Book Review: Kill Alex Cross by James Patterson

Time flies, and before you know it, another month has passed. On a random note, I've finished my first book of the month! :D

The president's children has been abducted!... and the kidnappers do not want ransom. CIA, FBI, MPD and the White House are struggling to find the children. As time passes, with no leads, they are desperate. The longer the children are kidnapped, the lower their chances of survival. 

James Patterson can really write well, just after reading a few pages of the book and I got hooked. I mean, who wouldn't want to know some "behind the scenes" stuff about CIA and FBI on how they tackled the case?

As soon the children are kidnapped, another couple is introduced, a Saudi couple, arriving at the airport; Tariq and his wife, Hala. They witnessed a suicide death right in front of their eyes. The weird thing is, they clutched on to a pill in each of their pockets... and that's when I felt that this couple isn't going to be like any ordinary couple that they portray to be.

Things lead from one thing another, such as Alex Cross's grandmother wanting to add a homeless girl, Ava into their family. The introduction of the terrorist group, called "The Family", and key players of the group; "Uncle", "Grandfather", and how they were at war with America.

Rating: 8.5/10

The Bombmaker by Stephen Leather... =)

BOOOOMMM!!!! This book is filled with non-stop suspense! Once I started it, I just couldn't put the book down! (which made me lose an hour of sleep! :@) This book is easy to start and easy to finish. Light-reading basically... =D It took be about an hour to finish the book.
What is this book about? It's about a lady, Andrea Hayes, IRA's most brilliant bombmaker. But, one of her bombs when horrifyingly wrong, and 4 children perished, and that's when she gave it all up. She started a whole new life, her true identity hidden from everyone, even from her husband and daughter, Katie. Life goes on as usual, until one day, their daughter is kidnapped from the house, and Andrea realizes that her pass has come back to haunt her. =D

But what fascinates me in this book is this technology called "Echelon". It has been around since the seventies. It involves the Americans, GCHQ, Australians, Canadians and New Zealand. Between the 5 countries, every single satellite, land line and undersea cable transmission is monitored. Every phone call, fax, telex and email in the world. Echelon can search through all transmissions looking for a particular word, or combinations of words. It can even search out voice prints. Amazing?

This "thing" is believed to be used by the Echelon.

Imagine that, every single thing we send out through text messages, calls, etc... are ALL MONITORED! Where is the privacy promised by the telcos? Hm... O.O Imagine what kind of info all people working there get. And, the problems it can cause.. BUT, think of all the crimes that can be solved too. Oh well, everything has it pros and cons, I guess...?

Book Rating: 7/10

Anyway, BOOM!

Book Review: Ex-Girlfriends United by Matt Dunn... =)

It's a long time since I read finish a book, partly because of SPM and other stuffs. I bought this book cheap, as it was from a second-hand bookstore in Penang.

This book is about Dan Davis, a womanizer; Ed and Sam. Dan Davis despite his newly found fame on ITV 5's latest soap, he fails to hook up with the girls, and he could not understand it.

All is revealed when Dan Davis finds out about this website called "slateyourdate.com", where women rate their experiences with their ex-boyfriends, and among them, Dan Davis is placed at ranking number one at the site, because he had the most girlfriends. He tries to register and find out for himself, and cracks the code to register because it was a strictly women site only. He succeeds and tackles each of his ex-girlfriends to get them to remove their bad reviews on him so that he can hook up with girls again.

Along the way, Dan learns about himself, especially when he meets up with Polly, the only girl he truly loved. Meanwhile, Ed has his own problems with his ex-girlfriend, Jane and his current girlfriend Sam.

I think this book is more suitable for girls to read. And by the way, the site, "slateyourdate.com" is real! Go check it out. Haha.... But I think the site is dead.

My Rating for this Book: 8/10

Howl's Moving Castle...

When I first picked up this book, I thought this book was going to be a boring one. As the introduction of the book was a little boring. But it began more and more interesting as the story went on...

