The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf
The Star Online: Lifestyle: Bookshelf |
| Posted: 07 Sep 2012 04:53 AM PDT We have zombies and elves and star-crossed lovers, oh my! ParaNorman: Attack Of The Pilgrim Zombies THIS is based on the similarly titled animated movie currently showing in cinemas nationwide, with the screenplay written by Chris Butler. There is also a novel adaptation but this edition is for younger readers. Something weird is happening in the small town of Blithe Hollow. An old witch's curse has raised the dead from their graves! These undead Pilgrims are out and about, and only looking for one thing – a boy named Norman Babcock. You see, Norman has a special ability: he can talk to ghosts. Unfortunately, zombies are a little different from spirits. So what can he and his friends do to stop the undead invasion? Temptation THIS is a collection of three fan-favourite stories: Goodnight Kiss, Goodnight Kiss 2 and The Vampire Club. It's summer in Sandy Hollow, and the vampires there look forward to the arrival of tourists, which really means the arrival of fresh new blood for them to feast on. But they want to have some fun first with a game: the first vampire to seduce and turn a human date into a blood-sucking creature will emerge the winner. But there's a catch. They can only take three small sips on three different nights. Drink too much and the human prey will die. But can they resist temptation since their thirst is so great? The Vampire Fighters AFTER The Vampire Blog and The Vampire Hunters comes this third book in the series. Marcus, the 13-year-old half-vampire, tries to live life as normally as he can but the hour is approaching when he will acquire his special powers. Yet, it doesn't seem to happen when he expects it, and every day that passes piles on the pressure. Then a weird Winter Fair comes to town, and when a few horrifying attacks occur, Marcus and his friends believe it is the work of the super-evil Deadly Vampires sect. Elf Girl And Raven Boy: Fright Forest THIS is the first book in the Elf Girl And Raven Boy series. Funny, entrancing and creepy adventures abound for the two magical creatures. Raven Boy is gifted with the ability to talk to animals and with incredible night vision. Meanwhile, Elf Girl is lightfooted and quick-thinking. They meet under not-so-wondrous circumstances, however – Raven Boy falls out of a tree and crushes Elf girl's home! Before they can begin fueding, though, they find they have their work cut out for them to save their world from ogres, witches, trolls and other such monsters in the frightful forest. Ash Mistry And The Savage Fortress AUTHOR Sarwat Chadda travelled the world collecting myths and legends. With this new series, he aims to share them, bringing together obscure Eastern gods, heroes and demons to sit alongside other well-known mythical characters of the world. In this first book, Ash and his sister Lucky visit their relatives in India and end up at a party hosted by the strange Lord Savage. Ash is suspicious of Lord Savage, and believes there is more to the man than meets the eye. Sure enough, soon Ash and Lucky are on the run from Savage and his demons. Spark (Sky Chasers 2) THIS is the thrilling sequel to Glow. Waverly and Kieran are reunited on the Empyrean, and continue on their mission to rescue their parents from the enemy ship, New Horizon. But Kieran's leadership ways begin to raise Waverly's suspicions and she finds herself more and more in agreement with Seth. When a mysterious explosion occurs on the Empyrean, Seth is released from the brig, but the ship has been thrown off course. Fingers point at Seth as the cause of the explosion, and Waverly is accused of releasing him. Will Kieran lock them both away or will Seth find the real culprit? Insignia IMAGINE if playing computer games could save the world, and the government needs you to do just that. Wouldn't that be every kid's dream? Tom Raines drifts from town to town with his gambler father. But one day, he is recruited into an elite military academy to train as a virtual reality combatant. If he passes the test, he will join the Intrasolar Forces and help his country fight in World War III. But he can he pay the price of becoming a virtual reality soldier. Dreamless (Starcrossed 2) THIS the sequel to Starcrossed, which introduced readers to the unusual Helen Hamilton, the only human who can travel into Hades. Helen has been tasked with killing the Furies, but she doesn't know how to do it. She wanders around the Underworld, and the exhaustion is tearing away at her sanity. Though still with the Delos Clan, Helen and Lucas are slowly accepting the fact that they cannot be together. Believing she can only complete her task alone, Lucas leaves her. In comes Orion, an attractive descendent of Adonis, who keeps Helen safe from the dangers of Hades. But even as her world turns chaotic, she finds that she still cannot forget Lucas. |
| Posted: 07 Sep 2012 03:48 AM PDT Here are more titles that Star2 readers can get at a special price at tomorrow's eagerly awaited warehouse sale. ALIENS on the run from another alien race; talking animals living on a farm; French verbs and how to exercise your brain; I love you, I love you not.... From fiction to self-help to romance, travel, and business books and many more, you are bound to find something to tickle your fancy at the MPH Distributors Warehouse Sale tomorrow. Customers who purchase RM300 and above worth of books at the sale will stand a chance at the lucky dip, where 100 freebies will be given out daily on a first come, first served basis for the duration of the sale. And for Star2 readers: you are entitled to further marked down prices for a selection of titles. Simply present this original page (no photocopies!) upon payment and enjoy the special prices. This offer is valid, while stocks last, only during the MPH Distributors Warehouse Sale from