Winchester sometimes goes overboard, spending four or five paragraphs on subjects with little bearing to the overall storyline, confusing and distracting the reader. Overall, however, a worthy read.

Computer Crimes and Capers, edited by Asimov, Greenberg, Waugh

2011-10-10T17:14:00.004+08:00

Computers are increasingly part of our lives, and almost every tome of science fiction has computers at its core. We use them all the time to do ever more things, but who is to say that they are entirely under control- our control?

This selection of science fiction short stories is, for the most part, well balanced, although one would wish for more diverse settings: the majority of these stories are set in some kind of government setting. The computers discussed in the stories speak of the times they were written in: huge, powerful computers storing data on cards is not quite up-to-date, but nonetheless authentic. Some of the more masterful stories feature human dramas alongside impersonal computers or clever twists. Overall, not bad.

How can we keep from Singing, by Joan Goldsmith

2011-09-17T23:11:00.003+08:00

If you sing in the bath or in the shower, you are not alone. Singing is a natural way of expressing ourselves, almost every culture has its own songs.

Joan Goldsmith sings for a choir. She is, technically, an 'amateur' singer, part of a group of millions of non-professional Americans who make up choirs both religious and secular. Her book covers various aspects of a singer's -and indeed a musician's- life.

Musicians will be able to empathise with the feelings and experiences she explains: she talks about finding one's tessitura, or comfortable range; about illness and not being able to perform to one's best; about rehearsal/stage fright. She also talks about the rapport she finds in making firm friends with her fellow singers and their travels and adventures; about the peace music can bring to people, be it Mozart's tumultous Requiem, or Mendelssohn's seemingly silly Midsummer's Night Dream.

This book is split into sections on different topics, which are roughly split into several 'episodes', each detailing an experience or scene. It is quite an enjoyable ramble through a singer's world. Recommended for those who are interested in singing or who play music themselves.

Flight 5, edited by Kazu Kibuishi

2011-09-11T17:09:00.003+08:00

Pictures can communicate as much as, sometimes more than words can. Comics make full use of this knowledge, and the art of making comics is as complicated as any form of storytelling.

In a celebration of comics, Flight: Volume 5 gathers twenty-one short comics from a variety of authors and artists. They tell the stories of different characters placed in diverse situations: an insomniac actor and his girlfriend's gift; a young baseball fan and his hero; a courier; an old man's robot. A diversity of styles is represented in this collection and makes for enjoyable reading. Most tug powerfully at the reader's heartstrings, although there are those which fall flat. A pity about the discrepancy in the quality of comics in this collection, which would otherwise make a worthy addition to any bookshelf.

Gulliver's Travels, by Jonathan Swift

2011-08-29T14:57:00.004+08:00

Lemuel Gulliver, ship's surgeon, is an avid traveller,although some of the most bizarre places he goes to are not on purpose, but by misfortune. His gift in learning languages and pleasing authority quickly endears him to various countries' monarchs.

When he gets washed up on the shores of Lilliput, Gulliver is initially treated as a huge monster by the diminutive natives. He learns of their politics and values, but belittles them, for they seem too trivial for him. Nevertheless, his size allows him to do things other Lilliputians cannot.

In Brobdingrag, he finds himself a Lilliputian in a world of giants. He gains new insights to the mysteries which had once puzzled him in Lilliput.

Gulliver's restless spirit takes him to the floating island of Laputa and a country where immortality is a curse. He ends his journeys in the land of the Hounyhyms and Yahoos, where he grows to treasure truth and strives to improve himself. Everyone around him, ignorant of what he has gone through, continually annoy him and he eventually becomes a hermit.

Swift created a satire through what can be initially seen as an adventure and travel book on the surface. He speaks truths about the way a country can be governed and led. He is unforgiving on ineffectual, corrupt or lazy government, but never fails to be compassionate to others.

Body of Work, by Christine Montross

2011-08-29T14:33:00.005+08:00

Stepping into the rather euphemistically-named anatomy lab for the first time is a milestone for just about every medical student. Not only is it their first time dissecting a human body, it is the first deluge of information which will characterise their student life, it is the first taste of the power and authority medical personnel have, it is a dip into what it is like to be a doctor. In the months to come, these bodies will serve as their teachers in life and in death.

Apart from just telling the reader about her experiences, Montross provides a thoroughly-researched historical background on the tradition of dissections for medicine, linking it to the legacy she and her classmates take on as medical students. She also describes the emotions and moods which are so particular to life as a medical student: the frustration, the emotional turmoil and the self-doubt. Her writing background lends her writing a poetic flair and no doubt elevated a set of anecdotes and some history to a fine book.

Every Contact Leaves A Trace, by Connie Fletcher

2011-08-21T13:36:00.004+08:00

According to the author, ask a homicide detective, or medical examiner, or policeman, or anyone involved in homicide investigations, and they'll tell you this: "It's not CSI."

So what is it? What is it really like to investigate death? With interviews with people from evidence technicians and homicide detectives to forensic pathologists, medical examiners and more, Fletcher uncovers a world much misrepresented by CSI.

She reveals that it is, in truth, much more than that. There is the physical side: trying to preserve crime scenes in the snow- or in the sea; crouching in a basement for hours; suppressing one's gag reflex. There is also the emotional side: finding a child's doodle on the fridge, suddenly ominous; children found dead by their parents' side; reliving the victim's last moments in the form of evidence.

This book consists largely of anecdotes, quoted directly from the source. While this style is rather unusual, she ensures there is a coherent flow of thought from one anecdote to another by classifying them.

One might argue that she is just banking on the success of CSI and Bones and countless other shows which glorify forensic science, but she does take pains to emphasise the differences between the world in the TV shows and real life. The result is a highly readable, entertaining and insightful volume on a complex world, which will satisfy fans of CSI.

Shades of Grey, by Jasper Fforde

2011-08-21T12:38:00.005+08:00

In this world, your social rank and worth is determined by how much of what colour you can see, with Ultraviolets at the top of the spectrum and Greys right at the bottom. In this world, swan attacks are deadly, getting the Mildew means numb elbows and certain death and unquestioning compliance is a virtue.

After a prank gone wrong, Eddie Russett is sent to the Outer Fringes to conduct a chair census, where he meets Jane, a Grey, who seems to know a lot more than she should. He meets the prefects, all of whom have hidden (sometimes not very subtly) agendas. And after trying to investigate the death of a low-status Yellow, he volunteers for a trip to High Saffron to check out the presence of scrap colour. There, he almost gets eaten by a carnivorous plant and, with Jane's help, discovers... truth. The truth behind the prefects. The truth behind his assignment to the Outer Fringes. The truth behind the Mildew.

Bizarre, satirical and wildly strange, Fforde creates an original, complex world with a surprisingly complex plot. Soak in the details he introduces, because every plot line is taken care of in the end. This reviewer, for one, is looking forward to the sequels.

Lost Boys, by Orson Scott Card

2011-08-13T20:58:00.002+08:00

Step Fletcher, a programmer and designer of the popular game Hacker Snack, moves house in hopes of a better life working for Eight Bits Inc. It is not his or his family's first time moving.

But nothing seems to go right. His boss demands that Step do only manual-writing despite his obvious programming ability. Step ends up helping programmers behind his boss's back and pretending to write manuals when his boss is looking.

To add on to that, his eldest starts having imaginary friends while being the target of a cruel teacher's attention. Meanwhile, in the neighbourhood, boys have gone missing; the police suspect a serial killer. Unbeknownst to them, Step and his family will eventually hold the key to these lost boys. Step will have to give his all and sacrifice whatever he can to keep his family together.

Well-written and dark. The ending was satisfyingly creepy. Several scenes in Lost Boys show the relationship between Step and his wife; through the progress of the story, readers see how it evolves and, perhaps, serves as an indicator of the general mood. However, this reviewer felt that several characters could have been developed better into more central characters as their role in the story petered out not very satisfactorily.