This story is about a family with three daughters. Their father passed away and their mother couldn't afford to keep them at home. So she sent them out, leaving Sophie behind as the next owner of the hat shop, as she was the oldest.

She thought she was living a dull life, so she left the hat shop to seek her fortune. She met Howl the wizard and she became his cleaning lady. Together they encountered many adventures together... The story goes on, but I'm too lazy to summarize the whole story up... :P Read this book by yourself...

There is a also movie based on this book, which I came to know after I read it. I'll hunt for this movie after my SPM! I wanna know whether the movie based on this book is nice or not...

My Rating for this book: 7/10

Life These Days...

As life goes on, you get to know yourself better and better, and realize how harsh life is. As the saying goes, "Life itself is one's harshest lessons in one's life."

Why must one go through so many lessons in life? The only de-stressing pill I have is by reading story books. I've been reading the The Five-Outers and Dog by Enid Bylton. This book has been around for the past 70 years. Imagine that!

George's Marvellous Medicine... the novel...

I borrowed this book from the library a few days ago, entitled "Goerge's Marvellous Medicine" by Roald Dahl. This is one short book, only 104 pages, and the words are pretty big. I think it shouldn't take more than 30 minutes to finish this book. I took about 20 minutes to finish it. I encourage all those out there who are out for a laugh, read Roald Dahl's books! It's indeed very funny!

George Kranky, a small boy who lives with his mother, father and grandmother. His grandmother is not like any normal grandmother. Usually grandmothers are kind and helpful but not his. His grandmother is grumpy and a grizzly old grouch. George seeks to cure her by brewing a special medicine to cure her, but in the end making his Grandma as tall as a house. This made her happier. George's father Mr. Killy tested the medicine George made on a hen and it becomes a giant hen. George's father hits on the idea of making more of George's marvelous medicine to make his animals bigger and fatter so they can be sold for larger prices and for marketing it. Unfortunately, George cannot remember the recipe. After four failed attempts, involving some oddly deformed chickens, they create a formula which makes things shrink. The nasty Grandma, feeling ignored, thinks that the medicine is her tea and drinks it, shrinking into nothingness. The mother is sad, while the father is gleeful and happy and says all is well. George then realizes that in a mere two days, he has single-handedly changed the world. Yet everyone else has already forgotten about it.

Rating: 7/10
Genre: Kids, Adventure

Danny the Champion of the World... the novel...

I borrowed this book from the library. I thought I had finished all of Roald Dahl's books. But I was clearly mistaken. Well, Roald Dahl's books are always so funny!

Danny's mother died suddenly when he was only four months old and from then on he lived with his father in a caravan, behind the filling station. By the time Danny was seven years old, he was able to take apart and put back together a motor. Danny's father owned the filling station, and it was the only piece of land for miles around that was not owned by a wealthy but unpleasant man called Mr. Victor Hazell. When Danny was nine years old he woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't find his father. His father had gone to poach pheasants from Hazell's Wood. Danny's father then let Danny in on a secret of poaching: pheasants love raisins and it’s a perfect trap in which to catch a pheasants. Another trick that Danny's dad taught him was the technique called, Horse-Hair Stopper. You have to stick in a horse's tail hair with a raisin and when the pheasant tries to swallow it, it cannot go down its throat. As a result, the raisin will stick to the inside of its throat and will not be able to fly off. One evening, Danny's father went poaching and promised to be back by 10:30 p.m. Danny, waking later that night, discovers his father's absence. Fearing the worst, he sets out into the woods to find him. He found him trapped down a hole with a broken ankle, and rescued him.

While Danny's father is recovering from his injury, they hear that Mr. Hazell's pheasant-shooting party is approaching. They decide to humiliate him by luring all the pheasants away from the forest. Danny suggests that they should put the contents of sleeping tablets inside raisins and make the pleasant groggy, and when this is done they hide the sleeping pheasants in a local woman's house by taking a taxi. The woman then brings all the sleeping pheasants in a baby cradle. As she is walking toward them, the pheasants began to wake up and fly, but they fall back down. An angry Hazell arrives at the filling station just as the pheasants are waking up, causing an argument.

