228. The World's Best Brunches: Where to Find Them and How to Make Them by Lonely Planet

BOOK REVIEW: The World's Best Brunches - Where to Find Them and How to Make Them by Lonely Planet

Food is the epicentre of my life, not only literally but figuratively. With a hectic academic schedule, off days are spent with a late starting of the day. Between morning and noon, what's the best to chow down on? Brunch of course!

A term originally coined for Saturday night carousers who couldn't wake up for breakfast, brunch has evolved into a sunny, social meal beloved the world over.

In this book, a collection of mid-morning meals are accompanied by the origin of each dish, the best place to sample a bite, and an easy-to-prepare recipe for cooking it at home.

Written by food writers from across the globe, this tantalizing tome has a glossary of exotic ingredients with suggestions for easy-to-find alternatives.

I give this book a whopping 5-star rating for its food photography and luscious food descriptions that would have you planning for tomorrow's brunch.

227. Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

BOOK REVIEW: Crystal Cove by Lisa Kleypas

Shoutout to all you cumbu fans out there! I know you gals (and maybe some guys, shhh) simply adore romance novels, not only for the raunchy bits but also how the hero and heroine have the happily-ever-after ending of love and its beauty.

Will sparks fly when an unlikely hero (an RPG game designer without a soul) and an unconventional heroine (a witch who runs an inn on a quaint island and is cursed never to find love) run into each other? Well, as they say, opposites do attract.

Jason and Justine meet in a small island town in the Pacific Northwest, where magic is in the air and fate is a force too powerful to defy.

Justine Hoffman has made a comfortable life for herself on the island of Friday Harbor. She is the proprietor of a successful boutique hotel, and she has the safe, predictable life she has always wanted. Growing up with her flighty, nomadic mother, Marigold, has instilled in her a deep longing for stability. But in spite of everything Justine has achieved, there is still something missing. Love. And after years of waiting and dreaming, she is willing to do whatever it takes to change her destiny.

What Justine soon discovers is that someone cast a spell on her when she was born, with the result that she will never find her soul mate. Determined to change her fate, Justine finds a way to break the enchantment, never dreaming of the dangerous complications that will follow.

When Justine meets the mysterious Jason Black, she accidentally unleashes a storm of desire and danger that threatens everything she holds dear because Jason has secrets of his own, and he wants more than fate will ever allow.

A truly magical read of undying love and the emotions involved, it was a touching read from page to page. Do keep it away from younger prying hands though as certain scenes are not suitable for translation if you get what I mean.

226. Frankly in Love by David Yoon

EXCERPT REVIEW: Frankly in Love by David Yoon (Courtesy of Times Reads)

As I promised, here it is. Times Reads had a generous heart to provide an avid reader as me an excerpt from David Yoon's newest release, Frankly in Love. As a young adult myself, YA novels always resonate with my life and its many trials and tribulations.

This book from David Yoon discusses on the adversities faced by a Korean individual brought up by truly Korean parents in a westernized society that is America. as you can already guess, a string of funny misfortunes begin to line up when you try to swim against the flow of the norms.

This candid, romantic and original coming-of-age YA contemporary debut about a Korean-American teen falling in (and out) of love is perfect for fans of The Sun is Also a Star, Eleanor Park and Simon vs The Homo Sapiens Agenda.

High school senior Frank Li is a Limbo - his term for Korean-American kids who find themselves caught between their Korean parents' traditional expectations and their own Southern California upbringing. Frank is ready to fall in love, but his parents have one strict rule when it comes to romance: "Date Korean".

His love story takes a complicated turn when he falls for Brit Means, who is smart, beautiful - and white. Fellow Limbo Joy Song is in a similar predicament, and so they make a pact: they'll pretend to date each other in order to gain their freedom. Frank think it's the perfect plan, but soon enough, Frank and Joy's fake dating maneuver leaves him wondering if he ever really understood love - or himself - at all.

This book heralds the arrival of a sensational new YA voice that explores the ties between love, identity, and race for a generation that wants to love and let love. After reading this excerpt, I just can't wait to get my hands on this funny and heartwarming novel of what love truly means and of adhering to tradition.

225. Scream to the Shadows by Tunku Halim

BOOK REVIEW: Scream to the Shadows by Tunku Halim (Courtesy of Times Reads)

If the movie IT 2 didn't already give me the heebie jeebies then this book definitely did. Times Reads certainly put a smile on my face considering I'm a stickler for all things horror. Malaysia's very own Stephen King, my all time favorite king of horror, Tunku Halim, has outdone himself once again.

Tunku Halim is one of Malaysia's most acclaimed authors, and yes, I would like to stress it once again, especially in the horror genre. His scream-inducing tales of terror will set even the bravest heart screaming for the hills.

20 shadowy tales from Asia's Stephen King will make you tremble under the covers (and this is barely a joke, I had many a sleepless night after reading the stories). 

Within these quivering pages you will encounter the beautiful wife who keeps returning from the dead,a book seller with a cursed book collection, a bewitching hermaphrodite, a terrifying demon unknowingly unleashed, a village where were-tigers abound and many more spine-chillers of the night.

Written over a period of 2 decades, these dark stories are feats of mystery and imagination that will keep you turning the pages, until you scream to the shadows....

Masterfully spun to ignite the flames of fear, this is one book that will certainly make you shed tears of unrelenting fright. If this book were to be given a rating of 5 stars, I would give it an exceeding 100 over 5 stars. It was that good!


Times Reads also never fails to appreciate their reviewers and this time they have given book lovers like me an extra reason to be joyful. I was gifted with an excerpt from David Yoon's upcoming novel, Frankly in Love (which I will be giving a brief run-up in my next blog post) and also 4 beautiful bookmarks to place in each of my books. Thanks Times Reads!