The Best of Marian Keyes
Friday, September 10, 2010
Marian Keyes (born 10 September 1963) is an Irish novelist & non-fiction writer, best known for her work in women’s literature. She is regarded by her fans as a pioneer of the so-called ‘chick-lit’ genre; her stories usually revolve around a strong female character who overcomes numerous obstacles to achieve lasting happiness. Source: Wikipedia
This Charming Man RRP: RM87.50 Price: RM19.90
With This Charming Man, Marian Keyes hits her stride as a novelist with her best novel yet, telling the stories of four women who are shaped by one man. Narrated in turn by each woman; Lola, Grace, Marnie & Alicia, this story explores how their love for this one man, Paddy de Courcy Ireland’s debonair politician, the “John F. Kennedy Jr. of Dublin” has shaped their lives. But in true Marian Keyes fashion, this is more than a story of four love affairs. It’s a testament to the strength women find in themselves through work, friendship, & family, no matter what demons may be haunting their lives. Depression, self-doubt, domestic abuse—each of these women has seen tough times in life, and it’s through Keyes’s wonderful storytelling ability that these subjects are approached with the appropriate tone & candor. Her deft touch provides a gripping story &, ultimately, a redemptive ending.
Anybody Out There? RRP: RM56.90 Price: RM17.90
Anna Walsh is officially a wreck. Physically broken & emotionally shattered, she lies on her parents’ Dublin sofa with only one thing on her mind: getting back to New York. New York means her best friends, The Most Fabulous Job In The World & above all, it means her husband, Aidan. But nothing in Anna’s life is that simple anymore! Not only is her return to Manhattan complicated by her physical & emotional scars – but Aidan seems to have vanished. Is it time for Anna to move on? Is it even possible for her to move on? A motley group of misfits, an earth-shattering revelation, two births & one very weird wedding might help Anna find some answers – & will change her life forever. Hilarious, heartbreaking & life-affirming, Marian’s unforgettable new novel is as epic as it is entertaining.
Rachel’s Holiday RRP: RM53.01 Price: RM17.90
Twenty-seven & the miserable owner of size eight feet, Rachel Walsh enjoys two naughty habits: a lover who likes his leather pants tight, & a fondness for recreational drugs. But as Rachel learns, what goes up must come down. First she loses her job, then her lover, & then finds herself being marched off to the Cloisters, Dublin’s answer to the Betty Ford Clinic.—it suddenly dawns on Rachel that it’s about time she had a vacation, & where better than a place crammed with jacuzzis, gyms, & rock stars going tepid turkey? What she gets instead, however, are middle-aged men in sweaters & enough group therapy to drive her to distraction, until she meets Chris. A man with a past, will he be her salvation—or more trouble than Rachel’s ever known? Engaging and wickedly funny, Rachel’s Holiday is a powerful story of love & discovery.
Lucy Sullivan is Getting Married RRP: RM49.90 Price: RM17.90
In this comic novel about a young woman on the make, Lucy Sullivan is told by a fortuneteller that she’ll be married very soon, & she begins to evaluate every man in her life as a possible Mr. Right. But then Lucy meets gorgeous, unreliable Gus. Could he be the future Mr. Lucy Sullivan? Or could it be handsome Chuck? Or Daniel, the world’s biggest flirt? Or even cute Jed, the new guy at work? –much to the dismay of her roommates, Karen & Charlotte. Maybe her friends have something to worry about after all….
Last Chance Saloon RRP: RM55.90 Price: RM17.90
Ever since legwarmers were cool, best friends Tara, Katherine, & Fintan have survived small-town ennui, big-city heartbreak, & endless giddy nights out on the town. But now that they’ve graduated to their slightly more serious thirties, the trio leave their small Irish town for London & encounter some of the predictable difficulties & adventures of big-city life. Then Fintan gets cancer, & all characters involved find themselves sorely tested in new ways. But it’s always when you are least ready for change that fate insists on one. And when catastrophe inevitably follows crisis, the lives of three best friends are sure to change in unexpected ways … and not necessarily for the worse. Now, raise your glass to Tara, Katherine, and Fintan in Last Chance Saloon.
***HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MARIAN KEYES!!!***
New Arrival: Fiction
Monday, August 30, 2010
The Adrian Mole Diaries: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, Aged 13¾ & the Growing Pains of Adrian Mole by Sue Townsend RRP: RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
Adrian Mole faces the same agonies which life sets before most adolescents: troubles with girls, school, parents, & an uncaring world. The difference, though, between young Master Mole and his peers is that this British lad keeps a diary – an earnest chronicle of longing & disaster that has convulsed more than 5 million readers. From teenage Adrian’s obsession with intellectuality after understanding “nearly every word” of a Malcolm Muggeridge broadcast to his anguished adoration of a lovely, mercurial schoolmate, from his view of his parents’ constantly creaking relationship to his heartfelt but hilarious attempts at cathartic verse, here is an outrageous triumph of deadpan & deadly accurate, satire. A. Mole, the unforgettable lad whose self-absorption only gets funnier as his life becomes more desperate.
The Science Fiction (Hall of Fame vol 2) by Ben Bova RRP: RM74.90 Price: RM17.90
Eleven essential classics in one volume. This volume is the definitive collection of the best science fiction novellas published between 1929 & 1964, containing eleven great classics. No anthology better captures the birth of science fiction as a literary field. Published in 1973 to honor stories that had appeared before the institution of the Nebula Awards, The Science Fiction Hall of Fame introduced tens of thousands of young readers to the wonders of science fiction & was a favorite of libraries across the country.
Dark Possession by Christine Feehan RRP: RM89.90 Price: RM19.90
Manolito De La Cruz knew he was dangerously close to turning into a vampire. The last thing he expected after being called back to his Carpathian homeland by Prince Mikhail was to catch the scent of his destined lifemate in MaryAnn Delaney. MaryAnn is human, but she knows all too well the overwhelmingly aggressive instincts of Carpathian males. And they’re not exactly the kind of men she’d prefer to be bound to for life. But when MaryAnn agrees to go to South America to offer guidance to a brutalized young woman, she has no idea of the trap that awaits her in the sweltering thick of the jungle. She has been lured there by Manolito himself, who has seductive plans for the unaware, irresistibly human female. Once there, she will be his. Once his, she never will be released. He is her lover, her predator, her lifemate. She is his dark possession…
Charlotte and Emily Brontë: The Complete Novel Price: RM49.90
Jane Eyre, Shirley, Villette, and The Professor by Charlotte Brontë and Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë are included in this new addition to the Library of Literary Classics.
Devil’s Bride by Stephanie Laurens RRP: RM34.90 Price: RM17.90
When Devil, the most infamous member of the Cynster family, is caught in a compromising position with plucky governess Honoria Wetherby, he astonishes the entire ton by offering his hand in marriage. No one had dreamed this scandalous rake would so tamely take a bride. But Honoria wasn’t about to bend to society’s demands & marry a man just because they’d been found together unchaperoned. No. She craved adventure. Solving the murder of a young Cynster cousin fit the bill for a while, but once the crime was solved, Honoria was set on seeing the world. But the scalding heat of her unsated desire for Devil soon had Honoria craving a very different sort of excitement. Could her passion for Devil cause her to embrace the enchanting peril of a lifelong adventure of the heart?
To Distraction by Stephanie Laurens RRP: RM59.90 Price: RM19.90
Deverell, Viscount Paignton, is in desperate need of a wife. Unmoved by the matchmaking ‘herd’, he seeks help from his aunt, who directs him to a lady she vows is perfect for him. Dispatched to a country house party, he discovers the lady not swanning about among the guests but with her nose buried in a book in the library. Phoebe Malleson is tempted to distraction by Deverell, but marrying him isn’t part of her plan. Unfortunately, telling Deverell to go away doesn’t work, and he quickly learns of an incident in her past and a secret cause to which she’s committed. But someone powerful has her cause targeted for destruction. Phoebe must accept Deverell’s help…though the cost to them both might be dear – and deadly.
BookXcess Recommends: Fiction Reads
Monday, August 23, 2010
We all love a good fiction read, don’t we? In a bookstore filled with hundreds of titles, it’s easy to overlook a quiet harmless title. Allow us, to highlight some titles that might miss to catch your attention… 
You Belong To Me by Mary Higgins Clark RRP: RM38.90 Price: RM17.90
Dr. Susan Chandler, a clinical psychologist with a popular radio show, attempting to help a friend who was abducted by a serial killer, takes live calls on the air from anyone who might have information. When a frightened woman calls up with a hysterical confession that she knows the man they are looking for, Dr. Chandler is soon roped into a mystery that threatens to unmask a brutal murderer.