All the pheasants flew away because the sleeping pill had worn off. But Doc Spencer shows them six pheasants still asleep from eating too many raisins inside the caravan. So, in the end, they had pleasants to eat!

Rating: 8/10
Genre: Adventure

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows... the novel...

The last and most exciting book of all the Harry Potter series. This is one book you have got to read! Here is how the story goes...

Members of the Order of the Phoenix are ambushed by Death Eaters when they attempt to escort Harry from the Dursleys' by broomstick using decoys. Hedwig and Mad-Eye Moody were killed in the attempt, and George loses an ear.

The trio go to The Burrow where Minister of Magic arrives to give Harry, Ron, and Hermonie bequests from Albus Dumbledore's will.

At Bill and Fleur's wedding reception, a Patronus arrives, announcing that the Ministry of Magic has fallen under Voldemort's control, and Death Eaters are on their way to The Burrow at that moment. Death Eaters approach. Harry, Ron, and Hermione disapparate in time to Grimmauld Place.

At Grimmauld Place, Hermione recalls seeing a locket whilst cleaning the house, and they discover that the Kreacher had stolen the locket from the items to be thrown out. With the help of Kreacher and Mundungus Fletcher they learn that the locket is now in Umbridge’s's possession. The trio successfully infiltrates the Ministry of Magic and recovers the locket.

The trio begin to travel the country, looking for Horcruxes and the means to destroy them. Ron and Harry argue over Harry's lack of a plan, after which Ron abandons the group. Harry and Hermione search for the sword in Godric’s Hollow. While looking at the house, Harry and Hermione are beckoned by Bathilda Bagshot into her home. Knowing something is not right, Harry follows her upstairs, where she transforms into Nagini. Voldemort himself appears almost immediately after. Hermione and Harry managed to escape, but Harry's wand was damaged beyond repair.

Hermione and Harry then go to the Forest of Dean. While he is on watch, a silver doe Patronus leads Harry to an icy pond containing the real Sword of Gryffindor. As Harry dives into the freezing water to retrieve it, the locket Horcrux starts strangling him. Ron, who was guided back to the pair by the Deluminator that Dumbledore gave him, saves him. Ron recovers the sword and destroys the locket with it.

Harry accidentally uses the name of Voldemort, and the trio are captured by a gang of Snatchers, led by one of Voldemort's followers and taken to Malfoy Manor, where they join the imprisoned Luna, Dean, Ollivander, and Griphook. Finding Gryffindor's Sword among the trio's possessions, Bellatrix Lestrange fears they have broken into her Gringotts vault, and tortures Hermione for information. Dobby arrives and rescued them but Dobby died in the attempt.

In Hogsmeade, Aberforth Dumbledore is able to smuggle the trio out of Hogsmeade and into Hogwarts. Harry alerts everyone in Hogwarts of Voldemort's imminent arrival. Luna Lovegood suggests that the fifth Horcrux could be Ravenclaw's lost diadem. Harry recalls seeing the diadem in the Room of Requirement when he hid his Potions book there the previous year. Meanwhile, Hermione destroys the Cup Horcrux with a basilisk fang. Various allies of Harry gather in the school, where the battle begins. In the Room of Requirement, Ron mentions that the house elves are still in the kitchens and in danger, whereupon Hermione runs over to Ron and kisses him.

During the battle, several of the Weasley brothers are duelling members of the Ministry of Magic. Percy and Fred are duelling the corrupted Minister Pius Thicknesse, when an explosion rocks the corridor, shattering one wall and killing Fred instantly. Harry leaves to go to Voldemort's camp in the Forbidden Forest, and meets Neville Longbottom, whom he asks to kill Nagini if he gets the chance. Along the way, he realises that the Snitch holds the Resurrection Stone inside it, and is able to retrieve it, whereupon he summons the spirits of his parents, Sirius Black and the recently killed Remus Lupin, who accompany him to Voldemort's camp. Voldemort then casts the Avada Kedavra curse at Harry. Harry revives, but feigns death. Voldemort orders Narcissa Malfoy to check Harry. Doing so, she realizes that Harry is alive, and she asks him very quietly if her son Draco is still alive, to which Harry whispers yes. Narcissa, no longer caring about anything but her son, lies to Voldemort, telling him that Harry is dead.

