The Girl You Left Behind - Jojo Moyes

 

France, 1916:  Artist Edouard Lefevre leaves his young wife, Sophie, to fight at the front. When their small town falls to the Germans in the midst of World War I, Edouard’s portrait of Sophie draws the eye of the new Kommandant. As the officer’s dangerous obsession deepens, Sophie will risk everything—her family, her reputation, and her life—to see her husband again.

Almost a century later, Sophie’s portrait is given to Liv Halston by her young husband shortly before his sudden death. A chance encounter reveals the painting’s true worth, and a battle begins for who its legitimate owner is—putting Liv’s belief in what is right to the ultimate test.

I just finished reading this book on my ebook reader.  Since I read it on my ebook, and it doesn't have any brief synopsis about this story, I just read it.  To tell you the truth, if I've known the synopsis, I don't think I'll read this book.  This definitely not my kind of book.

The story divided into two parts.  Part  1 set at a little town in France around 1916, where the town was occupied by the Germans.  It tell about the town, about the people, and about the sisters, Helene and Sophie, both are married and their husbands are away at war.  And it tell about the painting that Sophie's husband made for her.  

Part 2 set in London year 2006, about Liv whose husband has been dead for 4 years and yet she doesn't seem can move on, and she own the painting of Sophie, that bought by her husband, David, as a wedding gift on their honeymoon.  And suddenly, the Lefevre demand that the painting, "The Girl You Left Behind" is returned to the rightfull owner, the Lefevre family.  And through this second part, we learned what happened to Sophie, to Eduard, and the painting.

As I said before, this is not my kind of book I read.  I never liked the story with war as a background. especially when the war is still going on.  I find it too depressing.  Even if in the end they have a happy ending, I tend to avoid any story with war in it.  And the truth, I don't even know why I keep on reading this book.

The pace is slow, maybe because I can almost feel, see, and sense the depressing mood or atmosphere of the story.  Everyday seems like a dread, waiting something bad to happen, and you have to be extra careful.

At the beginning, I admire Sophie, for her courage, her positive attitude, her hope.  She's never give up, and when she found out that her husband has been captured and send to reprisal camp, she'll do anything to keep her husband alive.  And that's when I started to dislike her hahahaha....

There are points where I really think that Sophie was stupid, too naive, too trusting, but I have to admit that she's really...really perseverance.  And sorry to say but I kinda expected to read about Sophie's death before the book was end. 

When I reached the second part, I feel sooo relieved! Oh finally! We arrived at 2006! But what do you know...it still depressed hahaha....Liv still can't move on after 4 years her husband died, she has no money, she mortgaged her house (it was designed by her husband), and when she finally start to move on, she found out that the guy she's been seeing is the guy whose job is looking and returning the stolen painting, and the painting was Liv's.  Suddenly she has to fight for her painting in court that will cost a fortune. 

If you ever read Heist Society (and the sequels) you know that during WW2, lots of painting (and sculpture) were taken by the Nazi, just because its beauty (and they wanted it).  After the war, lots of the painting and the sculpture were returned to the original owner.  Sometimes the process take a lot of time, because first the painting must be found and the owner has to proof that they really are the owner.

The painting "The Girl You Left Behind" was rumored to be stolen while WW1 and since it was stolen, according to the law, the painting must be returned to the rightful owner.  The Lefevre.  Liv, who doesn't want to part with the painting, start to look for the story behind the painting.  She's began to look about Sophie's family.

And in second part, we also begin to know what happened to Sophie, and later about Eduard.

Oh wow...for not my kind of book, I wrote a lot about the book :D

I really don't know why I keep on reading this book.  Maybe because I want to know what will happen to Sophie.  I want to know if her sacrifice will fruitful. And in the end, I want to know what happen to the painting, to Liv.

Thanks God it has a happy end, so I'm quite happy with the result hahaha.

While I read this book, I can't keep myself from comparing the sensation I felt, and one book come to mind.  The Gargoyle.  The story is definitely not the same, but both books are drama, with slow pace, quite lots of descriptive, and have a somber mood. 

I don't know if I'll buy her books, but at least I know I enjoyed reading this book.