Moonlight Becomes You by Mary Higgins Clark RRP: RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
Commercial photographer Maggie Holloway attends a party and is, by chance, reunited with Nuala, the stepmother she has not seen since childhood. Maggie accepts Nuala’s invitation to visit her in Rhode Island, but when Maggie arrives, Nuala is dead–apparently the victim of a random break-in. To her surprise, Maggie learns that Nuala’s house is bequeathed to her, the only stipulation being that she visit Nuala’s friend Gerda. When Maggie fulfills this request, she discovers that Gerda is a resident of a nearby nursing home–a home with an alarmingly high death rate of seemingly healthy patients.
Past Secrets by Cathy Kelly RRP: RM36.90 Price: RM17.90
They all hide secrets that won’t go away… The women of Summer Street have their fair share of secrets & soon learn that if you keep a secret too long it will creep out when you least expect it! Behind the shining windows & rose-bedecked gardens of Summer Street, there are lots of secrets. There’s the one that hard-working single mother, Faye, hides from her teenage daughter, Amber. And there’s the one that thirty-year-old Maggie hides from herself. When fiery Amber decides to throw away her future for love, & when Maggie ends up back home looking after her sick mother, their secrets begin to bubble over. The only person on Summer Street who appears to know all the answers is their friend Christie. Wise & kind, she can see into other people’s hearts to solve their problems. Except that this time, the secrets she’s hidden from her beloved husband & grown up sons suddenly reappear. When the past comes alive for Maggie, Faye and Christie, they finally have to face it.
Once in a Lifetime by Cathy Kelly RRP: RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
#1 international bestselling author Cathy Kelly weaves a captivatingtale about love, friendship & a web of secrets running through abustling Irish town. Kenny’s Department Store isn’t just a place to shop; it’s the heart of Ardagh, Ireland. TV reporter Ingrid Fitzgerald has watched her husband, David Kenny, pour his heart and soul into the family store — the “other woman” in her marriage — for years. Now, as their children fly the nest, Ingrid discovers something that will shake her world to its foundation. Charlie Fallon is a dedicated Kenny’s employee who adores her husband & son, but her selfish, dominating mother seems determined to ruin everything. Free spirit Star Bluestone, who sells her beautifully crafted tapestries at Kenny’s, has her own secrets and wisdom to share. But when unexpected tragedy shocks everyone at Kenny’s & threatens its future, the women of Ardagh find that secrets have a way of always coming out — with repercussions that lead them to rely on one another more than ever before.
The Chocolate Run by Dorothy Koomsoon RRP: RM35.50 Price: RM17.90
A scrumptiously funny & moving tale of love, lust & confectionery. Who needs love when you’ve got chocolate? Amber Salpone thinks in chocolate – talk to her for three minutes & she’ll tell you what kind of chocolate you’d be. In fact, most days, if she was asked to choose between chocolate & relationships, there’d be no contest. At least chocolate has never let her down. Unlike her family. Growing up in the Salpone household has taught Amber to avoid conflict – and love – at all costs. So, when she does the unthinkable & has a one-night stand with womaniser Greg Walterson, her uncomplicated, chocolate-flavoured life goes into meltdown. Especially when Greg announces she’s the love of his life – & Amber finds it hard enough to decide if she wants plain or Fruit & Nut … Meanwhile, her best friend, Jen, seems to be launching a bid to become Bitch Of The Year & Amber’s family are making unreasonable demands. Amber has two choices: to deal with her past & the people around her, or to go on a chocolate run & keep on running…
Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding RRP: RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
Picking up where her blockbuster bestselling Bridget Jone’s Diary left off, The Edge of Reason finds Bridget in an up & down relationship with Mark Darcy. It’s four weeks later, & already the honeymoon is over: the man of her dreams votes conservative & folds his clothes at night, making Bridget feel pressured to do so as well. But all of these problems pale in comparison to Rebecca – a beautiful, man-hunting arch-nemesis without a girlfriend code of ethics when it comes to stealing another woman’s man. As always, Bridget’s best Singleton friends Jude & Shaz are there to give her advice from the pages of Getting the Love You Want & Keeping the Love You Find with some unexpected results.