Grawp, the centaurs, and the giants add to a sudden disturbance caused by reinforcements from Hogsmeade residents and students' families yelling war cries as they spill over the walls of the school. Neville then pulls off the Sorting Hat, draws Gryffindor's Sword from it, and decapitates Nagini with a single stroke, destroying the final Horcrux. Harry moves around under his Invisibility Cloak and lends aid throughout the ensuing battle, as his supporters rally to defy Voldemort and the Death Eaters one last time. Eventually, the battle pares down into duels. Voldemort then casts a killing curse at Harry, but the Elder Wand's allegiance prevents it from harming its Master, and the spell rebounds off Harry's disarming spell, killing Voldemort, and leaving Harry victorious.

Among the dead of the battle were Fred Weasley, Remus Lupin, Nymphadora Tonks, Colin Creevey, and fifty other people who died fighting the Death Eaters, as well as Voldemort and
Bellatrix.

Rating: 9/10
Genre: Fantasy

Skulduggery Pleasant... the novel...

I borrowed this book from my school's library on Sunday. My friend was searching for scary stories, but could not find one. I thought this book would be pretty scary, looking at the cover, but was not. Some parts were rather funny though. It took me a day to finish it.

Here is roughly how to story goes...

Stephanie's novelist uncle dies. At the reading of the will, a strange man in a tan overcoat, an oversized hat, sunglasses and a scarf is present. Stephanie's aunt and uncle are to be given something as well, a seemingly useless brooch, which turned out to be a key later on. Stephanie inherited the uncle’s mansion. Spending a night alone in the mansion, Stephanie is attacked by a strange man, demanding she gives him a "key". As the man attacks Stephanie, a mysterious man, Skulduggery Pleasant, arrives and saves her, throwing fireballs at her attacker. Skulduggery's disguise fall off to reveal that he is an undead wizard, made up of only a skeleton held together by magic.

Upon the revelation that her uncle was murdered, Stephanie helps Skulduggery investigate his uncle’s death. Stephanie's uncle had discovered an ancient weapon used by the Ancients, to defeat their gods. He sealed this deadly weapon, the Sceptre of the Ancients, in a maze beneath the house Stephanie inherited. The "key" is the brooch left by her uncle to his other brother's wife.

Stephanie and Skulduggery, aided by Ghastly, Tanith Low and the world's physically strongest man, Mr Bliss, attempt to prevent Nefarian Serpine, from obtaining the Sceptre. Serpine was trying to take over the world.

Skulduggery defeats Serpine with Stephanie’s help, destroying him with the Sceptre to protect Stephanie, breaking the Sceptre's power in the process. Stephanie discovered her family are descendants of the Ancients and she herself has magic abilities.

This book is so EXPENSIVE! This book alone cost RM 59.90.

"Magic," he said.

Taken from Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Rating: 7/10

Genre: Fantasy, Adventure

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince... the novel...

Another one of J.K. Rowling's best books! I wish I could write like that. Did you know that J.K. Rowling is worth more than the Queen of England?

During the summer, Albus Dumbledore enlists Harry’s help to persuade retired professor Horace to return to Hogwarts to teach. Harry is also told that he has inherited all of Siriuss possessions. Harry then spends the remaining holiday at with the Weasleys and Hermonie. Harry, Ron, and Hermione receive their O.W.L. results. Hermione receives top "Outstanding" marks in all her subjects with the exception of Defence Against the Dark Arts. Harry is very pleased to discover that he was the only one out of the three of them to get an "Outstanding" in Defence Against the Dark Arts.