 

World War Z: and oral history of the zombie war - Max Brooks

For those who knows me, and maybe read this blog, know for sure that I don't like to read stories about dystopian world.  And yet here I am, reviewing a book called "World War Z".  No, I'm not reading this book because all of the hype about the book, but unfortunately a little bit because of the movie.  Hey, I got curious.  I want to know what so good about the movie (and maybe the book).  I finally decided to buy this book (yup! I BOUGHT the book) was after my friend Dito told me that the book was actually quite good.  Hey, if Dito said it was good, why not try to read it.  So I did.

Bought this book maybe two weeks ago, at Periplus MKG.  Found a book that not in plastic wrap, so I can read the first page.  And I guess the rest was history.

And, I'm not just bought the book, but I also downloaded the audiobook from Audible.  Why? Because when I read the...review or the synopsis about the edition that I want to buy, they wrote this "These additional episodes feature a star-studded cast of narrators to coincide with the upcoming release of the film"

I know the audiobook version is still the ABRIDGED version.  Its mean that some part of the book was not recorded.  But, this version is the newest version, that got 5 additional hours.  But what really sell me was "a star-studded cast of narrators" part.  Instead of just 1 or maybe 4 narrators, now they have lots of people reading the book. And because the day I read the book was the day that I had to go to the mall and I really want to "read" so I'm beginning to look for the audiobook.

I never read any story about zombie attacks or war before.  I even didn't watch The Walking Dead.  I did watch Resident Evil, but I think I watched it just because I like all the cool movie effects.  And maybe a little bit because how they fight against the zombie. 

So, since I don't have any experience about zombie stories before, I don't think I can compare this book to any zombie book (is there another book about zombie?).

According to the title, this book is a history book, an oral history book about the zombie war.


The Zombie War came unthinkably close to eradicating humanity. Max Brooks, driven by the urgency of preserving the acid-etched first-hand experiences of the survivors from those apocalyptic years, traveled across the United States of America and throughout the world, from decimated cities that once teemed with upwards of thirty million souls to the most remote and inhospitable areas of the planet. He recorded the testimony of men, women, and sometimes children who came face-to-face with the living, or at least the undead, hell of that dreadful time. World War Z is the result. Never before have we had access to a document that so powerfully conveys the depth of fear and horror, and also the ineradicable spirit of resistance, that gripped human society through the plague years.

Ranging from the now infamous village of New Dachang in the United Federation of China, where the epidemiological trail began with the twelve-year-old Patient Zero, to the unnamed northern forests where untold numbers sought a terrible and temporary refuge in the cold, to the United States of Southern Africa, where the Redeker Plan provided hope for humanity at an unspeakable price, to the west-of-the-Rockies redoubt where the North American tide finally started to turn, this invaluable chronicle reflects the full scope and duration of the Zombie War.

Most of all, the book captures with haunting immediacy the human dimension of this epochal event. Facing the often raw and vivid nature of these personal accounts requires a degree of courage on the part of the reader, but the effort is invaluable because, as Mr. Brooks says in his introduction, “By excluding the human factor, aren’t we risking the kind of personal detachment from history that may, heaven forbid, lead us one day to repeat it? And in the end, isn’t the human factor the only true difference between us and the enemy we now refer to as ‘the living dead’?”

Note: Some of the numerical and factual material contained in this edition was previously published under the auspices of the United Nations Postwar Commission.


Eyewitness reports from the first truly global war

“I found ‘Patient Zero’ behind the locked door of an abandoned apartment across town. . . . His wrists and feet were bound with plastic packing twine. Although he’d rubbed off the skin around his bonds, there was no blood. There was also no blood on his other wounds. . . . He was writhing like an animal; a gag muffled his growls. At first the villagers tried to hold me back. They warned me not to touch him, that he was ‘cursed.’ I shrugged them off and reached for my mask and gloves. The boy’s skin was . . . cold and gray . . . I could find neither his heartbeat nor his pulse.” —Dr. Kwang Jingshu, Greater Chongqing, United Federation of China


“‘Shock and Awe’? Perfect name. . . . But what if the enemy can’t be shocked and awed? Not just won’t, but biologically can’t! That’s what happened that day outside New York City, that’s the failure that almost lost us the whole damn war. The fact that we couldn’t shock and awe Zack boomeranged right back in our faces and actually allowed Zack to shock and awe us! They’re not afraid! No matter what we do, no matter how many we kill, they will never, ever be afraid!” —Todd Wainio, former U.S. Army infantryman and veteran of the Battle of Yonkers


“Two hundred million zombies. Who can even visualize that type of number, let alone combat it? . . . For the first time in history, we faced an enemy that was actively waging total war. They had no limits of endurance. They would never negotiate, never surrender. They would fight until the very end because, unlike us, every single one of them, every second of every day, was devoted to consuming all life on Earth.” —General Travis D’Ambrosia, Supreme Allied Commander, Europe 

That was written on Amazon.com.