New Arrivals: Ever Growing Fiction Titles
Thursday, July 29, 2010
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy RRP: RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
Winner of the prestigious Booker Prize in 1997, The God Of Small Things was a stunning debut for Arundhati Roy. Set in Kerala, India, in 1969, seven-year-old twins Rahel & Estha, born of a wealthy family & literally joined at the soul. The God Of Small Things effectively shifts between two time periods: Rahel’s present-day trip home to see her mute, haunted twin brother, & a December day 20 years before — the tumultuous day that tears the family apart. With mesmerizing language that brings to mind, The God Of Small Things ambitiously tackles such profound issues as family, race, & class, the dictates of history, & the laws of love. Rahel & Estha learn too soon that love & life can be lost in a millisecond.
The Good Divorce Guide by Cristina Odone RRP: RM34.90 Price: RM17.90
When Rosie Martin discovers that Jonathan, her husband of 15 years, is having an affair, she feels that her world is falling apart. That is, until she realises that she’s actually fallen out of love with him, too. So Rosie & Jonathan decide to go their separate ways, determined to be civilised about their divorce, for the sake of the children — in short, to have a ‘good divorce’! Cue the rest of the world, where divorce is always a dirty word. Everyone & everything seems determined to conspire to make this divorce bitter — the lawyer, the estate agent, the botox man, the friends, not least their respective families! ‘The Good Divorce Guide’ is a touching, witty, funny story about starting afresh & learning to find your own way in life, no matter what anyone says.
A Darker Domain by Val McDermid RRP: RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
The superb new psychological thriller from bestselling author Val McDermid mixes fiction with one of the most symbolic and exceptional moments in recent history – the national miners’ strike 1984, Fife: Heiress Catriona Maclennan Grant and her baby son are kidnapped. The ransom payoff goes horribly wrong. She is killed while her son disappears without trace. 2008, Tuscany: A jogger stumbles upon dramatic new evidence that re-opens the cold case. Past and present intertwine in a dark novel of psychological suspense that explores the intersection of desire and greed.
Fairytale Of New York by Miranda Dickinson RRP: RM34.90 Price: RM17.90
Are happy-ever-afters made in Manhattan? Once upon a time an English girl went to New York to live out her very own fairytale! Florist Rosie Duncan’s life couldn’t be better, she has a flourishing business on New York’s Upper West Side and fantastic friends. Moving to Manhattan feels like the best decision she ever made. Even though at the time, it was her escape route from heartbreak … But a chance meeting brings Rosie face to face with her past, unravelling the mystery behind her arrival in New York. Rosie is forced to confront questions she has long been trying to ignore, including will she ever get her very own happy-ever-after? A sparkling, romantic comedy about an English girl who finds herself in the city where dreams can come true – or so she thinks!
Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison RRP: RM39.90 Price: RM17.90
Sexy bounty hunter and witch Rachel Morgan prowls the dark streets of Cincinnati, keeping tabs on the vampires and other creatures of the supernatural who prey on the city’s innocent and vulnerable inhabitants.
Ready for Engaging Women’s Reads?
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Barbara Delinsky is nothing if not prolific. Since 1980, she has written well over 80 novels, and shows no sign of slowing down. More than 20 million copies of her books are in print worldwide, translated into over a dozen foreign languages. From Romantic Times Magazine, she’s received the Special Achievement Award (twice), the Reviewer’s Choice Award and the Best Contemporary Romance Award. She’s also received the Romance Writers of America Golden Medallion and Golden Leaf awards.
A Woman’s Place RRP:RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
When Claire Raphael begins to earn more than her husband, he charges her with neglect of family and sues for divorce, requesting sole child custody and alimony. Although she supported him while he built his career and she cared for the children, she knows that the courts are unsympathetic to successful women. With the help of her business partner, Brody Parth, Claire finds the strength and love to face the biggest battle of her life.
