View from the Side: Book Reads (Deep Fathom by James Rollins)

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Genre
Adventure, Fiction, Thriller

Main Character
Jack Kirkland, an Ex-Navy SEAL
Karen Grace, a Canadian Professor
Miyuki Nakano, a Japanese Nobel Prize Winner
David Spangler, Archenemy of Jack Kirkland
Lisa Cummings, a former lover of Jack Kirkland and a Medical Doctor

About the Author

James Rollin is a New York best selling author of international thrillers. His books has been translated into more than 40 languages. The "Sigma Series" books, in which I was introduced to this Author has been lauded as one of the 'top crowd pleasers

A Glimpse of the Book

Jack Kirkland emerges from the bottom of the sea! From an aborted underwater salvage mission, he finds the world on a disastrous situation - solar flares, earthquakes and hell fires triggered by natural disasters. 

The United States is on the brink of a nuclear apocalypse, with the Air Force One missing and the President on board.

Jack Kirkland must pilot his salvage vessel 'Deep Fathom' into a deadly mission deep below the surface of the ocean.

Will Jack Kirkland and his friends save the world?

My Personal Take on the Book
playful mind and imagination...great research... action-packed... 
thought provoking

I know it's a fiction but the possibility of the story becoming a reality is not impossible. Understanding the past and having the vast knowledge of today's information might result in a future described in the book. 

The formula: science + history + imagination = marvelous fiction as good as reality!

It is a great read, a thriller adventure that takes you to the bottom of the ocean as well as to the opening of sky. I don't want to put it down until the end.

Jack Kirkland and friends, saving the world in a time ship ... resetting the world before the eclipse!!! Don't just imagine... read the book, so you'll know.

                    My Overall Reading Experience 

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View from the Side: Book Reads (The Sun Is Also A Star by Nicola Yoon)

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Genre
Fiction, Romance Novel

Main Character
Natasha, Daniel

Book Awards
#1 New York Times Bestseller 
National Book Award Finalist
2017 Michael L. Printz Honor Book
New York Times Notable Book
BuzzFeed Best YA Book of the Year
POPSUGAR Best Book of the Year
Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
Booklist Editor's Choice
New York Public Library Best Book for Teens
Recipient of the John Steptoe New Talent Award
A Walter Award Honor Book

About the Author

Nicola Yoon is also the author of the New York Best Selling book 'Everything, Everything'. It's her first novel. This is her second book. She grew up in Jamaica and Brooklyn. She currently resides in Los Angeles, California. 

A Glimpse of the Book

Natasha, a girl whose family is less than a day of being deported to Jamaica always believes in science and facts. 

Daniel, a poetic Korean-American on his way to becoming a Doctor (a pressure from both parents) believes in fate.

With different purposes in life, the universe conspires to bring them together in the streets of  New York City. Events, signs, chance encounters brought these two to finally meet each other. 

When these two persons with different personalities meet in a very short time (as in 12 hours), what will prevail... science... fate?

Read the book….. I promise, it's an easy and interesting read!

My Personal Take on the Book

I know that it's a love story book! But I took the chance to read the book because of the many awards and good reviews that it had garnered.  And it will soon be a motion picture.
Oh, no!!! I was mistaken… I read love story books with emphasis on happy endings! Ooppssie… anyways, I read this book because first and foremost I was intrigued with its title ‘The Sun Is Also A Star”. What’s this Author talking about?! Everybody knows even the smallest children among us that the sun is really a star! A yellow dwarf star! But it's actually white that appears yellow through the earth's atmosphere.
As I read the book, I thought there was a barrage of scientific facts why the sun is also a star. That was my second mistake. Again, it’s a love story not a science book! Then I came along with these conversation from Daniel’s perspectives:
“Most poems I’ve seen are about love or sex or the stars. You poets are obsessed with stars. Falling stars. Shooting stars. Dying stars.”
“Stars are important,” I say, laughing.
“Sure, but why not more poems about the sun? The sun is also a star, and it’s our most important one. That alone should be worth a poem or two.”
“Done. I will only write poems about the sun from now on,” I declare.
Well, I'm happy that I read the book. It is a book about almost everything..... love, life, future, dreams, fate, destiny. It also touches on the intensity of human relations…our connectedness, interconnectedness or disconnectedness with each other. The subjects of cross-cultural, cross-boundaries, multigenerational and immigration were also part of the story.
Another well… the ending… the circle of life!!!

Quotes I like from this book

Koi No Yokan
Pronunciation: ‘koy•noh•yo•kin
Origin: Japanese
Definition: n., upon meeting someone, the feeling that the two of you may soon fall in love.

From the book: “It doesn’t mean love at first sight. It’s closer to love at second sight. It’s the feeling when you meet someone that you’re going to fall in love with them. Maybe you don’t love them right away, but it’s inevitable that you will.” 

