179. To Love, Honour and Betray, Kathy Lette

So very funnily written. I chuckled alot during the reading. Esp. because it made a lot of references about Australia from a British visitor's point of view. The story was a bit frustrating, but the way it was written was hilarious and i thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

When I chuckled, he added, 'I thought women rated men with a sense of humour as the most sexually attractive. So why aren't your clothes off?' When I laughed again, he added playfully, 'That's like a multiple laugh. Oh, you minx'

...

He was as emotionally self sufficient as a Raymond Chandler hero. If Lockie was ever bitten by a snake, he'd just cut out the venom with his own knife, make the snake into a belt, then hike a hundren miles to the nearest shop to buy a pair of matching boots. Tough and ruthless when he had to be.

There's also some paragraph that made me laugh so much re: a pet snake named fluffy. It's an enjoyable book.

178. The Tenth Circle, Jodi Picoult

"You okay?"
Trixie started to nod, but she was so sick of lying. "Not so much," she admitted. It was nice, the way Willie didn't even try to say something to make her feel better. He just let her sadness stands

177. How It Ends, Laura Wiess

I was setting the table for supper one night and my mother was making the pasta salad and I said real casually, "What would you do if Daddy ever cheated on you?"

And I dont know what I was expecting but it wasnt her easy "Divorce him."

"You would?" I said, shocked. "Just like that?"

"Of course," she said giving me a curious look. "Why, what did you think I would do?"

"Well, I dont know, but not that," I said. "You would break up our family?"

Oh my God, my mother hit the roof, and I was so not expecting it that I just stood there with my mouth hanging open.

"I cant stand that you just said that," she said, grabbing a bottle of Italian dressing by the neck and shaking it like she was trying to kill it. "If your father cheated on me, then he made the decision to risk every single thing we had together, knowing that this would destroy us, so no, Hanna, it wouldnt be me breaking up the family, it would be him."

"But you could forgive him," I said warily.

She snorted.."Why? Why would I want to live with a deliberate cheater and a liar and a betrayer, with someone who was willing to hurt me like that just to get off? No, i'm serious. Why would I? Why would I think so little of myself to do that? And how could I even stand to ook at him, not to mention touch him? No,.. we told each other way back in the beginning that there are several absolute relationship breakers and topping the list was cheating, so we both know that if either one of us did it, it would mean the end of everything."

"Really?" I said "So that means if you cheated, Daddy would divorce you?"

"Absolutely,.. and i would expect him to."

....

"WHat would you do if mommy cheated on you?" I said

"Beat the crap out of the guy and then divorce her," he said matter of factly.

"Do you believe in unconditional love?" I said.

"Only for you, kiddo." he said.

"Okay,... would you ever cheat on Mommy?"

"No," je said with absolute certainty. "No roll in the hay is worth losing what I've got."

176. Perfume, Patrick Suskind

What a fascinating book. The writer was very graphic, and there were a couple scenes in the book that made me astonished. It created a picture in my head that i couldnt shake off. The book left some impression on me. I enjoyed reading it, and in the same time, felt nervous as I read it.

175. Half A Life, V.S Naipaul

I dont know how to describe this book any other way than 'interesting'. It almost feels like the book has no beginning and no end. The title says it all really... 'half a life'.

The story started with a man in India who was full of promising futures. Out of rebelion and in an attempt to defy his past, he marries someone from low-caste, only to finds himself feel more angry and unjustified. But the central of the story is his son, who did almost everything to avoid his past and family and seeks fulfilment anywhere else but home and his own family. The story ends kinda hanging, like it wasnt really ending. Really weird book.. but interesting.

174. The Pilot's Wife, Ania Shreve

A story of a woman who learned that her pilot husband was involved in some political cause and he died as a suicide bomber. The story is a journey of her grief and confusion and desperate need to find out the answers to questions she can no longer ask her deceased husband.

Quite a good reading.

173. A Red Bird Christmas, Fannie Flagg

This is a very beautiful novel, like a grown-up fairy tale. When I finished reading this, it made me believe in all good things in life, happy endings, and pure love. She's definitely one of my fav author.

The story begins with an elderly unwell man who's been diagnosed to have only a few months to live. Following the advice of the doctor, he travelled to a warmer part of the country. Not to get well but to die peacefully. And the fairytale began... :)