Facets RRP:RM69.90 Price: RM19.90
Nothing can prepare writer Hillary Cox for seeing her lover of 20 years, mining magnate John St. George, announce on television that he’s marrying another woman. Seeking revenge, Hillary begins a tell-all book exposing John and his shady past. John’s sister, Pamela St. George, also wants revenge against her brother. Throughout her life, Pamela has suffered horrifying abuses at John’s hands. As Hillary attempts to end her obsession with John, Pamela searches for Cutter Reid, the one man she has always loved, and from whom John has always kept her. Now, a three-decade-old family drama of power, duplicity, and money comes hurtling to an explosive final confrontation with the one man who has so damaged their lives.
For My Daughters RRP:RM35.90 Price: RM17.90
Caroline, Annette, and Leah St. Clair have spent their lives trying to escape the legacy of their wealthy, social-climbing mother, Virginia. Then, on the eve of her seventieth birthday, Virginia gives something to her daughters after a lifetime of taking…
More Barbara Delinsky’s masterpieces: Read more
RM9.90 Bargain Corner Books!
Wednesday, July 14, 2010Who wouldn’t love the Bargain Corner? These books may not be bestsellers but they sure are worth a read! Interesting twisty plotlines we noticed here! 
Do give ‘em a chance & pick up a copy or two that interests you…
Marker by Robin Cook
As Robin Cook’s roller-coaster of a medical thriller opens, otherwise healthy people are dying shortly after undergoing minor surgery in New York City hospitals. Dr. Laurie Montgomery and Dr. Jack Stapleton, the sparring lovers and co-workers from a previous Cook novel, Vector, must put their romantic difficulties aside when Laurie realizes that a serial killer is responsible for the deaths, and that she herself could be one of the killer’s next targets.
Talking to Strange Men by Ruth Rendell
The coded messages that John Creevey should never have seen were coming in fast. Was it a major spy ring? A drugs gang? A protection racket? Whatever, to John Creevey the messages were a lifeline — a means of getting back his wife and perhaps a way to harm the man who had seduced her away from him.
Fallen Hearts by Virginia Andrews
Returning home to Virginia and about to marry her first love, Heaven finally feels she can get on with her life. Until her past yet again returns to haunt her!
Your Cheatin’ Heart by Anne McCartney
Your Cheatin’ Heart is set in 1977 in America when drugs, sex and rock and roll were all that really mattered. Twenty-one-year-old Maggie Lennon from Northern Ireland travels to America looking for a summer job before settling into her career as a teacher. What she finds is very different to what she imagined. As Maggie’s career takes off, her love life takes a nosedive. We don’t know how it happens or whether Maggie must be crazy, but pretty soon she’s standing with a gun in her hand, Buford’s girlfriend is lying on the floor and the police are on their way…
**McCartney’s second novel is a roller coaster of a read. Hilarious, evocative and moving, you will adore Maggie and the rest of the crazy cast.**
The Breakdown Lane by Jacklyn Mitchard
Every family has it’s problems – Julie Gillis collects them. She’s used to telling the readers of her agony column what to do, but somehow she’s missed the warning signs at home. A loving mother and a good wife, she is shattered when her husband Leo walks out, leaving her to bring up two teenagers and a small daughter alone. But even tougher times lie ahead – and Julie’s going to need all she’s got to keep her family together and start again. With her trademark insight, Jacquelyn Mitchard delicately unravels the complications of human emotion within a story that is compelling as it is inspiring.
Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman
Bramble: a village girl, whom no-one living can tame … forced to flee from her home for a crime she did not commit.
Ash: apprentice to a safeguarder, forced to kill for an employer he cannot escape.
Saker: an enchanter, who will not rest until the land is returned to his people.
As their three stories unfold, along with the stories of those whose lives they touch, it becomes clear that they are bound together in ways that not even a stonecaster could foresee – bound by their past, their future, and their blood.
Mosquito by Roma Tearn
A lyrical and profoundly moving story of love, loss and civil war, set in Sri Lanka, London and Venice. When author Theo Samarajeeva returns to his native Sri Lanka after his wife’s death, he hopes to escape his gnawing loss amidst the lush landscape of his increasingly war-torn country. Beautifully written, by turns heartbreaking and uplifting, ‘Mosquito’ is a first novel of remarkable and compelling power.