In the Land of Invisible Women, by Qanta A. Ahmed, M.D.

2011-08-13T20:41:00.004+08:00

Qanta didn't think much of going to work in a hospital in Riyadh. After all, she grew up in a Muslim family. How different could it be?

In a place where female patients do not unveil even under emergency surgery, where religious police have the right to drag people into detention, Islam takes on a rather different meaning. For Qanta, it is an immersion into something she's always been dipping her toes into and she finds a depth and intensity of religious passion in the friends she makes.

This book starts off as an exploration of the pervasive role of religion in the Saudi Kingdom and morphs into a commentary of sorts on social issues. She also uncovers a side of the Saudi kingdom many do not see. Her recounts are informative and sometimes insightful, although the whole book is mystifyingly romantic: the author describes almost everyone she meets as being beautiful.

The Grass is Singing, by Doris Lessing

2011-08-01T10:42:00.003+08:00

When Mary married Dick Turner, she expected a leisurely pampered life, like the one she had been leading up til then. You see, she was a city girl. Before she started caring about the opinions of her friends, she led a solitary but content life with a stable office job.

After she married, little did she know what was really in store: the suffocating heat and the arguments they wrought, the countless altercations and constant friction with 'the natives', her husband's many pipe dreams.

Lessing evokes a vivid vision of a dusty, hot Rhodesia and its peopple: from the poisonous arrogant racism of many whites, to the inexplicable passion of a farmer who loves his land. Her writing is richly layered and takes us into the tortured minds of each character, making the ending especially poignant and horrifying.

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, by Adam Bradley

2011-07-30T14:02:00.002+08:00

Flavia de Luce is a precocious kid, happiest when she is roaming around the huge ancestral home, in her chemistry lab, or out gallivanting in the village. She is something of a chemistry prodigy; poisons are her special interest. She is odd for an eleven-year-old.

Then odd things happen.

A dead jack snipe is found on the doorstep, a Penny Black impaled on its beak. After overhearing an argument between her father and a stranger, Flavia watches a man dies in front of her, his last word "Vale." Suddenly, her father is the prime suspect. But he isn't the type to murder. In fact, he would much rather catalogue his extensive stamp collection.

As Flavia investigates, she is taken into the secrets of her father's past, into a suicide- or was it murder?- of a teacher years ago and the grudges of schoolboys.

While the character of Flavia seemed farfetched at times, she is an endearing and lively narrator. Her knowledge of chemistry, however, seems to be for the sole purpose of making poisons and showing off and could have been used to greater effect in the story. Nevertheless, Bradley paints a realistic enough setting with colourful, likeable characters.

Life, the Universe and Everything, by Douglas Adams

2011-07-27T23:00:00.004+08:00

Arthur Dent is back in this (kind of) sequel to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! This time, the universe is about to be annihilated by a race who hates everyone who is not them.

The only people who actually know what's going on and have the power to stop it are Arthur Dent, terminally clueless and novice at flight; Slartibartifast, who knows more than he is letting on; Ford Prefect, terminally lazy but suave and smooth-talking and Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-president of the Universe, who might just come in handy... someday. What will they do? Who will they meet? How will Arthur cope without tea?

Adams once again takes us on a madcap ride through his Universe with his insane characters and delightful wordplay. Although some digressions may detract from the main plot, they just make the ride more fun.

Euclid's Window, by Leonard Mlodinow

2011-07-17T17:19:00.003+08:00

Numbers have been around as long as people needed to count and keep track of things. But using a number- '3', for instance- theoretically, as in 3+2=5, not as in word problems, only came later.

This book tracks the development of mathematics through the viewpoints of great mathematicians such as the titular Euclid and others, including Democritus, Descartes, Gauss and Einstein. It also traces changes in how people thought about geometry, from the familiar Euclidean geometry which students learn in schools, to non-Euclidean geometry, which was the foundation of Einstein's theory of relativity. Euclid's window is, if technical, moderately interesting for those who already are interested in geometry and math.

Call for the Dead, by John Le Carre

2011-07-10T21:29:00.003+08:00

After an ordinary security interview for something that was prety much a non-issue, San Fennan goes and kills himself.

The intelligence officer who conducted the interview, George Smiley, is determined to get down to the bottom of this. Yes, it looks like suicide. But the more he tries to join the pieces together, the less it makes sense.

Although Call for the Dead is a short book, it is put together like a good puzzle. It is a delight to watch the pieces fall into place.

Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell

2011-06-26T18:52:00.007+08:00

In this quintessential dystopian novel, telescreens scrutinise every citizen's actions and the omnipotent Thought Police can spy on every citizen's thoughts for signs of rebellion. The ruling Party is led by the mysterious Big Brother, whose face watches from, it seems, everywhere.

Winston Smith is an outwardly ordinary citizen who works in the Ministry of Truth. His job is to doctor newspaper articles and other media- to erase all mention of Party defectors; to alter an erroneous prediction by Big Brother; to create obituaries for people who never lived at all. His job is in doctoring the past. After all, if no one remembers what actually happened in the past, did it actually happen?

But as he works, he is sharply aware of the big picture. He yearns for truth. For love. For good. All these wishes are safely bottled up in his heart. Winston is smart, and he knows how to hide his inner feelings.

Then he meets a like-minded woman, street-smart and audacious, and things start falling apart.

Nineteen Eighty-Four must be the grandfather of dystopian novels. What distinguishes it from other dystopian novels is that Orwell's writing not only shivers with life and humanity, it creates a setting so rich yet also mundane, so that we can almost imagine such a world nearby.

The Pearl, by John Steinbeck

2011-05-20T23:15:00.005+08:00

When Kino discovers the greatest pearl of the world, he immediately formulates dreams and wishes to go with it. With the pearl will come money, he thinks, and with money he can do so many things: send his son to school, buy a new harpoon, everything. The world is before him!

But little does he realise that wealth- even the promise of wealth- brings with it danger and dark times for his family....

The plot of The Pearl is simple and straightforward, but Steinbeck's writing is thought-provoking and makes what would otherwise be two-dimensional (virtuous, greedy or nosey) characters into more fully realised beings.

The Disappearing Spoon, by Sam Kean

2011-05-20T22:36:00.004+08:00

Since he was a boy, the author always enjoyedbreaking thermometers. It wasn't that he was a destructive child. It was the seemingly magical balls of 'quicksilver' that captured his imagination. This foray into the world of the elements sparked off a lifelong fascination with chemistry; in this book, he attempts to tell the stories behind the elements of the periodic table: from the most abundant to the most precious.

Ultimately, every element has a story behind it. Silver used to be touted as an antibiotic, until people realised that taking too much of it would turn your skin a ghastly blue. Scientists tried using uranium and, later, lead to try to figure out how old the Earth is. Scandal and outrage sparked over the discovery- or not?- of the heavy elements.

The stories the author tells rarely gets bogged down by detailed scientific explanations. And this is not just a book about science, or the elements, or boring chemistry: it's a book about human greed, vanity and, sometimes, genius. Even people who don't like science much will be charmed, disgusted and amazed at the people and elements which feature in The Disappearing Spoon.

Long Dark Tea-time of the Soul, by Douglas Adams

2011-05-08T14:04:00.002+08:00

When an airline counter at Terminal Two blows up, Kate Schechter is convinced that it must be some kind of divine intervention trying to prevent her from going to Oslo.

Little does she know that while it is, in fact, divine intervention, the god responsible is not quite the god she thinks it is. Nor is it directed at her.

Holistic private detective Dirk Gently (ne Cjelli) forgets about an appointment with a client, the first willing to pay in a long time. When he rushes to the client's house, his client is dead. More specifically, beheaded.

Mysterious occurences abound- but hardly anything will faze Dirk Gently. He has seen much stranger things.

What starts out as a dark murder mystery- of sorts- evolves into a madcap trip into the worlds of Norse gods , a self-professed 'holistic' but perpetually broke private investigator and a grumpy journalist. Douglas Adams, author of the famously insane book (and later movie) Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy, possesses an amazing imagination. Although many aspects of Adams' books possess a decidedly whimsical bent, they are well-constructed and leave few loose ends hanging.