tomorrow until Sept 17. It is not valid with other promotions and is not exchangeable for cash. One page is valid for up to five of the titles featured on this page. Gripping fiction Game Of Thrones five-book box set (warehouse sale price: RM90 / Star2 price: RM85) – On the fictional lands of Westeros and Essos, the seasons have a mind of their own. Winter can last as many years as she pleases, backed by a wall of ice and old magic. A Song Of Ice And Fire series by George R.R. Martin is now available in a complete five-book box set. I Heart London by Lindsey Kelk (WP: RM15 / SP: RM10) – Angela Clark has fallen in love with New York, and it's starting to love her back. But when she's summoned home to London, she risks losing her shiny new life to gloomy English rains, warm beer and bad memories. There's the ex-boyfriend she never wanted to see again, her best friend and her terrifying new baby, and a wedding coming up. Everyone still remembers how she behaved at the last wedding she attended, so she is not exactly keen on having history repeat itself. James Rollins Assorted 2-in-1 bundles (WP: RM27 / SP: RM22) – New York Times bestselling author James Rollins is known for his action-adventure-thrill-packed novels. His books have been translated into more than 40 languages and unveil unseen worlds, scientific breakthroughs and historical secrets. His many titles are available in assorted 2-in-1 bundles. Sidney Sheldon's Angel Of The Dark by Tilly Bagshawe (WP: RM18 / SP: RM13) – An elderly multimillionaire is murdered, and his young wife raped and beaten. The police assume the motive is robbery. A decade later, three similar killings happen in different cities around the world. Male victim: wealthy, elderly, newly married. Female victim: raped or assaulted, but allowed to live. How can the Angel of Death be prevented from striking again? The Devil Who Tamed Her by Johanna Lindsey (WP: RM15 / SP: RM10) – The beautiful and ruthless Ophelia Reid has a reputation for starting rumours and spreading them. Having purposely wrecked her arranged engagement to a future marquis, she now intends to make her own choice of a wealthy husband. Unfortunately, her paths cross with that of a dashing rake who is dedicated to making her change her wicked ways. Learning fun 100 Battles: Conflicts That Shaped The World (WP: RM28 / SP: RM23) – From the Battle Of Kadesh to Pearl Harbour, this book depicts major battles in history from the Ancient era to present day that have had a significant impact on the world in which we now live. Full-colour tactical battle plans, engaging illustrations and maps are included. Brain Rules by John Medina (WP: RM 40 / SP: RM34) – Why wasn't Michael Jordan good at baseball? How can a boy come to be talented at music, but can't tie his shoelaces? The author, a molecular biologist, shares his lifelong interest in how the brain sciences might influence the way we teach our children and the way we work. Brain Rules For Baby by John Medina (WP: RM34 / SP: RM30) – What does the latest science say about how to raise smart and happy children? Medina, who is a father in addition to being a molecular biologist, attempts to bridge the gap between what scientists know and what parents practice. He offers insights into how a child's brain develops and what you can do to optimise that growth. Collins Easy Learning French Verbs (WP: RM17 / SP: RM12) – A beginner's guide to understanding French verbs, it shows all the major tenses of the most important verbs in French. Its clear, colour layout helps you find the information you need quickly and easily. This guide comes with a handy verb wheel that covers the most common tenses for 28 essential French verbs. For young minds I Am Number Four: The Lost Files: The Legacies by Pittacus Lore (WP: RM20 / SP: RM16) – These three action-packed novellas, originally published as the e-novellas Six's Legacy, Nine's Legacy and The Fallen Legacies, have been compiled in one volume for the first time. The Rise Of Nine: Book 3 Of The Lorien Legacies by Pittacus Lore (WP: RM19 / SP: RM15) – In the beginning we were a group of nine. We left our home planet of Lorien when it fell under attack from the deadly Mogodorians. We scattered on Earth and went into hiding. We look like ordinary teenagers, but we are not human. Number One was caught in Malaysia, Number Two in England, and Number Three in Kenya. They caught me in New York, but I escaped. I am Number Six. The Mogodorians want to finish what they started, but they'll have to fight us first. Children's Planet Earth Encyclopedia (WP: RM24 / SP: RM18) – What is a glacier? What causes a volcano to erupt? How was the Grand Canyon formed? Children can explore our planet with amazing diagrams of the Earth and information about how it has evolved. This encyclopedia also covers topics such as rocks and minerals, and weather and climate, suitable for curious minds. Disney Ultimate Storybook Collection (WP: RM30 / SP: RM25) – Lose yourself in the world of 10 magical character storybooks from Disney and Pixar in this charming slipcase set, from Beauty And The Beast to Cars, Peter Pan, Finding Nemo and lots more. Encyclopedia Of Questions And Answers (WP: RM20 / SP: RM17) – How does a Venus fly-trap catch prey? Why did dinosaurs become extinct? Find answers to these questions and over 1,000 other intriguing queries inside this brilliantly illustrated book. Young readers will find a vast amount of information in this book, made interesting and accessible by the question and answer format and the use of realistic illustration. Farmyard Stories (WP: RM9 / SP: RM5) – Farmyard animals come to life in this delightful padded book comprising 10 stories. Ideal for read-aloud sessions with parents and children. – Rouwen Lin The MPH Distributors Warehouse Sale will be held from 8am to 6pm, from tomorrow to Sept 17, at The Crest, 3 Two Square, Block F, Ground Floor, No. 2, Jalan 19/1, Petaling Jaya, Selangor. For inquiries, call 03-7958 1688. "Like" the sale at facebook.com/MPHDistributors for the latest updates; today is the last day to win free books on their Facebook page. |