The Story of You by Julie Myerson
This book begins with snow, the story of you. It is a freezing room in a student house, a sagging mattress on the floor, and two people, one nineteen, the other twenty, kissing passionately, all night. It is to this scene that, twenty years later, Rosy, the narrator of Julie Myerson’s astonishing new novel, returns obsessively. She has just lost a child in a terrible, careless accident, and Tom, her partner, has taken her to Paris to forget about things, to start again. “The Story of You” is an account of a woman trying to get by as a mother, a wife, while falling in love with a man from a memory. As always Julie Myerson maps the vagaries of the human heart with extraordinary empathy and precision, while at the same time keeping the reader in breathless suspense and on the edge of tears.
Chicago by Alaa al Aswany
This is a story of love, sex, friendship, hatred, and ambition, pulsating and alive with a rich and unforgettable cast of American and Arab characters who are achingly human in their desires and needs. Beautifully rendered, this is an illuminating portrait of America, a complex, often contradictory land in which triumph and failure, opportunity and oppression, small dramas and big dreams coexist. Chicago is a powerfully engrossing novel of culture and individuality from one of the most original voices in contemporary world literature.
The Berlin Cross by Greg Flynn
Down and out New York PI John Docker has a past he’d rather forget. So when he finds himself in Berlin in 1948, just after the Russians blockade the city in a move that ultimately sparks the Cold War, it’s against his better judgment. Docker is there to track down some stolen treasure – the Cross of Christ, a legendary religious relic that was last in the hands of the Nazis and is now missing. Reluctantly he collaborates with British Military Policeman Captain Beauchamp.Against the backdrop of the Berlin airlift, Docker and Beauchamp race against the clock in a bid to recover the atomic secrets and the Cross. THE BERLIN CROSS is an extraordinary debut crime thriller by a gifted author with a great future. Dark, witty, full of rich, authentic detail and with a cast of memorable characters, many from the history books, it keeps you guessing until the end.
The Assassin King by Elizabeth Haydon
Haydons lyrical sixth installment in her sweeping saga . . . While deftly managing a large cast of intriguing characters in a story thats both grand and intimate but never predictable, Haydon moves all the pieces into place for the next volume.–”Publishers Weekly.”
Rifling Paradise by Jem Poster
When past indiscretions catch up with Charles Redbourne, a minor English landowner, he is propelled from England to Australia, where he plans to make his mark as a naturalist. There, his life begins to change dramatically, not least when he meets his host’s wayward, artistic daughter. But it is on an expedition in search of scientific specimens in the Blue Mountains that events take a terrifying turn. Vividly conveying the unspoken codes of Victorian society, this is a gripping tale of an emotional and psychological reckoning, which offers an inspired meditation on the relationship between humankind and the natural world.
Four Play by Fiona Walker
Despite her broken heart, when Dilly Gently joins Magnus Olensen’s new band, the chemistry between them is explosive. Both impossibly romantic blondes with the souls of poets, they seem to be made for one another. But before they have chance to declare their affections, Dilly’s friend Nell confides that she has a huge crush on Magnus, and Dilly nobly steps down in order to play the reluctant matchmaker. Nell returns the favor by setting Dilly up with her dashing twin brother, Flipper. But Flipper is not a good rebound for a true romantic: he hides a secret that could break Dilly’s heart all over again.
New Arrivals: Fiction Mania!
Friday, July 9, 2010Do try not to judge the book by its cover this time around… We’re sure there are interesting reads as follows…
LITERATURE:
By The River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept by Paulo Coelho
RRP: RM66.30 Price: RM17.90
Coehlo presents the poignant, deeply spiritual tale of Pilar, an independent and practical yet restless young woman, whose life is forever changed by an encounter with a childhood friend. Now a mesmerizing and handsome seminarian, he leads her on a journey through the French Pyrenees, where together they explore the “feminine face of God,” and make the dramatic discovery that love is God.
A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed Hanif
RRP:RM84.00 Price: RM19.90
A first novel of the first order—provocative, exuberant, wickedly clever—that reimagines the conspiracies and coincidences leading to the mysterious 1988 plane crash that killed Pakistan’s dictator General Zia ul-Haq. Intrigue and subterfuge combine with misstep and luck in this darkly comic book about love, betrayal, tyranny, family—and a world that unexpectedly resembles our own.
