Sophie Kinsella - The Undomestic Goddess

Publisher: Random House

ISBN: 978-0552772747

My rating: 3/5



Samantha Sweeting, the 29-year-old heroine of Kinsella's latest confection (after Shopaholic Sister), is on the verge of partnership at the prestigious London law firm Carter Spink—the Holy Grail of her entire workaholic life. But when she finds she has made a terrible, costly mistake just before the partnership decision, she's terrified of being fired. In a fog, she stumbles out of the building and onto the nearest train, which drops her in the countryside, where she wanders to a stately home. The nouveau riche lady of the house mistakes her for the new housekeeper—and Samantha is too astonished to correct her. Numb and unable to face returning to London, Samantha tries to master the finer points of laundry, cooking and cleaning. She discovers that the slow life, her pompous but good-hearted employers and the attentions of the handsome gardener, Nathaniel, suit her just fine. But her past is hard to escape, and when she discovers a terrible secret about her firm—and when the media learns that the former legal star is scrubbing toilets for a living—her life becomes more complicated than ever. If readers can swallow the implausible scenario, then Kinsella's genuine charm and sweet wit may continue to win her fans. (The Publishers Weekly)

My thoughts:

I am a small fan of You Keep a Secret, so I was looking forward to a Kinsella book that wasn't part of the Shopaholic series. The book is nice and interesting, but in true Kinsella style completely unrealistic.

Samantha Sweeting is an upcoming lawyer at a respectable firm in London – until she makes a small mistake which costs the firm’s client a nifty fifty million pounds. Sam panics and runs as far as she can until she ends up on the doorstep of Trish and Eddie Geiger, who mistake her for their new housekeeper. Coping with a bad headache, tiredness and no idea on what the future holds for her, she unwittingly takes the job.

Like all of Kinsella’s books, The Undomestic Goddess is stretching the readers believes in the story as well, like with no cooking skills at all, Sam gets help from the gardener and his mother. If you are happy to see beyond these unrealistic situations, you will probably enjoy this witty and mostly funny book. I did.

Dan Brown - Digital Fortress

Publisher: St Martins Pr, First Edition
ISBN: 978-0312944926

My rating: 3/5



The National Security Agency (NSA) is one setting for this exciting thriller; the other is Seville, where on page 1 the protagonist, lately dismissed from NSA, drops dead of a supposed heart attack. Though dead, he enjoys a dramaturgical afterlife in the form of his computer program. Digital Fortress creates unbreakable codes, which could render useless NSA's code-cracking supercomputer called TRANSLTR, but the deceased programmer slyly embossed a decryption key on a ring he wore. Pursuit of this ring is the engine of the plot. NSA cryptology boss Trevor Strathmore dispatches linguist Dave Becker to recover the ring, while he and Becker's lover, senior code-cracker Susan Fletcher, ponder the vulnerability of TRANSLTR. In Seville, over-the-top chase scenes abound; meanwhile, the critical events unfold at NSA. In a crescendo of murder, infernos, and explosions, it emerges that Strathmore has as agenda that goes beyond breaching Digital Fortress, and Brown's skill at hinting and concealing Strathmore's deceit will rivet cyber-minded readers. Gilbert Taylor --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title. (Booklist)


My thoughts:

It took me a while to get into the book, but it seems once I had a feel who the characters were, it was easy to follow along.

Having read a few Dan Brown books, I feel comfortable to admit that I like the stories, though they’re so farfetched and unbelievable, it gives me a giggle – but for me they’re still entertaining!

I suppose the basic plot is that the NSA has a machine which can decode most of the codes, until a seemingly unbreakable code comes along. And the race starts here to stop this unbreakable code to be available to companies.

I have to admit, sending a non-agent (David Becker, Susan’s fiancé) to Spain to find the ring, seemed a bit ludicrous. Also some of the character or scene description seemed to be over the top and borderline comical.

If you like Dan Brown, it might be worth a read, otherwise ... see whether you find another book!

Sophie Kinsella - Can you keep a secret?

Publisher: Dell Publishing Company

ISBN: 9780440241904

My rating: 4/5



Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets:
Secrets from her mother: Sammy the goldfish in my parents' kitchen is not the same goldfish that Mum gave me to look after when she and Dad were in Egypt. Secrets from her boyfriend: I've always thought Connor looks a bit like Ken. As in Barbie and Ken. From her colleagues: When Artemis really annoys me, I feed her plant orange juice. (Which is pretty much every day.) It was me who jammed the copier that time. In fact, all the times. Secrets she wouldn't share with anyone in the world: My G-string is hurting me.Until she spills them all to a handsome stranger on a plane. At least, she thought he was a stranger. But come Monday morning, Emma's office is abuzz about the arrival of Jack Harper, the company's elusive CEO. Suddenly Emma is face-to-face with the stranger from the plane, a man who knows every single humiliating detail about her. Things couldn't possibly get worse--Until they do. (fishpond.com.au)

My thoughts

This is the second by I've read by Sophie Kinsella and I have to admit I did like this one a lot more.