The Father of Forensics, by Colin Evans

2011-05-08T14:02:00.002+08:00

When Bernard Spilsbury first stepped onto a crime scene, he was a mere student, but he learned quickly and swiftly became more established. His idiosyncracies- his loner personality, meticulousness and fluency on the witness stand- and the sheer weight of his experience made him the most well-known man in Britain at the time. A case with Spilsbury in it became a crowd-puller. Not only did he popularise forensic science, he helped develop and organise the field to greater heights, by, for example, creating a 'crime-scene bag' which contained all the equipment one would need at a crime scene.

As the author points out, though, Spilsbury was not infallible. Ambiguous autopsies could be intepreted in a number of ways, and once Spilsbury was convinced of something, he would rarely budge from his opinion.

Written with a balance between drama and fact, this account of Spilsbury's career is engaging and interesting, although it may be more than a little dramatic at times. It is a science book, but also a part biography and part social commentary. The Father of Forensics is an account of a man's life that goes beyond one man, to look at the changing face of forensic, empirical science in the Victorian era.

Unplugged, by Ryan Van Cleave, PhD

2011-04-02T22:27:00.004+08:00

He had everything- he could write, he was smart, he was a good, caring teacher.

But one thing derailed him: his addiction to video games. This addiction had eaten away at him since childhood, but in adulthood the game he lived, ate and breathed was World of Warcraft. It provided him with what he always craved: friends, a sense of purpose and success.

Soon, the game took over things as simple as sleeping regular hours and taking care of his family. Soon, WoW took over his life.

When he realised the truth, he tried to quit. But it wasn't as simple as just unplugging the computer. Temptation was everywhere.

Unplugged is at times poignant, but sometimes it veered on didactic in other parts.

A Taste for Death, by P.D. James

2011-04-02T21:52:00.003+08:00

Paul Berowne, ex-minister, and Harry Mack, a tramp- both found dead in the vestry of St. Matthew's, their throats gaping redly like a second mouth. Berowne's razor is found in his own hand.

At first glance, it looks like an ordinary murder-suicide, but Commander Adam Dalgliesh, whose newly assembled team is put in charge of this case, is convinced otherwise. But to prove that Berowne's dead is not what it seems, he must delve into the mysteries and secrets surrounding Berowne's family. The truth is ugly. Each of Berowne's family members have secrets of their own, and with scarcely any physical evidence to suggest double murder, Dalgliesh and his team will have to tease apart truth and lies.

Well-written and well-planned indeed, this is one architecturally sound novel. Some passages paint the scene beautifully, while others add a darker shade to the prose. The pacing, however, was sluggish and the dialogue sometimes dragged.

Innocent Blood, by P.D. James

2011-03-18T14:23:00.005+08:00

Philippa Palfrey was raised as an academic by her bookish adoptive father. She's clever, young and pretty, and the whole world is before her.

Then she realises the truth about her blood parents- the awful truth. Her mother, a murderer; her father, a rapist. Yet, despite knowing all this, she is determined to meet her blood mother. To go out with her. To live with her. To know what having a mother is like.

But for all her smarts, she failed to take into account others who might want their own day out with her mother...

P. D. James' writing is remniscent of Ruth Rendell's- her characters are ordinary people leading ordinary lives, characterised by the unusual circumstances they find themselves in and the darkness which lurks in them. Her writing is somewhat serene and understated, making the action feel muted. Perhaps not everyone's cup of tea, but her books will go down well with Rendell fans.

Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley

2011-03-08T20:41:00.005+08:00

A world where pain doesn't exist. Where sickness are a thing of the past. Where love, passion, hatred, arousal and anger are distilled into small, convenient tablets. Where children, from infancy, are ingrained with the maxims essential for the survival of the community: "Everybody's happy nowadays", "every one belongs to every one else", Ending is better than mending"...

Brave New World is a story about a bleak future, where everything seems to be in perfect harmony. It is chilling, yet poignant for the fundamental humanity of the characters.

Live Flesh, by Ruth Rendell

2011-02-12T14:46:00.005+08:00

Sent to prison for an unintended crime, name ruined by some inexplicable actions, held prey by his fears and anxieties...

Victor's life, it seems, has been a series of tragic mistakes, one after another, mistakes which cost him ten of his best years. Back in the free world, he tries to adjust to life by himself. For a while, it seems that he might one day be part of the community like a normal person. A normal person with a job, a house of his own, with friends. But one by one, his mistakes return to haunt him.

Rendell writes of ordinary people and ordinary lives- no heroes, no superlatives here. But her keen grasp of human nature makes Live Flesh, like all her novels, darkly splendid.

The Water Room, by Christopher Fowler

2011-02-12T14:25:00.005+08:00

After having blown up the Peculiar Crimes Unit's office and being taken for dead, the elerly detective Arthur Bryant is back, with his trusty partner, John May.

An old lady is found dead in her basement, all dressed and ready to go out- but with river water in her throat. Her death raises a beehive of mysteries, and leads the Peculiar Crimes Unit into the forgotten realms of London, with its myths, secrets and dangers.

A well-crafted book with a satisfying plot, but beyond the mystery of the novel, what makes this book shine is its idiosyncratic and very human characters.

The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka

2011-01-30T16:51:00.004+08:00

Travelling salesman Gregor Samsa wakes up one day from unsettling dreams and finds himself changed itno a giant beetle.

And with this darly bizarre premise, Kafka begins his famous masterpiece.

Throguh it deceptively simple plot readers get a glimpse of Samsa's charcter and, though that, surprising insights into Kafka himself.

Smoke and Mirrors, by Neil Gaiman

2011-01-22T18:10:00.004+08:00

When fantasy and reality mingle and dreaming and waking become one and the same, what do you do?

In these macabre and haunting tales, illusion may sometimes be reality; dreams might sometimes be more real than real life itself.

Darkly inventive, at times funny and at times chilling, Gaiman's imagination knows no bounds as he takes the reader to a multitude of different worlds, and introduces them to scores of people with hidden abilities and darker sides. It makes for fascinating reading.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot

2011-01-07T21:49:00.005+08:00

In 1951, an African-American woman named Henrietta Lacks died of cervical cancer, after long and painful radiation treatment. Earlier, a researcher had removed some of the cancer cells, hoping to grow them in culture. So far, all other cells he had tried to culture died within a few days.

But Henrietta's cells were different. They just kept on multiplying and multiplying. Unlike other cells, all they needed to grow was a growth medium. Give them a petri dish, and they would colonise the whole thing. Researchers referred to her cells as HeLa, from the first two letters of her name.

HeLa was good news for researchers, who could use the cells as a standardised research subject. Henrietta's cells helped scientists develop vaccines for ravages such as polio and rabies. Her cells helped scientists better understand the effects of space on the human body. Her cells helped to develop chemotherapy drugs and so many, many other medicines.

But as the pharmaceutical companies raked in money from the drugs that HeLa helped develop, the Lackses could barely afford to see a doctor of their own.

The author charts the journeys of scientists, for whom HeLa was one of the greatest scientific developments, and the Lackses, who didn't even know what Henrietta- mother, grandmother, sister, aunt- had died of, or what happened to her cells, or why they were 'immortal'.

This story touches on science, racism and medical ethics, but it is not a story about HeLa. It is the story of a mother, her daughter, and the unceasing quest to find out the truth.

Unnatural death: Confessions of a Medical Examiner, by Michael M. Baden, M.D.

2010-12-06T12:21:00.004+08:00

Their job is to figure out how dead people got that way. Their job is to analyze the chemicals, wounds and traces death leaves on the human body to get to the truth. They solve mysteries and bring murderers to justice. They have to be media-savvy and tactful- it's all part of the job.

