Book Review: The Lost Symbol

Title: The Lost Symbol

Author: Dan Brown

Genre: Mystery, Thriller

Publication: 2009

Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned unexpectedly to deliver an evening lecture in the U.S. Capitol Building. Within minutes of his arrival, however, the night takes a bizarre turn. A disturbing object--artfully encoded with five symbols--is discovered in the Capitol Building. Langdon recognizes the object as an ancient invitation . . . one meant to usher its recipient into a long-lost world of esoteric wisdom.

When Langdon’s beloved mentor, Peter Solomon--a prominent Mason and philanthropist--is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes his only hope of saving Peter is to accept this mystical invitation and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon is instantly plunged into a clandestine world of Masonic secrets, hidden history, and never-before-seen locations--all of which seem to be dragging him toward a single, inconceivable truth.

The book follows the same formula as Dan Brown previous novels—the hero was forced to solve some puzzles in order to save something or someone. And in this book, Robert Langdon was forced to hop into an adventure to and solve some puzzles, symbols, code or his friend, Peter Solomon will die. In this adventure, Langdon was joined by Peter's younger sister, Katherine Solomon to save Peter.

As I finished the book, I found out that I got one major problem with this book.

Once I start reading, I just can’t put it down. With the chapters ended with cliffhangers and suspense, it makes me unable to stop myself from pausing from my read. I found myself wanting to continue to read and find out what happen next. In the end, I can’t believe that I finished this book within less than a week!

Overall, I'm impressed by Dan Brown work. I have no interest in Masonic, symbols or anything like it… (thus, I can't comment much on the story line, facts, or whatsoever). But, I still found this book thrilling and entertaining—a great read to enjoy myself. Dan Brown descriptive writing is great. It almost makes me feel that I was there to witness things. Although after reading his previous reading, I found this book a bit predictable to me. But it's a great fiction!

Rating: 4/5

#4 Teaser Tuesday: The Lost Symbol

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Paralyzed by fear, he was no longer pounding or shouting. Instead, he had closed his eyes and was doing his best to control his hammering heart and his panicked breathing. - Page 486, The Lost Symbol, Dan Brown.

There's 665 pages! I wonder how long will it takes for me to read this book :O

Book Review: English as Second Language

Title: English as a Second Language

Author: Megan Crane

Genre: Chick Lit

Publication: 2004

Rating: 2/5

Smart, sarcastic Alexandra Brennan is bored with her dead-end job in New York City and uncertain about where her life is headed. But when her smug ex tells her she could never get into graduate school in the United Kingdom, that's precisely what she does. Armed with American cigarettes and extra-strength coffee, Alex leaves home and crosses the Atlantic. She's ready to face all that Great Britain has to offer, including beer, blokes, and more books than she can possibly read in a year. What she discovers, however, is that instead of running away from home, she may have actually found it.

I had read so many great reviews of this book and decided that I should try to read this book too. After reading it, I wasn’t sure what I felt about this book. I’m not sure if I like it or not.

This book is about Alex’s life in graduate school. The story starts off with Alex who moved to the UK to show her ex that she could get into graduate school. She met up with a few friends—Cristina, Melanie, Toby and a few others. Then there were a lot of drinking, partying and smoking going on and I was lost. I wasn't quite sure what this book was about.

I thought that this book was poorly written. The same arguments with Alex and her friends keep on repeating over and over again towards the end—and arguments that seems to lead them nowhere. And all of the sudden, the book ended with the characters completed their year in graduate school. Really??

I was quite disappointed because I’ve seen lots of good reviews and high rating for this book. I don’t think that I wanted to read Megan Crane’s other book (although I heard that her later work is much better). I wasn't convinced. Perhaps this isn’t my cup of tea...

Book Review: I Heart Vegas

Title: I Heart Vegas (I Heart #4)

Author: Lindsey Kelk

Genre: Chick Lit

Publication: 2011

Rating: 4/5

Angela Clark loves her life in New York. She a Brit who’s conquered the Big Apple. Unfortunately, she’s also a Brit who’s lost her job. And when, just a couple of weeks before Christmas, the immigration department gets wind of this, Angela needs to find a new job urgently. Or a husband. And she doesn’t think her boyfriend Alex will be keen.