Emma Corrigan works for Panther Cola and after a disastrous business meeting in Glasgow she's on a flight back to London which is experiencing some turbulence. Afraid and thinking that's it, she spills all her secrets to the American sitting next to her - literally - how she lost her virginity, what she really thinks of her boyfriend, the petty stunts she pulls on co-workers, the way she killed her parents' goldfish while they were on vacation, and more. Safe and sound back in London, Emma hopes to never see the American again, yet, it's only a few days later that she finds out who he actually is and her life will never be the same. But he has a secret as well.

I liked it the way Emma grows over the weeks and the way she finds out that secrets can actually hold you back and most of the times you're better off telling the truth, even though it might initially hurt the other one. Life is about what you are no matter what. You don't have to be perfect in every sense, yet you have to accept yourself and things as they are.

I really am going to like the English Chick-lit which is on the market on the moment. I found this one a fast and easy read , which kept me staying up late at night and giggling along the way - even though I thought the story was pretty predictable and in places a bit "over the top". Well worth taking to the beach or on holidays !

Dan Brown - Deception Point

Publisher: Washington Square Press (2002)

ISBN: 978-0671027384

My rating: 4/5

Struggling to rebound from a series of embarrassing blunders that have jeopardized its political life at the start of this lively thriller, NASA makes an astounding discovery: there is a meteor embedded deep within the arctic ice. And it isn't just any meteor. Inside the huge rock, which crashed to earth in 1716, are fossils of giant insects proof of extraterrestrial life. Yet, given NASA's slipping reputation, the question arises: Is the meteor real or a fake? That uncertainty dogs NASA and its supporters in Brown's latest page-flipper, a finely polished amalgam of action and intrigue. Trying to determine the truth are intelligence agent Rachel Sexton and popular oceanographer Michael Tolland, both among the first to suspect something is amiss when the meteor is pulled from the ice. Their doubts quickly make them the targets of a mysterious death squad controlled by someone or something that doesn't want the public to hear the meteor may be a fraud. Together, Sexton and Tolland scramble across arctic glaciers, take refuge on ice floes, are rescued by a nuclear submarine, then find themselves trapped aboard a small research vessel off the coast of New Jersey. All the while, the nation's capital is buzzing as to whether NASA has engaged in deception. Or is NASA just a dupe for aerospace companies that have long wanted a bigger share of space contracts? Brown (Angels & Demons) moves into new territory with his latest. It's an excellent thriller a big yet believable story unfolding at breakneck pace, with convincing settings and just the right blend of likable and hateful characters. He's also done his research, folding in sophisticated scientific and military details that make his plot far more fulfilling than the norm. (Publishers Weekly)

My thoughts:

Not much more I could add as for the plot ....

Yes, I slowly am becoming a Dan Brown fan! I liked the book. In my view it was an interesting, intense and somehow thought - provoking story. It was much easier to read then "Angels and Demons", probably because the topic was more along the line of what I like. I was impressed by Brown's research (as usual), yet again, I thought some of the details were dragged out too much and too detailed.

The characters are well plotted - I liked Rachel Sexton from the very start. She's inquisitive, yet not overwhelming with her knowledge. I liked Brown's addition of Corky to lighten up the story.

"Deception Point" is another great read for Dan Brown fans, fast paced, interesting scenery and surprising ending.

PS - The love scene had me giggle a bit, though!

Cecelia Ahern - If you could see me now

Publisher: Harper Collins (2005)

ISBN: 978-0786891139

My rating: 4.5/5




From the internationally bestselling author of PS, I LOVE YOU, a lively and romantic novel about two lost souls who find each other in the most unexpected way.
Everything in Elizabeth Egan’s life has its place, from the espresso cups in her gleaming kitchen to the swatches and paint pots of her interior design business. Order and precision keep life under control—and keep Elizabeth’s heart from the pain and hurt she has suffered in the past. Being a reluctant mother to her six-year-old nephew while trying to keep her business on track is a full-time job for Elizabeth, and one that leaves little room for error—or fun.
Until, one day, Ivan unexpectedly comes into their lives. The mysterious Ivan is carefree, spontaneous and always looking for adventure—everything that Elizabeth is not. If You Could See Me Now is the extraordinary tale of Ivan and Elizabeth. Of how Ivan meets the love of his life before she even sees him, and how he teaches her that life is only worth living when it's blindingly colourful and the occasional mess. Yet just when Elizabeth is starting to trust him, it turns out that Ivan isn't at all who she thought he was.
Playful and at times intensely moving, this is a novel about how seeing isn't always believing. Full of Cecelia Ahern’s trademark warmth and poignancy, If You Could See Me Now is a story of enormous heart--and just a little bit of magic. (ceceliaahern.ie)



My thoughts

After reading “PS I love you” I felt like reading another book by Cecelia Ahern, and “If you could see me now” was the first one I was able to get hold off.