In this compact volume, forensic pathologist Dr. Baden reveals the politics in his profession which so often takes precedence over the science; he shows the reader the path to the truth seldom goes unhindered by bureaucracy or ego. He presents a fresh look on forensic pathology which will fascinate whoever watches crime shows.

Bag of Bones, by Stephen King

2010-12-06T12:12:00.003+08:00

After his wife's sudden death, author Mike Noonan is struck with a writer's block so complete, he cannot open his word-processing programme without suffering a panic attack. To make things worse, his nightmares haunt him through the day.

In a bid to snap out of it, he moves to the lakeside retreat which, so recently, has been starring in his dreams.

There, he meets a young single mother, Mattie, and her toddler daughter, Kyra, and finds himself inexplicably drawn to them. When the ailing millionaire Max Devore files a lawsuit to gain custody of little Kyra, it is Mike who steps in to help with lawyers and moral support.

Yet, sinister forces are bent on stopping Mike. Reality melds with nighttime illusions as the ghosts of the past return to haunt Mike, Mattie and Kyra.

It is then that Mike discovers the secrets his wife had been keeping from him at the time of her death.

This monster of a book is subtly terrifying at first, but escalates to full-scale dread soon enough. Loose ends are tied up and tucked in; each scene is written with care and nuance, making this book a winner.

A Cellist's Life, by Colin Hampton

2010-11-16T21:44:00.004+08:00

In this slim book, cellist of the Grillers quartet Colin Hampton offers his insights on various famous musicians and areas of music. He talks about people like Pinchas Zukerman and on subjects like the right way to studying music. His writing does contain some insight, such as allowing children space for imagination and not forcing them to practice music intensively from a young age. However, most of the time his tone suggests a man who had very strong opinions. Unfortunately, it does not make for particularly absorbing reading. Also, the pictures inserted were puzzlingly anachronistic and did not reflect the time period mentioned in the accompanying text.

The Thief Lord, by Cornelia Funke

2010-11-13T14:19:00.004+08:00

Two orphaned brothers have escaped from their unreasonable aunt and gone to Venice, which they heard about from their mother. They teamed up with a bunch of other ragtag kids who live in a derelict cinema, headed by the mysterious Thief Lord. It's not an ideal situation, but they live together happily enough, with food and a roof over their heads.

But their aunt has hired a detective to look for them, and it seems that their lives are about to be shattered.

The Thief Lord has a fairy tale-like charm, and it is peopled with characters who are not as they seem. Quite fascinating.

Hilary and Jackie, by Hilary and Piers du Pré

2010-11-13T13:56:00.004+08:00

When she heard the sounds of a cello on the radio, Jacqueline du Pré decided that was the sound she wanted to make. It was immediately apparent that she had a special gift: she produced ravishing sounds and played with great, profound emotion, often moving people to tears. She was one of the greatest cellists of her time. Tragically she was struck with multiple sclerosis at twenty-eight, after she lost the feeling in her hands before a concert.

Yet rarely do accounts of her life divulge her fun-loving personality and somewhat ribald sense of humour, or the impact her growing talents had on her family, who were eclipsed by her fame and greatness. In this touching and deeply personal book, Jacqueline's siblings reveal how her fame and talent sometimes created rifts in their relationships; how she relied on her family for support, especially when she was constantly travelling; most of all, it tells of the love which kept their family together even through sickness. A recommended read.

The Piano Shop on the Left Bank, by Thad Carhart

2010-11-01T12:30:00.005+08:00

One day, while walking along the streets of Paris, the author discovers a piano shop, which awakens in him a long lost childhood love of music and pianos. Yet, its owner insists that only after he gains a reference from one of its customers can he enter.

The moment he gets a proper reference, he is allowed entry, and with it comes a world where pianos can be alive or no more than kindling.Through the atelier, he explores not only the physical mechanism of this impractical, chunky instrument but also goes on a journey to place music back in his life.

It is not only a fascinating discourse on the history and legacy of pianos and the people for whom it is their livelihood, but also a charming portrait of a Paris no tourist gets to see.

Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett

2010-10-26T20:57:00.004+08:00

Someone in Ankh-Morpork has harnesed magical powers to summon a noble dragon, long thought extinct. Unfortunately, the dragon is very much alive, and now the city is in danger of being incinerated.

Thank goodness the brave but somewhat undervalued men of the watch, Captain Vimes and his men, are willing to put their lives on the line to find and slay the dragon, or at least save the city of Ankh-Morpork from destruction and chaos. It's not an easy task when no one in the city trusts you any more.

And somewhere, in the magical library of Unseen University, the Librarian has discovered evidence of a heinous crime: someone has stolen a book. And he is determined to find which book was stolen.

This book is often frankly hilarious and very fast-paced. Very Pratchett!

The Deadly Dinner Party, by Jonathan A. Edlow M.D.

2010-10-26T19:57:00.004+08:00

From the most dramatic of symptoms- a tomato-red face, for example- to the most insidious of signs, like an engorged tick, the afflictions of the human body are many and come in all forms. In this rather interesting book Jonathan A. Edlow, M.D. introduces the reader to just a few of them. Several puzzling cases are presented in the spirit of Berton Roueche, the esteemed medical reporter, who made case histories readable and sometimes even exciting.

Although most of the cases in the book are intriuging, I found The Deadly Dinner Party to be lacking in the panache and polish of Berton Rouche, but a worthy read nonetheless.

The Anthropologist on Mars, by Oliver Sacks

2010-10-23T20:15:00.004+08:00

In this book, Oliver Sacks examines seven cases of people with various conditions, from autism to colourblindness. With his signature warmth and empathy, he explores the impact of each of these conditions not only on the individual's brain, but on their life and interpersonal relationships. His writing is, as always, engaging and sympathetic, making this book an enjoyable read.

Thief of Time, by Terry Pratchett

2010-10-13T17:46:00.003+08:00

We can buy time, waste time, manage time and give others time.

So, of course, someone has to be on hand to distribute all this time. This is precisely what the History Monks do. After all, how much time does a cod need?

A mad genius somewhere in Ankh-Morpork has been commissioned to build a very accurate clock, one so accurate that no other clocks need ever be built.

But what he doesn't know is that when this clock is started, time will stop. There will be no more living, no more dying, no more consciousness. Everyone will be frozen in a state of timelessness. And there are only two men who can stop this from happening: a wrinkly, smiling, harmless-looking monk and an oddly gifted novice.

Always hilarous, always thought-provoking, Pratchett does not fail to deliver in Thief of Time.

Indivisible by Four, by Arnold Steinhardt

2010-09-19T17:44:00.004+08:00

The Guarneri quartet was known for many things- their supple playing, their close bonds with each other and most of all the group's extraordinary longevity. How did they manage to do it?

First violinist Arnold Steinhardt relates his story of how he came from solo playing to chamber music- and what came after. This humourous and forthcoming book tells a tale of four people with an unusual relationship and how they managed to stay together for almost forty years.

Murder is my Racquet, edited by Otto Penzler

2010-09-10T23:12:00.003+08:00

Tennis- it's a game of civility, white shoes and polite audiences...

Or is it?

In this collection of short stories from some prominent writers, tennis is instead a vehicle of murder, deceit and scandal. Tennis players who scream and curse and rant at umpires. Tennis players gone mad. Tennis players succumbing to voodoo curses... It's time to rethink your views on tennis.

Widdershins, by Charles de Lint

2010-08-17T21:47:00.003+08:00

When Lizzie's car breaks down at a crossroads long after dark, she is stranded and lost- confronted by a group of dwarves, even, until a mysterious man comes to her rescue.

Soon, her Celtic band are entrenched in a world of magic, one which lies close to our own. Lizzie and Jilly are pulled into a world peopled by things we only thought could exist in dreams: dwarves, spirits, ghosts...

Fairies, fiddlers and friends: what better combination could there be?

Three Act Tragedy, by Agatha Christie

2010-07-24T19:58:00.006+08:00

Eminent actor Sir Charles Cartwright hosts a party- inviting thirteen people. Among them are the reknown nerve specialist Sir Bartholomew Strange; the wry and observant playwright Anthony Astor, who is actually a woman; and the famous Belgian detective, M. Hercule Poirot.