| Posted: 07 Sep 2012 02:47 AM PDT Give this novel a chance, don't be put off by its junkie characters, for it is definitely worthy of a read. Narcopolis BOMBAY, which obliterated its own history by changing its name and surgically altering its face, is the hero or heroine of this story, and since I'm the one who's telling it and you don't know who I am, let me say that we'll get to the who of it but not right now, because now there's time enough not to hurry, to light the lamp and open the window to the moon and take a moment to dream of a great and broken city, because when the day starts I'll have to stop...." So begins Jeet Thayil's debut novel, Narcopolis, an ode to Bombay (now called Mumbai) and the flawed and colourful characters that provide the life and make up of the city. The nameless narrator – perhaps it is Thayil, perhaps it is a figment of Thayil's imagination – first arrives in colourful Bombay from New York in the late 1970s. It is here that the nameless narrator stumbles upon an array of shifty, desperate, colourful and strangely attractive characters. While the central character of Narcopolis is without a doubt Bombay, the bulk of the action revolves around Rashid's opium room, where monied individuals with good family names mix with petty thieves, prostitutes, and traffic wardens to achieve a common goal: to get high and forget the trials and tribulations of their lives. The main characters, whose lives typify the chaos, despair and suffering of Bombay, include Rumi the salaryman and husband whose addiction is violence; Newton Xavier, the celebrated painter who both rejects and craves adulation; and Mr Lee, the Chinese refugee and businessman. And then there is Dimple, an initially unassuming character who represents the lowest of the low and most desperate of Bombay, and perhaps India itself. Dimple is not your average individual and is far from being an average woman. Born a boy, Dimple was given away or possibly sold by her mother when she was six years old, and at that time, had her genitals cut off, removing any possibility of a normal life. Dimple, in fact, was surgically designed to become a prostitute. And the author does not hold back when describing the agony that Dimple goes through with her customers – the words are too painful, and perhaps too graphic, to reproduce here. Rounding out her day while waiting for customers, Dimple prepares and serves pipes to those who frequent the opium den that is next to her brothel. Of course, there are those who argue that despite whatever problems characters like Rumi, Newton Xavier and Dimple may be facing that led them to become junkies, they could all have done something more productive and meaningful with their lives. However, it is not Thayil's intention to document a cast of sober and career-minded characters with limited flaws. Thayil's Bombay is filled with flawed characters whose taste in drugs shift from opium in the 1970s to heroin in the 1980s and crystal meth in the 1990s – and these flawed characters that provide a skewed vision of sobriety. Like most junkies, Rumi, Xavier and Dimple do not know why they need to fill their bodies with chemicals to the point of hallucination, they just do it, and Thayil does not attempt to explain that need. The lack of reasoning works – if Thayil had tried to explain, Narcopolis would have lost its appeal. The most poignant point in the novel is the ending, whereby the nameless narrator returns to Bombay in 2004 and finds the city – and indeed, the country – changed. India has moved ahead on the world's economic stage, and so has Bombay. In the quest to remain relevant and on par with (and perhaps even get ahead of) her competitors, Bombay has rushed forward to embrace the 21st century and all of its modern promises, dragging her populace with her. The characters that once littered Rashid's opium den are either dead, in recovery, or sobered up and running businesses, while secretly longing for the carefree days of the 1970s. My personal view on this particular segment of the novel is that perhaps progress is not all it is cut out to be. Perhaps life was simpler and more straight forward when no one had anything to prove, either to ourselves or to the world, and the promises of modernity did not get in the way of living life. Just as people have differing views on narcotics, some readers may be put off by Narcopolis and Thayil's poetic way of telling a story. The prologue itself is a challenge to get through: it is an endless ramble that lasts for seven pages. This is Thayil's attempt to illustrate the non-linear train of thought of an individual high on opium; those with less patience may find this opening sequence disjointed, annoying and utterly pretentious. However, once you allow yourself to get sucked into the underbelly of Bombay – which is the main course in Narcopolis – Thayil's lyrical prose starts to make sense and becomes easy to read. He alternates between opium highs, depressing lows and harsh reality, while pushing the story of junkies forward. Reading is made even easier because the novel is broken into short chapters, allowing both the reader and Thayil to remain focused on unveiling the tale. For a debut novel, Narcopolis is an ambitious work. If Thayil had wanted to highlight and showcase life in a vibrant, colourful, proud and at times sleazy city like Bombay, he has succeeded. As for the flawed characters: they are a reflection of almost every society in the world. They are not to be hated or pitied; we just have to live with them. Give this novel a chance, get past the pretentious prologue and the filth that are the central characters: Narcopolis is worthy of a read. |
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