The story began with an introduction from the author.  He said that 12 years have passed since a VA Day was declared, and the reason he wrote the book was because of an assignment from UN to write a report about the zombie war.  But, since the UN deleted almost half of what he wrote (because it was too intimate), he decided (and even encouraged) to write the book based on the report.

If you expected this book to be like a story about a person or persons survival against the zombie and how he/she/they finally win, I don't think you'll find that in this.  Of course in the end all of them, we the human race are win against the undead. But that not how this story works.

The story is written or told from different point of view, or to be exact, come from different opinions.  From soldiers, doctors, politician, civilian, mothers, even crook businessman.  They told us how they knew about the zombie, how they survived, and how are they now.  Some were funny (yeah, I even can't believe that I can laugh when I read/hear it), some were quite depressing, some were frightening. You even know about what each nation were doing or planning to do to defeat the zombie.  Some were bitter about the whole zombie war, some can rise above it.

Max Brooks wrote it really like a history book. He wrote it how the zombie came to be (or at least how it spread), how the world reacted at first, then how the world get panic, and how the world decided to get smart about how to fight the undead.

Reading the book, I felt like I can see how it all come to be.  And it's scary.

I like the story about how the US Army begin to win against the undead, how they get smart on killing the undead.  I also like about the retirement farms for the army's K-9 Corps.  And about the Chinese Navy who decided to rebel against their own government, because according to them the government can't make the right decision (and they're right).  

Some of the story was quite boring for me.  I think mostly because I didn't understand the topic or because the person telling the story was too bitter. I still like a happy ending story.

Some of it maybe too far fetched, too good to be true, or maybe doesn't even make sense, but I don't know any of it, but if it did, well...its just a story. It's a zombie war!

In the end, the story is about us, human, not about the zombie itself.  Its about us.  How we face our trouble, how we rise above it (or sunk under it), how we learned to survive.  In the end, it's about hope.  That in the end everything will be alright (even if it takes 5-10 years).

So...I really like this book.  Different from what I usually read, but its worth it.  I don't know if I'll start reading any dystopian book (Hunger Games maybe? Since Dito also told me that it's not really a dystopian), but for this one, I like it.



Now, for the audiobook part.

OMG!! I really like it.  First, because there are so many narrators.  Each character's point of view was read by different person.  You have Nathan Fillion (Castle), Martin Scorsese, Jeri Ryan (Body of Proof), Masi Oka (Heroes), Alfred Molina (Spiderman) and many more.  Look it up on wikipedia.  Some were good, I mean it sounds like you were listening to the tape of the interview. And few were not so good, too monotone for me.  But most part, I love it.  I even listened to it while I'm inside the mall, doing some shopping in the supermarket hahaha...sometimes I even have to rewind the ipod.  But I really enjoyed listening to it.

Seven Wonders - The Colossus Rises - Peter Lerangis

I guess when your Blackberry died on you, good thing can come out of it.  Like reading a book that you've bought long time a go.

Yup.  My Blackberry died yesterday.  Or presumed be dead.  It came back on again tonight.  Yeah...my bad.  I guess when your unconscious mind is so set on iPhone5, the moment your Blackberry went off, you can't think of anything else other than "I need to change my mobile phone".  I just think of other option about why my Blackberry was dead, was when I took a shower in the afternoon.  And now, my Blackberry is back on.  And still no iPhone5 for me hahaha...

As I said before, since my Blackberry was dead yesterday, I decided to read this book.  I don't know why I chose to read this one, I haven't even finish reading The Great Gatsby.  Maybe after this.

Seven Wonder - The Colossus Rises is book one of the series.  I think the series called Seven Wonder, and the title of book one is The Colossus Rises.  A little bit like Percy Jackson series.

Bought this book because my friend, Sherley, want to know if this book is any good.  When I went to Kinokuniya, months ago, I read the first chapter and like it.  So I decided to buy. After 3 chapters, I stopped.  Not because I didn't like the story, but because I didn't have the time.  Until yesterday.