When the Reverend drops dead after drinking a martini, it's up to Poirot to solve this mystery. Who's next? And more importantly, who was behind it?

Thrilling and a fine example of the Poirot novels.

Endless Night, by Agatha Christie

2010-07-24T11:36:00.002+08:00

Michael Rogers is not one to stay in one cushy job. He hops from job to job; yet, he longs for a grand house on the coutryside- in a place called Gipsy's Acre. All this would have remained a dream if he'd not met the rich heiress, Fenella. They get married secretly and together, they buy the house Michael's always dreamt of having.

But not all is smooth-sailing. A mysterious gipsy keeps on bringing harbingers of death and misfortune if they continue staying at Gipsy's Acre. Michael refuses to believe in such superstition- until the gipsy's words prove prophetic.

There was a good build up and an exciting twist in things, but Endless Night tended to be rather slow in getting to the good bits and sometimes felt rather endless itself.

Musicophilia, by Oliver Sacks

2010-07-03T12:02:00.003+08:00

Music is such a strange thing- that it can make people leap up and dance together, that it can be the sole thing that remains in an amnesiac's memory, that it can sometimes be the only link to sanity. In this engaging book Sacks explores the wonderful, or bizarre things that music does to us humans: from perfect pitch to musical hallucinations, he has it all down pat. For musicians, it is touching- because it reminds you what power music has.

The Witch Doctor's Wife, by Tamar Myers

2010-07-03T11:51:00.002+08:00

Missionary Amanda Brown follows her calling, travelling from South Carolina to Congo. Her enthusiasm for the people and the languages of Africa moves her to get more and more involved with the life of the people around her, moving away from the tendency of whites in the country to treat the Africans around them as subordinates.

The peace is broken when the wife of a man named Their Death discovers a stone in a field, one which Their Death recognises to be a diamond. A huge diamond the size of an egg. Now, what is he to do with it? The more he gets involved with the business of the whites, the more trouble accumulates... until it could lead to murder.

A good read- a well-planned plot, realistic characters and good writing.

The Trouble with Alex, by Melanie Allen

2010-06-21T22:00:00.005+08:00

The Allens were overjoyed when they adopted Alex. She was bubbly, obedient, funny... everything one could look for in a daughter.

But that was not all. Alex had an inner self that few could guess at, and this would tear apart her adoptive mother's relationships, family and sanity in the next five years.

Told from a mother's point of view, it is harrowing and informative.

From a Buick 8, by Stephen King

2010-06-05T20:20:00.004+08:00

The Pennsylvania State Police, Troop D, discovered a Buick abandoned by its owner one day, and since then it has been in their shed behind the barracks. But it is only Buick in appearance. The truth, as Troop D will come to learn, is quite different.

Spitting out a fish, eating people up... these are clearly not normal. And these are what Troop D has to deal with, with the monster of a car back in the shed. The car was most shocking then, but now... now all seems to be peace and quiet.

Or not.

King uses storytelling to tell the story of the Buick. Funny, maybe a little touching and haunting, this is a typical King novel.

Fragile Things, by Neil Gaiman

2010-06-04T23:17:00.005+08:00

An adventure in a hidden garden; a struggling writer in a dark castle; meeting not-quite-girls at a party...

In this collection of 27 stories and poems, Gaiman creates a world that is dark and mysterious, one apt to have monsters hidden behind doors and witches along the road, yet one that resembles our world so closely, one might not tell the difference at first. Yet this world is merely made out of written words on paper- so fragile. The stories within never fail to thrill and delight- a recommended read.

Charmed Life, by Diana Wynne Jones

2010-06-02T23:03:00.004+08:00

A year after their parents' death, Gwendolyn and Cat Chant are sent to live with the very eminent, very rich Chrestomanci.

The gifted Gwendolyn has several devious plans in mind. Frustrated with Chrestomanci's apparent indifference to her talents in witchcraft, she plays pranks on the household until, one day, everything goes wrong.

A funny and interesting book with colourful characters- a fast-moving read.

The Graveyard Book, by Neil Gaiman

2010-06-02T22:44:00.004+08:00

Nobody Owens would have been a normal kid had his family not been murdered when he was just a baby. Oh, and if he didn't live in a graveyard.

Now, ghosts and undead beings are his only guardian from the outside world, where his family's murderer is still waiting for the one that got away. Yet, as much as he knows the dangers outside the graveyard, he wants to be normal.

An interesting read, but this reviewer did not find it particularly outstanding.

The Road, by Cormac McCarthy

2010-05-31T19:33:00.004+08:00

A man and his son walk the roads of an annihilated America. They are the rare ones who have kept their humanity through the nuclear disaster, the 'good guys'. The two of them live by eating scavenged food, keeping their food in a grocery cart and, most of all, being together.

McCarthy's prose makes a bleak subject and what would otherwise terribly boring into a poignant, gritty tale of a father and his son. Dark reading, but ultimately touching.

The Island of the Colour blind and Cycad Island by Oliver Sacks

2010-05-15T11:05:00.003+08:00

Oliver Sacks has always been fascinated with islands since childhood. In these two narratives, he recounts his travels upon two medically interesting islands, narrating from his perspective as a doctor and neurologist, but also as a traveller.

The first recounts his journey on the island Pingelap, where there is a community of totally colour-blind people, a condition otherwise vanishingly rare in the world. The second tells the story of the people on the island of Rota, where the mysterious disease, lytico-bodig, has stricken much of the population- but not all of its secrets have been revealed.

Although Sacks's writing sometimes borders on the technical, his writing is sympathetic and almost always engaging. A very informative read.

Chocky, by John Wyndham

2010-04-28T17:44:00.002+08:00

Matthew's parents thought it was just a phase. They let Matthew be, and let him continue talking to his imaginary friend.

Soon, however, this imaginary friend was much more than just an imaginary friend: Matthew was reasoning, questioning and even arguing with this voice inside his head. Then he began to do things that was definitely out of character: he started calculating in binary, for instance.

It was Chocky, the person inside his head.

Riveting stuff indeed. Wyndham writes well.

Anansi Boys, by Neil Gaiman

2010-04-27T20:05:00.003+08:00

Charlie Nancy is pretty much a normal guy. He was always being embarrassed, either because he was uncomfortable in his own skin, or because his father, who delighted in embarrassing him, was behind it.

Now Charlie's father is dead. Then, after the funeral, Charlie finds out that his father was a god- he was Anansi, the trickster god. Charlie gets in touch with his long-lost brother, Spider, who is everything Charlie is not: suave, popular, funny...

All of a sudden, Charlie's life becomes a lot more interesting, and very much more bizarre.

Neil Gaiman's writing is refreshing and interesting. A good read.

White Corridor, by Christopher Fowler

2010-04-18T17:00:00.002+08:00

No one really likes the Peculiar Crimes Unit, but at least they deliver results.

But, this time, their continued existence is greatly threatened by a visit from a princess and scheming government officials. And, worse, as their offices are being torn up for renovation, their most senior detectives go on a trip to the snowy countryside and get promptly stuck in a snowstorm. In their absence, the Unit's pathologist is found dead in the locked morgue. Now who can trust anyone, when only four of the Unit's members have the key?

Thrilling and quirky, White Corridor seems rather arbitrary at first, but as you go on, the plot is actually very well-written, made so much better by unique characters.

The Book of Dead Days, by Marcus Sedgwick

2010-04-07T15:11:00.002+08:00

The days between Christmas and New Year's Day are the dead days, days of magic and of evil and of wizardry.

Onstage magician Valerian is fighting against time to save his life during these days. Boy, his faithful servant, follows him dutifully, but soon he gets into trouble when a man topples dead in front of him. Boy lands in jail, where he meets the quick-witted Willow, an escaped servant of a singer. Together they help Valerian the best they can, digging up graves and running errands.