Elizabeth, an independent, well-organised and finicky person, is raising her carefree sister's six-year-old son, Luke. She has always been the responsible one in the family and as such has taken over this part. Life for both is lonely and loveless – until Ivan from “Ekam Eveileb” comes to visit Luke. But Ivan decides that Elizabeth needs some fun in her life, and to be shown how to let go of the past. What Elizabeth doesn’t know, though, is no one else can see Ivan.

Once I started the book and understood about “Ekam Eveileb”, I just had to read it right to the end. As a big believer of living the “now” I just loved the story and consider the book as one of my favourites.

If you have forgotten about the joys in life, please pick up this book, sit down in front of the fire with a cup of tea and give it a go!

Sophie Kinsella - Remember me?

Publisher: Random House

ISBN: 9780552772761

My Rating: 3.5/5

Lexi wakes up in a hospital bed after a car accident, thinking it's 2004 and she's a twenty-five-year old with crooked teeth and a disastrous love life. But, to her disbelief, she learns it's actually 2007 - she's twenty-eight, her teeth are straight, she's the boss of her department - and she's married! To a good-looking millionaire! How on earth did she land the dream life? She can't believe her luck - especially when she sees her stunning new home. She's sure she'll have a fantastic marriage once she gets to know her husband again. He's drawn up a 'manual of our marriage', which should help. But as she learns more about her new self, chinks start to appear in the perfect life. All her old colleagues hate her. A rival is after her job. Then a dishevelled, sexy guy turns up...and lands a new bombshell. What the **** happened to her? Will she ever remember? And what will happen if she does?

My thoughts

My first book I've read by Sophie Kinsella and I have to admit it was more a coincidence that I got to read the book.

Lexi is on a night out with her friends when she has a fall. She wakes up in a hospital thinking that it is still 2004: going out with Loser Dave, having crooked teeth, loads of friends and works in a low paid job in a carpet company. Yet it is in fact 2007: she's married to a gorgeous multi-millionaire, lives in a penthouse overlooking the Thames and is now a Director in the same company - and she has perfect teeth! But Lexi can't remember a thing about how she got to her life now.

It took a while until I got used to Kinsella's writing style. The initial idea with the amnesia sounds great, even though a bit "over used". It's a good book, and I have to say that even as a slow reader it "only" took me a few days to finish it. Yet, personally, I felt it somehow lacked a bit of spark - I found the amount of repetitions quite "distracting" after a while and I was a bit disappointed by the ending. It kind of left me wondering whether Kinsella was in a hurry to just end it.

Having said all this, I still believe Remember me? is a wonderful easy-going story for the beach or your holidays. I have heard from a few people now, that this book is not necessarily Kinsella's best effort, so I will give another one a try.

Dan Brown - Deception Point

Publisher: Doubleday (2009)

ISBN: 9780385504225 (US) - 9780593054277 (UK)

My Rating: 3.5/5



WHAT WAS LOST WILL BE FOUND ... Washington DC: Harvard symbologist Robert Langdon is summoned at the last-minute to deliver an evening lecture in the Capitol Building. Within moments of his arrival, however, a disturbing object - gruesomely encoded with five symbols - is discovered at the epicentre of the Rotunda. It is, he recognises, an ancient invitation, meant to beckon its recipient towards a long-lost world of hidden esoteric wisdom. When Langdon's revered mentor, Peter Solomon - philanthropist and prominent mason - is brutally kidnapped, Langdon realizes that his only hope of saving his friend's life is to accept this mysterious summons and follow wherever it leads him. Langdon finds himself quickly swept behind the facade of America's most historic city into the unseen chambers, temples and tunnels which exist there. All that was familiar is transformed into a shadowy, clandestine world of an artfully concealed past in which Masonic secrets and never-before-seen revelations seem to be leading him to a single impossible and inconceivable truth. A brilliantly composed tapestry of veiled histories, arcane icons and enigmatic codes, The Lost Symbol is an intelligent, lightning-paced thriller that offers surprises at every turn. For, as Robert Langdon will discover, there is nothing more extraordinary or shocking than the secret which hides in plain sight... (fishpond.com.au)

My thoughts

This was my first book from Dan Brown, after watching "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons", and I have to admit it was quite a page turner for me.

Robert Langdon comes to Washington to give a lecture, but instead of an audience he finds his friend's Peter's severed hand mounted on a wooden base - the fingers pointing towards the Rotunda ceiling fresco of George Washington. This is how it all starts, and with Mal'akh, a tattooed and steroid-swollen villain, Robert now has to put together the pieces of some ancient source of power.

I do have to admit, that some of the passages felt lengthy and unneccessary, sometimes even chapters where I thought it was just a filler - such as the extensive details about Science of Noetics. I'm still not sure whether it was me or whether it just had nothing to do with the whole story.

Not wanting to give anything away, but I didn't see the twist at the end coming.

I think anyone who likes the world of Robert Langdon and the hidden symbols in "The DaVinci Code" and "Angels and Demons" might probably be slightly disappointed, but will like it nonetheless.