Never Lie by Freida McFadden

It's been forever since I felt enthralled on a book that I read at one sitting. This book is such a compelling read that it allows the reader to look inside the mind of a mentally unstable person and how it feels to observe truth, lies and deception into the characters. Without spoiling the book, the setting of the story revolves around a secluded castle-like estate miles away which is owned by a renowned Psychiatrist, Dr, Adrienne Hale. She disappeared without a trace and her gigantic estate captivated the attention of a newly-wed couple, Tricia and Ethan while searching the house of their dreams. The couple stayed for a refuge in that secluded manor while trapped in a blizzard. One night, Tricia discovered lots of mysterious audio tapes from the Psychiatrist herself interviewing her patients. She became invested on listening to each of the tapes and the truth it might unfold. 

2023 reads

Hi Readers! It's been a year and a half since I updated you with a list of the books I've read. It took me a year to finish books because of a busy schedule and lots of school stuff. This is another list of all the books I've already read since the start of the year 2023. This list will go on, as long as the year finally ends. I hope you find it an inspiration to somehow find happiness in reading books and making time for the little things you love. 

A Voyage for Madmen by Peter Nichols

I've always like stories about voyages and the sea. I grew up in the province in my Grandmother's home offshore that overlook the wide sea where I can smell the ocean breeze and hear the sound of waves. While reading this book, I imagined every words of adventures each of the sailors had gone through in almost a year of racing out of the sea.

The Joy luck Club by Amy Tan

As I was scrolling through twitter, I've seen a tweet that says "You think you can hurt me? I'm the eldest daughter in an Asian household." it's kind of funny and bitterly relatable. I mean no offense, why am I even saying all of this? It's because I've just finished a new 1989 classic novel written by an Asian woman herself entitled, "The Joy Luck Club" which tells a gripping different stories of four Chinese women who are immigrants in San Francisco and how their past intertwined to the lives of their daughters born and raised in America. Somehow this book celebrates being an Asian woman and all the realities that comes into it. 

1948 Japanese Novel: No Longer Human by Osamu Dazai

As I was laying in bed, I just finished reading Osamu Dazai's 1948 Japanese novel, No longer human. I tried to contemplate and think through the pages which are written on a first person narrative. It's quite compelling to read and interesting to follow the poignant life of a troubled man named Oba Yozo. Written on the pages of notebooks he left like a memoranda, As in his own words, "‘I can’t even guess myself what it must be to live a life of a human being," he often contemplates about what it means to be "human." I find the book distressing yet quite fascinating at the same time.

Exhalation by Ted Chiang: The Merchant & The Alchemist's Gate

What if you could travel back in time or see what's in the future? a lot of people would desperately want to return in the past and make different choices. Maybe for the better, because who would want to go back and make things worse? or maybe you could have a glimpse of what's ahead of you, if you'll make it, 20 or more years from now. Recently, I've finished the first story out of nine compelling short stories in Ted Chiang's book, Exhalation. The story revolves around a Portal through time, a merchant & an alchemist. Honestly, the whole book reminds me of the Netflix Series, Black Mirror.

My Quarantine Book Lists

Reading is one of my favorite pastime, I started to become interested in books when I was in Highschool and a scholastic book fair was often in our school. It is offering lots of free books to read that can also be lend in the library. I'm not the bookworm type of person who knows a lot of books in every corner of the world but I just like to read. Since the pandemic, I am able to finished a lot of great books that somehow helped me to cope on this difficult season. I've read some of it through E-books and sometimes the actual book itself. I don't know, sometimes I just prefer reading it first online if it's available before purchasing a copy. Without further adieu, here are the list of some of the books and a few words.