Easy reading, but not that memorable.

The Book of Lost Things, by John Connolly

2010-04-03T00:00:00.005+08:00

David's mother dies. His father remarries to a woman named Rose, whom David can't get along with. They move to a new house, where David quietly keeps out of everyone's way. Instead, he makes company with the books in the house and reads voraciously, all day long. He takes special delight in the dark fairytales- the ones that don't end with 'and they lived happily ever after'. Outside, a war is stirring.

Then, after a German plane crashes in the garden, David is thrust into a weird and incredible world populated by wolves and monsters in the dark and evil witches. It is, essentially, a fairytale world and he, the main character. And, like the books he likes so much, they rarely have happy endings...

Dark and quirky, peopled with varied and interesting characters, this book is certainly memorable. Good reading for those who think they have outgrown fairy tales.

Eye of the Beholder, by Laura Greenwald

2010-04-01T23:36:00.005+08:00

Our face is the first thing people see when they first meet us. It is like a representation of ourself. We can derive the finest observations about someone from their face.

So what happens to those whose faces become disfigured, be it from an accident or from birth? Often, parents and doctors and support groups all chip in to play a part in the growing up of the person.

And we always have to remember that a face does not tell everything, because it is the person behind the face who counts.

In this book, Greenwald tells the stories of people who have different faces from most of us, and how they cope and live. A touching book.

Momo, by Michael Ende

2010-04-01T16:57:00.004+08:00

Momo is a child with a past no one knows, and she lives alone in a ruined amphitheatre. She is certainly unusual, with a gift for listening.

Then the men in grey come. They are inconspicuous, yet they are making significant changes in Momo's world. Slowly, subtly, people lose their patience and good humour; the only thing they care about is whether it will save time. That, suddenly, has become everyone's new goal, and the only thing on their minds: to save time. Only Momo, with the help of some unexpected allies, has the power to stop them .

Written from a child's point of view, this book is certainly timeless. It contains everything: a suitably fast-paced plot, memorable characters and gentle humour.

The Family that Couldn't Sleep, by D.T. Max

2010-03-27T10:58:00.002+08:00

In Italy, there is a family who lives with a ticking time bomb. Amongst them, some will die of a fatal protein malfunction that robs their brain of the ability to sleep. They will ultimately lose the ability to perform basic functions. For years, no one knew why this happened; it was just known as the family disease.

In Britian, sheep are suffering from a strange disease, named scrapie, that causes them to experience an unscratchable itch.

In Papua New Guinea, a scientist observed a strange disease among the natives. It had a dazzling array of symptoms, including maniacal laughter. The problem was, no one knew what was causing this disease. Was it sorcery, or infectious, or genetic?

This thrilling book takes the reader through the quest to find out what is causing these incurable, frightening diseases, through countries such as Britain, America, Papua New Guinea and Italy. It is a fast-moving tale of research and serendipity and curious patterns, all lining up to form the truth. The Family that Couldn't Sleep is highly interesting.

Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

2010-03-16T22:26:00.004+08:00

After a group of boys get stranded on what is literally a desert island, naturally there emerges among them a leader: Ralph. He is determined to implement measures to increase their chances of rescue, but the others have some very different agendas.

Lord of the Flies is truly a classic. Tense and well-written, it is frightening yet intensely interesting to read.

The Boy who Couldn't Die, by William Sleator

2010-03-05T21:33:00.003+08:00

After his best friend's death, Ken Pritchard decides that he wants to be cheat death. After searching magazine ads, he has found a person who can remove his soul and keep it in his safe place.

Amazingly enough, the procedure is successful. Now, Ken cannot feel pain; he cannot get hurt either. Being invincible has brought with it problems he would never have expected- now, he has no more feelings. Nothing excites him, nothing saddens him, or angers him.

And the dreams- his dreams are plagued with death, and day by day they get worse. First he is buried alive, then he starts killing strangers. Ken is sure this is caused by whatever the woman did to hide his soul.

Then he decides to court death. He goes to St Calao, an island in the Caribbean, to go swimming with sharks. More precisely, he wants to find out if sharks can eat him.

At St. Calao, he discovers the ghastly secret behind his invincibility.

I thought this novel was too short to fully explore Ken's response to being invincible. However it was brisk and very interesting.

The Feng Shui Detective, by Nury Vittachi

2010-02-20T15:51:00.002+08:00

C.F Wong is a feng-shui man.

He is also a detective- of sorts. If there's a problem at home or in the office just give him a few floor plans and he will get to the bottom of it. Together with a teenager assistant whose speech is mostly incomprehensible to Wong, he ventures to exotic places to solve fengshui-related problems. Sometimes, his assistant is actually useful.

Of course, some problems are not caused by fengshui alone...

Humourous and gently poking fun and the cryptic language of teenagers, this book is delightful to read.

An Equal Music, by Vikram Seth

2010-02-20T15:48:00.004+08:00

Michael Holme, second violinist in the Maggiore Quartet, thought his life was stable.

When he meets his long-lost love, Julia, on a bus, he thinks things might be like how they were when they first met. But everything has changed. She is now a mother; she hides a terrible secret that eats away at her music-making. The unsaid sentences between them are many. Their relationship is too different now. But with a upcoming concert and a recording deal signed, Michael cannot avoid playing with Julia.

An Equal Music is about music; it is also about love lost and found again; it is about the subtle relationships in a string quartet. An Equal Music is beautifully written. It is rich with the little details that make it so authentic and real, like the violinist's hickey, and the violist jokes, and the little things about perfect pitch. Music as the musicians experience it is offered up to the reader, allowing him to take a peek into a secret world. An excellent read for musicians and music lovers.

(image from http://whatamireading.wordpress.com/2008/09/06/an-equal-music-by-vikram-seth/)

Mary Swann, by Carol Shields

2010-01-29T19:55:00.005+08:00

Poems came naturally to Mary Swann. Hours before her brutal murder, she submitted a bag of poems to a publisher, Frederic Cruzzi, who compiled them into booklets entitled, "Swann's Songs".

Years on, Sarah Maloney prepares a paper on Swann's poems, to be presented at a symposium on this obscure, small-town poet.

Also going are a biographer, Cruzzi and the town librarian. They were, in one way or another, part of Mary Swann's life; now their paths coincide in the most unlikely ways.

Intruiging and cleverly written, Shields' keen observation of people shines beautifully in this book. Her style contains no theatrics - a delight to read.

Medical Mysteries, by Ann Reynolds and Kenneth Wapner

2009-12-30T15:46:00.005+08:00

The human body is such a complex thing. Millions of things can go wrong- and sometimes something as innocuous as pizza can wreak havoc on it.

In this interesting book, Reynolds and Wapner introduces several cases of bizarre sicknesses that have baffled doctors and the eventual diagnosis.

These medical mysteries make for interesting reading, but the writing style plays down on medical fact and processes, rather focusing on the people involved and highlighting the happy endings all around. While this may suit some, those with a more scientific curiosity in the cases will not be satisfied.

Link to image source

Piano Technique: Tone, Touch, Phrasing and Dynamics by Lillie Herman-Philipp

2009-12-08T23:10:00.006+08:00

In this slim volume, the basic fundamentals of piano technique, starting from posture, is clearly laid out. Scales in their various forms are also fully printed out, serving as a useful guide for practice. Although this book does not go into details, it is nevertheless a helpful companion during practices.

Notes from the Pianists' Bench, by Boris Berman

2009-12-06T17:27:00.008+08:00

People always discuss sound, touch, tone... but they never say how to produce a singing tone, for example. How does one learn these things? Practicing, performing, intepretation, the foundations of performance, are laid out in this book with plenty of musical examples.

A minimum of experience is required to understand and apply the advice given in this book. It is highly practical, with appropriate metaphors and imagery, useful and, at times, entertaining. Recommended for all pianists seeking to improve their playing.

