a book

Been reading quite a bit recently but i have not come across any books which I would absolutely recommend and put it on my 'must-read' list. I look out for three things in a good book - plot (how engaging is the story), words (the way the writer writes) and thought (if it prompts me to think further). A good gauge is when I am stuck in a dilemma where I want to finish the novel quickly yet cannnot bear for such a good novel to end.

I always lament at my lack of reading khakis. Most of my friends are people who are proud of the fact that their Literature books are the only novels they have read. They are not wrong obviously, it is a personal choice. But I wish for friends who can discuss with me the latest book they have read or their favourite author. Haiz.

So i decided to use this blog to spread my love of reading to everyone and hopefully convert my blog readers to bookworms... hahaha.. so beware!

I just finished "Purveyor of Enchantment" by Marika Cobbold and thought that it was well, not too bad but the plot failed to grab my attention. I particularly like Cobbold's writing style - witty and satirical, yet easy to understand. I could say that she is the female version of my favorite writer Nick Hornby (but more about him another time coz he deserves one full entry on my blog).

The story is nothing really interesting, about this overly-paranoid woman who finally comquered her fears and lived happily ever after with her Prince Charming. But there are lots of parts in the novel that are really funny or thought-provoking which made plodding through the somewhat confusing storyline very worthwhile.

Some snippets...

'I know I worry a lot,' Clementine whispered to Mr Scott. 'And right now, it seems to have been the most cruel waste of time, but then again, how can people not worry? I know that sleeping with a condom under my pillow might be thought of as going a little too far.'

Mr Scott stirred in his chair. 'Would that be some modern version of The Princess and the Pea?' he asked.

Clementine shook her head. 'Rape,' she hissed. 'The thought is bad enough as it is, but if you add the risk of contracting Aids.'

'I think it might be a little too optimistic to expect an intruder with rape in mind to agree to protect you against sexually transmitted diseases?' Mr Scott suggested.
__________

Once she had dreamt of making people stop and gasp at the beauty of her music, but that was before reality had pushed a stake through the heart of fantasy. As she wandered on down the garden, she found herself asking how it was that she had wasted quite so much of her life. There were a few rare people in the world whose lives took flight, who made their moment on earth count as they soared above the rest of humanity. Clementine had been born without wings, leaving her scurrying hither and thither with an occasional longing glance at the heavens. Maybe, she thought, those other people had simply been elsewhere when the rest of us learnt the meaning of pie in the sky and that life was short and ugly.

ok i decided to create my own scale... (5 stars is the maximum)

Plot: **
Words: *****
Thought: ****