Ramadhan Hiatus

It's been sooooo long since I've posted anything that I have to get re-acquainted with my blog! It's not that I haven't been reading; to pass the time in this hot and humid weather with the special bonus of not being able to drink anything (Fasting Month!), I go through a lot of books. But mostly, they're just Agatha Christie re-reads or books that I don't have to pay a lot of attention to while reading. I have the massive War and Peace waiting patiently to be started, but in this state, I don't dare to touch it yet. Let a month pass before I begin that particular novel.

As it is, I knew I would be lazy about getting a post up, so I thought: why not just do an update post about the books I've been reading and will soon post reviews of? I have plenty of ideas swimming around in my head, and rather than letting them slip out, it'd be better to just jot them down in a post of their own. So here it goes:

Books I have read and not posted reviews of yet:

They Found Him Dead
The Death of Ivan Ilyich
Eat Pray Love
The Thirteen Problems
Miss Marple's Final Cases
The Witness for the Prosecution and Selected Plays
Hallowe'en Party
The Seven Dials Mystery
Postern of Fate

I'll get to these as soon as my brain decides to function without food or water! Besides my overdue reviews, I have to catch up on some of my challenges. Now, the 2012 TV Addict Reading Challenge I've long given up on for the simple reason that the books are unavailable to me and I can't afford to order so many. That's somewhat sad for me but, hey, there are other books and other challenges; The Historical Challenge, I am happy to say, I have almost completed. With only one book to go, I should be able to finish it in the remaining months. Finally, we have the New Authors Challenge for which I have a couple of new books lined up (the reviews, of course, I'll be posting in August).

It has also been quite some time since I've posted anything new on my Why haven't they made the movie?! feature. For me, there are always plenty of books I'm only too ready to have turned into movies, and I have the perfect book in mind. Watch soon for a post on Cotillion to pop up! My other feature, My Blind Date with a Book, overlaps with the New Authors Challenge so I'll be updating that soon as well.

Destination Unknown

Rating: ****

Another novel with the same theme: the fear of youth ruling the earth; a huge power looming up to take over the world!! Etc. But still, I have to say I liked the novel. It was mostly due to the different approach to the same theme, and the character of Hilary Craven. I liked how the novel turned out to be something quite different from what I had expected (hint, it turned out not to be all about taking over the world!).

Destination Unknown takes Hilary Craven, a disillusioned and heartbroken woman into the heart of a conspiracy. Tired and broken, she is given a chance to do something before ending her life. Traveling through unknown territory and barren deserts, will she be able to find herself along with the people she is sent to look for: a number of reputable young scientists who have mysteriously disappeared - gone behind the curtain?

Will the conspiracy remain a mystery forever? Somehow, with Agatha Christie, one never thinks so. With the usual cast of intelligent and charming characters, I enjoyed reading Destination Unknown.