Musical Blunders and other off-beat Curiosities, by Fritz Spiegl

2009-12-01T21:15:00.006+08:00

Over the years, veteran musicians have a fair bit of stories which circulate around regularly, like the conductor who tried to show off to the orchestra...
The best of these anecdotes and other intruiging tales are compiled in this book. Best enjoyed by musicians and music lovers, it reveals the blunders of conductors, arrangers, translators and performers.

Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami

2009-12-01T20:10:00.003+08:00

In this collection of short stories, Murakami tells stories of people who are ordinary, until an event- inconspicuous or not- changes their lives. Each contains an insight into our lives. Some are written in interview form; others, in narrative, but all share his lyrical and quiet style. There is nothing garish about his style of storytelling. Recommended.

Rose Madder, by Stephen King

2009-11-20T17:55:00.006+08:00

Ever since Rose Daniels was married to Norman Daniels at the age of eighteen, she has endured his beatings. They left her gasping for breath, hurting all over. The damage accumulated silently, but she didn't know of its extent.

Until the day she saw her blood on the bedsheets, she knew she had to escape. Before he beat her to death.

After fourteen years of marriage, she ventures out of the house, armed only with her husband's bank card and nothing else but her wits. She is determined not to return to that house, ever, but how will she survive.

More importantly, how long can she hide? Her husband is a policeman. He knows how to trace fugitives. Extract evidence. Maybe even kill.

And as Rose tries to live a normal life, her husband creeps in closer.

Rose Madder is surreal, terrifying and tight. The scenes are vividly written and characters are fleshed out fully. A good read.

The Madman's Tale, by John Katzenbach

2009-11-19T21:12:00.008+08:00

Francis X. Petrel is mad.

Was, anyway. He was institutionalised for hearing voices.

But now, the hospital has closed down and the voices are mostly silenced by an army of medications.

When the hospital invites all its former patients to give testimonies, it awakens Francis's memories of his time there. Now, it is up to Francis to tell his story.

Brought in after threatening his family with a kitchen knife, Francis became a part of Western State Hospital at the age of twenty-one. Shortly after, the brutal murder of a nurse-trainee throws the carefully calibrated patients into imbalance, including Francis. A prosecutor came in to investigate the case. With Francis's skills of intuition and his friend's investigative powers, she might actually solve this case. But the route to uncovering the truth is fraught with danger, where one wrong step might send you plummeting to death, or worse, insanity.

Cleverly written and very gripping. A memorable ride through the realms of insanity and the unique insights of those 'mentally unsound', leaving you questioning: is sanity really that great?

Black Water by T. Jefferson Parker

2009-11-19T21:01:00.008+08:00

Archie Wildcraft and his wife Gwen are found in their home, shot. Archie manages to survive with a bullet in his head; Gwen does not. Archie is found with the gun and blood on his hands. Everyone thinks it's a botched murder-suicide.

Only Detective Merci Rayborn doesn't, even with all the evidence pointing against Archie. As yet their only witness lies unconscious in the hospital and they have nothing to go on... except, perhaps, whispers of a corporate conspiracy. If the couple were shot by a third party, then who is responsible and why?

And then Archie Wildcraft disappears from hospital, out to exact his own revenge.

Gripping and complex, Black Water manages to link up various threads. It was a good read, even if the main character sometimes struck this reviewer as too emotional.

The City of Dreaming Books, by Walter Moers

2009-10-22T22:06:00.006+08:00

When Optimus Yarnspinner's godfather died, he gave Optimus a manuscript. One which contained a story so wonderful the writer could not possibly be human.

Eager to look for the author of the manuscript, Optimus sets out for the city of Bookholm, a heaven for booklovers. The city has everything to do with books; bookshops are everywhre, publishers abound and you can get an expert evaluation of a manuscript anyplace. Definitely, this is the place where Optimus will find answers.

Of course, the best person to go to would be Pfistomel Smyke. Apart from bing the expert in the field, he is also a patron of the arts and a generous person. Who else could be better?

But not everything goes to place, because Optimus has failed to take into account the dark side of Bookholm: its notorious catacombs, where danger lurks everywhere.

And that is where his story really begins.

Often comical and highly inventive, this is a great read. Enjoy watching subplots interwine at the end!

Black Coffee, by Agatha Christie

2009-10-13T23:03:00.003+08:00

Hercule Poirot has been called on by Sir Claud, a famous scientist, to sniff out the thief of a precious formula.

The night Poirot is to visit Sir Claud's mansion, the man himself has rounded up the visitors and residents of his house, hoping to find the thief. He suspects the thief to be among his little audience for the night, but does not want the thief to lose face. So he plans to give the thief a minute of darkness to place the formula on a table.

When the lights are turned back on, Poirot is here...
...and Sir Claud is dead.

Now, Poirot has to investigate murder instead of theft.

With the usual clever plot of Christie's, Black Coffee is an enjoyable read with plenty of twists that will leave you enthralled.

La's Orchestra Saves the World, by Alexander McCall Smith

2009-10-07T20:35:00.000+08:00

Struck by the news of her boyfriend's infidelity, Lavender (La) Stone goes to the countryside to nurse her broken heart.

It is during the time when war is a definite possibility; La, however, isn't actually affected much by this. Instead, she looks after hens and leads a quiet life.

As the war begins and the people realise that there is going to be a war after all, La rediscovers music. An idea occurs to her: why not start an orchestra? It would, after all, boost morale and give people a hope of victory.

And this orchestra takes off. The musicians may not be well-trained or in tune, but they certainly have heart.

And maybe, just maybe, this orchestra could change the outcome of things.

Sedate writing that reminded me of Carol Shields, quite well written. I felt the orchestra was introduced too late in to the story; otherwise, it is quite a poignant read.

The Hot Zone by Richard Preston

2009-09-05T20:04:00.004+08:00

It all starts with a headache that won't go away. Harmless, right?

Then comes the red eyes, and the face sets itself into an unmoving death mask.

Then bleeding. Unstoppable bleeding, leaking into everywhere in the body, spewing from every orifice.

Then, death.

The Ebola virus causes this deadly descent into death. It is mysterious, lethal and incurable. And when it strikes in Washington, D.C., the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, USAMRIID, is activated. These are the intrepid men and women who, when the occasion calls for it, will don a space suit and three pairs of gloves and go to war with the virus.

The Hot Zone takes the reader straight into the heart of a lab teeming with Ebola, next to a patient who is spewing black vomit, on the heels of scientists in bright blue suits.

At times, the scientific explanation grinds everything to a halt. Something else that peeves me is that chapters switch between many characters' points of view, making it quite confusing. However, it is overall fast-moving, detailing man's desparate struggle to wipe out a virus which threatens to do the same to man.

The Green Mile, by Stephen King

2009-08-04T20:28:00.005+08:00

Meet Paul Edgecombe. He's one of the guards at the state penitentiary. More specifically, he's the boss of Block E, where the worst, cruellest and most evil of criminals come to spend their last days before undergoing the electric chair. They all call the chair Old Sparky. They make jokes out of it. But when the time comes, no one's joking.

Edgecombe thinks he's seen it all. He thinks he can't be surprised any more.

But he can.

A seemingly sentient mouse and, later, its naive Cajun owner and 'trainer' are only the tip of the iceberg. When the huge John Coffey (like the drink, but not spelled the same way) comes, Edgecombe knows that there is something special about him. But what?

As the story unfolds, Edgecombe realises the devastating, amazing truth about John Coffey, a secret that will change him forever.

A cleverly told story; the timeline may jump around a bit, especially in the middle part of the novel. However, The Green Mile is, nonetheless, a well-paced story with brilliantly fleshed-out characters and a fantastic atmosphere.

The Secret Supper, by Javier Sierra

2009-06-24T10:59:00.007+08:00

It is the year of 1497.

Father Agnostino Leyre, an Inquisitor and expert in the intepretation of secret messages, is assigned the task of solving a puzzle. Anonymous letters have been coming into the Holy Church in Rome, warning of a conspiracy to transform Milan. According to the Soothsayer, the foundation of the conspiracy is being laid out in a new monastry, Santa Maria delle Grazie. The key to the identity of the Soothsayer lies in his signature: a short riddle in Latin.