As school begins, Snape is announced as the new Defence Against the Dark Arts while Slughorn replaces him as the Potions teacher. Slughorn lends them old Potions textbooks until they buy their own. On the first Hogsmeade visit, Katie Bell is seriously injured while carrying a cursed necklace through Hogsmeade under the Imperius Curse. In another incident, Ron accidentally drinks poisoned mead intended for Dumbledore. Harry reacts by administering the Bezoar he had submitted previously as an assignment to Slughorn. When Harry finds Malfoy sobbing in a boys bathroom on the sixth floor, they hurl curses at each other. Snape arrives and saves Malfoy. He attempts to re-possess the Half-Blood Prince's Potions book, but Harry hands him "Roonil Wazlib's" copy. Harry receives detention, causing him to miss the Quidditch finals. Nonetheless, Gryffindor wins the Cup, and during the victory celebration, Harry's suppressed feelings for Ginny are revealed when he spontaneously kisses her, and she and Harry begin dating.

Dumbledore, meanwhile, has located another Horcrux and asks Harry to accompany him in retrieving it. Harry and Dumbledore apparate to a secret cave. Dumbledore was greatly weakened due to the mysterious liquid he had to drink in order to acquire the locket. Returning to Hogsmeade, Harry and Dumbledore see Lord Voldemort's Dark Mark. They fly to the Astronomy Tower on borrowed broomsticks and are ambushed by Draco Malfoy. Dumbledore paralyses Harry, who is under his Invisibility Cloak, just before Draco disarms Dumbledore. Draco admits he was behind the school attacks and has helped Death Eaters secretly enter Hogwarts via the pair of Vanishing Cabinets.

As members of the Order and the few from Dumbledore's Army battle Voldemort's followers in the castle below, Death Eaters appear in the tower and urge Draco to fulfil his mission, killing Dumbledore, but Draco hesitates. Snape arrives and killed Dumbledore. Malfoy escapes as Snape duels Harry. During the duel, Snape reveals that he is the Half-Blood Prince.

The school year ends abruptly with Dumbledore's funeral. Professor Slughorn replaces Snape as the head of Slytherin House. Hogwarts is rumoured to close down due to the murder of Dumbledore. Harry decides to leave school in search for the remaining Horcruxes. Ron and Hermione vow to accompany him, while Harry ends his relationship with Ginny to protect her from Voldemort.

"You dare use my own spells against me, Potter? It was I who invented them - I, the Half Blood Prince!"

Taken from Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling

Rating: 8/10

Genre: Fantasy

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix... the novel...

This is one good book. I read it many many times for my own enjoyment. Hehe... One of J.K. Rowling's best books! =)

Several weeks into the summer, Harry Potter has heard nothing from his. One night, walking down a street his cousin, they were attacked by Dementors. Harry did a Patronous Charm and learns that Arabella Figg is a Squib, has been keeping an eye on him on Dumbedore’s orders. He receives a notice of expulsion from Hogwarts for using magic outside school. Someone from the Order of Phoenix then takes him to the headquarters.

A few days later, Arthur escorts Harry to his hearing, which Fudge has done everything in his power to slant against him. But testimony from Dumbledore and Mrs. Figg confirms the presence of the Dementors, and Harry is found to have acted in self-defense.

Ron and Hermione are made prefects, but not him. At the welcome feast, the learn that their new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher at Hogwarts is Dolores Umbridge. A short time later, she is appointed as High Inquisitor, with the power to evaluate and dismiss other teachers, and impose strict rules and regulations on students.

Hagrid was absent for half the year, because of a diplomatic mission to the giants on Dumbledore’s orders, to try to dissuade them from joining Voldemort. His mission was a failure. Because Umbridge’s lessons are useless both for passing their O.W.L.s and for preparing for the very real threat of Voldemort, Hermione decides that the students need to learn the subject themselves. Harry is surprised when she proposes him as a teacher. Several other students from Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff likewise sign up to the clandestine group, named "Dumbledore's Army". Under Harry's tutoring, the group learns defensive magic.