 Just one boy . . .
Jack McKinley is an ordinary kid with an extraordinary problem. 

In six months, Jack is going to die.

Just one mission . . .
After Jack collapses in the middle of a busy street, he's whisked off to a strange hospital in a strange place. There are armed guards and weird kids and fantastic creatures, not to mention no parents, no phones, and no possibility of escape. The place is run by an odd professor named Bhegad, who tells Jack that what's killing him is a genetic trait inherited from the prince of a long-lost civilization. It's destroying Jack by making him too strong too fast. He'll need to stay strong, though—because it's up to him to save the world.

Just one problem . . .
That long-lost civilization sank when seven magic Loculi were stolen and hidden around the world. Now Jack and his friends must find the Loculi before they fall into the wrong hands. If they don't, they'll never be cured, that lost world will rise, oceans will be displaced, and life as we know it will pretty much end.

Seven wonders
No one ever asked Jack if he wanted to be a hero. He just has to be one. One kid. One mission. One big problem. 

Meet Jack McKinley. The story was told from his point of view. Later, Jack will meet Cass, who loves to talk backward (emosewa), Aly, the only girl who can hacked any computer since 9, and Marco, 13 years with a body like 16 and really really really god at any sport.

At first, what Jack really wants was to get back home (obviously), or at least get to call his dad, but alas...he can't.  After that, he found that even Cass, Aly and Marco doesn't even like being in the compound.  So, they try to run away. Apparently, that wasn't a good choice.  They get caught and have to back to the compound.  

It's not that Prof. Bhegad was a bad guy, they just didn't believe it.  I think it's right for them for questioning Prof. Bhegad, because the four of them can't even call on their parents or anyone, it likes they were kidnapped. 

Prof. Bhegad told them that they were descendants of the ruler of Atlantis.  The genetic trait they have called G7W, and mostly of them who has this trait, this marker on their DNA, can't live past age 14.  And for them to keep alive, is having a medical treatment, provided by Prof. Bhegad, and find elements of Atlantis power.  

Realized that they have no choice, the begin their training.  Marco trained martial arts, Aly trained with computer, and Cass...Cass is a human GPS, he can memorize any map, any route.  While Jack...well...he doesn't know what he can do.  He just know that he can do some tinkering, but along the way I think we all know what he can do.

Even though they're a little reluctant to trust Prof. Beghad, they begin to learn more about the Atlantis, about the elements of Atlantis power, and why the Atlantis was gone. And so, their adventure begin.
 

Reading the book, made me feel like I was playing "Mystery Case Files" without the hidden objects thing, and straight to the puzzle part.  The four of them need to solve quite a lot puzzle, or even create their own puzzle.  

If you like Percy Jackson series, I think you'll like this one too.  Full of adventure, along with some historical place and information. I really enjoy myself reading this book.

I can't help myself for comparing this story to Percy Jackson.  Maybe because Rick Riordan tells that this book is good, I don't know. Compared to PJ, the back story of Seven Wonders I think a little bit complicated.  I mean, until the end of the book I still don't know if Prof. Beghad really a good guy or the bad guy.  And the history about Jack, Cass, Aly, and Marco as the descendants of Atlantis King and Queen is also not quite explainable.  And the end of book one, is a cliffhanger.  Not like PJ series, where each book end with a finished quest, SW is not.  Maybe because PJ, like HP (why do I have to think back to HP??), each book is happened on certain set of times; summer camp, school term.

But despite it all, I still enjoying myself reading this book. 

Quartet

I read about this movie on a magazine and truthfully, I was interested about it instantly.  Simply just because its about four people, although it's four old people, who used to be a great musicians (opera singers) and now they have to live on a home for retired musicians.  Just read the word musicians my interest is pique right away hahaha...

I'm not a musicians, I can't even sing acapella, but I do love music.  Who doesn't?

