Ulat Buku

or bookworm. if you prefer the conventional term. haha.

Anyway, to prevent myself from rotting completely this hols, I managed to fill part of my abundant free time with some catching up on my long abandoned pursuit of storybook reading.

So this post is gonna be abt the books that I read this long hols. I know this is not a lot (I used to be able to read more and in a shorter time), but then I see it as a side hobby only. hehe.

Most of my time is spent sleeping, eating and fixing my eyes on the computer screen in front of me. (Oops, does that sound like a pig? lol but then I've never heard of pig smart enuf to surf the net rite? *ironic laugh*)

Oh, digressed again. Right, the books.

First up is none other than Harry Potter & The Deathly Hallows.

I'm not gonna ramble on the book here since I've already dedicated a whole post to it previously. Those interested to read it, pls click here.

Those lazy to read it, the general conclusion is that it provides a good ending to the whole series. Action-packed and full of plot twists. However, there are some minor loopholes to logic tho.

Next up is book six of my favourite Pendragon series - The Rivers of Zadaa.

You know why I absolutely love this series? The plot is just amazing. And the alternate worlds (called "territories") he created are nothing short of fantastic and stretches the imagination. Besides his books are relatively cheaper compared to most english novels that reach our shores. They range from RM15.90 to RM19.90, definitely worth-it.

One other reason I like this series is becoz the language is simple. No mumbo-jumbo, twists and turns with words which would cause my brain to work overtime to process them. This lets my brain some time to rest in btw those medical textbooks which can be super confusing. Good for relaxation! =)

Those who are new to this series shld definitely check it out! I highly recommend it.

After all that praise, sorry! I'm lazy to review this book ade. Click here if you wanna know more.

Alright, the next book is The Quillan Games (yes it's book 7 of the Pendragon series, apparently I'm quite behind!)

Quillan is a territory where people are struggling to survive. And to do that, they hvta play the Quillan games. Which are not of the innocent type but games which may involve a battle to death.

What is the turning point of Quillan? How can Bobby help save Quillan from self-destruction. To find out, read the book! Here's a more complete review.

I find the main idea of the book refreshing. The only thing that irks me in this book is the various flashbacks to the previous books. Which I had read. So it gets a bit frustrating reading the same thing over and over again. Other than that, the book is good.

Okay, time for some chick lit! Boy, do I miss good chick lit. Nowadays due to its sudden popularity, there are hundreds new books of the genre that throng bookshelves. But only a few are really good. I shld know. After getting hooked on it (it was before its wave of popularity), later I was sorely disappointed with how a few books turned out in the end.

Anyhow, Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries are a winner! I'm rereading this book coz I dunno which chick lit books are good anymore. This is Volume VI - Princess In Training. (yeah, I just checked online, I'm backward by three books! I can't believe it. aikz.)

Anyway, the PD series are revolutionary in the fact that it really reads like a diary. You can find online conversations inside (with abreviations too! cute), excerpts of her homework [algebra anyone?], timetables, scraps of a conversation passed to and fro on a paper in class. It's just so realistic!

And the idea of a normal girl who was suddenly thrust upon the title of princess. And how she tried to live a normal life in a normal high school. Hilarious stuff. I recommend this to those who like tasteful chick lit. Yayz!

Time for more magical realms. (Can you see a pattern here? I seemed to really like books abt magic. Guess I'm an escapist of sorts. lol)

Next up is Abhorsen. It's the last book of the famous trilogy [the previous books were Sabriel and Lirael].

Personally, I much prefer Lirael. Somehow I find it more compelling and I enjoyed the plot more. I seemed to be a sucker for plots that start with a pitiful girl that doesn't seem to belong and then eventually find her place in the world. haha.

Abhorsen seemed a little drawn out. And less of that endearing quality. But then as always, the author managed to create a new world where magic has to be done by drawing out magic symbols from the Charter. And only magic can be done in the Old Kingdow behind the wall. Other than that is a place where is something like the world we known. Intrigued? Check it out then. ^v^

Last but not least is Stranger In A Strange Land.

I bought this book becoz I read a blazing review about this book - promising it to be the science-fiction book of the century. So far it's pretty cool but then I just started on it. Hopefully I will be able to finish it before sem4 starts. *gasps*

The main character is called Valentine M. Smith and he is a human. The catch is - he grew up on Mars and does not know what humans are. How the story goes I do not know. Maybe you could read the review here. I'm not sure if there are spoilers tho so I'm not reading hehe.

And so thus ends the ramblings of a self-professed "ulat buku". *winks*

PS: This will be my last post in penang. Cya guys in KL! Time to paint the town red! Teehee. >.<