Raise the Red Lantern by SuTong
RRP: RM39.90 Price: RM17.90
The brutal realities of the dark places Su Tong depicts in this collection of novellas set in 1930s provincial China — worlds of prostitution, poverty, and drug addiction — believe his prose of stunning and simple beauty.
The title novella, “Raise the Red Lantern,” which became a critically acclaimed film, tells the story of Lotus, a young woman whose father’s suicide forces her to become the concubine of a wealthy merchant. Crushed by loneliness, despair, and cruel treatment, Lotus finds her descent into insanity both a weapon and a refuge.
“Nineteen Thirty-Four Escapes” is an account of a family’s struggles during one momentous year; plagued by disease, death, and the shady promise of life in a larger town, the family slowly disintegrates.
Finally, “Opium Family” details the last years of a landowning clan whose demise is brought about by corruption, lust, and treachery — fruits of the insidious crop they harvest.
The Sirens of Baghdad by Yasmina Khadra
RRP: RM75.81 Price: RM19.90
A masterful and chilling look at violence and its effects on ordinary people, The Sirens of Baghdad probes situations few writers dare examine. Powerfully written like Khadra’s previous novels, it explores the depths of human nature and shows that, even in the most horrific circumstances, good can prevail.
More on Crime, Thriller, Mystery, Fantasy & Chick-Lit:
New Arrival: A Stackful of Non-Fictions!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
1.) Don’t Know Much About Anything by Kenneth C. Davis
RRP: RM62.90 Now: RM19.90
2.) How To Read Novels Like A Professor by Thomas C. Foster
RRP: RM54.90 Now: RM19.90
3.) What To Expect When Your Wife Is Expanding byThomas Hill
RRP: RM49.50 Now: RM17.90
4.) Donald Trump Master Apprentice by Gwenda Blair
RRP: RM89.90 Now: RM24.90
5.) Beckham: Both Feet On The Ground – An Autobiography by Tom Watt
RRP: RM59.80 Now: RM19.90
6.) Anne Frank The Book. The Life. The Afterlife by Francine Prose
RRP: RM81.90 Now: RM24.90
7.) The Art Of Being by Constance Rhodes
RRP: RM52.90 Now: RM19.90
8.) Images of Marilyn
RRP: RM69.90 Now: RM29.90
9.) Houses Inside and Out by Mariette Himes Gomez
RRP: RM139.90 Now: RM29.90
10.) TDC Annual Typography 29
RRP: RM210.00 Now: RM69.90
11.) Chinese Cooking by Annabel Jackson Now: RM24.90
12.) Birthday Cakes RRP: RM34.90 Now: RM17.90
New Arrivals: MORE & MORE Fiction Titles!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010Fiction reads supply just keeps flowing in more for BookXcess!! 
Specially for book lovers like you! This time around, we’ve picked several titles for the Guys, Ladies & Literature fan!
For the GUYS…
To Cut a Long Story Short by Jeffery Archer RRP: RM34.90 Now: RM17.90
In To Cut a Long Story Short, New York Times bestselling author Jeffrey Archer delivers an enthralling new collection of short stories. Listeners will have a difficult time sorting fact from fiction as each story comes complete with intriguing characters, ingenious plotting and Archer’s trademark surprise endings.
Map of Bones by James Rollins RRP: RM34.90 Now: RM17.90
A mysterious biblical object, nefarious Vatican spies and a deadly centuries-old religious cabal-sound familiar? Sacramento veterinarian Rollins offers more Da Vinci Code-style thrills for the seriously addicted. An elite team of scientific and Special Forces operatives under the command of Grayson Pierce and accompanied by Lieutenant Rachel Verona of Rome’s carabinieri, they are pursuing a deadly mystery that weaves through sites of the Seven Wonders of the World and ends at the doorstep of an ancient, mystical, and terrifying secret order. For there are those with dark plans for the stolen sacred remains that will alter the future of humankind . . . when science and religion unite to unleash a horror not seen since the beginning of time.