Midway through the year, the school is alarmed to hear news of a mass prison break from Azkaban, when ten of Voldemort’s most powerful Death Eaters escape. Many wizards are not satisfied with the Ministry’s official explanation, and begin to come around to Dumbledore and Harry’s claims.

Slytherin students, uncover the D.A. meetings, helped by a member of the D.A. named Marietta, who told Umbridge about the meetings. To protect Harry and other students from reprisals, Dumbledore claims that he organized the group to counter Voldemort.

In the middle of his last O.W.L. exam, Harry has a vision of Sirius being tortured at the Department of Mysteries, although Hermione suspects it may be a trap. Harry, with help from various members of Dumbledore's Army, attempts to contact Sirius, but he is caught.

They then went to the Ministry of Magic to seek Sirius. They meet up with the Death Eaters, and Harry and his friends heroically defend themselves, putting up a far tougher fight than the dark wizards expected, but are outmatched. As they are nearly defeated, members of the Order arrive, including Sirius. During the ensuing battle, the glass sphere that Voldemort was seeking is accidentally dropped and shatters, and the record is lost. Sirius is died in the fight. The Death Eaters were captured except for Bellatrix.

The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives... the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...

Taken from Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling

Rating: 9/10
Genre: Fantasy

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire... the novel...

I read this book finished last week I think. I had no time to blog about it cause I was so busy with all my school stuff, studying and preparing for MYF.

The fourth book starts with Harry's dream, where he sees Voldermort and Petter Pettigrew plotting to kill him. He then goes to the Quidditch World Cup with the Wesley Family and Hermonie. After the match, the Dark Mark appeared. The one caught at the scene was Winky, the Mr. Crouch's house elf.

When they return to Hogwarts, they found out that Hogwards will host the Triwizard Tournament. The Goblet of Fire chooses one student from each competing school. Students must be at least seventeen years old to enter this contest. Cedric Diggory is Hogwarts' champion, Fleur Delacour is Beauxbatons' and Viktor Krum represents Durmstrang. The Goblet unexpectedly selects a fourth champion, Harry Potter.

Harry is guided through the tournament by Moody. In the first task, the champions must retrieve a golden egg from a dragon. As part of the Triwizard Tournament's tradition, the students of Hogwarts, Durmstrang, and Beauxbatons remain at school to attend the Yule Ball.

The second task requires retrieving something important to each champion that is hidden in Hogwarts' lake. Harry uses gillyweed given by Dobby so he can breathe underwater. As the remainder of the school year passes, Harry regularly contacts his godfather, Sirius. One night, Harry and Krum are startled when Mr. Crouch emerges from the forest, demanding to see Dumbledore. Harry runs for help, but when he returns with Dumbledore, they find Krum unconscious and Crouch missing.

The third and final task involves navigating a large maze located on the Quidditch Pitch which is filled with magical obstacles. Harry and Cedric successfully navigate the maze, helping each other on the way. They reach the centre together, and grasp the prize to tie.The Cup, a portkey transports them to an old cemetery in Little Hangleton. Peter Pettigrew awaits them and kills Cedric.

Voldemort summons his Death Eaters by touching Pettigrew's Dark Mark. Voldemort challenges Harry to a duel. Harry manage to escape with Diggory's body and leaving Voldemort behind in a raging anger.

Moody then attempts to kill Harry himself, but Dumbledore arrived on time. Dumbledore had realized that something was wrong when he saw Moody whisk Harry away from the maze so quickly, and followed them. Dumbledore feeds Moody three drops of Veritaserum, a truth potion, and they discover that "Moody" is actually Barty Crouch Jr. Harry is taken to Dumbledore's office where he reunites with Sirius and he relives his story of his night.

"Oh, did I?" said Hermione, and her eyes flashed dangerously. "Just because it's taken you three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one else has spotted I'm a girl!"

Taken from Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J.K. Rowling

Rating: 8/10

Genre: Fantasy

Next Reading Spree!!! =)

I bought these books today! =) The cover looks a little girlish though, but I thought I'll give it a try. I hope the books are nice to read, as nice as Twilight I hope... Or Harry Potter. I've finished all the Harry Potter books... But I have no time to blog about those yet. Maybe, next week, or tomorrow, I'll blog about the remaining books. My parents have not been allowing me online as frequently as during the school holidays. =(

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.. the novel...