So, Quartet is about Reg (Tom Courtenay), Wilf (Billy Connolly), Cissy (Pauline Collins), and their other friends, all of them are retired musicians, live on Beecham House.  They're going to have a gala on behalf of Verdi's birthday.  Everyone was expected to contribute something to the gala, either by singing or playing something. Preparation for the gala was having a bit of difficulty, since most of the prominent singers either died or choose not to participate. Until Jean (Maggie Smith) arrived.  Jean was (or still is) a diva.  The fact that she has to retire and live on a retired home, even its home for retired musicians, is really a humiliation for her.  And then, there's Reg.  Reg used to be married to Jean.  He didn't like that Jean was at the same home with him.  But, not only Reg who has connection with Jean.  Reg, Wilf, Cissy, and Jean used to be on Rigoletto together, and they were considered as THE Rigoletto of the post-war era. So, now having the quartet at the same time, at the same home, the director (Michael Gambon) really wish that the four of them willing to sing together.  Everybody agree, except Jean.

Even though it's a story about old people, but since it's about old musicians, I think I'll make an exception hahaha.  What I love about the movie is that it shows how music is still be a large part of their daily lives.  They teach kids, children about music, teach them piano or violin.  The play violins, piano, flute, almost all the time.  I know, there are other things than music on their mind, like getting old, forgetfulness, being sick, etc.  But I think it just show that they (old people) still have their lives, they still live.

And the music.  Can't forget the music.  Although most of it was operas, some of them are really familiar.

In the end, while the credit title was rolling, the pictures of the residents of Beecham House who is really a musicians was showed, including the picture when they were young.

And the ending of the movie...is really typical for English drama movie, although I remember that the director was Dustin Hoffman, who is an American...so...I think you should see it hahaha. The end is a happy end for me, but I can't help that I wish for oh I don't know...another five or ten more minutes....hahaha.
 

My New Blog!

So, I finally decided to make a new blog, dedicated for my cross stitch works only.  My blog's name is Cross Stitch and I.

Because it's still new, there aren't many post, just 3.  I think it's enough.  I decided to post it now, remembering tomorrow I'll be gone to Bali.

Please take a look at my new blog :D hopefully next time I'll have many things to post.

Before we part, this is the latest of my work that I already finish it.  Another one from Precious Moments, for my cousin's wedding.

The World of Cross Stitch

The reason I posted my last post was to tell about this blog I stumble upon few days ago.  I feel a little stupid for not realising it sooner. 

So my world is full of cross stitch right now.  And few days ago, while doing my project on Stolen, I realize that there's one thread that I don't know where to look for it.  Just like everything I do nowadays, I search it on internet.  Found a forum and read the some of the thread on the forum and I found my answer.  So happy.

Next thing I know, I clicked on some blog address and clicked another one Pull The Other Thread, after read some of her posts, I commented on her post and ask a question, which she replied right away.  Then, she told me about craft abbreviations and definitions that she posted on her blog.  OMG! It feels like my world is open up hahaha....and like always, one link lead to another to another to another, and my world opened up more.

So now I'm thinking about making a new blog about my cross stitch.  Thinking about joining all the SAL or TUSAL or anything that is fun hahahaha...

Let see if I follow it up.  

Me & Cross Stitch

 

For the last couple of years, I spent my days and night with cross stitch.  Since I know that I don't have the ability to knit or crochet, I decided to learn how to cross-stitch and found it easier to do than the other handcraft.  And so it began, my journey to cross stitch.

At the beginning, I started with small projects.  And I have to say, my sister did it better than I did.  She's the one who told me that I have to stitch it neatly and do the cross in one way; if you start from left to right, then do every stitch from left to right.  I never thought of doing it that way, but since that, and after that I read lots of 'how to cross stitch', I always do that.

It's been years after my first lesson (more than 10 years I think), and I still in love with it.  And still think myself as a novice hahaha...well maybe not a novice but certainly not an expert.

I still prefer to do simple projects, like Precious Moments pattern.  I did lots of PM projects.  I don't know if PM is under category of simple project or not, but for me it's quite simple.  

Or pattern that using full cross stitch and you just play with colours to make it more exciting

Even so, I must say that I really love to be able to show a project that is not so simple   (to bad, the picture below is not for me :D.  I did it, but its on commision, so it won't be hang on my wall)

 

Since my sister is quite a provocator, she 'challege' me to do a complete set of Celtic Designs season: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Autumn.  I don't know if she also want the Celtic Christmas or not.  Hieh...my sister everybody!

The truth is...I really love to do it hahaha...just let see if I have the time.  Because at the moment, I have two on going projects, and they're on commision so I HAD to finish it as soon as possible, one HAED projects (its for my own), and maybe some other little projects. 

So...just hope that my commision project will finish soon and then I can do new project.  Yeay!!