In order to solve the problem, Father Agnostino travels to Milan. By visiting the new monastry, he hopes to be able to decipher the riddle.

Milan is also where Leonardo da Vinci is completing the Cenacolo, or The Last Supper . Leonardo is famous for breaking off from conventional intepretations of Bible scenes and adding elements of his own. This time, he claims to have hidden a secret message in his mural. This has the religious authorities concerned. What message is he trying to hide?

As Father Agnositino tries to figure out the secrets behind the painting, people are dying.

With a well built-up plot, this is not one book which can be read in a hurry, but it is certainly intriguing. I would like the pace to be faster, though.

The Bridesmaid, by Ruth Rendell

2009-06-02T18:26:00.009+08:00

Phillip hates violence. Instead, he designs suburban homes and admires beautiful things. Like the stone statue in the garden. Like his sister's bridesmaid, Senta.

The moment he sees Senta, he falls helplessly in love with her - with her beauty, with her mystique, with her child-like innocence.

But she isn't really that innocent. Her mind is full of fantasies and make-believe- but not all of them are harmless.

Because in order to prove his love for her, Senta asks Phillip to kill someone.

He loves her, but he doesn't love her that much.

And all that changes when she brings the news that she has killed a man.

The Bridesmaid is well-written and certainly chilling, especially as Senta's apparent innocence unfolds to reveal someone who has no qualms for killing in the name of love. This typical Rendell book is an interesting read.

Image from https://secure.tesco.com/books/product.aspx?R=9780099681809&bci=4294967180|Ruth%20Rendell*4294967107|Paperback*11|%C2%A35%20to%20%C2%A310

Howl's Moving Castle, by Diana Wynne Jones

2009-05-18T22:21:00.003+08:00

After insulting someone she shouldn't have insulted, Sophie is bewitched by the Witch of the Wastes to become an old woman. Then, she is taken in by the evil, young, frivolous Wizard Howl. Except he isn't really that evil- he's actually quite childish.

Very soon, Sophie realises his childish front is actually a facade to a deeper past and some mistakes that are just beginning to show their consequences.

Howl's Moving Castle reads like a fairy tale of sorts, with very endearing characters and humourous dialouge.

Virus, by Sarah Langan

2009-05-06T21:48:00.006+08:00

James Walker goes missing.

The town of Corpus Christi is reeling in shock.

Then, some others start showing strange symptoms. A mild-mannered former drug addict suddenly goes mad, starts attacking people. Others show a thirst for blood, emptying their homes of raw steak. Crazed behaviour.

It's a virus. And it's contagious. Like all viruses, infection is incurable, and victims simply deteriorate, until they no longer are human, but... something else. Living only to satisfy their hunger.

This book is chilling and Langan's prose is rather poetic, but image-filled and realistic. The beauty of horror novels lies in the author's ability to show human nature at its very worst- while I feel Langan has not exploited this as much as she could have, Virus is very memorable.

Picture from http://www.uksfbooknews.net/2007/11/10/books-received-october-15th-november-10th-2007/

Flowers for Algernon, by Daniel Keyes

2009-04-10T14:01:00.005+08:00

Charlie Gordon wants to be smart. For most of his life, he has struggled with spelling and reading and counting.

He's 32.

Now is his chance. Drs Strauss and Nemur have given him a chance to be part of an experimental treatment for people like him. It has only been tried on another subject, a mouse called Algernon.

After the operation, Charlie improves by leaps and bounds. He has a great memory. He studies countless foreign languages. He writes research papers. In short, he is a far cry from the Charlie who struggled to use periods and commas properly.

But can he cope emotionally? Will his social intelligence catch up with his intellect? The operation has not made him more popular, or a nicer person. Instead, he has lost his friends. His job. No one can understand anymore.

The reader soon learns that intelligence is, alas, not everything. After all, what is anyone without love- even if that 'anyone' is a genius?

Flowers for Algernon is a touching story which will bring the reader on an emotional ride.

Image from Google Images

Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett

2009-03-22T14:31:00.003+08:00

Moist von Lipwig is a con artist, a man who has turned fraud into an art.

But one day he is given a chance to led a normal, honest life- as Postmaster of the Ankh-Morpork Post Office.

It doesn't seem promising to start work in a place manned by a very old man and a boy crazy about pins. Plus, the Post Office is filled with unposted letters, some written more than a century ago. And all his predecessors suffered a horrible fate.

But it's his job to revamp the whole thing, and he has to do it. Even if he is fighting against the 'clacks', the latest technology in sending messages. The 'clacks' also have claimed many lives and is manned by a corrupt company.

Being Postmaster will mean much more than just delivering mail.

Funny, crazy and very human, Going Postal is a well written book. It got me hooked, and it is my first time reading Pratchett, who is able to make his characters funny and unique, such as Moist von Lipwig- who just can't give up the art of fraud. He just uses it for the good of the people.

Cross Bones, by Kathy Reichs

2009-02-25T20:24:00.007+08:00

An Orthodox Jew, Avram Ferris, is found shot in a closet. As heat has made the boy unrecognizable, forensic anthropologist Tempe Brennan is called to the scene.

The decomposition has made it impossible for Tempe to determine the trajectory of the bullet. If the case couldn’t get more confusing, a stranger slips her a photo of an ancient skeleton, promising her that the clue to solving the case lies in that photo.

Along with detective Andrew Ryan, this skeleton will take her to Jerusalem, as they fight to keep an ancient skeleton out of the wrong hands. At the same time, the ancient skeleton may be key to an earth-shattering revelation.

As always, Reichs does a great job keeping the reader interested with action, technical descriptions and humour. However, a forensic anthropologist can only be involved in so many action sequences and sometimes we find Tempe in very unlikely situations. Nevertheless, a good read.

The Long Walk, by Richard Bachman

2008-12-27T22:02:00.004+08:00

Every year, one hundred teenage boys embark on a long journey called the Walk. It sounds simple enough: just keep on walking. The only catch: you cannot stop and you cannot give up. Every time a boy stops or slows down, he is given a warning. After three warnings....

This year, Ray Garraty is part of the Walk. He thinks he will be able to make it, but then everybody thinks that way. Soon they discover it is not as easy as they think.

Can anyone really complete the Walk? Is it really possible?

The Long Walk vividly portrays people when they are stretched out beyond their limits, and what happens when they break. A dark book.

Picture from http://www.curledup.com/books/longwalk.jpg

Duma Key, by Stephen King

2008-12-03T18:38:00.003+08:00

After a worksite accident leaves Edgar Freemantle with one arm less, a scrambled memory and lots of pain, he goes to Duma Key to convalesce. It is a part of Florida which has beautiful beaches and sunsets, yet is strangely not developed.

There, he meets Elizabeth Eastlake, the daughter of the man who owned Duma Key, and Wireman, her caretaker.

Edgar finds peace in painting and as he paints, his talent grows by leaps and bounds.
The first few paintings are innocent enough, but it is clear that his paintings are not of his imagination anymore, but of something bigger. Elizabeth's past has come back to haunt her... and Edgar.

Infused with a real sense of dread in the later part, this is a masterfully crafted story where everything falls into place perfectly.

Picture from: http://bayareabibliophile.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/duma-key2.jpg

The Shipping News, By E. Annie Proulx

2008-11-29T15:39:00.003+08:00

Quoyle's wife, Petal, dies in a car accident, leaving him to take care of his two daughters, Bunny and Sunshine.

After her death, Quoyle looks for place to start his life with Bunny and Sunshine anew. On the advice of his aunt, he chooses to move to Newfoundland, where his ancestors first came from.

Quoyle joins a small newspaper company as a writer and there in Newfoundland, he finds love, friends and family secrets.

The Shipping News is a taut, haunting story, with a very distinctive style.