janicechen's Reviews

I had borrowed the book from the library and "Susannah's Garden" tells the life story of Susannah Nelson before she quits her teaching job and moves to Blossom Street to open a flower shop. Susannah is one of the characters in the Blossom Street series and she and her flower shop appears in the book "Back On Blossom Street" and i'm sure fans of the series would enjoy reading her story like i did :>

really enjoyed reading how Susannah manage to renew her friendship with her childhood best friend Carolyn whom she had lost touch with after marriage more than 30 years ago. It was heartwarming reading how they support each other in their journey to discovering the truth behind Doug and Jake's death and disappearance and also how Carolyn was always there for Susannah and vice versa whenever they faces any problems. It was also an emotional and painful period for Susannah and also her mother when Susannah had to convince her to move from the only home she knows into an assisted-living home and for her mother to accept the changes in her mental and physical health and to try relying on outsiders to help her in her daily activities. I also like how Susannah finally realised that her late father had loved and cared for her through her handling of Chrissie's budding romance with a guy who was just toying with her. The ending was great and there was a good twist which i did not expect. (read less)

My favourite and most funny scene from "Christmas Letters" was when Katherine tried to play match-maker for her neighbour LaVonne and Wynn's father Max by inviting them to her place for drinks which ended up in a funny and disastrious scene when LaVonne bought along her cat and he attacked Max. The inclusion of Katherine's sister into the end of the scene also make things more chaotic and comical. I ended up bursting into laughter while reading it in the middle of the night hehe... This book is easy to read and I liked it even though the storyline is quite predictable as it really sets me in the Christmas mood which is my favourite holiday season. So if you are looking for a nice and funny romance story, this is the book for you (read less)

I have recently finished reading this novel that i borrowed from Bishan library and really enjoyed the book. I was searching for Debbie Macomber's other book, 16 Lighthouse Road (Cedar Cove, Book 1) and chanced upon this book. I enjoyed following the main character Lydia's journey to opening her shop and learning to "live" again and finding new friends from her knitting class. It was very sweet and heartwarming how the characters in the knitting class ended up bonding with each other and turning into an informal support group without their realising it and how they support each other through their emotional turmoils and crisis. The writer really did a great job of linking all the characters together and providing a nice twist and good ending to the story. (read less)

I have just finished reading this irresistible follow-up novel by writer Sarah Addison Allen. I have been a fan of her since reading her bestselling debut novel, "Garden Spells" as i really love her magical style of writing. Again i found myself eager to step into her new magical world of a tale of a young woman whose family secrets and secret passions are about to change her life forever with the intrusion of a strange woman into her secret closet... Brimming with warmth, wit and a sprinkling of magic, here is a spellbinding tale of friendship, love and the enchanting possibilities of every new day.

As in "Garden Spells", magical things are happening all over town. My favourite character is Chloe as i really envy her being able to read any books she wants without having to buy or search for it in the library. Books just appear in front of her since she was twelve whenever she needs them. She'll walk into a room, and there's a book that wants her to read it. The only creepy thing is they would follow her sometimes too and when she leaves the book at home, it will show up at work or in her car or bathroom. One rather persistent book, Finding Forgiveness, makes its first appearance on page 36 and continues to appear throughout the story and it was quite comical when she started scolding the books as if they were living things. I would definitely recommend this book to fellow book lovers :> (read less)

I have finally finished reading the book and this is a must read book for fans of the television series "Digging for the Truth". I have watched season 1 and 2 of the series and is eagerly waiting for the National Library to purchase season 3 so that i can borrow the DVD set. What i like about this book is that it provides me with more information on some of the topics in the series that i did not really understand after watching the episodes. In the book, the host of the series Josh Bernstein shares with readers his personal experience, behind the scenes works and also pictures taken while he was filming the series.

Readers of the book would also gain insights into the risk and dangers that went on behind the scenes in shooting the show and how much efforts the production team went into so as to show viewers precious footages of the interior of the Pyramids of Egypt and Yemen. That was definitely one of my favourite episodes! I also enjoyed watching the episode of Josh diving into the water to search for the underground palace of Cleopatra and also the story on Queen Nefertiti.

It also makes me better appreciate the series and i was reading the book and watching season 1 and 2 at the same time which gives me a better idea of how difficult it was to shoot some of the episodes which i would not have realised while just watching it on tv. (read less)

I just spent half a day today reading this interesting book which i borrowed from Ang Mo Kio library. "Garden Spells" is the debut novel written by Sarah Addison Allen and I would strongly recommend this book to anyone who likes to read as the story is simply as irresistible as it is unforgettable. Reading it makes me wish that i also had a secret garden of my own like the main character Claire had in the story. I also enjoy following the sisters' journey towards learning to understand and trust each other and that there is nothing more important in this world than family ties and being there for your love ones when they need you. I'm definitely a new fan of Sarah Addison's and would be looking forward to reading her subsequent novel "The Sugar Queen"! (read less)