read: enders game

Fascinating read that captures so much that the movie could not. The background of being a third child and how Ender became the boy he was, a mix of his elder brother who was too vicious and his sister who was too soft. Ender was a captivating hero who broke all odds to emerge victorious and yet the author gave him a depth of character to feel mixed about him saving the world. Giving the buggers an alternative angle changed what would have been a very stereotypical plot to a deep story about humans and their flaws. The buggers invaded earth as they weren't able to communicate telepathically with the earthlings as they do within themselves and concluded that there was no intelligent beings. What if humans have been conquering farmland and cities, decimating all in its pathway just because we speak a different language from these lives

lessons in chemistry

Powerful story about women empowerment and sexism in that era. Beautiful love story. And love the addition of six thirty the dog.  

Will definitely recommend.

read: strange houses

Intriguing mystery that went right into the story.

Easy to follow with the supporting floor plan illustrations.

Story was built up piece by piece and however improbable the premise seemed to be it felt realistic given the way the author built it up through dialogues.

Each character was given depth, motives, emotions.

Look forward to reading the series!

read: the heaven and earth grocery store

A story set in the US set in the backdrop of racial discrimination. White, Jews, Negroes.

But it goes beyond the simple class stereotypes. Friendship between Chona (Jew) and Bernice (Negro), between Dodo and Monkey Pants, between Fatty and Big Soap. Also within class, there is the Isaac (Jew who wants to be white and upper class), Moshe who cos of Chona stayed true to his roots; the Lowgod, the Loves, and the rest.

read: 斗破苍穹

Took me a few months of intensive reading to finish this series but it was so addictive I stopped reading everything else. I guess it's the typical story of a hero, who through many coincidences, obtain heroic powers. But it's his hard work and not talent that makes him more endearing. He also meets an amazing number of gorgeous girls along the way, which is a bit odd but kind of helps the story along. Will recommend.

read: sapiens

A simple to read but long story of humans evolution, questioning what have we actually achieved for ourselves other than more diseases and longer working hours.

There was a section on pursuing happiness, culminating in the Buddhist belief that it's the pursuit of happy feelings that makes one's life perpetually unhappy.

It ends with a scary picture of a future where we slave for machines/ AI who control the world, a world that they can no longer explain to us, like how we cannot explain how wall street works to a monkey

long time gone by Charlie donlea

Easy to read thriller with plenty of action

A little unnecessary with the detailed write ups of the heroine's cross fit obsession but otherwise good relaxing read.

read: don't believe it by Charlie Donlea

Story of an investigative journalist who writes a documentary to uncover the potential innocence of a person in jail.

She uncovers evidence to prove the innocence but at the same time uncovers the real murderer. The plot twist was interesting. Ends with a sort of cliffhanger I suppose.

read: Holly

When I got to Chapter 2 it was perplexing given that it seemed I jumped to another story. But loved the build up with each of the murder and how Holly unraveled the threads.

This is not a supernatural horror story unlike many of Stephen King's. But of a natural evil that exists in humans, greedy, in this case, for life.

It references to another story which I'm now drawn to read.

read: if you like it darker

I enjoyed Danny Coughlin's Bad Dream because of the way it panned out and what that said about human nature and the creepy cop who's obsessed with numbers. 

I found the Dreamers somewhat Lovecraftian.

I actually quite like the Turbulent Expert, felt like an interesting concept with a tidy end where he found a successor.