BOOK REVIEW: Lord of the Flies by William Golding
First up, let me make it clear that this is NOT a part of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and neither is it a spoof. This well-known novel by William Golding is a true study of human behaviour when one is pushed to the brink of madness to survive.
Set against a backdrop of a secluded island where a group of schoolboys get beached up after a tragic plane crash, the moments of sheer terror when they begin turning against each other will set your nerves tingling. Even the description of the sights and sounds of the jungle background on this desert island will make readers feel as if they are entombed in the pages of the story.
At first with no adult supervision, the boys' freedom is something to celebrate. This far from civilization they can do anything they want, eat to their hearts content, walk around in their birthday suit and much more. Anything.
But as order collapses, as strange howls echo in the night, as terror begins its reign, the hope of adventure seems as far removed from reality as the hope of being rescued. Fear and the need to stay alive can start playing things on one's mind and this story is a stark depiction of how it takes a grip on your soul.
This is a disturbing read if you can't stomach the gore and madness that the schoolboys end up succumbing to. However, the sudden jumps in the storyline are incredibly attractive and provide for a read that is truly hard to put down. I personally found this book incredibly enthralling and I hope you readers do too.
BOOK REVIEW: Scary Stories 3 - More Tales to Chill your Bones, collected by Alvin Schwartz
Phew! The third installation in this series is finally done and dusted with. Halloween sure feels more surreal with the tales which are evidently longer and more investigative in this book.
Alvin Schwartz has definitely done a good job of compiling the terrifying stories in this book. Many well-known legends and horror stories such as poltergeist activity and the wolf child are special mentions in this book. My personal favourite was the story where a child grew up in the company of wolves, only to turn into a child more feral than human.
Notes at the ending of the book provide a sparkling insight into the many origins of the stories which have passed through our ears at some time or another. The worst of it was how when someone contracted the plague and died, they covered up the whole thing to prevent an issue from forming. The victim's daughter was left for madness without knowing what happened to her mother who disappeared into thin air despite being under the care of a doctor.
These tales can prove to be quite twisted and macabre, serving up some unexpected shocks that will make you tremble and shiver under the sheets. The last book was the best out of the previous two and I highly recommend this to more advanced readers as they would understand the revelations of the horror stories depicted. Happy reading folks!
BOOK REVIEW: More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, collected by Alvin Schwartz
Hello there fellow readers. Are you just like me, enjoying stories about things that go bump in the night? In the second book compiled by Alvin Schwartz, tales of terror spun through the ages are retold in the shadows.
This classic collection of terrifying tales and legends offers up some of the most chilling stories of dark revenge and supernatural events of all time. This book has less play-stories than the first, focusing more on the tales themselves, inspiring even darker nights and scarier dreams.
In this book, the tales are slightly longer than in the first book, thus encouraging readers to go the extra passage to unearth the bone-chilling revelation that each tale has to offer. It also has a section detailing the different types of supernatural entities mentioned throughout like poltergeists and vampires.
For young readers, the chills are enough to set them running for the hills. Readers like myself found the stories to be a tad amateur in the horror department. Nevertheless, it makes for fun reading with Halloween coming up in a few days time. More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark would make a lovely gift for young and young-at-heart horror aficionados.
BOOK REVIEW: Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, compiled by Alvin Schwartz
BOO! Halloween is just around the corner. What better way to spend this spooky time of the year by scaring yourself silly with tales that chill your bones...I read this book by the flickering light of a candleflame, got myself working up a sweat with shadows dancing in the corners.
In this first collection of chilling short stories, poems and songs, Alvin Schwartz delivers some well-known folklore through the ages that have never failed to send people screaming into the hills. Some of them are play-stories, it requires the involvement of the narrator and the listeners in the story for more frights.
Some of the stories have been re-written for clarity as many of them consist of same stories with varying storylines. There is even a story of the Wendigo, the mythical forest spirit/creature that whisks unsuspecting victims into the sky before dropping them from above. Another variation says that they eat up the puny humans (HINT: you can find this creature mentioned in Stephen King's Pet Sematary).
Though this book was meant for younger readers in mind, it was thoroughly enjoyable with whimsical and downright eerie illustrations. This book is lovely for the young and young-at-heart for a skipped heartbeat this Halloween. Happy Halloween and don't look back over your left shoulder dear readers...
BOOK REVIEW: The Power of Nunchi by Euny Hong (courtesy of Pansing Distribution Pte Ltd)
Now this is a book that really made me more nunchi-ful of my surroundings. But first all you readers must be thinking what's with the nunchi thing. Too much reading caused a mental short circuit? You have poor nunchi then, build it up with the help of this book.
Nunchi is a Korean word which indicates the subtle art of gauging other people's thoughts and feelings in order to build trust, harmony and connection. Nunchi doesn't only focus on face reading but combines body language and tuning in to the emotions and incidences in the surrounding to reap the best in life.
Nunchi is the guiding principle of Korean life, but anyone can use this awareness to get ahead in any setting. Korean parents believe that teaching their children nunchi is as important as teaching them to cross the road. With great nunchi, it feels like the world is on your side. Without it, you might get hit by something you never saw coming.
From finding love to excelling at work, improving your nunchi will help you open doors you never knew existed. Maybe you may acquire that pay raise that has been elusive all this time (wink!). I found this book to be straightforward and had plenty of useful examples to tackle nunchi.
Definitely a 5-star rating from my side, this book very much tips the scale compared to many self-help books I've read. I'm going to test my nunchi skills this Deepavali to gauge the festivity levels in my own home. Thoroughly enjoyable.
BOOK REVIEW: Christmas Shopaholic: A Becky Bloomwood Novel by Sophie Kinsella (courtesy of Times Reads)
Hello there ladies! Just like me, who doesn't love a spot of shopping. But what happens when shopping becomes somewhat a disorder, passing boundaries of normal purchase? Becky Bloomwood is shopaholic extraordinaire, always finding a ruse to shop for anything and everything. For those who have read the books in the Shopaholic series, you would be all-too-familiar with the quirky Becky who always ends up in turmoil due to her endless hilarious shopping sprees.
This storyline set in a backdrop of Christmas is perfectly in line with the need for shopping. Wonderfully heartwarming, with elements to tickle your funny bone through Becky's mishaps with shopping, this book is a must-read and must-have on your bookshelves.
Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) adores Christmas. It's always the same - her parents hosting, carols playing, Mum pretending she made the Christmas pudding, and the next-door neighbours coming round for sherry in their terrible festive jumpers. Now it's even easier with online bargain-shopping sites - if you spend enough you even get free delivery!
This year looks set to be different. Unable to resist the draw of craft beer and smashed avocado, Becky's parents are moving to ultra-trendy Shoreditch and have asked Becky if she'll host Christmas this year. What could possibly go wrong?
With sister Jess demanding a vegan turkey, husband Luke determined that he just wants aftershave again, and little Minnie insisting on a very specific picnic hamper (which finally happens to not be a hamper but HAMSTER, laughs) - surely Becky can deal with all this, as well as the surprise appearance of an old boyfriend and his pushy new girlfriend, whose motives are from clear (almost ruining her Christmas altogether).
As with all of Sophie Kinsella's Shopaholic novels, her Christmassy novel is filled with mirth and the true meaning of Christmas. As in one of the lines from the book says, "What the Grinch can steal isn't Christmas". Bubbly and tear-jerking at the same time it is one frolic of a read that's best enjoyed with a mug of hot chocolate by an open fire with carols playing in the background. My rating for this book is a hefty 10/10!