It looks like I will not finish the 7 books of Harry Potter on time. School has started. Sigh.

It starts with Harry Potter enduring another summer at the Durleys', which is broken only by a news report about Sirius Black. Harry decides to run away. The Knight Bus appears and takes him to the Leaky Cauldron. Harry overhears Mr. and Mrs. Weasley arguing over whether he should or should not be warned about Black.

There are a few changes at Hogwarts as Harry begins his third year. Hermione is taking a double course load, including some that are taught simultaneously. Draco Malfoy is attacked by the Buckbeak after Draco insulted him. Black is still at large, and so Dementors patrol the school. Harry faints during a Quidditch match when they approach him and falls from his broomstick. Professor Lupin teaches him the Patronus to repel Dementors. Harry receives a Firebolt broomstick during Christmas.

The Weasley twins give Harry a map. Harry uses a tunnel to sneak into Hogsmeade village where he overhears a private conversation that Black was his parents' best friend and is his godfather and legal guardian.

Lazy to write the rough storyline already... In the end, Sirius escaped on Buckbeak.

"We did it!" said Harry breathlessly. "Sirius is gone, on Buckbeak..."

Taken from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling

Rating of this book: 7/10
Genre: Fantasy

Foundation - A Manual for Christian Growth... [Book Summary]

Based on the Book Foundation - A Manual for Christian Growth.
Chapter 1 - The Bible: The Book God Wrote
The first chapter talks about the introduction of the Bible. It also touches a little on QT, that is Quiet Time.

Joshua 1:8
Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful.

Chapter 2 - God: Our Heavenly Father
This chapter talks about God. How God is. God is good. God is Holy. God is love. God is Trinity. One of the greatest things we can do here on earth right on is to worship God. And worship is not so much what we can do but the condition of our hearts before God.

Romans 8:16
The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children.

Chapter 3- Jesus: Our Savior and Lord
This chapter talks about Jesus, what the Bible says about Jesus. Mostly about His life on earth. Jesus died for us so that we can leave our life of sin and have a relationship with God.

1 Timothy 2:5
For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus,

Chapter 4 - Holy Spirit: God Present With Us
This chapter talks about God's presence with us. We often feel weak and tempted and also sometimes we find it hard to live a good life.

Galatians 5:22-23
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law

Foundation - A Manual for Christian Growth....

I'm going to get baptized this coming Thursday. Keep me in your prayers please. Pastor gave me a book, Foundation - a manual for Christian growth [Youth Edition], as a guide. I have roughly read through, I skipped the puzzles and games part though.

Frankly, I would have preferred the adult version, cause this version has a lot of puzzles, games and etc. But nevertheless, this is a good book as a guide. This book is divided into 12 chapters. Maybe I'll start sharing about what I learnt in this book later. =)

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets... the novel...

The second book after Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. This book is slightly thicker. 251 pages compared to the first of 223 pages, but still... it's not THAT long... =)

It all starts with the Dursleys again. A house elf arrives to warn Harry that he will be in mortal danger if he returns to Hogwarts, confessing that he has been intercepting Harry's letters to make it seem as though his friends had forgotten him. The Wesleys rescue Harry and take him away. They stole the car and flew to Hogwarts but crash into the Whomping Willow and damaged Ron's wand. Trouble started when Harry and his friends find the caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, petrified after they visit Nearly Headless Nick's death day party. Harry then finds a blank diary belonging to Tom Riddle and decides to keep it. Hagrid said beforehand to Harry and Ron before he was sent to Azkaban is to follow the spiders. The two of them go into the forest only to come across and their leader, Aragog and many other spiders. They then found the entrance to the Chamber, Lockhart reveals that he is not the hero he pretends to be. He attempts to use Ron's broken wand to erase Harry and Ron's memories, but the spell backfires on him, erasing his instead. It is this fragment of soul in the diary which has set loose the basilisk that attacks Harry. Harry draws out the mystic sword from the sorting hat. Fawkes blinds the basilisk, destroying its fatal gaze, and Harry slays it with the sword. As a school treat, all final exams are canceled, much to Hermione's dismay.