A girls’ weekend in Vegas with her best friend Jenny seems the perfect way to forget her troubles. From the minute they arrive Angela is swept up in a whirl of cocktails, outrageous outfits, late nights and brushes with the chapel of love. But rather than escaping trouble, Angela is up to her neck in it….

But what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas – right?

I have never read any of ‘I Heart’ series. I was first introduced to Lindsey Kelk books with The Single Girl’s To Do List last year. So when I saw this book on sale, I decided to give it a try. Besides, I like Lindsey Kelk writing style in The Single Girl’s To Do List.

I love Lindsey Kelk writing. The writing is witty (something that I always look in anything I read). Lindsey succeeds in making her character; Angela seems so real and easy to relate to.

I find this book an easy read with lots of laugh out loud moment. It is exactly what I look for in any chiclit books — a little bit of romance, friendship and mayhem.

I totally recommend this book to all chicklit fans. I think I’m going to hunt for the rest of the series now. And I will definitely read the continuation of Angela’s journey in I Heart London.

Book Review: The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl #2)

Title: The Arctic Incident (Artemis Fowl #2)
Author: Eoin Colfer
Genre: YA, fantasy, adventure
Publication: 2002
Rating: 4/5

The world's youngest, brightest, and most dangerous criminal mastermind is back!

Artemis Fowl receives an urgent e-mail from Russia, In it is a plea from a man who has been kidnapped by the Russian Mafiya: his father. As Artemis rushes to the rescue, he is stopped by a familiar nemesis, captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon unit. Now, instead of battling the fairies, he is going to have to join forces with them if he wants to save one of the few people in the world he loves.

As I mentioned in Teaser Tuesday, I started to read Artemis Fowl series to convince my little sister that it's a good book. And I fell in love with Artemis character after a few pages in book 1.

In the last book, Artemis stole fairy gold from the 'people' and came out alive. In this book, Artemis met with Holly again and joined forces with the fairies. Artemis shall help the fairies with the trouble within LEP, and in exchange, the fairies would help Artemis to save his father.

Well there's one thing for sure: this book is better than the first one. This book is full of action and thrill with a few laugh-out-loud moment. I like how the author develop the character from the first book. Overall, it was an enjoyable read even for someone who rarely read YA genre like me.

#3 Teaser Tuesday: The Arctic Incident

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

If the goblins had somehow managed to hook up the terminal to a power source, then all  the safety features would have been activated. Including... - Page 27, Artemis Fowl, The Arctic Incident, Eoin Colfer.

I recently read my little sister's Artemis Fowl series to prove to her that this book is interesting. A few months ago, she coaxed me into buying this book, and told me that it's boring. I picked up the book, and fell in love with Artemis XD

Book Review: The Holmes Affair

Title: The Holmes Affair

Author: Graham Moore

Genre: Crime & Thriller, Mystery, action, adventure

Publication: 2011

Rating: 3/5

A Brutal Killer

Sherlock Holmes' famous creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, has a new obsession: a brutal killer who is preying on young and vulnerable woman. Conan Doyle is roaming the dark streets of Victorian London hunting a man who is determined to evade capture.

A Missing Diary

As his search continues, Conan Doyle records the clues the killer leaves behind in a private diary — a diary that, 100 years later, has never been found.

A Deadly Secret

Enter Sherlock Holmes' fanatic, Harold White, who must find the missing diary — and in so doing discover a secret that Conan Doyle risked everything to hide...

I have always been a fan of mystery/detective novel ever since I was very little. I couldn't resist myself to buy this The Holmes Affair when I saw the book on the display.

This book is written in two plots —  one in 1900 and one in 2010, with each story switching after each chapters. The first plot run with Arthur Conan Doyle investigating a murder back in 1900, and the second story with Harold White, a Holmes' fan in searching for Conan Doyle missing diary.

I found that the alternating chapters quite interesting. I find myself much more interested with Harold's mission in finding Conan Doyle's diary. It was fun, adventurous and suspense as compared to Conan Doyle investigation in 1900. I wasn't really satisfied with how the author conclude Conan Doyle investigation. I thought that it was too easy. But, I understand how hard it is to write a mystery fiction (since I have attempt to write one myself). 

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I would recommend this book to mystery-adventure fans.

According to some source, The Holmes Affair and The Sherlockian are the same novel with different title.