For the LADIES…
The Personal Shopper by Carmen Reid RRP: RM42.90 Now: RM 17.90
There’s just one accessory Annie Valentine can’t find — the perfect man! Meet Annie Valentine: stylish, savvy, a multi-tasker extraordinaire. Although she’s a busy single mum to stroppy teen Lana, and painfully shy Owen, there’s a gap in Annie’s wardrobe — sorry, life — for a new man. But finding the perfect partner is turning out to be so much trickier than finding the perfect pair of shoes. Can she source a genuine classic? A life-long investment? Or will she end up with a mistake from the sale rack who’ll have to be returned? Or maybe, just maybe, there’ll be someone new this season who could be the one…
Late Night Shopping by Carmen Reid RRP: RM42.90 Now: RM17.90
The eagerly anticipated new novel from the author of The Personal Shopper sees Annie Valentine jetting off to Italy. Uber-busy Annie Valentine — mum to two demanding children and personal shopper in a swanky London fashion store — is now intent on setting up a business of her own. She has ambitions for a shoe and handbag empire, and she’ll do anything to get there. Ed isn’t convinced that Annie’s surprise remedy — an extravagant friends and family holiday to Italy — is really what they all need. Especially when a dashing Italian businessman promises to fulfill Annie’s every dream…
The Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James RRP: RM53.90 Now: RM17.90
What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen’s memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That’s the premise behind this spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen’s life, giving us untold insights into her mind and heart. Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen’s own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author’s romantic tales. It’s a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen—and to anyone who loves a great story.
The Seamstress by Frances De Pontes Peebles RRP: RM52.90 Now: RM17.90
This lavishly detailed of debut novel set in 1920s and ’30s Brazil follows two sisters who share excellent sewing skills, but take divergent paths into adulthood. Crippled by a childhood accident and mocked for her deformities, Luzia is considered unmarriageable. So after a bandit kidnaps her, she realizes that marrying the outlaw leader may be her only chance at independence and happiness. Beautiful Emília, yearning for the refinements of the big city, spurns her many rural suitors, but-reeling from her sister’s abduction and her aunt’s subsequent death-enters a disastrous marriage with a wealthy, suave stranger who has plenty of untoward secrets and a mother who treats Emília like dirt. The Seamstress is impeccably drawn, rich in depth and vision, and heralds the arrival of a supremely talented new writer.
As for LITERATURE…
Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier RRP: RM60.00 Now: RM17.90
Sixty years after REBECCA was first published, Daphne du Maurier’s unsurpassed masterpiece continues to enthrall readers with romance and suspense, as the second Mrs. de Winter narrates the haunting events surrounding her marriage to Maxim de Winter and her growing obsession with his first wife, the beautiful, now dead Rebecca. Includes excerpts from the author’s personal notes and essays, exclusive to this edition.
The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Aw RRP: RM38.90 Now: RM17.90
Aw’s highly original first novel juxtaposes three accounts of the life of an enigmatic man at a pivotal and haunting moment in Malaysian history.
2666 by Robert Bolaño RRP: RM112.90 Now: RM24.90
2666 is written by Roberto Bolaño depicting the unsolved and ongoing serial murders of Ciudad Juárez; Santa Teresa in the novel. The host of unforgettable characters includes academics and convicts, an American sportswriter, an elusive German novelist, and a teenage student and her widowed, mentally unstable father. Their lives intersect in the urban sprawl of Santa Teresa—a fictional Juárez—on the U.S-Mexico border, where hundreds of young factory workers, in the novel as in life, have disappeared.
New Arrival: Fabulous Fiction Books!
Wednesday, June 16, 2010Downside of our latest shipment, we don’t have much new fiction book titles. But on the upside, we’ll have another round of new shipment coming in again this month!! Let’s all keep our fingers crossed for more interesting book titles!!
Here are the few titles we have selected to share with you:
- The Book of Tomorrow by Cecelia Ahern Now: RM19.90
- The Gift by Cecelia Ahern Now: RM17.90
- I Heart New York by Lindsey Kelk RRP: RM35.90 Now: RM17.90
- I Heart Hollywood by Lindsey Kelk RRP: RM35.90 Now: RM17.90
- Finally Free! Divorced and Deadly by Josephine Cox Now: RM17.90
- The Untamed Bride by Stephanie Laurens Now: RM19.90
- Orignal Sin by Tasmina Perry Now: RM19.90
- Guilty Pleasures by Tasmina Perry Now: RM17.90