I like the last part the best, where Harry slays the basilisk. After reading all the books again, I must watch all the movies over again... A movie marathon =) My moms gonna kill me if I do that. I wonder whether the movie left out many details like the movie Twilight.. I can't seem to remember how was the movie like.

"Very well," Professor McGonagall prompted him, as he paused, "so you found out where the entrance was - breaking a hundred school rules into pieces along the way, I might add- but how on earth did you all get out of there alive, Potter?"

Taken from Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling

Rating of this book: 7/10
Genre: Fantasy

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone... the novel...

This is the first book of the seven of J.K. Rowling's famous series, Harry Potter... I've just finished reading it this morning. It took me about an hour to finish it. The book is quite thin compared to the others. 223 pages only. =)

The early part of the book talks about Harry's early life with the Dursleys. Later afterwards, he gets to know his real heritage and goes to this wizarding school called Hogwarts. He meets Ron and Hermonie along the way, soon becoming best friends. The final challenge protecting the Stone is the Mirror of Erised. Quirrell forces Harry to look in the mirror to discover where the Stone is. Harry successfully resists, and the Stone drops into his own pocket. Lord Voldemort now reveals himself; he has possessed Quirrell and appears as a ghastly face on the back of Quirrell's head. He tries to attack Harry, but merely touching Harry proves to be agony for Quirrell. Dumbledore arrives back in time to save Harry, Voldemort flees and Quirrell dies. At the end-of-year feast, where Harry is welcomed as a hero, Dumbledore gives a few "last-minute additions", granting enough points to Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville for Gryffindor to win the House Cup!

Cause I have read all 7 books before, I found reading it again to rather boring... But it's still okay... I found that the ending of the story in this book to be the most interesting and exciting part of the book, when Harry was trying to protect the stone and the things he had to go through to save it...

"Shut up, I'm trying to remember how to kill it!" said Hermonie.
"Well, hurry up, I can't breathe!" Harry gasped, wrestling with it as it curled around his chest.
"Devil's Snare, Devil's Snare... What did Professor Sprout say? It likes the dark and the damp-"
"So light a fire!" Harry choked.
"Yes-of course- but there's no wood!" Hermonie cried, wringing her hands.
"HAVE YOU GONE MAD?" Ron bellowed. "ARE YOU A WITCH OR NOT?"

Taken from Harry Potter and Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

Rating of this book: 6/10
Genre: Fantasy

Reading Marathon...

Holidays are coming to an end. I may as well spend the time remaining reading. Going on a reading marathon! When school starts, I shan't have the luxury of reading so often anymore. So, I decided to read the Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling again. I've read her books quite a number of times, but I have already forgotten the story line. I hope I can finish all 7 in 5 days. Look how thick the books are combined together...There are 7 books in all...

1. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone.
2. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.
3. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.
4. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
5. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.
6. Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.
7. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows.

Wish me luck! =)

breaking dawn... the novel...

For the past few days, I have been reading this book. It's the continuation of the Twilight saga by Stephenie Meyer. I have finally finished all 4 books of Twilight. Among the 4, I still think the first book is the best. After reading all 4, I tend to feel the first book to be more original than the others.

This book is kinda confusing. Cause we read from the perspective of Bella than to Jacob than to Bella again. In this book, Bella gives birth to a baby! Named of Renesmee... In this book, Bella also transforms into a vampire after giving birth.

It would have been nicer if the Volturi had fought with them. It would have made one interesting story!

"Forever and forever and forever," he murmured.
"That sound exactly right to me."
And we continued blissfully into this small but perfect piece of our forever.

Taken from breaking dawn by Stephanie Meyer

Rating of this book: 8/10.
Genre: Fantasy.