ONSRA
Pronounced: uhns•’rah
Origin: Boro language of India
Definition: n., the bittersweet feeling that occurs in those who know their love won’t last.

From the book: “How can you trust something that can end as suddenly as it begins?” 

My Overall Reading Experience 

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View from the Side: Book Reads (The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer)

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Genre
Thriller, Suspense, Spy Fiction

Main Character
Juliana Fortis alias Alex, or Casey, or Chris
Codename: Oleander
a chemist/biologist using chemically-based torture method, an agent of the government

Book Award
National Best Seller

About the Author

Stephenie Meyer graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English literature. She is popularly known as the author of the #1 bestselling Twilight Saga. 

A Glimpse of the Book

Female version of Jason Bourne. Female assassin. Dangerous Missions. Politically Intriguing. Professional Torturer. Bio-terrorism.

Dr. Juliana Fortis, surviving two attempts on her life, is still running. She was an ex-agent of the government, an interrogator using chemical-based. She was then considered as the most valuable asset of the government. But during the course of her work she gained some secrets; tagging her as a dangerous liability.

Juliana or Alex or whatever name she goes by at the moment always disguises herself. In the  run for three years, routinely changing her address and name, she uses her skill as a chemist to arm herself and manufactures lethal gases in the bathtub.  Constantly on high alert, determined to survive, she drives in circles, sleeps in gas masks and uses different methods to protect herself. She cautiously set-up her defenses against the assassins that the agency has sent after her. 

After killing all three assassins, she was contacted by the Agency to do one more case to clear her name and save her life.  Is it another trap or the government really needs her to save the country?  Despite her suspicions and hoping for a peaceful life, she takes on the dangerous job.

Along the way, something happened more dangerous than ever anticipated.  She falls in love with one of her targets. Will her intelligence, strength, ability and skills save both herself and the man she loves?

Read the book….. I promise, it's an interesting read!

My Personal Take on the Book

A fascinating and engaging read. It's a book that once you had started reading, it's very hard to put it down. The plot is interesting as well as complicated with unexpected twist and turns of events. From the very start, I got involved with Alex. There are times that I felt that I was her. 
This book awakens my childhood dream to be a spy and to conduct secret investigations! 

My Overall Reading Experience

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View from the Side: Book Reads (Zero Day by David Baldacci)

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Genre
Fiction, Thriller Novel

Setting Place
West Virginia (mostly Drake), USA

Main Characters
John Puller, Samantha Cole

Book Award
New York Times Best Seller

About the Author

David Baldacci practiced law in Washington, D. C., author of national and international bestsellers is also a philanthropist. He cofounded the "Wish You Well Foundation" together with his wife, a non-profit organization supporting literacy efforts.

His books have been published in over 46 languages and in more than 80 countries. His first novel in 1996, Absolute Power was adapted into film, with Clint Eastwood as its director and lead star. From then on, several of his books have been adapted for film and television shows.

A Glimpse of the Book

The character of John Puller is introduced in this first of a series of thriller novel. Puller is a decorated army combat veteran and the best military investigator in the U.S. Army’s Criminal Investigative Command. He has an interesting family… his father, a legendary commanding officer and his brother, a convicted traitor serving a life sentence in a federal military prison.

Puller is assigned to investigate a case involving the brutal murder of a family of four in a remotely rural town in Drake, West Virginia. The family involves a high-ranking officer with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the officer's wife and their two teenage children. The twist starts when he was told that the case is unusual and there seems interest on the higher-ups, and that he will be investigating the case by himself. Considering the “high-profile” of the victim, under normal circumstances, a group of investigators should have been assigned to handle the case. 

As he unravels deceptions and conspiracies within the military organization including the US Government, he is one man determined to find the truth. 

My Personal Take on John Puller

When the Author started characterizing Puller, I resisted my urge to immediately compare him with Jack Reacher. I love Jack Reacher and I can’t allow that someone would be like him. He is in my world ‘uniquely only one’. Although most readers found some resemblance, I strongly disagree. They are completely different. 

And here is my proof:

Particulars	Jack Reacher	John Puller
Height	6’5’’	Almost 6’4”
Weight	250 lbs.	232 lbs.
Military Experience	Retired, Military Police Corps Major	Active, Investigator of Army’s Criminal Investigation Division; Army Ranger, Combat Veteran
Ways of Fighting Crime	Hitchhikes and fights crime through coincidence	Assigned with complete gears and traveling plan
Permanent Living	None, stays anywhere	A rented apartment
Pet	None	A Cat, named AWOL
Family	None living family member	2 living family members (father and a brother)
Possession being carried	Money, a foldable toothbrush and, after 9/11, an expired passport and an ATM debit Card.	A rucksack (“magically large!?”) that contains almost everything* he needs as an investigator. *A mini crime laboratory;  imaging/photography equipment; bio-hazard suits; body armors; uniforms; guns; etcetera!!!

The only similarity…….  their names start with letter ‘J’.

My Overall Reading Experience

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